It’s frothy. It’s green. It’s a type of tea, but decidedly different looking and tasting than most brews. It’s matcha! Whether you’ve tried it or not, you’ve probably seen matcha-based drinks being sold in coffee shops and health food stores from Los Angeles to Tokyo. The claim is that matcha is essentially an elevated form Related posts: Tea Gargling for Health Tea News October 2011 Flu Shot Controversy Juicing Alternative Supplement News You Can Use

This Valentine’s Day I’ll be making Rio Royales: bubbly and pink-hued, this cocktail sets the perfect mood for the heart-filled holiday. What I’m really loving about Rio Royales is that a major component of the drink is antioxidant-rich açaí liquer. The berry-infused liquer gives the drink a subtle taste of chocolate-covered cherries, but its health benefits are even more enticing. Açaí pulp has more antioxidants than you’ll find in blueberries, pomegranates, or red grapes, and also contains lots of fiber, amino acids, and heart-healthy fatty acids. Learn how easy it is to make this recipe after the break!

Agоrаphobiа Pаnic Attаck Infоrmаtiоn Agоrаphobiа іѕ generаlly соnsiderеd аn аnxiеty оr pаnic dіѕоrder, соmmоnly rеferrеd tо аs thе feаr оf trаvelіng. Thіs feаr cаn rаnge frоm nоt bеіng аble tо trаvel а fеw hоurs аwаy frоm thе homе, аll thе wаy dоwn tо nоt bеіng аble tо leаve yоur homе аll tоgеthеr. An аgоrаphobiа pаnic аttаck іѕ bаsicаlly аn аttаck thаt occurs whеn аn аgоrаphobic аttempts tо gо bеyоnd thеir “sаfe” boundаrіеs. Thе problem wіth trеаtіng аn аgоrаphobiа pаnic аttаck іѕ thаt thе оnly rеаl wаy tо оvеrсоmе thе аttаck іѕ fоr thе pеrsоn tо аttempt tо puѕh thеir limіts. Thіs іѕ thе rеаsоn whу mаny аgоrаphobics tend tо gеt wоrse bеfоrе thеy gеt bеtter. It іѕ eаsy fоr аn аgоrаphobic tо ignоrе thеir problem, sіnce аll thеy hаve tо dо іѕ nоt trаvel bеyоnd thеir limіts but unfоrtunаtely whіle bеіng eаsy tо ignоrе, аgоrаphobiа аlѕо tеndѕ tо bе thе mоѕt stіflіng оf thе symptоms thаt cаn аrіѕe frоm chrоnic pаnic dіѕоrder. Bеgіn Wіth Bаbу Steps Thе bеst thіng аn аgоrаphobic cаn dо tо stem thеir аgоrаphobiа pаnic аttаcks, іѕ tо bеgіn tаkіng bаbу steps. Sеttіng gоаls tо оvеrсоmе thеir аttаcks іѕ thе оnly wаy аn аgоrаphobic wіll еvеr bе аble tо fіnаlly mаster thеir feаrs. Thіs process іѕ bеst dоne wіth thе hеlp оf fаmily аnd frіеnds, whо cаn hеlp уоu tо mаke thоѕе steps аll thе whіle kееpіng thе pеrsоn аssurеd оf thеir rеlаtive sаfеty. It іѕn’t соmplеtely knоwn whаt cаuѕes аgоrаphobic pаnic аttаcks, оr whу thе pаnic аttаcks mаnіfest іn thіs fоrm. It іѕ suѕpected thаt mаny аgоrаphobics аlrеаdy hаd thе propensіty fоr bеіng аfrаid оf trаvel, wіth mаny оf thеm bеіng thе type thаt еxpеrіеnced motiоn sickness bеfоrе thеy еvеr еxpеrіеnce pаnic аttаcks. Thе Unknоwn An Agоrаphobiа pаnic аttаck іѕ pаrticulаrly fruѕtrаtіng tо thе sufferеr thеmѕеlvеѕ. Mаіnly bеcаuѕe thе аttаck іѕ еvеn lеѕѕ rаtiоnаl thеn а stаndаrd pаnic аttаck. Why thеy еxpеrіеnce а feаr оf trаvelіng bеyоnd а certаіn dіѕtаnce, оr gоіng tо а certаіn plаce іѕ unknоwn. But аnyоne оf thе numеrouѕ аnxiеty / pаnic dіѕоrders cаn tаke root аnd cаuѕe аgоrаphobiа. Sociаl аnxiеty cаn leаd tо а feаr оf certаіn public plаces, especiаlly grocery stоrеs аnd othеr plаces thаt hаve а lаrge gаthеrіng оf people. On thе othеr hаnd generаl pаnic dіѕоrder cаn cаuѕe thе pаnic sufferеr tо bесоmе embаrrаssed оf thеir оwn dіѕоrder, whіch leаds tо а feаr оf trаvelіng оutside аnd hаvіng а pаnic аttаck. It juѕt gоes tо shоw thе dіfficultіеs thаt аrе hаd іn identіfyіng аnd deаlіng wіth аn аgоrаphobiа pаnic аttаck. Related Blogs

NEW YORK (AP) — Planned Parenthood said Wednesday that it received more than $400,000 from 6,000 donors in the 24 hours after news broke that its affiliates would be losing grants for breast screenings from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast-cancer foundation. Komen, meanwhile, incurred heated criticism from some members of Congress, numerous liberal advocacy groups and some newspaper editorial writers. But it was applauded by many conservative religious and anti-abortion groups that abhor Planned Parenthood for its role as the leading U.S. abortion provider. Planned Parenthood says the funding cutoff was a result of Komen succumbing to pressure from anti-abortion activists. Komen, in a statement issued Wednesday evening, denied that politics played a role and reiterated that its decision was based on newly adopted criteria for issuing grants. The criteria bar grants to any organization that’s under local, state or federal investigation. Planned Parenthood is being investigated for alleged financial improprieties by a Republican congressman acting with the encouragement of anti-abortion groups. “We regret that these new policies have impacted some long-standing grantees, such as Planned Parenthood, but want to be absolutely clear that our grant-making decisions are not about politics,” the Komen statement said. It pledged to ensure that women who need breast-health services can still have access to them. Dr. Eric Winer, a breast cancer specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston who is chairman of Komen’s scientific advisory council, said he was confident that breast-screening availability would not be jeopardized. “The last thing in the world that anyone at Komen wants to do … is to decrease the resources that are available to those women,” he said. Nonetheless, some members of Komen’s nationwide network were unsettled. The Komen affiliate in Connecticut posted a notice on its website saying it has enjoyed a “great partnership” with Planned Parenthood of Southern New England and noting that the funding decision was made at Komen’s national headquarters. “We understand, and share, in the frustration around this situation,” the notice said. “We hope that any investigation prohibiting Planned Parenthood from receiving Komen grants is promptly resolved.” Planned Parenthood said the Komen grants totaled roughly $680,000 last year and $580,000 the year before, going to 19 of its affiliates for breast-cancer screening and other breast-health services. According to Planned Parenthood, its health centers performed more than 4 million breast exams over the past five years, including nearly 170,000 as a result of Komen grants. Andrea Hagelgans, a Planned Parenthood spokeswoman, said the organization was grateful for the outpouring of support since Tuesday evening, when The Associated Press first reported Komen’s decision. “People respond powerfully when they see politics interfering with women’s health,” she said. “These donations will continue to help expand Planned Parenthood’s critical health care services nationwide, especially those affiliates impacted by the Komen cuts.” Several members of Congress who support abortion rights voiced dismay at the grant cutoff. “I was perplexed and troubled to see the decision by Susan G. Komen for the Cure to cut off funding for lifesaving breast cancer screenings through Planned Parenthood because of a political witch hunt by House Republicans,” said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. “I truly hope that they will reconsider this decision and put the needs of women first.” The progressive group MoveOn.org launched an online petition calling on Komen to maintain its grants to Planned Parenthood. It said 60,000 people had signed in a matter of hours. Komen won praise from anti-abortion activists such as Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life. “The work of the Komen Foundation has lifesaving potential and should not be intertwined with an industry dealing in death,” said Yoest, a breast-cancer survivor. She said she had stopped running in Komen’s Race for the Cure because of its ties with Planned Parenthood, but “in the future, I’ll be racing with them to support this courageous decision.” Komen, based in Dallas and founded in 1982, has invested more than $1.9 billion since then in research, health services and advocacy while becoming the largest breast-cancer charity in the nation. Its Race for the Cure fundraising events have become a global phenomenon. Editorials about Komen’s decision were published by several newspapers. “Komen caved to political pressure,” wrote editorial writer Tod Robberson in the Dallas Morning News. “The next time Komen for the Cure comes asking us for an editorial supporting one of their local events, I’m going the think twice.” The Star-Ledger in New Jersey took a more nuanced view. “It’s hard to see who the winners are in this mess,” it wrote. “As so often happens when their bodies become a political battleground, women ultimately lose.” (©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Lance Armstrong has brought attention to cancer through the ubiquitous Livestrong yellow wristbands. But at the same time, his story leaves the “Lance Armstrong effect,” the impression that cancer can be easily defeated and every patient can spring out of bed to achieve great feats much as the seven-time Tour de France winner has. Dr. David Agus, a cancer expert from University of Southern California, asked Armstrong Wednesday night at TEDMED whether he felt any pressure of being the model of all things going right in cancer treatment. “It doesn’t go right,” said Armstrong. He responded that every minute, a person in the United States dies from cancer. And when he meets people living with cancer, the testicular cancer survivor doesn’t dispense advice. “I don’t say anything,” Armstrong said about when he meets cancer patients.  “They don’t expect Vince Lombardi to come in and give tips.” Here is what every cancer patient wants, according to Armstrong. “They want to be heard,” he said.  “They want me to sit there, look at them in the eye and feel their story.”

Babies born too soon face a host of obstacles, including immediate medical issues as well as longer-term physical and mental health problems. A study just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association unearths another consequence: a higher chance of dying during young adulthood. The study tracked 674,820 individuals born in Sweden in 1973 to 1979 up until 2008. Nearly 28,000 of them were born prematurely, defined as before 37 weeks of gestation, and then survived until at least age one. Researchers found those folks had greater odds of dying between the ages of one and five than their counterparts who were carried to term, which wasn’t a big surprise. But the study found that while the increased risk of death vanished during later childhood and the teenage years, it came back when people reached the 18-36 age range. The absolute mortality rate was small — 0.94 deaths per 1,000 people per year for those who were born earliest, between 22 and 27 weeks of gestation. But that compares to just 0.46 deaths for those born between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation. The increased risk of dying in young adulthood “appears to be due to various causes (including heart disease, respiratory and endocrine disorders) that have a longer latency, or cumulative health effects that take longer to manifest,” Casey Crump , an author of the study and clinical assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University tells us via email. It’s not yet known exactly why preterm birth is tied to these conditions, but the risk may stem from “nutritional abnormalities or hormone alterations that are associated with preterm birth, as well as genetic factors,” he says. One big caveat: because there have been advances in neonatal care since then, these results don’t necessarily apply to people born after 1973-79. Those changes — including widespread use of certain medications and mechanical ventilation to help the lungs — mean “better survival of preterm infants at earlier stages of prematurity, but the effects on longer-term health are unknown,” Crump tells us. “Preterm infants born today may have either better or worse long-term outcomes than the individuals we studied,” he writes. About 12% of births in the U.S. are now early, the study says. There’s been a recent push to educate women about the importance of carrying babies to term unless there’s a medical reason to deliver early. At some hospitals, more than 40% of babies are born by elective early deliveries — labor induction or elective C-section before 39 weeks. Meantime, there’s been a recent medical advance for certain women at risk of inadvertent preterm delivery. In April, research by the National Institutes of Health suggested a progesterone gel can help cut the risk of early preterm delivery by 45% in women with a short cervix. Those who were born early may be able to reduce their risk for troublesome conditions in adulthood by avoiding other risk factors such as smoking and obesity, Crump says. Image: iStockphoto

If you’re wondering how many grams of protein a woman should consume per day, there’s no cut and dry answer. It depends on your weight, your activity level, and whether or not you’re pregnant. There’s an easy way to calculate the number of protein grams that’s right for you. Just take your weight in pounds and divide it by 2.2 to figure out your weight in kilograms. Then multiply that number by 0.8 (not very active) through 1.8 (extremely active), depending on how much exercise you get. As a general guideline, the USDA’s RDA for protein for adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. The USDA’s average requirement of protein for women ages 31-50 is 46 g/day. But, as you can see from this chart, you’ll need to up that if you keep an active life; you should also increase protein intake if you are pregnant or nursing. Check out the chart below to see how much protein you should be eating each day. If you don’t see your weight, just use the formula above to calculate your daily protein. See the chart after the break!

Children love hand-washing about as much as they love vegetables, and perhaps with good reason: harsh chemicals in traditional soaps and sanitizers can irritate skin and leave it cracked and dry. Though thyme oil has been a celebrated germ-killer for thousands of years, it took CleanWell to revolutionize modern clean using this hardy plant. For a real clean sweep, our exclusive offer buys $30 worth of CleanWell’s gentle, natural, and environmentally friendly soaps, hand sanitizing sprays, and wipes for just $15. CleanWell’s inspiration was a boy named Conor, who was born with a serious immune system disorder. His father was determined to keep Conor clean without taxing his body, so with the help of an expert in natural chemistry, this thyme-ly line was born. The plant’s antiseptic uses date back to early Roman, Greek, and Ayurvedic medicinal practices, and today it powers the germ-fighting abilities of CleanWell’s gentle hand soaps , hand sanitizing sprays , and wipes . Since thyme is a weed, it grows without nasty pesticides, and the oil is sustainably harvested through steam distillation, meaning that your conscience will remain as clean as your hands.

How you can get a hot bikini bum like celebs Jessica Biel and Jennifer Aniston . You can also try these yoga poses to tone your seat . We want to know what healthy things you do regularly, so weigh in! The great panty debate continues: to wear or go bare for workouts ? It’s time to recommit to your fitness goals – Summer has just begun. Simple tips to prevent a bad running day . Now lace up and go! Quiz yourself on your salad bar smarts before plating up. Try a spinning yoga class ; the new fitness hybrid is a treat. Ten low-carb snacks to keep you going until dinner without crashing.

Recently I went to my first fitness retreat: the Lake Tahoe Wellness Weekend . After spending three fitness-filled days there, I left with the kind of sore body that any fitness fanatic craves. I also experienced changes in how my body performed. When a friend and I went for a run through the surrounding area, we noticed that we were breathing harder than we normally do and that our lungs hurt a little bit. Given the circumstances, it wasn’t too surprising. We were at a much higher altitude than normal (6,200 feet), and because there’s less oxygen the higher you go, the heart has to work harder, which can result in a faster heart rate and breath. While at the retreat, I picked up some helpful tips on how to deal with exercising at high altitudes. Start slow . While the breathtaking mountain views may inspire you to immediately hit the running trail, give your body time to acclimate. If you can afford to, spend your first day doing normal day-to-day activities and wait to start your fitness regimen on day two. Once you do start exercising, start slow. Pay attention to your body and don’t push yourself to run your usual six-minute mile if you notice that your lungs hurt, you’re too short on breath, or your heart is beating alarmingly fast. Pushing yourself too soon may result in injury. Learn why carbo-loading is your friend in high altitudes, and other tips, after the break!