How to Take Better Care of Your Prostate: Understanding Prostate Health & Maintenance

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Learn about the role of this male reproductive gland and the importance of keeping it free from complications. 

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Start Your Skincare Journey Without the Unnecessary Worry.

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Southstar Drug explains what is essential about skincare and what else you need to know to begin your own skincare routine.

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Understanding the Importance and Benefits of Family Planning

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Family planning reaps many benefits to the individual and the community. Go in-depth about the different options available and choose what’s right for you and your family.

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Stay Healthy and Celebrate Nutrition Month with Southstar Drug

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Take charge and learn about good food choices this Nutrition Month from Southstar Drug. Proper nutrition starts with us.

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CAN YOU HEAR ME?

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A guide to ear care

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THE SURPRISING TRUTH ABOUT VITAMINS

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Vitamins, the ultimate performer in one’s body that help absorb food nutrients, repair tissues, and strengthen the immune system are also known as micronutrients. This is because you only need a minuscule amount of it in your body!

A quick Google search yields that vitamins are organic compounds that come from the food you eat, supplements you take, and the environment you’re in. So now maybe you’re asking “If I only need a tiny amount of vitamins & minerals and I’m already eating healthy, have a balanced diet and live in a nice environment, should I still continue taking supplements?”, well, that totally depends!

You need at least 30 essential vitamins and minerals which your body cannot produce alone, that’s why supplements are important to help increase the level of micronutrients your body needs to perform well.

But Dr. Marc Leavy, a primary care internist at Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, doesn’t recommend ingesting supplements daily as getting more than what’s needed could lead to complications.

But then again, our bodies and diet differ from one another. You may be lacking some Vitamin C, which you could get from eating citrus fruits, and getting enough Vitamin D, which you could get from consuming fatty fish and seafood.

Well, you may already have an idea of what you’re lacking and getting, but it’s still better to consult your doctor about this. Oh, and for your supplement needs, always remember that there’s a Southstar Drug near you!

Vitamins, the ultimate performer in one’s body that help absorb food nutrients, repair tissues, and strengthen the immune system are also known as micronutrients. This is because you only need a minuscule amount of it in your body!

A quick Google search yields that vitamins are organic compounds that come from the food you eat, supplements you take, and the environment you’re in. So now maybe you’re asking “If I only need a tiny amount of vitamins & minerals and I’m already eating healthy, have a balanced diet and live in a nice environment, should I still continue taking supplements?”, well, that totally depends!

You need at least 30 essential vitamins and minerals which your body cannot produce alone, that’s why supplements are important to help increase the level of micronutrients your body needs to perform well.

But Dr. Marc Leavy, a primary care internist at Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, doesn’t recommend ingesting supplements daily as getting more than what’s needed could lead to complications.

But then again, our bodies and diet differ from one another. You may be lacking some Vitamin C, which you could get from eating citrus fruits, and getting enough Vitamin D, which you could get from consuming fatty fish and seafood.

Well, you may already have an idea of what you’re lacking and getting, but it’s still better to consult your doctor about this. Oh, and for your supplement needs, always remember that there’s a Southstar Drug near you!

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CONSTIPATION : CAUSES AND PREVENTION

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Due to lack of awareness on  proper balance diet and exercise needed for an individual to take in a day, lots of health problem are being experienced by majority of the population.  Are you one of them? Are you even aware of some common health problems that might occur once you choose to not live a healthy life?
 
One of the common problems that you might actually experience is the so-called constipation. Constipation usually occurs when you excrete waste less often than normal. Some people have them once to thrice a day while others have them only twice or once a week. So, how about you? When did you have your last bowel movement?  
 
According to the study, going longer more than three or more days without number 2 (pooping)  is already long enough to face a greater chance that your feces or stool becomes harder; It will make feces difficult to pass through  and this is how constipation attacks. Let’s talk about some possible matters that may lead you for being constipated.

  1.  Not drinking enough water and not eating foods rich in fiber such as fruits, vegetables, cereals and wholemeal bread. This is actually the common cause of experiencing one;
  2. Lack of exercise;
  3. Resisting  yourself the urge to have a bowel movement;
  4. Taking some medications especially strong pain drugs such as narcotics, antidepressants, or iron pills which might be having a side effects;
  5. According to the study one out of five pregnant women will become constipated due to the hormonal changes that slow down the gut movements;
  6. When you have changed something in your usual activities or diet;
  7. Stress can actually cause constipation too.

Symptoms of constipation includes having bowel movement troubles. Second is you feel like that there’s a blockage in your rectum that prevents your stools to come out. Third, it feels like you can not completely empty your stool from your rectum that you think you might be needing some help to do it such as using your hands to empty your abdomen and using your finger to remove your stool from your rectum.

 There are some of the easy steps that will help you ease or prevent constipation in the first place:

  • Eat foods that are rich in fiber such as fruits, vegetables, cereals and wholemeal breads or pasta;
  • Drink plenty of water at least eight to ten cups a day. Water help softens your stools;
  • Exercise regularly if possible
  •  Don’t try to ignore the need of using the toilet. Some people choose to suppress the feeling of using the toilet probably because they are busy which in the end will make them regret suppressing it because of the consequences that will possibly occur.

At the end of the day, it’s a choice to live a healthy life. Seek your doctor if it’s necessary. Have a regular check-up. It’s gonna be way better to enjoy waking up and eating delicious foods without worrying about bowel movement problems.

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TEA TIME!

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Everybody deserves a cup of tea.

Based on research, tea is said to be one of the most beneficial drinks that could improve our health. It have also found that drinking tea can help to reduce cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. It can also be a help for detoxifying your body.

Health Benefits
Is it coffee or tea? Probably some will consider themselves as coffee lovers, some may say they’re perfectly fine with tea. But before anything else, try to consider the health benefits that tea possesses.  
 
Drinking tea has been recognized for its capacity to soothe, restore, refresh and relax our body. The real tea came from the Camellia sinensis plant and has only four varieties which includes green tea, black tea, white tea and oolong tea. Know the health benefits of tea:

  1. It has antioxidants. ​Tea contains antioxidants which protects us from the damage from pollution. It also helps to keep us young and help in reducing cancer including breast, colon, colorectal, skin and others.
  2. It has less caffeine than coffee. ​According to studies, caffeine content varies according to the type of tea you are using. Even though tea contains caffeine, it has less content which ranges from 20 to 90 milligrams per 8 ounces compared to 50 to 120 milligrams in coffee.
  3. It helps in losing weight. ​Drinking tea helps in reducing weight. According to scientists, the ​catechins or antioxidants
    ​ in the green tea extract helps our body’s ability to burn down fats.
  4. It reduces the risks of heart attack. ​When you drink tea, it associates with lowering the cholesterol in your body. Studies says that intake of tea decreases the incidence of heart attack.

Types and Its Benefits
There are different types of teas which varies according to its health benefits and how it can be achieved.

  • Black Tea. ​Is a common type of tea that has a high concentration of antioxidant compounds which has linked to have lower levels of cholesterol. Also, research shown that the people who drinks three or more cups of black tea daily may cut their risk of stroke by 21 percent.
  • Green Tea.​It is the type of tea which is full of antioxidants called catechins that may help in reducing cancer and heart disease. Based on study, consumption of each cup of green tea daily may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by 10 percent.
  • White Tea. ​A type of tea which according to Joe Simrany, president of the Tea Association of the USA, in New York City, offers the same potential cardiovascular and cancer-fighting benefits as other teas. It may also benefit the people with diabetes.
  • Oolong Tea. ​Losing weight is the core benefit of this tea type. It is said that the people who drink Oolong tea may burn calories over two-hour period.

Take note of all these because it’s tea time. Cheers to a healthy living!

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