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!

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.

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!

Eating disorders are among the deadliest psychological disorders that can affect anyone. They slowly ruin the body; however, to be able to for these to be treated successfully, they have to be understood as disorders of the mind.

The major causes of having an eating disorder is still unclear however, according to research, biological, psychological and sociocultural factors play a big part.

Here are 3 of the most common eating disorders:

Anorexia Nervosa, in which the person may be obsessing with continued weight loss when he/she is already underweight. People suffering from this have a distorted body image.

Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person may appear to have a normal body, when in fact they binge eat and purge - by vomiting, using laxatives or excessive exercising to compensate for overeating. And these people have higher risks for diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Binge Eating, however, is excessive eating without control but without purging or fasting.

Eating disorders are not only about eating a lot or nothing at all, it is a more complicated condition that should be recognized and treated. Therefore, it is very important to be aware of the symptoms and warning signs.

The following are common symptoms of an eating disorder according to nationaleatingdisorder.org:

• Withdrawal from social activities
• Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws
• Obsessing over shape and weight
• Hoarding or hiding food
• Eating in secret
• Unhealthy exercise habits
• Disappearing after eating often to the bathroom
• Dangerous dieting
• Mood swings, irritability, depression

            If your loved one or even yourself is diagnosed with 5 or more of these symptoms, consult an expert and prevent the worst situation that may occur.

            Having an eating disorder is nothing to be ashamed about. We should just refrain from giving critical feedback about weight and body. Getting educated about eating disorders and its treatments can go a long way; you can pass on the message to your loved ones who you believe may be suffering from one.

            Also, for a fast recovery and safe treatment, refer them to a professional. Recovery from these disorders is possible. With the help of medical and psychological assistance, people with eating disorders can be cured.

REFERENCES:

http://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/index.php/news/library-health-news/828-how-to-prevent-eating-disorders

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

https://www.everydayhealth.com/eating-disorders/guide/

‘Tis the season of rain! And ‘tis the season to bring out those umbrellas, raincoats, and boots! Sure, those rainy season gears are needed in some countries experiencing heavy rainfall and flood. But how about the Philippines and other neighboring Asian countries? Guess umbrellas, raincoats, boots aren’t enough to safeguard one’s health ‘tis season. Mosquito repellent lotions and sprays are must-haves too!

Out of all the genera of mosquitoes, it’s most likely that the aedes mosquitos bring dengue to human. Aedes is a small, dark mosquito that can be identified by the white bands on its legs and a silver-white pattern of scales on its body 

When mosquito bites a person who has dengue virus in his or her blood, the mosquito becomes infected with the dengue virus. An infected mosquito can later transmit that virus to healthy people by biting them. Dengue cannot be spread directly from one person to another, and mosquitoes are necessary for transmission of the dengue virus. The symptoms are sometimes diagnosed as flu; the only difference is that dengue symptoms includes sudden high fever, severe headache, joint and muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and skin rash. Dengue may also lead to hemorrhagic fever, which causes mild bleeding in the nose, bleeding gums, and easy bruising. 

There is no treatment for dengue in the sense that patients can only be given supportive and symptomatic management. Medicine or measures that directly fight the virus are yet to be developed. It is fortunate that the natural course of the disease allows most patients to recover spontaneously. This is one reason why prevention is very crucial.

The Department of Health on its previous campaigns against dengue strongly stressed out that it is during the month of September where numbers of dengue victims soar. The reason behind is mosquitoes are now surviving in septic tanks, and no longer just on clean stagnant water. Thus, to eliminate mosquitoes and its dengue threat, we should start off by finding where mosquito breeding sites are.

Here are 6 ways to prevent dengue, according to DOH:
1.    Cover water drums and water pails at all times to prevent mosquitoes from             breeding
2.    Replace water in flower vases once a week
3.    Clean all water containers once a week. Scrub the sides well to remove eggs         of mosquitoes sticking to the sides
4.    Clean gutters of leaves and debris so that rainwater will not collect as                     breeding places of mosquitoes
5.    Puncture or cut old tires used as roof support to avoid accumulation of water
6.    Collect and dispose all unusable tin cans, jars, bottles, and other items that           can collect and hold water.