Articles by Janet Davis on ArticleSnatch.com

Five Factors in Managing Diabetes Naturally

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:17:36 -0500

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic illnesses, affecting millions of people worldwide. It is a condition in which the body either does not produce enough insulin (Type 1), or does not properly process the insulin it is making (Type 2). There are many differing causes for diabetes, including specific viral infections, genetic predisposition, and personal diet. In particular, Type 2 diabetes tends to manifest in patients whose diet is poorly managed. Currently there is no known cure for diabetes, meaning this is an illness that requires constant careful management. A diabetic's diet has a great deal to say about how the condition will continue to affect them. Proper diet can help prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes, but even in patients who have been diagnosed with either condition, a healthy diet can reduce the side effects and secondary illnesses that tend to crop up. Here are five factors to consider when managing diabetes. 1 - the Glucose Cycle The primary element that requires management in diabetic patients is their glucose cycle. Glucose (a simple sugar) is brought into the body, then processed by way of insulin and removed. **End Summary** Topics: Diabetes management]]> Natural diabetes management]]> diabetes nutrition]]> nutrition for diabetes]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis is a health and nutrition entrepreneur. For healthy news and tips and free skin care samples join MarkandJanet.com or visit our blog at http://www.MarkandJanetBlog.com

The Dress Code - Five Steps to a Greener Wardrobe

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:11:17 -0500

In the last few weeks, we've discussed a number of healthy ways to live, ranging from proper diet and skin care to the values of recycling and green living. The message of a green lifestyle is simple: We care about our planet, and want to leave it as good as we found it and even better, for our children and for everyone. The wonderful thing about this is that there are countless ways to live green. For example, consider the budding green and organic clothing movement. While the idea of organic clothing might sound a bit unusual at first, it really is an extension of the idea of organic food. Clothes are often made from plant materials like cotton, and these can be grown under organic conditions just like food products. With that in mind, here are five ways you can start dressing green. Dress Code #1 - Shop Organic The most straightforward and quickest way to get into some green attire is to find green and organic clothing outlets. There are literally dozens of such stores online, for a start. **End Summary** Topics: Organic clothing]]> Green clothing]]> green lifestyle]]> organic products]]> natural clothing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis is a health and nutrition entrepreneur. For healthy living news and tips and FREE vitamin and skin care samplers join MarkAndJanet.com or check out our blog at MarkandJanetBlog.com

Four Nutrients For Healthy Eyes

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:23:20 -0500

We live in a visual world. Traffic signals, art, our family's faces--our eyes are constantly taking in input that we use to live and enjoy our lives. Sight is incredibly important and, just like any other function of the body, is largely dependant upon proper nutrition. However, it also may be a part of our nutrition that we don't actively think about supporting. Healthy eyesight can be affected by a number of maladies, including glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. While not every one of these is completely understood, each of them is at least partially affected by nutrition. Proper consumption of vitamins can help control or alleviate the symptoms of these common conditions. Here, we discuss four key nutrients that can help bolster eye health. 1. Vitamin A Vitamin A is the first and most immediately important nutrient to consider when discussing an eyes-healthy diet. Even a moderate deficiency in vitamin A intake can cause night blindness, which manifests as a difficulty perceiving details in low light conditions. Greater deficiencies cause greater visual defects in fairly short order. This is a definite hazard for anyone driving at night, making this vitamin a must. **End Summary** Topics: Nutrients for eyes]]> eye health]]> healthy eyes]]> vitamins for eyes]]> natural vitamins]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis and her husband are health and nutrition entrepreneurs. For healthy living news and tips and FREE vitamin and skin care samplers join MarkAndJanet.com or check out our blog at MarkandJanetBlog.com

Eating Healthy While Saving Money

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:24:54 -0500

Everyone wants to be healthy. Nobody likes getting sick or feeling like they're out of shape. However, many people seem to deny themselves one of the easiest ways to live well - the healthy diet. Reasons vary from personal taste to lack of available options, but one reason that seems to come up more than it should is the cost. In many cases, healthy foods can be rather pricey compared to their more processed alternatives. Today, when everyone wants to watch their budget, cost cutting is the name of the game and our diets frequently suffer as a result. However, there are a number of ways to save money and still eat reasonably healthy foods, rather than sacrificing one for the other. What is healthy eating? In the last twenty years dieticians have gone from the Four Food Groups to two separate incarnations of the food pyramid. Specific proportions may vary, but some rules of thumb for healthy eating still apply. Adults should consume a minimum number of calories per day to meet the body's energy needs, while exercising enough to keep their weight stable. **End Summary** Topics: Eating Healthy]]> Saving Money]]> Organic]]> Natural Food]]> Healthy eating]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis and her husband are health and nutrition entrepreneurs. For healthy living news and tips and FREE vitamin and skin care samplers join MarkAndJanet.com or check out our blog at MarkandJanetBlog.com

Shopping Online to Save Time and Money

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:21:58 -0500

Human progress has been as much a quest for convenience and efficiency as it has been for raw achievement. Shopping has been an important, integral part of human culture since the beginning of organized agriculture and the formation of communities of people. Greek agoras, open air markets, dry goods shops, supermarkets - as civilization has advanced there has always been a place people could go to purchase their needs. Large communities often develop around collections of these markets, giving them the well-deserved title of shopping centers. However, there is a certain convenience in shopping from the comfort of one's own home, a convenience that has been met in the past through mail-order catalogs, shopping television channels, and home-delivered grocery services. With the advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web, this trend has reached its culmination and most elegant expression yet. A Matter of Convenience The advantage to online shopping stems from the same advantages of the mail-order catalogs and the televised infomercials or shop at home channels - the goods are purchased, ordered, and then delivered without the necessity of a special trip. **End Summary** Topics: Online shopping]]> shopping at home]]> home shopping]]> web shopping]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis and her husband are health and nutrition entrepreneurs. For healthy living news and tips and FREE vitamin and skin care samplers join MarkAndJanet.com or check out our blog at MarkandJanetBlog.com

Your Healthy Life: Dietary Fiber

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:20:30 -0500

When people talk about dietary fiber, they immediately think of older people taking large fiber tablets. The truth is, proper fiber intake can benefit everyone at any age. Fiber intake can help ease digestion and it can also lower cholesterol, which is a leading cause of heart disease, making it a highly effective, multi-purpose treatment for healthy living. What's interesting about fiber is that it isn't an essential nutrient in the sense that a body absolutely requires it for survival or adds something missing from the body. Instead, dietary fiber is a nutrient that helps act against harmful processes such as blood sugar variations, high cholesterol, and digestive discomfort. Soluble vs. Insoluble As far as dietary fiber is concerned, there are two types; soluble and insoluble. These have different effects that are all essential to a healthy body. Both types of fiber provide bulk to any meal, lending to a feeling of fullness. This can reduce appetite and lead to eating smaller portions that can help weight control as well as provide the other digestive benefits expected of fibers. Soluble Fiber prevents constipation by keeping the body's digestion process regular and steady. **End Summary** Topics: Natural]]> health]]> fiber]]> natural fiber]]> healthy living]]> healthy fiber]]> dietary fiber]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis is a health and nutrition entrepreneurs. For healthy living news and tips and FREE vitamin and skin care samplers join MarkAndJanet.com or check out our blog at MarkandJanetBlog.com

Natural Skin Care Tips for Men

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:27:14 -0500

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and one of the hardest working. Not only does it provide a waterproof, protective container for the organs inside the body, it has several functions that are utterly vital to human life - skin regulates body temperature to prevent fever or hypothermia, it screens out a number of unhealthy pathogens in the environment, and it repairs itself relatively quickly from potentially compromising injuries. In light of all that skin does for the body, the case for proper skin care seems to be a strong one, but frequently skin is the one organ people seem to think they can let take a beating. Hard work, a little too much sunlight, bad diet and other factors can cause quite a bit of damage to the skin, much of which is actually very preventable. Men in particular seem prone to developing roughed up skin, but there are fortunately many ways that men can take better care of this incredibly important organ. The Basics Healthy, natural skin care begins with control - specifically controlling what the skin is exposed to. **End Summary** Topics: Natural skin care]]> skin care for men]]> natural skin care for men]]> men's skin]]> men's skin care]]> health]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis and her husband are health and nutrition entrepreneurs. For healthy living news and tips and FREE vitamin and skin care samplers join MarkAndJanet.com or check out our blog at MarkandJanetBlog.com

Tips to Avoid Winter Colds, Flu and H1N1

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:26:06 -0500

Nobody likes to get sick, particularly around wintertime. The cold weather exacerbates respiratory symptoms, making recovery far less pleasant than it could be. At least during warmer months, a sick person can enjoy the warmth of the sun while they're recovering, but the colder days at the end of the year make recovery a positively miserable experience. It's also no surprise that so many people catch colds during this time of year. Children are still in school, parents and families are out shopping and interacting with one another in the rush to get last minute holiday gifts or visitations out of the way, and the chances of transmission from person to person go up, up, and up. Fortunately, a reasonable degree of prevention can spare many people the frustration of going through a cold or flu during the winter. While they aren't foolproof, there are many steps that people can take to protect themselves and their families from falling ill. The Flu versus A Cold Both influenza (the flu) and the common cold are respiratory illnesses; both are caused by viruses that irritate the lungs and lead to symptoms like coughing, congestion and aches. **End Summary** Topics: Flu]]> flu season]]> avoid the flu]]> flu and colds]]> H1N1]]> swine flu]]> flu vaccinations]]> preventing colds]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis and her husband are health and nutrition entrepreneurs. For healthy living news and tips and FREE vitamin and skin care samplers join MarkAndJanet.com or check out our blog at MarkandJanetBlog.com

Staying Warm While Staying Green

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:11:14 -0400

With cooler temperatures come rising energy costs both from heating and lighting the house during the shorter winter days. Staying warm always takes energy. Heating systems, hot water heaters, and stoves suck up kilowatt hours and oil or gas faster as it gets colder, leading both to a hit on the family wallet and an increase in production at power plants and a depletion of fossil fuels. Everyone wants to stay warm, but a green- minded person wants to do so while keeping the impact on the environment to a minimum. Fortunately, there are both active and passive steps to green ways of keeping a home warm during the winter months. To begin, green heating does not require the addition of elaborate, expensive technologies like wind and solar heating or energy systems. While these technologies can provide substantial benefits in reducing heating and energy costs, they are a major investment, frequently costing more than twenty thousand dollars to install. They are worth considering, but there are other ways to keep a home warm without dipping quite so deeply into the bank account. **End Summary** Topics: Environment]]> Green Home Heating]]> Green Heating]]> Reduce Heating Costs]]> Green Winter Heating]]> Reduce H]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis and her husband are health and nutrition entrepreneurs. For healthy living news and tips and FREE vitamin and skin care samplers join MarkAndJanet.com or check out our blog at MarkandJanetBlog.com

An Easy Start to Going Green

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:10:15 -0400

By and large, humans are a good-natured species. People try to help each other as they help themselves, and many are growing increasingly concerned about their impact on their environment. Humans can and have impacted their local environment, for good and for ill. Public information campaigns and class action lawsuits have raised awareness of the impact man-made pollutants can have on the environment and on human lives. And conservation projects have demonstrated that people can do wonderful things with their surroundings when given the chance. Even those who don't necessarily believe things are quite as bad as films like "An Inconvenient Truth" would suggest often find the time to drop their soda cans off at the recycling center on the way to work. In fact, steps like that are exactly the key to going green. No one expects every person to be an Erin Brockovich, or every family to pull off an experiment like the New York family that didn't discard most of their waste but recycled literally everything except food. The key is rather that every person and every family can take small but worthwhile steps to reduce their impact on the environment, ; **End Summary** Topics: Easy ways to go green]]> going green]]> go green]]> recycling]]> environment]]> green]]> energy usage]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis and her husband are health and nutrition entrepreneurs. For healthy living news and tips and FREE vitamin and skin care samplers join MarkAndJanet.com or check out our blog at MarkandJanetBlog.com

Organic Products - What Does It Mean To Be Organic

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:17:57 -0400

In 1933, Lord Northbourne published a book titled 'Look to the Land,' in which he outlined certain methods of food production he termed 'Organic.' His goal was to establish a view of the farm as an organism, self-contained and self-sustaining, in opposition to what he termed unsustainable 'chemical farming' relying on fertilizers and chemical pesticides. In large part, this organic farming was not a particular change from traditional farming techniques at the time. In the mid-20th century, the 'Green Revolution' led to widespread methods of chemical and industrialized farming that is still used today. As a reaction to the perceived weaknesses of these modern farming techniques, organic farming has grown in popularity in recent decades and particularly in the last ten years. What is Organic Briefly, organic food is that which is farmed using organic farming methods. This means excluding food additives and genetically modified ingredients and avoiding the use of inorganic farming techniques such as chemical pesticides or crop irradiation. The exact definition of organic food can vary - according to the FDA, food is considered Organic if it consists of 95% or more organic ingredients. **End Summary** Topics: Organic products]]> organic food]]> what is organic]]> organic farming]]> natural foods]]> natural products]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis is a health and nutrition entrepreneur. She and her husband are founders of MarkAndJanet.com , a website with uncompromising, premium products for your health conscious family. Are you looking for more information on organic products? Visit us at http://www.MarkandJanet.com or check out our blog at http://www.MarkandJanetBlog.com.

Recycle and Get Green

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:24:16 -0400

Blue disposal bins, catchy three-word slogans, signs asking users to separate green glass from clear glass, 'paper or cardboard only' disposal receptacles - these are just a few of the visible signs of the modern recycling movement. Recycling has been a major issue since human beings first started forming organized societies. Renaissance armies would melt down old, worn out cannons to reclaim some copper instead of having to dig it out again. The Great Depression made it difficult to get food, let alone new goods, so people buckled down and learned how to reuse. The US and Britain launched massive recycling and reclamation campaigns during World War II to maximize wartime production. People have always found ways to save time, effort, and money by finding inventive new uses for their personal goods. What's Old Is New Again The modern story of recycling as an environmental movement truly begins in the late 1960s and early 1970s. For the first time, with conservation efforts and the consequences of worldwide pollution really being made public (facilitated by the explosion of television's ability to reach a worldwide audience), people were becoming aware of the ability of major recycling campaigns to positively affect their lives. **End Summary** Topics: Recycling]]> going green]]> reuse]]> environment]]> recycle]]> green]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis is a health and nutrition entrepreneur. She and her husband are founders of MarkAndJanet.com , a website with uncompromising, premium products for your health conscious family. Are you looking for more information on natural skin care? Visit us at http://www.MarkandJanet.com or check out our blog at http://www.MarkandJanetBlog.com.

Your House is Clean, But is it Green?

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:36:38 -0400

Cleaning a home or business is often a ritualistic experience, and one meant to remove matter we deem as dangerous, unhealthy or unpleasant to those living or working there. It All Adds Up Think about what you do and what products you use when you clean. You spray glass cleaner to wash the windows and mirrors. You use counter and tile cleaners in the bathroom and kitchen. You use smelly cleaners for your oven and chemicals for your clogged drains. Carpet cleaner, liquid floor cleaner, furniture polish, dishwashing liquid, detergent, shampoo - the types of products available to clean houses numbers in the hundreds and often not a second thought is given as to what kind of toxins they contain. Recent studies show, however, that using many household cleaning products could have harmful effects. Since the late 1940s, there has been a dramatic increase in the production and use of synthetic chemicals in the U.S. Coincidentally, there has been a rise in the number of cases of environmentally linked chronic illnesses, such as asthma, allergies and chemical sensitivity. A recent report by the U.S. **End Summary** Topics: Green]]> Going Green]]> Green Cleaning]]> Green Cleaners]]> Green Products]]> Green Cleaning Products]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis is a health and nutrition entrepreneur. She and her husband are founders of MarkAndJanet.com , a website with uncompromising, premium products for your health conscious family. Are you looking for more information on natural skin care? Visit us at http://www.MarkandJanet.com or check out our blog at http://www.MarkandJanetBlog.com.

Important Minerals For Your Healthy Body

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:48:21 -0400

Along with vitamins, minerals are essential to the body's good health. They are inorganic elements that the body doesn't make; instead, we obtain them from the foods we eat or through supplements. It's been reported that some 56 percent of adults in the U.S. use some kind of nutritional supplements, fueling an industry that sells more than $1.5 billion in products every year. If you're spending money on supplements, you should know what you're getting. There are two kinds of minerals: trace minerals and macrominerals. The category of trace minerals includes iron, zinc, copper, selenium, iodine, fluoride and chromium. Trace minerals are only found in tiny, trace amounts in your body. Macrominerals are needed in larger amounts in your body - these are sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, sulphur, cobalt and chloride. Each mineral works in different ways to contribute to the body's health and wellbeing. The following is a list of each mineral, the foods in which it can be found, and what it does for your body. In future articles, we'll discuss the various minerals in more detail. Calcium is the most important macromineral for bone and teeth health. **End Summary** Topics: Natural minerals]]> natural supplements]]> minerals for your body]]> natural vitamins and minerals]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis is a health and nutrition entrepreneur. She and her husband are founders of MarkAndJanet.com , a website with uncompromising, premium products for your health conscious family. Are you looking for more information on natural skin care? Visit us at http://www.MarkandJanet.com or check out our blog at http://www.MarkandJanetBlog.com.

Natural Skin Care For Fall

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:59:38 -0400

When summer turns into fall, it's a good time to assess your skin's condition. An active summer has likely caused damage to your skin, which should be repaired now in preparation for winter. During the summer, skin is exposed to many harmful influences, like pool chemicals, saltwater, sunburns, heat, and air conditioning. The damage from these things can be healed, or at least offset, with proper skin care. Summer Damage Control First, assess your skin and check for sun damage. Sun damage is caused by overexposure to ultraviolet radiation. Some effects are immediate, like sunburn; while others accumulate over time, including uneven pigmentation, early wrinkles, age spots, spots on the lower lip, and sagging skin. Fortunately, most of these conditions are reversible with proper care. Moisturizers and masks can be a good start to repair some of the summer's skin damage. Vitamin C skin cream has been shown to help reduce fine lines in the skin. It works by boosting collagen synthesis which helps keep skin from sagging and looking worn. Since actual vitamin C isn't very stable, some cosmetics use vitamin C derivatives, which keep their strength longer. **End Summary** Topics: natural skin care]]> skin care]]> natural skin care for fall]]> skin care for autumn]]> skin care for fall]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis is a health and nutrition entrepreneur. She and her husband are founders of MarkAndJanet.com , a website with uncompromising, premium products for your health conscious family. Are you looking for more information on natural skin care? Visit us at http://www.MarkandJanet.com or check out our blog at http://www.MarkandJanetBlog.com.

Natural Skin Care -- Beautiful Basics

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:05:23 -0400

Most of us try to look and feel our best with diet and exercise. Few consider the most important measure of our health should be given to our skin. The epidermis is the body's largest organ and also the most telling when something is wrong. Unfortunately, the largest organ frequently gets the least attention. Your facial complexion reflects health and life as well as disease, so we should all pay special attention to our face. Here are a few ways to make your skin reflect your good health. 1. Diet and Supplements One of the best ways to maintain a healthy balance is to nourish your skin at the cellular level. When you are getting the proper nutrients and hydration, your skin will exude a healthy glow. A diet rich in dark green, leafy vegetables and plenty of fruit and fiber are key to healthy living. In addition, supplements play an important role to add the extra nutrients lost when cooking food. Vitamins C, E and beta-carotene replenish tired, dead skin cells and replace them with vibrant living cells. **End Summary** Topics: Natural Skin Care]]> Skin Care]]> Skin Care Basics]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis is a health and nutrition entrepreneur. She and her husband are founders of MarkAndJanet.com , a website with uncompromising, premium products for your health conscious family. Are you looking for more information on natural skin care? Visit us at http://www.MarkandJanet.com or check out our blog at http://www.MarkandJanetBlog.com.

Natural Vitamins: Learn Your ABCs

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:53:04 -0400

Vitamins are nutrients that keep your body healthy, but that your body cannot produce by itself; they must be supplied by your diet or in dietary supplements. Vitamins are essential for normal functioning of our bodies and are needed for our bodies to grow, stay healthy, and to prevent and cure many diseases and potential health problems. There are two categories of vitamins: * Water-soluble vitamins - are not stored in your body and must be replaced every day. Your kidneys work to remove excess water-soluble vitamins that are not needed. * Fat-soluble vitamins - are stored in the liver and fatty tissues, which are eliminated more slowly. Because they are not as easily eliminated, taking excessive fat-soluble vitamin supplements can be toxic. There are two primary sources of vitamins: * Synthetic vitamins are developed in the lab from coal tar derivatives. Most of the food supplements sold today are synthetic, which are cheaper to make than natural vitamins. * Natural vitamins are a concentrated nutrient obtained from a natural source; no preservatives or artificial colors are used. There is an ongoing debate about synthetic versus natural vitamins. **End Summary** Topics: Natural Vitamins]]> Vitamins]]> Vitamin information]]> natural vitamin information]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Janet Davis is a health and nutrition entrepreneur. She and her husband are founders of MarkAndJanet.com , a website with uncompromising, premium products for your health conscious family. Are you looking for more information on natural vitamins? Visit us at http://www.MarkandJanet.com or check out our blog at http://www.MarkandJanetBlog.com.