Oat Meal with Flax Seek, a Great Breakfast! (Video, Eng)

‘Healthy Foods’ with Layane Makarem Layane Makarem opened with her friend Sabine the first certified organic store in Lebanon. Located in Achrafieh, Beirut, A New Earth opened its doors in 2009 offering a wide selection of organic and healthy foods. In this video, Layane tells us about the great benefits of eating Oat for breakfast. Sprinkle your oat with crushed flax seed (2 spoons give you your omega3 needs), add some dry fruits or honey, hot water (or rice milk) and you got yourself a super breakfast high in fibers, rich in proteins, essential fatty acids, and anti-oxidants. You can contact Layane by email and join her Facebook page.  Enjoyed the video? Give us your feedbac...

Cold or Heat? Which Therapy Do I Use, and When?

 I often hear this question. Most people know that applying heat or cold can be beneficial but they are not sure when to use what. In this post I will try to answer this question. Let’s start with cold therapies. Hot or cold?  One simple thing to remember:  Touch the area of pain or injury.  If it is warmer than the rest of  your body don’t put heat on it. Use cold. Using cold Cold therapy is commonly used during the first 48 hours of an injury (presence of inflammation). The application of cold can take many forms: cold packs, cold cloth, crushed ice compress, and ice baths. When cold therapy (also...

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Green Tea & Obesity in Lebanese University Students

Among university students at the Lebanese American University, 37% of males are overweight while 13,6% of females are overweight1.  In 1996, figures were 23,4% of boys and 19,7% of girls2. This evolution (increase in boys while a reduction in girls) may be explained by the societal pressure on girls to be thin, while it is not perceived to be as important for boys. Knowing the many health problems associated with being overweight, it is essential for BOTH boys and girls to be attentive to their body. In addition to exercising and a healthy diet, drinking green tea seems to help regaining a proper weight. A study3 conducted...

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Vitamin C for Smokers

A daily supplement of vitamin C helps limit the oxidative stress inflicted by smoking. In the US one person in five is a smoker, in Europe it is one in three, while Lebanon figure is one in two. Due to the toxins contained in cigarettes, the oxidative stress (causes cancers but also premature skin aging and hair thinning) levels on smokers are significantly higher than in non-smokers. In smokers, healthy antioxidants such as vitamin C and E, are quickly depleted. A study published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine (Vol. 40) reveals that taking 500mg of vitamin C twice per day helped maintain healthy levels of this vitamin and...

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Introduction to Organic Food

Aude Richard Owner and Manager of Biodelices in Embrun, France In Lebanon, the number of people buying organic food is steadily growing. However, many Lebanese are still not familiar with what is organic food. I remember an interview I did in the mid-2000s in France. At the time, organic food stores were starting to blossom throughout the country. The comments and advises I got from Aude Richard, who has been running an organic food store in the French Alps since 2002, could apply to today’s situation in Lebanon. Aude and her life partner opened ‘un magasin bio’ in the early 2000 in the city of Embrun in the Alps. Audes notes that from...

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Yoga in Beirut : Prenatal Yoga

Prenatal Yoga Yoga, which offers many benefits on the physical and mental level, is a great choice for pregnant women. If you haven’t practice it before, the pregnancy period is a perfect time to start practicing. Duna, a sivananda yoga instructor, has been trained to teach pregnant women. Here is the introduction to her work: “Each session is designed to help you connect with your changing body while preparing you for labor and birth. Incorporating safe postures, meditation and breathe-work in a flowing sequence, prenatal yoga focuses on simultaneously strengthening and relaxing your body and mind. Set in a peaceful environment, these...

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Oat Bread

4 good reasons to eat oat bread In addition to the usual white Arabic bread made out of wheat, there are now on the market many other types of bread using different cereals. One of them is oat bread and it offers several health benefits. 1. Stronger heart A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that eating high fiber foods, such as oats, helps prevent heart disease (1). Oats, via their high fiber content help remove cholesterol from the digestive system that would otherwise end up in the bloodstream. The latest research suggests they may have another cardio-protective mechanism. Antioxidant compounds unique...

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Burden of air pollution in Lebanon

In numbers, the burden of air pollution on Lebanon due to smoking and car pollution 58, that’s the Lebanon air pollution in mg of nitrogen dioxide/m3 compared to the WHO maximum allowance of 40. 100 000 new cars come join the Lebanese fleet each year. 50% more asthma cases in Lebanon than in Europe and the US. 327 million dollars/ year. That’s what smoking is costing the state. 1,30 dollar. That’s the average cost of a pack of cigarette. If taxes on cigarettes were raised, it could reduce smoking in the youth population. 53% of Lebanese adults do smoke.&nbs...

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Cranberry Juice to Prevent Bladder Infection

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Healthy Feet for a Healthy Posture

Our feet, these relatively small features of our body, significantly affect our posture. Most people never exercise them (and often abuse them in tight shoes) leading to problems in the mid-foot arch, which is going to be excessively rigid or on the contrary can collapse leading to flat feet. In both cases, walking becomes affected. Instead of propelling from the front of the foot and toes in a smooth movement, most people grab the floor with their toes as they walk. This is why so many people develop misshaped toes. Let’s discover how that happens and what you should do to keep your feet (and posture) in good shape.    First of all,...

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Body Scan of Overweight Person

Body scan of a 113kg woman and a 54kg woman. Look at the size of the intestines and stomach; how the knee joints rub together; the enlarged heart; and the fat pockets near the brain. It is interesting to note that the size of the muscles is not that different. This excessive fat is a drain on the body, and we can easily understand how it will become harder on the organism as the person ages. If it may be challenging for many people to loose weight, they need to persevere for their own health and well-being.Thanks to Rick Shepherd, Randy Moe, HealthEnthusiast Dawny and Donna Shephe...

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Misconceptions about Narguile

The water is NOT a good filter. Many people think that the smoke that goes through water is less harmful. This is a misbelief. Research has shown that the water does not filter the toxic substances from the tobacco smoke that is inhaled. It actually makes the problem worst because the water cools down the smoke which has for result a longer and deeper inhalation. If you doubt this put an absorbent tissue between the end of the pipe and your mouth, and you’ll feel the difference...

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Overweight Children in Beirut

Turn off the TV, and put away the playstation. A study (1) conducted on 234 children (aged 6-8 years old) in Beirut revealed that the prevalence of obesity was 7% in boys and 6% in girls. The researchers noted that reduced physical activity was the most significant factors associated with childhood overweight. If we are still far from the 15 % of obesity among pre-schoolers in the US (2), we need to be careful the situation doesn’t worsen in Lebanon.

 Ref :
1) P. Jabre, P. Sikias, B. Khater-Menassa, R. Baddoura and H. Awada. “Overweight children in Beirut: prevalence estimates and characteristics” Children Care Health...

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Orthopedic Pillows, Are They Useful?

36 adults suffering from neck pain have participated in a study evaluating the benefits of orthopedic pillows (OP). 17 were put in the placebo group while 19 used the OP. The study that lasted 4 weeks has shown that the people using the OP had a lower intensity of pain mainly in the morning time.  My take on it?OP can be of great help. Nonetheless, the body goes through different cycles, and sometime you may feel more comfortable with a different pillow or even with no pillow at all. It’s a matter of being attentive to your body and to avoid, when possible, going to bed with a tight back. A 5 minutes stretch with deep breathing before...

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10 Great Foods For Men

According to the Canadian publication Alive, these 10 foods offer great benefits to men’s health. Needless to say that they are also great food for women. 1. Almonds They are rich in calcium, fibre, iron and magnesium; they help lower cholesterol. 2. Bananas A good source in potassium, bananas help regulate blood pressure. 3. Blueberries They are loaded with vitamin C. They also contain phytonutrients that promote healthy aging and improve short-term memory. 4. Broccoli Eating apples help to lower blood cholesterol and glucose Rich in phytonutrients and vitamins A and C, broccoli may help prevent heart disease and diabetes. 5....

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