Nigari: You Will Hate to Like It

By: Kate M. Serrano

Sometimes wellness leaves a bad taste. It is the case of Nigari, the natural form of the Magnesium Chloride. This sea water extracted mineral is used to coagulate soya milk into tofu and has various beneficial properties for the human body. Magnesium Chloride has therapeutic and prophylactic effects for certain infectious diseases and help the healing and recovery of the human body.

Pierre Delbet, a French surgeon and founding member of what became the French Cancer Society, particularly uses Magnesium Chloride as the base of his experiments. His first studies date back to 1889 when he was looking for an antiseptic to clean contaminated wounds of soldiers that does not cause degradation of organic tissues. Unlike regular antiseptics used at the time, Magnesium Chloride perfectly fulfilled the role.

Much later studies have shown that this mineral can benefit blood pressure and help prevent sudden cardiac arrest, heart attack, and stroke. GreenMedInfo.com's database project records over 100 health benefits – premenstrual syndrome, aging, type 2 diabetes and migraine, among others. Not more than two years ago, I was periodically suffering tonsillitis. A friend advised me to drink a glass of water mixed with no more than a quarter tablespoon of Nigari every morning. Besides the horrible taste, the effect was immediate; it stopped the inflammation of my throat. I would even manage to trade my morning coffee with it as it boosts me for the whole day.

If you feel sudden loss of appetite, fatigue and weakness, these may be early signs of magnesium deficiency. One way to optimize magnesium level is by consuming plenty of organic green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds. Or better yet try including seaweed, almond butter and unsweetened cocoa in your daily diet.

                                    

Connoisseurs of Comfort

By: Kate Serrano

There is always a good feeling about having pets around. Whether you are a cat or dog person, there are many ways on how pets help improve health. Pets are natural mood enhancers – just by watching a dog play or a fish swim can already make a person feel less stressed. This is the same reason why therapists prescribe a pet as a way of dealing with depression.

 Pets provide unconditional love and will listen to you talk for as long as you want to talk. Pets improve social interaction as they keep you engaged with others. A dog, for example, is a conversation waiting to happen. People stop and talk when they see someone walking a dog. And while socially uplifting, walking the dog also improves physical fitness. A good 30 minute walk or playing fetch will keep one moving, thereby meeting the minimum recommended physical activity for a day. Walking the dog also helps develop strong bones and prevent osteoporosis and painful fractures. It exposes you to sunlight, which is a good source of vitamin D. lastly, having a pet helps manage health conditions; owning a cat for example has long term health benefits.

In a study conducted for almost 20 years now, people who never owned a cat were 40% most likely to die of heart attack and have higher risks of cardiac diseases. And in another study, pet owners had lower blood pressure and heart rate than those without pets. Kids who grow up in homes with cats and dogs are less likely to develop allergies. Higher levels of immune system chemicals build a stronger immune system, keeping them healthy as they grow older.

So whether you consider having a dog, cat or even a hamster, it doesn't really matter. It’s already a good start to maintaining a healthy, happy life.

Sprouting Garlic? Eat it!

By: Daniela Silva

Naturally our bodies produce an excessive amount of free radicals which damage the body if it is greater than what we can handle in our bodies; therefore we consume antioxidant rich foods to counteract the damages.

Eating food with a significant amount of antioxidants provide us with a strong foundation for our immune systems; this prevents other molecules from oxidizing. Without antioxidants free radicals are left unchallenged and it further opens our systems to illnesses and diseases.

Scientists have noted that sprouted beans and grains are shown to be rich in antioxidant activity and grew curious as to whether or not garlic-when sprouted, become a beneficial source of antioxidants as well.

The activity within a sprouted clove after 5 days concluded that garlic produced a significant increase in antioxidants as compared to younger and fresher bulbs. With garlic being used as an aid in lowering blood pressure levels and cholesterol, it may be logical to age your garlic five days after sprouting!