All about DNA

By CH Woods

DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid, is a molecule (the smallest physical unit of a substance that can exist independently, consisting of one or more atoms held together by chemical forces) that holds the genetics of organisms. Organisms include people, animals, bacteria, plants and others.


DNA is in every single cell of an organism and tells the cell exactly what proteins should be made. A cell's proteins are responsible for carrying out the cell’s purpose. DNA is passed down to children from the parents. Genetics are why children share certain features with their parents, like skin and eye color. The DNA that makes your body looks the way it does is a blend of the DNA from each of your parents.

History of DNA: The German biochemist known as Frederich Miescher first discovered DNA back in the 1800s. However, nearly a century passed after the discovery until scientists were able to understand DNA and recognize it as a key factor in the field of biology. For quite some time, scientists debated over which element transported an organism's biological instructions. 

The majority of believed that DNA was too basic to have such an essential role. Rather, they suggested that proteins were much more likely to perform this vital purpose due to their greater complexness and broader number of forms.

The significance of DNA became clear in 1953 as a result of the work done by Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins. By researching X-ray bending or spreading out of wave’s behavior, the scientists discovered the double helix part of DNA, which is a structure that allows DNA to carry biological instructions from one generation to the next.

Where and what is DNA?: DNA is found within a particular part of the cell referred to as the nucleus, which is the brain of the cell. Each chromosome, which is a rod-shaped structure, usually found in pairs in a cell nucleus, that carries the genes that determine sex and the characteristics an organism inherits from its parents, has many genes. Chromosomes come in two: one part from the father and the other part from the mother. Aside from the nucleus, human beings, along with other living organisms, also have a little bit of DNA in parts of the cell generally known as mitochondria.

Mitochondria create the energy the cell must have in order to perform properly. In sexual reproduction, organisms receive half their nuclear DNA from the female parent and the other half from the male parent. On the other hand, organisms receive their entire mitochondrial DNA from the female. This happens because egg cells, not sperm cells, maintain their mitochondria through the fertilization process.

Creation of DNA: DNA is made from building blocks known as nucleotides. DNA has the shape of a double helix, which looks like a ladder twisted with another into a spiral shape. Each step of the twisted ladders is a pair of nucleotides. Nucleotides are created from: deoxyribose (type of sugar), a phosphate group (oxygen and phosphorus), and a nitrogenous base.

The four types of nucleotides are:

• Adenine (A)
• Cytosine (C)
• Guanine (G
• Thymine (T)

The order that these bases appear in each step of the helix decides what instructions are found in the DNA. For instance, the order ATCGTT might instruct that a person to have blue eyes while ATCGCT might lead to brown eyes.

Every DNA order has instructions to create a protein known as a gene. The entire DNA instruction book, called the genome, for a human is made up of about twenty-three pairs of chromosomes. 

Purpose of DNA: DNA is made up of the instructions required for an organism to survive, develop, and reproduce. To undertake these biological tasks, DNA orders need to be changed into messages which can be used to create proteins. Proteins are the complex molecules that perform almost all of the work in our body as instructed by our DNA. 
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CH Woods is the Executive Director of Organic & Environmental Products.
We provide organic and natural products with informative articles on health and environmental solutions.

A Possible Diet Plan for Type 2 Diabetes

A Possible Diet Plan for Type II Diabetes

By CH Woods

A type II diabetes diet is all about eating many different healthy foods in the right amounts and having meals at the same time each day. Unlike most diets that pull you back from eating a lot of food, a type II diabetes diet is simply a diet plan that is full of foods that are full of vitamins and minerals as well as low in calories and fat, with focus on whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. The truth is that a diabetes eating plan is probably the best diet program anyone can follow.

Why Do Type II Diabetes Sufferers Need to Eat Well?
After you eat a lot of fat and calories, your body reacts by producing an unhealthy increase in blood sugar. If your blood sugar is not kept under control, it may result in severe complications, like an alarmingly high blood sugar level, called hyperglycemia, and or problems such as heart, kidney, or nerve damage. Choosing the right foods and keeping an eye on your eating habits will help you control your blood sugar level. A dietitian will be able to help you prepare a diet plan depending on your body type, goals, preferences, and of course will take your type II diabetes into consideration.

Healthy Foods You Should Eat
The foods listed below are the best to eat if you have type II diabetes.

• Fish Oil: You should eat healthy fish no less than two times every week. Fish is a great substitute for fatty red meats. Fish like tune, salmon, sardines, bluefish, and mackerel are full of omega-3 essential fatty acids, which improves heart health by cutting down on the blood fats known as triglycerides.
• Healthy Fats: Foods made up of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like canola oil, avocados, olive oil, almonds, olives, walnuts, and pecans will help you reduce your cholesterol levels. Consume them moderately, nevertheless, as all types of fat are still loaded with calories.
• Healthy Carbohydrates: Throughout the body's digestion process, sugars, referred to as simple carbohydrates, and starches, better known as complex carbohydrates, both are turned into blood glucose. Concentrate on healthy carbohydrates like beans, fruits, peas, low-fat dairy, vegetables, lentils, and whole grains.
• Fiber: Nutritional fiber consists of the parts of plants that the body cannot break down or use. Fiber can reduce the possibility of heart problems and can help manage blood glucose levels. Foods rich in fiber include things like fruits, legumes, wheat bran, whole-wheat flour, vegetables, and nuts.

Foods to Stay Away From
Type II diabetes will increase your chance of cardiovascular disease and stroke by causing problems such a disorder of the arteries.
The foods listed below can make things worse for you.

• Bad Cholesterol: Foods that contain cholesterol consist of dairy products high in fat, red meat, egg yolks, liver, and shellfish. Try to have less than 300 mg of cholesterol per day.
• Sodium: Strive for fewer than 2,000 mg of sodium on a daily basis.
• Trans Fats: Most of these fats are normally found in manufactured baked goods, snacks, stick margarine, and shortening; these should be taken out of your diet completely.
• Saturated Fats: Dairy products that are high in fat and animal proteins like bacon, beef, sausage, and hot dogs are made up of saturated fats. Try to avoid these completely.

Risks
If you have type II diabetes, you need to set up an appointment with your nutritionist to make a diet plan that will be best for you. Well balanced meals, the amount of food you eat, and when you eat are all important factors to help control your blood sugar level. If you eat unhealthy foods and avoid exercise, then even worse problems are sure to develop.

Talk with a Medical Professional
It is always good advice to talk with a professional before trying anything new on your own concerning medical conditions

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CH Woods is the Executive Director of Organic and Environmental Products.
We provide organic and natural products with informative articles on health and environmental solutions.

A Natural Laxative Diet for Constipation

By CH Woods

If you cannot pass a bowel movement even though it has been longer than four days, then you have a condition known as constipation. There are many ways to go about treating this problem, but food is the number one and most healthy method of doing so.

The foods listed below are all considered to be natural laxatives, which can help you pass stool. You should try these foods before purchasing any over-the-counter stool softeners that may come with nasty side effects.


Natural Laxative Food Options

• Garlic: You only need a bit of garlic to help treat your constipation. Garlic has a great deal of allicin, a substance helpful for your liver, and can help stimulate liver enzymes to cleanse your body of harmful toxins.
• Bananas: This fruit is loaded with fiber and is considered one of the best natural laxatives. Additionally, they are perfect for helping your digestive system break down food. Bananas are also full of potassium, which can help recover important electrolytes to your digestive tract.
• Cabbage: Similar to garlic, consuming cabbage will help eliminate harmful toxins and help make your stools much softer so that they can pass with ease.
• Prunes: Prunes are one of the most popular natural laxatives. They are also full of many helpful vitamins and minerals such as fiber, antioxidants, iron, potassium, and vitamin A.
• Avocados: Avocados are filled with helpful vitamins and minerals like folate, fiber, vitamin K, and potassium. If you consume just one avocado on a daily basis, you will get almost half of the fiber your body requires each day.
• Raw Nuts and Seeds: You should include a lot of raw nuts and seeds into your diet to help relieve constipation. Some of the ones you can add can be sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, sesame seeds, almonds, and pumpkin seeds. All of them are very easy to digest and are full of nutrients like zinc, protein, fiber, and vitamin E.
• Tomatoes: Tomatoes are natural laxatives that are full of nutrients such as fiber, vitamin K, vitamin C, and vitamin A.
• Apples: Apples have a high amount of pectin, which is a substance that can stimulate your bowels and make the stools softer to pass. A very effective natural laxative substance is apple cider vinegar. Just mix bit of it with some water and drink it once a day.
• Citrus Fruits: Oranges, lemons, and limes are three acidic fruits that can detoxify the body and relieve the symptoms of constipation. They can help your body flush out harmful toxins and stimulate your intestinal tract with enzymatic tasks.
• Carrots: Like apples, carrots are full of pectin which makes stools bulkier as well as helps to promote bowel contractions.
• Onions: Onions are a great natural laxative that also has fiber, potassium, vitamin C, folic acid, and vitamin E. They can also help those with allergy symptoms such as congestion and help lower bad cholesterol.

The Importance of Water: Not only is water essentially for all of our bodily functions, but it can help you pass any stubborn bowel movements as well by moistening the walls of your digestive tract.
Make sure you drink the recommended amount of water each day. To make it tastier, you can add lemon juice to it which is also a helpful substance for relieving constipation.

When to See a Doctor: If you believe that you have constipation, you should meet with your doctor as soon as you can to get properly examined. Constipation is a problem that can develop into something worse if left untreated.

Furthermore, do not make any changes to your diet or lifestyle without professional medical advice.

CH Woods is the Executive Director of Organic and Environmental Products. We provide organic and natural products with informative articles on health and environmental solutions

Vertigo What it is and What it Does

By CH Woods

Vertigo can be identified as a dizzy sensation and a condition in which somebody feels a sensation of whirling or tilting that causes a loss of balance. It is important to keep in mind that vertigo is considered a symptom and not a disease. 

Vertigo is usually linked to fatigue, weakness, feeling lightheaded, disorientation, and unsteadiness.

If you feel as if you are moving, it is known as subjective vertigo while if your environment seems to be moving, it is called objective vertigo. Vertigo is generally harmless, however if symptoms remain a problem.

Diagnosis of Vertigo The identification of vertigo depends on the symptoms you have which are found through physical evaluations and an overview of your health background. A number of assessments like CT scan, blood tests, or electrocardiograms (ECG) could possibly be done to verify the diagnosis of vertigo.

Types of Vertigo The main types of vertigo are said to be:

• Subjective Vertigo
• Migraine-Associated Vertigo
• Objective Vertigo
• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). This is the type of vertigo that is a sudden onset or intensification of symptoms, especially when recurrent.

Common Symptoms of Vertigo 
Symptoms could be continuous or occasional and can happen from a few minutes to several hours, at times persisting for several weeks or a few months. Frequent signs and symptoms can include:

• Vomiting
• Double Vision
• Nausea
• Disorientation
• Muscle Weakness
• Tinnitus
• Involuntary Eye Movements
• Dizziness
• Sweating
• Balance Difficulties

Causes of Vertigo 
There are many different reasons vertigo could develop. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, also known as BPPV, can develop due to harm caused to the inner ear. It is the most frequent reason for vertigo and might be associated with decreased mental ability, muscle weakness in the face, and hearing loss. Tumors such as acoustic neuroma can cause vertigo along with symptoms such as tinnitus and hearing problems.

Other general causes of vertigo can include:

• Meniere’s Disease
• Head Injury
• Ear Infection
• Inner Ear Fluid Balance
• Multiple Sclerosis

Other medical conditions that may worsen vertigo may include:

• Altitude Sickness
• Motion Sickness
• Migraines
• Massages
• Menopause

Natural Remedies for Vertigo
The treatment of vertigo is determined by the exact cause and intensity of episodes. A very well-known type of treatment involves the use of vestibular rehabilitation exercises, which requires you to lie down on a table on your side until the vertigo decreases and then rotating to your other side until vertigo goes away completely. Speak with a medical professional to find out how to perform this treatment.

If vertigo is triggered because of an infection of the middle ear, antibiotics could possibly be given. More serious cases of vertigo could also call for surgery. Therapeutic massages can also reduce the symptoms of vertigo. Although an overall massage is beneficial, many people feel the most relief while the head is massaged.

Natural treatments can also provide relief from feeling lightheaded and queasy caused by vertigo and boost inner ear stability.Holistic substances like gelsemium, cocculus indicus, and lobelia inflata have all been shown to be very effective in reducing conditions caused by vertigo such as headaches, dizziness, muscle weakness, double vision, exhaustion, tinnitus, and nausea.

Bryonia alba is a herb that may be helpful for head pain as well as for people who sweat excessively. Furthermore, herbal treatments are effective for those struggling with the symptoms of vertigo and they are a great way to enhance any other treatment done to reduce vertigo. Herbs are also beneficial since they are quickly absorbed into the body.

Before attempting any of the treatments above, make sure you consult a licensed practitioner
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CH Woods is the Executive Director of Organic and Environmental Products.
We provide organic and natural products with informative articles on health and environmental solutions.