Random Facts.

Only ONE MORE midterm to go. Eeeeee! In the meantime, here are some random facts:

- Carpal tunnel syndrome is often a neck problem and not a problem in the wrist. The nerves that pass through the wrist run all the way up to the neck. Similarly, headaches are often the result of neck problems.

- The human body is very efficient at storing calories (we are lucky to have access to food many times everyday, but our ancestors weren't so lucky and had to "stock-up" on calories when they could). However, the body is very bad at burning calories. Are body is not designed to burn more fuel than we need and is designed to turn everything extra into fat. Nature has learned to burn its fuel very carefully. With that said, it doesn't mean that it is impossible to "fight nature" and lose weight. It all comes down to some math: energy OUT has to exceed energy IN. If this equation is maintained, then a deficit will occur.

- Celery and pomegranate are known to lower blood pressure. One of my professors (also an ND) recommends that most of his male clients consume these two foods as many men experience higher than normal blood pressure. But, he said, the compliance rate is often low. Therefore he also reminds them that celery and pomegranate also improve erectile function, and with this fact, his clients comply :P

- Flax oil has super high amounts of healthy fats, while whole flaxseeds have low amounts of oils, but high amounts of fiber and lignans (molecules that regulate hormones in the body). Both foods are excellent additions to the diet. When consuming whole flax, make sure you chew them really well to release what healthy fats they have enclosed in the seed's shell. Ground flaxseed can be bought commercially, but it's best to store it in the fridge as omega-3 oils are delicate and can go rancid when exposed to too much heat and light. Alternatively, you can grind your own flaxseeds in a coffee grinder (but you probably want a coffee grinder just for grinding nuts and seeds, otherwise everything will take on the aroma of coffee!).