Food Health and fitness free Ebooks

2009-06-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

handbook of food preservation - Size: 8.54 MB

Hardcover: 809 pages
Publisher: CRC; 1 edition (January 21, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0824702093
ISBN-13: 978-0824702090

Review
"...a valuable guide book." -- Iasi Polytechnic Magazine, 2000

Description
Emphasizes practical, cost-effective, & safe strategies for implementing preservation techniques, describes the preservation of fresh food, & explains conventional preservation methods.

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Understanding Food

2009-06-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

“Understanding Food” is a short ebook that describes exactly how it is that Americans came to believe that dietary fat was unhealthy, and associate fat with cholesterol with heart disease. In it, the person most responsible for this falsehood is brought to light, and the history of the modern Food Pyramid is discussed, along with it’s science-based alternative, which proscribes a much different diet. A brief examination of corruption in the FDA brings us to today, when we as a country are just starting to realize the vast nature of our dietary ‘mistake’.

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Korean Cook

2009-06-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Korean Cook Ebook (PDF) – 20.2MB

This cookbook is a collection of popular Korean recipes, each of which has its own full color picture, ingredient list, and directions for preparation. It is free to download and distribute in its unmodified entirety.

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Nutrition and Metabolism 2009

2009-06-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

Humana Press | ISBN: 978-1-60327-452-4 | ENGLISH | PDF | 420 PAGES | 5.02 MB

Introduction
Inappropriate nutrition, increased calorie intake, and lack of exercise usually lead to obesity and the metabolic syndrome, which, in turn, are responsible for several chronic diseases that affect every aspect of a person s life. In addition to prevention and medical treatment, education is the single most important tool for their management. Education is also of major importance in raising public health awareness since it can hopefully help curb the global epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and other disease states associated with the metabolic syndrome.
Following is a list of government agencies and nongovernmental organizations that provide information and resources related to nutrition, obesity, and diabetes.

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Tissues and Skin

2009-06-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

Infobase Publishing | ISBN-10: 0-7910-7708-X | ENGLISH | PDF | 155 PAGES | 11.02 MB

Introduction
The human body is an incredibly complex and amazing structure. At best, it is a source of strength, beauty, and wonder. We can compare the healthy body to a well-designed machine whose parts work smoothly together. We can also compare it to a symphony orchestra in which each instrument has a different part to play. When all of the musicians play together, they produce beautiful music. From a purely physical standpoint, our bodies are made mainly of water.We are also made of many minerals, including calcium, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, magnesium, and iron. In order of size, the elements of the body are organized into cells, tissues, and organs. Related organs are combined into systems, including the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and reproductive systems. Our cells and tissues are constantly wearing out and being replaced without our even knowing it. In fact, much of the time, we take the body for granted. When it is working properly,
we tend to ignore it. Although the heart beats about 100,000 times per day and we breathe more than 10 million times per year, we do not normally think about these things. When something goes wrong, however ,our bodies tell us through pain and other symptoms. In fact, pain is a very effective alarm system that lets us know the body needs attention. If the pain does not go away, we may need to see a doctor. Even without medical help, the body has an amazing ability to heal itself. If we cut ourselves, the blood clotting system works to seal the cut right away, and the immune defense system sends out special blood cells that are programmed to heal the area.

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Drugs The Straight Facts ( Marijuana )

2009-06-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

Each holds about 120 pages of facts charting the history of drug usage, development, and social and health issues....All are

highly recommended picks, offering lasting library lending value.

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The Nutritionist

2009-06-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

Haworth | ISBN 0-203-88700-X | ENGLISH | PDF | 388 PAGES | 1.63 MB

Intro
The seeming simplicity of our daily activities is greatly contrasted by the complexity of our true nature—quite a paradox, no doubt. It is simple in that, on the outside, the goals of our body may appear few. We internalize food, water, and oxygen while at the same time ridding ourselves of carbon dioxide and other waste materials. These operations support reproduction, growth, maintenance, and defense. Yet on the inside our body may seem very complex as various organs participate in a tremendous number of complicated processes intended to meet the simple goals previously mentioned. Nutrition is just one part of this paradoxical relationship. The objective of nutrition is simple: to supply our body with all of the necessary nutrients, and in appropriate quantities, to promote optimal health and function. However, in practice, nutrition is far from that simple. There seem to be too many nutrients, controversial nutrients, and different conditions, such as growth, pregnancy, and exercise, to allow nutrition to be a simple topic. Although we have long appreciated food, it has only been in the more recent years that we have really begun to understand the finer relationship between food and our body. Most nutrients have been identified within the last century or so and right now nutrition is one of the most prevalent areas of scientific research. This is to say that our understanding of nutrition is by no means complete. It continues to evolve in conjunction with the most current nutrition research. It seems that not a week goes by without hearing about yet another discovery in nutrition. It is hard to believe that just a few decades ago the basic four food groups were pretty much all the nutrition known by most people. Today nutrition deeply penetrates into many aspects of our lives, including preventative and treatment medicine, philosophy, exercise training, and weight management. Our diet has been linked to cardiovascular health, cancer, bowel function, moods, and brain activity, along with many other health domains. We no longer eat merely to satisfy hunger. Without doubt, nutrition has become a matter of great curiosity and/or concern for most of us today.

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Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes

2009-06-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

Good Calories, Bad Calories has much useful information and is well worth reading. Gary Taubes’s tenets related to obesity can be summarized in four statements (i) He believes that you can gain weight and become obese without a positive energy balance; (ii) He also believes that dietary fat is unimportant for the development of obesity; (iii) Carbohydrate, in his view, is what produces obesity and (iv) Insulin secreted by the carbohydrate is the problem in obesity. However, some of the conclusions that the author reaches are not consistent with current concepts about obesity. There are many kinds of obesity, and only some depend on diet composition.

Two dietary manipulations produce obesity in susceptible people: eating a high-fat diet and drinking sugar-or high-fructose corn syrup-sweetened beverages. Insulin is necessary but not sufficient in the diet-dependent obesities. When diet is important, it may be the combination of fat and fructose (the deadly duo) that is most important. Regardless of diet, it is a positive energy balance over months to years that is the sine qua non for obesity. Obese people clearly eat more than do lean ones, and food-intake records are notoriously unreliable, as documented by use of doubly labelled water.

Underreporting of food intake is greater in obese than in normal-weight people and is worse for fat than for other macronutrient groups. Accepting the concept that obesity results from a positive energy balance does not tell us why energy balance is positive. This depends on a variety of environmental factors interacting with the genetic sus-ceptibility of certain individuals. Weight loss is related to adherence to the diet, not to its macronutrient composition.

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Total Health: Becoming Physically Fit

2009-06-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

In 1956, Dwight D. Eisenhower formed thevPresident’s Council on Youth Fitness,after learning that 59% of American children had failed a minimum muscular fitness test. In 1967 an Oregon track coach named Bill Bowerman wrote a book called Jogging that ignited the running craze. A year later Air Force physician Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper fired a fitness shot heard ’round the world with the release of his book, Aerobics.

So why is it that 30 years later, so many Americans, both young and old, are still so overweight and out-of-shape? Why are so many people still smoking? Why are heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and other lifestyle-related diseases still claiming so many lives? Despite years of education and volumes of literature written on the benefits of physical fitness, why are we still a nation of couch potatoes? Total Health:Becoming Physically Fitis a three-part video series that encourages students to take charge of their bodies and their health. In simple and easy-to-understand language, the video and print materials demonstrate exactly what defines physical fitness and how important it is to not only achieve it, but sustain it. The series embraces a “back to the basics” formula for fitness with an emphasis on flexibility, strength, and endurance. Using common-sense principles, the series teaches students how to assess their current physical condition, how to improve their own overall physical fitness, and explains why it’s so important that they do so.

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Hypertension, Diabetes, Cholesterol, Weight, and Weight Control

2009-06-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

The 1998 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) included a detailed examination of preventive health problems and behaviors. This report uses data from the 1998 NHIS to examine the prevalence of selected problems among rural populations, with an emphasis on rural minorities. —Rural“ was defined, following NHIS guidelines, as living in a non-MSA county.

"Self Reported Prevalence of Health Problems"
Hypertension: Rural residents of all racial / ethnicity groups were more likely to report having been told they have hypertension than were metropolitan residents. The highest rates of reported hypertension were found among rural African Americans, one third of whom (34%) reported having high blood pressure.

Diabetes: Across non-metro residents, about seven percent of African Americans and seven percent of —other“ race adults reported that they had diabetes.

Cholesterol: As a measure of the degree to which non-metro residents obtain needed clinical preventive services, we examined self-reported receipt of cholesterol screening.

Contents
Executive Summary
Chapter One
Hypertension
Chapter Two
Diabetes
Chapter Three
Cholesterol Screening
Chapter Four
Weight and Weight Control Behaviors
Chapter Five
Exercise
Chapter Six
Conclusions and Recommendations
Appendices
Appendix A
Method and Detailed Tables
Appendix B
References

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PDF Ebook Permanent Hair Removal And Skin Treatment

2009-06-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

You will be amazed to know that approximately 22% of the women in North America have excessive or unwanted facial hair. For many individuals, this unwanted facial hair and the resulting bad looks negatively affect the quality of life. Even men are compelled to rid themselves of unwanted body hair, mainly due to the popular fashion appeal and appearance anxieties. If removing unwanted hair is the aim, why use the painful waxing procedure or the skin-damaging removal creams? Shaving damages the smoothness of the skin. In this century, the best way to get rid of unwanted hair is laser hair removal treatments.

Unwanted body hair is undesirable for various cultural, social, cosmetic, or psychological reasons. Unwanted body hair usually results in feelings of embarrassment or emotional burden that may further impede relationships and daily activities. Why carry this emotional burden when laser hair removal treatment is so effective to cure your problem.

The first lasers were approved for the use of hair removal in 1996. At that time, there wasn’t much use of this technology. However, today, dramatic advancement have occurred in laser technology. Along with laser hair removal treatments, many more effective cooling devices are used to treat individuals with light skin and dark hair. Long-pulsed lasers are also used today to safely and effectively treat patients with darker skin types.

Before undergoing this laser hair removal treatment, the candidate is instructed to avoid direct sunlight and active tanning for sometime. The patient’s skin is then bleached with retinoic acid or hydroquinone to lighten it. Reliable clinics performing laser hair treatment does various tests to understand the skin qualities and conditions, and accordingly performs the laser treatment.

If you are in Chicago and looking for laser hair removal in Chicago, Advanced Laser Clinics is near at hand. Advanced Laser Clinics is a Chicago based skin clinic providing a wide range of skin treatments. We are reliable, effective, and care for your skin as much as you do. This is the best online source for knowing more about laser hair removal Chicago, cost of laser hair removal treatments, permanent hair removal solutions, and everything else on laser hair removal treatment.

CONTENTS
REMOVE UNWANTED HAIR WITH LASER HAIR REMOVAL
BEST SKIN CARE TREATMENTS AT ADVANCED LASER CLINIC
LIGHT PULSE SKIN RENEWAL TREATMENT
LASER HAIR REMOVAL TREATMENT IN CHICAGO
DIODE LASER HAIR REMOVAL TREATMENT
PHOTO REJUVENATION: EASY & EFFECTIVE SKIN CARE TREATMENT

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Women’s Mental Health Ebook

2009-06-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to present this evidence based review which contains a reappraisal of the status of women’s mental health problems in different regions of the world. It updates and reactualizes a first publication on Psychosocial and Mental Health Aspects of Women’s Health issued by the Divisions of Mental and Family Health in 1993.

Over the years, the work of many WHO departments has converged with the concerns of the Key Centre for Women's Health in Society, University of Melbourne, in documenting the impact of discrimination and low socio-economic status on the health of women. More recently, there has been a shift from a focus on “women” to a focus on “gender” as a critical determinant of health. We are committed to the integration of gender issues in all our work and to the utilization of gender analysis in the development of mental health policies and programmes. In line with the recommendations articulated in the Beijing Platform of Action, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, we are strengthening attention to the tremendous health burden of women that is created by gender discrimination, poverty, social position, and various forms of violence against women.

In the Global Burden of Disease, it is estimated that depression will become the second most important cause of disease burden in the world by the year 2020. Women in developed and developing countries alike are almost twice as likely as men to experience depression. Another two of the leading causes of disease burden estimated for the year 2020, namely violence and self inflicted injuries, have special relevance for women’s mental health.

This document adopts a health determinants framework for examining the evidence related to women’s poor mental health. From this perspective, public policy including economic policy, socio-cultural and environmental factors, community and social support, stressors and life events, personal behaviour and skills, and availability and access to health services, are all seen to exercise a role in determining women’s mental health status. Similarly, when considering the differences between women and men, a gender approach has been used. While this does not exclude biological or sex differences, it considers the critical roles that social and cultural factors and unequal power relations between men and women play in promoting or impeding mental health. Such inequalities create, maintain and exacerbate exposure to risk factors that endanger women’s mental health, and are most graphically illustrated in the significantly different rates of depression between men and women, poverty and its impact, and the phenomenal prevalence of violence against women.

The document collects and analyses the latest research evidence pertaining to the study of these issues and identifies the most pertinent risk factors and social causes that account for much of the poor mental health of millions of women around the globe. It also highlights the current gaps in knowledge that must be addressed through cross-cultural epidemiological, behavioural and operational research, especially in the developing countries, since most of the present research is directed at the situation in the richer, developed countries. Finally, the document provides pointers to the most.

Although it is not intended to be used as a guideline per se, it is our hope that readers will benefit from the analysis of evidence provided in this document and be guided on the priorities for research and action in this critical area. As a follow up to this review, we will address the need for a more practical, user-friendly guide to assist health workers and managers in becoming aware of their vital role in alleviating the mental health problems of women through a variety of individual and community based interventions. In the meantime, WHO along with its collaborating centres, will continue to provide technical support to countries upon their request, to develop culturally sensitive policies and programmes addressing the individual and social risk factors that account for the pervasive damage to so many women’s mental wellbeing in all countries of the world.

Contents
Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction
PART ONE : GENDER DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH
Background
Social position, poverty and health
Influences on women's well being: Gender development
Economic policies, access and equity
Economic policies and women's social position
Social position, righs and mental health promotion
Women's mental health concerns
PART TWO : DEPRESSION IN WOMEN
Social theories of depression
Social theories of depression in women

Characteristic features of severe events: humiliation and entrapment
Social mentalities and rank

Severe events and rates of depression
Summary
PART THREE : POVERTY, SOCIAL POSITION AND MENTAL HEALTH
Relationship between social class and mental health
Measurement of women’s socio-economic status (SES)
Behavioural risk factors, physical and psychological comorbidity
Need to link physical and mental health
Chronic difficulties and acute crises
Summary

Place, severe events and depression
Core ties, identity and the ethic of care

PART FOUR : VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
The problem
Terminology
Violence in health care
Prevalence of violence against women in 'peace' time
Physical partner violence
Violence and reproductive functioning
Sexual violence in adulthood
Reactions to violence
Child sexual abuse
Multiple forms of violence
Revictimisation
Consequences of violence
Common features of violence and depression

Suicidal behaviour
Depression and anxiety
Post-traumatic stress

Comorbidity and the burden of violence
Barriers to understanding
Accounting for violence
Coping with violence
Summary

Reducing the psychological impact of violence
Psychosocial factors
Need for multilevel analysis

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Obesity & Diabetes

2009-06-12T05:44:00.000-07:00

Christos S. Mantzoros "Obesity and Diabetes (Contemporary Diabetes)

Humana Press | English | 2006-01-25 | ISBN: 1588295389 | 574 pages | PDF | 37 MB

International experts from world-renowned medical schools comprehensively review for practicing clinicians and scientists alike the latest understanding of the epidemiology, causation, and consequences of diabetes and obesity. The authors discuss in detail their diagnosis, clinical manifestations, complications, and best practices for diagnosis and treatment. They also review the history and epidemiology of these conditions, explain their genetics and pathophysiology, and illuminate their known mechanisms and interactions. State-of-the-art survey-chapters critique current approaches (lifestyle and pharmacological) to the treatment of these conditions.

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DNA The Secret of Life

2009-06-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

Authors: James D. Watson, Andrew Berry
Release: 2003-04-01
Format: Hardcover 464 pages
ISBN: 0375415467 (0-375-41546-7)
ISBN 13: 9780375415463 (978-0-375-41546-3)
List Price: $39.95

Description:
What makes DNA different from hordes of competitors purporting to help readers understand genetics is that it is written by none other than James Watson, of Watson and Crick fame. He and his co-author Andrew Berry have produced a clear and easygoing history of genetics, from Mendel through genome sequencing. Watson offers readers a sense of immediacy, a behind-the scenes familiarity with some of the most exciting developments in modern science. He gleefully reports on the research juggernaut that led to current obsessions with genetic engineering and cloning. Aided by profuse illustrations and photos, Watson offers an enthusiastic account of how scientists figured out how DNA codes for the creation of proteins--the so-called "central dogma" of genetics. But as patents and corporations enter the picture, Watson reveals his concern about the incursions of business into the hallowed halls of science. After 1975, DNA was no longer solely the concern of academics trying to understand the molecular underpinnings of life. The molecule moved beyond the cloisters of white-coated scientists into a very different world populated largely by men in silk ties and sharp suits. In later chapters, Watson aims barbs at those who are concerned by genetic tinkering, calling them "alarmists" who don't understand how the experiments work. It is in these arguments that Watson may lose favor with those whose notions of science were born after Silent Spring. Nevertheless, DNA encompasses both sides of the political issues involved in genetics, and Watson is an enthusiastic proponent of debate on the subject. The book accompanies a 5-part PBS series. --Therese Littleton

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Drinking Water and Infectious Disease

2009-06-12T05:39:00.000-07:00

Release: 2002-07-30
Format: Hardcover 256 pages
ISBN: 0849312590 (0-8493-1259-0)
ISBN 13: 9780849312595 (978-0-8493-1259-5)
List Price: $185.95

Description:
There still exists considerable uncertainty in many countries about the contribution of drinking water to sporadic cases of disease. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), led the Workshop on Molecular Technologies for Safe Drinking Water in 1998 to address the role of water in the transmission of infectious disease. One of the results was a call for improved surveillance and outbreak investigation. Drinking Water and Infectious Disease: Establishing the Links, derived from an OECD workshop hosted by the UK government in Basingstoke, addresses that crucial recommendation.Unlike books that give a broad view on the public health issues regarding water and health, this book focuses on the tools available to identify the links between drinking water and infectious disease and how they might be used. It gathers state-of-the-art information from an international team of experts, including most of the world's leading authorities on waterborne disease epidemiology and investigation, to provide an overview of current best practices and direction for assessing the safety of drinking water and responding to adverse events.Organized into three sections, this user-friendly text is the only book to put forward clear guidance on the surveillance for and investigation of waterborne infectious disease at the local, national, and international levels. Based on an OECD international meeting, each section is introduced by the relevant session chairs, and includes research approaches using models and innovative field experiences to provide a wide selection of ideas for others to field test or modify. Researchers will be able to use this information not only to study the epidemiology of infectious diseases, but also to investigate and prevent waterborne diseases. Drinking Water and Infectious Disease is a landmark text in both the field of waterborne disease and more generally in infectious disease epidemiology.

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Fruit and Vegetables Harvesting, Handling and Storage

2009-06-12T05:37:00.000-07:00

Authors: Keith Thompson
Release: 2003-11-14
Format: Hardcover 480 pages
ISBN: 1405106190 (1-4051-0619-0)
ISBN 13: 9781405106191 (978-1-4051-0619-1)
List Price: $259.99

Description:
The second edition of this very well-received book, which in its first edition was entitled Postharvest Technology of Fruits and Vegetables, has been welcomed by the community of postharvest physiologists and technologists who found the first edition of such great use. The book covers, in comprehensive detail, postharvest physiology as it applies to postharvest quality, technology relating to maturity determination, harvesting, packaging, postharvest treatments, controlled atmosphere storage, ripening and transportation on a very wide international range of fruits and vegetables. The new edition of this definitive work, which contains many full colour photographs, provides key practical and commercially-oriented information of great use in helping to ensure that fruit and vegetables reach the retailer in optimum condition, with the minimum of loss and spoilage.Fruits and vegetables, 2nd edition is essential reading forfruit and vegetable technologists, food scientists and food technologists, agricultural scientists, commercial growers, shippers and warehousing operatives and personnel within packaging companies. Researchers and upper level students in food science, food technology, plant and agricultural sciences will find a great deal of use within this landmark book. All libraries in research establishments and universities where these subjects are studied and taught should have copies readily available for users.A. K. Thompson was formerly Professor and head of Postharvest Technology, Silsoe College, UK.

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Lowering Your Cholesterol

2009-06-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

High blood cholesterol can affect anyone. It’s a serious condition that increases the risk for heart disease, the number one killer of Americans—women and men. The higher your blood cholesterol level, the greater your risk.

Fortunately, if you have high blood cholesterol, there are steps you can take to lower it and protect your health. This booklet will show you how to take action by following the “TLC Program” for reducing high blood cholesterol. TLC stands for Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, a three-part program that uses diet, physical activity, and weight management. Sometimes, drug treatment also is needed to lower blood cholesterol enough. But even then, the TLC Program should be followed.

The booklet has four main sections: It explains why cholesterol matters and helps you find your heart disease risk; describes the TLC Program; talks about a condition called the metabolic syndrome that can also be treated with TLC; and offers advice on how to make heart healthy lifestyle changes. Within the sections you’ll find tips on such topics as how to: communicate better with your doctor and other health care professionals, read food labels, make and stick with lifestyle changes, plan hear healthy menus for the whole family, and make heart healthy choices when you eat out.

Anyone can develop high blood cholesterol—everyone can take steps to lower it.

Contents
Introduction
Why Cholesterol Matters

* What Affects Cholesterol Levels?
* Knowing Your Cholesterol Level
* Setting Your Goal

Treating High LDL Cholesterol

* The TLC Diet: A Heart Healthy Eating Plan
* Foods To Choose for TLC
* Becoming Physically Active
* Maintaining a Healthy Weight
* Sample Menus for TLC

The Metabolic Syndrome—A Special Concern
Learning to Live the TLC Way

* Keeping Track of Your Changes
* Be Smart When You Start
* Reward YourselfMaking TLC a Family Affair

A Final Note
To Learn More

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Your Guide to a Healthy Prostate

2009-06-12T05:24:00.000-07:00

No one expects or wants to get caught with prostate disease. But the truth is that if you live long enough, it's almost certain that you will suffer from some form of prostate disease. For instance did you know that …

Prostate enlargement can be found in up to 50 % of men over 60 and 82 % of men in their 70s. This natural and common process leads to enlargement of the prostate over time and may affect bladder emptying in some men, as the enlarged prostate squeezes the urethra and makes the passing of urine difficult.

Prostatitis a condition that causes burning during urination or pain in the pelvic region can affect men at any age and does not respond well to conventional treatments. The treatment for this condition which is antibiotics is effective in less then 30% of cases.

Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy or BPH is a swelling of the prostate. This condition can wreak havoc in your life and disrupt your sex life. This condition also causes trouble with urination.

Prostate Cancer in Australia will affect 1 in 11 men by the age 75. Over 11,200 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, making it the second most common cause of cancer death in Australian men.

These figures aren't etched in stone. The average man can reduce his chances of developing prostate problems with some simple, com-mon-sense steps. But you must also try to act preventively and look-out for health problems before they strike.

Contents
1. An Overview of the Prostate Problem
2. You and Your Prostate
3. Prostate Disease
4. Your Diet and your Prostate
5. Natural Herbal help for your Prostate
6. Exercise your way to a healthy Prostate
7. Dental health and your Prostate
8. Impotence and your sex life
9. Stress and your Prostate
10. Prostate Action Guide

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Health Psychology Ebook

2009-06-12T05:22:00.000-07:00

Health psychology is a relatively recent yet fast- growing sub-discipline of psychology. It is best understood by answering the following questions:

* What causes illness and who is responsible for it?
* How should illness be treated and who is responsible for treatment?
* What is the relationship between health and illness, and between the mind and body?
* What is the role of psychology in health and illness?

Human beings are complex systems and illness can be caused by a multitude of factors, not just a single factor such as a virus or bacterium. Health psychology attempts to move away from a simple linear model of health and looks at the combination of factors involved in illness – biological (e.g. a virus), psychological (e.g. behaviours, beliefs) and social (e.g. employment). This reflects the biopsychosocial model of health and illness that was developed by Engel (1977,1980). Because, in this model, illness is regarded as the result of a combination of factors, the individual is no longer simply seen as a passive victim of some external force, such as a virus. Acknowledging the role of behaviours such as smoking, diet and alcohol, for example, means that the individual may be held responsible for their health and illness.

According to health psychology, the whole person should be treated, not just the physical changes that occur due to ill health. This can include behaviour change, encouraging changes in beliefs and coping strategies, and compliance with medical recommendations. Because thepartly responsible for their treatment. For example, she may have a responsibility to take medication, and to change beliefs and behaviour. No longer is the patient seen as a victim.

From this perspective, health and illness exist on a continuum. Rather than being either healthy or ill, individuals progress along a continuum from healthiness to illness and back again. Health psychology also maintains that the mind and body interact. It sees psychological factors as not only possible consequences of illness (after all, being ill can be depressing), but as contributing to all the stages of health, from full healthiness to illness.

Contents
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
INTRODUCTION
HEALTH BELIEFS AND BEHAVIOURS

Behaviour and mortality
The role of health beliefs
Integrated models

ILLNESS BELIEFS

The dimensions of illness beliefs
A model of illness behaviour
Health professionals’ beliefs

THE STRESS–ILLNESS LINK

Stress models
Does stress cause illness?
CHRONIC ILLNESS
Profile of an illness
Psychology’s role

FINAL THOUGHTS
SUMMARY
REVISION QUESTIONS
FURTHER READING

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Diet and Nutrition

2009-06-12T05:21:00.000-07:00

This report presents the findings of a consultation exercise of diet and nutrition of older adults, aged 50 years and over, living within the North Staffordshire area. The consultation was carried out between August and October 2001.

The aim of the report is to identify and highlight the comments and views of older people in North Staffordshire on food, shopping and consumption in order to develop a practical strategy for the effective promotion of dietary change for older people on the basis of people’s perspective.

From the recommendations and practical strategy/s put forward, a development of partnerships with older people and relevant agencies will be implemented in order to effect change.

The consultation forms part of the Beth Johnson Foundation’s ongoing health promotion work.

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5 Secrets For Weight Loss Success

2009-06-12T05:20:00.000-07:00

First of all, a few words about me. I used to be much heavier than I am now and this is how I used to look on the left - on the right was me a few weeks ago. I have since lost even more weight.

Some of my friends say I am half the man I used to be! I have been overweight since I was 7 years old. I have been overweight since I was 7 years old. And I have constantly tried losing weight ever since. Over the years I tried just about everything. Now, I cannot say I have really tried everything - for example I have not tried extract of Himalayan Flame-tree (or maybe I have under a different name!): but if I did it did not work, so I do not remember it.

I do not think there is much point in going over what did not work, listing quick weight loss programs where I lost weight and put it back on as quickly as I lost it, or all the starvation techniques, or exercise programs I treid and failed with over 40 years and more. The secrets I give away here are all part of what has worked for me - not only to lose weight (which i have done many times before) but also to keep it off, which is far harder. And, more importantly, I have done so without any risks to my health - which is paramount to me, since I am a Type 2 Diabetic! FREE details of my experience living with diabetes can be found on a different.

If this is an issue that affects you, be sure to visit the site. At the same time, I have spent over 30 years of daily work on techniques and disciplines for self-transformation and growth. These inner disciplines are what has enabled me to succeed in the end, though it has been quite a battle at times, believe me! Just ask yourself this: do you want to change your life entirely? You can, and I will help you, free of charge. But I will only tell you how to do it. You have to decide what to change, and why.

My freedom of choice is of over-riding importance to me, so I respect your freedom to choose likewise. To help you to be free to choose to do anything at all, you may also be interested in my money-making opportunity. In the following pages you can find links to all these websites, where you can find out more about what I talk about here. Please feel free to visit any of them at any time, under no obligation at all.

Contents
Introduction - About me.
Secret 1 Eating all the foods you want and still keep losing weight.
Secret 2 Safe & affordable exercise.
Secret 3 Healthy low-calorie snacking.
Secret 4 Healthy eating out in food-courts and restaurants
Secret 5 Balanced nutrition & weight control.
Bonus Further Little Secrets.

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High Blood Pressure

2009-06-12T05:16:00.000-07:00

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is, simply, elevated pressure of the blood in the arteries. Hypertension results from two major factors, which can be present independently or together:

• The heart pumps blood with excessive force.
• The body's smaller blood vessels (known as the arterioles) narrow, so that blood flow exerts more pressure against the vessels' walls.

Although the body can tolerate increased blood pressure for months and even years, eventually the heart may enlarge (a condition called hypertrophy), which is a major factor in heart failure. Such pressure can also injure blood vessels in the heart, kidneys, the brain, and the eyes.

Two numbers are used to describe blood pressure: the systolic pressure (the higher and first number) and the diastolic pressure (the lower and second number). Health dangers from blood pressure may vary among different age groups and depending on whether systolic or diastolic pressure (or both) is elevated. A third measurement, pulse pressure, is becoming important as an indicator of severity.

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). For example, excellent blood pressure would be less than 120/80 mm Hg (systolic/diastolic). Blood pressure is now categorized as optimal, normal, high normal, and hypertensive. The hypertensive category is further divided, according to severity. [See Table Blood Pressure and Its Treatments.]

American expert groups recommend that any blood pressure above normal should be treated. Some experts are concerned, however, that such guidelines may unnecessarily increase the use of anti?hypertensive drugs.

Systolic Blood Pressure. The systolic pressure (the first and higher number) is the force that blood exerts on the artery walls as the heart contracts to pump out the blood. High systolic pressure is now known to be a greater risk factor than diastolic pressure for heart, kidney, and circulatory complications and for death, particularly in middle?aged and elderly adults. The wider the spread between the systolic and diastolic measurements, the greater the danger.

In fact, elevated systolic pressure may pose a significant danger for heart events and stroke events even when diastolic is normal ?? a condition called isolated systolic hypertension. Isolated systolic hypertension is the most common form of hypertension in people older than fifty. In one study it comprised 87% of hypertension cases in people between ages 50 and 59.

Diastolic Blood Pressure. The diastolic pressure (the lower and second number) is the measurement of force as the heart relaxes to allow the blood to flow into the heart. High diastolic pressure (the second and lower number) is a strong predictor of heart attack and stroke in young adults. [See Hypertension Categories, below.]

Pulse Pressure. Pulse pressure is the difference between the systolic and the diastolic readings. It appears to be an indicator of stiffness and inflammation in the blood?vessel walls. The greater the difference between systolic and diastolic numbers, the stiffer and more injured the vessels are thought to be. Although not yet used by physicians to determine treatment, evidence is suggesting that it may prove to be a strong predictor of heart problems, particularly in older adults. Some studies suggest that in people over 45 years old, every 10?mm Hg increase in pulse pressure increases the risk for stroke increases by 11%, cardiovascular disease by 10%, and overall mortality by 16%. (In
younger adults the risks are even higher.)

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Exercise, Obesity, and Weight Control

2009-06-12T05:14:00.000-07:00

It is ironic that while millions of people are dying of starvation each year in most parts of the world, many Americans are dying as an indirect result of an overabundance of food. Further, billions of dollars are spent each year overfeeding the American public, which then leads to the spending of billions of dollars more each year on various weight loss methods. This review will investigate various aspects of overweight and obesity, and show how they are affected by physical activity. But first, we must define and differentiate between the terms overweight and obesity.

The terms overweight and obesity are often used interchangeably, but this is technically incorrect as they have different meanings. Overweight is defined as a body weight that exceeds the normal or standard weight for a particular person, based on his or her height and frame size. These standards are established solely on the basis of population averages. It is quite possible to be overweight according to these standard tables and yet have a body fat content that is average or even below average. For example, almost all college and professional football players are overweight by these tables, but few are overfat. There are also people who are within the normal range of body weights for their height and frame size by the standard tables, but who have, in fact, excessive body fat.

Obesity is the condition in which the individual has an excessive amount of body fat. This means that the actual amount of body fat, or its percentage of a person’s total weight, must be assessed or estimated. A number of laboratory and field assessment techniques can provide reasonably accurate estimates of a person’s body composition. xact standards for allowable fat percentages, however, have not been established. But there is general agreement among clinicians and scientists that men over 25% body fat and women over 35% should be considered obese, and that relative fat values of 20% to 25% in men and 30% to 35% in women should be considered borderline obese.

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How To Maintain Your Perfect Weight, Health & Still Eat Your Favorite Foods

2009-06-12T05:12:00.000-07:00

How many times have you lost weight and gained the weight right back after a couple of weeks? It can be a little discouraging to gain the weight after all your hard work and dedication. We tend to go back to eating our favorite foods and completely stop exercising. Well, this report will give you a solution on balancing your food intake and minimal exercise to maintain your perfect weight and health and still eat your favorite foods.

Eat variety of foods to minimize repeated exposure to food toxins, sprays, etc. All foods are handled differently in different parts of the country. (See Natural Foods List Below) If you eat conventional fruits and vegetables, be extra cautious on what you put into your body, repeatedly.

Conventional foods contain pesticides and other chemicals. It is always best to eat organic foods which are grown naturally without any chemicals. Eat organic foods if you can. Certain foods are laced with dangerous pesticides. Wash all fresh foods thoroughly especially melons, as there have been several cases of salmonella poisoning found from cutting into the melons before washing them. Grow your own if possible. When selecting organic foods at your local grocery store look for the “organic” label on each produce in the organic section. Conventional produce can be larger and look better than organic produce. Organic foods are somewhat expensive, however, it is better to pay now than later on the operating table.

Eat more fiber to speed dangerous toxins through the intestinal tract and to bind and neutralize them before they can do any harm. Fiber should be part of every meal. It is found in whole grains, beans, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. Processed foods lack fiber, be sure and add fresh food to every meal. Fiber also cuts down on food reactions and blood sugar fluctuations, in addition to preventing constipation.

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Relationship Between Weight Loss and Body Image

2009-06-12T05:10:00.000-07:00

Obesity is a serious health problemworldwide. In the United States, the number of obese people (defined as BMI>30) has reached epidemic proportions, affecting approximately one-quarter of the American population. The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide, and the percentage of people who are overweight has steeply risen more than 30% since 1980 (Bray, 1998). Data fromthe National Center for Health Statistics indicate an uneven distribution of obesity, with African-American and Mexican-American females most affected (Flegal, Carroll, & Kucfzmarski, 1998). Children and adolescents are not immune to this epidemic. Data suggest that over 20% of children are currently overweight, and 30% of these individuals become obese adults later in life.

Excess weight increases the risk of serious medical consequences such as hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and some forms of cancer. It has been argued that the “preponderance of evidence suggests that even mild overweight is probably associated with some increase in mortality risk" (Solomon, Willett, & Manson, 1995). In addition to the tremendous health risks, the financial cost of obesity is staggering. Obesity-related problems are estimated to cost the United States 39.3 billion dollars annually (Colditz,
1998). Given this backdrop, it is not surprising that the study of obesity has received an increasing amount of attention fromlocal and federal policy-makers, health care professionals, and researchers.

Despite the well-established relationship between medical risks and obesity, the relationship between psychological functioning and obesity remains less clear. Common beliefs implicating psychological distress as a contributing factor in the development of obesity has not been well supported by research (Hill & Williams, 1998). Several large- scale studies, each involving at least 500 subjects, found no consistent evidence to support the claimthat severely obese persons show higher levels of psychopathology than normal-weight controls (Moore, Standard, & Srole, 1996; Silverstone, 1968; Hallstrom& Noppa, 1982; Kittel, Rustin, Dramaix, DeBacker, & Kornitzer, 1978; Hill & Williams, 1998; Stunkard &Wadden, 1992). Wadden, et al. (2001) contend that a substantial minority of extremely obese patients seeking bariatric surgery present with significant emotional complications.

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Brachytherapy for The Treatment of Prostate Cancer

2009-06-12T05:08:00.000-07:00

Brachytherapy is the implantation of radioactive sources in or near tumours. When used in the treatment of prostate cancer, radioisotopes are inserted directly into the prostate gland guided by a transrectal ultrasound probe as a single day-patient or overnight stay procedure. The radioactive sources have a localised effect and, when the placement and dosage are planned appropriately, destroy tumour cells of the prostate gland without significantly irradiating adjacent normal tissue. The total radiation dose is about twice that from conventional external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), and about 50 per cent higher in terms of biological equivalence.

There are two types of prostate brachytherapy permanent implants (using small iodine 125 (I 125) or palladium 103 (Pd 103) seeds) and temporary implants (using iridium 192 wires via temporary catheters). Only permanent implants using I 125 are the subject of this application. Palladium implants are not currently available in Australia.

Brachytherapy has been proposed to offer a more efficient treatment (shorter treatment, in-hospital and recovery time) for localised prostate cancer with the additional advantages of limiting the side-effects to adjacent tissues that occur with EBRT and the surgical risks associated with radical prostatectomy (RP). However, the procedure may be associated with short- and long-term complications.

Contents
Executive summary
Introduction
Background
The procedure

Intended purpose
Clinical need/burden of disease
Existing procedures
Comparators
Marketing status of the device/technology
Current reimbursement arrangement

Approach to assessment

Review of literature
Expert advice

Results of assessment

Is it safe?
Is it effective?
What are the economic considerations?

Conclusions

Safety
Effectiveness
Cost-effectiveness

Recommendation
Appendix A MSAC terms of reference and membership
Appendix B Advisory Panel
Appendix C Studies included in the review
Appendix D Defining the Clinical Question
Appendix E Estimated costs of brachytherapy treatment - translated from the United Kingdom and direct Australian estimates
Abbreviations
References.

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The book of tea

2009-06-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage. In China, in the eighth century, it entered the realm of poetry as one of the polite amusements. The fifteenth century saw Japan ennoble it into a religion of aestheticism--Teaism. Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence. It inculcates purity and harmony, the mystery of mutual charity, the romanticism of the social order. It is essentially a worship of the Imperfect, as it is a tender attempt to accomplish something possible in this impossible thing we know as life. The Philosophy of Tea is not mere estheticism in the ordinary acceptance of the term, for it expresses conjointly with ethics and religion our whole point of view about man and nature.

It is hygiene, for it enforces cleanliness; it is economics, for it shows comfort in simplicity rather than in the complex and costly; it is moral geometry, inasmuch as it defines our sense of proportion to the universe. It represents the true spirit of Eastern democracy by making all its votaries aristocrats in taste. The long isolation of Japan from the rest of the world, so conducive to introspection, has been highly favourable to the development of Teaism. Our home and habits, costume and cuisine, porcelain, lacquer, painting--our very literature--all have been subject to its influence. No student of Japanese culture could ever ignore its presence. It has permeated the elegance of noble boudoirs, and entered the abode of the humble. Our peasants have learned to arrange flowers, our meanest labourer to offer his salutation to the rocks and waters. In our common parlance we speak of the man “with no tea” in him, when he is insusceptible to the serio-comic interests of the personal drama.

Again we stigmatise the untamed aesthete who, regardless of the mundane tragedy, runs riot in the springtide of emancipated emotions, as one “with too much tea” in him. The outsider may indeed wonder at this seeming much ado about nothing. What a tempest in a tea-cup! he will say. But when we consider how small after all the cup of human enjoyment is, how soon overflowed with tears, how easily drained to the dregs in our quenchless thirst for infinity, we shall not blame ourselves for making so much of the tea-cup. Mankind has done worse. In the worship of Bacchus, we have sacrificed too freely; and we have even transfigured the gory image of Mars. Why not consecrate ourselves to the queen of the Camelias, and revel in the warm stream of sympathy that flows from her altar? In the liquid amber within the ivory-porcelain, the initiated may touch the sweet reticence of Confucius, the piquancy of Laotse, and the ethereal aroma of Sakyamuni himself.

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Alternative Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes

2009-06-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that has a significant impact on the health, quality of life, and life expectancy of patients, as well as on the health care system. Exercise, diet, and weight control continue to be essential and effective means of improving glucose homeostasis. However, lifestyle management measures may be insufficient or patient compliance difficult, rendering conventional drug therapies (i.e., oral glucose-lowering agents and insulin injection) necessary in many patients. In addition to adverse effects, drug treatments are not always satisfactory in maintaining euglycemia and avoiding late stage diabetic complications. As an alternative approach, medicinal herbs with anti hyperglycemic activities are increasingly sought by diabetic patients and health care professionals. Commonly used herbs and other alternative therapies, less likely to have the side effects of conventional approaches for type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus is a serious chronic metabolic disorder that has a significant impact on the health, quality of life, and life expectancy of patients, as well as on the health care system. In the United States, diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death. 1 Diabetes is divided into two major categories: type 1 diabetes (formerly known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or IDDM) and type 2 diabetes (formerly known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus or NIDDM). The overall prevalence of diabetes is approximately six percent of the population, of which 90 percent is type 2. Treatment and care of diabetes represents a substantial portion of the national health care expenditure, over $105 billion annually. This represents a substantial portion of the health care expenditure more than one of every 10 U. S. health care dollars and one of four Medicare dollars.

Type 2 diabetes represents a syndrome with disordered metabolism of carbohydrate and fat. The most prominent clinical feature is hyperglycemia (fasting plasma glucose level > 126 mg/dL, or glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) > 6.9%). In most patients with type 2 diabetes, the onset is in adulthood, most commonly in obese people over 40 years of age. Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, and atherosclerosis are often associated with diabetes.

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Obesity, Smoking and Dieting - Ebook

2009-06-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

Obesity and overweight are the last decades, becoming more common, more than half of the west - of the population is overweight and one fifth. obesity in young increase has been rapid. Obesity, particularly when combined - tea, and smoking increase the morbidity of cardiovascular disease, metabolisiin illnesses such as diabetes, and many cancers. Obesity and tobacco are developed countries, the most important preventable causes of death. At the same time, obesity in slimming, and even harmful to health weight loss methods, such as smoking, weight management is a means to become a more general friendly ".

Rapid weight loss-oriented weight reduction is often adverse health effects such as weight gain over the original weight and body changing unhealthy. Three-quarters significantly says have increased the weight back. Smoking and repeated weight reduction effects of overweight and obesity development of NCP - each other.

Rapid weight loss-oriented weight reduction is often adverse health effects such as weight gain over the original weight and body changing unhealthy. Three-quarters significantly says have increased the weight back. Smoking and repeated weight reduction effects of overweight and obesity development of NCP - each other.

Adolescent smoking predicted waist obesity in both sexes and in addition to overweight women. Repeated slimming was the context of late - weight gain and obesity in men. In addition, the repeated - that and smoking were found to be linked in young adults. In older age groups of men who smoke, less than from smoking - tomat. Obesity and waist obesity-related pre - prevention of smoking and repeated reduction of weight reduction may be previously thought effective
methods.

Contents
1 ABSTRACT
2 TIIVISTELMÄ
3 LIST OF ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONS
4 ABBREVIATIONS
5 INTRODUCTION
6 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

6.1 Obesity
6.2 Dieting, intentional weight loss and weight cycling
6.3 Smoking, dieting, body mass index and abdominal obesity
6.4 Summary of open questions

7 AIMS OF THE STUDY
8 SUBJECTS AND METHODS

8.1 Subjects
8.1.1 FinnTwin16 cohort
8.1.2 The Finnish Twin Cohort
8.1.3 Cohort of male elite athletes

8.2 Measures
8.3 Validity assessment
8.4 Statistical Methods

9 RESULTS

9.1 Smoking and obesity
9.2 Smoking and dieting
9.3 Dieting and obesity

10 DISCUSSION

10.1 Summary of key results
10.2 Smoking, body weight and abdominal obesity
10.3 Smoking and dieting
10.4 Weight cycling and obesity
10.5 Methodological considerations
10.6 Implications for further research and health promotion

11 CONCLUSIONS
12 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
13 REFERENCES
14 APPENDICES

1. Relevant parts of the FinnTwin16 questionnaires
2. Relevant parts of the Finnish Twin Cohort questionnaires
3. Relevant parts of the questionnaire for the cohort of male elite
athletes

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The Science of Being Well - ebook

2009-06-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

This volume is the second of a series, the first of which is The Science of Getting Rich. As that book is intended solely for those who want money, so this is for those who want health, and who want a practical guide and handbook, not a philosophical treatise.

It is an instructor in the use of the universal Principle of Life, and my effort has been to explain the way in so plain and simple a fashion that the reader, though he may have given no previous study to New Thought or metaphysics, may readily follow it to perfect health. While retaining all essentials, I have carefully eliminated all non-essentials. I have used no technical, abstruse, or difficult language, and have kept the one point in view at all times.

As its title asserts, the book deals with science, not speculation. The monistic theory of the universe — the theory that matter, mind, consciousness, and life are all manifestations of One Substance — is now accepted by most thinkers, and if you accept this theory, you cannot deny the logical conclusions you will find here.

Best of all, the methods of thought and action prescribed have been tested by the author in his own case and in the case of hundreds of others during twelve years of practice, with continuous and unfailing success.
I can say of the Science of Being Well that it works, and that wherever its laws are complied with, it can no more fail to work than the science of geometry can fail to work. If the tissues of your body have not been so destroyed that continued life is impossible, you can get well, and if you will think and act in a Way, you will get well.

Those who wish more detailed information as to the performance of the voluntary function of eating, I would recommend the writings of Horace Fletcher and of Edward Hooker Dewey. Read these, if you like, as a sort of buttress to your faith, but let me warn you against making the mistake of studying many conflicting theories, and practicing, at the same time, parts of several different “systems.” For if you get well, it must be by giving your WHOLE MIND to the right way of thinking and living.

Remember that the Science of Being Well claims to be a complete and sufficient guide in every particular. Concentrate upon the way of thinking and acting it prescribes, and follow it in every detail, and you will get well, or if you are already well, you will remain so.

Contents:
Preface
Wallace D. Wattles
Chapter 1 - The Principle of Health
Chapter 2 - The Foundations of Faith
Chapter 3 - Life and Its Organisms
Chapter 4 - What to Think
Chapter 5 - Faith
Chapter 6 - Use of the Will
Chapter 7 - Health from God
Chapter 8 - Summary of the Mental Actions
Chapter 9 - When to Eat
Chapter 10 - What to Eat
Chapter 11 - How to Eat
Chapter 12 - Hunger and Appetites
Chapter 13 - In a Nutshell
Chapter 14 - Breathing
Chapter 15 - Sleep
Chapter 16 - Supplementary Instructions
Chapter 17 - Summary of the Science of Being Well 72

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Ebook : choosing a healthy lifestyle

2009-06-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

Every day, you make choices about your health — choices that affect the quality of your life. Your physical and emotional well-being are largely determined by the foods you eat, your level of activity, daily habits and general outlook on life.

Millions of Americans suffer from preventable causes of chronic disease and death such as:
* Cancer.
* Diabetes.
* Heart disease.

You may be able to avoid these problems, even if heredity is a factor.

Making good health choices may seem overwhelming. It can be hard to keep up with all the information available to you — and even harder to decide what advice to follow. The best advice is to:

* Understand and address your health risks.
* Do not smoke.
* Increase physical activity.
* Eat healthy foods.
* Develop other healthy habits.

This publication contains tips, tools and resources to help you begin enjoying a healthier life.

Contents
make healthy choices
An introduction
understand risk factors
Assessing your risk for various health issues
Do not smoke
Avoiding tobacco use
increase Physical activity
Improving health and fitness levels
eat healthy foods
Making balanced choices
Develop other healthy habits
Improving your quality of life
live a healthy lifestyle
Enhancing your emotional and mental well-being
get healthy together
Sharing what you have learned
for more information

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Ebook : Healthy Eating, Active Living: An action plan to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity

2009-06-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

This paper outlines how the Scottish Government will use the resources identified in the recent Scottish Budget to improve the nation’s diet, encourage greater physical activity and begin to establish a base for tackling obesity through both targeted interventions and by supporting us all in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. We have identified key life stages and settings in which we will act.

Scotland has made significant progress in recent years in reducing the number of deaths from chronic disease which has resulted in an increase in life expectancy. 1 However, there is concern that the impact of rising levels of overweight and obese people will reverse that progress.

Contents
Foreword
1. Introduction
2. Trends and Habits in Scotland
3. Building on Success – Strategies, Targets and Goals
4. The Action Plan

4.1 Early Years
4.2 Schools and School Age Children
4.3 Adults and Workplaces
4.4 Older People
4.5 Communities

5. Delivery and Evaluating Success
6. Health Improvement Social Marketing Strategy
7. Developing a Longer Term Strategy to Tackle Obesity
References

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Ebook : Herbal Remedies For Acid Reflux

2009-06-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is the medical term for what we know as acid reflux. Acid reflux occurs when the stomach releases its liquid back into the esophagus, causing inflammation and damage to the esophageal lining. The regurgitated acid most often consists of a few compounds: acid, bile, and pepsin. Stomach acid is used in the digestion of food and can be a major irritant to the esophagus due to its tendency to damage tissues. Bile is created in the liver and may back up into the stomach, causing it to be released. Pepsin, the last common compound, is actually an enzyme which helps to kick-start the stomach into breaking down proteins.

Once afflicted with acid reflux, a person will generally continue to face the disease for the rest of his or her life. The Esophagitis which is caused by acid reflux can also be expected to be a life-long problem. Once treatment for acid reflux has begun, a patient is usually advised to continue taking the medication for as long as they want to prevent the disease from affecting them.

It may surprise you to know that research has shown most people experience a minor form of regurgitation on a fairly frequent basis. However, those afflicted with acid reflux have a higher acid content in the liquid brought into the esophagus than the liquids of a person who doesn’t have the disease. The fluid also often stays in the esophagus for longer periods of time.

Our bodies do the best they can to prevent acid reflux from actually causing harm. During hours in which a person is awake, the reflux is usually remedied by a simple swallow. Also, the saliva generated in our salivary glands contains bicarbonate, which is a neutralizing agent to the effects of acid. When we sleep, however, we are usually horizontal, causing acid to rest in the esophagus for extended periods of time, which often leads to greater damage.

Acid reflux often leads to heartburn, which is pretty much the defining characteristic and symptom of reflux. The pain of acid reflux can actually be quite similar to angina, which is a serious heart condition. or that reason, you should go to a doctor if you experience heavy heartburn.

Acid reflux is most commonly experienced after eating a meal. People who are afflicted with acid reflux may also experience a complete regurgitation of liquid, leaving a nasty taste in their mouth and esophageal damage. Nausea can also occur in some people with reflux, and it may be accompanied by full-out vomiting.

Heartburn and nausea are the two most common reasons people discover that they are afflicted with reflux. If either of the symptoms sound similar to your personal experience, it's well worth your time to sit down with a health care professional to investigate what can be done to eliminate the problem.

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Ebook : Laser Hair Removal

2009-06-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

Laser hair removal is a one of the more popular minimally-invasion cosmetic procedures; in 2006 there were about 887,000 laser hair removal procedures, placing laser hair removal third behind chemical peels and Botox® in terms of numbers of procedures performed.

Laser hair removal works by using a laser to locate the hair, then “stun” it. The hair then falls out. The laser, delivered in bursts over a small area of skin, detects the pigment in the hair against the background skin color; the contrast of dark hair on light skin gives the best contrast, and usually better results than other combinations of hair and skin color. Darker skin, for example, may require use of a lower powered laser (and hence more treatments).
One laser pulse can cover more than one hair, providing a quicker treatment when compared to techniques such as electrolysis. About one-third of the hairs do not grow back after a treatment. Complete hair removal will most likely involve multiple treatments.

Questions about whether the technique is a medical procedure, and who should be able to perform the procedure, have been raised. The Texas Medical Board attempted to formulate a rule designed to answer those questions; this rule was challenged by lawsuits, and then those lawsuits were abated when legislation on the subject was introduced into the Texas legislature.

Currently the situation is at a stalemate. The Legislature has not enacted legislation on laser hair removal, the lawsuits remain undecided, and the Texas Medical Board has recently decided to repeal the rule. The uncertainty leaves physicians, non-physician providers of the service, and potential clients without clear guidance regarding whether laser hair removal is a medical procedure, and what qualifications may be demanded of those performing the procedure.

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Ebook : Herbal D-Tox Cookbook For Cleansing

2009-06-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

Out with the old and in with the new. Detoxification is one of the central concepts of natural healing. Why? It is impossible to build healthy new tissue without eliminating old cells and their by-products. This has never been truer than in modern society. We are being flooded continuously with synthetic chemicals, hormones and toxic material in our food, air, cosmetics and clothing. Even a person with a healthy diet comes into contact with all sorts of these undesirable toxins. Our ancestors felt it was very important to cleanse at least twice each year and they had an organic diet by default. Some of the best times to cleanse are during spring and fall, as these are the same times nature goes through a similar organic process. A “detox” is also a good way to start a new, healthy routine, increasing the potential outcome of the program. Many of my patients like to cleanse at the beginning of a weight loss program or during the festive season so they don’t feel as guilty for their over-consumption. A “detox” does not have to be a time of deprivation; it can be a time of good, nourishing food and a time of inner focus. This cookbook is designed to help you have a festive time with your food plan as you go through the cleansing process.

Well over 70% of my patients do a cleansing program at least once a year. This is becoming one of the major reasons people visit a health food store. Often this is the only program they do during the year. It is also very helpful to get you back on track to better nutrition maintenance if you have slipped up a little by over-consumption. During a “detox”, people often report that they feel lighter, less bloated, more energy and just generally clearer. Some people experience a mild headache or even nausea during the first day or two of changing their diet and using herbal products. This feeling of malaise usually disappears by day four or five of the detoxification process.

During a detoxification program, it is important to cleanse the intestinal tract, the liver, blood, lymphatic system, and the urinary tract. We suggest that a twelve-day cleansing diet, supported with botanicals, is a good ‘tune-up’ for the body. It will also help you get the most benefit out of the other supplements in your health program. One of the most important rules of natural healing is ‘cleanse a little, build a little, then cleanse a little and build a little more’. By incorporating this cycle into a health program, we can copy nature in its never-ending cycle of seasonal changes. People often go into other health maintenance programs after the Herbal D-Tox. Some of the most common programs are: weight loss, arthritis, liver rejuvenation, Candida, blood sugar maintenance or a parasite cleanse.

At the Wild Rose Clinic, we usually start most health programs with a “detox” program as it can result in better compliance and effectiveness of long-term health programs. We suggest the use of an herbal “detox” program 100 times more often than a fast. If you cleanse too hard, as can happen during a fast, you often end up with a “Healing Crisis”. This is a term from the early days of botanical medicine, which refers to an acute condition associated with therapeutic treatment. Symptoms can range from headaches and nausea to fever and rashes, and can be very unpleasant. Healing crises are similar to shifting gears without a clutch; the gears grind. If a treatment plan involves slower cleansing with a healthy Meal Plan, as outlined in this book, the gears don’t grind and we can usually avoid the crisis.

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Ebook : Micro Food Macro Blessing

2009-06-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

Two thirds of the world is covered with water. The earliest life form, which began in water, was algae. There are around 25,000 species of algae in the world. Walk on the beach and you will find seaweed, which are the biggest forms of algae, some like little trees with roots, stems, branches and leaves. Kelp and carrageen moss are the best known seaweed and are red or brown in colour. At the other end of the big family are tiny single-celled algae which are the most primitive plants on earth. Many people react
negatively when thinking about algae because the first thing that comes to their mind is algae in swimming pools or toxic algae like the blue-green algae in Australian rivers. With increasing world population and decreasing agricultural land, algae is discussed more frequently for its nutritional value as a future food source which we desperately need. The nutritional as well as the therapeutic value of algae varies with the water’s quality (minerals, nutrition, pH), the water temperature, ocean currents and the intensity of sunlight.

The degree of pollution in waters for food production is a concerning factor for the qualities of the product. The most prominent food alga is Spirulina. Chlorella, fresh water green algae, is one of the smallest organisms and is approximately the size of a human red blood cell. Spirulina is approximately 100 times larger and gets its name from the shape of the plant which looks like little spirals. The dark green colour of Spirulina comes from the high amount of plant blood or in other words, chlorophyll, which is only one molecule different to haemoglobin in human blood. Chlorophyll in plants is collected sunlight. All energy on the earth comes from only one source, the sun. First life, and with the first life the first food or, so we have been told, the algae. Algae can live on water and sunlight only. Humans are not as lucky because they cannot live from sun energy directly. They are on top of the food chain. The lowest on the food chain is the chlorophyll in our nature or in other words the “green” in our nature. Green matter is eaten by animals and animals are eaten by humans. To feed a human being in Western countries, with high meat consumption, the land use per head is 800 times higher than if we were to eat algae directly. The largest mammal on earth is the whale which lives solely on phyto-plankton algae; the largest mammal on land is the elephant which eats green matter only.

The diet of humans has changed a few times since they first walked on the earth. For most of the time we only gathered the seasonal foods - roots, fruits and seeds available within an hour's walking distance and we hunted and fished; the only food intake was fresh. As we became more sophisticated we started to preserve our food by smoking, salting and drying. The oldest and still the best way of preservation is lactic acid fermentation as in sauerkraut where the nutrients and vitamins are preserved as well. Only in recent years have we learned to preserve by heating, drying and freezing, and part of our food's value is lost during its processing.

I was introduced to Spirulina in 1984 by a good friend who worked in Spirulina research for a very long time, and she gave me my first book on Spirulina, Food from Sunlight, by Christopher Hills.

Contents
Introduction
Why Spirulina?
First Food
Spirulina as Food for Humans
Commercial Spirulina
Australian Spirulina
Spirulina is not Spirulina ?
Natural and Processed Foods
Super Food
The biggest selling items
Health Food 18
The Sun Food Spirulina
Total Food - Whole Food
Dosage - how much should I take?
Does Spirulina Have Negative Side Effects?
Spirulina - Drug or Food?
Spirulina as a Food Additive
Recipes
Spirulina for Better Health
The Complete Protein
Radicals. Eh?
Vitamins through the Alphabet
Vitamins Supplied by Spirulina
Other Good Things!
Chlorophyll - The Green Gold
Minerals
Typical chemical analysis of Spirulina
Nutritional Information
Best value for your money
Overdose of, or Too Much of a Good Thing
Spirulina for General Well Being and Body Cleansing
What people have experienced using Spirulina
Acne
AIDS
Allergies
Anaemia
Arthritis
Cancer
Depression
Pain
Protection against Radiation
Heavy metal detoxification
Cholesterol, Hypertension, Arteriosclerosis
Pancreatitis
Loss of Vision, Cataracts and Glaucoma 48
Hepatitis and Cirrhosis
Spirulina - Micro Food Macro Blessing
Gastric and Duodenal Ulcers
Sexual Vitality
Anti ageing
Slimming - Spirulina for the Ideal Weight 50
Spirulina for Beauty
Future Food
Land area required to grow one food ration per year
Water Use
Energy Use
Chemical-free Food production 60
What will we be eating tomorrow?
Food for the Hunger in the World
Spirulina affordable for starving people?
The now ill and starving people will be as
healthy as Western society.
Growing your own Spirulina at home?
Plants and Animals
Spirulina compared to Chlorella and Green Barley
Other Spirulina Products
Bibliography

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Ebook : European Guidelines for Prevention in Low Back Pain

2009-06-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

Low back pain (LBP) is defined as pain and discomfort, localised below the costal margin and above the inferior gluteal folds, with or without leg pain. Non-specific (common) low back pain is defined as low back pain not attributed to recognisable, known specific pathology (e.g. infection, tumour, osteoporosis, ankylosing spondylitis, fracture, inflammatory process, radicular syndrome or cauda equina syndrome).

Acute low back pain is usually defined as the duration of an episode of low back pain persisting for less than 6 weeks; sub-acute low back pain as low back pain persisting between 6 and 12 weeks; chronic low back pain as low back pain persisting for 12 weeks or more. Whilst this categorisation is convenient for clinical purposes, it is less helpful when considering the matter of prevention, where back pain and its consequences tend to occur in an episodic manner (de Vet et al. 2002).

In this guideline, recommendations concern common low back pain, covering both
episodic and persistent symptoms: recurrent low back pain is defined as a new episode after a symptom-free period, not an exacerbation of persistent low back pain.

The WG considered that, overall, non-specific low back pain is important not so much for its existence as for its consequences. Therefore, this guideline considers the consequences of common low back pain to be a primary concern for prevention. Consequences are important from the perspectives of the individual and of society. They include broad issues such as recurrence (including severity and disability), work loss, care seeking, health-related quality of life, and compensation.

The lifetime prevalence of low back pain is reported as over 70% in industrialised countries (one-year prevalence 15% to 45%, adult incidence 5% per year).. The prevalence rate during school age approaches that seen in adults (Watson et al. 2002; Taimela et al. 1997), increasing from childhood to adolescence (Balague et al. 1999), and peaking between ages 35 and 55 (Andersson 1997). Symptoms, pathology, and radiological appearances are poorly correlated. Pain cannot be attributed to pathology or neurological encroachment in about 85% of people. A role of genetic influence on liability to back pain is suggested from recent research (Hestbaek et al. 2004; MacGregor et al. 2004).

Acute low back pain is usually considered to be self-limiting (recovery rate 90% within 6 weeks) but 2%-7% of people develop chronic pain. Recurrent and chronic back pain is widely acknowledged to account for a substantial proportion of total workers’ absenteeism. About half the days lost from work are accounted for by the 85% of people away from work for short periods (<7>1 month; this is reflected in the social costs of back pain, where some 80% of the health care and social costs are for the 10% with chronic pain and disability (Nachemson et al. 2000).

These statistics, however, tend to be based on the clinically convenient classification of acute and chronic, which does not fully reflect the pattern of back pain among the population. Recent evidence shows that back pain manifests as an untidy pattern of symptomatic periods interspersed with less troublesome periods (Croft et al. 1998; Hestbaek et al. 2003a; de Vet et al. 2002), though for some the symptoms (and associated disability) may become persistent. Around two-thirds of people are likely to experience relapses of pain over 12-months, and around a third are likely to have relapses of work absence (Hestbaek et al. 2003b). These issues present interpretive difficulties when considering prevention, but are considered, as far as is practical, in the formulation of this guideline.

Importantly, for the scope of this guideline, back pain should be seen as an issue for all ages, and all sectors of society: the prevalence in adolescents is similar to adults (Watson et al. 2002), and the prevalence in workers generally does not dramatically differ from non workers (Nachemson et al. 2000). It is important to distinguish between the presence of symptoms, care seeking, work loss, and disability; these have different prevalence rates and are influenced by a varying balance of biological, psychological, and social factors (Burton Page 8 8 1997; Nachemson et al. 2000). For instance, an episode of back pain can occur for no apparent reason or may result from some strenuous event (whether during work or leisure), whilst disability and sick leave are influenced largely by psychosocial factors (Waddell & Burton 2000).

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Ebook : The Seven Secrets of a Good Diet

2009-06-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

There is so much conflicting information about a good diet, that people often come to me and really don’t know what to do anymore. Is it best to eat everything cooked, baked and steamed, like in Macrobiotics, or is it better to eat it all raw, as the Rawfood movement prescribes. Is it better to take supplements and if so, which ones? Or can we simply do without? In this report I will provide answers to such questions, based on my experience in with nutrition over the past 30 years.

My first interest in diet arose at age thirteen. At high school there was a girl in my year that was vegetarian. She was so passionate about it that I became interested in what I ate. At the age of sixteen, I spent some time in London and found a book named “Not all in the Mind” by Dr. Richard Mackarness, “How Unsuspected Food Allergy Can Affect Your Body – And Your Mind”. It explained the negative effect of different foods on behavior. From then on I became even more interested in the effect of different foods on our wellbeing.

When I started talking about this subject, many people thought there was something wrong with me, especially when I told them that food does have an effect on behavior. Years later the same people came back to me for dietary advice. Slowly but steadily medical science becomes convinced, that there is a strong relationship between diet and physical and psychological wellbeing.

Now what is really a good diet?
In this report I’ll share with you the seven important secrets, when it comes to diet. Very soon my complete book full of practical tips and recipes will be available on this website.

Contents
Secret 1: A good diet is personal
Secret 2: A good diet takes environment and season into consideration
Secret 3: A good diet stresses the importance of pure water
Secret 4: A good diet consists of natural foods
Secret 5: A goo
Secret 6: A good diet is eaten in the right mindset
Secret 7: A moderate diet is the key to a long and healthy life
Conclusion
Medical Disclaimer

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How the Mind Controls Pain

2009-06-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

Science is beginning to investigate and support the role of therapies such as biofeedback and meditation in pain control. The idea that the mind has power over the body may be especially useful to chronic pain patients who often find themselves without satisfactory medical treatments.

The emotional response to pain
Pain travels along two pathways from a source, such as an injury, back to your brain. One is the sensory pathway, which transmits the physical sensation. The other is the emotional pathway, which goes from the injury to the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex—areas of the brain that process emotion.

"You may not be aware of it, but you're having a negative emotional reaction to chronic pain as well as a physical reaction," says Natalia Morone, MD, assistant professor of general internal medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Mind-body treatments that involve meditation and relaxation probably affect these emotional pathways. However, Dr. Morone admits that many doctors don't put much stock in this theory. "Anything to do with mind-body medicine around pain is going to be controversial. This is all very new."

Research is beginning to show the connection
In a 2005 study, researchers at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which measures activity in different areas of the brain, to see whether subjects could learn to control a brain region involved in pain and whether that could be a tool for altering their pain perception.

Laura Tibbitts, 34, an event planner from San Francisco who severely injured her arm, shoulder and back when she was thrown off of a horse, participated in the study. In describing her pain, she says: "My muscles and nerves feel like a bunch of snakes that are all intertwined, but then I also get a stabbing and shooting pain. So you have that horrible, achy, uncomfortableness, but then you get these jolts of pain."

In the study, Tibbitts was asked to increase her pain and as she did, an image of a flame on a computer monitor became stronger and more vibrant. Then she was told to decrease her pain, which caused the flame to die-down. "Sometimes I would imagine that the pain was literally being scooped out from me, taken away and carried off. Other times I used water imagery, like it was flowing through me and taking it away," says Tibbitts. After the test, she learned that she had been able to produce a 30% to 40% reduction in her overall pain.

Giving control to pain patients
For Sean Mackey, MD, director of the pain management division at Stanford University School of Medicine and one of the study's researchers, the research revealed a striking element of empowerment. "Patients would say, 'A-ha! For the first time I could see the pain in my brain, and I could control it. And that was a very powerful experience," he says.

Dr. Mackey believes pain medicine is moving away from the concept of strict mind-body separation toward a more unified—and ancient-sounding—view in which "mind and body are really one."

The bottom line for pain patients is that they may want to pursue pain-control techniques such as biofeedback, yoga, and meditation. But they also need to be on the alert for scams and beware of claims made by therapists seeking to exploit their desperation. Before turning to one of these therapies, it's best to thoroughly research the practitioner you choose.

Problems are solved by sleeping

2009-06-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

Sleeping on a problem really can help solve it, say scientists who found a dreamy nap boosts creative powers.

They tested whether "incubating" a problem allowed a flash of insight, and found it did, especially when people entered a phase of sleep known as REM.

Volunteers who had entered REM or rapid eye movement sleep - when most dreams occur - were then better able to solve a new problem with lateral thinking.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has published the US work.

" We propose that REM sleep is important for assimilating new information into past experience to create a richer network of associations for future use " The study authors

In the morning of the test day, 77 volunteers were given a series of creative problems to solve and were told to mull over the problem until the afternoon either by resting but staying awake or by taking a nap monitored by the scientists.

Compared with quiet rest and non-REM sleep, REM sleep increased the chances of success on the problem-solving task.

The study at the University of California San Diego showed that the volunteers who entered REM during sleep improved their creative problem solving ability by almost 40%.

The findings suggest it is not merely sleep itself, or the passage of time, that is important for the problem solving, but the quality of sleep.

Lead researcher Professor Sara Mednick said: "We found that, for creative problems you've already been working on, the passage of time is enough to find solutions.

"However for sleep problems, only REM sleep enhances creativity."

The researchers believe REM sleep allows the brain to form new nerve connections without the interference of other thought pathways that occur when we are awake or in non-dream-state sleep.

"We propose that REM sleep is important for assimilating new information into past experience to create a richer network of associations for future use," they told PNAS.

Dr Malcolm von Schantz of the Surrey Sleep Research Centre at the University of Surrey said: "Whatever the importance of the dreams themselves are, this paper confirms the importance of REM sleep, the sleep stage when most of our dreaming takes place."

5 Best Weight Loss Fruits

2009-06-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, just munching on the right kind of weight loss fruits can help you lose a considerable amount of fat! A fruit lover myself, a fruit diet is quite a delicious way to lose weight! You can either adopt the five servings of fruit a day regime or simply make sure that every time you are hungry or wanna snack, you reach for some of the weight loss fruits listed here.

Why Weight Loss Fruits:

1. Weight Loss Fruits have a high fiber content. Burning down fruits with high fiber content will demand a higher amount of energy and in addition they tend make you feel full and less hungry.

2. Natural Fruits with comparatively lesser amounts of calorie with no additional sweeteners are better than any weight loss pill or supplements. Fruits offer a healthy diet as they are tasty substitutes for high calorie food and have a lot of nutrients.

3. Weight Loss Fruits are in general low in sodium and this helps in reducing the chances of gaining water weight.

Weight Loss Fruit 1- Apple

An apple a day keeps the fat away!! Apple is rich in fiber and also has pectin, which prevents the body from absorbing too much fat! Pectin also suppresses your appetite, thus keeping you satisfied for a long time! Thus Apples, stop you from overeating or snacking too much.

Weight Loss Fruit 2-Grape Fruit

Recent studies suggest that grape fruits can lower insulin level and thus help in diabetes control and weight management.

Weight Loss Fruit 3- Kiwi Fruit

This low calorie fuzzy fruit, native to china is a small package of nutrition that is very high in fiber. Kiwi fruits offer soluble fiber that fills you up and suppresses your appetite while the insoluble fiber of the fruit aids digestion!

Weight Loss Fruit 4 - Melon

Melons are a safe bet as they are very low cal and offers a decent dose of fiber. They are perfect as substitutes as they can be used to make high low calorie snacks or desserts.

Weight Loss Fruit 5-Apricots

Apricots are a low-fat dieter's dream-come-true. These delicious fruits are particularly rich in insoluble fiber which absorbs water and makes one feel full. The fiber in apricots act as a bulking agent and slows the release of your stomach's contents and at the same time promotes quicker movement through your digestive tract.

As long as you enjoy your fiber rich weight loss fruits maintain a steady exercise regime along with a controlled diet based on moderate amounts of food .. weight loss shouldn't be a problem!

The Growing Problem of Obesity

2009-06-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

Fast food, high caloric intake, biggie size, large size, large portions, videogames, television: all of these things have contributed to a more sedentary lifestyle. As a result, the American waistline has expanded, not only in adults but in children also. Obesity is a major health issue and is gaining recognition through television programs, in schools, and at home.

There are many television programs that have drawn attention to the plight of an obese person. Shows such as the Biggest Loser aim at giving an obese person the chance to learn how to care for their bodies and discipline themselves so that they can lose the weight and keep it off.

People compete each week to see who has lost the most weight. On many talk shows like the Today Show or any of the talk show host line up bring up the issues and discuss it in open forums. The misconception that a person was fat because they were lazy has slowly been displaced by an understanding that genetics also contribute to a person's ability to lose weight and keep it off.

On the school front, obesity is being addressed by what is present for students to eat and drink. The school lunch menu has changed over time and with the change, more fast and less nutritious options became available. Vending machines in schools were easy pickings for children with a sweet tooth. Soda and candy became the mainstay diet for many school age children.

Also, to accommodate testing, recess was cut out of the daily routine to give more test preparation time. As obesity has become more recognized, more schools are trying to tackle the problem by helping their students become more proactive with their health.

At home is probably the most difficult place to maintain discipline. Easy access to snack foods and parents that are looking for a quick meal contribute to a growing need for healthy alternatives. Vegetables and fruit are overlooked when a quick meal is needed. By the age of two, the most common vegetable a child eats is a potato in the form of French fries.

Parents need to encourage their children to play outside and to eat healthier. Children do as a parent does, so parents need to set a positive example and edify what they are trying to teach their kids. Establishing a healthy routine on all accounts assures that people will lead happier lives.

How addicted are you to the web?

2009-06-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

Despite the humor in the photos below, web addiction is apparently a serious problem. According to recent research, one in four employees are addicted to the Internet.

It’s not the midday coffees or cigarette breaks that waste the most time - it’s surfing the web. Highlighted as the one of the most highly addictive activities to make its way into the modern workplace. We say ‘workplace’ because this isn’t just an office problem but one that can take place wherever you may be working.

According to the latest metrics from comScore, day-to-day mobile Internet usage in the states doubled over the last year. In January 2008, 10.8 million people visited the mobile Web at least once a day. Now there are some 22.4 million. Most do so looking for news or other basic information, though many are looking for interaction as well. Social networking, for example, saw a massive spike in usage, its audience growing 427 percent year over year.

Professionally, “Studies have shown that from 25 to 50 percent of cyber addiction is occurring at the workplace,” said Dr. Marlene Maheu.

The solution most companies resort to are ‘EIM solutions’, products designed to filter personal Web usage in the workplace. Typically, the software product is installed on the server and integrates with the firewall, cache engine, or proxy server, and via a database or URLs, monitors and controls Web site access.

“Employers should remain proactive in terms of setting clear policies about Internet gambling in the workplace,” said Andy Meyer, vice president of marketing for Websense, “Companies can also enforce those policies with an EIM product that automatically takes the temptation away from employees.”

Over recent years, Web addiction has gradually found its place amongst other more notable disorders. China has officially called web addiction a disorder, saying the condition is as compulsive as gambling or drinking alcohol. The move, made last year, came after one of China’s top legislators said that 10 per cent of the country’s youth were addicted to the internet.

How do you handle web usage at the workplace? Have you got an EIM product installed? Are you trusted to monitor yourself? Most importantly, would you accept that you may be addicted to the web?

(On a less serious note - enjoy the photos below - should have you leaving us with a smile on your face. :)

How to Remove Eye Makeup Safely

2009-05-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

How to Remove Eye Makeup Safely

Each lady makes the highest effort to look the best when she is going out and she spends most of the time of her trimming for eye make-up. But after returning home she never wants to spend much time for remove her make-up, mostly she forgets or neglects the matter and hence it develops various skin associated problems. And among all makeup removing of face, eye makeup removing needs highest priority.

Putting eye makeup on whole day or overnight can result in the makeup getting into eye, reasoning pain and maybe infection. Moreover, the skin around your eyes is dissimilar from the other part of your face, so for these reasons you wouldn’t apply your normal moisturizer on your eyes; you should extra care to remove eye makeup. Here are some simple and effective suggestions to remove eye makeup.

Eye makeup remover: In the market there are lots of products for eye makeup remover. It is the most easy and effective way to remove your eye makeup. But be careful about the brand. Cause, only high brand can ensure the safety. Never compromise with the matter, because it is related with the most important part of your body.

Without eye makeup remover:

1. Baby shampoo: The tear free kids’ shampoo is a well choice to take away any kind of eye makeup even waterproof eye makeup. This is an inexpensive and a hurt free way to remove eye shadow, mascara and eyeliner without any burning. It is a great idea for sensitive skin.
2. Petroleum jelly: This will remove your eye makeup instantly, moreover, its will help to remove all makeup of your face. Use a small amount of petroleum jelly on a cotton swab to remove your eye makeup.
3. Olive oil: Another most effective way of eye makeup removes. Apply a small amount of oil on a piece of cotton ball and softly rub it over your eyelid, makeup will immediately vanish.
4. Cold Cream: Almost all types of cold cream products help to take away eye makeup. Apply a little bit of cream on your eye area with you fingers, and then rub it, after then warm washcloth to eliminate eye makeup.

You can easily follow the above tips for removing your eye makeup. And I can give surety that any of the above will not bring any harm for your eyes or skin.

27 Ideas for a Healthier Breakfast

2009-05-16T04:49:00.000-07:00

The Breakfast Routine
Not only is breakfast the first food and drink your body has had in more than 8 hours, but studies find that what you eat for breakfast influences what you eat the rest of the day. Additionally, people who eat breakfast are significantly less likely to be obese and have diabetes than those who don't.

The most important tip we can give you is to eat breakfast every day. Without exception. This one action alone can make a huge, positive difference in your health. But a doughnut or oversized muffin won't do it. The key is to choose energy-enhancing, health-invigorating foods. That's what we'll focus on in the tips ahead.

1. Be consistent with your portions. For most people, a perfect breakfast has three components: one serving of a whole grain carbohydrate, one serving of a dairy or high-calcium food, and one serving of fruit. Together, that would add up to roughly 300 calories. A high-protein serving (i.e., a meat or an egg) is unnecessary but certainly acceptable, as long as it doesn't add too much fat or calories to the mix. Here are a few winning combinations, based on this formula:

* A bowl of high-fiber, multigrain cereal, lots of strawberries, and low-fat milk on top.

* A granola bar, an apple, and a cold glass of milk.

* A cup of nonfat yogurt, fresh blueberries mixed in, and a slice of whole wheat toast with a fruit spread on top.

* A mini whole wheat bagel, spread lightly with cream cheese and jam; a peach; and a cup of yogurt.

* A scrambled egg, a whole wheat roll, fresh fruit salad, and a cup of low-fat milk.

* A low-fat muffin, a wedge of cantaloupe, and a cup of latte made with skim milk.

2. Have a bowl of sweetened brown rice. Consider it a takeoff on prepared cereal. Brown rice is full of energy-providing B vitamins, as well as a great source of filling fiber. Cook the rice the night before, then in the morning, put it in a bowl with a spoonful of honey, a handful of raisins, a cut-up apple, and a sprinkle of cinnamon for a unique yet delicious treat. Don't like rice? Try any of the cooking grains: barley, rye, red wheat, oats, buckwheat, quinoa, or millet.

3. Pour a cup of fruit smoothie. Simply whir a cup of strawberries and a banana in the blender, add a scoop of protein powder and a cup of crushed ice, and you've got a healthy, on-the-go breakfast filled with antioxidants. Toss in a cup of plain yogurt, and you've just added a bone-strengthening dose of calcium. An added bonus: You've just crossed three of your daily fruit servings off the list.

4. Use organic eggs. They're not much more expensive than regular eggs but are much higher in all-important omega-3 fatty acids, shown to benefit everything from your mental health (reducing risk of depression) to your heart health (reducing risk of atherosclerosis and atrial fibrillation), says Fred Pescatore, M.D., author of The Hamptons Diet and a physician at Partners in Integrative Medicine in New York City.

5. Sprinkle on a teaspoon of ground flaxseeds. It could be over your cereal, over your yogurt, over your smoothie, or over your eggs. Next to fish and organic eggs, flaxseeds are one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

6. Use Benecol, Take Control, or Smart Balance instead of butter. These newly developed soft food spreads contain heart-healthy plant stanols. Just 2 tablespoons daily can significantly lower your total cholesterol level.

Take the Initiative
7. Have lunch for breakfast. Instead of butter or cream cheese, top your morning (whole wheat) toast with 2 tablespoons tuna prepared with low-fat mayonnaise. The tuna is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and an excellent source of energy-boosting protein. For the same healthy boost with a bit of variety, try lox or canned or smoked salmon (they also seem to go better at breakfast).

8. Sprinkle a whole wheat burrito with 2 ounces grated, low-fat cheddar cheese and broil for 3 minutes. While it's cooking, peel and eat an orange for valuable vitamin C. In this one small, quick meal, you're getting vitamin C and other antioxidants, calcium, fiber, and enough appetite-satisfying protein to sustain you for hours.

9. Make your own granola. Most store-bought brands are filled with sugar and fat. To make your own, mix 2 cups rolled oats with 1 cup dried fruits and seeds and a little brown sugar. Toast 3-5 minutes in a warm oven and store in an airtight container. Not interested in do-it-yourself? There are a few store-bought brands with reasonable sugar and fat levels, including Nature's Path and Familia.

10. Pour a bowlful of Kashi GOLEAN Crunch! With 10 grams of fiber, it will put you well on your way to the 25-30 grams of fiber you should be eating every day. Plus, studies find that people who regularly start their day with a bowl of cold cereal get more fiber and calcium, but less fat, than those who breakfast on other foods. Another study found that people who ate two bowlfuls of high-fiber cereal every day spontaneously cut the amount of fat they ate by 10 percent. Don't like Kashi? Other high-fiber cereals include Raisin Bran, Multi-Bran Chex and Wheat 'N Bran Spoon Size (8 grams), Kellogg's All-Bran Original (10 grams), and General Mills Fiber One (14 grams).

11. Eat half a grapefruit twice a week. Grapefruits are loaded with folate, found to significantly reduce the risk of stroke. However, be cautious if you're taking regular medications. Grapefruit and its juice can interact with medications that have to be processed through the liver. Check with your doctor about any possible interactions between grapefruit and any medications you're taking.

12. Sip a cup of green tea with your breakfast. In addition to its heart-protective benefits, green tea may also have some weight-loss benefits, with one study finding it appears to raise the rate at which you burn calories and speed the rate at which your body uses fat.

13. Top your cereal with soy milk. Packed with potent phytoestrogens, soy has been credited with everything from protecting your heart to promoting stronger bones. But make sure that it's fortified with calcium; otherwise you're missing a great opportunity to get some bone-building calcium.

14. Host the breakfast equivalent of "build your own sundae." Who says breakfast has to be boring? Choose a selection of sliced fruit, yogurt, whole grain cereals, and/or whole grain pancakes or toast, and let everyone mix and match to create their own toppings. Lay everything out on paper plates (for easy cleanup).

15. Add a vitamin. Take any and all supplements with breakfast, suggests nutrition expert Shari Lieberman, Ph.D., author of The Real Vitamin & Mineral Book. Taking supplements with food reduces the chance they'll upset your stomach, and improves the absorption of minerals.

16. Spread apple slices with peanut butter. The protein and fat in the peanut butter provide a good start to the day, while the apple and the quercetin it contains provide fiber and protection against some cancers and heart disease.

17. Have a breakfast sandwich. Top a whole wheat English muffin with melted low-fat cheese (part- skim mozzarella is a good choice), a sliced tomato, and a sliced, hard-boiled egg.

18. Crush cold cereal in a Baggie, add a peeled banana, and coat with the cereal. Voilà! Breakfast on a banana (as well as a healthy dose of potassium, beneficial in preventing strokes).

Think Outside the Box
19. Hit the vegetarian section of the grocery. Soy bacon and sausage, gardenburgers, and soy crumbles make great sources of protein for breakfast without the saturated fat of their meat originals.

20. Make a blob. From nutritionist Alana Unger, R.D., of The Lifestyle Center in Visalia, California, comes this sounds-weird-but-tastes-great idea for an on-the-go breakfast. Mix 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk, 3 cups crushed flake cereal, and 2 tablespoons honey. Form into "blobs" (should make 10 blobs). Wrap each blob in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Grab a couple with a travel cup of skim milk and go!

21. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of blueberries on your cereal. Studies find the tiny purple berries are loaded with valuable antioxidants that can slow brain aging and protect your memory. Not into cereal? Try baking blueberries into oatmeal to create your own oatmeal-blueberry granola bar, or mixing them into whole wheat pancake or waffle batter.

22. Drink three cups of unsweetened orange juice every morning. The vitamin C in OJ not only boosts your immunity, but also improves your cholesterol levels. One study found that drinking three glasses of orange juice a day for four weeks raised levels of HDL, or "good" cholesterol, by 21 percent. If three cups is too much for you, substitute a couple of oranges. For the best effect, make it calcium-fortified juice.

23. Eat a bowl of sliced strawberries three times a week. Loaded with vitamin C, strawberries have numerous health benefits, one of them being protection for your eyes. One study of 247 women found that those taking vitamin C supplements were 75 percent less likely to get cataracts than those who didn't take it. It's better, though, to get your vitamin C from food. Other health benefits packed into berries: They're rich in a wide variety of antioxidants, low in calories, and even have a low glycemic index (shown to better maintain steady blood sugar levels).

24. Slice two kiwifruits into your morning smoothie. You may have just reduced your risk of premature death by as much as 30 percent, since a British study found that every ounce of vitamin C-laden fruits you eat a day reduces your risk of premature death 10 percent. Want an even easier way to eat a kiwi? Just slice the top off and scoop out bitefuls with a teaspoon. It's delicious, fun, and fast.

25. Get at least five grams of fiber during breakfast each morning. If you don't get off to a good start with your daily fiber intake, you'll never reach the recommended amount (15-25 grams per 1,000 calories). Plus, fiber is quite filling with no extra cost in calories. You can get those five grams in just a few bites with a large raw apple, 1/2 cup of the high-fiber cereals mentioned earlier, 1/2 cup of blackberries, or two slices of dark, whole grain rye bread.

26. Choose these toppers for your (whole wheat) bagel or toast:

* Two tablespoons nonfat cottage cheese sprinkled with flaxseed

* One slice low-fat cheese melted over a slice of mango

* Two tablespoons soy butter with a sliced banana

* One slice baked ham and one sliced tomato

27. Shave one ounce of dark chocolate over a cup of nonfat yogurt. Mix. The calcium-rich yogurt can actually help in your efforts to lose weight, while the antioxidant-loaded dark chocolate can help reduce the stickiness of "bad" LDL cholesterol and keep your arteries more pliable. Plus, who can resist starting the day with chocolate?

Do Older People Need More Sleep?

2009-05-12T05:49:00.000-07:00

Seniors need about the same amount of sleep as younger adults — seven to nine hours a night.

Unfortunately, many older adults don't get the sleep they need, because they often have more trouble falling asleep. A study of adults over 65 found that 13 percent of men and 36 percent of women take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.

Also, older people often sleep less deeply and wake up more often throughout the night, which may be why they may nap more often during the daytime. Nighttime sleep schedules may change with age too. Many older adults tend to get sleepier earlier in the evening and awaken earlier in the morning.

Many people believe that poor sleep is a normal part of aging, but it is not. Sleep patterns change as we age, but disturbed sleep and waking up tired every day are not part of normal aging. If you are having trouble sleeping, see your doctor or a sleep specialist.

Here are some pointers to help you get better sleep:

Go to sleep and wake up at the same time, even on weekends. Sticking to a regular bedtime and wake time schedule helps keep you in sync with your body's circadian clock, a 24-hour internal rhythm affected by sunlight.

Try not to nap too much during the day — you might be less sleepy at night.

Try to exercise at regular times each day. Exercising regularly improves the quality of your nighttime sleep and helps you sleep more soundly. Try to finish your workout at least three hours before bedtime.

Try to get some natural light in the afternoon each day.

Be careful about what you eat. Don't drink beverages with caffeine late in the day. Caffeine is a stimulant and can keep you awake. Also, if you like a snack before bed, a warm beverage and a few crackers may help.

Don't drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes to help you sleep. Even small amounts of alcohol can make it harder to stay asleep. Smoking is dangerous for many reasons, including the hazard of falling asleep with a lit cigarette. Also, the nicotine in cigarettes is a stimulant.

Create a safe and comfortable place to sleep. Make sure there are locks on all doors and smoke alarms on each floor. A lamp that's easy to turn on and a phone by your bed may be helpful. The room should be dark, well ventilated, and as quiet as possible.

Develop a bedtime routine. Do the same things each night to tell your body that it's time to wind down. Some people watch the evening news, read a book, or soak in a warm bath.

Use your bedroom only for sleeping. After turning off the light, give yourself about 15 minutes to fall asleep. If you are still awake and not drowsy, get out of bed. When you get sleepy, go back to bed.

Try not to worry about your sleep. Some people find that playing mental games is helpful. For example, tell yourself it's five minutes before you have to get up and you're just trying to get a few extra winks.

If you are so tired during the day that you cannot function normally and if this lasts for more than 2 to 3 weeks, you should see your family doctor or a sleep disorders specialist.

More Americans taking drugs for mental illness

2009-05-11T06:17:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Many more Americans have been using prescription drugs to treat mental illness since 1996, in part because of expanded insurance coverage and greater familiarity with the drugs among primary care doctors, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

They said 73 percent more adults and 50 percent more children are using drugs to treat mental illness than in 1996.

Among adults over 65, use of so-called psychotropic drugs -- which include antidepressants, antipsychotics and Alzheimer's medicines -- doubled between 1996 and 2006.

"What we generally find is there has been an increase in access to care for all populations," said Sherry Glied of Columbia University in New York, whose study appears in the journal Health Affairs.

"Mental health has become much more a part of mainstream medical care," Glied said in a telephone interview.

In 2006, they said 16 percent of adults 65 and older had some form of mental health diagnosis.

The researchers culled data from several large public surveys of health in the United States, including from the National Center for Health Statistics, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Social Security Administration.

Glied said expanded drug coverage under Medicare, the federal insurance program for the elderly, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program for poor children, helped make such drugs more affordable.

The study found the number of children diagnosed and treated for mental health conditions by their primary care doctor doubled between 1996 and 2006.

"The increases in prescription drug use were particularly rapid in the early part of this decade, between 1996 to 2001," Glied said. "For most groups, they have slowed down since then."

The researchers did not report total numbers of people treated or calculate the dollar value of the drugs taken.

One worrisome finding, Glied said, was that there has been little progress in access to care among people with more serious mental illness. They found treatment for older adults with mental limitations who need help dressing, eating, or bathing fell between 1996 and 2006.

About 7 percent of Americans with serious mental illness wind up in jail or prison every year, the researchers said.

"New policies are desperately needed to reduce the flow of people whose primary problem is a mental disorder into the criminal justice system," wrote Glied and colleague Richard Frank of Harvard Medical School.

While the study shows expanded mental health coverage for people with insurance, especially for those covered in government health plans, they said the ongoing recession and swelling ranks of the uninsured will likely mean less mental health coverage for many Americans in the near future.

How clever in front of the computer fitness

2009-05-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

It is a computer programmer? You face every day working with computers? Or your favorite red from time to time surfing the Web? Can you know that long-term health of your disk may be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, resulting in your wrists on the illness and cause nerve pain and edema. Sound is a lingering fear that, do not worry, I will introduce you some simple exercises, so you'll be in your bones and tendons activities desk activities, health fitness!

a practice: the activities of your wrist

the following four points, respectively, each hand to do 10 to 15 times, repeat two to three times a day.

1, forearm flexor, forearm extensor

2, clockwise, counterclockwise rotation wrist

3, at the same time five fingers stretching

4, open palms, a finger force to close

Practice II: activities of your neck

you may place the whole day sitting motionless staring at the screen, you sometimes feel sure that the neck pain. The following exercises are specifically applicable to the neck, can repeat each exercise 10-15 times, two to three times a day. Let's get started: to maintain the integrity and tight body armchair, his arms close to body, hands flat on the knee.

Six Tips For Healthy Skin

2009-05-06T05:47:00.000-07:00

If you are searching for tips for healthy skin you have found the right articles to read. If you are young you may thing you will have that nice soft young looking healthy skin all your life without any effort on your part. The ones of us that are middle age and older know that is not true.

If you don’t adhere to any of these tips for healthy skin you will find as you age your skin will definitely show signs of aging. Healthy skin is something you need to work at all your life, especially as you grow older.

Read on to find my tips for healthy skin:

1) Don’t use harsh chemicals on your skin. These will irritate your skin, causing itching, redness, and other skin problems. Some chemicals will even put you more at risk of developing cancer. Some substances to watch out for and stay away from are acrylamide, DEA, MEA, TEA, dioxane, nitrosamines, polyethylene glycol and triclosan.

2) Don’t use alcohols such as ethanol, ethyl alcohol, methanol, benzyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol or SD alcohol. They will dry your skin and strip your natural acid mantle leaving you more vulnerable to bacteria, molds and viruses.

3) Mineral oil is another no, no for healthy skin. It may also show up on label as paraffin, paraffin wax or petrolatum. These are petroleum by-products that will coat your skin and clog the pores. This will interfere with your skin’s ability to eliminate toxins, which will cause you a ton of skin problems and other health concerns.

4) Drink plenty of water to hydrate your skin. At least eight 8-ounce glasses a day, more if you are exercising heavily and sweating profusely. This is one of the easiest skin anti aging tips to practice daily.

5) Use natural products on your skin. Plant based ingredients have the nourishment your skin needs to stay healthy. Things like grapeseed oil, avocado oil, olive oil, active manuka honey, shea butter, babassu.

6) Don’t smoke. Smoking damages the skin because the smoke from tobacco contains thousands of chemicals. When these chemicals come in contact with the skin oxidation occurs, and the free radicals attack the skin cells resulting in overly dry skin.

Following the above tips for healthy skin will take you a long way in maintaining a nice clear complexion.

Effective solutions for hair loss

2009-04-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

Hair loss is a problem that affects a large number of males and is also on the rise with the females. It can be a devastating problem to cope with which can have some very negative effects on your self-esteem. There are various causes of hair loss but luckily, regardless of reasons why there have been effective solutions.

One of the most commonly used methods of keeping hair loss to a minimum is the use of prescription drugs. Two of the most commonly prescribed drugs, and the only two that have been approved by the FDA in relation to hair loss are Rogaine and Propecia. Rogaine is a topical treatment that you apply to the scalp, aiding the growth of hair and helping to slow hair loss. It is over the counter and easy to obtain and relatively inexpensive. Propecia is a pill that is designed to help keep your hair count high as well; often, doctors recommend that both products be employed for the most efficient hair loss prevention solution. It is best if you start using either drug at the onset of hair loss, they work more effectively if you start using them at the first sign of hair loss.

Another option for dealing with hair loss is hair restoration surgery. During this procedure, surgeons remove strips of hair from the back and the sides of the head and place them on the top of the head, allowing for permanent growing hair in your affected area. The hair follicles that were removed will grow back, so you do not have to worry about having another bald spot! Surgery can be quite expensive but the results are long-lasting and very natural looking. It's your own hair - it grows just as it would if it was still on the back of your head. Even though it is expensive, many people turn to that option because it is natural.

For those who don't have the finances to get hair replacement surgery or want to use the oral medication or topical medication, other options are often considered such as natural hair restoration. There are many types of wigs and toupees available which are available at all different price ranges and styles for any budget. They are made today to look very natural, so they are no longer your uncle’s toupee!

Hair loss can be devastating to a person’s self-esteem, but fortunately, there are many different solutions to get your self-esteem back on track. Whether it be topical and oral solutions, surgery or wigs. There are options out there at all price ranges to help stop hair loss and make you feel better about yourself.

Predicting Hair Loss

2009-04-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

“Contrary to popular belief, hair does not grow faster when it is cut. The rate of growth, however, may be influenced by hair length. Growth slow down once th

Normally, the average person’s scalp will have between 100,000 and 150,000 hairs. Each of the hairs on the scalp will have an independent life cycle; at any given time approximately 90% of scalp hairs will be in a growth phase and 10% will be in the resting phase, also called anagen phase, can last between four and five years before entering into a 2-3 week transitional period called the catagen phase. The final phase is a two to four month resting phase or telogen phase. It’s at the end of this resting phase that hair falls out by being dislodged from the follicle by an emerging new hair.

Some hair loss is normal, but when it is too much?

Male pattern baldness, or androgenic alopecia, is the most common type of hair loss. It is a hereditary trait influenced by many genetic factors. The presence of balding of one’s parents or grandparents on either the mother’s or father’s side does not by itself predict the likehood of baldness. On the other hand, if you are a man losing hair in your twenties and your father is completely bald, it is most likely that your hair loss will continue.

Genetics plays a role in the pattern, speed, age with which balding begins and extent of balding that will occur. In most cases the earlier the onset of balding, the more extensive the loss will be. Moreover, there is no set age that balding begins; it is a process over time. This process can start at any ages. It can proceed at different speeds, stop and begin again at any time. Hair loss is affected by genetics hormonal influences and time.

Hair Loss: When Is It Too Late?

The American Medical Association reports that 25% of men begin balding by age 30, while 66% begin losing hair by age 60. When you’re young, your scalp is thick and hair follicles have a rich supply of blood. With aging, the regeneration of follicles slows down.

In males, the production of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) has an increase influence of hair loss. High DHT levels disrupt the normal three-stage hair growth cycle by keeping follicles in the resting or telogen phase. It’s this break in the cycle that causes the follicle to wither resulting in excessive hair loss. With age the scalp thins, blood supply diminishes and the nutrition needed for hair growth is reduced. As a result follicles become smaller and hair shafts are thin. Treating hair loss early will slow this process down resulting in the positive hair growth many patients have experienced.

The Role of the Dermatologist

There are many causes of hair loss. To properly diagnose the cause a consultation with your dermatologist should always be considered.

A doctor will consider your family history of baldness and has the capability of analyzing hair samples under a microscope and checking your scalp for any irregularities. Questions will be asked about your diet, use of skin and health care products, medications and any recent illness. More detailed examinations may involve blood samples and a skin biopsy to confirm a diagnosis. You can also be asked to monitor your hair loss on a daily basis.

Benefits of Circumcision

2009-04-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

Circumcision in men is the surgical removal of all or part of the foreskin, the sleeve of skin and tissue covering the glans (head) of the penis. In women the term circumcision refers primarily to removal of the clitoral foreskin.

Male Circumcision. Circumcision is a tradition to most boys ages 5-12 in some countries, while in other countries it is an obligatory religious rite (Muslims, Jews, some Asian and Africans). In continental Europe about 80% of the population does not practiced circumcision.

Female Circumcision. The origin of the various forms of female circumcision is not known. Clitoridectomy (all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia) was performed in England and the United States from the 1860's to about 1920 to treat what were considered "emotional" problems of women. It is seldom performed today except for advanced cancer or extreme enlargement of the clitoris. Female circumcision is sometimes practiced in some countries to attempt to enhance orgasmic response.

History of Circumcision. During the ancient time circumcision of males was performed originally with flint knives (very hard and durable form of quartz) prior to the use of metal. The earliest artifacts from Egypt are dated at about 4000 B.C., centuries before its adoption by the ancient Hebrews. In traditional Judaism circumcision represents a covenant between God and Abraham. Early Christian rejected the practice. Although the word does not appear in the Koran, circumcision was practiced among Arabs in pre-Islamic times.

Health Benefits of Circumcision. Originally there is no health claims were attributed to circumcision but years later the Ancient Greeks suggested that the practice might have hygienic benefits (although it was not practiced by the Greeks). In the late 19th century till the middle of the 20th century, circumcision was seen in some English-speaking countries as a remedy to stop masturbation, which was thought to cause many illnesses.

Today, very few people practice circumcision in Britain, New Zealand, Canada and Australia. But in some countries infant and young boys are still circumcised in spite of authoritative medical opposition to the practice. Most physicians claim that circumcision is important for penile hygiene (it is easier to keep circumcised penis clean than the intact one), that it prevents venereal disease and premature ejaculation and that smegma (natural substance composed of dead skin cells, normal flora, and secretions containing the natural antibacterial agent) is a carcinogen, causing cancer of the penis, prostate, cervical cancer in partners

Stay Safe From The H1N1 Mexican Swine Flu

2009-04-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

The news reports started flooding in from Mexico just a few days ago.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that due to the swine influenza outbreak in Mexico and the Southwestern United States (with a death toll as of midday April 27 of 150 people) it was considering raising global pandemic warning level to 4 out of 6, the highest being a full-blown international epidemic on the scale of the 1918 Spanish Flu which killed as many as 100 million people.

The President of Mexico has just declared a state of emergency which allows the Federal government to place widespread quarantines and cancel public events.

Surprisingly, (and frighteningly) the type of virus which is causing the Mexican swine influenza is identical in nomenclature to the one that caused the massive killer Spanish Flu: H1N1. It seems that this old virus has recently recombined with various strains of human and avian, as well as swine influenza, to create a version that could readily spread from person to person like wildfire across the planet, reaching the level of a global pandemic that might kill millions within months or less.

First of all, let's address some basic questions:

What is H1N1?

H1N1 is an infection of the respiratory system caused by an influenza virus known as type A and of subtype H1N1, This virus sparks influenza outbreaks in swine on a fairly regular basis. H1N1's current incarnation can also be transmitted from swine to humans, and from humans to other humans.

Can humans get H1N1?

Yes, but up until now it has not been too common as it is usually restricted to people who are in contact with swine, though there have been some fairly rare medically documented cases where the transmission was human-to-human in a similar manner to more conventional forms of influenza, through sneezing, coughing and other personal contact. Consuming pork products does not transmit H1N1.

How is H1N1 diagnosed and treated?

Diagnosis requires a specimen from the respiratory system of the patient taken during the first four days of infection, and is then analyzed in a medical laboratory.

When was the last H1N1 outbreak?

The last major H1N1 outbreak took place at an army barracks in Fort Dix, NJ, in 1976. There have been no large scale outbreaks of H1N1 recorded since. However, H1N1 is the virus responsible for the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic which killed approximately 100 million people.

The ticking time bomb which is the global pandemic medical professionals have feared for so long may finally have been activated. Soon it may wreak unprecedented death and suffering on the entire Earth.

It may devastate cities, bring the greatest countries in the world to their knees and become the single largest pandemic in centuries. Some of the numbers being tossed around have included up to four times the number of dead as the 1918 pandemic. It could decimate an entire generation.

That's what H1N1 did the last time it was set loose to ravage the world. In 1918.

It could reach pandemic status next week, next month or next year. It could start any minute.

A single minute. It’s a TV advertisement. It’s a third of a pop song. It’s the time to make toast. It’s not a very long time.

However, many things can happen in a minute. Many hopes can fade in a minute. Many people can die in a minute. The clock starts. . .

SWINE FLU VS. AVIAN FLU

2009-04-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

SWINE FLU VS AVIAN FLU

I could remember years back when I first heard the name avian influenza (flu), it was all over the news and so many measures were put in place to check its spread or to totally eradicate it from the areas where it has been identified. I could see people wearing face masks to avoid being infected with the virus which could cause possible death. How much success was attained and how much jobs were lost there by cutting the incomes of the ordinary man.

Fear was in the air, poultries were checked and sometimes destroyed, importation and exportation were restricted at the time being and many stopped eating birds and bird products. In Africa for example, the government of many countries had to destroy about ninety percent (90%) of their poultry farms for fear of the flu, thereby increasing the number of unemployment in the country.

Flu, flu everywhere just like the avian influenza, the swine flu also is another threat to man since it kills when it infects the human body but what I do not know is if the same measures that were taken to stop the spread of avian flu will be taken too to stop its spread. I am concern because pork is my favorite and I do not think that killing all the pigs in farms infected with the virus will do any good to a pork lover like me.

My question now is Swine vs. avian flu which of this is more likely to be a threat to me. I will answer this question by first taking a close look at both of them so I do not give my fish to the cat to look after instead of the mouse, oh no not again no one of them.

SWINE INFLUENZA (SWINE FLU) like they said is a disease in pigs that takes care of the respiratory system in order words it is a respiratory disease. It is caused by type A influenza. Swine flu viruses like I am made to understand causes high level of illness and possible death and there can be an outbreak too when it attacks. The types of influenza type A virus Subtypes found in pigs are H1NI, H1N2,H3N2 and H3N1. Signs of swine flu in pigs can include sudden onset of fever, depression, coughing (barking), discharge from the nose or eyes, sneezing, breathing difficulties, eye redness or inflammation, and going off feed. In people the symptoms of swine influenza are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Others with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS is influenza A virus that infects birds along with its subtypes, although there is a substantial genetic difference between its subtypes but that does not mean that they are less active. The influenza A subtypes are H5, H7 AND H9, and each of this avian influenza Viruses can be partnered with any one of nine neuraminidase surface proteins; thus, there are potentially nine different forms of each subtype (e.g., H5N1, H5N2, H5N3, H5N9). This really too much for the birds to bear and imagine what life will be if we have three subtypes of HIV virus and nine forms of each of these subtypes…. I think I will run away but anyway running away does not solve the problem.

o.k. let me talk about how it is been spread-this avian influenza viruses circulate among birds and certain birds, particularly water birds, act as hosts for these viruses by carrying the virus in their intestines and shedding it. The Infected birds shed these viruses in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. Susceptible birds can become infected with avian influenza virus when they come in contact with contaminated nasal, respiratory, or fecal material from infected birds. Fecal-to-oral transmission is the most common mode of spread between birds.

sometimes, the wild birds that are host to the virus do not get sick, but they can spread influenza to other birds, this is similar to a HIV infected patient whom can be said to be healthy for years without the symptoms all over him. Infection with certain avian influenza A viruses (for example, some H5 and H7 strains) can cause widespread disease and death among some species of domesticated birds.

Whoa none of the above contestant seems to be better than the other, therefore I leave the decisions to you to make and as for me I rather look after my well spiced fish than seek the help of the cat or mouse to look after. Why suffer so much from animal diseases when we still have human diseases to battle with. It amazes me to hear that countries like Mexico and the United States can be troubled this much by swine flu and even the world health organization( WHO) is yet to understand what this is all about not to talk of providing remedy to the situation.

Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle

2009-04-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

Tom Venuto stresses the importance of some principles such as no quick fixes, weight loss is not the same as fat loss and that the book is not even just about fat loss but more about making people healthier

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Encyclopedia of Foods

2009-04-24T09:08:00.000-07:00

Encyclopedia of Foods
A Guide to Healthy Nutrition
The Encyclopedia of Foods: A Guide to Healthy Nutrition is a definitive resource for what to eat for maximum health as detailed by medical and nutritional experts. This book makes the connection between health, disease, and the food we eat. The Encyclopedia describes more than 140 foods, providing information on their history, nutrient content, and medical uses. The Encyclopedia also describes the “fit kitchen”, including the latest in food safety, equipment and utensils for preparing fit foods, and ways to modify favorite recipes to ensure health and taste

Audience
The health conscious, educated adult looking for a comprehensive nutritional guide and the relationship between health and disease
Contents
Part I: A Guide to Healthy Nutrition:
Chapter 1: Optimizing Health:
The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI’s) America’s Health Goals The Dietary Guidelines for Americans The Power of the Food Guide Pyramid Other Voices: Guidelines of Health Organizations The Bottom Line: Optimizing Health
Chapter 2: The Nutrients and Other Food Substances:
The Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats Carbohydrates Protein Fats The Micronutrients: Vitamins and Minerals Water On the Nutrient Horizon: Phytochemicals Supplements: Foods, or Functional Foods Nutrition and Your Stages of Life
Chapter 3: The Food-Health Connection:
Obesity High Blood Pressure Diabetes Mellitus Coronary Artery Disease Osteoporosis Cancer
Chapter 4: Planning Meals: Selecting Healthful Foods, Plus Two Weeks of Menus:
Plan to “Eat Well” Eat Breakfast What’s For Lunch? Snack Time What’s For Supper? Dining out Grocery Shopping: Another Key to Healthy Meals Foods and Issues You May Have Wondered About Two Weeks of Menus
Chapter 5: Preparing Healthful Meals:
Change Is God Creating Healthy Menus Food Safety Serving Safety Refrigerating or Freezing Food Clean It The Bottom Line on Food Safety
Part II: Encyclopedia of Foods:
Fruits:
Vegetables:
Grains:
Bread Cereals Pasta Rice
Dairy Foods:
Milk Yogurt Cheese
Meat & Other High-Protein Foods:
Meat Poultry Eggs Fish & Shellfish Legumes Nuts & Seeds
Fats, Oils, & Sweets:
Others:
Beverages Herbs & Spices
Download:
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Best Home Made Treatment for Fever

2009-04-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

A rise in the temperature of the body is called fever. It is a symptom of infection. There are several reasons for Fever like infection, stress, viral, malaria, cold etc. Here are some useful home remedies which provide quick relief in fever:

* For brain fever use a cloth piece soaked in mixture of water and salt and applies on forehead. This will help you in high temperature.

* Drink onion juice because people believe this is the best treatment for fever.

* Add some turmeric powder to a glass of milk and drink it. Turmeric is best for blood purification.

* Add some salt in glass of water and drink till your body temperature gets normal.Take mixture of honey and mint juice. Drink regularly in every three hours it provide quick relief from Pneumonia.

* If vomiting, mix 1 tablespoon salt and cumin in lemon juice and drink, it will stop vomiting immediately.

* Mixture of lemon juice, holy basil juice, ginger juice with honey is best treatment for fever, cold, cough and weakness.

Obesity in the US , How Bad is It?

2009-04-11T06:35:00.000-07:00

As Americans we are facing a health crisis. Our population is growing fat at an alarming rate. It is estimated that thirty percent of the general population is considered obese. Sixty seven percent of the population is considered overweight. Obesity in the U. S. is increasing at a very steady rate.

To solve obesity in the U. S. takes a few steps. First we have to conduct research into the various causes of obesity. We have to educate the general populace as to the problem and how it can be solved on an individual basis. Finally all our health care professional must collaborate on the proper can of obese patients.

The top threat to health in the U. S. is obesity. It is estimated that there are over four hundred thousand deaths a year attributable to obesity in the U. S. The costs of dealing with obesity runs into the hundreds of billions (billions with a “b") of dollars.

Obesity affects lifestyle and leads to diminished self-esteem. It can lead to depression and embarrassment in social situations. The quality of life is reduced for people who suffer from obesity.

Not only are there the psychological problems mentioned earlier but there is a myriad of physical problems as a result of obesity. Serious health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes are all attributable in part to obesity.

Obesity in the U. S. is defined as any person with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30 percent. It is caused by an imbalance in the intake and expenditure of energy (calories). A diet heavy in fat and calories and or a sedentary lifestyle are the major cause of weight gain. There are a number of factors to consider when diagnosing the cause of obesity. Genetic dispositions towards obesity, hormonal, environmental, behavioral and culture can all have effects on weight problems including obesity.

Obesity in the U. S. numbers are quite alarming. With over 130 million people considered overweight and 70 million people considered obese with 10 million of those people extremely obese (BMI > 40%), the problem seems to be running out of control. 62 percent of female Americans are considered overweight while 69% of male Americans have the same problem.

It is very interesting to look at the differences between men and women. For instance, men are more prevalent to be overweight than women with a spread of approximately 8% higher. However the statistics for obesity are higher with women than men with about a 7% spread.

It also appears that obesity in the U. S. has a relationship to whether the person is from a big metropolitan area or a smaller town or rural area. It is estimated that almost 18 million people in big centers are obese while just 10 million people in rural areas suffer from obesity.

As to different areas of the U. S. it appears that the south is the champion of obesity levels. Areas which did better include the mountain states e.g. Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, and New England area. The ranges for the different areas range from 17% to 23%.

Obesity in the U. S. is rampant and with the research being done by various organizations, remedies are close at hand. The epidemic must be reversed.

Ken Glauser

Penis enlargement the most talked topics between men.

2009-04-11T06:18:00.000-07:00

Penis enlargement is one of the most talked topics between men. There are a lot of methods used for penis enlargement. Penis enlargement has become very high-flying as seen in a lot of products advertised in the market. Men who want their penises to be enlarged have increased in numbers.

Penis enlargement is the goal of a number of men dissatisfied with their penis size, it is just a macho thing that all men have, because they want to please their partner. In general, where there is a perceived problem with penis size, medical advice should be sought, rather than attempting self-treatment.

There is couple methods penis enlargement in the market today, some of them is:

Penis Enlargement Pills

Pills for penis enlargement are already in the market place in 15 years. There are over two hundred various brands of penis pills available. They simply cause erections to become slightly harder by making blood to pump faster. This may help to speed up increase the results of other techniques.

Penis Enlargement Patches

Patches are really distinct from Enlargement Pills. Unlike Enlargement Pills, Patches bypass your body digestive tract. Pills give the body a burst of nutrients all at once. Normally, the body is incapable to absorb it, and the important nutrients pass right through the digestive tract.

Penis enlargement patch in theory should give you the benefit of gradual release of the ingredients into your system, which in turn also in theory would mean you are getting the benefit of consistency.

Although enlargement patches are new on the market, they quickly gain popularity because of their convenience in use. When patch products enter the field of penis enlargement, they benefit from years of research and the latest up-to-the-minute know-how on transdermal pharmaceutical delivery.

Penis Enlargement Devices

Penis Enlargement Devices are getting more popular as non surgical alternatives to penis surgery. They work by applying a constant traction force along the length of the penis, thereby triggering the growth function of the penis. Often a mandatory tool for after surgery treatment, these penis enlargement products are indispensable to the patient if he hopes to achieve permanent increases in penis girth and length. In fact, some doctors even recommend them as viable alternatives to penis surgery.

Benefit of penis enlargement devices is increases the number of cells, Increases the length of the penis when flaccid and when erect, increases the girth when flaccid and erect, increase in the girth and length is permanent, In no way affects the erection, ejaculation or performance.

Penis Enlargement Exercise

The main principles of penis enlargement exercises are to improve circulation to the penis and to increase the volume of blood held within the erectile tissue. It is the erectile tissue that engorges with blood when sexually aroused resulting in an erection. The theory goes that if the erectile tissue can be encouraged to hold a greater volume of blood than it could otherwise naturally accommodate, then this will in turn result in a larger penis size both when erect and flaccid.

Does Your Family’s Health Matter to you?

2009-04-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

I see absolutely no reason why you should continue to put your family's health at risk when you can do a whole lot to protect them from the many air pollutions that exist today. If you love your children and spouse as much as you say you do, then you should pay special attention to taking care of their health from the many air pollutants that exist all around them today. What am I talking about? I am talking about the need for you to get a good air filter for your home to protect your family from air pollutions.

In this time and age that we live in today there's a great deal of pollution all over the place, especially air pollution. Many people wrongly think that the only place that the air is polluted is outside of their homes or offices, but that's far from the truth. In fact, it has been proved that there's much more air pollution in a room than outside, that's why there's the need for special room or home air filters and office air filters to help get rid of the air pollutants that are dangerous to health. Didn't the experts say that 'what you don't see also kills'. In this case, there are lots of air pollutants that cause so much damage to our health, and yes... we don't see them!

I know several folks might frown at this insightful writeup about the importance of air filters because of the money they "think" it will cost them to buy and use air filters for their homes. But think of this - how much will it cost you NOT TO GET AN AIR FILTER?! What if one of your kids or spouse falls seriously sick as a result of the air pollutions? What will it cost you to treat them?! I am sure that will cause a change in your mind, don't you agree? Like the wise once said... prevention is much better than cure. So, I suggest you get an air filter for your home and office to protect yourself, your family and even your employees from as much air pollution as possible.

In conclusion, take your time to search for a very good air filter. There are many good air filters out there and many good types. Seek a good air filter review site to learn about the best types of air filter and how to buy them for less than you should. Yes, if you look hard enough, there are good bargains for air filters, especially on the Internet. That's right, you can get cheaper air filters on the Internet than you would get if you bought offline. Why? I don't know, but buying air filters online is far cheaper than buying them offline. Some of the good types of air filters I know include Industrial air filters, Performance Air Filter System, Personal Air Filter Purolator, Air Filters Racing, Air Filters Room, Smi Air Compressor Filter, Trion Air Filter, Uni Air Filters, Whole House Air Filter and Wix Air Filters... to mention only a few.

The methods to get down cholesterol without medicine

2009-04-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

Getting Down high cholesterol levels will lengthen your life and raise the quality of life because it reduces the hazard of heart disease and stroke. Whenever possible it's safest to control cholesterol points without medicine, first. Constantly consult with your primary care physician about this. Even if you feel yourself demanding medicine to lower cholesterol, you may ask less if you can reduce the degrees about without medicine. The methods to get down cholesterol without medicine:

1. Diet
2. Working out

DIET

Diet exchanges can be hard and challenging, but once you develop recent eating usage and begin feeling healthier, it will bring fewer attempt. The methods to switch your food eating habits to aid in decreasing cholesterol levels :

Eliminate and cut foods that are higher in cholesterol - some suggest that cholesterol that occurs from food should be fewer than 300 mg per twenty-four hours. For those with high cholesterol who wish to take down their cholesterol may need to keep down the amount to 200 mg. Foods which have high cholesterol levels:

1. Eggs (mainly the yolk)
2. Chicken
3. Liver
4. Beef
5. Hotdogs
6. Butter
7. Sponge cake
8. Ice cream
9. Processed and deep fried foods

Limit foods that take trans fat or saturated fats- your human body will produce cholesterol from both saturated fats and trans. The government has intervened and implemented rules regarding trans fat. Most fast food eating places adopted voluntarily with the recent guidances while others were forced to. Some needed a little longer due to the desire to have exchanges but didn’t desire to convert the taste of their products. The head requires some fats for proper function, so be certain you don’t wipe out every fat from your diet.

Upgrade soluble fiber- it binds with fatty acids and gets the stomach to empty more slowly so that the rate of sugar release and absorption is prolonged. Soluble fiber shrinks the cholesterol that is absorbed in the intestines. Sources of soluble fiber:

1. Oats/bran
2. Nuts
3. Barley
4. Fruits
5. Vegetables
6. Flaxseed

Increase healthy foods to take down your fish, cholesterol-fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and lean meats will aid cut cholesterol.

Converting the direction you eat may get the beneficial side impact of weight loss. This is advantageous because sometimes even a 5-10 lb weight loss can take down cholesterol levels. Decreasing cholesterol too drastically will cause the body to produce its own cholesterol and that is more complicated to control and often will take medication.

Cholesterol is wanted for the following :

1. Fixing cell and broken tissue
2. Antioxidant properties
3. Part of every cell
4. Necessary for correct brain use and memory
5. Bile (aids in digestions) portion
6. Shaping of hormones
7. Keeps inflammation
8. Portion of vitamin production

Consume a high protein immune globulin supplement – a report released in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005 81 (4) p 792) discovered that men and women who carried reasonably high cholesterol, between 210 and 270 whole calculate, experienced a 6% drop in all cholesterol after only 3 weeks of having an immune globulin supplement.

Of importance to mark, the LDL cholesterol point dropped 7% while the HDL cholesterol degree stayed constant.

EXERCISE
HDL (positive cholesterol) raises with exercise and will contribute to taking down high cholesterol degrees.
Doing exercise at least 4 days out of the week- when the workout is mild activities ; it's advisable to strain to do it every twenty-four hours. Conventional exercises, weight lifting, and running aren’t the only exercises you can do to aid reduce cholesterol; the following activities can be part of cholesterol taking down workout habits:

1. Walking
2. Gardening
3. Chores
4. Dancing

Exercise at least thirty minutes per twenty-four hours- the minutes can be separated into lesser workout sessions as long it amounts thirty minutes by the end of the day.

Life-style exchanges like eating right and exercising take time to become portion of a daily act. Stick with it and the benefits will be valuable. When efforts to take down your cholesterol haven't been successful, your doctor may decide to put you on medication to take down your cholesterol levels.

Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk

2009-04-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

Swedish studies add heart failure to the list of cardiac problems linked to overweight and obesity.

"The take-home message is that body-mass index, however we measure it, is associated with the risk of heart failure," said Emily B. Levitan, a research fellow at the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. She is lead author of a report in the April 7 issue of Circulation: Heart Failure.

That report gave results of two studies, one of 36,873 Swedish women and one of 43,487 Swedish men, who were followed for six years and tracked for body-mass index (BMI) and the incidence of heart failure. Overweight is defined as a BMI between 25 and 30, and obesity as a BMI of 30 or higher. By that definition, 34 percent of the women in the study were overweight and 11 percent were obese, while 46 percent of the men were overweight and 10 percent were obese.

A gender difference emerged from the study of waist circumference in men and women. In women, BMI was associated with heart failure risk only among those who were fattest at the waist. In men, each one-point increase in BMI was associated with a 4 percent increase in heart failure risk, no matter what the waist size.

These are several possible explanations for the difference, Levitan said. "One is that the type of heart failure that men and women get is different," she said. "Another is that overall body size is more important than body shape in men."

Whatever the reason, the lesson for both men and women is that weight control can reduce the risk of heart failure, Levitan said.

"For many years, at least among physicians, we were taught that obesity in and of itself was not a risk factor for heart failure," said Dr. Muriel Jessup, professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. "We knew it to be a risk factor for coronary disease, but heart failure is a separate condition."

Coronary disease is blockage of heart arteries that can eventually cause a heart attack. Heart failure is the progressive loss of the heart's ability to pump blood.

While many patients who have heart failure also have coronary disease, this is not always so," Jessup said.

"These studies look at the impact of obesity and go a long way toward helping us understand why that is so," Jessup said.

The study, done among the ethnically homogeneous Swedish population, "can help us get insights into why some racial groups have early heart failure," she said. A study reported last month that heart failure tends to occur at least a decade earlier in blacks than in whites, Jessup noted.

While the incidence of coronary disease among Americans has been going down, heart failure has increased, she said. One reason is that methods of preventing and treating coronary disease have improved, Jessup said. "People don't die of myocardial infarction [heart attack] but go on to have heart failure," she said.

The link between excess weight and heart failure "is another reason for people to watch their weight and another signal to physicians to be more aware of following their obese patients," Jessup said.

Women Smell Better than Men !!

2009-04-10T12:49:00.001-07:00

Body odor reveals more than when we last showered - it also packs important biological information. And apparently women are better at catching the scent of body odor than men, a new study found.

"It is quite difficult to block a woman's awareness of body odor. In contrast, it seems rather easy to do so in men," said Charles Wysocki, a behavioral neuroscientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia.

The researchers think women are more attuned to underarm stink because the biological data it contains helps them choose mates. The fact that most women are even better at smelling male body odor than female body odor seems to support this idea.

Wysocki and colleagues asked women and men to rate the strength of underarm sweat samples collected from both genders. When the scent was presented on its own, it smelled equally strong to both women and men. But when the researchers combined the body odor with other fragrances, the smell was often masked for men, though women could usually still detect it.

The study tested 32 fragrances to see how well they could hide B.O. Among the male subjects, 19 of the fragrances did the trick, though among women, only two of the scents successfully overpowered the sweaty stench.

"Our studies indicate that human sweat conveys information that is of particular importance to females," Wysocki said. "This may explain why it is so difficult to block women's perception of sweat odors."

The scientists also tested the female volunteers' reactions to odors from men versus odors from women. They found that even though the female sweat smelled just as strongly as the male sweat did, it was easier to mask with perfumes. About 19 percent of the fragrances tested successfully reduced the strength of male underarm odor, while more than 50 percent decreased the intensity of female underarm odor.

The new study, published in the Flavour and Fragrance Journal, fits in with other research on how women use their sense of smell romantically. A study published in December 2008 found that women can tell when a man is interested from the scent of his sweat. The scientists found that women's brains responded differently when smelling sweat samples from men who were sexually aroused and men who weren't.

Men also use their noses to choose mates, research has shown. A January 2006 study found that the scent of a woman's body odor is more attractive to men at certain times in the female's monthly cycle. Female underarm sweat seems to communicate when a woman is fertile, making her more desirable to men.

Women Smell Better than Men !!

2009-04-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

Baby obesity: Rapid infant weight gain linked to childhood obesity

2009-04-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

Report in journal Pediatrics says sudden weight gain in early infancy is more important than how much a baby weighs at birth

By Deborah L. Shelton | Tribune reporter
March 30, 2009

Rapid weight gain during the first six months of life appears to increase the chances that a child will be obese by age 3, according to a new study in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics.

The study found that sudden weight gain in early infancy was more important than how much a baby weighed at birth, the weight of the infant's parents, or the number of pounds put on by the mother during pregnancy.

"The perception has been that a chubby baby and a baby that grows fast early in life is healthier and all the baby fat will disappear," said the paper's lead author, Dr. Elsie Taveras, an assistant professor in Harvard Medical School's ambulatory care and prevention department. "But [that] is not the case."

Taveras was quick to point out, however, that parents should not put their chunky babies on diets.

"More work needs to be done to determine why rapid weight gain in infancy occurs before we can develop policy, clinical protocols and interventions," said Taveras, also a co-director of One Step Ahead, a pediatric overweight prevention clinic at Children's Hospital Boston.

Health professionals have been struggling to understand why the nation's children are ballooning in weight, as childhood obesity has been linked to a host of chronic diseases later in life.

Other studies have looked at the link between obesity and birth weight, but the Pediatrics study was the first to look at rates of weight gain in relation to body length during infancy as a factor.

The study involved 559 mother-child pairs living in the Boston area; 72 percent were non-white and about 33 percent had a household income of less than $70,000.

Researchers used measures of body weight and length together—referred to as weight-for-length—because the combination gave a better picture of a child's body fat composition than weight alone, like the body mass index for adults.

The link between rapid infant weight gain and obesity by age 3 was striking, even after adjusting for factors such as being born premature or underweight. For example, an infant weighing 18.4 pounds after six months had a 40 percent greater risk of obesity at age 3 than did an infant of the same birth weight who grew to 16.9 pounds.

Taveras said the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, did not look at why some infants gained weight suddenly. Possibilities include prenatal factors or too-frequent feeding.

Effects of Valerian Root Tea: Anxiety and Nerves

2009-04-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

The effects of Valerian root tea, an herb, on anxiety and nerves have been studied of over 2000 years. Valerian root is good for relieving acute stress, pain, anxiety and spasm. If you are the type of person who keeps your emotions locked up, Valerian's effect can help ease the mental and physical tension that is a result of those boxed up tensions. Follow a few guidelines when taking Valerian root. If you are severely depressed or have sluggish organ functions you shouldn't use Valerian root. For chronic conditions, you can use it for up to 10 days at a time. Larger doses are recommended for acute stress, anxiety and sleeplessness.

Valerian root tea is good for anxiety, emotional distress and paranoia. Insomnia can benefit from taking Valerian root. It can be stimulating and calming for people who have minor depression and can benefit eyesight. With insomnia, taking a dose nightly for up to 4 weeks is effective. It can improve the quality of sleep and help you sleep fall asleep faster.

If you suffer from anxiety and nervousness Valerian root has been reported to reduce some symptoms. Combining Valerian with other herbs such as St. John's word may improve the effectiveness when treating anxiety. Some side effects have been reported when using Valerian. It's been said to cause headaches, stomach upset, dizziness and excitability. Low body temperature or hypothermia has also been noted. If used longer than 2 to 4 months, insomnia may occur. Another side effect is reduced concentration immediately after taking Varian.

People taking a high dose of Valerian might also have a hangover effect and withdrawal might be noticeable if you suddenly stop taking the dose. As with any drug, the positive effects of Valerian root tea on anxiety and tension can outweigh the side effects.

How Long Can a Person Live Without Food

2009-04-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

Several factors determine how long a person can live without food. The reasons why can be psychological, necessity or forced. The answer to how long a person can live without food depends on a person's body and weight, your state of mind, your will power and climate and hydration rate.

* First, you need to know who's asking and why they want to know.
* Are they an adventurer in survival training?
* Are they planning a protest with a hunger strike?
* Is it a question for a biology quiz?
* Is there an eating disorder?

There are three main factors that influence survival without food: water, body weight and your overall health.

The most important need for survival is water. Doctors confirm the average person lives about 4 to 6 weeks without food. However, the body can last only a couple of days without water. When you don't get enough water to stay hydrated you become lethargic, dizzy, confused, and eventually die. Mahatma Gandhi went on a hunger strike at age 74, protesting for India's independence. He survived 21 days even though he was of slight build. He allowed himself sips of water to survive. On the other hand Jewish hostages of the holocaust basically starved to death even though they consumed food. The amounts they ate were witnessed to be only between 300 and 600 calories a day.

In biology the rule of thumb for survival is the rule of three. In other words 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water or 3 weeks without food leads to death. But the statistics for total starvation are insufficient. One report of political prisoners in Northern Ireland showed that survival without food lasted between 46 and 73 days for 10 individuals. Terminally ill patients often refuse food and water in an attempt to end their lives. They live anywhere from 10 to 14 days.

With ample body fat, an person can last longer without food. If the person is obese,they may last between 4 and 25 weeks. The length of time is often dependent on the rate of metabolism to burn stored fat and energy. The rate of how long a person can live without food depends on many factors.

Are Boys Food Needs Different

2009-04-10T09:49:00.001-07:00

Are boys food needs different from girls or adults? Boys tend to have high-energy needs and can be more athletic. They need food that appeals to them while providing the extra nourishment to keep them healthy. A menu for boys’ food should consist of a balanced diet without a lot of junk food. Boys like things that are crunchy, greasy, salty or sweet.

Here are some suggestions for your boys to try:

Crunchy: You might as well give the broccoli, carrots and celery to the local rabbit shelter. Boys and girls probably aren’t going to eat them alone. Try serving carrots and celery with peanut butter dip or broccoli with a low fat dressing. They’re sure try them. Apple or pita chips, homemade tortilla chips and crispy English muffin pizzas are more winners in boys’ food category.

Salty: Try to avoid too much salt. It’s not any healthier for boys than adults. Just use a lighter touch when seasoning your stuff. Look for lightly salted peanuts, pretzels and unbuttered popcorn to satisfy that craving for salty food.

Greasy: Stay away from the greasy fried foods. French fries prepared in the oven are just as good but a whole lot healthier. Grill hamburgers instead of pan-frying. Add healthy cheese for a savory treat. If you have to fry foods, use lighter, healthier oil like peanut oil.

Sweet: Do they crave sweets? Fresh fruit is filled with natural sweetness. Add low fat yogurt or pudding to the fruit for more enticement. Low fat whipped cream, frozen yogurt, low fat ice cream or flavored gelatins are all good options as well. Try adding a little dash of cinnamon sugar mixture to toast or cereal. Instead of sugary empty calorie sodas, offer milk or flavored water.

A boys food needs different from girls can be met by providing appealing, nourishing options.

Faithless and Insomnia: New Hope

2009-04-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

Insomnia patients have felt faithless and insomnia had no help. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, addresses those fears. Requiring four one-hour sessions every other week, CBT troubleshoots the patients’ problems.

The heart of CBT helps patients address their poor sleeping plan through behavioral or mental strategies as well as to control and maintain the condition of the patient to get the consistent treatment. Patients begin to understand what they need to sleep and how their sleep systems work through cognitive therapy practices. This helps them get rid of their anxiety thinking that promotes insomnia.

Negative thoughts like “you'll never fall asleep” your body generates that mental and physical anxiety your thinking is always the obstacles for insomnia disease. However, doing cognitive therapy changes your behavioral responses by retraining your body's natural sleep pattern. Some of the strategies include restricting sleep time to actual time asleep, waking at a set time every day and keeping external and internal invasions away. Doing a way with daytime naps and “resting their eyes” is also part of the therapy.
CBT is a form of sleep education. The therapy lists recommendations for getting good sleep. Things such as avoiding alcohol, nicotine and strenuous exercise close to bedtime, having a bedroom that is cool, quiet and without a TV are stressed or even perform a hard exercise period in the evening will also helps you to fall asleep very easily. Patients who are dependent on sleeping medications can also benefit through CBT. The drugs have been shown to increase your sleep by only a few minutes. And they can be addictive. Patients who have become faithless and insomnia is a nightly occurrence, are often the ones who are using the sleep medication. They're concerned about the long term effect but are scared to do away with the medication.

Heart disease & stoke

2009-04-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

The UK has one of the highest rates of death from heart disease in the world - one British adult dies from the disease every three minutes - and stroke is the country's third biggest killer, claiming 70,000 lives each year.
Heart attacks occur when blood flow is blocked, often by a blood clot, while strokes are caused either by blocked or burst blood vessels in the brain. A range of other conditions, including heart failure, when blood is not pumped properly around the body, and congenital heart defects can also cause long term problems, and even death, for sufferers.

HEART DISEASE
The heart pumps blood around the body carrying oxygen and other nutrients to the areas that need it. When this process is interrupted, or does not work properly, serious illness and even death can result.
The risk of heart disease is greater for people with poor diet, who smoke and do not exercise, and men are more likely to suffer from it than women.
A range of tests and treatments, including drugs, heart bypass surgery and transplants, exist to alleviate symptoms or save the lives of sufferers.

STROKE

There are two types of stroke - those caused by blood clots in the brain and those that occur when blood vessels burst. In both cases, the brain is starved of oxygen, damaging or killing cells.
Sufferers are often left with difficulty talking, walking and performing other basic tasks. The chance of suffering a stroke is cut by eating healthily, quitting smoking and drinking less alcohol. People at risk of stroke are often treated with aspirin.
After a stroke, various drug treatments are available and rehabilitation is commonly used to improve patients' speech and movement.

Cancer: The facts

2009-04-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

One in three of us will be diagnosed with cancer during our life.

The disease tends to affect older people - but can strike at any time.

Excluding certain skin cancers, there were more than 270,000 new cases of the disease in 2001 - and the rate is increasing by about 1% a year.

Some cancer, such as breast, are becoming more common, while new cases of lung cancer fall away due to the drop in the number of smokers.

However, while the overall number of new cancers is not falling, the good news is that successful treatment rates for many of the most common types are improving rapidly.

BBC News Online has produced, in conjunction with Cancer Research UK, a guide to some of the most common forms of cancer and the treatments used to tackle them.

To learn more about different types of cancer, and to read the experiences of patients, click on the links to the right.

Study finds stress link to asthma

2009-04-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

Stress 'causes asthmatic babies'

Pregnant women who suffer from stress are more likely to have a child with asthma, according to research from Children of the 90s study.

Researchers working with about 6,000 families in Bristol found anxious mums-to-be were 60% more likely to have a baby who would develop the illness.

The findings show 16% of asthmatic children had mothers who reported high anxiety while pregnant.

Mothers-to-be who were less stressed had a lower incidence rate.

Key findings

Professor John Henderson, from the Children of the 90s team, said: "Perhaps the natural response to stress which produces a variety of hormones in the body may have an influence on the developing infant and their developing immune system that manifests itself later on."

The Children of the 90s study - carried out by the University of Bristol - has been following 14,000 children.

They are regularly tested and monitored to see how different lifestyles affect growth, intelligence and health.

The aim is to identify ways to optimise the health and development of children.

Key findings to come out of the project include left-handed children do less well in tests than their right-handed peers and women who eat oily fish while pregnant have children with better visual development.

Test 'sheds light on back pain

2009-04-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

A simple technique could help doctors differentiate between patients with different causes of back pain and thus improve treatment, a study suggests.

Researchers writing in PLoS Medicine have devised "bedside" tests which distinguish between neuropathic - nerve damage - and other causes of pain.

Neuropathic pain is commonly described as "burning" or "stabbing" but it is often difficult to formally diagnose.

Back pain is the most commonly cited reason for being absent from work.

A team from Massachusetts General Hospital in the US and Addenbrooke's in the UK recruited more than 300 patients with chronic back pain.

Some had a known history of nerve damage caused by diabetes or shingles, while others had low back pain with or without evidence of spinal nerve root damage.

Question time

By carrying out detailed comparisons of the patients, researchers were able to formulate a set of six questions and 10 physical tests which distinguished between the two groups.

Although back pain is very common, in many cases we still have a poor understanding of where the pain is coming from
Dries Hettinga
BackCare

The results, they said, were superior to existing screening tests for neuropathic pain and even to MRI scanning of the spine, which can be misleading as many people have damage to their spinal discs without any pain.

In most types of neuropathic pain, all signs of any injury have usually disappeared but certain nerves continue to send pain messages to the brain.

Traditional pain killers often do not help - other options include antidepressants, and physical as well as psychological treatment.

"Currently clinicians measure pain only by asking how bad it is, using scales from mild to moderate to severe or asking patients to rate their pain from one to 10," said lead author Joachim Scholz, an assistant professor of anaesthesia.

"This approach misses key characteristics that reflect the mechanisms causing the pain.

"The treatment of neuropathic and nonneuropathic pain is quite different, and if a diagnosis is wrong, patients may receive treatment, including surgery, that does not improve their pain."

Dries Hettinga, head of research & policy at the charity BackCare, said: "Although back pain is very common, in many cases we still have a poor understanding of where the pain is coming from and how to tailor treatments to individual cases.

"This is why the diagnostic tool that the researchers developed could make a big difference to many people with back pain.

"People with neuropathic back pain need a different treatment approach than those with non-neuropathic pain and an accurate and easy to use tool to distinguish the two types of pain would not only benefit people with back pain, but also help to tailor treatments for people with back pain and thus decrease costs."

Good Fats Can Help You Lose Weight

2009-04-03T06:22:00.002-07:00

Good fats can help you lose weight. For over 30 years, fats have been considered responsible for the extra pounds. Diets entirely excluded the fat intake, although the human body needs fat to function properly! Persons who have excluded the fat from the menu were observed imbalances and diseases of certain organs, which until now were considered as obesity effects.

It was found that obesity and diseases have appeared because of a diet that excluded the "good "fat. Excluding fat from daily menu leads to obesity! In the United States, studies have shown that obesity has increased by 20% in the last 20 years due to the exclusion of fats from the daily menu. Although in 1960 the U.S., 45% from the calories eaten in a day were fat and only 13% of them were obese. In 2007, 33% of daily calories came from fat, but the rate of obesity has increased to 34%! Thereby, although Americans consume less fat, they tend to be much more obese than before. In other words, fat can help you maintain your weight, with the condition to know how and what to eat! The problem is that when it comes to fat, people don't know the difference between the bad one and the one that body needs. Even if only we consume good fats, you need to know that you may not make excesses! Fats are essential for a healthy body.

The human body needs fat to function normally. 60% of the brain is fat so lipids are very important for it to function properly for a fast learning, memory and an overall good mood. Fat can also protect the cells from the body and help them to regenerate and is an important source of beneficial compound to the cell membrane. All bodies need fat to function normally 60% of heart energy is produced by burning fats.

Good fat should not miss from the daily menu if you do not have heart problems! Nerves, lungs and eyes need fat to function normally and to keep away diseases. Good fat can help your digestion; slowing it and allowing the body to absorb the nutrients before the stomach digest the food. Fats can reduce the inflammations and they are very good for a strong immune system. Fats are of several types: Monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and trans fats. Monounsaturated fat comes from olives, hazel-nuts, avocados, nuts, almonds, peanuts or pumpkin seeds. Mediterranean Diet proposes a rich menu in these fats, which help those who follow this diet to be healthy and have a strong immune system, having the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease in the world!

Polyunsaturated fat derived from sunflower, corn, soy or fish. This includes Omega 3 fatty acids, which protects your cardiovascular system and brain. Saturated fat derived from red meat, whole milk, coconut oil, palm oil, and very little from the chicken and fish meat. These fats increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, because they have so much cholesterol. Trans fat (hydrogenated or fat such as margarine) are very dangerous for your health and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease! You can find these in snacks, fast food meal type and most of the foodstuff that we buy form stores (crackers, cookies, candy, instant puddings and creams, etc.).

The first two categories are considered good fats, saturated ones are not recommended (especially in excess) and the trans ones are truly dangerous to your health! What kind of fat contains your food from your store place? Many of the products we use every day contain several types of fats. Try to choose the unsaturated (mono are ideal), which will help you to have a healthy body and to maintain your form.

Eliminate trans fat from your daily menu and you'll keep away cardiovascular disease! Although you thought that margarine helps you stay in form, you ware wrong because they are rich in trans fats and it was a real danger to your health and can lead to obesity! Omega 3 are a real source of health! Omega 3 fatty acids should not miss from the menu of healthy diets! Recent studies have shown that Omega 3 acids protect you from cardiovascular disease, liver cancer, depressions and neurological disorders (including Parkinson, Alzheimer or Dementia). Whether you choose to eat fish meat (salmon or tuna) or you choose fish oil supplements, Omega 3 acids will help you to have a healthy body and maintain your weight and form.

Fasting Tips For Managing Obesity

2009-04-03T06:22:00.001-07:00

Are you looking for fasting tips that will help you enjoy a life free of unsightly fat? Chances are, you have uncovered all kinds of information that may appear contradictory. For example, some references may indicate that you should only drink water when fasting. Or, you may read about fruit juice fasting, and special recipes dedicated to cleaning out your internal organs. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that you feel puzzled about which fasting regimen to use.

Typically, the best fasting tips will help you eliminate toxins from your body, as well as ensure that your metabolism gets shaken up enough to burn fat. In many cases, fasting regimens last too long, or they are scheduled in such a way that your body adapts to the routine. Therefore, it will be to your advantage to look for routines that enable you to make use of intermittent fasting. You may also want to look for a plan that makes use of exercise to burn fat even faster. This will help preserve and build muscle tissue, as well as ensure that you are gaining the most benefit from fasting.

Depending on your interests, you may want to look to other cultures for fasting tips. Among other things, you will gain all kinds of information about the best times of year for fasting, as well as the kinds of foods to avoid. Chances are, if you dig deeper into the history of these traditions, you may find information about diseases specific to certain geographic locations. As may be expected, if you discover that the foods you eat are imported from certain areas, it may also be of some help to avoid specific foods at certain times. You may even be able to align metabolism boosting fasts with these time periods for an optimal effect.

Diabetes Mellitus is #6 cause of death by disease in U.S.

2009-04-03T06:17:00.000-07:00

By: Pamela Egan, FNP-C CDE

I am diagnosing more and more new diabetics each week in our clinic. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease pose significant threats to our health and well being. When is the last time that you were screened for diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus ranks as the sixth leading cause of death by disease in the United States today. Over 20 million Americans have diabetes, and this number is growing. It is estimated that nearly one-third of those with diabetes are not diagnosed and therefore not receiving care for this disease.

Since 1990, the prevalence of diabetes has increased by 61%. Not surprising, this increase in diabetes corresponds with the increase in obesity. I was walking in my neighborhood this morning and noted that the school bus stopped to pick each child up at their driveway. When I was a child, we had to walk one block to meet the school bus. Are we really helping them by doing this? It’s no surprise that the obesity epidemic is essentially triggered by excess calorie consumption and sedentary lifestyles.

Obesity, especially abdominal fat, has become an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It is also a sign of insulin resistance, vascular inflammation, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

We are seeing more and more children who are overweight classified as both Type 1 & Type 2 diabetes. Many are treated with insulin but without treatment for their insulin resistance. This lack of treatment is compounding their complications.

Type 1 is an autoimmune disease of the pancreas resulting in a lack of insulin and comprises about 5 – 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes in childhood have a high risk of early heart disease.

Type 2 comprises about 90 – 95% of all diabetics. Plasma insulin levels are normal to high. Many have insulin resistance that needs to be reversed. Insulin is the fat storing hormone and an inflammatory hormone. Too much insulin in the blood can actually lead to coronary artery disease. Adults with diabetes have a 2 -4 fold increased risk of stroke and a 3-fold increased risk of heart disease, not to mention peripheral arterial disease, chronic kidney disease and many other disorders.

Diabetes and cardiovascular disease cause nearly 1 million deaths per year and result in over $620 billion in health care costs.

Handbook of Vitamins - ebook

2009-03-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Janos Zempleni, Robert B. Rucker, Donald B. McCormick, John W. Suttie, “Handbook of Vitamins”
ISBN: 0-8493-4022-5 | 608 Pages | PDF

True to the clinical focus of the previous editions, Handbook of Vitamins, 4th edition is comprised of comprehensive summaries that analyze the chemical, physiological, and nutritional relationships and highlight the newly described and identified functions for all recognized vitamins.

Each chapter covers the physiology, biochemistry, genomics, and molecular biology of its respective vitamin with specific information on coenzyme function, cell signaling, vitamin status, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory defense.

Presents the most recent research in vitamins and gene expression, vitamin-dependent genes, and vitamin effect on DNA stability Features new vitamin dietary requirements.
Includes new chapters on vitamin-dependent modification of chromatin, and analysis using accelerated mass spectrometry Encompasses both classical and modern approaches to vitamins, focusing on human nutrition, vitamin analysis, and vitamin action at the molecular level.
Contains contributions from international experts including the most recognized expert on vitamin K Encompassing and incorporating newly identified roles of vitamins in cellular and organism regulation, the Handbook of Vitamins, Fourth Edition continues to offer the most respected, up-to-date research with ready clinical application that we have come to expect.
Contents:
Vitamin A: Nutritional Aspects of Retinoids and Carotenoids
Vitamin D
Vitamin K
Vitamin E
Bioorganic Mechanisms Important to Coenzyme Functions
Niacin
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Thiamine
Pantothenic Acid
Vitamin B6
Biotin
Folic Acid
Vitamin B12
Choline
Ascorbic Acid

Vitamin-Dependent Modifications of Chromatin:
Epigenetic Events and Genomic Stability
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry in the Study of Vitamins and Mineral Metabolism in Humans
Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamins.

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Early Detection of Recurring Breast Cancer Key to Survival

2009-03-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

One of the most common fears people have after cancer treatment is, “What if it comes back?” This is a valid concern since women who have been treated for cancer in one breast have triple the normal risk of developing a second primary cancer in the opposite breast. This risk is even higher for those who have a strong family history or a mutation in one of the BRCA genes, and reaches beyond breast cancer to include an increased risk of certain other cancers as well, especially ovarian cancer. Fortunately, there are steps that can reduce the risk of recurrence. The most important is to get regular medical care after treatment. The tests and examinations done at these follow-up visits are extremely important in helping detect cancer that has returned to the same breast, as well as cancer in the opposite breast. In fact, early detection of second breast cancers can reduce the risk of death by nearly half, according to a new international study.

For the study, published online in the Annals of Oncology, researchers analyzed information on 1,044 women who were seen at a medical center in Florence, Italy from 1980 to 2005 and who developed a second breast cancer. In 699 of the women, the second cancer was diagnosed in the asymptomatic state, while the remaining 345 women had already started to experience symptoms. A mortality registry was used to calculate the impact of cancer diagnosis timing on rates of survival.

Based on the data, the study authors concluded that the chances of survival improved between 27 and 47 percent when the second breast cancer was detected in the asymptomatic stage rather than at a later stage when symptoms were already apparent. Asymptomatic tumors were smaller than symptomatic ones, and early-stage tumors were more common in asymptomatic women (58 percent) than in symptomatic women (23 percent). Fewer women with asymptomatic cancer in the opposite breast (contralateral) than symptomatic cancer had node metastases, an indication the cancer may have spread.

In addition, mammography was found to be more sensitive than clinical examination for detecting second breast cancers—86 percent compared to 57 percent. Nonetheless, a significant number (13.8 percent) of the cancers were detected only by clinical examination. “Our study provides new evidence on several aspects of early detection of second breast cancers,” lead author Dr. Nehmat Houssami, a breast physician in the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney, Australia, said in a news release.

Previous studies have explored this topic, but each had certain methodological limitations, the study indicates. “We set out to estimate the effect of early, asymptomatic detection while adjusting for the two main biases known to be associated with non-randomized studies of the impact of early detection—lead time and length bias—so we believe that the estimates we report are more valid than previously reported estimates, while acknowledging the limitation that the evidence is not from a randomized, controlled trial,” Houssami said. “In addition, we have estimated this for early detection of either ipsilateral (same breast) or contralateral (opposite breast) cancer, while other studies have focused on one or the other, so our estimates may be more useful for clinicians discussing this aspect of breast cancer follow-up with their patient.”

“Intuitively, it makes sense to consider that early detection of second breast cancers will improve prognosis, since breast cancer survivors have a long-term risk of developing further disease or relapse in either breast,” Houssami concluded. “I think this work provides a timely reminder of the potential benefit of early detection of second breast cancers and supports ongoing surveillance in this group of women.”

Approximately 2.5 million women in the U.S. have been treated for breast cancer. And though annual mammograms are strongly recommended for these women, a report issued in April of 2006 showed that as many as two-third of survivors were not getting them. Screening rates in the study were high early on, with four out of five getting a mammogram in the first year after treatment. However, that rate declined over time and by year five, only a third of the women had gotten an annual mammogram every year since their cancer treatment ended. Women who saw their primary care physician or gynecologist regularly were more likely to get screened than women who did not.

The report noted that too many survivors are “lost in transition” once treatment ends and said more attention needs to be paid to follow-up care in the transition from cancer patient to cancer survivor. It also called for every cancer survivor to receive a comprehensive care summary and follow-up plan in writing that would include a specific schedule for future cancer screenings.

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death among women in most of the Western world and the leading cause of death for women under 50. The disease strikes more than 211,000 American women each year and kills 46,000.

By: Madeline Ellis

'Vitamin' for baby brain disorder

2009-03-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

Researchers say taking a special vitamin supplement during pregnancy could prevent hydrocephalus - one of the most common birth brain defects.

Tests on rats showed a combination of folates dramatically reduced the rates of hydrocephalus - in which fluids build up in the brain's chambers.

They even seemed to work after the condition had started to develop.

But the work, published in the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, is still at an early stage.

The team from the universities of Manchester and Lancaster hope to get permission to start clinical trials in pregnant women with babies diagnosed with hydrocephalus.

The supplement itself is not currently available, so they are also seeking the support of a pharmaceutical company willing to produce it as a pill.

At present hydrocephalus affects one in 1,000 live births. There is no satisfactory treatment for it other than surgical diversion of the fluid through a tube, known as a shunt, from the brain to the abdomen or heart.

However, shunts are permanent and prone to infection and blockage, which means patients may require several operations during their lifetime.

Most of those with by the condition have impaired mental and physical ability, although the effects can vary widely.

Chemical composition

The team also say they have shown it is the chemical composition of cerebrospinal fluid - rather than the fluid itself putting pressure on the brain - which causes the problems.

"Hydrocephalus can cause severe disability and learning difficulties, so the possibility of prevention through a specific vitamin supplement is exciting"
Andrew Russell
ASBAH

Lead researcher Jaleel Miyan said: "Cerebrospinal fluid is not a liquid which simply cushions the brain and carries chemicals around it. It is actively produced and transported and plays an essential biological role in developing the brain".

The combination of supplements appeared to stimulate this process.

At present women are advised to take folic acid - a synthetic substance found to prevent spina bifida - but this does not appear to promote brain cell growth in the same way as the combination.

Andrew Russell, head of the Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, said: "Hydrocephalus can cause severe disability and learning difficulties, so the possibility of prevention through a specific vitamin supplement is exciting.

"ASBAH is helping with this ground-breaking research because many babies born with hydrocephalus today survive, but with a lifelong disability.

"However, a lot of further work is still needed to prove this approach is effective, through clinical trials.”

Dr Imogen Montague, a spokeswoman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said the study was "potentially very exciting".

"There are so few things we can currently do to decrease the incidence of birth defects so these findings are really to be welcomed.

"But we do have to be cautious about the results - extrapolating results from rats may be problematic, and we need to know both whether it works, and whether it is safe for use in humans. Any general use would still be a long way off."

Cancer: The facts

2009-03-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

Secrets to a Stress-Free Home

2009-03-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

How would you like to walk into a spa—and never leave? With top destination spas like Canyon Ranch and the Four Seasons creating residential developments both nationally and abroad, that’s becoming a legitimate (albeit expensive) option. Not ready to pack your boxes? That’s OK. Those of you living in the (very) real world, can borrow these live-in-spa secrets from the pros to transform your home into a stress-free sanctuary.

Study: Weather Change Can Trigger Throbbing Headaches

2009-03-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

MONDAY, March 9, 2009 — Most people who are prone to headaches or migraines suspect that certain things, such as red wine or strong perfume, can trigger their head pain. Now a new study suggests that rising temperatures could trigger headaches, too.

According to a study published Monday in the journal Neurology, a spike in temperature may be enough to land some headache-prone people in the emergency room. The researchers found that for every 5-degrees-Celsius increase in temperature, the risk of a hospital-related headache visit went up 7.5 percent in the next 24-hour period. And a drop in barometric air pressure, which tends to happen before it rains, was also linked to a greater risk of headaches in the next 48 to 72 hours.

While people may think they’ve got a handle on their migraine triggers, in truth, weather changes may be to blame for at least some of those headaches, says Kenneth J. Mukamal, MD, the study’s lead author and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. “In the summer, you may think that ice cream set off your migraine,” he says. “But it wasn’t the ice cream—it was the temperature increase on that very hot day that led you to eat the ice cream.”

Dr. Mukamal’s team looked at 7,054 patients diagnosed with headaches in the emergency room of Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center over a span of seven years; they compared factors like temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, and pollution for the period immediately preceding and following each patient’s hospital visit. While temperature and barometric pressure were linked to headaches, pollution—which is linked to a greater risk of heart attack and stroke—was not associated with migraines. But Dr. Mukamal isn’t ruling out the possibility. “Our city was not big enough to say for sure that air pollution is off the hook,” he says, adding that a similar study performed in Los Angeles (where air pollution levels are considerably higher) might yield different results.
The study isn’t without limitations, though: It excluded migraines that did not result in a trip to the hospital, says Ellen Drexler, MD, associate professor of neurology at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

Migraines affect up to 18 percent of women and 6 percent of men in the United States. So do the headache-prone need to stay indoors when the temperature starts to climb? Not necessarily, experts say.

Instead of holing up in an air-conditioned home, a migraineur may be able to take medication to prevent head pain. For example, taking beta-blockers is one way to prevent a migraine. But many people don’t like taking routinely taking prescription drugs to prevent migraines, says Dr. Mukamal. “Migraines often happen to younger people, who have a particular reticence to daily medication,” he adds.

Not all experts would recommend using medication to prevent temperature-change-related migraines. “I certainly would not suggest that a patient take symptomatic medication such as a triptan just because of a weather prediction—especially considering the track record of our weathermen,” says Dr. Drexler. “Although a dose of a simple analgesic in the morning might be helpful for some people.”

Overall, the weather probably is not as a big a migraine trigger as, say, a glass of Cabernet, explains Dr. Drexler. She recommends that patients keep pain diaries and log in weather conditions as well. If a patient finds that weather is, in fact, a trigger, he or she can potentially avoid a migraine by taking extra precautions to avoid other triggers (such as caffeine) on those days.

5 Simple Things That Could Cut Your Breast Cancer Risk

2009-03-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

Alcohol, consumed even in small amounts, is believed to increase the risk of breast cancer. Most doctors recommend cutting back on wine, beer, and hard liquor.

A recent study showed the link between drinking and breast cancer was especially strong in the 70% of tumors known as hormone-sensitive.

By Lorie Parch

Headache

2009-02-28T04:54:00.000-08:00

Everyone gets headaches, but not everyone gets the same kind. Some headaches are mild annoyances that go away with over-the-counter pain relievers and rest. Others, like migraines, can shut down a person's life during an attack. About 20 million Americans see a doctor each year for headaches.

Tension, migraine and cluster are types of headaches. The most common is a tension headache, usually from stress, which feels like a tight band around your head. Tension headaches usually go away with rest and over-the-counter medications.

Migraine and cluster headaches are types of vascular headaches. Physical exertion increases the headache pain in vascular headaches. The blood vessels in the tissue surrounding the head dilate or swell, causing your head to throb with pain. Cluster headaches are much less common than migraines, the most common type of vascular headache.

Cluster headaches usually strike several times in rapid succession - lasting weeks or months. Cluster headaches are more common among men and can be extremely painful.

Migraine headaches are different because they involve other parts of the body in addition to the brain. Affecting 28 million Americans, they usually cause severe pain on one or both sides of the head and can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, light sensitivity, distorted vision and dizziness.

A rebound headache is common in migraine patients, but it can also happen if you take pain relievers more than two or three times a week.

Many people who think they are having sinus headaches may be actually suffering from migraines. A sinus headache usually means constant pain and tenderness over the affected sinus. It is characterized by a deep, dull ache made worse by head movements or straining.

Prognosis

Most headaches are not caused by serious conditions and usually can be treated with over-the-counter medicines. Migraines and other types of serious head pain may need prescription treatments and monitoring by a doctor.

Asthma in Adults

2009-02-28T04:50:00.000-08:00

Definition : Asthma is a long-lasting inflammatory lung disease, characterized by:

* Constriction of the airways in the lungs

* Swelling of the lining of the bronchial tubes in the lungs

* Secretion of excessive amounts of thick mucus

This inflammation is activated by irritants or allergens, called triggers. As a result, you may have trouble breathing, be short of breath, wheeze and cough. Sometimes your symptoms can become severe enough to warrant treatment in an emergency room.

Asthma usually begins in childhood, although onset in adulthood is not uncommon. About 20 million people in the United States have asthma. And more than 70 percent of people with asthma have allergies.

Treatment focuses on:

* "Rescue," usually by means of a device called an inhaler when your symptoms are severe enough to cause trouble breathing.

* Prevention of symptoms, by a combination of managing triggers (eliminating dust, for example) and medications.

Prognosis

There is no known cure for asthma. In most people, symptoms get less severe as they get older. However, asthma can be a complication for older adults who develop other respiratory problems, such as emphysema. Effective management of your condition can help you live a healthy and full life.

Aging and Insomnia Don't Go Hand-in-Hand

2009-02-28T04:46:00.000-08:00

It's said that the older people get, the less sleep they need. If you're having trouble sleeping at night or you wake up tired, you should know that insomnia isn't a normal part of aging.

As you age, your levels of growth hormone and melatonin (which control sleeping and waking) decline. This can make you go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier, sleep more lightly or wake up several times during the night.

Like younger adults, you still need seven to eight hours of sleep a night. Something besides normal aging may be causing your problem if:

* You depend on pills to sleep
* You haven't slept soundly in over a month
* You often become sleepy at times when you should be alert (such as behind the wheel)

Common causes of insomnia in seniors
Several health conditions that affect older people can interfere with sleep, including:

* Diabetes
* Arthritis
* Cancer
* High blood pressure
* Incontinence
* Parkinson's disease
* Alzheimer's disease
* Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
* Heart disease
* An enlarged prostate

These conditions may cause breathing difficulties, frequent urination or pain that awakens you during the night. If you think an illness is causing your insomnia, talk to your doctor.

Sleep disorders
If you have sleep apnea, you may stop breathing at times during the night. Another condition, restless legs syndrome, causes an unpleasant sensation in the legs and an intense need to move them while lying down. If you think you have either condition, speak with your doctor.

Medications
Some medications can affect sleeping. These include:

* Calcium channel blockers
* Cardiovascular drugs
* Beta blockers
* Decongestants
* Antidepressants

If this is the case, your doctor may recommend a different drug or ask you to take your medication at a different time of day. Remember to cut down on caffeine and nicotine, which can also interfere with sleep.

Other factors affecting sleep
The lifestyle changes and emotional ups and downs of aging can also affect sleep. If you're less active than you used to be, your body may not know it still needs just as much sleep. Getting more exercise during the day - at least two hours before bedtime - can help. So can getting at least two hours of bright-light exposure each day. This can come from the sun or from a light box, which your doctor can recommend. Don't nap for more than 20 minutes during the day, or you may have trouble falling asleep at night. If feelings of sadness or anxiety are keeping you awake, talk to your doctor. You may be suffering from depression or an anxiety disorder, both of which can be treated.

Remember that sleeplessness is not a normal part of aging. Simple changes and your doctor's suggestions can help you get the rest you need.

Hair Transplantation in Men: Is It Right for You?

2009-02-28T04:43:00.000-08:00

If you're thinking about a hair transplant, be sure you have realistic expectations. Hair restoration techniques have improved greatly in recent years, but there are limits. The success of a transplant still depends on how much healthy hair you have to donate and how fast you are losing hair.

How does hair transplantation work?
For a hair transplant, a surgeon takes natural groupings of hair follicles and replants them in places where hair has been lost. Older methods involved taking as many as 50 "donor" hair follicles and replanting as an unnatural-looking plug of hair on a cleared-out patch on the scalp.

With newer techniques, natural one-to-five hair groupings are removed and implanted in-between existing hair follicles. The result is often so natural that it makes the new growth almost undetectable from the old.

Are hair transplants right for you?
Hair transplant may be a solution if you have male (or female) pattern baldness. It may also be helpful if you have patches of hair loss from scarring, burns, radiation therapy or infection.

To be a good candidate for hair transplant, you must have enough healthy existing hair to donate. If you don't, or if you are losing a lot of hair quickly, hair transplants may not be a good option for you.

The best results occur when there are well-defined areas of hair loss and dense hair growth on the sides and back of the scalp. It's also helpful to have a combination of fine and coarse hairs. Light-colored hair often looks more natural than darker hair.

What is the surgical procedure?
Hair transplant surgery is usually done by a plastic surgeon, dermatologist or other surgeon who specializes in hair restoration surgery. The procedure may take place in your doctor's office under local anesthesia. The surgeon will:

* Remove from the scalp tiny strips of skin that have natural clusters of healthy hair follicles.
* Divide the strips into smaller grafts of various sizes.
* Place the grafts in small holes or slits made in balding or thinning areas on your scalp. Hair can also be grafted in other areas, such as your beard or eyebrows.
* Close up the donor hair sites. Usually only very small scars remain, which can be covered by hair.

Each hair transplant session may last from one to several hours. It may take several sessions over a span of months to fill in a bald area. Sometimes, surgeons may use a combination of hair-restoration techniques for the best results. These may include scalp lifts, scalp reduction or tissue expansion.

As with any surgery, there is always a risk of complications, such as bleeding and infection. These risks are rare. There may also be prolonged scalp numbness and some grafts may not grow in their new location.

What can you expect after surgery?
Recovery is generally fairly quick. You may have a bandage for 24 hours and some swelling or bruising around your eyes for a few days. Your scalp may crust or scab over for a week or so after that. You are often able to resume daily activities right away and exercise after two weeks.

Don't be surprised if your new hair growth falls out a few weeks after surgery. This is normal and usually temporary. It may start to grow again in five to six weeks, at the rate of about one-half inch a month.

Some men find that using one of two medications after surgery may help slow hair loss and increase the quality and density of new hair growth. They are minoxidil, a nonprescription cream, and finasteride, an oral prescription medication. But be sure to ask your doctor before using anything on the scalp after surgery.

What's the Skinny on Your Skin?

2009-02-28T04:39:00.001-08:00

How to Keep it Healthy and Young

Myriads of products on the market claim to make your skin look younger. But no anti-aging cream, exfoliating wash, European facial, age-defying makeup or herbal remedy is more powerful than the lifestyle steps every woman can take to keep her skin looking smooth and healthy for as long as possible.

Many people begin to develop fine lines around the eyes in their 40s. But any deep facial wrinkles that emerge before age 50 are generally attributable to the cumulative effects of sun exposure, cigarette smoking or both, according to cosmetic surgeons. This observation springs into dramatic relief when you compare the skin on your face and the backs of your hands to the relatively smooth, monotone skin of your buttocks.

To a lesser extent, yo-yo dieting, chronic exposure to wind and over-animated facial expressions may also contribute to premature skin aging.

Aside from Father Time, the only skin-aging factor beyond your control is genetics. If your grandmother and mother looked younger than their years, you and your children probably will, too, in middle age - particularly if you adopt a lifelong habit of using sunscreens, wearing wide-brimmed hats on sunny days, shunning tobacco and secondhand smoke, and avoiding yo-yo dieting and the other aforementioned risk factors.

Types of wrinkles

Dermatologists and plastic surgeons distinguish between two types of facial wrinkles: static and dynamic. Static wrinkles are always visible, even when all the facial muscles are resting. Static wrinkles tend to develop in skin that has thinned and stretched as a result of premature or natural aging processes.

Dynamic wrinkles occur in people of all ages, even young children. Sometimes called "laugh lines," dynamic wrinkles appear temporarily when a muscle contracts and causes the overlying skin to crease like an accordion. Dynamic wrinkles are seen only when you are smiling, raising your eyebrows or otherwise animating your facial expression.

How sunlight harms the skin

Think back to those golden summers of your youth. Like many pre-adolescent and teenage girls, you probably donned your bikini, slathered your body with baby oil and held those foil-covered sun reflectors under your chin in the quest for the perfect, golden tan.

No one told you that decades later your skin would pay the price for those sun-soaked days in the form of dryness, wrinkles, fine lines, liver spots and perhaps even skin cancer. Government health officials have estimated that half of a lifetime's worth of UV exposure occurs by age 18. One research study carried out in Australia found that people as young as 25 already had detectable photoaged skin on their face and the back of their hands--the parts of the body that are chronically exposed to UV radiation. Research indicates that about 90 percent of skin changes that begin in your 30s and 40s stem directly from "photoaging," or the cumulative effects of exposure to the sun's UV radiation.

Simply put, UV radiation - be it from the sun or a tanning bed - damages the DNA of skin cells. To make matters worse, the thinning of the Earth's protective ozone layer is believed to be amplifying UV radiation levels. It takes many years before enough microscopic damage accumulates to create wrinkles and other visible skin changes. Using sunscreens with a skin protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more will filter out most of these harmful UV rays. Even if you failed to use sunscreens in your youth, you can prevent further UV damage by using them religiously throughout the year, even on the ski slope.

During all outdoor activities, including gardening, playing sports, walking and jogging, as well as going to the beach, be sure to use a sunscreen that blocks both UV-A and UV-B radiation. Sunscreens work best when applied liberally to all exposed skin about 30 minutes before sun exposure and re-applied every few hours or after swimming or sweating. Don't miss the backs of your hands, and don't be fooled by an overcast day; UV light penetrates clouds and can still harm unprotected skin. Wearing a baseball cap or wide-brimmed hat in addition to your sunscreen offers an additional measure of protection.

How smoking ages the skin

It is well-known that cigarette smoking ages people on the inside by causing lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease and an array of other health problems. But fewer people realize that smoking also ages your appearance. Chemicals inhaled from cigarette smoke constrict tiny blood vessels in the skin, reducing the oxygen and nutrient supply to delicate facial tissues. Blood-vessel constriction lasts at least an hour after a cigarette has been snuffed out. Over many years of smoking, the oxygen and nutrient deficiencies cause skin to wrinkle prematurely and lose elasticity, the ability to "bounce back" after being stretched. It is not unusual for the skin of longtime smokers to exhibit a grayish pallor.

To make matters worse, repeatedly pursing your lips around a cigarette hastens the formation of fine vertical lines around your mouth. Squinting when smoke gets in your eyes can cause premature wrinkling of the eyelids.

Dieting and skin aging

Cyclical, significant weight loss and gain, also known as "yo-yo" dieting, stretches the skin, causing it to lose its elasticity and making it more vulnerable to wrinkling and sagging under the force of gravity. Try to stay within five or 10 pounds of your ideal weight and avoid fad or crash diets.

How facial expressions age the skin

In a sense, skin has a "memory." If it is repeatedly folded in the same way by muscle contractions, permanent static lines will eventually form. This is common in sailors who constantly squint to protect their eyes from wind and sun glare. It also can be true of people who smile broadly much of the time and those who scowl a lot. Wearing sunglasses outdoors is one way to prevent continuous squinting. Another is to become aware of undue tension in your facial muscles and to make a conscious effort to relax your face.

Ways to keep your skin looking young

In general, some of the same steps that keep you healthy on the inside--such as not smoking and maintaining a normal weight also can help keep you looking healthy on the outside. Here are some steps you can take to help your skin look younger longer:

* Try to avoid sunlight between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are the strongest.

* Apply a sunscreen with SPF 15 or more on all exposed skin 30 minutes before going outdoors.

* Re-apply sunscreen after swimming or sweating.

* Do not sunbathe.

* When at the beach, stay under a beach umbrella, but also use sunscreens since sunlight reflecting off the sand and water can harm unprotected skin.

* Outdoors, wear wide-brimmed hats, long sleeves and pants.

* Wear makeup (foundations and lipsticks) that has a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.

* Avoid tanning booths.

* Don't smoke.

* Wear sunglasses outdoors.

* Use moisturizers to combat skin dryness.

* Use moisturizing soaps.

* Use a humidifier at home in winter when indoor air can be particularly dry.

* Ask your dermatologist about topical tretinoin emollient cream. This FDA-approved product may slow or stop additional photoaging when used to treat existing photoaging.

* Ask your dermatologist about alpha-hydroxy acid, which also may help reduce some visible signs of photoaging.

Health and Fitness Supplements for Women

2009-02-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

Many health and fitness supplements for women are making headlines today. They promise to help you lose weight, feel great, and even shed the pounds where you hate them the most. But are these supplements safe for you to use? And do they follow through on their promises? More studies are showing that health and fitness supplements for women may be a poor decision when it comes to the health of your body, causing more problems than solutions.

One of the first things to keep in mind with health and fitness supplements for women is that many of these have not been scientifically tested. While they might say they have been tested in their labs, this is not a definite indication of quality. Since supplements are not monitored by the FDA or tested before they get on the shelves, they can contain harmful ingredients that are only found to be harmful once people start reporting problems. Another consideration is that those supplements that have been tested may not have been tested on women exclusively. This means that they may contain higher levels of some ingredients that are safe for men but not for women.

Most fitness experts will tell you that health and fitness supplements for women are not advisable. Not only are they not addressing the problems or habits that have caused weight or health issues, but they may be adding to the problems at the same time. For example, when the diet pills starting being sold with Ephedra, they worked great. They gave users a lot of energy and helped them lose weight by reducing their appetite. But as users started to report heart palpitations and even some deaths, the safety of these pills was called into question. For the time, they were even taken off the market. While they're back on the market now, this does not mean that they're safe for you to take. Those items on the market may be ticking time bombs in your body – and do you really want to be the test subject?

Buying health and fitness supplements for women isn't the answer to your weight and health woes. There are no quick fixes when it comes to your health and to your weight. If you want to lose weight, you need to exercise more and eat less. These simple steps will not only allow you to healthfully lose weight, but you can also ensure that no unforeseen side effects occur along the way.

The health and fitness supplements for women that line the shelves of stores might be appealing right now, but if you were to have some of the awful side effects happen to you, you might not feel the same way. Why not follow the common sense advice that has worked for so many others? Sure, it might take a longer time to lose the weight you want to lose, but isn't that worth it when it comes to saving your health?

3 Types of Food That Will Burn the Fat Right Off

2009-02-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

Diets can be wonderful and diets can also be the pain in your butt. The thing is with diets you have to find a diet that is going to suit your body needs. I have known people who have gone through diet through diet and still have not found the diet that fits them the best yet. See I don't think you should have to keep trying and trying. Diets are all about eating the right food and when it comes to the diet that I have been doing lately all you have to do is eat the correct food. The right food that you should eat when it comes down to it is fruits, vegetables, and meats.

The food that you should be eating in your diet is fruits because they are good for the body. Fruits are awesome because they usually don't have too many calories and don't have too much fat so when you are eating them you are eating healthy. When you are going to reach for that extra snack during the day you should grab for a fruit because it is not going to put a dent into your health and it will probably if anything make you feel healthier.

The next food that you should be eating in your diet is vegetables because they too are good for your health. It is always good to eat salads and vegetables because they carry very little calories and are some of the best foods that you can eat. Remember when you were little and your parents always used to tell you to eat your vegetables well they did have a good point because vegetables are some of the best things that you can put into your body.

The final food that you should be eating in your diets is meats because they are a great source of protein. A great source of protein will help you meet your goal in trying to keep your body healthy because it will make your muscles grow. It is always a good thing to have bigger muscle because bigger muscles will help your body stay in shape. In the end eating meats will give you more protein that makes your muscles grow bigger so in essence you are keeping your body healthy.

Now diets aren't hard because I have just made them easy for you by telling you the food that is going to help you out the most with your diet.

Drink Coffee to Keep Your Body and Brain Healthy

2009-01-31T07:42:00.000-08:00

A cup of coffee daily will help you in more tactics than you think.

For instance, the daily dose of caffeine can keep Alzheimer's sickness in check, can help reduce cholesterol, protects against dementia, and decreases the chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

A daily dose of caffeine blocks the disruptive effects of high cholesterol that scientists link with Alzheimer's illness.

Caffeine equivalent of just a daily cup of Joe could protect the blood-brain barrier ( BBB ) from damage that occurs with a fat heavy diet, according to a study. The BBB protects the central nervous system ( CNS ) from what's left of the body's circulation, providing the brain with its own controlled micro-environment.

Previous research has demonstrated that raised levels of cholesterol break down the BBB which will then no longer protect the CNS from the damage due to blood borne contamination. BBB leakage occurs in a variety of neurological disorders like Alzheimer's sickness.

In one report, researchers of School of North Dakota ( UND ) gave rabbits 3 mg caffeine daily or the equivalent of an average daily cup of joe. The rabbits were fed a cholesterol-enriched diet in this time. After 12 weeks some lab tests indicated the BBB was noticeably more intact in rabbits getting a daily dose of caffeine.

The findings of the study have been broadcast in the open access Book of Neuroinflammation. "Caffeine appears to block many of the disruptive results of cholesterol that make the blood-brain barrier leaky," says Jonathan Geige of UND. "High levels of cholesterol are a risk factor for Alzheimer's sickness, perhaps by compromising the defending nature of the blood-brain barrier. For the first time we've shown that chronic ingestion of caffeine protects the BBB from cholesterol-induced leakage.

Caffeine is a safe and generally available drug and its capacity to stabilise the blood-brain barrier means it could have a critical part to play in therapies against neurological disorders."

Danish and Swedish researchers have disclosed that folks who drank three to five cups of coffee daily were 60 5 % not as sure to have developed dementia, compared to people who drank 2 cups or less. Earlier studies have linked coffee to a number of health perks that will make a contribution to this latest finding.

Coffee drinkers have shown a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, less plaque formation in the brain, and reduced vascular risk - all three of these effects could contribute to lowering Alzheimer's risk. Coffee isn't the single thing that may help you boost your brain.

A new English study shows that vitamin D could help ward off dementia and lower your risk for Parkinson's sickness. You will supplement your brain with omega-3 fatty acids found in this power food. Caffeine would most likely not be good for pregnant moms as it increases the risk of miscarriage.

Yet another new report has discovered that drinking three cups of coffee daily can help forestall ovarian cancer in girls.

A gang of world analysts has carried out the study and made public that women who take caffeine matching to three cups of coffee common-or-garden are no longer as sure to develop ovarian cancer later in life. The team came to the conclusion after researching the effects of coffee intake on a grouping of nurses.

The researchers compared the diets of 80 thousand of these girls with the superiority of ovarian cancer as part of the study between 1976 and 2004. According to the researchers, 737 of them developed ovarian cancer in the study period. Those that had at least three cups of coffee a day were found to be 20% not as certain to develop the sickness than those that drank none. Likewise , folk who did not select hormone replacement care, the likelihood was 43% less.

The benefits and hazards of drinking coffee remain the subject of much debate. I am not saying that you should start drinking five cups of coffee a day if you do not already drink coffee.

Obviously you shouldn't feel so bad if you DO drink many cups a day. If you want to stay healthy for life, make this straightforward choice - it is the smartest thing you may do for your brain.

Foods To Help You Have Healthier Hair

2009-01-31T07:25:00.000-08:00

Hair plays a very important role in our life. All of us want to have strong and beautiful hair. It can make us more attractive and more confident. Someone said that their lover's smooth hair is one of the first impressions making them pay attention to her.

Strong and beautiful hair is so helpful but how can we improve our hair? Luckily, it is not really difficult if you want and have patience.

Hair can talk much about the health state, diet, state of mind, etc of a person. Like other parts of your body, hair also needs special nutrient substances so that it becomes strong, shiny and beautiful. Those nutrient substances can be supplied by many sources one of which is foods you eat everyday. So among various kinds of foods, which ones are good for hair?

Chicken eggs

Chicken egg is a food that is very good for your hair. If you do not want to eat eggs directly, you can use egg yolks as a hair treatment product. Your hair will become shiny. Use this treatment method 2 or 3 times a week, you will see the considerable improvement.

Foods containing Lipid

Lipid is a necessary nutrient substance for your hair. If you body does not have enough lipid, hair will be dry. Sources of lipid are fishes, oil, peanuts, etc. People who are on a diet usually have dry hair because they cut down a big amount of foods containing lipid.

Foods containing Iron

A thin-haired head is a sadness of many people because it makes them not self-confident. Iron is a nutrient that can prevent hair loss. You can find iron in fishes and meats having red color like beef.

Foods containing Protein

Your hair also needs protein. Therefore, in order to have a beautiful hair, you need supply your body with food rich of protein like meat, fishes, etc. People who have a vegetarian diet should supply the body with protein by eating other sources besides meats fishes like mushrooms, etc.

Omega-3 acid in fishes

It is said that Omega-3 acid is very good for hair. You can supply your body with this nutrient substance by eating fishes regularly because there is a great amount of Omega-3 in fishes.

A healthful life can also bring you healthy hair. You should void issues causing stress for you as far as possible. Being stressful is one of the main reasons that can harm your hair.

Hobbies are not only good for your health in general but also good for your hair in particular. If you are not a member of any clubs now, please stand up and choose a suitable one for you. Friends in those clubs will bring you laugh, happiness then you will see how your hair is improved.

Besides supplying your body with foods that are good for health, you also have to give up bad habits like tightening your hair, scratching your head, using unsuitable shampoos and hair treatments, washing hair too many times, washing hair too rarely, etc.

10 Things You Can Do To Fight Bad Breath

2009-01-31T07:15:00.000-08:00

Another quick test is floss and then smell whatever is dislodged. If it doesn't pass the sniff test, you may suffer from halitosis. Of course, you could always ask a close friend or family member that you trust to give you an honest answer. Whichever method you choose, if you think you may have halitosis, don't worry... here are some things you can do to help you come out smelling like a rose.

Avoid The Garlic. Many spicy foods like peppers, garlic and onions tend to live on through oils left in the mouth for up to twenty four hours after consuming. Brushing your teeth won't help, so avoid these food products if you have an important meeting or other face to face encounters planned in the immediate future.

Skip The Deli. Other food products which leave these long lasting oils behind are spicy meats like pepperoni, salami and pastrami so if you don't want others trying to guess what you had for lunch, you may want to pass on these meat products for at least twenty four hours before any close contact meetings.

Hold The Cheese. Certain cheeses are known as strong cheeses. A few of these include blue cheese, Roquefort and Camembert. They taste great but can leave your breath smelling less than sweet.

Hold The Anchovies. Do you like anchovies on your pizza? If so, it may be best to order your favorite pizza loaded with anchovies on a Friday night when you can safely hide out for a few days and not risk being trapped in the elevator with your boss or top client. Another fishy food product would be Tuna so having your Tuna Melt on a Saturday should give your breath enough time to recover before the big meeting on Monday.

Drink Plenty of Water. Water is clean and non-residual unlike beverages such as whiskey, wine, beer or coffee which tend to linger by attaching to plaque releasing little bits of itself into the air when you breath.

Brush Your Teeth. Let me say it again, brush your teeth and in case it hasn't sank in yet, brush your teeth. Brushing your teeth after meals is the most effective method of eliminating smelly breath. You've heard of plaque but just in case you aren't sure exactly what this is, let me clarify. Plague is the film that coats your gums and teeth consisting of dead and living bacteria, up to fifty trillion of them. These micro-organisms absorb odors from the foods you eat as well as their own unpleasant odors. When you exhale, some of this bacteria leaves your mouth as well carrying these odors with them.

Rinse When You Can't Brush. Brushing is best but sometimes you just don't have the time. If you can at least rinse with water, this will help remove many of the food particles that can cause bad breath, not only now but later.

Three Squares A Day. Skipping meals can be bad for your breath. Your mouth provides a moist, warm environment for bacteria to grow and consuming food and beverages is part of the natural cleansing process. Don't forget to brush afterwards or at least rinse.

Quick Temporary Fix. Ok, you've ignored everything above. You had a large anchovy pizza last night with a side helping of wings with blue cheese dressing, an omelet this morning covered in onions and an Italian lunch with extra garlic and now your boss has just called you into his tiny office to discuss your new promotion. As long as you can talk fast, you may just get by with a good gargle of some minty fresh mouthwash. If he gets caught on a lengthy phone call while you're there, you may be doomed but as long as you can get in and get out within 20 minutes you may still get the raise. You can always carry a coffee cup with an emergency dose of mouthwash just in case the meeting runs long but that's up to you.

Weight Loss tips – Simple Tips to help You Achieve a Healthy Weight

2009-01-31T06:45:00.000-08:00

With some many weight loss programs out there promising all sorts of different things it becomes very difficult to know exactly what needs to be done for effective weight loss. One fact about weight loss is that if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. Every diet around the world relies on this fact. However, most of you probably do not realise that people putting on weight are only eating slightly more calories than they are burning, and if small changes were make to their diet or excise, weight loss could occur with very minimal effort. There are many ‘smart choices’ you can make that will make weight loss easy.

Some of these weight loss changes could be:
- Have vegetables soup, sandwiches or wraps for lunch.
- Make sure the snacks you have are low in fat (low fat yoghurt or wholegrain biscuits)
- Have reduced fat dairy
- Use spray oils instead of out of a bottle
- Cut all visible fats off meat
- Avoid high fat snacks such as chips, wedges, pizza or nachos.
- Try to use low fat cooking such as grilling, roasting or steaming

With some proper planning there are some easy weight loss tips to help improve your general eating habits.
- Have breakfast and regular snacks each day. This stops you from getting too hungry and overeating on your next meal
- Limit the amount of alcohol you drink in one sitting
- Serve your food on a smaller plate to reduce your serving sizes.

The last component to weight loss is exercise. In terms of weight loss it is often more import to regulate your food intake, but exercise is so critically important to the overall health of your body. With exercise try to:
- Walk more. Try to build up to 10,000 steps per day.
- Watch less TV
- Start exercising with a friend
- Chose exercises that you enjoy

If you can try a few of these suggestions you will be well on your weight to sustained weight loss. There is no need to make drastic changes, but my making a concerted effort of making small changes you will notice a big difference. There has never been a better time for weight loss than right now!

The battle to lose

2009-01-24T12:16:00.000-08:00

Since the late 1970s, overweight and obesity rates in adults, teens, and children have soared, raising concerns about the impact on diabetes, heart disease, and cancer rates. This month's cover story is our effort to treat with humor a most serious problem.

The epidemic is most poignant in youngsters, but adults have to deal with it too. Losing weight--and keeping it off--isn't easy. Our culture conspires against dieters at every turn.

Tempting high-calorie foods at restaurants beckon us to overeat. Laborsaving devices-from telephones to automobiles--aren't going to disappear. And snack vending machines, ads extolling all-you-can-eat buffets, and home and work imperatives keep us off the bike path.

Then there are the factors we can't control, like our genes, our in utero environment, and perhaps contaminants in our air, water, and food that distort hormonal balances.

If we don't make the effort to lose (or avoid gaining) weight, it won't happen. But it also won't happen if we ignore the environment that undermines our efforts.

So, where to start?

* Restaurant meals. Those 1,000-calorie entrees, shakes, appetizers, and desserts are fattening us up. It is essential that we push for state and federal laws requiring calories on menus and menu boards at chain restaurants.

The first such law, in New York City, is not only spurring consumers to choose lower-calorie foods. It is prompting restaurants to lighten up their menus. With California and Boston passing laws and other jurisdictions considering them--and with KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell voluntarily listing calories on menus soon--I hope that 2009 is the year that Congress orders calories on menus nationwide.

* PE. Gym classes in schools are a natural, as are community bike paths, tennis courts, and swimming pools. What better way to pay for them than slapping small taxes (say, a nickel a drink) on belly-building soda pop?

* Schools. Getting junk foods out of schools and ads for junk foods off TV and other media aimed at kids is a no-brainer.

* Campaigns. The government should fund mass-media campaigns to encourage people to fill up on vegetables, fruits, and other healthy foods and to cut back on soft drinks, french fries, and other fattening foods.

* Breastfeeding. "Breastfed infants ... tend to gain less unnecessary weight and to be leaner. This may result in being less overweight later in life," says the government, which could mount campaigns to encourage moms to breastfeed for at least six months, maybe even offering bonuses to those who do.

I could go on, but those measures top my wish list. The challenge is to get beyond politicians' handwringing over "the terrible obesity problem" and to invest in the solutions.

Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D.

Need urine from a catheter system? Forget the needle!

2009-01-24T12:13:00.000-08:00

Learn how to reduce your risk of injury using a needleless device.

WANT A SUREFIRE way to eliminate the risk of a needle-stick injury while getting a urine sample from an indwelling catheter system? Don't use a needle. Besides protecting you from a needle-stick injury, the needleless system shown here, placed between the catheter and the drainage system, maintains the integrity and sterility of the catheter system by eliminating the need to puncture the tubing.
To obtain a sample using this needleless port, provide privacy for your patient. Gather clean gloves, a sterile luer-lock syringe large enough to hold the required sample, alcohol swabs, and an appropriate specimen container. Tell the patient what you'll be doing and why. Wash your hands, put on the gloves, and follow these steps.

1. Crimp or clamp the drainage tube at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) below the sampling port to let urine collect in the tubing. When you see urine under the access site, clean the sampling port with alcohol and let it air-dry.

2. Use aseptic technique to attach the uncapped syringe to the sampling port. Position it perpendicular to the center of the port, press the tip against the port, and twist gently to lock it in.

As shown, slowly withdraw the urine sample, then unscrew the syringe from the port. Transfer the sample into the specimen container and discard the syringe in an appropriate container.

3. Unclamp the drainage tube. Label the specimen container according to facility policy. Place the container in a biohazard bag for transport and send it to the lab as soon as possible.

Remove and discard your used gloves and wash your hands. Document the date and time you collected the specimen, the reason, the source (catheter), the amount and characteristics of the urine, the time you sent the specimen to the lab, and how the patient tolerated the procedure.

BY KARLA DAVIS, RN, CNRN

Karla Davis is a critical care clinical educator at Baptist Health System in Montgomery, Ala.

45 best health tips ever

2009-01-17T10:44:00.001-08:00

here they are: the 50 best health tips.

1. Copy your kitty: Learn to do stretching exercises when you wake up. It boosts circulation and digestion, and eases back pain.

2. Don’t skip breakfast. Studies show that eating a proper breakfast is one of the most positive things you can do if you are trying to lose weight. Breakfast skippers tend to gain weight. A balanced breakfast includes fresh fruit or fruit juice, a high-fibre breakfast cereal, low-fat milk or yoghurt, wholewheat toast, and a boiled egg.

3. Brush up on hygiene. Many people don't know how to brush their teeth properly. Improper brushing can cause as much damage to the teeth and gums as not brushing at all. Lots of people don’t brush for long enough, don’t floss and don’t see a dentist regularly. Hold your toothbrush in the same way that would hold a pencil, and brush for at least two minutes. This includes brushing the teeth, the junction of the teeth and gums, the tongue and the roof of the mouth. And you don't need a fancy, angled toothbrush – just a sturdy, soft-bristled one that you replace each month.

4. Neurobics for your mind. Get your brain fizzing with energy. American researchers coined the term ‘neurobics’ for tasks which activate the brain's own biochemical pathways and to bring new pathways online that can help to strengthen or preserve brain circuits. Brush your teeth with your ‘other’ hand, take a new route to work or choose your clothes based on sense of touch rather than sight. People with mental agility tend to have lower rates of Alzheimer's disease and age-related mental decline.

5. Get what you give! Always giving and never taking? This is the short road to compassion fatigue. Give to yourself and receive from others, otherwise you’ll get to a point where you have nothing left to give. And hey, if you can’t receive from others, how can you expect them to receive from you?

6. Get spiritual. A study conducted by the formidably sober and scientific Harvard University found that patients who were prayed for recovered quicker than those who weren’t, even if they weren’t aware of the prayer.

7. Get smelly. Garlic, onions, spring onions and leeks all contain stuff that’s good for you. A study at the Child’s Health Institute in Cape Town found that eating raw garlic helped fight serious childhood infections. Heat destroys these properties, so eat yours raw, wash it down with fruit juice or, if you’re a sissy, have it in tablet form.

8. Knock one back. A glass of red wine a day is good for you. A number of studies have found this, but a recent one found that the polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) in green tea, red wine and olives may also help protect you against breast cancer. It’s thought that the antioxidants help protect you from environmental carcinogens such as passive tobacco smoke.

9. Bone up daily. Get your daily calcium by popping a tab, chugging milk or eating yoghurt. It’ll keep your bones strong. Remember that your bone density declines after the age of 30. You need at least 200 milligrams daily, which you should combine with magnesium, or it simply won’t be absorbed.

10. Berries for your belly. Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries contain plant nutrients known as anthocyanidins, which are powerful antioxidants. Blueberries rival grapes in concentrations of resveratrol – the antioxidant compound found in red wine that has assumed near mythological proportions. Resveratrol is believed to help protect against heart disease and cancer.

11. Curry favour. Hot, spicy foods containing chillies or cayenne pepper trigger endorphins, the feel-good hormones. Endorphins have a powerful, almost narcotic, effect and make you feel good after exercising. But go easy on the lamb, pork and mutton and the high-fat, creamy dishes served in many Indian restaurants.

12. Cut out herbs before ops. Some herbal supplements – from the popular St John's Wort and ginkgo biloba to garlic, ginger, ginseng and feverfew – can cause increased bleeding during surgery, warn surgeons. It may be wise to stop taking all medication, including herbal supplements, at least two weeks before surgery, and inform your surgeon about your herbal use.

13. I say tomato. Tomato is a superstar in the fruit and veggie pantheon. Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful cancer fighter. They’re also rich in vitamin C. The good news is that cooked tomatoes are also nutritious, so use them in pasta, soups and casseroles, as well as in salads. The British Thoracic Society says that tomatoes and apples can reduce your risk of asthma and chronic lung diseases. Both contain the antioxidant quercetin. To enjoy the benefits, eat five apples a week or a tomato every other day.

14. Eat your stress away. Prevent low blood sugar as it stresses you out. Eat regular and small healthy meals and keep fruit and veggies handy. Herbal teas will also soothe your frazzled nerves. Eating unrefined carbohydrates, nuts and bananas boosts the formation of serotonin, another feel-good drug. Small amounts of protein containing the amino acid tryptamine can give you a boost when stress tires you out.

15. Load up on vitamin C.We need at least 90 mg of vitamin C per day and the best way to get this is by eating at least five servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. So hit the oranges and guavas!

16. No folly in folic acid. Folic acid should be taken regularly by all pregnant mums and people with a low immunity to disease. Folic acid prevents spina bifida in unborn babies and can play a role in cancer prevention. It is found in green leafy vegetables, liver, fruit and bran.

17. A for an A. This vitamin, and beta carotene, help to boost immunity against disease. It also assists in the healing process of diseases such as measles and is recommended by the WHO. Good natural sources of vitamin A are kidneys, liver, dairy products, green and yellow vegetables, pawpaw, mangoes, chilli pepper, red sorrel and red palm oil.

18. Pure water. Don’t have soft drinks or energy drinks while you're exercising. Stay properly hydrated by drinking enough water during your workout (just don't overdo things, as drinking too much water can also be dangerous). While you might need energy drinks for long-distance running, in shorter exercise sessions in the gym, your body will burn the glucose from the soft drink first, before starting to burn body fat. Same goes for eating sweets.

19. GI, Jane. Carbohydrates with a high glycaemic index, such as bread, sugar, honey and grain-based food will give instant energy and accelerate your metabolism. If you’re trying to burn fat, stick to beans, rice, pasta, lentils, peas, soya beans and oat bran, all of which have a low GI count.

20. Mindful living. You've probably heard the old adage that life's too short to stuff a mushroom. But perhaps you should consider the opposite: that life's simply too short NOT to focus on the simple tasks. By slowing down and concentrating on basic things, you'll clear your mind of everything that worries you. Really concentrate on sensations and experiences again: observe the rough texture of a strawberry's skin as you touch it, and taste the sweet-sour juice as you bite into the fruit; when your partner strokes your hand, pay careful attention to the sensation on your skin; and learn to really focus on simple tasks while doing them, whether it's flowering plants or ironing your clothes.

21. The secret of stretching. When you stretch, ease your body into position until you feel the stretch and hold it for about 25 seconds. Breathe deeply to help your body move oxygen-rich blood to those sore muscles. Don't bounce or force yourself into an uncomfortable position.

22. Do your weights workout first. Experts say weight training should be done first, because it's a higher intensity exercise compared to cardio. Your body is better able to handle weight training early in the workout because you're fresh and you have the energy you need to work it. Conversely, cardiovascular exercise should be the last thing you do at the gym, because it helps your body recover by increasing blood flow to the muscles, and flushing out lactic acid, which builds up in the muscles while you're weight training. It’s the lactic acid that makes your muscles feel stiff and sore.

23. Burn fat during intervals. To improve your fitness quickly and lose weight, harness the joys of interval training. Set the treadmill or step machine on the interval programme, where your speed and workload varies from minute to minute. Build up gradually, every minute and return to the starting speed. Repeat this routine. Not only will it be less monotonous, but you can train for a shorter time and achieve greater results.

24. Your dirtiest foot forward. If your ankles, knees, and hips ache from running on pavement, head for the dirt. Soft trails or graded roads are a lot easier on your joints than the hard stuff. Also, dirt surfaces tend to be uneven, forcing you to slow down a bit and focus on where to put your feet – great for agility and concentration.

25. Burn the boredom, blast the lard. Rev up your metabolism by alternating your speed and intensity during aerobic workouts. Not only should you alternate your routine to prevent burnout or boredom, but to give your body a jolt. If you normally walk at 6.5km/h on the treadmill or take 15 minutes to walk a km, up the pace by going at 8km/h for a minute or so during your workout. Do this every five minutes or so. Each time you work out, increase your bouts of speed in small increments.

26. Cool off without a beer. Don’t eat carbohydrates for at least an hour after exercise. This will force your body to break down body fat, rather than using the food you ingest. Stick to fruit and fluids during that hour, but avoid beer.

27. ‘Okay, now do 100 of those’. Instead of flailing away at gym, enlist the help – even temporarily – of a personal trainer. Make sure you learn to breathe properly and to do the exercises the right way. You’ll get more of a workout while spending less time at the gym.

28. Stop fuming. Don’t smoke and if you smoke already, do everything in your power to quit. Don’t buy into that my-granny-smoked-and-lived-to-be-90 crud – not even the tobacco giants believe it. Apart from the well-known risks of heart disease and cancer, orthopaedic surgeons have found that smoking accelerates bone density loss and constricts blood flow. So you could live to be a 90-year-old amputee who smells of stale tobacco smoke. Unsexy.

29. Ask about Mad Aunt Edith. Find out your family history. You need to know if there are any inherited diseases prowling your gene pool. According to the Mayo Clinic, USA, finding out what your grandparents died of can provide useful – even lifesaving – information about what’s in store for you. And be candid, not coy: 25 percent of the children of alcoholics become alcoholics themselves.

30. Do self-checks. Do regular self-examinations of your breasts. Most partners are more than happy to help, not just because breast cancer is the most common cancer among SA women. The best time to examine your breasts is in the week after your period.

31. My smear campaign. Have a pap smear once a year. Not on our list of favourite things, but it’s vital. Cervical cancer kills 200 000 women a year and it’s the most prevalent form of cancer among black women, affecting more than 30 percent. But the chances of survival are nearly 100 percent if it’s detected early. Be particularly careful if you became sexually active at an early age, have had multiple sex partners or smoke.

32. Understand hormones. Recent research suggests that short-term (less than five years) use of HRT is not associated with an increase in the risk of breast cancer, but that using it for more than ten years might be. Breast cancer is detected earlier in women using HRT, as they are more alert to the disease than other women.

32. Beat the sneezes. There are more than 240 allergens, some rare and others very common. If you’re a sneezer due to pollen: close your car’s windows while driving, rather switch on the internal fan (drawing in air from the outside), and avoid being outdoors between 5am and 10 am when pollen counts are at their highest; stick to holidays in areas with low pollen counts, such as the seaside and stay away from freshly cut grass.

33. Doggone. If you’re allergic to your cat, dog, budgie or pet piglet, stop suffering the ravages of animal dander: Install an air filter in your home. Keep your pet outside as much as possible and brush him outside of the home to remove loose hair and other allergens. Better yet, ask someone else to do so.

34. Asthma-friendly sports. Swimming is the most asthma-friendly sport of all, but cycling, canoeing, fishing, sailing and walking are also good, according to the experts. Asthma need not hinder peak performance in sport. 11 percent of the US Olympic team were asthmatics – and between them they won 41 medals.

35. Deep heat. Sun rays can burn even through thick glass, and under water. Up to 35 percent of UVB rays and 85 percent of UVA rays penetrate thick glass, while 50 percent of UVB rays and 77 percent of UVA rays penetrate a meter of water and wet cotton clothing. Which means you’ll need sunscreen while driving your car on holiday, and water resistant block if you’re swimming.

36. Fragrant ageing. Stay away from perfumed or flavoured suntan lotions which smell of coconut oil or orange if you want your skin to stay young. These lotions contain psoralen, which speeds up the ageing process. Rather use a fake-tan lotion. Avoid sun beds, which are as bad as the sun itself.

37. Sunscreen can be a smokescreen. Sunscreen is unlikely to stop you from being sunburned, or to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer. That’s because most people don’t apply it properly, and stay in the sun too long. The solution? Slather on sunscreen daily and reapply it often, especially if you’ve been in the water. How much? At least enough to fill a shot glass.

38. Laugh and cry. Having a good sob is reputed to be good for you. So is laughter, which has been shown to help heal bodies, as well as broken hearts. Studies in Japan indicate that laughter boosts the immune system and helps the body shake off allergic reactions.

39. It ain’t over till it’s over. End relationships that no longer work for you, as you could be spending time in a dead end. Rather head for more meaningful things. You could be missing opportunities while you’re stuck in a meaningless rut, trying to breathe life into something that is long gone.

40. Strong people go for help. Ask for assistance. Gnashing your teeth in the dark will not get you extra brownie points. It is a sign of strength to ask for assistance and people will respect you for it. If there is a relationship problem, the one who refuses to go for help is usually the one with whom the problem lies to begin with.

41. Save steamy scenes for the bedroom. Showering or bathing in water that’s too hot will dry out your skin and cause it to age prematurely. Warm water is much better. Apply moisturiser while your skin is still damp – it’ll be absorbed more easily. Adding a little olive oil to your bath with help keep your skin moisturised too.

42. Here’s the rub. Improve your circulation and help your lymph glands to drain by the way you towel off. Helping your lymph glands function can help prevent them becoming infected. When drying off your limbs and torso, brush towards the groin on your legs and towards the armpits on your upper body. You can do the same during gentle massage with your partner.

43. Sugar-coated. More than three million South Africans suffer from type 2 diabetes, and the incidence is increasing – with new patients getting younger. New studies show this type of diabetes is often part of a metabolic syndrome (X Syndrome), which includes high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease. More than 80 percent of type 2 diabetics die of heart disease, so make sure you control your glucose levels, and watch your blood pressure and cholesterol counts.

44. Relax, it’s only sex. Stress and sex make bad bedfellows, it seems. A US survey showed that stress, kids and work are main factors to dampen libido. With the advent of technology that allows us to work from home, the lines between our jobs and our personal lives have become blurred. People work longer hours, commutes are longer and work pervades all aspects of our lives, including our sexual relationships. Put nooky and intimacy on the agenda, just like everything else.

45. Good night, sweetheart. Rest heals the body and has been shown to lessen the risk of heart trouble and psychological problems.

Your Weight and Diabetes

2009-01-17T10:40:00.000-08:00

What is diabetes?

Over seventeen million Americans (6.2% of the population) have diabetes. Almost 6 million Americans are unaware they have the disease. There are two main types of diabetes. Both types are caused by problems in how a hormone called insulin (that helps regulate blood sugar) works. Type 1 diabetes most often appears in childhood or adolescence and causes high blood sugar when your body can't make enough insulin. Over 90% of all diabetes cases are what we call type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is usually diagnosed after age forty; however it is now being found in all ages including children and adolescents. Type 2 diabetes is linked to obesity and physical inactivity. In this form of diabetes your body makes insulin but can't use its insulin properly. At first, your body overproduces insulin to keep blood sugar normal, but over time this causes your body to lose its ability to produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels in the normal healthy range. The result is sugar rises in your blood to high levels. Over a long period of time, high blood sugar levels and diabetes can cause heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, leg and foot amputations, and pregnancy complications. Diabetes can be a deadly disease: over 200,000 people die each year of diabetes related complications.

How does my weight relate to type 2 diabetes?

Carrying extra body weight and body fat go hand and hand with the development of type 2 diabetes. People who are overweight are at much greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than normal weight individuals. Being overweight puts added pressure on the body's ability to properly control blood sugar using insulin and therefore makes it much more likely for you to develop diabetes. Almost 90% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. The number of diabetes cases among American adults jumped by a third during the 1990s, and more increases are expected. This rapid increase in diabetes is due to the growing prevalence of obesity and extra weight in the United States population.

What can you do to prevent diabetes?

The good news is type 2 diabetes is largely preventable. Research studies have found that lifestyle changes and small amounts of weight loss in the range of 5-10% can prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes among high-risk adults. Lifestyle interventions including diet and moderate-intensity physical activity (such as walking for 150 minutes per week) were used in these research studies to produce small amounts of weight loss. The development of diabetes was reduced 40% to 60% during these studies that lasted 3 to 6 years. Preventing weight gain, increasing activity levels and working toward small amounts of weight loss if you are overweight can have a big impact on the likelihood that you will develop diabetes in the future. Managing your weight is the best thing you can do to prevent the development of diabetes.

What can you do if you already have diabetes?

You can have a positive influence on your blood sugar and your overall health by choosing foods wisely, exercising regularly, reducing your stress level, and making modest lifestyle changes. Small amounts of weight loss (losing 10 pounds or more) can also have a big effect on how easily you can keep your blood sugar in the healthy range and can help prevent the complication of diabetes. Small amounts of weight reduction can decrease the amount of medication you need to keep your blood sugar in the healthy range. Overall better nutrition, physical activity, and control of blood glucose levels can delay the progression of diabetes and prevent complications.

The Practical Guide: Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults

2009-01-17T10:08:00.000-08:00

This guide was developed in cooperation with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). It is based on the Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults: Evidence Report developed by the NHLBI Expert Panel and released in June 1998. The panel used an evidence-based methodology to develop key recommendations for assessing and treating overweight and obese patients. The goal of the guide is to provide the tools you need to effectively manage your overweight and obese adult patients. 78 pages.

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Exercise to survive

2009-01-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

Physical activity reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence and mortality, says breast cancer surgeon Carolyn M. Kaelin, MD, MPH.

Stretching can improve range of motion, flexibility and posture; strength training can fight osteoporosis and sarcopenia (i.e., muscle deterioration) that result from chemotherapy and aerobic therapy helps limit the weight gain that often occurs during chemotherapy.

"Both chemotherapy and surgery have profound impacts on the body," says Kaelin. Since treatments and their effects vary, each patient should receive a customized program for health and fitness.

For instance, "after breast reconstruction following a mastectomy, certain motions may be challenging or impossible to perform, so stretching and strength training need to be personalized to reflect how the body has changed," explains Kaelin.

For those who have not previously exercised or are fatigued by treatment, Kaelin prescribes a three-part program, including walking with a pedometer to count daily accumulated steps, stretching to regain shoulder range-of-motion and comfortable upright posture and light strength training to avoid muscle deterioration.

Breast cancer survivors who exercise together are often more successful in maintaining their program long term, she notes.

"The exercise objective is to improve your overall health--reducing breast cancer recurrence, maintaining a healthy weight, keeping the heart fit--so you are stronger from the day of your diagnosis forward," explains Kaelin.