Healthy Digest

Cold Weather Causing a Runny Nose?

2009-11-04T00:52:00.000+08:00

It Isn't Allergies!

As the weather starts to turn cold and crisp around the country, people are packing their pockets with tissues to combat their runny noses. With outdoor time of year, noses tend to run, and run, and run. But this usually isn't due to allergies -- but caused by a form of non-allergic rhinitis called vasomotor rhinitis.

Vasomotor rhinitis may result in a runny nose, post-nasal drip and/or nasal congestion. It is caused by a number of triggers, including temperature changes, changes in weather and humidity, as well as strong odors, perfumes and smoke. Since vasomotor rhinitis doesn't get better with antihistamines, people with this syndrome tend to suffer. There are prescription medications available to treat vasomotor rhinitis -- nasal steroids, Astelin (a nasal antihistamine) and Atrovent Nasal (a nasal anti-cholinergic) can be of tremendous benefit.

Swine Flu: Keep Things in Perspective, People!!!

2009-04-30T20:11:00.001+08:00

Swine flu is all over the news now. People are rethinking or canceling travel plans, buying face masks, avoiding pork, and really getting paranoid!

Let's put things into perspective, shall we?

Today, the CDC reported 64 cases in the US. Sounds alarming, right? Not if you look at the big picture of influenza in this country.

Let's take a look at the statistics of seasonal influenza in the United States:

* According to the CDC report of seasonal flu, nearly 25,000 throat cultures from patients tested positive for seasonal influenza this past flu season (September 28, 2008 - April 4, 2009). Again, I emphasize, these were cases of seasonal flu, not swine flu.

* Within the seasonal influenza population, 55 children died of seasonal flu. No one in the US has died from swine flu.

* Hospitalizations? During the 2008-2009 flu season, approximately 6 of every 10,000 people were hospitalized for laboratory-confirmed seasonal flu. Compare that with a single hospitalized swine flu patient in the US.

Looks like the seasonal flu wreaked more havoc than the current swine flu outbreak. And comparing the numbers with previous years, this year's seasonal flu was worse in terms of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

Let's take a look at why people are getting paranoid. First, the numbers of swine flu are increasing daily. While this may seem alarming, the current number of cases in the US is tiny, if you look at the big picture. With a US population of over 300 million, that means that currently 0.00002% of the population is infected.

Second, young adults in Mexico are dying. As frightening as this sounds, keep in mind that reports are showing that many of these individuals sought medical care during late stages of disease, when treatment options become more limited. In addition, as I've mentioned in earlier blogs, many parts of Mexico have poor nutrition, poor health care, and poor air quality, all of which will contribute to more severe illness.

Third, people are nervous because the seasonal flu vaccine is not effective against swine flu. Tell the truth, how many of you really got the flu shot this year? A recent report from the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine showed that only 20% of children under 2 and 30%-36% of adults got the flu vaccine in 2007. So even though the vaccine is safe, effective, and readily available for preventing a disease with apparently worse prognosis than swine flu, most people are not getting it.

Fourth, pork and pork products? You have to understand how the influenza virus causes disease in order to know that you can't get it by eating pork. Influenza is a respiratory infection, which means the virus attaches to cells in your respiratory tract. Eating pork will not cause swine flu, since the virus (which, incidentally, is inactivated by cooking) won't be able to get to your respiratory tract through food consumption. It is spread by inhalation of aerosolized droplets when people cough or by, say, picking your nose after touching something contaminated with the virus.

Travel advisories? Well, let's just say I'm not planning to go to Mexico anytime soon.

Swine Flu: When SHOULD You Panic?!?

2009-04-30T19:19:00.002+08:00

It's hard to deny the growing frenzy accompanying the growing number of cases of swine flu being reported in the U.S. and Mexico each day. According to today's WHO (World Health Organization) update, there are now 40 confirmed cases in the U.S., 6 in Canada, 1 in Spain, and 26 in Mexico. Seven deaths due to confirmed swine flu have occurred in Mexico, but none elsewhere. The director-general of the WHO has raised the pandemic alert from Level 3 to Level 4.

The big question on everyone's mind is when to start worrying.

The WHO defines a pandemic (or global disease outbreak) based on three conditions:

1. The virus has to infect and cause serious illness in humans.

So far, the confirmed cases in the U.S., Canada, and Spain have been mild, with only one individual requiring hospitalization. All sickened people in the U.S. have recovered, according to a press briefing from the CDC today. In Mexico, where at least seven swine flu-associated deaths have occurred and up to 149 suspected, many of the deaths occurred in people who waited until the late stages of disease before seeking medical attention. In addition, more fatalities may be occuring in parts of Mexico that have poor nutrition levels, poor air quality, and limited access to health care.

2. Humans will not have immunity against the virus.

Unfortunately, this condition has been met because this strain of swine flu virus is a new one to which most people do not have immunity. However, efforts to develop and produce a swine flu vaccine are undoubtedly underway and represent a feasible achievement in the coming months.

3. The virus has to spread easily from person-to-person and be able to survive within humans.

Whether or not the current swine flu virus spreads easily from person-to-person is still being evaluated. The vast majority of cases appear to be spread from person-to-person, since most or the infected Americans have not been in contact with pigs in whom the virus is normally harbored. However, whether the disease is spread "easily" or requires other elements has not been determined yet.

So what does this all mean? In short, pandemic condition #2 has been met, #3 has likely been met, and the jury is still out on #1.

Yikes! Sound scary? But, wait...

If the situation turns into a pandemic, should you panic? Absolutely not. If a pandemic should occur, Americans are well educated and well informed enough to know how to handle the situation. We have resources through radio, television, and the internet to keep us updated on symptoms to watch out for and treatment options that are available. We know where local outbreaks are happening, and when to seek medical advice. These resources were either unavailable or far less sophisticated during past influenza epidemics. (Believe it or not, there was no internet during the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918. We've come a long way...)

To sum it up, stay tuned and stay informed.

Swine Flu Update: Reasons Not to Panic... Yet!!!

2009-04-30T19:07:00.001+08:00

The potential swine flu pandemic has been on everyone's minds, as the number of cases has been increasing daily.

However, while there is potential for the sporadic number of cases to turn into a worldwide pandemic (global outbreak), there is little reason for Americans to panic... just yet.

First, earlier news reports may be misleading with regards to the actual number of cases of swine flu in Mexico. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the ~800 cases are actually pneumonia, of which only 18 cases have been confirmed as swine flu. In fact, while the high number of flu-like cases may appear alarming, one news story indicated that the Mexican government did not find the numbers of cases to be unusual, compared with previous years. In a press conference with the WHO, Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan discussed a need to answer critical questions, "for example, how many of the 800 plus cases of severe pneumonia requiring hospitalization are indeed caused by this new virus, or other causes."

Secondly, no deaths from swine flu have occurred in the U.S. As of today, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reported that there are now 20 confirmed human cases of swine flu i n the U.S. (8 in New York, 7 in California, 2 in Kansas, 2 in Texas, and 1 in Ohio), none of which have resulted in death. Canada has also reported 6 cases, all of which have been mild.

Third, this strain of influenza is susceptible to antiviral drugs oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), which are both FDA-approved drugs that reduce the duration of disease.

Fourth, the WHO has not restricted travel or trade because of swine flu. They and the CDC are increasing surveillance over the situation, having declared the current event as a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern". But at the same time, they have stated that "it is too premature at this stage to make those announcements [of border closures and travel advisories] without, first and foremost having a better analysis." In fact, the WHO regularly follows global influenza outbreaks and has an established pandemic preparedness action plan in the event of a real swine flu pandemic.

Finally, while the current flu vaccine does not protect against the current outbreak strain of swine flu, development and production of a new effective vaccine is achievable, although it could take months to produce enough to meet global demands.

Why is the disease wreaking more havoc in Mexico? Well, keep in mind that the vast majority of cases have not been confirmed as swine flu. In addition, parts of Mexico have poor nutrition levels, poor air quality, and poor access to health care, according to one report.

In short, stay on the lookout for symptoms of flu in yourself and your loved ones, and contact your health care provider if you suspect the flu. Continue to practice good hygiene (washing hands frequently, covering your mouth when you cough, etc.). And keep reading the news. But don't panic... yet!!!

Swine Flu

2009-04-30T18:55:00.003+08:00

Influenza Basics

Swine influenza or swine flu is a type of flu that normally only affects pigs.

That pigs can get the flu shouldn't be too surprising to people, as there have been many reports in recent years about the bird flu (Avian Influenza), another type of flu virus that affects birds.

Although both types of flu have long caused outbreaks in animals, the main problem occurs when these flu viruses infect humans. This was highlighted by a swine flu outbreak in Fort Dix, New Jersey in 1976, in which at least four soldiers got sick and one died, and the more devastating bird flu outbreaks that have killed hundreds of people worldwide.

Swine Flu

Swine flu is actually very common in pigs. And surprisingly, many things about swine flu are the same as the human flu, including that:

* pigs can get a swine flu vaccine
* swine flu outbreaks usually occur among pigs in the late fall and winter, just like our flu season
* swine flu symptoms in pigs can include the sudden onset of fever, coughing, running nose, sneezing, trouble breathing, and not wanting to eat

Fortunately, especially as we have enough to worry about with our own flu viruses, humans do not usually get swine flu. Occasionally they do however, especially children and adults who have close contact with pigs. In fact, the CDC usually reports one or two human cases of swine flu each year.
Swine Flu Symptoms

Swine flu symptoms in humans are the same as regular flu symptoms, and include fever, coughing, decreased appetite, and decreased energy.

2009 Swine Flu Cases

Unlike most years, in which just one or two cases of human swine flu were reported in the United States, at least 40 cases of swine flu in humans were reported as of April 27, 2009 -- the date the CDC declared the issue a public health emergency.

As new cases are being reported daily on swine flu maps.

Although this is surprising news, it does not seem to be a cause for alarm. Flu season is mostly over in the United States now, so we shouldn't see many more seasonal flu cases and hopefully won't see widespread swine flu cases.

It is also important to keep in mind that unlike the bird flu, which has an almost 60% fatality rate, there haven't been many reported deaths from human swine flu this year. Of the two cases we know the most about, the two children in San Diego County, California, it was only discovered that they had human swine flu because they went to doctors that were participating in clinical studies. Since they both 'recovered uneventfully,' it makes you wonder if anyone would have known that they had swine flu if not for the clinical study. It is not like they were so sick that the CDC was called in to investigate their illness.

One concerning thing about these cases is that it is not thought that either child had direct exposure to pigs, which raised the possibility that you could get swine flu from another human. And as swine flu cases increased in the United States, person-to-person spread was confirmed.

For now, while experts continue to investigate the current human swine flu cases, parents should simply call their doctor if their kids have flu symptoms, especially if they live in an area where swine flu cases are already being reported.

It isn't yet known if the human swine flu cases in Texas and California are linked to suspected human swine flu cases in Mexico, which may have caused 60 deaths since March.

What You Need To Know

* You can not catch swine flu by eating pork or pork products.

* Swine flu is a type A flu virus with four subtypes, including H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, and H3N1. In contrast, bird flu is an H5N1 influenza A virus.

* Antiviral flu drugs, like Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir), are available to treat swine flu in humans, although swine flu is usually resistant to Flumadine (rimantadine) and Symmetrel (amantadine).

* The 1918 Flu Pandemic that may have killed 30 to 50 million people was once thought to be caused by a swine flu, but recent research has found that it was really a severe strain of bird flu.

Should You Fear Swine Flu?

2009-04-30T18:42:00.003+08:00

Are you afraid of swine flu? Would you like to share your fears or questions with others?

With increasing numbers of deaths in Mexico, and more incidents of possible swine flu being identified across the United States, Canada, Spain, New Zealand and other parts of the world, we seem to have no control over this advancing disease, possibly pandemic, giving us reason to fear it. But should we really fear the swine flu?

No. Fear is unnecessary. But a healthy respect is definitely called for.

A "Public Health Emergency"

It does sound frightening -- those words -- "Public Health Emergency." And calling swine flu a public health emergency most definitely gets our attention.

Behind those words, though, is the fact that the actual declaration is really a vehicle for making money available and suggesting that local governments begin using their predetermined plans for managing public health problems. It doesn't mean there is a crisis.

Let those words remind you to take precautions yourself. But don't be afraid of them.

Flu is Flu

Swine flu is one more strain of flu. It sounds really scary because it originally came from pigs, and that creates some mystery around it. It also sounds scary because we don't have any vaccine to protect those who are most vulnerable.

But it behaves like other flus. We catch it the same way, and we can protect ourselves the same ways. We can make choices to protect ourselves and our families.

Do you fear the seasonal flu? Probably not. And this flu is really no more frightening than seasonal flu. In fact, to date, no deaths have occurred outside Mexico, whereas thousands die each year from seasonal flu.

Pandemic Describes Geography Only

We hear the word "pandemic" used by the media and that reminds us of history class in high school. It sounds like it means millions of people might die. But that's not what it means at all!

Pandemic simply means it is found large groups of people in many countries around the world. Pan comes from Latin and Greek meaning across or around. Demos means populations or people. Pan-demic. Geography and demographics. Not deaths.

What About Those Face Masks?

When I see those masks on the people on TV, it reminds me of SARS and bird flu in China a few years ago. Again, that was scary because so many of the people who contracted those diseases did die.

Masks just keep the wearers from inhaling the water droplets that might be breathed out by someone who has the flu bug. Or when worn by someone who has any upper respiratory disease, they may contain some of the spread of that illness. They aren't a bad idea, but they don't indicate that the flu is any more dangerous than any normal flu. Thousands of people die of seasonal flu each year, but we don't all wear masks.

Why Does It Seem Like We are Unprepared?

Another reason some fear the swine flu is because, unlike seasonal flu, we don't have vaccines available, people are still traveling, and we seem unprepared to stop it.

Again, this fear is unwarranted. Thousands of strains of viruses could potentially cause flu. We have no way of creating vaccines for all of them, nor would anyone ever be willing to be vaccinated against them all.

We do have two drugs available to help with symptoms, which the CDC tells us is in plentiful supply. Relenza and Tamiflu, both of which are used during seasonal flu seasons each year, are also useful for helping swine flu patients, too.

Put Your Fear Efforts Into Protection Efforts Instead

Fear takes a lot of energy. It makes much more sense to put our efforts into protecting ourselves and our loved ones, and protection is not difficult.

There are travel considerations, and prevention steps like hand washing.

If you have upper-respiratory symptoms like coughing or congestion, stay home from work or school so you won't pass the germs to someone else. They may not even be flu! But there is no sense in taking chances, plus rest is an important way to fight those germs.

Most of all, like any empowered patient, informing yourself about the facts is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Health Line: Stress and Your Weight

2009-04-20T00:30:00.001+08:00

In case you missed it, an interesting study was published last week that looked at four different diets. Dr. George Bray put participants on either a high or low fat, protein or carbohydrate diet, and followed them for two years. Interestingly, they all lost weight (and kept it off!) at roughly equal rated--the key was calorie restriction! Participants also experienced roughly equal levels of hunger, fullness, cravings and diet satisfaction. This goes to prove that good old conventional wisdom--that if you just eat less or burn off more, you'll lose weight--is pretty much correct! (Okay, it's a little more complex than that: participants also got diet counseling 2-3 times per month, participated in moderate exercise for 90 minutes a week, and stuck to diets that were matched with their lifestyles calorie-wise. They lost an average of 13 pounds after 6 months, and had kept off 9 of those pounds at the 2-year mark.)

The results of this study are encouraging to those who want to lose weight. It means that you can choose a diet that fits your tastes and lifestyle, and put in a decent-but-not-too-intense level of effort with exercise, and find success. As Dr. Bray puts it in a press release, “The good news here, is people who need to lose weight can be flexible to choose an approach that they’re most likely to sustain—one that is most suited to their personal preferences and health needs.”

The results also bring up an important point: that stress cravings can still throw off a diet, and steps must be taken to avoid this, if you're looking to lose weight and stay fit. That's because when we're stressed, many of us eat more sweets and high-calorie food; indeed, we often simply eat more food than we normally would: we eat when we're not hungry, we eat to fill a void, we eat to feel better.

With so much free-floating stress these days, what can be done to keep stress from sabotaging a diet? Here are some resources to help you get a handle on your eating--even when you're feeling stressed!

Nutrition Bits: Healthy Snacks for Kids

2009-04-16T00:27:00.000+08:00

Child Nutrition Basics

In addition to their three regular meals, kids often get quite a few calories from the snacks they eat throughout the day.

Unfortunately, for too many kids, that means a lot of extra calories, sugar, and fat. In addition to increasing the risks of childhood obesity, snacks that aren't healthy can put your kids at risk for cavities, especially if they are eating sticky foods like fruit snacks or candy.

Snacks can be a good part of your child's diet, though, including low-calorie snacks and low-fat snacks like fresh fruit.

Healthy Snacks

In addition to fresh fruit, which are often high in fiber and vitamin C, low in fat, and have no added sugar, other healthy snacks that are quick and easy for kids to eat can include:

* fresh fruit, such as apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, strawberries, watermelon, etc.
* dried fruits, including raisins and prunes, although these are considered sticky foods that can put kids at increased risk for cavities, so consider having your kids brush and floss after eating
* fruit cups or canned fruit in water, 100% fruit juice or light syrup
* raw vegetables, including carrots, celery, or broccoli, that can be served with a low-fat dip or dressing
* dairy products, such as low-fat cheese, yogurt, and pudding, or a homemade fruit smoothie
* whole grain snacks, which can include some breakfast cereals, crackers, cereal bars, baked chips, and popcorn (without added butter), or pretzels
* popsicles made with 100% fruit juice

Although not low in fat or calories, nuts and trail mix can also be considered a healthy snack from if a child is only given a single serving and it is not eaten on a daily basis.

What your child has to drink when he snacks can also be important. Many kids drink juice, tea, soda, or fruit drinks when they have their daily snack, which can greatly increase the amount of calories they are getting at snack time. Instead, limit your child to drinking water, low-fat or fat-free milk, and 100% fruit juice.

Unhealthy Snacks Habits

In addition to getting snacks with a lot of sugar and fat, getting too many snacks or snack serving sizes that are simply too large are habits that are unhealthy for kids.

You can avoid most unhealthy snack habits by:

* not letting your kids eat unhealthy snacks, including high-fat snacks and high-calorie snacks, except as an occasional treat. These can include cookies, chips, candy, doughnuts, fruit drinks, soda, etc.
* having a regular snack time for your kids -- usually late morning and early afternoon for toddlers and preschoolers and just after-school for older kids. Keep in mind that most kids shouldn't need a bedtime snack though.
* having nutritious snacks handy and ready for your kids to eat
* limiting snacks to just 100 to 150 calorie servings so that they don't turn into an extra meal
* not allowing snacks to be too close to lunch or dinner

If you do nothing else, at least monitor the serving size of your child's snacks, especially if you give your child prepackaged snack foods. For example, if your child's after-school snack consists of Oreo cookies, keep in mind that it takes just three Oreos to 160 calories and a lot of extra fat and sugar in his diet. And if he eats six or nine Oreo cookies, that quickly adds up to an extra meal -- and not a very healthy meal, either.

Nutrition Bits: The Cheapest Fruits and Vegetables Month-By-Month

2009-04-13T00:23:00.001+08:00

An easy way to save on fruits and vegetables is to buy what's in season. Here's a guide to help you identify the best produce deals month-by-month:

January
oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, tangelos, lemons, papayas, cabbages: red, white and green; leeks, broccoli, cauliflower

February
oranges, tangelos, grapefruit, lemons, papayas, broccoli, cauliflower

March
pineapples, mangoes, broccoli, lettuce

April
pineapples, mangoes, zucchini, rhubarb, artichokes, asparagus, spring peas, broccoli, lettuce

May
cherries, pineapples, apricots, okra, zucchini, rhubarb, artichokes, asparagus, spring peas, broccoli, lettuce

June
watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, cherries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, corn, lettuce

July
watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches, apricots, kiwi, raspberries, plums, cucumbers, tomatoes, summer squash, corn, green beans, lettuce

August
watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches, apricots, kiwi, raspberries, plums, cucumbers, corn, eggplant, tomatoes, summer squash, green beans, lettuce

September
grapes, pomegranates, persimmons, eggplants, pumpkins, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce

October
cranberries, apples, pomegranates, grapes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, winter squash, broccoli, spinach, lettuce

November
cranberries, oranges, tangerines, pears, pomegranates, persimmons, pumpkins, winter squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach

December
pears, oranges, tangelos, grape fruit, tangerines, papayas, pomegranates, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower

Always a Good Deal
bananas, potatoes, celery

Nutrition Bits: Healthy Foods Instead of a Diet

2009-04-09T00:17:00.000+08:00

Choose Healthy Foods to Fit your Lifestyle

Healthy Foods for a Healthy Lifestyle
There are several fad diets that will lead to successful weight loss if you follow them exactly as they are designed. That doesn't mean every food that fits into a diet is a healthy food, but it does mean you have to change your eating patterns to fit the diet's rules.

Rather than worry about following a fad diet, think about your health and your lifestyle instead. Start by learning which foods are good for you.

Healthy Foods to Eat

The closer a food is to its natural state, the better it is for you. Fresh fruits and berries are great and will satisfy a craving for sweets. Whole vegetables have lots of vitamins and minerals, so eat more green, orange and yellow vegetables. Steam them to retain the most nutritional value and be careful with sauces, they may be high in calories and fats that aren't good for you.

Any pasta or baked goods should be made from whole grains. Avoid sugary snacks and pastries as well. An apple is good for you, an apple pie really isn't.

Shop for lean meats and don't forget the fish. The omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in ocean fish are often deficient in our diets, so serve seafood two or three times per week. Baked fish and chicken are healthier than fried, and lean meats like bison or venison may be healthier than higher fat beef.

Processed lunch meats, hot dogs, bacon, and sausages have a lot of saturated fat and nitrates in them you don't want in your body. If you love these meats, you can find healthier versions sold at health food stores.

Remember to eat a variety of foods to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy.

Stick to water, milk and 100% fruit and vegetable juices as your main beverages and limit sugary soft drinks. If you get tired of plain water, add a slice of lemon or lime to add a touch of flavor. For kids, try some fruit juice jazzed up with carbonated water.

Unhealthy Foods

* Battered and deep fried foods
* Sugary sodas
* Processed lunch meats
* Greasy snack chips
* White bread and refined pasta
* Most canned spaghetti and ravioli
* Sugary breakfast cereals
* Frozen fried chicken, fish sticks and corn dogs

Healthy Foods

* Green and brightly colored vegetables
* Dark leafy greens and lettuce
* Fresh fruits and berries
* Lean turkey and chicken
* Nuts, dried fruits and healthy snacks
* Whole grain breads and pasta
* Healthy cooking oils like canola and olive oils
* Grass fed beef and bison
* Cold water oily ocean fish
* Low fat milk or soy beverages
* Nuts, seeds, and legumes

Assess Your Lifestyle

Once you learn which foods are good for you, you need to look at your eating habits. If the foods you eat are not healthy, you might want to work within your habits and current lifestyle conditions, since they are usually tough to change. Consider these questions, then read on for tips to help you add healthy foods:

* Do you eat because you are bored, sad, or happy?
* Do you snack in front of the TV without even giving it much thought?
* Are most of your meals eaten at home or in restaurants?
* How often do you eat fast food?
* Do you like to cook?
* How often do you grocery shop?
* Do you skip breakfast or lunch, then overeat later in the day?
* How big are the portions you consume?
* Do you crave sweets?
* Are there foods you won't give up?

Healthy Foods for Snackers

If you are an emotional eater, keep the junk food like potato chips, tortilla chips, ice cream, and candy out of the house. Keep healthy snacks like fruits, crunchy vegetables with dips, or nuts handy. If you absolutely feel the need for a treat, then purchase a small piece of high quality chocolate or your favorite treat and enjoy it, just don't buy any to bring home.

The same tips are helpful for those who enjoy TV snacking at home. If you don't want to give up nibbling while watching your shows, keep low calorie foods close by, because it is very easy to eat too much when you are entranced by your favorite drama, football game or cooking show. Eat crisp raw vegetables with your dip instead of greasy chips.

Healthy Foods When Eating Out

It is difficult to maintain good health if you eat out a lot. Those salads might not be as appealing as a greasy cheeseburger and fries. Restaurants frequently serve huge portions of food too, much more than you need. If you can't hold your resolve to stick to the salads, compromise; pick out an appetizer that you love, combine it with a salad or a cup of soup, and skip the larger entrees. You can also share a meal or take half of it home. You could die for dessert? Order as small a size as possible, or maybe just one scoop of ice cream, rather than a larger, heavier dessert. Try a dish of mixed berries topped with nuts and a small bit of whipped cream. Be careful with the after-dinner drinks as well. Maybe just have one glass of wine with your meal.

If you eat a lot of fast food, you have found out how difficult it is to feel good and stay healthy. Some places have added salads and some better choices, but it really isn't a good way to eat. Keep fast food dining to a minimum, don't go with the super sizes and choose places that offer more fresh ingredients.

Eating Healthy Foods at Home

If you hate to cook, all that fresh produce you bought may just rot in your refrigerator. You might prefer to purchase prepared foods from markets that specialize in healthier whole foods, or even hire a personal chef to prepare meals that only need to be heated and served. If you have a tighter budget, perhaps you can set aside some time on weekends to prepare meals and freeze them to be reheated later that week.

It is important to be prepared if you are going to eat good foods at home and not run out for fast food when you don't feel like cooking. Unfortunately, grocery shopping can be very tedious. Set aside enough time to do your shopping for a few days' worth of healthy food and ingredients. Make a list and stick to it. Don't go shopping when you are hungry, and once you are at the store, stay away from the junk and the processed food aisles. Buy lots of fresh produce and choose lean meats and fish. Stay away from processed meats, fake cheese products, processed boxed and canned meals and avoid the snack aisle. Better yet, shop for organic products whenever possible. If you have no choice but to shop infrequently, choose frozen fruits and vegetables over canned, as they may retain more of their nutrients and don't have the extra sodium.

Don't Skip Meals

If you skip breakfast, you may find that you lose energy by midmorning. Rather than skipping breakfast completely, split it in half. Eat a small breakfast early, such as an egg, small serving of oatmeal, or a slice of whole grain bread. Have a small snack on hand such as raisins and 10 or 12 almonds to eat at midmorning. This split breakfast is a much better solution than reaching for coffee and candy bars to perk yourself up.

Control Portion Size

Our stomachs really aren't that big. Without stretching, the stomach will hold about two cups of food, but because the stomach will stretch, it can hold considerably more food than we need at any given meal.

When you eat at home, serve your meals already dished up on individual plates rather than family style at the table. You will be less likely to reach for "seconds" that way. At restaurants, ask for "take home" containers and take half of your meal home to heat up tomorrow. Avoid buffets, unless you are very disciplined. It is way too tempting to load up three or four plates plus dessert.

Tame Your Sweet Tooth

Curb your cravings for sweets with fruits and stay away from sugary snacks and pastries. These treats have lots of calories and can be loaded with unhealthy fats. If the fruits and berries aren't sweet enough for you, add just a bit of Splenda, stevia or even a tiny sprinkling of sugar. Avoid sugary sodas and try iced herbal teas or ice water with Splenda, and a slice of lemon or lime
.
Things You Won't Give Up

Do you feel like you can't live without your chocolate? If there are foods you won't give up, enjoy them in smaller amounts. Buy one tiny high quality piece of candy and enjoy it, but don't buy a bag full of snacks to take with you. Limit other treats or favorite foods that aren't healthy, maybe let yourself eat them one time per month, or search for healthier versions at natural foods markets.

Rome Wasn't Built in a Day

If you can't transform your unhealthy diet overnight, don't despair. Most people can't. Start implementing some of these ideas, even just one at a time. Every change you make will be one step in the right direction.

Antibacterial Soaps - Good or Bad?

2009-04-06T00:49:00.000+08:00

Antibacterial soaps are everywhere these days. It seems like every other commercial on TV is advertising soap or a cleaner that "kills 99.9% of germs." It sounds great. Who wouldn't want to have cleaner hands and countertops, right? I know I don't particularly want nasty bacteria and viruses crawling all over my house and my kids. After all, that's how you get sick.

Current Status

There is increasing concern that all these great antibacterial products may actually be contributing to the resistance of bacteria to medications that we currently use to kill them.

For example, there is a type of bacteria called Staphylococcus Aureus (S. aureus for short). The medications most commonly used to kill this infection are penicillins. But recently, a new strain of S. aureus has developed that is resistant to the penicillin class of antibiotics. It is called methicillin-resistant S. aureus, or MRSA. MRSA is a nasty bug that is very hard to treat. It used to be most common in hospitals, but in recent years has shown up in the community. And MRSA is just one in a long list of bacteria that have recently become resistant to the drugs that we have.

Background

Because of the growing problem with MRSA and other resistant bacteria, researchers have been trying to figure out what can be done about it. A study was conducted to test the theory that antibacterial soaps may lead to some of this bacterial resistance. In the study, researchers provided some households with soaps and cleaners that contained antibacterial agents with 0.2% triclosan and others with the same soaps and cleaners that did not contain any antibacterial agents. Cultures were taken from participant's hands before the study and after one year.

Case For

The researchers did not find any significant difference between the two groups. However, they did acknowledge that one year may not have been long enough to study the effects of the antibacterial agents and that their participants could have been more diverse.

Essentially, the researchers concluded that antibacterial soaps and cleaners did not necessarily cause bacteria to become resistant.

Case Against

Antibacterial soaps and cleaners do not provide any benefits over regular soaps and cleaners.

A more comprehensive and longer study is needed to determine whether or not there is a significant link between antibacterial agents and drug resistant bacteria in the community.

Only antibacterial agents containing 0.2% triclosan were studied, not soaps and cleaners containing other active antibacterial ingredients.

Where it Stands

* Antibacterial soaps and cleaners provide no greater benefit than regular soaps and cleaners.
* Antibacterial soap and cleaners (with 0.2% triclosan) do not necessarily contribute to drug resistance.
* More research is needed to come to any definite conclusions about the risks or benefits of antibacterial products.

Stress Management: Individualized Stress Relief for Better Health

2009-04-02T00:38:00.000+08:00

How Is Stress Affecting You? Find Stress Relief That Works!

We all experience stress differently, so it follows that stress relief may require a different approach for different people. Here's what you need to know about how stress can affect you, and what goes into our stress relief needs:

Not All Stress is Bad
With all the press that stress is getting these days, it’s easy to think of it as something to be categorically avoided and eliminated from life. Interestingly, though, there are different types of stress, and not all are necessarily bad for you—in fact, some stress is not only positive, but vital for healthy functioning. Eustress, for example, is a positive type of stress that leads to feelings of excitement and exhilaration. Without it, life would be extremely dull and depression would be rampant, so relief form all stress isn't the best goal.

Chronic stress, however, results from the body remaining in an almost constant state of reactivity where the fight-or-flight response—the body’s way of gearing up for a showdown or quick getaway—remains triggered continuously. This is the type of stress that makes headlines, and has earned the bad press it’s gotten. Chronic stress can affect your body in many serious ways, such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

What Are Some Common Stress Symptoms?
Because stress can impact your immune system, anything from a cold to a heart attack can be a sign that you need to de-stress. However, there are some common symptoms of stress:

* Headaches
* High Blood Pressure
* Low Libido
* Emotional Eating
* Burnout
* Memory Lapses and "Fuzzy Thinking"
* Sleep Problems

For a more thorough examination of your stress symptoms, along with information targeted toward your specific symptoms, use the Stress Symptom Tool .

Some Types of People Have Greater Needs for Stress Relief
Just as there are different types of stress, there are different types of people, and some are more reactive to stress than others. Because the body’s stress response is triggered by perceived threat (rather than actual threat), and the body’s ability to return to homeostasis, or its normal state, also varies from person to person, with some people calming down immediately and others remaining overstimulated for hours after a stress trigger. Certain personality types also tend to bring on more stress, and respond to stressful situations less effectively, such as perfectionists or those who are 'Type A'. For more information, see these personality features that are more stress-reactive, and see where you fit on the spectrum.

Stress Relief Comes In Several Forms
So all of these variables add complexity to the question of whether an individual is experiencing an unhealthy level of stress or just enjoying an exciting life. Certain lifestyle factors and attitudes can be telling indicators, however.

Fitness: 10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Skip Your Workout

2009-03-30T00:30:00.002+08:00

Don't Give Up Just Yet!

Deciding to exercise sometime in the future is easy. In fact, you often make that decision when you’re rested, energetic and motivated. What happens when the time comes to actually do it? You may hear a little voice in your head saying, “I’m so tired and I’d much rather sleep in than exercise. Um, maybe I could do it later.”

Skipping your workout may be the right decision, especially if you’re sick or injured. Other times, there isn’t a good reason, but that voice in your head just won’t stop. Before you skip your workout, there are a few questions to ask yourself that may help you make the right choice.

1. Will I regret this decision?
Maybe it would feel good to stay in bed and sleep or go home from work without the hassle of going to the gym, but how will you feel later? Instant gratification can be rewarding, but that good feeling often wears off, leaving you feeling guilty and wishing you’d made a different choice. Thinking about the consequences may push you to make the right decision. Remind yourself that:

* Exercise is a choice, not a jail sentence. Knowing you're in charge of what you do may nudge you in the right direction.
* Exercise is a commitment you make every day. Some days you're more committed than others, so draw on your discipline to get you out the door.
* Every day is different. You may have to work harder sometimes to get motivated.

2. How much have I exercised this week?
Look back at what you’ve done this week and ask yourself if you can afford a day off from exercise. If it’s the end of the week and you’ve worked out every day, you may need a day off to let your body recover and reenergize. If it’s been a few days, however, ask yourself if skipping workouts is starting to become a habit. Will skipping another workout make it even harder to get back on track tomorrow?

Now is a good time to start an exercise calendar to keep track of your workouts. Print out a monthly calendar and write down the workouts you’ve done and the workouts you plan to do. Keep it nearby so you can look at it whenever the urge to skip strikes.

3. How will I make up for my missed workout?
Imagine that you do skip your workout. Now ask yourself how you’ll make up for it. Will you do it later, maybe after work or before bed? Or will you get up early tomorrow and workout extra long? Visualize that and ask yourself if you’ll really do it -- or if you’re setting yourself up for failure.

If you do change your schedule, decide you can workout later only if you prepare for it ahead of time. For post-work exercise, pack your gym bag before you leave or get out your equipment and clothes so you can change as soon as you get home. If you’re exercising the next morning, put your workout clothes next to the bed and write down your workout plan. Put the note on top of your clothes so you won’t skip it tomorrow.

4. Do I have a legitimate reason to skip this workout?
Sometimes, skipping a workout is the best idea. If you’re sick, tired or injured, you may need to rest. If it’s a matter of motivation, think about or write down anything that might motivate you such as:

* All of the benefits of exercise
* Imagine all the people working out right now. If they can do it, so can you
* Think of how good you’ll feel when you’ve finished your workout
* Remember that getting started is the hardest part. Commit to doing your warm up. If you can get that far, you'll keep going
* Picture yourself putting on those jeans that haven’t fit in awhile
* Think of a future vacation or event you’d like to lose weight for

Keep trying until you find something that works and then keep your list handy for the next time.

5. How will missing this workout affect my goals?
If you’re trying to lose weight, how important is this workout? Exercising burns calories, builds endurance and improves strength. If you skip it, none of that will happen. Maybe missing one day won’t hurt but, remember, it’s the accumulation of your workouts that leads to success. Try these ideas:

* Remember your goals. Write them down and remember when you set them. Even if the urgency isn’t the same, it may be enough to get you started.
* Get some support. Have a friend email a workout reminder or tell someone about your goals so you’re held accountable.
* Set new goals. If your goals aren’t motivating right now, set a new goal to complete your workout that day. Making your goals smaller may help you reach them.

6. What could I do to make my workout more appealing?
If you’re dreading the coming workout, having something to look forward to may get you moving. Some ideas:

* Try a long warm up. Knowing you’ll have plenty of time to get ready for exercise may make it easier to get started.
* A new playlist. The right music makes any workout more fun. Download new music or create a playlist. Put your favorite song first to start your workout on the right foot.
* Try a long cool down. Spend extra time stretching after your workout to end things on a good note.
* Workout with a friend. If you’re dragging, ask a friend to workout with you. Having to show up is motivation all by itself.
* Talk about it. Everyone struggles from time to time. Join the exercise forum to get new perspectives on your workouts.

7. How could I reward myself for doing my workout?
When it comes to exercise, a little reward goes a long way towards motivation. If you’re having trouble getting started, think of how you could reward yourself for a job well done. Some ideas:

* Sitting in a hot tub or hot bath after your workout
* Time to read your favorite book or watch your favorite TV show
* A massage
* A night out with friends
* Going to a movie
* Time to play your favorite video or computer game
* A new workout outfit

You deserve a reward for working hard and if it motivates you to finish your workout, it's worth it.

8. How could I change my workout?
If you’re thinking of ditching your workout because you woke up late or had to work longer than usual, don’t skip the whole thing. Think of creative ways to get in a short, effective workout that will get the job done. If you have 10 or 15 minutes, try an intense interval workout. Warm up with a brisk walk and then alternate high intensity sprints or speedwalking for 30 seconds with recovery walks for 30 seconds. Choose a few whole body exercises like pushups, squats, lunges, jumping jacks or cross-country shuffles and go through a circuit, doing each one for a minute. Other workout ideas:

* 10-Minute Timesaver Workouts
* Burn 100 Calories in 10 Minutes
* 10-Minute Strength
* Office Workout
* Working Out on the Road

9. How will skipping my workout affect my day?
Your workout isn’t just important for burning calories, it can affect every part of your day, both physically and mentally. Remind yourself that getting in your workout will:

* Give you more energy
* Improve your confidence and self-satisfaction
* Start your day on the right foot
* Help you concentrate better
* Help you get more things done
* Allow you to actively re-commit to your goals

Exercise is one of the few things you can do that seep into all areas of your life. Just a few minutes and a little sweat will pay off in the long run.

10. What stands in the way of my workout?
Identify the thoughts stopping you from exercise and work through each one logically. Some common thoughts:

* "I’m too tired." After working all day, your mind is tired, but your body will feel better once it starts moving.
* "I’m too hungry." Have some yogurt or a sports drink. You’ll get an immediate infusion of energy to make it to the gym.
* "I don’t feel like it." Don't wait until you feel like it, because that may not happen. Once you get started, you’ll be more excited about your workout.
* "I have too much to do." You'll get more done if you put fitness first. Even a short workout is worth doing.
* "I'll do it later." It’s harder to workout when life gets hectic. Get your workout in early to guarantee your success.

Longetivity: Health Risk Factors and Quality of Life

2009-03-26T00:26:00.002+08:00

Smoking, Alcohol, Inactivity and Obesity

QALYs (quality-adjusted life years) are a way researchers can look at the total impact of a risk factor on quality of life. QALYs combine reductions in life expectancy with loss of health causing disability and pain. The calculations can be complex, but the way to think about QALYs is the number of healthy, disability-free years of life. Here are some risk factors and their QALY number.

Smoking and Quality of Life
A 25 year old who smokes can expect to lose 10 to 11 QALYs compared to a person who never smoked.

High Alcohol Consumption and Quality of Life
A 25 year old who drinks can expect to loose 5 (men) or 3 (women) QALYs compared to someone who drinks less.

Physical Activity and Quality of Life
A 25 year old who is inactive can expect to lose 7 QALYs compared to someone who is active.

Obesity and Quality of Life
An obese 25 year old can expect to lose 3 (men) or 6 (women) QALYs compared to a person with healthy weight.

Quality of Life and Risk Factors
As the numbers above show, health risk factors impact more than just life expectancy -- they decrease a person's health span (the number of years a person lives without illness or disability). Remember that when looking at these numbers, a 25-year-old person has about 55 years of life remaining (on average, give or take). The goal is to have 55 QALYs as well (in other have all those years be healthy). A loss of 5.5 QALYs means a loss of 10% of potential health. That is extremely significant. So eliminate those risk factors and regain your QALYs.

Live to 90: 5 Lifestyle Factors for Longevity

2009-03-23T00:22:00.000+08:00

You have more control over your longevity and life expectancy than you may think. Sure, your genetics and family history factor into how long you will live; but your lifestyle choices may be more important. In fact, your genes probably make up less than 30% of what determines how long you will live –- the rest is your lifestyle and your environment.

5 Behaviors to Reach 90

Reaching age 90 in good health is a great longevity goal. Women have an easier time reaching 90 than men (see Why Women Live Longer for some details). By studying men and their behaviors, researchers can begin to figure out what really matters for healthy and successful aging. What they have found is that five things make a big difference in living to 90 (for men): not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, good blood pressure control, regular exercise, and no diabetes.

In 1981, researchers began enrolling men into a study on aging. They enrolled total of 2,300 healthy man with an average age of over 70. The men were given yearly surveys about their lifestyle and health. By the end of the study, 970 men (42%) made it to the 90s. Those 42% had different habits and behaviors that helped them live longer.

How to Live Longer

The study found five factors linked to surviving past 90:

Non-smokers were twice as likely to see 90 as smokers.
Diabetics had an 86% increase in a chance of death before 90.
Obese people had a 44% increase in the chance of death before age 90.
High blood pressure increased the death threats before 90 by 28%.
Men who exercise reduced their death risk before 90 by 20 to 30% (depending on how much and how often they exercise).

These percentages are after the researchers accounted for the health of the participants at the start of the study, education level and other factors known to impact life expectancy.

Get Started

Get started on living longer by taking one of these factors each month. For some of them, like high blood pressure and diabetes, you may need the help of your doctor to get in control. For the other factors you may need information and the support of your friends and family.

Longetivity: Go Outside for a Longer Life Expectancy

2009-03-19T00:48:00.000+08:00

Life expectancy can be increased with simple steps and changes. This guide will help you find ways to increase your life expectancy and improve your health and feel great as you age. Let's start with the easiest: increase your life expectancy with sunlight.

Life expectancy can be increased simply by going outside. See, what happens when you go outside is that your skin gets exposed to sunlight. That exposure triggers cells in your skin to produce Vitamin D. This vitamin (really a prohormone, but let's not worry about that here) is essential for bone health and is turning out to be important in depression, heart disease, diabetes and just about everything.

Some estimate that 50% of adults have low levels of vitamin D, because we simply don't get outside that much (sitting by a window doesn't count, the glass filters too much of the sunlight). This is a shame, because maintaining vitamin D levels has to be the easiest and cheapest way to improve your health and increase your life expectancy. Getting outside for just 15 minutes a day and exposing your hands and face to sunlight is enough to maintain vitamin D levels in most cases.

If you are concerned about your vitamin D levels, your doctor can order a simple blood test that will tell you if your levels are low. If for some reason you can't get outside enough, there are vitamin D supplements that you can take (but getting outside is a better option, if you can).

Elderly people need to pay special attention to their vitamin D levels. If you are a caregiver, be sure to assist your loved one in getting outside just a little bit every day. Not only will with improve vitamin D levels, but it could also improve sleep because sunlight also regulates another hormone in the body called melatonin that controls your sleep cycle.

7 fitness don'ts for exercise newbies to athletes

2009-03-16T00:54:00.003+08:00

1. Don't lean on the machines
You may not realize how much your depending on the handle bars on stair-steppers, treadmills, ellipticals and other equipment you use to exercise. Do a posture check several times throughout your workout so you will get the most out of your time on the machine and avoid wrist and back strain leaning can cause.

2. Don't overdo sports bars and energy drinks

Don't assume that "fitness" food and beverages are low in calories or fine to eat in mass quantities. If you're doing endurance exercise - two hours or longer - you will definitely need to refuel. Otherwise, pay attention to what's in the bars and drinks you're packing in your gym bag and how many servings you're really consuming when you work out. Check in with a nutritionist for some healthy snack and diet options if you are relying on Luna Bars and Gatorade as meal replacements or for every snack outside of the gym.

3. Don't undereat before you exercise

If you are training for an event, doing endurance exercise, or love intense workouts, it is especially important for you to have enough fuel for all that activity. Be sure your body's getting the right amount of healthy carbs - vegetables, fruits, and whole grains - to help you maintain your energy.

4. Don't overstay at the gym

It makes sense that if you pay all that money for a gym contract, you want to get the most out of your membership. Be sure to balance the time you are spending indoors on the treadmill and in studio classes with outdoor activities. Not only will it shake up your routine a bit, you may exercise differently, more intensely, calmer, or longer when you are outside. Plus, you might just soak up some much-needed vitamin D while the 40% of Americans who are deficient are sadly experiencing bone weakness and higher levels of crabbiness (kidding...sort of).

5. Don't obsess over your abs

Of course, building a strong core is a key to being fit. But ignoring the rest of your muscles could throw your body out of balance. This can cause low back pain (and who needs more of that?), not to mention out-of-whack body image. Consult a certified personal trainer for ways to incorporate training other muscle groups into your weekly routine. You might just be able to capitalize on your fitness passion while re-framing your focus to toning, caring, and appreciating your whole body, not just one part of it.

6. Don't lift too much weight

Check your self-competition or need to one-up the lady lifting next to you at the gym door. Instead, get some good advice from a trainer or strength and conditioning coach to find out an appropriate amount of weight for your body size, fitness level, and goals. From there, gradually add weight, being sure to listen to your body when you are struggling to do another set or just get the dumbbell off the ground. Remember that being challenged is good but lifting to the point of muscle failure is not.

7. Don't take it too easy

If you've gotten bored with your daily treadmill session, don't ever sweat anymore, or don't really feel like you've worked anything out when you leave the gym, it may be time to amp up your exercise drill. Set some challenging and still attainable goals that you can work up to slowly, consider doing an interval workout to make things more interesting, or buddy up with someone who will keep you (and your routine) on your toes. Clearly, any activity is better than none, but why not make the time you invest in working out really worthwhile?

Personal Hygiene: Is Hand Sanitizer Better Than Hand Washing?

2009-03-12T00:52:00.001+08:00

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer has been around for years, but the research was never quite clear whether it was as effective against germs as washing your hands. The verdict is in, and it looks like hand sanitizer is at least as effective.

According to research performed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hand sanitizer is considered as effective at killing germs as washing your hands with soap and water, unless hands are visibly soiled.

The main point to remember, however, is that the alcohol content of the handrub must be at least 60 percent to be effective.

To keep yourself and your family healthy, it's important to clean your hands, especially after you've used the restroom or prepared food. Vigorously washing your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds is still a tried and true method. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be a convenient alternative, however, as you can use them on-the-go--after you have been on public transportation, touched an animal or grocery cart, etc. The CDC recommends both hand sanitizing wipes and alcohol based gels.

Be sure to use enough to cover all surfaces of your hands, including between your fingers, and rub your hands until they are dry.

Tips for Staying Healthy at Work

2009-03-09T00:47:00.002+08:00

Staying healthy at work isn't always easy. With all your coworkers sneezing and sniffing around you, it may seem impossible. Find out how to stay healthy at work with these tips.

1. Wash Your Hands. Often.
This means every time you use the restroom, before you eat, after you sneeze or cough and any other time your hands feel dirty. Also, keep a bottle of hand sanitizer at your desk, for when you can't get to a sink.

2. Keep your workspace clean.
Clean your phone, computer keyboard and anything else that you use frequently. Even if you are the only user, germs can live on these objects and you can reinfect yourself.

3. Eat balanced meals every day – including breakfast!
Many people are tempted to skip breakfast because it takes too long to eat in the morning or in an (misguided) effort to lose weight. It has been proven that people who eat breakfast are healthier and more likely to remain at a healthy weight.

4. Avoid coworkers who are sick.
You would hope that coworkers who are contagious would stay home from work. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case. If they do show up, try to avoid direct contact with them (without being rude, of course).

5. Drink AT LEAST 8 glasses of water a day.
Sodas and coffee may help you stay awake, but they will also contribute to dehydration. So you need to be sure to drink water also. Just keep a water bottle with you all the time, drink throughout the day and you will probably get what you need.

6. Take frequent breaks throughout the day.
When you are feeling tired or sore, get up and walk around for a few minutes. Or try some of these tips for stretching at your desk. Taking breaks and keeping your body in shape will help you feel better and make you more productive.

7. Use your vacation days.
It may feel like there is never a good time to be away from the office, but people who do not take vacations are more likely to be sick. Vacations are a good way to relieve stress, which has been proven to contribute to illness. So even if it is just a few long weekends, use your vacation days and don’t take your work with you.

8. Quit smoking.
It is pretty common knowledge these days that smoking is bad for your health. Smokers get sick much more frequently than non-smokers. You are also getting less work done if you have to take frequent smoke breaks throughout the day. And no, smoke breaks do not promote productivity like exercise breaks do. Nicotine is a stimulant and actually increases your body’s stress level.

Share Your Thoughts

If you take these tips into consideration and implement them into your daily work routine, you should notice that you feel better and will remain healthier. With so many illnesses going around this time of year, you should do everything you can do avoid getting sick. If you have any more tips on staying healthy in the workplace, don’t keep them to yourself, share them in the Prevention Forum!

5 Foods for a Better Mood

2009-03-05T00:12:00.000+08:00

1) Oatmeal
Oatmeal may help if you find yourself feeling irritable and cranky. It is rich in soluble fiber, which helps to smooth out blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugar into the blood.

Oatmeal is also a great food to help you stick with your diet plan, because the soluble fiber in oatmeal forms a gel that slows the emptying of your stomach so you don't feel hungry quickly.

Other foods high in soluble fiber are: beans, peas, barley, citrus fruits, strawberries and apples.

What to try:

Add tasty toppings to oatmeal, such as:

* Low-fat granola and skim milk
* Coarsely chopped apple or unsweetened chunky applesauce with cinnamon
* Strawberries and sliced almonds

2) Walnuts
Walnuts have long been thought of as a "brain food" because of their wrinkled, bi-lobed (brainlike) appearance. But now we know that walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, a type of fat that's needed for brain cells and mood-lifting neurotransmitters to function properly and possible help some people with depression.

Other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, sardines, flaxseeds, and omega-3 fortified eggs.

What to try:

* Instead of reaching for a muffin as a snack, try walnuts and an apple. The fiber and good fat will also curb your appetite for longer.
* Try mixing crushed walnuts into yogurt as a snack.
* Sprinkle walnuts over salads.

3) Tea
Although caffeine has been shown to lead to a more positive mood and improved performance, it's a fine line.

Too much caffeine can make you dependent and make you nervous, irritable, hypersensitive or bring on headaches.

What to try:

* A good strategy is to limit yourself to no more than one 8 oz. cup of coffee a day. Instead of that second cup, try making a cup of green tea. You can find it in teabag form in most grocery stores.
* Another option: chai. It's an Indian tea made with regular black tea plus spices such as cardamom and cinnamon. The spices also add a natural sweetness to the tea, which may help you cut back on sugar and sweeteners.
* If you're in the mood to try a new herbal tea, consider rooibos. Rooibos is a reddish brown tea that tastes more like regular black tea than other herbal teas.

Like chai, rooibos also has a hint of natural sweetness, which makes it a good option for people trying to lose weight.

Try hot rooibos tea plain, with a wedge of lemon, or with milk. It also makes a great iced tea.

Rooibos can be found in health food stores, some grocery stores, online, and increasingly, in cafes and restaurants that serve herbal tea.

4) Salmon
In the past few years, research has suggested that vitamin D may increase the levels of serotonin, one of the key neurotransmitters influencing our mood, and that it may help to relieve mood disorders.

We get vitamin D mainly through exposure to sunlight and in lesser amounts, through food.

But a recent study found that in Boston, exposure to sunlight during the months of November through February does not produce any significant amounts of vitamin D in skin.

What to try:

* Canned salmon with bones is rich in vitamin D. It is also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.
* Instead of tuna for your sandwiches, opt for canned Alaskan pink or sockeye salmon with bones. Choose water-packed salmon, which is lower in calories than the oil-packed.
* Other foods high in vitamin D are fortified milk and fortified soy milk.

5) Lentils
A member of the legume family, lentils are an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin that appears to be essential for mood and proper nerve function in the brain.

Low levels of folate have been linked to depression. In fact, a Harvard study showed that 38 percent of depressed women are deficient in folate.

Although researchers don't yet fully understand the connection, folate deficiency appears to impair the metabolism of serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline, neurotransmitters important for mood.

A cup of cooked lentils provides 90% of the recommended daily allowance of folic acid. A healthy bonus: lentils contain protein and fiber, which are filling and help to stabilize blood sugar.

Other sources of folate include: fortified breakfast cereals, green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli, liver, and beans.

What to try:

* Toss cooked lentils with cherry tomatoes, sliced bell peppers, and carrots for an easy salad.
* Try making lentil soup.
* If beans make you gassy, use Beano.

Vital Finds: How to Prevent Cold and Flu?

2009-03-02T00:43:00.000+08:00

It is not always possible to prevent colds and the flu, but there are many steps you can take to reduce your risk.

1. Wash Your Hands

The most important thing you can do to prevent most any illness is to wash your hands frequently. Washing hands reduces the risk of transmission of viruses and bacteria.

2. Flu Vaccines

The traditional and nasal flu vaccines are the best way to prevent the flu. Although not 100 percent effective, the flu shot provides very good protection against the influenza virus. A few groups of people should always get a flu shot. Complications from the flu just aren't worth the risk of not getting the vaccine.

If you aren't a fan of shots, the nasal flu vaccine may be for you. It is also effective and is approved for healthy people over age five.

3. Staying Healthy Around Others

Whether you are at work or at home, being around sick people greatly increases your risk of getting sick. Even though these situations may not always be in your control, you can take a few steps to protect yourself.

4. When You Can't Wash Your Hands

Washing your hands is always your best bet to prevent illness, but there is not always soap and water around. So, what is a germ-conscious person to do? Carrying hand sanitizer with you may be an option.

Health Line:What is under your control and helps to reduce your risk of breast cancer?

2009-02-27T00:29:00.000+08:00

Risk reduction and lifestyle factors

Factors that you can control

* Pregnancy: Having no children, or having a first pregnancy after age 30 increases your risk. If a woman has had one or more pregnancies, and if the first child was conceived before age 30, the risk of breast cancer is lower. Additionally, if it is possible to breastfeed your children, you lower your risk even more.

* Breastfeeding: If you have given birth, but not breastfed, your risk is increased. In some studies, the combination of pregnancy and breastfeeding has resulted in a decreased number of menstrual periods, which helps to lower the risk of breast cancer slightly. In one study, it was found that having multiple births and breastfeeding for 1.5 to 2 years may cut your risk of breast cancer in half.

* Birth control pills: It is not yet clear what the role of birth control pills might be in breast cancer risk. Some studies have shown that women who are now using birth control pills have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. If you have quit taking the pill more than 10 or more years ago, you may not have an increased risk. If you are considering using the pill, discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.

* Alcohol Use: If you have 1 drink a day, you have a very small increased risk of breast cancer. If you have 2 to 5 drinks daily, you have a much greater risk than that of women who drink no alcohol. Drinking alcohol is linked to a slightly increased risk of getting breast cancer.

* Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): If you have had long-term use (several years or longer) of combined HRT (estrogens combined with progesterone) after menopause, you have an increased risk of breast cancer as well as heart disease, blood clots, and strokes. The breast cancers found in long-term HRT users are also detected at a more advanced stage, perhaps because HRT seems to reduce the effectiveness of mammograms. If you can stop using HRT, after five years, your breast cancer risk appears to drop back to normal. Estrogen, when used alone (ERT) does not seem to increase the risk of breast cancer as much, unless you have had a previous diagnosis of estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer. If you are considering using HRT, you should talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of using it.

* Your Diet: If you are overweight, you have a higher risk of breast cancer, especially if you are past the change of life (menopause) and if your weight gain took place during adulthood. Also, if the extra fat is in the waist area the risk seems to be higher. Please remember that the link between excess weight and breast cancer risk is complicated, and that studies of the relationship between fat in your diet and your risk of breast cancer have often given conflicting results.

* Your Exercise Routine: If you are not doing regular exercise, you are at greater risk for breast cancer. The only question is how much exercise will reduce your risk. One study found that as little as 1 hour and 15 minutes to 2 and a half hours per week of brisk walking reduced the risk by 18%. If you take 10 hours a week of brisk walking, you can reduce your risk a little more.

Health Line: What Affects Your Risk of Breast Cancer?

2009-02-25T00:28:00.000+08:00

Know what factors you can and can't control!!!

Breast cancer is the most common cancer, diagnosed in one out of eight women in the United States. There are a little more than two million women who live in the U. S. who have been treated for breast cancer. Men are also at risk for breast cancer, but the death rate is quite low, at 0.22%, or two-tenths of a percent.

The chance of a woman dying from breast cancer is one in thirty-three, somewhat less than lung cancer deaths, which lead the statistics in cancer deaths. However, breast cancer death rates are decreasing, and survival rates are on the rise. This may be due to early detection (finding the cancer when it is at an early stage) and also to improved treatments.
Factors that you cannot control

* Your Gender: If you are female, you are at risk for breast cancer. Men can also get the disease, but it is much more rare in men. Just having breast tissue and being female puts you at risk.

* Increasing Age: As you age, your chance of getting breast cancer increases. Almost 8 out of 10 breast cancers are diagnosed in women over age 50.

* Your Genes: Between 5% and 10% of breast cancers are related to changes (mutations) in certain genes. BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common mutated genes. If you have these gene changes, you have up to an 80% chance of getting breast cancer during your life. Other genetic changes may increase your breast cancer risk as well.

* Family health history: If you have close blood relatives who have this disease, you have a higher risk of breast cancer. If you have a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer, your own risk is doubled. It does not matter if a your close blood relatives (who have had breast cancer) are from either your mother's or father's side of the family.

* Previous history of breast cancer: If you have had cancer in one breast, you have a greater chance of getting a new cancer in the second breast, or in another part of the first breast, if there is any breast tissue remaining. Either one of these cases are considered a new primary diagnosis, which is different from the first cancer coming back (recurrence).

* Previous abnormal breast biopsy: Some of the types of abnormal biopsy results can be linked to a slightly higher risk of breast cancer.

* Previous breast radiation: If you have had radiation treatment to the chest area earlier in life, you have a greatly increased risk of breast cancer.

* Menstrual periods and menopause: If you started having periods early (before 12 years old) or went through the change of life (menopause) after the age of 55, you have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer.

* DES Treatment: If you took the drug DES (diethylstilbestrol) while pregnant, to lower your chances of losing the baby, recent studies show that you have a slightly increased risk of getting breast cancer.

* Your Race: White (Caucasian) women are slightly more likely to get breast cancer than are African-American women. However, African-American women are at higher risk of death from this cancer. Many experts think that the main reason for this is because they may have faster growing tumors. If you are Asian, Hispanic, or American Indian, you have a lower risk of getting breast cancer.

Gene test helps set accurate blood thinner dose

2009-02-23T04:17:00.000+08:00

ATLANTA – People taking warfarin, a leading blood thinner to prevent clots that cause heart attacks and strokes, soon may have a better way to get the tricky dose right. A new formula that includes gene testing proved much better at setting the ideal dose than what doctors do now: Give a standard amount and adjust it by trial and error. The formula was tested in a large international study, which found the usual approach gets it wrong about half the time.

About 4 million Americans take warfarin, also known as Coumadin, the top-used blood thinner worldwide. It could be used even more, but doctors have worried about the all-too-common risks to patients if they get the dose wrong. Too little means a risk of stroke and too much can mean fatal bleeding.

The new study is one of the first to show genetic testing can be used to prevent dosing problems, experts said.

A new experiment will soon test the gene study's results in a more rigorous way. Most patients will likely have to wait at least a few years before genetic testing becomes a common factor in warfarin dosing, some experts said.

Patients are generally started on 5 milligrams a day, but that's just a starting guess. The proper amount for one patient may be 10 times as much as what's best for another. Improper dosing leads to problems for thousands of patients each year and can even result in death, according to some estimates.

"You need to be just right," said Donna Arnett, a researcher of genetic testing and cardiovascular health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who wasn't involved in the study.

Variations in two genes can indicate how effective the drug will be, but such a test is not yet widely used.

In the new study, researchers in nine countries collected data on about 5,700 patients who — after some trial-and-error — were already on stable doses of the blood thinner. The scientists developed a dosing formula based on the gene test and other factors, including age and weight.

The formula using the gene test proved accurate in setting the dose in about 1 out of 3 warfarin users — more accurate than a method based solely on age, weight and other characteristics.

The study didn't report on serious side effects or consider how tobacco and alcohol use might figure into blood thinner dosing.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and several international medical organizations. Key researchers have received consulting fees and grants from pharmaceutical companies, and companies involved in genetic testing.

Federal officials want to follow up the report by launching a large, three-year study of more than 1,200 patients beginning in April.

"People will go to their doctors and ask" about genetic tests, predicted Jeremy Berg, director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, one of the just-published study's funders.

But until the larger study is done, "it's unlikely that very many places will offer this," he said.

A few clinics are already using these gene tests and others to estimate warfarin dosing, but some researchers have concluded it's not cost-effective for most patients.

Dr. Janet Woodcock, who heads the Food and Drug Administration's drug evaluation center, noted that many patients have, for a long time, complained to doctors that the standard warfarin treatment didn't work for them. Now science is showing how right they were.

"The patients are beginning to be vindicated," Woodcock said.

Health News: China launches campaign to break sex taboos

2009-02-23T03:09:00.000+08:00

BEIJING (Reuters) – China on Sunday launched a national sex education campaign aimed at breaking traditional taboos and getting more people to seek treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and infertility.

Just seven percent of women and slightly more than eight percent of men seek immediate medical help for sexual problems, while more a third of people never seek help, said one of the campaign's advisors.

"These numbers are shocking," Xia Enlan, head of the obstetrics and gynaecology department of the Capital University of Sciences' Fuxing Hospital, told a news conference.

"The numbers who get medical attention for sexual problems are extremely small," she added. "This delays treatment for some very serious diseases."

The campaign, called "The sunshine project to care for gender health," will feature posters, competitions and sponsorship of an international sex toy fair in Beijing, organisers said, in a bid to breach "painful topics" of sex.

It will be fronted by Hong Kong starlet Yvonne Yung and her husband Will Liu, who will be the campaign's "image ambassadors."

"Sexual health is an important part of family life and good for helping build a harmonious society," said Cui Yandi of the China Woman and Child Development Centre, one of the programme's main sponsors.

China reported a one-fifth rise in syphilis last year, with a total of 257,474 cases, according to the Health Ministry, though gonorrhoea cases dropped by a tenth.

HIV/AIDS in China is also now mainly sexually transmitted. In the past, most infections were caused by intravenous drug use.

By the end of 2007, China had an estimated 700,000 people infected with HIV, up from an earlier estimate of 650,000, but is believed to have many unreported cases.

While the government has rolled out a television campaign to promote condom use, a major move for a country where talking about sex is problematic for many people, Xia said traditional shyness about discussing sex remains a huge issue.

"It's taboo. The influence of feudalistic thinking has been around for many years. People are not very open," she told Reuters.

"People need to talk about it now that the economy has been growing so fast and we're becoming more and more open," Xia said.

"The traditional way of thinking has not been broken," she added. "We need more publicity, and to talk about these issues in the open. That's why we need this campaign."

Health News: Growing HIV rates among gay, bisexual men in Asia

2009-02-23T02:04:00.000+08:00

HONG KONG – The AIDS virus is spreading rapidly among gay and bisexual men in Asia as younger people shun condoms and authorities fail to increase awareness of the disease, health officials said Friday.

The epidemic will worsen dramatically in coming years unless there is better education and stronger political will to combat the disease, warned Massimo Ghidinelli, the World Health Organization's regional adviser on HIV/AIDS.

His comments came at a news conference after a seminar in Hong Kong at which regional AIDS experts discussed the growing trend.

Asia is believed to have the world's largest number of men who have sex with other men, with a preliminary estimate of 10 million, according to WHO.

While describing the figure as "extraordinary high," Ghidinelli said it still appeared to be conservative because of the stigmatization of male-to-male sex.

WHO said fragmentary information from the region indicated a rapid spread of HIV among gay and bisexual men, but that full data weren't available. The seminar was called to strengthen efforts to study and address the problem, it said.

Ghidinelli said low condom use among younger men in male-to-male relationships was fueling the transmission of HIV.

"Younger men engaging in sex with men are entering into a sexual arena without the same level of awareness and without taking the same level of protection that the older generation was taking," Ghidinelli told a news conference.

Ghidinelli said the AIDS experts agreed at the conference to set up a regional task force to collect information on male-to-male transmission and to strengthen measures to fight the disease.

Health Line: Top 10 Breast Cancer Prevention Methods

2009-02-23T00:22:00.002+08:00

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, aside from lung cancer. 1 in every 8 women are estimated to develop breast cancer in their lifetime. While there are certain risk factors like genetics we cannot change, there are many lifestyle changes we can make to aid in breast cancer prevention.

1. Pass on that last call for alcohol.
Studies have determined that women who drink alcoholic beverages develop cancer at a higher rate. How much is too much? Based on studies, ladies who consume 2 to 5 drinks daily have about 1½ times the risk of women who don't consume alcohol.

2. Quitters DO prosper - when it comes to smoking.
Although there has not been a direct link between smoking and breast cancer, studies suggest that smoking at an early age can increase a woman's risk. Not only can it be a risk for breast cancer, smoking is a definite risk factor for lung cancer.

3. Get physical.
Physical activity may reduce your risk of breast cancer. Studies by the Women's Health Initiative found that women who walked briskly 1.25 to 2.5 hours per week reduced a woman's breast cancer risk by 18%. Exercise doesn't always mean traditional gym exercises either.

4. Be aware of your family breast cancer history.
Having a family or personal history of breast cancer may increase your risk. If an immediate woman in your family has had breast cancer, it is important to let your doctor know. Studies have shown that breast cancer can be genetic. Genetic testing and counseling is available for those concerned with their risk. Keep in mind, that just because your mother or sister had breast cancer, it does not mean you will definitely develop breast cancer.

5. Avoid hormone replacement therapy if possible.
Studies have shown a link between long time hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer. This link suggests that combined HRT's (estrogen and progesterone) raise the risk factor. Five years after discontinuing HRT's the risk factor drops. HRT's also make mammograms less effective. If you need to take hormone replacement therapy, talk to your doctor about the risk and your personal condition.

6. Check your breasts every month.
Checking your breasts every month may not reduce your risk of developing breast cancer, but it may help detect breast cancer early. The earlier breast cancer is found, the less aggressive the treatment.

7. Try to keep a low fat diet.
A diet low in fat not only decreases the risk of obesity, it can reduce your risk of breast cancer. We know that estrogen plays a majot role in the development of breast cacner. Fat tissue contains small amounts of estrogen and may increase your risk. There have been conflicting studies about fat intake and breast cancer risk, however all studies have consluded that obesity plays a big part in breast cancer development.

8. Don't forget to get a mammogram - it's not a choice.
Like the breast self exam, a mammogram won't prevent the development of breast cancer, but it can detect cancer. Sometimes it can be difficult to feel a lump in the breast, and a mammogram is likely to detect any lumps that cannot be felt.

9. Have children earlier in life, if possible.
Having no children or having your first child in your mid-thirties or later increases the risk.

10. Consider breastfeeding instead of formula feeding.
Researchers believe that the months without a period during pregnancy and breast feeding may reduce a woman's risk of breast cancer. This accompanies the data that suggests that early menopause lowers the risk factor, as well.

Fitness: Plantar Fasciitis Pointers

2009-02-19T00:18:00.000+08:00

If you have plantar fasciitis (a painful condition that affects the tendon that connects the heel bone to the toes), you may want to try an aerobic workout that doesn't stress your foot, such as:

• An upper body cycle. It's basically a bike that you pedal with your arms, begin with just five to 10 minutes at a time.

• Water aerobics. Start with 30 to 45 minutes of deep water exercise like "water walking" with a flotation belt.

• Chair aerobics. This involves aerobic moves you can do seated. Look for DVDs and videos.

Health News: Are You Wasting Money on Multivitamins?

2009-02-17T00:12:00.000+08:00

Advertisements with tantalizing promises of improved health, prevention of cancer and heart disease, and greater energy have lured millions of Americans to spend billions of dollars on the purchase of multivitamins.

An article in the February 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine reported that multivitamin use did not protect the 161,808 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Study from common forms of cancer, heart attacks, or strokes. And the numbers of deaths during the 8 years of the study were the same in vitamin users as in non-users. Still, it is important to recognize that this was an observational study, not a more meaningful clinical trial. Although these findings apply only to women, other studies have failed to show benefits of multivitamins in older men.

These results are not at all surprising for several reasons. No large study has shown that multivitamins significantly benefit healthy men and women. In addition, for some years physicians prescribed folic acid and vitamins B12 and B6 in the hopes of preventing heart attacks and strokes by lowering blood levels of homocysteine. (High blood levels of homocysteine are associated with an increased risk of coronary and other vascular diseases.) A number of recent studies, however, have shown that, while these vitamins do lower homocysteine levels, they do not prevent heart attacks or strokes.

Many doctors have also prescribed the antioxidants vitamin E and beta-carotene to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Alas, studies have now proven that these supplements are not protective--and may even be harmful.

No one denies that an adequate intake of vitamins is essential; however, vitamins can and should be obtained from eating enough healthy foods rather than from swallowing vitamin supplements.

Then what about vitamins being a great source of energy? Some multivitamin ads do indeed claim that their supplements boost energy; and some professional athletes gobble handfuls of vitamin pills to increase their energy and strength. But researchers proved long ago that energy comes from calories, not vitamins. The highly touted cholesterol-lowering effects of substances added to some multivitamin supplements? Still unproven.

All this is not to say that specific vitamins supplements are never desirable. Vitamins can be valuable in certain situations:

* Folic acid supplements in women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant can help to prevent serious neural-tube defects that affect the baby's brain and spine.
* Supplements that contain more vitamin D and calcium than is present in regular multivitamin pills can help older men, and especially women, avoid osteoporosis and bone fractures.
* Supplements of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc, and copper may slow the progression of vision loss in people with early macular degeneration.

And multivitamins are beneficial for some entire groups of people:

* those on a very-low-calorie weight-loss diet
* strict vegetarians
* heavy alcohol drinkers
* individuals who are not getting an adequate diet because they are too sick or too poor--or live by themselves and are unable to prepare proper meals for themselves

I also agree with a comment made by one of the coauthors of the Archives of Internal Medicine article about postmenopausal women mentioned above. An 8-year follow-up period may not be long enough to show that multivitamins protect against cancers that take many years to develop.

All the same, the results of the studies on vitamins so far point to one conclusion: Healthy people who eat enough calories from a varied diet do not benefit from multivitamin supplements.

Kitchen Remedy: Get Grilling

2009-02-16T00:12:00.000+08:00

There's nothing quite like the smells of summer--the warm breezes, the fragrant flowers and even the scent of sunblock. But my favorite by far is the smoky smell of barbecue. In my opinion, grilling is one of the best ways to cook. First, you can't beat the time factor: Virtually no planning or prep is required. And more important, it's so easy to create healthful meals because you don't have to use a lot of fat to add flavor to your food. You can even enjoy the classics, like hamburgers and steaks, and still keep your calories in check. Take a look at the tips below to create a healthy, tasty meal on the grill.

Make a better burger. Use lean beef (95 percent). Or, try a buffalo burger with naturally lean ground buffalo meat, a turkey burger or a veggie burger.

Choose a slim steak. Go for lean options, such as a T-bone or different cuts of sirloin and flank steak. Buffalo steaks are also good because they're naturally lean.

Grill your veggies. Throw corn on the cob on the grill instead of boiling it for a more intense roasted flavor. You can grill just about any veggie, including sweet peppers, onions, fennel, summer squash, whole leaves of hearty greens or wedges of cabbage or radicchio.

Enjoy chicken stripped. Chicken's great on the grill, but be sure to remove the skin (it's loaded with saturated fat) and marinate it before cooking to keep it moist.

Be creative. If you're looking to experiment, try marinated tofu. It is excellent on the grill and is a great source of lean plant-based protein. You could also try grilled fish for a simple but elegant meal.

Fitness: Injury-proof Yourself

2009-02-12T00:03:00.000+08:00

Your workout routine is going great, the weight is peeling off, you're feeling stronger, and then all of a sudden--ouch! A twisted ankle, sore back or pulled muscle sidelines you. What happens next? Often, your weight loss will slow or stop and you risk losing your motivation. But staying injury-free is as simple as following a few easy guidelines, says physical therapist Jack Younghans, D.P.T. Use these tips to stay healthy--and on track.

Don't skip stretching. Spend about five to 10 minutes stretching before your workout. The type of stretching you should do depends on your workout. For example, if you're running on the treadmill, be sure to do some leg stretches. If you're going to be using an elliptical, you'll need to stretch both your arms and legs. And if you're strength training, stretch whatever areas you plan to work out.

Take time to warm up. Don't jump right into your workout at full speed. Slowly ease into it with a five- to 10-minute warm-up session.

Perfect your form. Knowing how to use the equipment or how to properly do moves can help you avoid injury. If you're not sure, ask someone.And don't forget about safety gear, such as a bike helmet or knee pads.

Ease into exercise. If you try to do too much too quickly, you're bound to hurt yourself. Increase your exercise--intensity or duration--gradually.

Pace yourself. Spread out your activity throughout the entire week. Trying to squeeze your workouts into one or two days can definitely result in injury.

Tune into your body. Make sure to pay attention to how you're feeling during a workout. Often times, our body gives us signs that it has had enough. Remember that overexertion can lead to injury.

Dining out? 6 salad Dos & Don'ts

2009-02-09T00:48:00.001+08:00

DON'T Ruby Tuesday Carolina Chicken Salad With Blue Cheese Dressing (1,151 calories, 87 grams fat)

DO Ruby Tuesday Grilled Chicken Salad With Light Ranch Dressing (597 calories, 33 grams fat)

DON'T Chili's Southwestern Cobb Salad With Avocado Ranch Dressing (1,120 calories, 75 grams fat)

DO Chili's Grilled Caribbean Salad With Low-fat Vinaigrette Dressing (480 calories, 10 grams fat)

DON'T Uno Chicago Grill Chicken Milanese Salad (840 calories, 56 grams fat)

DO Uno Chicago Grill House Salad With Grilled Chicken and Classic Vinaigrette (430 calories, 21 grams fat)

SHOCKER! Some salads are worse than a burger with the works.

Kitchen Remedy: The "good" salad

2009-02-05T00:39:00.001+08:00

LOAD UP ON LEAFY GREENS: The darker the leaf, the greater the nutrients like iron and folic acid; besides, 3 cups baby spinach has only 21 calories.

PILE ON VEGGIES AND FRUIT: Three to five 1/2-cup servings of choices like carrots, red onions, asparagus or apples total only about 100 calories.

ADD SATISFYING EXTRAS: Pick flavorful ones and you'll need only two: 2 tbsp. walnuts has 98 calories, 10 grams fat; 2 tbsp. goat cheese has 52 calories, 4 grams fat.

Sweet tip: Apples or grapes add a flavor surprise without fat.

CHOOSE ONE PROTEIN: Lean proteins are incredibly satisfying and low in calories--a 3-oz. portion of grilled chicken has just 96 calories, 3 grams fat.

TOP IT OFF THE HEATLHY WAY: Choose full-fat (not "diet") vinaigrettes. Their healthy fats keep you full longer; 2 tbsp. of a balsamic type has 90 calories, 9 grams fat.

Kitchecn Remedy: The "bad" salad

2009-02-02T00:04:00.004+08:00

ICEBERG LETTUCE: Yes, it's low-cal (15 calories and zero fat for 2 cups), but you'll miss out on key vitamins like A, C and K found in darker greens.

NOT-SO-HEALTHY VEGGIES: One-half cup carrots (23 calories) and tomatoes (16 calories) are great, but 1/2 cup marinated mushrooms pack 130 calories.

HIGH-FAT EXTRAS: Eaten all together, 1/4 cup cheese (114 calories), 1/4 avocado (80 calories), 2 tbsp. bacon (43 calories) and 1/2 cup croutons (93 calories) add up.

CREAMY DRESSING: The typical ladle serves up 4 tbsp.--double a healthy serving size. For ranch, that's 340 calories (almost as much as medium fries!).

The deal on dressing: Anything white generally has twice the calories and fat of vinaigrettes.

BREADED CHICKEN: A 5-oz. serving has 291 calories, 14 grams fat; coated stuff like teriyaki or buffalo chicken can also sneak in another 150 calories.

Health quickie: Nix buttery croutons and you'll save nearly 100 calories.

Fitness: How Peaches Can Help You Build Muscle

2009-01-29T00:00:00.001+08:00

Not that you want Madonna's arms or anything (speaking of which, what do you think of her Gladiator-esq biceps--wow, or whoa?), but who wouldn't like their muscles to be a bit more defined, a bit more toned, a bit more, well, muscular? Apparently, peaches can help.

The potassium rich fruit is loaded with potassium, an ingredient your muscles need to stay svelte. Here's what RealAge had to say on the topic.

"A diet heavy in proteins and cereal grains can cause blood to become too acidic. When this happens, muscle tissue can waste away. Fruits and vegetables, though, make your body's pH more alkaline -- mostly thanks to their high potassium content. So it makes sense that people in a recent study who loaded up on potassium-rich produce had more lean muscle mass than their produce-shirking peers."

Only one problem: they didn't say whether drizzling the peaches in cream had the same health benefits. Though, I guess we already know the answer to that ...

Vital Finds: The 5 dirtiest foods

2009-01-26T00:00:00.001+08:00

How would you rate your food-safety IQ? I know someone who never washes their fruits and vegetables after bringing them home from the market because he believes that they're washed at the store. Um, no. Read on to learn about what some call the "5 dirtiest foods" and for a food safety wake-up call...

****
The dirty food list, according to this fascinating piece I found over at AOL Health include the following:

Eggs: While most eggs aren't going to make anyone sick, experts estimate that more than 2 million germy eggs (as in Salmonella infected) get into circulation each year, sickening 660,000 people each year and killing as many as 300. Um, maybe we should think twice about eating that cookie dough (or, judging by our conversation on Vitamin G, perhaps you'd rather take your chances?). How to buy cleaner eggs? Make sure the carton says they're pasteurized and never buy a dozen that contains any obvious cracks or leaks.

Peaches: They're pretty, but that's just skin-deep. Health experts warn that peach skins are doused in pesticides before they make it to grocery store to prevent blemishes. On average, a peach can contain as many as nine different pesticides, according to the USDA. This is one fruit you might want to buy organic (which may have blemishes, but won't have pesticides).

Pre-packaged salad mixes: Surprise! "Triple washed" doesn't mean germ-free say experts. Pathogens may still be lurking so be sure to wash your greens before tossing in your salad bowl.

Melons: Get ready to be grossed out. According to the article, "when the FDA sampled domestically grown cantaloupe, it found that 3.5 percent of the melons carried Salmonella and Shigella, the latter a bacteria normally passed person-to-person. Among imported cantaloupe, 7 percent tested positive for both bugs." Ewww. Your best bet: Scrub your melons with a little mild dish soap and warm water before slicing.

Scallions: Blamed for several recent outbreaks of Hepatitis A, and other bugs like the parasite Cryptosporidium, Shigella and Salmonella, scallions present a food safety problem because of the way they grow (in the dirt) and lack of proper washing. While you can't control what happens in restaurant kitchens, you can give them a super-duper washing at home before cooking with.

The bottom line: Don't be afraid to eat these foods, just be aware of the precautions you need to take before enjoying them. Most food-borne illnesses are the result of hygiene carelessness somewhere in the food chain. Protect yourself!

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your food safety awareness and diligence? Do you wash all your produce? How about pre-packaged salad mixes? And what about melons? Do any of you wash the exterior with soap and water before slicing. I do, and I'm patting myself on the back right now.

Health Line: Germ Cesspools

2009-01-22T00:30:00.003+08:00

Germaphobes beware! The world around us is teeming with microbial life. From the dead-set obvious public toilet seat to the obscure bacterial-laden snowflake, the world is a reservoir of the microscopic, and we are merely passengers.

To put things in even grander perspective, feast on this juicy fact: There is an estimated five nonillion (5x10 to the power of 30) bacteria alive and thriving on the Earth today. Our microscopic friends actually make up much of the world's biomass, far superseding both humans and plants. In fact, there are approximately one million bacterial cells in a single milliliter of fresh water, and a whopping 40 million bacterial cells in a single gram of forest soil alone -- and these numbers don't even include viruses.

Keeping in mind that most of us adult males don't muck around in the mud no more, AM has done a little homework to compile a short list of germ cesspools. Acknowledging these filthy microbial hangouts, and following some suggested precautionary measures might just keep you a tad healthier and away from winter sicknesses.

Public magazines
Grime factor: Hand sanitizer will do the trick

Cold and flu viruses can survive on dry surfaces for upward of 48 hours, while some bacteria, such as E. coli, can survive on dry surfaces for months on end.

Those alluring public magazines, especially those in doctor's offices, have the potential for carrying the cold and flu viruses (especially with all those sickies around). Bathroom reading materials, on the other hand, may carry fecal bacteria like E. coli-causing diarrhea.

Germs be gone: Always use the alcohol-based hand sanitizer when entering a doctor's office. If you do read a public magazine, just avoid touching your face and always wash your hands after.

Office keyboards
Grime factor: Hand sanitizer will do the trick

A study by UK consumer group Which? Computing tested 33 office keyboards for microbial contamination. The result: Several office keyboards were labeled “health hazardous,” while one particular keyboard was found to be carrying five times as many germs as the same office's public toilet seats. That's a germ cesspool if ever there was one.

Most of the bacteria found from the study were a reflection of bacteria found in the nose, mouth and gut, and thus do not pose too great a risk of infection. Shared keyboards, however, increase the risk of passing infectious microorganisms, particularly the cold and flu viruses.

Germs be gone: Clean your mouse and keyboard (there are plenty of resources online to describe just how to do so), wash your hands and try to avoid eating over your keyboard.

The gym
Grime factor: Vigorous hand washing with soap and hot water needed after exposure.

A 2006 study in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine found the cold virus on 73% of weight-lifting equipment and on 51% of aerobic equipment. Thankfully, the same study found little to no trace of infectious bacteria.

There is a real risk of viral transmission from shared exercise equipment.

Germs be gone: Thoroughly wipe down all equipment after use (guys, we're looking in your direction), wear gloves if possible and avoid touching your face until you've washed your hands.

Make sure you wash thoroughly after contact with any of these germ cesspools

Shopping Carts
Grime factor: We'd suggest paint-thinner if it didn't burn so much.

A 2006 study out of the University of Arizona found two-thirds of shopping cart handles to be contaminated with fecal bacteria including E. coli and Salmonella, more so than public toilet seats. The culprit: Diapered infants. Further research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that riding in a shopping cart when compared to raw meat or poultry is more of a risk factor for infants acquiring Salmonella infection.

Shopping cart handles are excellent transmitters of diarrhea and other potential illness both to adults and to children.

Germs be gone: Grocery stores are beginning to offer complementary sanitary wipes and have begun to implement other cart disinfection systems. However, individuals can still take precautions such as wiping down handles with personal disinfectant wipes before use, washing all unpackaged food items thoroughly before consumption, skipping free samples and avoiding touching their faces while shopping.

Subway Poles
Grime factor: Burn your hands after touching.

Due to sheer commuter volume alone, subway poles are a prime source of disease transmission.

Riding the rails is an unavoidable health hazard.

Germs be gone: Public places are laden with all kinds of germs, and subway poles are perhaps the defining example of a germ cesspool. Despite the label, unless you have open cuts on your hand or frequently touch your face while riding the rails, the risk of infection is still very low. To ease commuter concerns, new protective measures are currently being explored -- including the use of copper poles or other bacteria-resistant polymers on rails -- but in the meantime, veteran rail-riders can try washing their hands after each trip or can pick up a pair of stylish City Mitts (www.citymitts.com), made from bacteria-fighting material.

Keep Germs at Bay

The world may be a scary place, but just remember that the majority of bacteria are friendly -- they help recycle nutrients and keep ecosystems alive, they aid in the digestion of our food and some have even helped in creating vital medicines. While the same can't be said for certain viruses, it's important to understand that even in a perfect world, we can never be germ free. So, germaphobes everywhere take heed: Wash your hands more (with plain soap and water) and avoid touching your face. These two universal measures will go further than any other harebrained scheme.

Health Line: What Are the Causes of High Cholesterol?

2009-01-19T12:48:00.000+08:00

There are two main causes of high cholesterol: your genes and your diet.

There are many causes of high cholesterol. High cholesterol is a condition that often sneaks up on us. There are usually no symptoms associated with it, yet there are dire consequences associated high cholesterol if we ignore it, such as heart disease. High cholesterol stems from either something wrong with the way cholesterol is being made in your body or what you are putting into your body.

The cholesterol made in your body is referred to as endogenous cholesterol. The liver is the main organ of the body that makes cholesterol. While high cholesterol levels are not healthy, your body needs still needs cholesterol to perform many biological functions, such as making hormones (like estrogen or testosterone) and providing structure to cells. In fact, your liver makes most of the cholesterol your body needs on a daily basis.

Exogenous cholesterol refers to the cholesterol obtained from the foods you eat. It is usually obtained through a diet containing high amounts of cholesterol, saturated fats, or trans-fats. These fats are usually found in animal meats and processed foods, like chips or cookies.

A low-fat diet and exercise may help to lower your high cholesterol levels if it is only due to exogenous cholesterol. However, some cases of high cholesterol may have something to do with your family history. There are some inherited diseases of high cholesterol that may cause a defect in how cholesterol is absorbed in your body or made in the liver. In these cases, diet and exercise may not be enough to lower your cholesterol and medications can be used to lower your cholesterol.

Tips for minding your manners at the health club

2009-01-17T00:42:00.000+08:00

When your health clubs fill up, a quick review of basic health club manners and gym etiquette can make the gym-going experience a bit more pleasant. While the rules of etiquette may vary by the type of gym you go there are some basic rules that apply no matter where you are.

Gym etiquette is built on common courtesy and a little tolerance. Here are a few general rules that should help you and your fellow exercisers stay happier at the gym.

Health Club Do's

Do learn the rules of your health club, and practice them.
Do put equipment away when you are done using it.
Do wipe down equipment after use. No one wants to clean up your sweat.
Do ask for assistance from a trainer if you aren't sure how to do something.
Do allow others to work with you between your sets if they are waiting for your equipment.
Do ask to work in between the sets of others.
Do ask if people are finished with equipment if they seem to be leaving.
Do train in the right areas when the gym is busy.
Do maintain good hygiene.
Do carry a sweat towel with you.
Do carry a plastic, covered water bottle.
Do use any sign up sheets for cardio equipment if it's busy.
Do adhere to equipment time limits during peak hours.
Do remove heavy weight plates from machine after you are finished. Others can't always lift what you can.
Do say please and thank you. Be courteous.
Do Share.

Health Club Don'ts

Don't drop weights. It's annoying and unnecessary.
Don't hog the equipment
Don't leave equipment covered in your sweat.
Don't sit on equipment if you aren't using it (when it's crowed).
Don't block others access to equipment or walkways, etc (especially when crowed busy)
Don't give out unsolicited advice.
Don't take up the whole bench in the locker room with all your 'stuff.'
Don't forget this is a gym and not a singles club. While it may be a great place to find a date, don't assume that everyone feels the same.

Minding your manners never goes out of style.

Tips for Avoiding Germs at the Gym

2009-01-15T12:33:00.003+08:00

Indoor workouts at crowded gyms can increase you risk of picking up germs, fungus and the common winter cold and flu virus. This is more common in the winter when we often spend more time training indoors where it's easier for germs to spread. To avoid unnecessary illness and downtime here are some practical ways to prevent the spread of germs and common gym bugs.

1. Wash your hands frequently. This is often your best defense. Wash the entire hand using warm water and soap. Don't forget to clean under fingernails. Wash for about 10 seconds.

2. Avoid putting your hands near your eyes, nose or mouth, unless you have washed. Most bacteria and germs are spread from a surface to your hands to your face. Few germs are transmitted through the air.

3. Clean your 'shared spaces' more often than other times of the year. Remember phones, keyboards, steering wheels, office equipment and other items used by several people during the day.

4. Get a flu shot. Flu shots are especially beneficial for those with weakened immune systems, the elderly or those who come in contact with a lot of people. Check with Health Services for more information.

5. Get enough sleep. During sleep, your body's immune system goes into high gear to protect you from illness. Lack of sleep can reduce immune functioning making you susceptible to sickness.

6. Get Adequate Rest and Recovery. Rest is physically necessary so that the muscles can repair, rebuild and strengthen.

7. Stay hydrated. In the fall and winter, it is easy to overlook your thirst and get dehydrated. Make sure you plenty of water.

8. Continue a moderate exercise program. Try to maintain a 3-4 day a week exercise routine. Consistency is key.

9. Eat healthily. A good rule is to eat 10-15 calories per pound of "desired body weight." If your ideal weight is 170 lbs, then consume 1700-2550 calories a day (1700 for sedentary individuals and 2550 for extremely active types.)

10. Limit alcohol intake. Alcohol can be dehydrating which, in turn, may decrease your resistance to bacteria.

11. Finally, listen to your body. If you are less than 100% you will feel better and recover faster if you let yourself rest.

Healthy Tip: Breakfast in a Hurry

2009-01-12T00:22:00.001+08:00

When you snack smartly, eating between meals can help you keep your food intake under control. I recommend that you have at least one snack per day.

Breakfast in a Hurry

Think you have no time for a homemade breakfast? Try these dishes, which you can make in a few minutes.

• Spread two tablespoons of peanut butter on a toasted English muffin and top with banana.

• Have two frozen whole-grain waffles and an orange.

• Microwave one egg in a small dish then place it on an English muffin and top it with a slice of low-fat cheese.

• Make a frittata on the weekend and store leftovers in a container to eat during the week.

Health News: China bans diet drug, says it can harm heart

2009-01-11T19:25:00.001+08:00

BEIJING – China's top food and drug regulator has ordered a halt to the sale and production of the weight-loss drug fenfluramine hydrochloride, citing its harmful side effects.

Fenfluramine hydrochloride is one of the main ingredients in the obesity drug fen-phen, which was banned in the United States in 1997 after being linked to heart disease and lung problems.

The State Food and Drug Administration posted the recall announcement on its Web site Friday, saying research showed the diet drug can cause heart disease, pulmonary hypertension and a host of other problems.

A comprehensive evaluation of the drug by the agency showed "this kind of drug's risks outweigh the benefits."

"It is decided that the production, sale and use of the substance will be stopped," the agency said. It ordered drugs already on the market to be pulled off retailers' shelves, destroyed and dealt with by local authorities.

The drug, which suppresses appetite by altering the levels of serotonin in the brain, is marketed over the counter as Pondimin, Obedrex or Pomleral.

CDC director is leaving with a mixed legacy

2009-01-11T11:39:00.000+08:00

ATLANTA – The woman who led the nation's top public health agency for more than six years is leaving the post with a mixed legacy.

Dr. Julie Gerberding has been praised for strides against bioterrorism and maintenance of the CDC's high standing with the public, but also criticized for hewing closely to Bush administration politics and wrecking morale.

No permanent replacement has been named for Gerberding, who resigned as director of the Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But public health experts have been raising a number of names as they speculate about a possible successor.

Gerberding's departure was revealed in a Friday night e-mail to employees of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the umbrella agency over CDC.

The e-mail said she will be replaced on an interim basis by a deputy as of Jan. 20, the day President-elect Barack Obama is inaugurated.

Although an HHS housecleaning has been expected with the new administration, Gerberding's fate had been somewhat unclear. The first woman to head the agency, Gerberding led the CDC through a post-Sept. 11 world of bioterrorist fears and was considered an effective communicator with legislators and the public. Colleagues said she quietly had held out hope she would be allowed to stay on.

Speculation that she might remain was fueled by Obama's selection of Tom Daschle as HHS Secretary. Daschle, the former Senate Democratic leader, is from South Dakota — like Gerberding. But Friday's e-mail confirms she will indeed be leaving office, a CDC spokesman said.

"As part of the transition process, the Administration requested resignation letters from a number of senior-level officials, including Dr. Julie Gerberding. This week, the Administration accepted Dr. Gerberding's resignation, effective January 20," CDC spokesman Glen Nowak said in a prepared statement.

Nowak said Gerberding was traveling in Africa on CDC business and unavailable for comment.

The CDC investigates disease outbreaks, researches the cause and prevalence of health problems, and promotes illness prevention efforts. In a 2007 Harris Poll of U.S. adults, the CDC was rated as the government agency that does the best job.

Gerberding is head of the CDC and its sister agency, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The two have a budget of about $8.8 billion and more than 14,000 full-time, part-time and contract employees. Gerberding receives a total compensation of $202,200.

William Gimson, the CDC's chief operating officer, will step in as interim director as of Jan. 20.

Who will be appointed permanent successor is a matter of public speculation. In interviews with The Associated Press, several public health experts ventured names they saw as likely or sensible choices, including Dr. Thomas Frieden, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; Dr. Helene Gayle, a former CDC administrator who is now chief executive officer of CARE International; Dr. Margaret Hamburg, a former HHS official now with the Global Health and Security Initiative; and Dr. James Marks, a former CDC administrator now at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

But Daschle has made no announcement. Two former CDC officials — Dr. Jeffrey Koplan and Dr. Jose Cordero — have been helping the Obama transition team, but both declined comment on who is under consideration.

Gerberding, 53, was named CDC Director in July 2002. She was a relative newcomer to the agency; she had been an infectious diseases specialist at the University of California at San Francisco, and had joined the CDC in 1998 to head an agency patient safety initiative.

She rose to prominence in the fall of late 2001, when she emerged as a leading spokeswoman for the agency during the anthrax crisis in which letters containing a deadly anthrax powder were sent to some politicians and journalists and perhaps others. Five people died in a wave of attacks that panicked a nation already shaken by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Koplan was the CDC director at the time. Appointed by President Bill Clinton, Koplan had a prickly relationship with Bush administration officials. He resigned in March 2002.

Gerberding was selected by Tommy Thompson, Bush's first U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, who was impressed by her performance during the anthrax crisis. She entered office pledging to work closely with the Bush administration.

She was the agency's first female director — a status highlighted in a profile in Vogue magazine that featured a full-page color photograph of her in a gray Chanel suit and white Marc Jacobs high-heeled shoes. The white streak in her hair and her "JLG" signatures on memos were well-known details of her distinctiveness.

Gerberding was a highly visible spokeswoman for the government on public health matters, eclipsing officials such as the Surgeon General and the director of the National Institutes of Health in visibility. That was due in part to the scary, urgent nature of topics her agency dealt with, including SARS, food poisoning outbreaks and the threat of a deadly new type of pandemic flu.

But her tenure also proved controversial:

• She instituted a large, morale-damaging reorganization of the agency that triggered an exodus of admired agency scientists. Gerberding said the changes made the CDC stronger. But in 2005, five previous CDC directors wrote Gerberding a joint letter expressing their concern about what was happening to the agency.

• A 2004 medical journal article co-authored by Gerberding said obesity was about to overtake smoking as the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, but CDC officials later reported they had overstated the increase in obesity-related deaths by about 35,000. The mistake was blamed on a computer software error.

• After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the agency was criticized for being slow to respond to survivors' complaints about formaldehyde fumes in trailers that had been provided by the government.

• She was criticized at times for going along with Bush administration political positions at the sacrifice of science. In 2007, she was knocked for going along with White House editing of her Senate testimony on the effects of climate change on health, which involved deletion of key portions citing diseases that could flourish in a warmer climate.

Calcium Check

2009-01-08T00:20:00.002+08:00

Getting enough calcium each day is so important that it's one of the required daily goals on the Best Life program. In fact, all of the breakfasts and snacks on the plan are rich in the bone-building nutrient. Why do we focus on calcium? First, many people aren't getting enough. The average American woman gets only about 65 percent of the daily recommended 1,000 milligrams. The news could be even worse for dieters because calcium-rich foods are often the first thing to go on many weight-loss plans. That means that if you're watching your weight, you might be getting even less.

But skimping on this nutrient is a big mistake because it offers so many health benefits. Sure, you probably know that it helps build bones, reducing your risk for osteoporosis, but it can also cut your risk for colon cancer and help regulate blood pressure. So, how can you make sure you're getting enough?

Shoot for about 350 milligrams at breakfast (choose calcium-rich foods like milk or calcium-fortified soymilk, orange juice or cereal); 300 milligrams at snacks (opt for foods like smoothies or yogurt), eat a nutritious diet and take a multivitamin that has some calcium (usually about 150 milligrams), then you should be all set.

If you're over 50 (calcium absorption falls as you get older and menopause speeds up the rate of bone loss) or you don't meet any of the above criteria, you should take 500 milligrams of some form of calcium daily. There are many different types of calcium supplements, including calcium carbonate, calcium citrate and calcium lactate. Despite claims to the contrary, there's not much difference in how well the body absorbs the different types of calcium.

Kitchen Remedy: Flax for Long Life!

2009-01-05T00:01:00.003+08:00

Taking flaxseed and flax oil on a regular basis could easily be the best investment in health you could ever make

By Ann Louise Gittleman, C.N.S.

Most of you have heard about good cholesterol. Well guess what? The same is true of fat. In fact, the good or right fats and oils help build the HDL “good” cholesterol while the bad or wrong fats contributes to the LDL “bad” cholesterol.

We must learn how to avoid the unhealthy fats such as excess saturated fats from animal food and the fats from hydrogenated sources like margarine, shortening, and fried foods. Plus, we need to include the vital essential fatty acids from unrefined vegetable oils in our everyday diet.

Unfortunately because of modern manufacturing methods and refinement of foods rich in the protective and healing essential fatty acids, these good fats are almost nonexistent in our daily foods. It is no coincidence that heart disease, cancer and stroke have become the country’s leading killers since the advent of modern technology for processing foods and oils.

For the first time in almost 100 years, the essential fatty acids are once again becoming available as found in nature’s richest source, unrefined flax oil. People across the country are flocking to their local health food stores for a bottle of this liquid gold.

Health Benefits of Flax Oil

Dramatic evidence suggest that flax oil, and a special plant fiber found in flaxseed called lignan, can protect us against heart disease and cancer as well as other degenerative diseases. For nearly 50 years, Dr. Johanna Budwig, a German biochemist and Nobel Prize nominee, has utilized unrefined flax oil in conjunction with an organic diet to fight cancer. Even in the U.S., the National Center Institute (NCI) has found the flaxseed indeed have an anticancer effect – even to match some chemotherapeutic drugs – but without the nasty side effects found with the drugs.

Flax and Breast Cancer

Women have become increasingly aware of the rising epidemic of breast cancer. Scientific research on women and breast cancer has established that women who have the highest amount in the omega-3 fatty acid most prevalent in flax oil have the lowest incidence of breast cancer. More important, if any of these women had an existing tumor, those with the highest amount of omega-3 in their breast tissue still had the lowest incidence of the tumor spreading to other tissues and organs.

Flax and PMS

The use of flax oil has also been found to ease the mood swings and uncomfortable carping associated with PMS. It also helps in the transition of menopause. In addition, the essential fatty acids found in flax oil are unsurpassed for building strong nails, lustrous hair and radiant skin.

Flax and your Heart

Flax oil has been found to significantly decrease the possibility of heart disease on many fronts. Flax oil lubricates and relaxes our blood vessels, helps to clear clogged arteries, and acts as a valuable energy source that keeps the heart beating healthy and strong. This is the reason why flax oil is considered so “heart smart.”

Flax and your Pets

If you own pet, remember to add a teaspoon or two of flax oil to your animal’s food. In Europe, flax oil was once widely used to promote beautiful and glistening fur, strong hooves and nails, vibrant eyes, and robust health.

Flax for Life

The good fats found in flax affect our health at nearly every level. They combat infection and allergy by boosting our immune system. The essential fats found in flax have been postulated to improve memory, behavior and mental ability. They act as cellular batteries, supercharging every one of our one hundred trillion cells. We have been deprived of our essential fatty acids for too long. It’s high time to put the fat back, the right fat that is, as found in unrefined flax oil.

Cut your Sodium Intake

2009-01-02T00:31:00.001+08:00

Even if you skip the salt shaker, you still may be getting more sodium than you think. You should aim for no more than 2,300 milligrams per day. To shake the excess sodium from your diet:

• Check labels. Sodium is used in a variety of products, including bread and cereal.

• Beware of condiments. Condiments, such as ketchup, mustard and soy sauce can pack a lot of sodium, so try to limit your use of these.

• Make your marinade. The sodium content of store-bought marinades can be very high. Make your own using olive oil, vinegar, and herbs.

• Spice up your diet. Use herbs and spices to add flavor to dishes. Try parsley, basil, chives, ginger, cumin or oregano on veggies. For meats, add ginger, bay leaves, peppercorns, rosemary and sage.

Safe Grilling Strategies

2009-01-01T00:27:00.002+08:00

If you're like most people, then you probably do a lot of your summer cooking outdoors on the grill. While grilling is an incredibly lean way to cook, it does have a dark side. Cooking food over a high, open flame can produce carcinogens, or cancer-causing substances. But before you hang up your spatula, there are a few things you can do to safeguard yourself and still enjoy grilled chicken, burgers and other favorites. Use these tips to grill safely:

• Marinate meats. Using a homemade marinade, scientists from Lawrence Livermore Labs in Livermore, California, got rid of 95 percent of harmful compounds called Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) in poultry. (These compounds are found in blackened or charred meats.) Experts think the marinade may help cool down the meat. Any oil-and-vinegar marinade should do the trick.

• Flip often. Another study from Livermore Labs found that turning burgers every minute reduced HCA formation by up to 99 percent compared to burgers that were flipped every five minutes.

• Nuke food first. Zapping meat to a half-cooked state before grilling removes some of the substances that react to heat and reduces the chances of creating HCAs.

• Stay cool. Cook food on the cooler part of the grill by moving it to the edge or to a spot where food won't drip on the heat source. If your grill has a dual burner, turn one burner off and cook on the other side.

• Stop smoking. Food isn't the only source of health-harming compounds. You can also find polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, in barbecue smoke. Anything that makes the grill smokier, like fat that drips from the food and hits the flame, causes more smoke--and more of these compounds. If you reduce the amount of fat that drips onto the grill by choosing lean meat, fish and white meat poultry, you'll reduce the amount of PAHs that are created.

Natural Beauty: Healthy Legs

2008-12-31T00:55:00.000+08:00

Don’t let varicose veins leave you feeling blue

Varicose veins are present visible evidence of the body’s difficulty in transporting blood from your legs back to your heart. These unsightly marks result from excess pressure on your hardworking blood vessels. But as we age, a few simple lifestyle modifications can reduce the undesirable problem of swollen veins

Varicose veins not only look bad, they can make your legs ache and feel tired, and can cause your ankles to swell. Furthermore, varicose veins can cause blood to pool in your legs (a situation sometimes called venous insufficiency), which, in extreme cases, can lead to skin ulcers and blood clots.

If you suffer serious circulatory problems, alert your health practitioner. But moderate, aerobic exercise and natural vein supporters can help moderate varicose veins.

Leaky Veins

Leg veins contain valves designed to keep blood moving back towards the heart and not backing up in the wrong direction. When these valves malfunction and leak, blood is allowed to go toward the foot and overfill veins near the skin, causing them to bulge. Consequently, varicose means swollen. This overflow can also apply pressure on tiny capillaries that normally empty in the larger veins, causing purple discoloration and spider veins.

Doctors differ on whether standing for long periods of time contributes to varicose veins. However, they agree that being overweight (or pregnant) can lead to varicosity because of pressure on leg circulation.

Reining in Problems

Horse chestnut (Aesculus Hippocastanum) is well known for strengthening vessels. “It is renowned for its value as a medicinal herb, especially by Europeans, who use it topically and internally to prevent and treat varicose veins and other peripheral vascular conditions,” says famed herbalist James Duke, PhD.

Varicose veins that have problems keeping blood flowing can make your legs throb with a dull, insistent ache. To relieve circulation – challenged limbs, massage them with pain relieving essential oils like geranium, ginger and peppermint.

Dr. Duke explains that horse chestnut contains aescin, which builds up vein wall, and rutin, which helps keep capillaries from leaking. “Aescin and rutin work synergistically with other active chemicals to reduce inflammation and pain, and improve circulation,” he says.

Another rutin-packed herb is Butcher’s Broom (Ruscus aculeatus). Butcher’s Broom also compounds called ruscogenins that reduce swelling.

On other fronts, ginkgo and bilberry boost circulation by relaxing vessel walls. Gotu, an ancient Ayurvedic remedy, quells inflammation and helps keep blood from clotting. And that old standby, witch hazel, helps tighten swollen veins.

Leg Support

Other circulation help resides in antioxidant like grapeseed extract and pycnogenol (a pine bark extract). Pycnogenol has reduced leg heaviness and swelling in people with venous insufficiency. In addition, the essential fatty acids found in fish and flaxseed oils assist blood vessels in staying flexible.

Compression stockings and exercises like bicycling or walking help keep blood moving toward your heart. Staying on the move is particularly important if you sit for long periods of time; get up every once in a while to give your circulation a boost. When you do take it easy, keep your legs elevated above your heart to ease distress.

Ratchet up your fiber intake. Constipation can exacerbate varicose problems: straining at passing stools increases the pressure put on vessels. In addition, subtraction of body fat can relieve pressure on veins.

Don’t let varicose veins leave you feeling blue. By putting some pep in your step and using leg supporting supplements, your gams just might look and feel better.

Supplement Review: Quercetin

2008-12-29T00:42:00.004+08:00

This bioflavonoid may stop the itching, sneezing and sniffling of allergy sufferers

What is it?

Quercetin (pronounced ker-see-tin) is a bioflavonoid (plant pigment) with powerful antioxidant properties. It is found in many foods, including apples buckwheat, grapes, red onions, red wine and white grapefruit. It’s also sold in supplement form.

How it works?

People with allergies have immune systems that are over-active. When a benign substance like pollen enter their bodies, their immune system overreact with a massive release of histamine, which causes blood vessels to enlarge, fluids to leak into tissues, and muscles to go into spasm. Itching, sneezing, watery eyes or inflammation can result. Quercetin reduces the intensity of these allergic reactions by preventing the immune cells from releasing histamine, according to naturopathic doctor Bradley Bongiovanni, N. D., who practices in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Quercetin’s strong antioxidant properties also strengthen cell membranes, making them less reactive to allergens and other irritants.

Evidence

There have been no human studies of quercetin’s effectiveness as treatment for allergies. However, a few animal and laboratory studies have shown positive results. A Japanese study, published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Allergy, tested the effects of quercetin on cells from human mucous membranes. The researchers concluded that this bioflavonoid inhibited the release of histamine and might therefore prevent common allergic symptoms like runny nose.

A well publicized epidemiological study published in Thorax, examined the relationship between lung function, which can be limited in people with allergies, and the quercetin in apples. After evaluating the dietary habits of 2, 512 Welshmen ages 45- 49, researchers found that those ate five or more apples a week had significantly better lung function than men who did not.

Although scientific evidence supporting quercetin’s effectiveness is somewhat limited, many naturopathic physicians frequently treat their patients’ allergies with quercetin and report great success. Paul Saunders, N. D., Ph. D., chair of Materia Medica at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto, recommends a combination of quercetin and vitamin C to his patients before and during allergy season. While the quercetin prevents the release of histamine, the vitamin C prevents the production of histamine, he says. In the majority of his patients, the combination of the two supplements has eliminated or significantly reduced allergy symptoms.

How to Take It?

Quercetin is found in many foods but to fend off allergy symptoms, you’ll probably need more quercetin than you can get from diet alone. Take 500 to 1, 000 mg two times per day between meals. If you have seasonal allergies, start taking at least a month before your symptoms usually begin and continue until your allergy season ends. You can also take quercetin with 1, 000 mg of vitamin C two times a day (or swallow the pills with vitamin C – rich orange juice), which experts say enhances the effectiveness of the supplement. Some brand of quercetin is formulated with vitamin C.

Caveats

There are none, as quercetin has no known side effects. More research is needed to determine the effectiveness or quercetin for allergies. But in the meantime, it appears safe to try supplemental quercetin.

Health Line: Incredible but true

2008-12-26T13:43:00.000+08:00

Your heart grows in size long after you reach your full height.
If your veins are laid end to end, they’ll span about 60, 000 miles
More women die from heart disease than breast cancer each year.
Baldness at the top of the head is associated with an increased risk of heart disease in men.

Supplements for the Heart

2008-12-24T00:35:00.005+08:00

Vitamin C – Helpful in preventing arteriosclerosis. Recommended : 1, 000 mg daily.

Mixed Carotenoids – Excellent antioxidants shown to reduce the likelihood of arteriosclerosis. Recommended: 25, 000 IU daily.

Vitamin E – Extremely helpful for reducing the stickiness of platelets and improving blood flow. It also tends to slow the progression of arteriosclerosis and may have something to do with reversing it. Recommended: 400 – 800 IU daily.

EPA Fish Oil – A natural blood thinner. Recommended: two or three 1, 000 mg capsules twice daily.

L-carnitine – A natural agent for helping to promote energy production in the cardiac muscle cells. Recommended: one 500 to 1, 000 mg capsule twice daily.

Co-enzyme Q10 – Another catalyst for energy production in the cardiac muscles. Recommended: 100 – 400 mg daily.

Calcium – With magnesium, helps control blood pressure. Recommended: 400 mg daily.

Magnesium – Plays a role in preventing arterial spasm. Recommended 400 – 800 mg chelated form daily; Or magnesium citrate, 200 mg twice daily.

Vital Finds: Understanding Angina

2008-12-22T00:10:00.003+08:00

Angina is not a death sentence; it is an alarm. While your doctor may prescribe drugs, you should not underestimate how much lifestyle changes can improve your cardiac health.

By Jon W. Wahrenberger, MD, FACC

Angina, also called pectoris, is a pain or a sense of discomfort in the chest arising from the heart. Most often caused by an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart arteries, angina may also be because by heart valve disease, cardiac rhythm disturbances and diseases of the muscular portion of the heart.

Symptoms can vary dramatically from person to person. Typically, angina is described as a pressure of squeezing sensation in the center of the chest, sometimes accompanied by discomfort in the neck, jaw, shoulders and arms. Others say it feels like a vice is compressing their chest or that they feel an aching or burning sensation.

Still others complain of pain in areas outside of the chest. Often, there are other symptoms at the same time, such as shortness of breath, sweating, nausea and lightheadedness. Angina typically comes on with exercise or stress, and recedes with rest and relaxation. While angina itself does not lead to permanent damage of the heart muscle, it does suggest the presence of heart disease, which can lead to heart attack and death. Angina may occur in one of a number of patterns. Among them:

Chronic stable angina – is characterized by a long term pattern of exercise induced angina occurring very predictably over months and years.

Unstable angina – occurs at rest. The term may also refer to a sudden worsening of the symptoms in a person who had been experiencing stable angina. Unstable angina often is seen days, hours or weeks before a heart attack.

Variant angina - a unique form that results not from progressive narrowing of the heart arteries or other underlying heart disease, but from a transient and reversible spasm of the heart arteries. Variant angina tends to occur without any particular pattern and is not linked to exercise or exertion.

Microvascular angina – is a form of angina in which the patient has symptoms virtually identical to those of stable angina yet appears to have normal coronary arteries. The coronary arteries inability to dilate during exercise is thought to cause microvascular angina. There is much debate in the medical community about microvascular angina, which is dubbed Syndrome X. some doctors question whether the syndrome exist at all.

Causes of Angina

In the Unites States and Europe, the most common cause of angina is atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a process in which cholesterol, inflammatory cells and other substances are deposited in the arterial wall over a period of years or even decades. As a result, the arteries grow narrower, reducing their ability to carry blood. Moreover, atherosclerosis leads to a loss of arteries normal dilating capacity in response to exercise.

Difference Between Angina and a Heart Attack

Although the pain of a heart attack may be similar to the discomfort of angina, the two are different in many regards. Angina is a symptom resulting from a transient lack of oxygen to the heart. Once the demand for oxygen subsides, so do the symptoms of angina. No permanent damage is done to the heart.

During a heart attack or myocardial infarction, there is a loss of blood flow to one or more of the coronary arteries. If the blood is cut off for more than 30 minutes, it is increasingly likely that permanent damage will be done to the heart muscle. In some instances, significant portions of the heart muscle will actually turn to scar tissue. Many people who have had heart attacks say they had angina before the attack. Others say they never experienced any cardiac pain until they had a heart attack.

Lifestyle Changes with Angina

Angina is not a death sentence; it is an alarm. While your doctor may prescribe drugs, you should not underestimate how much lifestyle changes can improve your cardiac health.

Stay Active

Even people with coronary artery disease can benefit from starting an exercise program. Aim for at least 20 to 30 minutes of moderate activity daily, or at least several times a week. Rapid walking, bicycling or swimming are all beneficial.

Because exercise may induce angina, you may need to modify the type of activity you choose and the way you approach it. Talk with your doctor about an ideal exercise program and determine a target heart rate.

Some medications, particularly beta blockers, will prevent your heart rate from increasing in a normal fashion. If you are taking such medications, your doctor will usually recommend a lower target heart rate. A quick formula for determining your maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from 220. A 50-yeal old would have a predicted maximum heart rate of 170 beats per minute. Thus, the target heart rate during exercise should be between 85 and 144 beats per minute.

Manage Stress

You may be upset to learn you have angina and coronary artery disease and understandably so. But do not let that worsen the situation. There is no reason to feel helpless or to give up. Learn about your disease and put that knowledge to work for you.

Eat Well

Diet is an important component of health, especially cardiac health. Keep in mind that animal products are the biggest sources of saturated fat and cholesterol, as much as possible substitute fruits, vegetables and grains. Think about the importance of your health and joy you get from a fit, well turned body. There may be some truth to the old axiom “we are what we eat.”

Control your Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” since it rarely announces itself with symptoms, but silently causes the damage to various organs throughout the body. It is a potent risk factor for heart disease and angina. If you are already treated for high blood pressure, take your medications and make sure your condition is well controlled.

Look 5 Years Younger Today

2008-12-18T00:22:00.003+08:00

I'm not interested in hopping into a time machine (return to my teen years? No thanks!), but sometimes I do wish I could turn back the clock for the sake of my skin. I grew up a devoted sun worshipper and all the running, biking and fun activities I do outdoors these days doesn't help (though now I'm better about wearing sunscreen).

The freckles and little spots I have certainly make me look older than I'd like, which is typical, according to a recent study from the University of Gottingen in Germany. Testers estimated that people whose uneven pigmentation was digitally removed from photos were five years younger than their age. When wrinkles were also erased, they guessed a 15-year age drop! Luckily, the guys in white lab coats have been hard at work finding fast, easy ways to reverse the appearance of aging without resorting to a scalpel.

Want to look younger? Try a few of these skin-saving solutions:

-- Uncover glowing skin: After washing your face for a full 30 to 60 seconds -- the time it takes cleansing agents to loosen dirt, oil and makeup -- gently apply a microdermabrasion cream (Estee Lauder Idealist Micro-D is one I like). It works like a peel to slough off surface cells and reveal newer, younger-looking skin beneath. Or try this at-home tip: Soak a washcloth in whole milk and drape it over your face. The fat in the milk soothes skin while its lactic acid gently exfoliates.

-- Get even: Blotchy pigmentation can tack on up to 12 years to your perceived age, according to a study in Evolution and Human Behavior. Roll back the years with tinted moisturizer, which hides imperfections but still appears natural (so you look like you, not some fake Claymation version). Apply your regular moisturizer first so the tint won't seep into dry spots, resulting in splotches.

-- Cover spots: To hide imperfections, choose a thick stick concealer one shade lighter than your foundation. For a natural effect, dab it on with a makeup brush, then top it with a light dusting of translucent powder to keep it in place.

-- Freshen up your fragrance: Choosing the right scent could take years off your face, reports the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. In a study, men guessed women's ages while smelling three scents and judged women to be nearly six years younger when wearing a perfume with notes of pink grapefruit.

Tart Cherries VS Other Leading Fruit

2008-12-15T00:04:00.004+08:00

Consuming fruits and vegetables on a regular basis is linked with a reduced risk of developing chronic diseases. Although many fruits provide the essential nutrients required of a healthy, balanced diet; tart cherries go above and beyond the call of duty to deliver them. Therefore, tart cherries provide more health benefits than most other fruits do.

You can find a wide variety of bio-active compounds in tart cherries. Regular consumption of them reduces your risk ofcardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer disease,cataracts, and functional deterioration (due to old age). One of these bio-active compounds is specifically notorious for their battle against chronic diseases. This refers to antioxidants.

Antioxidants are essential to balancing out the amount of oxidants in your body. Their primary perk is that they reduce your risk of oxidative stress. This in turn reduces your risk of developing cancer or cardiovascular disease. Therefore, antioxidants are one of the most well known health benefits contained in fruit.

Phenolic Acids are very powerful antioxidants. A fruit that contains a type of phenolic acids has an edge on other fruits because of the increased health benefit it provides. Therefore, fruits such as tart cherries, acai, blueberries, noni, and pomegranate all are at the top of the game when it comes to antioxidants. They beat out all of the other fruits and vegetables in this department. However, Tart cherries contain more varieties of phenolic acids than the Acai, blueberry, noni, and pomegranate do. That is why the tart cherry stands alone at the top for nutritional antioxidant content.

In addition to antioxidants, tart cherries contain anthocyanins, flavanols, flavonols, hormones, vitamins and minerals, and terpenes. They also have a greater variety of these bio-active compounds than the other four fruits (mentioned previously) have.

Generally speaking, tart cherries are not as popular as some other fruits. While a lot of nutritional information is known about most fruits and vegetables, there is still more information that can be uncovered. As the availability of more information increases, we find that the popularity of the tart cherry rises along with it. A greater amount of research is finding that the nutritional benefit of tart cherries surpasses that of most other fruits.

Despite all of the great nutritional value a tart cherry possesses, they still are not as popular as many other fruits. The name could have something to do with it as the sweet cherry usually gets the vote when consumers browse fruit. Secondly, tart cherries are usually not available fresh in stores. You have to find them at your local farmers market to get them fresh. Otherwise, they usually come canned or in a jam when simply shopping at your local grocery store. In regards to convenience, tart cherries are not easy to come by unless you are specifically looking for them to put in a salad or dessert. In that case, you are not benefitting from them the way you could be if you were eating them fresh and whole.

Look for the tart cherry the next time you shop. You’ll be surprised at all it has to offer in regards to your health. If your local grocery store does not have them fresh and you aren’t planning on cooking up a dessert just to try them, look for tart cherries in the form of a drink. Just make sure the tart cherry juice is not from concentrate and has no preservatives. Otherwise, you aren’t experiencing the real benefits of tart cherries. Instead you’ll just be getting a cherry juice that tastes good with little nutritional value.

Health Science News: Vatican affirms 'dignity of human embryo'

2008-12-14T04:58:00.001+08:00

VATICAN CITY (AFP) – The Vatican on Friday reopened ethical questions surrounding stem cell research and techniques such as cloning with a document affirming the "dignity of the human embryo."

"Dignitas Personae" (Dignity of the Person), the first "instruction" on reproductive technology in more than 20 years, comes as countries including the United States and France prepare to review policies in the controversial field.

The sweeping instruction lists biomedical techniques considered "illicit" by the Roman Catholic Church such as in vitro fertilisation, cloning, the therapeutic use of stem cells, producing vaccines from embryo cells and the use of the "morning-after" contraceptive pill.

Such practices go against the "fundamental principle" that the dignity of the person must be recognised from conception until natural death, it says.

Issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's doctrinal watchdog, the 33-page instruction updates a 1987 document, "Donum Vitae" (The Gift of Life), which asserted the integrity of the human embryo.

The new instruction virtually enshrines the embryo not only as a human being but also as a whole "person" with all the philosophical and legal consequences that such recognition might entail, according to Bishop Rino Fisichella, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

"The recognition is implicit, but we don't get involved in the philosophical debate," Fisichella said as he presented the document.

The document, approved by Pope Benedict XVI, also reprises the Church's condemnation of in vitro fertilisation, while decrying methods that prevent implantation of the embryo or cause its elimination as "falling within the sin of abortion".

"The blithe acceptance of the enormous number of abortions involved in the process of in vitro fertilisation vividly illustrates how the replacement of the conjugal act by a technical procedure ... leads to a weakening of the respect owed to every human being," the document says.

The text also warns against a "eugenic mentality" arising from advances in genetic engineering, saying: "In the attempt to create a new type of human being, one can recognise an ideological element in which man tries to take the place of his Creator."

Catholics are called to abide by such "instructions," which have had practical consequences across the centuries.

The 1987 instruction, focussing on in vitro fertilisation, was signed by the pope, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, during his 24-year tenure at the head of the Vatican's highest rule-making authority.

It had important consequences for Catholic hospitals around the world as they scrapped programmes to help infertile couples, and it affected funding for certain medical research.

While the techniques condemned by the Church are legal in many countries and widely practised, the new document says Catholic researchers have the duty to distance themselves from a "gravely unjust legal situation and to affirm with clarity the value of human life".

US president-elect Barack Obama, who is to take office on January 20, is expected to act quickly to reverse an executive order by President George W. Bush banning embryonic stem cell research.

Also, French bioethics law is set for review next year.

The Holy See is aware that it is challenging cutting-edge technology, led notably by British embryo researchers, and expects "a variety of reactions," Fisichella said.

"Some will prefer to ignore (the instruction), others will take the easier route of deriding it, and still others will file these pages away as a manifestation of obscurantism blocking progress and free research, but many others will share our concern and our analysis," he said.

11 New Cholesterol Genes Identified

2008-12-11T14:00:00.000+08:00

An international research team that screened the genes of more than 40,000 people has identified 11 more regions that govern levels of blood fats such as LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

"These locations point us to previously unsuspected players in the metabolism of cholesterol in humans," said Dr. Sekar Kathiresan, director of preventive cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, and lead author of a report in the Dec. 7 online issue of Nature Genetics. "Now that we have these additional genes that play a role in humans, we have to figure out how they do it by doing additional studies."

The report brings the total number of genes associated with control of blood fat levels to 30. One of those 30 is a gene designated HMGCR, which is the target of the widely used statins.

"By further understanding how these new genes play their roles, some of the genes could become targets themselves and help reduce cholesterol levels and heart disease," Kathiresan said.

The researchers, based at 37 institutions in the United States and around the world, started with genetic information on participants in the Framingham Heart Study, which first established the role of LDL cholesterol in cardiovascular disease in 1961. They added genetic samples from another 20,600 participants in five different studies.

"Of the three billion letters in the human genome, 2.5 million spots differ between people," Kathiresan said. "We tried to correlate blood levels of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides."

Some of the 11 newly identified genes are known to have rare mutations that cause serious cholesterol disorders or conditions such as type 2 diabetes. This study shows for the first time that common variations in the genes are associated with differing lipid levels in individuals.

Putting together the information from the different studies was a challenge, said Goncalo Abecasis, an associate professor of biostatistics at the University of Michigan, and a member of the research team. He and his colleagues at the university's Center for Statistical Genetics helped develop the computer software that made the analysis possible.

While all the studies looked at the same genes, they did not always look for the same variants of those genes, Abecasis said. "So, we had to ask, are they really telling us something consistent? The method we used was that, we can find different little stretches of DNA that are shared between people and find relationships between those stretches."

The information has several possible applications, Kathiresan said. "We might use this genetic information to identify people at an earlier age, in their 30s or 40s, who are destined to develop high cholesterol levels and eventually heart disease," he said.

New light will also be shed on the metabolism of blood fats such as LDL cholesterol, the "bad" kind that forms artery-blocking plaques, Kathiresan said. And aside from basic biological knowledge, the discovery could lead to new drug treatments to prevent artery blockage.

"Time will tell whether any of the 11 new locations will end up being as good a drug target as HMGCR," he said.

The 30 genes that have so far been identified are believed to account for about 20 percent of the variations in individual blood levels of cholesterol and other fats. Even larger studies of people in different ethnic groups are needed to find other genetic factors, and their overall contribution to cardiovascular risk.

"We are currently designing studies to test whether individuals inheriting several of these lipid risk genes really are at higher risk for heart attack and whether they are more likely to benefit from cholesterol-lowering treatments like statins," Kathiresan said.

- HealthDay News -

Kids Health: Type I Diabetes - Is your child at risk??

2008-12-11T01:46:00.003+08:00

Unlike Type II diabetes, type I tends to begin during childhood, most often between the ages 6 and 12 years, with a second peak age group being 17 to 20.

What Causes It?

Type I diabetes occurs when the immune system malfunctions and destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Experts believe the root cause is genetic, but it maybe activated by an environmental factor, like a viral infection.

How Common Is It?

One in every 700 to 800 school age children develops type I diabetes, making it one of the top chronic childhood disease.

What Are The Symptoms?

Signs include excessive urination, constant thirst and weight loss. There may also be abdominal pain that’s mistaken for appendicitis. If it’s not diagnosed, the child may become seriously ill and fall into coma.

How Is It treated?

Children with type I diabetes produce little or no insulin, so they must get it from shots. A healthful diet is also key to successfully treating the disease, as are regular checkups to watch out for potential vision, nerve and cardiovascular problems.

Can Kids Get Type II Diabetes As Well?

A decade ago, experts would have answered no. But in recent years more and more children have been diagnosed with type II diabetes as a result of what doctors are calling “The McDonald’s Syndrome” – an abundance of fatty foods combined with too little activity. The good news: “If we can prevent childhood obesity,” says Holly Schachner, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist at Naomie Berrie Diabetes Center in New York City, “we think we can prevent type II diabetes in kids.”

Foods That Fight Diabetes

Given the tremendous impact diet has on preventing and treating diabetes, it’s not surprising that specific nutrients and herbs can have a similar effect. Here’s what you should eat to fend off and beat the disease.

Fiber. Often deficient in diabetic people. Sources: oat bran, nuts, seeds, peas, beans, apples and most vegetables.
Vitamin C. Manufactures collagen, which is helpful for the bleeding gums and slow wound-healing that can occur with diabetes. Sources: citrus fruits, melons, tomatoes and dark green vegetables.
Niacinamide (vitamin B3). Has been shown to prevent the development of diabetes in animals. Sources: dark green vegetables, eggs, whole-grain cereals and breads.
Biotin. Enhances the body’s ability to use insulin. Sources: green beans and dark green vegetables.
Vitamin B6. Aids in the absorption and metabolism of proteins. Sources: whole-grain bread, avocados, spinach and green beans.
Vitamin B12. Deficiency can cause numbness of the feet, a problem to which diabetics are prone. Sources: eggs, milk and yeast.
Onions and Garlic. Have been shown to lower blood sugar levels.
Bilberry. Helps with diabetic retinopathy and other eye problems associated with the disease.
Ginseng. Has shown some effect on lowering blood sugars.

Reference: Vegetarian Times, by Lana Dvorkin, Pharm. D.

Scientists back brain drugs for healthy people

2008-12-08T17:09:00.000+08:00

NEW YORK – Healthy people should have the right to boost their brains with pills, like those prescribed for hyperactive kids or memory-impaired older folks, several scientists contend in a provocative commentary.

College students are already illegally taking prescription stimulants like Ritalin to help them study, and demand for such drugs is likely to grow elsewhere, they say.

"We should welcome new methods of improving our brain function," and doing it with pills is no more morally objectionable than eating right or getting a good night's sleep, these experts wrote in an opinion piece published online Sunday by the journal Nature.

The commentary calls for more research and a variety of steps for managing the risks.

As more effective brain-boosting pills are developed, demand for them is likely to grow among middle-aged people who want youthful memory powers and multitasking workers who need to keep track of multiple demands, said one commentary author, brain scientist Martha Farah of the University of Pennsylvania.

"Almost everybody is going to want to use it," Farah said.

"I would be the first in line if safe and effective drugs were developed that trumped caffeine," another author, Michael Gazzaniga of the University of California, Santa Barbara, declared in an e-mail.

The seven authors, from the United States and Britain, include ethics experts and the editor-in-chief of Nature as well as scientists. They developed their case at a seminar funded by Nature and Rockefeller University in New York. Two authors said they consult for pharmaceutical companies; Farah said she had no such financial ties.

Some health experts agreed that the issue deserves attention. But the commentary didn't impress Leigh Turner of the University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics.

"It's a nice puff piece for selling medications for people who don't have an illness of any kind," Turner said.

The commentary cites a 2001 survey of about 11,000 American college students that found 4 percent had used prescription stimulants illegally in the prior year. But at some colleges, the figure was as high as 25 percent.

"It's a felony, but it's being done," Farah said.

The stimulants Adderall and Ritalin are prescribed mainly for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but they can help other people focus their attention and handle information in their heads, the commentary says.

Another drug called Provigil is approved for sleep disorders but is also prescribed for healthy people who need to stay alert when sleep-deprived, the commentary says. Lab studies show it can also perk up the brains of well-rested people. And some drugs developed for Alzheimer's disease also provide a modest memory boost, it says.

Ritalin is made by Switzerland-based Novartis AG, but the drug is also available generically. Adderall is made by U.K.-based Shire PLC and Montvale, N.J.-based Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc., and some formulations are also available generically. Provigil is made by Cephalon Inc. of Frazer, Pa.

While supporting the concept that healthy adults should be able to use brain-boosting drugs, the authors called for:

• More research into the use, benefits and risks of such drugs. Much is unknown about the current medications, such as the risk of dependency when used for this purpose, the commentary said. Also, according to the Food and Drug Administration, Adderall, for example, is an amphetamine that carries warnings about possible sudden death, heart attack and stroke, especially for people with heart problems.

• Policies to guard against people being coerced into taking them.

• Steps to keep the benefits from making socio-economic inequalities worse.

• Action by doctors, educators and others to develop policies on the use of such drugs by healthy people.

• Legislative action to allow drug companies to market the drugs to healthy people if they meet regulatory standards for safety and effectiveness.

Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said she agreed with the commentary that the nonprescribed use of brain-boosting drugs must be studied.

But she said she was concerned that wider use of stimulants could lead more people to become addicted to them. That's what happened decades ago when they were widely prescribed for a variety of disorders, she said.

"Whether we like it or not, that property of stimulants is not going to go away," she said.

Erik Parens, a senior research scholar at the Hastings Center, a bioethics think tank in Garrison, N.Y., said the commentary makes a convincing case that "we ought to be opening this up for public scrutiny and public conversation."

One challenge will be finding ways to protect people against subtle coercion to use the drugs, the kind of thing parents feel when neighbor kids sign up for SAT prep courses, he said.

And if the nation moves to providing a basic package of health care to all its citizens, it's hard to see how it could afford to include brain-boosting drugs, he said. If they have to be bought separately, it raises the question about promoting societal inequalities, he said.

Working Out at Home

2008-12-08T16:29:00.000+08:00

Working out at home is a good choice during winter since you don't need a lot of equipment and you can exercise any time you want without worrying about getting to the gym when it's cold out. If you like the idea of someone else directing your workout, you might consider a workout video. Some ideas:

Pilates and Yoga Videos
Cardio Videos and Guided Cardio Workouts
Strength Training, Circuit and Specialty Video

The trick in working out during the winter is to try to keep it as interesting as possible. This is a great time to try a new activity, find a workout buddy or enlist your family members to help you stay motivated.

Fall for Fall Fruits

2008-12-08T01:44:00.001+08:00

By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D.

When you think of fruit, fall probably isn't the first season that comes to mind, but you'd be surprised by how many flavorful choices you have: Apples, pears, citrus, and grapes are all at their peak right now. And there are so many great ways to use these fruits, like this delicious recipe from Best Life chef Sidra Forman.

Poached Fall Fruit: Grapes, Apples and Pears with Cinnamon, Cardamom and Anise
Makes 4 servings

Prep time: 5 minutes. Total time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods, crushed with the back of a spoon
1 apple, quartered and cored
1 pear, quartered and cored
1 cup, seedless red grapes (can use 2 cups depending on your calories)
1/4 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine 3 cups water with spices in a medium pot over medium-high heat. (If star anise and cardamom are not available you can substitute 4 cloves or a large pinch of powdered nutmeg.)

2. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add fruit and sugar, return mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes (for firmer fruit, reduce to 5 minutes). The fruit should be just covered by the liquid; if necessary add an additional 1/2 cup water.

3. Serve hot, room temperature or cold with about a 1/4 cup of the poaching liquid poured over each serving.

Cold Weather Workouts

2008-12-08T00:24:00.000+08:00

Weather can be the difference between doing your workout or piling up on the couch for your favorite TV show. If it's rainy, snowy or just plain cold outside, most of us avoid exercise like the plague. While it's normal for activity to slow down in the winter, cold weather isn't a license to give up exercise completely. Learn how you can keep up with exercise even when it's cold.

Option 1: Workout Outside

Obviously some people continue outdoor workouts no matter what the weather. If you're one of those people, more power to you. If you're not, getting out occasionally can lift your spirits, even if it's cold outside.

Plan to get outside at least once every couple of weeks or so and make it more comfortable by using these tips for staying warm and dry:

1. Dress in layers. Wearing layers allows you stay warm while giving you the option to remove layers as you get warm. For very cold weather, you might choose clothes with sweat-wicking qualities such as CoolMax.

2. Avoid the wind. Wendy Bumgardner, gives some great tips for cold weather survival in her article, Keep Walking in the Cold. Some tips are to "start your walk into the wind so you will finish with it at your back." Other things that will make your outside journey better are selecting routes that are "sheltered from the wind where possible" and "that are cleared of snow or ice or do not have standing puddles or mud slicks."

3. Warm up inside. Getting outside in the cold is much easier if you're already warm. Try throwing your clothes in the dryer, running your hands under warm water or even getting a good 10-minute warm up in before you head outside.

If outdoor exercise isn't your thing, try Option 2.

Option 2: Workout at the Gym

If the weather gets nasty, they gym is a great choice for more options and lots of great people-watching...not a bad way to while away your exercise time. Many people hate moving their training indoors when it gets to be too chilly for a morning run, but it doesn't have to be mind-numbing. Take the treadmill, for example. You could hop on the belt, set the speed at 4.0 mph and go for a 30-minute walk to nowhere. Or you can be creative and make your treadmill workout just a little more interesting. Try these cardio workouts for a little inspiration, or why not try a circuit training workout for something completely different? Pick a machine you've never dared to try (yes, that's a rowing machine) and get busy.

Another idea is to try group exercise classes like spinning, step aerobics or kickboxing. Not only will you burn some calories and manage your weight, you might end up having fun. Fitness classes are also a great place to meet other exercisers to help keep you motivated.

A bonus of working out in the gym is having everything at your disposal. Once you're done with your cardio, you can strength train, stretch and even hit the hot tub before you head home.

Dodging the Diabetes Bullet

2008-12-04T01:37:00.001+08:00

By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D.

Seven percent of the population has diabetes--that's 21.6 million people! The number jumps to 9.6 percent for people age 20 years old and up, and it strikes a whopping 21 percent of Americans age 60 and above. As we get older, more of us will succumb to the disease. Fortunately, most cases of diabetes can be prevented by good diet and exercise habits. That means that right now is the perfect time to adopt the healthy habits, such as the ones below, that can reduce your diabetes risk.

Get moving. Exercise (both cardio and strength training) makes your muscles' cells more sensitive to insulin, the hormone that removes sugar from the blood. Plus, it helps you lose weight and maintain your weight loss. To lose weight, work up to 60 minutes of cardio six days a week. To reap the benefits from strength training, do at least 12 reps of at least six different exercises two or three times a week.

Switch to whole grains. Whole wheat, corn and wheat bran have been strongly linked to diabetes prevention. But oats and barley also appear to reduce diabetes risk. The less refined the grain, the better (think steel cut oats versus rolled oats) because it takes your body a lot longer to convert coarsely ground grain into blood sugar than it does for refined grains.

Reach/maintain a healthy body mass index. Body mass index, or BMI, is a measurement of height to weight. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered healthy; 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight; and 30 and above is obese. To find out your BMI, use the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute's BMI calculator.

Dry Skin? Don't Let Winter Win

2008-12-02T03:03:00.001+08:00

Dry winter air can cause your skin to crack, chafe, itch and develop dry patches, but there are a number of things you can do to protect your skin, says Jeff Moore, an instructor of pharmaceutics at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.

"During cold spells, your skin is constantly bombarded, dried out, and increasingly susceptible to infection," Moore said in a university news release. He offered a number of winter skin care tips:

* Drink six to eight glasses of water a day, because when we're properly hydrated, our skin lubricates itself from the inside.
* Don't take long, hot showers. Instead, take shorter, warm showers. The steam and heat associated with long, hot showers can draw out moisture on the skin and cause dryness.
* Use lotions and creams to create a barrier that protects your skin against dryness. For best results, apply a product with ingredients such as shea butter and petrolatum immediately after a shower or bath, when your skin is still moist.
* Exfoliate regularly. This not only removes rough dry patches, but it promotes new cell growth and enhances the absorption of skin care products. Apply a moisturizer after exfoliating so that moisture brought to the surface doesn't immediately evaporate.
* Don't use harsh soaps or cleansers, which contain preservatives, fragrances and lye that can irritate skin. Instead, use products that contain glycerin, which traps and maintains moisture.
* Use a humidifier to counter the dry air created by furnaces and other heating devices. A humidifier in the bedroom can help combat dry skin.

It's best to start taking care of your skin early in the winter, before dryness has a chance to set in, Moore said.

"While we often neglect our skin, or only treat it for cosmetic reasons, it's important to remember that our skin is an organ, part of the body just like anything else, and requires constant care," he said.

Natural Beauty: Lather Up with Natural Soap

2008-12-02T00:41:00.000+08:00

In addition to the natural ingredients, the manufacturing method can also greatly affect the quality of soap

Lathering up in the shower is part of nearly everyone’s morning routine – is there a single home in the country without a bar of soap? And yet, pervasive as soap is, knowledgeable consumers are reconsidering then essential cleaning commodity. They want alternatives to the chemical-laden and often animal-fat based bar soaps available in the mass market. In response, natural products manufacturers are stirring up hand crafted natural soaps made with quality oil, fresh herbs, pure essential oils, even goats milk.

Soap is made through simple chemical process called saponification, which entails heating animal or vegetable fats with an alkali (in the case of hard soap, the alkali is treated salt water). During the heating process, this alkali attaches itself to the fatty acids of the fat ingredient, thereby creating soap. While this is the basis for all soap making, varying the manufacturing methods and ingredients can resulting soap with dramatically different moisturizing, scent and lasting properties.

When soap is made correctly, using the handmade process, the end product is 30 percent moisturizer. “When you make vegetable oil based soap, there are some oils that don’t get saponified, so those free oils, along with the glycerin and some free waxes, give you moisturizing properties in the soap.”

Because the FDA does not require manufacturers to list ingredients, many consumers have no clue what is in their soap. The typical mass market bar contains sodium tallowate (tallow derived from animal fat), synthetic glycerin, BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), synthetic fragrances and colors, salt and other preservatives. On the contrary, most natural soaps contain simply one or more saponified oils. Soap can be made from virtually any kind of oil. The different oil used alters the properties of the soap.

The importance of using whole oils as opposed to fractioned vegetable oils can be related to using a whole egg where one part has the cholesterol and one part has the B vitamins. It’s a balance, and in nature there’s this amazing balance. When manufacturers buy fractioned oils they may have been extracted with a chemical solvent and there may be a residue present in them.

Many soap manufacturers take advantage of the wide variety of essential oils available to scent their products. “Handmade soaps are very good medium for aromatherapy.” The citrus blends are good for combination skin; lavender works well for drier skin because it tends to relax pores; tea tree oil is good for closing pores because it is astringent; and unscented is ideal for hypersensitive skin.

In addition to the ingredients, the soap manufacturing method can also greatly affect the quality of the soap. In the hand made soap making process, the warm soap is poured into wooden molds where it cures for about 30 days – as opposed to three days for the mass market variety. This extra curing time allows the soap to set up without added chemicals, most artisan soap makers also mill their soap at least once. Milling refers to processing the bars, which results in a low water content and helps to evenly distribute the oils in the bar. French milled soaps are milled five times.

Many makers of natural soap add additional ingredients to the vegetable oils to create soaps geared for specific needs. Goat milk has become a popular soap ingredient because of its moisturizing properties. Goat milk contains caprylic acid, which helps reduce the alkalinity of soap. “The milk has natural alpha hydroxy acids, which have rejuvenating effects as well.”

CDC Statement On World AIDS Day

2008-12-01T00:15:00.001+08:00

As we pause to reflect on the toll of HIV during this 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, we must not forget that our fight against this devastating disease is far from over. HIV remains a significant threat to the health and well-being of multiple communities in the United States. The most recent CDC data indicate that more than 1.1 million Americans live with HIV, and that an estimated 56,000 new infections occur in the United States every year.

Several U.S. populations bear the greatest burden of HIV. The impact is most severe for gay and bisexual men, who account for approximately half of new infections and of those living with HIV. Some minority communities are also disproportionately affected by the disease, with African-Americans becoming infected at seven times the rate of whites, and Hispanics at three times the rate of whites.

Despite these challenges, we have seen important signs of progress in fighting HIV with effective prevention measures. The number of annual new infections in the United States, while far too high, has remained roughly stable since the late 1990s. This is despite considerable increases in the number of people living with HIV due to advances in treatment. We have seen substantial declines in mother-to-child transmission and HIV infections among injection drug users and heterosexuals. All of these data suggest that people living with HIV and those who are at-risk are taking steps to protect themselves and their partners, and to help stop the spread of this disease.

But even with this evidence of prevention success, the fight against HIV in this country remains an uphill battle. Data suggest that since the mid-1990s HIV infections have been increasing among gay and bisexual men. While lifesaving advances in AIDS treatment will continue to increase the number of people living with HIV, this will also present more opportunities for transmission. Too many of those who are infected and too many who are at risk are not being reached by proven prevention efforts that can save lives. And too many Americans remain unaware they are infected.

As a global leader in the fight to end the HIV epidemic, CDC will continue to pursue a comprehensive prevention strategy. We know that prevention works, but we also know that prevention messages and programs have not reached all who need them. Our focus remains in four critical areas: increasing routine HIV testing for all Americans aged 13-64; ensuring that our prevention programs are effective, available and expertly delivered; further improving our ability to monitor HIV risk and the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its impact; and developing new biomedical, behavioral, and structural approaches to HIV prevention.

On this World AIDS Day, we are all reminded that we must do more - as individuals, as communities and as a nation - to stop HIV/AIDS. We must relieve the burden of HIV in African-American and Hispanic communities by reaching them with effective prevention programs. We must confront the complex issues that keep gay and bisexual men at risk. We must arm our youth with the knowledge, skills and confidence to prevent HIV throughout their lives. Above all, we must not give up until this fight is won.

Media Statement by Dr. Kevin Fenton
Director, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

What Are the AIDS Defining Illnesses?

2008-12-01T00:10:00.002+08:00

AIDS is a classification assigned to someone who has been diagnosed with the most serious opportunistic infections and illnesses; those illnesses said to be AIDS defining. Below is a list of AIDS defining illnesses.

Important Fact #1: Keep in mind that these diseases can occur in people without HIV infection, however such a person would not be classified as having AIDS.

Important Fact #2: While they are often used interchangeably, HIV and AIDS are very different.

Answer: They include:

Candidiasis
Cervical cancer (invasive)
Coccidioidomycosis, Cryptococcosis, Cryptosporidiosis
Cytomegalovirus disease
Encephalopathy (HIV-related)
Herpes simplex (an infection lasting longer than 1 month or in an area other than the skin such as esophagus or lungs)
Histoplasmosis
Isosporiasis
Kaposi's sarcoma (KS)
Lymphoma characterized by swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy)
Mycobacterium avium complex
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP)
Pneumonia (recurrent)
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)
Salmonella septicemia (recurrent)
Toxoplasmosis of the brain
Tuberculosis
Wasting syndrome

_{Sources: Information provided in part by the Centers for Disease Control, 2004}

Basic HIV Information

2008-12-01T00:05:00.001+08:00

Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome, more commonly know as HIV is a virus that, if left untreated, slowly damages the body's immune system. Without a strong, healthy immune system, the body is susceptible to many infections and illnesses. If a person living with HIV becomes sick with one of the more serious types of these opportunistic infections, they are said to have Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or AIDS. While there is no cure for HIV or AIDS, people are living long productive lives, thanks to HIV medicines and aggressive treatment programs.

Contrary to public perception, you can't get HIV infected by drinking from a water fountain, sitting on a toilet seat, hugging or touching an HIV infected person, or by eating off plates and utensils. The following are ways HIV can be transmitted from one person to another:

By way of bodily fluids (blood, semen, and vaginal secretions) during sexual contact. Saliva is not considered a transmission route for HIV.
By sharing needles to inject drugs. Infected blood can be exchanged between the parties who are using the same needle and syringe.
By accidental needle sticks in the health care industry(needles contaminated with HIV infected blood).
Through the transfusion of infected blood or blood products (because of new and improved blood screening tools since 1992, this transmission route is no longer a concern).
HIV infected woman can pass HIV to their babies during pregnancy, during delivery, or while breast feeding.

HIV Signs and Symptoms

Often people who are newly HIV infected have few or no symptoms. Other times, symptoms of HIV are confused with other illnesses such as the flu. If a person were to have symptoms they would include:

Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, groin or under the arms
Diarrhea
Unexplained weight loss
Fatigue
Fever, chills or sweats (especially at night)
Visual changes
Frequent pneumonias or shortness of breath
Rash
Flu-like symptoms

How to Prevent HIV Infection

Speak openly with partners about safer sex techniques and HIV status.
If you don't know your status, get an HIV test to protect yourself and others.
Get tested with your partner as a way of saying "you care and want both of you to stay healthy."
Use a latex condom with each oral, anal or vaginal sexual encounter. Those with latex allergies should use latex-free condoms.
Do not share needles or syringes if you inject drugs. If you do inject drugs, seek professional help to kick your habit.
HIV infected pregnant women should get into regular prenatal care.
HIV infected women should not breast feed.

Study says HIV could be eliminated in a decade

2008-11-30T13:34:00.001+08:00

LONDON – The virus that causes AIDS could theoretically be eliminated in a decade if all people living in countries with high infection rates are regularly tested and treated, according to a new mathematical model.

It is an intriguing solution to end the AIDS epidemic. But it is based on assumptions rather than data, and is riddled with logistical problems. The research was published online Tuesday in the medical journal, The Lancet.

"It's quite a startling result," said Charlie Gilks, an AIDS treatment expert at the World Health Organization and one of the paper's authors. "In a relatively short amount of time, we could potentially knock the epidemic on its head."

Gilks and colleagues used data from South Africa and Malawi. In their model, people were voluntarily tested each year and immediately given drugs if they tested positive for HIV, regardless of whether they were sick.

Within 10 years, HIV infections dropped by 95 percent. Other initiatives like safe sex education and male circumcision were also used.

The strategy would cut the estimated number of AIDS deaths between 2008 and 2050 by about half, from about 8.7 million to 3.9 million, leaving only sporadic HIV cases.

Experts think the strategy's cost would peak at about $3.4 billion a year, though expenses would fall after an initial investment.

"This is certainly beyond the bounds of the current infrastructure for many countries, but that is not a reason not to think big," said Myron Cohen, of the University of North Carolina, who has done similar research. He was not involved in the WHO study.

Only 3 million people are currently on AIDS drugs. Nearly 7 million people are still awaiting treatment, and about 3 million more people were infected last year. Worldwide, WHO guesses that about 33 million people have HIV.

Increasing access to testing and drugs would stretch already weak health systems in Africa, which has most of the world's HIV cases.

"This is not like giving someone a Tylenol," said Jennifer Kates, director of HIV policy for the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, DC. Once people start AIDS drugs, they must continue indefinitely. "The idea should be explored, but it's a huge leap," Kates said.

Handing out AIDS drugs to everyone who tests positive could also worsen drug resistance.

In addition, doctors don't know if it's safe to take AIDS drugs for decades; the oldest drug combinations have only been around for about a dozen years.

Other experts questioned whether the strategy might infringe on patient's rights. Once people test positive for HIV, they would be advised to start treatment, even if they weren't sick.

That would benefit the community, but not necessarily the patients themselves. AIDS drugs come with side effects including vomiting, liver failure, and heart attacks.

WHO emphasized that the study findings do not signal a policy change. "This is only a theoretical exercise," said Dr. Kevin De Cock, director of WHO's HIV/AIDS department. He said WHO would hold a meeting next year to study the idea more closely.

- AP -

Drug addiction causes 65 pct of Russian HIV cases: agency

2008-11-30T04:28:00.000+08:00

MOSCOW – Nearly two thirds of Russians with HIV contracted the virus that causes AIDS by using illegal drugs, the country's consumer rights and sanitary oversight agency said Monday.

"The taking of drugs by a parenteral means remains the main way AIDS is transmitted, representing 65 percent of cases," the Rospotrebnadzor agency said in a statement released at a Moscow press conference.

Russia has a total of 448,000 HIV cases, representing about 0.3 percent of the population, with more than 80 percent of them between the ages of 15 and 30, the agency said.

"AIDS is mainly spreading in Russia among drug addicts, while sexual transmission is the second main cause," said Alexandre Golyussov, head of AIDS prevention at the agency.

Despite prevention programmes, nearly 37,000 Russians have contracted HIV since the beginning of the year and the figure could reach 50,000 by year's end, compared with 44,713 new cases in 2007, according to Russia's federal centre for the fight against AIDS.

Russia recently condemned the spread of Afghan drug trafficking into Russian territory, accusing Kabul and international coalition forces in Afghanistan of failing to stop the illegal trade, especially in opium.

- AFP -

Fat-Sensing Hormones Might Fight Obesity

2008-11-30T00:02:00.001+08:00

As you push your chair back from the Thanksgiving table this year, a molecule produced in the small intestine will be swarming through your bloodstream, ready to register on your brain the impact of the fat you've just consumed.

For now, the signal might keep you feeling full for a while. But, researchers are hoping that one day variations of this family of hormones -- known as N-acylphosphatidylethanolamines, or NAPEs -- can be used to control appetite and therefore obesity.

"We're excited but we have to be cautious," said Dr. Gerald Shulman, senior author of a study in rats that's published in the Nov. 26 issue of the journal Cell. "We would love to be able to take this to man tomorrow because we need effective ways to treat obesity and, right now, we have very few agents that work effectively. But we have much work to do."

Shulman is an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a professor of internal medicine and of cellular and molecular physiology at Yale University School of Medicine.

Shulman's research team had been looking for a new, fat-derived signal that might regulate food intake. A sensitive blood-screening test -- called LC tandem mass spectrometry -- turned up the NAPE group of molecules.

Levels of NAPEs increased consistently in rats and mice that had just eaten a fatty meal. And when synthesized and re-injected into the lab rodents, NAPEs shut down the rodent's food intake, with one dose lasting 12 hours or longer. NAPEs also entered the brain, appearing to concentrate in the hypothalamus, an area with a high concentration of neurons involved in the regulation of food intake, the researchers said.

Rats receiving NAPEs chronically (through a catheter in the jugular) ate less and lost weight.

"That's what we have, a gut-derived fat that works centrally to inhibit food intake," Shulman said.

Shulman and his colleagues believe that aberrations in how NAPEs are secreted in people who eat lots of high-fat foods may contribute to obesity. "Some of our animal data suggests that NAPE secretion is dysregulated in our animal models of diet-induced obesity," Shulman said.

"We're moving up the species ladder to see if chronic NAPEs reduces food intake and is well-tolerated in non-human primates," Shulman said. "If everything there looks good, that would give us a lot of motivation to actually do trials in humans."

David Earnest, professor of neuroscience and experimental therapeutics at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, said, "The NAPEs work to suppress appetite or decrease food intake, [but] feeding is a complex behavior. There are a lot of factors that figure into eating disorders. The findings are very interesting and exciting, basically because we have identified these NAPEs which are synthesized by the gut and presumably can be used in supplementary fashion to treat obesity in humans."

"Unfortunately, things don't always work out according to plan," he added. "Not to say that NAPEs don't offer hope. These are some encouraging observations."

More cash needed to help care for Indians with HIV

2008-11-29T17:59:00.001+08:00

BANGALORE – Father Sunny Joseph has no doubts about what is required to help treat children and adults with HIV. "We need more money," he said. "We need much more, for medication especially."

The reed-thin Roman Catholic priest is administrator at Snehadaan, a community care centre located beyond the glass-fronted IT offices on the rural fringes of the southern Indian city of Bangalore.

Men and women come here for treatment they cannot get elsewhere, either through poverty, lack of medical facilities, or because their families are sick, dead, unable or too ashamed to care for them.

The iron-framed beds in the centre's scrubbed, whitewashed wards also provide a place to die with dignity.

Local facilities like Snehadaan are at the heart of India's latest five-year plan to cut infection rates, yet Joseph said budgets are tight and demand is high.

The centre receives a total of 1,350 dollars per month from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the local Karnataka Health Promotion Trust.

The Samartha Project, a five-year, 20-million-dollar US Agency for International Development (USAID) programme focusing on 12 high prevalence rural areas in Karnataka state, provides 1,200 dollars per month.

Local benefactors and the charitable trust that runs the centre also contribute.

Out of that monthly total, 1,800 to 2,000 dollars goes on drugs. The rest goes on wages and running costs.

"It's not enough," said Joseph.

Dr Nalini Mehta, national programme officer for the UNAIDS body, said India's HIV-AIDS strategy was wide-ranging and well-regarded, with a massively increased budget in recent years.

But Snehadaan's experience indicated the scale of the task, he told AFP ahead of World AIDS Day on Monday.

"There will be individual centres who will say there is not enough (money). There is scope for a lot more and I don't think that the government doesn't know that. They do understand but they are upscaling," he said.

Despite the pressures, the 42 staff at Snehadaan work to provide everything from counselling and support to palliative care for some of the 500,000 people in Karnataka with HIV and AIDS-related illnesses.

Between 2.0 million and 3.1 million people are estimated to have HIV-AIDS in India, according to the latest government estimates, and Karnataka is one of six states where prevalence is highest.

As in other areas of health care, many of the country's poorest slip through the net.

So-called "first-line" anti-retroviral therapy (ART) -- a cocktail of drugs to slow the effects of the virus on the body's immune system -- is free in India's patchy public health system.

For those whose bodies develop resistance to the drugs, second-line ART costs 14,000 rupees (280 dollars) for two months' treatment.

That puts it way beyond the means of people in impoverished rural areas where HIV is spreading and where the average salary is as little as a dollar day.

UNAIDS has expressed concern that second-line ART and paediatric treatment is "inaccessible" in most Indian states.

As a result, Snehadaan follows a similar strategy to schemes targeting high-risk groups such as sex workers and intravenous drug workers: prevention and myth-busting.

"We can see from our experience from 10 years ago that when someone died, no one from the family would take the body away. Now they take the body back to their native places," said the centre's medical trainer Madhu Babu.

"That shows that there has been some change."

Older people's views are more entrenched, he said, but children could spread a positive message.

At present, the centre has 50 beds, and 20 children aged 11 and younger live on site and receive treatment when they are not in class at the Shining Star School.

The colourful plastic climbing frames, smiling class photographs on the walls and a star-covered Christmas tree contrast with the ghostly figures lying motionless and dying in nearby wards.

The youngsters were either born with the disease, orphaned by it, or their families were unable or unwilling to care for them. Some mainstream schools also refused to teach them.

Teacher Christeena Nalini Radhamma says the scheme seems to be working.

"These children enjoy it here. As a form of punishment we say we will send you home, and they don't want to go," she said.

- AFP -

China sees sharp rise in HIV-positive gay men

2008-11-29T16:21:00.002+08:00

BEIJING – The number of gay men in China who are HIV positive has risen sharply in the last three years, according to a survey of Chinese cities conducted by the Ministry of Health.

Men with HIV make up 4.9 percent of the gay population, up from 0.4 percent in 2005, the Xinhua news agency said Friday, citing Hao Yang, deputy director of the disease control department under the Ministry of Health.

"Sex becomes the major way of AIDS transmission in China and its spread among men having sex with men is worsening notably. I think whether we can well control AIDS transmission among gays will greatly affect the future of the whole country's battle against the epidemic," Hao said.

Heterosexual sex was still by far the most common way for HIV to spread in China, accounting for 40.4 percent of new cases in 2008. Same-sex intercourse accounted for 5.1 percent of new infections, up from 0.4 percent on 2005, and drug use accounted for 28.3 percent, according to Hao.

Xinhua did not give comparative figures for heterosexual transmission or transmission through use of injected drugs.

The survey was carried out in 61 Chinese cities on more than 18,000 gay men, said Wu Zunyou, director of the National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The health department surveyed gay men in three cities in 2005, and in five cities in 2006.

In one unidentified city surveyed this time, 15 percent of gay men surveyed were HIV positive, Xinhua said.

China has become more open about addressing AIDS and HIV in recent years, but embarrassment about talking directly about sex hinders frank education. Many people also avoid testing for HIV, for fear of losing their jobs or being socially ostracized.

Although homosexuality is also more tolerated, it is still taboo in many socially conservative Chinese families and cities.

By September, China reported about 260,000 HIV positive in total, among whom 77,000 had developed AIDS, and 34,000 have died.

The number of HIV-positive people increased by 50,000 in 2007, Xinhua said.

- Reuters -

AIDS cases in Asia to hit 10 mln by 2010: experts

2008-11-29T16:11:00.001+08:00

MANILA – Cases of HIV/AIDS could hit 10 million in Asia by 2010 -- more than doubling the current estimate -- unless nations take stronger steps to control the disease, experts warned on Friday.

Meanwhile there could be 500,000 new cases each year as infection rates rise among men having sex with other men.

Some 50 million women are being endangered by the high-risk behaviour of husbands and boyfriends, said Amala Reddy, of the Joint United Nations Programme on Aids.

The new estimates were announced by officials at the unveiling of an online database on HIV/AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region.

The site, at www.aidsdatahub.org, contains information on HIV prevalence, risk behaviour and government response in various Asian countries and even in regions within these countries.

It brings all information on HIV/AIDS in Asia to one place where it can be accessed by governments, non-government organisations and researchers, the experts said at the Asia Development Bank headquarters in Manila.

Reddy conceded that the situation in the Asia-Pacific was not as bad as in Africa, where as much as 20 percent of the population in some countries may be infected.

In Asia, the disease would likely infect three to five percent at most and was still concentrated among high-risk groups like sex workers, intravenous drug users and men having sex with men, she said.

But she warned there was still a great risk as there were an estimated 75 million men in Asia who frequented prostitutes and 10 million prostitutes.

There were 20 million intravenous drug users and men who had sex with men -- both bisexuals and homosexuals.

In addition, there were 50 million women at risk because they were the wives or girlfriends of men who engaged in high-risk behaviour, she added.

She warned that in many Asian countries, the HIV/AIDS prevalence was rising among men who engaged in sex with other men.

In some Asian countries, such men may continue to have sex with their wives and other women, she added.

ADB special adviser Ian Anderson said that while the relative number of HIV/AIDS infected people in the Asia-Pacific are small, they could have a serious effect as most of them are in their most economically-productive years.

"Because it is relatively small, this is the time to keep it small. So we won't have to put the genie back in the bottle later," he said.

- AFP -

Go back to basics, says UN ahead of World AIDS Day

2008-11-29T16:09:00.001+08:00

GENEVA – The United Nations on Friday urged countries to focus on the roots of the AIDS epidemic and draw on a panoply of tried-and-tested tools to help prevent HIV spreading among groups of people who most at risk.

"There is no single magic bullet for HIV prevention, but we can choose wisely from the known prevention options available so that they can reinforce and complement each other," said Peter Piot, the outgoing executive director of UNAIDS.

Launching a report ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1, Piot called for understanding how the most recent HIV infections were happening and why they occurred in the first place.

"Not only will this approach help prevent the next 1,000 infections in each community, but it will also make money for AIDS work more effectively and help put forward a long term and sustainable AIDS response," he said.

Unlike previous years, UNAIDS did not give any fresh figures for the number of infections and deaths ahead of World AIDS Day, saying the relevant data had not yet been amassed.

Statistics published ahead of the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City in August say that around 33 million people had the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in 2007, in a range of 30.3 to 36.1 million.

Around 2.7 million people became infected, or on average around 7,500 people per day, while deaths were estimated at around two million.

Speaking at a press briefing, UNAIDS' director of evidence, monitoring and policy, Paul De Lay, said that so-called "combination prevention" -- which involves a behavioural, biomedical and structural approach to treatment -- was key to tackling the epidemic.

A biomedical approach could include male circumcision, or using anti-retrovirals to prevent mother-to-child transmission, while behavioural approach could include encouraging condom use or reducing the number of sexual partners.

"The epidemic is constantly changing, and therefore the analyses of new infections must be undertaken at regular intervals," he said.

Attention had to remain focussed on the most high-risk communities such as sex workers, injecting drug users and gay men, De Lay said.

Meanwhile, two leading organisations shone the spotlight on access to antiretroviral drugs, which can turn HIV from a death sentence to a manageable disease.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Friday announced that two million people living with HIV had now been reached with the lifeline treatment through programmes it supports, an increase of 43 percent increase over a year ago.

The Global Fund provides nearly a quarter of all international resources to fight AIDS.

In another development, the International AIDS Society (IAS), which organises the big international conferences, called on the Group of Eight (G8) to stand by their pledge, set down at their Gleneagles summit in 2005, for universal access to antiretroviral drugs by 2010.

"Based on the G8's own reporting at its July 2008 meeting in Hokkaido, Japan the IAS has calculated that G8 countries have, to date, pledged approximately 22.2 billion specifically for global HIV programmes between 2008 and 2010," the IAS said.

"This amount is just 36 percent of the UNAIDS-estimated 61 billion dollars that is needed over this period."

At the end of 2007, some three million people had access to antiretrovirals, marking a major upturn in previous years, but this was still two-thirds short of a goal of universal access of 2010 enshrined by the UN and supported by the G8.

- AFP -

U.N. warns against cuts to AIDS prevention programs

2008-11-29T15:55:00.001+08:00

GENEVA – HIV infections could surge if countries pinched by the global financial crisis cut AIDS prevention programs, a United Nations agency said on Friday.

Paul De Lay, a senior official at UNAIDS, said that economic turmoil was a threat to development programs as cash-strapped governments start to pare back on international aid.

The world must maintain current assistance levels, he told a briefing before World AIDS Day on Monday.

"(Or) what we'll find in the next four or five years is a resurgence in new incident infections and we won't be able to scale up the treatment that is clearly going to be needed as more and more people become symptomatic and need access to drugs," he said.

An estimated 33 million people worldwide were living with the HIV virus, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, at the end of 2007. AIDS has killed 25 million since being identified in 1981.

An estimated 2.7 million people become infected each year.

Treatment programs which provide life-extending drugs have expanded and now reach nearly 4 million people -- short of the estimated 9.7 million in need of antiretrovirals -- De Lay said.

Five new people are infected each year for every two put on treatment, he said. But antiretrovirals have come down in price and are getting easier to take, De Lay said.

"We are all expecting that the roll-out of a new category of drugs, the integrase inhibitors, will continue to improve patients' response and make it easier and easier to take the drug regimens," he said.

Isentress, made by Merck and Co. is the such first drug on the market. Researchers reported last month that it worked slightly better than an older HIV drug called efavirenz in suppressing levels of the AIDS virus.

A year ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared Isentress for use in HIV patients whose infection has begun to resist the effects of other drugs.

The drug could compete with another integrase inhibitor called elvitegravir being tested by Gilead Sciences.

De Lay said clinical trials now using integrase inhibitors are mainly looking at how they can fit into combination drug regimens and ultimately reduce how often pills need to be taken.

He expected them to be rolled out in a more general way in the near future, "probably about a year to two years."

- Reuters -

World AIDS Day 2008

2008-11-27T03:00:00.002+08:00

Mark Alvin L. Abrigo, RN

24/11 to 02/12/2008

Country: Philippines
Cities: Manila City, Quezon City, Pasay City, Bagiuo City, Angeles City, Iloilo City, Cebu City, Zamboanga City, Davao City, Cagayan De Oro City and General Santos City
Venue: Red Cross Offices, Parks and Government Offices

Statement of Solidarity against HIV / AIDS

Over a span of a decade, our country still maintains its record within a level categorized as a low prevalent country in terms of HIV and AIDS. The present prevalence rate of our country remains a record low. On the other hand, the Philippines should remain to be vigilant and carefully watch the looming effects of this global concern. As reflected by the present character of the Filipino population, our society is relatively influenced and challenged by cultural diversities, economic hardships, hasty migration, and sexual identity issues. High-risk groups of the population become emerging priority concerns such as migrant workers, seafarers, female sex workers, men who have sex with men, youth population and a plenty of drug users.

Today, we are sounding off a strong voice that Red Cross is a part of an alliance and a campaign against HIV/AIDS. We are taking part in this campaign as an advocate in helping the affected population beset by the effects of HIV/AIDS and an active key player in the area of prevention and risk reduction. As one of its priority health issues, PNRC shall, as ONE organization, involve its services, in particular but not limited to, the Community Health and Nursing Services, Red Cross Youth, Social Services, and Blood Services towards a more strategic and effective HIV/AIDS Programme. We shall renew relationships with government and non-government organizations to make our programs more responsive to the needs and gaps.

We call on those people affected with HIV and AIDS to remain steadfast. The Filipino nation along with PNRC recognizes the need to respond to their special needs. Your role in society is not rendered meaningless. It gives you a noble opportunity to carry out a challenge to send everybody a warning. A stern reminder that irresponsible action can make other people infected.

We call on everyone to remain vigilant towards preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS. A constant public health threat continues to plague our society thus PNRC should blow its horn as a beacon of humanity to take the lead in combating the spread of HIV and AIDS.

We call for an understanding of people affected with HIV/AIDS. Communities should realize its common responsibility of respecting everyone’s right. A person living with HIV and AIDS deserves a place in the society and should be given opportunities to live with human dignity.

As an organization with its roots in the community, we are conveying our statement of commitment to take responsibility in fighting and curbing the disease and in helping people especially those affected by HIV and AIDS. To ensure that this call shall be put into action, we shall engage in partnerships with those who can teach us how we can serve better in line with achieving our major health goals thus contribute to the goals of the entire Health Sector. This action is part of the PNRC’s continued commitment to alleviating human suffering at all levels and in vulnerable situations.

Women’s Health: What Women Want??

2008-11-27T01:01:00.005+08:00

Excellent gynecological health, high energy, and sex derive before, during and after menopause

By John R. Lee, M.D.

Your uterus, also known as your womb, is a remarkable and powerful muscular organ, ranging from the size of the fist in a woman who hasn’t given birth, to the size of a watermelon to a woman in her last trimester of pregnancy. Any woman who has experienced, monthly crams, labor and childbirth, a deep orgasm that involves the uterus, or even the twinge from having a tissue sample taken during a pap smear has no doubt to the power and muscularity of her uterus. And the uterus, it seems, has equal power to make life a joy or a misery.

Every month, for decades, the uterus builds up a glandular body lining – the endometrium – in response to hormonal signals and release its menstruation if the signals for pregnancy don’t come. If a pregnancy does occur, the uterus gradually enlarges and becomes a perfect incubator for nine months of gestation.

In a woman’s uterus, nature has created a powerfully protected anticancer milieu that almost always remains intact unless we throw it out of balance. When a woman does get endometrial cancer, the most common time for it to begin is about five years before the onset of menopause, when estrogen is still plentiful, but anovulatory cycles may be causing a chronic progesterone deficiency and therefore setting up estrogen dominance.

Endometrial cancer is one of the types of cancer we know most clearly how to prevent. Avoid unopposed estrogen.

Uterine Enlargement and Fibroids

The Uterus is one of the first organs to manifest symptoms when a woman’s hormones are out of balance. Two of the most common uterine symptoms of premenopause syndrome are an enlarged uterus and uterine fibroids. Women with PMS often experience painful periods (dysmenorrhea) which are most often caused when the endometrial lining of the uterus extends into the muscular wall of the uterus. When shedding of the endometrium occurs (menstruation), the blood is released into the muscular lining, causing severe pain.

Conventional medicine treats this pain with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen, but ignores the underlying metabolic hormonal imbalance that caused it. The problem can be simply resolved by restoring proper progesterone levels, which restores normal growth and shedding of the endometrium.

Estrogen dominance causes the uterus to grow, and without the monthly balancing effect of progesterone it doesn’t have the proper signals to stop growing. In some women this results in an enlarged uterus that presses on other organs, such as the bladder, and often on the digestive system, and generally causes discomfort and heavy menstrual bleeding.

In other women estrogen dominance results in fibroids, which are tough, fibrous, non-cancerous lumps that grow in the uterus. Some fibroids can grow to the size of a grapefruit or cantaloupe, causing constant bleeding and such heavy menstrual periods that the blood loss is akin to hemorrhaging.

Fibroids always shrink at menopause, but the most common course of action a doctor takes when a patient comes in with a fibroid is to remove the uterus. The explanation given is that a fibroid is too difficult to remove without irreversibly damaging the uterus. But in most cases this is no longer true. If you do end up needing to have a fibroid surgically removed, find a doctor who can do it without removing your uterus with it. If you have many small fibroids, it may be more difficult to remove them. On the other hand, their smaller size may make it easier to treat them without surgery.

What Doctors Aren’t Telling Women?

What doctors aren’t telling women is that giving them estrogen before menopause will cause a fibroid to grow – and that giving them estrogen after menopause (when it would naturally shrink) will likely cause it to continue to grow. What most doctors don’t know about fibroids is that avoiding estrogen and using some natural progesterone cream will almost always shrink a fibroid enough to minimize or eliminate symptoms long enough to get to menopause, when it will normally shrink significantly enough to cease being a problem.

It’s ironic that our conventional medical culture has evolved in such a way that a woman who has an enlarged uterus or fibroid is considered to have a disease. And that her uterus is considered a liability, all because it has become a virtual requirement that your doctor prescribe Premarin and Provera to you when you reach menopause.

Having a uterus also means that your doctor can’t just prescribe estrogen alone; he or she also is required to prescribe Provera (synthetic progesterone) to offset the cancer causing effects of estrogen. The first attempts at hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the 1960s used only estrogen, and this human experiment cost the lives o thousands of women who died of uterine (endometrial) cancer in the 1960s and 1970s before it dawned on the medical profession that unopposed estrogen was the cause.

It another decade of intense public relations and marketing campaigns to convince women that it was safe once again to take HRT because they would now be protected form cancer by the addition of a synthetic progestin to the mix, most commonly Provera.

But as Gail Sheehy so aptly described in her pioneering book The Silent Passage, there aren’t too many drugs in the world that will make women feel worse then Provera. Many women outright refuse to continue taking Provera when they experience its side effects (something akin to severe, permanent PMS) and will even risk cancer and take unopposed estrogen to avoid it.

This gives your doctor yet another reason to suggest that removing your uterus will solve a lot of problems. The promise is that once your cancer prone uterus is gone, you’re safe, and you can take only estrogen without Provera. The promise is that estrogen will save you from heart disease, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease, so the trade-off of losing you uterus is well worth it. Or so the conventional wisdom goes. Unfortunately, these promise aren’t true. If you’re removing your uterus and take estrogen, your troubles have only begun.

Your Body, Your Choice

The economics of these choices are extremely difficult for you and your doctor. We aren’t suggesting that you shouldn’t ever have your uterus removed, because in rare cases that is necessary. But we are strongly recommending that you take into account the hidden agendas that exist in this type of situation before making a decision, and that you make your decision based on what’s best for you.

Natural Healing Options

What to Do?

Use natural progesterone cream.
Eat a plant based, fiber rich diet everyday.
Take a liver supporting and detoxifying herbal formula that includes some or all of the following herbs: milk thistle, goldenseal, burdock root, yellow dock, dandelion root.

What to Avoid?

Unopposed estrogen.
All dairy products.
Feed-lot meats (eat only range-fed, organic meats free of drugs and pesticide residues).

____________________
Excerpts from “What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You About Premenopause” by John R. Lee, M. D., Jesse Hanley, M. D. and Virginia Hopkins.

More than half of Beijing's prostitutes shun condoms: state media

2008-11-26T03:18:00.001+08:00

BEIJING – More than half of Beijing's prostitutes do not use condoms despite sexual transmission having replaced drug use as the most common infection route for HIV, state media said Tuesday.

Just 47 percent of the 90,000 sex workers in China's capital used condoms, the official Xinhua news agency quoted Fang Laiying, director of the municipal public health bureau, as saying.

Sexual transmission has also replaced intravenous drug use as the most common transmission route for the HIV virus for the first time in Beijing, accounting for 55 percent of infections, the report said.

But the infection rate among the city's prostitutes was unknown as Beijing does not provide a testing programme.

Free condoms are already provided in 22,000 venues in China's capital, including hotels and holiday resorts, and nearly 3,000 vending machines have been installed in entertainment sites, Xinhua said.

Condom machines are also to be installed at construction sites which employ more than 500 workers by the end of the year, Fang was quoted as saying.

Beijing had reported 5,635 instances of people living with AIDS or HIV by November 1 since the first case was reported in 1985, of which 75 percent were from other regions in China, Xinhua said.

At the end of 2007, China had around 700,000 people living with HIV, including an estimated 85,000 who had developed AIDS, according to Xinhua.

Campaigners have previously warned that the true figure could be up to 10 times higher.

Thousands were infected during the 1990s through tainted transfusions at illegal blood collection stations, but the focus of attention is now shifting to high risk groups such as gay men and sex workers.

-AFP-

To some psychiatric patients, life seems like TV

2008-11-26T00:37:00.000+08:00

NEW YORK – One man showed up at a federal building, asking for release from the reality show he was sure was being made of his life. Another was convinced his every move was secretly being filmed for a TV contest. A third believed everything — the news, his psychiatrists, the drugs they prescribed — was part of a phony, stage-set world with him as the involuntary star, like the 1998 movie "The Truman Show."

Researchers have begun documenting what they dub the "Truman syndrome," a delusion afflicting people who are convinced that their lives are secretly playing out on a reality TV show. Scientists say the disorder underscores the influence pop culture can have on mental conditions.

"The question is really: Is this just a new twist on an old paranoid or grandiose delusion ... or is there sort of a perfect storm of the culture we're in, in which fame holds such high value?" said Dr. Joel Gold, a psychiatrist affiliated with New York's Bellevue Hospital.

Within a two-year period, Gold said he encountered five patients with delusions related to reality TV. Several of them specifically mentioned "The Truman Show."

Gold and his brother, a psychologist, started presenting their observations at medical schools in 2006. After word spread beyond medical circles this summer, they learned of about 50 more people with similar symptoms. The brothers are now working on a scholarly paper.

Meanwhile, researchers in London described a "Truman syndrome" patient in the British Journal of Psychiatry in August. The 26-year-old postman "had a sense the world was slightly unreal, as if he was the eponymous hero in the film," the researchers wrote.

The Oscar-nominated movie stars Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank. He leads a merrily uneventful life until he realizes his friends and family are actors, his seaside town is a TV soundstage and every moment of his life has been broadcast.

His struggle to sort out reality and illusion is heartwarming, but researchers say it's often horrifying for "Truman syndrome" patients.

A few take pride in their imagined celebrity, but many are deeply upset at what feels like an Orwellian invasion of privacy. The man profiled in the British journal was diagnosed with schizophrenia and is unable to work. One of Gold's patients planned to commit suicide if he couldn't leave his supposed reality show.

Delusions can be a symptom of various psychiatric illnesses, as well as neurological conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Some drugs also can make people delusional.

It's not unusual for psychiatrists to see delusional patients who believe their relatives have been replaced by impostors or who think figures in their lives are taking on multiple disguises.

But "Truman" delusions are more sweeping, involving not just some associates but society at large, Gold said.

Delusions tend to be classified by broad categories, such as the belief that one is being persecuted, but research has shown culture and technology can also affect them. Several recent studies have chronicled delusions entwined with the Internet such as a patient in Austria who believed she had become a walking webcam.

Reality television may help such patients convince themselves their experiences are plausible, according to the Austrian woman's psychiatrists, writing in the journal Psychopathology in 2004.

Ian Gold, a philosophy and psychology professor at McGill University in Montreal who has researched the matter with his brother, suggests reality TV and the Web, with their ability to make strangers into intimates, may compound psychological pressure on people who have underlying problems dealing with others.

That's not to say reality shows make healthy people delusional, "but, at the very least, it seems possible to me that people who would become ill are becoming ill quicker or in a different way," Ian Gold said.

Other researchers aren't convinced, but still find the "Truman syndrome" an interesting example of the connection between culture and mental health.

Vaughan Bell, a psychologist who has researched Internet-related delusions, said one of his own former patients believed he was in the virtual-reality universe portrayed in the 1999 blockbuster "The Matrix."

"I don't think that popular culture causes delusions," said Bell, who is affiliated with King's College London and the Universidad de Antioquia in Medellin, Colombia. "But I do think that it is only possible to fully understand delusions and psychosis in light of our wider culture."

-AP-

Nap without guilt: It boosts sophisticated memory

2008-11-25T21:28:00.001+08:00

WASHINGTON – Just in time for the holidays, some medical advice most people will like: Take a nap. Interrupting sleep seriously disrupts memory-making, compelling new research suggests. But on the flip side, taking a nap may boost a sophisticated kind of memory that helps us see the big picture and get creative.

"Not only do we need to remember to sleep, but most certainly we sleep to remember," is how Dr. William Fishbein, a cognitive neuroscientist at the City University of New York, put it at a meeting of the Society for Neuroscience last week.

Good sleep is a casualty of our 24/7 world. Surveys suggest few adults attain the recommended seven to eight hours a night.

Way too little clearly is dangerous: Sleep deprivation causes not just car crashes but all sorts of other accidents. Over time, a chronic lack of sleep can erode the body in ways that leave us more vulnerable to heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses.

But perhaps more common than insomnia is fragmented sleep — the easy awakening that comes with aging, or, worse, the sleep apnea that afflicts millions, who quit breathing for 30 seconds or so over and over throughout the night.

Indeed, scientists increasingly are focusing less on sleep duration and more on the quality of sleep, what's called sleep intensity, in studying how sleep helps the brain process memories so they stick. Particularly important is "slow-wave sleep," a period of very deep sleep that comes earlier than better-known REM sleep, or dreaming time.

Fishbein suspected a more active role for the slow-wave sleep that can emerge even in a power nap. Maybe our brains keep working during that time to solve problems and come up with new ideas. So he and graduate student Hiuyan Lau devised a simple test: documenting relational memory, where the brain puts together separately learned facts in new ways.

First, they taught 20 English-speaking college students lists of Chinese words spelled with two characters — such as sister, mother, maid. Then half the students took a nap, being monitored to be sure they didn't move from slow-wave sleep into the REM stage.

Upon awakening, they took a multiple-choice test of Chinese words they'd never seen before. The nappers did much better at automatically learning that the first of the two-pair characters in the words they'd memorized earlier always meant the same thing — female, for example. So they also were more likely than non-nappers to choose that a new word containing that character meant "princess" and not "ape."

"The nap group has essentially teased out what's going on," Fishbein concludes.

These students took a 90-minute nap, quite a luxury for most adults. But even a 12-minute nap can boost some forms of memory, adds Dr. Robert Stickgold of Harvard Medical School.

Conversely, Wisconsin researchers briefly interrupted nighttime slow-wave sleep by playing a beep — just loudly enough to disturb sleep but not awaken — and found those people couldn't remember a task they'd learned the day before as well as people whose slow-wave sleep wasn't disrupted.

That brings us back to fragmented sleep, whether from aging or apnea. It can suppress the birth of new brain cells in the hippocampus, where memory-making begins — enough to hinder learning weeks after sleep returns to normal, warns Dr. Dennis McGinty of the University of California, Los Angeles.

To prove a lasting effect, McGinty mimicked human sleep apnea in rats. He hooked them to brain monitors and made them sleep on a treadmill. Whenever the monitors detected 30 seconds of sleep, the treadmill briefly switched on. After 12 days of this sleep disturbance, McGinty let the rats sleep peacefully for as long as they wanted for the next two weeks.

The catch-up sleep didn't help: Rested rats used room cues to quickly learn the escape hole in a maze. Those with fragmented sleep two weeks earlier couldn't, only randomly stumbling upon the escape.

None of the new work is enough, yet, to pinpoint the minimum sleep needed for optimal memory. What's needed may vary considerably from person to person.

"A short sleeper may have a very efficient deep sleep even if they sleep only four hours," notes Dr. Chiara Cirellia of the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

But altogether, the findings do suggest some practical advice: Get apnea treated. Avoid what Harvard's Stickgold calls "sleep bulimia," super-late nights followed by sleep-in weekends. And don't feel guilty for napping.

-AP-

Body & Spirit: The Art of Relaxation

2008-11-24T01:27:00.007+08:00

Learn the art of unwinding

By Sarah Brewer

Relaxation is essential to good health and has beneficial effects on mind and spirit, as well on the physical body. A few relaxation exercises combined with a candlelit aromatherapy bath will help you to wind down the day towards a refreshing night’s sleep. A number of complementary therapies revolve around the importance of relaxation and meditation.

Sleep Well

First, a good night sleep is vital. When you wake up feeling refreshed, you are ready to tackle anything that comes your way. When sleep is non-refreshing, though, it can ruin your whole day. The following tips will help you enjoy a good night’s sleep:

Take regular brisk exercise during the day, but not late in the evening, which can keep you awake.

When following a detox program, try to bed earlier than normal to give your body extra refreshment.

Take time to unwind from the stresses of the day before going to bed: read a book, listen to soothing music or have a candlelit aromatherapy bath.

Get into the habit of going to bed at a regular time each night and getting up at the same time each morning.

Make sure your bed is comfortable and that your bedroom is warm, dark and quiet.

Put essential oils on a handkerchief and tuck it under your pillow.

Relaxing essential oils:

Bergamot
Chamomile
Cedarwood
Clary Sage
Jasmine
Neroli
Orange
Rose
Vanilla
Ylang-Ylang
Lavender
Marjoram
Nutmeg
Sandalwood

Relaxing Complimentary Therapies

A number of complimentary therapies are used to help induce relaxation. These include autogenic training, flotation, massage, meditation, qigong, tai chu’uan and yoga.

Autogenic Training

Autogenic training is a relaxation technique involving the use of passive concentration – when you empty your mind and listen to nothing – and mental exercises to reduce stress and restore physical equilibrium. Once learned, these techniques can be used to obtain almost instant calmness and relaxation. Exercises involve allowing different parts of the body to feel heavy and warm, followed by concentration on the heartbeat and breathing rhythms.

Flotation Therapy

As its name suggest, flotation therapy involves lying in lightproof, sound-insulated tank containing a shallow pool of saline kept at body temperature. The flotation tank screens out light and sound to remove virtually all external stimulation. This allows the floater to enter a profoundly relaxed state in which the brain generates theta waves, which are associated with meditation, creative thought and feelings of serenity. Studies show that brain continues to produce large amounts of theta waves for up to three weeks after a float.

You can obtain a similar deep relaxation in your own bath using mineral salts from the Dead Sea (available from larger health stores).

Massage

Massage forms the basis of many complimentary therapies, including acupressure, aromatherapy and shiatsu. It stimulates the soft tissues of the body and is useful in detox as it encourages the drainage and removal of toxins. Massage is also relaxing and can relieve anxiety, tension, aches and pains, as well as lifting mild depression and improving sleep.

Meditation

Meditation uses the power of the mind to empty itself of thoughts, calm the body and achieve a state of heightened mental or spiritual awareness. By focusing your mind on a particular object or vision, you can screen out distractions and induce a state of profound relaxation and serenity.

There are several types of meditation, each of which favors a different technique. This might involve focusing on your breathing rhythm, a universal sound, such as “om,” a word or phrase with personal meaning (mantra), a physical object, such as a flickering candle, or an image. Some techniques, such as t’ai chi chu’uan, involve repetitive movements, while others might involve feeling objects, such as pebbles or worry beads.

Transcendental medidation (TM) was developed to fit into the busy, modern way of life. Practiced for 15 – 20 minutes twice a day, TM uses a variety of Sanskrit mantras, which are repeated silently to still the thoughts and find a deeper level of consciousness. This helps to achieve deep relaxation, while maintaining full alertness. It leaves you feeling refreshed mentally and physically, with a mind that is calmer and able to think more clearly.

Qigong

Qigong and the related medical therapy buqi are forms of Chinese yoga that combine meditation and posture to achieve relaxation and breath control. Qigong also helps to channel energy and calm the mind. The basic postures are easy to learn and, unlike tai chi, can be performed in any order.

Tai Chi Chu’uan

Usually known simply as tai chi, this therapy is sometimes described as meditation in motion. It combines slow, graceful movements with meditation and breathing techniques to calm the mind and improve the flow of the life energy force, qi.

The short form of tai chi uses 24 slow movements and postures that flow effortlessly into each other and can be performed in 5 – 10 minutes. The long form, consisting of 108 movements, takes 20 – 40 minutes to complete.

Yoga

Although many types of yoga exist, all forms of it combine postural exercises, breathing techniques and meditation to achieve relaxation. Indeed, breath control is considered most important as it embodies the life force prana, to help achieve emotional and mental harmony. This is particularly important during detox.

Reference: The Total Detox Plan
By Dr. Sarah Brewer

Philippine family planning bill headed for defeat: Church

2008-11-22T22:09:00.000+08:00

MANILA (AFP) – The Roman Catholic church on Thursday said it has sufficient support in the Philippine congress to defeat a controversial family planning bill promoting sex education and the use of contraceptives.

"The bishops are confident they have the numbers," said Maria Fenny Tatad, executive director of the church lobby group Bishops-Legislators Caucus of the Philippines.

Only 99 members of the 238-member House of Representatives have openly said they will support the Reproductive Health Care Act, while the rest are expected to side with the church, Tatad said.

Population control is a highly politicised issue in the Philippines, where more than 80 percent of the 90 million population are Catholics.

The church, which wields considerable public influence, frowns on any artificial form of birth control and has been waging a high-profile campaign to block the passage of the bill, which is now before congress.

International aid agencies and economists have backed the bill saying it is crucial if the Philippines is to curb its annual population growth rate of 2.04 percent, one of Asia's highest.

The bill seeks to establish a national family planning programme that would include sex education and advice on birth control, which the church considers "immoral."

Such provisions go against established church doctrine and puts the social fabric of the mainly Catholic Philippines in peril, said Father Melvin Castro, head of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life.

"We can't simply follow what the world wants us to do," he told reporters.

He said the church was now drafting a parallel bill with the support of some senior members of Congress, a majority of whom are Catholics.

The bill is still in its initial phase, but is expected to include provisions on regulating over-the-counter sales of contraceptives without prescription, as well as controlling the sale of condoms.

Teen lives 4 months with no heart, leaves hospital

2008-11-21T22:11:00.000+08:00

MIAMI – D'Zhana Simmons says she felt like a "fake person" for 118 days when she had no heart beating in her chest. "But I know that I really was here," the 14-year-old said, "and I did live without a heart."

As she was being released Wednesday from a Miami hospital, the shy teen seemed in awe of what she's endured. Since July, she's had two heart transplants and survived with artificial heart pumps — but no heart — for four months between the transplants.

Last spring D'Zhana and her parents learned she had an enlarged heart that was too weak to sufficiently pump blood. They traveled from their home in Clinton, S.C. to Holtz Children's Hospital in Miami for a heart transplant.

But her new heart didn't work properly and could have ruptured so surgeons removed it two days later.

And they did something unusual, especially for a young patient: They replaced the heart with a pair of artificial pumping devices that kept blood flowing through her body until she could have a second transplant.

Dr. Peter Wearden, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh who works with the kind of pumps used in this case, said what the Miami medical team managed to do "is a big deal."

"For (more than) 100 days, there was no heart in this girl's body? That is pretty amazing," Wearden said.

The pumps, ventricular assist devices, are typically used with a heart still in place to help the chambers circulate blood. With D'Zhana's heart removed, doctors at Holtz Children's Hospital crafted substitute heart chambers using a fabric and connected these to the two pumps.

Although artificial hearts have been approved for adults, none has been federally approved for use in children. In general, there are fewer options for pediatric patients. That's because it's rarer for them to have these life-threatening conditions, so companies don't invest as much into technology that could help them, said Dr. Marco Ricci, director of pediatric cardiac surgery at the University of Miami.

He said this case demonstrates that doctors now have one more option.

"In the past, this situation could have been lethal," Ricci said.

And it nearly was. During the almost four months between her two transplants, D'Zhana wasn't able to breathe on her own half the time. She also had kidney and liver failure and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Taking a short stroll — when she felt up for it — required the help of four people, at least one of whom would steer the photocopier-sized machine that was the external part of the pumping devices.

When D'Zhana was stable enough for another operation, doctors did the second transplant on Oct. 29.

"I truly believe it's a miracle," said her mother, Twolla Anderson.

D'Zhana said now she's grateful for small things: She'll see her five siblings soon, and she can spend time outdoors.

"I'm glad I can walk without the machine," she said, her turquoise princess top covering most of the scars on her chest. After thanking the surgeons for helping her, D'Zhana began weeping.

Doctors say she'll be able to do most things that teens do, like attending school and going out with friends. She will be on lifelong medication to keep her body from rejecting the donated heart, and there's a 50-50 chance she'll need another transplant before she turns 30.

For now, though, D'Zhana is looking forward to celebrating another milestone. On Saturday, she turns 15 and plans to spend the day riding in a boat off Miami's coast.

Health Science News: Rewiring the Brain

2008-11-20T01:56:00.003+08:00

Healing the nervous system’s fragile circuitry may require something more than mere drugs – like a shock to the system

By Robert Langreth

Lauri Sandoval tried more than a dozen drugs to treat a deep depression that darkened most of her adult life. None worked for long. Unable to hold a steady job, the 42 year old resident of New Mexico had to move in with her mother two years ago. Then she underwent surgery to implant an experimental device that treats her blues by transmitting tiny pulses of electricity to nerves in her neck.

Soon the mini shock therapy started to work. Today Lauri is back to working full time as personal assistant to a Hollywood star. “It’s incredible,” she says. “I am actually happy. I’ve never been able to say that before.”

The device that brought her back, made by the publicly held Cyberonics in Houston, Texas, is one of a new generation of pacemaker-style gadgets that use mild electrical jolts to treat myriad mental and neurological illness. While they aren’t cures, they may reduce or eliminate symptoms in severe cases, offering hope to millions of patients.

The brain uses electrical current to communicate within itself and with other parts of the body. When that fragile circuitry goes awry, it can play a role in disorders ranging from depression to epilepsy to Parkinson’s disease. Researchers are learning that precisely targeting barely noticeable pulses to affected areas of the brain can help restore some normal function to the cerebral circuitry.

Cyberonic’s poker-chip-size device, surgically implanted in the chest, is approved for treating drug-resistant epilepsy and has move into final-stage human tests for the far bigger market of drug-resistant depression. The medical device giant Medtronic is testing a related technique called deep brain stimulation, in which electrodes from a device in the chest are surgically threaded several centimeters into the brain to the site of damage. The method is approved in the U.S. for tremor and could win clearance for Parkinson’s disease later this year. A third method avoids surgery. At a doctor’s office, a patient wears a magnetic device on his head that generates gentle currents in parts of the brain hit by depression and schizophrenia.

Doctors have spent decades using drugs to tweak aberrant brain chemicals, with only limited success. For example, of 6 million Americans treated for depression, more than a million don’t respond to drugs. Of the 2.5 million epileptics in the U.S., about 10% can’t be helped by chemical therapy. Drugs for Parkinson’s disease often work initially, but their effectiveness fades.

Scientist have long thought that electricity might help, but until recently they have been unable precisely target particular regions of the brain. Electroshock therapy, the decades-old treatment of last resort for depression, indiscriminately blasts the entire head to induce seizures and jar patients out of their blues. While effective, it can cause severe short-term memory loss.

The techniques are better aimed with less collateral damage. Among the more promising ones are:

Electrical Healing
Brain stimulation is a relatively new way of treating severe mental and neurological illness with devices that deliver tiny pulses of electricity to the brain.

Deep-brain Stimulation
Medtronic’s Activa device is implanted in the chest like a pacemaker, with leads threaded deep into the brain during major surgery. It is approved for tremor, with approval expected soon for Parkinson’s disease.

Vagus Stimulation
Cyberonic’s nerve stimulator is similar, but wires are attached to he neck’s vagus nerve, a major conduit between the brain and other internal organs. It is approved for epilepsy and looks promising for depression.

Reference: Forbes Global

12 simple ways to supercharge your brain

2008-11-17T00:44:00.004+08:00

Have you ever felt exasperated when you bumped into someone at the store but absolutely couldn't remember their name? Sure, it happens to all of us.

Despite being the strongest computer on the planet, our brains do lapse. It's hard to blame them really. As humans, we spend much of or existence stuffing our brains with stuff.

No matter how powerful our brains are, they need recuperation time to be kept in shape. Think of it as a tune up for your brain. Skipping brain maintenance is as silly as the person wandering the parking garage because they forgot where they parked. Is that you? Are you that person? If so, fear not; we are all that person at some point.

Now I am not a brain surgeon and I am not going to suggest you do anything surgical or dangerous. I am however an astute student of human behavior so I always look for simple ways to super charge my brain.

Here are some things you can begin doing as soon as today to begin the great brain tune up:

Eat Almonds
Almond is believed to improve memory. If a combination of almond oil and milk is taken together before going to bed or after getting up at morning, it strengthens our memory power. Almond milk is prepared by crushing the almonds without the outer cover and adding water and sugar to it.

Drink Apple Juice
Research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) indicates that apple juice increases the production of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain, resulting in an increased memory power.

Sleep well
Research indicates that the long-term memory is consolidated during sleep by replaying the images of the experiences of the day. These repeated playbacks program the subconscious mind to store these images and other related information.

Enjoy simple Pleasures
Stress drains our brainpower. A stress-ridden mind consumes much of our memory resources to leave us with a feeble mind. Make a habit to engage yourself in few simple pleasures everyday to dissolve stress from your mind. Some of these simple pleasures are good for your mind, body and soul.

Enjoy music you love
Play with your children
Appreciate others
Run few miles a day, bike or swim
Start a blog
Take a yoga class or Total Wellness routine

Exercise your mind
Just as physical exercise is essential for a strong body, mental exercise is equally essential for a sharp and agile mind. Have you noticed that children have far superior brainpower than an adult does? Children have playful minds. A playful mind exhibits superior memory power. Engage in some of the activities that require your mind to remain active and playful.

Play scrabble or crossword puzzle
Volunteer
Interact with others
Start a new hobby such as blogging, reading, painting, bird watching
Learn new skill or a foreign language

Practice Yoga or Meditation
Yoga or Meditation relives stress. Stress is a known memory buster. With less stress, lower blood pressure, slower respiration, slower metabolism, and released muscle tension follows. All of these factors contribute significantly towards increases in our brainpower.

Reduce Sugar intake
Sugar is a non-food. It’s a form of carbohydrate that offers illusionary energy, only to cause a downhill slump once the initial burst has been worn off. Excess intake of sugar results in neurotic symptoms. Excess sugar is known to cause claustrophobia, memory loss and other neurotic disorders. Eat food without adding sugar. Stay away from sweet drinks or excess consumption of caffeine with sugar.

Eat whole wheat
The whole wheat germs contain lecithin. Lecithin helps ease the problem of the hardening of the arteries, which often impairs brain functioning.

Eat a light meal at night
A heavy meal at night causes tossing and turning and a prolonged emotional stress while at sleep. It’s wise to eat heavy meal during the day when our body is in motion to consume the heavy in-take. Eating a light meal with some fruits allows us to sleep well. A good night sleep strengthens our brainpower.

Develop imagination
Greeks mastered the principle of imagination and association to memorize everything. This technique requires one to develop a vivid and colorful imagination that can be linked to a known object. If you involve all your senses - touching, feeling, smelling, hearing and seeing in the imagination process, you can remember greater details of the event.

Control your temper
Bleached food, excess of starch or excess of white bread can lead to nerve grating effect. This results in a violent and some time depressive behavior. Eat fresh vegetables. Drink lots of water and meditate or practice yoga to relieve these toxic emotions of temper and stressful mood swings.

Take Vitamin B-complex
Vitamin B-complex strengthens memory power. Eat food and vegetables high in Vitamin B-complex. Stay away from the starch food or white bread, which depletes the Vitamin B-complex necessary for a healthy mind.

I don't believe these are that tough. If you find yourself increasing stumped, give a couple of these a try.

Written by Shilpan Patel of Success Soul and cross-posted from Dumb Little Man, a web site that provides tips for life that will save you money, increase your productivity, or simply keep you sane.

by Jay @ Dumb Little Man

Men’s Health: Impotence, Some Hard Facts

2008-11-14T04:07:00.003+08:00

It is safe to say that every man experiences erectile dysfunction (ED) from time to time?

Who Becomes Impotent?

Medically speaking, impotence is defined as the inability to sustain an erection sufficient for at least 25% of attempts. Using this definition, experts have estimated that between 10 and 20 million men in the United States between ages 40 and 70 experiences erectile dysfunction. Some surveys report that 30% of all men experience at least temporary erectile dysfunction at some time.

Older Men. Aging is most often associated with impotence. About 5% of men at 40 report complete erectile dysfunction; by age 65, 15% to 25% of men are troubled by this problem, and over age 75, about 55% of men report being chronically impotent. Nevertheless, impotence is not inevitable with age. A recent survey of men of over 60 years old reported that 61% of them were sexually active, and nearly half derived as much if not more emotional benefit from their sex lives as they did in their 40s.

What Causes Impotence?

Over the past decades the medical perspective on the causes of impotence has shifted. Common wisdom used to attribute almost all cases of impotence to psychological factors. Now, investigators estimate that between 70% and 80% of impotence cases are caused by medical problems:

Most often atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries);
Complications of diabetes;
Prostatectomy (surgical removal of the prostate);
And medications.

Many experts believe that negative emotional states occurring with the condition are more likely to be a reaction to the experience of impotence than its causes. Psychological problems are more apt to be the causes of erectile dysfunction in younger men, however, while physical problems are usually the cause in older men.

So many physical and psychological situations can bring about erectile dysfunction, in fact, that a man should consider brief periods of impotence to be as normal as having a cold. (Even a cold can, in fact, cause temporary impotence.) Oxygen deprivation is the most common cause of impotence and can occur from numerous conditions that deprive the penis of the blood. Nerve damage in the penis or the pelvic area and deficient levels of important hormones can also be responsible for erectile dysfunction.

How Serious is Impotence?

Impotence is not life threatening, of course. It can be symptomatic, however, of other serious problems, such as atherosclerosis, diabetes and hypertension. Impotence can also be indicative of an injury, age related changes in tissue, or the possible long-term effects of risky behaviors such as smoking, heavy drinking, or an unhealthy diet.

Psychological factors related to impotence can be significant. Erectile dysfunction can have a devastating effect on a relationship and can cause extreme depression, which may become chronic if the erectile dysfunction is not treated.

Specific Medical Conditions Contributing to Erectile Dysfunction

Diabetes. Diabetes may contribute to as many as 40% of impotence cases. Between one third and one half of all diabetic men report some form of sexual difficulty. Diabetics often develop atherosclerosis and nerve damage; when the blood vessels or nerves of the penis are involved, erectile dysfunction can result. (It should be noted that women with diabetes also suffer from sexual dysfunction due to damaged circulation and can also be helped by some of the drugs given to men for impotence.)
High Blood Pressure. In one study, 17% of men with high blood pressure experienced erectile dysfunction even before being treated. Many of the drugs used to treat hypertension may cause impotence as the side effect, although it is reversible when the drugs are stopped.

One study, in fact, suggested that impotence in men with hypertension actually usually occurs if they also have coronary artery disease, and that it is this dangerous combination – not the drugs – that causes erectile dysfunction in such men. More recent drugs, such as ACE inhibitors, in nay case, appear to be less likely to cause erectile dysfunction.

Multiple Sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which affects the central nervous system, also precipitates sexual dysfunction in as many as 78% of male patients. (Corticosteroids, which are common treatments for MS may improve sexual dysfunction.

Alternative Therapies and Remedies

Yohimbine. Yohimbine has been used as folk medicine for years; it appears to improve blood flow. Studies have been inclusive about its benefits, but a recent analysis of seven trials reported that between 34% and 75% of men achieved favorable results when taking 5 mg to 10 mg. Side effects include nausea, insomnia, nervousness, dizziness and high blood pressure.

Ginkgo improves blood flow in the brain and in one small study 78% of men who had impotence caused by impaired blood flow regained erections. More research is needed.

Ginseng root is a traditional Asian remedy for stimulating sexual function, although no studies have been conducted on its efficacy.

DHEAS. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA) is a male hormone used in the production of testosterone; levels of this hormone falls as man ages. In one small study, those who took DHEA for 16weeks experienced some improvement in erectile dysfunction. It should be noted, however that the long-term effects of this potent hormone are unknown, particularly on the risks for prostate cancer.

Lifestyle Changes

Maintaining General Health. Because many cases of impotence are due to reduced blood flow from blocked arteries, it is important to maintain the same lifestyle habits as those who face an increased risk for heart disease. Such good habits include a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains and fiber and low in saturated fats and sodium. Men who drink alcohol should do so in moderation. A regular exercise program is extremely important. Quitting smoking is essential.

Frequent Erections. Staying sexually active can help prevent impotence. Frequent erections stimulate blood flow to the penis. It may be helpful to note that erections are firmest during deep sleep right before waking up. Autumn is the time of the year when male hormone levels are highest and sexual activity is most frequent.

Changing or Reducing Medications Causing Impotence. If medications are causing the problem, the patient and the physician should discuss alternatives or reduced dosages. In treating high blood pressure, for instance, ACE inhibitors are less likely to cause sexual dysfunction than any other medications.

Supplement Review: Ipriflavone

2008-11-10T04:00:00.003+08:00

Nature’s Answer to Estrogen

The New Nutritional Medicine

If you’re a woman, it’s likely that you have already had to, or soon will have to, grapple with the complex issue of treating osteoporosis with traditional drug regimens. As we’ve seen, the most common of these is estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). In spite of the controversy surrounding estrogen replacement therapy, one fact is clear: hormonal therapy does treat osteoporosis. But its potential for unwanted side effects, most notably, breast and uterine cancers, can be very frightening.

Recent research has identified natural substances that mimic the beneficial aspects of estrogen, without their potential side effects. The most promising of these substances are isoflavones. A significant amount of data has been published on their ability to maintain healthy bones. Researchers took isoflavones one step further and discovered how to refine and synthesize from them the compound known as ipriflavone.

Ipriflavone and Healthy Bone:
How it works?

Ipriflavone can safely increase bone mass and density without the deadly side effects of ERT and other traditional treatments. It’s widely accepted around the world and is a registered drug for the treatment of osteoporosis in Europe, Japan and Argentina. Some of the findings the piqued the interest of scientists showed that ipriflavone:

Increases the total amount of calcium retained in bones.
Preserves bone by inhibiting the activity of bone breaking osteoclasts.
Promotes the production and activity of bone building osteoblasts.
Decreases the activity of nitric oxide, which results in decreased activity of bone breaking osteoclasts.
Ipriflavone works primarily in bone tissue and not on other organs. Thus, it doesn’t have the deleterious effects that estrogen does, like increased risk of uterine cancer.

Ipriflavone as a Complementary Therapy

As we’ve notice, isoflavones are recognized by the body as estrogen. Ipriflavone, on the other hand, isn’t exactly recognized as estrogen but rather, mimics the action of estrogen, a slightly different mechanism with the same end result. So ipriflavone can work in the body like estrogen, without estrogen’s negative effects.

Ipriflavone can be a complementary therapy to other compounds as well. Combination therapies using ipriflavone and other bone building compounds like calcium may be more beneficial than ipriflavone used alone. The most impressive human studies on osteoporosis have used ipriflavone in conjunction with calcium, generally in the range of 500mg to 1, 000 mg a day. Studies have also shown that ipriflavone, in con junction with vitamin D, can help reduce postmenopausal bone loss better than either of these two substances alone.