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obituary

05-11-2008, 02:23

Find out what's fueling your fatigue — and what to do about it

You can blame some of your energy crisis on a serious lack of shut-eye, but there may be other reasons you're slogging along like a turtle. Find out how to light a fire under your butt

Your breakfast menu

Missing a morning meal slows metabolism and depletes your body of the fuel it needs to function optimally, explains SELF contributing editor Joy Bauer, R.D. But what you eat matters as much as the fact that you eat something. Carbohydrates — as in a breakfast muffin or pastry — signal the brain to release serotonin, a neurotransmitter that brings on calm when you most want to be up and at 'em. Also, your body digests simple, unrefined carbs quickly, sending blood sugar soaring and then plummeting, resulting in an energy crash, Bauer says.

Fatigue fighter: Start each day with a breakfast that contains at least 5 grams of protein. This nutrient activates the production of norepinephrine, a neurochemical that increases heart rate and alertness. Unlike carbs, protein digests slowly so blood sugar and energy levels stay stable. Some tasty recipes: a cup of cereal (with 3 g or more of fiber, no more than 120 calories per serving) topped with skim milk, 1/2 cup of blueberries and 1 tablespoon of chopped walnuts (10 g of protein per serving), or an omelet made with 4 egg whites, 1/2 cup of chopped broccoli, 1/4 cup of chopped onion and 1 ounce of lowfat shredded cheese (22 g of protein per serving)l

Your outfit

Those killer heels and pencil skirts may look polished and professional, but if you're sacrificing comfort for fashion, they can also turn you into the office sloth. Workers took an average of 491 fewer steps on days they wore more formal business attire compared with dress-down days, according to research commissioned by the American Council on Exercise in San Diego. And using less energy leads to having less energy, says Cedric Bryant, Ph.D., chief science officer with ACE: "Sitting at your desk all day slows circulation, so less energizing oxygen is delivered to cells throughout your body."

Fatigue fighter: Wear clothes that allow for movement and cushy footwear instead of uncomfortable heels to the office so you'll be more likely to walk around. If you can't part with your stilettos, keep them on at work, then slip into flats or low-heeled shoes for a lunch-break walk outdoors and your commute. Today, companies such as Cole Haan and Aerosoles offer fashionable flats and kitten heels that won't make you look like a secretary circa 1987

Your caffeine habit

Going on a Starbucks run at 3 p.m. can help carry you through the rest of your day — and unfortunately, well into the night. "Caffeine can stay in your system for up to eight hours or even more, so drinking coffee too late in the afternoon may disrupt your slumber, stealing the rest you need for next-day stamina," Bauer says.

Fatigue fighter: Limit coffee consumption to two or three 8-ounce cups a day (about 200 or 300 milligrams of caffeine) to avoid overload and subsequent headaches and jitters, and cut out the upper about eight hours before bedtime. Still sleepy in the afternoon? Have an energizing, high-protein snack; a handful of almonds will do it

Your worrying

Credit card debt, a micromanaging boss — long-term stressors such as these can leave you spent. "Chronic stress increases heart rate and blood pressure, making your body work overtime," explains Nieca Goldberg, M.D., director of the New York University Langone Medical Center Women's Heart Program in New York City. "When you're on edge, you also tend to tighten your muscles, which sets you up for aches and fatigue." What's more, worriers often take shallow breaths, so they don't take in enough oxygen, Dr. Goldberg says. "You're essentially hyperventilating and building up carbon dioxide in your blood, a waste product that can make you feel tired and dizzy."l

Fatigue fighter: When anxiety strikes, take three slow, deep breaths to give your body a big dose of energizing oxygen while slowing down a rapid heart rate. Then, as soon as you have a few minutes of downtime, do something distracting that feels good, like talking to a friend or watching a funny movie. And always pay attention to how you talk about things, which has a direct impact on your mind-set, explains Linda Sapadin, Ph.D., author of "Master Your Fears" (Wiley). "Worriers tend to say 'I'll never' or 'I can't,' such as 'I can't get out of debt,'" Sapadin says. She suggests countering negative sentiments by tacking on a positive phrase at the end. For instance, say, "I can't get out of debt right now, but I can research credit cards with better interest rates." l

Your messy desk

Digging through piles of unorganized paperwork is a time and energy stealer in and of itself, but merely the sight of those stacks can stress you out, decrease efficiency and drain your brain, says Carol Landau, Ph.D., clinical professor of psychiatry and medicine at Brown Medical School in Providence, Rhode Island.

Fatigue fighter: "A little disarray is OK, but in general, your desk should hold only items that you use very frequently — your computer or stapler — and the paperwork you're working on that day," notes Laura Stack, author of "The Exhaustion Cure" (Random House). Nonessential items — a labeler and a three-hole punch — can go in a drawer. To keep your desk clear, spend five minutes at the end of each day putting documents you're working on in a neat pile and filing away the rest. "Prepping your workspace for the next day gives you a sense of completion that instantly reduces stress, which is crippling to your energy levels," says Steven Berglas, Ph.D., author of "Reclaiming the Fire: How Successful People Overcome Burnout" (Random House). l

Your Saturday sleep-ins

"Bingeing on sleep on weekends to catch up on missed zzz's throws off your circadian rhythm, your body's 24-hour clock that plays a key role in sleep and wakefulness," says Amy Wolfson, Ph.D., author of "The Woman's Book of Sleep" (New Harbinger Publications). Sleeping in — and hitting the hay that night later than usual as a result — also makes it hard to readjust to your workweek routine, so you start Mondays in a fog.

Fatigue fighter: No one's saying you can't go out and have a good time, but strive to get up within the same 60-minute range both days: Oversleeping by more than one hour significantly disrupts your body clock. Still wake up with a case of the groggies? Open your bedroom shades as soon as your alarm goes off. The sunlight sends a signal to your brain that it's time to get up

Your lack of vitamin C

About 30 percent of women don't get enough vitamin C, and too-low levels can zap your energy. That's because vitamin C helps produce carnitine, a molecule that shuttles fatty acids into cells where they're burned for energy, says Carol Johnston, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Arizona State University at Mesa. "Lack of carnitine forces the body to use carbs or protein for energy instead. That can cause your body to produce lactic acid, a waste product that builds up in tissue and fatigues muscles." l

Fatigue fighter: Aim to get the recommended daily allowance of 75 mg of C daily by noshing on naturally rich sources such as an orange or a kiwifruit (both have about 70 mg per fruit), broccoli (1 cup chopped: 74 mg) or strawberries (1 cup: 89 mg). l

Your stuck-in-a-rut routine

Grandma was right: Variety is the spice of life. "We all crave diversity and challenge," Berglas says. "When there's no challenge in completing a task, you go on autopilot — it's mind-numbing."l

Fatigue fighter: If job monotony is dragging you down, ask your boss for more or different responsibilities, or have lunch with someone in another department to find out if her type of job is something you'd like to explore, Berglas suggests. Blasé about your daily regimen? Simple change-ups can deliver some rut-busting benefits. For instance, find an alternate route home (and stop at a park or shop that grabs your eye along the way); sign up for a language, pottery or photography class to get your brain chomping on something new; or trade the treadmill for a fun circuit training class

Your heavy flow

Heavy periods can deplete your iron levels and even cause anemia, a condition in which there aren't enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate energizing oxygen to tissue, according to Rajiv K. Pruthi, M.D., a hematology consultant at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.l

Fatigue fighter: If you're feeling chronically wiped out despite getting ample shut-eye, see your doc. She may perform a blood test to check your iron and red cell count and, if they're low, advise taking iron supplements to boost your stores. (Don't take supplements without your M.D.'s knowledge because iron overload can be toxic.) Eating more iron-rich foods, such as lean red meat and poultry, beans, lentils and spinach, can also help shore you up

Your sluggish thyroid

Found at the base of the throat, this gland secretes hormones that help control metabolism, heart rate and more. "The less active your thyroid is in producing hormones, the slower your metabolism and the less energy you have," says Stephen Richardson, M.D., an endocrinologist at NYU Langone Medical Center. Other telltale signs of an underactive thyroid include constipation, menstrual irregularities and dry skin, hair and nails.

Fatigue fighter: A blood test can reveal whether your levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone are high — a sign that the thyroid isn't working up to speed. If they are, your M.D. can help pinpoint and treat whatever is elevating them; a viral infection or Hashimoto's thyroiditis (an autoimmune disease) are potential culprits. If your gland can't do its job, you may need to take a daily synthetic thyroid hormone pill. Fortunately, once those hormones are back in balance, your lethargy will disappear. In the meantime, try relaxation exercises (deep breathing or yoga). "If you have a thyroid problem, stress might add to the drain on your energy levels," Dr. Richardson says. That's one more good excuse to take it easy — and save your energy for something fun

obituary

05-11-2008, 02:38

First federal guidelines set minimum amount of activity adults need

WASHINGTON - Get moving: The nation's new exercise guidelines set a minimum sweat allotment for good health. For most adults, that's 2 hours a week.lHow much physical activity you need depends largely on age and level of fitness.l
Moderate exercise adds up for sluggish adults. Rake leaves, take a quick walk around the block or suit up for the neighborhood softball game. More fit adults could pack in their week's requirement in 75 minutes with vigorous exercise, such as jogging, hiking uphill, a bike race or speedy laps in the pool.l

Children and teens need more — pretty brisk activities for at least an hour a day, say the government guidelines being released Tuesday.l
Consider it the exercise version of the food pyramid. The guidelines, from the Health and Human Services Department, aim to end years of confusion about how much physical activity is enough, while making clear that there are lots of ways to achieve it.l
"The easy message is get active, whatever your way is. Get active your way," HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt told The Associated Press.l
It's OK to start slowly. Someone who's done no exercising will start seeing benefits with as little as 10 minutes of moderately intense exercise a day, which is an incentive to work up to the recommended amounts, said Rear Adm. Penelope Royall, deputy assistant secretary for disease prevention.l
"Some is better than nothing, and more is better," she said.l
The guidelines come as scientists are trying to spread the word to a nation of couch potatoes that how active you are may be the most important indicator of good health. Yet a quarter of U.S. adults aren't active at all in their leisure time, government research concludes. More than half don't get enough of the kind of physical activity that actually helps health — walking fast enough to raise your heart rate, not just meandering, for instance. More than 60 million adults are obese.l
Worse, the nation is raising a generation of children who may be less healthy than their parents. About a third are overweight and 16 percent are obese. And while young children are naturally active given the chance, schools are decreasing the amount of recess and gym time. By high school, a recent study found, fewer than a third of teens are getting an hour of activity a day.l
To put science behind the how-much-is-enough debate, HHS gathered an expert panel to review all the data. The panel found that regular physical activity can cut the risk of heart attacks and stroke by at least 20 percent, reduce chances of early death, and help people avoid high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancer, fractures from age-weakening bones and depression.l

The government used that scientific report to set the minimum activity levels.l
The kind of exercise matters a lot, said Dr. William Kraus, a Duke University cardiologist who co-authored the scientific report. Runners like Kraus can achieve the same health benefit in a fraction of the time of a walker.l
"If you do it more intense, you can do less time," explained Kraus, who praised the guidelines for offering that flexibility. "This brings it back down to earth for a lot of people."l
What's the right kind of exercise? The guidelines advise:l

You don't have get all the activity at once. A walk for an hour three days a week works as well as, say, a 30-minute exercise class on weekdays or saving most of the activity for a two-hour Saturday bike ride.l

For aerobic activities, go at least 10 minutes at a time to build heart rate enough to count.l

You should be able to talk while doing moderate activities but not catch enough breath to sing. With vigorous activities, you can say only a few words without stopping to catch a breath.l

Children's daily hour should consist of mostly moderate or vigorous aerobic activity, such as skateboarding, bike riding, soccer, simple running.l

Three times a week, children and teens need to include muscle-strengthening activities — sit-ups, tug-of-war — and bone-strengthening activities, such as jumping rope or skipping.l

Adults should do muscle-strengthening activities — push-ups, weight training, carrying heavy loads or heavy gardening — at least two days a week.l

Older adults who are still physically able to follow the guidelines should do so, with an emphasis on activities that maintain or improve balance.l

These are minimum goals, the guidelines note. People who do more will see greater benefits.l

obituary

06-11-2008, 01:28

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Two University of Pennsylvania doctors, after an extensive review of literature, say there is no scientific evidence establishing the need for the average healthy person to drink increased amounts of water. Their recommendation: “Drink when you’re thirsty. That’s the way your body is designed.” According to the study entitled “Just Add Water,” increased water intake is only really justified in certain cases, such as for athletes or those engaged in vigorous exercise, those living in hot, dry climates, and people suffering from particular illnesses.l
Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a kidney specialist, and his colleague Dr. Dan Negoianu, both with the Renal, Electrolyte and Hypertension Division at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, scoured literature on the benefits of drinking water. In the U.S., it is a long held belief that drinking the recommended eight glasses of water per day is essential for everyone. Water has been touted to be helpful not only in removing toxic chemicals from the body and keeping organs in top condition, but for stopping headaches, keeping weight off, and even improving skin tone.l
The doctors examined the theory that drinking more water helped the kidneys flush more toxins from the body. They found that while drinking more water does have an impact of the rate at which various substances are cleared by the kidney, there is no indication that this resulted in any actual health benefits. In a radio interview, Dr. Goldfarb said that drinking large amounts of water actually tends to reduce the filtering ability of the kidney. They also found no documentation that an increased amount of water is beneficial to the body’s organs, regardless of whether it is gulped or slowly ingested.l
The doctors searched for evidence that headaches could be attributed to water deprivation. They found one small study in which trial participants who drank more water experienced fewer headaches than those who did not, but the statistics were not significant.l
Water is supposedly an ideal aid for those who want to lose weight, creating a sense of fullness, thus curbing the appetite. The doctors found the clinical evidence in this case to be inconclusive. Dr. Goldfarb said that while some studies suggested that calorie intake was reduced in those given water prior to meals; other studies suggested that it wasn’t. The doctors found no clinical trials measuring the effects of water intake on weight maintenance.l
The doctors also reviewed literature relating to water and skin tone. They said that while dehydration can decrease skin tension, no studies were found that showed a clinical benefit to skin tone with increased water intake.l
The doctors added that, in certain cases, drinking a lot of water may actually be harmful. Dr. Goldfarb cited the case of a woman who, as part of a contest, drank water continuously and very rapidly for several minutes. Shortly afterward, she developed swelling of the brain and died.l
An earlier study by Heinz Valtin from Dartmouth also debunked the 8x8 water recommendation (8 ounces, 8 times a day), as well as a few other myths; dark urine does not mean dehydration, thirst doesn’t mean “it’s too late,” water doesn’t help or prevent constipation, cancer or heart disease, and caffeinated beverages count as fluid intake.l
Dr. Goldfarb says there is no rational basis for the widespread belief that people need to drink eight glasses of water a day, and isn’t clear where the recommendation comes from. But Valtin speculates that our obsession with water may have evolved from The Food and Nutritional Board of the National Research Council who, in 1945 wrote that “an ordinary standard for diverse persons is 1 milliliter for each calorie of food.” This would amount to about 2-2.5 liters, or 64-80 ounces per day. However, eager readers may have stopped short before reading the sentence noting that “most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods.”l
On the other hand, Dr.’s Goldfarb and Negoianu conceded that “there is also no clear evidence of lack of benefit.” Dr. Goldfarb suggests there may even be a placebo effect to those eight daily glasses. He says if you are convinced that a lot of water makes you feel stronger and healthier, so be it. However, he also notes that people who don’t feel that way should not feel obligated to do so.l

obituary

06-11-2008, 01:30

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According to an article published by the Mayo Clinic, eating fish that contains omega-3 fatty acids is very good for your heart. If you eat one to two servings of fish a week, you could be cutting your chances of having a fatal heart attack by at least one third. This isn’t a new approach; the American Heart Association has recommended this for years. Although there are concerns about contaminants in fish, such as the level of Mercury content, at least two large, federally sponsored studies have concluded that the heart health benefits of eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids usually outweigh the risks associated with contaminants.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, established fish consumption could reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by one third, and the overall mortality was 17% less.

Another study released by the Institute of Medicine found that eating seafood also seems to support a healthy heart.

According to Donald Hensrud, M.D., chair of Mayo Clinic's Division of Preventive Medicine and associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition, “Fish contain unsaturated fatty acids, which, when substituted for saturated fatty acids such as is contained in meat, may lower serum cholesterol. But the main beneficial component appears to be omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish. Omega-3 fatty acids have many potential beneficial effects including improving cognitive function in developing children, decreasing triglycerides, lowering blood pressure, reducing blood clotting, enhancing immune function, and possibly others. However, the strongest benefit from omega-3 fatty acids is reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death, which appears to be due to decreasing the risk of abnormal heart rhythms.”

Fatty fish that contain the most omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, herring, and tuna. In addition, many types of seafood contain small amounts. Two three-ounce servings per week of fatty fish are recommended. Due to their high susceptibility to toxins found in fish, Dr. Hensrud recommends that children, as well as women of childbearing age, should limit the amount of canned Tuna to 6 ounces per week and limit other fish eaten to a maximum of 12 ounces a week. In addition, they should avoid eating certain fish like shark and swordfish altogether.

Toxins in fish include mercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). How much toxin a fish has is dependent on the type of fish and where it was caught. Each state issues advisories concerning a safe amount of locally caught fish for consumption. Fish that have higher levels of mercury include shark, tilefish, swordfish, and king mackerel, as they are large fish that feed on smaller fish that, in turn, store methyl mercury in their own bodies from their own dietary consumption. Therefore, these fish have more concentrated mercury content.

Don’t like Fish? Although supplements and non-fish foods have not been proven to have the same level of heart healthy benefits of eating fish, people with heart disease can take supplements of omega-3 fatty acids or eat non-fish foods that contain omega-3 fatty acid with some benefit. These include flaxseed, flaxseed oil, walnuts, canola oil, soybeans and soybean oil.l

obituary

06-11-2008, 01:30

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It may feel pretty lonely out there when everyone you know is trying to shed pounds and you are trying to put some on. However, your goals are exactly the same as those trying to lose some weight: To eat a healthy diet, and reach a normal body weight. It’s just as much of a challenge for the overweight person to lose pounds, as it is for you to gain them.

The good news is that it’s possible for all of you to sit at the same table, with the same menu, enjoy each other’s company, and reach your goals. You will be choosing a few things that they may be avoiding, but generally, eating healthy to gain weight involves eating the same variety of foods as your friends.

Whether you are underweight because of a recent illness, an eating disorder, or simply because your sense of taste declined as you grew older, the way to increase your weight is to increase the calories in your diet. To do this in a healthy way, you will not want to just add more junk foods to your diet. Junk foods don’t offer much nutritionally, and are loaded with unhealthy saturated fats and sugar.

Eating fish, nuts, and even seeds, routinely throughout the week will provide you with needed healthy fat and calories. Because red meat has a high saturated fat content, meals of this type would best be limited to one or two times a week.

Black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, dried peas, and soy beans are all good sources of protein and calories. A delightful snack is easy to make by placing beans and cheese on a tortilla; roll it up, and microwave until it’s hot, enjoy.

Powdered milk added to soups, sauces, and smoothies, is a relatively effortless way to get bonus calories and protein.

Olive oil is a healthy diet choice because this monounsaturated fat will add calories to your diet, and help keep your cardiovascular system in good shape. For healthy salad dressings and mayonnaise, choose those made with canola or safflower oil.

The carbohydrates found in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, infuse energy and nutrients into your daily diet. The USDA recommends that our daily diet include lots of grains and cereals; and that at least three servings a day are from whole gain breads, cereals, or and pastas. Whole grain carbohydrates provide calories, fiber, nutrients, and some protein in a healthy diet.

In the naturally calorie sparse vegetable group, starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn provide more calories, per serving, than the dark green vegetables; however, since dark green vegetables are important to any balanced diet, their caloric values can be easily supplemented by adding a little olive oil for flavoring, or toppings like slivered almonds, or grated cheese.

Fruits supply plentiful vitamins as well as phytochemicals which may possibly help prevent heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Avocados are relatively high in calories, rich in monounsaturated fat, vitamin B and fiber. Bananas are also relatively high in calories, and can add an interesting taste to your morning cereal, or to a lunchtime peanut butter on whole wheat sandwich. Dried fruits can be used as healthy, high calorie snacks.

Replace sugary sodas with fruit juices to add calories, nutrients, and hydration to your diet.

Remember to take your multivitamins daily. Your healthcare provider can tell you if one of the many weight gaining supplements on the market today, is an appropriate way for you to add additional calories, protein, and carbohydrates to your daily diet.

Everyone eats desserts on occasion; a little chocolate is certainly good for the spirits. Your best choice in this category might well be something made with dark chocolate because it has anti-oxidants not found in other sweets.

One study found that people tend to eat more when eating with close friends, and also tend to eat more when eating with people who eat more. Socializing may be part of the answer; enjoy eating with your friends, especially those that really enjoy a meal; you’ll be having fun and eating your way to a healthy, normal weight.l

obituary

06-11-2008, 01:36

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You don't have to be Oprah Winfrey's gourmet chef or spend a fortune on expensive cookware to prepare food in healthy ways. You can make your favorite dishes without large amounts of fat or salt using basic cooking techniques.l
Baking isn't just for breads and desserts. You can also bake poultry, lean meat, seafood, and vegetables. Baking usually doesn't require adding fat to the food, although you may need to baste the food to keep it from drying out. Simply place your desired food in a pan or dish and cook either covered or uncovered.l
Roasting is like baking, but usually at higher temperatures. You can place your food in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet. When roasting meat, poultry or seafood, put a rack inside the roasting pan which will allow the fat in the food to drip away during cooking.l
Broiling and grilling are cooking methods which allow the fat to drip away from the food. Both methods expose the food to a direct heat source. To broil, place the food on a broiler rack in the oven below a heat element. To grill, place the food on a rack above either a bed of charcoal or you may want to use a gas grill. A grill basket is very useful when cooking smaller items such as vegetables or seafood.l
Braising is a two step technique. The ingredient is first placed in a pan on top of the stove and browned. A small amount of liquid, usually water or broth, is added. Then, the ingredient and the liquid is covered and slowly cooked. The cooking liquid is sometimes used afterward to form a nutrient-rich sauce.l
Poaching involves gently simmering ingredients in water until they are cooked through. You may also choose a more flavorful liquid such as broth, juice or vinegar. Be sure to use a covered pan that best fits your food which will enable you to use a minimal amount of liquid.l
Steaming is one of the simplest cooking methods. Place the food in a perforated basket and suspend it above simmering liquid. You can use water with seasonings added, or you may choose a more flavorful liquid. Flavor the food as it cooks.l
Stir- frying is a traditional Asian cooking method which requires only a small amount of oil or nonstick cooking spray. The food is cut into small, uniform-sized pieces and then rapidly stirred in a wok or large nonstick frying pan.l
You can give your meal more appeal by adding color, aroma and taste to your food. An excellent way is through the use of herbs and spices. You can add dried herbs in the early cooking stages, or fresh herbs toward the end of cooking. Be sure to use fresh herbs that aren't wilted and that have bright color. If you substitute dry herbs for fresh, only use one-third the amount.l
Now that you're armed with the proper cooking techniques, you can prepare your meals like the pros, making them healthier and more appealing.l

obituary

06-11-2008, 01:45

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There is a reason bees protect it and bears love it, honey is not only delicious but used for healing. A spoonful of honey will coat your throat and soothe the sore during the cold season and added to tea it is used as a sweet yet healthy way to put you at ease. Honey has been used as a staple in diets as far back as biblical times and it was known to be used as currency during the Roman Empire. A new study suggests honey may be good for those suffering from sinusitis—an inflammation of the sinuses that could be a result of bacterial, fungal, allergy or viral infections—also known as rhinosinusitis including an inflammation of the nose.

The findings from this new study were to be presented this week at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation’s annual meeting. Canada’s University of Ottawa conducted the study and it’s co-author Dr. Joseph G. Marsan wasn’t surprised at the natural bacteria fighters in honey that they found, “Honey has been used in traditional medicine as a natural anti-microbial dressing for infected wounds for hundreds of years.”

The researchers investigated the activity of honey on bacteria-laden communities called “biofilms,” responsible for a lot of chronic infections, including sinusitis. Biofilms are known to reject the prescription antibiotics and over the counter remedies most used by patients with sinus symptoms. Dr. Marsan explains that popular antibiotics are blocked by bacteria clumped together in biofilms even though the reason is unknown, “Certain bacteria…have found a method of shielding themselves from the activity of anti-microbials by living in substances called biofilms, which cannot be penetrated...”.

Marsan and his team found that only certain honeys contain the bacteria-killers needed to successfully manage the inflammatory aspects of these chronic infections, "Our study has shown that certain honeys, namely the Manuka honey from New Zealand and the Sidr honey from Yemen, have a powerful killing action on these bacterial biofilms that is far superior to the most powerful anti-microbials used in medicine today”. Although they were able to isolate the different types of honey that provided anti-bacterial effects, the researchers still have to bring these superhero honey formulas out of the Petri dish and into clinical trials using lab animals and later on actual patients.

A chronic sinus infection lasts at least a few months, with over 31 million people in the United States alone undergoing nonstop courses of treatment from pills to antibiotics to nasal sprays, and even a process called irrigation in which a mixture of salt water is poured up the nose into the sinuses in order to provide at least some relief. While dealing with cold symptoms nonstop and none of those options working long term, surgery is sometimes the course of action to alleviate the pain. With this new evidence of honey helping where all the others fail to kill the bacteria, scientists say their methods of treating patients won’t be very different from their usual ways.

An ear, nose and throat resident at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Talal Alandejani says when honey is approved for antibacterial use for sinus sufferers, they will try the familiar idea of irrigation but substitute the salt water mixture, "we'll use an irrigation needle. This is not new….Probably in the non-medical world it sounds weird, but we've been irrigating with antibiotics already, so it's the same equipment . . . we’re just going to use honey in it."

While we await approval for animal testing and further approval for the wide use on humans as an alternative to drugs and surgery, the researchers don’t know yet what exactly in the honey is causing the desired effect, but no one is complaining. The upside is that I haven’t seen any bears with post-nasal drip lately and that makes honey a little sweeter.l

Antonio Andolini

06-11-2008, 01:59

Here's a new reason to look forward to the switch back to standard time Sunday morning: it may lower heart attack.

Heart attacks decrease by 5 percent the first Monday after the time change, and by 1.5 percent over that week, according to an analysis in this week's New England Journal of Medicine. The findings are based on 20 years of data from a Swedish registry of nine million residents.

The springtime transition todaylight saving time poses more of a health hazard: Heart attacks increase by 5 percent over the first week after clocks are pushed back an hour, spiking by 10 percent on that Tuesday, epidemiologists at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm found.

The reasons aren't clear, but study co-author Imre Janszky suspects that changes in sleep may play a role. Although there is little data on the cardiovascular effects of the kind of short-term sleep deprivation that occurs over the average five days it takes to adjust to moving clocks ahead in spring, chronic sleep deprivation is associated with increases in blood pressure, heart rate, blood clotting, and C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation associated with deadly heart attacks, Janszky says.

The time clock transition causes "a complex disruption of our body rhythms," Janszky says, "so there are plausible reasons for sleep deprivation as a trigger for heart attack."

One more reason to suspect sleep deprivation as a culprit: the incidence of heart attacks shifted around the time change only among Swedes under 65, the official retirement age there. Research published in 2005 by Dutch scientists showed that heart attacks are more common on Mondays, possibly because of the stress of beginning the work week—and the readjustment to getting up early.

"Our results suggest that this shortness of sleep contributes to the increased risk on Monday—except for that Monday [after the switch to standard time] when we have that extra hour we can use for sleep," Janszky says.

SciAm
New England Journal of Medicine

برای مشاهده محتوا ، لطفا وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنیدso I wont go to bed late anymore:31:

obituary

07-11-2008, 03:10

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The health risks associated with weight gain are well known, but when you are pregnant it takes on a whole new significance. While it’s true that you are “eating for two,” eating twice as much usually results in excessive weight gain, meaning you will have more difficulty losing the weight after the baby is born. It also means an increased risk of having a large baby. According to a new study, gaining 40 pounds or more during pregnancy almost doubles the risk of having a baby that weighs 9 pounds or more, posing health risks to both mother and child. Bigger babies can mean riskier births, including vaginal tearing and bleeding, and often the need for a Caesarean section. For the baby there is a risk of getting stuck in the birth canal, often leading to broken collar bones. Heavier babies are also prone to obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life, the study authors said.

For the study, researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon looked at 41,540 pregnant women who gave birth to singleton babies in Hawaii, Oregon and Washington from 1995 through 2003. Patient medical records and birth certificates were used to determine the mother’s weight and the baby’s birth weight. All mothers-to-be also underwent glucose screening for gestational diabetes, which is a known risk factor for having a heavier baby. More than 20 percent of those who gained more than 40 pounds gave birth to large babies, compared to less than 12 percent of those who gained less than 40 pounds. Of those who both gained more than 40 pounds and suffered gestational diabetes, 29.3 percent had big babies, while the odds for women with normal glucose levels and who gained less than 40 pounds were only 9.3 percent. “More than one in five women gain too much weight during pregnancy and only 5 percent have gestational diabetes,” said the study’s lead author Teresa Hillier, M.D., an endocrinologist and senior investigator at the Kaiser Center.

The study concludes that women should be careful about their weight during pregnancy. Current guidelines issued by the federal Institute of Medicine in 1990, which are now being re-evaluated, advise that an underweight mother (BMI below 19.8) gain 28 to 40 pounds; women with normal weight (BMI of 19.8 to 26.0) gain 25 to 35 pounds; and overweight women (BMI above 26) gain 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy. But, surprisingly, a third of the women surveyed in an unrelated study said they received no advice about gestational weight gain from their health care providers. “Providers should do a better job about counseling,” Dr. Hillier said. “They need to pay attention to weight, and focus on healthy weight gain.”l
But Hillier also cautioned, “Not gaining enough (weight during pregnancy) is a risk for the baby as well. The focus should be eating healthfully: low-fat dairy, protein, lots of fruit and vegetables, also, under the guidance of a physician, getting moderate amounts of exercise.”

The study was published in the November issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.l

obituary

07-11-2008, 03:16

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The chronic disorder known as fibromyalgia is characterized by extensive muscle pain lasting for at least three months coupled with heavy fatigue. Other symptoms include problems with cognitive function and memory and concentration, as well as sleep disturbances and stiffness. The condition affects between two and four percent of the world’s population with most of the victims being women.

Until now, fibromyalgia has been labeled the “invisible syndrome” as it could not be diagnosed through lab tests or X-rays. But a group of French researchers have recently detected abnormalities in the brains of those suffering from the condition.

Dr. Eric Guedj, the study's lead author and a researcher at Centre Hospitalier-Universitaire de la Timone in France explained, “We showed in our study that the functional abnormalities observed were mainly related to disability.” Previously, researchers have suggested that the pain associated with fibromyalgia was actually the result of depression. However, Guedj said that the abnormalities found in the brain scans done during the study were unrelated to anxiety and depression levels.

The research included 20 women who had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and 10 healthy women who were free of the condition, serving as a control group. The 30 women were asked to answer questionnaires regarding their levels of pain and disability, as well as levels of anxiety and depression. In addition, the research group performed brain imaging on the women known as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

The brain scans revealed that the women with fibromyalgia had blood flow abnormalities or "brain perfusion" that the healthy women did not. It was also discovered that these abnormalities are directly connected to the intensity of symptoms and an increase in blood flow was found in the area of the brain that distinguishes pain severity.

Prior studies that included brain imaging have shown that the affected areas of the brain involve pain processing and emotional responses to pain. Dr. Guedj and colleagues believe that, as a result, the new findings indicate that fibromyalgia is a disorder of central pain processing in which pain sensations are heightened.

The National Fibromyalgia Association estimates that about 10 million Americans suffer from fibromyalgia. Although the cause of fibromyalgia is not known, it is believed that it may be linked to physical trauma. Treatments target improved function and pain relief.

According to Dr. Patrick Wood, senior medical adviser for the National Fibromyalgia Association, this new study supplies “further evidence of an objective difference between patients with fibromyalgia and those who don't have the disorder.”

The researchers acknowledge that a major limitation of the study was the small number of participants. In addition, although fibromyalgia is usually assessed with general pain scales like the ones used in the study, they plan to discuss whether or not these scales are appropriate for use in this type of research.

The findings were published in the November issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.l

obituary

07-11-2008, 03:17

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There has been an alarming increase in the number of children in the United States who are taking medication for chronic diseases. The growing problem of childhood obesity is apparently the culprit for health issues arising among the nation’s youngsters.

At the top of the list is the number of children who are now on medication for type 2 diabetes, a condition that has been linked to obesity. Six out of 10,000 children, a number that has more than doubled from 2002 to 2005, indicates that at a minimum of 23,000 privately insured children in the U.S. now take diabetes medications. In addition, there have been substantial increases in prescriptions for asthma and high cholesterol as well as for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Other medications on the rise for children include prescriptions for high blood pressure and depression. This shocking information comes from the results of new study published in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Study co-author Dr. Donna Halloran, an assistant professor of pediatrics at St. Louis University stated, “Across all the medication classes we looked at, the rates of use increased—sometimes dramatically.” She went on to explain, “This is particularly concerning given that several of these diagnoses have been linked to obesity—diabetes, hypertension, depression, asthma.”

According to Emily Cox, study co-author and manager of outcomes research at Express Scripts Inc., in St. Louis, “We've got a lot of sick children.” She also said that although type 2 diabetes has been an adult onset in the past, children as young as the age of 5 are now being treated for the condition with prescription drugs.

The researchers analyzed the use of medication prescribed to almost 4 million U.S. children from 2002 to 2005. The information came from pharmacy claims and eligibility information for youngsters enrolled with Express Scripts, which serves thousands of client groups, employers, and insurance carriers, among others.

Significant increases were seen for prescriptions given to children between the ages of 5 and 19 over the four-year period. The doubling of the type 2 diabetes medication usage stemmed from a 166 percent increase in occurrences of the disease among girls ages 10 to 14 coupled with a 135 percent increase in occurrences among girls ages 15 to 19.

Other findings of the study included a 46.5 percent increase in the use of drugs to treat asthma, a 40.4 percent increase in the use of drugs to treat ADHD and a 15 percent increase in the number of prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering medications. In addition, the research team found moderate increases in the use of medications for high blood pressure and antidepressants.

The ratio of prescription increases was found to be much higher in girls than in boys with the use of drugs to treat type 2 diabetes increasing by 147 percent among girls, compared to only 39 percent among boys, while the use of drugs to treat ADHD increased 63 percent among girls and only 33 percent among boys. Similarly, the use of antidepressants rose 7 percent among girls with only a 4 percent increase among boys.

According to Cox, “Whether the increased use of medications is a good thing really depends on your perspective. Most people who would look at these numbers would indicate that these are worrisome trends.” She explained that there is a need to understand what is driving these increases, as they are only symptoms of underlying problems. Cox also noted that as the number of obese children increases, the number of children with chronic diseases is also increasing.

Both Cox and Halloran agree that although treatment for the medical conditions is a good thing, yet the concern is whether doctors are more likely to use drug therapy over diet and exercise. According to Cox, it is not known if there's a link between obesity and ADHD or asthma, but a tie-in between depression and obesity would make sense.

Halloran recommends that children eat more fresh fruit and avoid consuming salty fast foods and high-calorie sodas. In addition, children should increase their physical fitness activities. She also advises parents to talk more to teachers if they suspect their children have attention deficit or hyperactivity problems.l

obituary

07-11-2008, 03:18

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A recent study presented at a joint meeting of the American Society for Microbiology and the Infectious Diseases Society of America confirmed what parents have long suspected—toys in the pediatrician’s waiting room could be exposing children to cold viruses. One in five of the toys sampled tested positive for rhinoviruses or influenza B, according to the researchers. And even more concerning is that cleaning the toys provided only modest germ-killing effect.

For the study, Dr. Diana Pappas, of the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital and her colleagues took 20 swab samples from toys in a four-pediatrician office on three different occasions during the fall and winter of 2006 and 2007. They tested for viruses common at the given time of year; rhinovirus in October, January and March, respiratory syncytial virus in January, and influenza A and B in March. They also collected 15 swabs from the toys in the sick waiting area before and after they were cleaned.

Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the researchers found viral RNA on 12 of the 60 toys sampled, three of which were from a “new toy grab bag,” that had been searched through by many children while selecting a toy. Six of the toys from the sick-child waiting area were contaminated with virus and two contaminated toys came from the well-child waiting room. Toys from exam rooms were not found to have viral RNA on them.

Although nurses wiped down the toys twice a week using germicidal wipes, six of the 14 toys tested before cleaning had rhinovirus RNA and four of the toys still did after cleaning. Two toys that were not contaminated before cleaning became contaminated afterwards. “Cleaning the toys per office protocol with a commercially available disinfectant cloth only minimally decreased the presence of viral remnants, from 40 to 26 percent,” said Dr. Pappas. “What was really discouraging was that two toys that tested negative before they were cleaned were positive afterward. We don’t know how, but the virus is somehow being transferred.” She also cautioned that the presence of viral RNA does not necessarily mean the toys are infectious.

Parents who are concerned about germs in the pediatrician’s office also need to be worried about them at home or on play dates, according to a separate study by Owen Hendley, M.D., also of University of Virginia Children’s Hospital and a researcher on both studies. Dr. Hendley was involved in a study two years ago that showed cold viruses could linger on surfaces in hotel rooms for 24 hours after an infected guest leaves, waiting to be picked up by the next unsuspecting guest. His new study involved 30 adults who were beginning to show signs of the common cold. Nasal secretions from 16 of the participants tested positive for rhinovirus by PCR, but rhinovirus was detected via culture in just seven of them.

The sixteen who had tested positive were then asked to identify 10 places in their homes they had touched in the preceding 18 hours, which the researchers subsequently tested for the presence of rhinovirus. Of the 160 surfaces sampled, 66 (41 percent) tested positive. The most commonly infected surfaces included door knob (6 of 18), refrigerator door handles (8 of 14), television remotes (5 of 10), and bathroom faucets (8 of 10). However, the biggest germ hotspots turned out to be salt and pepper shakers; all three tested were positive.

Dr. Hendley also wanted to know whether an infectious virus could be transferred to fingertips, where it could then make its way to the mouth or nose and cause infection. To find out, the researchers asked six of the infected participants to flip a light switch, touch a number on the phone keypad, and hold a telephone handset—all of which had been contaminated with the participants’ own mucus. An hour after they touched the surfaces, 22 percent of the samples taken from the fingertips contained rhinovirus. However, after a day, the number fell dramatically to just 3 percent, and after two days, there were no traces of rhinovirus detected. “I was pretty happy that the infectivity of the virus decays over time,” said Dr. Hendley. “But if you come home and turn on a light switch that (a cold sufferer) just shut off, you’ll have a pretty good chance of catching it.”

The researchers say there is no evidence to support that wiping down household surfaces gets rid of rhinovirus. Their recommendation for protecting yourself from infection is the same advice that has been passed down for generations: wash your hands frequently during cold and flu season, especially before touching your eyes or mouth

obituary

07-11-2008, 03:19

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Can you imagine your whole day revolving around where the nearest restroom is? Overactive Bladder syndrome (OAB) suffers may have frequent sudden urges to urinate even when their bladders aren’t full, which may lead them to constantly being aware of the nearest restroom. It seems OAB can affect up to one in every six Americans.

Overactive bladder sufferer’s lives are affected in so many ways. Imagine being a school teacher, school bus driver, or public transportation driver and suffering from OAB. You may no longer be able to continue working in your current career, if able to work at all, due to OAB, unless proper treatment is found. Adults suffering from OAB will soon have a new drug option available. The United States FDA recently approved a new prescription drug, Toviaz (generically known as fesoterodine fumarate), to treat overactive bladder symptoms in adults.

Topiaz is a German drug manufactured by Schwarz Pharma and distributed by Pfizer Inc. Its recent FDA approval was based on results from two studies, each lasting over a twelve week period. 554 patients were involved in the studies, and they either took a 4-milligram dose, an 8-milligram dose or a placebo tablet daily. Toviaz reduced OAB symptoms significantly compared to the placebo. The new drug works to reduce symptoms, such as urinary frequency, the urge to urinate, and sudden urinary incontinence, by relaxing the smooth muscle tissues of the bladder, according to the FDA.

Toviaz will be available by prescription only, as an extended release tablet to be taken once daily in early 2009. The new drug will be available in 4 or 8 mg dosage strengths. It is recommended for patients to start with the lower dose and increase to the larger dose only if needed, depending on individual patient’s response to the lower dose and tolerability. The drug should not be prescribed to patients with severely decreased liver function and those with narrow-angle glaucoma that is out of control.

Based on research, Toviaz may cause some side effects including constipation, dry mouth and a few cases reported dry eyes, and trouble emptying the bladder. There are several treatments for Overactive Bladder Syndrome, such as bladder retraining, diet modification, drugs, neurmodulation and as a last resort, surgery. The other drug treatments already on the market used to treat OAB syndrome include Sanctura by Allergan and Oxytrol by Watson Pharmaceutical’s.

George Benson the Deputy Director of the Division of Reproductive and Urologic Products, at the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said, "Patients who suffer from overactive bladder face quality of life issues that can hamper their ability to enjoy life to its fullest," but there is help on the way. "This new drug will provide an additional treatment option to help them manage problems with an overactive bladder."l

obituary

07-11-2008, 03:20

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Scientists have long been on the search for a new fat-burning medication and it looks like they have found a new candidate that could help keep extra weight off, even on a high-fat diet. The new medication, which is in development, mimics a health-boosting compound that is found in red wine and may prove to be a powerful weapon in the fight against diabetes and obesity.

A new study conducted on mice showed that GlaxoSmithKline drug SRT1720 was approximately 1,000 times more potent than resveratrol in activating an enzyme that helped the mice burn more energy and lower their glucose and insulin levels. So far, this experimental drug has only been tested on mice, but when the mice got a high daily dose of the drug for around three months, they didn’t even gain weight on a diet that was high in fat. However, a lower dose of the drug was not as effective.

The researchers reported that the mice that were fed a high-fat diet were tricked into switching their metabolisms to a fat-burning mode that would normally take over when their energy levels are low.

Peter Elliot, the vice president at Sirtris Pharmaceuticals (the Glaxo unit that developed the medication), said, “We are activating the same enzymes that are activated when people go to the gym. That is why we believe the profile for this drug is very safe.” When the mice were given the high dose of the drug they gained strength and endurance, and did not develop insulin resistance, which is a condition that precedes type 2 diabetes.

Resveratrol is found in large amounts in red wine and grapes and is believed to provide numerous heath benefits, including the prevention of heart disease. A previous study from the same team showed that it lowered insulin and glucose in diabetics. The incident of cancer and heart disease among the population that consumes a great deal of red wine is dramatically less than those that don’t, even if they may also have a diet that is high in fat. Resveratrol has been demonstrated to promote the formation of new dendrites in the brain. Resveratrol and the other bioflavoniods and polyphenols are present in large amounts in bark of grape vines, twigs, and leaves. In turn, red wine, which is fermented with the skins of the grapes, twigs and seeds, etc., tends to contain a much larger amount of the beneficial substances than white wine which is fermented only from the pressed juice of the grape.

The natural compound has also drawn much interest from some companies and scientists, including GlaxoSmithKline, which this year paid approximately $720 million dollars for Sirtris in a deal that allowed them to acquire a number of developmental medications for a range of diseases.

A Phase I trail conducted has shown that the treatment is safe and very well-tolerated and the company is planning on beginning a wider Phase II trail with patients with diabetes in 2009, according to Elliot, who led the study.

Resveratrol has been shown to make mice live a longer life and stay healthier. In the researcher’s study of mice that were diabetic, they found that the experimental medication helped lower their insulin and blood sugar levels to normal levels within just a few weeks with no harmful side effects.

It has also been shown to lower cholesterol and helped the mice on the medication lose a modest amount of weight compared to the mice that were given a placebo, Elliot stated. The mice that were on the medication were also able to exercise twice as long.

SRT1720 is still a long way from being ready to use in people, but there is already a low-tech way of preventing weight gain and also benefiting the bones, heart and the rest of the body. This is the timeless combination of an active lifestyle and a healthy diet.l

obituary

07-11-2008, 03:22

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Vitamin C could be useful in the fight to end cancer after all. According to a new U.S. study that was published on Monday, using high dose injections of vitamin C on mice greatly reduced the rate of tumor growth.
The American scientist, Linus Pauling, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1954, introduced the idea that vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, could be used to help treat cancer in the 1970s. This notion was initially considered controversial and subsequent studies failed to show the benefit of vitamin C, but these studies involved vitamin C being given orally.
The new research team, consisting of researchers at the U.S. government's National Institutes of Health, used injections of the vitamin C to enable a greater concentration to get into the system instead of the previous oral method. They used laboratory mice to implant three types of aggressive cancer cells: glioblastoma brain tumors, ovarian, and pancreatic. The mice that were given the high-dosage injections of the vitamin C experienced tumor growth only about half that of the similar mice that did not receive the injections.
The lead researcher from the study, Dr. Mark Levine of the NIH'S National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, said the key finding from this study is that the vitamin C used as a drug appears to have some promise in treating some types of cancers. The researchers believe that the elevated amounts of the vitamin C generate hydrogen peroxide in the body and it acts against cancer cells. Levine said that the hydrogen peroxide can lead to death of some cancer cells, but it doesn't seem to kill the normal cells. Whey that is, the researchers still do not know. These findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Levine also stated that a recent clinical study that he was involved in, in Canada, showed that similar doses of the vitamin C could be injected into humans with very few side effects. "The thing that's realistic here is that the concentrations that are effective, or similar concentrations, can be achieved in humans," said Levine. The next reasonable step would be to begin conducting studies that test whether this works in humans. "I think we're pretty close to being ready to do that."l

obituary

07-11-2008, 03:23

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The popularity of fish oil supplements has been growing exponentially over the past several decades. As more studies tout the benefits of the supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids for heart health, as well as arthritis and depression, there are more of the products on the market than the average consumer can or is willing to analyze. Enter ConsumerLab.com and its new report on fifty fish oil supplements and fortified foods.

The Nutrition Business Journal reported that dietary supplements containing omega-3's sold to the total of approximately $35 million in 1995. Ten years later, the 2005 sales number was at $359 million, and the number had increased to $489 million in 2006. If the trend dictates, the number in 2008 will likely be well over the $500 million mark. For such a booming business, it is only appropriate that consumers and medical professionals alike have a comprehensive study that examines the supplements and foods associated with omega-3 and looks at amounts of EPA and DHA (two principal polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish), product purity, and freshness.

ConsumerLab.com has done just that. The private company is based in New York and is known for being a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of health and nutrition products. In this case, researchers compared a total of 50 products, including dietary supplements, food and beverages, 23 of which were selected by ConsumerLab.com and 27 of which were included at the request of their manufacturers through the Voluntary Certification Program. Some products were several of the most popular on the market, such as Vitamin Shoppe, Yoplait, Nature Made, and Nature's Bounty, and others were store brands like Origin from Target and Spring Valley from Wal-Mart.

The results of the study were multi-fold. Most importantly, all of the products tested were found to have safe levels of mercury, lead, and PCB's (a type of carcinogen). In addition, all were found to have the amounts of EPA and DHA that their labels maintained, though those levels ranged from 16 milligrams to 1000 milligrams, depending on the product.

On the other side of the coin, it was discovered that one capsule-Kirkland Signature Enteric Coated Fish Oil-released its oil too early into the human body and thus failed its test, becoming the one of only two products not approved by ConsumerLab.com. The other product that did not meet appropriate standards for approval was Lipiderm International Veterinary Sciences, a pet supplement that contained only 25% of the alpha-linolenic acid required and 593% of the linolenic acid needed. It should also be noted that some food products claimed to provide percentages of the "daily value" of omega-3's, which is a false claim as there is no determined daily value, but this did not warrant an approval failure in those products, which included Tropicana, Silk Soymilk, Yoplait Kids Yogurt, and Aristo nutrition bars.

The levels of EPA and DHA ranged from 8% concentration to 79% of the liquid content of the products, and it varied greatly among the items tested. While higher concentrations are not necessarily better, the intake amount matters when it comes to the frequency and quantity taken. Every person's requirements are different and unique, but to get the highest concentration from the smallest serving size of the product, the only three products rating very high in that category were OmegaBrite, VitalOils, and Minami Nutrition. Rating very low were Mega Smart for Kids and Lipiderm International Veterinary Sciences for pets.

Overall, the research provides the public with guidelines for supplements and food or beverage items that may work in conjunction with a proper diet to provide the omega-3's being sought. It also helps doctors, nutritionists, and other medical professionals with a tool to gauge exactly what each patient needs and can handle.

With fish oil supplements being touted as having positive effects on cardiovascular health, reducing inflammation in those with diseases like arthritis and Crohn's disease, lessening the effects of depression and other mental disorders, aiding in the treatment of asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, cystic fibrosis, osteoporosis, and reducing the risk of prostate and colorectal cancers, it is easy to see why their popularity continues to rise. Therefore, the ComputerLab.com study is imperative to help analyze the growing market.l

obituary

07-11-2008, 03:24

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Vitamin E and selenium supplements do nothing to help prevent prostate cancer. In fact, there is some evidence of increased risk for the disease when taking vitamin E.
National Cancer Institute researchers have reported that they are halting a significant portion of a major study to determine whether vitamin E and selenium may help to prevent prostate cancer. Until now, over 35,000 men ages 50 and older have been taking either or both supplements or a placebo in the study known as the SELECT trial.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced that letters are being sent out to instruct study participants to cease taking the supplements due to results of an early review of the data indicating that neither supplement, whether taken alone or together, is preventing prostate cancer. In fact, the data results suggest that a few more of those men taking vitamin E alone were actually getting prostate cancer, while slightly more participants taking only selenium were developing diabetes. The NCI stressed that the results of the review are not statistically significant and do not constitute proof of any risk created by taking the supplements. It may merely be a coincidence.

In prior small studies, results hinted that vitamin E and selenium might help in the fight against prostate cancer since they are antioxidant compounds that interfere with chemical reactions that can damage cells and DNA. This led researchers to pursue more large-scale studies in determining the truth about the possibilities. The failure of the nutrients to reduce the risk for the disease has now become just another disappointment in the struggle to find dietary preventative measures against prostate cancer as well as other medical conditions.

Other studies of antioxidants and nutritional supplements have failed to confirm benefits for various conditions, and several have proven them to be harmful. Examples of this include a studies showing that beta-carotene increases instead of decreases the risk of lung cancer among smokers, and findings establishing that vitamin E actually raises the risk for heart disease when it had previously been believed to have preventive effects.

The study participants will be continue to be followed by researchers for yet another three years to track their health as well as to perform previously scheduled blood tests. Since participants did not know whether they were taking one or both nutrients or placebo, as always is the case in blind studies, they will now be told if they ask their doctors. However, the researchers say that the results of the study will be more accurate if the majority of the men wait until follow-up is complete to get their answers.

In a statement, Dr. Eric Klein of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, who worked on the study, said, “As we continue to monitor the health of these 35,000 men, this information may help us understand why two nutrients that showed strong initial evidence to be able to prevent prostate cancer did not do so.” Dr. Klein also noted, “The important message for consumers is that taking supplements, whether antioxidants or others, is not necessarily beneficial and could be harmful.” He went on to explain, “You should not be taking them unless there is a rigorous scientific study that shows a benefit.”

In the U.S., prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among men next to skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, the disease will strike an estimated 186,320 men this year and claim 28,660 lives. The cause of prostate cancer is not known and there is currently no real cure, although the disease can be well managed in many cases. Some research has shown that finasteride, a drug that is currently used for an enlarged prostate, can help to prevent prostate cancer, yet side effects limit its use.l

obituary

07-11-2008, 03:25

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Fatigue can be a debilitating symptom of cancer, and a common side effect of its treatment. Many cancer patients going through treatment experience extreme tiredness, exhaustion, and weakness, often severe enough to adversely affect the quality of their life. Rather than add another prescription to the daily dosages, ginseng may be a natural alternative that is more palatable to patients.
Ginseng, an aromatic herb, has been used in Chinese medicine for several thousand years to restore energy. It is classified as an adaptogenic herb with multiple effects, many of which are regulatory in nature. The root contains a complex mixture of saponin glycosides (ginsenosides), and even though the mechanism of action is unclear, this agent is reported to enhance the immune system and reduce fatigue.
Researcher Debra Barton, Ph.D., an associate professor of oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., notes that 90 percent or more of cancer patients suffer extreme lethargy and low energy levels throughout their treatment. Dr. Barton conducted tests on the Wisconsin species of American ginseng, all derived from a single crop, to confirm a uniform concentration of ginsenosides, the active compounds thought to offer health benefits. (Note: Wisconsin ginseng is different from other forms of American ginseng sold in health food stores, and is only available through the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin, which monitors quality control.)
The research was based on a study of 282 people who had breast, colon, or other types of cancers. After eight weeks of randomly assigned doses of ginseng (ranging from 750 to 2000 milligrams per day), 25 percent of those on the two highest doses reported their fatigue was moderately to much better. They also reported improvements in their mental, physical, and emotional well-being, while only 10 percent on the lowest dosage or a placebo reported any improvement in their energy level or general feeling of wellness.
While this is a small test, with a particular type of ginseng, it is prompting a larger study, to be conducted in 2008. Confirming the positive effects that ginseng has on fatigue and mental and physical well being would be immensely beneficial and educational to the traditional medical establishment. Currently, doctors recommend a regimen of exercise to combat fatigue, and many cancer patients are grasping for hope, and self-medicating with a variety of alternative therapies.l

obituary

07-11-2008, 03:28

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Ginkgo Biloba leaf has been used as food and medicine for over 4,000 years. The ancient Chinese and Japanese also ate roasted ginkgo seeds as a digestive aid and to prevent drunkenness. Ginkgo was associated with long life by the Indian ayurvedic healers who reportedly used it as an ingredient in soma, a longevity elixir.l
The Ginkgo tree from which ginkgo biloba is derived is considered the oldest living tree species known to mankind, dating back over 200 million years. As the last survivor of its botanical family, it has been described as a “living fossil”.l
Today, Chinese physicians view Ginkgo as being good for the heart and lungs. Chinese herbalists still use it for the treatment of asthma, bronchitis and brain disorders. Physicians in Germany consider ginkgo biloba to be as effective as any drug therapy for Alzheimer’s disease and other severe forms of mental function decline including dementia and senility.l
Ginkgo biloba is one of the world’s best studied herbs with hundreds of scientific studies published documenting its varied effects. The active ingredients in Ginkgo biloba extract have potent antioxidant effects and inhibit platelets from sticking together. Platelets are involved in blood clotting. Clinical trials have shown ginkgo biloba to improve circulation and blood flow to the brain.l
Ginkgo is said to be helpful in a number of conditions including:l
• Decline of memory and mental function as found in Alzheimer’s disease, non-Alzheimer’s dementia and age-related memory loss.
• Intermittent claudication: impaired circulation in the legs
• Impotence
• Vertigo
• Tinnitus
• Macular degeneration
• Fluid retention related to menstrual changes
Preliminary reports suggest ginkgo may help prevent rejection of transplanted organs. It may also be effective against high blood pressure, kidney problems, and allergies.l
Ginkgo has not yet been shown to improve memory in healthy people without dementia, nor have studies been conducted to show whether long term use can prevent dementia.l
Ginkgo products are standardized to contain 24 percent of the bioflavonoids which occur in the leaf, as well as ginkgolides and bilobilides, a complex group of compounds found only in the ginkgo tree. Common forms of ginkgo include:l
• Capsules and Tablets
• Ginkgo biloba extract
• Seeds, which are available at Asian markets. (Need to be boiled before consumption to remove toxic components)
• Sublingual sprays
• Concentrated alcoholic extract
• Nutrition bars
Ginkgo is well tolerated by the vast majority of persons taking it. However, some individuals may experience adverse reactions such as nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, diarrhea and flatulence.l
There have also been cases of spontaneous bleeding into both the brain and eye reported as well as brain hemorrhage in several patients taking blood thinning medications who started taking Ginkgo.l
Ginkgo should not be taken by children, women who are pregnant or nursing, or those with clotting disorders. Ginkgo seeds should be kept out of the reach of children due to the risk of seizures from ingestion.l
Make sure to purchase ginkgo and other herbs from a reputable source as quality can vary greatly among manufacturers.l
Always inform your health care provider of any herbal preparations you are using. And if you are taking Ginkgo products, notify your doctor immediately if you notice:l
• New-onset headaches or vision changes
• Unusual bleeding or bruising

obituary

07-11-2008, 03:31

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Ginseng is one of the most popular and widely available of all herbal supplements. A common name for ginseng is “man-root” because of its resemblance to the human body. The name also implies that it has benefits for the whole body.

Ginseng’s main and lateral root and root hairs contain active chemical components called ginsenosides or panaxosides that are thought to be responsible for the herb’s medicinal properties. The root is dried and used to make extracts, teas, capsules or tablets, as well as creams and other preparations for use externally.

Records which date back over 3,000 years show that ginseng was used for medicinal purposes. The old Chinese Canon of Medicine states that ginseng strengthens the soul, brightens the eyes, opens the heart, expels evil, benefits understanding and, if taken for prolonged periods of time, will invigorate the body and prolong life. The Chinese still use ginseng as an energy tonic.

Centuries ago, Chinese emperors revered ginseng and were willing to pay high prices for it. China’s demand for this wild root gave Korea the opportunity to establish and maintain an industrious export business that dates back to the third century AD. However, this trade came to a halt when wild ginseng was practically wiped out in Asia. Later, in the sixteenth century, Korea began experimenting and cultivated the world’s first ‘farmed’ root.

In America, ginseng was used by several North American Indian nations, Iroquois, Menomonee, Cherokee, and the Creeks, who valued its curative powers and life enhancing capabilities. American settlers discovered ginseng in New England in the mid 1700’s and by the late 1700’s, shipments of ginseng were being sent to China. By the mid 1850’s, a half million pounds were being harvested from America’s wild ranges and exported to Asia. Over harvesting almost wiped out American’s natural range, and by the turn of the twentieth century, ginseng was almost extinct in this country.

Early attempts at cultivating ginseng in America failed until the early 1900’s when many Eastern farmers began cultivating small gardens of the plant. Their methods of cultivation spread westward to the farms and woods of Wisconsin, which has ideal growing conditions for ginseng production.

Even though the United States has passed protection laws regulating the harvest of ginseng, there is very little wild ginseng left in America. Presently, 99 percent of the world’s ginseng crop is grown in gardens and on small farms. ‘Woods-grown’, a form of cultivated ginseng, is also planted and cared for by farmers under naturally sheltered conditions.

There are six major species of ginseng:

1. Panax Quinquefolium is American ginseng found in North America, cultivated mainly in Wisconsin. The term ‘Panax’ is a combination of two Greek words; pan or 'all' and akos or 'cure', which fully translated means ‘cure all’.
2. Panax Ginseng; Korean, Asian, or Chinese ginseng cultivated in Korea, Manchuria, and China.
3. Panax Trifolium, also called Dwarf Ginseng and Ground Nut, is much smaller than Panax Quinquefolium American Ginseng, and at one time, was harvested by Indians and settlers for food.
4. Panax Pseudo ginseng, also called Himalayan Ginseng, Panax Notoginseng or Tien Chi Ginseng. It is found in Korea, China and Japan.
5. Panax Japonicum, called Japanese ginseng, is found in Japan.
6. Eleutherococcus Senticosus, or Siberian Ginseng, is not considered ‘true’ ginseng and does not contain ginsenosides as does the Panax varieties. Its active substance is called eleutheroside.

Treatment claims for ginseng are numerous. Many studies have shown that ginseng is able to reduce stress levels in both men and women. In clinical studies, those taking regular ginseng supplements were able to withstand higher levels of emotional and physical stress than those who did not take the herb. Scientists believe this is because of the strong effect ginseng has on the adrenal glands, which secrete hormones used to fight off stress.

Ginseng has also shown promise in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome, which has confounded doctors for decades, and that there is still no widely accepted treatment for. However, after taking regular ginseng supplements, those suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome often report an improvement.

Ginseng may also have immune enhancing properties that could aid in the management of the common cold, as well as other upper respiratory tract infections. A recent study published in the Canadian Medical Journal tracked 279 Canadian subjects, 18-65 years of age, who reported having at least two colds the previous year. These individuals either took two capsules of supplemental ginseng, providing 400 mg ginseng extract, or a placebo for four months during the influenza season. They kept a daily log of cold-related symptoms and their severity. Compared to those taking a placebo, subjects receiving ginseng experienced fewer total and recurrent colds, had fewer total symptoms per cold and suffered fewer days with symptoms. Scientists say that even though the study findings are impressive, additional studies are needed.

In addition to the roles mentioned, the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is exploring its potential to treat chronic lung infection, impaired glucose tolerance, and Alzheimer’s disease.

When taken by mouth, ginseng is usually well tolerated. As ginseng can act as a mild stimulant, occasional side effects have been reported which consist most commonly of headaches, rapid heartbeat or hypertension, and sleep and gastrointestinal problems.

It is important for those shopping for a ginseng supplement to choose one made with the highest quality ingredients, as well as one which has been processed as little as possible. Excessive processing is thought to reduce the effectiveness of herbal products.

It is important to consult your health care provider before taking any herb or dietary supplement. Individuals who suffer from hypoglycemia, high blood pressure or heart disorders SHOULD NOT use ginseng.l

obituary

07-11-2008, 03:33

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Acupressure—a sect of acupuncture, using needles inserted on sensitive body points—uses pressure instead of needles providing a calmer, more specific pressure point relief than acupuncture. Surgery is hard enough for the body to go through on its own—especially for a child’s body to go through—without the added stress of the pre-operative state. It makes sense to look to alternative medicine for help because patients awaiting surgery may not be encouraged or able to take sedatives before anesthesia. A new study shows that using acupressure on children awaiting surgery has proven helpful in erasing nerves and inducing the stoic courage needed not to fear the next step.

Published in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, researchers from Yale and University of California at Irvine collaborated to find that pressure points were put to good use in helping patients better prepare for surgery. Made possible by grants from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) as well as the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, co authors Dr. Shu-ming Wang from Yale and Dr. Zeev Kain from UC Irvine, note that this clinical trial in acupressure was needed. Acupressure is an easier way to calm children over using the proven method of acupuncture shown in adults, because children are more inclined to have their anxiety spike around needles.

A group of 52 children between the ages of 8 and 17 about to undergo gastrointestinal endoscopies were separated into two groups: the acupressure group and the randomly controlled “sham” acupressure group. The first group of children had an adhesive bead stuck to a main pressure point between the eyes—known in traditional Chinese acupuncture as the Yan-Teng point—and the second group’s beads were placed over their left eyebrow which is not a known pressure point with any relevance to relieving pain or anxiety.

Dr. Kain, chair of anesthesiology and perioperative care shares his knowledge of the preoperative state of children, "Anxiety in children before surgery is bad because of the emotional toll on the child and parents, and this anxiety can lead to prolonged recovery and the increased use of analgesics for postoperative pain," Kain says. "What's great about the use of acupressure is that it costs very little and has no side effects."

Dr. Kain is correct that acupressure is cost effective for both patients and hospitals, citing that the bead application costs between $0.20 and $0.40 per patient. Dr. Kain continues to share that the procedure of acupressure isn’t rocket science and doesn’t need a professional to disperse, meaning that the doctors or nurses that are already needed in the pre-op process can administer the adhesive beads, “It’s like putting a Band-Aid on….You don’t need to be a trained acupuncturist to do that.”

The group with the correct acupressure beads showed a 9 percent drop in anxiety while waiting for surgery and the “sham” acupressure group had resulted in a 2 percent increase of anxiety during the thirty-minute trial period.

Although the acupressure beads are cost-effective, safe, and carry no side effects, they are not 100 percent worthwhile to make hospitals switch to this mode of alternative medicine. These trials, though they showed some positives, didn’t reduce or dispose the need for sedatives. While sedatives are still more harmful and can cause over-sedation and extreme nausea, the acupressure beads didn’t continue to help any more when they were kept on throughout the surgery and post-op.

If more trials are done and acupressure becomes a standard in waiting rooms across the country, I can see certain squeamish adults asking for the bead stickers than a thin needle to relieve their anxiety and stress due to the surgical process. Even though these acupressure trials haven’t yet eradicated the use of sedatives, researchers (and patients) aren’t giving up hope that they will be able to find a way to tweak the procedure so the patient’s nerves aren’t displayed so easily during the countdown to anesthesia.l

obituary

07-11-2008, 03:35

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With dreary days looming ahead in the winter months and shadows crouching in snow banks and among rain puddles, more and more people might start to drop their heads, keep their eyes low and their spirits damp. Throughout winter when the sun is out for the shortest amount of time, some people have developed an affliction which makes them depressed during these darkest months of the year. Called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, part of the population becomes disparaged and in need of help to cope with these symptoms three months of every year. SAD can be helped with a number of vitamins and nutrients, simulated sunlight to induce a better mood, or a combination of therapy. But what about those people that become depressed the other nine months of the year? Alternative medicine now thinks there is a healthier way to treat them, with St. John’s Wort.

St. John’s Wort is an herb from a plant called Hypericum perforatum, also known as the hedgerow plant that offers beautiful bright yellow flowers and blooms near June 24 of every year—or St. John’s Day—it has a following as an herbal supplement. St. John’s Wort is commonly used as an aid for sleep conditions and it has also been effective for centuries to calm very mild forms of depression, but hasn’t been focused on to help with severe depression until now.

Published in the Cochrane Library, German scientists from the Centre for Complementary Medicine in Munich collected data from 29 studies from various countries using different St. John’s Wort extracts involving 5,489 volunteers with mild to moderately severe depression. The herbal extract St. John’s Wort was used in one group in place of another antidepressant in order to lift one’s mood. A placebo group was used in the studies as well as another group of patients who received common old and new antidepressants like the commercially popular Prozac over a set length of time.

Widely used drugs in the United States such as Prozac or Seroxat are types of medication called Selective Seretonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), popular in lifting the mood but with numerous reported side effects like drowsiness, decreased libido, anxiety or panic attacks, flu symptoms and confusion or problems with balance among others. While in Germany, St. John’s Wort is a household name and is routinely given to children and teenagers for mild depression or sleep disorders with little to no side effects while being used on its own.

Lead researcher Dr. Klaus Linde from The Centre says of the studies, "Overall, the St John's Wort extracts tested in the trials were superior to placebo, similarly effective as standard antidepressants, and had fewer side effects than standard antidepressants." Good news for Germany is that a lot of residents are prescribed St. John’s Wort on a regular basis possibly skewing the results in their favor, but Dr. Linde and his colleagues warn that some of the studies researched were smaller in size and could have given false-positive results. Also the differences between an extract of St. John’s Wort bought for clinical trials versus one bought at a health food store for normal consumption are substantial and could prove different results, Dr. Linde continues, "Using a St John's Wort extract might be justified, but products on the market vary considerably, so these results only apply to the preparations tested”.

Dr. Linde suggests that those who think they may have depression should consult a doctor before taking any drastic measures using a combination of drugs or herbal extracts. St. John’s Wort has been identified in the past as possibly creating bad reactions when used in conjunction with other prescription drugs—for example medications that lower cholesterol, the pill used for contraception, and it could also put patients who are taking blood thinners or anti-depressants at a higher risk for a stroke—and should always be used with caution and under a doctor’s supervision. l

A r c h i

07-11-2008, 14:22

Ten (10) ways to be happier

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A few years ago, on a morning like any other, I had a sudden realization: I was in danger of wasting my life. As I stared out the rain-spattered window of a New York City bus, I saw that the years were slipping by.

“What do I want from life?” I asked myself. “Well…I want to be happy.” I had many reasons to be happy: My husband was the tall, dark, handsome love of my life; we had two delightful girls, ages 1 and 7; I was a writer, living in my favorite city. I had friends; I had my health; I didn’t have to color my hair. But too often I sniped at my husband or the drugstore clerk. I felt dejected after even a minor professional setback. I lost my temper easily. Is that how a happy person would act?

I decided on the spot to begin a systematic study of happiness. (A little intense, I know. But that’s the kind of thing that appeals to me.) In the end, I spent a year test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific studies, and tips from popular culture. If I followed all the advice, I wanted to know, would it work?

Well, the year is over, and I can say: It did. I made myself happier. And along the way I learned a lot about how to be happier. Here are those lessons.

1. Don’t start with profundities.
When I began my Happiness Project, I realized pretty quickly that, rather than jumping in with lengthy daily meditation or answering deep questions of self-identity, I should start with the basics, like going to sleep at a decent hour and not letting myself get too hungry. Science backs this up; these two factors have a big impact on happiness.

2. Do let the sun go down on anger.
I had always scrupulously aired every irritation as soon as possible, to make sure I vented all bad feelings before bedtime. Studies show, however, that the notion of anger catharsis is poppycock. Expressing anger related to minor, fleeting annoyances just amplifies bad feelings, while not expressing anger often allows it to dissipate.

3. Fake it till you feel it.
Feelings follow actions. If I’m feeling low, I deliberately act cheery, and I find myself actually feeling happier. If I’m feeling angry at someone, I do something thoughtful for her and my feelings toward her soften. This strategy is uncannily effective.

4. Realize that anything worth doing is worth doing badly.
Challenge and novelty are key elements of happiness. The brain is stimulated by surprise, and successfully dealing with an unexpected situation gives a powerful sense of satisfaction. People who do new things — learn a game, travel to unfamiliar places — are happier than people who stick to familiar activities that they already do well. I often remind myself to “Enjoy the fun of failure” and tackle some daunting goal.

5. Don’t treat the blues with a “treat.”
Often the things I choose as “treats” aren’t good for me. The pleasure lasts a minute, but then feelings of guilt and loss of control and other negative consequences deepen the lousiness of the day. While it’s easy to think, I’ll feel good after I have a few glasses of wine…a pint of ice cream…a cigarette…a new pair of jeans, it’s worth pausing to ask whether this will truly make things better.

6. Buy some happiness.
Our basic psychological needs include feeling loved, secure, and good at what we do and having a sense of control. Money doesn’t automatically fill these requirements, but it sure can help. I’ve learned to look for ways to spend money to stay in closer contact with my family and friends; to promote my health; to work more efficiently; to eliminate sources of irritation and marital conflict; to support important causes; and to have enlarging experiences. For example, when my sister got married, I splurged on a better digital camera. It was expensive, but it gave me a lot of happiness bang for the buck.

7. Don’t insist on the best.
There are two types of decision makers. Satisficers (yes, satisficers) make a decision once their criteria are met. When they find the hotel or the pasta sauce that has the qualities they want, they’re satisfied. Maximizers want to make the best possible decision. Even if they see a bicycle or a backpack that meets their requirements, they can’t make a decision until they’ve examined every option. Satisficers tend to be happier than maximizers. Maximizers expend more time and energy reaching decisions, and they’re often anxious about their choices. Sometimes good enough is good enough.

8. Exercise to boost energy.
I knew, intellectually, that this worked, but how often have I told myself, “I’m just too tired to go to the gym”? Exercise is one of the most dependable mood-boosters. Even a 10-minute walk can brighten my outlook. Try one of these

9. Stop nagging.
I knew my nagging wasn’t working particularly well, but I figured that if I stopped, my husband would never do a thing around the house. Wrong. If anything, more work got done. Plus, I got a surprisingly big happiness boost from quitting nagging. I hadn’t realized how shrewish and angry I had felt as a result of speaking like that. I replaced nagging with the following persuasive tools: wordless hints (for example, leaving a new lightbulb on the counter); using just one word (saying “Milk!” instead of talking on and on); not insisting that something be done on my schedule; and, most effective of all, doing a task myself. Why did I get to set the assignments?

10. Take action.
Some people assume happiness is mostly a matter of inborn temperament: You’re born an Eeyore or a Tigger, and that’s that. Although it’s true that genetics play a big role, about 40 percent of your happiness level is within your control. Taking time to reflect, and conscious steps to make your life happier, really does work. So use these tips to start your own Happiness Project. I promise it won’t take you a whole year.

.

A r c h i

07-11-2008, 14:28

Seven (7) tips to help develop a daily exercise habit

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One life habit that is often neglected is the habit of daily exercise. There are several reasons for this: too hard, too painful or the ever popular, I'll do it later when I have time. The excuses will continue to develop as long as you allow them to. At some point, you just have to pull the trigger. You just have to stand up to your procrastinating mind and spring into action.
Like most things in life that are worth doing, you have to develop a plan. No matter what the ultimate goal is, your plan must allow you to start slowly and sustain a new pattern or habit. Get educated on what you want to accomplish and jump in. I'll even help get you started on developing a plan for daily exercise
.
l1- Understand the benefits
Most people vastly underestimate the value of daily physical activity. There are both physical health benefits as well as productivity benefits. The physical health benefits include obvious things such as burning calories and increased metabolism resulting in increased weight loss. Exercise also lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure and helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Exercise also helps with a number of things that improve life productivity. These include increased energy, better sleep patterns, and reduced stress. All of these allow you to be more productive in your work and play. Physical activity also reduces the risk of depression, increases your self-confidence and in general helps improve your mental state.
l2- Just get started
Often, the hardest part of any task is getting started. Just like a train engine uses the most energy getting up to speed, we often struggle to start anything new, especially exercise. Therefore the priority needs to be on just starting. Begin by getting physical. You do not need to start by purchasing expensive equipment or joining a gym. Instead, start by going outside for a simple 30-minute walk or by playing a game of tag with your kids. By doing something right away, you are starting to gain momentum. Once you've done something basic the first time or two, you can start developing your plan to maintain the practice and to develop the habit.

l3- Develop a set time
Having a set time to exercise each day is an important way to keep you focused and accountable. The time you choose to exercise will depend a lot on your work schedule and productivity habits. One of the most popular times to exercise is in the morning. If you set yourself the goal to exercise in the morning you can complete it and know that you've started your day by completing one of your most important goals first. Another popular time is immediately following work, or between 4 and 6 PM. Here exercise serves as a valuable transition between work time and family time. It allows you to de-stress from what you have been doing all day and clear your mind from problems that should be left at the office.
If you have a more flexible schedule, such as people who work from home, you may want to exercise in the middle of the day or when your productivity tends to slip. Often people will have a productivity decline in the mid-afternoon. Exercise can be a valuable way to fill this time.
Above all, make your daily exercise consistent. Exercise at least six days a week. You can take one day off as a rest day, but don't consider it a "reward" day. If you consider it a "reward" you will soon consider the other six days as "work" that you need to do achieve the "reward". Save the rewards for larger milestones such as 1 month or 6 months of dedicated exercise

l4- Make it fun
It is important to make exercise fun. If exercise is fun on its own, you will be more likely to follow through with your exercising commitment even on days when it may feel difficult. There are lots of ways to make exercise fun. First of all, choose an activity that you enjoy. For some people this means playing a particular sport. For others it means joining a gym so you they can be around people. For others, it can be fun to purchase a piece of exercise equipment and be able to work out in the comfort of their own home.
Secondly, have fun by creating activities to do while you exercise. This may be watching a favorite television show that you have recorded on your DVR. It may be listening to music on your MP3 player. You can also have fun by setting challenging goals within your exercise program and then achieving them.
l5- Use the time for personal growth
There are many ways that you can use exercise as a format for personal growth. Simply by developing the habit of daily exercise and achieving your goal of improved health and well being, you are demonstrating to yourself that you have what it takes to be successful. You can also use the time for personal growth by listening to podcasts, motivational lectures, sermons, or audio-books. Not only are these activities a wise use of your time, they will inspire you to continue exercising and pushing on towards your goals.
Personally, I alternate between "fun" activities while I exercise (such as watching my favorite television show while I work out on our elliptical trainer), and personal growth activities. Both inspire me to keep exercising and help me to be more productive with the rest of my activities.
l6- Get a partner or support team
Few things help you pursue your physical activities goals as having a partner or support team. A partner is someone you work out with. Having a partner provides both accountability and encouragement. If you have to meet your partner at a certain place and time for your exercise, chances are you will be there. You don't want to leave your partner alone. If you don't have a partner who will exercise with you, develop a support team - someone who will encourage you to keep exercising, remind you of the benefits, and challenge you to reach your goals. My wife and I serve in this function for each other. Because of our schedules we exercise at different times, however we both encourage each other and push each other to reach our goals.
l7- Celebrate your success
Find some way to celebrate your new habit. Perhaps promise yourself a reward if you exercise at least 20 days in the upcoming month. Acknowledge that you have taken some big steps towards improving your life. Perhaps find a reward that you can use while you exercise, such as a new MP3 player, or a new CD. You reward doesn't have to cost money, it could be something as simple as a warm bath, or special meal. Celebrating success is a vital success principle. Hopefully these tips will help you to develop the habit of daily physical activity. The rewards are significant, both in the short-term and the long-term. Start now, and before you know it, exercise will be a daily part of your successful life!

A r c h i

07-11-2008, 14:32

Cinnamon's secret health benefits

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This time of year, cinnamon is finding its way into a number of my favorite fall recipes. And there’s a surprising health benefit you may not know about! Add a pinch of this spice to drinks and foods because cinnamon may help to better regulate blood-sugar levels. Even if you don’t have diabetes, I think it’s worth knowing about the potentially positive impact of cinnamon on blood-glucose levels. This is welcome news to people with diabetes and those who cook for people with diabetes, plus there’s a chance the spice may help prevent diabetes! Here are the highlights on cinnamon’s health benefits, from Rachael Moeller Gorman’s article in EatingWell Magazine:

Cinnamon may help lower blood-glucose levels. In a study of 14 healthy people, scientists at Malmö University Hospital in Sweden gave half the subjects rice pudding mixed with about 3 teaspoons of cinnamon; the other half got an unspiced version of the dessert. Then, they switched: each group tried the opposite pudding. Both times, up to two hours after eating, the people who’d enjoyed the cinnamon-spiced pudding measured significantly lower blood-glucose levels than those who’d eaten the unspiced one—an indication that their blood sugar was moving more efficiently into cells, where it’s used.

Eating the spiced pudding also appeared to slow the movement of food from the stomach into the small intestine. Though researchers don’t know exactly how cinnamon slows digestion, the fact that it does may, in part, explain the lower blood sugar.

Some studies suggest that the spice may improve blood-glucose levels by increasing a person’s insulin sensitivity, the ability of cells to respond to insulin’s signal to move glucose out of the blood. One 2003 trial of 60 people with type 2 diabetes reported that consuming as little as 1 gram (about 1⁄2 teaspoon) of cinnamon daily for six weeks reduced blood-glucose levels significantly. It also improved the subjects’ blood cholesterol and triglycerides—perhaps because insulin plays a key role in regulating fats in the body.

But other work disputes these findings. A 2006 study showed that insulin sensitivity in diabetic women taking cinnamon supplements did not improve. Why the discrepancy? It could be because the study examined only a specific population: postmenopausal women, many of whom were taking a variety of glucose-lowering medications (which wasn’t the case in the other studies), say the authors.
Bottom line: Sprinkling a 1⁄2 teaspoon of cinnamon on your oatmeal in the morning can’t hurt, it’s tasty and it just may, over time, help ward off diabetes. But don’t go overboard. Animal studies suggest that a compound in cinnamon called coumarin may be toxic in high doses (although humans may not be as susceptible). Cinnamon oils are particularly concentrated, so steer clear. And if you have diabetes, don’t try cinnamon supplements without talking with your doctor: combining them with a prescription medication may be dangerous.

obituary

09-11-2008, 01:11

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For the Greeks, it means “joy of the mountain,” and the herb has long been a favorite in cultures along the Mediterranean. While its potent smell and taste lingers long after a meal, oregano may be the key to living a longer life. Research suggests that oil of oregano, an extract made from one of two plants, the origanum vulgare, or the thymus capitatus variety from Spain, and can be used as an antibiotic to prevent many illnesses in humans.

If you pluck a bottle of dried oregano off of a supermarket shelf it will probably carry little to no healing properties because it isn’t derived from one of the two healing wild oregano plants. Oil of oregano is derived from the wild oregano plant—a member of the mint family—that grows naturally in the less-pollution-filled mountains of the Mediterranean region and is usually bottled mixed with olive or coconut oil because of its potency. Oil of oregano has been shown to kill parasites and viruses, bacteria, and some types of fungus, as well as being an antihistamine. Oil of oregano has been used for centuries to treat infections and it might be a savior for sufferers of colitis, an inflammation in the gastrointestinal system.

The lead ingredient in oregano oil is carvacrol, a strong antimicrobial used to preserve food and protect against mold and other common bacteria, making it the largest healing agent of the oil. Thymol is the second most active ingredient important as a fungicide and is the leading bad-breath killing agent in the popular mouthwash Listerine, capable of preventing tissue deterioration and promoting growth. The rest of the ingredients provide more antibacterial support, prevent the damage caused by free radicals, act as allergen-blockers, and inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Oil of oregano also contains calcium, zinc, boron, vitamins A, C, and E, potassium and iron among others. No wonder it has been able to generate new liver cell growth in rodents.

Published in Experimental and Toxicologic Pathology, researchers used oil of oregano to produce positive results against colitis. Rats were induced with colitis and then given oil of oregano and compared against a control group. The oil group showed less colitis ulcers, abscesses, and edema. A few other, smaller studies have proved oil of oregano to positively decrease inflammation from colitis, mortality rate among the rodents, and tissue damage as well as helping to regenerate the livers of rats.

Besides being used as a research tool for a possible cancer-prevention medicine down the line, oil of oregano could be a household cure-all for a variety of ailments. Dr. Cass Ingram wrote a book called The Cure is in the Cupboard: How to Use Oregano for Better Health about his life-saving encounter with oil of oregano. The super oil, he claims, is helpful in calming or healing over 170 different bodily conditions. Anything from athlete’s foot to worms, diarrhea to diaper rash, a bee sting to being short of breath, oil of oregano can help.

Before you go online or to your local herb store, make sure you do your research. Make sure the oil of oregano is from one of the two wild varieties mentioned above, and that the carvacrol content is at least 70 percent. Oil of oregano is sold in liquid form or as a capsule/tablet. The 1oz “super strength” bottle of the popular brand name Oregonol that boasts 70 to 75 percent of the needed carvacrol mixed with olive oil is sold online for 69 dollars (regular strength .45oz sells for 29 dollars and a bottle of 60 gel caps with 6 drops inside each also sells for 29 dollars).

It is important to note that oil of oregano is not recommended for anyone allergic to oregano, thyme, basil, mint, sage, or anyone who might be sensitive to its smell or taste because the same family of plants could yield the same negative results like a rash or vomiting. Oil of oregano can also reduce iron intake within the body and it is advised to also take iron supplements along with a dosage but because of this fact, pregnant women are not to take oil of oregano on a regular basis.

Although this nature oil sounds heavenly, its price tag can bring you back down to earth, so if you choose this alternative method, choose carefully and always read the instructions and consult your doctor if a complication arises or if you have questions.l

obituary

09-11-2008, 01:42

Add these smart choices to your diet to boost nutrition and shed pounds

Introduction

Boost the benefits of your workout and burn more fat, faster, with these seven smart food choices. Add them to your daily diet and you can shed about 10 pounds over the course of a year.l

Water with lemon

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A California study of 240 women found that dieters who replaced their sweetened drinks with water lost an average of 3 pounds more a year than those who didn't. Subjects who sipped more than 4 cups of water a day lost 2 additional pounds, compared with those who drank less. Plus, the phosphoric acid in soda may contribute to bone loss — and osteoporosis — by changing the acid balance in your blood.l

High-fiber granola bars

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A small British study found that women who eat a fiber-rich, high-carb breakfast burn twice as much fat during workouts later in the day as those who eat more refined (lower-fiber) foods. Try a granola bar with at least 4 g of fiber, like Kashi, instead of the typical bar that contains just a single gram. Refined carbs spike your insulin levels, which limits your body's ability to use fat as fuel, explains Lisa Dorfman, RD, adjunct professor at the University of Miami.l

Ground flaxseed

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Flaxseed is rich in fiber and healthy fats, which help stabilize blood sugar, so you're less likely to binge. Some research suggests flax can also help soothe symptoms of hormone swings because it's high in plant estrogens. Ground seeds are easier to digest. Sprinkle them over cereals, soups, or salads; add them to smoothies; or substitute 1 cup of ground flaxseed for 1/3 cup canola, corn, or other oil or shortening in muffins and cookies. Note: Lower oven temperature slightly, since baked goods brown faster with flax.l

Walnuts

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Instead of snacking on some chips, open up a bag of nuts: Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may keep you feeling fuller longer. In a 1-year study of people with diabetes who were following a low-fat diet, Australian researchers discovered that those who included 8 to 10 walnuts a day lost more weight and body fat. The subjects also reduced their insulin levels, which helps keep fat storage in check.l

Hot sauce

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Forget bland condiments. If you want to burn fat, spice things up. In a study of 36 men and women, Australian researchers found that following a spicy meal, levels of insulin — the hormone that triggers body fat storage — were lowered by as much as 32 percent. One theory: Capsaicin, the chemical that gives chiles their fire, may improve the body's ability to clear insulin from the bloodstream after you eat, so you're more likely to burn fat following a meal spiked with chile peppers than after one that isn't packing heat.l

Cinnamon

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Sweeten your oatmeal or frothy coffee drinks with this sweet spice instead of sugar (which has 16 calories per teaspoon) and you can save a couple hundred calories a week, enough to shed 2 to 3 pounds in a year without doing anything else. You'll also be doing your heart a favor as protective estrogen levels decline: Pakistani researchers found that 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon a day could lower heart-damaging cholesterol by 18 percent and triglycerides by 30 percent.l

Salmon

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Just 3 ounces of canned salmon delivers 530 IU (more than the Daily Value) for vitamin D and 181 mg of calcium, a power-packed nutritional combination that may be just what your waistline needs as you get older. In a 7-year study of more than 36,000 women ages 50 to 79, researchers at Kaiser Permanente found that those who took both calcium and vitamin D supplements gained less weight after menopause than those who took a placebo. Other research shows that without enough vitamin D, our appetite-regulating hormone leptin can't do its job. Other fatty fish choices include tuna, sardines, and mackerel.l

obituary

09-11-2008, 01:54

Nickel surface of phones can cause dermatitis if you use them too much

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LONDON - Doctors baffled by an unexplained rash on people's ears or cheeks should be on alert for a skin allergy caused by too much mobile phone use, the British Association of Dermatologists said on Thursday.lCiting published studies, the group said a red or itchy rash, known as "mobile phone dermatitis," affects people who develop an allergic reaction to the nickel surface on mobile phones after spending long periods of time on the devices.l
"It is worth doctors bearing this condition in mind if they see a patient with a rash on the cheek or ear that cannot otherwise be explained," it said.l

The British group said many doctors were unaware mobile phones could cause the condition.l
Safety concerns over mobile phones have grown as more people rely on them for everyday communication, although the evidence to date has given the technology a clean bill of health when it comes to serious conditions like brain cancer.l
"In mobile phone dermatitis, the rash would typically occur on the cheek or ear, depending on where the metal part of the phone comes into contact with the skin," the group said in a statement.l

"In theory it could even occur on the fingers if you spend a lot of time texting on metal menu buttons.l"
Nickel is a metal found in products, ranging from mobile phones to jewelry to belt buckles and is one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis, according to the Mayo Clinic in the United States.l
Earlier this year Lionel Bercovitch of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island and colleagues tested 22 popular handsets from eight different manufacturers and found nickel in 10 of the devices.l

obituary

09-11-2008, 02:09

Fill up on these foods — and get glowing skin from the inside out

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All sorts of supplements, special eating plans and complexion drinks promise glowing skin from the inside out. But not everything that is being dished out is based on science. SELF digested the research and polled experts to determine which foods to add to your diet to truly benefit skin, which may be worth an occasional munch and which to pass up. Get ready to eat, drink and be beautiful!l

Smooth texture

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What to eat: strawberries, citrus fruits, red peppers, broccoli

Vitamin C, plentiful in this produce, is vital for the production and formation of collagen, skin’s support structure, says Toby Amidor, R.D., director of nutrition for DietTV.com in New York City. And a strong support layer helps smooth what’s on top and prevent wrinkles, she says. Aim for two 1-cup servings of fruit and 1 cup of red peppers and/or broccoli a day.l

Sun protection

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What to eat: sunflower seeds and almonds

These seeds and nuts are loaded with vitamin E. Collectively, antioxidants act like an army, protecting skin from UV-spawned free radicals. But E is on the front lines; skin’s top layers contain high levels that guard cells’ outer membrane so cells stay healthy. Plus, strong membranes hold water in, keeping skin hydrated. Aim for 2 tablespoons hulled seeds or 23 almonds daily.l

A fresh complexion

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What to eat: dark orange, leafy green and red veggies

Squash, sweet potatoes and spinach are full of the antioxidant beta-carotene. Your body converts it to vitamin A, which regulates cell production and turnover so skin’s surface is smooth, says Valori Treloar, M.D., co-author of "The Clear Skin Diet" (Cumberland House Publishing). Carotenoids may also decrease skin’s sensitivity to sun. Aim for three 1-cup servings a day.l

A youthful glow

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What to eat: fortified cereal, lean meat, pork, poultry, oysters

You’ll get zinc and iron, minerals key to skin functioning. Zinc contributes to cell production, plus natural cell sloughing, which keeps dullness at bay. Red blood cells need iron to carry oxygen to skin, helping give you a glow, says David Bank, M.D., a dermatologist in Mount Kisco, New York. Aim for 1 serving of cereal (a cup), 1 palm-sized serving of meat or poultry or 3 oysters per day.l

Dewy skin

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What to drink: water

Skin cells contain mostly water, and if you’re dehydrated, skin will look and feel parched, too. But you needn’t chug 8 cups a day; University of Pennsylvania researchers found no studies to back up the recommendation. Simply ward off dehydration — and dryness — by drinking when you’re thirsty. Aim for 6 cups a day. It’s a good starting point, says Keri Gans, R.D., of New York City.l

Fewer wrinkles

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What to eat: wild salmon, Atlantic mackerel, walnuts

These fish and nuts, plus fortified eggs, are bursting with omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation in the body caused by sun and stress. "Inflammation produces free radicals, and free radicals contribute to aging by attacking collagen," says Susan Taylor, M.D., a dermatologist in Philadelphia. But research still needs to connect the dots definitively and show that the anti-inflammatory abilities of omega-3s translate to younger-looking skin, she says.

One study did find that older people who consumed more fish and veggies over their life had fewer wrinkles than those who ate more meat, the Journal of the American College of Nutrition reports. The research didn’t focus solely on fish, however; vegetables' antioxidants, for example, may have been a factor. Aim for two 5-ounce servings of fish per week; on other days, 1 oz of walnuts or 2 omega-3 eggs.l

Clearer skin

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What to eat: whole wheat and grains

In the past, dermatologists have maintained that unless you wipe greasy fingers on your face, food doesn’t cause zits. But some are rethinking the party line: Australian researchers found that a low-glycemic diet (more whole grains, protein and produce versus refined carbs such as white bread) may reduce acne.

One explanation: Low-glycemic foods keep insulin steady, and refined carbs and sugar spike it. The surges may boost production of androgens, hormones that, when elevated, can cause zits. After 12 weeks of a low-glycemic diet, subjects’ pimple counts dropped 20 percent, a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition notes.

More studies are needed to prove the link, but no doctor will discourage you from eating whole grains and veggies! Aim for 3 servings a day (one serving equals a slice of bread or 1/2 cup cooked grains.)l

obituary

10-11-2008, 01:06

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People who live with smokers are more likely to suffer from the lack of healthy food supplies in their homes. Alarmingly, about 17 percent of children living with adults who smoke don’t get an adequate amount of healthy food. In addition, the percentage jumps to almost 26 percent for adults lacking a healthy diet when living in a home with at least one smoker.

According to researchers at the New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital Center, both children and adult members of smoking households have a greater likelihood of being underfed. The findings of the new study were published in the November 3 issue of the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

The study, led by Dr. Cynthia Cutler-Triggs, analyzed 8,817 households. Inhabitants of the homes were either smoking adults living with children ages 17 and younger or adults living with smoking adults. The homes were observed over a three-year period from 1999 to 2002 and were found to be insecure in regards to the level of food quality available for those living in the households.

The research team termed food insecurity as being the inability to access enough food in a socially acceptable way for every day of the year. Food insecurity was evaluated with the use of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Security Survey Module, a scale that measures often a household can’t supply children the food they want, how many meals children skip, and how often children go to bed hungry.

The researchers monitored the households to determine whether the presence of adult smokers in the homes had an affect on the food security of children and adult family members living within the same home. The study revealed that 23 percent of the observed households with children had at least one smoking member, with a higher percentage of smokers in low-income households at 32 percent.

Dr. Michael Weitzman, chairman of pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine and a study author, says that children suffer the greatest impact of smokers in the home. He stated, “We know that there are long-term consequences of food insecurity for children. They are more likely to do poorly in school, to have iron deficiency and anemia, and to have behavioral and social problems.”

According to the research team, “food insecurity was more common and severe in children and adults in households with smokers.” A total of 17 percent of children living in households with smokers were food insecure, compared to only 8.7 percent in households without smokers. In addition, 15 percent of adults and 11 percent of children reported food insecurity within just the past year. It was also found that Black and Hispanic families had higher rates of food insecurity for children compared to white families with rate of 11.8 and 3.9 percent, respectively.

Severe food insecurity of children was shown to be 3.2 percent in households with smokers and only 0.9 percent in those without smokers. The study authors conclude in their report that, “The burden of food insecurity is a previously unrecognized danger of adult tobacco use to be added to the ever-growing list of negative effects of adult tobacco use on children in the United States.”

It is estimated that 2 to 20 percent of a family’s income is spent on tobacco when there is at least one smoker in the home, leaving less money to provide healthy food. Therefore, less healthy food is purchased for the home because it is costs less than healthy food.

Dr. Weitzman says that the problem is likely to grow worse due to the current state of the economy. He explained that if the economic downturn persists, both food insecurity and adults smoking are likely to increase because smoking is one of the hardest addictions to give up. He noted that simply raising the taxes on cigarettes has its own dangers, since it will likely cut into the family food budget even more.

John F. Banzhaf III, executive director and chief counsel of Action on Smoking and Health, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization, suggests two ways to help curb smoking. He said, “The first would be to persuade or even require physicians to report, as the law already requires in suspected child abuse, instances where parents smoke at home in the presence of children, especially children who already have asthma, sinusitis or other conditions which make them especially sensitive and susceptible.”

Banzhaf also suggested a second plan that would involve taking action against doctors who do not warn people about the dangers of smoking or provide effective smoking cessation treatment. He also noted, “One journal article has even gone so far as to suggest that the best, and perhaps the only, way to motivate most of them would be to begin bringing malpractice actions where medical problems results.”

Prior studies have shown that children of smokers have a level of the toxic metabolite of nicotine known as cotinine that is five times higher than normal. In addition, exposure to second-hand smoke can cause nicotine withdrawal symptoms in non-smoking family members including sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, and concentration difficulties

obituary

10-11-2008, 01:07

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As the temperatures continue to drop and we start to see our breath coming out in clouds in the cool air, most of us instinctively reach for something warm. Whether it’s the drive-thru at the local Starbucks, ordering a cup alongside your dinner, or simply putting the kettle on at home while cozying up to your blanket, consider drinking green tea to benefit your body and warm you up. Emerging research shows that green tea—just like chamomile tea’s antioxidants—potentially has ability to prevent type-1 diabetes.

Green tea has been shown to stop inflammation and prevent cell death and has been studied as a preventative cancer measure with heart healthy antioxidants, but it has been in the news lately in Florida with its decaffeinated version decreasing blood pressure and cholesterol, effectively lowering stress and chronic inflammation. In a different study published recently, 111 adults were given green tea capsules over three months with positive results compared to the placebo group. On a roll by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels in humans, researchers in Georgia used the antioxidant fighting power of green tea to challenge diabetes in mice.

Type-1 diabetes is the most common diabetes, also known as childhood onset diabetes and occurs when the pancreas stops producing insulin altogether (type-2 is when the insulin produced is used within the body incorrectly) and is a lifelong disease patients have to learn to monitor on their own with a specialized diet watching their sugar intake, insulin injections, and by keeping a regular healthy exercise routine.

The Medical College of Georgia in Augusta’s researchers tested the effects of a compound in green tea for its antioxidant qualities against mice infected with type-1 diabetes. Mice with Sjogren’s syndrome—an autoimmune disorder that attacks the glands that produce saliva and tears resulting in symptoms of an overly dry mouth and eyes—were also treated with the compound. Sjogren’s syndrome currently has no cure.

Dr. Stephen D. Hsu of Augusta’s Medical College of Georgia along with his team found that the compound EGCG reduced the intensity of the symptoms and delayed the eventual salivary gland damage associated with the presence of Sjogren’s syndrome. The research team also found that the salivary gland cells under attack by the body were multiplying rapidly but EGCG proved to slow down the process. This new study confirms previous hypotheses helpful in linking EGCG to preventable efforts against autoimmune diseases.

The results were similar when the placebo group was compared with the type-1 diabetes group of mice. After 16 weeks, Hsu and his researchers found that only 25 percent of the mice given the green tea extract (EGCG) ended up developing diabetes versus 67 percent of mice who developed diabetes that were only given water. At 22 weeks, however, the numbers steadily grew. The EGCG green tea group had 45 percent with diabetes and the plain water group had 78 percent developing the disease.

In a statement, Hsu says about the importance of the study regarding the outcome of diabetes, “Our study focused on Sjogren's syndrome, so learning that EGCG also can prevent and delay insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes was a big surprise." The surprise for Hsu’s group is great news for more upcoming research to take their findings and update them to focus directly on type-1 diabetes prevention. The researchers think that the results came out similar because both diabetes and Sjogren’s syndrome are autoimmune diseases, causing the body to attack itself.

These advances in research show pivotal findings in the incurable Sjogren’s syndrome and hold great potential to do the same for diabetes. With November being National Diabetes Month protect yourself now. Green tea isn’t just to drink with Chinese food these days, so stock up on your antioxidants by sipping your diabetes risk away. l

obituary

10-11-2008, 01:29

(The Basics to Practice Every Day)

1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!

2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!

3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.

4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.

5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.

6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.

7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.

8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.

9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.

10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny

obituary

11-11-2008, 01:04

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The word ‘protein' was created by Dutch Chemist, Geradus Mulder, in 1838. It came from the Greek word ‘protos,' meaning "of prime importance."

The human body, after water, is largely made up of protein. When we eat protein rich foods, digestive juices in the stomach and intestine break the protein down into what are called amino acids. These amino acids then enter the blood stream and travel to the body's cells, where they are remade into 10,000 different proteins needed by the body.

The Function of Protein

The body uses protein for growth, and to maintain and repair bone, muscle, connective tissue, internal organs, skin and blood. Protein is the main component of our organs, muscles, and the glands of the immune system. Every living body cell contains protein; and all body fluids, except urine and bile, contain protein. Cardiac muscle is built with protein. Hormones, antibodies, and the enzymes that regulate the body's chemical reactions, are all made of protein. Protein is used to make hemoglobin, which is part of red blood cells, and carries oxygen to every part of the body. Without the right protein, cuts won't heal, and blood won't clot properly.

Protein Sources from Foods

A complete protein is made up of 22 amino acids. Our body can make 13 of these naturally; these are called the nonessential amino acids. The other nine amino acids are called the essential amino acids, because it is essential that we get them from the foods we eat. In this way protein is divided into the two categories: Nonessential and essential.

Of the essential amino acids (the ones we must get from the foods we eat), some are complete proteins and some are incomplete proteins.

Animal proteins from meat, fish, poultry, milk, eggs, and cheese are complete proteins because they contain all nine of the essential amino acids.

Plant proteins that come from grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts, are incomplete proteins because they are low, or lacking, in one or more of the nine essential amino acids.

Strict vegetarians (vegans) who do not eat meat, eggs, or dairy products, can get an adequate supply of protein from the plant foods they do eat as long as they eat a wide variety of foods, in sufficient quantity, to sustain a normal weight.

Dietary Recommendations

The average adult needs 50-65 grams of protein a day, or about seven grams of protein for every 20 pounds of body weight. A balanced diet provides most Americans with adequate protein.

Typical Sources and Average Grams of Protein

* Lean meat, poultry or fish - one four ounce serving: 25-35 grams
* Cooked beans or lentils - one cup serving: about 18 grams
* Low fat cottage cheese - one cup serving: about 28 grams
* Peanut butter - two tablespoons: about 8 grams
* Whole wheat bread - one slice: 3 to 6 grams
* Vegetables - one serving: 1 to 3 grams
* Low-fat Milk - one cup: 8 grams
* Solid Cheese - two ounces: about 16 grams

The Role Calcium Plays

When protein is eaten, acids are released into the body. These acids are neutralized with calcium. When a diet is high in protein, more calcium is needed to neutralize the additional acid. If enough calcium is not consumed, some of the calcium needed to neutralize the acids may be pulled from the bones. Following a high protein diet for an extended period of time could weaken the bones.

Fat in Protein

It is important to pay attention to the fat content in the protein you eat. A six-ounce broiled Porterhouse steak will provide about 38 grams of protein, but will also provide 44 grams of fat, and 16 of them will be saturated fat. This is almost three-quarters of the recommended daily intake for saturated fat. The same quantity of salmon will provide 34 grams of protein, with only 18 grams of fat, and only four of those will be saturated fat. A cup of cooked lentils provides 18 grams of protein, and under one gram of fat.

Soy's Role as a Protein Replacement

The American Heart Association has stated that soy protein has little direct effect on cholesterol. It has said, however, that soy foods are good for the heart and blood vessels because they usually replace less healthful choices, like red meat. Soy contains polyunsaturated fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and is low in saturated fat.

Some studies have suggested that concentrated supplements of soy proteins may stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells. Large studies, now underway, should offer better information regarding soy and breast cancer risk.

Protein and Weight Control

A diet that is low in saturated and trans fats, but high in protein, may decrease the amount of triglycerides in the blood, and be good for the heart.

Fat can be shed more quickly on a high-protein, low-carb diet than on a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. There are several reasons for this. First of all, protein foods empty more slowly from the stomach. This means you will feel fuller longer and possibly have to eat less often. Also, protein has a gentle, steady effect on blood sugar levels as opposed to the steep rise that comes from a meal high in carbohydrates. Finally, the body uses more energy to digest protein than it uses to digest fats or carbohydrates in our diet.

Side Effects

The typical American diet provides adequate protein. One government study, however, did estimate that as many as 50% of elderly people, living in nursing homes in the United States, suffer from protein-calorie malnutrition.

Millions of people in underdeveloped countries around the world are unable to get enough protein from their diets. This causes a form of malnutrition characterized by growth failure, loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity, weakening of the heart and respiratory system, and eventual death.

Diets too high in meat can lead to high cholesterol and gout. These diets can also put a strain on the kidneys.

End Note

There is no reason to go overboard with protein. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are also needed to provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals to a well-balanced diet. However, choosing high-protein foods, that are low in saturated fat, can help your heart and, with care, your waistline.

Hot Tip!

Capsaicin, which is the substance that makes hot peppers so "hot," is best neutralized by casein, the main protein found in milk!l

obituary

11-11-2008, 01:05

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

They are located at checkout counters in grocery stores and gas stations, and it is tough not to pick up the first one with a shiny wrapper and a label that boasts of energy and protein. Who doesn't want energy and protein, or a single chocolate bar that can replace an entire meal? Not so fast, says the latest ConsumerLab.com report. Though the label may be accurately reporting the ingredients of that nutrition bar, the actual content of the "meal" may not be what that on-the-go consumer really wants or needs.

According to tests in 2001, most nutrition bars were mislabeled, so much so that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stepped in to improve the process. By 2005, most tested products had met the industry standards for honest labeling, and the current ConsumerLab.com report showed that all of the 20 nutrition bars tested were accurately listing their nutrients. This is a vast improvement, but without the FDA consistently testing these products, it requires an independent company to evaluate them for the public. That is where ConsumerLab.com stepped in.

Although nutrition bars are correctly labeled and making no false claims, the recent report cited other concerns, such as the actual amounts of various ingredients contained in some of the products. Out of the 20 bars tested, 16 were selected and four were included at the request of their manufacturers or distributors. All were analyzed to break down the amounts and percentages of calories, carbohydrates, sugars, sugar alcohols, protein, fats, sodium, and cholesterol.

Fats were an important part of the research, and saturated fats were looked at specifically, as it is recommended by the USDA that it be less than one-third of any product. The winners in this category were Renew Life and gnu, which had absolutely no saturated fats. Ones that contained quite a bit of the unhealthy fats were Zone Perfect, Kellogg's Special K, Muscletech, MHP Probolic, Met-Rx, and Promax.

It should be noted that some of the nutrition bars were found to have high amounts of total fats, but most of those were due to whole food ingredients like nuts. Those fats are generally healthy one, though the caloric content may be higher because of those ingredients.

Another area of focus for researchers was the level of sugar alcohols in some of the bars. These ingredients are typically added to reduce the calories contained in a bar because they have fewer calories than sugar itself, but they tend to cause discomfort in many consumers and should likely not be consumed in large amounts on a regular basis. South Beach Diet and MHP Probolic bars were found to have the highest level of sugar alcohols, followed by Muscletech, Pure Protein, and Slim Fast Optima.

Many of the vitamins added to the bars are well within daily recommended levels, but this is one area in particular that ConsumerLab.com felt is ignored by many consumers. When people take daily vitamins or eat products fortified with fiber or other powerful nutrients, the consumption of a bar or two per day may put them over the recommended level of a particular vitamin. In addition to adults paying special attention to those details, this is particularly the reason that young children should not include nutrition bars with high percentages of vitamins in their diets.

Tod Cooperman, M.D. President of ConsumerLab.com, noted, "Bars can be a good occasional source of nutrients such as protein for people on the go, but they vary dramatically in their content. Before eating a bar, a consumer should be sure it has what he or she needs without unwanted ingredients."

Some tips that emerged from the study included the following:

1. Make sure that the bar contains enough calories for energy, especially if the bar is meant to replace a meal. Besides adults requiring approximately 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day, more calories ensure that the person will feel less hungry and listless.
2. It is recommended that adults ingest more than 50 grams of protein per day, so a bar, namely a meal replacement bar, should contain enough protein to compliment the rest of a daily diet.
3. Check serving sizes when looking for the appropriate nutrition bar.
4. Carefully examine the labels of specific products before purchase. Multiply the listed weight of each ingredient, such as carbohydrates, protein, and fats, by the number of calories per gram of each, then add all together for the total number of calories. If the label doesn't match or come close to it, be wary.

Ultimately, it is up to the consumer to check nutritional bars of choice to ensure that selected products fit into the range of vitamins, calories, and other ingredients that is being sought. ConsumerLab.com provides guidelines for 20 products, but it is the consumers who must be educated on such supplement-heavy products and judge for themselves.l

obituary

11-11-2008, 01:09

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Want to stay fit? Total fitness requires care of your body, mind, and spirit. Since total health requires a workout for all aspects of our selves, a daily fitness routine must incorporate activities for your spirit and mind as well as for your body.

HOME EXERCISE

* You don’t have to join a gym to get exercise. Depending on your interests you can purchase inexpensive equipment for improving muscle strength, endurance, flexibility, aerobic capacity, fat burning, core training and the like. I recommend an exercise ball, and yoga mats for stretching. Pilates equipment for floor work, a small weight set, and abdominal exercisers are also a good investment.

STEAM AND SWEAT AND SOAK

* Hydrotherapy has been used by many cultures worldwide to purify and cleanse. From Native American sweat lodges, to Scandinavian saunas, to California hot tubs. Indulge in water therapy to cleanse and refresh body and soul. Saunas purify your blood and can help you relax. You can purchase a small sauna or hot tub for your home.

EAT YOUR VEGGIES

* You are what you eat; therefore you can only create the body you want when you fuel yourself with food that is good for you. Find food grown locally. Daily servings of vegetables, and food grown without pesticides are best.

SPEND TIME OUTDOORS

* Take a daily walk. Walking burns fat, and boosts your mood as well as your metabolism. Walking will also get you outside, where you can enjoy nature and experience your neighborhood.

BREATHE

* Sounds easy, and it is! Conscious breathing centers your mind, develops focus, and calms the nervous system.

HYDRATE

* Drink plenty of water. Your body is made of over 80% water. Water cleans your blood, floats your brain and burns fat! Drink plenty of fresh water every day.

FIND PASSION IN EACH DAY

* Doing what you love keeps your mind fit and focused.

SCHEDULE TIME FOR YOURSELF

* It is all too easy to let the demands of others interfere with our best of plans. Pencil in your fitness time and keep those appointments as conscientiously as you do all your appointments. A few minutes of meditation, breathing or walking will restore your energy so you can better address the tasks at hand.

INNER FITNESS/MEDITATION

* Meditation provides calm center to work from. It can reduce health risks, and has been known to lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation in autoimmune disease. Meditation can heal your body, mind and soul.

SLEEP

* Sleep is when your body grows, your body heals, and your mind dreams, relaxes and organizes. To encourage healthy sleep, turn off the lights an hour before bedtime to simulate twilight. Do not watch television in your bedroom, or use the computer. Only use your bedroom for sleep. Develop and maintain a bedtime routine.

DIET

* Include healthy fats in your diet. This means avocado, olives, and the like. Even butter is a good choice in moderation.
* Healthy carbohydrates are complex carbohydrates. Sources like beans, and whole grains, like brown rice, buckwheat, millet, provide vitamins as well as the energy we expect from carbs.
* Protein sources like lean poultry and fish are best. Make sure the fish is mercury free. Buffalo meat is available in some stores and is an excellent lean choice.
* Dairy or another source of calcium should be consumed daily. Yogurt also provides needed probiotics to help with intestinal flora. One of the best sources of non-dairy calcium is sesame seeds. You can add humus, tahini, or sesame crackers to boost your calcium intake.
* Eat dark leafy greens. And reds. And blues. Dark foods contain anti-oxidants that help fight free radicals in your body and reduce cancer risk.
* Don’t forget dessert. Chocolate is an excellent anti-oxidant and natural mood boosters.

Begin any new resolves with discipline, but also with moderation.

Eat well, drink well, sleep well, take a few minutes for quiet, and you will gain in fitness and health for your body, mind and spirit.l

obituary

11-11-2008, 01:21

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When it comes to caring for your skin, vitamins and good nutrition can be just as beneficial as a good skin care treatment. Vitamins are important in keeping your skin looking and feeling healthy. They can also help prevent and treat any problem areas and skin disorders. This article discusses:

* What are the vitamins that keep your skin healthy?
* Which food products/items contain vitamins for a healthy skin?
* Learn more on supplements that helps your skin to stay healthy

When it comes to caring for your skin, vitamins and good nutrition can be just as beneficial as a good skin care treatment. Vitamins are important in keeping your skin looking and feeling healthy. They can also help prevent and treat any problem areas and skin disorders. A bad diet that is lacking in vitamins can make your skin blotchy and lifeless. When looking at your overall skin care, pay attention to your diet and ensure it includes the right vitamins good for skin care.

Vitamins and Minerals

Here are some of the best minerals and vitamins for healthy skin. Including these skin rejuvenating vitamins in your diet will help keep your skin looking healthy and free from problems.

VITAMIN A

Vitamin A is a very good vitamin for healthy skin. It helps strengthen the skin and repair tissues. It can be taken in foods, as a supplement or as a topical cream. Vitamin A can help prevent dry skin and acne. It can also be used to treat wrinkles.

VITAMIN E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that can help prevent free radical damage to the skin. Vitamin E is a good vitamin to take when your skin is suffering some damage from the sun or other factors.

VITAMIN C

Vitamin C helps with healing wounds and other damage to the skin. There is some evidence to suggest it may rejuvenate the skin. Vitamin C will also help the immune system fight off illnesses.

VITAMIN D

Vitamin D is an antioxidant that may play a role in skin pigmentation.

VITAMIN B

Vitamin B helps keep your skin tone healthy. It is also a good vitamin for relieving stress, and so it may prevent some of the skin problems (like eczema) that can be caused by stress. There are a number of different vitamins in the vitamin B group.

* Vitamin B1 is an antioxidant that helps rid the body of toxins. It can also assist circulation.
* Vitamin B2 helps keep the skin healthy. It can also help prevent acne.
* Vitamin B3 improves circulation.
* Vitamin B5 helps reduce stress.
* Vitamin B6 helps keep the immune system healthy.

ZINC

Zinc helps the skin's natural healing process. It is good in preventing the over-production of sebum, which will also help clear up acne. Zinc also helps the immune system.l

AAKOJ

11-11-2008, 01:40

Everyone knows smoking and being obese is not healthy for you, but now a new study shows the odds of dying early are highest among obese smokers.

"We know that obesity and smoking by themselves are important health risk factors," said lead researcher Annemarie Koster, an epidemiologist at the U.S. National Institute on Aging. "We found that smoking and obesity are independent predictors of mortality, but smoking and being obese especially increases the mortality risk."

Smoking and obesity both carry a significant mortality risk, but particularly smoking, Koster said. "It seems that smoking cessation was associated with significantly lower mortality risk in every weight group," she said. "Quitting smoking will definitely improve your mortality risk, no matter in what weight group you are."

Losing weight will also lower mortality risk, Koster said. "Both losing weight and quitting smoking will increase your health and lower your mortality risk," she said.

The report was published in the November issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

For the study, Koster's group collected data on 3.5 million members of the AARP, aged 50 to 71. In 1995-1996, and again in 1996-1997, AARP sent out questionnaires asking people about diet, family history of cancer, physical activity, hormone replacement therapy, weight, waist size, and smoking.

Using the U.S. Social Security Administration Death Master File, the researchers linked the AARP data with death records of the survey participants from 1996 to 2006. During that period, almost 20,000 men and 7,500 women died.

The researchers found that as weight increased, so did the rate of death. Across all weights, people who smoked had the highest death rates.

In fact, obese smokers had a six to eight times greater risk of dying compared with normal weight people who never smoked. In addition, among smokers with a large waist, the risk of dying was five times greater than among people with the smallest waists who never smoked, Koster's team found.

Dr. Norman H. Edelman, a professor of preventive medicine, internal medicine, physiology & biophysics at Stony Brook University in New York and chief medical officer at the American Lung Association, thinks that if you have to choose between losing weight or stopping smoking, you should stop smoking.

"Especially important is the finding that smoking cessation has a great effect on lowering risk of dying, one which far outweighs the slight increased risk from the associated increase in weight," Edelman said. "Also to note, if one is obese and smokes and has to choose between weight loss and smoking cessation to improve health, the latter will have a greater protective effect," he added.

Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, agreed that people can do simple things to improve their health and life span.

"We have long known that a surprisingly short list of potentially modifiable behaviors holds sway over an enormous range of mortality risk," Katz said. "Together, tobacco use, physical activity and dietary pattern are major determinants of the probable quality, and quantity, or our lives."

This report reaffirms the strong interactive effects of smoking and excess body fat on the risk of death, Katz said.

"If you are overweight and smoke, fixing either one can markedly improve your chances for a normal life span," Katz said. "Fix both, and the probability of benefit is huge. The message is clear: We all have the power to choose a better medical destiny."

AAKOJ

11-11-2008, 01:42

Vitamins C and E — pills taken by millions of Americans — do nothing to prevent heart disease in men, one of the largest and longest studies of these supplements has found.

Vitamin E even appeared to raise the risk of bleeding strokes, a danger seen in at least one earlier study.

Besides questioning whether vitamins help, "we have to worry about potential harm," said Barbara Howard, a nutrition scientist at MedStar Research Institute of Hyattsville, Md.

She has no role in the research but reviewed and discussed it Sunday at an American Heart Association conference. Results also were published online by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

About 12 percent of Americans take supplements of C and E despite growing evidence that these antioxidants do not prevent heart disease and may even be harmful.

Male smokers taking vitamin E had a higher rate of bleeding strokes in a previous study, and several others found no benefit for heart health.

As for vitamin C, some research suggests it may aid cancer, not fight it. A previous study in women at high risk of heart problems found it did not prevent heart attacks.

Few long-term studies have been done. The new one is the Physicians Health Study, led by Drs. Howard Sesso and J. Michael Gaziano of Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

It involved 14,641 male doctors, 50 or older, including 5 percent who had heart disease at the time the study started in 1997. They were put into four groups and given either vitamin E, vitamin C, both, or dummy pills. The dose of E was 400 international units every other day; C was 500 milligrams daily.

After an average of eight years, no difference was seen in the rates of heart attack, stroke or heart-related deaths among the groups.

However, 39 men taking E suffered bleeding strokes versus only 23 of the others, which works out to a 74 percent greater risk for vitamin-takers.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and several vitamin makers. Results were so clear that they would be unlikely to change if the study were done in women, minorities, or with different formulations of the vitamins, Howard said.

"In these hard economic times, maybe we can save some money by not buying these supplements," she said.

A second study found that vitamins B-12 and B-9 (folic acid) did not prevent heart disease either, supporting the results of previous trials. That study involved more than 12,000 heart attack survivors and was led by Dr. Jane Armitage of the University of Oxford in England.

obituary

11-11-2008, 03:28

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

When choosing soap, it is important to choose the right soap for your skin type, whether it is an herbal soap, a handmade soap or a commercial soap. Much commercial soap contains lots of chemicals which can be harmful to skin. A natural herbal soap can be a good alternative. This article contains:

* Which type of soap is best suited for oily skin?
* Tips on using soaps so they don't harm the skin
* What are the disadvantages of industrial soaps?

When choosing soap, it is important to choose the right soap for your skin type, whether it is an herbal soap, a handmade soap or a commercial soap. The following list will help you choose the right soap - herbal, natural or commercial - for your needs.

* Dry skin is skin that does not have enough sebum (the skin's natural oil). The best soap for dry skin is a gentle moisturizing soap. People with dry skin should avoid harsh soaps. Good commercial soaps include Olay or Dove, but skin cleansers are a better choice. Natural soaps that contain Aloe Vera, cocoa butter, avocado or vegetable oils are best for dry skin.

* Oily skin has too much sebum. It looks shiny and is prone to acne. It needs to be cleaned regularly. Soap is not as damaging for oily skin as it is for dry skin. An antibacterial soap or special cleansing soap is good for oily skin. Look for soaps (or make them yourself) with the following natural ingredients: lavender, chamomile and thyme or tea tree oil. Commercial anti-acne soaps may be beneficial if you suffer from spots or pimples.

* Combination skin contains a combination of oily skin and dry skin. Do not use soaps that are specially formulated to treat either dry skin or oily skin. It is hard to limit soap to the area that needs attention. Soaps for dry skin will make the oily areas even oilier and soaps for oily skin will make the dry areas drier. Using special cleansers are fine as they can more easily be used on the affected area. Choose commercial soaps and natural soaps for normal skin. Glycerin soap can be a good soap for combination skin. Be careful when using soap on the dry areas of your face.

* Normal skin is not too oily or too dry. Soap should generally be fine for use on normal skin. Do not choose soaps that are specially formulated for dry or oily skin, as they may cause problems. Many commercial soaps and herbal soaps are made for use on normal to oily or dry skin. These products are fine to use.

Soaps to Avoid

It is best to avoid soap altogether if you have a severe skin condition, like psoriasis, dermatitis or eczema. People with dry skin also need to be careful as some soap can be very drying. The following types of soaps may be damaging to the skin on the face and should be avoided.

* Soaps those are granular.
* Soaps with a high pH or acid-content.
* Soaps with lots of chemicals.
* Cheap commercial soaps.
* Soaps that are designed for a different type of skin than the one you have

Herbal Soaps: Are They Effective?

Much commercial soap contains lots of chemicals which can be harmful to skin. A natural herbal soap can be a good alternative. Soaps containing natural products are healthier for your skin and less likely to have any damaging effect. They are also less likely to provide a trigger for common skin complaints. Commercial soaps also remove the glycerin from soap. Glycerin helps the skin keep in moisture, and so soap that has had the glycerin removed is more drying. Natural soaps usually keep the glycerin in.

Natural soaps also make use of aromatherapy and herbal treatments to provide the best treatment for your skin. Herbs can help treatment skin problems and nourish the skin. Aromatherapy can have a positive effect on physical and emotional health.

When choosing a natural soap, check the ingredients. Some soaps may claim to be natural or herbal, but may in fact contain chemicals and harmful ingredients. They might also claim to contain ingredients such as lavender, when they really contain lavender scented oil. Scented oil is not the same thing as the essential oil and will not produce the same effect.

You can also make your own herbal soaps by using a soap base and adding different herbs and oils. The good thing about homemade soaps is you know exactly what ingredients are contained in the soap.l

AAKOJ

11-11-2008, 18:00

Cardiovascular disease has traditionally been seen as something that afflicts middle-aged or elderly men. Turning 40 and trudging off to the doctor for a checkup so you could rest assured that you won't drop dead during a weekly game of pickup hockey has been almost a rite of middle-aged passage for men.

Back in 1973, heart disease and stroke killed 45,404 men, according to figures from Statistics Canada. Thirty years later, the number of male deaths had fallen by 19 per cent to 37,004.Signs you're having a heart attack
Sudden pain in chest, neck, jaw, shoulders, arms or back. The pain can feel like squeezing, heaviness, pressure, burning or tightness.
Problems breathing.
Indigestion.
Vomiting, nausea.
Clammy skin.

On the other hand, in 1973, 34,924 women died from heart disease or stroke. By 2003, the number of women who died from heart disease or stroke almost matched the number of male deaths: 36,823.

Men still outnumber women when it comes to dying from heart attacks, but the gap has narrowed dramatically since 1973, when twice as many men died from heart attacks as women. In the next 30 years, male deaths dropped by 49 per cent to 10,643 while female deaths fell by 24 per cent to 8,019.

"It's a real concern that women's heart health has not kept pace with men's," said Dr. Beth Abramson, cardiologist and spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

"It's truly an equal opportunity killer."

"Women are living like men and dying like men. We have seen that rates for dying from heart disease and stroke are higher at every age and stage for a woman than a man."Signs you're having a stroke
Weakness, numbness or tingling in face, arms or legs, especially on one side of the body.
Trouble speaking or understanding speech.
Sudden blurring, double vision or loss of vision.
Sudden severe headache.
Dizziness, loss of balance.

The numbers all around have been getting far better for men — but women have not been seeing the same improvements.

Abramson says there are several reasons, including:
Women are less likely than men to be treated by a specialist.
Women are less likely to receive treatments such as angioplasty or cardiac bypass surgery.
Fewer women than men are referred to cardiologists.

"For years, it was assumed that this occurred because women were older and tended to be sicker when they were hospitalized," Abramson said.

"But even when you control for age and other health conditions, a woman's risk of dying within the first 30 days is 16 per cent higher than a man's for heart attack and 11 per cent higher for stroke."

Researchers don't know why the risk of death in the first 30 days is higher for women. As a cardiologist in Toronto, Abramson says she often sees female patients in her practice who ignore signs and symptoms of heart disease and stroke – leading to potentially deadly delays in getting treatment.

Abramson adds that a lot of women just aren't aware of the risks they face — and men are even less aware of the risks their spouses may face. A national survey by the Heart and Stroke Foundation found that 53 per cent of men believed that the number of heart and stroke deaths was somewhat or a lot less in women than in men.

"Even younger women need to go in for an exam and talk about issues beyond gynecological care. If we address risk at an annual exam, maybe we can prevent some of this."

The foundation has made several recommendations to try to bridge the gap, including:
More research into how heart disease and stroke affect women differently than men.
Tailoring health-care services to women's needs.
People need to be more proactive about their own health, including eating a balanced diet that is lower in saturated and trans fats.
People need to become more aware of their risk for heart disease and stroke.
'Floppy' versus 'stiff' hearts

Heart failure also looks radically different in women and as a result, it is often under-diagnosed, Dr. Peter Liu told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress in October 2008.

Heart failure in most men is usually due to systolic dysfunction. The heart is weakened, dilated and cannot adequately pump the blood through the body. It is often described as a “floppy” heart. In-hospital heart attack mortality rate per 100 heart attacks 1997/98-1999/2000

On the other hand, female patients with heart failure are usually older but have diastolic dysfunction: a small and "stiff" heart, rather than a dilated or "floppy” heart. The heart's ability to relax between beats is impaired.

The symptoms are often not well recognized and, in the presence of a small heart, physicians often will miss the diagnosis, said Liu, heart and stroke/polo chair of medicine and physiology at the University of Toronto.

"We can expect a seismic change over the next decade as women with heart failure begin to swell the patient population," Liu warned.

To diagnose diastolic heart failure early on, a doctor orders an electrocardiogram and a blood test to check levels of a certain markers.

But the different ways in which cardiovascular disease affect men and women may not just be differences in approaches to care. A study out of Boston has found that the fine grit in polluted air boosts the risks of cardiovascular disease in older women much more powerfully than scientists previously thought.

It has long been known that fine grit — also called particulates — in polluted air contributes to lung and heart disease, with women possibly more susceptible than men because of smaller blood vessels and other biological differences. But this study found that problems were several times higher than a previous study by the American Cancer Society.

The tiny bits of grit are too small to see, but collectively they form that haze that settles over large industrial areas.

Meanwhile, a Quebec study has found that while cholesterol-lowering statin drugs reduce the risk of death after a heart attack, the effects seem to be greater for men than women. The researchers suggested the reason may be that statins are processed differently in men and women.

Statins are among the best-selling drugs on the planet.

Source:
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obituary

12-11-2008, 02:35

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Most people in the general population have heard of CT (computed tomography) and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) even if they have never had either test used to diagnose or confirm illnesses. According to a ten-year study, the use of these tests has doubled (CT scans) and tripled (MRI’s), raising the cost of patient care and not necessarily providing any information that would not have been available with X-rays. Indeed, in many instances, the patients are receiving X-rays as well as one of the newer imaging tests.

The study covered patients enrolled in the Group Health Cooperative, a health maintenance organization in Washington State between 1997 and 2006. Researchers analyzed data from 377,000 patients who had over 5 million diagnostics tests. There were increases in all types of imaging with the average cost per patient increasing from $229 to $443. A study in July by the Government Accountability Office found Medicare spending on medical imaging doubled to $14 billion per year between 2000 and 2006, driven mostly by high-tech imaging.

The imaging does not seem to be directed at any particular disease or diseases, but generally was consistent among every group and every disease according to Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman of the University of California, San Francisco, whose research appears in the journal Health Affairs. That suggests that it is not patient symptoms driving the increase in testing, but other factors. She said that the benefits of imaging need to be weighed against their risks, including false positive results and the increased radiation exposure associate with CT scans.

This study did not address whether the imaging was appropriate and whether the increase testing resulting in improved patient care. The new technologies are fantastic, acknowledges Smith-Bindman, but they should be used judiciously.

The cost of health care in the United States is discussed continuously in the media and on other fronts, and the medical technology boom may be the biggest factor in the increase of costs. Within the health care setting "fee for services" practices receive financial benefits for extra testing including pay backs for investments in office-based scanning equipment.

One of the real reasons for increases in the tests may be patient expectations. There are some who want only what is necessary to diagnose or treat their condition. Other patients want every test imaginable for their illness regardless of whether it will provide better care. After all, saying "I had a CT scan this weekend" during Monday morning coffee break sounds much more dramatic than "I had an X-ray."l

obituary

12-11-2008, 02:36

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

You can do so many things on the internet in today’s virtual environment, such as order your medications or a birthday gift, shop for the perfect outfit, and chat with friends. Now, visiting with your doctor is an option as well. Recently, the United States FDA gave Intel their approval to market their home monitoring system, Health Guide, which allows doctors and their medical staff to monitor patient’s medical status virtually, at their finger tips. This new system allows the elderly and seriously ill to avoid sometimes stressful, unwanted trips out, in order to receive prompt proper medical care.

There are probably very few people that actually look forward to doctor visits, but medical treatment is very important and in many cases, a matter or life or death. Many doctor’s visits are met with long waits, costly visits and germs. For those with critical conditions that need to be monitored more closely, being able to be treated from home allows for comfort as well as more immediate attentive care. With this new system, patients would have an avenue to talk to their doctor or provide vitals at any time. Health Guide PHS6000's along with an online interface, the Intel Health Care Management Suite, allows medical staffs and doctors to monitor patients in their homes and manage care remotely. Intel’s system has a touch-screen laptop and interface that is simple for even the more technically challenged patients and medically unaware person to use. The touch-screen has large icons along with voice prompts, and text that is read aloud as it appears on the screen.

Patients are provided step-by-step instructions on using the computer. The laptop has the capability to sound a reminder chime daily at a set time, as a reminder to the patients. When the patient responds, they will be run through several questions and prompts that can involve taking vital signs such as, blood pressure, heart rate, or sugar levels. Blood pressure cuffs and glucose measuring tools are conveniently connected to the computer. It is left up to the patient to input their needed medical information and to follow any medical instructions that are given.

The Health Guide system is being marketed to chronically ill patients first, allowing for more flexible evaluation times and even preventing some unneeded doctors visits. Once the information is collected it is stored and can be viewed by health care professionals through an FTP secure site and viewed at their convenience. Mariah Scott, head of sales and marketing for Intel's Digital Health Group, said "They can then manage their patients and only need to intervene if something is not normal. That's one of the aspects of cost efficiency and labor productivity we hope to see with this system. Instead of needing to call every patient every day, they can see that data in a dashboard and only need to intervene if there's an issue or concern. That should help nurses or case managers, move to more of a management by exception approach."

Intel’s new Health Care system can also be used to help educate patients. The company has licensed material from medical organizations including the Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association, to provide the application's medical assessments, evidence-based treatment guidelines, educational multimedia content, and they are working to gather other educational content, for other conditions, with several other medical organizations. Pilot programs have begun through Aetna, Scan Health Plan, Erickson Retirement Communities, and the Providence Medical Group in Oregon, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the new system on Intel’s patients.

"Health care is an area where getting and gathering the right information, and getting decisions made in a timely matter can make an enormous difference in patient care. We hope this technology helps with that," Scott said in an interview. Patients with chronic illnesses add up to at least 1 billion patients who could potentially benefit from the Intel system. The company plans to market the product to insurance companies, governments, and health care providers initially.l

obituary

12-11-2008, 02:38

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

Honestly, I have really only heard of ginseng because I have seen it on bottles of tea in the refrigerated section of my local grocery store. Sure I have had ginseng before but it always seems to conjure up images of barefoot Berkeley residents of the natural food movement trying to cure what ails them. However it seems we might be able to learn something from them soon if the upcoming new experiments prove to be true. Highlighted in a recent press release is a five-year-long plan to find the anti-cancer properties of the American ginseng plant.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) announced last week that they are giving a grant of 6 million dollars to help breakdown the restorative elements of the American ginseng plant. American ginseng plant is part of the ivy family and has been found growing in Pennsylvania and New York State as well as the Appalachians and among the Ozark mountain ranges. The American ginseng has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries and is a favorite among Native Americans. Having been grown commercially in fields in Wisconsin and Minnesota, American ginseng has been in high demand for its use as a stimulant or an aphrodisiac and as treatment for type 2 diabetes and sexual dysfunction in men.

Part of NCCAM’s funding for this project is going to the opening of one of four new research centers across the United States. The first is the Wisconsin Center for the Neuroscience and Psychophysiology of Meditation which will focus on meditation’s effects on the brain as well as the body using emotion and emotional reactivity in order to help relieve stress and depression. The second clinic is at the University of California at San Francisco focusing on the meditation and the effects of metabolism and immunology through studying obesity and hormonal response therapy. Montana State University in Bozeman gets the third research center using CAM through botanical extracts against inflammatory disease and infection. The researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center have been given the final opportunity to explore the hidden healing properties of the American ginseng in the hopes that it holds the key to defeating deadly cancer. Their research center, called the Center for Herbal Research on Colorectal Cancer, will delve into ginseng’s anti-tumor effects through lab and animal trials.

This isn’t the first time ginseng has been linked to helping cancer patients, but it was specifically aimed at aiding fatigue symptoms.

Josephine Briggs, the director of NCCAM comments on these four new clinics and what their research means, “[they are] all based on strong preliminary work, apply natural-product and mind-body CAM approaches across a range of health conditions that affect the American public….Their multidisciplinary, collaborative structure increases opportunities for improving health and discovering insights into important aspects of human biology."

The University of Chicago will be applying scientific research tools and techniques to natural medicine. Using different preparations of American ginseng—known scientifically as Panax quinquefolius—to hopefully reduce the number of patients with colon cancer or prevent it altogether.

Chun-Su Yuan, M.D., Ph.D., University of Chicago’s Cyrus Tang Professor of anesthesia and critical care says that while one third of adults in America use a supplement like ginseng everyday in lieu of traditional pharmacy cures that there is still a lot of research to be done because herbal medicine investigation is, "still in its infancy," and he continues, "…we know very little about how, when or even if these products are beneficial."

Even though herbal remedies have been used by many cultures over centuries, no one has tried to use a western approach to conventional drug testing against these techniques before so it will be hard to undertake but hopefully beneficial in the long run. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and the third most common cancer.

American ginseng will be studied in three different projects. The first will study ginseng’s cancer cell killing abilities. Project number two will isolate the ginseng extracts that change gene expression within the cells of cancer tumors. The third research experiment will show ginseng’s internal communication skills that activate cell re-growth or cell death. Even without the official approval to cure cancer, I bet ginseng will start to become more of a household name in more than just supermarket teas. l

obituary

12-11-2008, 03:03

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

Sensitive skin care is more than just choosing the right sensitive skin care product. Sensitive skin has a low tolerance level to certain products or environmental conditions. People with sensitive skin may react quickly to chemicals, heat or wind by developing red, blotchy and irritated skin. This following form part of this article:

* What are the methodologies for dealing with oily skin?
* Will fresh fruits and vegetables helps in having a healthy skin?
* What is the role of artificial cream and supplements helps in skin care?

Sensitive skin care is more than just choosing the right sensitive skin care product. To provide the best sensitive skin care, you need an overall approach to providing the best possible care.

Sensitive skin has a low tolerance level to certain products or environmental conditions. People with sensitive skin may react quickly to chemicals, heat or wind by developing red, blotchy and irritated skin. Different people have different levels of skin sensitivity. Some people may react to a product, while for others it produces no effect. Similarly, some people may have a very severe reaction, while others only have a mild reaction.
Problems Faced by People with Sensitive Skin
People with sensitive skin face many problems. The redness, irritation and blotchiness associated with sensitive skin can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. It can be annoying having to avoid everything that may cause sensitive skin to flare up. Providing the right sensitive skin care can be particularly difficult, as many skin products will have a negative effect.
Dealing with Sensitive Skin
NATURAL METHODS

Natural skin care can be an effective way of treating sensitive skin. Natural products are less likely to trigger the reaction that other products may have on sensitive skin. Here are some of the best natural ways to treat sensitive skin.

Food Intake and Hydration

Diet can play a big part in sensitive skin break outs. A healthy diet (containing plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables) will help skin look healthy. People with sensitive skin should pay attention to their diet and take note if any foods seem to trigger a sensitive skin reaction. Even some healthy foods may cause a reaction in some people, so do not discount these when you look at possible triggers. Hot and spicy foods are particularly likely to cause a negative effect.

People with healthy skin should also drink lots of water, which will help keep their skin hydrated. When skin is adequately hydrated, it is healthier and better able to fight off skin irritations.

Herbal Remedies

Herbal remedies are very good for sensitive skin, because they are free from the harsh chemicals that can cause skin problems. Generally, products that contain natural ingredients will be better for your skin and less likely to cause a sensitive skin reaction. Try the following remedies for some special sensitive skin care.

* Use almond or jojoba oil to cleanse your face.
* Comfrey steeped in water can make a good toner.
* Make a facial exfoliate by mixing grapefruit with oatmeal.
* Make a face mask out of fruit.
* Cucumber and yoghurt also makes a good face mask for sensitive skin.
* Licorice is a good product for sensitive skin. Look for skin care products that contain licorice.
* Green tea has anti-inflammatory properties, which may help prevent sensitive skin reactions.
* Aloe Vera can soothe skin that is red, irritated and blotchy. Apply directly to the skin.

Even when using natural products, people with sensitive skin need to be careful. As some sensitive skin reactions are caused by allergies, even organic products may cause an adverse reaction in someone. Check every product on a small area of your skin first, and stop using a product if it seems to be triggering the symptoms associated with sensitive skin.l

obituary

13-11-2008, 01:47

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

According to the March of Dimes, heart defects are among the most common birth defects and are the leading cause of birth-related deaths. In the United States alone, about 35,000 infants (1 out of every 125) are born each year with heart defects. Among the most common congenital heart problems are heart valve defects, where the heart valve either does not close normally or is narrowed or blocked, so blood can’t flow smoothly. When these faulty valves cannot be surgically repaired, they must be replaced with new ones either from human or animal donors or from artificial material. Although these replacements are lifesaving, the valves neither grow nor develop as children do, requiring kids to undergo multiple surgeries to replace outgrown valves. However, German scientists are hopeful that within five to seven years, they will be able to fashion a new heart valve for children born with heart valve defects that would grow as the child develops using stem cells collected at birth from the child’s own umbilical cord blood.

In what is called a concept study, cardiologists at the University Hospital of Munich collected umbilical cord blood at birth and then froze it to preserve the cells. After 12 weeks, they harvested the stem cells, seeded them onto eight biodegradable heart valve scaffolds and grew them in the laboratory. Upon examination with electron microscopes, researchers could see the cells had grown into the pores of the scaffolding and formed a tissue layer. Biochemical examination indicated that the cells had produced important elements of the “extracellular matrix,” the portion of body tissue that functions outside of cells and is essential to tissue function and structure. Compared with human tissue from pulmonary heart valves, the tissue-engineered valves had 77.9 percent as much collagen (the main protein in connective tissue); 85 percent as much glycosaminoglycan (a carbohydrate important in connective tissue); and 67 percent as much elastin (a protein in connective tissue). The valves also contained desmin (a protein in muscle cells), laminin (a protein in all internal organs), alpha-actin (a protein that helps muscle cells contract) and CD31, VWF and VE-cadherin (components of blood vessel linings).

Over time, the scaffolds will dissolve, leaving behind a fully formed structure made from the cells, explained cardiac surgeon Ralf Sodian, who led the study. “The basic idea is to implant something living, functional from your own cells which will integrate into the surrounding tissue with the potential to grow,” Sodian said. “Tissue engineering provides the prospect of an ideal heart valve substitute that lasts throughout the patient’s lifetime and has the potential to grow with the recipient and to change shape as needed.”

Sodian cautioned that, while the technique shows promise, researchers need to work out several issues before they can attempt it in people. The next step is test the procedure by implanting these tissue-engineered heart valves into young lambs and watching to see how they grow and function over time. Sodian says he hopes to begin these experiments next year.

Although stem cells from human embryos are more versatile, since they are able to form any of the roughly 210 cell types found in the body, stem cells from umbilical cord blood have the potential to form many kinds of cells that can repair or replace damage to organs of the body. And, since the umbilical cord cells are not derived from human embryos, they don’t raise the ethical objections, such as those that led President George W. Bush to limit federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. However, reports are that President-elect Barack Obama plans to possibly undo the Bush restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research by executive order once he takes office on January 20.

The study findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s annual scientific sessions in New Orleans. l

obituary

13-11-2008, 01:49

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Heart disease and stroke remain the No. 1 and No. 3 causes of death in the United States. Combined, they were responsible for almost one-third of the total number of deaths reported in 2005. Several factors are well known to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, including tobacco smoke, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This information has allowed people with these conditions to change their lifestyle or take medications to reduce their risk. However, about half of all heart attacks and strokes occur in people whose cholesterol is normal, raising questions about what other factors might also be involved. Evidence has been building that inflammation may play a critical role by causing plaque inside arteries to rupture, causing blood clots that block blood flow. But the usefulness of this information has remained far from clear—until now.

Findings of a highly anticipated study presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans produced powerful evidence that seemingly healthy people having what are considered safe cholesterol levels and no apparent risk for heart disease could lower their chances of having a heart attack or stroke or dying from any cause by taking a widely prescribed cholesterol medication—Crestor. “The potential public health benefits are huge,” said Dr. Paul M. Ridker of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, who presented the findings. “It really changes the way we have to think about prevention of heart attack and stroke.”

The study began in 2003 when Dr. Ridker and colleagues started prescribing either a daily 20 milligram dose of Crestor or a placebo to 17,802 middle-aged and elderly men and women in the U.S. and 25 other countries. One-fourth were black or Hispanic and 40 percent were women. Men had to be 50 or older, women, 60 or older. None had a history of heart problems or diabetes. All participants had safe cholesterol levels but had high CRP, a substance in the blood called C-reactive protein that signals inflammation. The study was slated to last for five years, but was stopped in March after an average follow-up of two years when an independent monitoring panel concluded that the benefit was too great to continue withholding the real drug from the participants receiving the placebo.

Compared with the placebo group, those taking Crestor were 54 percent less likely to have a heart attack, 48 percent less likely to have a stroke, 46 percent less likely to need angioplasty or bypass surgery to open a clogged artery, 44 percent less likely to suffer any of those events and 20 percent less likely to die from any cause. For example, there were 136 heart-related problems per year for every 10,000 people taking placebos versus 77 for those taking Crestor. While some of the participants had risk factors for heart disease, such as being overweight or having high blood pressure, the findings held true even for those who had no known risks other than their high CRP levels. “If you’re skinny it worked, if you’re heavy it worked. If you lived here or there, if you smoked, it worked,” Dr. Ridker said. “We were both shocked and elated.”

“These are very, very dramatic findings,” said Elizabeth G. Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. “This really validates inflammation as being an important factor in the development and progression of heart disease, and that treating inflammation, even in the setting of a normal cholesterol level, may be very important for certain individuals.” Nabel noted that two other studies presented at the meeting also support the value of CRP testing.

Leading authorities predict these findings will prompt many doctors to use CRP testing to screen patients for inflammation and begin prescribing either Crestor or a less expensive generic statin to those who get worrisome results. Dr. Ridker said one of his colleagues predicted that over five years, an estimated 250,000 heart attacks, strokes, angioplasties or deaths from heart attacks could be prevented in the United States alone. “We could prevent a lot of heart attacks, stroke, bypass surgeries, angioplasties and save a lot of lives,” Ridker said. “To me that’s a good thing.”

Still, other experts are skeptical, arguing that the actual risk reduction for an individual would be very small. Dr. Mark A. Hlatky, a Stanford University cardiologist who wrote an editorial accompanying the study, said about 120 people would have to take Crestor for two years to prevent a single heart attack, stroke or death. “This would be a huge expansion of the boundaries of drug therapy,” he said. “Everybody likes the idea of prevention. We need to slow down and ask how many people are we going to be treating with drugs for the rest of their lives to prevent heart disease, versus a lot of other things we’re not doing (to improve health).”

Using federal health statistics, Drs. James Stein and Jon Keevil of the University of Wisconsin-Madison project that 7.4 million Americans, more than 4 percent of the adult population, are like the people in the study. They calculate that treating them all with Crestor would cost $9 billion a year and prevent approximately 30,000 heart attacks, strokes or deaths. “That’s pretty costly. This would be a very difficult sell” unless a person also had a family history or other risk factors for heart disease, said Dr. Thomas Pearson of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Pearson was co-chairman of a joint government-heart association panel that wrote current guidelines for using CRP tests to guide treatment.

“We’re already struggling to provide health services for the 46 million Americans who don’t have health insurance in the United States,” said John Abramson, a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School. “This is going to drain away a lot of money from the system for little or no benefit. We know that there are lifestyle interventions that are effective.”l

obituary

13-11-2008, 01:51

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. It is a two-step process in which amino acids gather and form peptides or polypeptides. From these groupings, proteins are made. A total of 20 different kinds of amino acids form proteins.

One of the best known amino acids is Tryptophan, which is an essential amino acid, meaning it cannot be synthesized by the body and must be ingested through food. Tryptophan is necessary for normal growth in infants and for nitrogen balance in adults. The body also uses tryptophan to help make:

• Niacin (vitamin B3): essential for normal gastrointestinal and nerve processes
• Serotonin: involved in controlling moods and appetite
• Melatonin: important in regulating sleep

In order for tryptophan to be changed into niacin, there needs to be enough B-6, riboflavin, and iron in the body. Niacin, in turn, helps the body produce serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that acts as a calming agent in the brain and plays a key role in sleep.

Because of its conversion into serotonin, tryptophan is well known for its antidepressant effects. Tryptophan actually increases the amount of serotonin in the blood, unlike antidepressant drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which only preserve the amounts of serotonin already in circulation.

Recent studies have shown that individuals who are extremely overweight have chronically low levels of tryptophan. Blood levels of tryptophan are also known to fall during intense dieting. This resulting serotonin imbalance may be a contributing factor to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa.

Study results also show that raising tryptophan levels in the body may decrease appetite, especially for sugars and starchy foods such as bread (carbohydrates). Consuming carbohydrates is known to increase serotonin levels, which in turn makes most people feel less depressed. Therefore, substituting tryptophan for carbohydrates may reduce depressed feelings and help to control the over consumption of these “comfort foods”.

Tryptophan is also involved in the regulation of sleep. Human clinical trials have shown that low levels of tryptophan contribute to insomnia. Consequently, increasing tryptophan may help to normalize sleep patterns. It is important to note, however, that higher than usual levels of tryptophan in the blood have been associated with conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome. It is unclear whether the high tryptophan levels cause the condition or result from it. More studies are underway to better understand the role tryptophan plays in both depression and sleep disorders.

Foods which can provide an ample amount of tryptophan are:

• Chicken and turkey
• Milk and cheese
• Eggs
• Fish
• Soy
• Tofu
• Pumpkin and sesame seeds
• Peanuts and peanut butter

While turkey does have the making of a natural sedative, it is unlikely that the “calm, want a nap” feeling you have on Thanksgiving Day can be blamed on turkey alone. Nutritionists say that tryptophan actually works best on an empty stomach and only a portion of the tryptophan from the turkey actually makes it to the brain to help produce serotonin. It is, in reality, a combination of the type of food, amount of food, and celebratory atmosphere of Thanksgiving Day that gives you that comfortable feeling.

In 1990, tryptophan supplements were banned because of an outbreak of eosinophilia-myalgia, a syndrome that causes muscle pain and even death. However, the FDA said that contaminated tryptophan supplements caused the outbreak and is was thought to have been limited to products made by only one manufacturer, and the ban was soon lifted.

Certain side effects have been associated with oral supplemental tryptophan such as blurry vision, drowsiness, dry mouth, headaches, and nausea.

Also keep in mind that when tryptophan is used with prescription drugs that promote sleepiness, the effects of the drug may be exaggerated, resulting in sedation or mental impairment.l

obituary

13-11-2008, 01:52

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) is the name given to three of the eight essential amino acids needed to make protein: leucine, isoleucine and valine. They are called branched-chain because their structure has a ‘branch’ off the main trunk of the molecule. The combination of these three essential amino acids makes up approximately one-third of skeletal muscle in the human body.

In order to get energy, the body can actually break down muscle to get these BCAAs. Therefore, by supplying them during or after a workout, muscles and other tissues are spared from breakdown, which occurs as a natural part of metabolism.

Leucine is the most readily oxidized BCAA and therefore the most effective at causing insulin secretion from the pancreas. It lowers elevated blood sugar levels and aids in growth hormone production. Leucine works in conjunction with the other two BCAAs to protect muscle and act as fuel for the body. They promote the healing of bones, skin and muscle tissue, and are often recommended for patients recovering from surgery. Note: Excessively high intake of leucine may contribute to pellagra, a disease due to niacin deficiency, and may increase the amount of ammonia in the body.

Food sources for leucine are: meat, nuts, beans, brown rice, soy flour and whole wheat.

Isoleucine stabilizes and regulates blood sugar and energy levels. It is also needed for hemoglobin formation. When coupled with the other two BCAAs, they enhance energy, increase endurance and aid in the healing and repair of muscle tissue, making them a valuable tool for athletes.

After a group of healthy people received a single intravenous infusion of these amino acids, the amount of tissue breakdown that normally occurs overnight decreased by 50 percent. In another study, the muscles of a group of marathoners and cross-country runners were spared completely with a daily dose of them.

People suffering from many different mental and physical disorders have been found to have isoleucine deficiency, which can lead to symptoms similar to those of hypoglycemia.

Isoleucine can be found in foods such as chicken, eggs, fish, meat, rye, almonds, cashews, chickpeas, lentils, soy protein and most seeds.

Valine is the third BCAA. It also aids in muscle metabolism, tissue repair and the maintenance of proper nitrogen balance in the body. It may also be helpful in treating liver and gallbladder disease, and is good for correcting the type of severe amino acid deficiencies which can be caused by drug addiction. However, an excessively high level of valine can lead to symptoms such as a crawling sensation in the skin and possibly cause hallucinations.

Sources for valine are: meat, mushrooms, peanuts, dairy products, grains, and soy protein.

BCAAs are a very popular supplementation for strength in athletes. It is recommended that supplemental isoleucine should always be taken with a correct balance of the other two branched-chain amino acids; approximately two milligrams each of leucine and valine for each milligram of isoleucine. Supplements that combine all three amino acids are available and can be more convenient to use.

BCAAs offer a rapid treatment response for tardive dyskinesia in men, according to the results of a trial published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Tardive dyskinesia is a neurological disorder consisting of abnormal, involuntary body movements usually associated with long-term medications used to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

BCAAs are also currently used clinically to aid in the recovery of burn victims, and because the metabolic breakdown is accelerated when an individual is afflicted with a wasting disease such as cancer, AIDS, or end-stage kidney failure, BCAA along with glutamine and medium-chain triglycerides are often used by progressive surgeons as intravenous support for their critically ill patients.l

obituary

13-11-2008, 01:53

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

Arginine (ar ja nen), in humans, is a semi essential or conditionally essential amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and protein is the basis of all living cells.

Amino acids are considered essential if they must be consumed in the diet and non essential if they can be produced within the body. That is why arginine is considered conditionally essential. Most adults, unless suffering from certain rare genetic disorders, can synthesize sufficient arginine to meet the body’s demands, however infants and young children cannot produce arginine and since arginine is essential for the production and release of the growth hormone, they must receive the amino acid in dietary intake.

There are other conditions such as trauma (including surgery), and burns that can produce an increased demand within the body for the synthesis of arginine. Arginine is necessary for wound healing, probably because it plays an important role in the synthesis of collagen necessary for the production of new tissue and bone cells. If the body could not produce the necessary amount of arginine, healing time would take longer than under normal circumstances. The ability to synthesize non essential amino acids, including arginine can be effected by age, overall health, organ health, and stress,

During stress, the thymus gland usually shrinks, the production of lymphocytes (small white blood cells which are the body’s main defense against diseases) diminishes and sickness usually results. In autopsies of individuals who died after long illnesses, the gland is tiny and sometimes atrophied. Arginine is the key to maintaining the proper size of the gland to maintain the production of lymphocytes.

Arginine deficiencies can produce muscle weakness and impair insulin production among other things. Rapid growth, pregnancy, trauma, protein deficiency and malnutrition are conditions usually associated with deficiencies of arginine. Arginine deficiency is also frequently associated with skin rash, hair loss and breakage, poor wound healing and some liver conditions. This is not an area for self-diagnoses and requires the attention of a health practitioner to determine if there is an amino acid deficiency or if the symptoms are related to another cause.

Some studies have suggested that arginine is useful in the treatment of several diseases:

• Arthritis, because collagen is found in the connective tissue and arginine is a major player in the production of collagen

• Cancer Patients, arginine enhances the immune function and therefore may help to retard tumor growth.

• Liver Disorders, arginine helps in detoxifying the liver and may be of benefit in liver injury and other liver disorders.

• Body Building, and weight loss, arginine is reported to help in reducing body fat while increasing lean muscle. Some studies support the value of arginine supplementation for athletes.

• Fertility, seminal fluid contains a large amount of arginine and it may be helpful in treating sterility in men. It has been shown in combination with some other amino acids to have a positive effect on sperm viability and motility. It has also been noted as an aid to increased libido and a useful aid in treating erectile dysfunction.

Arginine may act as an anti-aging agent because it is involved in the production of many enzymes and hormones. The older adult responds to arginine with increased levels of glucose and growth hormone. The main source of energy for muscle and other cells is glucose. Glucose metabolism produces ammonia, a toxic substance. Arginine stimulates the enzyme that starts the cycle that converts ammonia into urea. Urea is cleansed from the body by the kidneys and excreted in urine.

Each individual has differing dietary needs depending on gender, age, and geographic location. There is no one size fits all for nutritional requirements. There is no known reason to increase consumption of dietary protein to increase circulating levels of amino acids, and since many protein rich foods are also rich in fats, it could cause unnecessary weight gain and cholesterol levels that are unhealthy.

Arginine is found in chocolate, whole grains (wheat, buckwheat, and oatmeal), dairy products, red meats, nuts (pecans, cashews, walnuts, etc), seafood, and soybeans. A balanced diet with enough calories to meet the guidelines for the size of the individual concerned should provide enough arginine as well as other nutrients for a healthy life.

Because arginine will boost the immune system it may seem like a solution to people suffering with ailments. It should not be used with out consultation with a health provider and should never be used by anyone suffering from an acute or chronic virus, such as Epstein-Barr, or Herpes Simplex I or II. It will speed up the rate of growth of the virus.

Arginine, as with most amino acids, has two forms, the L-form and the D-form. The L-form of amino acids is the most compatible with human body chemistry and is the only form discussed here.l

obituary

13-11-2008, 02:03

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

Many women have unwanted hair they want to remove, either by temporary hair removal measures or by permanent hair removal measures, like laser hair removal. Unwanted hair can be on legs, arms, underarms, bikini line or the face. This article makes clear the following:

* Is it possible to remove unwanted hair by waxing?
* How sugaring can be used to remove unwanted hair?
* How unwanted hair can be removed permanently?

Many women have unwanted hair they want to remove, either by temporary hair removal measures or by permanent hair removal measures, like laser hair removal. Unwanted hair can be on legs, arms, underarms, bikini line or the face. Unwanted facial hair is one area where women will often consider permanent hair removal or laser facial hair removal.

Remedies for Dealing with the Situation

There are a number of remedies for dealing with unwanted hair, including bleaching, short-term hair removal, long-term hair removal and permanent hair removal. Here are some of the most popular methods of removing unwanted hair.

1. Bleaching. Bleaching the hair makes the hair more difficult to see.
2. Plucking the hairs out using a tweezer. (This is popular when dealing with eyebrow hair.)
3. Trimming the hair.
4. Shaving
5. Waxing
6. Using an epilator.
7. Depilatory creams.
8. Electrolysis
9. Laser hair removal.

NATURAL REMEDIES

A lot of hair removal methods require the use of harsh chemicals, but there are some natural remedies for removing unwanted hair. Shaving and plucking can be considered natural remedies, so far as they do not require the use of chemicals. Here are some other natural remedies for body hair removal and facial hair removal.

1. Hair can be bleached with lemon juice and chamomile tea.
2. Sugaring is a method first used in ancient Egypt. By combining honey, lemon and sugar you can create your own mixture. It is used in a similar way to waxing.
3. A rough stone (like a pumice stone) can be used to remove hair by causing friction.
4. Some hair removal products can be purchased that use only natural ingredients.

Hot water and steam are not methods of dealing with unwanted hair, but they are helpful when removing hair from the roots. Before plucking, waxing or using an epilator, a hot bath or a facial sauna with open up the pores and make the hairs easier to remove.

USING CREAMS AND GADGETS

There are many creams and gadgets on the market that assist women in facial hair removal and body hair removal.

Depilatory creams use chemicals to dissolve the hairs at the skin's surface. They are often used for facial hair removal or removal of hairs around the bikini line. Different creams can be purchased for different hair removal tasks. As these creams contain harsh chemicals, they may irritate the skin. For this reason, all creams should be tested on the skin before use.

Hair bleaches lighten the hair, so that it is becomes less visible. There are a number of hair bleaches available in the stores. Hair bleaches are popular for facial hair, where it is difficult to remove hair without waxing or undergoing permanent hair removal treatments, like laser facial hair removal.

Waxing is a popular way of removing unwanted body and facial hair. There are a number of special waxing kits available for purchase, some of which include all-natural ingredients. People can also get their hair waxed at beauty salons.

Shaving removes the hair at the skin's surface. As the hair is cut off, it may grow back thicker and darker than before. Shaving products include razors, disposable razors and electric razors. Shaving cream can help while shaving, but it does not help remove unwanted hair.

Epilators are electronic devices that roll along the body, pulling up hairs at the root. As the hairs are removed at the root, it takes longer for the hairs to grow back than they would in normal shaving.

All of these methods can be useful while dealing with unwanted hair. Some of these methods last longer than others, but none of them provide permanent hair removal.l

obituary

13-11-2008, 02:09

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

A manicure is a beauty treatment for the fingernails and hands. Manicures usually involve soaking the hands, applying hand lotion, filing and shaping the nails and applying nail polish. There are also special manicures, like French manicures. This article includes:

* Find more on manicure and pedicure
* What is the procedure for manicure?
* What is the procedure for pedicure?

It is possible to give yourself a professional manicure or pedicure at home. You can even create your own professional manicure sets (including pedicure machines for those who want all the manicure and pedicure sets and tools). All you need is a few simple tools and knowledge of the procedure that professional manicurists use.

What are Manicures and Pedicures?

A manicure is a beauty treatment for the fingernails and hands. Manicures usually involve soaking the hands, applying hand lotion, filing and shaping the nails and applying nail polish. There are also special manicures, like French manicures.

Pedicure is the same sort of treatment for the feet. Again, it involves soaking the feet, filing and shaping the nails and applying lotion and nail polish.

The Procedure (for doing your own manicures and pedicures)

Below are the procedure that would be followed by a professional manicurist. By following the same procedure, you can also give yourself a professional-looking manicure. Before you start, though, you will need to collect some tools and put together one of your own professional manicure sets.

PROFESSIONAL MANICURE SETS

Here are all the tools you will need to give yourself a manicure or pedicure. Some items on the list are essential, but some items can be left until later. You can also buy professional manicure sets or individual manicure and pedicure sets.

The Basics

1. Bowl of warm water (this will have to be a very large bowl for a pedicure).
2. Nail polish remover.
3. Cuticle pusher (preferably orangewood)
4. A hand towel.
5. Nail clippers or scissors.
6. Clear nail polish.
7. Cotton pads.
8. Finger brush.
9. Nail file or emery board.
10. Nail polishing board (or nail buffer).
11. Massage lotion or hand lotion.
12. Pumice stone.

Extras

1. Finger bath.
2. Foot bath.
3. Bath salt.
4. Cuticle remover (this is not necessary).
5. Cuticle oil (this is not necessary).
6. Colored nail polish. (This isn't necessary if you do not want colored nails.)
7. Base coat.
8. Top coat.
9. Professional Items
10. Pedicure machines (can also be used for manicures).

HOW TO DO A MANICURE

If you have ever wondered how to do a manicure, the following list should be helpful. It is a list of steps that professional manicurists take when giving people manicures. By following the same steps (and using your own professional manicure sets) you too can give yourself a professional manicure.

1. Remove any old nail polish with nail polish remover. Wash and sanitize the hands with soap and hot water or by scrubbing with bath salt. Bath salt is best because it removes dead skin cells. Dry the hands with a clean towel.
2. Trim the fingernails and shape them with a nail file. Metal nail files or emery boards can be used, but professionals usually use fine glass files. To file properly, start with the file at the outer edge of the nail and move towards the center. You should not file nails with a saw-like motion.
3. Soak the hands in water. A cream, oil or chemical cuticle remover can be applied to remove cuticles. The cuticles are pushed back with a cuticle pusher. Metal cuticle pushers can be used, but they may damage the fingernail. It is best to use orangewood cuticle pushers.
4. Polish the fingernails with a polishing board (or nail buffer). A polishing board has a soft foam layer with a polishing surface.
5. Apply nail polish. Most professionals apply at least one layer of clear nail polish. If you want to apply colored nail polish, use at least three layers. Start with a base coat. Then put on the color coat. Finish with a top coat. Clear nail polish can be used in place of a base coat and top coat.
6. Finish the manicure with a hand massage. You can use hand lotion or oils. Some manicurists will soak the hands in paraffin or wax before putting on hand lotion.l

obituary

13-11-2008, 02:16

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

For a long time, having tanned skin was seen as being unattractive. Ironically, now that we know the dangers of skin cancer, many people find having a skin tan desirable. This has promoted the rise of the sunless skin tanning product - products that are meant to tan the skin without any dangers. This article educates you on:

* Know about sun and sunless tanning techniques
* What are the precautions to take while having sun and sunless tanning?
* What are the risks involved in skin tanning?

For a long time, having tanned skin was seen as being unattractive. Ironically, now that we know the dangers of skin cancer, many people find having a skin tan desirable. This has promoted the rise of the sunless skin tanning product - products that are meant to tan the skin without any dangers. However, even these sunless skin tanning products can be dangerous in some cases.

Different Methods People Use to Tan Their Skin

The traditional method of skin tanning is by sun bathing. This was popular in the 1970s, when the skin tan became fashionable, but the risks of skin cancer were not yet widely known. Nowadays, many people choose not to directly expose their skin to UV rays. However, sun bathing is still practiced by those who do not care about the dangers or who use a sunscreen lotion with minimal coverage (or low SPF). These sunscreen lotions claim to block out some of the sun's rays, while allowing the person to get a tan.

Sunless bronzers come in the form of tanning lotions, creams or powders. They are applied to the skin for the appearance of a temporary tan. The bronzers are removed when the skin is washed.

Spray tanning booths are becoming a popular way for people to receive a skin tan. A tan is applied to the skin by means of an air compressor or airbrush.

Tanning accelerators are either lotions or pills that contain tyrosine. The tyrosine is meant to increase the formation of melanin, which accelerates the tanning process.

Tanning pills contain cathanxanthin. The canthaxatin changes the color of the skin.

Tanning beds (also known as tanning lamps) expose the body to UV rays, without the person needing to go out into direct sunlight. As this method still exposes the skin to UV rays, tanning beds can be just as dangerous as sun bathing.

Sunless tanning lotion and sunless tanning spray contain di hydroxyl acetone (DHA). DHA changes the color of the dead skin cells. The tan lasts for about one week.

Sun and Sunless Tanning Tips

Here are some tips and techniques for different skin tanning techniques.

SUNBATHING

The best advice for anyone who wishes to gain a skin tan by sunbathing is 'don't do it'. However, if you are determined to sunbathe, then keep the following tips in mind.

* Read up on the dangers of skin cancer.
* Learn about the effects of the sun rays on your skin. The sun's rays can increase the chance of premature ageing, speed up wrinkles, dry out your skin and become a trigger for certain skin disorders like eczema.
* Have a number of short sunbathing sessions, instead of one long session.
* Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
* Wear sunglasses.
* A sunscreen that provides minimal coverage is better than no sunscreen at all.
* Avoid the sun during the hottest times of the day.

BRONZERS

Here are some tips for using bronzing products.

* Exfoliate your skin first.
* Do not apply a bronzer after a bath or shower.
* Apply the bronzer in a circular motion.

SPRAY TANNING BOOTHS

Here are some tips for the use of tanning booths.

* Exfoliate your skin first.
* Moisturize your skin first.
* Wear loose fitting clothing.
* Wipe your skin with a towel after application.
* Protect your eyes and mouth.

TANNING ACCELERATORS AND PILLS

There is no evidence to suggest that tanning accelerators or pills actually work. A lot of people are convinced the possible dangers far outweigh any benefits. Pills, particularly, are considered one of the worst ways in which to get a sun tan. Before taking any pills or accelerators, consider the following tips.

* Consult your doctor on whether the products will have any negative effect on medication you are taking.
* Find out any relevant information about the product you wish to take.
* Ask for a recommendation. Do not choose the cheapest product, as it is may have no effect.
* Be careful in the sun and protect your skin from UV rays.

TANNING LOTIONS

Here are some tips for using a sunless tanning lotion.

* Ask your store attendant for the best sunless tanning lotion. Cheap versions may cause your skin to go yellow.
* Do a skin patch test before applying the lotion to your entire body.
* Exfoliate before using the lotion.
* Moisturize your skin.
* Wear the same thing every time you use the lotion - preferably something dark so that stains will not show.

TANNING BEDS OR LAMPS

Here are some tips for using tanning beds or lamps.

* Protect your eyes and your lips.
* Check with your doctor about the effect of UV light on any medication.
* Moisturize your skin before and after the session.
* Gradually expose the areas that have been covered up.
* Don't over do it and watch the time.l

obituary

14-11-2008, 10:23

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol) is a naturally-occurring substance that can be purchased as DMAE cream, tablets, liquid or capsules. It increases levels of acetylcholine and may also stimulate the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine. This article consists of:

* Is it possible to get DMAE without prescription?
* Why DMAE is known as 'smart' or 'brain' drug?
* Is it possible to improve the appearance of the skin through DMAE?

DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol) is a naturally-occurring substance that can be purchased as DMAE cream, tablets, liquid or capsules. It increases levels of acetylcholine and may also stimulate the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine. It is produced naturally in the brain and found in anchovies and sardines. You can purchase DMAE cream, tablets, liquid, or capsules. The exact benefits and any DMAE side effects have not yet been established.

Recently, there have been claims that when DMAE is applied topically (that is applied to the skin with a DMAE cream or lotion), it has face-lifting and skin-tightening properties.

DMAE is also known as a “brain” or “smart” drug. It increases the chemicals in the brain that are needed for short-term memory, concentration and learning. It has been used to treat children with ADHD and people with Alzheimer's disease.

Is DMAE really effective?

The exact effects of topical DMAE (ie DMAE cream and DMAE lotion) on the skin have not been thoroughly researched. The science world is divided as to the extent DMAE actually works and how it works. Most people agree, though, that DMAE does improve the appearance of the skin.

Studies have been shown that DMAE causes the skin to tighten and tone, particularly around the eyes. DMAE usually produces a noticeable effect, but not the dramatic effect that would occur from a face-lift. Often it may take some time for there to be a dramatic improvement. Continual use will increase the effect.

In Which Ways can DMAE be administered to the skin?

Many skin care companies have released DMAE creams and DMAE lotions. You can also purchase DMAE gel or DMAE lotion. These are applied directly onto the skin, usually once or twice a day. Prices range, but some can be quite expensive. Breaking open a DMAE tablet and applying it to the skin will not have any effect.

Taking DMAE tablets, or eating lots of fish like anchovies and sardines, will also improve the appearance of the skin, but it will not have the effect of a topical DMAE cream. DMAE may also be applied as part of a mesolift, where the face is given micro-injections over a period of two to three years.

Benefits DMAE can present in terms of skin toning and tightening

Topical DMAE (DMAE cream and lotion) can tighten the skin and decrease facial sagging. Neck folds, sagging cheeks, fine links and sagging eyebrows have also been reported to improve after the continual application of DMAE. Some reports even suggest a noticeable improvement after 24 hours.

The DMAE antioxidant properties help the membrane resist stress and protect it from free radical damage. It also increases the effects of other antioxidants in the skin. People who regularly use DMAE often get an improvement in the facial musculature, resulting in a leaner look.l

AAKOJ

17-11-2008, 00:26

Li Xiaokai died of kidney failure on the old wooden bed in the family farmhouse, just before dawn on a drizzly Sept. 10.

Her grandmother wrapped the 9-month-old in a wool blanket. Her father handed the body to village men for burial by a muddy creek. The doctors and family never knew why she got sick. A day later, state media reported that the type of infant formula she drank had been adulterated with an industrial chemical.

Yet the deaths of Xiaokai and at least four other babies are not included in China's official death toll from its worst food safety scare in years. The Health Ministry's count stands at only three deaths.

The stories of these uncounted babies suggest that China's tainted milk scandal has exacted a higher human toll than the government has so far acknowledged. Without an official verdict on the deaths, families worry they will be unable to bring lawsuits and refused compensation.

So far, nobody is suggesting large numbers of deaths are being concealed. But so many months passed before the scandal was exposed that it's likely more babies fell sick or died than official figures reflect.

Beijing's apparent reluctance to admit a higher toll is reinforcing perceptions that the authoritarian government cares more about tamping down criticism than helping families. Lawyers, doctors and reporters have said privately that authorities pressured them to not play up the human cost or efforts to get compensation from the government or Sanlu, the formula maker.

"It's hard to say how the government will handle this matter," said Zhang Xinkui, a Beijing-based lawyer amassing evidence of the contamination for a possible lawsuit. "There may be many children who perhaps died from drinking Sanlu powdered milk or perhaps from a different cause. But there's no system in place to find out."

In the weeks since Xiaokai's death, her father and his older brother have talked to lawyers and beseeched health officials, with no result.

"My heart is in pain," said her father, Li Xiaoquan, a short, taciturn farmer with hooded eyes. From a corner of his farmhouse courtyard in central China's wheat and corn flatlands, he pulls a worn green box that once held apples and is now stuffed with empty pink wrappers of the Sanlu Infant Formula Milk Powder that Xiaokai nursed on. "We think someone, the company, should compensate us."

In coal-mining country 450 miles to the northwest, Tian Xiaowei waits for his wife to leave the newly built house before removing five small photos of a wide-eyed baby boy from a brown plastic document folder. "She breaks down when she sees them," Tian said. The photos are the only mementos left of year-old Tian Jin, who died in August.

"I want these people who poisoned the milk powder to receive the severest punishment under law. I want an explanation and I want consolation for my dead child," said Tian, a broad-shouldered apple farmer and part-time truck driver. "I feel like we could die from regret. If we knew that it was contaminated, we would never have fed him that."

Since September, when the scandal was first reported, Beijing has said that Shijiazhuang Sanlu Group Co., the dairy, knew as early as last year that its products were tainted with melamine and that company and local officials first tried to cover it up.

The government has promised free medical treatment to the 50,000 children sickened, and unspecified compensation to them and families of the dead. The Health Ministry, which is coordinating the government's response, declined to answer questions about the compensation plan and whether it was investigating deaths and illnesses not yet counted by the government.

Melamine, a chemical used as a flame retardant and binding agent to make cooking utensils and industrial coatings, is rich in nitrogen. As such, it makes an attractive low-cost additive to milk and other foods; nitrogen registers as protein on many routine tests.

Though melamine is not believed harmful in tiny amounts, higher concentrations produce kidney stones, which can block the ducts that carry urine from the body, and in serious cases can cause kidney failure.

All eight babies who died were diagnosed with kidney failure, according to the families, medical records or state media accounts. All also supposedly drank Sanlu infant formula or powdered milk.

The fathers of Li Xiaokai and Tian Jin both wave inch-thick sheaves of medical reports and tests from their children's stays in hospitals. Xiaokai, a twin older than her sister Xiaoyan by three minutes, was fed with Sanlu formula while the younger girl nursed on breast milk because their mother did not have enough for both, family members said.

An ultrasound examination of Xiaokai's kidneys at the Zhengzhou Children's Hospital on Aug. 21 found a stone in each kidney that was about the size of a small marble and 2 1/2 times larger than what doctors consider a critical threshold.

Tian Xiaowei, the apple farmer, sent bags of Sanlu infant formula to a government laboratory in September. The Xi'an Product Quality Supervision Institute's report, dated Oct. 8, found melamine levels of 1,748 milligrams per kilogram, more than 800 times the government-set limit.

Then there's Wang Siyu, the daughter of an accountant and proprietor of an Internet cafe in the central city of Shangqiu. Siyu was fed Sanlu products from birth and developed recurring kidney problems in May last year, at age 3, said her mother, Li Songmei.

Twice hospitalized, she was taken off Sanlu milk and started to recover, only to fall ill again when the family began to give her Sanlu products, Li said. Sick for a third time and swollen, she died of kidney failure at the Zhengzhou Children's Hospital on May 2, said Li.

"Ever since she was born, she had been using Sanlu milk. Only when she felt sick and couldn't eat did she stop taking Sanlu," said Li.

Others among the five include an infant in far western Xinjiang province, whose story was posted on the provincial government Web site, and a 6-month-old boy in southeastern Jiangxi province, reported by the New Legal Daily. A reporter who worked on the article and would give only his surname, Liu, said the newspaper was careful not to blame Cai Cong's death on Sanlu formula because "the local government has not yet reached a verdict."

Medical experts say kidney stones in infants are rare. Doctors in several parts of China first noticed a rise in cases in the past two years. Pediatric urologist Feng Dongchuan tried to sound an alarm, posting an item on his blog in July about a spike in cases at his hospital in the central city of Xuzhou and in nearby Nanjing city. Feng pinpointed infant formula as the likely cause.

Feng at first refused requests for interviews, then responded in a terse e-mail: "The chance for infants or small children to come down with kidney stones is very small, and having stones that obstruct both kidneys is even more rare."

Like the others, the Li family grew distressed when Xiaokai started to become fussy in July. With their two-acre farm in Liti Village, her parents never had much money and already had a child, a son. But they wanted a larger family, bucking the one-child family planning limits. Xiaokai was "the more active" of the twins, said her 70-year-old grandmother, Li Xuan.

By August, Xiaokai was running a high fever, unabated by ever higher doses of medicine. Alarmed after she stopped eating and urinating, the family took her to the nearby Runnan county hospital on Aug. 18. The doctors diagnosed kidney failure and rushed her overnight by ambulance to Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, three hours away and the best in Henan province.

"They knew right away," said the father, Li. Xiaokai was run through tests and put on intravenous solutions to try to shrink the kidney stones. Unable to stay with her or afford a hotel, Li and his mother slept on the pavement outside the hospital. After five days, the hospital said it could do no more.

"The doctors wouldn't operate because they said 'she's too small,'" said Li. They suggested taking Xiaokai to Beijing or Shanghai. Hospital officials declined comment and refused to make Xiaokai's doctor available.

The hospital stay in Zhengzhou cost 7,331 yuan, or $1,070 — about a year's cash income for the family — and they had already borrowed money to pay for Xiaokai's care.

So Li brought Xiaokai home to die. They took her to a traditional medicine doctor in the village, who gave her an herbal medicine and confirmed the grim prognosis. "The old doctor told us 'the child will die in 10 to 18 days,'" Li said.

Early on Sept. 10 while it was still dark, the grandmother called Li into the side room where she and Xiaokai slept. "Her stomach was puffy" — a sign of kidney failure — "and she wasn't breathing," he said.

In many parts of north China, the death of a child is considered a misfortune that can bring bad luck on a family and is best suppressed. Accordingly, Li Haiqin, a cousin, and three other men took Xiaokai to a creek on the far side of the village fields. They put a brick in the blanket with the body and placed it in a shallow hole under a path between rows of poplar trees. Then they walked back in silence beneath a gray dawn and a light rain. No close family members were there and none was told where the grave is.

Xiaokai's family says Beijing had waived regular inspections of Sanlu because its quality controls were said to be excellent. "The government should shoulder its responsibility. This was a national brand, inspection-exempt products," said Xiaokai's uncle, Li Shenyi.

Since the death, Li Shenyi approached the Runnan county Health Bureau to classify Xiaokai's death as caused by tainted formula. "They said the upper levels (of government) were working on it," he said.

The county health bureau referred calls to its supervisors in Zhumadian city, who said ultimately it was up to Beijing.

"Right now, the Health Ministry has no clear explanation on how the victim's families should be compensated," said a Ms. Shang at the Zhumadian Health Bureau's medical affairs office. "Nobody knows."

AAKOJ

17-11-2008, 00:28

They're the best-selling family of drugs of all time, with annual worldwide sales estimated at more than $20 billion. Every year, Canadian doctors write more than 12 million prescriptions for statins, making them the most-prescribed drugs in the country. They're in a class of drugs that has proven very effective at lowering cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of heart attacks.

The possible effectiveness of statins is so great that surprised researchers reported in November 2008 they have stopped a four-year study two years early in order to present their findings as soon as possible on the drugs' benefits to patients.

The study, which followed nearly 18,000 patients from 27 different countries, found the strongest evidence yet that people with high levels of a particular protein are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. It also found that the risk dropped by nearly half for patients treated with statins.

All the patients had normal levels of cholesterol (LDL-c) and high levels of hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) — previously suspected, but not confirmed, to be a critical indicator of heart problems — and as such were not receiving any treatment for cardiovascular disease.

But the study participants who received a daily dose of the drug rosuvastin saw their risk of cardiovascular disease drop by 44 per cent, and their risk of death fall by 21 per cent, compared with participants taking placebo over the same period.

Since statins have a cholesterol-lowering effect, they are currently used to prevent cardiovascular disease in patients who are at risk due to high LDL-c levels. But cardiovascular disease is also caused by vascular inflammation, marked by high levels of hs-CRP, the study suggests.

The study implies that statins act on both cholesterol and inflammation, an effect that has long been suspected but not proven.
If you believe the estimate by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada that four out of five adults have at least one factor increasing their risk of heart attack, then the potential market for statins is huge.

And that market could easily continue to grow. Statins are being called the Aspirin of the 21st century and a miracle drug — because they might actually do a lot more than just prevent heart attacks.

Studies have suggested that statins might also slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease and help patients with osteoporosis and multiple sclerosis. And new data raise the possibility that statins might also ward off colon, breast and prostate cancer — and lower one's overall cancer risk.

The human body actually needs some cholesterol to help with the building and maintenance of cells. Good — or HDL cholesterol — helps the body absorb vitamins and nutrients from food. It helps produce the hormones the body needs.

Bad — or LDL cholesterol — sticks to the inside of blood vessels and arteries, narrowing the path through which blood flows and increasing the risk of forming clots. That's what leads to heart disease and strokes. Combined, those two diseases make up the leading cause of death in Canada, killing nearly 80,000 people a year, almost 40 per cent of all deaths in this country. Cholesterol is to blame in many of those cases.
Cholesterol had its uses

At one time, millennia ago, it may have been important for the human body to be able to produce cholesterol — because early humans may have gone long periods between meals, which meant they couldn't count on getting enough cholesterol. But Dr. David Jenkins — a Canada Research Chair in nutrition, and a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto — says that's not the case for the modern couch potato.

"We've got these ancient bodies with these ancient genes which are all destined to make sure that we've got enough cholesterol to fulfill essential functions," Jenkins told CBC Radio's Quirks and Quarks. "Today, unfortunately, we've taken out all those nice things in the diet that take cholesterol out of the body and have brought in a whole load of very nice refined foods that allow us to sit around, not do too much, and just synthesize cholesterol."

Those refined foods help your body produce the bad kind of cholesterol. That's where statins come in. They work by blocking an enzyme in the liver that is involved in producing cholesterol within liver cells.

"This tricks the liver cells into thinking the cholesterol levels are too low within the cell and the cell puts more receptors onto its surface, which drag the bad LDL cholesterol out of the blood," explains Dr. Rory Collins, professor of epidemiology at Oxford University. "The liver then breaks down that cholesterol and it's excreted into the bile and into the gut."

Collins conducted the biggest study of statins to date, covering 20,000 people over five years. The study — published in November 2001 — suggested that a person who has had high cholesterol for decades could reduce their risk of heart attack or stroke by 25 per cent within just a few years of statin treatment. The study also suggested that the risk would continue to decrease, the longer the treatment continued.

The study was a factor in the British government's decision to make statins available over the counter to almost anyone over age 55. Britain's health secretary said the move would encourage more people to start taking statins, even those with a moderate risk of heart disease.

Collins argues that giving statins to more people — even those at lower risk — will prevent even more heart attacks.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine's Oct. 11, 2007 edition backs that up. The study was a 10-year follow-up of the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study. It found that people who started on statins in the early part of the original study had a significantly reduced risk of heart attack than those who started statin therapy after the original study was completed.

Other studies have suggested that statins may have promise in treating other conditions. One found that cholesterol promotes the development of Alzheimer's disease in rabbits. The researchers wanted to see if lowering cholesterol levels in people with Alzheimer's might slow down the disease. Patients on statins were tested on their cognitive abilities, their memory and their feelings of depression. The study found that the patients who had taken statins seemed to be in better shape.
Studies have also suggested that statins may show some promise in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. And, at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology on June 6, 2004, new research was presented suggesting people who took statins for at least five years appeared to cut their risk of colon cancer in half.

If statins do reduce the risk of cancer, scientists say it may have nothing to do with the drug's effects on cholesterol. One theory is that statins fight off the disease by reducing inflammation. Another theory is statins could block the way some cancer-causing genes work.

Researchers say the evidence is still too weak to recommend taking statins for cancer prevention. They say much more study is needed.

But there is a debate over the widespread use of statins. Some argue that the smaller your risk of developing heart disease, the smaller the benefit you'll get from taking statins. And by taking a pill every day, you might be running the risk of having the harm outweigh the benefits.

Although there are relatively few side effects to statins, they can be quite serious. They include a degenerative muscle disease called myopathy, which can be fatal. Bayer pulled its statin — Baycol — off the market in August 2001 because it caused too many cases of myopathy. Baycol was linked to 52 deaths worldwide, including one in Canada.

According to data obtained by the CBC from Health Canada's adverse drug reaction database, more than 1,000 serious side effects related to statins have been reported in the last 15 years.

While the researchers continue to probe whether statins should be conferred "wonder-drug" status, some doctors are arguing that — wonder drug or not — there's a simple, drug-free way to get cholesterol-lowering benefits similar to what statins bring: watch what you eat and get some exercise.

AAKOJ

17-11-2008, 00:30

Ever heard of White Plague? What about Pott's disease? Lupus Vulgaris? King's evil? No? OK then, surely you've heard of consumption. All of these diseases are actually the same disease, better known today as tuberculosis — TB for short.

Tuberculosis is caused by a germ called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. What makes TB such a health threat is that it is not only contagious, but it spreads through the air. So when infected individuals cough, sneeze, spit or even just talk, they're spreading the bacteria. Other people become infected when they breathe in the now airborne bacteria.

This is why the World Health Organization reports that about one per cent of the world's population becomes newly infected each year. Once infected, the bacteria can lie dormant inside the body for years.

Most people don't even realize they are infected. They don't feel sick and don't show any symptoms. In fact, 90 to 95 per cent of people who get infected never get sick.
It's the other five to 10 per cent who have to worry. These are people who have weaker-than-normal immune systems, such as children, the elderly or people with immune-deficiency diseases like HIV.

When the bacteria become active, they can attack any part of the body, although they commonly go for the lungs. Once there, the bacteria begin to grow and move through the blood to other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, spine and brain.
Watch for coughing, chest pain

If you suffer from a persistent cough — one that lasts longer than two weeks — along with chest pain, and are coughing up blood and phlegm, you may have TB. Other symptoms include weight loss, fatigue, lack of appetite, chills and fever.

Tuberculosis has been around a long time. Tissue samples from ancient gravesites and the examination of an Egyptian mummy suggest people were infected by tuberculosis as far back as 5,400 years, but scientists believe the bacteria are probably three times as old.

Documentation of TB goes back to the ancient Greeks, who identified what they called "phthisis" as the most widespread disease of the time, one that was almost always fatal.

But it wasn't until 1546 that the idea that TB is contagious began to be accepted as medical fact. And it took almost another 200 years before scientists realized that the disease didn't just attack people who had certain physical attributes.

In 1882, German bacteriologist Robert Koch identified the tuberculosis bacillus, the bacteria at the root of the disease. Koch's work won him the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1905.
WHO plan aims to tackle TB

The WHO's Global Plan to Stop TB aims to cut the number of deaths from tuberculosis in half by 2015, saving 14 million lives between 2006 and 2015. The plan sets out strategies for making sure that people in underserviced areas get access to quality TB diagnosis and treatment. Regions especially hard hit are sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV is also prevalent, and parts of Eastern Europe.

In June 2008, the WHO announced plans to begin using a DNA-based test to diagnose drug-resistant forms of the disease in Africa. The tests will be used in Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Congo and Lesotho and are expected to shorten the diagnosis time from months to hours.

In most of the world, people with active tuberculosis can be treated and cured if medical help is accessible, and infected people who aren't sick can take medicine to avoid developing TB.

People who think they may have TB can get a TB skin test, in which a health-care worker injects a small amount of testing fluid just under the skin on an arm. After a couple of days, the spot where the needle was injected is examined for a positive or negative reaction.

If the person tests positive, usually meaning he or she has TB, the person can get medicine that will kill the bacteria before they become active. One such drug is called isoniazid. Most people usually have to take the drug for at least six months.

There is also a vaccine called BCG, which is often used to prevent children from getting tuberculosis, although it's not always effective.
Cure within easy reach

People who develop TB can almost always be cured provided the proper medical treatment is available. Unfortunately, this is not the case in many countries where TB is killing thousands.

But recently, the WHO has identified a new strain of extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis that leaves patients "virtually untreatable." Extensive drug-resistant TB or XDR-TB is emerging, in which the bacteria resist not only front-line drugs, but also three of the more than six classes of second-line drugs. While more potent, these medications have more serious side-effects, are more expensive and may need to be taken for as long as two years.

On average, about one per cent of all strains are drug-resistant, and of those, between five and 15 per cent are extensively drug-resistant, said Dr. Anne Fanning, a professor emeritus at the University of Alberta's faculty of medicine.

"It is of grave concern if it is not appropriately addressed," Fanning told CBC Newsworld. "Drug resistance happens if treatment is not handled well. Good TB treatment in the first instance cures. Poor treatment creates drug resistance."

A survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that the strain is showing up around the world — not just in areas with poor access to quality care. Although no numbers are yet available, the Canadian Lung Association (formerly the Canadian Tuberculosis Association) says cases of XDR-TB were detected in Canada in 2006.

In May 2007, a man previously diagnosed with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis sparked an international stir when he ignored doctors' orders and flew from Europe to the U.S. via Canada.

Tests later showed that Andrew Speaker had the less dangerous multi-drug-resistant form of TB. No one on the flight was infected, but some fellow passengers are suing Speaker for putting them at risk.
Winning TB fight

Overall, Canada has done pretty well in its fight against tuberculosis. The rate of the disease has dropped from about 120 cases per 100,000 people in the 1940s, to 5.2 cases per 100,000 people in 2002.

Of the 1,634 cases reported in 2002, 115 patients were reported to have died, but only 68 of the deaths were linked to TB.

Not bad for a population of 30 million, but not quite the elimination of the disease that was predicted to be achieved by 2000.

In October 2008, public health officials searched for passengers considered at "moderate" risk of having contracted tuberculosis during a Greyhound bus trip to Windsor, Ont.

As in Speaker's case, a passenger on the bus had infectious tuberculosis and may have passed it on by coughing while in close contact with others. Airports routinely screen passengers for signs of infectious diseases, but bus and train companies often don't.

The Canadian Lung Association says there are three reasons Canada hasn't managed to shake the disease. The first is that because tuberculosis bacterium is a living organism, it is in a constant fight to survive in its changing environment. This is why new strains of the bacteria adapt to resist drugs.

The second reason is that, due to the nature of Canada's population — with immigrants from around the world — the disease is brought over from countries where drug treatments for TB are not readily available. In 2005, 63 per cent of TB cases in Canada occurred in people born outside the country.

Lastly, there exists a reservoir for TB among people considered at high risk of infection — those with weak immune systems or living in communities that lack the proper health services.

obituary

17-11-2008, 10:58

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While talking to a pastry chef friend of mine recently about the upcoming plans for Thanksgiving dinner, she mentioned that she was going to whip up a dessert for her mother using only raw foods. When I raised my eyebrows over the words “raw foods” she explained that a few years ago her mother found her stomach distended so far she could barely stand and ended up spending a year in and out of the hospital having multiple tests to figure out what the problem was. A diagnosis was never made but knowing that something must have triggered her gastrointestinal problems, she turned to the one thing she could change: her diet. After trying the raw food regimen, she hasn’t had another health problem.

The raw food movement—which requires that food be cooked below 115 degrees Fahrenheit—includes not only what most people think of as “raw” such as celery sticks and fresh picked apples, but also refers to foods that have not been processed and still have natural enzymes. Once foods are cooked above 116 degrees, they start to lose their enzymes, lowering their nutritional value. Enzymes in natural foods help the digestive system break the food down in order to absorb nutrients. Raw foods contain alkalizing agents which help the body to purge dangerous toxins and chemicals out of its system. Besides vegetables and fruits, other raw food categories include herbs and oils, seeds and nuts, olives and nuts, wheatgrass, maple and teas.

Vegetarianism has long been a healthy diet followed by many but there are multiple branches of the being a vegetarian, one of them being the raw food specialty. There are also branches off of the raw food sector as well, also dedicated to the health of your body: Fruitarians who mostly eat fruits, Sproutarians mostly eat sprouts, and Juicearian followers mostly drink fresh juice.

Many people believe that health problems arise by faulty food intake such as chemicals, preservatives, pesticides, artificial additives, and even cooking can alter the state of foods by releasing free radicals into the food, which are a cause of cancer. A raw food diet is easier on the wallet and on the clock with little to no preparation time, raw foods tend to have more flavor and are better quality. Raw foods also protect the planet by using less energy and packaging as well as saving you the cleanup and those pesky oven burns.

This week a woman from the U.K. recently came out in the media with her story about how she lost over 160 pounds on the raw food diet. As a preteen, Angela Stokes developed an underactive thyroid—symptoms in which a lack of energy creates a lower metabolism that keeps the body from burning calories—and found her small frame carrying around 294 pounds by age 21. In the year 2000, when her weight had reached its heaviest and she was in fear of diabetes, she went to work, manually working around the world on farms hiding her weight behind her busy life. Two years later she got some help when a friend handed her The Raw Family a book about the raw food diet to improve health.

Stokes credits the book with revolutionizing her life, “I read the whole book in one go . I was utterly absorbed by the raw lifestyle. I had never bothered with structured 'diets' or slimming plans, and now I felt like I knew why—this was the answer I'd been waiting for. It made complete sense to me, a healthy, simple life of raw food, in tune with nature, shorter food preparation times, less washing up, less kitchen equipment, natural skin care and medicine.” Stokes calls this her “Raw Reform” with a website complete with before and after pictures. To date, Stokes has written five books about her transformation and adopting a healthy raw food lifestyle.

A raw food Thanksgiving would be difficult in my family, but with a little determination and a lot of imagination, conjuring up some tasty vegetable casseroles and mixed fruit pies are sometimes all a person can eat. Raw foodism isn’t for everyone and may not appeal to some people—maybe those that stay far away from the veggie trays at cocktail parties or detest wheatgrass smoothie bars—but experimenting with raw foods and finding the right balance may be helpful to solve a health problem or to give vitality to your life and if it works, for that you can be thankful.l

obituary

17-11-2008, 10:59

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Severe abdominal pain and irregular bowel symptoms can be defined by Irritable Bowel Syndrome—or IBS—usually remedied by prescribing laxatives, stool softeners, and/or antispasmodics for the cramps, constipation, and diarrhea caused by the gastrointestinal condition. New research from London sought out to discover whether or not alternative, natural medicinal remedies are as efficient as the popular over-the-counter drugs in relieving IBS.

Among the alternative remedies for IBS are fiber supplements, hypnotherapy, probiotics—a beneficial mix of bacteria and yeast often found within the stomach—and aromatherapy, specifically peppermint oil. IBS is difficult to treat because its cause is relatively unknown and the symptoms are varied and often inconsistent.

Published by the British Medical Journal, Dr. Alex Ford and his team from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, analyzed 38 different studies from the past 25 years with over 2,500 participants who have IBS, using three different remedies versus a placebo group: antispasmodics, fiber treatments, and peppermint oil.

Twelve of the studies used the fiber diet with 591 patients, another 22 of the studies compared antispasmodics with the placebo group in 1,778 IBS patients, and the last four studies used peppermint oil in 392 volunteers. While all three of the applications were effective in treating IBS, with no serious side effects, peppermint oil proved most beneficial in the trials. Ford and his colleagues found that almost half of all IBS sufferers had their discomfort disappear after participating in the natural remedy studies.

Within the fiber study, insoluble fiber like bran didn’t affect the results, but soluble fiber (psyllium-based like the popular brand Metamucil) helped reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in one of every eleven patients. The antispasmodic drugs such as hyoscine— used to relax the muscles in the stomach and ease cramping—which are no longer widely prescribed in modern medicine, showed relief in only one of every five volunteers and this was the only drug-based remedy contrast used in the publication. Hyoscine can be found without a prescription in the United States.

The McMaster University study led the researchers to ask for better guidelines to treat this confusing, uncomfortable stomach condition. In the last few years, widely-prescribed drugs such as Zelnorm and Lotranex have been pulled from the shelves due to gastrointestinal side effects, and the increased risk for stroke or heart attack. Professor Roger Jones from King’s College London says the new drug results were a wake-up call and this new study should inspire more research and better investigation into IBS, "These new-generation drugs were going to be the magic bullets for IBS, but it didn't turn out that way…. I think this new paper is important because it shows patients and their physicians that these older treatments can be effective [and] reawaken interest in the pharmacotherapy of irritable bowel syndrome and stimulate further research".

Though researchers have yet to define which treatments work best for which patients because of the different varieties of IBS determined by specific groups of symptoms, hopefully this new study will pave the way for more in-depth research to be done.
About 5 to 20 percent of the population is living with IBS and there are many cases left undiagnosed, with 10 to 15 percent of people in the United States alone showing twice as many women diagnosed as men. The UK also reports around 8 million people suffering with the disorder and Professor Jones thinks that the significance of natural treatments are in the best interest of patients as well as their wallets. Maybe more conditions can be helped by looking back through mom’s home remedies, erasing the complication and making simplicity the new go-to plan.l

obituary

17-11-2008, 11:29

Quick fixes for everything from stomach upset to the common cold

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Introduction

Your body can throw you for a loop at any time. You wake up with a sore throat on the day of your office Christmas party, a seafood-salad sandwich leaves you with grumbling indigestion, or you overdo it at the gym and arrive home with a stiff neck. Wouldn't it be great to have a live-in doctor/therapist/trainer to tend to your everyday aches and pains?

Here's the next best thing: all-natural, expert-recommended ways to treat ailments quickly, safely, and effectively at home. So clear some space in your bathroom cabinet, refrigerator, and kitchen cupboard for these surprisingly effective (and inexpensive) remedies. They're like having a doctor on call 24 hours a day.l

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Quell nausea

Try frozen ginger chips. Infuse fresh ginger in hot water. Strain, then freeze the concoction in ice cube trays. Crush the cubes and suck the icy chips throughout the day to provide your tummy with a steady soothing dribble. Ginger's anti-nausea properties are particularly effective during pregnancy or after surgery.l

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Stifle hiccups

Swallow 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar. The dry granules stimulate and reset the irritated nerve that is causing the spasms of the diaphragm. Any coarse substance, such as salt, can work in a pinch, but sugar tastes best.

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Soothe a sore throat

Gargle twice daily with a solution of six pressed garlic cloves mixed into a glass of warm (not hot) water. Follow the regimen for 3 days. A recent study shows that fresh garlic juice has antimicrobial properties that fight pain-causing bacteria. The warm liquid soothes inflamed tissue.l

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Curb a cough

Indulge in a square or two of dark chocolate. Researchers found that chocolate's theobromine compound is more effective than codeine at suppressing persistent coughs without the side effects of drowsiness and constipation. To calm a nagging cough that keeps you awake at night, take 2 teaspoons of honey (1 to 2 teaspoons for kids; don't give to children younger than 1), along with 500 mg of Ester C 30 minutes before bed. The vitamin C (nonacidic Ester type won't upset stomachs) boosts the immune system in the early stages of your cough. Recent research shows that honey works better than either a cough suppressant or no treatment at all for relieving children's nocturnal cough and promoting sleep.l

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Cool a fever

Sip linden flower tea, which works in two ways: It stimulates the hypothalamus to better control your temperature, and it dilates blood vessels, inducing sweating. Steep 1 tablespoon of dried herb (available in health food stores) in a cup of hot water for 15 minutes, then sip. Drink three to four cups a day. If you still run hot after a day of sipping tea, seek medical attention. For a high fever (above 102�F), take a tepid bath, which simply cools the body to match the water temperature. Bathe until your temperature decreases to 101� to 102�F, then sip linden flower tea to lower it even more.l

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Cool a burn

If you grazed your skin with a hot-from-the-oven holiday cookie pan, apply aloe vera gel to the burn as needed. The soothing and anti-inflammatory gel creates a second skin to protect it from air, which irritates exposed nerve endings.l

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Quiet flatulence

Take two enteric-coated peppermint capsules (500 mg each) three times daily. Peppermint kills bacteria that cause bloating and relaxes gastrointestinal muscles for smoother, spasm-free digestion. Enteric coating prevents capsules from opening in the stomach and increasing discomfort by causing heartburn and indigestion. The peppermint then releases and goes to work lower in the gastrointestinal tract, where gas-plagued people need it most.l

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Stop foot odor

Soak feet nightly in 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water to eliminate odoriferous bacteria. Or take a daily foot bath in strong black tea (let it cool first) for 30 minutes. Tea's tannins kill bacteria and close the pores in your feet, keeping feet dry longer; bacteria tend to thrive in moist environments. You'll see results in a few days to a week. One caution: Only do the soak when your feet are free of cuts.l

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Cut short a cold

Sip a faux hot toddy. Cut a vitamin C-rich lemon in half and squeeze the juice from one half into a cup. Studies show that vitamin C taken before the onset of a cold shortens its duration and severity. Drop the lemon half shell into the cup. Add boiling water and a teaspoon of organic raw honey, an immunity booster that also coats painful throat tissues. Breathe in the healing vapor to open sinuses, and sip a cupful two or three times daily to fight the bug. (To make a traditional hot toddy, add a half shot of brandy.)l

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Sweeten bad breath

Gargle with a small cup of acidic lemon juice to kill odor-causing bacteria. Then eat a bit of plain unsweetened yogurt, which contains beneficial lactobacillus bacteria. These so-called probiotics compete with and replace the reeking bacteria. The lemon-yogurt combo instantly neutralizes odor and lasts 12 to 24 hours.l

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Soften chapped lips

Rub on anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and moisturizing olive oil two or three times a day to soothe, soften, and lubricate. Your lips will feel immediately better, but it will take a few days before they start to heal on their own. Preliminary research on mice shows that applying extra virgin olive oil to skin after sunbathing may prevent skin cancer.l

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Relax a stiff neck

A stiff neck results from slowed circulation and lymph flow to muscle tissues. Use contrast hydrotherapy — a quick blast of hot, then cold water — to get the blood pumping again. In the shower, first run hot water over your neck for 20 seconds to increase blood flow, then switch to cold for 10 seconds to constrict blood flow. Alternate three times, always ending with cold. When you get out of the shower, your body will send the blood back out to the skin, which results in a final dilation of blood vessels and — voil�! — a looser neck.l

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End snoring

If you snore mostly when on your back, put a tennis ball in a shirt pocket cut from an old T-shirt and sew it to the midback of your tight pajama top. The discomfort forces you to roll over and sleep on your side — without waking you up.l

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Beat insomnia

Before bedtime, eat a handful of cherries, which scientists discovered are jam-packed with melatonin, the same hormone created by your body to regulate sleep patterns. Then steep yourself in a hot bath to relax your muscles and your mind. In bed, rest your head on a lavender-filled pillow — the fragrance induces sleepiness.l

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Revive puffy, tired eyes

Black tea is chock-full of astringent compounds called tannins that can help deflate and tighten the bags under your eyes. Activate the tannins in a tea bag by dipping in a cup of hot water for several minutes. Cool in the fridge, then apply the damp bag as a compress to the closed eye for 10 minutes.l

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Whiten stained teeth

Crush a few fresh strawberries into a scrubbing pulp that you mix with a pinch of stain-removing baking soda and enough water to make a paste. Apply the mixture to a soft-bristled toothbrush and polish for a few minutes once every 3 or 4 months. (More often can erode tooth enamel.) The astringent malic acid in strawberries helps buff coffee and red-wine stains from teeth.l

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Prevent a headache

Try relaxing magnesium (200 to 400 mg) to reduce the muscle tension and spasms that can cause your noggin to throb. But not any type will do. Make sure the supplement contains at least 200 mg of active elemental magnesium. Because magnesium is more preventive than curative, the treatment works best on, say, premenstrual headaches because you can predict when they're coming and take a dose a day in advance. Those with kidney problems should consult a health care practitioner before taking magnesium.l

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Sidestep a hangover

Because excess alcohol depletes the body of essential B vitamins (they help break down alcohol in the body), before going to bed, take a B-50 complex supplement, which will ensure the metabolism of alcohol continues apace. Also, rehydrate by drinking plenty of water.l

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Relieve menstrual cramps

Take � to 1 teaspoon of crampbark tincture every 2 hours on the days of your worst cramps. Test-tube studies show that this North American plant works as a muscle relaxant to quickly relieve painful spasms.l

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Heal dry skin, rashes, and eczema

Bathe in your breakfast. Although oatmeal is a centuries-old skin soother, researchers only recently recognized the avenanthramides in oats as the key compounds that calm inflamed, itchy skin. Put whole oats in a clean, dry sock. Seal the open end with a rubber band, and then drop the sock into a warm or hot bath. Soak yourself for 15 to 20 minutes.l

obituary

18-11-2008, 10:34

Specialists hope latest implants will offer less pain and more function

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WASHINGTON - What was left of Dan Sivia's ankle simply didn't work. He limped through his 30s by sheer force of will, one foot almost completely immobile from repeated broken bones and surgeries.

Then a doctor offered his last hope: An ankle replacement.

A what? Sivia knew about hip, knee, even shoulder replacements. But ankles?l

His confusion is understandable: The first ankle replacements of the 1970s were abandoned when they couldn't withstand the pounding of daily life. A second generation in the '90s lasted longer but never became really popular.

Now the nation is embarking on a new generation of artificial ankles designed to work more like the joint you're born with, a move specialists hope finally will offer less pain and more function to thousands who hobble — although it's too soon to be sure.

"These third-generation prostheses really mimic a natural ankle, which is really what makes them different," says ankle specialist Dr. Steven L. Haddad of the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute and an orthopedic surgery professor at Northwestern University.

Ripe for growth

If the newer implants pan out, it's a market ripe for growth. More than 200,000 people seek care for ankle pain annually, with few options for the severely damaged. More than 8,000 a year get their ankle bones fused, a last-ditch treatment after years of suffering, while surgeons perform between 2,000 and 2,500 ankle replacements.

While Medicare pays for ankle replacements, which Haddad says can reach $50,000 including a three- to five-day hospital stay, many other insurers don't. And a review in September's Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons cautions that so far, there is little research to tell how long newer versions will last — and that few hospitals have much practice in implanting them.

But for Sivia, the surgery restored an ability to walk that the 39-year-old thought he'd forever lost. His leg was crooked from a series of breaks that began in childhood and included a crushing ankle fracture at 28. A decade of pain later, he sought out Haddad. Then he spent 17 months on crutches, with external pins holding bones in place, as Haddad rebuilt his leg. The last surgery, the ankle implant, came in July.

"When I got to rake my own lawn — I've done it three times just because I can," the Waukegan, Ill., man said with a laugh. "I'm riding my bike, I'm doing all the things everybody else is doing."

No easy task

Haddad says ankle sufferers tend to move like a sidewinder snake, one foot gingerly turned out to the side while the other foot does the heavy pushing to walk. They might have standard arthritis. But usually, fractures from years earlier — sometimes broken ankles, but often broken legs that left the entire lower limb out of alignment — simply made the ankle and its cushioning cartilage wear out.

Fusion — eliminating the pain-causing friction by permanently connecting ankle bones so they won't move — is usually an easy operation, with about 5 percent who fail to heal. The disadvantage is a stiff ankle that limits the foot's range of motion and eventually causes a domino effect, wearing out smaller joints in the foot to cause more pain until they, too, are fused.

Hence the quest for artificial ankles that would allow a fully flexible foot and normal gait.

That's not an easy task. The ankle joint is smaller than the hip and knee and must absorb more force than its sister joints, Dr. Keith Wapner of the University of Pennsylvania told a recent American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons meeting.

The Food and Drug Administration began clearing so-called third-generation ankle implants in 2005, versions that Wapner expects to last longer. Each model is slightly different but consists of two attached parts. Surgeons drill a tunnel into the lower leg bone and slide in the stem of the artificial joint. A bottom piece connects to the top of the foot. Thin plastic hooked to one side functions as cartilage. Bone then grows into the implant, holding it in place.l

In Europe, doctors also can use a similar but three-piece artificial ankle, where the plastic cushion is free-floating. Amid questions about whether that approach is better or worse, the FDA is evaluating whether to allow it here.

So which is better, fusion or replacement?

It all depends on age and activity. Even if these new ankles last more than a decade as Haddad expects, someone who jogs or mountain climbs will wear theirs out faster than someone who is sedentary. Also, different patients have different risks of wound infections.

"If you're someone that does not mind having additional surgeries on your ankle in the future as a trade-off to get better function, then a replacement is a better option," Haddad tells patients. "If you want to take care of it once, you have to opt for a fusion."l

obituary

18-11-2008, 10:38

Sadder folks watch 30 percent more than happy counterparts, study finds

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Unhappy people glue themselves to the television 30 percent more than happy people.

The finding, announced on Thursday, comes from a survey of nearly 30,000 American adults conducted between 1975 and 2006 as part of the General Social Survey.

While happy people reported watching an average of 19 hours of television per week, unhappy people reported 25 hours a week. The results held even after taking into account education, income, age and marital status. l
In addition, happy individuals were more socially active, attended more religious services, voted more and read a newspaper more often than their less-chipper counterparts.

The researchers are not sure, though, whether unhappiness leads to more television-watching or more viewing leads to unhappiness.

In fact, people say they like watching television: Past research has shown that when people watch television they enjoy it. In these studies, participants reported that on a scale from 0 (dislike) to 10 (greatly enjoy), TV-watching was nearly an 8.

But perhaps the high from watching television doesn't last.

Short-term pleasure, long-term malaise
"These conflicting data suggest that TV may provide viewers with short-run pleasure, but at the expense of long-term malaise," said researcher John Robinson, a sociologist at the University of Maryland, College Park.

In this scenario, even the happiest campers could turn into Debbie-downers if they continue to stare at the boob-tube. The researchers suggest that over time, television-viewing could push out other activities that do have more lasting benefits. Exercise and --- come to mind, as do parties and other forms of socialization known to have psychological benefits. l
Or, maybe television is simply a refuge for people who are already unhappy.

"TV is not judgmental nor difficult, so people with few social skills or resources for other activities can engage in it," Robinson and UM colleague Steven Martin write in the December issue of the journal Social Indicators Research.

They add, "Furthermore, chronic unhappiness can be socially and personally debilitating and can interfere with work and most social and personal activities, but even the unhappiest people can click a remote and be passively entertained by a TV."

The researchers say follow-up studies are needed to tease out the relationship between television and happiness. l

obituary

18-11-2008, 10:57

11 tips to help you enjoy the season without busting your diet

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Introduction

Food temptations are everywhere during the holidays. Office parties, tins packed with homemade cookies, and festive cocktails offer little escape. But if you follow these tips, you’ll survive the season a little happier and healthier.l

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Psych yourself

Don't tell yourself, "It's okay, it's the holidays." That opens the door to 6 weeks of splurging. Switch out of holiday mode as soon as the party's over. Don't turn Thanksgiving through New Year's into one long binge. For the duration of the holidays, wear your snuggest clothes that don't allow much room for expanding waists or bums. Wearing sweats -- or your favorite fat pants -- is out until January. l

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Back away from the food

As obvious as it sounds, don't stand near the food at parties. Make the weight loss effort, and you'll find you eat less. At a buffet? Eating a little of everything guarantees high calories. Decide on three or four things, only one of which is high in calories. Save that for last so there's less chance of overeating. Scan the buffet for shrimp with cocktail sauce – it’s practically fat-free and high in protein, iron, and the antioxidant lycopene.l

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Stop, drop and roll

Instead of burning the candle into the wee hours every night, just STOP what you're doing; DROP into bed; and ROLL over! Nothing horrible will happen if you let some decorating wait until tomorrow. Your body will thank you. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep can cause weight gain. If you aren't getting enough sleep you're more likely to make poor choices when it comes to food and fitness.l

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Get moving!l

It's all about calories in vs. calories out, so make exercise a nonnegotiable priority. Try squeezing exercise minutes into each day to get your heart pumping. Remember: minutes, not hours. Ten minutes is better than nothing. In fact, 10 minutes in the morning is often the best time for weight loss during the holiday since our days get busy with extra to-do’s and social events.l

A mere 10 minutes can burn off a few hors d'oeuvres, a glass of wine or it can just simply be a healthy release of stress. A brisk walk on the treadmill or elliptical can keep your jeans from feeling tight, especially at this time of the year when you're ingesting more calories. l

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Stick with the 5-a-day plan

Make sure to get your fruits and vegetables. In a bid to cut calories and save time, we often forgo the foods that would nourish us during the holidays. The excess sugar often consumed during the holidays gives us an energy high and then a crash. So fill up on healthy food -- eat five fruits and vegetables a day BEFORE you allow yourself to snack on holiday treats. Those few extra minutes you take to plan some healthy snacks and meals will save you many minutes of burning off extra calories later!l

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Don't be tempted by temptation

Avoid constantly putting yourself in situations that tempt you. For example, don’t walk through the break room at work 10 times a day when you know it's filled with holiday treats and candies. Spend a few minutes in the morning packing a healthy snack (like almonds, a piece of fruit or a yogurt) so you'll have a healthy weight-loss alternative.
And don't place treats on your kitchen counter to stare you in the face or take four desserts off the buffet vowing to take only one bite of each. Remember, EAT before you meet. Have this small meal before you go to any parties: a hardboiled egg, apple, and a thirst quencher (water, seltzer, diet soda, tea).l

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Liquid calories count

Holidays are notorious for tempting us with drinks we wouldn't normally consume. Alcohol offers no nutrients — just empty calories, and we often forget to count them. Eggnog coffee drinks with whipped cream, hot toddies, spiced rum, these drinks can have as many calories as a personal pan pizza! Limit your consumption and order sparkling water with a splash of cranberry juice instead. It'll look festive and save calories. If you want to go for the alcohol, alternate alcoholic drinks with diet-friendly, calorie-free sparkling water.l
Also watch out for too-big beverages. Restaurant and bar drinks can run as much as 43 percent larger than what is considered a standard drink serving, according to Public Health Institute researchers who analyzed 337 drinks purchased at 80 establishments. Not only are you downing more calories than you bargained for, but being tipsy could also lead you to let your guard down and overeat. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer (the amount in one can or bottle), 5 ounces of wine (a little less than half a can of soda), or 1.5 ounces of spirits or liquor (a shot-glass worth, either straight or in a mixed drink).l

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Be social and generous

Take your camera and be the designated photographer. You can't eat while snapping wriggling kids. Brush up your small talk; talking slows down eating. And finally, give it away! After your party company leaves, give away leftover food to neighbors, doormen, or delivery people, or take it to work the next day.l

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Save it for something special

Indulge only in new, interesting foods; have one taste of each. Avoid feeling deprived and distracted by food all evening long —allow yourself one dessert or holiday truffle per event. When you’re done, destroy the plate. If you've had enough to eat but others are still picking, dump salt over any food you have left.l

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Pace yourself

Eating slowly doesn't just decrease the amount of food you consume, it also fills you up faster. Healthy women who were instructed to wolf down their meals ate more food (by nearly 70 calories) but felt less satisfied than women who were told to take their time (21 minutes longer, to be exact), according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. To get into a slower rhythm, take smaller bites, chew thoroughly, and put your fork down between each one.l

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Write it down

Just the simple act of recording what you eat can help you cut calories. In a recent study of 1,685 adults published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the more food records a person kept, the more weight they lost. For a modern method, try e-mailing the information to yourself or using a computer program such as
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Madame Tussaud

18-11-2008, 12:33

;)Hi,dear archigirl.
What a GOOD topic:46:
Honey, thanks for this topic :33:
It's very great

A r c h i

20-11-2008, 10:44

Top 5 Causes of Skin Aging

Let's count down the top five barriers between you and healthier, younger-looking skin:

5l.The enemy: Lack of moisture. Dry skin isn't just uncomfortable - it's also a sign that your skin isn't holding on to enough water to allow its repair enzymes to work properly. That means that your skin is less able to naturally heal the inflammation caused by external attackers like the sun, excess sugar intake, and pollution.
The solution:Moisturize! Not all creams and lotions are created equal, though: Ideally, a moisturizer should not only temporarily hydrate, but also strengthen skin so that it can retain moisture more effectively. Check ingredient lists for ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids (stearic acid is the one you'll see most often) - those are the very lipids found naturally in your skin barrier, a layer of the epidermis that keeps moisture in and irritants out. Deliver those powerhouse moisturizers topically, and you'll bolster skin's ability to prevent further dryness.

4. The enemy: Pollution. The exhaust-belching cars and other pollutants in our modern environments are among the major causes of free radicals in the skin (the sun and cigarette smoke, which you'll read about below, also make the list of free-radical producers).
So just what is a free radical? In a nutshell, it's an oxygen molecule that has been stripped of one of its electrons ... meaning that it's on the hunt for replacement electrons. As a result of that hunt, free radicals attack vital skin components like collagen, resulting in skin aging.
The solution: Chances are, you can't take off for the less-polluted climate of a pristine desert island, but antioxidants can help mitigate the damage that pollution causes. Antioxidants calm free radicals by delivering the electrons they seek - and as a result, they also stave off free radicals' aging effects. Get them through your diet (through green tea, dark chocolate, and lots of fruits and veggies, particularly berries and pomegranates) or topically with skin-care ingredients like coenzyme Q10, green tea, coffeeberry, and idebenone.

3. The enemy: Genetics. Yes, to some extent each person's aging process is the unavoidable result of the genes they inherited.
The solution: Obviously there's not much to be done about this one. We are, however, looking into the genetic component of skin aging at the University of Miami Cosmetic Medicine and Research Institute and hope to pinpoint the exact genes involved.

2. The enemy: Smoking. If you need another great reason to quit smoking, here's one: Smoking breaks down collagen, one of the most critical structural proteins in your skin. The result is premature aging in the form of lines, wrinkles, and loss of skin firmness. Smoking also decreases blood flow to the skin, which leaves the complexion sallow and less radiant, and allows damaging toxins to build up.
The solution: Talk to your doctor, research stop-smoking aids, or enlist the support of your friends... just do what it takes to quit smoking!

1. The enemy: The sun. The No. 1 saboteur of healthy, youthful skin is the ultraviolet light of the sun. UV rays induce skin-aging inflammation and generate free radicals, which make the sun the biggest threat to skin's collagen, not to mention the fact that UV exposure puts you at a dramatically increased risk for developing skin cancer.
UV light also worsens and causes hyperpigmentation (they don't call 'em sunspots for nothing!). I have found in my years of practice that dark spots and pigmentation irregularities age people as much as - if not more than - lines and wrinkles.
The solution: Protecting your skin from the sun requires a combination of avoidance and vigilant sunscreen-application. Try to stay out of the sun when it's strongest, at midday, and wear sunscreen every day, even if you're not planning a lot of outdoor time. Incidental sun exposure - on the way to lunch, as you walk to and from your car, while you're waiting for the bus - adds up.
And if you are going to be in direct sunlight, invest in hats and sun-protective clothing. (And don't for a second think tanning beds are the solution - they use concentrated doses of UVA rays, which penetrate deep into skin, and are actually even more damaging than the sun.)

obituary

21-11-2008, 00:14

There is something more common and more lethal linked to cigarettes

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There are searing images that make indelible and emotional imprints on our brains. The burning twin towers. Jack Ruby and Lee Harvey Oswald. Jack Nicholson’s demonic face in “The Shining.” I experienced one of those images as a medical student, on the first day I stepped into an anatomy laboratory.

Called over to two human bodies being studied, we were told that one lung we were looking at was from a smoker, the other from a non-smoker. The sight reminds vivid years later — the smoker’s lung was the color of the tailpipe exhaust from a car burning oil. The non-smoker evangelists got a convert that day.
On that day and in the years since, I've personally witnessed the effects of smoking on the human lung. And while lung cancer is the disease most often associated with cigarettes, cardiovascular disease from smoking is far more common, more lethal and more avoidable.

Nearly 2,400 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day — one every 37 seconds, according to the American Heart Association. Heart disease kills as many Americans as cancer, diabetes, lower respiratory disease and accidents combined. While heart disease is caused by many factors, including heredity, high blood pressure, stress, a sedentary lifestyle and elevated cholesterol, perhaps the most important is cigarette smoking. Smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease among middle-aged men and women. Indeed, smoking cigarettes remains the single most preventable cause of premature deaths in the United States.

It's important to remember, there is no safe amount of smoking. Trying to cut back to "fewer cigarettes" really won't give you better chance at a healthy heart or help you avoid cancer.
Smoking is a major cause of atherosclerosis, a buildup of fat on the inside of the arteries that conduct blood to the heart and the rest of our body. As fatty materials build up, these blood vessels, which carry critical amounts of oxygen, narrow. Much like a clogged pipe decreases water flow in the bathroom, so blockage of the coronary arteries diminishes the flow of blood to the heart muscle. As a result, nature tries to increase the amount of critical oxygen by making the heart pump more quickly (increasing the pulse), but this is relatively ineffective. If the supply of oxygen is reduced, the heart muscle is starved. It can die. This is the event known as a myocardial infarction, or heart attack.

Because other things besides cigarettes adversely impact heart health, health professionals have focused on risk reduction rather than actual prevention. Tremendous public health efforts, along with major events like the “Great American Smokeout” — always the third Thursday of November — have been focused on getting people to stop smoking.

No safe amount of smoking

There is a lot of free advice, including numerous Web sites, that is geared to helping people quit smoking, but typically it involves offer vague, impractical concepts, such as behavior modification or changing the environment. A better alternative comes from medical centers, which have created entire departments geared to lessening, even in a limited way, cigarettes’ contribution to the nation’s leading killer.
Hilary Nierenberg, the director of the cardiovascular risk reduction program at New-York Presbyterian Hospital, heads a program founded on the conviction that the risk of death from heart attack can be reduced, if not prevented, with cigarette smoking cessation:

* Target a date to — fix it and stick to it.
* Know your “triggers” and eliminate them. If the smell of coffee in the morning triggers a cigarette need, try a different way to begin the day.
* Recognize failure is a step along the way to success. The average number of attempts before a person successfully quits is six.
* Try medication. There are prescription medications that clearly help relapse. Surprisingly, fewer than 10 percent of physicians prescribe this medication

Results are surprisingly prompt. Twenty minutes after you quit smoking, your blood pressure decreases. After 24 hours, your risk of heart attack begins to decrease. If you quit for as long as one year, your risk of heart disease is half that of a current smoker. After five to 15 years, your risk of stroke is decreased, After 15 years, your risk of heart attack is equal to someone who has never smoked.

So, quit now.l

obituary

21-11-2008, 00:18

But do they actually fight wrinkles or repair environmental damage?l

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Scanning the labels of new cleansers making big skin-boosting promises, we find ourselves inexplicably thinking of the “X-Files” movie that came out this year — the one subtitled “I Want to Believe.” Since we have to wash the day's grime off our faces anyway, wouldn't it be swell if we could also fight wrinkles or protect our skin from environmental abuse at the same time?

Who wouldn't want their cleanser to do that? Let's go out and buy some! And that's right about when our inner Dana Scully shouts, “Hello, have you forgotten that you rinse it all off with water? That cleansers literally go right down the drain?”

This might have been true in the past, but the latest generation of washes may win over even the biggest skeptics. Some new ingredients have rinse-resistant staying power; others offer the more subtle bonus of increasing the effectiveness of your other creams and serums.
And while any benefits will be gradual, there's no question that “it certainly can't hurt to use them,” says Joseph Cincotta, a cosmetic scientist. “Every little bit helps.” So, which of the new washes are worth believing in? The truth is right here.

Minimize wrinkles and brown spots

Anti-aging ingredients such as glycolic acid, vitamin C, and retinol are now popping up in cleansers. But can they be effective when they're on and off the skin in a flash (or rather, a splash)?

With glycolic acid, long used in creams for its ability to smooth skin and diminish fine lines, the answer is a resounding yes. “In a cleanser, glycolic acid binds with water and exfoliates skin, softening lines and reducing pigmentation,” says Francesca Fusco, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Bonus: “Since it helps remove the layer of dead skin cells, whatever you apply next will have enhanced penetration,” Fusco says. The key is to choose a formula with a concentration that's high enough to be effective but not so high as to cause irritation. Jim Hammer, a cosmetic chemist, says, “Between 5 and 10 percent is probably a good place to be,” and recommends leaving it on the face for at least a minute. Try DDF Glycolic Exfoliating Wash with 5 percent glycolic acid.

As icky as it sounds, a cleanser that leaves behind a residue on your skin can actually be a good thing.

That's the good news. The flip side is that other anti-aging ingredients, including vitamin C and retinol, don't work as well in cleansers as they do in moisturizers because they aren't in contact with the skin long enough to be effective, says Hammer. Premoistened cleansing wipes, which don't typically get rinsed off, can deliver these ingredients to the skin, especially for people who want a gradual introduction to retinol. We like L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Radiant Smoothing Wet Cleansing Towelettes, which contain vitamin C, and Pond's Dramatic Results Age-Defying Cleansing Towelettes, with retinol. “If you're able to tolerate the amount of retinol in the wipes,” Fusco says, “you could move on to a stronger serum or lotion.”

Protect skin from the sun

As icky as it sounds, a cleanser that leaves behind a residue on your skin can actually be a good thing — as long as that something is sunscreen. Broad-spectrum SPF cleansers such as St. Ives Elements Protective Cleanser and Freeze 24–7 Ice Shield Facial Cleanser with Sunscreen

SPF 15 use rinseproof technology and don't feel sticky (or interfere with basic cleansing). The St. Ives cleanser, for example, contains microencapsulated sunscreen and two film-forming agents, says Dennis Abbeduto, a senior scientist at St. Ives. “This makes the sunscreen stick to the skin, while other ingredients remove dirt and oil.” Dermatologists are enthusiastic about SPF cleansers since they appear to really work. Because they are more for incidental exposure than hard-core protection, however, experts recommend using a moisturizer with SPF 15 or higher.

Repair environmental damage

The free radicals that skin encounter on a daily basis from sun and pollution reduce the collagen and elastin in the underlying layers of skin, causing dullness and sagging. And while cosmetics companies have been throwing traditional antioxidants like vitamin A and E into cleansers for years to counteract the free radicals, “these are oil-soluble vitamins, so they are generally found at extremely low levels in water-based cleansers,” says Hammer.

Experts are more intrigued by a new ingredient Chanel recently introduced in its Précision line of cleansers: a tulip-tree-leaf extract intended to target the residue that pollution can leave on skin. “The tulip extract works as a magnet that traps pollutants accumulated on the skin, then rinses them away with water,” explains Armelle Souraud, Chanel's scientific spokeswoman. As for whether the tulip-tree extract rids skin of environmental residue better than a regular cleanser, Cincotta says, “Most cleansers will remove environmental grime, but if you can leave a barrier of protection from pollutants on the skin, that could be beneficial. I'd want to see studies conducted to determine both the amount of tulip-tree wax left on the skin after cleansing, and the amount of pollutants the cleanser was able to buffer, to see if it's legitimate.”

Hydrate dry skin

Many women with parched skin wait until after they've washed their faces to address flakiness and tightness with hydrating serums and rich creams. But a new cleanser packed with peptides (strings of amino acids frequently found in anti-aging products) may make us consider backing up a step. When used in cleansers, peptides may have a hydrating effect, which can help alleviate the itchy feeling skin may have after washing. In a company study of the peptide-laced Olay Regenerist Deep Hydrating Mousse Cleanser, machine measurements showed higher levels of moisture in participants' skin after they used the cleanser twice a day for three days. The added moisture can plump the skin and keep its protective outer layer intact and able to “resist the forces that lead to aging, like free radicals, better than unmoisturized skin,” says Fusco. To that end, participants in the Olay study also said the cleanser left their skin softer, smoother, and with fewer visible fine lines and wrinkles.l

AAKOJ

21-11-2008, 00:42

In Brief:

While exercise can boost mood, its health benefits have been oversold.

Moderate exercise can reduce the risk of diabetes in people at risk. Exercise may reduce the risk of heart disease and breast and colon cancers.

Though the evidence is mixed, exercise may also provide benefits for people with osteoporosis.

Physical activity alone will not lead to sustained weight loss or reduce blood pressure or cholesterol.
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Exercise has long been touted as the panacea for everything that ails you. For better health, simply walk for 20 or 30 minutes a day, boosters say — and you don’t even have to do it all at once. Count a few minutes here and a few there, and just add them up. Or wear a pedometer and keep track of your steps. However you manage it, you will lose weight, get your blood pressure under control and reduce your risk of osteoporosis.

If only it were so simple. While exercise has undeniable benefits, many, if not most, of its powers have been oversold. Sure, it can be fun. It can make you feel energized. And it may lift your mood. But before you turn to a fitness program as the solution to your particular health or weight concern, consider what science has found.

Moderate exercise, such as walking, can reduce the risk of diabetes in obese and sedentary people whose blood sugar is starting to rise. That outcome was shown in a large federal study in which participants were randomly assigned either to an exercise and diet program, to take a diabetes drug or to serve as controls. Despite trying hard, those who dieted and worked out lost very little weight. But they did manage to maintain a regular walking program, and fewer of them went on to develop diabetes.

Exercise also may reduce the risk of heart disease, though the evidence is surprisingly mixed. There seems to be a threshold effect: Most of the heart protection appears to be realized by people who go from being sedentary to being moderately active, usually by walking regularly. More intense exercise has been shown to provide only slightly greater benefits. Yet the data from several large studies have not always been clear, because those who exercise tend to be very different from those who do not.

Active people are much less likely to smoke; they’re thinner and they eat differently than their sedentary peers. They also tend to be more educated, and education is one of the strongest predictors of good health in general and a longer life. As a result, it is impossible to know with confidence whether exercise prevents heart disease or whether people who are less likely to get heart disease are also more likely to be exercising.

Scientists have much the same problem evaluating exercise and cancer. The same sort of studies that were done for heart disease find that people who exercised had lower rates of colon and breast cancer. But whether that result is cause or effect is not well established.

Exercise is often said to stave off osteoporosis. Yet even weight-bearing activities like walking, running or lifting weights has not been shown to have that effect. Still, in rigorous studies in which elderly people were randomly assigned either to exercise or maintain their normal routine, the exercisers were less likely to fall, perhaps because they got stronger or developed better balance. Since falls can lead to fractures in people with osteoporosis, exercise may prevent broken bones — but only indirectly.

And what about weight loss? Lifting weights builds muscles but will not make you burn more calories. The muscle you gain is minuscule compared with the total amount of skeletal muscle in the body. And muscle has a very low metabolic rate when it’s at rest. (You can’t flex your biceps all the time.)

Jack Wilmore, an exercise physiologist at Texas A & M University, calculated that the average amount of muscle that men gained after a serious 12-week weight-lifting program was 2 kilograms, or 4.4 pounds. That added muscle would increase the metabolic rate by only 24 calories a day.

Exercise alone, in the absence of weight loss, has not been shown to reduce blood pressure. Nor does it make much difference in cholesterol levels. Weight loss can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, but if you want to lose weight, you have to diet as well as exercise. Exercise alone has not been shown to bring sustained weight loss.Just ask Steven Blair, an exercise researcher at the University of South Carolina. He runs every day and even runs marathons. But, he adds, “I was short, fat and bald when I started running, and I’m still short, fat and bald. Weight control is difficult for me. I fight the losing battle.”

The difficulty, Dr. Blair says, is that it’s much easier to eat 1,000 calories than to burn off 1,000 calories with exercise. As he relates, “An old football coach used to say, ‘I have all my assistants running five miles a day, but they eat 10 miles a day.’”

AAKOJ

21-11-2008, 00:46

Many people take vitamins C and E in hopes of reducing their risk for heart disease, and some research supports those hopes. But a large long-term trial has found that the supplements work no better than placebos.

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Scientists enrolled 14,641 male physicians in the study, dividing them into four groups of roughly 3,600 each. The first took 400 international units of vitamin E every other day and 500 milligrams of vitamin C daily; the second, vitamin E and a placebo vitamin C; the third took vitamin C and placebo vitamin E; and the last only placebos. Neither the subjects nor the scientists knew which groups were taking the active vitamins.

After eight years, the researchers found no difference among the groups in the incidence of heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure or angina. And taking the vitamins did not reduce the need for cardiac revascularization, a surgical operation to restore adequate blood flow to the heart.

Several of the authors have served as consultants to drug companies, and the study was partly financed by the German company BASF, whose products include vitamins. It appeared Nov. 12 in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

“There are no compelling reasons to take either vitamin E or C for cardiovascular disease prevention,” said the lead author, Howard D. Sesso, an assistant professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “We’re still testing whether taking a standard multivitamin has an effect.”

SOURCE :
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دل تنگم

24-11-2008, 16:24

Regular exercise can help sufferers in the fight against cancer, according to new research.

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Researchers believe that exercise equivalent to a 30-minute walk five times a week can help prevent cancer, slow the disease’s progress, enhance recovery and prevent its recurrence.

Exercise cuts the levels of insulin, a hormone that causes most of the body's cells to take up glucose from the blood and triggers faster cell growth, boosting women’s risk of breast cancer and recurrence of the disease.

"This is one of the first studies out that has shown that in women who do not have a history of breast cancer, that they can actually reduce their risk by exercising," said Dr. Susan K. Boolbol, a breast surgeon at Beth Israel Medical Center.

Besides, exercise also cuts blood levels of estrogen and testosterone, two --- hormones produced in both men and women that have been associated with uterine lining, prostate and breast cancers. On top of that, exercise burns fat, which can hoard additional amounts of estrogen. Thus, by decreasing obesity, it diminishes the risk of a series of cancers.

Scientists also found that, when people sleep less than seven hours a night, the benefits of regular exercise may disappear. In some cases, the risk of developing cancer may actually double. "We think it's quite interesting and intriguing. It's kind of a first look into this. It isn't something that has been widely studied," said James McClain of the National Cancer Institute, part of the U.S. government's National Institutes of Health.

Another benefit of exercise is linked to cancer, many doctors recommending it to their patients, as a part of the therapy

.eFluxMedia
,By Dianna Cooper
November 23rd 2008

دل تنگم

24-11-2008, 17:14

Facial blushing is often mis-diagnosed as rosacea. A red face is a typical manifestation of this contdition. Fear of social situations can bring on blushing and is known as erythrophobia. Blushing commonly originates at the upper chest or base of the neck and extends up to the forehead, ears and can even spread down to include the trunk and legs. Facial sweat often accompanies blushing and feelings of burning or tingling

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Facial Blushing - Before Micro ETS

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Hyperpyrexia (feelings of burning or tingling) is commonly associated with blushing and is actually much more debilitating to the individual than the mere appearance of blushing on the skin. This condition of hyperpyrexia associated with facial blushing is little understood and not typically recognized by many physicians. Functional impairment arises from the intense "burning" sensation that becomes so uncomfortable that the individual has to actually stop what they are doing because of the severe inability to concentrate or follow through with the task at hand.
Many patients have described the feeling they experience from hyperpyrexia as "hot flash or burning." This sensation envelops their face/head/neck to such an extent that they seek seclusion to "cool off".

Medications are seldom helpful for this intense "hot or burning" feeling. Beta blockers (i.e.: Propranolol are commonly used but to little avail)

Even when the individual is relaxed, blushing episodes may occur. Sometimes excess sweating of the scalp and face is associated with blushing / hyperpyrexia attacks. This condition often causes the individual to become self-conscious, nonproductive at work or school during the episodes, and to develop a low self esteem. Some patients that Dr. Nielson has treated have actually become so severely dysfunctional that they quit work and would move from job to job

Many physicians don't recognize that these blushing episodes are commonly associated with hyperpyrexia of the face which is actually what is so debilitating and causes the severe functional impairment. The combination of facial blushing with the warm/burning sensation of the head commonly makes the individual extremely anxious and quite uncomfortable. This uncomfortable feeling can be so intense that the individual can lose all ability to concentrate and function properly

Medications commonly used to prevent or control blushing include beta blockers (Inderal) and anxiolytics (sedatives). These medications are usually of limited benefit in reducing blushing intensity and frequency of episodes

Effective treatment for facial blushing with hyperpyrexia is Micro ETS of T2. Precise division of the sympathetic nerve exactly where it crosses the upper edge of the second rib and any kuntz nerve branches present crossing the second thoracic rib as well. Dividing all kuntz nerves as they cross the second thoracic rib is essential for successful treatment of facial blushing

Persistent facial blushing after sympathectomy can occur if any kuntz nerve that crosses the second thoracic rib is left intact, and can therefore continue to carry nerve signals to the face

In the many redo's Dr. Nielson has performed for persistent facial blushing, he has found that the most common reason for persistent blushing has been missed Kuntz nerves crossing the second thoracic rib. He has also found, less commonly, the sympathetic nerve had been divided at the T3 level by mistake rather than the T2 level

T2 Sympathetic Innervation to The Sweat Glands of the Face

Over several years of experience in treating patients with recurrent and/or persistent sweating of the face after undergoing T2 sympathectomy, Dr. Nielson has found that persistence of any sympathetic nerve innervation across the second rib level, just above the T2 ganglion, plays a significant role in persistent sweating conditions of the face after undergoing a T2. T3, or T4 sympathectomy

It is apparent in some patients that there are neuronal contributions from lower levels such as the T3 that pass up over the second rib level on their way to the face that participate in the sweating symptoms of the face. Some physicians misunderstand the sympathetic nerve innervation of the face and believe in order to cure facial sweating it is important to cut the sympathetic nerve at the T1 level or above, thereby causing the dreaded Horner’s Syndrome. In Dr. Nielson's experience, he has found this not to be the case

In summary, for successful treatment of facial sweating, it is imperative that all sympathetic nerve innervation crossing the second rib level be divided as opposed to clamped or having lower levels cut or clamped. Also, accessory nerve branch pathways bypassing the T2 ganglion can or may contribute to persistent facial symptoms

:for more information, you may have ETS Brochure

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دل تنگم

24-11-2008, 17:26

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?What is acne vulgaris

Acne vulgaris, or acne, is a skin problem that starts when oil and dead skin cells clog up your pores. Some people call it blackheads, blemishes, whiteheads, pimples, or zits. When you have just a few red spots, or pimples, you have a mild form of acne. Severe acne can mean hundreds of pimples that can cover the face, neck, chest, and back. Or, it can be bigger, solid, red lumps that are painful (cysts)

Most young people get at least mild acne. It usually gets better after the teen years. But many adult women do have acne in the days before their menstrual periods.
How you feel about your acne may not be related to how bad it is. Some people with severe acne are not bothered by it. Others are embarrassed or upset even though they have only a few pimples

The good news is that there are many good treatments that can help you get acne under control

?What causes acne

Acne starts when oil and dead skin cells clog the skin's pores. If germs get into the pores, the result can be swelling, redness, and pus. See a picture of how pimples form
For most people, acne starts during the teen years. This is because hormone changes make the skin more oily after puberty starts

You do not get acne from eating chocolate or greasy foods. But you can make it worse by using oily skin products that clog your pores

Acne can run in families. If one of your parents had severe acne, you are more likely to have it
What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of acne include whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples. These can occur on the face, neck, shoulders, back, or chest. Pimples that are large and deep are called cystic lesions. These can be painful if they get infected. They also can scar the skin

?How is acne treated

To help control acne, keep your skin clean. Avoid skin products that clog your pores. Look for products that say "noncomedogenic" on the label. Wash your skin once or twice a day with a gentle soap or acne wash. Try not to scrub or pick at your pimples. This can make them worse and can cause scars

If you have just a few pimples to treat, you can get an acne cream without a prescription. Look for one that has benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. These work best when used just the way the label says

It can take time to get acne under control. Keep using the same treatment for 6 to 8 weeks. You may even notice that it gets worse before it gets better. If your skin is not better after 8 weeks, try another product

If your pimples are really bothering you or are scarring your skin, see your doctor. A prescription gel or cream for your skin may be all you need. Your doctor may also order antibiotic pills. A mix of treatments may work best. If you are female, taking certain birth control pills may help

If you have acne cysts, talk to your doctor about stronger medicine. Isotretinoin (such as Accutane) works very well, but it can cause birth defects. And using Accutane may be associated with depression. Let your doctor know if you have had depression before taking this medicine. And if you are female, you must protect against pregnancy by using two forms of birth control. Even one dose of this medicine can cause birth defects if a woman takes it while she is pregnant. You cannot take isotretinoin if you are breast-feeding

?What can be done about acne scars

There are skin treatments that can help acne scars look better and feel smoother. Ask your doctor about them. The best treatment for you depends on how severe the scarring is. You can have scar tissue removed or have a shot of collagen. Collagen smoothes a pitted scar by plumping up the skin underneath. You may get the best results with a combination of treatments

Healthwise
by Monica Rhodes

obituary

01-12-2008, 02:43

Size, hormones and immune system differences may play a role, study finds

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NEW ORLEANS - Turns out men and women really are different at heart: New research finds that heart transplant patients have better odds of survival and a lower risk of rejection if they get organs from donors of the same s*ex.

Size may be part of the explanation. Men's hearts are bigger than women's and have greater pumping capacity, and men who get men's hearts fare better. But doctors think differences in hormones or immune systems between the s*exes may also play a role.

The study was paid for by the federal government and led by Dr. Eric Weiss, a cardiac surgery researcher at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He presented his findings Wednesday at an American Heart Association conference.
Unfortunately for many patients, the findings won't make much of a difference. About 2,700 Americans are waiting for a heart, and only 2,200 heart transplants are done each year — some of them second operations for people whose first transplant failed, according to UNOS, the United Network for Organ Sharing, which manages the nation's transplant system.

The average wait for a heart is 108 days for women and 119 for men. Three-fourths of heart transplants are done in men, so by necessity, many must receive organs from the opposite s*ex.

Smaller earlier studies have found hints that gender differences may play a role in other types of transplants, such as lungs or kidneys, but this is the largest by far to find an effect.

Weiss used UNOS records on 18,240 heart transplants between 1998 and 2007. Among the recipients 77 percent of the men and 51 percent of the women were of the same gender as their donors.

Male-to-male transplants most successful

The best results were seen in male-to-male transplants. The worst were in men who received hearts from women.

When the donor was bigger than the recipient, the s*ex difference did not affect survival. But when the donor was smaller, people did not fare as well.

"The organ may not have the strength to supply blood to the body," Weiss explained.

But the donor's gender made a difference even after size was taken into account, he found.

Matching donor and recipient by gender led to:

* a 13 percent lower risk of organ rejection in the first year;
* a 14 percent lower risk of rejection throughout the study, which had an average follow-up of more than three years;
* a 24 percent drop in the risk of dying in the first 30 days after transplant;
* and a 20 percent lower risk of dying after one year.

Why the difference? Doctors are not certain. But Dr. Maryl Johnson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison said women who have been pregnant generally have slightly worse outcomes from transplants because their immune systems have been "revved up" from carrying foreign genes from their partners through the fetus.

As for the findings, "it's a huge data set — I don't think we can disregard it," but the issue needs more study, said Johnson, who heads a UNOS panel that sets policies for heart transplants.
In the meantime, few doctors would advise someone who needs a new heart to pass up one from a donor of the opposite s*ex.

"Organs are in such scarce supply that it's hard to make a blanket statement," Weiss said. "You're still much better off getting a heart transplant" than waiting and risking your own heart will give out before another becomes available.l

obituary

01-12-2008, 02:47

Laugh therapy used by some hospitals lowers blood pressure, experts say

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NEW YORK - The off-color jokes flew around the room. As the anecdotes got bawdier, the laughter intensified. Some recited from memory, others read from notebooks they brought along.

The setting for the hilarity was the Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center at Montefiore Hospital. The participants were cancer patients, some with advanced stages of the illness.

They were taking part in the hospital's monthly "Strength Through Laughter" therapy. It is one of several types of laughter or humor therapy being offered by medical facilities around the country for patients diagnosed with cancer or other chronic diseases.

The programs feature joke sessions, clown appearances and funny movies.

While the verdict is out on whether laughter plays a role in healing, the American Cancer Society and other medical experts say it reduces stress and promotes relaxation by lowering blood pressure, improves breathing and increases muscle function.

On a recent day before Halloween, many of the two dozen patients at Montefiore arrived in costume to "spook cancer."

"The session makes you feel better," said Luz Rodriguez, 57, a breast cancer patient now in remission, who came disguised as a security officer. "I feel healthy when I laugh."

The laughs generated a warmth among the group that was palpable, particularly when Rodriguez changed into an angel costume and went around offering a red rose and a hug or kiss to each of the participants.

Their facilitator, senior oncology social worker Gloria Nelson, started the session five years ago to help cancer patients focus on living, instead of dying.

"They have such amazing strength, but it's a constant challenge, the fear of it coming back, how to go on living knowing you have cancer," said Nelson, who came dressed as the mother of the bride. "Every time they laugh, it's like kicking cancer out the door. You're taking control, you're saying it's not controlling me."

The most famous case of laughter's therapeutic effects on the body was described by Norman Cousins, editor of the Saturday Review, in his 1979 book, "Anatomy of an Illness." He claimed that a combination of laughter and vitamins cured him of a potentially fatal illness.

"I made the joyous discovery that 10 minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect," he wrote.

No laughing matter for some

Still, laughter therapy is not for everyone. Some cancer patients are so overwhelmed with their diagnosis that they are unable to participate. Medical experts stress that laughter and other complementary therapies like acupuncture, massage and meditation are not substitutes for traditional medical treatment but can be used to help relieve the anxiety brought on by the disease.

At the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Zion, Ill., patients experience another form of laughter therapy that bypasses jokes. In this version, patients practice laughter sounds like "he-he," "ha-ha," and "ho-ho," greet each other with laughter instead of words and engage in games like a pretend snowball fight until laughter overtakes them.

The staff at the center first tried it in 2004. They felt "weird and silly" but when they tried it out with patients the next day, the laughter soon because contagious, said Katherine Puckett, a licensed clinical social worker and a mind-body medicine expert.

The therapy has since been integrated into the culture of the hospital, and is also offered at the center's facilities in Philadelphia, Tulsa and Seattle.

Two dozen hospitals have asked to be trained

Steve Wilson, a psychologist who runs the World Laughter Tour, which also trains and certifies laughter club leaders, said about two dozen hospitals around the country have asked to be trained in the method in the past two to three years. One hospital wants to try the therapy with lung transplant patients because laughter allows more oxygen to move through the body.

An international program with a similar goal but totally different approach is "Caring Clowns." The Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia uses the program of costumed volunteers to get patients to giggle — or at least smile — and open up.

"One of the challenges of being diagnosed with cancer is preserving your dignity ... when we tell you to put on a gown where the back half is missing and everyone's examining you and asking about bodily functions," said Dr. Richard Wender, former president of the American Cancer Society and the hospital's chief of family medicine.

The clown volunteers, he said, create a sense of comfort that helps narrow the "interpersonal gap" between patient and medical staff.

Robbie Robinson, 52, a non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma survivor, became a certified laughter leader after witnessing the "coping mechanism" laughter offered him as a patient at CTCA.

"Some people came in wheelchairs, some were helped by family and friends. You could tell people were down ... then I noticed that through some stimulated laughter, people started smiling. They forgot their troubles. You could see the pressure come off them."

Laughter as pain relief

The nonprofit Rx Laughter, meanwhile, focuses on managing patient pain and improving mental health through comic entertainment, including films and TV clips. It is a unique collaboration between the entertainment and medical fields that was founded in 1998 by Sherry Dunay Hilber, one-time director of prime time programming for ABC and CBS.

Rx Laughter's participation in two large medical studies discovered that patients who watched funny videos during certain painful procedures were more relaxed and tolerated the pain longer. It also found that cancer patients had less pain and slept better after such entertainment. The organization offers a variety of programs for hospitals, nursing homes, cancer support groups and rehabilitation clinics.

"Comic entertainment is at our fingertips 24/7. ... Watching our favorite shows and films can get us through very stressful times — all the more important in light of the cost of psychotherapy that many people cannot afford, and the problematic side effects of too many pain killers," said Hilber.l

obituary

01-12-2008, 02:50

Yes, there are ways to enjoy the goodies — without gaining weight

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There is probably no greater diet danger zone than the holiday buffet. It's hard to resist grabbing a huge plate and piling it up with buttery breads, cheeses, meats, cakes, cookies and pies.

Although it might seem as if we’re swimming against stream when it comes to the delicious — but calorie-laden — holiday table, there are a lot of people who seem immune to overloading their plates. They have fun at buffets, parties and dinners without gaining weight. What’s their secret?

To better understand how some people survive the pitfalls of all-you-can-eat dining, researchers at my Cornell University Food and Brand Lab observed 213 normal weight and overweight diners at buffets across the country. We found that heavier diners are more likely than slimmer diners to sit closer to the buffet, use larger plates and serve themselves immediately instead of browsing the buffet.

In the study, heavy folks grabbed a plate almost as soon as they arrived and immediately started serving themselves. The normal weight diners were more likely to scout things out first. When they did pick up a plate they were seven times more likely than the heavy eaters to take the smallest plate available. Some specifics:

* 71 percent of normal-weight diners browsed the buffet before serving themselves, compared to 33 percent of obese diners.
* 27 percent of normal-weight patrons faced the buffet compared to 42 percent of obese diners.
* 16 percent of obese diners sat at a booth rather than a table compared to 38 percent of normal weight diners.
* Normal-weight people chewed their food an average of 15 times per bite versus overweight people who chewed only 12 times. In fact, speedy eaters are three times more likely to be overweight than people who eat more slowly and who don’t eat until they’re full, recent research found.
* Overweight diners sat an average of 16 feet closer to the buffet than normal-weight diners, presumably to shorten the trip when they go back for seconds … or thirds.

Have your cake and eat it

There are three main problems with a buffet, not only at the holidays, but anytime of the year. Those huge tables of food are prime examples of what I call the 3 C's of disastrous dieting:

Convenience: Food is all around and it’s often with arm-reach.

Caloric: Whether sweet or salty, buffet foods are often higher in the indulgence factor than good sense.

Choices: There is a lot of variety, which increases how much you eat because your taste buds don’t burn out on one thing.

The bottom line of the buffet is you really can have your holiday cake and eat it, too. You just need to browse the food to find what you really want, use a small plate and eat slowly. To avoid the temptation of going back for seconds, sit as far away from the table of food as possible. If you don’t face the goodies, you are less likely to spot something else you want to pile on the plate.

In my book, "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think," I also describe a trick that seems to work well for many holiday buffet-goers. It’s called the Rule of Two. You can choose anything you want at the buffet, but you can never have more than two items on your plate. If you want to load it up with nuts and cake, go ahead. If you want to go back for seconds and load it up again with chips and carrots, go ahead. Although this sounds like a recipe for disaster, it actually works quite well for people for three reasons:

* You tend to take the two types of food you want most. People who love desserts don’t work their way up to desserts. They’ll start with the desserts, and then stop.
* You tend to not overfill you plate. Putting only two things on our plate helps keep our serving sizes somewhat small because we psychologically don’t want to overload on a particular item.
* You tend to not go back more than two times. In one study we did on the Rule of Two, 83 percent of people only made one or two additional returns to the buffet.

Using some of these easy rules can help you take the focus off the food and pay more attention to what really makes the holidays special — your family and friends. l

obituary

01-12-2008, 02:58

But rich diet is only one factor in rising rates of ‘the disease of kings’l

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Dr. Stephen Vogel should know better than to put chopped chicken livers on his Thanksgiving menu.

As a veteran victim of five years of gout attacks, the retired Gainesville, Fla., surgeon can more or less count on an excruciating flare-up of the acute arthritis that afflicts him and at least 3 million other people in the United States.

But does that mean he’ll steer clear of the savory spread at his brother’s house on Thanksgiving? Not a chance, said Vogel, 69, who is a walking, talking, noshing example of why rates of gout have doubled in the U.S. in recent years.

Organ meats, along with shellfish, beef, beer — and even turkey with gravy — are among foods believed to trigger the searing pain, swelling and inflammation of gout in susceptible people.

“When they break out the vodka bottles and the chopped livers, I can’t resist,” said Vogel. “And then that night, my ankle goes crazy.”

Once regarded as “the disease of kings” — including legendary gluttons such as Charlemagne and King Henry VIII — gout has been democratized, scientists say. Rising rates of obesity, diabetes and the worrisome condition known as metabolic syndrome likely have fueled an unprecedented rise in the joint disorder in an increasingly aging population.

“It’s not just the rich people who are getting it anymore,” said Dr. H. Ralph Schumacher, a gout specialist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Indeed, gout has become the most common form of inflammatory arthritis in men older than 40, and increasingly common in women after menopause, said Dr. John Sundy, director of rheumatology and allergy research at Duke University.

Most long-term treatment of the disorder has relied on a drug developed in the 1960s, but on Monday, an advisory committee of the federal Food and Drug Administration recommended U.S. approval of the first new treatment to manage gout in four decades.

It's not clear exactly how common gout is. A 10-year study of more than 4 million managed care patients in 1999 detected gout in 41 of every 1,000 people older than 75, up from 21 in 1,000 in 1990, according to the Journal of Rheumatology. Rates were more than 31 in 1,000 for people 65 to 74. Current rates have not been pegged, especially in younger people, because recent large studies have not been conducted.

At least one emergency department in Connecticut is keeping track on a small scale, however. At Windham Hospital in Willimantic, Conn., gout diagnoses appear to be up 23 percent over last year, according to Dr. Gregory Shangold, the ED director.

Gout is triggered by high levels of uric acid in the blood, a condition that occurs either when too much of the waste product is produced by eating certain foods, or too little is excreted by the kidneys. In either case, it accumulates, creating concentrations of needlelike uric acid crystals that pile up in the spaces between the joints.

Uric acid typically builds up over time, usually decades. While a single lavish meal isn’t enough to create conditions for gout, a flare can be sparked by a bout of binge drinking, by sudden dehydration or other changes in kidney function, or by trauma such as surgery or a heart attack. In some cases, a stubbed toe on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night has been enough to send a susceptible patient into an attack.

High uric acid levels form crystals

“It's probably not the sharpness, but the way our inflammatory response reacts to the crystals” that creates a gout flare, Sundy said.

For gout victims, it becomes suddenly and painfully clear when uric acid exceeds normal bounds of less than 6 milligrams per deciliter of blood, often rising to 10 milligrams or higher.

More than 70 percent of gout sufferers experience their first acute attack in a big toe, typically waking up abruptly in the night with a joint so inflamed that the weight of a bedsheet is excruciating.

“It was really horrible. You can't even get air on it,” said Mike Andrews, 66, a restaurant owner who splits his time between Minneapolis and Palm Springs, Calif. He suffered a gout attack eight years ago that started in the middle of a lavish meal.

“It flared up right at the table," he said. "I could hardly walk."

Gout also commonly occurs in the ankle, elbow, shoulder or wrist, with initial bouts lasting about four days and later sessions stretching out a week or more.

“It was like someone cutting off your hand without anesthesia, only it went on for hours and hours and hours,” recalled Vogel, who developed one memorable bout while attending a medical conference in New Orleans.

“I was in a hotel in the French Quarter,” he recalled. “I had them send up four Grey Goose vodka tonics. I actually drank four vodka tonics, curled up in a fetal position.”

That probably was the worst way to treat gout, which often is triggered by alcohol, particularly spirits and beer, said Schumacher.

There’s some debate about whether certain foods actually spur gout attacks, with sufferers swearing they see a pattern and scientists saying they don't.

“A lot of times, people talk about cured meats,” Sundy said. “The strangest one I’ve ever heard is blue Popsicles, so it is far ranging.”

Foods high in purine, a chemical that helps create uric acid, long have been on the list for gout patients to avoid. More recently researchers such as Dr. Hyon K. Choi, a gout expert at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, have documented a link between gout and fructose, including the high-fructose corn syrup present in many foods.

“The risk posed by sugary soda per serving was comparable to that caused by liquor intake per serving,” said Choi, who studied 46,000 men for 12 years. “Based on these data, we recommend that gout patients should avoid sugary soda.”

On the positive side, Choi has found that low-fat dairy products and lots of coffee — more than four cups a day — seem to protect against gout. Some sufferers swear by cherries or cherry juice.

Drugs more important than diet

Modifying diet, however, is not the sole or even the primary way to treat gout, experts say. Far more important are uric acid-lowering drugs, which last year accounted for 16.2 million prescriptions in the U.S., a 25 percent increase from nearly 13 million issued in 2003, according to IMS Health, a healthcare information and consulting company.

Top among those was allopurinol, a drug first approved more than 40 years ago, which accounted for 12.3 million prescriptions in 2007.

“I don’t leave the house without my allopurinol,” said Andrews, who has not suffered a gout attack since he began taking the daily 300-milligram peach-colored pill.

Many gout patients will suffer one attack and then not another for months or even years.

For the acute flare-ups, doctors rely on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as such as naproxen and ibuprofen, or on a drug called colchicine to immediately ease the inflammation and pain, said Joan McTigue, a physician assistant in the rheumatology division at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville.

In some cases, that might be enough.

“If you get some guy who comes in and says he drank beer and ate shrimp all weekend, but he doesn’t normally do that, we might say, ‘Don’t do that again,’ and he might get by,” McTigue said.

Many gout patients, however, will need long-term treatment with allopurinol or other uric-acid lowering drugs to prevent repeated attacks.

One problem with gout is that people often seek initial care from emergency room or primary care doctors, who may not properly diagnose or treat the disease. Either they don't recognize gout as the problem, thinking it's a bacterial infection, for instance, or they do detect gout, curb the initial attack and, if warranted later, start allopurinol therapy, but at a dose too low to completely dissolve the crystals, McTigue said.

Underdosing with allopurinol doesn’t lower the uric acid to optimum levels, allowing crystals to continue to accumulate and setting the stage for future pain and joint destruction, McTigue said.

Gout that is left undetected, or cases that don’t respond to treatment can lead to severe, life-altering disease, including joint deformities called tophi. Tophi occur when crystallized uric acid forms stonelike bumps that can swell and burst.

That happened to Janet Wheeless, 63, of Nashville, N.C., who took allopurinol for gout for 15 years, but had to stop when she developed kidney trouble. One morning, she noticed a tiny knot on one thumb, followed quickly by several larger growths.

“It just seemed like all my fingers were infected with the tophi overnight,” said Wheeless, a pharmacy technician who struggled to type with gnarled, knobby fingers.

‘A terrible, terrible disease’

She finally found relief after joining a clinical trial now being conducted by Sundy for a drug called pegloticase, which is showing success with treatment-resistant gout.

“It’s a terrible, terrible disease,” Wheeless said. “People just don’t realize what it can do.”

Sundy receives research funds from Savient Pharmaceuticals, which makes pegloticase. He’s also a consultant for the firm, but does not take payment. In addition, Duke holds some patent rights to the drug.

High levels of uric acid don’t necessarily cause gout, scientists said. In fact, only 20 percent of people with very elevated levels ever develop the disease, while many people with low levels of uric acid — including Vogel and Wheeless, for instance — do.

That’s one reason uric acid was dropped from a standard blood chemical screening panel more than a decade ago: The measure wasn’t a reliable indicator of disease.

Now, however, some researchers are finding links between high levels of uric acid and other problems, such as cardiovascular disease and kidney disease. Choi and Schumacher both have led research that finds a significantly elevated risk of cardiac disease among gout sufferers, even when other risk factors have been accounted for.

Choi has received funding in the past from Tap Pharmaceuticals, now merged with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, which makes gout drugs, including febuxostat, a uric acid-lowering drug that has been billed as the first alternative to allopurinol in decades. Schumacher also has received grants from Takeda and has served as a paid consultant to Savient.

An arthritis advisory committee of the federal Food and Drug Administration on Monday recommended approval of febuxostat to treat hyperuricemia in the U.S., a move that could dramatically alter the gout drug market.

Privately, however, some scientists said that while they welcome new treatments for gout, they'd like to see results of large clinical trials before expanding uric acid-lowering drugs to people who don't suffer from the acute disorder.

Do holiday meals mean more gout?

In the meantime, gout sufferers should be aware that some hospital emergency rooms report spikes in gout cases in the days after heavy holiday meals, although others say they see no connection.

“We usually see an increase in gout attacks during the holidays,” said Dr. Shay Bintliff, medical director of the emergency department at Hale Ho’ola Hamakua Hospital in Honokaa, Hawaii. “Patients will say that they know they should not eat certain foods or drink alcohol, but just cannot resist.”

It’s the big picture that’s most important, said Schumacher.

“I don’t think a few nice meals are what makes or breaks gout,” he said. “Our dietary expectations have to be more on chronic weight loss and healthy diets rather than one nice turkey dinner.”l

Antonio Andolini

02-12-2008, 01:47

Skin cancer is a disease that can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, race or geographical location and another aspect to this disease is that as yet doctors have not been able to achieve any success in reducing the risk of contracting skin cancer. However, the good news is that skin cancer is not as dangerous as some other types of cancer.

When skin cancer affects a person, there are certain cells that are of a cancerous nature that act on normal cells and thus cause impairment in the functioning of the skin. Another consequence of these harmful cells (cancerous ones) is that they spread to other parts of the body, though the danger to one’s health is not as severe as is normally associated with any cancerous disease.

Skin cancer can be divided into two types and at present, it is believed that as many as one million people are at risk of suffering from skin cancer each year. Among the different categories of cancer you can include Basal Cell Carcinoma, melanoma as well as Squamous Cell Carcinoma. However, the incidences of melanoma are relatively rare while ninety percent of all skin cancers are either Basal Cell Carcinoma or Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

However, regardless of the category of skin cancer that can affect one, it is always necessary to learn and become aware of the common symptoms so that the illness can be diagnosed early and proper treatment begun at the earliest. Unfortunately, it is also a sad truth that up to the present times, it is not as yet been established just what the exact symptoms of skin cancer are because they are only noticed once the disease has actually set in.

Nevertheless, factors such as hereditary causes, previous history of skin cancer are certainly major reasons why you could notice being affected by skin cancer. In fact, the disease begins from certain moles present in the skin and the disease will also affect persons that are in a more advanced stage in life and won’t affect relatively younger people that much. It is also best to consult a physician in case you become suspicious of having contracted the disease.
Physics Post

Madame Tussaud

04-12-2008, 20:34

Why is Hand Washing so important

Kids may not always listen when you tell them to wash their hands before eating , but it’s a message worth repeating . Hand washing is by far the best way to prevent germs from spreading and to keep your kids from getting sick

The First Line of Defense against Germs
Germs –such as bacteria & viruses – can be transmitted several different ways , especially by touching dirty hands or changing dirty diapers . Other ways germs spread include :

· Through contaminated water & food

· Through droplets released during a cough or a sneeze

· Through contaminated surfaces

· Through a sick person’s body fluids

If kids pick up germs from one of these sources , they can unknowingly become infected simply by touching their eyes , nose , or mouth . Moreover , once they’re infected , it’s usually just a matter of time before the whole family comes down with the same illness .

Good hand washing is your first line of defense against the spread of many illness – and not just the common cold . More serious illnesses such as meningitis , bronchiolitis , influenza , hepatitis A , and most types of infectious diarrhea can be stopped with the simple act of washing your hands .

How to Wash Your Hands Correctly

Here are some simple steps for scrubbing those germs away . Demonstrate this routine to your child – or better yet , wash your hands together with your child several times a day so he or she learns how important this good habit is

Wash your hands in warm water . Make sure the water isn’t too hot for little hands .
Use soap and lather up for about 10 to 15 seconds ( anti-bacterial soap isn’t necessary – any soap will do ) . Make sure you get in between the fingers and under the nails where uninvited germs like to hang out . And don’t forget the wrists !
Rinse and dry well with a clean towel .

To minimize the germs passed around your family , make frequent hand washing a rule for everyone , especially :

Before eating and cooking
After using the bathroom
After cleaning around the house
After touching animals , including family pets
After visiting or taking care of sick friends or relatives
After blowing one’s nose , coughing or sneezing
After being outside ( playing , gardening , walking , etc .

Don’t underestimate the power of hand washing ! The few second you spend at the sink with your child could save you trips to the doctor’s office .

A r c h i

05-12-2008, 11:28

Fast Workouts That Really Work

I love my long training runs, but most days carving out more than an hour to work out just isn't in the cards. And when my schedule is really crammed, shoehorning a sweat session seems next to impossible.
Luckily, the fantastic fitness team at SELF let me in on a little secret: You can get an hour's worth of fitness and calorie burning in 20 short minutes. Yes, I was skeptical at first, but this fat-blasting routine is as ultraeffective as it is speedy, and the secret lies in high-intensity spurts of energy. Here's how to do it:

Pick any cardio you like (running, swimming, the elliptical trainer). Warm up for 2 minutes at a moderate pace, then sprint for 30 seconds at the highest intensity you can muster. Slow down and do 90 seconds at a catch-your-breath recovery pace. Repeat eight times. You'll torch more calories in less time, while you burn fat faster. Follow this cardio session with a few of the following fast firmers for a total-body workout in less than 30 minutes.

Tighten your tummy: Do two sets of 10 to 12 crunches on a stability ball. Research from the University of Auckland, Tamaki Campus, in New Zealand, revealed that using the ball makes crunches 20 percent more effective compared to hitting the floor.
Firm up legs: Stand on left foot, hands on hips, and bring right knee to hip level in front. Trace a horizontal figure eight in front of you with knee. Then bend left knee and hop to right, landing on right foot. Repeat figure eight with left knee, then hop back to left to complete one rep. Do 10 reps, then hop back and forth 10 times to complete one set.

Boost your bottom: Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands on waist. Shift weight to left foot and lift heel of right foot so you're resting on toes. Bend left knee and sink hips back, keeping weight off right foot (toes stay on ground). Rise up. Do 12 reps on left leg, then switch legs and repeat.

Bare amazing arms: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand with feet hip-width apart. Raise arms, palms down, out and slightly forward to shoulder height. Slowly lower them behind you so weights almost touch. Do 12 reps.

Slim all over: Stand with feet hip-width apart. Keeping legs as straight as possible, bend forward and walk hands out until they're under shoulders. Do two push-ups, then walk hands back and stand. Repeat twice, doing four push-ups, then six.

A r c h i

05-12-2008, 11:32

I don't have to tell you that stress is omnipresent these days. Rising prices, stock market drops, jobs lost. It's virtually impossible to find someone who's not impacted by the current economic trouble, and the effects go way beyond your 401(k). Stress, as research has shown (and my own life has proven) is not good for anyone's health. I'm a big believer in mind over "What's the matter?" and I know it's possible to go from grumpy to grinning just by flexing some mental muscle. Next time you have a "bad" day, try to outwit the stress hormones coursing through your veins with these simple tips:

Got a case of the grouchies? Try to conjure some positive vibes, as hard as it may seem. Answer the phone cheerfully. Say "Good morning" even if it feels like a grim day. Or greet the receptionist kindly when you get to work. Soon you'll be sunny side up. Why? If you fake happy, you'll make yourself happy.

Feeling impatient? Rather than fuming over the fact that you've been parked on the runway for 45 minutes (or in line at the store or waiting at the doctor's office), focus on five positive things around you -- the friend or relative you're about to see, the sun and gorgeous clouds on the horizon, the great book you're looking forward to reading, etc. Distract yourself and you'll be better able to savor the present rather than rushing through it.

Are you a worrier? We all catastrophize sometimes. It's human nature. But too much negative thinking can be unhealthy and create stress where none exists. Consider what's behind your fretting. Your fear (that your headache is a brain tumor) could be masking a solvable problem (you should take better care of your health). Realizing that anxieties are manageable makes it easier to release them.

Having a blue period? Research shows that two of the best ways to soup up your spirits are exercise and music. Take a few minutes to pump up the jams and dance around in your office, in the shower, whenever the mood strikes. You'll instantly segue into high-energy mode.

A r c h i

05-12-2008, 11:35

Beauty Tricks to Get Out the Door Faster

Does your morning beauty routine make you late, shorten your snooze session or abbreviate your workout? (Or, like me, does it suffer because you don't want to be late, sleep less or cut into your exercise time?) You've got company. A Self.com poll found that 23 percent of readers wished they could condense their A.M. prep-athon, and I agree. I'd rather spend time jogging with my dog, Jenny, having breakfast with my family or, a total indulgence, reading the newspaper cover to cover. Streamline your get-ready grind with these look-great-fast tricks.

Strengthen hair as you get strong: Before working out, wet hair and comb conditioner through strands, then put it in a ponytail or cover with a bandana. Body heat from exercise will help hair absorb product. Rinse it out post-workout.

Conceal imperfections flawlessly: To decake your concealer (and get a more flawless finish), mix a drop of moisturizer with concealer before applying. Then pat (don't rub) the combination into skin or dab it on with a brush.

For a natural, outdoorsy glow (even when you're stuck inside), combine a drop of cheek stain with a dime-sized amount of facial serum. Apply evenly on face and you'll look radiantly healthy.

Get thick, clump-free lashes: Apply one coat mascara to the underside of upper lashes, then brush a coat on the top side. The extra brush rids any goops and glops so you're good to go!

Go light on lips: Rather than saturating your whole mouth with lipstick, swipe color over your top lip only, then press lips together to blend evenly. By cutting the dose in half, you'll prevent color from migrating beyond the lip border. It also makes a brighter, night-out hue more daytime appropriate.

Shift your ponytail: Love to wear your hair up? Relocate the position of the elastic often, even if only by a half inch. This will prevent breakage, which leads to flatness and flyaways in the area where your holder always sits.

A r c h i

05-12-2008, 11:36

Give in to Cravings Without Guilt

Even if you eat healthy all the time, you're bound to experience the occasional hankering for something that's not exactly waistline-friendly. The fact is, you can and should indulge every so often. I know when I ignore my need for chocolate, I end up settling on a second-rate substitute--and then the chocolate wins me over later anyway, sometimes in quantities I'm not exactly proud of.
The good news is you can treat yourself to smarter, more sensible options that taste equally delicious. Next time you have a yen for something yummy, try these healthy swaps to keep you satisfied morning, noon or night.

YOU CRAVE: A chocolate cream-filled doughnut (307 calories, 20.8 grams fat)
TRY INSTEAD: A plain glazed doughnut (239 calories, 11.5 g fat) or a raised sugar doughnut (205 calories, 11 g fat)
You'll save 60 to 100 calories and nearly 10 g fat but still get a sweet treat to go with your morning joe. (Also, try cutting it in half or quarters and slowly eat it in bits to see if you even want the whole thing!)

YOU CRAVE: Bacon and eggs (461 calories, 35.4 g fat)
TRY INSTEAD: Two slices of bacon with two small whole-grain pancakes and 2 tablespoons syrup (364 calories, 12.4 g fat)
This sensible substitute allows you to eat breakfast like a champ without chomping a third of your fat for the day. Or be even more virtuous and opt for an egg-white omelet instead of the pancakes.

YOU CRAVE: Potato chips (155 calories, 10.6 g fat per ounce, about 15 chips)
TRY INSTEAD: Lighter baked chips (84 calories, 3.2 g fat)
The same crunch as you munch with about half the calories and a third of the fat.

YOU CRAVE: French fries (537 calories, 28 g fat per 6-oz order)
TRY INSTEAD: Baked frozen fries (260 calories, 7 g fat per 6 oz)
Skip the drive-thru and hightail it to your freezer--you'll save calories, fat and cash. Try sweet potato varieties for a dose of skin-smoothing and vision-helping vitamin A. If you're out and ordering a burger, ask for salad instead of fries on the side, and try to retrain your brain to not need a side of fries with that burger meal.

YOU CRAVE: Chocolate milk shake (544 calories, 12.3 g fat per 16 oz)
TRY INSTEAD: Chocolate smoothie (372 calories, 5.4 g fat)
Whip up this calcium rich alternative at home: Blend 2 cups lowfat milk, 1 frozen banana, 1 tbsp chocolate syrup and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract in a blender. Delicious! You can also try simply having a cup of skim milk with 1 tbsp of chocolate syrup for 141 calories and just over 1/2 gram of fat!

دل تنگم

06-12-2008, 02:50

Overview

Coughing is the body's way of removing foreign material or mucus from the lungs and upper airway passages or of reacting to an irritated airway. Coughs have distinctive traits you can learn to recognize. A cough is only a symptom, not a disease, and often the importance of your cough can be determined only when other symptoms are evaluated

Definedas sound that occurs on sudden release of air under high pressure,which is generated by forceful contraction of expiratory musclesagainst a closed glottis. Clinical dilemma is to determine whethercoughing is associated with mild illness or more serious problem

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Principal Causes of Cough

Infection/inflammation
Upperrespiratory tract infection - URI (commoncold) is acute viral infection. Common pathogens include rhinoviruses,parainfluenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and coronaviruses.Other viruses that occasionally cause common cold are adenoviruses,enteroviruses, influenza viruses, and reoviruses. Usual clinical findings are watery,mucoid, or purulent discharge; dry, hacking cough; and inflamednasal mucosa. *Diagnosis is clinical.
Sinusitis - Usually presents with history of purulent nasal discharge and persistent cough of >10 days' duration. Less common presentationis combination of fever, headache, and facial pain or sinus tenderness. Usually clinical diagnosis. CT should be performed when orbitalabscess or intracranial complication is suspected.
Laryngitis - Most frequentcause is viral URI. Hoarseness and dry, hacking cough,which may last up to 1 wk, are usual clinical findings. Usually clinical diagnosis.
Croup - Characterizedby a barking cough and stridor ± fever
Tracheitis - Often crouplikeillness with cough and stridor precedes sudden onset of respiratory distressand high fever.Clinical picture suggests bacterialtracheitis.
Bronchitis - Inflammatoryprocess affecting trachea and bronchi. Most episodes are causedby viruses (e.g., RSV, parainfluenza viruses, influenza viruses,rhinoviruses, and adenoviruses). Hacking cough appears several daysafter onset of typical URI. Rhonchi may be heard, but crackles areinfrequent. Presence of wheezing usually indicates presence of reactiveairways disease. Usually clinical diagnosis
Pertussis - B. pertussisinfection begins with nasal discharge, which is followed by paroxysmal coughthat often has staccato quality. *Whoop may follow paroxysm. Fever may or may not occur. There is usually leukocytosis withpredominance of lymphocytes. Apnea is serious complication, especiallyin young infants. Duration of illness may be as longas 6–10 wks. Chest radiograph may be normal or showperihilar infiltrates. Positive direct immunofluorescent assayof nasopharyngeal secretions suggests diagnosis, but false-positiveand false-negative results occur. Positive nasopharyngeal culture confirmsdiagnosis
Bronchiolitis - Usuallycaused by RSV and occasionally by parainfluenza viruses, influenzaviruses, and adenoviruses. Occurs during winter months, oftenin epidemics. Rhinorrhea usually precedes cough,which may be persistent and harsh. Expiratory wheezing is prominentfinding.
Pneumonia - Definedas inflammation of lung parenchyma that may be caused by infection. Frequently presents with fever, cough,and respiratory distress. Crackles and wheezes may be heard on exam.Decreased breath sounds and dullness to percussion indicate areaof lung consolidation. Presence of pneumonia usually can beconfirmed by chest radiography, although early in illness radiographcan appear normal. Specific cause requires further investigation
Viral - Accountsfor most cases of pneumonia in infancy and childhood. Most common viruses causing pneumoniainclude RSV, parainfluenza viruses, adenoviruses, and influenzaviruses. Less common causes are rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Cytomegalovirus and herpes simplexvirus may cause pneumonia in newborn or in immunocompromised individuals. May also be caused by measles, varicella,and Hantavirus infection. Chest radiograph frequently shows involvementof both lungs, with peribronchial thickening, perihilar linear densities,and patchy infiltrates. Segmental or lobar consolidation, hilaradenopathy, and pleural effusions are unusual. Nasal wash cultures or polymerase chainreaction (PCR) of nasal secretions may sometimes diagnose specificviral infection. RSV antigen may be detected by enzymeimmunoassay or immunofluorescent techniques
Bacterial - Pathogenscausing bacterial pneumonia vary with age of child. Most common causes of bacterial pneumoniain neonates are group B Streptococcus and gram-negative entericbacteria (E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa). In infancy, childhood, and adolescence,S. pneumoniae is most common, whereas S. aureus and group A Streptococcusare much less common. H. influenzae type b has become unusualcause of pneumonia, since advent of H. influenzae vaccine. M. tuberculosis can cause infectionat any age. Clinical findings with bacterial pneumoniausually include fever, cough that may be productive of sputum inolder child, and some degree of respiratory distress. Leukocytosis with predominance of polymorphonuclearleukocytes is common finding. Pleural effusions and pneumatocelesare more frequent with bacterial pneumonia than with viral pneumonia. Chest radiograph usually shows segmentalor lobar infiltrate. Diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia canbe confirmed by positive blood, pleural fluid, or lung biopsy cultures.McCarthy et al. (1999) demonstrated that PCR may be used to diagnosepneumonia caused by S. pneumoniae using sample of pleural fluid. Pharyngeal or sputum culture that haslarge numbers of single organism is suggestive but not diagnostic. Counterimmune electrophoresis and latexagglutination tests have successfully detected bacterial antigensof S. pneumoniae, group B Streptococcus, and H. influenzae typeb in urine, so these tests may be diagnostic

Tuberculosis - Usual modeof transmission of M. tuberculosis infection is by inhalation. Positive skin test with PPD may beobserved 2–12 wks after exposure. Children with disease usually haveprimary pulmonary TB with cough and fever. In most cases of TB infection, individualis asymptomatic, primary complex of infection is not seen on chestradiograph, and disease does not progress. In TB disease, individual has clinicalor radiographic findings and disease may be pulmonary or nonpulmonary. Chest radiograph shows involvementof segment or lobe, usually with enlarged regional lymph nodes.With progression, cavitary lesions or miliary disease can occur. Acid-fast bacilli smears and culturesshould be performed in anyone with suspected TB. In young child,especially if cough is nonproductive, best culture material is fromearly morning gastric aspirate. Otherwise, isolation of tuberclebacilli by culture of sputum, urine, pleural fluid, cerebrospinalfluid, other body fluids, or biopsy material confirms diagnosis. Negative PPD never excludes infectionor disease with TB. Anergy may be due to young age, viral infections,immunosuppression, and severe disseminated TB
Chlamydia - Pneumoniadue to C. trachomatis usually occurs in infants 1–3 mosof age. Clinical findings include conjunctivitisor history of conjunctivitis, staccato cough, tachypnea, crackles,and mild peripheral eosinophilia. Fever is variable finding. Chest radiograph usually shows hyperinflationand bilateral interstitial infiltrates.Positive nasopharyngeal or eye cultureconfirms diagnosis
Legionella - Legionnaire'sdisease is transmitted by inhalation of aerosolized water contaminated withLegionella species. Most common cause of Legionella infectionin U.S. is L. pneumophila serogroup 1. Frequent findings include fever, nonproductivecough, headache, and myalgia. Chest radiograph usually shows infiltrate.Pulmonary nodules ± cavitation also may occur. Diagnosis can be confirmed in a numberof ways: positiveculture of sputum or lung tissue detection of organisms on smears ofrespiratory tract secretions by direct immunofluorescent assay usingmonoclonal or polyclonal antibodies DNA probes serologic testing using indirect immunofluorescenceantibody assayIncrease in antibody titer to ≥1:128is also considered diagnostic
Nocardia - Nocardiaspecies are funguslike bacteria that live in soil. Lung is probable portal of entry aswell as most frequent site of infection. Most common agent in U.S. is N. asteroides. Clinical findings include fever, cough,chest pain, night sweats, malaise, and weight loss. Chest radiography shows scattered infiltrates. Stained smears of sputum, spinal fluid,or pus may reveal gram-positive rods that are variably acid fast.Positive culture confirms diagnosis

Mycoplasma - Endemicin eastern and midwestern U.S., especially in Mississippi and OhioRiver valleys. Infection occurs by inhalation of H.capsulatum spores, which are present in soil or dust in barnyardsor other areas that contain bird and bat droppings. >95% of infectionsare asymptomatic. Common presentation is acute influenza-like illness withpulmonary infiltrates and hilar adenopathy. Disseminated diseasewith fever, cough, pulmonary infiltrates, hepatosplenomegaly, andpancytopenia occurs most frequently in immunocompromised hosts. Culture of sputum, blood, or bone marrowconfirms diagnosis, as does demonstration of intracellular yeastsin smears of bone marrow or biopsy material from infected tissues.Detection of H. capsulatum antigenin urine or serum also can be used to diagnose disseminated disease.Single titer of ≥1:32 or 4-fold increase in yeast phase titersis presumptive evidence of active infection. H bands found in immunodiffusionantibody assay also suggest active infection
Fungal
Histoplasmosis - Endemicin eastern and midwestern U.S., especially in Mississippi and OhioRiver valleys. Infection occurs by inhalation of H.capsulatum spores, which are present in soil or dust in barnyardsor other areas that contain bird and bat droppings. >95% of infectionsare asymptomatic. Common presentation is acute influenza-like illness withpulmonary infiltrates and hilar adenopathy. Disseminated diseasewith fever, cough, pulmonary infiltrates, hepatosplenomegaly, andpancytopenia occurs most frequently in immunocompromised hosts. Culture of sputum, blood, or bone marrowconfirms diagnosis, as does demonstration of intracellular yeastsin smears of bone marrow or biopsy material from infected tissues.Detection of H. capsulatum antigenin urine or serum also can be used to diagnose disseminated disease.Single titer of ≥1:32 or 4-fold increase in yeast phase titersis presumptive evidence of active infection. H bands found in immunodiffusionantibody assay also suggest active infection
Coccidioidomycosis - Endemicin southwestern U.S. Transmission occurs by inhalation of dust-borne sporesof C. immitis. Primary infection is often asymptomatic,whereas symptomatic infection usually presents with fever and cough. Chest radiograph may show hilar adenopathyand calcification of healing primary lesion. Granulomatous lesionscan occur in lungs, lymph nodes, bones, joints, skin, and meninges.Typical clinical and radiologic findingsand positive skin test or ≥1:32 complement fixation antibodytiter are diagnostic. Spherules seen in tracheal aspirates, sputum,urine, or spinal fluid; biopsies of skin lesions or organs; or positivecultures from any of these sources are also diagnostic
Aspergillosis - Aspergillusspecies grow in soil and in decaying vegetation. Transmission isby inhalation of airborne spores. Different clinical presentations mayoccur: Allergicbronchopulmonary aspergillosis with low-grade fever, productivecough, episodic wheezing, transient pulmonary infiltrates, and eosinophilia Aspergillomas that do not invade lungtissue Invasive pulmonary disease with feverand productive cough Disseminated disease with involvementof skin (cutaneous papules and abscesses), heart (endocarditis),bone (osteomyelitis), sinuses (sinusitis), or brain (abscess). Chest radiograph may show patchy ornodular infiltrates or consolidation ± cavitation. Branching and septate hyphae in sputumsuggest diagnosis. Positive sputum or lung biopsy cultureconfirms diagnosis
Blastomycosis - Infectionwith B. dermatitidis is endemic in southeastern U.S. and in midwestern statesbordering the Great Lakes. Pulmonary, cutaneous, and disseminatedforms of disease can occur, but pulmonary disease is most commonin children. Clinical findings of pulmonary diseaseinclude cough, fever, malaise, chest pain, weight loss, and hemoptysis. Chest radiograph may show infiltrates,cavities, or nodular densities. Primary cutaneous blastomycosis maypresent with ≥1 subcutaneous nodules that eventually ulcerate. Disseminated disease produces granulomatouslesions, which may involve liver, spleen, bone, skin, and brain. Thick-walled single budding yeast formsmay be seen with 10% KOH preparations from sputum, spinalfluid, urine, or skin lesions. Positive immunodiffusion test on serathat shows precipitin bands (A and B) is evidence for active infection;however, bronchoalveolar lavage or lung biopsy may be necessaryto establish diagnosis in children with pneumonia.Serologic assays are not reliable fordiagnosis

Protozoa -P. cariniiinfection occurs almost exclusively in immunocompromised childrenand is common in those affected with HIV. Clinical findings include nonproductivecough and fever. Chest radiograph shows bilateral interstitialor air-space disease. Diagnosis is confirmed by demonstrationof organism in lower respiratory tract secretions or lung tissue. Induction of sputum in older childrenand adolescents, bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage, or lungbiopsy can be performed. Methenamine silver nitrate and toluidineblue O are most useful stains to identify thick-walled cysts
Chemical pneumonia - Gasoline,kerosene, and charcoal lighter fluid are hydrocarbons with low surfacetension and viscosity. Because of these properties, aspiration intotracheobronchial tree can easily occur after ingestion.Acute onset of cough and respiratorydistress and history of ingestion are diagnostic. Within severalhours of ingestion, chest radiograph may show evidence of pneumonia,with infiltrates commonly in right middle and lower lobes
Aspiration pneumonia - Interferencewith normal swallowing predisposes to aspiration of oral and gastricsecretions as well as food. Children with gastroesophageal reflux,tracheoesophageal fistula, or neurologic disorders with swallowingdysfunction are more prone to develop aspiration pneumonia.Onset of respiratory distress afterchoking, gagging, coughing, or vomiting episodes should lead oneto suspect aspiration pneumonia

Cystic fibrosis - Common causeof chronic lung disease in children but also affects other organsystems with epithelial surfaces, especially intestine, pancreas,liver, and sweat glands. Mutations in CFTR gene located on chromosome7 result in abnormal ion transport across epithelial surfaces. Genetictransmission is autosomal recessive. Age of onset and clinical presentationvary widely. Earliest clinical manifestation is meconium ileus innewborn. Most common manifestation of respiratory disease is coughthat may be dry or productive. Other clinical findings include wheezing;nasal polyps; frequent large, foul-smelling stools; digital clubbing;recurrent rectal prolapse; and poor growth. Chest radiograph usually shows hyperinflation,irregular aeration with areas of patchy atelectasis, and accentuatedperibronchial markings. Bacterial organisms that commonly colonizerespiratory tract in this disease are S. aureus, H. influenzae,and gram-negative enteric bacteria, including P. aeruginosa. Sweat chloride level >60 mEq/Lis diagnostic. DNA mutation analysis is definitive
Bronchiectasis - Infectionor chronic inflammation of airways can cause bronchiectasis. May be focal (foreign body, local infection)or generalized (cystic fibrosis, chronic aspiration). Chronic productive cough with cracklesand rhonchi on lung exam are usual findings. Chest radiography may show persistentatelectasis or infiltrates that fail to resolve. Diagnosis may be confirmed by chestCT, which shows dilated bronchi that do not taper peripherally
Lung abscess - May occur ± pneumonia. Most common organisms found in lungabscesses are Staphylococcus species and group A Streptococcus.Anaerobes also may play role in individuals with aspiration pneumonia. Persistent fever and cough are usualclinical features. Abscess (density with air-fluid level)may be seen on chest radiography, with confirmation by chest CT.Needle aspirate may reveal specificpathogen

Allergic disorders -
Allergicrhinitis - Althoughusual clinical findings with allergic rhinitis are persistent orrecurrent rhinorrhea, sneezing, and itchy tearing eyes, nonproductivecough also occurs
Asthma - Definedas inflammatory disorder of smaller airways, which is characterizedby recurrent wheezing that is reversible with bronchodilator therapyor spontaneously. Another common manifestation is recurrent cough, ± wheezing,especially after exercise or at night

Mechanical or chemical irritation -
Environmentalirritants - Smoke, chemicalfumes, particulate matter from fire, and other environmental pollutantsand toxins may stimulate cough production. History of exposure is diagnostic
Foreign body aspiration -Aspirationof foreign body into bronchus commonly produces choking or gagging followedby persistent coughing or wheezing. Some common foreign bodies are food(nuts, seeds, meat), pins, tacks, and plastic tops. Chest radiography may show segmentalor lobar collapse or unilateral hyperinflation. Chest radiographstaken in inspiration/expiration or in right and left lateraldecubitus positions as well as fluoroscopy may demonstrate unilateralair trapping and movement of mediastinum away from affected side duringexpiration. In some cases, bronchoscopy is necessary to confirmdiagnosis

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia- Aform ofchronic lung disease that often follows neonatal respiratory distresssyndrome treated with endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation,and high concentrations of inspired oxygen. During course of disease, respiratorydistress waxes and wanes with intermittent cough. Crackles and rhonchi may be heard onlung exam. Hypoxemia and hypercapnia occur, andapnea may develop. Chest radiograph shows combinationof hyperinflation, prominent perihilar markings, and streaky densitiesthat may persist for many months
Congenital anomalies- Congenitalanomalies that may produce cough include laryngomalacia, tracheomalacia,tracheoesophageal fistula, pulmonary sequestration, bronchogeniccyst, cystic adenomatoid malformation, and vascular rings and slings.
Cardiac failure - Pulmonaryvenous congestion occurring as manifestation of cardiac failuremay cause airway edema leading to cough. Other findings includerespiratory distress, tachycardia, hepatomegaly, and cardiomegaly
Gastroesophageal reflux- Aspirationof stomach contents into lung may produce airway obstruction andpneumonia with coughing and wheezing. Another proposed mechanismfor cough and respiratory distress is the stimulation of esophagealvagal afferents by gastric contents to produce laryngospasm andbronchospasm.
Swallowing dysfunction - Disordersthat cause difficulty in swallowing may produce gagging, choking,and recurrent coughing
Immotile cilia syndrome - Autosomal-recessivedisorder characterized by defects in ultrastructure of cilia that impairciliary motion and clearance of mucus from respiratory tract. 1 form of this syndrome has been mappedto chromosome 9p21-p13, whereas another has been mapped to chromosome5p. Structural defects include absenceof dynein arms and radial spokes. Onset is in infancy or early childhoodwith chronic cough that is usually productive of sputum. Other manifestationsinclude chronic rhinitis, sinusitis, otitis media, bronchitis, andpneumonia. Chest radiograph may show hyperinflation,bronchial wall thickening, segmental atelectasis or consolidation,situs inversus, and bronchiectasis. Electron microscopy of cilia obtainedby nasal or bronchial biopsy brushing techniques demonstrates structuraldefects
Neoplasm - Chroniccough may occur with airway tumors (hemangioma, papilloma), mediastinal masses,and lung tumors, including metastatic lesions
Reflex cough - In somechildren, foreign body or cerumen in ear canal causes transientreflex cough. Persistent cough also has been attributedto hair lodged against tympanic membrane. Otoscopic exam is diagnostic
Psychogenic, including habitual cough -Occasionallychild has persistent or recurrent cough with no evidence of underlying respiratorytract disease. Usually occurs in school-aged child after URI, andcough lasts for weeks. Cough is usually loud, harsh, and foghorn-like,disappearing during sleep and often decreasing when alone or onweekends. Otherwise, child is well and physicalexam and chest radiograph are normal. Often secondary gain can be identified. Some of these children may have emotional problems that requirefurther evaluation

Diagnostic Approach

In manycases history and physical exam are diagnostic. Age of child, duration of cough, qualityand characteristic features of cough, and associated findings narrowdiagnostic possibilities

Age of Child and Duration of Cough

In infantsand preschool children, most common causes of acute cough are viralURI, pneumonia (viral, bacterial, aspiration), laryngotracheobronchitis (croup), bronchiolitis, and foreign body aspiration.
In school-aged children and adolescents,most common causes of acute cough are viral URI, bronchitis, andpneumonia (viral, bacterial, M. pneumoniae).
Chronic cough lasts >3–4wks, although many coughs induced by acute viral URIs may persistfor a number of weeks after onset of infection.
Most common causes of persistent coughin early infancy are pertussis, pneumonia (infection, aspiration),and cystic fibrosis.
In later infancy and early childhood,recurrent viral URIs and asthma are most common causes of recurrentcough.
Most common causes of recurrent orchronic cough in adolescents are asthma, smoking, cystic fibrosis,and psychologic problems.

Periodicity and Quality of Cough

Asthma,pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, TB, and focal lesionscausing local irritation or infection cause persistent coughs.
Recurrent viral URIs and asthma causeepisodic coughing.
Paroxysmal cough suggests pertussisbut can also occur with Chlamydia and Mycoplasma infection.
Dry, barking or brassy cough with voicechanges signifies laryngotracheal pathology.
Loud, honking cough in older childthat disappears with sleep suggests habit or psychogenic cough.
Neuromuscular disorders produce a weakand feeble cough.
Loose rattling cough means that excesssecretions or exudate exist in airways. Moist cough with sputumproduction is hallmark of suppurative lung disease

Timing of Cough

If coughdisappears while asleep, it usually has psychologic basis.
Recurrent episodes of nocturnal coughor after exertion suggest cough-variant asthma.
Productive cough with morning awakeningis common with bronchitis secondary to smoking or cystic fibrosis.

Nature of Sputum Production

Few infants or young children expectorate.Cough productive of purulent sputum is usually associated with bacterialpneumonia, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, or lung abscess. Occasionally,the sputum is blood streaked

Associated Findings

Presenceof fever suggests infectious process such as viral URI, pneumonia,croup, pertussis or TB.
Hemoptysis suggests bronchitis, foreignbody, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, TB, pulmonary hemosiderosis,or lung abscess.
Cough associated with stridor indicatesairway obstruction

Evaluation

Etiologyof cough can usually be determined or at least suspected from historyand physical exam.
Chest radiography shows pattern andextent of disease and is confirmatory in many instances.
With suspected bacterial pneumonia,CBC and differential, blood culture, and sputum culture (older child)should be performed.
If TB is suspected, intermediate-strengthPPD should be placed.
Thoracentesis should be performed ifthere is significant pleural effusion because Gram and acid-faststains, cultures (viral, bacterial, fungal), PCR, and cytology mayprovide specific diagnosis.
With segmental or lobar collapse unresponsiveto therapy, bronchoscopy should be performed to define obstructivelesion and to obtain cultures.
Another useful test is sweat test inchildren with recurrent or chronic cough
With suspected pulmonary infectionin immunocompromised host, nasal wash cultures for viruses, andsputum and blood cultures for bacteria and fungi, should be performed. Empiric therapy may be started for gram-positive and gram-negativebacteria and for P. carinii infection, but bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolarlavage should be considered at early stage. If this is nondiagnostic,lung biopsy is next step.

Home Treatment

Coughing is your body's way of removing foreign substances and mucus from your lungs and upper airway passages. Productive coughs are often useful, and you should not try to eliminate them. Sometimes, though, coughs are severe enough to impair breathing or prevent rest. Home treatment can help you feel more comfortable when you have a cough.

Home treatment for adults

Prevent dehydration. Fluids may help thin secretions and soothe an irritated throat. Dry, hacking coughs respond to honey in hot water, tea, or lemon juice. Do not give honey to children younger than 1 year of age.
Elevate your head with extra pillows at night to ease a dry cough.
Try a cough drop to soothe an irritated throat. Expensive medicine-flavored cough drops are no better than inexpensive candy-flavored drops or hard candy. Most cough drops have no effect on the cough-producing mechanism.
Quit smoking and do not use other forms of tobacco, especially while you have a cough
Avoid exposure to inhaled irritants, such as smoke, dust, or other pollutants, or wear a face mask that is appropriate for the exposure. Many kinds of face masks are available. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to determine which type of face mask will provide you with the most benefit.
If you suspect problems with stomach acid may be contributing to your cough, see the topic.
Cough preparations may help your cough. Avoid cold remedies that combine medicines to treat many symptoms. It is generally better to treat each symptom separately. There are two kinds of cough medicines: expectorants and suppressants.

Expectorants help thin the mucus and make it easier to cough mucus up when you have a productive cough.

Use an expectorant if you have a cough that produces thick mucus and you are having difficulty coughing the mucus up. Don't depend entirely on an expectorant to thin the mucus; drink plenty of water also.
Look for expectorants containing guaifenesin, such as Robitussin, Mucinex, and Vicks 44E.

Suppressants control or suppress the cough reflex and work best for a dry, hacking cough that keeps you awake.

Use cough suppressants wisely. Don't suppress a productive cough too much, unless it is keeping you from getting enough rest. Coughing is useful because it brings up mucus from the lungs and helps prevent bacterial infections. People with asthma and other lung diseases need to cough.
If you have a dry, hacking cough, ask your doctor about an effective cough suppressant medicine.
Look for suppressant medicines containing dextromethorphan, such as Robitussin-DM or Vicks Dry Hacking Cough. Studies show that over-the-counter cough medicines do not work very well. And some of these medicines can cause problems if you use too much of them. It is important to use medicines correctly and to keep them out of the reach of children to prevent accidental use.

Cough preparation precautions

Cough preparations can cause problems for people with other health problems, such as asthma, heart failure, high blood pressure, glaucoma, or an enlarged prostate. Cough preparations may also interact with other medicines, such as sedatives and certain antidepressants. Read the package carefully or ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you choose one.
Use cough preparations with caution if you are older than 60 or if you have chronic respiratory problems.
Read the label so you know what you are taking. Some cough preparations contain a large percentage of alcohol; others contain codeine. There are many choices. Ask your pharmacist to advise you.
Do not take someone else's prescription cough medicine.

Home treatment for children

It is important to follow the directions on cough medicines for children how much medicine to take and how often to take it may be very different than for adults.

If your child has a barking cough during the night, you can help him or her breathe better by following the home treatment for a barking cough.

Hold your child in a calming manner.
Keep your child quiet, if possible. Crying can make breathing more difficult. Try rocking or distracting your child with a book or game.
Use a cool air humidifier to add moisture to the air. Do not use a hot vaporizer. Use only water in the humidifier. Hold your child in your lap, and let the cool vapor blow directly into your child's face.
If there is no improvement after several minutes, take the child into the bathroom and turn on the shower to create steam. Close the door and stay in the room while your child breathes in the moist air for several minutes. Make sure your child is not burned by the hot water or steam. Do not leave your child alone in the bathroom.
If there is still no improvement, bundle your child up and go outside in the cool night air.
Do not give cough and cold medicines to a child younger than 2 unless your child’s doctor has told you to. If your child’s doctor tells you to give a medicine, be sure to follow what he or she tells you to do.
Do not give your child leftover antibiotics or antibiotics or other medicines prescribed for someone else

Prevention

There is no sure way to prevent a cough. To help reduce your risk:

Wash your hands frequently during the cold and flu season. This helps prevent the spread of a virus that may cause a cold or influenza.
Avoid people who have a cold or influenza if possible.
Don't smoke or use other forms of tobacco. A dry, hacking "smoker's cough" means your lungs are constantly irritated
Avoid exposure to secondhand smoke, both at home and in the workplace.
Increase your fluid intake. This helps keep the mucus thin and helps you cough it up. It also helps prevent dehydration.
Get a flu shot (influenza vaccine) each autumn if you are older than 50 or have a health risk that increases your risk for a serious problem
Get a pneumonia shot (pneumococcal vaccine) if you are older than 65 or if you have chronic lung disease, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or a health risk that increases the seriousness of your symptoms
Make sure your immunizations are current, such as pertussis to reduce your risk of getting whooping cough
If your child stays in a day care center, ask the day care providers to wash their hands often to prevent the spread of infection.

Prevention tips for children

If your child goes to a day care center, ask the staff to wash their hands often to prevent the spread of infection.
Make sure that your child gets all of his or her vaccinations, especially for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) and for Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)..
If one of your children is sick, separate him or her from other children in the home, if possible. Put the child in a room alone to sleep

Emergencies

Do you have any of the following symptoms that require emergency treatment? Call or emergency services immediately.
Chest discomfort or pain that is crushing or squeezing or feels like a heavy weight on the chest

Chest discomfort or pain that occurs with:

Sweating
Shortness of breath
Nausea or vomiting
Pain that spreads from the chest to the back, neck, jaw, upper abdomen, or one or both shoulders or arms. See an illustration of chest pain.
Dizziness or lightheadedness
A fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat
Moderate to severe difficulty breathing:

In a child
In an adult and older child
Choking. If choking is present, go to the topic Choking Rescue Procedure. Do not perform the Heimlich maneuver if the person is still coughing or able to speak.

Preparing For Your Appointment

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment

:You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions

How long have you had the cough?
How often do you cough?
Does the cough have a pattern, such as worsening at night or becoming more frequent in the morning?
What situations increase your coughing?
Are you exposed to any irritants, such as smoke, dust, or chemicals, in your home or workplace?
Is the cough productive (brings up sputum) or unproductive (dry and hacking)? Be prepared to describe the color (bloody, rusty, white, yellow, or green), amount, and consistency of any sputum.
Do you have other symptoms that may be related to your cough, such as nasal drainage, fever, shortness of breath, wheezing, or other suspected cold symptoms?
What home treatment have you tried? Did it help?
What prescription and nonprescription medicines or other treatments have you tried? Did they help?
What prescription and nonprescription medicines do you take regularly?
Have you ever been diagnosed with allergies or asthma? Does anyone else in your family have allergies or asthma?
Have you traveled recently?
Do you have any health risks?

References

Bachur R. Cough. In: Fleisher GR, LudwigS, eds. Textbook of pediatric emergency medicine, 4th ed. Philadelphia:Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2000:183–186.

Chernick V, Boat TF, eds. Kendig's disordersof the respiratory tract in children, 6th ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders,1998.

del Rosario JF, Orenstein SR. Evaluation and managementof gastroesophageal reflux and pulmonary disease. Curr Opin Pediatr1996;8:209–215.

Eigen H. The clinical evaluation of chronic cough.Pediatr Clin North Am 1982;29:67–78.

Long SS, et al., eds. Principles and practice of pediatricinfectious diseases. New York: Churchill Livingstone, 1997.

McCarthy VP, et al. Necrotizing pneumococcal pneumoniain childhood. Pediatr Pulmonol 1999;28:217–221.

Morgan WJ, Taussig LM. The child with persistent cough.Pediatr Rev 1987;8:249–253.

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM). McKusick-NathansInstitute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore,MD) and National Center for Biotechnology Information, NationalLibrary of Medicine (Bethesda, MD), 2001. World Wide Web URL:
برای مشاهده محتوا ، لطفا وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید.

Parks DP, et al. Chronic cough in childhood: approachto diagnosis and treatment. J Pediatr 1989;115:856–862.

Pickering LK, ed. 2000 Red book: report of the Committeeon Infectious Diseases, 25th ed. Elk Grove Village, IL: AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics, 2000.
Rudolph AM, ed. Rudolph's pediatrics, 20thed. Stamford, CT: Appleton & Lange, 1996

__________________________________________________ ___________

obituary

07-12-2008, 03:41

Glaucoma medication may be safe, effective route to long, full lashes

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

WASHINGTON - A panel of government experts said Friday a glaucoma drug from Allergan appears to be a safe and effective way to make eyelashes longer and fuller.

Allergan, which makes Botox anti-wrinkle injections, has asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve its Lumigan formula to enhance eyelashes.

The agency's panel of outside eye and skin specialists voted unanimously that the drug's benefits outweighed its risks. However, the same panel voted 5-3 with one abstention that Allergan should be required to conduct follow-up studies to address questions about the drug's use among certain patient groups.

"I'm worried about off-label, nonsupervised use of this medication, and I'm concerned teenagers might use it three or four times a day instead of once," said Dr. Marijean Miller, an ophthalmologist with the Children's National Medical Center in Washington.

Other experts noted that only one African-American patient was included in company trials and said Allergan should be required to show the drug's effectiveness in that population.

The FDA is not required to follow the panel's advice, though it normally does. The agency is expected to make a decision on the drug in mid-2009.

The drug is already marketed to treat eye conditions stemming from glaucoma. In studies for that treatment, researchers first noticed the drug seemed to stimulate eyelash growth.

Could ‘Latisse’ post $500 million a year in sales?

Irvine, Calif.-based Allergan plans to market the drug under the brand name Latisse, if it is approved as a cosmetic treatment.

A study conducted by Allergan showed once-daily application with the formula significantly increased prominence of lashes after four months. The study also met its secondary goals of increasing eyelash length, thickness and darkness.

Allergan has estimated that Latisse could garner more than $500 million in sales annually, however, analysts are more conservative about the product's short-term potential. Cowen & Co. analyst Ken Cacciatore projected in a research note that Latisse would reach $15 million in sales for 2009 and $30 million in 2010.

Shares of Allergan rose $1.36, or 3.7 percent, to $37.78.l

obituary

09-12-2008, 02:43

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

Makeup is to facial skin what colors are to canvas. If applied correctly it not only enhances the looks but also brings out a near perfect persona from the simplest of faces. Makeup hides blemishes and imperfections. Yet at the same time it is important to note makeup is not the alternative to good skin. Good skin should be the primary goal. And to maintain it applying makeup in right contours should be the secondary goal.

A clean, well moisturized skin is the prelude to makeup. Make up starts from application of foundation. Right foundation makes the skin look natural and flawless. Wrong foundation gives the appearance of superficial artificiality. Most women across the globe have yellow based skin. It includes Asian, Latin and African women. So to have that perfectly natural, flawless look they need to wear foundations with a yellow base. Most of the foundations available in market have pink or orange tints. Sacha cosmetics, that was official makeup for Miss Universe and Miss USA beauty pageants, is the first cosmetic company to manufacture yellow tint foundation and it is a good product to start with. To get the correct foundation tone, it must be first tested on jaw line or forehead.

It is imperative to moisten a gauze pad or wash cloth in astringent and gently pat it on already made up face so as to get a dewy finish. The astringent removes the matte look. Excess foundation must be wiped clean with a tissue. Foundation can be set immediately by applying translucent powder. Try to avoid cream foundation in summers as they have high content of oil and may slip in extreme heat. Sometimes tinted moisturizers can be used in place of foundation. Many people are not clear when is the time to replace your existing foundation with a new one. The answer is when your foundation begins to curdle then it must be replaced with a new one. Loose power is ideal for setting make up and compact powder for touching up during day and night. Face powder must be matched with the skin tone. It must be evenly applied on sidelines, jaws and sides of nose to get the perfect finish. Excess powder must be dabbed with help of a tissue paper. For best results try the face power by Maybelline and L'Oreal. A face powder with SPF 15 is the best bet to ensure all day protection from sunlight during day.

Right concealer can hide all types of blemishes like under eye circles and acne. Liquid concealer is ideal for dry skin and larger areas like under eye circles while solid concealer can hide small spots. While buying a concealer, choose the one that matches your skin tone or is a shade lighter. It must be applied over foundation and as sparingly as possible. While concealing dark circles, yellow eye shadow can be mixed. This will color correct the dark circle and give a natural skin tone. A little concealer must be applied under the eyes to avoid dark looking eyes.

Blush is used to give the appearance of a flush and healthy looking skin. The color of the blush can be matched with the natural color of lips. Cream based blushers are in vogue for oily to combination skin while creams based are ideal for dry skin. While applying blush, a full size brush, like MAC's blush brush No.116 can be used. While applying blush always smile as this helps you in figuring the apple of the cheeks. Blush should be applied only on apple of cheeks. Excess blush can be wiped off with translucent powder. Best brands in blushes are Max Factor, Nars and Revlon.

Eyes are the main attraction points and eye make up can make the difference between naturally done or artificially done face. In eye makeup, less is more. If you are in hurry, then apply base color that matches your skin tone and top it with mascara. Apply eyeliner as close as possible. For a dramatic look thicker and darker is the bets bet. For eyebrow use a color that matches with the color of brow. Avoid the drama, just color the brow instead and fill in the gaps after combing the brow. If your brow are too then bleaching them up could open up the face. The best brands for eye make up are Urban Decay, LORAC and Sue Devitt.

Lip colors are used to enhance the lips and give the appearance of fuller lips. If you are lucky to have fuller lips than light and frothy colors will work the best. Before application of lip color, lips must be moistened. It is important to that lipstick can act as a blusher but blusher cannot act as a lipstick .To avoid lipstick on your teeths always put index finger in your mouth after application. This will wipe excess lipstick. To get the appearance of plump lips just apply lip linear outside your lips. Many a times lip liner can be applied after the use of lipstick. When wearing a red lipstick use a brown pigment to line and fill lips first as this will make the lipstick last longer. Apply lip gloss over lipstick or alone. Women with fuller lips need not use lip gloss. The best lip color brands are by Revlon, Body Shop, Cover Girl and L'Oreal.

Real beauty is skin deep and this must be always remembered. Make up is no magic band that can transform plain looking Jane into Cinderella. It is only a tool to enhance the natural looks. Healthy looking skin is transformed by makeup but make up is not a substitute for healthy skin. Similarly it must also be noted that makeup products are composed of chemicals. Too much exposure to make up is also not good for the health of skin. Before sleeping, all traces of makeup must be wiped clean to allow skin to breathe naturally. So be ready to say hello to beautiful you. l

Madame Tussaud

10-12-2008, 18:24

SEVEN WAYS TO MAKE YOUR SKIN GLOW
Nothing says youthfulness and good health like glowing , fresh skin . Some people are born with it , some can thank their family genes , but for the rest of us beautiful skin takes some work . What you may not realize is that it is easier than you think to have skin hat glows . These seven tips will help you get the skin that you have always wanted

Eat Healthy
If you want beautiful skin , it is important to maintain a healthy diet . You need plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables , lean meats and dairy in order to have a healthy body and healthy skin . you want to steer clear of processed foods and canned foods because these have a great deal of sodium and ingredients that can cause your skin to become dry , oily or just malnourished . Do your skin and body a favor and only
eat fresh foods . Broccoli is a great food to eat if you have acne and fish is great for
your skin in general . If you are eating the good foods , your skin will show it

Drink Plenty of Water

It is important to drink lots of water to keep your skin supple and moist . If you do not drink enough water , your body will begin taking water from various minor organs in order to feed the major organs . One of the minor organs that is affected is the skin . When the water is drawn from the skin to take care of major organs , you may notice that your skin is very dry and even flaky or it is extremely oily . Drinking

lots of water.though , combats that and keeps your body balanced .

Cleansing Matters
Cleansing should be a vital part of your daily routine . You should remove your makeup each night and thoroughly cleanse your face each morning . The products that you use are also important . Whether you opt for a brand name , drugstore brand or a natural brand of skincare , you should cleanse your face daily and do it the right way : Using lukewarm water ( not hot , not cold ) , splash some on your face . Put some cleanser on your fingertips and work it in to a lather . Using a circular motion , rub the cleanser on your face , jaw line and neck . You don’t want to scrub , be gentle . Rinse your skin by splashing lukewarm water on your face and
neck until the cleanser is gone . Pat your skin dry with a clean towel

Exfoliate
Exfoliation is a great way to get a quick glow . the trick is to get an exfoliation that is gentle but effective . You do not want a very coarse grit because you do not want to overwork your skin . Use a fine grit and make sure that it is gentle . You can use it each morning prior to applying your makeup for a glow that will last all day . To apply , splash your face with lukewarm water . Apply the exfoliation with the pads of your fingers in a circular motion . Avoid your eye area and do not scrub hand
Rinse well and pad dry with a clean towel

Sleep
A good night’s sleep is one of the best beauty tools you can have . While many people believe that sleep deprivation causes dark circles under your eyes , this is not true . When you miss too mach sleep , fluid can collect under your eyes , making them puffy . If you are prone to dark circles , which are a concentration of blood vessels just under the skin , then the puffiness will make the dark circles more prominent . This can add years to your look . Moreover , your body repair itself while you sleep so if you do not get enough sleep , it cannot repair itself adequately .

Your Make-up Means a Lot

Your makeup can mean the difference between great , glowing skin and acne or dry flaky skin . The mineral makeup that is gaining popularity lately is actually a makeup that is good for your skin . Some versions have certain minerals , though , that certain skin types react to so you may need to try a couple of different formulations
until you find the one that is best for you

Relax
Stress can wreak havoc on your skin so it is important that you take time to relax . Meditate ; take a warm bath ( not hot ! Intense heat can harm your skin ) or just talk with a friend . Classes such as yoga are great stress relievers . If you take the time to
relax and relieve your stress , your skin will thank you

If you fallow these seven simple steps , you will soon have softer , younger looking skin

A r c h i

31-12-2008, 01:07

The 6 Biggest Skin-Care Mistakes

If there's one thing I stress to my patients, it's that great skin doesn't require spending a fortune on some "miracle cream" made from rare seaweed from the Arctic Circle! It's all about simple good habits. But let's approach those habits from the opposite direction: What are the most damaging bad habits that I see time and time again?

1. Using a cleanser with harsh detergents: Many people assume that the suds of their vigorously foaming cleanser are a good sign -- surely they'll leave skin extra clean. Unfortunately, copious suds are generally a sign that your cleanser contains a harsh detergent, like lauryl sulfate, that strips skin of vital lipids. (And don't get me started on bar soap -- that is always a no-no.) Instead, look for cleansers that contain fatty acids and will actually fortify your skin, like Dove's ProAge products, or even simple cold cream. If you have particularly dry skin, I recommend cleansing oils, which remove dirt and makeup without disturbing your skin's natural protective barrier.

2. Not using a retinoid: Retinol, a form of vitamin A, is the only topical ingredient proven not only to prevent lines and wrinkles but to minimize the ones you already have. Past the age of 30, I recommend seeing a dermatologist for a higher-concentration prescription retinoid (like Retin-A, Differin, or Tazorac, for example), but there are also many great over-the-counter creams that contain lower concentrations of retinol. I

3. Spending too much on skin care: Splurging on the beautiful packaging and luxurious scents of pricey boutique skin care lines can feel wonderfully pampering -- provided you know that it's absolutely not necessary for great skin. In fact, many of my favorite products are made by drugstore brands, because those companies have the large budgets for top-notch research and development. If you have to choose, put your money toward that prescription retinoid, and buy the rest of your regimen at the drugstore.

4. Getting facials: Yes, that's right -- you can strike facials from your skin-care budget and actually be doing your skin a favor! Studies show that as many as 80% of people break out after a facial. Aestheticians often don't know which products are right for the skin of each client, and may use ingredients that can worsen acne, or essential oils that tend to irritate sensitive skin. Even if you don't break out, there are really no long-term benefits to facials.

5. Washing your face at the wrong time: Always wash your face after you rinse out your hair products and conditioner in the shower, never before. Many conditioners contain pore-clogging isopropyl myristate and other hair products often contain coconut oil -- both are common acne-causing ingredients that you don't want to leave on your skin.

6. Not using sunscreen every day: Not just for your trip to the beach. Not just during the long summer days. Every day. Yes, it's important to be even more vigilant if you plan to spend lots of time in direct sunlight. But incidental sun exposure typically accounts for more of our lifetime exposure to ultraviolet rays than those days at the beach. Walking to and from your car, dashing out of the office for a sandwich, or sitting outside for a few minutes adds up -- make sure you're covered with at least SPF 15, every day.

دل تنگم

11-01-2009, 15:39

.A reader recently asked whether it was abnormal for people to talk to themselves

I don't believe there's anything unusual in someone speaking out loud to no one in particular, or when no one else is around. For some people, it's simply a habit; they may be using it to keep themselves organized, stay focused, and remind themselves what to do next.

Some people talk out loud when they feel lonely. Or others will reflect on their actions with comments such as "Great job," "I'm glad that's finally done," or "That was really stupid."

And who doesn't occasionally talk back to the radio or television, especially when engaged in viewing sports events or listening to a despised politician?

On the other hand, sometimes talking to oneself can indeed be a manifestation of mental illness. Some people with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia may lose touch with reality and experience auditory hallucinations of voices. They feel compelled to respond to "their" voices and even carry on extensive conversations. It's not unusual in downtown areas of big cities to see homeless people, quite oblivious to their surroundings, conversing earnestly when no one else is nearby.

When people seem to be carrying on conversations with themselves these days, however, it most often means they have a Bluetooth earpiece and a cell phone. These one-sided conversations can be pretty annoying if you're stuck in front of such a caller in a line for any length of time.

So... there are plenty of situations when talking out loud to yourself or to no one in particular is perfectly appropriate and socially acceptable. But when we have to listen to lengthy one-sided conversations from a cell phone user, we call it "noise pollution."

Who, finally, are the crazy ones? It's the oblivious cell phone talkers who don't look where they are going, don't care who hears every mind-numbing detail about their business and personal affairs, and couldn't care less that they're driving everyone within earshot... a little mad. They should know better.

.By David Neubauer, M.D

دل تنگم

11-01-2009, 15:48

No one can live a long and healthy life without the will to go on; sometimes mood swings can make us feel that life is too much for us.

A bad mood not only gives you a gloomy outlook, it also lowers your immune function, leading the way to illness. Here are some suggestions to lift your mood, your spirit, and your health.

One. A Laughing Matter

"Laugh Therapy," pioneered by Norman Cousins, has turned out to have real substance. Research has discovered that laughter and joy boost immune functions, especially the production of the natural killer cells that help defend the body from illness and cancer.

Laughter also increases the release of endorphins - compounds that give you a sense of well-being - in your brain. Without a doubt, joyful people liver longer and healthier lives. So read your favorite comics, watch your favorite comedies, and laugh it up!

Two. Amino Acid for Restored Mindset

When an imbalance or deficiency is creating a bad mood, the Europeans use supplements of a natural compound found in human cells to regulate mood and restore a healthy mindset. SAMe (S-adenosyl-L-methionine) is produced from methionine, an amino acid that plays a role in the production of uplifting neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.

One study indicated that SAMe worked on patients who had unsuccessful results with conventional antidepressants. To get a boost from SAMe, take a supplement combining it with vitamins B6 and B12.

Three. Hands-On Healing

Human touch increases the production of endorphins, growth hormone, and DHEA, all of which lengthen your life span and lower the negative impact of stress. Studies have found that patients who are regularly touched recover faster than those who are not touched. So give someone a hug and feel both of your moods improve.

"Four. Boost Your "Youth Hormones

You don't need pills to flood your body with a rejuvenating flood of growth hormones. Research has found that doing squats and leg presses will greatly increase your natural production of the "youth hormone". Increased growth hormone translates to an elevated mood, among other physical benefits. Keep it up with weight training, knee bends, push-ups, and rowing.

Five. Take a Bracing Breath

Breathing correctly is important for dispelling the toxins and wastes from your body; in fact, it is estimated that we expel only about 30 percent of toxins in our bodies through the bowels and bladder-the rest is all respiratory. Breathing is also a great way to clear your mind, boost your energy, and improve your mood. Practice deep, slow, rhythmic, breathing daily with mind-body disciplines such as tai chi, yoga, qigong, and meditation.

Six. Smell the Joy

Research has shown that smell has a definite impact on our bodies and minds. When you stimulate the olfactory nerves inside your nose, you activate the limbic system of your brain, which is associated with moods and memory. This concept is instrumental to aromatherapy, a natural health tradition that makes use of the healing powers of plants with strong scents.

Aromatherapy recommends treating depression with jasmine, eucalyptus for exhilaration, and grapefruit to increase alertness and joy. Just put a dab of the essential oils from these plants on your temples, back of your neck, or acupressure points. Another option? Boil the herb in water and inhale the steam through your nose.

Seven. Feel Fine with Flowers

There is a reason that flowers are the traditional get-well gesture. Colorful flowers have a powerful influence on moods; they can uplift a patient's mood and even combat stress. One study found that during a five-minute typing assignment, people sitting next to a flowering bouquet were more relaxed than those who sat near foliage-only plants.

I hope these tips help the good feelings flow! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

!May you live long, live strong, and live happy

-Dr. Mao

دل تنگم

24-01-2009, 22:44

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ] .jpg?x=400&y=260&q=85&sig=thknhwRvB870hhwMffy8xw--

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Obese women may have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer than their thinner counterparts, a large study of U.S. women suggests

Ovarian cancer is a particularly deadly type of cancer because in the initial stages it typically has vague symptoms or none at all, making it difficult to catch early

In the new study, which included more than 94,000 U.S. women ages 50 to 71, who were followed for more than 7 years, the researchers found that obese women were more likely to develop ovarian cancer. But the risk appeared to be confined to those who'd never used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) during menopause. Previous studies have linked hormone use to a reduced risk of ovarian cancer

Among women who'd never used HRT, those who were obese had an 83 percent higher risk of ovarian cancer that normal-weight women did

The findings, reported in the journal Cancer, suggest that obesity may be one of a few controllable risk factors for ovarian cancer

They also offer women one more potential reason to avoid unhealthy weight gain, said lead researcher Dr. Michael F. Leitzmann, of the U.S. National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland and the University of Regensburg in Germany

"Our data suggest that maintaining a healthy weight is associated with a reduction in the risk of developing ovarian cancer," Leitzmann told Reuters Health

It's not entirely clear why obesity may contribute to ovarian cancer, but it may have to do with the effects of excess body fat on a woman's estrogen levels, according to Leitzmann and his colleagues. The fact that the risk varied according to women's HRT use supports this theory, the researchers note

The study also found a link between obesity at the age of 18 and a higher risk of ovarian cancer later in life -- a relationship was even stronger than the one between later-life obesity and ovarian cancer risk

It's possible, the researchers say, that weight in adolescence or young adulthood is even more relevant to ovarian cancer than weight gain later in life

Tue Jan 13, 5:52 PM ET

A r c h i

25-01-2009, 11:55

Sleeping Less: What to Do About It

Generally, it has been assumed that the need for sleep does not decrease with age, but rather that other factors gradually come to interfere with our ability to sleep through the night.

Older individuals, for instance, are at greater risk not only for developing medical and psychiatric disorders but also for taking medications that can disrupt sleep. In spite of these influences, however, it may be that an actual biological deterioration of the sleep drive might also be playing a role.

A new study published in the journal Current Biology has been able to shed some light on this puzzle of sleep and aging. The researchers, who wanted to determine the maximal sleep capacity of both young and older persons, arranged for groups of younger adults (ages 18 to 32 years) and older adults (ages 60 to 76 years) to lie in bed for 12 hours during the night and for another 4 hours in the afternoon.

The subjects tended to sleep significantly longer at the beginning of the experiment, presumably because they were making up for a sleep debt accrued during their usual daily sleep routines. When the sleep patterns stabilized, however, the younger adults were capable of sleeping for much longer times — an average of 8.9 hours daily — than were the elderly people, who got only 7.4 hours daily. This 1.5-hour difference in maximal sleep capacity is impressive.

If your biological drive for sleep seems to have decreased, make sure that you are following the kinds of routines and behaviors that will give you the best chance of getting as much refreshing sleep as possible. Here are some examples of good sleep hygiene:

* Make sure that you're going to bed early enough to allow yourself to get an adequate night's sleep.
* As your bedtime approaches, develop a relaxing routine in the evening — don't keep busy until the moment before you expect to fall asleep.
* Avoid watching TV in bed.
* Sleep in a cool, relatively dark room.
* Consider going to sleep to the sound of white noise, either from a bedside fan or a machine that generates calming sounds.
* Increase your exercising, but don't do it so near to bedtime that it gets your adrenaline flowing and keeps you awake.
* Limit your daily intake of caffeinated beverages and avoid them completely after lunchtime.
* Avoid al.coh.olic beverages

(I'm sure none of us do the last part :27:)l.

C. Breezy

25-01-2009, 13:18

Sorry , Maybe you can help me ... Do you know how can i get up better ? I mean it's very hard for me to get up in the mornings i have to go to school
I really need your help

دل تنگم

26-01-2009, 01:37

Sorry , Maybe you can help me ... Do you know how can i get up better ? I mean it's very hard for me to get up in the mornings i have to go to school

I really need your help

Ten Benefits of Rising Early

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.Every Thursday is Happiness Day on Zen Habits

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” - Ben Franklin, famously"

Put no trust in the benefits to accrue from early rising, as set forth by the infatuated Franklin …” - Mark Twain"

Recently, reader Rob asked me about my habit of waking at 4:30 a.m. each day, and asked me to write about the health benefits of rising early, which I thought was an excellent question. Unfortunately, there are none, that I know of

However, there are a ton of other great benefits

Now, let me first say that if you are a night owl, and that works for you, I think that’s great. There’s no reason to change, especially if you’re happy with it. But for me, switching from being a night owl to an early riser (and yes, it is possible) has been a godsend. It has helped me in so many ways that I’d never go back. Here are just a few:

One. Greet the day

I love being able to get up, and greet a wonderful new day. I suggest creating a morning ritual that includes saying thanks for your blessings. I’m inspired by the Dalai Lama, who said, ” Everyday, think as you wake up, ‘today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others, I am going to benefit others as much as I can.’ “

Two. Amazing start

I used to start my day by jumping out of bed, late as usual, and rushing to get myself and the kids ready, and rushing to drop them to school and come in to work late. I would walk into work, looking rumpled and barely awake, grumpy and behind everyone else. Not a great start to your day. Now, I have a renewing morning ritual, I’ve gotten so much done before 8 a.m., my kids are early and so am I, and by the time everyone else gets in to work, I’ve already gotten a head start. There is no better way to start off your day than to wake early, in my experience.

Three. Quietude

No kids yelling, no babies crying, no soccer balls, no cars, no television noise. The early morning hours are so peaceful, so quiet. It’s my favorite time of day. I truly enjoy that time of peace, that time to myself, when I can think, when I can read, when I can breathe.

Four. Sunrise

People who wake late miss one of the greatest feats of nature, repeated in full stereovision each and every day — the rise of the sun. I love how the day slowly gets brighter, when the midnight blue turns to lighter blue, when the brilliant colors start to seep into the sky, when nature is painted in incredible colors. I like doing my early morning run during this time, and I look up at the sky as I run and say to the world, “What a glorious day!” Really. I really do that. Corny, I know.

Five. Breakfast

Rise early and you actually have time for breakfast. I’m told it’s one of the most important meals of the day. Without breakfast, your body is running on fumes until you are so hungry at lunchtime that you eat whatever unhealthy thing you can find. The fattier and sugarier, the betterier. But eat breakfast, and you are sated until later. Plus, eating breakfast while reading my book and drinking my coffee in the quiet of the morning is eminently more enjoyable than scarfing something down on the way to work, or at your desk.

Six. Exercise

There are other times to exercise besides the early morning, of course, but I’ve found that while exercising right after work is also very enjoyable, it’s also liable to be canceled because of other things that come up. Morning exercise is virtually never canceled.

Seven. Productivity

Mornings, for me at least, are the most productive time of day. I like to do some writing in the morning, when there are no distractions, before I check my email or blog stats. I get so much more done by starting on my work in the morning. Then, when evening rolls around, I have no work that I need to do, and I can spend it with family.

Eight. Goal time

Got goals? Well, you should. And there’s no better time to review them and plan for them and do your goal tasks than first thing. You should have one goal that you want to accomplish this week. And every morning, you should decide what one thing you can do today to move yourself further towards that goal. And then, if possible, do that first thing in the morning.

Nine. Commute

No one likes rush-hour traffic, except for Big Oil. Commute early, and the traffic is much lighter, and you get to work faster, and thus save yourself more time. Or better yet, commute by bike. Or even better yet, work from home

Ten. Appointments

It’s much easier to make those early appointments on time if you get up early. Showing up late for those appointments is a bad signal to the person you’re meeting. Showing up early will impress them. Plus, you get time to prepare.

How to Become an Early Riser

Don’t make drastic changes

Start slowly, by waking just 15-30 minutes earlier than usual. Get used to this for a few days. Then cut back another 15 minutes. Do this gradually until you get to your goal time.

Allow yourself to sleep earlier

You might be used to staying up late, perhaps watching TV or surfing the Internet. But if you continue this habit, while trying to get up earlier, sooner or later one is going to give. And if it is the early rising that gives, then you will crash and sleep late and have to start over.

I suggest going to bed earlier, even if you don’t think you’ll sleep, and read while in bed

If you’re really tired, you just might fall asleep much sooner than you think.

Put your alarm clock far from you bed

If it’s right next to your bed, you’ll shut it off or hit snooze. Never hit snooze. If it’s far from your bed, you have to get up out of bed to shut it off. By then, you’re up. Now you just have to stay up.

Go out of the bedroom as soon as you shut off the alarm

Don’t allow yourself to rationalize going back to bed. Just force yourself to go out of the room. My habit is to stumble into the bathroom and go pee. By the time I’ve done that, and flushed the toilet and washed my hands and looked at my ugly mug in the mirror, I’m awake enough to face the day.

Do not rationalize

If you allow your brain to talk you out of getting up early, you’ll never do it. Don’t make getting back in bed an option.

Have a good reason

Set something to do early in the morning that’s important. This reason will motivate you to get up. I like to write in the morning, so that’s my reason. Also, when I’m done with that, I like to read all of your comments!

Make waking up early a reward

Yes, it might seem at first that you’re forcing yourself to do something hard, but if you make it pleasurable, soon you will look forward to waking up early. A good reward is to make a hot cup of coffee or tea and read a book. Other rewards might be a tasty treat for breakfast (smoothies! yum!) or watching the sunrise, or meditating. Find something that’s pleasurable for you, and allow yourself to do it as part of your morning routine.

Take advantage of all that extra time

Don’t wake up an hour or two early just to read your blogs, unless that’s a major goal of yours. Don’t wake up early and waste that extra time. Get a jump start on your day! I like to use that time to get a head start on preparing my kids’ lunches, on planning for the rest of the day (when I set my MITs), on exercising or meditating, and on reading. By the time 6:30 rolls around, I’ve done more than many people do the entire day

How to Have More Energy in the Morning

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Do you struggle to drag yourself out of bed in the morning? Do you find yourself hitting the snooze button just one more time, only to get up at the last possible moment feeling groggy and longing for more sleep? These steps will help you greet the morning with a smile.

Instructions

Step 1

Hit the sack earlier. Instead of viewing sleep as a luxury and staying up late to get more done, set a regular bedtime and stick to it. When you are getting enough sleep on a regular basis, you will have more energy all the time and be able to accomplish more without staying up late.

Step 2

Turn off the snooze. Set your alarm for the time you absolutely have to get up. By setting your alarm for an earlier time and hitting the snooze button over and over you will actually wake up feeling more tired than if you sleep until you have to wake up. When you wake up and hit the snooze, your brain knows you will be waking again soon so you don't fall into a deep, restful sleep again.

Step 3

Use a night light. If you wake up during the night and need a drink or to use the bathroom, turning on a bright light will wake you fully, making it hard to get back to sleep. By using a night light you can make your way to the restroom and your sleep will feel less interrupted.

Step 4

Gulp down a big glass of water as soon as you wake up. Your body loses water while you sleep, and as little as a two percent drop in your body's water level can make you significantly more tired both physically and mentally.

Step 5

Open the drapes and blinds. The sunshine will spur your biological clock into action, telling your brain that it is time to get going. Sit on the patio while you read the paper and drink your coffee and soak in some sun. Or better yet, take a brisk morning walk. As your heart gets pumping you will feel more awake and vivacious. You might even start to get up earlier!

seymour

26-01-2009, 21:04

I was reading an article a while ago about the benefits of "waking up late"[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ] ...and how you stress level is high in the morning (so sleep till noon!) ... and you're more creative in the evenings (so sleep till noon) ... and the risk of heart attack is higher

boy , if we could do that!! ... [ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

C. Breezy

26-01-2009, 21:54

Gulp down a big glass of water as soon as you wake up. Your body loses water while you sleep, and as little as a two percent drop in your body's water level can make you significantly more tired both physically and mentally.

drinking water in the mornings is nauseous for me ... I know it's a little Unusual , But this one can not be changed

Open the drapes and blinds. The sunshine will spur your biological clock into action, telling your brain that it is time to get going. Sit on the patio while you read the paper and drink your coffee and soak in some sun. Or better yet, take a brisk morning walk. As your heart gets pumping you will feel more awake and vivacious. You might even start to get up earlier
The sunshine doesn't Glow in my room through the windows ... very bad
But my brother can get up a 4 am. easily

I was reading an article a while ago about the benefits of "waking up late"[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ] ...and how you stress level is high in the morning (so sleep till noon!) ... and you're more creative in the evenings (so sleep till noon) ... and the risk of heart attack is higher
you know , you should tell this to my school , i don't have any problem with time i get up , but they does ! :27:

C. Breezy

28-01-2009, 12:23

Growing Taller Tips - 5 Ways How to Grow Taller Naturally

Height is a very important factor in life, as major companies lean towards hiring taller people, reason being is that a taller stature represents leadership and power, it's no wonder that the taller you are the higher quality of life you'll experience, no pun intended. Here you'll learn how to grow taller naturally, and which products to stay away from.
While it's true that nutrition plays a vital role in the growth of our bodies, taking magic "grow taller" pills will NOT help you grow taller at all. Granted, these pills may be super potent and contain essential vitamins and whatnot, but the body doesn't use them for growth, just for good health.
The way the body grows is by secreting what's known as human growth hormone to all parts of the body. This hormone is released in a pattern throughout your life, but as you grow and age, the less and less hormone is released, that is, unless you implement these growing taller tips.
Here are 5 all-natural ways to grow taller.

1.Bursting Sprints

2.Eat More Meals

3.Hanging

4.Swim More Often

5.Back Stretch

Let's Talk A Little About Them

C. Breezy

28-01-2009, 12:36

Bursting Sprints

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The quick movements from the body at high speeds yield quite a bit of human growth hormone secretion. The longer you can last running at high speeds, the more human growth hormone your body will produce. Also, your legs benefit the most from this exercise and helps them grow longer, which is the main area we want to lengthen in terms of growth.
So Run As Much And As Fast As You Cn

C. Breezy

28-01-2009, 12:42

Eat More Meals
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Did you know that our metabolism is also a factor of our height? If our metabolism isn't up to speed, it will show in our height. The faster our metabolism is working, the more human growth hormone is let out to the body. A higher metabolism also means more blood circulation, which will stimulate more growth to occur during the secretion of HGH.

C. Breezy

28-01-2009, 12:47

Hanging
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Upside down hanging works wonders to lengthen not only your back, but also your legs. If you can manage to get a good position and strap your legs good enough to hang vertically, then you're golden. This exercises opens your vertebrae on your spinal column, forcing your body to fill them with more bone, which will increase your height. Don't hang longer than 20 minutes at a time as that may damage your back.

C. Breezy

28-01-2009, 12:51

Swim More Often
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Have you noticed that swimmers have naturally slimmer and longer bodies? It's because of swimming, being in the water is like being in space, less gravity means more open bone areas for your body to fill them with new bone tissue. The free motion of swimming is very light on your body and greatly releases stress, which can prevent your body from growing. Try to swim as much as possible, 3 times a week is optimal.

C. Breezy

28-01-2009, 12:58

Back Stretch
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Here's a good back stretch that will stimulate growth. Spread your legs shoulder width apart, grab your hands from behind you, keep your arms straight, then bend forward as much as possible. Hold this position for 5 seconds, inhaling as you go down. Then come back, release your breathe, and arch your back backwards and raise your arms behind your head as if you were yawning. This releases tension all over your body and prepares your body to grow a lot more while human growth hormone is secreted.

C. Breezy

28-01-2009, 17:38

Smoking Behavior and the Transtheoretical Model of the Stages of Change

Welcome to the New Year. Have you made any resolutions for 2009? Have you ever wondered what motivates people to change their behavior? There are some who are always seeking self-improvement. Others may feel content and they may see no reason to change certain habits or behaviors. Do you have any New Year’s resolutions that you plan to keep this year? The famous transtheoretical model (TTM) of behavior change is often used to guide clinicians who are trying to promote smoking cessation. Smokers often need help in order to quit successfully. It can be very difficult to overcome a long-time habit or addiction if you do not have the proper guidance from a professional. When the TTM is applied in the setting of smoking cessation, the goal is to move a patient from one stage to the next stage. This is a gradual progression that takes time and people usually don’t jump through several stages at one time.

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The stages of change within the TTM are:
Precontemplation

Contempation

Preparation

Action

Maintenance

C. Breezy

28-01-2009, 17:40

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Precontemplation:
At this stage the person is not even thinking about the behavior change. The person may be unaware of the need for change, or the person may be in denial. He or she has not personally considered making a change in lifestyle or behavior. In the case of smoking, the person has no thoughts of quitting. He or she has never considered quitting and has never thought about the harmful effects of smoking. There is no motivation to quit since the person has never seriously entertained the thought.

C. Breezy

28-01-2009, 17:42

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Contempation:
Once a person reaches contemplation, he or she begins to seriously consider the pros/cons associated with the change. The person may do some research and may learn more about the aspects of the behavior change. The individual may ask certain questions and read some books about successful quitting techniques. Eventually, he or she considers actually making the change. Many smokers are in this stage because they hear about the health hazards associated with smoking and they begin to wonder whether they should try quitting. They don’t have any set plans to quit, but they consider what their life might be life if they were to quit.

C. Breezy

28-01-2009, 17:43

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Preparation:
At this stage, the person begins to make plans and prepares for the necessary change. Most of this is mental and psychological preparation, but there may be some lifestyle changes that also take place as the person begins to prepare for action. For smokers, this may involve a mental preparation of quitting. They may plan ahead by setting a quit date and marking it on the calendar. They may also tell others about their quit date so that they have some accountability from others.

C. Breezy

28-01-2009, 17:48

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Maintenance:
This is where one maintains the changed behavior and incorporates the new behavior as a way of life. Some people do not include this as a stage of change since at this point the person has already made the change. However, since people often revert back to original behaviors, this maintenance stage is a necessary step for many. Most smokers who quit for the first time relapse at some point. Hence, it often takes many efforts to get smokers to quit permanently.
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Have you been wondering about making some type of lifestyle behavior change in your life? Perhaps you are a smoker and you find yourself in the contemplation stage. Where do you find yourself? As the New Year begins, consider what types of changes you need to make in your own life. Talk with your doctor about health habits that may need to change, such as smoking.

Source:

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C. Breezy

29-01-2009, 13:16

When the Doctor is the Patient

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Sometimes we forget that doctors are just like everyday people. They have families, they are members of parent/teacher organizations (PTOs), they help their children with school projects and homework, and they, in many cases, are still repaying school loans. You name it, and yes, the doctor has probably experienced it. So too is the case with sickness. Doctors do get ill, and are seen in the local office, emergency room, and hospitals
. [ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

One of the first decisions the doctor-patient must make is whether to reveal that he or she is a physician to the healthcare personnel. This decision is not taken lightly, because the doctor, by admitting he/she is a physician, might inadvertently alter the potential physician-patient relationship. The doctor may end up over-assisting in their own health care. The nurses, assistants, and even the attending physician will sometimes assume that the doctor -patient has revealed the entire history concerning the illness (or the most pertinent facts) and might not be as thorough in gathering information for treatment purposes. Or, the hospital workers will assume the doctor-patient knows the protocols and think they will be boring the doctor by giving detailed preventive lectures.

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If the doctor-patient does not reveal that he or she is a doctor, will this affect their treatment? Yes, it possibly can. First professional courtesy may not be employed. There is a subtle understanding or bonding between doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers that we are all in this together and an extraordinary effort is taken to make sure their colleague is comfortable or getting the best care. This is also true with other professions. Police officers have a spoken and unspoken respect for other officers. Teachers often identify with other educators. The same is true with doctors and their equally hardworking colleagues at the hospital. A doctor not revealing his or her profession might forfeit some perks (e.g., faster service, more attentive staff) that makes the visit a little more pleasant. They would be just like any other patient and perhaps would not receive extras.

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Being a doctor-patient is uncomfortable for many reasons: First, no one, including doctors, wants to visualize themselves ill, and to add to this, people assume that doctors should be able to heal themselves. Second, doctors may feel guilty that their patients do not have the option of playing the “doctor card” in situations where the treatment process is moving too slowly. Doctor-patients believe that they should be able to receive adequate care without revealing their profession, but they know that the healthcare system is imperfect, and it bothers them. Thirdly, doctors usually are the ones who call the shots and so it leaves them with a sense of diminished autonomy. Lastly, how will their colleagues respond, and how will the doctor respond to them?

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Sometimes, it seems awkward to see the doctor as a patient but if we all remember that physicians have the same joys, want the same rewards, and have the same responsibilities, then it makes what seems like an irony a little more ordinary.
I want others to chime in, especially if you are a healthcare professional. If you have been a patient did you reveal that you were a physician, nurse, or another healthcare professional?

Source :

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C. Breezy

29-01-2009, 13:32

Exercise to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Increase Cerebral Blood Flow

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The benefits of aerobic activity are well documented regarding overall physical health and well-being. Many studies have also shown an association between aerobic activity and cognitive function, but the mechanism was unclear. Now, we may know the reason. A new study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America reported that adults who exercise regularly exhibit increased blood flow to the brain, as well as more small vessels in the brain, compared with those who do not exercise regularly. This study posits that the differences in blood flow between exercisers and non-exercisers could explain why physical activity prevents cognitive decline as people age.

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The researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill evaluated 12 adults, aged 60 to 76 years old. Six of the subjects reported participating in aerobic exercise for 3 or more hours each week for the past 10 years. The remaining 6 subjects reported exercising less than 1 hour each week. The researchers conducted MRI scans and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the patients’ brains and created 3-D models of the blood vessels. According to these models, the inactive group experienced more unpredictable blood flow through the brain, as well as possessing fewer small blood vessels than the active group. As we age, our body — and brain — undergoes changes that can lead to physical and cognitive decline. Among these is the narrowing and loss of small blood vessels. Exercise reverses this blood vessel destruction in other parts of the body, so it is not surprising that it may have the same effect in the brain.
To date, most studies examining exercise and cognitive function focused on aerobic activity, and used prospective or retrospective study designs. Randomized clinical trials are needed to fully assess the impact of exercise on cognitive decline. Likewise, resistance exercise and other types of physical activity need to be considered, in addition to aerobic exercise, as beneficial in cognition. We already know that resistance exercise reduces morbidity and mortality in senior citizens, including decreased fall and fracture risk, and overall physical disability associated with aging.
Physical activity is valuable in the healthy aging process. Regular activity not only improves cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular fitness, but also has positive effects on motor function, cognitive speed, memory function, and auditory and visual attention. Exercise also significantly improves mood in seniors and improves overall quality of life. The newest research demonstrates, once again, that the benefits of regular exercise are limitless. Routine physical activity should be encouraged for most patients, as part of a healthy aging process.

Source:

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C. Breezy

29-01-2009, 13:50

Chemicals 'may reduce fertility'

Chemicals commonly found in food packaging, upholstery and carpets may be damaging women's fertility, say US scientists.

A study published in the journal Human Reproduction measured levels of perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) in the blood of 1,240 women.
Those with higher levels were more likely to take longer to become pregnant.
UK experts said more research was needed to confirm a link.
PFCs are useful in industry because they are resistant to heat, and have the ability to repel water and oil.
However, high concentrations have been linked to organ damage in animals, and the chemicals have the ability to persist for long periods in the body.

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PFCs may make it more difficult for some women to get pregnant

The researchers, from the University of California in Los Angeles, analysed blood samples taken at the time of the woman's first antenatal visit, then interviewed the women about whether the pregnancy was planned, and how long it had taken them to get pregnant.
The levels of the chemicals varied from 6.4 nanograms per millilitre of blood - a nanogram is a billionth of a gram - to 106.4 nanograms per ml.
When the group of women were divided into four groups depending on these levels, they found that, compared to women in the group with the lowest readings, the likelihood of infertility - taking more than a year or IVF to get pregnant - was significantly higher for women with higher levels of PFCs in their bloodstream.

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Dr Chunyuan Fei, one of the researchers, said that earlier studies had suggested that PFCs might impair the growth of babies in the womb.
She said that more women in the groups with higher exposure to PFCs had problems with irregular menstrual cycles , which might suggest that interference with hormones was the reason.
'Tenuous link'
Professor Jorn Olsen, who led the study, said that the team were now waiting for further studies to confirm the link between fertility problems and PFCs.
Tony Rutherford, chairman of the British Fertility Society, said that the findings were "interesting".
"This research shows a tenuous link in the delay to conception in women with the highest levels of two commonly-used perfluorinated chemicals.
"It is an important finding and certainly warrants further detailed research, particularly in those trying for a family.
"The study emphasises the importance of remaining vigilant to potential environmental factors that may impact on fertility."

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C. Breezy

29-01-2009, 14:20

?What Are Colds

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What are colds?

Everyone gets a cold from time to time. Children get more colds than adults.

Colds usually last 1 to 2 weeks. You can catch a cold at any time of year, but they are more common in late winter and early spring.

There is no cure for a cold. Antibiotics will not cure a cold. If you catch a cold, treat the symptoms.
What are the symptoms?

Lots of different viruses cause colds, but the symptoms are usually the same:

* Runny nose and sneezing
* Red eyes
* Sore throat and cough
* Headaches and body aches

You will probably feel a cold come on over the course of a couple of days. As the cold gets worse, your nose may get stuffy with thicker mucus.

A cold is not the same as the flu. Flu symptoms are worse and come on faster. If you have the flu, you may feel very tired. You may also have a fever and shaking chills, lots of aches and pains, a headache, and a cough.

If you feel like you have a cold all the time, or if cold symptoms last more than 2 weeks, you may have allergies or sinusitis. Call your doctor.

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What can you do for a cold?

Good home treatment of a cold can help you feel better. When you get a cold:

* Get extra rest. Slow down just a little from your usual routine. You don't need to stay home in bed, but try not to expose others to your cold.
* Drink plenty of fluids. Hot water, herbal tea, or chicken soup will help relieve a stuffy nose and head.
* Take aspirin, ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin), or acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) to relieve aches. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20. It has been linked to Reye's syndrome, a serious illness.
* Use a humidifier in your bedroom and take hot showers to relieve a stuffy nose and head.
* If you feel mucus in the back of your throat (postnasal drip), gargle with warm water. This will help make your throat feel better.
* Use paper tissues, not handkerchiefs. This will help keep your cold from spreading.
* If your nose does get red and raw, put a dab of petroleum jelly on the sore area.

Don't take cold medicine that uses several drugs to treat different symptoms. For example, don't take medicine that contains both a decongestant for a stuffy nose and a cough medicine. Treat each symptom on its own.

A nasal decongestant spray can help your stuffy nose, but make sure you don't use it for more than 3 days in a row. You could get a "rebound" effect, which makes the mucous membranes in your nose swell up even more.

Do not give cough and cold medicines to a child younger than 2 unless you've checked with the doctor first. If your child’s doctor tells you to give a medicine, be sure to follow what he or she tells you to do. Using saline drops or a humidifier may help thick or dried mucus to drain. To remove mucus from your baby’s nose, use a suction bulb to gently suction the mucus out. This is a safer way to treat your baby's stuffy nose.

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When should you call a doctor?

Call your doctor if:

* You have trouble breathing.
* You have a fever of 104 ° F (40 ° C) or higher.
* You have a fever of 101 ° F (38.3 ° C) or higher that has not come down after 12 hours of home treatment. Or you have a fever of 100 ° F (37.8 ° C) to 101 ° F (38.3 ° C) that has not come down after 3 days of home treatment.
* You have new symptoms that are not part of a cold, like a stiff neck or shortness of breath.
* You cough up yellow, green, or bloody mucus.
* Mucus from your nose is thick like pus or is bloody.
* You have pain in your face, eyes, or teeth that does not get better with home treatment, or you have a red area on your face or around your eyes.
* Your cold seemed to be getting better after a few days but is now getting worse with new symptoms.

How can you prevent colds?

There are several things you can do to help prevent colds:

* Wash your hands often.
* Be extra careful in winter and when you are around people with colds.
* Keep your hands away from your face. Your nose, eyes, and mouth are the most likely places for germs to enter your body.
* Eat well, and get plenty of sleep and exercise. This keeps your body strong so it can fight colds.
* Do not smoke. Smoking makes it easier to get a cold and harder to get rid of one.

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C. Breezy

29-01-2009, 19:10

Acne

Serious skin conditions affect around seven million of people in the UK alone.
They can cause significant emotional distress as well as physical discomfort.

What is it?
Acne is an inflammatory skin condition that causes spots. Spots result from the build up of dead skin cells and grease that block the pores or hair follicles, typically on the face, upper arms, upper back and chest.
It is not contagious and is nothing to do with not being clean.
Hormonal changes, such as those related to puberty, menstruation and pregnancy, can contribute to acne.
Some medicines will also make it worse, including some contraceptive pills and steroids.

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Who gets it?
Most people experience acne at some time in their lives, typically as young adults. Girls tend to develop it slightly earlier than boys - around the ages of 14-17 compared to 16-19 years, respectively.
Acne can occur later in life. Around five per cent of women and one per cent of men aged 25-40 continue to have acne after adolescence.

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What are the symptoms?
As the pores of the skin become blocked, blackheads develop and small, tender, red spots appear. These can turn into pimples or whiteheads filled with pus.

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What is the outlook?
Usually it is a mild condition, most commonly during young adulthood, and will resolve by itself. But for 15% of people it is severe.
The spots can become infected and cause significant scarring, particularly if they are scratched or squeezed.

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How can it be treated?
Mild acne does not need treating as each inflamed spot will eventually heal. Eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water will help keep the skin healthy.
Keeping spot-prone areas clean by washing the affected area twice daily with an unperfumed cleanser can help. However, excessive washing and scrubbing of the skin will not help and may make the inflammation worse.
More severe acne may need treatment. The aim is to clear the spots and prevent scarring.
Treatments work by either unblocking blocked pores, reducing the amount of grease or sebum made by the skin, reducing the inflammation or fighting the bacterium that infects the lesions.
Creams, gels and lotions that can be applied to the skin are available to buy at pharmacies without a prescription. These usually contain antibacterial agents such as benzoyl peroxide, which also works by drying out the skin and encouraging it to shed the surface layer of dead skin.
There are several more potent oral tablets that can be prescribed by a doctor if the acne persists.
Make-up can be used to cover blemishes but heavy use of concealer may make acne worse.
Any scarring will improve with time. Laser therapy, chemical peels, dermabrasion and other treatments have been suggested for acne scarring.
Acne can be extremely distressing and it is important to seek help if you are anxious or depressed about it.

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C. Breezy

29-01-2009, 19:36

How to Get Really Gorgeous Skin

- Never hit the bed with your make up on. If you do so the make up will get in to your facial skin pores and may close them and eventually may mess up your skin. You need to wash your face twice at night, once to get rid of the make up and the second one to clean your face.

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- Make sure you exfoliate every day. You need to do this after washing your face at night. Use a scrub that is soft on your skin. Sugar or oatmeal can be used as a scrub as well.

- Regular use or even daily use of facial masks is good for your skin. You need not buy it always. You can make one on your own using mashed fruits or vegetables like banana, avocado etc. One of the best natural mask is plain yogurt.

- Apply some skin treatment or moisturizer always on your face, either day or night. Give importance to your skin and apply some skin treatment, once you wash it at night. The treatment could be any thing like alpha hydroxy acids, vitamin A, vitamin C or some type of special cocktail treatment. Once it is set, apply a coat of moisturizer over it. Repeat the same process every morning as well.

- Never go for the costliest or cheapest cosmetic products. Products in the medium range are known to give the best results. Those products have quality ingredients and they usually deliver great results also. The only way to find the right product for you is by doing the good old "Trial and Error" method. Keep on experimenting with different brand products until you find the right product for you.

- Keep on hydrating your skin all along the day. You can create your own product by adding a few drops of rose essential oil or chamomile on to a spray bottle of distilled water. You can spray it on regularly over the day even on top of your make up, shaking it a little bit before each use. You may use a commercial product as well.

- Be gentle on your face. Pulling, tugging, scrubbing etc. on your face is not advisable. Never treat your face roughly while cleaning it, moisturizing it or applying make up on it. Thus you can reduce the possible number of wrinkles or skin damage on your face.

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- While in sun, try to hide your face from sun light. Even if you have a really pretty face, it will not be smart to show it off in sun. Put on a good sun screen, put on some good sun glasses and a hat which covers the maximum of your face from sun.

- Drinking a lot of water and eating fresh food is good for your skin. Do not eat dead food; that is food which is not really fresh. Eating a lot of vegetables, nuts and drinking lot of water will increase the shine on your skin.

- Try to stay relaxed always. Even the best cared for skin will show your level of stress on your face. You have to indulge in some thing which is your passion, be it shopping or going for a walk. Outside world can read what is in your mind from your face.

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C. Breezy

30-01-2009, 16:24

How Money Makes You Crazy

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Are you someone who drives an extra three miles to save a nickel on a can of turkey noodle soup, only to blow your budget the next day on a $70 throw pillow? If so, you're not alone. These days, people are making a lot of shortsighted decisions that can hurt their finances and health. A growing field called behavioral economics is uncovering why we act this way, and we’ve got the goods on how you can improve on it, free of charge. How’s that for a bargain?

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Sacrifice smartly, not automatically. Sometimes when we try to pinch pennies, we end up making sacrifices that penalize us without providing much benefit. A recent example cited by several economists: turning into couch potatoes when gasoline prices spiked. In a nation obsessed with fuel costs, people didn't want to spend an extra $100 for a low-cost family visit or camping trip that could have renewed and refreshed them. Instead, they hung around the house, and in many cases spent at least that much on "staycation" activities such as movies and restaurants. Experts use the term "loss aversion" to describe this practice of scrimping in one area but not cutting expenses overall.

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Get your priorities straight. It's a great idea to set budgets and control spending, but do so thoughtfully. Consider your priorities: If your gym membership keeps you fit and sane, cancel your cable TV instead. If you can't make yourself use your home exercise machine, have a yard sale and use the money for fitness activities you enjoy, such as biking or skating

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Beware of bargains. You know the type—they drive all over town hoping to "save" a few cents at the pump, clip coupons for products they dislike, and buy a five-gallon drum of nutmeg at a warehouse store because the cost per ounce is such a bargain. Perhaps you're even one of them.

It's in our nature to want a bargain, but before buying, ask yourself if it's a good deal for you. Something you don't need, can't use or don't really want is no bargain.

Be sure to know the difference between needs and desires. Recent sales figures show that purchases of luxury items, such as flat-screen TVs, plunged at electronics stores but jumped at discount stores, apparently because consumers wanted to believe that saving a few dollars meant it was okay to splurge on costly non-essentials during an economic meltdown. Be honest with yourself, and don't try to pass off your 82-inch TV or titanium cookware as "investments"—they are expenses.

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Face the future. You've heard it over and over and over: You need to exercise, you need to eat better, you need to lose weight, you need to quit smoking, you need to stop wasting money. You know you should. You know you could. You know you will—tomorrow. Think of all the money you'll save. Think of how much better you'll feel. Yet every tomorrow becomes just another today.

Why do we keep doing this to ourselves? Because there's no time like the present, or so the brain is wired to think. People often behave irrationally because they devalue the future. For instance, most workers who are passively offered thousands of dollars a year in matching 401(k) contributions from their employer will turn it down; they'd rather dispose of their "disposable income" on the latest fashions or hot new restaurant. However, when required to make active decisions on their retirement plans, most employees do take advantage of the free money, Harvard University behavioral economist David Laibson has found. When living in the “now,” it makes sense to make pre-commitments, because the next stage of “now” is closer than you think.

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Weigh information individually. You know the routine: You go in for an oil change. As usual, the mechanic/salesman tries to upsell you to a more expensive procedure. You politely decline; all you want here is to use your oil-change coupon. Then one day he warns that your differential fluid must be changed. You figure it's another scam, say you'll think about it and ignore him. Terrible and terribly expensive things happen to your engine.

You may have had similar experiences with a plumber, electrician, computer technician, dentist, doctor, investment adviser or real estate agent. The lesson to learn: It's up to you to consider the merits of each piece of information you receive. An occasional liar isn't necessarily a constant liar.

You can simplify things by dealing with honest, reliable professionals. They do exist, and you can find them by seeking recommendations from people you know, consulting the Better Business Bureau and doing Web searches. These businesses might not offer coupons, but you'll save money and peace of mind in the long run

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So the next time you stop and admire that $70 throw pillow on your way back from picking up turkey noodle soup, stop and think. That’s all it takes to stop your money from making you crazy.

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C. Breezy

02-02-2009, 17:27

What to Do About Stress

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There is always some seemingly minor event to which our response sometimes appears to be out of proportion. Road rage is, I think, the best example. It takes only one straw to break a camel’s back, so when it comes to our health the "trigger" that finally upsets our body-mind’s natural balance and stimulates cancer’s unrestrained and rampant cell growth can be anything from smoking to bereavement, sunbathing to poor diet. In most instances, the interval between the cause and the effect is so great we fail to locate the cause of our disease, blaming it on something or someone else, preferably something that occurred more recently.

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Where there is a clear connection, it is foolish to avoid doing something about the trigger. For example, if you used to smoke and have been treated successfully for lung cancer, it is absurd to take up smoking again; if you have unresolved issues, you have to attend to them. To do so effectively, you will need to stiffen your resolve and show you are not afraid; discover that life is to be celebrated, death not to be feared. You probably can’t change the stressful situations around you, but you can change your attitude, your perspective and your priorities. The greatest courage you can show is to face reality head-on and allow yourself to be seen for who you really are—and to accept this as one of the ultimate truths.

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So how can you restore order? Can your immune system learn new tricks, forget old patterns? Can you enhance your immune function? Let’s look at the facts.

When we say we’re "stressed out," or that our "stress level is too high," what we really mean is that we’re in pain, are having problems or conflicts that are making us distressed. Distress is our reaction to stress: anger, worry, fear, depression. Distress is our response to any situation over which we feel we have little or no control. Your distress levels could be so high they’re affecting your response to your treatment, slowing down your recovery, and diminishing the quality of your life. You may be unusually intolerant of those around you or indifferent to what happens next. You may find difficulty in making decisions or experience memory problems.

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Distress can reveal itself in various other ways—when we’re feeling panicky, uneasy, angry, powerless, depressed, grief-stricken, isolated, trapped. At a physical level, distress is revealed through symptoms such as fatigue, heart palpitations, confusion, tightness of chest, sweaty, dry mouth, muscle tensions, insomnia, irritability, loss of --- drive, decreased appetite. You know you are distressed when you think thoughts such as, "I can’t breathe, I can’t do it, I’m trapped, I’m not going to get out of here, I can’t manage alone, and no one will help."

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Clearly, if your response to stressful situations is always the same, you reinforce the effects and condition your body-mind to repeat old patterns. Behavior that is not rewarded does not continue. If you train yourself to respond differently, you can break the cycle. What your body-mind learned through past experience, you now have to teach it to unlearn. There is no quick solution, but if you persevere you can succeed.

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Facing cancer can challenge even the most optimistic person, but if you can try to see your cancer as a "fight or flight" situation, you can use the energy it gives you to keep going, to try to understand more about it (the stress) and yourself (the distressed), so you won’t see yourself as helpless or dependent, and give up. If you adopt the "flight" response, you will discover that the best place to run is not to a place, since there is nowhere to hide, but to a space you create when you meditate or do nothing; if you adopt the "fight" response, you will discover it’s not your cancer you have to fight (leave that to your cancer specialist), but your fears.

If you have any health or illness related questions you would like me to answer, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. My answers to your questions will be posted on our blog and it is my sincere hope these will be helpful to you.

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C. Breezy

02-02-2009, 17:41

Attention, Walkers: How to Ease Into Running

Ease into running—and double your calorie burn—with this streamlined plan.

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Getting started. Warm up your joints and muscles before each running session with an easy 3–5 minute walk. Do each workout below 3 times per week for at least 3 weeks before progressing to the next level. Listen to your body: Moving on before you’re ready can cause aches and pains.

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Weeks 1 through 3. After every 3–5 minutes of walking, run for 30 seconds–2 minutes; repeat for a total of 30 minutes. Not into numbers? Run until you’re tired, then walk until you’re bored.

Weeks 4 through 6. Alternate 3-minute stretches of walking and running for a total of 30 minutes. If that leaves you winded, try cutting the intervals to 90 seconds, then gradually build up your time.

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Weeks 7 through 9. Alternate running for 4–5 minutes with walking for 1–2 minutes; repeat for a total of 30 minutes.

Weeks 10 through 12. Run for 8–10 minutes, then walk for 1–2 minutes; repeat for a total of 30 minutes. Or run 1 mile, then walk for 2 minutes; repeat 3 times.

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Week 13 and beyond. Try to run 30 minutes straight. If you have to take a midrun breather, don’t despair. Keep trying, and soon you’ll be sailing through your run, no walk breaks needed!

C. Breezy

04-02-2009, 20:22

Are We Exercising Pain Away? Not So Much.

exercise can help people deal with and alleviate chronic neck and back pain, a new study shows that health professionals may not be prescribing it as often as they should.

Less than half of the nearly 700 people surveyed -- all of whom had seen a physician, chiropractor or physical therapist in the past year for chronic back or neck pain -- were prescribed exercise, the study found.

The results, based on a telephone survey by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, showed that those who were given instructions to exercise were nearly twice as likely to have received the order from a physical therapist than from a physician or chiropractor. Roughly a third of physical therapists' patients, though, still did not receive an exercise prescription.

Although most of those surveyed said they had seen a physician, their doctors prescribed exercise for just 14 percent of them. However, some people were referred by their doctors to physical therapists, who ultimately prescribed exercise, according to the survey.

Women, people with a higher education level, and those receiving workers compensation were more likely to have been prescribed exercise, the survey found.

"Considering current evidence on the efficacy of exercise, these findings demonstrate that exercise is being underutilized as a treatment for chronic back and neck pain," the authors wrote.

The findings are published in the February issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

The authors suggested that future studies look at barriers to prescriptive exercise.

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A r c h i

08-02-2009, 19:29

Three things you need to know about burning fat

You probably have heard various theories on how to burn fat. Some may be true, some may not. The reality is that there is definite science behind how you burn and metabolize calories, and for that matter, fat. Here is some basic information and rules of thumb to ensure that you maximize your fat-burning during exercise:

1. Exercise Type: To effectively burn fat, you need to incorporate both aerobic exercise and strength training into your workouts. Strength training increases your muscle mass, which in turn increases your metabolism (meaning you will burn more calories in an average day). Aerobic exercise does not have the ability to permanently raise your metabolism the way weight training does, however, it is most effective in burning calories and fat.
2. The ‘Fat Burning Zone’: This refers to a target heart rate (THR) zone where your heart rate is essentially in the most effective zone to burn fat. This zone allows you to work at a level that is intense enough to burn fat and calories at a productive rate, but not so intense that you will burn-out or become exhausted too quickly. Use the following calculation to find out your personal fat burning zone:

Fat Burning Zone = (220-Your Age) x (.75)

Your fat burning zone is basically 75% of your maximum heart rate (MHR). (To quickly gauge your Fat Burning Zone, look at this quick reference chart using your age and 75% column.) You should aim to stay within 10 beats of the number.
3. Timing of Your Workouts: When you exercise, you first use up your carbohydrate stores (glycogen), then your fat stores and then muscle. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes of exercise to use up your carbohydrate stores before you start tapping into your fat stores. For this reason, there are two ideal times to do aerobic exercise:
* In the morning before you eat. Assuming you didn’t go on a pasta or carbohydrate binge late the night before, you don’t have any stored carbohydrates in the morning (you slept most of them off), and as a result, your body will use your fat stores for energy. For this reason, you can burn up to 300% more body fat than at other times of the day.
* Right after strength training. If you are not a morning exerciser, the next best time to do aerobic exercise is right after you do your strength training. Assuming you do strength training for about 30 minutes, you will use most of or all of your carbohydrate stores prior to starting your aerobic activity.

If you do aerobic exercise at times other than those mentioned above, you will have to exercise for 20 to 30 minutes to burn off your carbohydrate stores and then an additional 20 minutes or so to burn a reasonable amount of fat, making this a much less effective way to burn fat.

If you adhere to these three simple rules, you should see a difference in how much fat you burn as compared to before, hopefully resulting in a greater lean body mass and lower body-fat percentage. Both of which are good for your health.
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C. Breezy

09-02-2009, 16:03

Beat Blood Pressure with Beets

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The smells I remember most when reminiscing about my grandmother are fresh rye bread she would buy from the German bakery and her homemade beet soup. Pink and watery, I remember staring down at the bowl with various facial expressions of disgust. I did not like her beet soup when I was a child, but as I got older I grew a fondness for it because it was a rare and special occurrence when we got to eat it. It turns out, the bright beets that dare you to wear white around them, are actually helpful in cleaning your blood and thereby keeping your pressure low and your heart healthy.

According to Science Daily, new research in 2008 was presented in support of beets helping the heart. Researched at Barts and The London School of Medicine, trials were done experimenting with patients consuming a certain amount of beet juice every day.

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The recommended dosage is 500 milliliters of beet juice (equivalent to just over 16 fluid ounces or 2 cups) daily to see significant results in lowering blood pressure. However, this and other studies warn that drinking more than an ounce of straight beet juice can be harmful to your system. If you own a juicer, doctors and nutritionists generally advice against consuming straight beet juice and recommend mixing it with other vegetable juices such as carrot or fruit juices like apple for dilution purposes.

The study, lead by William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI) at Barts Professor Amrita Ahluwalia and Ben Benjamin, a professor at Peninsula Medical School, shows that the difference is caused by a dietary nitrate found in beet juice—along with other leafy, green vegetables known for their antioxidant activity—that causes blood pressure to drop. During the study, Ahluwalia found that healthy volunteers had an almost immediate reduction in blood pressure after just one hour while better results were seen after a time lapse of 3 or 4 hours and levels can continue to drop within a monitored period of 24 hours.

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The process sounds simple: The nitrate contained in the beet juice converts into the active ingredient in the saliva by bacteria found on your tongue. Once swallowed, the acid in the stomach helps the nitrate enter the circulation of the blood therefore reducing pressure when the nitrate is fully in circulation throughout the body. To plot the difference, a placebo group of volunteers also drank beet juice but refrained from swallowing their saliva for up to 3 hours following the start of the experiment.

Professor Ahluwalia says their results could mean success down the line for lowering the risks and number of occurrences of heart disease especially in the United Kingdom and the United States, “Our research suggests that drinking beetroot juice, or consuming other nitrate-rich vegetables, might be a simple way to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, and might also be an additional approach that one could take in the modern day battle against rising blood pressure.”

Besides having some adverse effects on the body such as dizziness, beet juice can cause more serious problems like temporary vocal chord paralysis, so be careful, even though beet juice has a great ability to purify the blood, it works very fast and efficiently and can catch you off guard.

Researchers agreed that their study of beet juice could greatly help natural treatments for cardiovascular disease, the number one killer in the United States and Europe based on statistics from the last few years. It may not be my grandmother’s beloved beet soup recipe, but if it saves your heart, you might want to look into adding beet juice to your diet in a healthy way but please remember to always consult your doctor first.

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C. Breezy

09-02-2009, 16:21

Marijuana testicular cancer link

Frequent or long-term marijuana use may raise a man's risk of testicular cancer, American research suggests.

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Regular smoking was linked to the most aggressive form

The study of 369 men, published in the journal Cancer, found being a regular marijuana user doubled the risk compared to those who never smoked it.
The results suggest that it may be linked to the most aggressive form of the cancer.
A spokesman for Cancer Research UK said that no previous studies had found a link between marijuana and the disease.

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Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in younger men, with approximately 2,000 new cases each year in the UK.
Incidence in Europe and North America is far higher than in some other parts of the world, and has been rising steadily for no apparent reason.
Known risk factors for the cancer include previous injuries to the testicles, a family history of the disease, or suffering from undescended testicles as a young child.
The study from scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle is the first to look specifically at marijuana use in relation to the disease.

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They studied 369 men aged 18 to 44, who had been diagnosed with testicular cancer, and quizzed them about marijuana use.
Their replies were compared to those from almost 1,000 apparently healthy control subjects.
Even after adjusting the figures to take account of the other known risk factors, marijuana use remained a clear risk factor for testicular cancer.
Just being a marijuana smoker seemed to carry a 70% extra risk, while those who smoked it regularly, or had smoked from an early age, had twice the risk compared to those who had never smoked it.
A connection was made to nonseminoma, a fast-growing form of testicular cancer which accounts for approximately 40% of all cases, and tends to strike younger.

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Cancer Sell

Puberty chance
Dr Janet Daling, one of the authors, said that puberty might be a "window of opportunity" during which boys were more vulnerable to environmental factors such as the chemicals in marijuana.

"This is consistent with the study's findings that the elevated risk of nonseminoma-type testicular cancer in particular was associated with marijuana use prior to 18," she said. Another research, Dr Stephen Schwartz, said: "What young men should know is first, we know very little about the long-term health consequences of marijuana smoking, especially heavy marijuana smoking, and second, our study provides some evidence that testicular cancer could be one adverse consequence."
The next step, he said, would be to look more closely at cells in the testicles to see if any of them had receptors set up to respond to cannabis chemicals.

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Henry Scowcroft, from Cancer Research UK, said: "As the researchers themselves point out, this is the first inkling that there is any association between chronic marijuana use and testicular cancer.
"But the researchers only interviewed a relatively small number of men.
"So before we can reach any firm conclusions about whether this is a cause-and-effect relationship, rather than a statistical blip, the result needs to be replicated in a much larger study."

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دل تنگم

10-02-2009, 22:41

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By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
Published: February 9, 2009

THE FACTS

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Leif Parsons

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ] your nose to alleviate stuffiness may be second nature, but some people argue it does no good, reversing the flow of mucus into the sinuses and slowing the drainage

.Counterintuitive, perhaps, but research shows it to be true

To test the notion, Dr. J. Owen Hendley and other pediatric infectious disease researchers at the University of Virginia conducted CT scans and other measurements as subjects coughed, sneezed and blew their noses. In some cases, the subjects had an opaque dye dripped into their rear nasal cavities

Coughing and sneezing generated little if any pressure in the nasal cavities. But nose blowing generated enormous pressure — “equivalent to a person’s diastolic blood pressure reading,” Dr. Hendley said — and propelled mucus into the sinuses every time. Dr. Hendley said it was unclear whether this was harmful, but added that during sickness it could shoot viruses or bacteria into the sinuses, and possibly cause further infection

The proper method is to blow one nostril at a time and to take decongestants, said Dr. Anil Kumar Lalwani, chairman of the department of otolaryngology at the New York University Langone Medical Center. This prevents a buildup of excess pressure

THE BOTTOM LINE

.Blowing your nose can create a buildup of excess pressure in sinus cavities

دل تنگم

10-02-2009, 22:57

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If you have decided that you want to lose weight, and you have a goal weight in mind, use this calculator to determine the recommended daily caloric intake. You can adjust the goal date to reach a manageable level of calories. Or leave the goal date blank to have one automatically selected for you

Tools: Body Mass Index

B.M.I. is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which is related to the risk of life-threatening diseases. The score is valid for both men and women, but it may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build. It may also underestimate body fat in older people and others who have lost muscle mass.

To determine your B.M.I.:

enter your weight and height using standard measures

click on "Calculate" and your B.M.I. will appear in the calculator

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Considerations for Weight Loss

If your B.M.I. is greater than 25, the National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute recommends losing weight, particularly if you have a high waist measurement or other risk factors for disease (see below). Even a small weight loss (just 10 percent of your current weight) will help to lower your risk of developing diseases associated with obesity. If you are overweight, but do not have a high waist measurement and have fewer than two risk factors, you may need to prevent further weight gain rather than lose weight.

Waist Circumference

According to the National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute, waist circumference is a good indicator of abdominal fat, which is another predictor of your risk for developing hypertension, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and other conditions.
Determine your waist circumference by placing a measuring tape snugly around your waist. Risk increases with a waist measurement greater than 40 inches (102 centimeters) in men and greater than 35 inches (88 centimeters) in women. The risk is considered high to extremely high for people with excessive waist circumference, particularly when their B.M.I. is in the overweight or obese range. Some people who are not classified as overweight may also be at risk if their waist measurements exceed the limit noted above.

Other Risk Factors

Besides having a B.M.I. over 25 or a high waist circumference, there are additional disease risk factors to consider:

(high blood pressure (hypertension
(high LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol
(low HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol
high triglyceridesIT
(high blood glucose (sugar
family history of premature heart disease
physical inactivity
cigarette smoking

C. Breezy

11-02-2009, 19:30

Regular eggs 'no harm to health'

Limiting egg consumption has little effect on cholesterol levels, research has confirmed.

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Eggs are packed full of nutrients

A University of Surrey team said their work suggested most people could eat as many eggs as they wanted without damaging their health.
The researchers, who analysed several studies of egg nutrition, said the idea that eating more than three eggs a week was bad for you was still widespread.
But they said that was a misconception based on out-of-date evidence.

Writing in the British Nutrition Foundation's Nutrition Bulletin, they said eating saturated fats was far more likely to cause health problems. Researcher Professor Bruce Griffin said eggs were actually a key part of a healthy diet, as they were particularly packed full of nutrients.

Ingrained misconception
He said: "The ingrained misconception linking egg consumption to high blood cholesterol and heart disease must be corrected.
"The amount of saturated fat in our diet exerts an effect on blood cholesterol that is several times greater than the relatively small amounts of dietary cholesterol.
"The UK public do not need to be limiting the number of eggs they eat - indeed they can be encouraged to include them in a healthy diet as they are one of nature's most nutritionally dense foods."
While elevated blood cholesterol levels increase the risk of heart disease, only around a third of the cholesterol in the body comes from the diet.
Other factors such as smoking, being overweight and physical activity can influence blood fat and cholesterol levels and heart disease risk.

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The British Heart Foundation (BHF) dropped its advice to limit egg consumption to three a week in 2007 in light of new evidence.
However, research by the British Egg Information Service suggests 45% of consumers still believe it was sensible to limit consumption.
Victoria Taylor, a senior BHF dietician, said: "We recommend that eggs can be eaten as part of a balanced diet.
"There is cholesterol present in eggs but this does not usually make a great contribution to your level of blood cholesterol.
"If you need to reduce your cholesterol level it is more important that you cut down on the amount of saturated fat in your diet from foods like fatty meat, full fat dairy products and cakes, biscuits and pastries."

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In 2007 the Egg Information Service was banned from re-running a television commercial from the 1950s which urged viewers to "go to work on an egg" to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
The Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre said the slogan went against the principle of eating a varied diet.

C. Breezy

11-02-2009, 19:44

Time to 'reclaim the night' for sleep

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By Neil Stanley
Sleep researcher, University of East Anglia

We all know the health risks of smoking, drinking and eating too much. But sleep expert Neil Stanley says we don't pay attention to the risks of having too little sleep.
In this week's Scrubbing Up health column, he warns it is time to "reclaim the night".

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Shift work can have a particularly detrimental impact on sleep patterns

Good sleep is vital for good physical mental and emotional health - but unfortunately we seem to live in a society that has forgotten this fact. In terms of healthy living, sleep is as important as good diet and exercise.

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Poor or inadequate sleep can have serious consequences on overall health and wellbeing and has been shown to lead to lower immunity, poor performance and mood changes.
In the longer term, inadequate sleep is associated with a greater risk of a number of diseases, such as heart disease, depression and diabetes.
There are also important consequences of poor or inadequate sleep which negatively affect the way we feel and perform during the day.

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Round the clock
We are living in an increasingly "tired" society. Think about how you feel at the moment with one as very tired and 10 as feeling wide awake.
I reckon very few of you are a seven, let alone a 10. Why do we go through life feeling this tired?
One reason is the increasing extension of the daytime activities into the night.

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Sleeping like a baby is something too few of us are doing

When I was growing up in the 1970s, Tomorrow's World each week promised us a future where, due to advances in technology, there would be so much leisure time that we would have to come up with new ways of amusing ourselves.
Unfortunately what was created by all this new technology was the 24/7 society.
Technology never sleeps, and thus people can work around the clock - whether they are in the office or at home.

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The long hours, information overload and stresses associated with 21st Century living negatively affect our sleep which, in turn, is detrimental to our health, work performance and even our relationships.

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Convenience brings risks
As a society we need to give much more serious consideration to our work/life balance particularly with regards to sleep.
For example it has been estimated that in future a third of the workforce will be working shifts, mainly in the service sector.
However there is a large body of evidence which shows that working shifts is bad for health and increases accidents at work.
So, whilst it is of course important for some workers to work around the clock, does the convenience of paying a bill at 2am really outweigh the health risks of having so many people doing shifts?

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It has been reported that tired drivers now cause more deaths on European roads than drunk drivers, and yet whilst it has become socially unacceptable to be drunk behind the wheel or in the workplace it is almost a matter of pride that we believe we can function properly when tired.
Yet you would not want a drunken surgeon operating on you or a drunken train driver taking you to work, so why would you accept a tired one?

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The problem of poor sleep is perhaps even more important in children as it has been linked with increased risk of - amongst other things - obesity, diabetes, poor academic performance and behavioural problems.
You only have to watch an episode of Supernanny to see how profound the positive effect of a good night's sleep can be on the behaviour of children.

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Over the past decade there has been an increasing body of evidence that shows that sleep plays an important role in regulating weight and controlling appetite, and so I find it surprising that when earlier this year the government started its Change 4 Life healthy living campaign there is no mention of the importance of good sleep.
Isn't it about time we reclaimed the night for sleep?

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C. Breezy

12-02-2009, 15:38

Statins Don’t Cut Cancer Risk

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THURSDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) — Statins have clearly proven their mettle against heart disease, but the cholesterol-lowering drugs don’t appear to possess cancer-fighting powers, a new animal study shows.

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“We certainly didn’t see any positive effects,” said Ronald Lubet, program director in the division of cancer prevention at the National Cancer Institute. He led the study using mice and rats, which was published in the February issue of Cancer Prevention Research.

Lubet and his colleagues studied the effects of two popular cholesterol-lowering drugs, atorvastatin (Lipitor) and lovastatin (Mevacor), in warding off breast cancer. “The initial dose was about twice as high as what a person would typically use,” he said. “The second dose was even higher.”

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Some researchers were hoping statins might have a double-edged effect, reducing heart disease risk as well as guarding against cancer. For instance, one recent study found that men who took statins had lower blood levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a biomarker for prostate cancer risk.

And in a report published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2006, researchers found statins were associated with lower breast cancer incidence among women in the large-scale Women’s Health Initiative trial and called for further study of the possible link.

Exactly how statins might fight cancer isn’t certain. But Lubet’s group did not see any such potential with the statins it tested.

The researchers gave Lipitor at a dose of either 125 milligrams or 500 milligrams per kilogram of body weight to the animals, mixing it into their diet, but it showed no anti-cancer effect.

They also compared the use of the anti-cancer drugs tamoxifen and bexarotene by themselves and with atorvastatin. The anti-cancer drugs reduced breast tumors in the animals, but adding the statin did not improve the effect.

The researchers also gave lovastatin at 100- and 500-milligram per kilogram of body weight to the animals but again did not uncover any cancer-fighting effects.

“In these two relatively standard animal models, [the statins] were not effective in preventing the development of tumors,” Lubet said.

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Lubet’s group conducted the study, because the data to date has been mixed, with some studies showing the statins helped prevent cancer but others not. They wanted to see if clinical trials with humans, which are expensive, were warranted.

“To go to a large-scale trial, this [study] would not support it,” Lubet said.

The new finding reflects the evidence to date from human studies, said Eric J. Jacobs, strategic director of pharmacoepidemiology at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta.

“The totality of the evidence from human studies also indicates that statins are unlikely to reduce the risk of breast cancer,” Jacobs said. “While statins are proven effective in saving lives from heart disease, they should not be used in the hope of reducing the risk of cancer.”

What would help?

“Maintaining a healthy weight will reduce a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, as well as many other serious health problems,” he said.

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C. Breezy

12-02-2009, 15:44

Healthy Hair at Any Age

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Has your hair lost its luster? Blame your age. Truth is, after 30, hormonal ups and downs and everyday wear-and-tear can do a number on your locks, leaving them coarser or thinner. As you grow older, your hair also starts to disappear where you want it most—on your head—and suddenly appear in places you really wish it wouldn’t (like on your chin). To protect what you’ve got and deal with what you don’t want, try this age-specific advice.

Your 30s

Your 40s

Your 50s And Beyond

Hair-Friendly Foods For Any Ages

.
.
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I will write the last one ( Hair-Friendly Foods For Any Ages ) tomorrow. I don't have the time now:31:

C. Breezy

12-02-2009, 15:57

Healthy Hair: Your 30s

Baby your hair. The 30s are prime reproductive years for many women, which can be good and bad news for hair. The combo of prenatal vitamins (which keep both hair and body brimming with nutrients) and all those hormonal changes (which keep hair in the growing phase) can add up to thicker, faster-growing hair during pregnancy. But a few months after giving birth, it’s normal to lose much of that extra hair as your body returns to normal, says Eliot Ghatan, MD, a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon in private practice in New York City. Fortunately, simple changes can help during this time. Go light on styling gels, sprays, lotions, and mousses: Buildup from these products can weigh down and dry out hair. And when shampooing, gently massage your scalp for five minutes to encourage better blood circulation to the area.

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Check your iron. Month after month of menstruating can deplete your body’s iron supply due to blood loss, and that’s why women need about 10 more milligrams of iron per day than men—18 milligrams daily. Too little is a common trigger for thinning hair. “When I see a patient in her 30s for hair loss, I often find that she’s iron-deficient,” says Heather Wickless, MD, MPH, professor of dermatology at Northwestern University and a dermatologist specializing in hair disorders at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Eating more iron-rich foods like spinach (2 milligrams of iron per half-cup serving, twice the amount in most veggies) and red meat (3 milligrams per 3-ounce serving) can help, but sometimes a change in diet alone won’t do the trick. Ask your doctor to do a simple blood test if you suspect that you may be iron-deficient; if you are, she may prescribe an iron supplement.

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De-stress for your hair’s sake. Balancing a career, your family, and everything else can boggle your brain—and affect the hair growing on top of it. Normally, about 90% of your hair is growing, while 10% rests. But stress can cause the amount of hair growing to dip as low as 60%, says Peter Panagotacos, MD, head of the department of dermatology at St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco and author of Hair Loss Answers by the Hair Doc. For garden-variety stress, a regular yoga class, meditation session, or anything you find relaxing (like taking a weekly hot bath or reading a good book) may keep life’s challenges from putting your hair to sleep. But if large clumps of hair are falling out (sometimes the result of big-time stress like losing a job, fighting off a severe illness, or dealing with postpartum depression), see your doctor or dermatologist.

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Try the Pill. Pesky upper-lip hair may become more of a problem now for women with a genetic predisposition to facial-hair growth. How to keep it at bay? “If you’re a nonsmoker, taking an oral contraceptive may do the trick by boosting your estrogen levels,” says John Romano, MD, a dermatologist at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City and an assistant professor of dermatology at the Weil Medical College of Cornell University. Already on the Pill and still noticing excess hair growth? Eat whole-wheat breads and pastas. Studies show that whole grains contain phytochemicals, which also help regulate estrogen.

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C. Breezy

12-02-2009, 16:09

Healthy Hair: Your 40s

Skimp on styling. In your 40s, you may find that years of exposure to curling irons, hot blow dryers, and other gadgets have left your hair dried-out and brittle. The follicles at the front of your scalp can actually stop growing new hair from all the punishment, says dermatologist John Romano. The good news: The damage is reversible. Simply limit any hair-styling tool that puts off a lot of heat to special occasions or a few days a week. If you use a hair dryer every day, switch to a cooler or no-heat setting. And avoid excess brushing and washing, too, experts say.

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Take your vitamins. It’s normal to experience major fluctuations in hormone levels as you enter perimenopause, the 6 to 10 years before menopause. During this time, your hair may become finer and thinner. To counteract such changes, it can’t hurt to ramp up your daily vitamin regimen. Start by adding 2,500 micrograms of biotin (some multivitamins contain this amount; check the label), a B vitamin that may strengthen the integrity of hair follicles and make strands less prone to breakage. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids, abundant in fish like salmon and tuna, may help stimulate hair growth; aim for two servings per week. Not a huge fish fan? Fish- or flaxseed-oil capsules also work well, says Heather Wickless, a dermatologist specializing in hair disorders. And if you’re not already popping a women’s multi, most docs say you should. The essential nutrients—like vitamins C, D, and E, and folic acid—will help keep your body and hair in good shape.

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Talk about hair loss. Each strand of hair usually grows about an inch every two months for four years, then it falls out and is replaced by a new one. But in female pattern baldness, which affects up to 40% of women, hair begins to thin on the top of the scalp and sometimes all over the head. The problem is often inherited, but a hormone imbalance can also be a culprit. Fortunately, your doctor can recommend Women’s Rogaine ($50 for a three-month supply), a topical solution that’s applied directly to the area where thinning is occurring, or she can suggest other treatments to help stimulate new growth, says Peter Panagotacos, head of the department of dermatology at St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco.

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Pack in protein. While you’re making smart moves to protect your skin and bones from the natural effects of aging, keep your hair in mind, too. Protein goes a long way toward maintaining the strength and pliability of your hair—and most women don’t get the recommended 37 to 50 grams per day. Get more protein from foods like tofu, lean meat, and eggs. Also, try a protein-infused styling product.

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M O B I N

12-02-2009, 16:19

HOW TO BE HEALTHY

Above all, don't smoke. Cigarette smoke is a toxic cocktail of around 70 cancer-causing chemicals and hundreds of other poisons. Smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer in the world. In the UK, smoking accounts for one in four cancer deaths and kills five times more people than road accidents, overdoses, murder, suicide and HIV all put together.
Eat at roughly the same times each day. This might be two, three or more times but a routine encourages a reasonable weight.
Watch your portions. Don't heap food on your plate (except for vegetables) and think twice before having second helpings.
Try to have five portions of fruit and vegatables a day. A portion is about 80g of fruit or vegetables. This is roughly equal to an apple, orange, banana, or similarly-sized fruit or two serving spoons of cooked vegetables such as broccoli or carrots.
Eat foods with reduced fat. Choose reduced fat versions of foods such as dairy products, spreads and salad dressings. Cut fat off meat.
Eat foods with reduced salt. Too much salt can increase your blood pressure and your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Eat healthier snacks. If you're hungry between meals, choose a healthy option such as fresh fruit or low calorie yogurts instead of chocolate or crisps.
Look at food labels. Choose food with less far, sugar and salt content.
Think about how you eat. Eat your meals at the table and it will help you focus on the amount of food you eat. Eat slowly because it takes time for your body to register how much food you've eaten and how full you are. Don’t eat while walking, but wait until you get there and take time to concentrate on what you are eating.
Think about what you drink. Water is good (but eight glasses a day is not necessary - for discussion ). Semi-skimmed milk is good too. Many soft drinks (including fizzy and sweetened soft drinks) contain a lot of sugar. Alcohol is high in calories.
Don't bother with vitamin supplements. If you enjoy normal health and are not sensitive to healthy foods, you probably don't need them and there is no real evidence that they do any good. Don't believe me? - then check out the evidence: .
Walk every day. The aim should be to do around 10,000 steps which equates to around 60-90 minutes of walking. Using a pedometer on a belt is a good way to monitor this. On the way to or from work, shops, or meetings, leave the car or public transport a bit short of your destination. In the office, use stairs rather than the lift (or elevator, for my American readers).
Don't sit around too long. Break up your sitting time by walking around at regular intervals. At home, do a chore. At work, visit a colleague.
Limit exposure to the sun. Between 11 am and 3 pm, it's better to be in the shade. When in the sun, wear sensible clothing and use appropriate sun factor lotion. Never burn.
Get enough sleep. The amount varies by individual and age, but most people need seven or eight hours a night. It's important to go to bed at a regular time and get up at a regular time. There is some evidence that people who take a short nap during the day lower the risk of heart disease.

C. Breezy

12-02-2009, 16:24

Healthy Hair: Your 50s and Beyond

Deep-condition if you’ve gone gray. Gray or silver hair, although beautiful, may be drier and more prone to breakage and sun damage than pigmented hair. Protect it by getting a deep-conditioning treatment (ask for one that includes sunscreen) at a salon once a month or by using a moisturizing productto keep hair hydrated and more pliable.

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Eat orange foods. In your 50s, antioxidants can help your hair cope with hormonal changes. And a good way to get them is by eating orange foods—like sweet potatoes and carrots—says Ranella Hirsch, MD, a Boston-based dermatologist and president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery. These foods also help protect your body from the sun and seal moisture into hair, which maintains the natural oils in your scalp. While your locks may not look and feel exactly like they did in your 20s, “you can move things back in a favorable direction,” Dr. Hirsch says.

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Get your thyroid checked. Hypothyroidism, which affects 1 in 50 women and is most common in women over 50, occurs when your body does not produce enough thyroid hormone. Symptoms of this disorder include obesity and heart disease, but it can also result in a thinner head of hair, says Heather Wickless, MD, MPH, professor of dermatology at Northwestern University and a dermatologist specializing in hair disorders at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. If you notice that your hair is thinning, ask your doctor for a thyroid-function test, an accurate and easy way to figure out if you’re in danger. Hypothyroidism is easily treated with synthetic thyroid supplements prescribed by your doctor.

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Remove unwanted hair. During menopause, estrogen levels plummet, so it’s likely that a few extra hairs will show up on your chin, upper lip, underarms, and abdomen. But you don’t have to live with the new growth. Laser hair removal is about 70 percent effective in zapping all the hair in a given area, though you’ll need touch-ups every few months. Make sure you have it performed by a licensed aesthetician or physician, preferably at a dermatologist’s office. Or, ask your doctor about hormone supplementation, which can ease menopausal symptoms like excess hair growth. The cheapest, easiest fix? Pick up some bleaching cream, and use it as needed.

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M O B I N

12-02-2009, 16:27

Eat healthy

Eating is one the most important events in everyone’s life. We enjoy eating - it’s part of who we are and part of our culture; in fact, eating is the hottest universal topic of all times. We depend on eating: the foods we eat are the sole source of our energy and nutrition. We know so much about eating: we are born with the desire to eat and grown up with rich traditions of eating. But we also know so little about eating - about how the foods we eat everyday affect our health. We are more confused than ever about the link between diet and health: margarine is healthier than butter or not; a little alcohol will keep heart attacks ([ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]) at bay but cause breast cancer; dietary vitamin antioxidants can prevent lung cancer or can not. Eating is a paradox and a mystery that our ancestors tried and modern scientists are trying to solve.

Based on experiences and traditions, our ancestors have used foods and plant materials to treat various kinds of illness. Manuscripts discovered from a tomb (dated 168 B.C.) in China described prescriptions for 52 ailments with herbs, grains, legumes, vegetables, animal parts, and minerals. Ancient Sumerians recorded the use of 250 medicinal plants on tablets five thousand years ago. Today, plant and food remedies are still the major medicinal source for 80% of the world’s population.
The pharmacological roles of everyday foods have long been neglected by modern medicine due to lack of proven scientific validity. The main focus of modern medicine has been on pharmaceuticals. With the invention of modern chemotherapy by Paul Erhlich in the early twentieth century and sulfa drugs and antibiotics in the 1930’s and 1940’s, it seemed as if chemical medicines would take care of all our ills. However, while there continues to be great strides made in the understanding and use of pharmaceuticals, there is also widespread dissatisfaction with both them and the system of medicine that utilizes them. This dissatisfaction is centered around the feeling that they are too disease-oriented, and perhaps too limited by their precision to cope effectively with the subtle factors and interrelationships that compromise human health and disease. The precise and pure nature of modern biomedical pharmaceuticals also tends to increase their side effects. In addition, with the victory over many common infectious diseases, more people are concerned with chronic degenerative processes and with prevention of disease. The increasing concerns have started a new movement in medical research. More and more mainstream scientists are reaching back to the truth of ancient food folk medicines and dietary practices for clues to remedies and antidotes to our modern diseases.
Research on pharmacological effects of foods is fast-paced and the results are exciting. The mystery of what foods can do for or to us has started to unveil. In order to effectively use foods for our health benefits, the following issues need to be considered:

Keep up with the most recent scientific findings and make use of them for our health benefits
Try to use variety of whole foods as much as possible instead of isolated dietary supplements for your health problems - they are safer, cheaper, and usually more effective since they can provide multiple and balanced disease fighting capabilities
Choice of foods is important: since healing power of a food is depending on the content of pharmacologically active constituents that differ among foods, and certain foods may need to be avoided due to their disease encouraging activities
How do you prepare and eat your foods can affect their pharmacological effects
Concerns about multiple health conditions: foods that benefit one health condition may be harmful to others
Overall nutritional values of foods

C. Breezy

12-02-2009, 21:33

Cash bribes 'help smokers quit'

Bribing smokers with cash incentives helps them stop, US research suggests.

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Previous studies found small cash incentives prompted few people to quit

Smokers are three times more likely to kick the habit for at least six months when they are paid up to $750 (£520), a new study has found.
Nearly 900 General Electric workers took part in the test across 85 US sites. The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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GE will launch a similar scheme in 2010 for all US employees, believing it will be cost-effective in the long term.
It aims to save some of the estimated $50m spent annually on extra costs for smoking employees.
The company believes it will get back what it spends over three to five years, through reduced illness and increased productivity.

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Financial incentives
Previous studies had indicated that smaller financial incentives had little effect on quitting smoking, said Kevin Volpp of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, who led the research project.

"Incentive programs work if they're well designed and adequately funded," Mr Volpp told Reuters news agency. "If you do a low-budget incentive program, it may have little effect."
"Our study shows that if you're able to get people smoke-free and keep them smoke-free for six months or more, there's a fighting chance they can stay smoke-free on their own," he said.
In the GE study, half the participants were given the financial incentive, while the rest were merely encouraged to join quit-smoking programmes.

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دل تنگم

15-02-2009, 09:22

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By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer Randolph E. Schmid, Ap Science Writer –

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Reuters – A couple dances and kisses inside a heart shaped made from candles during a flash mob ahead of Valentine's …

CHICAGO – "Chemistry look what you've done to me," Donna Summer crooned in Science of Love, and so, it seems, she was right. Just in time for Valentine's Day, a panel of scientists examined the mystery of what happens when hearts throb and lips lock. Kissing, it turns out, unleashes chemicals that ease stress hormones in both s.e.x.es and encourage bonding in men, though not so much in women

Chemicals in the saliva may be a way to assess a mate, Wendy Hill, dean of the faculty and a professor of neuroscience at Lafayette College, told a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on Friday

In an experiment, Hill explained, pairs of heterosexual college students who kissed for 15 minutes while listening to music experienced significant changes in their levels of the chemicals oxytocin, which affects pair bonding, and cortisol, which is associated with stress. Their blood and saliva levels of the chemicals were compared before and after the kiss

Both men and women had a decline in cortisol after smooching, an indication their stress levels declined

For men, oxytocin levels increased, indicating more interest in bonding, while oxytocin levels went down in women. "This was a surprise," Hill said

In a test group that merely held hands, chemical changes were similar, but much less pronounced, she said.

The experiment was conducted in a student health center, Hill noted. She plans a repeat "in a more romantic setting."

Hill spoke at the session on the Science of Kissing, along with Helen Fisher of Rutgers University and Donald Lateiner of Ohio Wesleyan University.

Fisher noted that more than 90 percent of human societies practice kissing, which she believes has three components — the --- drive, romantic love and attachment.

The s.e.x drive pushes individuals to assess a variety of partners, then romantic love causes them to focus on an individual, she said. Attachment then allows them to tolerate this person long enough to raise a child.

Men tend to think of kissing as a prelude to copulation, Fisher said. She noted that men prefer "sloppy" kisses, in which chemicals including testosterone can be passed on to the women in saliva. Testosterone increases the s.e.x drive in both males and females.

"When you kiss an enormous part of your brain becomes active," she added. Romantic love can last a long time, "if you kiss the right person."

Lateiner, a classical scholar, observed that kissing appears infrequently in Greek and Roman art, but was widely practiced, despite the spread of skin disease at that time by facial kissing. And there was a potential for social faux pas by kissing the wrong person at the wrong time

.Overall, the science of kissing — philematology — is under-researcherd, Hill concluded

C. Breezy

15-02-2009, 13:41

Plaster cast 'better for sprains'

People with a sprained ankle recover faster if they are given a plaster cast, British researchers say.

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People with sprains are usually told to keep mobile

A study of 600 patients found that a 10-day below-knee cast is more effective than standard treatment with a tubular bandage.
The findings, published in The Lancet, are at odds with general medical opinion that the best thing for a sprained ankle is to keep it moving.
Up to 1.5m people a year in the UK go to A&E with a sprained ankle.
The injury accounts for 3-5% of all UK emergency department attendances and varies from minor stretching of the ligament to a complete tear.

It is commonly treated with ice, elevation, tubular compression bandage and advice to exercise.
But the researchers found that a tubular bandage was consistently the worst treatment.
In patients with severe ankle sprain attending eight emergency departments in the UK, a 10-day below-knee cast was associated with a speedier recovery in terms of ankle function, pain, symptoms and activity three months later.
The second best treatment was an Aircast brace which limits movement of the ankle.
The Bledsoe boot - another type of brace which is designed to restrict movement of the ankle but allow users to walk - was no more effective than a tubular bandage and neither can be recommended as a treatment for these injuries, the researchers said.
By nine months there was no difference between the groups.
Immobile
A plaster cast costs £16.46, the researchers said, compared with £39.23 for an Aircast brace, £215 for the Bledsoe and £1.44 for a tubular compression bandage, the researchers said.
Professor Sallie Lamb, an expert in rehabilitation at the University of Warwick, said the finding that immobilisation is the best strategy is "contrary to popular clinical opinion".
"Tubular compression bandage, which is currently the most commonly used of all the supports investigated, was, consistently, the worst treatment.
She said early recovery is very important to patients, so although there is little difference at nine months, the speed with which people are able to get back to normal activities is an important finding.
"I think plaster should be given as standard management."
John Heyworth, president of the College of Emergency Medicine, said the study was "practise-changing, high quality research".
"What we do with these common problems, is we look for the best evidence and up until this paper, the evidence suggested that early mobility provided a better outcome and this provides some good evidence that immobilisation can provide greater benefits."
Dr Martin Shalley, A&E consultant at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, said they tried to avoid immobilising the ankle because of the risk of deep vein thrombosis.
"That has to be balanced and we can discuss the pros and cons with the patient and work out the best treatment programme for them."

Source:

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M O B I N

15-02-2009, 22:37

I have no Idea if there isn't any relation between this passage and Health...

Yoga poses for height improvement
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For the purpose of physical and mental enhancement, the practice of yoga has been one of the oldest methods of exercise. In recent times, yoga has received renewed fame due to its excellent results in treating common ailments along with improving general health. The below mentioned exercises are some specific yogasanas that can help you to improve your posture which in turn will help you to look taller.

Sukhasana - In this asana, you will need to sit in a cross legged manner. Touch your thighs with the help of your feet, in the cross leg fashion with the ankles and the hands resting on the feet. Breathe in deeply and maintain a count of five and then breathe out slowly. Continue to breathe in and out in equal counts.

You must also try the Tree pose also known as vrikshasana and the foot hand pose also known as padahasthasana for helping you to improve your height and enhance your overall posture. One of the most beneficial forms of yoga for increasing height is the Surya Namaskar. The Surya Namaskar is an extremely versatile asana and all the positions and movements done in this asana encompasses a number of yoga postures that contributes to the well being of the body on the whole. Apart from imparting a positive feeling about oneself with the help of this yoga, Surya Namaskar is a complete body workout exercising and stretching every part of the body and sinews thus increasing flexibility and mobility.

However you must understand one thing, that height cannot be increased nor gained after a particular age. Almost all men and women stop growing in height after they reach puberty. However, all the above asanas are mentioned so that you can learn to correct and improve your standing and sitting postures that can give an impression of being taller.

M O B I N

15-02-2009, 22:42

A Carrot a Day
The Root of Good Health
by Rachel Levin

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Contrary to popular belief, carrots cannot give you super-human vision. An urban legend about the orange-colored taproot got started in World War II, when the British success at gunning down Nazi bombers was attributed to the pilots’ consumption of carrots. Actually, their covert weapon was radar, not the favored vegetable of Bugs Bunny, but the carrot rumor served its purpose in protecting national security secrets. Nevertheless, the story touched off a carrot craze amongst the public. Though carrots won’t give you Herculean vision, they do have considerable benefits for the eyes along with a “bunch” of other health advantages.

Carrots’ secret weapon is pro-vitamin A beta carotene, and they’ve got quite a stockpile. Just one cup of carrots provides over 680% of the U.S. recommended daily allowance of this antioxidant, the richest source of any vegetable. In the liver, beta carotene is converted to vitamin A, used by the retina to form rhodopsin, a purple pigment necessary for night vision. Vitamin A also provides protection against macular degeneration and senile cataracts, which can lead to blindness in old age. These vision benefits prove that the carrot’s eyesight merits aren’t just an artifact of World War II lore.

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Diets rich in beta carotene are also thought to reduce the risk of certain cancers, cardiovascular diseases and smoking-related conditions. In a study of elderly individuals, those who ate at least one serving of carrots or squash per day reduced their rate of heart attack by 60%. A Harvard study showed that those who eat five carrots a week are less likely to suffer a stroke than those who eat one per month. High carotenoid intake has been associated with decreases in the incidences of breast, bladder, cervical, prostate and colon cancer, among others. Smoking cigarettes produces a vitamin A deficiency; consuming beta carotene-rich foods like carrots can help ward off associated conditions like emphysema.

Though beta carotene gets all the attention, carrots’ diverse benefits cannot be attributed just to this one compound. Scientists have tried to isolate carrots’ power in a pill; however, synthetic vitamin A supplements don’t produce the same effects as consuming carrots themselves and can actually be toxic. Several compounds in the carrot work may work together to promote health. The phytonutrient falcrinol, for example, is a natural fungicide that plays a part in protecting against colon cancer. Alpha carotene may also be involved in countering nutrient deficiencies in smokers.

First cultivated in Asian and Middle Eastern countries, the earliest carrots were not orange at all. They were typically purple or yellow. It wasn’t until the 1800s in Europe that the sweet orange carrot was developed and spread the world over during colonial times. Now scientists are returning to the rainbow hues of the common carrot’s ancestors to capture additional nutritional benefits. Researchers at the Agricultural Research Service are breeding yellow, dark orange, bright red and purple carrots in an effort to get the nation eating more carrots and a wider array of antioxidants. Yellow carrots contain xanthophylls, which also boost eye health; red carrots, like tomatoes, contain the cancer-fighter lycopene; and purple carrots have similar anthocyanins as eggplant.

Beyond these multihued antioxidants, carrots of any color pack a fiber punch, which promotes healthy digestion and may reduce cholesterol. The USDA reports that eating two carrots per day can lower cholesterol by 20% due to soluble fiber called calcium pectate. The combination of fiber and carotenoids also guards against insulin resistance and high blood sugar, which can be precursors to diabetes. Cooking, in fact, increases the benefits of orange carrots, since heat frees the beta carotene from the fiber.

Whether shredded into sweet cakes and puddings or sautéed in silky butter, carrots can certainly inspire passion. Just don’t get too overzealous with your carrots: excessive consumption of carotene-rich foods can leave your palms or other parts of your skin with an orange cast, a condition called cartoderma. This results because beta carotene is stored in the skin until it’s needed by the liver. Two carrots a day is ample for most people’s dietary needs. With all of the health incentives, what more of a carrot do you need?[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

M O B I N

16-02-2009, 12:55

12 Natural Tips to Prevent a Cold
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There are no known cures for colds and flu, so cold and flu prevention should be your goal. A proactive approach to warding off colds and flu is apt to make your whole life healthier. The most effective way for preventing the flu is to get the flu shot. It may not be natural, but it works better than anything else. But there are other strategies you can employ as well. WebMD went to Charles B. Inlander, president of The People's Medical Society, for suggestions you may want to try:

#1 Wash Your Hands
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Most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact. Someone who has the flu sneezes onto their hand, and then touches the telephone, the keyboard, a kitchen glass. The germs can live for hours -- in some cases weeks -- only to be picked up by the next person who touches the same object. So wash your hands often. If no sink is available, rub your hands together very hard for a minute or so. That also helps break up most of the cold germs. Or rub an alcohol-based hand sanitizer onto your hands.

#2 Don't Cover Your Sneezes and Coughs With Your Hands

Because germs and viruses cling to your bare hands, muffling coughs and sneezes with your hands results in passing along your germs to others. When you feel a sneeze or cough coming, use a tissue, then throw it away immediately. If you don't have a tissue, turn your head away from people near you and cough into the air.

#3 Don't Touch Your Face

Cold and flu viruses enter your body through the eyes, nose, or mouth. Touching their faces is the major way children catch colds, and a key way they pass colds on to their parents.

#4 Drink Plenty of Fluids

Water flushes your system, washing out the poisons as it rehydrates you. A typical, healthy adult needs eight 8-ounce glasses of fluids each day. How can you tell if you're getting enough liquid? If the color of your urine runs close to clear, you're getting enough. If it's deep yellow, you need more fluids.

#5 Take a Sauna

Researchers aren't clear about the exact role saunas play in prevention, but one 1989 German study found that people who steamed twice a week got half as many colds as those who didn't. One theory: When you take a sauna you inhale air hotter than 80 degrees, a temperature too hot for cold and flu viruses to survive.

#6 Get Fresh Air

A regular dose of fresh air is important, especially in cold weather when central heating dries you out and makes your body more vulnerable to cold and flu viruses. Also, during cold weather more people stay indoors, which means more germs are circulating in crowded, dry rooms.

#7 Do Aerobic Exercise Regularly

Aerobic exercise speeds up the heart to pump larger quantities of blood; makes you breathe faster to help transfer oxygen from your lungs to your blood; and makes you sweat once your body heats up. These exercises help increase the body's natural virus-killing cells.

#8 Eat Foods Containing Phytochemicals

"Phyto" means plants, and the natural chemicals in plants give the vitamins in food a supercharged boost. So put away the vitamin pill, and eat dark green, red, and yellow vegetables and fruits.

#9 Eat Yogurt

Some studies have shown that eating a daily cup of low-fat yogurt can reduce your susceptibility to colds by 25 percent. Researchers think the beneficial bacteria in yogurt may stimulate production of immune system substances that fight disease.

#10 Don't Smoke

Statistics show that heavy smokers get more severe colds and more frequent ones.

Even being around smoke profoundly zaps the immune system. Smoke dries out your nasal passages and paralyzes cilia. These are the delicate hairs that line the mucous membranes in your nose and lungs, and with their wavy movements, sweep cold and flu viruses out of the nasal passages. Experts contend that one cigarette can paralyze cilia for as long as 30 to 40 minutes.

#11 Cut Alcohol Consumption

Heavy alcohol use suppresses the immune system in a variety of ways. Heavier drinkers are more prone to initial infections as well as secondary complications. Alcohol also dehydrates the body -- it actually takes more fluids from your system than it puts in.

#12 Relax

If you can teach yourself to relax, you can activate your immune system on demand. There's evidence that when you put your relaxation skills into action, your interleukins -- leaders in the immune system response against cold and flu viruses -- increase in the bloodstream. Train yourself to picture an image you find pleasant or calming. Do this 30 minutes a day for several months. Keep in mind, relaxation is a learnable skill, but it is not doing nothing. People who try to relax, but are in fact bored, show no changes in blood chemicals.

C. Breezy

16-02-2009, 13:53

One of the first attempts to use gene therapy to treat HIV has produced promising results in clinical trials.

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The therapy aims to stop HIV re-producing

When the therapy was tested on 74 patients, it was shown to be safe and appeared to reduce the effect of the virus on the immune system.
In theory, one treatment should be enough to replace the need for a lifetime of antiretroviral therapy.
The study, by the University of California, Los Angeles, appears in the journal Nature Medicine.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has greatly improved the prognosis for people infected with HIV. However, it must be taken on a daily basis, there is a risk of adverse reactions and the virus - which has an astonishing capacity to evolve rapidly - is starting to develop resistance to the drugs.
Therefore, new ways to combat the virus are badly needed.

Stem cells
The latest therapy involves giving patients blood stem cells modified to carry a molecule called OZ1, which is designed to stop HIV reproducing itself by targeting two key proteins.
The patients in the trial either received the therapy, or a dummy treatment.
After 48 weeks the researchers found there was no statistically significant difference in the amount of HIV circulating in the blood of the two groups of patients.
However, after 100 weeks the patients who received the gene therapy had higher levels of CD4+ cells - the key cells of the immune system which are specifically destroyed by HIV.
Lead researcher, Professor Ronald Mitsuyasu, said the research was the first to come through tightly controlled trials in which patients did not know whether they were getting the therapy or the placebo.
He said: "Gene therapy has the potential of needing only a one-time or infrequent administration of product and would allow the patients to control their own HIV internally without the need for continuous drug therapy.
"While this treatment is far from being perfected, it is not yet as effective or as complete as current antiretroviral therapy in controlling HIV, the study did show proof of concept that inserting and administering a single anti-HIV gene in the patients' own blood stem cells and giving it back to them could reduce viral replication to some degree when anti-HIV medications are stopped."
However, Professor Mitsuyasu said long-term follow up was needed to ensure the therapy was safe.

'Exciting' area
Jo Robinson, of the HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "Gene therapy is an exciting area which aims to create a one off treatment for HIV, avoiding the need for people to take daily medication.
"However, it's a very complex area and early days in research terms so we're a long way from something like this being on the market.
"This particular trial proved safe and has shown some promising results which definitely warrant further investigation.
"Some people find their HIV becomes resistant to current treatments over time so it's essential that we invest in researching potential new approaches like this."
Keith Alcorn, of the HIV information service NAM, said: "The viral load responses in this study were very modest, and for any other sort of product would not justify going forward.
"However, the researchers have shown enough of an effect for us to be hopeful that a gene therapy approach to HIV treatment might eventually deliver effective treatments for the disease."

Source : BBC

C. Breezy

18-02-2009, 16:15

Not Many U.S. Kids Need Statins

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MONDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) — When Dr. Earl S. Ford read that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) was recommending that children as young as 8 be given cholesterol-lowering statins, he decided to check on the numbers.

His conclusion, published in the Feb. 16 online issue of Circulation: Less than 1 percent of American children aged 12 to 17 meet the criteria for taking those drugs.

Ford is a medical officer in the U.S. Public Health Service, but his reaction to the recommendation was the same puzzlement experienced by many parents.

“I remember that after the guidelines came out, there was a lot of media stories about them,” Ford said. “It was a big media debate. I just wasn’t sure that there were any good data out there, so I thought I would provide insights to that.”

What he did was hardly esoteric, Ford said. “A lot of people could have done it,” he said. “The data are out in the public domain, and anyone who has a computer can work with them. I’m sure a lot of people had a similar thought like the one I had.”

The data came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 to 2006, which included information on almost 10,000 youngsters aged 6 to 17, including readings of “bad” LDL cholesterol on 2,700 adolescents aged 12 to 17.

The AAP guidelines suggest that statins be considered for children with no risk factors other than cholesterol readings 190 or higher. Statins are also suggested for a 130 or higher reading for a youngster with diabetes or a 160 reading with other risk factors, such as obesity or smoking.

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Running the numbers through the computer, Ford and his colleagues concluded that statin therapy would be warranted for 0.8 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 — a total of 200,000 in the United States.

Whether that is a large number “depends on what you think of less than 1 percent,” Ford said.

American Heart Association guidelines call for selective screening in children with a family history of high cholesterol and early heart disease. The first line of treatment for such children should be lifestyle changes, such as healthier eating and more physical activity, the guidelines say.

The AAP agrees with that approach, said Dr. Stephen R. Daniels, chairman of pediatrics at the University of Colorado at Denver, and a member of the committee that issued the guidelines.

“It’s true for adults but especially true for children,” Daniels said. “Clinicians should maximize their efforts on lifestyle factors before any consideration of medication.”

The new report doesn’t alter the AAP guidelines, Daniels said, but it might provide peace of mind for some parents.

“This shows that the number of adolescents eligible for medication is relatively small,” he said. The AAP does not recommend routine cholesterol screening for all children, only those at higher risk or cardiovascular problems because of family history or other warning indicators, Daniels added.

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M O B I N

21-02-2009, 16:49

this is something Complement for the passage which is in Topside

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]
LDL and HDL Cholesterol: What's Bad and What's Good?

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ] [ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]
Cholesterol can’t dissolve in the blood. It has to be transported to and from the cells by carriers called lipoproteins. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as “bad” cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as “good” cholesterol. These two types of lipids, along with triglycerides and Lp(a) cholesterol, make up your total cholesterol count, which can be determined through a blood test ([ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]).

LDL (Bad) Cholesterol
When too much LDL (bad) cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Together with other substances, it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. This condition is known as atherosclerosis ([ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]). If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, heart attack or stroke can result.

HDL (good) Cholesterol
About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack. Low levels of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL) also increase the risk of heart disease. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body. Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, slowing its buildup.

Triglycerides
Triglyceride is a form of fat made in the body. Elevated triglycerides can be due to overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption and a diet very high in carbohydrates (60 percent of total calories or more). People with high triglycerides often have a high total cholesterol level, including a high LDL (bad) level and a low HDL (good) level. Many people with heart disease and/or diabetes also have high triglyceride levels.

Lp(a) Cholesterol
Lp(a) is a genetic variation of LDL (bad) cholesterol. A high level of Lp(a) is a significant risk factor for the premature development of fatty deposits in arteries. Lp(a) isn’t fully understood, but it may interact with substances found in artery walls and contribute to the buildup of fatty deposits
.

M O B I N

21-02-2009, 16:58

Now Hear This!

No right-thinking parent would let a child wear sunglasses if there was a chance they would damage his or her eyes. Yet millions of parents allow their kids to wear itty bitty headphones despite growing evidence that they can harm hearing.
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For years, experts have known that consistent exposure to loud sound, including amplified music, erodes hearing. Now, kids are pumping decibels directly into their ears with the headphones that are standard equipment for MP-3 players, cell phones and even video games. In one study done several years ago, researchers found that 12.5 percent of kids between 6 to 19 already had measurable hearing loss. Today the results would probably be worse.

The “bud” earphones that fit right into the ear are the culprit. According to research done at Harvard, they often deliver sound that is almost ten decibels higher than headphones that cover the ear. That’s because the tiny earphones don’t block out surrounding sound very well, so kids turn up the volume even more than they would otherwise. Also, the batteries that come with these devices last longer so kids have more unbroken exposure to loud sound. That matters because hearing loss is caused not only by how loud a sound is but also how long a child is exposed.

To understand exactly what’s happening, picture the cochlea, a seashell-shaped structure inside the ear. Your child’s cochlea is filled with fluid and lined with tiny hair cells that wave gently like anemones. The hair cells pick up sound vibrations and transmit them to the auditory nerve. When hair cells are blasted by sound, they start to look like a wheat field after a windstorm. Damage can be done both by short exposure to really loud sound or by continuous exposure to lower levels of sound.

Kids won’t notice the loss of hair cells because it’s gradual and painless. It’s also permanent. That’s why parents have to step in to be sure the sounds kids hear when they are young won’t compromise their ability to hear when they are older. Here’s what you should do:

 Educate your child (and yourself) about hearing loss. To make the potential risks more vivid, look at pictures of hair cells before and after they’ve been exposed to loud sound at the Dangerous Decibels website ([ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

/[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]) Encourage young music lovers to visit websites like
برای مشاهده محتوا ، لطفا وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید where they’ll find wish-I-had-known stories by famous musicians who lost their hearing.

 Become familiar with the decibel levels that cause damage. Even adults may not recognize dangerously loud sounds, especially if they already have hearing loss. To find out which sounds are actually harmful, check out the interactive chart available from the National Institutes of Deafness and other Communication Disorders (
برای مشاهده محتوا ، لطفا وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید).

 Replace bud earphones with the kind that cover the ear and have a cushion. They may not be as stylish but they are less likely to cause damage. Also, control exposure by setting limits on how long your child is allowed to use headphones each day.

 Mark the level of acceptable sound on the volume control with permanent marker. Kids often don’t realize that sound is too loud. A rule of thumb: when “bleed out” sound can be heard from three feet away, the device should be turned down. If you find yourself having constant arguments about sound levels, consider buying a noisemeter, available from outlets like Radio Shack. At $50, the meter isn’t cheap—unless you compare it to the cost of hearing aids!

 Be sure your child knows the warning signs that indicate sound is too loud. Temporary hearing loss or ringing in the ears is a clear indication that hair cells are unhappy and your child should find a quieter activity immediately. Remember that headphones aren’t the only source of harmful sound. Even squeeze toys for babies can cause damaging levels of noise. So can loudspeakers at school dances, boomboxes and car stereos. Be sure your child understands that the ears don’t get “get used” to loud sounds. When loud sounds become more tolerable, it’s because hearing has already been damaged.

 Have your child use earplugs. When kids are going to be exposed to loud sounds, perhaps because they are attending a rock concert, seeing a loud movie or even cutting the grass, have them wear ear plugs. Although you can find earplugs at drugstores, sporting good stores and music stores, it’s also worth checking out the huge assortment of specialized earplugs at [ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ] Suggest that young musicians, for example, choose brands like Hearos or Mack’s Hear Plugs which reduce harmful sound without distortion.

Finally, I need to confess that, from my point of view, protecting hearing is something more than a good thing to do if you get around to it. My daughter was born deaf, and she struggles everyday to understand speech and other sounds that the rest of us take for granted. I had no choice about my daughter’s hearing loss. If your child can hear today, you do have a choice about how well he or she will hear in the future.

Supervising the way your child uses headphones will probably be a hassle. I also have two music-loving sons and, even though they know the consequences of hearing loss for their sister, they often want to argue when I say “turn it down.” It’s an argument I’m determined to win. You should be too.

C. Breezy

03-03-2009, 14:26

TV linked to asthma risk doubling

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ] Some say children under three should not watch any TV

Young children who spend more than two hours a day watching TV double their risk of developing asthma, a UK study has found.
Rather than telly per se being to blame, experts believe the viewing is symptomatic of a sedentary lifestyle which may be the root cause.
Taking deep breaths, such as when exercising, may keep the lungs fit.
The study, published in Thorax journal, tracked the health of over 3,000 UK children from birth to 11.
The parents were quizzed annually on symptoms of wheezing among their children and whether a doctor had diagnosed asthma.

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Parents were also asked to assess their children's TV viewing habits from the age of three-and-a-half years.

All of the children were free of wheeze as babies and toddlers.
At the age of eleven-and-a-half, 185 (6%) of the children had developed asthma.
And children who watched TV for more than two hours a day were almost twice as likely to have been diagnosed with asthma as those who watched the telly less. However, the odds were still small - about two in 100.
Of the children with asthma, 2% did not watch TV, 20% watched TV daily for less than an hour, 34% watched 1-2 hours a day and 44% watched more than two hours daily.
Given that none of the children had wheeze at the age of three-and-a-half, it is unlikely that the children who went on to develop asthma had been forced to do less exercise from an early age because of asthma symptoms, say the researchers.
They speculate that inactivity is the underlying explanation for their findings, if you assume that children who watch more TV lead less active lives - they did not directly monitor the children's exercise levels during the study.

And at the end of the study, when the children were 11.5 years old, there was little difference in the exercise levels of those with asthma and those without.
Co-author Dr James Paton, from the University of Glasgow, said: "We think the problem is inactivity, not watching TV. TV is simply the best proxy marker for this.
"There may be a window in early in life when activity does something to protect the lungs.
"It may be that not sitting still makes you take deep breaths and that might be important in the long run."
There is some evidence that breathing patterns may be important in regulating airway smooth muscle tone and how responsive this muscle is.
Failure to stretch airway smooth muscle by taking regular deep breaths could lead to increased airway responsiveness, which is the problem in asthma.
Dr Elaine Vickers of Asthma UK said: "The findings add to a wealth of evidence linking a lack of exercise and being overweight with an increased risk of asthma, but this study is the first to directly link sedentary behaviour at a very young age to a higher risk of asthma later in childhood.
"We have one of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the world so it is especially important that parents in the UK try to prise their kids away from the TV and encourage them to lead an active lifestyle. This includes children with asthma, who can also greatly benefit from regular exercise."
Some say children under three should not watch any TV in order to prevent health and learning problems. However, others argue that TV can be educational and may aid child speech.

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C. Breezy

03-03-2009, 18:47

Anger at work 'good for career'

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ] Anger can help at work, but it must be controlled

Getting angry at work may not be a bad thing, and may in fact help you move up the career ladder, researchers believe.

The Harvard Medical School study found those who repressed frustration were three times more likely to say they had reached a glass ceiling.
But the team, which has followed 824 people over 44 years, said it was important to remain in control when standing your ground.

Outright fury was destructive, the researchers added.
Lead author Professor George Vaillant said: "People think of anger as a terribly dangerous emotion and are encouraged to practise 'positive thinking', but we find that approach is self-defeating and ultimately a damaging denial of dreadful reality.

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"Negative emotions such as fear and anger are inborn and are of tremendous importance.
"Negative emotions are often crucial for survival. Careful experiments such as ours have documented that negative emotions narrow and focus attention so we can concentrate on the trees instead of the forest."
Professor Vaillant, who is director of the Study of Adult Development, which published the research, said uncontrolled fury was destructive.

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"We all feel anger, but individuals who learn how to express their anger while avoiding the explosive and self-destructive consequences of unbridled fury have achieved something incredibly powerful in terms of overall emotional growth and mental health.
"If we can define and harness those skills, we can use them to achieve great things."
Ben Williams, an occupational psychologist who runs his own company, said: "This is really to do with passivity, aggression and assertiveness.
"People who are assertive are able to stand their ground, while remaining respectful. They show concerns for their team, as well as others.
"That wins them the respect of peers and means they are in a good position when promotions come round."

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C. Breezy

03-03-2009, 18:49

When Mom or Dad Is Bipolar, Kids Are at Risk Too

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MONDAY, March 2, 2009 (Health.com) — Children and teens who have a parent with bipolar disorder are 14 times more likely than their peers to have bipolar-like symptoms themselves and are two to three times more likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety or mood disorder, such as depression, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

When both parents are bipolar, children are 3.6 times more likely to have bipolar disorder than children with only one parent with the psychiatric condition.

Bipolar disorder, which is also known as manic-depressive illness, affects 5.7 million people over age 18 in the United States. The condition is characterized by extreme fluctuations in energy, mood, and the ability to function. For example, someone experiencing an “episode” may have a manic state of euphoria for a period of time, followed by a bout of severe depression.

Although bipolar disorder may run in families, children of bipolar parents won’t necessarily develop the condition.

“I don’t want parents to think, ‘I have bipolar, so my kids have bipolar,’” says Boris Birmaher, MD, of the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh, Penn., and author of the new study, called the Pittsburgh Bipolar Offspring Study. “Yes, these kids are at a higher risk, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your child will have it.”

In the study, Dr. Birmaher and colleagues looked at 233 parents with bipolar disorder and their 388 children, ages 6 to 18. They were compared to a control group of 143 parents and 251 children with no family history of the condition.

Overall, 10.6% of the children with a bipolar parent had signs of a bipolar spectrum disorder (which includes a range of symptoms from severe to mild) or a mood or anxiety disorder. In comparison, only two children, or 0.8%, in the control group had such symptoms.

It’s not clear if genes, environment, or a combination of both are responsible for the link, or possibly greater awareness and diagnosis of psychiatric conditions in bipolar families.

However, Dr. Birmaher says identifying the condition at an earlier age may ultimately help young people. “The longer you wait, the more complicated the condition could become,” Dr. Birmaher says. Previous studies have suggested that it can take 10 years of symptoms before people get a correct diagnosis and proper treatment. “Ten years is a long time—especially in the life of a child,” he says.

The condition is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms can be mistaken for depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a disruptive behavior disorders (DBD). Signs of a manic episode include increased energy, extreme irritability, racing thoughts, spending sprees, abuse of drugs (particularly cocaine), and increased se*ual drive. A depressive episode may range from disruptive sleeping patterns to thoughts of death or suicide.

“The chronic highs and lows are only two manifestations of the condition,” says Gary Sachs, MD, director of the bipolar clinic and research program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “But there are plenty of people who live a full, functional life and still have bipolar disorder.”

Bipolar disorder cannot be cured, and is treated with mood-stabilizing medications like lithium, as well as psychotherapy and psychosocial intervention.

The ongoing study will follow this group of parents and children to explore further bipolar triggers including stress, family interactions, and genetics.

“This study—in no way—should be a reason for someone with bipolar not to have children,” says Dr. Sachs. “But there is a risk and that might make someone’s child who has difficulty seek help sooner.”

In adults with bipolar disorder, up to 60% say they had their first symptoms before the age of 21.

“Bipolar disorder is a multidimensional condition, and it can affect a lot of things including your physical health,” says Dr. Sachs. “That is what we are learning from studies like this where you begin to see other psychiatric conditions.”

The National Institute of Mental Health funded the study. Dr. Birmaher has participated in pharmaceutical company-sponsored forums and a study co-author has served on the advisory boards of several pharmaceutical companies.

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C. Breezy

05-03-2009, 15:52

Healthy and Beautiful Skin

Your skin, hair and nails are direct reflections of your overall health. No matter what type of shampoo, cleanser or cream you use, unless you have a healthy system, you can’t have beautiful skin, hair or nails. They will only help you to create a superficial mask. Following a healthy lifestyle that includes fresh organic foods, exercise, plenty of water and herbs to improve digestion and elimination is a sure way to all round health. Here are some tips for healthy and beautiful skin:

1. Avoid processed, canned, leftover foods. Not only are they difficult to digest but they also carry very little nutritional value. Over the time, they will clog your body and deprive your skin of nourishment.

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2. Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables. They are rich sources of vitamins and minerals that nourish the skin. They are also high in anti-oxidants which cut down skin cancer risk.

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3. Include whole grains in place of polished grains. The outer bran of grains is rich in B vitamins that are vital in maintaining the health of skin.

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

4. Steam vegetables instead of microwaving and cooking to protect their anti-oxidant properties.

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5. Include plenty of sweet juicy fruits like pear, water melon, grapes, figs.

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6. Limit protein from hard to digest foods like meat, beans and substitute them with easy to digest protein found in foods like split mung dhal, yogurt and cottage cheese (paneer).

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7. Include fish, walnut, and flax seed oil in your diet. They are rich sources of essential omega fatty acids required to maintain good health and skin.

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8. Use spices like black pepper, cumin, coriander, turmeric to stimulate digestion and elimination.

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9. Do not neglect oil. They are essential to maintain the health of skin, body and joints. Include healthy oils like olive oil, canola oil and ghee (clarified butter) for their high monosaturated fat content which is good for heart.

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10. Switch to herbal soaps, shampoos and lotions. Most commercial soaps and shampoos contain harmful chemicals that irritate and damage the skin.

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11. Have an oil bath at least a week.

12. Drink plenty of water (8-10 glasses a day). Water is vital for keeping the body cells hydrated, facilitating faster transit of nutrients in and toxins out.

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13. Exercise regularly - aerobics and stretching. Aerobics improves circulation to the skin and helps elimination of toxins through sweat. Stretching exercises helps relieve stress and maintain elasticity of the skin. Of course, you also need to include weight training to build strength and strong bones.

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14. Get plenty of sleep and rest. Lack of sleep and rest stresses the body, thereby adversely affecting the health of skin.

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C. Breezy

09-03-2009, 17:59

Oily fish dementia boosts queried

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Oily fish is proven to be good for the heart

A UK study has cast doubt on claims that eating oily fish can protect against dementia in old age.

Data from a trial of more than 800 older people initially showed that those who eat plenty of oily fish seem to have better cognitive function.
But factors such as education and mood explained most of the link.
Researchers need to clarify what, if any, benefits fish oil has on the ageing brain, they wrote in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Ageing.
In recent years, there has been increasing interest in diet as a way of preventing dementia.

Much focus has been on omega 3 fatty acids found in oily fish, such as salmon and mackerel.
And there are biological reasons, backed by tests in the laboratory, why in theory, these fatty acids would be neuroprotective.
The latest study found a significant association between eating a couple of portions of fish a week and better scores on tests of cognitive function.
But when the researchers, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, took into account education and psychological health the association almost disappeared.

Healthy
Experts advise eating a couple of portions of fish a week, with at least one being an oily fish, because there are proven benefits on the heart.
Study leader Dr Alan Dangour said claims about the benefits of oily fish in warding of dementia in older people seemed to have been oversold.
"The evidence on this has always been sporadic.
"What this shows is there is a link between people who eat oily fish and better cognitive function, but if you adjust for education and mood this relationship goes, so it's not at all clear that healthy older people get any benefit from eating fish oil."
The evidence collected by Dr Dangour was for a study due to report later this year comparing fish oil supplements with placebo.
He added that this randomised, controlled study should provide clarification.
Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "One of the best ways to reduce your risk of dementia is by eating a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, vegetables, grains, fish and poultry.
"However, we still do not know which components of this sort of diet help the most.
"Unfortunately this study does not add to our understanding.
"Once age, --- and education are accounted for the research does not show any significant benefit of regularly eating oily fish."
Rebecca Wood, of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: "Research into the effects of oily fish and other foodstuffs attracts much interest because it may offer a relatively inexpensive way to fight dementia, a devastatingly costly condition.
"Many scientists believe there is a link between diet and reducing dementia risk. More research is desperately needed to understand the effects of diet, including omega-3 fatty acids, on the brain."

C. Breezy

09-03-2009, 18:05

Can a Bad Marriage Hurt Your Health? Maybe—If You’re a Woman

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When a marriage is rocky, it can make both partners feel depressed. But only middle-aged women—not men—seem to have health problems associated with marital strife, such as high blood pressure, excess belly fat, and other factors that boost risks for heart attack and diabetes, according to a study being presented Thursday at the American Psychosomatic Society meeting in Chicago.

“I think we’ve got to get used to the fact that a toxic relationship is toxic to your whole health,” says cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of New York University’s Women’s Heart Program.

In the study, University of Utah researchers looked at 276 couples to see if depression was the real reason poor marriages have been found to be harmful to health. The couples were middle-aged or older Utah residents who were mostly married for a long time—on average more than 27 years; they ranged in age from 32 to 76.

The researchers found that bad relationships were bad for health—for women at least. Women in troubled relationships were more likely than other women to be depressed. Plus, they were more likely to have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors including elevated blood pressure, high triglycerides, low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, abdominal obesity, and elevated blood sugar—all basically steps on the road to heart attack or diabetes.

“For husbands, we didn’t see, on its own, that negative marital stuff was related at all to metabolic syndrome. The only thing it was related to was their depressive symptoms,” says Nancy Henry, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Utah. “For men, having a problematic marriage is still emotionally, but not physically, problematic healthwise.”

Although the researchers didn’t specifically ask the subjects about religion, many Utah residents are Mormons, who may be less likely than people in other religious groups to get divorced, says Henry. “Because we have this really traditional value of marriages here in this state, in this area, then I think we have surveyed couples that are staying together no matter what,” she says.

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C. Breezy

09-03-2009, 18:15

Quick reactions 'long life link'

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People with quick reactions are likely to live longer than those less quick off the mark, a study suggests.

The joint Edinburgh University and Medical Research Council team looked at the response rates of more than 7,400 people, the journal Intelligence said.
Researchers found those with the slowest reactions were 2.6 times more likely to die prematurely.
They said quick reactions may be a sign of intelligence, which in turn was linked to healthier lifestyles.
Reaction times were taken using a computer programme during the 1980s along with range of other factors including alcohol intake, smoking habits, blood pressure and weight. The average age of those studied was 46.

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The participants were then followed up 20 years later by which point nearly 1,300 had died.
Only smoking, which made an early death three times more likely, was reported to be a greater indicator.
Dr Geoff Der, one of the authors of the report, said: "Research has shown that there is a correlation between reaction times and intelligence.
"People with greater intelligence tend to have been better educated and worked in jobs where resources and workplaces practices are better.
"They also look after their health better in regards to smoking, exercise and eating."
Researchers also said the implications could go back to birth with quicker reactions being a marker for a healthy body.

Dr Der added: "There is tentative evidence which suggests the body is just better wired.
"In all probability, it is probably a combination of all of these reasons."
Professor Chris Drinkwater, a public health expert from the University of Northumbria, said: "There is robust evidence to suggest educational achievement is linked to health outcomes.
"It seems to be to do with health literacy in that people are more likely to be aware of what constitutes a risk to health and willing to act on it.
"By that we mean both what is good for you, such as healthy eating, and also the early signs of health problems."

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C. Breezy

10-03-2009, 13:13

Hot weather a migraine 'trigger ' Part 1

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ] Low pressure brings cloudy skies

A hot day can spell bad news for migraine sufferers, increasing their risk of an attack the next day, US research suggests.

The risk went up by 7.5% for every five degree Celsius increase in temperature revealed the study of more than 7,000 patients, published in Neurology.
The same applied to people who suffer from non-migraine headaches too.
Although you can't alter the weather, people can watch the forecast and pop a pill to avert attacks, the authors say.
As well as temperature, people might want to check air pressure too, as lower barometer readings over the past couple of days were also linked with migraines, although less strongly.

The study looked at people attending the emergency department of a large US hospital for advice about a headache at any point during a seven year period.
Overall, 2,250 were diagnosed with migraine and 4,803 with "tension" or "unspecified" headaches.
Using meteorological and pollutant monitors, the researchers then compared measurements of a number of environmental factors during the days leading up to and again some weeks after a patient's hospital visit.
When they averaged the temperature for the day, taking into consideration night time lows and midday highs, the researchers found every five degree Celsius rise in temperature was linked to a 7.5% hike in headache risk.

C. Breezy

10-03-2009, 13:16

Hot weather a migraine 'trigger ' Part 2

Storm brewing

Lower barometric air pressure, which typically brings cloudy or stormy skies, within two or three days leading up to a person's hospital visit also increased headache risk.
Air pollution had no effect.

Researcher Dr Kenneth Mukamal, of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said: "These findings help tell us that the environment around us does affect our health and, in terms of headaches, may be impacting many, many people on a daily basis."
He said headache patients should see their doctor to identify the triggers that lead to their symptoms.
Dr Brendan Davies, consultant neurologist and spokesman for the Migraine Trust, said: "This adds scientific validity to what we have suspected for some time. Up to 50% of patients believe weather may trigger their migraine.

"It looks like it is the change in the air temperature, and to a lesser extent the change in air pressure that is important.

"It would be interesting to see if the same environmental factors apply to workers in an office. It also adds more to our understanding that migraine is a sensitivity problem."
He warned that people should not become over-reliant on medication, taking it just in case.
"This does not mean that just because there is a hot day people are going to have a migraine the next day, although it is more likely. We do not want people taking too many painkillers too often because that carries its own risks."
Professor Peter Goadsby, from the University of California, San Francisco and Institute of Neurology, London, said: "The challenge for clinical science is to link this seemingly odd trigger to the brain mechanisms involved in migraine."
Lee Tomkins, director of Migraine Action, said: "Although the study has some flaws, including the fact that most people with headache would not attend a casualty department, this study is very interesting in demonstrating how weather conditions can adversely affect migraine.
"It is another example of science 'catching up' with the anecdotal evidence that many of our members give us about everyday living with migraine."

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دل تنگم

15-03-2009, 21:37

By: Molly Mann

Recently, I went through a period of having nightly dreams that were so vivid and frightening that I would wake up in a battle stance against my imaginary attackers, only to find my cat staring at me like she desperately wanted a new owner. Nightmares are one thing, but these were so lifelike, it took me a while to separate the dream from reality after waking. I still recall each sensory detail of those dreams in all their horror

We spend about six years of our life dreaming and have accumulated much lore about what those dreams mean, but scientists who focus on oneirology—the study of dreams—still know very little about the actual process of dreaming. We do know that they arise from Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, in which the brain is as active as it is when the body is awake. Sometimes these dreams are extremely vivid, so much so that the dreamer often has trouble understanding that he or she is not actually awake

Vivid dreams can be either pleasant or frightening. They have a variety of potential causes, from deeper systematic woes to simpler dietary hiccups. Provided they are not associated with any adverse health effects, vivid dreams can be a tool for achieving more lucid dreams and increased awareness while dreaming

... You Should See Your Doctor If

You notice symptoms of bipolar disorder or diabetes, since both of these conditions may cause vivid dreaming. Both interrupt REM sleep and therefore affect the body’s ability to separate dreams from waking perceptions. The same effect can occur from taking depression medication, sleep medication, and some over-the-counter drugs. If you notice a recent development of abnormal dreaming associated with a change in your health, it is a good idea to see your doctor to rule out any of these possibilities

?Expecting More Than Work Tomorrow

Many pregnant women experience vivid dreams, both pleasant and disturbing. Researchers have concluded that these dreams are a way for expectant mothers to prepare for the huge life changes that will accompany their child’s birth. Women have reported dreams of cutting their stomachs open to pull the baby out before it comes to term, delivering deformed children or beasts, or being caught unprepared for motherhood once their babies are born. There is no reason to believe these dreams are prophetic or in any way based in reality. They are simply the result of hormonal changes and the need to discharge fears surrounding the anticipated event of birth. It may be helpful to speak to a support group of other pregnant women, mothers, your partner, or a therapist about these fears, but they are completely normal

The Link Between Diet and Dreams

You’ve probably heard that spicy or fatty foods can give you nightmares, but the link between food and sleep goes beyond that. Vivid dreams are a symptom of a vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) excess in the body and can be a warning sign of more complex neurological disorders if over ingestion is continued. Most cases of vitamin B6 excess are due to supplements; limit intake to 100 milligrams (mg) or less per day to avoid toxicity

Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, is another cause of vivid dreams. When the brain senses that glucose levels are low, it will do strange things to get stored glucose into the blood stream. One way it does so is through adrenaline spurts. If your vivid dreams are accompanied by a feeling of being “wired” (if, like me, you find yourself doing ninja kicks around your bedroom at those pesky alien invaders), it likely stems from a blood sugar issue. I solved my problem by adding more protein to my diet, especially before going to sleep. It keeps my glucose levels regulated throughout the night and I sleep much more peacefully

Take Control with Lucid Dreaming

The problem with vivid dreams is separating them from waking reality. However, the practice of lucid dreaming, in which you become increasingly aware of your dreams until you actually develop the ability to control them, may offer a solution that doesn’t stem from any of the root causes listed above. Oneironauts, or lucid dreamers, train themselves to alter their dream experiences to include flight, exotic travel, delicious tastes, and any other vivid experiences they desire. Researchers at the Lucidity Institute at Stanford University have developed a Super NovaDreamer kit that helps you recognize “dream signs” or signals that tell you that you’re dreaming. With practice, you learn to recognize and manipulate these dream signs to dictate the elements that will appear in your dream. It’s like a virtual reality game in your head

Dreams come in all varieties, from the simply satisfying to the seriously scary. Most of the time, we don’t even remember having dreamt, but many people experience dreams so vivid that they spill over into the next day, blurring the edges of reality. After ruling out a more systematic cause of vivid dreams like diet or disease, you might be interested in taking the next step and playing around with how you can take advantage of this other dream world

First published March 2009

محمد88

16-03-2009, 09:44

Burning the candle at both ends during the working week could raise a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, New York researchers say.
People who slept fewer than six hours a night were more likely to develop a condition that precedes diabetes than those sleeping for longer, they found.
They said the study supported mounting evidence that cutting back on sleep can have a profound impact on health.
The six-year study was presented at an American Heart Association conference.
Cases of type 2 diabetes, which are often, but not always, linked to obesity, have been rising across the globe
""A good night's sleep is a biological necessity"
Dr Neil Stanley
Sleep expert

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The condition develops when the body makes too much insulin, but does not use the hormone efficiently to break down sugar in the blood.
A stepping stone on the way to the condition is known as impaired fasting glucose, in which blood sugar levels are too high, but not high enough to constitute a diagnosis of diabetes.
A team from the University of Buffalo, in New York, followed a group of volunteers over a six-year period.
They found those who slept on average for fewer than six hours a night during the working week were 4.56 times more likely to develop impaired fasting glucose than those sleeping six to eight hours a night.
Lead researcher Dr Lisa Rafalson said: "This study supports growing evidence of the association of inadequate sleep with adverse health issues."
Complex area
Dr Rafalson said it was likely that hormones and the nervous system were behind the link.
"Our findings will hopefully spur additional research into this very complex area of sleep and illness," she said.
A recent study suggested that taking regular lunchtime siestas could increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Dr Neil Stanley, a sleep expert at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, said there was a mounting body of evidence linking lack of sleep to conditions such as diabetes.
However, he said the reasons remained unclear, although it was possible that lack of sleep raised the risk of putting on weight, which in turn could raise the risk of diabetes.
"There is some evidence that lack of sleep mucks up our appetite hormones, so you want to eat more, and eat the wrong things - when we are tired we tend to crave sugary foods.
"A good night's sleep is a biological necessity: your body wants and needs a good night's sleep every night, and if you are well rested you will get a lot more done during the day."
Dr Iain Frame, director of research at the charity Diabetes UK, said the study was too small to draw any firm conclusions.

However, he said the findings echoed previous studies which found there might be a link between disturbed sleep patterns and a raised risk of type 2 diabetes.
But he added: "When it comes to discussing major risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes, issues with sleep duration will remain less significant than other established risk factors such as being overweight, being over the age of 40 or having a history of diabetes in the family."

محمد88

25-03-2009, 14:47

The World Health Organisation warned that progress in tackling tuberculosis was far too slow, as it doubled its estimate of the ravages the disease is causing among HIV/AIDS patients.

Some 9.27 million people contracted TB in 2007, an increase of about 30,000 over the previous year mainly in line with population growth, according to the WHO's annual report on tuberculosis control
More than one death in four -- 456,000 of the 1.75 million tuberculosis deaths recorded in 2007 -- is now thought to involve an HIV/AIDS patient.
"These findings point to an urgent need to find, prevent and treat tuberculosis in people living with HIV and to test for HIV in all patients with TB in order to provide prevention, treatment and care," said WHO Director General Margaret Chan in a statement.
However, the report reiterated that there were severe shortcomings in tackling tuberculosis and coordinated care for both diseases largely due to feeble heath care in the developing countries that are the hardest hit.
Just one in seven HIV patients get vital preventive treatment for TB, said WHO HIV/AIDS director Kevin De Cock.
Overall, more than one third of tuberculosis cases are not diagnosed, leaving many out of reach of treatment and, crucially, increasing the risk of spreading the contagious disease, according to the UN health agency.
While the overall rate of TB infection fell in three years to 139 cases per 100,000 people, the improvement was too slow, said Mario Raviglione, the agency's anti-tuberculosis chief.
"We are talking about less than one percent per year, which will get us to potentially eliminate TB in a very distant future: we are talking centuries if not millenia in a way," he told journalists.
The growth in the estimated impact on HIV/AIDS patients was largely down to better data and understanding.
"The revision... is illustrative of the fact that people living with HIV have a risk of developing tuberculosis that's 20 times greater than HIV negative people," said De Cock.
Despite progress in testing TB patients for HIV in Africa, the combination of poor diagnosis, rising drug resistance and the evidence of the impact on highly vulnerable HIV/AIDS patients has heightened alarm among health experts.
Detection of the highly contagious disease has stagnated after a sharp improvement nine years ago, while the impact drug resistant strains of the TB bacteria has grown to infect an estimated 500,000 people.
Just one percent of them receive treatment and 150,000 of them die, according to the WHO, which regards resistance as the "achilles heel" of the anti-TB drive.
"The scale-up of interventions to deal with multidrug TB is not at the pace we would like to see and is far from the targets that have been established," Raviglione said.
Furthermore, 10 percent of them were almost incurable extra-resistant strains (XDR-TB) that are now found in 55 countries.
The WHO is gathering the 27 countries that account for 85 percent of multidrug resistant cases of tuberculosis -- including India, China, Russia, South Africa and Bangladesh - for a meeting in Beijing on April 1.
"You could be in middle of a drug resistant TB epidemic and not even know about it," De Cock pointed out

C. Breezy

30-04-2009, 19:21

The EU's health commissioner has urged Europeans not to panic over swine flu, as ministers hold emergency talks on ways to contain the virus.

"We have to exercise vigilance, we should not panic, we have to be prepared," Androulla Vassiliou said.
The ministers are discussing a possible EU-wide travel advisory for Mexico.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised its pandemic alert to the second highest level, but says it is currently not planning to raise it further.
However WHO Assistant Director General Keiji Fukuda said the situation was still evolving rapidly.

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ] The EU is considering a travel advisory for Mexico

In Mexico, the epicentre of the outbreak, the number of confirmed cases rose to 97 - up from 26 on Wednesday. Dr Fukuda said this was due to many laboratory results coming in.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon urged people to stay at home over the next five days.
There are many cases elsewhere - including the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Israel, and New Zealand.
BBC health correspondent Matt McGrath says the raising of the WHO alert to level five suggests a global epidemic, or pandemic, is imminent.
But, he adds, many experts remain hopeful that even if this happens, the effects of the H1N1 virus will be mild.
None of the dozens of cases of swine flu reported on the continent so far has been severe.
The only deaths from the virus have been recorded in Mexico and the US.

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Swine flu cases map

In the latest developments:

* The Netherlands confirms its first case of swine flu, in a three-year-old boy recently returned from Mexico. Cases have also been confirmed in Switzerland, Costa Rica and Peru
* The number of confirmed cases in the US rose to 109 in 11 states
* China's health minister says that the country's scientists have developed a "sensitive and fast" test for spotting swine flu in conjunction with US scientists and the WHO. The country has recorded no incidence of the flu yet.

At the meeting of health ministers in Luxembourg, a French proposal for a continent-wide travel advisory for Mexico will be discussed.

It is unclear whether the EU executive has the power to impose a travel ban.
Several countries have restricted travel to Mexico and many tour operators have cancelled holidays.
Other members are resisting calls to implement travel bans or close borders, on the grounds - backed by the WHO - that there is little evidence of their efficacy.
The EU ministers will also try to agree on how to refer to the virus.
The European Commission has been calling it "novel flu", replacing the word "swine" to avoid prompting a fall in demand for pork and bacon.
On Wednesday, Egypt began a mass slaughter of its pigs - even though the WHO says the virus was now being transmitted from human to human.
Ghana has become the latest country to ban pork imports as a precaution against swine flu.

C. Breezy

02-05-2009, 18:39

Lithium in water 'curbs suicide'

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ] The protective effect could be the result of years of drinking this water

Drinking water which contains the element lithium may reduce the risk of suicide, a Japanese study suggests.

Researchers examined levels of lithium in drinking water and suicide rates in the prefecture of Oita, which has a population of more than one million.
The suicide rate was significantly lower in those areas with the highest levels of the element, they wrote in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
High doses of lithium are already used to treat serious mood disorders.
But the team from the universities of Oita and Hiroshima found that even relatively low levels appeared to have a positive impact of suicide rates.
Levels ranged from 0.7 to 59 micrograms per litre. The researchers speculated that while these levels were low, there may be a cumulative protective effect on the brain from years of drinking this tap water.

Added element
At least one previous study has suggested an association between lithium in tap water and suicide. That research on data collected from the 1980s also found a significantly lower rate of suicide in areas with relatively high lithium levels.

The Japanese researchers called for further research in other countries but they stopped short of any suggestion that lithium be added to drinking water.
The discussion around adding fluoride to water to protect dental health has proved controversial - criticised by some as mass involuntary medication.
In an accompanying editorial, Professor Allan Young of Vancouver's Institute for Mental Health said "this intriguing data should provoke further research.
"Large-scale trials involving the addition of lithium to drinking water supplies may then be feasible, although this would undoubtedly be subject to considerable debate. Following up on these findings will not be straightforward or inexpensive, but the eventual benefits for community mental health may be considerable."
Sophie Corlett, external relations director at mental health charity Mind said the research "certainly merits more investigation.
"We already know that lithium can act as a powerful mood stabiliser for people with bipolar disorder, and treating people with lithium is also associated with lower suicide rates.
"However, lithium also has significant and an unpleasant side effects in higher doses, and can be toxic. Any suggestion that it should be added, even in tiny amounts, to drinking water should be treated with caution and researched very thoroughly."

C. Breezy

04-05-2009, 20:23

Fathers' depression 'harms young'

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Fathers' mental health problems can affect their children

Children whose fathers have mental health disorders are likely to have psychiatric or behavioural disorders themselves, researchers warn.

University of Oxford experts reviewed existing evidence and said, in the Lancet, there had been too much focus on mothers' mental health issues.
They said boys in particular could be affected if their father had depression or was an alcoholic.
Mental health campaigners said men often had problems seeking help.

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، لطفا با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ] kyo,%20Japan.jpg

Alcoholism
The Oxford team said it was not surprising much of researchers' emphasis had focused on mothers as, in most societies, it is mothers who provide the majority of childcare - particularly when children are very young.
But they said the role of men had been "underemphasised" and that they had more influence on their children's development than previously thought.
In addition, the peak age for men to be affected by psychiatric disorders is the same as the peak age for becoming a father - between 18 and 35.

Paternal depression during the postnatal period, measured at eight weeks after birth, has been associated with increasing the chance of the child subsequently developing behavioural and emotional problems from 10% to 20%.

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Teenage offspring of depressed fathers also have an increased risk of various psychological problems, including depression and suicidal behaviour.
Around 2% of men are affected by generalised anxiety disorder, and children whose parents have anxiety disorders have a two-fold increased risk of developing such disorders themselves, researchers say.
Previous studies have also found links between a father's alcoholism and an increased risk of conduct disorders, where children behave aggressively and destructively and abuse substances - particularly in sons.
Paternal alcoholism is also associated with an increased risk of mood disorders, depressive symptoms, poor performance at school, low self-esteem and problems forming relationships.
Adolescents whose parents have bipolar disorder are up to 10 times more likely than adolescents with mentally healthy parents to develop bipolar disorder, and three to four times more likely to develop other psychiatric illness, research suggests.

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'Nurturing role'
The Oxford team, led by psychiatrist Professor Paul Ramchandani, said more research was needed on how fathers' psychiatric disorders affect their children's development.
He said: "Fathers are more involved in child-rearing in countries including the UK than they used to be.
"In years gone by, if fathers were depressed and distant it may not have made much of an impact.
"We now need a more general understanding of what effects psychiatric problems in fathers can have on children."
Emily Wooster, policy and campaign manager for the mental health charity Mind, said: "Men's roles in bringing up children have changed significantly over the last century, with many dads now taking on an active 'nurturing role' so it's important that there is more research into the relationship between fathers' mental health problems and how these may affect their children.
"Mind has found that men often have difficulties coming forward and talking about their mental health problems, perhaps because of the way they are socialised into being 'strong, tough men' who can't show their emotions."
She said the charity was due to launch a campaign next week calling for "male-friendly" mental health services and better support for men.

محمد88

07-05-2009, 09:42

A new study suggests that the more teenagers watch television, the more likely they are to develop depression as young adults. But the extent to which TV may or may not be to blame is a question that the study leaves unanswered.

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The researchers used a national long-term survey of adolescent health to investigate the relationship between media use and depression. They based their findings on more than four thousand adolescents who were not depressed when the survey began in nineteen ninety-five.
As part of the survey, the young people were asked how many hours of television or videos they watched daily. They were also asked how often they played computer games and listened to the radio.
Media use totaled an average of five and one-half hours a day. More than two hours of that was spent watching TV.
Seven years later, in two thousand two, more than seven percent of the young people had signs of depression. The average age at that time was twenty-one.
Brian Primack at the University of Pittsburgh medical school was the lead author of the new study. He says every extra hour of television meant an eight percent increase in the chances of developing signs of depression.
The researchers say they did not find any such relationship with the use of other media such as movies, video games or radio. But the study did find that young men were more likely than young women to develop depression given the same amount of media use.
Doctor Primack says the study did not explore if watching TV causes depression. But one possibility, he says, is that it may take time away from activities that could help prevent depression, like sports and socializing. It might also interfere with sleep, he says, and that could have an influence.
The study was just published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
In December, the journal Social Indicators Research published a study of activities that help lead to happy lives. Sociologists from the University of Maryland found that people who describe themselves as happy spend less time watching television than unhappy people. The study found that happy people are more likely to be socially active, to read, attend religious services and to vote.

C. Breezy

09-05-2009, 15:15

How Do You Make Your Workout Fun?

By Amanda McMillan

Last year when Reebok was conducting market research for their next big product launch, they looked at a survey of 15,000 women across 25 countries—and discovered that although nearly half of all women know that exercise is very important to their overall health, less than 25% participate in fitness often. Why? Nearly two-thirds said they’d work out more if it were more fun. More than half felt that exercise was a chore.

That next big product launch turned out to be their Jukari Fit to Fly fitness classes, a very cool experience that I can tell you firsthand makes fitness more fun. But even after I tried out a Jukari class, those survey results stuck with me. Sure working out is often the last thing we want to be doing with our valuable time, but it’s sad to see that the “un-fun” factor is turning so many people off from exercise completely.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Sometimes it just takes some creative effort to figure out what you really enjoy—and don’t enjoy—doing. Hate running? Join a walking or biking group, or try a new sport, such as roller blading, instead. Can’t stand the gym? Take your workout outdoors in the summer, and bundle up for some hiking or skiing in the winter. Still can’t get motivated? Try these tips.

Join a club
Sign up for an adventure club that organizes weekend activities.

Involve your friends
In lieu of joining an official club (and paying official club fees), my girlfriends and I have worked out our own system in which we take turns planning ski trips, surfing and kayaking lessons, fitness classes, and hiking explorations. As an added benefit, it has also inspired me to work out more on my own. No one wants to be left in the dust on the slopes!

Try new equipment
Testing out the Jukari Fit to Fly class was fun for me because it was a totally new experience—the same way I felt when I first attempted snowboarding. The novelty of doing something unexpected helps distract from the actual work involved, and it’s a great way to work muscles that don’t normally get used.

Make it a game
One of the most physically demanding days I’ve had in the last month (and I’m training for a triathlon, so that’s saying a lot) was when I competed in a New York City–wide scavenger hunt—a fundraiser for a friend’s charity. We spent the afternoon running around Manhattan, snapping photos and tossing souvenirs into our backpacks, while racing against the clock—and other teams. It definitely took care of our 10,000 steps (and then some!) for that day.

Revisit your childhood
Remember when running around all day was actually fun? Dedicate a day to gather your friends and do something you haven’t done since you were kids: Host a skating party at the roller rink, set up a kickball game after work, work out with a hula hoop, or ride the roller coasters at a local theme park—just be sure to spend most of your day walking, rather than just standing in line.

Reward yourself
Give yourself something to look forward to once you’ve finished your workout, like a relaxing night in with a movie and a glass of wine. Or set a larger fitness goal and a larger reward for once you’ve reached it, like a hard-earned day at the spa.

Get results now
Maybe losing weight and getting healthier aren’t enough of a motivation for you—or you just don’t see results quickly enough to really care. Instead, participate in an activity where you can feel like you’ve really made a difference even after just one day. Spending a day planting flowers in your garden or picking up litter in the park gives you all the benefits of exercise, plus you’ll feel extra productive after a job well done.

Learn what you like
Think hard about what types of activities you enjoy and where you’d like to improve, and develop a fitness regimen around that.

Most people who don’t enjoy exercise have a hard time because they’re not used to it. And if you’re carrying around extra pounds or are plagued by injuries, it can make getting started that much harder. But once you find a routine that’s safe and doable for your fitness level, these activities will slowly start to get easier and you’ll start to enjoy yourself more and more—both during your actual workout and, as you become more fit, in your everyday life.

Health.Com

دل تنگم

11-05-2009, 03:30

by William Harris

Order a meal in any fast-food restaurant, and you'll likely walk away with a sandwich, fries and a drink. If you had to identify the ingredients of this meal, you might list beef (or chicken), lettuce, tomato, cheese, ketchup, bread potatoes and soda. Not complicated, right? Wrong.

Burger and chicken joints don't think of the building blocks of a menu item as ingredients. They think of them as components, which, are made of ingredients. For example, McDonald's famous Big Mac jingle -- "two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun" -- suggests the sandwich has seven components. Would you believe it has 67 ingredients?

Clearly, fast food is more complicated than it looks. Many menu items contain processed foods, which have been modified from their natural state for safety or convenience. Processed foods tend to have multiple additives to keep them fresher longer. Across an entire fast-food menu, there are thousands of ingredients, ranging from the commonplace (water) to the exotic (xanthan gum).

Considering that some of these ingredients have been implicated in serious health issues, it would be good to know which are the most common. We've set out to answer that very question. We started with menus from five popular fast-food chains -- McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC and Arby's -- did some tallying, then cross-matched our findings with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's list of common food ingredients and colors. The result is the top 10 most common ingredients in fast food, organized by the type of ingredient and what it does.

Up first is the most common preservative.

10. Citric Acid: The Most Common Preservative

To Preserve and Protect
Citric acid has lots of company. The following preservatives also appeared frequently on the menus we analyzed: sodium benzoate (122 times), calcium propionate (64 times) and ascorbic acid (52 times).

Salt has been used for centuries to preserve meats and fish. It works to inhibit the growth of bacteria cells, which lose water and become dehydrated in salty environments. Over the years, food scientists and manufacturers have discovered that other chemicals also can serve as preservatives.

Citric acid, an organic acid found in many fruits, especially limes, lemons and grapefruits, is one of those chemicals. It increases the acidity of a microbe's environment, making it harder for bacteria and mold to survive and reproduce. It can also be used to bind to and neutralize fat-degrading metal ions that get into food via processing machinery.

What's great about citric acid is that it does all of this without harming the organisms that ingest it. It occurs naturally in all living things and is an important intermediate chemical in a metabolic pathway known as the citric acid cycle, or Krebs cycle. As a result, citric acid doesn't cause side effects in 99.9 percent of the population and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in foods and beverages [source: Driver. Maybe that's why the chemical appeared 288 times on the fast-food menus we surveyed.

The next item on our list -- high-fructose corn syrup -- doesn't fare as well in the court of public opinion.

9. High-fructose Corn Syrup: The Most Common Sweetener

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High-fructose corn syrup is easily more popular than sucrose on fast-food menus. Why? Price and preservation.

Fast-food restaurants have many different ways to sweeten beverages, baked goods and condiments. Sucrose, or sugar, reigned as the traditional sweetener for years until food scientists began to synthesize sugar substitutes. Saccharin arrived first, followed by aspartame and sucralose.

A more significant revolution came in 1957 when two scientists worked out a process to manufacture high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Since then, HFCS has evolved into the sweetener of choice, finding its way into a myriad of foods and beverages. In our survey of fast-food menus, the chemical appeared as the first ingredient almost twice as much as sugar.

So what is it and why is it controversial? The process to make HFCS involves changing one simple sugar -- glucose -- in cornstarch to another simple sugar known as fructose. The product, a combination of the two simple sugars, is just as sweet as sucrose, but much cheaper to process. It also acts as a preservative, extending the shelf life of foods. No wonder it's one of the most ubiquitous ingredients in fast food.
Unfortunately, some research has shown a link between HFCS and obesity. At the very least, many beverages and processed foods made with this corn-derived sweetener are high in calories and low in nutritional value.

Color additives, like the one we're about to cover, also have bad reputations.

8. Caramel Color: The Most Common Color Additive

Natural Redhead
Red No. 40 even sounds like it might be bad for you, which is why fast-food chains and food processors are always looking for other, more natural additives, like annatto. The additive comes from the Central and South American plant Bixa orellana and can look yellow if it has more of a carotenoid pigment known as norbixin. If it has more bixin, another closely related pigment, it can look reddish-orange. Annatto appeared 59 times across the five menus we surveyed.

When it comes to the psychology of eating, food has to look good if it's going to taste good. That's why fast foods contain color additives -- to prevent the loss of a food's inherent color, to enhance color or to add color when it doesn't exist naturally. Hardly a single fast-food menu item doesn't have at least one artificial color buried somewhere in its ingredient list.

Common additives include Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6 and Red No. 40. According to one source, Red No. 40, which finds its way into jellies, pastries and those neon-red maraschino cherries perched atop your Chick-fil-A shake, is the most widely used food dye in America. This same source says Yellow Nos. 5 and 6, which provide the golden glow to cheeses, pudding and pie fillings, and soft drinks, are the second and third most common food colorings, respectively [source: Women's Health]. But when we analyzed the ingredients of five popular fast-food menus, we found caramel color to be even more common.

Caramel color is the dark brown material that results from carefully heating food-grade carbohydrates. Just think of the color of sautéed onions (a process known as caramelizing, by the way), and you'll get a good idea of this particular hue, although it can range from reddish-brown to light yellow. Contrary to what you might think, caramel color has no significant effect on the flavor profile of the finished product.

The same can't be said of the next item on the list.

7. Salt: The Most Common Flavor or Spice

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The New York City health department banned trans fats and started requiring restaurants to include calories on menus. It's setting its sights on salt limits next, according to AP.

In terms of frequency, salt -- or sodium chloride -- appeared more times on the fast-food menus we surveyed than any other ingredient. It's not always first, but it's always there, even in sweet foods (shakes and sundaes, for example) that don't seem salty at all.

Fast-food chains use salt primarily to make their meals more palatable. It's paired with pepper to season hamburgers, and it's a major ingredient in bread, ham, bacon, sausages and cheese. A single slice of American cheese, in fact, contains 250 milligrams of sodium. That makes a double cheeseburger, a popular fast-food item, especially salty. The McDonald's version of this favorite contains 1,150 milligrams (1.15 grams) of sodium source: McDonald's USA Nutrition Facts.

Most health experts warn against eating too much salt, pointing to studies that show a link between sodium and high blood pressure. The government recommends a maximum of 6 grams of salt per day for adults, 5 grams a day for children between ages 7 and 10, and 3 grams for children between 4 and 6. Compare that recommendation to a typical family meal from KFC, which delivers a whopping 5.2 grams of salt per person [source: BBC News]!

Even if you cut down your salt intake, you have to be on the lookout for other sources of sodium. Our next ingredient is a prime example.

6. Monosodium Glutamate: The Most Common Flavor Enhancer

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, earned its reputation in Asian takeout kitchens across America, but almost all fast-food restaurants use the flavor enhancer to some extent. Interestingly, MSG has no distinct taste itself. Instead, it amplifies other flavors, especially in foods with chicken or beef flavoring, through processes that scientists don't fully understand.

MSG is the sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid and is just one form of glutamate, a chemical that exists naturally in many living things. In fact, Asians historically used a broth made from seaweed as their source of MSG. Today, the food industry obtains the white powder through a fermenting process involving carbohydrates such as starch, sugar beets, sugarcane or molasses.

The safety of MSG has been in question for many years. In 1959, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classified MSG as a "generally recognized as safe" substance. Then, in the 1980s, researchers began to wonder whether chemicals in the glutamate family could harm brain tissue based on studies that revealed glutamate's role in the normal functioning of the nervous system. An extensive FDA-sponsored investigation has since determined that MSG is safe when consumed at levels typically used in cooking and food manufacturing, although two groups of people -- those who eat large doses of MSG on an empty stomach and those with severe asthma -- may experience a set of short-term adverse reactions known as MSG Symptom Complex.

No such complex is associated with the next ingredient on our list.

5. Niacin: The Most Common Nutrient

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That sesame seed bun isn't the only place you can find niacin, or vitamin B3, good for things like producing energy and metabolizing fats.

It seems strange that fast-food chains would add nutrients to our extra-value meals. Doesn't food already come with a natural supply of nutrients? Broccoli, for example, contains significant levels of many essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K and A. Of course, broccoli isn't generally found on a fast-food menu. In the place of fresh fruits and vegetables are scores of highly processed foods. Manufacturing these foods often has the unwanted side effect of eliminating key vitamins and minerals, which then have to be replaced in a process known as enrichment. Fortification is the companion process, which adds nutrients that may be lacking in the diet.

Wheat flour is one of the most common processed items in the world of fast food. It is used to make plain buns, sesame seed buns, corn-dusted buns and specialty buns of all shapes and sizes. The wheat flour found in all of these bread products has been enriched with several vitamins and minerals, including riboflavin, folic acid and iron. But the most commonly added nutrient is niacin, or vitamin B3. Niacin is water-soluble and constantly eliminated from the body through urine. That means you need a continuous supply of the vitamin in your diet. But you don't need to eat bread products to get your recommended daily allowance. Poultry, fish, lean meats, nuts and eggs also contain plenty of niacin.

Up next is another ingredient that enjoys widespread use in fast-food fare.

4. Soybean Oil: The Most Common Oil or Fat

Oil Reserves
Soybean oil appeared 355 times in our tally of fast-food ingredients, but it wasn't the only oil we found. Cottonseed oil made 86 appearances, followed by canola oil with 62 appearances and corn oil with 38. Canola oil, by the way, comes from the canola plant, a crossbreeding experiment from the 1970s.

Drive around America long enough, and you're bound to see a soybean farm. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 75 million acres (30 million hectares) of farmland were used in 2008 to grow soybeans, resulting in 2.9 billion bushels of crop [source: U.S. Soybean Industry Statistics].

What happens to all of those soybeans? Many are crushed and mixed with solvents to extract soybean oil -- a fast-food staple used for deep-frying and as a key ingredient in margarine, pastries, cookies, crackers, soups and nondairy creamers. Some ingredient lists describe it as soybean oil, others as vegetable oil.

Soybean oil contains several unsaturated fatty acids, which means their component molecules have fewer hydrogen atoms. Unfortunately, unsaturated fats don't have long shelf lives. Hydrogenation, or forcing hydrogen gas into soybean oil under extremely high pressure, eliminates this undesirable characteristic. But it also leads to the creation of trans fatty acids, which have been linked to heart disease.

Scientists have recently developed varieties of soybeans that produce oils low in unsaturated fats. As a result, this new and improved oil doesn't require hydrogenation. Fast-food restaurants are slowly embracing trans-fat-free soybean oil, although hydrogenated oil is still widely used.

Food processors also use soybean oil as a starting point for other additives, including the two closely related ingredients we're about to cover.

3. Mono- and Diglycerides: The Most Common Emulsifiers

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People harvest kelp for the emulsifier algin that's in beer, ice cream and toothpaste, among other items.

Cooks and food preparers have been working with emulsions -- two or more liquids that can't normally be mixed together -- for a long time. Fortunately for our taste buds, they've discovered several substances that encourage liquids to overcome their unwillingness to combine. These substances are known as emulsifiers.

Egg is commonly used as an emulsifier, but most food manufacturers today use glycerides obtained from palm oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil or tallow. Vegetable oils and animal fat contain mostly triglycerides, but enzymes can be used to break down triglycerides into mono- and diglycerides. These are the ingredients you see so frequently on fast-food menus.

Mono- and diglycerides allow smooth mixing of ingredients, prevent separation and generally stabilize food. You can find them in ice cream, margarine, baked goods, whipped topping and certain beverages. Luckily, glycerides pose no serious health threats, although they are a source of fat. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has classified them as a "generally recognized as safe" substance, indicating that experts consider them safe as food additives.

Next up, we have one of the most versatile ingredients in all of fast food.

2. Xanthan Gum: The Most Common Stabilizer or Thickener

In the 1950s, a chemist working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture began conducting research on an interesting new molecule. The chemist was Allene Rosaline Jeanes, and the molecule was dextran, a giant molecule made of thousands of sugar building blocks. Jeanes had great difficulty finding large quantities of dextran until a soft drink company came to her with a bottle filled, not with refreshing root beer, but with something slimy and viscous. Jeanes discovered that the bottle had become contaminated with a bacterium that produced dextran as a byproduct of fermentation. She isolated the bacteria cells and suddenly had a mechanism to produce all of the dextran she needed.

Jeanes also discovered another similar molecule that would become known as xanthan gum. Also produced by a bacterium -- Xanthomonas campestris -- xanthan gum is widely used by the food industry as a thickening agent. It's especially useful in salad dressings to help keep components like oil and vinegar from separating. Xanthan gum is not an emulsifier, however. It works by stabilizing emulsions, increasing the viscosity of the mixture so that the oil and vinegar stay together longer and so that spices stay suspended.

Xanthan gum also creates a smooth, pleasant texture in many foods. For this reason, it appears in ice cream, whipped topping, custard and pie filling. And the really good news: It's not associated with any known adverse effects.

Our final ingredient is not as exotic as xanthan gum, but it rules the roost when it comes to fast food.

1. Chicken: The Most Common Meat Product

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Fast-food chains can work chicken onto their menus multiple times -- in salads, wraps, nuggets and sandwiches. With beef, it gets tougher once you get beyond burgers.

We're just as surprised as you to list chicken, not beef, as the most popular fast-food meat, and to be honest, this one is tricky. In our analysis of several menus, chicken appeared as the first ingredient more than beef, pork or turkey. But that's a little misleading because many fast-food chains have more chicken-based menu items than McDonald's features chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, premium chicken strips, chicken snack wraps and a full line of premium salads topped with, you guessed it, chicken. If you talk consumption, though, you get a slightly different result. McDonald's bought 663 million pounds (301 million kilograms) of chicken in the U.S. in 2007, compared to 795 million pounds (361 million kilograms) of beef [source: Hughlett].

The future, however, is chicken. McDonald's 2007 purchases of chicken were up 59 percent from 2003, while its beef purchases were up just 10 percent over the same period [source: Hughlett]. Numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture bear this out: Chicken consumption more than doubled between 1970 and 2004, from 27.4 pounds (12.4 kilograms) per person to 59.2 pounds (26.9 kilograms) [source: Buzby]. Most of this growth can be traced to fast-food chains, where people like us step up to the register and order fried or grilled chicken -- and a hundred other ingredients that transform farm-fresh poultry into the fast-food chicken that we hate to love.

If you're not running out now to get some chicken mixed with citric acid and xanthan gum, keep reading for more fast-food knowledge.