Health Topic

Hi my friends

The concept of this topic just popped up in my mind this morning, while I was reading an article about health. So let's share the new articles which related to health, medications, skincare, hair care and etc.

With best wishes

:11::11:

12simple ways to supercharge your brain

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Have you ever felt exasperated when you bumped into someone at the store but absolutely couldn't remember their name? Sure, it happens to all of us.
Despite being the strongest computer on the planet, our brains do lapse. It's hard to blame them really. As humans, we spend much of or existence stuffing our brains with stuff.

No matter how powerful our brains are, they need recuperation time to be kept in shape. Think of it as a tune up for your brain. Skipping brain maintenance is as silly as the person wandering the parking garage because they forgot where they parked. Is that you? Are you that person? If so, fear not; we are all that person at some point.

Now I am not a brain surgeon and I am not going to suggest you do anything surgical or dangerous. I am however an astute student of human behavior so I always look for simple ways to super charge my brain.

Here are some things you can begin doing as soon as today to begin the great brain tune up:


Eat Almonds
Almond is believed to improve memory. If a combination of almond oil and milk is taken together before going to bed or after getting up at morning, it strengthens our memory power. Almond milk is prepared by crushing the almonds without the outer cover and adding water and sugar to it.


Drink Apple Juice
Research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) indicates that apple juice increases the production of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain, resulting in an increased memory power.


Sleep well
Research indicates that the long-term memory is consolidated during sleep by replaying the images of the experiences of the day. These repeated playbacks program the subconscious mind to store these images and other related information.


Enjoy simple Pleasures
Stress drains our brainpower. A stress-ridden mind consumes much of our memory resources to leave us with a feeble mind. Make a habit to engage yourself in few simple pleasures everyday to dissolve stress from your mind. Some of these simple pleasures are good for your mind, body and soul.

Enjoy music you love
Play with your children
Appreciate others
Run few miles a day, bike or swim
Start a blog
Take a yoga class or Total Wellness routine

Exercise your mind
Just as physical exercise is essential for a strong body, mental exercise is equally essential for a sharp and agile mind. Have you noticed that children have far superior brainpower than an adult does? Children have playful minds. A playful mind exhibits superior memory power. Engage in some of the activities that require your mind to remain active and playful.

Play scrabble or crossword puzzle
Volunteer
Interact with others
Start a new hobby such as blogging, reading, painting, bird watching
Learn new skill or a foreign language

Practice Yoga or Meditation
Yoga or Meditation relives stress. Stress is a known memory buster. With less stress, lower blood pressure, slower respiration, slower metabolism, and released muscle tension follows. All of these factors contribute significantly towards increases in our brainpower.


Reduce Sugar intake
Sugar is a non-food. It’s a form of carbohydrate that offers illusionary energy, only to cause a downhill slump once the initial burst has been worn off. Excess intake of sugar results in neurotic symptoms. Excess sugar is known to cause claustrophobia, memory loss and other neurotic disorders. Eat food without adding sugar. Stay away from sweet drinks or excess consumption of caffeine with sugar.


Eat whole wheat
The whole wheat germs contain lecithin. Lecithin helps ease the problem of the hardening of the arteries, which often impairs brain functioning.


Eat a light meal at night
A heavy meal at night causes tossing and turning and a prolonged emotional stress while at sleep. It’s wise to eat heavy meal during the day when our body is in motion to consume the heavy in-take. Eating a light meal with some fruits allows us to sleep well. A good night sleep strengthens our brainpower.


Develop imagination
Greeks mastered the principle of imagination and association to memorize everything. This technique requires one to develop a vivid and colorful imagination that can be linked to a known object. If you involve all your senses - touching, feeling, smelling, hearing and seeing in the imagination process, you can remember greater details of the event.


Control your temper
Bleached food, excess of starch or excess of white bread can lead to nerve grating effect. This results in a violent and some time depressive behavior. Eat fresh vegetables. Drink lots of water and meditate or practice yoga to relieve these toxic emotions of temper and stressful mood swings.


Take Vitamin B-complex
Vitamin B-complex strengthens memory power. Eat food and vegetables high in Vitamin B-complex. Stay away from the starch food or white bread, which depletes the Vitamin B-complex necessary for a healthy mind.

I don't believe these are that tough. If you find yourself increasing stumped, give a couple of these a try.

Written by Shilpan Patel of Success Soul and cross-posted from Dumb Little Man, a web site that provides tips for life that will save you money, increase your productivity, or simply keep you sane.

By LISA SCOTT - Monday, October 27, 2008

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Check yourself this month while it's breast cancer awareness

Breast cancer is now the most common cancer in British women under 35 years old, with 44,000 new cases diagnosed every year

We know that oestrogen, the female s.e.x hormone, is linked to the disease and many women are exposed to it through the contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy.
Doctors are still concerned that rates of breast cancer are rising and say they can no longer blame it on an ageing population and better rates of detection.
We look at suspected causes for this rise and how you can lessen the risk…
? Are our lifestyles to blame
Although the biggest risk factor is age – 80 per cent of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in women over 50 – lifestyle choices in younger women are attracting more attention.
Many women are opting for later pregnancies and smaller families and breast cancer is thought to be caused by the absence of hormonal changes associated with childbirth.
Liz Carroll, assistant director of services at Breast Cancer Care, explains: 'There is a correlation between cases of breast cancer and women who choose to have children later in life,' she explains.
'These are only statistics and we don't know why there is a link but if you have your children before the age of 30 and if you breastfeed, you have less chance of developing the disease.'
There are also tenuous links to stress but doctors have difficulty finding concrete evidence to support the theories.
However, regular boozing will increase your chance of developing the disease.
Uh-oh, I do enjoy a tipple. How much is too much? Unfortunately, just a few units over the daily guidelines can increase your chances of developing the disease.
Women who drink one large glass of wine a day, which means 21 units of alcohol per week compared with the recommended 15, increase their risk by a fifth.
It's unclear how drinking alcohol promotes breast cancer but it may raise levels of oestrogen in the body.
? What about fat people? Aren't they at risk
Although studies do say breast cancer is linked to obesity and a lack of exercise, Carroll says it only matters if you are overweight and more than 50 years old.
'But we do still worry these women will never attempt to lose weight and will still be larger during their menopause.'
? What about the risks you can't control
Genes are a pain in the you-know-what – you're stuck with what you get.
Of the 44,000 new cases every year, five per cent are genetic.
There has to be a strong family history says Carroll: 'It has to affect many female relatives on the same side of the family, so your mum, your auntie and your sister.'
What about toxins? I've heard using deodorant and drinking cow's milk puts you at a higher risk
There have been concerns that pollutants in the environment affect our hormone levels and we digest pesticides through the consumption of farm animals.
However, the evidence is all anecdotal, says Dr Julie Sharp, Cancer Research UK's science information manager.
'There is little evidence that environmental factors play a major role in breast cancer risk.
'It's unlikely changes in farming practices are a significant factor. Younger women simply need to limit the amount of alcohol they drink.'
... If only doctors could invent a magic pill to stop us getting breast cancer
A-ha, some good news at last. Because pregnancy in early life has shown to be protective, doctors are looking at what hormones are released during this time.
One hormone that increases massively during pregnancy is prolactin, which produces changes that cause lactation.
Doctors are currently working on a vaccine that will mimic these hormonal changes.
For more information, telephone 0808 800 6000 or visit

کد:

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www.breastcancercare.co.uk

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Boys get it too
There are 300 cases of male breast cancer every year. Nicky Avery, 26, a labourer from Southend, was diagnosed two years ago:
'I first noticed the lump beneath my left nipple in 2003. I ignored it but two years ago it became itchy, so I saw a doctor who did a biopsy. 'Two weeks later they told me I had breast cancer. They were baffled and told me I was unlucky.
'I thought that was an odd choice of words – unlucky is losing a tenner in the pub. I now have a ten-inch scar where the lump was and have had six months of chemo and three months of radiotherapy.
'So far, the cancer has gone and although I don't go out as much, I've had lots of support from my friends.
'They were pretty shocked at first but now call me Nipper-less Nicholas. At least we're all laughing

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Caffeine is a morning ritual most people don't think twice about. In this age of Starbucks and $4 lattes, coffee seems to have become a regular part of the daily diet. Getting pregnant means having to change that habit, and the amount of caffeine intake, whether it is from coffee, tea, soda or other forms. Women who are pregnant and consume caffeine, even as little as one cup of coffee a day, are at a higher risk of delivering an underweight baby.

In January 2008, researchers from the U.S. found that pregnant women that consumed two or more cups of coffee daily are at twice the risk of having a miscarriage as those women who avoid caffeine during their pregnancy. These findings are the most recent in mounting evidence indicating that the amount of caffeine a person consumes could directly impact their health, especially women who are pregnant.

Babies that are born underweight are more likely to develop a wide range of health conditions when they grow older, including problems such as heart problems, diabetes, and high blood pressure. There are also more serious complications that can arise with caffeine such as the caffeine can cause the blood vessels to constrict, and it may reduce the blood flow to the placenta, and since it is so easily crosses the placenta and reaches your baby (who then very slowly metabolizes it), caffeine may directly affect his developing cells. It has also been show that pregnant women who drink eight or more cups of coffee a day double the risk of having a stillbirth or miscarriage.

In the U.S. study, women who were pregnant that consumed one to two cups of coffee per day, or between 100-199 milligrams, had a 20 percent increased risk of having a baby with a low birth weight. This data was compared to the women how consumed less than 100 milligrams per day.

Justin Konje and his colleagues from the University of Leicester in Britain wrote, “Caffeine consumption during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of fetal growth restriction and this association continued throughout pregnancy. Sensible advice would be to reduce caffeine intake before conception and throughout pregnancy.”

Konje and his research team, which included some researchers from the University of Leeds, looked at approximately 2,645 women at an average age of 30 who were between 8 and 12 months into their pregnancy. The women studied reported an average caffeine intake during their pregnancy of 159 milligrams daily, which is lower than the new recommended limits of 200 milligrams in Britain.

The likelihood of having a baby with a low birth weight rose to 50 percent for women that consumed between 200 milligrams and 299 milligrams daily, which is about two to three cups of coffee. Even small amount of caffeine may prove to be harmful, but Konje said that the best advice would be to limit caffeine consumption to below 100 milligrams daily. “We couldn’t say that there was a lower limit for which there is no effect,” he stated. “My advice is if possible to reduce caffeine intake to a minimum. You have to be realistic because you can’t ask people to stop taking caffeine.”

It is never easy to just completely cut off caffeine when you are used to having it every day. If you are a devoted cola drinker or java junkie, you may experience caffeine withdrawal and it won’t be easy. To minimize the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal, which may include lethargy, irritability, and headaches, you may want to ease of gradually. You can start mixing decaf with you regular cup of caffeinated coffee. Or you can reduce the caffeine in homemade hot beverages by simply brewing them weaker or for a shorter time. If you happen to love a cup of soothing English Breakfast, steeping you tea bag for just one minute instead of five minutes reduces the caffeine by as much as half.

Although herb teas often have no caffeine in them, be sure to read the ingredients list and speak with you healthcare provider before trying anything new, as certain herbs and additives are not safe during a pregnancy.

Here is a chart of amounts of caffeine in common food and beverages to help you decide what to cut back on.

For the Coffee Lovers
generic brewed coffee 8 oz 102-200 mg
Starbucks brewed coffee 16 oz (grande) 330 mg
Dunkin' Donuts brewed coffee 16 oz 206 mg
Starbucks caffÉ latte or cappuccino 16 oz (grande) 150 mg
Starbucks caffÉ latte or cappuccino 12 oz (tall) 75 mg
Starbucks espresso 1 oz (1 shot ) 75 mg
Generic espresso 1 oz (1 shot) 30-90 mg
generic instant coffee 8 oz 27-173 mg
generic decaffeinated coffee 8 oz 3-26 mg

For the Tea Drinkers
brewed black tea, 8 oz 40-120 mg
Brewed green tea 8 oz 30-50 mg
decaffeinated black tea 8 oz 2 mg
Tazo Chai Tea latte Starbucks 16 oz (grande) 100 mg
Nestea 12 oz 26 mg
Snapple 16 oz 42 mg
Lipton Brisk iced tea 12 oz 10 mg

Soft drinks
Coke 12 oz 35 mg
Pepsi 12 oz 38 mg
Jolt Cola 12 oz 72 mg
Mountain Dew 12 oz 54 mg
7-Up 12 oz 0 mg
Sierra Mist 12 oz 0 mg
Sprite 12 oz 0 mg

Energy drinks
Red Bull 8.3 oz 80 mg
SoBe Essential Energy, orange or berry 8 oz 48 mg
SoBe No Fear 8 oz 83 mg

Desserts
dark chocolate 1.45-oz bar 31 mg
milk chocolate 1.45-oz bar 11 mg
frozen yogurt or coffee ice cream 8 oz 50-60 mg
hot cocoa 8 oz 3-13 mg

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

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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

کد:

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http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/359/18/1966

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so I wont go to bed late anymore:31:

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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.

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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
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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!

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.

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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

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

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

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

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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

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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

(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

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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

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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

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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

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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