Health, The Forgotten Friend

March 20th, 2010

How many times have you heard someone say, “If I could do it all over again, I’d take better care of my health”? Or have you heard people say, “If I get rid of this disease, I’ll eat right and exercise more frequently”? Unfortunately, most people don’t receive that second chance.

Most people do not appreciate the importance of their health until it is failing. Cookies, candy, chips, ice cream, french fries, alcohol we run to them for comfort and solace. We think these foods make us feel better, but that is an illusion. These foods, and many others like them, are slowly killing us. Every time you “indulge” in a pint of ice cream or an order of super-size fries, you are putting your health at risk. So, does this mean stop eating french fries and ice cream? Maybe. Would you live longer if you stopped eating cookies, candy, chips, ice cream, French fries? Probably. If you lower your intake of the foods that rapidly increase your blood sugar, kill your brain cells, increase your Cholesterol level and Blood Pressure, you will probably have a healthier and longer life.

So how do you lower your intake of these foods when they are frequently on sale in bright seductive packaging at the grocery store and readily available on almost every street corner? Here are a few suggestions:

* Stash healthy snacks in your car so you won’t be tempted to order fast food on your way home from work.

* Exercise. It will give you a natural energy boost and deter you from eating more calories that you can burn off.

* Drink more water. The more water you drink, the less hungry you will feel.

* Don’t stop eating these foods ‘cold turkey’. Gradually reduce your intake. If you currently eat french fries five times a week, start by reducing to four times a week. Try this for a couple of weeks and then reduce your intake to three times a week.

* Set a specific goal. Goals will let you see your progress and can be a source of inspiration.

Be strong when you crave food that is not good for you. You will thank yourself later. Remember, health is important. Take care of your health while you still have the chance.

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Asthma Triggers and How to Control Them

March 19th, 2010

Do you enjoy the outdoors? Do you love pets? What if you had to choose between these things and your ability to breathe?

Unfortunately, for many Asthma sufferers, that choice is one they make every day. Asthma affects millions of Americans, many of them children. Asthma is a serious condition that restricts airways and causes breathing difficulties which result in approximately 5,000 deaths annually.

So, how can Asthma sufferers do the things they love without suffering? Knowing asthma triggers and how to manage them are the first steps to a fuller, happier life.

Here are a few Asthma triggers and ways to manage them, as recommended by the Consumer Federation of America:

* Secondhand smoke. Tobacco smoke, whether exhaled by a smoker or emitted from the end of a burning tobacco product, irritates air passageways.

To keep secondhand smoke from triggering an Asthma attack, asthmatics should politely ask friends and guests in their home to refrain from smoking.

Parents with Asthmatic children should prohibit smoking in their homes and automobiles.

* Dust mites. These microscopic animals are in every home. They survive on skin flakes and usually live in mattresses, pillows, carpets, upholstered furniture, bedcovers, clothes, stuffed toys and other fabric-covered items.

To keep dust mites at bay, wash sheets, bedcovers and blankets at least once a week in hot water; cover mattresses and pillows in dust-proof covers and maintain low indoor humidity.

* Pets. To keep pets around and avoid Asthma problems, pets should be kept out of bedrooms and any other areas where people sleep. They should also be kept away from fabric-covered surfaces, which can collect hair.

* Mold. Mold can grow on wood, paper, carpet and foods. Mold can best be controlled by controlling moisture in your home. To do so, fix leaks in pipes and make sure moisture-filled areas, like kitchens and bathrooms, are well ventilated.

* Cockroaches. Droppings or body parts of cockroaches can be Asthma triggers. To manage them, free your home of places for them to hide and be sure not to leave out food or garbage.

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Breakthrough Digest for the latest medical discoveries and treatment

March 18th, 2010

So often when you are suffering from an illness, it can be extremely difficult to find the information that you need. And when time is of the essence, difficulty finding information about your illness and its treatment is an added stress that you do not need. Even if you find information, many times it has not been updated or is not current. The latest treatments and clinical trials are next to impossible to find unless you have the inside scoop.

This is where BreakthroughDigest.com can help - Breakthrough Digest picks up where other sites leave off. At Breakthrough Digest, you will find the most up to date information concerning different illnesses and learn about the newest technologies being used to manage and treat disease and sickness. BreakthroughDigest.com offers updated news on recent medical breakthroughs and current clinical trials. The site covers a wide spectrum in the medical field, including many diseases such as various types of Cancer, diabetes, Cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and so much more; plus it also offers information on the most current medical research in areas such as genetics, vaccines, and stem cell research.

Breakthrough Digest presents articles from leading universities, hospitals and research centers. For your convenience, the site also includes a video Medical News Feed that is updated regularly. So you will never miss any of the latest medical findings. If you are looking for the most current information on drugs and treatments for various medical conditions, you may find that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) News Digest is the section that may be most helpful for you. In this area of Breakthrough Digest, you will discover which drugs/treatments have been approved by the FDA and which drugs/treatments you should be cautious about. It is also refreshing to see that Breakthrough Digest includes a ‘Commentary’ section on its website. Often you visit a website that offers you health care information, but there are no comments about the information and/or treatments. The ‘Commentary’ section of BreakthroughDigest.com allows you to get a better overall picture of various medical updates and news. In this section, you can read how about how others feel about different medical treatments and also how effective these treatments have been. This allows you to make an informed decision about your medical care. One of the real gems on the Breakthrough Digest website, though, is the ‘Clinical Trials’ section.

Many times, people suffering from illnesses, such as Cancer and auto-immune disorders, perish because they do not have access to the newest drug therapies and treatments. The ‘Clinical Trials’ area of the site keeps you informed about any current clinical trials that are in process that may be beneficial in the treatment of your illness. BreakthroughDigest.com is a true asset to the medical community online. It is refreshing to have the medical information you need in one convenient location. Whether you need information on lung cancer, stem cell research, health care, or simply nutrition, you will find what you are looking for at Breakthrough Digest - one of the most comprehensive medical news and updates site you will find on the Internet.

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Being Overweight is a Learned Habit, Not a Choice

March 17th, 2010

It is remarkable to find how many people eat out of boredom, sheer habit, or to the accompaniment of a newspaper, a book, or a heated business discussion. Many succumb to the habit of eating at a “minute” diner, fast food restaurant or lunch counter, gulping their food and running a “hoof and mouth” race with Father Time. (He always wins.)

Others are trained from childhood to stuff themselves&ndash”finish your plate” (An old relic of primitive days when food scarcities or the uncertainties of a next meal or a next day were constantly present). Some call this “scavenger eating;” many children acquire this habit by imitating their parents who are imitating their parents who may have been raised under food scarcity circumstances.

Many men and women are the victims of monotony or plain poor cooking in their meals. They rarely vary the selection and choice of foods out of sheer inertia, indifference, or lack of attention. So they try to make up in quantity what they lack in quality, seeking satisfaction from calories instead of from quality and contrast.

Dr. Arthur Master, in a study of a group of patients not suffering from heart disease, found that a significant loss of weight was followed by an average 35 per cent reduction in the work the heart has to do. The lesson to you is clear: Even though your heart is strong, being overweight taxes it with work and strain beyond its normal capacity. A healthy heart is gradually weakened by the extra stress imposed on it by 20, 30 or 40 pounds of unnecessary fat.

Your energy reserves are depleted; you feel tired too soon and too often, even when doing simple things like walking and swimming, things that the person of normal weight can handle with ease and pleasure. Don’t let too much weight rob you of a strong heart and the vibrant energy that you need to enjoy a full, healthy life. Learn to count your calories and you can count on more years of healthy, happy living.

We must remember that in the past 50-100 years there has been a considerable reduction in energy expenditure, because of a more mechanized way of life. People today don’t have to go out to the barn and hitch up a horse or team or count on a long walk when they are ready to go somewhere. They merely step into their car, which is as close to the front door as they can manage it, and then drive to their destination, again parking as near the entrance as possible.

The introduction of countless labor-saving devices in our home, factories, and

offices has also robbed us of most of the physical exertion our grandparents and great-grandparents knew. In fact, when it comes to conserving energy, we seem to have approached about as near as we can get to a vegetable existence.

The message is clear; we must break our old bad habits and develop new good ones if we want to lose weight. Making healthier food choices whenever possible, watching our portions at mealtime, and getting in some exercise regularly are paramount if we want to keep our weight down and live a long, healthy, happy life.

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Get the Best Price Viagra Can be Sold for.

March 16th, 2010

Welcome to another website, one that is packed with medical information, information about ED pills. Make note! You should not plan to look here for information about brand name ED pills. This website offers male Internet users extensive information about generic ED pills.

The operators of this website know that many men do not like to take pills. The medical information on this website provides details on the active ingredients in ED pills. It explains how those active ingredients can help a man to achieve an erection.

As mentioned above, this website focuses on the information about the generic ED pills. The generic pills have the same active ingredient as the brand name pills. They offer the same benefits, and they have many of the same side effects. The chemical binders in the generic pills represent the main difference between those generic pills and the brand name pills.

Our medical information allows a man to become better informed about the side effects associated with ED pills. It has information on both Generic Cialis side effects and Generic Viagra side effects. Armed with our medical information, a man taking generic ED pills can better predict and monitor his body’s response to those pills.

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Chronic Pain Syndrome And Chronic Pain Management And Treatment - Part I

March 15th, 2010

Suffer From Chronic Pain

Each year tens of millions of Americans suffer from persistent pain known as chronic pain. Individuals with chronic pain are less able to function in daily life than those who do not suffer from chronic pain.

Chronic pain patients suffer from poor sleep quality and depressed mood rather than pain intensity, duration, or Anxiety. Clinical Implications Chronic pain patients suffer from poorer quality of sleep than do healthy control subjects. Many people suffer chronic pain in the absence of any past injury or evidence of illness. Although more than one in five Americans live with chronic pain, women are more likely to suffer from chronic pain conditions than men. If you or a family member suffer from chronic pain, you know that the search for relief is an ongoing process. But some people suffer chronic pain in absence of any past injury or evidence of body damage. At least 25 percent of Americans suffer from back pain. One fourth of these individuals, back pain is chronic and unremitting.

Experience

If you’re grappling with chronic pain, one of the earliest and most wrenching emotions you experience is a deep sense of loss. In fact, a number of people with SCI experience chronic pain in areas that otherwise have no sensation. Lascelles’ experience, owners are usually more concerned about pain from surgery than pain associated with chronic conditions. The path to chronicity of pain is characterised by failed attempts to adjust and cope with an uncontrollable, frightening, and adverse experience.

Problem Of Chronic Pain

RSD or RSDS is a neurological problem and one of the symptoms is constant chronic burning pain. It is now appreciated that the phenomenon of wind-up is crucial to understanding the problem of chronic pain. Chronic pain in children is an important problem and more action is urgently required to overcome the embarrassing lack of data on childhood pain. Some believe that many factors work together to produce chronic pain, rather than a single disease or medical problem. The longer pain goes on the more susceptible it is to other influences and developing into a problem.

Source From Injury

Some people develop chronic pain out of the blue, with no injury or illness to trigger pain signals. Once chronic pain that has been caused by an injury or surgery is managed, patient recovery may be faster. an injury, and chronic pain with no identifiable pain generator (e.g. The injury transformed her into one of millions of Americans tormented by chronic pain. In stark contrast to acute pain, persists beyond the amount of time that is normal for an injury to heal. In some cases this may stem from an injury incurred during an accident or an assault.

Stress

Managing stress and managing chronic pain go hand in hand. Stress Ask most chronic pain patients what their most significant source of stress is, and they will usually tell you that it is pain. Physical, psychological, and emotional stress may worsen chronic pain. Predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity level in chronic low back pain patients.

Prevalence

Statistical analysis The prevalence of recent pain, chronic pain, and severely disabling chronic pain were summarised as percentages of respondents with 95% confidence intervals. Croft et al [11] found the prevalence of chronic pain to be slightly lower in postal survey non-responders. A small number of previous studies have sought to collect data on the prevalence of chronic pain from non-responders. The prevalence of severely disabling chronic pain in this sample was 3.0%.

Depression

This pattern has to be changed if depression, stress, and chronic pain itself are to be conquered. This is because the consequences of chronic pain and the symptoms of depression look very similar. Depression Persons with a chronic pain problem often show decreases in meaningful and enjoyable activities. Depression is often associated with chronic pain and may need to be treated as a separate, but related, condition. Living with chronic pain can lead to loss of appetite, depression, and exhaustion. The consequences of unrelieved chronic pain in this population, similar to others, include depression, decreased socialization and sleep disturbance. Influence of chronic pain on mood and psychosocial function, utilizing age-specific scales (e.g., geriatric depression scale). Nelson and Diane…and depression in patients with chronic pain was investigated. Counselling may also be of some help in addressing the depression which so often accompanies chronic pain or illness. Levels of Anxiety, depression and self-rated health were described for respondents with severely disabling chronic pain and contrasted with respondents reporting no pain. Psychological therapy for anxiety and depression is helpful in managing the emotional consequences of chronic pain. This is not the case and if somebody has chronic pain and depression, ‘you have to treat both’, he says. Our research provides further evidence that chronic pain and depression are quite independent”, Dr Clauw said. There are many factors that affect the development of chronic pain such as age, level of disability, depression, or the presence of nerve damage. Schatzberg suspects that the presence of chronic pain should be added to this list as a symptom for assessing depression.

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Gum Disease Prevention With Raisins

March 14th, 2010

For those of us with a sweet tooth, there is good news on the dental front. Despite the fact that raisins are sweet and sticky, scientists at the University of Illinois in Chicago have found them to contain compounds that prevent tooth decay and gingivitis.

There are a number of constituents in raisins that address the problem of plaque-causing bacteria in the mouth. Some, like oleanolic acid are very good at killing these bacteria. Oleanolic acid, oleanolic aldehyde, and 5-(hydroxy methyl)-2-furfural also reduce the ability of these bacteria to grow. In particular, they work against Streptococcus mutans, and Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Oleanolic acid is also effective at preventing the bacteria Streptococcus mutans from sticking to the surface of the tooth, The bacteria need to stick to the teeth to form plaque, after which they start eroding the tooth enamel. Sucrose, not the fructose and glucose that raisins have in them, are what creates the environment for tooth decay.

Cranberries have also been found to prevent bacteria (specifically Streptococcus mutans) from sticking to teeth, and causing gum disease and tooth decay. There are now dental floss products and toothpastes in the US that contain cranberry extract. And the British Dental Health Foundation is recommending cranberry extracts and juice to prevent tooth decay and associated problems. But because of cranberry juice’s acidity, they recommend only taking it at mealtimes. Acidic food and drinks temporarily soften the enamel on teeth.

Symptoms of gum disease include red and swollen gums that bleed easily, tooth sensitivity, spaces developing between teeth, pus between teeth, chronic bad breath, pain in the mouth, and changes to the bite of teeth. Plaque is the main cause of gum disease, though other factors can speed up the process of gum degradation. These include smoking, a genetic predisposition, pregnancy, puberty, stress, poor diet (and yo-yo dieting wouldn’t help), medications like anti-depressants, and oral contraceptives, grinding teeth at night, diabetes, and some other systemic diseases.

References:


1. .perio.org


2. .nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=60518


3. .nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=56744

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Acuvue Bifocal Contact Lenses may be the answer for you.

March 13th, 2010

You may be getting to that age, even though you may not want to admit it, that you can’t see the stop sign from 50 feet away anymore. But you also can’t see it clearly when you’re 5 feet away from it either.

Nearsightedness, or the inability to see long distances, is something you may have been born with, this new sight problem you are experiencing is a natural problem brought on by advancing age.

Never fear though, because just as your eye doctor had a fix for your first eye disorder, he or she can help with the second one as well.

The fix is called Acuview bifocal contact lenses. Acuview bifocal contact lenses can provide vision correction for both problems simultaneously.

You may have feared that you would have to wear those bookwormish bifocal glasses that your grandmother used to wear. Right!

Well, you could if you really wanted to.

But the technology in the twenty-first century has freed us from the confines of plastic rims and thick glass lenses. Now you can go to comfortable, plastic Acuview bifocal contact lenses.

Acuview bifocal contact lenses are an essential tool for you if you suffer from presbyopia. This is the problem that makes focusing your eyes at close distances difficult. Expert estimates show that about 100 million Americans experience presbyopia, mainly because the condition is a natural part of aging and occurs in almost everyone.

You may start noticing the problem around the age of 40, but some people may start noticing the problem at a much later age. Regardless, whenever presbyopia starts to affect you, it drastically changes the way you look at eye care.

For healthy eye care you should visit your eye doctor on a regular basis, but when you notice a problem with your vision occuring, it is vital that you see your eye doctor on a regular basis to keep tabs on how the problem is progressing.

You will also need to let your doctor know what you want done about your condition. If you can’t cope with the problem, it may be time to start using Acuview bifocal contact lenses.

You will be surprised how Acuview bifocal contact lenses will not only help you with your problem but they are no big deal to use.

You may be concerned at first about using them, especially if you’ve never dealt with contact lenses before, but after only a few usages, it will become second nature for you to putting them in and taking them out.

One of the reasons for this is due to the design of the lenses. The lenses come with an inside-out indicator, so you know how to stick them in your eye the first time.

They are also coated with a visibility tint. That way, you can see them in the case, in your eye, and on the floor if you should ever drop them.

Lastly and very importantly, they afford you flexible wear schedules, you don’t have to constantly worry about caring for them.

So if you are experiencing this problem, don’t wait, make an appointment with your eye doctor. Then ask him if the Acuvue Bifocal Contact lenses are right for you.

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ATLAS Aims To Lower Athlete Steroid Use

March 12th, 2010

The two most common types of steroid abuses are &ndash athlete steroid use and non athlete steroid use. Athlete steroid use means the use of anabolic steroids by athletes in competitive sports. Non athlete steroid use is the use of anabolic steroids for non athletic or cosmetic reasons.

Steroids are widely abused by athletes nowadays. The NIDA-supported Monitoring the Future studies have revealed the number of young athletes, students, and teens has always been on surge. According to Dr. Ro Nemeth-Coslett of NIDA’s Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research, the athlete steroid use is more often among young people who are involved in physical training, because anabolic steroids can increase muscle mass, strength, and stamina.

The majority of adolescent boys in athlete steroid use include high school students, particularly those involved in athletics such as football or body building. National surveys have revealed that adolescent girls are also widely involved in athlete and non athlete steroid use.

According to Dr. Linn Goldberg of Oregon Health Sciences University, the adolescent girls involved in non athlete steroid use are the girls who seek to stay thin. The adolescent girls in non athlete steroid use include the girls engaged in athletic activities ranging from track and field, soccer, basketball, and volleyball to school dance and drill teams.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded “ADOLESCENTS TRAINING AND LEARNING TO AVOID STEROIDS (ATLAS) PROGRAM” was designed to combat athlete steroid use among young athletes. The ATLAS was aimed to lower the use of anabolic steroids among high school athletes and encourage healthy nutrition and exercise behavior. The program included classroom and weight-training sessions to educate student athletes the risk factors of athlete steroid use.

According to Dr. Linn Goldberg, who led the research team that developed and tested the program, The Adolescents Training and Learning to Avoid Steroids (ATLAS) program uses a team-oriented educational approach that motivates and empowers student athletes to stay away from athlete steroid use.

Dr. Goldberg articulates that the athlete steroid use prevention program &ndash ATLAS is comprised of highly interactive classes and sessions to explore the effects of steroids, the elements of sports nutrition, and strength-training alternatives to athlete steroid use. The classes teach decision-making and drug-refusal skills to athletes. The coaches, who have a great influence on student athletes, play an important role in the athlete steroid use prevention program; the coaches introduce topics and wrap up each session.

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3 Ways To Drink More Water

March 11th, 2010

After a little research it is apparent that nobody really knows where the saying that you need to drink 8 cups of water per day comes from. Some people trace it back to a study in the 1980’s, and other people claim that doctors starting telling people that amount because it was a good goal, but didn’t have any scientific research to back it up with.

Either way, the point is clear, water does wonders for your body, and your brain. Water is well known to cleanse your body of harmful chemicals through your intestines and also throughout your urine tract. Without proper water intake, our bodies break down very quickly, in a matter of days. Without food, however, some people can live for a week or two. That just shows how important water is to our bodies.

Here are 3 quick tips for taking in more water.

1. Always have water available.

I like to buy the 12 ounce bottles of water and keep them in the fridge. Whenever I go to the gym I grab a bottle. On my way out the door to work, I grab a bottle. Before a trip that will be 30 minutes or longer, I grab a bottle. When I watch a movie, I grab a bottle.

Whenever I am sitting watching TV or a movie, I will keep the bottle in my hand with the lid off. I take a lot of little sips until the bottle is gone. A great way of making sure you drink more water is to make sure it is easily accessible.

2. Keep it cold.

I don’t know many people who like to drink room temperature water, I sure don’t. If you keep your water cold, you will drink more. I make sure there is always ice in my freezer, this make it very easy to have a cold glass of water anytime.

3. Chose water in restaurants.

Whenever I go out to eat, I always drink water with some lemon. The lemon adds a little spunk to the taste and the water is always nice, cold and refreshing. After a short time you will stop craving your old drink of choice and will begin to appreciate the taste, or lack of taste, that water provides.

Give water a shot and your body will be thankful!

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