Health, Wealth and Vastu

Swine influenza/Swine Flu virus - Symptoms, Causes, Vaccines, Affected areas, Treatment.

2009-04-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Swine influenza virus (referred to as SIV) refers to influenza cases that are caused by Orthomyxoviruses that are endemic to pig populations. SIV strains isolated to date have been classified either as Influenzavirus C or one of the various subtypes of the genus Influenzavirus A.

Swine flu, unlike bird flu, is able to pass from human to human contact.

Swine influenza is known to be caused by influenza A subtypes H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2 and H2N3.

In swine, three influenza A virus subtypes (H1N1, H3N2, and H1N2) are circulating throughout the world. In the United States, the H1N1 subtype was exclusively prevalent among swine populations before 1998; however, since late August 1998, H3N2 subtypes have been isolated from pigs. As of 2004, H3N2 virus isolates in US swine and turkey stocks were triple reassortants, containing genes from human (HA, NA, and PB1), swine (NS, NP, and M), and avian (PB2 and PA) lineages.

Signs and symptoms

Main symptoms of swine flu in humans.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have stated that the symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of other strains of human flu, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A few patients have reported that they also suffered from diarrhea and vomiting.

Causes

H5N1

Avian influenza virus H3N2 is endemic in pigs in China and has been detected in pigs in Vietnam, increasing fears of the emergence of new variant strains. Health experts say pigs can carry human influenza viruses, which can combine (i.e. exchange homologous genome sub-units by genetic reassortment) with H5N1, passing genes and mutating into a form which can pass easily among humans. H3N2 evolved from H2N2 by antigenic shift. In August 2004, researchers in China found H5N1 in pigs. Measured resistance to the standard antiviral drugs amantadine and rimantadine in H3N2 in humans has increased to 92% in 2005.

Chairul Nidom, a virologist at Airlangga University's tropical disease center in Surabaya, East Java, conducted an independent research; he tested the blood of 10 apparently healthy pigs housed near poultry farms in West Java where avian flu had broken out, Nature reported. Five of the pig samples contained the H5N1 virus. The Indonesian government has since found similar results in the same region. Additional tests of 150 pigs outside the area were negative.

Dandruff Treatment & Tips

2009-04-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

Dandruff Symptoms

The scales from the scalp fall : When the hair is combed or brushed, or when the scalp is scratched, the scales from the scalp fall like snowflakes and settle on the eye brows, shoulders, and clothes. These scales sometimes appear as lumps or crusts on the scalp.

Itching is there and scalp may become red :Often there is itching as well and the scalp may become red from scratching.

Dandruff Causes

Impairment of general health, wrong food intake, constipation
The main causes of dandruff are impairment of general health, development of a toxic condition mainly due to taking of wrong foods, constipation, and a low vitality due to infectious diseases.

Emotional tension, harsh shampoos, general exhaustion

Other factors contributing to this disorder are emotional tension, harsh shampoos, exposure to cold, and general exhaustion.

Home Remedies for Dandruff

Dandruff treatment using Fenugreek Seeds

The use of fenugreek seeds is one of the most important remedies in the treatment of dandruff. Two tablespoons of these seeds should be soaked overnight in water and ground into a fine paste in the morning. This paste should be applied all over the scalp and left for half an hour. The hair should then be washed thoroughly with soap-nut (ritha) solution or acacia concinna.

Dandruff treatment using Lime

The use of a teaspoon of fresh lime juice for the last rinse, while washing the hair, is another useful remedy. This not only leaves the hair glowing but also removes stickiness and prevents dandruff.

Dandruff treatment using Green Gram Powder

A valuable prescription for removal of dandruff is the use of green gram powder. The hair should be washed twice a week with two tablespoons of this powder mixed with half a cup of curd.

Dandruff treatment using Beet

Beets have been found useful in dandruff. Both tops and roots should be boiled in water and this water should be massaged into the scalp with the finger tips every night. White beet is better for this purpose.

Dandruff treatment using Snake Gourd

The juice of snake gourd has been found beneficial in the prevention and treatment of dandruff. The juice should be rubbed over the scalp for this purpose.

Dandruff treatment using Other Remedies

Dandruff can be removed by massaging the hair for half an hour with curd which has been kept in the open for three days, or with a few drops of lime juice mixed with indian gooseberry juice every night, before going to bed. Another measure which helps to counteract dandruff is to dilute cider vinegar with an equal quantity of water and dab this on to the hair with cotton wool inbetween shampooing. Cider vinegar added to the final rinsing water after shampooing also helps to disperse dandruff.

Dietaries for Dandruff

All-fruit diet with three meala a day of juicy fruits

Diet plays an important role in the treatment of dandruff. To begin with, the patient should resort to an all-fruit diet for about five days and take three meals a day of juicy fruits.
Avoid citrus fruits, bananas, tinned fruits
Citrus fruits, bananas, dried, stewed, or tinned fruits should not be taken.

Well-balanced diet

After the all-fruit diet, the patient can gradually adopt a well-balanced diet, with emphasis on raw foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. Further short periods of an all-fruit diet for three days or so may be necessary at monthly intervals till the skin's condition improves.

Avoid strong tea/coffee, pickles, refined and processed foods

Meats, sugar, white flour, strong tea or coffee, condiments, pickles, refined and processed foods should all be avoided.

Other Dandruff treatments

Keep hair and scalp clean to avoid accumulation of dead cells

The foremost consideration in the treatment of this disorder is to keep the hair and scalp clean so as to minimise the accumulation of dead cells.

Hair should be brushed daily to improve circulation

The hair should be brushed daily to improve the circulation and remove any flakiness. The most effective way to brush the hair is to bend forward from the waist with the head down towards the ground, and brush from the nape of the neck towards the top of the head. The scalp should also be thoroughly massaged everyday, using one's finger tips and working systematically over the head. This should be done just before or after brushing the hair. Like brushing, this stimulates the circulation, dislodges dirt and dandruff, and encourages hair growth. Exposure of the head to the rays of the sun is also a useful measure in the treatment of dandruff.

Warm-water enema

During the first five days of the treatment when the patient takes an all-fruit diet, a warm-water enema should be taken daily to cleanse the bowels. Simultaneously, an attempt should be made to keep the body in good health.

How to Cure Dandruff

Dandruff is due to the excessive shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp.
As it is normal for skin cells to die and flake off, a small amount of flaking is normal and in fact quite common.
Some people, however, either chronically or as a result of certain triggers,
experience an unusually large amount of flaking, which can also be accompanied by redness and irritation.

Stop hair loss : natural and herbal treatment to prevent hair fall for men and women,hair restoration and best products to buy to prevent hair loss

2009-04-12T03:30:00.000-07:00

Hair Loss is one part of our life where men and women have always had equal share of difficulty.

Although women mostly suffer from from problems like hair fall,split ends, early greying of hair,short lenght but there are generally spared from a more horrifying truth that most men have to go through is Baldness.

Various remedies, both artificial and natural, have been researched upon and discovered in these many years for this gruesome menace which is haunting the human race.Though over the years herbal and natural treatment to hair fall has seen attracting more patients. the shift is well explained as in matters to skin and hair treatment Ayurveda and Homeopathy has proved to be more fruitful than Common medicinal sciences(read alopathy).

Hence various institutes have come up guarenting you with a complete cure for hair loss.

A few options are listed down below:

Garden Vastu [ feng shui ] : garden directions, ideas, design, designs, position, plants, doors and colors.

2009-04-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

A garden that is created with Vastu in mind can cover a micro or a macro area of the site. It can be in the front of the building or at the back of the building. It can be at the sides or it can be in the interiors, on the terraces or even in a little porch located in the building.

When we speak of a garden, we speak of nature and its primary elements udaka (water), agni (fire), akasha (space), vayu (air) and prithvi(earth) as well as its invisible, yet strong, interaction with the structure and the residents of the structure. Today's society is fast paced and there is continuous and ever increasing stress in every individual’s life. Getting into a garden that is designed on certain Vastu considerations is an excellent way of de-stressing, relaxing and getting back to balanced and calm thinking. A green area in terms of flower plants, lawn, trees and water and rocky areas are not only visually appealing to the residents but also can work in harmony with the residents giving them peace, pleasure and happiness. One of the classical treatises recommends a flower garden in the north when it says "Uttaradese tu Pushpavati".

The work on a garden begins by identifying the outermost boundary of the site and creating a depression on all the four sides. Flower and leafy plants and kusa or darbha grass can be put in the boundary. By creating a “plant” path inside a site all around, undesirable effects of negative zone that Vastu masters identify as paisacha are neutralized or minimized. A well-planned plant boundary on all sides of the site not only enhances the aesthetic beauty of the site but also significantly contributes to the disinfecting or elimination of any environmental pollution. Trees are better avoided at the four corners of the site. If a large area is available, adequate provision can be made for members of the family and their friends to comfortable sit and relax. An area in the front yard (and/or backyard) needs to be identified for the garden. The ground is prepared in such a way that the soil becomes soft and laid evenly, the soil smell is good and is free of worms, termites, rats, bones, shells, hair and dirt. All the hollow areas need to be filled up. The soil is made fertile by adequately dampening the area and spreading natural-fertilizer. Seeds of various kinds of plants are planted. Classical treatises indicate that a ground that is soft, evenly leveled, sweet smelling, not hollow underneath and contains large number of herbal plants, trees and creepers helps in bestowing comfort and overall well-being to the persons, even if they were to rest occasionally.

The planting of deep-rooted trees just opposite the main door is to be avoided. A well-planned garden can have herbal and flower plants, trees, lawn, rocks and water fountains. Climbers like money plants can be aesthetically located in Vastu accepted sectors of the garden but they need to be avoided on trees. A pathway from the front gate of the building to the main entrance can be created with herbal plants like basil and flower plants like jasmine on each side of the pathway. A tree or plant in the middle of the path or just opposite the doorway is to be avoided. The north of the garden can have a nice water pool or water fountain.

Rose plants can be planted in the southeast of the area. Avoid deep-rooted trees in the center of a site or of the garden. They are ideal in the south and west of the site so long as their roots do not disturb the foundations of the structure. Avoid trees growing above the height of the structure. Have the trees spaced out. Coconut, Bilva, Pomegranate, Lemon, Neem, Jackfruit and Banana are recommended in the residential gardens. Well laid out lawns are ideal in the north and northwest of an area. Milky trees in residential areas are to be avoided. Rocky areas in the garden can be in the south and west; herbal and flower plants in the north and east and lawn in the central areas, north and west.

Sitting areas can be in the south and west of the gardens facing north and east. A garden needs to have a focal point that is visually and otherwise comfortable to the residents. It can be a water fountain, fish aquarium, rocky landscaping, shikara or a pyramid, statue not depicting any form of violence, a small idol of your favorite deity, the Swastika, Om or anything pleasant that you adore and link to each time you see it in your garden.

Garden accessories are best kept in the northwest or southeast of the garden area. These sectors are also compatible for dog kennels. As a rule, one needs to keep the garden clean and neat making it a point to remove dry creepers, leaves, flowers, and overgrown shrubs. The lawns can be mowed regularly to create an environment for the normal flow of natural energies. A well made Vastu garden can often minimize or the imbalances of a structure.

Vastu provides clear and specific guidelines, which can be conveniently applied to create an amicable interface between nature and individuals that aid people in achieving peace and happiness.

Best Sensitive All Natural Skin Care Treatment and Products For Women

2009-04-09T07:28:00.000-07:00

Our skin shows what we are eating. All the toxins we got from loading up junk foods and oily dishes will be flushed out through pimples and breakouts. So you better watch you eat. Diet should be high in fiber and vitamins go for greens and other fruits and vegetables. Fish is a good source of Omega 3that is also good for the skin. Avoid process foods for they are packed with preservatives.

Six to eight glasses is required for a glowing healthy skin. Choosesoup based dishes from the menu and avoid the oily and fried ones. Drink low-fat milk twice a day and limit your coffee consumption to two cups a day or totally skip it. Colas don't count in your water intake and refrain from drinking sugar-packed smoothies and other drinks.

Check you lifestyle:

Are you a couch-potato? Do you love the outdoors? For our body and even for our skin, active lifestyle should be practiced. How can we say that we live an active lifestyle? And how is it beneficial for our skin?

To live an active lifestyle, you must start exercise for at least 20-30 minutes a day. You can enroll for a fitness program, hit the gym or just walk with your hubby or your dog. Exercise pumps our heart well and promotes good blood circulation. Good blood circulation also paves way for healthier skin. Have you observed your pinkish glow after exercising? Sweating also flushes out toxins inside your body.

We should also be conscious of getting up on our feet and running errands. Walk instead of taking the car for short distances. Go to your co-workers' work station rather than using the phone or worse, emailing them. Use the stairs instead of using the elevator if you just going to the next floor or when going down. View these activities as part of your daily exercise.

Cleanse, Tone and Moisturize:

These three simple steps work wonders for your skin. Everybody should follow these simple yet effective steps in skin care. Wash your face at least twice a day but also avoid washing too often since it will only lead to oiliness. Choose gentle and hypo-allergenic cleansers like Cetaphil and Dove. They wash away oil and dirt but not the natural moisture in your skin like most cleansers in the market. Pat-dry your skin after washing and never rub! This will only irritate your skin.

After washing your skin, apply toner to neutralize the PH balance for skin. Toners also prepare your skin for moisturizer. Toners should be

oil-free and water based. Astringent should be used once a week since it is for exfoliation and too strong for everyday use.

Use Moisturizer at least twice day. Some areas in our body should not be neglected like our hands and neck. These areas show early signs of aging and Botox and other laser treatments are not usually done in these areas. Like toners, choose an oil free facial moisturizer after toning. Apply in circular motion to passage your skin and promotes good circulation. Don't forget to apply moisturizer in you neck and in your cleavage area.

http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/

You should start putting hand lotions in your kitchen and in your bag. Dishwashing soaps and detergents make our skin very dry. Rinse off and apply hand lotion right away. Putting them on site saves you from forgetting. Don't forget to later lotion in your hands when retouching your make-up during lunch dates. Apply lotion all over your body before bed since your skin rejuvenates while we are asleep.

Sunscreen should also be a part of your regimen now. Apply it everyday even if you are not going outdoors. The sun can still penetrate through your tinted car windows and can reach you while you drinking iced tea in your balcony. Sunscreens should have at least 15 SPF and more if you are surfing or going to the beach.

Choose your products wisely:

When buying skin care products go for products that use natural and organic substances, chemicals in most products only harms your skin. Avoid products that have fragrances since most fragrances are synthetics and just made for marketing proposes. For the usual consumer it is hard to determine which chemicals to avoid. For starters check the labels and hide away from those that have many ingredients listed. As they say less is better. Those added components are just preservatives, colorants and preservatives.

Following the steps above will improve your skin tone. It takes a little perseverance and discipline to follow them but its all worth it.

How to Freeze Eggs, Leftover Wine, Spices, Apples, Zucchini, Squash, Milk, Nuts, Butter, Fresh Herbs, Tomatoes, Bananas & Celery.

2009-04-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

Here are instructions for freezing some foods you may have never thought of freezing:

Eggs

Mix the yolks and egg whites together, and pour into an ice cube tray. Two cubes are the equivalent of one large egg.

Milk

Store in its original container, but pour out enough milk to allow for expansion – approximately a cup per gallon of milk. Thaw in the refrigerator, and shake well before using.

Butter

Store in its original container. Thaw in the refrigerator to use.

Bananas

Freeze in peel. Then, simply thaw and peel to use in smoothies and breads. Note: the peel will turn black, but that won't effect the quality of the banana at all.

Celery

Wash and chop to desired size. Then, flash freeze on a tray, and transfer to a freezer bag or another air-tight container. To use: add the frozen celery directly to soups or other heated dishes.

Tomatoes

Wash thoroughly. Then, freeze whole and unpeeled on a tray. Transfer to freezer bags once fully frozen.

**More About How to Freeze Tomatoes 1 (Below)

Fresh Herbs

Chop finely. Then, place in an ice cube tray along with a small amount of water. To use: simply drop frozen cubes directly into heated dishes.

Did You Know? Herbs aren't the only thing that you can freeze in an ice cube tray: More Clever Uses for Ice Cube Trays 2(Below)

Nuts

Freeze (either in shell or shelled) in a freezer bag or another air-tight container.

Zucchini and Other Squash

Wash and chop to desired size. Then, blanch for three minutes; allow to cool; and freeze in an air-tight container.

Apples

Freeze whole or chopped, peeled or unpeeled.

**More About How to Freeze Apples 3(Below)

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Freeze tomatoes when they're in season, and you'll never have to settle for those pricey, mealy orbs that they try to pass off as tomatoes during the winter.

To Freeze:

Wash thoroughly. Then, freeze whole and unpeeled on a tray. Transfer to freezer bags once fully frozen. http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/

Wash and remove the ends of the tomatoes. Blanch; remove the skins; and freeze whole in bags.

Wash and remove the ends of the tomatoes. Then, blanch; chop and freeze in bags.

Just choose the method that works best for you, and freeze away.

Tips:

1. Frozen tomatoes should be used in cooked recipes only. Freezing changes the texture and makes them too soft for eating raw.

2. Freeze some tomatoes whole and chop others to accommodate a variety of recipes.

Clever Uses for Ice Cube Trays

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Do you have a stack of ice cube trays sitting unused in a cabinet or drawer? Then, put them back to work with these clever ideas:

1. Store Baby Food

Homemade baby food is great for baby, and easy to store when you freeze it in an ice cube tray. Fill each compartment to the top with your pureed blends, and freeze. Then, take out the desired number of cubes at mealtime. http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/

Not sure how much baby should eat?

Here's an easy guide:

4-6 months = 2 cubes

6-9 months = 4 cubes

9-12 months= 6 cubes

Note: These numbers are estimates based on store-bought food sizes.

Always consult your doctor to determine how much your baby should be

eating.

2. Freeze Spices

Do you grow your own spices? Then, freeze some for use during the winter months. Fill the compartments of an ice cube tray with your spices and just a bit of water. Then, thaw a cube any time you need to season a dish.

Note: If you'll be using your spices in a heated dish, there's no need to thaw. Just drop your cube directly into the pan, and proceed with your recipe. http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/

3. Freeze Leftover Eggs

Have a recipe that calls for egg yolks? Don't ditch those egg whites! Freeze them instead. They can be stored in an ice cube tray, and thawed when needed.

4. Make Popsicles

You don't need a fancy popsicle mold to make your own popsicles. Just fill an ice cube tray with juice, pudding or mashed fruit. Then, cover with foil, and poke a popsicle stick through the foil and into each compartment.

5. Freeze Leftover Stock or Sauces

Have a bit of soup stock, tomato juice or sauce leftover after you've prepared a meal? Ice cube trays are the perfect way to store it. Just fill a tray with your leftovers, and freeze. Then, transfer the cubes to a freezer bag once they're completely frozen.

How much liquid does a cube hold? One ice cube is generally the equivalent of one ounce or two Tablespoons.

Here are some conversions to help you determine how many cubes you'll need to use in a recipe:

2 cubes = 1/4 cup

4 cubes = 1/2 cup

6 cubes = 3/4 cup

8 cubes =1 cup

6. Freeze Leftover Wine

Having difficulty finishing off that bottle of wine? Then, pour the extra into an ice cube tray, and save it for use in a future recipe. Just pop the desired number of cubes into a pan, and heat; there's no need to thaw them out before use.

7. Use as a Candy Mold

Want your homemade chocolates to look professionally made? Then, use an ice cube tray as a candy mold, and all of your confections will be uniform in size.

8. Use as a Soap Mold

Designate an ice cube tray for craft use, and create melt-and-pour soaps that are the perfect size for a guest bathroom or gift giving.

How to Freeze Apples

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Lucky enough to have an apple tree or access to cheap apples?

Here's how to freeze them for year-round use:

Option 1: Wash the apples thoroughly. Then, freeze whole and unpeeled on a tray. Transfer to freezer bags once frozen.

Option 2: Peel, core and slice apples to desired size. Then, freeze on a tray, and transfer to freezer bags once frozen.

Option 3: Peel, core and slice apples to desired size. Then, sweeten with sugar and spices to use as pie filling. Freeze in pie plates. Then, transfer to freezer bags once frozen. To use: simply drop the frozen apples into a pie crust; cover them with dough and cook.

(Note: you'll probably need to increase the bake time for your pies )

To Avoid Browning: Dip the apple slices in lemon juice, salt water or an ascorbic acid solution prior to freezing. You can also, pack them in sugar syrup, or blanche them for one and a half minutes to stop the enzyme action that causes browning.

Tips:

1. Frozen apples can be used to make apple butter, apple sauce, pies, cakes, baked apples and other baked dishes

2. Since freezing changes the texture of apples, they are not as well suited for eating raw

3. Some spices lose their potency when frozen, so you may find that it works best to add your pie spices just prior to baking

4. Freeze some apples whole and chop others to accommodate a variety of recipes.

By Erin Huffstetler, About.com

From: www.frugalliving.about.com

B vitamins may offer migraine relief By Stephen Daniells, 02-Apr-2009

2009-04-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

Previous studies by GRC identified a gene, known as MTHFR (methylenetetrahydr ofolate reductase), which reportedly makes people susceptible to migraine attacks when there is a mutation or dysfunction in the gene (C677T).

The dysfunction leads to higher levels of the amino acid homocysteine, already linked to increased risk of stroke and other coronary diseases.

"These results provided compelling evidence that lowering plasma homocysteine levels via folic acid coupled with B6 and B12 vitamin supplementation improved health-related productivity and therefore quality of life for these patients," wrote the researchers, led by Professor Lyn Griffiths.

Migraine stats

About 12 - 15 per cent of people in the UK, (around nine million people), suffer from migraines, with twice as many women as men affected by the complaint.

The headaches are sometimes preceded by flashes of light, blind spots, tingling in the arms or legs, or anxiety. Suffers generally experience a pounding sensation in one side of the head and many undergo nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and noise. The symptoms are often severe and debilitating, lasting anywhere between four and 72 hours.

Study details

According to findings to be published in an upcoming issue of Pharmacogenetics and Genomics, the GRC scientists recruited 52 people diagnosed with migraine with aura. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either vitamin supplements providing a daily dose of 2mg of folic acid, 25mg vitamin B6, and 400 micrograms of B12, or placebo, for six months.

Results showed a reduction in homocysteine levels by 39 per cent, compared to baseline, and statistically significant compared to placebo

Furthermore, the supplements were associated with a reduction in the prevalence of migraine disability from 60 per cent at the start of the study to 30 per cent after 6 months. No reduction was observed in the placebo group, said the researchers.

Reductions in the frequency of the headache and the severity of the pain were also observed in people in the B vitamin group, while no such changes were observed in the placebo group.

The influence of genes

When considering the genotypes of the participants, Prof Griffiths and her co-workers report that the benefits were associated with MTHFRC677T genotype. Furthermore, carriers of the C allele responded better to people with TT genotypes.

"We found that C allele carriers responded better to treatment compared to TT genotypes in terms of homocysteine and migraine reduction. This finding may be explained by the idea that TT genotypes are genetically slower homocysteine metabolisers, " said the researchers.

"That is, if all patients received the same vitamin dosage for the same period of time it would be expected that those with TT genotypes, having a reduced enzymatic rate, would metabolise less homocysteine over the treatment period compared to C allele carriers, thus resulting in a smaller reduction in homocysteine and consequent migraine symptoms.

"Indeed, it may be that TT genotypes although having a higher risk of disease actually require a larger dosage of vitamins to exhibit the same effect as C alleles. Further clinical trials of much larger patient cohorts are required to test this hypothesis," they added.

Prof Griffiths added that such trials will be undertaken, with the aim of elucidating the best dosage of B vitamins for individuals based on their genetic profile – personalized nutrition.

"The success of our trial - supported by the Brain Foundation, Janssens and Blackmores - has shown that safe, inexpensive vitamin supplements can treat migraine patients," said Prof Griffiths.

Previous studies had reported that B vitamins may benefit migraine sufferers with high-dose vitamin B2 (riboflavin) reported to help prevent migraines (European Journal of Neurology, 2004, Vol. 11, pp. 475-477).

Source: Pharmacogenetics and Genomics

In press "The effects of vitamin supplementation and MTHFR (C677T) genotype on homocysteine- lowering and migraine disability"

Authors: R. Lea, N. Colson, S. Quinlan, J. Macmillan, L. Griffiths

Sex- Common Myths and believes explained

2009-04-05T00:34:00.000-07:00

Myths : Women also ejaculate during sexual intercourse.

Facts : Women do not ejaculate during sexual intercourse.

Myths : Simultaneous orgasms are a must for sexual satisfaction.

Facts : Simultaneous orgasms are not necessary.

Myths : Only men have wet dreams.

Facts : Women also experience nocturnal orgasms.

Myths : Wet dreams are sexual disorders.

Facts : Nocturnal emissions (wet dreams) are not a sign of sexual disorder. They are a part of normal sexual process.

Myths : One drop of semen is equivalent to 40 drops of blood.

Facts : Completely baseless. Semen is produced by testes, seminal vesicles and prostate gland and not directly by blood.

Myths : Men have fixed quota of semen. If they masturbate, this quantity is quickly disposed of.

Facts : There is no fixed amount of semen. From puberty to death, semen will be produced, provided the testicles are healthy.

Myths : Venereal disease occurs when god of love visits a man.

Facts : Venereal disease is produced by infective organisms. God has nothing to do with it. Unless one of the partners is harboring the disease producing germs, the other cannot contract it.

Myths : Venereal disease is cured if the man has sex with a virgin

Facts : Not true. On the contrary the Venereal disease sufferer will transmit the disease to the virgin.

Myths : Frequent masturbation makes the penis shrink.

Facts : Even when a person indulges in masturbation frequently, the penis never shrinks and becomes small. Once any part or organ of the human body has attained its maximum size, it will never become small unless it is partially cut off accidentally or surgically

Myths : Special food and exercise will make the penis grow big.

Facts : Not true. Whatever that is good for other body parts is also good for sex organs.

Myths : Masturbation leads to nervous breakdown.

Facts : Not true. Masturbation is a normal physiological activity.

Myths : Vasectomy makes a man impotent.

Facts : Sterilization (vasectomy in male and tubectomy in female) does not reduce desire and performance. In fact, by removing the fear of pregnancy, sexual desire and the performance are increased.

Myths : Men have stronger sexual urges than women.

Facts : Not true. Sexual urge is equal in both the sexes.

Myths : Anal sex is only practiced by homosexuals.

Facts : Anal sex may be practiced by heterosexuals also.

Myths : Oral sex is a perverted act.

Facts : Oral sex is a normal act and may be practiced when both partners are interested and free from infections.

Myths : A normal man should be able to get an erection whenever he wants it.

Facts : A man has an erection of the penis just by desiring it. The entire physiological sexual response should be gone through before an erection occurs.

Myths :A man is not a male if he cannot get a penile erection.

Facts :The masculinity of a person is not judged by the ability to get an erection.

Myths :A woman is not considered to be a female if she cannot conceive a child.

Facts :The femininity of a person is not judged by the ability to conceive a child.

Myths :Menopause puts an end to a woman's sex life.

Facts :Menopause is not the end of a woman's sex life. It is the end of her reproductive life only.

Myths :Imparting sex education to youngsters will lead them to promiscuity.

Facts :Talking to youngsters on sex or imparting sex education will not lead to promiscuity. Even without sex education, people indulge in promiscuity. In fact, more married people have promiscuous relations than youngsters. Educating the young on sex and sexual behavior helps them to develop a healthy and positive attitude towards sexuality. More importantly, better interpersonal relationship will develop leading to a harmonious family and marital life.

For more clearance : http://www.healthcaremagic.com/hcm/articles/Aerobic-exercises/304

you can discuss doubts with ONLINE Doctors by Live Chat here on

www.HealthcareMagic.com

How to Get Rid of Chronic Gouty Arthritis

2009-04-05T00:26:00.000-07:00

Are you experiencing stiffness or pain around your neck, back, and arms, and massages and plasters cannot relieve your pain at all? That's because it's not a simple stiffness that you think.

Even if you place hundreds of plasters or ask your massage expert, and even if you place a hot compress on your shoulder, you will have no satisfactory result at all.

Applying hot compress, plasters, or massage, should eliminate and relieve 'common' stiff shoulders and simple pains. If not, then you might have "Chronic Gouty Arthritis".

In chronic gouty arthritis, the place where you feel pain is not the area that has to be treated. It's a common mistake to assume that the problem is at the place that hurts! This symptom is commonly known as "referred pain". Referred pain is defined as pain that is felt not at its source but in another part of the body.

More importantly, identifying which part of the body is causing the pain can be very tricky. If you're suffering from this condition, it is advisable to visit your physician or shiatsu (acupressure) therapist. Shiatsu therapists can locate the area of the body causing the pain by means of "acupressure" . The source of pain is called the "trigger point". Now you may ask why the trigger point and the area of pain are in different location of the body. That's a good question.

If we stay in a position or attitude for a long period of time, the blood circulation will deteriorate and the surrounding muscles will be affected. Such condition will create stiffness. This stiffness or pain can be eradicated easily by massage or applying hot compress. When the pain is chronic, you can suspect it as chronic gouty arthritis.

But how those simple pains happened to become chronic gouty arthritis? Continuous signals or signs of pain sent to your brain will significantly increase, and your brain will memorize it as real pain. The brain will register the designated part of the muscle as PAIN and becomes a trigger point. That's how trigger point is created. If the pain continuously stimulates the area, the area will have a tendency to expand and increases the trigger point. Then, you will feel pains all over the body for the whole day.

It is really a pain created by the brain due to misinformation, just like an illusion out of wrong information and incorrect memory of the brain.

If the trigger points are left untreated, the muscle surrounding it may harden and even the bones will be deformed. There are cases where the arms cannot move at all.

In fact, all the pain is just an illusion. If treatment is neglected, it will create trigger points. It is very important to consult your physician for diagnosis before it gets worse.

## How Trigger Points Are Found

The illustration below shows the acupressure points. The attending physician will strongly press the points with their finger. If you feel pain somewhere in your body when a certain point is pressed, then you've found the trigger point.

On the trigger points, you can ask your physician to use anesthetic injection to reduce the stressed muscle and remove pains. This simple anesthetic injection will make the blood circulation smoother. Once the blood circulation is improved, the treated area will naturally get well, and will eventually heal. Is it so easy and simple? Yes, it is, when you know it.

Of course, there are times that one anesthetic injection is not enough to yield satisfactory result. Some patients may need one injection every week for about 3-4 weeks.

Another way of treatment is acupuncture (treatment with needles). Acupuncture has more than 4,000 years of history. There are patients who suffer from pains on the waist area, and the trigger points were under the arms.

Slow moving exercise like Tai Chi and acupuncture will help prevent chronic gouty arthritis. Good luck!

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About the Author:

Junji Takano is a Japanese health researcher involved in investigating the cause of various diseases since 1960. In 1968, he invented PYRO-ENERGEN, the first electromedicine device that eradicates viral diseases, cancer, and diseases of unknown cause effectively without side effects.

Free newsletter: http://www.pyroenergen.com/newsletter.htm

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Yeast Infection and Herbal Remedies

2009-04-05T00:24:00.000-07:00

Two of the most common of these single celled fungus is oral thrush and in the vagina (vaginitis or yeast infection). Sometimes though, this fungus is difficult to pin point. It can manifest itself as other ailments such as acne, asthma, arthritis, chronic fatigue, rashes, dizziness, headaches, muscle soreness and pain.

Antibiotics are a major factor in Candidiasis. They not only kill the bacteria that cause infection but, the bodies' natural defenses as well.

Birth control pills, anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone, yeast laden foods, diet high in sugar are all major culprits in upsetting the bodies' natural balance. When candida infects the vagina, it results in vaginitis characterized by large amounts of white cheesy discharge and intense itching and burning. When the infection is in the mouth, it appears as white soars on the tongue, gums and inside of the cheeks. Candida can appear in the form of athlete's foot, jock itch and diaper rash in babies.

Poor co-ordination, muscle weakness, swollen or painful joints, mood swings, loss of libido, infertility, depression, and unexplained tiredness can all be signs of candida. It can cause digestive and hormonal disturbances.

Systemic Candidiasis and Albicans is an overgrowth of candida throughout the body. In the most severe cases, it can found traveling through the bloodstream and invading every organ in the system.

Candidiasis may affect both men and women, but is rarely transmitted sexually. Very often allergies to food are present in people with candida infection. The symptoms of food allergies and environmental sensitivities can also mimic those of candidiasis.

Doctors often take a culture or examine vaginal discharge under a microscope because not all discharges are caused by relatively harmless yeast. Anything from a forgotten tampon to life-threatening pelvic inflammatory disease can cause similar symptoms: itching and an odd-smelling discharge.

Other causes include gardnerella vaginalis, a bacterial infection; trichomonas, a parasitic infection; and chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Get a professional diagnosis, if you have any doubts about your condition.

Herbal Remedies for Treating Yeast

Black Walnut: has been shown to destroy Candida better than a commonly prescribed antifungal drug.

Pau D'arco, an herbal remedy made from the bark of a South American jungle tree (species of Tabebuia, also known as palo de arco, lapacho, and taheebo) is often recommended for candidiasis. Pau D'arco contains an antibacterial and antifungal agent. This herb works well in tea or tincture form.

Clove works for those when Pau D'arco does not.

Chamomile tincture, (cold as a mouth rinse for thrush, daily) can be beneficial.

Garlic: Those who worry about yeast in their system should consider eating raw Garlic every day; since it is a very effective antifungal agent, or use it in tincture form. This is a wonderful natural antibiotic and detoxifier which protects the body against infection by enhancing immune function.

Grapefruit Seed Extract: for one week, has been shown to inhibit yeast growth.

Oregon Grape Root: has been shown to inhibit Candida in various studies due to its potent ingredient, berberine.

Aromatherapy Remedies

Aromatherapy can help speed recovery. Helpful, are essential oils of allspice, cloves, cinnamon, eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, patchouli, rosemary, tea tree, and thyme are all beneficial for this condition.

Eucalyptus: fights bacterial and viral infections. This oil stimulates regeneration of tissue. It increases blood oxygen supplies allowing more oxygen as well as nutrients to be delivered to the cells throughout the body.

Lavender: boosts the immunity and helps destroy candida.

Rosemary: helps fight infection, expels phlegm and assists in lymph drainage.

Tea Tree: a cousin to eucalyptus, tea tree oil contains anti-candidal activity. Studies indicate that it may be useful in the topical treatment of superficial candida infections.

Green tea for weight loss

Healthy living with green tea

Recent benefits of tea

Thyme: improves immunity by boosting the production of white blood cells. This oil is great for candida and yeast infectious disorders.

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac

http://www.peacefulmind.com/candidiasis.htm

Therapies for healing mind, body, spirit

Use of Aspartame: A List Pharmaceutical Companies and their products

2009-04-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

Source: Aspartame Research Group www.aspartame.ca.

GM Aspartame is not only used in food, per se, but is also used in pharmaceutical products. You might be surprised by the number of products that contain aspartame. Frequently it is not listed on the outside of the package but in the small print on the slip of paper inside the package. If you find a product you bought contains this GM ingredient return it to the store and insist on getting your money back or a substitute that does not contain GM aspartame.

A.H. ROBBINS COMPANY, INC: The following Robbins product contains aspartame.

Dimetap Cold and Allergy Chewable Tablets

BIO-PHARMACEUTICS: The following Bio-Pharmaceutics products contain aspartame:

Childrens Chewable Acetiminophen

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY: The following BMS product contains aspartame:

CEFZIL

EQUATE: The following Equate product contains aspartame:

Equate Chewable Vitamins Animal-Shaped (with Iron)

HALL LABORATORIES: The following Hall Labs products contain aspartame:

Health Balance Childrens Chewable Multivitamin

Zoo Chews Animal-Shaped Chewable Multivitamin

H & PC PRODUCTS: The following H&PC product contains aspartame:

Sugar Free Metamucil

JOHNSON AND JOHNSON PHARMACEUTICALS: The only product made by J&J/Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals containing aspatame appears to be Mylanta Natural Fiber Supplement, Sugar Free.

LEDERLE LABORATORIES: The following Lederle products contain aspartame:

Centrum,Jr vitamins contain aspartame.

LIFELINE NUTRITIONAL: The following subsidiary lines contain aspartame:

Lucky Stores: Mediguard Childrens Multivitamin Supplement with Iron

P.Leiner: The following Leiner subsidiary products contain aspartame:

Carls Drug Co: CARLS DRUG Childrens Chewable Multivitamin

Malone & Hyde: HYDES PARK Childrens Chewable Multivitamin

Hills Dept Stores: HILLS Childrens Chewable Multivitamin

Kent Co: DART Childen's Chewable Multivitamin

Big B Discount Drugs: BIG B Childrens Chewable Multivitamin

LKS Products, Inc: MEDI-GUARD Childrens Chewable Multivitamins

Revco Drug Stores: REVCO Childrens Chewable Multivitamins

Longs Drug Stores: LONGS Children's Chewable Multivitamin

Gray Drug Fair, Inc: GRAY DRUG FAIR Childrens Chewable Multivitamin

L.PERRIGO: The following subsidiary product lines contain aspartame:

Eckerd: ECKERD Sugar Free Natural Fiber Laxative

Fay's: FAY'S Sugar Free Natural Vegetable Laxative

Longs: LONGS Sugar Free Natural Vegetable Powder Laxative

Payless: PAYLESS Sugar Free Natural Vegetable Powder Laxative

Perrigo: Sugar Free Natural Vegetable Powder

Perry: PERRY Drug Stores Sugar Free Natural Veg.Powder Bulk Laxative

Raley's: RALEY'S Sugar Free Natural Vegetable Powder

Rite Aid: RITE AID Sugar Free Regular Flavor Nat.Veg.Bulk Powder

MCNEIL CONSUMER PRODUCTS: The following McNeil Products contain aspartame:

Childrens TYLENOL acetaminophen Fruit Flavored Chewable Tablets

Childrens TYLENOL acetaminophen Grape Flavored Chewable Tablets

Childrens TYLENOL acetaminophen Cold Multi-Symptom Chewable Tablets

Junior Strength TYLENOL acetaminophen Fruit Flavored Chewable Tablets

Junior Strength TYLENOL acetaminophen Grape Flavored Chewable Tablets

Pediacare Cold-Allergy Tablets for Ages 6 to 12

Pediacare Cough-Cold Tablets for Ages 6 to 12

Pediacare Childrens Cold Relief Tablets

Tylenol Cold and Flu Hot Medication

Tylenol Cold and Flu No Drowsiness Formula Hot Medication

Childrens Chewable Co-Tylenol

MEAD JOHNSON NUTRITIONALS: The following MJN products contain aspartame:

Tempra 3 Chewable Tablets, 80mg acetaminophen tablet (3.3mg phenylalinine/tab)

Tempra 3 Double Strength Chewable Tablets, 160mg acetominophen

(6.6mg Phen/tab)

GLAXO PHARMACEUTICALS: The following Glaxo product contains aspartame:

Zantac Efferdose

MEDIGUARD: The following Mediguard product contains aspartame:

Mediguard Childens Multivitamin Supplement (Cherry,Orange and Grape)

MEIJER: The following Meijer product contains aspartame:

MeijerCircus Shapes (Complete with Calcium,Iron and Minerals)

MeijerCircus Shapes (with Iron)

MILES INCORPORATED: The following Miles products contain aspartame:

Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-time Cold Medicine

Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold and Cough Medicine

Alka-Seltzer Plus Sinus Allergy Medicine

Bugs Bunny Vitamin Products (ALL)

Flintstones Plus Calcium Multivitamin Supplement

Flintstones Complete Multivitamin Supplement

Flintstones Childrens Chewable Multivitamin

PENNEX PRODUCTS: The following Pennex Products subsidiaries

manufacture products containing aspartame: (Most introduced in 1987):

American Stores: SKAGGS ALPHA BETA Childrens Pain Reliever

Consumer Value Stores: CVS Childrens Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever

Drug Guild Dist: DRUG GUILD childrens anti-pain Chewable Tablets

First Nat'l Supermarkets: FINAST Childrens Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever

Greenbax Enterprises: PRICE-WISE Childrens Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever

Hannaford Bros: SHOP'N SAVE Childrens Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever

J.C.Penny: TREASURY Childrens Chewable Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever

Kinney Drugs: KINNEY"S Childrens Chewable Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever

LaVerdiere's Super Drug: LV ACTION SOOTHSALL Childrens Non-Aspirin

Legend Pharmaceuticals: LEGEND Childrens Chewable Non-Aspirin P.R.

Malone & Hyde: HYDE PARK Childrens Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever

Marsh Supermarkets: MARSH Childrens Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever

Osco Drug: OSCO Childrens Chewable Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever

Pay'n Save Stores: PAY'N SAVE Childrens Chewable Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever

Penned Products: GOOD HEALTH Childrens Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever

Peoples Drug Stores: PEOPLES Childrens Chewable Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever

Piggly Wiggly Corp: PIGGLY WIGGLY Childrens Chewable Non-Aspirin P.R.

Rite Aid Corp.: RITE AID Childrens Aceteminophen Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever

Scriver: SUPER TRU Childrens Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever (Acetaminophen)

Wegman's Food Markets: WEGMANS Childrens Chewable Acetaminophen

PERRIGO: The following additional Perrigo product contains aspartame:

Animal Shapes Chewable Vitamins Plus Extra C

Animal Shapes Chewable Vitamins Complete

Animal Shapes Chewable Vitamins With Iron

PHARMAVITE CORP: The following subsidiary lines contain aspartame:

Eckard Drug: Childrens Chewable Multivitamin

Longs Drug Childrens Chewable Multivitamin

RALEY'S: The following Raleys product contains aspartame:

Childrens Chewable Vitamins With Iron

SQUIBB: The following Squib products contain aspartame:

Squibcare Sugar Free Natural Fiber Laxative

Thrifty: Thrifty Sugar Free Natural Vegetable Laxative

WHITEHALL LABS: The following Whitehall Labs product contains aspartame:

Childrens Anacin-3 Chewable Tablets

Cenci Powder: The following Cenci products contain aspartame:

Naturlax Natural Fiber Laxative

Lifeline Natural Fiber Laxative

Aspartame: Foods,controversy,use,legal info

2009-04-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

Aspartame is a white, odorless, crystalline powder. It is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and is readily dissolvable in water. It has a sweet taste without the bitter chemical or metallic aftertaste reported in other artificial sweeteners. These properties make it a good ingredient to use as a sugar replacement in many food recipes. However, aspartame does tend to interact with other food flavors, so it cannot perfectly replace sugar. Recipes for baked goods, candies, and other products must be modified if aspartame is utilized.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in reduced calorie foods. It is derived primarily from two naturally occurring amino acids chemically combined and designated by the chemical name N-L-aaspartyl-L-phenylalanine-l-methyl ester (APM). Discovered inadvertently in 1965, it was later patented and is currently the most utilized artificial sweetener in the United States.

Aspartame, a low-calorie sweetener, is composed primarily of two common amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Each of these is ... a building block for conventional foods such as protein and natural flavor molecules.

Aspartame, an artificial sweetener that is used as a substitute for sugar in many foods and beverages, is considered by some scientists to be a neurotoxin, a substance that is detrimental to the nervous system. This allegation remains controversial.

Source: answers.com

Aspartame (L-alpha-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester) is a low-calorie sweetener used to sweeten a wide variety of low- and reduced-calorie foods and beverages, including low-calorie tabletop sweeteners. Aspartame is composed of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, as the methyl ester. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Aspartic acid and phenylalanine are ... found naturally in protein containing foods, including meats, grains and

dairy products. Methyl esters are also found naturally in many foods such as fruits and vegetable and their juices. Upon digestion, aspartame breaks down into three components (aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol), which are then absorbed into the blood and used in normal body processes.

Source:aspartame.org

Consumption of Aspartame causes these same symptoms in non-diabetics as well. Documentation and observation ... reveal that thousands of children diagnosed with ADD and ADHD have had complete turnarounds in their behavior when these chemicals have been removed from their diet. So called "behavior modification prescription drugs" (Ritalin and others) are no longer needed. Truth be told, they were never NEEDED in the first place! Most of these children were being "poisoned" on a daily basis with the very foods that were "better for them than sugar."

Source: watercure2.org

Aspartame is a white, odourless powder, approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar, used in a number of foodstuffs throughout the world. It is marketed under several brand names, including Canderel® and NutraSweet®, and is labelled E951 in Europe. Aspartame is stable when dry or frozen but it breaks down and loses its sweetness over time when stored in liquids at temperatures above 30°C.

Aspartame is a low-calorie sweetener which is used to sweeten a variety of foods and beverages, and as a tabletop sweetener. Since aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, very little is needed to adequately sweeten foods. Consequently, the calories in foods can be substantially reduced, and in many products be almost eliminated, by using aspartame in place of sugar.

Aspartame is made by joining two protein components, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, and a small amount of methanol. Aspartic acid and phenylalanine are building blocks of protein and are found naturally in all protein-containing foods, including meats, grains and dairy products. Methanol is found naturally in the body and in many foods such as fruit and vegetable juices. Aspartame is digested just like any other protein. Upon digestion, aspartame breaks down into its basic components and is absorbed into the blood. Neither aspartame nor its components accumulate in the body over time.

Source: greatvistachemicals.com

Aspartame is not only used in food, per se, but is ... used in pharmaceutical products. You might be surprised by the number of products that contain aspartame. A sample research project was initiated in April 1994, with requests to companies that produce phar maceuticals. A number of companies failed to respond to a request for information. Some companies did respond. Pumping aspartame into children appears to be a priority!

Source: aspartame.ca

Aspartame is found in thousands of products -- sodas, chewing gum, dairy products and even many medicines. NutraSweet and Equal are popular brands. Aspartame is consumed by over 200 million people around the world and is found in more than 6,000 products. Aspartame is found in Equal, Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, Diet Snapple, Sugar Free Kool-Aid, Breyers Light, General Foods Sugar-Free International Coffees, among other foods.

Source: raysahelian.com

Aspartame, safety-tested in over 200 studies and reviewed as safe by more than 100 countries, is a low calorie sweetener. It is made from two building blocks of protein just like those found naturally in many everyday foods such as meat, fish, cheese, eggs and milk. Aspartame is digested by the body in exactly the same way as these other protein foods and so does not bring anything new to the diet.

Source: aspartame.info

Aspartame is composed of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, as the methyl ester. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Aspartic acid and phenylalanine are found naturally in protein containing foods, including meats, grains and dairy products. Methyl esters are ... found naturally in many foods such as fruits and vegetable and their juices. The body handles the components from aspartame in the same way it handles them when derived from other foods.

Source: dancewithshadows.com

Aspartame's components separate when heated over time, resulting in a loss of sweetness. Therefore, aspartame is not recommended for use in recipes requiring lengthy heating or baking. It may... be added at the end of the cooking cycle in some recipes. If a food containing aspartame is inadvertently heated, it would still be safe, but would simply not provide the desired sweetness.

Aspartame has been approved for use by more than 90 nations worldwide. It is used widely in major industrialized countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. Aspartame has been reviewed and found safe by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization and World Health Organization. It ... has been reviewed and approved for use by the Scientific Committee for Food of the European Community.

Source: ehso.com

Aspartame is an intense sweetener, approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar. It has been used throughout the world in soft drinks and other low-cal or sugar free foods since 1974. It was first approved for use in the UK in 1982. It is known by the name NutraSweet, aspartame or E951.

Source: ukfoodguide.net

Aspartame is one of several controversial products that does not itself contain modified DNA, but is made with the assistance of micro-organisms that do. This technique is used in a number of products including rennet used to make hard cheese, as well as a number of pharmaceutical products and food supplements. This is how Unilever’s famous fish ice cream anti-freeze is made. This technique was apparently behind the manufacture of the now restricted food supplement L-tryptophan, which was the source of a very serious poisoning epidemic in the US in 1989 involving at least 707 people in 48 states.

Source: patnsteph.net

Aspartame, one of the most common artificial sweeteners used today, is sold as NutraSweet® and Equal®. It is used in many foods and beverages instead of sugar because it is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, has fewer calories than sugar, and it does not cause tooth decay. Aspartame is made up of three chemicals that are all naturally found in foods and can be found in the body.

Source: cancer.org

Aspartame is the most controversial food additive in history. The most recent evidence, linking it to leukaemia and lymphoma, has added substantial fuel to the ongoing protests of doctors, scientists and consumer groups who allege that this artificial sweetener should never have been released onto the market and that allowing it to remain in the food chain is killing us by degrees. PAT THOMAS REPORTS

Source: wnho.net

In light of this evidence, health activists have introduced legislation that would ban Aspartame in the state of New Mexico. Introduced in the state Senate by Albuquerque Democratic Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino as Senate Bill 250, and in the state House by Gallup Navajo Democratic Representative Irvin Harrison as House Bill 202, the measure draws upon statutes that allow the state to regulate poisonous and deleterious food additives in the interest of public health. A successful bill of this type could set a powerful precedent for the whole country.

Source: organicconsumers.org

HEALING NATURALLY- Learn preventative and curative measure to take for many ailments at:

http://www.peacefulmind.com/ailments.htm

Being Prepared With First Aid Equipment

2009-03-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

In certain work environments – and sometimes at home – it is necessary to have first aid equipment that goes beyond the simple gauze, Bandaids, and antibiotic cream kept in most elementary first aid kits. In some situations, comprehensive first aid equipment is essential to maintaining a safe and prepared environment. Having this first aid equipment – and knowing how to operate it properly – can be mean the difference between life and death.

One such piece of first aid equipment that has garnered quite a bit of press recently is the portable automated external defibrillator. When someone's heart stops beating, the external defibrillator transmits electric waves through paddles in order to restart the normal rhythms of the heart. This is a serious piece of first aid equipment and should only be used by someone who is well trained in doing so.

However, because of the effectiveness of the external defibrillator, it is now being installed on airplanes, in schools, and even in offices. Specific people in these environments are being trained on how to use this piece of first aid equipment in the hopes that it can save a life in an otherwise perilous situation. Another important component of first aid equipment is a litter – a small, easily collapsible canvas canvas stretcher of sorts. It is used to help remove a victim from a dangerous situation or to take someone closer to a place where rescue workers can reach them.

A tourniquet is another imperative piece of first aid equipment – used to temporarily stop the bleeding of severe injuries until emergency services can arrive. Additionally, first aid equipment also includes protective gear for those administering the first aid. Goggles, a compact and disposable mouth-to-mouth resuscitation device that allows for sterile administering of rescue breaths, and rubber gloves are all a part of first aid equipment.

The goal of first aid equipment in the work, school, or home environment is to assess life threatening injuries and stabilize victims until professional emergency medical assistance can arrive. But this first line of defense – when used correctly - can often save a victim's life.

About The Author: For easy to understand, in depth information about first aid visit our ezGuide 2 http://firstaid.ezguide2. com

Please use the HTML version of this article at:

http://www.isnare.com/html. php?aid=112289

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For more free-reprint articles by Michelle Bery please visit:

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Important Terms Used in Vastu Shastra (the indian feng shui)

2009-03-31T06:50:00.000-07:00

Aagney - It is the lord of fire, & is positioned in the South-East direction.

Aap - Means water, which is one of the five elements that constituent our universe.

Aakash - Means Space, which is another element that constitutes our universe.

Aura - It is defined as a luminous radiation, a radiant light around a person's head or body. The different colours appearing in the aura have been studied by physics, & various tints of each colour suggest different characterstics.

Atman - The individual consciousness.

Brahma - The creator of the universe.

Istaka - The brick, as known in the Vedic times.

Jiva - The soul.

Kalpadruma - The wishing tree.

Purusha - The consciousness, the life source.

Parmataman - The universal consciousness.

Prana - The life.

Prakriti - The nature.

Samadhi (Sthiti) - To sit with folded legs on the ground in one posture for meditation.

Shankh - The counch, a sea shell through which the sound is produced & is mostly used in religious ceremonies.

Shrishti - Creation of the entire universe.

Sthapati - The architect, as known in the Vedic times.

Sutregrahi - The draughtsman, as known in the Vedic times.

Takshaka - The carpenter, as known in the Vedic times.

Vardhaki - The mason, as known in the Vedic times.

Acne and Pimple Treatment: Ayurveda Tips

2009-03-31T03:48:00.000-07:00

Herbal acne treatment is becoming very popular in acne treatments these days. This cannot but be connected with fact that many a times they left behind no after effect like chemically based treatment. One popular method of herbal acne treatment is through Ayurveda.

These type of herbs have been in traditional use since centuries in various parts of the world, most especially in India, that is thebirthplace of the Ayurvedic form of medicine.

There are various home-based methods are used in Ayurveda acne scars treatment. Some of these home based methods of Ayurveda acne scar treatment are discussed below:

The first to be considered is methi. It is called fenugreek in the English-speaking world, it is a bitter herb. About a teaspoonful of the seed are taken and put into about 1,000 to 1,500 ml of water. The mixture of melthi seed and water is boiled thoroughly and allowed to cool to room temperature. The herbal acne treatment solution is then smeared on the areas where acne has affected the skin. This needs to be done for about 7 days.

The next herb to be considered is pudina which is known as mint in English. Their leaf is very valuable in Ayurveda acne scars treatment. Take about a dozen of mint leaves and squeezed under pressure in order to extract their juices. Add this directly to the scars for a quick and lasting healing effect.

Chandana is another herb that is very useful in Ayurveda acne scar treatment. It is called sandalwood and it is highly potent herb for treating skin-related disorders in Ayurveda. It is applied in the form of a paste. Sandalwood is kept submerged in water for a night, after which it will partially dissolve and form a paste. The paste is then rubbed on the skin where acne is present. The paste will desiccate and stiffen and after sometime it is removed by washing with cold water.

It is quite surprising that the neem tree had almost become an idol that is being worshiped in Ayurveda. This is due to its vast number of health benefits to the human bodies, especially in terms of treating skin disorders. The leaves have many benefits even possibly up to a thousand benefits and one of them is the Ayurveda acne scars treatment. The leaves are merely kept in contact with the acne scars by wetting them or with the help of a bandage to relieve the skin of them. This is a marvelous type of herbal acne scar treatment

Stress and Anxiety: Effects and herbal Remedies.

2009-03-31T00:46:00.000-07:00

In the modern world of today we are constantly being bombarded with high levels of stress and anxiety. These stresses can be

physical,
mental or
environmental.

They place an enormous strain on our physical and mental health. Most of us are aware that excessive stress can affect our:

Ability to think straight,
our digestive system,
adrenal glands and
heart.
Research has however shown that whenever a stressful situation arises, there is a knock on effect.

Firstly stress :

Limits the blood supply going to the stomach, this hampers the digestive system and a temporary shut down of our immune system may follow. If we are overwhelmed with stress for an extended period we are likely to experience fatigue and exhaustion. Although it may not be possible to avoid these stress factors in our lives there is help available.

There are many natural herbal supplements, known for they’rerelaxing properties which assist in combating the harmful effects of anxiety and stress. Several herbs are usually incorporated together to make a powerful formula. We will take a look at some of the individual herbs, which go to make up some of these potent anti- anxiety supplements: -

Jujube Seeds: - hypnotic and anti-anxiety effect used for hysteria, fatigue, sleeplessness, debility and restlessness.

Magnolia Bark: - has anti anxiety, anti stress properties, lowers the cortisol, promotes relaxation and improves the mood.

Potassium: -sustains the fluid and electrolyte balance, discharges energy from carbohydrate, protein and fat, assists in conveying nerve impulses.

Magnesium: -is a trace mineral and its chief role is manufacturing and transporting energy, relaxing and contracting the muscles, assisting some enzymes with their task in the body and mixing proteins.

Valerian Root: - It supports a feeling of calmness, improves sleep, reduces anxiety levels and facilitates relaxation of the central nervous system. Valerian root is non addictive and does not cause morning tiredness. It also is useful in slowing the heart in those who have the condition known as tachycardia.

Melatonin: -is one of the most dominant antioxidants in the brain. It restores metabolism, improves the quality of sleep and slows down degenerative diseases of the brain such as Parkinson’s. Melatonin can control extreme cortical production and is therefore effectual in reducing stress levels and regulating sleep cycles.

http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/
Vitamin B complex contains Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12 are all essential vitamins for the nervous system

Ayurveda [Knowledge of life]: A Tourist Guide to Ayurveda - an integral part of Kerala Tourism

2009-03-30T06:42:00.000-07:00

Ayurveda is the most ancient of India’s health sciences, developed over the centuries by the sages through painstaking research. ‘Ayurveda’ translates into‘knowledge of life’, and teaches us not only to cure diseases but also how to ward off illness by leading a healthy life – healthy in the physical as well as mental sense.

Only from very keen observation of nature and life, for hundreds of years, could such a life science have been formulated. Its approach is totally holistic in nature, treating man as a whole and caring equally for his physical, mental and spiritual health.

It can safely be asserted that, today, Kerala is the only State in India which practises this traditional system of medicine with absolute dedication.In fact, it is today a Rs. 6500 crore industry and growing at a rate of eight percent annually! Kerala's equable climate, natural abundance of forests with a wealth of herbs and medicinal plants , and the cool monsoon season (June - November) are ideally suited for Ayurveda's curative and restorative packages.Today,Ayurveda is very much an integral part of Kerala tourism.

Ayurveda breaks down the human body into three fundamental elements:

Doshas – representing the physio-chemical and physiological activities of the body
Dhatu – denoting the materials forming the basic structure of a body cell
Malas – representing the substances which are partly used in the body and partly excreted after serving their physiological purpose.

The role of the physician is to comprehend the imbalance, if any, that has occurred to the dynamic equilibrium of these three elements and take measures for its correction. The physical and mental co-operation of the patient, in making the necessary changes in his lifestyle and food habits, is essential to restore the dynamic balance to the body.

Ayurveda lays special emphasis on prevention of diseases, describing vividly the signs and symptoms by which the illness can be foreseen and preventive steps taken. It also lays down instructions on how to live, in perfect health, in different climactic conditions.

Ayurveda believes that the health of a man is influenced to a great degree by his environment and teaches us how to make changes to our daily and seasonal routines according to age, sex and environment. These routines include diet and the general attitude towards life. Ayurveda also has a separate branch – ‘Rasayana’, to maintain youth and vitality.

Traditional texts reveal that the monsoon is the best season for rejuvenation programmes. The atmosphere remains dust-free and cool, opening the pores of the body to the maximum, making it most receptive to herbal oils and therapy.

A word of caution to the tourist, though – make your choice of treatment centre with utmost caution and after careful scrutiny; ensure that it is a licensed institution, since numerous centres have sprung up lately with the sole intention of making a fast buck. You may end up getting treatment – and a big hole in your pocket – there, but rest assured it will not be a strictly ‘Ayurvedic’ one. On the other hand, the genuine centres provide great value for money and you will return home a totally different and rejuvenated person!

Tips To Reduce Sodium with low sodium diet, recipes & foods

2009-03-27T23:50:00.000-07:00

A key to healthy eating is choosing foods lower in salt and sodium. The current recommendation is to consume less than 2.4 grams (2,400 milligrams[mg] ) of sodium a day. That equals 6 grams (about 1 teaspoon) of table salt a day. The 6 grams include ALL salt and sodium consumed, including that used in cooking and at the table. For someone with high blood pressure, the doctor may advise eating less salt and sodium, as recent research has shown that people consuming diets of 1,500 mg of sodium had even better blood pressure lowering benefits. These lower-sodium diets also can keep blood pressure from rising and help blood pressure medicines work better.

Tips To Reduce Sodium:

* Use reduced sodium or no-salt-added products, such as no-salt-added
canned vegetables or dry cereals that have no added salt.

* Be "spicy" instead of "salty"-in cooking, flavor foods with variety
of herbs, spices, wine, lemon, lime, or vinegar. Be creative!

* Avoid the salt shaker on the table, or replace it with an herb
substitute.

* Eat more whole, unprocessed foods-choose fewer processed, canned,
and convenience foods.

* Avoid condiments such as soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and MSG, or
use lower sodium versions.

* Read food labels to become aware of high sodium foods and to
select lowest sodium varieties. See tips below.

* Limit cured foods (such as bacon and ham), foods packed in brine
(such as pickles, pickled vegetables, olives, and sauerkraut), and
condiments such as mustard, horseradish, ketchup, and Worcestershire
sauce.

Modify recipes:

* Omit salt from recipes. Start by cutting amount of salt in half.

* Use lemon juice, vinegar, and herbs and spices to enhance flavor.

* Replace salt- and sodium-containing ingredients with lower sodium alternatives.

Low-Sodium Recipes [click here]

When eating out:

* Ask how foods are prepared. Ask that foods be prepared without
added salt, MSG, or salt-containing ingredients. Most restaurants
are willing to accommodate your request.

* Know the terms that indicate high sodium: pickled, soy sauce,
in broth, cured.

* Move the salt shaker away.

* Limit such condiments as mustard, ketchup, pickles, and sauces
with salt-containing ingredients.

* Choose fruits or vegetables, instead of salty snack foods.

Benefits of Turmeric (haldi): Fights Cancer, Alzheimer's and Arthritis, Purifies your blood and Supports healthy liver function and detox.

2009-03-27T05:51:00.000-07:00

Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) is a rhizome of the ginger family. Originally from Indonesia and China, it has been cultivated in India for thousands of years. In fact, it is often referred to as "Indian Saffron' because of the strong saffron colour it imparts to food.

The best Indian turmeric is grown in the fertile 'Siruvani' river basin of Thondamuthur in Erode and Salem districts of Tamil Nadu and in various parts of Northeast India, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

The most versatile of all spices, Turmeric is widely used throughout Asia to colour and flavour food and is respected for its versatility. It has antiseptic properties and is used as an additive in cosmetics and medicines. In India, traditionally, women apply it on their faces and other parts of the body to stall unwanted hair growth and improve the complexion. And, of course it is used in all Hindu ceremonies as a mark of purity and auspiciousness

For more than 5,000 years, turmeric has been an important part of Eastern cultural traditions, including traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda. Valued for its medicinal properties and warm, peppery flavor, this yellow-orange spice has more recently earned a name for itself in Western medicine as well.

Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, which is native to Indonesia and southern India , and is widely used as an ingredient in curry dishes and yellow mustard. As research into this powerful spice has increased, it has emerged as one of nature's most powerful potential healers.

Said Dr. David Frawely, founder and director of the American Institute for Vedic Studies in Santa Fe , New Mexico :

"If I had only one single herb to depend upon for all possible health and dietary needs, I would without much hesitation choose the Indian spice Turmeric. There is little it cannot do in the realm of healing and much that no other herb is able to accomplish.

Turmeric has a broad spectrum of actions, mild but certain effects, and is beneficial for long term and daily usage. Though it is a common spice, few people, including herbalists know of its great value and are using it to the extent possible. It is an herb that one should get to know and live with."

Turmeric's Beneficial Effects in a Nutshell

Strengthens and improves digestion

Reduces gas and bloating

Assists in the digestion of protein and with rice and bean dishes

Improves your body's ability to digest fats

Promotes proper metabolism, correcting both excesses and deficiencies

Maintains and improves intestinal flora

Improves elimination of wastes and toxins

Supports healthy liver function and detox

Turmeric helps increase bile flow making it a liver cleanser that can rejuvenate your liver cells and recharge their capability to break down toxins

Helps to prevent alcohol and other toxins from being converted into compounds that may be harmful to your liver

Supports formation of healthy tissue

Purifies your blood

Stimulates formation of new blood tissue

Anti-inflammatory: Helps to reduce irritation to tissues characterized by pain, redness, swelling and heat

Contains curcuminoids that fight cancer, arthritis, and Alzheimer's

Curcuminoids are potent phytonutrients (plant-based nutrients) that contain powerful antioxidant properties

Counteract the damaging effects of free radicals in your body

Relieve arthritis pain and stiffness, anti-inflammatory agent

Anti-carcinogenic: "Curcumin has been shown to prevent a large of number of cancers in animal studies. Laboratory data indicate that curcumin can inhibit tumor initiation, promotion, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis."

Supports treatment of Alzheimer's disease: "Because Alzheimer's disease is caused in part by amyloid-induced inflammation, curcumin has been shown to be effective against Alzheimer's. Clinical trials are in progress at UCLA with curcumin for Alzheimer's. "[2]

Curcumin: Turmeric's Active Anti-Inflammatory "Ingredient"

Most notably turmeric is known for its potent anti-inflammatory properties, which come from curcumin -- the pigment that gives turmeric its yellow-orange color, and which is thought to be responsible for many of its medicinal effects. There are an estimated three to five grams of curcumin in 100 grams of turmeric.

Curcumin has been shown to influence more than 700 genes, and it can inhibit both the activity and the synthesis of cyclooxygenase- 2 (COX2) and 5-lipooxygenase (5-LOX), as well as other enzymes that have been implicated in inflammation.[3]

Turmeric's Cancer-Fighting Properties

In India where turmeric is widely used, the prevalence of four common U.S. cancers -- colon, breast, prostate and lung -- is 10 times lower. In fact, prostate cancer, which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in U.S. men, is rare in India and this is attributed, in part, to turmeric.

Numerous studies have looked into this potential cancer-fighting link, with promising results. For instance, curcumin has been found to:

Inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells
Inhibit the transformation of cells from normal to tumor
Help your body destroy mutated cancer cells so they cannot spread throughout your body
Decrease inflammation
Enhance liver function
Inhibit the synthesis of a protein thought to be instrumental in tumor formation
Prevent the development of additional blood supply necessary for cancer cell growth

As for the results of research studies, a study in Biochemical Pharmacology found that curcumin can slow the spread of breast cancer cells to the lungs in mice.

"Curcumin acts against transcription factors, which are like a master switch," said lead researcher, Bharat Aggarwal. "Transcription factors regulate all the genes needed for tumors to form. When we turn them off, we shut down some genes that are involved in the growth and invasion of cancer cells."

A second study in Biochemical Pharmacology also found that curcumin inhibits the activation of NF-kappaB, a regulatory molecule that signals genes to produce a slew of inflammatory molecules (including TNF, COX-2 and IL-6) that promote cancer cell growth.

Turmeric's Essential Role for Your Liver

Your liver's primary role is to process and remove toxins carried in your bloodstream. When functioning at its peak, it can filter up to two liters of blood per minute and easily break apart toxic molecules to reduce their toxicity. Your liver is also a crucial part of vitamin, mineral, protein, fat, carbohydrate and hormonal metabolism.

However, poor diet, allergens, pollution and stress can cause your liver to become sluggish, and this can impair its vital functions. This is where turmeric can be a very useful part of your liver support system. Studies have shown that it:

May increase important detoxification enzymes in your liver
Induces the formation of a primary liver detoxification enzyme, glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzymes

Turmeric is also a natural cholagogue, a medicinal agent that promotes the discharge of bile from your system. Increased bile flow is important to help your liver detoxify and to help your body digest fats.

Turmeric for Your Heart, Brain and Overall Health

Turmeric inhibits free radical damage of fats, including cholesterol. When cholesterol is damaged in this way, or oxidized, it can then damage your blood vessels and lead to a heart attack or stroke. Therefore, research suggests that turmeric's ability to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol may be beneficial for your heart. It's also rich in vitamin B6, high intakes of which are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.

Meanwhile, turmeric appears to be highly protective against neurodegenerative diseases. In fact, in India levels of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's are very low, and studies have shown that curcumin can slow the progression of Alzheimer's in mice. The compound has also proven capable of blocking the progression of multiple sclerosis.

Further, Professor Moolky Nagabhushan from the Loyola University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, who has been studying turmeric for the last 20 years, believes that turmeric can protect against harmful environmental chemicals, and in so doing protect against childhood leukemia. The research showed that curcumin in turmeric can:

Inhibit the toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (cancer-causing chemicals in the environment)
Inhibit radiation-induced chromosome damage
Prevent the formation of harmful heterocyclic amines and nitroso compounds, which may result in the body when eating certain processed foods, such as processed meat products
Irreversibly inhibit the multiplication of leukemia cells in a cell culture

Turmeric's volatile oils also have external anti-bacterial action. As such, they may help prevent bacterial wound infections and accelerate wound healing. Johnson & Johnson even sells a curcumin-containing Band-Aid in India !

And the therapeutic potential of turmeric and curcumin do not end there. Evidence suggests the spice may also be beneficial for:

Cystic fibrosis
Type 2 diabetes
Crohn's disease
Psoriasis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Cataracts
Gallstones
Muscle regeneration
Inflammatory bowel disease

Which Type of Turmeric is Best?

For use in cooking, choose a pure turmeric powder, rather than a curry powder. At least one study has found that curry powders tend to contain very little curcumin, compared to turmeric powder. Turmeric is also available in supplement form and for many this is a more convenient method to obtain these health benefits discussed above, especially if they are from a high-quality organic source and if one doesn't particularly enjoy the taste of curry.

On my recent trip to India, I was able to find a company called Organic India that produces probably some of the best Indian herbs on the planet.

Diabetes Mellitus [type 2] Diet Menu plan and Guidelines

2009-03-26T23:54:00.000-07:00

Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no " diabetes diet," per se -- and that's good news! The foods recommended for a diabetes diet to control blood glucose (or sugar) are good for those with diabetes -- and everyone else. This means that you and your family can eat the same healthy foods at mealtime. However, for people with diabetes, the total amounts of carbohydrates consumed each day must be monitored carefully. Of the different components of nutrition --carbohydrates, fats, and proteins -- carbohydrates have the greatest influence on blood sugar levels. Most people with diabetes also have to monitor total fat consumption and protein intake, too.

To keep your blood sugar levels in check, you need to make healthy food choices, exercise regularly, and take the medicines your health care provider prescribes. A dietitian can provide in-depth nutrition education to help you develop a personalized meal plan that fits your lifestyle and activity level, and meets your medical needs.

Learn the ABCs of a Diabetes Diet

The goal of nutrition for people with diabetes is to attain the ABCs of diabetes. The A stands for the A1c or hemoglobin A1c test, which measures average blood sugar over the previous 3 months. B is for blood pressure, and C is for cholesterol. People with diabetes should attain as near as normal blood glucose control (HbA1c), blood pressure, and healthy cholesterol level.

Alcohol and Diabetes

Use discretion when drinking alcohol on a diabetes diet. Alcohol is processed in the body very similarly to the way fat is processed, and alcohol provides almost as many calories as fat. If you choose to drink alcohol, only drink it occasionally and when your blood sugar level is well-controlled. It's a good idea to check with your doctor to be sure drinking alcohol is acceptable.

Diabetes and Glycemic Index

For years, researchers have tried to determine what causes blood sugar levels after meals to soar too high in those with diabetes. Potential culprits have included sugar, carbohydrates, and starches, among other foods. The glycemic index is a ranking that attempts to measure the

influence that each particular food has on blood sugar levels. It takes into account the type of carbohydrate in a meal and its effect on blood sugars.

Foods that are low on the glycemic index appear to have less of an impact on blood sugar levels after meals. People who eat a lot of low glycemic index foods tend to have lower total body fat levels. High glycemic index foods generally make blood sugar levels higher. People who eat a lot of high glycemic index foods often have higher levels of body fat, as measured by the body mass index (BMI).

Talk to your doctor, a registered dietitian, or a diabetes educator and ask if the glycemic index might work to help gain better control of your blood sugar levels.

The glycemic load takes into account the effect of the amount of carbohydrates in a meal. Both the type of carbohydrate and the amount have an effect on blood sugars.

Eating Right on a Diabetes Diet

If you have diabetes, it's important to eat right every day to keep your blood sugar levels even and stay healthy.

Here's some easy tips:

* Be sure to eat a wide variety of foods. Having a colorful plate is the best way to ensure that you are eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, meats, and other forms of protein such as nuts, dairy products, and grains/cereals.

* Eat the right amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight.

* Choose foods high in fiber such as whole grain breads, fruit, and cereal. They contain important vitamins and minerals. You need 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day. Studies suggest that people with type 2 diabetes who eat a high fiber diet can improve their blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Similar results have been suggested in some studies in people with type 1 diabetes.

Serving Sizes and Diabetes

Be sure to eat only the amount of food in your diabetes meal plan. Excess calories result in excess fat and excess weight. In people with type 2 diabetes, excess body fat means less sensitivity to insulin.

Weight loss in overweight and obese people with type 2 diabetes helps improve blood sugars and reduces those risk factors which lead to heart disease. Your dietitian can help you determine the appropriate serving sizes you need, depending on if you need to maintain your weight, gain weight, or lose weight, and if you have high or low blood sugar levels.

* In women with gestational diabetes, it's important to eat multiple meals and snacks per day as recommended.

* Do not skip meals.

* Eat meals and snacks at regular times every day. If you are taking a diabetes medicine, eat your meals and take your medicine at the same times each day.

Note:

If you are taking some of the newer diabetes medicines, some of these tips may not apply to you; ask your health care provider the tips you should follow.

The Sweet Truth about Food and Diabetes

You might have heard that, as a person with diabetes, you shouldn't have any table sugar. While some health care providers continue to promote this, many -- realizing that the average person lives in the real world and will probably indulge in a bit of sugar every now and then -- have adopted a more forgiving view. Most experts now say that small amounts of sugar are fine, as long as they are part of an overall healthy meal plan. Table sugars do not raise your blood sugar any more than similar amounts of calories from starches, which is found in many foods that we consume. It is important to remember that sugar is just one type of carbohydrate.

When eating sugar, keep these tips in mind:

* Read food labels. Learn how to determine how much sugar or carbohydrates

are in the foods that you eat.

* Substitute, don't add. When you eat a sugary food, such as cookies, cakes, or candies, substitute them for another carbohydrate or starch (for example, potatoes) that you would have eaten that day. Make sure that you account for this in your carbohydrate budget for the day. If it is added to your meal for the day, then remember to adjust your insulin dose for the added carbohydrates so you can continue to maintain glucose control as much as possible. In other words, readjust your medications if you do add sugars to you meals.

* Sugary foods can be fattening. Many foods that have a lot of table sugar are very high in calories and fat. If you are watching your weight (and many people with diabetes must), you need to eat these foods in moderation!

* Check your blood sugar after eating sugary foods and talk to your health care provider about how to adjust your insulin if needed when eating sugars.

* Ultimately, the total grams of carbohydrates -- rather than what the source of the sugar is -- is what needs to be accounted for in the nutritional management of the person with diabetes.

Diabetes Diet Myths

Before you start a diabetes diet, get the facts. So many people believe that having diabetes means you must avoid sugar and carbohydrates at all cost, load up on protein, and prepare "special" diabetic meals apart from the family's meals. Wrong! Most individuals with diabetes can continue to enjoy their favorite foods, including desserts, as long as they monitor the calories, carbs, and other key dietary components and keep a regular check on their blood glucose levels.

Diabetes Diet Q&A

What Is the TLC Diet for Diabetes?

People with diabetes who have abnormal cholesterol levels will likely be placed on a diet known as a "TLC" diet. The TLC diet will help reduce the intake of cholesterol- raising nutrients. As part of this diet you may be asked to lose weight and increase physical activity levels -- all

of these are components that will help lower bad LDL cholesterol. Looking at food labels will help you become more knowledgeable about your intake of fats and cholesterol.

Specifically, the TLC diet calls for the following:

* Total fat consumption should be 25%-35% or less of total calories eaten

per day.

* Saturated fats should be less than 7% of total calories eaten in a day.

* Polyunsaturated fats (from liquid vegetable oils and margarines low in trans fats) should be up to 10% of the total calories per day consumed.

* Monounsaturated fats (derived from vegetable sources like plant oils and nuts) should be up to 20% of total calories per day eaten.

* Carbohydrates should be 50%-60% of total calories per day eaten

* We should eat 20-30 grams of fiber per day. These can be derived from oats, barley, psyllium, and beans.

* The amounts of protein in the diet should equal about 15%-20% of total calories eaten per day.

* Cholesterol content of the diet should be less than 200 milligrams per

day.

How Much Fat Is Acceptable on a Diabetes Diet?

People with diabetes have higher than normal risk for heart disease, stroke, and disease of the small blood vessels in the body. Controlling blood pressure and limiting the amount of fats in the diet will help reduce the risk of these complications.

Limiting the amounts of saturated fats, increasing the amount of regular exercise, and receiving medical treatment can lower bad LDL cholesterol. This has been repeatedly shown in medical studies to help people with diabetes reduce their risk of heart disease and reduce the risk of death if a heart attack does occurs in a diabetic person.

Can I Use Artificial Sweeteners on a Diabetes Diet?

Artificial sweeteners can be added to a variety of foods and beverages without adding more carbohydrates to your diabetes diet. Using non-caloric artificial sweeteners instead of sugar also greatly reduces calories in your favorite foods.

Keep in mind that foods with artificial sweeteners are not necessarily 'no' carbohydrates foods. Many have carbohydrates; therefore, you must read the food labels to determine the gram amounts per serving that these have in order to take into account the effect that these carbohydrates have on your glycemic control. Foods labeled with artificial sweeteners can affect your blood sugars.

As long as you are aware of the content of carbohydrates you can adjust your meal or medication to maintain blood glucose control. Sugar free means no sugar has been added, but you must remember these foods still contain carbohydrates which does affect your blood sugars.

Examples of artificial sweeteners you can use include:

* Aspartame

* Acesulfame-k

* Saccharine

* Sucralose

* Other non-nutritive sweeteners

Pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid saccharine, and people who suffer from phenylketonuria should not use aspartame. People with phenylketonuria are unable to metabolize phenylalanine, an amino acid that's a common part of many proteins.

Some artificial sweeteners -- such as xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol -- have some calories and do slightly increase blood sugar levels.

The American Diabetes Association cautions that eating too much of any artificial sweetener can cause gas and diarrhea.

Top 20 Most Obese People in the World

2009-03-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

Further to THIS popular post, research suggests that morbid obesity is not just a phenomenon of current times.

The attributes the people in the following list have in common are their extreme level of obesity & the fact they are all deceased. The only British contender is a Mr G.Hopkins (at no.19) of Wales who lived in the 18th Century. He is said to have been brought to a London fair in a sturdy cart pulled by four teams of oxen, where an enterprising promoter displayed him in a stall alongside some prize hogs that were too fat to stand up.

The still living contender for the world’s most obese person is Manuel Uribe, a Mexican. Although since then he claims to have lost 990 lbs or, around half a ton.

In times past, their condition would have been described as gluttony, particularly in Christian societies where it was one of the 7 Deadly Sins.

Nowadays, morbid obesity, also known as clinically severe obesity, is an abnormal obesity defined as the condition of having body weight over 100 lbs over an ideal body weight or having a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher. The causes of morbid obesity are not well understood though, it usually comes about as the result of several factors, including diet, environment, genetics, metabolism and mental health.

The list below was complied by Dimensions Magazine:

Carol Yager (1960 - 1994) of Flint, MI; 5 ft 7 in, estimated to have weighed more than 1600 lbs at her peak. She had been fat since childhood. In 1993, she was measured at 1189 lbs when admitted to Hurley Medical Center, suffering from cellulitis. She lost nearly 500 lbs on a 1200-calorie diet, but most of that weight was thought to be fluid, and she regained all of it and more soon after being discharged. Her teenage daughter, a boyfriend, and a group of volunteers helped take care of her. Despite extravagant promises by diet maven Richard Simmons and talk-show host Jerry Springer, Yager received little practical assistance in return for her media exposure (though Springer continues to profit from her appearance on his show, having rebroadcast that episode at least four times). She was refused further hospitalization on the grounds that her condition was not critical, despite massive water retention and signs of incipient kidney failure, and these problems led to her death a few weeks later.

Jon Brower Minnoch (1941 - 1983) of Bainbridge Island, WA; 6 ft 1 in, estimated as weighing “probably more than” 1400 lbs in 1979, at which point it took 13 people just to roll him over in bed. Minnoch, like many of the heaviest people, suffered from massive edema: his weight was augmented by at least 900 lbs of fluid at its peak. The former taxi driver had always been unusually heavy, reaching 400 lbs in 1963, 700 lbs in 1966, and 975 lbs in 1976, but he claimed to have been in no way handicapped by his size until a 500-calorie diet sapped his muscle strength and left him at the brink of death. Subsequent hospitalization brought him down to 476 lbs in 1981, mostly through the loss of 12 to 14 pounds of fluid per week. He was readmitted later that year after regaining 200 lbs in seven days. Although physicians at University Hospital in Seattle persisted in treating him with a 1,200-calorie diet, he weighed about 800 lbs at the time of his death. Other details of his physical condition were withheld from the press. Minnoch was the father of two children by his 110-lb wife, Jeannette.

Roselie Bradford (b. 1944) of Sellersville, PA; 5 ft 6 in, measured at 1053 lbs, but estimates that she weighed more than 1200 lbs at her peak two years earlier, a claim accepted by Guinness. Already over 300 lbs when she dropped out of college, Bradford became an exercise instructor, running seven miles three times a week, but continued her steady gain in weight. At 374 lbs she underwent an intestinal bypass operation, which caused serious complications. She was back to 350 lbs when she married her husband Bob in 1973, reached 500 lbs after the birth of her son, and as her body grew, so did her appetite. After contracting septicemia in the early 1980s, she spent most of the next decade in bed, eating - as much as 15,000 calories per day. It wasn’t unusual for her to put away three large pizzas in 40 minutes (washing them down with diet soda), then ask for dessert. At her peak, she measured eight feet wide, and took up two reinforced king-size beds. Her bustline measured over 100 inches, and her hips carried 200-lb “saddlebags” that hung down her thighs as far as her knees. “People would visit me and sit on the bed, not realizing they were sitting on part of me,” she recalled. When she fell out of bed, rescue workers used an inflatable cushion designed to right overturned cars to get her back into place. After being treated for symptoms of heart failure, she was eventually persuaded by Richard Simmons to embark on a five year diet, an experience she described as hellish. Tortured by hunger, by fast-food commercials, and by dreams in which she ate without limit, she nevertheless got down to under 300 pounds, setting a world’s record for weight loss. She later sued the Star tabloid for suggesting that she couldn’t have intimate relations with her husband at over half a ton.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Michael Edelman (1964 - 1992) of Pomona, NY; Guinness listed him at 994 lbs, but his mother estimates that he weighed some 1200 lbs at his heaviest. He had already reached 154 lbs at age seven, and left school at ten because he could no longer fit into the desks. After that he spent most of his time in bed, or sharing massive meals with his 700-pound mom. Michael liked to start the day with four bowls of cereal, toast, waffles, cake, and a quart of soda, and end it with a whole pizza with the works for a bedtime snack. Mother and son tried every new diet that came along, “but after a few days, we’d reward ourselves with a chocolate cake. Then we’d call for a pizza and that would be it.” When the two were evicted from their Wesley Hills home in 1988, Michael had to be moved by forklift. After his exposure in the press, dozens of hospitals and diet promoters vied to get him in a weight-loss program, but Michael was determined to get thin on his own. He appeared in three different tabloids in one week when he publicly vowed to lose enough weight to consummate his relationship with 420-lb Brenda Burdle, but the couple grew apart when they both gained weight instead of losing it. After the sudden death of Walter Hudson (below), with whom he had formed a long-distance friendship, Michael developed a pathological fear of eating. He rapidly lost several hundred pounds, taking nourishment only when spoon fed. At about 600 lbs, he literally starved to death.

Walter Hudson (1944? - 1991) of Hempstead, NY (born in Brooklyn, NY); 5 ft 10 in, measured at 1197 lbs (though the industrial scale broke in the process of weighing him). His chest was measured at 106 inches, his waist at 110. Hudson was discovered by the press in 1987, when he became wedged in the door of his bedroom and had to be cut free by rescue workers. An agoraphobic, he’d spent most of the past 27 years in bed. Hudson lived with his family, where his appetite was always indulged, and gave every indication that he was content with both his weight and his situation. “I just ate and enjoyed it,” he said. Despite his massive size, Newsday reported that he was extraordinarily healthy: his heart, lungs, and kidneys all functioned normally, while astonished doctors noted that his cholesterol and blood-sugar levels “showed the chemistry of a healthy 21-year-old.” Even so, activist-turned-nutritionist Dick Gregory managed to convince Hudson that losing weight was necessary to save his life. Gregory used Hudson to promote his Bahamian Diet, and claimed that his protegé lost at least 200 lbs (sometimes claiming as much as 800 lbs) under his care, but when Hudson refused to perform for the cameras on cue, Gregory summarily abandoned him. Other celebrities and diet promoters also claimed to have helped him lose massive amounts of weight, thoughNewsday noted that Hudson never seemed to look any thinner. (Gregory threatened to sue his rivals for $50 million.) Hudson himself gave conflicting stories, sometimes claiming to weigh as little as 480 lbs or as much as 1400. He only allowed himself to be weighed once. Hudson died in his sleep after years of intermittent starvation dieting, a few weeks after announcing wedding plans. His body was found to weigh 1125 lbs, and his massive coffin required twelve pallbearers.

Francis John Lang, aka Michael Walker (b. 1934) of Gibsonton, FL (born in Clinton, IA); 6 ft 2 in, believed to have reached a maximum weight of 1187 lbs. Lang had weighed only 150 lbs as a soldier in Korea. He blamed his masssive weight gain on prescription drug abuse, claiming that his narcotic of choice had the side effect of giving him an uncontrollable appetite. Though unable to walk (a handicap that kept more than one fat lady out of the side show), Lang found a unique way of capitalizing on his situation: he had a mobile home built with observation windows, and traveled the country putting himself on display at carnivals and fairs. Lying nearly nude on an oversize circular bed, he preached to the curious about the evils of drugs, using his own body as the moral lesson. His peak weight, claimed for him by Christian Farms of Killeen, TX, in the summer of 1971, was unverified, but Guiness Superlatives found photographic evidence to be reasonably conclusive. In early 1972 Lang was hospitalized in Houston for a suspected heart attack, at which time he was estimated to weigh between 900 and 1000 lbs. His symptoms proved to be caused by an inflamed gallbladder, probably aggravated by his weight loss, and the examining physician declared his heart to be “unusually normal.” By 1980, Lang had reportedly reduced to 369 lbs.

Johnny Alee (1853 - 1887) of Carbon (now Carbonton) NC; said to have reached a maximum weight of 1132 lbs. Alee developed a ravenous appetite at the age of ten, and put on pounds so rapidly that by age 15 he could barely support his own weight. Grown men couldn’t get their arms around one of Alee’s thighs, and he could no longer squeeze through his own front door. Getting from his armchair to the dinner table, with plenty of help, was all the mobility he could manage. He was said to have died after falling through his cabin floor, and his postmortem weight was determined on the coal company scales. Guinness was never able to verify this story.

Robert Earl Hughes (1926 - 1958) of Monticello, MO (buried in Mt. Sterling, IL), 6 ft 1/2 in, weighed 1069 lbs in February, 1958. Hughes began life at a healthy 11 1/2 lbs, and progressed to 203 lbs at 6 years, 378 lbs at 10, 546 lbs at 13, 693 lbs at 18, and 947 at 27. His weight made him a national celebrity: even his custom-made blue jeans made news. At his peak, he claimed a chest girth of 124 inches and a 122-inch waistline. His untimely death was due to kidney failure following a bout with measles: unable to fit through the door of a hospital room, he’d been treated in a truck trailer parked outside. The story that he was buried in a packing case made for a grand piano is untrue. His coffin was built to order, and he was eulogized as a man whose heart was as big as his body.Life magazine called him a relatively light eater.

Mohamed Naaman (b. 1946) of Kenya; 6 ft, a tabloid story says he attained a maximum weight of 1055 lbs, though he managed to reduce to a mere 770 lbs, with an 87 1/2 inch waistline. “I’ve had to learn to drink tea without milk,” he says. Naaman is the father of 21 children by five wives.

10.

Man, name withheld (ca. 1939 - ca. 1986), of New York State; just under 5 ft 7 in, 1050 lbs. His death was due to complications following a massive panniculectomy (”tummy tuck”) to remove fat tissue, performed at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY. His peak weight was determined by adding the weight of the tissue removed by the operation (104 lbs) to the patient’s postmortem weight of 946 lbs. According to his physicians, he was healthy when he checked in, and his “past [medical] history was unremarkable except for extraordinary weight all his life.”

11.

Carol Haffner (1936 - 1995) of Hollywood, FL; 1023 lbs. Haffner had been a regular at the Seminole Tribe Bingo parlor, where the operators bought a special chair to accomodate her girth. But after the death of her husband, depression and advancing weight kept her bedridden, and she spent her last five years in her trailer - leaving only once, with the assistance of a crew of firefighters, during a hurricane evacuation. Friends said she had been on the phone with talk shows and diet promoters, trying to finance a trip to a Boston- based obesity program, but she’d resisted hospitalization for her breathing difficulties, and died of heart failure two weeks after her 59th birthday.

12.

Mike Parteleno (b. 1958) of Struthers, OH; 6 ft (some sources say 6 ft 3 in), claimed a maximum of 1022 (or 1023) lbs while a spokesman for Dick Gregory’s Bahamian Diet. Prior to his association with Gregory, Parteleno claimed to weigh a mere 645 lbs, and was a popular favorite in belly-flop contests.

13.

Mills Darden (1798 - 1857) of North Carolina; 7 ft 6 in, 1020 lbs. Darden was an acromegalic giant. His wife, who bore him three (some sources say five) children before her death in 1837, weighed only 98 lbs.

14.

John Finnerty (b. 1952) of Amity Harbor, NY; 1012 lbs. He surfaced in the media only once, when firemen were called to take him to Brunswisk Hospital Center for treatment of bronchitis. “He was laying on a queen-size mattress, and rolls of fat just hung off both sides,” said the local fire chief. “He moved like a big bowl of Jello.” Finnerty was taken to the hospital on a flatbed truck, and was said to be responding well to treatment. His subsequent history is unreported.

15.

Jerry Currant (b. 1938) of Los Angeles, CA; 6 ft 2 in, “more than” 1000 lbs. According to the tabloids, Currant was a gourmet chef who kept his weight under 600 lbs until 1983, but then began gaining steadily. Weighed on a meat scale in 1987, he topped 976 lbs, but remained mobile until September of 1988. In 1989 he was diagnosed with colon cancer by a visiting doctor, and transferred to a hospital through a hole cut in his apartment wall. He claimed to have no interest in losing weight.

16.

Sylvanus “Hambone” Smith (1941 - 1997?) of Tifton, GA; 6 ft 2 1/2 in, aprox. 1000 lbs. Smith claimed to have weighed almost 16 lbs at birth, and 275 lbs by age 11. At his peak, he had a 103-in hip girth and 70-in thighs. He worked as a chef until his increasing weight left him confined to bed, then ran a pawnshop out of his home. Smith underwent a stomach-stapling operation in 1981 (at 602 lbs), served as a spokesman for Dick Gregory’s Bahamian Diet in 1987 (at 730 lbs), and was attempting yet another drastic weight loss program, sponsored by Geraldo Rivera, at the time of his death. He had also recently married 20-year-old Tammy Humphries, who weighed only 125 lbs. Smith was the father of one son and four daughters by a previous marriage. His children ranged in weight from 312 to 587 lbs at ages 22 to 30.

17.

David Ron High (1953 - 1996) of Brooklyn, NY; 5 ft 10 in, aprox. 1000 lbs. High was touted as Dick Gregory’s biggest success story in 1986, when he reduced from 823 lbs to 427 lbs on a year-long fast supplemented by fruits and vegetables. (He lost three inches in height as well, shrinking from a peak of 6 ft 1 in.) High had been fat since childhood, and claimed he used to eat just one meal a day - all day. “The pizza shop loved me,” he recalled. “I was a great customer - and they even named a pizza after me. It was the only pizza in the world with spaghetti on it!” A decade after his graduation from Gregory’s International Health Institute, a team of city firemen needed a hydraulic lift remove the ailing High from the Brooklyn apartment where he’d spent the last five years. He was taken to the obesity center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, where he died after less than a month on another weight-loss program.

18.

Michael Hebranko (b. 1954) of Brooklyn, NY; 6 ft, “nearly” 1000 lbs. Hebranko weighed an average 8 1/2 lbs at birth, but weighed 350 lbs by the time he was 16. Hebranko says his appetite kept pace with his expanding size: “I had a dozen eggs, a loaf of fried bread and syrup for breakfast - then I really started eating.” He first came to public view as a spokesman for diet promoter Richard Simmons in 1989, claiming in infomercials and talk-show appearances that Simmons had helped him to go from 907 lbs to less than 200 lbs. In fact, Hebranko actually lost at least 50 lbs to a panniculectomy, and had additional fat tissue surgically removed from his arms, chest, and legs; he also suffered from severe edema, and had lost a great deal of water weight. In 1996, Hebranko made news again when he was taken to a hospital for treatment of a gangrenous infection. Rescue workers had to remove a bay window to make an opening big enough for his 110- inch waistline, and carried him in a stretcher designed for transporting killer whales. He had been unable to move from a loveseat in his home for the previous ten weeks, during which time he had added as much as 150 pounds to his already 850-pound physique, most of it fluid. Simmons tearfully vowed to slim him down again.

19.

G. Hopkins (late 18th century?) of Wales; 980 lbs. Hopkins was said to have been brought to a London fair in a sturdy cart pulled by four teams of oxen, where an enterprizing promoter displayed him in a stall alongside some that prize hogs were too fat to stand up. The enormous Welshman astonished the paying crowds as much by his appetite as by his unparalleled bulk. After one stupendous meal, though nearly stuffed to bursting, Hopkins tried to grab a tasty morsel that was just out of reach and toppled off his bench. He landed on a nursing sow, killing the poor animal, and flattening her piglets beneath him “like salted herrings.” It took fifteen sturdy men to hoist him back onto his seat, and then only with great difficulty, for his stomach was packed so full of food that the skin around his middle was stretched tighter than a drumhead, and no one could get a grip on it. Hopkins’ weight (measured on a steelyard built for weighing fully-loaded wagons) is variously reported: this presumably authoritative figure is taken from a 19th-century medical encyclopedia.

20.

Denny Welch (b. 1960) of Hamilton, OH, 980 lbs. Welch achieved notoriety as a frequent guest on the Jerry Springer Show, first in his role as a female impersonator, and later (as his weight climbed to more than 800 lbs) as the fat man in Springer’s TV sideshow. In 1996, after Welch had been unable to leave his bed for four weeks, Springer paid to have a contractor remove a wall of Welch’s home and transport him to a Cincinnati hospital for weight reduction, recording the entire spectacle for broadcast. Welch lost about 200 pounds, but by the fall of 1997 he had regained it all and had developed heart and respiratory problems along the way, possibly as a result of his treatment with diet pills. In April 1998 he was back in the hospital, suffering from severe edema and congestive heart failure. His mother told the press that he now weighed 980 lbs., and “his body was so swollen, it looked like it was ready to burst.”

Interferon and Chai Hu (Radix Bupleurum)- a Research

2009-03-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

This research takes a look at the Chinese herb Chai Hu (Rx.Bupleurum) which contains constituents known as saikosaponins that appear to account for much of the medicinal activity of the plant.. Test tube studies have shown that the saikosaponins in Chai Hu can increase production of various chemicals known as cytokines that immune cells use to signal one another. Test tube studies have also found that saikosaponins can inhibit growth of liver cancer cells and are anti- inflammatory. This research also takes a look at the combination of Interferon and Chai Hu. When interferon was discovered in 1957, it was hailed as a significant antiviral agent. In the late 1970s, interferon made a big splash as a symbol of recombinant gene technology and the medical breakthroughs it would bring. Fifteen years later, interferon is a symbol of something quite different--the complexity of the biological processes of cancer and the value of endurance and persistence in tackling this complexity. Our research takes a look at the combination and their side effects.

Hepatitis C, also known as "The Silent Epidemic" is the most common blood born pathogen in the world yet it was not even identified until 1989. It is known as the silent epidemic due to it's slow progression, which occurs over many years. Four out of five people with Hepatitis C have no signs or symptoms and are completely unaware that they have the virus. A person infected with the virus may not have symptoms for up to two decades after they are infected. One of the most common causes of liver transplant in the United States is due to chronic hepatitis C in the later stages of the disease. (1)

Previously referred to as non-A, non-B hepatitis or post transfusion hepatitis it is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the Liver and has infected 3.9 million Americans. Each year there are estimated to be 35,000 new cases. HCV is a small single strand RNA virus that penetrates a liver cell and replicates outside of the cell's nucleus.. It is an insidious disease that does not begin to show symptoms until liver damage has already occurred. It can literally take decades for the disease to create histological changes in the Liver leading to cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Due to it's insidious nature there are thousands of people who are infected yet unaware. The number of people infected with HCV are thought to be 170 million worldwide.

In the U.S. the numbers are surely underestimated because it is not mandatory to report Hepatitis C to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among the prison population alone there is a very high incidence of Hepatitis C, which is not included in the estimates. Illegal drug use makes up 60% of HCV transmission in the U.S. Risk of infection from occupational exposure through needle sticks and splashes makes up less than 4% of reported cases. The mode of transmission of HCV is through the blood. Therefore, the populations at highest risk are IV drug users sharing needles, health care workers involved in needle stick accidents and those who have received blood transfusions prior to 1992. Since 1992, the screening for HCV at blood banks has greatly reduced infection through blood transfusions. There is the possibilty of transmission of the Hepatitis C virus through sexual transmission or vertical transmission from mother to infant but these cases are rare. (2) Retrieved July 1, 2003 from http://www.pegasys. com/basics/ what c.asp

Diagnosis of HCV infection is determined by review of patient history, serological testing and liver biopsy. The first sign of a possible infection is an increase in enzymes found in healthy liver cells. AST and ALT are the two enzymes that indicate liver inflammation. ALT enzymes are produced by the hepatocytes and are therfore more specific for liver disease than AST. When they are damaged they will leak into the bloodstream and cause elevaated levels. Because AST is also present in muscle and brain tissue as well as liver tissue it is a less specific indicator of liver disease. For example, you will see high levels of AST in the early stages of a myocardial infaction. Most people infected with HCV don¹t know that they carry the virus because they have no symptoms or very vague ones, which could be attributed to many other pathologies related to a high stress lifestyle. Some of the most common symptoms are fatigue and exhaustion, sometimes a fluike syndrome, muscle joint pain, nausea, stomach pain, and lack of appetite.

Cirrhosis may develop in 10-20% of HCV infected people but will take decades to develop. However, most people infected will not develop severe liver disease. Currently, Interferon is the only method of treatment for Hepatits C. The first trial of Interferon was reported in 1986. It reported that although Interferon was effective at low doses and was successful in reducing serum ALT levels it was associated with relapse when treatment was stopped which indicated that the virus was not eradicated. Only 15-20 % of patients sustained persistently normal ALT levels but there was still detectable viremia. It appears that Interferon therapy only cures infection in a small porportion of patients. This being so, the goal of Interferon therapy is to suppress infection in order to minimize, not eradicat liver disease. (3) July 1, 2003 http://cpmcnet. columbia. edu/dept/ gi/ribavirin. html

Hepatitis- TCM Perspective

With chronic persistent Hepatitis you will see mild increases in ALT, AST and the virus won't develop cirrhosis With chronic active Hepatitis there will often be exacerbation with jaundice, increased levels of AST & AST, fibrosis of the Liver, nodules leading to shrunken Liver, cirrhosis and the increased possibility of Liver cancer

There are three stages to Chronic Active Hepatitis:

Stage 1- Liver becomes swollen

Stage 2- Cirrhosis - fibrosis occurs and Liver shrinks (now the liver, spleen and portal vein are involved)

Stage 3- Hyper portal hypertension Splenomegaly occurs as a result of the blood not moving from the Spleen. This creates ascites due to the improper flow of blood. (The portal vein connects the Liver and Spleen).

The Spleen sends the blood to the Liver, the Liver rinses and cleans the blood. In Chronic Active Hepatitis where there are nodules and fibrosis the blood from the Spleen has nowhere to go and this is what creates ³Hyper portal Hypertension² . The liver cannot create the protein albumin due to the lack of blood and then the lymphatic system shuts down. The overflow in the Spleen leads to Ascites

TCM treats HCV according to the s/s at the time of diagnosis- since there are several different stages to the disease it must be treated according to which stage the patient is in.. If the disease is diagnosed in the early stages it does not have to progress toward further deterioration if treated with acupuncture and herbs.

Early stage s/s:

fever, common cold, GI tract sx¹s with decreased appetite, abdominal bloating, epigastric/ hypochondriac pain, diarrhea, jaundice, severe fatigue.

In the early stages you may see jaundice and will definitely see increased levels of AST

With chronic HCV there does not have to be jaundice or can have dark, dull jaundice...in the early stages there will probably be hypochondriac pain and constant fatigue will occur when the virus has become chronic.

With hypochondria pain there are several different patterns:

- Liver qi stagnation- (hyperactive or depressed: emotions) moving pain and distension aggravated by the emotions

- Liver blood stasis consistent pain worse with pressure & fixed location, pain may be worse at night

- Phlegm/damp accumulation

- Food stasis

- Liver deficiency

You must identify whether the pathology of the hypochondriac pain is interior/ exterior:

- Exterior is damp/ heat

- Interior can be Liver Qi stagnation, Blood stasis, Liver yin deficiency

- You must identify whether the disease is in the acute or chronic stage

-You must identify excess/ deficiency:

Excess - Acute or short exacerbation, pain with pressure, forceful pulse

Deficiency - Chronic or long exacerbation, dull pain better with pressure, severe fatigue

Jaundice (Yang Huang/ Yin Huang) there are several patterns:

When the red blood cells break down hemoglobin is exposed and this creates jaundice. Hemoglobin produces bilirubin which is what produces the color of urine, stool and skin. When the Spleen is enlarged it is in hyperfunction and kills an excess amount of red blood cells which in turn increases the production of bilirubin. This is why you will see an excessive yellow coloration of the skin and sclera and lighter colored stools.

In the case of jaundice one cannot determine which type it is without doing blood tests There are two types of jaundice:

Conjugated = Liver and Gallbladder are involved

Unconjugated = Hemalytic jaundice

In TCM Jaundice is broken down into Yin huang/ Yang huang jaundice:

Yin huang = Chronic, slow development, damp with cold (Spleen qi or yang xu-damp-damp cold

Yang huang = Acute/ short duration damp with heat (Stomach heat=damp=dampheat) damp heat w/damp predominance or damp heat with heat predominance.

One must determine whether the pattern is exterior/ interior or a combination of both

External = Usually damp turbidity heat

Internal = Spleen/ Stomach dysfunction with Liver/ Gallbladder dysfunction (damp turbidity obstruction the middle jiao)

Ascites = Abdominal Swelling = Gu Zhang * One of the most difficult cases to treat

Splenomegaly occurs when the Spleen is hyperactive and kills too many red blood cells - Liver doesn¹t receive enough blood and becomes fibrosis- albumin is decreased - lymphatic system shuts down= fluid stays in abdominal cavity= Ascites

Acupuncture is not a practical treatment during the ascites stage as the Spleen is enlarged which makes the fat layer much thinner and the possibility of puncturing the organ is heightened.

- Main s/s: abdominal swelling, foot edema when standing, distension, yellowish skin, anemia, caput medusae, spider nevi

The three basic patterns of Ascites are:

1- Qi stagnation

2- Blood Stasis

3- Phlegm Rheum

Early stages = Patient will have excess pattern with Liver qi stagnation (branch)and Spleen qi deficiency (root)

Later stage = Heat accumulation caused by pathogenic products of qi/ blood/ water Spleen/ Liver/ Kidney damage

Must identify if the Ascites (Gu Zhong) is :

Acute/ chronic, excess/ deficient

Excess: Use purgatives (Qi stagnation, damp accumulation)

Deficient: Yin Pattern (Spleen/ Kidney yang deficiency or Liver/ Kidney yin deficiency

Gu Zhang Excess Pattern:

Air (Qi stagnation/ Damp accumulation) = Swelling with even drum like shape, shiny skin, loud sound upon percussion

Water (Cold damp accumulation / Damp heat accumulation) = Abdominal swelling like a frog, palpates like leather pouch

Blood = Blood stasis of Liver / Spleen) Abdominal swelling with concretions, caput medusae and spider nevi

Gu Zhang Deficiency Pattern:

Spleen / Kidney yang deficiency: abdominal swelling with sever distention (frog), better in morning/worst at night

Liver/ Kidney yin deficiency : * Most common pattern in chronic hepatitis* abdominal swelling and distention with Caput medusae

Gu Zhang Complications:

Bleeding due to Ascites: varicosities in portal veins, gum or nose bleeding (mild), abrupt onset of bleeding from vomit or defecation (severe), dark tarry stool

Coma due to Ascites: (Heat leading to wind) = coma in late stages, high fever, vexation with delirious speech, angry eyes, corpse breath, dark scanty urine, constipation

Interferons are a group of proteins whose main role is to inhibit viral infections and stimulate the immune system to fight off disease. They are also known to regulate many different kinds of cell functions. They are able to promote or halt the ability of certain cells to differentiate and can also inhibit cell division. Initially these Interferon was considered potential cure alls for many viral diseases and cancers but after extended research it has been shown that they have a much more limited capability. The protein Interferon derived it's name from it's function which is to interfere with infection.

When a cell is infected with a virus the protein Interferon is secreted and stimulates other cells both infected and noninfected to prevent viruses from replicating. Twenty different types of Interferon-alpha' s have been identified as well as one beta and one gamma. They belong to a larger class of proteins called cytokines, which are proteins that carry signals between cells. Type I Interferons are produced by almost every cell in the body and type II is produced by specialized cells in the immune system known as T lymphocytes and natural killer cells. When a disease is released into the blood stream (such as HCV), Interferon binds to cell receptors and are drawn inside the cell¹s cytoplasm causing a number of reactions which produce other proteins that fight off the disease. There are over 30 disease fighting proteins identified today which are produced by Interferon. (4) July 1, 2003 http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/ HWRC

Side Effects of Interferon Therapy

Side effects of interferon therapy include flu-like symptoms, psychiatric symptoms (such as irritability, depression, , suicidal ideation and/or development of new or worsening of pre-existing psychiatric disorders, including psychosis), thyroid dysfunction, and bone marrow suppression. In addition, pulmonary problems including pneumonitis and sarcoidosis have been reported. [11, 12, 13, 14]

A blood count is obtained at weeks 1, 2, and 4 after therapy is started and monthly thereafter. Interferon therapy is contraindicated in patients with decompensated cirrhosis, profound cytopenias, psychiatric disorders, and autoimmune diseases. Patients taking interferon must be monitored for hemolysis, and, because of teratogenic effects in animals, men and women taking the drug must practice strict contraception until 6 months after conclusion of therapy. Ribavirin which is often combined with interferon in the treatment of hepatitis should be avoided in persons over age 65 and in others in whom hemolysis could pose a risk of angina or stroke. Rash, itching, headache, cough, and shortness of breath also occur with the drug.. [11]

For people with chronic hepatitis C the recommended standard treatment lasts for twelve (12) months if a person is responding. The doctor will know by the eighth week of treatment if it is working. If it is not, the treatment is stopped. For people with chronic hepatitis B the recommended standard treatment consists of four (4) months. For people with acute hepatitis C the treatment consists of four (4) months. [15]

Each person responds very differently to the treatment. The first needle of the medication usually produces the most severe side effects of the whole treatment. People get flu-like symptoms: fever, chills, muscle aches. This lasts between four (4) to eight (8) hours. The flu-like symptoms disappear as the body gets used to the extra interferon. [15]

For people with chronic hepatitis C treatment is considered to be working if liver enzymes have decreased. Ideally, the liver enzymes should be within normal limits by week eight (8) of treatment. A sustained response is defined as liver enzymes remaining within normal limits six (6) months after finishing treatment. For people with chronic hepatitis B it may take up to a year or more after the treatment is finished to know whether the treatment was successful. The reason for this is that the measure in the blood that indicates successful treatment can take up to a year to change. For people with acute hepatitis C the treatment is considered successful if at the end of treatment the hepatitis C virus was no longer detectable. [15]

Interferon therapy appears to eradicate or cure infection in only a small proportion of patients. Thus, cure is an unrealistic goal of current interferon regimens. Interferon is suppressive to the hepatitis C virus. The goal of therapy should be to suppress infection to a degree that liver disease is minimized. [16]

The results of several published clinical studies demonstrate that about 50% to 70% of patients with chronic hepatitis C respond to treatment with interferon alfa-2b as documented by reductions in the serum aminotransferase activities to near normal. Several studies have also shown that about 70% of patients have a decrease in liver inflammation on follow-up liver biopsy. Unfortunately, most patients relapse and have recurrent liver inflammation after treatment is discontinued. [16]

Several studies have tested a combination of interferon alfa-2b and ribavirin. This drug combination was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administation in June, 1998 for patients with chronic hepatitis C who have been treated previously with interferon alone and "relapsed" after treatment was discontinued. It may also be useful in patients never treated previously or in those who did not respond at all to previous interferon treatment. Study results suggest that a combination of interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin induce a sustained response in more patients than treatment with interferon alpha-2b alone. [16]

For about 30% of patients, various psychic disorders are noticed: personality disorders, mood disorders, anxiety states, suicidal tendencies, manic and psychotic symptoms. Psychiatric side-effects may require dose reduction or premature discontinuation of interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C. [16]

Many studies have evaluated the psychiatric side-effects of interferon. [20] One study assessed the incidence and predictive factors of anxiety and depression symptoms during and after treatment with interferon in a group of 71 patients. The results confirmed the great incidence of depression and anxiety not only during interferon alpha therapy but also after treatment is discontinued. [19]. Another study of 104 patients found the cumulative frequency of clinically relevant emotional distress (depression, anxiety, or anger/hostility) during interferon alfa therapy was 57.7%, as compared with 22.5% before therapy. Interferon alfa therapy had to be stopped prematurely because of untreatable psychiatric symptoms in 8.3% of patients. [18]

In another study fifty-five patients with chronic hepatitis C were prospectively followed for 24 weeks and assessed with seven neuropsychiatric symptom measures and one quality of life scale. Of 42 patients treated with INF-alpha and ribavirin, 11 (26%) were receiving psychiatric treatment at baseline. They scored higher on all rating scales at baseline and became more symptomatic during treatment. Of the 31 patients (74%) not in psychiatric care at baseline, 15 (48%) required treatment for neuropsychiatric symptoms, and seven (23%) met criteria for major depression during INF-alpha therapy. [22]

A case of a 26-year-old man who was diagnosed with active chronic hepatitis B began treatment with IFN-alpha was reported. Five months after initiation of therapy, he developed acute psychosis with prominent persecutory delusions and auditory hallucinations. Despite discontinuation of IFN-alpha therapy and addition of antipsychotic drug treatment, only partial recovery from psychosis was observed after 4 months of hospitalization. [21]

Although the most commonly encountered side effects of interferon therapy include nonspecific constitutional symptoms, pulmonary involvement is rare. Two cases of sarcoidosis appearing in patients receiving interferon therapy for hepatitis C infection, were reported.. [13] The case of a 36-year-old woman with chronic hepatitis C who developed sarcoidosis within 10 weeks of treatment with recombinant interferon-alpha2a and ribavirin is described and all seven similar cases published in English from 1989 to 2001 are. [12]

In another paper, four patients are described who all developed respiratory disorders while being treated with IFN-alpha for hematological malignancies. In three patients the pulmonary disorder apparently was caused by a cell-mediated immunological side effect in the form of interstitial pneumonitis. In one patient the symptoms were most likely caused by an autoimmunologic reaction, primarily engaging the vascular system, initially in the lungs. [14]

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been considering the effects of liver damage for many years. In the 1980s China developed its own hepatitis B epidemic. The doctors there have for the last 20 years been refining Chinese herbal medicine to lessen the damage of both hepatitis B and C. They have found that Chinese herb formulas can help to protect the liver against long-term damage of the hepatitis virus. Chinese formulas can be modified to work with patients with or without interferon.

Bupleurum contains constituents known as saikosaponins that appear to account for much of the medicinal activity of the plant. Test tube studies have shown that the saikosaponins can increase production of various chemicals known as cytokines that immune cells use to signal one another. Test tube studies have also found that saikosaponins can inhibit growth of liver cancer cells,[1] and are anti-inflammatory. [2,3]

The Traditional Chinese Herbal symptoms of Chai Hu are referred to as: Qi constraint with excess - feeling stressed, unrest, chest pain and tightness, menstrual pain, headache, painful digestion with bloating, allergies.

Translated into Western terms Chai Hu is an analgesic, anti- inflammatory and has anti-spasmotic properties. The Western indications include nervousness with restlessness and pain, headache, dysmenorrhea, intercostal neuralgia, myalgia, dyspepsia, peptic ulcer, biliary and intestinal colic, IBS, spasmodic coughing and deafness.

Human trials, only one double-blind, have shown that the bupleurum- containing formula with saikosaponins may help reduce symptoms and blood liver enzyme levels in children and adults with chronic active viral hepatitis.[4, 5,6,7] Most of these studies were in people with hepatitis B infection, though one preliminary human trial has also shown a benefit in people with hepatitis C.11 saikosaponins were also found, in a large, preliminary (but not double-blind) , study to decrease the risk of people with chronic viral hepatitis developing liver cancer.[8].

Bupleurum has also been used to reduce symptoms of and possibly decrease the severity of liver cirrhosis though clinical studies on this condition are generally lacking. One randomized trial (it was unclear if this trial was double-blind) found that saikosaponins could reduce the rate of liver cancer in people with liver cirrhosis. [9]. There have been numerous reports of both synthetic interferon and Bupleurum-containin g herbal formulas contributing to the occurrence of acute pneumonitis or interstitial pneumonia. The particular form of lung damage involved is more likely to occur when interferon and herbal treatment are combined, especially in an uncoordinated approach or unsupervised setting.. [10].

Research indicates that the inflammation may be due to allergic- immunological mechanisms in which interferon causes neutrophils to accumulate in the lung, rather than toxicity, and that the herbal formula alone may not injure lung tissue, but more likely increases the effect of interferon. [11].

Five cases of drug-induced pneumonitis due to Sho-saiko-to (Japanese formula) or interferon-alpha or both were studied. In all 5 cases the underlying disease was chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C virus.

Interferon-alpha alone was administered in one case, Sho-saiko-to alone was administered in two cases, and both were administered in two cases. Bronchoalveolar lavage was done in 4 cases. In three cases, lymphocytosis and abnormally low CD4/8 ratios were found on examination of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In the only case in which interferon-alpha alone was given the percentage of neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was abnormally high, and the adult respiratory distress syndrome developed. Lymphocyte stimulation tests were done in four cases, and in all four cases the only positive results were against Sho-saiko-to or against interferon-alpha.

The frequency of drug-induced pneumonitis among patients with chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis was 0.7% in those given only Sho-saiko- to, 0.5% in those given only interferon-alpha, and 4.0% in those given both interferon-alpha and Sho-saiko-to. Therefore, pneumonitis due to Sho-saiko-to and to interferon-alpha is more likely to occur if these two drugs are given simultaneously. [12].

Medicinal Side Effects

There have been numerous reports of both synthetic interferon and Bupleurum-containin g herbal formulas contributing to the occurrence of acute pneumonitis or interstitial pneumonia. The particular form of lung damage involved is more likely to occur when interferon and herbal treatment are combined, especially in an uncoordinated approach or unsupervised setting.

Shosaikoto – a Japanese preparation used for improving hepatic dysfunction in chronic hepatitis. Its Chinese name is Xiao Chai Hu Tang. It may trigger interstitial pneumonia in people with chronic HCV who also are taking interferon, according to Precaution from the Pharmaceutical Affairs Bureau.

In the only case in which interferon-alpha alone was given the percentage of neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was abnormally high, and the adult respiratory distress syndrome developed. Lymphocyte stimulation tests were done in four cases, and in all four cases the only positive results were against Sho-saiko-to or against interferon-alpha.

In Conclusion

Interferons are a group of proteins whose main role is to inhibit viral infections and stimulate the immune system to fight off disease. They are also known to regulate many different kinds of cell functions. They are able to promote or halt the ability of certain cells to differentiate and can also inhibit cell division. Bupleurum has also been used to reduce symptoms of and possibly decrease the severity of liver cirrhosis though clinical studies on this condition are generally lacking. There have been numerous reports of both synthetic interferon and Bupleurum-containin g herbal formulas contributing to the occurrence of acute pneumonitis or interstitial pneumonia.

In human trials, only one double-blind, have shown that the bupleurum- containing formula with saikosaponins may help reduce symptoms and blood liver enzyme levels in children and adults with chronic active viral hepatitis. Most of these studies were in people with hepatitis B infection, though one preliminary human trial has also shown a benefit in people with hepatitis C. Saikosaponins were also found, in a large, preliminary (but not double-blind) , study to decrease the risk of people with chronic viral hepatitis developing liver cancer. The particular form of lung damage involved is more likely to occur when interferon and herbal treatment are combined, especially in an uncoordinated approach or unsupervised setting. Shosaikoto – a Japanese preparation used for improving hepatic dysfunction in chronic hepatitis or Xiao Chai Hu Tang in Chinese, may trigger interstitial pneumonia in people with chronic HCV who also are taking interferon, according to Precaution from the Pharmaceutical Affairs Bureau.

References

1. Motoo Y, Sawabu N. Antitumor effects of saikosaponins, baicalin and baicalein on human hepatoma cell lines. Cancer Lett 1994;86:91–5.

2. Yamamoto M, Kumagai A, Yamamura Y. Structure and actions of saikosaponins isolated from Bupleurum falcatum L. I. Anti- inflammatory action of saikosaponins. Arzneim Forsch 1975;25:1021– 3.

3. Utrilla MP, Zarzuelo A, Risco S, et al. Isolation of a saikosaponin responsible for the antiinflammatory activity of Bupleurum gibralticum Lam root extract. Phytother Res 1991;5:43–5.

4. Hirayama C, Okumura M, Tanikawa K, et al.. A multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial of sho-saiko-to in chronic active hepatitis. Gastroent Jap 1989;24:715–9.

Crystals Associated with Luck

2009-03-26T01:42:00.000-07:00

The power behind Earth's minerals can be felt the minute you put a crystal in your hands or near your physical body. Crystals are the treasures of the earth. These stones are filled with energy to be used. Some of the best crsytals for luck include Tiger's Eye, Aventurine, Jade, Moonstone, Selenite and Fairies' Cross. Crystal wands or swords are long crystals that have grown for centuries such as quartz or selenite. They can be used to direct most kinds of power, energy and are used for physical healing or clearing of negative energies.

"Luck Stones": Aventurine

Aventurine protects the heart, enhances creativity, working with spirit guides, enables abundance and brings good luck and money, joy, balance, clarity. Aventurine is often referred to as the all-purpose healer. This means not only that it is considered by many to be good for physical disorders, but that it is healing on all levels. Green is the color of healing, and aventurine, as a member of the quartz family, has a concentrated ability to dissolve blockages.

"Luck Stones": Fairies' Cross

This mineral is a talisman of good luck! Historically, this stone is said to be formed from the tears of fairies when they were brought the news of the death of Christ. This stone is said to provide a connection between the physical, astral and extra-terrestrial planes. It can provide an overpowering "release" in stressful situations and provides support, initiation and incentive in dealing with detrimental habits.

"Luck Stones": Jade

Green Jade is the stone for luck, health, wealth, and longevity stone. Ancient Chinese used also for courage, wisdom, justice, mercy, emotional balance, stamina, love, fidelity, humility, generosity, peace, harmony. Helps one rid themselves of negative thoughts and energy.

"Luck Stones": Moonstone

Moonstone honors the Goddess in all women. This stone helps women (and men) to be more comfortable with their gentler feminine/yin receiving side. Like the moon as it waxes and wanes, this reflective stone allows us the lesson that everything is a part of the cycle of change. Moonstone is considered the stone of new beginnings. Moonstone is most famous for balancing our emotional states. It allows us greater flexibility and flow with life. Moonstone has been used for protection against the perils of travel. Moonstone encourages creativity, imagination, inspiration and awareness. It also has been used throughout history to bring good luck.

"Luck Stones": Selenite

Selenite, also called Gypsum has been used for mental focus, growth and luck. Smoothes emotions. When holding crystal, visualize it bringing white light/energy (higher ideas/consciousness ) from transpersonal point above head down through body, out through feet into earth/physical plane. May help physical and emotional letting go.

"Luck Stones": Tiger's Eye

Use for luck, money, protection, courage, confidence, willpower, clear thinking (and speaking) and personal power in life. Works on Mental plane: amplifies thinking and manifesting what you think about! Helps separate thoughts from feelings, so more centered, less emotional.

Andrew Pacholyk, MS L.Ac.(Author)

http://www.peaceful mind.com/ order_crystals. htm

Therapies for healing mind, body, spirit

Seven Lucky Tips and Essential Oils for Good Luck

2009-03-26T00:43:00.000-07:00

1. The expression of confidence is a definite component of luck in a certain class of situations (especially social, and sometimes dealing with animals as well). From some perspectives confidence might appear best classified as a subset of optimism.

2. Networking of one form or another, believe it or not, is something lifeforms (and even inanimate objects!) were doing long before intelligence sprouted to take credit for it.

3. Preparation , practice, and study. The motto of the Boy Scouts is "be prepared". This notion, where actually executed prior to a crisis, can literally mean the difference between life and death. In less extreme circumstances it can mean the difference between a comfortable and interesting life, and a mediocre, painful, and boring one.

4. Leveraging the existing social order is often essential to good fortune. For example, in modern society quite a bit can be accomplished simply by cooperating with various bureaucracies and completing the proper paperwork-- while on the flip side, the lack of such cooperation or papers can bring even the most grandiose of projects to a standstill.

5. Risk-taking can be either voluntary or not, but just as you must usually pass through a doorway to gain access to a new environment, you must usually take a risk to find or exploit new opportunities. Risk accompanies virtually every breath and step we take in this world. It's a part of living.

6. Timing is sort of the metaphysical correlate to the modern maxim that "location, location, and location" are the three most important aspects to real estate values. If a person could fully exploit the timing of events, even just in the daily hum drum circumstances of their own life, they could in many cases accomplish amazing things.

7. Self-discipline. Mastering your own 'flight or fight' response: remaining cool and collected when those around you aren't, can at minimum present you with certain unique opportunities for advancement, and at maximum enable you to save your own life and those of others.

Essential Oils for Good Luck

Basil - is an antispasmodic so it can help relieve headaches, chest infections, digestive problems and sore, overworked muscles. Helpful for mental fatigue and stress. Invigorates the body, spirit, helps refresh the mind allowing concentration. Also used for prosperity in business.

Cinnamon Oil - is a rich warming scent that often reminds us of winter, Christmas and baking in the kitchen. This oils soothes digestion and warms the kidneys. Also used to enhance money energy. Increases your creativity.

Frankincense - Particularly useful on mature skin because of its rejuvenating properties. It has a calming and relaxing effect. Calms coughs and helps the respiratory tract. Also used for purification, luck, protection and spirituality.

Ginger - This spicy warming oil is good in preparations for muscular fatigue, rheumatism and arthritis. Increases bio-electric energy. Also used for prosperity, wealth and abundance.

Patchouli - This oil calms nerves, lifts depression, reduces inflammation, fights infection and stimulates sexual desire. Patchouli is associated with abundance and prosperity.

Peppermint- This cooling oil relieves pain, muscle spasms, reduces inflammation, fights infection, clears congestion, opens sinuses. Regulates oiliness in skin, helps in digestion, stimulates the brain and promotes nerve health Also used for luck.

Vetiver- This pungent oil stimulates circulation, improves immunity, fights infection, relieves muscle spasms, calms nerves and stimulates sexual desire. Also used for love, luck and money.

Try a new perspective on creating luck in your life. Blend one or two of the above aromatic oils into a base of sunflower, safflower or jojoba and make a motivating massage oil or perfume. Also try diffusing any one of these oils in the air to spark your intentions.

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac(Author)

http://www.peaceful mind.com/ luck.htm

Therapies for healing mind, body, spirit

Celebrating Spring and Your Good Health

2009-03-26T00:31:00.000-07:00

As the earth is tilted so that the sun is directly over the equator, this signifies the start of the vernal equinox. This time of Spring has been celebrated over the centuries as the beginning of the rebirth period. The Spring Season is probably one of the most embraced and most significant of the season changes, for it denotes the start of new life, regeneration of nature and the renewal of the spirit.

As an expression in nature, this is the time when crops are planted. Spring flowers bloom in fields, yards and parks. Gardens are filled with the luxurious growth of delicate petals of geraniums and hydrangeas to the fragrance of lilacs and tuberose. Brilliant bursts of sun showers water the earth. The brisk breeze of a new season scatters her seeds and the warmth of the healing sun plays a part in the renewal of the season.

The renewal of the spirit is everywhere. This contagious expression of love, cleansing and outward energy is the catalyst for change. A time to awaken from the long and cold winter season of hibernation.

The soul can find a new journey, a new found path and a fresh beginning in this time of Spring. Spring is good time to take a good look at our health and our lifestyle. Start by looking at the life around you. Are you living in chaos? Is your home in a shambles? Is there clutter everywhere? You may want to consider starting with a good decluttering session. Feng Shui, the ancient art of placement, can help you to find order in your life.

The temple, our physical bodies, are the only thing we have to carry the soul. When our physical bodies are not in proper working order, everything around us ultimately suffers. Our good health is all we have that stands between us and the aging process. The longer you keep your physical body in optimum health, the longer you have your temple to keep your soul on this plane. Detoxification is the best way to keep the body at its most ultimate working level.

By enjoying a healthy, nutritional diet, getting good quality sleep and moderate exercise this can keep our physical form at it's best, always. Take the opportunities that are offered. Make the opportunities that are not. Find your Priorities of Life and give them merit. This is the best season to do this. This is the time when we have the greatest energy to utilize the power we are given!

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac(Author)

http://www.peaceful mind.com/ spring.htm

Therapies for healing mind, body, spirit

Myths About Gluten In Skin Care Products

2009-03-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

There has been some debate in recent years about whether gluten found in skin care products, and various other non-edible substances can cause a reaction in people with Celiac's disease. The official answer to this question is no, gluten cannot be absorbed through the skin, so these products can only cause a reaction in celiacs if they are actually swallowed. Check products that come into contact with your mouth Check any products that you might use around your mouth such as lip balm or lipstick, and dental products such as mouthwash or toothpaste, to see if they contain gluten, as these may well be ingested and cause a reaction if you have gluten sensitivity. Sometimes it is difficult to see whether such a product contains gluten from the list of ingredients because gluten containing products have so many different names. If you are unsure, contact the manufacturer and ask.

Is dermatitis herpetiformis caused by skin products containing gluten?

No, although dermatitis herpetiformis is a skin related condition associated with Celiac's disease, which is characterized by an itchy blistering rash, it appears in reaction to digesting gluten, not absorbing it through the skin. Experts state that skin products containing gluten will not have any effect on dermatitis herpetiformis. However, many people that suffer from this condition claim that their symptoms increase with the use of cosmetics containing gluten, so you may want to steer clear of these just to be on the safe side.

So what is causing my skin reaction?

If you have a skin reaction when you use a cosmetic product containing gluten, consult your doctor or dermatologist to find out what is causing it. It is possible that you do have an allergy to wheat or another grain that is not directly linked to Celiac's disease. Equally you may be sensitive to another ingredient in the products that has no relation to wheat or other grains at all. Other non-edible products to consider One item that has been the subject of investigation is the gum that is used on postage stamps and envelopes, that needs to be licked to make it sticky. Envelope manufacturers have confirmed that this gum does not contain gluten, so there is no need for celiacs to avoid licking envelopes.

Something that you should be aware of if your children are celiacs is the play dough they may use at kindergarten or school. This is often made with wheat flour, and if your child puts it in their mouth, they may ingest some of the gluten. If your child's teachers are aware of their gluten sensitivity, they should keep an eye on them when they play with dough, but mention it anyway as some people may not have made the connection.

There are all sorts of hidden sources of gluten to look out for, and cosmetic and dental products that will be used around the mouth can be a particular cause for concern. However, most skin care products should not cause a reaction in celiacs unless they are put in the mouth because gluten cannot be absorbed through the skin.

About The Author: Sean Ambrose runs http://www.gluten-answers.com the web's most thorough source on providing free information on learning to manage a Gluten free diet successfully.

Please use the HTML version of this article at:http://www.isnare. com/html. php?aid=288621

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Pain Syndromes and Pain Management

2009-03-25T02:46:00.000-07:00

Acute and chronic pain effects over 100 million people in the United States each year. While pain is best known and characterized as subjective, meaning only the person who is experiencing it can explain what it feels like, pain is often called the Universal equalizer. Pain affects people differently. What may be perceived as only a minor nuisance to one person, may be completely debilitating to someone else. Pain is a warning that something isn't quite right. Pain is not a disease in itself but the result of an underlying condition or due to injury.. Pain is not just a physical sensation or psychological event, but a combination of these and other components.

Pain can be caused by a variety of situations such as accidents, musculoskeletal disorders, improper lifting, bending, sports activities, misalignment of the vertebrae of the spine and disease. It can also appear out of nowhere with no obvious cause.. A viral illness may possibly be a cause, or emotional trauma, such as fear or resentment. n the vast majority of cases, pain is caused by stasis of blood and or our body's energy resulting in muscle spasm, trauma and immobility.

From a healthy heart to a good sex life, the proper flow and circulation of blood in our arteries is one of the most important things we can do to maintain good health, a pain free life and push back the aging process.

There is a common denominator between good arterial health and pain disorders such as heart attack, obesity, diabetes and high glucose levels, as well as sexual health. That common denominator is blood.

Pain is a vicious cycle: spasm and inflammation lead to more spasm and inflammation. Although the cycle can develop due to injury, the ultimate cause is often in the brain, which can interfere with muscle physiology through the spinal cord. Chronic (long term) and acute back (and neck) pain are common expressions of stress and emotional stress. This demonstrates the true complexity of the mind/body interaction. Many times it is the brain's distortion of muscle function that sets us up for pain by preventing muscles from responding freely to physical stresses.

Acute pain can result from disease, inflammation, or injury to tissues. This type of pain generally comes on suddenly, for example, after trauma or surgery, and may be accompanied by anxiety or emotional distress. The cause of acute pain can usually be diagnosed and treated, and the pain is self-limiting, that is, it is confined to a given period of time and severity. In some rare instances, it can become chronic.

Chronic pain is widely believed to represent disease itself. It can be made much worse by environmental and psychological factors. Chronic pain persists over a longer period of time than acute pain and is resistant to most medical treatments. It can often cause severe problems for patients.

In assessing pain, a useful approach is to assess pain intensity (sensory), pain relief (cognitive), pain location, pain distress (affective), behavioral patterns or other similar sensory aspects of pain.

Without a doubt, added stress and strains can take its toll on your spinal and nervous system. Maintaining a physically fit body, awareness of body positions, a clean and detoxified internal system, keeping fears, stress and insecurities in check and careful execution physically, through each day are all great ways to avoid daily aches and pains.

Common Pain Syndromes

1. Inflammation: can be caused by injury, joint diseases, tumors, infection, abscesses, misalignment. The cause is usually clearly defined and is medically classified as Calor, dolor, rubor, and tumor: Heat, pain, redness, and swelling. The four classical signs of inflammation.

2. Physical Injury: are defined as cuts, broken bones, sprains and strains and can manifest as intense burning pain or deep aching pain.

3. Widened Inflamed Blood Vessels: considered migraines, headaches or temporal arteritis. This is defined as pulsing, throbbing intense pain and localized to the area of inflamed blood vessels.

4. Insufficient Blood Flow: considered angina, leg pain, pain from exercise or in some cultures the definition of pain itself; blood stagnation.

5. Nerve Pain: expressed as shingles, diabetic neuropathy and sciatica. This sensation is that of tingling or burning pain and may radiate along nerve pathways.

6. Toxemia: which is caused by the ingestion and accumulation of substances which are foreign to the body and toxic in nature, such as chemicals, drugs, etc. These produce irritation, inflammation and pathology in bodily organs and systems. Toxemia, which is also due to the accumulation of toxic wastes resulting from the food and beverages we eat and drink; unnatural food or natural food in excess beyond what the body can use at the moment.

7. Deficiencies: The insufficiency of necessary food substances, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, enzymes etc., lead to breakdown of cells, tissues and organs which is given names of diseases, according to its location.

8. Enervation: is the reduction or loss of energy due to the lack of rest or sleep, or the excessive use of emotion, negative thoughts, worry, stress, or the overdoing of physical actions, overeating etc. Enervation leads to a reduction of the body's ability to digest, absorb, assimilate and excrete body wastes - thus leading to a retention of wastes in the cells and tissues and thereby causing disease.

Source of Relief from Pain

1. Cold Applications: This application often feels best on acute injuries, where the pain is often hot to the touch or has a feeling of heat radiating from it. Ice numbs the area, reducing pain. It also constricts blood vessels, limiting blood supply to the injured site. This action decreases swelling. Ice can also decrease muscle spasms. If an area is painful to move or swells after exercise, use ice. Apply ice or a frozen object, such as a bag of corn from the freezer, to the injury. Be sure the area is protected from the cold application and not applied directly to the skin. The cold will reduce swelling and pain at the injured site. This step should be done as soon as possible. Apply the frozen object to the area for 20 minutes, every two to three hours for the first 48 hours.

2. Hot Applications: This application is often most affective for chronic injuries or pain that is cold to the touch or has cold radiating from it. It is very useful with injuries agitate by cold or damp weather. Heat increases local blood supply, bringing healing cells to the area and potentially relaxing tight muscles. Use moist, hot towels or microwavable heat packs for no more than 10 to 15 minutes several times a day. Never sleep on a heating pad.

3. Anti-inflammatories : from aspirin to herbal compresses, anti-inflammatory applications can reduce the recovery time by half if done within the first 24-48 hours of an injury or painful attack.

4. Lancing or Draining Abscesses: reducing swelling from painful sprains and strains and toxic swellings from insect bites are all very important reasons for lancing and draining an injured area. In Chinese Medicine, cupping is done after the lancing to draw out the blood from the area. This is a very affective method used to decrease the amount of time it takes for the area to heal.

5. Rest: This can be the best medicine for any condition from a cold to a broken bone. Rest rejuvenates, repairs and reassembles. For acute injury, rest and protect the injured area. If it hurts to bear weight on the injury, use crutches, if it hurts to move the area immobilize it with a splint.

6. Compression and elevation: tend to go hand in hand. Compress the injured site by applying an Ace bandage. This will decreases swelling of the injured region. Although the wrap should be snug, make sure it is not too tight as this can cause numbness, tingling, or increased pain.

7. Elevation of the injured area: above the level of the heart as much as possible. This technique will also assist in reducing the amount of swelling to the injured site.

8. Exercise conditioning and stretching: certain pains can improve from stretching such as painful stiff muscles and joints by increasing blood flow to these areas. Weight baring exercises are beneficial for improving strength and bone density. Restoring movement and normal function to an injured area is critical. Learn to stretch to improve your flexibility.

9. Dietary Changes: So many aches and pains can be eliminated by the proper foods we choose to eat. Weight gain affects our joints, heart, circulation and blood pressure among other conditions. Change your diet and change your life.

10. Root Cause Treatment: Pain is the result of injury or disease. With acute pain, the cause is often obvious. A fall resulting in a painful scrape or twisted ankle. In chronic pain, often the pain has been with you for so long, it is hard to pinpoint the real cause or root cause of the disorder. Most alternative health therapies see the occurence of disease as the results from an imbalance. The treating of the root of primary cause of disease is what makes a root cause treatment very affective in the long term. It does not just treat the symptoms of that disease.

Andrew Pacholyk, MS L.Ac(Author)

http://peacefulmind .com/pain. htm

Therapies for healing mind, body, spirit

Natural Anti-Inflammatory Herbs - healing capacity,supplements,vitamins herbs,ayurvedic herbs

2009-03-25T01:45:00.000-07:00

There are hundreds of plants used all over the world, which are used in herbal medicine as treatments for inflammation. Below you will find a list of some of the most accessible and most reliable.

Arnica Suave is a rich blend of quartz silica, amber resin and the pain-relieving power of arnica in a special massage-in suave designed by Andrew for his practice and is a part of his new "Crystal Inspirations" product line.

Boswellia has unique anti-inflammatory action, much like the conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used by many for inflammatory conditions. Unlike NSAIDs, however, long-term use of boswellia does not lead to irritation or ulceration of the stomach.

Bromelain is a plant-enzyme. Bromelain is not actually a single substance, but a group of protein-digesting enzymes found in pineapple juice and in the stem of pineapple plants. Local swelling is the releasing of histamines in a localized area causes the vasodilation and increased permeability of blood vessels. Bromelain has an anti-inflammatory effect and is a very effective treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis. It is recommend taking 200 to 400 milligrams three times a day on an empty stomach at least ninety minutes before or three hours after eating. Discontinue use if you develop any itching or rash.

Cayenne Pepper (Capsaicin) A cream containing small amounts of Capsaicin can help relieve pain when rubbed onto muscle pain and arthritic joints, according to the results of a double blind study. It does this by depleting the nerves of a pain-mediating neurotransmitter known as substance P. Although application of capsaicin cream may initially cause a burning feeling, the burning will lessen with each application and soon disappear for most people. A cream containing 0.025–0.075% of capsaicin can be applied to the affected joints three to five times a day.

Devils Claw: An analgesic and anti-inflammatory. Dosage: one to two grams, three times daily.

Ginger: An anti-inflammatory. Ginger has been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine as an anti-inflammatory. Taking 6–50 grams of fresh or powdered ginger per day indicated that ginger might be helpful. Suggested Dosage: 0.5 to 1 mg of powdered ginger daily

Ginger Tea: Add one grated teaspoon of fresh ginger to a cup of hot water. Take two times daily.

Glucosamine sulfate (GS), a nutrient derived from sea shells, contains a building block needed for the repair of joint cartilage. GS has significantly reduced symptoms of osteoarthritis. All published clinical investigations on the effects of GS in people with osteoarthritis report statistically significant improvement. Most research trials use 500 mg GS taken three times per day. Benefits from GS generally become evident after three to eight weeks of treatment. Avoid if you have any allergic reactions to shell fish.

Glucosamine stimulates the production of the specific elements of cartilage and protects them. It helps your body repair worn cartilage, reduce pain and improve function. Chondroitin attracts fluids into proteoglycans, the molecules dispersed through out the cartilage that give the tissue its shock-absorber quality, and protects the cartilage against breakdown. These are substances the body already produces for itself in small amounts.

Glucosamine is found in almost all tissue; it has a role in the repair and maintenance of joint cartilage. Chondroitin sulfate is a major component of cartilage and is thought to inhibit the enzymes that contribute to the breakdown of cartilage.

S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) possesses anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and tissue-healing properties that may help protect the health of joints.SAM-e is derived from methionine, an essential amino acid; it may promote cartilage formation and repair. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are usually sold together. In clinical studies, the supplements had to be taken for several weeks before providing any pain relief. Don't forget the truly natural and proven methods for battling osteoarthritis, lose excess weight and exercise.

Licorice root: An anti-inflammatory. Long-term use can elevate blood pressure and increase potassium loss. Dosage: one-eighth to one-quarter teaspoon of a 5: 1 solid extract up to three times daily.

Turmeric: An effective anti-inflammatory. Dosage: 400 mg three times daily; take on an empty stomach and combine with 1,000 mg of bromelain

White Willow Bark: Anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. White Willow bark has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. Extracts providing 60–120 mg salicin per day are approved for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Although the analgesic actions of willow are typically slow-acting, they last longer than aspirin.

Essential Oils for Inflammation

Basil: contains several antioxidants in its volatile oils that act just like some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and Celebrex. When isolated at high enough concentrations these oils worked as well as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin in research trials.

Camphor is a white transparent waxy crystalline solid with a strong penetrating pungent aromatic odor. As an antimicrobial substance, camphor is readily absorbed through the skin and produces a feeling of cooling similar to that of menthol and acts as slight local anesthetic. In larger quantities, it is poisonous when ingested and can cause seizures, confusion, irritability, and neuromuscular hyperactivity. Found in our Muscular/Pain Remedy Blend.

Clove: this intense oil, most commonly used to relieve dental pain and infection, is also used to dissolve the eggs deposited by intestinal worms. It is delicious but overwhelming in both smell and taste. It is an antiseptic, carminative, warming, and very aromatic oil.

Eucalyptus: reduces pain, spasms and inflammation, and stimulates local blood circulation and the removal of waste products and toxins from the tissues.. It is used to treat muscular aches and pains, strains, sprains, and other traumatic injuries of the muscles, ligaments and tendons. It also helps to reduce nerve inflammation and pain and is useful for the treatment of the various kinds of neuralgia such as sciatica. Eucalyptus reduces pain and inflammation due to chronic arthritic conditions. It also has a mild clearing and stimulating effect on the mind which helps to reduce fatigue.

Ginger: This rich, spicy oil so often used for nausea also helps normalize blood pressure either by raises blood pressure by restricting external blood flow, or lowers it by dilating surface blood vessels. This oil is warming and an antiseptic.

Menthol is actually a compound obtained from peppermint oil or other mint oils or made synthetically. Menthol has local anesthetic and counterirritant qualities. It is contained in nonprescription products for short-term relief of minor sore throat and minor mouth or throat irritation. Menthol is also contained in combination products used for relief of muscle aches, sprains, and similar conditions. Menthol is often used with other ingredients such as camphor and eucalyptus for pain relief. Menthol is considered an antidote for many homeopathic remedies and should be avoided by people taking them. Found in our Muscular/Pain Remedy Blend.

Peppermint: acts as a muscle relaxant, particularly in the digestive tract, and it can also reduce the inflammation of nasal passages and relieve muscle pains. When massaged into the skin, peppermint oil plays an innocuous trick on the nerves: It stimulates those that produce a cool, soothing sensation and desensitizes those that pick up pain messages.

Rosemary: Studies show that this oil improves general circulation.

Tea Tree: has a wide range of topical applications and is commonly used to treat skin and respiratory infections. Surprisingly, the oil is active against all three categories of infectious organisms: bacteria, viruses and fungi. Tea tree oil is an effective treatment for many skin conditions, such as cold sores, the blisters of shingles and chicken pox, verrucae, warts, acne, large inflamed spots and nappy rash. It is also effective against fungal infections, such as ringworm, athlete's foot and thrush, as well as dandruff--a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis.

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac(Author)

http://www.peaceful mind.com/ herbology. htm

Therapies for healing mind, body, spirit

Yoga For a Fit You - yoga fitness,teacher,certification

2009-03-25T01:23:00.000-07:00

Yoga is a wonderful way to tone up your mind and body and get in form as well as a big way to relax after a long day. Yoga is a form of workout that is related with meditation, breathing practices and impossible positioning of the body.. Art of living is actually 5,000 years old. It is not of recent origin. But it has become the trend of life style only recently. In reality yoga is a good choice both for the body and mind.

About Yoga Fitness.

With the stress today on health and fitness, we are re-evaluating how we stay fit. Some forms of yoga exercise need almost a good level of fitness to start. But the benefits of yoga can be derived by all ages and also at all levels of health and fitness.

Yoga fitness can be felt in all the mentioned 10 areas. They are:

o bigger balance

o low pulse rate,

o low respiratory rate,

o ameliorated cardiovascular functions,

o low blood pressure,

o enhanced flexibility and array of motion,

o altered energy,

o low weight,

o amended immune system. and

o bettered coordination.

In the early stages of yoga fitness program you will not feel and soreness or any body aches like in all other forms of exercises. But still if you feel any pain or your muscle aches then you may have to talk to your instructor. The reason may be that you are not doing the yoga exercises correctly.

Yoga brings in fitness not only to the body, but also to the mind. Your eating habits will also change. And you will always be active and fresh. Day by day you will be aware of the changes in your body and mind.

If you are not able to sleep during nights, then there is one simple breathing exercise, which will give you a good night's sleep. You will wake up in the mornings refreshed. You will not look for coffee to get started for the day. But at the same time you will enjoy coffee when you want it. You can also find that you are no more dependant on such things.

Types of yoga:

There are three types of yoga. They are hatha yoga, power yoga and bikram yoga. Hatha yoga is a general type of yoga. Power yoga is of the aerobic style. The power yoga lays an emphasis on cardio. Bikram yoga is a yoga performed in a heated room to speed up detoxification. These are the types of yoga which you will have to select from and which suits your life style.

Kundalini yoga is another type of yoga. Kundalini is actually considered cultures to be the life force inside us. This life force inside us can be awakened. This type of yoga focuses on charkas in the body to beget a spiritual power.

Apart from power yoga, there are two other styles of yoga which are for the more fitness conscious people. They are iyengar and ashtanga yoga. These yogas give strong cardio workouts. They are fast flowing and are fit for them who need extreme fitness.

About The Author: Christopher McCombs and his team help Southern California residents melt fat, build lean muscle, trim down and shape up through a variety of fitness and personal training programs. Learn more at http://www.socalwor kout.com/ .

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How to Boost Metabolism - best healthy diet plans,pill,recipe,meals

2009-03-25T00:19:00.000-07:00

Metabolic rate is different from individual to individual and is based on a number of aspects such as age of the person, sex, body composition, hereditary factors and a number of other factor both extrinsic and intrinsic. Anyone can maintain their metabolic rate healthy and good if the right balanced diet and regular exercise programs are followed.

To know more about metabolism one needs to know how the way in which the body utilizes and preserves energy. Energy is derived from the various food sources we consume. Foods have proteins, carbohydrates and fats in different levels and these are used by the body cells to create and store energy to perform various functions of the body. So, different food substances are required to maintain the metabolism at a healthy rate, but the proportion in which each one is consumed is still a matter of controversy.

As the diet is a vital factor for maintaining a healthy metabolic rate, even the timing of consumption of the food and the amount of food intake plays a role in regulating the metabolism. So, in order to preserve a healthy and good metabolic rate, everyone should not only eat a appropriate balanced diet they should also eat the proper quantity of food following a correct timetable.

For example, if you are following a good exercise program but are still putting on weight, you need to regulate your diet much better. Have a look at your daily calorie intake. Many people make the mistake of either starving or following unregulated crash diets that will not help in anyway to lose the weight but will cause malnutrition.

It is advisable to follow a diet that gives you not less than 1200 calories in a day as this amount of food intake is essential to maintain a healthy metabolism. But, care must be exercised to eat only nourishing and healthy foods to get the required calorie levels.

The pyramid diet chart is a good guide to help you with your diet. This has been advised successfully by the USDA as it satisfies the dietary requirements of an American. For more information about this diet plan, you can conduct an online search over Google and type in the keywords "Pyramid Diet".
If a person wants to lose weight only developing a regular exercise program will not help. This has to be combined with the right diet plan to achieve the much loved result. Regulating the diet chart can be done in a much more professional way if the pyramid diet plan is used to guide you.

A doubt that frequently comes to many a person's mind when reading up on diet and consulting diet charts is to understand the proportion of a `serving'. More information and advice about servings and their proportions can be found by conducting an online search on Google and accessing the National Institutes of Health (1998) and the American Diabetic Association Exchange Lists.

Everyone should follow some important pointers when trying to maintain a healthy metabolic rate by regulating the diet. These include the following:

- Breakfast is very important and should not be skipped.

- It is essential to consume six meals a day with every meal having small proportions.

- Avoid consumption of foods that have a high fat content.

- Eat more greens and lots of fruits.

- Include ample amount of fish in the diet.

- Avoid consumption of processed foods. Increase the intake of fibrous foods.

About The Author: To increase your metabolism, learn more about lactate enterocyte digestion metabolism and more detailed look at metabolism slow down exercise when you visit
http://www.extramet abolism..com, the online portal on how to boost metabolism

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Leading a Heart Healthy Lifestyle is Important For Women of Every Age( cuer for heart disease,cholestrol,diabetes,blood pressure)

2009-03-25T00:16:00.000-07:00

Long considered a man's problem, heart disease now affects more female than males. Heart disease is responsible for 52 percent of all deaths in American women, claiming 250,000 female lives every year - more than all forms of cancer.

Fortunately, much is known today about preventing and monitoring heart disease through lifestyle changes, which makes it possible to control many of your risk factors. To begin leading a heart healthier lifestyle, you first need to better understand heart disease.

What is heart disease?

Heart disease is the term used to describe a number of ailments affecting the heart, blood vessels and arteries.
These conditions include:

Coronary Artery Disease - also referred to as coronary heart disease, this is a disease caused by fat, cholesterol and plaque build-up inside the artery walls, making them narrow. Coronary artery disease occurs when the heart does not get the oxygen and nutrients that it needs to function properly because of decreased blood flow.

Valvular Heart Disease - a disease that occurs when any of the four heart valves is damaged and becomes leaky (incompetent) , causing backflow of blood when the valve should be closed, or narrowed (stenosis), which makes it difficult for blood to flow forward.

Congestive Heart Failure - a condition caused by a variety of other conditions - including high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and valvular heart disease - that develops when the heart cannot adequately pump blood through the body.

What is your risk for heart disease?

It is important to understand the risk factors that impact your likelihood of developing heart disease. Luckily, many of these factors are within your control. Answering the following questions and assessing your own risk for heart disease is the first step toward a heart healthy lifestyle.

Do you have a family history of early heart disease?

The tendency toward certain heart disease risk factors may be inherited. The presence of an immediate female family member (mother or sister) with coronary heart disease before age 65, or male relative (father or brother) diagnosed before age 55, will significantly increase your risk of heart disease.

Do you have high blood pressure?

High blood pressure makes the heart work harder, contributes to hardening of the arteries, and increases the frequency of angina (chest pain that is the heart's response to a lack of oxygen), as well as the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Do you have high cholesterol?

High levels of cholesterol in the blood lead to increases in the amount of plaque in the arteries and coronary artery disease. All adults should have a lipid profile performed including a total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglyceride levels. This is done after fasting for eight hours in order to get the most accurate results. The newest guidelines provide targets for your lipids according to your risk factor profile.

Do you have diabetes?

Diabetes, especially uncontrolled or untreated - can significantly increase your risk of heart disease. A simple blood test can determine how much glucose (sugar) is in your blood. The normal, non-diabetic range for fasting blood glucose is from 70 to 100 mg/dL. If the level is over 126mg/dL, it usually means you have diabetes. If you have diabetes, treating other risk factors for cardiovascular disease - such as hypertension and abnormal cholesterol levels - is particularly important.

Have your menstrual periods stopped?

As women reach menopause, the risks increase with one in 10 women between the ages of 45 and 64 experiencing some form of heart disease. After age 65, that statistic jumps to one in four. Around menopause, estrogen levels start to drop, and heart disease risk starts to rise.

Do you smoke?

If you smoke, kick the habit! Smoking increases your risk for a heart attack by almost five times that of a non-smoker. In addition, it has been found that low-tar cigarettes are not effective in reducing the risk of heart disease in those people who use tobacco.

Are you more than 20 pounds overweight?

Being overweight can more than double your risk of heart disease. Obesity increases the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and abnormal cholesterol levels.

Do you get little or no regular exercise?

Studies suggest regular exercise can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease. Physical activity lowers your blood pressure, increases the amount of "good" cholesterol in your blood and reduces the tendency of blood to clot. Aerobic exercise - any exercise that makes the heart and lungs work harder to supply the muscles with oxygen - is a great way to strengthen your heart.

What is your body shape?

Depending on your body type, whether you are apple- or pearshaped, you may be more likely to develop heart disease. The Nurses' Health Study at Brigham and Women's Hospital found that middle-aged and older women who are apple-shaped are at greater risk for heart disease. According to the study, women with a 38-inch waist or greater are three times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than women with waistlines of 28 inches or less.

Make a healthy change

As a woman, it is important for you to understand heart health. Current research studies, such as the Nurses' Health Study at Brigham and Women's Hospital (http://www.brighama ndwomens. org/excellence/ cardiovascular. aspx), are finding significant differences between men and women that extend to the symptoms, prevention and treatment of heart disease. Be heart smart for your good health!

About The Author: As a woman, it is important for you to understand heart health. Current research studies, such as the Nurses' Health Study at
http://www.brighama ndwomens. org/excellence/ cardiovascular. aspx
Brigham and Women's Hospital, are finding significant differences between men and women that extend to the symptoms,prevention and treatment of heart disease. Be heart smart for your good health!

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Taking Natural Antioxidant Supplements Is Good For The Skin

2009-03-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

If one is looking for an effective means by which to improve the condition of one's skin the best option for them is to take natural antioxidant supplements because of the special ability of these supplements to protect the skin from ravages of pollutants that are so widespread in the environment. To address these needs there are many companies manufacturing and selling natural antioxidant supplements and so finding a suitable supplement will not prove to be a difficult task.

Hide Signs Of Aging To keep your skin looking fresh as well as young, natural antioxidant supplements is the way to go since these supplements help replenish even skin that has begun to show signs of aging and it will in fact, give back a healthy as well as young looking glow and add beauty and youth to the looks of even quite elderly people. The truth of the fact is that we all want to preserve our youthful appearance and this is why using natural antioxidant supplements can prove to be a worthy alternative to cosmetic surgery and besides, they are also safer and healthier to use.

The beauty of taking natural antioxidants lies in the fact that they are readily available in certain foods that we consume on a daily basis and they are certainly abundant in vegetables and also in fruits. However, one may not be able to eat enough vegetables and fruits in the normal course of events and thus it becomes necessary to take natural antioxidant supplements. To be sure absence of adequate antioxidants in the body can make the body vulnerable to diseases and also makes the skin age faster. In case you do decide to buy natural antioxidant supplements make sure that the one that you plan on buying contains the proper ingredients and so, also check the reputation of the manufacturer by reading reviews to ensure that you don't end up wasting your money on a less than desirable supplements.

Besides consuming natural antioxidant supplements it is also necessary to maintain a healthy diet because many of the foods you consume on a daily basis are known to contain natural antioxidants and thus must become part of your daily diet, and as mentioned vegetables and fruits are a good source for antioxidants. Besides taking natural antioxidants and supplements there are also super antioxidants and one of them is Acai Berry that is worth taking as it can do your health a world of good.

As far as taking natural antioxidant supplements go, women are the biggest consumers and the reason is that they are most concerned about their skin and looks and the glow as well as replenishment that the supplements affect is the reason why women buy supplements in huge numbers. It is also recommended taking supplements if you wish to hide wrinkles in your skin and that is why many elderly women also use these wonder supplements and the best example of their effectiveness is none other than former actress Sophia Loren whose skin certainly belies her seventy plus age.

About The Author: Ann Nelsen is the webmaster of http://antioxidanta .com/blog where she describes how antioxidants can improve the condition of the skin. Learn how a natural essential antioxidant supplement starts a healing process of the damaged skin and maintain a fresh and healthy skin.

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Part I and II - How Mr. Banting Lost 35 Lbs weight in 8 Months Even Though he Drank a Lot of Alcohol

2009-03-24T01:22:00.000-07:00

How Mr. Banting Lost 35 lbs in 8 months even though he drank a lot of alcohol.

A story in three parts.

"Mr Banting was a fat man. At age sixty-five, the five-foot five Banting weighted in at over two hundred pounds.

'I could not stoop to tie my shoe...nor attend to the little offices humanity requires without considerable pain and difficulty, which only the corpulent can understand,' he wrote.

"Banting was recently retired...had no family history of obesity, nor did he consider himself either lazy, inactive, or given to excessive indulgence at the table.

"Nonetheless, corpulence had crept up on him in his thirties, as with many of us today, despite his best efforts. He took up daily rowing and gained muscular vigor, a prodigious appetite, and yet more weight.

"He cut back on calories, which failed to induce weight loss but did leave him exhausted and beset by boils. He tried walking, riding horseback, and manual labor. His weight increased. He consulted the best doctors... He tried purgatives and diuretics. His weight increased... "

To be continued.

How Mr. Banting Lost 35 lbs in 8 months even though he drank a lot of alcohol. Part II

"He cut back on calories, which failed to induce weight loss but did leave him exhausted and beset by boils. He tried walking, riding horseback, and manual labor. His weight increased. He consulted the best doctors... He tried purgatives and diuretics. His weight increased... " (from Part I)

Part II.

"Luckily for Banting, he consulted a surgeon who had recently been to Paris. The doctor had just heard the great physiologist Claude Bernard lecture on diabetes.

The liver, reported Bernard, secretes glucose, the substance of both sugar and starch. It was this glucose that accumulates excessively in the bloodstream of diabetics. It struck him that "a diet of only meat and dairy would check the secretion of sugar in the urine of a diabetic."

Banting's surgeon immediately formulated a dietary regimen for Banting. Namely, "complete abstinence from sugars and starches."

After all, wrote the doctor, we know that to fatten up animals, "a saccharine (sugar) and farinaceous (flour) diet is used." He thought "excessive obesity might be allied to diabetes as to its cause...and if a purely animal diet were useful in the latter disease, a combination of animal food with a vegetable diet that contained neither sugar nor starch might...arrest the undue formation of fat."

So here's the regime Banting followed for the next year:

"He ate three meals a day of meat fish, or game, usually five or six ounces at a meal, with one or two stale toast or cooked fruit on the side. He had his evening tea with a few more ounces of fruit or stale toast. He scrupulously avoided any other food that might contain either sugar or starch, in particular bread, milk, beer, sweets and potatoes."

"Despite a considerable allowance of alcohol in Banting's regimen - four or five glasses of wine each day, a cordial every morning, and an evening tumbler of gin, whisky or brandy - Banting dropped thirty-five pounds by the following May (eight months later) and fifty pounds by early the next year.

"I have not felt better in health than now for the last twenty-six years,' he wrote. 'My other bodily ailments have become mere matters of history.'"

- Taubes, 2007

That was 1864. Banting's 16 page (free) Letter on corpulence, Addressed to the Public, launched the world's first popular diet craze.. Within a year, Banting "had entered the English language as a verb meaning 'to diet.'"

If someone is "gouty obese, and nervous, we strongly recommend him to 'bant'" suggested the Pall Mall Gazette in June, 1865. - Taubes, 2007

Guess how the medical community of the day reacted? Some, writes Taubes,

"did what members of established societies often do when confronted with a radical new concept: they attacked both the message and the messenger. The Lancet, (like today's Newsweek),first whined that Banting's diet was old news. Second...that his diet could be dangerous."

150 years later, some in the medical community raise the same question:

Is a low carb approach safe?

Today we have many modern versions of Banting's low carb diet,most notably Atkins and South Beach. And just this year, Dr.Heidi's ER Fat Burn Program, the very latest in a low carb-based regime, has seen great success among the participants. (One gal dropped 18 pounds in her first four weeks and got her sex drive back(!))

For some people, however, the question remains:

Is a low carb regime dangerous?

That's next.

About The Author: Kim Klaver Industry consultant. Marketing guide for Whole Food Nation, whole food multis company. Whole Food Nation http://www.wholefoo dnation.com

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Physical Fitness Over 40 - ways to keep oneself fit and strong

2009-03-24T00:54:00.000-07:00

An individual who is above 40 years and wants to live a long ter healthy life has to be physically fit. Once we start aging our body also starts aging at the cellular level. Our skin getting darker, development of cellulite and sagging of our skin are all signs of aging. This is the time when we need to be physically fit so that we can carry on our daily tasks easily. We will be able to keep off arthritis also by being physically fit. Exercise helps in building our muscle strength which deteriorates with age.

The gains from physical fitness are many. Our bodies are contrived for movement. Absence of such movement will make us suffer from stress linked illness, and age associated conditions.

Losing unwanted pounds is also another advantage of exercising. When you exercise you burn calories and in turn you lose your weight. Exercise also helps in reduction of blood pressure. When you exercise you lose some chemicals from your body which helps to reduce the risk of developing blood pressure.

An associated malady with high blood pressure is heart sickness. Normally people who have high blood pressure will also have some degree of heart disease also. Physical exercise helps you to decreases the chances of death due to heart attack. Also physical exercise will help you to keep away from risk of high cholesterol. Reduction in cholesterol will aid you to protect yourself from diabetes, stroke and other related diseases.

Physical exercise for people beyond 40 will help them to be free from mental distress and also stress linked sickness. If you exercise daily on a regular basis the chances of depression and anxiety is reduced. That means you do not have to spend on anti depressants. Physical fitness will help improve psychological well being and you will be able to work peacefully. Your performance level will increase in your area of work or sports.

Aerobic exercise is different from physical fitness exercise. Aerobic exercise helps us to improve our ability to use and transfer oxygen in our body. The blood supply to the muscles is increased. This helps us in improving our flexibility, balance and coordination of the different parts of the body will improve.

Exercising for those who are above the age of 40 years also has its advantages on bones and joints. It assists to keep at bay Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a disease related to the weakening of leg muscles. People affected with this disease can do three types of physical fitness exercise. They are range of motion, aerobic exercises and strengthening. To strengthen your joints and without stressing too much you can do `push and pull against static resistance' exercises. Cycling and walking is also beneficial. People suffering from arthritis should take up short and frequent exercise sessions and under the guidance of a physical therapist.

Exercise is also important to slow down the growth of osteoporosis. This disease in particular attacks women once they enter their menopause stage. During this period bone mass strength reduces and to increase it physical exercise has to be undertaken. Moderate exercise, that is as little as one hour a week will help strengthening the bones.

Exercise helps to keep your bones and joints strong. The benefits derived from exercising are not superficial. Exercising also strengthens your cardiovascular system. Your heart becomes healthy with exercise and you will have a healthy lifestyle even beyond your age. Follow regular exercise with healthy diet. You will surely live a longer, better and happier life.. You can have a normal and better life style by doing light exercises also. So pave your way to a better and healthier life through exercises even if you are above 40 years.

About The Author: Christopher William M. is a professional personal trainer. Chris owns fitness business Positively Fit Inc. which services personal training to all of So. Cal. Read more great health and fitness advice from Christopher William M. at
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Steak 'n Eggs: Good For Weight Loss?

2009-03-24T00:29:00.000-07:00

Steak 'n eggs: Good or bad diet for weight loss?

What's the best way to lose weight fast and remain healthy? There has been much hysteria pro and con the Atkins-type weight-loss regime, with the low-cal/lo fat and portion control camp screaming that red meat and eggs are dangerous.

In a recent weight loss study Atkins folks sponsored, plant-based diet supporters gleefully point out that participants were being apparently counseled "to choose vegetarian sources of fat and protein.''

Kathy Freston, a Dean Ornish low-fat, calorie-counting anti-meat fan girl, insists that "there's a growing shift toward healthy, plant-based diets, especially among people looking to lose weight and keep it off." And a shift away from meat, animal fats and eggs, she writes.

However, low carb, meat and blubber enthusiasts show proof of healthy weight loss and of keeping it off. Like me. Or Dr. Heidi and her ER clientele.

What should you believe?

Both. Steak (all red meats and poultry) and eggs are like cholesterol: There's good and there's bad. You need to know which is good and which is bad.

Bad Meat

Most meat in U.S. supermarkets and restaurants come from confined and un-pastured cows who are often sick. Poky's animal 'hospital' (described in Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma) is one of many big-animal hospitals that treats feedlot cattle from industrial feedlots. Most of the animals' health problems, Pollan reports, are directly or indirectly related to what they're fed.

The cows are force-fed corn and soy which they can't digest. "They're made to eat forage, and we're making them eat grain," says Dr. Metzin who treats them. p. 77, Omnivore's Dilemma)

Virtually all feedlot cattle, according to animal scientists, are sick because they cannot digest grain.

The sick animals are then shot full of antibiotics so they live a little longer - so as to get a bit fatter before they're slaughtered. Happy Sunday cookout.

So yes, the Dean Ornishes and Kathy Frestons are right. Eating bad meats and fats from from such animals can NOT be good for you. Avoid eating bad meats and fats.

Good Meat

Grass-fed animals. Grass-fed animals are pastured. [NOT pasteurized - but pastured.] This, my omnivore friends, you CAN eat. I do.

Grass-fed animals are allowed to forage and graze in pastures - on grass and other stuff on the grounds. Eating what they eat naturally. They're not shot full of antibiotics because they're not sick.

Good meat shopping tip: When shopping for meat, ASK the meat person: Do you have 100% grass-fed beef (or pastured chicken)? If not, find a local farmer. They'll have grass fed beef and poultry. Google local farmers in YOUR CITY or check for local farmers online at Local Harvest or the Weston A Price Foundation.

Until you find a farmer, at least get meats that have not been fed antibiotics and hormones.

Bad eggs

Same story. Don't eat the eggs from chickens that are crammed together in spaces no bigger than an 8 and 1/2 x 11" sheet of paper, for their entire life. Don't eat those that are fed bio-engineered grain. Don't eat those kept awake with lights blazing into their cages 24/7 so they can lay as many eggs as possible before they're turned into soup. Those eggs can not be good for you. They're available in most restaurants and supermarkets.

Good eggs

Eat eggs from pastured chickens - they're the ones that go OUTSIDE and scratch around on the ground at the farm, eating grass, worms and such that they are designed to eat. NOTE: These eggs are also a surprise source of Vitamin D. Regular eggs do not have naturally occurring Vitamin D.

Surprise source of Vitamin D.

Good eggs shopping tip: Contact your local farmer for pastured chickens and eggs from pastured chickens. Organic is not enough here (not if you want that extra Vitamin D benefit, says Dr.Heidi here).

Bottom line: Find pastured grass-fed animals. Eat those.They're the good meat and animal fats. They have the same kind of GOOD fats that ocean fish have, they have more minerals and vitamins and they're not fattening or disease producing, like the feedlot animals.

True, you won't keel over after one McDonald's hamburger. But the cumulative effect over the years of eating bad meats and bad animal fats weakens a body and makes it ripe for a disease to strike. Usually when you least expect it.

P.S. I learned most of this filming an eye-and-ear popping nutrition course Dr. Heidi Dulay taught in CA this spring. I hope to make some of the videos available soon.

About The Author: Kim Klaver Industry consultant. Marketing guide for Whole Food Nation, whole food multis company. Whole Food Nation http://www.wholefoo dnation.com

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