Acupuncture

A nice video on Chinese Acupuncture and Chinese TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).

Positive mindset

A holistic medical treatment approach is required for a person to recover from illness. Medicine alone can only go as far as providing the necessary jumpstart to help the body initiate the healing process. A patient who is optimistic about recovery often takes shorter time to fully recover as compare to a person who is less optimistic. Cancer patients who don’t easily gives up and having positive mindset and optimistic of the treatment usually has higher chances of survival and recovery.

One good example is the placebo effects. If a person feels good about medicine they have to take, the more likely they are to be healed by said medication. This occurs even when the medicine is a sugar pill or a scientific formula used to cure or aid illnesses. Our mind and thoughts may impact our body response to disease.

Most of us do not realize or rather underestimate the power of mental and emotional healing has on our health and personal life. Having a positive mindset has tremendous bearing on the outcome in life. It important for us to adopt a positive attitude and discard any negative thoughts that may prevent us from getting what we want in life and this include the ability of our body to repair itself and restoring health.

Always remember to dwell on the happiness and positive side of life and surround yourself with positive thinking and a positive atmosphere. When we are cheerful and optimistic about outlook of life, when we adopt a positive mindset, our body is able to regulate and maintain positive energy balance. What is positive energy balance? Well stay tune for my next article on energy balance.

Low blood pressure

There are a lot of different effects that blood pressure can have on a body. Most think about hypertension otherwise known as high blood pressure. However having low blood pressure can cause problems as well. Hypotension can be serious and it should be taken care of immediately. Having low blood pressure can affect the bran and could as a result cause more problems that can not be fixed or even fatal.

The most known reason for having hypotension is having decreased blood volume that is known as hypovolemia. There are many reasons why this is a problem that can occur in this way. Most of them have to do with problem with the nervous system in the brain. There are other causes that will include some medicines that can have hypovolemia as a side effect. Because low blood pressure has these affects and is a result of problems with such an important part of the body, it makes hypotension even more serious than having high blood pressure.

One type of problem related to hypotension that should be considered is orthostatic hypotension. This is also known as postural hypotension and is one of the more common forms of low blood pressure. It can occur because of a change in the body’s position. An example would be standing up from a sitting or lying down position can briefly lower the blood flow in the body. Because of this, you can become dizzy, and can be noticed on a regular basis by many. Another more serious type of the syndrome can be brought on by medications of the physical and the psychiatric topic.

There is another form of hypotension that is less common than orthostatic hypotension. It is known as postprandial hypotension and will occur 30-75 minutes after you have eaten. Digestion of food can send a large dose of the blood to the digestive system and due to this the autonomic nervous system must compensate to increase the body’s heart rate and find make more blood pump. Orthostatic hypotension can affect the autonomic nervous system, making it even weaker than it already is. It is also a sign of a failing autonomic nervous system maybe because of age or something else completely.

Hypotension is just as severe as hypertension. Even though the two may sound the same, their affects on the body are very different. However they are both cause for concern and should be checked out immediately especially since having low blood pressure could affect the brain and this is the most important part of the body.

Help for anxiety disorder

Anxiety disorder can be very difficult to understand and treat. However, with a bit of help, you can truly overcome any type of anxiety disorder you may have. While it might be impossible for you to fully “cure” anxiety disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or phobias, you can learn how to deal with these medical conditions in order to live a fully normal and productive life. The key to living with anxiety disorders is finding help. There are three main types of help you should get, and luckily this help is readily available to everyone!

First, find help from medical professionals. A doctor will be able to diagnose your problem, suggest treatment options, and help you learn to be safe and happy. You may also work with a therapist to talk about your problems and learn behaviors that can help you through the day. Overall, this is the most important type of help you can get because an anxiety disorder can physically be dangerous. Only a medical professional can make sure you get the best care possible.

Another crucial kind of support can be found in the form of support groups. Hospitals, religious organizations, and community centers often sponsor support groups, which can be led by professionals are self-led. In both cases, this type of support system allows you to be in contact with others dealing with the same disorders, so you can see that you are not alone. Together, you can also help one another learn tips and tricks to dealing with anxiety. A good support group can really become a second family.

However, the third group is your actually family, as well as close friends. When you develop an anxiety disorder, it may be difficult for some people to help you through this rough period of your life. Your true friends will be there, though, to help you through the recovery process and to support your decisions. If you do not find this type of support within your group of friends, they are probably not the friends you should have. When you know someone with an anxiety disorder, your life may be more complicated, but sticking by his or her side can make all the difference when it comes to recovery.

Asking for help is a key step in dealing with anxiety disorder. If a disorder is ruining your life, you truly need to find people who can help you overcome the disease and live a happy and healthy life instead.

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone Merry Christmas.
Enjoy and take time to spend quality time with your loved ones and take care

Vitamin D and life expectancy

Checkout the interesting acticle pertaining to Vitamin D on life expectancy. Vitamin D is free!, just go and get some healthy sunshine!

Aging and DHEA hormone

What causes aging?

The effect of aging is quite apparent in human, in particular our physical outlook. Hair loss, increased grey hair, weaken eyes resulting in difficulty in reading, muscle and bone loss and weakened immune system are but some of the symptoms of aging.

There are several theories about what causes aging. Some of the theories make sense whereas some do not. One of the generated accepted theories by all is that aging process and all diseases that comes along with aging is caused by damaged to our body cells.

Cells function properly by communicating with each other through electrons. Electrons could only move in the body with the help of hydrogen. Cells must have oxygen to survive and function properly. The multiplication and growing of cells requires hydrogen. Hydrogen is regarded the fuel of life. The fabric of life namely the DNA of cells is held together through hydrogen bonds.

As we grow older, the hydrogen pool in our body becomes depleted. Free radicals seek out other chemical structure from which they can acquire an electron. Free radicals are a group of compound s with an electron missing from their chemical structure and this makes them unstable. One part of the cell which is most susceptible to free radical damage is its membrane. The cell membrane is composed mainly of fat and proteins. The fats or lipids in the cell membrane easily interact with free radicals to produce a dangerous chemical that harms tissues and damaged the DNA of cells.

As we grow older, chances are that more and more of our cells are damaged by free radicals and this result in chronic inflammation, hormone imbalance and thus accelerate the aging process.

Anti ageing hormone
Hormones in our body undergo changes as we age. One of the major hormones that get affected as we age is DHEA. DHEA stands for ‘De-Hydro-Epi-Androsterone’. As we grew older and aged, our body hormone tends to become imbalance thus this leads to triggering of chain reaction that impact our body metabolism, stress, weaken our immune system and other emotional and psychological health.

What is hormone?
Hormones are chemicals excreted by glands of the endocrine system for instance the thyroid, pancreas, ovaries, testes, adrenal and pituitary to name a few. The hormones are released directly to the blood stream and it affects the way we think and feel.
DHEA hormone is produced by the adrenal glands (small organs smuggled up near the kidneys) and is created by chemical reaction involving cholesterol molecules. Thus cholesterol which we often associates with bad health

What is DHEA ?
This hormone is essential and responsible for triggering the production of other hormones such as the oestrogen (female hormone) and progesterone (the male hormone). DHEA is usually inactive circulates in the blood as DHEA-Sulphate. It is activated and converted into DHEA by the cells in our body.

As we age, DHEA hormone levels in our body drops from as early as the late twenties and continues through middle ages and beyond. By the time we reach 40-50, the DHEA level in our body might just left to 30% level compare to our youthful level.

Facts about DHEA.
Laboratory experiments with animal such as rabbit indicates DHEA increases anti oxidant activity and thus possibly for human as well.

It activates and triggers the process of bone-forming cells, better known as osteoblast.
It reduces heart disease by protecting the body against bad cholesterol (LDL)
DHEA helps to reduce interleukin 6 (IL6), a chemical frequently found in immune diseases. IL6 level increases with age and can be used as a guide to determine how quickly the body ages. As such experiments indicate DHEA helps to keep chronic inflammation under control.

Alzheimer disease patient’s DHEA level is found to be drastically lower compare to normal healthy person (at least by 50%). Some experts believe that damage to the brain nerves occur at faster rate if the DHEA level is low. Laboratory experiments indicate DHEA is able to make nerve cells stronger and able to withstand toxic and chemical assault.
DHEA is also known to help to boost our immune response and fight infections.

Facts and fallacies of organic food

When you head to the grocery store, shopping for products like eggs, meat, fish, milk, and produce can be very tricky. Signs are posted everywhere labeling food as natural, organic, and a number of other things—but what’s the difference, really? Learning what specific names mean can help you decide if you should shell out extra money on a product of it is simply a marketing ploy.

Natural is a turn associated with a number of fruit and vegetable product. Typically, this is simple a marketing ploy to convince you to buy the product. After all, all fruits and vegetables are natural, right? Unless it’s a new kind of food that has been developed and processed, the product is natural. What you really probably want is organic. Organic foods are grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. There are two main benefits to organic foods. First, you are helping the environment because those chemicals are not being introduced into nature. Secondly, you are avoiding ingesting chemicals and are therefore healthy more healthy foods. However, organic products are usually more expensive. If you’re on a budget, skip over organic fruits and vegetables that you can peel, like oranges and bananas. After all, once you’ve discarded the peel, you’ve also discarded the chemicals. Instead, opt for organic items like apples, where you eat the peel. No matter what you buy, however, make sure that you rinse off the food when you get home.

Another tricky label you will see is “no hormones.” This is usually in regards to milk or meat products and is false, since all animals naturally produce hormones. Hormones are what helps an animal (even a human) regulate body organs, have young, and otherwise function. All meat products have hormones. What the labels really mean is that no hormones were unnaturally given to the animal, which is sometimes done to increase milk production. Regardless of hormones, however, the milk and meat is safe for a person and not a violation of an animal’s rights.

Lastly, a label on eggs and meat can indicate if the animal was caged or penned. This does not make a difference in the quality or nutritional value of the meat, but is simply a matter of animal rights. These products may be a bit more expensive, but if you want to make human decisions, that is the way to go. Reading the label and making healthy choices can sometimes be difficult, but learning how to do so can help you make the best choices for you diet.

On the other side of the coin, there is always the big question mark as to whether are we really better off with organic food?

Proponents of organic food claim that the world would have lesser problem with mad cow disease if the cows were fed with real organic food. Surprisingly though, it was reported that quite a high number of these cows that contracted mad cow disease were bred in organic farms! Organic food business is big industry and there are signs that what used to be really organic and beneficial to health no longer seems to be the case.
I won’t be surprised if one of these days, those so-called organic foods are found to be in actual fact produced in China’s hazardous chemical and environmental polluted farms.

Organic farming used to be small-localized business that is confined to small markets. Many years way back organic farming is more of a family kind of business whereby residents plant and grow crops and breed domestic animals on their backyard gardens endow with natural futile soils. No dangerous chemical based pesticides or herbicides were ever used on crops. Most of the organic foods were meant for internal or self-consumption.

With demands for organic food on the rise, big food industries are cashing into this lucrative market segment and finding ways to mass-produce organic food on large scale basis. Excessive natural herbicides and insecticides were used on so-called organic crops. Natural herbicides, fungicides and insecticides are usually made from plant extracts and can be quite dangerous and harmful if ingest in large amount. As validated in the lab, artificial herbicides and insecticides biodegrades much faster than its natural counterpart.
Organic crops are usually grown in manure fields. Chemical fertilizers are replaced with urine and animal waste. There have been reported cases whereby the bacteria E-Coli were detected in organic vegetables. Thus organic food does not necessary equates to more safer and hygienic food. So next time if you chance to buy organic food in particular vegetables, make sure you clean and rinse it thoroughly!.

Is There a Difference Between Generic and the Name Brand Drug?

Generic drugs are usually identical to its brand successor. Generic drugs are carefully regulated in the same way so that they can contain the same amount of active ingredient as well as be suitable in the way they are produced. Generic drugs are expected to perform just like the original drugs.

The generic drug must be proven to be bioequivalent to the branded alternative i.e. releases the same amount of active ingredient over the same amount of time.

Differences if any between generic drug and its branded counterpart are normally with regards to the presentation for instance in terms of color or taste. It is not unusual for generic version to contain slightly more of the active ingredient.

There is little difference to the patient between the name brand and the generic. Both have to get through the same regulators and pass the same tests. Generics have a few advantages over the name brand pricier drugs. Firstly, the ingredients in the generic drugs could be fine tune based on the origonal branded drugs reactions and effectiveness. Sometimes the branded version side effects could be drastically reduce in the generic drugs based on known data.

The name brand is often the first of it’s type to be made and this is why the company spends a lot of money on making, testing and patenting the new drug and this is why they are more costly.

Generic drugs will have a patent once that has expired or in some cases are different enough from the original but still do the same type of job.

Generic drugs have a smaller manufacture and costs are usually less expensive so that we are able to afford them easier. This means that they are going to be more available to those in other countries.

Problems with Generic Drugs

Some people have concerns about the safety and the effectiveness of Generic drugs and they certainly deserve every right to be cautious. Some people are worry that generic drugs might not have through the tough clinical trials that the original drug does.

The FDA states that the active ingredient for both original drug and for that matter its corresponding generic drug has already been subjected through exhaustive clinical trials and thus would not be necessary to subject the generic versions do the same thing because they are made from the same exact ingredients. It is also because of the critical trial exemption granted to generic drugs that make it cost effective and cheap compare to the original drug.

Bioequivalence tests are enough to make sure that the drug is effective and safe just like the original drug. In most instances there is nothing to worry about because the generic drugs are regulated. Generic drugs are found to have the same problems as the originals just like the same side effects.

Some of the comparing studies say that there are generic drugs that are performed in the same way as the original but something different. If you are moved from a brand name drug to the generic and you notice a change in the symptoms that you have especially if you get worse, you need to go to your GP and get some advice.

The research on drugs that you find out about has been well thought out. Researchers do their job and make sure that drugs are safe for the public to use first. Information about generic drugs will allow you to make a good decision about the medication that you use.

You need to exercise extreme caution though if you order generic drugs through the Internet. This is due to the fact that some of the generic drugs are faked drugs and might be contaminated with dangerous substances that are detrimental to health. If in doubt, take time to check out the Internet site which you order the drugs.

Facts about Generic Drugs

What is a generic drug?
A generic drug is made one the patent of a new drug has expired. It is the same as the original in just about every way.

How are generic drugs regulated?
Generic drugs are regulated by the FDA and must be tested and then approved by them before it goes into production.


Are your generic drugs made by the same company as the brand name version? I
t just may be about 50% of all generic drugs are made by the company that developed the original drug.

Are generic drugs made in the same standard facilities as the name brand ones?
Yes al facilities have to meet the FDA standards.


Why do all the brand name and generic drugs look different?
The trademark laws do not allow the generic versions to look just like the originals that are on the market. The colouring, size and shape might be different but they are still going to act the same way and do the same thing.

What is bioequivalence?
If a generic drug is bioequivalent to the original it may mean that the generic drugs will work in the exact same way. It will release the same amount of the active ingredient in to the blood stream over the same amount of time.

Why are generic drugs so much cheaper?
Because of the increased competition between the pharmaceutical companies once a patent has been lifted on a patent has been lifted on a certain drug they will be cheaper in price. Take for instance, prescribed HIV drugs in Singapore may cost up to S$1500/- per month while it cost only S$200/300 per month over in Thailand because of generic drug lower cost.
 

Why are generic drugs made?
The same company produces Fifty percent of all the generic drugs. Some are made by the developing countries in cases where the drug is exempt in the country from an existing patent in the West.

Kidney disease prevention with fish oil

There are many benefits to including fish in your regular diet. Some of my colleague hates fish, so much so that they would give it a pass for other more oily food stuffs such as fried chickens. Fish meat provides important nutrients such as Omega 3 fatty acids that help to keep our heart healthy and strong.

Diabetes can leads to kidney failure. As a matter of fact a third of people with diabetes may get chronic kidney disease. Recent studies by British researches indicate that people with diabetes are less likely to contract kidney disease if they include fish in their diet versus those who don’t.

Fish oil contains anti inflammatory properties due to the higher concentration of Eicosapentaenoic Acid, better known as EPA. Thus if it is not convenient for you to include fish in your daily diet, just go ahead to take daily doses of fish oil or in the form of tablet or liquid.

So do yourself a favour, get yourself a bottle of cod liver oil for the price of less than a burger Mac meal and stay healthy.

Tyson Foods controversial antibiotic free label

So it finally dawn upon the US Department of agriculture (USDA) that right at home front one of the country’s biggest chicken meat supplier; Tyson Foods has been lying to the public consumers by labelling their chicken products as ‘anti-biotic’ free. Seems to me it looks more like the case of the pot calling the kettle black. US and Europe has been shouting and crying wolf over China’s gross violation of food safety while at their own backyard their local food industries are flaunting with food safety likewise.

Tyson is contesting against the USDA ruling by claiming that the antibiotics were injected into eggs two or three days before the chicken hatch and thus it is rightfully of the company to label the chicken meat as antibiotic free. An interesting fact brought up by Tyson was that the majority of the poultry industries in the US are also practising the same thing. To further add insult to injury,
Tyson has filed a lawsuit against the USDA claiming that the agency had improperly change the meaning of the ‘raised without antibiotic’ thus causing the company to suffer loss due to the need to change the label as well as potential lost of customers due to the absence of ‘antibiotic free’ label.

Consumption of dairy products containing residue of growth hormones may cause early puberty and in some cases link to cancer. Proponents of animal inject growth hormones claim that residual growth hormones is too little to cause harm to humans whiles lab studies has shown that lung, colon and prostate cancer could be triggered by intake of residual growth hormones. To date no one knows the long term impact of hormone injection. There are studies that indicate hormone injection may affect the balance of other hormones in the body and thus causing cascading hormone chain effects which might be detrimental to long term health safety.

All these while and of recent we have heard and seen the press all over the world condemning China for it gross violation of food safety. As a serious critic of China food industries which are usually non compliance to safety standard, I have to admit though we have to draw a clear line with regards to China bashing.

It seems to me we have gone overboard simply for the fact that if we were to audit food products from other countries, chances are that the food safety authorities are likely to find the presence of other none Melamine type of dangerous health threatening substances in many of the so called non China manufactured food products. Take for instance; of recent the Singapore health authority has detected the presence of dangerously high peroxide content in Italian made “Alce Nero Organic Whole What Biscuits”.

Well so much so for food safety labels, one thing for sure, we cannot take food safety labels for granted as it is the case with Tyson.

The benefits of garlic

Most of us associate Garlic with the silly pungent smell that put off most people. The local Asian noodle, ‘Lor Mian’ is usually spice up with garlic and after eating the ‘Lor Mian’ it is recommended that you rinse your mouth with water or drink lemon juice to stop bad garlic breath.

Garlic is one of most common herbs that are beneficial to our health. Garlic helps to stimulate infection-fighting white blood cells, boosts natural killer (NK) cell activity, increases the efficiency of antibody production, and acts as a natural antioxidant. Garlic is also very effective as natural treatment for getting rid of parasites from our body, in particular such as pinworms. Garlic can also be use to strengthen the body against common cold and helps to regulate blood sugar level.

Garlic is one of the most important and widely available foods around. Garlic belongs to the onion family and is widely used throughout the world since ancient times for both culinary and medical treatment purposes. Garlic contains the active sulfur compound ‘allicin’. Allicin has antibiotic properties and thwart the ability of germs to infect humans. Long before the discovery of penicillin, garlic is often used as antibiotic treatments.

Garlic is also scientifically proven being able to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke due to its ability to helping in breaking up blood clots. Current research into cancer prevention and treatment indicates consumption of garlic to be effective in reducing stomach and colon cancer risk.

Furthermore, garlic can also be used to treat herpes, warts and insect bites. Crush the garlic and apply the juice into infected areas.

With so many benefits associated with garlic, why not make it a point to take odorless garlic pills that you can easily find from off the shelf counter? After all garlic pills are cheap and you’ve got nothing to loose by supplementing your diet with garlic pills.
Having said that, as with all herbs and food, eating is moderation is important. Since garlic contributes to blood thinning, those who has blood disorder or on medication for blood disorder, pregnant women and those about to go for surgery should exercise caution and consult the doctor if necessary on intake of garlic pills.

BS financial planners and advisors

I bet many people have sleepless nights due to the financial market situation. Quite a number of people have been affected by the global financial meltdown. In particular are those who have lost much of their life savings due to stock market crash and investment funds. World financial and market economy experts and analyst believe that the troubled US economy and of the world is going to last beyond year 2010.

Looking through my AIA financial portfolio today, I have come to realize I have suffered considerable lost of over 60%, at least on paper. AIA Global Resources and AIA Emerging Market Fund in particular are two of the worst performing funds to date. As of today, the funds value has declined by almost 50%. The interesting thing or rather should I say the stupid thing is that fund management still continue to charge investors a flat management fee of 1.5% annually regardless of the fund performance.

Come to think of it, it is great and fun to become a financial planner or fund manager. You get to dabble around or rather should I say you get the opportunity to meddle with other people’s money to improve your investment skills without having to worry about the consequences. If the funds perform well the credit goes to the fund management, if the fund suffers any serious decline in value, you just need to blame the world financial situation. It is frustrating to know that your request and concerns for the declining fund values are ignore by your financial advisor and that he or she only come and notify you the impending need to switch funds where situation gets from bad to worst.

Forget about those bull shit advice from people who tells you that you should invest your money in financial stocks, bonds or unit- trust funds cause money savings decline in values due to inflation and etc. If you want to sleep peacefully at night and to avoid unnecessary stress, stay away from those BS financial institutions which continue to market investment portfolios. Financial planners and advisors are no different than the loan sharks. At least when you borrow money from loan sharks you are fully made aware of the need to pay high interest for the loan whereas bank and financial institution advisors and financial planners tells you the bigger lie that your money will grow on trees like nobody business when you park your money with their BS companies.

Facts of life

Despite the economic and financial woes, Singaporeans are on the general happy going lucky lots. Just couple of days ago, throngs of people were rushing to buy small cars when the COE prices fell to all time low of just two dollars only. Never mind about bad forecast of negative growth next year. Never mind about banks and financial institutions defaulting on bonds investment returns and repayment, never mind about potential retrenchment and etc. Now with the government taking the lead to encourage companies to first explore ways to cut cost before going for the headcount reduction or workforce management, the general public sentiments is further assured and encouraged to keep up with the usual spending habits. So it seems like not all is gloom so to speak, well at least before we enter 2009.

Singaporean loves to eat, go to any popular makan places or restaurants, you will see people continue to spend and eat like no one business. Of course there are those who has been impacted by the economy slowdown, some may have lost their jobs, some might be feeling the tight financial squeeze, some who has lost their life time savings due to unfortunate turn of events with regards to investment in Lehman Brothers, the DBS and Morgan Stanley high notes. Whatever the situations, we could either indulge in self pity blame ourselves for the predicament we are in or face the fact squarely and know that we cant change the past so get on with our life and move on. I am a novice investor, to date my investment in AIA Global Resources Fund, AIA Emerging Market Funds and Prudential has all go into the negative return territory. I am likely to suffer 50% lost on all my investments, well at least in paper. Nothing much I can do about it though. I could continue to vent my anger and blame all those lousy fund managers who sold me these investment packages but what purpose does it serves? There’s nothing they could do either.

The recession is here to stay for a long time. In such times of economic and world financial turbulent uncertainties, there are only two paths we could take. Well the first path is to go with the flow and thus allow the difficulties to affect our family and us or to stand up to the adversity and do what is needed to prosper in such times. The choice is obvious, do what is necessary to live through such difficult times and emerge stronger in or continue to dream of ways to get around the problems. The choice is yours. Only you know the best path to take. Forget about those stupid financial planners who are now probably hiding in their foxholes. Brains wash yourself if necessary and if need be to avoid indulging in self-pity and to avoid blaming everyone else but yourself for your predicament.

As we approach year 2009, is time again to give a thought to our new resolutions.
Here are some tips to help us achieve our resolutions.

Make your goals realistic and achievable and breakdown big goals into sub goals which is achievable in months or weeks.
Put your list in writing and review it regularly.
Don't be reluctant to change or modify it.
Planning is not optional. After making your list, decide exactly how and when you intend to get there. Write down the timeline for each milestones and hurdles you need to clear in order to achieve your plans.
Cross off each item as you achieve it.
If you live long enough, repeat.

Body wrap

Here’s an interesting ads on slimming by using body wraps. Body wrap methods are not new, it is used by many slimming centers and the result varies between individuals.
The way I see it, body wrap is a complete waste of money and time since it does not address the core of the issues with regards to what makes a person put on weight.
http://liposuctionalternative.net/fat-reduction/2008/11/18/

Adopting a healthy lifestyle, get adequate sleep and rest, do regular exercise, avoid junk foods and take more fruits, vegetables are but some of the basic regiments that will set us to the path to a healthy slimmer body, not those body wraps and etc that are full of gimmicks and empty promises. One of the biggest contributing factors to weight management is hormone balance. Hormone balance can only be achieved when we adopt a holistic approach to maintaining health. Further more, apart from the physical aspect of health, it is equally important for us to ensure we are not mentally stress out by the pressure and demanding everyday life challenges.

Thus next time if someone approach you with slimming and weight loss approach via body wraps, unless you have too much money to burn, forget about it and do the sensible thing, practice sensible healthy lifestyle. Be patience because it takes time for weight loss to gain momentum once you begin your journey towards engaging in proper healthy lifestyle.

Tips on acne control

Fruits & vegetables
Make sure you have plenty of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. A healthy diet should contain fruits and vegetables. Adequate vitamin C and fiber in our body helps to facilitate acne control.

Multi vitamins
Take multi vitamins that contains zinc supplement. Zinc contributes to making skin stronger and more acne resistant.

Alcohol free cleaners
Use facial cleaners that are free from alcohol. Alcohol tends to make the skin more dry unnecessary.

Natural makeup
Avoid heavy make up and if necessary do away with makeup ingredients that are not natural. Most make up contains toxins and chemical petroleum based ingredients that cause skin to dry. Try to use all natural makeup instead, it might be more expensive but hey, it is your skin health that you are concern with isn’t it?

Drink water
Drink plenty of water, I am not saying you should drink eight glass of water daily, but drink enough to ensure you don’t thirst and as a general rule of thumb, drink enough to ensure that your urine is colorless like water.

Clean pillow
You spend a huge portion of your time sleeping with your face lying on the pillow. Make sure the pillow is clean to prevent face contact with dirty materials.

Don't wait
Don’t wait for pimples to form! If you see a bit of it in your face or sense some itch on your face then waste no time to do something about it. Apply pimple cream such as Oxy 5/10 or any other suitable cream to reduce the swollen infected areas. Acne control is best done early.

Cockroaches 101

The number ‘101’ seems like a magic figure. Just type ‘101’ keyword into Goggle search engine and you will know what I mean. There is the Beijing 101 Hair Consultants, Investing 101 Bodybuilding 101 and etcetera. How about lessons and tips on killing cockroaches? Yes, you guess it, what better name for killing cockroaches on the run than to call it Cockroaches 101 right? Check the following on how to get rid of cockroaches on the run the accurate way.

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/labnotes/archive/2008/11/14/cockroaches-101-how-to.aspx?GT1=43002

Cheers

Cervical cancer

Most cervical cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus, abbreviated as HPV.
HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted disease. There are different types HPV; some may cause genital warts while other may result in cervical cancer. There is currently neither effective treatment nor complete cure for those whereby HPV infections have taken root and triggered cancer. It may take months or even years for HPV to be clinically detected from the onset of infections and by the time a woman is confirmed down with cervical cancer due to HPV infection it is usually already in the advanced stage and too late to do anything. I still vividly recalled one of my parents’ colleagues, a lady teacher who used to be vibrant died due to cervical cancer. She was like gone in a couple of months after being confirmed of cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer tends to occur in midlife. The advent of medical science and increase awareness among the public about cervical cancer has help to reduce the number of fatalities. Early screening can help to find a change in the cervix before it develops into cancer. Pap smear test remains of the most economical and effective means to check for signs of cervix infections.

The widespread availability of vaccine Gardasil seems like a Godsend answer for young women below the age of 26 all over the world with regards to increasing protection against cervical cancer. Gardasil vaccine is not cheap; it cost something like Singapore dollars 500 dollars for the full course injections. Gardasil is not without its serious side effects though. Some of the side effects include dizziness, vomiting, fever and in some serious cases even death. It is absolutely fallacy to assume that Gardasil or any like vaccine is safe sex vaccine.

There is no such thing as one hundred percent effective & guaranteed immunization treatment against cervical cancer. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure thus it is important to avoid any sexual activities that may increase the risk of HPV infections. Put in another way, avoidance is better than treatment. It is important to adopt healthy hygiene in our daily life, avoid engaging in any unsafe sex activities such as having multiple sexual partners, be it hetero or bisexual and more importantly to go for regular pap smear test once you reach midlife and beyond.

Cosmetic makeup

Many women use make up everyday. Most will use make up during special occasions? If you are completely covering your face in make up or simply wearing some lipstick and eyeliner, it is important to use products that are safe for your skin. You should know that there are major cosmetic companies that make products made with chemicals that are harmful to your face. Learning how you can take out the dangerous products and use only good ones is important for your health.

You may wander why companies would use something dangerous in their products. It is simple, businesses have one goal and that is to make money. Cosmetic ingredients that are not safe are usually cheaper than the alternative make up that is being produced. Harmful ingredients are going to create a better-looking product in some cases. They do not tell you that after using the beautiful colors of eye shadow, your face may break out!

There are however, many companies realize that their customers are becoming smarter and want to know about their products before they use them. Our facial skin is very sensitive and it is very important to use the best products that you can. If you are looking for inexpensive or high end products, there are cosmetics, moisturizers, toners, and many other items that are going to be available out there for you so that you are not risking harmful consequences.

Some of the common dangerous ingredients to look out for when purchasing these items for your face are Methyl, Propyl, Butyl, and Ethyl. These are very well known toxins and can cause allergic reaction in many people. These chemicals are extremely cheap and are often used to kill bacterial growth in your products. Many companies are using them.

You should also be careful of Propylene Glycol and DMDM Hydrantion. These products are used in anti-freeze! Many of these products have been linked to abnormal kidney and liver function and can actually cause permanent damage to your organs.

You need to be very careful of what you put on your lips too. Most of the synthetic colors like C Yellow 6 can be dangerous to your skin and your body and when you put this chemical on your lips, you are eating poison to say the least. One time may not affect you, but after wearing the lipstick for a long period of time, you can start to feel the results. It is like smoking cigarettes on a regular basis.
So that you are safe, you should ask your dermatologist or doctor to recommend about what kinds of products to use. You need to be sure that your products are safe so that you can be safe and healthy. The healthier your skin is the younger you will look and you will be happier too.

Working Out Aerobics at Home

There are many ways that you can make aerobics work for you. First of all, it is important that you understand how vital aerobic workouts are to your health. You can get healthy just by walking and by lifting weights, but in order to be truly healthy, you have to find a way to get your heart pumping and to get your blood flowing. This is why aerobic exercise is the most important to you – it really allows you to get all of the parts of your body working together. Therefore, everyone understands how important aerobic workouts can be.

However, sometimes you simply can’t go to the gym or take a class in order to get healthier and to have better aerobic workouts. Many people are busy with family and with job commitments, and going to a gym or class simply doesn’t fit their needs. There has to be something that people can do at home for their aerobic workout, right?

There are many things, in fact, that you can do in order to do aerobics at home. The basics fundamentals of aerobic workouts include the fact that you have to get your heart pumping and your breathing rate up. These things can be accomplished in many ways.

If you are interested in aerobics at home, you should know that there are several things you can do to accomplish this. First of all, the most popular ways to do your aerobic workout at home would be to get a bike or a treadmill to have in your house. This is something that you can have in a convenient place in your home and it can be ready for you whenever you have time to work out. Both of these are great ways to make sure that you get your aerobic workout.

Another great thing that you can do is develop a routine for yourself at home that includes running in place, jumping rope, or even running around your neighborhood or someplace close to you. All of these things are very important because you can customize your workout to fit your needs, and this can be a great way to get in shape. If you have always wanted to work out, but you have never had the time to go to a class or to join a gym, this can be the best time for you to get a hold of something like a bike, a treadmill, or a running routine that you can do from home.

Breast Cancer -- Real Prevention

Here's an interesting article by James LaValle, R.Ph, ND, CCN

October was Breast Cancer Prevention month, and as always, fund raising and education initiatives were everywhere. There are many advances in our understanding of how breast cancer develops, yet out of all the articles I saw in the mainstream media, none of them explained the most important factors influencing breast health.
Most breast cancer is the type that is called hormone sensitive. That means it is cancer that forms in response to estrogen. It is usually implied that it is solely a matter of having too much estrogen (and/or other compounds that have estrogen-like structure) in the body. However if you dig deeper, you learn that it is not so much the estrogen itself, but how it is being metabolized in the body and whether it is balanced by adequate progesterone that are the primary problems.

Estrogen/Progesterone Balance
The balance between estrogen and progesterone is very important for breast health and is almost never mentioned in popular literature on hormone sensitive breast cancer. There is a big misunderstanding among some people in the medical community that progesterone increases breast cancer risk. This was due to studies that found that synthetic progestins formerly used in women on hormone replacement therapy did increase breast cancer risk. However, further study has clarified that natural progesterones do not.
Natural (bio-identical) progesterone actually reduces the production of certain growth factors, and increases a process called apoptosis (cell death) in proliferating breast cells. Several studies have shown that women with progesterone deficiency have anywhere from 4 to 6 times the risk of developing breast cancer.

As estrogen breaks down in the body from the primary estrogen in the body, estradiol, it can convert to a form called 2OH estrone, the good metabolite, or to 16OH and 4OH estrones, forms that cause tissue proliferation. 16OH contributes to endometriosis for instance, the over-proliferation of uterine lining tissue that causes painful menstrual cramps and can reduce a woman's ability to conceive. These metabolites also increase the risk of breast cancer. On the other hand, women with a higher 2OH to 16OH ratio have a 40% less chance of developing breast cancer.
There is a second step in the breakdown of estrogen called methylation. This step takes 4OH and makes it less active in tissues and actually makes a form of estrone (called 2-methoxyestrone) which inhibits breast cancer. So if your methylation pathways are purring along wonderfully you can break estrogen down into beneficial metabolites. Key nutrients to support methylation are the B vitamins, folate, B6 and B12, and dietary sulfur (found in onions, garlic, cabbage family vegetables and in foods like whey and eggs).
The final step for estrogen breakdown is glucuronidation, a metabolic process in which the different estrogens bind with glucuronic acid in the liver and from there get excreted in the GI tract. At least that's what should happen. Magnesium is needed for glucuronic acid to bind with estrogen. If you aren't taking in enough, the estrogen will not be bound and will just continue circulating in the body.
Gut flora also influences glucuronidation. Pathogenic (harmful) bacteria in the intestines can cause estrogen to get uncoupled from the glucuronic acid. So instead of being carried out of the body, the estrogen re-enters circulation, and the woman will accumulate too much in her system. This pathogenic bacteria called beta-glucuronidase is associated with increased cancer risk.
Diets high in fiber and beneficial flora reduce beta-glucuronidase levels, and so promote good estrogen metabolism. A form of calcium called D-glucarate inhibits beta-glucuronidase and so is also a very helpful nutrient.
There are a couple of substances in foods that help healthy estrogen metabolism and have significant and strong evidence of being cancer protective. (See Laura's article for more information on that.) This is where most of the articles in popular women's magazines focus -- eating a diet that is high in these cancer protective substances; and while it is important to eat this way, unless you measure your estrogen metabolites with urine or saliva testing, you have no way of knowing if your diet is directing your metabolism to more of the healthy and fewer of the bad estrogen metabolites. (My new e-book explains estrogen testing in detail. Look for The Keys to Healthy Aging: Making Hormone Replacement Work for You, available from Total Health Breakthroughs in a few weeks.)

Other Influences: Thyroid and Insulin
The other two influences on breast cancer you rarely read anything about are thyroid health and high insulin levels. Laura's article discusses the diet and insulin connection to breast health, but medicine has known for some time that women with breast cancer have a higher than average degree of thyroid problems, including autoimmune thyroid disease and hypothyroidism.
We know now that any disease of autoimmunity raises cancer risk.5 Since it is known that people with autoimmunity have a suppression of natural killer cells, the cells that can fight and overcome cancer cells, this shouldn't be surprising. You may think that autoimmune thyroiditis and hypothyroidism are not that common, but they in fact are second only to diabetes as the most common endocrine disorders -- and they occur in anywhere from 10 to 30% of the population.6-7
To really get proactive against breast cancer, all women can and should get tested for the following:
· Estradiol, estrone, progesterone, and estrogen metabolites.
· Low thyroid and thyroid antibodies if you have any reason to suspect your thyroid is under-active.
· Post-prandial glucose and insulin levels to ensure you are not developing insulin resistance.
Once you have an accurate reading on these vital hormone levels, an appropriate supplementation and dietary plan can be applied as needed.

Another Melamine poisoning scandal

It seems China’s food contamination scandal has reach a new level of unprecedented uncertainty. Just as the Chinese government goes all out to try to restore confidence to its food industries, it was reported in the press of late that eggs from China were discovered to be contaminated with the same industrial toxic melamine, the same ingredient that found its way into milk based food products. It is suspected that livestock were fed with Melamine laden feeds and this in turn resulted in the toxins being passed to eggs.

There seems to be no end in sight to China’s serious violation of product quality and safety. China’s consumable products have long been known to fraught with health risk The Chinese health authorities are known to have concealed and curbed known health risk related issues, products and malpractices and in trying to put a stop to any complaints filed by its people against the local government officials. Consumers are often threatened and warned of serious consequences should they go ahead to file complaints in court against those thugs who has ties with local or provincial political arms and influence.

The advent of the Internet has created a major challenge to the Chinese authorities with regards to filtering and controlling the dissemination of information deemed sensitive and damaging to the authority image. Chinese netizens from all sorts’ walks of life are now able to communicate and discussed issues that affect daily life more freely. The number of Chinese Internet users is increasing by the day and this has profound impact on forcing the Chinese authority to come in term with dealing with issues pertaining to food safety.
Lets hope this is good start for China to clean up it acts on health and food safety.

PH balance and health

The PH balance of the body is important for health. The pH or "potential of hydrogen" is a measure of the relative acidity or alkalinity of a solution.

The pH scale is from 0 to 14 with 0 being most acidic and 14 being most alkaline. The center value is 7 thus 7 and above is considered alkaline and readings below 7 considered acidic. PH between 7 to 8 is considered healthy.

Our human body needs to have balanced PH in order to function correctly and properly. A healthy body should be slightly alkaline and measuring somewhere around 7.5 which is slightly more alkaline than acid. As matter of fact every cells in the body should be slightly alkaline.

Too much acid in our body tissue is harmful and detrimental to health. The body’ ability to absorbed mineral and other essential nutrients decreases in acid conditions. Acidic tissue causes fatigue and contributes to stress and depression. Essential minerals are channeled or transported from the rest of the organs such as the heart, brain, liver, muscle, skin and lungs to neutralize the acidic conditions in our body. As a result, the minerals in our body get depleted if it is not replaced in time and this weakens our body. Acidic conditions leads to a host of degenerative diseases. High acidity could cause blood sugar imbalance, joint pain and bone loss.

The liver function in detoxification for getting rid of heavy metals and toxins are also affected under acidic conditions. Cell DNA repaired is also impacted by acidic conditions of the body. Cells that has accumulated large amount of damaged DNA could lead to the formation of tumor or cancer. Cancer cells may proliferate under acidic and low oxygen environment. It is not uncommon for terminal cancer patients to have body acidity exceeding 1000 times or more as that of normal healthy person.

You can easily determine the acidity of your body by testing with a litmus or pH paper put into your saliva two hours or more after a meal. It is recommended to test with saliva instead of urine. The presence of alkaline in urine may indicate inability of the body to get rid of harmful acidic toxins properly whereas the presence of alkaline in the saliva indicates healthy body functions. Acid wastes are normally discharge from healthy person via urine.


PH balance is very important to health and helps the body to utilize mineral and vitamins more effectively.

The first step to attain a well PH balance life is therefore through adopting a healthy lifestyle. The various cells, organs and tissues in our body constantly undergo replacement and regeneration. Processed foods, beverages, fried foods, food additives and refined sugars increased body acids.

External environmental factors such as pesticides, herbicides and polluted air and water further pours more acids into our body. Detoxification plays significant role in helping our body to maintain pH balanced. Detoxification leads to healthy liver, kidney and lymphatic system and this in turn helps us to maintain pH balance condition.

Loose weight the easy way

Here’s an interesting link to loosing weight in 7 days without having to resort to the usual exercise and dieting methods that we all have been bombarded and bored with. I am a kind of skeptic though with regards to spinning in helping to loose weight.

Sure do, those ballerinas and ice skaters spin a lot and interesting mostly done by slim people. I guess no harm to give it a try since it is such an easy thing to do, just spin for couple of minutes.


http://www.naratoz.com/lose-weight-in-7-days/#more-285

Restrict usage of mobile phone in public place

Mobile phones are great invention. They have attributed to the advancement of our communications in these modern times but on the other side, they have caused a lot of negative effects especially for the public. Yes, mobile phones have been a cause of public hassles. The misuse of this device could really be a headache for many.

Have you encountered this scene: you are in a public bus; an extremely loud ringing tone destroys the moment? Then, an extremely loud voice started to be like a chatterbox… you could hear even the most private conversations… without any pinch of discreet manner from the user. Why are these people doing such?

According to the Weekly Gripe (www.weeklygripe.co.uk), “Some people naturally speak louder when they are on the phone, and sometimes if there is a bad signal they will often repeat what they have said several times. Perhaps one of the main reasons we resent people using a mobile in close proximity to us is because we only ever hear half the conversation. It doesn’t make sense. We are naturally curious and like a puzzle with half the pieces missing we frustrated by being unable to see the complete picture.”

Indeed, No matter how we deny, we could not ignore listening to mobile phone conversations of others in a bus, a train, in the mall or any public place for that matter. Yes, listening and not hearing. Therefore, it is on purpose. This scene makes you annoyed, right?


Another one, you are down with all your appetite- eating lunch at your desk since you have a very short lunch break. In the middle of it, you just stop right off the bat because of a phone ringing somewhere. Is it not so disruptive? We are supposed to turn our mobile phones in a silent mode when we are at work; we are in a public place…

Ringing tones are cool and they are at any rate, a form of self expression. On the other hand, they are not something to show-off. There is always a time for everything.

As a form of good manners and right conduct, show that you have respect for others and you understand what real freedom is. Treat your mobile phone as an extension of your self- use it with the right amount of privacy. You just do not know how many people you get annoyed because of your improper use of the device called- cellular phone.

Niacin’s Importance

There are many different vitamins that a person should take every single day in order to stay healthy, strong, and safe from injury. Niacin is just one of these supplements. Known as one of the B vitamins, Niacin is a water-soluble supplement. That means it cannot be stored in the body like fat-soluble supplements. Since you cannot store niacin in the body, it is crucial to eat foods with niacin each day in order to replenish the vitamins your body needs. If you do not, there could be serious consequences. For those who do not believe they are getting enough niacin with daily diet, vitamin supplements are important to avoid these consequences.

Niacin is important in the body for growth, reproduction, and the immune system. It can help you convert food to energy by assisting in the function of the stomach, intestines, and other parts of the digestive system. It is also important for building and regeneration of nerves and skin. If you do not have enough niacin in your body, these parts of your health will be greatly affected.

How can you make sure you have enough niacin in the body? Simply put, it is important to consume foods rich in niacin. If you look on the label, you should see niacin, niacin acid or B3. This is found in milk, cheese, and other dairy products, as well as meats like poultry, fish, and lean beef and nuts. Eggs can give you a good source of niacin as well, and if you eat enough legumes, like beans, you will be sure to be getting enough niacin in your diet. Other products that may contain niacin include enriched foods like breads and cereals. Be sure to check the label.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that adults (over the age of 14) get about 14 to 16 milligrams of niacin every day to stay healthy. This number increases if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and decreases if you are younger or have special dietary needs. Again, the best way to get enough niacin in your body is through food sources, but vitamin supplements can help you receive enough of this vitamin if your are worried you may not be getting enough.

When you don’t have enough niacin in your body, you develop a deficiency known as pellagra. Symptoms of this deficiency include flushed skin and rashes, digestive disorders, and mental impairment. However, large doses of niacin can be unhealthy as well, causing peptic ulcers and skin discomfort. Therefore, this is definitely a vitamin supplement that you should only take under complete medical supervision.

Mobile phone and brain cancer

The link between mobile phone and brain cancer has been known for years. The extent of risks and impact of mobile phone radiation exposure to human is not fully understood several years’ way back. For years, mobile phone producers and manufacturers claimed there is no sufficient data to prove that mobile phone radiation is harmful to humans.
It is not surprising though for those who have stakes in the mobile phone business to be bias and present their findings to suit their needs and to their advantage.

Now it seems scientists are getting increasingly concern and worry about the radiation risk pose by mobile phones to humans in particular the brain and the ear. Scientists have every reason to be concern due to the fact that the number of mobile phone users has increased and more and more young people has accessed to mobile phones.

I posted mobile phone harmful effect on human in my blog months way back. Check it out at http://stargaterich.blogspot.com/2008/07/mobile-phone-harmful-radiation.html

Finally scientists in US have taken the bold step to warn the US congress of cancer risk for cell phone users. Check it out at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080926/tts-us-health-cancer-telephone-972e412.html
I guess it is better to be safe than to be sorry, thus try to limit mobile phone usage to short possible time if necessary.

Fast food burger junk food

Why junk food such as burgers are bad for health.

The Low-Down on Benzodiazepines

Anxiety disorders like social phobia and panic disorder can be treated with a number of medications. One such class of these medications is benzodiazepines, known as benzos for shorts. It is important, whatever your medical condition, to understand how your medications work. This will help you stay in control of your treatment and your life. Therefore, if you have anxiety disorders, you should understand how benzos work so that you can make the best medical choices for yourself.

Benzos are considered very mild tranquilizers. Qualities of benzos that you’ll hear used to describe these drugs include hypnotic, sedative, anxiolytic, muscle relaxant, and amnesic. They work, in short, by slowing down your central nervous system. You can use benzos for a number of medical conditions, not just anxiety, which include things like incomnia, seizures, muscle spasms, and alcohol withdrawal. Dentists also sometimes use benzos in their work. Those who abuse stimulant drugs, such as speed, sometimes also abuse benzos to come down from the high. Common drugs classified as benzos are Xanax, Valium, Serax, Rohypnol, Halcion, Librium, Mogadone, and Ativan, among others.

There are a number of side effects to consider if you are thinking about using benzos to treat your anxiety disorder. First and foremost, some benzos are extremely addictive. While some report no addictive feelings, others report complete addiction in as little as a few days. It depends on the strength of the drug you are using and your body’s specific reaction to it. Other side effects are drowsiness, ataxia, confusing, imbalance, impaired judgment, and forgetfulness. Some benzos are stronger than others and all have drug-specific side effects to consider as well. Once you are dependant or addicted to benzos, withdrawal can be difficult as will include symptoms like insomnia, panic attacks, hypertension, tremor, depression, sweating, loss of appetite, and dysphoria. Sudden withdrawal may cause immediate convulsions, catatonia, delusions, psychosis, and delirium tremens. The ultimate result could be death.

Only anxiety disorder patients to prescriptions and strict instructions from their doctors should take benzos. Uncontrolled, the use of these drugs (like with most prescriptions drugs) can be very harmful to your health. Benzos may be able to help you regain control during a panic attack or in your day-to-day life. Many anxiety disorder patients have, in fact, found great success with this kind of medication. However, there are disadvantages to benzos as well. Make sure that you fully understand how to use benzos and how they will affect your body before beginning to take them.

Stress and being in debt

Money is a source of stress, no matter how much you have, or don’t have. Some of the stress in life is brought about by worries of what you are going to do with your money, where you are going to get money, and how you are going to pay the next bills. To lessen the stress in your life, you are going to have to make your money work for you, and your budget. Being on a budget, and sticking to that budget is going to lessen the stress in your life.

If you have too much worry in your life because of stress, you first need to sit down and think about what you have and how to change your lifestyle to reduce the stresses. You have money coming into the home for work, or from any other source. The money you have coming in usually is not going to change. Now you have to seriously think about where you spend your money. If you are spending much of your money on eating out, on going to the movies and not paying the bills, you have some serious thinking to do. You need to list all the expenses for the home.

It can be stressful thinking about how many bills you have, but in the end, you are going to shorten the stressful times in your life as you take control of your bills and expenses. In reviewing where you are spending your money and how you are spending your money, you will have to make a few decisions. Decide where you are going to find an extra $100 per month. This could mean you don’t eat lunch out, that you don’t go to the bar everyday, or perhaps that you are not going to stop at the store every day after work but just one day a week. You need to cut bills, and cut the stress about money in your life so you can feel better about your finances every day.

To cut stress about money, you should also put a plan into effect that will help you create a savings account. A savings account can be started with just five dollars a week. As small as that may be, when you really have an emergency you don’t have to stress out about money because you will have a few bucks in the savings account that will get you through that emergency time. Learn to cut on expenses, and save money, both are great methods of cutting the stress in your life when it all comes down to money!

On the longer-term basis, think about how to achieve multiple stream income instead of relying on the monthly paycheck to clear your bills. In times of economic uncertainties, it is never too much to consider contingency plan with regards to alternative source of incomes. Stress rob us of our health, thus the last thing we want is debts hanging over our head.

Natural cosmetics

There are so many different professional models that are often said to have the natural look. This means that they are appearing to have little or no makeup on in order to define the everyday look of that intended audience. It is no secret that these models are working with make up artists behind the scenes and are done up to look as thought they are perfect even when they get out of bed in the morning. To get this same look, we purchase makeup and many times these “natural” girls were advertising them. In the fashion world, the word natural also means something else. It is a word that we associate with fresh, safe and organic types of items. This is what everyone wants in today’s world because we are trying to focus on the environment and many make up companies have lines that include natural products.

This “natural” makeup is considered to be safe. Is it? If you are reading the label on the back of your “natural” face wash or “natural” toner, you may see a lot of different chemical type words that you cannot pronounce. Natural does not mean natural these days so you have to be careful when you are purchasing them. This is true for products that are marked as natural and are usually more expensive than the other cosmetics.

The problem is with regulating these laws. “Natural” is a word that can be used by companies with little truth involved. These laws will help to regulate advertising a product as natural when they are not so natural. Natural products will have natural elements. The lipstick that you buy may contain some plants that were grown organically, but that is without the use of chemicals. The advertisements put this fact on the package and they will ignore the fact that the plants at the lab are mixed with a number of synthetic or man made ingredients too.

How can you tell if a product is really natural? This is easier than you would think. Turn the box over and look. There are thousands of synthetic ingredients that are used in make up all the time. By finding the natural products we can be sure that we are taking good care of our skin. If your product contains fragrance, lanolin, mineral oil, sodium hydroxide, talc, or products that you cannot even say, you should not believe that it is natural. If you have any questions there are professionals that can help you check out the good products and leave the bad ones behind. If you want natural products, you should be able to find them and not to be stuck with products that are bad. If you want some natural products you will be able to find them and not be stuck with products pretending to be natural.

Stroke

Our brain cells are severely impacted if it is deprived of oxygen. A stroke normally occurs when areas of the brain dies. The major caused of stroke is due to blockage of blood flow in the brain. Massive stroke can occur due to bleeding in the brain, mostly caused by burst blood vessels, normally known as brain hemorrhage. Not many people are aware though that Low cholesterol in the brain could weaken the blood vessels and cause it to burst.

In many ways the underlying cause of strokes are identical to that of heart attacks, in particular the hardening of the arteries that thereafter causes plaque builds up.
When plaque builds up, it narrows the artery and gradually reduces blood flow.
We may not even notice the narrowing of the arteries since our body is adaptive and the symptoms might be detectable till it is too late.

However, plaque in the carotid artery (the main artery supplying the brain -- there's one on each side) is a ticking time bomb. At any time, it might cause the artery to clot off, starving the brain of blood.

A portion of the plaque might break off, traveling downstream in the blood flow until it wedges in a smaller artery, blocking it and causing the part of the brain supplied by that artery to die. Physicians call this an embolus.

Another possible symptom of stroke is the sudden loss of vision in one eye. This symptom is caused by a tiny bit of plaque, that embolus which was referred to earlier, lodging in the artery to the eye.

The first part of the retina to die is the area farthest from the blockage. Vision fades there; hen the darkness spreads as more of the retina dies. The person experiencing this often describes it “as if a shade was pulled down”.

Is stroke preventable? The answer is yes. As mentioned earlier most strokes underlying process is identical to those of heart attack. It is possible to avoid stroke if we live a healthy life style. Topping the list is 1) Do not smoke or stop smoking, 2) control your blood pressure and 3) cut down on alcoholic beverages drinks 4) maintain normal weight and exercise regularly and 5) reduce too much salt intake and have more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Low salt tomato based vegetable juice are rich in potassium which could regulate our blood pressure.

Light Therapy

Before the times of new modern medicine it did take a long time to heal wounds and illnesses. It should make someone think about how those problems were even healed at all. The answer is easy. The answer is light. Sunlight was and still is a great cure for illnesses and wounds and is rarely used today. Those that practice alternative medicine are looking to light therapy as a new and natural cure for many different types of problems with the physical and emotional body.

The average person is a whole lot busier than people back before modern medicine. It would not make sense for someone to spend hours in the sun and have this just heal something that can be cured in no time when using a pill. It is possible to be cured by light like sunlight. Spending an hour or so in the sun can cure a headache. Having longer exposure can help to protect a wound from becoming infected.

With this information, current alternative medicine professionals are using the healing power of light in order to help their patients with the physical and emotional problems that they have. There are a few different techniques that are used and depending on how severe the problem is. Some of the therapists use fluorescent bulbs next to their patients and have them sit by them for a few hours. Doing this procedure will help and the patient will be able to read so that they do not focus their attention on the lights. Another good use is to cure the aches and pains that people have in the body with intense light with a smaller beam and have it shine on the part of the body that is in pain.

Using light therapy is known to help cure several disorders but the most common is a winter type depression. This is a mental and physical condition of depression that occurs during the winter months. It is a theory that this depression will come because of the lack of sunlight and in may places during the winter months. Exposure to light will make up for this problem and it will hopefully get rid of the winter depression. This is just one idea that will show you how light therapy will work in the ideas of the medicine world today.

Light therapy is also proven effective in treating acne. The ultraviolet spectrum is thought to have anti bacterial effects and activates certain chemical reaction in the skin that kills the bacteria. UV radiation is also known to suppress immune system and reduce inflammatory response thus light therapy may be helpful for treating skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema.

Live and Learn: Anxiety Disorder Knowledge

Anxiety disorders are varied an include agoraphobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and a number of other medical conditions. Most people do not learn about anxiety disorder normally, so it is important to put effort into learning about anxiety disorders if you or a loved one is diagnosed with one of these medical conditions.

The first place you can start when looking for information about anxiety disorders is, of course, you medical professional. If you think that you may have a problem with anxiety to the point where it is disrupting your life, you should see a doctor immediate and describe your symptoms. Your doctor will run tests and check your health in order to make a diagnosis, and be sure to save enough time during your appointment to ask questions about you anxiety disorder and your treatment options. If you feel rushed, make sure that you make another appointment in order to go over your anxiety disorder. If you doctor seems too rushed to talk to you, you are probably better off finding a new doctor who will be able to help you.

Once you leave your doctor’s office, don’t go home—hit the library. There are hundreds of books devoted to anxiety disorders and you can find general information here, that has probably already been covered by your doctor, as well as specific information, including theories on the causes of anxiety disorders and the best treatment options. Along with the books you’ll find at the library, you will also find medical journals and magazine, which will provide you with the most up to date information in the medical community regarding anxiety disorders.

At home, you can continue your education online. The Internet is a wonderful resource when it comes to research just about any topic, including anxiety disorders. You can do this without leaving the home, which is an advantage to people who are suffering from anxiety disorders that are not yet under control. The Internet also allows you to connect to others dealing with the same conditions or in the health care world through email, forums, and chat rooms. However, remember that the information you find on the Internet may not always be the most accurate. Anyone can post on the Internet, from someone with a Ph.D. to your mailman.

No matter how you chose to research your anxiety disorder, it is simply important that you do so. Only when you have all of the information available to you can you truly be able to totally make the best decisions for your body.

The One Cause of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are varied and include things like social anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and phobias. Millions of people around the world are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder during their lifetimes, and so many are looking for answers as to what has caused this medical condition, which can be quite serious. The title here may be misleading, because there really is no one cause of anxiety disorders. You may have an anxiety disorder for any number of reasons, or a combination of reasons. In order to learn more about your condition and try to pin point its cause, here are a few of the things that play into the development of an anxiety disorder.

First and foremost, many people want to know if anxiety disorders are genetic and can be passed on to future generations. Studies show that this may be the case. If a parent has an anxiety disorder, there is a chance that you may get this disorder as well. However, family factors may play a role in this as well. When you are raised in a household in which someone has an anxiety disorder, you are essentially taught these panic behaviors as well. Phobias are especially common to be passed to other family members. Insure relationships with parents may also cause anxiety disorders later in life. In short, this may be partially due to genetics, but also has something to do with your childhood environment as well.

Other environmental experiences outside of your childhood living conditions play into the development for anxiety disorders as well. If you have a traumatizing event as a child, or even as an adult, that even could either stay with you, causing post-traumatic stress disorder, or could affect your thinking, causing other types of anxiety disorders. Social pressures and culture may play a role in this as well, teaching people to become anxious at certain times or fearful of certain things.

An anxiety disorder may also be the result of health factors not related to genetics. Phobias and other anxiety disorders sometimes develop due to a chemical imbalance in the brain, especially with the chemical serotonin, which also affects depression in some people. Evolution comes into play, because you automatically have a fight-or-flight system built into our brains. The foods we eat, amount we exercise, and sleep we get every night all play roles into how our brain functions.

Lastly, anxiety disorders may develop due to stress. When you are stressed about something, you may find that you slow start to wear out. While our bodies are built to handle certain amounts of stress, over time, this simply breaks down and we give in to anxiety, which can develop into an anxiety disorder. No matter what the reason, however, it is simply important that you ask for help dealing with your condition.

Melamine

It finally dawn upon the Chinese health authorities that the baby milk powder contamination problem is far more serious than initially anticipated. To date over more than 22 brands of baby milk powder products, apart from the initial popular Sanlu brand reported by the press were being confirmed tested positive for the presence of Melamine.

Not surprisingly though other Chinese food products such as ‘Yili’ brand yogurt and ice creams were also recalled off from the shelf and from the supermarkets as a result of Melamine contamination. Over 6000 infants has fallen ill as a result of consuming industrial chemical laden melamine milk based products. 6 infants have died to date and the death toll number is expected to rise.

While the rest of the world in particular the US and Europe grasp and struggle with market meltdown and bank collapse crisis, China is busy with cleaning up its image with regards to food safety. Now that the Olympic is over, lets hope that the Chinese government will continue to step up efforts to clean up and improve its environmental health and food safety standards. The mayor of Shijiazhuang, Hebei has been sacked following this recent melamine food contamination scandal. This sacking demonstrates the central Chinese politburo determination to resolve this embarrassing food contamination issue.

The melamine baby milk powder scandal is but just the tip of the iceberg as far as food safety violation is concern. Chinese health authorities need to improve and spare no efforts to protect not just it’s own population but also the health safety of the rest of the world that imports its food products.

Since it is impossible for the health authorities to test every single food products, the onus lies with individual to exercise due diligence and to be cautious and selective when buying Chinese food products. It is always good and beneficial to subject ourselves to body detoxification if possible to help expel and reduce harmful toxins that we might ingest unknowingly. The amount of toxins in some of the food products might just be too negligible to be considered harmful but the accumulative intake of such toxins might cause irreparable damage to our health.

Respiratory infections

Phew, I was down with sore throat, headache and fever the past two days ago. Not sure what really hit me, first there is the symptom of uneasiness of the throat follow by dizziness and finally fever. Didn’t even know I had a fever till the doctor told me my temperature is well over 38.5 degree C. I guess apart from some kind of virus that I might have contracted from public commuters in the train, I have not been sleeping well the past few months. The doctor said I have contracted respiratory infections, whatever it is though. Not sure the exact cause of the insomnia, perhaps it is due to anxiety or work stress. Quality sleep enables us to be able to mentally focus sharply on the things we do.

One thing for sure is that our body immune system is weakened if we constantly lack proper quality sleep. Lack of quality sleep cause our blood pressure to increase. Insufficient quality sleep may cause hypertension. Sleep deprivation can cause us to age faster than usual and may to certain extent endanger our life when we lost focus and attention while we are busy on the wheel driving.

There are many possible for the disruption of quality sleep. Life stress and anxieties may cause the stress hormone Cortisol to be elevated and thus disrupt healthy sleep patterns. Drinks containing caffeine may exacerbate stress levels thus try to reduce or avoid caffeine intake at least 3 hours before going to bed.

Anyway apart from the lack of quality sleep, the antibiotic prescribed by the doctor really helps. I am up and feeling great just after a day taking the doctor’s prescription that includes lozenges, paracetamol for the pain and the antibiotics. One important to take note of though is to have at least basic first aid kit and other medicines such as panadol pain relievers, throat lozenges, tiger-balm readily available to sooth and ease the pain in the night while waiting for daybreak to see the doctor.

That’s all for now, still not in the full right mood yet though and hope to fully recover in another day or so

Aspartame side effects

Melamine poisoning

I hope those people involved in the baby milk powder contamination scheme be given the strictest and heaviest punishment. The number of infants affected by ‘Sanlu’ baby milk powder could amount to thousands since it is one of the most well known baby milk powder brands in China and popular with the Chinese for its competitive pricing.

Melamine
It was reported that Melamine, a plastic material has been added to either the milk by scrupulous farmers or during the process of the production of the baby milk powder.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine for more details on Melamine. Melamine has high nitrogen content is primarily used in Asia as fertilizer.

Melamine is added to maintain the concentration of protein while reducing the milk contents by means of adding more water thus reducing production cost.

The same toxin Melamine was reported being found in US brand pet foods manufactured in China and directly responsible for the death of a number of pets in the US which consumed ‘Menu Food’s pet food.

Symptoms
Symptoms of Melamine poisoning include vomiting, lack of appetite, lethargy, frequent urination and increased water intake. Melamine is toxic to kidneys and caused acute renal failures to pet dogs, cats and humans. There is no cure for pets down with Melamine poisoning. Treatment can prolong the life of some of the affected pets; life will never be the same for those who survived. Life will never be the same for those Chinese infants that survived Melamine poisoning. Somewhere down the road in their life, they will die of other complications, directly or indirectly caused by their earlier childhood Melamine poisoning.

Treatments
Standard treatments includes injection of intravenous fluids to help flush the kidney off the toxins, medication to control blood pressure, nausea and anemia, special diets to reduce strain on kidneys, and frequent blood and urine tests to monitor the patient’s kidney function.

Culprits
It is disgusting to know that Sanlu officials knew about the contamination as early as March this year but did not seek to warn the public nor alert the central health authorities. Corruptions and cover-ups of incidents of such are common in China. The Sanlu factory in question that produces the contaminated milk baby powder is located in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province, about 2 hours drives from Baoding.

Source of contamination
Shijiazhuang is home to a large number of textiles, pharmaceutical and chemical related industries. Just earlier this year, another case of food contamination involving meatballs produced for the Japanese Nissim brand in Shijiazhuang factory has the Japanese health authority scrambling quickly sending an investigation team to the China based factory to underpin the source of the contamination.

Farmed salmon

Prolong exposure to harmful toxins such as pesticides are one of the major leading causes of cancer. We are exposed to pesticides more often than we think. Some of the food that we eat contains harmful level of pesticides and toxins. Thus it is important for us consider doing detoxification to help expel some of the harmful pollutants from our body.

Cancer pollutants
For instance, farm bred salmon contains endocrine disrupting cancer causing pollutants called PCB. Some salmon breeders feed the fishes with pellet meals containing cancer-causing pollutants, term PCB. Most of the salmon that we get either from the supermarket or the meals we take from restaurants are farm bred salmon. Wild salmons are usually more expensive and contain fewer toxins.

Artificial coloring
Farm salmon are usually gray in color due to the food that was fed to it such as corn meals instead of its natural diet. Farm salmon are also sometimes treated with artificial coloring to make it look pink in color. Prolong exposure and intake of artificial coloring is bad for our health.

Inflammation due to excessive Omega 6
Farmed salmon contains up to four or more times the contents of Omega 6s compare to its wild salmon counterpart. This is part and parcel due to the type of food which farm salmons are given. Excessive Omega 6 intakes that consist of fatty acids could leads to a variety of disease such as heart attacks, osteoporosis, mood disorder and even cancer.

Harmful antibiotics
Farm salmons are given antibiotics treatment to prevent air borne water diseases such as parasites infections from spreading within congested and close quarters. Some of these antibiotics are harmful to human and have long-term serious consequences.

Benefits of Fish Oil for Fitness and Health

When the words oils and fats are mentioned, health-conscious individuals tend to run for cover. What they fail to realize is that there are good fats and bad fats. Complete avoidance of intake of oils and fats would actually be detrimental – rather than beneficial – to their health.

The Truth about Fish Oil
Essential fatty acids must always be part of our daily diet – without them, we take one step closer to our deaths. Essential fatty acids are divided into two families: omega-6 EFAs and omega-3 EFAS.

Although there are only very slight differences to distinguish the two groups of essential fatty acids from each other, studies have revealed that too much intake of omega-6 EFAs can lead to inflammation, blood clotting and tumor growth. The good news, however, is that the opposite is true for omega-3 EFAs. Omega-6 EFAs can be found in vegetable oils while omega-3 EFAs can be found in fish oils among other foods.

Omega-6 vs. Omega-3
Physicians and scientists are of the same opinion that the cause behind increasing cases of heart disease, hypertension or high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, premature aging and certain kinds of cancer is none other than an imbalanced intake of omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs.

As mentioned earlier on, omega-6 EFAs can be found in vegetable oils. This includes but is not limited to corn oil and soy oil, both of which contains high amounts of linoleic acid. Omega-3 EFAs on the other hand can be found also in marine plankton and walnut and flaxseed oils. It should be significant to take note that fatty fish and fish oils contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), fatty acids that have been observed to provide many benefits to the human body. In the early 1970’s, a study on Greenland Eskimos have revealed that one of the major reasons why they rarely suffer from heart diseases is because of their high-fat diet (mainly composed of fish).

The two essential fatty acids, EPA and DHA, are also helpful in preventing atherosclerosis, heart attacks, depression and various forms of cancer. Fish oil supplemented food have also proven to be useful in treating illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, Raynaud’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Other Benefits of Fish Oil
There are a lot more illnesses and situations in which intake of fish oil has proven to be significantly beneficial.

Making the Heart Healthier
The heart is inarguably one of the most important parts of our body and having an unhealthy heart means having to suffer a rather limited lifespan. Naturally, it’s in our best interests to keep our hearts happy and healthy and one way of doing that is eating food that contains fish oil.

In Athens, Greece, for instance, a study was made to show if there was a direct relationship between high fish diet and inflammation of blood vessels. The results revealed that those who ate more fish than the others had a lower level of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, factors that are commonly used to measure likelihood of blood vessel inflammation. These benefits remained even when the various risks associated with high fish diet were taken into account.

Fish to Become Thin
In Perth, Australia, a study had revealed that fish consumption can be used against hypertension and obesity. Researchers of the UWA (University of Western Australia) have discovered that a weight-loss diet which includes a regular amount of fish consumption can be quite effective in reducing blood pressure and improving glucose tolerance.

Fish Oil to Combat Asthma
People suffering from respiratory problems like asthma tend to be perceived as unfit and unhealthy. They should now be pleased to learn that certain studies have revealed the benefits of fish oil for asthma-burdened-individuals. Statistics show that approximately 20 to 25% of children today suffer one form of asthma or another at a certain point in their lives. And certain evidence reveals a regular diet of food with high linoleic acid content as the reason behind it.

Researchers of UW (University of Wyoming) conducted a study by subjecting a number of children to a high-fish diet while others continued with their regular diet. Results revealed that the participants who ate more fish were less prone to asthma attacks and were able to breathe more easily as well.

Consult Your Nutritionist Now
Nothing is good when consumed or used excessively but complete avoidance of a particular food type is equally harmful as well. Ask your nutritionist for the right amount of fish intake for your age and health status.

Hypnosis

One way to treat an illness or medical condition is hypnosis. The dangers and the benefits that go along with the idea of hypnosis are still under investigation but there are many patients that have had a great success rate with the technique. If you are someone that is suffering from an illness that you think hypnosis could help you to overcome, you should talk to your doctor or another mental health care provider for more information on the subject. There is research that you can do for the hypnotic option and find out what you need to before you make any decision about how it works in the medical world.

Hypnotherapy is a medical type of hypnosis. This can be used to treat different conditions. There are many stereotypical misunderstandings because of Hollywood about the world of hypnosis. The fact is that most hypnotists do not cause their patients to perform funny or embarrassing acts. These hypnotists that travel around doing funny performances are not a good representation of what other hypnotists in the world offer to people in the way of help.

Hypnotherapy is not something that is done on a stage or in the public eye. It is done in a doctor’s office. Hypnotism is a natural process and if you have been driving and suddenly found your destination without remembering the drive, you have actually hypnotized yourself. Hypnotism does not cause you to sleep or become unconscious. It does open up your subconscious self to the power of what suggestion can do.

Hypnotism is done with speaking guidance. A licensed professional that will ask the patient to think about certain things does this. The mind will then open up and in a different way and the hypnotist can put suggestions into it. Hypnotism is useful for those patients that are dealing with alcoholism or drug addition or any kind of addiction. A therapist can reach a person’s memory at a deeper level when they are in a hypnotized state of mind. It is useful for those patients that have mental disorders as well.

There are some that are easily hypnotized and others that are not. It is not something that will work for everyone. You need to think about this and talk to your family doctor first before you start to see a hypnotist. This needs to be a healthy and good choice for you and your body. Hypnotism should be used when you are searching for the treatments for medical procedures. Many skeptics in the medical field are still using it and many have found it to be successful with hypnotism when other treatments do not work.