• Prevent Blood Clots: Thin Your Blood Naturally prevent blood clots
    Major health problem arise when your blood become thick. When your blood becomes dense or thick, its flow is not smooth in your blood vessels or arteries due to which your blood pressure rises and you suffer from hypertension, stroke and heart failure.

    There are many medicines to thin the blood, you can also thin the blood naturally.

    Here are some tips to thin the blood naturally.

    * Garlic remains at the top when we talk about natural blood thinners. Garlic has numerous health benefits due to its antioxidant properties. It is rich in allicin, selenium and many other vitamins and minerals which are very good for your health.

    * Fish oil & Flax seeds contain omega 3 fatty acid which are very good for blood thinning and proper brain functions. It also prevents you from different types of cancers. Omega 3 fatty acids are very effective in lowering bad cholesterol.

    * Raw Ginger works better to thin the blood. Another spices cinnamon too is very helpful in thinning the blood. It also helps in many stomach disorders such as diarrhea.

    * Onions are one of the best foods to thin blood. Just like garlic it prevents platelets to combine. Thus blood clotting is prevented. Eating raw onions works better.

    * Exercise. Apart from the above mentioned foods, exercise is one of the best natural means to thin blood. Those who remain physically inactive, Vitamin K in their body increases which causes blood thickening & clotting. But when your body keeps moving, Vitamin K does not get chance to develop more than your body requires. Thus your blood remains thin. Therefore you must exercise regularly if you don’t want any health complications.

    * Red wine has a greater ability than red grape juice to thin the blood due to the alcohol. Studies show that moderate drinkers have less heart disease than abstainers.

    But, that fact comes with a trade-off. Drinkers have more bleeding type strokes that abstainers. So, that magic bullet just lost some of it's luster. But, drinking consists of beer, whiskey, and wine, so just stick with the wine. Red wine has antioxidants that neutralize free radicals. Red grapes contain chemicals that seem to relax and dilate blood vessels and reduce blood pressure.

    Most diseases are not avoidable, but certain aspects of heart disease have factors that we can control. Proper diet and nutrition are things that we can completely control. When you choose to disregard your health, you choose to live with the consequences. And those consequences are very likely high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. All of which can lead to very serious complications. Eat right, drink right, and enjoy the red wine.

    Also read: Most Powerful Clot Busting Foods That Works Instantly For Heart

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  • Type of Diabetes that hits only pregnant women pregnant women diabetes
    Gestational diabetes, also known as gestational diabetes mellitus, GDM, or diabetes during pregnancy, is a type of diabetes that only pregnant women develop. This condition happens in about five percent of all pregnancies. Ruth Olurounbi writes
    on what this condition means and how it can be avoided. Excerpts

    GESTATIONAL diabetes is diabetes that is found for the first time when a woman is pregnant. The body, experts have said, needed and use glucose for energy, but too much glucose in the blood could be harmful. When a person’s blood glucose (also called blood sugar) is too high, the person is said to be diabetic. As such, a pregnant woman is not required to have too much glucose in her blood because that would not be good for her baby.

    Normally, the stomach and intestines digest the carbohydrate in the consumed food into a sugar called glucose. To get the glucose out of the blood and into the cells of the body, the pancreas makes a hormone called insulin. Now, if a pregnant woman has diabetes, it is either her body doesn’t make enough insulin, or her cells can’t use the glucose in the blood the way they should.

    Instead, the glucose builds up in her blood, causing diabetes, or high blood sugar. Changing hormones and weight gain are parts of a healthy pregnancy, but both changes make it hard for the body to keep up with its need for insulin. When that happens, the body doesn’t get the energy it needs from the food eaten, and that is when diabetes occurs, Dr Motunrayo Adigun, an Ob-gyn expert explained.

    She said untreated or uncontrolled gestational diabetes could mean problems for the unborn baby. Such problems include being born very large and with extra fat, making delivery difficult and more dangerous for the baby; lack of or low blood glucose after birth; breathing problems, among others. She recommended that if a mother has gestational diabetes, some extra tests like kick counts, to check the baby's activity (the time between the baby’s movements); an ultrasound examination, to see how the baby is growing; and special stress tests, be taken to determine how healthy the baby is. She warned also that untreated gestational diabetes may leave both the mother and her baby at increased risk of type 2 diabetes for the rest of their lives.

    It has been said that often, women with gestational diabetes have no symptoms. However, experts are of the conviction that gestational diabetes may increase a mother’s risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy and a need for caesarean section at delivery if the baby is too large. It has also been said that if the condition is left unattended to, could lead to it preeclampsia in some women.

    Preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), which is also called toxemia, is a problem that occurs during the second half of pregnancy.

    Dr. Olatunde Fawole, medical director of Bethel Medical and Diagnostic Centre, while answering questions on this condition, said it would probably go away after the delivery. But, there might a chance that the mother would develop type 2 diabetes later in her life.

    Research has shown that women who have had gestational diabetes could avoid or delay developing type 2 diabetes later in their lives if they maintain a reasonable weight by being physically active for 30 minutes daily. They could engage in walking, swimming, exercises, or even dancing; followed a healthy eating plan like eating more grains, fruits, and vegetables and cutting down on fat and calories.

    It has been warned that women who had had gestational diabetes should continue to be tested for diabetes or pre-diabetes every one to two years, as diagnosing diabetes or pre-diabetes early could help prevent its complications such as heart disease later on.

    Experts on gestational siabetes believe that it is alright for women to breastfeed their babies after they were diagnosed with the condition. In fact, thepy pointed out that a child’s risk for type 2 diabetes may be lower if such a baby is breastfed and helped to maintain a healthy weight.

    In an online journal of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, it was said that this condition could be treated if a pregnant woman knows her blood sugar and keeps it under control. “By testing how much sugar is in your blood, it is easier to keep it in a healthy range. Women usually need to test a drop of their blood several times a day to find out their blood sugar level,” it said.

    Some of the ways to treat this condition is highlighted below:

    -Eat a healthy diet – Your health care provider can make a plan with the best diet for you. Usually controlling carbohydrates is an important part of a healthy diet for women with gestational diabetes because carbohydrates affect blood sugar.

    -Get regular, moderate physical activity – Exercise can help control blood sugar levels. Your health care provider can tell you the best activities and right amount for you.

    -Keep a healthy weight – The amount of weight gain that is healthy for you will depend on how much you weighed before pregnancy. It is important to track both your overall weight gain and weekly rate of gain.

    -Keep daily records of your diet, physical activity, and glucose level – Women with gestational diabetes should write down their blood sugar numbers, physical activity, and everything they eat and drink in a daily record book. This can help track how well the treatment is working and what, if anything needs to be changed.

    source: tribune

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  • How to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease During Winter heart health tips
    With the start of the winter season those susceptible to cold weather should be mindful of low temperatures and receive regular check-ups.

    Medical experts say when the mercury drops the chances of people falling victim to a cardiovascular disease such as a heart attack or a stroke increases by some ten to 20-percent due to a variety of reasons.

    [Interview : ] "When the temperature drops a patient's blood pressure generally rises by some ten-percent and hormone levels as well as pathogens causing inflammation increase."

    Doctors recommend that those with vascular and heart conditions should refrain from intense exercise and try to limit stress.
    Should one experience sudden chest pain or breathing difficulty immediate medical attention is required as a patient's condition can deteriorate rapidly.

    Cerebral hemorrhage and stroke are other medical conditions people should watch out for during winter.
    The rates of occurrence and fatality for the two conditions are higher during the cold season especially among stroke patients.

    [Interview : ] "High blood pressure and diabetes as well as heavy drinking and smoking are some of the common causes of stroke. People should be mindful of these risk factors and try to stay healthy."

    To reduce the chances of deadly medical conditions during the winter season people should refrain from outdoor activities in the early morning hours and exercise during the daytime to avoid cold temperatures.

    Kang Seok-ho, Arirang News.

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  • Testicular Cancer: Heighted Men Are At Risk Testicular Cancer
    Former Chelsea player Jason Cundy is 6ft and battled testicular cancer twice. Now scientists think a growth hormone may play a part

    Tall men have a higher risk of developing testicular cancer, scientists have found.

    An analysis of 13 previous studies, involving thousands of men, found that every extra two inches in height raises the odds of the disease by 13 per cent.

    It is unclear what is behind the link, but it may be that the hormones involved in growth also help fuel the disease.

    Testicular cancer affects some 2,000 British men a year and, unlike many other cancers, is most common in the young.

    Half of cases occur in men aged under 35, with those aged 25 to 34 the most likely to be affected.

    It is also one of the most easily treated forms of the disease, with survivors including seven-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and Grand National-winning jockey Bob Champion.

    The US researchers made the link with height after crunching together data from more than a dozen studies from around the world.

    Researcher Dr Michael Blaise Cook, of the National Cancer Institute in Maryland, said it was unclear why the two are connected.

    Writing in the British Journal of Cancer, he said that genes, nutrition, hormones and other factors that affect height may also play a role in the cancer.

    But British cancer experts urged tall men not to worry, saying that the cancer is relatively rare and that factors such as a family history of the disease are far more influential.

    Sara Hiom, of Cancer Research UK, added: 'It is still important for men to be aware of any changes to the size and weight of their testicles and not delay seeing their GP if they are concerned.

    'This is particularly true for young men as the disease is more common with under-35 year olds.

    'The outlook for testicular cancer is also one of the best for all cancers – even after the disease has spread, patients can be cured.

    'There is still very little information about what causes testicular cancer; it is a disease that can affect men of any height as shown by jockey Bob Champion who won his battle against testicular cancer by coming back from illness to win the Grand National a year later.'

    Height has previously been linked with prostate cancer.

    source: dailymail.co.uk

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  • New Insights on Taking Erbitux for Colon Cancer New research challenges previous assumptions about how to treat metastatic colon cancer in patients with a certain genetic mutation.

    While guidelines have recommended that people with this type of cancer and mutations in their KRAS gene should not receive the targeted therapy cetuximab (Erbitux), a new study finds that a subset of these patients might actually benefit from taking the drug.

    "Those drugs [cetuximab and its sister medication, panitumumab (Vectibix)] have been shown in a number of other studies to be less effective in patients who have mutations of the KRAS gene," explained Dr. Durado Brooks, director of colorectal cancer at the American Cancer Society. "Those studies have been so convincing that the National Comprehensive Cancer Network [which produces treatment guidelines] added KRAS testing as an element of decision-making for using these drugs to determine whether or not these drugs are likely to be useful."

    This new study, appearing in the Oct. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests that researchers and clinicians both may need to drill down further in attempting to decipher which patients will benefit most from different targeted therapies.

    "Before, we have been lumping [different] KRAS mutations together," Brooks said. "This current article is saying we may have been overly simplistic in our approach."

    "It's a provocative report," added Dr. Steven Cohen, a medical oncologist with Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. "The mantra has been to lump [the two KRAS] mutations together. This gives us reason to second-guess ourselves that we should not be excluding patients [with this one mutation] from this type of treatment."

    Here, a group of European researchers looked at 579 patients for whom chemotherapy had not worked and who had taken cetuximab in previous clinical trials.

    For the analysis, patients were separated out, depending on whether they had the KRAS codon 12 mutation or the KRAS codon 13 mutation.

    Patients with the KRAS codon 13 mutation who were treated with cetuximab lived an average of 7.6 months, versus 5.7 months in those with the other mutation. Also, an average of four months transpired before disease progression, versus about two months in the control group, the investigators found.

    Those with the KRAS codon 13 mutation didn't respond as well to the drug as people with a normal version of the gene, but they still responded.

    While some experts may quibble with the study's methodology -- pooling data from several already-completed trials -- this may be the only way that enough patients with this relatively rare (codon 13) mutation could be collected for a legitimate analysis, Cohen noted.

    Maybe 5 percent of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, which is cancer that has spread, have this particular KRAS mutation, Cohen said.

    Not only will more research need to be done before giving cetuximab to people with the codon 13 mutation becomes common practice, but doctors, the cancer network and insurance companies will have to get on board, Cohen noted.

    The cost of cetuximab can be $3,000 a week or higher (the treatment is delivered weekly).

    "It's a major cost issue," Cohen said.

    source: BW

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  • How human brain operates? brain works
    How does the brain work? The 100-billion neuron question

    “There is no scientific study more vital to man than the study of his own brain. Our entire view of the universe depends on it.” Francis Crick, co-discoverer of the structure of the DNA molecule and author of that quote, was not alone in his desire to understand the brain, which has 100 billion neurons. For centuries, the brain has been the subject of countless philosophical and scientific debates.

    Recently, many discoveries and theories have cropped up around how the brain works, and those theories are helping us better understand the brain’s role in health and behavior. Several researchers in the College of Health and Human Development work to understand different functions and conditions that are influenced by the brain, including aggression, movement and iron deficiency.

    The Neural Center of Aggression

    Research has shown that children who exhibit aggressive behavior are at risk for developing violent or other risky behaviors later in life. Many schools have adopted strategies to reduce or prevent aggressive behaviors in children, but these strategies vary in their success. Lisa Gatzke-Kopp, assistant professor of human development and family studies, seeks to understand why intervention strategies can be unsuccessful, and she’s looking at the children involved in these interventions to find out.

    “There are many factors that can lead to aggressive behavior, and that differs from person to person. This makes treating at-risk children a little tricky,” said Gatzke-Kopp. She cautioned that, when it comes to treatment, “one size definitely does not fit all. We don’t yet understand how to predict what treatment approach will work best for which child.”

    Gatzke-Kopp thinks that the answer may be found in understanding more about how individual children’s brains respond to the environment. Using electroencephalography (EEG), Gatzke-Kopp is measuring changes that occur in the brain when a child makes mistakes on an assessment test. In adults, there is an almost immediate neurological response that indicates awareness that a mistake has been made. This is critical in the learning process and helps individuals adapt their behavior. If children have not developed this automated brain response to their mistakes, investigators hypothesize that this could increase the risk for developing aggressive or violent behavior.

    Gatzke-Kopp also is assessing different cardiac responses when children receive rewards. The responses she’s measuring, such as heart rate variability, are known to be controlled by the brain, so this should provide additional insight into the factors of aggressive behavior. In addition, Gatzke-Kopp is measuring children’s emotional reactivity after viewing a series of emotionally evocative film clips and studying how children react physically to different emotions. This can further the understanding of the systems children use when learning to cope with or control their emotional states.

    The aggression intervention Gatzke-Kopp studies is called Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS), which was developed by Mark Greenberg, holder of the Edna Peterson Bennett Chair in Prevention Research and director of the Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development, and Karen Bierman, distinguished professor of psychology and associate director of the Prevention Research Center.

    “I hope to find out what’s going on in children’s brains when they don’t respond to interventions,” said Gatzke-Kopp. “Ultimately, we’ll be able to use that knowledge to develop something that works for every child who needs help dealing with their aggressive behavior.”

    New Ways of Doing Old Skills

    Sometimes, researchers can tell a lot about the brain by looking at a person’s behavior. This approach -- known as behavioral neuroscience -- can show researchers how the brain works. This is particularly handy when figuring out ways to help stroke victims, or people who suffer from brain damage, learn new ways to complete movement tasks they previously had been able to do. That’s exactly the type of work done by Robert Sainburg, associate professor of kinesiology and neurology.

    The traditional view of movement is that is controlled by one half of the brain: the right half of the brain controls the left half of the body, and the left half of the brain controls the right half of the body. But Sainburg has a different hypothesis, which he has confirmed in his lab. Both halves of the brain contribute to movement: the left half is responsible for trajectory (the shape and speed of a movement we make) and and the right half is responsible for stabilizing the limb in a given position.

    Sainburg has seen evidence of this by conducting experiments that separate those two aspects of movement. He puts his subjects in a virtual reality environment and asks them to complete simple motor tasks, such as moving an arm from point A to point B. People with damage to one half of the brain will exhibit specific deficiencies in these two aspects of movement.

    “When we move,” said Sainburg, “we first plan where we want to go, then we translate that plan into muscle activations, which ultimately produce forces and movement. During movement, we also rely on sensory feedback to adjust our movement.” What Sainburg is trying to understand in his experiments is where, in this process, damage to specific brain structures might affect movements.

    In some experiments subjects are in a nearly frictionless environment, created with tiny air jets that push against a surface, creating a lift (the same mechanical concept that allows an air hockey puck to glide across a surface).

    “This reduced-friction environment has two purposes,” said Sainburg. “First, it allows us to study movements without fatiguing our subjects due to demands of gravity and friction. Second, this makes it easier for us to mathematically model the movement. To account for friction, one would need to place sensors at every point of contact with the table surface.” Sainburg also conducts studies on three-dimensional movements, which do not use air jets.

    Based on how a person performs simple movement tasks in Sainburg’s lab, he can assess the extent to which brain damage has limited a person’s ability to move. Patients with right brain damage tend to have difficulty stopping their movements at a given position, while patients with left brain damage have difficulty controlling the shape and speed of their movements.

    Sainburg’s goal is to help people regain their ability to move. The next step in the recovery process would be to learn new ways to complete movement tasks. Along with researchers at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Sainburg currently is in the developmental stage of new approaches to learning movement skills.

    Restless Mice

    You’re lying down, getting ready to fall asleep at night, when suddenly you have the unbearable urge to move. Twitch a leg, get up and move, do anything but stay still, your body tells you. So you move and everything seems fine again. However, as soon as you lie down, you feel the urge to move again. This is a common symptom of restless legs syndrome (RLS), and Erica Unger, research associate in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, has been investigating the link between levels of iron in the brain and RLS.

    “One of the difficulties when it comes to researching RLS is that you’re relying on what people tell you they are feeling,” said Unger. In mice, who cannot communicate having an urge to move, the research becomes even more difficult. There is a way around this, though -- by observing patterns of behavior.

    The mice Unger looks at share a key similarity as people who have RLS: each exhibits the same pattern of activity during a given 24-four-hour period. As in humans, most animals’ days are broken down into sleeping periods and waking periods. If you graphed the amount of movement an animal makes in a given day, there is a large amount of activity during the animal’s awake period, and movement declines as sleep approaches. In RLS patients and the mice that Unger has been investigating, there is a surge of activity before sleep.

    Unger and a colleague, Byron Jones, professor of biobehavioral health, found another similarity between these mice and most RLS patients -- they are both iron deficient in the brain. “The iron deficiency observed in the brain appears to be comparable to what we see in the RLS brain. It’s remarkable how similar they are,” said Unger.

    Iron is regulated differently in the brain than it is in the rest of the body. Testing iron levels in someone’s hand, for example, would turn up similar results as testing iron levels in that person’s foot, but the iron levels in the person’s brain could be totally different. The reason for this is because the brain regulates iron levels independent from the body, which also means that taking an iron supplement every day might not be very productive in relieving RLS symptoms. In fact, although people who suffer from RLS show signs of brain-iron deficiency, many do not show the typical hallmarks of iron deficiency outside of the brain.

    Unger has been investigating the underlying causes of RLS symptoms and is focusing on how to treat the symptoms observed in the mouse model. Her technique relies on the brain’s dopamine system. Dopamine, a chemical in the brain, is important in many daily functions, including learning and sleeping. It also plays a large role in movement, which is how it ties into Unger’s research.

    The brain creates dopamine regularly, and this process is dependent on iron. In someone with an iron-deficient brain, this process could become disrupted, and actions in the body that are fueled by dopamine can be affected. Two of those processes, sleep and movement, are affected in people with RLS.

    By using this mouse model of RLS, Unger should have a better understanding of not only how RLS can be treated, but how and why the brain regulates iron differently than the rest of the body.

    No Simple Answer

    As researchers find out more about the brain, it is becoming clearer that there will be no simple answer to the question, "How does the brain work?" However, with their cutting-edge methods and innovative experiments, Gatzke-Kopp, Sainburg, Unger, and several other researchers in the College of Health and Human Development are finding answers to more specific questions centered on brain function. These answers are not only furthering our understanding of the brain, but they are leading to new ways to help people.

    source: live.psu.edu

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  • Diet Including Fatty Fish May Prevent Gum Disease fatty fish diet
    Study Shows Diet High in Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids May Reduce Risk for Periodontitis

    A new study suggests eating foods rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as salmon and nuts, may help prevent gum disease or periodontitis.

    Periodontitis is a common type of gum disease in which the gum tissue separates from the teeth and allows bacteria to build up. If untreated, the condition can lead to bone and tooth loss.

    Researchers found that people whose diets were rich in PUFAs were as much as 30% less likely to have gum disease than those who ate little or none of this type of fat.

    “We found that n-3 fatty acid intake, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are inversely associated with periodontitis in the U.S. population,” says researcher Asghar Z. Naqvi, MPH, MNS, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, in a news release.

    "A dietary therapy, if effective, might be a less expensive and safer method for the prevention and treatment of periodontitis," says Naqvi. “To date, the treatment of periodontitis has primarily involved mechanical cleaning and local antibiotic application."

    Researchers say polyunsaturated fats have already been shown to have beneficial effects on other types of inflammatory conditions, such as heart disease, and they may also play a role in fighting the inflammation that causes gum disease.

    "Given the evidence indicating a role for n-3 fatty acids in other chronic inflammatory conditions, it is possible that treating periodontitis with n-3 fatty acids could have the added benefit of preventing other chronic diseases associated with inflammation, including stroke as well,” says Naqvi.

    PUFAs and Your Gums

    In the study, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers compared fatty acid intake and risk of gum disease in 9,182 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2004.

    The results showed those who ate moderate to high amounts of the fatty acid DHA through diet or fish oil supplements were up to 30% less likely to have gum disease than those who ate lower amounts. Those whose diets were rich in the EPA had up to a 23% lower risk of periodontitis.

    Researchers found that even modest levels of these PUFAs (equivalent to less than 40 milligrams per day for DHA and 10 milligrams per day for EPA) were enough to significantly reduce the risk of gum disease.

    Foods that are naturally high in polyunsaturated fatty acids like DHA and EPA include fatty fish, nuts, margarine, and peanut butter.

    source: webmd

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  • Most Infectious Diseases Caused by Bacteria or Viruses Most Infectious Diseases
    Infectious diseases are diseases that can be caused by bacteria or by viruses or by parasites. There are also other forms of microscopic life that can cause infectious diseases in humans. These minute organisms live in or on the body, and they can be passed on from one person to another.
    Quantcast

    Some of these infectious diseases are quite mild and our body’s immune system is capable to fight them off. But there are those that can be quite deadly and if left untreated may lead to death.

    Here is a list of top infectious diseases that are caused by bacteria.

    1. Cholera

    Cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae which contaminates water and food usually seafood. It can cause diarrhea and water loss.

    2. Meningitis

    Meningitis can be caused either by a virus or bacteria. Many different types of bacteria can cause meningitis but the majority of cases of bacterial meningitis are the meningococcal or the pneumococcal. The bacteria cannot live outside the human body. It thrives on the back of the nose and throat, or in the upper respiratory tract. As such, this disease is spread through coughing or sneezing or kissing.

    3. Tetanus

    Tetanus is caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium tetani. This disease cannot be spread from person to person but the bacterium is present in the soil, in the intestines and feces of household and farm animals as well as human excretion. It is a dangerous disease as it attacks the nervous system and causes paralysis which can lead to death but this disease can be easily prevented through vaccination.

    4. Tuberculosis

    Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis which is spread through the air. This is a highly infectious disease which causes difficulty in breathing as the bacteria infect the lungs.

    5. Whoopping cough (pertussis)

    Whooping cough is caused by the bacterium Bordatella pertusis which is spread through the air. It can cause severe coughing caused by an infection of the windpipe (trachea).

    The above infectious diseases are now not as fatal as they used to be with new treatments found and many advances in the health field. However, if proper treatment and vaccination are not given, these infectious diseases can cause death.

    source: bukisa

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  • Missing Breakfast Triggers Heart Disease heart health breakfast
    No matter how busy you are, make sure to have your breakfast daily, for a study says that skipping the morning meal too often could put you at risk of developing heart disease.

    Researchers at the University of Tasmania have found that leaving the house on an empty stomach leads to obesity, larger fat stores around the stomach and higher cholesterol levels -- all major risk factors for heart disease.

    It also triggers higher insulin levels in the blood, a warning sign that diabetes could soon set in, the Daily Mail newspaper reported.

    The study showed the greatest risks are among adults who regularly went without breakfast when they were children and carried on the habit when they grew up.

    Although previous studies have suggested breakfast can be good for the heart, this is the first to track the long-term dangers.

    The results, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, show that, by the time they are in their late twenties, those who rarely have breakfast as children or adults are already on the way to developing heart disease.

    The researchers think one reason is they are more likely to snack on sugary foods and less likely to exercise while having a lower intake of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

    But there is evidence that skipping breakfast can alter the way the body stores fat. It can also leave people less likely to eat at typical mealtimes, said the researchers, who tracked 2,184 volunteers over 20 years.

    Leading dietician Catherine Collins said that missing breakfast was a "marker" for unhealthy or chaotic lifestyle.

    Illustration: Uttam Ghosh

    source: Rediff.com

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  • How cholera disease is spread? Cholera is one of the most feared clinical entities on earth.

    Cholera is usually spread by eating food or drinking water that is contaminated with the bacteria that cause cholera (Vibrio cholerae).

    Also naturally in the environment, saltwater rivers and coastal waters.

    Cholera spread rapidly throughout the world after the 1817 epidemic, largely due to the inadvertent transport of bilge water, mainly from British ships, but others too, acquired in the Bay of Bengal that contained the organisms.

    There are two ways that Vibrio cholerae usually gets into water or food:

    * Contaminated feces
    * Naturally.

    Contaminated Feces
    In an epidemic, the source of the contamination is usually the feces of an infected person. Cholera can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water.

    Naturally
    The cholera bacterium may also live in the environment in brackish (saltwater) rivers and coastal waters. Shellfish, when eaten raw, have been a source of cholera, and a few people in the United States have contracted cholera after eating raw or undercooked shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico.

    Is Cholera Ever Spread From Person to Person?
    Cholera is not likely to be transmitted directly from one person to another; therefore, casual contact with an infected person is not a risk for becoming ill.

    More Information by (WHO) - How to prevent & control cholera

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  • Chain Smoking Doubles Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia Risk Heavy smoking in midlife is associated with a 157 percent increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and a 172 percent increased risk of developing vascular dementia, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

    This is the first study to look at the long-term consequences of heavy smoking on dementia.

    Researchers followed an ethnically diverse population of 21,123 men and women from midlife onward for an average of 23 years. Compared with non-smokers, those who had smoked more than two packs of cigarettes a day had more than a 157 percent increased in risk of Alzheimer's disease and 172 percent increased risk of vascular dementia during the mean follow-up period of 23 years.

    Vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease, is a group of dementia syndromes caused by conditions affecting the blood supply to the brain.

    "This study shows that the brain is not immune to the long-term consequences of heavy smoking," said the study's principal investigator, Rachel A. Whitmer, Ph.D., a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. "We know smoking compromises the vascular system by affecting blood pressure and elevates blood clotting factors, and we know vascular health plays a role in risk of Alzheimer's disease."

    Researchers analyzed prospective data from of 21,123 Kaiser Permanente Northern California members who participated in a survey between 1978 and 1985. Diagnoses of dementia, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia made in internal medicine, neurology, and neuropsychology were collected from 1994 to 2008. The researchers adjusted for age, sex, education, race, marital status, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, body mass index, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and alcohol use.

    "While we don't know for sure, we think the mechanisms between smoking and Alzheimer's and vascular dementia are complex, including possible deleterious effects to brain blood vessels as well as brain cells," said study co-author Minna Rusanen, MD, of the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital in Finland.

    This study is the latest in a series of published Kaiser Permanente research to better understand the modifiable risk factors for dementia. This ongoing body of research adds to evidence base that what is good for the heart is good for the brain, and that midlife is not too soon to begin preventing dementia with good health.

    The other studies led by Whitmer found that a large abdomen in midlife increases risk of late-life dementia, elevated cholesterol levels in midlife increase risk of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, and low blood-sugar events in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes increase dementia risk. Another Kaiser Permanente study led by Valerie Crooks of Kaiser Permanente in Southern California found that having a strong social network of friends and family appears to decrease risk for dementia.

    source: prnewswire

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  • Wonderful Health Benefits of Eating Potato With Skin On potato diet
    Potatoes are a good source for dietary fibers if eaten with the skin on. They are a good source of Vitamin C.

    Potatoes are vegetables that grow underground and thrive in cool, dark places. While they are mainly grown in gardens, they can also be grown in tin trash cans filled with dirt that are kept in cool, dark places such as basements and cellars. For people who do not have a yard or the option of growing a garden for their potatoes, sometimes growing them in a trash can is their only option.

    Potatoes originated in the Andes Mountains of Peru and Bolivia. Spanish conquistadors became interested enough in potatoes during their quests that they took some home to their land. The vegetable eventually became a standard on Spanish ships after they discovered that eating potatoes prevented scurvy.

    Eating potatoes at every meal has became a staple for many families, making potatoes the number one vegetable crop worldwide. Potatoes provide significant benefits to one's health when eaten properly. They help prevent cancer and control high blood pressure and diabetes.

    It is important to remember when preparing potatoes to leave the skin intact. The potato skin contains all the vitamins and nutrients, whereas the inside is basically just starch. Boiling potatoes in water will cause them to lose vital nutrients. If boiling is necessary when preparing potatoes, it is essential to keep the water, reusing it for soups, to preserve the vitamins. It is best to bake a potato with the skin intact when preparing potatoes for a meal.

    Potato skins contain an anti-carcinogenic compound called chlorogenic acid. This particular acid helps the fiber in potatoes absorb carcinogens that are found in grilled foods. Eating potatoes with grilled foods is common and important when preserving health and fighting off cancer-causing substances.

    Eating potatoes can calm a queasy stomach. The potato skin contains vitamin B6, which is good for eliminating nausea. Potatoes are high in potassium, and foods rich in potassium tend to keep high blood pressure under control. Another added benefit to eating potatoes is feeling fuller longer, helping keep weight under control.

    Diabetics can benefit from eating potatoes for several reasons. Potatoes contain vitamin C, a nutrient known for helping regulate sugar levels in the blood. They also contain complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates must be broken down before being absorbed into the bloodstream. Sugar enters the bloodstream steadily rather than all at once, helping keep blood sugar levels stable.

    Potatoes can be prepared a number of different ways and are extremely versatile and fun to try in new recipes. They are easy on the taste buds and enjoyed by most people. When eaten moderately at meals and prepared properly, the benefits of eating potatoes can result in a longer, healthier life.

    source: wisegeek

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  • Most Effective Exercise & Diets To Firm Your Breast breast
    Breast enhancement - Natural ways to firm your breasts

    Looking in the mirror, many a woman has seen the effects of age and gravity on her breasts. There are of course surgical solutions, and the risks and costs are very well known.

    However, there are some real solutions, proven ones, to help firm up those sagging breasts, and the results, although are not instantly dramatic, are over a period of time, very effective.

    The solution is the daily attention method of

    * Special Exercise

    * Special Diet

    The Exercises:

    There are two. The "lady's push up" and the " dumbbell fly".

    The ladies push up is the main and effective exercise different from the man. First of all she is on the floor on all "fours" position. The hands instead of being straight out, are turned in, so the palms are facing each other. Now start the push ups, with as many as you can comfortably do without becoming strained. This may be as few as 4 or 5. Then daily try to increase this number, till you can do about a set of 20. Two sets are perfect.

    Chest exercises and over the head with your arms type of exercises may help some, but nothing short of surgery will make them stand up like they did when you were younger/before you had kids. Which ever the reason is for you.

    The second exercise, you will need two light (say 1 kilo to 2 kilos maximum) dumbbells. Then lying on your back on the floor, pick up one weight in each. Now extend your arms out at shoulder level on the floor with your palms up. The weights should be parallel to your body.

    Lift both arms straight up together above your body, keeping your elbows slightly bent, so that the weights meet over your chest. Now, return the weights out to your sides at shoulder height, as if you were drawing a semicircle over your body.
    Repeat the exercise 8 to 12 times, then rest for 1 minute. Repeat the exercise a second time resting once again. Then repeat the exercise for a third and final set.

    This will build up the muscles under your breasts and eventually create a condition for those muscles aiding the ligaments in the breast support.

    The Diets:

    Please stay away from crash diets, it can ruin your breasts.

    1. The seeds of flax are not our ordinary diet, but you should include it into your diet considering the fact that you want a bigger breast. In case you don't know, there are 3 distinguishable benefits which flax seeds give when taking them to increase our breast size through natural methods. Their benefits include:

    Flax is a rich source of phytoestrogens
    Phytoestrogens, which is also referred to as plant estrogens, imitates the results of estrogen and it gives you a visible result when used for the aim of enlargement of the breasts. The seeds of flax contain phtoestrogens that enhances the size of the breast.

    Flax is a rich source of fiber
    One seed of every flax plant has 32% of the USDA advocated daily requirement for fiber. How does this aid in the enlargement of the breast? Fiber assists to clean off toxins and too much hormones, giving you a proper hormonal proportion to enable your breast to grow.

    2. Green Vegetables and Fruits
    Green vegetables are natural foods which you should take, not necessarily for the purpose of enlargement of your breast but it will make your breast to grow naturally. All you have to do is eat considerable amounts of vegetable in the morning and evening before you go to bed.

    3. Whole grains, legumes and cereals
    Sources of foods from whole grains, legumes and cereals have high content of fiber which is not only good for your body but also for the natural enlargement of your breasts. I urge you to include them into your foods and watch your boobs grow naturally.

    There are two more tips that need to be remembered.

    1.Wear a good bra always. They really help and

    2.Never go in the sun without sunscreen, and it is a very good idea not to go topless.

    All the best!

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  • Lungs Can Taste! Weird Discovery Points to New Asthma Treatments lungs
    Your lungs know a bitter sensation when they taste one.

    Yes, taste. In a Nature Medicine study, Stephen B. Liggett and company found receptors on the smooth muscle in the lungs that respond to bitterness, similar to the bitter taste buds on the tongue. And, Liggett found, the receptors’ reaction to bitterness is to relax the muscles, and therefore to expand airways. That was totally unexpected, he says, and opens intriguing possibilities for pulmonary treatment—for example, asthmatic symptoms could be treated by exposing these receptors to bitter compounds.

    Like tastebuds on the tongue, the receptors react to bitterness, but unlike tastebuds they do not send any signals to the brain. The researchers thought the taste receptors might have evolved as a protection against toxic plants [Boston Globe]

    The researchers first thought that bitter compounds might trigger a constriction of the airways, to prevent toxins from further infiltrating the lungs. The fact that Liggett saw the opposite, airways opening up, suggests that this feature evolved to help us fight off infections like bronchitis or pneumonia, where it would be beneficial to relax the airway so a person could cough up noxious fluids from the lungs.

    Liggett’s team had been looking for new means to relax and open up a person’s airway, beyond the standard beta 2 agonist inhalant for asthma patients, when they stumbled upon this. Previous research had found bitter receptors on cilia—hair-like structures—in the same area. But this team found them on smooth muscles and experimented to see if they could activate the receptors.

    When the researchers tried bitter aerosols on constricted airways in mice or on sections of human airways freshly removed from cancer patients, they were surprised to discover the lung muscles quickly relaxed. In seconds, the airways expanded to 90% of their original volume — three times as much as they did with the beta 2 agonist inhalant. [Los Angeles Times]

    The team’s discovery doesn’t point to a cure for asthma. But on the plus side, Liggett notes that there are lots of agents available that could produce the bitter sensation needed to trigger these receptors.

    There are thousands of compounds known to have a bitter taste, such as quinine and many drugs, he said. Researchers can begin testing them to determine which have the best results, with few or no side effects.

    source: blogs.discovermagazine

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  • Build stronger teeth for your kid make stronger teeth
    Knowing the exact way to care for children’s teeth will further ensure that the kid will grow up with strong and healthy gums and teeth.

    There are some simple steps that can be followed by parents in order to make certain that their child features a healthy set of teeth.

    Infants demand regular oral hygiene and protection even though just a single baby in every 200 babies takes birth with teeth. The mouth tissues in infants require proper and daily cleansing in order to prevent any irritation.

    * Brush teeth with a soft toothbrush at least twice a day (after waking up and before going to bed). Using a soft toothbrush prevents you from developing a receding gum line, but also be sure to teach them to brush in small circles.

    * Avoid using toothpaste containing fluoride till the time your child is aged enough to actually understand the meaning of avoiding toothpaste swallowing.

    * Parents should take responsibility to re-check child's teeth that all plaque is removed completely.

    * Try to avoid high sugary sweets and beverages, it increases the overall rate of decaying tooth to a large extent.

    * Consume foods that are high in calcium and vitamin D, which promote bone health. Some drinks that contain these minerals are milk, cheese, soy milk and orange juice.

    * Make sure first and foremost that you have the right things in your diet. When it comes to tooth enamel, A is the important vitamin whilst for all round health including the mouth we should always ensure a good amount of vitamin C in the diet.

    By following such simple guidelines, your kid will actually grow up with powerful and healthy teeth.

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  • Broccoli can lower the risk of bowel cancer broccoli lowers cancer
    We knew broccoli was a superfood that helps fight cancer, but it was always feared that cooking the vegetable for too long prevented us from getting the full benefit.

    However, researchers have discovered that eating three helpings a week can lower your risk of bowel cancer - even if it is overcooked.

    Their findings show the body can still absorb the powerful cancer-fighting compound sulforaphane, using bacteria in the gut to release it from its parent chemical.

    Professor Elizabeth Jeffery explained: 'Many people overcook their broccoli, unwittingly destroying the plant enzyme that gives us sulforaphane.

    Now we know the microbiota in our digestive tract can salvage some of this important cancer-preventive agent even if that happens.'

    'This discovery raises the possibility that we will be able to enhance the activity of these bacteria in the colon, increasing broccoli's cancer-preventive power.'

    Scientists had long suspected microbes in the intestines could perform this trick, but no one knew for certain.

    However, after a trial on rats at the University of Illinois, Professor Jeffery said: 'The presence of sulforaphane in measurable amounts shows it is being converted in the lower intestine and is available for absorption in the body.'

    The discovery could lead to new treatments for bowel cancer.

    The findings are published the journal Food & Function.

    source: dailymail.co.uk

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  • Heart disease signs for teenagers Obese teenagers 'show signs of heart disease'

    The blood vessels of obese teenagers look more like those found in middle-aged people, say Canadian researchers.

    A study of 63 children, whose average age was 13, found signs of "stiffening" in the aorta - the largest artery in the body.

    The British Columbia Children's Hospital team said it was an early indicator of heart disease.

    The British Heart Foundation described child obesity as a "ticking public health time bomb".

    One of the key changes in heart disease is the hardening of arteries supplying blood to the heart.

    The rate of childhood obesity has rocketed in the last two decades and continues to increase, leading to fears that younger and younger people will fall prey to heart attacks and strokes, as well as other diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.

    Measurements of the elasticity of the aorta were taken using ultrasound, which can help doctors work out how fast blood is flowing through the vessel.

    However, when the results for the obese teenagers were compared with 55 children with normal weights, the differences were clear.

    More worryingly, these findings were not echoed by similar differences in blood pressure, and blood cholesterol levels between the obese and normal weight children.

    This suggests that cardiovascular problems which could threaten or even shorten life could be developing "silently" during childhood.
    'Stop the clock'

    Dr Kevin Harris, one of the researchers presenting the research at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, said: "The systolic blood pressure was only marginally higher in these obese children - but aortic stiffness is associated with cardiovascular events and early death."

    He now plans research to see if these aortic changes can be reversed with improved diet and exercise.

    Dr Beth Adamson, from the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation, said: "We must rethink the lifestyle standards we have accepted as a society to protect the future health of our kids."

    Obesity rates in the UK do not lag far behind those in Canada and the US, and the British Heart Foundation said it was equally concerned.

    June Davison, a senior cardiac nurse, said: "Last year, figures showed more than a fifth of youngsters are obese or overweight when they start school - a shocking reality and a warning that we are sitting on a ticking public health time bomb.

    "Obese children can become obese adults which can mean a whole host of health problems later in life including heart and circulatory disease, the UK's biggest killer.

    "We must try and stop the clock ticking by making it easier for families to make informed, healthier choices about the food they're eating and the amount of physical activity they're doing."

    source: bbc news

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  • Almonds Promote Heart Health and Prevent Diabetes dry fruits
    Almonds Promote Heart Health and Prevent Diabetes

    Man has evolved to eat almonds and walnuts in their natural form and extensive research confirms the benefits to our health. It`s no coincidence that the ratio of fats and other essential nutrients are in perfect balance with our own nutritional needs. Studies confirm that almonds and walnuts promote heart health by regulating blood lipids and help to prevent diabetes by controlling blood glucose and factors which lead to metabolic syndrome. You can boost your health by adding these nuts to your regular diet, and you will reap the many health benefits.

    Poor Diet Increases Risk of Heart Attack

    Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of adults, and there`s solid evidence that including a handful of nuts to your diet each day can have a significant impact on the health of your heart. The typical diet consists of excessive calories from sugars, refined carbohydrates and hydrogenated fats from fried foods.

    This type of diet negatively influences blood lipids causing an uneven balance of LDL and HDL cholesterol. Problems arise when the LDL particles become very small and oxidized as a result of eating too much processed food.

    Small LDL particles are known to lead to the formation of foamy plaque which is used by our body to pack the small micro cracks which occur in the delicate inner lining of the coronary arteries. Once the LDL cholesterol becomes oxidized, typically from a diet high in hydrogenated trans fats, the substance becomes sticky and quickly forms into dangerous plaque which can narrow the arteries. This sets the stage for a blockage and can lead to a heart attack.

    Eat Nuts Daily for Heart Health

    According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating nuts on a regular basis can help to change the blood lipid chemistry to reduce the risk from coronary artery disease and death from a heart attack.

    Nuts are loaded with beneficial monounsaturated and Omega-3 fats which directly control the size of the LDL cholesterol particles as well as oxidation properties which make the particles less cohesive and less likely to form plaque.

    It`s important to note that eating nuts is just one powerful tool in your dietary toolbox for fighting heart disease. To dramatically lower your risk of heart disease you must cut out refined carbohydrates and wheat based foods, and you must eliminate sugar as this type of diet fuels atherogenic blood fats and heart disease. Use nuts as a compliment to your naturally healthy diet.

    Almonds and Walnuts Help Prevent Diabetes

    The continual blood sugar spikes seen in many people after eating are a sign of metabolic dysfunction which leads to diabetes. A diet high in sugar and processed carbs drives this condition which can lead to devastating complications including blindness, kidney failure and neuropathy.

    A study published in The Journal of Nutrition demonstrates that eating almonds before a meal helps to decrease the wild blood sugar swings from a high carb meal. This helps to lower the risk of developing diabetes and can even assist in the treatment of the disorder when used as part of a healthy diet.

    Almonds and walnuts are nutritional super foods which have been shown to provide essential health benefits. These natural foods help regulate blood lipids and glucose to lower the risk of heart disease and help to prevent diabetes. In addition to eliminating sugar, wheat and processed carbs from your diet try adding a handful of these nuts to your menu each day for optimal health benefits.

    source: naturalnews

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  • Consistence headaches may be caused due to other problems in body Consistence headaches
    A Headache is defined as a pain in the head or upper neck. It is one of the most common locations of pain in the body and has many causes.

    Headaches most often are caused by problems elsewhere in the body, as can be seen on the following overview :

    Pain here indicates

    A : Tension and infections of the gums and teeth.
    B : Over acidity (pain of the eyeball).
    C : Gastritis (pain of the eye socket).
    D : Inflammation of the stomach.
    E : Ulcers
    F : Disorders of the intestines.
    G : Disorders of the fallopian tubes.
    H : Kidney disorders.
    I : Disorders of urinary tract.
    J : Neuralgia.
    K : Formation of cataract.
    L : Disorders of the brain and the spinal nerves.

    Headache Prevention

    Home Remedies :

    * Apply a paste of freshly ground clay or freshly ground sandalwood to the forehead, let dry, rub off by hand and wash.

    * When not suffering from a cold, drink a teaspoon of honey in a glass of warm water or fill the stomach completely with water.

    * Massage forehead, temples, neck and shoulder muscles, making sure to use a little oil to prevent chafing and burning (see also Ayurvedic Massage)

    * If before sunrise or after sunset and the stomach is empty, do a head stand. This increases blood flow in the head and stops most forms of headache.

    * Exercise- with regular excise you can avoid frequent headaches. Regular exercising stimulates the blood flow and avoids high and low blood pressures. Brisk walks can be of great help.

    * Take tea or coffee- many people experience headaches during work. So you can take tea or coffee for relaxing yourself. Herbal teas are really effective for healing headaches.

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  • Disease spread through water pollution water pollution
    Water pollution can be defined in many ways. Usually, it means one or more substances have built up in water to such an extent that they cause problems for animals or people. Oceans, lakes, rivers, and other inland waters can naturally clean up a certain amount of pollution by dispersing it harmlessly.

    If you poured a cup of black ink into a river, the ink would quickly disappear into the river's much larger volume of clean water. The ink would still be there in the river, but in such a low concentration that you would not be able to see it. At such low levels, the chemicals in the ink probably would not present any real problem.

    However, if you poured gallons of ink into a river every few seconds through a pipe, the river would quickly turn black. The chemicals in the ink could very quickly have an effect on the quality of the water. This, in turn, could affect the health of all the plants, animals, and humans whose lives depend on the river.

    Diseases spread

    * cholera
    * typhoid fever
    * e-coli infections
    * PSA infections
    * diphtheria
    * enteric fever
    * dengue

    Diseases also result from heavy metals (mercury, lead, arsenic) and organic contamination (benzene, phenol, PCB) of the water........

    More Detailed Information

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  • Walking: When it works and when it doesn't walking tips
    By Chris Freytag
    Health Fitness Expert

    The topic of weight loss is always news....everyone wants to know how to lose weight and with the obesity rate increasing in both American adults and children- there is a good reason to educate and motivate!!!

    I live in the suburbs and have 3 school aged kids. Every year in the fall, moms begin their "new year" and set goals for their alone time during the school day. (Don't get me wrong - I completely understand you gals out there that say they still have no free time even though the kids are at school. Whether you are a working mom or a stay at home mom- it's a full time job!)

    Walking is a topic that comes up every fall for several reasons: It's the perfect temperature for outdoor exercise and the landscape is beautiful in most parts of the country; it's also a favorite exercise choice for women who's kids have gone back to school; it's also "walking marathon" season in many cities.

    If you are walking for weight loss - here is the most common question I get asked, " I am walking 5 days a week but not losing any weight. What am I doing wrong?" Well, first of all, 50 % of weight loss is what you put in your mouth so go back to my clean eating article for a refresher! Secondly , in order to lose weight you need to think "fitness walking".

    Walking has always been recommend by health professionals as one of the best forms of exercise but what the health profession has failed to do is explain "how to" walk. I read it all the time..."Walk 30 minutes a day to lose weight". Is that it??? Walking seems so elementary but it really isn't - it's like all fitness activities - a little instruction and education goes a long way. Therefore, I reply back to the question above, "How hard are your working, do you know your heart rate?"
    Here's a little information I'll call "Walking 101".

    Many people's idea of a walk is getting out with their dog or with a friend and strolling through the neighborhoods. I call this "a Window Shopping Pace" or "Happy Hour Walking". You are leisure and maybe socializing. It's just not intense enough to trigger fat burning. If you want to burn up calories and body fat, you need to keep what I call "a Mall Walking or Fitness Walking Pace". Bottom line, it has to be faster than what your body is used to for basic walking around during the day. You need to put your mind into workout mode and expect to sweat and breath a little harder.

    A heart rate monitor is key for helping determine if you are walking with enough speed and intensity. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, then go by "perceived exertion". In other words, "How do you feel?"

    Here are some physical ques that will help you determine if you are working hard enough. A "fitness walking" pace will have you breathing through your mouth not your nose and your jaw dropped slightly; maybe lightly sweating; you can utter about 35 words in a row and then you need to stop talking to catch your breath.

    You don't need to overdo it to the point you feel breathless, but you should feel focused. Pay attention to good posture, keep abdominals tight and take a nice comfortable stride. If you are breathing through your nose and feel leisure and relaxed, you will not produce the same training results.

    Walking is a great form of cardio exercise but the same rules apply to walking as all other fitness modes - it's about intensity. Of course, listen to your body and work up to a more intense pace if necessary. I tell my kids all the time, "You can't improve unless you try". Start implementing a "fitness walking" mind set and get your walking buddies on board.

    If you hit a day of inclement weather, join me for an indoor walk. I love the "Walk Yourself Fit" DVD for 2 reasons: I created it (ha, ha) and it's FUN! I'll help you burn up calories, hit terrain and do intervals, add some weights, and keep a "fitness pace".

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  • Low testosterone levels poses heart disease risk Study reveals new potential benefit of testosterone: Could HRT for men cut the risk of heart disease?

    Men with low testosterone are at greater risk of dying prematurely from heart disease and other causes, researchers warn.

    They found almost twice as many men with low levels of the male hormone died, compared to those with normal levels.

    And their research suggests that many men at risk of heart disease would benefit from testosterone replacement therapy such as patches, injections and gels.

    The experts tracked the progress of almost 1,000 men with coronary heart disease for around seven years.

    Low testosterone affected one in four and was an independent risk factor for early death.

    Professor Kevin Channer, of Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital department of cardiology, said the finding refutes fears that testosterone might actually cause heart problems.

    Although high doses of testosterone in anabolic steroids used by bodybuilders are known to damage health, the latest study suggests deficiency can be just as harmful. Professor Channer said: ‘There is ongoing debate over the risk-benefit ratio of testosterone replacement in patients who are deficient, and there is still concern among doctors it might increase the risk of vascular disease.

    ‘Short-term studies show improvements in cardiovascular health, even in men with lower than average testosterone levels – and men feel much better when they are taking it.’

    Testosterone is a key male hormone responsible for sex drive, sperm production and muscle tone but its production declines gradually in middle age.

    Some doctors dismiss the fashion of men taking it to ward off ageing and increase their sex drive. But there has been a huge increase in demand for treatment as more than a million men in the UK have some kind of problem with erectile dysfunction.

    Patches, injections, skin gels, creams and oral capsules are all used to treat testosterone deficiency, many by private clinics offering a male menopause service. Testosterone products are wrongly regarded as ‘sex aids’ although they can boost libido and improve a man’s response to drugs such as Viagra.

    In the latest study, 930 men with coronary heart disease who were referred to a specialist heart centre between 2000 and 2002 had their testosterone levels checked and health monitored for seven years.

    Those most at risk had abnormally low levels – known as hypogonadism – rather than the natural reduction which occurs with ageing.

    During the monitoring period almost twice as many men with low testosterone – one in five – died as did those with normal levels – one in eight – says a report in the medical journal Heart.

    Men at high risk of diabetes and heart disease may stand to gain most from testosterone replacement, said Professor Channer.

    ‘Physiological testosterone replacement is an inexpensive and well-tolerated therapy but does require careful monitoring.’

    But there are risks to replacement therapy including prostate cancer, claims Dr Ronald Ma of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in an accompanying editorial.

    A recent trial of 800 men over 50 at the University of California San Diego showed having low testosterone raises the risk of death from heart disease.

    source: dailymail.co.uk

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  • Tips To Take Care of Your Vocal (Voice) Health
    It sounds like music to an otolaryngologist's ears (an otolaryngologist is just a fancy name of saying "Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist"). Its always a great step by looking into ways of keeping your voice healthy, rather than waiting until something goes wrong before looking for help. Luckily, there are many things you can do to make sure your voice stays golden.

    Many of these tips, including staying hydrated, allowing your voice to rest between practices, shows and performances, and avoiding smoking, are outlined in Secrets of singers who shout their brains out?. Other sound advice to follow includes:

    * Don't dry out: Both caffeine and alcohol make you urinate more frequently, meaning the body loses water, and subsequently causes your voice to dry out. Alcohol can also act as an irritant to the protective mucous membranes that line your throat. Surprisingly, this also includes limiting the use of mouthwashes that contain alcohol.

    * Spice isn't always nice    : Eating spicy foods can lead to acid reflux, meaning stomach acid rises up your esophagus and into the throat, which can damage your voice. For some people, foods that are high fat or contain mint can also cause reflux, so you may want to be careful of these foods as well.

    * Gain with whole grains: …as well as fruits, and vegetables. All three of these types of foods contain plenty of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E that keep your body and throat healthy.

    * Keep it down, no hoarse-ing around: Avoid yelling or straining your voice in loud places. You should also whisper as little as possible, because that can also strain your voice. If your voice becomes hoarse, try to speak as little as possible. For tips on how to get your voice back if this occurs, you can check out "Help! I lost my voice" in the Go Ask Alice! archives.

    * Use your hands, not your neck: Avoid cradling the phone between your neck and shoulder when talking. Holding the phone like this for an extended period of time can cause tension in the neck, which then has an effect on your vocal chords and throat.

    * Movin' on up (and down): Start every practice with warm-up scales that gradually move your voice up and down. You can try some of these exercises recommended by the Vocal Health Protocol from the University of Michigan Health System. It's also a good idea to exercise your body regularly, which can improve your posture and breathing, as well as tone your muscles and increase your stamina.

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  • Yeast Infection: Home Remedies To Cure It I know that I have had my share of yeast infections and I was absolutely sick of it.

    I was tired of my doctor prescribing me a medication or recommending an expensive cream that I know will only take away the symptoms for a short time. I needed permanent relief! So I decided that it was time to switch doctors and find a less expensive treatment. I was blown away when my new doctor told me that I should try all natural treatments.

    So today I want to tell you about two natural cures that have worked for me. I was very specific when I was looking for treatment options. They had to be effective, in expensive and readily available. I did not feel like driving all over the place to find some random ingredient. Was I found were two options that not only were they highly effective but they really helped me to save a lot of money over the course of a year.

    Yogurt is apparently one of the best natural treatments that you can use for yeast infections. I was actually surprised by this. But it is important to note that you need to use yogurt without any sugar in it at all. If you should accidentally use yogurt with sugar be prepared for one of the worst infections that you have ever had! Yeast love sugar and will grow extremely quickly.

    When it comes time for you to use the yogurt then you have a few options. For external itching and burning you can dab a good amount to your vulva and leave it to sooth. If your symptoms are internal then you may want to take a tampon that has yogurt on it and wear it for an hour. When you want to stop yeast infections from occurring in the first place then eat some every day.

    Finally you could wash with apple cider vinegar. You do this by using a mixture of vinegar and water, then take a soft cloth and wash the affected skin. Or you have the option of taking a very warm bath and pouring in two cups of the vinegar.

    For more info on how to deal with candida, check out our Yeast Infection Treatment website.

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  • The Stages of Breast Cancer cancer expert
    by Lillie Shockney, R.N., M.A.S.

    When a breast tumor is found, one of the first things the oncologist must determine is its stage--that is, how far along it is in its development. Knowing this information is vital to deciding how the tumor should be treated.

    The stage of a tumor is determined by:

    * its diameter
    * how many (if any) lymph nodes in the armpit (axillary area) contain cancer
    * whether the cancer has spread beyond the breast to other organs in the body

    The difference between clinical stage and pathological stage

    When an oncologist refers to a tumor's clinical stage, this means that he or she has reviewed imaging studies of the cancer and examined the patient in order to make an educated guess at how far along a tumor is. If, on the other hand, a doctor refers to the pathological stage of a tumor, then the tumor has been surgically removed along with one or more lymph nodes, and its diameter and extent of disease has been measured using a microscope.

    Tumor size matters plenty

    It's probably no surprise that smaller tumors are considered to be at an earlier stage of growth than larger ones, and are often called early-diagnosis or early-stage disease. Two other terms doctors use to indicate that a breast tumor is small, or of lesser severity, are "stage I" and "stage II." For the most part, these are both considered to be early stages. Lumpectomy is achievable for most patients today who have stage-I or stage-II breast cancer.

    Large tumors, or ones that have been aggressive and traveled up into the lymph nodes, are regarded as higher-stage breast cancers, sometimes called "locally advanced" or "stage-III" disease. A tumor this size might require mastectomy surgery to get clear margins around it, and many nodes may also have to be removed from the armpit area.

    In another blog, I will discuss how oncologists predict which treatment will work most successfully for a particular breast cancer. They base their decision on what type of breast cancer a tumor is and how far its developmental stage has progressed.

    source: yahoo health

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  • LED device to treat skin cancer discovered by researchers According to the latest findings of a US study, a newly designed LED-powered device can serve the purpose of treating skin cancer [abnormal cells that divide without control, which can invade nearby tissues or spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body. ] in men and women.

    A team of researchers led by Dr. Rolf Saager, working in the laboratory of Anthony Durkin at the Beckman Laser Institute at University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) insist that LEDs can enhance the photo-dynamic therapy (PDT), a procedure commonly used for curing cancer [abnormal cells that divide without control, which can invade nearby tissues or spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body. ] .

    It may be noted that PDT is a process in which photo
    -sensitizing chemicals that absorb light are possibly infused into a tumor and then the tumor is exposed to the light.

    The oxygen radicals that are emitted by the light energy help the chemicals in destroying the cancer cells, the researchers asserted.

    Reportedly, PDT has already got the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval for treating esophageal and lung cancer.

    The present team of scientists discovered a new device that is equipped with an array of five different LED lights.

    About the device, Dr. Saager said, “Through this imaging modality, it is now possible to assess how the therapeutic light will travel throughout the affected tissue, quantify the drug present within the lesion and monitor its efficacy during treatment.”

    Details of the study
    For the present study, the researchers explored the spatial frequency domain imaging, which when used with PDT, was found to work wonders in treating skin cancers.

    The researchers assumed that the concentration pattern changes on the basis of the tissue structure and pigments in the skin. The precise models of light dissemination could probably produce images that reveal biochemistry of the cancer tissues.

    They imaged a small population of skin cancer patients before they underwent treatment and these were then grouped in two. The whole process took around 5-10 seconds and images with a resolution of 30 microns were developed.

    Spatially resolved maps of the optical properties of the lesions, tissue oxygenation and quantitative distribution of the photo-sensitizing drug were seen on the images.

    According to the researchers, “The imaging technique may put forth an improved map for targeting and optimizing photo-dynamic therapy for basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer.”

    More research needed
    The LED device, though promising, comes with a key hurdle of lacking a thorough imaging procedure to target and assess the efficiency of PDT.

    “Additional research will be triggered for allowing the therapeutic aspects of the instrument and to examine the tissue dynamics during PDT treatment regimens,” said the UC Irvine scientists.

    source: themedguru

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  • Most Effective Home Remedy for Colon Cleanse Colon Cleanse
    Colon is one of the most essential parts of human beings which are responsible for keeping the body healthy from toxic substances. Food intake produces toxins inside the bowel which in due course of time, gives birth of diseases like constipation, obesity and other maladies of serious nature. Hence, this part of organs needs close and regular attention for sustained health. When it comes to effective and affordable treatment of cleansing the colon, home remedy is all time the best option.Colon Cleanse 300x240 Effective Home Remedy for Colon Cleanse

    Observing Fast: – This is essentially a good way of colon cleansing. Observing fast once in a week helps organs such as kidney and liver to eradicate toxic substances out of the body. Fluid intake during fast will remarkably improve colon cleansing process of body.

    Using Herbs: – Using herbs like Psyllium, Flax seeds, Aloe leaf, Ginger, Garlic, Barberry and Fennel helps to improve your colon cleansing process. Above all, these herbs contain absolutely no side effects and are very effective in clone cleansing process of the body.

    Soups: – Home remedies cleansing soup works wonder in colon cleansing process of body. You can prepare the soup using all kinds of vegetables available like onions, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, papaya and many more. Don’t add any oil or butter to the soup. Once the soup is prepared, you can take it for some days until the reaction of the soup kicks in.

    Fish Intake: – A very helpful vitamin such as Omega3 fatty acid which is found in fish is effective to cleanse the colon. This will also correct your digestive system.

    Since colon is responsible for keeping the body healthy from waster materials, its proper and regular look-after will save you from many diseases like obesity and constipation.

    source: onlinehealthtips.net

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  • The Power of Vitamin D The power of vitamin D

    What's all the fuss about vitamin D? Well, vitamin D has been found to play a part in over 2,000 reactions within our body. Studies also suggest that, besides its well-known ability to help in treating bone diseases, vitamin D can also assist in preventin:

    * type 2 diabetes
    * high blood pressure
    * multiple sclerosis
    * certain cancers

    Higher overall death rates have been associated with vitamin-D deficiency as well, and some evidence suggests that the signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia might be due in part to a vitamin-D deficiency--or, that the severity of this disorder can be vastly lessened if a vitamin-D deficiency is found and treated.

    Get yours tested

    The proper lab procedure for testing vitamin D levels is a blood test called 25-OH vitamin D. It's worth noting that, whereas some labs may call levels of around 32 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) as normal, experts like Michael Hollick, MD, PhD, at Boston University, recommend aiming for a level of 50 ng/mL to 80 ng/mL. Some researchers even recommend allowing levels to approach 100 ng/mL. (A blood level consistently above 200 ng/mL however, is considered potentially toxic.)

    Foods rich in vitamin D

    According to the NIH, the following are worth consuming for their vitamin D content:

    * Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon (1,360 IUs of vitamin D)
    * Salmon (sockeye), cooked, 3 ounces (794 IUs)*
    * Mushrooms that have been exposed to ultraviolet light to increase vitamin D, 3 ounces (400 IUs) (not yet commonly available)
    * Mackerel, cooked, 3 ounces (388 IUs)
    * Tuna, canned in water, drained, 3 ounces (154 IUs)
    * Vitamin D-fortified milk (nonfat, reduced fat, or whole), 1 cup (115-124 IUs)
    * Vitamin D-fortified orange juice, 1 cup (amount of added vitamin D varies) (100 IUs)

    (*Note: Research has suggested that farm-raised salmon might contain only 25 percent of the vitamin D that's found in wild Alaskan salmon.)

    UV-treated mushrooms might have an important role in helping to decrease the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. But, in any case, please get your levels of 25-OH vitamin D checked regularly.

    source: yahoo health

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  • Low-Fructose Diet Relieves Kids’ Abdominal Pain Low-Fructose Diet
    Cutting Back on Fructose Relieved Symptoms in Children With Fructose Intolerance

    By Katrina Woznicki

    New research suggests that a low-fructose diet reduces recurrent abdominal pain in children with fructose malabsorption. The condition causes gas, bloating, and cramping because of an inability to properly digest fructose.

    Fructose is a sugar found naturally in fruits, honey, and some syrup. It is also used to sweeten many processed foods and drinks. Researchers led by Daniel Lustig, MD, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and Health Center in Tacoma, Wash., studied 245 patients aged 2 to 18 who had unexplained chronic abdominal pain, constipation, gas, bloating, and/or diarrhea. Nearly two-thirds of the group was female and the median age was 11.

    The children underwent breath hydrogen tests to determine if they had fructose intolerance. Nearly 54% of the group tested positive for fructose intolerance.

    Children who tested positive were put on a low-fructose diet and counseled by a registered dietitian. They were later re-evaluated for pain. Sixty-seven percent of the children who tested positive for fructose intolerance reported resolution of abdominal pain and other symptoms after being on the low-fructose diet. Of note, about 48% of children who tested negative for fructose intolerance also reported resolution of their abdominal pain without a low-fructose diet.

    The findings were presented today at American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 75th Annual Scientific meeting in San Antonio.

    Lustig says fructose intolerance appears to be more common in teenage girls. Fructose intolerance can be mistaken for other gastrointestinal disorders that cause abdominal cramping and pain, such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or irritable bowel syndrome.

    “With fructose in everything from fruit to pre-packaged products, soft drinks, and honey, it is difficult to avoid so the challenge is finding those foods without fructose and still maintain a healthy nutritional balance," Lustig says. "While there is definitely a subset of patients who respond well to a low-fructose diet, it's challenging for patients who are fructose intolerant to maintain, especially teenagers. But the good news is that over half of patients who are fructose intolerant are able to maintain a low-fructose diet and are able to notice an immediate improvement in their symptoms.”

    This study was presented at a medical conference. The findings should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal.

    source: webmd

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  • Heart Health: No, You Can't Rely on Medication Alone
    An unhealthy overall diet or level of body fat can mean you require higher doses of medicine than would otherwise be needed to control your blood pressure and blood sugar.

    Q: As long as my doctor can keep my blood pressure and blood sugar controlled by adjusting my medication, does it really matter how I eat or how much I weigh?

    A: Absolutely! An unhealthy overall diet or level of body fat can mean you require higher doses of medicine than would otherwise be needed to control your blood pressure and blood sugar. Those higher doses mean greater chances of side effects that can reduce your quality of life. Besides, additional doses or stronger choices of medicines are often more expensive, which increases the financial burden not only for you but for our whole country. Medications to control blood pressure and blood sugar are life-saving, but use them as additions to a healthy lifestyle, not alternatives to it.

    Researchers now point out that although controlling blood pressure and blood sugar are important, this control does not necessarily stop underlying metabolic changes from unhealthy eating habits and excess weight that can promote chronic, low-level inflammation, heart disease and long-term cancer development. Excess weight increases risk of conditions that impact your quality of life, such as osteoarthritis and urinary incontinence. Healthy eating habits and weight management do more than just improve your blood pressure and blood sugar: the pay-off includes more energy and lower risk for many cancers and other chronic diseases.

    Q: If blood pressure control is all about limiting sodium, what has eating more vegetables and fruits got to do with better blood pressure?

    A: Limiting sodium is an important step to reduce risk of high blood pressure and, for many people, to control it. However, eating lots of vegetables and fruits adds another layer of protection. In the ENCORE study, overweight men and women with above normal blood pressure achieved drops of 11 mm Hg / 8 mm Hg after just four months on a diet that limited sodium and fat and loaded up on vegetables and fruits.

    These foods supply potassium, magnesium and dietary fiber, all of which seem to help control blood pressure. Aim for at least one cup total of vegetables and fruits at each meal and a snack, and you’ll easily reach the level consumed in studies of the DASH diet, a high vegetable-fruit diet that consistently reduces blood pressure. The ENCORE study showed that adding exercise and weight loss of about a pound a week to this high-produce eating style can reduce blood pressure even further.

    Q: How much could I cut calories and saturated fat if I bake with egg whites instead of whole eggs?

    A: The amount of fat saved depends on how many whole eggs you replace and the number of servings in the recipe. Each time you substitute two egg whites for one whole egg, you save 40 calories and 1.6 grams of saturated fat. While that can add up to a substantial total in the entire recipe, when you divide the total savings among the number of servings, the substitution saves about 10 calories and only 0.3 to 0.5 grams of saturated fat per serving of most muffins, cookies and cakes. Depending on what you’re making, you cut saturated fat more by reducing or replacing butter, stick margarine, shortening or cream cheese.

    Changing egg use also usually doesn’t cut calories as much as when you reduce the amount of these added fats and oil. Some recipes use so much that you can simply reduce the amount listed by one-fourth and the result will turn out great. You can also adjust recipes by substituting an equal amount of applesauce, baby food prunes or low-fat plain yogurt for some of the fat. And when it comes to calories, remember that reducing sugar also helps, as does simply making smaller serving sizes of the final product.

    Karen Collins, D.C.N., M.S., R.D., serves as the nutrition advisor to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). Karen writes two syndicated weekly columns, "Nutrition Notes" and "Nutrition-Wise," distributed by AICR. Karen was an expert reviewer for AICR's landmark international report, "Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective," which provides recommendations based on an examination of more than 7,000 research studies by a panel of internationally renowned scientists.

    source: msnbc

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health tips

* If you're prone to nausea, make chewing on a bit of ginger a habit. - Rock, USA

* Gently stretch your body first thing in the morning. It adds blood circulation and relaxes the mind. - B.J Decosta, USA

* Add salt when you start cooking, it tends to reduce the loss of nutrients that way. - James, UK

* Drinking green tea helps prevent tooth decay by killing plaque-causing bacteria. - Kamal, India

* Drinking two spoonful of honey with half a lime or lemon to warm water first thing in the morning, boost immune, flush toxins in blood. It also helps you reduce your weight.-
Subhash, India

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