Daily health

Avoiding Colon Cancer: Have You Been Tested?

2012-05-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

With the recent death of pop star Robin Gibb from colon cancer, more attention is focused on this disease that is the second leading cause of all cancer deaths. Gibb, a longtime vegan and non-drinker, succumbed to the disease this week, but experts say this form of cancer is highly preventable if detected and treated early. It is advised that everyone take simple steps now to reduce their risk for the disease and, in addition, those aged 50 and older should undergo screening every 10 years.

Take these 5 Simple Steps to Avoid Colon Cancer
Eat more fiber – Try to transition to a plant-based diet that features fiber-rich beans, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Cut down on red meat – The culprits that put you at a higher risk for colon cancer are red meat and processed meats (beef, hot dogs, bacon, sandwich meats), which can double your risk. Limit your weekly intake of these meats to fewer than 18 ounces.

Stay lean and fit – You don’t have to be an athlete, but you can lower your risk by incorporating moderate exercise into your weekly routine to stay lean and fit. According to experts, roughly 45 percent of all colon cancer cases could be prevented if people made more of an effort to stay in shape.

Make lifestyle changes slowly – Experts recommend that you avoid diet gimmicks and make gradual lifestyle changes over time to ensure the changes are not so jarring or disruptive that you don’t stick to them. For example, start cutting down on unhealthy foods a little at a time, not all at once. Use portion control and exercise moderately rather than taking an all-or-nothing approach to diet and fitness.

Get tested – It has been shown that a colonoscopy – the test that screens for colon cancer and alerts your doctor to a need for early treatment – can increase prevention by up to 90 percent. The screening test is painless, and patients are given a mild sedative and advised to eat clear foods in the days prior to testing to make it easier.

ehealthforum.

3 Basic Baseline of Health Program Principles

2012-05-21T13:48:00.002-07:00

"1.

Your body is composed of a series of integrated systems—some large (such as your organs, immune system, and hormonal systems) and some small (such as your cellular energy system, the blood/brain barrier, and various enzyme systems). Your body is the sum of those systems and it is only as strong as the weakest of them. You can have the strength of a Hercules, but if the smallest of blood clots manages to get lodged in an artery leading to your brain, you can drop dead in the blink of an eye. Again, you are only as strong as your weakest link.

2. Your body is designed to be healthy. It has intelligent, built-in mechanisms to repair damage, optimize performance, and keep you going—provided you don’t damage those mechanisms. So, what can damage them?

An accumulation of toxins and harmful substances, including heavy metals, industrial chemicals, xenoestrogens (synthetic substances, such as some pesticides and food additives that mimic the action of hormones), too many free radicals, unrelieved stress, excessive circulating immune complexes, etc., steadily degrades function. If these substances accumulate beyond the body’s ability to eliminate them, the degradation of your internal organs and systems will be both rapid and catastrophic.
An insufficient supply of essential nutrients also degrades function. Quite simply, you cannot build the same body out of pepperoni pizza, beer, and Ding Dongs® as you can out of live foods.

3. Since you don’t know everything affecting your body at any point in time, you’ve got to do the entire program all at once. You can’t look for magic bullets—if there were a magic bullet for what ails you, your doctor would have given it to you already. Or to state it another way: suppressing symptoms is not actually the same thing as eliminating the cause of a disease. Magic bullets and drugs are basically symptom suppressors. The Baseline of Health Program can actually eliminate the causes of many diseases, even if we don’t know exactly what those causes are!

That’s the Baseline of Health Program. Everything else is commentary, but that commentary is important. It provides the step-by-step instructions that allow you to attain these three principals. For the most part, these instructions need to be effected in a defined sequence. For example, intestinal cleansing comes before diet so that you end up maximizing the nutrition you draw from your food. Enzymes come before rebuilding your immune system, because eliminating circulating immune complexes (CICs) with enzymes frees up a massive burden on your immune system, thus making it that much easier to rebuild your immune response. Yes, you can certainly pick and choose aspects of the program that appeal to you, but your results will be far better if you start at the beginning and rebuild your body systems one-by-one in sequence.

"

source: Jon Barron, Dr.

Why You Shouldn't Lie Out This Summer

2012-05-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

Why You Shouldn't Lie Out This Summer

With summer around the corner, you may be looking forward to getting out to enjoy the warmth and plenty of sunshine. As the weather improves, it is tempting to spend a great deal of time lying outside to get a tan and enjoy the summer air. There are a few reasons to avoid excessive time spent lying out, however.

Risk of Sunburn

One of the most immediate negative effects of lying out in the sun is a sunburn. Sunburns cause painful blistering, flaky skin and red patches that can be uncomfortable for several days. If you do choose to lie out in the sun, be sure to regularly apply an appropriate sunscreen to reduce the risks of burning from the UVA and UVB rays.

Risk of Skin Cancer

Over time, excessive lying out and sunburns can dramatically increase your risk of developing skin cancer. Your risk also increases if you use artificial tanning booths or beds. The more sunburns that you get in a particular part of the body, the more that area is damaged, increasing the risk of developing cancerous growths.

Leathery Skin

Too much time spent in the sun can permanently affect the appearance of the skin, making it tough and leathery. This skin may be uncomfortable to the touch and may cause periodic flaking or other problems after you've been out in the sun for a long time. A suntan today may look attractive, but the after-effects of that suntan will be extra lines and wrinkles on your face.

Source, ehealthforum.

5 Health Concerns for Men

2012-05-19T13:23:00.002-07:00

According to statistics, men die five years younger than women on average. Thanks to advances in medical care and an increased awareness of the importance of maintaining good health, these statistics have improved in recent years. However, as far as men's health is concerned, the numbers could be better.
There are five top men's health concerns to which all men and their primary care physicians should pay special attention. Being aware of your risk factors for these health concerns, doing what you can to minimize those risks and maintaining an active lifestyle are the keys to living a long and healthy life.

1. Heart Disease

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in four men have some type of heart disease, and twice as many men die from heart disease than women.

2. Stroke

Hypertension or high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol are the leading causes of stroke. African Americans have a higher risk for stroke than caucasians. Much of the risk can be managed through diet and exercise.

3. Lung Cancer

New lung cancer cases have steadily decreased due to smoking cessation awareness and program implementation. Still, tobacco usage accounts for 90 percent of lung cancer cases.

4. Depression and Suicide

Increased aggression and anger are presenting symptoms for depression in men, rather than sadness, which is more prevalent in women. Men commit suicide four times more often than women. It is important to recognize the signs and seek help for depression or anxiety.

5. Prostate Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, one in seven men will develop prostate cancer and one in 28 will die from the disease. This form of cancer is treatable if detected early through prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests and digital rectal exams.

Moving Forward

Gender, age, race and heredity are health risk factors that you cannot control. What you can control are general risk factors like obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol intake and a sedentary lifestyle. Work on managing or eliminating those risk factors that are within your control and begin enjoying a healthier lifestyle. What can you specifically do to start eliminating your health risks?

Eat a healthy, low-fat diet, rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and lean protein.
Avoid too much salt.
Stop smoking.
Reduce stress and take time for yourself.
Get regular exercise, even if it is a 30-minute walk everyday. It will work two-fold by getting you moving and allowing you time to de-stress.
Follow a weight management plan and lose extra pounds.
Know your health screening numbers, especially blood pressure, PSA and cholesterol.

How your Cloths can Affect your diet

2012-05-18T13:58:00.002-07:00

Kick Start Your Diet by Changing Your Clothes

Do you have old clothes in your closet that are a size too small? If so, they may be sabotaging your diet and keeping you from losing weight.
Like many of us, you may think that holding onto the clothes you bought when you were slimmer will motivate you to lose weight. It turns out that the opposite may be true. It is better to wear clothes that flatter your current shape so that you feel more attractive and confident now.
Increased confidence and a more positive attitude towards your body - your current body - will inspire you to get back in shape and take better care of yourself. So, throw away those old jeans and change your clothes! Buy some new clothes that flatter your current shape instead.

The Effect of Flattering Clothing

Flattering clothing makes you feel good about your body and puts you in a positive frame of mind. A positive frame of mind is important when you are trying to shape up and lose weight.
Once you have freed yourself from your old, smaller clothes, you will be ready to embrace who you are today and choose clothes that flatter your shape now.

Try on Clothes before You Buy

Choose sizes that hang well on your frame and allow you to move comfortably. Select fabrics that stretch and flow loosely, rather than those that are stiff and restricting. Never buy clothes that are too tight, and avoid bulky shapes and fabrics. Keep it simple by sticking to clean lines.
Solid colors without patterns tend to be more flattering than busy prints. Colors that flatter your hair and skin color, or your eyes, will make you feel and look most attractive.
When you are buying clothes, always try them on first. If you know you're a size 12, don't just buy a dress without seeing how it looks on you. There may be a size difference between brands, so don't get hung up on numbers. You will find flattering clothes only if you try them on first and see how they fit you.
It's essential to feel good in your clothes to be able to advance in your weight loss and fitness program.

Healthier Teeth Means a Healthier Body

2012-05-18T13:44:00.001-07:00

Healthier Teeth Means a Healthier Body

healthy teeth

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory process that begins with a buildup of bacteria beneath the gums. The symptoms include swollen gums, gums that bleed, receding gums, bad taste in the mouth and bad breath. It is important to practice good dental hygiene to avoid developing periodontal disease, which is proven to lead to other, more serious health concerns.

Basic Dental Hygiene

Daily dental hygiene is the foundation for healthy teeth. Brushing teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste approved by the American Dental Association and flossing daily will prevent most dental problems. Regular dental cleaning and check-ups by a licensed dentist will provide early detection of any emerging problems.

Cardiac Implications

Untreated gum disease causes inflammation and can predispose you to clogged coronary and/or carotid arteries. It also can affect cholesterol levels; patients who were successfully treated for gum disease lowered their cholesterol levels. Patients who neglect their daily oral care and brush less than twice a day are 70 percent more likely to develop heart disease or stroke.

Diabetes

People with periodontal disease have twice the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than those who have no gum disease. The theory is that people who have significant oral infections tend to develop chronic inflammation in other areas of their body. A chronic inflammatory process can affect the body's ability to regulate insulin.

Respiratory Infections

Bacteria originating from gum disease are readily inhaled into the respiratory tract and can cause pneumonia, bronchitis, upper respiratory infections or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Breast Cancer

A study done in Stockholm, Sweden at the Karolinska Institute suggests that women with gum disease may be 11 times more likely to develop breast cancer than women who have healthier teeth and gums.

Pregnancy Complications

Due to hormonal changes and increased blood flow to the gums, 50 percent of pregnant women develop gingivitis, which presents with swollen, sore and bleeding gums. This condition is a precursor to periodontal disease. Women with known periodontal disease are more likely to have premature births and low birth rate babies.

Good dental hygiene is critical to good general health. Be sure to follow a daily routine at home and seek professional dental cleanings and check-ups at least every six months.