medicalfits

Facts And Statistics About Mesothelioma

2010-10-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Asbestos originated as a cause of cancer in the 1930s. Manufacturing industries used asbestos in their production processes which caused many of the workers to be exposed to copious amounts of asbestos. It is also known to cause lung cancer and what used to be known as "asbestosis." In spite of that, asbestos was continued to be used by the industries for decades.

Facts Regarding Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma has a long latency period, and is recognized as a severe and serious disease. The mesothelioma patients are often victims of inaccurate diagnoses. Many of the symptoms of mesothelioma are similar to that of other diseases like pneumonia, heart diseases, flu, bronchitis and others. This makes the detection of mesothelioma difficult.

Mesothelioma is most commonly found in people in the age group of 55-70 years. It is a rare disease affecting people below 50 years of age. And roughly, 75 percent of the patients are above 65 years.

Because of the long latency period mesothelioma is mostly diagnosed only in the later stages. The symptoms cannot be seen at the early stages. The average latency period is around 30 years. The average survival rate is around one year after the diagnosis. But the five year relative rate of survival is also seen to be improving from just ten percent cases it stood at just five years ago.

This means that there are some rare cases where the patient survives for as long as 5 years since the diagnosis.

Summary of Facts

The latency period is around 30-40 years.
Mesothelioma is a terminal disease.
It is mostly diagnosed in the later stages.
Exposure to asbestos is the main cause of this disease.
It is commonly misdiagnosed as flu.

People suffering from mesothelioma are mainly from the age group of 55-75 years.

Lung Cancer And Mesothelioma - The Role Of Smoking

2010-10-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

Lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma, both affect the lungs of a person. Mesothelioma is not a form of lung cancer; both of these are two different and distinct diseases. Lung cancer develops in the tissues of the lungs, while mesothelioma affects the lining around the lungs which is called 'pleura'. Both these diseases cause serious health issues.

Mesothelioma is an asbestos induced disease. There are no other known causes for this disease. If a person has mesothelioma, then it can be implied that he/she was exposed to asbestos. This is why mesothelioma is called a 'signature disease' for exposure to asbestos.

Lung cancer can be caused due to smoking, and also due to exposure to asbestos. But mesothelioma cannot be caused by smoking. A person who is an active smoker and who was also exposed to asbestos has a much higher risk of getting lung cancer.

Cancer, Smoking and Mesothelioma

Smoking is always considered harmful to the body, especially to the lungs. Smoking and exposure to asbestos can both separately prove to be fatal to a person. Quitting smoking can however reduce the severity of developing lung cancer till an extent. Quitting smoking can considerably lower the risk of cancer in the future, but in way guarantees to do so.

If you are a smoker and are also suffering from an asbestos inflicted disease, then quitting smoking can be helpful to improve the quality of life. It can slow down the progress of the disease by making breathing easier, and can also improve the blood circulation. It is also helpful to reduce the stress on the heart.

It therefore becomes essential to know what the "synergistic effect" is. According to the 'synergistic effect', a combination of two or more exposures can be more dangerous than the aggregate of the individual exposures.

Here is an example to explain this well. Exposure to asbestos can increase the chances of a person to get lung cancer by 5 times. And continual smoking can increase the risk of lung cancer by 10 times. But if a person is an active smoker and was also exposed to asbestos, then his chance of getting lung cancer increases by 50 times and not 15 times. The individual risks are multiplied and not added.

The risk of cancer due to smoking will reduce once the person quits smoking. As per the American Lung Association, if a person quits smoking today, then his risk of cancer after a period of ten years will be half of what it would have been if he had not quit smoking. The risk of strokes, heart diseases and other cancers will also come down significantly.

Giving up smoking can bring multiple health benefits for the patient. The benefits are higher for a person suffering from an asbestos inflicted disease, or for one who has a history of exposure to asbestos.

It is advisable that patients remember that smoking can increase the risk and severity of lung cancer and mesothelioma by manifolds. While mesothelioma will only occur from asbestos exposure, but fact of the matter is that smoking does cause already suffering patients greater discomfort

What is Mesothelioma Cancer?

2010-10-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

You see the commercials everyday on television for lawyers that deal in mesothelioma claims. Before 1985, mesothelioma cancer was practically unknown, but when asbestos was discovered to be a proven carcinogen after the medical community suspected it for over fifty years of causing mesothelioma cancer and the asbestos companies staunchly denied it, this form of cancer became a household word to millions of American citizens.

Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos and it is believed that anyone who is also exposed to radion makes the development of the cancer even more likely. At one point in time, the material was found in flooring, ceiling tiles, pipe fittings, caulking, roofing, plaster, and other construction products. Most facilities and power plants that generated heat had pipes wrapped in asbestos. Asbestos releases fibers into the air when it is disturbed and workers breathe it in when they are dealing with it. It can also get on their clothing and shoes which subsequently exposes family members to it. Mesothelioma risks have decreased dramatically since 1985 and the movement to remove the asbestos from as many places as possible. However older homes and businesses that have not had the material removed still post serious mesothelioma risks to anyone coming into contact with it.

Mesothelioma symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, weight loss, persistence cough, hoarseness, trouble swallowing and fever. Unfortunately mesothelioma symptoms take years to develop and by the time they do, the person with mesothelioma could be diagnosed as having some other disease or type of cancer. It is also not just a type of lung cancer. The cancer starts in the lung lining or in the abdominal cavities and it can eventually spread to other organs, usually the heart and reproductive organs. It is an uncontrolled cellular growth that causes the mesothelium layers in the body to thicken and retain fluid and while some cases are benign, the majority are not.

As more and more cases are properly diagnosed, the rise in mesothelioma claims rise. It does not produce typical tumors like a regular cancer would and it is usually caught well after the asbestos in the system has metastasized an organ. It is a slow killer, the asbestos taking years to corrupt the body to the point of no return. Additionally the symptoms are so similar to other diseases that mesothelioma treatments sometimes come too late to make any difference.

Early diagnosis is the only way a patient can be treated for mesothelioma. While there is ongoing research into treatment options, treatment tends to steer towards slowing down the growth of the cells usually through chemotherapy or surgery it the mesothelioma is the pleural type and caught only in its earliest stages. Radiation therapy is also used in combination with the chemotherapy and in many cases, this is simply not enough. Mesothelioma is a disease that is usually diagnosed too late and many doctors are simply resigned to do everything they can to make their patients comfortable as treatments still need to be perfected towards reversing the damage.

13 Health Benefits of Green Tea

2010-09-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

Green tea has been enjoyed by people in China and Japan for thousands of years. Over time it has become widely known in the West.

A lot of people nowadays have heard that green tea benefits overall health, but not a lot know why exactly. And, believe me, after I've learned all the health benefits of green tea, I get a completely different feeling every time I drink it. I not only enjoy the taste of it but I also get the moral satisfaction knowing that I am doing something right and extremely healthy for my body. I want you to have exactly the same feeling I have, so here are the benefits that you get while sipping a delicious cup of tea.

Green tea contains anti-oxidants that:

1. Help to prevent cancer.

There is some strong evidence that green tea included in your every day diet can reduce bladder, colon, esophageal, pancreas, rectum, and stomach cancer up to 60%. An antioxidant known as "epigallocatechin gallate" (EGCG for short) is at least 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times more effective than vitamin E at protecting cells from harmful influence.

The amazing thing about EGCG is that it not only inhibits the growth of new cancer cells it also kills some of the existing cancer sells without harming the healthy ones.

2. Lowers "bad" cholesterol (known as LDL) and improves the ratio of "good" cholesterol (known as HDL). It explains why tea-drinkers can eat almost twice the foods containing cholesterol as those who don't drink green tea, but still have an equal cholesterol count.

3. Stops the unnatural formation of blood clots which if not taken care of will cause thrombosis. It takes on added importance if you consider that thrombosis is one of the main causes of strokes and heart attacks.

4. Reduces high blood pressure by repressing angiotensin II which causes constriction of the blood vessels causing high blood pressure.

5. Lowers blood sugar (polyphenols and polysaccharides are the two main antioxidants are especially effective in lowering blood sugar). That helps prevent and relieve type-two diabetes.

6. Protects liver against toxins like alcohol and chemicals in cigarette smoke.

7. Promotes oral health by suppressing the process of plaque formation and destroys the bacteria that forms plaque. It also destroys bacteria that causes bad breath, so after eating something sweet I suggest you drink a cup of green tea.

8. Destroys free radicals that cause aging.

9. Boosts your immune system function (because of its high concentration of polyphenols and flaveboids).

10. Possesses antibacterial and antiviral properties. Recent studies show that green tea inhibits the spread of disease, speeds up recovery from cold and flu. It also kills seven strains of food poisoning bacteria including clostridium, botulus and staphylococcus (which makes it a good treatment for diarrhea).

11. Helps your body to maintain healthy fluid balance and relieve fatigue and stress often caused by dehydration.

12. Blocks main receptors that produce allergic reactions.

13. Stimulates metabolism, the calorie burning process and is wildly being used as an important part of a healthy diet.

It is important to know that black tea, even though it comes from the same plant as a green tea, will not give you the same benefits. Black tea during fermentation process loses most of its medical benefits.

The best way to preserve all the disease-fighting nutritions is to drink your tea freshly brewed. All the decaffeinated, ready-to-drink bottled or instant teas will give you very little natural health compounds. It is better to let your tea steep for about 4-5 minutes before drinking it.

I hope that after reading this article you will include a cup of green tea in your daily ratio. After all it is a rare case when something that good for our health can be also that delicious.

20 Ways to Reduce Blood Pressure Naturally

2010-09-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

Do You know someone who suffers from high blood pressure? Maybe You? Then this is good news!

Are you aware that there are simple and inexpensive ways to control blood pressure with food and supplements you already have in your kitchen?

Intelligent health conscious people like You can naturally understand these strategies to help maintain lower blood pressure levels.

Because when you understand and follow through with these steps, you will feel more energy and enjoy the benefits of lower blood pressure.

In my 10 years of studying nutrition and over 5 years of helping others solve their health problems, I have found that the experts agree that these steps are some of the most effective in lowering blood pressure naturally.

1. CoQ10 supplements – CoEnzyme Q10 or CoQ10 For short is a powerful anti-oxidant which is in every cell in your body. Your body uses CoQ10 to derive Energy.

In a double-blind placebo controlled study published in The Journal of Human Hypertension, The group which took CoQ10 for just 8 weeks showed a significant reduction of blood pressure.

Also in a University of Texas study, people taking oral CoQ10 after just one month experienced significant lowering of blood pressure and 51% of participants were able to discontinue blood pressure medication.

As a side note, blood pressure medication prevents the body from not only manufacturing its own CoQ10, but also your body’s ability to absorb CoQ10. recommended dose: 100-200 mg gel caps each day to help lower blood pressure.

2. Vitamins, Herbs and Anti-oxidants

The following are Doctor recommended daily amounts.

Vitamin C - 1000 mg

Garlic - 2 cloves

Hawthorn berry - 500 mg

Omega 3 fatty acid fish oil Gel caps - 1000 mg

Vitamin b6 in a natural multivitamin

Magnesium - 500 mg

Astragalus root 500mg

3. Food Sources:

In a Greek study that examined the effects of the Mediterranean diet on 20,000 people proved that olive Oil, Fruits and Vegetables were significantly associated with lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Celery - 4 sticks a day, relaxes the smooth muscles in the blood vessels.

Fresh cold water fish which is high in Omega-3 fatty Acids.

Salt - let’s understand the real reason why salt is important to your blood pressure.

We’ve all heard that you need to cut down on sodium in your diet, although this is not bad advice, it misses the point. High sodium intake alone does not increase blood pressure, it is an excess of sodium to potassium ratio.

The ideal ratio is five times as much potassium as sodium in Your diet. You’ll get the best results by eating three servings A day of potassium rich foods such as:

Bananas – 1 large

Avocados – 1 cup

Beans – ½ cup

Squash – 1 cup

Tomatoes – ½ cup

Low levels of magnesium can also contribute to high Blood pressure, so here are some Magnesium rich foods:

Almonds – 1/3 cup

Tofu – ½ cup

Cashews – 1 cup

Raisin bran – 1/3 cup

And finally lets talk about what level of blood pressure is considered high. Right now the threshold pushed by mainstream medicine is 115/75 – 120/80 which WAS considered borderline LOW just 5 years ago.

This is because the standard for “high- blood pressure, just like the standard for cholesterol is repeatedly lowered to put more people on medication. Your individual risk factors and age play a big role in determining what is a good blood pressure level for YOU.

So don’t just accept a one size fits all number when it comes to your blood pressure. Ask questions and discuss your health with a nutritionally educated Doctor to find what is best for you.

So what about YOU? Are You going to let the silent killer Sneak up on you? Or are You going to take action that will make this highly unlikely?

When You safe-guard Yourself with these proven techniques which You can easily incorporate into your life, then You will reap the healthy benefits.

Used in combination these natural, safe and proven techniques work wonders to keep your blood pressure down and allow you to experience a higher level of health without the unwanted side effects.

So take action now and get started today to do one thing from each of the three points above. Each day incorporate the food and supplements listed and You are well on Your way to lower blood pressure. These are proven, safe and inexpensive steps so You can enjoy the benefits now.

Vitamin E: Nourishing Dry Skin Care

2010-09-07T08:10:00.000-07:00

Among all the nutrients, vitamin E is one of the most important for ensuring that your skin is healthy. It can be added to the diet by eating more seeds and nuts, healthful oils, and certain vegetables, like bean sprouts and sweet potatoes. It helps protect against heart problems, keeping the arteries clear. In skin care, though, it's helpful to apply the vitamin right at the site of the dry skin as well as adding it to the diet. This can be done in a variety of ways. You can find vitamin E skin care creams even in the dollar aisle of the store. The thing to remember about the less expensive products is that they probably do not contain the strength of vitamin E you need. They probably also are made of cheap synthetic ingredients instead of high quality organic oils and other healing components.vitamin E is one of the most importan

Vitamin E for Skin Around Eyes:

The skin around your eyes often needs moisturizing. This is because the area under the eyes does not have glands for secreting oil. Vitamin E is a wonderful ingredient in any eye cream as it restores and nourishes the delicate skin around the eyes. Using an eye cream or oil that contains vitamin E can help fight the tiny wrinkles that so often appear in this sensitive spot. It does this by stablizing and firming the cell membranes of your skin. You may need to use a vitamin E product for awhile before you see the desired results. In fact, it may take months. In addition, the cream may contain other ingredients that cause your skin to break out. If your skin seems to be sensitive to a product, discontinue its use and find another that is gentler.

What are Antioxidants?

Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant, which means it neutralizes the destructive free radicals. It also protects skin from damage caused by environmental pollution. Talk of free radicals and anti-oxidants can seem confusing. The main thing to remember is that antioxidants protect skin and other parts of our body. They protect us from the effects of the air pollution that is so widespread in our cities. The damage from free radicals doesn't just happen to our skin. It happens throughout our bodies. This is why it's so important to get enough vitamin E in the diet.

The Importance of the Skin:

People don't think of the skin as an organ like the heart or lungs. It is, though, and it's one of the largest and most important. It protects the body from all the damaging forces on the outside, such as dirt, bacteria, and ultraviolet light. This makes the skin a vital part of the body. It is crucial to take the best care of it that we can. Vitamin E prevents scars from forming and stops infections. It promotes fast healing.

What are Tocopherols?

There are different types of vitamin E, which are called "tocopherols." Some feel the best natural form of vitamin E is called D-alpha-tocopherol. Others feel that since the different tocopherols each have their own strengths, it makes sense to use many of the tocopherols at once. A product that has the different forms of vitamin E combined is said to have "mixed tocopherols."

Types of Products Available:

Vitamin E skin products come in many forms. One innovative product is a stick similar to a lipstick. It's vitamin E rich formula can be applied directly to the skin around the eyes or to the lips for serious healing and moisturizing of dry skin. Vitamin E for the skin is also found combined with oils and natural butters of all types. Sometimes it is added to tea tree oil. As a word of caution, tea tree oil is healing in cases of fungus or other infections, but it is harsh and drying. It should be used sparingly if at all by those who have dry skin. Vitamin E can also be found in a wide variety of skin lotions and creams. For best results, look for a vitamin E product that includes other helpful ingredients, such as vitamin A, B-complex, and C.

Vitamin E is one of the most vital healing agents for dry skin. It has been proven over the years to be able to keep moisture in the skin. It is found in many natural vegetable oils. It's easy to use, however, straight from a capsule. To apply vitamin E oil directly to irritated skin, just puncture a hole in a vitamin E capsule. This is a great way to get vitamin E directly to a sore spot, such as an insect bite or other extremely itchy spot.

Jerrick Foo has been researching and developing all dry skin care the purpose of offering men and women safe, dry skin care tips. He have created Dry Skin Care Guide to share his 10 years of combined expertise with you.

Using the Swiss Ball for Improved Posture and Increased Strength

2010-09-07T07:53:00.000-07:00

For individuals looking for better posture and increased flexibility and strength, nothing could be easier than training with a Swiss ball.

WHAT IS A SWISS BALL?

The Swiss ball, also called the Stability ball, Exercise ball, Flexibility ball or other names, is a large, inflated, rubber ball. The Swiss ball was originally created in Italy in the 1960's and provides instability or resistance which requires the user to rely on 'core' muscles to retain balance - thus improving strength and flexibility of those muscles.

A Swiss doctor studied its use in a clinical setting by incorporating the ball in rehabilitation therapy. While it is still used in physiotherapy it has also become known in the general fitness world as an adaptable and enjoyable addition to routines building strength, flexibility and proper posture.

WHO CAN USE THE SWISS BALL?

Because the Swiss ball is so easy to use and enjoyable, it is able to be used by almost everyone, young or old. However, because the Swiss ball is designed to create instability (thus forcing the body's own muscles to be employed) there is a need for caution. The elderly, injured, pregnant women or anyone otherwise subject to a lack of stability or increased risk of falling, should not use the Swiss ball without personal instruction and care.

When choosing a Swiss ball it is important to choose the size appropriate to your height as well as the intended use. Determine what technique you plan to use the Swiss ball for before purchasing your own ball.

HOW DO YOU USE A SWISS BALL?

If you are concerned about lower back pain or posture you can use the Swiss ball as an alternative to a regular chair. Sedentary workers find that certain muscles in the back become weak over time and are easily strained. Sitting on the Swiss ball will improve your 'core strength' by forcing the unused muscles to maintain balance.

There are many videos and books as well as group classes that teach routines targeting different muscle groups. The Swiss ball has been used in therapy as well as for professional athletes so you are sure to find a method suitable for your experience and needs.

While it is possible to use the Swiss ball on your own at home or the office (and is recommended as an easy way to fit in your workout) it is helpful to have professional instruction when learning to use the ball correctly. Having someone guide you into proper position will show you what the proper alignment feels like.

Performing warm up exercises is also recommendred before beginning a Swiss ball routine. Using the Swiss ball properly will increase the benefits you receive with regular use. No matter what your fitness level, try it out and see how much fun the Swiss ball can be!

Energy Drinks May Give Young Sports Teams An Edge, Study Says

2010-09-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

Consuming energy drinks during team sports could help young people perform better, a study suggests.

Sports scientists found that 12-14 year olds can play for longer in team games when they drink an isotonic sports drink before and during games.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh measured the performance of 15 adolescents during exercise designed to simulate the physical demands of team games such as football, rugby and hockey.

They showed for the first time that sports drinks helped the young people continue high intensity, stop-start activity for up to 24 per cent longer - compared with players who drank a non-carbohydrate placebo solution.

The study was conducted because there is increasing evidence of young people consuming commercially available energy drinks during team games and researchers wanted to assess their impact. The findings are published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology.

The findings showed that drinking a 6 per cent carbohydrate-electrolyte solution improved endurance capacity but did not make young people run faster during intermittent exercise in team sports.

The solution - containing carbohydrate, sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium - enhances hydration, helps prevent dehydration and provides a supply of energy to the body, thereby contributing to improved endurance capacity.

The researchers say the findings help to identify the importance of regular hydration and energy intake with a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution during games to replace fluids and provide energy in adolescent games players.

Dr John Sproule, Head of the Institute of Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences of the University of Edinburgh's Moray House School of Education who led the research, said: "The importance of hydration to improve performance during exercise for adults is well known.

"This research helps us further understand how adolescents respond to hydration and energy supply during exercise.

"The consumption of a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution was found to significantly enhance endurance capacity during simulated games play, and this could contribute to improved performance in adolescents."

This is the first study to explore the effect of a 6 per cent carbohydrate-electrolyte solution, similar to the make-up of an isotonic sports drink, on the performance of young people in team games.

Source:
University of Edinburgh

Diet and Obesity

2010-08-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

Being healthy and fit is the earnest desire of everyone. In today’s world, where we are entangled between out hectic work life and social circle, finding time for fitness and exercise becomes very difficult. Also the kind of diet we follow and food we eat makes us obese and hence more prone to diseases. Checking on the kind of food you eat and lifestyle you maintain helps you keep your body weight in control. Those people who are learned enough to know what is right to eat and what is not are able to keep themselves away from the prangs of obesity.

If you have been struggling to lose weight and have been looking out ways to reduce it then the very first thing that you need to change is your eating habits. People usually confuse exercising with food. They think if they are working out every day, they get the right to eat anything, which is of course not true. Keeping your diet healthy and nutritious helps to provide your body with right nutrients and helps it to stay healthy and strong. In order to lose weight you need to maintain a balance between healthy diet and exercise. Exercising regularly is important and so is eating healthy. If you are not aware of the food that would suit your body and help you lose weight then approaching a dietician is important.

A dietician would check your routine of eating food and will suggest you about the food groups that are healthy and less fattening. She will prepare a diet chart for you that will help you lose weight and also make you strong within. A dietician is an educated person who has studied the pros and cons of different food groups on the body and tells you the time to consume them for better and complete digestion.

Most of us know that eating breakfast is essential and skipping meals makes us fat as the metabolism of the body decreases due to it. Slow metabolism thus decreases the capacity of your body to digest food and absorb nurititon to use energy for your daily activities. Thus storing calories in the form of fat and making you obese.

A dietician gives you a complete diet which is designed to help your body lose weight and speed up your metabolism so that you lose weight even when you are sitting or resting. A dietician will divide your daily consumption of food in a way that you consume maximum during the morning and afternoon and less during the night. Eating less at night is healthy because since we are not using much energy and moving less, it becomes easier for our body to digest less food.

Therefore, if you are interested to lose weight and learn on healthy ways on living your life then it is necessary that you consult a dietician and start taking healthy food.

Cancer and Diet

2010-08-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

The consensus on diet and cancer is that obesity increases the risk of developing cancer. Particular dietary practices often explain differences in cancer incidence in different countries (e.g. gastric cancer is more common in Japan, while colon cancer is more common in the United States). Studies have shown that immigrants develop the risk of their new country, suggesting a link between diet and cancer rather than a genetic basis.

Despite frequent reports of particular substances (including foods) having a beneficial or detrimental effect on cancer risk, few of these have an established link to cancer. These reports are often based on studies in cultured cell media or animals. Public health recommendations cannot be made on the basis of these studies until they have been validated in an observational (or occasionally a prospective interventional) trial in humans.

The case of beta-carotene provides an example of the necessity of randomized clinical trials. Epidemiologists studying both diet and serum levels observed that high levels of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, were associated with a protective effect, reducing the risk of cancer. This effect was particularly strong in lung cancer. This hypothesis led to a series of large randomized trials conducted in both Finland and the United States (CARET study) during the 1980s and 1990s. This study provided about 80,000 smokers or former smokers with daily supplements of beta-carotene or placebos. Contrary to expectation, these tests found no benefit of beta-carotene supplementation in reducing lung cancer incidence and mortality. In fact, the risk of lung cancer was slightly, but not significantly, increased by beta-carotene, leading to an early termination of the study.

However, Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs) also have drawbacks in cancer prevention, particularly in micronutrient deficiencies, which are thought by some to be a major contributor to cancer. RCTs involve huge numbers of people, take many years to complete, and are therefore extremely expensive and complicated, and therefore few are done. In addition, these randomized clinical trials usually test only a single dose. An alternative, which is likely to be more useful, is to do shorter intervention trials focusing on other endpoints related to cancer, such as DNA damage. These trials can test a variety of doses on fewer people to determine what level of micronutrient intake (or, better, micronutrient concentration in blood) keeps DNA damage to a minimum.

Make Up Tips To Look Stunning

2010-08-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

Formal eye makeup tips will allow you to look glamorous no matter if you are heading out for the biggest night of your life or if you are just hanging out with friends. To look glamorous, you need to know just how to apply makeup correctly, to achieve the desired, finished look.

Green eyes are really fun to work with. They have such a wide color range from turqouise to chartreuse to forest green to bright light green and on and on.These tips are designed for the magority of green eyes, but of course there are exceptions to every rule. My best advice is to try every color that you're interested in. You'll be surprised what looks good.

Makeup tips for blue eyes are pretty straightforward. The trick is to learn which colors look better on blue eyes, and start with those, and then branch out with the colors that you are personally drawn to. Women have a unique ability to choose colors that are complimentary to them. Just because colors are suggested doesn't mean those are the only colors suitable for you to wear.

Smoky eye makeup is essentially a makeup application that darkens the lids and highlights the brow bone. This effortless eye makeup trick will draw instant attention to your eyes and provide an overall sultry, sexy look. People always think of dark, dramatic colors when they hear smokey. Although the look can definitely be dramatic, it is not necessarily dark.
Almond-shaped eyes Use a light shade of powder from your lashes to the brow, a medium shade on your lid, and a darker shade on the outer third of your eyelid.

Eye shadows that you wore when you were in your 30's just may not be right now. Someone had come up with a silly rule that once you hit 40 its time to put away all your favorite vivid greens, purples, pinks eye shadows.

Eye makeup tips should be practiced ahead of time to guarantee you will not look like a makeup experiment as a worse scenario. Curling your lashes to make your eyes open and stick to dark colored mascaras will make you look more natural, but if you want to add a dramatic effect, line your lower lashes.

General makeup tips for brown eyes always include browns, beige and neutral tans. Grays and charcoals look good with this eye color, as do violet and lavender. You can mix it up with a lavendar and a violet. Khaki and olive green are a great color combination. Browns with green highlights or copper highlights are always a fun option. Try copper and even gold. If your eyes have a tinge of green, or like mine are half green, choose green eyeshadows as well.

Round: Round faces need only a little darker foundation applied at the temples and around the lower face. This will make it appear a little more elongated. Balancing Your Features Face shape makeup tips also include your facial features. If you've got a feature you're not too fond of, like your nose or chin, playing with light and dark correctors can help you adjust how they look. We'll give you the makeup artist's tips on how to do this.

Hair Color Ideas

2010-08-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

Precision cut bobs are huge this year, coupled with smooth, sleek styling, a blunt fringe and heaps of shine. Your bob should be carefully crafted to accentuate your unique facial structure, or highlight a long, beautiful neck. Bob hair styles range from ear level to shoulder skimming and are best for straight or slightly wavy hair.

If you're looking for all of the hot styles worn in Hollywood, Celebrity Hairstyles could be just the hair style magazine to bring it all together for you. Ever wonder how Hilary Duff and Faith Hill got those softly tousled locks? Wonder no more. Not only is this hair style magazine full of color photos of the latest celebrity styles, it also has technical how-to information that you can take along with you to the salon.

If you have wavy, shoulder-length hair in a brunette tone, don't go for all-over color. Instead, add texture to your style plus some caramel highlights scattered throughout the crown and part areas. The textured waves combined with the highlights will reflect the sunlight and create a dazzling effect.

Double sided coloring - underneath, choose a darker color like chocolate, and over the top, and for most of the hair, choose lighter shades like copper and bronze. The darker color will frame your face, and if you go for any flicks or curls when styling, you'll see it contrasted against the lighter colors. But the main colors when hair is straightened will be the lighter ones. It's great for variety.

Hair needs to be in reasonably good condition to take peroxide based lighteners, especially if you are going for a look that is a lot lighter than your natural or base hair color. Use protein treatments to strengthen your hair first, if its not in good condition. Or go for a few highlights to complement your cut instead.

If you are looking for a more permanent hair dye then you may want to consider a demipermanent hair coloring. This treatment uses a hair color cream that has a mild developer. This type of coloring will typically last a few months. This option is great for covering grey hair.

Weaving is a two-part process. First, the stylist weaves a series of threads into your own hair, using underneath sections so the work won't show. She then uses that weave as a base upon which she will attach the hairpiece, or weft (a curtain of hair, attached at the top and free-flowing at the bottom).

Hair coloring can add spice and enhance many hair styles. A good hair color can add shine, drama and fun to your hair style. It can make some hair types easier to style. Permanent hair coloring breaks down the hair cuticle and deposits pigment into the hair shaft.

Hair color is a reflection of light off the colored pigment of the hair shaft. Different colors add or subtract from the hair color giving it various hues and shades. Colors that are too beige or ashy don't complement skin tones. Try using gold or warm tones, this gives the skin a more youthful, healthy glow. Try not to panic and rush to find a solution that might cause even more harm.

Dandruff Cure

2010-08-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

Dandruff also known seborrhea. Dandruff is a chronic scalp condition that causes scaling and flaking of the skin. The skin on our scalp sheds more than any other area. Flakes get trapped in the hair and mix with oil, causing dandruff. Dandruff is a global phenomenon and many people find that dandruff can cause social or self-esteem problems. Dry scalp is caused by a lack of moisture or natural oils on the scalp, which results in small, dry flakes, and itchiness. Dandruff is caused by the shedding of skin, which results in medium-to-large size, white, oily flakes. Dandruff has been shown to be the result of three factors First is skin oil commonly referred to as sebum or sebaceous secretions. Second is the metabolic by-products of skin micro-organisms and Third individual susceptibility. Severe cases of dandruff are caused by a disease called seborrhoeic eczema or seborrhoeic dermatitis.

Common symptoms of dandruff include white, oily-looking flakes of dead skin in your hair and on your shoulders and an itchy, scaling scalp. Dandruff is not an organism like lice. Dandruff mostly occurs after puberty, usually between the ages of 20 and 30, and affects males more than females. 50% of adults are affected by dandruff at some time or the other in their lives. Hormones may also be involved, because dandruff usually starts after puberty and is more common in men than women. Other factors contributing to this disorder are emotional tension, harsh shampoos, exposure to cold and general exhaustion.

Treatment:

Hot oil therapy is the best method to cure dandruff. Massage hot oil into the scalp at bedtime. Next morning an hour before the bath, rub lemon juice mixed with cosmetic vinegar into the scalp with cotton wool.

Mix beetroot juice in vinegar and apply on the scalp. Ginger juice and beetroot juice mixed together and applied on the scalp are also beneficial.

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

Mild dandruff is the result of excessive oiliness of the skin and not due to dryness of the scalp. Chronic dandruff may occur due to psoriasis of the scalp.

People should avoid spicy and greasy food because it helps dandruff to increase and spread. People should add more vegetables and fruits on the diet. It is very essential to take fresh foods avoid taking tinned and canned foods add more green vegetables and fruits.

Egg shampoo is one of the oldest beauty recipes. Eggs are full of protein. Simply wash your hair with egg. Beat up one or two eggs with a cup of water and thoroughly massage this into your wet hair for about five to ten minutes. Rinse off thoroughly and remember not to use hot water. There is another method to use egg shampoo. Simply beat one egg in a cup of water and mix to it 1 to 2 tablespoons shampoo. Do not worry about which shampoo has to be used. As a last rinse use the juice of one lemon in a cup of hot water. Continue this complete treatment once a week for three months, then once a fortnight for the next two months

High Blood Pressure Treatment - Medication, Diet and Alternative Therapies

2010-08-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

Healthy lifestyle is the best treatment for high blood pressure

No drug can ever help you to win a battle against high blood pressure for good. The best they can do is to give a temporarily relief. However, by changing your lifestyle habits you can keep your blood pressure under control.

There are 3 major aspects of your life that affect blood pressure

Exercise
Diet
Stress management

Making your heart beating slightly faster than normal from time to time is very important. This doesn’t mean you will have to go the gym every day. Many everyday things count as exercise - house chores, gardening, walking your dog or playing active games with your children are good examples. Walking is the best exercise for high blood pressure, even 15 minutes a day will do wonder.

Most important you should do some exercise every day.

Another essential thing you will have to evaluate is your diet. Do you like souses, pickles and pre-cooked meals? Than you will have to cut it down, because all of the above are extremely high in sodium and sodium affects blood pressure very badly. Add more veggies and fruits to your diet, remove your salt shaker from the table and you will feel much better as your blood pressure lowers.

Every time you stress out, your blood pressure jumps up. And if stress is a permanent part of your life it can constantly keep your readings high. Don’t ignore stress; there are many effective ways to deal with it. For example, you can enroll in a stress relief class or take a yoga or Tai Chi class. Try to find time to do things that you enjoy.

High blood pressure medication

When it comes to high blood pressure drugs, you should never get one without consulting a doctor. If a particular medicine works well for your friend it doesn’t mean it will suit you. Most high blood pressure drugs are prescription drugs, so the only way to get them is to visit your physician first and ask for prescription.

Medication used to control high blood pressure includes:

ACE inhibitors
Calcium channel blockers
Beta-blockers
Angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs)
Alpha-blockers
Diuretics

In the past a lot of high blood pressure medications were unsafe and had side effects. Luckily they improved in recent years, so modern drugs that help to lower your blood pressure are more effective and safe.

Alternative high blood pressure treatments

If you don’t trust conventional drugs and prefer alternative medicine, there are several treatments that can help to lower blood pressure.

Natural herbs for high blood pressure are very popular. Most effective are Hawthorn and Ginkgo Biloba. Several studies have shown that garlic also helps with hypertension control. Garlic thins the blood (reduces its ability to clot).

Garlic supplements work just as well as fresh garlic.

Among the alternative therapies, most common are acupuncture and magnetic high blood pressure therapy.

Acupuncture relaxes your body and releases some of the strain on the heart. There is no hard scientific proof that acupunctures works, but many people who tried it, swear that it helped to decrease their blood pressure.

Treatment with magnets can also help. Copper and iron bracelets reduce the effects of blood pressure, but scientists don’t know how and why. However, this treatment is painless and safe, so it is worth the try.

There are many ways to treat high blood pressure. You should never ignore it, because this condition doesn’t just go away unless you do something to control it.

Rice Diet at Home

2010-08-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

Diet, as a primary way to treat diseases has been used since 1939. The Rice Diet has helped in the prevention and treatment of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, renal disease, and other illnesses. The rice diet can also be used to reduce weight. It also detoxifies the body by getting rid of excess water weight and toxins from food and environment.

The Rice Diet Program in Durham, North Carolina, was one of the first medical facilities in America to use diet as the primary way to treat diseases like obesity, diabetics and hypertension. Rice diet is primarily a vegetarian eating plan which features high-complex carbohydrates, low fat and low-sodium. People who follow rice diet program lose weight faster, safely, and effectively than any other people who follow other diet programs.

Phases in Rice Diet:

There are two phases in Rice Diet:

Rice Diet Phase I

The phase 1 program includes grains and fruits. Medical supervision is mandatory and hence it is recommended to do the same at medical centers rather than at home. The rice diet food list for phase 1 includes lean cut beef, cheese, eggs, lamb, pork, seafood, vegetables, oil, veal, tofu, nuts, and dairy.

Rice Diet Phase II

This phase includes vegetables, beans and other carbohydrates, in addition to grains and fruit. You can have fish once in a week. Meals can also be taken. Vegetarian eating habits are prescribed until you attain your goals. Non-fat dairy products, fish and lean meats can be used depending upon one’s physical condition. The rice diet food list for phase 2 includes fruits, dairy, vegetables and legumes, and starch (controlled).

Working

The Rice Diet limits salt and sodium-rich ingredients. Reduction in salt intake cause loses in water weight and you are less inclined to overeat. The main source of nutrition in rice diet is carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. Saturated fats and sodium are limited. The Rice Diet Solution includes hundreds of tasty, filling, easy-to-prepare recipes.

Keep in mind that the end result of rice diet program purely depends on how well an individual follows the diet recommendations. Hence make sure that you follow it correctly.

Symptoms of Kidney Disease

2010-08-01T00:44:00.000-07:00

The kidneys are bean shaped organs located in the lower abdomen. They are one of the vital organs in the body, playing an important role in the process of excretion. Kidneys help in removal of waste products, toxins and excess fluids out from the body. However, sometimes factors like infection, injury, diabetes, blood pressure, etc. affect the kidneys resulting in kidney diseases. Long lasting abnormalities in the kidneys lead to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) which can be a dangerous condition. Polycystic kidney disease, kidney stone, kidney infection are the significant kidney diseases that are caused due to different reasons. The symptoms of all kidney diseases are more or less the same. What are the early symptoms of kidney disease? Let us take a look at it in detail.

Chronic Kidney Disease Symptoms

Unfortunately, the early symptoms of kidney disease are not easily observed and hence, a person may be unaware that he/she is suffering from kidney disease for a longer time. In some cases, chronic kidney disease for a longer period of time can lead to complete kidney failure; while some people are found to suffer from chronic kidney disease for lifetime which may not lead to kidney failure. However, the latter case can be rare. It is therefore, advisable to identify the signs and symptoms of kidney disease as early as possible to get the condition treated immediately. The following are kidney disease symptoms in women and men.

Kidney Disease Symptoms in Adults

Difficulty in urination
Pain during urination
Frequent/infrequent urination
Dark colored urine
Blood in urine
Swelling
Water retention (edema)
Lower abdominal pain
Lower back pain
Skin rash
Itchy skin
Fatigue
Nausea
Vomiting
Anemia
Shortness of breath
Loss of appetite
Metallic taste in mouth
Bad breath
Dizziness
Muscle cramping
Weight loss
Cold

Kidney Disease Symptoms in Children

Nighttime bedwetting
Difficulty in controlling urine
Frequent urination
Blood in urine
Pain or burning sensation during urination
Swelling or edema around the eyes, face, feet
Fever
Increase in blood pressure

Polycystic kidney disease symptoms include pain in the back, changes in urination, flank pain, kidney stones and recurring bladder or kidney infections. In severe cases, polycystic kidney disease can even result in complete renal or kidney failure. Kidney stone give rise to sharp and excruciating pain in the lower abdomen on one side. Sometimes, symptoms of kidney disease also include chills, nausea and vomiting which are difficult to relate to this condition. Therefore, one needs to know and recognize the above mentioned symptoms of kidney diseases. One should note that any changes or abnormalities in urination is a typical identifying kidney disease symptom.

Kidney Disease Treatment

If one observes any of the above mentioned kidney infection or kidney failure symptoms, he/she should consult the doctor immediately. Kidney disease symptoms in children and babies like changes in urination or changes in urine color are difficult to identify and hence, parents must keep a watch on other identifying symptoms. Kidney stone and kidney infection treatment involves use of medications. However, kidney stone, if larger in size, may require a surgical procedure. However, this condition is completely curable. On the other hand, complete kidney failure may require dialysis and/or transplantation. Sometimes, the affected kidney may also be removed. It is possible to live a long life with one kidney, however, the person needs to follow a strict diet. In either of the cases, the doctor may prescribe medications and diet for kidney disease to treat and prevent chronic kidney diseases.

Five Simple Steps To Losing Your Belly Fat Fast

2010-07-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

How do you lose weight fast?

A real simple tip is and we've all been taught it, from the time we were kids from our parents, is increase our vegetable intake, more specifically your non-starchy vegetable intake. It's not to hard to choose a vegetable that's non-starchy.

The main reason is, because you want to be able to eat something that is not caloricly dense but nutrient dense and non-starchy vegetables. They're a great source of fiber which is very important for helping you feel fuller longer and not encouraging you to eat 30 minutes later. You're going to be full for a long time. The fiber takes longer to digest, so the body has to work harder and you keep your insulin levels in check which is big for preventing fat storage.

What is insulin which I mentioned above?

When you eat you get sugar in your blood and your body has to get that sugar out of the blood and either use it as energy or store it for use at a later time. Insulin does that. When you ingest food and you get these sugars into your blood, your insulin increases and gets those sugars, pull them out of your blood and either, like I said, burn them for energy or store them to be used at a later time. When all of your carbohydrate glycogen levels are full, then the only other alternative is to be stored as fat. Insulin tends to promote fat storage because most peoples glycogen/carbohydrate levels are usually pretty full, so the alternative is fat storage.

You want to keep that insulin response low, which is one of the main goals.

Now on to Tip number 2 which is eating protein at every meal. We hear so much about protein; again, most guys are probably meat and potatoes guys. Why is it so important - how do we make the transformation to just eating fatty protein sources to types of proteins that you should be eating to help lose that gut.

It should be easy to get protein into your diet since most men are meat and potato type of men, but you want to control the type of protein you eat. A fried chicken breast, or 18 chicken wings from Hooters, probably isn't going to be the best source. Yes, its protein, but you are also going to pack in a lot of extra calories that you really don't need if you're trying to lose your gut. So, one of the things you want to do is to look for those lean protein sources. Skinless chicken breasts, lean beef and steaks, fish grilled not fried. Eggs are another good source.

Dairy is also another good source. If you like cottage cheese or yogurts or things like that, you can get in your lean protein that way as well.

Tip number 3 Eat whole grain carbohydrates.

So now, what is a whole grain carb? What's a good carb? What's a bad carb? When am I supposed to be eating some of these carbs?

A whole grain carb would be carbohydrates that are considered a good source of fiber. Staying away from the - you've heard the thing of no white breads and things like that and white rice, and to a point there's validity to why people say that. I don't know that they always know why they are saying it, but the reason that they should try to limit those is because those are usually made with processed carbohydrates and very little fiber content. Whole grain carbs will say 100% whole grain. Wheat bread is just white bread that hasn't been bleached. So you need to look for the whole grain or the whole oats/grain wording in it to find out, and look at the fiber source. Most of them should have at least 2 grams of fiber per serving, if not 3 to be considered a good fiber source. So, that will help you get you your answer as well with that.

Alright, rapid weight loss diet tip number 4. Eat more healthy fats. Now, this is very confusing for people, I'm sure. Healthy fats, unhealthy fats, Trans fats, why is this going to be such a big deal when it comes to losing weight fast?

Your healthy fats is what's usually called essential fatty acids, and what that means is that it's fatty acids and fats that we can not produce in the body on our own, so we have to get them through diet. Why essential fatty acids are so important is because there's hundreds and hundreds of studies that are showing that it helps with numerous diseases.

It helps prevent certain diseases such as heart disease and cancer. The studies are actually now showing that it may actually increase your metabolism by as much as 400 calories a day and that's the big one when it comes to just specific weight loss.

If you want to just throw out all the numerous health benefits of why essential fatty acids are good and just go off of the fact for weight loss and fat loss, it actually helps increase your metabolism and there's also some studies showing that it may actually block what they tend to call pre-fat cells from turning into permanent fat cells. So, again, that's another huge step in regards to weight loss and trying to prevent weight gain. And, essential fatty acids primarily are, what you'll also hear or read, as Omega 3 fats.

You'll see that fish is an excellent source of Omega 3 fats. Use olive oil because of the essential fatty acids and the Omega 3s. Walnuts and Almonds are another good source and they're actually a good protein source, they contain good fiber, and they contain healthy fat.

So, if you want a healthy snack, throw some almonds in a bag and take them with you to work, keep them at your desk. They're a great snack to help you feel full; help boost that metabolism and it's actually a really good food for you in many ways. You're getting your fiber, you're getting your protein, you're getting your healthy fat, you're getting three of the five tips I'm giving you today just in one food, with that.

How to lose belly fat tip number 5.

Eat frequent meals. I'm sure you've heard it before eat smaller meals throughout the day. You're probably having a muffin and coffee for breakfast, having a big lunch, maybe not eating all afternoon, come home and eat a huge, huge dinner. How are you guys going to get 4-6 small meals a day?

You do have to do a little planning ahead, but if you use the previous four tips, you could cut up some vegetables ahead of time on a Sunday and just put them in bags so that you have them available to put into your lunch or as a snack. Protein choices you've got the yogurt, you could hard boil eggs, you could have string cheese as a snack. Almonds, as we talked about.

Doing those types of things and plan ahead to where you don't have to think the morning of, "Alright what am I going to eat for my snack today? What am I going to do for lunch? It's all already in the fridge. Plan on a Sunday for one hour and then all you have to do is pack your meal. Put it in individual bags, throw it in your cooler and put it in the refrigerator at work, so that it's available. That way, the less thinking you can take out of it, the better off you're going to be.

Every time you eat your metabolism increases to digest that food. Your body uses calories to digest calories? So, you want to keep that metabolism revved up every day.

What guy doesn't want to eat. The worst thing about trying to lose weight is you think you have to starve yourself and that's the exact opposite that you want to do if you're going to lose weight. You need to feed yourself and you need to feed yourself consistently because then the weight will come off. If you restrict eating and that metabolism plummets your body has to survive. It goes into a survival mode at that point and it's going to do everything possible to burn as little calories as possible because you don't feed it frequently enough.

Cut Fat, Lose Weight and Prevent Cancer

2010-07-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

There's now yet another compelling reason to lose weight and cut consumption of unhealthy Omega-6 fats from vegetable sources. Research released from the Institute of Food Technologists indicates that as many as 1 in 3 cancer deaths could be prevented by reducing consumption of corn and vegetable oils and cutting calories.

It's important to understand that fat itself is not the enemy, as it's an essential nutrient required for normal cellular function. The problem arises when the balance of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fats are disproportional in our diet.

Humans have evolved with a 1:1 ratio of the two fat sources, yet our modern diet is closer to 20:1 in favor of Omega-6 fats. This causes a hormonal imbalance in the body which leads to inflammation, weight gain and increased risk of heart attack and many cancers. Monitoring Omega fat intake is an important first step which will assist with weight loss efforts and lead to reduced risk from many diseases.

Evolution Controls Our Diet

More than 750,000 people die from cancer annually, and the results from this study indicate that a quarter million lives could be spared with a concerted effort to control calories and Omega-6 fat consumption. Our genes are the product of thousands of years of evolution during times when Omega-3 fat sources such as fish and many nuts and seeds were plentiful. Every cell in our body relies on the critical Omega-3 components, EPA and DHA for replication and cell wall construction.

It's only been during the past half century that Omega-6 fats from corn and vegetable sources have become an ever increasing part of our diet, and have now distorted the natural evolutionary ratio we require for optimal health. Omega-6 fats are very stable, allowing food to sit on store shelves for extended periods, and are present in virtually all processed foods.

Lower Omega-6 Fats by Cutting Processed and Fast Foods

Omega-6 fats are present in virtually every processed food on store shelves, with up to 90% of fat calories in our diet coming from this health endangering source. Take a two step approach to reduce Omega-6 calories and improve the ratio with Omega-3 fats.

Eliminate or drastically reduce foods which are packed with Omega-6 fats, including all commercially baked products, fast foods and vegetable based cooking oils. Be especially mindful to cut any foods listing hydrogenated trans fats, as these increase the risk of heart disease by 25%.

Increase Omega-3 Fat Sources to Lower Inflammation

Replace Omega-6 laden foods with Omega-3 healthy options. The best Omega-3 source is fish, as it provides the perfect balance of DHA and EPA, the two primary Omega-3 fats. Fish Oil supplements are a good choice for people who don't enjoy fish.

Nuts and seeds also have smaller amounts of Omega-3 fats, with walnuts, flax and chia seeds rising to the top of the list. It's important to remember that food from any fat source still contains 9 calories per gram, so be careful when substituting and track your daily calories with nutritional software.

Research is beginning to uncover the hidden dangers in the unnatural processed foods which make up a large portion of the Western diet. We are continually reminded that the foods we eat have a direct and immediate impact on our future health and body weight.

Monitor your food choices carefully, paying close attention to the Omega fat ratios and switch to a reduced calorie lifestyle. You'll enjoy the healthy benefits of dramatically lowered risk of cancer and many illnesses while you naturally maintain a healthy weight.

Read More Expert Advice on Diet, Health and Nutrition, and Download your Free Weight Loss EBook!

John Phillip is a Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. John is the author of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan', a comprehensive EBook explaining how to use Diet, Exercise and Targeted Supplementation to achieve your Weight Loss goal. Visit My Optimal Health Resource to continue reading the latest health news updates, and to download your Free 48 page copy of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan'.

Early Signs of Throat Cancer

2010-07-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

Despite the bad odor that clings to the very notion of cancer because of its incurable nature, cancer can be treated in its initial stage. Throat cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer and over 25,000 Americans are diagnosed with throat cancer every year. The root cause of cancer can be traced to excessive smoking and drinking. Certain pollutants also accelerate the growth of tumors on the larynx or pharynx. Some people are sensitive to certain pollutants and if these people work in places where the presence of the particular pollutant in the air is dominant, they expose themselves to the risk of contracting throat cancer.

Early Indications of Throat Cancer

There are certain signs that come to the surface in the early stages of throat cancer. These signs, if ignored, can spell disaster for the concerned person and it is therefore important to take these signs seriously and go to a doctor at the earliest.

Sore Throat

Sore throat is one of the most common problems that people around the world confront with every year. Sore throat can easily be cured in less than a week and under such circumstances you have nothing to worry about. However if the throat does not respond to medication and the soreness continues for an elongated period of time, it can be labeled as an early sign of throat cancer. Often people feel a lump in the throat that wouldn't fade away and if such a lump has been bothering someone for more than a week and a half, it is advisable to get in touch with a doctor as soon as possible.

Sinus

Some people often suffer from sinus problems and it is hard to tell the difference between sinus in general and sinus as a sign of cancer but if an individual has been experiencing frequent headaches, neck pain and congestion repeatedly and the antibiotics seem to be as effective as iota, it is time for the concerned person to get in touch with a doctor.

Facial Paralysis

Some people experience facial paralysis or numbness in the face when throat cancer starts to build up. Severe neck pains and migraine attacks have also been branded as early symptoms of cancer. Physical changes on the neck and face are clearly visible in a person who has just stepped into the identity of a patient suffering with throat cancer.

Hoarse Voice and Other Signs

Hoarseness in the voice is a clear sign of laryngeal cancer. Early signs of throat cancer can be characterized by strained voice, raspy breathing and a hoarse voice. The harsh voice comes into picture as a result of tumor in the larynx. At times, changes in the voice are noticeable in an obvious way and under such circumstances the concerned person should push the panic button at once. Some other common symptoms include swelling in the eye, enlarged lymph, excessive cough and weight loss. In most cases of throat cancer, antibiotics and other medicines do not have any positive effect on these problems and these problems stay with the person for a long time. It is recommended to go to a doctor if these problems do not go away for more than a week and a half.

Knee Arthritis? Flexible Options Can Help Keep You Active

2010-07-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

"The number of patients between the ages of 40 and 60 who are experiencing knee arthritis is growing, and unlike most older patients, this patient population presents a unique set of treatment challenges," noted lead author Brian Feeley, M.D., assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery, University of California, San Francisco. "Understanding available options and tailoring treatments to each patient's needs and desires is the key to successful outcomes."

The review examined both surgical and non-surgical treatments available for younger patients with knee arthritis, to determine the best course of action for patients who want to continue to participate in demanding sports. Unlike elderly patients, where pain reduction and basic mobility are the two primary goals, Dr. Feeley noted younger, more active patients require more flexible treatment programs to allow them to remain as active as they would like.

"There is an increasing trend in the United States of people who want to stay active in sports and recreational activities after the age of 40. These patients are not content with being told to stop what they love doing," added Dr. Feeley. "As a result, orthopaedic surgeons and other physicians need to come up with different treatment strategies including non-operative treatments or even cartilage restoration procedures, to address pain and functionality, and to help keep patients as active as possible."

While some patients may eventually require surgery, Dr. Feeley said in most cases, non-operative management such as bracing, viscosupplementation (injection of hyaluronic acid), activity modification or anti-inflammatory medication might be used initially, to see if the symptoms resolve or if there is enough improvement to make surgery unnecessary.

"In a vast majority of cases, the onset of arthritis is a slow, degenerative process and therefore there is rarely a need to rush to surgery," he added. "Depending on the symptoms and activity level, many patients can be managed well with non-operative treatment strategies, whereas others truly benefit from surgical procedures. For each patient, it is important to tailor treatment to their symptoms and activity level, and to look for a healthcare provider who is willing to work with them over time to keep their knee as healthy as possible."

Although alternative treatments like acupuncture, glucosamine and chondroitin may be incorporated into an overall treatment plan, Dr. Feeley noted that currently there is no strong clinical evidence supporting the efficacy of these alternative-types of treatment.

For patients suffering with arthritis of the knee, Dr. Feeley recommends the following approach to help patients remain active:

Take control of your situation -- understand the disease process and learn about different treatment options.
Work with your physician to come up with both short-term and long-term courses of treatment to help manage your symptoms early while maintaining the health of your knee and body for as long as possible.
Be flexible with your activities and do not put the exact same stresses on the knee everyday. In some cases, mild activity modification such as switching to more biking or swimming and less running may make a huge difference in the number and severity of symptoms. Trying new activities also can help keep morale high.
Don't be afraid to ask questions of your physician. Look for a doctor who can help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment option, and who is willing to work with you to tailor a treatment strategy to your individual needs.

"Even when surgery is necessary, proper follow-up treatment and physical therapy tailored to the patient's needs can go along way toward keeping that patient active and satisfied in the long-term," stated Dr. Feeley.

What is lazy eye?

2010-07-29T07:14:00.000-07:00

Lazy eye, which is also called ablmopiya, is a kind of vision problem that has poor or indistinct vision in one eye or in both eyes. Sometimes people may also call strabismus especially exotropi “lazy eye” by mistake. It is estimated that about 1 – 5% of the population is affected by lasy eye, mostly children. The eye disease’s name “Lazy eye” is inaccurate, because it is not caused by the laziness of the eye or the patient with the condition. Lazy eye isamblyopia, isamblyopia,caused by no transmission or poor transmission of the visual image to the brain. In other words, it is a problem in the visual system of brain but not an organic problem in the eye. Detecting the condition in early childhood increases the chance of successful treatment. The maximum critical period of detecting lazy eye is from birth to two years old. Since one of the eyes is usually normal, many people with lazy eye can not aware they have the eye problem until examined at older ages.

Treatment of lazy eye consists of correcting the optical deficit and encouraging use of the poor eye, usually by patching the good eye. Patient should also be wary of over-patching the good eye when treating for amblyopia, avoiding reverse amblyopia in the other eye. Another simple treatment carried out in University of Southern California involved only the use of basic computer software and vision training exercises showed that 28 of 30 patients with lazy eye can develop 20/20 vision.

Hair Loss Prevention Products-- What Kind Of Hair Loss Do You Have?

2010-07-29T05:51:00.000-07:00

Hairloss is definitely a horrible disease that may affect about seventy percent within the total population 40 % males and thirty % females are struck with this disease. There are several forms of hair loss that can cause distress from the less severe and most treatable: like drastic fat loss, can cause hair loss. Hormonal fluctuations in the body like prednisone, in effect trigger post pregnancy baldness, which usually will re-grow following the event, has stopped.

You will find three kinds of Alopecia Areata, which are named according to their severity.

Alopecia Areata is mild patchy baldness on the scalp.
Alopecia Totalis is the loss of all scalp hair.
Alopecia Universalis is the loss of scalp and all human body hair's.

Researchers think that Alopecia Areata is definitely an autoimmune disease; which means that the body’s immune system acts as though the hair follicles are foreign and attacks them. White blood cells called T-lymphocytes attack the hair follicle which in turn causes the hair to quit growing and enter into the telogen (resting) phase, then about three months later, when the resting phase is finished the hair will then fallout. Only when T-lymphocytes stop assaulting the hair follicle will brand-new hair grow.

Treatments for Alopecia Areata

There is no cure for Alopecia Areata, there are only treatment plans, these treatments will have to be continued until the condition ceases, which in most cases happens within a very short period of time, with or without treatments. Treatments for Alopecia Areata are roughly put into two groups.

1) Patients with less than 50% hair loss

2) Patents with over 50% hair loss

Treatments for less than 50% hair loss

1. Cortocosteroids
2. Dithranol
3. Retin A - Tretinoin
4. Topical Minoxidil marketed as Regaine, Rogaine or Headway
5. Zinc

Treatments for above 50% hair loss

1. Systematic Cortisone
2. PUVA
3. Irritants
4. immuno-suppressive drugs

There's also natural hair loss prevention products that work some better yet then the above-mentioned Drug treatments. What you need to do seriously would be to visit a doctor that can advise you for the treatments currently available, and do a complete analysis as to the reasons your hair is shedding and what hair loss prevention product is the best for you.

1. Herbs like saw palmetto, pygeum, and nettle roots are natural DHT or dihydrotestosterone inhibitors. It indicates they are capable of stopping and halting the hair-follicle-killing DHT hormone. Whenever your follicles of hair get unclogged as a result of using these herbal treatments, your hair will begin growing again.

2. Ginko biloba is another famous herb that is effective in those that face hair loss. Ginko biloba works well at improving blood flow. With all the boosted blood flow, your hair roots will receive sufficient nourishment and as a direct result, healthy re-growth of the hair is triggered and promoted.

3. Green tea is undoubtedly an herbal drink that really needs no further introduction. Green tea known as the miracle tea that is able to cure or reduce multiple health problems. Green tea, in relation to treating alopecia condition, contains substances which have been designed for blocking 5-alpha-reductase, an enzyme accountable for the development of DHT hormone.

Don't Be Extremely Hungry When Dieting

2010-07-29T05:43:00.000-07:00

Being hungry can be a pleasant feeling if you are at a restaurant waiting for your favorite meal to arrive, but if you are on a diet, it is a whole different story. Nowadays most of us have plenty of food and getting more is just a matter of going shopping. However, your brain doesn’t know that. Evolutionally we are still living in the times when the people had to struggle for every meal. On a biological level eating is so important to us, that being hungry overrides about everything else. Your brain is demanding , even forcing you to find something to eat, because the energy levels are getting low, which can be dangerous, even deadly.

Whenever your dieting demands a lot of willpower, you are risking your success. Having to fight against your inner survival system is hard work and not pleasant at all, and the longer you continue, the more likely it is that you fall off the wagon. Many diet plans take this into account and suggest “free days”, when you get to eat anything you want to, to make it easier to continue on the diet. In other words, you only have to suffer for six days a week and the seventh is for resting (or whichever the system). This might work for some people, but is not the best long term solution. It can also lead to unnecessary binge eating on the free days.

Another good reason for the “free days” is to avoid the energy saving mode your body will turn itself into, if you keep your calorie intake too low for a longer period. The body doesn’t know you are trying to lose weight, and it starts to protect you from your diet instead. If that happens, your weight stalls and you would have to eat even less to keep losing weight.

Many low-calorie diets are about different ways to eat very little but try to make it seem like you were eating more. Short diets are about will-power: you get fast results if you can handle being hungry for three-four days. In both cases, you will end up being hungry. If you really want to go through a short diet, there are some things to do to make it a bit easier to succeed. Clean up your cupboards and make sure there are no temptations at home. Go shopping before the diet and stay away from groceries and malls while on the diet. Make plans and keep yourself busy for the duration of the diet. Short diets can be a good solution if you want to lose weight fast just before a special event.

Low-calorie diets are often high in carbohydrates and low in fat, which makes sense calorie-wise: fat has nine calories in a gram whereas carbohydrates have only four! But what would you say if I told you that carbohydrates are the only macro-nutrients which can cause weight gain? If you are gaining weight, it’s very likely that your body has problems with processing high amounts of carbohydrates (remember, we are evolutionally still in the past where we didn’t have refined carbohydrates around every corner), and if that is the case, you can gain weight even on a low-calorie diet, if the calories come mostly from carbs.

Carbohydrates make you hungry as well. High carbohydrate loads raise the blood glucose level, and the pancreas will secrete insulin to get it back to normal. Insulin is very effective and fast. It gets the blood sugar level back to normal and usually even below, making us hungry right after eating. Protein and fat keep you satisfied for longer, and the people on a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet report not being hungry at all even if they have chosen to limit their calorie intake.

Laser Hair Removal - Which Laser is Right For Me?

2010-07-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hair removal by laser has become more popular over time, especially in recent years. This has caused more manufacturers to get involved in this big booming business. However, before the manufacturers can release their products to the global markets, they should obtain the permission from the Food & Drug Administration Department (or similar institution in other countries) in advance. The organization is in charge of either giving approval or denying approval to such products.

The methods that have obtained approval from the FDA and are now widely available on the market consist of various types. Different products are used to serve different methods. The wide variety of hair removal lasers include the Ruby Laser, the Alexandrite Laser, Diode Laser, Long Pulse Nd: Yag Laser, and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Devices.

The oldest method that has been used in the field of hair removal for years is the Ruby Laser. Light as well as fine hair are the most suitable kind of hair to which this hair removal laser can be applied to. But there are some proven disadvantages in using this method. If the patient has quite dark skin, this method is not an option. Neither is it applicable to those people who possess tanned skin. Another known disadvantage of this method is that it covers only an area of hair that is quite small. All these factors have caused the method to lose popularity over the last few years.

The second oldest type is the Alexandrite Laser which happens to be the instrument with the highest speed of laser. It works very well with patients whose figures are reasonably large and possess the complexion of light-to-olive. This type of laser is used the most commonly all over the world.

As mentioned earlier, dark-skinned people are not eligible for Ruby hair removal lasers. So, does it mean that they have no option of laser hair removal? No. They definitely have an option thanks to the Diode Laser, which works contrary to the Ruby laser. Diode Lasers work just fine for people with dark skin. Yet, it doesn't work out so well for those people with lighter or finer hair. Since the rates of repetition of treatment for these types of lasers are high, it can be used for the brisk treatment of large areas of hair.

There is also a type of laser that can safely be used on people with the tanned skin. In fact the Long Pulse Nd: Yag Laser can safely be used regardless of the skin type of the patient. Like the Diode Laser, this method also has quick repetition rates and thus can be used to treat large bodies of hairs quickly. Nevertheless, the patients who have been treated with this type of laser claim that it annoys them more when the treatments last. It has also proven to be inadequately effective for those with the light and fine hair, who are more suitable to other types of lasers.

The last and most recent type of hair removal lasers are the Intense Pulsed Light devices. With this treatment methodology, there is actually no laser used. Instead, the method uses equivalents to lasers. Equivalent, it is said, because it also has selective photothermolysis concept which is the same to that of a laser. Yet, there is a disadvantage. It is more difficult to use these devices than to use lasers. Therefore, it is necessary to hire a skilled physician who has lots of experience, which may well result in higher spending budgets.

Helping Your Overweight Child

2010-07-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

Be Supportive.

One of the most important things you can do to help overweight children is to let them know that they are OK whatever their weight. Children's feelings about themselves often are based on their parents' feelings about them. If you accept your children at any weight, they will be more likely to accept and feel good about themselves.

It is also important to talk to your children about weight, allowing them to share their concerns with you. Your child probably knows better than anyone else that he or she has a weight problem. For this reason, overweight children need support, acceptance, and encouragement from their parents.

Focus on the family.

Parents should try not to set children apart because of their weight, but focus on gradually changing their family's physical activity and eating habits. Family involvement helps to teach everyone healthful habits and does not single out the overweight child.

Increase your family's physical activity.

Regular physical activity, combined with healthy eating habits, is the most efficient and healthful way to control your weight. It is also an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Some simple ways to increase your family's physical activity include the following:

Be a role model for your children. If your children see that you are physically active and have fun, they are more likely to be active and stay active for the rest of their lives.
Plan family activities that provide everyone with exercise and enjoyment, like walking, dancing, biking, or swimming. For example, schedule a walk with your family after dinner instead of watching TV. Make sure that you plan activities that can be done in a safe environment.
Be sensitive to your child's needs. Overweight children may feel uncomfortable about participating in certain activities. It is important to help your child find physical activities that they enjoy and that aren't embarrassing or too difficult.
Reduce the amount of time you and your family spend in sedentary activities, such as watching TV or spending time on the computer.
Become more active throughout your day and encourage your family to do so as well. For example, walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, or do some activity during a work or school break-get up and stretch or walk around.

The point is not to make physical activity an unwelcome chore, but to make the most of the opportunities you and your family have to be active.

Teach your family healthy eating habits.

Teaching healthy eating practices early will help children approach eating with the right attitude -- that food should be enjoyed and is necessary for growth, development, and for energy to keep the body running.

The best way to begin is to learn more about children's nutritional needs by reading or talking with a health professional and then to offer them some healthy options, allowing your children to choose what and how much they eat.