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The US Agency for International Development wants its HIV prevention funding efforts in Jamaica to reflect the country’s epidemic, according to Dr. Karen Hilliard, the USAID-Jamaica director.
“I think it’s fine to target adolescents with messages that they should postpone their sexual activities, but if they are not the ones in the driver’s seat I tend to think our messages are a little misdirected,” Hilliard said recently. “It’s one thing to tell adolescents they shouldn’t have sex, but we found in our research that they are postponing their sexual activities longer, but it is coerced sex that’s the problem for them and it’s not with other young people, it’s with middle-aged people, primarily middle-aged men,” she said.
“Jamaica has managed to keep [its 1.8 percent prevalence] somewhat under control because condom use is high here, but the incidence of things like intergenerational sex, sex for barter or money, and a high level of stigmatization against men who have sex with men forces it underground,” noted Hilliard. “In addition, one of the major drivers is multiple concurrent partners: one person gets infected and pretty soon everybody is. These are touchy issues to deal with from a societal level, but deal with them we must.”
“We are going to be working with the Ministry of Health to try to find more ways to get people to open up to the idea of being more sexually responsible,” Hilliard said.
Under a regional HIV prevention program, USAID will provide Jamaica with $10.7 million this year, Hilliard said. “We are hoping that over the next four years we will up that amount,” she added.
[Article source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com]
Source: CDCNPIN News
Discovered 13 hours ago | 0 comments
Equipment that could be dangerous
Source: healthfinder.gov Daily News
Discovered 18 hours ago | 0 comments
High blood pressure is often a top priority for doctors, but pain and depression may be more pressing to their patients.
Source: NYT Research
Discovered 15 hours ago | 0 comments
Can 3-D movies like “Avatar” cause motion sickness?
Source: NYT Research
Discovered 12 hours ago | 0 comments
A study of almost five million births in California found that the chance of having autistic children increased with older parents.
Source: NYT Research
Discovered 1 hour ago | 0 comments
Results from an online survey of sex and relationships, including attitudes and sexual history, paint a complicated picture for young US men.
The Chicago-based youth market research company TRU partnered with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and Seventeen magazine to conduct the survey of 1,200 males ages 15-22 in November. Of participants, 300 each were ages 15-16, 17-18, 19-20, and 21-22. The intent was to measure sexual respect, Seventeen said.
Among the findings:
*45 percent said they were virgins.
*60 percent reported lying about something related to sex: 30 percent lied about how far they have gone, 24 percent about their number of sexual partners, and 23 percent about their virginity status.
*78 percent agreed there was “way too much pressure” from society to have sex.
*57 percent of sexually active respondents reported having had unprotected sex.
*53 percent said they had talked with a parent about preventing pregnancy.
*51 percent said having sex before marriage was acceptable in their family.
*66 percent said they could be happy in a serious relationship that did not include sex.
The survey also found a double standard in terms of “hooking up,” “friends with benefits” and other areas of sexual openness: Among males, 53 percent said having a lot of casual partners makes them popular, but 71 percent said it makes girls less popular.
[Article source: http://www.usatoday.com ]
Source: CDCNPIN News
Discovered 14 hours ago | 0 comments
Laparoscopy responsible for 'pending epidemic,' researchers say
Source: healthfinder.gov Daily News
Discovered 1 day ago | 0 comments
Our descendants will be different from us. In a competitive world, they’ll have to be; our design is hardly optimized for their world. But since they will evolve incrementally from us, they won’t be completely different. For example, many features of the ways we talk between minds, and within minds, may lock [...]
Source: Overcoming Bias
Discovered 1 day ago | 0 comments
Regardless of the father's age, a child's risk of autism rises with the age of the child's mother. Moms 40 and older are 77% more likely to have a child with autism, compared to mothers under age 25.
Source: WebMD Health
Discovered 9 hours ago | 0 comments
Higher blood sugar, insulin levels might cause cells to divide abnormally, researchers say
Source: healthfinder.gov Daily News
Discovered 20 hours ago | 0 comments
Infant abdominal hernia rates higher near farms using atrazine, research shows
Source: healthfinder.gov Daily News
Discovered 1 day ago | 0 comments
To fight obesity, legislation would ban candy and sugary beverages, and many schools would be required offer more nutritious fare.
Source: NYT Fitness Nutrition
Discovered 1 day ago | 0 comments
Nearly one in three overweight adolescents don't think they have a weight problem.
Source: WebMD Health
Discovered 13 hours ago | 0 comments
"Really?" columnist Anahad O'Connor explores the link between 3-D movies and headaches.
Source: Well
Discovered 11 hours ago | 0 comments
This new page includes mental health information for the public (in French, Haitian-Creole and English); information for health professionals including the most recent mental health advisory for professionals providing care for earthquake survivors; coping resources for first-responders; and general information on accessing mental health services in the U.S. by state.
Discovered 15 hours ago | 0 comments
New York Times reporter Kevin Sack reports on the unlikely prosecution of a nurse who informed state regulators about a doctor she believed was practicing bad medicine.
Source: Well
Discovered 18 hours ago | 0 comments
(NaturalNews) Taking a high daily dose of vitamin D during pregnancy can significantly reduce a woman's risk of giving birth prematurely, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Medical University of Charleston, South Carolina, and funded by the National Institutes of Health.
"I'm telling every pregnant mother I see to take 4,000 IUs and every nursing mother to take 6,400 IUs of vitamin D a day," said researcher Bruce Hollis. "I think it is medical malpractice for obstetricians not to know what the vitamin D level of their patients is. This study will put them on notice."
Pregnant women in the United Kingdom and the United States are currently advised to take 400 IU of vitamin D per day.
In the first experimental (rather than observational) study into the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the risk of premature birth, researchers assigned 600 pregnant women living in the Charleston area to take either 400 IU or 4,000 IU per day of vitamin D. Levels of vitamin D and calcium in the women's blood and urine were tested once per month to ensure participant safety. The study included roughly equal numbers of white, black and Hispanic participants.
At both 32 and 37 weeks, the rate of premature birth in the 4,000 IU group was half that of the 400 IU group. Significantly fewer "small for date" babies were also delivered to the 4,000 IU group.
In addition, women receiving more vitamin D were less likely to suffer from respiratory, vaginal, gum or other infections. They were 30 percent less likely to suffer from "core morbidities" of pregnancy, such as diabetes, hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Babies born to women in the high vitamin D group had lower rates of colds and eczema than babies in the other group.
There were no adverse effects observed from either vitamin D dose.
Sources for this story include: www.timesonline.co.uk.
"I'm telling every pregnant mother I see to take 4,000 IUs and every nursing mother to take 6,400 IUs of vitamin D a day," said researcher Bruce Hollis. "I think it is medical malpractice for obstetricians not to know what the vitamin D level of their patients is. This study will put them on notice."
Pregnant women in the United Kingdom and the United States are currently advised to take 400 IU of vitamin D per day.
In the first experimental (rather than observational) study into the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the risk of premature birth, researchers assigned 600 pregnant women living in the Charleston area to take either 400 IU or 4,000 IU per day of vitamin D. Levels of vitamin D and calcium in the women's blood and urine were tested once per month to ensure participant safety. The study included roughly equal numbers of white, black and Hispanic participants.
At both 32 and 37 weeks, the rate of premature birth in the 4,000 IU group was half that of the 400 IU group. Significantly fewer "small for date" babies were also delivered to the 4,000 IU group.
In addition, women receiving more vitamin D were less likely to suffer from respiratory, vaginal, gum or other infections. They were 30 percent less likely to suffer from "core morbidities" of pregnancy, such as diabetes, hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Babies born to women in the high vitamin D group had lower rates of colds and eczema than babies in the other group.
There were no adverse effects observed from either vitamin D dose.
Sources for this story include: www.timesonline.co.uk.
Source: NaturalNews.com
Discovered 13 hours ago | 0 comments
Australia has provided free quadrivalent HPV vaccine to 12- to 18-year-old girls through a school-based program since April 2007 and to women age 26 and younger through general medical practices since July 2007. To determine if the program has had a population impact on presentations of genital warts, the researchers undertook a retrospective study comparing the proportion of new clients with genital warts attending Melbourne Sexual Health Center from January 2004 to December 2008.
During the study period, the center saw 36,055 new clients and 3,826 were diagnosed with genital warts (10.6 percent; 95 percent confidence interval [CI] 10.3 to 10.9). The proportion of women younger than 28 diagnosed with warts fell by 25.1 percent (95 percent CI 30.5 percent to 19.3 percent) per quarter in 2008. Comparing this decline to a negligible increase of 1.8 percent (95 percent CI 0.2 percent to 3.4 percent) per quarter from the start of 2004 to the end of 2007, also in women under 28, generates strong evidence of a difference in these two trends (p less than 0.001).
“There was no evidence of a difference in trend for the quarterly proportions before and after the end of 2007 for any other subgroup, and on only one occasion was there strong evidence of a trend different to zero, for heterosexual men in 2008 in whom the average quarterly change was a decrease of 5 percent (95 percent CI 0.5 percent to 9.4 percent; p=0.031).
“The data suggest that a rapid and marked reduction in the incidence of genital warts among vaccinated women may be achievable through an HPV vaccination program targeting women, and supports some benefit being conferred to heterosexual men,” the authors concluded.
[Article source: http://sti.bmj.com/]
Source: CDCNPIN News
Discovered 12 hours ago | 0 comments
The earlier a speech-delayed child can get some help, the better the prospects, writes Dr. Perri Klass.
Source: Well
Discovered 12 hours ago | 0 comments
An experimental oral drug that targets the hormone serotonin in the gut successfully reversed bone loss and built new bone in mice.
Source: WebMD Health
Discovered 1 day ago | 0 comments
Tobacco smoke residue, or “thirdhand” smoke, mixes with indoor air pollutants to form cancer-causing substances.
Source: WebMD Health
Discovered 14 hours ago | 0 comments
(NaturalNews) For several years, The Institute for Responsible Technology has predicted that the US would soon experience a tipping point of consumer rejection against genetically modified foods. Now, in a December article in "Supermarket News", that prediction is supported and the non-GMO consciousness uprising is gaining momentum.
Besides the Institute`s new non-GMO website and non-GMO shopping guide, which was disclosed in a previous article, another Non-GMO project is being launched. The project would offer the country`s first consensus-based guidelines to include third-party certification and a uniform seal for approved products. The organization would also require documented traceability and segregation to ensure the tested ingredients are what go into the final product.
The "Supermarket News" article alerts supermarket executives to the fact that the growth of organic, local, and green product categories reflects a generation of consumers that could be less tolerant of genetic modification.
In the past, health culprits like fats, refined carbs, salt and sugar were addressed, in that food companies offered options with, without, or with low levels of them. Now, the GMOs are coming to light. These executives are becoming aware that GMOs do not offer a single consumer benefit. They are finally learning that the five major GMOs, soy, corn, cottonseed, canola, and sugar beets, which are gene spliced to tolerate or produce poisonous insecticides, offer the consumer nothing. They are also learning that companies can eliminate GMOs without having to change recipes.
When the major food companies notice even tiny losses in market share, their GMO clean out will be widespread. The large food companies will recognize that the same consumer trend that forced them to remove all GM ingredients in Europe and Japan is taking place in the US.
Right now, about 28 million Americans regularly buy organic and about 87 million are opposed to GM foods and believe they are unsafe. And, 159 million say they would avoid GMOs if they were labeled. Imagine what people would say if they all learned that Monsanto paid off our elected officials to not require labeling of GMOs. You see, they knew full well that no one would buy their GMO garbage if it were labeled as such.
In the past, the decade could be defined with regard to the "culprits". In the 80`s, it was fat; in the 90`s, it was carbs. Hopefully, we won`t need this whole decade to send GMOs packing. And, God willing, by this time next year, Monsanto, the largest GMO producer in the world, will not be a "happy camper".
Read labels. If soy (including soy lecithin), corn, cotton, canola and sugar do not say organic, do not buy it.
Aloha!
About the author
Hesh Goldstein: Vegetarian since 1975, vegan since 1990. Moderator of a weekly radio show in Honolulu called, "Health Talk" since 1981. Obtained a Master's degree in Nutrition, in 2007, to silence the so-called "doctors" that called in on my weekly radio show asking for my "credentials". At 70, I am in perfect health, have no illnesses, take no meds, play 4 on 4 half court hoops 2 hours a week, body surf, race walk, do various cardio and weight exercises and teach women's self defense classes based upon 30 years of Wing Chun training . To obtain a state of good health, if it had a face or a mother or if man made it, don't eat it. For more information: www.healthtalkhawaii.com Hesh is also the distributor of Organic Sulfur Crystals, an incredible healing nutrient. For more information on this go to his website and click on Products.
Besides the Institute`s new non-GMO website and non-GMO shopping guide, which was disclosed in a previous article, another Non-GMO project is being launched. The project would offer the country`s first consensus-based guidelines to include third-party certification and a uniform seal for approved products. The organization would also require documented traceability and segregation to ensure the tested ingredients are what go into the final product.
The "Supermarket News" article alerts supermarket executives to the fact that the growth of organic, local, and green product categories reflects a generation of consumers that could be less tolerant of genetic modification.
In the past, health culprits like fats, refined carbs, salt and sugar were addressed, in that food companies offered options with, without, or with low levels of them. Now, the GMOs are coming to light. These executives are becoming aware that GMOs do not offer a single consumer benefit. They are finally learning that the five major GMOs, soy, corn, cottonseed, canola, and sugar beets, which are gene spliced to tolerate or produce poisonous insecticides, offer the consumer nothing. They are also learning that companies can eliminate GMOs without having to change recipes.
When the major food companies notice even tiny losses in market share, their GMO clean out will be widespread. The large food companies will recognize that the same consumer trend that forced them to remove all GM ingredients in Europe and Japan is taking place in the US.
Right now, about 28 million Americans regularly buy organic and about 87 million are opposed to GM foods and believe they are unsafe. And, 159 million say they would avoid GMOs if they were labeled. Imagine what people would say if they all learned that Monsanto paid off our elected officials to not require labeling of GMOs. You see, they knew full well that no one would buy their GMO garbage if it were labeled as such.
In the past, the decade could be defined with regard to the "culprits". In the 80`s, it was fat; in the 90`s, it was carbs. Hopefully, we won`t need this whole decade to send GMOs packing. And, God willing, by this time next year, Monsanto, the largest GMO producer in the world, will not be a "happy camper".
Read labels. If soy (including soy lecithin), corn, cotton, canola and sugar do not say organic, do not buy it.
Aloha!
About the author
Hesh Goldstein: Vegetarian since 1975, vegan since 1990. Moderator of a weekly radio show in Honolulu called, "Health Talk" since 1981. Obtained a Master's degree in Nutrition, in 2007, to silence the so-called "doctors" that called in on my weekly radio show asking for my "credentials". At 70, I am in perfect health, have no illnesses, take no meds, play 4 on 4 half court hoops 2 hours a week, body surf, race walk, do various cardio and weight exercises and teach women's self defense classes based upon 30 years of Wing Chun training . To obtain a state of good health, if it had a face or a mother or if man made it, don't eat it. For more information: www.healthtalkhawaii.com Hesh is also the distributor of Organic Sulfur Crystals, an incredible healing nutrient. For more information on this go to his website and click on Products.
Source: NaturalNews.com
Discovered 1 day ago | 0 comments
Drinking beer may be good for building more than just beer bellies. A new study suggests drinking beer may help build better bones thanks to its high silicon content.
Source: WebMD Health
Discovered 17 hours ago | 0 comments
(NaturalNews) Elderly dementia patients are being subjected to "scandalous abuse" by being drugged with dangerous antipsychotic drugs, according to a letter by ten influential health organizations, published in The Daily Telegraph.
"[One hundred thousand] people with dementia in care homes are being inappropriately prescribed a damaging chemical cosh of antipsychotic drugs and new research suggests that there is a significant problem in hospitals too," the letter reads. "Antipsychotics should only ever be a last resort. This over prescription is abuse and it must stop. ... We cannot stand by while this scandalous abuse of vulnerable citizens continues."
Although antipsychotic drugs are intended for people with medical conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and are not approved for the treatment of dementia, studies show that nursing homes and hospitals regularly prescribe them to these patients as sedatives, in order to make them easier for doctors and nurses to handle.
Research has shown, however, that antipsychotic drugs can double a patient's risk of death if used for three years. Another study found that dementia patients are three times more likely to suffer a stroke if given antipsychotic drugs.
A 2008 report by British Minister of Parliament Paul Burstow concluded that 23,500 dementia patients are being killed every year by inappropriate prescription of antipsychotics in nursing homes. However, a recent survey by the Alzheimer's Society marks the first time that researchers have looked into the prevalence of the problem in hospitals.
The trust found that three-quarters of nurses surveyed said they had seen antipsychotics used to sedate dementia patients, while one-quarter said they had seen the drugs used inappropriately.
"The massive over prescription of antipsychotics to people with dementia is an abuse of human rights, causing serious side effects and increasing risk of death," said Neil Hunt of the Alzheimer's Society. "The government must take action to ensure that these drugs are only ever used as a last resort."
"While the Department of Health prevaricates, thousands of people are being put at risk through the misuse of antipsychotics," said Rebecca Wood of the Alzheimer's Research Trust.
Sources for this story include: www.telegraph.co.uk.
"[One hundred thousand] people with dementia in care homes are being inappropriately prescribed a damaging chemical cosh of antipsychotic drugs and new research suggests that there is a significant problem in hospitals too," the letter reads. "Antipsychotics should only ever be a last resort. This over prescription is abuse and it must stop. ... We cannot stand by while this scandalous abuse of vulnerable citizens continues."
Although antipsychotic drugs are intended for people with medical conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and are not approved for the treatment of dementia, studies show that nursing homes and hospitals regularly prescribe them to these patients as sedatives, in order to make them easier for doctors and nurses to handle.
Research has shown, however, that antipsychotic drugs can double a patient's risk of death if used for three years. Another study found that dementia patients are three times more likely to suffer a stroke if given antipsychotic drugs.
A 2008 report by British Minister of Parliament Paul Burstow concluded that 23,500 dementia patients are being killed every year by inappropriate prescription of antipsychotics in nursing homes. However, a recent survey by the Alzheimer's Society marks the first time that researchers have looked into the prevalence of the problem in hospitals.
The trust found that three-quarters of nurses surveyed said they had seen antipsychotics used to sedate dementia patients, while one-quarter said they had seen the drugs used inappropriately.
"The massive over prescription of antipsychotics to people with dementia is an abuse of human rights, causing serious side effects and increasing risk of death," said Neil Hunt of the Alzheimer's Society. "The government must take action to ensure that these drugs are only ever used as a last resort."
"While the Department of Health prevaricates, thousands of people are being put at risk through the misuse of antipsychotics," said Rebecca Wood of the Alzheimer's Research Trust.
Sources for this story include: www.telegraph.co.uk.
Source: NaturalNews.com
Discovered 1 day ago | 0 comments
The rate of newly diagnosed HIV cases is eight times higher for black Missourians than their white counterparts, the state Health Department said recently. The disparity is particularly high among black females, according to health officials, who are urging regular testing for HIV and other STDs.
[Article source: http://www.ap.org/ ]
Source: CDCNPIN News
Discovered 29 minutes ago | 0 comments
After a record two feet of snow this weekend, my area (DC) has another 5-9 inches coming tomorrow. My street hasn’t been plowed, and likely won’t be until next week. So this might seem one of those “stories to tell your grandkids.” Except, well, we have water, power, heat, tv, internet, plenty of food, and [...]
Source: Overcoming Bias
Discovered 9 hours ago | 0 comments
Simple lifestyle habits at home, such as having more family meals, could reduce obesity in preschoolers, new research suggests.
Source: WebMD Health
Discovered 12 hours ago | 0 comments
Can 3-D movies like “Avatar” cause motion sickness?
Source: NYT Fitness Nutrition
Discovered 2 hours ago | 0 comments
Researchers are a step closer to understanding why babies who appear to be perfectly healthy may die suddenly.
Source: NYT Research
Discovered 16 hours ago | 0 comments
Optimistic beliefs about HIV transmission risk and STD vulnerability that are generated by advances in HIV treatment can influence motivation to practice safer sex. The current study’s authors sought to understand the relationships between these beliefs and various types of sexual risk behavior. In addition, the researchers hoped to determine the association between treatment adherence and sexual risk behaviors.
The study’s subjects were 842 HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) who were on treatment; data on the men were collected and examined. Eleven questions were asked to measure beliefs regarding HIV transmission risk and vulnerability to other infections or negative health outcomes. The main outcomes were concordant and discordant unprotected anal sex (UAS) with main and non-main male partners.
The results indicated that 34 percent of the MSM reported concordant UAS and 41 percent reported discordant UAS in the previous three months. Discordant insertive UAS was reported by 26 percent. At least one belief item remained statistically significant in all multivariate logistic regression models predicting sexual risk behaviors. Across partner type and serostatus, different patterns of associations between beliefs and sexual risk were observed.
“Compared to transmission risk beliefs, more vulnerability beliefs were associated with sexual risk,” the authors wrote. Having missed at least one treatment dose in the preceding month was associated with concordant and discordant sexual risk behavior with non-main partners, while intentionally missing a dose was associated with only discordant risk with non-main partners. The potential interaction between beliefs and adherence was explored by post hoc moderator analysis. The belief that a low viral load lowers HIV transmission risk was found to be positively associated with discordant sex with non-main partners only among those who intentionally missed a dose.
“These results underscore the complex relationship between HIV transmission risk and vulnerability beliefs and sexual behavior with different types of partners,” the authors concluded. “Prevention programs should carefully consider how to craft and tailor messages about medical advances while at the same time reinforcing the need for continued sexual safety.”
[Article source: http://www.tandf.co.uk]
Source: CDCNPIN News
Discovered 11 hours ago | 0 comments
Some people are programmed to age at a faster rate, study says
Source: healthfinder.gov Daily News
Discovered 1 day ago | 0 comments
Medicines Tossed in Trash End Up in Water: Study
U.S. Government to Forbid Unhealthy Foods in Schools
Obama Invites Republicans to Televised Health Care Mee
Source: healthfinder.gov Daily News
Discovered 17 hours ago | 0 comments
(NaturalNews) While doctors are prescribing expensive drugs that can have devastating side effects to slow the progress of Alzheimer`s, new research shows it might be possible to prevent the onset of this cruel disease by something as simple, inexpensive, and safe as a dose of marine oil every day during our younger years.
In the US, as many as 5.3 million people live with Alzheimer`s. That number is predicted to double every 20 years.1 The latest medical thinking is that the escalating rate of Alzheimer`s disease has its roots in chronic inflammation that`s a result of the modern diet deficient in omega 3 fatty acids.
The first symptoms of Alzheimer`s generally appear after age 60. Such symptoms include memory problems, loss of motor control, and problems with one`s sense of smell. But according to the National Institute on Aging, the damage that eventually turns into Alzheimer`s disease can begin to occur 20 years before the first symptoms appear. It makes sense, therefore, to do whatever one can to prevent the process from beginning. The good news is that a substance found in nature could offer the best new hope for prevention.
While some people have drawn a genetic short straw that predisposes them to develop Alzheimer`s disease, the latest medical research has identified chronic inflammation as the first stage in the process. For example, one team of researchers found that people whose blood carried the markers for inflammation, called cytokines, were more likely to go on to develop Alzheimer`s disease than test subjects without cytokines.2
Discovery of the link between inflammation and Alzheimer`s has led to research on the potential for anti-inflammatories to prevent the onset of the disease. In one study, a team of researchers tested a synthetic anti-inflammatory drug for the prevention of Alzheimer`s disease. They found that the anti-inflammatory drug "appeared to protect mild to moderately impaired Alzheimer`s disease patients from the degree of cognitive decline exhibited by a well-matched placebo-treated group."3
While synthetic prescription anti-inflammatories may be beneficial as an Alzheimer`s preventative, the side effects of their long-term use can be serious. Consequently, doctors have been looking for safer options for their Alzheimer`s patients. One way to address chronic inflammation is by adding therapeutic omega 3 fatty acids to the diet. Eating more omega 3 rich cold-water fish such as salmon and tuna is helpful, but a better way to boost omega 3 levels is by taking a dietary supplement.
The best sources of omega 3 are marine oils, usually sold as fish oil capsules derived from salmon. The most potent omega 3 marine oil found to date is derived from the green-lipped mussel of New Zealand. At the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, Australia, Dr. Michael Whitehouse PhD compared stabilized mussel oil with other anti-inflammatory agents, which included several prescription medications. At a dose of 5mg per kilogram of body weight, the stabilized mussel oil was found to be 97 percent effective in reducing inflammation, and 350 times more potent than salmon oil as a source of omega 3. Dr. Whitehouse concluded that the mussel oil was clearly a superior medicinal compound, because it achieved the desired result without the side effects that accompanied synthetic anti-inflammatories.
Since inflammation has been shown to be a culprit behind a great many conditions--from heart disease and arthritis to asthma and Alzheimer`s--it makes sense to get more omega 3 into one`s diet. High-potency marine oil, such as that derived from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel, may be the answer.
* * * * * SOURCES: 1 2009 statistics from the Alzheimer`s Association. 2 Zaldy S. Tan MD, Journal of the American Academy of Neurology, May 29, 2007. 3 Roberts L.J. et al. Neurology, 1993; 43:1609.
About the author
Carl D. Thompson has spent most of his 34-year career as a journalist writing about health and medical matters. He has a particular interest in low-risk natural alternatives to synthetic drugs. His new book is "Inflammation: What Drug Companies Do not Want You to Know," which is available as a free e-book at www.urgenthealthnews.com.
In the US, as many as 5.3 million people live with Alzheimer`s. That number is predicted to double every 20 years.1 The latest medical thinking is that the escalating rate of Alzheimer`s disease has its roots in chronic inflammation that`s a result of the modern diet deficient in omega 3 fatty acids.
The first symptoms of Alzheimer`s generally appear after age 60. Such symptoms include memory problems, loss of motor control, and problems with one`s sense of smell. But according to the National Institute on Aging, the damage that eventually turns into Alzheimer`s disease can begin to occur 20 years before the first symptoms appear. It makes sense, therefore, to do whatever one can to prevent the process from beginning. The good news is that a substance found in nature could offer the best new hope for prevention.
While some people have drawn a genetic short straw that predisposes them to develop Alzheimer`s disease, the latest medical research has identified chronic inflammation as the first stage in the process. For example, one team of researchers found that people whose blood carried the markers for inflammation, called cytokines, were more likely to go on to develop Alzheimer`s disease than test subjects without cytokines.2
Discovery of the link between inflammation and Alzheimer`s has led to research on the potential for anti-inflammatories to prevent the onset of the disease. In one study, a team of researchers tested a synthetic anti-inflammatory drug for the prevention of Alzheimer`s disease. They found that the anti-inflammatory drug "appeared to protect mild to moderately impaired Alzheimer`s disease patients from the degree of cognitive decline exhibited by a well-matched placebo-treated group."3
While synthetic prescription anti-inflammatories may be beneficial as an Alzheimer`s preventative, the side effects of their long-term use can be serious. Consequently, doctors have been looking for safer options for their Alzheimer`s patients. One way to address chronic inflammation is by adding therapeutic omega 3 fatty acids to the diet. Eating more omega 3 rich cold-water fish such as salmon and tuna is helpful, but a better way to boost omega 3 levels is by taking a dietary supplement.
The best sources of omega 3 are marine oils, usually sold as fish oil capsules derived from salmon. The most potent omega 3 marine oil found to date is derived from the green-lipped mussel of New Zealand. At the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, Australia, Dr. Michael Whitehouse PhD compared stabilized mussel oil with other anti-inflammatory agents, which included several prescription medications. At a dose of 5mg per kilogram of body weight, the stabilized mussel oil was found to be 97 percent effective in reducing inflammation, and 350 times more potent than salmon oil as a source of omega 3. Dr. Whitehouse concluded that the mussel oil was clearly a superior medicinal compound, because it achieved the desired result without the side effects that accompanied synthetic anti-inflammatories.
Since inflammation has been shown to be a culprit behind a great many conditions--from heart disease and arthritis to asthma and Alzheimer`s--it makes sense to get more omega 3 into one`s diet. High-potency marine oil, such as that derived from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel, may be the answer.
* * * * * SOURCES: 1 2009 statistics from the Alzheimer`s Association. 2 Zaldy S. Tan MD, Journal of the American Academy of Neurology, May 29, 2007. 3 Roberts L.J. et al. Neurology, 1993; 43:1609.
About the author
Carl D. Thompson has spent most of his 34-year career as a journalist writing about health and medical matters. He has a particular interest in low-risk natural alternatives to synthetic drugs. His new book is "Inflammation: What Drug Companies Do not Want You to Know," which is available as a free e-book at www.urgenthealthnews.com.
Source: NaturalNews.com
Discovered 1 hour ago | 0 comments
A week ago I said:
The main general approaches I know [to avoid total collapse] are refuges, to directly protect against the worst case, and the robustness rewards above, which counter-act known problems that distort our world economy toward fragility.
I suggested dealing with intellectual property, empire bias, crisis metrics, and missing standards. Here is a finance [...]
Source: Overcoming Bias
Discovered 20 hours ago | 0 comments
(NaturalNews) In late January, the New York Times published a startling and groundbreaking series of reports by investigative reporter Walt Bogdanich who has uncovered case after case of people who suffered devastating consequences -- including horrendously painful, torture-like deaths -- because of medical mistakes related to radiation treatment. In response to these articles, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) just issued a statement saying the group and its members "deeply regret that these events have occurred, and we continue to work hard to reduce the likelihood of similar events in the future."
Nowhere in the statement does the AAPM acknowledge specifically what events they are talking about -- and they do not even mention the almost incomprehensible human suffering connected to these unnamed "events". Instead, the AAPM is clearly most interested in pacifying the public so they won't be worried about the dangers associated with medical radiation.
As the statement puts it, the AAPM "seeks to reassure the public on the safety of radiation therapy, which is safely and effectively used to treat hundreds of thousands of people with cancer and other diseases every year in the United States. Medical physicists in hospitals and clinics across the United States are board-certified professionals who play a key role in assuring quality during these treatments."
That reassurance is likely to mean little to the friends and relatives of people killed by medical radiation. No doubt, these patients were assured before their treatment began that their radiation was state-of-the-art western medicine, delivered by highly trained medical professionals.
Horrifying deaths caused by "medical" radiation
For example, Bogdanich reported on the heartbreaking tale of Scott Jerome-Parks who was literally irradiated to death. While he was being treated for tongue cancer, staff in a New York City hospital didn't notice a computer error was directing a linear accelerator to zap Jerome-Parks' brain stem and neck with off-target beams of high-dose radiation on three consecutive days.
He was left deaf, almost blind, burned, and unable to swallow. His teeth fell out among the ulcers lacing his mouth and throat. He died, in excruciating pain, weeks after his radiation "treatment" at the age of 43.
The very day a warning was issued to other hospitals to be more careful with radiation, Bogdanich pointed out in his report, at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn a 32-year-old woman with breast cancer was subjected to a huge radiation overdose -- three times the prescribed amount. And it didn't stop there. This intense irradiation of her body went on for 27 days until it burned a hideous, open hole into her chest. The young mother of two young children suffered horrendous pain and then died a month after Jerome-Parks.
Unfortunately, anyone who is assured by the AAPM's public relations statement about the intrinsic safety of medical radiation is simply not well informed. One worrisome concern is the fact Americans are being exposed to cancer-causing radiation in huge numbers -- the average lifetime dose of diagnostic radiation Americans receive has gone up 600 percent in the last three decades (http://www.naturalnews.com/025767_cancer_NaturalNews_X-rays.html). In addition, when safety rules are overlooked or the incredibly complex and high powered 21st century radiation devices have a glitch, the consequences clearly can be disastrous.
And while the AAPM may want patients to think mistakes involving medical radiation are so rare as to be nothing to worry about, the fact is more and more of these tragedies have been reported over the past few years. For example, NaturalNews has previously reported on the death of a teenager who received a massive overdose of radiation (http://www.naturalnews.com/020824_cancer_cancer_treatments_oncology.html) and how patients receiving CT brain scans at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles unknowingly received large overdoses of radiation over a course of 18 months (http://www.naturalnews.com/027541_radiation_medical_imaging.html). For more information: http://www.naturalnews.com/radiation_treatment.html http://www.aapm.org/publicgeneral/QualityRadiationTherapy.asp
Nowhere in the statement does the AAPM acknowledge specifically what events they are talking about -- and they do not even mention the almost incomprehensible human suffering connected to these unnamed "events". Instead, the AAPM is clearly most interested in pacifying the public so they won't be worried about the dangers associated with medical radiation.
As the statement puts it, the AAPM "seeks to reassure the public on the safety of radiation therapy, which is safely and effectively used to treat hundreds of thousands of people with cancer and other diseases every year in the United States. Medical physicists in hospitals and clinics across the United States are board-certified professionals who play a key role in assuring quality during these treatments."
That reassurance is likely to mean little to the friends and relatives of people killed by medical radiation. No doubt, these patients were assured before their treatment began that their radiation was state-of-the-art western medicine, delivered by highly trained medical professionals.
Horrifying deaths caused by "medical" radiation
For example, Bogdanich reported on the heartbreaking tale of Scott Jerome-Parks who was literally irradiated to death. While he was being treated for tongue cancer, staff in a New York City hospital didn't notice a computer error was directing a linear accelerator to zap Jerome-Parks' brain stem and neck with off-target beams of high-dose radiation on three consecutive days.
He was left deaf, almost blind, burned, and unable to swallow. His teeth fell out among the ulcers lacing his mouth and throat. He died, in excruciating pain, weeks after his radiation "treatment" at the age of 43.
The very day a warning was issued to other hospitals to be more careful with radiation, Bogdanich pointed out in his report, at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn a 32-year-old woman with breast cancer was subjected to a huge radiation overdose -- three times the prescribed amount. And it didn't stop there. This intense irradiation of her body went on for 27 days until it burned a hideous, open hole into her chest. The young mother of two young children suffered horrendous pain and then died a month after Jerome-Parks.
Unfortunately, anyone who is assured by the AAPM's public relations statement about the intrinsic safety of medical radiation is simply not well informed. One worrisome concern is the fact Americans are being exposed to cancer-causing radiation in huge numbers -- the average lifetime dose of diagnostic radiation Americans receive has gone up 600 percent in the last three decades (http://www.naturalnews.com/025767_cancer_NaturalNews_X-rays.html). In addition, when safety rules are overlooked or the incredibly complex and high powered 21st century radiation devices have a glitch, the consequences clearly can be disastrous.
And while the AAPM may want patients to think mistakes involving medical radiation are so rare as to be nothing to worry about, the fact is more and more of these tragedies have been reported over the past few years. For example, NaturalNews has previously reported on the death of a teenager who received a massive overdose of radiation (http://www.naturalnews.com/020824_cancer_cancer_treatments_oncology.html) and how patients receiving CT brain scans at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles unknowingly received large overdoses of radiation over a course of 18 months (http://www.naturalnews.com/027541_radiation_medical_imaging.html). For more information: http://www.naturalnews.com/radiation_treatment.html http://www.aapm.org/publicgeneral/QualityRadiationTherapy.asp
Source: NaturalNews.com
Discovered 3 hours ago | 0 comments
Following a Mediterranean diet may help lower risk of brain damage related to silent strokes, new research shows.
Source: WebMD Health
Discovered 11 hours ago | 0 comments
Experimental agent targets serotonin in the gut, triggering bone formation
Source: healthfinder.gov Daily News
Discovered 19 hours ago | 0 comments
On Thursday, a new HIV testing campaign that will target gay African-American men ages 18-24 launched from the steps of Newark’s City Hall. “Status Is Everything” is the brainchild of the Newark-based African-American Office of Gay Concerns (OGC), and it will rely heavily on social media, text messaging, and viral videos, in addition to traditional billboards, bus and movie screen advertisements.
The campaign’s Web site is www.StatusIsEverything.org. Local venues that offer confidential HIV screening can be found by texting “NJ” plus a ZIP code (e.g., NJ07102) to 36363. Residents are encouraged to tweet about the campaign on Twitter.com and to send a “You Need to Know” E-card to others. There are also campaign-related communities on Facebook and Causecast.
In one “real talk” video linked from the Web site, “Louis” candidly discusses the need for HIV testing as video taken from a moving car shows a leafy park where men cruise for sex with other men. “Condom negotiation is hardly the first thing that comes to mind,” he says in the video, which is also available on YouTube.
OGC tapped Ann Dey, an HIV/AIDS expert from Rutgers University, to conduct focus groups on how best to reach men who face the stigma of being black and gay. The campaign received about $250,000 from the state Department of Health and Senior Services and will run for six months.
[Article source: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/]
Source: CDCNPIN News
Discovered 9 hours ago | 0 comments
Orthopedic surgeons across the country are using techniques for hip replacement that reduce complications and speed recovery in patients.
Source: NYT Fitness Nutrition
Discovered 12 hours ago | 0 comments
The herpes drug acyclovir lowered H.I.V. levels in the blood but did not make a person less likely to spread the AIDS virus, researchers said.
Source: NYT Research
Discovered 2 hours ago | 0 comments
(NaturalNews) In a gathering of vitamin D researchers recently held in Toronto, Dr. Cedric Garland delivered a blockbuster announcement: Breast cancer can be virtually "eradicated" by raising vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D is "the cure" for breast cancer that the cancer industry ridiculously claims to be searching for. The cure already exists! But the breast cancer industry simply refuses to acknowledge any "cure" that doesn't involve mammography, chemotherapy or high-profit pharmaceuticals.
Vitamin D is finally gaining some of the recognition it deserves as a miraculous anti-cancer nutrient. It is the solution for cancer prevention. It could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year in the U.S. alone. Even Dr. Andrew Weil recently raised his recommendation of vitamin D to 2,000 IU per day.
This is the vitamin that could destroy the cancer industry and save millions of women from the degrading, harmful cancer "treatments" pushed by conventional medicine. No wonder they don't want to talk about it! The cancer industry would prefer to keep women ignorant about this vitamin that could save their breasts and their lives.
Below I'm reprinting the full statement from Dr. Cedric Garland following the Vitamin D conference recently held in Toronto.
Statement from Dr. Cedric Garland
Breast cancer is a disease so directly related to vitamin D deficiency that a woman's risk of contracting the disease can be 'virtually eradicated' by elevating her vitamin D status to what vitamin D scientists consider to be natural blood levels.
That's the message vitamin D pioneer Dr. Cedric Garland delivered in Toronto Tuesday as part of the University of Toronto School of Medicine's "Diagnosis and Treatment of Vitamin D Deficiency" conference - the largest gathering of vitamin D researchers in North America this year. More than 170 researchers, public health officials and health practitioners gathered at the UT Faculty club for the landmark event.
Garland's presentation headlined a conference that reviewed many aspects of the emerging vitamin D research field - a booming discipline that has seen more than 3,000 academic papers this calendar year alone, conference organizers said. That makes vitamin D by far the most prolific topic in medicine this year, with work connecting it with risk reduction in two dozen forms of cancer, heart disease, multiple scleroses and many other disorders.
Dr. Reinhold Vieth, Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at University of Toronto, and Director of the Bone and Mineral Laboratory at Mount Sinai Hospital, organized the event in conjunction with Grassroots Health - an international vitamin D advocacy group founded by breast cancer survivor Carole Baggerly.
Baggerly implored the research group to take action and encourage Canadians to learn more about vitamin D and to raise their vitamin D levels.
An estimated 22,700 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, according to the Canadian Cancer Society's latest figures.
As much as 97 percent of Canadians are vitamin D deficient at some point in the year, according to University of Calgary research - largely due to Canada's northerly latitudes and weak sun exposure. Sunshine is by far the most abundant source of vitamin D - called 'The Sunshine Vitamin' - with salmon and fortified milk being other sources. Vitamin D supplementation helps raise levels for many as well.
Grassroots Health's "D-action" panel - 30 of the world's leading researchers on vitamin D and many other vitamin D supporters - recommend 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily and vitamin D blood levels of 100-150 nanomoles-per-liter as measured by a vitamin D blood test.
Vieth pointed out that natural vitamin D levels of mammals who live outdoors in sunny climates is higher than that - up to 200 nanomoles-per liter. And Garland, whose presentation was entitled "Breast Cancer as a Vitamin D Deficiency Disease" presented data showing that raising one's vitamin D status near those levels decreased breast cancer risk more than 77 percent.
'The Sunshine Vitamin' was once thought of only for bone health, helping the body process calcium. But more recent work has shown that all cells in the body have "vitamin D receptors" which help control normal cell growth. Additionally, Garland presented new evidence that low vitamin D status compromises the integrity of calcium-based cellular bonding within tissues, which when eroded allow rogue cancer cells to spread more readily.
Grassroots Health is trying to raise vitamin D awareness among Canadians. Despite epidemic-level vitamin D deficiency in Canada, fewer than nine per cent of Canadians have ever had their vitamin D levels checked by a professional and most who have do not know their vitamin D blood level.
Vitamin D is "the cure" for breast cancer that the cancer industry ridiculously claims to be searching for. The cure already exists! But the breast cancer industry simply refuses to acknowledge any "cure" that doesn't involve mammography, chemotherapy or high-profit pharmaceuticals.
Vitamin D is finally gaining some of the recognition it deserves as a miraculous anti-cancer nutrient. It is the solution for cancer prevention. It could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year in the U.S. alone. Even Dr. Andrew Weil recently raised his recommendation of vitamin D to 2,000 IU per day.
This is the vitamin that could destroy the cancer industry and save millions of women from the degrading, harmful cancer "treatments" pushed by conventional medicine. No wonder they don't want to talk about it! The cancer industry would prefer to keep women ignorant about this vitamin that could save their breasts and their lives.
Below I'm reprinting the full statement from Dr. Cedric Garland following the Vitamin D conference recently held in Toronto.
Statement from Dr. Cedric Garland
Breast cancer is a disease so directly related to vitamin D deficiency that a woman's risk of contracting the disease can be 'virtually eradicated' by elevating her vitamin D status to what vitamin D scientists consider to be natural blood levels.
That's the message vitamin D pioneer Dr. Cedric Garland delivered in Toronto Tuesday as part of the University of Toronto School of Medicine's "Diagnosis and Treatment of Vitamin D Deficiency" conference - the largest gathering of vitamin D researchers in North America this year. More than 170 researchers, public health officials and health practitioners gathered at the UT Faculty club for the landmark event.
Garland's presentation headlined a conference that reviewed many aspects of the emerging vitamin D research field - a booming discipline that has seen more than 3,000 academic papers this calendar year alone, conference organizers said. That makes vitamin D by far the most prolific topic in medicine this year, with work connecting it with risk reduction in two dozen forms of cancer, heart disease, multiple scleroses and many other disorders.
Dr. Reinhold Vieth, Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at University of Toronto, and Director of the Bone and Mineral Laboratory at Mount Sinai Hospital, organized the event in conjunction with Grassroots Health - an international vitamin D advocacy group founded by breast cancer survivor Carole Baggerly.
Baggerly implored the research group to take action and encourage Canadians to learn more about vitamin D and to raise their vitamin D levels.
An estimated 22,700 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, according to the Canadian Cancer Society's latest figures.
As much as 97 percent of Canadians are vitamin D deficient at some point in the year, according to University of Calgary research - largely due to Canada's northerly latitudes and weak sun exposure. Sunshine is by far the most abundant source of vitamin D - called 'The Sunshine Vitamin' - with salmon and fortified milk being other sources. Vitamin D supplementation helps raise levels for many as well.
Grassroots Health's "D-action" panel - 30 of the world's leading researchers on vitamin D and many other vitamin D supporters - recommend 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily and vitamin D blood levels of 100-150 nanomoles-per-liter as measured by a vitamin D blood test.
Vieth pointed out that natural vitamin D levels of mammals who live outdoors in sunny climates is higher than that - up to 200 nanomoles-per liter. And Garland, whose presentation was entitled "Breast Cancer as a Vitamin D Deficiency Disease" presented data showing that raising one's vitamin D status near those levels decreased breast cancer risk more than 77 percent.
'The Sunshine Vitamin' was once thought of only for bone health, helping the body process calcium. But more recent work has shown that all cells in the body have "vitamin D receptors" which help control normal cell growth. Additionally, Garland presented new evidence that low vitamin D status compromises the integrity of calcium-based cellular bonding within tissues, which when eroded allow rogue cancer cells to spread more readily.
Grassroots Health is trying to raise vitamin D awareness among Canadians. Despite epidemic-level vitamin D deficiency in Canada, fewer than nine per cent of Canadians have ever had their vitamin D levels checked by a professional and most who have do not know their vitamin D blood level.
Source: NaturalNews.com
Discovered 14 hours ago | 0 comments
Head injuries reduced without harm to neck, researchers find
Source: healthfinder.gov Daily News
Discovered 1 day ago | 0 comments
As grip declines, so does survival, study finds
Source: healthfinder.gov Daily News
Discovered 16 hours ago | 0 comments
A third trial of an experimental drug found that it worked better than a rival to delay the risk of bone complications in men with advanced prostate cancer.
Source: NYT Research
Discovered 29 minutes ago | 0 comments
Drinking as little as two soft drinks a week appears to nearly double the risk of getting pancreatic cancer, according to a new study.
Source: WebMD Health
Discovered 16 hours ago | 0 comments
New research shows that doctors and patients often don't agree on which health issues are the most important.
Source: Well
Discovered 9 hours ago | 0 comments
(NaturalNews) Continuing our 15-part article series called Heal Yourself in 15 Days, today we focus on not doing something. In particular, I'm talking about not eating for 24 hours.
It sounds simple in theory, of course: Refrain from eating anything (or drinking any beverages other than water) for 24 hours. Your body has plenty of calories stored to carry you through those 24 hours, and the pause from digestion will give your body a chance to focus its healing energies on other parts of your body.
Note: Be sure to check with your naturopathic physician about the safety of fasting. While fasting is safe for most people, it's not for everyone. People in a weak state of health or those suffering from diabetes should take special precautions to make sure fasting is safe for them.
Why fasting?
Fasting has been used from Biblical times through the modern world to help purify and heal the body. It can help detox your liver, kidneys and digestive tract. It also encourages you to rethink your eating habits. When you fast for just 24 hours, and you're really committed to it, you'll be shocked to discover how many times you habitually reach for food.
People habitually reach for food in all sorts of circumstances that have nothing to do with actual hunger:
• When they're bored... • When they feel emotionally stressed... • When they watch television or movies... • When they're traveling in their car... • When other people are eating around them... • At social events, parties or gatherings...
Try fasting for 24 hours and you'll see for yourself just how many times you habitually reach for food.
This will teach you many important things about your own eating habits, and that's the point of this exercise. Just pick a day -- preferably a weekend when nothing big is going on -- and fast for 24 hours, drinking nothing but water.
In accomplishing this, you will realize three very important things:
1) You didn't die from starvation in 24 hours. In fact, most people have enough spare calories to go 30 days or more without eating.
2) You found the self-discipline to achieve 24 hours without eating. This is a milestone accomplishment in self control.
3) You learned to observe yourself and recognize the numerous situations in which you habitually reach for food. This can be extremely educational in helping you reform your eating habits in the future.
On top of all that, of course, you gave your digestive system a break and encouraged more rapid healing throughout your body. You may notice some detox effects (like bad breath) or a difference in your energy levels. This is all a normal part of the fasting process, and it indicates your fasting is working!
My own fasting experience
I recently fasted for 90 hours, then I had food for 24 hours followed by another 48-hour fast. The experience was quite enlightening. I had virtually no negative side effects, most likely due to the fact that I consume a very cleansing, healthy diet on a day-to-day basis. Typically, the worse your diet, the more detox side effects you may experience when fasting.
If you want to make your fasting more tolerable and more cleansing, you also have the option of drinking an 8-oz. glass of fresh vegetable juice in the middle of your fast. I did this during my fast, and it not only gave me more energy to make it through the fast; it also greatly enhanced the cleansing effects of my fast. I further enhance my own fasts with products from Ed Group's company, Global Healing Center (www.GHChealth.com). I especially like the Oxy Powder and Paratrex products. I take them with every fast.
Naturally, the choice is yours on how to approach this. You also have complete freedom to decide WHEN you want to do this. It doesn't have to happen on Superbowl Weekend. Pick a nice, easy Saturday or Sunday when you don't have anything big going on, and make that day your 24-hour fast. You'll feel better for it, and you will have achieved an important new milestone in your journey toward improved health.
Once you fast for just 24 hours, you'll then know that you can choose to avoid food at any particular time you want. You will discover new flexibility in your food consumption. You'll realize that you can say no to food any time you choose, and you won't die from lack of calories. You'll eliminate that fear and gain a new level of maturity in your relationship to food.
What to do if your fast fails
If you can't make it 24 hours without feeling like you're going to pass out and die, you probably have some rather serious blood sugar imbalances. These can be caused by poor food choice on a day-to-day basis, or even by prescription drugs such as antipsychotics or SSRIs (which imbalance blood sugar metabolism).
So if your fast fails, don't fret. Simply take the next 30 days to improve your eating habits, making them healthier and supported with more fresh food rather than processed food. Work to get safely off all prescription drugs (with the help of your naturopathic physician, of course). Drink more superfoods and fresh juices. Then 30 days later, try the 24-hour fast again and see if you can make it through the entire thing.
If you ever feel extremely weak, ill or you think you might pass out, that's a sign to stop the fast and get some calories. This isn't some sort of "no pain no gain" situation. Fasting should be tolerable and not dangerous. Again, the healthier your diet to start with, the easier your fast will typically be.
I have a friend who fasts for 24 hours each week, every week. He's extremely healthy and looks fit and trim well into his 50's. Other people I know (like David Rainoshek) go on 90-day juice fasts / feasts where they drink nothing but fresh living vegetable juice for 90 days.
Personally, I feel really good on a 72-hour fast, and a 48-hour fast is relatively straightforward because I can do it over the weekend. A 24-hour fast is now a no-brainer.
A few years ago, I never could have even entertained the idea of not eating for 24 hours. The thought would have terrified me. If you're in that camp right now, stop to consider what this means: You are a slave to food, just as I was!
Fasting helps free your mind from the enslavement of thinking you have to eat every few hours. It gives you new options, new freedoms and new self discipline. It's about much more than simply not eating food for 24 hours; it's also about self observation and spiritual mindfulness. Why do you think nearly all the great spiritual figures throughout world history fasted as part of their spiritual practice? They did that because food messes with your head while fasting clears your head.
Fasting gives you the opportunity to clear the food-induced cobwebs and see things with improved clarity. Now, just as a disclaimer here, please know that you're not going to see God after just a 24-hour fast. When spiritual leaders fast, they often fast for weeks at a time. Some go as far as 40 days. Some "breatharians" claim not to eat food at all, ever! But those are more advanced topics for another day.
For today, just focus on picking a day where you fast for 24 hours and observe the changes in your own mind and body. You'll be a wiser, healthier and more enlightened person for doing so.
Previous articles in this 15-day "Heal Yourself" series
Part One - Remove barriers to healing http://www.naturalnews.com/028053_self_healing_quality_of_life.html
Part Two - Unleash your inner healing potential http://www.naturalnews.com/028060_self_healing_immune_system.html
Part Three - You are what you absorb http://www.naturalnews.com/028067_self_healing_digestion.html
Part Four - Transform your health by making new blood http://www.naturalnews.com/028075_blood_health_transformation.html
Part Five - Experience the healing potential of living plant juices http://www.naturalnews.com/028100_self_healing_fresh_juice.html
It sounds simple in theory, of course: Refrain from eating anything (or drinking any beverages other than water) for 24 hours. Your body has plenty of calories stored to carry you through those 24 hours, and the pause from digestion will give your body a chance to focus its healing energies on other parts of your body.
Note: Be sure to check with your naturopathic physician about the safety of fasting. While fasting is safe for most people, it's not for everyone. People in a weak state of health or those suffering from diabetes should take special precautions to make sure fasting is safe for them.
Why fasting?
Fasting has been used from Biblical times through the modern world to help purify and heal the body. It can help detox your liver, kidneys and digestive tract. It also encourages you to rethink your eating habits. When you fast for just 24 hours, and you're really committed to it, you'll be shocked to discover how many times you habitually reach for food.
People habitually reach for food in all sorts of circumstances that have nothing to do with actual hunger:
• When they're bored... • When they feel emotionally stressed... • When they watch television or movies... • When they're traveling in their car... • When other people are eating around them... • At social events, parties or gatherings...
Try fasting for 24 hours and you'll see for yourself just how many times you habitually reach for food.
This will teach you many important things about your own eating habits, and that's the point of this exercise. Just pick a day -- preferably a weekend when nothing big is going on -- and fast for 24 hours, drinking nothing but water.
In accomplishing this, you will realize three very important things:
1) You didn't die from starvation in 24 hours. In fact, most people have enough spare calories to go 30 days or more without eating.
2) You found the self-discipline to achieve 24 hours without eating. This is a milestone accomplishment in self control.
3) You learned to observe yourself and recognize the numerous situations in which you habitually reach for food. This can be extremely educational in helping you reform your eating habits in the future.
On top of all that, of course, you gave your digestive system a break and encouraged more rapid healing throughout your body. You may notice some detox effects (like bad breath) or a difference in your energy levels. This is all a normal part of the fasting process, and it indicates your fasting is working!
My own fasting experience
I recently fasted for 90 hours, then I had food for 24 hours followed by another 48-hour fast. The experience was quite enlightening. I had virtually no negative side effects, most likely due to the fact that I consume a very cleansing, healthy diet on a day-to-day basis. Typically, the worse your diet, the more detox side effects you may experience when fasting.
If you want to make your fasting more tolerable and more cleansing, you also have the option of drinking an 8-oz. glass of fresh vegetable juice in the middle of your fast. I did this during my fast, and it not only gave me more energy to make it through the fast; it also greatly enhanced the cleansing effects of my fast. I further enhance my own fasts with products from Ed Group's company, Global Healing Center (www.GHChealth.com). I especially like the Oxy Powder and Paratrex products. I take them with every fast.
Naturally, the choice is yours on how to approach this. You also have complete freedom to decide WHEN you want to do this. It doesn't have to happen on Superbowl Weekend. Pick a nice, easy Saturday or Sunday when you don't have anything big going on, and make that day your 24-hour fast. You'll feel better for it, and you will have achieved an important new milestone in your journey toward improved health.
Once you fast for just 24 hours, you'll then know that you can choose to avoid food at any particular time you want. You will discover new flexibility in your food consumption. You'll realize that you can say no to food any time you choose, and you won't die from lack of calories. You'll eliminate that fear and gain a new level of maturity in your relationship to food.
What to do if your fast fails
If you can't make it 24 hours without feeling like you're going to pass out and die, you probably have some rather serious blood sugar imbalances. These can be caused by poor food choice on a day-to-day basis, or even by prescription drugs such as antipsychotics or SSRIs (which imbalance blood sugar metabolism).
So if your fast fails, don't fret. Simply take the next 30 days to improve your eating habits, making them healthier and supported with more fresh food rather than processed food. Work to get safely off all prescription drugs (with the help of your naturopathic physician, of course). Drink more superfoods and fresh juices. Then 30 days later, try the 24-hour fast again and see if you can make it through the entire thing.
If you ever feel extremely weak, ill or you think you might pass out, that's a sign to stop the fast and get some calories. This isn't some sort of "no pain no gain" situation. Fasting should be tolerable and not dangerous. Again, the healthier your diet to start with, the easier your fast will typically be.
I have a friend who fasts for 24 hours each week, every week. He's extremely healthy and looks fit and trim well into his 50's. Other people I know (like David Rainoshek) go on 90-day juice fasts / feasts where they drink nothing but fresh living vegetable juice for 90 days.
Personally, I feel really good on a 72-hour fast, and a 48-hour fast is relatively straightforward because I can do it over the weekend. A 24-hour fast is now a no-brainer.
A few years ago, I never could have even entertained the idea of not eating for 24 hours. The thought would have terrified me. If you're in that camp right now, stop to consider what this means: You are a slave to food, just as I was!
Fasting helps free your mind from the enslavement of thinking you have to eat every few hours. It gives you new options, new freedoms and new self discipline. It's about much more than simply not eating food for 24 hours; it's also about self observation and spiritual mindfulness. Why do you think nearly all the great spiritual figures throughout world history fasted as part of their spiritual practice? They did that because food messes with your head while fasting clears your head.
Fasting gives you the opportunity to clear the food-induced cobwebs and see things with improved clarity. Now, just as a disclaimer here, please know that you're not going to see God after just a 24-hour fast. When spiritual leaders fast, they often fast for weeks at a time. Some go as far as 40 days. Some "breatharians" claim not to eat food at all, ever! But those are more advanced topics for another day.
For today, just focus on picking a day where you fast for 24 hours and observe the changes in your own mind and body. You'll be a wiser, healthier and more enlightened person for doing so.
Previous articles in this 15-day "Heal Yourself" series
Part One - Remove barriers to healing http://www.naturalnews.com/028053_self_healing_quality_of_life.html
Part Two - Unleash your inner healing potential http://www.naturalnews.com/028060_self_healing_immune_system.html
Part Three - You are what you absorb http://www.naturalnews.com/028067_self_healing_digestion.html
Part Four - Transform your health by making new blood http://www.naturalnews.com/028075_blood_health_transformation.html
Part Five - Experience the healing potential of living plant juices http://www.naturalnews.com/028100_self_healing_fresh_juice.html
Source: NaturalNews.com
Discovered 1 day ago | 0 comments
A study found that products including St. John’s wort, ginger and garlic could be dangerous for people taking common medicines.
Source: NYT Research
Discovered 14 hours ago | 0 comments
Last week, The Lancet medical journal retracted a controversial 1998 study linking the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine with autism. In a radio interview, The Lancet editor discusses who is to blame for ongoing fears about vaccines and autism.
Source: Well
Discovered 17 hours ago | 0 comments
Following a few steps can make the process of appealing insurance denials easier and increase the likelihood of success.
Source: NYT Fitness Nutrition
Discovered 11 hours ago | 0 comments
In the past emphysema has been seen as a death sentence. Your doctor or specialist may have explained to you that this condition is progressive, and will eventually stop you from breathing at all. You may have been told that new drugs are becoming available all the time, and new research is happe...
Discovered 5 hours ago | 0 comments
Lipstick, in various forms, has been around for about 5000 years as it is the easiest way to add an instant splash of colour and give focus to your face. The main problem though, is that there is no perfect colour that suits everyone. There are no perfect shades, brands or formulas but these guid...
Source: StumbleUpon - Top Items
Discovered 12 hours ago | 0 comments
Medically, a sore throat is termed pharyngitis. The pain associated with a throat that has become sore is due to the pharynx becoming inflamed. Associated and related conditions to a
Source: StumbleUpon - Top Items
Discovered 18 hours ago | 0 comments
Hirsutism in women is actually more common than people realize, but due to modern trends in the hair removal most of the body, the presence of hair on the face and body can be very annoying to many women. Unlike hirsutism beard in men, which may suggest masculinity and virility, female hirsutism ...
Source: StumbleUpon - Top Items
Discovered 1 day ago | 0 comments
Scientists learn more everyday about the dangerous affects of stress on the human body. Stress can cause very serious health conditions. It is also the cause of severe fatigue.
Any number of things in your life can cause stress. Deadlines, office politics, and pressure from managem...
Source: StumbleUpon - Top Items
Discovered 1 day ago | 0 comments
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