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Archive for October, 2005

Lipid Screening in Women

Monday, October 31st, 2005

Facts prove the benefits of lowering cholesterol in various populations continues to grow, but questions still remain about screening and treatment of lipid disorders in women, even though data from primary prevention trials in women remain thin, recent trials demonstrating benefits of cholesterol reduction across a broad range of cholesterol levels and cardiac risk in men and women encourage the conclusion that benefits may extend to asymptomatic women who are otherwise at high risk for coronary disease.

Periodic lipid screening beginning in middle age will identify most women who are at high enough risk to merit drug therapy or more detailed consideration of age, diabetes, blood pressure, and other risk factors can more accurately estimate individual risk of coronary heart disease. Advice about healthy diet, weight control, and physical activity can benefit all women.

Advanced Lipoprotein Fingerprinting is a more precise cholesterol test that allows doctors to identify health risks that traditional screens miss. Doctors now have a precise reading not only of a patient’s cholesterol levels but other independent risk factors known to be associated with heart disease.

The process separates lipids in the blood to create a detailed cholesterol profile that helps doctors identify patients at risk for heart disease. The detailed graph allows a doctor to precisely analyze a patient’s overall risk profile and monitor the effectiveness of a diet or treatment regimen.

This advanced analytical techniques that can help doctors diagnose early warning signs for coronary heart disease, which kills more than 2,600 Americans a day, according to the American Heart Association. High LDL cholesterol is a major cause of coronary heart disease, according to the National Cholesterol Education Program.

Aiming to identify early risk factors, the National Cholesterol Education Program issued guidelines calling for more comprehensive cholesterol screens as well as other risk factors not included in the cholesterol screen.

Early detection, particularly in youth, is the key to slowing down the development of heart disease in later life. Advanced cholesterol screening is a valuable tool that is gaining acceptance among medical insurers.

Texas A&M University researchers created Advanced Lipoprotein Fingerprinting as a more precise cholesterol test that allows doctors to identify health risks that traditional screens miss. LipidLabs further refined the Advanced Lipoprotein Fingerprinting Process and made Advanced Lipoprotein Fingerprinting available for commercialization. LipidLabs’ results translate to more accurate and specific data on which to make clinical judgments and guide patient therapy and prevention at reasonable costs.

Dr. D.S. Merchant Resident Medicine
Gold Medalist (Anatomy & Histology)
Visit: lipidholdings.com Advanced Lipid Cholesterol Screening

Are You Eligible for LASIK Eye Surgery?

Monday, October 31st, 2005

LASIK eye surgery has been performed on more than one million of people in the world. Almost all of them are satisfied with the results - they have been able to eliminate the dependence on corrective eyewear and most of them even don’t need prescribed glasses or contacts to see and read anymore.

Having heard of such results, you may begin contemplating LASIK eye surgery. But unfortunately, LASIK surgery is not for everyone. Many people are considered as good LASIK candidate, but some people do not meet the criteria. You have to visit your doctor and consult with him or her, take a comprehensive eye and health examination, answer some questions and your doctor will then determine whether you are eligible for LASIK eye surgery or not, because it is very important to ensure the successful of the LASIK procedure that will be performed later.

The best candidates for LASIK are those with mild to moderate levels of myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and a combination thereof - myopia with astigmatism or hyperopia with astigmatism. As technology is evolving rapidly, the future LASIK eye surgery is expected to treat severe refractive errors.

The next criterion is that you must be over 18 years old and have had a stable glass glasses or contact lenses prescription for at least two years. Some doctor may reject patients who are younger than 20 years old because their visions are still unstable.
Potential candidates should be free from certain diseases such as diabetes, ocular herpes simplex, glaucoma, keratononus, cataracts or any eye diseases.

You are not eligible for LASIK if you are pregnant or nursing and have fluctuating hormones. Also an ideal candidate must be a fast healer and have no disease that may affect wound healing such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and HIV. If you are currently taking certain medications such as retinoic acid and steroids that may prevent proper wound healing, you are not a good LASIK candidate.

If you have meet all the conditions needed, it is also important for you to understand the benefits, outcomes, risks and complications of LASIK. If your expectations are too high and unrealistic and you are not a risk taker, you will be rejected by your doctor for LASIK eye surgery.

Besides the criteria from doctor, you also have to consider the LASIK cost, if it is affordable or not and whether your health insurance covers this type of surgery. Usually, the cost is ranging from $1,500 to $2,000 per eye and it may costs more if you choose Wavefront LASIK or bladeless LASIK (IntraLase). Of course it is better for you to ask and discuss the price with your doctor.

After all, if you are eligible for LASIK eye surgery, it is completely up to you to decide whether you choose to continue to the next step of LASIK procedure or just stop there because you are not willing to bear the risks.

Lina Lee is a successful webmaster and publisher of lasikweb.info LASIKWeb.info, a website that provides complete guide and infomation about LASIK Surgery. Also find out lasikweb.info/good-candidate-for-lasik-1 if you are a good candidate for LASIK Eye Surgery by asking the lasikweb.info/50-tough-questions-for-your-lasik-doctor-1 50 tough questions for your LASIK surgeon.

Low Carb Does Not Mean No Carbs

Monday, October 31st, 2005

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were given everything they needed to be healthy and happy. They had plenty of vegetables, fruits, fish, and meats. The garden was a buffet of all you can eat healthy foods.

Now when I say all you can eat, I am not talking about your local pizza buffet or the greasy spoon buffet. I am talking about an abundance of healthy carbs and lean meats.

Yes, they probably had potatoes but without a deep fryer or butter and sour cream, those potatoes were not a problem. There were no chocolate trees, no potato chip factories, no sweet soft drinks, and definitely no ice cream.

They were provided with the nutrients that their bodies were created to need and nothing more. Unfortunately, when they were thrown out of the Garden, the road to unhealthy eating had begun.

As with everything in history, as man progresses, he regresses.

The first warrior’s weapon of choice was a stone. Look how far we have come from that stone that was used for the first murder. Now we have bombs that can blow up whole countries.

Progress? — maybe not.

In terms of food, we have more choices than ever before in history, but one truth has survived since the beginning of time. If you consume more calories than you utilize, you will gain weight. Every diet, no matter which one you look at, still runs on this principal.

Eating a balanced diet of Adam and Eve’s fruits, vegetables, and lean meat will allow anyone to lose weight.

Add exercise and you will lose more weight. Even a twenty minute walk will help you lose weight. How many of you ride around a parking lot five or ten minutes to find the closest parking space rather than walk a few extra steps.

Don’t deny it; I know you are out there because I have seen you.

I have lived in the South my whole life. Yes, we love fried foods, bountiful tables of food, and a good dessert and yes even bread.

For centuries our Southern ancestors ate this way and created our tradition of fabulous Southern cooking. We cooked our vegetables in meat and couldn’t imagine a meal without biscuits or cornbread. My grandmother cooked that way and to this day I remember her meals. My mother cooked that way and I can still taste her fried chicken.

The difference is that in those days people didn’t have to run on a treadmill or use exercise equipment. Exercise came from hard work. My mother picked cotton when she was young. My grandmother never had inside plumbing. She worked hard all of her life. She expended those calories she was eating by years of cleaning, cooking from scratch, walking to the out house, using a wringer washing machine, and carrying heavy pans of boiling water for baths and dish washing.

Yes, in short they could eat what they wanted because they expended more calories than they took in each day. Today, we simply do not work as hard. With all of our appliances that make work easier and non manual labor jobs, we simply cannot eat the way our ancestors did. We can’t eat the fried everything, the greasy vegetables, bread at every meal, and the desserts our forbearers ate. Of course, we can, but we will pay the price by gaining weight.

My blog is all about finding ways to eat healthy without feeling deprived or hungry. I include recipes that I have created for my husband and myself that follow the guidelines for low carb eating but are delicious and easy to prepare.

I don’t know about you, but if a recipe has more than five ingredients, I move on. Learning to stay home and cook simple, delicious meals will also help you to stay away from restaurants where the chef piles your plate with enough food for not only you but the whole table.

Restaurants are definitely a place where you can eat low carb, but take a look at the calorie count. When I did, I was horrified. The slightly boring meal that I thought was low carb and, therefore, low calorie was a disaster. I could have had something really tasty for the calories contained in that mediocre meal.

Low carb has become my life and I have never felt better or healthier. Remember; when you have that desire for bad foods, ask yourself what would Adam and Eve have done. On second thought maybe that’s not such a good idea. It’s their fault we have all these problems in the first place. If it weren’t for them, we’d still be in the Garden of Eden eating the way we were created to eat and we would all be slim as super models without all the air brushing.

After years as an educator and more degrees than she can count, Frances Coleman now writes professionally. She is a prolific reader with an advanced degree in research techniques. Read her daily blog about LowCarbsWizard.com/blog Free Low Carb Recipes and Tips.

Discover The Bodyweight Secrets That Will Build Raw Power And Endurance

Monday, October 31st, 2005

Today more and more men think that the gym is the only way to get in tip-top
shape, in fact most men will never reach the fitness level they are after, most
won’t put in the time or the heart to push through the pain, they would rather
give up then train hard.

Training with bodyweight exercises will improve every area of physical fitness
our bodies need to be trained as one, but in this day and age we go to the gym
and isolate the muscles and think we are building a high level of fitness, we
are not !!!

In fact if you just want to look good and want to spend two hours in the gym
lifting weights and looking in the mirror, that’s fine, but don’t say you’re in shape.

Abs seem to be what every man and woman want, and they don’t care how
they get it, as long as they have abs and then they feel that they are in great
shape… well what about health ? What about true fitness ?

Bodyweight training won’t get you in shape, only going to the gym works.
Anyone that walks out of a gym will walk out muscular and with brick wall
abs, Right ?

Wrong, most people stop going to the gym because of the lack of results they
are getting in the gym, lifting weights and running on the treadmill is not the
answer.

Go to any gym you will see alot of guys doing a 300 lb bench press but, how
many guys can do 100 pushups at one shot, very few. Why, Because they are
only strong enough to push this weight once and in 3 seconds the exercise is over.
The man that can do 100 pushups is working for about 1 to 2 minutes to get this
done.

Now 3 seconds compared to 1 to 2 minutes who is working harder. The fact is
that the 1 to 2 minutes will give you more of a workout than 3 seconds.

Go to almost any gym and look for a chin up bar, its the bar that the towels
are hung on, look for the lat machine there’s the big guy doing lat pull downs
with 160 lbs and making it look easy, but wait he weighs 240 lbs, why is he
using the lat machine, because he is not strong enough to pull himself over
the bar.

Don’t count out bodyweight training just because of what you have read, try it
for yourself and become physically fit in record time.

John Grube is an expert on the subject of bodyweight training. He has over 25
years of training experience and is the author of The Wildman Training Program
manual , The New Expanded version The Wildman Training Course and The
Super Strength Playground Training Manual. For more info wildmantraining.com wildmantraining.com

Natural Antioxidants: Clearing the Controversy

Sunday, October 30th, 2005

Clearing the controversy of natural antioxidants.

Contrary to what people believe, free radicals are not always harmful to your body, but also benefit it in some ways. Free radicals (which are unstable oxygen forms), when present in the desired quantities, help to fight infections in your body and also decrease the amounts of cancer cells in your body, It is only when the free radicals get out of control, start multiplying and are present in very high quantities in your body, that they start to harm it.

High levels of free radicals can lead to atherosclerosis, osteoarthritis, hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver and even cancer. Thus, it is imperative to control the presence of free radicals in the body, which is where antioxidants come in.

Antioxidants are nutrients that help to lower the amounts of free radicals in your body by providing them with the oxygen molecule that they are missing and making them stable. There are five main kinds of natural antioxidants, which are:

Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Coenzyme Q 10
Lipoic acid
Gluthatione

Together, these 5 antioxidants make up the network of natural antioxidants. Although each of these antioxidants has its respective benefits individually, their best and safest use is when they are used in combination with one another.

Here, I need to elaborate on the use of the network of natural antioxidants. It is the belief of many people, and some recent medical studies have also supported this belief, that using natural antioxidants can be very dangerous as the natural antioxidants have serious side effects which can increase your risk of health problems. However, what most people do not understand is that the problem does not lie with the natural antioxidants per-se, but in how they are used by people.

When people do not consult natural health care practitioners and use the natural antioxidants on their own, they typically take only one or two of the natural antioxidants depending on what specific benefits they are trying to achieve. If you take a high dose of any particular natural antioxidant without taking proper doses of the others, this is when the problems start and the antioxidants begin to harm you instead of benefiting you.

But, if you consult a natural health expert and then take the appropriate combination of the network of natural antioxidants, instead of taking high dose of only one antioxidant, then you will see that they do not harm your body but give you tremendous benefits, including protecting your body from serious illnesses and delaying the aging process.

Dr. Nabil Khoury is a medical doctor who practices integrative medicine combining allopathic medicine and natural health.
Visit his website get-healthier.com” target=”_new Natural health and longevity bible to learn more about get-healthier.com/natural-antioxidants.html” target=”_new natural antioxidants.

Natural Treatment For Restless Leg Syndrome

Sunday, October 30th, 2005

Did you ever go to sleep at night and about two hours into your restful sleep you suddenly awaken only to find that your legs are twitching like crazy? And then suddenly the aches and leg cramps start. These cramps can be so severe that it feels like somebody is digging a knife into your calves. Well, if you’ve suffered, or are suffering with these symptoms, what you have is restless leg syndrome. The attacks can come at any time. And while this seems like a problem that just won’t go away, there are natural treatments for this condition that will rid you of your restless leg syndrome for good. But first, we need to understand what causes it.

In spite of what many people think, restless leg syndrome is not a neurological problem. The problem itself effects people as they get older. About 5% of the population in the United States suffers from this condition at one time or another. It effects women more than it does men. Doctors have determined that the main cause of this problem is related to iron deficiency. While this condition can actually be inherited, being exposed to extreme cold or stress can also bring on attacks. There is also some evidence that suggests the disease is also related to heart and stomach disorders.

In most cases though, the problem comes down to circulation. Blood flow to the legs is being restricted and as a result, the legs have a tendency to cramp up. So the key to treating this disease is to increase circulation to the legs. This can easily be done through natural means without having to resort to harmful drugs.

There are two means of treating restless leg syndrome. The first is what is called immediate care. This is what you should do when actually suffering from an attack. For the leg that is having the attack, take your foot and just move it around. This will help bring circulation back. Then, if you’re not in too much pain, get up and walk around for a few minutes until the attack stops. If the attack isn’t too severe, sometimes just changing the way you’re sleeping in bed can stop an attack. With some people, a heating pad works wonders. With others, soaking their feet in cold water does the trick.

The second mean is called longer term care and this basically involves a number of life style changes. Most people who suffer from restless leg syndrome are coffee drinkers, so it is important to get rid of caffeine from your diet. Because of the iron deficiency possibility, it is important to take vitamins containing a sufficient amount of iron daily. It is also important not to eat large meals before bed as this can also lead to an attack. Finally, try to avoid stress and get plenty of exercise.

The above simple tips should be sufficient enough to keep you from suffering from restless leg syndrome for even one more day.

Steve Wagner used to suffer from restless leg syndrome as well as a number of other problems. But today, through proper diet and exercise, he is pain free. Come visit his site and get your free report on how the drug companies are killing us as well as a 52 week news letter on a number of natural treatments for a variety of ailments. Visit us at: natures-healing-remedies.com/ natures-healing-remedies.com/

Fats - The Good - The Bad - and The Ugly!

Sunday, October 30th, 2005

There is nothing else that we put into our body that gives us as much flack as fat does. It’s always been that way; fats are viewed as the enemy especially if you have problems with your weight as it is. Fat is definitely the macronutrient that people know the least about and still manage to abuse the most, whether they are fat or thin or somewhere in between.

So what do you do? Some people tell you that fat is a good thing, and you do need some but then others are telling you that fat isn’t good at all; fat is the enemy to so many people, but in reality there is such a thing as good as good fat. Certain diets actually regulate the difference between good fats and bad fats and say that up to a certain point having fat in your diet is okay. Which do you believe? It can be rather difficult to tell the difference.

Truth be told, fat is a shrunken down energy pill. It really is just a shrunken source of energy that the body stores, so your body must maintain a certain amount of fats in the body at all times, just to be able to function. There are healthy fats that come from eating good foods like Omega-3, and then there are the bad fats that come in a yellow and white paper bag from the drive thru down the street from your house. To be healthy, avoid too much fat at all good fat, bad fat or otherwise.

There are ways for you to tell how much body fat you have in your body, versus how much muscle you have in your body. When you carry too much body fat around your midsection, you pose a great risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other health complications that can be avoided by staying trim.

Either way, making sure that you have the right fats and the right vitamins and minerals before you actually eat your meal is important. Meal planning software, like Vita Bot, can make easy work of calculating the amount of good fats and other things that you should have in your diet every day.

VitaBot is designed, by a former NASA engineer, to mathematically implement the dietary recommendations of The National Academies of Science, through the Institute of Medicine.

VitaBot lets advanced mathematics “think” for the user, and helps them to easily put foods together, not just to balance calories, but to balance micronutrients as well. VitaBot performs hundreds of thousands of calculations for every set of nutritional suggestions. The equations and the resulting suggestions are designed to allow the nutritional data to speak directly to the user, without personal interpretation.

This approach creates an amazing new way to look at foods. Allowing the data to speak for itself reveals basic truths such as, “Apples for Fiber”, or “Almonds for Vitamin E and Omega 6″. But by allowing the system to search the full range of nutritional data, without human bias, a wealth of nutritional knowledge is revealed that most of have not been privileged to experience. VitaBot takes this highly advanced technology, and through an extremely straightforward set of user-friendly interfaces, makes it accessible to everyone.

J. Lance Curtis is editor and contributor to The Nutrition Guru!
Discover how using a meal planning software helps you control your dietary fat intake by visiting
thenutritionguru.com/Fats/fats.html The Nutrition Guru! - Fats

Some Easy Life Style Changes Will Help You Cut High Blood Pressure

Sunday, October 30th, 2005

Don’t always look up. Look down sometimes. Watch the bulge of your stomach. It has been faithfully receiving the load, three or more times in a day, without questioning you once. But there is a limit to one’s tolerance or acceptance. When your body shrinks too much or expands too much, positively think that something is wrong somewhere.

Over the years, your life-style has changed too much. For your trouser, you require two meters of cloth. Years ago, it was just 1.25 meters. The change is on the wrong side. And did your doctor say that you are having high blood pressure?

So far, you have been thinking that lifestyle changes refer only to your apparel. Or, to install additional amenities to make your life more cozy and comfortable. You thought that a ‘healthy’ and well built personality like you is not a fit candidate for the blood pressure attack! The first attack itself nearly wiped out the sources of strength in your body. You felt tired and exhausted.

Yours could be the stress related blood pressure. Could be! Not sure! This again is another highlight of blood pressure. Till today, the precise reasons for blood pressure are not known. But lifestyle changes have treated very well, majority of the high blood pressure patients. So, when the result is declared that you have passed, why worry about the examiner and the examination center?

Go placidly amidst this noise and din of life. Do not own up too many responsibilities. Everything is happening in this world, as it should. The earth rotates on its axis. Don’t consider yourself so important that you are an additional axis. By managing your stress properly, you will not only take care of your blood pressure, but your quality of life will also improve.

Enough of that late night alcohol parties! If you still persist, in not too a distant future one of your still living friend will announce in a sad tone, ‘the late Mr. so and so,’ used to attend these late night parties!

I am going to tell you some simple things to beat back blood pressure. Exercise regularly, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, meditate and do some breathing exercises. And report to me the miracles that are taking place in your life!

blood-pressure-updates.com/bp/ blood-pressure-updates.com/bp/ & blood-pressure-updates.com/bp/blogs/0.htm High Blood Pressure provides detailed information on blood pressure, blood pressure monitor, blood pressure measurement, high blood pressure and more.

Anti-androgens in Acne Treatment

Saturday, October 29th, 2005

An antiandrogen, or androgen antagonist, is some of a group of hormone receptor antagonist compounds that are able of preventing or inhibiting the biologic effects of androgens, male sex hormones, on normally responsive tissues in the body. Antiandrogens typically work by blocking the appropriate receptors, contending for binding sites on the cell’s surface, obstructing the androgens’ pathway.

There are newer 3 alpha reductase inhibitors.


1) Topical inocoterone acetate: Inocoterone is a non-steroidal antiandrogen. It has been shown to formed a small but significant reduction of inflamed acne. It however does not decrease the number of comedonal acne lesions and the rate of sebum secretion.


2) Spironolactone: This is a synthetic steroid that blocks the androgen receptor and inhibits the enzyme 5 alpha reductase in the skin. It decreases sebum secretion by 30 to 50%. Recommended doses are 50-100mg daily; however women with inflammatory acne lesions have been know to respond to a 25mg. dose. Common side effects include inducement of high potassium levels, breast tenderness, menstrual irregularities, testicular atrophy and erectile dysfunction. Pregnancy during spironolactone therapy should be avoided.


3) Cyproterone acetate: This synthetic steroidal antiandrogen acts by inhibiting ovulation and topically by blocking the androgen receptors on cells in sebaceous gland. Thus it serves both as an oral contraceptive and as anti-acne therapy. Given in doses of 2mg. to 100mg per day it has shown improvement in 75 – 90% women with acne. It has a similar effects topically as compared to oral dosing after three months of therapy. However the levels achieve by topical application are naturally lower than oral medication. The most serious potential side effect is liver toxicity. Patients should be regularly monitored for changes in liver functions, especially if they are taking high doses.


Disadvantages of anti-androgens


The main drawback of antiandrogens is that they cannot be used in male patients orally, since they cause turnaround of secondary male sex characteristics, minimize the activity of the male organs and reduced sexual desire. For men the only practical option is finasteride. While officially used to treat pattern-baldness, some dermatologists use it to treat acne as well.

Maria Karla is deeply involved with research on. She wants people to benefit from his articles by getting the right information on Acne treatments and information. For more information visit: acnescience.com acnescience.com

Chronic Candidiasis

Saturday, October 29th, 2005

Candida is common and many people have Candida in their gastrointestinal tract. The problem arises when there is an overgrowth of the benign yeast Candida which causes the condition of chronic candidiasis or yeast syndrome. Chronic candidiasis normally occurs due to taking antibiotics which destroy the friendly bacteria in the gut which keep the Candida in check. Symptoms associated with chronic candidiasis are headaches, cystitis (infected bladder), mood swings, vaginitis (inflammation of vagina or thrush), fungal infections (e.g. athletes foot), bad breath, extensive food allergies, anal itching, feeling ill after eating yeast or sugary foods, nasal itch or congestion, craving for sugary things, abdominal distension or bloating, wind, diarrhoea, constipation or both, belching, indigestion, heartburn, depression, fatigue, poor memory, lack of sexual desire, craving for bread or alcohol, skin rashes, cold hands and feet, irritability, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, menstrual cramp or pain and muscle aches.

To combat chronic candidiasis, change the diet by excluding all refined carbohydrates such as white flour and sugar and all foods and beverages containing them and excluding all foods and beverages containing yeast such as marmite and alcohol. There are many cook books on the market that suggest recipes for those who are on an anti Candida diet. Try not to take any antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs or the contraceptive pill. Consume plenty of nature’s anti-fungal agents such as garlic and grapefruit seed extract. Take probiotics such as Bifidus and lactobacillus acidophilus to repopulate the bowel with good bacteria to make the bowel healthier. Symptoms may well become worst with the die off of the Candida on the anti Candida diet, so it would be wise to drink plenty of mineral water daily (at least a litre) to combat these symptoms.

The following supplements may help if you are suffering from Candida.

Barberry

Betaine HCl

Caprylic acid

Echinacea purpurea

Enzymes

Garlic

Goldenseal

Goldthread

Lactobacillus acidophilus

Oregano oil

Oregon grape

Peppermint oil

Rosemary oil

Tea tree oil

Thyme oil

Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh

Discover How To Beat Candida Naturally

Website: newbeingnutrition.com/bloated-feeling.htm newbeingnutrition.com