There are so many benefits from being by the ocean:

-  Sea air is charged with healthy negative ions, accelerating our ability to absorb oxygen while balancing levels of seratonin (a body chemical linked with mood and stress). Time spent by the sea means we sleep more soundly that night and worry less.

-  If you jog or walk on the beach, the sand creates more resistance than when you do the same exercise on the road or a flat surface. Sand adds resistance to any beach activity, in creasing your calorie expenditure (the number of calories you burn).

-  If you can feel the sand through your bare feet so much the better, giving you the benefits of grounding or earthing. Wading in natural water or walking on grass, earth or any natural surface has the same effect. For more information on this phenomenon see my post inhttp://www.amoils.com/health-blog/to-be-barefoot-or-not-to-be-barefoot-%E2%80%93-that-is-the-question/

-  Exercising on the beach is great for a leg and buttocks workout or you can perform gentle yoga poses, on your beach towel, to stretch and lengthen your body.

-  When exercising on the beach, make sure you stand up straight, keep your abdominal muscles tight, stride from the hips and avoid walking on a slope.

-  If it is not too chilly, walk or run in the water itself for a great low-impact workout.

-  The warmth of the sun on your skin (even in less warmer times) helps you to produce that all important vitamin D as well as affecting your endocrine system – the part of our body which secretes endorphins which are those natural chemicals in your body designed to make you feel relaxed and less stressed. Sun is good for certain skin conditions too – such as psoriasis.

-  Salty seawater itself is full of health benefits for the skin, helping to clear up eczema so that the skin heals more quickly.

-  All-weather surfers never seem to suffer from colds and flu – the salt water clears out all the sinus passages. The seawater also increases the elasticity of the skin while improving its appearance.
Do something completely different and take a surfing lesson and experience upper and lower body conditioning.

-  The magnesium content of seawater is significant enough to have a nutritional and calming effect on our nerves, which explains why sea bathing is so relaxing. Potassium in seawater enters the skin and encourages good urinary flow.

-  Seawater contains all the 89 known elements present in our bodies, including osmium, gold, vanadium, zinc and iodine.

-  If you have company on the beach, enjoy a game of volleyball with your friends or family. Volleyball gives an extensive all-over-body-workout whatever your age as it is cardio driven and all-over toning at the same time. Volleyball will work your legs, arms and back muscles while enhancing your stomach muscles.

-  Throwing a frisbee works your upper back and arm muscles and can provide good cardiovascular conditioning if you have to run to catch it.

If you are one of the fortunate few who live close to the ocean and the beach, don’t waste that wonderful and free natural resource.

Sometimes we might have a persistent symptom and many times we are able to resolve what is causing this symptom and treat it accordingly. But there are a few symptoms in women that really do need further and medical investigation. Find out below which are the five common symptoms in women that you should definitely check out and not neglect however busy you are:

1. Abdominal pain and/or bloating as well as a change in your bowel movements. Any of these three symptoms when persistent can be a sign of something more serious. Examples are colon cancer, ovarian cancer, Crohn’s disease and ulcers. They can also indicate inflammatory bowel syndrome, certain food intolerances or a condition known as diverticultis which occurs when the small pouches that bulge outwards in the colon get infected. Diverticulitis can usually be treated by antibiotics but in some cases may require surgery. If any of these three symptoms persist, it is wise to make an appointment to see your doctor.

2. Feeling constantly tired or suffering from fatigue is unfortunately a common state in women especially when they are mothers of young children or having to work full time while running a home and looking after a family. It seems to come with the territory. But even though it is so common, that does not make it right. Lack of sleep and having too much to fit into the day lowers your immune system while making you more susceptible to infections and viruses. So please address this if you possibly can. Should low energy and exhaustion be a daily problem and continue for more than two weeks, please make an appointment to see your doctor to get to the cause as acute fatigue can be a sign of more serious problems such as hypothyroidism, anemia, sleep apnea, lung cancer or even heart disease.

3. Lumps in the breast (as we all know from the many breast cancer awareness campaigns) can be a warning sign that something needs to be investigated. Everyone should carry out regular breast examinations in order to detect any changes. According to the experts, potentially cancerous lumps usually feel like small stones or rocks in your breast while non-cancerous lumps are typically more tender and change with your menstrual cycle. Please be aware of the modern thinking regarding the lack of effectiveness and even danger of using mammograms. Thermography is growing quickly as an alternative and safer method as well as being a far superior diagnostic tool. Thermogrpahy can spot a tumor growth up to ten years before it becomes visible in a mammogram, and thus giving a woman time to make such lifestyle changes to enable the body’s own defences to attack and destroy irregular cells.

4. Sudden weight gain can be puzzling if you are living the life you normally do – with the same eating habits and the same type of exercise. You may have noticed that this weight gain is all in the abdomen and feels morpe like fluid than actual fat. Once again, it is advisable to be checked out by your doctor because such an unexplained weight gain can be a sign of olycystic ovarian syndrome, liver disease, ovarian cancer or hypothyroidism. By the same token, sudden and unwarranted weight loss can also be a cause for concern and a symptom of an underlying medical disorder. Your body weight is determined by your calorie intake, overall health, age, nutrient absorption and other factors. After you reach middle adulthood, your weight should remain relatively stable from year to year, although a decrease of a few pounds is rarely cause for concern.  However, unexplained weight loss of 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) or more, weight loss of more than 5 percent of your body weight, or persistent weight loss should be investigated. Some of the conditions that could be causing such weight loss include: Addison’s disease, cancer, celiac disease, COPD, Crohn’s disease, dimentia, major depression, diabetes, heart failure, HIV/AIDS, hypercalcemia, an overactive or underactive thyroid, Parkinson’s disease, peptic ulcer, TB or ulcerative colitis.

5. Pelvic pain during sex is not normal and if it happens during deep penetration, it could indicate pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis, an ovarian cyst or cervicitis (an infection of the cervix). Pelvic pain upon entry usually means a vaginal infection or a hormone deficiency. Any untreated infection can lead to infertility. So if you are suffering from any type of pelvic pain during sex, please have this investigated by your doctor.

This post is not written in order to alarm you or to make you think you must go rushing off to the doctor for the slightest thing.  Far from it as I like to encourage people to use natural remedies and products whenever and wherever possible in order to avoid unnecessary and expensive procedures and pharmaceuticals along with their serious side effects.

Candida and fungal infections can often result from the use of antibiotics while the misuse and overuse of such medications can cause our bodies to have an imbalance of good and bad bacteria so that we lose our natural ability to fight disease. And then to add insult to injury, we do not allow ourselves sufficient healing time after an infection so that our immune systems become weaker – perhaps even leading to a further infection and more antibiotic prescriptions.

So if we get sick, what natural antibiotics can we use instead?

There are so many to choose from:

- Echinacea or golden seal tincture in an alcohol base can be taken as directed on the label, 7 to 10 days non stop, using a full dropper in a little water 3 to 5 times per day. Then take a break for a week. If necessary, take for another 7 to10 days. Goldenseal has the ability to soothe the linings of the mucus membranes of the respiratory, digestive and genitourinary tracts while effectively clearing out any bacterial invasion. Just a few drops can stop a sore throat in its tracks.

- Oregon Grape or Berberis aquifolium is native to the US and can stop bacteria from adhering to the walls of the intestine and urinary tract. When used as a tea, it will wash away urinary tract infections but it can also be used in dried capsules or liquid tincture to treat digestive tract conditions like infectious diarrhea.

- Andrographis paniculata is an Asian herb with a long history which is used to disrupt the quorum-sensing system of bacteria. This system helps bacteria attach to each other and thrive as a community. Andrographis basically helps break up the bacterial ‘get together’ and is a great way to treat symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and sinus problems. Numerous studies have reported on its ability to reduce upper respiratory infection symptoms including fatigue, sore throats, coughs and headaches.

- Most people love honey and Manuka honey is often used in hospitals as a protocol for wound care when it is placed directly on gauze to cover the wound. The bandage is replaced three times a day. Although studies show most honey has antibacterial activity, manuka honey has proven to be especially potent due to a compound called methylglyoxal, acting against a wide range of bacteria, including MRSA.

-  Bee propolis can be bought in capsule form and taken as directed once in the morning and once at night as a natural antibiotic. With antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties, bee propolis stimulates the immune system and helps heal respiratory infections.

- With antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, garlic is an inexpensive way to treat illness. Eat raw in your food, make a tea or take in capsule form as directed 3 times per day. You do need to consume lots of garlic in order to realize its benefits. You can hold raw garlic under your tongue or drink its juice for a more effective way of assimilating the healing properties. Cooking with garlic does help maintain health but remember that this healing herb can lose its potency when cooked. You can use garlic on a daily basis to help prevent illness and you may need more when you are sick. In the case of serious infections, you may need to combine garlic with prescriptions or other natural remedies.

- Colloidal silver is a tasteless liquid that can be taken in place of an antibotic and is especially helpful for upper respiratory ailments. Begin taking the maximum dose at the onset of an illness and continue without skipping a dose. Colloidal Silver will kill both good and bad bacterium — which means you need to keep adding disease fighting good bacteria to your diet. Many people have great results using CS. However, in extreme cases over-use can cause the skin to turn grey.  CS is made from pure silver and was used in the US to effectively fight bacterial infections until the late 1940s.

- One commercial herbal antibiotic you can use is DefensePlus by NutriBiotic which contains grapefruit seed extract, echinacea, astragalus, Vitamin C, mushroom extracts, goldenseal & ginger root. So lots of good healthy ingredients there.

- Many people find olive leaf to be invaluable as a natural antibiotic. Either as a fresh leaf or in supplemental form, olive leave has been found to be beneficial as a natural antibiotic as well as in the treatment for conditions caused by a virus, a retrovirus or a bacteria.

- A beneficial probiotic will help to balance out the good flora in your digestive tract and assist with dealing with fungus which is the culprit in many respiratory infections. Take probiotics three times per day along with Echinacea and goldenseal. You should continue with the probiotic for several weeks after your infection is gone.

- Vitamin C can also be extremely helpful when you take up to 10 grams a day, preferably in powdered form. If you get loose stools, take less. Studies indicate it lessens the severity of symptoms of an infection and shortens the duration.

- Lemon, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cumin, Cayenne Pepper and Onions are all cleansing and purifying foods that will help detox most illnesses. You can cook with them and eat them as much as you want.

Boosting your immune system is always an important part of keeping well and preventing sickness. See how to do this in one of our earlier posts - http://www.amoils.com/health-blog/how-can-we-boost-our-immune-system-with-natural-remedies-and-home-treatments/

Please remember that natural medicine allows infection to leave your body more quickly and this may mean that you feel sicker longer. Detoxing bad infections can be painful so allow yourself plenty of rest and proper hydration while you are healing. Patience is paramount.

Although most of us will carry at least one scar (however small and often dating back to our childhood), scars on the face can be distressing. These may be from an accident or an injury but acne is a major cause of facial scarring. Other reasons for facial scars could be the removal of moles or skin tags by excising. Depending on their severity, it may be possible to remove or lessen the appearance of these facial scars. Even though they can affect our self esteem, and in extreme cases be emotional damaging, facial scars are normally treated as a cosmetic problem.

One way to remove them is through surgery. The surgeon will cut out the scar and close the wound with tiny stitches so that you are left with a considerably less noticeable scar. The dilemma is that in some cases of facial scarring, early treatment can stop poor scar formation on the face while other scars may improve dramatically in their own time.

If this is your situation and you decide to wait before going the cosmetic surgery route, there are non surgical steps you can take in the meantime including silicone sheeting therapy, steroid injects or laser treatments.

Laser surgery has become very popular and different lasers are used for different types of scars. A CO₂ laser beam is the laser of choice for acne scars while Pulse Dye laser can improve older and more severe types of scarring. The reason why lasers are effective in removing facial scars is because (a) they can lighten dark scars and (b) even out the skin’s surface. The method known as laser skin resurfacing will usually be successful on those indented acne type of scars in the skin but not everyone is considered suitable for laser scar removal. For example, those with skin conditions such as psoriasis, cystic acne or eczema.

Cryosurgery is another procedure used for facial scar removal. Super cooled liquid nitrogen is applied to scarred tissue to wear it away without damaging the skin underneath. This method is useful for those more prominent, raised scars. The procedure can be rather uncomfortable.

Another treatment used for scars on the face is microdermabrasion. This process uses a small device that buffs out the top layer of the skin. After some days of treatment, you will have a smoother face with less damage.

You can also go a more cost effective and natural route when treating facial scars. H-Scar is an all natural product with pure essential oils. It is 100% gentle, safe and painless and will reduce the look of scars while at the same time smoothing and texturing the skin. The appearance of scars will fade and the skin will be restored to a more natural colour but without any discomfort at all.

Remember that using cosmetics correctly can help cover up facial scars while the healing process takes place – particularly for females. For long term use, it will be worth while going to a professional make-up artist so that they can teach you the best way to conceal any facial scar with cosmetics.  As far as the cosmetics themselves, find a concealer that matches your skin tone and you can make sure it stays on all day by covering with a translucent powder. A product with green or yellow undertones will take some of the red out if this is a problem with your skin. Concealer products generally come in stick liquid or cream form. The secret of concealing a facial scar is to blend and keep on blending while keeping everything spotlessly clean to avoid any bacteria.

The massaging of facial scars can help to break up scar tissues while improving the circulation of blood to the face area. This works because the lymlph nodes are prompted to drain excess fluid that commonly surrounds scar tissue during the healing process. There are 4 steps to follow for this massage:

1. Rub the scar in a circular motion to promote fluid drainage.
2. Stretch the surrounding skin outwards while gently rubbing the scar with thumbs using a circular motion.
3. Apply pressure to the scar with finger or thumb and rub in one direction. The palm can be used for larger scar areas.
4. Apply massage oil to the scar while massaging to prevent drying out of the skin.

Remember to up your Vitamin D levels by getting plenty of sunlight but this should be on the rest of your body and not your face which is more vulnerable to sun exposure when there is scarring. Apply a natural sun screen to any scarred areas but enjoy the benefits of the sunlight itself which can be part of the healing process. Fifteen to thirty minutes of sunlight exposure (depending on your skin tone) around midday several times a week will help to boost your vitamin D levels and the many health benefits that come with this. When sunlight is not available, supplementation with vitamin D3 is highly recommended.

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If you live in the US, you may have noticed that there has been much written in the main stream press over the past few days about a study released by the Archives of Internal Medicine that followed some 40 000 women between the ages of 55 and 69 for nearly 20 years and which resulted in a conclusion that taking multivitamins was linked to a 2.4% increase in death for these older women.

Although this study has been given massive coverage, it was a very generalized study with no doses, brands, quality or frequency of doses being reported. The vitamins mentioned in the reports were iron, vitamin B6, folic acid, magnesium, zinc and copper.

Natural health proponents have been quick to question this study for its lack of all important information, making it impossible to draw any meaningful conclusions.

Interestingly, Dr Sinatra in his blog
http://blog.drsinatra.com/blog/heart-health-nutrition/vitamins-and-women-what-the-news-reports-didnt-tell-you
discussed those 6 vitamins cited and said:

“There isn’t a woman over 55 on this planet that should be taking iron. When it’s taken when it’s not needed, iron acts as a pro-oxidant causing oxidative stress in your body. Plus, once women are no longer having their periods, iron levels can build up to toxic levels.

As with iron, you need to be careful with copper.  Any good multivitamin should have less than the RDA of copper since copper can also act as a pro-oxidant. The bottom line is we get enough copper from water going through mostly copper pipes. 

There are no downsides to taking magnesium—only enormous benefits. Magnesium helps your blood pressure, bones, immune system, blood sugar, improves recovery from a heart attack, and more. You should be taking 500 mg daily. 

There are also no downsides to taking vitamins B6 and folic acid. You need these vital nutrients to support healthy nerves, to detoxify harmful homocysteine, to strengthen your heart muscles, and more. 

As for zinc, as long as you are not taking more than 100 mg per day, there is no downside. More than this amount can be counter productive to the immune system.”

Dr Sinatra who is not one to mince his words went on to point out that it is very important for older women (as well as others) to know that not taking vitamins is what can cause you harm. This is because today we are faced with so many toxins including insecticides, pesticides and heavy metals as well as over-the-counter and prescription drugs that actually severely lessen those critical nutrients in our bodies. He cites two examples of such drugs – firstly aspirin which depletes folic acid and secondly statins that deplete CoQ10 (natural chemical compound that we make in our bodies and consume in our diets, primarily from oily fish, organ meats such as liver, and whole grains).

In closing, the doctor says that he finds it very interesting that this study should be released just at the time that the FDA is doings its level best to regulate the supplement industry in the USA.

The Alliance for Natural Health were even more scathing in their reporting of the “study” on their website.
http://www.anh-usa.org/shame-on-ama-archives-of-internal-medicine/

They said:

“The study, published in the American Medical Association’s (AMA’s) Archives of Internal Medicine, assessed the use of vitamin and mineral supplements in nearly 39,000 women whose average age was 62. The researchers asked the women to fill out three surveys, the first in 1986, the second in 1997, and the last in 2004, reporting what supplements they took and what foods they ate, and answering a few questions about their health.

That’s right, all the data was self-reported by the study subjects only three times over the course of the 19-year-long study. To say the data is “unreliable” would be a generous description. This kind of “data” has no place in a valid scientific study.

Then the researchers looked at how many of the women had died by 2008. They reported that the number of deaths were somewhat higher for women who took copper, a little bit lower for women who took calcium, but about average for most of the women.”

The Alliance for Natural Health pointed out that in the study, all of the relative risks were so low as to be statistically insignificant, and none was backed up by any medical investigation or biological plausibility study.

And here is another “study” basher in the form of Dr Whitaker who in his blog said that we should not believe everything we hear as supplements are safe.
http://blog.drwhitaker.com/blog/your-definitive-guide-to-wellness-medicine/dont-believe-everything-you-hear-supplements-are-safe-

In commenting on the study he says:

“Folks, this stuff may increase nightly news ratings and sell newspapers, but in the end it’s doing more harm than good.

The most significant risk was with supplemental iron, which was associated with a 3.9 percent increased risk of death. This isn’t news. It is well known that excess iron is linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other conditions and should be taken only by individuals diagnosed with anemia.”

He also pointed out that the calculated overall risk of death was only slightly higher among the women who took multivitamin – namely 40.8% vs 39.8% while the study itself was observational which meant that it did not allow for any specific cause for this slight increase to be determined.

Dr Whitaker goes on to say that “Nothing in this study compels me to change my recommendations regarding nutritional supplements. An editorial piece published along with the study suggests we should get be able to get adequate vitamins and minerals from diet alone—yet large government studies reveal tremendous gaps in the average American diet and widespread nutritional deficiencies.”

Remember that although most nutritional needs can be met through a healthy, well-balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, many women (especially older women) can benefit from a good multivitamin helping to fill in the gaps that their diet alone cannot provide.

Fortunately, today we have choices and no longer have to use commercial chemical and toxin laden products on our hair, which needs to be washed very regularly depending on the type of hair and level of pollution in the air around us.

1. Wash your hair using a natural shampoo which you will easily find online, in the natural products aisle of your supermarket, your local health store or at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.

2. After shampooing, mix one cup of either white or apple cider vinegar with one cup water and pour over your hair before rinsing thoroughly. Once the vinegar rinses all the debris, the hairs cuticles close resulting in smooth and shiny hair.

3. For the final rinse after washing your hair, use cool to cold water. This is because hot water is an enemy of your hair, severely drying it out and leaving it looking damaged and limp. The cooler temperature of the final rinse water will allow each hair cuticle to seal leading to increased reflecting of light and extra shine while preventing breakage and unsightly split ends.

4. When your hair is towel-dried, you can use a natural hair serum to give frizzy and unruly hair a smooth, tangle-free shine. Sisterra Essential Products Inc. produce natural serums with their synergistic blend of natural essential plant oils, providing a thin, protective layer over each strand of hair to retain any moisture lost due to pollution, hair coloring treatments or hot hair styling gadgets.

5. If you have to blow dry your hair, this should be done carefully and correctly, to avoid damage, by directing the dryer’s nozzle downwards towards each section of hair. Finish the blow drying by changing to the cool air setting as this has the same effect as the final cool rinse of water – helping each hair cuticle to seal.

6. If you need to use a hair colorant, choose one with non harmful or toxic ingredients. There are those such as Naturtint made with active vegetable ingredients, and readily available online or from stores such as Whole Foods, which you can use successfully at home.

7. This post has encouraged you to use more natural products and methods on your hair but a healthy lifestyle is also important to maximize the natural condition of your hair. That means quitting smoking, cutting down on alcohol, getting regular exercise, sleeping well, drinking 6 to 8 glasses of purified water every day and eating a balanced and healthy diet. Vitamins A and E, as well as protein, are necessary for healthy hair plus you should eat plenty of fish, eggs and nuts together with berries, carrots, broccoli and plenty of other green leafy veggies for a great head of hair.

Whether your young child is starting school for the first time or going back after the long school holidays, the whole family needs to get into an organized and stress-free routine once more. And top of the list is doing your best to ensure a happy and healthy child who is ready to learn and to enjoy his or her time at school.

Lunch box

Pack a healthy lunch (and one that your child will actually eat) in a BPA and lead-free lunch box or bag. In an article on NaturalNews, the writer suggested the traffic light model for children’s lunches.

Green for Go – all the fruits, veggies, whole grain products, nuts and organic meats and dairy – suggestions include organic blueberries, strawberries, graqpes, apples, a hardboiled egg, peanut butter or cheese sandwiches on whole grain bread, yoghurt (for a daily probiotic), nuts, trail mix, organic chips, carrot sticks or cheese sticks.

Yellow for Caution – the ones you should be more careful about including in the lunch box – desserts, baked goods and juices and…

Red for Stop – those you should avoid at all costs – sodas, foods with artificial coloring, flavoring or sweetening and processed foods.

Also be aware that many classrooms are declared “peanut or nut free zones” because of child allergies so that cuts out some of your options. Add a re-usable bottle of purified water and a small ice pack to keep the whole packed lunch cool and fresh both in hot weather and when the classroom is heated. Try to pack your children’s lunches the night before to save time and stress during the morning rush.

Get involved in what your child’s school stocks in any vending machines or provides in a cafeteria. Encourage the school to stock healthy choices such as fresh fruit, dairy products, water and 100 percent fruit juice in the vending machines. Remember that each 12-ounce soft drink can contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar. Drinking just one can of soda a day increases a child’s risk of obesity by 60%.

The morning rush

Get into the habit of having a “sit down” and healthy breakfast with your children before they leave for school. I tell my young grandson that he needs both “brain food” and “growing food” for his day at school. This is a good time for them to take a supplement to boost their immune systems for the coming school year – particularly the winter months when the cold and flu germs start doing the rounds. Please avoid any thought of a flu vaccine – so much safer to boost the immune system naturally with healthy eating, regular exercise and a good night’s sleep. Vitamin D is vital for that same immune system and unless you live in a warm climate with plenty of sunshine all the year round and exposure to that sunlight, your child is going to need to take a vitamin D3 supplement during the winter months. The dose should be 2000IU daily.

Exercise

Talking of exercise, this is important every day for your child’s health whether it is structured exercise, riding a bike or playing in a park or the back yard with other children. A good rule of thumb is to have 30 minutes of play or exercise for every 30 minutes spent in front of a TV screen. Of course time for study or homework has to be fitted in too.

Clothes for school

Clothing can be another problem in the morning so work out with your child the night before what he or she is going to wear and bear in mind any dress code guidelines and abide by these. An easy to carry backpack should be packed ready with all supplies to cut down on the morning rush. The backpack should have wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back. Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments with the heavier items closest to the center of the back. The backpack should never weigh more than 10 to 20 percent of your child’s body weight and ensure your child uses both shoulder straps, as slinging a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles.

Finally, say goodbye to your child with confidence and love, reassuring him that you will see him again at the end of the day. If he has been used to going to pre-school, there should be no difficulties. And the next day or that evening, the organization starts all over again!

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You could be facing surgery, be prescribed a pharmaceutical drug or be asked to consent to x-rays. But do stop and consider before going ahead with any of these. Do your own research, be informed and you will be better placed to make the best decision for you.

At the end of the day, the person most concerned about your own health is you. It is your responsibility and no one else’s –  unless you are incapacitated and then you should already have made clear your wishes to your nearest and dearest to act on your behalf.

Every year, some 15 million plus Americans undergo surgery. Most surgical operations are not emergencies and are considered elective surgery so you should have plenty of time to consider carefully before making a decision. Your doctor or surgeon should welcome your questions and your interest. Be very concerned if he or she tries to fob you off in any way. It may also be advisable to have a second opinion. If you are not good at standing your ground or absorbing information, make sure to take along a good friend or relative who will do this for you! Patients who are well informed about their surgery and treatment and what they can expect before, during and afterwards are more satisfied with their results.

Here are the questions you need to ask:

1. what are the alternatives to the surgery?
2. How will my life be different after the procedure?
3. What are the risks of both the surgery and the anesthesia?
4. What type of anesthesia will I be given?
5. Are the risks greater for me than other patients?
6. What will happen if I say no?
7. Is this procedure a cure or if not, how long will the benefits of the procedure last?
8. What type of incision will be used? Open procedure or a minimally invasive, oriaparoscopic procedure?
9. How often do you perform this procedure and are you board certified in this surgical speciality?
10. Would you have the procedure done to yourself and if so, who would you get to do it?

Then there are x-rays. Be careful not to consent to x-rays whether for general medical or surgical problems or for dental diagnosis when they seem unnecessary or excessive. It is important to minimize your medical radiation risk because there are no safe doses of x-rays. Even more important is to avoid x-rays for your child and particularly the new radiation-intense CT x-rays and the dental cone-beam CT scanner.

Just as with proposed surgery, ask questions first.

1. Is the x-ray really necessary?
2. What difference will it make in my care?
3. Is the facility accredited by the American College of Radiology?
4. Will the test use the lowest level of radiation for adequate imaging and be adjusted for my size?
5. Is there a non-radiation alternative such as ultrasound or MRI?
6. Will the scan be limited to the indicated area and will nearby areas be shielded too?

Finally we get on to pharmaceutical drugs. If your doctor wants to prescribe a drug, take the trouble to do your own careful search to check for side effects or natural alternatives?

1. Is the drug really necessary?
2. Is it prescribed appropriately or is it being prescribed for an off-label use?
3. What are ALL the side effects?
4. Is the drug addictive?
5. What are the natural alternatives?

Be proactive, take responsibility for your health and question everything. You may find that what is proposed is not necessary after all.

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere where it is now the start of summertime, try these top ten tips:

1. Have you heard about natural peppermint scent and how it acts as a mood enhancer to boost your motivation, concentration and of course your energy? You can achieve this by adding a few drops of peppermint oil to your bath, by drinking and enjoying a delicious cup of peppermint tea or even chewing on some peppermint gum (as long as it has a natural sweetener and no toxic aspartame).

2. Are you supplementing your diet with those essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Often that slowing down feeling is caused by a lack of vitamin B12. Check your own level out and supplement if needed. Would you believe that we need need approximately 60 minerals, 12 vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, probiotics and enzymes for optimum health and that is just the start!

3. Are you moving around enough? The more you use your energy, the more energetic you feel in spite of the summertime weather. Exercise and working out ends up making you feel more refreshed because those happy hormones – endorphins – are released, making you feel great. Stick to exercise that is not going to overheat you, like using an air conditioned gym or enjoying a swim in the sea or an outdoors pool. Even walking or jogging in the early morning freshness or late evening coolness will be very beneficial.

4. Don’t forget to make sure you also add some peace and quiet to your daily routine. Find a quiet spot and engage in some meditation, reading or simply sit still with your eyes closed and focus on breathing slowly inhaling and exhaling. Have some iced tea on hand or a freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice drink to enjoy.

5. Fatigue or lack of energy is often caused by low blood sugar levels. Make sure you eat regular healthy meals with nutritious snacks in between when necessary. Don’t be tempted to snack on anything loaded with sugar, undoing all your good work in a flash.

6. Another cause of sapping positive energy is when your home is cluttered up and disorganized. Clear both your space and your mind by creating order in your home. Don’t try and do it all in one go if it is really cluttered – baby steps.

7. I am sure you have often heard how laughter is the best medicine. Well it is a great way to energize you too. By increasing your heart rate, working your muscles and eliminating stress, laughter is truly a great gift to yourself!

8. For a quick fix when you are feeling in need of a pick-me-up or a wake-me-up, a cup of freshly roasted organic coffee will work wonders. But not too many cups in a day please. If you are not a coffee fan, how about some green tea which is full of antioxidants too or a crisp and crunchy apple.

9. Copycat those who live in hot countries – Spain, Mexico and others where an afternoon siesa is commonplace. A short nap of just 20 to 30 minutes in the day time will definitely energize you.

10. Playing your favorite music is a great feel good pick-me-up – you will probably be energized enough to start dancing or multi tasking if it is loud and foot tapping or quieter back ground music will help you to work through other chores.

Now that you are feeling so energized, go ahead and enjoy your summer!

Symptoms can be divided into obsessions and compulsions:

Obsessions

- Fear of dirt or germs
- Concern with order, symmetry (balance) and exactness
- Worry that a task has been done poorly, even when the person knows this is not true
- Fear or preoccupation with sexual or aggressive impulses or with particular religious beliefs.
- Thinking about certain sounds, images, words or numbers all the time
- Need for constant reassurance
- Fear of harming a family member or friend

Compulsions

- Cleaning and grooming, such as washing hands over and over again
- Checking door locks and appliances to be sure they are locked or turned off
- Repeating actions or nervous habits such as opening and closing a door or touching certain objects
- Ordering and arranging items in certain ways
- Counting to a certain number, over and over
- Extensive hoarding
- Seeking constant reassurance and approval

While family and friends may find it difficult to understand such behavior, the person with the disorder general recognizes that their actions appear irrational but they are unable to change the way they think and they can be come even more stressed at this realization.

There are different categories of excessive compulsive disorder such as:

Washers who are afraid of contamination. They usually have cleaning or hand-washing compulsions. This is usually based on a fear of becoming contaminated and a fear of contaminating others. The signs often increase when the person is very stressed – the compulsion can lessen as the stress dissipates.

Checkers repeatedly check things that they associate with harm or danger. Keeping on checking items stems from a person’s real concern that something is not right. An example would be checking to see if the door has been locked or the iron unplugged over and over again within a space of  just a few minutes to be sure the task had not been forgotten.

Doubters and sinners are afraid that if everything isn’t perfect or done just right something terrible will happen or they will be punished.

Counters and arrangers are obsessed with order and symmetry. They may have superstitions about certain numbers, colors, or arrangements. Those OCD sufferers who have a number obsession often count items (that is all kinds of items) to be sure a certain number of them are present.

Hoarders fear that something bad will happen if they throw anything away. They compulsively hoard things that they don’t need or use. I am sure that many of you have seen TV programs where an expert has come in and helped someone get rid of excessive hoarding while at the same time getting to the bottom of what is causing the hoarding in the first place.

Most people who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder possess both obsessions and compulsions but it is possible to suffer from OCD even if only one symptom is present.

Obsessions are repetitive unwanted thoughts that make you feel anxious.

Compulsions are repetitive behaviours and rituals.

If you have OCD, you probably recognize that your obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors are irrational – but even so, you feel unable to resist them and break free. OCD causes the brain to get stuck on a particular thought or urge. It is the overwhelming fear of something that can lead to a compulsion. If you can recognise this fact, it will help you to work out if you suffer from the disorder.

So if you or someone you know is suffering from this disorder, how can it be treated?

- There are self help programs available but even these need someone to work with you.

- You can consult a specialist who will formulate a plan of action. He or she will determine whether or not your symptoms are strong enough to be considered OCD and once this has been decided, the specialist will help you learn to overcome your fears so that the compulsions will no longer be a part of your life. This treatment is called cognitive-behavioral therapy.

- Sometimes medication is used – particularly antidepressants – in conjunction with therapy. However, medication alone is rarely effective in relieving the symptoms of OCD and just leads to unwanted side effects.

- Family therapy is often helpful because OCD often causes problems in family life and social adjustment. Family therapy promotes understanding of the disorder and can help reduce family conflicts while motivating family members and teaching them how to help their loved one with the problem.

- Group therapy is another helpful obsessive compulsive disorder treatment. Through interaction with fellow OCD sufferers, group therapy provides support and encouragement and decreases those genuine feelings of isolation.

In the US, approximately 3.3 million people have OCD with up to 1% of the population being children and 2% adults many of whom find that their disorder has its roots in childhood. Unfortunately, OCD tends to be under diagnosed and under treated often because many are ashamed and even secretive about their symptoms while others do not believe they have a problem.  Many healthcare practitioners are not all that well informed about the condition.

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Many people today dread having to go to a hospital. This is not because of the treatment or the operation but because they fear they will pick up a Superbug.

This problem with runaway bacteria has been going on for some years now but it seems to be getting worse and not better. It has got so bad that doctors in the media are suggesting to patients that they actually question a doctor or other medical staff before they even touch you or a loved one. They say you should ask: “When was the last time you washed your hands” or “Please will you wash your hands first”.

It is your life at risk after all so even though it may be difficult to say, your safely should be paramount. It could save your life or that of a loved one.

And there is a new superbug in the news this week and that is the antibiotic -resistant CRKP. At risk are the elderly and those who have to spend long periods in hospital.

According to the CDC these are the statistics confirming the seriousness of hospital infections in the United States. For every 100 patient admissions, there are 4.5 hospital infections and a total of 100 000 deaths from hospital infection. Interestingly, the majority of hospital infections occur outside the ICU – so if you are really, really ill, you could be safer than if you are not. But even if you survive a hospital infection, you could have to endure treatment and surgery for years to come and even permanent disability.

Amongst the hundreds of studies carried out to find why superbugs and other bacteria spread in hospitals, the results have come up with the rampant over use and abuse of antibiotocs by medical doctors, as well as the wearing of neckties by the doctors, the cellphones they carry and the laziness of hospital staff about washing their hands. Now added to the list are computer keyboards and remotes especially when used by the medical staff in the hospital.

Except for the sterile environment of surgery theatres, the superbugs can be found riding on dust particles of the heating and air-conditioning systems, in bathrooms and toilets and even in the food. They account for most of the deaths in hospitals today. The superbugs choose their patients whose immune systems have already been impaired through sickness, injury, surgery and/or previous encounters with antibiotics. In healthy people with a strong immune system, these bugs can live on their skin or in their noses without infecting them.

This is according to Andreas Moritz in his work Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash the Natural Power That Lies Dormant within you.

If you or a loved one have to spend time in hospital, do your research and make sure you do everything you can to boost your immune system before and while you are in hospital. You cannot be in the sun there, so take plenty of vitamin D3 as a supplement. Large doses of vitamin C are also invaluable. Avoid any processed food, sugar, artificial sweeteners and sodas that may be part of the hospital diet and drink plenty of pure water.

Of course whenever there is a big enough problem, somebody will come up with a solution so there is hope for the future. And there are already many innovative solutions to make hospitals and hospital rooms themselves safer for patients. They just need to come into practise.

There are now washable keyboards, computer mice and even remotes that can literally be dumped in the dishwasher to be thoroughly cleaned.

There is the new smart room currently undergoing testing which includes a soap and sanitzier dispenser for medical personnel to use both before and after seeing a patient AND which will make it perfectly clear with its special sensors if that person does not use it.
The futuristic hospital room ensures that each patient has a touch screen (oh dear another source of super bugs) on which is listed the information on foods the patient can eat and whatever special instructions the doctor has for the patient such as exercise etc. The nurse at her station also has a touch screen listing the patients under her charge with their medications, dosages and when they should be given. When it is time for a medication, she touches another button for a drawer in the medicine cabinet to unlock and a light shows her which bin to open indicating that this is the medication to be given at this time. To reduce any mistakes, computers link up with all the equipment including IV pumps and, in the patient’s room, a bedside scanner is matched to bar codes on the nurse’s badge and the patient’s wrist to provide a fail safe net.

The big question will be: Will all this high technology keep all patients safe or is there still the possibility for human error? Time will tell.

Statins are currently prescribed by doctors:

- To people who are healthy, but at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease
- To people who have already had a heart attack, a stroke or peripheral artery disease
- To people who have diabetes.

According to the British Heart Foundation: “like all medication, statins have potential side effects that are usually mild, easy to recognise, reversible and very rarely dangerous. Statins are among the safest and the most studied drugs available today. You should tell your GP if your symptoms are getting worse or if you develop any new symptoms.”

http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/treatment/statins.aspx

But when you start to research statins, you find that many natural health experts disagree.

For example, Sally Fallon, the president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, and Mary Enig, Ph.D, an expert in lipid biochemistry, have gone so far as to call high cholesterol “an invented disease, a problem that emerged when health professionals learned how to measure cholesterol levels in the blood.”

In his article (linked below) Dr Mercola says: “Cholesterol could easily be described as the smoking gun of the last two decades. It’s been responsible for demonizing entire categories of foods (like eggs and saturated fats) and blamed for just about every case of heart disease in the last 20 years. Yet when I first opened my medical practice in the mid 80s, cholesterol, and the fear that yours was too high was rarely talked about.”

“Somewhere along the way however, cholesterol became a household word — something that you must keep as low as possible, or suffer the consequences. You are probably aware that there are many myths that portray fat and cholesterol as one of the worst foods you can consume. Please understand that these myths are actually harming your health. Not only is cholesterol most likely not going to destroy your health (as you have been led to believe), but it is also not the cause of heart disease.”

http://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp_390050/Your_Cholesterol_Level_is_NOT_a_Great_Indicator_of_Your_Heart_Disease_Risk

Dr. Mercola feels that 99 out of 100 people do not need statins but can lower their cholesterol (if necessary) naturally.

You can do this:

- Through eating the right foods

- Getting the right kind of exercise

- Avoiding smoking and drinking too much alcohol

- Lowering your stress levels

All sensible lifestyle changes.

The Health Ranger in his article points out that “High cholesterol along with most other cardiovascular risk factors can be lowered in most people naturally by lifestyle changes such as exercise, a healthy diet and keeping weight under control. Statins come with a host of dangerous and even deadly side effects, including liver damage, impaired brain function, sometimes irreversible muscle damage and eye disorders.”

http://www.naturalnews.com/030438_statin_drugs_heart_disease.html#ixzz1FGnKgx6E

There are at least 10 proven side effects from taking statins:

1. Anemia

2. Cataracts

3. Immune suppression

4. Increased cancer risk

5. Liver or pancreas dysfunction

6. Memory loss

7. Mood disorders/personality changes

8. Muscle problems

9. Sexual dysfunction

10. CoQ10 depletion

In case you do not know, CoQ10 is an antioxidant compound vital for energy production within your cells. Any loss in this compound can lead to an increased production of free radicals as well as the depletion of cell energy, fatigue, muscle weakness, soreness and heart failure.

If you are taking statins or if you have been told that your cholesterol level is too high, perhaps now is the time to do your own research to find out the truth for yourself.

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The fact that pharmaceutical drugs have turned up in waterways, lakes and rivers (where they have even poisoned the resident wild life) is evidence enough that these same drugs are going to put toxins in our own bodies’ systems. The drugs end up in the water because of human and livestock excretions as well as unwanted drugs just being flushed down the toilet and poured down the sink. The extent of the damage being done is still being studied but apart from the actual death of fish, high numbers of intersex fish have been discovered.

Just because you can buy many medicines without a prescription doesn’t mean they’re entirely safe.

Over-the-counter drugs can even kill you according to an article you can read at http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=629   They also go on to mention that Tylenol and other medications containing the active ingredient, acetaminophen, could be a problem as acetaminophen can be highly toxic. The article says that: At Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, acetaminophen is for example the #1 cause of acute liver failure. The side effects of acetaminophen include yellow skin or eyes, hives, itching, bleeding (bloody urine, black stool, bruising, or pinpoint red spots), fever, sore throat and decreased urine output.

According to a recent Associated Press news release, “Makers of the nation’s most popular pain reliever will tell parents for the first time through labels and advertising that too much Tylenol can harm their children. Relatively small overdoses of acetaminophen – Tylenol’s active ingredient – have been blamed for liver damage and even deaths in children in the United States.”

And all this from just one over-the-counter medication.

Often the difference between an over-the-counter drug and a prescription drug is just the strength of the medication. For example all cough medicines contain roughly similar ingredients but differ in the strength and particular substance used. The potential levels of toxicity are the distinguishing characteristics of prescription medication. Prescription cough medications are not safe for consumer use without a prescription because they contain addictive ingredients that are toxic to the consumer with misuse. Narcotics are used in prescription-strength cough formulas.

Then there is the problem of multiple drug intake.

When drug trials are conducted they do not include a protocol where tests are done on how different drugs react with one another when taken as a combination. So the simultaneous use of multiple drugs whether prescription, over-the-counter or even recreational can be lethal – as has been documented in several high profile deaths. Alcoholic beverages can be a further contributing factor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_drug_intoxication says “combined drug intoxication (CDI), also known as multiple drug intake (MDI) is an unnatural cause of human death. While it is sometimes reported as a simple “overdose”, it is distinct in that it is due to the simultaneous use of multiple drugs, whether the drugs are prescription, over-the-counter, recreational or some other combination. The reasons for toxicity vary depending on the mixture of drugs.”

Wikipedia goes on to say “The CDI/MDI phenomenon seems to be becoming more common in recent years. In December 2007, according to Dr. John Mendelson, a pharmacologist at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Insititute, deaths by combined drug intoxication were relatively “rare” (“one in several million”), though they appeared then to be “on the rise”. But in July 2008, the Associated Press and CNN both reported on a medical study showing that over two decades, from 1983 to 2004, such deaths had soared. In addition It had also become a prevalent risk for older patients.”

So with all the risks involved with both over-the-counter and prescription medications, it makes a lot of sense to change to natural products for any conditions or problems whenever you possibly can. Many essential oils have medicinal properties that have been applied since ancient times and the claims and success of these have been upheld in modern studies.

Leave the pharmaceutical medications for real emergency situations only and then once you are over the worst and feeling better, detoxify your liver just to be on the safe side.

In her Natural Moms Blog - http://www.naturalmomsblog.com/baby-laundry-detergent-whats-safe-for-baby.html – the writer, Lexi, says that even many of the special baby laundry detergents sold in stores contain heavy perfumes and dyes that can cause allergy or irritate baby’s delicate skin.

She writes: “I have recently discovered soap nuts, an all-natural and allergen-free laundry detergent that comes from a plant. It’s scent-free and strips baby cloth diapers of residue. Plus, you can use soap nuts up to 4 times, for significant savings. Many mothers swear by Charlie’s Soap particularly for cloth diapers. It is made of completely natural ingredients and does not contain any ingredients that could cause allergies or build up in baby’s clothes and diapers.

It’s also important to wash new baby clothing thoroughly (preferably in hot water, twice) to remove any formaldehyde and other chemicals that manufacturers add to keep the clothing looking pressed and “new” while in the store.

The objective in doing your laundry is no doubt to get your clothes clean and smelling fresh. The supermarket aisles are filled with hundreds of products that claim to do the best job in helping you accomplish that. Not only are they supposed to clean your clothes, they also claim to make your laundry smell like spring flowers, fresh picked berries or even refreshing rain.

It is ironic then that many conventional laundry detergents unintentionally, and many times even intentionally, leave residues on your clothing. These residues are the byproducts of the numerous chemicals that these detergents contain and these chemical residues are anything but healthy for your laundry. They are not particularly healthy for your family either.

For example many of the chemicals in dryer sheets designed to keep your clothes wrinkle and static free have been linked to cancer. Use a vinegar rinse while clothes are in the wash instead or use a small sachet of dried lavender in the dryer.”

Lexi mentions vinegar in her blog and though you might not think of it as a laundry product, you could be surprised at the benefits of keeping a bottle of vinegar in your laundry room.

Here are some helpful tips:

-  If you add 1/2 to one cup of white vinegar to the final rinse water, this reduces the detergent remaining in clothes, making them softer and fresher.

-  Vinegar is inexpensive making it a viable fabric softener substitute to reduce static electricity.

-  Vinegar is famous for its odor reducing properties so adding it to the rinse water of a stinky load of laundry (and we all have such a load from time to time) will work well.

-  Vinegar is also touted as a great stain remover for certain stains, such as fruit stains, wine, coffee and tea – just soak any stained item in full strength vinegar for about an hour before washing as usual.

Getting back to commercial laundry products and the chemical and toxic residues they leave behind, there are fortunately plenty of natural or eco-friendly laundry detergent options now available so it should not be too difficult to find one that works for you.

My own family uses Seventh Generation laundry products This company has been around for about 20 years and were one of the first self-declared “socially responsible” companies. They manufacture many eco-friendly products and offer a good variety of choices for eco-friendly households. Their laundry products include: chlorine free bleach, delicate care laundry detergent, natural concentrated baby laundry liquid, natural concentrated laundry liquid, natural fabric softener, natural powdered laundry and natural fabric softener sheets. Their slogan says: Natural Laundry Care – Tough on Stains, Gentle on your Clothes and on the Environment. If you need supplies, you can go on to their web site, it will list a local store near to you plus online suppliers as well as their own online store. http://www.seventhgenerationstore.com/

When looking at your laundry products, here are some points to bear in mind:

-  Commercial laundry products are full of synthetic fragrances so try not to use these but change to natural products that use essential oils as a natural fragrance.

-  Another problem area is detergents with fabric softeners which also leave residues. Think of changing to a natural fabric softener instead or using dryer balls.

-  Avoid detergents with optical brighteners as these are specially designed to leave a residue on the surface of your laundry. You only have to look at your clean laundry under a black light after using such a detergent and you will see that your clothing glows. This optical brightener is added to detergents to give the appearance of cleaner and brighter laundry but the residue from the chemicals used can cause skin irritations and allergic reactions.

-  Remember that all commercial detergents are made with petrochemical ingredients whereas a soap based cleaner can be made with natural oils and minerals. As with food products, you need to check out ingredients to ensure the safety of your family.

-  For brightening clothes, you can use a solution of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 8 parts cold water before washing or a half cup of lemon juice and baking soda will give the same result.

-  Instead of harsh commercial stain removers, use a baking soda paste to scrub and pre-treat stains.

In closing, a University of Washington study of top-selling commercial laundry products and air fresheners found the products emitted dozens of different chemicals with all 6 products tested giving off at least one chemcial regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws.  And yet none of those chemicals was listed on the product labels. This makes a mockery of consumers being able to check a list of ingredients.

Leading the study was Anne Steinemann, a UW professor of civil and environmental engineering and of public affairs.  She said “I was surprised by both the number and the potential toxicity of the chemicals that were found.”

The chemicals included acetone (the active ingredient in paint thinner and nail-polish remover); limonene (a molecule with a citrus scent); and acetaldehyde, chloromethane and 1,4-dioxane.

Professor Steinemann went on to say: “Nearly 100 volatile organic compounds were emitted from these six products, and none were listed on any product label. Plus, five of the six products emitted one or more carcinogenic ‘hazardous air pollutants,’ which are considered by the Environmental Protection Agency to have no safe exposure level.”

The full article can be read at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723134438.htm

Definitely it is time to take the cancer out of your laundry.

With recent surveys revealing that more than 1 in 4 children in the US are on pharmaceutical drugs for chronic conditions, anyone with an ounce of concern would find these figures shocking. Whilst obviously there will always be some children with serious illnesses who would need such medication, there is something very amiss here.

One of the reasons affecting this statistic is surely the $10 billion federal disability program which gives low-income parents a strong financial incentive to have their children diagnosed with behavioral disorders so that they are prescribed powerful psychotrophic drugs. The Boston Globe recently found this out after conducting an in-depth investigation. Apparently the Supplemental Security Income was introduced in 1974 to help the aged, blind and severely physically disabled. But today 50% of recipients are children diagnosed with mental disorders. A child on prescription drugs can receive a $700 monthly check. You can see how this system is seriously flawed and open to abuse by poorer parents. The full report can be read   http://wap.boston.com/art/35/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/12/12/with

ssi_program_a_legacy_of_unintended_side_effects/?single=1&p=2

In the Wall Street Journal there is a report that, in addition to taking drugs for conditions that we are more aware of in children such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD and asthma, children are now being prescribed medications like sleeping pills, diabetes drugs and even statin drugs which in the past were typically only prescribed for adults. One example quoted is an 8 year old boy who has been taking blood pressure medicine since he was a baby.

7% of these children are even taking two or more prescriptions on a “chronic basis”.

Who is responsible for all this prescribing of drugs?

Surely it must be the doctors themselves, with the encouragement of course from the pharmaceutical companies. Why are doctors not exploring other ways of combating whatever the problem might be, such as poor diet and lack of exercise, before resorting to such drastic methods. Unfortunately, far too many parents are still too trusting of their doctor’s advice without doing their own research and investigation before agreeing to prescription drugs for their vulnerable children.

I would suggest that Super Nanny could soon sort out many behavioral problems without resorting to medication.

We have the situation where one section of the population goes along with whatever the medical profession tells them while at the same time neglecting to do what they can to improve their own lifestyle habits. Then at the other end of the spectrum we have another section of the population who question everything, live their lives as naturally and healthily as they can and turn to natural and herbal remedies to treat themselves.   For example Ginkgo is a natural supplement used by some with ADHD.  If you are a child, it is really just luck which type of family you are born to.

Experts worry that the increasing prevalence of children on prescription drugs is causing these young people serious harm.

Danny Benjamin, a pediatrics professor from Duke University, maintains that most drugs prescribed to children have not been evaluated for pediatric use and could be potentially harmful as the side effects of medications on a developing child are vastly different than those an adult encounters. He advises parents to research medications, confirm any diagnosis via a second opinion and study the side effects of prescription drugs from reputable sources like the American Academy of Pediatrics.

NaturalNews say that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has done little, if anything, to warn the public about the dangers of using chronic prescription drugs, especially in small children, and that safety studies in young people are not necessarily required in order for doctors to prescribe adult medications to children, as long as the drug is already FDA-approved.

If you are a parent, would you be concerned if your child was prescribed chronic prescription drugs and would you make the effort to do your own research to find out more so that you could offer your child some alternatives?

Your child deserves that at the very least.

And that is why I was so intrigued to read that in a new survey undertaken by Consumer Reports, it was found that more people than ever believe that doctors are now influenced by Big Pharma over their own needs as a patient.

That means that nearly 50% don’t even trust their own doctors.

The report is fully set out in http://www.examiner.com/finance-examiner-in-national/consumer-reports-survey-shows-people-believe-doctors-league-with-big-pharma but here is some of it:

Of the nearly 1,200 patients interviewed, nearly half believe that gifts from drug companies influence which drugs their doctors prescribe. And more than 80 percent believe that drug companies offer incentives to doctors to get them to write more prescriptions.

Other concerns include doctors agreeing to be paid spokespersons for drug companies, speaking at drug industry conference and being “wined and dined” by drug company executives in exchange for favors.

Americans have known for years that government agencies such as the FDA are too close to the corporate pharmaceutical companies by the fact that scientists and leadership usually acquire high paying jobs in these companies after leaving government service. Now they are becoming aware of the partnership between their personal doctors and these same companies.

It is really not surprising that more and more “thinking people” are turning to the internet to google their own symptoms and problems so that they actually get a “second opinion”. And when they do their own research, they find that there are often alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs to address these same symptoms and problems. They start to think that perhaps it is not so necessary to add all these chemicals to a system in their bodies that is already having to cope with too many toxins. And this is why there is such a switch to natural and alternative products…worldwide.

In an news article in the Ottawa Citizen, it was reported that Canadians are also coming on board to embrace natural and alternative products. According to a survey conducted for Health Canada’s Office of Natural Health Products as long ago as 2005, 71% of Canadians now consume natural health products – traditional herbal products, vitamins and mineral supplements, traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic and homeopathic preparations. If the percentage was that high in 2005, you can imagine it is even higher today 5 years later.

Here is the link to the full report http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/working/story.html?id=549825eb-63f8-46c0-a24b-66979a622235

Meanwhile back in the US, 80% of adults are now using one or more natural products for health benefits.

Who or what is influencing this trend?

Well apparantly Americans are more inclined to use a natural product if they received a recommendation from their doctor (66%) or pharmacist (55%) and if there was clinical proof of effectiveness (65%).  40% believe natural remedies are often just as effective as over-the-counter and/or prescription medicines while nearly 29% of US adults are convinced that natural remedies are safer than over-the-counter and/or prescription medications because they are “drug-free.”

These are interesting trends – more and more are beginning to see the light and making a safer switch to natural and alternative products.

However, you might not be aware that Botox® is a trade name for botulinum toxin A. In this way, Botox is related to botulism which is a form of food poisoning that occurs when someone eats something containing a neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botulinum toxin A is one of the neurotoxins produced by Clostridium botulinum. Botox is derived from botulinum toxin. In large doses, botulinum toxin can be life threatening. The most serious symptom of botulism is paralysis, which in some cases has proven to be fatal. Botulinum toxins block the signals that would normally tell your muscles to contract. If it attacks the muscles in your chest – this could have a profound impact on your breathing. When people die from botulism, it is usually because the respiratory muscles are paralyzed so it’s impossible to breathe.  However, when used for medical purposes in small amounts, Botox prevents the muscles from unnecessary contraction which result in creases in the skin.

This is why Botox is a favourite method for diminishing crows’ feet, wrinkles around the brow, frown lines and smile lines. The cosmetic benefits of Botox were stumbled upon by accident during the 1990s. A doctor in Canada was using Botox to treat patients for blepharospasm, a muscle spasm disorder of the eyes. One of his patients requested to be kept on the treatment because of the wrinkle reducing benefits. Botux quickly gained the reputation of being known as a non-invasive face lift treatment in spite of its connection to botulinum toxin and injecting a poison into your body. People are prepared to go this route because if an area of the body cannot move, it cannot wrinkle.

Today, in addition to being a cosmetic proedure Botox is used to treat a variety of medical conditions as follows:

- Migraines - patients suffering from migraines and severe tension headaches are now turning to Botox injections that block brain receptors from registering migraine pain. Muscles begin to relax, reducing tension.

- Excessive perspiration – those with a condition known as hyperhidrosis are also finding some relief with Botox which can inhibit nerves in the body that control the sweat glands.

- Muscle response disorders – Botox injections may lessen the symptoms in patients suffering from brain and spinal cord disorders. Such muscle disorders can be caused by injury and illness, such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke and injury of the spinal cord.

- Enlarged prostate and bladder function - patients with over-active bladders can also benefit from Botox treatments. Botox relaxes the urinary bladder muscles, treating the symptoms of incontinence or pain during urination.

The big drawback for Botox is the temporal nature of the treatment. Botox alleviates symptoms of various illnesses, but does not actually provide a cure. But many patients, who find riskier alternatives unsettling, favour Botox. The Botox product, medically known as Botulinum Toxin Type A, is an injectable compound that disrupts the release of acetylcholine, which essentially paralyzes the muscle and stops the contraction. Results are fully evident within 1 week after treatment and last between 3 and 5 months. Cosmetically, Botox typically reduces wrinkles by 80 percent and patients are usually between between the ages of 35 and 60. The results vary and as they are temporary, you would need to plan for additional injections, depending on your long-term treatment goals.

If you are considering Botox injection, be careful to use a board-certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist and consider the following:

- Review the doctor’s credentials, education, training, type of certification held and number of times the doctor has performed the treatment.

- Find a doctor with extensive experience in performing the injection. One type of error that can occur is directing the injection at the point of the wrinkle, when it should be directed in the area of the muscle contraction.

- Find out the appropriate dosage that will be required to achieve a satisfactory result for your condition. For Botox injection, the FDA has approved the use of one syringe per patient.

- View before-and-after photos of patients with similar conditions who received Botox.

- Inquire about complication risks and possible side effects, including the impact that smoking and medications may have on your treatment.

- Ask the doctor to estimate the number of treatments required to achieve and maintain the maximum benefit and the costs involved. The cost for Botox may range from $125 to $400 per treatment area.

- Request a list of pre-op and post-op instructions. Following these instructions can reduce the risk of complications.

Remember there may be alternative treatment options, depending on your condition. Other minimally invasive procedures include collagen, Restylane, fat fillers or Gortex. For severe wrinkling, surgical procedures may be more appropriate, such as a facelift, forehead lift or eyelid surgery. Your doctor may recommend additional treatments for you to consider in conjunction with Botox. These might include chemical peel, laser skin resurfacing or microdermabrasion.

At the end of the day, you can avoid wrinkles and maintain a young looking skin if you follow some of these basic points:

- A twice daily regime of cleansing the skin of all impurities and make up. A special cleanser for eye make should be used. Use natural products so that you are not adding any toxins and chemicals to the skin.

- Avoid the use of soap on the face as this can be very drying.

- In the mornings, apply a natural moisturizer before the rest of your make up. It improves the water holding capacity of the skin.

- Use a natural eye cream for the delicate area round the eyes. Eye cream should always be applied with the 3rd finger because that digit has the lightest touch.

- Use a natural anti wrinkle cream at night with added nutrients.

- If you sleep on your back, you reduce the gravitational pull on the skin on your face and avoid puffiness in the morning.

- Drink your 8 glasses of water every day. The skin is the first organ to suffer if you are dehydrated.

- Above all do not smoke and don’t allow anyone else to smoke in the same room or your space.

One of the most controversial vaccines has been the HPV and you will find many convincing arguments both for and against this one on the internet.

Norma Erickson is a freelance writer who describes herself as being dedicated to providing complete and current information regarding all aspects of the vaccination controversy. She strongly believes every person has the right to know the risks and benefits of vaccines prior to consenting to any inoculation. Her mission is to provide that information in a clear, concise, easy to understand format. You can find out what she has to say on her website
http://www.examiner.com/vaccines-in-national/meet-the-gardasil-girls-savanna-from-ohio

The more you read about this subject on the internet, the more interested and the more confused you can become. But one thing for sure is that in whatever country the vaccine is being promoted, there are worrying side effects being reported. Most government health departments are quick to come up with excuses for these but India has taken a strong stand and recently halted vaccine trials in that country after 6 Indian girls died.

In the The United States, with a population of approximately 307 million, 29,323 young women participated in the clinical trials for Gardasil. During those trials, there were 37 deaths reported and 255 serious systemic adverse reactions. There were 463 reports of new medical conditions reported by participants that were ”potentially indicative of systemic autoimmune disorder(s).

In a new article out today as part of vaccine awareness week, Dr Mercola says: “It’s been four years since Gardasil debuted as a blockbuster vaccine with sales that rocketed to over $1.1 billion in its first nine months. Touted as a wonder vaccine that would end cervical cancer, it was supposed to be the savior of both mankind and Merck’s Vioxx-damaged bottom line. But now according to CNN Money, it’s a dud.

It just posted $219 million in sales. But in the pharma world, that’s a paltry pittance, nothing short of an in-flight explosion that’s caused Merck stock to drop 3 percent, with analysts and investors scrambling to figure out what went wrong.  So what happened? How did a vaccine that was supposed to be Merck’s beacon for higher profits in the 21stCentury go from flagship to flop?

CNN Money calls Gardasil’s crash a “design flaw” and faults the economy, puritanical parents, bad press, and Merck itself for contributing to the fallout. The article ends with the hypothesis: “Or, maybe people just aren’t ready for a cancer vaccine when it’s for a sexually transmitted disease.”

I think they’re way off the mark. The real reason Gardasil is a flop is that people have become educated about this vaccine. They’ve looked at the science and weighed the risks vs. the supposed benefits, and have made a choice not to get it for themselves or their children. The word is out: despite what the CDC would have you believe, Gardasil’s safety record is in serious question. As of September 28, 2010, the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) has more than 18,000 Gardasil-related adverse events listed in it, including at least 65 deaths.” http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/05/gardasil-vaccine-is-a-flop-for-good-reasons.aspx

If you want to read some of the stories of those children who have died or been severely affected by the vaccine, go to http://www.sanevax.org.

What is HPV?

HPV or Human Papilloma Virus is a group of more than 100 viruses of which over 30 strains can be passed from one person to another through sexual contact. Some types of HPV cause genital warts – those single or multiple bumps that appear in the genitalia of both men and women including the vagina, cervix, vulva, penis, and rectum. These are mostly considered to be low-risk strains. The high risk strains of Human Papilloma Virus may go on to cause cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus and penis. And it is the strains types 16 and 18 that the HPV vaccine targets as well as the two types that cause most genital warts (6 and 11).

I found this comment on the internet “While the HPV controversy may go on, it’s usually through ignorance and rumor instead of facts. Make sure your decision to get your child vaccinated or not is based on knowledge, not hearsay, especially when it comes to a potentially life-saving vaccine such as the HPV vaccination.” Purporting to give an unbiased opinion but then making you feel bad about questioning the vaccination anyway.

Resolve to do your own research on the subject of vaccinations on children in particular and on adults in general so that you too are informed on this highly controversial matter of life and death. I used to think that if many took advantage of these vaccinations to protect themselves, in generations to come the HPV virus would lessen and eventually be eliminated altogether. Now I am not so sure anymore. You have to weigh up the risk of the side effects of the vaccine including disability and death against the risk of contracting the virus.

Remember too that if you are healthy with a strong immune system, you stand a good chance that should you contract the virus, it could well work its way out of your system in time while if you are unhealthy, surely you should be avoiding the vaccine anyway.

And what is the main source of Vitamin D?

Sunlight.

The most recent study is from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, which has found that rheumatoid arthritis is on the increase among Caucasian women with the culprit likely to be an environmental one, like vitamin D deficiency, rather than a genetic one.

According to Dr. Serine Gabriel, one of the authors of the study, she says: “It’s pretty unlikely that the genetic makeup of a population changed that quickly.”   Gabriel suggests that women who smoke stop the habit, and that women in general get their vitamin D levels checked. Together, these proactive steps should help to stave off serious diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

There have been many other studies and some of these conclusions are that:

• Overweight people are more successful in losing weight when their Vitamin D levels are increased

• Vitamin D has been linked to its ability to prevent diabetes, depression and heart disease

• Vitamin D prevents 77% of all cancers while women with breast cancer have tested as having low vitamin D levels while women who are deficient in vitamin D (at the time they are diagnosed with breast cancer) are nearly 75 percent more likely to die from the disease than women with sufficient vitamin D levels, and their cancer is twice as likely to spread

• From bone pain to muscle pain to back pain, these could be caused by a vitamin D deficiency as its cause – this is not a well known fact

• Children who develop multiple sclerosis have substantially lower levels of vitamin D than children who do not develop the disease

• Insufficient blood levels of vitamin D may cause adolescent girls to have weaker muscles

• Almost half of critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are deficient in vitamin D

• Women who are short on vitamin D are more likely to have a cesarean section delivery while women who do not get enough vitamin D when pregnant place their children at increased risk for tooth enamel defects and early childhood tooth decay

• One in seven U.S. teenagers are deficient in vitamin D while levels in the general population are falling – vitamin D deficiency is now common in the U.S..

• Those females who are over 50, post-menopausal and prone to breaking bones could be because of a vitamin D deficiency rather than actual osteoporosis

• Deficiency of vitamin D is also linked with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

• There is a strong correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and Parkinson’s disease

• Vitamin D deficiency is widespread among infants and toddlers in the US.

The best way to get vitamin D is through sunlight exposure, but foods like oily fish and raw milk are also rich in the vitamin. If you need to use a supplement, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere during the long winter minths, Vitamin D3 supplements in the form of cholecalciferol are a good option.

Vitamin D is a critically important nutrient in our daily lives but the present deficiency has been made much worse by so many people spending time indoors at their computers under fluorescent lighting. This is not confined to adults either. Whereas children used to be out and about with their friends in all kinds of weather, they are now often living an isolated lifestyle bound to their home computer. When adults and children do get outdoors, they have been so programmed to cover up and apply sun block to their skin that any sunlight they are exposed to is immediately banished.

This is so unfortunate when Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, is linked to so many vital health functions and benefits. In addition to those listed above, it boosts immune function and improves absorption of calcium thereby contributing to strong and healthy bones.

Sunshine makes us feel good too. It lifts the spirit.

It is said that even tanning beds can stimulate the body to produce vitamin D, according to research conducted by Michael Holick of the University of Boston and published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

It is in the interests of every single one of us to find out as much as we can about the benefits of Vitamin D. An excellent source of information is the web site - www.vitamindcouncil.org - I would suggest you check this out.   You will not be wasting your time.

Understandably, they don’t think it is fair that clinical trials are less likely to be conducted on older people than on the young. And yet it is the older people who take the most medication. So a European Union funded project called PREDICT has been launched by a group of geriatricians from Europe and they have drawn up a charter against ageism.

PREDICT say that trial results from younger people used in clinical trials are not always appropriate for the elderly. They want older people to have access to drugs which have been shown to be safe and effective for their age group.

According to Dr Gary Mills, Director of Medical Economics and Research Centre, Sheffield “If treatments are not evaluated for elderly people, it is difficult for doctors to balance the risks and benefits”.

Dr Mills added that it might take a bit of extra effort on the part of those conducting trials as they might have to go to the elderly participants direct rather than expecting them to travel. Although it is easier for drug companies to carry out testing on younger people, this means that the trial group is not representative of the majority of those who are taking medicines.

This raises the question, particularly in the case of medications for the elderly, of whether such testing is even ethical.

The British Geriatrics Society is all in favor of PREDICT. Their spokesman Professor David Oliver agrees that the “under representation” of elderly people in clinical trials is a serious problem. He added that drugs might be more OR less effective on the elderly than younger older people and might have different side effects. He goes on to say: “Doctors try to practice evidence-based medicine, but this is not possible if there are not enough elderly people in the trials.”

Stephen Jackson, Professor of Clinical Gerontology from King’s College, London goes even further and blames the problem on ageism. He says: “People conducting trials think it is “too much trouble” to include older people and this would not change without regulation”.

All of these points become even more important when you consider how much longer those in the western world are living. It is estimated that half of all babies born today will live to be 100 years old and in just 25 years time, there will be 30 000 centenarians living in the UK alone.

Age Concern has welcomed the initiative of PREDICT. Andrew Harrop, their Head of Policy, says: “More and more people will be living longer and many with multiple long-term conditions”.

If you would like to read more about PREDICT go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8487509.stm

A further “unfair to the elderly” practice has emerged regarding the Shingles Vaccination.

Shingles is a particularly painful and uncomfortable condition which mostly affects those over the age of 60 who have contracted chicken pox during their childhood. Approximately one in five will be affected at some stage in their lives but the condition usually affects the elderly particularly when the immune system has been weakened either through illness, surgery or perhaps stress. Approximately 30% of shingles sufferers will go on to develop post-herpetic neuralgia and that is when the real problems start with chronic pain that can last indefinitely.. Shingles is a viral infection of the nerve roots causing pain and a band of rash that spreads on one side of your body. .

The hard fact is that there is no cure for shingles.

But shingles can be treated and such treatment should be commenced as quickly as possible because early treatment can shorten the length of the illness and reduce both the severity of the symptoms and the risk of complications. There are preventative treatments to use to control the frequency of future outbreaks too.

In recent times, a vaccine to prevent shingles has been developed called Zostavax. But you must receive this vaccine before you actually develop the condition of shingles. The vaccine lasts for 7 years. As Shingles is most common after the age of 60, it is advisable to have that vaccine before then to give maximum protection to as many of those at risk as possible.

However, in the United Kingdom, the government is going for the vaccination to be available only to those in their 70s. Marian Nicholson, director of the Shingles Support society, has told the Observer Newspaper: “I’m disappointed that it is only 70 to 79 year olds and that you will have to wait until you are 70 to get this vaccination. It should be available from 60, because your risk of getting shingles rises sharply enough for 60 to be the age at which enough people suffer enough to make it worthwhile.”

These are two examples of how the elderly are being discriminated against with regard to their health. I am sure there are many more. Watch this space!