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7 Ways to Use Coconut Oil to Stay Healthy and Look Attractive
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 10,000 children in the United States are living with the disease lupus. Lupus develops when a defective immune system causes its defense mechanisms to turn on the body's own tissue and organs. Lupus can be unpredictable and potentially fatal, yet no satisfactory treatment or cure presently exists.
Caring for a child with lupus is one of the greatest challenges a family can face. After the diagnosis is made, the first step for every parent is to learn as much as possible about the disease and the special needs of a child with lupus. Parents need to educate the child with lupus and their other children, plus their child's teachers, and family friends.
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) provides information and other resources to help children with lupus and their parents better understand and cope with the serious and often life-threatening consequences of the autoimmune disease.
The LFA Website will host a free live Web chat on the topic of Teens and Lupus on Wednesday, December 12, beginning at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The guest speaker will be Dr. Peter Chira, from the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Dr. Chira's research interests focus on improving the transition and educational process for adolescents with rheumatic diseases, including those with lupus, and evaluating the role of information technology in this transition. He has previously looked at the role of an online chat room support group for teens with rheumatic conditions. Currently, Dr. Chira is working on a project looking at designing a personal health record for teens with chronic health problems.
The chat can be accessed by going to the LFA Website at www.lupus.org. Questions may be submitted in advance or during the chat. An archive of past chat transcripts is also available on the LFA Website.
Approximately 1.5 million Americans, and at least five million people around the world, have a form of lupus. The LFA is the nation's leading nonprofit voluntary health organization dedicated to lupus. The LFA has a dual mission: to provide support, services and hope to all people affected by lupus, and to fund research to find the causes of and cure for lupus.
Visit www.lupus.org or call toll-free 1-888-38-LUPUS (888-385-8787) for more information.
Source: Lupus Foundation of America
Web Site: http://www.lupus.org/
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The patient he was treating in the Yale University-affiliated community health clinic was so much like him that Dr. Garth Graham thought he could almost be looking in a mirror. The man was African American, about his age, and lived near Graham's own home in New Haven, Conn.
But in contrast to Graham's good health, the man was coughing, feverish, and losing weight for no apparent reason. When Graham suggested that he take an HIV test, the patient got up and walked out of the treatment room without saying a word.
It would be nearly a year before Graham saw his patient again. By the time he did, in the year 2000, the man had been diagnosed with full-blown AIDS.
"We had so many similar characteristics," said Graham, who has directed the Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services since 2003 "He had two children, a family, and friends--and he died a difficult death. I couldn't help wondering what might have happened if he had taken that HIV test? By then, we already had medications that would have helped him, but his refusal to be tested meant he did not get the treatment he needed. His case reminded me that we are most vulnerable to HIV when we refuse to admit we might be at risk."
As a practicing physician and the director of OMH, Graham sees that vulnerability every day in his work to improve health outcomes for minority communities in the United States.
In the 26th year of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, African Americans and Latinos are increasingly at risk for HIV infection. Although both groups together make up less than 30 percent of the U.S. population, they make up nearly 70 percent of all new HIV/AIDS cases.
These numbers spur Graham and his staff to emphasize HIV testing and treatment for World AIDS Day, which is observed each Dec. 1.
"World AIDS Day is a chance for all of us to look back and remember the lives lost to AIDS," Graham says. "But it is also a time to look ahead to the lives we can save through prevention, testing, and treatment."
"HIV is preventable and treatable," Graham notes. "But to protect yourself and those you love, you have to know whether or not you are already living with HIV--and that means taking the test. Fortunately, finding an HIV testing location has never been easier--now you can go online (www.hivtest.org) and find one near your home or workplace."
Graham says, "HIV/AIDS is still a deadly threat--especially for African Americans and Latinos. My patient might be alive today if he had been able to admit he could be at risk for HIV and taken the test. People need to understand that ignorance is not bliss when it comes to HIV. Ignorance is a killer."
Most of all, Graham says, "People need to understand the risks, take the test, and protect their futures. My patient was young and had his whole life ahead of him -- but on this World AIDS Day, he isn't here for his children or his family. The loss of all his potential was a tragedy."
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Web Site: http://www.aids.gov/
http://www.hhs.gov/
http://www.hivtest.org/
http://www.omhrc.gov/
Many a diet has been ruined on a weekend. Our weekends are usually less structured than a week day. We have more free time (to sit in front of the TV with a bag of chips) and more temptations (in the form of Aunt Betty's famous chocolate chip cookies).
But with a little planning, it's easy to stick to your diet throughout the weekend. Check out the tips below.
10 Tips for a Healthy Weekend
1. Get outside and get moving. The weekend is the perfect time to go outside and do something fun. Make a date with your friends and family to go to the beach, hike through the woods, or play a game of kickball.
2. Try a new recipe. Take some time to dust off those old cookbooks and pick out a recipe that you've always wanted to try but never had the time to make. You might find a new favorite healthy dish!
3. Keep your water bottle with you. Studies show that we should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. This includes the weekend! if you always have your water bottle handy, then you'll be less likely to purchase a sugary soda when you are out and about.
4. Watch your alcohol. The calories in alcoholic beverages can add up pretty quickly...especially if you're the type of person who likes fruity mixed drinks. If you must drink alcohol, try to stick with either a red wine or a clear liquor mixed with non-caloric beverages (club soda, water, diet cola).
5. Read a healthy article or book. By reading articles or books about healthy living on the weekend, healthy thoughts will be at the forefront of your mind and you'll be less likely to make bad choices.
6. Park far away. If you're going out shopping, park as far away from the store as you can. This will help you to get a bit more exercise in.
7. Plan for a treat. Going to a birthday party and want some cake? Having pizza and movie night with your sweetie? If you make lower calorie food choices during the rest of the day, then these types of treats won't completely sabotage your diet.
8. Keep your mind and hands busy. Many of us reach for food when we are bored or watching TV. If you take up a hobby which uses your hands, you'll be less likely to fill your hands with snacks.
9. Double your exercise time. Since we tend to have more free time on weekend, super-charge your workout by doubling your usual time. You'll burn more calories which will help counter any less than healthy choices you make.
10. Set goals for the week. It's always a good idea to spend some time on the weekend planning and setting your goals for the week ahead. If you have set some healthy goals for the week, then you won't want to ruin them during the weekend.
By following these tips, you'll be more likely to stick to your healthy habits and achieve the success that you are looking for.
Shannon Tani is a former fattie, who weighed over 220lbs. She has currently lost over 70lbs. One day she realized that people would rather hear dieting advice from someone who's "been there, done that" than a boring old doctor who's never been fat a day in his life. So she started the website Better Off Fat to share her experiences and ideas. Shannon Tani may be contacted at
NCPPR: New Commonwealth Fund National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance Judges American Health System Unfairly
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new "National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance" released by the influential Commonwealth Fund uses misleading statistics to falsely make the U.S. health care system look as if it is performing more poorly than it genuinely is, charged Dr. David Hogberg, senior policy analyst at the National Center for Public Policy Research in Washington.
The Commonwealth Fund is a nonprofit research foundation established in 1918 focusing on government-oriented solutions to health care problems. It advocates in favor of universal coverage and greater spending on Medicaid while being highly critical of market-oriented solutions like health savings accounts. The Commonwealth Fund is a formidable presence in the health care debate, testifying often before Congress. It has 25 senior staff members and over $28 million in revenue in fiscal year 2005.
"The Commonwealth Fund's Scorecard claims the U.S. health care system performs poorly compared to other nations," said Hogberg, "but it is the Scorecard itself that is performing poorly. The measures it uses to condemn the American system - infant mortality, life expectancy at age 60, and mortality amenable to health care - tell us little about the effectiveness of a health care system."
The Commonwealth Fund's report is formally titled, "Why Not the Best? Results from a National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance."
"Infant mortality is measured too inconsistently across nations to be a reliable indicator," said Hogberg. "Nations use different definitions of 'infant mortality.' Some nations' infant mortality statistics do not register many infants who die during the first twenty-four hours after birth. Switzerland, for example, doesn't count as 'living' any infant born under 30 cm long, while the U.S. does. Italy has at least three different definitions for infant deaths in different regions of the nation. Many, but not all, nations tabulate births that occur while their citizens are living or traveling abroad as if their own health systems were tending to care, which they clearly are not. Overall, infant mortality is measured far too inconsistently to make cross-national comparisons useful."
Life expectancy is also a poor measure to use when comparing the health systems of various nations, said Hogberg. "Any measure of life expectancy is going to be influenced by factors - GDP per capita, diet, lifestyle, income level, clean water, sanitation, etc. - that have nothing to do with a health care system."
The measure of "mortality amenable to health care" comes from a 2003 article in the British Medical Journal. However, the authors of that study were far more sanguine than the Commonwealth Fund about the limits of that measure: "...amenable mortality has itself some limitations... A major limitation is that, for many conditions, death is the final event in a complex chain of processes that involve issues related to underlying social and economic factors, lifestyles, and preventive and curative health care... it is equally clear that large international differences in mortality are caused primarily by factors outside the health care sector."
"When one looks at factors that a health care system can actually influence, like cancer or heart attack survival rates, the U.S. consistently tops other nations," Hogberg said.
Hogberg noted that the Commonwealth Fund, along with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, has a project on formulating quality cross-national measures of health care systems. "The measures that the Commonwealth Fund uses in its new National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance are not the ones they are using in their project on cross-national measures. Why didn't the Commonwealth Fund use some of the measures in its quality indicators project to compare the U.S. health care system with other nations?"
http://www.usnewswire.com/
Dr. Joseph Tibaldi and Chef Lorena Garcia prepare Organic Cucumber Carpaccio as part of the Living Lite with Levemir diabetes education campaign. The campaign is sponsored by Novo Nordisk, Inc.
Chef Michel Nischan demonstrates his fresh cooking techniques. (Photos Courtesy of Gina Gayle/U.S. Newswire) 4/4/06
New Drug Poised to Radically Change Treatment of Severe Anemias
WASHINGTON, April 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Those with severe chronic anemias need frequent blood transfusions to remain healthy, but such frequent transfusions can cause a potentially deadly buildup of iron in the body, leading to heart and liver failure. The traditional treatment to remove excess iron is so onerous that many patients choose to forgo it, putting their own lives at risk. The results of an international study on deferasirox, a new drug that may revolutionize the way chronic iron overload is treated, will be published in the May 1, 2006, issue of "Blood", the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
The current standard therapy to rid the body of excess iron
is deferoxamine, administered for as long as the patient continues
to receive blood transfusions, which, for many patients, can be
for the rest of their lives. Although its effectiveness and safety
are well-established, the necessity for the drug to be delivered
by slow subcutaneous or intravenous infusion for eight to 12 hours
a night over a period of five to seven days makes it an inconvenient
and painful choice for patients. Unlike deferoxamine, deferasirox
is available in a once-daily, drinkable format, providing a promising
alternative.
"The ease and convenience of deferasirox means that more
patients needing frequent blood transfusions, especially young
children, will be able to be successfully treated and lead normal,
healthy lives," said Maria Domenica Cappellini, MD, of the
University of Milan, Italy, and lead study author.
To compare the efficacy and safety of the two drugs, a multicenter trial of both children (some as young as two years old) and adults diagnosed with chronic iron overload was conducted in a dozen countries worldwide. People with beta-thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder, were selected for this study because complications of chronic iron overload have been best studied in those with this disease. All participants continued receiving regular blood transfusions to treat beta-thalassemia throughout the year-long study.
Participants were randomized into two groups: 290 received deferoxamine infusions five days a week; 296 drank deferasirox dissolved in water each day before breakfast. Drug dosages were determined by each patient's liver iron concentration (LIC) level; those with higher levels received increased doses. Since LIC values above 7 mg Fe/g dw are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, the primary goal of the trial was to reduce LIC levels in those with high values and maintain LIC levels in those with low values. At the beginning of the study, more than two-thirds of the participants had at-risk LIC levels.
Deferasirox proved to be equally as effective as deferoxamine in patients receiving the highest doses of the drug. A majority of these patients (nearly 60 percent), demonstrated sustained or reduced LIC levels during the study. For those receiving the lowest drug doses, the amount of deferasirox was found to be insufficient in these regularly transfused thalassemia patients.
Deferasirox was generally well-tolerated. The most common side effects were skin rash (affecting approximately 11 percent of patients) and gastrointestional problems, which occurred in 15 percent of the group and included abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. Most patients (92 percent) were able to complete the study, though a small number in each treatment arm discontinued because of safety reasons. Four deaths, determined to be unrelated to the study drugs, also occurred during the trial.
This work was supported in part by research funding from Novartis
Pharma.
To receive a copy of the study or to arrange an interview with
Maria Domenica Cappellini, MD, lead author of the study, please
contact Laura Stark at (202) 776-0544 or lstark@hematology.org.
------
The American Society of Hematology -- http://www.hematology.org
-- is the world's largest professional society concerned with
the causes and treatment of blood disorders. Its mission is to
further the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
of disorders affecting blood, bone marrow, and the immunologic,
hemostatic, and vascular systems, by promoting research, clinical
care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology.
"Blood", the official journal of the American Society of Hematology, is the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field. "Blood" is issued to society members and other subscribers twice per month, available in print and online at http://www.bloodjournal.org.
http://www.usnewswire.com/
by John Goh
Coconut oil has been labeled as the healthiest oil in the world. It has provided many health benefits to the tropical people for generations who are known for their physical beauty. Here’s a summary of the 7 ways to use coconut oil to become healthier and look better.
1. Take It as a Health Supplement
Take two or three tablespoons of coconut oil a day to strengthen your immune system. The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil provide an effective defense against virus, parasites, bacteria and fungus.
Coconut oil stimulates digestion and helps nutrient absorption. Some people take coconut oil by the spoonful. Others take the coconut oil by mixing it in a smoothie or by adding the oil to their tea or coffee beverage.
2. Use as a Cooking Oil
The double bonds in polyunsaturated oils like vegetable oils make them vulnerable to oxidation and free radical attack. Many vegetable oils turn rancid due to oxidation and the free radicals cause degenerative diseases and quicken the aging process.
Coconut oil is very stable chemically as it is saturated and has no double bonds. Thus coconut oil is not oxidized easily. It is so resistant to free radical attack that is acts as an anti-oxidant.
Foods fried in coconut oil absorb less fats than foods fried in hydrogenated vegetable oils. Foods cooked in coconut oil stay fresh longer and promote nutrient absorption. Thus, it is advisable to change your cooking oil to coconut oil instead of vegetable oil.
3. Apply on Hair as Hair Moisturiser
Coconut oil does a lot for hair. It makes hair soft and silky, easy to brush through and brings its condition back to touchable. The small molecular structure of coconut oil allows for easy absorption, giving hair a smooth and soft texture.
Coconut oil is easy to use on hair. Put it on the hair, rub it in, relax for a minute or two, and wash out. Using coconut oil as a pre-wash conditioner can rid a person of dandruff better than a medicated shampoo and it is effective in conditioning the scalp.
4. Apply on Skin as Skin Lotion
Coconut oil is ideal for skin care. It prevents the formation of destructive free radicals, and can prevent your skin from developing skin blemishes caused by aging and overexposure to sunlight.
Apply a teaspoon of coconut oil on your face to remove your make-up after a long day. After that, wash your face with soap made from coconut oil. Finally apply coconut oil to moisturise your skin.
The thin layer of coconut oil is quickly absorbed and forms a protective coating for your skin which guards against bacteria. Coconut oil strengthens the underlying skin tissues, bringing lasting improvement for the skin.
5. Take It as a Natural Medicine
One must be warned that coconut oil is not a substitute for the medicines you normally take. Instead, coconut oil strengthens your immune system to fight the disease while the medicine prescribed by your doctor reduces the severity of your symptoms.
The people in Panama increase their dosage of coconut oil and coconut milk whenever they feel that an illness is coming up. Coconut oil speeds their recovery from illness, and has protected the people in the tropics from infectious diseases like malaria and yellow fever for generations.
6. Use It in a Diet to Manage Your Weight
Actually, the word “diet” is not appropriate here. Using coconut oil, you lose weight by making wise food choices without feeling hungry, miserable and deprived. Continue to take foods cooked in fat and desserts containing fats and have fun losing weight. This is possible if the fat taken is mostly coconut oil.
Coconut oil increases your metabolic rate which makes the body burn more calories. This increased metabolism stays for 24 hours. Taking coconut oil increases your energy level and burn off calories at an accelerated rate.
7. Go on a Detoxification Program with It
Coconut oil can be used to clear out the toxins that have been accumulated in your body after many years. A detoxification program using coconut oil can cleanse your body system and let you feel good and look good.
Before going on the program, one should have been taking coconut oil as a health supplement for at least 2 weeks. It is advisable to stay at home as you may need to go to the toilet often. Take no food and a tablespoon of coconut oil every two hours. The whole program lasts 14 hours with 7 tablespoons of coconut oil.
Protect your immune system and nourish your health with virgin coconut oil, Go to:
http://www.BuyVirginCoconutOil.com
Feel free to use this article on your website or ezine as long as the following information about author/website is included. http://www.buyvirgincoconutoil.com John Goh may be contacted at http://www.buyvirgincoconutoil.com or article@virgincoconutoilbenefit.com
CHICAGO, April 26 /U.S. Newswire/
-- Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will address the
15th Annual Meeting and Clinical Congress of the American Association
of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), April 27, at the Hyatt Regency
Chicago.
A renowned expert on health policy and the art of transformational change, Newt Gingrich devotes much of his time to developing and sharing solutions-oriented approaches to the great challenges faced by America's health system. Speaker Gingrich has lead many non-partisan efforts with key leaders from across the nation to advance this issue of great national importance. In 2003, Speaker Gingrich founded the Center for Health Transformation (CHT). CHT is a unique collaboration of leaders dedicated to accelerating the adoption of transformational solutions, policies and technologies in order to create a 21st Century Intelligent Health and Healthcare System that is characterized by better outcomes and more choices at lower cost. A Washington D.C.-based think tank, the Center maintains a variety of policy projects on health issues ranging from consumerism to diabetes care to healthcare and homeland security.
"We need to fully transform the health system on multiple
levels -- it's not enough to simply reform diabetes care,"
said Speaker Gingrich. "If as a country we can re-center
our health system around a reliable model of prevention and improved
care, we will truly be making progress toward achieving a 21st
Century Intelligent Health System that saves lives and saves money
for all Americans. I am proud to echo AACE's commitment to transforming
healthcare through the practice of cutting-edge, wellness-focused,
and cost-effective medicine."
The Center's most comprehensive operational venture is its State
of Georgia Project, which is dedicated to creating a state model
for the development of an intelligent health system. CHT leads
the Healthy Georgia Diabetes & Obesity Project, a partnership
of public and private sector groups committed to improving the
treatment and outcomes for people with diabetes and to promoting
early diagnosis and prevention of diabetes, including decreasing
the prevalence of obesity. Goals of the project include reducing
the incidence of diabetes and obesity (as well as the complications
and death rate associated with both conditions) through consistent
implementation of best practices; reducing health disparities
in racial, ethnic and rural populations disproportionately impacted
by diabetes and obesity; and improving public awareness and patient
understanding of diabetes and its control.
"Speaker Gingrich is highly regarded as a dynamic, visionary thought leader in this rapidly evolving field," says AACE President, Bill Law, Jr., MD, FACE. "His proactive messages focus on themes strongly endorsed by AACE, including the personal desirability and societal necessity of promoting preventive health measures and personal responsibility for individual's health. AACE strongly supports the desirability of less governmental and third-party administrative interference in our care of our patients, increased patient empowerment and unrestricted choice of physician."
Annual Meeting Program Committee Co-Chair, Donald A. Bergman, MD, FACE, adds, "Speaker Gingrich has set up a health care think tank that deals exactly with this issue of getting medicine ready for the 21st century - having patients more involved in directing their health care, being more knowledgeable and most importantly making healthy choices in terms of diet, nutrition and physical activity."
Speaker Gingrich will give his address on Thursday, April 27, at 11:15 a.m. The AACE Fifteenth Annual Meeting and Clinical Congress will convene until the following Sunday and will highlight new research in the fields of diabetes, thyroid cancer, osteoporosis, lipid disorders, androgen use, and abuse of performance enhancing drugs will be during plenary lectures and interactive workshops. In addition, hundreds of medical abstracts ranging from osteoporosis to reproductive endocrinology will be presented at exclusive poster sessions for registered media. A preview of all abstracts, as well as an online registration form, an invitation to the media poster session preview, and facts about endocrine disorders can all be found by logging on to the AACE Annual Meeting media page at http://www.aace.com .
Newt Gingrich served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995-1999. Since retiring from Congress, Speaker Gingrich has worked extensively in a bipartisan manner on the issues of health and healthcare, devoting the majority of his time to advocating a transformation of the entire system. Speaker Gingrich has authored numerous health publications, columns and books, including the book Saving Lives & Saving Money, which was co-written by staff of the Center for Health Transformation and lays out the vision, principles and strategies of the Center. His recent best-seller, Winning the Future, includes key chapters on health and healthcare, based on his work at CHT.
During Speaker Gingrich's twenty years of service in Congress, his leadership helped save Medicare from bankruptcy, prompted FDA reform to help the seriously ill and initiated a new focus on research, prevention and wellness. Gingrich is currently a member of the Advisory Board for the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research and sits on the Board of Regents at the National Library of Medicine. In addition, he co-chairs the National Commission for Quality Long Term Care. A longtime advocate of people with diabetes, he is an active member of the Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
For more information about the Center for Health Transformation,
please visit http://www.healthtransformation.net
---
AACE is a professional medical organization with more than 5,300
members in the United States and 85 other countries. Founded in
1991, AACE is dedicated to the optimal care of patients with endocrine
problems. AACE initiatives inform the public about endocrine disorders.
AACE also conducts continuing education programs for clinical
endocrinologists, physicians whose advanced, specialized training
enables them to be experts in the care of endocrine disease, such
as diabetes, thyroid disorders, growth hormone deficiency, osteoporosis,
cholesterol disorders, hypertension and obesity.
http://www.usnewswire.com/
September 2004 (Newstream) -- Doctors will soon have a powerful tool - a non-invasive, painless nipple fluid test - in their fight to make breast cancer a more treatable, non-fatal disease.
Within the next couple years, women will be able to go for a routine check-up and receive the test - currently in development at IMI International Medical Innovations - that can detect breast cancer in its early, most treatable stage. IMI's breast cancer test identifies a cancer-associated sugar in a sample of nipple aspirate fluid derived from the breast ducts and painlessly expressed through the nipple using a pump. See www.imimedical.com.
"Most breast cancers originate in the breast ducts, so nipple aspirate fluid is a logical sample to target," said Dr. Anees Chagpar, an assistant professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Louisville. "The early results we have seen with this test are promising, and we are planning additional studies to confirm and expand our findings."
Widespread screening for early-stage breast cancer could minimize the devastating effect of the disease. Breast cancer, currently the second leading cause of cancer death for women, is nearly 100 percent treatable when diagnosed early, according to the American Cancer Society.
The test is cost effective relative to other current screening options and could one day be a front-line test for this deadly disease, according to Michael Evelegh, PhD, who oversees product development and clinical affairs at IMI.
Current screening techniques available to women include mammography, clinical breast examination and breast self-examination. But some breast changes that indicate early-stage cancer may not be evident on a mammogram or be picked up by touch.
The same sugar marker is being used by IMI in new tests for colorectal and lung cancers, which examine rectal mucus and sputum respectively. In each test, the sample is treated with a series of chemicals that cause a color-change reaction. The color change is measured by a spectrophotometer, producing a quantified test result.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.2 million people worldwide will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. The American Cancer Society projects an estimated 215,990 new cases among women in the U.S., with an expected 40,110 deaths by the end of 2004.
For more information, visit www.imimedical.com.
------------------------
-by Katie Savage 2/27/04
"The Top 7 Diets in the World", an article on "Medical
News Today" on February 11th cited The Raw Foods Diet as
being amongst the seven most popular diets in the world today,
along with The Atkins Diet, The Zone Diet, and the Macrobiotic
Diet.
What the heck is the Raw Foods diet, where did it come from and
why is it suddenly so popular?
Raw Food Educator Jinjee Talifero at the Ekaya Institute of Living
Food Eduction (E.I.L.F.E.) (http://www.thegardendiet.com)
believes that the Raw Foods diet has become a major trend due
to the Internet, where there are literally thousands of articles,
bulletin boards, and websites where raw foods advocates share
with others the many ways in which they have improved their health
through this diet. People around the world claim to have healed
themselves of everything from acne, asthma and multiple sclerosis
to cancer, heart disease and diabetes by consuming only unheated
fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and juices and avoiding all heated
foods.
The online raw food community has generated a slew of books about
raw foods. A search for "Raw Food" on Amazon.com yields
355 books on the subject. David Wolfe, author of several books
on raw foods appears on Sci-Fi Channel's Mad Mad House this spring.
Roxanne's, a 5-Star Raw Food Restaurant in Larkspur California
has a 6 week waiting list for reservations. Countless celebrities
and Hollywood Industry trend-setters such as Demi Moore, Woody
Harrelson, Alicia Silverstone and Angela Bassett have all embraced
the Raw Foods Diet. And famous Chef Charlie Trotter's book "Raw"
will be available in May.
Unlike Atkins and the Zone there is no best-selling raw food book
or central figure in the movement. There is no large corporate
interest such as a big publisher or a vitamin manufacturer providing
money to promote the raw food diet. But somehow this diet has
crept from a little known secret of enlightenment-seeking initiates
such as Shaolin Monks and Essene Priests to a leading-edge lifestyle
being accepted worldwide.
The raw food diet is based on eating only unheated foods. According
to the FDA heated fats become trans-fats, heated proteins are
potential free-radicals, and heated carbohydrates contain numerous
toxins. Heating also damages the vitamins, enzymes and nutrients
in foods. So when we eat heated foods we are not only lacking
nourishment but we are in fact taking toxic substances into our
body. The raw food diet is considered radical and extreme
because mankind has been eating primarily cooked food for millions
of years. It is interesting to wonder whether if we prove this
practice to have been in error we will be able to alter our course
as a species and perhaps improve our lot in life.
Since raw meat and dairy are unsafe, the raw food diet does not
allow these foods. A raw food diet consists of unheated fruits,
vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains. Rather than being
boring, raw food dieters claim that there are 1000's of recipes
you can make with these basic foods. Other raw food eaters claim
that there is no need for recipes because you become so sensitive
on the raw diet that a simple piece of raw fruit or a raw vegetable
tastes and satisfies better than a gourmet meal. Most raw food
advocates agree that it is important to eat only organic food
to avoid chemicals present in commercially grown produce and because
it tastes better.
Talifero sells 8 raw food eBooks on her website at http://www.thegardendiet.com
based on the experiences and example of her husband Storm who
has been consuming a raw food diet for over 30 years. Storm, who
is 54, has the physique and appearance of a 20-something year
old athlete. His diet on a typical day consists of fresh squeezed
organic orange juice for breakfast, a large salad with a dressing
made of avocado, lemon and cold-pressed olive oil for lunch and
a nutmilk shake made from germinated almonds and sunfllower seeds,
water, raw honey, unrefined sea salt, and cold-pressed flaxseed
oil for dinner. His diet is very low in calories, which is one
way in which the raw diet is similar to the Calorie Restriction
(CR) Diet. CR dieters also eat a lot of raw foods in an attempt
to consume foods that are nutrient dense. According to recent
studies in which mice who were fed a reduced calorie diet lengthened
their lifespan by a third, the CR diet and raw food diet could
potentially allow us to live until an average age of 130 years
old.
For more information about The Raw Foods Diet visit Ekaya Institute
of Living Food Education online at http://www.thegardendiet.com
More Diet Articles
What I Know for Sure about Diet
5-5-03. New findings from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that the deadly SARS virus can live in human waste for days – four days in diarrhea/two days in urine or feces. Traces of the virus have been found in the waste of patients thought to be virus free and discharged SARS is primarily spread through coughs and sneezes. One theory, that leaky sewage pipes triggered a severe outbreak of 300 people, is now being considered with more validity. The SARS virus survives on chilled plastic surfaces for four days. This suggests that if someone with contaminated hands touched something in the refrigerator it would stay alive for that duration.
Standard disinfectants like chlorine bleach kill the virus in five minutes.
Caused by the corona virus, the SARS virus has killed almost 450 people worldwide in around 30 countries and territories and made over 6,700 sick. The corona virus is the cause of common colds and gastrointestinal/respiratory diseases in animals.
Presently, there is no cure. Up to 10 percent of cases are fatal.
On Friday, health officials in Beijing were optimistic that the SARS epidemic had reached its height. This is great news considering the strict measures that had to be taken by the city government to keep the SARS virus under control with quarantine.
SARS first emerged in November 2002 in China.
6-24-03. A recent study indicates that a male pattern baldness drug, finasteride, may reduce the odds by 25 percent for getting prostate cancer; however, those who do take the drug and still get prostate cancer tend to have a more aggressive form of it. According to Dr. Ian Thompson, the study's lead author at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, "finasteride is the first drug found to reduce the risk of prostate cancer cancer. The drug worked for men at low risk for prostate cancers, as well as those at high risk."
Others ponder whether or not the drug is simply a supresser of meaningless types of the disease. Then, there are the side effects like sexual impotence.
In general, prostate cancer is a slow-growing disease and men who are diagnosed with it, tend to die of something unrelated. For those men taking the drug, for hair growth, there is the concern of taking something that promotes aggressive forms of cancer. Finasteride is made by Merck and available with a prescription only.
6-24-03. Summer is the time for the United States to be concerned with West Nile virus because of mosquitoes. According to Dr. Daniel Blumenthal, an infectious disease expert from Morehouse College in Atlanta, "I think the smart money would say we're going to have another heavy season of West Nile virus this summer because of the wet spring, (which means) a lot of mosquitoes."
In states like Florida, Illinois, and Lousiana, there is early West Nile virus activity in mosquitoes, birds, and animals. Last year, only four states in the continental U.S. did not have any cases. They were Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. Ilinois was the hardest hit state last year with an outbreak of 884 human cases and 64 deaths.
In perspective, West Nile virus is rare compared to the incidence of pneumonia and influenza. Last year, there were 284 deaths from West Nile virus versus 30,000 for pneumonia and influenza. There are immunizations against the latter two.
6-24-03. According to the American Heart Association, physicians should prescribe exercise, that often works as well as drugs, as a means to lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease and diabetes. Thirty minutes or more of moderate exercise most days of the week is recommended by many groups besides the AHA, like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Speculation for reasons doctors do not prescribe exercise more than they do include their lack of training in disease prevention versus disease treatment, the fact that they do not get insurance reimbursements for exercise training, and that pharmaceutical companies promote medications and train doctors on how to use them.
Studies show that exercise can raise "good" cholesterol levels and lower "bad" cholesterol and decrease premature death in adult onset diabetics by one-third.
Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States killing over 700,000 Americans a year.
Falling
Asleep - An ADD Nightmare
by Jennifer Koretsky
Like many night people, I have a hard time waking up in the morning, but I have an even harder time falling asleep at night. When I spoke to my doctor about this problem, she offered me a very simple solution: take three hours to "wind down" before bed. Dont do anything stimulating in the evening that will engage your brain. Relax, unwind, and youll find yourself falling asleep much easier at night. Sounds simple, right? Not when you have ADD!
People with ADD (also known as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD) often find themselves chronically tired during the day, but unable to sleep at night. This can be true for adults and kids alike. Some of us seem to have our own internal schedule a body and mind that want to sleep all day and be productive at night. Unfortunately, most of the world doesnt work this way. Many people with ADD have a schedule to conform to, and find themselves suffering with sleepless nights and sluggish days.
But if we have a possible solution dont do anything stimulating three hours before bed then why do we still have a problem? I know that if I can manage to spend a relaxing evening free from stimulation, I have a much easier time both falling asleep and sleeping soundly. Unfortunately, relaxing and winding down in the evening is not as easy as it seems. Two main symptoms of ADD are hyperactivity (which can be physical and/or mental) and impulsiveness. These are two things that constantly tempt the brain to get active. Additionally, once a task or project is picked up, people with ADD have the potential to hyperfocus on it and lose track of time. In order to avoid this and wind down, I find it best to adhere to a routine. I have to schedule my activities for the evening, and not allow myself to get caught up in anything that I find engaging, like emailing, talking on the phone, or even picking up an interesting book.
When scheduling your evenings and developing a routine, whether it is for yourself or your child, identify the one or two things that usually provide the most stimulation and eliminate them from the pre-bedtime hours. In my own routine, I begin my wind down by shutting off my computer right after dinner. This prevents me from getting caught up in email, research, or any other number of interesting things that the Internet has to offer.
The next thing to consider when planning your routine is to schedule in down time for some serious relaxing. For me, this can mean taking 15 minutes to meditate, going for a walk with my dog, or even just sitting in my favorite chair and breathing deeply. Whatever it is, I do it alone.
And finally, set up a signal that will let your body know its time to start shutting down. The very last thing I do at night is brush my teeth. This is my signal to my body and mind that the day is now over and it is time to rest. You may choose to do some light reading, tuck in the kids, or make your lunch for tomorrow what it is doesnt matter, as long as its the same small task repeated every night.
Once you have developed your schedule, make it a routine. People with ADD often work well with this kind of structure. You can change the activities you plan for each night, as long as you stick to the basics. Get your body and mind used to winding down in the evenings, and you may just find yourself falling asleep easier at night!
© Copyright 2003 Jennifer Koretsky
Jennifer Koretsky may be contacted at http://www.addmanagement.com jennifer@addmanagement.com. Click here to view more of their articles. Jennifer Koretsky is an ADD Coach who helps people find peace through ADD management. She offers private and group coaching, workshops, and a free e-newsletter. For more information, please visit www.ADDmanagement.com.
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