Healthcare, Health Insurance, Vitamins, Nutrition

July 24, 2009

Exercise at home

Filed under: Healthcare,Nutrition — Tags: , , , , , , — blogadmin @ 9:25 am

Did you know that to get that healthy body and fit into all right sized dresses one really doesn’t need anything more than just a mat at home? Yes true, all those excuses about not having membership at the local gym or money and time to invest in a gym at home or a trainer are totally superfluous. What you though need for sure is the will and determination to look good and feel healthy and the rest will follow.

Modernization has changed all that for us and made our lives more complicated (however the intent was to make it more comfortable, which meant couch potatoes). There is packaged food instead of home cooked food, water replaced by cola/soda, automation to the extent that we control our houses with remotes etc.etc… These are certainly good things that we have, just that we are not using them for the right reason. Like I said, it’s all in the mind. Promise yourself a healthy life and leave the rest to the simple regimen below.

Start your morning with a litre of water followed by some simple deep breathing, out there in the open. Help yourself to a cup of tea or coffee and proceed for some exercises on the mat. Start with your eyes and rotate the eye balls in both directions. Follow this with head rotation. Go on to arm rotation. All this should be done in both clockwise and anti-clockwise direction and increase the number of times you do as days pass. Start at least to the count of five. Now stretch out your arms and rotate them slowly. This pains like crazy but will help you wear those sleeveless with confidence. Go on to hip rotation and then the floor exercises. Shower and head for a healthy breakfast with a glass of fresh juice. Don’t forget that 30minute brisk walking in the evening. In a month’s time when you take a look at yourself in the mirror you are not going to be disappointed. Just remember no cola or junk food. It’s not all that difficult, trust me!

July 23, 2009

Parkinson’s disease

Filed under: Healthcare — Tags: , , — blogadmin @ 9:28 am

Parkinson’s disease afflicts approximately 1 million to 1.5 million people in the U.S., most of who are 60 years old or older. The disorder is seen in people of all ethnic groups and among men and women in equal numbers. There is no known cause and no cure, just treatments to help control the symptoms of trembling arms and legs, trouble speaking, and difficulty coordinating movement. Parkinson’s disease occurs when neurons degenerate (lose the ability to function normally) in a part of the brain.

Recently, study was conducted at the Queen’s University aimed at understanding childhood brain development and healthy aging. This may also help in the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and detecting the early onset of Parkinson’s disease.

“Our project investigates how the brain provides this control by observing eye movements. Our experiments have been designed to combine high speed eye movement recording with modern brain imaging techniques to identify brain regions that control our behavior” says Physiology professor Douglas Munoz, who leads the study. Children, teens, adults, a wide range of subjects were selected for the experiment. The speed and accuracy of their eye movements were recorded and correlated to the activity being documented in specific areas of their brains. The study showed that at early ages, children scored low. Although they understood the task, sometimes they couldn’t help but look at the light, even when asked to look away from it. As the age of the subjects increased, response times decreased and accuracy improved, peaking at age 20-25. As the subjects continued to age, the response times started to increase.

The researchers could also see which sections of the participant’s brains were active, and which were less active, with age. With these baselines in place, the same experiments can now be conducted with patients who have ADHD and Parkinson’s disease. Introducing the tests in clinics as part of regular health exams could result in earlier diagnosis of Parkinson’s, allowing the disease progression to be controlled with diet and medication, Dr. Munoz adds.

July 22, 2009

What’s wrong with my diet (S.A.D)?

Filed under: Nutrition — Tags: , , , — blogadmin @ 9:05 am

The “Standard American Diet” (S.A.D.) is a dietary habit characterized by high intakes of red meat, sugary desserts, high fat, and refined grains. It also typically contains high-fat dairy products, high-sugar drinks, and eggs. If you were to list the factors that increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, intestinal disorders – just about any illness – the Standard American diet (S.A.D) has them all.

The striking fact is that cultures that eat the reverse of the standard American diet – low fat, high in complex carbohydrates, plant-based, and high in fiber – have a lower incidence of cancer and coronary artery disease (CAD). What’s even worse is that countries whose populations can afford to eat the healthiest disease-preventing foods don’t. The United States has spent more money on cancer research than any other country in the world, yet the American diet contributes to the very diseases we are spending money to prevent.

Shockingly, the average American gets over seven percent of their calories from soft drinks alone — a situation that most certainly accelerates both obesity and diabetes. As with soft drinks, the other junk foods consumed by Americans are so-called “empty calorie” foods, meaning they’re devoid of nutritional value. And yet people keep turning to these foods with alarming frequency because they taste good.

The situation is certainly alarming. With the challenges of the New Age the last thing we want is a nation of sick people on an unhealthy diet. Wake up and move away from junk food and soft drinks.

July 21, 2009

One in Six American men suffer from Prostate Cancer

Filed under: Healthcare — Tags: , , — blogadmin @ 9:41 am

The prostate is the gland below a man’s bladder that produces fluid for semen. Prostate cancer is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages. It is rare in men younger than 40. Understanding prostate health is essential. Almost half of prostate cancer cases will come out of the United States, where 1 in 6 men are at risk of getting prostate cancer. Of the Americans diagnosed with it, there is a likelihood that 10% will succumb.

The cause of this cancer is not established but hormonal, genetic, environmental and dietary factors are involved in some cases.  The male sex hormone testosterone aids the growth of prostrate cancer cells. Risk increases with age more rapidly than any other cancer. Men who have a history of prostate cancer in their family, especially a close relative such as father or brother are at an increased risk. African American men are 61% more likely to develop prostate cancer compared with Caucasian men and are nearly 2.5 times as likely to die from the disease.

Problems passing urine, such as pain, difficulty starting or stopping the stream, or dribbling; low back pain; pain while ejaculating are some of the symptoms experienced by men. But there is a good chance that a person never experiences any of these symptoms and is diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. In the advanced stages the patient might experience bone pain, weight loss, and blood in the urine or semen, pain in the loins, pelvis or lower back.

The treatment of Prostrate Cancer rests on many factors. First it has to be known whether the caner is present within the prostrate (localized) or else it has spread throughout the body (advanced). Prostate cancer is treated with different methods like surgery, proton therapy, radiation therapy, occasionally chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or a combination of these.

July 20, 2009

Obama on Healthcare at Children’s hospital, Washington DC

Filed under: General,Health Insurance,Healthcare — Tags: , , — blogadmin @ 10:25 pm

THE PRESIDENT: “I just had the opportunity to talk to doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants, and administrators at this extraordinary institution. We spoke about some of the strains on our health care system and some of the strains our health care system places on parents with sick children.

We spoke about the amount of time and money wasted on insurance-driven bureaucracy. We spoke about the growing number of Americans who are uninsured and underinsured. We spoke about what’s wrong with a system where women can’t always afford maternity care and parents can’t afford checkups for their kids, and end up seeking treatment in emergency rooms like the ones here at Children’s. We spoke about the fact that it’s very hard even for families who have health insurance to access primary care physicians and pediatricians. In a city like Washington, D.C., you’ve got all the doctors in one half of the city, very few doctors in the other half of the city. And part of that has to do with just the manner in which reimbursement is taking place and the disincentives for doctors, nurses, and physicians assistants in caring for those who are most in need.

If we do nothing, then families will spend more and more of their income for less and less care. The number of people who lose their insurance because they’ve lost or changed jobs will continue to grow. More children will be denied coverage on account of asthma or a heart condition. Jobs will be lost, take-home pay will be lower, businesses will shutter, and we will continue to waste hundreds of billions of dollars on insurance company boondoggles and inefficiencies that add to our financial burdens without making us any healthier.

So the need for reform is urgent and it is indisputable. No one denies that we’re on an unsustainable path. We all know there are more efficient ways of doing it. We just — I spoke to the chief information officer here at the hospital and he talked about some wonderful ways in which we could potentially gather up electronic medical records and information for every child not just that comes to this hospital but in the entire region, and how much money could be saved and how the health of these kids could be improved. But it requires an investment.

The reforms we seek would bring greater competition, choice, savings, and inefficiencies [sic] to our health care system, and greater stability and security to America’s families and businesses. For the average American, it will mean lower costs, more options, and coverage you can count on. It will save you and your family money, if we have a more efficient health care system. You won’t have to worry about being priced out of the market. You won’t have to worry about one illness leading your family into financial ruin. You won’t have to worry that you won’t be able to afford treatment for a child who gets sick.”

This is an excerpt from the remarks made by the President at the children’s hospital. It can be read in full at http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/obamaforamerica/gGGMbl

July 17, 2009

Soil of Youth(fullness)

Filed under: General,Healthcare — Tags: , , , — blogadmin @ 4:39 am

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and two collaborating centers reported that the Easter Island compound – called “rapamycin” after the island’s Polynesian name, Rapa Nui – extended the expected lifespan of middle-aged mice by 28 percent to 38 percent. In human terms, this would be greater than the predicted increase in extra years of life if cancer and heart disease were both cured and prevented.

Discovered in the 1970s, rapamycin was first noted for its anti-fungal properties and later was used to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients. It also is used in stents, which are implanted in patients during angioplasty to keep coronary arteries open. It is in clinical trials for the treatment of cancer.

Aging researchers currently acknowledge only two life-extending interventions in mammals: calorie restriction and genetic manipulation. Rapamycin appears to partially shut down the same molecular pathway as restricting food intake or reducing growth factors. Researchers write that “rapamycin may extend life span by postponing death from cancer, by retarding mechanisms of ageing, or both.” The effects of rapamycin may be due to its effect on an enzyme involved in cell metabolism.

“Whether it’s a sensible thing to try to increase life span this way is another matter: perhaps increasing health span rather than overall life span might be a better goal,” says Lynne Cox, a researcher in aging at the University of Oxford, England.

Warning: In no way should anyone consider using this particular drug to try to extend their own life span, as rapamycin suppresses immunity and the trials haven’t been conducted on humans yet.

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