Prayer: Suggestions on How to Pray, Realizing the Power of Your Prayer

There is a technique for everything, including prayers. Although emanating from your heart and soul, prayers can be refined to produce better results through the following suggestions on how to verbalize your prayer requests.

1. Be SPECIFIC, YOU MUST BE SPECIFIC! Being specific lets Heaven know exactly what you are requesting. It"s not God / the Universe/ or your Higher Power"s job to guess what you are trying to communicate. If you want a dog, specify border collie, or yellow laborador retriever, otherwise don"t be disappointed when you receive a non descript Heinz 57 "dog." If you want to be physically , emotionally, or mentally healed from Cancer, depression, an intecessory prayer request for healing helps faciltate your healing hourney.

2. Use "I ASK": �ask and ye shall receive." Sometimes when we communicate that we want a specific request or result answered, we are really general, sorta "ho hum" about the intention. The Bible states "ask and ye shall receive". Using the term "I ask" gets God/ the Universe/ your Higher Power"s attention that you are serious about your request, and not just having a hopeful conversation with yourself.

3. �IT IS MY INTENT.� That phrase brings your prayers into the NOW, at this very moment in time. When you state that it is your intention, intention is never never land, with no end or beginning, just "out there" somewhere in time. Do you want results in this lifetime or incarnation? Then set your intent, with a "t" to produce immedicate results, not intend with a "d" for never never land time.

4. Repeat the prayer 3 times, 3 is the universal number. This creates emphasis and focus! You may choose to say it only once, I prefer emphasis if it really means that much to me.

5. At the end of your prayer request, end it with "Now, Forevermore, and Always." "Now�, brings the prayer into the present timeframe. �Forevermore� takes the prayer into all of time so your answer can come from "all there is in all of time". �Always� makes the prayer results continuous, and not just a quick fix. Your free will choice can choose the length of the results after they have occurred.

6. Then add, "So be it, it is done. Thank you." �So be it� brings your prayer into the present life situation instantly. �It is done� manifests that your prayer IS reality! Adding "thank you" reflects your grattitude for any and all help.

7. Prayer Confirmations: If you are asking for a prayer confirmation, or to be shown something, ASK for a specific timeframe and for a specific number of confirmations within that timeframe. I suggest 3 confirmations within 24, 48 or 72 hours, or choose a specific timeframe. Ask that you be able to see, recognize, interpret and understand the confirmation sent to you from your Higher Power and Guides. What God/ the Universe/ your Higher Power, may feel is really obvious, may not, at this point be understandable by you.

8. If you do NOT get any confirmations, then KNOW that it may not be the time for you to have an answer. Try again later and specifically ask in another way. I always try 3 times. Sometimes no answer is THE current answer.
What does this mean? It means the God/ the Universe/ your Higher Power needs a little more time in processing and lining up the myriad number of details for your answer. The Universe doesn�t respond with a half-baked answer.

Try these how to pray suggestions and realize the power of YOUR prayers.

Feel free to reprint this article in its original format.

Contact information:
Brent Atwater
Box 475
Southern Pines, NC 28388
NC Phone: 910.692.5206
ATL Phone: 404.242.9022
E mail: Brent@BrentAtwater.com
Web site: http://www.BrentAtwater.com

Mosquitoes? No Itch, No Bite

No one wants to be bitten, especially with the threat of West Nile and other diseases. But what can you do?

Knowing what draws the mosquito to its host and what you can do to lessen being bitten can make your summertime outings and barbeques that much more enjoyable.

Here are [five] some of the things that can attract the mosquito to you:

1) Dark clothes and flowery prints attract mosquitoes. When you go out, wear...
(more)

2) Sweet smelling perfumes, hair sprays and... (more)

3) Read Article

Memory fails you after stress

Stress makes people much more likely to create false memories, say American researchers. It also appears to make them more certain that these false memories are correct. There is serious doubt on the reliability of victim testimonies in cases involving psychological trauma. People are woefully bad at recalling details of their own traumatic experiences. This could help explain why crime witnesses give conflicting evidence or pick the wrong man in a line up.



The brain is affected by stress hormones. The hippocampus, a brain structure needed to form new memories, is riddled with receptors for the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol may cause the effect by suppressing the hippocampus. The nature of the false memories suggests people might tend to let stored associations influence their recall of a stressful event. It might be possible for memories of a crime scene to be influenced by beliefs about the sorts of people who commit crimes.



If you can compare stress to a sort of trauma, it might be the explanation to why stress makes you forget about things.



There is more here:



Memory fails you

False memories

Health News-9: "Thyroid Problem"

In India, one in 2600 newborn babies and one in 3500 adults have thyroid affection. Thyroid gland is one of the largest endocrine glands and it secretes two hormones, viz., T-3 and T-4, which regulate the metabolism. Hypothyroidism(underactive thyroid) and Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) are the most common problems of the thyroid gland. They could cause not only serious physical problems like obesity, breathing problem, constipation, dry skin, itch, slow heartbeat and muscular pain but also mental problems like dullness, lack of interest in anything, especially studies (in the case of children). Brain growth is also impeded.

Courtesy: �Dinamalar�, Tamil daily, June 23, 2008.

For a detailed article on �Thyroid�, "Hyperthyroidism" and "Goitre" from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyroid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthyroidism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goitre

Grateful thanks to Dinamalar and Wikipedia.

The Permanent Pain Cure | Ming Chew

The Permanent Pain Cure | Ming ChewAre you taking medication or considering surgery because of pain? Have you lived with muscle or joint pain for years? Imagine your life today without pain. Imagine you hold the key to eliminating any future pain. Find it inside this book: a groundbreaking drug- and surgery-free healing plan from master pain therapist Ming Chew.The Ming Method includes:� Total

10 Tips to Finally End Acne

With so many remedies, potions and pills on the market today to stop acne, how can just 10 easy tips truly stop acne? The reason for this is because many times, the most natural and easiest solution is the best and most resourceful one. The following are tried and true suggestions which if followed seamlessly, will be very effective in ridding you of this dreadful condition.

1. Stay out of the sun! Do not spend more than 15 minutes or so in the direct sun every day. That amount of sunlight is good for you. But in this case, more is not better. And remember to always wear a UV blocker.

2. Don"t smoke. Whether you want to believe it or not, smoking seriously affects your complexion. For your lungs and for your skin, stop smoking!

3. Drink a lot of water. It nourishes your skin and every cell of your body. In a few short days of drinking 10 glasses of water a day, you will notice the difference in your skin because it will be hydrated.

4. Try to stay stress free. One of the ways to do this is to stay away from drinks/foods with caffeine. Drink chamomile tea which is very relaxing. Understand that nothing is really that big of a deal and you"ll get through it. Your skin will thank you for it.

5. Each foods which are very rich in anti-oxidants such as cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, plums, apricots, spinach, broccoli and other leafy vegetables.

6. Eat plenty of foods with Omega-3 fatty acids. These foods are almost the perfect food for your skin: walnuts, flaxseeds, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage.

7. Foods with Vitamin E moisturize your skin and can actually reduce and help to eliminate acne scars: sunflower seeds, mango, peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, kiwi, broccoli and spinach.

8. Don"t lose sleep. It is a very important step toward gaining beautiful skin. You must have 7-8 hours of sleep per night to give your skin the best chance it has at renewing itself.

9. Exfoliate every other day. But make sure it"s a mile product and gently exfoliates your skin. Use one that has moisturizers in them to further help your skin.

10. Cleanse your face at least two times a day. Use a mild acne soap or mild cleanser.

If you are faithful to follow the above steps, your skin will begin to glow and your acne will start to disappear. When you have given your body and skin all it needs to be beautiful, acne no longer has a chance.

Are you struggling with acne and need to get rid of it now?

acne skin care

best acne treatment

Burns .Home remedies.

To burn is very traumatic damage, the reason fire, chemicals, steam, an electricity or any other form of transfer of heat to a skin (our the largest body). Burns on less than 10 % of a surface of a body is considered insignificant. An entire hand is 1% of the body surface. There are three kinds of burns, and they are classified on their weight. The first degree of burns: whether Are the top layers of a skin, area becomes red and painful burns the burn is an example the first degree. The second degree of burns: These are that is deeper damage of several layers of a skin, the skin becomes red, the extremely painful vials with. The third degree of burns: Here most serious of them, all the thickness long skin it is destroyed in some cases muscular and other fabrics damaged, there is a little painful character as the majority of nerves is burnt also a brain the feeling of a pain cannot, the skin becomes red or white, without appropriate leaving area can be infected sometimes it appears yellow or black. In strong burns of a skin of bribery it can be necessary.

* it is important * do not try to concern the third degree to burn such kinds of the damage, a menacing life, and they demand professional attention. Natural means can help after hospitalisation for the purpose of prevention it is infected and stimulate immune system of objections.

In easy burns of grasses and homoeopathic medicines, remarkable successes to alleviate a pain and accelerates healing.

We recommend

Use of some of these methods of treatment of burns:

Application Colloidal silver is a natural antibiotic and disinfectants if to burn very painful, uses in splashes.

To apply ?????? with the vitamin A maintenance.

To accept vitamin C in / bioflavonoids it is an antioxidant it is necessary for collagen formation. Researches have shown, that high doses of vitamin C, are very necessary.

To accept the vitamin E, scarrings necessary for prevention.

FRCAM (Dublin) Certificates Re-Issued

Royal College of Alternative Medicine (RCAM) recently re-issued all of it"s Fellowship Certificates.

Anyone claiming to be a Fellow of RCAM should by now be in full possession of his or her new FRCAM(Dublin) Certificate.


Please note that each FRCAM(Dublin) Certificate also now comes with an Officially Revalidated Certificate of Good Standing in "RCAM Targeted Aspects" of Alternative Medicine.


Holders of BOTH of these Professional Certificates can thus lawfully take Legal Action against any person or media group which dares imply them to be a "Quack" in any shape or form.


Please kindly contact RCAM at http://www.RoyalCAM.org for further details.

The necessity of error and the error filter

Recently, two Scienceblogs bloggers have made substantive errors. (Well, no doubt more than two have, but I saw two.)

One is a mathematician and one is a biologist.

Now the fact that these writers made errors is of no great consequence. Every human, all of us, we all make mistakes. Everyone.

In fact, if some of us (well, okay, me) make lots and lots of mistakes. Actually, making mistakes is part of achieving anything at all, so we shouldn"t fear making them (at least in situations where the consequences of error are not dire) - it means we"re doing something.

What matters to me is not that they got something wrong, but how errors were dealt with. In both cases they made a post that pointed out they got it wrong, and that explained in detail what was correct.

A body of knowledge, whether it resides in an individual or in a culture, contains mistakes. Some of what we think is true is necessarily going to be false. If the fact that the corpus has errors in it is accepted, there is some hope of correcting some of the errors.

If you encounter someone who cannot be wrong, you may be sure they are in a sea of falsehood. It can be no other way.

However, we need more than just an acceptance of the possibility of falsehood and a willingness to change ideas. We can"t just change our beliefs willy-nilly. The fact is, for most people, even the highly deluded among us, almost all of what we believe to be true is true, or close enough to true to be valuable (most of those truths are relatively mundane facts, it"s what gets us through life). So we should need some further reason to change than the simple possibility we may be in error.

We need some way of identifying our most mistaken ideas and replacing them with better ones, without mistakenly replacing a good idea with a bad one. We need some kind of "filter" that allows us to see us to tell one from the other.

Some people use prayer to try to figure out what is right. The problem with that is it"s mired in error. You can"t tell for sure that what you think is divine guidance isn"t just your own thoughts. In fact it"s obvious this must be so, not least because two people can each be sure that they"ve received guidance about the right path, and those pieces of guidance are contradictory; since they can"t both be right, at least one must be wrong. Whether you believe in God or not, the possibility that people can be mistaken in their interpretation of the result of a prayer for guidance should be obvious.

What is this magic knowledge-generating filter?

It"s reason and evidence.

This is how we learn. This is how we discover what we did not know. This is why we even have a body of knowledge at all.

In order to raise ourselves out of the muck of ignorance, we need to admit the possibility of error, and use the only reasonably reliable filter available, in order to reduce those errors.

Pharyngayla

Pharyngula has an interesting response to an interview with a biologist about homosexuality and evolution. There"s a lot of discussion about where homosexuality comes from. I have my own ideas, and I"m sure we all do, but this bit I found particularly interesting:

Homosexuality is a byproduct. This is my favorite explanation, because ultimately it"s about development. Why do men have nipples? Because women need them. Both men and women have the same set of genes (more or less), and follow very similar developmental pathways, and the nipple represents a developmental constraint or byproduct: mutations that knock out the male nipple might also knock out the female nipple, so the structure is retained in both sexes. Male nipples are a byproduct of a function needed by the other sex.

We might also ask, why do some men love other men? The answer: because women need to love men. (We could also propose the complement, that lesbians exist because men need to love women.) If there are pathways that can predispose an individual to find males sexually attractive, the base structure is present in both men and women, and what we have are additional mechanisms to modulate the expression of the trait in men vs. women. Just as we guys have an echo of a female attribute in our nipples, why not assume that we also bear echoes of female mate preferences in our brains�echoes that can"t be expunged without also eliminating women"s desire for men (and oh, no, we mustn"t have that, I know)?

That is one way of looking at it that I had just never considered before.

Stop RFK Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is on the current list of potential appointees for President-elect Obama"s cabinet. While RFK Jr. has had a very successful political career, the positions for which he"s being considered are the EPA or the Department of the Interior.

This cannot be permitted to happen. Why? Because he"s a total crank when it comes to science. He believes the vaccine/autism link is plausible and has praised antivaccination movement leader Dan Olmsted--who has continually pushed junk science disproven years ago. He blamed Katrina on global warming (errr) and has opposed the building of wind turbines near Martha"s Vineyard on because "it would damage the view" despite the project having support from many other environmentalists. He"s got a track record of politicizing science to serve his own needs--and that"s bad for reasons that should be obvious.

You can contact the Obama transition team and let them know how you feel about this. Not sure what to say? Consider Mark Hoofnagle"s letter as an example:

RFK Jr. must NOT be appointed as head of the EPA. He is NOT a scientist. He does NOT understand science. He does NOT respect science. He is, in fact, a crank, who believes in pseudoscientific nonsense like vaccines causing autism. And when people are cranky and unscientific in one area of belief, it is never restricted to just that area. It reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of science and an incompetence in evaluating the quality of data and scientific information. This is not remotely a partisan letter, this is a plea for your administration not to make a horrible error.

This is a BAD choice. Do not do this or you will alienate scientists from your campaign very early on, not to mention doctors and especially pediatricians. This man is a crackpot, and I simply can not condone his presence anywhere in government.

Yes, I support our troops

That"s why I want to pull them out of a hopeless, dangerous war.

London�s First Vegan Footwear and Accessory Shop Opens

It"s a pity I live down in Penzance, otherwise I"d be at this new shop as soon as it opens. I love the stylish shoes this company sells online, but being able to try them on in the shop would be just heaven.

Bourgeois Boheme, one of the UK�s most well-known online and animal-friendly fashion companies is opening London�s very first animal-friendly footwear and accessories retail outlet.

On May 17th 2008, just a couple of days ahead of UK National Vegetarian Week, Bourgeois Boheme will celebrate the official opening with an open day at the shop in Richmond, London.

Known for its quality and stylish vegan footwear and accessories, Bourgeois Boheme is responding to customer requests for a physical retail location. Bourgeois Boheme founder and Director, Alicia Lai and has found that 90% of returns from online sales relate to shoe-fitting issues.

Alicia says, �Unless you shop online, vegetarian footwear is difficult to find: it�s a dismal choice of either low-quality, cheap and environmentally-challenging shoes or Stella McCartney � gorgeous fashion no doubt, but very much beyond the pocket of many a style-conscious vegetarian/vegan.�

Its an environment that has served online sales well and, having already built up a dedicated and growing following of online and mail order customers, Bourgeois Boheme is giving shoppers what New York and other fashion capitals around the world gave their consumers years ago � a stylish home for animal-friendly fashion.

Bruce Friedrich, Vice President at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says, �All of us at PETA welcome the news of a Bourgeois Boheme storefront. We enjoy ordering from BoBo online, but we�ll be even more delighted to have a place where we can try on the shoes, examine the bags, and have a compassionate shopping experience.�

Visitors will be able to buy Bourgeois-Boheme�s exclusive labelled styles as well as ethically sourced products from other companies; not only footwear, but also bags, wallets and belts for women and men, and cosmetics.

Alicia says, �Our shop is an extension within our office premises, it�s a humble start but it�s a first step towards our greater dream of having lush and exclusive Bourgeois Boheme boutiques in the world�s fashion capitals�

Now customers can find a perfect fit in every sense- true to their size, philosophy, style and ethics.

Address: Hydrex House, Garden Road, Richmond TW9 4NR
Shop hours: Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm; Sat 10am - 2pm; by appointment.

Bourgeois Boheme�s range is available to buy online at http://www.bboheme.com/.

VACCINE NEWS UPDATE OCTOBER 2004

Flu Crimes At The CDC



This is an excerpt from a short article on Dr. Mercola"s site. You should read it and then go to the referenced site "Vaccine Alternatives" to get some real info on how to protect you and your family wholistically and without dangerous drugs with questionable contaminants.



"Vaccines, like mega-billion drugs, actually do little to protect you from the flu. Most people have been lead to believe -- by the pharmaceutical powers that dominate conventional medicine and really like your money -- that viruses like the flu bug are the problem, but they aren"t.

"The real problem: Most people have weakened and impaired immune systems that are unable to function as they"re designed to because of horrendous dietary habits (the same culprit behind the obesity epidemic in this country).

"Dr. Mark Sircus wrote an excellent piece for his association that he agreed to share with us about the history behind the flu vaccine and the method behind the madness of our government"s push to strike fear in the hearts of its citizens. This exposes provides more motivation to further my personal mission to topple the existing health care paradigm." Full article at:



http://www.mercola.com/2004/oct/23/flu_crimes.htm

The only logical conclusion

Daily Kos has put up a copy of the Republicans new "Fillibuster against people of faith" ad. Yeah, because Democrats are all just a bunch of athiests. And if you"re not a right-wing, whack-job, conservative Christian, you"re an athiest too.

I can only draw one logical conclusion from this new tacic.

Republicans hate the Constitution. They hate freedom. And they hate America.

3 Steps to Effectively Use Probiotics After Taking Acne Antibiotics

After getting acne under control, the first thing on your mind is probably socializing, shopping and generally leaving your skin related health woes behind. But if antibiotics were apart of your acne axing regime, you may want probiotics to be apart of your acne-afterlife.

Patricia Raymond, a gastroenterologist and assistant professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, finds that antibiotic usage can negatively impact the colon. Raymond explains, "As antibiotics work to treat a disease, they also kill off healthy micro-organisms in the gastrointestinal tract, paving the way for harmful bacteria to take over."

Probiotics are bacteria that co-exist in the colon with so-called "bad" colon bacteria. About 100 trillion microorganisms populate a healthy bowel. Probiotics balance the pathogen (harmful microorganisms) count, aid digestion and nutrient absorption, and facilitate immune function.

If the number of probiotics drops significantly- due to acne antibiotic usage- other health problems like diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome could result.

You can restore probiotic stability after a series of acne antibiotics in three simple steps.

1. Eat foods that help probiotics thrive

2. Minimize your stress level

3. Take the right probiotics in the right proportions

1.Eat foods that help probiotics thrive

Gary Huffnagle, PhD, of the University of Michigan Health System, is a pioneering researcher into the world of probiotics. Huffnagle recommends supporting probiotic growth by increasing the amount of cultured dairy products you eat, such as cheeses and yogurt.

To encourage probiotics from these dairy products to multiply even further, Huffnagle suggests consuming foods like spices, tea, red wine, berries, apples and beans.

2.Minimize your stress level

Not only should you minimize stress because research teams at Wake Forrest University discovered that stress aggravates acne prone skin, but stress also weakens the colon where probiotics need to work. Research has implicated chronic stress in the development of irritable bowel syndrome and in the worsening of inflammatory bowel disease symptoms.

Moreover, stress sensitizes the gut which increases the likelihood of yet another acne culprit-- developing allergies to certain foods. Reducing your stress level while using probiotic therapy will allow the helpful bacteria to flourish while preempting acne outbreaks.

3.Take the right probiotics in the right proportions

Pharmacist and complementary medicine advocate Dr. Author Presser says the important intestinal bacteria include Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus (L.) Acidophilus, L. Rhamnosus, L. Plantrarum, L. Bulgaricus, Streptococcus Faecium and Streptococcus Thermophilus. Presser recommends taking probiotic supplements that contain all seven bacteria. In his book, The Nature Pharmacist"s Vitamin Primer, Presser points out, "look for a product that contains FOS, fructooligosacchrides."

Presser explains that FOS are sugars found in fruits, vegetables and grains. Microflora metabolize and multiply on fructooligosacchrides both in the intestine and in the tablet.

Likewise, the Harvard Women"s Health Watch has three more tips for anyone shopping for probiotics:

� The recommended doses range from 1 billion to 10 billion colony-forming units (CFU)-the amount contained in a capsule or two-several days per week.

� A daily supplement for one to two weeks may improve conditions such as infectious or antibiotic-related diarrhea.

� The microorganisms in probiotic supplements need to be alive when you take them (or when they"re freeze-dried for capsules). They may die on exposure to heat, moisture, or air. Some require refrigeration. Read the supplement label for proper storage instructions.

Even though probiotic therapy may appear extraneous after an intense acne regime, just remember that these microflora may also prevent future zit eruptions.

Sources:

Harvard Women"s Health Watch. Should You Take a Daily Dose of Bacteria?. Newswise; April 25, 2005.

Mary Beth Reilly. Probiotic Microbes Could Be a Key to Good Health. University of Michigan Health System. March 6, 2006.

Presser, Arthur M. The Nature Pharmacist"s Vitamin Primer. Your guide to vitamins, minerals, amino acids, superfoods, nutraceuticals and other dietary supplements. Fifty-Ninth Street Bridge Publishing Corporation; 2000.

ProfNet Wire. Health & Medicine: Keep Intestines Well-Flourished. May 10, 2007.

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Link Found Between Teens" Stress Levels and Acne Severity. Newswise; March 5, 2007.

Zareie, M et al. Probiotics prevent bacterial translocation and improve intestinal barrier function in rats following chronic psychological stress. Gut, 2006; vol 000:pp 1-8.

Naweko Nicole Dial San-Joyz pioneered the acne trigger approach to naturally controlling acne in her internationally published book, "Acne Messages". San-Joyz continues to serve the acne patients by developing customized acne scar removal treatments for the face and body at the San Diego based skin research firm Noixia.

If you want free tips for naturally removing acne marks, visit Noixia.com

Home Gym

Product Features
Compact yet provides complete exercise workout, Both upper and lower body exercises in one machine, Adjustable arms provide multiple positions for upper body exercises
Bungee mechanism adjusts for different resistance levels, Padded seat and backrest

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Drawing of the space habitat

It appears that a number of people are misunderstanding my description of the space habitat (on the order of the "invasion fleet being swallowed by a small dog" scale).

So here"s a picture, approximately to scale:

(Edited to correct drawing the moon orbit too small.)

The large circle is the earth"s orbit. The circle in the middle is the Sun. The little circle on the left, that"s the Moon"s orbit around Earth. (Earth itself is a teensy dot in the middle of that circle, about as big as the line marking the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. I drew the Earth in, but you probably can"t see it in the small image). The relatively large circle on the right, that"s the space habitat sitting at a Lagrange point (or rather, sitting with a Lagrange point at its centre). It is so phenomenally big it might not actually be stable here (I have not done the calculations to check).

(By comparison, the original Ringworld would be represented by the really big circle. Much larger.)

Now the habitat goes around the Sun in the same orbit as the Earth, offset by 60 degrees. It rotates about its own central axis once every 24 hours, giving it a day-night cycle. The ring would be tilted a little, so it doesn"t shade itself most of the time - in fact the ring will precess as it goes. The artificial gravity induced by the rotation would be about 1g (it would, I think, vary somewhat between night and day, because at midnight you"re orbiting a fair bit nearer to the Sun than you "should" for the center of mass of the habitat, and midday you"re a bit further from the Sun).

Acupuncture research

Assesment of acupuncture by the scientific community has been hampered by the fact that acupuncturists in most studies know whether the needling they are doing is attempting to affect the point or not.

So, it"s interesting to see this - an attempt to develop a suitable acupuncture needle for test situations. Here is a provisional abstract from
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2007 7:31 ( 10 October 2007 )

Background
Placebo needles that can mask acupuncture practitioners to the type of needle used have been considered almost impossible to develop until now.

Methods
We designed a double-blind non-penetrating placebo needle, the needle tip of which simply presses against the skin, and a matched penetrating needle. The needles are encased inside an opaque guide tube and the appearance and feel of the pair are designed to be indistinguishable. To validate the masking effect for the practitioner, 10 acupuncturists each applied 23 non-penetrating needles and 17 penetrating needles to the large intestine-4 point. After removing each needle, they judged whether the needle was penetrating, non-penetrating or unidentifiable. For the validation of patient masking, an acupuncturist randomly applied a non-penetrating/penetrating needle pair to the bilateral Sanjiao-5 points in 60 volunteers. When both applications were completed, we asked them to write down anything that they noticed regarding the needle application and associated sensations.

Results
The mean [SD] of correct/unidentifiable/incorrect answers given by the 10 acupuncturists were 17.0 [4.1]/6.4 [3.6]/16.6 [3.0], respectively. Regarding patient masking, none of the subjects commented in the questionnaire that they had received a non-penetrating needle. Of 60 penetrating and 60 non-penetrating needle applications, 48 (80.0%) and 25 (41.7%) applications elicited skin penetration sensation and 48 (80.0%) and 20 (33.3%) applications elicited de qi, respectively.

Conclusions
These needles have the potential to mask both practitioners and patients from the type of needle used in acupuncture research.

You can read more about this study here.

How To-41: "How to Improve Your Health as a Diabetic"

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

This is not a cure but rather tips for improving and preserving the health of a diabetic. According to health experts, type 1 diabetes cannot be cured, because it is a form of pancreatic dysfunction, which results when insulin producing cells cannot make enough insulin to process glucose in the body. Type 2 diabetes, however, can usually be prevented or controlled by diet and exercise, because Type 2 diabetes is typically the result of insulin resistance, which is caused by physical inactivity and poor diet.

Steps

1. Drink an ampalaya (bitter gourd/bitter melon) tea. It is well known for helping diabetic patients to maintain their blood sugar at healthy levels. Banaba tea is one of the best sources of plantisul (plant insulin). Consult your endocrinologist, diabetes educator, or dietitian before beginning this or any alternative treatment.
   
2. Maintain a healthy diet. Follow the advice of your doctor or diabetes educator.
   
3. Exercise. If it is medically safe, start exercising 30 minutes a day. A 30-minute walk at a good pace for the diabetic individual will help to reduce blood sugar, and possibly the amount of medication needed. Have a plan for exercise when taking insulin or using blood sugar lowering drugs, because exercise lowers blood glucose, and can possibly result in hypoglycemia.
   
4. Take doctor prescribed insulin regularly, and on time!
   
5. Attend all laboratory tests and doctors" appointments.
   
6. Have your hemoglobin A1c test done every 3 months or as directed by your physician. Aim for a value of 6.5% or less as recommended by the American Diabetes Association. This test measures your average blood sugar levels over a period of 2-3 months and is a strong indicator of overall glycemic control.
   
7. Stop smoking! Smoking raises blood sugar levels, damages blood vessels which can lead to heart disease and stroke, and adversely affects circulation due to constriction of blood vessels. Heart disease, stroke, and circulation problems are frequent complications of diabetes, even in non-smokers; a diabetic smoker is "adding fuel to the fire", greatly increasing his or her risk of developing these complications.
   
8. Be prepared for hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. These conditions are more common in patients taking insulin, but can occur in other situations.
   
   • Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, occurs when the blood sugar level is above 126mg/dL (7mmol/L). It can occur as a result of stress, insufficient insulin, too much food, or an issue with oral diabetes medication. Symptoms include frequent thirst, frequent urination, unusual hunger, fatigue, and irritability. Untreated hyperglycemia is a leading cause of complications from diabetes, thus it is important to recognize and treat hyperglycemia as directed by your physician. Treatment includes adjusting insulin treatment (frequently, patients using insulin will simply take a correction shot based on the level of their blood sugar), or adjusting oral medications. While patients taking insulin will typically adjust their insulin dosages to lower blood sugar, patients taking oral medication or patients using diet or exercise will typically have to adjust their carbohydrate intake to control blood sugar. Untreated hyperglycemia can rapidly progress into diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is life-threating and frequently requires hospitalization. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, unquenchable thirst, diarrhea, and muscle cramps. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms of DKA, SEEK URGENT MEDICAL ATTENTION.
     
   • Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, occurs when the blood sugar level is below 70mg/dL (3.9mmol/L). It can occur as a result of stress, too much insulin, too little food, or an issue with oral diabetes medication. Symptoms include shakiness, tremor, rapid heart beat, sweating, and clamminess. Untreated hypoglycemia can rapidly progress into seizures, coma, or death; thus, it is very important that hypoglycemia is quickly recognized and treated as directed by your physician. In any situation where the patient believes that he or she is suffering from hypoglycemia, the patient should confirm with a blood sugar test; however, the patient should treat immediately if they feel that the hypoglycemia is severe and it would take too long to test. Treating the low blood sugar is paramount. Mild hypoglycemia can be treated by the patient and usually involves consuming 15 grams of carbohydrates, in the form of sugary (not diet) soda, juice, glucose tablets/gel, or occasionally a small snack in the form of crackers, pretzels, hard candy, etc. It is important to note that candy bars such as Snickers, Twix, Milky Way, etc. contain a high amount of fat and can slow the absorption of sugar from the candy bar; therefore, it is not advised that patients use high-fat candy bars to treat hypoglycemia as the blood sugars may not rise fast enough to prevent any further and possibly severe drops in blood sugar. Once the patient has treated, they should wait 10-15 minutes and test his or her blood sugar to confirm that blood sugar levels have risen above 70mg/dL (3.9mmol/L). If the blood sugar levels are still below 70mg/dL (3.9mmol/L), the patient should repeat the treatment process, and if upon testing again after 10-15 minutes blood sugar levels are still below 70mg/dL (3.9mmol/L), the patient should treat once again and consult his/her physician immediately. If the patient has a meal planned within the next 30 minutes, the patient should continue as normal and continue to monitor his or her blood glucose to check for any additional episodes of hypoglycemia. If his/her next meal is beyond 30 minutes, the patient should consume a small snack (1/2 of a sandwich and an 8oz glass of milk, or a pack of peanut butter crackers). Severe hypoglycemia is an urgent medical condition that requires immediate intervention, and can frequently require intervention from a third-party. It can occur when blood sugars fall very rapidly, or when the patient suffers from hypoglycemia unawareness. Severe hypoglycemia can result in fainting, seizures, or death. Treatment may or may not be possible by the patient themselves due to significant impairment, however, the main idea is still the same: raise blood sugar levels as rapidly as possible. This can be achieved using oral carbohydrates, but in a situation where a patient is unconscious, unable to swallow, or having a seizure, outside intervention is necessary. Two types of injections are used to treat severe hypoglycemia: glucagon and intravenous dextrose solution (D50). Glucagon is a hormone produced in the body that acts an opposite to insulin; it blocks the blood sugar lowering ability of insulin and stimulates the liver to release glucose into the blood from energy reserves. When used as treatment for severe hypoglycemia, the solution is injected intramuscularly and produces results in 1-2 minutes. The patient will typically feel nauseated and may vomit shortly after injection. However, this treatment is ineffective if the liver is depleted of glucose stores and in such cases, intravenous dextrose (sugar) solution is necessary. IV dextrose will awaken an unconscious person whom is suffering from severe hypoglycemia in seconds. IV dextrose is commonly referred to as "D50" by emergency medical technicians and paramedics.
     
   
   

Tips

• Always follow your doctor"s prescriptions and guidelines, including, but not limited to: checking blood sugar as directed, taking insulin/medication as directed, following a meal schedule if necessary, and attending all doctors" appointments and laboratory tests.
  
• Regular eye, kidney, and foot checkups are advisable.
  
• Communication with one"s health care professional is essential in developing an effective treatment plan for diabetes; by working together with one"s health team, a diabetic is much better prepared to handle the illness.
  
• Have and know how to use a glucagon emergency kit, and instruct family members and roommates on how to use it. It may save your life if you have severe low blood sugar and are unconscious. The paramedics may not arrive in time.
  

Warnings

• This is not a substitute for professional medical care.
  
• If you have "cotton-mouth" and are urinating frequently, you may be in ketoacidosis: seek urgent medical attention!
  
• If you feel faint/lightheaded, have a quickened heart rate, and are clammy, you may be having an insulin reaction - immediately treat for hypoglycemia as directed by your physician.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Deal With Sarcoidosis
  
• How to Treat Hepatitis A
  
• How to Cope With Having Lupus
  
• How to Develop a Survey Concerning HIV/AIDS (or Any Other Incurable Disease)
  

Sources and Citations

• www.joslin.org
  
• www.cdc.gov/diabetes/index.htm
  
• www.jdf.org
  
• www.diabetes.org
  
• www.stormpages.com/sbhagwat/ "It"s Your Life - A Practical Handbook for Chronic Ailments" & "The Caregiver"s Manual" (free ebooks)
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world"s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Improve Your Health as a Diabetic. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

One is the loneliest number

There"s an article in today"s NY Times about how the social circles of Americans are shrinking to include family, a spouse, or sometimes no one at all. It says that about 25% of all Americans have no close confidants at all.

The article"s pretty short, go read it; it won"t take long. But I was interested to see this paragraph:

The study "should provide a wake-up call to our society," said Bill Maier, a vice president and psychologist in residence with Focus on the Family, the evangelical Christian group. "We"re missing out on deep, meaningful interpersonal relationships."

Focus on the Family. One of the most virulently anti-gay, not to mention, anti-gay-marriage organizations out there. On one hand complaining about the fact that we aren"t forming "deep, meaningful interpersonal relationships," but on the other hand, fighting against the ability of gay Americans to form healthy, stable, and long-term relationships.

There"s something ironic in there, but I just can"t quite put my finger on it.

Red Meat And Cancer

I"m a vegetarian so I"m always pleased to see research like this which confirms that meat eating is not the great option that many people thik it is:

(Editors" Summary of A Prospective Study of Red and Processed Meat Intake in Relation to Cancer Risk by Amanda J. Cross, Michael F. Leitzmann, Mitchell H. Gail, Albert R. Hollenbeck, Arthur Schatzkin, and Rashmi Sinha Read the full article

Background.
Every year, there are more than 10 million new cases of cancer around the world. These cases are not spread evenly across the globe. The annual incidence of cancer (the number of new cases divided by the population size) and the type of cancer most commonly diagnosed varies widely among countries. Much of the global variation in cancer incidence and type is thought to be due to environmental influences. These include exposure to agents in the air or water that cause cancer, and lifestyle factors such as smoking and diet.

Researchers identify environmental factors that affect cancer risk by measuring the exposure of a large number of individuals to a specific environmental factor and then monitoring these people for several years to see who develops cancer. The hope is that by identifying the environmental factors that cause or prevent cancer, the global burden of cancer can be reduced.

Why Was This Study Done?
Diet is thought to influence the incidence of several cancers but it is very difficult to unravel which aspects of diet are important. Being overweight, for example, is strongly associated with an increased risk of developing several types of cancer, but the evidence that the intake of red meat (beef, pork, and lamb) and of processed meat (for example, bacon, ham, and sausages) is linked to cancer risk is much weaker. Although several studies have linked a high intake of red meat and processed meat to an increased risk of colorectal cancer (the colon is the large bowel; the rectum is the final few inches of the large bowel before the anus), whether this aspect of diet affects the risk of other types of cancer is unclear. In this prospective study, the researchers have examined the association between meat intake and the incidence of a wide range of cancers.

What Did the Researchers Do and Find?
In 1995�1996, nearly half a million US men and women aged 50�71 y joined the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. The participants in this study�none of whom had had cancer previously�completed a questionnaire about their dietary habits over the previous year and provided other personal information such as their age, weight, and smoking history.

The researchers used these data and information from state cancer registries to look for associations between the intake of red and processed meat and the incidence of various cancers. They found that people whose red meat intake was in the top fifth of the range of intakes recorded in the study (the highest quintile of consumption) had an increased risk of developing colorectal, liver, lung, and esophageal cancer when compared with people in the lowest quintile of consumption. People in the highest quintile of processed meat intake had an increased risk of developing colorectal and lung cancer. The incidences of other cancers were largely unaffected by meat intake.

What Do These Findings Mean?
These findings provide strong evidence that people who eat a lot of red and processed meats have greater risk of developing colorectal and lung cancer than do people who eat small quantities. They also indicate that a high red meat intake is associated with an increased risk of esophageal and liver cancer, and that one in ten colorectal and one in ten lung cancers could be avoided if people reduced their red and processed meat intake to the lowest quintile.

However, although the researchers allowed for factors such as smoking history that might have affected cancer incidences, some of the effects they ascribe to meat intake might be caused by other lifestyle factors. Furthermore, because the study"s definitions of red meat and processed meat overlapped�bacon and ham, for example, were included in both categories�exactly which type of meat is related to cancer remains unclear.

Finally, most of the study participants were non-Hispanic white, so these findings may not apply to people with different genetic backgrounds. Nevertheless, they add to the evidence that suggests that decreased consumption of red and processed meats could reduce the incidence of several types of cancer. (Read the full article)

Additional Information.
Please access these Web sites via the online version of this summary at http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040325.
The American Cancer Society provides answers to common questions about diet and cancer
Information is available from the charity Cancer Research UK about diet, healthy eating, and cancer
The American Institute for Cancer Research also provides information on diet and cancer.
The NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study presents information on the impact of diet and lifestyle factors on risk of cancer
The US National Cancer Institute provides information about the kind of food questionnaire used in this study

Read the full article

Health Facts-6: "You are Taller in the Morning!"

Believe it or not, you are actually taller in the morning! This is because you have been lying down in bed during the night, which gives the disks separating your vertebrae, the opportunity to expand, thereby making you just a bit taller. By the end of the day, the disks have compressed again, making you shorter.

Tween Times, Supplement to The Times of India, Chennai, June 1, 2008.

Grateful thanks to The Times of India.

A Taste of "Duh"

Label on a pack of oral birth control:

"Do not take this medication if you intend to become pregnant."

That would be a little counterproductive, wouldn"t it?

My other personal favorite is probably the "may cause drowsiness" warning on Lunesta and Ambien. If they didn"t, I"d probably demand a refund.

What is ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

Imagine living in a fast-moving kaleidoscope, where sounds, images, and thoughts are constantly shifting. Feeling easily bored, yet helpless to keep your mind on tasks you need to complete.

Distracted by unimportant sights and sounds, your mind drives you from one thought or activity to the next. Perhaps you are so wrapped up in a collage of thoughts and images that you don"t notice when someone speaks to you.

For many people, this is what it"s like to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. They may be unable to sit still, plan ahead, finish tasks, or be fully aware of what"s going on around them.

To their family, classmates or coworkers, they seem to exist in a whirlwind of disorganized or frenzied activity. Unexpectedly - on some days and in some situations - they seem fine, often leading others to think the person with ADHD can actually control these behaviors.

As a result, the disorder can affect the person"s relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy, and diminishing self-esteem.

ADHD, once called hyper kinesis or minimal brain dysfunction, is one of the most common mental disorders among children. It affects 3 to 5 percent of all children and perhaps as many as 2 million American children.

Two to three times more boys than girls are affected. On the average, at least one child in every classroom in the United States needs help for the disorder. ADHD often continues into adolescence and adulthood, and can cause a lifetime of frustrated dreams and emotional pain.

What are the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment?

In order to better understand how to deal with you or your child"s ADHD, we have compiled a number of resources for your convenience. These include articles, web site links, FAQ"s and online counseling sessions with our Clinical Psychologist, Michele Carelse (an expert in dealing with ADHD) as well as downloadable eBooklets on ADHD.

ADHD Treatments Resources FAQ. Learn More...

Not the Sushi!!

Went out for sushi last night with friends. That was fun. Unfortunately, I shortly afterward found myself covered in a maculopapular rash and was quite nauseated. I"m hoping it"s a viral thing. I wish there were some way to figure out what it was in the sushi that I might have been allergic to. I don"t really want to rechallenge a food allergy by mistake. :(

WAH!!! I like sushi!

Ok, whining has officially ended.

Healing Power of Poetry

I am reproducing material from my poetry blog (Your Poems and My Poems), which I felt could find a place in this blog as it discusses about the therapeutic value of Poetry:

"Dr.Smiley Blanton, one of America"s great psychiatrists, wrote a charming book, "THE HEALING POWER OF POETRY". He found, in his work with patients, that emotional troubles could be helped by the healing properties of great poetry. (From "Treasury of Courage and Confidence" by Dr.Norman Vincent Peale).

(On an impulse, I tried Google Search for "Healing Power of Poetry" and got results within 0.34 seconds. It gave about 7890 links! I am furnishing details about one of the articles that I could access immediately and which also impressed me, namely, "Finding the Words to Say It: The Healing Power of Poetry" by Robert Carroll, UCLA Department of Psychiatry, Los Angeles CA 90024, USA. It was published in an Oxford University Press (OUP) jounral, namely, "Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine".

Another interesting feature of this article is it has been published under Open Access model and though the author retains copyright, "users are entitled to use, reproduce, disseminate, or display the open access version of this article for non-commercial purposes provided that: the original authorship is properly and fully attributed; the Journal and Oxford University Press are attributed as the original place of publication with the correct citation details given; if an article is subsequently reproduced or disseminated not in its entirety but only in part or as a derivative work this must be clearly indicated. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions{at}oupjournals.org."
http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/2/2/161

As the article talks about the therapeutic value of poetry, I think I should also post a copy in my other blog devoted to Alternative Medicine and Health.

Grateful thanks to Dr.Robert Carroll and OUP."

About Alternative Health Care

Health care has become a major issue for most Americans. Costs are skyrocketing, many of us do not have health care coverage and a visit to the doctor can prove both costly and unfruitful. The typical medical doctor has spent about eleven years in college and residency programs to earn their degree. While well educated, sometimes they don"t have all the answers.
Due not to poor education, but

Skeptico welcome you to the 10th Skeptics� Circle

Go visit Skeptico and read all the wonderful stuff there. As expected the hottest topics this time around are critical thinking and pseudoscience, but also great writing about quackery, the paranormal, Urban Legends and historical revisionism, with a few others to round out the list.

I reported on the debate between Michael Shermer and Kent Hovind. As I don"t live in the USA - it"s harder to understand why somebody takes creationism seriously, but I realised they have reason to do.

And then Skeptico introduced "goddidit", - a phrase used by theists to express the idea "I don"t know". It differs from the common usage of "I don"t know" in that it implies that "I don"t wish to find out, either."

So now I know why Skeptico think that "Goddidit" is much easier to explain. It�s not science, it�s nonsense, and it is easy to explain.

(You could also say God did it, but "how did God do it?")

Well as Skeptico wrote, one of my favourite subjects is definitely Homeopathy, because I consider Homeopathy as this century"s quackery (hopefully nobody will get tired of this - except for the homeopaths). I still wonder why homeopathy remains one of the most popular complementary therapies despite the inability to reproduce the anecdotal evidence in clinical trials. If any effect on homeopathy it is quite unknown to science.

I haven"t read everything yet - but I will soon - and I encourage everyone to check the 10th Skeptic"s Circle out. It"s a great one.

I"m really looking forward to putting the next edition together in about two weeks from now.

I"m Home Again: Pet Reincarnation Brent Atwater. Blogtalk Radio 2nd show

Pet Reincarnation- I"m Home Again, a Dog"s Never Ending Love Story! on Amazon .com October 2008

Blogtalk Radio call in show

Due to an overwhelming response we"re doing

ANOTHER Pet Past Life and Pet Reincarnation show
This Wednesday night Jan 23rd 9pm EST
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/BrentAtwater

Call in and ask Brent Atwater hosting I"m Home Again, a Dog"s Never Ending Love Story-Pet Reincarnation
your questions or share your story!

Please Pass this to all your freinds that might be interested! and post on all the pet groups and forums in which you are a member

I"m Home Again, a Dog"s Never Ending Love Story: Pet Reincarnation Series-
Inspiring hope in animal lovers suffering pet loss and grief.
www.myspace.com/petreincarnation

Brent Atwater -Pet Intuitive, Pet Medical Intuitive Diagnosis, Pet Energy Healer
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/BrentAtwater

Web Sites: http://www.brentatwater.com/ or
http://www.justplainlovebooks.com/


Email: Brent@BrentAtwater.com
[P} NC 910-692-5206 [F} NC 910-692-5103 USA
Mobile: 404-242-9022 USA

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How Could You Benefit From Osteopathy And Holistic Massage?

Osteopathy is a system of manual medicine used to diagnose and treat a wide variety of complaints, specifically tailored to each individual. The spine is used to diagnose not only the main areas of musculoskeletal strain but also which of the organs of the body are working well and which are under stress.

By restoring mobility to the spine and extremities by removing restrictions and working on the soft tissues and joints, the spinal nerves that supply the muscles and organs can be stimulated or relaxed and blood circulation and drainage can be improved to allow the whole body to work more efficiently. Treatment involves rhythmic joint movements, with gentle stretching and soft tissue manipulations and cranial osteopathy can also be applied with the intention of rebalancing the whole body resulting in improved musculoskeletal health as well as internal organ and immune functioning.

Treatment can be given to any age from babies suffering colic and restlessness from birth trauma, toddlers with recurrent ear or chest infections, school children carrying heavy bags and students spending long hours hunched over a computer. These tensions all build up and can be aggravated in our working life when long hours are spent at the desk or driving. Pregnancy is another time when our bodies are under greater strain and the aches and pains of pregnancy and also strains produced during labour can be eased. In old age the joints can stiffen and osteopaths regularly treat and help to alleviate arthritic pain.

Bowen Technique is also suitable for all ages from babies to the elderly and consists of gentle precise rolling moves applied over specific areas of the body. The treatment is highly relaxing whilst stimulating the bodies ability to restore its own structural integrity. Frequent pauses between moves allows the patient"s body the time to respond and benefit from each series of moves. Bowen has helped many problems including muscle pains and spasms in the back and neck, whiplash, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow and R.S.I.. Patients with M.S. have reported increased energy and improved flexibility in the limbs. The minimal approach allows people with M. E., tension, stress, depression and fatigue to also respond very favorably. Migraine, headaches, sinus problems, TMJ dysfunction or jaw problems and hay fever have often shown remarkable benefit. Asthma and respiratory difficulties, lymphatic drainage and sponatural36f energy, promote healing, relieve pain and enhance sports performance.

Holistic massage also has many benefits and is one of the most natural healing arts.The refined touch and varying strokes of the massage practitioner help to soothe, tone and stimulate repair and regenerate the body tissues and organs. This can leave the recipient feeling more energetic, lighter, uplifted, calm and confident. It is ideal for those wanting a more hands on approach. Treatments aid relaxation and help to relieve stress and tension, whilst easing muscle stiffness and improves joint flexibility and mobility by increasing blood and lymphatic flow. Holistic Massage can aid the recovery of the body after injury and reduces the formation of excess scar tissue and improves elasticity and tone. Tension related headaches will usually respond to this form of treatment with many pain clinics referring patients suffering headaches for massage. Massaging the whole body helps to aid digestion and improves elimination of waste, it has also been shown to help reduce high blood pressure. Overall massage reduces anxiety and helps to release blocked emotions and may help to elevate mood.

About the Author:

At York Natural Health - http://www.yorknatural-health.co.uk - our aim is to stimulate your body"s healing response, to bring improved health and well-being, naturally. Alison and Annette Jowett both have a family background of living by the principles of alternative medicine and bring the wisdom of three generations of living in this way to their treatments.

Swine Flu Prevention And Treatment

Here"s some great advice from Grace DaSilva-Hill, a homeopathic practitioner:

The best way to keep well is to not connect with the type of fear and alarm that we sometimes hear in the news; eat well with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, drink a lot of good quality water, and supplement with good quality Vitamin C if you feel you need it; many people are taking the herb Astragalus which is what I normally recommend in the winter months to boost the immune system.

Several of my patients (adults and children) have now had swine flu, and I am pleased to say that they have all recovered with the use of homeopathic remedies.

Another way to keep well is to take your constitutional homeopathic remedy; I advise that people take this at least once a year to strengthen the immune system; this way you can cope with anything that may come your way.

There is also a combination of 3 hom. remedies that I have been recommending to people to take as prophylaxis (twice weekly) to avoid getting the flu.

Visit Grace"s web site.

Free Travel First Aid Kit

we are curently offering a free travel first aid kit with two of our Probiotic lines:

1. Travla - minimise the chance of a holiday tummy by taking Travla probiotics. This natural health formula is a proven formulation of unique probiotic strains designed to support the traveller�s digestive health and immunity while abroad.

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Ten tips for immune nature increase system

Coldly and a season grippe upon we. First line defence - wash your hand often, and have your working domain clean wipes it down with alcohol stop.

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Aloe Vera: Appendix with aloe Vera was indicated, that to be extraordinary actual in an entry and balancing immune system. Recommand? measures out - quarter glass juice every morning. Use twice day, when feel you cold grippe ni, it is fallen.

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fish bone: Used in time approximately 4000 years in traditional Chinese medicine. Early Chinese, limning remember it in manner of "chief tonic". fish bone is a favourite immune constructeur system among nature health association. This good for colds, immune-deficiency- touched markets, in a that date AIDS, cancer, and growths.

Orange-pekoe: you, at a case, can boost their fight against grippe with orange-pekoe. In recent studies, people, which gargled with black stop exhibition tea twice per day, specified high immunity a virus grippe, compared to people, which no gargle with orange-pekoe. An orange-pekoe gives sediment obviously one biggest fountain flavonoids--natural class antioxidants, which find he in many nature plant-, got foods.

Olive sheet: Olive sheet exhibition is a powerful instrument in a fight, that to cut a throat virus in manner from for example cold, cladina, and Epstein Epstein-barr. His power also draws out he to the helper destroy sinusitis and bronchitis, also in manner from and abbreviates the stages high blood pressure and cholesterol. staple in an olive sheet exhibition - mixes up an address he to to oleuropein. Acquires this application, look, because lids standardized against 6 interest oleurpein. The recommended dose agence 500 mg daily, that to protect bacterial ni viral infection existence.

Liquorice: Scientific studies specified, that liquorice stimulates immunity. His inclination to protect a virus grippe and bacteria are settled by the use it not only for cure, but and for plans a flu in time epidemics. Root liquorice it is no necessary used in case high blood pressure, aquatic blocks up a weir, pregnancy ni if cure.

It better, that to give up conception joint immune health to that, ??? become you badly with cold virus grippe ni. Now is a large epoch, that to give up improvement your diet, does his studies to cover with pressure and taking taking of inventory gaps in your diet, that to help closed he which appendixes are anymore whole advantage to you.

Alzheimers Disease Can Be Cured With Pomegranate Fruit

A Research conducted at the Loma Linda University, US revealed that the Pomegranate fruit should essentially be one among the �must-eat� items in one�s regular diet.

The research conducted on mice that were given pomegranate juice, experienced 50% less degeneration of brain cells, compared to their counterparts, who drank only sweetened water.

This indicates that pomegranate juice helps cut risk of Alzheimer�s disease by fifty percent.Also, researchers at Israel Institute of Technology are of the opinion that drinking 60ml of pomegranate juice everyday prevented the absorption of bad cholesterol in the body of diabetics and helped protect their arteries.

(Alzheimer�s disease is a brain disorder, comprehensive information on Alzheimer"s disease, memory loss, Alzheimer"s care and Alzheimer"s treatment about Alzheimer"s Treatment, Alzheimers prevention and symptoms and Alzheimer"s Alzheimers Support, Alzheimer"s Symptoms, Signs Alzheimer"s disease information - Alzheimer"s symptoms, Alzheimer care, stages of Alzheimer"s, Alzheimer"s caregiver, treatment, medication, prevention Diabetes Symptoms, Symptoms of Diabetes.Learn about type 1 type, 2, and gestational diabetes symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, diet, management, and diabetes prevention)

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I Really Wish...

I could post something that was good news, because right now I"m breaking into the blogosphere with a crash of pessimistic thunder and accompanied by an armada of dark storm clouds.

Unfortunately, I hope you brought your umbrella, because a federal judge just suspended a state law requiring pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception, otherwise known as "Plan B." According to the article, the law unconstitutionally violates pharmacist"s freedom of religion:

The rules appear to force pharmacists to choose between their own religious beliefs and their livelihood, Judge Ronald B. Leighton of the U.S. District Court in Tacoma wrote Thursday.

Some pharmacists believe the emergency contraceptive pills, also called "morning-after pills," are tantamount to abortion because they can in some cases prevent implantation of a fertilized egg.

"Whether or not Plan B ... terminates a pregnancy, to those who believe that life begins at conception, the drug is designed to terminate a life," the judge wrote in a 27-page order granting a preliminary injunction.

As a little background, Plan B consists of a package containing two 0.75 mg tablets of levonorgestrel, a form of progesterone. One tablet is intended to be taken as soon as possible, with the second tablet following 12 hours later. The sooner the first dose is taken, the better; this is a drug where time is crucial. Because Plan B is now available "over the counter," it may be true that if one pharmacist refuses to dispense the drug that the patient can simply go to another pharmacy. But what kind of option is that? Every minute counts. And isn"t it possible that every pharmacist within reasonable distance of your home might refuse you EC just because they don"t think you should be permitted to have it?

It doesn"t help that few people actually understand the science behind Plan B, even pharmacists. 25% of pharmacists surveyed in North Carolina thought Plan B was an abortion pill like mifepristone (RU-486), which will actually terminate an early-term pregnancy. 5% who knew that it wasn"t RU-486 still thought it could somehow directly induce an abortion. They"ve apparently forgotten their physiology; part of the way that the body maintains pregnancy is jacking up serum progestins to keep the endometrium from sloughing off and dumping out an implanted fetus with the next menstrual load. No wonder they"re opposed to it; they have no idea how it works! In fact, RU-486 works because it"s an synthetic anti-progestin steroid. And it"s commonly cited that Plan B works by preventing implantation, which is only partly true; like other oral contraceptives, Plan B also alters cervical mucus and the action of the fallopian tubes. It may even prevent ovulation entirely, depending on where the woman taking it is in her cycle! It may, in many cases, prevent union of sperm and egg altogether. Even if it didn"t, refusal to dispense EC but dispensing other oral contraception is logically inconsistent. They have identical mechanisms of action.

Think about it this way. Suppose you were seriously injured and losing large amounts of blood. You desperately need a blood transfusion. The attending physician at the ED appraises your condition and shakes his head. "This patient is bleeding to death," he says to his colleague, "but there"s nothing we can do. It"s for his own good that we not save his life. I won"t be responsible for condemning his immortal soul."

Sound impossible? Maybe. But a woman recently died during delivery of twin babies for refusing a blood transfusion. She was a Jehova"s Witness, and her religious beliefs prevented her from recieving blood transfusions. It is common legal and ethical precedent that physicians cannot treat patients without their consent. And a doctor who refused to treat patients on the basis of his or her religious beliefs could potentially be sued for malpractice. Why can"t the same be done for a pharmacist? Pharmacists have been sued over this issue in the past; why in the world would a court overturn that ruling now?

Perhaps the issue is one of urgency. Any layman can tell you that severe hemorrhage is potentially fatal, and very quickly so. But what about symptomatic iron-deficiency anemias? Treatment protocol for patients experiencing significant shortness of breath or other potentially serious problems includes an infusion of red cells. Can you imagine a doctor telling a patient, "it"s okay, just take iron supplements for the next month, eventually you"ll get better without a blood transfusion?" It might potentially be true, but does that mean it"s good medicine? It"s vastly subpar care with no medical basis or scientific evidence to back it.

The article mentions that most people "can get Plan B without a pharmacist," but as I understand the matter, that"s an issue of state law as well. Where I work, a patient must present an ID to purchase Plan B, and all sales must ultimately go through the pharmacist. If the pharmacist refuses to sell Plan B and finds out that a technician has violated this decision, the technician could very easily be fired. How many technicians will risk their jobs like this?

In summation, I really have to agree with one of the activists quoted by the article:

"I think this is another step on the assault on women"s rights to control our own bodies," said Helen Gilbert, an activist with the group Radical Women. "If [pharmacists"] beliefs are in conflict with doing this job, then they should do a different job." [Emphasis mine.]

Absolutely. To quote a pharmacist I used to work with, refusing to dispense oral contraceptives or emergency contraception is like a Christian Scientist getting a medical degree and then refusing to treat anyone except with prayer. Why would you take the job if you find it incompatible with your belief system? You are responsible for certain things as a medical professional. If you don"t like them, find another line of work.

Success! (Tales of Vacation part 5?)

The fatigue finally lifted yesterday. I guess I was just really tired. I highly recommend periodic vacations. They"re good for resting and recharging.

I cleaned my house (which I hadn"t done in an embarassingly long time.), hauled away a bunch of garbage, vaccuumed, dusted, swept, mopped, organized, and generally finally got things taken care of. I"m now left with the biggest pile of laundry ever! That"s today"s project, along with getting my oil changed, taking 10 boxes to goodwill, and going to work (just for a couple of hours, I still have a week of vacation left). I"m just a bit of a slow starter this morning, because I stayed up until 3am enjoying my clean house. I should look into getting a house cleaner. I know, it"s the wussy way out, but I love having a clean house so much, and if someone else did the actual cleaning, I could spend more time organizing (and goofing off!). The other thing (and this is not for the squeamish, is that in vacuuming, I vacuumed up so much cat hair (I only have 2 cats, I"m not a crazy-cat-lady (yet?)) that it filled my vacuum canister a couple of times. I can already tell that my allergies and asthma are grateful; but it got me thinking, wouldn"t it be easier to vacuum the cats instead? Hah.

I also booked a trip to Chicago for a couple of days. Hey, the price was right, I"ve never been (except for O"Hare airport, and that doesn"t count), and what the heck, I"m on vacation!

I also finally went back to Ikea, and I had enough energy to make some furniture decisions. I ended up buying: the blue Henmes drawers, the granitas table (I may hate glass dining tables, but for whatever reason, I liked this one. If I stop liking it, I can throw a tablecloth over it), the poang chair and ottoman, and some other random stuff.

Healthy Facts About Potatoes

Throughout America, potatoes are the most popular vegetable, even being ahead of other well known vegetables such as lettuce and onions. You can cook potatoes in a variety of ways, and they are included in one out of three meals eaten by almost all Americans. When they are prepared in a healthy way, a potato can be an excellent source of energy and also pack a nutritional punch.

Like oranges, potatoes are very high in vitamin C. The fact is, one medium potato contains 45% of the vitamin C that"s recommended for good health. Potatoes are also high in fiber and carbohydrates and contain more potassium than a banana.

A potato is naturally low in calories and contains no fat, sodium, or cholesterol. The skins of the potatoes provide a helpful dose of fiber, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, and several B vitamins.

You can prepare potatoes by boiling them, steaming them, or even roasting them. If at all possible, you should avoid putting potatoes in the refrigerator or freezing them, as cold will turn the potato starch to sugar and cause them to turn dark when they are cooked.

When you store potatoes, keep them in a cool, dark place. Too much light will cause them to turn green. You can store them in the basement if you have one, as the basement is the best place to keep potatoes.

From mashed potatoes to baked potatoes, a potato is something we all know and love. They serve many different tasty foods, and they provide our bodies with plenty of healthful benefits. We all eat potatoes, some of us even grow our own. Whether you grow your on or buy them, the potato is the one vegetable that makes everything just a little bit better.

The Sum of Four Years

I got the summary of my procedure logs from residency in the mail the other day. It"s kind of funny to think, "this is the sum of four years of victory and defeat, immense joy, and some of the most unimaginable pain you could ever think of", which all sounds melodramatic, but really is true. I can truthfully say that my residency was the best time of my life and the worst time of my life. I"m like Mowgli, but instead of being raised by the jungle creatures, I feel like I was raised by obstetricians, and my childhood can be summarized as follows:

Surgery on antenatal patients:
Appendectomy 1
Laparoscopy 17
Cerclage 9

Abdominal Hysterectomy:
Total/subtotal hysterectomy with/without removal of tubes/ovaries: 78
Radical hysterectomy (for cervical cancer) 2
Hysterectomy after Cesarean delivery 1
Other abdominal hysterectomy 13

Vaginal Hysterectomy:
Vaginal hysterectomy with or without removal of tubes/ovaries: 23
Laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy: 9

Laparotomy:
Removal of ovaries: 7
Laparotomy for ectopic pregnancy: 4
Removal of Mass: 16
Myomectomy: 10
Other laparotomy* 98

Incontinence and Pelvic floor:
Urethral suspension: 1
Paravaginal repair : 5
Anterior/post repair: 32
Other incontinence repair: 24

Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery: 437**

Forceps Deliveries
Low/outlet forceps: 27
Mid/rotational forceps: 1

Vacuum Deliveries: 49

Cesarean deliveries: 226

Breech presentation delivered vaginally: 12***

Multifetal deliveries:
Twins: 18
Triplets+: 2

Low birth weight:
500-1000: 18
1000-1500: 23
1500-2500: 34

Operative laparoscopy: 91

Hysteroscopy/operative: 32
Hysteroscopy/diagnostic: 47
Other hysteroscopy****: 38

Conization of the Cervix: 35

Induced abortion (Medical or surgical): 88

Surgical sterilization: 117

Vaginal Ultrasound: 118

Miscellaneous: 353^

Endocrine/Infertility Surgery: 118
Uro-gynecology: 49
Surgery for invasive cancer: 76

Outpatient/primary care visits:
hypertension: 353
Diabetes: 173
Thyroid disease: 82
Dermatologic: 38
Gastrointestinal: 156
Respiratory: 46
Breast probs: 89
Geriatrics^^: 147
Behavioral medicine:292
Immunization: 45
Peds/adolescent: 59
Preventative care: 329
Other ambulatory: 277

For a total of 2086 outpatient visits in 4 years.

Wow. It"s really weird to see the most formative years of my life summed up in numbers like that (some of which I suspect weren"t documented quite right, like the 98 "other" laparotomies). I remember every single forceps, every single breech presentation delivered vaginally, and every single surgery for invasive cancer I did (half to 3/4"s of the cancer patients I operated on as a resident have now died of their disease).






* I don"t remember what other laparotomy really means... maybe exploratory laparotomy/lysis of adhesions?

** Um... I probably did more like 600-700, but I stopped counting after 2 years of residency

*** My favorite!!

**** I can"t imagine a hysteroscopy that"s not either diagnostic or operative, those are the only kinds there are!

^ Um.. what 353 cases did I do that don"t belong into those catagories above?