Thursday, August 23, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
The Successful Resolution of Mechanical Low Back Pain (and other disorders of the body).
The Successful Resolution of Mechanical Low Back Pain (and other disorders of the body).
by: Robert Ryles
This article will explain to you the principles that lie behind the successful resolution of mechanical low back pain (and other disorders). They are a series of logical simple to understand steps that underpin successful treatment practice and effective exercise prescription
DIAGNOSIS
The first step is diagnosing what the problem is. This is done by doctors and therapists basically using two methods. The first one being what the patient says or complains of and the second being what is actually found by the practitioner from their physical examination.
Both of these are vital suppliers of information for a correct diagnosis. The sum total of all the information gleaned from both methods should build a picture of the exact problem that leads on to the diagnosis.
Sometimes it is possible to ascertain an EXACT diagnosis and other times it is not. Having an exact diagnosis is desirable but not absolutely essential to successful treatment. What is important is that the existence or absence of certain conditions is ascertained so that the correct treatment and advice can be followed.
In the case of back pain it is important to be able to put the cause of the pain down to a mechanical problem affecting the back. With reference to back pain there are certain conditions from other body systems that give pain in the back and these must be ruled out before treatment of the back can begin
PAIN RESOLUTION
Before normal movement and function can be looked at the aspect of pain must be considered. This is because in the initial stages of an episode of back pain the pain is there to prevent further damage occurring. It is important that this pain is allowed to settle and further damage is not caused. A few days of the CORRECT rest is normally sufficient to achieve this. Longer than this and there are likely to be more negative effects than positive from resting unless a specific reason is given by a qualified medical person. There are modalities that are helpful in resolving pain such as medication and electrotherapy that can be beneficial.
MOVEMENT RE EDUCATION
The next stage is the regaining of the normal amount of movement in the back. This is the stage at which most problems occur. This is normally for a number of common reasons. These generally revolve around the fact that there is a degree of overlap between the pain stage and this stage and people are unsure of when to begin moving, which specific movements to do, how many to do and for how long.
It is here that is so often the KEY CRITICAL POINT in the recovery process because with the CORRECT ADVICE INSTRUCTION AND ENCOURAGEMENT regarding movement and exercise therapy most back pain can be improved. If this point is missed problems begin and little by little get bigger and more difficult to resolve until ultimately if left long enough, which often can be just a matter of weeks, you can become a chronic back pain patient, with all its associated problems.
STRENGTH RE EDUCATION
The next stage once the movement is well on the way to recovery is the re education of the muscles that control the area. Here again the skill is knowing when to begin the exercises, which ones to do, how many and for how long. With the back you may be lucky and be able to resume your normal everyday activities without needing any specific strengthening exercises. There are however great many people with low back pain who would be so much better and be much more able with again the CORRECT EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION. For some it would undoubtedly totally solve their problem.
NORMAL FUNCTION ACTIVITY RESUMATION
Following the successful resolution of pain, movement and strength all these three come together to allow the patient to resume their normal everyday activities. Here again the key is the skilful and correct advice as to how much how soon. If the previous three stages have been addressed properly this stage will follow naturally but the correct advice is paramount in preventing re injury.
SUMMARY
So there we have it. The basic stages behind the successful resolution of mechanical low back pain. This can essentially be transferred to many other musculo skeletal problems. Although in black and white it appears relatively simple do not confuse something being simple and think it means it is unskilled. It requires specific knowledge at each of the particular stages.
In fact I would go as far as to say categorically how important it is to get as far as possible a definitive diagnosis of your problem before engaging in any form of therapy whether by a third party or self help.
Copyright 2006 Robert Ryles
by: Robert Ryles
This article will explain to you the principles that lie behind the successful resolution of mechanical low back pain (and other disorders). They are a series of logical simple to understand steps that underpin successful treatment practice and effective exercise prescription
DIAGNOSIS
The first step is diagnosing what the problem is. This is done by doctors and therapists basically using two methods. The first one being what the patient says or complains of and the second being what is actually found by the practitioner from their physical examination.
Both of these are vital suppliers of information for a correct diagnosis. The sum total of all the information gleaned from both methods should build a picture of the exact problem that leads on to the diagnosis.
Sometimes it is possible to ascertain an EXACT diagnosis and other times it is not. Having an exact diagnosis is desirable but not absolutely essential to successful treatment. What is important is that the existence or absence of certain conditions is ascertained so that the correct treatment and advice can be followed.
In the case of back pain it is important to be able to put the cause of the pain down to a mechanical problem affecting the back. With reference to back pain there are certain conditions from other body systems that give pain in the back and these must be ruled out before treatment of the back can begin
PAIN RESOLUTION
Before normal movement and function can be looked at the aspect of pain must be considered. This is because in the initial stages of an episode of back pain the pain is there to prevent further damage occurring. It is important that this pain is allowed to settle and further damage is not caused. A few days of the CORRECT rest is normally sufficient to achieve this. Longer than this and there are likely to be more negative effects than positive from resting unless a specific reason is given by a qualified medical person. There are modalities that are helpful in resolving pain such as medication and electrotherapy that can be beneficial.
MOVEMENT RE EDUCATION
The next stage is the regaining of the normal amount of movement in the back. This is the stage at which most problems occur. This is normally for a number of common reasons. These generally revolve around the fact that there is a degree of overlap between the pain stage and this stage and people are unsure of when to begin moving, which specific movements to do, how many to do and for how long.
It is here that is so often the KEY CRITICAL POINT in the recovery process because with the CORRECT ADVICE INSTRUCTION AND ENCOURAGEMENT regarding movement and exercise therapy most back pain can be improved. If this point is missed problems begin and little by little get bigger and more difficult to resolve until ultimately if left long enough, which often can be just a matter of weeks, you can become a chronic back pain patient, with all its associated problems.
STRENGTH RE EDUCATION
The next stage once the movement is well on the way to recovery is the re education of the muscles that control the area. Here again the skill is knowing when to begin the exercises, which ones to do, how many and for how long. With the back you may be lucky and be able to resume your normal everyday activities without needing any specific strengthening exercises. There are however great many people with low back pain who would be so much better and be much more able with again the CORRECT EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION. For some it would undoubtedly totally solve their problem.
NORMAL FUNCTION ACTIVITY RESUMATION
Following the successful resolution of pain, movement and strength all these three come together to allow the patient to resume their normal everyday activities. Here again the key is the skilful and correct advice as to how much how soon. If the previous three stages have been addressed properly this stage will follow naturally but the correct advice is paramount in preventing re injury.
SUMMARY
So there we have it. The basic stages behind the successful resolution of mechanical low back pain. This can essentially be transferred to many other musculo skeletal problems. Although in black and white it appears relatively simple do not confuse something being simple and think it means it is unskilled. It requires specific knowledge at each of the particular stages.
In fact I would go as far as to say categorically how important it is to get as far as possible a definitive diagnosis of your problem before engaging in any form of therapy whether by a third party or self help.
Copyright 2006 Robert Ryles
Breathing Hazards Found In Your Home
Breathing Hazards Found In Your Home
by: John Marshall
Most of us have dangerous cleaners in our homes. The worst part of this is these products are designed to make our lives easier. But the health problems caused are far greater than the gains. Not to mention the impact on our fragile environment.
Let's start by identifying some of the major poisons found in cleaners & their effects. First, lets look at oven cleaners. These contain petroleum-based compounds which are not replaceable. Oven cleaners are among the most caustic substances found in the home.
These products can cause breathing problems such as asthma. I was a childhood asthmatic so I understand fully the effects of household cleaners. These alkalis cause accumulating damage to our bodies. Common symptoms include difficulty breathing & excess fatigue.
The EPA has indicated that indoor pollution may be as high as 20 times the levels outside. This is primarily caused through slow release of gases contained in the petroleum-based cleaners. This can be virtually eliminated using all natural cleaning products that are made with replaceable resources such as essential oils found in our fruits & vegetables.
Another common poison found in home cleaning products is ammonia. It is also a by-product of pet urine. This can cause severe breathing problems such as tightening of chest which causes extremely difficult breathing. Ammonia also causes eye, nose, & throat irritations.
Fortunately, there are natural cleaners today which replace these toxins with products that are effective & do not create any noxious fumes. These can create a safe environment for pets, kids, the elderly, & anyone with respitory allergies. Not to mention these products are not made from oil which is non-replenishable. Eliminating the toxic cleaners from our homes will help protect our environment with no risk to our health.
by: John Marshall
Most of us have dangerous cleaners in our homes. The worst part of this is these products are designed to make our lives easier. But the health problems caused are far greater than the gains. Not to mention the impact on our fragile environment.
Let's start by identifying some of the major poisons found in cleaners & their effects. First, lets look at oven cleaners. These contain petroleum-based compounds which are not replaceable. Oven cleaners are among the most caustic substances found in the home.
These products can cause breathing problems such as asthma. I was a childhood asthmatic so I understand fully the effects of household cleaners. These alkalis cause accumulating damage to our bodies. Common symptoms include difficulty breathing & excess fatigue.
The EPA has indicated that indoor pollution may be as high as 20 times the levels outside. This is primarily caused through slow release of gases contained in the petroleum-based cleaners. This can be virtually eliminated using all natural cleaning products that are made with replaceable resources such as essential oils found in our fruits & vegetables.
Another common poison found in home cleaning products is ammonia. It is also a by-product of pet urine. This can cause severe breathing problems such as tightening of chest which causes extremely difficult breathing. Ammonia also causes eye, nose, & throat irritations.
Fortunately, there are natural cleaners today which replace these toxins with products that are effective & do not create any noxious fumes. These can create a safe environment for pets, kids, the elderly, & anyone with respitory allergies. Not to mention these products are not made from oil which is non-replenishable. Eliminating the toxic cleaners from our homes will help protect our environment with no risk to our health.
Thinking about LASIK eye surgery? There's a lot to think about.
Thinking about LASIK eye surgery? There's a lot to think about.
by: Mike Thompson
Humans are essentially visual creatures. The thought of someone interfering with our eyes is difficult to bear for any of us. But millions of people every year have what, at first sight, seems like a highly invasive technique on their eyes. Why do they do it? For centuries we've struggled with spectacles for vision correction. Everyone knows that they're not really the answer. Then came along contact lenses. And when breathable, extended wear lenses came along, we thought they were the pinnacle of ocular technology. Not any more. Now we have LASIK - Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomilieusis - using a computer controlled micro laser to remove parts of the cornea and reshape it for a considerable improvement in vision.
But for something as valuable as our eyesight, it's clearly imperative to consider all the implications. Here are just a few to think about:
LASIK may not give you perfect vision. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) reports that seven out of 10 patients achieve 20/20 vision, but 20/20 does not always mean perfect vision.
If you have LASIK to correct your distance vision, you'll still need reading glasses around age 45. You may need additional enhancement surgery to give you the best possible vision after LASIK.
You should be at least 18 years old (21 for some lasers), since the vision of people younger than 18 is usually still developing.
You may be a candidate for monovision (correcting one eye for distance vision and the other eye for near vision). If you can adjust to this correction, it may eliminate or reduce your need for reading glasses.
In some instances, surgery on only one eye is required.
You may experience a decrease in contrast sensitivity, "crispness," or sharpness. That means that even though you may have 20/20 vision, objects may appear fuzzy or grayish.
Your vision probably will be blurry the day of surgery, but it will improve considerably by the next day when you return for a follow-up exam.
If you wear bifocals or reading glasses you will need glasses for reading after LASIK. LASIK cannot restore the flexible (back and forth from distance to near) focus of youth.
It's possible, though unlikely, that you may have corneal scarring, irregular astigmatism and an inability to wear contact lenses.
Your optometrist will measure the curvature of your cornea and your pupils. You may be rejected if your pupils are too large. She'll also measure the topography of your eyes to make sure you don't have an irregular astigmatism or a cone-shaped cornea and the the pachymetry, or thickness, of your cornea. You need to have enough tissue left after your corneas have been cut and reshaped.
As you can see, there's a lot to think about, not least the cost, which currently is about $1700-2000 per eye. Talk it over with you optometrist and above all don't feel pressured by anyone into having LASIK, they are your eyes after all.
by: Mike Thompson
Humans are essentially visual creatures. The thought of someone interfering with our eyes is difficult to bear for any of us. But millions of people every year have what, at first sight, seems like a highly invasive technique on their eyes. Why do they do it? For centuries we've struggled with spectacles for vision correction. Everyone knows that they're not really the answer. Then came along contact lenses. And when breathable, extended wear lenses came along, we thought they were the pinnacle of ocular technology. Not any more. Now we have LASIK - Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomilieusis - using a computer controlled micro laser to remove parts of the cornea and reshape it for a considerable improvement in vision.
But for something as valuable as our eyesight, it's clearly imperative to consider all the implications. Here are just a few to think about:
LASIK may not give you perfect vision. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) reports that seven out of 10 patients achieve 20/20 vision, but 20/20 does not always mean perfect vision.
If you have LASIK to correct your distance vision, you'll still need reading glasses around age 45. You may need additional enhancement surgery to give you the best possible vision after LASIK.
You should be at least 18 years old (21 for some lasers), since the vision of people younger than 18 is usually still developing.
You may be a candidate for monovision (correcting one eye for distance vision and the other eye for near vision). If you can adjust to this correction, it may eliminate or reduce your need for reading glasses.
In some instances, surgery on only one eye is required.
You may experience a decrease in contrast sensitivity, "crispness," or sharpness. That means that even though you may have 20/20 vision, objects may appear fuzzy or grayish.
Your vision probably will be blurry the day of surgery, but it will improve considerably by the next day when you return for a follow-up exam.
If you wear bifocals or reading glasses you will need glasses for reading after LASIK. LASIK cannot restore the flexible (back and forth from distance to near) focus of youth.
It's possible, though unlikely, that you may have corneal scarring, irregular astigmatism and an inability to wear contact lenses.
Your optometrist will measure the curvature of your cornea and your pupils. You may be rejected if your pupils are too large. She'll also measure the topography of your eyes to make sure you don't have an irregular astigmatism or a cone-shaped cornea and the the pachymetry, or thickness, of your cornea. You need to have enough tissue left after your corneas have been cut and reshaped.
As you can see, there's a lot to think about, not least the cost, which currently is about $1700-2000 per eye. Talk it over with you optometrist and above all don't feel pressured by anyone into having LASIK, they are your eyes after all.
The Growth In The Organic And Healthy Food Market
The Growth In The Organic And Healthy Food Market
by: Davinos Greeno
Organic produce is one of the fastest growing food retail sectors in the country.
Health scares such as BSE and foot-and-mouth, plus fears of GM crops/food and synthetic dyes and ingredients such as Sudan1 have led to considerable growth in the organic and the healthy food market as worried consumers seek out more healthy and natural products.
Recent research by market analysts nVision suggests four in ten adults now choose organic options on a regular basis. Organic supermarkets in England are boming and Europes biggest organic event, the Biofach exhibition in Germany in getting bigger every year.
Unfortunately, at the moment retailers are charging artificially high prices. I was in Tesco last week which is a rare occurrence as I shop locally where possible, and I nearly died when I saw the prices being charged for organic yogurt and eggs compared to the non-organic brands. Its about time that the government started to investigate these organic suppliers and supermarkets to see who is ripping us off! Encouraging competition is not always a good idea as this can drives down prices (good for the consumer) which can put organic suppliers out of business if they have small profit margins. I understand that we have to pay more for organic produce because there are more crop failures due to the fact that the farmers cannot use pesticides, but what is an acceptable percentage and does this vary from product to product. Should organic fish be 10 percent more expensive than non organic fish and vegetables 20 per cent etc?
Once only available in small health shops or farmers markets, organic foods are becoming much more widely available. In the past 10 years sales of organic food in the UK have increased over 10-fold from £100m in 1993/94 to nearly £1.4bn in 2004/05. This large growth is predicted to continue, and many companies are jumping into the market. Sales through farmers markets and farm shops have grown faster than any other retail outlet. Organic food and drink now accounts for 1.2 per cent of the total retail market (Source Soil Association).
There are two types of organic foods.
Fresh food
Fresh food is seasonal and perishable. Vegetables and fruits are the most available type of organic, fresh food, and are closely associated with organic farming. They are often purchased directly from growers, at farmers markets, supermarkets or through speciality food stores. Organic meat, eggs, dairy are also available.
Processed food
Processed food accounts for most of the items in a supermarket. Often, within the same store, both organic and conventional versions of products are available, and the price of the organic version is usually higher as already mentioned. Most processed organic food comes from larger companies producing and marketing products like organic baby food, organic beer, organic pasta or other convenience foods.
How do I know its organic?
The term organic is defined by law - all organic food production and processing is governed by a strict set of rules. Look for symbols such as the Soil Association symbol for your guarantee of the highest organic standards. The Soil Association organic symbol is the UK's largest and most recognisable trademark for organic produce. Wherever you see it you can be sure that the food you have purchased has been produced and processed to strict and rigorous animal welfare and environmental standards. Other symbols to look out for include the Organic Food Federation and Certified Organic Ingredients.
Most people dont have enough time to read the labels of all the different food products that they buy to check for organic ingredients. So look for the various symbols, you can then be sure that the product complies with minimum government standards.
The use of such symbols is entirely optional and a product can still be organic even though if it doesnt carry the symbol of a certifying body. That means if you want to be 100% satisfied that what you are eating or using is organic always read the label or speak to the vendor.
Where you will find the symbol? - Look out for organic symbols on almost any kind of food and drink you can think of from fresh produce like fruit, vegetables and meat to processed foods such as bread or baby food. You can even buy organic pet food!
by: Davinos Greeno
Organic produce is one of the fastest growing food retail sectors in the country.
Health scares such as BSE and foot-and-mouth, plus fears of GM crops/food and synthetic dyes and ingredients such as Sudan1 have led to considerable growth in the organic and the healthy food market as worried consumers seek out more healthy and natural products.
Recent research by market analysts nVision suggests four in ten adults now choose organic options on a regular basis. Organic supermarkets in England are boming and Europes biggest organic event, the Biofach exhibition in Germany in getting bigger every year.
Unfortunately, at the moment retailers are charging artificially high prices. I was in Tesco last week which is a rare occurrence as I shop locally where possible, and I nearly died when I saw the prices being charged for organic yogurt and eggs compared to the non-organic brands. Its about time that the government started to investigate these organic suppliers and supermarkets to see who is ripping us off! Encouraging competition is not always a good idea as this can drives down prices (good for the consumer) which can put organic suppliers out of business if they have small profit margins. I understand that we have to pay more for organic produce because there are more crop failures due to the fact that the farmers cannot use pesticides, but what is an acceptable percentage and does this vary from product to product. Should organic fish be 10 percent more expensive than non organic fish and vegetables 20 per cent etc?
Once only available in small health shops or farmers markets, organic foods are becoming much more widely available. In the past 10 years sales of organic food in the UK have increased over 10-fold from £100m in 1993/94 to nearly £1.4bn in 2004/05. This large growth is predicted to continue, and many companies are jumping into the market. Sales through farmers markets and farm shops have grown faster than any other retail outlet. Organic food and drink now accounts for 1.2 per cent of the total retail market (Source Soil Association).
There are two types of organic foods.
Fresh food
Fresh food is seasonal and perishable. Vegetables and fruits are the most available type of organic, fresh food, and are closely associated with organic farming. They are often purchased directly from growers, at farmers markets, supermarkets or through speciality food stores. Organic meat, eggs, dairy are also available.
Processed food
Processed food accounts for most of the items in a supermarket. Often, within the same store, both organic and conventional versions of products are available, and the price of the organic version is usually higher as already mentioned. Most processed organic food comes from larger companies producing and marketing products like organic baby food, organic beer, organic pasta or other convenience foods.
How do I know its organic?
The term organic is defined by law - all organic food production and processing is governed by a strict set of rules. Look for symbols such as the Soil Association symbol for your guarantee of the highest organic standards. The Soil Association organic symbol is the UK's largest and most recognisable trademark for organic produce. Wherever you see it you can be sure that the food you have purchased has been produced and processed to strict and rigorous animal welfare and environmental standards. Other symbols to look out for include the Organic Food Federation and Certified Organic Ingredients.
Most people dont have enough time to read the labels of all the different food products that they buy to check for organic ingredients. So look for the various symbols, you can then be sure that the product complies with minimum government standards.
The use of such symbols is entirely optional and a product can still be organic even though if it doesnt carry the symbol of a certifying body. That means if you want to be 100% satisfied that what you are eating or using is organic always read the label or speak to the vendor.
Where you will find the symbol? - Look out for organic symbols on almost any kind of food and drink you can think of from fresh produce like fruit, vegetables and meat to processed foods such as bread or baby food. You can even buy organic pet food!
What Do You Know About Depression?
What Do You Know About Depression?
by: Glenn Ford
Most people do not take depression seriously enough. They only start paying attention when it is already too late. In fact, to start with, very few recognize the fact that it is a disease like any other. They are not aware that clinically it even has a name. It is known as major depressive disorder.
The general feeling in those who surround persons suffering from depression has always been that it is not a real disease with a real name. The strong conviction in most is that persons suffering from depression are well able to do something about it using their personal will. The feeling is that they have the power and ability to “snap out of it.” Hence the frequent annoyance and frustration quite often displayed by those living with loved ones suffering from depression and depression-related symptoms.
The result is that they never pay attention to the tale-tale signs when the depression has reached dangerous levels. They do not even see them coming and are therefore o very little if any help to the patient.
Understanding the Disease
Understanding depression or major depressive disorder is therefore an extremely important and necessary first step in its treatment and long-term management. The fact of the matter is that depression is a very serious disease and like any other disease, needs to be treated. Failure to seek treatment will only make things worse and can end up in fatal and tragic consequences.
http://www.depressionforum.info/ is a good place to start as you seek out information on how to go about the treatment and management of depression in your loved one suffering from this deadly disease, also known as depressive disorder.
What is Depression?
The whole process of understanding starts with a deep appreciation of what exactly depression is. Medically speaking it is an imbalance of brain chemicals along with a number of other related factors.
Further evidence that the depression condition is a disease and is recognized as such by the medical profession can be found in the fact that it is mostly treated using medication. The treatment is usually a combination of medication and non-medication methods. For instance, psychotherapy or talk therapy is frequently used as a key part of the treatment on a patient who has been diagnosed as suffering from depression.
After Treatment, The Hard Work Starts
One of the most challenging aspects of depression is the fact that after treatment, the disease needs to be managed over a long period of time. It has to be carefully managed for virtually the rest of the life of the patient. The objective here is to minimize or completely eliminate the possibilities of recurrence. This is accomplished using a combination of medication and strict doctor’s order to avoid situations that bring about stress and agitation on the side of the patient.
Understanding the disease and its treatment is critical in managing depression after the major part of the treatment is complete.
by: Glenn Ford
Most people do not take depression seriously enough. They only start paying attention when it is already too late. In fact, to start with, very few recognize the fact that it is a disease like any other. They are not aware that clinically it even has a name. It is known as major depressive disorder.
The general feeling in those who surround persons suffering from depression has always been that it is not a real disease with a real name. The strong conviction in most is that persons suffering from depression are well able to do something about it using their personal will. The feeling is that they have the power and ability to “snap out of it.” Hence the frequent annoyance and frustration quite often displayed by those living with loved ones suffering from depression and depression-related symptoms.
The result is that they never pay attention to the tale-tale signs when the depression has reached dangerous levels. They do not even see them coming and are therefore o very little if any help to the patient.
Understanding the Disease
Understanding depression or major depressive disorder is therefore an extremely important and necessary first step in its treatment and long-term management. The fact of the matter is that depression is a very serious disease and like any other disease, needs to be treated. Failure to seek treatment will only make things worse and can end up in fatal and tragic consequences.
http://www.depressionforum.info/ is a good place to start as you seek out information on how to go about the treatment and management of depression in your loved one suffering from this deadly disease, also known as depressive disorder.
What is Depression?
The whole process of understanding starts with a deep appreciation of what exactly depression is. Medically speaking it is an imbalance of brain chemicals along with a number of other related factors.
Further evidence that the depression condition is a disease and is recognized as such by the medical profession can be found in the fact that it is mostly treated using medication. The treatment is usually a combination of medication and non-medication methods. For instance, psychotherapy or talk therapy is frequently used as a key part of the treatment on a patient who has been diagnosed as suffering from depression.
After Treatment, The Hard Work Starts
One of the most challenging aspects of depression is the fact that after treatment, the disease needs to be managed over a long period of time. It has to be carefully managed for virtually the rest of the life of the patient. The objective here is to minimize or completely eliminate the possibilities of recurrence. This is accomplished using a combination of medication and strict doctor’s order to avoid situations that bring about stress and agitation on the side of the patient.
Understanding the disease and its treatment is critical in managing depression after the major part of the treatment is complete.
Safe Boating Week-Don't Get 'Hooked' On Fishing
Safe Boating Week-Don't Get 'Hooked' On Fishing
by: News Canada
(NC)-There's nothing like a fresh catch of fish to spice up a summer outdoor adventure. As with most outdoor activities, fishing can pose a threat to health and safety. Take care that you don't get hooked on more than just the sport.
St. John Ambulance, Canada's leader in safety-oriented™ first aid training and products, suggests you keep this information handy for every fishing trip.
First Aid for embedded fish hook
Wash your hands to reduce risk of infection.
Expose the injured area and inspect the wound, without touching it.
Gently place clean dressings around the object.
Place bulky dressings around the object to keep it from moving. This will apply pressure to the wound but not the object.
Secure the bulky dressings in place with a narrow bandage; taking extra care to ensure that pressure is not exerted on the embedded object.
Elevate the injured part, if injuries permit. Check circulation below the injury before and after bandaging. You may have to loosen the bandage slightly to restore circulation.
Get medical help to remove the object. Do not attempt this yourself as you may cause further damage.
Knowing what to do in an emergency is your best defence. St. John Ambulance is the name you can trust for quality first aid training and products. For more information, contact the St. John Ambulance branch nearest you or check us out on the Internet at www.sja.ca.
by: News Canada
(NC)-There's nothing like a fresh catch of fish to spice up a summer outdoor adventure. As with most outdoor activities, fishing can pose a threat to health and safety. Take care that you don't get hooked on more than just the sport.
St. John Ambulance, Canada's leader in safety-oriented™ first aid training and products, suggests you keep this information handy for every fishing trip.
First Aid for embedded fish hook
Wash your hands to reduce risk of infection.
Expose the injured area and inspect the wound, without touching it.
Gently place clean dressings around the object.
Place bulky dressings around the object to keep it from moving. This will apply pressure to the wound but not the object.
Secure the bulky dressings in place with a narrow bandage; taking extra care to ensure that pressure is not exerted on the embedded object.
Elevate the injured part, if injuries permit. Check circulation below the injury before and after bandaging. You may have to loosen the bandage slightly to restore circulation.
Get medical help to remove the object. Do not attempt this yourself as you may cause further damage.
Knowing what to do in an emergency is your best defence. St. John Ambulance is the name you can trust for quality first aid training and products. For more information, contact the St. John Ambulance branch nearest you or check us out on the Internet at www.sja.ca.
Was The Ephedra Ban Really a Success?
Was The Ephedra Ban Really a Success?
by: Ted Collins
Ephedra and Ephedrine consumers are still under the assumption that the Ephedra ban is still in place. It probably comes as a great surprise that the ban on Ephedra, one of nature’s most powerful weight loss supplements, was lifted in April of 2005. A Utah Judge overturned the FDA’s decision. So why is it that the most sought after diet pill so difficult to get your hands on? We spoke to four of the top nutritional suppliers. They tell us that the demand is higher than ever. However, they admit they haven’t been following the new ruling. As a result, they missed the boat.
There is one company, Ephedra Labs that did follow the series of rulings very closely. Just as quickly as the gavel fell on the final decision last April, Ephedra Labs purchased the entire supply of the pure form of MaHuang. They now own the entire world supply of pure form Ephedra for the next 9 months. The only place a consumer can purchase Ephedra is by visting www.EphedraLabs.com. They even offer discounts if the order is placed online.
The power of Ephedra cannot be denied. It has helped hundreds of thousands of people with weight problems slim down. Where other pills and potions have failed, Ephedra still remains as the top challenger for the most powerful weight loss supplement out there. Ephedra Labs tells us they can barely keep it on the shelves with some of the wholesale suppliers stepping up to the plate wanting to purchase crates of their product. This is great news for Ephedra consumers is that the “weight” is over.
by: Ted Collins
Ephedra and Ephedrine consumers are still under the assumption that the Ephedra ban is still in place. It probably comes as a great surprise that the ban on Ephedra, one of nature’s most powerful weight loss supplements, was lifted in April of 2005. A Utah Judge overturned the FDA’s decision. So why is it that the most sought after diet pill so difficult to get your hands on? We spoke to four of the top nutritional suppliers. They tell us that the demand is higher than ever. However, they admit they haven’t been following the new ruling. As a result, they missed the boat.
There is one company, Ephedra Labs that did follow the series of rulings very closely. Just as quickly as the gavel fell on the final decision last April, Ephedra Labs purchased the entire supply of the pure form of MaHuang. They now own the entire world supply of pure form Ephedra for the next 9 months. The only place a consumer can purchase Ephedra is by visting www.EphedraLabs.com. They even offer discounts if the order is placed online.
The power of Ephedra cannot be denied. It has helped hundreds of thousands of people with weight problems slim down. Where other pills and potions have failed, Ephedra still remains as the top challenger for the most powerful weight loss supplement out there. Ephedra Labs tells us they can barely keep it on the shelves with some of the wholesale suppliers stepping up to the plate wanting to purchase crates of their product. This is great news for Ephedra consumers is that the “weight” is over.
You Want To Cleanse Your Body. What About A Detox Program?
You Want To Cleanse Your Body. What About A Detox Program?
by: Kerris Samson
In this day and age detoxification programs are being promoted as a remedy to counteract the unhealthy life’s that many people have led for many years. Many people who believe in detoxification note that a good program will not only help increase a person’s energy levels, but also slow the aging process as well as aid the person’s digestive system and help to relieve the symptoms commonly associated with diabetes and asthma. But one of the greatest benefits of any detoxification program is the weight loss experienced.
The human body is equipped with several different systems which help it to detox naturally, but with the stressful lifestyles that many people lead nowadays and the bad eating habits we all seem to have, this eventually overburdens our bodies natural detox systems. This results in our bodies being unable to cope with the amount of toxic matter that is flowing through it and in the end out body is unable to remove them naturally and the balance of our body becomes disrupted.
What a good detoxification program does for the body is help to restore the balance, remove the waste (toxics) that have built up in it and thus improve the bodies efficiency. In a number of autopsies carried out by coroners they have found that the person’s colon had more than 75% of waste matter inside it. The result of this is that the systems which should cleanse the blood and our intestinal tracks to not function correctly. Because of this the nutrients that we place in our body can be absorbed properly and we begin to gain weight, often we become tired and irritable and following this a number of other health issues (problems) can come into play.
So by cleaning your colon and liver using a detoxification program you will find that this relieves any clogs that have occurred and allows your body to beginning functioning properly once again. This means that the nutrients your body requires will be more efficiently absorbed and you may find that after carrying out such a program you no longer crave either sugar or fried foods. In fact so many people have reported how good they felt after doing a detox program that they have now changed their diets and eat more carefully.
Once the toxins have been flushed out of their bodies many have reported that they have highly increased energy levels and they have begun taking up exercise to further assist their detox program, which results in them losing weight.
A number of researchers have discovered that the levels of toxins in the body rises as more fat is manufactured to protect it, and it has been found that weight gain is a natural occurrence because of toxins building up in the body. So by removing the toxins you are allowing your body to release the excess fat that you have gained and this results in natural weight loss.
Although there are many detox programs on the market today, it is better that you only choose one after you have carried out extensive research on the subject. There are some programs that also include a parasite remover as well as being able to remove toxins from the body.
I think you will be pleasantly surprised after carrying out one of these programs how much more energy you have and how much weight you will have lost!
by: Kerris Samson
In this day and age detoxification programs are being promoted as a remedy to counteract the unhealthy life’s that many people have led for many years. Many people who believe in detoxification note that a good program will not only help increase a person’s energy levels, but also slow the aging process as well as aid the person’s digestive system and help to relieve the symptoms commonly associated with diabetes and asthma. But one of the greatest benefits of any detoxification program is the weight loss experienced.
The human body is equipped with several different systems which help it to detox naturally, but with the stressful lifestyles that many people lead nowadays and the bad eating habits we all seem to have, this eventually overburdens our bodies natural detox systems. This results in our bodies being unable to cope with the amount of toxic matter that is flowing through it and in the end out body is unable to remove them naturally and the balance of our body becomes disrupted.
What a good detoxification program does for the body is help to restore the balance, remove the waste (toxics) that have built up in it and thus improve the bodies efficiency. In a number of autopsies carried out by coroners they have found that the person’s colon had more than 75% of waste matter inside it. The result of this is that the systems which should cleanse the blood and our intestinal tracks to not function correctly. Because of this the nutrients that we place in our body can be absorbed properly and we begin to gain weight, often we become tired and irritable and following this a number of other health issues (problems) can come into play.
So by cleaning your colon and liver using a detoxification program you will find that this relieves any clogs that have occurred and allows your body to beginning functioning properly once again. This means that the nutrients your body requires will be more efficiently absorbed and you may find that after carrying out such a program you no longer crave either sugar or fried foods. In fact so many people have reported how good they felt after doing a detox program that they have now changed their diets and eat more carefully.
Once the toxins have been flushed out of their bodies many have reported that they have highly increased energy levels and they have begun taking up exercise to further assist their detox program, which results in them losing weight.
A number of researchers have discovered that the levels of toxins in the body rises as more fat is manufactured to protect it, and it has been found that weight gain is a natural occurrence because of toxins building up in the body. So by removing the toxins you are allowing your body to release the excess fat that you have gained and this results in natural weight loss.
Although there are many detox programs on the market today, it is better that you only choose one after you have carried out extensive research on the subject. There are some programs that also include a parasite remover as well as being able to remove toxins from the body.
I think you will be pleasantly surprised after carrying out one of these programs how much more energy you have and how much weight you will have lost!
The Three Simple Steps To Fat Loss
The Three Simple Steps To Fat Loss
by: Gary Matthews
Its unbelievable but being overweight has now moved from a social nuisance and domestic embarrassment to an official disease.
The American Heart Association has announced obesity a dangerous epidemic and a major risk for heart disease. More than 70% of US adults are overweight and that figure is rapidly increasing.
But by following three simple steps in your everyday life you do not have to become one of the above statistics. They are easy to follow without time constraints and don’t require a complete lifestyle change. These three steps are:
1. Strength Training - Nowadays you do not have to live in a gym to put on functional muscle. Short High Intensity sessions performed once a week is all that is required to elevate the metabolism for total fat burning.
2. A Small Decrease in Daily Calories - Diets don’t work (everybody knows this by now) but by decreasing your daily calories by a small amount, the weight loss is body fat alone and not lean tissue and water that is associated with crash diets. Remember fat accumulates on the body over a long period of time so it must come off slowly.
3. More Incidental Activity - Instead of driving try walking, walk instead of taking elevators or escalators; take the stairs and so on. Just keep moving through out the day.
Lets have a look at the Three Steps in more detail below:
Strength Training
Between the ages of 20 and 70 the average person loses one quarter of their muscle mass. Running, cycling or other aerobic sports will not prevent this loss. This is very disturbing because the muscles are the engines of the body and every pound of muscle burns 100 calories every day.
By adding just 10 pounds of functional muscle to your body, you will burn off 60 pounds of fat over the next year. Providing you take in the same amount of calories, it will keep burning those extra pounds year after year!
The amount of fat the body can burn is directly related to the lean muscle your body has.
If you don't perform strength training to maintain your muscle tissue, you will lose half a pound of the fat burning tissue per year after the age of 20 years. In simpler terms the more functional muscle you have on your body the more fat you will burn up.
Small Decrease in Daily Calories
For years now, we have been told to use dieting to rid the excess fat from our bodies.
The trouble with this concept is that the low calorie restricted diet would throw the body into starvation mode, with the body holding onto the fat and using precious muscle tissue for energy.
This would then lower the metabolism causing greater muscle loss and when the diet is broken the unwanted fat would not only return but actually increase because to the lowered metabolism.
The way around this is to cut your daily calorie intake by a small amount of calories only. This will stop any starvation mechanisms from clicking in.
You can do this by making up a seven day eating plan and writing down every thing you eat for the week, and then work out the calories you have eaten with a calorie counter. Divide this figure by seven and you have your daily calorie value.
Decrease daily calorie value by a couple of hundred calories per day and no more. This will generate slow weight loss and the majority will be fat loss only. The daily calories should be consumed during the day with small frequent meals.
The calories should come from a balanced diet (no fad diets please) with the required amount of micronutrients, vitamins and minerals. As well as containing the required amounts of fibre, fat, protein and carbohydrates.
More Incidental Activity
Fat is burned from the body when cells oxidize to release energy in the form of exercise. When the exercise is done slowly to moderately then the majority of energy is taken from the fat stores.
The key to effective aerobic training that burns off maximum fat is long-term consistency not intensity. It doesn’t matter if you run a mile, jog a mile or walk a mile you will burn exactly the same amount of calories.
The best exercise by far for the purpose of fat loss is fast walking either indoors on the treadmill or outdoors. Other aerobic activities are the treadmill, bike, climber or any other training gear found in or out of the Gym.
Start with 100 minutes of controlled incidental activity per week increasing this to 200 minutes a week or more. In all other activities try to move, move, move.
Try parking the car further away from your destination so you can walk the extra distance, hide all your remote controls so you have to get up and change the channels manually. These all help burn those extra calories and body fat from your frame.
So go ahead, by incorporating these three simple fat loss steps into your everyday life you will not have to change your lifestyle or be subject to time constraints.
by: Gary Matthews
Its unbelievable but being overweight has now moved from a social nuisance and domestic embarrassment to an official disease.
The American Heart Association has announced obesity a dangerous epidemic and a major risk for heart disease. More than 70% of US adults are overweight and that figure is rapidly increasing.
But by following three simple steps in your everyday life you do not have to become one of the above statistics. They are easy to follow without time constraints and don’t require a complete lifestyle change. These three steps are:
1. Strength Training - Nowadays you do not have to live in a gym to put on functional muscle. Short High Intensity sessions performed once a week is all that is required to elevate the metabolism for total fat burning.
2. A Small Decrease in Daily Calories - Diets don’t work (everybody knows this by now) but by decreasing your daily calories by a small amount, the weight loss is body fat alone and not lean tissue and water that is associated with crash diets. Remember fat accumulates on the body over a long period of time so it must come off slowly.
3. More Incidental Activity - Instead of driving try walking, walk instead of taking elevators or escalators; take the stairs and so on. Just keep moving through out the day.
Lets have a look at the Three Steps in more detail below:
Strength Training
Between the ages of 20 and 70 the average person loses one quarter of their muscle mass. Running, cycling or other aerobic sports will not prevent this loss. This is very disturbing because the muscles are the engines of the body and every pound of muscle burns 100 calories every day.
By adding just 10 pounds of functional muscle to your body, you will burn off 60 pounds of fat over the next year. Providing you take in the same amount of calories, it will keep burning those extra pounds year after year!
The amount of fat the body can burn is directly related to the lean muscle your body has.
If you don't perform strength training to maintain your muscle tissue, you will lose half a pound of the fat burning tissue per year after the age of 20 years. In simpler terms the more functional muscle you have on your body the more fat you will burn up.
Small Decrease in Daily Calories
For years now, we have been told to use dieting to rid the excess fat from our bodies.
The trouble with this concept is that the low calorie restricted diet would throw the body into starvation mode, with the body holding onto the fat and using precious muscle tissue for energy.
This would then lower the metabolism causing greater muscle loss and when the diet is broken the unwanted fat would not only return but actually increase because to the lowered metabolism.
The way around this is to cut your daily calorie intake by a small amount of calories only. This will stop any starvation mechanisms from clicking in.
You can do this by making up a seven day eating plan and writing down every thing you eat for the week, and then work out the calories you have eaten with a calorie counter. Divide this figure by seven and you have your daily calorie value.
Decrease daily calorie value by a couple of hundred calories per day and no more. This will generate slow weight loss and the majority will be fat loss only. The daily calories should be consumed during the day with small frequent meals.
The calories should come from a balanced diet (no fad diets please) with the required amount of micronutrients, vitamins and minerals. As well as containing the required amounts of fibre, fat, protein and carbohydrates.
More Incidental Activity
Fat is burned from the body when cells oxidize to release energy in the form of exercise. When the exercise is done slowly to moderately then the majority of energy is taken from the fat stores.
The key to effective aerobic training that burns off maximum fat is long-term consistency not intensity. It doesn’t matter if you run a mile, jog a mile or walk a mile you will burn exactly the same amount of calories.
The best exercise by far for the purpose of fat loss is fast walking either indoors on the treadmill or outdoors. Other aerobic activities are the treadmill, bike, climber or any other training gear found in or out of the Gym.
Start with 100 minutes of controlled incidental activity per week increasing this to 200 minutes a week or more. In all other activities try to move, move, move.
Try parking the car further away from your destination so you can walk the extra distance, hide all your remote controls so you have to get up and change the channels manually. These all help burn those extra calories and body fat from your frame.
So go ahead, by incorporating these three simple fat loss steps into your everyday life you will not have to change your lifestyle or be subject to time constraints.
Facts About Allergies For Parents
Facts About Allergies For Parents
by: News Canada
(NC)-Did you know that more than 20 percent of school-age children suffer from allergies. A condition that, if not diagnosed properly, can interfere with a child's ability to concentrate.
In fact, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, allergies account for 2 million missed school days each year, and on any given day more than 10,000 children are absent from school due to troublesome allergy symptoms. In Canada, this represents approximately 200,000 missed school days and more than 1,000 children missing school on any given day because of allergies. Allergies can have a significant impact on a child's quality of life.
Fortunately, the allergy experts at Claritin, the leader in the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergies, have developed appropriate information to help parents determine whether a child suffers from allergies.
For instance, if one parent has allergies, chances are one in three that a child will have an allergy, and if both parents have allergies the chance jumps to seven in 10.
By providing parents with the appropriate information, they will be better equipped to consult with their healthcare provider and set up an appropriate system to help avoid a child's allergy triggers.
It can be hard for parents to distinguish between colds and allergies without help, because many symptoms of each are similar.
The casual misdiagnosis that "it's just a cold" can result in unnecessary suffering for the child with allergies. Here are some common allergy symptoms parents should look for:
A runny or stuffy nose and constant sneezing
Breathing through the mouth or snoring, due to a stuffy nose
Itchy nose, eyes, or skin
Rubbing the nose upward with the palm of the hand (also known as the "allergy salute")
Watery eyes or dark circles under the eyes
Headaches, earaches, or hearing problems
Changes in behavior; children may be irritable or hyperactive
Once a physician has determined that a child has allergies, parents should know there are treatment options available to ease the symptoms including avoidance of allergy triggers, allergy shots, and/or medications. One medication in particular, Claritin Syrup is learning friendly for children. It is the only non-sedating antihistamine for children to treat both seasonal and year-round allergies without causing drowsiness.
For more information on allergies and their effect on learning contact 1-800-665-1507 or visit www.claritin.ca.
by: News Canada
(NC)-Did you know that more than 20 percent of school-age children suffer from allergies. A condition that, if not diagnosed properly, can interfere with a child's ability to concentrate.
In fact, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, allergies account for 2 million missed school days each year, and on any given day more than 10,000 children are absent from school due to troublesome allergy symptoms. In Canada, this represents approximately 200,000 missed school days and more than 1,000 children missing school on any given day because of allergies. Allergies can have a significant impact on a child's quality of life.
Fortunately, the allergy experts at Claritin, the leader in the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergies, have developed appropriate information to help parents determine whether a child suffers from allergies.
For instance, if one parent has allergies, chances are one in three that a child will have an allergy, and if both parents have allergies the chance jumps to seven in 10.
By providing parents with the appropriate information, they will be better equipped to consult with their healthcare provider and set up an appropriate system to help avoid a child's allergy triggers.
It can be hard for parents to distinguish between colds and allergies without help, because many symptoms of each are similar.
The casual misdiagnosis that "it's just a cold" can result in unnecessary suffering for the child with allergies. Here are some common allergy symptoms parents should look for:
A runny or stuffy nose and constant sneezing
Breathing through the mouth or snoring, due to a stuffy nose
Itchy nose, eyes, or skin
Rubbing the nose upward with the palm of the hand (also known as the "allergy salute")
Watery eyes or dark circles under the eyes
Headaches, earaches, or hearing problems
Changes in behavior; children may be irritable or hyperactive
Once a physician has determined that a child has allergies, parents should know there are treatment options available to ease the symptoms including avoidance of allergy triggers, allergy shots, and/or medications. One medication in particular, Claritin Syrup is learning friendly for children. It is the only non-sedating antihistamine for children to treat both seasonal and year-round allergies without causing drowsiness.
For more information on allergies and their effect on learning contact 1-800-665-1507 or visit www.claritin.ca.
Acidity verses Alkalinity
Acidity verses Alkalinity
by: Glenn Antoine
While I originally started to avoid this subject like the plague, I felt the need to at a minimum address it because there are so many widely differing view points on what this actually means, what to do about it and how this really affects your overall health.
I was very happy to find that the Chief Science Officer at Univera LifeSciences, Steven Cherniske, had published a very informative article, “The Acid Alkaline Mystery Solved”, on this very subject. For any of you that have read any of Stephen Cherniske’s work, you will not be surprised to see that it comes complete with all the references that you could hope for and the straight hard facts on this very confusing subject. As a result of this finding I am not going to attempt to do the subject justice, by trying to recreate an article of equal caliber. Verses re-inventing the wheel I am going to simply hit some of the high points for those of you who would prefer the cliff notes version. For those that would like to read all of the details I will leave that to Stephen and his article, “The Acid Alkaline Mystery Solved”.
First of all what is an Acid or for that matter an Alkaline substance? These substances are measured on a pH scale with water being neutral at 7.0. With values less than 7.0 being acid and the lower the pH value the stronger the acid. As you may have guessed alkaline (or base) substances have a value greater than 7.0 up to a maximum of 14. By now you may be wondering where our bodies should fall on this scale. First of all when we speak of an acid/alkaline balance in the body we are talking about the pH balance of our blood and tissues that should remain in a fairly narrow range of about 7.4 – slightly alkaline.
The real heart of the matter here is the byproducts of the digestion of foods that we consume and absorb. The biggest contributors to the fact that ACIDOSIS is at an all time high are the facts that most Americans are consuming beef and/or poultry multiple times per day, Americans are now consuming more soft drinks than water, consumption of coffee (caffeinated & decaffeinated) and lastly the processing of many of our foods have removed all of the alkaline forming minerals. When thinking about the foods that we consume you can not take the natural state of a food as the prime indicator of how that food will interact with our bodies. As an example, most fruits when consumed will result in an alkaline ash residue once digested even though naturally they maybe very high in acid in their natural state, even oranges.
The primary acid forming foods in your diet contain the minerals, sulfur, phosphorus and iron. Typically you will find these minerals in proteins, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, grains, most nuts and soft drinks (due to the high phosphate levels).The minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium form alkaline reactions in the body and are found primarily in fruits and vegetables, and so these foods are classified as alkaline forming foods. As many of you are aware the consumption of alkaline-forming vegetables and fruit is at an all-time low. This has resulted in an increase of acidosis which accelerates catabolic damage and impairs our bodies anabolic repair processes. One of the best examples is the fact that it has been known for a long time that diets high in protein greatly increase the risk of osteoporosis. While there are many theories on this subject it appears that the body is simply taking from one part of the body to help support other systems that have been depleted due to the body staying in such a high state of acidosis.
In an attempt to help us make this shift in our diet Univera LifeSciences has created MetaGreens™. MetaGreens™ is extraordinary mix of land and sea vegetables, all of which are rich in alkaline minerals. I take great comfort in knowing that these greens are pesticide-free, grown on high-nutrient soil that has never been chemically fertilized. Additionally, Univera LifeSciences takes great care to ensure that the vegetables are harvested at the peak of their nutrient value and then these ingredients are processed by low-temperature dehydration to retain all the raw food goodness and manufactured in small batches to maximize freshness.
While the words “stomach acid” have a negative connotations for many of you it is because you have been brain washed over the years by the non-stop advertisements about how excess stomach acid is causing all of your discomforts. While I would be able to spend days address this issue I will pass. For those of you that want to read a very well presented explanation of why our stomach acids are in fact a good thing please read Stephen Cherniske’s article. For myself I continue to rely on Univera LifeSciences Aloe Gold product to help keep my digestive track in order and functioning properly. For those of you that have not tried Aloe Gold take a moment to ask anyone that have used the product and I am very certain you will hear fantastic praises about how it has helped them with numerous digestive track disorders.
I hope that you have found this latest entry to be of interest and most of informative. While I have barely scratched the surface here I hope that I have helped to clear up some of the confusion associated with the Acid Alkaline debate. For those of you that are hungry for more on this I can not recommend highly enough that you read Stephen Cherniske’s article the Acid Alkaline Mystery Solved.
Reference:
1) AcidAlkalineMysterySolved - http://www.aginghealthier.com/pdfs/AcidAlkalineMysterySolved.pdf
2) Stephen Cherniske, M.S., The Metabolic Plan, The Random House Publishing Company, 2003, ISBN: 0-345-44102-8, http://www.themetabolicplan.com/
3) Natural Health School - http://www.naturalhealthschool.com/acid-alkaline.html
by: Glenn Antoine
While I originally started to avoid this subject like the plague, I felt the need to at a minimum address it because there are so many widely differing view points on what this actually means, what to do about it and how this really affects your overall health.
I was very happy to find that the Chief Science Officer at Univera LifeSciences, Steven Cherniske, had published a very informative article, “The Acid Alkaline Mystery Solved”, on this very subject. For any of you that have read any of Stephen Cherniske’s work, you will not be surprised to see that it comes complete with all the references that you could hope for and the straight hard facts on this very confusing subject. As a result of this finding I am not going to attempt to do the subject justice, by trying to recreate an article of equal caliber. Verses re-inventing the wheel I am going to simply hit some of the high points for those of you who would prefer the cliff notes version. For those that would like to read all of the details I will leave that to Stephen and his article, “The Acid Alkaline Mystery Solved”.
First of all what is an Acid or for that matter an Alkaline substance? These substances are measured on a pH scale with water being neutral at 7.0. With values less than 7.0 being acid and the lower the pH value the stronger the acid. As you may have guessed alkaline (or base) substances have a value greater than 7.0 up to a maximum of 14. By now you may be wondering where our bodies should fall on this scale. First of all when we speak of an acid/alkaline balance in the body we are talking about the pH balance of our blood and tissues that should remain in a fairly narrow range of about 7.4 – slightly alkaline.
The real heart of the matter here is the byproducts of the digestion of foods that we consume and absorb. The biggest contributors to the fact that ACIDOSIS is at an all time high are the facts that most Americans are consuming beef and/or poultry multiple times per day, Americans are now consuming more soft drinks than water, consumption of coffee (caffeinated & decaffeinated) and lastly the processing of many of our foods have removed all of the alkaline forming minerals. When thinking about the foods that we consume you can not take the natural state of a food as the prime indicator of how that food will interact with our bodies. As an example, most fruits when consumed will result in an alkaline ash residue once digested even though naturally they maybe very high in acid in their natural state, even oranges.
The primary acid forming foods in your diet contain the minerals, sulfur, phosphorus and iron. Typically you will find these minerals in proteins, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, grains, most nuts and soft drinks (due to the high phosphate levels).The minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium form alkaline reactions in the body and are found primarily in fruits and vegetables, and so these foods are classified as alkaline forming foods. As many of you are aware the consumption of alkaline-forming vegetables and fruit is at an all-time low. This has resulted in an increase of acidosis which accelerates catabolic damage and impairs our bodies anabolic repair processes. One of the best examples is the fact that it has been known for a long time that diets high in protein greatly increase the risk of osteoporosis. While there are many theories on this subject it appears that the body is simply taking from one part of the body to help support other systems that have been depleted due to the body staying in such a high state of acidosis.
In an attempt to help us make this shift in our diet Univera LifeSciences has created MetaGreens™. MetaGreens™ is extraordinary mix of land and sea vegetables, all of which are rich in alkaline minerals. I take great comfort in knowing that these greens are pesticide-free, grown on high-nutrient soil that has never been chemically fertilized. Additionally, Univera LifeSciences takes great care to ensure that the vegetables are harvested at the peak of their nutrient value and then these ingredients are processed by low-temperature dehydration to retain all the raw food goodness and manufactured in small batches to maximize freshness.
While the words “stomach acid” have a negative connotations for many of you it is because you have been brain washed over the years by the non-stop advertisements about how excess stomach acid is causing all of your discomforts. While I would be able to spend days address this issue I will pass. For those of you that want to read a very well presented explanation of why our stomach acids are in fact a good thing please read Stephen Cherniske’s article. For myself I continue to rely on Univera LifeSciences Aloe Gold product to help keep my digestive track in order and functioning properly. For those of you that have not tried Aloe Gold take a moment to ask anyone that have used the product and I am very certain you will hear fantastic praises about how it has helped them with numerous digestive track disorders.
I hope that you have found this latest entry to be of interest and most of informative. While I have barely scratched the surface here I hope that I have helped to clear up some of the confusion associated with the Acid Alkaline debate. For those of you that are hungry for more on this I can not recommend highly enough that you read Stephen Cherniske’s article the Acid Alkaline Mystery Solved.
Reference:
1) AcidAlkalineMysterySolved - http://www.aginghealthier.com/pdfs/AcidAlkalineMysterySolved.pdf
2) Stephen Cherniske, M.S., The Metabolic Plan, The Random House Publishing Company, 2003, ISBN: 0-345-44102-8, http://www.themetabolicplan.com/
3) Natural Health School - http://www.naturalhealthschool.com/acid-alkaline.html
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