Most dictionaries define pandemic as "an epidemic that is geographically widespread; occurring throughout a region or even throughout the world." Recently, Klaus Stohr, the coordinator of the global infuenza program at the World Health Organization predicted a bird flu pandemic that would take more lives than the Spanish Flu of 1918 wherein 20-to-40 million perished. He wasn't the only expert who pressed the panic button. United States Health and...more
I remember back in my senior year of high school - my best friend since 5th grade was living in France. He wrote that they didn't like Americans much. "They think we're all fat," he said. With his own skinny frame, of course, he confounded their belief. But, he added a funny, or perhaps ironic capstone to the issue. "I went to a store, and they were selling statues of these fat people, and, at the base of each one was written, 'American.'"Obesity...more
Modern Living, Complex Health ProblemsIn our post-modern industrial polluted stress-filled bad-diet culture, no one's health is simple. We are plagued by complex long-term illnesses like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, AIDS, even sinus problems... it may seem weird to you that I include sinus infections, but the root causes of sinus trouble can be quite complicated... Especially if they are long-term.Antibiotic Overuse ProblemsI hate to say it (because antibiotics are so great in some situations, and so popular overall), but antibiotics can complicate things even further - there are conditions that do not respond to them... and there are many situations in which they are not even indicated.Physicians have over-prescribed antibiotics for years... they know it, there have been studies that show it, and as a profession they've moved away from that. But people still want to leave the doctor's office with a prescription, a magic-bullet. Of course, sometimes the issue is which antibiotic is the most appropriate one. They don't all work for everything.Antibiotic Side Effects - When They're WrongIf the sinusitis hasn't responded to antibiotics, then either the...more
In an article, "The Irreversible Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking", Paul H. Brodish, MSPH of the American Council on Science and Health defined irreversible health effect as a permanent change in the structure and/or function of an organ system or a permanently increased risk of suffering from a disease or some other threat to health. Thus, ...more
We all know to exercise our bodies to keep fit, but how often do you think about exercising your brain? And what type of exercise does it need anyway? What are the facts? What is the secret to mental agility?Keeping mentally active will keep your brain in good shape. Getting older does not mean that you have to be forgetful!Recent research into...more
It is a must for all of us to be conscious of the proper nourishment that our body needs. While all of us are aware that it is important to have an intake of three complete meals per day, with at least snacks in between, many, though, are not very conscious of meeting the body's daily nutritional needs, while attending to their daily menu. Knowing the importance of balancing each meal according to the necessary nourishment needed by our body will help greatly in minimizing risks of disease, sickness or infections. It would also minimize even physical, mental and emotional stress.Now that we realize that proper strategizing of our daily meals to meet up with the required nutritional needs of our bodies, let's begin going back to the lessons we have learned about the GO, GROW and GLOW FOODS way, way back in our childhood education. To meet our body's daily energy needs, in order to minimize risks of chronic disease, adults should get 45% - 65% of their calories from carbohydrates, 20%-35% from fat, (the GO foods of our childhood studies), and 10% - 35% from protein. This is from the newest report on recommendations for healthy eating from the National Academies' Institute of...more
Do women going through menopause have lowered levels of progesterone? Recent research tells us that women do suffer from decreased levels of progesterone and also experience other symptoms such as unexplained weight gain (particularly in the stomach...more
We all know that botox is fast becoming one of the most popular ways for people to get rid of those irritating fine lines and wrinkles that naturally go along with aging. It is also one of the leading reasons why so many people that you meet these...more
Developed by Barry Sears PhD, the 'Zone Diet' is the latest in a long line of attempts to get a fresh angle on weightloss, and is currently among the 5 most popular diets in the States, partly because dieters report losing up to 5 pounds in the first...more
Running with knees that hurt and are not getting better trough time is no fun, and being addicted to running doesn't help either.Fortunately, pain isn't always a definite sign of tissue damage; instead it can be protective pain that is coming from...more
Having a personal wellness program has become a concern for more and more people. The problem is many people do not know where to begin a wellness program. Here are a few keys to maintaining a personal wellness program:Know and understand your...more
Rope skipping is an excellent cardiovascular exercise according to the U.S. Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Council. It is far less hard on the muscles and bones than jogging. While running or jogging, each foot absorbs up to 5 times the body...more