WINTER SKIN CARE TIPS AND TRICKS

Dry Skin Woes


Is your skin feeling dry and tight -- even itchy or flaky? Any number of things can strip your skin of its protective oils. The result: Everything from chapped lips and itchy skin to cracked heels. Relief is in your grasp. Use this pictorial guide to see top cold-weather threats to your skin and what you can do about them

SOS for Chapped Lips

Home Remedies

Cure for Acidity. (Courtesy Col Suresh Kandoth,MD)

Acidity, it is said, is worse than Cancer. It is one of the most common disease people encounter in their daily life. The home remedy for Acidity is "Raw Grains of Rice." They reduce acid levels in the body and make you feel better by the day.

BE HEALTHY

 This is very interesting health information...... Coincidental ???

. Believe it or not

MUSHROOM – EAR

10 Ways to Detoxify Your Body

Three naturopathic physicians share insight on why and when to detox, what type of detox program is right for you, and 10 ways to start.

"The body has its own natural healing system "Detoxification enhances this system,"

How Does Detoxification Work?
Basically, detoxification means cleaning the blood. It does this mainly by removing impurities from the blood in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. The body also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymph and skin. However, when this system is compromised, impurities aren't properly filtered and every cell in the body is adversely affected.
A detox program can help the body's natural cleaning process by:

HEALTH TIPS: EAT VARIETY OF NUTRIENT-RICH FOODS.

Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods. How much you should eat depends on your calorie needs. Use the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels as handy references.


Tips for Youth

Maintain a healthy weight. The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management.Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.

Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you know the recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, similar in size to a deck of playing cards? A medium piece of fruit is 1 serving and a cup of pasta equals 2 servings. A pint of ice cream contains 4 servings. Refer to the Food Guide Pyramid for information on recommended serving sizes.

Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you're very hungry, it's also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.

Reduce, don't eliminate certain foods. Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition.

If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them. Identify major sources of these ingredients in your diet and make changes, if necessary. Adults who eat high-fat meats or whole-milk dairy products at every meal are probably eating too much fat.

Use the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to help balance your choices. Choosing skim or low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef round can reduce fat intake significantly.

Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don't enjoy some of these at first, give them another chance. Look through cookbooks for tasty ways to prepare unfamiliar foods.

Better Health Solution, Health Tips and Information: What Is Heart Disease?

Better Health Solution, Health Tips and Information: What Is Heart Disease?: "Bring up heart disease, and most people think of a heart attack. But there are many conditions that can undermine the heart's ability to do ..."

What Is Heart Disease?

Bring up heart disease, and most people think of a heart attack. But there are many conditions that can undermine the heart's ability to do its job. These include coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia, and heart failure. Keep reading to find out what these disorders do to the body and how to recognize the warning signs.

What Is a Heart Attack?

Every year, more than 1 million Americans have a heart attack – a sudden interruption in the heart's blood supply. This happens when there is a blockage in the coronary arteries, the vessels that carry blood to the heart muscle. When blood flow is blocked, heart muscle can be damaged very quickly and die. Prompt emergency treatments have reduced the number of deaths from heart attacks in recent years.

Heart Attack Symptoms

10 Tips for Meatless Meals:Whether you're a vegan or 'flexitarian,' vegging out has health benefits

These days, more and more people are seeking the health benefits of a diet rich in plant-based foods; foods that are now easily found on the shelves of neighborhood grocery stores.

According to the American Dietetic Association, approximately 2.5% of the U.S. adult population eats a diet free of meat, poultry, and fish. And a growing number of people are embracing the flexitarian way of life, which offers many of the health benefits of a vegetarian diet while still allowing occasional meat, fish, and/or poultry.

Eating to Control High Blood Pressure

u know lifestyle can keep high blood pressure at bay. But what if you've already got it?

Can I really make the kinds of lifestyle changes that will lower my blood pressure?

Changing your lifestyle is a very personal decision. I never tell patients what to do. But what concerns me, and why I appreciate the chance to talk with WebMD, is that many people don't even know they have a choice.

They go to their doctor or dietitian or nurse and get put on a very moderate diet -- less red meat, more fish and chicken, three or four eggs a week, and so on. It doesn't do too much. Then they are told, "Now you have failed diet, and we have to put you on these drugs for the rest of your life."

What I would like to see people told is, "OK, for some people small changes are enough, because there is a spectrum of healthy choices. But for you, if moderate change doesn't work, it just means you need to make bigger changes than someone else."

Our genes do play a role. But they are more of a predisposition, not a death sentence. If you are genetically unlucky, you just have to make bigger changes. For most people, if the changes are big enough, under their doctor's care they can reduce or get off these drugs. That's what makes our work radical. It gets to the root of the problem.

Salt. If you've got high blood pressure, everyone blames salt. Does everyone need to restrict their salt intake?

Your body keeps a very narrow concentration of sodium. To do that, it can either dilute it or excrete it.

Most people who eat too much salt just pee it out. But when you have high blood pressure, it starts to damage the kidney and that makes it harder to get rid of excess sodium. This causes the blood pressure to go even higher. It's a vicious cycle.

People who have high blood pressure would be well advised to eat less salt. How much they need to restrict it depends on how high their blood pressure is and how much damage is done to their kidneys.

It's not as hard as it sounds to eat less salt. Yes, at first everything you eat seems to need salt. Then, after a week or two, everything tastes fine. And if you happen to go out to dinner, suddenly the food tastes too salty. Your taste preferences will change if you just stick with it for a week or two.

Which foods are the worst sodium offenders?

Table salt, of course, but sodium is found in a lot of processed foods. Most processed foods are high in sodium, even though you may not think of them as salty foods.

What changes would you make to the DASH diet?

DASH is a good diet, but it doesn't go far enough for people who are trying to reverse heart disease.

In my new book, The Spectrum, we talk about how you really do have a spectrum of choices. The more you need to change, the more you have to change. It's the old "ounce of prevention, pound of cure."

The point is that we need to personalize a way of eating and living that is right for us based upon our needs, our genes, and our preferences. If you just want to lose a few pounds or get your blood pressure, or cholesterol, or blood sugar down, you can start by making just a few changes.

DASH is a good place to begin. If that is not enough to bring your blood pressure down, now you have a choice: You can go on drugs for the rest of your life, or you can make even bigger lifestyle changes.

Not everybody needs to make big changes. And it is not just diet. There is also a spectrum of exercise and a spectrum of stress management.

What is the advantage of eating a mostly plant-based diet in managing hypertension?

It is not entirely clear why animal protein, particularly red meat, raises blood pressure. But we know that it does.

Dr. Frank Sacks, one of the originators of the DASH diet, did a study where he gave people muffins and measured their blood pressure. The muffins all tasted the same, but he put animal protein in one set of muffins. Sure enough, blood pressure went higher in the group that ate the animal protein, even though they didn't know they were eating it.

Does exercise have an impact in preventing or controlling hypertension?

Of course. What kind of exercise? The kind you enjoy. What is sustainable is pleasure and joy and freedom. If you enjoy exercise, you are going to do it.

And people will often do things for their kids that they would not do for themselves. I am not one of those people who particularly loves to exercise, but I do it on a regular basis because I love my wife, I love my children, and I want to be around to enjoy them fully.

The hardest thing is getting started. A lot of people think, "Man, I've gotta run a marathon or at least five miles three times a week -- or I might as well just roll over in bed." That isn't the case.

Does exercise have an impact in preventing or controlling hypertension? continued...

It turns out that just walking 20 or 30 minutes a day has almost the same benefits as doing more intensive exercise. You don't have to walk all that far or all that fast or all at once. A single exercise session can lower your blood pressure by 5 to 7 millimeters of mercury, and that may persist for as long as the rest of the day.

But it works both ways. When you stop exercising, after one or two weeks your blood pressure starts going up again. What we are learning, particularly with blood pressure, is how quickly it can get better and how quickly it can get worse.

How does stress affect blood pressure?

Lifestyle is more than just exercise and diet. Emotional stress also affects your blood pressure. Emotional stress makes your arteries constrict and your blood pressure rise -- just as tightening the nozzle on a hose makes the water pressure go up.

Chronic anger and hostility -- and particularly depression and hopelessness -- also have a strong effect on blood pressure. There is nothing wrong with an increase in blood pressure in times of stress. But when these mechanisms that evolved to protect us are chronically stimulated by the stresses of modern times, they can harm us or even kill us.

What is the connection between alcohol consumption and hypertension?

For some people, the stress management part of drinking helps to reduce their blood pressure. For others, the alcohol itself ups blood pressure. But even for those whose blood pressure goes down, is this the best way to reduce stress?

There are lots of ways to manage stress that are not centered around alcohol. Social support and love and intimacy will not only reduce your blood pressure but also reduce your risk of developing heart disease independent of its effects on blood pressure.

What else, besides diet and exercise, affects blood pressure?

Robert Nerem found that rabbits that were touched and talked to and petted and played with had 50% less blockage in their arteries than rabbits that had been ignored, even though their blood pressure and cholesterol levels were about the same. So it is important to talk about psychosocial factors when we are talking about high blood pressure.

You need a sense of community, a sense of love and intimacy. You need to make time to be with your beloved; you need to go on walks with your friends. My lovely wife, Anne, says, "Walk your dog, whether you have one or not."

These simple changes are just as important as the exercise we get and the food we eat. They have direct benefits for high blood pressure, mostly in terms of reducing stress. But they also have indirect benefits.

We are more likely to smoke or overeat or drink too much or work too hard or abuse ourselves if we don't address the underlying issues of loneliness and depression and isolation. These things are really epidemic in our culture and often underlie the high blood pressure that we doctors see.

How does weight loss affect blood pressure?

For many people losing weight is enough to get their blood pressure down, because your heart doesn't have to work as hard. One of the easiest ways to lower your blood pressure is to lose 5 or 10 pounds.

For many people, that is the difference between having to be on medications for the rest of your life and getting off these drugs altogether.

My approach has always been if you address the underlying cause of the problem, the need for drugs and the need for surgery is often reduced or eliminated. For many people, this is a great motivator.

Cancer Symptoms Women Ignore: uncovers common cancer warning signs women often overlook.

Of course, some women are as skilled as men are at switching to denial mode. "There are people who deliberately ignore their cancer symptoms," says Hannah Linden, MD, a medical oncologist. She is a joint associate member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and associate professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle. It's usually denial, but not always, she says. "For some, there is a cultural belief that cancer is incurable, so why go there."
Talking about worrisome symptoms shouldn't make people overreact, says Ranit Mishori, MD, an assistant professor of family medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. "I don't want to give people the impression they should look for every little thing," she says.
With that healthy balance between denial and hypochondria in mind, WebMD asked experts to talk about the symptoms that may not immediately make a woman worry about cancer, but that should be checked out. Read on for 15 possible cancer symptoms women often ignore.

Why Do People Have Sex?

Your partner may come up with a dozen excuses to say "Not tonight, dear, I have a ____," but how many reasons can the two of you name for seeking sex?
One? Two? Twenty? How about 200? Some college students have cited as many as 237 different reasons for having sex.
From pleasure to procreation, insecurity to inquisitiveness -- today's reasons for taking a roll in the hay seem to vary as much as the terms for the deed itself. A 2010 Sexuality & Culture review of sex motivation studies states that people are offering "far more reasons for choosing to engage in sexual activity than in former times." And we're doing it more often, too. It is a stark contrast from historical assumptions, which tend to cite only three sexual motivators: To make babies, to feel good, or because you're in love.
Today, sexual behaviors seem to have taken on many different psychological, social, cultural, even religious meanings. Yet, some sexologists say, at the most basic level, there is only one true reason people seek sex.

Wired for Sex

"We are programmed to do so. Asking why people have sex is akin to asking why we eat. Our brains are designed to motivate us toward that behavior," says Richard A. Carroll, PhD, a sex therapist and associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
The idea that humans are hard-wired for sex reflects an evolutionary perspective, says Elaine Hatfield, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii and author of that 2010 review examining sexual motives from cross-cultural, historical, and evolutionary viewpoints.
"Evolutionary theorists point out that a desire for sexual relations is 'wired in' in order to promote species survival," she tells WebMD in an email. "Cultural theorists tend to focus on the cultural and personal reasons people have (or avoid) sex. Cultures differ markedly in what are considered to be 'appropriate' reasons for having or avoiding sex."

What's Your Motive?

Why do you seek sex? Motivations generally fall into four main categories, according to psychologists at UT-Austin, who asked more than 1,500 undergraduate college students about their sexual attitudes and experiences.

• Physical reasons: Pleasure, stress relief, exercise, sexual curiosity, or attraction to a person.
• Goal-based reasons: To make a baby, improve social status (for example, to become popular), or seek revenge.
• Emotional reasons: Love, commitment, and gratitude.
• Insecurity reasons: To boost self-esteem, keep a partner from seeking sex elsewhere, or because of a feeling of duty or pressure (for example, a partner insists on having sex).

The Difference Between the Sexes

Generally speaking, men seek sex because they like how it feels. Women, although they very well may also derive pleasure from the act, are generally more interested in the relationship enhancement aspects of sex. Researchers describe these differences as body-centered versus person-centered sex.

• Body-centered sex is when you have sex because you like the way it makes your body feel. You are not really caring about the emotions of your partner.
• Person-centered sex is when you have sex to connect with the other person. You care about the emotions involved and the relationship.

The Difference Between the Sexes continued...

"Men often start out being body centered," says Janell Carroll, PhD, adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Hartford and author of a human sexuality textbook (no relation to Richard Carroll). "But that changes later on. As men reach their 40s, 50s, and 60s, their relationship becomes more important."
Richard Carroll has been counseling couples with sexual issues for more than two decades. "Women actually become more like men over time, in the sense that often early on, sex is about initiating, developing, strengthening, and maintaining relationships, but in a long-term relationship they can actually begin to focus on the pleasure of it."
Despite the generalities, research suggests that there has been a big convergence in sexual attitudes among men and women in recent years. In 1985, Janell Carroll and colleagues found that most college-aged males had casual sex for physical reasons, without emotional attachments. She repeated many of the same study questions to a new audience in 2006, and is working toward publishing her results.
"Instead of men and women being at opposite ends of the sexual spectrum, they are now coming together," she tells WebMD. "More women might be having sex for physical reasons, but many more men were more likely to say they had sex for emotional reasons."

20 Reasons People Have Sex

Stressed out? Have sex. Stress reduction is one of the leading reasons Americans, particularly men, say they have sex, says Richard Caroll. The review, published online in Sexuality & Culture, shows other most frequently cited reasons for having sex include:

• Boosting mood and relieving depression
• Duty
• Enhancement of power
• Enhancement of self-concept
• Experiencing the power of one’s partner
• Feeling loved by your partner
• Fostering jealousy
• Improve reputation or social status
• Making money
• Making babies (procreation)
• Need for affection
• Nurturance
• Partner novelty
• Peer pressure or pressure from partner
• Pleasure
• Reduce sex drive
• Revenge
• Sexual curiosity
• Showing love to your partner
• Spiritual transcendence

 Why Study Sex?
Understanding why people seek sex is not always a simple task. Most studies have involved college undergraduates, a "sample of convenience" for university researchers, but one that is often very limiting. Such young men and women typically haven't been in very committed relationships and are in the process of discovering their sexuality. Their answers to "why do you have sex" are often greatly tied to the image of themselves and their social relationships, says Richard Carroll. This can change over time.
But such knowledge can improve a couple's sex life.

Heart Attack Causes and Treatments

Heart Attack Causes and Treatments
Most heart attacks are the end result of coronary heart disease, an condition that clogs coronary arteries with fatty, calcified plaques. As blood flow is gradually impeded, the body may compensate by growing a network of collateral arteries to circumvent blockages; the presence of collateral vessels may greatly reduce the amount of heart muscle damaged by a heart attack. In the early 1980s, researchers confirmed that the precipitating cause of nearly all heart attacks is not the obstructive plaque itself, but the sudden formation of a blood clot on top of plaque that cuts off blood flow in an already narrowed vessel.

The Truth About Marriage: What No One Ever Tells You

By the time you decide to get hitched, you may think you know your partner well. After all, you’re best friends who’ve agreed to spend the rest of your lives together.
But married life often turns out to be full of unexpected disappointments and joys.
“People are surprised that even in this most intimate relationship, there’s a lot that needs to be discovered,” says Kim Lundholm-Eades, MS, a marriage and family therapist and co-owner of CenterLife Counseling in Centerville, Minn. “There isn’t a... Spock mind meld that goes on between a couple just because they’ve gotten married.”
Here’s what relationship researchers, marriage therapists, and married couples told WebMD about what winds up surprising people most after they tie the knot.

10 Ways to Manage Low Back Pain at Home

Perhaps you bent the wrong way while lifting something heavy. Or you're dealing with a degenerative condition like arthritis. Whatever the cause, once you have low back pain, it can be hard to shake. About one in four Americans say they've had a recent bout of low back pain. And almost everyone can expect to experience back pain at some point in their lives.

Sometimes it’s clearly serious: You were injured, or you feel numbness, weakness, or tingling in the legs. Call the doctor, of course. But for routine and mild low back pain, here are a few simple tips to try at home.

Green Tea health benefits

Green tea has increasingly become a very popular drink worldwide because of its immensely powerful health benefits.

it is extraordinarily amazing what green tea can do for your health. And if you're not drinking 3 to 4 cups of green tea today, you're definitely NOT doing your health a big favor.

Here Are The 25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea Right Now:

1. Green Tea and Cancer

Green tea helps reduce the risk of cancer. The antioxidant in green tea is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times better than vitamin E. This helps your body at protecting cells from damage believed to be linked to cancer.

7 Brain Boosters to Prevent Memory Loss: Experts share tips to help ward off age-related memory loss.

Baby boomers have long been spending millions to save their sagging skin, fix their crow's feet, and plump their lips. Now, however, boomers are turning to brain boosters to fight an invisible effect of aging: memory loss.

While body parts sag and wrinkle, the brain actually shrinks with age, neural connections slow down, and fewer nerve cells are created, experts explain.
The process begins as early as your 30s and affects tens of millions of Americans, leaving them not only frustrated but also causing a loss of self-confidence, social impairment, and loss of enjoyment of life that can sometimes lead to self-neglect and serious health issues.

How to Wreck Your Back:You may be setting yourself up for back pain.

You can wreck your back in any number of ways, but a few major offenders stand out: Not stretching, not paying attention to your movements, and years of wear and tear, says Nick Shamie, MD, associate professor of orthopedic neurosurgery at UCLA and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Here are five habits that put your spine at risk and simple strategies to stop them before the damage is done.
Back Wrecker #1: Weekend Warfare

"Most often, I see people who injured themselves during a weekend basketball game or a round of golf," Shamie says. "These people think they're athletes, but don't train like the pros, and as a result, their backs suffer."

Scientists Examine 100 Trillion Microbes in Human Feces

The human large intestine is a 5-foot long, dark, dank and twisting corridor whose repetitive contractions function to squeeze the last remaining drops of water and the final bits of nutrient from feces before expulsion from our bodies.

Bacteria Thrive in Hostile Human Bellies

The harsh acidic environment of your stomach is home to many more bacteria types than previously thought, a new study indicates.
One newly identified creature in your belly is related to a species that's considered one of the hardiest organisms on the planet, a bacterium that eats radioactive wastes for lunch.
The human stomach is a pear-shaped chamber filled with a highly noxious cocktail of hydrochloric acid and protein-cleaving digestive enzymes called peptidases. This gastric soup can have a pH of 1 to 3; the pH scale goes from 1 to 14 with a lower number indicating more acidity.

What Your Dental Health Says About You

Common oral problems have been linked to heart disease, diabetes, premature birth, and more.
It's easy to ignore the effects of poor oral hygiene because they're hidden in your mouth. But gum disease produces a bleeding, infected wound that's the equivalent in size to the palms of both your hands, says Susan Kara bin, (Doctor of Dental Surgery) DDS, a New York periodontist and president of the American Academy of Period ontology.

"If you had an infection that size on your thigh, you'd be hospitalized," Karabin says. "Yet people walk around with this infection in their mouth and ignore it. It's easy to ignore because it doesn't hurt ... but it's a serious infection, and if it were in a more visible place, it would be taken more seriously."

Dental Care for People With Heart Disease

People with heart disease have special needs when it comes to dental care. Here are some tips to consider before going to the dentist if you suffer from one of the following heart conditions.
Dental Care After Heart Attack

Wait a minimum of six months after a heart attack before undergoing any dental treatments. Tell your dentist if you are taking anticoagulants (blood-thinning drugs). These medications could result in excessive bleeding during some oral surgery procedures. Ask your dentist if oxygen and nitroglycerin are available in case a medical emergency should arise during your office visit.
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

Healthy SkinHealthy Skin: Six Simple Summer Skin Tips

Beautiful skin is healthy skin. Dr. Susan Evans, a renowned Beverly Hills dermatologist, offers practical advice for all skin types.
With ongoing climate changes (hello, heat wave!) and the ever-present penetrating rays from the sun, how do you take care of your skin?  With so many seasonal variances, is it possible to maintain a healthy year-round glow?
Throughout the year, within my clinical practice, I see a variety of unique seasonal skin concerns. I usually begin with identifying each individual’s skin type and then determine the best approach.
On a recent CNN segment, I talked about the sun and tanning. Sure, everyone wants to look great with healthy glowing radiant skin, especially in the summer. But did you know the majority of all premature aging is due to sun damage?

What is travelers' diarrhea?, the truth about diarrhea.

Travelers’ diarrhea is often used as a generic term  for any illnesses ranging from an upset tummy to  loose stools during or after travel. It could mean just excess gas, or a variety of symptoms that can occur from a change in the types of food or beverages we are used to – or, most commonly, to contamination of food or beverages. And it's not just food and beverages. Touching your mouth or nose with contaminated hands may be all it takes.
How can I prevent travelers' diarrhea?

People often discuss the importance of care in selecting "safe" foods and beverages for consumption. We recommend that foods be freshly cooked and be piping hot; such foods are safer than those on a buffet that have been sitting out for hours. Water should be bottled and sealed, or boiled. Alcohol is OK, but ice cubes are not.

Can medications prevent travelers' diarrhea?

Yes. Pepto-Bismol has been used for a number of years to prevent travelers' diarrhea. Studies show that if adults take the equivalent of two tabs four times a day, it can decrease the incidence of travelers’ diarrhea up to 60%.

Now, many people who take that amount of Pepto-Bismol end up with severe constipation. I take two tabs twice a day when I go into a risky situation. I do believe that it is very helpful, but most recommend if you’re going to do this, that it should just be for short-term -- up to three weeks.

While this helps many people, those allergic to aspirin cannot take it. And if you're taking prescription medications, you should check with your doctor to see if you can take this.

Some swear by probiotics like lactobacillus for preventing travelers' diarrhea. But studies of this strategy in limited numbers of subjects are inconclusive.

And some people are given prophylactic antibiotics, which are very effective in preventing travelers' diarrhea, but the problem there is we don't feel very good about prescribing antibiotics for a number of reasons for someone if they don’t need them. There are issues such as side effects, or of diarrhea caused by the antibiotics themselves, and increased antibiotic resistance in the normal organisms we harbor in our bodies. Rarely, if it is just for a very important weekend, or occasionally for government officials or someone in an athletic competition, we may prescribe preventive antibiotics.

How can a change in diet trigger travelers' diarrhea?

It's due to eating different kinds of foods, such as much more spicy food or more fat than in our normal diets. That is not something we typically pay as much attention to avoiding when we travel, but we have to be wary of these things. Not every change in our bowel habits is due to infection. Infection is the most important cause of travelers' diarrhea and most is caused by bacteria.
Who is most likely to get travelers' diarrhea?

Some people are more susceptible than others, it's not clear why that is. You can be with a group and all consume the same thing, and some get sick while others do not.

There are a host factors involved. Stomach acid is our first defense mechanism against organisms that we ingest. Therefore, those on antacids, or who just have low stomach acid, often get travelers' diarrhea more easily. People who have underlying diseases of the gut, such as Crohn’s disease or AIDS, may be more susceptible to certain types of organisms causing travelers’ diarrhea.
What kinds of infection cause travelers' diarrhea?

For the most part, we're talking about bacterial infections. Almost 90% of travelers' diarrhea cases are caused by bacteria. The enterotoxigenic E. coli [ETEC, strains of common bacteria that produce a toxin affecting the gut] are most important cause. And then there  are others such as salmonella, shigella, campylobacter, vibrio, and others that are less common.

Travelers' diarrhea may also be caused by viruses, such as norovirus, which is in the news a lot because of how quickly it can spread through a cruise ship.

Parasitic travelers' diarrhea is yet another kind. Giardia intestinalis is the most common of these, but there is a large number of parasites that can cause diarrhea. These are less frequent.
Aside from the obvious, how do you know you're coming down with travelers' diarrhea?

Sometimes it starts with fever and chills. You may get cramps, and then, of course very urgent loose stools in various amounts. Sometimes there is vomiting or bloody diarrhea. With norovirus, onset can be sudden, and vomiting is a much more prominent feature.

For bacterial and viral travelers' diarrhea, the incubation period is typically six to 48 hours after infection.

For protozoan travelers' diarrhea, there is usually more of a gradual onset with a few loose stools  per day and increased gas and nausea. The incubation period can be one to two weeks.
What is the main treatment for travelers' diarrhea?

Hydration is the primary treatment. Often people with a bout of travelers' diarrhea feel so weak. A good deal of  it is due to dehydration. It's not OK just to take a few sips of cola. You need to make the effort to drink a lot of fluid, because often you've lost a lot more than you think. In a lot of cases, just clean water is OK. Better, if you are very dehydrated, is a rehydration solution. Rehydration packets are a great thing to have, especially if you are going to remote areas or places off the usual tourist paths.

What antibiotic should I take for travelers' diarrhea?

It depends. For adults, ciprofloxacin is used most commonly. Sometimes, for those traveling to certain places in Southeast Asia, where bacterial pathogens have increased resistance, some doctors like to prescribe azithromycin. In some cases where you feel that the traveler may likely be exposed to just the coliform pathogens such as E. coli, some prescribe rifaximin.

Of course, antibiotics work only for bacterial causes of travelers' diarrhea. Know that even bacterial travelers' diarrhea usually gets better without antibiotic treatment, although rehydration is always advised and symptoms may take 3 to 5 days or more to subside without treatment.

For those with diarrhea due to parasitic infections, there are agents that are specific for each type of infection. However, for Giardia infections, tinidazole [Tindamax] is often prescribed and is very effective.

All of this advice applies to adults. What about children?

Kids can become dehydrated far quicker than adults. Rehydration solutions are more important for children right from the outset.

Doctors are now becoming more open to prescribing antibiotics that children can take in case they get travelers' diarrhea. Azithromycin can be useful in children. Parents should check with their pediatricians before leaving home.

Nursing mothers should continue to breastfeed. The time to wean a child is not in the middle of travel. Continue even if the mother has diarrhea -- but she must ensure that she is getting plenty of hydration.

Drink Less for Strong Bones: Tips to avoid getting tipsy.

Heavy drinking is a health risk for many reasons, including the effects on bones.

Research shows that chronic heavy alcohol use, especially during adolescence and young adult years, can dramatically affect bone health and increase the risk of osteoporosis later in life.

What do doctors advise? Drink less for strong bones.

Best and Worst Fast-Food Salads

Which salads are highest in calories and fat -– and which are lowest?

When you're looking to order something relatively healthy from a fast-food menu, you probably go for a salad. But did you know some fast-food salads are as high in calories and fat as a double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (740 calories, 42 grams of fat)?

Two key ingredients can make or break your fast food salad: chicken (specifically, whether you choose "grilled" or "crispy" style) and salad dressing. Although some fat helps make salad dressing taste good, many fast-food dressings go too far. A serving of blue cheese dressing at Carl’s Jr., for example, adds 320 calories and 34 grams of fat to your salad.

Alcohol and Your Health: about the impact of drinking on cancer risk, heart health, and more.

When it comes to your health, is it better to drink or not to drink?

It's becoming an even more complicated question, especially in the wake of several recent studies linking even a little drinking of alcohol to a higher risk of cancers.

While the experts disagree on some answers, they do agree that no one who has or had a problem with alcohol dependency should drink, nor should any woman who is pregnant. Here is what else they had to say about alcohol and health:

From a health point of view, what is the best advice you would give about drinking alcohol now?

"There's no one answer; it has to be individualized according to the specific person," says Arthur Klatsky, MD, a former practicing cardiologist and now an investigator for Kaiser Permanente's division of research in Oakland, Calif. He has published numerous studies on alcohol and health, especially heart health.

The research on alcohol's effect on health suggests both harm and benefits, says Gary Rogg, MD, an internal medicine specialist at Montefiore Medical Center and assistant professor and assistant director of the department of internal medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York. "The studies show links to breast cancer [and] links to liver cancer [with alcohol intake],'' he says, as well as to other cancers. "If you reduce alcohol intake you can reduce the incidence of head and neck cancer and colorectal cancer. Having said that, there seems to be a benefit with [alcohol] and heart disease."

What is the best advice about drinking alcohol if you only consider alcohol's effect on heart health?

Again, there is not a one-size-fits-all answer, Klatsky says. He gives hypothetical case histories to make the point.

Take a 60-year-old man who has given up smoking but has a family history of heart attacks, a less-than-ideal cholesterol level, and no dependency problems with alcohol. If he likes a glass of wine with dinner, Klatsky says, "this man is better off continuing."

7 Secrets of Cooking With Wine: Raise a glass to this low-fat, high-flavor ingredient

You know those bottles of wine you picked up because they were on sale, and now you're wondering what you are going to do with them? I've got your answer: Cook and bake with the wine. You probably wouldn't want to cook with a special bottle of wine but those wild-card bottles collecting dust in the pantry -- why not?

When I think of wine, I think of a great fat substitute in recipes. I'm probably unusual in this regard, but I actually use wine more often in cooking than I do as a beverage with dinner.

When you take some of the fat out of dishes, you usually need to add another ingredient to replace the lost moisture. Here are some examples of how wine can do just that:

Ways To Be Your Healthiest Ever: Smart ways to stay well, eat right, get fit

Smile Savers


Brushing, flossing, and eating right keep your teeth strong — and promote overall health

Make it tea for your teeth: Fruit drinks, sodas, and citrus juices (like orange) have sugar and acids that wear away tooth enamel. The better dental choice — as safe as just plain water — is tea without milk, lemon, or sugar.

Listen to your hygienist: In a two-week study of identical twins — one brushed and flossed, the other simply brushed — flossers developed significantly less plaque-causing bacteria than their brush-only siblings.

Spoon up some culture: In a new study, people who consumed at least 1/4 cup of yogurt or a lactic acid drink every day were less than half as likely to have serious gum disease. The magic ingredient? Probiotics, researchers believe.

Get plenty of fruits and veggies: The higher your consumption of folic acid from food (produce is a great source), the lower your risk of bleeding gums, research shows.

Recognize the Signs of Skin Damage

The Dark Side of Sun Exposure
Basking in the warm glow of the sun can make us feel good, and in the short term, makes us look good. But the cumulative effects of sun exposure put us at higher risk of cellular damage, early wrinkling, age spots, actinic keratoses, and skin cancer -- including melanoma, the most serious type. Can you spot the effects of excessive sun exposure?

The Belly Fat Cure: What You Can Eat

The Belly Fat Cure eating plan consists of protein, fats, and vegetables with small amounts of sugar and complex carbs. Processed foods with sweeteners (even artificial sweeteners) are out.  Wine, beer, champagne, and dark chocolate are OK -- but not cocktails or candy bars.

Much of the book consists of colorful displays of more than 100 "belly bad" meals (mostly from fast food and casual restaurant chains) made over into "belly good" recipes that are featured in the meal plans. (However, the recipes contain no nutrition information other than the grams of sugar and servings of carbs they contain – not even a calorie count.)

Some Worst Cities for Asthma, 2010: Did Your City Make the List?

Did Your City Make the List?

Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways that makes breathing difficult. Many things in the environment can trigger an attack, including air pollution, secondhand smoke, and pollen. Asthma affects one in 15 Americans and is on the rise. While there are no asthma-free cities, some are more challenging than others for people living with asthma. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has released their “2010 Asthma Capitals.”  Here No.

10: Atlanta Atlanta still ranks in AAFA's top 10 worst asthma cities, though residents may breathe a little easier now than in 2007, when it hit No. 1. Twelve factors are used to formulate the list, including air pollution, pollen scores, asthma prevalence, use of "rescue inhalers," and poverty.  Atlanta fares worse than many other cities in air quality, smoke-free laws, and having enough asthma specialists for all those gasping for air.

No. 9: Augusta, Ga.

Eat Smart for a Healthier Brain

Add these 'superfoods' to your daily diet, and you will increase your odds of maintaining a healthy brain for the rest of your life.

There's no denying that as we age chronologically, our body ages right along with us. But research is showing that you can increase your chances of maintaining a healthy brain well into your old age if you add these "smart" foods to your daily eating regimen.

Lung Disease & Respiratory Health: pneumonia

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a lung infection that can make you very sick. You may cough, run a fever, and have a hard time breathing. For most people, pneumonia can be treated at home. It often clears up in 2 to 3 weeks. But older adults, babies, and people with other diseases can become very ill. They may need to be in the hospital.

You can get pneumonia in your daily life, such as at school or work. This is called community-associated pneumonia. You can also get it when you are in a hospital or nursing home. This is called health care-associated pneumonia. It may be more severe because you already are ill. This topic focuses on pneumonia you get in your daily life.

What causes pneumonia?

What is a stroke?

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked or bursts. Without blood and the oxygen it carries, part of the brain starts to die. The part of the body controlled by the damaged area of the brain can't work properly.


Brain damage can begin within minutes, so it is important to know the symptoms of stroke and act fast. Quick treatment can help limit damage to the brain and increase the chance of a full recovery.

What are the symptoms?

6 Things Your Doctor May Have Trouble Telling You

What your doctor may not mention could matter to your health.

Patients often have trouble talking to their doctors. It can be hard to get the words out when the topic is emotionally charged or one you’d never bring up in polite conversation.

And for various reasons, sometimes including their own embarrassment, doctors may find it hard to bring up certain topics -- and that can compromise the care their patients receive.

“Communication is an inexact science,” says Bob Arnold, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of its Institute for Doctor-Patient Communication. “Communication between doctors and patients is especially hard because the stakes are high and there are strong emotions on both sides.”

The Truth About Sugar

Can you get addicted to sugar? Do you need to quit it cold turkey? Here are expert answers.

Recently, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres declared that she was going on a sugar cleanse, purging her diet of all refined sugars to boost her well-being. While naturally occurring sugars, such as the kind found in sugar snap peas, were still OK to eat, no one was going to catch Ellen letting a Bundt cake cross her lips.

Her sugar cleanse diet inspired many viewers to embark on their own sugar smackdowns. Is this the latest food fad, or are the sugar naysayers on to something?

Is sugar addictive?

7 Things You Need to Know about Proper Stretching Techniques

Always warm up first."To improve range of motion and avoid injury, you do need to stretch, but don't ever do it when muscles are cold," warns orthopaedic surgeon William Levine, MD, director of sports medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. "Always start with some mild aerobic warm-ups to get blood to the tissue before doing any stretching."

Holcomb recommends brisk walking or slow jogging for about five minutes, rather than stretching before exercise. "Warming up increases blood flow, which increases the temperature in the muscle, which makes the collagen fibers more elastic like a rubber band," he explains.

After warming up, do dynamic (not static) stretches. Dynamic stretching means slow, controlled movements rather than remaining still and holding a stretch. They may include simple movements like arm circles and hip rotations, flowing movements as in yoga, or walking or jogging exercises like those mentioned below. While studies have not clearly proven this, increasing numbers of experts agree that dynamic stretching is the best stretching routine before a workout or competition. Levine warns, however, that proper technique is key. "Poor technique that is not anatomically correct puts you at higher risk for injury."

Is Your Skin Hormonal?

Breakout Role

Just as you may see a little thinning in your hairline or the slight shadow of a moustache, more blackheads and blemishes are a sign of aging. "About a third of women will get adult acne, usually in their early 30s, even if they didn't have breakouts when they were younger," says Beverly Hills dermatologist Dr. Stuart Kaplan. "Starting in your late 20s, estrogen levels decline faster than testosterone." Because testosterone is an androgenic hormone, it increases masculine qualities (hence the new facial hair) and boosts oil production, plugging your pores and causing blemishes. The difference between adult acne and the teenage type? Small red bumps (not painful, cystic pimples) are more common when you're older, according to Kaplan, and acne along the jawline or around the mouth are a telltale sign that you're dealing with a hormonal breakout. Going on the birth-control pill or spironolactone (a diuretic with antiandrogenic effects) will balance hormone levels and reduce breakouts. For a nonprescription approach, try combination acne-and-wrinkle-fighting formulas that gently keep skin clear without over-stripping.

Sugary Drinks and Blood Pressure

The new study involved 810 adults aged 25 to 79 with prehypertension or early stage 1 hypertension who were taking part in an 18-month study designed to prevent or reduce high blood pressure with weight loss, exercise, and diet.

Prehypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure reading between 120 and 139 or a diastolic blood pressure of 80 to 89. Stage 1 hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure between 140 and 159 or a diastolic blood pressure between 90 and 99. Systolic blood pressure is the upper number in a blood pressure measurement and refers to the pressure when the heart beats. Diastolic blood pressure, the lower number, is the pressure between beats. A blood pressure reading of less than 120/80 is considered ideal.

Most people in the study drank an average of 10.5 fluid ounces of sugar or high fructose corn syrup-sweetened beverages a day including non-diet soft drinks, fruit drinks, lemonade, and fruit punch when the study began.

Halving their soda intake resulted in a 1.8 point reduction in systolic blood pressure and a 1.1 point drop in diastolic pressure.

The public health benefit is “substantial,” she says. A 3-point reduction in systolic blood pressure should reduce risk of death after stroke by 8% and heart disease mortality by 5%, according to information cited in the new report.

Americans drink about 2.3 servings or 28 ounces of sugar-sweetened beverages each day, and one in three adults in the U.S. has high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.

“Soda consumption is so popular and high blood pressure is a very significant health problem, and if you reduce sugary drinks, you will reduce your blood pressure in the short term and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke over the long term, Sodium, Uric Acid Affect Blood Pressure

Although weight loss accounted for some of these blood pressure-lowering effects, cutting back on sweetened drinks also had an independent effect on blood pressure levels.

Sodium, Uric Acid Affect Blood Pressure continued...

Exactly what accounts for this independent effect is not known, but several theories exist. For example, these beverages are often loaded with sodium, which can increase blood pressure, and the sugar in the drinks may increase levels of hormones known as catecholamines, which can cause blood pressure to rise.

George Bakris, MD, a professor of medicine and director of the Hypertension Center at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, says that uric acid also plays a role.

“High fructose corn syrup increases uric acid levels, which has been shown to increase high blood pressure,” says Bakris, who is also the president of the American Society of Hypertension.

You Can Prevent Tooth Cavities

 What Causes Tooth Cavities ?

Cavities: Many of us remember sweating through the poking and prodding of the dentist. We prayed that he or she would not find cavities which would require the use of the dreaded dental drill. Armed with the right knowledge and proper home dental care you can now rest at ease and fear cavities no more.

When it comes to cavities, bacteria are public enemy number #1. Our mouths, teeth and toothbrushes are full of bacteria which settle on our teeth in plaque, a goo of proteins, saliva, and food debris. Violight can remove the bacteria from our toothbrushes but our teeth are a problem. Here bacteria devour food particles left on our teeth. Ungrateful guests, these bacteria produce acid as a by-product of their feasting. It is this acid which eats into the tooth enamel creating cavities.

The teeth have a moderate ability to repair tooth enamel by remineralizing the affected enamel with minerals from saliva. Unfortunately, the rate of destruction by acid exceeds this rate of repair.

Normally, acids eating into tooth enamel is not painful. Left untreated, however, acid eats a hole through the enamel into the underlying dentin and pulp layers of the tooth. This does cause pain and left untreated the cavity will eventually destroy dentin, pulp and tooth nerve.

What Can You Do To Reduce Your Chances of Getting Cavities?

The Truth About Sugar Can you get addicted to sugar?

Do you need to quit it cold turkey? Here are expert answers.
Recently, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres declared that she was going on a sugar cleanse, purging her diet of all refined sugars to boost her well-being. While naturally occurring sugars, such as the kind found in sugar snap peas, were still OK to eat, no one was going to catch Ellen letting a Bunt cake cross her lips.
Her sugar cleanse diet inspired many viewers to embark on their own sugar smack downs. Is this the latest food fad, or are the sugar naysayers on to something?
Is sugar addictive?

The Truth About HGH (human growth hormone) for Weight Loss

Can human growth hormone help you burn fat and build muscle?

A few small studies have linked HGH injections with fat loss and muscle gain. But the changes seen were minimal -- just a few pounds -- while the risks and potential side effects are not. And experts warn that HGH is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for weight loss.
How HGH Works

HCH is produced by the pituitary gland to fuel growth and development in children. It also maintains some bodily functions, like tissue repair, muscle growth, brain function, energy, and metabolism, throughout life.

Nutrition and Lupus

Good nutrition is an important part of the overall treatment plan for your lupus. A well-balanced diet provides the necessary fuel for your body to carry on its normal functions. Although there are no specific dietary guidelines for people with lupus, there are some nutrition issues that you should know about. If any of these issues become a problem for you, talk with your doctor or nurse. They will be able to provide you with additional information and can refer you to a registered dietitian if necessary.

Weight loss or poor appetite: Weight loss over the previous year is commonly reported by people who are newly diagnosed with lupus. Weight loss and poor appetite can be caused by the illness itself or by some medications that may cause stomach upset or mouth sores (also called mouth ulcers).

6 Medical Conditions Linked to Osteoporosis and Bone Loss

You probably know some of the leading risk factors for osteoporosis -- being female and past menopause, smoking, or having a small frame. But did you know that some fairly common medical conditions are also among the causes of osteoporosis bone loss?

If you have one of these conditions, either because of the disease itself or because of the medications you have to take to manage it, you face an increased risk of developing osteoporosis:
1. Diabetes Mellitus and Osteoporosis

For reasons scientists still don't fully understand, people with type 1 diabetes tend to have lower bone density.

Studies show that people with type 1 diabetes may have low bone turnover and lower than normal bone formation.

"It seems that high blood sugar may shut down bone formation, just as with steroids," says Beatrice Edwards, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine and director of the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Center at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Since type 1 diabetes usually develops in childhood, when the body is still building bone, someone with type 1 diabetes may never have the opportunity to reach their peak bone density.

Worst Foods in Your Fridge

 10 unhealthy foods that are probably lurking in your refrigerator or freezer right now.


You know you're courting nutritional disaster if you order the fettuccine Alfredo or double bacon cheeseburger when you're eating out. But what about unhealthy foods right in your own refrigerator? If you're like most of us, it probably holds some basic food products that are adding extra calories, salt, fat, and/or sugar to your everyday diet -- perhaps without you even realizing it.

To make my top 10 list of unhealthiest foods, the products had to be commonplace, and they had to be high in trans fats, saturated fat, sugar, and/or salt. Here's my list:
1. Mayonnaise

It's white, it's goopy -- and it's really easy for the calories and grams of fat to add up when you're slathering on the mayonnaise.

The truth is that regular mayo isn't too bad, if you're talking about a teaspoon or two. But most mayo users spread it on thicker than that. And if you're a true mayonnaise lover, you can rack up 360 calories and 40 grams of fat in a 1/4-cup serving.

Mayo maniacs have three better option: they can use a lower-calorie condiment instead of mayonnaise (mustard, BBQ sauce, salsa chili, or taco sauce); they can switch to a light mayonnaise (35 calories and 3.5 grams of fat per tablespoon); or they can pare down their portion of real mayonnaise to a couple of teaspoons (contributing 60 calories and 6.7 grams of fat).
2. Soda and Other Sweet Drinks

Sugary drinks are everywhere. Not only are they standard fare in restaurants and vending machines, but the drinks sold in supermarkets are usually sweetened as well (bottled teas, fruit drinks, sports and energy drinks, etc.).

Sweetened beverages are the epitome of "empty calories."  Soda, sweet tea, and fruit drinks generally contribute no nutrients, but plenty of calories. And recent research suggests that we don't tend to compensate by eating less when we drink sweet drinks --- so these are truly "extra" calories.

Plain water is best for hydrating the body, and should make up most of what we drink each day. But there are several beverages without calories, like green and black teas, that not only hydrate but contribute healthy antioxidants. And while skim or 1% milk has some calories, it also has key nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D, B-12, potassium, and magnesium.
3. Alcoholic Beverages

8 Ways to Boost Your Fertility: Trying to get pregnant? Pay attention to simple things -- diet, timing of sex, even your lubricant -- and you may conceive faster

If you're like most couples who are trying to conceive, you want to get pregnant sooner rather than later.

Having intercourse as close as possible to ovulation can definitely help. But fertility experts say there are other ways men and women can boost their fertility. These simple measures can increase the chances that next month will be the month you'll squeal: "We're pregnant!"

Read on for the best suggestions culled from fertility specialists who often recommend these measures before turning to assisted reproduction.

See When You're Most Fertile During Your Monthly Cycle
1. Her Fertility Booster: Weight Control

Being underweight or overweight can delay the time it takes a woman to conceive, research suggests.

Preconception weight is often an overlooked factor in fertility, says William Gibbons, MD, director of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and president-elect of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. But research suggests keeping a healthy weight can help with conception. "I am not sure women think about it as an issue for their fertility," he says.

Smoking and Heart Disease

Most people associate cigarette smoking with breathing problems and lung cancer. But did you know that smoking is also a major cause of heart disease for men and women?
About 20% of all deaths from heart disease in the U.S. are directly related to cigarette smoking. That's because smoking is a major cause of coronary artery disease.
A person's risk of heart disease and heart attack greatly increases with the number of cigarettes he or she smokes. Smokers continue to increase their risk of heart attack the longer they smoke. People who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day have more than twice the risk of heart attack than nonsmokers. Women who smoke and also take birth control pills increase several times their risk of heart attack, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.

Get in Shape! 5 ways to get started.

1. Set a fitness goal. And give yourself enough time to reach it. Your mission is the motivation that will keep you going on days when you feel like giving up. Be sure to create smaller goals too (such as doing 15 sit-ups), and reward yourself when you reach them, to help propel you toward your big one.

2. Formulate a workout plan. Aim for three 40-minute workouts each week, at specific times. Your exercise schedule needs to be as important as any other appointment you have. Vary your routine — maybe it's tennis one day and a dance class on another — to challenge yourself and ward off workout boredom.

Amazing Secrets for Health and Wellness

Water prevents and helps to cure heartburn.
Heartburn is a signal of water shortage in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a major thirst signal of the human body. The use of antacids or tablet medications in the treatment of this pain does not correct dehydration, and the body continues to suffer as a result of its water shortage.

Not recognizing heartburn as a sign of dehydration and treating it with antacids and pill medications will, in time, produce inflammation of the stomach and duodenum, hiatal hernia, ulceration, and eventually cancers in the gastrointestinal tract, including the liver and pancreas.


Water prevents and helps to cure arthritis.

Unintentional Chronic Dehydration (UCD) contributes to and even produces pain and many degenerative diseases that can be prevented and treated by increasing water intake on a regular basis.

If you are committed to a healthy lifestyle, make drinking enough natural water a habit in your life. It won't take long for you to feel the benefit.

It is a free investment for your long-term health.

A New Medical Discovery ""It Is Unintentional Chronic Dehydration That Causes Pain and Disease, Including Cancer In The Body "A New Medical Discovery ""It Is Unintentional Chronic Dehydration That Causes Pain and Disease, Including Cancer In The Body "
I invite you to read this report in its entirety. Read about the new discovery, and in the light of the new information, learn how to become your own healer and cure your own health problems naturally -- I repeat, at no cost! Become your own diagnostician and doctor during these health care crisis times -- when you need to take charge of your own health and well-being. Also, you will discover:
•Why we in medicine were not able to permanently cure any of the painful degenerative diseases -- until now. And why we have frequently made deadly mistakes that add more pain, suffering, and irreversible complications in the process!
•Why we constantly had to experiment using different chemicals in the futile hope of finding something that would work -- and nothing has worked until now! Look at the spiraling health care costs every year.
•Why the drug companies have had to produce so many chemicals that are now proven to make 2,000,000 sicker and have killed over 100,000 annually -- even when used according to their manufacturers’ recommendations! Judge for yourself how vulnerable we have become! The Washington Post of Wednesday, April 15, 1998 quotes the Journal of the American Medical Association:"One in 15 hospital patients in the United States can expect to suffer from a prescription or over-the-counter medicine, and about 5 percent of these will die as a result!" You should know that 1 in every 4 hospital admissions are said to be due to the side effects of routinely used prescription drugs.
•Why all of this is about to change, and with what mind-boggling simplicity!
What you are going to find out may at first sound too good to be true! This newly uncovered "ultimate cure" is so simple you will wonder why it has not been discovered until now! But I will prove every word you are about to read. I will also tell you why I think the drug industry has concealed this information when asking trusting physicians to prescribe its medications.
What you will discover in this letter is that we in medicine are trained to use chemicals to treat pain and disease when all the body needs is water -- a simple and abundantly available natural element.

"You're not sick; you're thirsty. Don't treat thirst with medication."

Our life, our planet. Over 70% of the earth's surface is water. However, most of it—98%--is salt water. Only 2% of the earth's H20 is fresh water that we can drink, and of this, almost all is trapped in frozen glaciers.
You are not just what you eat; you are what you drink.
This is why water is so important to your health.
The Water Cure (TWC) does not sell water or purification systems or any related products. We offer insights and information; both free and in books that give you easy-to-understand scientific explanations on why water is vital to your well-being.
TWC believes promoting "water for health, for healing, for life" is an invaluable public health message. We can all change the way we drink – by drinking pure, natural water that is good for our health, our pocket book, and our environment.

Decoding Men's Oddball Love Signals

His gifts are terrible. He talks when you want him to listen. His idea of a date is take-out pizza on the couch. Is this your guy's notion of affection and romance? Well, actually, yes.

Fifteen years ago, I found myself in a romantic pickle: Cheryl, a woman I had been dating for about three months, was nearing her 25th birthday. The birthday gift in any three-month-old relationship is a dicey one, and I deliberated over it for weeks. Too big too soon and it could look like I was trying too hard. Too little and I might appear indifferent. Too romantic and I'd run the risk of setting the bar too high.

And so it was with great enthusiasm that I finally unveiled the gift. It was heavy — about 8 pounds. And big — the size of a bowling ball. In fact, as Cheryl discovered after excitedly tearing off the wrapping paper, it was a bowling ball. And not just any bowling ball, but a blue, personalized bowling ball ("The Spanker," the twin to the 12-pounder I had bought myself: "The Wanker"). And the pièce de résistance: Both balls came in matching brown leather bags.

6 Ways to Ruin Your Knees:Expert tips on how to avoid damaging your knees.

Whether you're a seasoned athlete, a weekend warrior, or totally laid-back when it comes to exercise, knowing how to protect your knees from damage can mean the difference between a fulfilling lifestyle and longterm, strained mobility.

Cruising on the track in the heat of a roller derby match, 27-year-old Rachel Piplica was not at all prepared for the realization that her knee could sideline her from competitive skating for months, possibly years.

"Suddenly, I heard a pop and it felt like my knee bent sideways. The pain was so bad I just fell and crawled away
The Los Angeles fashion designer who skates under the name Iron Maiven tried to keep going. "I took one more stride and my knee just let go again. The doctor immediately said, 'I think you tore your ACL.'"
Piplica had experienced some warning signs during her previous season of skating as captain of her team, but she ignored them for the most part. "I had tremendous pain in my leg anytime I'd squat down so I just kept my right leg straight. But I never saw a doctor for it. I just assumed, 'I'm in a contact sport and this is what

Scientist 'Infected' With Computer Virus:A British scientist has become the first human to be infected with a computer virus.

A British scientist has become the first human to be infected with a computer virus.

Dr Mark Gasson, a cybernetics expert at the University of Reading, has had a computer chip implanted in his hand.

The chip is programmed to open security doors to his lab - and ensure only he is able to switch on and use his mobile phone.
But Dr Gasson deliberately infected the chip with a computer virus, which was then automatically transmitted to the lab security system.
"Once the system is infected, anybody accessing the building with their passcard would be infected too," he told Sky News.
The virus on his chip is benign. But malicious computer code could give criminals access to a building.
Dr Gasson says his experiment also exposes the vulnerability of chips now routinely implanted in patients.

What Stress Does to Your Body

The human body is well adapted to deal with short-term stress, but if it remains on orange alert for an extended period of time, you can grow vulnerable to some serious health problems. Here's how major systems respond to your worries.

NERVOUS

The "fight or flight" response begins here: When you're stressed, the brain's sympathetic nerves signal the adrenal glands to release a chemical variety pack, including epinephrine (aka adrenaline) and cortisol. Persistently high levels of these chemicals may impair memory and learning, and up your odds for depression.

ENDOCRINE

Stress hormones trigger the liver to produce more blood sugar, to give you that kick of energy in the moment of perceived danger. But if the "danger" you're concerned with is a long-term dilemma and you're already at risk for type 2 diabetes, bad news: Elevated glucose levels may turn you into a card-carrying diabetic.

RESPIRATORY

Dental Care: Good Teeth, Good Gums, Good Life

Toothpastes

With the number and types of toothpastes on the market, the best strategy for selecting among these products may be to simply ask your dental hygienist or dentist what the greatest concerns are for your mouth and which product he or she recommends.

After consulting with your dentist or hygienist about your oral health's greatest needs, look for products within that category (for example, within the tartar control brands or within the desensitizing toothpaste brands) that have received the American Dental Association's (ADA) Seal of Acceptance. The ADA's Seal of Acceptance means that the product has met ADA criteria for safety and effectiveness and that packaging and advertising claims are scientifically supported. Some manufacturers choose not to seek the ADA's Seal of

What Diabetes Can Do to Your Body:Heart Disease and Diabetes

Heart disease is common in people with diabetes. In fact, statistics from the American Heart Association estimate that heart disease and stroke are responsible for two-thirds to three-fourths of the deaths amongst those with diabetes.
While all people with diabetes have an increased chance of developing heart disease, the condition is more common in those with type 2 diabetes.
The Framingham Study was one of the first pieces of evidence to show that people with diabetes are more vulnerable to heart disease than those people who did not have diabetes. The Framingham Study looked at generations of people, including those with diabetes, to try to determine the health risk factors for developing heart disease. It showed that multiple health factors -- including diabetes -- could increase the possibility of developing heart disease. Aside from diabetes, other health problems associated with heart disease include high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol levels, and a family history of early heart disease.
The more health risks factors a person has for heart disease, the higher the chances that they will develop heart disease and even die from it. Just like anyone else, people with diabetes have an increased risk of dying from heart disease if they have more health risk factors. However, the probability of dying from heart disease is dramatically higher in a person with diabetes. So, while a person with one health risk factor, such as high blood pressure, may have a certain chance of dying from heart disease, a person with diabetes has double or even quadruple the risk of dying.
For example, one medical study found that people with diabetes who had no other health risk factors for heart disease were 5 times more likely to die of heart disease than those without. Another medical study showed that people with diabetes, no matter the number of other heart disease risk factors, were as likely to have a heart attack as someone without diabetes who has already had a heart attack.
Heart disease experts recommend that all people with diabetes have their heart disease risk factors treated as aggressively as people who have already had heart attacks.

What Causes Heart Disease in People With Diabetes?

Super Food for Your Bones

Strong Bones: Yours to Keep

Our bones remain strong throughout young adulthood. As we hit middle age, they slowly begin to thin out. In women, this process accelerates after menopause, but there are ways to put on the brakes. One of the best lines of defense is your diet -- eating the right foods can give you the maximum peak bone mass and boost your bone density at any age.

Got Milk?

  Calcium is the cornerstone of strong bones. Adults younger than 50 need 1,000 milligrams per day, and people over 50 need 1,200 milligrams a day. The pop star of calcium sources is undoubtedly milk. A single 8-ounce cup of milk, whether skim, low-fat, or whole, has 300 milligrams of calcium.

10 Surprising Health Benefits of Love

Lower Blood Pressure, Fewer Colds, Better Stress Management Are Just the Beginning

“I need somebody to love,” sang the Beatles, and they got it right. Love and health are intertwined in surprising ways. Humans are wired for connection, and when we cultivate good relationships, the rewards are immense. But we’re not necessarily talking about spine-tingling romance.


“There’s no evidence that the intense, passionate stage of a new romance is beneficial to health,” says Harry Reis, PhD, co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Human Relationships. "People who fall in love say it feels wonderful and agonizing at the same time.” All those ups and downs can be a source of stress.