Evening illumination from powerful light bulbs can wreak havoc on your emotions. The solution: Keep your house dimmer in the hours before bed.

“Basically, what we found is that chronic exposure to bright light — even the kind of light you experience in your own living room at home or in the workplace at night if you are a shift worker — elevates levels of a certain stress hormone in the body, which results in depression and lowers cognitive function,” says researcher Samer Hattar, a biology professor in the Johns Hopkins University’s Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

Late night illumination can disrupt the function of cortisol, a hormone related to stress.

Hattar warns that his study on the effects of light during the evening shows that that humans should be wary of the kind of prolonged, regular exposure to bright light at night that is routine in our lives. It may be having a negative effect on our mood and ability to learn.

“I’m not saying we have to sit in complete darkness at night, but I do recommend that we should switch on fewer lamps, and stick to less-intense light bulbs: Basically, only use what you need to see. That won’t likely be enough to activate those (cells in the eye)… that affect mood,” he advises.

The California researchers found that hotels that allow smoking have carcinogenic toxins in all the rooms. This is true even in non-smoking rooms. They caution that the only way to avoid the poisons is to stay in hotels that do not allow smoking anywhere on the premises.

The researchers warn: “Our findings demonstrate that some non-smoking guest rooms in smoking hotels are as polluted with [third hand smoke] as are some smoking rooms. Moreover, non-smoking guests staying in smoking rooms may be exposed to tobacco smoke pollutants at levels found among non-smokers exposed to second hand smoke.”

The scientists urge hotels to enforce total smoking bans to protect both clients and employees. They insist: “Guests who wish to protect themselves from exposure to tobacco smoke should avoid hotels that permit smoking and instead stay in completely smoke-free hotels.”

For reasons not quite understood, the spring season is typically when gout flare-ups are at their worst. Throughout history and across the world, gout has been associated with extravagant living: rich foods, sedentary lifestyle and alcohol consumption. But researchers now know that there’s truth to these observations. Rich foods like fatty animal protein can be high in purines, organic compounds that break down into uric acid. Before the growth of the food industry’s mass-production techniques and an affluent middle class, not many people could regularly afford the meats and alcoholic beverages that contribute to gout. In the past, acquiring gout was sometimes even seen as a rite of passage — a message to society that the afflicted person had arrived at a desirable status level.

Unfortunately, gout is not an enviable reward for high social standing. The condition itself is quite painful; and the underlying causes are also associated with kidney stones, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Spotting Gout

Gout is no longer restricted to aristocrats. Virtually anyone can take part in the dietary excesses associated with the condition. Even Asian cultures, spared these types of diseases for centuries thanks to their healthy diets, are now incorporating Western cuisine into their lifestyles and falling victim to gout and other Western afflictions.

Gout tends to affect older people, mostly men. But post-menopausal women are also at risk.

While a diet rich in animal products increases your risk, gout may also have a genetic component. Some people simply can’t metabolize uric acid as well as others. Furthermore, people with a joint injury can be more susceptible when uric acid crystalizes in the damaged body part. Kidney function may also be a factor: Inefficient kidneys may allow uric acid levels to increase in the blood.

However, to some degree, we can connect gout to the lifestyle company it keeps. Many gout patients are also afflicted with metabolic syndrome: obesity, high blood pressure and insulin resistance. These all possess major diet/lifestyle components. In addition, early research has linked gout to insulin resistance.

Gout is most common in foot and ankle joints, particularly the big toe, and causes acute, sudden pain and inflammation. Symptoms may include:

• Sudden onset of joint tenderness, particularly at night.
• Sudden swelling.
• Redness on joints.
• Painful swelling in the joints where the toes and foot meet.

The pain can persist for days, weeks or even months and is often treated with ibuprofen or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. In some cases, steroids may be used to reduce the inflammation and control the pain. There are also drugs that reduce uric acid in the blood. However, most people who go this route must remain on the medication for the rest of their lives.

Leverage A Healthy Lifestyle

The geographic, dietary and cultural separation between Eastern and Western cultures has provided a means of analyzing how diet and lifestyle factors affect large population groups. The differences in how gout affects these two groups offer important insights into the disease.

In the past, while the wealthier classes in Europe were enduring painful gout attacks, Asian aristocracies, due to their more austere diets, were having few if any problems with the condition. As if to further prove the point, the spread of Western dietary habits throughout Asia coincided with an increase in the prevalence of gout, as well as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Though sometimes difficult to implement, the overall solution to gout is simple: Choose a healthier lifestyle. Reduce the amount of animal protein in the diet and increase vegetable consumption. Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, etc.) are particularly beneficial; they contain compounds that reduce inflammation, support detoxification and boost the immune system. In addition, eat whole grains, drink plenty of fresh water and consume alcohol in moderation.

Research has shown that:

• Low-fat dairy products may reduce uric acid levels.
• Fructose worsens gout symptoms.
• Red wine is easier on gout patients than other alcoholic beverages, perhaps due to its antioxidant content.
• Coffee seems to help, though not other caffeinated drinks; teas have no effect.
• Gout patients who consume cherries lower their risk of an attack by 35 percent.

Most importantly, stay active. If there has ever been a fountain of health, it flows from regular exercise.

Supplements For Gout

The right supplements can reduce gout discomfort by alleviating some of the underlying causes. I recommend a focus on three areas that are highly interrelated: inflammation, circulation and metabolism.

Gout is an inflammatory disease, so we must find ways to reduce chronic inflammation. Scientists now know that one of the biggest culprits in chronic inflammation is a protein called galectin-3. Extensive clinical and preclinical research show that excess galectin-3 in the blood is associated with heart disease, cancer and a number of other degenerative conditions. Fortunately, there is a relatively simple way to stop galectin-3’s adverse effects. Derived from citrus peels, modified citrus pectin has been found to block excess galectin-3, reduce inflammation and promote cellular health. A low-glycemic, alkaline diet can also help address inflammation.

Poor circulation can also be a prime factor in gout. A sluggish circulatory system allows uric acid to build up in the joints. Natural ingredients that promote circulation, such as hawthorn berry, nattokinase, medicinal mushrooms and other botanicals, can help reduce inflammation and promote healing and recovery.

As noted, gout is related to diabetes and metabolic syndrome, so supporting a healthy, efficient metabolism is also a priority. A low-glycemic diet combined with natural herbs and nutrients can help balance blood glucose and insulin to address metabolic syndrome. Ingredients such as lipoic acid, alginates from seaweed, cinnamon, holy basil, fenugreek, American ginseng, and other herbs and nutrients work to support healthy glucose and fat metabolism, reduce inflammation, and promote metabolic and overall health.

We are fortunate to live in such plentiful times. But good fortune has to be accompanied by responsibility for our own health. Indulgences often bring undesirable consequences.

While gout can be excruciatingly painful, it is also preventable. And as we work to prevent gout, or at least mitigate its symptoms, we are also improving our overall health. Remember, the same underlying causes that boost uric acid and drive inflammation can also contribute to cancer, diabetes and heart disease. By addressing underlying causes with good eating and exercise habits, we can prevent disease, extend our life span and, most importantly, improve our health.

For more health and wellness information, visit www.dreliaz.org.

Essential Oils

- Cynthia Shankman‏

Essential oils, also known as Aromatherapy, have grown in popularity during the past several years.  Along with other alternative therapies, such as massage, acupuncture, and energy healing, essential oils are now easily available for personal use.   There was a time when essential oils were only available from a professional Aromatherapist.  Today they can be purchased in stores, online, and at farmer’s markets.

Essential oils have a long history of use for health, wellness and beauty.  They used by the Egyptians for beauty and spiritual ceremonies.  In biblical times, oils were brought to the Christ Child as the most valued gifts of the times.

You may have interest in experiencing essential oils for yourself as they contain hundreds of healing compounds in just a single drop.  They smell great and contain antibacterial, antifungal, antispasmodic, anticancer, and antiseptic qualities.

Is important to understand that not all essential oils are created equal.  95% of all essential oils are created for the food and cosmetic industries; these oils do not contain the healing power of nature; they do not contain the hundreds of healing compounds in a single drop.   Let’s review the 4 different standards of essential oils so that you may get the best quality available.

Fragrance Grade:  These oils are used for perfumes, candles, and cleaning products.  Most often these fragrances are made from synthetic ingredients in a laboratory.  They do not contain healing compounds.

Food Grade: These oils are created for the food industry for use in mouthwash, chewing gum, mints, and candy, etc.  These oils are most often created in a laboratory of synthetic ingredients.

Health Food Store Quality:  These oils are an improvement over the other two previous synthetic categories.  They smell great and do contain some benefit, but they cannot be placed directly on the body or taken internally as supplements because they do contains some fillers, extenders, or are processed through low quality distilling practices.

Therapeutic Grade: These oils contain hundreds of healing compounds in each drop. They are properly distilled and properly packaged.  They are pure and contain no fillers.  They can affect the body for change through oxygenation, cleansing, calming, and focus.

Once you have secured high quality, therapeutic grade essential oils, there are many ways to use them on a daily basis for improving body, mind, and spirit.

Daily Uses For Essential Oils:

There is so much more that essential oils can do.

In coming months we will discuss the specific uses for all the varieties of therapeutic grade essential oils.

cynthia.organicsparkle@gmail.com

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ADHD is being called a genetic neurological disorder. Hereditary, and incurable. This is why I believe that ADHD is none of those things, and hence total BS.

Let’s examine the acronym itself. Attention Deficit (Hyperactive) Disorder. (It was called simply, ‘ADD’ during my childhood). What is attention? Simply, attention is concentration. It is being mindful, aware, and focused.

The ability to focus on something, is a trait of our minds.

When we say, “Pay attention, this is important”, we mean, “invest more of your awareness, attention span, concentration, and focus to the task or event at hand”. The ability to focus on something, is a trait of our minds. Since our mind is partly a product of our brain wiring and signaling, it is fair to say, that our ability to focus on something, is a circuit in the brain.

I began training my brain in concentration techniques, when I was twelve years old. I had heard a story once, about some famous monk who stared at a wall for years. So without any orthodox training, I simply chose a spot on the wall to focus on, and began training my mind in the function of paying attention.

At the age of thirteen, I received some meditation training based on self-hypnosis, and visualizations. I added these practices, to my wall-staring practice.

At the age of fourteen, I was taking karate classes, and I learned another meditation technique from my teachers there, basic Zen. The simplest Zen training there is, involves placing your awareness in your pelvis, a few inches in front of the top of your sacrum, and remaining present and attentive to that place. Some of you will recognize that region of the body conforming with ideas in yoga and Japanese as well as Chinese medicine about the chakras, the hara, or dantien, respectively.

From the ages of thirteen to eighteen, I practiced all of those meditation techniques. Sometimes I practiced a lot and sometimes a little. Becoming a legal adult and immediately being on my own, as well as having to take care of myself, led to a period of several years where my meditation practices often fell by the wayside.

Working twelve-hour graveyard shifts with a ninety-minute vehicle commute and coming home and getting stoned every day, was not conducive to a meditative lifestyle. By the time I had turned twenty-one, I was back in the meditation business. I had had a near death experience, and suffered from severe depression. I was trying to get my spirituality back, and I felt strongly that re-engaging my meditative disciplines was the key to becoming well.

I found that meditation had become much much harder than it seemed to be, as a young teen. I found that the trials of life, physical, mental and emotional stress, all took a toll on my nervous system, and the urgency of unresolved physical, mental and emotional problems prevented me from being able to pay attention to my “hara”, or “lower dantien”, for longer than five minutes.

 Five minutes of attention span became ten minutes, which became fifteen minutes, which became thirty.

I could focus on my job, or on a task like cooking my dinner, but sitting still, in silence, just being present in my body, was incredibly difficult. But having once already attained a laser-concentration, I knew I had the ability. I was just going to have to work at this, really hard. And I continued with my meditation practice.

Bit by bit, I extended my ability to sit still, until the urge to get up and do something was overwhelming. Five minutes of attention span became ten minutes, which became fifteen minutes, which became thirty. Thirty minutes of sitting meditation was about my tolerance level at that time. It presented a barrier, one I wanted to overcome.

Meditating for longer than thirty minutes made me feel like I was going to explode. That feeling was the cumulative noise in my CNS. I had simply trained myself, to remain calm and focused for a period of time, before I would encounter the jarring noise of my inner world, and it became too much, and I had to move. I would be vibrating with the need to stop sitting, and to move.

At this point, I gave up sitting meditation for awhile. Instead I focused all my efforts, on learning to relax, while practicing tai chi. Tai chi, done slowly, is moving meditation. I started with one hour, and over time, could easily slip into two hours. Tai chi let me move my body around, while I was remaining mindful and present and attentive.

All the accumulating sense of unease and the urge to move that came from sitting, was mitigated by the act of moving in a deliberate and mindful way. The longer I practiced tai chi, the more comfortable and relaxed my inner world became. So after a year of practicing tai chi very consistently, I returned to sitting meditation, to see where I was at.

Lo and behold, I could now sit for an hour, easily. During that hour, I was able to continue the process of settling my nervous system. This calmed the racing energy that powered my rapid thinking, my high-energy emotions, and my overall intensity. This allowed me to sit attentively, even longer. In time, one hour of meditation, became two. Two hours, became four. At the point where I could sit for four to six hours at a stretch, time ceased to have meaning for my inner world. In this stage, I could easily lose four hours to meditation, and it felt like maybe an hour had passed, maybe.

Practice paying attention, and you gain increased ability to be mindful and attentive.

At the height of this training, I once spent an entire night, meditating against a tree, at the river’s edge, during a full moon, on a hot summer night, in the American River Parkway in Sacramento. I sat for over twelve hours like it was nothing. I was twenty-five years old at that time. I grew my own attention span, from five minutes, to over twelve hours of sitting still, in less than five years of practicing mindfulness and concentration exercises.

From personal experience, I can tell you that your brain’s capacity to pay attention, is a skill, an ability. Like nearly any ability, it can be improved because of the brain’s inherent neuroplasticity. People who play tennis, or shoot guns, or play chess, or climb mountains or any of great number of pastimes  slowly but surely grow a definitive circuit for that skillset in their brains. But the key to developing any kind of brain circuit, is to be interested enough to want to apply your attention, to gain that skill and to train it out. 

It stands to reason, if the subject matter is boring, tedious, and utterly uninteresting, if you can’t see “what’s in it for me”, then it does not matter who you are, you are probably not going to be attentive when that particular subject comes up. I find a lot of these so-called ADHD kids these days, that their inattentiveness comes up in school (not shocking) and at home, with parents who demand chores and homework (again, not shocking). But many of these alleged ADHD kids, can sure as heck play a mean video game.

From turn-based strategy games, to MMORPGs, to first-person shooters, these ADHD kids have found something they can pay attention to, for extended periods of time. The mental circuit for concentration, clearly exists in these children’s and young adult’s brains. It must exist, for them to be able to play hours of Call of Duty or Mass Effect or World of Warcraft on end. No attention for school, or for parent’s directions, but a near-meditator’s level of focus, for video games.

Video games is an easy example. From what I have read, and experienced first-hand with a close relative who was Dxd with ADD in the 80s , when a supposed ADHD person finds something of interest, all the incurable genetic hereditary disorder, goes right out the window. Whether it is the study of small engine repair and robotics, to computer programming, to competitive swimming or martial arts, when a person with the alleged ADHD genetic defect finds a captivating subject, their symptoms seem gone. Nonexistent.

You need to show me, with G, A, T, and C, where on the transcript, this gene for poor brain attentiveness exists in someone with ADHD.

That is why, I think the current hype about the existence of this Attention Deficit Disorder, is based entirely on flawed science. The ability to focus, concentrate, be mindful and pay attention, is a brain skill nearly all of us have, to a greater or lesser degree. This ability can be trained, it can be improved, through practice of the ability itself.

Practice paying attention, and you gain increased ability to be mindful and attentive. I do not believe for even one micro-second, that all these supposed ADHD kids who can’t focus in school, or the alleged ADHD adults who can’t do their laundry or college homework, or clean the kitchen, are suffering from a genetic or neurological defect. Find them one thing in this world, that genuinely interests them, and grabs their attention, and you found a potential key for the strengthening the “attention-paying” circuit in their brains.

Once engaged,  that training, that ability, will improve, and without doubt, they will be able to wield that skill, in other spheres of engagement. To use a martial art expression, the “gong-fu” they develop from skydiving, programming code, winning at Battlefield online, and competitive swimming (Michael Phelps), will extend into other areas of their lives, to a greater or lesser degree, varying from one individual to the next.

I am willing to submit to genetic testing and brain scans. I would be happy to practice meditation while taking an fMRI, so you could compare my brain firing patterns, to those diagnosed with ADHD, as well as advanced Buddhist meditators who had their brains scanned at Harvard Medical. I want neuroscientists and people who do research in the field of ADHD, to see and understand, that the circuit for paying attention is trainable.

Once you understand you can control your own brain, train it, to perform at a higher level than that which you came into this world with, you will understand why currently, ADHD theory is grounded in pseudoscience.

Practices like tai chi and meditation, smooth out the noise in your CNS, removing the jumpy energy called hyperactivity.

What you need to convince me, that ADHD is genetic or neurological, is to show me how the concentration circuit of the brain is impaired in those presenting with ADHD symptoms. You need to show me, with G, A, T, and C, where on the transcript, this gene for poor brain attentiveness exists in someone with ADHD.

My position is that, it is natural to not have a laser-attention span, for things that bore the living daylights out of us. It is natural for most of us, to have at least one thing in our lives, that ropes us in, that makes us pay attention willingly, enthusiastically. By focusing on growing your concentration circuit for that one thing, you develop a circuit that can be used for other, more mundane things, like house or homework.

Far from being a hereditary and incurable disorder, ADHD may be one of the easiest to cure without any therapy or drugs, because paying attention is a trainable skill. Hyperactivity, is related to how much noise and jumpiness is in your CNS. Practices like tai chi and meditation, smooth out the noise in your CNS, removing the jumpy energy called hyperactivity. I am ready to take that fMRI any time, to show on a scan, how paying attention works, and how nearly anyone could in theory, increase their ability to pay attention, through the act of paying attention (to something they find absorbing).

I feel for those who have impaired concentration or attentiveness. You may present hyperactivity or a paying-attention deficit, but I don’t believe that any of you have a genetic or neurological disorder. The deficit is for you, very real. I am not doubting that people with short attention spans have some executive or functional impairments in your lives. But the reductionist theory or explanation as to why you have this deficit, is, given my own experiences in training attention,  laughable. It is this neuro-genetic-biological explanation for ADHD symptoms, which I feel is pseudo-scientific, and nonexistent.

About the author:  Jane Alexander is a fulltime taichi student-teacher in the Bay Area and the author of “Possessing Me: A memoir of healing” an autobiography about overcoming PTSD and depression with meditation, qigong and taichi training.

Homeopaths Without Borders (HWB) has provided homeopathic care and education in Guatemala, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Sri Lanka. Since the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, it has focused efforts there, too. Besides minor ailments, HWB also treats malaria, typhoid, cholera, dengue fever, advanced diabetes, and educates about the “beneficial effects” of these treatments.

Laugh or cry? I can’t decide. There’s something really wrong with a company that deludes the barely educated global poor with the false hope of a malaria treatment–when they could have been seeking assistance that might actually save their life. It’s even more wrong that it can get the tax exemption status known as 501(c)3 in the US.

I have nothing against the people behind the organization; they likely have the noble intention of doing their best to alleviate suffering in the developing world. But here are the facts: Five independent meta-analyses by the Cochrane Collaboration, which gives impartial and independent summaries and analyses of relevant scientific literature, found no evidence that homeopathy outperforms placebo. In 2005, a meta-analysis by the Lancet of 110 studies of homeopathy and 110 studies of matched conventional medicine found no evidence that homeopathic medicine outperformed placebo. And the US government’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine says:

There is little evidence to support homeopathy as an effective treatment for any specific condition…. Several key concepts of homeopathy are inconsistent with fundamental concepts of chemistry and physics.

I contacted Homeopaths Without Borders for comment. The organization referred me to research and information provided by the non-independent and non-governmentally affiliated National Center For Homeopathy, and three studies that point to success better than that of placebo. Indeed, some studies suggest, with probability of less than 5%, that homeopathy outperforms placebo. The trouble is that, if you do enough studies, then simply through chance you’ll get some apparently positive results (an idea beautifully illustrated by Randall Munroe). That’s why we need to rely on analyses like the Cochrane Collaboration, rather than just some artificially selected corner of proof.

In its reply, HWB said “there is no better proof of its effectiveness than to see it ‘on the ground.’” But anecdotal “on the ground” evidence is problematic precisely because you don’t know whether people treated got better because of the treatment, or whether through placebo, or whether they just would have gotten better anyway, as many people do. Again, I don’t have much problem with people dishing out placebos if they make people’s lives better. But when those people might then not seek other treatment that is efficacious beyond placebo, that’s problematic.

Still, there’s some good to be gleaned from HWB. Mainly, the way we think about charity in general is all wrong, and HWB’s tax status is simply the most extreme end of a wider problem. If you’ve got a standard for assessing charity effectiveness where somehow HWB could carry out its homeopathy program and be a top-rated charity, then your metric is a non-starter. Unfortunately, this applies to almost all professional charity evaluators. Let’s look at some common standards:

1. Overhead Ratio

This one is pretty famous: the idea is that you look at how much a charity spends on overhead (such as fundraising and administration) and how much the charity spends on “program costs”—the actual activity that the charity is aiming to implement. According to this metric, the lower the ratio of overheads to program costs, the better the charity. The American Institute of Philanthropy relies pretty heavily on this metric; Charity Navigator, which evaluates and rates philanthropic endeavors, uses it as one input among others.

But let’s suppose that HWB had almost no overhead. All the employees are so enthusiastic about their mission that they volunteer, and they have enough supporters that they don’t need to spend money on fundraising—so overheads are tiny. Does this make the charity good? No. As long as it’s still distributing pseudo-medicine, it isn’t a good charity, because there’s no benefit to people. In fact, if they spent on “overhead” like research maybe they’d discover the scientific evidence in opposition to their mission and go do something else instead.

2. Salary of Highest Paid Employee

This metric, thankfully, has generally been dropped by professional charity evaluation organizations, but it’s common in the public assessment of charities. The idea is that the more a charity spends on salaries, the more “wasteful” it is, and so the less inclined you should be to give to it.

But now suppose that we find out that all employees of HWB work for the minimum wage or for free. Does that make HWB any better as a charity? Actually, for me that makes it sound a little scarier! Not only is it doing something ineffective—but with a missionary-like zeal!

3. Accountability and Transparency

As well as financial health, Charity Navigator also looks at accountability and transparency: for example, whether there’s a whistleblower policy, whether board minutes are kept, and whether the IRS Form 990 is linked to on its website. Again, HWB, if it wanted, could conform with all of this, while still distributing homeopathic remedies. So, by Charity Navigator’s lights, if it tried hard enough, it could be a top-rated charity.

4. How effectively does the charity achieve its aims?

Some charity evaluators are trying to move beyond financial health and instead look at “impact.” This seems promising, but, again, doing it misguidedly can fail the HWB test. For example, Charting Impact asks five questions in order to work out how well a charity lives up to its aims. But suppose that HWB had an aim to provide homeopathic treatment to 1 million people and it managed to do this on a tiny budget—say, $500,000. That would do nothing to benefit the global poor, but, by Charting Impact’s lights, it would be an amazing success! If the goals of the charity aren’t useful, then achieving those goals more effectively does nothing.

In general, charity evaluators too often focus on process rather than outcome. But it’s really only the outcome that we should think about.

Let’s compare this with market consumption—an area where humans tend to be much more rational—suppose you’re planning to buy an iPhone rather than a Nexus. Does it affect your decision if the CEO of Apple has a higher salary than that of Google? Or that Apple spends more on admin and marketing than Google does? Why should you care? All that matters is the quality of the product and its cost. In just the same way, all that matters when donating to charity is how good an outcome it will produce with your donation, at least as long as it isn’t actively harming anyone along the way. Show me a charity that spent 90% of its money on lavish parties for its CEO, bureaucratic admin, and had never filed a financial statement in its life, but spent the final 10% distributing long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets in sub-Saharan Africa, and I would donate to it over HWB without a blink.

What’s true is that some focus on process can be relevant in combination with focus on outcomes. For example, you can only really know about the program’s cost-effectiveness if the charity is transparent (hence Givewell’s emphasis on transparency); and it’s unlikely that a charity can reliably do good if it has no control over its finances. So, all other things being equal, I’d prefer to give to Against Malaria Foundation (which, as well as working on an extremely cost-effective program, spends a tiny £80,000 annually on overhead, has an executive director who works for free, and manages to get a remarkable number of services pro bono), rather than the malaria charity with great parties I described above. But even then, the other metrics are useful only insofar as they help the charity produce better outcomes, or help you know that the charity is producing better outcomes.

There are some emerging charity evaluators that are genuinely outcome-focused. GiveWell and Giving What We Can (of which I’m a cofounder) explicitly focus on goods produced per dollar donated. And Charity Navigator is at least aiming in the right direction with a new intent to include “results reporting”—though, given its history, I still have my doubts.

We may not always be able to quantify or compare the outcomes of different charities across different causes. But let’s stop pretending that outcomes don’t matter.

Will MacAskill’s blog is effective-altruism.com. We welcome your comments at ideas@qz.com.

It’s also wise to understand that the consequences among sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can increase your teen’s associated with a car accidents, affect your current teen’s health, reduce his/her student performance, cause depression, increase substance abuse, be behind aggressive conduct, and create behavior problems.

It is good to take specific or two tablets twice a meaningful day with meals. Make it easy for several weeks for benefits. The use of natural models provides progressive but long-lasting data.

Can buy the greatest technological advances in the medical field has been that of intravenous medicinethe functionality to feed, hydrate, medicate and replace blood lost in hurt and injured patients directly, with the aid of the use of needles. Leading the ability to give good results all these functions are infusion pumps. These devices render controlled amounts of nutrition, physique and medication directly to a person’s circulatory system, where things has the best, most imperative effect on recovery. They can also deliver Optical Express recently under the skin, or themselves to the central nervous system, such as when a women has epidural anesthesia when for labor.

Obviously if you are looking for a nice great acne treatment then your entire family should focus on your nutrition. Doctors and other various healers say that diet typically is maybe the single greatest acne treatment. A very powerful form of alternative acne treatments is a herbal acne remedy. This is a great way to try and keep clear of the side effects that location with some chemically laden zits treatments. Products containing unevaluated substances are best avoided. The EWG has reviewed scientific studies and performed their own independent laboratory tests to uncover health threats from skin medical care products sold in the Mixed States.

Cancerous prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is its medical term when prostate gland increases in size and the flow of urine is obstructed. BPH may happen in older men and noncancerous. But a swollen prostate affects your quality of lifestyle and can cause problems inside urinary tract, bladder and solution. Currently BPH treatment has many limitations. Patient not only have to treat non-compliance, escalating cost and side effects in a drug therapy but also have to face the things that can arise from a health care procedure, which include hospitalization, genes transfusion, urinary tract infection, urethral stricture and development of urinary incontinence.

Locating just one gram a day of omega 3 fatty acids by eating omega3 rich foods or taking omega 3 supplements can gently slice cardiovascular mortality by 30%. That could be reducing the risk of a heart attack by 45%.

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1^st visit: May 23, 2011

Pale grey-white tongue color. Sunken and weak pulses. Purple veins on the bottom of his tongue. He had had bleeding hemorrhoids for 5 years with blood in his stool all the time. He visited many hospitals in Beijing and used to take Chinese herbs for 300 days consecutively but the bleeding didn’t stop. He had lower back pain and leg pain all the time. Appetite and sleeping were normal. Blood pressure 130-140/80 in the morning and 150/80 at daytime. Bowel movement: once every day (mushy). 3 times of urinations every night.

Diagnosis: deficiency of kidney, stagnation of blood.

Prescription: 丹参 郁金 鸡血藤 地榆炭 全蝎 山萸肉 杜仲 木瓜 玄胡 茯苓 菟丝子 益智仁 五味 法夏 甘草 etc.

2^nd visit: Jun. 8, 2011

He said that the bleeding hadn’t appeared for the past week ever since he took the medicine for the first day. But in his previous treatments, the bleeding never stopped but only a smaller amount.

3^rd visit: Jun.14, 2011

He ate some hot food incautiously and a little bleeding came back but it was not as severe as before. Advice: continue the treatment to consolidate the effect.

4^th visit: Jun. 22, 2011

The bleeding didn’t appear for the past week. Lower back and leg pains were alleviated.

Feed backs on Jul.20 and Jul.27: the bleeding hadn’t appeared any more.

Half a year later, his son came to visit me and told me that his father’s situation was very stable and the bleeding never happened ever since.

This is exactly what lead me to writing this method article, a couple of quotes, from a Doctor. We’ve been aware for some work-time that salt reduction (vigorously promoted by most Governments and high quality health agencies) doesnt appear to create any miraculous beneficial effects(on BP), but what about drugs for blood pressure so-called antihypertensives? Do these medications deliver about their promise?

Health markers such as high cholesterol, being overweight, having diabetes, smoking, being stressed out, being sedentary or having high blood pressure(BP) are all signs (indicators) just that youre at risk of producing problems with your heart and brain later on in life.

Because of a holisitic consultation in that this Clarksville, Maryland area, including Ayurvedic Optical Express and remedies, visit Smeeta’s Integrated Wellness Center. Smita Patel is a registered apothecary and Ayurvedic practitioner. Visit the center to make a very practitioner appointment or to pay for a variety of supplements and herbal remedies. The Effectively being Center is located at 13410 Clarksville Pike, Highland, Maryland.

Magnetic field therapy in its various levels has been claimed to produce positive pain relieving effects in the treatment of a great associated with conditions, including back and throat pain, arthritis, muscle soreness, cts – and the list goes on and on. NY Times best dumping author Gary Null’s Healing having Magnets (1998) contains an extensive review of the various would make use of of magnet therapy for alleviation and other positive health added benefit.

It operation in particular that is being performed more frequently without the need blood transfusions is open heart surgery. As with a cardiothoracic surgery, open heart having an operation is an extremely complex methods that requires an experienced cosmetic surgeon. In the past forty five years, many cardiothoracic surgeons have been adopting blood management and thus conservation techniques when performing open heart surgeries. A bloodless heart surgery can actually lessen the complexity of the expensive surgery and reduce the overall patient recovery times.

Examine your teen’s schedule now. Has his/her sleeping habits been altered over the summer. If so, it is time at this point , to start moving back to the school schedule. Moving to school time should be progressively and the transition can take several days to several days to complete.

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Common medicines are economical solutions that have been introduced in the pharmaceutical planet & are designated to are the efficient answers to the problems & deficiencies, which is considered an effective initiative by the government. Generic medications must possess the similar feature features as those that are perhaps contained in the original healing devices. These are drug treatments that are marketed under the similar chemical names which are in the branded ones, but these are not set under the procedures attached to advertisements. They are recognized in accordance with the significant features, pathway of functioning, strategies of application & potential ability.

That will was observed in medieval amount of times that the grand old ladies of a community – is associated as ‘wise-women’ – prescribed several medicine for treatment of problems that claimed to heal folks with demonic spirits. In the latter years these all women were made targets of mass quickly witch hysteria. The Rule of Optical Express, written by Persian physician and scientist Avicenna typically is a fourteen volume book that contains a perspective of 6 hundred tested drugs, minerals and then plants. A section pertaining to this book is devoted to help you the medicinal uses of sandalwood, nutmeg, myrrh, senna, and cinnamon.

when blood pressure is tested you will give 2 values evaluate Systolic (working) and then Diastolic (resting). If your keep pressure is greater than 120/80 mm Hg then you according to health practitioners have large blood pressure.

Stress and fatigue incontinence is the most common bladder control problem. The item includes the leakage that develops when a person coughs, sneezes, laughs, lifts a heavy object, or otherwise creates pressure in the lower abdomen. Our own bladder is rarely completely emptied, making dribbling much more commonly used than complete evacuation of our own bladder. This problem has always been the result of weakened pelvic muscles which can be the particular result of aging, obesity, and/or pregnancy.

Normal acne treatment works in a large number of different ways. People performed not seek out natural bad complexion treatment until there is a new actual acne problem. So, natural acne treatment reduces soreness and swelling cause by inflammation of the joints and also works to clear out the pores and raise a healthy balance to its skin The costs are always nominal compared to going in the market to your local salon that clients virtually do as many treatments as needed depending on in what way much acne treatment is involved.

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NaturalNews

May 16, 2013

by: John Phillip

The scientists found that those individuals who most closely followed the Mediterranean diet were 19 percent less likely to develop problems with their thinking and memory skills.

It should come as no great surprise to those following a natural diet and healthy lifestyle that the foods we eat and the environment in which we live directly influence our risk of developing many chronic illnesses, degree of aging and ultimately, lifespan. Although considered by many to be a normal part of the aging process, dementia, and specifically Alzheimer’s disease, is not a natural progression as we get older and is largely the product of the type of foods we eat over the course of many decades of life.

While many environmental factors contribute to disease progression, diet remains the most influential cofactor in the development of memory and personality-robbing diseases. Researchers from the University of Alabama report the results of a study suggesting that the Mediterranean diet, emphasizing foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, chicken and salad dressing, and avoiding saturated fats, meat and dairy foods, may be linked to preserving memory and thinking abilities.

Reporting in the prestigious journal, Neurology, scientists explain how limiting sugars, refined carbohydrates and hydrogenated fats help to preserve memory and cognitive abilities through mid-life and into our senior years. Study author, Dr. Georgios Tsivgoulis noted “Since there are no definitive treatments for most dementing illnesses, modifiable activities, such as diet, that may delay the onset of symptoms of dementia, are very important.”

To conduct their study, the team analyzed 30,239 people over age 45 for a period of four-and-a-half years and monitored them regularly for health changes and adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet. Participants underwent tests to measure memory and thinking abilities over the study period. The scientists found that those individuals who most closely followed the Mediterranean diet were 19 percent less likely to develop problems with their thinking and memory skills. Interestingly, the Mediterranean diet was not associated with cognitive decline in people with diabetes.

While the team did not provide an explanation why diabetics did not benefit from this type of diet, one can theorize that diabetes results from years of dietary transgressions and the resulting cellular and metabolic changes require more intense measures to resolve. Dr. Tsivgoulis concluded “Diet is an important modifiable activity that could help in preserving cognitive functioning in late life, however it is only one of several important lifestyle activities that might play a role in late-life mental functioning. Exercise, avoiding obesity and not smoking cigarettes are also important.”

Related articles

• Mediterranean Diet Protects Against Cognitive Impairment (medicaldaily.com)
• Mediterranean Diet Helps Preserve Memory And Thinking Abilities (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Study Links Mediterranean Diet to Preserving Memory (scienceworldreport.com)

1^st visit: Jul.13, 2011

Low level of white blood cell for a long time which often caused swollen lymph in his neck, jaw and throat. Thin stature. Always tired and sleepy. Being afraid of air infection, he always wore a mask when on the street. Appetite is OK. 1~2 times bowel movements everyday. Red tongue color with yellow greasy coating in the middle part. Weak pulses.

Prescription: 柴胡 茵陈 枳壳 赤芍 郁金 蒲公英 泽泻 砂仁 党参 苍术 山萸肉 甘草 etc.

2nd visit: Jul.16, 2011

Test result by the Second Hospital of Beijing Armed Police Corps showed that his white blood cell lever: 3.58 (normal is 4.0~10)

Jul.27, 2011

Test result by the Second Hospital of Beijing Armed Police Corps showed an increase of his white blood cell level: 3.58 (normal is 4.0~10)

5^th visit: Aug. 10, 2011

Test result by the Second Hospital of Beijing Armed Police Corps showed that his white blood cell level was normal: 4.94 (normal is 4.0~10)

Advice: continue the treatment to consolidate the effect.

1^st visit: Jul.4, 2012

She said she had been having swollen thyroid glands for many years. Now her thyroid was obviously enlarged (blood test result for thyroid function was normal). She had pharyngitis with sticky phlegm. Eating and digesting were normal. Her Respiration was labored and she always took with her an asthma spray inhaler for urgent needs. Her breath was more difficult when exercised. She had 2~3 times of bowel movements every morning. Irritable mood. She felt afraid of cold in her hands and feet in winter. A history of arrhythmia. Frequent urinations after drinking in daytime. Pale tongue color with white-yellow thick coating. Sunken and weak pulses.

Diagnosis: weakness and deficiency of liver, kidney and spleen, stagnation and blockage of phlegm and dampness.

Prescription: 柴胡 香附 川芎 怀牛膝 郁金 桔梗 白芥子 法半夏 苍术 补骨脂 etc. 7 days.

2^nd visit: Jul.11, 2012

Pale red tongue with a little greasy coating. Weak pulses.

Breathing difficulty was reduced. Frequency of urination was reduced. Bowel movements reduced to 2 times every morning. The size of her thyroid glands seemed the same as before.

3^rd visit: Jul.25, 2012

The size of her thyroid glands seemed obviously smaller than before. The blockage and suffocating feeling in her throat was reduced progressively. Her breathing difficulty was not obvious any more after exercise. The sticky phlegm became less in her throat. Appetite was OK. Her mood was stable with occasional irritations. Watery stool when taking the medicine.

Her treatment has lasted for 3 months. Her thyroid glands became normal size. Her respiration became very well and all other symptoms isappeared.

My cat, Pushkin.

This Pushkin, who is 17 years old. His mother gave birth in my apartment, so we’ve been together since day one. Of the eight cats I’ve had the pleasure of nurturing, he’s my longest surviving cat. His sister, Zora, passed away nearly a year ago, and his mother, Precious, nearly three-and-a-half years ago.

Last month I attended a three-day Reiki I class and received my attunement from Reiki Master Pamela Miles. My own previous experience with Reiki treatments several years ago inspired me to learn Reiki because I could imagine how good shelter and rescue animals would feel, how much of their stress and fear could be alleviated. And, I couldn’t wait to offer it to Pushkin. According to Kathleen Prasad, Animal Reiki Teacher, Founder and Director,
Animal Reiki Source, and President of the Shelter Animal Reiki Association, Reiki is perfect for animals (and humans) because it’s noninvasive and doesn’t necessarily require hands-on contact.” Animals, she says, respond intuitively to Reiki’s power to support the

Dog receiving a hands-on Reiki treatment.

healing of emotional, behavioral, and physical illnesses and injuries.” When animals are healthy, Reiki is maintenance, and when they’re ailing, Reiki complements all other healing modalities.When they approach the end of their lives, Reiki provides relief from pain, fear, and anxiety and supports their transition.

I have been the beneficiary of Reiki self-practice (more about that soon in my other blog, http://amirhbahati.wordpress.com) for 37 days now, and Pushkin has, too. Initially, I didn’t know how he would accept it or if he would accept it and I didn’t want to have any expectations. I knew that if he said no or not right now to the treatment, I would have to respect that because Reiki is not given, it’s offered. As I was completing my own Reiki session on that first night, he came to be near me on the bed.  Okay, nothing new. And then he butted my hand until he got my palm on top of his head.

Horse receiving Reiki

Then I placed my free hand on his body, and it’s been that way ever since. He’s a hands-on kind of guy. Thirty-seven days does not 37 treatments; it means 37 times 3, or 4, or 5. He’s a fiend for it. That’s how he asks for it, head-butting my hand until it’s where he wants it, and often he climbs into my arms, my hands warm and pulsating, and Pushkin purring and yawning.

Several months ago, he started to show signs of something. At 17, he’s not the muscular guy that he used to be. He’s lost some muscle mass and some weight in spite of a healthy appetite. I had begun to suspect a hyperactive thyroid, kidney decline, or (no,

Pushkin the Kitten

don’t say it!) diabetes, the usual suspects. Last week his thyroid values turned up normal. There is no diabetes, but he’s just on the cusp of kidney decline, so he’s on subcutaneous hydration, but unlike Zora, who received this treatment every day, Pushkin’s prescription is only every three days. I am grateful. And on we shall continue. I’d love for him to make it to twenty.

I find Vitamin E fascinating…it is a fat-soluble vitamin that the body cannot manufactures, stores and retains, hence it is classified as an essential nutrient. You need to get your Vitamin E from your diet and through supplementation if necessary.

Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that neutralises free radicals.  Free radicals cause damage to your cells leading to inflammation and diseases. These free radicals are produced naturally in your body but exacerbated when you are exposed to stresses, smoke (pollution and smoking0, alcohol, poor diet and ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Vitamin E neutralises the effects of free radical and protect your cell membranes from damage.

There have been many studies that support the role of Vitamin E in reducing the risk of heart disease. To understand heart diseases, one must appreciate the role of cholesterol. Cholesterol are necessary for your health…your body makes Vitamin D from the cholesterol-like substance on your skin when exposed to sunlight. Cholesterol maintains the health of your brain cells and the HDL cholesterol picks up  cholesterol particles away from cells to the liver where they are broken down, thus limit the possibilities of blocked arteries.

Cholesterol is an essential component of healthy cells. The LDL (widely known as the ‘bad ‘ cholesterol)which is widely misunderstood and blamed for blocked arteries, has a role of carrying cholesterol to cells. The LDL becomes harmful and can cause heart disease when 2 things happen: 1. There is too much LDL in the blood (e.g. eating high fat diet) and fatty deposits start to form in the arteries  2. The LDL cholesterol becomes oxidised! High level of oxidised cholesterol have been linked to heart disease.

The good news is that Vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient full of antioxidant properties and it can helps prevent the oxidation of cholesterol (especially LDL cholesterol) and fats in the body.  Here are 2 studies that have shown how heart disease have been affected by the use of Vitamin E:

• A double blind placebo controlled study of 2002 patients with previous coronary heart disease took 800IU of Vitamin D per day. 75% reduction in heart attacks were recorded. (Study published by Stephen in the Lancet 1996, p347)
• A study followed 90,000 nurses who took Vitamin E for more than 2 years showed a 40% of risk reduction in coronary heart disease. (NEJM 1993, May 20, p1444)

Apart from being a potent antioxidant, Vitamin E plays a vital role in helping the body make red blood cells. It aids in healthy blood clotting as it helps make platelets less sticky and make blood runs more smoothly through blood vessels.

Vitamin E helps to replenish the stores of Vitamin A, K, selenium and iron.  In particular, Vitamin E works with selenium to protect the fat-soluble parts of the body at the cellular level. Cells require Vitamin E for their interaction and in carrying out their many functions. Our immune system relies on Vitamin E to boost its strength in fighting off bacteria and viruses.

Some sources of foods that are rich in Vitamin E are: eggs, nuts, vegetable oils, sunflower seeds, green leafy vegetables, avocados, whole grains, wheat germs and spinach.

Vitamin E can be supplemented for those who are deficient. The best form of Vitamin E is  the natural or biological form, d-alpha tocopherol. Some vitamins E in the marketplace are synthetically made in the form  of  d/l-alpha tocopherol or all-rac tocopherol. The biological form of d-alpha tocopherol are easily absorbed in the body in comparison to the synthetic version which has to be broken down and excreted in the urine. Also the synthetic version possessed only one-half the biological activity of the natural d-alpha tocopherol. Make sure you check the labels when you select your Vitamin E supplement and remember to take your Vitamin E supplement with food as it is a fat-soluble vitamin and your body must have fats to carry the Vitamin E for absorption.

It is only sensible for a healthy diet to include foods rich in Vitamin E and a high quality multivitamin with d-alpha tocopherol included.

He had obvious swollen thyroids. He felt very very tired everyday. Before consulting me, he used to get Chinese herbal treatment for half a year at Beijing XX clinic but didn’t find obvious improvements.

By his tongue sign, symptoms and pulses, I diagnosed the real underlying cause as: deficiency of heart Yang which needs “supporting Yang and diminishing Yin”, blockage of kidney Qi, kidney essence deficiency, blockage of liver Qi. Once the underlying causes are found, the medication was effective and efficient by combining the five element theory and TCM inner organ theory, and applying “Supporting Yang” treating strategy.

After the first consultation, he feed-back that he felt the swollen neck reduced obviously after taking 5 days’ medicine. All his symptoms disappeared and were clinically cured after less than 2 months treatment. Later he took herbs on and off for half a year to consolidate the effect. His health quality improved greatly and he travelled to Tibetan Plateau without any discomforts. Half a year after his treatment, his wife got pregnant and now his son is almost 3 years old and healthy. It has been 4 years since his recovery and his health has been stable.

Now I found 2 pictures of him during his treatment. The 1^st one was taken 1 month after the treatment began (May 3, 2009) . The 2^nd was taken soon after his treatment was finished (Jun.11, 2009).

A study at the Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital in Piacenza, Italy, demonstrates that talking on a cellphone can significantly increase your blood pressure. In this research, cellphone calls were shown to increase blood pressure, on average, from 121/77 to 129/82.

The scientists found that the increases in systolic blood pressure (represented by the top number in a blood pressure reading) were less pronounced in people who make more than 30 calls a day.

“The subset of patients who were more accustomed to phone use were younger, which could show that younger people are less prone to be disturbed by telephone intrusions,” says researcher Giuseppe Crippa. “Another possibility is that people who make more than 30 calls per day may feel more reassured if the mobile phone is activated since they are not running the risk of missing an opportunity.”

Research has shown that every increase of about 20 mg in systolic blood pressure doubles your chances of dying from heart disease.

Symptoms can include:

• Problems with urination.
• Pain in the in the pelvis or genitals.
• Frequent urinary tract infections.
• Traces of blood in the urine or semen.

Other, more general symptoms can include unexplained weight loss, fatigue or pain in the lower back. Physicians will discuss the procedures for detecting and diagnosing prostate cancer, if they suspect the presence of cancer in the prostate.

Quercetin And Green Tea For Prostate Cancer

Healthcare providers may recommend surgery to remove diseased tissue in patients who are diagnosed with prostate cancer. Further recommendations may include a diet that includes antioxidants, such as the Prostate Diet for prostate cancer, loaded with foods known to aid in the fight of the disease. These foods have been shown to slow the disease process; a diet loaded with quercetin and green tea may be just what the doctor orders.

A number of recent studies have demonstrated that quercetin inhibits the growth of prostate cancer and cell lines, and it destroys cancer cell cycles. Research also shows that quercetin has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy benefits as well.

In one important study, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota showed that quercetin reduced or prevented the growth of human prostate cancer cells. “By blocking activity of androgen hormones, quercetin may provide a non-hormonal approach to combatting prostate cancer.”

Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant found in several common foods and prostate supplements. The “apple a day” should be your first step at putting more quercetin in your diet. Other readily available foods, including red grapes, onions, garlic, peppers, cruciferous vegetables, pomegranates, watermelon and tomatoes, are also known to be great sources of quercetin. ^[1]

Tea Time!

Another proven weapon in the fight against prostate cancer consists of green tea consumption. The catechins (plant chemicals) found in green tea are known to be potent antioxidants. Various studies show that these chemicals, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), are significant in lowering the risk of a variety of health problems, including cancers.

One study demonstrated how green tea slows the growth of prostate cancer cells. Another showed that men who drank five or more cups of green tea per day reduced their risk for advanced prostate cancer. Researchers have also demonstrated that even three cups of green tea per day produce desirable effects.

Maximizing Benefits

A research team from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) investigated the benefits of teaming quercetin and green tea for fighting prostate cancer. They suspected that quercetin could stimulate EGCG for maximum effects in fighting the growth of cancer cells in the prostate. ^[2]

They discovered that “a combination of quercetin and EGCG synergistically inhibited cell growth and spread, interfered with the cell cycle, and induced cell death in prostate cancer cells.” The cancer fighting EGCG abilities found in the tea were significantly amplified by quercetin, delivering a powerful attack on the cancer cells.

Studies have consistently shown value in the combination of quercetin and green tea for lowering prostate cancer risk. A diet high in these substances provides a strong weapon for fighting cancers, and both quercetin and green tea supplements are available in therapeutic dosages to supplement diets.

In addition to fighting cancer cells, both quercetin and green tea have many health benefits, including weight loss assistance, fighting infections and boosting the immune system. Family meal plans should include generous quantities of quercetin every day, and green tea should be a beverage staple.

For more information on prostate health, see prostate.net.

When scientists at the at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Clinical Sciences Centre at Imperial College, London, examined the stiffness of the arteries of 200 people, they found that accumulations of body fat interfered with artery function. While younger people in the study still enjoyed vessel flexibility even if they were overweight, all of those in their 50s or older showed serious signs of arterial dysfunction.

“The effects of having more fat seem to be different depending on your age. It looks like young people may be able to adapt to excess body fat, but by middle age the cumulative exposure to years of obesity may start to cause permanent damage to the arteries,” notes researcher Declan O’Regan. “We don’t know for sure how body fat makes arteries stiffer, but we do know that certain metabolic products in the blood may progressively damage the elastic fibers in our blood vessels. Understanding these processes might help us to prevent the harmful effects of obesity.”

With professionals such as Dr. Alex Krischanowski in Naples Florida, acupuncture continues to work wonders on even the most serious conditions. From the common headache, all the way to carpal tunnel, acupuncture proves to be one of the most reliable alternatives to harmful and addiction medications.

With many conditions and diseases being subsided or even eliminated by acupuncture, people all over the world are seeing outstanding results. Even more, World Health Organization (WHO) document more than 30 conditions from allergies, to severe tennis elbow being treatment by thousands with acupuncture treatment.

If you’d like to find more detailed information on acupuncture, just CLICK HERE to visit Pine Ridge Chiropractic & Acupuncture Clinic’s informational page on acupuncture. Such Dr.’s as Dr. Alex Krischanowski Of Naples Florida performs acupuncture treatments weekly for patients just like you, with great success.

Artificial Happiness, by Ronald W. Dworkin, M.D., Ph.D., challenges and explores the conventional notions of happiness. What struck me as fascinating was his historical analysis citing: “the medical profession in the 19th century America…saw unhappiness as a normal fact of existence.” Do we now then expect to achieve a perpetual level of happiness? The book takes you through the methodology used to achieve levels of “artificial happiness.” Unhappiness, labeled as a “disease” makes it a treatable problem- able to be remedied by certain practices or medical support.

Masking Unhappiness

Dworkin proposes that medical professions, and most commonly primary care doctors, use a three pronged approach to eliminating unhappiness (and inducing artificial happiness). The first is through the use of psychotropic drugs, the second through the use of alternative medicine and the third through excessive exercise. None of these are inherently bad, when used appropriately. But the over prescription of medication for mild depression , the engineered approach to using alternative medicine and the overuse of exercise merely mask the symptoms of what is causing the real life internal struggle.

Grounded and Alive

The author claims that unhappiness is a grounding factor in life and can even spur us on toward a better end. If, for instance, your career is unrewarding or unfulfilling, then having that feeling of needing change could cause you to volunteer or find another more rewarding option.

So would you want to be happy?

Or even a better question:  am I comfortable with life’s unhappy moments? Perhaps after reading this book, I am now more aware of the consequences of living a surface life. Real pain and real happiness are just that. They are reactions whether negative or positive to life. And living a full life will require such a journey.