Best Baby Wraps and Slings for a Bad Back

I want to say a few words about my question for the best baby wraps and slings for a bad back. Holding my newborn in arms is one of the most precious moments in recent memory. There’s nothing to compare to the closeness of skin against skin…no gear needed. But life involves more than sentimental moments and my back problems got me started searching for the best baby carriers for a bad back. It’s early in the game for me. I don’t have a favorite brand or type yet because my baby is only a tiny little thing but she’s gaining weight each and every day and after living with lower back pain for years I know it’s just a matter of time before the inevitable strain and pain rears its ugly head.
My friends who have not yet given birth ask me why would I bother. They ask why would I not be happy to hold my baby girl sitting in a chair and then use a stroller rather than suffering through using baby wraps and slings that will make my back hurt. I feel that wearing my baby is how I can make my baby feel secure in the early months and give her the same feeling of coziness she felt in my womb.
Later on, when she wants to get a look at the world from a safe vantage point I can carry her front facing while she enjoys the view and yet still be close enough to feel safe.
When I find the ideal baby carrier for a bad back, I hope to enjoy carrying her facing in, out or wagging her on my hip. Do I expect my dream to come true in a completely pain-free fashion? Probably not…and I expect my childless friends to be watching for every twinge of discomfort that crosses my countenance and to have a remark about how cheap umbrella strollers are at the ready.
Not that they will understand but I want to do everything I can to make my baby feel close to me and secure. I believe that it’s a natural parenting goal to want to provide our infants with all of the closeness and warmth that we can before they stretch out and become independant. So, if you have any resources for the best baby wraps and slings for a bad back I hope that you will let me know.

GIVING BIRTH in a CAR

Nobody in their right mind would think that giving birth in a car is a sporty idea and my heart goes out to Amanda McBride, the 29-year-old mother-to-be who gave birth to her baby boy in a Chevy Cobalt while driving down a Minnesota highway at a speedy 70 miles an hour. I can only imagine how frightened she must have been for herself and her baby. For what it’s worth, this is why every mom might want to educate herself on what to do should she have to do the unthinkable and have to deliver her baby alone.
I’m going to give the PR department at GM the benefit of the doubt and say that they felt the same way even if they quickly moved past the emotional aspects of the news and made use of the event as a promotional opportunity. Word is that after they were made aware of the story they came up with a cute nickname for her son, Cobalt Joe AND had the idea to give the healthy mother and baby a present of free baby diapers for a year. This in itself is a lovely gesture but wait…Ms. McBride is also getting two car safety seats, a stroller and other free baby items from GM.
Since it was in a Chevy Cobalt that little Joe was born, Margaret Brooks, an employee of GM in the small cars marketing division was asked for a soundbyte and is quoted as saying, “We knew that the Cobalt was designed to deliver its occupants safely, but never did we expect a delivery quite like this.” And if I were to be cynical I would have to wonder how in the world does the birth of this baby in a small Chevrolet attest to its design quality? But I’m not in the mood for cynicism because I am so glad that after giving birth in a car both mother and child are OK.
I would, however, like to give credit where credit is due in that the mother was obviously doing her best to try and get to a hospital by driving even after her water broke.
Now, would anyone else care to hazard a guess as to whether there will be copycat deliveries? If GM who is struggling will cough up free diapers for a year and other baby supplies, what might some of the motor companies who have come through the downturn in the economy in better shape come up with? Ok, and here’s another scenario. What if behind the scenes the automobile industry seeing the opportunity to promote their latest eco-friendly, green car were to find some poor pregnant chick and offer her whatever to make giving birth in a car seem attractive? Ahhh….can you tell that I’ve been watching too many conspiracy movies? Nobody would treat a mother and baby’s health so casually.

Travel with Toddlers and Babies

Travel with toddlers and babies is not for the faint of heart by any far stretch of the imagination.  Seeing as hubby wants to take a road trip/vacation before it gets too hot to get out and actually do any sightseeing, I’m making a list of travel tips for myself so that our mini-vacation with the kids is not a total diaster.
This will be the first time we will be taking our little ones backpacking, and when I look at the long list of baby camping gear I realize that I am way off the course of keeping it simple. 
In my camping list, baby toys  and handheld games have been deliberately omitted because I want the little ones to take in the new sights, smells and sounds…not play with stuff from home.
Here’s I have on my list so far:
1. 2 Outfits and 1 parka per adult and child.  Wash and wear is how you roll when you travel with toddlers and babies. 
2. One facecloth per family member and bibs for baby.  I skipped the pre-moistened wipes.
3. Dried fruit for the older kids’ snacks and baby’s portable grocery store, mommy’s boobs and food for the adults to cook over an open fire.
 4. An old songbook that my mom used to take on our camping trips when I was a kid.  Great for singing around the campfire.
5. Baby safe sunblock and bug repellant
6. Sheets and lightweight blankets for when sleeping in the tent in a sleeping bag gets too darn hot.
7. My backpack baby carrier, the one dad won’t mind wearing if I get too tired backpacking with baby on the trails.  I considered buying a travel crib and a swing but decided against loading up on baby camping gear that we would only use once or twice.  I may regret it, but this first family vacation getaway can serve as a test run to see what I want to put on my “wish list”.
8. A first-aid kit including allergy meds if needed.
I’m amazed that I could only come up with 8 items for my camping list.  I’m sure that I will be adding more items and this list of items may seem deceptively short as food alone will add pounds upon pounds of weight to the load we have to wag along with us.
I know I’m leaving something off!  Could you please read my list and tell me if there is a “must have” item that will make travel with toddlers and babies more pleasant?  The thought of being out in the wilderness only to find that something is missing absolutely horrifies me!

How to Avoid Baby Nursery Decorating Mistakes

I recently took part in a discussion that was on the subject of what is a healthy diet for breastfeeding mothers. There is no one easy answer to this question but let me go on the record as saying that it is crucial to both mother and baby’s health for the mom to be very aware that she is eating for two!
Moms who planning to breastfeed should take some time to make an assessment of her diet to determine that she is getting all of the important vitamins, nutrients, and minerals needed for her baby’s development.
Making plans for a well-balanced diet that includes a variety of foods is important especially when mothers may be adhering to a dietary plan that limits certain foods. This may be necessary due to health conditions but regardless of the reasons, once you make the decision to breastfeed you must be sure that your current diet is passing the needed nutrition to your developing fetus or breastfeeding infant. This may require taking supplements but my belief is that it’s possible to map out a menu is a health diet for breastfeeding mothers that covers most nutritional needs without resorting to taking vitamins.
HOW TO GET STARTED
Where should a concerned mother go to get advice when she realizes that her diet may be lacking in certain elements that may be needed for her child’s optimum development? As always, she should consult with her obstetrician before making decisions that might have an effect on both the mother and baby health. The next stop may be a dietician that was recommended by either her doctor or her breastfeeding consultant. There are also many articles with excellent information on a healthy diet for breastfeeding mothers including this page and this one.

 

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How to Avoid Baby Nursery Decorating Mistakes

Very few people become experts in nursery decor or how to avoid baby nursery decorating mistakes. and some of the baby nursery decorating mistakes that I’ve seen in my career would fill the pages of a large book. You see, most people only decorate a couple of nurseries in a lifetime. And even if you have more than a few babies are that there will be several years (or at least nine months!) in between each one.
Unless you are a master at taking notes chances are that the memory of past failures will fade away leaving you vulnerable to the next decorative disaster. After reading hundreds (if not thousands) of articles written by moms eager to share their baby nursery decorating ideas, today the subject at hand is how to avoid mistakes when designing a room for your new baby.
For what it’s worth, this “how to” guide will probably take more than one article to complete but these tips should get you started.
TIMING
Who plans to give a room a makeover when they are emotional, sleepy, tired or have lots of things on their mind? Pregnant moms, that’s who! Yes, the least suitable candidate for this job is the one most likely to pull this exhausting juggling act. For obvious reasons most nurseries are designed somewhere during the nine months of pregnancy and the whole kit and caboodle is done by who else but mommy herself. In cases where mom and baby health might be compromised either the dad to be or one of the grandmothers-to-be will step in. And this is dear friends, mistake number one on my list!
WHEN to DECORATE THE BABY’S NURSERY
Try to get the basics of the nursery in place BEFORE you actually get pregnant if at all possible. Paint fumes and pregnancy do not mix and wrestling nursery furniture into place with a big belly is never a good idea.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO DECORATE A BABY’S NURSERY COST
If you aren’t a slave to fashion or the latest in home decor, you might be amazed at how cheap it is to design a nursery that is attractive and safe. Shop freecycle, craigslist or spend time with your feet up and enter some of the online contests where you might win some free baby stuff.
KNOWING YOUR NURSERY DECOR
If drowning in a sea of no-personality pastels is your idea of torment, do not despair. The world will not come to an end if you forego powder pink and blue for hot pink or turquoise or even a mix of both! My advice is to study as many nursery pictures as it takes to find the perfect color scheme. Imagine yourself taking care of your newborn surrounded by the décor that you are considering. If you like the feeling, isolate the characteristics you admire and go for it. One of most expensive baby nursery decorating mistakes is to buy up a lot of trendy stuff that has a very short shelf life.
Those are the biggest baby nursery decorating mistakes that I have seen my friends (and I’ve made a few myself) make. If you have experienced some costly nursery decorating disasters can you please share them with us? Your mistakes might keep another mommy from pulling her hair out!

How to Safely Put Your Baby to Sleep

Sorry folks, you don’t just have to get your newborn to sleep, you have to know how to SAFELY put your baby to sleep. After hearing some horrendously dangerous methods that moms have used to get babies to sleep in the not nearly distant enough past.
It’s good to know that modern moms appreciate that the goal is not only to get their infant on a regular sleep schedule so that they can catch up on their work or (gasp) catch a few z’s for their own sleep-deprived selves but that a main objective should be that their babies, when rested and refreshed, should actually wake up again!
You might not think that there are uncaring and ignorant parents out there willing to dose their babies with medicine (and worse) to make them sleep but even with today’s educational resources, I still hear stories that literally give me nightmares.
If you are in the area and are a new parent or are expecting this October or May you should take advantage of the invitation to attend the FREE Safe Sleep baby shower sponsored by the Eastern Virginia Perinatal Council.
As if learning how to safely put your baby to sleep isn’t reason enough to attend, there will also be free snacks and door prizes presented to event participants which is planned for October 5th between the hours of 1 and 3 pm.
The purpose of the event is to educate mothers to learn more about safe sleeping schedules for their new babies.
You see, we know know that HOW babies are put to sleep may help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), injuries, suffocation or death.
Everyone who attends will receive a free halo sleep sack in addition to the INVALUABLE information.

AM I PREGNANT

I wish I had a nickle for every time I wondered “Am I Pregnant”! You know what I mean…when you have those not so long ago memories of the time that your birth control failed that have caused you to obsessively search for symptoms that mean you might be knocked up.
Being the careless person I am who doesn’t really mind being pregnant every now and again, my use of birth control has been sloppy at times leaving me to wonder and look for symptoms you are pregnant.
So, I’ve decided to make a list and to call it…
EARLIEST POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS OF PREGNANCY
Some of the symptoms that I found are kind of weird and there are so many that might just mean…nothing that the list is probably going to drive many a poor girl crazy wondering “Am I Pregnant” just because my nose itches?
If you have some symptoms that I missed, please feel free to share them with us and I will add them asap.
#1: MY BOOBS HURT!
One of the first symptoms of pregnancy is that the mere thought of even the most tender caresses on your breast make you want to grit your teeth.
#2: WHY ARE MY NIPPLES SO DARK?
Some report that they noticed their nipples were darker as early as a week or so after conception due to surging hormones..ain’t we got fun?
#3: YAY! I STARTED
Hold it, that light bleeding doesn’t mean you’re home free. Spotting may occur five to 10 days after you conceive indicating that the embryo has implanted itself in the uterine wall. (Home for the next nine months!)
#4: WHY AM I PEEING A LOT?
A couple of weeks after conception could cause you to answer in the affirmative if you’re wondering “Am I Pregnant”?
#5: WHY AM I SO TIRED LATELY?
If all that sex didn’t wear you out, pregnancy will! Energy loss due to those pesky hormones and your body’s efforts to adjust for a baby on board can make you feel totally exhausted.
#6: WHY HAS MY PERIOD STOPPED?
Oh well, I hate to tell you but since you asked when you skip a period it’s time to invest in a pregnancy test.
#7: WHY AM I SO SICK ALL THE TIME?
It could be a virus, but if you notice that you are especially nauseated in the morning and vomiting up that expensive java, you might be somewhere around week six in your pregnancy.
#8:WHY DOES EVERYTHING SMELL BAD
If bacon smells like a backwater swamp and makes you gag, it might be because your estrogen levels are up and the answer to Am I Pregnant is a resounding YES!
#9:WHY AM I CRAVING SALT, SUGAR, PICKLES and MILK, etc.
Being hungry may just mean that you shouldn’t have skipped lunch or cravings could mean that you are firmly entrenched in the first trimester of pregnancy.
#10:WHY AM I BLOATED ALL THE TIME?
Let the swelling begin! Before the belly does its big trick, I mean it’s REALLY big trick, you may notice that you are just a little puffier in the mid-section at the end of the day.
So, am I pregnant if I have a couple of these symptoms? Actually, you can have one or more of the things on my list going on and still not be pregnant. If you suspect, it’s a good idea to go ahead, take a test so that you will know for sure and can start tending to both mother and baby health needs as early as possible!

HAIR FALLING OUT AFTER PREGNANCY

Lots of mothers to be find out that they have to deal with hair falling out after pregnancy in addition to many other surprises that our bodies spring on us post partum. Yes, so many of us have seen the results in the mirror when we were brushing our teeth but more likely we will see evidence clogging the shower drain and in our hairbrushes before we notice that our hairdo doesn’t have the volume and bounce that it once did.
If you thought you were having more than your share of bad hair days before you got pregnant, if thin hair was already an issue get ready to deal with a thin hair disaster. For those of you blessed (or cursed) with too much hair, you may consider some of your hair falling out after pregnancy to be helpful! A natural hair thinning that you don’t have to pay for might be considered an additional bonus of having a baby.
WHEN DOES THE HAIR LOSS START?
Most women start to notice slight to significant hair loss after pregnancy a couple of months after they give birth, when all the overload of hormones that we’ve been packing in our pregnant bodies starts to return to normal pre-pregnancy levels. At that time your hair transitions from a growing or dormant stage and we begin to shed. All that superfluous hair that we held onto during pregnancy begins to fall out and the process may leave some thin, or in extreme cases, bald spots until the cycle returns to normal in another 3 months or so.
When my hair started falling out after I had my baby I really noticed it up at more forehead and at the hairline at my temples. And when it started to grow back several months later, I couldn’t wear my hair up in a bun or in a ponytail without lots of styling gel or hairspray because of the wispy new hairs that were shorter than the rest of my hair.
Other than this problem I didn’t suffer overly much from the hair loss since I have lots of curly, course hair. But some of my friends had severe hair loss that left them with thin or even bald spots the size of dimes and quarters!
WHAT TO DO ABOUT HAIR LOSS AFTER PREGNANCY
Minor adjustments to your normal hairstyle may be necessary. For instance in my case I found that letting my hair fall in natural curls hid the thinning areas and less blow drying and straightening made my hair look healthier. Another thing that is recommended is to make the hair grow faster to counteract your hair falling out after pregnancy is to take vitamins and you might consider trying one of the highly rated, hair thickening products. But the truth is that but nothing but time is going to fix this problem. The good news is that during this time we are usually preoccupied with our new babies rather than how our hair looks.

Quinoa: The New Superfood?

Quinoa is healthy and delicious. Up until now, I’ve only enjoyed it as a side dish at fancy restaurants, usually paired with duck, lamb, or veal.
But it turns out that quinoa may actually be the next “superfood.” It may also be quite effective for losing weight (more details below).
But first, here’s a quick video on how to prepare quinoa at home:

Now, if you’re looking to lose weight, and you’ve struggled with other diets, then quinoa may be especially appealing to you.
First of all, it’s 100% gluten-free. If you are allergic to wheat or if you’ve been diagnosed gluten-intolerant, then quinoa is an ideal substitute.
Secondly, this South American grain is high in protein, essential amino acids, and iron. In fact, it contains 14 grams of protein for every 100-gram serving.
And thirdly, quinoa has been used to control weight loss since pre-Columbian days. The Incas even considered it to be a “sacred grain.”
In fact, it was recently called “one of the world’s superfoods” by the United Nations. Unlike its extremely popular friend from Brazil, the Acai berry, quinoa has no sugar and still tastes great, which makes it perfect for diabetics (or anybody else who’s trying to cut back on sugar).
Want to learn more? Then check out the Quinoa Super Diet.
It’s the first diet of its kind that utilizes this amazing grain to supercharge your diet, help you hit your weight loss goals, and possibly even give you the slim body you’ve been dreaming of.
The Quinoa Super diet is packed with health facts, dietary tips, and tasty recipes that are easy to understand, easy to make, and easy to add into your daily life. More importantly, it could be the “missing link” you’ve been looking for to help you lose weight.

The Health Blog

A Healthy Diet Increases Fertility

by Ryan on March 16, 2010

Lots of women want to get pregnant fast. They rely heavily on knowing their ovulation period through charting their period, knowing their daily basal body temperature, testing with ovulation predictor kits and so on, but they often forget one of the most basic factors for getting pregnant. That is, having a healthy diet.
Diet is known by many as cutting food intake to remain thin, but it’s a common misconception. A healthy diet is taking the right foods in the right amounts. Having a healthy diet to increase fertility can have a positive impact on women who want to be fertile.

Know Your Ideal Weight

It’s not healthy being obese or underweight, especially if you want to get pregnant. It can have a profound effect in your reproductive health.
Most obese and undernourished women experience irregular menstrual cycles, which can affect a woman’s ovulation. A woman who does not ovulate regularly will have difficulty in getting pregnant because they can’t track when their most fertile days are.
So it is important to have a healthy diet if you want to get pregnant easily. It’s helpful to cut out smoking, drinking and taking prohibited drugs entirely. You also need to have enough nutrients, vitamins and minerals in your body. Exercising regularly also helps. Doing these things should increase your fertility.

Whole Grains

Meals composed of whole grains like brown rice, whole wheat, oats and other carbohydrate rich foods are essential to include in your healthy diet. These foods can give you a ton of energy and other important vitamins such as B and E which are needed to induce better cell production, hormonal balance and promote healthy eggs and sperm as well.

Protein Rich Foods

Another essential food for your diet to increase fertility are dairy products, specifically the full-fat variety. These foods are rich in calcium which helps to develop your nervous system, your bones and your healthy blood.
Compared to low fat products, these products can boost a woman’s fertility by eating the right amount of it daily. Also don’t forget to include fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines in your diet. These fishes are full of omega 3 and omega 6 which are usually known as good fats that can improve your blood flow in the reprodcutive system as well as boost the quality and speed of sperm.
Eating lean red meat can also aid in enhancing your fertility by preventing anemia, ovulation problems and lack of red blood cells.

Green Leafy Vegetables Are Healthy for You

Eating green leafy vegetables supplies your body with folic acid. This nutrient is essential to create healthy sperm and can defend the ovaries to avoid having neural tube defects during the early term of pregnancy. It also has iron and vitamin C, two items that enhance the quality of sperm and keep you healthy.
Eating the foods mentioned above in the right amounts is a very healthy diet to increase fertility and can also boost your wellness. Don’t forget to avoid having vices like smoking and drinking. Having a healthy lifestyle can help you with your conception goal.

Managing Food Intolerances

 


In this day and age, it is very common for people to have food intolerances. Weak digestion, unbalanced bowel flora, hypersensitive immune function, stress and poor dietary habits can all play a role in contributing to the symptoms of intolerance. It is very common in clinical practice to see clients showing symptoms related to an inability to properly digest and assimilate certain types of food. Symptoms can be directly related to irritation that these foods cause on the digestive system, such as bloating, reflux, heartburn, flatulence, diarrhoea, bowel noises and constipation. Symptoms may also manifest in different systems of the body, such as skin problems, immune dysfunction or nervous disorders as a direct relation to the intolerance or as a by product of nutritional deficiencies or inflammatory pathways caused by the intolerance to a certain food group.

A qualified Naturopath is able to help their client to identify and treat food intolerances, through the use of allergy testing, or in some cases through a thorough diet and lifestyle analysis. So if you have been diagnosed with food intolerance either by a GP or natural health practitioner, what is the best way to handle it?

The most important thing to do first of all is to remove the offending food from the diet. This by itself will start to alleviate some of the symptoms that the intolerance may be causing. It is important that if a certain food group is being removed from your diet that it is replaced by other wholesome and nutritious foods so that the body gets its complete vitamin and mineral requirements, so as a sufferer it is best getting qualified advice on your nutritional requirements from a naturopath or nutritionist.

Removing the offending food source from the diet is only the first step on a way to recovery. The body’s ability to digest, assimilate and excrete food has to be balanced and supported so that the system can return to normal. This can be done by a few measures:

The addition of bitter tasting foods such as rocket, chicory and endive in to the diet will support the body’s digestive function by enhancing the release of digestive juices. There are also herbs that can be taken to stimulate the bitter response.

Pro-biotic (friendly bacteria) supplements or food sources will help to reduce the hypersensitive immune reaction and support digestion, absorption and elimination of food and toxins. These can be found in natural, unsweetened and unprocessed yoghurts or in fermented foods such as sauerkraut. Supplements are available at most good health food stores.

The removal of any bad bacteria or parasites from the intestinal system may be needed. Your naturopath will be able to prescribe herbs or supplements to combat these if necessary.

Foods that are high in natural fibre (raw fruit and vegetables, whole grains, but not necessarily bran products) will help to regulate bowel movements and support excretion of waste products from the intestines, keeping the digestive system at an optimal condition for absorption. Drinking around 2 litres of water a day will also help to regulate bowel movements.

Foods that are high in natural enzymes will help to support digestion and break down large food particles that can irritate the gut wall- papaya, pineapple and sprouted foods all contain enzymes that support digestion.

Highly refined foods require higher amounts of energy to digest, therefore leaching nutrients that could be used elsewhere in the body. The removal of refined foods from the diet will take stress of digestion and other systems of the body.

Introduce a wide range of foods in your diet that you are not intolerant to. Try some of the fantastic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices and grains that are now available to buy that you normally wouldn’t have tried. Speciality whole food shops and ethnic based supermarkets are able to offer some often fantastic and yummy alternatives to the food that has been removed from your diet. Instead of looking at intolerance as a problem, treat it as an opportunity to explore the world of food and to introduce fabulous new styles of cooking into your lifestyle.

Reducing stress levels will also help to encourage proper digestion. A prolonged stress reaction will shut down the body’s digestive processes as the body redirects the energy to be able to cope with the stress. Finding outlets for managing stress and making time for eating meals instead of having them on the run will help the body to absorb food easier.

Regular light exercise will regulate the movement of the bowels therefore excreting build up of toxic wastes that may be contributing to poor digestion. An addition of a good quality multivitamin will support the body back to optimal balance and processing, this can either from a food based source such as spirulina or a pure supplemental form.

If you do have a splurge one night when you go out for dinner on an offending food, make sure you really enjoy it. The guilt associated with doing the ‘wrong thing’ can often be more detrimental than a one off addition of the food substance on the odd occasion.

With the right attitude, advice and necessary supplements, an intolerance can be easily managed, and in some cases even overcome. The best thing is to develop a treatment and lifestyle plan with a qualified professional such as a Naturopath or a Nutritionist. They will be able to personalise a treatment that will enhance your lifestyle and help you get back on the way to re-instating your health and well-being.

Controlling Mold with Common Sense and Common Cleanliness

 


There are over 1000 species of mold that are common in the United States, and most of them can have serious consequences for both your house and your health. The United States Center for Disease Control says that mold spores are a major irritant for children and adults with asthma – which is growing at an alarming rate around the country. In addition, since mold’s job in nature is to break down organic compounds in the soil, it does the same thing to the wood in your house – breaks it down. And that’s not even taking into account the ugly stains and musty, moldy odors that it leaves in your house.

There are ways to control mold growth around your home and keep the harmful effects to a minimum. Here are some tips from professionals who deal with mold and disinfectants every day.

• Moisture is a breeding ground for mold. Stop moisture from entering your house by covering dirt floors in cellars and crawlspaces, and use a dehumidifier in damp rooms.
• Vent your clothes dryer and bathroom fans to the outside, not to the attic or between walls to prevent moisture buildup that encourages the growth of mold.
• Scrub mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water, then spray surfaces with a germicidal spray to kill any lingering mold spores. The surfaces should stay wet with the cleaner for at least two minutes, though some cleaners require longer.
• Bathrooms are the biggest breeding grounds for mold and mildew. An exhaust fan can cut down on the moisture in the air that encourages mold to grow.
• Tile grout and shower door tracks are notorious for collecting mold. Spray them daily with a foaming disinfectant cleaner (the foam will cling to walls instead of sliding down the vertical surfaces) and wipe dry.
• Mold on porous surfaces is another problem entirely. In most cases, there’s no help for it. If you find mold on ceiling tiles, wallboards, plaster walls or carpets, you’ll need to replace them.
• Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. If there’s a musty, moldy smell but you find no evidence of mold, you may be dealing with a hidden mold problem. Mold can grow on the back of wallpaper, behind wallboards, under carpets and floorboards – just about anywhere. The EPA recommends that if you suspect a hidden mold problem, you hire a contractor that knows how to deal with mold. Simply stripping off wallpaper that’s covered with mold, for instance, can release millions of mold spores into the air, posing a potential health problem.
• To prevent mold and make cleaning easier, spray the shower fixtures, tub, walls, shower curtains and any other shower surfaces with a preventative shower spray which will help keep mold off surfaces and keep your bathroom smelling sweet and clean. Shower spray can also be used in other high humidity areas with hard surfaces. Prevention is the best way to deal with mold problems.
For keeping your home and your body clean. Visit http://www.fuller-brush-products.com

Overuse Of Antibiotics

 

OVERUSE OF ANTIBIOTICS


We are overusing antibiotics so that bacterial resistance is becoming a significant threat. The CDC has estimated that treatment of infections due to resistant bacteria costs more than $4 billion annually. There are many factors associated with increasing resistance.
• Increased antimicrobial use in the community and hospital
– Increase in empiric antibiotics
– Prolonged and broad-spectrum antibiotic courses
– Repeated antibiotic courses
• Prolonged Hospitalizations
• Severely ill patient status
• Immunocompromised state
• Increase use of intravascular devices and catheters
• Inadequate infection control procedures
• Antibiotic use in animals and agriculture

The medical community can help curb this problem by offering the patient narrow spectrum or older antibiotics, shorter duration of therapy when appropriate and manipulating the dose of antibiotics. Perhaps even more importantly, doctors need to educate their patients regarding the risk of using antibiotics and spend more time discussing prevention. Patients would be wise to ask if there are any other options to consider, if watchful waiting is an option and if the antibiotic is specific for the condition.
Together, we can reduce this significant threat of bacterial resistance.

How to Relief with Allergies?

 

What are Allergies?
An allergies is an abnormal reaction to ordinarily harmless substance or substances. These sensitizing substances, called allergens, may be inhaled, swallowed or come into contact with the skin.Substances that cause allergic reactions, such as certain foods, dust, plant pollen, or medicines, are known as allergens.
What are the Symptoms of Allergies ?
An allergy is actually a malfunction of the immune system, which attacks invaders or antibodies.Allergic reactions can be mild, like a runny nose, or they can be severe, like difficulty breathing.Allergic asthma caused by allergens such as mites and pollens, and stinging insect allergy.Allergic reaction to something that is breathed into the lungs in a person who is susceptible.
What Medications to Treat Allergies?
Medications such as pills or nasal sprays are often used to treat allergies.Many effective medications are available to treat common allergies. AANGAMIK DMG:
AANGAMIK DMG is the only pure DMG product that contains no fillers or binders and is therefore pure and non-allergenic.
Allercetin Allergy & Sinus:
Allercetin is a Bio-Aligned Formula that utilizes natural homeopathic remedies for the treatment of allergies.
Allergiemittel AllerAide:
Allergiemittel AllerAide temporarily relieves minor allergic symptoms such as sneezing, itching, runny nose, watery eyes, eczema, wheezing, and shortness of breath caused by allergies.
How to care with Allergies?
1.Wear a mask whenever dusting or mowing a lawn Stop smoking.
2.Keep family pets out of certain rooms, like your bedroom, and bathe them if necessary.
3.Avoid using aspirin, which has been reported to allow food allergens to be more effectively absorbed by the body.
4.Remove carpets or rugs from your room.Install an air-purification system at home. 

Alternative Options for Treating Allergic Rhinitis

 

Here in northern California, allergies are a significant health problem leading to fatigue, sick days from work and school, and secondary infections.  Allergic rhinitis is a reaction to seasonal airborne allergens.  It affects about 7 percent of the population of North America and is a risk factor for 88 percent of asthma patients.   We have some excellent prescription medications for treating this, and there are many over-the-counter medications available also. However, BEWARE of the sedating effects of those nonprescription medications!!! Recent studies have shown that an individual on a therapeutic dose of diphenhydramine (Benedryl) is a more dangerous driver than one who is legally drunk on alcohol. 
Fortunately, there are also some effective alternative therapies for allergic rhinitis. 
Remember: no matter what method you use to treat your allergies, nasal rinsing to clear the mucus membranes of trapped allergens is essential. It only takes about 30 seconds, doesn't hurt a bit when done correctly, and makes all the difference. I recommend Nasopure®, a product developed by Dr. Hana Solomon, a pediatrician who has put together in one simple kit all you need for successful nasal rinsing. There is an excellent article about this on the Nasopure website (www.nasopure.com).   If you are regularly using your Nasopure®, and still having difficulties, you can try some of the following remedies without significant side effects.
Vitamin and mineral supplements:
*    Vitamin A - 10,000 IU/day
*    Vitamin B6 - 50-100 mg/day
*    Vitamin B5 - 50-75 mg/day
*    Vitamin C - 1,000 mg/day in 3 divided doses
*    Vitamin E - 400 IU/day
*    Zinc - 20-30 mg/day
In addition some herbs and nutrients can help:
Quercetin has anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory effects if you take it 250mg two or three times a day.
Freeze-dried stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) can relieve symptoms of allergic rhinitis at a dosage of 300mg twice a day.
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), also called fish oil, can help asthma patients with allergies by stabilizing the airways.  They come in capsules and the total dose of the combination should be 2-4 g/day.
Acupuncture has given many patients significant relief. The Chinese medicine paradigm is very different than Western medicine, so I can not explain the mechanism of action. But I know that it is effective!
See your doctor about allergy symptoms if you are unable to manage them on your own - the nonsedating antihistamines and anti-inflammatory nasal sprays available today are excellent in treating this significant health problem!

10 Great Hair Care Tips

 


If you watch the tabloids, you know that even the stars have bad hair days. It just seems that when the professional stylists are out of the picture, it is inherently human to have a less than glamorous mane. But you can do your part to stay ahead of the battle by following these great tips for hair care.

1. Use a professional conditioner that is formulated for your specific hair type. While you can skimp a little on the shampoo, a good, professional conditioner is a must have. Look for products in salons that are customized for your hair type. For instance: If you have color or a perm, choose a conditioner that is for chemically processed hair. And stay away from those all-in-one shampoo and conditioner combos.

2. Choose a cut tailored to your face and body shape. The number one mistake that people make when choosing a new hairstyle is to pick a style based on popularity rather than how it will enhance their features. Always choose a new cut based on how it will enhance or detract from your facial features and build. If you have broad shoulders, choose a full-bodied cut over a close cropped head hugging doo.

3. Don’t forget your UV protectants. Just as your skin gets damaged by wind and sun, so does your hair. To combat this, look for finishing products such as mousses, gels and sprays that block UV rays.

4. Keep your appointments. Did you know that your hair will split faster than it will grow? You need to get a trim every 6 to 8 weeks, even if it’s just a micro trim. A good hairdresser makes them good because they know what to leave on the head, not take off.

5. Leave chemicals to the professionals. There is a reason why beauticians need to go to school to learn how to handle chemicals and hair processes. You can do irreparable damage with these products even if the package says that it’s way easy. And even if you don’t make your hair fall out, you could end up looking like a clown and paying a stylist big bucks to fix your mess. (Note: Most stylists charge double the rate for corrective color than they do for normal color processes)

6. Get color for interest and body. Every cut needs a little bit of color to make it truly breathtaking. No matter whether your taste is subtle or dramatic, you can add interest and volume to your tresses with a color process. Highlights, lowlights, all over color, gray coverage, you name it, it’s all good for your look.

7. Do weekly conditioning treatments. Even if your hair is extremely healthy, it is constantly on the attack from wind, sun, cold and heat. During the summer months, your hair is battered even more when it absorbs chlorine and other chemicals from your pool.

8. Get an ionic ceramic flat iron. Instead of frying your hair with a conventional metal plated flat iron. Straighten your tresses, add shine and infuse moisture with one of the a negative ionic flat irons. We personally use T3 irons for all our work.

9. Choose your styling products wisely. Avoid products that leave build-up on your hair. If you see white gunk, that means that your product is not water-soluble and may be coating your hair shaft. Build-up causes limpness, breakage and inability to curl not to mention the white flakes.

10. Did you know that if you use a towel after your shower to dry your hair you are causing split ends and adding static electricity to your hair. Don’t rub the towel back and forth over your hair, scrunch the towel around your hair like your would scrunch crackers in your soup.

While all of these tips won’t make you look like you’ve hired a personal hairdresser, they will help you look the very best that you can each and every day. When it comes to hair care, remember that you wear your hair everyday. Now isn’t it worth the time, effort and money that it takes to keep it looking spectacular?

48% Of Women Have Thinning Hair!

 

How your hair grows

Your hair is made of keratin (KER-uh-tin), the same protein that makes up your nails and the outer layer of your skin. The part you see and style is called the hair shaft. It’s actually dead tissue made by your hair follicles tiny bulb-like structures beneath your scalp’s surface.

We have all heard of someone who has thinning hair problem, but do we really know how extensive this thinning hair problem is? Let us take a look at the figures here..

1. 70 million Americans Have Fine or Thin-looking Hair And it’s Growing

2. 4 million more women and 4.7 million more men will have noticeably thin-looking hair by 2005

3. By age 65, 48% of all women report they have thinning hair and 75% of all men report they have noticeably thin-looking hair.

4. Research has shown that the problem of thin-looking hair can begin as early as age 17.

5. The problem will grow more extreme as our population ages.

How does hair loss start?

Hair loss is a normal symptom. 50 to 60 hairs are shed each day from a normal scalp. Losing more than 60 hairs a day is called excessive hair loss and leads to generalized thinning of the hair. Hair becomes fine in texture. Loss of hair in men is often determined by heredity or by the Allopetia Androgenetic hormone. Hair loss in women is often caused by pregnancy, stress, fatigue or medical treatment.

Can Thyroid Disease Cause Hair Loss?

An overactive or underactive thyroid can cause hair loss. One may get her thyroid numbers in order after beginning a regimen of thyroid medication. However, there have been reported cases of women experiencing hair loss FROM the thyroid medication.

Hot Tips!

Coloring: If you inherited a tendency for hair loss, you likely have very healthy hair overall. Therefore, your hair can benefit from permanent or semi-permanent color to give body and volume to hair.

Volumizing Products: Many volume-building hair products contain paraffin, which is beeswax. That’s not good for hair, because it builds up and can make hair break.

However, volumizing products sold in salons do help. They won’t weigh hair down, and they won’t damage it. Mousse, for example, can be applied at the root area for support. Then, begin blow-drying the root area, applying tension with a brush to build volume. Use a light finishing spray to hold it.

How your hair grows
Your hair is made of keratin (KER-uh-tin), the same protein that makes up your nails and the outer layer of your skin. The part you see and style is called the hair shaft. It’s actually dead tissue made by your hair follicles tiny bulb-like structures beneath your scalp’s surface.
We have all heard of someone who has thinning hair problem, but do we really know how extensive this thinning hair problem is? Let us take a look at the figures here..
1. 70 million Americans Have Fine or Thin-looking Hair And it’s Growing2. 4 million more women and 4.7 million more men will have noticeably thin-looking hair by 20053. By age 65, 48% of all women report they have thinning hair and 75% of all men report they have noticeably thin-looking hair.4. Research has shown that the problem of thin-looking hair can begin as early as age 17.5. The problem will grow more extreme as our population ages.
How does hair loss start?
Hair loss is a normal symptom. 50 to 60 hairs are shed each day from a normal scalp. Losing more than 60 hairs a day is called excessive hair loss and leads to generalized thinning of the hair. Hair becomes fine in texture. Loss of hair in men is often determined by heredity or by the Allopetia Androgenetic hormone. Hair loss in women is often caused by pregnancy, stress, fatigue or medical treatment.
Can Thyroid Disease Cause Hair Loss?
An overactive or underactive thyroid can cause hair loss. One may get her thyroid numbers in order after beginning a regimen of thyroid medication. However, there have been reported cases of women experiencing hair loss FROM the thyroid medication.
Hot Tips!
Coloring: If you inherited a tendency for hair loss, you likely have very healthy hair overall. Therefore, your hair can benefit from permanent or semi-permanent color to give body and volume to hair.
Volumizing Products: Many volume-building hair products contain paraffin, which is beeswax. That’s not good for hair, because it builds up and can make hair break.
However, volumizing products sold in salons do help. They won’t weigh hair down, and they won’t damage it. Mousse, for example, can be applied at the root area for support. Then, begin blow-drying the root area, applying tension with a brush to build volume. Use a light finishing spray to hold it.

What is Migraine ?

Migraine, neurological, gastrointestinal and autonomic changes associated with various forms of primary episodic (part), a headache disorder. Neurological examinations, imaging and laboratory investigations are usually normal, and they benefit more frightening to exclude other causes of clinical disease.
A) Definition of migraine attacks,
Migraine attack, headache occurring hours or days before the prodrome stage, just before the headache phase of the aura, headache phase, recovery phase in the form of headache can be divided into four sections. There is a thread must be contained as necessary for the diagnosis of migraine.
1) The leading Phenomena (Prodrome) Stage:
Phenomena seen in the previous hours or days of headaches in the vanguard. Patients mostly in cases of emotion or sudden psychological behavior, neurology, autonomic, or complain of changes in structural characteristics typical. Some patients may feel the headache in the future, but we do not fully define. These symptoms vary from patient to patient, but rather is consistent with a specific patient. Depression, cognitive dysfunction and symptoms are seen in some foods, such as state of desire. The most common symptoms are the leading display a sense of fatigue-fatigue, difficulty concentrating, neck hardness.
2) Aura Phase:

Migraine aura, prior to an attack of migraine, attack after attack but rarely seen, or a mixture of focal neurological symptoms. These symptoms usually develop within 5 to 20 minutes and usually takes less than 60 minutes. Aura within 60 minutes after the end of the headache is often to convince her husband a few hours in some cases may be delayed or not does not arise.
Most of the time between aura and headache patients themselves do not feel normal. Anxiety, somatic complaints, mood changes, speech and thought disorders, or the feeling of isolation from the environment can be seen. Auralar can occur back to back in an hour and the frequency of more than a few hours until some time may vary. These are called migraine aura status.
Crashed in the field of visual impairment among the blind spots of vision, light flashes of simple, geometric shapes, or include noktalanmalar. They are also able to move throughout the visual field, such as vibrations or fluctuations in vision are possible. The specified visual disturbances are seen with headache. Blind spots in the field of vision, sometimes both at the same time, but a rare condition görülebilse. These distortions and hallucinations may also occur outside the visual shape.
Understanding and using body parts from non-disorders, disorders of vision, speech and language disorders, the complex state of dream or a nightmare, state of trance or delirium may include such situations. The second most common form of aura of numbness starts getting uyuşmalarda, cola, and then spreads through the lips and face will affect the language, rarely will have an effect on the legs. Half of patients with migraine begins with two-sided numbness or later becomes two-sided. Auditory auralar rarely seen alone, after more than a visual aura occurs.
3) Headache Phase:
Typical migraine headache unilateral, throbbing, moderate or severe and exacerbated by physical activity. Do not need all of them together for a diagnosis of migraine. Pain may be from the beginning of bilateral or unilateral spread to the other side after the start. Çıkabilse of pain at any time day or night as the most commonly starts between 12:00 noon to 5:00 morning. Beginning the next 2 to 12 hours to reach the maximum attack turns into violence, it then passes slowly decreased. The average duration of an untreated migraine attack is 24 hours. In adults, 4 to 72 hours in children 1 to 48 hours may vary.
Although large differences in the severity of headache is the average assessment of severity from 0 to 10 from 7 to 8 between. Often seen by patients as throbbing, but this can be seen in other types of headache. Physical activity or simple movements of the head, even exacerbated.
Migraine pain is always with no other features. Although anorexia frequently in some foods (eg chocolate) may request the state. Almost all of the patients (90%) are nausea, whereas their 1 / 3 thirds vomiting occurs. However, in most patients, photophobia (light, do not be afraid), fonofobi (sensitivity to sound), osmofobi (smell discomfort), as distinct sensory sensitization occurs, the patient looks dark and quiet room.
4) Recovery Phase:
The pain gradually decreases and disappears. The patient himself may feel tired, irritable, and indifferent, decreased concentration, scalp tenderness, mood changes can be seen. However, while some patients may feel himself extremely well and renovated, while others, such as the patient may feel depressed.
B) Migraine Syndromes
1) migraine without aura (migraine Simplified):
The brain disorder characterized by diffuse or one-sided throbbing head on, it is a syndrome. The diagnosis for putting each of 4 to 72-hour long, at least two of the four pain characteristics and associated features showing at least one of the required 5 feet. This feature of the four pain; unilateralism, throbbing quality, moderate-heavy activity with an increase in violence and I include routine physical. Attacks of nausea, vomiting, photophobia (photophobia), fonofobi (the noise being disturbed), and / or anorexia can be associated with. Intervals should be reported to the recurrent attacks. All of these symptoms, I still excluded other causes of migraine.
Migraine is the term used for the status of migraine lasts longer than 3 days. Sometimes the patient is in the morning uyandırabilmekte at any time of day or night can begin. The frequency of attacks varies, may be a few times in life can be several times a week. The average migraine headache patients may or twice a month. Search of at least five attacks cause brain tumors, sinusitis, and glaucoma, and many organic disease causing headaches mimicking migraines.
2) migraine with aura (classic migraine):
One or more neurological symptoms completely resolved, the development of aura than 4 minutes long, short duration of aura and the aura after 60 minutes of time until the start of headache can be considered, such as short duration of 60 minutes at least three of the four features are required to have at least two attacks. The majority of patients with migraine with aura migraine without aura attacks may also occur. Often, the colors of the visual half-field in the geometric form, with the emergence of vibrant visual aura of light in the form of arrays. Throbbing headache, usually against the side of the visual symptoms, and patients with nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and anorexia may be fonofobi. Aura’lı such as migraine, visual field disturbances and temporary loss of neurological disorders occur in association hemisensoriyel. And always shows the same characteristics of a typical aura, migrainous headache characteristics not show from the back of a diagnosis of migraine with aura. Migraine aura, cluster headache may also occur with other types of headaches.
3) Different types of migraine:
* Basilar Type Migraine,
* Confusional Migraine,
* Ophthalmoplegic Migraine,
* Hemiplegic migraine,
* Familial hemiplegic migraine,
Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy with cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy *,
* White Substance Disorders,
* Lead pain-Aura.
C) Treatment
Effective treatment of migraine, first the right diagnosis, the patient and the patient’s disclosure of any other random event of a disease associated with it begins with the creation of a treatment plan. The most disturbing symptoms have the most appropriate form of intervention is aimed. The advantage of sometimes providing treatment comorbidities sometimes causes limitations in the treatment of migraine. Migraine with what appears the most common stroke, epilepsy, depression, mania, anxiety and panic disorders are psychological, such as.
The symptoms must be taken into consideration because the diagnosis before treatment should be absolutely sure. A specific migraine medication, a patient with migraine imitation would be useless, or even can be dangerous.
Pharmacological treatment of non-therapeutic approach of relaxation, biofeedback, and life riding on a regular basis, getting enough sleep, exercise and smoking (the smoke) substances such as smoke cessation / avoidance initiatives, such as takes place. Important though these are the main treatment consists of drugs. The selected drug, the severity and frequency of headache attacks, associated symptoms, state, and the presence of other diseases is determined by the way people respond to previous medications. Prevent headache is exacerbated and the effectiveness of treatment as early as possible to improve the treatment of headache is necessary.
1) Acute Treatment:
Treatment, according to attack and be formatted according to the person living in an attack. Out by previous treatment history and success / failure when questioned. Acute treatment of headache after it aims to turn back or stop the progression of the headache. There are various forms of acute treatment. The selected drug, the severity and frequency of headache attacks, associated symptoms, state, and the presence of other diseases is determined by the way people respond to previous medications. Excessive use of drugs or the existence of such a danger should be evaluated. Acute treatment failure is usually caused by overuse of headache drugs can be. Side effects may be most useful in considering the form of pain should be treated with drugs.
Treatment should be individualized. Headaches in patients with mild to moderate levels of analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) or a compound with caffeine may be beneficial. Analgesic therapy if inadequate replacement therapy is recommended as a triptan. Majority of the patients prefer oral triptans. If necessary, take a quick answer or a way out of the oral barizse nausea and vomiting is preferred.
a) the form of simple and combination analgesics and NSAIDs:
Patients with mild to moderate to severe headaches, simple analgesics are recommended. Many people ligament pain alone or in combination with caffeine, aspirin or acetaminophen (paracetamol) as a simple analjezikle relax. NSAIDs among all the world’s most prescribed drugs when to use them is limited because of gastric side effects. Gastrointestinal discomfort from side effects of NSAIDs, pet ulcer and bleeding, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, headache, paradoxical as rare, especially bozluk sensation, tendency to sleep, tinnitus and fluid retention can be specified.

b) Hypnotics Barbiturates:
There is no randomized trials about the efficacy of drugs containing butalbital. The use of these drugs can cause problems in a more pronounced or less of the drug use should be limited to situations or are ineffective. Other cases, these drugs are ineffective for migraine drugs can be very effective replacement drugs.
c) Ergotamine and dihydroergotamine (dhe):
From time to time provide for adequate analgesics where or when it comes to serious side effects or cost problem arose, ergotamine is used in the treatment of moderate-severe to severe migraine attacks. Data supporting the effectiveness of the treatment ergotaminin is not very consistent. DHE’nin has fewer side effects than ergotamine. The best evidence we have available for DHE’nin nasal shape. Dhe is useful in most patients, headache recurrence rate is low. However, to cause nausea or headache response rate lower than that of ergotamine.
Pregnant women who want to stay, those uncontrolled hypertension, spsisteki, kidney and liver failure and those with coronary, cerebral, or peripheral vascular disease, or dhe ergotamine should be avoided.
d) triptans:
The treatment of migraine headaches in both safe and effective. The first option is appropriate drugs. Be applied to patients with moderate to severe migraine attack. Analgesics adequately tested and the appropriate response may be possible to begin treatment with triptans alınamamışsa.
e) Opioids:
They do not provide sufficient relief from headache remedies other than Epioid available.

2) Preventive (prophylactic) treatment:
Whether or not you have a headache attack frequency, severity and duration to reduce the preventive (prophylactic) treatment is applied. Prior to the attack as well as be given a short or long term. The presence of a known case of a trigger or when the presence of symptoms of headache can also be given to a pioneer.
Short-term preventive treatment may be given if the patient encounter with a trigger factor. Constitute a risk of headache a few days before the event (eg, certain historical events) need treatment application. Long-term preventive treatment is applied on a daily basis to reduce the incidence of headache and usually is continued for months. Treatment during pregnancy is not expected benefit exceeds the risk of long-term preventive treatment should be avoided.
Preventive and curative treatment effects or side effects to start low-dose is formed, or until the maximum dose of the drug dose increase slowly until we reach the specialist. Testing can take from two to six months of treatment in full. The effects of treatment are usually noticeable after four weeks from the date of starting treatment. Some two weeks after the treatment in patients starting treatment with one equivalent of leaving the state streamed. Preventive treatment to ensure optimum benefit patients using excessive analgesics or ergot-derived drugs, you must have.
Migraine headaches out of treatment, may improve over time. Patients may experience relief after stopping the drug, or a part of the show state of the former dose may be needed.
3) Medications:
* Beta Blockers,
* Antidepressants,
* Calcium Channel Blockers,
* Antiepileptic Drugs,
* Serotinin Antagonists,
* Pizotifen,
* Natural Products,
* Riboflavin.
Treatment Priorities Determination: The goal of treatment, headache and other symptoms related to it or to prevent removal of the patient as possible to return back to normal functions. His selection of a drug efficacy, patient preference and the type of headache, the presence of other diseases associated with drug side effects and can be evaluated together. The best benefit-risk ratio of the drug should be preferred. Drug associations can be made in cases of treatment-resistant headache. Some drugs are used together with attention to be used on some, while others should not be used together because of severe adverse effects. Sometimes applied in cases of acute treatment in the prophylactic treatment to patients, along with other types of headaches can be applied for.

D) Status of Migraine
The headache phase (with or without treatment) 72 hours is long-lasting migraine attacks, migraine status. Severe and persistent headache and nausea that often accompanies and / or vomiting occurs. Migraine may also occur secondary to the status of an acute neurological disorder. Exclusion of organic causes of severe headache before the start of treatment is required.

Top Five Tips for Healthy Weight Management

Losing weight is something that many people want to do. Everyone has their own goals when it comes to achieving a specific weight and some are able to get to this target in a healthier way than others. Shedding the pounds is usually the easy bit. There is a big difference between a quick, temporary loss of weight, and a steady, longer-term weight loss program. Taking shortcuts when trying to lose weight can end up resulting in further health issues. Although it may be human nature for a dieter to take all available options to them in their quest to become a lower weight, most professionals would agree that it is never advisable to do so.
The following five tips are designed to help with your weight management healthily:

1. Keep a food/exercise journal.
Keeping track of the food you eat, as well as your daily exercise is a great way to stay on top of your weight loss efforts. You will be able to track your progress, and by having your results written down in black and white you are more likely to stay honest about the work you have put in. Tot up the results each week to see how many calories you have consumed compared to how many you have managed to burn.

2. Learn the weight loss basics
For weight to be lost it’s obvious that you must be using more calories than you are taking in. The number of calories we take in depends on many factors, including our weight, height, age, sex. Making sure you consume enough calories is vitally important for staying healthy, as we use them to perform even the simplest of daily tasks such as breathing and walking. Talking to a medical expert is the best way to figure out how many calories you need, and how many you are able to burn off while remaining in a healthy condition.
3. Slow and steady wins the race
Healthy weight loss is best achieved over a longer period rather than suddenly. A good recommended loss is at around 1 or 2 pounds per week, equating to around 3,500 calories. Cutting your calories by 500 per day therefore should, in theory, help you shed 1 pound of fat in a week. Simple exercises, such as going for a half-hour walk, or eating a smaller meal portion can be suffice when it comes to slowly cutting down on your calorie intake.
4. Check food labels
One of the simplest things you can do is check the amount of calories, salt, fat and saturates the food you are buying has in them. It’s clear that cutting down on fat in your diet is going to help with your weight loss efforts. Of course, an element of fat is important, but in large amounts over your daily recommended limit (which again depends on your age, sex and build), it can be detrimental to your health. All food is now required by law to state how much of each substance it contains, making it easier for you to keep on top of your intake.
5. Join a Weight Loss Group
Losing weight is easier when you have people supporting you. One way to do this would be to join a weight loss group. Meeting up with like-minded people, being weighed and making new friends can help to motivate you in a way like no other. Classes are held across the country, meaning won’t have to travel far to join a group in your local area.

Sleepless nights

One of the common problems faced by the people is, sleepless nights. We usually hear from aged people, that they couldn’t sleep during the night time. This has some scientific reasons. Sometimes even young people will find it difficult to sleep. If your mind is filled with emotional thoughts or negative thinking, you won’t be able to sleep. In order to overcome this, you need to fill your mind with pleasant thoughts. Before you got o bed, think about something which you love the most or the moment which you enjoyed the most. This should solve the problem. And even if your body is extremely tired, you will find it difficult to sleep. In those cases, wash your face and get freshen up before you go to bed.

Healthy Smile

To have a healthy smile, we should have healthy teeth. It is very important that we maintain our teeth properly to avoid bad breath, tooth decay etc. Most of the people in this world don’t care much about the maintenance of their teeth and also don’t know the proper method to clean their teeth. We should consult with a dentist at least once in 6 months to have a general check up and we should use a proper brush and paste as our dentist suggest. Please ensure that you brush your teeth twice in a day (Morning after you wake up and at night before going to bed). Consult your dentist and give a long life to your teeth.

Love your life

There are many theories that insist on the end of the world in 2012. Is this really true? It is better not to think about it in a religious sense. Let’s take a step forward and think about it scientifically. There are various factors that have affected the globe. Pollution, the green house effect, increased surface temperature, rise in the sea levels and so on. And I have seen lots of my friends who are already worried, thinking if we will exist after three years from now. But what I personally feel is, just throw away all these worries from your mind and start enjoying the days that you are alive. The best way to gain confidence and start enjoying life is to get ourselves presentable in front of others. There are lots of schools that provide us with valuable education in the field of cosmetics. Just Click Here to explore the information about cosmetic schools and what do they offer us with. Do the things that you love doing it. We have got a huge environment with lots and lots of entertainments around us. Jump into the world of entertainment and start cherishing your life. Never let sorrows to occupy your mind. Whenever your mind is filled with sorrows, just overload it with some of the happiest moments in your life. Your mind will be completely relaxed.

Work and Travel, Neck and Back Pain

On one of my recent flights into the US, I sat by a gentleman who was struggling just to sit still in his seat.  He squirmed so much I thought he might have to maybe go “relieve himself.”  He explained that he was experiencing a lot of neck and back pain, and as a result of those conditions he was finding it difficult to relax and sit quietly in the confining aircraft seat.

These conditions are not uncommon; in fact, about 90% of all adults have to deal with back pain at some time in their life and another 50% of the population has neck pain issues.
How easy is it for you to focus at work or enjoy fun activities when you have neck and back pain?  You know it’s impossible. Add with that the cycle that starts… you sit to rest and the neck or back muscles continue to tighten up when you are still, and sitting motionless causes additional pain & discomfort, so you reduce activity even more.
For the traveler, this can in some cases spell the end of the freedom once enjoyed before pain became an issue.  If travel is part of your career, neck and back pain that is debilitating can have catastrophic effects, especially if the ‘solution’ provided by your health care provider is with drugs that make it unsafe and impossible to drive or operate machinery.  I have actually been in meetings where someone I know to be suffering from chronic pain has taken a powerful medicine and she falls asleep where she sits.  Career-ender?  You bet it is.

Just developing a consistent and achievable exercise program can go a long way to relieving the stress and pressures on the neck (and back).   People who write in tell me all the time that in addition to using my Natural Neck Pain program, they can actually start an exercise routine that includes mild versions of low-impact cardio that they couldn’t do before.
Making sure your supplements are taken every day is a must.  Did you know that much of the pain suffered is due to avoidable inflammation? And that much inflammation comes from vitamin deficiencies?  It is true.

There are mountains of studies that relate neck, back, and jaw pain directly to the effects of deficiencies in vitamins A, D and E.  Soon, I will be releasing my natural program to treat Arthritis and you will be blown away by the discoveries held in that guide.
Pace yourself, though, especially after an injury.  The great thing about my programs and others you can find are that they are so safe that you can even do them post-injury.  Your doctor or therapist will likely have you doing a batch of effective exercises to get yourself back to better functioning, but adding a few oxygen-pumping, simple activities to your routine is a great benefit.
Once you make some strides there, your muscle tone will start to increase and little by little you will be able to increase your range of motion, stamina, and strength. This kicks the cycle the other direction so you are gaining mobility and freedom, not stiffness and pain.
Starting any new exercise program, no matter how minor, sometimes can aggravate the condition a bit. So pace yourself and don’t get discouraged.  Maintaining the freedom to travel and ‘soldiering up’ to your work responsibility is a great benefit of making those changes now.
Many great success stories on natural treatments for neck and back pain abound, and you can be one of them.
I encourage you give my Neck Pain program a good try now and begin to see relief from your painful condition.

Are You His Grandpa? Stress Aged Me

This is a classic. Every now and then I get comments from readers that make me laugh, but know that I am laughing WITH you, not AT you.
This man’s story is so familiar, though. And if you have not experienced this, consider yourself lucky. He described having received the dreadful grocery store question, “And is this your grandson?” The thing that makes this as bad as “When are you due?” when you are not even pregnant is when you are NOT a grandparent and the child in question is actually your child.
What had happened over the years to turn a healthy, youthful new parent to the geriatric-looking one in the checkout lane? He told me it was mostly a series of stressful events that cropped up recently.
Many people can identify with what he described he was going through.  His own father’s health was declining at the same time he was trying to teach his son how to drive. Recession woes had him fearing a layoff and his wife told him she needed to fly out to her sister’s place to help get the mother-in-law into cancer treatment.  On top of that, his niece was in a very bad car accident on her way through the Midwest a few weeks ago and he had to drop everything to go get her.
Being firmly squished into the “sandwich generation”- caring for both parents and children- had him in a death grip of Father Time’s fast-forward machine.  People who hadn’t seen him for a year couldn’t believe how grey his hair had gotten.  His face was showing the strain of stressful life incidents on top of lack of sleep.
One of my staff members who found the email to share it with me laughed knowingly, as she had been asked (years ago at the tender age of 30) when picking her daughter up from a playgroup by one of the other 4-year olds, “Are you hers gramma?”  Out of the mouth of babes…comes more honesty than one can bear.
What can be done to stop these ravages and keep thoughtless tongues from lashing about?  Several things:
- Find a support group and talk to someone about the stress you are under.  Get on Facebook, Tweet your peers or go old-school and see if there are any other folks in your area who need a little ‘group therapy’ and just talk it out. They may be able to help with babysitting, lawn-watering or other things while you are forced to travel and whatnot.
- Get some sleep! Countless research studies- and infinite articles- abound on the seriousness of the consequences of not getting enough quality sleep.  You might not think you have time to spend 7 or 8 hours sawing logs but try to carve out that much. Then get to work on finding something that will help you naturally fall asleep and stay asleep.
- Moisturize- from the outside in and the inside out. This goes for men, too.  Find a quality skin moisturizer that you like and stock up. Use it every day when you get up and every night before bed. And trade those sodas for real water.  No more junk drinks.
- Get some quality supplements. Antioxidants eliminate the free radicals that are trying to send you to an early old folks’ home, so supplement where your body needs the help.
- Finally, laugh a little. Research has shown that the body recovers best from injury and illness when people can laugh. I consider stress an illness.  Cure yourself of it and all the negative effects by finding a way to naturally reduce your blood pressure…and if you can laugh every day your results will come faster.
So far I have been lucky enough to dodge the “grandpa” question, but I know my time will come.  I just plan to stave it off for as long as possible. What works for me might work for you, too. Try my natural programs for high blood pressure and Insomnia…and stay tuned for more info on naturally healing arthritis. We will be releasing that guide very soon.

Could I Be A Snake Oil Salesman?

Once in a while I get an email from somewhat angry readers who have “loosely” checked out some of our natural health suggestions. And often without even trying them out, are outraged that I even suggest anything other than traditional medicine can cure diseases.
And on more than one occasion I get the “insulting” comment:
“You’re nothing but a snake oil salesman!”
Well, first of all to take one part of the issue out, I’ve never sold any pills, drinks, or supplements. I only provide information on what I’ve experienced to be helpful.
And what I suggest (yes, sometimes in my books) is most often free to practice (like exercises and diet change) or can be bought cheaply in supermarkets (like garlic).
But more interesting than what I do is the stigma of being a snake oil sales man.
Because that may actually not be as bad as it sounds.
Science in the medical profession may actually be catching up with snake oil sales men and biting their own poisonous words in the butt.
Let me explain what I mean.
You see, snake oil has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine to heal all kinds of inflammation and pain; especially arthritis pain. It’s still sold in many traditional Chinese pharmacies.
I’ve never tried it myself but doubt that it would have survived hundreds of years in the very advantaged Chinese herbal medical system if it didn’t have some benefits.
When Chinese railroad workers came to the US to build the Transcontinental Railroad, they brought their beloved snake oil with them and apparently used it to help ease the pain of their European co-workers.
But as is often the case with new discoveries, especially when they work, everyone and their brother jumps on the wagon to try to profit from it. Snake oil sales men popped up everywhere and their snake oil often included very little or any effective snake oil in their bottles.
You can see the same thing happening in today’s herbal medicine…
As soon as something is considered good for your health, there are hundreds of manufacturers ready to slap the hype on their label. And quality isn’t always the first priority.
This is the case with low quality Vitamins and herbs sold in many supermarkets and on the Internet that are often loaded with toxic fillers, have low quality ingredients or even ingredients that sound like the originals but have totally different functions.
In the 17- and 1800s, this was even less regulated than it is today.
But the snake oil hype gave rise to the first big propaganda campaign for the established medical profession against natural medicines and for their medications and methods.
Obviously they didn’t want the Chinese to rule everything (sounds familiar?).
In the late 1800s’ “Snake Oil Sales Men” had gained their widely known bad reputation. That reputation is then stamped on anyone who doesn’t agree 100% with the traditional medical profession.
I’m not whining. I’ve a funny angle I’m finally getting to.
You see, today, one of the biggest developments in modern medicine for drugs to treat anything from high blood pressure to Alzheimer’s and cancer, lies in the very creature that has been so harshly criticized.
In fact, for over ten years now, doctors have been using a couple of FDA approved drugs developed from the deadly saliva of snakes saving people in the middle of a heart attack and stroke. And it seems to be quite effective in such a drastic situation.
According to medical researchers, drugs developed from snake venom proteins seem to be more effective and cause fewer side effects than medications used before.
So there you have it. We’ve come full circle. Who’s the snake oil salesman now? Maybe the medical system!
The lesson to take from this is:  things are not always the way they seem.  What we may take as the worst insult may actually (when looked at rationally) be the biggest compliment.
So if you want to learn about various natural health solutions, check out the links to our various guides on the right hand side of this page.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any guide on snake oil. But we are working on a guide for arthritis that will be published soon. Who knows, maybe some snake oil secrets will come up there.
And if you’ve ever tried snake oil yourself for pain relief, please let us know how it worked in the comment field below.

Is it Hot in Here? Naturally Exterminating the Menopause Bug

    I was milling around the office the other day and a staff member seemed to be quietly suffering from …well I wasn’t really sure until I saw her flushed face, breathless condition, and sopping wet forehead.
It was apparently a hot flash that was bugging her incessantly. My poor friend (and employee) was miserable.  She was in the throes of surgical menopause.  I knew she had undergone surgery, and I knew why. I even had expected this at some point when she came back to work. I felt terrible for her because really, what could I do? Well…do what I do best: research, support, and help.
Her concern, which she had voiced to her doctor after the surgery, was how to avoid hormone replacement therapy since she was very afraid of developing breast cancer.  (The risk of breast cancer increases significantly with HRT, unfortunately).  So what were the safe options?

Fortunately for her and for millions of other women out there, a lot of research has been done to get to the bottom of how to naturally purge the pests that make up menopause symptoms.
The ‘bugs’ that need to be exterminated from the process, regardless of whether menopause is the normal biological process or surgically induced, include:
- Hot flashes: This nasty symptom is a collection of feeling like your skin is on fire, sweating profusely, often feeling dizzy, and can really wipe out your energy.
- Night Sweats: This ‘cockroach’ of a problem causes one to lose sleep, soaks the sheets, and contributes to dehydration.
- Irritability: This family of bugs includes irritable bowels, irritable mood, irritable muscles and irritable concentration.
While I could write volumes on natural remedies, one in particular has been recognized around the world as an excellent resource for reducing, and even stopping these very uncomfortable (and frequently embarrassing) symptoms.
Black Cohosh is the miracle herb, and even Western medicine has jumped on the botanical bandwagon to promote its use.  Also called Bugbane, Cimicifuga recemosa (as it is scientifically known) has been used by Native Americans for centuries to quell the very disruptive effects of menopause.
The Greek name’s literal translation actually means ‘to drive away bugs.’  Little wonder, then, that it is used as a natural, non-poisonous pesticide for gardens.  But even better, the metaphoric ‘bugs’ driven away here are the ones listed above.
Most homeopathic professionals agree that the highest concentration of the effective compounds is found in the root of the plant, so when shopping for a supplement of this very commonly-found plant, make sure you read the ingredient list to make sure it is the root that was used.
Some supplements will include a blend of other critical and beneficial nutrients as well, including Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D, and Calcium.  Almost every woman who enters menopause is going to be a potential victim of the loss of bone mass at some point, so supplementing calcium stores will be absolutely necessary.
Remember though, that calcium can only be absorbed in the body if there are proper amounts of Vitamin D present.  That’s why you will see many dairy products, as well as calcium supplements, with added Vitamin D.
Black cohosh, like any herb, can be harmful if you take way too much, so follow the recommendations of your doctor and health food professional.
Other items you will want to include if you are committed to the natural route can be something high in isoflavones, such as soy products.  Edamame, which is the least-processed edible version of soybeans, has the highest concentration of isoflavones of the many soy products.
Isoflavones are a great source of phytoestrogens, which are the plant world’s copycat to the body’s hormone, estrogen.  Estrogen withdrawal is what is causing the ’infestation’ of ugly symptoms. Replacing the missing hormone with a close copy is widely believed to be the reason why these botanicals are so effective.
My employee has since done a lot of research after taking my advice with the herbal remedies and reports that the symptoms are quite manageable.  And best of all, she has eliminated the added risk of developing cancer, a disease she is genetically pre-disposed to developing anyway.
Do your research, stay hydrated, and hang in there. Even though menopause is considered a temporary passage of life, it sure doesn’t feel temporary when you are actively ‘bugged’ by it.
For more information on some of the vitamin supplements discussed in this article, I encourage you to grab my newest guide on comprehensively treating arthritis the natural way. The information in this new guide has shown to be helpful with combating menopause symptoms.