Sunday, May 18, 2008

Constipation - The Cause Of Toxic Colon

Many of us lead a busy life that we hardly pay any attention to whether or not we empty our bowels daily. Constipation is a very common problem that affects at least 80% of today's population at some point during their lives, yet most of us fail to realize the seriousness of it.

Not only does it cause you to spend a longer time in the toilet, constipation also causes abdominal discomfort, bloated stomach, excess wind and piles. If you are constipated and feeling lethargic, irritable, experiencing difficulty concentrating at work, suffering from skin problems or frequent headaches, it is high time that you realize that all these problems are the direct effects of your constipation.

In fact, constipation must be taken seriously as it is often linked to more severe problems, including high blood pressure, varicose veins, heartburn, weight gain, backache, arthritis and increased risk of several common cancers such as colorectal and breast cancer.

To understand constipation better, it helps to know how the colon (large intestines) works.

As food moves through the colon, it absorbs water while forming waste products, or stool. By the time the stool reaches the rectum, it is solid because most of the water has been absorbed. Ideally this should take approximately 12 hours, but when we are constipated, this makes take up to 50 hours. The longer the stool stays in the body, the harder it gets, explaining the need to strain in the toilet, and subsequently the painful piles on the rear.

The longer the stool stays in the body also increases your body's exposure to harmful toxins as waste matter starts to build up in the colon. As it decays and putrefies, waste matter releases toxins and noxious gases that seep into the blood. When the colon is polluted, the blood will also pollute. When the blood gets polluted, it cannot effectively remove waste from the cells. Hence, you can never be truly healthy when you are constipated.

Some of the toxin compounds formed during fermentation of food in the colon are with numerous potentially serious consequences. These include ammonia and amines (liver toxins), nitrosamines, indoles and skatoles (carcinogens), phenols and cresols (cancer promoters), estrogens (carcinogens and breast cancer promoters), secondary bileacids (carcinogens or active colon cancer promoters), aglycones (mutagens) and others.

Let think about this, the foul smell emitted when you leave meat debris in your rubbish bin for days. Terrible, isn't it? But when you think about it, this is exactly what happens in your body when you are constipated. Food waste, that include be days old, will be sitting in your colon, decaying, serving as a breeding ground for bad bacteria and parasites. As it builds up, it gets heavier and heavier, with you carrying all the load with you day after day. No wonder constipation makes you uncomfortable, bloated and lethargic.

When the interstitial fluid surrounding the intestinal wall is plugged-up with wastes, nutrient absorption will be hampered as well. This causes further decline in one's well being.

The effects of constipation are not just physical but can affect you in other ways. The results of a survey carried out by a specialist show that:

- 50% attested that constipation affected their ability to concentrate at work.

- 33% complained of backache when constipated.

- 75% said constipated made them feel tired or irritable.

- 1 in 4 said it affected their love life.

- 65% of people mentioned discomfort, fatigue and skin complaints as symptoms they associated with constipation.

When your colon is healthy, you will have two or more well-performed bowel movements a day. If you have to strain or have to read a magazine while you wait for a movement, then you are constipated. Another indication of constipation is when your stools are small and narrow, or if they are short or hard.

Unless you clean out the colon, you can never prevent the many health problems that can shorten your life or make your senior years a miserable time, and will never regain vibrant health. To clean out the colon, you must first, move your bowels daily, preferably twice. If you're suffering from constipation, and you don't want it to get worse, there is hope for you. To help get rid of your impacted bowel once and for all, you must start by making a few lifestyle changes, including eating a diet high in fiber, drinking plenty of healthful living water, and exercising.

If the diet lacks fiber, there's not enough bulk to push wastes through the colon. Even though diet is a major cause of sluggish colon, simply eating better food is not the solution. Many who have switched to a natural raw food, properly combined diet, would still be constipated, as matter have become so hardened and thickened that diet alone won't do the trick. When this happens, taking a safe herbal tea to aid the elimination and a high fiber supplements often works miracles to restore regular bowel movement.

Author Resource: Bardnurz Sham, Write an article to educate people so that they can improve their life by eat well and have a wonderful life. web: http://longerlifespan.blogspot.com/ Natural Constipation Medicine: http://herbslife.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/natural-colon-cleansing

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Monday, May 12, 2008

Diabetes Treatment With Vitamins

Diabetes is tagged as the silent killer disease. This is due to the fact that almost all of the patients suffering from this disease rarely know that they have it at all. Diabetes rarely exhibits symptoms. More often than not, patients would feel nothing wrong with them. There won't be notable changes in their bodies and so they never address the disease until after it is too late.

Right now, there are quite a number of medications that were developed to manage the effects of diabetes in a patient. However, the actual cure is yet to be found. Medical doctors around the world claim that the medicine that could totally wipe out this disease is still in the development stages.

Since doctors can't fully assure their patients that they can treat them from diabetes, people are constantly looking and trying other methods of treatment. Currently there are a number of natural remedies for diabetes out in the market. But still, the most effective of it all are vitamins and minerals.

Patients don't die due to diabetes. It is the complications of the disease that affect them most. And this is exactly where vitamins play a very crucial role. Adding the right types of vitamins to your diet would provide you with relief from diabetes and its symptoms. Hopefully, you can maintain that healthy condition throughout your lifetime.

Vitamins C, E, A, and B are very good for diabetic patients. Each of these vitamins has their own role to play inside the person's body. These vitamins could help a lot in regulating sugar production and energy exertion.

Vitamin C for Diabetes

Vitamin C is the vitamin that can save cells from dying.

Diabetes doesn't really cause death. What brings rise to a severe medical condition are the complications of the disease. The role of Vitamin C for diabetes patients is to prevent cells from converting sugar into sorbitol, which is another type of sugar but in alcohol form. The build-up of sorbitol in the body could lead to kidney and nerve damages.

Diabetes Treatment with B Complex Vitamins

If there were one disease that could be treated by the B complex Vitamins, it would be Diabetes.

Almost all B complex vitamins contribute in alleviating its nasty effects in the body. Niacin, folic acid, thiamin, and Vitamin B6 play a role in converting starches and sugar to energy.

Deficiency of the B vitamins would only cause increased sugar content in the body. A complete B vitamin supplements should help your body in managing the disease.

As such, it is strongly recommended that foods rich in these vitamins should be taken regularly. Eat good amounts of fruits and vegetables to ensure that your body gets the necessary nutrient you need each day. However, it is also important that you tell your doctor the type of diet you are following. Doctors need to monitor a diabetic's food consumption and weight for better disease management.

Examples of food items that you should take are green leafy vegetables, fruits, wholegrain, nuts, and dairy products. Ask your doctor how much and how often you can eat these foods. It should depend upon your body mass index and your way of living.

Vitamins are the perfect supplements of the commercial medicines that your physician prescribes. Keep in mind that full recovery form diabetes is attained faster if you continue taking your prescription medicines and not abandon them in favor of the natural remedies.

Author Resource: The author is the owner of VitaminBag - http://www.vitaminbag.com . For more information about vitamin treatments for Diabetes visit http://www.vitaminbag.com/treatment/diabetes.aspx .

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Understanding Hyperlexia

While many people have heard of dyslexia, most do not know what hyperlexia is. This disorder is basically the opposite of dyslexia and often goes undiagnosed as it is more difficult to determine.

Hyperlexia is a learning disorder that involves children who exhibit an above normal ability to read at a very young age while their communication and comprehension skills are below normal. In other words, a child may begin reading full sentences at a very early age (some as early as two) while not fully comprehending or having the ability to perform a simple verbal retell of the information that he has just read. Most parents of these children have reported that they did not teach the child to read and were surprised when the child began to pick up the ability on their own.

While some children that begin reading before preschool age are not hyperlexia and have no difficulties in school, hyperlexic children have problems with reading comprehension as well as difficulties with learning phonics. For children who are beginning to read, phonics are an important key to help them figure out words that they are not familiar with by “sounding” the words out. Children with this disorder recognize words from memory and thus have difficulties when they come across words that they have never seen before.

Hyperlexia also affects a child’s verbal skills. Children who suffer from this disorder have a fixation with letters and words but have significant difficulty with spoken language. A hyperlexic child may be able to read a whole story at a very young age, but when questioned about the information that he has read, he is unable to understand what he has read clearly. He will especially have difficulty answering the “W” questions-who, what, when, how, and why. Teaching the child to comprehend material after he has been reading for several years can be a long and difficult process.

Due to his fascination with the written word, a hyperlexic child often does not interact well with others. He may exhibit abnormal and awkward social skills and have problems relating to his peers. The child may have difficulties engaging in conversations. This may be due to the fact that many of these children learned to read by repetition, a process that they carry over into verbal conversation. This child may be able to repeat spoken words that he has just heard, but does not do well when asked to express his own thoughts or opinions.

A child suffering from hyperlexia may also display an exaggerated need to follow a routine and may become upset if that routine is disrupted. He also may have difficulties making transitions from one task to another. This symptom is especially apparent in the classroom setting, where the child is expected to finish one task and then move on to the next. The youngster may become emotionally upset or may just refuse to make this transition.

If you feel that your child may be suffering from hyperlexia, you should contact your family doctor. You should be warned, however, that the identification and study of hyperlexia is a relatively new field. If you have an older doctor, he may not be familiar with the condition. As most children are diagnosed with hyperlexia once they have entered school, you can contact your school psychologist who should have information and a list of specialists that you can talk to decide the best educational program for your child.

Early intervention is the best treatment in dealing with hyperlexia. The younger that the child is when he is diagnosed will make it easier to retrain his mind to read in a different manner that will improve his comprehension and verbal skills. These are two important factors to having a successful academic career.

Author Resource: Find helpful and creative ideas for parents and grandparents while you shop our great selection of affordable kids furniture and classic toys. Another article with more information on this topic can be found at http://www.hybridoption.com/kidsfurniture.html

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Boost Cardiovascular Health And Circulation With Butcher’s Broom

Butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus) is a member of the lily family, and looks a bit like a holly bush with barbed evergreen leaves and bright red berries in the fall. At one time they were collected, tied together and sold to butchers as brooms to sweep out their shops.

The stiff leaves were particularly suitable for cleaning out offal and other waste products from butchered animals and also for scrubbing butcher’s blocks. It was also used as a deterrent to rodents with their eyes on the meat! Alternative names are sweet broom, kneeholy and Jew’s myrtle, so named because it was used during the Feast of the Tabernacles as one of the ‘four species’ used in the lulav.

The herb was commonly used in Ancient Greece and Rome, the Greeks using it to reduce swellings of various kinds and the Romans using it to treat varicose veins. It has the same uses today, only the mechanisms are understood better. It has been used for centuries in the Mediterranean area for the treatment of inflammations and problems with the circulation, and the Romans used to mash up the leaves and berries to add to wine, and they also used the roots and rhizome as a medicine by soaking them in wine. Today, it is illegal to use holly as a decoration in Italy, so butcher’s broom is used instead.

All parts of the plant are used, including the rhizome, and although it is used as a diuretic, and to control a loss of blood pressure experience by some people on standing up, it is its effect on blood vessels where its main medical benefits lie. Butcher’s Broom can strengthen certain portions of blood vessels, and change the flexibility properties of the cell walls.

The result of this is that the vessels are tightened up, which helps to maintain the flow of blood throughout the body, but also renders the cell walls less likely to leak or crack under stress. The result is a reduction in blood leakage from stretched and weakened blood vessels such as those that result in hemorrhoids, and also of conditions caused by weakened valves in the veins such as varicose veins and spider veins.

The blood pressure in the veins is very weak since they are so far away from the heart, the blood having passed through the arteries, through the capillaries and into the veins on its way back to the heart before being pumped to the lungs. When the valves become weakened, particularly in the large veins in the leg, there is little to prevent the blood from coming under the influence of gravity and pooling back down the vein, causing distention and occasional ruptures.

A ruptured varicose vein can be very serious and cause significant blood loss. Weakened valves can also lead to the formation of blood clots, which is itself a very serious condition that eventually blocks the heart or causes a stroke. Not only can butcher’s broom strengthen the vein walls and prevent leakage, and also enable them to more easily resist the pressure that can cause them to rupture, but it can also be used to break down blood clots. In fact the herb is used in many European hospitals to prevent the formation of blood clots after surgery.

The active ingredients in the rhizome are saponins that contain the aglycones ruscogenin and neuroscogenin and the associated spirostanol and furostanol glycosides. The receptors that cause vasocontraction are known as adrenoreceptors, these receptors can be selectively stimulated by butcher’s broom extract to tighten the veins and improve the return of blood. When introduced intravenously, butcher’s broom was noted to constrict venules (small veins that feed the main veins but not arterioles (the small arteries than feed the capillaries). Hence blood vessels can be selectively treated, and the effect on isolated blood vessels was enhanced by heating. Many supplements include calcium that helps to strengthen the blood vessel walls.

It is possible, therefore, to target the blood vessels that require constrictive treatment in order that they are strong enough to return blood to the heart rather than leak or distend. However, that is not the only health benefit that butcher’s broom provides. It can also be used as a diuretic. It is not a strong diuretic, but is used to relief the swelling of bruises and PMS, the reason given being that since leakage from the blood vessels is lessened, then more fluid is available to pass through the kidneys. There might be other reasons.

It is also use for the treatment of ortho static hypotension, the reduction in blood pressure that some people experience. It is believed that butcher’s broom can control this condition without increasing blood pressure, as most other remedies do, and which is almost as undesirable as the condition they are treating.

There are few problems associated with the herb, although few studies have been carried out its use by pregnant women. Although the one test that was carried indicated no effect, it would be wise for pregnant or nursing women not to use it until further studies have been carried out. Due to its effect in tightening blood vessels, its use is not recommended by anybody suffering from high blood pressure (hypertension). Many hypertension treatments are designed to render the blood vessels more elastic rather than constrict them.

In one very small study of pregnant women who used a topical cream containing butcher's broom, no side effects were seen for either the mother or the baby. However, very little information is available on how oral butcher's broom might affect a developing fetus, an infant, or a small child. Therefore, its use is not recommended during pregnancy, while breast-feeding, or during early childhood.

Because it tightens blood vessels, butcher's broom may worsen high blood pressure or benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Individuals with either of these conditions should not use any form of butcher's broom without first consulting a doctor. The known side effects have already been stated, and they are fairly mild, but few studies have been made on the herb other than in Europe, and the side effects have not been fully explored. It is unlikely; however, that there are any as yet unknown serious side effects since butcher’s broom has been used now for a long time, particularly in Europe.

The term ‘ruscogenin’ is used for the collective mixture of active saponins in butcher’s broom, and many of the supplements are formulated to include from 5 to 15 mg of these. However, check the label, since standardization is not yet required in the USA, and in theory a preparation can include much more or much less ruscogenin. It is frequently supplied with other active ingredients, such as vitamin C or calcium, and perhaps even horse chestnut that affect blood vessels in a similar way. Always follow the instructions on the package, since these are designed for the specific strength of supplement you are using.

Author Resource: More information on butcher’s broom extract is available at VitaNet ®, LLC Health Food Store. http://vitanetonline.com/

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Sunday, May 11, 2008

Diagnosing Thyroid Problems

Every human being has a thyroid gland. It is located above the trachea. It looks like a butterfly in the middle of our throats. This incredible yet small organ plays an important role in our body, because this is where our hormones are produced. Which obviously means the thyroid gland regulates the amount of energy and vitamins the body absorbs and excretes.

But like any normal body organ a thyroid gland also may cause sever damage to the body. Thyroid problems happen when there is a huge amount of irregularity in the production of the hormones. This may lead to serious repercussions to the rest of the human body. There are two types of thyroid problem; they are called hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.

Hypothyroidism happened when the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones for the body. People suffering from this condition experience slow metabolism, fatigue and goiter. Hyperthyroidism is exactly the opposite, the metabolism is faster and the body excretes too much energy.

You may not know it but you might be suffering from a thyroid problem unknowingly. So how do we as common people diagnose a thyroid problem? Here are some simple steps you can follow to help save lives:

Step 1: Look for symptoms

Hypothyroidism – symptoms include: fatigue, constipation, easily feels cold, dry skin, lack of appetite, deeper voice and sometimes hair fall and depression.

Hyperthyroidism – symptoms may appear as: insomnia, nervousness, unusual sweating, increase lost of weight, frequent bowel movement and difficulty in concentrating similar to confusion.

Step 2: If you feel the symptoms, study your medical history. Finding the root cause of the disease will make it easier for you to find the appropriate treatment.

Here are some causes of thyroid problems:

Hyperthyroidism – Graves disease, pituitary gland problems, toxic adenomas and subacute thyroiditis.

Hypothyroidism – Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, removal of thyroid gland, too much iodide in the body and exposure to lithium.

Step 3: Be sure to seek medical help especially if the condition have worsen. Look out for these symptoms as well: shortness of breath, vomiting, abdominal and chest pain, high irritability level, confusion and coma.

Step 4: As soon as you seek professional care, make sure you are ready to take a series of test that will determine the status of your thyroid problem.

Step 5: Prepare to know the results of you test. There are two distinct ways to diagnose if a patient has hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. For hyperthyroidism, your thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) serum is lower compared to the standard. While for hypothyroidism, the TSH is higher than the normal rate.

Step 6: If your result matches any one of the two types, you better seek medication or treatment. Treatment will depend on how severe the problem may be. There are different treatments available so you don’t need to fret.

Thyroid problems may cause harsh damages to the body, but it is one of the easiest diseases to cure. We recommend that you research and consult your doctor regularly, to avoid abnormalities in the body.

Author Resource: Andrew Smith is webmaster of a site with guides on how to do things. http://www.howtoall.com http://www.howtoall.com/Healthfiles/Healthfitnesshowtos.htm http://www.howtoall.com/Healthfiles/howtotreattuberculosis5.htm

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Tuesday, May 6, 2008

You Need To Raise Your Cholesterol

You can imagine my surprise after my last blood test when my doctor told me I needed to raise my cholesterol levels. What? I had a stroke the year before and had revamped my diet to lower my cholesterol. I was slowly able to walk and move more and was adding as much exercise as my body could handle. I had successfully dropped an extremely high cholesterol level to well within normal ranges. Now she wanted me to raise my cholesterol levels again?

That’s because there are two types of cholesterol; good cholesterol, or HDL (high-density lipoproteins) and bad cholesterol, or LDL (low-density lipoproteins). HDL scour the walls of the blood vessels, sweeping away excess fat and cholesterol in the blood and carries it back to the liver for processing, preventing plaque build-up. We’ve all heard that it is important to decrease bad cholesterol, but it is just as important to keep our HDL levels high. I had lowered my bad cholesterol levels but my good cholesterol had dropped as well.

An HDL reading less than 40 mg/dL is considered to be a major risk factor for heart disease, with a reading between 40 and 50 mg/dL recommended, while readings over 60mg/dL indicate a significantly lowered risk of heart disease. My HDL had dropped to a risky 32 mg/dL. The question now was how to raise good cholesterol. Listed below are some suggestions that will help.
Lose Excess Fat by Increasing Activity: It is important to lose excess body fat. But, often dieting alone can cause the desirable HDL to drop along with LDL. By increasing regular physical activity with aerobic exercise, this trend is stopped and good HDL levels will increase. Aerobic exercise is any constant activity that increases your heart rate. Please note that exercise has a powerful, yet short-lived effect, so it is important to exercise on a consistent basis. Studies show that people who exercise regularly tend to have higher HDL.

Research shows that HDL may be elevated as much as 20 percent from regular aerobic exercise that expends at least 800 to 1,200 calories per week. For example, walking at 3 miles per hour burns roughly 300 calories per hour, so walking 3 to 4 hours a week would meet this goal. Further studies show that the duration of exercise, rather than the intensity is a more important factor in raising HDL. Any aerobic exercise will have a greater effect the longer you can participate in that activity. Instead of increasing how hard you exercise, try adding a little more time to your activity for the greater HDL benefits. Studies show that for every 10 minutes of additional exercise HDL may increase by 1.4 mg/dL

Weight control is critical to raising HDL levels. Researchers note that every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of weight a patient loses raises HDL levels by an average 0.35 mg/dL. So, get walking, hiking, swimming, biking or whatever. Just increase your activity and control what you eat.

Stop Smoking: Giving up tobacco will result in an increase of HDL. Studies show this can raise your HDL by about 4 mg/dL. If you do smoke, please stop! Smoking puts you at high risk for heart disease and stroke. Believe me, these are not experiences you want, especially since they are the #1 and #3 killers in this country and strokes are the #1 cause of disability.

Eliminate Trans Fats: High intakes of trans fats lower HDL. It is hard enough to improve cholesterol levels with food. Cutting out fast foods, processed foods and foods made with hydrogenated oils will at least stop drops in good cholesterol and will stem the rise of bad cholesterol. This is not an easy task since many of our favorite prepared foods contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.

Alcohol: One or two drinks a day, no more, can show a beneficial increase to HDL levels, regardless of the type of alcohol, by up to 4 mg/dL. But, use caution if you have liver or other conditions affected by alcohol or you have an addictive nature. Consult your doctor.

Improved Diet: What we eat can help lower overall cholesterol and increase HDL levels. It gets so hard with our lifestyles these days. I had a problem eating right while working an 8-5 job, juggling home life and personal activities. It is just so much easier to eat processed foods. But it can be done. The more I find foods I like that are good for me and include them in my diet, the less room I have for not-so-good foods.

Canola oil, avocado oil, olive oil and the oils found in peanut butter can increase HDL, as can soy, flaxseed, eating more nuts such as almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts and pecans. A 2004 study in Diabetes Care found that men and women with type 2 diabetes who included 30 grams of walnuts a day in their diet showed improved HDL levels.

Soluble fiber found in fruits, vegetables, beans and oats help reduce LDL and raise HDL. Orange juice and cranberry juice have also been shown to be beneficial, as are cold-water fish containing omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. High glycemic products like cereals and breads on the other hand are associated with lower HDL levels. Consumption of the products should be reduced.

Magnesium rich foods have been shown to both help raise good cholesterol, lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar levels and lower blood fats These include spinach, black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, soybeans, halibut, peanuts, pumpkin seeds and some whole grains.

Other herbs and nutrients that have been beneficial are niacin (vitamin B3), guggul (a gum resin from the mukul myrrh tree), curcumin, chromium and calcium citrate.

As you can see, with a few dietary changes and increasing aerobic physical activity you can win the battle over cholesterol for life. For the balance of this article discussing the above mentioned supplements, please visit my website for the full article.

Author Resource: Jeff Keto suffered a stroke in March, 2007 requiring a much healthier diet and lifestyle. Product links available at: http://njkmarketing.com

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