Sunday, September 28, 2014

Get Physical Therapy Treatment For Vertigo

By Anita Ortega

Instability is an uncomfortable feeling of as if you are moving whereas you are not. This disturbing kind of feeling is referred to as revolving, whirling or spinning.it may also make one have a feeling you are falling or not standing in the right posture. Also when walking or just standing one may feel as if to vomit and nausea. Vestibular therapy rehabilitation is known to be the physical therapy treatment for vertigo.

This weird feeling of being dizzy is concerned with the flow of blood, an ear problem or nerve. When it is not so frequent no medication may be required but for people suffering from severe dizziness it is necessary to seek medical attention and the cause be known and treated.

The main focus of treatment is to help reduce, dizziness, make the vestibular system work normally and as a result one should stop experiencing the falling feeling and be stable. This disease is experienced by both people of young age and old people. Some experiences that comes with this disease involve shaking which might be detrimental as they can cause accidents.

Bodily medication of this disease involve examination of the stability system, the ear and your ability to see properly. Making some designed head movements will go a long way in helping mot the systems which are not functioning for easy treatment and prescription.

In vestibular recovery the brain is expected to change and replace what is actually bringing up the unstableness while talking the designed exercise. How strong you are, you willingness to be instructed, how old you are, coordination and motor skills will determine how this is accomplished. Normally people work out in their homes and see their therapist ones or twice a week. The difficulty of the exercise ids increased as one continues recovering till you attain the normal stability.

Benign paroxysmal positional unsteadiness (BPPU) the most common type of dizziness occurs mainly in people over the age of 50 and has been mostly observed to occur in women. Research has it that the incidences are even much high in people around 70 and over. Once benign paroxysmal positional unsteadiness has been noted in patient by a physician, they may advise them to see a therapist so it can be controlled and cured which sometimes is easily treated in one or two treatments.

The therapist to whom the patient is referred to is needed to examine him/her and identify the positional variations that bring about the unstableness. Test resistance of the probable medication, stability difficulty and may be any other sickness related to that

Currently there has been invented the most effective and most preferred mode of treatment known as Epley maneuver, this is involves brief and safe clinical head exercises which does not last long. The main cause of benign paroxysmal positional unsteadiness breaking of the calcium crystals in the inner ear and as a result float in the in the curved ear canal, now maneuver work on this principle to make the crystal move to another canal where they can be taken up by the body

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Saturday, September 27, 2014

The Link Between Cancer & Pesticides

By Cliff Walsh

Despite the fact that farmers, factory workers in pesticide plants, and those employees that apply these chemicals suffer from cancer at rates significantly more than other Americans, the U.S. government continues sit idly by while the agricultural industry dumps hundreds of millions of pounds of dangerous chemicals on our food each year, roughly three pounds per American. The government funds very little research and provides little oversight to the use of pesticides. It's even in our drinking water.

Pesticides are used to kill or deter insects, weeds, fungus, bacteria, and animals. It is not a stretch to believe that the same chemicals used to kill insects and plants on our food could kill our cells once we ingest those chemicals. Carcinogenic chemicals are known to damage and even alter our DNA, due to the creation of free radicals that can accelerate the spread of cancerous cells.

Unfortunately, our bodies are capable of storing these dangerous chemicals in our fat cells, and they often do. We can carry around pesticides in our bodies for years, because they are fat soluble. When I first began eating a cleaner diet of mainly organic fruits and vegetables, I experienced at least ten days of detoxification symptoms, mainly headaches.

Although the government doesn't appear to be making any effort to understand this causation, much research has been done privately. The evidence clearly shows a distinct link between cancer and insecticides and herbicides. A research project done in the U.S., which tested over 55,000 farm workers for skin cancer, showed that those who applied the most pesticides over their careers had the highest rates of cancer. Those is the top group were more than 2.5x as likely to get skin cancer than the bottom group.

The Ministry of Health in Argentina also recently released a report highlighting a massive dichotomy of cancer rates across its provinces, linking the higher rates to increased usage of chemical pesticides. In some areas, cancer rates were more than double that of the areas with lowest chemical usage. Argentina is a useful comparison for the U.S. because together both countries produce roughly 70% of all genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), which require heavy pesticide use.

Spend a few minutes looking over research on the internet and you can find well-respected doctors and university researchers connecting pesticides to a variety of different cancers.

I put little faith in the claims made by these chemical companies when they say their products don't harm us and that they are doing a public service by boosting food output. Without these pesticides, according to pesticide industry execs, we would all be starving right now. I find that hard to believe, particularly when remembering that a variety of previous industry products have been removed from the shelves because they were deemed carcinogenic, like DDT and PCBs.

I recommend that people avoid pesticides by eating organic produce. If that is a problem because of cost or availability, it is okay to buy non-organic fruits and vegetables that have thick skin or protective shells. Berries and thin-skinned fruits are the most at risk for pesticide contamination. A filter for your water intake is also recommended.

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Friday, September 26, 2014

Food Label Claims: All Natural

By Cliff Walsh

Reach into your pantry or refrigerator and choose any packaged food item. The most common scenario is that it is plastered with marketing claims like sugar free or immunity boosting. Or perhaps, one of my least favorite terms, all natural. The reason why I dislike it is because it means absolutely nothing and is only used to deceive buyers into believing the food item is healthy.

Many products will carry the natural or all natural slogan on its packaging. Who wouldn't want a natural product? Studies have shown that the majority of people think these claims are similar to organic foods and some actually believe it to be better than organic. Unfortunately, they are mistaken. Organic food certification is a stringent process that entails inspections, supplier checks, and paperwork trails while food manufacturers can use the natural or all natural claim at their own choosing. There is no oversight and no standard definition.

The FDA is in charge of oversight of the use of marketing slogans on food packaging, certainly a difficult task. Unfortunately, despite significant use of the natural or all natural label claims, the group has not defined these terms to standardize their use. The FDA has said it has no problem with these claims if the food products refrain from using food coloring, artificial flavors, or any synthetic additive.

That sounds like a reasonable definition, even though it is not official. The problem is that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), GMOs, partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats), and other concerning ingredients are often used in so called natural products. Without a legitimate characterization or government verification, companies can use the natural and all natural claims for whatever they want.

Without a proper definition, food companies have been allowed to define the claim themselves and this has led to some ambiguity at best and unethical behavior at worst. How many scandals have the food and chemical additive industries been involved in over the past few decades? The list is too long to count, making it obvious to most (but seemingly not the FDA), that these companies should not be left to their own devices.

Despite the government's lack of action on these label claims, consumer groups are taking action, which is refreshing to see. Tired of being lied to and exposed to dangerous ingredients, consumers are holding food manufacturers' feet to the fire. Food manufacturers and retailers have had to defend themselves against a host of significant lawsuits, and have lost quite a few. This is a trend that I expect to persist.

Be sure to read the actual food ingredients list and ignore the marketing claim if you haven't fully researched the definition and the loopholes. Less ingredients is typically best. Whole foods are actually the healthiest option, but in the event you choose to eat a processed food, stay away from chemicals you don't understand. We need to be more vigilant about what we allow into your bodies. We cannot rely on the government to protect us from unscrupulous food manufacturers.

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Thursday, September 25, 2014

High Fructose Corn Syrup Vs. Sugar

By Cliff Walsh

Healthy eating has had a sizable enemy for quite some time, according to a variety of news sources and public advocacy groups. It's called High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). The onslaught against it has been so great that its producers have been attempting to rebrand it, corn sugar, in an attempt to avoid the bad reputation and increase profitability. Researchers at Princeton University released a paper indicating that Americans consume about sixty pounds per year, per person, of HFCS. They also highlight the concurrent rise in usage of HFCS and the rise in obesity rates. I have studied a wide variety of research from both sides of the argument. I will attempt to answer the question, is HFCS worse than sugar?

High Fructose Corn Syrup usage is rampant. The FDA does not restrict its usage at all. HFCS's usage is typically in highly-processed junk food. Common ingredients that are often used with it are fat and salt, as well as a host of other chemicals. Sodas and other flavored/sweetened drinks often contain HFCS. It is also found in sauces, dressings, and breakfast bars and cereals.

HFCS does not differ significantly from sucrose (table sugar) from a chemical standpoint. It has about 5% more fructose and 5% less glucose. It's sweetness level is about the same as honey, while its glycemic index is a fair amount higher than table sugar (75 vs. 60). In order to make HFCS, it must undergo significant processing as all of the fructose contained within the syrup is artificially added. Fructose does not naturally occur in corn starch.

A study done a few years ago, attempted to determine the impact of HFCS relative to glucose. They gave participants 25% of their calories in liquid form: glucose, fructose, or High Fructose Corn Syrup. The results were notable. Those receiving fructose or HFCS were determined to be at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, due to an increase in bad cholesterol. The change was visible within just two weeks of the study.

Research indicates that both sucrose and HFCS are digested quickly, meaning a similar impact on blood sugar levels, despite moderate differences in GI. That being said, we digest these two ingredients in different manners. There is one less step needed to absorb HFCS because the fructose does not need to be separated from the glucose as is necessary with table sugar. This causes what is called lipogenesis, which can lead to diabetes. Research also indicates that HFCS is linked to overindulging because it does not trigger the production and release of insulin.

Overall, research seems to suggest that HFCS is worse than sugar by a sizable degree, but it is important to note that sugar is not a health food. While it is the lesser of two evils in this case, it still carries a host of risks if used in moderate to high levels. Both can be very damaging to our bodies, causing obesity, liver damage, and heart disease, among other dangerous health conditions.

It is important not to take this research and condemn all sugars. Some people avoid fruit, because sugar carries such a bad rap. Research indicates that naturally-occurring sugars are digested differently than unnaturally-added sugar. Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. It is added sugar that needs to be avoided.

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Wednesday, September 24, 2014

The Paleo Diet: A Clean Approach To Eating

By Cliff Walsh

The Paleo Diet is the newest diet craze out there. It consists of eating whole foods like organic fruit, vegetables, and meat while avoiding grains, beans, and dairy. Is it just a flash in the pan? I don't think so. Once I learned more about the Paleo Diet, I realized I had been eating it for quite some time. It is the healthiest, most rational diet I have ever come across.

The Paleo Diet intends to return its followers to the diet of the hunter/gatherer. This means avoiding grains, legumes, chemical food additives, trans fats, sugar, pesticides, and GMOs. The avoidance of chemicals is self-explanatory, but grains and legumes are not. Most people, whether they feel it or not, have difficulty digesting gluten and it is believed our bodies do not fully absorb the nutrients.

The Paleo Diet eliminates all refined and processed foods due to the chemical additives and often poor nutritional content. It is a whole foods diet. The significant rise in use of processed foods, which are loaded with fat, salt, and sugar, are a huge reason behind the rise in obesity and disease in this country. Eliminating processed foods will have a huge impact on your diet. However, there are other areas to consider as well.

This diet also eliminates grains and beans/legumes. This may be surprising to some people. The reason is that both have what's called phytic acid, which keeps your body from digesting and utilizing all of the nutrients in the food. They, along with dairy, also contain dangerous lectins, which are often responsible for additional digestion issues. While convenient, the human digestive system is not designed for grains and legumes, and is not efficient in using nutrients from these sources.

Dairy is to be avoided, although not all Paleo followers adhere to this. I don't eat dairy, because it is not natural for a human being to drink the milk of another animal, particularly into adulthood. No animal species on earth drinks milk past infancy. If you are going to drink milk, I suggest raw milk or low-pasteurized and non-homogonized varieties, if you can find them.

The main staples in the Paleo diet are organic fruits and vegetables, including sweet potatoes along with wild-caught fish, pasture-raised eggs, and organic meats and poultry. Vegetables are extremely low in calories, so to avoid low energy, I suggest getting a significant amount of your carbohydrate needs from fruit.

Paleo follows can sometimes get into trouble if they restrict carbohydrates. Some people don't like to eat too much fruit because they think it will make them fat (not true) and vegetables are inherently low in calories, so the combination creates a diet filled with protein and fat. This is why some people wrong compare the Paleo Diet to Atkins. If followed properly, these two diets are very different. I suggest eating fruit as your main carbohydrate source and shoot for carbs to make up about 40% of your calories. Protein should be at a similar level if you are looking to lose weight, but you could eat a larger amount of carbs if you aren't. Fats should come from healthy sources and top out at about 20%.

The Paleo Diet is clean and healthy. Many have experienced improvements in health, energy, and weight loss as a result of adopting the Paleo Diet. It is energizing and given the considerable amount of chemicals and dangerous food additives in our food supply, it is worth trying.

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