Fred's Health Talk

Sticking to resolutions is probably the hardest thing we all have to face (at least) once every year. And sticking to a healthy diet probably ranks as one of those “temptations” we all can’t seem to resist or overcome. But who says we have to? In a time of extremes, xtreme sports, xtreme make-overs, etc, xtreme diets (even according to the experts, may not be extremely helpful or healthy for that matter.

In fact, experts agree that a fulfilling and occasional urge to “splurge” is okay (and recommended), as long as you can maintain a healthy balance.

Tasty treats as a “reward” is fine and can vary from individual to individual, but while experts say you shouldn’t (always) deny your cravings and your (), you “should” try to replace food with other healthy reward alternatives. For instance, instead of treating yourself to coffee and dessert, consider treating yourself to a new outfit, a day at the spa, or a new doo.

The occasional indulgence is okay, again, as long as you can set and stick to limits and parameters. Remember, you can easily reverse all you’ve accomplished in just a few days (let’s face it it’s a lot easier to put on pounds than to shed them). Experts note that even dining out, having your cake and a buttered role is fine as long as you don’t do it every time, or all at once.

With regards to satisfying your sweet tooth, you may be able to “splurge” more than once a week. Go ahead, have that piece of candy or chocolate but don’t have the entire box. Also, you may want to try some healthier, low-fat or fat-free alternatives to boot.

Another suggestion is applying the 90/10 rule. Be extremely conscious of what you do 90 percent of the time, but let your hair and your guard down the other 10 percent (of the time). After all, say dieticians and nutritionists alike, food “should” be tasty and enjoyable. They suggest designating a time or day or two a month were you relax your rules, or regiment, but add that you need to exercise this practice with caution so that you don’t find yourself falling completely off the wagon. Furthermore, experts assert, that mastering the art of eating (even some of your “not-so-healthy” favorites) can help keep you feeling deprived and ( ) by ultimately overindulging. They key is planning ahead for “splurges” and not losing site of portion size. Remember, a successful plan means something you are comfortable with and can live with over the long haul.

The Kegel Exercises derive their origin from the name of Dr. Arnold Kegel who discovered this wonderful exercise regimen. These are very beneficial for the pubococcygeal muscles also known as Kegel muscles. The idea behind this exercise is to tone these muscles as well as strengthen them thereby avoiding pelvic floor problems. The primary reason for the exercise was to control incontinence in women following childbirth as well as elderly women. But things have changed and now it is advised as an easy way to treat urinary stress incontinence. Another very good reason for you to do this exercise is that it makes your sex-life pleasurable! Regardless of your age, you should do these exercises to have gratifying and enjoyable intercourse.

Causes of weakening vaginal muscles

- Lack of exercise
- Been through many pregnancies
- Growing age
- Being overweight

Ways to do Kegel exercise

- One of the easiest ways to do this is to contract the vagina and then relax. Repeat this at least 20-400 times a day depending on your strength.

- The other method is to avoid using your stomach, leg, back or buttock muscles while doing this exercise. Breathe slowly and deeply. If your abdominal muscles move while doing this asana you are doing it the right way. The movement of your leg and buttocks muscles means you are in the wrong direction.

- Gadgets are also available in the market which would help you exercise the right muscles.

Easy to do

- This exercise hardly takes any time and you can do it anywhere. Standing in a bus queue, while watching TV, lying down, walking and pretty much while doing anything else.

It is better to start early and maintain the strength of your vagina muscles. As you grow older, particularly during menopause, the muscles are weakened.

Need to do it

We give lot of attention to our external look by doing number of exercises. Kegel exercise helps us improving our body internally. This exercise, if done in a proper and regular fashion, provides great results. This exercise may not work wonders overnight but by regular practice it will surely reap results. Some may notice changes within two weeks.

How to find the right muscle?

If you have no clue which muscle we are talking about then the answer is the one which is used while you pee. The muscle that helps you control your urinal release, i.e. start and stop urination is the pubococcygeus muscle. One should avoid doing Kegel exercise while urinating.

Is this the right muscle?

The tightening of the vagina on a squeeze by your finger would tell that you are exercising the right muscles.

Benefits of doing Kegel exercise

- An enjoyable and painless way to reach orgasm
- It makes your orgasm stronger and better
- It prevents prolapse and incontinence
- Childbirth becomes much easier and the muscles regain their strength very quickly after birth
- Would increase your confidence level
- More control in bed

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Exercise and sports that require continuous activity, especially running and cold-weather activities, can induce asthmatic symptoms. Exercise-induced asthma affects about 17 million Americans, many of which are children.

Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, breathing difficulty and shortness of breath. Children with exercise-induced asthma often start to experience symptoms five to 20 minutes after they begin to exercise.

Recognizing exercise-induced asthma in your child can be difficult because symptoms often take a subtle form. Your child may complain that he cannot run as quickly as friends or may express a dislike for sports. Avoiding sports or physical activity limits quality of life for some children and can lead to problems with fellow students and low self-esteem.

Sports that may act as triggers for exercise-induced asthma include soccer, basketball, field hockey, long-distance running, cross-country skiing and hockey.

“There is no cure for exercise-induced asthma,” said Dr. Michael Kaliner, medical director of the Institute for Asthma and Allergy in Chevy Chase, Md. “But by preventing inflammation, you can successfully reduce the chances of having an asthmatic attack.”

It is important for children to receive proper diagnosis and treatment.

“For children 5 years and older, one option is Intal,” Kaliner said. “It works by preventing certain cells from releasing substances that may cause inflammation in the air passages. It is important to note that Intal should be used prior to engaging in exercise, as it cannot treat acute asthma attacks.”

It is also a good idea to provide your child’s gym teacher or coach with written instructions, including:

* The nature and severity of the exercise-induced asthma

* Which medicines are used to prevent it and how to use them

* Techniques to avoid exercise-induced asthma, including a sufficient warm-up period

* Warning signs when your child is experiencing an asthma attack

With appropriate management, most children are able to exercise and perform to their full ability.

The most common side effects from Intal therapy in controlled clinical studies were throat irritation or dryness, unpleasant taste, cough, wheeze and nausea. Intal Inhaler should not be used in patients who have shown hypersensitivity to cromolyn sodium or other ingredients in this product. Intal has no role in the treatment of an acute asthma attack.

Nearly 5 million U.S. children under the age of 18 suffer from asthma, causing them to miss out on childhood fun. They also miss school: Asthma accounts for 14 million absences per year.

Children with asthma do not go through it alone. Parents of asthma sufferers have to take time away from work to provide care to their children, resulting in decreased work productivity.

Additionally, children under the age of 15 suffering from asthma make more than 3.5 million visits to the doctor annually and require 190,000 hospitalizations.

Decreased work productivity, partnered with doctor visits, emergency room visits, hospitalizations and prescriptions, translates into costs of billions of dollars each year.

Asthma occurs when the bronchial tubes become inflamed, creating extra mucus and causing airways to narrow. The result could range from a frequent tendency to cough to minor wheezing to severe difficulty breathing.

While researchers have been unable to pinpoint a cause of asthma, there are many triggers that play a significant role in provoking asthma attacks, including:

* Allergens (fungi/mold, animal proteins, cockroaches and dust mites)

* Irritants (tobacco and wood smoke)

* Viral or sinus infections

* Exercise, especially in cold, dry air

* Stress and strong emotional expression

Between 50 percent and 80 percent of children with asthma develop symptoms before they are 5 years old. As a parent, your doctor will rely on you to make observations about your child in order to make a proper diagnosis.

There are certain signs and symptoms to look for to determine if your child has asthma.

* Is there a family history of asthma or allergies?

* What are the child’s symptoms?

* How often and severe are the child’s symptoms?

* Which medications is the child using?

“There is no cure for asthma,” said Dr. Michael Kaliner, medical director of the Institute for Asthma and Allergy in Chevy Chase, Md. “Controlling bronchial inflammation caused by exercise, cold air or allergens in children is key to preventing asthmatic attacks.”

“For children 5 years and older, one option is Intal, which has been available for more than 35 years,” Kaliner said. “It works by preventing certain cells from releasing substances that may cause inflammation in the air passages.”

The most common side effects from Intal therapy in controlled clinical studies were throat irritation or dryness, unpleasant taste, cough, wheeze and nausea. Intal Inhaler should not be used in patients who have shown hypersensitivity to cromolyn sodium or other ingredients in this product. Intal has no role in the treatment of an acute asthma attack.

Learn how hidden bacteria in teeth cause side effects that can endanger your life. Discover how germs trapped in teeth and tonsils mutate and metastasize like cancer cells and how these bacteria migrate to heart, kidney, eyes, brain, arthritic joints and countless other body tissues. This article is part of Dr. George Meinig’s, DDS, FACD, research information of the extensive and investigative research of Dr. Weston Price’s DDS, FACD, research work.
Link between Chronic Respiratory Disease and Periodontal Disease
According to Daily University Science News, The message delivered in a study just published in the journal of Periodontology conducted by oral biologists from the University at Buffalo. The researchers found an association between chronic respiratory disease and periodontal disease in an analysis of data from a large national database, the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, known as NHANES III.
Frank Scannapieco, D.m.D.,ph.D., associate professor of oral biology in UB,s School of Dental Medicine and lead author of the study, said the mechanism linking oral health and lung disease isn’t clear, but that bacteria in the mouth likely are to blame.
“Accumulation of disease-causing organisms associated with gum disease may increase for serious lower-respiratory-tract infection in susceptible subjects”, said Scannapieco.
“It is possible that bacteria that normally stick to the teeth are sloughed into the saliva and may be breathed into the upper airways, changing that environment and paving the way for other germs to infect the lower airways. Oral conditions likely work together with the factors, such as smoking, environmental pollutants, allergies and genetics to make existing lung problems worse”
Scannapieco’s earlier work with pneumonia in hospitalized patients suggested a potential association between respiratory diseases and poor oral health, and led him to investigate whether such a relationship exists in the general population. For the analysis, he used data from 13,792 participants in NHANES III who were at least 20 years old and had at least six natural teeth.
Questionnaires completed by participants included items about their history of respiratory disease. The physical examination measured each person’s forced expiratory volume (FEV1), or how much air a person can blow out in one second, a measure of lung health and function. A dental examination assessed the loss of gum attachment supporting the teeth, amount of gum bleeding, number of cavities and number of teeth.
Gum Disease and Respiratory Function
Analyzing these two sets of data for a relationship, the researchers found that lung function appeared to diminish as the amount of gum-attachment loss increased. Results also showed a decline in respiratory function as oral health worsened.
“We aren’t saying that if you don’t brush, you’ll develop lung disease,” said Scannapieco. “We’re saying that if you already have lung disease, taking care of your teeth and gums is especially important. It’s possible that improved oral health is one factor that may help prevent progression of this disease, which is responsible for 2.2 million deaths a year worldwide.”

British food critic Toby Young once remarked of one of the dishes produced by a Top Chef contestant that it was a “weapon of mass destruction.” The contestant swallowed a bit hard on that critique, but when it comes to the real, workaday world, invisible little critters can indeed become “weapons of mass destruction” before we even realize it. The ongoing H1N1 influenza pandemic (called the “swine flu” until pig farmers complained) reminded us of our vulnerability to nature’s underbelly.

In this case, the H1N1 virus represented a morphing together of human flu, avian flu and swine flu that could spread from human to human. So far, it’s been contained successfully, but this was true in 1918 as well when an early flu came and went with little fanfare, only to reappear later in the year with a vengeance, killing 40 million people worldwide. Will the swine flu go in hiding, strengthen its resistance to human and manmade defenses, and then reappear later this year or early next? That’s the big question, and the answer is that we all must be prepared for that possibility.

The 1918 flu epidemic was spread in part by troop movements during World War II. In more recent times, both AIDS and SARS hopped aboard passenger jets and criss-crossed the globe. In Colonial times, Europeans brought smallpox to the Americas and returned home bearing and spreading syphilis. And of course, what English cosmologist Stephen Hawking calls mankind’s sole God-like creation—the modern computer virus—spreads invisibly through cyberspace. (Hawking: “I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We’ve created life in our own image.”) Our latest weapon of viral mass destruction and its journey around the globe also owe their success to airline travel, but also to free trade and the rapid movement of goods and foods—and their production—around the globe.

While the H1N1 virus doesn’t come from the pork products one buys in supermarkets, the production of the pigs could well be a source of the influenza. In February 2009, 60 percent of the 3,000 residents of La Gloria, Mexico, came down with H1N1 flu symptoms. Many had long complained of filthy conditions at the nearby Smithfield Foods pig farm in Veracruz, specifically about the manure lagoons and the flies that circulate in and around them. Bloggers wrote of “toxic and sick-making clouds” from these sewage lagoons that carried airborne “pig feces and decayed tissue.” When the influenza hit big time in April, the first person to die in Mexico lived in a house next to where pigs were raised. The connection was made, and fingers were pointed at Smithfield. The American firm immediately began a tight-lipped testing operation at its Veracruz farm, but soon denied responsibility for H1N1. “Smithfield has no reason to believe that the virus is in any way connected to its operations in Mexico,” the company said in a statement.

Case closed? Time will tell, but for now the onus is on health organizations, governments and the public itself to prepare for any eventuality. H1N1 swine flu vaccines are almost in the ready, and by October 2009 should be available for the public. Some countries are taking aggressive steps to ensure their populations are vaccinated; France is even enlisting the military to carry out vaccinations, but that sounds a bit scary. Also, some people may be reluctant to get the vaccination after an H1N1 vaccination program in 1976 (when the virus failed to spread) suspiciously resulted in many of those vaccinated coming down with the quite awful and debilitating Guillain-Barre syndrome.

WORKPLACE PRECAUTIONS

While getting vaccinated remains a personal decision in the United States, what steps can employers take to protect their workplace and workers from the H1N1 virus?

Probably the place to start is your company’s sick leave policy. If someone contracts the H1N1 flu, that person should be sent home until 24 hours after all symptoms subside. If your company’s sick policy is too strict (or heaven forbid, nonexistent), you may want to rethink your policy. Many employees will drag themselves to work just to protect their paycheck even if they are viciously sick and infectious to others. This will only worsen the workplace situation, as many others could fall ill as well. You don’t want to sacrifice health, morale and productivity with a restrictive sick policy, and you certainly don’t want sick people populating tight work areas and potentially infecting (and freaking out) others.

As for the physical workplace, cleanliness, as they say, is next to godliness, and with H1N1 still virulent, it’s no doubt wise to clean and re-clean public surfaces in the break and rest rooms as frequently as possible. Common household cleaners used with warm water are sufficient to ensure cleanliness. Don’t overlook surfaces that are frequently touched on doors and entryways to the public areas. Advise employees to keep their own desks and work stations cleaned as well (though they may object that such is the duty of the nighttime janitorial crew).

The most common transmission vehicle for flu viruses are the hands, so it is advisable to educate your employees on the necessity of constantly cleaning their hands before and after eating, after contact with others, and certainly after using the restroom. Masks are not necessary in the workplace, but you may need to come up with a policy for those employees who decide on their own that they wish to protect themselves with masks. You should also ensure that your break and rest rooms are constantly stocked with hand detergents and towels. Hand sanitizers with at least 60 percent alcohol are also advisable in the absence of soap and water, or as an individual safeguard.

In short, a good review of workplace policies coupled with a cleanliness campaign and education of the workplace will go a long way toward mitigating the threat of an H1N1 outbreak. Take heart. In France, people were forced to give up the longstanding courtesy of a peck on the cheek when greeting friends. At least we in North America can still shake hands with others—so long as we immediately go clean them with soap and warm water.

Cardiomyopathy is a rare heart muscle disease over the world, but not in Africa where it is one of the major causes of heart failure, according to experts that reviewed all available cardiomyopathy studies performed in Africa, along with all the information about the causes and types of heart muscle disease in Africa, where 10 per cent of the world’s population lives.

A 10 per cent to 17 per cent of cardiac problems found through autopsies in South Africa and Uganda, and 17 per cent to 48 per cent of heart failure diagnoses in many parts of Africa are due to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), which is an enlargement of the entire heart, explain researchers.

In the United States, 4 to 8 per 100,000 people are affected by DCM, but African overall incidence is unknown, because the corresponding studies have not been made yet.

Researchers’ findings show that Peripartum cardiomyopathy has a very high incidence throughout Africa and Nigeria. This illness can cause heart failure and it develops between the last month of pregnancy and the first five months after childbirth.
Peripartum cardiomyopathy incidence in the US is 1 in 15,000 deliveries; meanwhile the incidence in South Africa is 1 in 1,000 cases.

DCM is caused by various factors, under generally accepted African theory. These include untreated high blood pressure, infective and toxic agents, inappropriate immunologic reactions, nutritional deficiencies, and genetic factors.

According to experts, it is important to do more research to understand the underlying reasons for Africa’s high cardiomyopathy rate, and prevent or reduce it.

Feline Asthma is very common in cats and can effect cats of all ages.

There are a lot of factors that can cause asthma in cats, just the same as in a human; cold, damp, mouldy enviroment, ciggarette smoke, city smog, even certain types of cat litter etc.

Diagnosing your cat can be very hard as symptoms can range from raspy deep breathing to full on asthma attacks. Your veternarian will be able to determine feline asthma by a few simple tests and x-rays.

If you beloved kitty does get diagnosed with feline asthma, don’t worry! It’s just as easy to control and look after exactly how humans would. Definately keeping an eye on kitty’s breathing and reacting in time could help prevent a violent ashtma attack!

Your veternarian will provide you with all the details and help you may need. You will need to purchase a purpose made cat face mask to go around the nose and mouth, a spacer and medicine, the same humans would use (Flixotide). Remember this is Perscription only medicine, and if you, yourself does not have asthma, it is not recommeded that you take any dosage.

To administer a dosage to your kitty, coax your kitty onto your lap and make sure he is comfortable and relaxed, as you want to make the situation as stress free as possible. place the medication and mask on the spacer and with the mask gently cover around kitty’s nose and mouth. This does not have to be tight. Administer the correct dosage as prescribed by your veternarian into the spacer. Make sure you have a firm but caring grip on kitty as he may be frightened by the noise. Hold the mask on lightly until you are satisfied kitty has inhaled the medication.

To prevent asthma attacks occuring in your cat in future, change kitty to indoors if you live in a smoggy city, don’t smoke in the house or around kitty, change his litter to a non dusty type and any other environmental changes that you should see fit.

Kitty will adore you for it!

If heart disease is an assassin he would be the highest paid in terms of the number of people it has killed. Crowned as the number one killer in America, the heart disease can also be easily averted if a body is well taken care of. A healthy heart can give its owner no worries. Some restrictions can easily avert a heart disease from happening.

Staying away from fast food and junk food as well as greasy, high cholesterol laden foods can greatly decrease the risk of having a heart disease. Not only that, they can also prevent other diseases from happening. Fast foods are processed foods that have various harmful chemicals that contribute greatly to the development of a heart disease.

Then there is smoking. Not only does smoking contribute highly to a good number of diseases, they are actually one of the highest contributors. Stopping smoking now gives your heart the chance to recoup whatever lost health it has given up.

It doesn’t matter how long you have been hooked to smoking cigarettes and cigars, if you love yourself and your family, you have to give it up. It’s never late to give your health and your heart a chance to improve.

Another obvious prevention is to exercise. Give the old ticker a workout. Keeping your body in shape can eliminate the fats deposited in it clearing up the passageway of your blood. Not only would you be preventing the heart disease you could also improve the way you feel and the way you look.

You can do a variety of exercises that can fit in your schedule. An hour or two a day or even a couple of minutes can vastly improve your health. Talk to a trainer or a doctor; check out which ones you could do comfortably. You have only yourself to blame if you don’t act now.

Americans fear Alzheimer’s disease more than any illness other than cancer-and for older people, concerns about Alzheimer’s outrank even cancer. More than a third of all Americans know a family member or friend who has Alzheimer’s, and nearly two-thirds of Americans believe they will have to provide care someday for someone with Alzheimer’s.

These are just some of the results from a January 2006 MetLife Foundation/Harris Interactive poll of American adults. The survey, found in “MetLife Foundation Alzheimer’s Survey: What America Thinks,” included questions about how people view Alzheimer’s disease, what they know about it and what they are doing to plan for a future that may include the deadly illness.

A progressive brain disorder that science has yet to defeat, Alzheimer’s gradually destroys a person’s memory and ability to reason, communicate and function. Currently, 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, and the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that these numbers will grow to as many as 16 million Americans by 2050. Increasing age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s. One in 10 individuals over 65 and nearly half of those over 85 are affected. The Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institute on Aging estimate that direct and indirect costs of current care are at least $100 billion annually.

The survey results underscore not only the fears that people have about this illness, but also the disturbing fact that few are prepared to face a future that may include Alzheimer’s.

Key findings from the poll, which was commissioned by MetLife Foundation, are summarized in a report available at www.metlife.org. They include:

• Americans fear Alzheimer’s disease. When people are asked to name the disease they are most afraid of getting from a list of illnesses, one out of five picks Alzheimer’s, while only 14 percent worry about heart disease and 13 percent are concerned about stroke. Only cancer tops Alzheimer’s. In fact, adults aged 55 and older fear getting Alzheimer’s even more than cancer.

• Americans know little or nothing about Alzheimer’s. While virtually all of those surveyed are aware of the disease (93 percent), almost three-quarters (74 percent) say they know only a little or nothing at all about Alzheimer’s.

• One-third of Americans say they have direct experience with Alzheimer’s disease. One in three Americans (35 percent) has a family member and/or friend with Alzheimer’s.

• Most Americans are concerned that they will be responsible at some point for caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease. More than three out of five people worry that they will have to eventually provide or care for someone with the disease.

Most Americans recognize the need to create a plan to address the possibility of Alzheimer’s disease, but very few have taken steps to do so. More than eight out of 10 Americans think it is important to plan ahead for the possibility of getting Alzheimer’s disease. However, despite the overwhelming agreement that planning is important, almost no one has taken action. Nearly nine out of 10 Americans say they have made no comprehensive plans. The survey shows that Americans know enough about Alzheimer’s disease to fear its onset, but have not taken any steps to provide for the possibility of developing the disease.

Americans’ fears of Alzheimer’s are justified, given its increasing presence among a population that will live longer. As the population ages, it is essential to learn as much as possible about the disease and plan for the future.