How to Break Down Your Stress to Get Rid of It

When most of us are stressed, it is for a reason. We are stressed for instance because of our work, because of a deadline or because of debt. Knowing what is causing the stress helps us to at least contextualize it and gives us hope that someday we might escape its clutches, but for many of us that is not enough.

But if you break that stress down further and if you really get to know it, then you might just find that it starts to come apart and that it becomes much more manageable.

Make Your Stress Smaller

The trick is to break down your stress into specific things – into manageable chunks that you can deal with – and then to deal with the constituent parts.
So let’s take a look at one of the biggest culprits: work. If your main stressor is work, then chances are that you can break this down further to identify precisely what it is about work that stresses you out. Here are some examples of aspects of our jobs that make us stressed:

Looming deadlines
Angry bosses
Unpleasant colleagues
Uncomfortable workspaces
Busy, long commutes
Things you would rather be doing
Wearing work clothes
Making calls
Speaking in public
Having too much to do Continue reading

Can a daily dose of aspirin cut the risk of cancer?

Here’s a surprising news item which is certainly worth looking at for the risk of getting the big C seems to be on a lot of people’s minds these days:
A daily dose of aspirin appears to cut the risk of a common type of cancer

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, and researchers say they have found a way to reduce one’s risk of it by up to 45% – by taking aspirin, Advil, Motrin, Aleve or certain other painkillers.

A new study finds that people who took 75 to 150 milligrams of aspirin every day for at least five years were 27% less likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer than people who didn’t. (A tablet of regular Bayer aspirin, for instance, contains 325 mg of aspirin. The low-dose version designed to reduce the risk of a recurrent heart attack of stroke contain 81 mg of aspirin.)

Other types of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, appeared to reduce the risk even more. People who took non-aspirin NSAIDs for at least five years were 30% to 45% less likely to have colorectal cancer than those who didn’t take the painkillers. Ibuprofen (the active ingredient in Advil and Motrin, among others) and naproxen (the active ingredient in Aleve) are two examples of this type of NSAIDs.

Previous studies have suggested that regular use of aspirin or other NSAIDs may help protect against colorectal cancer. But the studies didn’t provide clear answers on the ideal dose to see a protective effect or how long someone would need to take it.

So the researchers turned to data from Denmark to find 10,280 adults from the northern part of the country who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 1994 and 2011. For each patient, the researchers also identified 10 “controls” – adults who shared the same birth year and gender and lived in the same area but did not have colorectal cancer.

Read more at this link

Did researchers find a way to halt cancer cell growth?

Big news from the famous Mayo Clinic this week  and while it’s still early,  this could lead to the end of chemotherapy and other difficult treatments.

Researchers at Florida’s Mayo Clinic may have found a way to turn off the rapid growth of cancer cells by reprogramming them to replicate less quickly. It’s being hailed as a breakthrough in cancer research and one that could lead to new treatments that halt or even reverse tumor growth — if they can apply it to cells outside the lab.

Initial experiments are promising. Using aggressive breast, lung and bladder cancer cells, researchers were able to flip a switch that turned the cancer cells back into normal cells by restoring the function that prevents overgrowth.

A little Biology 101 for those who might have skimmed over that chapter in high school: All cells need to replicate to replace themselves. But cancer cells go haywire, replicating excessively until tumors are formed. In healthy cells, microprocessors tell the cells when to stop dividing, but this function is missing in cancer cells. Researchers found that they could inject these microprocessors directly into the cancer cells to restore the function and essentially put the brakes on cancer cell growth.

So far, the experiments have only been conducted on cancer cells in the lab, but researchers believe that if they can duplicate these results in humans, it could eliminate the need for harsh chemotherapy or other cancer drugs. It could mean that cancer growth and development could be halted — or even reversed…

Read more at this link

Chinese culture holds the key to ending joint pain?

Read this special report now to discover how to naturally defeat your achy, swollen joints…Once and for all!

Hidden inside this report is an astonishing medical marvel…

…A chinese pain relief secret proven to melt away your joint and muscle pain that’s going to have many rheumatologists, cardiologists, and orthopedic surgeons frustrated.

Perhaps even downright furious.

Because let’s face it…

Even though what i’m about to share with you has a long history of use,  in ayurvedic and traditional chinese medicine.

And even though modern science and clinical studies (which i’ll be sharing a couple examples of in a moment) have proven its ability to banish muscle and joint pain…

You’re probably not going to hear about it from your doctor any time soon.

First, because it’s all-natural, inexpensive, and you don’t need a prescription.

But mainly because modern medical wisdom, as you’d probably agree, prefers to mask your pain with overpriced band-aid “fixes”:

The drugs loaded with side effects, the replacement surgeries, and the painful injections, right?

So while you’re putting some doctor’s kid through college, your pain relief is often on….

Click here to read the rest of this report

Doctor support makes weight loss easier

The problem of weight loss has been treated a million times and will probably remain a hot topic for after all most us would love to lose “some” weight and look much better than we do now, at least that’s my personal situation and I imagine it might be yours too since you’re reading this post..

Well here’s an article that might give some further clues as to how best approach this weight loss venture:
Do you have trouble losing weight? Or would you like to lose faster? You’ve finally come to exactly the right place.The sad truth is that conventional ideas – eat less, run more – do not work long term. Counting calories, exercising for hours every day and trying to ignore your hunger? That’s needless suffering and it wastes your time and precious willpower. It’s weight loss for masochists. Eventually almost everyone gives up. That’s why we have an obesity epidemic.Fortunately there’s a better way. Get ready for effortless weight loss.

The bottom line? Your weight is hormonally regulated. All that’s necessary is reducing your fat-storing hormone, insulin, and you’ll effortlessly lose excess weight.

Below is a practical step-by-step guide to do exactly that.
1. Choose a Low-Carb Diet

If you want to lose weight you should start by avoiding sugar and starch (like bread). This is an old idea: For 150 years or more there have been an infinite number of weight-loss diets based on eating less carbs. What’s new is that dozens of modern scientific studies have proven that, yes, low carb is the most effective way to lose weight.

Obviously it’s still possible to lose weight on any diet – just eat less calories than you burn, right? The problem with this simplistic advice is that it ignores the elephant in the room: Hunger. Most people don’t like to “just eat less”, i.e. being hungry forever. That’s dieting for masochists. Sooner or later a normal person will give up and eat, hence the prevalence of “yo-yo dieting”.

The main advantage of low carb diets is that they cause you to want to eat less. Even without counting calories most overweight people eat far fewer calories on low carb. Sugar and starch may increase your hunger, avoiding it may decrease your appetite to an adequate level. If your body wants to eat an appropriate number of calories you don’t need to bother counting them. Thus: Calories count, but you don’t need to count them.

A 2012 study also showed that people on a low carb diet burned 300 more calories a day – while resting! According to one of the Harvard professors behind the study this advantage “would equal the number of calories typically burned in an hour of moderate-intensity physical activity”. Imagine that: an entire bonus hour of exercise every day, without actually doing it.

Bottom line: A low carb diet reduces your hunger and makes it easier to eat less. And it might even increase your fat burning at rest…

Read more at this link

Google’s ambitious life sciences plans

Just when you thought Google couldn’t get involved in yet another market they announced some serious ambition concerning the healthcare market and so here’s an excerpt of that story which appeared in Forbes magazine yesterday:

Google is pumping vast amounts of cash into its cutting-edge life sciences plans , turning a secretive unit based on smart contact lenses into a high powered, expert company.

The newly announced business will be entirely focused on the billions of dollars of annual revenues on offer from helping patients with a range of major health issues, from diabetes, Parkinson’s, cancer and heart disease to the general quest to increase comfortable life span.

The split is part of Google’s Alphabet reshuffle that has seen the clearer separation of activities such as advertising and self driving cars.

At the head of the new health unit is Andy Conrad, who has an extensive nanotechnology and molecular biology background, and who was head of life sciences at the former Google X research division.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin, never one to miss out on a big business opportunity, is determined for the company to position itself at the forefront of the immensely lucrative health tech market in several key areas.

Some 387 million people globally live with diabetes and 10 million live with Parkinson’s . Around 14 million new cancer cases are diagnosed each year, and over 17 million people die annually from heart disease. Supplying the technology to help patients in these areas is seen as both important for society and as a big potential market.

Read more at this link

Can you drink alcohol and lose weight?

If you’re a wine drinker like me (meaning I rarely have dinner without wine) or at least like to have a glass of  wine with your dinner than I suggest you read this article:

Can You Drink Alcohol and Still Lose Weight?

When you’re on a diet, you know you should probably pass up the dessert menu, but what about the cocktail menu?

It’s a question researchers and dieters alike have grappled with for years, usually while clinging to a bottle of booze. In the end, the answer isn’t all that different from any other solid weight-loss tip out there: Everything in moderation.

That’s because, while overdoing it on alcohol is a surefire way to pack on the pounds, research published in The Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that responsible drinkers are thinner, on average, than people who lay off alcohol altogether.

The Downside of Your Drink

As anyone who has tried to drink a few glasses of wine with that salad can attest, alcohol makes you want to eat everything. But that’s not just because alcohol throws inhibition out of the window. Alcohol also reduces your body’s levels of leptin, a hormone responsible for telling your body “we’re full.” Just three glasses slash levels by 30 percent, according to research published in Alcohol & Alcoholism. That’s more than enough to make you feel ravenous and follow up your salad with a burger and some ice cream.

That may be why a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men consume an extra 168 calories from food on the days they drink. They also eat more fat and fewer fruits and veggies on drinking days, says lead researcher Rosalind Breslow, an epidemiologist with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research.

To add insult to button-popping injury, alcohol doesn’t allow your body to burn those calories as it should. That’s because when you drink alcohol, your body goes on alert to break down the toxin immediately, ignoring calories from sugar, fat and whipped cream until after all of the alcohol is cleared from your system, explains Dr. Randy Wexler, a family medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. So rather than being burned for energy, those calories are stored around your middle as fat…

Read on at this link

Healthy eating and your weight loss

Even if you’re a healthy eater and doing your exercises you might not be happy with the effects on your weight management and if that’s the case than this article is definitely for you:

10 Ways To Lose Weight When You’re Already A Healthy Eater

You snack on fruit, count calories, follow a weight loss program, and start most days with a walk or swim. So when you step on that scale and the needle stays put, you wonder what the heck you’re doing wrong. Even with such healthy eating habits, sometimes a seemingly inconsequential snack choice or a larger (but common) food myth can keep pounds in place. Take heart: A simple, slight adjustment in your healthy eating and thinking can help your weight loss goal.

Healthy Eating Habit: You count calories

The key to weight loss: Take in fewer calories than your body needs to maintain your current weight and you will drop pounds. But only 11% of Americans correctly estimate their ideal daily calorie intake, according to a recent survey. The rest of us tend to overestimate, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and that’s what keeps you from weight loss. Let’s say you assume that a target of 2,000 calories per day will allow you to get to your weight loss program goal, but it really takes 1,800: Those extra 200 are enough to keep an additional 20 pounds on your frame.

Do it better
Determine the right number of calories you need each day—and stick to it.
• Get your max intake:Click here to determine what your ideal daily allowance of calories is.
• Divvy it up: Set limits on your meals and snacks. If 1,800 calories is your max, split it into three 500-calorie meals and one 300-calorie snack.
• Create a custom meal: If your favorite frozen entrée has 500 calories, that’s all you get. Find one for 300, however, and you can have some fresh fruit and a small salad with it.

Read on at this link

Complications and Herbal Supplements for Diabetes

There have been more than 400 different traditional plant medicines documented for treating diabetes. Few of these plants have been studied for their efficiency, although, in undeveloped countries they are often the main choice for non-insulin dependent diabetes.

Under no circumstances should children or adults who are insulin dependent discontinue their insulin injections. Herbal treatments may be used after consultation with your family doctor. If you do implement any dietary supplementation, it is wise to advise your doctor of any changes so they can have all of the facts when monitoring your health.

Certain minerals such as: Zinc 25mg; Chromium 50mcg-125mcg; Magnesium 300mg; and Manganese 15mg have been useful to help glucose metabolism normalize. Note that mg stands for “milligrams” and mcg for “micrograms”.

Other helpful supplements include: Vitamin B6 and B-Complex, Brewer’s yeast and Vitamins A, C and D. Brewer’s yeast naturally contains chromium and this mineral assists in the metabolism of sugar.

Some popular herbs for reducing sugar in the urine include: Sweet Sumach, Pipsissewa, Olive leaves, Jambul seeds and onions. Bitter Melon and Balsam pear have also been used successfully. Guar gum has been used in hyperglycemia to reduce the sugar in the blood.

Where the pancreas is still functioning, hypoglycemic herbs can be effective. Popular hypoglycaemic herbs used to raise blood sugar levels include: Goldenseal, Dandelion root, and German Chamomile.

Additional “anti-diabetic action” herbs include: Goat’s Rue, Bilberry berries, Fringe Tree, Fenugreek seeds, Aloe Vera and garlic.

Diabetic Neuralgia

Cayenne pepper has been successfully used for Diabetic Neuralgia. There are creams containing the active ingredient capsicum that may be applied and capsules are available for internal consumption. Cayenne is beneficial for increasing the circulation and this can be beneficial for some of the cardiovascular side effects of diabetes as well.

Diabetic Gangrene

Tinctures with equal parts of Echinacea and Thuja have been very helpful for this necrotic condition. The tincture can be taken internally, 30-60 drops and also rubbed externally onto the affected area.

Blindness, Glaucoma and Detachment of the Retina

Developing cataracts is a common occurrence in diabetes. Although surgery may be necessary, herbs can be supportive for these issues. Preventative checkups with the eye doctor and related health care specialists are the best defense for this complication.

Heart Disease and Kidney Strain

Coronary Heart Disease is common in diabetics. Women in particular need to be proactive so as not to develop atherosclerosis at an early age. Taking essential fatty acids can greatly benefit the heart and the cardiovascular system. They can help lower triglyceride levels and bring high blood pressure down. High blood pressure unfortunately can place extra strain on the kidneys. The kidneys may become exhausted from excreting too much protein.

Lime flowers, Hawthorn and Yarrow can be helpful for this situation.

Foot Ulcers

Feet that are exposed to unconscious bruising and chafing may develop an injury from which septic ulceration may occur. Chamomile foot baths are a very soothing and healing treatment that can be easily done at home. Remember to check the temperature of the water before soaking the feet.

Hyperglycemia vs. Hypoglycemia

Hyperglycemia (also spelled Hyperglycaemia)

Hyperglycaemia refers to having abnormally high blood sugar. The prefix “hyper” translates to “high.” The main symptoms of this condition include extreme thirst or polydipsia and frequent urination or polyuria.

Hyperglycaemia is a symptom that occurs in both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes.

In a healthy functioning system, the pancreas normally releases insulin after a meal to enable the cells of the body to utilize glucose for energy. In a non-diabetic, this fluctuation keeps glucose levels in a healthy range.

However with diabetes, the blood sugar levels become severely elevated. This can result in a medical emergency such as HHNS or hyperglycemia hyperosmolar state. Diabetic ketoacidosis or DKA can also be another severe consequence that can result from the body trying to cope with too much glucose.

Symptoms and Signs of Hyperglycemia

Diabetes is the main cause of hyperglycaemia; however, there are other medical conditions that may cause this condition to present including: Pancreatitis, Hyperthyroidism, Pancreatic cancer, Cushing’s syndrome, unusual tumors that secrete hormones, severe illnesses and certain medications.

The long term effects of hyperglycemia can be quite dramatic. Often, these issues develop slowly over a period of years, especially in diabetics who are not effectively managing their health properly.

Some key complications include: heart and blood vessel disease, which can increase the risk of peripheral artery disease, stroke, and heart attack. Nerve damage is another potential problem that can lead to tingling, pain and burning sensations. Gum disease and eye diseases including damage to the retina, cataracts and glaucoma are also prevalent.

Hypoglycemia (also spelled Hypoglycaemia)

Hypoglycemia on the other hand, is a medical emergency of diminished blood glucose or excessively low blood sugar. The prefix “hypo” translates to “low.” Also referred to as “Hyperinsulinism,” low blood sugar levels result from overstimulation of insulin in the pancreas.
The pancreas eventually becomes exhausted from releasing insulin too frequently in order to combat the high levels of sugar present in the blood.

Symptoms and Signs of Hypoglycemia

Symptoms of Hypoglycemia can vary greatly, however, the main concern are issues arising from an inadequate supply of glucose to the brain. Hypoglycemic manifestations can be divided into the following: Adrenergic manifestations due to falling glucose; lack of glucose in the brain resulting in neuroglycopenic symptoms; and glucagon manifestations.

Neuroglycopenic effects due to a shortage of glucose in the brain can cause a severe impairment of function, known as neuroglycopenia. Neuroglycopenic symptoms can range from dizziness, tiredness, weakness, blurred vision, confusion and difficulty concentrating. Inappropriate behavior can also occur that may be mistaken for intoxication. In severe cases, seizures, unconsciousness, coma and even death can occur.

Many people consider themselves to be “Hypoglycemic.” Typically, these individuals are referring to symptoms triggered by falling glucose adrenergic manifestations. This condition may present with anxiety, shakiness, coldness, dilated pupils, nervousness, tachycardia or rapid heartbeat and palpitations. Paresthesia or feeling of “pins and needles” or numbness is also commonly experienced. Immediately consuming some orange juice or candy can usually remedy this uncomfortable situation.

Glucagon manifestations of hypoglycemia may present with the following: abdominal discomfort; vomiting; hunger, stomach rumbling or borborygmus and headache.

There are some great ways you can be proactive with your diet and eating habits. Becoming educated on the glycemic index and starting to read food labels are great places to start. Try some new recipes and think positive about re-learning your relationship with food.