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The Healthiest Foods You Can Get

February 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The following is a list of the healthiest foods that
you can get. This will help you get an idea as
to what foods are the best for your body.

Fruits:

Apricots
Apricots contain Beta-carotene which helps to
prevent radical damage and also helps to protect
the eyes. A single apricot contains 17 calories,
0 fat, and one gram of fiber. You can eat them
dried or soft.

Mango
A medium sized mango packs 57 MG of vitamin C,
which is nearly your entire daily dose. This
antioxidant will help prevent arthritis and also
boost your immune system.

Cantaloupe
Cantaloupes contain 117 GG of vitamin C, which is
almost twice the recommended dose. Half a melon
contains 853 MG of potassium, which is nearly
twice as much as a banana, which helps to lower
blood pressure. Half a melon contains 97 calories,
1 gram of fat, and 2 grams of fiber.

Tomato
A tomato can help cut the risk of bladder, stomach,
and colon cancers in half if you eat one daily.
A tomaton contains 26 calories, 0 fat, and only
1 gram of fiber.

Vegetables:

Onions
An onion can help to protect against cancer. A
cup of onions offers 61 calories, 0 fat, and 3
grams of fiber.

Broccoli
Broccoli can help protect against breast cancer,
and it also contains a lot of vitamin C and beta-
carotene. One cup of chopped broccoli contains
25 calories, 0 fat, and 3 grams of fiber.

Spinach
Spinach contains carotenoids that can help fend
off macular degeneration, which is a major cause
of blindness in older people. One cup contains
7 calories, 0 fat, and 1 gram of fiber.

Grains, beans, and nuts:

Peanuts
Peanuts and other nuts can lower your risk of
heart disease by 20 percent. One ounce contains
166 calories, 14 grams of fat, and over 2 grams of
fiber.

Pinto beans
A half cut of pinto beans offers more than 25
percent of your daily folate requirement, which
protects you against heart disease. Half a cup
contains 103 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 6 grams
of fiber.

Skim milk
Skim milk offers vitamin B2, which is important for
good vision and along with Vitamin A could improve
allergies. You also get calcium and vitamin D as
well. One cup contains 86 calories, o fat, and 0
fiber.

Seafood:

Salmon
All cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, and
tuna are excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids,
which help to reduce the risk of cardiac disease.
A 3 ounce portion of salmon contains 127 calories,
4 grams of fat, and 0 fiber.

Crab
Crab is a great source of vitamin B12 and immunity
boosting zinc. A 3 ounce serving of crab offers
84 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 0 fiber.

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Medical Malpractice Explained

February 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

There are so many cases that we get to read about where the patient had to suffer because of wrong diagnosis and treatment – things such as a left leg being amputated instead of right leg, or wrong kidney operation, wrong eye operation or being treated for flu when it was something else. The wrong treatment given by a medical practitioner because of his negligence is what we call Medical Malpractice. It could be failure to diagnose the disease, misdiagnosis of a disease, not providing the right treatment, or unreasonable delay in the treatment.

There is a specific medical malpractice law developed in many countries now. The law’s coverage may be different from one country to the other. Anyone providing medical care would come under this; which means even dentists, nurses, therapists and chemists would be included. Even hospitals and clinics would be charged for the mistakes of the employees.

Claims can be made by you incase of the following three things:

* If the medical service provider failed his duty of care as a case of negligence, and for which other providers would have done something else under the same circumstances.
* If the wrong treatment had caused you loss or damage; be it physical, mental or monetary loss.
* If it is reasonable to hold the provider guilty, then he has to pay for the harm or damages caused by the wrong treatment.

Medical Malpractice Insurance

Most medical providers now have malpractice insurance. This way they are covered from any liability claims made by the patient. The cost of this insurance has risen after the growing number of claims made, and moreover, the reduced supply of the insurance coverage led to the loss of the insurers. Usually the attorney of the patient makes the claims, and if the damages can be agreed, then the damages would be paid by the insurance company which has insured the medical provider. Otherwise, the attorney has to file a case in the court and based on interrogations, discoveries, and documents provided, the case will be settled.

Malpractice Benefits:

Though almost all diseases come under medical malpractice, the five top most diseases that receive the highest monetary awards are:

1. Breast cancer
2. Lung cancer
3. Colorectal cancer
4. Heart attack
5. Appendicitis

The allegations made are mostly for delayed diagnosis or improper testing. So as a result of the delay, the patient suffers severe complications which may sometimes lead to death. This is the reason why large monetary awards are related with these diseases.

There are several obstacles for you to overcome to successfully win the award. The first thing that you should know is that you should start the case before the statute of limitations runs out. This is the time period under which the case should be filed, as in many areas compensation is not paid after the expiry of the time period. The second obstacle for you is to prove that it was malpractice and not just a medical error as a result of side effects caused by drugs or surgeries. So do not let your case be proved a medical error, which is considered normal.

For any legal advice you must consult a good and well practiced attorney or someone you can trust.

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The Pill: Helpful or Harmful?

February 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Whenever one decides to raise a family, the decision regarding how many kids to have will always be a factor. And with the recent population boom, couples nowadays are becoming more and more aware of the need for family planning. There are a lot of methods of family planning available in the market, one of which is the birth control pill.

History of the birth control pill
The development of the birth control pill was put in motion by lifelong women’s rights advocate Margaret Sanger. Sanger’s advocacy was fueled by observing her mom exhaust herself to death by giving birth to 11 children. She became a nurse and later on funded the research to come up with a better contraceptive. The first Food and Drug Administration (FDA)approved oral contraceptive pill was introduced to the public and launched for sale in the United States in the 1960s. The brand name of the first contraceptive pill was Enovid and it was invented by Frank Colton. He was inducted to the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame for this specific invention. Later on, Carl Djerassi, an Austrian chemist, invented the modern birth control pill.

Benefits of using birth control pills:
Birth control pills, when used as instructed, are an effective way to minimize accidental pregnancies.
Pills also help improve excess hair and acne as androgen and testosterone are suppressed. Abnormally high levels of androgen can cause darkening of facial and body hair.
Heavy and irregular menstrual bleeding patterns are also improved.
Menstrual cramps and pre-menstrual pain are significantly reduced when using oral contraceptive pills.
Pills are used to treat endometriosis by regulating hormone production that may help develop the disease further.
Pills help reduce the risk of ovarian cyst formation as it prevents ovulation. Ovarian cysts often form during ovulation period.
Pills protect women against uterine cancer.
Pills lower the risk of having Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). PID is a bacterial infection in the Fallopian tube and the Uterus that can cause extreme pain and eventually, if left untreated, infertility. Pills thinken the cervical mucous lining, thereby protecting the cervix from being affected by any bacterial infection.
The contraceptive function is reversible.

Risks and side effects of using birth control pills:
Birth control pill users may encounter mild, physical side effects such as: nausea, headaches, hand weight gain.
Increased risk of breast cancer has been noted with birth control pill users.
Increased risk of stroke and heart attack for pill users who smoke.
Pill users experience unusual mood changes, including depression.

A decision to be made
Choosing to use the pill is a decision only you can make for yourself. Weigh the benefits and risks carefully before choosing to settle into this kind of birth control method. Better yet, consult a trusted medical health professional or go to your nearest sexual health clinic to have all the risk and benefits discussed thoroughly, and to have all your other questions and worries answered and cleared out. After all, this is your body that will suffer the consequences of making rash decisions if you decide in haste.

Filed Under: Awareness, Brakes on Cancer, Cause, Information, Survival Tagged With: , , ,

Benefits Of Vitamin E

February 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Oxygen is one of the primary components of nature that supports life. The same oxygen, when inside the body, through certain molecules, becomes overly reactive and starts causing damage through the formation of free radicals. This is called oxidative stress. Vitamin E, as an antioxidant, helps prevent oxidative stress, thereby preventing cell damage and aging of the cells.

The body absorbs cholesterol, a fatty substance in foods, and this is transferred from the liver to different tissues to be stored as fats. They are carried in the bloodstream by a molecule called Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL). When LDL gets oxidized, they react with cholesterol and a waxy fat substance called plaque is deposited on the walls of the arteries, which results in the stopping of blood flow, high blood pressure and cardio-vascular diseases.

Vitamin E helps prevent the conversion of cholesterol into plaque, and this is done by alpha-tocopherol, not any other form of vitamin E, because liver places it preferentially in the bloodstream through a protein called alpha-tocopherol transfer protein.

The effect of vitamin E in preventing cancer has not conclusively been established. According to a study by The American Association of Cancer Research, reduced risk of cancer is associated with an intake of vitamin E-rich foods. Contradictorily, a study done by Iowa Women’s Health Study finds little evidence that vitamin E has protective effect against breast cancer in women after menopause. Hence, researchers have noted that not just vitamin E alone, but foods rich in antioxidants may be able to protect from cancer.

Numerous studies have established the effect of vitamin E in protecting the skin from ultraviolet radiation, whose harmful effects include photodermatitis, an allergic type reaction to the UV rays of the sun. Vitamin E, whether taken through foods or applied topically, has been shown to protect skin cell membranes.

Besides these benefits, vitamin E may protect from Alzheimer’s, cataracts (clouding of the lens of the eyes), and pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). Also, vitamin E may be beneficial in healing wounds and burns, reducing scars. The property of combating oxidative stress may be useful for athletes, as their oxygen utilization rate is higher than those not doing exercise, which results in increased generation of free radicals.

Without proper conclusions from studies, it would be premature to opt for supplements without the advice of medical practitioner. However, it is generally recommended to take several servings of vegetables and fruits that are rich in antioxidants.

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Alcohol and Cancer: Understanding the Connection

February 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Research has shown that risks for cancer increase among men who have two alcoholic drinks a day and women who have one alcoholic drink per day. While everyone has been widely aware of the fact that smoking cigarettes greatly increase your risk of contracting cancer, there has been very little publicity of the fact that alcohol can act as a similar carcinogen.

By its very nature and design, the consumption of alcohol damages cells in your body. This damage can easily promote cell division, stimulate enzymes which cause the activation of other carcinogens and destroy certain nutrients that act as natural preventatives to cancer.

Most of the research indicates that a strong link exists between alcohol and cancers of the esophagus, pharynx and mouth. There is a suggested, those less strongly proven, link between cancers of the liver, breast and colon.

According to the American Cancer Society, oral cancers are six times more common in alcohol users than in non alcohol users.

Obviously, all of this evidence points to the conclusion that you should avoid alcohol so you can lower your chances of contracting these types of cancer.

For most people the question then comes down to a simple decision: are the benefits of drinking alcohol larger than the potential deficits of cancer? As long as the mythology continues that there is no cure for cancer, the question should be fairly simple to answer. Very few people would happily enjoy a few nights out with friends drinking for months or years of painful cancer.

Put plainly, our bodies are designed to heal themselves. Our immune system was created to keep our bodies healthy. However, like any other worker, our immune system cannot do its work if we don’t give it the necessary tools.

One of the effects of alcohol, which isn’t one of the reasons most folks drink it, is that it reduces the ability of your immune system to do its job. So, people who regularly drink alcohol are regularly inhibiting the ability of their immune system to do its job.

Our cells are constantly dividing and there are a large number of ways the cell can become malignant. In reality, we probably develop malignant cells on a daily basis. However, once they become known to our immune system as a threat, they are destroyed.

It’s only when our immune system somehow misses the indications that a cell is becoming a problem that we term it cancer.

There is no dispute about the fact that doing anything which will inhibit our immune system increases our chances for becoming ill. It’s significantly odd, then, that we all continue going about our lives while continually doing things that inhibit our immune systems.

In the end, we all need to evaluate the actions we take and the decisions we make with an eye towards the potential rewards versus the potential risks. Alcohol diminishes the immune system and a diminished immune system greatly elevates our chances of developing cancer. Next time you start to drink alcohol, stop and ask your immune system if it really wants to get drunk.

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Healthy Breastfeeding Tips For You And Your Baby

February 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

We’ve all heard the debate. Breast Feeding vs Formula. But why do most people say breast feeding is the best for your baby? Because this natural mother’s milk is genetically the best food for your baby. This is the way GOD designed for things to work.

Want a more scientific reason? Okay, for one, the complex fats that are abundant in human breastmilk are vital to brain development and may have an effect on your baby’s intelligence as they grow older.

Breastfed babies are ten times less likely to be hospitalized with gastro-enteritis in the early months than babies who are fed formula.

Breastfed babies also gain immunities from a host of other infections.

Here are some terms you may not already know. “Foremilk” – the thinner milk that first comes from the breast when you begin feeding your baby. This is for quenching the baby’s initial thirst. “Hindmilk” – is the milk that comes later during the feeding of your baby. The hindmilk is much more filling and contains all the nutrients your baby needs to stay healthy.

Breastfed babies rarely need other drinks and supplements, because their mother has already given them what nature intended for them to have and need.

What’s in it for me as a Mom? There is nothing to compare the bonding and closeness with your baby that is caused by your choice to breastfeed. It is a great feeling to know that you are doing what is best for your baby.

Babies need to be close to their mothers. They need physical contact. Breastfeeding is one of the best types of physical contact you can have with your baby.

It’s also a whole lot easier than bottle-feeding! No feeds to mix, no bottles to warm or sterilize. Your breastmilk is always available, already sterile, and already just the right temperature for your baby.

Here is a real favorite among all women who breastfeed. Many women lose weight more easily after the birth if they choose breastfeeding over bottle feeding.

Another big issue is that there is evidence that breastfeeding reduces your risk for breast cancer.

What if I am having problems breastfeeding? Either your pediatrician can help you or there are breastfeeding counselors you can find in your area or online that can help you with any problems you may have.

If you have sore nipples or your baby isn’t getting enough milk, it may be your positioning. Your baby’s mouth should cover all of the areola, especially the part just under the areola. Sucking on just the nipple will keep the baby from getting enough milk and will make your nipples very sore.

Can I give my baby a bottle at times and breastfeed at other times? It’s not recommended. Bottle nipples are easier for the baby to suck on and they will obtain bad breastfeeding technique which in turn will cause them to be less hungry or not get enough milk from breastfeeding.

Filed Under: Awareness, Cause, Information, Pregnancy Tagged With: , , ,

Dangers Posed By Smoking on Women’s Health

January 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Everybody is aware of the dangers of smoking. It is absolutely damaging to the human body. While carcinogens in cigarettes pose a hazard to everyone, women are three times as likely as men to get aggressive forms of lung cancer and more likely to develop it at an earlier age. Women are also more likely to die of lung cancer than breast cancer.
Quitting smoking is easier said than done. And women, it turns out, have an even harder time quitting than men. Stronger withdrawal symptoms may be attributed to hormones or the bigger nicotine dose absorbed by smaller female bodies. Regardless of women’s age, the dangers of smoking contribute to infertility, anxiety, blindness, and osteoporosis. Pregnant women who smoke risk not only their health but their babies’ as well. Second hand smoke affects the children and other people around mothers who smoke.
Smoking is a vice that almost always begins during adolescence. When teenagers finish from high school without ever smoking regularly, they probably never will. However, while boys and girls are equally likely to start smoking, the latter get the worse health complications. Young people may exhibit symptoms of addiction within a few days or weeks right after they started smoking.
While cigarette smoking was rare in women during the beginning of the 20th century, the tobacco industry realized the potential of women as a market for the expansion of the cigarette industry. In fact, tobacco companies launched the campaign slogan “Instead of a sweet, reach for a smoke” to encouraged women to smoke so as not to gain weight. This was followed by “You’ve come a long way, baby” as a tribute to the burgeoning women’s liberation movement.
These marketing campaigns not only depicted women smokers as beautiful, independent and fun, but also sent subliminal messages that smoking helps women control their weight. Cigarette ads are banned in kids and teens magazines but billion of dollars are spent on t.v., billboards, and adult magazines which can easily be accessed by the youth.
Since 1987, lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States. About 87% of all lung cancer cases in America is directly attributed to smoking. Smoking causes heart disease, which is the number one killer of women in the U.S. The dangers of smoking contribute to respiratory diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, as well as many kinds of cancer.
Women who smoke also harm their appearance as smoking speeds up the aging process and produce more facial wrinkles, gum disease, dental decay, and halitosis. Mental health is also affected due to depression and anxiety disorders. Women are more likely to be depressed than non-smokers, and that women with anxiety disorders are more likely to smoke.
Some women, however, are finding creative ways to break the habit for good. Engaging in activities where smoking wouldn’t fit, such as exercising, biking, mountain-climbing, as well as turning to a non-smoking lifestyle that includes going to smoke-free places with your kids.
The dangers of smoking for women has increased attention and awareness from women’s organizations, resulting in a number of projects that focus on supporting tobacco cessation efforts specifically for women.

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Moderate Drinking Can Still Lead To Breast Cancer

January 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

While most people avoid alcohol due to its intoxicating effects, which usually causes a lot of accidents and untoward incidents, and the high risk of a number of diseases, including liver cirrhosis, infection of the pancreas, among others, its positive effects and health benefits are also gaining popularity especially when it is taken in moderation.
Moderate drinking means one to two glasses of wine daily. From improving heart health to lowering cholesterol, moderate consumption of red wine can help you stay healthy. The antioxidants in red wines have been shown to provide certain protection against heart disease as they act like warriors, preventing the oxidation process whereby reactive particles known as “free radicals” cause damage to healthy cells. Alcohol has been shown to help your heart in several ways: by raising your HDL (high-density lipoproteins) or “good” cholesterol, lowering blood pressure and preventing the formation of blood clots.
However, there’s a new twist of fate to alcohol drinkers, especially among party girls, as recent studies show some link between alcohol and breast cancer in women. Having one to two drinks a day, once considered as moderate drinking, is now being linked to the higher risks of breast cancer in women. The said increase in risk of breast cancer among women who regularly consume alcohol has risen by 10 percent. Make that three or more drinks a day, and the risk triples to 30 percent.
According to Dr. Yan Li, lead researcher at Kaiser Permanente, they were able to compile and analyze data on the drinking habits of 70,033 women of various races and backgrounds. Their study was focused on determining whether the type of alcohol or just the amount a woman drinks impacts her breast cancer risk. “It makes no difference if a woman drinks wine, beer or liquor. It’s the alcohol itself and the quantity consumed that is critical,” Dr. Li said. In fact, drinking three or more drinks a day may translate into an extra 5 percent of all women developing breast cancer as a result of heavy drinking.
In 2000, a Danish study had found that red wine drinkers had half the risk of dying from heart disease as non-alcohol drinkers. However, some researchers are not convinced and recommends further studies regarding health benefits of red wine. The American Heart Association requires for more research until they do consider drinking wine or any other alcohol for its benefits.

Though the cause of increased risk for breast cancer by heavy use of alcohol remains a mystery, Dr. Li and her colleagues believe that further study may support the evidence that alcohol could alter the pathway of female hormones and produce more hormone sensitive breast cancer.
According to Heather Spencer Feigelson, spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society, “the risk of drinking one glass of red wine a day is very low. It’s an individual choice.” With further studies still needed to prove whether the heart-health benefits outweigh the newly shown risk of breast cancer, the decision is up to the women if they still want their glass of red wine as long as they analyze their own risk of heart disease and breast cancer. “Each woman has to analyze her own risk factors to determine what alcohol will do to them,” said Dr. Li

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Breast Health: 8 Things Every Woman Needs To Know

January 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It is great to see pink ribbons everywhere in October during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! If I had my wish, every pink ribbon would carry an additional important message for women.

That message would read “You can improve your breast health and reduce the risk of breast cancer right now with a few simple lifestyle changes.”

We may not be able to control where we live or our genetic risk factors- it’s true. However, a growing body of research is showing us that women really can make a difference in their breast health through diet, exercise, and weight management.

These simple steps can help optimize your body’s hormonal balance and reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, and provide additional health, anti-aging, and disease-prevention benefits.

We need to emphasize that everyone should be focusing on what we can control not what we can’t.

- We can evaluate our hormone levels with a saliva test. The best way for premenopausal and postmenopausal women to know if their bodies have an imbalance of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone is to do a saliva test. Saliva Testing is the most accurate and easy way to this.
- We can use bio-identical hormones if we need hormone supplementation. Bio Identical means that the molecular structure of the hormones identically match the hormones made by our body as opposed to Pregnant Mare’s Urine which is natural to horses not humans.

- We can change our habits: reduce alcohol consumption and quit smoking.

- We can manage our weight and exercise daily. Studies also show that maintaining a healthy, average weight is just as important in favorably influencing the estrogen/progesterone ratio. Regular exercise is equally important. On the other hand, obesity, high insulin levels, alcohol intake, smoking, oral contraceptives, hormones from meat and meat products, pesticides, and herbicides can swing this ratio in the wrong direction.

- We can eat a balanced diet choosing Eat organic to avoid pesticides, herbicides, and estrogens in meat and dairy products. Include one to three servings of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and cabbage in your diet each day. Studies show that Indole 3 Carbinol the active ingredient helps balance estrogen levels.

- We Can supplement wisely with EFA’s, essential fatty acids and use a fruit and vegetable concentrate if you do not eat 5 – 8 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

- We can do BSE’s- breast self exams becoming more familiar with our own body

- We can become better informed – read Dr. John Lee’s “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer” as a start.

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What Causes Breast Cancer?

December 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor developed from cells of the breast. It is one of the most common cancers affecting females. At this time, it has not been established what is the exact cause. But recent research clearly pointis that there are several risks factors.

These are the most probably breast cancer risk factors:

- Last researches have established that in the age group above 50 years there is a high incidence; on the other hand, in the age group below 25 years the incidence is very low. It is very important to say that this disease is very aggressive in patient 25-50 years old.

- Menstrual cycle is other factor that should be considered; common in the ladies who have a longer menstrual life, i.e. the onset of menarche is earlier and cessation of menstruation is late.

- The women that smoke and drink alcohol increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

- Breast cancer is developed more frequently in spinsters and married woman that have not given birth to children, or if given birth then have not breast fed their offspring.

- The women that have had a breast cancer on one side have greater risk to develop cancer on the opposite side, and if there are antecedents of breast cancer in their families (mother, sisters and daughters), there are greatest risks too.

- Breast cancer is linked with obesity and higher intake of saturated fatty acids

- Breast cancer is linked too, with the continuous or sequential uses of combined oestrogen plus progestin hormone therapy (CHT)

- Women that have been using oral anti contraceptives for more than ten years are more vulnerable to the development of this disease.

On the other hand, women doing 4-5 hours of exercises per week reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.

In short, these facts derive from the statistical analysis; they should not be taken as causative or predisposing factors. 

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