Sunday, April 30, 2006

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Steps

My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously.. Please read:

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid 's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00pm , Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE .

T *Ask the person to TALK . to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE
(Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today)

R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS .

{NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue... if the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke}

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

A cardiologist says if everyone who sees this and refer's it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Veggies Prevent Return of Breast Cancer?

We all know how hard it is to eat all the veggies and fruits, especially a wide variety, every single day like we should. Since blood levels of carotenoids are what was measured in the study below, I personally will assume that taking Shaklee's Vita Lea Gold, Caratomax and Flavomax along with eating all the produce I can regularly as well, will help guarantee my blood levels stay high, despite what the article says below about supplements not being necessary.

MSNBC.com

Veggies may keep breast cancer from returning
Carotene linked to lower odds of facing the disease again, research finds


By Karen Collins, R.D. MSNBC Updated: 10:18 a.m. ET April 14, 2006

After breast cancer treatment, women who eat more vegetables and fruits have a better chance of preventing the disease from returning. That’s the bottom line conclusion from a study linking blood levels of a group of nutrients known as carotenoids with lower odds of facing the disease again.

Past studies have shown inconsistent results about which nutrients might be protective. Now, researchers say, the total amount and variety of fruits and vegetables may be the key to prevention.

Researchers for this new study followed more than 1,500 women, beginning on average two years after the women finished treatment for early-stage breast cancer. Initial tests confirmed that women with higher levels of carotenoids in their blood, which are markers of carotenoids in the diet, ate more vegetables and fruits.

After about seven years, women who began with the highest levels of carotenoids in their blood showed 43 percent less risk of developing breast cancer again when compared to women with the lowest carotenoid levels. Since dietary supplements can also provide carotenoids, researchers conducted a separate analysis with women whose carotenoids came only from food.

The results were the same. Carotene-containing supplements were not necessary to substantially reduce recurrence.

For quite a few years, research on the prevention of primary and recurring cancers has focused on the benefits from specific nutrients and phytochemicals, like vitamin C, beta-carotene, lycopene (a carotenoid primarily from tomatoes) and flavonoids.

Many of these substances are antioxidants, which can block or repair damaged cells that may begin the process of cancer development. Antioxidants can also affect enzymes that regulate the activation and detoxification of carcinogens in the body. In addition, they can inhibit the growth and promote the self-destruction of cancer cells.

The results of past studies on vegetable and fruit consumption and the risk of initial or recurring cancers are inconsistent, however. Some show a protective link, while others make no connection.

Part of the problem with past studies may be reliance upon self-reported vegetable and fruit intakes. People can inaccurately report what or how much they eat. The database on the content of carotenoids and other phytochemicals in foods is also incomplete. A more reliable method, which this new study uses, is measuring blood levels of carotenoids. Researchers are better able to analyze the impact of these substances because they are definitely present in the body.

Weight counts, too
Although carotenoids are primarily found in vegetables and fruits that are orange, deep yellow, dark green and red, the message of this new study is not to eat more of these specific vegetables and fruits. Since the overwhelming majority of the carotenoids in our diet come from vegetables and fruits, blood carotenoid levels indicate total vegetable and fruit consumption.

Carotenoids themselves might not be responsible for all the protection seen in this study. Vegetables and fruits that are blue, purple, light green and even white (like onions) contain other compounds that also seem protective. The implications from this study are to focus on a wide variety of produce. Make vegetables and fruits a major part of what you eat all day long.

Fruits and vegetables aren’t the only place to look for protection from the return of breast cancer. In this study, statistical analysis controlled for the impact of weight. Yet other research suggests that three factors may lower the risk of breast cancer recurrence: a healthy weight, little or no weight gain after diagnosis of your primary breast cancer and physical activity.

To lower your risk, combine these elements with a habit of eating a plentiful variety of produce for the best protection bet.

Nutrition Notes is provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C.
© 2006 MSNBC Interactive
© 2006 MSNBC.com
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12302075/

Buy MGM Supplements ONLINE

Thursday, April 06, 2006

AN EASY DIET TO HELP YOU STOP SMOKING

1. Do NOT smoke during this diet.
2. Eat meals high in protein.
3. Cut down on all starches.
4. Eliminate ALL white sugars and white flour products.
5. Do NOT drink coffee at any time.
6. Eat a high protein breakfast or drink a Shaklee Slim Plan Gold which
contains 14 grams of protein,
which will stabilize your blood sugar level.
7. Substitute protein foods, instead of smoking: nuts, sunflower seeds,
hard
boiled eggs
8. Add Shaklee's Energizing Soy Protein, or Shaklee Instant Protein
(stabilizes blood sugar level)
to your favorite fruit drink or milk.
9. Include a balanced multi-vitamin-mineral supplement, Shaklee Vita-Lea
with or without iron
,
to balance your metabolism, so that your body can perform it's
functions properly.
10.Take extra Shaklee B-Complex and Vitamin C Sustained Release 500 mg each day to protect you from the poisonous nicotine.
11.Take Shaklee's Alfalfa tablets with each meal to protect you against
indigestion, heartburn, and belching.
I 2. Take one Herb Lax after breakfast to help cleanse and detoxify your
body
of poisons and toxins.
13. Substitute strips of celery, carrot sticks, and Fiber Crunch when a "craving" feeling occurs.
14. Exercise to help dissipate the tensions of stopping smoking.
15. Take Shaklee's Essential Omega-3 Complex to help reduce the coagulation
of blood Platelets.
16. Take the Glucose Regulation Complex to help keep the blood sugar
balanced.

Try Breathing Exercises:
Inhale very slowly (through the nose) filling the lungs as much as possible,
then very slowly exhale (through the mouth) and give an extra push to expel
the last of the air.

If you have a "craving" feeling in the chest, drink this soup:
I quart of tomato juice
3/4 cup lemon juice
Season with several dashes of Tabasco Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, salt &
pepper
Serve hot or cold

If you follow the Nutritional Support Program as suggested, and you still
insist on smoking,
you will find that you will significantly reduce your smoking.

If you have followed the above sixteen steps for 6 weeks WITHOUT SMOKING,
then you have succeeded! GOOD LUCK!

Monday, April 03, 2006

Do you crave dirt?

Craving dirt is known at: Pica

Definition Pica is a term that refers to cravings for substances that are not foods. Materials consumed by patients with pica include dirt, ice, clay, glue, sand, chalk, beeswax, chewing gum, laundry starch, and hair.

Description
Pica is the craving or ingestion of nonfood items. The cravings found in patients diagnosed with pica may be associated with a nutritional deficiency state, such as iron-deficiency anemia; with pregnancy; or with mental retardationor mental illness. The word picais derived from the Latin word for magpie, a species of bird that feeds on whatever it encounters.

The mental health professional's handbook, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, text revision (2000), which is abbreviated as DSM-IV-TR, classifies pica under the heading of "Feeding and Eating Disorders of Infancy or Early Childhood." Adiagnosisof pica requires that the patient must persist in eating nonfood substances for at least one month. This behavior must be inappropriate for the child's stage of development. Further, it must not be approved or encouraged by the child's culture.

Causes and symptoms

The cause of pica is not known. Many hypotheses have been developed to explain the behavior. These have included a variety of such factors as cultural influences; low socioeconomic status; deficiency diseases; and psychological disorders.

Malnutrition is often diagnosed at the same time as pica. A causal link has not been established. Eating clay has been associated with iron deficiency; however, whether decreased iron absorption is caused by eating clay or whether iron deficiency prompts people to eat clay is not known. Some cultural groups are said to teach youngsters to eat clay. Persons with iron deficiency anemia have also been reported to chew on ice cubes. Again, the mechanism or causal link is not known.

Eating paint is most common among children from families of low socioeconomic status. It is often associated with lack of parental supervision. Hunger also may result in pica.

Among persons with mental retardation, pica has been explained as the result of an inability to tell the difference between food and nonfood items. This explanation, however, is not supported by examples of nonfood items that were deliberately selected and eaten by persons with limited mental faculties.

Pica, iron deficiency, and a number of other physiological disturbances in humans have been associated with decreased activity of the dopamine system in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, or chemical that helps to relay the transmission of nerve impulses from one nerve cell to another. This association has led some researchers to think that there may be a connection between abnormally low levels of dopamine in the brain and the development of pica. No specific underlying biochemical disorders have been identified, however.

Risk factors for pica include the following:

a.. parental/child psychopathology
b.. family disorganization
c.. environmental deprivation
d.. pregnancy
e.. epilepsy
f.. brain damage
g.. mental retardation
h.. pervasive developmental disorders
Symptoms
Infants and children diagnosed with pica commonly eat paint, plaster, string, hair, and cloth. Older children may eat animal droppings, sand, insects, leaves, pebbles and cigarette butts. Adolescents and adults most often ingest clay or soil.

The symptoms of pica vary with the item ingested.

a.. Sand or soil is associated with gastric pain and occasional bleeding.
b.. Chewing ice may cause abnormal wear on teeth.
c.. Eating clay may cause constipation.
d.. Swallowing metal objects may lead to bowel perforation.
e.. Eating fecal material often leads to such infectious diseases as toxocariasis, toxoplasmosis, and trichuriasis.
f.. Consuming lead can lead to kidney damage and mental retardation.
Demographics
Pica tends to taper off as children grow older. The disorder occasionally continues into adolescence but is rarely observed in adults who are not disabled.

Pica is observed more commonly during the second and third years of life and is considered to be developmentally inappropriate in children older than 18-24 months. Research findings indicate that the disorder occurs in 25%-33% of young children and 20% of children in mental health clinics. Among individuals with mental retardation, pica occurs most often in those between the ages of 10-20 years. Among young pregnant women, the onset of pica is frequently associated with a first pregnancy in late adolescence or early adulthood. Although pica usually stops at the end of the pregnancy, it may continue intermittently for years.

Pica usually occurs with equal frequency among males and females. It is relatively uncommon, however, among adolescent and adult males of average intelligence who live in developed countries.

Diagnosis
Pica is often diagnosed in a hospital emergency room, when the child or adolescent develops symptoms of lead poisoning, bowel perforation, or other medical complications caused by the nonfood items that have been swallowed. Laboratory studies may be used to assess these complications. The choice of imaging or laboratory studies depends on the characteristics of the ingested materials and the resultant medical problems.

The examining doctor may order a variety of imaging studies in order to identify the ingested materials and treat the gastrointestinal complications of pica. These imaging studies may include the following:

a.. abdominal x rays
b.. barium examinations of the upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tracts
c.. upper GI endoscopy to diagnose the formation of bezoars (solid masses formed in the stomach) or to identify associated injuries to the digestive tract
Films and studies may be repeated at regular intervals to track changes in the location of ingested materials.

Treatments
As of 2002, there is no standard treatment for pica. Currently, the most effective strategies are based on behavior modification, but even these treatments have achieved limited success. Pica associated with a nutritional deficiency often clears up when the missing nutrient is added to the patient's diet.

Few studies have examined the efficacy of drug treatments for pica. Ongoing research, however, is exploring the relationship between pica and abnormally low levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. This line of research may help to identify new medications for the treatment of pica. There is some evidence that medications used to manage severe behavioral problems in children may be useful in treating coexisting pica.

Lead poisoning resulting from pica may be treated by chelating medications, which are drugs that remove lead or other heavy metals from the bloodstream. The two medications most often given for lead poisoning are dimercaprol, which is also known as BAL or British Anti-Lewisite; and edetate calcium disodium (EDTA). A medical toxicologist (a doctor who specializes in treating poisoning cases) may be consulted regarding children's dosages of these drugs.

In some cases, surgery may be required to remove metal objects from the patient's digestive tract or to repair tissue injuries. It is particularly important to remove any objects made of lead (fishing weights, lead shot, pieces of printer's type, etc.) as quickly as possible because of the danger of lead poisoning.

Prognosis
Pica frequently ends spontaneously in young children and pregnant women. Untreated pica, however, may persist for years, especially in persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.

Prevention
There is no known way to prevent pica at the present time. Educating people, particularly young couples with children, about healthy nutritional practices is the best preventive strategy.

Resources
BOOKS
American Psychiatric Association. "Pica." In Diagnostic and Statistical of Mental Disorders.4th edition, text revised. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2000.

Herrin, Marcia, and Nancy Matsumoto. The Parent's Guide to Childhood Eating Disorders.New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2002.

Palmer, Robert L. Helping People With Eating Disorders: A Clinical Guide to Assessment and Treatment.New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2002.

Woolsey, Monika M. Eating Disorders: A Clinical Guide to Counseling and Treatment.Chicago: American Dietetic Association, 2002.

PERIODICALS
Grewal P. and B. Fitzgerald. "Pica with learning disability." Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine95, no. 1(2002): 39-40.

Hamilton S., S. J. Rothenberg, F. A. Khan, M. Manalo, and K. C. Norris. "Neonatal lead poisoning from maternal pica behavior during pregnancy." Journal of the National Medical Association93, no. 9 (2001): 317-319.

Roberts-Harewood M. and S. C. Davies. "Pica in sickle cell disease: 'She ate the headboard.'" Archives of Diseases of Children85, no. 6 (2001): 510.

ORGANIZATIONS
American Academy of Family Physicians. 11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Leawood, KS 66211-2672. Telephone:(913) 906-6000. Web site: <http://www.aafp.org>;.

American Academy of Pediatrics. 141 Northwest Point Boulevard, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098. Telephone: (847) 434-4000. Fax: (847) 434-8000. Web site: <http://www.aap.org/default.htm>;.

American College of Physicians, 190 N Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106-1572, Phone: (800) 523-1546, x2600 or (215) 351-2600, Web site: ;.

American Medical Association. 515 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60610. Telephone: (312) 464-5000. Web site: <http://www.ama-assn.org>;.

OTHER
Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc.: http://www.anred.com/pica.html;.

Support, Concern and Resources For Eating Disorders: ;.

L. Fleming Fallon, Jr., M.D., Dr.P.H.

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