ADD, ADHD

The Economics of Counterfeit Drugs 0

The Economics of Counterfeit Drugs

Posted by on Apr 19, 2013 in ADD, ADHD, childrens health, eat for health, heart health, Heart Healthy Products, Live Green, recalls, Womens Health

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When you are sick, what do you do to try to relieve your symptoms and help you get over your illness? Well you take a drug, prescribed for whatever ailment you currently have. We don’t really think much of the drugs we take when we are sick as we expect them to work each time we take them. But, let’s say you take a drug that you have been told is the right one for the illness you have and find that no matter the dosage it doesn’t work? Or say it works too well, to the point you are rapidly losing weight, your organs are shutting down and you are having to be hospitalized because the drug you took is killing you? You most likely have come across a type of drug that no person should ever have to come across: The counterfeit drug

Unlike generic drugs, which have all of the ingredients of their name brand drug counterparts, counterfeit drugs are usually smuggled into the country as cheap alternatives. In making them cheap, the makers of these drugs try to cut as many corners as possible in order to cut down on the price. Such corner cutting includes not adding the active ingredients, adding too much of one active ingredient, or adding ingredients that while they do work, are harmful to the human body. These drugs are usually caught when they are brought to the shores of first world countries, though sometimes they can slip through the cracks of examiners and when they do they can wreck havoc on the users in those countries

Via: Carrington College Pharmacy Technician Schools

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Can You Solve Your Health Problems By Eating A Better Diet?

Posted by on Apr 16, 2013 in ADD, ADHD, eat for health, food, loose weight

A better diet is not a miracle cure for all of your problems but it can help reduce the symptoms or risk of many health problems like diabetes or heart disease. The cliché “you are what you eat” isn’t literally true, but it is correct in identifying the connection between your diet and your health. Your health and diet are clearly related issues, so if you want to solve any of your major problems, you will need to fix your diet. Here are a few ways a better diet can help you.

Lowering Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

Keeping your cholesterol and blood pressure levels in check with a proper diet are both good ways to reduce your chance of significant heart problems. People today are eating far too many processed foods that are rich in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol. This kind of diet combined with a largely sedentary lifestyle can lead to high cholesterol and a build-up of plaque in your arteries. High cholesterol is a problem that affects up to one third of Americans; so changing your diet is more important than ever.

A healthy diet and exercise plan is the best way you can try to keep your cholesterol problems in check and minimize your chances of heart problems. Your doctor may recommend medication to reduce your cholesterol levels, but the pills will work more effectively when combined with other strategies. Complex carbohydrates that are rich in fiber will help decrease your levels of bad cholesterol. Not all types of cholesterol are bad for your heart health, so your nutritionist may recommend eating foods like omega-3 fatty acids or olive oil, which are high in good cholesterol. Good cholesterol will actually reduce your chance of heart problems.

Minimizing Diabetes Symptoms and Preventing Diabetes

One of the most important strategies for treating or preventing diabetes is managing your diet. Diabetes prevents the body from effectively moderating blood sugar levels on its own. Doctors will prescribe a course of treatment that combines a low sugar diet with medication to help manage the problem. Eating the right foods is key to keeping your blood sugar level stable throughout the day to prevent the negative symptoms of diabetes.

Diabetics have to be careful not to eat foods that are going to cause their blood glucose levels to spike and bottom out. Foods that are rich in fat, salt, cholesterol, and sugar can all increase the risk of diabetes and make the symptoms of diabetes much worse. You can manage your condition better by eating a balanced diet with reasonable portions. Foods that have too many simple carbohydrates or sugars are the worst foods that you can eat because they will lead to spikes in your glucose levels.

Managing Food Intolerances

Food allergies are quite common, but many people also suffer from non-allergic reactions to certain kinds of foods such as dairy or gluten. With both of these types of illnesses, it is very important for you to avoid eating certain types of foods in order to prevent your body from suffering from the negative symptoms of intolerance. Common symptoms range from mild digestive discomfort to serious nausea and illness that can lead to more significant problems like dehydration. People who have Celiac disease cannot eat any type of gluten products. There is also a similar condition where people suffer from intolerance to wheat, not unlike lactose intolerance. In any of these cases, people with food intolerances should be sure to avoid the foods that make them sick. They may be able to eat small quantities of dairy or wheat, but if they start becoming ill, it is important to back off.

Dr. Michael Barakate is a pediatric and adult otolaryngologist located in Sydney, Australia offering health and wellness information at ENTWellbeing.com.au.

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The Health Costs Of Microwaving Your Food

Posted by on Apr 8, 2013 in ADD, ADHD, childrens health, eat for health, food, Womens Health

This “convenience” can have a truly profound impact on the quality of your and your family’s food and health.

Microwaves heat food by causing water molecules in them to resonate at very high frequencies and eventually turn to steam. They quickly heat the food you eat, but they can also cause a change in the chemical structure of your food.

Toxins Can Leach Into Your Food When You Microwave It

Microwave ovens were first introduced to the public more than four decades ago. Numerous food and health issues have emerged since them, including how uneven the heating of your food is.

“Hot spots” in microwaved food can be hot enough to burn, or build up to a steam explosion. This resulted in advice for new mothers to not use the microwave to heat up baby bottles – there have been cases of babies who’ve been burned by undetected super-heated formula.

Another concern with microwaves is carcinogenic toxins leaching out of plastic and paper containers or covers and into the food you eat.

When you microwave fatty foods in plastic containers, there also occurs the release of dioxins (carcinogens) and other toxins into your food.

Bisphenol A or BPA is among the worst offenders. BPA is an estrogen-like compound widely used in plastic products – dishes created specifically for the microwave oven often contains it.

Microwave Radiation Is a Real Threat

There are also a number of dangers of microwaves escaping from your oven while it’s operating, especially in earlier models. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits the amount of microwaves that can leak from an oven throughout its lifetime to five milliwatts per square centimeter at around two inches from the oven surface.

With all the tests and regulations, you would believe you and your children are safe, but according to Powerwatch, even when your microwave oven is working correctly, the microwave levels within your kitchen are probably significantly higher than those from any nearby cell phone base stations. If the microwave oven is against an inside wall, the microwaves may travel through walls as well.

Given the uncertainty over the safety of current regulations, you might have to consider buying a testing device to check the radiation inside your home. You should also keep your children (or yourself, if you’re pregnant) away from the microwave when it’s running, as standing a foot away from it while it’s operating can expose you to upwards of 400 milliGauss. Just four milliGauss has been associated with leukemia.

A recent study also found “unequivocal evidence” that microwave frequency radiation affects your heart at non-thermal levels well below federal safety guidelines.

Clear and Simple: Microwaving Depletes Your Food of Nutrients

For the most part, microwaving food damages its nutritional value. It transforms your organic vegetables into “dead” food. Heating food itself can result in a certain nutrient loss.

Some excellent scientific evidence points to this, including a Japanese study by Watanabe showing that just six minutes of microwave heating turned 30 to 40 percent of the vitamin B12 in milk into an inert or dead form.

Microwaving has also been seen to destroy the essential disease fighting agents in breast milk that offer protection for your baby. In a 1992 study, it was found that microwaved breast milk lost lysozyme activity and antibodies, and gave way for the growth of more potentially pathogenic bacteria.

What Can You Do?

You can eat and survive without using the microwave oven. First, plan ahead – take your dinner out of the freezer in the morning or the night before for you not to rush defrosting a chunk of meat before dinner. You may also create soups and stews in bulk, freeze them, defrost them in a sink of water until thawed, and put it into a pot to be reheated.

Use a toaster instead of a microwave oven to heat leftovers, keeping it at a low temperature (like 200 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit).

Prepare your meals in advance, and try to eat more organic raw foods! These wholesome food choices can improve your and your child’s health in the long run.

Katrina Pascual writes for Mercola.com. She emphasizes the importance of nutrition, and keeping your levels of vitamin B12, vitamin D, and other vitamins and minerals at optimal levels.

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Processed Food Industry Cover Up? 0

Processed Food Industry Cover Up?

Posted by on Mar 15, 2013 in ADD, ADHD, eat for health, food, Heart Healthy Products, Live Green

poision prosessed foods

Processed Foods

Honestly, I believe the processed food industry does not promote health. Looks like others are seeing the same thing. Why do we need so many over processed food products? Really, I cook a lot from scratch. It really isn’t that hard. Home made snacks are a healthier alternative to processed and artificial ones that are so readily available. You are more likely to know what is in your snacks and goodies by making your own. DIY and replace your processed food intake, Who knows, you just might loose that last 10 lbs, or even start feeling good again. Check out these facts that the processed food industry does NOT want you to know!

1. Processed Foods Are Addictive and Can Cause You To Overeat

Whole foods are made up of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fiber and water. When foods are processed the components of these foods are modified (for example, fiber, water and nutrients are removed) and in other cases, components are concentrated. In each case, processing changes the way they are digested and assimilated in your body.
Eating highly processed or highly concentrated foods can artificially stimulate dopamine (the pleasure neurotransmitter), which plays a role in addiction. In this way, you are eating foods that lack nutrients and fiber, but create a pleasurable feeling. A food addiction starts because you feel good when you are eating these foods and they make you think they taste better. You crave that pleasurable feeling again and again and voilà…this is what starts a food addiction.

2. Processed Foods Are Linked to Obesity

Additives in processed foods, like high fructose corn syrup, sugar and MSG have been linked to weight gain and obesity. 
Dr. Mercola recently reported about a new study that showed childhood obesity could be reduced by 18 percent, simply by cutting out fast food advertisements during children’s programming. The Australian government is clearly more concerned about their children’s health as television advertisements to children were banned several years ago.

3. Processed Foods Often Contain Ingredients That Do Not Follow The Principle of Food Combining

This can lead to low energy, poor digestion, illness, acidic blood and weight gain. An example would be a frozen meat and cheese pizza. Cheese (a dairy product), meat (an animal protein) and pizza crust (a grain product) make a terrible food combination that can wreak havoc on your digestive health.

4. Processed Foods Contribute to An Imbalanced Inner Ecosystem

This can lead to digestive problems, cravings, illness and disease. Beneficial microflora cannot survive in your digestive tract when you are poisoning them. Like us they thrive on foods that are made by nature not by man.

5. A Diet High in Processed Foods Can Lead to Depression, Memory Issues and Mood Swings

Ingredients in processed foods are often the lowest cost and sub-par, nutritionally. For example, the fats and oils used in processed foods are refined, which means they are stripped of the essential fatty acids necessary for healthy blood sugar levels, moods and memory. Your heart, hormones and brain suffer when you choose to eat these fats and oils. Instead choose organic, unrefined or “virgin” fats and oils.

6. Processed Foods Often Go Hand In Hand With “Eating on the run” or Multitasking

Most people will choose convenience if they are on the run and in today’s busy lives, who of us isn’t? Unfortunately, multitasking while eating causes people to lose touch with their natural appetite, often leading to weight gain. Additionally, multitasking sends the wrong signals to your digestive system, which needs to be in a restful mode to digest properly.

7. Nutrition Labels on Processed Foods Are Often Misleading and Have Harmful Health Effects

Many labels say “sugar free,” but contain other sweeteners like agave, which is like high fructose corn syrup. 
Additionally, product labeling may hide ingredients like GM (genetically modified) foods and harmful additives like MSG. (These are hidden behind words on the label like “natural flavorings” or “approved spices”).

8. Diets High in Processed Meats (like hot dogs and deli meats) Have Been Linked to Various Forms of Cancer

One of the reasons for this link to cancer is thought to be because of the preservatives used in processed meats. Clare Hughes, Australian Cancer Council nutrition program manager, says a number of studies have linked processed meat to cancer and the problem is multi-fold. ”Processed meats are high in salt and fat. In addition, chemicals such as nitrites are added to many processed meats to maintain their colour and to prevent contamination. Nitrites can be converted in the stomach to carcinogenic nitrosamines.”

9. Eating Too Many Processed Foods Can Lead to Infertility and Malnutrition

Processed foods, like cereal, are stripped of important vitamins and nutrients that your body truly needs. You could be eating a large amount of calories and still be malnourished if your diet is high in processed foods. Animal studies have shown that over three generations, a deficient diet causes reproduction to cease. Today, infertility is on the rise, affecting 7.3 million people in America.

10. Processed Foods are Made For Long Shelf-life, Not Long Human Life!

Chemicals, additives and preservatives are added to processed foods so that they will last for a long time without going rancid or affecting the taste of the food. Food manufacturers spend time, money and research on beautiful packaging and strategies to lengthen shelf-life, with little attention on how the foods will lengthen your life or create lasting health.

Source Link: http://bodyecology.com...

 

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Keep Kids Safe From Carbon Monoxide

Posted by on Dec 4, 2012 in ADD, ADHD, childrens health, contaminants, Live Green, Womens Health

We do it every day. As parents or grandparents, we send our youth off to public schools with the sense that they are safe for the day. But are they really safe?

In a past post, I discussed the dangers of radon in our public schools. While watching the Today Show this morning, I heard about another silent killer of our children.

We think they are safe. But are they really? 43 become ill in Atlanta, 42 in Georgia. Most states do not require inexpensive, carbon monoxide detectors. We really must ask ourselves, why?

Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be very non-specific, often resulting in them being mistaken for flu or even food poisoning. The symptoms of CO poisoning can vary from person to person and can also depend upon the levels of exposure and how much carbon monoxide is breathed in. There are some common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, some of which are listed below:

  • Red colouration of skin due to lack of oxygen
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Light-headedness
  • Weakness
  • Muscle fatigue and general fatigue
  • Chest pain
  • Loss of consciousness

It is easy to see how these symptoms can be confused with more common ailments such as flu or food poisoning, as they are very general symptoms. And because of the non-specific nature of these symptoms, many people each year continue to breathe in carbon monoxide obliviously, which can eventually lead to far more serious, long-term symptoms and damage, or even death.

There are some differences between the symptoms of carbon monoxide and the symptoms of flu, and you should make sure that you are aware of these differences as they may help to save your life. Unlike flu, carbon monoxide poisoning does not produce feverish symptoms or glandular swelling. Although you may suffer symptoms of general fatigue you should not experience the same aching sensation with carbon monoxide as you often would with flu. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may also come and go, or seem more severe on some occasions than on other. Flu, on the other hand, is usually continual until it has passed. With carbon monoxide poisoning you may find that your symptoms worsen at particular times of the day or in particular places.

Carbon monoxide poisoning usually peaks in winter time, when people burn various types of fuel in order to keep warm. The causes of carbon monoxide poisoning include the incomplete burning of carbon-based fuel and materials as well as faulty equipment and poor ventilation. This makes the colder season a far greater risk period than other times of the year, as it is during the cold season when most people in crease their use of fuel burning equipment.

It is important to always stay vigilant for any signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, particularly if you use carbon-based fuel or equipment that could post a CO risk. If several members of the family begin to display similar symptoms, it is vital that you seek assistance immediately. The same applies if you notice that pets are starting to show signs of illness as well.

You should also ensure that you minimise on the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning by taking precautionary steps, as these could save you from serious risk of death or permanent damage.

However, even if you have taken precautions such as CO detectors and regular equipment checks, this will not make you immune to CO poisoning, and it is still vital that you remain aware of the symptoms and seek assistance should you have any doubts or worries.

http://www.silentshadow.org/symptoms-of-carbon-monoxide-poisoning.html

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More Autism Research. The Cause Might Not Be Genetics 0

More Autism Research. The Cause Might Not Be Genetics

Posted by on Jun 29, 2012 in ADD, ADHD, childrens health, contaminants, eat for health, food, Live Green, Womens Health

More Autism Research. The Cause Might Not Be Genetics

Autism might not be just in the genes. More research is pointing to environmental triggers. Cases of Autism, ADD, ADHD, and many more learning disabilities are on the rise. Researchers are finding there are many things that have become common in most households, could really be harming our children.

Our kids are our future, and it seems, without really knowing it, we are setting them up for failure!

At least 10 products or additives can be directly linked to any or all learning disabilities in our children.

Just what are the top 10 suspects research found?

Not surprising, lead is number 1 on the list. Lead can be found in paint, toys, water pipes, and yes, even in water! Studies have shown that expectant mothers, and even those who are trying to get pregnant, should avoid lead at all costs! This means that lead could cause damage, even before your child is born. If you are at all concerned about lead in your home. Have it tested. Many states offer help in eliminating lead from homes.

Next on the list is Mercury. Not as common, but still a danger. The most common place Mercury is found in fatty fish. Surprisingly, this can also be found in high-fructose corn syrup. Mercury should also be avoided by expectant moms.

PCBs are third on the list. These can be found everywhere. The number 1 source is from fatty meat. PCBs are stored in fat cells. Trimming the fat from meat, and choosing more lean cuts will decrease the PCBs we are exposed to.

 

Organochlorine Pesticides most common, DDT, come fourth. These are now banned, but some are still in use to control insects in farming areas. Organochlorine exposure comes mostly from conventional snap beans, tomatoes, and watermelons. It is best to buy organic, or grow your own. Pesticides are still widely used in many farming communities.

Car pollution is another suspected cause of autism and other learning disabilities. Number 5 on the list. High levels can be found in homes where traffic is extremely heavy.

Brominated Flame Retardants come in sixth. Where this is found my be a surprise. These flame retartants can be found in furniture, electronics, certain sodas and sports drinks, and even household dust.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) is a chemical that is produced when meat is charred, or burnt. Other common places to find these are coal-tar-based driveway sealants and anti-dandruff shampoos, cigarette smoke, and mothballs.

Another pesticide, Organophosphate makes number 8. Chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide, is still one of the most widely used farm chemicals in the U.S. Banned from residential uses, this pesticide is still legal in agriculture, and residues have turned up on apples, bell peppers, cranberries, kale, grapes, peaches, and dozens of other foods.

Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals comes ninth, Bisphenol A (BPA) and plasticizing chemicals called phthalates are prime suspects linked to socialization and aggression problems in children, along with stunted growth, learning disabilities, and lower IQ. These chemicals are used in hundreds of everyday products, including soaps, shampoos, cleaners, and air fresheners.

Finally, at number 10 is non stick chemicals used as coatings on cookware, but can also be found in waterproof clothing, and certain stain-repelling fabrics used in carpeting and furniture.

This list should tell us something. Most of these suspected causes of learning disabilities and autism are man made. Getting back to nature by eating organic, and using natural alternatives to these products where the suspects are found is a solution to going green and helping to insure the health of our children.

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