Daily Health and Medicine News

Wellness Today

BioVeda Health and Wellness Center of Cerritos Introduces Smoking Cessation Program

BioVeda Health and Wellness Centers, LLC is pleased to announce the introduction of a new smoking cessation program now available at BioVeda Health and Wellness Center of Cerritos. The center, headed by Dr. James Augustine, is successfully managing patient health through a holistic program which combines acupuncture, applied kinesiology and homeopathy to boost the immune system, promote natural detoxification and increase core level energy, often resulting in the alleviation of symptoms associated with such conditions as allergies, IBS, chronic fatigue, migraines, skin conditions, and general pain and inflammation.

This clinic utilizes meridian and energy stress assessment to measure the patient’s neurological reactions to specific environmental substances and to determine which substances are negatively impacting the patient. The substances that trigger a physiological stress spike, which is measured by the body’s impedance to each substance, are recorded and then presented back to the patient during low level light therapy. Light therapy conditions the autonomic nervous system to react normally to the otherwise harmless substances.

The system is designed to reduce physiological stress, not to be confused with anxiety, which not only weakens the immune system, but is also the trigger for food allergies, seasonal allergies, pet allergies, asthma, eczema, migraines, shingles, celiac and numerous other auto-immune related conditions. How these specific substances affect the stress levels placed on our immune system has a direct impact on the quality of our daily lives.

The smoking cessation program uses light therapy and homeopathic remedies to help a person quit, while reducing cravings, side effects, stress and irritability. It helps to remove harmful toxins known to build in the blood, tissue and cells through habitual use of tobacco products. It is faster than traditional methodologies, requiring 3 visits over a one week period, along with the use of a herbal remedy and homeopathic supplement.

“I have a holistic healthcare practice and believe in the future of energy medicine. It fits into my practice to help me discover the causes of healthcare problems. Since the core of healing in the body is the central nervous system, interference to it causes ill health. This therapy assists in removing interferences to allow the body to heal. I’m especially excited to now have a smoking cessation program for those struggling with this addiction,” states Dr. Augustine.
BioVeda Health and Wellness Centers are being established across the country through BioVeda Health and Wellness Centers, LLC., based in Boca Raton, FL. Each clinic is independently owned and operated by a licensed physician. BioVeda, which means “knowledge and wisdom of the body,” reflects the vision and commitment of the BioVeda Health and Wellness Center of Cerritos to alternative health care methods that can help thousands of patients reduce their level of suffering from common and debilitating symptoms and increase their overall health and wellness. Patients receive a customized treatment plan which best fit their individual symptoms and conditions; however, many patients notice significant results after just a single therapeutic session. The cost for therapy is very affordable and results are long-lasting.

CDC Wants You for Wellness Study

The thirst for wellness information and advice never seems to be quenched. There is a new national opportunity to help provide data and learn more.

Heart disease and stroke are the first and third leading causes of death for both men and women in the United States. To avoid the high costs of treating these conditions, employers must consider providing worksite prevention services and interventions to promote employee health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with Emory University, state health departments and worksite experts have developed the CDC Worksite HealthScoreCard (HSC) to support efforts in these areas. The HSC examines worksite health promotion interventions (programs, policies and environmental supports) that employers can put in place to promote a healthy workforce, reduce health care costs and increase productivity.

In the first phase of this project, the CDC/Emory study team held meetings and focus groups with subject matter experts and potential end-users to develop the survey tool, establish a weighting and scoring methodology and improve the tool’s scientific evidence base, usability and relevance. The second phase of this project will focus on field-testing the tool in order to evaluate its reliability and validity in preparation for public dissemination. They have invited Indiana businesses to participate in this study.

Health on Monday: The push-up – A symbol of health and wellness

They can be done anywhere as they do not require any equipment of any kind and the many variations of the push-up allow you to target different muscle groups of your body. If you are a beginner, performing traditional push-ups can be a challenging endeavour since they require considerable upper body strength to perform correctly. Luckily there are many levels of progression that make this exercise effective for both beginners as well as advanced athletes.

Movement analysis and muscle involvement

The push-up brings about two primary movements in the body:

1 Horizontal adduction of the shoulder: This movement is brought about through contraction of the pectoralis major (chest muscle) and the anterior deltoid (frontal head of the shoulder muscle). The degree to which either of these 2 muscles are loaded depends on the angle of the arms to the torso and the width of the hand placement

2 Elbow extension: Elbow extension refers to the straightening of the elbow joint during exertion and happens during the lifting phase of the body. The primary muscle responsible for this muscle is the tricep, located in the posterior side of the upper arm.

Besides these primary muscles, a whole lot of other muscles are involved in the push-up movement. The shoulder girdle is locked in position through contraction of the serratus anterior, located on the upper part of your rib cage, just under your arm pits. Your body is kept in a straight position through contraction of the rectus abdominus, the “six-pack” muscle on the anterior part of your torso and the contraction of the hip flexors which prevent your hips from crashing to the ground during the movement. Your quadriceps or anterior thigh muscles contract in order to keep your knees from bending during the movement.

Variations

In a typical push-up position, body weight is distributed between hands and feet. By tilting the body’s position the loading between hands and feet can be altered, which affects the amount of weight the arms have to lift during the exercise. During the typical push-up about 60% of the body’s weight is transferred to the arms, with the remaining 40% being borne by the feet. Once the body is inclined, the load applied to the arms is reduced, therefore facilitating execution of the movement. On the contrary, the loading of the arms can be increased by tilting the body in a way to elevate the foot position in comparison to the hand position.

Beginner’s variation on your feet

Stand against a table or other similar elevated object. Place your hands on the table and tilt your body forward on the balls of your feet so that you form a right angle between your torso and your arms. Keep your body in a perfectly straight line, taking care not to stick out your bum. Now bend your elbows, lowering your chest towards your hands and keep your abdominals braced. Once your elbows are bent around 90 degrees, push back up into the original position.

Beginner’s variation on your knees

Kneel on the floor and position a box or other sturdy, elevated object, about 30-40cm in height in from of you. You can also use your stairs for this exercise by kneeling in front of them and placing your hands on the first step, shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the step, whilst slightly sticking out your butt. You can pivot the movement from your hips, which further reduces the load on your arms.

Advanced variation: Spiderman push-up

This variation is great for challenging the core muscles besides working all the other muscles used in the conventional push-up. Assume a push-up position on the floor supporting yourself on your hands and toes. Whilst lowering your body towards the floor, lift off one foot and bring your knee forward towards the elbow of the arm on the same side. Your whole body should tilt slightly forward on your hands to maximize engagement of the core muscles. Return your foot to the floor and repeat with the other side.

Various other modifications to the push up exist. These can include props like stability balls, TRX suspension trainers, dumbbells, kettlebells and more. They can add variety and fun to your workout and help to challenge your body from various angles to keep improvements coming long term.

The push-up not only replaces but surpasses most fitness equipment in terms of effectiveness, functional application and workout options and should be a staple exercise of any fitness programme. It is equally relevant for both men and women and effective for building whole body strength and burning calories.

Sinusitis Treatment News

Your Opinions: Compelling link to sinusitis

Reflux of digestive contents occurs when the one-way safety valve at the bottom of the esophagus fails to close correctly. Heartburn is the usual response to the reversed flow of harsh, acidic, digestive juices. However, many GERD sufferers do not signal this problem with heartburn. Called atypical/silent GERD, patients have little or no heartburn. They have numerous manifestations, i.e., hoarseness, lump feeling in the throat, runny nose, post nasal drip, ear pain, fatigue, chest pain, short of breath, cough, etc. (atypical GERD has been called “The Great Masquerader”).

This compelling information, as novel as it may seem, clearly reinforces the minority position maintained for well over 15 years that GERD can cause a variety of recurring, often hard to treat, non-digestive problems. The vagus nerve links internal organs allowing for mutual communication. The “excited” response from the lower esophagus is mimicked by the sinuses via vagus communication; both organ tissues leak fluid, swell, make mucus and become inflamed. This is good for the esophagus but the unintended response causes sinus problems and more. Treat the cause (GERD) and these noxious, unhealthy symptoms vanish.

Atypical/silent GERD is exceptionally common and can be ongoing for years. Great relief results from the expanded understanding, acknowledgement and successful treatment for atypical/silent GERD. I encourage questions about this condition.

Sinusitis difficult to self-diagnose

It’s getting to be the time of year when everyone seems to have a runny nose. Sometimes it’s a cold or allergies. And sometimes it’s sinusitis, or inflamed linings in the sinus cavities. The cavities become blocked and infected. Dr. Alan Oshinsky, an otolaryngologist at Mercy Medical Center, says it’s not always easy to self-diagnose sinusitis, but there are treatments that can help.

Question: What is sinusitis, and who is likely to develop it?

Answer: Sinusitis means inflammation and infection in the paranasal sinuses. We are born with eight sinuses around our head and face. These are air-filled bony cavities. When the lining of the sinus gets inflamed (swollen) or infected, you have sinusitis. Sinusitis will likely affect everyone multiple times in their lifetime, from infancy through adulthood. The most common cause of sinusitis is the common cold. Other causes of sinusitis are bacterial infection, inhalant allergies, nasal polyps, exposure to smoke, various systemic diseases and use of illicit substances in the nose.

Q: Everyone’s nose runs in the colder months, so how do you tell if you have a sinus problem versus an allergy or cold?

A: The distinction between the symptoms of a cold, allergy and a bacterial sinusitis can be difficult. All of these conditions can cause the nose to run. Most colds have multiple symptoms, including sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose and cough. These symptoms rarely last more than 10 to 14 days. If they persist, then the cold may have developed into an acute bacterial sinusitis. Allergy symptoms can present with similar symptoms to a cold but people rarely feel as sick and the symptoms usually recur in the same seasons each year. Facial pressure, facial pain and dental pain are among the most specific symptoms of bacterial sinusitis.

Q: How common is sinusitis, and are the number of sufferers increasing?

A: Bacterial sinusitis is relatively uncommon compared with the common cold. Every year approximately 30 million Americans will suffer from a viral cold. Only about 1 percent to 2 percent of these cases will fail to clear and result in an acute bacterial sinusitis. There are also people who suffer with recurrent episodes of bacterial sinusitis and they are diagnosed with chronic sinusitis. It is most important that the patient have an X-ray study to confirm the diagnosis of chronic sinusitis. The standard is to get a CT scan. Many people believe that they have “chronic sinus” only to find out that they just have some type of nasal problem.

Q: Will the problem go away on its own?

A: The common cold will resolve without the use of antibiotics over 98 percent of the time. Bacterial sinusitis may resolve on its own but will usually require antibiotics and other medications such as decongestants. When the natural openings that lead from the sinuses into the nose get blocked, mucus and bacteria may back up in the sinus and cause sinusitis.

Q: What are the best treatments?

A: The best treatment for bacterial sinusitis is an appropriate antibiotic. Decongestant tablets can be of some value but patients with high blood pressure usually need to avoid these medications. Patients will also do well with using saline sprays multiple times per day in both nostrils. No antibiotics should be used for the common cold.

Q: When might the new technique, sinuplasty, be necessary?

A: When patients have persistent symptoms and the X-rays show evidence of chronic sinusitis, additional treatment is usually necessary. Conservative therapy may include a more prolonged course of antibiotics. An allergy evaluation may be helpful if the history indicates the possibility of allergy. Topical nasal sprays containing steroids can also be very helpful and are very safe. If conservative medical therapy fails to resolve the symptoms, then surgery may be an appropriate alternative. We now have a much less-invasive procedure to handle chronic sinusitis called Balloon Sinuplasty. With this technique we use a specially designed balloon to open the natural openings that are blocked because of chronic infection. The operation is quick, practically painless and done as an outpatient. Most patients can return to work in one or two days.

Put a Stop To Sinusitis With Food Intolerance Testing

Do you suffer from chronic congestion of the sinuses, ears and / or the nose? Frustrating sinusitis problems that do not ever truly seem to go away? The primary age group for chronic sinus problems are working adults 20 to 65 years of age, their sinus problems are often co-workers problems since the pain and discomfort of sinus problems means 25 million missed workdays annually!

In terms of treatment your doctor may prescribe a nasal steroid spray to reduce congestion and swelling. If there is a bacterial infection, antibiotics may be given. Other drugs may be used to reduce the risk of attacks, and stop the pain and discomfort. Giving medicines to control symptoms is easy to do, however, along with their therapeutic effects, medicines can cause side effects, and often do not tackle the route cause. It is clear now that it isn’t only factors such as pollen or house dust that are the triggers, and it appears likely that a delayed form of food allergy or food intolerance may explain some of these cases.

However which foods are causing the problem? Unfortunately there is no one clear answer as people react differently to certain food groups than others. Therefore to find out if food is causing sinusitis, tests have to be run to determine whether you have intolerance to food. For years the way to do this is through an elimination diet whereby certain foods are restricted from your diet for a certain period of time and the effects were analysed. However elimination diets are a long process and it goes without saying that it’s rather impractical for the vast majority of the population. Also due to the combination of different foods it is virtually impossible to ever the effects of all foods on a given person making the elimination diet pretty ineffective.

Luckily over time there is a new method of testing for food intolerance and allergies and that is via a simple finger prick blood test. These tests measure food-specific IgG antibodies which can help to determine a reaction you may have to a particular food or food group. Compared to elimination diets the process is extremely quick and hassle free and means that you can easily make dietary changes to help yourself to feel better if food intolerance is detected.

Pain Management News

NewsWatch: Pain management firm settles for $16.3 million

A Baltimore pain management company that provides urine-testing services will pay $16.3 million to settle federal complaints that it paid kickbacks to physicians so they would steer Medicare business to it.

Ameritox, a portfolio company of Sterling Capital Partners of Baltimore and Chicago, agreed to the payment in a civil case prompted by a former employee and whistleblower, Debra Maul, who filed suit in 2007 in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Fla., according to federal prosecutors, who later joined as plaintiffs.

Maul, who was a senior sales representative at Ameritox and worked there from March 2005 until she was fired in May 2006, will receive $3.4 million of the settlement, according to a statement from prosecutors and the suit. Several states also sued Ameritox and will split $814,000 from the settlement.

Ameritox, which provides testing services to measure levels of prescribed narcotics in patients’ urine, also entered into a five-year agreement with federal authorities to engage an independent organization to monitor its contracts.

Company spokesman Symkai Scott was not immediately available for comment.

PharmAthene wins

longstanding suit

A breach-of-contract lawsuit filed four years ago by Annapolis biodefense company PharmAthene against Siga Technologies of New York will go to trial in January, PharmAthene announced Wednesday.

A Delaware Court of Chancery rejected Siga’s motion for partial summary judgment, clearing the way for a trial.

PharmAthene claims that it has development and marketing rights to Siga’s drug candidate, SIGA-246, which it is developing as a preventive and therapeutic product for smallpox, as per a merger agreement between the companies that was terminated in October 2006. PharmAthene also claims that Siga failed to negotiate those licensing terms in good faith.

Survey: Business activity

up sharply in Maryland

Business activity has risen significantly in Maryland this month, according to the Federal Reserve’s monthly survey.

The general business activity index increased to 24 from four in October, its highest reading since April. Sales and customer traffic grew, with labor conditions still weak. Expectations for future activity also increased, with two-thirds of the respondents anticipating more business activity six months from now.

“Somewhat unexpectedly, investment in new equipment and software rose for the month with the index reaching its highest level since the beginning of the survey in September 2007,” the Fed reported Wednesday.

WeatherBug is selected

for services in Spain

WeatherBug of Germantown was selected by Servicio de Salud de Castilla-La Mancha in Spain to provide its lightning detection technology to help the agency deploy its emergency medical helicopters more safely.

The WeatherBug system will help the agency “rapidly respond to calls made to our 112 emergency call centers in the safest and most effective manner possible,” said its general manager, Antonio Alvarez Rello, in a statement.

SunEdison completes

solar project in Italy

SunEdison, a solar energy services provider in Beltsville and subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials of St. Peters, Mo., reported that it has interconnected the largest single-operating solar power plant in Europe.

The 70-megawatt plant in northeast Italy, near Rovigo, was completed and interconnected in nine months, according to a company statement.

“With construction completion in less than one year, we believe this deployment signifies a new milestone for the industry and will become the standard for future mega projects,” said Carlos Domenech, SunEdison president.”

Prometric contracted for

radiology test conversion

Prometric of Baltimore has signed a long-term contract with the American College of Radiology in Reston, Va., to convert its paper-and-pencil diagnostic radiology training exam to a computerized format, according to a Prometric statement.

Starting in February, Prometric will manage the exam for the college and at the beginning of 2012 physicians in residency training programs at the college will be able to take their exam on a computer at any of Prometric’s secure test centers in North America and select non-U.S. locations.

“Computerizing the test allows us to better leverage technology to enhance security, widen the window of time during which it is available, and facilitate easy access for our residents and get the residency programs their scores more quickly,” Bill Murtagh senior vice president, sales and client services at Prometric, said in a statement.

According to company information, in addition to the accessibility of the exam, the computerized system will allow candidates to use online registration and their residency programs will receive their scores faster than from the paper-based version.

Edmonston nonprofit

to launch holiday event

Community Forklift, an Edmonston nonprofit that offers refurbished building materials from renovation leftovers, will host Green Friday this weekend.

Besides asking the public to bring in spare holiday decorations to help trim the warehouse for the season, the nonprofit is giving 25 percent off on selected renovation materials and hardware on Friday and 10 percent off selected antiques and architectural items in the salvage department.

The event also will include the Great Green Gift Extravaganza, which provides free space for local craftsmen, artisans and woodworkers to sell work made from recycled materials through Dec. 24.

Standard Solar

activates Rockville system

Standard Solar of Rockville, which installs and finances solar electric systems for commercial, government and residential customers, recently activated a 701-kilowatt solar energy system on the Rockville Ice Arena.

Tony Clifford, Standard Solar CEO, said in a statement that “having solar energy at the arena is literally a win-win for everyone.” He said the system, one of Rockville’s largest rooftop solar energy systems, will help control electricity costs, reduce carbon emissions and help guarantee the rink’s future as a training area for potential hockey stars.

The system is estimated to meet about 30 percent of the arena’s electricity needs and will help reduce carbon dioxide by about 757 tons each year, according to a news release. The installation also includes a large monitor where people can observe how much electricity the solar panel is generating.

Radio One regains

listing compliance

Radio One of Lanham reported that its class D shares have regained compliance for listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

The stock price had fallen below the exchange’s minimum bid listing requirement.

MedAssurant expands relationship

with Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida has expanded its relationship with MedAssurant of Bowie by implementing MedAssurant’s program to help improve care coordination for its Medicare Advantage customers.

Eris to work on security center

at Virginia Tech campus

Eris Technologies of Annapolis has entered into a public-private partnership with Virginia Tech and L-3 Stratis, the information technology center for L-3 Communications in Reston, Va., to develop a security and incident management center at the school’s campus in Blacksburg, Va.

This center will allow Virginia Tech to display the partnership’s platform that incorporates applications for campus security, incident management and response, facility management, energy monitoring, and cybersecurity, according to a news release.

MdBio Foundation donates

$10,000 to Montgomery College

MdBio Foundation, an affiliate of the Tech Council of Maryland, has donated $10,000 to Montgomery College. The gift will support the MdBio Scholarship for students working toward their certificate or associate degree in biotechnology at the college’s Germantown campus.

The MdBio Foundation is a private charitable organization that provides and supports bioscience awareness, education and work-force development in the state. The foundation made an initial $20,000 commitment to establish the scholarship in 2007, and 21 Montgomery College students have received financial support over the past three years, according to college information. The college and the foundation also have partnered on educational projects to inspire interest in science among K-12 students.

The college program provides educational opportunities in applied biotechnology and bioscience, integrating laboratory and classroom instruction.

Freeman foundation awards

$43K to Montgomery nonprofits

The Carl M. Freeman Foundation of Selbyville, Del., announced the winners of its 2010 Faces grant cycle for Montgomery County nonprofits. A total of $42,500 was awarded to Montgomery nonprofits that were recommended by community leaders, residents and activists based on community needs and priorities.

Since the foundation started in 2000, it has awarded more than $500,000 to dozens of Montgomery nonprofits, according to a news release. Organizations receiving funds this year are Circle of Hope Therapeutic Riding, Shepherd’s Table, Dwelling Place and the Red Wiggler Community Farm.

FDA Approved Pain Management Techniques at HealthQuest

HealthQuest, a multi-specialty healthcare center based in the Brooklyn area of New York City offers several FDA approved techniques for pain management. This includes the recently FDA approved BOTOX treatment for chronic migraine. Dr. Sady Ribeiro, an experienced interventional pain and headache specialist holding multiple qualifications renders these treatments aided by sophisticated technology.

The HealthQuest pain management methodology is unique, combining three kinds of care namely relief, correction, and maintenance. The center has pain management modalities to treat different kinds of pain ranging from pain in the lower back to pain arising from fibromyalgia or spinal stenosis. In order to get the best results from BOTOX for chronic migraine, Dr. Ribeiro utilizes a modern ultrasound machine that enables the most favorable needle guided injections, paving the way for superior outcomes.

Yet another FDA-approved technique that the doctor adopts is sodium hyaluronate for multiple peripheral joints. According to the doctor, a number of patients presenting with pain have experienced a better quality of life with HealthQuest’s treatment protocols for pain management.

Dr. Sady Ribeiro is fellowship trained in both headache medicine and pain management. The doctor has also finished an additional interventional pain fellowship through the World Institute of Pain. He is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Further information about pain management at HealthQuest or about Dr.Sady Ribeiro is available at 718-769-2521. Queries may be mailed to info@hqbk.com .

Aromatherapy News

Aromatherapy helps decrease stress for overwhelmed students

College life can be a very exciting time ; however, the stresses of exams, homework and studying can take a toll on students, but with the help of aromatherapy, there is relief.

Aromatherapy, a type of therapy, deals with essential oils from plants that improve psychological and physical well-being. The use of essential oils dates back to Ancient Egyptian times.

The name aromatherapy went unused until 1928 when Dr. René-Maurice Gattefossé, a cosmetic firm owner, coined the term. After burning his hand, he doused it with lavender oil and realized it healed very quickly. This le d him to experiment with essential oils and other curative properties these oils possessed.

Carol Schiller, who has been teaching aromatherapy since 1986, leads an aromatherapy class at Paradise Valley Community College.

“The course covers a wide range of information from the historical use of aromatic plants beginning in ancient times to methods of use, safety and handling ; how to effectively use the oils ; the difference between synthetic and natural ; common practices of adulteration; and more,” says Schiller.

The Mayo Clinic says the negative effects of stress can lead to depression, high blood pressure, weight gain and even a weakening of the immune system.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the benefits from aromatherapy range from relaxation, deepened breathing, decreased stress and an overall positive impact on a person’s life.

Essential oils can be used several ways, ranging from steam inhalation in massages and baths to the most common use, absorbing through the skin or nose. Juniper and Sage, an aromatherapy business run by Herbalist Diane Abernathy, says that oils bergamot, cardamon, cinnamon and frankincense are typically used in relation to stress reduction and relieving mental tension.

Schiller says, “Many students experience a reduced level of stress, deeper breathing, better focus, as well as other benefits, upon coming in contact with the essential oils, and they begin to realize that these aromatic oils aren’t just used for their scent, but for their positive effects to improve well-being….”

When it comes to using these essential oils, it is imperative that the person is trained in how to use them properly and safely, Schiller says.

“The knowledge about the safety and handling guidelines is covered in the class,” says Schilling, and students can learn a great amount of important information in this experimental course.

From Thai steamboat buffets to aromatherapy

WHO among us can resist a great bargain? No matter what it is, going for a steal is something every Malaysian is guilty of.

So imagine a luxurious spa treatment at an 80% discount, or tucking in at a fine dining Japanese restaurant for only half the price. These deals can be yours with three easy-to-follow steps, and you do not even have to collect cut-outs, participate in competitions, or fight a crowd to get it.

If you can imagine it, theSun DailyDeals can provide it, and better yet, every daily deal is now available for purchase for 24 hours.

From Thai-style steamboat buffets to aromatherapy treatments, the DailyDeals are designed to give you unbeatable discounts that are not available anywhere else – nothing less than a 50% discount is not a tagline, it is a promise.

And the promise is simple: Everyday, a deal is offered at dailydeal.sun2surf.com. It could be anything from food to shopping vouchers, but the guarantee is that it will be at least 50% off the original price. All you have to do is register with your credit card or PayPal account, follow the instructions for purchase, and a voucher will be emailed to you. Just print it out and it can be used any time within 30 days (or more, depending on the terms and conditions).

You can also receive updates on the deals on the Facebook fan page at facebook.com/theSun DailyDeal.

Some previous deals already snapped up are discounts on food at five-star hotels, fine-dining restaurants and even an Aryan buffet.

While those deals pleased the palates of many a food lover, the spa and beauty treatments are guaranteed to pamper – aromatherapy, pedicures, manicures and massages were some of what was offered at more than half-off. If you think that it all sounds too good to be true, all we can say is: Be prepared to be pleasantly surprised.

Fit Calabasas: Aromatherapy Meets Yoga

Every Saturday at 9 a.m., Inner Power Yoga studio fuses both art forms in one fitness class called Aroma-Yoga Flow. The class is designed to heat up the body through yoga exercise, which allows body pores to open and the healing effects of the oils to take over.

Starting in the reverent Namaste pose, “yogis,” or yoga students, extend their bodies into traditional yoga stretches and as they breathe, instructor and creator of the class, Robin Barnette, comes around and places different oils on the yoga mat. While in the downward dog pose, Barnette brings around an oil called Breathe, known to boost the immune system.

And as yogis are in different positions, more oils are introduced like the scent of lavender, to work as an antibacterial against insomnia and headaches.

Perhaps more soothing than the mixture of the oils and stretches is the supportive environment.

“Do what is best for you” is the type of encouragement students hear during the class, and are constantly reminded that performance in the class is individually measured.

But there is one thing that is not tolerated—not smiling. “It’s very important in my class that you smile a lot,” says Barnette.

The healing and rejuvenating connection this class inspires is something Barnette found out firsthand decades ago. When she was diagnosed with Graves disease and told she would never have children, her yoga instructor told her to continue practicing yoga and let her body speak for itself. Now, Barnette’s 17-year-old-son attends classes as well.

“Everything is so pleasing,” said one of the yogis.

And she couldn’t be more correct. For $17 a class, Aroma-Yoga is a relaxing way to start each weekend.

Anxiety News and Treatment

Pumpkin Pie Can Get You in the Mood, Study Shows

This Thanksgiving, if you want to get your lover in the mood, serve him some pumpkin pie.

A study published in Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality, showed the smell of pumpkin pie aroused men by enhancing penile blood flow, WPBF-TV reported.

Also topping the charts as a fragrance turn-on for men was the smell of lavender.

“Maybe the odors acted to reduce anxiety,” said Dr. Alan Hirsch, director of Chicago’s Smell and Taste Treatment Center. “By reducing anxiety, it acted to reduce inhibitions.”

However, men with erectile dysfunction could also benefit from eating pumpkin seeds, health experts say.

Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, which can increase testosterone and sexual desire, said Dr. Ralph Monserrat, who specializes in alternative medicine in Palm Beach, Fla.

Coalition helps moms with anxiety and mood disorders

Elizabeth “Liz” Beachy was diagnosed with perinatal mood disorder about one month before giving birth to her second child, who was born Sept. 30.

“I just began to feel very anxious and my mind couldn’t think clearly,” the 26-year-old said. “I began to withdraw and I began crying at the drop of a hat.”

She eventually sought help but before the medicine could take effect, Beachy felt completely overwhelmed and was not able to function normally or take care of her 3-year-old daughter, Lena Beachy. She had to move in with her mother for about a week.

“I would stand in front of the fridge and just cry and not be able to put something together for lunch,” said Beachy, a former Lafayette resident who just moved to Kokomo. “There would be times I could not get up from the chair.”

To help women such as Beachy, local health care providers have formed the Lafayette Coalition for Community Awareness of Perinatal Anxiety and Mood Disorders. The coalition consists of representatives from Clarian Arnett Health, Riggs Community Health Center, St. Elizabeth Regional Health and local independent therapists.

The group started meeting about one year ago and held its first support group this summer at the Kathryn Weil Center for Education in Lafayette.

Marcia Daehler, a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist with St. Elizabeth Regional Health, said the coalition aims to increase physician awareness by providing education, creating a support group for women and men and identifying physicians and therapists who are skilled in treating postpartum depression and perinatal mood disorders.

Pam Smith, a registered nurse with St. Elizabeth Regional Health, said these disorders include postpartum anxiety disorder, where women experience extreme worry or fear about the health of their baby.

This disorder can cause panic attacks, shortness of breath and chest pain. Another perinatal (the period immediately before and after birth) mood and anxiety disorder is pregnancy postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder, where women have repetitive, upsetting and unwanted thoughts or mental images.

Smith said the thoughts can be scary and unusual, but the women are unlikely to act upon them. However, they should seek clinical help if they are experiencing these symptoms. Other disorders include postpartum traumatic stress disorder, which is caused by a traumatic or frightening birth and postpartum psychosis, where the women see images or hear voices that others cannot.

Given the nature of these disorders, many women do not seek help because they fear removal of their baby.

However, these women can get better if they seek treatment, Smith said.

Now life is looking better for Beachy. Through medication and seeing a therapist, she is more equipped to manage her symptoms.

Also, making lifestyle changes such as moving from Lafayette to Kokomo to be closer to family, has helped remove stress.

“As long as I can keep things even keel, it’s fine,” she said. “Through lots of prayer, the support of my husband, family and friends, I am able to get back on track.”

Back Pain News and Treatment

Painful Knees Often Tied to Pain in Other Joints

MONDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) — The pain of knee osteoarthritis is more severe in people who also have foot, elbow and lower back pain, a new study has found.

In the study, researchers asked almost 1,400 knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients, aged 45 to 79, about pain in the lower back, neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, knee, ankle or foot.

Low back pain was significantly associated with higher knee pain scores. Foot and elbow pain were also significantly associated with a higher knee pain score, the investigators found.

In addition, pain in multiple joints, regardless of location, was associated with greater knee pain, the study authors reported.

The findings were released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

“Our findings show that pain in the low back, foot and elbow may be associated with greater knee pain, confirming that symptomatic knee OA rarely occurs in isolation. Future studies are needed to determine whether treatment of pain occurring elsewhere in the body will improve therapy outcomes for knee OA,” Dr. Pradeep Suri, of Harvard Medical School, New England Baptist Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, stated in a news release from the journal’s publisher.

Physician prescribes work as relief for low back pain

Low back pain is the most common cause of job-related injuries and accounts for the majority of workers’ comp claims and costs. But the vast majority of cases are benign and will get better regardless of the treatment provided.

By approaching low back pain as a condition rather than an injury, the workers’ comp system could save unnecessary aggravation for workers and employers, as well as untold thousands of dollars. An approach using evidence-based medicine, proactive measures from employers and an active recovery role by employees may be the answer.

“We follow a biopsychosocial model,” said Dr. John Anderson, senior vice president of medical operations for Concentra Health Services. “The approach is a combination of sports medicine as well as taking into consideration the psychosocial influences that might affect the outcome.”

Sports medicine approach. Traditional medicine typically suggests aggressive, invasive and costly treatment with only marginal outcomes. “The patient will be evaluated and told to go home, rest and follow up with his doctor,” Anderson said “They go home, lie down on the couch, take meds, and watch TV — further deconditioning themselves and detaching themselves from their social support structures.”

Sports medicine takes a completely different approach. “The intervention is timely, the advice is encouraging and supportive — to return to normal activities as soon as possible,” Anderson said. “We try to get them to stay at work in some capacity that will be manageable for them.”

Influencing factors. Part of that process involves identifying and addressing the psychosocial factors. “As a physician we need to be aware of those issues influencing a patient’s willingness and ability to return to work,” Anderson said. “The doctor must be astute enough to pick up on cues, sometimes from the patient or his supervisor. It’s a team of people that have to get these patients back on the road to recovery.”

Work site assessments should be included with questions about the employee’s satisfaction with his job, supervisor, type of work, shift, and potential downsizing. There may also be personal issues.

“It doesn’t have to be negative,” he said. “It can be good things causing them to reevaluate their ability to go to work. A multitude of factors — some that have nothing to do with the workplace and many that do — could influence their mind-set.”

Armed with the psychosocial information and using the sports medicine approach, Anderson said the next step is setting up the injured worker with appropriate treatment that often includes physical therapy.

“We make every effort to get patients into programs designed specifically for them to retain their level of conditioning and retain and improve their mobility and range of motion with appropriate exercises to reduce the spasms or irritability they have,” he said. “Therapists spend a great deal of time educating these patients and reinforcing that the condition is benign; they may have some discomfort, but they’re not worsening their progress.”

It’s important for patients with low back pain to understand that while their pain is real, it is not life threatening or a harbinger of long-term disability or chronic pain. The therapists progressively increase the physical capacity of the injured worker with the goal of getting them back to preinjury status.

The concept is based on a team approach. In addition to the injured worker, the therapists work with physicians and employers.

“They ask, ‘What are their functional demands? How far do they have to walk? How many pounds must they lift?'” he said. “When we know that it’s easier to get them back to that level and they can get back to the job without the risk of reinjuring themselves.”

NP Back Pain Assessment Shortens Wait Time

Nurse practitioners may help reduce wait times without impairing quality of care. Ninety-six percent of patients with back problems were satisfied with the assessment carried out by a specially trained nurse practitioner, according to a study in the December issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Moreover, the NP came up with exactly the same clinical diagnosis as two orthopedic spine surgeons in all 177 patients she assessed. She also suggested the same management plan as the two surgeons in 95% of cases.

“Nurse practitioners can play an effective and efficient role in delivering care to patients requiring specific disease management in a specialty setting. Although the required skill set in assessing these patients may vary from NP to NP, collaboration and support from the physician can help to develop expertise in a specialty area,” the paper concludes.

The aim of the year-long pilot study, conducted Toronto Western Hospital in Ontario, was to determine whether a clinic led by a nurse practitioner could speed up the diagnosis and management of patients with certain spinal conditions. (Most patients seen by spine surgeons are not surgical candidates, the researchers note; their treatment plan usually consists of education, and non-invasive therapies to help manage their conditions.)

The 96 male and 81 female patients with suspected disc herniation, spinal stenosis, or degenerative disc disease had been referred by their family doctors.

Just under 10% were correctly identified as surgical candidates by the nurse practitioner. In addition, 66 were referred for specific nerve root block, 14 for facet block, and 26 for further radiological imaging.

Overallsatisfaction was very high (96%), and 91% of patients reported that they understood their condition better after seeing the nurse practitioner.

Patients waited10 to 21 weeks to see the NP, with an average wait of 12 weeks. This compared with 10 to 52 weeks to be seen by the surgeons in a conventional clinic, with average waiting times ranging from three to four months for disc herniations to eight to 12 months for spinal stenosis.

Cancer Treatment News

Management of NHS cancer services ‘in need of reform’

Hospital admissions of cancer patients arriving at Accident and Emergency departments have doubled in the past decade, according to a report from the National Audit Office (NAO).

Although emergency admissions are supposed to be the exception, the report also shows that between 2000 and 2008 the number of emergency admissions for cancer patients (admitted as an emergency by a healthcare professional) increased from 231,000 to 300,000.
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Around 80% of these patients had already been diagnosed with cancer, raising concerns about the support available to them during and after treatment. Cancer patients may be admitted as an emergency case for a variety of reasons, including the side effects of treatment such as chemotherapy. The number of patients being given chemotherapy has tripled in the past decade.

The remaining 20% of those admitted as an emergency are diagnosed as a result of their admission. Survival rates are worse for this group, as highlighted by another report published this week.

Variation

The NAO’s report highlights significant variation in the amount spent on cancer across the country. This varies from £55 per person in some parts of England to £154 in other parts. Less than half of the extent of this variation can be explained.

In another illustration of variation, the rate of cancer patients referred for diagnosis as an urgent case by their GP varies almost fourfold across different parts of the country and by more than eightfold between GP practises. The findings may indicate significant variation in the extent to which GPs are following national guidance on which symptoms should prompt an urgent referral to a cancer specialist. Nationally, the volume of patients referred urgently has increased by 44% from 627,000 in 2006 to 904,000 in 2009.

GPs

The role of GPs in managing cancer services is set to grow in the next four years and the report raises concerns about whether they will have sufficient information to support them in the decisions they will have to make, warning that there are “key gaps and limitations” in the data collected.

Currently, cancer services are purchased by local NHS commissioners working in primary care trusts (PCTs). However from 2013 GPs will take over this job, with PCTs abolished. By this time the Government may have introduced a new national cancer strategy following a review of the existing strategy being conducted by the national cancer director. The NAO report warns that without better information about cancer care in England, including costs and activity, delivery of the strategy will falter.

According to the report only 22% of PCTs attempt to assess the value for money they get from cancer services. This is particularly worrying given the fact that the NHS is expected to make savings of £15 – £20bn by 2014. The report found that only 26% of NHS PCTs had carried out a cost benefit analysis comparing different ways of delivering cancer services. Private medical insurers use a variety of ways to control spend on cancer, including delivering more care such as chemotherapy in patients’ homes. However, the rising cost of cancer treatment remains a challenge for the private sector. Bupa has reported that over the last five years the cost of cancer treatment for its members has increased by 40%.

The NHS spent around £6.3bn on cancer services in 2008-09 and the report argues that “there are opportunities to deliver better outcomes for patients whilst saving money and freeing up resources to meet the increasing demand for services.”

It concludes: “Any improvements in cancer services will need to be delivered in the face of much tougher finances and an increase in the number of new cases each year from 255,000 to 300,000 by 2020.”

Breast Cancer Treatment Efficient If Risk Categories GetMammograms Under 50

Family risk of developing breast cancer even at a moderate rate should be a noteworthy sign to get a mammogram per year, according to a recent study.

Even though all U.S. women having the above stated family background undertake this diagnosing procedure as per national healthcare programs, Europe is not so rigorous in this sense, as no screening in order to identify breast cancer is a standard procedure across the old continent. A recent study ran by a group of British researchers have developed a supervision program for 6,710 female participants under 50 whose risk of developing breast cancer as per family history and personal medical record.

The researchers have established several selection criteria in order to establish the moderate risk category. Having a close relative who suffered from breast cancer or being diagnosed with breast cancer could be a relevant criterion for study participation.
The monitoring program lasted close to five years and every single year, each women got a mammogram per year. Based on results of previous studies where patients shared the same eligibility criteria but did not get a yearly mammogram, the British scientists estimated that a mammogram per year was very likely to reduce death risk caused by breast cancer by 20 percent.
The annual screening procedure allowed doctors to identify at a very early stage small size tumors. This advantage has implicitly made the breast cancer treatment more efficient, in contrast to cases when the tumor remained unidentified and expanded and put the patient’s life at risk.

Doctor defends radical cancer treatment

An Austrian doctor has defended his radical cancer treatment before a Perth coronial inquest into the deaths of five people who were prescribed chemical cocktails to fight the disease.

Dr Hellfried Sartori blamed poor treatment in hospitals and the lack of ongoing nutritional support for the 2005 deaths.

“If those people had been treated properly they would be here today,” he told reporters outside the inquest on Thursday.
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He said cancers were largely caused by acute shock experiences but could be eradicated through the controlled administration of certain vitamins and minerals.

Dr Sartori’s treatment involves administering cesium chloride and other chemicals, some of which are banned for medical use in Australia.

In May 2005, Sandra McCarty, 53, from Victoria, Pia Bosso, 68, from NSW, Perth woman Sandra Kokalis, 52, and Deborah Gruber, 42, from New York, underwent Dr Sartori’s treatment at the Perth home of local practitioner Dr Alexandra Boyd.

All four women, who had severe forms of cancer, died about two weeks after being rushed to hospital with various symptoms, including gastrointestinal bleeding and seizures.

A fifth patient, 29-year-old Perth man Carmelo Vinciullo, underwent Dr Sartori’s treatment in May 2005, but stopped after he felt unbearable pain and was told to “control the pain with his mind”.

Mr Vinciullo died on July 1 following respiratory failure.

The coronial inquest is examining whether the treatment given to the five contributed to their deaths.

Dr Sartori, who has spent three years in jail in the US for practising medicine without a licence, lived in Thailand when the five were being treated and liaised with a nurse in Perth about their courses of treatment.

Under questioning from counsel assisting the coroner, Dr Celia Kemp, Dr Sartori said Dr Boyd was a local doctor who was there only to ensure conventional treatment was available if there were complications.

He said the patients died after being rushed to hospitals and taken off his treatment.

“It would have been so much better if I had been there and my very sad lesson from that … is in future I would not allow this to happen,” Dr Sartori told the inquest.

He later told reporters that in two cases, blood transfusions were not given when they were needed.

“The problem had nothing to do with my treatment. There was mismanagement in the hospitals.”

Dr Sartori said his treatment required continuing nutritional support and none of the patients received it.

He said the majority of cancers were caused by “acute shock experiences” and when doctors told patients they had cancer, the shock of the news could cause the body to develop secondary cancers.

Under questioning, Dr Sartori confirmed he believed anti-cancer drugs were the major cause of death in cancer patients and he totally opposed chemotherapy.

“Nature wants to heal itself and you have to provide the proper conditions. This is the art here,” he said.

Alternative Medicine News

Alternative Medicine Pioneer Dr. Steven Sinatra Speaks on “Earthing; The Most Important Health Discovery Ever?”

Playa Del Rey, CA (PRWEB) November 18, 2010

A pioneer in the field of alternative medicine, Dr. Stephen Sinatra is speaking on the topic of – “EARTHING: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever?” on the free webcast series Wellness Revolution 2 at budurl.com/wellnessnews on November 22 at 4 PM Pacific Time.

Dr. Sinatra, is a board certified cardiologist who describes himself as an “integrative cardiologist”. That is, he prefers to treat heart disease by using the best of both conventional and alternative medicine.

His use of the recent discovery of “earth energy” he claims has profound implications for wellness. The practice of using the earth’s energy is called “earthing” and entails “grounding” a person to the earth much as an electrical current is grounded. Dr. Sinatra will explain the theory and practical applications of earthing in a one-hour interview on the Wellness Revolution 2 webcast series at budurl.com/wellnessnews.

Dr. Sinatra is also featured in this year’s bestselling book on effective alternative medicine treatments for cancer by actress Suzanne Somers entitled “Knockout”.

Dr. Sinatra has used his wide experience as a cardiologist, nutrition specialist, certified bioenergetic psychotherapist, and an anti-aging specialist, to create much of the information we now have about alternative medicine. Dr. Sinatra explains some of his “integrative” philosophy,

“Good health information is based on all of the facts, not just the ones that support your agenda.”

Alternative medicine claims to be reviewed

An academic review of international research on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is to take place over the coming months, focusing on three specific therapies identified by a Department of Health working group report — acupuncture, herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. The additional fields of osteo-pathy and chiropractic will also be examined in the review. A critical review of literature on the therapeutic effectiveness, safety and contemporary public policy on the regulation of these complementary therapies since 2000 will also be carried out.

The new study is expected to identify all academically accredited and validated programmes carried out on these therapies by higher education institutions in Ireland, the UK and other countries like Australia and New Zealand — countries that have national frameworks on complementary therapies, which are compatible with the Bologna qualifications framework, a European framework of qualifications in the higher education area.

The review must identify all accredited programmes of higher education since 2005 and, where validation of such therapies has ceased since then, an analysis of the reasons for such a step and whether these were driven by academic, market, political, reputational or scientific concerns.
An open tender for research groups interested in carrying out this study is currently taking place.

Alternative medicine: why it can do more harm than good

Flying from India to attend the Battle of Ideas festival last month, I spoke on the panel of a lively debate entitled “Alternative medicine: the pros and cons”, where I outlined the reasons why I oppose alternative and complementary medicine.

In outlining my opposition, first let us look at the deficiencies of modern medicine. It cannot cure all illnesses. It can often take a long time to make the correct diagnosis. Sometimes it can fail to make any diagnosis at all, for example, chronic pain syndrome. Some of its treatments, especially for cancer, are very unpleasant. Many, if not the majority, of modern practitioners of medicine stress the science
of diagnosis and treatment, perhaps to the detriment of the “art of healing”. These are the gaps that alternative medicine claims to fill.

Unfortunately, these claims have not withstood scientific scrutiny. The scientific foundations for many of the claims such as, for example, that the dilution of a medicine increases potency (in the case of homeopathy), points for acupuncture, the four humors (in Ayurvedic medicine), do not have any basis in anatomy or physiology and are merely hangovers from a time when science had not reached its present state of advancement.

To the argument that ‘alternative medicine works, so why oppose it?’, I say there are many dangers, such as the exploitation of the credulous patient and the failure to treat a potentially curable condition which is life-threatening unless properly treated. There is a long history of societies being exploited by priest-doctors. We should guard against individuals who lay claim to special powers.

There are specific problems in India, although many of these are perhaps common to countries where there are a lot of poor people. Eighty percent of spending on medical treatment in India is private, out-of-pocket spending. Indeed it is the number one cause of rural indebtedness. And due to poor medical services, India has a very high rate of maternal and infant mortality. Against this backdrop of limited availability of medical care and government reluctance to spend public money on healthcare (currently less than 5%of GDP), it suits the government to suggest that “traditional healers” are an alternative source of medical care. Making a virtue out of such “traditional healers” due to the fact that there are not enough trained doctors (in India only only 7 in every 10,000 people are trained doctors) and nurses (7.85 per 10,000) is a cynical exercise of the worst kind.

Defenders of alternative medicine do a terrible disservice to the poor of the country by providing intellectual justification for the government’s failure to provide quality medical care. Denying the privilege of modern medicine to a large section of our citizens by trying to convince them that traditional medicine is as effective when all evidence shows that it is not, is nothing short of criminal injustice.

A section of those who are better off can afford to dabble in alternative medicine, secure in the knowledge that they can run to the nearby modern medical centre whenever they wish. For such “faddists”, alternative medicine is just one option. However, the poor of India have no such options and by forcing them to use the ineffective snake-oil of alternative medicine, the government is squandering tax-payers money and demonstrating that they are too callous to provide quality care.

Acne News

Acne drug may boost suicide risk by lowering serum vitamin

Editor’s note: In a nutshell, the following report provides evidence suggesting that isotretinoin used to treat acne may decrease serum levels of calcitriol – the active form of vitamin D – and lowering of serum vitamin D boosts the risk of depression and suicide.

It has been observed that taking Accutane canada pharmacy or isotretinoin, made by Hoffmann-La Roche Inc and indicated to treat severe acne, has been positively associated with suicides or suicidal attempts.

Accutane has been used by more than 13 million people to treat severe acne since its introduction in the early 1980s, according to Webmd.com.

Last June, the company said it was withdrawing the drug from the market, citing increased competition from its generic counterpart.

A new study published in the journal BMJ Online First suggested that acne itself may boost the risk of depression and suicide and accutane may actually reduce the likelihood that a person who had previously tried to kill himself once would actually try it again.

For the study, researcher Anders Sundstrom, MD and colleagues followed 5,700 patients with severe acne and found the risk of suicide in the patients with severe acne was increased, even several years before treatment; that risk elevated for several months after treatment.

However, the highest risk was found during the six months after treatment ended. For this, the researchers explained, the patients may feel desperate when after observing that the treatment did not improve their skin condition as much as desired.

Sundstrom was cited as saying doctors need to recognize that patients with severe acne may be at higher risk for depression and suicidal behaviors.

The researchers suggested that patients need to be monitored during treatment with accutane and for one year after the treatment ends.

No one knows why acne was linked to higher risk of depression and suicidal thoughts or attempts or whether acne or acne drug boosts the risk.

A health observer told foodconsumer.org that the missing link between severe acne and elevated risk of depression and suicidal thoughts could be vitamin D deficiency.

First, vitamin d deficiency, which is more likely to occur in residents of states like Oregon and Washington, possibly because of the grey weather, has been associated with elevated risk of depression and suicide, according in part to VitaminDcouncil.org.

On the other hand, treatment of acne with accutane or isotretinoin can significantly reduce serum levels of 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D or Calcitriol or the active form of vitamin D, according to a study in a 1992 issue of Acta dermato-venereologica.

Rødland O and colleagues of the University of Bergen in Norway tested serum levels of vitamin D metabolites in 11 patients treated for cystic acne with a four-month course of isotretinoin or Roaccutane. The levels were measured before and after two months of treatment.

The researchers found serum levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D dropped significantly in acne patients treated with isotrenitoin.

This evidence explains perfectly why acne patients are at their highest risk of suicide six months after treatment with Accutane.

Dr. John Cannell, a vitamin D expert and director of Vitamin D Council said in the organization’s newsletter dated Oct 2008 that a reader reported her teenage son with type 2 diabetes had taken 5000 IU of vitamin D a day for about 6 months and then he started losing weight, improving blood sugar and eventually eliminating his acne.

According to Dr. Cannell, a paper published in 1938 already mentioned the therapeutic effect of vitamin D against severe acne. The dose used ranged from 5,000 to 14,000 IU per day.

Coconut Oil Treats Acne

If you had a choice of remedies for acne, would you choose lauric-acid-filled nanobombs delivered by gold nanoparticles straight to the membrane of the offending acne bacteria? Or would you choose to apply coconut oil to your face and let nature take its course?

One would wonder why anyone would choose a medication using nanoparticles to deliver part of a natural substance (coconut oil) that contains even more ingredients with skin-healing properties: capric acid and vitamin E. Although nanoparticles are now being used to deliver medications to certain bodily sites, their long-term side effects are little-known.

Acne, well-known to almost every teenager, is an inflammation of the oil glands, especially on the face. It seems counterintuitive to put oil on skin already oily, and many people hesitated using coconut oil for that reason. But after trying it, they were pleasantly surprised to see their skin become more normal.

Not all of them had acne—some had dry skin or eczema—but most of them were benefited even though there were several individual methods of application. Some would wash their face, apply a little oil, either steam their face or just wait a few minutes, and then wipe it off. Others left it on overnight.

There was a wide variation in sensitivity to the oil. Four people found coconut oil made their acne worse, but most found the oil brought noticeable improvement.

The benefits they reported, along with clearing up acne, were healing scars, making pores smaller, and causing wrinkles to disappear. Generally, the total health of the skin is enhanced by coconut oil.

Although acne was greatly improved or cured in 21 cases, some broke out in whiteheads and stopped putting the oil on their faces. One waited two weeks before stopping. Others felt this was a detoxifying event and allowed the whiteheads to clear up.

Several people felt the oil was unsuitable to put on the face, at least at first, and used it on legs, arms, hands, and feet. For those who can put coconut oil on their faces, it does not cause the eyes to smart as many creams and oils do. Some chose to eat it—from 2 to 6 tablespoons a day, in smoothies, on ice cream, in soups, or just plain

Coconut oil has not been widely recommended by the media. One person had had acne for 25 years before discovering this use of the oil. For others, it was 12 and 7 years.

Coconut oil is very greasy and shiny when first applied, which almost everyone listed as a con. This did not prevent some from rubbing it all over their bodies after a shower, putting on flannel sleepwear, going to bed, and waking up with silky skin in the morning.

The oil is a solid up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Warmer than that, it becomes liquid. Most people found a little bit goes a long way. Since it is nontoxic, it can be applied daily, even several times a day.

Vitamins May Help Treat Acne

Acne is a common skin condition that can occur throughout adolescence, but it may also appear in one’s twenties as well. The Daily Mail reports that one solution that may be overlooked is getting a steady supply of certain vitamins.

Whether one attains these nutrients from supplements or food, there are several ingredients should consume in order to fight unwanted blemishes.

One such nutrient is Omega-3, which is found in fish, nuts, eggs and chicken. This can help promote healing after acne begins to fade and also stop the spread of any infection. Vitamin A can also be very effective when fighting the condition, as it can maintain skin health and is often found in prescription creams.

Using zinc as a topical agent may also be helpful because it has anti-inflammatory properties. However, vitamin E is touted as the best ingredient to ward off acne, as it can be used on the face to prevent scarring.

Weight Loss News

Weight loss drug ’caused death of 500 people’

A weight loss drug that has been taken by millions of French is likely to have been the cause of death of 500 people, the country’s drug safety body announced on Tuesday, amid claims that health authorities long ignored calls for the drug to be banned.

France’s second-largest pharmaceutical group was yesterday at the heart of a spiralling health scandal over Mediator, a drug initially reserved for obese people with diabetes that became a popular appetite suppressor.

Afssaps, the drug safety body, yesterday said expert epidemiologists believed Mediator, made by Servier, had been lethal for at least 500 people and had caused 3,500 others to be admitted to hospital since its launch in 1976.

Some 300,000 people were taking the drug when Afssaps pulled it from the market last November, saying it had little effect on diabetes and might lead to a dangerous thickening of heart valves. The European Medicines Agency followed suit.

Lose weight … and save money

MONTREAL — Frances Michaelson, a pioneer in fitness for more than 30 years, is passionate about all things health.

However, she feels the fitness industry is “failing those that need us the most” – the obese.

“We keep coming up with new toys and gadgets and workouts that are actually terrifying the very people we need to encourage to get moving,” she said.

Michaelson tours the country giving lectures and workshops on living a healthy lifestyle, and she attended an industry conference in Chicago in October where she listened to Richard Simmons (yes, that Richard Simmons) address a group of fitness professionals. Simmons told the group that something is obviously wrong with the way things are: Trainers are being certified almost by the hour, and there are more gyms offering more classes and more equipment than ever before, but obesity statistics keep rising almost as fast.
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“Simmons said it’s because as trainers we are training the same fit people over and over again,” Michaelson said, “instead of targeting the overweight and out-of-shape.”

Michaelson said she came home and was sitting in her Muscle Up personal training centre in Baie d’Urfé on a recent afternoon with Simmons’s words still resonating in her head. She looked around at the near-empty space and wondered what she could do that would really make a difference.

“And this light went on,” she said. “Why don’t I let people who have significant weight to lose come in and use the facility for free? Let’s get them moving, and hopefully they’ll see results and want to continue.”

So Michaelson is opening her training centre on afternoons and evenings, absolutely free of charge, to people who have at least 50 pounds to lose and who fear the gym scene.

Those who are interested will get an assessment, an introductory nutritional and fitness program, and six weeks free of charge; after that, Michaelson will work with clients to establish a sliding scale of payment, if necessary.

“I really don’t want it to be only about the money,” she said. “Let’s see if those who are interested – and committed – start to feel better after they’ve been moving and eating better for a short while.” And they had better “use it or lose it” – she’d like to see the people who sign up come in at least three days a week.

Michaelson said they should start to feel better after three weeks, and see results after six.

“I want people to come in and really start to feel comfortable in this environment, let them see how it feels to just sit on a stability ball, or pedal on an exercise bike, to try something new.”

Many people don’t even know the basics, like breathing, Michaelson said.

“Learning how to breathe properly can make a tremendous difference in your day-to-day life,” she said.

Michaelson knows how intimidating it can be for overweight people to even begin an exercise program.

She’s been working with Mary Vipond, an obese client in her 40s, since the summer and has helped Vipond gain a better understanding of herself and her body.

“It’s a very slow process,” Michaelson said. “We want to make lifestyle changes that will stick.

“Mary called me the other night and told me she had climbed the stairs – all 11 floors of her building – something she had never before done – to me that’s progress” she said.

Vipond said she had been at a point where she didn’t even know where to start anymore.

“I knew Frances and reconnected with her through friends, but I really didn’t know when I began where it would lead.”

Interestingly, Michaelson never told Vipond what she weighed at the outset of their working together. Vipond said that seems to be working out quite well.

“What happens when you have a lot of weight to lose is we get caught up in the numbers and fixate on them” she explained. “When you don’t reach those numbers, it can have a negative impact on your weight loss and your morale and you quit.”

Vipond said Michaelson, a certified naturopath, introduced her to a new way of eating, emphasizing fruits and vegetables with lean proteins and whole grains. She said the shape of her body has changed significantly, and her energy level has increased dramatically.

“My clothes are getting way too big and my co-workers keep commenting on my weight loss, so those are all good signs,” she said with a laugh.

Man Loses Weight After Unflattering Google Maps Street View Image

(CANVAS STAFF REPORTS) – A man in need of some weight-loss inspiration found it after seeing himself on Google Maps Street View.

The Daily Mail reported that Bob Mewse, 56, weighed 296 pounds a year ago when he saw himself on the mapping service that uses a 360-degree camera to record images. The camera shot a side view of the Bristol, England man wearing a gray shirt near a filling station.

“I was horrified when I saw that photo,” he told the Telegraph . “I was massive. My belly was sticking out and I looked huge.”

He said he was also having back problems and “sky-high” blood pressure. The Daily Mail said he was driving 30 miles to find clothes to fit him.

Mewse headed to a gym and got help from a personal trainer who also helped him develop a healthy eating plan. Cakes and other desserts were replaced with fruit, salads and protein-rich foods.

CBS News said the morbidly-obese man lost 98 pounds.

“If I can do this, anybody can,” he said. “I’m just an ordinary bloke. I feel much healthier now.”

Google Street View has long contributed to interesting stories. That has been the case recently as Ubergizmo.com reported Google has been under fire by privacy advocates in Germany who believe people have a right not to have a photo of them turn up online.

A graduate student has come up with a software that will digitally remove pedestrians from Street View images. Ubergizmo, though, said this could lead to some haunting effects since what’s left behind are ghost-like shapes, sometimes still connected to shoes and feet.

Google has also lent a hand to efforts to bust crime. The New York Post reported three heroin dealers were seen in images trying to peddle drugs on a street corner. Residents had been complaining about them selling drugs in the open.

They were recently among seven dealers arrested in an undercover New York Police Department sting.

Police had used their own surveillance cameras to get proof of the actual drug transactions. Law enforcement sources, though, had said Google Street View images had captured images of them working the corner.

Gawker.com reported in October that in one image it appeared as though blurry, possibly robed figures were caught hovering above a lake in Quarten, Switzerland.

“Is it something on the camera lens?” Gawker asked. “Or is it maybe God …?”