Health 06 (May 12 - Jul 13)

[winston]

WAIT! Do NOT put that pill in your mouth!

That would be my message to every person taking an antibiotic. Because I have one key detail they must know before they swallow.

In a recent article, a drug expert told a BBC reporter that people need to be more aware of bad interactions between foods and drugs.

He said... "For example, milk can stop the absorption of some antibiotics if taken simultaneously."

Well THAT seems like kind of a big deal!

And yet, the report just mentions it in passing. As if milk and antibiotics were so rare they would hardly ever be combined.

I checked the BBC website. Same thing. Just a passing mention. But a little more digging produced a shock.

Tetracycline is the antibiotic. It also happens to be one of the most widely used antibiotics in the world!

Imagine how many people on tetracycline pop their morning pill with a swig of milk.

We have enough problems with antibiotic resistance without adding a milk moustache.


Source: HSI

[winston]

Fruitwater

Coca Cola just launched a new product called Fruitwater. Guess what it doesn't contain.

I'll give you a hint. It DOES contain water.

Fruit? Not so much. In fact, it contains no fruit juice at all.

But they've fortified it with a few scant nutrients to give the illusion that it's not liquid candy. Which it is. Even the flavors are candy-like...Watermelon punch, strawberry-kiwi, etc.

But unlike candy, Fruitwater has zero calories. Yep -- it's sweetened with sucralose, better known as Splenda.

In animal studies, sucralose promoted obesity and weight gain. So anyone who drinks this candy water with the belief that it's somehow healthy...Well, let's just say they've been seriously mislead.

Too bad Fruitwater doesn't quench thirst the way they quench it on Cape Grim in Tasmania.

Down there, they actually collect and bottle rain that rolls in over the open ocean from Antarctica. They claim it's the most pristine rainfall from the least polluted air on earth.

If they wanted to market it in the U.S., they could jazz it up a bit and call it Fruitrainwater. After all, it contains just as much fruit as Fruitwater does.

Source: HSI

[winston]

Power of pomegranate juice By Brent Bauer, M.D.

You’ve likely heard about the health benefits of antioxidant rich red wines and green teas. It now appears that pomegranate juice may belong on that list, too. That’s because pomegranate juice is rich in polyphenols, a large class of antioxidant compounds linked to a variety of disease fighting benefits.

Pomegranate juice may, in fact, have three times more antioxidant activity than red wine or green tea.

While more research is needed, preliminary findings suggest that regular, daily consumption of concentrated pomegranate juice can lead to:

Healthier arteries. One study found that pomegranate juice helped reduce clogging of the neck’s carotid artery by up to 35 percent. This, in turn, could lead to decreased risk of stroke.

Reduce total cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels in people with high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.

A modestly reduced blood pressure. In one study, systolic blood pressure decreased by about 5 percent.

Improved blood flow to the heart in people who have coronary heart disease. This, in turn, can reduce the risk of heart attack.

Source: Mayo Clinic

[winston]

New research shows this easy activity is as healthy as a serious workout by Dr. David Eifrig

We've been claiming this all along: Walking is just as good for your heart as running.

Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that walking and running similarly reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes risk.

The key, according to researchers, is not how long you walk or run, but how far. People who walked the same distance as runners experienced similar health benefits. One example... walkers lowered their risk of diabetes 12.1%. Runners lowered their risk 12.3%.

Walking is one of my favorite ways to get up and get moving. In addition to making your heart healthier, walking helps prevent dementia, improves your immune system, and lessens the symptoms of depression. And it's one of the easiest exercises to do.

I take daily walks outside when the weather is nice. If I don't want to walk outside, I'll hop on the treadmill with a few magazines to read.


Source: Retirement Millionaire

[winston]

Benefits of soy

To improve cholesterol levels and better the heart, you can include soy in your diet. Preliminary reports suggest that soy may help dull pain.

In animal studies, moderate levels of phytoestrogens showed to reduce sensitivity to certain types of pain.

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds that are found in high concentrations in soy and soy-based products.

Including moderate amounts of soy in your diet may be helpful in reducing pain suffered by people with chronic, painful inflammation or swelling.

- Thomas Lee

[winston]

Doc Eifrig: Warning... This common ingredient could be making your children dumber

Fluoride is making your children dumber... according to a 2012 study from Harvard. Fluoride has been poorly studied, but is marketed as a way to prevent tooth decay. Most toothpaste brands include fluoride, as do most municipal water supplies.

According to the Harvard study, children who drank water with fluoride ended up with lower intelligence scores than children who didn't. Researchers also linked fluoride drinking by pregnant mothers with lower IQ scores in their children.

Unfortunately, that's not the only risk... Fluoride consumption is also linked to thyroid disease and cancer.

Water fluoridation – the addition of fluoride to the public water supply – has been terminated in many countries – including Germany, Sweden, and Japan – on suspicion of health harms. Cavity rates are no different. And yet, the U.S. continues to dump this dangerous chemical into your water.

To limit your exposure, do what I do... Avoid toothpaste with fluoride. I also limit the amount of tap water I drink and look for bottled or filtered water without fluoride.


Source: The Retirement Millionaire:

[winston]

Stay mentally sharp with eggs.

The breakfast staple’s chlorine is used to synthesize acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that increases the speed at which the brain can process sensory input and access stored information.

Research suggests this compound can reduce memory lapses by 46% in five weeks.


Source: www.wisdomtips.com

[winston]

This common cancer screen could be useless for some men by Dr. David Eifrig

Don't trust your prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels if you've been bicycling...

Checking levels of PSA is a common – though flawed – way to test if a man has prostate cancer. High PSA levels may indicate prostate cancer... and lead to more invasive tests, like biopsies.

It turns out, cycling increases men's PSA levels, causing false positive tests. Unfortunately, doctors don't seem to grasp this and aren't asking questions before performing the tests. If you cycle regularly, wait at least 48 hours to have a PSA test. This gives your levels time to return to normal.

Regular readers know I'm skeptical of the usefulness of PSA tests. Some benign conditions – like inflammation of the prostate, systemic infections, or even recent ejaculation – can increase PSA levels.

Because of this, PSA tests are known for having a high rate of false positives. So make sure your doctor is aware of these factors if your levels are high.


Source: Retirement Millionaire

[winston]

Someone asked us recently, "Is there any limitation to the body's ability to heal?"

And we said, "None other than the belief that you hold."

And he said, "Then why aren't people growing new limbs?"

And we said, "Because no one believes that they can."

---Abraham


Excerpted from the workshop in San Rafael, CA on February 27, 1999


Source: www.abraham-hicks.com

[winston]

Stop Smoking

My husband and I used every method on the market to stop smoking with no success.

Our weakest moment was first thing in the morning with that 1st. cup of coffee.

Even though we had just applied a new patch, the craving was still overwhelming.

We both tried putting the patch on a bedtime instead and had success the first morning.

We both had nightmares and poor sleep for the 1st 3 days, but neither of us has touched a cigarette in 10 years

- Jan Johnson