Health Articles

There are numerous books on the shelf of the local bookstore that are survival guides for parents of teens. And for good reason! For both parents and children, the teen years are the most trying. We’ve been there so we remember what it is like (though sometimes it seems as if we’ve forgotten). The changes we tend to focus most of our attention on are the outward ones but it is the inner changes that we all go through that can cause the most distress, regardless of the level of ability or disability. For parents, one of the hardest things to face is the lack of control over the situation. This is heightened for parents of teens with autism as many of these kids mature physically on schedule but clearly they are not emotionally equipped to deal with all that this can bring. This can indeed foster extreme reactions and parents need to be prepared.

This is a little known fact, but approximately one third of teens on the autism spectrum will experience the onset of seizures. Even if the teen has never had any kind of a seizure in his or her life, they can begin at this time of life. Thankfully, these usually end when puberty is over but is can be extremely scary during these years. Obviously, if you notice your child having even tremors you should consult a doctor to see if this might be seizure activity. If it is, there are drugs available to treat it and it should be treated as one result of seizures can be a loss in functioning. And, as we parents of autistic children know, it is devastating to go “backwards” when we have worked so hard to keep our child moving forward as much as possible.

One possible positive affect of these extra teenage hormones is that your autistic child might actually have a growth and development spurt. Again, don’t focus just on the outward changes of your child but keep track of how he or she is doing developmentally. You may even notice a new skill or interest appears when there had previously been nothing! Great – take advantage of it and give your child the opportunity to continue to grow and develop. Monitor any changes in your child and keep in close contact with the professionals in your child’s life so that you can ask questions and pass on information as needed.

If your child is not part of a social skills group before puberty, then this is definitely the time to get him or her involved. Here in San Diego CA we have a number of community resources for people with disabilities. Look around your community and you might be surprised at what you find! Remember to find that delicate balance between what is age appropriate and what your child can handle given their developmental level and experience. Getting suggestions from fellow parents of children with special needs, perhaps through support groups, is the best way to quickly find these opportunities and get involved.

Puberty and the teen years are difficult for anyone. When you have a disability it is even more so. Take advantage of people and resources in your community – reach out and give your child the benefit of what is in his or her own backyard. Focus on transitioning from child to young adult and consider what your child needs to learn to be safe. Be patient – this too will pass!
I am the parent of 3 wonderful kids – Sam (21), Lucy (19) and Mac (16). Sam has autism. He is quite high functioning, although the skills and abilities that are prominent today were not always so! Sam is indeed the product of countless hours of therapy, patience, diligence, stubbornness and love by numerous people in many varied settings. My experiences while learning to deal with many different agencies, support groups, professionals etc. led me to my current profession. I have been supporting families for nearly 16 years, 8 as a professional.

73,600,000 Americans have High Blood Pressure.41,900,000 of them are estimated to be age 59 or younger. High blood pressure (HBP) is Defined as systolic pressure 140 mm Hg or greater and/or diastolic pressure 90 mm Hg or greater. High blood pressure is a serious health concern that can cause heart disease and increase your risk of having a stroke.
It is especially bad for your health because it often has no warning signs or symptoms. For millions, the first sign of heart trouble is… Sudden DEATH!One person Dies in America from Cardiovascular Disease every 37 seconds. One of every 2.8 deaths in the US is Cardiovascular Related. You need to track your blood pressure. Your blood pressure is your most crucial vital sign. High blood pressure reigns as the leading cause of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. Your BP gauges how your blood travels through your body.
High blood pressure diet
Simply put, blood pressure refers to the amount of force exerted by your blood on your arterial walls as it passes through. It is measured through the systolic pressure (the pressure on your arteries when your heart is at rest). If the force of that pumping is too high, it will gouge holes in the smooth inner lining of your arteries. This causes nicks in the arterial walls that trigger a chain reaction of grouting, then destructive inflammation and clotting, closing off the artery completely. This causes a blood flow traffic jam… A Heart Attack!
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Cardiovascular Disease claims about as many lives each year as:

- cancer
- chronic lower respiratory diseases
- accidents and diabetes mellitus… COMBINED.Many factors can make your blood pressure soar higher than a helium filled saucer-shaped balloon (without a kid in it) such as:
- High levels of the mineral sodium (salt)
- Lack of the mineral calcium or potassium (from not eating enough fruits and vegetables)
- Lack of physical activityBut it is also clear that… Being Overweight leads directly to High Blood Pressure.

The average American drinks an estimated 60 GALLONS of soda every year. Sugar can cause serious health problems. But the fact is, fructose is the worst of the lot. Fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals. Fructose leeches micro-nutrients from your body. It is metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar. Because most fructose is consumed in liquid form, as fruit juice or as soda, its negative metabolic effects are significantly magnified.

Until the 1970s, most sugar was sucrose, which is derived from sugar beets or sugar cane. But sugar from corn, especially High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is now more popular because it is much less expensive to produce. As a result, the use of HFCS in the U.S. diet increased a staggering 10,673% between 1970 and 2005! HFCS also contains nearly twice the fructose of the sugars that came before it. HFCS is the sweetener used in most sodas. It is a prime factor behind the current obesity epidemic, which is largely fueled by sugary sweet soft drinks. Soft drinks are the leading source for calories in America!

Soft Drinks are the major reason why about 9 percent of average dietary energy intake in the United States now comes from fructose. High Fructose Corn Syrup is a nutrient-free source of endless calories. It also harms organs like your liver and pancreas, leading to bone loss, anemia, diabetes and… HEART PROBLEMS. Fructose is clearly something you want to avoid, except for the small quantities obtained through the moderate consumption of whole fruit. However, fructose it is not as bad as artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners damage your health even more rapidly than HFCS. So ideally… Avoid ALL sodas, even diet sodas. Do NOT Get Your Quota of Soda.

Tai Chi has many amazing health benefits and can be used to help alleviate the symptoms of such health conditions as Osteoporosis, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and more. There have even been reports of success with things like Cancer and Multiple Sclerosis although western science is just beginning to back up these reports with hard evidence.

Tai chi’s effects on arthritis are much better documented, and the art is beginning to become accepted as an effective treatment for many arthritis patients. When practiced for health it is done vary slowly and there is no impact too the joints like there is in many other activities like running or walking. This allows arthritis patients to exercise their joints through a wide range of motion without causing more damage or pain to the effected area.
Arthritis treatment
The movements will provide some benefits for arthritis patients but they are not enough to get the benefits that Tai Chi is known for with out a deeper understanding beyond the choreography. It is important for anyone who is considering this art as an alternative treatment for their arthritis to put in some extra time and research into finding someone who is a truly qualified teacher in the internal arts and Chi Kung. Unfortunately most of the YMCA and fitness center Tai Chi teacher’s in the US know very little beyond the basic choreography (even those with arthritis certifications) and will not be able to provide effective results for arthritis sufferers.

If you do not begin to see some results within a month of practice I highly recommend you find another teacher. Tai Chi has many amazing health benefits but in order to obtain any of them you need a much deeper understanding of the art than just knowing a few moves.

Having bacterial vaginosis can be frustrating. Especially when you keep having recurrences of it. You may not know what to do to permanently cure BV. So, what I’m going to do is share with you a few simple home remedies for bacterial vaginosis.

That way, you will know what you can do from home to get rid of BV.

A few remedies that you can use are:

1. The first thing you can do from home that will help you get rid of vaginosis is use yogurt. Yogurt is one of the most well known ways to get rid of BV. You can use yogurt in a couple ways. The first way is to eat two to three cups of it a day. The other way to use it is to insert a small amount of it into your vagina.

2. Another home remedy that will help you cure bacterial vaginosis is garlic. You can either use a garlic clove or you can use garlic paste. If you’re going to use a garlic clove, you can insert it inside your vagina after wrapping it with cheesecloth. Or you can rub garlic paste around your vaginal area.

3. The third thing you can do to get rid of BV is use probiotics. Probiotics will help your body build up some good bacteria, which will help your fight off the bad bacteria that causes vaginosis. It’s a good way to get rid of BV. You can get probiotics from your local health store.

Some of this will be blatantly obvious to you because you find that your clothes feel a little bit tight and your body is starting to bulge in places that never did previously. By simply looking in the mirror you would be able to see any excess weight you have on your body. When you go for a walk you feel like you are jiggling as you go.

There are a few definitions of overweight and it’s probably something that many people do not understand and need it clarified a little better. The following information is really just to give you an understanding and of course it’s always recommended that you consult your physician in order to be 100% sure.

Being overweight means that you are likely to be 10% to 20% more than your normal healthy weight. You can find many charts and information available on the Internet which will supply you with your ideal weight. If for example your healthy weight shouldn’t be 125 pounds and it turns out that you are touching between 140 and just over 150 pounds you are basically overweight.

When it comes to somebody who is obese is slightly different because they will weigh 20% more then what they should. Then we get into the realms of morbidly obese, which is not a place you want to be and I guarantee anybody who is at this stage needs a lot of help. Basically somebody who is this heavy will be 50 to 100 percent of both their recommended healthy weight. This can be a serious health problem and something that needs attention and advice from a dietitian and physician.

Many of us as we get older will put on a little bit of weight because we may not be as active as we where. It’s important to try to keep a little bit of physical exercise in your life whether this is simply walking or taking a trip to the gym a couple times a week. Things like swimming and yoga can also help you do not need to overexert it is just the constant keeping yourself healthy and fit is what really pays off in the long run.

Blue moods characterized by gloom, feelings of inadequacy, sadness, loss of interest in activities and pleasure, and lack of energy affects the health and wellbeing of about 19 million Americans. We call it depression. It follows people like a dark cloud into their homes, workplaces, schools, and relationships.

Depression is linked to our habitual mental states. The way we think about the world, others, self, and the conditions of life affects our mental balance. You might have heard that depression is a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain. Indeed, our thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and emotions continually alter our brain chemistry. Even air, water, electro-pollution, sugar, chemical-laden processed foods, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and a lack of protein absorption lead to chemical imbalances in the brain and the entire body.

Depression can also be caused by a loss, chronic illness, relationship problems, work stress, family crises, financial worries, even unexpected change. So many things in life can create the state of gloom! The good news is it can be corrected and managed. It can be healed, which is slightly different from treating it. Treating it likely involves the use of anti-depressant drugs. There is nothing wrong with that in severe cases, but there are steps you can take on your behalf to naturally shift your brain chemistry.
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Dealing with the source of depression is the key. Ideally we would use imbalances in the body or mind as messages to help us resolve underlying conflict within ourselves. When we ignore these messages, we ignore the calls to wake up further into life. In the case of depression, sometimes this call is nothing more than to get your body moving. This alone often dissipates the clouds.

Depression arrives in your life with a meaning. Our task is to ask, “What is the meaning or message?” Is it simply, “Get out and exercise,” or is it something deeper? To misunderstand the message can be excruciating, leading to feelings of futility and hopelessness. However, for those who listen and begin to understand, life expands, lightens, and develops more meaning. Delving into this deeper meaning is the path of healing.

Overcoming depression might require personal change, sometimes a lifestyle change, but in many cases a willingness to listen, hear, and then act on the body’s messages is all the change that is needed. Fear is usually what prevents people from taking this step. But with a little courage, a whole new bright world can open up.

There are many opportunities to help you become vital, strong, positive, hopeful, and joyous: journaling, exercise, meditation, visualization, being in nature, proper nutrition, the use of mood-lifting supplements and essential oils, letting go of the unrealistic expectations of others, fully becoming your authentic self, and altering your thoughts toward the positive.

Joyful people create their lives the way they want to live them. They feel a bit of power over their own life. They have a core of contentment. They shape their reality with their thoughts, hopes, and attitudes. Anyone with that dark cloudy gloom can experience hope and joy again. Harnessing the willingness to listen, hear, and act upon depression’s messages is an important step. To uncover a more authentic way of living is another step. Who among you can resist taking this journey?

Did you know that It is easy to create a homemade facial that will not contain any of the harmful chemicals or other hurtful ingredients?

Your best facials can be produced with ingredients that you probably already have at home in the kitchen, so grab a wooden spoon and some glass bowls, and start to mix!

Please be aware that even with these homemade facials that are all natural, you need to only use them about one to three times a week at most.

A Facial to Make for Your Dry Skin:

1 Tablespoon of olive oil that has been slightly warmed. 1 yolk of an egg, 1 Tablespoon of honey that has been slightly warmed.

Thoroughly mix up the ingredients. Then apply it to your neck and face, allow the mixture to dry, when it dries rinse neck and face with warm water not hot. Pat your skin dry, do not rub.

An Exfoliating Mask For Your Dry Skin:

2 drops of a flower or herb essential oil, 3 Tablespoons of sandalwood oil, olive oil or almond oil, 1 Tablespoon of sugar or a kosher salt.

A Facial to Make for Your Oily Skin:

Take 1/4 cup of oatmeal and put it through a coffee grinder, food processor, or a blender and make oat flour out of it. Then mix a bit of warm mil, an egg white, honey, or just use water. Massage lightly into your skin for about 2 to 5 minutes. Then let it dry, when it is dry rinse it off using cool water.

A Citrus Mask to Make for Your Oily Skin:

1/2 unpeeled and cored apple, 1/2 peeled large grapefruit, 30 grapes that are seedless, 2 Tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 white of an egg.

Mix the ingredients in the food processor or the blender. Apply this mixture to your facial area and allow it to stay on for around 15 minutes. Then rinse it off your face using warm not hot water and pat your face dry.

If your skin is oily, you can add essential oils to help heal your skin, but only use a small number of drops! Another option would be to get some vitamin E oil or capsules, and add some drops to your facial treatment to aid the healing process.

Have you just discovered a sudden and unexpected loss of hair? Many folks will encourage you to simply take vitamins for hair loss but you must seek an urgent health checkup from your doctor, registered medical practitioner or dermatologist to determine just exactly what may be the cause of this condition.

You will then need to establish a well balanced vitamins for hair loss program that incorporates several attacking fronts at the same time if you really want to restore and maintain the good health of your scalp.

The 9 essential nutrients to regain and promote a healthy scalp:

Vitamin A (found in fish liver oil, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, apricots and peaches). Plays a role in a variety of functions throughout the body, such as immune function, maintaining normal skin health, hypokeratosis (white lumps in follicles). Warning: Consuming a large quantity of vitamin A daily is toxic to the body.

Vitamin B3 – niacin (found in brewers yeast, wheat germ and fish). Boosts scalp circulation.

Vitamin B5 – pantothenic acid (whole grain cereals, brewers’ yeast and egg yolks). Prevents strand falling and graying.

Vitamin B6 (brewers’ yeast, whole grain cereals, vegetables and egg yolks). Essential for protein and red blood cell metabolism and for the nervous and immune systems. It is helpful in prevention of thinning of strands.

Vitamin B12 (fish and eggs). Assists in preventing hair loss.

Vitamin C (citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwifruit, cantaloupe, pineapple, tomatoes, green peppers, potatoes and dark green veggies). Promotes healthy skin and hair and ensures the health of capillaries supplying blood to follicles.

Vitamin E (cereals, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, soybeans, eggs, cold-pressed vegetable oils, wheat germ oil, raw seeds, nuts and dried beans). Increases the oxygen in our system and improves circulation to the scalp.

Vitamin H – biotin or B7 (royal jelly, brewers’ yeast, liver, legumes, soybeans, swiss chard, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, carrots, almonds, eggs, onions, cabbage, cucumber, cauliflower, goats’ or cows’ milk, raspberries, strawberries, halibut, oats, and walnuts). Biotin is necessary for cell growth and is shown by many studies to stimulate and maintain a healthy scalp.

Vitamin B9 – folic acid, also known as folacin or folate (leafy vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, turnip greens, lettuces, dried or fresh beans and peas, fortified cereal products, sunflower seeds, liver and liver products and certain other fruits and vegetables and bakers’ yeast are rich sources of folate). Both children and adults require folic acid to produce healthy red blood cells and prevent anemia. It is also essential to numerous other bodily functions.

What about the important minerals & herbs?

Don’t forget the minerals essential to maintaining a healthy head of hair: zinc, calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron, copper and sulphur. Plus the herbal extracts: horsetail silica, saw palmetto, indian ginseng, omega-3 and evening primrose.

These are found in the same fresh produce as for above listed vitamins or produced from ground herbs or herbal extracts and are available in capsules, tablets or powder form.

So, the first plan of action to get the vitamins for hair loss you need is to eat regular, fresh and well balanced meals, alternatively you can undertake a daily course of balanced tablet or capsule supplements.

Ovarian cancer is deemed to be the most deadly gynaecological cancer and is the fifth leading cause of cancer related deaths is the United States. Claiming close to some 15,000 lives each year, it is one form of cancer difficult to recognize because it displays no symptoms till it has advanced to a very high level. Ovarian cancer stages are dependent on the size and spread of the tumor inside the body. The further treatment of ovarian cancer is dependent on which stage it has progressed to. To classify stages, doctors take help of a simple rating system from 1 to 4. Stage I is the lowest on scale whereas Stage IV is close to being fatal and is the highest on the scale. Other than that, there are also borderline tumors.

A borderline tumor consists of low grade cancerous cells which have just started growing and multiplying. These have not yet affected the ovary in any way by growing into or damaging the ovarian tissue around them. This is not considered to be a bonafide ovarian cancer stage but is still treated as one with surgery. Stage I of the disease means that it has spread to the ovaries. This may be limited to one ovary or could be present in both ovaries. A further form of stage I shows up if the cancer has spread to the surface of the ovary or found inside of the abdomen during surgery. For stage I of ovarian cancer, surgery is the most effective way to dealing with it and preventing any sort of recurrence.

Ovarian cancer stage II usually means that the cancerous cells have spread from the ovary to the fallopian tube and/or uterus. A further form of stage II occurs when the cancer moves on to the pelvic region and cancerous tissue is seen in the rectum and bladder of the body as well. After which we come to stage III, where the cancer has definitely spread from the ovary to the abdominal region and can also be seen in the lymph nodes around the womb, crotch region and the upper part of the abdomen. The growths start becoming larger in size, measuring close to 2 cm and above, present in the lining of the abdominal cavity and causing many abdominal problems. These two stages usually call for chemotherapy to supplement the surgery done to remove as much cancer as possible from the body.

At the top is the ovarian cancer stage IV. This is the last stage of growth and often fatal for the patient. Survival rates at this point of treatment are pretty low and life expectancy after recovery is not very high. The treatment itself for this stage can be quite risky, especially for elderly women. At this stage, the cancer has spread from the ovaries and the abdomen to other parts of the body like the liver and lungs. After reaching here, radiation therapy is the best treatment available for the patients but is very dangerous for the elderly. A combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation is used at this point, often enough effectively.

Heartburn may be the most common physical problem known to man, at least in America where we eat just about anything at anytime. This article will take a brief look at the symptoms and treatment of acid reflux disease and hopefully it will help you to gain victory over your suffering. I believe if you follow what is here you can achieve relief.
Natural Remedies for Heartburn
For the severest acid reflux cases, or the more serious GERD, these over-the-counter remedies will not work. You need to look out for any side effects that may occur if you have been using antacids for a long period of time.

If your physician has diagnosed you with acid reflux then it’s recommended that you visit him on a regular basis even if you think that the problem is gone. Also, it’s very important that you tell your healthcare provider what herbal treatments you were using to cure your condition because this will help make a correct evaluation.
Gerd information
The treatment of acid reflux may be dependent on if the stomach acid is volatile. Sometimes it ends up volatile, for whatever reason, and you need to calm it down. I’ve found that vinegar works well because of the natural enzymes. Just add more vinegar based food to your diet and you’ll be all set.

One can always deal with the gastric acid reflux disease in an effective manner, that is to say, if the disease has not reached a very bad stage. If you remain aware of yourself and employ proper measures to tackle this problem, you will get well soon.

As well as using herbal teas, another well known herbal treatment for acid reflux is chicory root which can also help to treat other digestive problems as well. This particular herb can easily be found in either your local health food store or grocery store as well as being available for purchase online.

The most common heartburn and acid reflux symptoms in women are the same for men, other than those found during the pregnancy. These would include, but not limited to, a burning sensation behind the chest plate that intensifies when bending over or stooping down, problems swallowing, an irritated throat and a scratchy sounding voice, a gassy feeling coupled with burping and an upset stomach.

Another option of treatment for acid reflux disease is vinegar. It has natural enzymes that calm the stomach acid. Obviously you can’t just drink bottles of vinegar, you need to add it into your diet. The vinegar based products like salad dressing and ketchup that you add in, the less likely you’re going to experience any form of acid reflux.

Creating home remedies for acid reflux is easy if you have the required ingredients. Things like cabbage, pineapples, papaya and vegetables are usually important elements that are used to make ginger root, apple cider vinegar and things like that. It should be reminded that these home remedies may only fix your problems temporary. If you are still facing acid reflux issues, then you are suggested to seek doctors’ advice for long term treatment.

Heartburn is a very unpleasant condition but if you’re patient, you can forget about the symptoms very fast. I recommend you try these herbal acid reflux remedies but as always, make sure you consult your doctor first before proceeding.