Health Articles

Just the mere fact that you are reading this is proof you want to quit smoking and break free of your nicotine habit. As an ex-smoker myself, I can tell you truthfully the trials involved in quitting are not easy but it can be done and the rewards are awesome! Let me help you get started toward your goal with a few simple steps.

Step 1

The absolute most important part of acquiring your goal to be smoke free is your motivation and drive to quit. You have to be ready to meet your obstacles head on and stay focused on your quest. You are the only one who can say you are ready. No one else can say it for you or force it on you. If you have tried and failed in the past take heart, you may be the best candidate! Studies have shown that people who have tried to quit and failed are the ones who eventually succeed!

Step 2

Recognize and be ready for the fact that you are going to go through some pretty uncomfortable nicotine withdrawals. You are going to have overwhelming cravings to smoke. You may experience insomnia, tiredness, sore throat, coughing and a variety of other symptoms. Remember, withdrawal is short term. There are proven nicotine replacement aids that can ease your symptoms and help you get though this temporary phase. The aids come in the form of prescription drugs, gum, lozenges, patches or sprays. I preferred the sprays when I quit but each smoker is different. Research and find the one that suits your lifestyle the best.

Step 3

Name and recognize your triggers. Triggers are the things or moments you associate with smoking. They are the things and moments that will make you want to reach for a cigarette out of habit. For instance, perhaps you always enjoyed a cigarette with your morning paper or right after each meal. Acknowledge what your triggers are and try to rearrange your routine. Perhaps you could take a stroll after each meal. You will not be able to avoid all your triggers so when you do encounter one just recognize it for what it is and realize it will pass.

Step 4

Ask for help. To quit smoking successfully you need the support of those around you. Let your loved ones and fellow workers know that you are trying to quit. Ask them to bear with you if you experience any crankiness during your withdrawal phase. If any of them are smokers, request they try to refrain from smoking while you are around them. Seek out a support group. There is nothing better than having someone who has gone through the same thing to guide you along. If you are not particularly a people person, try one of the online groups. You are not in this alone and perhaps you can help someone else along the way! Establishing a support system is one of the more important steps.

So to start your journey with the method to quit smoking in four simple steps, admit you are ready, find a nicotine replacement aid, recognize your triggers and ask for help. The road this journey will take you on may be a little hilly but keep driving forward. Once you reach the end, you will be rewarded with a smoke free life. It is awesome and I know you can do it!
Yes, You CAN do it!

Hear a Sibling’s Perspective

Siblings of those with autism are anything but typical. They have wisdom beyond their years. They have a true understanding of what it means to be different. They have learned to compromise, negotiate and are the future social workers and great psychologists of our time.

We interviewed a nine year old boy about what it’s like to have a brother with Asperger’s syndrome. His answers were profound and his clarity of the situation impressed us. Many parents with children on the autism spectrum are concerned with the impact the disorder has on siblings. Adam Aviram, a young child put it all into perspective. He eloquently lets us know what it’s like having a ten year old brother with Asperger’s syndrome.

Typical to Asperger’s, his brother Dean Aviram (10 years old) has a passion. He loves history. He probably knows more than most adults and enjoys in depth conversations about world leaders and past events. Adam, on the other hand enjoys soccer and playing the Wii in his spare time. When it comes to playing with his brother, he tells us they enjoy sharing information. He proudly announced that he and his brother are working on building a time machine. This might not be typical kids play, but it doesn’t faze Adam. In fact, when asked how he thinks the pair would play differently if his brother did not have Asperger’s, he figures that it would be so different, he couldn’t possibly imagine it.

Adam says that he and his brother are really good friends. When asked “What’s one of the best thing about Asperger’s?” he doesn’t skip a beat. He doesn’t have to remember things because he knows his brother will. We agree that must be pretty convenient. When asked “What’s something frustrating about Asperger’s syndrome?” he lets us know that his brother loves the computer, and it’s hard to get him away from it when Adam wants to have fun instead.

Ask an adult to describe Aspergers and you’re likely to get a detailed explanation, or perhaps a technical one. But Adam Aviram, with his 9 years of wisdom simply tells it like it is. “Aspergers is a type of autism and it’s hard for people to have a good conversation with other people.” We certainly can’t argue with that!

When asked if he thinks his friends notice something different about his brother, he says “Yes.” But it doesn’t bother him and they don’t ask for details. They are however curious about why Adam likes to hang out with children on the autism spectrum during school lunch. That’s when he explains that he’s helping people, and that he’s interested because his brother has Asperger’s syndrome. Like many children with siblings on the autism spectrum, Adam goes above and beyond. He proves that not only is he an excellent brother, but an advocate to those with autism, and perhaps a pioneer of our times.
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Parents are concerned about the family dynamic and the responsibility a child must bear when their sibling has autism. However, they can take comfort that siblings are resilient, open minded and accepting of the situation just the way it is.

In general, for metal to cause a problem it needs to be in a moist environment. It is moisture that corrodes the metal which then gets released into the body. Where do these moist environments and metal come together?
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Your skin is one moist place that can cause a problem. Sweat is basically salt water and is very corrosive. Have you ever seen a car that spent many years by the beach? Your skin is causing the same corrosive reaction with every piece of metal it comes in contact with. Jewelry, belt buckles, zippers, buttons, utensils; the list is endless. Once the sweat breaks down the metal it is absorbed by the skin and your body may mount an allergic response. Part of that response is for the body to create killer attack cells called Macrophages. The macrophage will destroy everything that it comes in contact with, including the skin itself. This allergic response, and the resulting skin damage it causes, is the exact same response as poison ivy!

However, another very moist place is inside our bodies. Metal gets there through the use of artificial joints, pace makers, pins, screws and orthodontics. The inner human body is very moist and can quickly cause problems. The macrophages that are created can attack internal tissue causing destruction of organs from which serious infection can result. There are many documented cases of artificial joints having to be removed due to the patient suffering a severe allergic reaction to the cobalt or titanium, a metal that is often touted as “hypo-allergenic”. Orthodontic devices have had to be removed when patients suffered severe reactions to the nickel that was used in their braces.

Another point of entry is food. Did you know that foods can contain metal naturally? Sometime in your life you were probably told to eat your spinach because it was high in iron. One metal of particular concern is nickel and it can be found naturally in the foods we eat. Foods like green beans are high in nickel. What does eating a high nickel diet do to someone that has nickel allergy? Studies are starting to suggest that it causes system wide issues with the most common complaint being chronic skin conditions. For highly allergic people doctors might suggest a nickel free diet.

Not only does metal occur in foods naturally, humans also introduce metals into foods in the strangest ways. Did you know that toothpaste is white because it is mixed with titanium dioxide, a powdered form of the metal titanium? Titanium dioxide is also used to make bright food coloring. Did you know the little white “M” on M&M candies is printed using titanium dioxide paint? Cookware could also cause problems for nickel allergy sufferers. If an acidic food, such as tomato sauce, is cooked in a pot that contains nickel it is thought that the nickel can leech out into the food itself.

Many allergic reactions are over harmless substances because the body is not very good at telling the difference. This also applies to metals that your body comes in contact with. Nickel allergy is common and becoming more of a problem everyday, however, nickel is just one form of metal and metal is just one substance of many that can cause an allergic reaction. When you discover what you are allergic to you can focus on finding alternatives. Unfortunately, for nickel allergy sufferers this means learning to live a nickel free life.
Janice Enright

Who else would like a natural diabetes treatment that actually gets diabetes or pre diabetes under control?

That seems like a tall order. About half the population of adults in middle age (45 to 70) will struggle with diabetes. The rate is increasing. And the consequences are potentially devastating – kidney disease, blindness, and possible death.

So, what’s the biggest thing to focus on?

Consider this.

High blood glucose (sugar) is the heart of diabetes, it’s what is causing the damage to your body, overloading your kidneys, making your eyes swell, making your body tear down fat and muscle cells.

What lowers blood glucose? What’s the most effective natural diabetes treatment?

Exercising more and eating less. Exercise burns up glucose in place of insulin. Eating less puts less sugar in your system to begin with and as you lose weight your decrease insulin resistance.

Why is that important?

Your cells need glucose. It’s the fuel for your body’s furnace. Insulin is what gets your cells to open the gates to blood glucose.

You eat too much sugar over time and your cells become resistant to insulin; so they don’t allow the glucose in; they starve; and the glucose floats around in your blood and eventually your urine and wreaks havoc.

So, get this problem.

If you have diabetes (or you’re developing it) either you body doesn’t produce enough insulin (type 1) or your cells are becoming resistant to it (type 2), so you have too much sugar floating in your blood.

Eat less, you get less sugar in. Eat less, and your insulin resistance drops and your cells use more of the sugar and less floats around in your blood.

In fact, when Dr. Alan Rubin (the author of one of the leading desk references on diabetes) was asked for the simplest diet as a natural diabetes treatment, what do you suppose he said?

• Cut your portions in half.
• There’s a lot more you can do. But that’s the basics.

Now the good news.

If you don’t have a track record of success on a diet, you can still be successful with diabetes.

There are natural diabetes treatments that are optimized for what you need to do to fight diabetes: suppress your appetite, help insulin do it’s job, and attract glucose transporters so the sugar doesn’t float around in your blood.

Here are some stop smoking tips that will help you quit nicotine easily and permanently:

Tip #1: Stop relying on old, outdated methods that rely mainly on willpower!

You’re ready and dedicated to quit smoking. You’re willing to do whatever it takes right? This type of commitment is to be admired but the bad news is… It’s not going to be enough!

In our culture struggle is seen as a natural and even admirable process of getting what we want. But when it comes to quitting smoking, relying on will power and determination only makes things worse for most people. You probably know what I’m talking about. Have you tried numerous stop smoking programs and products only to fail time and time again? It’s not your fault! You’re just following instructions… instructions that are, unfortunately, outdated and just don’t work!

Tip #2: You have to truly want a life without smoking more that the cigarettes themselves!

This may sound obvious, but the fact remains that some people just aren’t ready to quit. Try to imagine how much healthier and happier you and your family would be if you could kick the habit.

Tip #3: Find a proven method that fine tunes your mind without the need for will power!

In spite of the all the ineffective methods for stopping smoking, there are in fact a few effective ones… ones that DO NOT rely on pure will power or artificial aids.

One such method is called Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and it is without a doubt the easiest and fastest way to quit smoking permanently. NLP fine tunes your subconscious so the desire to light up disappears. There is no will power involved outside of actually following through with the instructions.

A gum disease treatment is something that your doctor will do in-office. It may involve minor surgery, the use of lasers or in-office ‘deep cleanings’. However, these in-office treatments by themselves – may not provide the results your are looking for or the problem may recur later.

This is because there is a critical component to gum disease treatments that you should be aware of. Namely, you need to take care of your gums at home. This requires knowledge and daily work. Failure in this area will limit the success of your doctor’s in-office treatment.

You can ask your doctor or any dental professional. The key to improved gum tissue health revolves more fully around what you do at home. Without this work at home on your part, it is very possible that more expensive and possibly painful (during the recovery) treatments will be on the horizon.

The good news is that most people can improve their gum health at home and even avoid expensive treatments through good oral care maintenance at home. The bad news is that like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand, your unprotected end is exposed to whatever may happen next.

Unfortunately, even your doctor and other professionals in the office may not tell you what you can do at home, beyond basic brushing and flossing, to improve your gum health. Some do, but many do not.

This creates a puzzle for patients that many are not even aware of. This puzzle must be solved. Having the right tools and right understanding about combating gum disease is crucial to your success.

Osteoarthritis and Knee Replacement
Do you suffer knee pain? Do you notice abnormal knee swelling after walking or light physical activity? Do you have osteoarthritis and are avoiding the doctor because you don’t want knee surgery? Surgical knee replacement is a highly successful treatment for arthritis. Many patients regain up to 90% of mobility and quality of life after surgery. You may suffer from cartilage tears (meniscus tears). There are two menisci in your knee, made up of tough cartilage conforming to your bones. If these tear or wear down, the bones rub against each other and cause severe pain. If cartilage tears are caused through age and not traumatic injury, the symptoms can appear arthritic. Whether you have a meniscus tear or osteoarthritis, you may need knee replacement surgery.

Prior to any operation for knee pain or cartilage tears, you will need to discuss a range of issues with your doctor or surgeon. He/she will make an assessment of your knee including x-rays or other imaging techniques. Drugs such as aspirin that you are taking to deal with the pain and knee swelling may affect the body’s ability to clot blood – be sure to let your doctor know. Your doctor may refer you to a surgeon for knee arthroscopy – where a small camera is surgically inserted into the knee so your orthopedic surgeon can diagnose the best procedure.

Knee replacement surgery has made great strides in 50 years. Patients used to be happy with 100 degrees of knee flexibility. Now, many patients find they get up to 155 degrees of flexibility with a greater sense of knee rotation and complete relief of cartilage tears, knee pain and knee swelling. Aggressive physiotherapy is necessary after knee arthroscopy and replacement surgery to gain this much mobility. Activities such as cycling and swimming promote the strength building in the hamstrings and quadriceps.

Recovery from knee arthroscopy and replacement surgery is quicker now because the operation is less invasive. Only a small 9cm incision in needed and no incisions into the quadriceps are required. Knee replacement surgery is not as unbearable as you might think – in fact the relief of knee pain and knee swelling greatly improves the quality of life. There are things you should be aware of and steps you will need to take when the surgery is over to get back your mobility, but the result will be a better quality of life.
Knee arthroscopy:

While there have been great advances in medical technology, a successful outcome is determined by the patient’s attitude and willingness to do the necessary therapy. Based on their experience, many doctors have somewhat low expectations for recovery and may not be very encouraging. It is up to the patient to find and follow an exercise program that has already shown proven results. Equally important is finding a trainer or mentor who has a positive attitude toward recovery from knee surgery and who can teach anyone the same mindset. Believing it can be done and working with someone who has already achieved the desired results is the key to returning to normal activities and remaining free from pain.

Low back pain is unfortunately one of the most common maladies of modern man. I say modern man because it is doubtful that our primitive ancestors abused their backs in the ways that we do. Modern civilization has taken us out of the healthy exercise mode of wandering and gathering food, of cultivating food and made us into sedentary “couch potatoes”.

The effect that this has had on our lower backs is obvious. Our sitting postures are generally quite unhealthy, slouching and allowing our lower backs to go into flexion puts a strain on the back which will eventually cause discomfort, sometimes mild but sometimes severe. Considering the number of people that spend many hours daily sitting with poor posture (especially for long periods), it is no wonder that lower back pain is so prevalent in our society.
Chronic back pain
Improper lifting is another cause of low back pain. The correct way to lift a heavy object is to place it between your feet, squat down; bending your knees, grasp the object and rise straight up using the powerful muscles of your legs to lift the weight. It is very important to lift straight up and to be careful to avoid any twisting during the lift. Your body just wasn’t made to tolerate this type of force. Awkward lifting situations are a very common cause of low back pain and should definitely be avoided.

Although we can’t avoid sitting, there are some ways we can avoid the resulting low back pain. First of all, try to break up your sitting periods; take a break, drink some water, go to the restroom, or any activity that will allow you to get up from your sitting position, even if only for a few minutes. Better yet do a few stretching exercises.

The very best one I know of is very simple and easy to do; just stand up straight, put both hands on your hips and lean backwards as far as you can, hold that for a couple of seconds, and return to your starting position. You only need to do a few of these several times a day to keep your low back healthy. Here’s to your good health.

Lower back pain exercises

If you have acute back pain due to strain or minor injury, then limited rest for 24 to 72 hours can help. Too much inactivity can worsen such problems, though. So it is a good idea to get moving as soon as you feel comfortable, and not to let your fear of pain keep you immobilized. Start with gentle, small movements and work from there.

Any exercises that move you into comfortable positions tend to be the best for treating back problems. So avoid activities and positions that could cause or increase back pain. Comfortable exercise and gentle activity are the best combination to stay flexible, build strength, and reduce back pain symptoms.

Lower back pain exercises include three basic types:
(1) strengthening exercises that focus on the back, legs, and stomach, to increase spinal support;
(2) stretches that increase your muscle and tissue flexibility, which makes them less prone to injury; and
(3) aerobic exercises, to strengthen the back and other muscles, along with the heart.
Abnormal pap smear
First, here are two lower back pain exercises that can help you stretch and strengthen. The great thing about these two is that you can do them nearly anywhere. As you do each exercise, pay attention to proper form and don’t move any faster than you feel is safe.

1. An easy back stretch:

A lot of back pain comes from doing desk work. Every hour or so, stand up, spread your feet apart slightly, place your fingertips into the hollow of the lower back, and slowly stretch back so that your shoulders and face move toward the ceiling. Keeping your balance, reach a comfortable position, and go no further. Hold this position for five to ten seconds. You may want to inhale and exhale “into the lower back” once or twice to help relieve tension and increase your depth of relaxation. Then repeat several times. The reason this works is that it moves the body into a position that is contrary to the sitting at the desk position, so it’s great for breaking up tension. Try it!

2. An easy back strengthener:

Lie on the floor, facing the ceiling. Relax your back against the floor. Bend your knees and place your feet flat against the floor. Slowly raise your head and shoulders. Keep your eyes fixed on the ceiling. Count to two, holding this position. Slowly bring your head and shoulders to the floor again. Do this sequence a total of twenty times.

3. Aerobic exercises:

Easy aerobic exercises include walking, bicycling, swimming, and wading in waist-deep water. These activities increase the level of oxygen in your body, which helps to keep back muscles healthy.

For most, walking is the easiest and most accessible form of exercise to decrease lower back stress. Walking is far less stressful than standing still, because as you shift the weight from leg to leg, you are giving the other leg “half time off.” This constant and alternating release of weight supports improved back health. So take a walk three days a week for at least twenty minutes. It’s a great antidote to sitting at the desk or standing on your feet!

Asthma is among the top ten most common lung related diseases according to world health organization. Studies show that there are many causes for asthma. They can be hereditary, environmental or even lifestyle causes. Although it is a symptom, asthma is only one of the diseases that may lead to an abnormal activity of the body called wheezing.
Wheezing Is Common Asthma Symptom for Adults
Wheezing, according to medical dictionaries is the whistling noise in the chest during breathing when the airways are narrowed or compressed. Wheezing, according to health experts is caused by nearly 586 diseases, but asthma and chronic heart diseases are the most common.

Wheezing is accompanied by shortness of breath, fast breathing or coughing up phlegm. It is common for heart disease patients as well. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart pumps inadequately because of complications such as prolonged hypertension or heart valve disease. As a result, blood backs up in the venous system.

In some cases, such a backup causes the lungs to become swollen and congested and leads to wheezing. This condition, called pulmonary edema, is an acute and potentially life-threatening symptom of congestive heart failure.

For asthma-caused wheezing, it is triggered by something that reached the sensitivity of the passage or air ways such as fumes, cigarette smoke, perfume, or even those little potpourris. The trigger may dry the bronchial tissue and constricts the smooth muscles in the lungs. Wheezing may also be caused by the inhalation of a foreign object, which blocks the larynx or bronchial tubes.

Mild wheezing may also accompany respiratory infections such as acute bronchitis and may be experienced by patients in heart failure and by some with emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD. But the characteristic whistling sound of wheezing is a primary symptom of the chronic respiratory disease asthma.
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However, wheezing that develops suddenly and is accompanied by other symptoms, as well as chronic wheezing that worsens suddenly, may signal a life-threatening emergency.
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Recurring sleep problems in a child with autism can affect mood, stamina, behavior, socialization, and their ability to do well at school or with their work. Having trouble falling asleep each night, talking, waking up once or more per night, waking after too little sleep and staying up all day: it’s a wonder they can perform at all with such a low amount of energy and rest to rely upon. Naturally, this also affects everyone working with the child and those caring for them. Therefore it is in everyone’s best interest to look into different ways to help these children overcome these barriers to being at their best each day.

Some important factors to consider are:

- diet

- schedule

- bedtime and pre-bedtime routines

- exercise (different kinds can have different effects on alertness or a relaxed state in the body)

- recognizing problems that require medical attention

- keeping a diary to record the day and night time observations and progress

- maintaining progress made

There are many available resources to help with this. If you belong to an autism family/parent support group, listen and ask if any other parents have autistic children with sleep problems, and ask them how they are working on it. There are a number of people who may already be involved in the therapies for your child whom you are already consulting or seeing for appointments that you can ask, and they may even have other clients or patients whom they know are successfully making progress with improving sleep. These could include your family doctor, your pediatrician, your naturopath, your child’s psychologist, your speech pathologist, your occupational therapist…the list goes on. There are also accredited sleep centers and support groups that you can look for on the Internet to see what is local or closest to your area.
Movement Disorders
A proper night’s sleep each night that includes enough deep sleep is essential to your child’s happiness and directly affects how well they do each day. It is no different for the rest of us, either; being at our best gives us better access to the best in ourselves, which means we feel better and have more to give, too.