Healthy Tips For Better Live

Archive for November, 2009

Modern-day natural hormone replacement therapy is very flexible and safe and only a minority of menopausal women is told by their doctors that they should avoid it. However, if you suffer from, or have a history of cancer and severe liver disease, you will probably be advised never to take estrogen.

Your physician will discourage you to take hormone replacement if you have an estrogen-sensitive cancer, such as breast or endometrial cancer. They are generally reluctant to give estrogen to menopausal women who have previously been treated for uterine cancer, because it is possible may stimulate the distant spread of the cancer. However, if the cancer was detected in the early stages and was determined to be of a less aggressive type and if the patient has remained cancer-free for many years, some doctors feel that is safe o prescribe estrogen in small doses if a menopausal patient complains of severe symptoms of estrogen deficiency. Some menopausal women who have been successfully treated for breast cancer find that they are unable tot tolerate a complete lack of sex hormones in their bodies and hormone replacement therapy regimen using small doses of estrogen and larger doses of progesterone can often be worked out for them. They may opt to take this type of therapy after weighing all the pros and cons with a cancer specialist. If the cancer has been completely removed and there is no sign of invasion into the blood vessels and the lymph glands in the armpits are free of cancer, there is approximately a 75 percent chance of a complete cure. Taking hormone replacement does not dramatically affect this figure. A post menopausal cancer patient may live another 20 to 30 years after successful treatment for breast cancer and she may not want to run the increased risk of bone fracture or heart attack that may ultimately occur in the absence of estrogen in her body.

Severe liver disease, such as cirrhosis may also be a contraindication for hormone replacement therapy. Severe liver disease makes it difficult for your liver to break down or metabolize estrogen. Normal doses of estrogen replacement usually overtax a diseased liver so that liver function may worsen. Mild to moderate liver disease is not necessarily a contraindication to estrogen replacement, although in such a case it is wise you use only estrogen patches or vaginal estrogen, as these are most unlikely to overwork your liver. It is best to avoid oral estrogens in all cases of liver disease. If you have liver disease, you will need to consult your gastroenterologist about the type of liver disease you have. A blood test may be used to confirm the presence of a liver disease.

There are several other medical problems that make many doctors think twice before prescribing estrogen replacement therapy to their menopausal patients. They are not, however, absolute reasons that you cannot take this form of treatment; you can, but extra vigilance and care is called for. These are: recent and severe blood clots and thrombosis, severe high blood pressure that is difficult to control with antihypertensive medications, fibroids or endometriosis, gallbladder disease, benign breast disease and systemic lupus erythematosus. If you are suffering from menopausal symptoms but feel that estrogen replacement therapy is too dangerous for you, you may increase the amount of foods in your diet that are sources of natural estrogens.

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Iron deficiency during pregnancy appears to be a common problem. About 30 mg of iron is required by a pregnant woman, which is double the amount of normal requirement. Iron is necessary for the formation of hemoglobin in blood of both the mother and the child.

The amount of blood increases by 40% during pregnancy. This increase in blood is required to supply essential nutrients for the proper development of fetus. This requires the extra production of hemoglobin in mother’s body. The fetus also produces hemoglobin for its blood. This is the reason for iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy.

Excess menstruation (menorrhagia), characterized by loss of abnormal quantities of blood during menstruation is another cause of iron deficiency anemia in women.

Counter Iron Deficiency Anemia the Natural Way with Ayurveda

The single important remedy directed by Ayurveda is intake of green leafy vegetables, nuts, broccoli, beans, whole grain food items, lean meat, poultry, seafood etc. One herb singled out as the best source of easy accumulated iron is muringa leaves.

Moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaves have different nutrients like beta-carotene, Vitamin C, proteins and potassium. Iron is an important nutrient in moringa leaves, which can be cooked like spinach. The leaves can also be dried and powdered to be used in different forms including soups.

Fenugreek, lettuce, spinach, beets and soybeans are essential vegetables you need to include in your diet. Fresh honey is also a source of easily digestible nutrients, which should be made use of.

Milk from cows growing in natural conditions, pomegranate etc are other food sources you can depend on.

Ayurvedic food supplement Chyavanaprash also helps, especially when you take it with warm milk mixed with a dash of turmeric.

A good golf swing starts with a strong base of support (hips, pelvis and lumbar spine). A highly conditioned base of support will provide stability throughout the swing and allow forces to be effectively transferred from the legs through the hips to the upper body to produce optimal power and control. A strong base helps protect the joints and other supporting tissues against the strong compression, shear and torsion forces that occur during the golf swing. Unfortunately, there are a number of factors that predispose the golfer to developing poor postural patterns and muscle imbalance that result in a weak base of support.

For much of our young lives we were stuck sitting in school hunched over our desk. We finish school and begin our careers. Many of us now find ourselves spending excessive time in our cars or sitting in poorly designed chairs hunched in front of a computer. Over time we are conditioned to have tight hip flexors and a lazy posture. Poor posture and muscle imbalance decrease musculoskeletal efficiency and disrupt communication within the neuromuscular system. Short tight muscles display a lower activation threshold, meaning they fire at times when they should be less active or inactive. Over activation of dominant muscles leads to decreased neural control to their opposing muscles. Simply stated, “when one muscle becomes tight and overactive its opposing muscle becomes loose and lazy.” Tight dominant hip flexors create weak and lazy hip extensors (gluteals)and set off a chain reaction of dysfunction.

Tight hip flexors pull the pelvis into a forward tilt leading to an excess curvature of the lumbar spine. As a result the muscles of the abdominal wall lengthen and weaken while the muscles of the lumbar spine get short and tight. This pattern also causes disruption in our body’s lateral stabilization system. The hip abductors (muscles that move the legs away from the center of the body) along with their opposing adductors (muscles that move the legs toward the center of the body) work to stabilize the pelvis during lateral movement. Inefficiency in this lateral stabilization system inhibits coordination and hinders proper weight shift through the golf swing. So what we are left with are weak hip extensors (gluteal muscles) that can’t drive the hips through the swing, dominant hip flexors that won’t allow the hips to open to allow a full turn, tight spinal flexors that are forced to do the work of the weak hip extensors, but are to tight to make a full rotation, and a lack of coordination needed to make consistently good ball contact. To make matters worse most golfers spending hours at the driving range reinforcing and strengthening this dysfunctional pattern. Is it any wonder the average golf score hasn’t dropped in decades?

To break this pattern of dysfunction and build a strong base of support we must first establish coordinated muscle firing among the deep stabilizing abdominal musculature, the hip flexors and extensors, hip abductors and adductors, and spinal flexors, extensors and rotators. This is accomplished through the activation and strengthening of weak and inhibited muscles, and stretching the tight and dominant muscles. Once these muscles are re-educated and coordinated muscle firing is established we can then work to build optimal strength and power.

The first step in this process is the development of the deep abdominal and pelvic musculature. This is done by mastering the abdominal brace. The abdominal brace differs from the traditional abdominal training that encourages “abdominal hollowing” a.k.a. the “draw in” maneuver. With the “draw in” maneuver we are told to pull or draw our belly buttons towards our spines. Research has shown that drawing in actually lessens abdominal activation and decreases lumbar – pelvic- hip stability. The abdominal brace is an isometric contraction of the abdominal muscles meaning the abs are neither pulled in nor pushed out. This maneuver should be the first step of every exercise as it is the foundation of lumbar, pelvic, and hip stabilization. The following exercise will allow you to master this movement and re-educate the lower abdominal wall and allow the deep pelvic stabilizers to fire efficiently.

Abdominal Brace

o Lay in a supine position (on your back) with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

o Brace your abdominals by tightening abdominals as if you were going to take a punch in the gut.

o Return to a relaxed position and repeat.

Tips

o Control Movement is the key. While performing these exercises pay strict attention to NOT allow the use of the legs (hip flexors and /or gluteals) while contracting the abdominals. The only muscles contracting are the abdominal wall; place your hands on the belly button to feel this isolated contraction

o There should be no tension in your neck or shoulders.

Don’t limit the abdominal brace to exercise. Practicing the brace with all activity (sitting, walking, driving, golfing, etc) will help you develop the endurance your abdominals need to maintain a strong base of support as well as a healthy back.

A study presented by researchers at the American College of Sports Medicine’s 51st annual meeting showed that golfers who possess strong hip muscles have lower handicaps and longer driving distances than those with weak hip muscles. This makes sense since muscles of the hip and pelvis play a major role in stabilizing the trunk and transferring forces from the lower body through the upper body and arms during the golf swing. The ability of the hip extensors (gluteals and hamstrings) and lumbar extensors to fire in concert also allows the body to react to and counteract the rapid rotational forces of the golf swing. The problem here, as we have already discussed, is many golfers have inhibited hip extensors and tight and dominant lumbar flexors. Under the best of circumstances our spines were not designed to swing a golf club. Now we compound the issue repeatedly forcing our spinal muscles to do the job of our hip extensors to power through the swing. Spinal extensor muscles don’t have the size or strength to do this, hence the tremendous incidence of over use injury and lower back pain among golfers. So, what we need to do is quite down our lumbar extensors to allow the hip extensors to do their job.

The Bird Dog exercise progression effectively helps develop stabilization, coordination and strength of the spine. The key to this type of exercise is learning and then maintaining “neutral” spine. Neutral does not mean straight, it means allowing the natural curves to be present. This is imperative to allow the spine to function properly and movement to occur in a stress free manner. The golf club placed the length of the spine is an excellent cue that allows the golfer to feel the proper spinal positions and make necessary corrections. The club shaft should be in contact with only three points; the base of the head, the center of the back and the middle of the pelvis. Concave spaces should be seen at the neck and lower back.

Dog 1

o Position yourelf on your hands and knees with a golf club placed along your spine; make sure the rod contacts 3 points only (head-middle back-pelvis).

o Brace your abdominals and slowly raise one hand and the opposite knee just off the floor ( no more than 1/4 inch). Hold for five to ten seconds.

o Return to the start position and alternate sides.

Tips

o The club must remain in contact with all 3 contact points (head, mid back, pelvis).

Once you have mastered the Dog 1 then you can move to the next progression. Dog 2 adds the components of hip extension and shoulder flexion. This exercise is extremely effective in re-establishing efficiency in extensor chain (hip, lumbar, and cervical extensors).

Dog II
o Position yourelf on your hands and knees with a golf club placed along your spine; make sure the rod contacts 3 points only (head-middle back-pelvis).

o Brace your abdominals, slowly extend one arm (thumb up) straight out in front of you and the opposite leg behind you.

o Hold for five to ten seconds and repeat with opposite side.

Tips

o The club must remain in contact with all 3 contact points (head, mid back, pelvis).

o Do not allow your hips to rotate.

The key with Dog 2 is not to allow the lumbar extensors to fire during this movement. After mastering Dog 2 you can then further challenge the hip extensors by adding the bridge exercise. The bridge adds the resistance of body weight to the hip extension movement and further challenges (and strengthens) the deep stabilizers or the lumbar-pelvic-hip complex.

The Bridge

o Lay on your back with your arms placed at your side.
o Brace your abdominals and squeeze your gluteals (buttocks) then raise your hips into a bridge position. Pause and return to starting position.

Tips

o Your feet should remain flat.

o This movement is initiated with the hips not the spinal extensor muscle; no pressure should be felt in the lower back.

o Maintain abdominal and gluteals muscles contraction throughout the full movement.

It is important to implement a good stretching program to lengthen tight muscles as you strengthen your base of support. Aside from the already mentioned hip flexors and lumbar extensors other areas commonly tight among golfers include the muscles of the hamstrings, neck, scapular elevators (upper trapezius and levator scapulae) and shoulder internal rotators. A qualified strength and conditioning or golf fitness professional can provide you with a postural and biomechanical analysis that can provide a more detailed picture of your specific areas of need. Improving your base of support will add distance and control to your game and help prevent, reduce, and possibly eliminate golf related pain and injury.

A commonly prescribed medical test used these days to decipher if you are sick, experiencing trouble, healthy or to better pinpoint a current internal, medical issue, such as anemia, is a blood test known as a Complete Blood Count Test, or more commonly, CBC, the acronym.

Anemia strikes and affects more than three million men and women each and every year, among the American population. In fact, Anemia, of all blood conditions is the most common.

Humans could not carry on unless we had blood flowing from top to bottom within our bodies. Thus it makes perfect sense it is one of the first tests ordered by your doctor when determining diagnosis. CBC blood tests are often shouted by doctors in t.v. dramas these days, but in actuality, it is a vital step in being sure what is normal and what is abnormal with you, internally.

In the case of Anemia, your doctor may prescribe a complete blood count test to detect is lacking the vital, red blood cells that all humans need in order to get and maintain an optimal amount of oxygen in your blood. Oxygen fuels each of your organs so that they may perform best: ensuring a healthy heart, lungs, brain, every major organ and all the minor organs in between depend on oxygen.

If your blood has too few red blood cells, another factor comes into play: low counts of hemoglobin, ultimately resulting in too little iron in your blood. A major and most common reason why individuals fall short of energy, constantly feel tired and fatigued

A CBC blood test [http://www.healthylivingstraighttalk.com/cbcbloodtestscompleteblood.html] can be prescribed by a doctor simply when you’re are under the weather, chronically tired, or even if you simply have a common cold. You don’t have to be inches from your death bed, nor obviously ill to have CBC blood tests ordered.

Next time you have an appointment with your doctor, physician or alternative practitioner for your yearly check-up, if your doctor doesn’t order a CBC Blood Test, by all means, ask he or she does. It is the cheapest, most simple, maybe even life-saving thing you can do and should do at least once a year.

Your complete blood count test, or CBC represents your internal (which fuels your exterior) health and if there is something to worry about, odds are, warning signs will be found within your blood and its makeup. There are exceptions to the case, but be on the safe side, anyways. Many determining factors are researched with CBC Blood Tests: white blood cells and red blood cells or levels, the HCT (or Hematocrit, which basically is defined by the volume of space which your blood takes up), Hgb (or Hemoglobin which accounts for the oxygen inside your blood cells), and platelet counts which determines your blood’s ability to clot.

Too many or too few of another essential part of your blood, depending on what numbers reveal themselves could be a alert that tells your medical team what is really happening inside you. While the diagnosis variations can be numerous and cover a wide spectrum, having your CBC Blood Test at least once per year, after visiting your doctor can hand you answers to most questions about your internal and external health, that physical touch, listening to your heart, checking your lungs and using a tongue depressor just can’t do.

A CBC (Complete Blood Count) Test (or Tests) can provide you specific answers to why you’re fatigued, not feeling ‘normal’, showing bruising for ‘no reason’, having chest pains, have an infection, are showing allergic reactions, plus a truck load of other potential issues. But, perhaps even more vital, these blood tests allow you the potentially life-saving, life stretching benefit of catching early alerts and signs of maybe hazardous and life shortening trouble if allowed to grow. Write this down now for both yourself and your family to consistently (at least annually) take part in a CBC Blood Test or Complete Blood Count Tests. Sure, may save your life, but even if nothing is terribly out of order, it is a simple way to boost the quality of your life.

Since people have become more conscious about their looks and personality, cosmetic surgeries and treatments are getting more popularity. At present, it has become very easy to get more attractive look, as various cosmetic surgeries and treatments are there to help people in getting the perfect look. All cosmetic treatments and surgeries are helping people in enhancing their confidence. For people, who feel awkward just because of their crooked or misaligned teeth cosmetic dentistry is the best option. With it they can get rid of their ugly teeth string without any trouble. In fact, present lifestyle is playing key role in developing various tooth and gums related problems, as with present lifestyle, people are paying very less attention to their oral hygiene and care. Bad eating habits and ignorance of oral hygiene develops a layer outside teeth and gems that cause various major oral and gums related problems. These problems not only affect your health bus also make you less attractive. If you are facing any such problems and want to solve it as soon as possible then cosmetic dentistry in NYC can prove to be a good solution for you. It offers you a wide range of oral and gum care facilities facilities, so that you smile may regain its lost charm.

Cosmetic dentistry in NYC is highly beneficial for improving appearance of a person’s smile and overall personality. As it offers a wide range of services, it can help you in getting solution for every teeth and gum related problem. With it you can also restore your decayed teeth and can get a better oral health. With emergence of cosmetic dentistry in NYC, residents of NYC have also managed to get a solution for every oral and teeth related problem. Now they can approach any efficient dentist very easily, as there are n numbers of dentists in NYC, who are running their private but authorized clinics. Cosmetic dentistry not only relieved people from stress of wearing uncomfortable braces but also boosted their confidence level.

With cosmetic dentistry in NYC, all dental treatments have easy to access, as it provide every dental treatment under one roof. With it a patient will never have to visit various clinics to have various treatments. Now people are getting their dream smile without any effort, as with the help of internet and websites of such clinics they can get online appointment an efficient dentist in NYC. their missing tooth replaced just through few sittings with dentist. Moreover, getting a dazzling white smile or realigning a misaligned teeth is also very easy now. In fact, it is making people smile freely and more confidently, as it enhancing their overall personality.

Cosmetic dentistry NYC includes procedures such as filling, teeth whitening, dental veneers, bonding and dental implants. With it broken or decayed teeth can also be replaced, as procedures like bonding are also available within this section of dentistry. Bonding is a process of filling a crooked teeth, in which teeth are polished and shaped after completing the process of filling the teeth. This polishing helps the tooth in getting its original color and shine. People, who have lost the original white color of their teeth due to smoking or poor oral hygiene, can also make their teeth white and shiny with it.

“Tooth decay, also known as dental cavities, or dental caries, is a disease that is five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever.” — Michael C. Alfano, Dean of the New York University College of Dentistry.

As warned by the World Health Organization, tooth decay is one of the world’s most prevalent health problems in industrialized and especially in developing countries. An estimate of 90% people in the United States has at least one cavity. Children and senior citizens are the two groups of people at highest risk.

In children, it usually happens when sugar-laden foods such as candies are frequently left on the teeth. In the mouth, there are bacteria that live in plaque (a sticky, whitish film produced by our saliva) that convert the sugar into acids. These acids eat away the tooth’s protective coating also known as the enamel. Excessive destruction of this outer surface of the tooth results in tooth decay.

What makes adults also prone to being afflicted with tooth decay is when aging causes gums to move back from the teeth. Combined with gum disease, this gum recession exposes the tooth root to plaque. This will cause the breakdown of the tooth root. People who already have a number of dental restorations (fillings and crowns) may also suffer from tooth decay, especially around the teeth’s edges, or margins.

The cost of spoiling your sweet tooth. Tooth decay, particularly in the front teeth, may become an impediment towards achieving a pleasing appearance, thus affecting self-esteem. Cavities can also impact an individual’s emotional and social well being by causing pain and discomfort from toothache. In addition to this, it can also cause some serious health problem like malnutrition by interfering with an individual’s ability to eat certain foods. If tooth decay is not treated early, complication from infection could cause swelling of the face and neck, fever and blood poisoning.

Prevention is a lot less expensive AND less painful than treatment. Although tooth decay remains as one of the most common chronic disease, today many people are in better oral health than before. The consolidated effort of dental associations and many other health organizations in raising oral health consciousness, the support of the government, and cooperation from the public made this improvement attainable. Several community-based programs aimed at solving oral health dilemmas are carried out. These include extending fluoridated water and schools having sealant projects for children. However, these programs cannot reach many remote areas where ethnic minorities are and where many people are living in poverty. Their access to formal education and dental care is very limited. This shows the need for more community-based dental programs to help people take care of their teeth.

The American Association for Dental Research and International Association for Dental Research have long been collaborating to disseminate ways of preventing tooth decay. They educate people of how proper oral hygiene methods of brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, regular dental checkup, sealant treatment, flossing, eating nutritious meals, and limiting in-between meals will always be indispensable.

Dental researchers have recently discovered how the bacteria which attack teeth, stick themselves to the enamel. This new information could bring significant benefits to increase the public’s knowledge on eliminating the harmful effects of the tooth decay-causing bacteria (Streptococcus mutans). Aside from this, they are also in the process of developing vaccines against tooth decay and discovering other new methods on targeting and killing the decay-causing bacteria.

Other tooth decay treatments, i.e., dental implants, Healozone gas blast (blast that triggers the saliva to fix the teeth naturally), and squirting genetically modified bacteria that will not produce the decay acid, are also being developed. The use of fiber optics and fluorescence methodologies is also being considered to possibly detect tooth decay much sooner than x-rays and visual inspections can.

These advancements in treating dental cavities are evidences of the increasing attention to oral care. But relying mainly on these discoveries does not guarantee the complete disappearance of tooth decay from the list of the most common global health problems. Further improvements on tooth decay treatment entails expanded dental care education, early interception of poor oral hygiene habits, greater parental involvement in children’s dental health and appreciating how priceless a confident smile is.

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