You've been taking your prescription medication for anxiety for a number of weeks. You feel fine, stable, and happy. The doctor believes its time to stop using the medication. The problem is deep inside you want to keep taking your pills. You feel scared that perhaps you'll be without them, that it will be impossible to cope without them...or maybe you've become addicted.
Benzodiazepines: For Good and For Bad
There are not many drugs that have given so much hope and promise to those wrought with psychological difficulties, like anxiety, insomnia, bi-polar disorder, depression, and more and yet insidiously has caused so much addiction and damage. Benzodiazepines or Benzos for short are a psychoactive family of drugs used to treat many "psychological problems." At first Benzos seem to work and to the person who uses them only for the set time they are prescribed for, is usually able to stop usage when it is needed. The problems with Benzodiazepines arise when the user keeps on taking the medication far beyond the prescribed dosage and time period. The chances of this are higher than one would expect since Benzodiazepines are psychoactive and can ensnare one prone to addiction and even someone who is psychologically imbalanced into the net of Benzodiazepine Addiction.
How To Tell If Someone Has A Benzodiazepine Addiction
Like any other substance addiction a person will eventually "spill the beans" themselves by hitting bottom. The important thing is to identify an addiction before an addict has reached "bottom." It is important to understand that Benzodiazepine Addiction in many ways is no different than any other prescription drug addiction. In all prescription drug addictions there is a rapid increase in dosage and an extension past the alloted time that the drug was prescribed. Addicts usually have a preoccupation with their pills, often time obsessing over them.
Benzodiazepines diverge from other prescription drugs in the sense that they are psychoactive. They are designed specifically to deal with many types of brain imbalances, often times helping to reset a person's psychology. Despite this positive aspect, it is on this point which makes it troublesome for the potential addict. Signs that are special to Benzodiazepine Addiction include: memory impairment, drowsiness, loss of concentration and motor skills, and slurred speech.
Ending A Benzodiazepine Addiction
There are many ways to end a Benzodiazepine Addiction. Of course there are the usual methods, involving medical treatment, along side addiction rehab and psychological care. Despite these methods, there are others, uniquely tailored to Benzodiazepine Addiction. One such method is drawn from what is known as the Ashton Manual. The Manual is named after it's author, Professor Chrystal Heather Ashton of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England who has had first hand experience running a Benzodiazepine withdrawal clinic from 1982-1994. The manual advocates working with a doctor to self taper the doses of Benzodiazepine connected medication. This method eases the withdrawal symptoms and prevents a complete breakdown in the withdrawal process. The most important thing for any addict is to approach a trained addiction professional for help in any avenue of addiction recovery they choose.
Although Benzodiazepine Addiction seems hard to identify and control, with proper information and awareness Benzodiazepine Addiction as all other addictions can be controlled and conquered.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The Truth About Hair Loss
It is normal to shed hair every day and the truth is we loose between 100 - 125 hairs on any given day. Hair that is shed falls out at the end of growth cycle. At any given time 10% of our hair is in what is called a "resting phase" and after 2- 3 months resting, hair falls out and new hair grows in its place. Some people, however, experience more hair loss than is normal.
As we get older, both men and women experience some hair loss. It's a normal part of the aging process. Called Androgenetic Alopecia, it accounts for 95% of all hair loss. Androgentic Alopecia often runs in families and affects some people more than others. In men it is often referred to as Male Pattern Baldness. It is characterized by a receding hair line and baldness on the top of head. Women, on the other hand, don't go entirely bald even if their hair loss is severe. Instead, hair loss is spread out evenly over their entire scalp.
Hormones play the dominant role when talking about Androgenetic Alopecia. Simple put, both men and women produce testosterone. Testosterone can be converted to dihydrotestosterone ( DHT) with the aid of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. DHT shrinks hair follicles causing the membranes in the scalp to thicken, become inelastic and restrict blood flow. This causes the hair follicles to atrophy. As a result, when a hair does fall out, it is not replaced.
Needless to say, men produce more testosterone than women and experience more hair loss.
While Androgenetic Alopecia is the number one reason why individuals experience hair loss, it is not the only one. Medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, ringworm and fungal infections can cause hair loss. Certain medications such as blood thinners, gout medication, birth control pills and too much vitamin A can cause sudden or abnormal hair loss as can following a crash diet, sudden hormonal changes, chemotherapy and radiation.
Emotional stress, pregnancy, or surgery can also cause our hair to fall out and is usually not noticed until 3-4 months after the stressful event has taken place. Stress can cause a slowing of new hair growth because a larger number of hair follicles enter into the resting phase and no new hair growth is experienced.
Another way in which individuals experience hair loss is due to mechanical stressors on the hair and scalp. Wearing pigtails, cornrows or tight rollers that end up pull on the hair can scar the scalp and cause permanent hair loss. Hair products such as hot oil treatments and chemicals used for permanents can cause inflammation to the hair follicles which can also result in scarring and hair loss.
For some, hair loss may be the early warning sign of a more serious disorder such as lupus or diabetes, so it is important to talk to your doctor. If you or someone you know is suffering from hair loss, here are some alternative health ideas that can help naturally.
Recommendations For Wellness
If you are taking prescription medications, talk to your doctor and find out if your medication is contributing to your hair loss.
Avoid mega-doses of vitamin A. Too much vitamin A can cause your hair to fall out.
Exercise, do yoga, meditate or find some other practice that will help to reduce your anxiety and stress levels.
Massage your scalp with rosemary oil in an olive oil base. Both rosemary oil and massaging the scalp can stimulate the circulation in the scalp and promote hair growth.
If you are a women, have your female hormones tested. If they are imbalanced, talk to your health care provider about bio-identical hormone replacements.
If you wear pigtails, cornrows, use a curling iron, hair dryer or hot rollers, try changing your hair style to one that puts less pressure and stress on your hair and scalp.
If hot oil treatments or chemicals such as those used in permanents are causing inflammation to the scalp, discontinue their use, or reduce the number of times you are using them.
Use gentle shampoos and conditioners to avoid any unnecessary damage to your hair.
In men, herbs such as saw palmetto and licorice root help block the formation of D HT. The same holds true for supplementation with zinc. As an added benefit, studies show that these supplements can also help prevent prostate enlargement.
As we get older, both men and women experience some hair loss. It's a normal part of the aging process. Called Androgenetic Alopecia, it accounts for 95% of all hair loss. Androgentic Alopecia often runs in families and affects some people more than others. In men it is often referred to as Male Pattern Baldness. It is characterized by a receding hair line and baldness on the top of head. Women, on the other hand, don't go entirely bald even if their hair loss is severe. Instead, hair loss is spread out evenly over their entire scalp.
Hormones play the dominant role when talking about Androgenetic Alopecia. Simple put, both men and women produce testosterone. Testosterone can be converted to dihydrotestosterone ( DHT) with the aid of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. DHT shrinks hair follicles causing the membranes in the scalp to thicken, become inelastic and restrict blood flow. This causes the hair follicles to atrophy. As a result, when a hair does fall out, it is not replaced.
Needless to say, men produce more testosterone than women and experience more hair loss.
While Androgenetic Alopecia is the number one reason why individuals experience hair loss, it is not the only one. Medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, ringworm and fungal infections can cause hair loss. Certain medications such as blood thinners, gout medication, birth control pills and too much vitamin A can cause sudden or abnormal hair loss as can following a crash diet, sudden hormonal changes, chemotherapy and radiation.
Emotional stress, pregnancy, or surgery can also cause our hair to fall out and is usually not noticed until 3-4 months after the stressful event has taken place. Stress can cause a slowing of new hair growth because a larger number of hair follicles enter into the resting phase and no new hair growth is experienced.
Another way in which individuals experience hair loss is due to mechanical stressors on the hair and scalp. Wearing pigtails, cornrows or tight rollers that end up pull on the hair can scar the scalp and cause permanent hair loss. Hair products such as hot oil treatments and chemicals used for permanents can cause inflammation to the hair follicles which can also result in scarring and hair loss.
For some, hair loss may be the early warning sign of a more serious disorder such as lupus or diabetes, so it is important to talk to your doctor. If you or someone you know is suffering from hair loss, here are some alternative health ideas that can help naturally.
Recommendations For Wellness
If you are taking prescription medications, talk to your doctor and find out if your medication is contributing to your hair loss.
Avoid mega-doses of vitamin A. Too much vitamin A can cause your hair to fall out.
Exercise, do yoga, meditate or find some other practice that will help to reduce your anxiety and stress levels.
Massage your scalp with rosemary oil in an olive oil base. Both rosemary oil and massaging the scalp can stimulate the circulation in the scalp and promote hair growth.
If you are a women, have your female hormones tested. If they are imbalanced, talk to your health care provider about bio-identical hormone replacements.
If you wear pigtails, cornrows, use a curling iron, hair dryer or hot rollers, try changing your hair style to one that puts less pressure and stress on your hair and scalp.
If hot oil treatments or chemicals such as those used in permanents are causing inflammation to the scalp, discontinue their use, or reduce the number of times you are using them.
Use gentle shampoos and conditioners to avoid any unnecessary damage to your hair.
In men, herbs such as saw palmetto and licorice root help block the formation of D HT. The same holds true for supplementation with zinc. As an added benefit, studies show that these supplements can also help prevent prostate enlargement.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Dealing With Parental Stress
One of the biggest problems with having children is the remarkable fact that they tend to be the source of parental stress. This is, obviously, the unique stress that comes from being a parent and having to worry about the fact that your kids are growing up, learning new things, living their lives their own way, and -- all too often -- figuring out things the hard way. In addition, you have to worry about your kids making the right decisions, staying out of trouble, and just generally turning into human beings just like you. Needless to say, this tends to create a lot of parental stress.
Being a parent isn't easy. After all, you are responsible for raising, instructing, and helping children as they work their way from an infant into adulthood. And even when they go off on their own, you still worry about them as they make their way through the world. Despite the fact that they move on into adulthood, you never stop being a parent and you want to make sure that they are doing okay. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done and it is not easy to let them go. Thus, you find yourself both trying to give them freedom and trying to hang on to them as they go out into the world.
The problem becomes one of both trying to keep a hold of your children and trying to let them be their own people. Thus, in order to allow you children to move on, you need to learn to let them go. That's right, in order to ease parental stress, you need to learn how to be less of a parent. In fact, you need to learn how to let them make their own mistakes. This is very difficult, since you will have to watch them as they go through the process of growing up, largely without your help. This can be very difficult, since you will want to protect them from the world. But the world will show up sometime and you will need to let them learn to deal with it. Needless to say, this will only make parental stress worse for a while, since you will be essentially standing on the sidelines as they make errors that you could have warned them against. Just remember that it will do them good in the long run and they will be better for it.
However, this does not mean that you shouldn't keep an eye on your children. Let's face it, you are still a parent and you need to watch over your children. Trying to cope with parental stress will not be improved by being completely ignorant of your children. Instead, let them be themselves as you try to keep an eye on them. They will find their own way, even if you do not always enjoy the path that they have to go down to get there. Just allow them to be imperfect and they will learn what they need to know in the process.
But when the stress of child-raising gets to be too much, don't be afraid to get help. There are plenty of support groups, books, and websites out there that want to help you through your parental stress. Don't be afraid to give them a try, if for no other reason than to stay informed. Nobody said it was going to be easy, so try to keep your stress under control. Then, by keeping it under control, you can survive a lot of difficult situations and a lot of difficult years and prevent yourself from going crazy with worry.
Just remember that your children will, eventually, become rebellious and they will probably try to act in a way that may shock you. It is well-known that parental stress can be fairly severe during the teenage years, since teenagers are always eager to go their own way. And if that doesn't increase parental stress, nothing will. You will often find yourself on the sideline, trying to figure out what is going on in their heads, but try to remember that you were their age once. Teenagers aren't perfect. Neither are adults. Keep both of those items in mind and you may be able to keep your parental stress to a minimum.
No, parental stress is not easy. No, it is not simple to solve. No, there is no point where you can just let your children go completely. However, by managing your own parental stress, allowing your children to grow up, and understanding that your children need to make their own mistakes sometimes, you can keep your emotions under control and allow your children to be themselves. So, rather than allowing parental stress to take over your life, let parental stress take a backseat to keeping an eye on your children, making sure that they are doing fine, and enjoying the years when they are growing from youth to adulthood and beyond.
Being a parent isn't easy. After all, you are responsible for raising, instructing, and helping children as they work their way from an infant into adulthood. And even when they go off on their own, you still worry about them as they make their way through the world. Despite the fact that they move on into adulthood, you never stop being a parent and you want to make sure that they are doing okay. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done and it is not easy to let them go. Thus, you find yourself both trying to give them freedom and trying to hang on to them as they go out into the world.
The problem becomes one of both trying to keep a hold of your children and trying to let them be their own people. Thus, in order to allow you children to move on, you need to learn to let them go. That's right, in order to ease parental stress, you need to learn how to be less of a parent. In fact, you need to learn how to let them make their own mistakes. This is very difficult, since you will have to watch them as they go through the process of growing up, largely without your help. This can be very difficult, since you will want to protect them from the world. But the world will show up sometime and you will need to let them learn to deal with it. Needless to say, this will only make parental stress worse for a while, since you will be essentially standing on the sidelines as they make errors that you could have warned them against. Just remember that it will do them good in the long run and they will be better for it.
However, this does not mean that you shouldn't keep an eye on your children. Let's face it, you are still a parent and you need to watch over your children. Trying to cope with parental stress will not be improved by being completely ignorant of your children. Instead, let them be themselves as you try to keep an eye on them. They will find their own way, even if you do not always enjoy the path that they have to go down to get there. Just allow them to be imperfect and they will learn what they need to know in the process.
But when the stress of child-raising gets to be too much, don't be afraid to get help. There are plenty of support groups, books, and websites out there that want to help you through your parental stress. Don't be afraid to give them a try, if for no other reason than to stay informed. Nobody said it was going to be easy, so try to keep your stress under control. Then, by keeping it under control, you can survive a lot of difficult situations and a lot of difficult years and prevent yourself from going crazy with worry.
Just remember that your children will, eventually, become rebellious and they will probably try to act in a way that may shock you. It is well-known that parental stress can be fairly severe during the teenage years, since teenagers are always eager to go their own way. And if that doesn't increase parental stress, nothing will. You will often find yourself on the sideline, trying to figure out what is going on in their heads, but try to remember that you were their age once. Teenagers aren't perfect. Neither are adults. Keep both of those items in mind and you may be able to keep your parental stress to a minimum.
No, parental stress is not easy. No, it is not simple to solve. No, there is no point where you can just let your children go completely. However, by managing your own parental stress, allowing your children to grow up, and understanding that your children need to make their own mistakes sometimes, you can keep your emotions under control and allow your children to be themselves. So, rather than allowing parental stress to take over your life, let parental stress take a backseat to keeping an eye on your children, making sure that they are doing fine, and enjoying the years when they are growing from youth to adulthood and beyond.
Monday, March 31, 2008
How Magnetic Therapy Can Help You
Magnetic therapy has been in use for many thousands of years and it is still just as effective as it was when it was in use by ancient civilizations, such as the Ancient Greeks and Romans. This form of therapy has become more popular in recent years due to people's movement towards alternative medicine. This type of therapy is possibly more effective than it was previously since there have been many developments in the field since it was originally discovered.
One of the premium applications of magnetic therapy is magnetic jewelry that performs magnetic therapy while you are wearing it. This form of magnetic therapy can help you in various ways. Each different type of magnetic jewelry will provide you with different benefits, but certain beneficial attributes are common to them all. The potency of the beneficial effects corresponds to the length of time that the magnetic jewelry is worn. Therefore the longer you wear the jewelry, the more beneficial effects you will receive.
The magnetic therapy as provided by the magnetic jewelry will act as a pain relief for two reasons. Firstly, the magnets can help to stimulate the release of endorphins which are the natural pain killers of the body, which also help to stimulate the bodies healing process. The other means by which magnetic therapy can help with pain relief is that it can help to increase the rate of circulation, which can in turn help to flush away the toxins that may be a major cause of pain.
The magnetic therapy can also increase the level of oxygen in the blood stream that gets distributed within the body. This can help to increase your energy levels since the oxygen will be distributed to muscles and tissues. The increased level of oxygen can also help to increase your mental clarity and awareness. You are encouraged to wear your magnetic jewelry while you are sleeping so that you can increase the likelihood of having a long, deep sleep and waking up refreshed in the morning.
Magnetic necklaces can help to relieve pain caused by migraines and headaches, neck, back and shoulder pain as well as potentially relieving the pain caused by muscle spasms and lock jaw. Magnetic bracelets can help to relieve pain associated with, tennis elbow and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, shoulder pain, tennis elbow, tendonitis and bursitis, as well as helping to relieve the pains caused by arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Magnetic anklets can be of help when it comes to lowering the levels of pain associated with lower back and knee pain, spurs and inflammation in the legs and feet as well as helping to alleviate numbness of the legs. This is addition to the increase of mobility that the areas around the pieces of jewelry will experience. Not only do these pieces of magnetic jewelry give you amazing health benefits, they also look stylishly elegant and the ranges of styles that are available are sufficient to cater for anyone's requirements.
One of the premium applications of magnetic therapy is magnetic jewelry that performs magnetic therapy while you are wearing it. This form of magnetic therapy can help you in various ways. Each different type of magnetic jewelry will provide you with different benefits, but certain beneficial attributes are common to them all. The potency of the beneficial effects corresponds to the length of time that the magnetic jewelry is worn. Therefore the longer you wear the jewelry, the more beneficial effects you will receive.
The magnetic therapy as provided by the magnetic jewelry will act as a pain relief for two reasons. Firstly, the magnets can help to stimulate the release of endorphins which are the natural pain killers of the body, which also help to stimulate the bodies healing process. The other means by which magnetic therapy can help with pain relief is that it can help to increase the rate of circulation, which can in turn help to flush away the toxins that may be a major cause of pain.
The magnetic therapy can also increase the level of oxygen in the blood stream that gets distributed within the body. This can help to increase your energy levels since the oxygen will be distributed to muscles and tissues. The increased level of oxygen can also help to increase your mental clarity and awareness. You are encouraged to wear your magnetic jewelry while you are sleeping so that you can increase the likelihood of having a long, deep sleep and waking up refreshed in the morning.
Magnetic necklaces can help to relieve pain caused by migraines and headaches, neck, back and shoulder pain as well as potentially relieving the pain caused by muscle spasms and lock jaw. Magnetic bracelets can help to relieve pain associated with, tennis elbow and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, shoulder pain, tennis elbow, tendonitis and bursitis, as well as helping to relieve the pains caused by arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Magnetic anklets can be of help when it comes to lowering the levels of pain associated with lower back and knee pain, spurs and inflammation in the legs and feet as well as helping to alleviate numbness of the legs. This is addition to the increase of mobility that the areas around the pieces of jewelry will experience. Not only do these pieces of magnetic jewelry give you amazing health benefits, they also look stylishly elegant and the ranges of styles that are available are sufficient to cater for anyone's requirements.
Friday, March 28, 2008
THE DANGER OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT BACTERIA
Up until 1944 any bacterial infection had the potential of being mortal. The discovery in 1944 of the antibiotic penicillin, a substance extracted from the mould Penicillum by Alexander Fleming, had such success that it is considered to be one of the most defining moments in the history of medicine.
Its success, and that of other antibiotics, was so spectacular that some doctors said that soon infectious diseases would disappear and would be a thing of the past. However, almost 60 years later we are under attack by new microbes and some of the old ones have become resistant to the antibiotics that used to kill them. What happened?
It is known that doctors are always looking for magic bullets able to eliminate any kind of disease; and at the first success some of them start to use such drugs indiscriminately, without totally understanding the science behind them. Of course, they did not know in 1944 that antibiotics , if not used properly could make the bacteria resistant, rendering the drugs totally useless.
To try to understand this problem, let's remember that antibiotics work by interfering with some cell proteins that are vital to the survival of the bacteria. Now, under ideal conditions, bacteria divide at a very fast pace, once every half an hour; thus, they are prone to make mistakes in the duplication of their DNA, that is, to mutate. Even though some of those mutations could be damaging to the bacteria, others are not and their only effect is to produce a protein that is slightly different from the normal one, or a wild type.
It is important to emphasize that the reaction between the antibiotic and its target is specific -- that is, there is some kind of shape complementarity between both molecules and if this complementarity is not perfect to begin with or it changes because the target molecule has been mutated the action of the antibiotic is not very effective or it no longer recognizes the target and becomes useless.
Bacterial antibiotics do not work against viruses; and in some cases, the first symptoms of a viral infection are very similar to those of a bacterial one. Doctors can tell them apart using an antibiogram, which tells not only if the infection is caused by bacteria but also which antibiotic to use. Also a white blood cell test distinguishes between the types of infections.
A lot of times for different reasons such distinctions are not made, however, and the patient is given a medicine that is not useful.
Its success, and that of other antibiotics, was so spectacular that some doctors said that soon infectious diseases would disappear and would be a thing of the past. However, almost 60 years later we are under attack by new microbes and some of the old ones have become resistant to the antibiotics that used to kill them. What happened?
It is known that doctors are always looking for magic bullets able to eliminate any kind of disease; and at the first success some of them start to use such drugs indiscriminately, without totally understanding the science behind them. Of course, they did not know in 1944 that antibiotics , if not used properly could make the bacteria resistant, rendering the drugs totally useless.
To try to understand this problem, let's remember that antibiotics work by interfering with some cell proteins that are vital to the survival of the bacteria. Now, under ideal conditions, bacteria divide at a very fast pace, once every half an hour; thus, they are prone to make mistakes in the duplication of their DNA, that is, to mutate. Even though some of those mutations could be damaging to the bacteria, others are not and their only effect is to produce a protein that is slightly different from the normal one, or a wild type.
It is important to emphasize that the reaction between the antibiotic and its target is specific -- that is, there is some kind of shape complementarity between both molecules and if this complementarity is not perfect to begin with or it changes because the target molecule has been mutated the action of the antibiotic is not very effective or it no longer recognizes the target and becomes useless.
Bacterial antibiotics do not work against viruses; and in some cases, the first symptoms of a viral infection are very similar to those of a bacterial one. Doctors can tell them apart using an antibiogram, which tells not only if the infection is caused by bacteria but also which antibiotic to use. Also a white blood cell test distinguishes between the types of infections.
A lot of times for different reasons such distinctions are not made, however, and the patient is given a medicine that is not useful.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Aspirin may not provide optimum anti-coagulation for all patients
Treatment failures occur with any drug and aspirin is no exception. Evidence is growing that some people will not respond to the anti-coagulant action of aspirin and the drug will not protect against cardiovascular events despite its regular intake.
Professor Andrew Szczeklik from Poland and Professor Graeme Hankey from Western Australia will present the latest findings on aspirin resistance at the XXth Congress of the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis today.
"There are at least two possible explanations for the aspirin-resistance phenomenon," said Professor Szczeklik. "One is high levels of blood cholesterol, which can in itself promote coagulation events in the blood stream. In patients with high cholesterol levels, aspirin in in normal doses has hardly any anti-clotting effects, whereas treatment with a statin (inhibitor of cholesterol) significantly reduces blood clotting. In patients with coronary heart disease, aspirin exerts it anti-coagulant effects only when blood cholesterol is in the 'normal' range."
Szczeklik went onto say, "A patients genetic make-up may alter their response to aspirin resistance.. For example, in coronary heart disease patients carrying one particular gene are resistant to the anti-coagulant action of aspirin and are at increased risk of an acute coronary event."
Professor Andrew Szczeklik from Poland and Professor Graeme Hankey from Western Australia will present the latest findings on aspirin resistance at the XXth Congress of the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis today.
"There are at least two possible explanations for the aspirin-resistance phenomenon," said Professor Szczeklik. "One is high levels of blood cholesterol, which can in itself promote coagulation events in the blood stream. In patients with high cholesterol levels, aspirin in in normal doses has hardly any anti-clotting effects, whereas treatment with a statin (inhibitor of cholesterol) significantly reduces blood clotting. In patients with coronary heart disease, aspirin exerts it anti-coagulant effects only when blood cholesterol is in the 'normal' range."
Szczeklik went onto say, "A patients genetic make-up may alter their response to aspirin resistance.. For example, in coronary heart disease patients carrying one particular gene are resistant to the anti-coagulant action of aspirin and are at increased risk of an acute coronary event."
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Egyptian medicine
Medical information contained in the Edwin Smith Papyrus [2] may date to a time as early as 3000 BC [3]. The earliest known surgery in Egypt was performed in Egypt around 2750 BC (see surgery). Imhotep in the 3rd dynasty is sometimes credited with being the founder of ancient Egyptian medicine and with being the original author of the Edwin Smith papyrus, detailing cures, ailments and anatomical observations. The Edwin Smith papyrus is regarded as a copy of several earlier works and was written circa 1600 BC. It is an ancient textbook on surgery almost completely devoid of magical thinking and describes in exquisite detail the examination, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of numerous ailments [4].
Conversely, the Ebers papyrus [5] (c. 1550 BC) is full of incantations and foul applications meant to turn away disease-causing demons, and other superstition. The Ebers papyrus also provides our earliest possible documentation of ancient awareness of tumors, but ancient medical terminology being badly understood, cases pEbers 546 and 547 for instance may refer to simple swellings.
The Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus [6] treats women's complaints, problems with conception. Thirty four cases detailing diagnosis and treatment survive, some of them fragmentarily [7]
Medical institutions, referred to as Houses of Life are known to have been established in ancient Egypt since as early as the 1st Dynasty [8]. By the time of the 19th Dynasty some workers enjoyed such benefits as medical insurance, pensions and sick leave.[8]
The earliest known physician is also credited to ancient Egypt: Hesyre, “Chief of Dentists and Physicians” for King Djoser in the 27th century BC. [8] Also, the earliest known woman physician, Peseshet, practiced in Ancient Egypt at the time of the 4th dynasty. Her title was “Lady Overseer of the Lady Physicians.” In addition to her supervisory role, Peseshet graduated midwives at an ancient Egyptian medical school in Sais
Conversely, the Ebers papyrus [5] (c. 1550 BC) is full of incantations and foul applications meant to turn away disease-causing demons, and other superstition. The Ebers papyrus also provides our earliest possible documentation of ancient awareness of tumors, but ancient medical terminology being badly understood, cases pEbers 546 and 547 for instance may refer to simple swellings.
The Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus [6] treats women's complaints, problems with conception. Thirty four cases detailing diagnosis and treatment survive, some of them fragmentarily [7]
Medical institutions, referred to as Houses of Life are known to have been established in ancient Egypt since as early as the 1st Dynasty [8]. By the time of the 19th Dynasty some workers enjoyed such benefits as medical insurance, pensions and sick leave.[8]
The earliest known physician is also credited to ancient Egypt: Hesyre, “Chief of Dentists and Physicians” for King Djoser in the 27th century BC. [8] Also, the earliest known woman physician, Peseshet, practiced in Ancient Egypt at the time of the 4th dynasty. Her title was “Lady Overseer of the Lady Physicians.” In addition to her supervisory role, Peseshet graduated midwives at an ancient Egyptian medical school in Sais
Sunday, March 16, 2008
100 Painless Ways to Cut 100 or More Calories
REACHING YOUR FAT-LOSS GOALS may be easier than you think. To lose a pound of fat a month, all you need to do is cut 100 calories a day from your diet, assuming the intake and expenditure of all other calories remains the same. That's because a pound of body fat is equivalent to about 3,500 calories. So if you cut 100 calories a day for 31 days, you're cutting 3,100 calories--or about a pound.
Wait...a pound a month? Isn't that a little slow? Well, mounds of research indicate that you're more likely to keep weight off if you lose it slowly. Besides, losing a pound a month doesn't require drastic changes in your eating habits. It can be as simple as eating two egg rolls with your Chinese stir-fry instead of three. Here are 100 painless ways to cut 100 or more calories a day. As a bonus, they all reduce fat or sugar, which means, calorie for calorie, you're getting more vitamins and minerals.
1. Spread 1 tablespoon of all-fruit jam on your toast rather than 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.
2. Replace 1 cup of whole milk with 1/2 cup of nonfat milk.
3. Eat 2 poached eggs instead of 2 fried eggs.
4. Replace 1/2 cup of granola with 2 cups of Cheerios.
5. Instead of using whole milk and eggs to prepare 2 slices of French toast, use nonfat milk and egg whites.
6. Snack on an orange and a banana instead of a Snickers candy bar.
7. Munch on 35 pretzel sticks instead of 1 ounce of dry-roasted peanuts.
8. Replace 1 cup of sweetened applesauce with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce.
9. On your lamb-and-vegetable kabob, replace 2 of the 4 chunks of meat with fresh whole mushrooms.
10. Dip an artichoke in 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise instead of 1 1/2 tablespoons of regular mayonnaise.
11. Steam your asparagus rather than sauté it in 1 tablespoon of butter or oil.
12. Instead of a 5-ounce glass of wine, opt for cherry-flavored sparkling water.
13. For a chewy snack, have 1/2 cup of dried fruit rather than 9 caramels.
14. Replace 3 slices of bacon with 3 slices of Light & Lean Canadian bacon.
15. Eat a Lender's egg bagel instead of a Sara Lee egg bagel.
16. Select 1 cup of home-style baked beans instead of an equal serving of baked beans with franks.
17. Replace 2 biscuits with 2 dinner rolls.
18. When making a sandwich, use 2 slices of Roman Light 7-grain bread instead of Pepperidge Farm wheat bread.
19. Eat 1/2 cup of steamed fresh broccoli instead of 1/2 cup of frozen broccoli in cheese sauce.
20. Make a burrito with 1/2 cup of fat-free refried beans and 1 ounce of nonfat cheese instead of the same amount of traditional refried beans and cheese.
21. Replace an apple muffin with a high-fiber English muffin.
22. Reduce a typical serving of chocolate cake (1/8 of a two-layer cake) by one-third.
23. Switch from 1 cup of whole-milk hot chocolate to 1 cup of steamed 1% milk flavored with a dash of almond extract.
24. Replace 1 cup of caramel-coated popcorn with 2 1/2 cups of air-popped popcorn.
25. Switch from 1/2 cup of yogurt-covered raisins to 1/2 cup of plain raisins.
26. Snack on 1 cup of nonfat plain yogurt instead of 1 cup of custard-style yogurt.
27. Top your celery sticks with 2 tablespoons of fat-free cream cheese instead of 3 tablespoons of regular cream cheese.
28. Replace 2 fried-chicken drumsticks with 2 roasted drumsticks and a cup of peas and carrots.
29. Instead of eating 5 chocolate-chip cookies, savor the taste of 2.
30. Lighten your 2 cups of coffee with 2 tablespoons of evaporated nonfat milk instead of 2 tablespoons of half-and-half.
31. Replace a 12-ounce can of cola with a 12-ounce can of diet cola.
32. Thicken your cream sauce with 1 percent milk and corn starch instead of a roux of butter and flour.
33. At the appetizer tray, choose 4 fresh raw mushrooms instead of 4 batter-fried mushrooms.
34. Use 2 tablespoons of fat-free sour cream instead of regular sour cream (on baked potatoes or in stroganoff). If done twice in the day, 100 calories will be cut.
35. Reduce the size of your steak from 4 1/2 ounces to 3 ounces.
36. Grill a cheese sandwich with nonstick cooking spray instead of margarine.
37. Replace 1 cup of chocolate ice cream with 2/3 cup of nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt.
38. Snack on 2 ounces of oven-baked potato chips instead of regular potato chips.
39. Instead of topping your salad with an ounce of croutons, get your crunch from 1/4 cup of chopped celery.
40. Instead of 1 cup of macaroni salad, eat 3 1/2 cups of spinach salad with 2 tablespoons of low-calorie dressing.
41. Cut the peanut butter on your sandwich from 2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon.
42. Serve your turkey with 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce instead of 1/2 cup.
43. Order a sandwich on cracked wheat bread instead of a croissant.
44. Complement your hamburger with 1 1/4 ounces of oven-baked tortilla chips instead of a side of fries.
45. Split an apple Danish with a friend rather than eat the entire thing.
46. Order 2 slices of cheese pizza instead of 2 slices of pepperoni pizza.
47. Grab a Dole Fresh Lites Cherry frozen fruit bar instead of a Sunkist Coconut frozen fruit bar.
48. Snack on 1/2 cup of fruit cocktail canned in water instead of 1 cup of fruit cocktail canned in heavy syrup.
49. Switch from 1 cup of fruit punch to 1 cup of sparkling water flavored with 2 teaspoons of concentrated orange juice.
50. Instead of eating garlic bread made with butter, spread baked garlic cloves on French bread.
51. Rather than snack on 1 cup of grapefruit canned in syrup, peel and section 1 small grapefruit.
52. Dip your chips in 1/2 cup of salsa instead of 1/2 cup of guacamole.
53. Switch from 1/2 cup of Frusen Gladje butter pecan ice cream to Breyers butter pecan ice cream.
54. Use 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise in your tuna salad instead of 2 tablespoons.
55. Hold the tartar sauce on your fish sandwich, and squeeze lemon on it instead.
56. Replace 3 fish sticks with 3 ounces of grilled halibut.
57. In sandwich spreads or salads, use 3 teaspoons of dijonnaise instead of 4 teaspoons of mayonnaise.
58. Use 2 tablespoons of light pancake syrup instead of 2 tablespoons of regular syrup.
59. Top your pasta with 1 cup of marinara sauce instead of 1/2 cup of alfredo sauce.
60. For each serving of pasta salad you make, reduce the oil or mayonnaise by 1 tablespoon.
61. Replace 1/2 cup of peaches canned in extra-heavy syrup with 1/2 cup of peaches canned in water.
62. Prepare 1/2 cup of steamed peas and cauliflower instead of frozen peas and cauliflower in cream sauce.
63. Cut back on sampling during cooking. The following "tastes" have 100 calories: 4 tablespoons of beef stroganoff, 3 tablespoons of homemade chocolate pudding, 2 tablespoons of chocolate-chip cookie dough.
64. At an Italian restaurant, snack on a large breadstick instead of a slice of garlic bread.
65. Eat a 3/4-cup serving of pudding made with skim milk rather than a 1-cup serving of pudding made with whole milk.
66. Choose 1/2 cup of brown rice instead of 1 serving of frozen rice pilaf with green beans or 1 serving of frozen Oriental rice and vegetables.
67. Compliment your sandwich with 3/4 cup of split-pea soup instead of 1 cup of chunky bean and ham soup.
68. Replace 3 tablespoons of strawberry topping on your ice cream with 3/4 pint of fresh strawberries.
69. Pass on the second helping of mashed potatoes.
70. Eat 3 grilled prawns with cocktail sauce instead of 3 breaded and fried prawns.
71. Make a pie crust with 1 cup of Grape-Nuts cereal, 1/4 cup of concentrated apple juice and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, instead of using a traditional graham-cracker crust. You'll save 100 calories per slice.
72. Replace 8 sticks of regular chewing gum with sugar-free chewing gum.
73. Snack on a papaya instead of a bag of M&Ms.
74. Substitute 3 ounces of scallops for 3 ounce of lean beef in your stir-fry.
75. Rather than spread 4 tablespoons of cream cheese on two slices of raisin bread, dip the bread in 1/2 cup nonfat apple-cinnamon yogurt.
76. Munch on 1 cup of frozen grapes instead of an ice cream sandwich.
77. Rather than drink a strawberry milkshake, make a smoothie of 2/3 cup of low-fat milk, 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 a banana.
78. Replace 2 brownies with 2 fig bars.
79. Eat 2 meatballs instead of 4 with your spaghetti.
80. On a hot day, quench your thirst with a glass of ice water with lemon or mint instead of a can of light beer.
81. Eat 1/2 cup of black beans instead of 3 ounces of roast beef.
82. Replace 1 1/2 tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Nucoa Smart Beat margarine.
83. Choose 1 serving of vegetarian lasagna instead of lasagna with meat.
84. Eat 2 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars instead of 2 Kellogg's Pop-Tarts.
85. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of low-calorie French dressing on your salad instead of 2 tablespoons of blue cheese dressing.
86. Replace 1 large flour tortilla with 1 six-inch corn tortilla.
87. Eat a turkey sandwich instead of a chicken salad sandwich.
88. Choose 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in water instead of 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in oil.
89. At Burger King, have a Whopper Jr. Sandwich with regular fries instead of a Whopper With Cheese Sandwich.
90. Order your Quarter Pounder without cheese.
91. At Jack in the Box, eat a regular taco instead of a super taco.
92. Fix 1 cup of turkey chili with beans rather than regular chili with no beans.
93. Use 1 cup of fat-free cottage cheese instead of regular cottage cheese.
94. Order a sandwich with barbecued chicken instead of barbecued pork.
95. Replace 1 cup of corn with 1 cup of carrots.
96. Reduce your helping of turkey stuffing from 1 cup to 2/3 cup.
97. Have a single scoop of ice cream instead of a double scoop.
98. Replace 2 ounces of corn chips with 2 ounces of SnackWell's wheat crackers.
99. Eat 1 hot dog at the baseball game instead of 2.
100. Shred 2 ounces of fat-free cheddar cheese on nachos instead of regular cheddar.
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., is a nutritionist in private practice and editor of the Nutrition Report. Her latest book is Nutrition for Women: The Complete Guide (New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1993).
Wait...a pound a month? Isn't that a little slow? Well, mounds of research indicate that you're more likely to keep weight off if you lose it slowly. Besides, losing a pound a month doesn't require drastic changes in your eating habits. It can be as simple as eating two egg rolls with your Chinese stir-fry instead of three. Here are 100 painless ways to cut 100 or more calories a day. As a bonus, they all reduce fat or sugar, which means, calorie for calorie, you're getting more vitamins and minerals.
1. Spread 1 tablespoon of all-fruit jam on your toast rather than 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.
2. Replace 1 cup of whole milk with 1/2 cup of nonfat milk.
3. Eat 2 poached eggs instead of 2 fried eggs.
4. Replace 1/2 cup of granola with 2 cups of Cheerios.
5. Instead of using whole milk and eggs to prepare 2 slices of French toast, use nonfat milk and egg whites.
6. Snack on an orange and a banana instead of a Snickers candy bar.
7. Munch on 35 pretzel sticks instead of 1 ounce of dry-roasted peanuts.
8. Replace 1 cup of sweetened applesauce with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce.
9. On your lamb-and-vegetable kabob, replace 2 of the 4 chunks of meat with fresh whole mushrooms.
10. Dip an artichoke in 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise instead of 1 1/2 tablespoons of regular mayonnaise.
11. Steam your asparagus rather than sauté it in 1 tablespoon of butter or oil.
12. Instead of a 5-ounce glass of wine, opt for cherry-flavored sparkling water.
13. For a chewy snack, have 1/2 cup of dried fruit rather than 9 caramels.
14. Replace 3 slices of bacon with 3 slices of Light & Lean Canadian bacon.
15. Eat a Lender's egg bagel instead of a Sara Lee egg bagel.
16. Select 1 cup of home-style baked beans instead of an equal serving of baked beans with franks.
17. Replace 2 biscuits with 2 dinner rolls.
18. When making a sandwich, use 2 slices of Roman Light 7-grain bread instead of Pepperidge Farm wheat bread.
19. Eat 1/2 cup of steamed fresh broccoli instead of 1/2 cup of frozen broccoli in cheese sauce.
20. Make a burrito with 1/2 cup of fat-free refried beans and 1 ounce of nonfat cheese instead of the same amount of traditional refried beans and cheese.
21. Replace an apple muffin with a high-fiber English muffin.
22. Reduce a typical serving of chocolate cake (1/8 of a two-layer cake) by one-third.
23. Switch from 1 cup of whole-milk hot chocolate to 1 cup of steamed 1% milk flavored with a dash of almond extract.
24. Replace 1 cup of caramel-coated popcorn with 2 1/2 cups of air-popped popcorn.
25. Switch from 1/2 cup of yogurt-covered raisins to 1/2 cup of plain raisins.
26. Snack on 1 cup of nonfat plain yogurt instead of 1 cup of custard-style yogurt.
27. Top your celery sticks with 2 tablespoons of fat-free cream cheese instead of 3 tablespoons of regular cream cheese.
28. Replace 2 fried-chicken drumsticks with 2 roasted drumsticks and a cup of peas and carrots.
29. Instead of eating 5 chocolate-chip cookies, savor the taste of 2.
30. Lighten your 2 cups of coffee with 2 tablespoons of evaporated nonfat milk instead of 2 tablespoons of half-and-half.
31. Replace a 12-ounce can of cola with a 12-ounce can of diet cola.
32. Thicken your cream sauce with 1 percent milk and corn starch instead of a roux of butter and flour.
33. At the appetizer tray, choose 4 fresh raw mushrooms instead of 4 batter-fried mushrooms.
34. Use 2 tablespoons of fat-free sour cream instead of regular sour cream (on baked potatoes or in stroganoff). If done twice in the day, 100 calories will be cut.
35. Reduce the size of your steak from 4 1/2 ounces to 3 ounces.
36. Grill a cheese sandwich with nonstick cooking spray instead of margarine.
37. Replace 1 cup of chocolate ice cream with 2/3 cup of nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt.
38. Snack on 2 ounces of oven-baked potato chips instead of regular potato chips.
39. Instead of topping your salad with an ounce of croutons, get your crunch from 1/4 cup of chopped celery.
40. Instead of 1 cup of macaroni salad, eat 3 1/2 cups of spinach salad with 2 tablespoons of low-calorie dressing.
41. Cut the peanut butter on your sandwich from 2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon.
42. Serve your turkey with 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce instead of 1/2 cup.
43. Order a sandwich on cracked wheat bread instead of a croissant.
44. Complement your hamburger with 1 1/4 ounces of oven-baked tortilla chips instead of a side of fries.
45. Split an apple Danish with a friend rather than eat the entire thing.
46. Order 2 slices of cheese pizza instead of 2 slices of pepperoni pizza.
47. Grab a Dole Fresh Lites Cherry frozen fruit bar instead of a Sunkist Coconut frozen fruit bar.
48. Snack on 1/2 cup of fruit cocktail canned in water instead of 1 cup of fruit cocktail canned in heavy syrup.
49. Switch from 1 cup of fruit punch to 1 cup of sparkling water flavored with 2 teaspoons of concentrated orange juice.
50. Instead of eating garlic bread made with butter, spread baked garlic cloves on French bread.
51. Rather than snack on 1 cup of grapefruit canned in syrup, peel and section 1 small grapefruit.
52. Dip your chips in 1/2 cup of salsa instead of 1/2 cup of guacamole.
53. Switch from 1/2 cup of Frusen Gladje butter pecan ice cream to Breyers butter pecan ice cream.
54. Use 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise in your tuna salad instead of 2 tablespoons.
55. Hold the tartar sauce on your fish sandwich, and squeeze lemon on it instead.
56. Replace 3 fish sticks with 3 ounces of grilled halibut.
57. In sandwich spreads or salads, use 3 teaspoons of dijonnaise instead of 4 teaspoons of mayonnaise.
58. Use 2 tablespoons of light pancake syrup instead of 2 tablespoons of regular syrup.
59. Top your pasta with 1 cup of marinara sauce instead of 1/2 cup of alfredo sauce.
60. For each serving of pasta salad you make, reduce the oil or mayonnaise by 1 tablespoon.
61. Replace 1/2 cup of peaches canned in extra-heavy syrup with 1/2 cup of peaches canned in water.
62. Prepare 1/2 cup of steamed peas and cauliflower instead of frozen peas and cauliflower in cream sauce.
63. Cut back on sampling during cooking. The following "tastes" have 100 calories: 4 tablespoons of beef stroganoff, 3 tablespoons of homemade chocolate pudding, 2 tablespoons of chocolate-chip cookie dough.
64. At an Italian restaurant, snack on a large breadstick instead of a slice of garlic bread.
65. Eat a 3/4-cup serving of pudding made with skim milk rather than a 1-cup serving of pudding made with whole milk.
66. Choose 1/2 cup of brown rice instead of 1 serving of frozen rice pilaf with green beans or 1 serving of frozen Oriental rice and vegetables.
67. Compliment your sandwich with 3/4 cup of split-pea soup instead of 1 cup of chunky bean and ham soup.
68. Replace 3 tablespoons of strawberry topping on your ice cream with 3/4 pint of fresh strawberries.
69. Pass on the second helping of mashed potatoes.
70. Eat 3 grilled prawns with cocktail sauce instead of 3 breaded and fried prawns.
71. Make a pie crust with 1 cup of Grape-Nuts cereal, 1/4 cup of concentrated apple juice and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, instead of using a traditional graham-cracker crust. You'll save 100 calories per slice.
72. Replace 8 sticks of regular chewing gum with sugar-free chewing gum.
73. Snack on a papaya instead of a bag of M&Ms.
74. Substitute 3 ounces of scallops for 3 ounce of lean beef in your stir-fry.
75. Rather than spread 4 tablespoons of cream cheese on two slices of raisin bread, dip the bread in 1/2 cup nonfat apple-cinnamon yogurt.
76. Munch on 1 cup of frozen grapes instead of an ice cream sandwich.
77. Rather than drink a strawberry milkshake, make a smoothie of 2/3 cup of low-fat milk, 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 a banana.
78. Replace 2 brownies with 2 fig bars.
79. Eat 2 meatballs instead of 4 with your spaghetti.
80. On a hot day, quench your thirst with a glass of ice water with lemon or mint instead of a can of light beer.
81. Eat 1/2 cup of black beans instead of 3 ounces of roast beef.
82. Replace 1 1/2 tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Nucoa Smart Beat margarine.
83. Choose 1 serving of vegetarian lasagna instead of lasagna with meat.
84. Eat 2 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars instead of 2 Kellogg's Pop-Tarts.
85. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of low-calorie French dressing on your salad instead of 2 tablespoons of blue cheese dressing.
86. Replace 1 large flour tortilla with 1 six-inch corn tortilla.
87. Eat a turkey sandwich instead of a chicken salad sandwich.
88. Choose 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in water instead of 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in oil.
89. At Burger King, have a Whopper Jr. Sandwich with regular fries instead of a Whopper With Cheese Sandwich.
90. Order your Quarter Pounder without cheese.
91. At Jack in the Box, eat a regular taco instead of a super taco.
92. Fix 1 cup of turkey chili with beans rather than regular chili with no beans.
93. Use 1 cup of fat-free cottage cheese instead of regular cottage cheese.
94. Order a sandwich with barbecued chicken instead of barbecued pork.
95. Replace 1 cup of corn with 1 cup of carrots.
96. Reduce your helping of turkey stuffing from 1 cup to 2/3 cup.
97. Have a single scoop of ice cream instead of a double scoop.
98. Replace 2 ounces of corn chips with 2 ounces of SnackWell's wheat crackers.
99. Eat 1 hot dog at the baseball game instead of 2.
100. Shred 2 ounces of fat-free cheddar cheese on nachos instead of regular cheddar.
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., is a nutritionist in private practice and editor of the Nutrition Report. Her latest book is Nutrition for Women: The Complete Guide (New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1993).
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