Health and Fitness

Use a red plate to lose a bit of weight: People who eat off them cut their food intake by 40%

2012-01-15T07:13:00.000-08:00

Eating from a red plate could help dieters lose weight, scientists claim.

Serving up meals on red plates or drinking from red cups cuts consumption by about 40 per cent, according to one study carried out by German and Swiss academics.

Researchers say the colour red may encourage diners to avoid snacking because it is commonly associated with the idea of ‘danger, prohibition and stop’.

They claim the discovery means the Government and food industry could use red packaging on unhealthy foods as a deterrent – and could even use more red in pubs to prevent people drinking too much.

In the study, 41 male students were asked to drink tea from cups marked with red or blue labels. They drank 44 per cent less from cups with red labels.

In the second part of the study, 109 people were given ten pretzels each on either a red, blue or white plate. Those with a red plate ate fewer pretzels.

The results were published in the journal Appetite.

Ursula Arens, from the British Dietetic Association, said: ‘Red may be associated with alarm or something primeval.'

How to Pick a Healthy Packaged Food

2012-01-12T02:00:00.000-08:00

When you find a packaged food in the supermarket with a long list of ingredients on the label, just set it back on the shelf and look for a simpler version of the food. (We’re talking here about the “Ingredients” part of the label. “Nutrition Facts” is another part, and more about that later.) The alarming truth is, many of those ingredients are various kinds of sugars and chemical additives, and they’re not put there for you — they’re there to benefit the company that processes the food.

Today is the day when most people will give up their New Year's resolutions... just nine days after they were made

2012-01-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

We began 2012 with the best of intentions, vowing to ditch our bad habits for good.

But already the last traces of willpower are fading away.

Today is the day most people will give up their New Year's resolutions - just nine days after they were made.

Slowing down: Most of us are about to give up on our vows to exercise, save money or lose weight (file picture)

Three-quarters of 3,000 British adults surveyed admitted they were no longer confident they would stick to their promises for the rest of the month.

The most popular resolutions this year related to physical and emotional wellbeing, with seven out of ten joining a gym or going jogging in the past two weeks.

Six out of ten said they were trying to eat more healthily or lose weight, according to the study by allabouthealth.org.

Spokesman Ajit Malhi said: 'While 2011 took its toll for many of us financially, it's important that people look after their emotional and physical health to make sure you can deal with the demands of today's busy lifestyles.

'Setting resolutions is a great way to start afresh but as the stats show it can be difficult to kick out old habits.'

Defeated: This will on average be the fourth year we have failed to keep the same resolution

Two thirds of those who made resolutions did so with a concrete goal in mind, including reaching a certain weight, clearing debt and saving for a holiday.

Three out of ten said they were cutting down on alcohol while a quarter planned to stop smoking.

More than a quarter said they had experienced a 'health scare' that had made them reassess their lifestyle and aim to change in 2012.

Although most people were motivated by a desire to be healthier, four out of ten said they wanted to become 'a better person', with many hoping this would improve their relationships.

A third were pushed into making their resolution at someone else's request and one in ten said they were doing it for their children.

Sixty per cent said they preferred to keep their resolutions to themselves, with many concerned that friends and family would try to tempt them back into their old ways.

Six out of ten admitted to making the same promise last year. On average, we will have failed in sticking to the same resolution a disappointing four times.

KELLY'S WORKOUT PLAN

2012-01-04T08:06:00.000-08:00

Apples or a fizzy drink? Which is worse for your teeth?

2012-01-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

A breakfast to boost your performance in the bedroom and the fruit that rots your teeth — 2011 was packed with food fads and revelations.

But have you been paying attention? Take our quiz to find out ...

What is better for bones: wine, beer or vodka?

Red wine (left) is thought to have a more beneficial effect than white; beer (centre) and spirits (right) had no positive effect on bones

Wine. In a study of 1,000 pairs of post-menopausal twins in their mid-50s, those who drank a glass of wine a day had the highest bone mineral density.

Researchers from East Anglia University and King’s College London believe polyphenols, a plant chemical and antioxidant found in grape skins, might be of benefit, as previous research found they boost the rate of bone production.

Red wine is thought to have a more beneficial effect than white because the grape skins are not removed before the wine-making process. Beer and spirits had no positive effect on bones.

What could help impotence: croissants, Weetabix or boiled eggs?

Weetabix. Like other fortified breakfast cereals, it contains vitamin B3, also known as niacin, which has been shown to help men with erection problems.

Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong studied 161 men suffering from impotence, who took two to three 500 mg niacin pills every day for 12 weeks, and discovered they had significant improvements in their love lives, compared with those taking a placebo.

The scientists believe the daily niacin supplement boosted blood flow to the pelvic region by reducing levels of cholesterol deposits in the main arteries. Niacin may also help blood vessels to dilate.

An especially high niacin dose was used in the study — much higher than the recommended daily amount of 14 mg.

Two Weetabix would give you a third of your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of niacin. Other good sources include red meat, particularly liver, and wholemeal bread.

What prevents depression: tea, coffee or hot chocolate?

Coffee was found to be far more influential on depression levels than chocolate or tea due to the high caffeine content

Coffee. Women who drink four or more cups of coffee a day are a fifth less likely to become depressed. Drinking two or three cups reduces the risk by 15 per cent.

This is the result of a study of 51,000 women over ten years, published in the Journal of the American Medicine Association.

One theory is that caffeine reduces the impact of the chemical adenosine in the brain, which can make us feel drowsy by slowing down nerve cell activity. Some anti-depressants also work by blocking the adenosine receptors.

Coffee was found to be far more influential on depression levels than chocolate or tea due to the high caffeine content.

Which is worse for teeth: apples or a fizzy drink?

The researchers believe the damage is more severe with an apple (left) because we take longer to eat the fruit than drink a fizzy drink (right)

Apples. In a study of 1,000 men and women, those who ate apples regularly were 3.7 times more likely to have damage to their dentine — the layer of the tooth below the outer covering of enamel.

Surprisingly, those who drank fizzy drinks regularly had no additional risk, found researchers at King’s College London Dental Institute.

Apples are acidic and each contains around four teaspoons of sugar.

Those who eat apples regularly are more likely to have damage to their dentine - the layer of the tooth below the outer covering of enamel

Though fizzy drinks contain around eight teaspoons of sugar per can and have a similar acidity to apples, the researchers believe the damage is more severe with the fruit because we take longer to eat an apple than drink a can.

‘Also, pieces of the apple are more likely to get caught between your teeth, where they can continue to damage the enamel until they are removed by brushing and flossing,’ says dentist Harvey Grahame, clinical director of hygienist services firm Smilepod.

To minimise the damage from apples, drink water immediately after eating to wash away harmful particles, or eat your apple with milk or cheese, which contain calcium that neutralises acid.

How many fruit gums provide one of your 5-a-day: 2, 18 or 195?

195. Fruit gums may have ‘real fruit juice’ in their list of ingredients but, according to Nestle, you’d need to eat 195 (11½ tubes) to give you as much vitamin C as in an average portion of fruit.

This would also give you 1,955 calories — almost the recommended total of 2,000 calories a day — and 238 g of sugar — the recommended amount for women is 50 g or less a day.

A big breakfast keeps you slim: true or false?

The study in Nutrition Journal said that if you want to lose weight, watch what you eat from the minute you get up

False. We’ve been told for years that eating a good breakfast curbs the appetite and stops us eating too much later in the day.

But a German study of 400 people found that participants ate similar amounts for lunch and dinner regardless of how much they had eaten for breakfast.

The study in Nutrition Journal said that if you want to lose weight, watch what you eat from the minute you get up.

Best natural alternative to statins: camomile tea, tomatoes or goji berries?

Tomatoes. Scientists have discovered that cooked tomatoes can have the same benefits as a small dose of statins if you suffer from high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

Just 50 g of tomato paste or a pint of tomato juice would ‘provide protection against heart disease’, according to the study’s authors.

Cooked tomatoes contain lycopene, a chemical that can help reduce cholesterol. A study in the journal Maturitas found that eating more than 25 mg of lycopene a day reduces bad cholesterol by up to 10 per cent.

However, you should never stop taking statin medications without first consulting your GP.

Which improves vision: chocolate, liquorice or coconut?

Chocolate. Researchers at Reading University asked participants to read coloured numbers that became progressively similar to the background colour until they disappeared.

When the participants ate 35 g of dark chocolate (a third of a large bar), their performance improved by 17 per cent. The effect was almost instant and the improved vision was found to last for more than 2½ hours.

Flavonols — antioxidants found in cocoa — are believed to improve vision because they boost the body’s production of nitric oxide, which helps dilate blood vessels, allowing more blood to flow to the retina.

Dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate because the levels of flavonols are higher.

What protects against skin cancer: grapes, oranges or melons?

Grapes. Ultra-violet radiation from the sun increases levels of harmful molecules that form in the skin, damaging cells and causing wrinkles. But scientists writing in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found flavonoids (powerful antioxidants) from grapes can prevent these molecules from forming in skin cells exposed to UV light.

How many eggs can we healthily eat: one a day or two a week?

There is no recommended limit to how many eggs we can healthily eat

Neither — eat them freely. We’ve long been warned to stick to two or three eggs a week because of their high cholesterol content.

But according to the Food Standards Agency, there is no recommended limit, unless you have been told to cut down by your GP.

There is no evidence that eating eggs raises cholesterol levels — and researchers found that eggs contain less cholesterol than in the past because hens are no longer given bone meal, which was banned in the Nineties after the BSE crisis.

Research by the British Egg Council found that that a medium egg gives you around 100 mg of cholesterol, a third of the 300 mg recommended daily limit.

Do strawberries: protect stomach, reduce wrinkles or freshen breath?

Protect the stomach lining. A diet rich in strawberries can help slow down formation of stomach ulcers and prevent gastric illnesses caused by drinking too much alcohol or taking aspirin.

Scientists at Barcelona University found that rats given ethanol had less damage to their stomach lining and fewer ulcers if they had been fed strawberry extract for ten days previously.

Strawberries are thought to help activate a protective, antiseptic enzyme called lysozyme in the stomach lining.

How many portions of fruit and veg do we need a day: three, five or eight?

Eight. Most of us manage only three, but new data has shown even five portions of fruit and veg a day may not be enough.

Every extra portion gives added protection against heart disease, says research from a European investigation into diet and health, which is assessing 300,000 people in eight countries.

The study revealed that eating eight portions of fruit and vegetables a day cuts your chance of dying from heart disease by 22 per cent compared with those who eat just three portions.

What ice-cream is a ‘super-food’: camel milk, chocolate or green tea?

Camel milk ice-cream. Camel milk is lower in saturated fat than cow’s milk, contains ten times more iron and five times more B vitamins — and its creamy, light texture is said to make delicious ice-cream.

Popular in the Middle East, the ice-cream isn’t cheap at £4 a scoop. But the milk is said to have many health benefits, and studies have shown it may help balance blood sugar levels.

Camel milk is also reputed to boost immunity because it contains immunoglobulins (antibodies) similar to those found in human breast milk.

8 ways to control your cravings and save your diet

2012-01-02T14:51:00.000-08:00

1. Avoid Your Triggers

'You crave what you eat, so if you switch what you're eating, you can weaken your old cravings and strengthen new ones,' says Marcia Pelchat, PhD, of the Monell Center. This can happen pretty fast. For five days, her study volunteers drank bland dietary-supplement beverages. During that time, they craved fewer of their trigger foods. By the end of the study, the volunteers actually wanted the supplements instead. The first few days are always the hardest, and you probably can't completely eliminate your old cravings. But the longer you avoid your trigger foods, the less likely you may be to want them. In fact, you'll probably begin to crave the foods you eat, a real bonus if you've switched to fresh fruit.

2. Go Nuts

Drink two glasses of water and eat an ounce of nuts (6 walnuts, 12 almonds or 20 peanuts). Within 20 minutes, this can extinguish your craving and dampen your appetite by changing your body chemistry, says Michael F. Roizen, MD.

3. Let it Go

Since stress is a huge trigger for cravings, learning to deal with it could potentially save you hundreds of calories a day. This will take some practice. You can try deep breathing or visualizing a serene scene on your own, or you can speed things up by buying one of the many CDs that teach progressive muscle relaxation.

4. Take a Power Nap

Cravings sneak up when we're tired. Focus on the fatigue: Shut the door, close your eyes, re-energize

5. Get Minty Fresh

Brush your teeth; gargle with mouthwash. 'When you have a fresh, clean mouth, you don't want to mess it up,' says Molly Gee, RD, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

6. Distract Yourself

If only ice cream will do, it's a craving, not hunger. 'Cravings typically last ten minutes,' says John Foreyt, PhD, of Baylor College of Medicine. Recognize that and divert your mind: Call someone, listen to music, run an errand, meditate or exercise.

7. Indulge Yourself -- Within Limits

Once in a while, it's OK to go ahead and have that ice cream. But buy a small cone, not a pint. Try 100-calorie CocoaVia chocolate bars or 100-calorie snack packs of cookies, peanuts or pretzel sticks. The trick is to buy only one pack at a time so you won't be tempted to reach for more. And since even 100 extra calories can sabotage weight loss if you indulge daily, strike a bargain with yourself to work off the excess calories. A brisk 15-minute walk will burn 100 calories or so.

8. Plan or Avoid

Vary your usual routine to avoid passing the bakery or pizzeria. If you know you'll be face-to-face with irresistible birthday cake, allocate enough calories to fit it into your diet.

source:rd.com

Science-Based Slim-Downs

2011-12-28T02:04:00.000-08:00

The benefits of weight loss go well beyond fitting back into skinny jeans. That’s why a number of big-name researchers, hospitals, and health organizations have launched their own diets to help strengthen the fight against a number of health conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity. These lab-tested plans have been around for a while,

DASH Diet

What It Is: Originally created as a meal plan to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, the DASH diet can help you lose weight and improve other health factors too, like your risk of diabetes or certain cancers.

How It Works: You’ll cut salt intake and eat mostly whole foods, which will lower blood pressure levels and reduce risk of heart disease and even kidney stones. The most recent iteration of this program, The DASH Diet Action Plan: Proven to Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Without Medication (Marla Heller, $15.63), features a 28-day diet plan complete with recipes.

What You’ll Eat: Between 1,200 and 2,000 calories a day, depending on your weight loss goals. Expect lots of veggies, fruits, protein, and whole grains but very little sodium. Sample meals might include a sandwich with soup and veggies on the side, or a large salad topped with chicken, followed by a frozen yogurt sundae.

Bottom Line: The main focus of this plan is improving cholesterol and blood pressure levels; weight loss is secondary, although it should occur for most people, particularly if you follow one of the reduced-calorie plans. Because this book includes 4-weeks’ worth of recipes it’s best suited for people who have the time to cook and are interested in trying completely new meals.

Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) Diet

What It Is: This diet plan, which was crafted by the National Institutes of Health, is the gold standard for the American Heart Association. By lowering fat and cholesterol consumption and increasing fiber intake you’ll improve your heart health and lose weight, too.

How It Works: The three-part program is designed to help lower blood cholesterol levels through diet, exercise, and weight management. The 81-page plan is free to download online. The booklet contains information about managing cholesterol and heart risk, in addition to healthy eating guidelines and several meal plan recommendations, although recipes are not included. The plan also suggests 30 minutes of exercise most days.

What You’ll Eat: Between 1,200 and 2,500 calories a day, depending on your sex and your weight loss goals. You’ll be eating a lot less fat, particularly saturated fat, which is limited to 7% of daily calories. But you’ll be able to enjoy plenty of fruits, veggies, nonfat or low-fat dairy, fish, and skinless chicken.

Bottom Line: The plan can be tailored not only to help improve cholesterol scores but also aid in weight loss, depending on your needs. Recipes and shopping lists are primarily up to you, so this plan might be a good fit for an experienced cook who wants to modify favorite meals.

Mayo Clinic Diet

What It Is: This phase-based plan is part diet, part lifestyle changes, all geared to accelerate weight loss. In phase 1 of the plan you spend 2 weeks stringently monitoring what you eat and learning new health habits. By the third week the rules ease up, making the program easier to maintain long-term, but still effective for aiding weight loss.

How It Works: For the complete guide, pick up The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat Well, Enjoy Life, Lose Weight (by the weight loss experts of the Mayo Clinic, $14.63). Some recipes are included in the book, but if you want a true meal plan pick up the Fix-It and Enjoy-It Healthy Cookbook. Regular exercise—from walking for fitness to walking around the grocery store—is encouraged, as is eliminating bad habits such as eating in front of the TV.

What You’ll Eat: Between 1,200 to 1,800 calories, depending on your sex and weight. You’ll fill your plate with lots of fruits and veggies, plus a moderate amount of carbs, fiber, and protein. This diet focuses on moderation more than absolute restriction.

Bottom Line: This program focuses on food as well as lifestyle, which can help make the results stick. After 2 weeks of intense dieting you’ll be guided to make your own sensible choices, which should add up to a loss of 1 to 2 pounds each week.

source: msn.health.com

Cut-price test that 'can dramatically boost IVF chances' will be available in 18 months

2011-12-28T02:00:00.000-08:00

A cut-price test that could dramatically increase the chances of having a healthy baby through IVF could be available within 18 months.

Oxford University researchers say their test could ‘revolutionise’ the treatment as it is half the price of existing tests and may be just as effective.

It may be cheap enough for use by the Health Service. And, unlike existing tests, it does not involve the potentially risky step of taking a sample of cells from the egg or fledgling embryo, making it safer and more ethically acceptable.

Instead, it works by analysing a ‘cloud’ of cells that nurture and feed the egg. These are normally thrown away in IVF treatment but fertility doctors Dagan Wells and Elpida Fragouli believe they hold important clues to the health of the egg.

Keeping and analysing these cells could help clinics select the best eggs for fertility treatment. It should also spare would-be parents the emotional and financial heartache of going through repeated unsuccessful IVF treatments.

Analysing these ‘cloud’, or cumulous, cells is also likely to be much cheaper at £1,000 or less compared with the £2,000 cost of other techniques, bringing the technology within range of many more couples.

Despite IVF’s reputation as an insurance policy, the treatment works in less than a quarter of cases, and many of the failures are because of problems with the eggs’ chromosomes.

There are already several ways of checking the chromosomes, but they require a small sample from the egg or embryo and so are not completely without risk to the unborn child.

The cumulous cells, however, can be studied without harming the egg. These cells grow and mature with the egg and so any problems that damage the egg, such as a poor blood supply, should also show up in the cells.

The doctors have carried out a small-scale study that has shown that certain genes being over or under-active in the cumulous cells is a sign of abnormal eggs.

Calculations suggest that using the technique to pick out the healthiest eggs would boost a woman’s odds of having a baby. Existing tests can double or triple the odds of IVF success, and it is hoped the new test will be just as good.

Dr Wells said: ‘The number of patients we looked at is very small. This is very much a work in progress, but there is good reason for optimism at this point.’

A larger-scale study is planned, and if that goes well the technique could be trialled on women for the first time in the summer of 2012. If it proves to be safe and effective, it could be in widespread use early in 2013.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health

My man's anxiety for our love life to be perfect is ruining it for me

2011-12-19T05:38:00.000-08:00

I have been with my partner for three years and we have, in my view, a very good and active sex life. However, he’s become obsessed with the idea with we should have simultaneous orgasms.

Now I feel that every time we’re in bed, he’s trying to get us synchronised — and the more I feel under pressure to time my orgasm to his, the harder I find it to take pleasure in what we’re doing.

I’ve even faked an orgasm once to try to keep him happy. How on earth can I get him to relax?

Hollywood has a lot to answer for, doesn’t it? All too often in films you see two people panting away to some tightly choreographed peak of ecstasy, as if this were the normal state of things.

You never see any blockbuster heroine say to her beloved: ‘Hang on a minute, you may have popped your cork, but I haven’t — don’t you dare roll over and go to sleep!’

It’s no wonder that back here in the real world, many people feel insecure if they don’t experience coordinated climaxes.

A straw poll of 12 women I know suggests that simultaneous orgasms — while not quite as rare as unicorns — aren’t all that common (and often get less frequent with age).

Only two of my respondents said they experienced the phenomenon with any frequency.

Another said she had found it quite easy to time her orgasm to her partner’s in her early 30s, when she says she felt ‘at my sexual peak’, but almost impossible since having children. A couple of the women said they had found it easier to coordinate peaks with particular partners and not with others, but it didn’t always mean the sex was better.

One friend had found herself in a similar situation to yours. She said one man she dated in her 20s viewed sex as a failure if they didn’t reach orgasm at the same time.

The problem was that they had experienced simultaneous climaxes in the early weeks of dating and, when the pattern didn’t continue, he thought something was wrong.

Their time together was dogged by his quest for movie-perfect sex.

She says: ‘We would be making love and he’d keep staring at me and asking me how close I was to coming. It made me really tense — I felt like a failure for not meeting his expectations.

‘Eventually, I started faking my orgasms. He was happier and I felt miserable.’

She says her romantic confidence was dented until she met her husband, who had ‘no hang-ups whatsoever about that sort of thing’. Interestingly, once there was no pressure about timing she did sometimes experience the elusive twinned sexual peak.

It’s clear you need to talk to your partner outside the bedroom, when emotions aren’t running so high. The question here is what has made him feel that synchronised climaxes are so vital? Perhaps they were a feature of a previous relationship and he’s come to believe that they’re vital for good sex?

No two women peak in the same way (some don’t have orgasms at all, so much as a pleasurable plateau of sensation) and he needs to understand that.

It’s also quite possible he has been influenced by pornography. Rare is the man who has never seen a blue movie, and some develop unrealistic expectations from scenes where trigger-happy porn stars climax on cue. Why? Because they’re faking it and the whole thing’s a fraud.

You need to explain gently to your partner that you feel you’re being held up to some golden standard that doesn’t exist.

He needs to understand his expectations are making you tense and unhappy in bed. You would be wise to confess to having faked an orgasm, even if the knowledge hurts him in the short term. He needs to know you truly are under duress, and it will be salutary for him to consider that previous girlfriends might have faked climaxes, too.

The biggest downside of faking orgasms is that men think they have pushed some kind of magic button when they haven’t. They then become perplexed when they try to repeat the process to no effect.

If any of what you say makes your partner cross, point out the only problem here is that you are both striving far too hard to make each other happy.

Give him credit for being an old‑fashioned romantic, who passionately wants you to find twinned rapture.

There are plenty of people in this world who selfishly take their own pleasure in bed and don’t give a fig about their lover’s satisfaction.

Thank heavens he isn’t one of them. He just needs to relinquish his goals and relax; then he’ll recognise that’s the only way of stumbling into sexual serendipity. Erotic love can’t work to a plan.

Remind him that the great virtue of the ‘your turn, my turn’ model of sex is that one lover can give their entire concentration to the other’s climax. Nor should partners worry if just one lover (or neither) has an orgasm.

There are no rules when it comes to sex — we just need to unshackle ourselves from a couple of myths.

source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Uric Acid Symptoms - 5 Simple Tips to Ditch Your Uric Acid Symptoms of Gout

2011-12-18T02:02:00.000-08:00

Your uric acid symptoms of gout - inflammation, swelling, redness, heat and agonising pain - are caused by uric acid crystals in your joints, tendons and surrounding tissues. The most common joints are the big toe, ankle and knee, but, almost any joint can be affected. Here, you'll discover how to ditch your uric acid symptoms by using 5 simple tips.

Uric acid is produced when 'purines' breakdown in our bodies after carrying out the vital work of converting our food to energy and genes to proteins. Purines are chemical compounds that appear naturally in our body cells and in much of our foods. So any remedy for gout has to take your diet into consideration.

Here are 5 simple ways to reduce your uric acid symptoms of gout, starting with your diet:-

1. You must avoid foods with high levels of purines. These are foods such as, red meats, offal, game, gravy, broth, poultry, shellfish, fish roe, sardines, mackerel, legumes, lentils, yeast extracts, etc. Also alcohol. Avoid alcohol, especially beer!

2. Eating 5 portions of fresh vegetables and fruit every day helps to flush uric acid out of your system. But avoid cauliflower, asparagus and mushrooms because they are relatively high in purines.

3. It is very important to flush excess acid out of your system by drinking at least 2 litres of water every day.

4. Eat plenty of cherries: a cupful at each meal. They have antioxident and anti-inflammatory powers and are known as a very effective natural remedy for gout.

5. Take Alfalfa to reduce acid levels. It also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. You can take it in seed form, capsules or liquid extracts.

These are just some of the many natural treatments for relieving uric acid symptoms of gout.

But what you need to consider now is how to prevent your gout returning again and again. If all you do is get rid of the symptoms each time you suffer an attack, without doing anything to prevent further gout attacks, you run the risk of possible permanent joint damage due to these recurring bouts of gout. Ideally, you need to relieve the pain of gout symptoms now, and, prevent your gout returning in the future.

You can find out exactly how to do this with an easy, step-by-step natural gout remedy report that thousands of ex-gout victims around the world have successfully used. And it doesn't matter if you have gout toe, ankle or knee etc., this report has everything covered.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2901736

The Happiness Diet: How a new weight-loss plan promises to tackle your mood as well as your waistline

2011-12-14T02:37:00.000-08:00

We all know that a diet high in fat, sugar and processed food is bad for our waistlines.

But according to a new book, it is also making us depressed.

Authors of The Happiness Diet believe that what we eat can affect mood as much as it does weight.

Brain food: Authors of The Happiness Diet believe that what we eat can affect our mood as much
as it does our weight
Drew Ramsey, a clinical psychiatrist at Columbia University, and health writer Tyler Graham say that eating the right food is 'the foundation of good mental health'.

They point out that rates of both obesity and depression have doubled in the last decade, and blame the rise on the Standard American Diet, or the SAD Diet.

'Your brain is made of food, and the right foods are the foundation of good mental health'

A weight-loss plan that simply cuts fat and calories is a recipe for failure, they say, and without natural mood-boosters such as magnesium, vitamin B12 and conjugated linoleic acid, we are less likely to feel happy and therefore successful.

Instead, a diet rich in 'good' fats, like olive oil, whole grains, vegetables and quality meat can benefit both out minds and our waistlines because, by feeling more satisfied, one will lose weight effortlessly.

Dr Ramsey told Today.com: 'Focusing on getting skinny by eating a low-fat, low-calorie diet, fails for most people.

The Happiness Diet: You can't feel your best if you starve the brain, say Tyler Graham and Drew Ramsey

'Your brain is made of food, and the right foods are the foundation of good mental health. You can't feel your best if you starve the brain.'

They also counter the argument that the food they recommend is too expensive for those on a budget.

'The biggest myth out there is that eating right is expensive,' Dr Ramsey said, explaining that ordering a weekly seasonal box of produce from community-supported agriculture programmes can actually cut your weekly grocery spend.

But there's nothing wrong in investing in your health if you do need to spend more, Mr Graham added.

A century ago, people spent far more on food than they do now, because they had different priorities.

'Your brain is made out of food,' he said, echoing his co-author. 'What's more important, having 200 cable channels or feeding your brain the nutrients it needs?'

Stress during second and third month of pregnancy raises risk of premature birth and losing baby boys

2011-12-10T12:37:00.000-08:00

First time stress has been shown to affect the balance between the sexes
Findings based on stress caused by the 2005 Tarapaca earthquake in Chile

It is the first time stress has been shown to affect the balance between the sexes, known as the sex ratio, which normally favours an excess in the number of boys being born.

Mothers-to-be who are highly stressed during the second and third month of pregnancy are more at risk of giving birth prematurely and losing boy babies, say researchers.

A new study shows exposure to stress can shorten the length of pregnancy, making it more likely that babies will be born early and for boys to be miscarried.

It has been described as nature's way of balancing an increased risk of premature death in young men, starting in infancy.

The latest findings suggest the extra risk to boys starts even earlier – in the womb.

The results come from a study investigating the effect on pregnant women of the stress caused by the 2005 Tarapaca earthquake in Chile.

But US researchers claim there could be implications for pregnant women in more normally stressful situations, because the effects are independent of poverty, bad housing and poor diet.

Professors Florencia Torche and Karine Kleinhaus, of New York University, analysed birth certificates of all babies born between 2004-2006 in Chile, where there are 200,000 births a year. The magnitude of the earthquake was measured at 7.9, which is classified as ‘disastrous’.

The researchers found that women who lived closest to the quake during their second and third months of pregnancy had shorter pregnancies and were at higher risk of delivering pre-term, before 37 weeks gestation.

The pregnancies of women exposed to the earthquake in the second month of pregnancy were on average 1.3 days shorter than those in the unaffected areas of Chile. The pregnancies of those exposed in the third month were almost two days shorter.

Normally, about six in 100 women had a pre-term birth, but among women exposed to the earthquake in the third month of pregnancy, this rose by 3.4 per cent, meaning more than nine women in 100 delivered their babies early.

The researchers found a decline in the sex ratio among those exposed to the earthquake in the third month of 5.8 per cent, meaning fewer boy babies survived to delivery.

The study is published online in the leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction. Prof Kleinhaus, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and Environmental Medicine, said ‘Generally, there are more male than female live births.

‘The ratio of male to female births is approximately 51:49 – in other words, out of every 100 births, 51 will be boys.

‘Our findings indicate a 5.8 per cent decline in this proportion, which would translate into a ratio of 45 male births per 100 births, so that there are now more female than male births. This is a significant change for this type of measure.’

Previous research has suggested in times of stress women are more likely to miscarry boys because they grow larger than girls and require more sustenance from the mother, and they may also be less robust than females and not adapt their development to a stressful environment in the womb.

Prof Torche said ‘Our findings on a decreased sex ratio support this hypothesis and suggest that stress may affect the viability of male births.

She said the study provided strong evidence that stress independently affected the outcome of pregnancies, rather than being a side-effect of poor housing, poverty and bad diet.

‘In terms of implications, it is clearly unrealistic to recommend avoiding natural disasters. However, this research suggests the need to improve access to healthcare for women from the onset of pregnancy and even before conception.

‘Obviously this will not reduce the exposure to stress, but it may provide care, advice, and tools that would allow women to cope with stressful circumstances’ she added.

source:dailymail

Forget a warm cup of cocoa! Drinking cherry juice twice a day will give you 39minutes of extra rest

2011-12-10T03:34:00.000-08:00

Researchers say the juice could help athletes recover from injury as well as people with insomnia or jet lag

Lavender pillows, warm cups of cocoa and a relaxing going-to-bed routine, are all popular ways to reach the land of nod.

Now researchers have found a fruity solution for those who struggle to get to sleep or find themselves waking too early in the morning.

An international team found that when healthy adults had two daily glasses of tart cherry juice, they rested an average 39 minutes longer.

This broke down as around 25 minutes of extra sleep and 14 more minutes spent relaxing in bed.

They also found they woke less often when in bed compared to when they drank a non-cherry fruit cocktail.

The study was conducted at Northumbria University and has now appeared in the European Journal of Nutrition.

Participants were given two servings of Montmorency cherry juice concentrate diluted with half a pint of water, or an alternative fruit drink for seven consecutive days - once when they woke up and another before bed.

They were also asked to abstain from eating a list of foods, known to contain or influence melatonin - a powerful antioxidant that is key to regulating our sleep-wake cycles.

The researchers then tracked their sleeping habits using actigraphs (watches that sense movement) and questionnaires. Urine samples were taken to measure the levels of melatonin in the system.

They found the cherry drink led to longer sleep time, less daytime napping and better sleep efficiency (the ratio of time spent in bed to time spent sleeping) among the 20 participants.

The researchers attribute the sleep benefits to the melatonin content of the red fruit.

Each serving of the tart cherry juice concentrate was estimated to contain the equivalent of 90 – 100 tart cherries, which 'significantly elevated' the level of melatonin in the bodies of the participants.

Dr Glyn Howatson, an exercise physiologist, said: 'We were initially interested in the application of tart cherries in recovery from strenuous exercise.

'Sleep forms a critical component in that recovery process, which is often forgotten.

'These results show that tart cherry juice concentrate can be used to facilitate sleep in healthy adults and, excitingly, has the potential to be applied as a natural intervention, not only to athletes, but to other populations with insomnia and general disturbed sleep from shift work or jet lag.'

It is thought that a third of people in the UK will experience bouts of insomnia during their lives. The condition, which is classed as being unable to get to sleep or stay asleep long enough to feel refreshed the next day, is more common among women and older people.

While more research is necessary before medical professionals turn to cherries as a sole treatment for sleep disorders, the scientists conclude that tart cherry juice concentrate could be a viable 'adjunct intervention for disturbed sleep across a number of scenarios.'

'Smoking can make your nipples fall off': Plastic surgeon warns of gangrene following breast lift

2011-12-06T22:36:00.000-08:00

Smoking can make your nipples fall off - this is the astonishing claim by Dr Anthony Youn, one of American's top plastic surgeons.

The practitioner from Detroit, Michigan, was quick to point out this applied to patients who underwent breast lifts to perk up their chests.

He said the nicotine and carbon monoxide taken in during smoking can disrupt blood flow to different parts of the body and so disrupts the healing process following surgery.

The toxins can act as a 'virtual tourniquet' and effectively kill a body part by stopping blood from reaching it.

Speaking to CNN Health, Dr Youn said: 'I cringe every time I see a patient for a breast lift who is a smoker.

'I’m deathly afraid that despite my warnings, she will smoke before or after surgery and cause her nipples to turn black and fall off.

'I've seen it before,' he claimed.

Dr Youn said he treated one female smoker whose nipples had turned purple after smoking caused the tiny veins in the breast to fail, leading to a backup of old blood.

Left untreated they could have turned black and fallen off.

He had to resort to using leeches over several days to suck out the old blood and so restore the woman's nipples to a healthy pink.

He told CNN he now made sure all of his patients understood the dire outcomes that could result from smoking following a cosmetic operation.

'If you are having a breast lift or reduction and you smoke, your nipples could turn black and fall off.

'If you are having a tummy tuck and you smoke, you may get an infection resulting in a big gross open wound that will take three months to heal.

'If you are having a facelift and you smoke, the skin of your cheek could turn black and slough off, leaving exposed fat.'

Those applying for cosmetic surgery such as tummy tucks or breast surgery on the NHS must be non-smokers.

According to the NHS: Research has shown smokers have more

problems with wound healing than non-smokers.

'This means they are likely to have to stay in hospital for longer and may require treatment for infections.

'Procedures are more likely to be successful in those who do not smoke.'

source: Dailymail.co.uk

25 Snacks That Will Give You Energy Throughout The Day

2011-11-29T04:40:00.000-08:00

Our energy is integrally connected to the foods we eat. The foods we choose to put in our body can either boost our energy, or drag us down. Here are great energizing foods that will support our general well-being and health. There’s 25, so I’ll get right into it!

1. Apples:

Everyone knows “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” and it’s true! Apples contain lots of vitamins and minerals, and are also a rich source of flavonoids and polyphenols, both of which are powerful antioxidants. Try eating them in the morning and include in smoothies.

2. Bananas:

Bananas are one of the best sources of potassium, which helps maintain normal blood pressure and heart function in the body. Bananas are a convenient snack with a peel that you can throw in your purse or carry-on, that is sure to boost your energy levels during an afternoon lull.

3. Red Peppers:

Bell peppers are bursting with antioxidant vitamins A and C- also great for skin beauty. Red peppers in particular contain lycopene, which has been linked to cancer prevention. Red peppers are great to snack on if you want that satisfying crunch. Try dipping in salsa for an afternoon snack.

4. Hummus:

Hummus is a healthy energy-boosting snack that is sure to satisfy the creamy-salty cravings. It’s a great energy booster when paired with other items on this list, like red peppers, carrots and cucumbers. Try the Raw Chickpea-Free Hummus recipe with zucchini instead of cooked chickpeas, and raw tahini. You’ll still get amino acids and calcium from the raw tahini, but in a lighter, non-starchy form.

5. Organic Dark Chocolate:

If you have a sweet tooth, organic dark chocolate is sure to satisfy those cravings, and is better than having dessert snacks that contain refined starches, which will deplete B vitamins that we need for energy. I recommend non-dairy, organic dark chocolate because it contains the highest amount of powerful antioxidants. There is some sugar in it, so limit portion size to 1-2 oz a day.

6. Pumpkin seeds:

These seeds are packed with minerals such as magnesium, iron, and calcium, vitamin K and protein. These seeds will be sure to satisfy that crunchy craving when you need a boost. Lighter than nuts, try a quarter of a cup of them in the afternoon a few hours after lunch, especially if you are working out after work or have a long stretch before dinner.

7. Carrots:

Carrots are high in fiber, so they are a great crunchy way to take the edge off hunger, while providing some good nutrition. They contain high amounts of Vitamin A, in the form of Beta-Carotene, which is good for the eye sight. Since they are a veggie which combines well with most other foods, they are great to snack on throughout the day.

8. Celery:

Celery is a refreshing source of fiber, vitamin C and B-vitamins. It has a diuretic effect, due to its balance of the electrolytes potassium and sodium, which helps to flush out excess fluid from the body. Celery is also believed to have anti-inflammatory properties. It is also great with hummus for a more substantial snack, or try adding it to the Glowing Green Smoothie (see below!)

9. Pureed veggie soup:

Making a pureed veggie soup is a great way to get in those veggies on a cold day. Nothing is more comforting than a warm bowl of soup, so try boosting your energy with a bowl of pure veggies! Because the soup is blended, your body can easily absorb the nutrients that become readily available, without wasting energy breaking them down.

10. Lemon Water:

It may sounds simple, but sipping water with lemon (cold or hot) is known to provide energy. One of the biggest forms of fatigue is dehydration, so make sure to sip up! Lemon gives an added boost of vitamins and enzymes. Be sure to start your day with a cup of hot water with lemon.

11.Oatmeal:

Oats are one of the healthiest carbs you can find. Try some natural oats (oat groats are my favorite) in the morning, at least 25 minutes after you’ve had some fruit or if you are still hungry after having the Glowing Green Smoothie. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top for even more health benefits and more flavor.

12. Glowing Green Smoothie:

Try blending up a batch of my signature smoothie when you feel low on energy. It’s packs a huge amount of greens into one drink, with a bit of fruit to sweeten the taste so it is delicious. Loaded with vitamins, enzymes, minerals, amino acids and filling fiber, this is my daily ritual for breakfast and a mid-afternoon snack.

13. Watermelon:

Watermelon is a great snack, especially in the summer when it’s in season. It contains lycopene, which as mentioned earlier, has been linked to cancer prevention. Be sure to eat it on an empty stomach to experience its full benefits. As with other non-starchy/non-fatty fruits, it digests quickly and needs to pass out of the stomach so it doesn’t prematurely ferment behind slower-digesting foods.

14. Coconut water:

Drinking coconut water is one of the best ways to naturally re-hydrate the body. It is packed full of electrolytes and has detoxifying properties. Young coconuts are best, but are not always convenient (!). You can find coconut water in cartons in most health food grocery stores these days.

15. Green Salad:

There’s nothing like a nice, green salad to provide an energy burst. Greens are filled with vitamins and minerals, and digest fairly quickly so you’ll feel the energy. Use a light dressing that includes lemon, and this is a perfect way to get some nutrition when feeling low on energy.

16. Pineapple:

Pineapple is easy to digest, and contains the enzyme bromelain, which helps aids in digestion and has cleansing properties. Again, be sure to eat on an empty stomach and alone.

17. Blueberries:

Blueberries are a delicious, energetic snack. These berries are also known to promote brain function and boost energy, so they are a good thing to eat before a test, or when you need to focus. They are abundant and in season at the moment!

18. Avocado:

Filled with fiber and healthy fats and fiber, avocados are one of my daily staples. They are awesome to keep your skin smooth and youthful as well. They are also known to help lower cholesterol. If you don’t like to eat them plain, try adding avocados to salads.

19. Raw Granola:

Granola is a great snack when you’re feeling hungry mid-day. Make sure you choose a granola that is not overly processed (a raw variety if you can find it), is preferably gluten-free and does not have a ton of added sugar. Its best to try and make your own, with a base of buckwheat groats.

20. Herbal Tea:

This is a nice thing to sip when you don’t want to eat anything late at night or in the mid-morning or afternoon. Make sure to go caffeine free. I suggest red rooibos because it contains lots of antioxidants and has a nice flavor.

21. Dried Figs:

Dried figs are an amazing blood purifier and help dissolve mucus and toxins from our system. Make sure you choose brands that don’t add sugars or additives. Figs have a fairly high amount of sugar, so really limit portion size to only a few. If you have Candida or another sugar issue, you should avoid dried and regular fruit.

22. Strawberries:

A great snack for some fiber, tons of vitamin C, as well as biotin (great for skin/hair/nails) and folic acid. Strawberries contain high levels of antioxidants. Perfect for the summer!

23. Quinoa:

Quinoa is a great grain to add to your diet because it is a complete protein, and contains all the essential amino acids. It is one of the most nutritious, filling grains you can choose.

24. Cucumber:

Cucumber is known to be a beauty vegetable and full of the beauty mineral silicon. It’s a delicious, hydrating and nutrient-rich snack that tastes great on its own, or dipped in hummus. Try making cucumber salad with raw apple cider vinegar.

25. Raw Sauerkraut:

Sauerkraut is a probiotic-rich food. Probiotics help create B vitamins which will be sure to give you the energy you need throughout your day. Try my Probiotic & Enzyme Salad recipe so you can make your own raw sauerkraut for cents a day.

source: kimberlysnyder.net

Avoiding Repeat Miscarriages

2011-11-26T05:22:00.000-08:00

Q: How do I avoid recurrent miscarriages?

A: Any known pregnancy loss can leave an emotional scar along with feelings of guilt and self-doubt. But even when a mom has done everything right—taken all precautions possible, exercised, ate a nutritious diet—miscarriages still can happen.

A miscarriage is a pregnancy loss that occurrs less than 20 weeks from a woman’s last menstrual period. It’s estimated that up to 50 percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. Most of these miscarriages happen, however, before women even know that they’re pregnant. Of known pregnancies, about 15 percent miscarry.

As disturbing as these statistics sound, imagine when a woman miscarries three or more times in a row. About 1 percent of all women deal with this gut-wrenching condition, known as recurrent pregnancy loss or recurrent miscarriage.

The reason for the majority of recurrent pregnancy losses is unknown. However, some medical conditions in the mother and in the fetus have been linked to these miscarriages:

Random chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo; this unexplained “chance” event is the most common reason.
Inherited genetic cause.
Age of the mother; the chance of miscarriage increases with age—approximately one-third of all pregnancies for women 40 and older miscarry.
An abnormality of the uterus, such as double uterus, fibroids and uterine polyps; some of these could be corrected by surgery.
Hormonal and metabolic abnormalities in the mother; such as, poorly controlled diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome and possible association with low levels of progesterone.
Autoimmune disorders such as antiphospholipid syndrome in the mother; this requires blood tests to check for the lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies.
An inherited blood clotting disorder in the mother, such as Factor V Leiden, elevated levels of fibrinogen and others.

When a woman has had two or more known miscarriages in her first trimester, or one miscarriage in her second, she should be thoroughly evaluated by an obstetrician, a reproductive pregnancy loss specialist or a family physician trained in obstetrics and reproductive health. This examination likely will include: Blood tests (checking for immune disorders in the mother, hormone levels, chromosome abnormalities and other related conditions), an ultrasound of the uterus, hysteroscopy (viewing the uterus through the cervix using a special device) and endometrial biopsy.

Even with the best experts studying the results of the most accurate tests, we are left without a clear explanation for more than half of the repeat miscarriages.

However, there’s hope. Sixty percent to 70 percent of women with unexplained recurrent miscarriages will go on to have a successful pregnancy. And, if the cause is recognized and treatable, the success rate increases by up to 90 percent.

So what can you do to maximize your chances for a successful pregnancy? For starters, ask your physician if you would benefit from taking a daily vitamin B supplement known as folic acid. Next, consider incorporating a healthier lifestyle into your daily routine. Some suggestions:

Eating a nutritious and well balanced diet.
Quitting the tobacco habit.
Avoiding secondhand tobacco smoke.
Ceasing any alcohol consumption.
Incorporating regular and low-intensity exercise, such as walking.
Maintaining a healthy weight.
Reducing caffeine intake.
Keeping clear of unwanted radiation or toxic chemical exposure, including work-related chemicals.
Checking with your physician or pharmacist before taking over–the-counter or prescription medications.
Avoiding the use of illegal drugs.

How long you wait before attempting another pregnancy is a highly personal decision. While many experts recommend waiting until you have had at least one or two normal menstrual cycles for evidence of a physical recovery, it is just as important to give yourself time to heal emotionally and spiritually.

Source: MSN Health

Bizarre condition causes woman to collapse every time her phone rings

2011-11-24T03:07:00.000-08:00

Most people love nice surprises, but they are agony for Caitlin Wallace, who collapses whenever something unexpected happens.

The 26-year-old suffers from cataplexy, where moments of extreme emotion cause muscular weakness. This can range from a slackening of the facial muscles, weakness at the knees to total collapse.

Laughter, anger, excitement and fear can all cause reactions, but for Caitlin her trigger is surprise.

Surprise: Even an unexpected phone call can trigger a cataplexy attack

Simple things like her phone ringing, bumping into an old friend and letters coming through the door have all made her collapse - at it's worst up to 20 times a day.

It can leave her paralysed for several minutes and although she can hear everything, she cannot see.

Mrs Wallace from Liverpool, said: 'It started off with a very small feeling of falling whenever I laughed at something, and by the end of the week when someone at work told a funny story, I just lost muscle control and fell onto the floor.

'It's developed from laughter to shock and surprise. I can collapse just because my mobile rings when I'm holding it.

'I was shopping in the supermarket a couple of months ago when I bumped into an old friend I hadn't seen for about five years.

'It was so unexpected that I collapsed. It's really embarrassing.

'With cataplexy you can't put your arms out to break your fall. You have no control or no way stopping yourself from falling.

'I'm covered in bumps, bruises and scars from falls. I can hear people when I have an attack but I can't see or speak. It's like I'm paralysed.'

Collapse: Caitlin Wallace during an attaqck on holiday in June 2011.
She is conscious but cannot move during the episodes

Her husband John, 35, who is a lift engineer, knows not to surprise his wife with flowers or chocolates and made sure their wedding in June last year was a low-key affair.

Caitlin said: 'A surprise party would be my idea of hell. If John has something to tell me, he asks me to sit down first in case I collapse.

'If he walks into a room and I don't realise he's there, it can happen. Once, I was sat blow drying my hair with my back to the door. He walked in and made me jump. I fell face down onto the bed.

'John is very good. He always tries to catch me when I fall.'

Symptoms started in February last year, and after her first attack she went to her local accident and emergency department fearing she had suffered a stroke.

Doctors there suggested Caitlin see a neurologist, who carried out tests, including a brain scan, before referring her to a specialist sleep clinic at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

It was there she was diagnosed with cataplexy and narcolepsy, which causes excessive daytime sleepiness.

Her condition means she has had to give up her driving licence and her job as a receptionist at a dental practice.

Caitlin said: 'I kept falling asleep on the phone and making mistakes because of the tiredness. It was causing a lot of problems so I had to leave.

'Work were very good and patient, but it wasn't working out to anyone's

Caitlin pictured with her husband John who must catch her when she falls

Last Christmas, the attacks became so severe Caitlin was scared to leave the house on her own and she would use a wheelchair in public, despite being able to walk.

She wasn't able to cook and have a bath on her own in case she had a catapletic attack.

She had to stop exercising because it was too dangerous, causing her to put on more than two stone.

With medication, her condition has improved and she has started doing voluntary work with the hope of getting a part-time job next year.

Caitlin said: 'A few months ago, I wouldn't have thought about the future, but I'm feeling more positive.

'When my condition was at it's worst, I spent so much time indoors. I got bored of watching television so I started reading a lot of books.

'It's made me realise I want to be a writer, and now I have my days free to try and make that happen.'

Dr Paul Reading, consultant neurologist at James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, and president of the British Sleep Society said: 'People with narcolepsy lack a chemical in their brain that regulates sleep, without which they cannot stay awake for more than a couple of hours or so.

'Cataplexy is found only in people suffering from narcolepsy.

'It is triggered by intense emotion, particularly laughter or surprise, as with Caitlin, but occasionally anger or frustration.

'I have a patient who has a cataplectic attack whenever he gets a good shot while playing golf.

'Cataplexy can be treated with anti-depressants, not because the sufferer is depressed but because these drugs create a chemical state in the brain that inhibits cataplexy.'

source: daily mail

Mother left in a coma after using hair dye: Doctors probe chemical in L'Oreal kit as she fights for life

2011-11-22T01:36:00.000-08:00

Doctors warn that even if she survives she will almost certainly be permanently brain damaged

Julie McCabe, a mother-of-two, is fighting for her

life after suffering an apparent allergic

reaction to hair dye

A mother who collapsed and stopped breathing minutes after applying a home hair dye kit was in a coma last night and has been given only an 8 per cent chance of survival.

Julie McCabe, 38, may have suffered a severe allergic reaction to a chemical in the L’Oreal Preference product.

She remained on a life support machine last night, three weeks after she used the dye, as her family continued a bedside vigil.

Doctors have warned her devastated husband Russell that even if she survives she will almost certainly be permanently brain-damaged.

No definitive link has yet been made with the L’Oreal product but doctors caring for Mrs McCabe, an estate agent, have asked for the kit and gloves she used so they can carry out tests.

L’Oreal has offered to assist the medical staff with any information that may help save Mrs McCabe’s life.

It is feared the chemical para-phenylenediamine (PPD) – present in 99 per cent of all hair dyes – may be linked to her condition.

Her family, who say she dyed her hair every six weeks and had never experienced any reaction previously, is now considering legal action.

They have contacted a solicitor representing others who have suffered reactions to PPD.

Mrs McCabe’s case comes less than a month after Tabatha McCourt, 17, collapsed and died following a violent fit that struck her 20 minutes after she coloured her hair.

An investigation is continuing to establish the exact cause of her death.

Coma: Mrs McCabe is on a life support machine at Airedale General Hospital, Yorkshire. She has been given only an 8 per cent chance of recovery

Last night, Mrs McCabe’s father spoke of the moment she collapsed after applying the product to re-dye her brunette hair at her home in Keighley, West Yorkshire, on October 30.

Doctors caring for Mrs McCabe, an estate agent,

have asked for the L'Oreal hair dye kit and gloves she used

Keith Miller, 63, said she was rinsing the dye off after the recommended 20 minutes when she began struggling for breath.

She told her husband. "I don't feel wll, I can't breathe",'he said

‘He rushed her to hospital and her heart stopped beating on the way. At A&E doctors cleared her airway and got her heart restarted but her brain was starved of oxygen for God knows how long.

‘She’s now in a coma. The doctors have more or less said the condition she is in now is most likely how she will stay. They are not giving us much hope. It’s hard to take in.’

Mrs McCabe had used the L’Oreal product in the past, he added. He also believes she did a skin test before using the dye, in accordance with the manufacturer’s advice.

But he is convinced the chemical PPD has caused his daughter’s condition and is now calling for it to be banned from home hair dye kits.

He said: ‘I promise for the sake of my daughter and other women to get this chemical outlawed in Britain. I don't want this happening to anybody else's daughter or wife.

Mrs McCabe’s mother Brenda Miller, 60, said: ‘PPD builds up in your system over time and this is what has caused a reaction in Julie.

‘The doctors have shaved her head so no more PPD can get into her through her scalp.’

Mrs McCabe’s son, Luke, 20, and 15-year-old daughter Abigail, are both struggling to come to terms with what has happened.

‘They’re sort of in a trance,’ added Mr Miller.

‘Their mum is there one minute and the next she’s in hospital with pipes coming out of her nose.’

The family have since been in contact with a hair and scalp specialist who claims that an allergy to hair dye increases as a result of cumulative exposure to PPD.

A L’Oreal spokesman said: ‘L’Oreal was extremely concerned to hear about this serious situation.

‘We do not know the details of the case so it would be inappropriate for us to comment further, however we will do everything we can to assist this lady’s family and medical team with information they might need to establish what happened.’

source: dailymail

10 food cravings and how to beat them

2011-11-15T22:22:00.000-08:00

Whether you crave chocolate or cheese, check out our guide to beating the 10 most common dieters’ downfalls, why we crave forbidden foods and the smart calorie swaps to try instead.

1. Chocolate

Chocolate is the most common food craving - and for good reason. It contains the same chemical (phenylethylamine) that our brains produce when we fall in love, as well as a serotonin-like substance that promotes feelings of happiness. On top of that, it acts as a stimulant to give us an instant pick-me-up. Just sniffing chocolate triggers the pleasure centres in the brain - no wonder we crave it so much!

How to beat it: A craving for chocolate could point to a magnesium deficiency (healthier sources include nuts, seeds, pulses, whole grains and leafy green vegetables). If you need cheering up try going for a brisk walk - exercise is a great way to raise serotonin levels.

Smart calorie swap: Have a cup of low-fat hot chocolate made with water (60 calories) rather than a KitKat and you'll save 173 calories.

2. Biscuits and sugar

A craving for sugar can signal tiredness, as your body is looking for a quick energy boost to keep going. Once you give in to the sugar craving, blood glucose levels rise and then plummet - leaving you feeling lower than before and needing another fix.

How to beat it: Eat regularly throughout the day - consider eating six small meals rather than the usual three - and never skip a meal. Choose foods that are lower on the glycaemic index (GI), such as whole-grain bread and whole-wheat pasta, as these are digested slowly and will help stabilise blood sugar fluctuations.

Smart calorie swap: Have a Jaffa cake (48 calories and 1g fat each) rather than a chocolate digestive and you'll save 40 calories and 3.2g of fat.

3. Crisps

Is your craving for crisps worse at work? It could be a sign of stress. There's a theory that eating foods that 'crunch', such as crisps, popcorn and crackers, helps to release tension held in the jaw, allowing us to work out stress and frustration with every bite.

How to beat it: Don't walk by the vending machine if you can help it and keep healthier crunch foods on your desk, such as apples and carrot sticks. If work gets too much, go for a brisk walk or run up and down the stairs - with any luck you'll return feeling less stressed and will have forgotten all about your crisp craving.

Smart calorie swap: Grab your bag with care. A large packet (47g) of Walkers Cheese and Onion crisps contain 262 calories and 16g of fat. A small packet (24g) of Walkers Lights contains 115 calories and 5.3g of fat - saving you 147 calories and 10.7g of fat.

4. Bread and butter

Comforting carbohydrate foods, such as bread, pasta and potatoes, stimulate the release of serotonin - the body's natural feel-good chemical. Some nutritionists believe that when we crave carbs, it's actually a sign that we're feeling in need of reassurance - in other words, what we really want is a hug.

How to beat it: Reflect on how you're feeling. If you need some reassurance, phone a friend, take a warm bubble bath or read an inspiring book instead. If you must have carbs, control your portion size. We only need around a fist-sized portion of pasta or potatoes with a meal - and make sure you don't add lashings of butter or creamy sauce. Remember to choose low GI options, such as whole-wheat bread and pasta and brown rice.

Smart calorie swap: A slice of bread contains around 70-100 calories (add a thin spread of butter and you'll add 50 calories, a thick one and you'll add 100 calories!). Swap a slice of bread for a rice cake (35kcals) and you'll save 35-65 calories.

5. Cheese

Some nutritionists believe that people who crave creamy, soft foods, such as cheese, are actually seeking comfort and relaxation. Milk contains choline, which has a soothing effect on the body, as well as L-tryptophan, which when combined with carbohydrates triggers the production of serotonin.

How to beat it: There's nothing wrong with eating cheese - as long as you watch your portion sizes. A small chunk of mature, strong cheddar is likely to satisfy more than a milder cheese. If you can't stop at one chunk, opt for a low-fat cheese spread thinly on crackers.

Smart calorie swap: There are around 409 calories and 34g of fat in 100g of cheddar cheese. Philadelphia Extra Light contains 111 calories and 4.7g of fat per 100g - saving you 298 calories and 29.3g of fat.

6. Chips

Do you find it impossible to eat a single chip without craving more? There could be a scientific reason why we're 'addicted' to fries, according to researchers in America. They found that fatty foods such aschips trigger the production of chemicals in the body much like those found in marijuana. These chemicals, called 'endocannabinoids', are part of a cycle that makes you crave 'just one more', say researchers.

How to beat it: Order a healthier alternative (boiled potatoes or extra salad) when you're eating out and don't pinch a few chips from someone else's plate. Once you have one, your body is evolutionally hard-wired to want more - so avoidance is best.

Smart calorie swap: A standard portion (240g) of chips from the chip shop contains 574 calories and 30g of fat. The same portion of McCain Oven Chips (chunky ones are less fattening than thin cut), contain 379 calories and 9.1g of fat - saving you 195 calories and 20.9g of fat.

7. Ice-cream

If you were given ice-cream to cheer you up as a child, you're even more likely to crave its creamy comfort as an adult. Stress signals the body to crave energy-dense foods, such as ice-cream, as it prepares to fight or take flight - both of which require a quick burst of energy. The stress hormone cortisol also blocks the release of leptin and insulin, increasing hunger.

How to beat it: Drinking black tea has been shown to reduce cortisol levels by nearly 50%, according to a recent study. For a creamy treat, eat low-fat Greek yoghurt, which is lower in sugar than other low-fat yoghurt varieties. Add a few blueberries or stir in some honey for sweetness.

Smart calorie swap: A single Magnum Double Classic (110ml) contains 340 calories and 20g of fat. A single fruity Solero (90ml) contains 90 calories and 1.5g of fat - saving you 250 calories and a whopping 18.5g of fat.

8. Cake

While some cravings can be triggered by negative feelings or nutritional deficiencies, just seeing our favourite food can be enough to bring on the munchies. It's not just the sight of those delicious cakes either - supermarket chains have been known to pump out sweet smells from the bakery in order to entice us to buy.

How to beat it: Take a different route to avoid the bakery and do your food shopping online. Alternatively, try sniffing vanilla extract. Studies show that just smelling something sweet can be enough to satisfy your sweet tooth craving.

Smart calorie swap: A standard chocolate éclair contains 190 calories and 15g of fat. A Go Ahead honey, caramel and sultana cake slice has 89 calories and 2.2g of fat - saving you 101 calories and 12.8g of fat.

9. Meat

Have a hankering for steak? It could be a sign your body needs more protein. A desire to eat red meat could also reveal an iron deficiency, especially in pregnant women. While there's nothing wrong with eating meat as such, avoid fatty, processed meats such as salami, bacon or cured ham and sausage rolls, which are high in saturated fat.

How to beat it: Opt for lean chicken or turkey, which is lower in fat than red meat, and watch your portion sizes. Also take care how you prepare it - grilling (just make sure it doesn't go black) or stir-frying meat is a healthier alternative to frying or roasting in oil.

Smart calorie swap: A McDonald's Big Mac (216g) contains 490 calories and 24g of fat. Eat roughly the same portion of skinless chicken (roasted in the oven without oil) and you will consume around 170 calories and 1g of fat - saving you 320 calories and 23g of fat.

10. Salted nuts

If you have a craving for salted peanuts you're not alone. Peanuts are the most popular nuts in Britain - we consume more than 46,000 tonnes of them each year. If you enjoy them with a drink, take extra care. Pub-branded nuts and crisps have been known to be even saltier than normal varieties in a bid to keep us thirsty and spending more at the bar!

How to beat it: Keep a stash of high-quality protein in the house instead - such as almonds, hazelnuts or pumpkin seeds. If you get a craving for nuts when you have a drink, try crunching on baby carrots or celery sticks with a healthy yoghurt-based dip instead.

Smart calorie swap: A small handful (30g) of peanuts contains around 166 calories and 14.1g of fat. A similar-size portion of raw carrot contains 13 calories and zero fat - saving you 153 calories and 14.1g of fat.

source: www.msn.com

Clutter makes you fat!

2011-11-14T06:12:00.000-08:00

If your house is a mess, the chances are your eating habits are too, says a new book

source: dailymail

Surveying her kitchen, Josie feels like screaming. Sunday’s papers and a load of junk mail are still strewn across her table. No one’s unloaded the dishwasher. Her son’s guitar, minus three strings, is cluttering up the doorway, and her husband has dumped his toolbox on the work surface again.

Josie, a busy primary school teacher, smiles ruefully as she surveys the all too familiar scene of devastation.

What happens next will also be terribly easy to recognise. Confronted by this avalanche of clutter, Josie gives up on cooking dinner and nips out to get a takeaway instead.

In a mess: An untidy house reflects an unhealthy lifestyle (posed by model)

‘We eat unhealthily far more often than I’d like,’ she says. ‘I’m a couple of stone overweight and although I hate it, I just can’t seem to do a thing about it.’

Working with thousands of clients like Josie to de-clutter their homes, offices and ultimately their lives, I’ve come to a remarkable conclusion. Clutter makes you fat — and the instant you start to get rid of it, you slim down.

As I reveal in my new book, my premise is simple. If your lifestyle is frantic, it’s likely your diet is suffering. Clutter accumulates because we are out of control. Likewise, weight accumulates because we don’t control it.

Many of us have it. The old magazines piled up in the hallway, the boxes of shoes shoved under stairs, a loft overflowing with old toys... the thought of clearing out all that clutter is exhausting, so, although we hate it, we carry on living with it. Just as we carry on with our old eating habits, even though we know they are unhealthy.

But in my experience, weight issues are caused by lifestyle — clutter, chaos and fat are inextricably linked. Your home is a reflection of your state of mind, as is your body.

If you dump yet more junk mail on the dining room table to ‘sort out later,’ and grab a bar of chocolate to ‘keep me going’ as you juggle the competing demands of family, work and friends, then your life needs a major re-think.

Your home is cluttered because you’ve lost control of it. And if your kitchen is out of control, it’s highly likely your eating habits are as well. Because what you weigh isn’t just about calorie counting or doing stomach crunches. What you weigh is about how you live.

DIET DISASTER

Dieters who start on a Tuesday are the most likely to lose their resolve within a week - and end up heavier than when they started

The first step towards losing weight is re-evaluating your lifestyle and your environment. If your home is in turmoil, if you can’t find your trainers because they’re behind the dog basket, you aren’t going to go to the gym.

If your son’s football kit takes up your kitchen work surface, then you won’t be chopping vegetables on it. A cluttered atmosphere just isn’t conducive to cooking and eating well. It’s chaotic and disordered — or, put differently, it’s simply unhealthy.

One of my clients, I’ll call her Lynne, makes the link between de-cluttering and shedding weight like this: ‘As I kept working on unloading the clutter of my life, literally clearing out years of unwanted stuff from my home, I noticed that I was also eating more healthily.’

Lynne told me that surrounded by clutter she had felt out of control, and the loss of control was reflected in her diet. Once she began to clear away the clutter in her home, she stopped mindlessly eating anything that came to hand.

If our homes reflect who we are, a cluttered one means it’s unlikely its owner will be organised and disciplined about food.

But if the feeling of being out of control is utterly overwhelming you, it is possible to get things back on track. Start by systematically working through the clutter in your life and you’ll see immediate results.

I’ve always promised my clients they’ll feel better about themselves if they de-clutter their homes.

Tidy mind, healthy body: If you are well-organised, you can plan to eat healthily rather than relying on fattening fast foods (posed by model)

Clearing your life of accumulated detritus means people feel free and in control of their environment. I’ve never promised anyone they’ll lose weight. However, for many people, that’s exactly what has happened.

As more and more people contacted me with the same story of weight loss, I realised that filling your life with ‘stuff’ you can’t possibly use or want doesn’t stop at the front door. Clutter invades every aspect of your life.

Even keeping hold of clothes that are now two sizes too small is psychologically bad for you. Far from acting as a motivator to shed the pounds, those size-8 trousers hanging there year after year actually make you feel guilty.

Keeping old, uncomfortable clothes is about avoiding change. You have some vague idea that ‘one day’ those trousers will fit again and, in the meantime, you just carry on as before.

HOW TO DE-CLUTTER YOUR MIND AND DIET

Set aside time. Don’t rush. Take a room at a time and methodically clear it out.
Drawers, cupboards and surfaces - each item should be assigned a place. If it doesn’t have a place, it’s clutter.
If you don’t use it regularly or absolutely love it, throw it away.
Think about the sort of body that you want. Make a list of the food that will help you achieve that body.
Organise what you want to eat in advance and buy complete meals, not snack foods.
List all the items that you need and shop for only those items.
Live in the present, not the past.
Don’t let any more clutter into your house.

Gadgets in your kitchen that you never use push the same mental buttons. De-cluttering isn’t about re-arranging your wardrobe; it’s about throwing things away and starting again — much like healthy eating isn’t just about ‘going on a diet’; it’s about changing your relationship with food for ever.

We are facing a national obesity epidemic. Half of British adults are overweight and obesity rates are skyrocketing. One in every 11 deaths in the UK is now linked to carrying excess fat and the main culprit is heart disease.

We live in a culture which actively encourages us to have too much of everything, from the restaurants that serve enormous potions to the advertisers who tell us our wardrobes can never be too crammed with shoes we don’t need.

Their message to justify this clutter is that more is better. But it isn’t, it just weighs us down physically and emotionally.

To lose the excess weight we carry, we have to re-think our homes and our lifestyles. We have to think: ‘Is the life I’m living helping me to create the body I want?’ Planning and routine are the key to clearing clutter and a healthy diet. To start, you need a plan for your kitchen.

If you haven’t used an item for the past year, get rid of it. Send it to a charity shop, give it to a friend, it doesn’t matter — just get it out of your house. Clear out all your drawers and cupboards, and de-clutter the worktops.

Ask yourself honestly if you really need that lemon squeezer. If the answer is no, throw it out.

Clear space in the fridge and cupboards by getting rid of out-of-date food. Half-used bags of flour, old tins of soup, those lentils you’ve had since 2008, they’ve all got to go.

Making your kitchen light is a step towards making yourself light. Organise your kitchen so it’s efficient. If you’ve got six colanders, get rid of five of them. You need only one.

Have pots and pans in a place where you can reach them easily. Clean the cooker and work surfaces. Remove anything that doesn’t belong in your kitchen.

Clean your fridge. Force yourself to have a good hard look at what’s lurking in there. If it’s fattening, unhealthy, wilted or encrusted with the grime of many years, it needs to go in the bin.

When one of my clients, Liza, uncluttered her kitchen, she told me that she became less focused on food.

‘I was performing a cleanse on my kitchen and as I worked I began to perform a sort of cleanse on my body,’ she said. ‘Normally I’m obsessed with food, but as I cleared the rubbish out of my kitchen I didn’t want to tuck into crisps and chocolate at all, which amazed me.’

Once your kitchen is clear and uncluttered, you’ll find it a far more attractive space to cook in. If you enjoy spending time making a chicken casserole in your new spick-and-span kitchen, you won’t pile on the pounds. If you keep ordering takeaways, you will. It’s as simple as that.

Plan meals in advance and shop for them in bulk so you’ve always got a store of healthy ingredients to hand — you’ll be amazed at how plain sailing cooking becomes.

It’s about planning and routine. It’s about making lists and sticking to them. Buying what you need. Don’t impulse-buy a box of Danish pastries. Don’t impulse-buy a swanky looking ice-cream maker.

Neither of them will improve your quality of life. Don’t allow clutter back into your kitchen in the guise of ‘treats’ and ‘snacks’.

If you de-clutter your life, you gain control and you give yourself a chance to lead a happier life. For many people, happiness involves being slimmer — not skinny, not thin — just staying at a healthy weight.

So, in answer to the question that forms the title of my book, yes, clutter does make you look fat. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

20 Cancer Symptoms Women Are Most Likely to Ignore

2011-11-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

Routine tests like pap smears and mammograms are important, but don't rely on tests alone to protect you from cancer. It's just as important to listen to your body and notice anything that's different, odd, or unexplainable. Although many of these symptoms could be caused by less serious conditions, they're worth getting checked out if they persist. You don't want to join the ranks of cancer patients who realize too late that symptoms they'd noticed for a long time could have sounded the alarm earlier, when cancer was easier to cure.

1. Wheezing or shortness of breath

One of the first signs lung cancer patients remember noticing when they look back is the inability to catch their breath. "I couldn't even walk across the yard without wheezing. I thought I had asthma, but how come I didn't have it before?" is how one woman described it. Thyroid cancer can also cause breathing problems if a nodule or tumor begins to press on the trachea, or windpipe. Any breathing difficulties that persist are reason to visit the doctor.

2. Chronic cough or chest pain

Several types of cancer, including leukemia and lung tumors, can cause symptoms that mimic a bad cough or bronchitis. One way to tell the difference: The problems persist, or go away and come back again in a repeating cycle. Some lung cancer patients report chest pain that extends up into the shoulder or down the arm.

3. Swallowing problems or hoarseness

Most commonly associated with esophageal or throat cancer, difficulty swallowing is sometimes one of the first signs of lung cancer, too. A hoarse or low, husky voice or the feeling of something pressing on the throat can be an early indicator of thyroid cancer or a precancerous thyroid nodule, as can the feeling of having something stuck in your windpipe.

4. Frequent fevers or infections

These can be signs of leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells that starts in the bone marrow. Leukemia causes the marrow to produce abnormal white blood cells, which crowd out healthy white cells, sapping the body's infection-fighting capabilities. Often, doctors diagnose leukemia only after the patient has been in a number of times complaining of fever, achiness, and flu-like symptoms over an extended period of time.

5. Swollen lymph nodes or lumps on the neck, underarm, or groin

Enlarged lymph nodes indicate changes in the lymphatic system, which can be a sign of cancer. For example, a lump or an enlarged lymph node under the arm is sometimes a sign of breast cancer. A painless lump on the neck, underarm, or groin can be an early sign of leukemia.

6. Bloating or abdominal weight gain -- the "my jeans don't fit" syndrome

While this might sound too common a phenomenon to be considered a cancer symptom, consider this: Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer overwhelmingly report that unexplained abdominal bloating that came on fairly suddenly and continued on and off over a long period of time (as opposed to occurring a few days each month with PMS) was one of the main ways they knew something was wrong.

7. Feeling full and unable to eat

This is another tip-off to ovarian cancer; women say they have no appetite and can't eat, even when they haven't eaten for some time. Any woman who experiences noticeable bloating or weight gain numerous times (the diagnostic criteria is more than 13 times over the period of a month) -- especially if it's accompanied by pelvic pain or feeling overly full -- should call her doctor and ask for a pelvic ultrasound.

8. Pelvic or abdominal pain

Taken by itself, pelvic pain can mean a lot of things. In fact, because it's a common symptom of fibroids, ovarian cysts, and other reproductive tract disorders, doctors don't always think of cancer when you describe pelvic pain. Make sure your doctor looks at all possible explanations and does a full exam, since pain and cramping in the pelvis and abdomen can go hand in hand with the bloating that often signals ovarian cancer. Leukemia can also cause abdominal pain resulting from an enlarged spleen.

9. Unusually heavy or painful periods or bleeding between periods

Many women reported this as the tip-off to endometrial or uterine cancer. Unfortunately, many women also said their doctors weren't responsive, overlooking or misdiagnosing their complaints as normal perimenopause. Ask for a transvaginal ultrasound if you suspect something more than routine heavy periods.

10. Rectal bleeding or blood in stool

"I thought it was hemorrhoids" is one of the most common things doctors hear when diagnosing colorectal cancer. Blood in the toilet alone is reason to call your doctor and schedule a colonoscopy.

11. Upset stomach or stomachache

As simple as it sounds, a good old-fashioned bellyache is what tipped off a number of lucky folks, whose doctors ordered ultrasounds and discovered early that they had tumors on their livers. Stomach cramps or frequent upset stomachs may indicate colorectal cancer; many cancer patients say their doctors thought they had ulcers.

12. A red, sore, or swollen breast

Everyone knows to check for lumps in the breasts, but too often symptoms closer to the surface – which can indicate inflammatory breast cancer -- are overlooked. Some women describe noticing cellulite-like dimpled skin on an area of the breast. Others noticed that a breast felt swollen, hot, or irritated. Red or purplish discoloration is also cause for concern. Call your doctor about any unexplained changes in your breasts.

13. Nipple changes

One of the most common changes women remember noticing before being diagnosed with breast cancer is a nipple that began to appear flattened, inverted, or turned sideways. "My nipple started looking like it was turned inside out," said one woman. In addition, inflammatory breast cancer also causes nipple problems, such as itchy, scaly, or crusty skin on the nipple -- so take any nipple changes seriously.

14. Excessive bruising or bleeding that doesn't stop

This symptom usually suggests something abnormal happening with the platelet sand red blood cells, which can be a sign of leukemia. One woman with leukemia described bruising in strange places, such as on her fingers and hands, as well as red spots on her face, neck, and chest. Another noticed bleeding gums. The explanation: Over time, leukemia cells crowd out red blood cells and platelets, impairing the blood's ability to carry oxygen and clot.

15. Weakness and fatigue

"I kept having to sit down at work, and one night I was too tired to drive home," said one woman in describing the fatigue that led her to discover she had leukemia. Generalized fatigue and weakness is a symptom of so many different kinds of cancer that you'll need to look at it in combination with other symptoms. But any time you feel exhausted without explanation and it doesn't respond to getting more sleep, talk to your doctor.

16. Unexplained weight loss

If you notice the pounds coming off and you haven't made changes to your diet or exercise regime, you need to ask why. Weight loss is an early sign of colon and other digestive cancers; it's also a sign of cancer that's spread to the liver, affecting your appetite and the ability of your body to rid itself of wastes.

17. Swelling of facial features

Some patients with lung cancer report noticing puffiness, swelling, or redness in the face. The explanation for this is that small-cell lung tumors commonly block blood vessels in the chest, preventing blood from flowing freely from the head and face.

18. A sore or skin lump that doesn't heal, becomes crusty, or bleeds easily

Most of us know to watch moles for changes that might indicate skin cancer. But other signs, such as small waxy lumps or dry scaly patches, are easier to miss. Familiarize yourself with the different types of skin cancer -- melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma -- and be vigilant about checking skin all over the body for odd-looking growths or spots.

19. Changes in nails

Unexplained changes to the fingernails can be a sign of several types of cancer. A brown or black streak or dot under the nail can indicate skin cancer, while newly discovered "clubbing" -- enlargement of the ends of the fingers, with nails that curve down over the tips -- can be a sign of lung cancer. Pale or white nails can be an indication that your liver is not functioning properly, sometimes a sign of liver cancer.

20. Pain in the back or lower right side

As vague as this sounds, many cancer patients say this was the first sign of liver cancer, known as one of the "silent killers" (another is ovarian cancer). Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer often recall having had chronic back pain unrelieved by painkillers. Breast cancer is also often diagnosed via back pain, which can occur when a breast tumor presses backward into the chest, or when the cancer spreads to the spine or ribs.

Source: MSN Health

How you CAN beat your 'fat genes' and lose weight... with exercise

2011-11-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

When getting in to last season’s clothes is a struggle, it is all too easy to tell ourselves that being plump is in our genes.

But those cursed with the ‘fat gene’ are mistakenly shunning exercise in the belief they are powerless to shift those extra pounds, a study claims.

Experts have found that when it comes to our weight, we are not slaves to our genes after all.

Being active can melt away unsightly rolls of fat – even in those who have inherited DNA that makes them prone to obesity.

Their study focused on the ‘junk food gene’, a strain of DNA carried by around two-thirds of Britons which makes them crave fatty and sugary foods.

hose with a flawed version of the FTO gene, as it is known, eat 100 calories more per meal than people without it. Over a week, this amounts to an extra 2,100 calories – a whole day’s food.

Researchers at the Medical Research Council’s Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge examined data on genes, weight and the exercise habits of 220,000 adults from around the world.

Like others before it, the study linked flawed FTO genes with obesity. But it also highlighted the value of exercise.

In couch-potatoes with one copy of the gene, odds of obesity were 30 per cent higher than in those who do not have it. In those who exercised, the gene only raised the odds 22 per cent.

It means exercise cuts the effect of the FTO gene by 27 per cent, the PLoS Medicine journal reports.

Some 49 per cent of Britons have one flawed copy of the FTO gene.

Another 14 per cent have two copies and are on average almost half a stone heavier than people without the gene. Exercise can help them too, the study found.

Those with two copies of the gene who did not exercise had a 69 per cent higher chance of obesity than those without the gene. The figure fell by 29 per cent in those who exercised.

A summary by the journal’s editors said: ‘The wider public view of genetically determined obesity not being amenable to exercise is incorrect.’

source: dailymail

Bizarre beauty secrets: Is there ANYTHING we women won't do in the pursuit of good looks?

2011-10-27T00:21:00.000-07:00

Haemorrhoid cream for eye bags, hairspray to fix our make up and whitening toothpaste smeared on our bodies to remove fake tan... These are just a handful of the wacky tips women confess to using in the pursuit of beauty.

Other tricks of the trade that emerged in a study of 2,000 women's top beauty habits included placing cold teaspoons on puffy eyes to soothe swelling and sleeping on the back to prevent wrinkles forming.

Researchers who carried out the detailed study into women's rituals found four out of ten women utilise goods found in kitchen cupboards to look good.

Homegrown beauty: Women will go to extreme lengths to improve their looks, a study revealed today

Topping the list came cooling cucumber, said to be effective at calming the complexion, and lemon for whitening nails and lightening hair. Strawberries are also said to brighten teeth, while cooled tea bags placed on the skin can have a soothing effect.

The research, carried out by Modern Milk, revealed that despite the glut of expensive beauty treatments on offer at salons, the majority of women stick to tried and tested beauty rituals passed down through the family or gleaned from female friends and colleagues.

Yesterday a spokeswoman said: 'Some of the beauty treatments in this list are more extreme than others and it's clear the lengths some women will go to to look beautiful.

Unusual: Women experimenting with haemorroid cream under the eyes and found it helped to reduce dark circles, the study revealed

'Having some little hints and tricks up your sleeve is one thing, but trying to constantly sleep on your back to avoid wrinkles or spraying your face with hairspray are quite severe.

'We wanted to poll women to find out what alternative beauty treatments they use and whether people make use of ingredients from kitchen cupboards.

'The age old trick of putting cold teabags or cucumber on the eyes to reduce puffiness is clearly still used today.'

BIZARRE BEAUTY SECRETS

Haemorrhoid cream on under-eye bags
Apply whisked eggs to hair to make it shiny
Whitening toothpaste to get rid of fake tan on palms
Hairspray sprayed into face to fix make-up
Toothpaste on spots to reduce redness
Sleep on back to avoid wrinkles
Lemon juice to whiten tips of nails
Cucumber on eyes to reduce puffiness
Legs shaved with hair conditioner to soften hairs
Bed socks filled with moisturiser for soft feet
Talcum powder brushed through hair to remove oil
Pinching cheeks to give a natural blush
Nail polish in fridge to keep fresh
Lipstick on cheeks when you run out of blusher
Toothpaste on insect bites
Lemon juice to lighten hair
Spray hairbrush with perfume
Heat up eye lash curlers before using them
Cold teaspoons applied to eyes to make puffiness go down
Mix a drop of serum with foundation to make skin look glowing
Drink milk every day
Drink two litres of bottled water everyday

Many of the tips have been handed down through generations.

Brushing hair with talcum powder to freshen up greasy roots and using lipstick on the cheeks when blusher runs out were common tricks used by our grandmothers.

But alongside these traditional tips came a plethora of more modern unconventional habits undertaken by women in the privacy of their bathroom.

The study found many shave their legs with hair conditioner to soften the stubble.

Others admitted to splashing lemon juice on their hair in the hope it will develop a lighter tint when exposed to the sunlight.

Smearing toothpaste on spots and blemishes and sleeping in socks full of moisturiser are also common.

Vaseline is regularly used to smooth out frizzy hair and many women also use toothpaste to soothe insect bites.

Using tea tree oil on ingrowing hairs and steaming the face in herb water also made the list.

But most strange of all has to be the use of haemorrhoid cream to decrease under-eye bags.

Women who have experimented with the theory say the cream shrinks enlarged capillaries on the face, thus reducing the appearance of dark circles.

We'll have to take their word on that one.

source: Dailymail

Why you get fatter in winter... even though you eat LESS

2011-10-25T05:35:00.000-07:00

The shorts and swimsuits have been put away, mince pies are on the shelves and all thoughts of dieting have been forgotten until January. We are all ready to pile on a few pounds.

We gain an average 2lb to 4lb at this time of year, but is putting on weight inevitable?

Here, experts reveal the truths and myths behind winter weight gain.

White fat stores energy, brown fat burns calories for heat. So why do we feel like eating more when it turns cold?

DON’T WE NEED TO EAT MORE TO STAY WARM?

This is a common belief — but it couldn’t be more wrong, says Ahmed Ahmed, consultant gastrointestinal and bariatric surgeon at Bupa Cromwell Hospital.

‘Those who carry excess weight actually feel colder,’ he says.

‘When you put on fat from excess calories it is white adipose tissue; the only fat that keeps you warm is brown adipose tissue, which babies have and which is due to genetic programming.’

While white fat stores energy, brown fat burns calories for heat. So why do we feel like eating more when it turns cold?

While white fat stores energy, brown fat burns calories for heat. So why do we feel like eating more when it turns cold?
In our ancestors’ time, the winter months were associated with famine. One theory is that we’re genetically programmed to increase fat stores in autumn to help us survive — known as the ‘thrifty gene hypothesis’.

‘The problem is that we no longer need to store fat because we have an abundance of food available all year round. The famine never comes, so we never use up the stores,’ says Mr Ahmed.

Even if the theory were correct, it’s not an excuse for getting tubby.

‘Hypothetically, our genes may favour fat storage; but you can control what happens by making the right food choices.’

BUT I ALWAYS FEEL HUNGRY...

If we wrap up warm when going out and keep our homes well heated, it is unlikely that British winter temperatures will contribute to any significant alteration in appetite.

‘Your body maintains its core temperature very tightly, even during winter,’ says Dr Jeremy Tomlinson, an endocrinologist at the University of Birmingham.

So is hunger all in the mind? Maybe not. Melatonin, the hormone triggered by darkness that makes us feel sleepy, can also have a role in appetite.

‘In spring and summer, levels of melatonin decline, but in autumn and winter levels of melatonin increase,’ says Dr Perry Barrett at Aberdeen University, whose research specialises in seasonal weight gain in mammals. ‘This hormone acts on appetite.’

In most mammals, this increase in melatonin reduces hunger — a strategy to deal with diminished food resources. But in some species the same system produces opposite effects, so it’s possible this could account for increased hunger and weight in humans. Well, it’s a good excuse anyway.

SO WHY DO I CRAVE STODGY PUDDINGS?

Studies show that when we're suffering with ennui, we use comfort foods as a pick-me-up twice as much as usual

What may surprise you is that most of us eat more in spring and summer: it’s just the type of food we want that changes in autumn.

‘In spring and summer we take in more carbohydrates, but we develop a tendency for fattier foods in autumn,’ says Dr Barrett.

And that may be driven simply by a desire to cheer ourselves up.

Professor Craig Jackson, head of psychology at Birmingham City University, says: ‘In winter, we tend to develop a lower level of happiness, called ennui. This is basically low level dissatisfaction, which we get when it’s cold, wet and dark.’

He adds that studies show that when we’re suffering with ennui, we use comfort foods as a pick-me-up twice as much as usual.

‘In winter, we go for energy-dense, calorific foods, which tend to be sweeter or fattier,’ says Dr Barrett.

The problem is that these high-sugar snacks will inevitably lead to a sudden drop in blood sugar levels, leaving you craving more energy. You then get into a rollercoaster of highs and lows — and store the surplus calories as fat.

I DON’T EAT MORE, YET I GET FATTER

research suggests low levels of vitamin D — the sunshine vitamin — can affect our weight in winter.

‘Your body needs sunlight to synthesise vitamin D, but in winter there are fewer daylight hours, people go outside less and when they do they wrap up in gloves and scarves, so their skin has little exposure to light,’ says Dr Stephanie Dillon, senior lecturer in Nutrition at the University of Central Lancashire.

Preliminary studies suggest that people with low levels of vitamin D store more fat, though the precise mechanism is still being identified.

‘It appears that lack of vitamin D reduces fat breakdown and triggers fat storage — so calories you consume are stored in adipose (fat) cells rather than being used for energy,’ says Dr Dillon.

‘Numerous studies show low levels of vitamin D in the overweight and obese.’

Boost your vitamin D levels by eating more oily fish and getting 20 minutes of exposure to sunlight every day, preferably with your forearms uncovered.

If we're not out and about, we're at home - and that usually means doing activities we associate with eating, such as sitting on the sofa watching TV

IT’S NOT MY FAULT — I BLAME THE TV

You’re half-right. During the summer months we flock to parks and beaches and enjoy long walks in the sunshine, but come October the sofa suddenly regains its allure.

‘If we’re not out and about, we’re at home — and that usually means doing activities we associate with eating, such as sitting on the sofa watching TV,’ says Professor Jackson.

He recommends keeping a food diary and thinking carefully about everything you eat.

‘Ask yourself whether you need it, and if you will have a chance to burn off the calories,’ he says.

Mr Ahmed stresses the importance of maintaining an exercise regimen throughout winter.

By LAURA TOPHAM