14-year-olds 'use cannabis daily'

Teenagers as young as 14 are using cannabis every day, according to a study by Queen's University Belfast

Dr Patrick McCrystal says cannabis used at a young age can lead to metal illness and other problems.

While 4,000 teenagers from 43 schools in Ireland have annually taken part in this survey since they entered secondary school, they seem to be unmoved to the dangers of the habit:

• Smoking marijuana on a regular basis causes a weakened immune system and soothe users lose the ability to stop allergies, bacteria or viruses from making them sick
• Occasional marijuana smoking leaves it in the body for up to 10 days, but if smoked regularly it will remain in the system for up to 30 days. It is fat soluble and so is stored in the major organs of the body, being the liver, brain and kidneys
• Short-term effects of marijuana smoking include memory and learning problems; distorted perception; fuzzy brain; difficulty in thinking and problem solving and increased heart rate
• Depression, disturbed personalities and anxiety are all linked with the use of marijuana
• Heart disease, lung cancer, bronchitis and emphysema are all exacerbated with increased risk as a result of chronic cannabis smoking
• An analysis of a study published in the Lancet Medical Journal of previous research into the effects of the drug on tens of thousands of people, provides the most persuasive evidence to date that smoking cannabis can cause mental illness years after people have stopped using it.

And now to make matters worse, the drug has been downgraded from 'Class B' to 'Class C', putting it on a par with tranquilizers and steroids. Of course we could look at this step from another angle – tha tranquilizers and steroids are pretty damaging drugs!

Image Source=PIPs Project
Keyword=h_l

Malnourished patients avoid hospital food

Hospital meals are so unappetising that many patients leave their food, according to a report on The Guardian.

Of the 2240 patients questioned:

o 40% had food brought in by family and friends
o Hospital meals were reported either too hot (dangerous microwaves?) or too cold (left lying around by understaffed orderlies?)
o Of those who needed help with eating, 22% did not get it (more staff shortages, or just plain uncaring staff?)

Whilst this report does bring concern to us all, there’s another aspect to consider.
‘It’s a fact that malnourished patients stay in hospital for longer and are three times as likely to develop complications during surgery’ according to the director general of Age Concern England, Gordon Lishman.

But when you read that sentence again, the patients were malnourished before they got to hospital

Why would more than a third of the surveyed patients leave their meals because of how they looked, smelled or tasted? It’s possible that due to their being malnourished before entering the hospital, it was because of their diet at home, which probably consisted of microwave meals at the very best, but mostly cheap processed meats, hamburgers and fizzy drinks.
No wonder the hospital food looked unappetising to them – it’s completely alien to their diet!
We did a quick Google Images search for hospital food, and if a well nourished person were given this meal he would find nothing to complain about

However, if you’re used to hamburgers, chips and cola, this is going to look, taste and smell disgusting. And even if you ate food like this for two days before your operation, your recovery period will be longer than the well-nourished healthy person who had been eating this way for years.

Health minister Andy Burnham says: ‘Hospital food has improved greatly over the past few years. There are some excellent menus around, but we do recognize more needs to be done’

Finally, there’s the one about children’s hospitals in the US linking up with MacDonald’s, which is enough to terrify any parent into trekking their own food to their child three or more times a day!

Image Sources=Flickr and Bumper Blog
Keyword=r_f

Essential nutrition and Folic Acid

What Is Folic Acid?

It is a B vitamin occurring naturally in many foods, which plays an important role in the manufacture of new cells. Hence it is essential to pregnant mothers as it promotes healthy development of her baby’s brain and spinal cord. Spina Bifida is a devastating disease which is directly attributed to a deficiency in folic acid at fertilization and early weeks of pregnancy. Folic acid should be taken before as well as during pregnancy. As many pregnancies are unplanned, it is advisable for women of child baring age to supplement with folic acid on an ongoing basis. It is often added to bread and breakfast cereals, so check their labels.

Folic acid is good for Mom and Dad too – it is also known to help prevent heart disease, stroke, some cancers and Alzheimer's disease. These foods contain folic acid:

o Lentils
o Asparagus
o Spinach
o Black beans
o Peanuts
o Orange juice
o Romaine lettuce
o Broccoli

How much folic acid should you take?

Folic acid has no known toxic level. If you ate a bowl of fully fortified cereal (400 micrograms), took a folic acid supplement (400 micrograms), and ate fortified foods and foods rich in folate, you would not get too much folic acid. Even in very high amounts, folic acid is non-toxic

o Child-bearing age 400mcg per day
o During pregnancy 500mcg per day
o Breastfeeding 600mcg per day
o If you have had a baby with Spina Bifida your doctor would have said should you want another child to ask for a prescription for a higher dose of 4,000 mcg starting three months before falling pregnant and during the first 3 months of pregnancy
o Folic acid plays an important part in everyone’s health, so for safety sake, check labeling of all your processed foods, and eat a healthy diet which include the foods above


More Information:

Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

Women's Health

Image Source=PBS
Keyword=n_d

Power lines and Childhood Leukemia

Wednesday morning, 18 July 2007 brought a headline report on New Scientist about power lines and the link with childhood leukemia.

Alternatively take a look at the video link below on Sky News.

If you are concerned about this widely suspected silent enemy, you are not alone. There are many reported links between leukemia and the proximity of power lines, but the scientists cannot agree on their findings

In the meantime, don’t buy a house within 150m of anything you may think is producing unseen radiation, such as mini-substations, pylons, mobile phone masts or any kind of transformer

Especially if you have Alzheimer’s concerns

Just in case …….

Image source=AOL blog
Keyword=h_l

Are you drinking enough water?

As reported on Sky News, "More than a billion people, a sixth of the world's population, do not have access to clean drinking water and in Africa the average person spends five hours a day collecting water".

But although you have 24/7 access to all the water you need and want, are YOU drinking enough?

• Many people believe they don’t need water because they don’t get thirsty, but this is not a safe way to gauge your levels of hydration. Thirst is slow to develop and by the time you get to feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated
• Every part of your body needs water to function properly
• Dehydration is high on the list of reasons for kidney stones and disease
• Hunger pangs are often just a cry for water – try it some time….drink a glass of water if you think you are hungry
• Coffee and tea don’t count – they both dehydrate you, due to caffeine
• Tap or bottled? There is no need to buy bottled water but it does make a good alternative to alcohol, which also dehydrates you
• How much? A good rule of thumb is 1.5 to 2.5 litres per day, depending on temperatures and exercise
• Pregnancy is another reason to up your water consumption
• Fruit juice is not a good substitute for water and can cause tooth decay
• Drinking water does NOT cause cramps during exercise, unless taken in excessive quantities
  
• Make drinking water a family habit
• Be very grateful for the safe drinking water that is only a tap turn away
• Support a charity that strives to provide safe drinking water in developing countries

Image Source=Georgia Tech Research News
Keyword=n_d

Pineapples fed high-dose cadmium poisoned fertiliser from China

First it was poisoned chicken feed and contaminated dog food from China, now its fertilizer stacked with high doses of cadmium. When are complacent customers going to check their food sources, be they struggling farmers looking for a cheap way out, or Regular Joe’s and Jane’s scanning supermarket shelves?

Better still, when are more people going to wake up to the dangers of cheap chemical fertilisers enough to rush helter skelter into organic food production before we all have to grow our own food in case store bought stuff kills us on the spot?

Scientists keep telling us commercial fertilisers are made up of chemicals and ‘chemicals are not dangerous, plants can’t survive without them’. Well, sure enough, but it’s the extra bits in the containers we should be worried about – in the end, our immune systems have to fight off the accumulated and unwanted high levels of chemicals which our bodies cannot assimilate and cannot get rid of either

Who wants to end up with bodies rich as a Swiss Bank in chemicals packed away in dark corners of our tissues like some nebulous demon, waiting to pounce as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or more?

Image source=SmartDraw
Keyword=n_d

Hypersensitive about Food Allergies

Do you have eczema or asthma?

Have you had them since babyhood?

Chances are, your mother and/or father also has these conditions, and guess what? They have both been scientifically proven to be associated with neonatal exposure to cow’s milk proteins

Here are a few more conditions linked to food allergies:

• rheumatoid arthritis
• dermatitis
• migraine
• hypoglycemia
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• celiac disease/gluten intolerance
• sinus
• respiratory diseases
• hayfever

Top 7 check list for food alergies:

1. Do you crave certain foods when you are stressed?
2. Do you binge on certain food types?
3. Could you go three days without your favourite food and not climb the wall?
4. Do you feel relaxed once you’ve eaten your favourite food?
5. Are you either grumpy or excited – i.e. have mood swings?
6. Do you lack energy?
7. Are you sleepy in the afternoons?

There’s more, but 4 ‘yes’ answers are probably enough to secure you with a food allergy. Why not send us a comment to find out what to do if you suspect you may have a food allergy.

Image Source=Whale
Keyword=n_d

Book your heart by-pass today

How long until we can expect this sort of advertisement in the media? At the rate hospitals are booked for this now-frequent operation, its not as futuristic as you might think. According to the stats, its quite easy these days to get your doctor to put on a look of concern and say:

‘Mr Jones, we have a serious problem here – your heart can no longer function as it should and we’ll have to do a double, if not a triple by-pass. And no, Mr Jones, we can’t wait… but luckily enough I see there’s a bed available and we can get you in on Friday. Isn’t that fortunate?’

So do the following and book your by-pass well in advance :

1. eat the modern diet
2. be certain to do some yo-yo dieting to lose weight
3. do food combining and never eat protein with carbohydrates
4. buy margarine or ‘spreads’ claiming to reduce cholesterol levels
5. skip breakfast
6. ignore raw foods at all costs
7. be sure you don’t eat vegetables
8. don’t eat fresh fruit
9. eat lots of dairy products, especially fruit yoghurt
10. go on drinking 4 – 5 coffees per day
11. travel to and from work in the dark
12. make sure you have only coffee or fizzy drinks all day
13. don’t drink water
14. enjoy the crispy bits on the Sunday roast pork or chicken
15. don’t eat legumes, beans and lentils
16. forget about nuts and seeds for snacks
17. keep up that ‘social’ ½ bottle of wine after work
18. don’t have any exercise except for picking up the tv remote
19. enjoy those bars from mars and a fizzy drink for lunch
20. buy crisps for snacks
21. don’t have supper before 9 at night
22. make sure its a boxed meal, or even better, a Chinese or Indian take-out
23. crash into bed ½ an hour later, but get no more than five hours sleep

Four or more of these practices are enough to build up a good by-pass – it might take a little longer, but you’ll have a good grounding for your by-pass by the time you’re 63. Oh, and don’t forget to book some chemotherapy whilst you’re at it – there’s likely to be a race as to which gets you first

Don’t lose out, think ahead and book your by-pass today …

Image Source=Glen Brook High School
Keyword=n_d

AIDS and HIV infection

Common opinion has it that if you have been diagnosed with the HI virus, then you are automatically handed a death sentence through AIDS

Nothing could be further from the truth. Even though many people die every day from AIDS related diseases in countries all over the world, have you noticed that the disease does not spread as viciously within communities where people have access to a healthy diet of fresh foods and where immune systems are working well?

AIDS represents the end stage of the infection, and severe depression of the immune system, so the aim should be in building up the immune system and reducing the duplication of the virus through concentrated supplementation and changes in diet and lifestyle

Dietary & Lifestyle recommendations: (for HIV-positive patients not demonstrating AIDS)

• Consume a diet of whole, unprocessed foods of vegetables, nuts & seeds, whole grains, legumes and fruits
• Avoid all fatty foods except those containing extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
• Consume enough protein on a regular basis
• Engage in a high-potency supplement regime to boost your immune system and stifle reproduction of the virus (write and ask about our recommendations)
• Eliminate alcohol, sugar and caffeine
• Drink 2 litres of clean, non-bottled or well water a day
• Eliminate food allergies
• Do relaxation exercises (deep breathing, prayer or meditation) for 15 to 20 minutes a day
• Get regular exercise such as non-strenuous walking, stretching, etc
• Do not have intercourse with anyone known to be or suspected of having HIV or who use intravenous drugs
• Practice safe sex
• Don’t share a toothbrush, razor or any implement that could become contaminated with blood from an HIV positive person

NB There is concern over HIV and AIDS patients using Echinacea as it can stimulate replication of the HI virus.

Read more from Dr Rath and the BBC

Image source=Yahoo! GeoCities
Keyword=n_d

Calcium as a vitamin supplement

Deficiency Signs and Symptoms:

Muscle spasms and leg cramps can be the result of extremely low calcium blood levels, as are high blood pressure, osteoporosis and colon cancer.


Available supplementation forms:

• Several studies indicate some calcium supplements may contain substantial amounts of lead – a toxic metal affecting the brain, kidneys and red blood cell manufacture
• Avoid natural oyster shell calcium, dolomite, and bone meal products unless the manufacturer provides reasonable assurance that lead levels are negligible
• Read more from Dr Murray
  

Calcium in selected foods:
Kelp, cheddar cheese, collard leaves, kale, turnip greens (the leaves), almonds, Brewer’s yeast, parsley, dandelion greens, Brazil nuts, watercress, dried figs, buttermilk, sunflower seeds, yoghurt, wheat bran sesame seeds, broccoli, walnuts, pecans, peanuts

Green stuff is full of calcium: After all, where do cows get their calcium supplies?

Interactions:
Calcium interacts with many nutrients. High doses of magnesium, zinc, fiber and oxalates negatively affect calcium absorption

Alcohol, caffeine, protein, sodium, phosphates, sodium and sugar increase calcium excretion. i.e., protein in cow’s milk depletes your bones of calcium. So, as fast as you increase your calcium for healthy bones by eating dairy products, so the milk protein depletes calcium from your bones. The dairy industry has been fooling us all this time ..

NB: aluminium-containing antacids ultimately lead to an increase in bone breakdown and calcium excretion

Eat your greens …… for the best calcium your body just loves!


Image source=College of Agriculture & Sciences
Keyword=n_d

Omega-3 (Fish Oil) Supplementation Benefits

Over 60 health conditions can benefit from essential fatty acid supplementation, in the areas covering:

1.) Cardiovascular disease


2.) Allergic and inflammatory conditions


3.) Autoimmune diseases


Health conditions exhibiting improvement with EFA supplementation include:

Acne, AIDS, Allergies, Alzheimer's, Angina, Angioplasty, Arthritis, Atherosclerosis, Autoimmune diseases, Behavioral disorders, Breast cysts, Breast pain, Breast tenderness, Cancer, Cartilage destruction, Coronary bypass, Cystic Fibrosis, Dementia, Dermatitis, Diabetes, E.coli infection, Heart disease, Hyperactivity, Hypertension, Hypoxia, Ichthyosis, Immune disorders, Infant nutrition, Inflammatory conditions, Intestinal disorders, Kidney function, Learning, Leprosy, Leukemia, Lupus, Mastalgia, Menopause, Mental Illness, Metastasis, Multiple Sclerosis, Myocardial infarction, Myopathy, Neurological disease, Obesity, Osteoarthritis, Postviral fatigue, Pregnancy malnutrition, Psoriasis, Refsum’s syndrome, Reye’s syndrome, Rheumatoid arthritis, Schizophrenia, Sepsis, Sjogren-Larsson syndrome, Stroke, Vascular disease, Vision.

Is there any reason for you not to be supplementing with Omega-3 fish oil? Why not find a good source of fish oil – remember is absolutely must be a pharmaceutical grade with all the toxins removed under pharmaceutical conditions and it must not be rancid – and supplement with 1000mg (combined) EPA/DHA for best results. Depending on your source, this could mean anything from 1 teaspoon of flowing oil to 3 vegicaps per day.

Read more from Dr Murray

Image Source=Fem Health
Keyword=n_d

Finding the balance between Omega-6 and Omega-3

The balance of omega-6 to omega-3 oils is critical to proper prostaglandin metabolism. Prostaglandins have many functions, such as bronco dilation, inflammatory reactions and the regulation of cell propagation. The optimal ration of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is 4:1, or four times the amount of omega-6 fatty acids as omega-3 fatty acids. However, in our modern diet, we are currently consuming a ratio greater than 20:1

There are many hidden sources of omega-6 oils in our diets and the elimination of these poor quality oils from our diets while providing good quality omega-3 in the form of Pharmaceutical Grade fish oil will help to regulate the following symptoms:

o Inflammation, pain and swelling
o Blood pressure
o Heart function
o Gastrointestinal function and secretions
o Kidney function and fluid balance
o Blood clotting and platelet aggregation
o Allergic response
o Nerve transmission
o Steroid production and hormone synthesis

Read more on Doctor Murray

Image source=What Health
Keyword=n_d

Selenium is important during pregnancy

Selenium is a trace mineral which works with Vitamin E in preventing free radical damage to cell membranes

It is an antagonist to heavy metals such as lead, mercury, aluminium and cadmium

Low levels of selenium are linked to a higher risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory diseases and other conditions associated with increased free-radical damage, including aging and cataract formation

Selenium depleted soils produce selenium deficient foods

Selenium deficiency is associated with an increased risk for cancer, heart disease and low immune function

During pregnancy and lactation, selenium requirements increase, as it is essential for proper foetal growth.

Selenium is linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), which has its highest occurrence in areas where the selenium content of the soil and diet is the lowest

Selenium levels tend to be very low in low birth weight babies

Although there is no specific RDA for selenium, a daily intake of 50 – 200 micrograms is often recommended

At high-intake levels (daily intake in excess of 1,000 micrograms), selenium can produce toxicity

For children, a good dosage recommendation is 1.5micrograms per pound of body weight (2.2lbs to the kg)

Image source=Pregnancy leads to new babies

Keyword=n_d

Healthy Nutrition for Dogs

How do you know if your pet is as healthy as he could be, or do you rely on dog food manufacturers to decide what he eats?

Do you know if the ingredients in his pellets are really what his body needs to keep him healthy?

Why are degenerative diseases on the increase in the dog world?

Why does your dog chew on grass when you take him for a walk?

Do your dog a big favour and give him a diet to make him truly a healthy and a happy companion.

To feed a dog the size of a large daschund, give him this diet for a couple of weeks and see the change take place in front of your eyes. The portions may seem small, but your dog will be fed real food and will not go hungry on these quantities:

• All his food must be raw
• No grains of any description i.e. rice, pasta, mielie meal, barley, bread
• No simple carbohydrates, sweets, biscuits or cakes
• Snacks and treats as mentioned below
• Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower) only 3 times a week
• No potatoes, onions, grapes or chocolate or bones
• Feed him once or twice a day – if twice daily, then halve these portions

1 .) A handful of raw, chopped meat – any of the following:

Mutton or lamb, beef shin, liver (no more than twice a week), kidneys once a week, ox heart, pork, fresh fish if you can find it, 2 or 3 chicken necks, 3 tinned pilchards (once or twice per week), fresh bone meal from a butcher (this will give your dog all the good nutrition found in bones, without the risk of injury from sharp bones), sardines in olive oil or water, not sunflower oil, once or twice a week, eggs 3 times week, beaten up with ½ cup full cream yoghurt

2 .) A cupful finely chopped or grated vegetables. These can be juiced – remember to serve the pulp as well:

1 medium carrot, broccoli, stalk and all, spinach leaves, leafy green vegetables, kale, ½ a sweet pepper, ½ an apple, celery, parsley, sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut, green beans, courgette, tomato

3 .) 1 dessertspoon olive oil three times per week, alternating with

4 .) 1 pharmaceutical grade fish oil capsule or flowing oil three times a week

5 .) 1 Teaspoon ground flax seeds sprinkled over his food

6 .) Plenty of clean fresh water available at all times

7 .) Treats as follows:

Small pieces of cheese, cashews, walnuts, cottage cheese (not low fat)
Pumpkin and sunflower seeds
Bits of banana, pear, kiwi fruit, paw paw, mango, nectarine, peach, berries

Image source=The Mayhew Animal Home
Keyword=n_d

Essential Vitamins – Pyridoxine B6

Vitamin B6 is an extremely important B vitamin involved in the formation of body proteins and structural compounds, chemical transmitters in the nervous system, red blood cells and prostaglandins. It is also pivotal in maintaining hormonal balance and proper immune function

Deficiency Signs and Symptoms:
Depression, convulsions (especially in children), glucose intolerance, anemia, impaired nerve function, cracked lips and tongue and eczema

Conditions which respond to B6 supplementation are:
Asthma, premenstrual syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, depression, morning sickness and kidney stones.

Antagonists to B6 are:
Hydrazine dyes (especially FD&C yellow#5), certain drugs such as isoniazid, hydralazine, dopamine and penicillamine, oral contraceptives, alcohol and excessive protein intake

Vitamin B6 is one of the most utilized and valued nutritional supplements. It is also one of the intensely studied and evaluated in over 100 different health conditions.

These are just some of them: Asthma, autism, cardiovascular disease, carpal tunnel syndrome, Chinese restaurant syndrome, diabetes complication prevention, depression, epilepsy, immune enhancement, kidney stones, nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, osteoporosis, PMS

Pyridoxine is found in reducing amounts in these foods:
Torula yeast, brewer’s yeast, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, walnuts, lentils, lima beans, buckwheat, blackeye peas, navy beans, brown rice, hazelnuts, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, bananas, avocados, fresh chestnuts, kale, rye flour, spinach, turnip greens, peppers, potatoes, prunes, raisons, Brussels sprouts, barley, sweet potatoes, cauliflower.

Image source=All Creatures
Keyword=n_d

EFA Deficiency

The signs and symptoms of the essential fatty acid Omega-3 deficiency may be overt or chronically nagging, while ranging from mild fatigue to fatal heart attack. Most allopathic health care professions never make the simple association between a health symptom and Omega-3 deficiency and the fundamental underlying cause of illness continues to manifest. Physicians are rarely, if ever trained in nutrition and laboratory analyses to measure EFA deficiency are not readily available or appreciated. The consequences of EFA deficiency are far more deadly today than other nutrient deficiencies and it is recommended that everyone takes an Omega-3 supplement, regardless of their condition.

A few signs and symptoms of typical Omega-3 deficiency:

o Fatigue
o Lack of endurance
o Dry skin
o Cracked nails
o Dry, listless hair
o Dry mucous membranes, tear ducts, mouth
o Gas, bloating
o Constipation
o Immune weakness
o Frequent colds and sickness
o Aching, sore joints
o Angina, chest pain
o Depression
o Lack of motivation
o Forgetfulness
o High blood pressure
o History of cardiovascular disease
o Arthritis

Watch out for postings on the importance of the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ration and Supplementation recommendations.

Read more on Sally-Ann Creed


Image Source=Dr Ergo
Keyword=n_d