Candida: Food Craving 101- Update

Candida: Food Craving 101- Update
Candida albicans is a form of yeast that naturally occurs
in your body. It feeds of sugars, yeast, mold, and fungi
that are in your diet. The more that you eat the foods
that Candida albicans needs the quicker the yeast will
spread. Because of Candida's need for sugar, it can cause
you to crave unhealthy foods that contain large amounts of
refined carbohydrates and sugars. Something in your body
could be causing you to be a junk food junkie! One of the
best things to do is to starve the Candida albicans out of
you.

There are many foods that need to be either limited or
completely avoided when you are on a diet to reduce a
Candida infection. A good rule of thumb is to avoid foods
with sugars or yeast. Reducing these will reduce the
number of carbohydrates in your daily intake. Sometimes a
carb restriction of less than 60g per day is required. It
is not easy to eliminate the sources of sugar in your diet.
All of us can recognize sugar in its most common
forms(raw, white, and brown), but there are some sneakier
types out there. Honey, turbinado, demerrara, amesake, and
fruit. You definitely need to remove fresh, frozen, and
dried fruit, along with fruit juices, from your diet.
Fruit contains natural, simple sugars that yeast can feed
on a quickly grow. Read the label on any food you
purchase. If you see any on of these words put it back on
the shelf. Avoid: Sucrose, fructose, maltose, lactose,
glycogen, glucose, mannitol, sorbital, glactose, and both
mono and polysaccharides.

The other group of foods that you have to skip entirely are
those that contain yeast. Baker's yeast, brewer's yeast,
Engevita, and Torula are the most common forms of yeast you
will come across at your local grocery store. You can
understand why you need to avoid breads, rolls, crackers,
bagels, pastries, and muffins. You will have to avoid
alcohol, also. Foods that are thought to have a mold
contamination or use fermentation have to be eliminated as
well. Foods like peanuts, peanut butter, pistachios,
coffee, black tea, cider, root beer, and all forms of
cheese should be avoided like the plague. All forms of
vinegar except organic apple cider vinegar should be
avoided, too. This is not a complete list of the foods to
be avoided, the ones to be reduced are not even included.
If you want a complete guide, you can find a lot of great
information on the internet, at your local library, or your
chosen health care provider.

Now that your know what to eliminate or reduce in your
diet, you are ready to learn what you can eat. After
reading the "do not" list, you thought your options were
limited to water only. Not true. Beef, poultry, lamb,
eggs, and veal are viable meats for you Moderate portions
are recommended. All manners of fish: clams, lobster, and
shrimp. The fresher the better, but frozen is acceptable.
Many nuts and seed such as Brazil nuts, almonds, cashews,
filburts, and pumpkin seeds. Fresh vegetables should be
stressed, Asparagus and spinach, especially, but do not
overlook eating a variety like beets, cabbage, cauliflower,
carrots, and tomatoes. Think fresh though. Processing
lowers the nutritional value and can add Candida friendly
preservatives. This list could cover several pages if it
included everything you can eat.

Some of the things you have to avoid can be re-introduced
after the first two weeks of the diet. Introduce them
slowly, and only one at a time. If you eat some thing
again and have a painful recurrence, then you will have a
good idea what caused it an can quickly eliminate that food
again. You can drink small amounts of fruit juice if you
prepare it yourself. That means to squeeze your own juice.
Have this infrequently.

Living on a Candida diet does not have to be boring or keep
you from going out to eat with your friends or lover. You
just have to show restraint and some common sense. It's
much better than the painful alternative of a severe yeast
infection.

----------------------------------------------------
David Grisaffi is a Sports Conditioning Coach and holds
multiple certifications including three from the
prestigious CHEK Institute. Plus he is also the author of
the popular selling e book, "Firm and Flatten Your Abs,"
which teaches you how to develop a ripped abdominal region.
Lean how to shed body fat and eliminate low back pain and
receive his free newsletter by visiting:
http://www.flattenyourabs.net

3 Exciting Alzheimer's Discoveries to Watch

3 Exciting Alzheimer's Discoveries to Watch
4.5 million Americans suffer from the devastating effects
of Alzheimer's. 10 million baby boomers will get
Alzheimer's. A new patient develops Alzheimer's every 71
seconds. Alzheimer's is the seventh leading cause of death.

With these startling statistics, can anything be done to
save our brains from this horrific deterioration? Will more
seniors be able to avoid falling victim to Alzheimer's as
the elderly population increases? Are we finally getting
close to a cure?

One of the biggest problems for an Alzheimer's cure has
been finding a way to stop deadly plaques from forming in
the brains of patients. If the disease has progressed past
an early diagnosis, drugs need to be safely delivered to
the affected areas to destroy plaque build-up.

Here are three dramatic new discoveries which are now
giving millions more hope for a future cure.

1. Gene Transfer Therapy: Dr. Zoe Arvanitakis of the Rush
University Medical Center is currently working with gene
transfer. By inserting tiny needles into the brain's area
affected by Alzheimer's, he believes the drug CERE 110 can
be delivered directly where is its needed.

CERE110's purpose is to stimulate nerve growth, but not to
spread the drug throughout the brain which could cause side
effects.

So far trials have been encouraging. The very first
patient in the trial, Ron Shellady, claims he is no longer
losing his memory. It is still too early to gage long
lasting results but CERE 110 shows promise.

2. Nutritional Combat: As more studies about Alzheimer's
and diet are coming in, more evidence seems to be pointing
to diet as a deterrent to the disease.

Researchers at Aberdeen University are finding that people
who eat diets rich in omega-3 oils, score higher on mental
tests than those who do not. This is strong indication
the omega-3 oils may actually help slow down the early
stages of Alzheimer's.

Omega-3 oils are found in walnut oil, flaxseed oil, canola
oil and fish such as Salmon. How do Omega-3 oils work?
According to Greg Cole, professor of medicine and neurology
at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, these oils
expand the productions of LR11, an important protein that
runs low in Alzheimer's patients.

LR11's function is to destroy harmful proteins which form
dangerous plaques which destroy nerve cells in the brain.
Plaque build-up is one of the major problems caused by the
disease.

3. Molecular Attacks: German scientists are researching
ways to prevent harmful brain plaques from forming in the
first place. The fact that an enzyme called beta-secretase
causes plaque damage is nothing new, but how to deliver
well targeted drugs to the damaged areas has been puzzling
researchers for some time.

The Germans have discovered that by blocking beta-secretase
via the blood, this harmful enzyme can be better targeted,
without harming other brain cells. What is needed now
is to find a way around the blood-brain barrier which
guards the brain from most molecules entering it. If
scientists can get past this natural wall they will be
closer to delivering the beta secretase inhibitor to target
only those areas where the therapy is needed.

Alzheimer's is one of the most deadly diseases of old age
because it robs the brain of its ability to function. This
keeps many elderly people in nursing homes and away from
their own homes and families. It is also very painful for
their loved ones to watch their decline.

Although Alzheimer's was first discovered over 100 years
ago, most of what we now know about the disease has been
learned within the last fifteen years. As world wide
efforts continue in the fight against brain destruction due
to Alzheimer's, a cure may be possible as breakthroughs
surge.

----------------------------------------------------
Alice Stevens is actively involved in issues affecting the
aged and their caregivers. She writes regularly for the
blog Aging Parents Authority.
http://www.agingparentsauthority.com

How this Little Known Test Can Unlock the Secret to Weight Loss

How this Little Known Test Can Unlock the Secret to Weight Loss
Is your weight problem genetic?

Not necessarily.

Truth is, obesity genes are responsible for just 5 percent
of all weight problems.

So what causes the rest?

Harvard Medical School's Dr. David Ludwig has the answer.
His groundbreaking research uncovers the real cause of
obesity for most Americans.

And it isn't dietary fat!

That's right. Studies by Dr. Ludwig and others show that
dietary fat doesn't really determine body fat.

For example, a large study called the Women's Health
Initiative found that 50,000 women on low-fat diets didn't
significantly lose weight. And another study found no
dramatic differences in weight loss between people who
followed either low-fat, low-carb, or very- low-carb diets.

So why aren't these diets working?

Well, for one thing, we are looking for answers in the
wrong place.

For more than 15 years, I have sought answers about weight
problems by testing almost all my patients with a simple,
inexpensive test that can help determine not just the
causes of obesity, but also the risk of diabetes, heart
disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, and premature aging.

Yet it is a test most healthcare providers don't perform,
don't know how to interpret, and often think is useless.

But thanks to Dr. Ludwig's research, this important test is
being recognized.

Two of his recent studies show that the main determinant of
changes in body weight and waist circumference (belly fat)
is the way your body responds to any type of sugar,
carbohydrate, or glucose load.

The best way to determine how your body responds to sugar,
carbs, and glucose is to test your insulin level with a
glucose tolerance test. This is done by measuring your
insulin after you drink a sugary beverage with 75 grams of
glucose.

This test has helped me learn more about my patients than
any other test -- and it helps me create individualized
nutritional approaches for them.

Let's take a closer look at those studies.

In one, Dr. Ludwig and his colleagues performed a glucose
tolerance test on 276 people and looked at insulin
concentrations 30 minutes after they consumed a sugary
drink. This helped the researchers determine whether they
were high- or low insulin secretors.

During the course of the 6-year study, they found that
those who were the highest insulin secretors had the
biggest change in weight and belly fat compared to the low
insulin secretors. And people who were high insulin
secretors and ate low-fat diets did even worse.

This makes a lot of sense, because insulin both stimulates
hunger and makes you store belly fat. When you eat a
high-carb meal, your insulin spikes and your blood sugar
sinks, making you hungry.

Then you crave more carbs and more sugar -- and eat more
the whole day.

And that's not all.

Dr. Ludwig also found that people who ate a low glycemic
load diet -- which lowers blood sugar and keeps insulin
levels low -- had much higher levels of HDL "good"
cholesterol and much lower levels of triglycerides.

So the best way to treat cholesterol may not mean eating a
low-fat diet, but eating a low glycemic load diet.

To learn more about Dr. Ludwig's exciting work, take a look
at his research on National Library of Medicine's database,
PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez).

I also urge you to read his book, "Ending the Food Fight,"
a unique guide for addressing our skyrocketing childhood
obesity epidemic.

Finally, please ask your physician for a glucose tolerance
test. He or she should measure your insulin and blood sugar
at 30 minutes, one hour, and two hours to get the best
picture of your insulin profile.

If you are a high insulin secretor and your insulin goes
over 30 at these intervals, you should eat a low glycemic
load, whole-foods, unprocessed diet.

The answer to obesity and weight treatment is in
personalizing our approach. Learning how you respond to
sugar and carbs is an important step on that road.

References:

Ebbeling CB, Leidig MM, Feldman HA, Lovesky MM, Ludwig DS.
Effects of a low-glycemic load vs low-fat diet in obese
young adults: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2007 May
16;297(19):2092-102

Chaput JP, Tremblay A, Rimm EB, Bouchard C, Ludwig DS. A
novel interaction between dietary composition and insulin
secretion: effects on weight gain in the Quebec Family
Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Feb;87(2):303-9

----------------------------------------------------
Mark Hyman, M.D. is a pioneer in functional medicine,
practicing physician and best-selling author. A sneak
preview of his book "The UltraSimple Diet" is available.
See The UltraWellness Blog for more on Blood Sugar:
http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/

Who Else Wants The Straight Truth About Yoga

Who Else Wants The Straight Truth About Yoga
Yoga is a powerful form of exercise that originated as a
form of spiritual practice in the country of India. While
the version of Yoga has little to do with the Hindu
practice, it can provide many of the same benefits that the
Hindu's receive from participating in Yoga.

For those who are unaware of the Yoga way of exercise, it
uses a combination of breathing exercises along with
physical movement to free the body while the meditation
aspect of Yoga assists in easing the mind and soul.

Benefits Of Yoga - There are many benefits to the Yoga
exercise of. Perhaps the best advantage that Yoga provides
to the body is the relief of stress and the relief of
health factors that cause the stress. With the fast paced
world of today, it is easy for an individual to become
stressed out with the daily schedule and this type of
stress and affect the body and mind.

By participating in Yoga, you will reduce the amount of
stress that you have in your life. Some additional
benefits of the Yoga lifestyle include the lowering of
blood pressure, a better quality of sleep, and a heightened
sense of awareness of your surroundings.

Finally, Yoga can be beneficiary to people who suffer from
illnesses such as AIDS, cancer, and diabetes.

While Yoga appears to be the ideal way for a healthy life
in , it is simply not efficient enough to allow most
individuals to reach their ideal weight loss goals. In
reality, Yoga is a specialized exercise that mainly affects
the mental aspects of fitness.

With this being said, Yoga is a great starter exercise for
those wishing to achieve their fitness goals but the Yoga
exercise should not be the only form of exercise that a
citizen uses to achieve a optimal level of fitness.

Yoga does very little to build muscle or lose fat, which is
the main goal of most people who wish to achieve an
improved quality of life through fitness. The Yoga
exercise will not allow you to gain the muscle necessary to
enjoy the various outdoor attractions of but it will
provide you with the an improved control over breathing
that will help you journey through the various parks and
trails in the area.

The practice of Yoga should be used as a way to free the
mind and not as a way to gain the physical strength that
will make you look good in a public environment.

Using Yoga In Your Fitness Plan - For those wishing to
create a fitness plan, or improve the efficiency of their
existing exercise schedule, Yoga is a great option. Since
Yoga is not meant as the only source of exercise for those
on a fitness plan, it makes a great partner for other forms
of exercise such as Pilates and weight lifting.

Since Yoga will reduce the stress encountered from the rest
of your exercise plan, it is a good idea to make Yoga a
regular part of your healthy lifestyle.

For those who are already experiencing quality results with
their exercise plan, the regular practice of Yoga will
further increase the benefits and positive results of the
workout.

Add Yoga To Your Life - Yoga is not right for everyone but
it is an easy form of exercise that everyone should try at
least once. If you are interested in adding Yoga to your
daily life, it is recommended that you talk to your fitness
trainer or Yoga instructor to get started on the right
track.

----------------------------------------------------
Zach Hunt is a yoga expert, personal trainer and owner of
Physzique, a fitness coaching service in Spokane, WA. Go
here: http://www.spokanefitnesscoach.com/index.html
or you can go here for more yoga tips:
http://www.spokanefitnesscoach.com/articles/spokane-yoga-in-
spokane.html

Beware Of The Overuse Of Mobile Phones

Beware Of The Overuse Of Mobile Phones
I see them mostly in cities. Presumably, because of a
greater concentration of business connections there. There
was so many people trundling around with them in the busy
bustle of the EC1 financial district of London last week, I
had to remind my self I was not in a science fiction movie.

-I'm talking about mobile phone earpieces. I saw one
wearing one of these mobile earpieces accosted by another,
"Excuse me sir!" He alerted, pointing to the earpiece, "are
you aware that you are paying your phone company good money
to give you the chance of a tumour?" The guy wearing the
earpiece shrugged nonchalantly and made his merry way...

Weather the person with the earpiece got the message or
not, I couldn't tell, but the polite warning he had
received was well justified. 'There isn't a month that goes
by where I don't see some study documenting the ill effects
of mobile phone overuse.

For example, there was a Swedish study showing that people
who use mobile phones for more than 2 hours a day had a
250-1 greater chance of having a tumour cancer, the side
they use to place the mobile phone to their head. This was
compared to those who rarely use mobiles.

This study was supported by Dr. Seigal Sadetzki findings.
Her study at Tel-Aviv University can be found by putting
her name in the Google search engine with the title: "Cell
Phone Cancer Link Found By Tel-Aviv University Scientist"
-Don't just take my word for it, do your own digging and I
will bet you will find the same results and come to the
same conclusions as me and the above researchers.

Whether it is cell phones or being in close-proximity with
other appliances, it is well worth checking out the
precautionary measures available to protect yourself
against any form of electromagnetic pollution. Are bodies
are electromagnetic systems and any upset to this caused by
other electromagnetics such as the frequent use of cell
phones, microwave ovens, electrical cables, living near
energy grid pylons, and x-rays... could lead to serious
illness or even death.

-Don't be a human 'Lab-rat' taking part in a deadly
experiment.

There are many good and well-written documents or books
available on the net where you can educate yourself more on
the dangers and what precautionary measures to take.

-Children are more susceptible to electromagnetic pollution
because they have a more vulnerable nervous system, because
it is still in development.

----------------------------------------------------
I, Paul Phillips am a health writer researcher. I graduated
in 'Biological Sciences' which includes biochemistry,
physiology and nutrition. I have worked in various related
research and development labs.
I am always willing to give advice and help people in my
field. For more information please try the link below
http://www.HealthNewsLive.net

The Brain-Body Connection of Stress

The Brain-Body Connection of Stress
It's a beautiful day in Yellowstone National Park. You
emerge from your tent into the morning sunlight, a gentle
breeze delighting your senses. As you prepare breakfast
over the camp stove, you notice a movement out of the
corner of your eye. It's a bear! Your heart starts to
pound, your blood pressure goes up, your breath
accelerates, and your digestion turns down. This is the
normal and appropriate physiological response of your body
dispensing the stress hormones you need to prepare the body
to "fight-or flight."

This well-documented biological event is the response
shared by humans and animals and is extremely helpful when
the individual faces physical danger. If the problem can be
solved by "fighting," taking action to scare the bear away,
or by "flight," running away so fast the bear can't harm
you, the solution itself dissipates the stress and bodily
functions return to normal. When stress is caused by a
problem, situation, or condition that can't be solved
through such a response, the impact extends for a longer
period and upsets the Triad of Health.

When the body is physically, chemically, or emotionally
overloaded, it causes a state of alarm that sets off a
complex interaction called the stress cycle. Research
scientist and medical doctor Hans Selye introduced the
concept of stress in the 1930s. He showed that a variety
of chemical changes accompany stress and proved that a
stress reaction results from excess physical, chemical, or
emotional pressure.

Selye also delineated the four phases of stress:
1. Alarm
2. Adaptation
3. Fatigue/exhaustion
4. Death

The alarm stage starts when the brain activates the
sympathetic nervous system to stimulate the adrenal glands
to release norepinephrine and adrenaline. Cortisol is also
secreted from the adrenals. One of its functions is to
stimulate the breakdown of glycogen into glucose, which is
sugar, to be used for energy.

When the same stress is repeated frequently, our bodies
adapt and respond less intensely. However, this adaptation
lowers our tolerance for new stress. So, we may adapt to
caffeine, sugar, alcohol and nicotine, yet then we become
less able to tolerate emotional or physical stress. We
become so desensitized to stress that symptoms become
chronic and are taken as normal. For example, stomach
bloating, gas and hiccups are all symptoms of not digesting
properly, yet we are led to believe by advertisements that
this is not unusual, actually it is common and that simply
taking an antacid will take care of it. This does not
address the cause, but simply masks the symptom. However,
one can never treat enough symptoms to correct the cause.
Repeated adaptation leads to the third phase of stress -
fatigue and exhaustion. Here the autonomic nervous system
comes into play. The autonomic nervous system has two parts:

1. The parasympathetic nervous system ' the part that heals
us when we rest.
2. The sympathetic nervous system ' the "fight-or-flight"
reaction - when this system is under attack from a
stressor, it turns down the immune system and increases the
chances of getting diseases. Lowered resistance invites
disease.

Selye discovered and documented that stress differs from
other physical responses in that stress is stressful
whether one receives good or bad news, whether the impulse
is positive or negative. Thus, it is not the event itself,
but our reaction to the stress that harms us.

----------------------------------------------------
Dr. Michael B. Roth has been a holistic chiropractor for 23
years. His goal is to transform the health care system
from crisis/reactive care to a wellness model of health.
Dr. Roth is a dynamic speaker on health and wellness who
can motivate and transform your audience and you to bring
your own health and well-being to a new level!

Fat Burning Bodyweight Workouts

Fat Burning Bodyweight Workouts
The body weight challenge exercises are something I came up
back in the late summer 2007.

It's similar to the 300 Workout which was featured in Men's
Health magazine. Now I didn't invent the 300 Workout, all I
did was film the video, but it was a lot of fun and got a
lot of feedback from people reading the magazine and I
thought hey, maybe these guys are on to something, so I'll
put together a body weight version and I did what is called
a Bodyweight 500.

The workout is just a challenge, it's not something you're
supposed to do everyday because there are other workouts
that you do during the week and then you do a bodyweight
challenge on the weekends or on the Friday, your final
workout of the week.

So you might do a workout on Monday and Wednesday, and then
in your first week of the program you'll do the Body Weight
100 and this is the program that's featured in that Belly
Off Program that I mentioned at the start of the interview
that guys are using to lose 20 pounds or 25 pounds of fat
in 8 weeks.

They do two regular workouts and then they do they Body
Weight Challenge and then the next week they do two regular
fat loss workouts and then they do a harder Body Weight
Challenge and so on and so on it goes until they've done
either the 4 week version of it and an 8 week version of it
and they work up to the 500 repetition challenge, so that's
what I mean when I say Body Weight 100, in that workout
there's 100 repetitions of body weight exercises.

Some are done for 10 repetitions, some are done for 15, you
know, there's chin-ups, body weight squats, and some other
exercises in there.

Eventually, like I said, working up to the Body Weight 500
Workout, which is generally done in about a half an hour to
40 minutes for guys that are a little bit more beginnerish
and they get the workout done.

It's all body weight exercises like I said and it's a lot
of fun, it's a good challenge and that's what some people
need in their programs to keep the motivation up, is a
challenge each week, especially those people that are
competitive, a former athlete. They really like something
that they can do that is going to challenge them week in
and week out, so it's just not the regular routine they're
going to the gym for.

They know they have a new challenge this week and they have
to get the workout done in X amount of time sort of thing.

I did that initial Body Weight 500 and then I went and made
an even harder workout called the Bodyweight 1000 and in
that one, it's the same thing, Monday and Wednesday you do
regular workouts and then on the Friday or on the weekend,
you'll do a body weight challenge.

So it starts off the first week you do 250, in the second
week you do 250 by 2, in the third week you do the 501, in
the fourth week you do maybe 501 and the 250, in the fifth
week you do the 750, and then finally at the end of week
six, you do the Body Weight 1000 Challenge.

Now in this one, it's not really that much more difficult
than the 500 because I added a lot of calisthenic-type
exercises like jumping jacks just to get the repetition
number up because you can't do 1000 push-ups in a workout.
It's a whole bunch of exercises, there's probably 15
different exercises that makeup the challenges and you can
do them, you know, a couple include the ball, a couple
include nothing, and a couple include some type of pull-up
bar.

----------------------------------------------------
Discover shockingly effective fat burning home gym workouts
and the reveal the 5 fat burning myths at
http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Does Running Cause Arthritis?

Does Running Cause Arthritis?
Is it a foregone conclusion, that if you run for years, you
will have arthritis? Many of my patients are concerned that
the aches and pains that are inevitable from distance
running are actually harbingers for the future aches and
pains of arthritis. This fear is even strong enough to get
older runners to quit and start a lower impact exercise
regimen like swimming and cycling. Is this a reasonable
fear? Yes and No! Running by itself does not cause
arthritis; improper biomechanics coupled with the rigors of
running can cause arthritis.

Consider the stress of running on the joints for a minute.
The foot hits the ground and the bones and joints
experience force up to six times the runner's body weight
at impact. The joints are being asked to move and glide
efficiently and smoothly while enduring this stress. In the
event of a misstep or stumble, the joints need to continue
to be stable to maintain their perfect alignment.

Osteoarthritis, a.k.a. "wear and tear arthritis", is what
runner's dread. This is degeneration of the articular
cartilage which absorbs shock, distributes stress and
allows the joints to glide smoothly. The ability to run
pain free depends on the health and integrity of this
cartilage as we age. In osteoarthritis, the surface of the
cartilage becomes roughened, fissured and even starts to
shred into small fragments. These fragments "float" around
the joint and cause more damage. The bone tries to protect
itself by producing small bony prominences called
osteophytes which actually in the end make the joint damage
and pain worse.

Any kind of sports participation can increase the incidence
of osteoarthritis due to increased twisting forces, high
impact, muscle weakness or over-development and joint
instability which causes abnormal peak pressures and
greater stress in certain areas of cartilage which can lead
to osteoarthritis. Nevertheless, for normal joints , there
is no scientific evidence that simply the action of
running, even over a long period of time, causes permanent
joint damage or even a predisposition for osteoarthritis.

What is the risk of osteoarthritis in runners? Many studies
of long-term runners show no increased incidence of
osteoarthritis in these competitive runners. Some studies
did show more evidence of osteophytes, but no correlation
with joint pain or instability. Confusing the issue for
many runners are the numerous incidents of misdiagnosis of
repetitive stress injuries like patella-femoral syndrome as
arthritis. This is reversible and caused by abnormal
tracking of the kneecap, which is treated with physical
therapy and orthotics.

Joints are in fact strengthened by activity and damaged by
inactivity. Studies have shown that the articular cartilage
actually thins and becomes more fragile with inactivity,
therefore increasing the risk of arthritis. Joints adapt to
the stress of exercise and become stronger and more able to
endure the long term stress of running. Remember the doctor
saying to increase slowly? This is why. Ligaments and
muscles, which support the joints, are strengthened and
reinforced by the stresses of the running activity,
improving joint mechanics, if the joints are properly
aligned.

Here is the truth about foot biomechanics. Proper
biomechanics during the strengthening process is essential
for joint health. Improper biomechanics can increase the
stress on the joints in an abnormal fashion and actually
increase the incidence of osteoarthritis and hasten joint
damage.

Bottom line? Running does not increase the incidence of
osteoarthritis unless the lower extremity biomechanics are
faulty. In fact, almost 75% of Americans over the age of 65
experience some symptoms of osteoarthritis. This is not
increased in runners. In fact, running may actually help
with the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

The benefits associated with long distance running
profoundly overshadow the risk of osteoarthritis. In
runners, orthotic devices to correct their biomechanics
early in their training may actually decrease the stress
associated with increased osteoarthritis. If you have joint
symptoms, see a sports medicine podiatrist today and have
your gait realigned. Your joints will thank you. Remember,
your feet are meant to carry you for a lifetime. Don't let
the fear of osteoarthritis rob you of the joy of a lifetime
of distance running!

----------------------------------------------------
Dr Marybeth Crane is a life-long runner and a sports
medicine podiatrist. For more information on running
injuries or for doctor-approved foot care products, visit
my website or read my blog at http://www.myrundoc.com

Food As Medication?

Food As Medication?
When you have a headache, you take an over-the-counter pain
relief medication. If you have an uncomfortable emotion,
do you take the relief self-medication of emotional eating?
For many of us that have weight issues, emotional eating
is the result from attempting to change the way we feel.

Diet programs are effective temporarily. How many times
have you joined a diet program to lose weight only to
regain, possibly a few bonus pounds added in the process?
The reason why diet programs rarely work long-term is
because they address food and exercise and, at best,
mention emotional eating issues. Dealing with emotional
eating is the key to overcoming weight loss ups and downs.
We eat for a reason and it is not because we are hungry.
We eat to suppress or lessen the intensity of emotions,
make an uncomfortable situation more manageable, or just to
numb out by self-medicating ourselves with food.

I was in a reception room waiting for an appointment the
other day. The receptionist had a bowl of candy coated
chocolates. While she was working, she was popping the
candy every few seconds. Whatever she was feeling, she was
medicating herself. She was not eating out of hunger or
even conscious of what she was eating. She was zoned out
on the hand-to-mouth action of emotional eating. I waited
for approximately 15 minutes and she unconsciously ate
consistently the candy the entire time. The reason this
struck me is because it is a behavior I've indulged more
times that I'd like throughout my life.

Do you self-medicate or numb your emotions with food? Do
you check out of situations by emotional eating? If you
do, there are some steps you can follow to stay in control
without using food as a numbing agent for life.

* The first step is to answer honestly if you self-medicate
or numb out with food. Can you identify with the
unconscious eating of the receptionist?

* Now that you've identified the behavior of
self-medicating your life with food, you are aware.
Awareness of the behavior and habit is a big step forward.

* With your awareness, when you find yourself wanting to
eat, ask yourself if you are truly hungry or if you are
reaching for the pain relief medication equivalent of food.

* Next, ask yourself what it is you are attempting to
medicate and numb with food. Are you bored, overwhelmed,
angry, or feel anxious and need to feel calmer. All of
these are common emotions for medicating with food.

* Once you've identified the emotion or situation you
desire to medicate, make the choice to move forward without
the crutch of emotional numbing with food.

If we sit with uncomfortable emotions, they will pass.
Many of us don't know that because we haven't allowed
ourselves to experience this. Often, we short circuit the
process by immediately popping our favorite foods for
self-medication rather than feel the feelings.

Just as over-the-counter pain relief is temporary and
treats the symptoms of pain, so does the behavior of
self-medicating by emotional eating. Get to the source
causing the pain rather than the temporary fix of numbing
yourself. When you numb yourself, you live a life less
than you deserve. A full life has ups and down, joys and
challenges. Fully participate in your life without
stuffing down your life by abusing food as a
self-medication. You deserve more than popping candy as a
form of living. Give yourself the best and live the full
range of life.

----------------------------------------------------
Cathy Wilson is a certified life coach specializing in
weight loss. Cathy lost 147 pounds seven years ago. Her
passion is to help clients achieve weight loss and life
goals. Cathy works with clients to create a weight loss
life plan custom to each client. Cathy is a member of the
International Coaching Federation, International
Association of Coaches, and Obesity Action Coalition.
Visit Cathy's website:
http://www.LoseWeightFindLife.com

Easy Living - Good or Bad for Brain Fitness?

Easy Living - Good or Bad for Brain Fitness?
If you talked to a person from the 1950s about all the
modern marvels we have today they'd likely drool at the
mouth. What? You don't have to get up to change the TV
channel? You can reheat leftovers in 1 minute? You can
access any information at any time without leaving your
house? No way!

Be Careful What You Ask For

But are our lives really getting any easier? Do all these
time saving devices allow us to work less? Well, sort of.
It certainly takes less work to do any specific task. When
I was in graduate school writing my thesis, I thought of
the poor slobs who had to do that without the aid of a
computer or the internet. It must have taken people an
entire day to go to the library to find references that I
can now get in 10 minutes (God bless Google). The trade-off
is that we are expected to do a lot more tasks as part of
our normal day.

I was reading an interesting paper by Kelly Lambert
recently that put some of this into perspective as it may
relate to rates of depression in our modern society. Even
with all our modern conveniences, high-end medical care and
plethora of designer drugs, we have a huge mental health
crisis. In fact, today mental health accounts for about 15%
of disease burden worldwide. So why are we so unhappy?

The Thrill is in the Chase

Dr. Lambert argues that one factor in our overall societal
unhappiness is the fact that we have it too easy,
especially when it comes to feeding ourselves. Years gone
by, dinner was more than a phone-call away. We actually had
to track our food across the tundra and risk death by
saber-toothed tigers or violent weather, in order to feed
ourselves. Even if we were successful, we had to do it
again the next day. As time drew on, we learned it was much
easier to plant food in the ground. But this still required
intensive labor and patience to bring our sowing efforts to
the fruition of harvest.

All of this effort made the reward that much more
enjoyable. The magnitude of the reward may actually depend
on the magnitude of the effort required to achieve it.
Meaning the harder we have to work for something, the more
we enjoy it when we are successful. Since successfully
finding food is a major factor in our survival, and we used
to work very hard to stay fed, we had ample opportunity for
regular high intensity rewards.

Appreciate What You Have

Today, however, we take for granted this major facet of our
lives. Finding food does not require much effort at all, at
least for most of the lucky people living in our society.
Because we don't need to put out effort, we don't activate
reward centers in our brains that our ancestors activated
on a regular basis. We are essentially robbing ourselves of
a major 'happiness factor', and this, argues Dr. Lambert,
may be a problem. It may be that today's lack of regular
reward, due to lack of necessary effort, may be a factor in
high rates of depression.

Whether or not she is right, I don't know. She provides
many examples and scientific studies to back up her
argument and I thought it was a very interesting point
worthy of a post. In fact, I have two cats that seem to
agree with her. They are not content just eating their chow
out of a dish. Instead, they enjoy scooping out one nugget
at a time, batting it across the kitchen floor and then
pouncing on their prey before eating it.

There's not really much we can do about this unless you
want to pull a Grizzly Adams and drop out of society, move
to the hills and live off the land. Alternatively, you
could do all your grocery shopping in full camouflage,
crawling around on your belly through the frozen food
aisle. Or, maybe we can be more appreciative of what we
have and not take all our modern conveniences for granted.

Reference: Lambert, K.G. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral
Reviews 30 (2006) 497'510

----------------------------------------------------
Learn to control stress, improve your metabolism and boost
your intelligence with the four cornerstones of Brain
Fitness. Visit http://www.BrainFitForLife.com for FREE
Brain Fitness resources.

Sound and Emotion

Sound and Emotion
Have you ever noticed how intimately sound and emotion are
connected? Have you ever hurt yourself without saying
'ouch!' or something like it? Have you noticed how well one
of the infamous 'four letter words' accompanies anger,
frustration or rage? Celebrating just isn't the same
without a yippee! Or hooray! And what about an 'oooooo'
when pleasantly surprised, or a scream when terrified?
Laughter is accompanied by all kinds of emotions, even
attempts to cover up emotions. Have you ever burst into
spontaneous song (or humming) when absolutely thrilled or
excited?

Emotions move us. If you look at the word like this,
e-motion, notice that most of word is motion. Emotion needs
to move through us. But this isn't always the case.
Sometimes emotions are repressed and get stuck in our
bodies.

So let's take a look at the biology of emotions. Candace
Pert's work gives us a clear picture of how emotions work
and move in the body. In her book, "Molecules of Emotion"
she states:

"The point I am making is that your brain is extremely well
integrated with the rest of your body at a molecular level,
so much so that the term mobile brain is an apt description
of the psychosomatic network through which intelligent
information travels from one system to another. Every one
of the zones, or systems, of the network ' the neural, the
hormonal, the gastrointestinal, and the immune ' is set up
to communicate with one another, via peptides and
messenger-specific peptide receptors. Every second, a
massive information exchange is occurring in your body.
Imagine each of these messenger systems possessing a
specific tone, humming a signature tune, rising and
falling, waxing and waning, binding and unbinding, and if
we could hear this body music with our ears, then the sum
of these sounds would be the music that we call the
emotions. As we have seen, the neuropeptides and their
receptors are the substrates of the emotions, and they are
in constant communication with the immune system, the
mechanism through which health and disease are create. My
Research has shown me that when emotions are expressed '
which is to say that the biochemicals that are the
substrate of emotion are flowing freely ' all systems are
united and made whole. When emotions are repressed, denied,
not allowed to be whatever they may be, our network
pathways get blocked, stopping the flow of the vital
feel-good, unifying chemicals that run both our biology and
our behavior. This, I believe, is the state of unhealed
feeling we want so desperately to escape from. My research
has shown me that the body can and must be healed through
the mind, and the mind can and must be healed through the
body. Your body is your subconscious mind and you can't
heal it by talk alone."

We are all familiar with the adrenaline (a peptide) charge
we experience with certain situations, especially if we
perceive them as threatening. As we repeat the story of
this experience to ourselves (over and over) and to anybody
else who will listen, we continue to experience the charge.
The body does not know the difference between the real
experience and the imagined one. Not only that, Ms. Pert's
research also shows that maintaining a barrage of emotional
(peptide) charge in the body can alter the peptide
receptors. That means not only that this emotional charge
becomes addictive, returning the receptors to their normal
state can be challenging. The movie, "What the Bleep do we
Know," has an enlightening animation of how this happens.

So we end up with our thoughts creating emotional blocks,
stuck patterns and possibly disease. If you get to the
stage where you decide to create a change, there is good
news. Although most of this information network works at an
unconscious level, we can enter it consciously at will. And
it will respond. Sound, particularly your voice, and sound
with visualization work at the level of mind, body and
emotion simultaneously. The "story" never needs to enter
the picture.

----------------------------------------------------
The combination of Sharon Carne's expertise in music and
sound, spiritual transformation and her inner guidance has
led Sharon to her soul work. In her workshops people learn
how to dissolve stress and experience how sound heals. Her
CDs offer support for those who are removing negativity and
old patterns of thought and behavior from their lives.
http://www.mountainrosemusic.com

Why I Would Recommend Chosing Organic Food

Why I Would Recommend Chosing Organic Food
Don't begrudge the extra money; it's worth it when
considering your health. Here are my ten reasons for going
organic:

1. Organic crop is grown naturally, free from pesticides,
herbicides, fungicides and other cocktails of poisonous
chemicals. For example, an apple not organically grown can
have something like 25 different chemicals on its skin,
even when washed.

2. The nutrition value is something like 50% higher than
intensively farmed food: Higher vitamin, mineral, enzyme
and micro-nutrient content being the factors.

3. Saying no to GMO food is something I highly recommend
for three reasons: a) Considerations to safety.
Particularly the long-term effects are yet to be determined
and are potentially dangerous. Food companies and their
research and development have not invested enough time and
money on this. b) Natural occurring food has higher
nutrition value and c) Companies that genetically modify
will own the crop (patents). In other words, that which is
naturally belonging to Mother Earth could become property
of some greedy corporation. Think about the serious
implications here...Choosing organic can be your way of
saying no to GMO.

4. Intensively farmed animals are frequently given a wide
range of chemical cocktails such as antibiotics, hormones
like bovine growth hormone (BGH), anti-parasite drugs...
and other medications. These noxious substances remain in
the animals when they are killed and turned into food
produce for human consumption. The same applies to dairy
food.

5. Organically raised animals are at a far lesser risk of
becoming diseased and passing on the contamination to
humans after they have been killed for consumption. For
example, there were no BSE cases reported in organically
raised cows.

6. Many people such as myself think that organic food
tastes nicer.

7. Organic farming is more conducive to nature. It produces
a greater diversity of life and is more flourishing.

8.There is a far less chance of animal diseases such as BSE
occurring on organic farmlands, which can be quite costly.

9.There have been far higher cases of illness on intensive
farms amongst its workers. This has been related to the
agrochemicals used. Therefore, choosing organic farm
produce supports a healthier option, not only for the
animals but also for its workers.

10.Organic farmland is safer for the public at large to
visit People like myself have followed the good nutrition
protocol and have felt so much more vitalised, healthier
and illness-free. Naturally, I would encourage others to
try this for themselves if they haven't already. Knowing
the importance of good nutrition and how to distinguish it
allows you to realise that your health is in your hands.

----------------------------------------------------
I, Paul Phillips am a health writer researcher. I graduated
in 'Biological Sciences' which includes biochemistry,
physiology and nutrition. I have worked in various related
research and development labs.
I am always willing to give advice and help people in my
field. For more information please try the link:
http://www.HealthNewsLive.net

Health Trends: What is Environmental Endocrinology and Menopause Medicine?

Health Trends: What is Environmental Endocrinology and Menopause Medicine?
Today, doctors are learning how environmental
endocrinology'the effect of daily stressors like light,
food and crowding on multiple endocrine systems'controls
rate of aging and quality of life. Many aspects of
diabetology and reproductive endocrinology are converging
to become what we call menopause medicine. This elite group
of forward-thinking physicians and researchers from all
over the world are trying to put the scientific method back
into medicine.

Medical practitioners can now participate in an intensive
introduction to the newest emerging specialty of
endocrinology by attending "Two Days Back on Earth," a CME
course on environmental endocrinology, covering how
stressors on multiple endocrine systems control the rate of
aging and quality of life to be held at the GCC
Planetarium, Glendale California. Also known as Darwinian
Medicine, environmental endocrinology covers the use of
hormones, particularly in menopausal women.

The two day CME accredited seminar is attended by
physicians worldwide and provides a maximum 17 credit hours
in category 1PRA.

Today, doctors are being educated about bio-mimetic hormone
restoration therapy (BHRT), currently termed bio-identical
hormone replacement therapy. They are learning about the
following: Insulin and cortisol metabolism over the course
of a lifetime; The interplay of insulin, SHBG and estrogen;
The effect of declining quality of sleep on sex steroid
production and use; The seasonal variation in hormone
fluctuation through shunt physiology; The action of sex
steroids on immunological, emotional and neurological
disorders; How to use and adjust the Wiley Protocol to
solve the common side effects of menopause hot flashes,
migraines, joint pain, incontinence, hemorrhaging,
endometriosis, hypo and hyperthyroidism, fibroids, PCOD,
insomnia, acid reflux, gall bladder disease, thinning skin,
vulvodynia, low libido, IBS, anxiety and depression; The
connection of insulin and sex hormones to cancer;
C-Reactive protein, immunological cardiovascular risk;
Non-genomic actions of steroid hormones in reproductive
tissues; and complex actions of sex steroids in adipose
tissue, the cardiovascular system and brain.

"Since I took this course I have become more keenly aware
of the nuances of hormonal interaction. The certification
course really helps you understand the molecular aspects of
hormonal relationships. The knowledge acquired
significantly assists me in management of patients and I am
constantly amazed at the level of interaction achieved on
the protocol, "said Courtney Ridley M.D., a Houston-based
physician who not only attended the course, but now helps
teach. "It answers the questions being posed regarding
cancer and other dysfunction afflicting not only menopausal
women but those women with significant alteration of cycle
created by interaction with our estrogen toxic environment."

----------------------------------------------------
Writer Kristin Gabriel works with T.S. Wiley who teaches
environmental endocrinlogy and is the author of "Lights
Out" (Pocket Books, 2000) and "Sex, Lies & Menopause,"
(Harper Collins, 2005.) Her bio-mimertic hormone
restoration therapy (BHRT), also known as bio-identical
hormone replacement therapy, is for any doctor or woman
seeking cutting edge therapies for menopause and
anti-aging. Visit http://www.thewileyprotocol.com - where
you will find countless testimonials of women who have
found finally found relief and the ability to increase
libido.