Karen’s Free Health and Fitness Tips

Depression is a serious illness, not a harmless part of life. It is a complex disorder with a variety of causes. It is never caused by just one thing. It may be the result of a mix of factors, including genetic, chemical, physical, and sociological. It is also influenced by behavior patterns learned in the family and by cognitive distortions.

Depression affects millions of people in this country. It is always troubling, and for some people it can be disabling. Depression is more than just sadness or “the blues.” It can have an impact on nearly every aspect of a person’s life. People who suffer from depression may experience despair and worthlessness, and this can have an enormous impact on both personal and professional relationships. In this newsletter, I will describe many of the factors that may cause depression, and I will explore strategies for preventing it.

Depression Is Pervasive

When a person suffers from depression, it can affect every part of his or her life, including one’s physical body, one’s behavior, thought processes, mood, ability to relate to others, and general lifestyle.

Symptoms of Depression

People who are diagnosed with clinical depression have a combination of symptoms from the following list:

One of the most common complaints treated by doctors the world over is back pain. Nearly ninety percent of the people experience back pain at some point in their life. A large mainstream of the population does not have any definite cause for the pain. Back pain is a significant, common problem and the cost of treating it runs into tens of billions of dollars annually.

Back pain can develop concurrently with a number of causes and GERD could be one of them. Nerve fibers in the esophagus are stimulated when acid refluxes into the esophagus of GERD patients, resulting in heartburn. Heartburn is generally described as a searing pain in the middle of the chest. It may also start high in the abdomen and extend up to the neck. But in some patients heartburn may extend to the back, and since the pain seems to be localized in the back, the patient tends to think it is back pain pure and simple, especially since the pain may be more sharp and pressure-like, rather than burning.

Gout and diabetes have been together longer than peanut butter and jelly. These two sinister diseases have been wreaking havoc on the human population for many years, but why?

Before we discuss the connection between diabetes and gout, let’s review exactly what diabetes is. Diabetes is a disease where sufferers inject insulin to treat high levels of sugar in the body. A diabetes sufferer doesn’t make enough insulin by themselves so they need injections on a daily basis. Sometimes, patients need multiple injections per day to remain healthy.

While this may not sound like such a big deal, the major headache associated with diabetes come from the practically endless list of long-term problems that result from it.

The list of complications associated with diabetes reads like a laundry list of debilitating diseases: cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, severe eye damage, nerve damage, sexual dysfunction and possible gangrene, which can lead to amputation.

It’s here that gout shows its ugly face. The connection between gout and diabetes is linked to poor blood circulation in the limbs. The chances of coming down with gout increase when poor circulation in the feet result in a build-up of uric acid in the joints. Poor circulation is a hallmark of diabetes, so the two illnesses are closely associated.

Every human feels anxiety on occasion; it is a part of life. All of us know what it is like to feel worry, nervousness, fear, and concern. We feel nervous when we have to give a speech, go for a job interview, or walk into our boss’s office for the annual performance appraisal. We know it’s normal to feel a surge of fear when we unexpectedly see a photo of a snake or look down from the top of a tall building. Most of us manage these kinds of anxious feelings fairly well and are able to carry on with our lives without much difficulty. These feelings don’t disrupt our lives.

But millions of people (an estimated 15% of the population) suffer from devastating and constant anxiety that severely affects their lives, sometimes resulting in living in highly restricted ways. These people experience panic attacks, phobias, extreme shyness, obsessive thoughts, and compulsive behaviors. The feeling of anxiety is a constant and dominating force that disrupts their lives. Some become prisoners in their own homes, unable to leave to work, drive, or visit the grocery store. For these people, anxiety is much more than just an occasional wave of apprehension.

Two of the most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

People suffering with osteoarthritis should avoid or cut down on highly refined and processed foods, sugar, salt and saturated animal fats. A healthier diet would be to include wholegrain cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables. By eating a more healthy diet sufferers can boost their immune system and provide them with extra energy they need to fight the disease.

Through scientific research, it has been shown that fish oils are beneficial to people suffering from arthritis. Oily fish such as salmon, mullet, sardines and trout provide the omega-3 fatty acids that can have an anti-inflammatory effect. Inflammation is the natural body’s reaction to arthritis resulting in pain, swelling, redness and heat. For people who cannot eat fish, fish oil capsules or liquid taken in the prescribed dose can help in managing the disease.

Seafood provides omega-3 fats which help to regulate the body producing inflammatory chemicals known as eicosanoids. As well as seafood, canola oil, soy oil, flaxseed and walnut also provide omega-3 fats which help to suppress the inflammatory chemicals.

Juice fasting is gaining popularity as a great way to detoxify. Many people are interested in getting toxins out of their system so they can live a healthier life. When toxins accumulate in the body, they feel sluggish and also have a poor immune system. Juice fasting, as a cleansing method, can help to people to achieve better health and more energy. It is quite easy to do as fruits are readily obtainable and all that is required additionally is a juicer.

For a beginner to juice fasting, it is important to start out slow and to try it out for one day. By juice fasting, you are limiting your intake to juices only. Fruit juice is high in sugar, so if you are a diabetic or otherwise in need of monitoring your sugar intake you should be cautious of trying a juice fast with fruit juices. Anyone just starting out with fasting should always speak with their doctor first. Also, do not juice fast for prolonged periods like more than 3 days, not unless your doctor agrees that it is safe for you to do so.

The following are sample recipes that can help give you an idea of combinations of fruits and vegetables to use together:

The recent study by the Center for Disease Control highlights that there is an eighteen percent increase in food allergies for kids. Symptoms can be stomach upsets, allergy skin rash, breathing problems and headaches.

Some say that people are more conscious of what a food allergy is today and in the past it may have been that people thought their kids had colds or respiratory issues instead of allergic reactions. Nonetheless, three million kids in the US are said to have food allergies. In other studies, the biggest offenders are dairy , peanut-based products and eggs. Peanut allergies can also cause severe reaction called anaphylaxis. When this happens the person will have their airways swell, lowered blood pressure and a severe reaction.

Children rash symptoms to foods can take the form of eczema, hives and redness around the mouth area. Kids can be very self-conscious about having a skin rash so help them to feel comfortable by using anti=itch creams and ointments to help the inflammation. Skin prick tests as well as patch tests by an allergist can help narrow down the allergic reactions.An allergist may also have you do blood work to check out the IGM and IGE which are immunoglobulin antibodies.

Basic skins care for acne can help you control aggravation and stop scars to a certain extent. Please take the following care -

1. Don’t pick acne. Trying to squeeze out blackheads or whiteheads may lead to further infection. Picking up acne at second stage may lead to scarring.

2.There is a misconception that excessive sweat or dirt can cause acne. In blackheads what you see black is not dirt but oxidized sebum. Please don’t be harsh with your skin. That will aggravate the acne condition. Gently clean your face with mild soap or cleansers formulated to care for acne and warm water. Pat dry, don’t rub.

3. Use noncomedogenic cosmetics and skin care products. Noncomedogenic products are certified to not cause or aggravate acne.

4.Protect your skin with sunscreens. Avoid getting tanned. If you are under treatment for acne, consult your doctor about sun exposure as some medicines make your skin more sensitive to sun.

5. Facials may aggravate your acne. Avoid any kind of facial if you have an acne outbreak.

6. Do you have the habit of touching your acne frequently? Avoid that. Also avoid any bangs coming on the forehead.

It’s a natural step, after you have discovered alternative health care for yourself to start looking at alternative medicine for cats. After all, if you prefer this approach, it’s likely your cat will benefit, too.

Alternative medicine for cats as well as for people is certainly on the increase. Why should this be? Well, some of the main benefits over mainstream health care are:

there are no side effects it works with nature, rather than opposing it it is less expensive you can learn to use some at home, which empowers you your cat will be more receptive to taking the medicine

One of the best alternative medicines for cats, as well as for everyone, in my opinion is homeopathy. Homeopathy is very gentle, but also very deep. You can learn to use many of the common remedies at home. This can not only save you a fortune in veterinarian fees, it is also tremendously enlivening.

I tell you, there is nothing more exciting than your first success. I well remember mine. I was a homeopathic student and had bought a few common remedies and a few books. One day one of my cats stopped eating. I left it a few days, but after the fourth day, I took her to the veterinarian.