Archive for September, 2007

The Five a Day Rule and Healthier Eating

If you have not heard of the five a day rule before, that is about to change. The five a day rule refers to the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Health experts recommend that every eat – yes you guessed it – five a day.

That five a day guideline is actually the minimum recommendation, and eating up to nine servings a day of fruits and vegetables is a great way to increase health, lower dietary fat, increase vitamin consumption and just generally feel better.

Following the five a day rule may just be the most important, and one of the easiest, changes you can make in your daily diet. There are many reasons to increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables, including:

They are delicious
They are nutritious
They are colorful
They are plentiful
They are inexpensive

Are There Shoes That Help Back Pain?

Back pain is epidemic and affects millions of people every day. Doctors prescribe everything from addictive pain killers to shoes that help back pain. But do the shoes really help?

When I was suffering from chronic and debilitating back pain, I was willing to try just about anything. And most of it, I did. Including shoes that help back pain, or were supposed to.

But just as you would expect, when you treat the symptoms you only get a temporary results. No matter what shoes you wear, you back problems are still there. You doctor may call the bulging or herniated disc. They may call it inflammation or a pinched nerve.

But there is really on one cause of back pain and that is misshaped discs. Fortunately, the discs can be put back in its original shape and position. To do this, you can either see a chiropractor for regular adjustments, or you can learn to do the adjustments yourself through exercise and mild inversion.

The bottom line is simple. If you are looking for shoes that help back pain, you are looking for a temporary fix for the pain symptom you are feeling. You time and effort would be much better spent fixing the root cause.

Alcoholism Stages - Understanding the Progression of the Disease of Alcoholism

It is very basic: most experts agree that there are three primary alcoholism stages. These alcoholism stages have been aptly and simply named:

* Early


* Middle


* End

By way of this article, you are provided with a basic overview of the alcoholism stages so that you can better understand the disease of alcoholism.

Alcoholism Stages: The Early Stage

During the early stage of alcoholism an individual becomes more dependent upon alcohol. If a person has a stressful day, alcohol will be consumed to alter his or her mood. Alcohol is used to relieve stress on a regular basis.

Alcoholism States: The Middle Stage

In looking at the alcoholism stages, the middle stage is the point where a person desires alcohol more intensely. A person starts drinking more alcohol at one sitting. The person clearly starts losing control over his or her drinking. The body begins to lose its ability to process alcohol effectively. Liver functioning starts to become impaired. A person’s tolerance of alcohol drops and he or she becomes drunk more rapidly. Finally, withdrawal symptoms become more severe.

Alcoholism Stages: The End Stage



Enjoy Healthy Eating with Citrus Fruits

There are few single food groups with as much to recommend them, and as many health benefits, as citrus fruits. Citrus fruits are packed full of a number of important vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber. In addition, citrus fruits are delicious, abundant, and usually quiet inexpensive.

Citrus fruits abound in most modern grocery stores, even in the winter months. Thanks to modern distribution networks, citrus fruits grown around the world are easily accessible in the supermarkets of this country.

Of course many people prefer locally grown citrus fruits, but when they are not available, shipped citrus is a good substitute. There is a growing season for each kind of citrus in various parts of the country, so it pays to familiarize yourself with those seasons in order to take advantage of the freshest locally grown tomatoes, oranges, grapefruits and more.

Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is the chronic or habitual use of a drug for a non-medical purpose, with the objective of altering states of body and mind for the user. The use of illegally produced drugs and the abuse of legal drugs are both included here. For example, not only illegal drugs such as cannabis, heroin, cocaine or ecstasy, but also legal drugs like tranquilizers, painkillers and sleeping pills can be abused. Some even abuse cough syrups and herbal medicines.

Drug abuse may cause death or injury by overdose, accident or aggression, and can damage the brain, liver and mental health. It also causes harm to self, family and friends, and is fraught with serious legal consequences like imprisonment and hefty fines.

Drug abuse by young people is very common, which can lead to disastrous consequences in the future. A large proportion of deaths in people between 15 and 24 are reportedly caused by drug or alcohol abuse. Such abuse also leads to violent criminal acts, such as assault, murder or rape. Some young people also take to drugs to overcome depression and anxiety.

Drug Addiction - With the Right Support and Treatment, the Road to Recovery is Possible

Drug abuse and drug addiction are two major burdens to society. However the terms “drug abuse” and “drug addiction” are often used interchangeably, but in fact, denote very different conditions. The term “drug abuse” refers to the use of a substance in a manner that deviates from the culturally acceptable norms, while the term “drug addiction” describes a disorder where the drug appears to be the dominant influence on the individual’s behavior. Addiction occurs when an individual crosses the line separating drug abuse from a physical dependency on drugs. This is usually characterized by compulsively seeking to use a substance regardless of the potentially negative social, psychological, and physical consequences. Drug addiction makes drug use a compelling need, not a casual choice.

Drug addiction is said to be a brain disease because the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain. The path to drug addiction begins with that first act of taking drugs. Over time, a person may need more of the drug to get the same effect. The changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a person’s self control and ability to make sound decisions, and at the same time send intense impulses to take drugs.

Types of Birth Control Pills

What are birth control pills

More than 45 years since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved “the pill” in 1960, it continues to be the most popular and one of the most effective forms of reversible birth control. Today, American women have more than 40 different oral contraceptive products from which to choose.

“The pill” is the common name for oral contraception. There are two basic types of birth control pills: combination pills and progestin-only pills. Both are made of hormones like those made by a woman’s ovaries. Combination pills contain estrogen and progestin. Both types require a medical evaluation and prescription. Both can prevent pregnancy.

Progestin-only pills

The progestin-only pills (also called “mini-pills”) became available in the 1970s. Their use was and has been limited - making up only 1 to 10 % of contraceptive market. This type of pills contains no estrogen and therefore they do not usually prevent ovulation. To work effectively, they must be taken at a certain time every 24 hours. Even missing one pill can greatly reduce effectiveness.

Allergy Induced Asthma - An Overview

Allergy induced asthma is a fairly common condition that has many victims around the world. Such people suffer from an asthma attack triggered due to an irritant. The irritant/allergen causes the patient’s body to produce histamines that can cause inflammation and irritation. The histamines cause the bronchial passage and the airways to get inflamed and get narrower causing the person to suffer from asthma, making it extremely hard to breath. The person may also experience itchy skin, nose and eyes as well.

Who Is Prone To Allergy Induced Asthma?

About 60% of all asthma patients seem to suffer from allergic asthma. Some of the common triggers are breathing in pollen, dust mites and animal dander. Molds, cats, fur and certain foods can all trigger an allergic reaction which in turn can cause asthma. Cockroach droppings and saliva are some very potent triggers that can lead to allergy induced asthma. It has been noted that animal droppings, saliva and fur can also trigger an attack. It may be possible for a person to get an attack even if he has not been in contact with an animal but had been in the same room as someone who has a pet and has carried some of its dander into the room!

Arthritis Treatment - Arthritis Remedies And Causes

Arthritis is one of the most enveloping diseases in the United States and is the leading source of disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention one out of every three Americans is affected by one of the more than 100 sorts of arthritis. Arthritis merely means a aching condition of the joints. There are different kinds of the disease - many seditious and others more degenerative in nature. Across the world there are 350 million people bears from the constant joint inflammation of Arthritis. In US the number goes to the 37 to 40 million. All of us be familiar with that there must the joint pain that is accompanied by the arthritis

Arthritis symptoms

Ache and inflexibility in the joints, anemia, colitis

The main symptoms of osteoarthritis are ache and firmness in the joints. The pain frequently increases after work out. Rheumatoid arthritis is often called the ‘cooked food ailment’. lt regularly develops gradually over several months, with persistent pain and stiffness in one or additional joints. Finally the whole body is affected. Symptoms contain anemia, colitis, constipation, deformed hands and feet.

Root of Arthritis

Structural changes in articular cartilage in the joint

Arthritis Treatment - Natural Cures

Arthritis treatment is often regarded as being more effective when medications are being utilized, however there are many natural remedies which you may already have in your kitchen cupboard right now. It is also widely assumed that arthritis only affects people once they reach middle age or older. It is true arthritis is more common in people aged over 40 or 50. As we reach such an age we tend to associate aches and pains of the body as a natural part of getting older- this is normally known as osteoarthritis. Arthritis does not only affect the middle aged or elderly, it can also affect children. There are unfortunately many forms of arthritis which are hard to diagnose until the specific symptom is felt. For this reason, a natural therapy via selecting specifically beneficial foods which aid arthritis treatment is crucial.

Arthritis has been around for centuries, and interestingly natural remedies for arthritis treatment have been tried and tested for almost as long. Natural remedies for arthritis treatment can be viewed as more favourable as they have fewer (if any) side effects, they cost less, and are easily accessible.