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EVENING PRIMROSE OIL: FATS AND THE COMPOSITION OF THE BRAIN, THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND CELL MEMBRANES

admin — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:43:16 +0000

The importance of unsaturated fats becomes clear when you look at the composition of the brain, the nervous system, and cell membranes. Roughly 60% of the brain is made up of structural fats. These special fats, called phosphoglycerides, are the building blocks of the central nervous system and are very rich in essential fatty acids. The essential fatty acids cannot be made within the body but must be obtained from the diet. That is why they are called essential.

Cell membranes also need these essential fatty acids (as well as proteins) to be built properly. Cell membranes must have fluidity and flexibility to be in good shape. They get this fluidity and flexibility from essential fatty acids.

So overall, the body has a great need for essential fatty acids. That’s why a diet high in polyunsaturated fats and low in saturated fats is so important for MS. Evening primrose oil is a very rich source of polyunsaturated fats.

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BURNOUT AND REMEDIES

admin — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:30:33 +0000

Burnout is a state of emotional exhaustion with consequent mental and physical changes often producing marked symptomatology and frequent visits to the doctor. People placed in hostile situations at work or home suffer from this syndrome. They are expected to produce results without adequate time or sufficient resources to do so.

Burnout is a classical example of how an individual’s social and psychological environment leads to the predominant presentation of multiple physical complaints.

Medical identification of this socio-physical nexus becomes exceptionally important. Without its recognition a medical practitioner’s reflex use of symptomatic mind altering drugs is likely to be harmful. Drugs reinforce the “sick role” and hinder a person’s eventual break out from the clutches of the burnout syndrome.

In the same way that bad air-conditioning and an excess of office chemicals can produce “the sick building syndrome”, employers placing employees in impossible situations without adequate resources are creating a “Sick Organization Syndrome”. It is only a matter of time before Workcare or similar worker’s compensation schemes begin to experience the emotional, mental and physical brunt of a syndrome that represents the essential outcome of exceptional managerial incompetence.

Home Remedies

Confront an employer with the physical effects of his managerial incompetence. Talk to the shop steward. Quit! Find another job. Claim all medical, psychiatric and relaxation therapy on Workcare.

If all else fails look to meditation and relaxation exercises to keep your mind and body afloat whilst they navigate a sea of hostile and unavoidable circumstances.

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HEALTH CARE FOR OLDER PEOPLE: DOCTOR’S CONTRIBUTION TO POOR CARE

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:27:12 +0000

According to T. Franklin Williams, director of the National Institute on Aging, it is only recently that doctors have begun to make this shift, tailoring geriatric research and practice to keeping disability at bay. The reorientation has been emotionally difficult because it flies in the face of traditional medicine, which has always been based on a different approach: physicians diagnose an underlying illness, make a brief medical intervention, and hope to effect a dramatic cure.

This single-shot cure-oriented treatment sometimes works with chronic disease, as when a doctor operates to remove cancer or clean out clogged coronary arteries. But in many cases a curative approach is not effective, because most chronic illnesses by definition cannot be cured. Rehabilitation is needed to deal with these illnesses of aging, increasing the patient’s ability to function given an unchangeable diagnosis, an illness that will never totally go away. Unfortunately, attacking disability involves using techniques that doctors have been trained to see as less important – exercise, improved nutrition, physical therapy, psychological help, and changing the person’s environment to make getting around easier. In addition, these treatments must be chronic too, undertaken for life. And because they cannot make an older body new but can only halt the downward march to a nursing home, they are less exciting than producing a magical, lifesaving cure.

According to Williams, adopting this new approach has also been difficult for many doctors because it means sharing their authority. Social workers, nurses, physical therapists, and dietitians all have vital roles in rehabilitative care.

How important is it for doctors to genuinely collaborate with these lower-status health-care workers in treating older people? According to the findings of this study Williams describes, extremely important. Several teams made up of a physician, a nurse and a dietitian were formed to treat the large group of diabetic residents in a nursing home. Each group met regularly to review its cases and make treatment decisions. Videotapes of the sessions showed that the doctors on the various teams differed markedly in their ability to share decision making with the other group members. In some groups the doctor always had to have the final say. Others were run much more democratically; the doctor was able to see the other group members as true colleagues.

The quality of the care patients received turned out to be directly related to a doctor’s leadership style. Doctors who were able to really collaborate with their fellow team members had patients who were healthier and less incapacitated by their disease.

Williams also cautions against another blind spot that doctors tend to have: giving up on older patients.

My doctor wants to get lid of me. Last time I made an appointment because my leg hurt when I walk down steps, and he gave my complaint one minute at the most. He wrote a prescription and rushed me out. I wanted a more thorough examination. Maybe he could have done something for what is wrong. Would there have been a way to deal with the problem without doping myself up! Is there anything I could do on my own that would help? I think it’s because I’m eighty and he feels what I have is not worth his time.

People frequently complain that because they are older, their doctors give them short shrift. Unfortunately, scientific evidence supports their claim. About a decade ago researchers at the Rand Corporation clocked the average amount of time physicians in seven specialties spent in visits with patients of various ages. They found that people over sixty-five were seen for the least amount of time. Whether the doctor was an internist or a cardiologist and whether the visit took place in a private office, hospital, or nursing home, the upsetting result was the same – time spent examining and talking to elderly patients averaged significantly less than for other groups. Considering that after age sixty-five we tend to be in worse health and so should need more time and attention, this is unfair indeed.

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GENERAL HEALTH

DISABILITY AND HEALTH CARE FOR OLDER PEOPLE

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:26:03 +0000

The road that can have a nursing home as its final stop begins with chronic disease, those illnesses of aging that begin insidiously, get progressively worse, and strike more and more of us as the years advance.

Most older people have at least one chronic illness. However, the medical diagnosis is not the only thing that counts. What is especially important is whether a person’s illness causes disability. Chronic diseases set us on the path to a nursing home only when they become severe enough to limit how we function – when they make it difficult to live independently. Although four out of every five people over sixty-five have at least one chronic condition, only about one in five is disabled by illness in even a minor way – an estimated 5.2 million people as of 1985. A much smaller number, 4 percent of women and 3 percent of men, are severely impaired – housebound or confined to bed by chronic disease.

Decade by decade an increasing proportion of people fall prey to severe disabilities. However, it is only by our mid-eighties that we run a real risk of being extremely incapacitated by chronic disease. And there is an interesting sex difference: older women are more at risk than older men. The reason is that men are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases that end in death (such as coronary heart disease); while women are more prone to develop conditions that do not kill but can limit independent living for years (such as osteoporosis).

How important is the distinction between disease and disability to health in the elderly? According to a 1984 report, very important. Among a group of frail older people, researchers found that their subjects’ ability to function – manual dexterity, grip strength, walking skill – predicted the chance of imminent nursing-home placement more accurately than traditional medical tests such as assessments of illness based on a physical examination. This study underlines the need to go beyond the standard illness-oriented approach in measuring health in older people. In addition to diagnosing “arthritis” or “heart disease” in an eighty-year-old, another important question should be: How does that diagnosis affect the person’s ability to negotiate life?

And understanding health in older people requires another mental shift – from worrying only about life-threatening chronic illnesses (cancer, heart disease, stroke), to viewing diseases that people do not die from as very important too. Though they lack the drama of being potentially fatal, osteoporosis, hearing and vision problems, and arthritis markedly affect the quality of life in our later years. For instance, of the top four disabling chronic diseases in the elderly heart disease, hypertensive disease, hearing deficits, and arthritis – only the first two pose any threat to life.

So, disability is the real old-age enemy, a foe that, while inextricably tied to chronic disease, is not the same thing as “illness” itself. Fighting disability requires a new approach. Doctors have to diagnose and treat “infirmity” as well as the underlying illness, they must widen their focus from life-threatening illnesses to diseases that do not kill but may be just as likely to take us down the path to a nursing home. How well is the medical profession doing at adopting this new approach?

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GENERAL HEALTH

STRESSES IN CHILD’S LIFE: DIVORCE

admin — Thu, 21 May 2009 06:57:49 +0000

Many relationships end in separation and divorce, and it is inevitable that the children will be affected. A child’s response to divorce will depend on a number of factors, including his age, his cognitive and emotional maturity, the quality of the parental and family relationships before and immediately after the divorce, and especially the amount of tension and disagreement that exists between the parents after the separation.

Separation and divorce make for a stressful and even traumatic time for parents and children alike. Usually there has been a period of marital disharmony before the separation, so the actual event may come as a relief but it inevitably brings with it enormous emotional, domestic and often financial stress. Parents may have difficulty keeping themselves going during the ensuing turmoil, and worrying about the children is an additional and very considerable burden, whatever their age.

It is especially important for parents to mobilise family and friends for support during this time. This may include sharing some of the responsibility for childcare or housekeeping, as well as emotional support. Many parents find that professional counselling is invaluable. Your doctor or community nurse can recommend an appropriate counsellor.

Generally speaking, the better the parents cope with the traumas of the separation, the better the children will cope. Coping does not mean putting on a brave face and pretending that everything is all right when it is not. Sweeping problems under the carpet is never a good idea. Coping means facing up to the inevitable emotional and other turmoil that accompanies every divorce and separation.

For children of all ages, apart from the disruption of a stable family unit with its attendant routines, there is sometimes the additional stress of having to move house, change schools, make new friends, and participate in custody arrangements. Often there is a dramatic change in financial circumstances, so that children experience a sense of material deprivation as well.

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BITES AND STINGS – FIRST AID TREATMENT

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 06:12:03 +0000

This lovely country of ours is ideal for outdoor living and playing. Unfortunately, we share the great outdoors with a variety of insects, marine creatures and plants, some of which can inflict itchy, painful and, on occasions, even fatal bites or stings.

First aid treatment for snake bite has been changed in recent years. All of us now should be aware that we do not wash, suck out or cut the wound. A firm constricting bandage should be immediately applied over the bitten area, then the whole limb bandaged.

A splint, made from wood or some other material, should also be applied to stop the limb moving and help should be brought to the victim or he should be transported to hospital resting so as not to increase the risk of the venom spreading.

Recently, an antivenene against the Sydney funnelweb spider has been produced and has been used successfully in a case of funnelweb spider bite.

The venom of poisonous fish and snakes is destroyed by heat. Immersing the bitten part in water that is as hot as can be tolerated may destroy the venom.

But what about all those other nasties, whose sting may not be so serious but which can certainly ruin a holiday?

In the past, recommended treatments have been varied and only of limited value but not any more.

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FOOD POISONING – SALMONELLA

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:02:05 +0000

Be careful of frozen chickens. Most contain salmonella germs in the meat but they are rendered harmless by cooking. If you don’t thaw the bird properly, the inside may remain raw and the germs active.

If you travel to exotic places where the standard of hygiene leaves much to be desired, avoid the water.

If you have to drink the water, boil it first and save some to clean your teeth. Don’t eat raw vegetables or fruit unless properly washed in boiled water. You can obtain tablets to sterilise water, if you are unable to boil it.

The local beer in most countries is usually safe and if you drink the widely known brands of soft drinks, rather than the local variety, you usually can’t go wrong.

If, unfortunately, you do succumb to infection, there are some simple rules. Fluid replacement is important in mild cases and may be life-saving in severe infections.

Boiled water (tap water is all right, if at home), orange juice, lemonade (it need not be flat), glucose drinks, even sweet black tea are all of use. Milk and solid food should be avoided.

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ENDOMETRIOSIS – SYMPTOMS

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 07:05:47 +0000

This causes the symptoms, and these will depend on where the ectopic endomentrial tissue is situated.

In the ovary, the repeated bleeding leads to the formation of “chocolate” cysts. These cysts may become as large as the size of a baby’s head and are filled with thick chocolate-colored fluid which is old blood.

When the tissue lies deep in the walls of the uterus, it causes enlargement of womb, and often, heavy bleeding with the periods. Pain is a fairly constant symptom with endometriosis, no matter which part is affected.

Women with this condition may also have difficulty conceiving. But, if they do, the absence of menstruation leads to a loss of symptoms and they may remain symptom free for some time, after the pregnancy, even though normal menstruation reestablishes itself.

In the same way, when a woman goes on the pill, the symptoms may totally subside.

The modern treatment of this condition offers the sufferers great hope. It may be treated surgically with either radical or conservative surgery.

In a woman who has finished her family, major surgery to remove the endometriosis-affected tissue and, possibly, hysterectomy can render her symptom-free.

Younger women who wish to retain or establish fertility may require lesser surgical procedures.

A new drug, danazol, which seems to block the action of the female hormones, also gives good results.

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HOW TO PREVENT PREMATURE AGING AND STAY YOUNGER LONGER

admin — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:21:25 +0000

Which foods will give you longer life and keep you younger longer? The macrobiotic diet outlined in this chapter will improve your health and increase your longevity. It is a predominantly lacto-vegetarian diet high in natural carbohydrates and low in animal proteins. The bulk of this diet consists of raw fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, milk and milk products, plus seeds, nuts, , honey and vegetable oils. Meat, fish and eggs should be excluded totally or used in moderation—fish and eggs used in preference to meat. Remember, the healthiest peoples in the world, known for their longevity, who live in Bulgaria, Russia and Hunza, eat very little meat; and a surprisingly high percentage of Russian and Bulgarian centenarians are vegetarians.

Here are a few other important longevity points to remember:

1. Get plenty of physical excercise, avoid mental and emotional stresses, and get sufficient sleep and relaxation.

Supplement your diet with such natural nutritional substances as brewer’s or food yeast, kelp, cod liver oil (in winter months) and rose hips and whey—all potent longevity foods.

Avoid: white sugar, white flour, coffee, tea, tobacco, salt, canned, preserved and irradiated, foods, processed cereals, ail refined and adulterated foods.

Make an effort to obtain organically grown foods, raised without chemical fertilizers and poisonous pesticides.

Soured milk in the form of yogurt, buttermilk or kefir are longevity foods because of their beneficial effect on the intestinal tract. Also other fermented lactic-acid foods, such as sauerkraut, | sour pickles, and sour-dough bread, are established macrobiotic | factors. Use them liberally.

It has been established that an active sex life is tied to overall good health and longevity. A healthy hormone-producing activity of the endocrine glands and the sex glands has a powerful influence on the health, and consequently is an important factor for potential longevity. An atrophied glandular system and diminished hormone” production bring about premature aging and senility. The following foods have been found to have a beneficial protective and stimulating effect on the normal functions of the glandular and reproductive systems:

wheat germ oil and wheat germ;

sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds;

honey—raw, unrefined, unhealed;

milk and cheese—raw, unpasteurized, unprocessed;

brewer’s yeast or food yeast.

Follow the macrobiotic diet outlined in this chapter and adhere to the advice in the above six points and you can assure yourself of, the best possible health throughout your life. At the same time, this macrobiotic program will prevent premature aging, give you longer life and keep you young longer. This program is in harmony with the recomendations by the most authoritative scientific forum: the International Society for Research on Nutrition and Vital Substances. And, if my own humble opinion is of any value to you, I can testify—after giving this rejuvenating macrobiotic system a 20-year try—that it definitely “works”!

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OPTIMUM NUTRITION FOR HAIR GROWTH

admin — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:16:00 +0000

If you have problems of hair loss you should first see that your general health is well taken care of. Various derangements in the functions of your vital organs must be corrected. The digestive system must be in good working condition, so that the nutrients from the foods you eat will be properly assimilated. Also, see that the glandular system, particularly the thyroid gland, is active and that the nervous system is working well. It is worthwhile to have a thorough physical check-up to be sure that there are no pathological conditions as an underlying cause for the hair loss.

From the point of view of hair loss and baldness, there are certain nutritive elements which have been found to have a direct relation to the health of the hair. These are as follows:

B-complex vitamins

Vitamin B is one of the most important vitamins for your hair.

It has been demonstrated that the two of the most important B-vitamins for hair growth are inositol and choline. The other B-vitamins, pantothenic acid, para-amino-benzolic acid and folic acid, have been also linked with hair loss, and particularly with the graying of the hair. Animal tests have shown that these vitamins can restore the natural Color to the hair. This has been also reported by many men using these vitamins.

Biotin, also known as vitamin H, is necessary for the normal metabolism of proteins and fats in the system. Biotin deficiency has been shown to cause fat dandruff which contributes to the loss of hair. It has been demonstrated in animal experiments that if biotin is totally removed from the diet, the animals lose their hair. When biotin is added again to their diet, the condition of their fur is soon improved.

In human beings, biotin deficiency has resulted in seborrhea, lack of appetite, skin disorders and inflammations. It is believed that the daily requirement of this vitamin is 150 to 300 micrograms.

Pantothenic acid deficiency in men has caused, among other things, chronic fatigue, increased tendency for infections and loss of hair. The daily requirement is 8-10 mg.

Niacin, or nicotinic acid, has a blood vessel dilating property; it is especially effective in widening the small peripheral blood capillaries. This is of vital importance for getting nutrition to the hair roots. The daily requirement is approximately 15 mg.

Vitamin B9, or folic acid, is extremely important for the health of the skin. Folic acid deficiency can cause serious skin disorders. Persons deficient in folic acid often become completely bald. When folic acid is introduced back into the diet, hair starts to grow normally.

Inositol is vital also for hair growth. It works together with pantothenic acid and choline and is involved in vital metabolic processes. A diet low in inositol can cause hair to fall out. Some authorities advise taking 3,000 mg. or half a teaspoon of inositol daily.

Deficiencies of vitamins B2 {riboflavin) and Be (pyridoxine) have also been shown to cause impaired hair growth.

As you can see, almost all vitamins from B-complex are involved in one way or another in the loss of hair and baldness.

How to take B-vitamins for hair growth

For your hair’s sake, do not rush to your nearest drug store and buy the pure, isolated B-vitamins mentioned above. There is danger involved in taking large doses of synthetic B-vitamins separately. Taking one B-vitamin separately may cause a deficiency of another B vitamin. For example, taking large amounts of niacin may cause a deficiency of thiamin (Bi). In fact it is known through animal tests that taking single synthetic B-vitamins may, result in the directly opposite effect than that hoped for—impaired health generally and weakened hair growth. Furthermore, the two of the B-vitamins which are vitally important for the health of your hair, folic acid and para-amino-benzoic acid, are now sold only on prescription in the United States.

The best way to assure that you get all the B-vitamins named above without the risk of overdosage or imbalance, is to take only a natural B-vitamin preparation, sold usually through health food stores. Practically all manufacturers of natural vitamins have a B-complex formula. Read the labels and select the formula with all the B-vitamins discussed in this chapter. See that the formula contains particularly large amounts of biotin, choline and inositol; also pantothenic acid, nicotinic acid, and folic acid. Take B-complex tablets as directed on the bottle. In addition, the following five food supplements contain B-complex vitamins in well-blended and biologically potent combination:

Brewer’s yeast (powder and tablets) —up to two tablespoons a day, or the equivalent in tablets.

Desiccated liver (powder or tablets) —five to ten tablets a day.

Lecithin (granules or liquid)—one to two tablespoons a day.

Wheat germ (raw) —two to three tablespoons a day.

Sunflower seeds (whole or meal) —two tablespoons a day. These food supplements are the richest known natural sources

of the B-complex vitamins. In addition, they are rich in other vital nutritional elements, such as enzymes, minerals, trace elements, and—last but not least—they are an excellent source of the complete proteins. Desiccated liver is also rich in iron and copper, the deficiency of which has been shown to cause anemia with resultant hair loss, as demonstrated by Swedish researcher Dr. S. Hard.2

That iron deficiency can cause hair loss has been also observed in St. George Hospital in London. Two women blood donors started to lose their hair. When they were given iron supplements, their hair condition returned to normal.

Vitamins and food supplements should be taken with foods, divided equally among three meals.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E has been shown to have hair-growth-promoting properties.

In experiments with rats, conducted by two Japanese researchers, it has been demonstrated that topical application of vitamin E made hair grow 2.4 times faster than normal.3 Vitamin E works by increasing the blood flow to the skin surface, causing a rise in skin temperature and an increase in blood volume. Vitamin E is also effective taken internally. It oxygenates the blood and stimulates the circulation. Wheat germ (rich in vitamins B and E) and wheat germ oil (the richest natural source of vitamin E) are used extensively in the fur-animal industry. Mink and fox growers have used these foods for years because they give a healthy, thick and luxuriant fur to their animals.

One tablespoon of wheat germ oil, two to three tablespoons of raw wheat germ, and/or 300 to 600 I.U. of vitamin E in capsule form, are the usually recommended doses.

Vitamin C and bioflavonoids

Vitamin C is such an universal wonder vitamin that it should be routinely prescribed in every condition of ill health. Vitamin C plays an important role in the health of all connective tissues. It is linked to the health and proper functioning of the adrenal glands. Bioflavonoids (or vitamin P) which always accompany vitamin C in its natural form are known to be essential for the healthy condition of the blood capillaries.

Health food stores usually stock organic forms of vitamin C with bioflavonoids from which you make your selection.

Vitamin F

Vitamin F, found in essential fatty acids, is considered by many European doctors to be a very important factor for a healthy scalp and good hair growth. The condition of the sebaceous glands, which are located in and around the hair follicles, is closely related to the health of the hair. The sebaceous glands produce an oily secretion, sebum, which lubricates the scalp and hair and moisturizes the skin. Vitamin F is considered essential for the healthy condition of the sebaceous glands.

The best sources of essential fatty acids are cold-pressed, unrefined vegetable oils, which may be purchased at most health food stores.

Vitamin A

Also vitamin A is universally acknowledged for its great beneficial effect on the health of the skin. Since many hair conditions are connected with excessive dandruff and dry, itchy, and flaky scalp, vitamin A can be of considerable benefit in such conditions.

The richest source of natural vitamin A is cod liver oil. One or two teaspoons of cod liver oil will supply you with good amounts of vitamins A, D and E, and with unsaturated fatty acids.

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