However, in about 20-50 percent of cases dizziness is actually caused by a disorder that’s incredibly easy, and fast, to treat — once it’s diagnosed. If you currently struggle with dizziness, you owe it to yourself to explore this condition, as it’s actually one of the most common causes of vertigo there is.

What is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)?

BPPV causes mild to intense dizziness, which is often triggered by changing the position of your head (specifically, tipping your head up or down or lying down, turning over or sitting up in bed). Along with feelings of dizziness, you may also experience spinning sensations (vertigo), loss of balance, blurred vision, unsteadiness, nausea and vomiting.
Abnormal rhythmic eye movements, or jumping of the eyes, are also common along with BPPV symptoms.

“Symptoms of BPPV are almost always precipitated by a change in head position. Getting out of bed and rolling over in bed are two common “problem” motions. Some people feel dizzy and unsteady when they tip their heads back to look up. An intermittent pattern of these symptoms is usual,” states the Vestibular Disorders Association (VEDA).
Because of this, some people with BPPV avoid certain movements and positions for years at a time, not realizing that there is a simple remedy in sight. Lisa Dransfield, director of physical therapy at the Balance and Vestibular Center at Associated Neurologists Physical Therapy in Connecticut tells NewsTimes:

“There are people who come to see me and say they haven’t turned their head in a certain direction for ten years or more. The sad thing is many have learned to adapt to this by driving without turning their head, not reaching for things, and not rolling onto their side in bed.

Their world becomes very small and limited, and they increase their risk of getting into accident.”

What Causes BPPV?

Structures in your inner ear contain calcium carbonate crystals (sometimes called “ear rocks”) that help you perceive movement and gravity. If these crystals become dislodged, they can bounce around your inner ear canals, leading to feelings of spinning, imbalance and vomiting.

BPPV can occur with no known cause, especially in older people, however it is often associated with a head injury. According to VEDA, “The most common cause of BPPV in people under age 50 is head injury.” Head injuries that occur from falls, playing sports, car accidents and any other cause may contribute to BPPV.

It is also associated with migraines and viruses of the ear, and any disorder that impacts the balance organs of your ear can also increase your risk of BPPV. The condition has also been occasionally reported following dental or inner ear surgery.

The Epley Maneuver: A Simple Treatment

A surgical procedure that involves using a bone plug to block a portion of your inner ear is sometimes recommended to treat BPPV, but make sure you do not consent to this
treatment until your physician has tried a canalith repositioning procedure known as the Epley maneuver. As the Mayo Clinic states:

“Performed in your doctor’s office, the canalith repositioning procedure consists of several simple and slow maneuvers for positioning your head.

The goal is to move particles from the fluid-filled semicircular canals of your inner ear into a tiny bag-like open area (vestibule) that houses one of the otolith organs (utricle) in your ear where these particles don’t cause trouble and are more easily reabsorbed.

Each position is held for about 30 seconds after any symptoms or abnormal eye movements stop. This procedure is usually effective after one or two treatments.”

The Epley maneuver takes just 15 minutes for your physician to perform and may offer you relief to a problem that’s been plaguing you for years. A recent study published in the journal Physical Therapy even found that the odds of resolving BPPV were 22 times higher among those receiving the canalith repositioning procedure than in people
receiving a sham treatment.

Following the treatment, your physician will give you home-care instructions to follow. Generally, your ear must not move below shoulder level for the rest of the day, and you
cannot lie flat. When you sleep you will need to elevate your head on several pillows or sleep in a recliner.

One of the best parts about the Epley maneuver is that your physician can teach you how to do it, so you’ll likely be able to correct the problem yourself at home should it reoccur.

If you know of a friend or family member who has complained of unexplained vertigo and dizziness, please forward this article on to them. By seeing a health care practitioner who is knowledgeable about BPPV and the Epley maneuver, you may be able to find relief from chronic dizziness in as little as 15 minutes.

Make Sure You See the Right Health Care Practitioner …

Keep in mind that when seeking treatment for BPPV, any physician will not do. Many are not trained in the Epley maneuver, and some may not be familiar with BPPV or its
appropriate natural treatments.
If you see a neurologist or another expert because you are dizzy or having head pain, and that expert is not familiar with BPPV, you could end up being misdiagnosed and
prescribed drugs unnecessarily.

So be sure you’ve done your research when choosing a provider and, whether it is an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist, a chiropractor, or another type of practitioner, be certain they have had adequate training and successful experience in dealing with and treating BPPV.

The canalith repositioning procedure is said to have a 90 percent to 95 percent success rate among BPPV patients.

Sources
NewsTimes.com October 4, 2010
Physical Therapy March 25, 2010
Vestibular Disorders Association
MayoClinic.com Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
Dizziness-and-Balance.com

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Most everyone who exercises (even those among us who may not have exercised since our high school gym class) has heard the advice to stretch. Doing so before, after and during your workout, we were told, would help to prevent injuries, reduce sore muscles and help us get a better overall workout.
As it turns out, this advice is a bit outdated. It seems that the advice was being given before anyone really knew for sure if, and when, stretching was beneficial for exercisers. So here we’ve all been, stretching to our hearts’ content, and possibly causing more harm than good. If, that is, you’ve been stretching incorrectly.

Why it’s Important to Stretch When You Exercise

The notion that stretching is important for anyone who does aerobic or strength-training exercise (or even for those who don’t) still holds true. Stretching is enormously beneficial for your health. Among the benefits that stretching provides are:

• Increased energy levels
• Increased flexibility
• Increased circulation of the blood to various parts of the body
• Greater sense of well-being
• Reduced muscle tension
• Injury prevention
• Enhanced muscular coordination

It takes as little as 15 to 20 minutes of stretching a day to experience these beneficial effects.

When Should You Stretch? Before or After Your Workout?

If you’re a regular exerciser (or if you’re not, but want to, below are some tips to start exercising regularly), it makes grand sense to fit your stretching right in with your workout. But should you do it before or after exercising?

Truth be told, the jury is still out on this one, largely because studies have found conflicting results. Case in point, a study in the British Medical Journal found that stretching before or after exercising does not confer protection from muscle soreness. Meanwhile, stretching before exercising, according to the study, “does not seem to confer a practically useful reduction in the risk of injury,” either.

Another review of exercise evidence, this one published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, found similar results.

“The use of stretching primarily as a way to prevent sports injury has been based on intuition and observation, rather than scientific evidence,” said lead researcher Stephen B. Thacker, M.D. “The best advice is to include a combination of warm-up, strength training, plyometrics and balance exercises to lessen injury risks.”

“We are not suggesting athletes discontinue flexibility training and stretching altogether,” Thacker pointed out, adding that warm-ups, balance training and other activities may enhance safety and performance.

What’s the bottom line? Most experts do NOT recommend stretching before exercise because your muscles are not properly warmed up yet. Instead, stretch right after your warm-up (such as walking briskly for five minutes or doing some jumping jacks) and after your workout.

At this time, your muscles are warm and more elastic, and stretching increases your flexibility and maximizes the range of motion around your joints. You should stretch all the major muscles groups that you used during your workout.

What about stretching during your exercise routine? The rule of thumb is, if you feel tight go ahead and do a gentle stretch, then get back to your workout.

15 Essential Stretches That Work 95 Percent of Your Body!

There are countless stretches, but many trainers in just one session can guide you to stretch 95 percent of your body in just 15 to 20 minutes a day.

And remember, stretching can be done any time of day, not just while you exercise, to help energize you, increase mental clarity and focus, and just to experience how good it feels!

How to Stay Motivated … and Finally Keep Your Exercise Program Going Strong

If you’re fed up with the exercise “yo-yo” of starting a program strong, then quitting after a couple of weeks, there are a number of tips that can help. Here are the top 10 ways to keep you, and your exercise program, going strong.

1. Start Slowly
You shouldn’t expect to hop on a treadmill and jog for five miles if you haven’t exercised in years. Starting slowly ensures that your body can become more fit without getting injured. And, you’ll be more likely to stick with a workout that leaves you feeling energized, not fatigued from working too hard.

2. Set Realistic Goals, and Write Them Down
Whether you want to lose 20 pounds, tone up for the summer or increase your strength, write down exactly what you hope exercising will help you achieve. Then, keep track of your progress by keeping an exercise journal. Did your pants feel looser after the first month? Are you able to walk farther and faster? Writing down your achievements is a great way to see how far you’ve come, and get a little inspiration when you need it.

3. Be Patient
Remember that it will take time to achieve your fitness goals. “Many people don’t see immediate weight loss and say it’s all for naught and stop,” says exercise expert William Haskell of Stanford University Medical School.
On the contrary, studies have found that even moderate amounts of exercise can make a big difference in your health. And, in time, you will definitely see and feel a difference.

4. Do Something You Like
Exercise should be enjoyable. If it’s not, you’re not likely to keep doing it. There are so many ways to get exercise … biking, jogging, strength training, aerobics, dancing, yoga, etc. … that, as long as you keep in a variety, it’s impossible to get bored. Make sure you consider your personality (Do you like to workout alone or in groups? Do you like to be outdoors or at the gym?) when choosing which types of workouts are best for you.

5. Incorporate Both Aerobic and Strength-Training Activities
Perhaps the most motivating thing about exercising is feeling more in shape, more flexible, and more toned. A key way to achieve these things is to make sure you are getting both aerobic and strength exercises. While doing some cardiovascular exercise, like jogging, will increase your stamina, strength training will help with your bone density, and, a new study found, can also help prevent weight gain in middle age.
In fact, the study found that women who lifted weights just twice a week prevented or slowed “middle-aged spread.” So be sure you are giving your body all the possible benefits exercise can provide by incorporating aerobic and weight-lifting activities into your routine.

6. Set a Time to Do It
Your workout time should be a set part of your day, for three to five days a week. If you don’t schedule it in like any other task, it is way too easy, and tempting, to put it off.

Some studies have found that people who workout first thing in the morning are most likely to stick with it. But, most importantly, you should designate a time that works for you –whether it’s in the morning, after work or during your lunch hour. Set aside the time, then don’t even think about whether or not you’ll workout –just do it.

7. Consider Getting a Workout Buddy
A workout buddy can help keep your workouts regular … after all, if you’re supposed to meet at the gym, you can’t very well cancel at the last minute. It can also be motivating to have someone to encourage you and talk with while exercising. Plus, studies have found it to be effective. When both spouses start a fitness program, only 8 percent drop out, compared with 50 percent who start out alone, Raglin says. “That’s a pretty remarkable result,” he continued.

8. Support Your Workouts by Doing Other Healthy Things
Your workouts will be much more effective and enjoyable if you are feeling good, mentally and physically. That said, keeping a healthy lifestyle outside of exercising by eating a healthy diet, drinking lots of water, getting plenty of sleep and avoiding too much stress is essential to sticking with any fitness routine.

9. Have Fun
Exercising should be enjoyable. If you find that you’re dreading your workouts, it’s time to change to a new type of exercise.

10. Reward Yourself
In order to keep exercise a positive thing in your life, reward yourself often for keeping to your routine. You may want to take a long soak in the tub, buy yourself a small gift or simply take time to appreciate your achievements each time you keep to your workout routine for a week. Remember to keep it positive –be gentle with yourself if you skip a workout or two, just remind yourself how good it will feel when you get back on track.

Sources
British Medical Journal;325:468

CNN: Most Americans Don’t Exercise Regularly

The Detroit News: Early Workouts Can Build Consistency

Exploding Exercise Myths

Exercise: Follow Your Bliss

American Heart Association: Women May Prevent, Delay Middle-Aged Spread by Lifting Weights

The post Stretching and Exercise: Is Stretching Before Exercise Dangerous? When Should You Stretch? appeared first on Restore Health Center.

The majority of Americans (seven out of 10) experience sleep problems frequently, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). Among them:

• 70 million Americans are affected by a sleep problem

• 40 million suffer from chronic sleep disorders

• 20-30 million have intermittent sleep-related problems

Why do we need sleep? A good night’s sleep is necessary for physical and mental well-being. Don’t get enough of it and you risk the immediate impacts of being irritable and having trouble concentrating and making decisions. If you don’t get enough of it over time you risk even more serious consequences including:

•An increased risk of diabetes

• Accelerated aging

• An increased risk of cancer

• An increased risk of psychological problems

Like refueling a car or taking a drink of water, it’s thought that sleep refreshes your body and helps to restore the energy that you’ve used up during the day. Says Dr. Neil B. Kavey, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City, sleep is the time when your body is able to do repair work. Additionally, when we sleep:

• Muscle tissue is rebuilt and restored

• Growth hormone is secreted (this is important for kids but also for rebuilding tissue in adults)

• Mental energy is restored

And because sleep is your body’s time to repair, not getting enough of it can impair your immune system and leave you less able to fight off diseases. This is a major concern, especially when you consider that 75 percent of Americans who responded to the National Sleep Foundation’s “Sleep in America” poll say they experience symptoms of sleep problems including difficulty falling asleep, waking during the night, experiencing fatigue during waking hours or snoring.

Lack of sleep clearly does not come without a price. Sleep deprivation and disorders are estimated to cost over $100 billion each year in lost productivity, sick leave, medical expenses, and damages to property and the environment, according to NSF.

Also at stake is your driving ability. Sleep deprivation is involved in 100,000 vehicle accidents –and 1,500 related deaths –every year.

There are as many causes of sleep problems as there are proverbial sheep to count, however some triggers are much more common than others. Here we’ve compiled some very likely reasons why YOU may not be sleeping as well as you should be.

1. Stress

This is the number-one cause of sleep problems, according to sleep experts. It, of course, can stem from any number of situations (school or work anxiety, relationship difficulties, a chronic illness in the family, etc.). Taking natural supplements to help you to relax and respond better to stress would be a good measure to take. At your next appointment ask and we can discuss what may be best for you among supplements.

2. Exercising right before bedtime.

Regular exercise will help you to get a good night’s sleep, but do it too close to bedtime and you may be too revved up to sleep.

3. Drinking alcohol or caffeinated beverages.

Both of these beverages can interfere with quality sleep, particularly if you drink them in the afternoon or evening.

4. Following an erratic schedule.

If you wake up and go to sleep at drastically different times each day (students are infamous for this) you could be inadvertently throwing off your body’s natural sleep/wake cycle. When it comes to sleeping, your body prefers a set schedule.

Others at risk are the 17 percent of U.S. employees who are shift workers. This schedule forces you to stay awake during the night when your body thinks it should be asleep (then makes it difficult to sleep during the day, when you would normally be awake).

5. Working before bed.

Similar to exercise, if you work or do other mentally trying activities too close to bedtime, you may have a hard time relaxing for sleep.

6. Physical problems.

If you are not healthy physically, it can drastically interfere with your sleep. Common culprits are pain (from arthritis, back pain, etc.), sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, PMS and menopause. The hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy can also cause sleep problems.

7. Your sleeping partner.

Does your partner snore? Move around in bed a lot? Wake up in the middle of the night? If your partner isn’t a sound sleeper, there’s a good chance you won’t be either.

8. Your sleeping environment.

Similarly, a mattress that’s uncomfortable, a room that’s too hot, a bed that’s too small, or kids and pets that barge in during the night can all interfere with your sleep. If your sleeping environment is not conducive to sleep, try meditation, prayer and or mood relaxation CDs.

9. Jet lag.

If you travel a lot, for work or pleasure, just sleeping in a strange environment and on a different schedule can cause problems. However, if you travel across different time zones, the jet lag can make it even harder to sleep well.

10. Medication.

If you frequently toss & turn or wake up with aches and pains, it may be time to get a new mattress that feels comfortable to you.

Certain prescription and over-the-counter drugs –such as steroids, decongestants and drugs for high blood pressure, depression and asthma –can keep you up at night.

How Can You Get a Decent Night’s Sleep?

And now for the answer to the burning question. If you want to get high-quality sleep, and plenty of it, what are the top tips to follow?:

• Reduce stress in your life.

• Follow a regular exercise program, but refrain from working out at within three hours of your bedtime.

• Don’t drink caffeinated or alcoholic beverages near your bedtime.

• Create a relaxing bedtime routine. This can include a warm bath, a foot massage, stretching, or listening to a mood relaxation CD.

• Keep to a regular schedule that includes a standard time to go to sleep and wake up.

• Make your room “sleepable.” A very dark, cool room is best for sleep. This means no lights from a night light or even a computer screen or other mobile device that has been left on. You should also consider upgrading your mattress so that you feel completely comfortable and relaxed.

Sources

National Sleep Foundation

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

The Mysteries of Time and Sleep

WFMY News

MSNBC News

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A Bit of Garlic Lore

Garlic has long been considered a food of strength. Ancient Egyptians put it in Pharaohs’ tombs and gave it to the slaves who built the pyramids. In ancient Greek and Roman cultures, athletes ate garlic before events and soldiers did so before going off to war.

Cultures in China and India are also known to have taken advantage of the therapeutic effects of garlic.

The Top Five Health Benefits of Garlic

Most likely, you’ve heard that garlic is good for you. You may, however, not know exactly why. Garlic, a member of the lily family, contains potent sulfur-containing compounds that are responsible for many of its healthy effects, along with its characteristic odor.

Aside from providing manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C and selenium, garlic is known to offer the following healthy benefits.

1. Protect Your Heart
Eating garlic is known to benefit your blood pressure, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower triglycerides, prevent atherosclerosis and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

These benefits are, at least in part, due to the sulfur compounds allicin and diallyl disulphide (DADS) (which are also found in onions, leeks and chives). These compounds help to induce the relaxation and enlargement of blood vessels, which improves blood flow throughout the body In fact, eating from one-half to one clove of garlic a day may lower your cholesterol by up to 9 percent, according to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

2. Reduce Inflammation in Your Body
Compounds in garlic inhibit key enzymes that generate inflammation in your body. By reducing inflammation, garlic may help to prevent severe asthma attacks and reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

When using garlic for its health benefits, choose the fresh version over flakes, pastes or jarred varieties.

3. Prevent Cancer
According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating garlic is an excellent way to lower your risk of cancer. Compared to those who ate the least amount of garlic, those who ate the most garlic had a:

• 57% reduced risk for esophageal cancer

• 44% reduced risk for laryngeal cancer

• 39% reduced risk for cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx

• 31% reduced risk for renal cell cancer

• 26% reduced risk for colorectal cancer

• 22% reduced risk for ovarian cancer

• 19% reduced risk for prostate cancer

• 10% reduced risk for breast cancer

4. Fight Infectious Diseases
Garlic has powerful antibacterial and antiviral properties that, when combined with its vitamin C, kill harmful microbes and fight diseases including:
• Cold and flu
• Stomach viruses
• Candida yeast
• Tuberculosis
• Botulism

Garlic is also a potent antibiotic, fighting a wide range of pathogens, and studies show it even appears to fight antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.

5. Prevent Weight Gain
Among animals fed a sugar-rich diet, those given allicin from garlic did not gain weight like those not given allicin, according to a study in the American Journal of Hypertension. The researchers concluded that allicin may be useful for weight control.

The TYPE of Garlic Matters

Most of the health benefits of garlic refer to it in fresh form, so it is ideal to always use fresh garlic in your cooking (not dried, jarred or paste forms).

In order to convert garlic’s phytonutrient alliin into beneficial allicin, the garlic must be chopped or crushed. So if you plan to eat a whole garlic clove for health benefits alone, you must chew it first.

To maximize garlic’s allicin content, wait a few minutes before you eat or cook the garlic.

Delicious Ways to Eat Garlic

Spanish Garlic Soup

Ingredients:
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 5 cups of beef broth
• 1 cup of dry sherry
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• French bread, sliced and toasted
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Method:
1. Sauté garlic in the olive oil until 1. it turns golden.
2. Heat the beef broth with sherry. When the broth reaches the boiling point, add garlic
and the olive oil.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste; then simmer for about 30 minutes.
4. Strain out the garlic and reheat.
5. Sprinkle toasted french bread slices generously with Parmesan cheese, then place
them in a 425°F (220°C) oven for about 3-4 minutes.
6. Put the hot toast in the bottom of soup dishes; then pour the soup over top.

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:
• 4 heads of garlic
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried leaf thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Method:
1. Remove the outer peel 1. from the garlic.
2. Place the garlic heads in a baking dish.
3. Dab each head with butter.
4. Sprinkle the garlic heads with thyme, pepper and salt.
5. Pour the chicken broth into the dish.
6. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for one hour, basting frequently.
7. Uncover the dish and bake at the same temperature for another 15 minutes.
8. To serve, squeeze each clove and spread the soft garlic paste onto toasted French
bread rounds.

Sources
The World’s Healthiest Foods
Garlic Recipes

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Although one in six men will get prostate cancer during his lifetime, only one in 34 will die from the disease. This is because prostate cancer is often slow growing (though it can at times grow quickly), and men may have the disease and not even know it.

Though it’s not known exactly what causes this disease, there are several known risk factors, some of which you can easily control to reduce your risk of prostate cancer.

The Top Causes of Prostate Cancer

1. Age: Your risk of prostate cancer increases with age, particularly among men over 65 years old.

2. Family history: If a close relative (father, brother) had prostate cancer, it will increase your risk.

3. Diet: Men who eat a lot of processed meat, bad fats and refined grains have an increased risk of prostate cancer, particularly if they don’t eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.

4. Exercise: Exercise is generally known to reduce the risk of all types of cancer, however men over 65 who exercise vigorously have been found to have a lower risk of prostate cancer, specifically.

5. Ethnicity: African-American men have the highest rates of prostate cancer in the world, according to the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention.

6. Environmental chemicals: Researchers are focusing increasingly on the potential chemical causes of prostate cancer. Exposure to pesticides has been linked with an increased risk, as has in-utero exposure to the plastics chemical bisphenol A (BPA) and other hormone-mimicking environmental contaminants.

7. Cadmium: Exposure to excess levels of cadmium is also known to increase prostate cancer risk. Cadmium is found in foods (shellfish, liver and kidney meats have the highest levels), cigarette smoke, and contaminated air and water (particularly if you live near, or work in, a facility that manufactures batteries, pigments, metal coatings or plastics).

8. Cigarette Smoking Men when diagnosis with prostate cancer are much more likely to die of the disease or experience a recurrence than nonsmokers including former smokers who kicked the habit at least 10 years before diagnosis. That’s the conclusion of a new government-funded study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. This is one more very good reason to quit smoking.

9.  Too much, or too little, vitamin D. Men who had vitamin D deficiency, or excess vitamin D, both had an increased risk of prostate cancer, according to a study in the international Journal of Cancer.

10. Vasectomy: Several studies have suggested that men who have had a vasectomy have a slightly higher risk of prostate cancer.

How to Lower Your Risk of Prostate Cancer

Although some risk factors of prostate cancer, like age, ethnicity and family history, are obviously beyond your control, there are plenty of factors that you DO have control over. Making the following changes may help to reduce your risk of this widespread cancer:

• Eat more tomato-based foods. Tomatoes (particularly cooked varieties such as tomato sauces, paste and ketchup) are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which is known to prevent damage to DNA and fight prostate cancer. Pink grapefruit and watermelon are also good sources of lycopene.
• Eat less processed meat and bad fats. Limiting your intake of processed meats like bacon, sausage and luncheon meats, along with your intake of bad fats, like trans fats, may also help reduce your risk.
• Watch your calcium intake. Getting too much calcium (beyond the recommended 1200 milligrams per day) could actually increase your risk of prostate cancer, according to the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention.
• Consume more selenium. Selenium is thought to protect against cancer through its antioxidant content. It also may slow or prevent tumor growth by enhancing the immune system and suppressing blood vessels to the tumor. Foods rich in selenium include Brazil nuts, tuna, chicken, turkey, beef, brown rice, eggs and sunflower seeds.
• Exercise regularly. Exercise will not only reduce your risk of prostate cancer, but just about every other type of cancer as well.
• Don’t smoke. This will increase your levels of cadmium.
• Avoid exposure to environmental chemicals. As much as possible, try to limit your exposure to pesticides and BPA (found in tooth sealants, plastic containers and bottles, microwave ovenware and more).
• Get the proper amount of vitamin D. Vitamin D inhibits the development and growth of prostate cancer cells. Experts say 15-20 minutes of sunlight a day is an ideal amount for a light-skinned person to produce the right amount of vitamin D.

Sources

International Journal of Cancer 1;108(1):104-8

American Cancer Society

Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention

Smoking linked to more aggresive prostate cancer

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During cardiac arrest, a person stops breathing normally, collapses and becomes unresponsive. Close to 80 percent of cardiac arrests occur at home and are witnessed by a family member who has the chance to double the person’s chance of survival by administering a do-it-yourself technique that everyone should know: CPR.

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, can help to save lives. As it stands, the American Heart Association estimates that 95 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before they reach the hospital. In all, about 900 Americans die each day because of the condition.

During cardiac arrest, time is crucial. If no CPR or defibrillation (an electric shock to the heart) is given, the brain starts to die within four to six minutes of the arrest. Meanwhile, for every minute that CPR is not provided, the person’s chances of survival fall by 7 percent to 10 percent until defibrillation occurs.

The logic behind CPR is simple. It helps to keep blood flowing to the heart and the brain, and increases the amount of time that a defibrillator can be effective. In other words, it helps keep the person alive while help is on the way.

The NEW CPR: Chest Compressions, Not Mouth-to-Mouth

Typically, CPR involved chest compressions along with mouth-to-mouth breathing to help give the person oxygen. However, the personal nature of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, along with the fear of germs, may actually be causing people to avoid giving CPR, researchers say.

Meanwhile, it turns out giving chest compressions without mouth-to-mouth works just as well, if not better, than the traditional model.

In fact, a study published in the Lancet medical journal examined this very issue. After comparing the outcomes of more than 4,000 adults who received either traditional CPR, chest-compressions only or no CPR until paramedics arrived, it was found that those who got chest compressions only had less brain damage than those who received traditional CPR. (Those who got no CPR at all fared the worst.)

The researchers think the mouth-to-mouth step may actually be counterproductive because it takes critical time away from the chest compressions that keep blood circulating to the heart and brain, particularly if only one person is performing the CPR.

“For cardiac arrest, the term ‘rescue breathing’ is actually a paradox,” said Dr. Gordon Ewy of the University of Arizona in a CBC News article. “We now know that not only is it not helpful, but it’s often harmful.”

According to Ewy, a person has a better chance of surviving if their blood is circulated well throughout their body via compressions, even if the blood has less oxygen in it.

Although health agencies say more studies are needed before guidelines officially remove all mouthto-mouth resuscitation, many already have begun to place more emphasis on chest compression than breaths.

For instance, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recommends giving give 30 chest compressions and then two breaths –except in the case of drowning and drug overdose victims, to which the traditional approach is still recommended.

Sources

The Lancet, Vol. 369, Issue 9565, 17, Pages 920-926

American Heart Association

CBC News

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In the most recent year for which data is available, 27,444 cases of Lyme disease were reported compared to under 9,000 in 1993.

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi, which is carried primarily by black-legged ticks (also known as deer ticks). If an infected tick bites you (ticks feed on blood and will attach to a host, including mice, cats, dogs or humans), it can transfer the bacteria through your skin and into your bloodstream.

Though anyone can get Lyme disease, you are most at risk if you spend a lot of time in wooded or grassy areas where ticks thrive. In the United States deer ticks in particular are most common in the Northeast and Midwest, along with northwestern states like Oregon and Washington.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease
In up to 80 percent of cases, the first sign of Lyme disease is a circular rash that begins at the site of the tick bite (after about three to 30 days). The rash typically widens slowly over the course of several days. Some people also experience:
•    Fatigue
•    Chills
•    Fever
•    Headache
•    Muscle and joint aches
•    Swollen lymph nodes

If left untreated, the infection can spread throughout your body causing more severe symptoms that include:
Bell’s palsy (the loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of your face)
•    Headaches and neck stiffness due to meningitis
•    Heart palpitations
•    Joint pain
•    Dizziness

Although these symptoms often resolve without treatment, about 60 percent of people with untreated Lyme disease experience arthritis and severe joint pain and swelling. And in about 5 percent of cases, chronic neurological symptoms may develop, including numbness or tingling in your hands or feet and problems with concentration and short-term memory.
How to Prevent Lyme Disease

If you eliminate the cause then there is no need for a cure, and in the case of Lyme disease the “cause” is a tick bite. So you can drastically reduce your chances of getting Lyme disease by taking the following precautions to avoid exposure to ticks:

Regular tick control products contain a dangerous mix of pesticides and chemicals that can harm your pet, your environment, and your family.All Natural products sucj as those on ingredients labels made from enzyme-based formulas where available are ideal alternatives.

• Avoid tick-infested areas. Many parks and health departments have information about tick infestations.

• Protect your pets too. AVOID using conventional flea and tick treatments on your pets that contain harmful pesticides or chemicals, such as DEET, pyrethrins, synthetic pyrethroids or permethrin, all of which can be harmful and irritating to your pet, the person applying them and our environment.

• Keep your yard well maintained, trimmed and mowed. This will help to keep ticks away.

• Wear long sleeves and pants. When hiking or spending any amount of time in nature, you should cover your arms and legs, and tuck your pants into your socks. This will make it much harder for a tick to attach itself to you.

What to do if You’ve Been Bitten by a Tick and Suspect You Have Lyme Disease

Keep in mind that just because you’ve been bitten by a tick it does not mean you’ll get Lyme disease. Only certain types of ticks carry Lyme disease, and of those only a minority carries the bacteria.

You should see your doctor immediately if you’ve been bitten by a tick and experience signs of Lyme disease because it is imperative to begin aggressive treatment in the initial stages. Acute Lyme disease will typically be aggressively treated with antibiotics. Intravenous antibiotic therapy is typically used in acute Lyme disease, especially when it is unresponsive to oral therapy, and in chronic or recurrent cases of Lyme disease. Complementary support with natural supplements may be used with drug therapy to fight effects of both acute and chronic cases of Lyme disease. Supportive supplements for both types of Lyme disease target enhancement of the immune system.

Note that ticks can also transmit other diseases aside from Lyme disease, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, Tularemia and Colorado tick fever, so it is wise to make sure your doctor checks for and rules those out as well.

Sources
U.S. CDC, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Lyme Disease

MayoClinic.com Lyme Disease

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