symptoms-facts

symptoms, diseases

some interesting facts, diseases, symptoms

The season of the rhino viruses has arrived. These nasty little buggers are happy because they can make us sick and miserable.
The simple cold they cause is mostly harmless but because they make us weak, they can open a door for some bacteria that can cause pneumonia which has sometimes serious consequences.

How do we get infected?
The rhino virus can survive 3-4 days on door handles, remote control, and phone, just about everywhere that a sick person can touch, cough or sneeze on. We pick up the virus on our hands and introduce them to our system by touching our mouth, nose and eyes.
Airborne infection happens when we get close to a sick person and we breathe the virus in.

How can we prevent the infection?
The best method is a frequent hand washing. Never touch your mouth, nose or eyes without washing your hands first.
Don’t get closer to a sick person more that a foot, if they’re in the same room with you, ask them to sneeze or cough into a tissue.
An effective home remedy is to use olive oil to wipe inside your nose 3-4 times a day during the flu and cold season. You can do it by oiling your finger and smear the oil inside your nose or use a cotton swab to do it.

Abdominal pain

can be a signal for multiple conditions, depending on the site, duration and the quality of the pain accompanied by additional symptoms. Some of these disorders are the following:

Acute appendicitis:

Pain near the navel, spreading to the lower right abdomen; nausea, possibly diarrhea; low-grade fever; loss of appetite.

Cirrhosis:

No symptoms in early stages. In later stages, loss of appetite, nausea, swollen legs, ankles and abdomen. Itching, jaundice, black stools, vomiting blood, fatigue, impotence, memory loss, confusion, generalized abdominal pain.

Colitis, ulcerative:

Pain on the left side of the abdomen that lessens after bowel movement. Bloody diarrhea, pain in the rectal area, possibly fever, rapid heartbeat, nausea, vomiting. Loss of appetite, dehydration with severe attacks.

Colon polyp:

Rectal bleeding, blood in the stool, abdominal pain.

Crohn's disease:

Episodes of pain, cramps in the lower abdomen. Nausea, loss of appetite and weight, rectal bleeding, joint pain and inflammation of the eyes.

Diverticular disorder:

Usually no symptoms until the diverticula become inflamed. Pain in the left lower abdomen relieved by passing stools or gas. Severe, spasmodic abdominal pain that becomes constant until the inflammation clears up, possibly fever and nausea.

Gallbladder problems:

Moderate to severe pain in the upper right abdomen, chest, upper back or right shoulder. Nausea, vomiting, belching gas, possibly jaundice, pale stools, itchy skin.

Hypercalcemia:

Constipation, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, frequent urination, muscle weakness or twitches. Severe cases involve fatigue, mental changes, renal failure, possibly coma and death.

Intestinal obstruction:

Abdominal pain and cramps, bloating, inability to pass stools or ga

Irritable bowel syndrome:

Cramps in the middle or to one side of the lower abdomen that are usually relieved by bowel movement. Bloating, gas, alternating diarrhea and constipation.

Pancreatitis:

Sudden, extreme abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, clammy skin, abdominal bloating and tenderness, fever.

Stomach cancer:

Discomfort in the upper abdomen, black, tarry stools, vomiting blood, vomiting after meals

ADD – attention deficit disorder, ADHD - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Typically the patient is characterized as a fidgeter and a daydreamer. Other misguided descriptive terms include inattentive and lazy. They have difficulty focusing their attention or engaging in quiet, passive activities or both. In a younger child, signs and symptoms include an inability to wait in line, remain seated, wait his or her turn or concentrate on one activity until it is completed. An older child or an adult may be described as impulsive and easily distracted by irrelevant thoughts, sounds or sights.

Symptoms of inattention:

-Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork

-difficulty in sustaining attention in tasks or play activities

-does not seem to listen when spoken to directly

-does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish chores or duties

-has difficulty organizing tasks and activities

-avoids or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort

-loses things necessary for tasks or activities (toys, pencils, books)

-becomes distracted by extraneous stimuli

Symptoms of hyperactivity:

-fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat

-leaves the seat in classroom when remaining seated is expected

-runs about or climbs when remaining seated is expected

-has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly

-acts as if ”driven by a motor”

-talks excessively

-blurts out answers before the question is completed

-has difficulty waiting his turn

-interrupts or intrudes on others

ADD is diagnosed when at least six of the symptoms are present from the inattention symptoms list, ADHD when at least 6 of the symptoms are present from both lists.

There are different opinions about the conditions. One extremist group views them as a physical illness and treats them with medication. According to the other extremist group the disease is non existent, the child is more active than others. The third opinion is that ADD and ADHD are caused by the malfunction of neurotransmitters in the brain.

The typical treatment is mostly medication with Ritalin and others, which mask the symptoms. The alternative treatment focuses on finding and eliminating the cause.

Alpha hydroxy acids

AHAs are derived from fruit and milk sugars and served up in creams and lotions. The manufacturers attract costumers with their ability to reduce wrinkles, spots and other signs of aging. But the big question is, are synthetic AHAs safe for daily use? According to the FDA, the reactions of severe redness, swelling (especially in the area of the eyes), burning, blistering, rash, itching and skin discolorations are reported to the manufacturers in 50 out of 100. This would translate into approximately 10,000 adverse reactions being reported for AHA containing products. They have been widely used only since 1992, which mean that their long term effects are unknown. An industry-sponsored study found that people who use AHA products have greater sensitivity to sun, thus greater risk of photo aging and skin cancer. Natural AHAs have been used for centuries safely and effectively. Nature provides a safer use than the stripped, synthetic version. Please visit our natural skin care section to read more.

Allergies

An allergy is the result of an overaggressive immune response to a substance which is inhaled, digested, or comes in contact with the skin. When we think of allergies, most of us think of classic symptoms such as hay fever, sneezing, itching, and nasal obstruction. Hay fever occurs when a substance enters the body, combines with immune cells known as immunoglobulin (IgE) and undergoes a chemical reaction ending with a release of histamine.

Food allergies are often obvious because they cause an immediate response after the food is ingested. For example, after eating strawberries, one breaks out in hives. Other food allergies are more difficult to diagnose because symptoms do not usually appear right after eating the offensive substance, but rather hours or days later. In this case we are not aware of the allergy; continue to eat the foods which will cause chronic symptoms such as abdominal cramps, chronic fatigue and eczema.

The simplest allergy test is the Coca test. In normal circumstances, the pulse rate is 70-80. After eating foods which cause allergy or sensitivity, the heart rate can elevate 20 or even 40 digits. Before eating a specific food, if the pulse is 72 and an hour later is 100, it is more than possible that there is an allergy. Sometimes we can fool ourselves by becoming nervous, but the heart rate elevation is not more than 10-15 in that case. Repeating the test through several days can prove the sensitivity.

The other method is to record in a diary of how you feel after eating certain foods. If, for example, eating bread with yeast makes you feel bloated, or have a sour taste in your mouth ; If eating sugar causes you to become hyper or nervous with fatigue or thirst later.

Below are systematic symptoms of a likely allergy, depending on which system is affected:

Adrenal system: chronic fatigue, low energy and obesity.

Central nervous system: diminished concentration, anxiety, impaired thinking, depression, rapid mood swings, hallucinations, episodic memory loss and sleeping disorders.

Skin: rashes, skin redness, discoloration, roughness or inflammation.

Respiratory system: wheezing, shortness of breath, asthma and bronchitis.

Cardiovascular system: rapid or skipped beats, flushing, pallor, tingling, coldness of hands and feet, faintness.

Gastrointestinal system: burping, flatulence, bloating, canker sores, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, rectal itching and indigestion.

Chronic allergy symptoms include muscle aches and stiffness, joint pain, ringing in the ears, migraine headaches and frequent urination.

For treatment recommendations, visit our CONSULTATION page.

Avoid or recognize a stroke

Stroke is one of the top three causes of death right behind heart disease and cancer. To reduce the risk of having a stroke, incorporate these health habits into your everyday life;

1. The most important step is to control your blood pressure.

2. Quit smoking and stay smoke free

3. Manage your diabetes

4. Eat a well balanced diet that is low in fat and high in fiber

5. Maintain a healthy weight

6. Reduce alcohol consumption, two drinks for men, one drink for non pregnant women.

How to recognize a stroke? The sudden onset of the following symptoms could be a possible sign of stroke:

1. Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.

2. Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.

3. Vision problems in one or both eyes.

4. Sudden, severe headache.

5. Dizziness, trouble walking, loss of balance or coordination.

What to do if you think someone is having a stroke?

1. Ask the individual to smile

2. Ask them to raise their arms

3. Ask them to repeat a simple sentence

If the individual has trouble with any of these tasks, call 911 immediately! The sooner they are treated, the better the outcome.

Cold extremities

generally result from poor circulation. Heart and kidney disease reduce blood flow, diabetes damages blood vessels in the extremities while low thyroid function decreases the body’s overall temperature. But some people just run colder, no matter how healthy they are. If all illness is ruled out, you might want to try the following:

To increase circulation, you can take a hot shower finishing it with 60 seconds cold. It will dramatically increase circulation.

You could also eat warming foods, such as red meat, lamb, sweet potatoes, cayenne pepper, ginger, cabbage, drink hot teas containing cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and black pepper.

Avid cold foods; such as ice cream, icy drinks and raw vegetables.

Opt for steamed or stewed vegetables when feeling chilled, raw vegetables require more work to digest, which pulls potentially warming blood away from the hands and feet.

Drink plenty of water to increase blood flow, exercise regularly to increase metabolic processes and promote warmth throughout the body.

Danger of obesity

According to a new study, if a woman is overweight before pregnancy, she has a much greater risk of serious complications during and after pregnancy. Compared to normal weight women, obese moms are 50% more likely to have high blood pressure, premature delivery, post delivery bleeding and emergency C-section. It’s strongly suggested that overweight women lose weight before they become pregnant. Would you like to lose weight the natural way, without drugs, just by using your body’s strengths and weaknesses to your advantage? Please refer to our weight loss section for advice.

Health-disease connection

The feeling of perfect health exists, for some of us a lifetime, for others years, days or just minutes. One person is full of energy without feeling sick, while another is constantly in a state of healing and getting sick again. What can be the cause of people living in the same environment, yet feeling so different? We are bombarded daily by millions of viruses and bacteria, but we get sick from them only a fraction of the time. There are dormant germs living on our skin, or in our respiratory, digestive and nervous systems. We don't even know of their existence until some inside or outside factor activates them and springs them into action. The human body is a host for these germs, providing them with a comfortable home. What makes them destroy their host? The meningococcus bacteria which live in our respiratory system all of a sudden become ferocious killers causing meningitis and sometimes death. The varicella virus lives in the nerve endings quietly, one day activated, causes painful shingles. Why not sooner, or later, why for some and not others? Immunity and the body's ability to keep germs at bay are mostly undiscovered territory. The body's doorways for germs are closed 99.99% of the time, so there is very little chance for all of us to get sick from these at times harmless, but sometimes lethal killers.

The human body also has an amazing ability to deal with certain conditions. Some people suffer from angina with only a 20% blockage of the coronary arteries, others with 85% blockage have been known to run marathons. Some die of heart attacks with clean arteries.

A friend of mine when asked her secret to how she has stayed so healthy and energetic at 72, told me, “I know that I have to accept getting old gracefully but I don't accept getting sick just because I'm getting old. I have never allowed time for myself to be sick. I refuse to spend my time in bed feeling sorry for myself. I decided that I'm a strong, healthy, productive person regardless of my age”. Is she a genetically healthy person or is there something else which keeps her healthy? I've noticed on myself that when I'm very busy or fully concentrating on a project, I never get sick. I don't have the time. But as soon as I decide to relax and give myself couple of days off, usually the second or third day I wake up with a sore throat! Working in the hospital during busy times, no matter how many people coughed or sneezed around me, I was immune to it and stayed healthy. Did I unconsciously talk my body into not getting sick because I had so many important things to do?

Well, honestly, the busier I get the more attention I pay to my diet, activities, nutrition and the structure of my daily life. In lazy times, (keeping with my true nature), I become disorganized, eat and sleep whenever I feel like it and my diet: a cookie here, chips there, well its just terrible.

So, positive attitude, good nutrition, prevention, organized daily activities, healthy diet and lifestyle is the answer to achieve good health? I'm positive that there are many other factors, but according to our present knowledge, this is the best we can do for now in order to achieve the best state of health we can

Hidden causes of fatigue

#1-low thyroid level

you feel run down, weak, your muscles ache especially in cold weather and you feel sluggish. You might gain weight, have dry skin, loosing your hair and feel iiriable.

#2-iron deficiency

you tire easily, activities that usually you do with ease now requre effort. You might feel lethargic, short of breath, your heartrate is faster and you're cold all the time.

#3-sleep apnea

you feel overly tired, have a strong urge to nap or may nod off during the day. You snore, have morning headaches and poor concentration.

HIV

One of the most widely publicized diseases, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is marked by progressive failure of the immune system. It's characterized by gradual destruction of cell-mediated T-cell immunity; it also affects humeral immunity as well as autoimmunity because of the central role of the CD4+T lymphocyte in immune reactions. A retrovirus, HIV type I is the primary causative agent. The HIV virus prefers to infect the CD4+ lymphocyte or macrophage but may also infect other CD4+ antigen-bearing cells of the GI tract, uterine, cervical cells and neuroglial cells. The virus gains access by binding to the CD4+ molecule on the cell surface along with a co receptor thought to be the CCR5. After invading the cell, HIV replicates, leading to cell death or becomes latent. HIV infection leads either directly, through destruction of CD4+ cells, other immune cells and neuroglial cells or indirectly through the secondary effect of CD4+ cell, to dysfunction and resultant immunosuppression.

The infection takes three forms:

1. immunodeficiency-opportunistic infections and unusual cancers

2. autoimmunity-lymphoid interstitial pneumonia, arthritis, production of autoimmune antibodies

3. neurologic dysfunction-dementia, encephalopathy, peripheral neuropathies.

Many people infected with HIV have no symptoms for many years, and are known as asymptomatic carriers. In later stages of the infection, they lose weight and develop night sweats, fever and diarrhea. If full-blown AIDS develops, which may be up to 14 years after infection, people become susceptible to a variety of infections and to certain cancers.

LUNGS: severe infection of the lungs by the parasite pneumocystis carinii, which causes a type of pneumonia, often occurs in people with AIDS.

SKIN: a cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma characterized by blue or brown skin nodules that can affect internal organs also.

NERVOUS SYSTEM: HIV infection can produce effects in the brain and nervous system, causing symptoms such as mental disturbances, problems with vision and paralysis.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM: persistent diarrhea, often due to protozoa infection of the gastrointestinal tract, is one of the most common illnesses.

Treatment:

No cure has yet been found, primary therapy includes three different types of antiretroviral agents:

1.Protease inhibitors-PI- ritonavir, indinavir, nelfinavir and saquinavir.

2.Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors-NRTI-zidovudine, didanosine, zalcitabine, lamivudine and stavudine.

3.Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors-NNRTI-nevirapine and delavirdine.

These agents used in various combinations are designed to inhibit HIV viral replication.

Current protocol includes the combination of three agents plus immunomodulatory agents to boost the weakened immune system, antineoplastic agents to combat opportunistic infections. The choice of antineoplastic agents are depending on the opportunistic condition.

What we do know is that long-term survivors do not rely totally on pharmaceuticals. They alter their diets and lifestyle, incorporate multiple healing modalities that stimulate the immune system including immune-enhancing, antibacterial, antiviral, and antimicrobial

therapies. There also exist varied alternative therapies for countering the side effects of traditional medications. If you would like to know about the alternative therapies, visit our consultation section.

Glaucoma and your toothpaste

If you have glaucoma or a family history of the disease, you might want to check what is in your toothpaste. The consumption of sanguinarine, a compound found in bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis) may contribute to glaucoma. The herb is an excellent preventive for gum disease; you’re likely to encounter bloodroot in toothpaste or mouthwash listed as an ingredient of sanguinarine rather than bloodroot itself on the label. The risk is small, after all you don’t usually ingest either toothpaste or mouthwash but enough swallowed it might be

Irregular heartbeat

You’re not aware of your heart until suddenly you feel a skip, an extra beat, palpitation, pounding or emptiness in your chest. Variations in cardiac rhythm occur in almost everyone from time to time, depending on your diet, alcohol or tobacco use, medicines or vitamins you take, your state of mind or the presence of underlying disease. Most arrhythmias are benign but if you experience any sudden change, have it checked by your doctor. Most, simple arrhythmias are caused by what we do or do not do. Too much caffeine including coffee, tea, chocolate and sodas can cause skipped or extra beats; palpitation as well as tobacco chewed or smoked, vitamins, minerals in extreme amount.

Crash diets or diuretic use leads to low potassium or magnesium levels that can cause arrhythmias and sometimes sudden death. Losing weight too fast when not only fat “melts’ off your body but wasting muscle, including cardiac muscle, leaving your heart more sensitive to adrenalin that makes you and you heart “nervous”. Too much alcohol has a direct, toxic effect on the heart causing irregular heart rhythm; prolonged, heavy use of alcohol leads to magnesium deficiency or as in starvation, the waste of cardiac muscle.

Maintain your regular heart rhythm:

1. Say no to crash diets (losing more than 1% of body weight per week)

2. Say no to tobacco

3. Moderate amounts of caffeine

4. Moderate amounts of alcohol

5. Replace potassium and magnesium if you’re taking diuretics

6. Get advice from an expert about vitamin and mineral supplements

7. Exercise regularly

8. Get enough rest, make time to relax

Individualizing your diet

There are so many diets out there which claim to be the “best” for everyone, as well as highly varying advice on mega doses of vitamins and minerals, not to mention the thousands of exercise programs promising to keep you in shape. Are all of them good for everyone or are they just another one size fits all view? Does everyone benefit the same from the given percentage of fats, carbohydrates and proteins? Does everyone need the same dose of vitamins? Do we all need the same type of vigorous exercise to stay healthy?

My car was built exactly the same as thousands if not millions of other cars. They all came from the same factory with the same parts and the same needs. They need the same type and amount of gas, oil, break and coolant fluids which need to be changed after about the same mileage. Is this correct? It seems so, but I drive about 1oo miles a week, while my neighbor drives hers about 25o miles a day. What about the other millions of cars which are built the same but used differently than mine? What about the trucks and buses which work on the same concept but are different than others?

As a species, we all have the same genetic building blocks. The same bones, muscles, nerves and chemical processes, yet we are so different from each other. Some of us are thin and fidgety, others are short, round and jolly. Some of us can run like a gazelle, others are couch potatoes. Some of us are satisfied with a slice of pizza, others are still hungry after eating a whole pie. Some of us can learn new things easily; others have to work hard for it. Some of us take charge in stressful situations; others panic and don't know what to do. Some of us enjoy the pizza, digest it well, others suffer from heartburn. Well, are we all the same? Do we all have the same needs? Absolutely not.

Let's look at our diet a little more closely. Does each of us need to consume the same calories? Let's compare a petite 11o pound woman to a stocky, 25o pound man. If they would eat the same amount, the petite woman would balloon up and the stocky man would starve to death. Does a fidgety, overactive person who burns a lot of energy with a speedy metabolism need the same amount of calories as a calm, serene, slow moving person whose digestion is sluggish to begin with? Of course not.

Let's look at the ratio of vegetables, fruits, dairy, meat and grains in our diet. Some of us can eat all kinds of raw vegetables without any problem, others feel miserable from gas, cramps, nausea and are able to digest vegetables only if they have been stewed or steamed. Some of us love sour apples, others flinch just thinking about them. Some of us can enjoy milk products, others are lactose intolerant. Some of us enjoy a steak dinner, others develop diarrhea and cramps after eating it. So can we eat the same balanced and well proportioned diet which was developed for “everyone”? I don't think so.

Some of us are able to utilize vitamins and minerals well from our diet, others need supplements. A smoker uses more A,C and E vitamins while a person who's taking beta blockers need more B5 vitamin, chromium and choline. Women on birth control use more B vitamin complex, D and E vitamins. People who are taking diuretics need to replace the potassium, B2 and C vitamins, as well as calcium and iodine. A fidgety, anxious person uses more B complex vitamins than a serene, calm person. Our supplement needs are also different.

Exercise is the newest requirement for everyone. Our labeling system works on our guilt. Is it beneficial for everyone to jump, sweat, and run on those fancy machines when for some, a nice walk with a friend, yoga or raking leaves in the garden might be adequate? We all do need exercise. There is no question about the benefits of exercise on our circulatory, musculoskeletal, nervous and hormonal systems. The question is what kind of exercise is good for us. Should a 2oo pound stocky person jump to the music in aerobic class or should she power walk or tai chi? Should a petite, energetic person do yoga or play basketball instead? Do we need the fancy machines and a gym membership to get adequate exercise? Some of us do, some of us don't. It depends on our preference and motivation. If we're truly having fun doing one particular exercise over another, chances are it's beneficial to our bodies.

We are all different in our appearance, personality, preferences and nutritional needs. There are three basic types of people with similar physical and mental characteristics. In order to feel healthy and balanced, there are certain diet, nutrition and lifestyle needs which are beneficial to the individuals belonging to each group. Most people are a mix of subtypes and do not fit each perfectly, but there is always a dominant type in each of us. We were all born with an instinct which tells us what to eat and how to live. Unfortunately, we lose this instinct due to outside influences, but we can learn it again and our body will be thankful for it. If you would like to find out your type and would like to receive type specific health advice, please visit our CONSULTATION page.

Lupus

Lupus Erythematosus is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own connective tissue or collagen. For most sufferers (overwhelmingly women between the ages of 20-40 ), Lupus is a mild disease affecting only a few organs. But for others, it can be serious and life-threatening.

Symptoms can include achy joints, fever, nausea, dizziness, vertigo, fatigue, arthritis, rash which appears across the bridge of the nose or cheeks, kidney problems, pleurisy (chest pain) , sun and light sensitivity, hair loss, seizures, mouth or nose ulcers, nail fungus, headaches and anemia.

Lupus is often treated with steroids such as Prednisone and corticosteroids. Taken long-term, these can cause damage to the liver, eyes, and other organs as well as weakening the bones. This is one of the reasons that alternative approaches to the condition are worth looking into. For treatment options visit our CONSULTATION

Obesity

The fact is, obesity today is an epidemic, in adults as well as children. In the past, food was a necessity, at times hard to provide, but today in our civilized world, we can find it in abundance. Today, we use food not only as nourishment but as a reward, especially with kids. We eat when we're sad, happy or celebrate… and we eat what? Mostly quick and convenient junk food. I see so many sad examples in the medical field, many instances where parents reward their child's good behavior with "I'll take you to Mac Donalds after we're finished" or "you can pick a chocolate bar if you let them give you the shot". Junk food not only tastes good, but is also appealing. Nice packages, boxes covered with their favorite movie characters, a toy, playroom, all masterfully designed to attract kids and to get them addicted to their food.

Once instilled in childhood, it is extremely difficult to eliminate this addiction to sugary, fatty and processed food.

Shouldn’t we make fruits and vegetables attractive instead? Shouldn't a child happily look forward to the visit to a health food restaurant where they can pick a whole grain sandwich rapped in Rugrats covered paper or a bowl of fruit salad served in a Goofy bowl instead of fries, chicken nuggets and greasy burgers? We could make finger foods by cutting colorful vegetables dipped in a healthy spinach dip or a frozen yoghurt topped with fruit instead of sugar sprinkles for dessert. We could, with some effort, make the healthy foods attractive at home too. Kids love sloppy joes, let's make it with turkey or chicken browned in olive oil, adding chopped vegetables and fresh herbs instead of the ready made powder full of chemicals. They also love macaroni and cheese; let's use whole grain pasta and sauce made with freshly grated cheese and cream instead of the microwave ready concoction. (It is still a mystery to me how a chalky, fluorescent orange powder can turn into cheese). Let them get into the cookie jar, but instead of loaded with sugary, fattening cookies, let them find a handful of nuts, raisins, naturally sweet tasting dried fruits. Are we doing that? No it's easier to take them to Mac Donalds to be fed and amused at the same time, because it's more convenient. We trust the food industry to serve us with quick, convenient meals thinking that they will not give us food that's bad for us… then why are we getting fatter by the minute, clogging our arteries, developing diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and so on? To make the food industry richer by the minute, that's why. They will make anything that sells, although they give us warnings, we ignore them, because the food is so tasty, they make it so for more profit. They use cheap ingredients covered up by chemicals to make the food tasty and to have long shelf life. They make it easy and convenient to cook; mix the powder with water, microwave it and in 5 minutes you can eat.

Of course it takes time and effort to cook and eat healthy but believe me, it's well worth the effort.

Eat healthy, live healthy, and be healthy

Safety issue of aromatherapy oils

The use of aromatherapy oils are quite safe but worth getting an expert opinion about their safety.

Lavender and tea tree oils found in some soaps, shampoos and lotions can cause breast enlargement in young boys.

The University of Colorado researchers linked exposure to the oils with breast enlargement in three boys, age 4, 7 and 10. When the youngsters stopped using the products, their breast returned to normal within a few months.

Later analysis at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences confirmed that "pure lavender and tea tree oils can mimic the actions of estrogens."

The researchers say parents and doctors should be aware of this potential side effect in boys exposed to the oil

Symptoms which might signal serious diseases:

-a complete lack of feeling thirsty: suggests hypothalamus injury or tumor, head injury, respiratory tumors or liver cirrhosis.

-low magnesium level causes: tetany, low blood pressure, fast heart rate, numbness of extremities, in serious cases speech difficulty(pronouncing R instead of L) epilepsy like symptoms.

-hypothermia symptoms: tremor, tiredness, weakness, lethargy, slurred speech, muscle spasm, numbness, cold and clammy skin, fast heart rate, low blood pressure, if the body cools further, coma.

-Dark brown discoloration of the upper eyelids suggests high thyroid hormone levels. Other symptoms: tremor, anxiety, weight loss, heat intolerance and menses irregularities.

-Head injuries can double the chance of Alzheimer’s disease. Boxing, contact sports, auto and motorcycle accidents, etc.

-Chest pain can be a symptom of various diseases and conditions:

Angina, the pain develops slowly in the left side of the upper chest, can spread to the shoulder, arm and back. The pain usually lasts for less than 2o minutes, slowly subsides.

Prinzmetal angina occurs during rest or sleep, the cause is the spasm of coronary vessels. Treatment required.

During panic a attack, sharp chest pain can occur, lasts for seconds, minutes, sometimes days. Treatment required.

Aortic rupture is a life threatening condition, the chest pain develops suddenly, the pain is intolerable.

Classical symptoms of infarction are: mid-chest pressure, pain radiating to arm, shoulder, and neck and back accompanied by shortness of breath, cold sweats, nausea, not getting better with rest. Not everyone has the classical symptoms, EKG and cardiac enzyme analysis is necessary to diagnose the condition. Every unexplained chest symptom needs to be paid attention to, sometimes they are vague, especially with females.

Asthma and bronchitis usually cause chest pain with coughing.

Gallbladder pain can radiate to the chest but usually starts under the right ribs, then radiates to the right chest, shoulder and back.