Mangosteens (Garcina mangostana) are tropical fruits native to countries in South East Asia, including Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. As the result of rapid and increased demand for the fruit, mangosteens are now grown in Brazil and India as well. The fruit is commonly known as the “Queen of Fruits” and the “Food of the Gods”, both for its exquisite taste and healing properties.
The mangosteen is approximately the size of a small apple and has a thick rind and segmented interior similar to an orange.
Whole fruit mangosteen juice is made by liquefying the seeds, rinds and flesh of the mangosteen fruit.
The fruit has an impressive list of active ingredients which are important to maintaining human health. Similar to many fruits, the mangosteen is rich in vitamin C, B1, B2, B6, potassium, iron and calcium. What sets the mangosteen apart from the bunch is the substantial concentration of antioxidants and xanthones it contains.
How can it help you?
Mangosteens have been used for many generations in the fruit’s native countries to improve the symptoms of dysentery, including dehydration and diarrhea. The fruit has also been used in poultices to prevent cuts and grazes from becoming infected. It is widely believed that the high vitamin, mineral and antioxidant content of the fruit makes it useful as an anti-histamine, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory agent. The anti-aging and anti-cancer properties of the fruit have also attracted widespread attention. These are just some of the mangosteen benefits.
The manner by which mangosteen induces these effects in humans is not yet clearly understood. It is known that antioxidants, which are present in high quantities in mangosteen juice, are known to boost vitamin and mineral absorption in humans. There have been a few, laboratory-based studies on animals that have indicated the positive benefits of mangosteen.
Major studies on humans are yet to be conducted and it isn’t proven that drinking mangosteen supplements on a regular basis would improve health.
The mangosteen has many celebrated properties. It is claimed to have cardiovascular benefits, which include reducing the likelihood of arterial hardening (atherosclerosis), protecting the heart muscle and lowering blood pressure. Mangosteen juice can also improve your heart health by lowering the proportion of circulating blood lipids.
There is emerging evidence that mangosteen juice can help to fight against conditions traditionally associated with aging. These include cruelly disabling conditions such Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, as well as Parkinson’s disease. Mangosteen juice also has anti-depressant properties similar to St. John’s Wart, and has been linked to help prevent glaucoma and cataracts.
With such a high concentration of vitamins and minerals that stimulate the immune system, it is little wonder that many say that drinking the juice regularly helps them to feel energized.
Best of all, unlike many other foods that are good for you, The manner by which mangosteen juice actually tastes good!
Not a sport, really, nor a game. Just something I did as a Mobile Intensive Care Unit Paramedic. Often, it would appear that all the forces of the Universe were conspiring to take a specific life, and I, who happened to be at the right place at the right time, and with the right tools and experience, would do everything in my power to stop that from happening: Push and pull until someThing, or someOne, gave.
I was just out of Paramedic school, working in Daytona Beach, Florida and was getting ready to transport my latest patient to a local funeral home. At that time (1974) my role as medic often involved transporting the dead body of the patient I had just “lost” to their final switching station before burial.
It was bad enough to fail, let alone have to face the embarrassment of having to say to the funeral director, “Yup, here’s some more business for you. Did this one myself!”
This had been a particularly wrenching call that led me, on a beautiful sunset of a Floridian evening, to pace back and forth in a hospital parking lot, fist raised to the heavens, yelling at the top of my lungs and ranting and raging at the God who put me in the position of killing one of my patients.
Just a scant hour before, I was approaching the fifth-story hotel room of a German couple who had come to tour Florida and had happened to end up in my “call area.” My rookie EMT partner and I had been dispatched to a “woman down” call. I cautioned him at the door to just stand still and be silent for a moment before knocking on it. “Listen. First listen. Let’s you know if there’s a fight or a dog or something not very fun to contend with.”
When we did enter, we were greeted by a man in his mid-fifties sitting in his underwear on a couch in a small sitting room, nursing a drink. He casually pointed to the bathroom. “She’s been in there a while,” he said.
“How long?” I asked as I quickly moved towards it. “Oh, maybe a half hour.”
I was moving with a tempered urgency. My gut said there wasn’t anything serious going on, but my logic said, given the circumstances so far, anything could still be up. In the bathroom, I found a middle-aged woman hugging the toilet bowl.
There was quite a bit of frothy, non-bloodied matter in the bowl. I wondered about alcohol, so I put my head almost into the bowl to smell. I have a very poor sense of smell from a childhood accident (my older brother smashed me on the nose with the edge of a tennis racket!). I often found myself over-extending myself to compensate which caused witnesses on the scene to wonder in the process.
Alcohol. I was sure. The woman was covered in clammy sweat, weak, but she could talk. I asked her if she had been drinking. She said “Just a little with dinner,” with a slur and her husband called out shakily in a thick German accent, “Yah, she don’t drink much.”
“Right,” I said to myself. I asked about pain and she said her jaw was aching and I thought to myself if I puked that much, mine’d be too.
Her pulse was weak and thready, and she had a fairly snug blouse on that seemed to account for an almost indecipherable blood pressure. Had it been a very busy night, I might very well have advised the couple to do what I had found myself doing after a long night with too much rum and an intimate encounter with the Porcelain God, “Just let her sleep it off…she’ll be fine.”
Still, there was something not too comfortable to me about the whole mess, and I didn’t feel terribly secure about leaving her in her husband’s care. I had my partner help me get her onto the gurney.
On the way to the hospital, the woman looking fairly asleep, I decided to hook her up to my cardiac monitor. I hadn’t used it at the hotel room because the space immediately around the patient in the bathroom was quite compact and I didn’t see the sense of going through the gyrations necessary to hook her up after I figured out what was going on. Still I thought to myself, it wouldn’t hurt to check.
Sure enough, the image that greeted me on the monitor was an extremely slow rhythm with a number of wide, dangerous, extra beats interposed between the weak normal pulses–a highly critical configuration that placed the woman on death’s doorstep.
Suddenly springing to action, I yelled out to my partner, who was driving, “Step up to Code Three! I’ve got an arrest cooking here!” I ripped off her blouse and took another blood pressure…of course it was indecipherable in the moving ambulance, yet I knew in my heart that functionally, there was none. I juggled oxygen, managed to start an intravenous line and administer intravenous adrenaline to boost the heart rate and called in to the hospital to “set up for impending cardiac arrest!”
By the time we arrived at the hospital, I was in full gear and torturing myself over missing the call. I had diagnosed the woman as a simple drunk rather than recognizing all of the earmarks of a myocardial infarction. I was uncharacteristically jittery and shaking, yet feeling better because her heartbeat had speeded up since I administered the adrenaline and I was SURE I heard a bit of a blood pressure. The woman was conscious–barely but noticeably.
There was hope, at any rate, and then, to my surprise, we were met at the door by a gaggle of men and a woman in doctor’s garb. They all surrounded the gurney as we wheeled the woman in, and I breathed a sigh of relief. In the “Cardiac Room” of the Emergency ward, the woman was transferred onto the hospital stretcher and I stood off in the corner as I saw the “team” take over at about the same time as my patient lost consciousness.
It took me perhaps two whole minutes to figure out what was going on. What I had initially interpreted as concerted action by professionals was, in fact, a bunch of interns being “led” by a physician who hadn’t spent more than maybe two shifts in an emergency room, all working off of panicked textbook knowledge to save this “what a great case to get practice on.” Boy! were they screwing everything up.
Logistically, I had given up my place right by the patient, so now, I had to find a way to maneuver myself closer and assert myself more fully. In the brief period of time that I realized everything was amiss until the moment I got into a position to do something, the “gang” administered two wrong drugs that threw the woman into cardiac arrest, neglected to intubate her to protect her airway before she vomited and stopped breathing, and defibrillated her twice in rapid succession, both times with the paddles placed in the wrong position on her chest so that the electrical current moved in the opposite direction necessary to revive her heart.
My head reverberated with, “OhMiGod, they’re giving her atropine instead of Epinephrine and her heart’s slowing even more, her B.P.’s dropping fast, the paddles are being charged to 200 Joules and she needs 400 and they’re, Oh, Shit, they’re blowing apart her heart and it’s my fault!!”
And then it was all over and there was nothing I could have done except change the past, and that wasn’t an option. The woman was dead.
Oh, how I worked to absolve myself of guilt! After all, hadn’t I caught my mistake and got that line in, and didn’t she actually have a blood pressure by the time we got her in?
But then again, I missed it and cost her the most crucial seconds of her life, and then, I stood aside and basically relinquished my responsibility to a bunch of dolts. I was on an emotional roller-coaster ride.
And in that time, I had to comfort myself with knowing the woman’s time was up. I was just an impersonal part of a string of impersonal f*ck-ups that followed through to the woman’s demise. Nothing personal. In this time of the Universe, it was her time to leave. Period. I happened to be an impersonal agent of that death, just like each of us is inextricably linked with the death of everything that ever was or ever will be. It wasn’t personal at all.
Yet, at the same time, I was being used (Goddammit!) as a tool that was clearly an instrument that would cause serious ripples to course through the life of every person that the poor woman’s life had touched.
Some Higher Power Somewhere knew damn well of my specific weaknesses and arrogance and bad nose and used it all to full advantage to bring one more soul back home. How very Perfect!
It had to have been all about me because any other team of Medics in the City that night would have saved her. It was personal.
Regardless, an unnecessary loss was heaped on others and I was the key factor. I had to live with this for a long time. These moments affected every call I had since. From that day forward–for the remaining nine years of my career as a paramedic–I never made another mistake like it again.
I would not make any move with my patients until I was sure I was as thorough as the situation would allow. My two-hour relationship with that woman who was alive when I met her and dead when I left her was instrumental in assuring that dozens of people lived. Dozens? Maybe hundreds, I never counted. That couldn’t have been by design. Could it?
Today, I have no doubt in my heart that my relationship with God is impersonal, yet, I go out of my way to pay attention to what I am personally being told.
Russ Reina shares over 35 years of experience in the healing arts through his web site
Ok, let’s talk about how to choose a dentist. How should a person go about choosing a dentist? Now, some people would respond to this question this way: “Who cares? Dentist’s are all the same, right? Just open the yellow pages, they’re full of them. Just point your finger, spin a bottle, whatever—all dentists are the same, and getting a cavity filled isn’t brain surgery.”
Well, that last part is true anyway—filling a cavity isn’t the same thing as operating on someone’s brain. But neither is giving a flu shot. Neither is setting a broken arm. Neither is prescribing medication for one of the million ailments of wintertime, or one of the million ailments of summertime, etc. Yet you wouldn’t go to just any person to have one of those things done—you’re very careful when it comes to a doctor. How to choose a dentist, then, is a pretty important question. How to choose a dentist is as important as how to choose a doctor—heck, you wouldn’t randomly pick a mechanic to work on your car, would you? Of course not! Your car’s too important for that, it gets you from place to place.
The question of how to choose a dentist implies many things. How to choose a dentist may mean how to actually go about finding a dentist, any dentist. How to choose a dentist may mean how to find one with a personality that matches your own, or that yours can get along with. How to choose a dentist may mean how to choose the best dentist. How to choose dentist may mean how to choose a kind of dentist, that is, is there a difference between getting a root canal and a regular filling? How to choose a dentist may even mean something complicated like how to find a dentist that uses the newest kind of filling as opposed to the outdated kind. And so forth. How to choose a dentist implies all sorts of thing.
Perhaps some people don’t take choosing a dentist seriously (or the idea of choosing a dentist seriously, anyway) because lots of us take our teeth for granted. We don’t have to go in to get our teeth worked on in a serious way very often. They’re merely these big hard things in our mouths that we chew and smile with. But when you think about how important your teeth actually are, your attitude towards choosing a dentist changes. Not only do your teeth provide the structure for your face—if your teeth collapse, your face goes with them—your teeth allow you to stay alive in that they help you chew food to the point that it can be digested, and they allow you to enjoy life in that they help you eat any sort of food you want, prepared the way you want it.
When something goes wrong with your teeth, it’s really hard to set it right again. Your dentist makes sure that your teeth remain in good enough condition that you’re never in any serious danger of major tooth problems. One way to choose a dentist is to go by word of mouth. Whom do your friends see? Whom would they suggest? Ask your friends. Ask them about things like prices, personality, availability, convenience, satisfaction, and so forth. Ask them about other dentists they’ve seen, who they may not have enjoyed as much.
The Internet is another way of looking for a good dentist. With the Internet you can be very specific when choosing a dentist. Believe me, dentists aren’t only in the phonebook anymore. They need to make a living too, right? Most of your local dentists are a few key clicks away. You can look them up, see what they do, find phone numbers, even sometimes read customer reports. And if you want to know about root canals, type in root canals. If you want to know about teeth whitening, type teeth whitening.
Given the fact that it’s relatively easy to find a dentist this days, no person has an excuse not to make some kind of search. Using the resources of the phonebook, word of mouth, and the Internet, you should have no problem finding an excellent dentist who will fit all your needs.
Dr. Gerard DiFusco, DDS, is a leading webstersmilecenter.com/ Webster dentist. Dr. DiFusco and the Webster Dental Center specialize in Smile Makeovers, Dental Implants and Sedation Dentistry.
Visit the webstersmilecenter.com/ Webster Dental Center or call 585-872-4400 for more information on how Dr. DiFusco can build you a brilliant smile.
Many people curious about starting a low carb diet wonder if there are side effects they need to be aware of before getting started. Many also wonder if there are harmful low carb diet side effects too, so let’s look at the most common side effects of low carb dieting, and talk about whether any of these are harmful.
Some of these low carb diet side effects can be problematic for people with health conditions, particularly if they’re taking medications for those conditions. Often the side effects are good, but you need to be aware they can happen and talk to your medical care provider because they’ll need to monitor your progress and possibly change, reduce, or eliminate medications as you progress.
For instance, a very common low carb diet side effect is lowered, or more even blood sugar levels. This is an important low carb diet side effect for any diabetic, particularly ones that take insulin shots or medication. Since low carb diets can drastically reduce your blood sugar levels naturally, your doctor may need to adjust your medication levels to compensate for those changes.
Another low carb diet side effect is of course losing a lot of weight. This by itself is not technically a side effect, but related effects of losing weight can include regulation of blood pressure, easing or disappearance of digestive tract problems, and resolution of breathing problems too.
If you’re taking high blood pressure medication, then the side effect of having that lowered from eating a low carb diet will need to be addressed by your doctor or medical care specialist. The same applies for digestive troubles, if you experience resolution to those problems as a low carb dieting side effect, your doctor will need to adjust or eliminate the medications you take.
Now if you don’t take medications for conditions such as those listed above, you may still experience low carb diet side effects, but they’re likely to be ones you’re happy to have.
Common, “good” low carb diet side effects include reduced cravings for sugars and starches; increased energy; reduced bloated and gassy, upset stomach feelings; improved bowel movements; regulated blood sugar levels and blood pressure levels; loss of excess water retention; and of course, loss of excess body fat.
There are some low carb diet side effects that are not harmful, but you need to be aware of them because they are uncomfortable at best. These low carb diet side effects are more common during the first one to five days on the diet, and are side effects of your body adjusting to your eating changes. These side effects can include headaches; nausea; dizziness; lethargy or low energy; severe sugar cravings; irritability; and constipation.
There are also a couple of women specific low carb diet side effects. In the first week or two of your new low carb diet, you may experience oddities with your monthly menstrual flow. Usually this side effect lasts a short time though, and is caused by your body adjusting to the new eating lifestyle you’ve chosen. A great low carb diet side effect comes later: Women’s menstrual flow is usually reduced, and there is generally much less pain or other problems involved while you’re on a low carb diet.
Many of those early low carb diet side effects can be reduced by drinking extra water and getting plenty of rest, plus making sure you don’t go hungry. In rare cases these initial low carb diet side effects can last as long as ten days, but usually they’re present from approximately the third to the fifth day of your low carb diet.
Verbal self defense, the use of your voice in a threatening situation, is an extremely important tool in protecting yourself. How? Uncommon to popular belief, criminals do not pounce on an individual when the mood strikes them. They attack when they see an opportunity available to them. If it’s easy, they will take it. They will prey on those who are weak, unaware, and an uncomplicated target. Criminals will act on premeditation, or stalk their victims ahead of time before attacking. If you show that you are familiar with your surroundings, walk with confidence, and give off the impression of strength, a criminal will not want to work to fight you.
Keep you eyes on everyone. Just because they might not ‘look’ like an attacker, doesn’t mean that some guy in a business suit can’t be one. If someone is approaching you, look them in the eye, hold out your hands in front of you and yell “Stay Back!” or “Stop!” Most sexual assailants interviewed say that they leave a woman alone if she showed that she wasn’t someone to be messed with or wasn’t afraid to fight back.
It’s called putting up a verbal boundary or verbal self defense. Many who have used this as part of their self defense training say they were amazed when they stepped toward a threatening stranger and yelled “Back Off!” in a strong, assertive, projecting voice. And the would-be assailant did just that.
Using pepper sprays can work in the same manner. Just by aiming at a potential attacker and yelling, “I have pepper spray!” can be a deterrent. That’s if it is in your hand at the time.
Pepper sprays are only effective if properly used. Telling your would-be assailant that you have pepper spray… and it’s at the bottom of your purse is not effectively using it, or any weapon or self-defense product, for that matter. Whether its mace, a stun gun, or even your keys, have it readily available, in your hand. More self defense products can be found online at on this great website www.safetyquestproducts.com
Knowing how to use these devices also plays a huge role in protection. You must know how the device works and be familiar with it. How? Practice. Practice. Practice.
When using mace, go outside and shoot a tree. See how the pepper spray really works. See the distance it takes to reach a target. If you’re going to use your keys, pre-plan ahead of time just exactly where on an attacker you would jab them. The eyes and throat are terrific targets. Tell yourself, “I will use this if I feel my life is in danger – No Question.” and without hesitation.
There are places that actually have computer simulated mace practice rooms. They are extremely life-like. These are the same simulation rooms that police and security officials use for their own training. Check with you local law enforcement to see if they are available in your area.
This type of training helps to program the mind during adrenal-stress. Or another form is called Body Alarm Reaction (B.A.R). You must train the mind with a stressful situation or adrenaline response to know just how you will react during an actual confrontation or attack. How you react in a B.A.R. moment will let you know if you’ll hesitate in a life or death situation.
Knowing how verbal self defense works can be a terrific safety tool for woman in preventing them from falling prey to an approach of a stranger. Verbal self defense is also another way to build your confidence in yourself. It allows women to see the power of their voice, the protection they can have from their voice, and to not feel threatened by anyone.
Michelle Annese, “The Diva of Defense™” is a self defense instructor, consultant, speaker, author, and copywriter. With a third degree black belt and inductee into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Ms. Annese is a safety advocate teaching thousands each year in school talks, special events and assemblies in elementary, high schools, and colleges nationwide. She is also the author of the book: “101 Self Defense Strategies” and creator of the programs “Diva Defense Training” and “The SafeGuard System for Kids”. Complete information on Michelle Annese’s books and other services offered is available from her web site annesemartialarts.com annesemartialarts.com
80% of adults in North America will have at least one episode of low-back pain severe enough to lose time from work. It is one of the most common ailments in American society today. In Americans younger than 45 years the most common cause of disability and doctor visits is for back complaints. Although many of these individuals will recover within 7 days, chronic lower back pain continues to rise dramatically. Although low back pain is universal and has been a part of our society forever, low back disability is a more recent epidemic. The cost of low-back pain in the U.S. as a result of time lost from work and disability is estimated to be $75 billion per year.
7 Tips For Reducing Back Pain:
1. Weight Loss
If you are carrying around extra weight, even as little as 10 pounds can put an unhealthy load on your spine contributing to your back pain. Through a consistent and well-planned diet and exercise program you can begin to lose those unwanted pounds and start feeling better about your body.
2. Strengthen The Core of the Body
The “Core” or trunk, consisting of the abdomen and back is the powerhouse of the body where all other movement originates. Pilates-based exercises are a great way to focus on strengthening the deeper core muscles that surround and protect the spine.
3. Improving Flexibility of the Lower Extremities
Stretching exercises designed to stretch and elongate the muscles of the legs and lower back will help to prevent injuries by keeping the muscles supple and flexible. Focus on stretching the hamstrings, quadriceps, and the muscles surrounding the hips.
4. Improve Posture
Your posture while sitting and standing has a huge effect on the pain and stiffness you are feeling in your back and even shoulders and neck area. By strengthening your core musculature along with the muscles of the middle back region you will notice your posture improving as well. Pilates exercises again have been proven to improve posture through strengthening the deeper abdominal muscles.
5. Using Proper Body Mechanics
When bending over or lifting objects from the floor it is important to keep your spine in a safe neutral position with the abdominal muscles contracted. Pilates exercises focus on strengthening the spine while standing, sitting, kneeling, or lying in this neutral position. This is the safest and healthiest way to work, exercise, and play without the risk of injury.
6. Avoid Sitting for Long Periods
Work that involves sitting for long periods of time or driving equipment that vibrates can aggravate the muscles of your back. Make sure you have an ergonomically correct chair and desk space and are sitting upright with your bottom up against the back of the chair and your shoulders stacked up over your hips.
7. Long –Term Exercise Program
Adhering to a regular long term exercise program that involves the aspects mentioned above such as: core strengthening, flexibility, postural exercises, and 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise most days of the week will contribute to a healthier spine and a happier you!
Jennifer Adolfs M.S.S. is a certified Pilates Mat and Equipment instructor through the PhysicalMind Institute. She has specialized in working with musculoskeletal injuries and has developed both a Pilates video and Ebook. They outline special considerations for those affected by back and joint conditions. You can find more articles and information at her web site
A laparoscopic kidney surgery is much easier on the patient than a traditional surgery procedure. Because it requires smaller incisions–often less than a tenth of traditional surgery incisions–recovery time for patients who undergo kidney surgery is greatly reduced. Plus, there are fewer opportunities for infection and less chance of complications. If laparoscopic kidney surgery is appropriate for you, it may be the best option. Your doctor will be able to tell you whether laparoscopic kidney surgery is appropriate in your circumstances, and, if so, whether it actually is the best choice for you.
Because, unfortunately, laparoscopic kidney surgery is not appropriate for everyone. Patients needing a kidney transplant, for example, may not be able to use laparoscopic kidney surgery. There are inroads being made into laparoscopic nephrectomies and laparoscopic donor nephrectomies, but these are not yet common or available in all hospitals. Also, high-risk patients may require traditional open surgery. This includes diabetic patients and obese patients where the patient’s obesity may make it difficult to maintain pneumoperitoneum.
So what exactly is laparoscopic kidney surgery? Rather than creating large incisions that allow the surgeons to directly operate on the kidney, laparoscopic surgery uses a small tube with a camera and small surgical tools to remove tumors and operate on the kidney. In the case of cancer, this may include laparoscopic cryoablation, where tumors on the kidney are frozen. These are typically some of the least invasive surgeries available.
Laparoscopic donor nephrectomies are procedures where living kidney donors can have the kidney to be donated removed via a similar laparoscopic procedure. The extraction is, naturally, somewhat larger than incisions for laparoscopic cryoablation or other laparoscopic kidney surgeries, at 5-6 cm, but still smaller than traditional open surgery incisions, which are approximately 8 to 9 *inches*. The difference, as you can see, is substantial.
What is the difference in rate of survival, or is there one? In fact, patients treated with laparoscopic kidney surgery showed the same rate of survival five years later. As far as actual long term results go, there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference one way or the other. The main difference is in short-term recovery time and hospital stays for the patient; laparoscopic surgery does reduce the time it takes to recover from the actual surgery.
As laparoscopic nephrectomies and laparoscopic donor nephrectomies become more common, they are slowly becoming the kidney surgery of choice for most patients, and they are being offered in more hospitals. In the near future, there is a good chance that most kidney surgery will be performed via laparoscope.
New wrinkle treatment that consist of a series of low-energy treatments with a “plasma skin regeneration tool” to get rid of wrinkles with less healing time. Dermal fillers, a second wrinkle treatment, are used to smooth out wrinkles by stimulating the production of collagen.
A study published in the February issue of Archives of Dermatology noted healing time of low-energy treatments to be an average of approximately five days per treatment.
The procedure is non-surgical and relies on “plasma,” which is a state of matter in which electrons are stripped from atoms to form an ionized gas. Energy from plasma is delivered to skin tissue in short (one millisecond) pulses using a device called “Portrait PSR.” The Portrait PSR is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for multiple low-energy treatments and single, high-energy treatments to remove wrinkles and treat superficial skin lesions like acne scarring.
There were eight volunteers in the study who were administered three full-face, low-energy treatments every three weeks. After three months of treatment, participants had 37 percent fewer wrinkles (as judged by the researchers) and a 68 percent improvement in overall facial appearance (as judged by the patient). Tissue had re-grown over the affected area after four days, and redness last about six days.
Nearly 11.5 million surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States in the year of 2005 (according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery).
Dermal fillers used to smooth out wrinkles work by stimulating the production of collagen is mentioned in the same February issue of Archives of Dermatology. One of the most popular of these fillers is one containing hyaluronic acid. Wrinkles remained smoothed out for six to 12 months.
The filler injections were found to stimulate production of collagen, a major structural protein in the skin that gives youthful skin a nice, smooth appearance. It is believed that this stimulation of collagen using the space-filling substance is the reason for the cosmetic effects.
Researchers feel the filler might be used for skin conditions in which collagen are deficient, for example, in patients who use potent steroids. Although this has not been tested, based upon observations it is possible that it could have use in this area in addition to the cosmetic wrinkle smoothing affects.
What are the fees for cosmetic plastic surgery and will insurance plans pay?
You generally have to pay for cosmetic plastic surgery prior to the surgery. The cost depends on the complexity of the operation, where the surgery takes place and what kind of anesthetic is used.
As a general rule, cosmetic plastic surgery is considered “elective surgery.” It is generally not covered by insurance plans.
When choosing a doctor, never choose solely on the basis of lower cost. Always check to see if the doctor is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and has membership in ASAPS. Be sure you feel comfortable with the plastic surgeon you choose regardless of the fee.
Where is cosmetic plastic surgery performed?
• An accredited office-based surgery facility
• Free-standing ambulatory surgery facility
• Hospital
If your surgery will be performed outside of the hospital, be sure your doctor has privileges to perform the same procedure in an accredited hospital. An ASAPS-member surgeon is qualified for such privileges.
What are the risks and/or complications of cosmetic plastic surgery?
• Adverse reaction to anesthetic
• Postoperative complications
All surgeries have risks. Cosmetic plastic surgery is no different. There are thousands of successful operations each week. Complications can occur even when the surgeon has performed the operation perfectly and with the utmost of skill. An ASAPS-member plastic surgeon is the best source of all information as it relates to your particular surgery.
Is recovering from cosmetic surgery difficult?
• For most cosmetic plastic surgical procedures, you will need to restrict your normal activities for a time after surgery
• It takes time for the visible signs of healing to subside
• Plan work and social activities to allow sufficient time for recovery
Source: February Issue of Archives of Dermatology; The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
Disclaimer: *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem. Always consult with your health care provider about any kind of a health problem.
This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. Written 2-2007
Author: Connie Limon. Please visit us at nutritionandhealthhub.com nutritionandhealthhub.com and sign up for our weekly health and nutrition tip. Articles are FREE to publish to your newsletters, website or blog.
In considering total cholesterol, the most common number you will be given will be your total blood cholesterol. While this reveals the amount of cholesterol in your blood, this is not the whole story.
Other factors are important, such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and the ratio between your total and HDL cholesterol.
If you are wondering how certain numbers are arrived at or how to calculate total cholesterol, most tests actually measure:
Blood cholesterol
LDL cholesterol
HDL cholesterol
Triglycerides
Guidelines suggest that if you are at higher risk for heart disease or stroke, your target levels should be lower for LDL and for your total cholesterol to HDL ratio.
What numbers are relevant if you are wondering how to calculate total cholesterol?
Total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL
Your LDL should be less than 130 mg/dL
Your HDL should be 60 or higher
Your total cholesterol/HDL ratio should be less than 5.0
Your triglycerides should be less than 150
Who Should Be Tested?
Men over 40
Women over 50
Post-menopausal women
Diabetics
Those with high blood pressure
People who are obese (especially in the abdominal area)
Men having erectile difficulties
Smokers
Persons who have an inherited genetic predisposition
When deciding upon target levels for you, your doctor will take into consideration your age, gender, blood pressure, and whether you smoke or have diabetes. These are all factors that might increase your risk of heart attack or stroke.
In undertaking how to calculate total cholesterol, tests will help your doctor to determine amounts and what steps may be needed to safeguard your coronary health. Your doctor will discuss lifestyle changes or use of medication to bring about necessary adjustments to blood levels.
In evaluating your total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio, it is important to remember that HDL aids the body in eliminating cholesterol. Adopting habits that boost levels of HDL can make a significant difference.
When considering healthy-cholesterol-guide.com/ldl_cholesterol.html how to calculate total cholesterol, it may also be helpful to remember that another ratio is LDL/HDL. This is actually a purer ratio because LDL is a measure of bad cholesterol and HDL is a measure of good cholesterol. Accordingly, lifestyle changes should also seek to lower LDL levels.
Finally, total cholesterol is the sum of HDL, LDL, and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). Indeed, adding up the HDL, LDL and VLDL makes up the total cholesterol measurement.
Heart-Friendly Tips For Managing HDL And LDL
Eat white meat and reduce or eliminate consumption of red meats
Remove skin and fat from chicken
Switch to low-fat dairy products, dressings, and mayonnaise
Make eating grains, fruit, and vegetables a regular part of your eating plan
Include seeds and nuts
Eat beans
Consume fatty fish
Switch to olive, nut, or seed oils
Other Lifestyle Changes
Exercise regularly
Reduce stress
Stop smoking
Cut down on coffee
Other strategies include using natural remedies to balance and correct undesirable cholesterol levels. Plant compounds can be as effective or exceed statin drugs. Plant phytochemicals, polyphenols, sterols, flavonoids, catechins (antioxidant plant metabolites), and oils render significant beneficial effects, without the risk of unwanted and painful reactions associated with cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Policosanol is derived from sugar cane and is known to reduce LDL and raise HDL; lecithin oil is used for treatment of high cholesterol; vitamin E is used for treating atherosclerosis; oryzanol rice bran oil contains beneficial phytosterols (phytochemicals) with their cholesterol-lowering properties. In fact, many products are now being enriched with phytosterols.
Another substance is green tea, which has been used for its medicinal properties for centuries. It is chock full of beneficial catechin polyphenols. Research reveals that green tea lowers total cholesterol levels and improves the ratio of good (HDL) to bad (LDL). It also inhibits abnormal formation of blood clots, which is significant because thrombosis is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.
Making lifestyle changes and using natural substances can be safe approaches to managing blood cholesterol levels and safeguarding your health. Always seek out appropriate medical advice.
Athlyn Green is an avid health enthusiast with an interest in natural remedies for treatment of health disorders. She has contributed to healthy-cholesterol-guide.com Total Cholesterol, a section of healthy-cholesterol-guide.com healthy-cholesterol-guide.com dedicated to natural treatments for high cholesterol and heart disease prevention.
Parkinson’s disease tends to be a very frightening disease to be diagnosed with. Knowing what it is and what the symptoms are will help you to catch it in the early stages and begin treatment right away.
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
When brain cells (neurons) deteriorate, Parkinson’s disease is the result. It is considered a chronic condition, as opposed to acute, because it has no cure and doesn’t go away by itself. It is also a degenerative disease, meaning that it breaks down the body of the person it attacks. Muscle control is lost due to a lack of dopamine in the brain and, because of this, a difficulty in walking, coordination, and severe shaking develop.
Characteristics and Signs of Parkinson’s
Some of the signs of Parkinson’s to look out for include:
• Tremors or Trembling: for nearly three quarters of patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the appearance of tremors or trembling is the first noticeable symptom.
• Muscle stiffness -Parkinson’s patients experiencing stiffness or rigidity may not notice any other symptoms of this characteristic. In fact, the person may not even notice the signs of rigidity unless a physician notes it during a physical examination.
The presence of physical rigidity, such as decreased arm swing, is especially useful in helping medical personnel establish a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
This may also include ‘Freezing’ which is the sudden inability to move when you want to , a foot on one side starts to drag, and difficulty walking through doorways and hallways.
• Lacking coordination
• Difficulty maintaining balance
• Difficulty controlling facial muscles – Akinesia and bradykinesia – these characteristics may manifest themselves in the face, for example, as reduced facial expression, infrequent blinking, and slow swallowing resulting in increased saliva secretion, and occasionally, drooling.
A person with Parkinson’s disease may also notice a change in his or her voice: it may become low and monotone, with little or no inflection. Akinesia and bradykinesia may also appear as trouble executing certain movements, and increased slowness when movements are attempted or executed.
• Talking more quietly
• Raspy voice
• Difficulty with motor skills – The result is lessened in fine motor skills dexterity and may mean the person with Parkinson’s may require help with everyday tasks such as shaving, tying laces, fastening buttons, and handwriting.
• Oily skin and dandruff – Seborrheic dermatitis: Parkinson’s patients may notice that they have developed greasier skin, especially around the nose and eyebrows, and a greasier scalp. This symptom is usually accompanied by increased sweating.
• Non-specific sensory symptoms – Unusual sensory feelings such as numbness, pain, burning sensation, restlessness and fatigue can also be indicators of Parkinson’s disease.
• Depression and senility, as well as dementia, are secondary symptoms of Parkinson’s.
Feeling anxious, angry, discouraged or downright depressed is common as the brain is undergoing a number of chemical changes. Approximately 40-70 percent of Parkinson’s sufferers experience depression at times, while 20 percent of these are considered a major depressive disorder.
Anxiety or panic attacks are common psychological elements of the disease as well. An average of 70 percent of people who have pre-existing depression also develop anxiety whereas 90 percent who first experience anxiety fall victim to depression.
Dementia is evidenced in 20-30 percent of sufferers and this gradual decline first starts with slowness in thought and advances to a difficulty in properly organizing thoughts.
In Closing
In most cases, only one side of the body will be affected in the early stages of the disease, and the hands and feet are the most likely area where tremors will first be noticed.
One symptom does not mean that you have Parkinson’s. It usually arrives in the form of a combination of symptoms over a prolonged period.
If you have concerns, consult your doctor.
Get The Information About Parkinson’s By Going to
4HealthConcerns.com/Parkinsons Symptoms and Signs of Parkinsons.
