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When To Call a Doctor ?

Call 911 or other emergency services if:

* A baby younger than 3 months has a high fever.
* You are having trouble breathing or feel very short of breath.
* You have a severe headache or stiff neck and are confused or having trouble staying awake.

Call your doctor if:

* You have an extremely high fever.
* Your fever lasts for longer than 3 days.
* You are finding it harder and harder to breathe.
* Wheezing develops.
* New pain develops or pain localizes to one area, such as an ear, the throat, the chest, or the sinuses.
* Symptoms persist in spite of home treatment.
* Symptoms become more severe or frequent.

Watchful Waiting

In most healthy people, the flu will go away in 5 to 7 days, although fatigue can last much longer. Although you may feel very sick, home treatment is usually all that is needed. If it is flu season, you may just want to treat your symptoms at home. Watch closely for symptoms of a bacterial infection, such as nasal drainage that changes from clear to colored after 5 to 7 days and symptoms that return or get worse.

Early treatment (within 48 hours of your first symptoms) with antiviral medicines may reduce the severity of influenza and may prevent serious flu-related complications.2 Babies, older adults, and people who have chronic health problems are more likely to have complications from the flu, and they may need to see a doctor for care beyond home treatment. But not all antiviral medicines work against all strains of the flu. Talk to your doctor if you think you may need an antiviral medicine.

Call your doctor if you think your symptoms are caused by something other than the flu.

What is hearing loss?

Hearing loss is a sudden or gradual decrease in how well you can hear. Depending on the cause, it can range from mild to severe and can be reversible, temporary, or permanent. Hearing loss is also known as hearing impairment, which includes being born without hearing (congenital hearing loss). This topic focuses only on gradual hearing loss.

Gradual hearing loss affects people of all ages and is the third most common long-term (chronic) health problem in older Americans.1 It affects up to 40% of people age 65 and older and up to 80% of people older than 85.2

If you have hearing loss, you may not be aware of it, especially if it has developed gradually. Your family members or friends may be the first to notice. For example, they may notice that you are having difficulty understanding what people are saying, especially when many people are talking at the same time or there is background noise, such as a radio playing.

Hearing loss can affect what and how much you do in the workplace and at home and can also affect your personal safety. Because it may result in less social interaction, hearing loss may contribute to loneliness, depression, and loss of independence. However, hearing aids and other devices are available to help you hear.
What causes hearing loss?

In adults, the most common causes of hearing loss are:

* Noise. Noise-induced hearing loss can affect people of all ages and most often develops gradually over many years. Over a long period of time, the noise you experience at work, during recreation (such as listening to very loud music), or even during common chores (such as using a power lawn mower) can lead to hearing loss.
* Age. In age-related hearing loss (presbycusis), changes in the inner ear that occur as you grow older cause a gradual but steady hearing loss. The loss may be mild or severe, but it is always permanent.

Other causes of hearing loss include earwax buildup, an object in the ear, injury to the ear or head, ear infection, a ruptured eardrum, and other conditions that affect the middle or inner ear.
What are the symptoms?

Common symptoms of hearing loss include muffled hearing and a feeling that your ear is plugged. You may have difficulty understanding what people are saying, and you may listen to the television or radio at higher volume than in the past and avoid conversation and interaction with other people. Other symptoms may include ringing, roaring, hissing, or buzzing in the ear (tinnitus). Or you may have ear pain, itching, or irritation, or fluid leaking from the ear. You may also have a feeling that you or your surroundings are moving when there is no movement (vertigo).
How is hearing loss diagnosed?

Your doctor will diagnose hearing loss by asking questions about your symptoms and past health and by doing a physical exam. If your doctor thinks you have hearing loss, he or she may use a "whisper" test or tuning fork to test your hearing. If these tests suggest or show hearing loss, your doctor will do a more complete hearing (audiologic) test to see whether you have hearing loss, how severe the loss is, and which part of the ear is affected.
How is it treated?

You treat noise-induced or age-related hearing loss by using hearing devices (such as hearing aids) and learning how to live with reduced hearing, such as paying attention to people's gestures, facial expressions, posture, and tone of voice. In other types of hearing loss, treating the problem that caused the hearing loss, such as removing earwax or taking medicine for an infection, results in the return of normal hearing.
Can you prevent hearing loss?

You can prevent noise-related hearing loss by avoiding loud noise such as that made by machines in the workplace, power tools, very loud music, and very loud motorcycles. Wear hearing protection, such as earplugs or earmuffs, if necessary. To protect yourself from hearing loss because of injury, avoid putting objects in your ear, wear seat belts when you drive, and wear helmets when you bike, ski, or participate in similar activities in which there is the potential for ear injury.

What is naturopathic medicine?

Naturopathic medicine (or naturopathy) is based on the belief that the body can heal itself naturally. Naturopathic medicine attempts to improve health, prevent disease, and treat illness by promoting the use of organic foods and exercise; encouraging a healthy, balanced lifestyle; and applying concepts and treatments from other areas of complementary medicine (such as ayurveda, homeopathy, and herbal therapies).

Naturopathy was developed in the late 1800s in the United States. Today, a licensed naturopathic doctor (ND) attends a 4-year, graduate-level naturopathic medical school and studies the same basic sciences as a medical doctor (MD). However, the ND also studies alternative approaches to therapy, such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, and bodywork.

Most traditional naturopathic physicians (naturopaths) believe in natural therapies, such as nutritional and lifestyle counseling. They generally avoid prescribing medicines or performing surgery. Some naturopaths prescribe herbal medicines, homeopathic dilutions, nutritional supplements, or perform minor surgeries. The disagreement over specific practice guidelines and licensing requirements in different states has led to some public confusion about the role of the naturopath.
What is naturopathy used for?

People use naturopathic medicine for promoting good health, preventing disease, and treating illness. Most naturopaths can treat earaches, allergies, and other common medical problems. Naturopathic medicine tries to find the underlying cause of the condition rather than focusing solely on treating symptoms. A properly trained naturopathic physician works with other health professionals, referring people to other practitioners for diagnosis or treatment when appropriate.
Is naturopathy safe?

Two common concerns about naturopathic medicine are the use of dietary fasting and a bias against immunization (vaccinations).

* Talk with your medical doctor before fasting (not eating or drinking, or consuming only liquids for a period of time). Fasting can be dangerous, especially if you have a disease such as diabetes.
* Some naturopaths do not believe that immunization is necessary. Before immunizations became available, childhood illnesses caused large numbers of deaths and long-term health problems but provided survivors with natural immunity. The benefits of immunization greatly outweigh the risks.1

Always tell your doctor if you are using an alternative therapy or if you are thinking about combining an alternative therapy with your conventional medical treatment. It may not be safe to forgo your conventional medical treatment and rely only on an alternative therapy.

Naturopathy licensing varies from state to state. Not all states require naturopaths to be licensed. Also, not all naturopathic educational programs are the same. Some schools grant degrees that are not accepted by state licensing boards. In the United States, the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) is the only agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit naturopathic programs and colleges.

Before you choose a naturopath, find out whether the person graduated from an accredited college. Also check to see whether your state has licensing laws that govern the practice of NDs. If your state licenses NDs, ask your prospective ND whether he or she is licensed.

Just forget what your mom told you: A glass of warm milk before bed might actually keep you up, rather than lull you to sleep. See, the protein in the milk will boost alertness--and unless it's skim, the fat will slow your digestion, making your rest more fitful. Not exactly the best shut-eye remedy. (Sorry, mom.)

Nothing makes it harder to fall asleep than knowing how important it is to fall asleep. So when the pressure's on, try chowing down on one of these snacks before bedtime to ensure some serious shut-eye; they're all hand-picked and approved by the Eat This, Not That! nutrition team. These 8 sleep-better foods and drinks have been shown to induce feel-good relaxation chemicals, calming your nerves and slowing your racing brain. You can thank us ... tomorrow morning--after a long, restful night.


NONFAT POPCORN
Pop a bag half an hour before bedtime: The carbs will induce your body to create serotonin, a neurochemical that makes you feel relaxed. Skipping the butter-fat will slow the process of boosting those feel-good chemicals, and, as mentioned above, will also slow digestion in general.


OATMEAL WITH SLICED BANANA
Sleep is inspired by the hormone melatonin, but stress or excitement can disrupt melatonin's release. Bring your brain back down to earth by whipping up a bowl of instant oatmeal and topping it with a sliced banana, which is rich in melatonin.

Related: Something else that helps you sleep: A good workout, early in the day. Click here for the upgraded Men's Health iPhone app. You'll always have workouts on hand!


1 CUP OF PLAIN YOGURT WITH 2 TABLESPOONS MIXED NUTS
Scientists in Slovakia gave people either 3 grams each of two amino acids (lysine and arginine) or a placebo and asked them to deliver a speech. Blood measurements of stress hormones revealed that the amino acid-fortified speakers were half as anxious during and after the speech as those who took the placebo. Yogurt is one of the best food sources of lysine; nuts pack tons of arginine. Because both contain alertness-inducing protein, you're best off eating this combo a few hours before bed (or even at midday, before a big, stressful presentation at work). It'll reduce the residual stress you feel later in the evening, meaning you won't replay your day over and over again in your head as you try to fall asleep.


A PILE OF SESAME SEEDS
Sesame seeds are one of the best natural sources of tryptophan, the sleep-inducing amino acid responsible for all of those post-Thanksgiving turkey comas. Hold off on the turkey sammies, though-the protein in the turkey might offset the tryptophan's benefit.


A HANDFUL OF PRETZELS
Pretzels are a low-calorie, low-fat source of carbohydrates, which will make you feel sleepy, but won't pack on the pounds or give you belly-aching indigestion.

Related: Check out which pretzel made it onto our list of the 125 Healthiest Supermarket Foods in America.


1 GLASS OF WINE
It's called a "nightcap" for a reason--a glass of wine really does take the edge off. University of Toronto researchers discovered that one alcoholic drink caused people's blood vessels to relax--but two began to reverse the effects, so limit your intake. Relaxed blood vessels means lower blood pressure, slower heart rate, and greater ability to relax in general.


A 4-OZ GLASS OF UNSWEETENED CHERRY JUICE
Cherry juice has serotonin-inducing carbohydrates, which will help relax you. Down the cherry juice an hour before bedtime, in case you feel a small jolt of energy from the sugar. There's not enough to keep you up all night or destabilize your blood sugar levels.


RED BELL PEPPERS
Researchers at the University of Alabama fed rats 200 milligrams of vitamin C twice a day and found that it nearly stopped the secretion of cortisol, a hormone released in your body when you're stressed. Calorie for calorie, red bell peppers give you more vitamin C than any other fruit or vegetable.

And for more great advice like this, get the next book in the best-selling series: Eat This, Not That! 2010 Edition. It's completely updated and expanded to include all of the latest restaurant and supermarket foods! Sign up for your free Eat This, Not That newsletter--with daily no-diet weight-loss tips delivered straight to your inbox, losing weight has never been easier.

Weight loss starts with shopping. Taking control of what you eat begins with taking control of what you buy.

Every time you toss a low-calorie food into the cart, you're taking responsibility for losing weight—even before you sit down to a meal.

There's a very simple formula for low-calorie eating: Stock up on low-calorie staples. These are the basic packaged, canned, and frozen ingredients that you'll reach for to create tasty, healthful, low-calorie meals anytime.

The Picture Perfect Anytime List is a menu of the lowest-calorie produce, soups, sauces, condiments, marinades, dressings, dips, candies, desserts, and beverages available. Stuff your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer with them, and reach for them anytime. Feel free to go to the foods on the Anytime List when you want a snack or are planning a meal. Eat any amount of them for any reason. When the Anytime List becomes the core of your eating—in other words, the main dish around which you build your meals—you'll have no trouble staying thin for life.

The Anytime List
Fruits and vegetables
All fruits and vegetables—raw, cooked, fresh, frozen, canned—belong on the Picture Perfect Anytime List. Avoid any packaged fruits that have added sugar. Otherwise, the more fruits and vegetables you eat, the better.

Soups
You've heard of value for your money. Soups give you very good value for the calories. They are filling; a bowl of soup can be an entire meal. They are satisfying. For many people, they are more satisfying than raw vegetables, while many give you all the benefits of veggies (if you choose the soups chock full of vegetables). They are inexpensive, convenient, easy, and quick to make. Soups don't make you feel like you're on a diet. Above all, soups are versatile. They can serve as a snack, as part of a meal, or as a cooking ingredient.

Sauces, Condiments, and Marinades
Put the following items at the very top of your shopping list. They're invaluable for adding flavor, moisture, texture, and versatility to every food and every meal.
# Salad dressings: oil-free or low-calorie (light or lite)
# Mayonnaise: fat-free or light
# Sour cream and yogurt: fat-free, plain, or with NutraSweet (or low-fat nondairy substitutes)
# Mustards: Dijon, Pommery, and others
# Tomato puree, tomato paste, and tomato sauce
# Clam juice, tomato juice, V8 juice, and lemon or lime juice
# Butter Buds or Molly McButter
# Cooking sprays (such as Pam) in butter, olive oil, garlic, or lemon flavors
# Vinegars: balsamic, cider, wine, tarragon, and others
# Horseradish: red and white
# Sauces: salsa, cocktail sauce, tamari, soy sauce, A1, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, ketchup, duck sauce, chutney, relish, and others
# Onion: fresh, juice, flakes, and powder
# Garlic: fresh, juice, flakes, and powder
# Herbs: any and all, including basil, oregano, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, dill, chives, sage, and bay leaves
# Spices: any and all, including cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cumin, nutmeg, coriander, curry, paprika, and allspice
# Extracts: vanilla, almond, peppermint, maple, coconut, cocoa powder, and others

Dressings and Dips
I recommend fat-free or light dressings and dips. The light category—low-fat, reduced-fat, and low-calorie—is midway between totally fat-free and regular, and it's often more pleasing to the palate than fat-free.

Dressings can be used as all-purpose condiments, dips, toppings, even cooking liquids. They already contain a mixture of ingredients, so just slather them on vegetables, seafood, and pretty much anything else. Or cook with them to make up for the lack of butter or oil.

I recommend keeping several varieties of dressings and dips on hand, including at least one creamy version. Try brushing a light creamy dressing on seafood, then broiling; the dressing adds moisture and flavor.

Candy
Yup, candy. The real thing—not the dietetic variety—is best when your sweet tooth starts aching. Dietetic candies have almost as many calories as regular candies, often lack flavor, and are an incentive to eat more. Stick to the real thing.
# Chewing gum or gum balls: any and all
# Hard candy: any and all, including sour balls, candy canes, lollipops such as Tootsie Pops or Blow Pops, Jolly Ranchers, Werther's Original, and TasteTations

Frozen Desserts
Any fat-free frozen yogurt, frozen nondairy substitute, or sorbet is a fine addition to the freezer. Try the lower-calorie choices. Here are some examples:
# Soft serve: up to 25 calories per ounce, including Skimpy Treat; TCBY, Colombo nonfat frozen yogurt, and Tofutti
# Hard pack: up to 115 calories per 1/2-cup serving, including Sharon's Sorbet, Low-Fat Tofutti, all Italian ices, and Sweet Nothings
# Frozen bars: Creamsicles, Fudgsicles, and Popsicles; any others containing up to 45 calories per bar, including Welch's Fruit Juice Bars, Weight Watchers Smart Ones Orange Vanilla Treats, Tofutti Chocolate Fudge Treats, Weight Watchers Smart Ones Chocolate Mousse, Dolly Madison Slender Treat Chocolate Mousse, and Yoplait
# Individually packaged frozen bars: up to 110 calories each, including FrozFruit, Hagen-Dazs bars, and Starbucks Frappuccino Blended Coffee Bars

Beverages
Avoid beverages labeled "naturally sweetened" or "fruit-juice sweetened," but help yourself to these:
# Unsweetened black coffees and teas
# Diet teas and juices: Crystal Light, Diet Snapple, Diet Natural Lemon Nestea, Diet Mistic, and others
# Noncaloric flavored waters: orange, chocolate, cream, cherry-chocolate, root beer, cola, and other flavors of bottled or filtered water
# Seltzer: plain or flavored, but check the calorie count if the product is labeled "naturally sweetened," since this usually means that the product has sugar in one form or another
# Hot cocoa mixes: 20 to 50 calories per serving, including Swiss Miss Diet and Fat-Free and Nestle Carnation Diet and Fat-Free; avoid cocoa mixes with 60 or more calories per serving

Let's Go Shopping
Today's supermarkets are filled with choices for the weight conscious. Here are some of the lowest-calorie choices for a variety of food categories that aren't covered in the Anytime List.

Cereals
# Cheerios: a whole grain cereal with 110 calories and 3 g fiber per cup
# Kellogg's All-Bran with Extra Fiber: 50 calories and 15 g fiber per 1/2 cup
# Original Shredded Wheat: 80 calories and 2.5 g fiber per biscuit
# Fiber One: 60 calories and 14 g fiber per 1/2 cup
# Wheaties: 110 calories and 2 g fiber per cup
# Whole Grain Total: 110 calories and 3 g fiber per 3/4 cup

Spreads
# Peanut butter
# Low-sugar or sugar-free jams and jellies with 10 to 40 calories per tablespoon

Breads
# Light breads with 40 to 45 calories per slice: oatmeal, premium white, wheat, rye, multigrain, sourdough, Italian
# Whole grain regular breads or rolls

Rice and Pasta
# Whole wheat/whole grain pastas: Hodgson Mill, Ancient Harvest
# Brown rice
# Whole wheat couscous
# Pearled or hulled barley
# Other whole grains: quinoa, whole grain cornmeal, kasha, bulgur, millet

Frozen Meals
# Low-calorie frozen breakfast foods such as those from Kellogg's, Aunt Jemima, and Pillsbury—and a special mention for the low-calorie, whole grain offerings from Van's
# Low-calorie, vegetable-focused frozen meals in the 150- to 350-calories-per-package range, especially the Amy's brand

Beans
# All beans, dried or canned
# Health Valley canned bean/chili combinations
# Low-fat or fat-free refried beans

Snacks
# Make it a point to eat starchy, crunchy snacks only in conjunction with a food from the Anytime List. For example, have fruit with popcorn or soup with crackers. Fill up on the former, and go easy on the starchy snack.

Protein Foods
# Legumes: beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas
# Soy products: bean curd/tofu, meat-replacement products by Boca, Gardenburger, Yves, and Lightlife
# Seafood: fresh (do not fry!), smoked, canned, frozen

Hair loss that is caused by medicines, stress, lack of protein or iron, or hair care may be prevented. Avoiding certain medicines, reducing stress, getting adequate protein and iron in your diet, and using hairstyles that do not damage your hair may reduce or prevent hair loss.

You may have seen recent news reports about Sheryl Crow's advice to limit toilet paper use to one square at a time to help protect the environment.

Recent controversy about the safety of ingredients in some skin care products - hydroquinone and paraben, for instance - and their effect on the environment caused some to take a fresh look at organic skin care products.

Many of my patients choose organic products just to be on the safe side. The USDA enacted new organic standards for skin and body care in August 2005. If a product contains 95 percent organic ingredients, it can be labeled "organic."

If it only contains 75 percent to 94 percent organic ingredients, then it is labeled as "made with organic ingredients." For skin care ingredients to be labeled organic, they have to follow the same rules that foods do. These rules require manufacturers to avoid using prohibited pesticides and fertilizers, and employ positive soil building, conservation, manure management, and crop rotation practices.

I am not convinced that organic ingredients are always better for your skin, but you may be inclined to consider them for several reasons. Organic products aim to exclude or minimize any ingredients that could be considered potentially harmful to people, animals, waterways, or the environment.

Organic products often are sold in recyclable containers. If more people buy organic skin care products, then more companies will begin to supply these products. I invite you to share your favorite organic skin care products.

Have you ever carefully applied your favorite lipstick ... only to look in a mirror an hour later and discover that it's bleeding through the edges of your lips?

There are ways to slow the signs of lip aging! Time and time again, I've encountered patients and friends who invest tons of time and money in skin care - only to virtually ignore their lips. Don't make that mistake.

1. If you smoke, stop! The repeated action of pursing your lips around a cigarette creates "wrinkles in motion," that is, wrinkles caused by repeatedly moving your skin a certain way. Eventually, those wrinkles will remain even when your lips are at rest.

2. For that same reason, limit your use of drinking straws and anything else that causes you to repeatedly purse your lips.

3. When you're slathering SPF on the rest of your body, it can be easy to forget your lips. If your signature shade of lipstick isn't sun-friendly, always start with a base of SPF lip balm.

4. In fact, the lips are a very common site for skin cancer because they don't naturally secrete vitamin E-rich sebum - the oil that helps protect your skin. Pick up a bottle of vitamin E oil or lip balm with vitamin E. Not only will it help protect your pout against skin cancer, it will also prevent the signs of aging.

5. If your lips feel flaky, it's perfectly fine to exfoliate them, although there's no need to exfoliate on a regular basis. Use a fine scrub (nothing too abrasive), and be sure to follow it with a hydrating product. In addition to vitamin E, I love glycerin-based balms, which will help lips hold on to water.

6. Curious about "lip plumping" glosses? In general, they do work - by irritating the delicate skin on the lips and causing them to swell slightly. (They're not dangerous, but a word of warning: When I tried one, my lips burned for an hour, even though I'd washed it off immediately!)

7. If you're really interested in plumper lips, consider dermal fillers. Contrary to common fears, the latest dermal fillers (like Restylane, Juvederm, Hylaform, and the newly approved Perlane) can look very natural when a skilled doctor performs the procedure. Ask him or her to go easy on you - a little goes a very long way when it comes to lips.

Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration approved for the first time a drug-free product for the treatment of baldness in males with androgenetic alopecia, a progressive, diffuse, symmetric loss of scalp hair.

The Hairmax Lasercomb®, a hand-held laser device manufactured by Lexington International, is sold on the Internet for $545. According to the company, as the device is drawn through the hair, its laser beam strikes the scalp to promote new hair growth.

In light of this new product, here are a few myths about hair growth and loss to consider.

1) Shaving the hair on your face or legs makes it grow faster. This myth has caused many a young boy to delay that first shave and has struck fear into the hearts of young ladies concerned about hair on their legs.

2) Frequent brushing is good for the hair. Excessive brushing can in fact damage the hair.

3) Brushing can make thinning hair fall out more quickly. Genetic factors are the major determinants of when hair loss begins and how rapidly it progresses.

4) Tight hats cause baldness. In fact, it's a good idea to wear a hat while at the beach. A heavily sun-burned scalp can speed hair loss.

5) Taking frequent showers causes baldness.

6) A frightening experience can turn hair gray or white almost overnight.

7) Dandruff is contagious. Not true, but you can get some nasty critters from using another person's comb.

8) Split ends can be repaired without cutting them off.

9) Hair should not be washed every day.

10) Baldness is inherited from the mother's side of the family.

11) It is harmful to color your hair during pregnancy. Although most experts agree that the fetus cannot be hurt if the mother colors her hair during pregnancy, some doctors disagree - so it's best ask your obstetrician.

12) Straightening the hair can lead to breast cancer.

13) Going to sleep with wet hair can cause scalp infections.

14) Hair shouldn't be combed when it is wet.

15) For thick shiny hair, eat a diet rich in protein and iron.

Many women become depressed while they are pregnant, or shortly after the baby is born.

The U.S. National Women's Health Information Center says these factors increase the likelihood of developing depression during or after pregnancy:

* Having been depressed or had another mental illness prior to pregnancy.
* Having a family history of depression or other mental illness.
* Getting inadequate support from loved ones.
* Feeling anxious or negative about being pregnant.
* Having had problems with a prior pregnancy.
* Dealing with financial or marital problems, or other major life stresses.
* Being pregnant at a young age.
* Abusing drugs or alcohol.

Introduction

This information will help you understand your choices, whether you share in the decision-making process or rely on your doctor's recommendation.
Key points in making your decision

Insomnia can be caused by other conditions such as stress, menopause, depression, anxiety, or old age. Sleep problems like sleep apnea, addictions like alcoholism, and using too much caffeine can also cause insomnia. After you and your doctor have treated other health problems leading to your insomnia, there are many steps you can take to break the cycle of sleeping poorly and feeling tired during the day. One of these steps may be to take sleeping pills.

Consider the following when making your decision:

* Sleeping pills may quickly relieve the symptoms of insomnia.
* Sleep medicines work best and are safest as a short-term treatment combined with lifestyle changes.
* You can try sleeping pills for a short time while you work on the problems that are causing your insomnia.
* Some sleep medicines have side effects, such as daytime drowsiness and nausea.
* Sleeping pills may not work as well when your body gets used to the medicines.
* You can become addicted to some types of sleeping pills if you take them for more than a few weeks.
* You may have withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking the medicines.
* Lifestyle and behavior changes can work as well as or better than medicines in helping you fall asleep and stay asleep.

Medical Information
What is insomnia?

People with insomnia have problems falling asleep or staying asleep. You may wake up during the night or wake up too early the next morning. Without enough sleep, you may feel sleepy during the day. This can make you more likely to have an accident, and it also makes driving dangerous. You may feel grumpy from lack of sleep. Some people have trouble remembering things, don't get as much done, and don't enjoy being with family and friends. Some people use caffeine to help them get over feeling tired, but this may make their insomnia worse.

Insomnia is a common problem that affects almost everyone at some point. Having trouble sleeping from time to time is often linked to short-term stress. It can last for days to weeks. It often gets better in less than a month.

But insomnia can turn into a long-term sleep problem, especially when you worry about not sleeping well. This is called chronic insomnia. It is often a symptom of another health problem, such as depression or chronic pain. Chronic insomnia is less common than short-term sleep problems.
How can sleeping pills help?

Sleep medicines may provide fast relief from the symptoms of insomnia. They can help you break the cycle of poor sleep quality and daytime fatigue while you work on the problems that are causing your insomnia. Sleeping pills can also be helpful when you just have trouble now and then falling asleep. But they work best as a short-term treatment.

There are different types of sleeping pills. Talk to your doctor about your choices.
What are the risks of taking sleeping pills?

Sleeping pills do not work as well over time as do lifestyle and behavior changes, such as getting more exercise and changing your sleep environment, your schedule, or what and when you eat and drink. Sleeping pills can also become habit-forming. You may come to rely on them so much that you can't sleep without them.

When you take sleeping pills, you may have side effects such as feeling anxious or sick to your stomach (nauseated) or feeling sleepy or drowsy during the day.

Medicine works best and is safest as a short-term treatment combined with lifestyle changes. In the long run, lifestyle changes are the most helpful treatment for insomnia.

When so much is uncertain in the world around us, it is natural for our anxieties to rise and our emotions to fluctuate. But when your emotions run wild, the imbalance can spell trouble for your long-term health. Read on for 6 natural ways to get grounded and balance your emotions.

The Chinese healing tradition classifies emotion into five predominant states: joy, rumination (including worry), sadness, fear, and anger. Experiencing these emotions is a normal part of life, and you usually shift naturally from one to the next in reaction to events that pop up in your day. However, when one single emotion dominates, it brings your entire body out of balance and can produce illness. Learning to manage your emotions is essential for your happiness, health, and longevity.

1. A nerve-calming neurotransmitter
A healthy brain has a balanced chemistry that can cope more effectively with emotional stress. Some neurotransmitters in the brain excite the nerves, while others have a calming effect. One such neurotransmitter, GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) is a chemical that is especially helpful when emotional turmoil strikes. As the primary neurotransmitter for calming nerve signals, it prevents anxiety-related messages from reaching the brain. However, over time the body's production of the chemical wanes, and when you have low levels of GABA, you may begin to feel an increase in anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and depression. When you take it as a dietary supplement, pair it with vitamin B6, which helps your body use the GABA.

2. Herbal therapy for balance
The liver is thought to be the seat of emotional expression according to Chinese medicine. When healthy, the liver network naturally balances your emotional state and releases suppressed emotions. A blockage of liver energy can manifest as depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. Some herbs that can give the liver an added boost are:

* Dandelion cleanses the liver and helps release built-up anger.
* Milk thistle protects and restores the liver.
* Schisandra berry protects the liver and soothes emotional anxiety.
* Chrysanthemum flower is used to cleanse the liver and neutralize toxins.
* White peony root is a Chinese herb often used to soothe the liver and balance the mood.

These herbs are available from health food stores and Eastern medicine practitioners. Consider trying our formula Internal Cleanse, which lifts emotional stagnation and promotes liver health.

3. Exercise releases pent-up emotions
When people do not use a healthy outlet to release emotions, they are stored in the body and can eventually result in physical pain. Common symptoms that may point to trapped feelings in your body are pains in the back, neck, shoulders, jaw area, or stomach, congestion in the ear or nose, a lump in your throat, chest tightness, or shortness of breath. Often unrecognized as pent-up emotions, these blockages may cause more serious harm to your health down the road—manifesting as chronic pain or even growths. Free negative emotions and use massage therapy, exercise, yoga, tai chi, or qi gong to get your energy flowing freely.

4. Take a time-out
Every parent can pinpoint when their children are about to have an emotional breakdown—they are overtired, hungry, and hurried. Unfortunately, adults do not consider the impact of stress on their own emotional lives. Rest and relaxation are essential for emotional balance. Just as junior has restful activities scheduled like story-time or naptime, create some of your own relaxing rituals. Take a bath in Epsom salts, scent the air with lavender, or read quietly in a calm corner.

5. Keep a journal
One of the best ways to work with your emotions is also one of the simplest. Write down your feelings to release them. Try writing for at least 10 minutes a day for a month. This will give you enough time to spot some patterns in your emotions—and to note if they correspond to any physical symptoms in your body. Write from the position of observer and record your emotions without judgment or editing. The next step is to identify the source of any anger, sadness, or other unhappiness so you can begin to make changes.

6. Breathing brings balance
Use deep breathing and rest to restore your metabolic equilibrium. Sometime during your busy day find time to close your eyes and take ten deep breaths. Even better, meditate on a daily basis and head off emotional extremes before they start. Studies show that people who meditate are calm, slower to anger, and better able to see through problems to good outcomes. Try spending 10 to 15 minutes in meditative relaxation each day and watch your emotional elasticity expand! There are many meditation guides and cds that can help you learn the practice.

Ovarian cancer cannot be prevented, but you may be able to reduce some of your chances for developing it.

Studies have found that the use of a combined estrogen and progestin birth control pill for more than 5 years reduces a woman's risk of ovarian cancer.

One study showed that the low-dose combined pills are most effective for reducing risk.Another showed that the protective effect lasts for several years after the woman stops taking the combined pills. 19 Women who have a family history of ovarian cancer may also lower their risk by using birth control pills. The results are not clear from studies on the use of birth control pills in women who have BRCA gene changes.

Having surgery to close or tie off your fallopian tubes (bilateral tubal ligation) will lower your chances of developing ovarian cancer.But, you will not be able to become pregnant after having this surgery. Talk to your doctor about whether this choice is right for you.

Having one or more babies lowers your chances for ovarian cancer. Breast-feeding for at least one year also lowers your chances.

A small number of women with ovarian cancer have a first-degree female relative—such as a sister, mother, or daughter—or a second-degree female relative—such as an aunt or grandmother—who has had ovarian cancer. Changes (mutations) in two major genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, are most closely related to a higher lifetime chance for ovarian cancer in these families.You may consider a BRCA gene test if you have a family history of ovarian cancer. Most experts recommend that women with known BRCA mutations have their uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes removed while these organs are still healthy, to reduce their lifetime chance of developing ovarian cancer. You will not be able to become pregnant, but studies have shown that this surgery lowers your chance of getting ovarian cancer by about 95%.

There is still a small chance of getting ovarian cancer, even after the ovaries are removed. This is because there can already be a tiny cancer growing before the ovaries are removed. Those cancer cells can remain in the body after the surgery, where they continue to grow.It is also possible to develop cancer on the smooth tissue lining the abdominal cavity (peritoneum). This type of cancer—called peritoneal cancer—looks like ovarian cancer, has similar symptoms, and is treated in the same way.

The cause of ovarian cancer is not known. Genetics are a risk factor for some women. A family history of ovarian or breast cancer is found in 10% to 20% of women with ovarian cancer.

In general, fewer than 2 in 100 women (less than 2%) will get ovarian cancer in their lifetime. That risk goes up to 4 or 5 in 100 if one family member has had ovarian cancer, and 7 in 100 if two relatives have had it. But if at least two first-degree relatives (meaning mother, sister, or daughter) have had ovarian cancer, the risk is 25 to 50 in 100 (25% to 50%).

Women who inherit changes (genetic mutations) in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have a higher chance of developing ovarian cancer and breast cancer. Women who inherit the gene change in BRCA1 have a lifetime chance of 20 to 60 out of 100 of getting ovarian cancer. For women who inherit the gene change in BRCA2, the lifetime chance is 10 to 35 out of 100.

You have a higher chance of developing ovarian cancer if you:

* Are unable to become pregnant (infertility).
* Have never had a baby.
* Have not used hormonal birth control methods. Hormonal methods change the normal cycle of the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, so ovulation does not occur each month.

If you have a strong family history of ovarian or breast cancer, you may want to talk with your doctor or a genetic counselor about having a blood test to look for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene changes. Women who inherit these changes in one or both of these genes have a higher chance of developing ovarian cancer, breast cancer, or both.

Ovarian cancer does not cause many symptoms in its early stages. This is why most cases are not found until the cancer has spread. 4 Most women do have symptoms in the 6 to 12 months before ovarian cancer is found. Symptoms that occur in later stages are most likely caused by the pressure of the growing cancer. Symptoms include:

* Ongoing cramps or pain in your belly.
* Ongoing pain in your pelvis or lower back.
* Abnormal bleeding from your vagina, especially after menopause if you are not using any hormonal medicines.
* Abnormal discharge from your vagina, containing mucus that may be tinged with blood.
* Pain or bleeding during sex.
* Nausea or loss of appetite, or you cannot eat normally.
* Ongoing bloating or intestinal gas that is not relieved by home treatment measures.
* Bigger belly size or a lump that can be felt in your belly.
* Decreased energy level.
* A change in your bowel habits, such as constipation or diarrhea.
* A change in your bladder habits, such as urinary frequency or urgency.
* Weight loss.

If you often feel ravenous by noon despite a good breakfast, try drinking some of this with your morning meal: skim milk.

In a small study of overweight people, those who drank about 20 ounces of skim milk with breakfast ate less at lunch than the folks who drank fruit juice in the a.m.

An Appetite-Dousing Drink
The milk drinkers also felt fuller and more satisfied after their morning meal. Most likely thanks to the whey and casein proteins that are in milk; they’re better at quelling hunger than the carbs in fruit drinks.

Other Hunger Crushers
If you don’t like the taste of milk, have lactose intolerance, or don’t drink milk for other reasons, don’t worry. There are lots of other ways to introduce lean protein into your morning meal. For example, try making this quick, protein-rich, milk-free smoothie: Banana-Cocoa Soy Smoothie.

Pasta salad. Summer isn’t complete without it. And here’s the noodle you should use to do your blood pressure some good at the same time: whole-wheat pasta.

How’s it work? Well, whole-wheat pasta contains glutamic acid, a vegetable protein that has been linked to better blood pressure in recent research.

Protective Protein
In a study released last month, the more glutamic acid people got in their diets, the better their blood pressure was. In fact, just a 4.7 percent increase in the proportion of protein people got from glutamic acid instead of other sources was associated with systolic numbers that were 1.5 to 3 points lower on average. And diastolic readings were lower, too, by about 1 to 1.6 points. The effect occurred in both men and women but was strongest in women.

Great Glutamate
Researchers aren’t sure how glutamic acid affects blood pressure, but it’s possible that components of glutamic acid enhance the blood-pressure-lowering effects of nitric oxide or help blood vessels relax. And whole-wheat foods are only one source. You also can get glutamic acid from rice, beans, and soy products like tofu. Here are a few more ways to lower your blood pressure:

* Change your attitude. Discover the thought process that aids blood pressure.
* Take a few steps. Find out why a short walk is so good for your blood pressure.
* Just breathe. Check out this simple six-step breathing exercise that can help your BP

Not feeling like much of an athlete these days? Eat an onion.

New research suggests that quercetin -- an antioxidant found in onions (and tea, and broccoli, and apples) -- may help your body work harder longer.

Taking a Cue from Quercetin
The small study in question compared healthy college students on stationary bikes. Those taking quercetin supplements pedaled 14 percent longer than the placebo group. Still, it’s not yet clear how this information translates into real-world use, because the supplement takers were getting really large doses -- about 500 milligrams twice a day. That is far more than a person gets in a regular diet. Still, the results are pretty impressive, especially considering how much fitter the students were able to get with little effort. Feeling lazy ?

Secret Energy Source
Besides possibly giving your workout a boost, quercetin has countless other health benefits. A growing body of research shows quercetin may help prevent everything from asthma and allergies to cancer and heart disease. And the latest research has scientists speculating as to whether quercetin may also help the body build mitochondria -- those all-important energy centers found inside each of your cells. So sip some tea and get invigorated!

If you’ve got a testy lower back, here’s something you can do in your sleep that might help: Sleep on your side.

Health experts say that this position puts less strain on your spine than sleeping on your back or your stomach does.

Less Painful Positioning
Joseph A. Abboud, MD, and Soo Kim Abboud, MD, coauthors of No More Joint Pain, contend that sleeping on your side is better for your back because it produces less curve in the spine. Also helpful: a firm mattress that supports your lower back. Tucking your legs up a bit and placing a pillow between your knees can help keep your spine comfier, too.

More Back Issues
Another novel way to protect your back: Avoid cigarette smoke. Aside from all the obvious reasons that tobacco smoke is bad for you, it could also decrease blood flow to your spine and even fuel disc degeneration, according to the book’s authors. Smoking also slows down your body’s ability to heal and recover from injuries.

Keep your spine feeling fine with these other back tips as well:

- Feed it the good stuff
- Get a buff backside
- Sit strong in front of the TV

You wanna try ?

If you’re in the middle of a long-term relationship with your treadmill, stationary bike, or elliptical trainer, do whatever it takes to keep that love alive.

New research shows that staying committed to exercise over the long haul gives you the brain structure of someone years younger.

Good-Looking Gray Matter
When researchers performed brain imaging tests on adults between the ages of 60 and 80, the noggins of the most active people looked similar to the brains of people years younger. The exercisers’ small blood vessels looked less twisty, suggesting better cerebral blood flow -- which translates to healthier mind muscle and better brain function. Been off the workout wagon for a while?

Mind-Body Strength
In the study, the heavy exercisers didn’t just go through the motions. They had gotten at least 3 hours of exercise a week for 10 years. It’s not clear yet whether the long-term exercise caused favorable changes in the study subjects’ brain anatomy or if the people with healthier brains were simply more likely to exercise. But loads of other studies show that working up a sweat is good for your longevity.

In the perfect world, everyone would get the nutrients they need by eating a well-balanced, healthy diet. But because many people have poor/finicky eating habits, allergies and medical conditions, that’s not always the case. Here’s my opinion on supplements for the general healthy population.

Multivitamin

I do think most people will benefit from a basic multivitamin – one that provides about 100 percent of the Daily Value for a number of vitamins and minerals – especially Vitamin D (very important vitamin that people just don’t get enough of). Coupled with a stellar diet - one that includes antioxidant rich vegetables, fruit, whole grains and lean proteins - a MVI can simply fill in any potential nutrient gaps. Think of it as an “insurance policy.”If you decide to take a multivitamin, make sure it’s appropriate for your age and gender:

1. Peri-menopausal women who are losing monthly blood through menstruation should take a MVI with Iron.
2. All men and women over 50 should take a MVI without Iron.

Calcium with Vitamin D

Many foods provide the calcium we need; reduced fat dairy foods, calcium-fortified foods, broccoli, kale and beans are among the best bets. However, additional calcium supplements are sometimes important for women who don’t get enough from food.

The amount women need is between 1000-1200 mgs each day. So consider how much you’re getting through food and work backwards. For women who are candidates, consider taking 1000-1200 mgs – in two separate doses (that’s because you can only really absorb about 500-600 mg at one time).

Your calcium supplement should have added Vitamin D3 (Vitamin D enables the absorption of calcium so it can do its job. And “Vitamin D3” is the most bioactive form). Speak with a registered dietitian or your pharmacist if you get confused.

Omega-3 Fish Oils

I’m also a fan of "omega-3 fish oil supplements" because they’re so good for overall heart health (plus brain health, depression and arthritis). First and foremost, aim for two 4 ounce servings of fatty fish per week – hands down, low-mercury fish is your best source (i.e., wild salmon, sardines, Atlantic mackerel, anchovies, and pacific oysters).

You can also get omega 3 fats from ground flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil and omega 3 eggs…. although significantly less when compared to fish. If you don’t regularly eat omega-3-rich fish - like salmon and sardines – and you’re not willing to add ground flax and walnuts to your daily diet, you may want to consider a supplement.

Three brands I recommend include Vital Oils 1000mg (to order call; 800-770-4360 or visit www.VitalRemedyMD.com), Kirkland Signature and Nordic Naturals Ultimate.

Supplement Safety

How can you ensure your supplements are safe? Your best bets are to buy products that display the “USP verified” logo on the label; it means the supplement has been tested and verified for:

1) Content claims (it has what it says it has)
2) Absorbability in the body

Everybody wants a long life full of vitality. But beyond the basics of good diet and exercise, what can you do? For more than 2,000 years, Chinese medicine has refined the use of meditation to build the body's life force. And the scientists agree. The well-documented effects of regular meditation include lowered blood pressure, less heart disease, decreased chronic pain, and increased mental clarity. Meditation is an indispensable tool for living a longer, richer life and avoiding the burnout that comes from constant stress.

Meditation How-To
Many people find the idea of meditation to be daunting. They think they do not have the time, saying, "Someday I will devote the time to study meditation." Meditation is simple. You don't need training and you don't need to be alone in the mountains. You can learn it right now! All you need is a quiet place to sit and the curiosity to try for ten minutes.

Practice meditation in a quiet environment. Begin with 10 to 15 minutes. The morning is the best time, but anytime you can find an uninterrupted and quiet chunk of time will work. One warning: never meditate after eating. Silence your phone and close the door to any other possible interruptions.

Sit comfortably in a chair with your spine erect and both legs and thighs forming a ninety-degree angle with the ground, keeping your feet at shoulder width apart. You can also sit on the floor cross-legged-"lotus" position. And you can lie down for meditation if that is the only way that is comfortable.

Start by breathing as naturally as possible. After a few times, try breathing with your abdomen only. Slowly, your breath will deepen as you practice. You notice that babies breathe with their abdomen, but as we grow older, we become affected by our stress, our lifestyle, and environment and start breathing way up in the chest area. For meditation, breathe deep and low from the abdomen.

Begin to quiet your mind. Of course, the thoughts will come-and they will always be there. Don't struggle against them. Let the thoughts come, but don't dwell on them. Keep relaxing, and bring your consciousness back to your breath. If you have trouble concentrating, focus on one thing, a word or a mantra that can invoke a calming effect within you.


3 Simple Meditation Techniques:
These meditation-based practices fuel your life with the vital energy.

1. Stress Release Meditation
Stress, often called "the silent killer", is the root of many illnesses: from high blood pressure and heart disease to cancer and depression. You can learn how to release the stress and tension build up through this simple stress release meditation.

Sit comfortably or lie down on your back. Slow your respiration to deep, abdominal breathing. Utter the word "calm" in your mind with every exhalation. You will be visualizing the relaxation of a body part and releasing tension with every exhalation. Trace the following 3 pathways outlined below.

Start on top of your head. Inhale and then exhale while visualizing your scalp muscles relaxing. Say "calm" in your mind. Repeat this with each body part as you move down through your face, throat, chest, stomach, abdomen, thighs, knees, legs, ankles, and feet. When you've relaxed your feet, visualize all the tension in your body leaving through your toes as dark smoke.

Start from the temples of your head. This path focuses on the sides and upper extremities. Inhale and then exhale while visualizing your temple muscles relaxing. Say the word "calm" in your mind. Repeat this with each body part as you move down through your jaws, the sides of your neck, shoulders, upper arms, elbows, forearms, wrists, and hands. Once you've relaxed your hands, visualize all the tension leaving your body via your fingertips as dark smoke.

The final pathway begins on the back of your head. This path relaxes the back side of your body. Repeat the breathing-visualization-word routine as you go from the back of your neck to your upper back, middle back, lower back, back of thighs, calves, and heels.

Repeat this sequence until you feel free from tension. Practice this for 15 minutes every day. If you feel that you would be more successful with a guide, try my Meditation for Stress Release audio cd.

2. Pain Tamer Visualization
Visualization meditation is one of the most powerful pain management tools, used with great effectiveness by pain specialists, psychologists, and biofeedback therapists. Learn to erase your pain with this meditation:

Sit or lie quietly, and breathe slowly. With each exhale, feel your tension subside until you are completely relaxed. Visualize fine vertical lines running through your body from head to toe. Keep breathing deeply as you tune in to these lines. Now bring your focus to the painful area of your body and visualize crisscross lines at the spot that hurts. Using your imagination, erase the crisscross lines that intersect and disrupt the smooth vertical ones. Slowly, one line at a time, erase the cross-hatching with your mind until only the verticals are left. You've created a mental picture of your body's energy meridians and restored their smooth flow. You may also try my Pain Management Visualization Meditation audio CD to help guide you.

3. Five Clouds Meditation for Energizing
This is a simple meditation practice that can help you energize your internal organs. In traditional Chinese medicine, there are five organ systems in the body and five elements. Five Clouds meditation involves visualizing the elemental colors associated with each of the five organ systems. The five colors corresponding to the five organ systems are green for the liver, red for the heart, yellow for the spleen, white for the lungs, and blue for the kidneys. Start by imagining a gathering cloud of the corresponding color enveloping the organ, in the order given. Take two to five minutes for each organ system. When you have completed all five-color clouds, expand them so that the five colors intermix, ultimately becoming a rainbow.

To find out more about meditations that will also increase your years, click here: Meditations to Live to Be 100.

Don't worry or be critical of whether you are meditating correctly. Just know that if you feel quiet and relaxed and you are paying attention to your breathing, you are on the right path. With continued practiced, your body will know how to relax more quickly and the healing and wisdom of deep practice will come to you.

Bring a breath of fresh air to your home and an injection of wealth into your finances. Here are some simple, yet effective, tips to bring you peace and prosperity this year.

You may be surprised to learn that your home surroundings can affect your financial health. The Chinese art of feng shui is based on the science of energy alignment in one's living and workspaces to help optimize health, wealth, and happiness in one's life. You can learn how to use it to empower you and unblock your vast potential. My father, a feng shui master, passed down to me thousands of years of wisdom about how to change people's lives through environmental alignment with positive, constructive energy.

1. New Years: Out with the old
Early in the New Year is a good time to assess your surroundings. One principle for revitalizing your life through feng shui is to cleanse, detoxify, and let go of the past. Would you like to surround yourself with open space and colors that uplift the senses, or be faced with clutter that elicits agitation?

Create some space in your home. Clutter leaves you feeling disorganized, increasing your stress level when you can't find what you're looking for. Clear out the clutter by donating, reselling, or recycling anything you haven't found a use for in the past year-and don't forget to keep the receipt for a tax write-off.

Clean your living space thoroughly to remove stains, mold, and dirt. Get rid of junk piles and any indoor plants that have died. Repair or discard any broken, chipped, and cracked items -- these reflect aspects of your life that are broken and can trap energy you need to free up and use.

2. Metal: The money element
Feng shui principles observe that material wealth correlates to the metal element. Therefore, to balance matters of money, gold and silver color décor should be featured and metallic objects should be intentionally placed around the home. For instance, place a bronze sculpture in the foyer or a silver vase holding fresh flowers on your dining table. Also, a waterfall placed in the western perimeter of your home with the direction of water flowing towards east will bring in metal elemental energies and expressions into your home, paving the way for gold in your finances.

3. Symbols for fruitful finances
A traditional Chinese symbol of wealth and prosperity is orange fruit. Consider planting kumquat or orange trees on your property, in pots on your balcony, or even a bowl of oranges on your dining room table. Images of fish, such as Koi or carp, symbolize abundance and should be a welcome addition to any home's décor.

4. Grow your own money tree
Recently, a popular practice among feng shui aficionados is to have a money tree in your home. A money tree is an indoor bonsai tree from the Panchira aquatica species that measures one to two feet tall and has clusters of five-lobed leaves. Take good care of the bonsai so that it radiates healthy, vibrant, and prosperous energy in your life. Of course, no matter how many money trees you possess, your financial health will not improve if you do not also take care of it on a practical level. You must institute principles of good money management in your life, including setting budgets, living within your means, and paying yourself first. Paying yourself first means always put aside money in your savings before you pay your bills. These are the ways to achieve abundance in your life.

Even with these small changes, you may be pleasantly surprised by how much better you feel and the good changes that occur in your finances and your life. Now that you have balance in your home, bring balance to your body, with the Five Elements of Health Formula. It helps boost your organ function and maintain balance in all your elemental energies.

Wouldn't it be great if the foods we eat were safe, healthy, and free from pesticides?

There is a lot of confusion about what is safe to eat for our own health and longevity, as well as for our planet. There are no easy answers, but here are some basic guidelines for finding foods that will nurture you and the planet.

Say No to GMOs
Genetically Modified Foods (GMO) foods - including plants and animals - have been genetically manipulated to make the plant more productive, more resistant to pests, or contain higher amounts of a certain nutrient. When these foods are made to be more productive, it is no different than using growth hormones to make a chicken lay more eggs or a cow fatten up more rapidly.

In fact, it is similar to an athlete taking steroids. They promote extremely rapid growth but have side effects down the road. It is still too early to know what the effects of GMOs; it will take several generations to see if they have harmful effects on the human body. In the meantime, request your local supermarket carry natural and organic foods. Demand that their growers and distributors label foods that have been genetically modified.

Subtract Packaged Food's Additives
Avoid highly processed and refined foods - they're stripped of critical nutrients and then the nutrients are added back into the food after processing. Sulfites, nitrates, and MSG (monosodium glutamate) are the three most common additives used in packaged foods to preserve color, prevent spoilage, and enhance flavor.

Sulfites can give rise to severe allergic reactions like asthma. Nitrates combine with amines in foods to form nitrosamines, which can lead to neurological damage or cancer. Headaches are often associated with MSG.

Other additives, including artificial colors and flavors, have been found to cause cancer in animals and cause hyperactivity in children. Shopping the perimeters of your local supermarket is your best bet to avoid packaged foods and ensure a selection of healthy, simple whole foods.

Produce Pointers
Years of shopping in over-stocked supermarkets has disconnected us from our food and its origins. Much of the produce at your supermarket has been picked weeks - or even months - before it makes its way onto the shelf.

These items are preserved by nitrogen or other artificial means that make them appear fresh; however, these foods have a low nutritional value. Farm-fresh produce comes directly from the source to your table, leaving little time in between for nutrients to be lost.

So shop at local farms stands, buying fresh, in-season organic produce. By eating locally produced foods you are lessening global warming by not buying foods that have been transported hundreds or thousands of miles to get to your dinner table.

When produce isn't organic, soak it in a large pot of cold water for five minutes, add a tablespoon of sea salt and one tablespoon of vinegar, then rinse thoroughly. You can also peel the pesticides off the outer layer of fruits and vegetables; however, keep in mind that you will lose some of the valuable nutrients in the skin.

Produce with the highest amounts of pesticide residue levels include cucumbers, peaches, and zucchini - all of which can be peeled. Some produce is best eaten only when it is organic, such as celery, cherries, grapes, strawberries, and tomatoes.

Meat Management
Conventional meat, poultry, and dairy products contain sizable amounts of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotic drugs that are harmful to your health.

In addition, commercial feed for animals is full of growth-stimulating hormones, drugs, coloring agents, and pesticides. And consider this: nearly 140,000 tons of poultry are condemned annually as unfit to eat, usually due to cancer, and yet a substantial amount is processed into animal feed.

More than 40 percent of antibiotics produced in the United States are used as animal-feed additives. The ecological result, after the animals and humans urinate and defecate the antibiotics, is the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains that are very dangerous to our health. For your health and well-being, only buy organic and free-range animals whenever possible.

Natural Secrets for Skin Beauty.
Between the winter winds, the dry indoor heat, and a daily dose of makeup, you may not be feeling as if you are putting your best face forward. Read on to find Natural secrets for soft, smooth, beautiful skin.

1. Is your lifestyle sabotaging your skin?
Imbalances in your life show up on your face and skin. For example, a poor diet of fast food lacking fresh fruits and vegetables is a recipe for bad, unhealthy skin. Depression, anxiety, and stress create tension in your skin, especially on your face, sometimes causing uneven blotches and wrinkles. Sun damage and dry, cold, or windy weather strip the skin of vital moisture and circulation, leading to prematurely older-looking skin. Smoking, excessive alcohol use, and lack of sleep all show up on your skin. Take a hard look at what your lifestyle is doing to your skin, and make some healthy changes to protect and rejuvenate it.

2. Eat skin superfoods
In China, it was a tradition in the imperial courts for the empress to pass down to the princesses her skin-beautifying recipes and preparations. While many of these ingredients were exotic, expensive foods, readily available foods for skin health from these beauty recipes include cherries, peanuts, black soybeans, walnuts, and jujube dates. Also, citrus, a confirmed healing food packed with antioxidants, benefits your skin health.

For dry skin, eat more flaxseed oil, sesame oil, olive oil, and virgin coconut oil. Every day, eat avocado and handfuls of nuts and seeds, particularly pine nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, and sunflower seeds.

3. Exfoliate like the Chinese courtesans
The outer layer of your skin regularly renews itself by shedding old cells and replacing them with new ones. An effective way to diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles is to speed up the shedding process. Instead of using expensive procedures like dermabrasion, chemical peel, and laser therapies, gently renew your skin with products from nature. For centuries, Chinese imperial courtesans used natural exfoliation and polishing agents to loosen and strip skin cells off -- seaweed, kelp, pearl powder, dried plum, winter melon seed, persimmon leaf, and cane sugar. Most are available in health food stores and Chinese groceries.

Make a mask with any combination of these natural ingredients. Moisten with water and mix in a blender with aloe vera gel or egg white to make a paste. Use a wet sponge to gently scrub your face with the paste, using small circular motions, until your face and neck are fully exfoliated. Leave the mask on for 10 minutes, and then wash off. Avoid getting in your eyes.

4. Detoxify for skin beauty
In Chinese medicine, it is believed that impurities in our bodies are expelled in many ways, one of which is through the skin, our largest elimination organ. Sometimes, these impurities become trapped and we see the result as pimples and other blemishes. These impurities come from environmental pollution, pesticides, preservatives in our food, and a range of other toxins that age our skin. It is important to help the body cleanse itself so that toxins do not cause internal unbalance that shows up on your skin.

Herbs that detoxify the body can be found in a formula called Internal Cleanse, available in most Chinese herb shops. It contains plant substances such as dandelion, chrysanthemum, peppermint, white mulberry, and licorice, which support healthy liver and gall bladder function, the organs that play the largest role in detoxification and elimination so that the skin is not overburdened. I often recommend to my patients our Exquisite Skin, a nourishing herbal formula that lubricates the skin and assists in detoxification.

5. Natural beauty with natural products
Many of today's personal care and cosmetic products contain carcinogenic chemicals that are absorbed into the skin. There are few regulating laws in the cosmetics industry, and that's why there are often harmful chemicals in them. For instance, your lash-enhancing mascara may have formaldehyde as an ingredient, and there might be plastic resins in your lipstick. You may find asbestos-contaminated talc in eye shadow and blush, and foundation makeup often includes chemical solvents. These are all suspected carcinogens. Choose natural makeup alternatives found in health food stores that use colored clays, vegetable oils, and other natural ingredients. For more information about natural beauty products that I recommend, click here.

6. Use yogurt for superb skin texture
A traditional tonic for healthy skin, yogurt contains lactic acid, a naturally occurring alpha-hydroxy acid that promotes a smooth skin texture by gently peeling off the dead skin layer. Yogurt is especially beneficial for sensitive skin that cannot withstand commercial alpha-hydroxy acid preparations. Used over time, it can also lighten spots and even out a patchy skin tone. Here's how to get these results for yourself: Apply organic plain yogurt like a cream to your washed face. Leave on for 15 minutes, wash off with cold water, and finish with a moisturizer. Afterwards, to reduce any redness, apply a cold pack for 10 minutes.

Your body requires you to drink at least 60 ounces of liquid a day to function at its optimum. If even buying a cup of coffee seems out of your budget these days, read on to find out which beverages will give you a health bang for your budget.

1. Drink filtered water
How many bottles of water do you buy during your week? One per day? Maybe more? The cost really begins to add up, especially when you consider that the water that comes out of your tap is free. Since studies show that tap water is filled with contaminants, antibiotics, and a number of other unhealthy substances, I suggest you invest in a good quality carbon-based filter for your tap water.

Not only will you have pure water at your fingertips, you will avoid having to drink water that has been stored in plastic bottles that contain Bisphenol-A (BPA) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Instead, use a stainless steel thermos or glass bottle, filled with filtered water from your tap. To learn about a high-performance filtration system that I recommend, click here. What seems like a big cost at first ends up saving you money - and the environment - in the long run.

If you find that water is not a flavorful enough on its own, enhance the flavor of your water with these refreshing tips:

• Crush fresh basil and mint leaves, put them in a large carafe, add room temperature water and let the mixture sit for half an hour. Then add one teaspoon of honey and mix.
• Give your water a citrus infusion! Spruce up your water's flavor by putting in the ripened peel from orange, tangerine, and lemon - or even all three! Citrus peel is packed with healthy compounds such as polymethosylated flavones and d-limonene that have been found to lower cholesterol, balance blood sugar, and detoxify your liver.

2. Make the switch from coffee to tea
Tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world after water, and for good reason. Whereas coffee hotwires your nerves and depletes your life force in the long run, tea gently lifts your energy, and offers many health benefits, too. Black, green, white, and oolong teas all contain anti-oxidant polyphenols, with green and white tea taking the lead for the highest amounts.

In fact, tea ranks as high as or higher than many fruits and vegetables in the ORAC scale, a score that measures antioxidant potential of plant-based foods. Herbal tea does not have the same antioxidant properties, though it is still delicious and beneficial for other healthy effects, including inducing calming and relaxing effects.

On the financial front, a box of 30 tea bags will only set you back the price of one grande latte - that's cost-effective! For a selection of healthy teas that promote total body wellness, click here.

3. Drink your veggies
When you consider the cost of getting sick to your health and your wallet, there are a lot of reasons to keep your immunity up this cold season. Boost your immunity with a healthy dose of vegetables. Make your own vegetable juice at home in a juicer or blender for a satisfying drink.

If all those vegetables sounds to pricey, try taking iron-rich chlorophyll in supplement form. There are many healthy mixes that you can purchase at your local health food store that cost a pittance compared to the wealth of benefits they have to offer. Mix the green powder of chlorophyll-rich sources - barley, wheat grass, alfalfa, spirulina, and chlorella, and seaweed such as blue-green algae - in filtered water, juice or green tea.

4. Light juice blends: more for less
The healthiest and most economical way to enjoy juice is to dilute with filtered water. This may initially require you to change your palette, but after a couple of weeks, you will no longer miss the sweetness of sugary concentrated juices. Buy a jar of organic 100% juice, especially cranberry, acai, pomegranate, and then dilute three parts filtered water to one part juice. You will get a tasty subtle sweetness and the benefit of antioxidants while saving money on buying juices for you or your kids all the time

5. Skip the soda and try tea
If you are a chronic soda drinker, you may want to consider the health and monetary costs. Buying a can or bottle of soda a couple times a day adds up, especially when compared to water or tea. Health-wise, sodas are loaded with unhealthy amounts of sugar.

Sugar-free diet sodas are no better; most contain aspartame, a chemical, which has been linked to obesity and can break down into aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol at high temperatures. Also, beverages with bubbles contain phosphoric acid, which diminishes bone mass, increasing your risk of osteoporosis.

Try making the switch from soda to tea or herbal tea. Hot or cold, tea or different blends of herbal tea are satisfying and healthy ways to hydrate your body. If tea simply doesn't satisfy your sweet tooth, add some honey, which has important health benefits that refined sugar lacks.

Whether you are not being honest with yourself or with others, you are negatively affecting your health, in the present and for the long-term. Read on to find out why honesty really is the best policy.

Be Honest with Yourself: Know When to Say No
Your close friend from work has just invited you to a birthday. As you glance at your calendar, you realize that the whole month has filled up, and this is the day you had planned to relax. Instead of being honest with yourself, you smile and say of course you'll come.

For many people, the biggest stress factor in life is attempting to please everyone. This usually leads to saying yes to every invitation, until our schedules are so packed with events, we have no alone time to reset.

The only thing that can come from this is an overwhelming feeling that we are leading out-of-control lives. Honestly look at what you can realistically accomplish in your schedule, and don't forget to save time for yourself.

Don't be afraid to say no to additional burdens. You will find that you are back in the driver's seat of your life when you know when to say no.

Stress and Cancer Risk
When you find yourself denying that you are feeling negative emotions, it leads to stress. Nowhere else is stress more directly linked to the development of a disease than in cancer.

Patients with cancer are more likely than the general population to have suffered prolonged stress, including severe personal loss or chronic depression.

In addition to prolonged stress, many cancer patients have type C personalities, characterized by a tendency to repress and deny their own feelings. Numerous studies have recently confirmed these effects of emotional stress on the body. Neuroendocrinology is a new field that has emerged from these studies involving the connection between the mind and emotions on the autonomic, immune, and endocrine systems.

Do everything you can to honestly assess your emotions and release the stress through breathing techniques, exercise, journaling, or talking about your feelings; in this way, you can lessen your risk to cancers.

Get It Off Your Chest for Peace of Mind
It is very difficult for many people to speak up about their feelings. The most powerful way to neutralize negative emotions is to acknowledge them.

When you honestly admit your feelings, you protect yourself from the flood of damaging stress hormones that these feelings produce in your body. Get it off your chest; clue people in if you are feeling disappointed, unhappy, or hurt about something.

Be honest when you convey your feelings, be kind when you criticize, and be positive when expressing your views. Once you acknowledge your feelings, they will be less likely to trouble you.

Or hold your feelings inside, and you become a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at some minor incident - not a pretty picture for your long-term health! Own up to what's in your heart and you will enjoy the benefits that come with peace of mind.

On every inhabited continent, centenarians cite that their native water is responsible for their health and longevity - and the scientists agree with them. What they all have in common is pure water sources located far from any city, free from chemicals and toxins.

Tap water in urban areas contains pesticides, industrial pollutants, chlorine, fluoride, and other chemicals. Well water and mountain streams in some parts of the countryside are not much better because of the acid rain and toxic levels of minerals present in groundwater.

Your safest bet is filtered water. There are many different kinds of filtration processes available for removing contaminants. The best kinds use activated charcoal, which removes the impurities but leaves the water-soluble minerals. Avoid water softeners, which take away essential minerals. Also do not store water in plastic containers because the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can leach into the water.

Water for Weight Loss

Water is essential for everyone. Our body requires a certain amount to maintain our blood osmotic levels, provide the medium for circulating and excreting waste products, and cleansing the interstitial tissues.

That being said, water is also a key to losing weight. For example, in low-carbohydrate diets, it is recommended and often mandated to drink at least 80 ounces or more of water every day.

This is actually in order to help with the removal of the ketons, an acidic particle residue produced when converting fat into sugar in the body for energy metabolism, from the body. Protein-rich diets also have a tendency to produce kidney and gall stones - extra water intake reduces the risk of these.

It is healthiest to drink pure, room temperature water.

Aromatic Flavored Water
Crush some fresh basil and mint leaves, put them in a large carafe, add room temperature water, and let this mixture sit for half of an hour. Then add one tablespoon of honey and mix. This is an aromatic and refreshing drink to accompany any meal.

What is naturopathic medicine?

Naturopathic medicine (or naturopathy) is based on the belief that the body can heal itself naturally. Naturopathic medicine attempts to improve health, prevent disease, and treat illness by promoting the use of organic foods and exercise; encouraging a healthy, balanced lifestyle; and applying concepts and treatments from other areas of complementary medicine (such as ayurveda, homeopathy, and herbal therapies).

Naturopathy was developed in the late 1800s in the United States. Today, a licensed naturopathic doctor (ND) attends a 4-year, graduate-level naturopathic medical school and studies the same basic sciences as a medical doctor (MD). However, the ND also studies alternative approaches to therapy, such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, and bodywork.

Most traditional naturopathic physicians (naturopaths) believe in natural therapies, such as nutritional and lifestyle counseling. They generally avoid prescribing medicines or performing surgery. Some naturopaths prescribe herbal medicines, homeopathic dilutions, nutritional supplements, or perform minor surgeries. The disagreement over specific practice guidelines and licensing requirements in different states has led to some public confusion about the role of the naturopath.
What is naturopathy used for?

People use naturopathic medicine for promoting good health, preventing disease, and treating illness. Most naturopaths can treat earaches, allergies, and other common medical problems. Naturopathic medicine tries to find the underlying cause of the condition rather than focusing solely on treating symptoms. A properly trained naturopathic physician works with other health professionals, referring people to other practitioners for diagnosis or treatment when appropriate.
Is naturopathy safe?

Two common concerns about naturopathic medicine are the use of dietary fasting and a bias against immunization (vaccinations).

* Talk with your medical doctor before fasting (not eating or drinking, or consuming only liquids for a period of time). Fasting can be dangerous, especially if you have a disease such as diabetes.
* Some naturopaths do not believe that immunization is necessary. Before immunizations became available, childhood illnesses caused large numbers of deaths and long-term health problems but provided survivors with natural immunity. The benefits of immunization greatly outweigh the risks. 1

Always tell your doctor if you are using an alternative therapy or if you are thinking about combining an alternative therapy with your conventional medical treatment. It may not be safe to forgo your conventional medical treatment and rely only on an alternative therapy.

Naturopathy licensing varies from state to state. Not all states require naturopaths to be licensed. Also, not all naturopathic educational programs are the same. Some schools grant degrees that are not accepted by state licensing boards. In the United States, the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) is the only agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit naturopathic programs and colleges.

Before you choose a naturopath, find out whether the person graduated from an accredited college. Also check to see whether your state has licensing laws that govern the practice of NDs. If your state licenses NDs, ask your prospective ND whether he or she is licensed.

Summer is the time to spice it up! Many spices contain strong antioxidants that help mitigate the damage caused by sun exposure. Spices are also rich in antioxidants: Antioxidants help prevent skin cancer by reducing inflammation, decreasing free radicals and preventing thymine dimmers.

Ginger has been shown to suppress colon cancer production in rats. Curry, which contains turmeric, is a very strong antioxidant which has been shown to decrease cancer production. Basil, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, oregano and thyme have also been shown to have strong antioxidant activity.

Don't be afraid to cook with spices for fear of decreasing their health benefits. One study looked at the effect of heat and cooking on the antioxidant properties of these spices and found that heating them to 180°C in the cooking process for 10 minutes did not affect the efficacy of antioxidant activity. In fact, when nutmeg was heated, it became an even stronger antioxidant.

Antioxidants are everywhere in your kitchen. Many oils such as olive oil and safflower oil contain antioxidants. Other sources include red wine, green tea, dark chocolate, berries, pomegranate, almonds and coffee.

Dermatologists are embracing the role of nutrition in good skin care. The role of nutrition, antioxidants and skin aging is discussed at length in my new bestselling book Cosmetic Dermatology. A diet rich in spices and fruit is a good idea in summer to combat the increased sun exposure. However, don’t forget the sunscreen!

Wishing you great skin!

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* Eggs are high in choline, an organic, water-soluble nutrient that's usually grouped in with the B vitamins. They are also high in betaine, a nutrient related to choline. Together these 2 are associated with lower levels of homocysteine (an amino acid that studies has shown to be related to a higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease). It's good to keep homocysteine levels under control because high homocysteine levels usually suggest chronic inflammation, a process that has been linked with heart disease, as well as to Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Treatment of a high homocysteine level usually involves supplementation of the B vitamin folic acid—but don't take more than 1,000 micrograms—1 gram—a day, or it can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency.
* Eggs are a great source of high-quality (or high biological value, HBV) protein; in fact, they are considered to be the best overall source of protein.
* Eggs provide 13 essential vitamins/minerals, including riboflavin, an important B vitamin needed to help your body get energy from food. Eggs also contain vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin lacking in the diet of many Americans. People who are overweight and/or have diabetes are at a higher risk for vitamin D deficiency.
* Eggs also help you feel full, since your body produces a hormone called PYY when you eat high-protein foods. PYY tells your brain you're no longer hungry, so if you're trying to lose some pounds, opting for a high-protein snack like a boiled egg can really help you feel full (and it's only 75 calories). I personally like the organic eggs high in omega 3 fatty acids (the healthy fats), from chickens raised without hormones or chemicals. These eggs are higher in omega 3s because of the healthier feed given to the chickens. The high-omega-3 eggs add another possible benefit to a balanced diet.

However, if, for whatever reason, you want to keep the fat and cholesterol content in your diet low, eat the egg whites and skip the yolk, since all the protein (and virtually none of the fat) is in the whites. There are even cartons of pure egg whites in the grocery store that make it easy. Or you could separate the eggs at home by discarding the yolks, or at least a few of them. This study, however, seems to be suggesting that even the egg yolk isn't anywhere near the health risk people have perceived it to be for all these years. They're also a very affordable source of protein, a big plus in today's economy!

Bottom line: If you really like whole eggs, and your doctor or dietitian thinks they're fine for you, then go ahead and enjoy them, yolks and all!

A new study in the online journal entitled Risk Analysis reports that eating one egg a day accounts for less than 1 percent of the risk of heart disease, the leading killer of American men and women. This, in my opinion, helps deflate the myth that all eggs are always bad for you and can never be included in a heart-healthy meal plan.

The researchers cited lifestyle factors, such as a poor diet, smoking, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle as chief contributors (30 to 40 percent) of someone's heart disease risk, with men having higher risks than women. Risk factors that could be potentially treated, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, accounted for a whopping 60 to 70 percent of the risk. In this light, a single egg doesn't seem so big a threat.

Eggs have gotten a lot of bad press of late. There seems to be a constant drumbeat, perhaps in the media, about eggs being off-limits if you want to keep your heart healthy. (Just today, I was seeing a patient of mine with young children and, coincidentally, one of his daughters asked me, "Are eggs bad for you?")

Instead of worrying about an egg a day, I think we should turn our attention to the potential risks of stress (especially chronic stress), physical inactivity, and poor overall diet choices (like diets high in junk foods and low in fruits and vegetables).

This research, which was (full disclosure) funded by the Egg Nutrition Center, serves to further substantiate the premise that healthy adults really can eat (whole) eggs without upping their heart disease risk significantly. And what's more, the authors noted that their analysis did not adjust for all the health-promoting benefits of eggs, which might decrease some heart disease risk.

The results of a study confirm that girls who undergo radiation for cancer in childhood have an increased long-term risk of developing breast cancer, regardless of their age at the time of treatment.

When such treatment included a high dose to the ovaries, however, women seemed to be protected against future breast cancer risk.

Radiation is a common, and highly effective, treatment for cancers such as Hodgkin's lymphoma, and adolescents and adults who receive such treatments are known to be at higher risk of developing breast cancer late in life, Dr. Peter D. Inskip of the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues note in their report.

Inskip's team studied 120 women diagnosed with cancer when they were younger than 21 years old, were treated between 1970 and 1986, and survived for at least 5 years.

Those cases were each compared with four women who developed cancer at the same age but did not receive radiation.

Overall, chemotherapy for the initial cancer did not increase the risk of a second cancer. However, the more radiation a woman received as a child, the higher her risk of a later tumor, Inskip and colleagues report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

However, according to the researchers, the risk associated with radiation treatment of the breasts was "sharply reduced" in women whose treatment of the initial cancer included a high dose of radiation to the ovaries.

Because the women in the study were relatively young, there may still be effects later in life that were not yet seen, the authors point out.