.::::::: Doctorhollic :::::::.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Obese, but worried that surgery for it might kill you? The risk of that has dropped dramatically, and now is no greater than for having a gall bladder out, a hip replaced or most other major operations, new research shows.

The study looked at safety results for gastric bands and stomach stapling at 10 U.S. hospitals specializing in these procedures from 2005 through 2007. For every 1,000 patients, three died during or within a month of their surgery, and 43 had a major complication.

That is much better than the 20 or so deaths per 1,000 patients that studies found just a few years earlier. And it's surely lower than the longer term risk of dying of heart disease, diabetes and other consequences of lugging around more pounds than an obese person's organs can handle, experts say.

Many studies have compared those odds, and "all show a higher risk of dying if you do not have surgical treatment than if you do," said Dr. Eric DeMaria, weight loss surgery chief at Duke University Medical Center.

He had no role in the new study, which was led by Dr. David Flum at the University of Washington in Seattle. Results appear in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

About one-third of American adults are obese, with a body mass index of 30 or more. The index is based on height and weight. Someone who is 5-feet-4 is obese at 175 pounds; a 6-foot person is obese at 222 pounds.

Federal guidelines say obesity surgery shouldn't be considered unless someone has tried conventional ways to shed pounds and has a BMI over 40, or a BMI over 35 plus a weight-related medical problem like diabetes or high blood pressure.

Last year, at least 220,000 obesity surgeries were done in the United States, says the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. The most popular method is a gastric bypass in which a small pouch is stapled off from the rest of the stomach and connected to the small intestine. People eat less because the pouch holds little food, and they absorb fewer calories because much of the intestine is bypassed. This can be done with traditional surgery or laparoscopically, through small keyhole incisions.

Another solution is a gastric band. A ring is placed over the top of the stomach and inflated with saline to tighten it and restrict how much food can enter and pass through the stomach.

The new study looked at the safety of these methods in 3,412 gastric bypass patients and 1,198 given stomach bands.

Death, serious complications or the need for another procedure occurred in 1 percent of people receiving bands, nearly 5 percent having laparoscopic gastric bypass, and nearly 8 percent of those given a traditional surgical bypass. Maybe

DeMaria cautioned against comparing the numbers, because healthier people may have been steered toward laparoscopic procedures that may not have been an option for others with more health risks.

Complication rates were greater in people with a history of clot problems, sleep apnea and certain other medical issues, the study found.

The federal government paid for the study. Many of the researchers have ties to companies that make obesity treatments, and several have testified in surgery lawsuits.

The results put the spotlight on cost issues, Dr. Malcolm K. Robinson, a surgeon at Harvard Medical School, wrote in an editorial accompanying the study.

"In the past, now outdated bariatric procedures carried unacceptably high risks. The weight loss associated with the procedures was questionable, and the long-term health benefits were unproven," he wrote.

Now, the evidence shows that "surgery is safe, effective, and affordable," because it can lower doctor visits, medication use and other medical expenses, Robinson wrote. However, "the expense of operating on the millions of potentially eligible obese adults could overwhelm an already financially stressed health care system."

Let’s pretend for a moment that you have two options for improving your health: Eat more nuts or eat more olive oil. Which should you choose?

Believe it or not, nuts could have a slight edge, especially if you’re concerned about metabolic syndrome, a combo of health conditions that raises heart disease risk.

Nuts for Your Health
In a 1-year study, people who ate a Mediterranean-style diet and added an extra ounce of nuts (roughly a small handful) had a lower incidence of metabolic syndrome compared with the people who ate the same diet but instead added 4 to 5 ounces more of olive oil every day. Find out about the cluster of risk factors that makes up metabolic syndrome -- and if you might have them.

The Whole Truth
Why the difference? Here’s one simple theory: Olive oil is a fat extracted from olives, but nuts are a whole food with more good-for-you stuff in them, including fiber, protein, and minerals. Both olive oil and nuts can -- and should -- have a place in a healthy diet. In the study, both seemed to help tamp down high triglycerides and abdominal fat better than a low-fat diet did. But the nut eaters also experienced better blood pressure, which is one reason their metabolic syndrome numbers were better. Go nuts!

To get the heart-healthy benefits of drinking wine without getting tipsy, tipple some grape juice instead.

Research shows that your blood will get two important benefits: More antioxidants will be circulating in it, and bad LDL cholesterol may cause less trouble because it’s more stable.

Two for You
Having extra antioxidants in your blood is always a good thing: They help guard your cells against the kind of free-radical damage that provides a toehold for disease. And more stable LDL is incredibly desirable, too, because stable LDL is less likely to oxidize and stick to artery walls.

Juice It Up
Grape juice has fewer antioxidants than wine, so you may need to drink more to get the same benefit. Sip real juice, not fruit-flavored drinks -- you’ll get more nutrients and less sugar. And keep tabs on your intake, since juice is not a calorie freebie. Get your grape on with this luscious dish: Chicken Cutlets with Grape-Shallot Sauce.

Starting a regular running habit could mean a
longer -- and more comfortable -- life.

After a 20-year study involving close to 1,000 middle-aged adults, researchers found that the fleet-footed participants were half as likely to have died during the study period, compared with the nonrunners. The runners experienced less disability, too.

Exercise-Induced Longevity
In fact, the difference in mortality rates was staggering! During the study, about 34 percent of the nonrunners had passed away by age 70 or so, compared with just 15 percent of the runners -- even though the groups were of similar age, weight, and health status. If you’re new to running,

Running Alternatives
Not keen on running? New to exercise? No problem. You can make yourself up to 10 years younger simply by walking. Or just pick any activity you enjoy, make a date with
yourself -- or even better, with a buddy (you’ll keep each other on track) -- to do it a few times a week. Then, go at it hard enough to get your heart rate up.

Which is better for your teeth -- orange juice or tea?

Turns out that OJ ranks right up there with soda in terms of its enamel-damaging potential. But tea’s effect on teeth is like water’s: It leaves enamel unscathed.

Guard Your Teeth
Think of enamel as armor for your teeth. Once that armor gets worn down or damaged, it can’t repair itself. That’s why acidic beverages -- soda, citrus juice, sports drinks -- are so bad for your pearly whites: They contain enamel-stripping acids (phosphoric, citric, malic, and tartaric acids, to name a few). But green and black teas don’t attack enamel, and they even have a bit of tooth-friendly fluoride to boot. (Could fluoride be bad for your bones?)

Drinks That Do No Wrong
Save wear and tear on your teeth with these other smart sipping strategies:

* Use a straw with acidic beverages. This minimizes contact with your teeth. Or swish your mouth with water afterward. How much water do you really need to drink?

* Drink brewed tea -- and drink it straight up. If you load it up with sugar and lemon, your teeth will feel it. You might want to skip the milk, too. Here’s why.

* Snack on natural stain removers, like apples, celery, and carrots. Here’s a sweet treat that may actually be good for teeth.

A comfortable daily walk is a good place to start if you want to live younger and longer.

But include a few spurts of power walking, too. This kind of "interval training" can be a great way to boost your exercise capacity -- an emerging marker of longevity.

Build Up Your Steam
In a large study of women, exercise capacity -- a measure of how hard you’re able to work out -- was tightly connected with mortality rates. The women who had low exercise capacity were almost twice as likely to die during the study follow-up period, compared with the women who had more exercise power.

ABoost Your Grade with Intervals
So how can you increase your exercise capacity? Interval training helps. Just add a few short bouts of more intense exercise to any moderately paced activity. For example, throw some 1- to 2-minute jogging sessions into a long, brisk walk. Or if you’re a steady biker, add a block of rapid pedaling here and there. Interval training can help you burn more fat, too.

Power up with these other helpful exercise tips:

* Pick up the pace

* Mind your timing

* Build brawn

As if wrinkles weren’t bad enough, turns out our brains tend to shrivel as we age, too. Could eggs and tuna be the key to less shrinkage?

Research makes it seem so. Why? Because both tuna and eggs are good sources of vitamin B12. And B12 may help keep brain atrophy in check.

How Low Is Low?
In a 5-year study, people in their 60s and beyond who were low -- but not deficient -- on B12 were three to six times more likely to have brain atrophy than did people on the higher end of the normal B12 range. So being even a little low may be bad. Make sure you’re getting enough by taking a supplement or eating B12-rich foods -- like eggs and tuna.

Why Bigger Is Better
Brain shrinkage is commonly seen in people with Alzheimer’s disease, and more and more research points to a connection between cognitive function and B12 levels. So that may explain the connection with brain shrinkage. B vitamins may help ward off stroke, too.

Want to give your brain a workout? Boost your verbal dexterity with a word game that involves speed, strategy, and vocabulary.