Health news blog

Grain products, including pasta, oatmeal, hot and cold breakfast cereals and bread, are divided into two subgroups— whole and refined. Whole grains, by definition, contain the entire grain—the bran (outer coating), germ (seed embryo) and endosperm (also called the kernel, it makes up most of the seed). Examples include whole-wheat flour, cracked wheat (bulgur) and brown rice.

Whole grains are rich in fiber, which has been shown to reduce risk for heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. They provide large amounts of vitamins and minerals that are sometimes lacking in our diet, including magnesium, selenium, potassium, zinc, vitamin E and chromium.

Refined grains are milled to remove the bran and germ, which gives them a finer texture and lengthens their shelf life. This process is also nutritionally devastating—it removes the healthful fiber, iron and many  vitamins and other vitamins and minerals found in whole grains.

Since refined grains are digested more quickly than whole grains, they can cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin secretion, which can increase hunger—and diabetes risk. Refined grains include white flour, white rice and white bread.

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Placing duct tape (or other tape) over warts to get rid of them is not just an old wives’ tale. A recent study found that placing tape over warts is more effective at eliminating them than standard medical therapy.

the study: Participants who had warts on fingers, palms, heels or soles of the feet were divided into two groups. One group put tape on warts for six days, then soaked the warts and scraped them with emery boards, waited 12 hours and reapplied the tape, repeating the process. The other group had their warts frozen off by a doctor, which is standard therapy.

result: After just two months, 85% of those using the tape had gotten rid of their warts, versus only 60% of those who had received the standard freezing treatment.

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The researchers say there is no clear proof that surgery is better than rehabilitation, and suggest that rehabilitation should routinely be made available to people who have chronic low back pain.

Their cost analysis also found that, on average, surgery is much more expensive per patient than rehabilitation.

However, the researchers caution, this conclusion could change if more patients who receive rehabilitation go on to require back surgery in the future.

Limit conversation with your doctor before he/she takes your blood pressure.

background: Many people whose blood pressure is normal at other times experience a sudden rise in pressure at the doctor’s office.

cause: Anxiety associated with interacting with the doctor. This “white coat” effect—named for the doctor’s garb—makes it hard to get an accurate reading.

study: Hypertensive patients who talked with the doctor before having their blood pressure checked had a sudden rise in blood pressure. This effect was more drastic during discussions of stress and disease than during chitchat. During periods of silence, blood pressure rapidly fell.

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Mrs A. took the progestogen-only Pill while she was breast feeding her second child but was advised to change to the combined Pill when she began to wean him. She now had a girl and a boy and felt her family was complete. She was already working part-time. Before her first pregnancy she had taken the combined Pill and again between the children, but now it did not seem to suit her. She had been back to the doctor several times with minor complaints and tried different brands. This time she asked to be fitted with a cap. The doctor noticed that Mrs A. seemed very anxious and asked a lot of questions during cap fitting. She wondered whether Mrs A. was worried about choosing a less effective method, having said she wanted no more children, or whether perhaps she really did want more children and was hoping ‘to make a mistake’, but she kept these thoughts to herself and listened.

‘Can the cap do any damage? How long does it take the Pill to get out of your system? Should I have another cervical smear?’ Instead of offering reassurance, the doctor said, ‘You seem to be rather worried about yourself.’ ‘It’s only since my son was born. It’s all so silly really, but I feel I’ve got to keep myself healthy for them. I suppose it all goes back to when my little brother was born. My mother was a long time in hospital with him. I don’t really know what was wrong, but I know she nearly died. I was only four but I still remember it.’

Did Mrs A. think that what had happened to her own mother might happen to her, or was it the frightened child of four within her that the doctor was reassuring?

The doctor shared these thoughts with the patient, thoughts which had been provoked by the patient’s remarks and were therefore more relevant than her previous ideas about reliability, and after a moment or two Mrs A. said, ‘I think I’ll try just one more Pill. There’s no reason at all why I shouldn’t. I was perfectly happy on it before and I really don’t want to risk getting pregnant again.’ Two months later, having shared her anxieties with the doctor, Mrs A. had settled happily on the Pill and all was well.

In this case the experience of the birth of her son reawakened memories and feelings in Mrs A. from her early childhood. In some women the feelings may come from the deepest levels of the unconscious, and may be so traumatic that serious psychological upset can occur. However, in many women such as Mrs A. the memory can easily be dealt with once it is put it into words, and the doctor who can assist in that process has a great deal to offer.

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The cap lies in the vagina. It is a temporarily accommodated guest without eyes or ears. Provided it does its job, it is tolerated, and guests are fine to have around if you feel well. If you are not feeling so well, they are not so fine.

Most doctors are familiar with the issues that a cap brings to the fore for a woman, but the feelings it arouses in the man are less well studied. Men have been heard to use combative phrases to decribe it. T don’t fancy catching my weapon on that’, and ‘What if I knock it into the wrong position?’ For them it is not an unnoticed companion in their private place.

Mr E. is now separated from his wife. Things had been strained for some time. She had asked him to go back to condoms ‘because of the mess’. Later she announced, ‘You can leave them off if you want now.’ Mr E. said he could cope with the cap, but could not understand how hurt he felt when she told him she had been using it for several weeks before she told him. ‘I had hoped it meant we were getting closer’, he said, ‘but that thing [the cap] was worse because I couldn’t see it.’

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This may well be a happy event requiring no special support, but an unplanned pregnancy may occcur when a woman feels ill-prepared for parenthood and she may need extra emotional and social support. If she had considered abortion, she may harbour feelings of guilt, sometimes resulting in over-zealous protection of her child. The very factors making her consider abortion may still be present when the child arrives and the practical difficulties will need to be faced.

The patient with an unplanned pregnancy may present with many conflicting emotional needs, which require rapid assessment. The doctor with psychosexual training is in a particularly good position to help such women reach a satisfactory conclusion and make sense of her situation. A student once asked this author if she found the work depressing. Interesting, exhausting challenging, frustrating possibly, but helping women with unplanned pregnancy is not depressing. There are perhaps very few situations where one can be of such benefit to the patient so quickly.

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At the next visit Miss R. had stopped taking the Pill and then started it again, and had many complaints about feeling weak and tired, and having vague aches and pains. Again, she was not examined. During the next year she saw many different members of the clinic staff with complaints about sore breasts, fear of infection, pain in her leg (which could have been a deep vein thrombosis), and continuing anxieties about her parents finding out she was on the Pill, and about her marriage prospects. Finally, one day Dr A. noticed that the boyfriend was always in the waiting room, and was able to lead the patient to a discussion of the question of choice, and the patient’s right to say yes or no to sex. This led to further questions about virginity, and the state of her hymen, although again no genital examination.

Following this important consultation her visits to the clinic became less frequent, and later she was able to admit that she was not ready for sex when she started and that she should not have done it. However, there was no discussion of the feelings that led her to start.

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Mrs H.’s unpredictable behaviour resulted from her conflict between the wish for a stable life and motherhood and the desire for a good time. She had no model of a stable mother hence her distress and anger when her first social worker left. Hurt and rejected by her mother, she nevertheless envied her apparent freedom and gaiety. She loved her father but also despised him for being unable to control her mother. These feelings were later transferred to her husband. Without inner control she looked to others for control, but then found difficulty in accepting it. Her very inadequacy as a mother made her get pregnant in the hope that she could prove she was different from her mother. However, each time she found the demands of babies and small children too great.

In this case a measure of understanding about the unconscious forces underlying Mrs H.’s actions, and close co-operation between the doctor and social worker, allowed a consistent approach, and prevented the conflict about control being acted out between those who were trying to help.

Sustained support from the same workers over a considerable time is needed for such women until they can take the responsibility for contraception themselves. It is essential for the woman to be supported in her choice of method so that she can learn about her own limitations in using it. Eventually she may come to accept that outside control – in the form of sterilization – is the answer, but this can be done only when the woman herself wants it and should never be imposed.

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The bowel or intestines is the body’s primary organ of waste elimination. It is also the primary site for nutrient absorption and assimilation. Waste matter tends to accumulate in the bowel area and can collect for many years. Some people may have waste matter in the intestines similar to rubbery, black substances. Many people accumulate toxins in the bowel for 30 years or more.

If the bowel is congested, the rest of the body has difficulty in performing its normal function of detoxification and filtration. Fermentation, putrefaction and encrustation of the bowel are believed by some to be the cause for nearly every ailment known to man.

If the lower bowel is congested with bacteria and toxins, fermented wastes and chemicals, it tends to seep its grime into the bloodstream and lymph system. The blood and lymph take these wastes to every area of the body, synergistically decreasing the absorption of nutrients and increasing the production of mucous and disease. The wastes from the bowel cause a steady self-poisoning of the body.

Symptoms of auto-intoxication from the bowel may be bad breath, body odour, weight gain, headaches, acne, depression, rashes, boils, constant bloating, flatulence, mood swings, fatigue, anxiety, irritation, constipation, diarrhoea, furry tongue, hard stools and a multitude of other health problems and symptoms.

Iridology is a fantastic tool for visually assessing health problems occurring in the body, particularly colon toxicity, digestive problems and chronic conditions that can lead to the onset of disease or cancer. It is one of the best natural tools to use as a preventative as good, professional and experienced iridologists who use high quality computerized iridology equipment, can detect many pre-disposition signs towards illness. Once these are detected, the practitioner uses their nature care skills to provide the appropriate remedies to enhance and restore good health, and to prevent illness from occurring in the future.

The eyes truly are a window to the soul, as through the eyes we can see emotional, physical and psychological well-being from birth through to death.

There are a number of different ways to cleanse the colon. Fasting or detoxification diets are simple and easy to do. By simply abstaining from food for one day every week and drinking only water and freshly made juices, you allow your body and bowel a chance to detoxify wastes. Three day cleanses once a month are also very helpful at cleaning the bowel.

Maintaining a good, healthy diet rich in wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes will ensure your body stays clean and healthy. There are many natural herbal laxatives and fibres, which can be taken if you experience any problems. It is always best to obtain fibre from your everyday, healthy diet. Try to avoid laxatives, as they are not a ‘cure’ for bowel congestion and they flush out important nutrients from the body.

Professional colon cleansing techniques are also available. Colonic irrigation is the most popular. There is some controversy over this method. Many practitioners believe the flushing of the colon with large amounts of water causes the good microflora and nutrients to also be flushed out of the body. However, many colonic irrigationists provide these nutrients in ample quantities to ensure the body is re-inoculated with good flora. It is best to do your own investigation and see what works best for you. It has also been suggested that colonic irrigation causes the bowel to lose its natural tone (through the flushing of water in the opposite direction through the bowel).

It is imperative to good health that we keep a clean and well-functioning digestive system, as the digestive system is the fuel line that feeds the rest of your body. If your fuel line is congested with muck, it will not only feed small amounts of fuel to the rest of your body, the fuel supply will be dirty and contaminated. This contaminates other areas of your body leading to ill health.

Everyone can perform enemas at home. Natural methods of cleansing the colon include:

•     Herbs to give you a good flush out include aloe vera, cascara sagrada, flaxseed, red raspberry, rhubarb and senna.

•     Fenugreek, yarrow and elecampane flush mucous from the intestines.

•     Marshmallow restores the acid/alkaline balance of the colon, promotes healing and     loosens and flushes mucous from the intestines.

•     Slippery elm tea soothes inflammation and cleanses excess wastes from the colon.

•     Eating only a raw foods diet for 7 days is great for detoxifying and cleansing the bowel and other organs.

•     Drinking at least 8 glasses of water every day; upon arising, drink 2 glasses of lukewarm water squeezed with 1/2 a lemon or lime. Lemon neutralizes and detoxifies the bloodstream.

•     Every morning, take a brisk walk and drink a fresh vegetable juice, preferably a green juice.

•     Colon cleansing drink — 1 tablespoon of bentonite powder, 1 teaspoon of psyllium, 1/2 cup of apple juice, 1/4 cup of aloe vera juice and 1/2 cup of warm water; drink once a day until the colon is clean and not foul-smelling.

•     Avoiding saturated fats, sugar, processed foods, fried foods, dairy products, oils and a heavy meat intake.

•     The healthy breakfast mix is an excellent, everyday solution to maintain a healthy and clean bowel.

•     Exercise on a regular basis. Lack of exercise can cause constipation.

The best form of colon cleansing is ‘common sense’ with eating. Maintain a good, healthy diet, do not overeat and avoid artificial, processed foods as much as possible. Become aware of signs or symptoms indicating toxicity and perform positive steps, such as those outlined above, to remove these before a health condition begins.

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Music and sound therapy can induce a state of healing or self-healing through a number of different methods. Soft music and soothing sounds, used alone or with relaxation techniques, can effectively alleviate stress, relax muscles and evoke a positive mood. Relaxation music enables many people to attain a meditative state much more easily.

Everyone can use this form of music therapy by simply listening to relaxation tapes or CDs. Music shops and department stores sell a variety of relaxation tapes and classical music. As human beings, we are all individually sound sensitive. Therefore, different pieces of music will appeal to each of us and evoke a variety of different emotions and responses. Certain types of music, like classical music, are very therapeutic and promote specific healing properties.

Another simple way of incorporating sound therapy into your life is by visiting a waterfall or a stream and listening to the sound of running water, or by going for a walk through the forest and listening to birds harmonizing. These environmental sounds relieve stress and uplift depression. This form of music therapy is easy to do and costs absolutely nothing. Many relaxation and meditation tapes contain the sounds of birds, whales and dolphins, which bring about a sense of calm and relaxation. To record your own relaxation music, take a tape player to a peaceful, harmonious environment such as the rainforest and record the delicate sounds of nature yourself.

The best instrument we have for healing is our own voice. The voice has been used as a vehicle for spiritual uplifting and healing in every culture throughout history. Mothers use lullabies every day. They hum and sing harmonies to their babies to soothe and relax their precious souls. The human voice is a magical tool for transformation. You can sing anywhere at any time. Singing brings about a sense of happiness, confidence and improved health. Group singing is also fun and helps to tone the voice and uplift emotions. Certain keys or tones affect different areas of the body. Try to create your own songs. Different songs can free our ‘inner child’, ease emotional pain, spread joy, open the heart and uplift the spirit. Take a moment to sing a melody.

Toning is a form of music therapy which involves using sounds that create tones, to enhance healing and harmony in the body. To do toning, stand comfortably erect and let your body sway like a flower on its stalk in the breeze. Relax your jaw and let your teeth be slightly parted. Let sound come up from your feet, not from your mind. Begin with the first vowel sound ‘ahh’. Ann signifies oneness or unity and is believed to radiate a golden colour. It is an earth sound, which opens the heart.

Say the ‘ahh’ on the out breath and let it give you a feeling of release, of emptying out. Let your body groan and vibrate as long as it likes. Repeat a number of times and then move onto another sound. Make the toning session last from 10 minutes to one hour, or until the body feels cleansed and nourished, and a sigh is released. The sigh lets you know the body-voice is satisfied.

You can also do toning with other sounds. The second powerful vowel sound is ‘ooo’ (cool). ‘Ooo’ relates to the throat, is associated with water and is believed to draw energy in. The third sound is ‘eee’ which is associated with air. ‘Eee’ is related to the mind and radiates a bright blue-green or turquoise colour.

Beyond these are ‘hmmm’ (humming) and ‘oh’ sounds. ‘Hmmm’ is associated with the top of the head and produces all colours of the rainbow. You can do one sound in a session, or a number of sounds. It is up to you; do what feels right for your soul!

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