8 Home Remedies that Actually Work

By Brynn Mannino

Nobody is naysaying the wonders of modern medicine-what would we do without a medication like penicillin to treat infections? But, as it turns out, everyday items have secret curing powers, too. Next time you don't want to fork over money to get a common wart removed, consider using duct tape. Already popped two aspirin but can't get rid of the headache? A pencil could do the trick. Below, get medical explanations behind a few bizarre-albeit brilliant-MacGyver-esque home remedies.

Duct Tape to Remove Warts

In 2002, a group of doctors compared duct tape's effectiveness with liquid nitrogen in removing warts. After two months of wearing duct tape on a daily basis and using a pumice stone about once a week to exfoliate the dead skin, 85 percent of patients' warts were gone, whereas freezing only removed 60 percent. "The question is whether there is something in the chemical adhesive itself, or if the occlusion (suffocation) causes the destruction of the wart," says New York City-based dermatologist, Robin Blum, MD. "The other thinking is that the duct tape causes irritation, which stimulates our body's immune cells to attack the wart." Photo: Thinkstock
Learn 4 ways to fight cold sores.

Vapor Rub to Cure Nail Fungus

While there are no studies to prove coating infected toenails with vapor rub once or twice a day is an effective treatment for nail fungus, a basic Internet search results in a number of personal testaments to the medicinal ointment's fungus-killing powers. "I've heard many patients say that vapor rub does help, but I'm not exactly sure why," Dr. Blum admits. While some argue it's the menthol in the balm that kills the fungus and others say it's the smothering effect of the thick gel, if used consistently, vapor rub has been shown to get rid of not just the fungus, but the infected toenail, too, which will turn black and eventually fall off. When the new nail grows in, it should be fungus-free. Photo: Thinkstock

Oatmeal to Soothe Eczema

"This is absolutely true, as oats have anti-inflammatory properties," Dr. Blum says. Whether it's used as a paste or poured into a bath, most experts recommend choosing colloidal (finely ground) oatmeal and soaking the affected area for at least 15 minutes. In addition to reducing inflammation, oats are thought to have an antihistamine effect, Dr. Blum says. By lowering levels of histamine, which triggers inflammation as part of the immune system's recovery response, she explains, oats prevent or reduce the redness. Photo: Thinkstock

Check out these simple itchy-skin soothers.

Yogurt to Cure Bad Breath

Bad breath comes from a number of places, the two most common being the mouth and the stomach. The neutralizing powers of yogurt and other probiotics treat the latter cause. "Yogurt shouldn't have any effect at all on the bacteria that live on the tongue because it's not there long enough," says Robert Meltzer, MD, a New York City-based gastroenterologist and attending physician at Lenox Hill Hospital. However, it likely has a neutralizing effect on the acid that resides anywhere between the mouth and the stomach, including the back of the throat and the esophagus, he explains. "I think almost any milk product or food that contains live cultures would have the same effect." While yogurt can get rid of bad breath that results from gastrological conditions, like acid reflux, it won't have any real effect on bad breath that is the product of gum, liver or lung disease, says Ohio-based dentist Matthew Messina, DDS. Photo: Thinkstock

A Spoonful of Sugar to Cure Hiccups

In 1971, Edgar Engelman, MD, conducted a study to find out if a spoonful of sugar really is an effective cure for hiccups. He assembled a group of 20 patients who had been experiencing intractable hiccups for more than six hours, eight of whom had had them anywhere from a full day to six weeks. Each of the test subjects was given one teaspoon of white granulated sugar to swallow dry, and for 19 of the 20 hiccup patients, the cure was immediate. André Dubois, MD, a gastroenterologist in Bethesda, Maryland, noted in The Doctors Book of Home Remedies that "the sugar is probably acting in the mouth to modify the nervous impulses that would otherwise tell the muscles in the diaphragm to contract spasmodically."Photo: iStockphoto

Find out what causes hiccups and more.

Bite a Pencil to Cure a Headache

While doctors aren't sure why we do it, clenching our teeth is a common side effect of stress. According to Fred Sheftell, MD, director of the New England Center for Headache in Stamford, Connecticut, when we clench up, we strain the muscle that connects the jaw to the temples, which can trigger a tension headache. By placing a pencil between our teeth-but not biting down-we relax our jaw muscles, which eradicates tension and reduces pain. Just remember, the remedy really only applies to tension headaches-not migraines or headaches caused by sinus pressure, etc.Photo: Thinkstock

Olives for Motion Sickness

According to the National Library of Medicine, there are a number of symptoms that present themselves as a result of motion sickness, including increased salivation, which is the body's way of protecting the teeth from the high doses of acid accompanied by vomit. Enter olives, which contain tannins that, when released in the mouth, work to dry saliva-first eliminating the symptom and then the body's instinct to follow suit. However, the treatment is only effective during the early stages of nausea, when the salivation changes first appear. Photo: Thinkstock

Discover 75 easy ways to keep your family healthy.

Gargle Salt Water for a Sore Throat

When you were a kid and had a sore throat, your mom likely made you gargle warm water with salt in it...and she was definitely on to something. According to Douglas Hoffman MD, PhD, author of the website The Medical Consumer's Advocate, a sore throat is an inflammatory response of the infected tissues, and the salt helps draw out the excess fluid to temporarily decrease swelling and the pain it causes. Most remedies call for a ratio of 1 tablespoon salt to 8 ounces of water, but it's always better to opt for more salt rather than less. Just keep in mind that you are treating the symptoms-not the illness. As Dr. Hoffman notes on his website: "The relief is very real, but also tends to be short-lived, since the gargle has done nothing to remove the cause of the sore throat." Photo: Thinkstock

Original article appeared on WomansDay.com.

GLUTATHIOINE: The Mother of All Antioxidants

It's the most important molecule you need to stay healthy and prevent disease -- yet you've probably never heard of it. It's the secret to prevent aging, cancer, heart disease, dementia and more, and necessary to treat everything from autism to Alzheimer's disease. There are more than 89,000 medical articles about it -- but your doctor doesn't know how address the epidemic deficiency of this critical life-giving molecule ...

What is it? I'm talking about the mother of all antioxidants, the master detoxifier and maestro of the immune system: GLUTATHIONE (pronounced "gloota-thigh-own").

The good news is that your body produces its own glutathione. The bad news is that poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation all deplete your glutathione.

This leaves you susceptible to unrestrained cell disintegration from oxidative stress, free radicals, infections and cancer. And your liver gets overloaded and damaged, making it unable to do its job of detoxification.

In treating chronically ill patients with Functional Medicine for more than 10 years, I have discovered that glutathione deficiency is found in nearly all very ill patients. These include people with chronic fatigue syndrome, heart disease, cancer, chronic infections, autoimmune disease, diabetes, autism, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, arthritis, asthma, kidney problems, liver disease and more.

At first I thought that this was just a coincidental finding, but over the years I have come to realize that our ability to produce and maintain a high level of glutathione is critical to recovery from nearly all chronic illness -- and to preventing disease and maintaining optimal health and performance. The authors of those 76,000 medical articles on glutathione I mentioned earlier have found the same thing!

So in today's blog I want to explain what glutathione is, why it's important and give you 9 tips that will help you optimize your glutathione levels, improve your detoxification system and protect help yourself from chronic illness.

What is Glutathione?

Glutathione is a very simple molecule that is produced naturally all the time in your body. It is a combination of three simple building blocks of protein or amino acids -- cysteine, glycine and glutamine.

The secret of its power is the sulfur (SH) chemical groups it contains. Sulfur is a sticky, smelly molecule. It acts like fly paper and all the bad things in the body stick onto it, including free radicals and toxins like mercury and other heavy metals.

Normally glutathione is recycled in the body -- except when the toxic load becomes too great. And that explains why we are in such trouble ...

In my practice, I test the genes involved in glutathione metabolism. These are the genes involved in producing enzymes that allow the body to create and recycle glutathione in the body. These genes have many names, such as GSTM1, GSTP1 and more.

These genes impaired in some people for a variety of important reasons. We humans evolved in a time before the 80,000 toxic industrial chemicals found in our environment today were introduced into our world, before electromagnetic radiation was everywhere and before we polluted our skies, lakes, rivers, oceans and teeth with mercury and lead.

That is why most people survived with the basic version of the genetic detoxification software encoded in our DNA, which is mediocre at ridding the body of toxins. At the time humans evolved we just didn't need more. Who knew we would be poisoning ourselves and eating a processed, nutrient-depleted diet thousands of years later?

Because most of us didn't require additional detoxification software, almost of half of the population now has a limited capacity to get rid of toxins. These people are missing GSTM1 function -- one of the most important genes needed in the process of creating and recycling glutathione in the body.

Nearly all my very sick patients are missing this function. The one-third of our population that suffers from chronic disease is missing this essential gene. That includes me. Twenty years ago I became mercury poisoned and suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome due to this very problem. My GSTM1 function was inadequate and I didn't produce enough glutathione as a result. Eventually, my body broke down and I became extremely ill ...

This is the same problem I see in so many of my patients. They are missing this critical gene and they descend into disease as a result. Let me explain how this happens ...

The Importance of Glutathione in Protecting Against Chronic Illness

Glutathione is critical for one simple reason: It recycles antioxidants. You see, dealing with free radicals is like handing off a hot potato. They get passed around from vitamin C to vitamin E to lipoic acid and then finally to glutathione which cools off the free radicals and recycles other antioxidants. After this happens, the body can "reduce" or regenerate another protective glutathione molecule and we are back in business.

However, problems occur when we are overwhelmed with too much oxidative stress or too many toxins. Then the glutathione becomes depleted and we can no longer protect ourselves against free radicals, infections, or cancer and we can't get rid of toxins. This leads to further sickness and soon we are in the downward spiral of chronic illness.

But that's not all. Glutathione is also critical in helping your immune system do its job of fighting infections and preventing cancer. That's why studies show that it can help in the treatment of AIDS.(i)

Glutathione is also the most critical and integral part of your detoxification system. All the toxins stick onto glutathione, which then carries them into the bile and the stool -- and out of your body.

And lastly, it also helps us reach peak mental and physical function. Research has shown that raised glutathione levels decrease muscle damage, reduce recovery time, increase strength and endurance and shift metabolism from fat production to muscle development.

If you are sick or old or are just not in peak shape, you likely have glutathione deficiency.
In fact, the top British medical journal, the Lancet, found the highest glutathione levels in healthy young people, lower levels in healthy elderly, lower still in sick elderly and the lowest of all in the hospitalized elderly. (ii)

Keeping yourself healthy, boosting your performance, preventing disease and aging well depends on keeping your glutathione levels high. I'll say it again ... Glutathione is so important because it is responsible for keeping so many of the keys to UltraWellness optimized.

It is critical for immune function and controlling inflammation. It is the master detoxifier and the body's main antioxidant, protecting our cells and making our energy metabolism run well.

And the good news is that you can do many things to increase this natural and critical molecule in your body. You can eat glutathione-boosting foods. You can exercise. And you can take glutathione-boosting supplements. Let's review more specifics about each.

9 Tips to Optimize your Glutathione Levels

These 9 tips will help you improve your glutathione levels, improve your health, optimize your performance and live a long, healthy life.

Eat Foods that Support Glutathione Production

1. Consume sulfur-rich foods. The main ones in the diet are garlic, onions and the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, watercress, etc.).

2. Try bioactive whey protein. This is great source of cysteine and the amino acid building blocks for glutathione synthesis. As you know, I am not a big fan of dairy. But this is an exception -- with a few warnings. The whey protein MUST be bioactive and made from non-denatured proteins ("denaturing" refers to the breakdown of the normal protein structure). Choose non-pasteurized and non-industrially produced milk that contains no pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics. Immunocal is a prescription bioactive non-denatured whey protein that is even listed in the Physician's Desk Reference.

Exercise for Your Way to More Glutathione

3. Exercise boosts your glutathione levels and thereby helps boost your immune system, improve detoxification and enhance your body's own antioxidant defenses. Start slow and build up to 30 minutes a day of vigorous aerobic exercise like walking or jogging, or play various sports. Strength training for 20 minutes 3 times a week is also helpful.

Take Glutathione Supporting Supplements

One would think it would be easy just to take glutathione as a pill, but the body digests protein -- so you wouldn't get the benefits if you did it this way. However, the production and recycling of glutathione in the body requires many different nutrients and you CAN take these. Here are the main supplements that need to be taken consistently to boost glutathione. Besides taking a multivitamin and fish oil, supporting my glutathione levels with these supplements is the most important thing I do every day for my personal health.

4. N-acetyl-cysteine. This has been used for years to help treat asthma and lung disease and to treat people with life-threatening liver failure from Tylenol overdose. In fact, I first learned about it in medical school while working in the emergency room. It is even given to prevent kidney damage from dyes used during x-ray studies.

5. Alpha lipoic acid. This is a close second to glutathione in importance in our cells and is involved in energy production, blood sugar control, brain health and detoxification. The body usually makes it, but given all the stresses we are under, we often become depleted.

6. Methylation nutrients (folate and vitamins B6 and B12). These are perhaps the most critical to keep the body producing glutathione. Methylation and the production and recycling of glutathione are the two most important biochemical functions in your body. Take folate (especially in the active form of 5 methyltetrahydrofolate), B6 (in active form of P5P) and B12 (in the active form of methylcobalamin).

7. Selenium. This important mineral helps the body recycle and produce more glutathione.

8. A family of antioxidants including vitamins C and E (in the form of mixed tocopherols), work together to recycle glutathione.

9. Milk thistle (silymarin) has long been used in liver disease and helps boost glutathione levels.

So use these nine tips and see how they work to help you optimzie your glutathione levels. When you do, you will take one more step to lifelong vibrant health.

Now I'd like to hear from you...

Had you ever heard of this important nutrient before?

Have you tried any of the advice in this article?

What effects have you noticed on your health?

Please leave your thoughts by adding a comment below.

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, M.D.

References

(i) De Rosa SC, Zaretsky MD, Dubs JG, Roederer M, Anderson M, Green A, Mitra D, Watanabe N, Nakamura H, Tjioe I, Deresinski SC, Moore WA, Ela SW, Parks D, Herzenberg LA, Herzenberg LA. N-acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione in HIV infection. Eur J Clin Invest. 2000 Oct;30(10):915-29

(ii) Nuttall S, Martin U, Sinclair A, Kendall M. 1998. Glutathione: in sickness and in health. The Lancet 351(9103):645-646

Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap into your body's natural ability to heal itself. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on Youtube and become a fan on Facebook.

Source: Huffingtonpost.com

BANANAS

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression "going bananas" is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!
This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.
Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system. Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips... Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.



Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance.. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%! Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills। When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit !!!

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Source: Email from Hugh McVeigh.

America’s Top Killer: Us

A new study argues our personal choices cause more than 1 million premature deaths a year. What, if anything, should the government do to protect us from ourselves?With the dawn of a new and potentially difficult year upon us, many Americans will swear that this is the year that they'll eat better, exercise more, or quit smoking. Of course, most of us will fail to stick to these healthy resolutions. And, while we know that getting in shape is good for us, a new study shows the true cost of our tendency not to make wise decisions about taking care of ourselves. According to Duke University's Ralph Keeney, whose work was published last month in the journal Operations Research, America's top killer isn't cancer or heart disease, or even smoking and overeating—it's our inability to make smart choices that leads us to engage in those and other self-destructive behaviors.

"Each year more than a million people needlessly die because of their own personal decisions," says Keeney, whose work gives new meaning to the cliché we're our "own worst enemies." That means more than half the population will make a decision leading to an early grave, he reports, including a full 55 percent of people who die between the ages of 15 and 64. Most alarming, that figure has jumped fourfold since 1900, despite the world becoming a safer place overall thanks to seat belts, smoking laws, health food and a host of other tools to help people stay inside the lines.

Keeney's work raises a philosophical quandary: If we continue to kill ourselves with poor decisions, are we consciously opting for short, zestful lives over long, abstemious ones? Or is it that we simply need a stronger hand prodding us to make better choices? Keeney and a number of public-health advocates say the answer may be more governmental guidance in everything from what kind of food we buy to whether we contribute to our retirement savings. And if Keeney is right, and much of our health and life expectancy is a reflection of our own decisions, are these things we can change or choices shaped by genes and other forces outside our control?

To generate his numbers, Keeney took national death statistics from 2000 and tried to trace the official cause of each death (ranging from cancers, diabetes and AIDS to fatal accidents, suicides and homicides) back to some personal call, such as the decision to smoke, drink, drive without a seat belt or have unprotected sex. Because the numbers can't show for sure that a person's smoking, for instance, caused their lung cancer, he used risk data to make reliable guesses—smoking is known to triple the risk of cancer, for example, which lead Keeney to conclude that roughly two thirds of all smokers who got lung cancer brought it upon themselves.

That's not so controversial when identifying three packs a day as the cause of cancer or the choice to speed as the cause of a fatal crash, but Keeney is on thinner ice when counting all suicides as examples of death by personal decision. His reasoning: the decision to kill oneself may not be rational, or even clearheaded, but it's definitely personal. But with evidence accumulating that many mental illnesses have genetic or physiological origins, labeling the suicidal impulses of someone suffering from major depression or bipolar disorder a "choice" may not be exactly fair.. The same goes for certain addictions to drinking, smoking and overeating, which all have significant genetic triggers—yet Keeney holds firm. "Prior to having these habits," he writes, "the individuals made decisions that lead to [them] and these are the personal decisions that are of concern in this paper.

"Another of the study's limitations: it ignores the environmental baggage that constrains people's choices. Keeney says he appreciates the importance of peer pressure, poverty and education as well as the fact that fatal decisions aren't necessarily "bad" ones. (Yes, you end up dead but perhaps you had no real choice and were speeding to escape a murderer. Or perhaps you made a conscious choice to live an interesting life, burning out early like Elvis rather keeping to a rigid fitness routine like Jack LaLanne.) It's just that in most cases, he says, people could have reasonably saved their own lives if they had taken a different path. "If it's under a person's control," he tells NEWSWEEK, "I say it's up to them."

Why do so many of us make lousy personal decisions, even ones that kill us? Keeney, for one, chalks it up to short-term thinking and it-can't-happen-to-me exceptionalism. Other scholars, such as Harvard's Cass Sunstein, University of Chicago's Richard Thaler and MIT's Dan Ariely—all loosely organized, like Keeney, under the suddenly hip banner of behavioral economics—have in recent years come up with different reasons for why we sometimes act a fool. Topping their lists are apathy, peer pressure, and the tendency to misperceive in predictable ways—such as judging a mountain of food a molehill if it's served on a massive plate.

However the experts explain our tendencies to self-destruct, they all agree that we could use some help negotiating these choices better—and that government can provide it. For Keeney, it's by adding "decision making" to the standard curriculum in public schools so that more children grow up empowered to recognize and mine all their options, rather than accept those presented by others. "Imagine if they taught World War II as decision making," he says. "That'd be fabulous."

For Sunstein and Thaler, authors of the recent book "Nudge" (Yale, 2008), it's through gently pushing people to make the right move. "Putting the fruit at eye level counts as a nudge," they write. "Banning junk food does not." Ariely cottons to a middle ground between authoritarianism and "complete freedom to fail." In the realm of preventive medicine, for instance, that means encouraging people to go for regular screenings and checkups by establishing a deposit system: the only way to get your $100 back is by making your appointment.

Will any of this actually happen? Brian Wansink thinks so, although he's short on specifics. In "Mindless Eating," his 2007 book about how the brain decides what the stomach gets, the Cornell University marketing professor imagines a tomorrow where regulators promote healthier habits by borrowing the seductions of junk food and leveraging insights into portion control. In one of his more famous experiments, he gives people bowls of soup that were secretly refilled by a tube beneath the restaurant table and discovers that those people with bottomless bowls ate almost 75 percent more than people with normal bowls. "How could I feel full? I've still got half a bowl left," the overeaters wondered. The lesson: tinkering with perception is the key to changing long-term behaviors and, according to Wansink, adding years and quality to our lives. The 19th century was the century of hygiene, he writes, and the 20th was the century of medicine. The 21st? The century of behavior change—with Uncle Sam perhaps leading the charge.

If playing with our perception doesn't work, perhaps manipulating our wallets might. Or at least that's what some cash-strapped state governments are banking on. Last week New York Health Commissioner Richard Daines created a five-minute YouTube video to promote a proposed 18 percent sales tax on sugary drinks in the Empire State. Daines justified the move saying that some taxes can be good for your health.

Still, a more interventionist government isn't up everyone's alley. Not to mention the fact that we learn by making mistakes. If there's always a guardrail in place, we may never remember to watch the ledge.

www.Newsweek.com © 2009
www.HealthNewsDigest.com
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THE TRUTH ABOUT DIET SODA!

According to a study done at the University of North Carolina, if you watch what you're drinking, you could cut at least 450 calories a day from your diet. This same study found out that Americans drink 192 gallons of liquid a year - about two liters a day.

How do we deal with this problem? Some individuals have chosen to drink diet soda because it contains five or fewer calories per serving as compared to sweetened beverages. Yet, even by drinking a diet soda, you're still not solving your diet problems:

A diet soda low in calories can still lead to weight gain.

With a diet soda, you are still consuming a sugary-tasting beverage - even if they're artificially sweetened. The more you drink sweetened beverages, the more you want to consume sweeter foods - cereal, bread, dessert, etc.

A diet soda becomes a substitute for all the healthy beverages you need.

Diet soda is 100 percent nutrition-free. Perhaps one can of diet soda a day won't do too much damage, but we usually don't stop at one. Some diet soda drinkers are guzzling five to six cans a day. This large amount of diet soda takes the place of healthy drinks like water or tea.

A diet soda can contain aspartame, a chemical used to give diet sodas flavor.

Aspartame is 180 times sweeter than sugar. Some research using rodents has linked consumption of high amounts of the sweetening chemical to brain tumors and lymphoma. Side effects among humans include dizziness, headaches, diarrhea, memory loss and mood changes.

A diet soda can interfere with your body's intake of calories. Recent research has shown artificial sweeteners in soda may confuse your body's ability to estimate how many calories you've ingested. So you end up drinking more than you need. The University of Texas Health Science Center has concluded that a person's risk of becoming overweight from drinking diet soda can rise 37 percent.

You are much better off drinking low-calorie, high-nutrient beverages. Check out your local grocery store and try some great tasting vitamin water (50 calories a bottle). However, be sure these drinks don't contain any harmful chemical sweeteners.

Besides the fact soda contains zero nutrients, it is one beverage we can do without - diet or sweetened. Next time you get the urge for a carbonated drink, try some club soda or water with a twist of lime. For a caffeine fix, you can also try green tea.

SOURCE: email, John Tesh Blog!

Are Doctors in Need of Treatment by Patients?

We love to refer friends to doctors we feel safe to highly recommend. Usually, our references are based on a combination of great bedside manner and medical expertise.

However, the doctor-patient relationship has reached a new level of discontent, according to the New York Times.

Research is showing us that patients are starting to not trust doctors. Data from a Johns Hopkins study published in 2008 states that patients are concerned that their doctors are exposing them to unnecessary risks. Patients are refusing to take their medication if they do not trust their physician.

Contributing to this distrust is the appearance of myriads of health books in local bookstores which are claiming to provide information "your doctor won't tell you." These books offer natural remedies to health problems instead of traditional medications.

Here are some of the major concerns that are creating a strain between doctors and patients:

The patient would prefer the doctor admit he does not know everything. Patients expressed that they are frustrated with medical staff that offer a quick "off-the-line, glib diagnosis" rather than admit "I don't know." It is better for a doctor to admit that the medical condition of his patient is beyond his own field of expertise and recommend another physician as an alternative.

The patient would prefer that doctors not act so rushed. Haven't you ever waited 15 minutes in the waiting room, and then another 40 minutes in the examination room to see the doctor. Finally, the doctor arrives and he seems rushed, preoccupied, checking his pager, unsure of your medical condition and gives you the impression he has not reviewed his notes concerning your case. I've also been with physicians who have spent more than 45 minutes providing me a thorough exam after a detailed interview about my medical condition.

The patient is dealing with a doctor also facing difficult times. To take the doctor's side for a moment, they are facing declining reimbursements and higher costs. Some medical facilities are now charging the patient for use of the examination room.

Doctors are also facing the reports coming out of the news media about medical errors and drugs once meant to help the patient, but now these same meds are causing liver damage or some other medical malady.

The patients are more medical savvy than ever before. Thanks to the Internet, I can do my own medical research. There are some incredible medical websites like webmd.com and medscape.com that provide you up-to-date information about new medical treatments, the latest pharmaceuticals and additional data on whatever illness you're dealing with. When I need to see a doctor after being diagnosed with a medical condition, I'll show up at my next appointments armed-to-the-teeth with the latest information I've downloaded from the Internet about my condition.

The downside of this surge of medical information from the Internet is that it can make the patient distrustful and skeptical of his physician. The patient wonders if doc is keeping up on the latest news on how other hospitals are dealing with kidney stones or whether he's a skeptic when it comes to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

The patients are at a loss with the language being spoken by doctors. The New York Times article points out that when a student attends med school, he or she is removed from the world of people for a period of time. One liver transplant surgeon at UCLA said of her patients, "We don't even speak the same language anymore." No wonder patients go to the Internet to figure out in plain English what is wrong with them.

Furthermore, many doctors, especially surgeons, are fearful of making any diagnosis that is not based on diagnostic imaging. Patients are suffering with chronic pain and doctors lack the courage to take bolder steps to help the patient through exploratory surgery or some equivalent unless backed up by evidence from diagnostic imaging. Let's bring medicine back to the place where doctors feel the freedom to make more diagnostic decisions based on their experience, research and years of medical wisdom.

Source: email from john tesh blog

What in the World is "Male Menopause"?

With the phrase "male menopause," I've got the attention of every female reader, saying, "So that's what's wrong with my husband!"
Male menopause? What is it? Some doctors call it "andropause." Both terms conjure up images of men with hot flashes, guys crying for no reason and more mid-life crises than we can possibly handle.
There are hormonal changes that are a natural part of aging for men. But these hormonal changes are nothing like the plunge women take during menopause. The male hormonal changes are much more gradual, occurring over a period of many years.
For those men who are concerned with andropause here's the major issue: low or declining testosterone. Like most guys, those are fighting words. I want to go out and do something to prove my manhood by hiking up Mt. Whitney or ride a Harley motorcycle at 90 miles an hour down some LA freeway. I'll show you I still got it!
Before you start getting punchy, here are some stats you need to know: older men have lower testosterone levels than do younger men. After age 40, testosterone levels in the blood begin to decline gradually - about a rate of 1% a year. However, Mayo Clinic doctors also tell us that these dropping levels are rarely significant enough to be noticeable in men younger than 60. When you hit your 80's . . . it's another story.
What are the symptoms of male menopause? Let me warn you some of these these symptoms are not pretty:
Reduced sexual desire
Infertility
Loss of body or pubic hair
Height loss and thinning bones
Hot flashes and sweats
Decreased energy and motivation
Feeling sad or depressed
Poor concentration or memory
Most guys read the first symptom about "decreased sexual desire" and blank out . . . then wonder where to buy a tube of testosterone cream.
How do you treat low testosterone? Answer: Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). Some physicians claim the benefits of TRT are unclear. It might raise your Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) or increase your risk of prostate cancer or it may not. More studies need to be done. But from the many websites I read, any man who uses TRT should have frequent PSA tests to make sure there is not a rise in the PSA count.
If you suspect you're a candidate for male menopause, the first thing you should do is get a blood test for an objective testosterone count.
If you want to go the herbal supplement route, there are many products that make all kinds of claims to raise aging-related low testosterone. One of the most common supplements to treat this condition is DHEA, which could also raise your PSA level. Speak with your doctor before taking any kind of herbal supplements.
Of course, with a doctor's prescription, you can also purchase a testosterone cream to be applied in measured amounts.
I'll leave you with some steps you can take to prevent or improve some of your symptoms.
Watch what you eat. Exercise and maintain a healthy diet to keep you strong and energetic. Exercising is a big factor when it comes to improving your moods as well.
Speak to your doctor about any suspected sexual problems. You cannot watch a football, baseball or basketball game without watching ads about erectile dysfunction (ED) or prostate related problems. So the cat is out of the bag when it comes to sexual problems. There are many medications and lifestyle changes you can utilize to help your condition.
Seek help if you are emotionally distraught. Many older men suffer from depression --become irritable, isolated or withdrawn - and are often left untreated. But if you take steps for treatment, it can make a major difference in how you feel.

Source:MayoClinic.com

Survive Your Stay in the Hospital

Just because you're in the hospital doesn't mean you're safe from disease and potential infections. In fact, if you overstay your welcome at any hospital, you may be putting your health at risk.

The hospital is a surprisingly dangerous place. Last year nearly two million people went into the hospital because of one illness and never made it out because of a bug they caught while they were there. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is well aware of this frightening statistic. Here are some suggestions from the CDC on how we can protect ourselves in the hospital:

•Clean hands are a must. The CDC reports about a third of all hospital-acquired infections could be prevented if patients, visitors, and staff were more vigilant about hand washing. So make sure everyone has clean hands . . . including you. The rule is that all doctors, nurses, and orderlies must wash their hands between each patient. But it doesn’t always happen!
If you haven’t seen a healthcare professional washing his or her hands before coming near you, don’t be shy about asking them to wash their hands. And notice whether your doctors and nurses are wearing gloves when examining you. If not, ask why not. Also, keep a bottle of hand sanitizer next to your bed for visitors. Finally, do not touch your wounds or IV sites without scrubbing up first.

•Ask questions . . . lots of them. Sure, doctors, nurses, and other hospital professionals can be a little intimidating when you’re lying there in your paper gown. They might even act annoyed that you’re asking. Don’t worry about that. It’s your health we’re talking about, and it’s okay to hold hospital professionals accountable. So, ask questions like “Why are you about to examine me without wearing gloves?” “Why do I need these lab tests? Explain it to me.” “Why are you giving me THIS medication?” Asking questions and getting clarification keeps you informed about your situation. And if you ask your doctors and nurses to repeat out loud what they are doing, they might catch themselves if they are making a mistake.

•Pay attention to your medications. According to Prevention magazine, your best bet for safety when it comes to getting the right meds and dosages is to choose a hospital (if you can) that uses a computerized medical data-entry system. According to Harvard research, hospitals that employ these systems have 85 percent fewer instances of medication mix-ups than those hospitals that keep track with pen and paper. But no matter what the computer or the attendants say, ask your doctor to give you a complete list of the medications you are taking, including dosages and frequency. Then, when the nurse hands you a pill, you can check it against your list.