No carbs may curb memory?

Joy-O — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:40:00 +0000

Cutting out the carbs may help you lose weight-but it can also help you lose your memory.
Dieters who avoided starchy foods do worse in mental tests than those who allowed themselves pasta, bread and potatoes.
Scientists found that the mental performance dropped after just a week on an Atkins-style diet. The study demonstrates that the food you eat can have an immediate impact on cognitive behavior.
The popular low-carb and and non-carb diets have the strongest potential for negative impact on thinking and cognition.
The Atkin’s diet, popular in the early 2000s, bans carbohydrates such as flour, sugar and potatoes, but allows protein and fat. Some fruit and vegetables are also restricted.
Scientists believe that lo-carb diets reduce the amount of glucose, or blood sugar, which is carried to the brain and used by nerve cells for energy.
A low-carb diet means less fuel to power brain cells.

Tissue salts are safe

Joy-O — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:34:00 +0000

Continuation from my previous post.

Physiologically tissue salts are completely safe. Toxicity is not possible at such microscopic concentration, i,e. one part per million.

There are NO side effects like those experienced when taking some pharmaceutical drugs. However, on rare occasions an individual may experience oversensitivity or idiosyncratic reaction to a tissue salt in the same way as is possible with food or any harmless substance that is ingested.

In acute illnesses there can be sometimes be a brief and short-lived increase in intensity of symptoms after administering tissue salts. This is a sign that the disease process is moving rapidly to completion, and discomfort of the condition will soon be resolved. For example, in fever and inflammatory condition s it occasionally happens that after taking appropriate tissue salts,symptoms may briefly intensify, say for half an hour in the case of a child’s fever,* and then rapidly improve as the disease quickly approaches resolution. Disease processes are allowed to run a natural course, the harmonious balance and better general health is ensured. Because of tissue salt form. Anyone can safely prescribe for minor ailments, gaining experience and knowledge towards more and more effective therapy. Of course, for serious illness, or if there are doubts as to the nature or direction of any illnesses, please do not hesitate to contact your qualified practitioners regarding symptoms.

How long it is necessary to keep taking them?
The length of time one needs to take tissue salts is directly related to the length of time a health problem has existed. A very conservative estimate has been allowing one month’s treatment with tissue salts for every year of the problem has been in existence. This estimate may seem even more conservative given the fact that more than one tissue salt is used in most treatments, combined with other supportive measures and health modalities. Nevertheless it is a reminder that true cure come through a process, not a miracle!

How many can be taken at a time?
In general between and 5 tissue salts are prescribe in an individual treatment for long-standing problems. For acute problems of recent origin fewer are prescribed as the symptoms usually much more well-defined. One or two remedies will often be clearly indicated.
The bottom line is this: tissue salts are prescribed to bring certain minerals back into proper balance in the body. It is not a matter of covering all possible options by prescribing all twelves salts. A prescriber’s skill lies in recognizing which minerals are out of balance in the body based on presenting symptoms, the only reliable guide. Best results are achieved by following this rationale.

How do I prescribe for acute illness?
In acute conditions where disease has developed suddenly–sudden fevers,* sudden gut or muscle pain,* physical trauma,* or for short-term conditions–head or cold and ‘flu etc. lasting a few hours or a few days, tissue salts are administered frequently. Remedies are taken at least 4 times daily, and very often every 2 hours. They can be safety taken at 10 minute intervals in acute conditions. There are usually no need to continue once N cute episode is over.

How do I prescribe for chronic (long term) illness?
In chronic or long term health problems such as recurring infections, periodic headaches or migraines, rheumatic and arthritic problems, or long term respiratory, circulatory and skin conditions, tissue salts are usually taken 4 times daily for a number of months, the period of treatment depending on the length of time the problem has existed, and on the depth of the problem.

In long term tissue salt treatment there may be occasional ‘acute’ episodes of illness. In this case it is sometimes best to stop for a time and either administer appropriate tissue salts for the current acute episode until symptoms subside, or if discomfort is not too severe, simply wait and allow it to run its brief course. Then resume long term treatment. Remember that tissue salts are always working with and supporting the body to achieve a better state of health. When acute episodes occur, it is the body’s healing wisdom allowing an exacerbation of symptoms as a necessary stage on the path to a better quality of health. For example, someone who has suffered chronic sinus congestion may, in the initial stages of treatment of tissue salts, experience a few days of fluent nasal discharge. This can be understood as drainage of a chronically congested area of the body, and in most cases the person actually feels better despite temporary inconvenience.

It should be noted that the same tissue salt can be indicated in both acute and long term conditions.Symptoms will be the guide.

Tissue salts

Joy-O — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 03:48:00 +0000

Have you heard this word Tissue Salt? It’s my first time too. My friend told me about this interesting thing which can help a lot when it comes our health. She even lend me the book of Mark Wells, B.Sc., N.D. entitled 12 Dynamic Elements of Good Health. Who am I to refuse to read such good book of health information? So while reading the book, I’m writing here at the same time so that I can share it to all of you.

Tissue salts are inorganic mineral substances, exactly the same as those which compose our earth and its soils. Dr W. H. Schuessler, an eminent 19t century German homoeopathic physician, regarded them as the material basis of the organs and tissues of the body. He came to this conclusion when he found that after combustion, these salts form the ashes of human tissue. He believed that their presence in correct balance in living tissue is a prerequisite for good homoeopaths since early in the 19th century, but it was Dr. Schuessler who in the 1870s elevated them to the status of a complete system of healing.

How are they prepared?
Dr. Schuessler’s original method of preparation is still used today. This process is called trituration, and was devised by homoeopaths as a means of rendering insoluble substances soluble. It invloves hand-grinding mineral salts in lactose over six successive ‘attenuations’ of 1 part in 10. Attennuation aims at dispersing a small amount of solid throughout a powdered medium the way dilution disperses substances throughout a liquid medium. The end result is a microscopic amount of potentised tissue salt.

How do tissue salts differ from other minerals?
In their crude state, for example as they occur in some foods, minerals are found as tightly-packed concentrates, not easily assimilated ‘as is’ by cell tissues: they must be broken down in the gut. However, digestive systems of individuals differ in their capacity to do this, and so absorption of mineral salts is variable. The process of hand grinding or trituration frees and disperses minerals–a sort of molecular redistribution–within a neutral medium. Trituration and attenuation appear to make mineral more acceptable to individual cells by approaching more closely the minute concentrations in which they already exist within the cell.
In other words, in tissue salt form, minerals require no more breaking down and are in effect ‘predigested’. In cases of deficiency or improper metabolism of particular minerals, administration of tissue salts will significantly increase uptake by cells and improve efficiency of utilization.

What can they do?
According to Dr. Schuessler, any disturbance in uptake metabolism of the twelve essential mineral salts can lead to deficiency or relative imbalance within cells. This leads to disease conditions such as coughs, colds, asthma, gastrointestinal disturbances, circulatory disorders, slow healing and tendency to infection, skin disorders, hair and nail deterioration, hormonal imbalance, headache, insomnia, nerve-related problems, fatigue etc. All these disease conditions have been successfully treated by administration of appropriate tissue salts, rectifying deficiency and reestablishing proper mineral balance in body tissues.

How are they administered? How often and when?
Tissue salts are administered as a homoeopathically prepared micro dose, most commonly in the form of a lactose-calcium based pill, or in liquid form on an alcohol and distilled water base.

Tissue salts are most commonly taken 4 times daily, before meals and at bedtime. However, frequency of dose may vary according to individual circumstances.

It is best not to take the tissue immediately before or after food. If there is food or any strong flavor in the mouth at the same time as taking remedies orally it can do some degree inhibit efficient uptake. For best results chew the tissue salts tablet and let in remain in the mouth for around 30-60 seconds before swallowing. But for me I prepare the under tongue spray.

Coffee goodness

Joy-O — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:52:00 +0000

Drinking cup after cup of coffee dramatically increase the risk of hallucinating, new British research shows.
Healthy young men and women who had more than seven cups of instant coffee a day as a part of a Durham University study were three times more likely to hear or see things that were not there than those who limited their intake to less than a cup.
It is thought that caffeine boosts levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.
Confirming the link could lead to new treatments for those who suffer severe hallucinations, including schizophrenics, some victims of child abuse and the recently bereaved.

Left-handers are less impulsive

Joy-O — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:34:00 +0000

Left-handed people are backwards in coming forward, new research shows.
A study in the UK about personal restraint versus impulsiveness qualities which seem to emanate from opposite hemispheres of our brains – found people who are left-handed were more likely to be anxious or shy about doing or saying what they want.
The Scottish behavioral test on 46 left-handed people and 66 left-handed people and 66 right-handers found left-handers tended to agree more with statements such as “I worry about making mistakes.”
They also agreed that “criticism or scolding hurts quite a bit”.
The left-handers scored higher in tests indicating levels of inhibition, especially in new or unusual situations.
Women also held back more than men, but all groups responded similarly to statement such as: I often act on the spur of the moment” and “I crave excitement and new sensations”.
The Dr who led the study at Dundee’s Aberttay University, said she believed the results were due to writing differences in the brains of left and right-handers and her findings did not vouch for the personality traits of lefties versus righties.
The research suggested they simply process information and emotions differently.
“Left-handers are more likely to hesitate whereas right-handers tend to jump in a bit more.
“In left-handers the right half of the brain is dominant, and it is the side that seems to control negative aspects of emotions. In right-handers the left brain dominates.”
Being right-handers is more common, with only 7 to 20 per cent of adults left-handed.
I agree that left-handers are less impulsive based on my own experienced with myself. I tend to agree. I’m shy and sometimes decide what is not right. I hate arguments.

Cyber Illness

Joy-O — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:38:00 +0000

Internet addiction should be recognized as a clinical disorder, a psychiatrist claims.
Dr Jerald Block says there are four main telltale symptoms:
losing all track of time or neglecting to eat or sleep;
cravings and feelings of withdrawal including anger,
tension or depression when a computer cannot be accessed;
an increased need for better computer equipment and software;
arguments,
lying,
fatigue,
social isolation and poor achievement.
Block, of Oregon Health and Science University, made the claim in an editorial for the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Block claims to many hours spent online gaming, viewing porn or emailing can cause a compulsive-impulsive disorder.
Estimates of the prevalence of the disorder are lacking. Attempts to measure the phenomenon are clouded by shame, denial, and minimization.
Unfortunately, Internet addiction is resistant to treatment, entails significant risks and has high relapse rates.
A computer becomes a tremendous amount of time in their life. Then if you try to cut the cord in a very abrupt fashion, they’ve lost essentially their best friend. That can take the form of depression or rage, said Block.
British psychiatrists have previously reported that a “significant minority” – between 5 and 10 per cent of online users – are Internet addicts.
Anyway, Block didn’t mention about blogger. What do you think? Are we blogger addict? You know the answer for yourself. We know our limitations especially work at home mommies. We know also how to control if our children is into this so called “Internet addiction”. Too much is too bad.

Gum Relief

Joy-O — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:01:00 +0000

Chewing gum can reduce stress and improve alertness and multi-tasking skills, a study has found. Chewing gum reduced anxiety, heightened awareness and bettered ability to perform several tasks at one.
The study results showed people chewing gum were much more relaxed and successful at their activities. It is said that, it’s possible that chewing gum may be associated with positive, relaxing social behavior.
The study results also indicated chewing gum may help prevent bad reactions to stressful situations.
Dietitian and Food and Nutrition Australia director said research had previously shown chewing gum increases the number of kilojoules burnt and can reduce cravings for sweets.
The research was funded by chewing-gum company Wrigley.

So what you think friends? Should we start to chew our bubble gum now?

Brain Booster Warning

Joy-O — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:13:00 +0000

Schools and universities may need to test students sitting exams for brain-improving drugs.
The Academy of Medical Sciences said drugs for diseases such as Alzheimer’s were being used be healthy people to boost alertness and memory.
The experts said if it became more of an issue, urine drug tests might be needed.
But they added brain science technology also held he key to more effective addiction and mental illness drugs.
The academy set up a working group in 2006 led by Cambridge University neuroscience expert Gabriel Horn after look at psychoactive drugs.
It said future drugs had huge potential, thanks to greater understanding of the workings of the brain.
For example, research has identified that many addictive drugs and some behavioral addictions such as gambling “hijack” neural circuits in a particular region of the brain.
Meanwhile, genes were identified that make the brain vulnerable to mental illness.
But the experts said these breakthrough had, as yet, led to limited progress in drug treatment.
The group’s report aid vaccines could be developed to neutralize addiction, pointing to the work currently being done on a jab for smoking as evidence that is was possible.
The team also turned its attention to drugs that improved brain performance, so-called cognitive enhancers.
They pointed out brain enhancers, such as caffeine, had been used for a long time.
But they warned there was anecdotal evidence drugs such as Aricept, a treatment for Alzheimer’s, were also being used by otherwise healthy people to boost alertness and memory.
Horn said regulation might be needed, adding: “We see similarities in the future use of cognition enhancers with the current use of performance enhancing drugs in sport.

Drink Moderately

Joy-O — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:12:00 +0000

Alcohol helps us remember the good times and forget the bad.
Researcher say alcohol affects memory formation, so memories of the stat of the night, when we are just tipsy and having fun socializing with friends, are strong happy.
But any embarrassing antics that happen as we become more and more drunk are quickly forgotten.
The discovery of alcohol helps us remember the good and brush aside the bad could explain or fascination with alcohol.
According to a researcher, this bias towards positive memories means that people are more likely to drink heavily the next time they go out because they only remember the good memories about the last time.
The Sussex University researcher looked at how well people recalled flash cards shown just before and just after drinking several units of alcohol.
Their answers were compared with those from a similar group given alcohol-free drinks.
The drinkers remembered the first set of cards better than the non-drinkers.
Bur they scored worse than the non-drinkers when asked to remember the second set of cards, with emotional scenes proving hard to remember.
It is though small amounts of alcohol prevent the brain from forming new memories and help consolidate memories of things that happen just before we start drinking.
Bur, in high quantities, alcohol may interfere with the brain chemicals involved in memory formation.

A Pill a day keeps the Kidneys…

Joy-O — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:38:00 +0000

MELBOURNE scientists have developed a drug that may prevent a condition responsible for up to 45% of all deaths in the Western world.

The drug’s potential is so great it could mark an end to dialysis for patients with kidney disease and reduce the need for organ transplants.

Scientists from the University of Melbourne, St Vincent’s Hospital and Bio21 Institute say the breakthrough could rival Ian Frazer’s cervical cancer vaccine in putting Australia on the world map of medical discoveries.

The drug works by preventing the spread of fibrosis – the irreversible scarring of vital organs that underpins many major killers such as kidney disease, heart failure, diabetes and lung and liver problems. As fibrosis advances, it causes such extensive damage that the organ shuts down, eventually resulting in death.

There is no available treatment that prevents or halts the spread of the condition and scientists internationally are racing to be the first to produce an antifibrotic drug.

The Melbourne discovery, named FT-11, has created such international excitement that the US Government has pledged up to $3 million to accelerate the drug to market – the first time such a grant has been awarded in Australia.

The Melbourne project has had a 100% success rate in trials on rats and will be trialled on about 30 Victorian patients within months.

The compound not only produces dramatic improvements but displays no side effects.

Scientists estimate the drug’s worldwide market would be worth up to $2 billion in the first year alone. It would also be a financial coup worth hundreds of millions of dollars for Melbourne University because it shares patent rights for the drug through Fibrotech Therapeutics.

Associate Professor Darren Kelly, who led the two-year quest to develop the drug, said: “This is the first drug of its kind in the world and the implications are enormous. If this comes to fruition, and we’re confident with the results so far … it would be up there with the cervical cancer vaccine (Gardasil), even bigger. It would be the biggest blockbuster since blood- pressure-lowering drugs.

The drug will initially be developed to treat people with kidney disease caused by diabetes. Fibrosis plays a key part in the progression of the disease, but the indications are that if patients were given the drug in the early stages, their condition would not worsen.

“This would basically mean taking one tablet a day rather than requiring eight hours of dialysis every few days,” Professor Kelly said.

Dr Tim Mathew, medical director of Kidney Health Australia, said fibrosis caused the majority of chronic kidney diseases. “There are currently 10,000 Australians on dialysis and life for them is very demanding. Any drug that could stop the onset of scarring to the kidney would be a major advance” Dr Mathew said.

The drug works by inhibiting the production of a protein that causes fibrosis. Importantly, the FT-11 compound has been developed to ensure that it prevents abnormal scar tissue but does not impair healthy scarring such as that formed following surgical procedures.

The drug could also be used to prevent diabetes.

Professor Kelly said that if clinical trials went as planned the drug would be available within eight to 10 years. The drug is being commercialised in collaboration with Melbourne Ventures.

Source: http://www.theage.com.au

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