Archive for July, 2008
Ephedra Good News Bad News
Posted on July 31, 2008, under Health.
Good News: The ephedra ban has been lifted. April 2005 a federal judge tossed out the FDA’s ban on all ephedra products containing 10 mg per daily dose. The ban on higher ephedra content products remains.
Bad News: All the big manufacturers of products like Xenadrine, Stacker 2 and Metabolife 356 are in bankruptcy. Lawyers and the media have made it impossible for them return these fabulous products to the market. Hydroxycut will not return with ephedra, even though they have stayed out of the bankruptcy court.
There is a difference between ephedrine alkaloids and synthetic ephedrine. Ephedrine is only one of the naturally occurring alkaloids present in Ephedra extracts. Other alkaloids include pseudoephedrine (which is less potent than ephedrine) and alkaloids that slow the absorption of ephedrine from the digestive tract and/or counteract the stimulant effects of the ephedrine in the extracts. However, synthetic ephedrine, which is used in a number of common cold remedies, is not a naturally occurring substance. Synthetic ephedrine can be easily identified on the label of these cold products as “ephedrine hydrocloride.”
Ephedra dietary products generally contain standardized extracts that have 6 to 8 percent ephedrine alkaloids. Manufacturers are required by law to declare the amount of ephedrine alkaloids in each serving. The majority of Ephedra products contain naturally occurring ephedrine alkaloids. Industry standards and some state laws prohibit the use of synthetic ephedrine in ephedra dietary supplement products.
Ephedra Products are Safe and Effective When Taken as Directed
Researchers from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center tested a commercial caffeine and ephedra product in three phases. The first phase tested the efficacy of the product in raising metabolic rate compared with a placebo. The second phase was a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized 12-week trial testing the safety and efficacy of the herbal caffeine and ephedra product. The third phase observed the safety and weight loss over six months in all participants.
Approximately 40 overweight male and female subjects completed the three phases of the study. Subjects who completed phase 3 were given a gift of an additional three-month supply of the herbal dietary supplement product for home use.
The subjects who took caffeine and ephedrine had a significantly higher resting metabolic rate and lost significantly more weight than those who were on a placebo (7.7 pounds versus 1.76 pounds). There was no significant difference in blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol or triglyceride between groups.
The caffeine and ephedra group lost more body fat than those on the placebo (7.9 percent versus 1.9 percent). There were no serious adverse effects and no evidence of toxicity on physical examination, urinalysis or blood testing at the end of the treatment.
Experts who have reviewed all of the available historical and clinical data agree: You can take Ephedra products safely buy you must stick to the serving limits and follow the warnings and precautions adopted by the Industry.
So where can you get ephedra supplements?
Compare Metabadrine (www.metabadrine.com) to old Xenadrine RFA - 1 with ephedra.
Please note: This product contains caffeine and salicin (a precursor to aspirin), and should not be taken by individuals wishing to eliminate these ingredients from their diet. For best results, use as part of a reduced-fat diet or low carb diet and exercise program.
METABADRINE WITH EPHEDRA.
Now that the ephedra, Ma Huang ban has been lifted, GorillaVitamins.com, your source for quality supplements, is the first to bring you ephedra supplement pills. This is the original formula of Metabadrine. This product is has been marketed nationally as a generic version of the Original Xenadrine.
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Locating Diabetic Supplies To Manage Diabetes
In the United States there are around 17 million people with diabetes. Each of these people need certain Diabetic Supplies. While this may not seem like a huge number it does afflict around 6% of the population. When a person’s body cannot produce enough insulin the effect is diagnosed as diabetes. A sobering fact about diabetes is that there are many people who have the illness but are unaware of the fact.
Often diabetes is undiagnosed because the symptoms appear to be harmless, but the effects of the illness can be very serious. Without the proper Diabetic Supplies to control their diabetes, the heart, eyes, feet and kidneys can all be impacted by untreated diabetes.
Today many people who have been diagnosed as diabetic are able to manage their glucose levels by utilizing some of the Diabetic Supplies available. Glucometers and other home-use analyzing tools are now in common use and can be purchased at reasonable prices.
Exercise, weight control and diet are all foundation stones to use in living a healthy life style.
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Migraine Headaches Effective Natural Treatment Methods
Headaches are comprised of two major categories, primary and secondary. Headaches belonging to the primary group are not caused by underlying medical conditions while secondary headaches are the result of a medical condition such as trauma, infection or possibly even a brain tumor. Most headaches belong in the primary category.
The primary category headaches include migraine headaches and tension headaches. These two headache types are the most common of all headaches with tension-type headaches being the most common. Tension headaches constitute about 75% of all headaches while migraine headaches affect as many as 30 or 40 million Americans, or approximately 10% or more of the American population.
Migraine headaches can become chronic in nature, but are typically experienced at most once or twice a week, not daily. Females experience the pain of migraines about 3 times as often as males, or about 75% of the time. Migraine headaches can be severe and disabling. They can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and a sensitivity to light. About 20% of migraine patients will experience an aura. An aura is a disturbance in vision that consists of brightly colored blinking lights that move across a person’s field of vision.
There are many types of treatment methods that are available to migraine sufferers, both natural and unnatural. The most common method of treatment are pain relievers that are bought without a prescription, or over-the-counter. Non-prescription drugs can include aspirin, Tylenol (acetaminophen), Motrin (ibuprofen), or a combination of acetaminophen and aspirin. These are the most commonly purchased types of non-prescription pain relievers. Migraine headache patients experiencing more severe pain may need prescription medicine.
There are also many types of natural treatment methods that don’t involve the use of non-prescription or prescription medications. These methods of treatment can often relieve migraine headache symptoms and are increasingly gaining popularity in today’s society as people are becoming more educated on the potentially dangerous side effects of drugs. One of these natural treatment methods is putting an ice pack on the back of the neck at the base of the skull. When using an ice pack there should be a barrier between the ice pack and the skin such as a wetted cloth or t-shirt that has had the water squeezed out of it. Ice therapy can lessen the flow of blood to the head resulting in less pressure in the head. It can often help relieve the throbbing pain of a migraine headache by decreasing the flow of blood to the head. It is often beneficial for a person to put their feet in a container of warm water at the same time. This can have the effect of attracting the blood to the feet instead of to the head.
Migraine headaches can sometimes be caused by foods and can be prevented by eliminating these food triggers. Foods that can trigger migraine headaches include, but are not limited to, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, MSG (monosodium glutamate), nuts, cheese, beans, onions and others. Eliminating the trigger may eliminate the migraines.
Another natural treatment method for migraine headaches is simply to reduce stress by relaxing. Many migraines are caused by stress, so eliminating the stress can relieve the pain. Relieving stress can sometimes be achieved by getting plenty of sleep, lying down in a dark quiet room, or a combination of lying down in a dark quiet room with a small ice pack positioned on the neck at the base of the skull as explained above.
This article is a general overview with regard to natural migraine headache treatment methods and may not apply to everyone. As always it is a good idea to seek the help of a professional before treating yourself for a potentially serious health condition.
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This Generation S Stress And The Resilience Factor
Who among us hasn’t had a conversation with a pre-baby-boomer [senior] who didn’t take pleasure in pointing out that their generation was made of sturdier stuff compared to ours?
“We never suffered from depression and stress!” they say. “We accepted what was, sucked it up and soldiered on…. We never had time for ‘nothin’ else!… You kids today aren’t as tough as we were!”
Sound familiar? The important question then is, are they right?
At least on the surface, things like, stress and depression were far less prevalent ‘back-in-the-day’ than in our time. Why? Is it because that generation suppressed their stress and tried not to let it show? Was it, like divorce, something you just didn’t do back then? …Maybe.
Did their generation have less stress to deal with than ours? The current common belief is we are the most stressed generation the world has ever produced but try convincing any WWI or WWII Vet that they don’t know stress in all its ugly forms. They clearly do! Nevertheless, there are fundamental differences in the way they and we handle the problem.
For example, we know today that PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder] is real and emotionally devastating. In there day, they called it ‘Shell Shock’… and they also called it something else - LMF - which stood for LACK of MORAL FIBER.
It’s not up to me to say which generation’s approach is right, only to highlight the differences.
Another point pre-Boomers like to make is, our generation doesn’t know how good we have it.
Senior: “In our day, we didn’t have money, we had to make due. We found ways to entertain ourselves and we were happy!”
Whether they were happy or not is debatable. The fact that they had far less money than we, is not. So it is here, I believe, we can put this fundamental difference under the microscope to track and determine whether they may, in fact, be right and, how something a simple as money, may be at the root of this generation’s moral decay and its impact on the Resilience Factor.
The Baby Boom Generation
Fact: The 1980s ushered in the greatest increase in personal wealth compared to any generation in the history of man.
Along with wealth and disposable income, came ‘Choice’. Unlike the previous generation, Boomers suddenly had unlimited choices to make because they could afford to - and they did. Boats, cars, large homes and lavish lifestyles were all possible thanks to nouveau riches.
New choices also allowed attitudes and behaviors to change. Boomers no longer had to ‘make do’ or find ‘inexpensive ways to entertain themselves’. They could afford to do whatever they wanted and when they got tired or bored of that, they could simply do something else.
If things got a little too tough, Boomers could easily abandon them and move on. Included in that were things like jobs, careers and education. The move to convenience - away from challenge or discomfort - clearly demonstrated, the paradigm shift separating the mindset between the Boomer generation and the one before. The need to ’suck it up and soldier on’ was no longer necessary. Money took care of that.
Although the 1990s leveled the playing field a little, the dye was already cast for this generation’s new attitude. Even corporations had changed their way of thinking. Gone were the loyalties to employees - once a given. If things weren’t the way the company wanted it, change it, regardless of who or how many it affected. Loyalty was only to be given to one’s self.
The Fallout:
“There is a price to be paid for everything my son.” my Dad would drill into me as a lad. “The scales always balance”
It would appear the scales are indeed on the move. Statistics Canada reported that in 1999, $12 Billion was spent on stress-related illnesses and employee absenteeism. The New York Times reported September 2004 the same problem was costing the USA $300 Billion a year and in 2005 the UK estimated its annual costs to be in excess of 12 Billion pounds. Although anyone could argue the accuracy of these reports, what can’t be argued is whatever the correct figure is… it’s BIG!
The bigger question, though, is why is it happening? Why are so many people in this generation negatively affected and unable to cope with stress?
There may be two good reasons:
1) Without question, we are the most stressed generation the world has ever seen. The need for both parents [where there are two parents] to be in the workplace to make ends meet, longer hours on the job, daunting responsibilities, unrealistic deadlines, global competition, lack of corporate loyalties, unemployment, increased drug and crime rates…. the list goes on.
The net? We live in unprecedented stressful times.
2) This generation lacks the Resilience Factor! In just over two and a half decades, the emphasis on the pursuit of what’s ‘pleasurable’ leaves in its wake, a generation bereft of resilience-training and turpitude. Simply put, there has never been a time in human history when stress was not present. How to deal with it is, and will always be, a learned skill. Some people learn quite naturally on their own. Most of us, however, rely on others - parents in most cases - to teach it to us. Nonetheless, it has to be learned.
Could it be that the current working single-parent phenomenon - also unprecedented - in tandem with two-income families have preoccupied the lesson-givers and the next generation is now ill equipped? Absolutely! But the problem still systemically exists in this current generation. Have we, over the last twenty-five years forgotten how to be resilient? Yes… but better put, we have learned more, how ‘not’ to be resilient. Let me explain.
Trained psychologists tell us that behavior of any kind [positive or negative] is learned and it is learned through repetition. The last generation focused on things like, stiff upper lip, soldier on, turning ones cheek and in Churchill’s words, “Never, Never, NEVER SURRENDER!” That generation believed it, lived it and learned to be Resilient because of it.
Compare that to a generation that followed whose newfound wealth and ability to choose, allowed them to learn new ways to live, that meant Resilience training was suddenly off the radar. Add to the mix, unprecedented daily stress and responsibility, more uncertain competitive times and the picture suddenly becomes clear - we are unarmed - we lack the Resilience Factor.
This generation was told that it is okay to show one’s feelings, be upset, angry or sad. I can’t argue with that logic but I can if people are not also taught proper boundaries - how to qualify, quantify and rebound to natural negative emotions. That is the other important half of the lesson. My Dad always said, “Control your Downs and your Ups!” Resilience is the ability to bounce back, to cope. It has so everything to do with learned healthy boundaries and control.
The good news is the same psychologists tell us that behavioral modification is possible and it is achievable at any age.
There are breathing techniques designed to control blood pressure, reduce stress. Behavioral Triggers are excellent ways to immediately transform one’s negative thoughts and actions. Stress Minimization exercises and techniques, Music, Power-Talk, all blend together to reduce stress and bring more balance and harmony into our daily lives. Moreover, the better news is, anyone can learn these strategies and without question, they WORK!
The Bottom Line:
This generation and the one to follow can learn a lot from generations past. What they did instinctively, are the building blocks we can use on a conscious level to embolden ourselves in this new, more competitive and stressful world - saving companies and healthcare systems Money! The success of our health and happiness lies in the strength and quality of our Resilience Factor!
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Combating The Effects Of Stress
The effects of stress are many and varied and, it is now known, they are almost all entirely bad. Stress weakens the system, tears down the body and mind, and causes long-term health problems that have been documented in numerous studies and reports. Thus, stress is ultimately a bad thing that should be avoided. By keeping stress away, you can help ensure a lifetime of health and keep yourself from overloading your body and mind.
Of all the effects of stress, first and foremost is the “fight or flight” response that it brings to your body. As soon as stress hits, the body starts churning out the hormones that set your body on edge and ready it to either fight or run. Obviously, this is pretty pointless when the stress is how you are going to get your report into the boss on time, but it is still there. Your mind only knows that it is under the gun and threatened and it has the same response for workplace stress as it does for a tiger coming at you. The human body and mind is still designed with physical danger in mind and any stress is taken to be a physical threat. Thus, the body begins churning out these hormones as though you were about to be set upon by a pack of wolves.
What does the fight or flight response do? First, it sharpens the awareness and confuses the mind. Of all the effects of stress, this seems the most contradictory. However, it is also true. The body pumps in adrenaline, which heightens mental sharpness, and noradrenaline, which causes the mind to be confused. This is a bad thing because your mind is simultaneously receiving messages to stand up and fight while it receives messages to get the heck away from there. Thus, the mind is clouded with indecision and this will not help you focus on what you need to get done.
This response to stress also causes the heart to speed up in order to pump more blood. This rise in blood pressure allows the body to react stronger and more quickly in order to either fight or escape. Unfortunately, the stress of everyday life is not of the same sort as that of a person out in the wilderness and it tends to stick around longer than the threat of physical attack. Thus, what should be a short rise in blood pressure is actually dragged out over a long period of time, making the heart work way too hard for long periods. This causes a rise in blood pressure which can result in increased risk of stroke or heart attack in the long term.
Also, the effects of stress include the body’s tendency to break down white blood cells when it is stressed. Unfortunately, white blood cells are used to fight disease and breaking them down causes immune system depletion and makes people more vulnerable to disease. Thus, if you do not slow down, your body will be slowed down for you with a cold or a bout of the flu. This explains why many people tend to become ill when they are under pressure for long periods of time.
Finally, the body bumps up the production of platelets in order to help seal wounds one might receive from a physical attack. However, you are not going to receive wounds working in the office late — paper cuts excepted — and thus these platelets are not really doing anything productive. However, what platelets will do is stick to the sides of your blood vessels and cause blockages. This means an increased risk for stroke or heart attack in the long term if you are stressed too much or too often. Of all the effects of stress, this can be the most dangerous; especially in older folks who are more susceptible to heart attack and stroke.
The effects of stress are many, but they are almost universally dangerous. Thus, you need to manage your stress in order to keep your body healthy for a long time. So take care of yourself by keeping your mind uncluttered with stress and one of the more dire effects of stress will not happen to you.
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Asbestos From Miracle Mineral To Mesothelioma Menace
During World War II Asbestos was hailed by many as a miracle mineral. Almost anything could be built or manufactured from this mineral. The building and construction industries used it as an additive to strengthen cement and plastics. Asbestos fibers can be separated into thin threads which do not conduct electricity and are not affected by heat or chemicals.
The four main types of asbestos are: Amosite with brown fibers, Anthophyllite with gray fibers, white Christie, and blue Crocidolite. Chrysotile has curly fibers while the other three have rod like fibers. These fibers break into dust quite easily and drift in the air. They can stick on skin, clothing, and can easily be swallowed or inhaled.
Use of asbestos skyrocketed during World War II. Shipbuilding used asbestos extensively in freighters and support vessels to insulate boilers, steam pipes and hot water pipes. Asbestos became the miracle construction material as it was easily obtained, processed, and transported.
After WWII cars used asbestos in break shoes and clutch pads. Asbestos found its way into residential and industrial building materials, water supply, sewage materials, ceiling and floor tiles, and vermiculite garden materials to name a few products.
In the 1970’s the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in several products that could release asbestos fibers into the environment during use, following the discoveries of the health dangers of asbestos dust inhalation. Regulations governing the use of asbestos and concern of public opinion since 1970 have created a significant drop in the use of asbestos in the United States.
In 1989 all new uses of asbestos were banned by the Environmental Protection Agency while any old uses before that year were still permitted. The EPA suggested that schools inspect for damaged asbestos and eliminate any exposure or enclose it in protective barriers. Vermiculite, widely used in horticulture, became a concern of the EPA that recommended outdoor use, limiting the amount of dust used, and keeping vermiculite damp.
Asbestos may create serious health hazards such as coughing, lung damage, shortness of breath, and lung cancer. Most people do not become sick in the early stages of development, but usually need continued exposure, often on jobs such as mining, milling, manufacturing asbestos products, and building construction. Firemen, demolition workers, drywall removers, and any other workers in trades that involve destruction of buildings, ships, and automobiles are also exposed to the hazards and risks of asbestos.
Over a period of years continual exposure to asbestos can cause very serious health problems, such as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare type of carcinoma of the membrane that lines numerous cavities of the body, including the lungs, abdomen and heart, and has been associated with exposure to asbestos dust. In mesothelioma, the cells of the mesothelioma metastasize and damage adjacent organs and tissues.
Risk of developing mesothelioma takes a long period of time, often as long as twenty-five or thirty-five years before full blown symptoms appear. Not all workers who have been exposed will develop diseases caused by asbestos, but workers who have been exposed to it may bring fibers on their clothing, hair, shoes, and skin home to their families. To circumvent this risk, most industries require workers to bathe and change their clothing before they leave work.
Many studies have been conducted involving the risks of diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. The results of one such study involving the risks of smoking and exposure to asbestos proved extremely hazardous.
For further information on asbestos, such as risks, research, lawsuits and disease support groups visit:
http://www.asbestos-headquarters.com
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Let S Talk About Depression
Sure, everybody feels sad or blue now and then. But if you’re sad most of the time, and it’s giving you problems with
- your grades or attendance at school
- your relationships with your family and friends
- alcohol, drugs, or sex
- controlling your behavior in other ways
the problem may be DEPRESSION.
The good news is that you can get treatment and feel better soon. Approximately 4% of adolescents get seriously depressed each year. Clinical depression is a serious illness that can affect anybody, including teenagers. It can affect your thoughts, feelings, behavior, and overall health.
Most people with depression can be helped with treatment. But a majority of depressed people never get the help they need. And, when depression isn’t treated, it can get worse, last longer, and prevent you from getting the most out of this important time in your life.
So….Listen Up:
Here’s how to tell if you or a friend might be depressed.
First, there are two kinds of depressive illness: the sad kind, called major depression, and manic-depression or bipolar disorder, when feeling down and depressed alternates with being speeded-up and sometimes reckless.
You should get evaluated by a professional if you’ve had five or more of the following symptoms for more than two weeks or if any of these symptoms cause such a big change that you can’t keep up your usual routine…..
When You’re Depressed…
- You feel sad or cry a lot and it doesn’t go away.
- You feel guilty for no reason; you feel like you’re no good; you’ve lost your confidence.
- Life seems meaningless or like nothing good is ever going to happen again. You have a negative attitude a lot of the time, or it seems like you have no feelings.
- You don’t feel like doing a lot of the things you used to like - like music, sports, being with friends, going out - and you want to be left alone most of the time.
- It’s hard to make up your mind. You forget lots of things, and it’s hard to concentrate.
- You get irritated often. Little things make you lose your temper; you over-react.
- Your sleep pattern changes; you start sleeping a lot more or you have trouble falling asleep at night. Or you wake up really early most mornings and can’t get back to sleep.
- Your eating pattern changes; you’ve lost your appetite or you eat a lot more.
- You feel restless and tired most of the time.
- You think about death, or feel like you’re dying, or have thoughts about committing suicide.
When You’re Manic…
- You feel high as a kite…like you’re “on top of the world.”
- You get unreal ideas about the great things you can do…things that you really can’t do.
- Thoughts go racing through your head, you jump from one subject to another, and you talk a lot.
- You’re a non-stop party, constantly running around.
- You do too many wild or risky things: with driving, with spending money, with sex, etc.
- You’re so “up” that you don’t need much sleep.
- You’re rebellious or irritable and can’t get along at home or school, or with your friends.
Talk to Someone
If you are concerned about depression in yourself or a friend, TALK TO SOMEONE about it. There are people who can help you get treatment:
- a professional at a mental health center or Mental Health Association
- a trusted family member
- your family doctor
- your clergy
- a school counselor or nurse
- a social worker
- a responsible adult
Or, if you don’t know where to turn, the telephone directory or information operator should have phone numbers for a local hotline or mental health services or referrals.
Depression can affect people of any age, race, ethnic or economic group.
Let’s Get Serious Here
Having depression doesn’t mean that a person is weak, or a failure, or isn’t really trying…it means they need treatment.
Most people with depression can be helped with psychotherapy, medicine, or both together.
Short-term psychotherapy, means talking about feelings with a trained professional who can help you change the relationships, thoughts, or behaviors that contribute to depression.
Medication has been developed that effectively treats depression that is severe or disabling. Antidepressant medications are not “uppers” and are not addictive. Sometimes, several types may have to be tried before you and your doctor find the one that works best.
Treatment can help most depressed people start to feel better in just a few weeks.
So remember, when your problems seem too big and you’re feeling low for too long, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. There’s help out there and you can ask for help. And if you know someone who you think is depressed, you can help: Listen and encourage your friend to ask a parent or responsible adult about treatment. If your friend doesn’t ask for help soon, talk to an adult you trust and respect — especially if your friend mentions suicide.
What You Need to Know About Suicide…
Most people who are depressed do not commit suicide. But depression increases the risk for suicide or suicide attempts. It is not true that people who talk about suicide do not attempt it. Suicidal thoughts, remarks, or attempts are ALWAYS SERIOUS…if any of these happen to you or a friend, you must tell a responsible adult IMMEDIATELY…it’s better to be safe than sorry….
Why Do People Get Depressed?
Sometimes people get seriously depressed after something like a divorce in the family, major financial problems, someone you love dying, a messed up home life, or breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Other times - like with other illnesses - depression just happens. Often teenagers react to the pain of depression by getting into trouble: trouble with alcohol, drugs, or sex; trouble with school or bad grades; problems with family or friends. This is another reason why it’s important to get treatment for depression before it leads to other trouble.
Depression and Alcohol and Other Drugs
A lot of depressed people, especially teenagers, also have problems with alcohol or other drugs. (Alcohol is a drug, too.) Sometimes the depression comes first and people try drugs as a way to escape it. (In the long run, drugs or alcohol just make things worse!) Other times, the alcohol or other drug use comes first, and depression is caused by:
- the drug itself, or
- withdrawal from it, or
- the problems that substance use causes.
And sometimes you can’t tell which came first…the important point is that when you have both of these problems, the sooner you get treatment, the better. Either problem can make the other worse and lead to bigger trouble, like addiction or flunking school. You need to be honest about both problems — first with yourself and then with someone who can help you get into treatment…it’s the only way to really get better and stay better.
Depression is a real medical illness and it’s treatable.
Be Able to Tell Fact From Fiction
Myths about depression often prevent people from doing the right thing. Some common myths are:
Myth: It’s normal for teenagers to be moody; teens dont suffer from real depression.
FACT: Depression is more than just being moody, and it can affect people at any age, including teenagers.
Myth: Telling an adult that a friend might be depressed is betraying a trust. If someone wants help, he or she will get it.
FACT: Depression, which saps energy and self-esteem, interferes with a person’s ability or wish to get help. It is an act of true friendship to share your concerns with an adult who can help.
Myth: Talking about depression only makes it worse.
FACT: Talking through feelings with a good friend is often a helpful first step. Friendship, concern, and support can provide the encouragement to talk to a parent or other trusted adult about getting evaluated for depression.
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How To Discover The Most Potent Form Of Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a wonderful, necessary supplement for good health and well being. It’s anti-inflammatory, blood sugar balancing, anti-pathogenic, free radical scavenging, and immune modulating. As such it’s extremely effective in bolstering and balancing the immune system.
There are many forms of immune system supplements on the market today including pills, liquid, aloe juice, and freeze dried soluble powders. If you do your due diligence and seek information you will reach the obvious conclusion that freeze dried aloe is by far the most effective way to absorb the benefits into your system.
The most potent aloe vera product on the market today is freeze dried. But freeze dried aloe vera is even more potent if it’s produced from only from the pure aloe gel. This will give the product the highest range of molecular weight possible. The more complete the molecular weight, the more complete the healing properties will be.
AIDS is a bell weather disease regarding the immune system because the HIV virus launches a direct attack upon it. Any product that positively affects the symptoms of this disease can certainly positively affect any other attack on the immune system.
Because of it’s potency in terms of it’s purity and absorption into the body, a freeze dried product from the gel only repairs the immune system in a universal fashion resulting in the reversal of countless number of conditions and diseases. If a powerfully destructive disease like AIDS can be reversed with a natural treatment that repairs the immune system in a universal fashion, then literally all disease will benefit from this type of treatment.
By hand filleting the gel off the Aloe leaf and combining other proprietary extraction and mixing techniques 21st Century Aloe Vera freeze dried powder contains all the healing advantages of the fresh plant in a concentrated form. 7-8 gallons of fresh gel make 1 ounce of this product! The biggest whole leaf juice competitor contains 97% of its molecular weights under 150,000 Daltons, which makes it almost useless in terms of healing properties.
Other more advanced freeze dried competitors do better with 99% of its molecular weight up to 1,000,000 Daltons. But they use alcohol in their antiquated freeze dried process while 21st Century uses none. 10% of 21st Century HGH has molecular weights from 1,000,000 to 2,500,000 Daltons. You can’t find a more complete or potent aloe vera product anywhere.
In the rest of the aloe vera industry there are not very many products that actually offer anything more than 150,000 Daltons in molecular weights, a long way off any meaningful healing result.
Only the gel from aloe vera should be used for human consumption and not the whole leaf. All whole leaf products contain broken down MPS (Mucilaginous Poly Saccharide) molecules and therefore no real healing properties. Even worse than this is that whole leaf supplements contain caustic minerals and enzymes that are very hard on the stomach. Freeze dried products made only from the gel are very soothing and healing to the stomach.
MPS from the aloe plant is the sticky portion of the plant. It is a long sugar molecule arranged in long linear chains. The longer the chain, the more MPS weights. The MPS molecule ranges from 10,000 to 2,500,000 Daltons. For all the healing effects to be available in an aloe vera supplement, all the molecular weight ranges need to be there.
Unfortunately, there are not very many aloe vera products on the market that actually offer anything more than a few thousand Daltons in molecular weights of the MPS molecule. By hand filleting the gel off the leaf, freeze drying with a proprietary method of mixing the powder including the vast and complete range of MPS molecular weights 21st Century Aloe Vera contains all the healing advantages of the fresh plant.
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Liberate Your Set Esteem And Lose Weight
Are you a ‘look-and-lose’ dieter? Have you studied every diet ever created, read a zillion diet books, and yet are still unhappy with your weight?
Has your quest for the holy grail of dieting become a substitute for actually making changes required to take the ill health out of your current diet?
If so, you may not realise your thoughts are key to your happiness and success.
Do you look at yourself and say, “I’m fat”, or “My hips are too big”? Many of us look in the mirror and immediately compare ourselves to those ‘perfect’ human specimens we see every single day on TV, in magazines and in the newspapers.
Often we talk to ourself and make excuses, “It’s my genes”, “I’m much too busy to get fit”, “I like myself this”, as a way of protecting yourself from the way we see ourselves now and the way we want to be.
If we were to be truly honest with ourselves most people actually want to lose a few pounds - if we only knew how.
The good news is you CAN achieve your desired body shape with the right thinking about yourself, an understanding of how to get optimal nutrition, healthy eating habits and how to incorporate activity into your lifestyle to keep your muscles toned.
But most important of all, you need a regular mental workout to keep your self-image in shape.
Self-image is closely connected to the success or failure of any goal you choose to seek after, but none more so that the goal to get yourself fit and healthy.
So how do you go about strengthening your self-image? Well fortunately your self-image, just like your muscles, will respond well to a regular work out. You can actually strengthen your self-image with a few daily exercises.
Exercise One - Self Examination
Start by compiling a list of all those negative thoughts your have about yourself…I’m undisciplined, I can’t manage my time, I let people down, I can’t succeed, I don’t exercise enough. You will need to decide before you start this process that you won’t get discouraged….these are things that you will admit to yourself but they most certainly don’t have to control your life.
Next, compile a second list including everything you LIKE about yourself. Keep going until this list is LONGER than the first list you compiled. You might include things such as, I am a good cook, I can make people laugh, I contribute to the soccer club, my daughter loves the way I decorate her room.
Then, take your ‘negatives’ list and turn it into your ‘potentials’ list. You do this by creating a positive self-image to every ‘negative’ you listed. Instead of “I can’t succeed”, write a counter belief, “I will succeed”.
Ceremonially throw out the ‘negatives’ list - you are saying goodbye forever! Burn them, trash them, destroy them….they are no longer going to be a part of your thinking about yourself.
Now, keep your list of potentials in a prominent place. On your refrigerator door, in your daily journal, or in a picture frame on your desk. Make sure you have them in front on your every single day so that you are reading them constantly and reprogramming your daily thoughts.
Exercise Two: You Can Be What You Want to Be
Now that you have your list of potentials… run your own visualisation stories so that you can ’see’ yourself in a new light. For example, if your list of potential includes “I eat just the right portions”, visualise yourself with a moderate portion on your plate, and feeling completely satisfied at the conclusion of your meal.
Read through your list of potentials every day taking a few moments of personal quiet time to reflect strongly on your visualisations. Try starting your day first thing in the morning and finishing as the last thing at night with visualising yourself being the person on your list, and doing the things you want to do.
Exercise Three: Keep a Journal of Your Daily Successes
Keep a record of all the positive changes in thoughts you have about yourself. We all have triumphs and ‘failures’. You must record and remind yourself of the positive changes because our human nature will replay the negatives - sometimes blowing them out of proportion. It’s important to nurture and celebrate the small steps you make every day.
Exercise Four: Go Easy On Yourself - You Are Beautiful Work In Progress
Don’t listen to the criticism…not your own nor that of others! Remember you are the designer of your self-esteem, do not hand this over to other people. You are way too important to give this away. Protect your role as creator of your own self-image and do not, take on board negative criticisms. We all make mistakes, and mistakes can be used to help us learn. Do not criticise yourself for being human and making a mistake. The only last mistake in the one from which we never learn to grow.
Exercise Five: Forget About The Past
The only moment you can live is the current one. You can’t live in the future and you most certainly shouldn’t live in the past….the challenge is to take charge of our thinking so that we think in the same time zone in which we live!
For example we may be tempted to think about yesterday’s failures…”If only I hadn’t eaten second helpings”, “If only I didn’t reach for the chocolate cookies”. If we concentrate on the mistakes of yesterday this will our brains to replay our failures and reinforce them to us.
Yesterday is over, today is where you live….make sure that today you do NOT replay yesterday’s failures and make your resolve to change TODAY.
Exercise Six: Resolve to Change Today
Just as you shouldn’t live in the past, you can’t live in the future. You can only live or change today. The oldest cliche in the world is perhaps one of the greatest truisms of all…’tomorrow NEVER comes!’
There is no better time than now. So, no matter what excuses you may have to wait to take those healthy steps you know you should take, none of them are valid. Do it now, do it today. Resolve to make a different in your own life before you go to sleep tonight.
Exercise Seven: Write a Plan For your Life
This is your success plan. If you have not already done so it is time for you to create direction and purpose in your plans for yourself. Review your list of potentials and record next to each potential when you want to achieve this by.
Exercise Eight: Carry Affirmation Cards About Yourself
This is one of the fastest tools for your success. You are what you think. Strengthen your self-image every day by reviewing your thoughts. One of the easiest ways to do this is to carry affirmation cards in your wallet and review regularly. Affirmation cards are short bursts of words in business card that prompt and remind your self-image of your intentions. An example might be:
I can achieve anything that I put my mind to.
I will be satisfied with single helpings.
Try it, you have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain!
Exercise Nine: Change Your Eating Habits
Now that you have set the groundwork in place, you are now ready to change your physical habits. You are ready to add a balanced nutritious diet, healthy eating habits, regular exercise and relaxation.
By using these nine exercises daily to change your thinking habits, you will be strengthening your self esteem and unlocking your internal power to make a change in your life. Before you can change lifelong eating habits, you must first change life long thinking habits. We are what we think. We can’t be something other than what we believe we can be!
So, do yourself a favour, liberate your self-image and then, see how much more effective your healthy living plan becomes!
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