Can Mozart Make You Smarter?

Writen by Brianna Stanley

“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.” While Plato reminds of us of musics’ ability to transcend reality and logic, to speak to us in a dialect that only our hearts understand, scarcely a person exists that hasn’t been touched in some way by music. Indeed, if there is any universal language, music would be it for all have experienced that feelilng of being “lifted up,” even if the words are not understood. Some even say that music and spirituality are intertwined, and that the path to finding God can be found in the bars of a composition. No matter what it does or is considered to be, as Confucious so eloquently observed, “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” Where there has been people, music has coexisted, and we need it to continue for without it we would all be in danger of becoming robots operating by logic and necessity alone. We find an outlet, a means of expressing and finding ourselves, through music. Undoubtedly music is as critical to our well-being as a roof over our heads . . . but does it offer more to us than just the ability to feel? Does it, can it, actually help us to learn?

The Mozart effect exploded in the early part of the 1990s. Upon being told that Mozart was shown to help increase IQ test levels, mothes everywhere rushed to Best Buy and Circuit City to find CDs for their kids to listen to. The study was highly publicized, and as a result, also highly capitalized. Numerous cd and dvd sets were successfully marketed to parents. Mozart probably hadn’t gotten that much attention since . . . well, possibly never. Unfortunately, critics partially refuted the results due to improper re-testing that was performed; however, Mozart still has his believers and has been able to retain his popularity in the midst of skepticism.

Many studies have been done on the effect that music has upon not only our brains, but also our well-being in general. In 1968, a college student by the name of Dorothy Retallack actually researched its effects on plants and found some surprising results. After subjecting several houseplants to specific genres of music, she documented her findings: jazz and classical seemed were found to bring favorable benefits as opposed to pop and country music. Most interesting of all, though, is the fact that the plants that were forced to “listen” to nothing but acid rock literally withered away and died! The fact that music does indeed hold an influence over us is undeniable.

Because research has indicated that it is the tempo of the music, not the style, that actually aids in memory retention, a learning “system” called the Baroque method has been given rise. This is music that is heard at 60 BPM (beats per minute, or one downbeat every second). It is the slow, complex rhythm that stimulates and “warms up” the brain and in turn hugely increases information retention by simultaneously activating the left and right brain. Bulgarian psychologist George Lozanov was able to prove that foreign languages could be learned at a fraction of the normal time by using the Baroque method. Not only were his students able to memorize vocublary at least twice as fast as normal, but they also retained an amazing ninety-two percent.

We often overlook the brain in our quest for health and fitness, but it should in fact be at the top of our lists. From the brain stems everything that we are, and if we neglect to care for it the “use it or lose it” phrase will become a reality. It needs to be fed new activity on a daily basis, for the habits that we form and act on consistenly offers it no food, in a sense. Seeing new places, learning a new skill, and listening to different kinds of music are all ways to strengthen and activate your brain. And since music is the easiest one to change for most of us, it’s a pretty good place to start–the key is to listen to music that is complex and NOT repetitive because musical repetition has actually been shown to stimulate an anger response from the brain. While classical music is indeed a good choice, anything that meets those criteria will have the same effect; however, it is still a good idea to regularly introduce new music because it is in the processing that your brain grows and strengthens. So go ahead and pop in a Mozart cd. Seems like the child prodigy knew more than we even know yet!

Can Stress Cause Cancer?

Writen by Radoslaw Pilarski

Patients as well as scientists are interested whether there is any correlation between stress and cancer. Much research has been done to answer this question. So far scientists are skeptical towards the widespread view that cancer disease may be the result of a highly traumatic experience. It was Friday afternoon when Christina Koenig got to know that she had cancer. She was 39 then. On Monday she reckoned that she knew why she had fallen ill. “I talked to doctors and asked them How long have I had it?. They said: five to ten years. I had a flash of insight. Around that time I was divorcing my husband. It was extremely stressful”. Christina had divorced four years before cancer was diagnosed in her. Is it a coincidence?

Four years later Ms Koenig is still thinking about it, as well as many other women suffering from the same disease. Currently, she has been working for Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization which helps those who suffer from breast cancer. Every year 40 thousand women call the organization and ask whether it was stress that caused cancer by weakening their immune system. “It is already a common belief”, says Koenig. And it does not only concern women having breast cancer. ()

Patients as well as scientists are interested whether there is any correlation between nervous tension and cancer. Much research has been conducted to find out whether people suffering from tumors had been under any particular stress in the years preceeding the diagnosis, and whether it favours cancer disease. It has also been examined whether stress can attenuate immune system activity preventing the formation of cancer cells. Above all, attempts were made to determine whether the immune system protects from tumors at all.

The research on correlation between stress, immune system and cancer led to a surprising discovery, which changes the direction of the previous searches. It appears that cancer cells generate proteins which signal to the immune system to leave them alone and, what is more, to help them develop. However, whether stress can cause the disease remains unknown..() “There are many extreme stress situations, says doctor Barrie Cassileth from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, for example imprisonment in a concentration camp or loss of a child. We examined people who had been exposed to such tension and we did not notice a higher cancer prevalence ratio in this group”. In Denmark 11380 parents of children suffering from cancer who are living in due huge stress were examined. However, a higher percentage of people suffering from tumors than in the whole population was not found in this group either.

Similar research was conducted on a group of 21062 parents who lost their child and 19856 parents of children suffering from schizophrenia. Neither is it clear whether decreasing the level of stress may give hope to those already ill. “People need explanations – says dr. Cassileth. – For many the diagnosis is a huge shock. They cannot understand why this has happened to them and they look for any answer”. Dr. Barrie Cassileth adds that everybody can remind themselves of stress experienced in the past. “I tell my patients that it definitely was not themselves that caused the disease”, dr. Cassileth underlines.

Dr Drew Pardolla, the director of a program on cancer research at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center found the answer to the question how a tumor is created the most important. Immune system’s white blood cells should attack and destroy cancer cells. Why it is not soothe case? Is the immune system too weak or perhaps there is another reason?

It was claimed in the past that cancer cells were forming non-stop but the immune system destroyed them. And everything which weakens it, for instance stress, may impede fighting the intruder. “Nowadays no one holds that opinion anymore”, says dr. Pardoll. Experiments on mice devoid of immune system did not confirm saliently higher cancer morbidity. Also among people with immune disorders under the influence of drugs preventing transplant rejection or as a result of AIDS a higher cancer prevalence ratio was not found. ()

What is happening with the immune system of those suffering from cancer then? Each tissue includes white blood cells and cancer cells are not an exception to that rule. However, the proteins occurring on the surface of cancer cells differ substantiallyfrom normal cells’ proteins. The immune system is able to recognize that it has to do with an intruder but for some reasons does not do so. As has been established by dr Pardoll and other scientists, proteins on the cancer cells surface halt the attack of the immune system. At the same time the tumor emits molecules which make the immune system help cancer spread in the organism. “We know very little about this immune reaction”, says Pardoll.

However, a new conception of tumor treatment results from this discovery, namely proteins of cancer cells which block the immune system need to be neutralized, or there is a need to stimulate the system to be more aggressive. The possibility of applying the first method is just being investigated, the other has been tested for some time. In case of mice even the types of tumors the most difficult to fight were eradicated by means of antibody injections or vaccination. Research to apply this method in humans continues.

Copyright 2006 Radoslaw Pilarski

Aleve, Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra: What You Need To Know About Arthritis Pain Medications

Writen by R.L. Fielding

Recent controversy about the safety of pain medications for arthritis has left patients and health care professionals alike confused about which medications are safe to use. In fact, a recent survey by the Boston-based Rippe Lifestyle Institute indicated that many people with arthritis are suffering unnecessarily because they have stopped or reduced their use of pain relievers due to confusion about which drugs are considered safe.

The survey also showed that now, more than ever, those with arthritis need to understand the benefits and possible side effects associated with all arthritis pain medications. In order to do so, people with arthritis, their caregivers and families must be familiar with recent news about the two types of drugs most commonly used to treat arthritis pain – non-selective, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and another group of NSAIDs known as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) specific inhibitors.

COX-2 specific inhibitors vs. Other NSAIDs

COX-2 specific inhibitors are the newest members of the NSAID class of medications. Available by prescription only, they became widely used in recent years to reduce joint pain and swelling. COX-2 specific inhibitors work by selectively blocking, or inhibiting, one of the two enzymes associated with inflammation. Some experts think that this selective inhibition may be one reason for some of the negative side effects currently associated with COX-2 specific inhibitors.

Non-selective NSAIDs were developed earlier than COX-2 specific inhibitors and have been widely used to relieve arthritis pain and inflammation for many years. Unlike COX-2 specific inhibitors, non-selective NSAIDs inhibit both major enzymes involved in the inflammatory process, COX-1 and COX-2. The non-selective NSAID category includes a number of different medications that are available in both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) products.

Timeline of Events

To understand the current state of affairs, it is important to understand the sequence of events. The controversy started when a study published in the October 21, 2004, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine cited the COX-2 specific inhibitor, Vioxx as potentially causing “major adverse events,” including heart attack and stroke, among patients taking the drug. As a result, Merck (the drug’s manufacturer) voluntarily withdrew Vioxx from the market. However, in the months following, the safety of the other available COX-2 specific inhibitors such as Celebrex and Bextra, as well as other arthritis pain medications in the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) class, were also called into question.

Consequently, in February 2005, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) convened a special Advisory Committee, made up of members of the Arthritis and Drug Safety Advisory Committees, to review the cardiovascular safety of these arthritis pain medications.

FDA Directive: Stronger Warning Labels for Some Pain Medications

On April 7, 2005, taking into account the recommendations of the Advisory Committee, the FDA issued the following directives:

Bextra, a COX-2 specific inhibitor manufactured by Pfizer, was withdrawn from the market.

All prescription NSAIDs must revise their labeling to include a “black box” warning that highlights the potential increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) events as well as the potentially life threatening gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding associated with these drugs. Celebrex, the only COX-2 specific inhibitor remaining on the US market, was included in this directive.

All OTC NSAIDs (except aspirin) will be required to revise their labeling to include more specific information about the potential for GI and CV side effects, a stronger reminder to follow label instructions, as well as a warning about potential skin reactions.

To further evaluate the potential for increased CV risk, the FDA also announced that all NSAIDs must conduct and submit to the FDA a comprehensive review and analysis of pertinent safety data from clinical trials.

Aleve (naproxen sodium) is supported by clinical studies conducted to gain approval of naproxen as a prescription product and as OTC that do not provide any evidence of increased risk of cardiovascular events.

Treatment Options: What Should Arthritis Patients Know?

For some people who suffer from pain associated with arthritis, their symptoms can be managed with exercise, heat/cold therapy, joint protection, assistive devices, weight control, or in some severe cases, surgery. For others, medications are needed to help manage the symptoms associated with arthritis.

When taken as directed OTC medications such as Aleve provide a safe and effective way to treat mild to moderate pain of minor arthritis. If patients have questions, they should consult their health care professional about which treatment option is most appropriate.

Why It’s Important to Treat Arthritis

Arthritis affects approximately 66 million Americans and is the nation’s leading cause of disability. There are over 100 different types of arthritis, and they all have different symptoms that vary in severity from person to person. The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, is characterized by the breakdown of cartilage that causes the bones to rub together, resulting in pain, loss of movements and stiffness. Arthritis is usually a chronic condition.

For more information on Aleve and naproxen, visit the Aleve website at www.aleve.com. For more information on arthritis pain relief, visit www.arthritis.org

Please visit http://www.aleve.com for more information.

Back Challenges

Writen by Othon Molina Ph.D. c LMT

This is very important information for anyone with back problems!

If you hurt your back it is usually a disc problem. Unless you strained some ligaments, which can happen, that’s why you should consult with a Doctor who specializes in the back. If you take care of it right away you will be able to heal it faster. I have used this approach with hundreds of patients, as well as with my other colleagues. It seems to be the best and conservative approach:

1st See a doctor that specializes in backs. Stay in bed, don’t sit or stand or even walk much. Most importantly, don’t do any exercises that flex the spine (bend forward). The most important exercise to do is to arch the spine, as in the cobra (lying on the ground like you are going to do a push-up, keeping the pelvis flat on the ground and keeping the butt muscles relaxed (see exercise in my web site).

2nd The doctor who is experienced in treating backs will prescribe some anti- inflammatory drugs. Depending on the severity of your condition he may even recommend some muscle relaxers or pain pills. These medications during the early stages are great and can greatly increase the healing. Even using a back brace during this early time is especially beneficial particularly if you are listing (leaning to one side).

3rd Use ice every day, all day if the pain is severe. Doing the cobra while icing it will help pull the disc in. If the full cobra is too much, do the second exercise or what we call the sphinx by just rising up on your elbows. These exercises are the best. An alternative is the cat-dog but make sure you don’t go into flexion.

4th Consult with a professional that can guide you to healing the condition. Many times medical doctors don’t have the training, and you need to get therapy. Sometimes traction helps with medical massage, and at the right time chiropractic can help, although I have seen it cause more pain during the acute stages. Most important is the alignment of the hips and spine which chiropractic is good for; for the long-term recovery this is imperative. The corrective exercises I give are mostly common to physical therapy. I have also developed some of my own that will help take the pressure off the disc. Think about it: If your pelvis is twisted or higher on one side than the other, there will still be pressure on the disc. I believe that for a disc to be injured it has suffered this pressure for a long time, as discs are part of a very strong system. Muscle tension is the way the body compensates for this misalignment and with that it compresses the spine thus breaking down the disc over a period of time. So sometimes with the right conditions such as tension, stress, too much work, just by bending over one day or twisting while carrying something, it can force that weak disc out of place. With either a bulge or an actually torn disc (herniated) you need to work intensely to get it back to health.

Let’s review what some of the tools are that professionals may use for disc problems, besides the drugs, which I think are very beneficial if you get them right away. Later on they are less effective, in fact, everything is less effective if you wait a week or more to get help. Go see your doctor right away if you hurt your back, don’t wait! Rest in bed is the best and most important therapy you can do along with the medication. Obviously your body is talking to you very loudly, so pay attention, take some time to reflect on you life and listen to your body. Don’t walk around and don’t sit. Lie down and do the extension exercises with ice. This is not only critical in the early stages, but it will also help all the way through.

Deep massage with an alignment technique is great. The key is to take to pressure off the disc. The problem with deep massage without attention to alignment or with too much twisting is that it can actually make it worse. When you relax the muscles that are holding, it may put more pressure on the disc at least temporarily. Rolfing has a good technique for lengthening the torso fascia. Trigger point therapy can ease the pain and relieve the muscle tension. Chiropractic during the acute phases has mixed reviews, depending on the chiropractor. Gentle work seems to be more effective, but at other times it’s just too painful for some patients. It is definitely helpful after the acute phase for alignment. Sorry, chiropractors, but I have found this to be true. Many of my best friends are chiropractors and I use them myself, but as I’ve said many times, it depends on the patient as well as the doctor. During the later stages after the swelling has gone down may be the time for chiropractic as well as physical therapy or traction. That seems to be the time when it is most effective. Acupuncture will not correct structural problems, but it can help with the pain or even swelling. However, I work directly with many of the best acupuncturists, and they refer their patients to me when there is a disc problem for body alignment.

5th. Once you have injured a disc you have a weakened area for some time. Remember, this tissue heals very slowly. It takes many years sometimes to totally heal a ligament if it came from improper posture, which I think is the most common reason, from slouching all your life or from too much sitting and no exercise. You need to start to change your posture and habits. Yoga, Pilate’s, Alexander, Feldenkrais or Aston Patterning are many techniques that can help with that. You need to strengthen the abdominal muscles because most often this is a big problem area especially if you are a male and have a large stomach. By the way, most back problems are associated with males.

Since posture is one of the biggest problems with the back, doing the right exercises is critical for improvement. Some of the exercises that are recommended are counterproductive, such as bending over to touch your toes! Never do that, unless you have been shown the right way to do it. Anyway, you can get the same stretch if you sit on the ground and touch your toes without the pressure on your spine. Most flexion exercises are not great for us. These are when you bow your back backwards. It’s best to keep the spine flat at the low back for certain stretches. There are even some Pilate’s moves that I would be very careful with, especially if you have had a back problem. Get some expert advice and always remember to consult with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

6th. Here are some of the most common tests for disc problems:

a. Does it hurt your back to lower your head?

b. Does it hurt if you cough?

c. Can you bend over without pain?

d. Can you arch your back without pain? Usually if these four cause problems, it’s a disc.

e. There may be a need for more leaning into the pain if it’s on one side or the other. This will often reproduce the pain, or cause a shooting sensation down the foot.

f. Lastly, we may twist and find out if this pain is made worse by doing that. Note that a doctor should do these tests and care should be taken in doing them.

g. There are other obvious signs such as listing (leaning to one side), which is a common disc reaction. The body is trying to take pressure off the disc.

h. Shooting pain or numbness down the leg or into the buttocks is another sign.

i. Of course, if you can’t even walk or sit, you know what you have.

See your doctor. You can do the first two tests yourself with no problem and if you have the last two symptoms, well, we are pretty sure you have injured a disc. Take care of it immediately and get into bed as soon as possible. I have seen people get better right away, but if not taken care of properly, it can last for years. Believe me, as I have personally had the experience as well. If you have a back problem, get my next book, The Better Back Book.

The cobra, or extension of the spine. If this is difficult don’t push it do the alternate pose the sphinx (right). Both of these are some of the best and easiest exercises to do when your back is hurting. They are the best for assisting the disc to return back to it’s normal place and help reduce the tension. Also quite effective for the back muscles as well.

A Nice Way To Lengthen The Low Back:

Slowly lift patient laying prone (Face down) from their anterior iliac spine, not grabbing hard, and gently pull up the hip while pushing on your side of the spine with your palm. Start at the low lumbar and work your way up each vertebra at a time, drop the hip every vertebra and lift again as you go. If you find tight and resistive muscles, gently massage and friction them as well. Use deep breathing and pull up as they exhale.

With all the troubles that modern people or we earthlings have had with the back, I find it imperative to just take the time and take care of your own. No one can do it ALL for you. It just takes knowing something about the body and just rolling up your pants and diving in. The best strategy I know about everything I have tried is to start out gently, even if you are a big, strong bodybuilder. Most bodies I have encountered in my career are out of alignment; the least were two of the top Olympic athletes of the late seventies.

The Abdominal Lift; just sitting and contracting your abs as you lift the torso. This takes pressure off the discs. This is also good for when you are doing any exercise as it allows you support and initiates all other movement from the core.

Another important exercise to start building your core muscles. Laying on your back bend both legs and beginers should start with one foot. Lifting one leg at a time, keeping one on the ground is for beginner’s . Lifting two legs is more advanced. The object is to keep your abdominal muscles contracted and move the legs back and forth (top one at a time) bottom two at a time bicycling back and forth. NOTE!!!! These should not be done when you are hurting; they are for after your back episode so that you can prevent the next one.

Next you have your basic crunchies laying on your back your legs bent at a niety degree. Hips to thighs niety then knees on down shins parallel to the floor. Come up with your elbows touching your knees, don’t pull on your head hands at side of face. Do straight ahead, rectus, and then opossit elbow to other knee and so forth.

The advance crunchies and the transverse crunch two both sides for the transverse abdominals.

Other tricks for your back if you have tension between the shoulders lay on a towel running vertical towel placement. Lay on towel also helps neck if you notice its too far forward on your body.

Lengthen Your Own Low Back, go slow, can be done during pain episode, careful. (Check with doctor)

Home made traction to assist the body in reversing the stress of gravity thougout the day, the is a great way to get your body relaxed as once the curves are in the right place the muscles can relax instead of holding us in our tension pose.

Starting with two towels one for your neck and one for your low back. Just lay down! That will lengthen your back. Use a towel under your low back and under your neck for added traction. This is homemade traction at its best, easy to do and takes very little skill. It will do wonders, just try it. Once again gravity is the force we all are subject to, and it exerts its force on our bodies. If we fight it we loose and it becomes stress and tension. Note: start with only a few min. at a time. Increase slowly up to five or ten minutes.

My philosophy is simple, do as many exercises we can that reverse the pull gravity has on our bodies. Hanging up side down has been around since the seventies; we did that after tree planting all day. You can only stay upside down for so long, without training even dangerous so just be careful with all exercises in general. These are beautiful because they are the easiest to do, don’t get me wrong just cause they are easy, they are very powerful if done regularly, regularly, that is the key.

I start all the moves to loosen the spine on the ground. I just think it may be less stressful on any back. Most twisting is not usually recommended if you have a strained back or some old ligament injury. You could even push out your own disc. The key is to go easy with anybody when you start any exercise program.

The cat and dog, on your knees, with hands on ground in front. I just normally let the back sag, it feels great we need more of the arch than the bending over that is only good for muscles we need to strengthen the ligaments and assist the disc in moving back into place and then you bow back up, I recommend to only going to neutral or straight back.

Please consult with your doctor before doing any exercises, these are standard medical and Physical therapy exercises and here are used as educational material. Never bend over to touch your toes to stretch your back that is an advanced move and must be done correctly and during a pain episode, no flexion ever. (Bowing out the back). For more information on the spine and the rest of your body, as well as other health related articles see my web site:

www.molinamassage.com

Are You Helping by Asking, "Did You Take Your Meds?"

Writen by Lynne Taetzsch

Sometimes it’s appropriate and helpful to ask a family member or friend, “Did you take your meds?” My husband, Adrian, for example, is forgetful and wants to be reminded when he needs to take any medication. I probably ask him three or four times a day if he’s taken one of his numerous prescription drugs, and he’s happy to get the extra help.

For those of us who have a mental illness, however, like depression or bipolar disorder, we may not appreciate being asked, “Did you take your meds?” This issue was discussed at a bipolar support group meeting I attended, and most people felt such a question was not helpful, especially since “the meds” are anything but a cure-all for our problems.

There is no guarantee that if you take your Lithium or Depakote or “X” on a regular basis, you will never have another manic or depressive episode. Add to this general problem, the variety of side effects such as weight gain, ringing in the ears, itchy rashes, liver damage, energy depletion, mind numbing, ad infinitum, you’ll see that there is no simple plan that will “fix” us.

“Fixing us” is, of course, what our loving family would like to do. In their mind there is a logical correlation between “taking your meds” and leading a peaceful, productive, non-combative life. It is understandable that they fear the phone call telling them we’ve been arrested or are in the mental ward of a hospital or have had a car accident because in our manic state, we thought we were indestructible. Of course they want us to take our meds! It’s their only hope.

One parent I know, who has lived through years of trying to “fix” his daughter with policing so that she would “take her meds,” has come to a more peaceful place. “It’s her life,” he says. “She has to want to get better for herself, not for me. I no longer ask her if she’s taking her medication or doing the things she needs to in order to stay healthy. I stay out of it.” He added that he is there for his daughter if she needs him and asks for the help, but that’s it.

It’s hard as a parent to stand back and watch the destructive behavior of our children. I am a parent, and I was a fanatic when I thought anything was threatening my daughter. Fortunately, she didn’t inherit my bipolar genes. I didn’t have to watch any wild, destructive behavior in her that my parents had to watch in me. For those of us who have a mental illness like depression or bipolar disorder, we need to give our family members some slack. Most of them do mean well when they ask, “Did you take your meds?” But if you’re a family member reading this, realize that such a question only frustrates and antagonizes the person suffering from a mental disorder.

If our meds really worked, if they really “fixed us” so that we could lead lives filled with peace, energy, purpose, and a guaranteed good night’s sleep, don’t you think we’d be taking them?

The key to being helpful rather than hurtful is to assist your loved one in ways they have asked you to rather than assuming a parental role. “How can I be helpful?” is a better question than “Did you take your meds?”

Copyright 2006 Lynne Taetzsch

Lynne Taetzsch is an artist and writer who has been bipolar since she was a teenager. Her latest book, The Bipolar Dementia Art Chronicles: How A Manic-Depressive Artist Survives Being the Primary Caregiver for Her Father and Ex-Mother-in-Law, is a memoir. For more information, see http://www.artbylt.com/book.htm .

Getting The Upper Hand On Asthma Allergy

Writen by Charlene Nuble

Asthma allergy is the number one form of allergy today. And since asthma allergy is inherited, one can get it at a young age. The diagnosis process for asthma allergy is a simple and very straightforward test and will immediately determine if you do have asthma and not just some other type of allergy.

Symptoms of an asthma allergy

An asthma allergy reaction can vary in degree, from mild to severe. The following are symptoms of an asthma allergy:

Creating Your Target of Health

Writen by Dr. Jamie Fettig

Creating Your Target is easy.

What I use to help create these targets is what I call SMARTS targets SMARTS stands for:

Simple, Sensory, and Specific
Measurable and Meaningful
As If Now
Realistic
Time Framed
Smiley Factor

Some more about what these all mean:

“S”: Simple is exactly that. Simple. Do not make it too complicated, or long and drawn out. Most people should be able to understand what it is. If it is a goal around some specific field, most of your colleagues should be able to understand your target.

“S”: Sensory involves all of your senses. You use your sense of vision. You hear things in this picture and movie. You smell things in your movie of your target. You feel things, both with your hands and with your emotions. In your picture, you have the internal voice in your head that you always have. You put all of these different senses into your picture, as well as the most important one, the inner knowing of your heart brain. Make sure to get that in the picture or movie as well.

“S”: Specific. This is best illustrated with an example. I have moved many times in my life. Every time I moved, I created a list of what I want. And every time there was a fireplace on that list. The first time, I was looking at a place that had everything I wanted but a fireplace. I mentioned this to the landlord and she laughed. She took me into the unfinished basement, and there was a plastic fireplace in the basement. I learned from this, and when I was looking for the next place I put a real fireplace on my list. I found a place that had everything except a fireplace. I said this to the landlord and he said that there was a fireplace. It was just boarded up behind the wall. The next place I moved into, I put a real working fireplace on the list of what I wanted. I found a place with a real working fireplace this time, but the landlord would not let me use it. So finally I put on my list “a real working fireplace I can use.” And the next time, I got it. You need to be specific.

“M”: Measurable. There must be some specific way in which you measure the results, a quantifiable way that you know the goal is achieved.

“M”: Meaningful. The target, the goal must be meaningful to you. It must be something you want and desire. If it means nothing to you, there will be no reason to keep going for it. It does not work to have it be something that someone else wants for you.

“A”: As If Now. Write your movie in the present tense, as if you are describing a situation that is happening now. Tomorrow never comes. It is like the sign “Free money tomorrow.” You come back the next day and the sign still says, “Free money tomorrow.” Tomorrow never comes. If you write your goals in the future, the future never comes.

“R”: Realistic. Your target must be believable to you. If you do not think you can attain it, chances are you probably will not attain it. Now, this means two things. One, if you have a faulty belief system about what you can and cannot do and you want to change it, you might want to try my CDs. Two, “realistic” is different for everyone. For some, making a million dollars in one year is totally attainable. For others, it is not. Make sure your target is realistic to you.

“T”: Time Framed. Put a definite date on your target. Put the date as if today is the date, and write your goal with that date now. This is similar to As If Now, but with an actual date or time frame.

“S”: Smiley Factor. Make sure that you are smiling and happy in the picture, that your goal includes your being happy. Here is an example of why: You have a goal to be in Italy within five years, but no smiley factor. You get some rare cancer that the only know treatment for is in Italy, and you have to fly there to get your cancer treated. This is not what you want.

Make sure you do not have negatives in your goals. It is not good to say something like “no more pain,” because remember, what you focus on is what you get. So if you are focusing on “no pain”, “pain” is actually what you are focusing on. If you don’t want this or that, you have to put it in your target as a positive. Like if the pain were gone, what would be there? You might be feeling great, or have free movement in your neck or whatever. Just make sure you put all the things you don’t want in terms of what you would have when they were gone, so you can focus on what you want, because that is what you will get.

This article are Part of a Free e-Course on Dieting and Eating Healthy. Go to http://www.bazuji.com/ecourse to sign up for the free e-course. Do you want to be Sexy, Slim, Slender and Healthy for Life. Dr. Jamie wants to help give you this with his “non-diet.” He is also giving you dozens of valuable free gifts to “ethically bribe” you into helping him make his new book, “The Ultimate Non-Diet” a #1 best seller. For details go to: http://www.TheUltimateNonDiet.com/free

Dentistry and Tooth Gap

Writen by S. Wilson

Dentistry is the practical application of knowledge of dental science (the science of placement, arrangement, function of teeth) to human beings. A dentist is a professional practitioner of dentistry. A Dentist is skilled in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, injuries, and malformations of the teeth, jaws, and mouth and who makes and inserts false teeth.

A Dentist is needed for correct most teeth conditions but there is a clear alternative to closing a tooth gap. So forget everything you’ve heard about closing gapped teeth. Because now there’s breakthrough technology that lets you closes your gap without bands, brackets or wires.

Teeth Gap has a product called Teeth Effects. By placing a Teeth Effect Band around the teeth with a gap will draw the teeth together; your gap will close right before your eyes. Your teeth will move, little by little, day by day, until your gap is closed. Teeth Effects are also removable so you can eat, drink, brush, and floss as usual.

Teeth Effect Bands are clear; most people won’t know you are straightening your teeth unless you tell them. After closing your gap you’ll also enjoy the added assurance of being able to express yourself with confidence, without being embarrassed or insecure about your teeth.

Baby Boomers Seek Hold on Youth Through Cosmetic Surgery Procedures

Writen by Dan Goldstein

Elkhart-IN People in the 35-50 age group comprise the largest percentage (40 percent) of individuals who had cosmetic procedures last year, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). In all, more than 8.7 million procedures were performed on people who took action to proactively manage signs of aging or enhance their appearance.

“Society is certainly entranced with the idea of holding on to a youthful look as long as possible,” said Dr. Ronald Downs, of The Centre, P.C in Indiana. ” Many people say they feel better when they look better.” Liposuction was the most popular procedure in the 35-50 age group. Nose reshaping was the most popular among persons 19 to 34, who represent 26 percent of the 8.7 million, and eyelid surgery was number one among patients 51 to 64 (24 percent).

In all, cosmetic surgery procedures rose 32 percent from 2002 to 2003, according to the ASPS. The number of surgical procedures grew at 5 percent, while minimally invasive procedures jumped 41 percent. “With the incredible influence the entertainment industry has on public opinion, TV shows such as Extreme Makeover are no doubt significant contributors to this rise in procedures,” added Dr. Downs.

Botox

Diet and Fitness: Winning Tactics For Weight Loss

Writen by Bill Urell

Tell me, does this describe you? ‘I tried a zillion diets in fits and starts and was never successful.’ Just going on a diet will not give you a complete healthy persona. I finally paid attention to what everybody was saying, but I was too lazy to do.

I added exercise and fitness to the equation. We also need to stay fit as well as diet to lose weight. Our true wealth is our health. Isn’t it worth your time bring it into peak condition and maintain it? Diet fitness is all about an accurate mix of diet and an appropriate fitness program.

This basically includes three levels of consideration:

1. Balance-A balanced diet must contain carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin, mineral salts and fiber in well proportionate quantity. Carbohydrates are the source of energy so these play an important role in balanced diet. Intentional inclusion of all foods from fruits to vegetables and meats to grains.

2. Moderation- portion control, small quantity at regular intervals. I had to laugh when I heard the results of a 5-year study costing millions of dollars the government ran to find out why the population of the US is getting heavier. The resultsthey determined we eat larger quantities! ‘Super Size it!’

3. Variation – wide variety in foods,means higher chances of complete nutrition. And variety in your workout routine means a greter chance of sustaining it.

It is a well-known fact that poor diet leads to diseases, like obesity, even cancer and heart disease. The link between diet and physical fitness has well been established and recognized as a science in itself. It’s the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. How do you balance diet and fitness? What changes in your diet and fitness regimes will prove to be the most beneficial ones?

These questions may have been on your mind for a long time but you didn’t know where to start. I let the paralysis of analysis prevent me from getting started for a long time. I wanted the ‘perfect’ fitness plan. My advice? Just get started anywhere, but get started. There are the solutions at your doorstep. First and foremost, you need to ensure that the diet you are on, supplies you enough strength and energy to carry out the fitness training which means:

The basic fitness diet should:

1. Have a wide variety of foods– wholegrain breads and cereals for vitamins and minerals, leafy green vegetables for iron fueling, fruit for adequate fiber, lean meat and Fish (lowers cholesterol and helps prevent cancer) and low fat dairy products.

2. Enable you to have optimal weight and energy to carry out daily activities with ease.

3. Enhance quick and complete recovery during exercise.

4. Supply enough fluids to have maximum hydration. 5. Provide both short and long term benefits and ease of maintenance.

When the above criterion is satisfied, you can confirm that you are on a diet that is not starving you or running you the risk of malnutrition and weakness. Fitness programs can include not only basic gymnasium but modern techniques like dancing, aerobics and yoga for variety and fun. If it is enjoyable it will be easier to maintain.

Make no mistake about it, fitness regimes help you speed up the process of loosing weight along with the diet. That is the key, the magic diet accelerator. So eat healthy, exercise and be wise!

Bill Urell reviews only the best diet and fitness plans, tips, and articles that promote healthier lifestyles. Visit us by clicking: Weight Loss and Diet Plans and claim your FREE E-Cookbook, as a welcome gift. http://www.online-weight-loss-resources.com