11 Shortcuts to a Healthier You

Submitted by: Sandra Prior

Living longer and feeling better doesn’t have to be drudgery. Armed with the right tools, a man can completely protect and preserve his own body. What you’re about to read is your own personal toolbox. Top to bottom it contains all the right know-how you need to avoid a disaster down the road.

Prevent Colon Cancer

Swap the chips for a snack that may save your life: Brazil nuts. They're the top food source of selenium, a mineral that one study showed may reduce the risk of colon cancer by as much as 60 percent. It looks promising as a way to help prevent colon cancer. A couple of Brazil nuts a day will help you hit the target amount of 200 micrograms of selenium.

Ulcer Proof your Stomach

If a type of bacteria called H pylori is the firebug that ignites most ulcers, then a serving of broccoli sprouts is your edible sprinkler system. In a study sponsored by the US's National Academy of Sciences, sulforaphane - a phytochemical in the sprouts - killed off any H.pylori that was exposed to it. Try folding sprouts into your omelet’s or using them in a sandwich. (Regular broccoli contains some sulforaphane, too.)

Beat Bad Breath

Gargle with nature's mouthwash: green tea. When researchers at the University of British Columbia tested different strategies for eliminating bad breath, they found that green tea was most effective at wiping out the germs and the volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) that cause stench mouth. (Chewing gum and mints actually increased the amount of VSC.) Make green tea at home and give it a good swish around in your mouth before swallowing.

Protect your Prostate

Blueberries are the fruit with the most antioxidant firepower, but plums may be the real nukes against prostate cancer. Preliminary research at Texas University found that phyto-chemicals in red-fleshed plums inhibit prostate-tumor cell growth in the laboratory by 80 percent - 20 percent more than blueberries do. The research is still in the early stages, but there's definitely no downside to eating plums.

Stop a Heart Attack

Harvard medical school researchers found that drinking one or more cups of black tea a day was associated with a 45 percent decrease in heart attacks. The flavonoids in the tea may reduce the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries. And it doesn't have to be any fancy tea; Lipton or Five Roses will do the artery-clearing trick just as well.

Stop Sweating

Put on your antiperspirant at night, before you go to bed. Even after you dry off from your morning shower, your pores still hold enough water to dilute the antiperspirant. By comparison, your skin is completely dry by the time you're ready to hit the sack, allowing the antiperspirant to concentrate in the pores. If you need peace of mind, apply antiperspirant in the morning, but it isn't necessary; the active ingredients- aluminium chloride or zinc chloride - are good for 24 hours.

Prevent Diabetes

Whip up a peanut-butter-and-jam sandwich. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that those people who ate peanut butter just once a week had a 16 percent lower risk of developing type-2 diabetes than those who didn't eat any. One explanation may be the fats in peanut butter. Previous studies have shown that a high intake of mono-and polyunsaturated fats improves insulin sensitivity.

Start Losing Weight

A 250ml yoghurt (the light kind) contains 400mg of calcium, almost half of the 900mg research shows you need to eat each day to keep the obesity gene turned off. If you don't get enough calcium, the body stores fat more readily. Plus, yoghurt has eight to 10 grams of protein, which helps suppress appetite and may boost the activity of Leptin, a hormone
that plays a key role in kilojoule burning.

Short-Circuit a Headache

Try pinching the webbed area between your thumb and index finger (either hand) for 30 seconds. It's called acupressure, and while researchers haven't carried out a randomized, placebo-controlled study on the strategy, the theory is that it stimulates nerve impulses to the brain and reverses blood-vessel dilation. Expect your head to stop throbbing in about 5 minutes.

Save your Eyesight

Carrots have the rep, but go with mangoes. They're loaded with beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, three antioxidants that protect your eyes from vision-altering, free-radical damage. We know that these antioxidants help decrease vision loss in patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Avoid a Stroke

Chug 500ml of orange juice. In a 10-year study of 2 400 men, Finnish researchers found that the men taking in 200 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C a day, had a lower stroke risk than those taking in only 40mg of C. Researchers attribute the reduction in risk to vitamin C's ability to minimize artery damage from free radicals, reduce blood pressure and help control cholesterol.

About the Author: Sandra Prior runs her own bodybuilding website at http://bodybuild.rr.nu

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Recognizing And Treating A Tension Headache

Submitted by: Jared Winston

A tension headache is by far the most common form of headache that people experience in every day life. However, in many cases, tension headaches may be confused with other types of headaches that may be more serious. Conversely, these more serious forms of headaches, which may require treatment from a physician, may be mistaken as a simple tension headache and thus go untreated for long periods of time. For this reason, you should know the causes, symptoms, and treatments of these headaches if you are experiencing pain, so you will be able to recognize them yourself.

A tension headache is essentially, just as its name implies, a headache that is caused by tensing of the muscles, most often in the neck or the scalp. When these muscles contract, it can cause pain that ranges from mild, dull aches, to more severe pain, often accompanied by a feeling of tightness or pressure on the head, as though it were being squeezed by an invisible pair of hands. The pain is usually general, and dispersed over the head and neck, unlike other types where the pain is often felt most acutely in a specific area.

Unlike many other types of headaches, tension headaches tend to build up slowly over time. The pain will at first be mild, or simply a feeling of tightness, and may increase until the pain has become quite severe. This is in contrast to other forms of headaches, most specifically cluster headaches that are known to begin and build up in a matter of minutes, and end just as quickly.

Tension headaches are somewhat similar to migraines in that they can be made worse by the presence of certain factors. These include bright lights and sounds, and other similar environmental stresses. This, however, may affect the headache for other reasons than they affect migraine headaches. For instance, they may be increasing the stresses that are causing the headache in the first place.

A tension headache can be caused by a wide variety of different things. In short, anything that causes stress in your life may be a contributing factor to a tension headache, which is why they often set in during times of heightened stress levels. However, other factors may be at work, such as strain to the eyes or environmental factors such as temperature. They can also be caused by abnormal pressures on parts of the body, such as sleeping in a certain position, or even poor posture.

In most cases, a tension headache is mild enough that it can be treated with over the counter pain medication to take care of the headache itself. If possible, you may want to remove the causes of the headache as well, by relaxing more often or correcting poor posture. If you cannot pin point what is causing your headaches, you may want to write down when your headaches begin, to help you find a common link between them. If you experience a tension headache consistently, or your headaches become very severe, you should consult a physician, to be sure there is not a more serious problem.

Copyright © Jared Winston, 2006. All Rights Reserved.

About the Author: Millions of people suffer from brutal headaches every day, whether they be temporary nuisances or repeat offenders. Conquering Headaches helps educate about the causes of headaches as well as solutions: http://www.conqueringheadaches.com

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by

Joseph

Migraines might forewarn serious health threats, a new study suggests. According to recent research findings released by the American Academy of Neurology, women who experience migraines with auras may be at risk of heart attacks and blood clots.

In the study, researchers found that migraines with auras contributed to stroke and heart attacks. Of the 27,860 women participating in the Women's Health Study, which looked at how vascular risk factors contributed to cardiovascular events, 1,030 cases of heart attack, stroke or fatality due to cardiovascular disease occurred during 15 years of follow up. Researchers also noted 1,435 of the women reported migraine headache with aura.

Researcher Tobias Kurth of Brigham and Women's Hospital and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Bordeaux said:"After high blood pressure migraine with aura was the second strongest single contributor to risk of heart attacks and strokes. It came ahead of diabetes, current smoking, obesity and family history of early heart disease."

Kurth pointed out that even though migraine with aura is associated with increased the risk of heart attack or stroke, not all people experiencing migraine with aura will suffer a cardiovascular event.

How Do Migraines, Heart Attacks and Obesity Come Together?

Associations between vascular health and migraine with aura has been known for some time. For example, the results of a meta-analysis published in a 2009 issue of BMJ found an association between migraine with aura and cardiovascular disease.

In that study, Tobias Kurth, working with other scientific investigators found that migraine with aura was associated with a two fold increase of ischemic stroke.

Ischemic strokes are caused by damage to vessels supplying blood to the brain.

Migraines are a complex neurological disorder that starts in the brain and spreads to the blood vessels. Migraines accompanied by aura cause the sufferer to experience flashing lights or other visual disturbances due to problems with blood flow within the brain.

It's important to consider how obesity may affect migraine symptoms and cardiovascular disease. Obesity increases cardiovascular risk because fatty buildup in the blood vessels could trigger heart attack or stroke.

Taken together it becomes easier for researchers to look for associations between the cardiovascular system and migraines.

There is evidence that obesity can worsen migraine symptoms. Dale S. Bond from The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University published a report in Obesity Reviews theorizing that weight loss intervention may lessen migraine headaches.

Since there is evidence that body weight can trigger migraine episodes, it's important to lead a healthy lifestyle. We should also include meditation and communion with God as part of a healthy lifestyle. When the mind is at peace it can also have a calming effect on the body as well.

Kurth, when presenting the results of his findings from the WHS to the American Academy of Neurology said that women suffering migraines with aura could reduce their risk of heart attack by keeping the blood pressure in check, maintaining a healthy weight and participating in exercise.

God is always telling us something for our good, we must be willing to listen to Him.

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I'm living fit, healthy and happy_(SM). Are you?

Article Sources

Migraine with Aura May Lead to Heart Attack, Blood Clots for Women - American Academy of Neurology Press Release

Schurks, M., Rist, P., Bigal, M., Buring, J., Lipton, R., & Kurth, T. (2009). Migraine and cardiovascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis BMJ, 339 (oct27 1) DOI: 10.1136/bmj.b3914

Bond, D., Roth, J., Nash, J., & Wing, R. (2011). Migraine and obesity: epidemiology, possible mechanisms and the potential role of weight loss treatment Obesity Reviews, 12 (5) DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2010.00791.x

CDC - DHDSP - Types of Stroke

Migraine

"Migraines With Flashing Lights Could Signal A Heart Attack, Study" copyright © 2013 Living Fit, Healthy and Happy_(SM). All Rights Reserved.

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Getting Rid of Migraine Pain and Why Surgery Works
By Jason J Hall, MD, FACS

Nearly 25% of women between 18 and 50 suffer from migraine headaches. As any of you who suffer from migraines knows, the total cost - of medications, ER visits, lost days at work, etc (not to mention time lost with your family and friends, which is irreplaceable) is enormous.

The commonly accepted theory as to why migraines happen is as follows:

A migraine trigger sends a depressive wave through the main part of the brain, which then releases chemical irritants. This causes sensory fibers in the meninges - the covering of the brain - to be activated, which is then felt as pain. If this process continues, a part of the brain and brainstem known as the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC) becomes inflamed and starts a process called central sensitization (a "full blown" migraine). The main symptom of central sensitization is severe pain from things that are usually painless - brushing your hair, breathing through the nose on cool days, or having the shower water splash your face. Stopping the migraine headache at this point is difficult - commonly prescribed medications will "take the edge off", but will not completely stop the migraine. The key is to eliminate the migraine headache before it gets to this stage by blocking the inflammation and release of triggering chemicals. Imitrex and the other commonly used medications works at this point of the cycle.

As the frequency of migraine headaches increases, there can be anatomic changes in the brain as a result of drawn out sensitization of the nerves. It is thought that by eliminating the triggers (which are, essentially, fuel for the fire), the headaches will diminish in intensity, frequency, and duration. Hopefully, they will disappear altogether. It is at this point that surgery should be considered.

In plastic surgery, we are trained to work on and with nerves in the arms and legs. There are certain syndromes (like carpal tunnel syndrome) that we deal with often in our residency and fellowship training where we treat the results of prolonged nerve compression. It is theorized that surgery to treat migraine headaches works in a similar manner as that for carpal tunnel - releasing pressure on nerves from otherwise normal anatomy that unfortunately causes problems in some people but not in others.

There are quite a few areas in the head and neck where nerves can be compressed by surrounding tissue (muscles or the muscle covering, known as fascia). In individuals with a genetic predisposition to getting migraine headaches, these compression points can act as triggers that start the cascade towards central sensitization and chronic migraine headaches. By releasing these nerves from their compression points with surgery, the anatomic stimulus for the headache is removed, and the headaches either disappear or are greatly reduced. We are learning more about nerve compression points of the trigeminal nerve (the main sensory nerve of the head and neck, which gives sensation to your face and scalp through its numerous branches) each and every day.

Known compression points (which can be successfully treated with surgery) are:

- supraorbital and supratrochlear nerves
- zygomaticotemporal nerve
- auriculotemporal nerve
- greater occipital nerve
- lesser occipital nerve
- numerous small nerve branches of the nasal septum & turbinates

Not everyone suffering from migraine headaches will have these trigger points, and surgery is not the solution for all migraine headache sufferers. In a number of people, avoidance of known triggers and prescription medications is enough to limit or eliminate the headaches.

However, as we have seen in numerous publications, surgical decompression can lead to a drastic reduction or elimination of migraines in 80-90% of patients. I feel that it is a treatment that is backed by sound science and logical thinking, and should be considered as a treatment option for many people as the severity of their headaches increases.

For more information about surgical treatment of migraine headaches, and to see if you or someone you know may be a candidate for surgery, visit http://www.drjasonhall.com and fill in the "Learn More" section of the website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_J_Hall,_MD,_FACS
http://EzineArticles.com/?Getting-Rid-of-Migraine-Pain-and-Why-Surgery-Works&id=7330888

More Myths Of "Sinus Headache"

The Myths Of "Sinus Headache"

Migraines And Women

By James Mahony

Migraines occur far more frequently in women than in men. In fact, in adult women the rate of frequency is roughly fifteen to seventeen percent, whereas in men it is only about five percent.



Studies have concluded that estrogen withdrawal is a key factor in migraines related to menstrual cycles.



Twenty-five to thirty percent of all women in their 30s experience at least an occasional migraine.



Menstrual migraines generally last longer than non-menstrual migraines and often are much more difficult to treat effectively.



Sixty to seventy percent of women who suffer from migraines have menstrual-related migraine.



Ten to fourteen percent of women with migraines have them only during menstruation. These types of headaches are known as ‘true menstrual migraine’.



Premenstrual migraine may in fact be part premenstrual syndrome (PMS), the menstrual related mood disorder. Symptoms of PMS include fatigue, irritability or depression, bloating and, yes, headache.



Two-thirds of women who suffered from pre-menopausal migraines find their condition improve with physiologic menopause. On the other hand, it has been found that surgical menopause worsens migraine conditions in two-thirds of cases.



Migraine attacks usually disappear during pregnancy. At the same time, however, some women report an initial onset of migraines during the first trimester of pregnancy, with the disappearance of their headaches after the third month of pregnancy.



Treatment options for menstrual migraine



Sidenote: Hope you're finding this useful? I have always been curious about this matter. And when I found very little quality information about it, I decided to share a part of what I've learned about it - which is why this article came to be written. Read on.



When choosing to treat menstrual migraines with medication, the drugs used most often are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs). The NSAIDS of choice in treating menstrual migraines are:



ketoprofen (Orudis)

ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin)

fenoprofen calcium (Nalfon)

naproxen (Naprosyn)

nabumetone (Relafen)



For best results when using NSAIDs to treat migraines, usage should be started two to three days before menstrual flow actually begins and the therapy should be continued throughout the period. Gastrointestinal side effects are generally not serious enough to be considered because the therapy takes place over such a short period, no pun intended.



For patients who suffer from more severe menstrual migraines or who desire to continue taking oral contraceptives, doctors also recommend taking a NSAID. This therapy should begin l9th day of your cycle and continue through the second day of the next cycle.



Some women have found antinausea medicine and pain relievers like aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen sufficient enough to dull the pain. Others trust in analgesics or serotonin agonists such as Imitrex, Zomig, Amerge or Maxalt. When using medications, it is extremely important to be aware of the dangers of avoiding a repetitive pattern of medication or overuse of medication as this can cause rebound headaches.



You might also consider using an estrogen skin patch. This treatment is utilized in the days leading up to your period and may either delay or actually prevent the onset of a menstrual migraine.



Some studies have found that daily doses of magnesium may help menstrual migraines in certain women. In addition, vitamin and herbal treatments have been found to be effective. The herb feverfew or vitamin B2 when taken on a daily basis may reduce



Either the severity or the frequency of headaches, though research does not point to



menstrual migraines in particular.



Even though two-thirds of women do report improvement in their migraine condition with the onset of natural menopause, two-thirds of women report a worsening with surgical, therefore neither a hysterectomy nor an ovarian removal are recommended.



As always, you should consult your physician for a proper diagnosis before discontinuing or launching on kind of new treatment, including over-the-counter medication treatments.



Every person has a unique health profile that includes aspects specific to their physiology and family history and that may preclude them from taking certain medications.



Some final tips



There enough different migraine triggers to fill a book and keeping track of them can be a full time job. It is highly recommended that you keep a trigger diary that includes a record of foods you eat, weather conditions, medications you have taken, stressful events, menstrual activity, etc.



Also of benefit is developing a plan around your period. Reduce stress as much as possible by planning work and leisure commitments around your cycle so as to cut back on menstrual-related triggers as much as possible.



I hope you've found this information helpful and gained something of value from the article.



In case there is any specific portion that is not clear enough, or that you'd like to know more about, please write to let me know and I'll try and update the article or write another one getting into greater detail.



About the Author: James Mahony is the founder of Migraine Headache Prevention - A site dedicated to preventing and treating migraine headaches Migraine Headache Prevention
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Migraines Play Havoc With Emotions-or Is It The Other Way Around?