Health Tips

Reflexology - So Much More Than A Foot Massage

Bill Flocco of the American Academy of Reflexology

Reflexology has long been viewed by many Americans and medical professionals as little more than a foot massage.

Now: Recent scientific studies show that chronic pain, digestive disorders and other common health problems can be relieved through the use of this practice. Reflexology, which was developed by three medical professionals in the early 20th century, involves applying pressure to specific areas -- known as "reflex points" -- located on the feet, hands and ears.

How it works: When a body part is injured or stops functioning properly due to disease, irritating chemicals accumulate in distant but related nerve endings in the feet, hands and ears. Various studies have repeatedly shown that when certain parts of the feet, hands and ears are worked on with touch techniques, relief results in corresponding parts of the body.

Bonus: You can perform many basic forms of reflexology on yourself or a partner.*

*To find a certified reflexologist in your area, contact the American Reflexology Certification Board, 303-933-6921, www.arcb.net.

For best results, work on all of the reflex points described in this article for at least five minutes twice a day, four or more times a week. Relief can be experienced within minutes, but it sometimes takes days or weeks of repeatedly working on the appropriate reflex areas to get results.

Caution: Do not work on bruises, cuts, sores, skin infections or directly on areas where you have damaged a bone or strained a joint during the preceding three to six months. If you've had surgery or suffered a bone fracture, ask your surgeon when it's safe to perform reflexology on these areas.

The main technique used on most parts of the feet and hands, including those points described below, is the "thumb roll."

What to do: Place gentle pressure with the pad of your thumb against the area on which you wish to work. Maintaining this pressure and moving slowly, bend the knuckle in the center of the thumb in an upward direction and roll your thumb from the pad toward the tip, moving it forward. Next, reverse the movement of the knuckle, so that once your thumb is flattened you can do another thumb roll, each time moving forward in the direction the thumb is pointing.

Reflex points that correspond to common complaints...

HEARTBURN

What to do: While sitting in a chair, place your left foot on your right knee. Use your left thumb to locate the "diaphragm line," which separates the ball of your foot and your instep, where the skin color changes between the pad and soft part of the sole. On this line, about an inch from the inner edge of the foot, press gently with the tip of your thumb while squeezing gently with your index finger on top of the foot for five to 10 minutes.

Next, place the tip of your right thumb on the soft part of your left palm at the point between the base of the knuckles below your index and middle fingers. With the fingers of your right hand gently squeezing the back of your left hand, apply gentle pressure with the tip of your right thumb for five to 10 minutes.

HEADACHE

What to do: Start with the hand corresponding to the side of your head where the pain is most noticeable. On the back of that hand, locate a point about an inch below the base knuckle of your index finger in the fleshy web between your index finger and thumb. Place the tip of the thumb of your other hand on this point and the tip of your index finger of the other hand on the palm side of this point, squeezing to find a spot that's slightly thicker and more tender than the surrounding area. While maintaining steady pressure, gently move the tip of your thumb in small circles over this spot. (This movement is different from the thumb roll.) It usually takes about five minutes of work to alleviate a tension headache, and up to an hour to reduce or eliminate a migraine headache.

Caution: This point should not be worked on during the first trimester of pregnancy, as it could have an adverse effect on the fetus. Instead, work only on the related point on the ear, as described below.

After you have completed the hand reflexology, locate the small, hard flap of cartilage at the top of your earlobe, then feel where this flap and the earlobe meet. With the tip of your thumb on the front of the ear and the tip of your index finger behind the ear, gently squeeze this point between your index finger and thumb, feeling for a spot that's slightly thicker and more tender than the surrounding area. Squeeze both ears at once, holding for five to 10 minutes, while resting your elbows on a table or desk.

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

What to do: While sitting, place your left foot on your right knee. With the fingers of your left hand, gently grasp the top of the foot. Using the thumb roll technique in repeated overlapping strips, work across from the inner edge to the outer edge of the foot, on all of the soft part of the sole and the entire heel, for 10 minutes. Repeat, using your right thumb on the bottom of your right foot.

After you have completed the foot reflexology, use your right thumb to perform the thumb roll technique on your left palm. Work from the outside to the inside of the palm, starting just below the base of the fingers and progressing toward the wrist. Repeat, using your left thumb to work on the right palm.

NECK PAIN AND STIFF NECK

What to do: Move your finger slightly above the cartilage flap described in the headache section, and find a ridge of cartilage running up and down the ear. Place the tips of your index fingers on the lower inch of this ridge on both ears while resting your elbows on a table or desk. Squeeze gently but firmly between your index fingers and thumbs, with your thumbs behind the ears. Continue for five to 10 minutes.

The "B" Attitudes for Better Health

Be understanding to your enemies.
Be loyal to your friends.

Be strong enough to face the world each day.
Be weak enough to know you cannot do everything alone.

Be generous to those who need your help.
Be frugal with that you need yourself.

Be wise enough to know that you do not know everything.
Be foolish enough to believe in miracles.

Be willing to share your joys.
Be willing to share the sorrows of others.

Be a leader when you see a path others have missed.
Be a follower when you are shrouded by the mists of uncertainty.

Be first to congratulate an opponent who succeeds.
Be last to criticize a colleague who fails.

Be sure where your next step will fall, so that you will not tumble.
Be sure of your final destination, in case you are going the wrong way.

Be loving to those who love you.
Be loving to those who do not love you; they may change.

Above all, be yourself.

-- Author Unknown

Dr. Joseph Mercola and Aspartame

If you and your family are using Aspartame regularly, you probably will be interested to know  how prolonged use has affected some users. This potentially dangerous substance is used in many foods and beverages - same with Splenda...I thought you might want to read Dr. Mercola's blog.   He has written the book Sweet Deception.

Can You OD On Beauty Treatments?

TMZ.com has recently published photos of celebrities that are very uncomplimentary and certainly not flattering emphasizing too many plastic surgery procedures.  You may or may not realize that your face can look "over injected" with substances that plump and paralyze. 

I know you have seen these freakish, strangely shaped faces that develop as a result of too much attention from well meaning physicians.  Remember, physicians are not magicians and injecting a face is a fine art.  Over using injections is like going to the hair salon:  You realize that the cut and color is just a little off and not as wonderful as it was previously.

Hormone Users May Face Increased Cancer Risk

Hormone Replacement Therapy has again made the news and this time the findings may alarm you because HRT usage has been linked to an increased cancer risk in post menopausal women.  Yes, we have been advised of the increased risk of breast cancer and heart ailments if we use HRTs but now new studies reveal that lung tumors may develop, too.  Read about the study here.

Tummy Tuck Surgery

Excess tummy fat can be especially vexing when you've had a C-Section or if that fat just stays in place no matter how many sit-ups and crunches you do.  Even the best lingerie items cannot always disguise this fat so maybe you have decided it's time to seek advice to have it permanently removed via surgery.  There are always risks to surgery and a tummy tuck is no different.  If you choose to go this route make certain you have someone lined up to help you get up and around because I don't think you can move very efficiently by yourself.  What to expect.

Walk Off the Weight

Walking has always appealed to me and most days at 7:30 a.m. you will find me out the door walking about two miles daily.  This has really helped my figure stay trim.  Living in SoCal certainly has it's advantages  - sunshine most everyday and no snow!  Just get out and move as much as you can!  Here is a wonderful article that I believe you will enjoy.
 

Medical Goofs and Errors

People's Pharmacy writers Joe Graedon, a pharmacologist and Teresa Graedon, medical anthropologist and nutrition expert recently alerted their readers that medical complications can unexpectedly arise, especially when you are unprepared for a hospital stay.  The Graedon's recommend that we prepare for a hospital stay by viewing the 22 minute DVD "Things You Should Know Before Entering a Hospital".  It's $29.95.  http://www.reelchicago.com/archive.cfm?storyID=1215

This video was the result of Betty Hoeffner, a PR specialist, who heard editor Ernie Schubert’s horror stories of medical goofs and errors observed during a lengthy stay in a suburban hospital, she said to her production friends, “we have a movie here.”

How Healthy is Green Food?

Wheatgrass just isn't for cows…we need chlorophyll in our diet to cleanse and purify our blood.  Using greens such as wheatgrass and barley grass can cure infections in our respiratory tract and actually aid our anti-aging efforts.  Each day we are subjected to smoke and toxins that enter our bodies; these pollutants over time can compromise our immune system with free radical damage.

Most green vegetables have chlorophyll and spinach, bell pepper and broccoli top the list as the richest source of green we can enjoy.  Although research is ongoing, prevention and treatment of liver cancer, skin cancer, and colon cancer are all being investigated.  For those of you that supplement, consider adding Spirulina for a chlorophyll boost.

Sugar, Fats and Toxic Blood

Dr. Stephen T Sinatra, noted cardiologist, co-author of Sugar Shock and Reverse Heart Disease Now (Wiley, $24.95) says there are three surprising risks that you and your doctor may not know: 

Sugar, Fats and Toxic Blood are risks that tax your good health.  Yes, you must pay attention to smoking and cholesterol and especially sugar. 

Dr Sinatra says, "Sugar inflames the blood vessels" and he suggests we ladies keep our waistlines less than 32 inches and eat a high-fiber diet (25 grams a day).  This means more broccoli, onions, red peppers and cabbage daily.

Fats – according to Dr. Sinatra, you have three choices – the good, the bad and the enemy.  Read food labels, eliminate trans fats and add wild salmon to your weekly eating plan.

Toxic Blood – Your C-reactive protein reading and homocystine levels indicate inflammation that can have a toxic effect on arteries; this increases free radical damage.  Improve your diet and take B-12 and Folic Acid.

Birth Control Warning (Sent to me by a reader)

Recently this past week, my cousin Nicole Dishuk (age 31...newly  grad student with a doctoral degree about to start her new career as a Doctor...) was flown into a nearby hospital, because she passed out. They found a blood clot in her neck, and immediately took her by helicopter to the ER to operate.  By the time they removed the right half of her skull to relieve the pressure on her brain, the clot had spread to her brain causing severe damage. Since last Wednesday night, she was battling. They induced her into a coma to stop the blood flow.  They operated 3 times.  Finally, they said there was nothing left that they could do. They found multiple clots in the left side of her brain.. the swelling wouldn't stop, and she was on life support. She died at 4:30 yesterday.  She leaves behind a husband, a 2 yr  old, Brandon, and a 4 yr old, Justin.. The CAUSE of DEATH - they found was a birth control she was taking that allows you to only have your period 3 times a year, but can cause blood clots in the brain.  They said it interrupts life's menstrual cycle, and although it is FDA approved... shouldn't be - So to the women in my address book - I ask you to boycott this product & deal with your period once a month - so you can live the rest of the months that your life has in store for you.  *Please send this to every woman you know - you may save someone's life... Remember, you have a CYCLE for a reason!

Fiji Water

Perfectly pH balanced and rich in the most important trace mineral, silica, naturally stimulates the immune system; some believe that silica may play a preventative role in premature aging.  Experts say that drinking Fiji water daily can "reduce fatigue, chronic stress and other health hassles by 67 percent within nine weeks."  Here's the best part, drinking Fiji water may help you lose one additional pound every week!  Some celebs depend on Fiji to look vibrant and slim so ladies, it can't hurt.  One note of caution:  there are way too many empty plastic bottles to deal with and the cost to bring this water to the US must be enormous!  So, why not filter your water at home and add drops of Silica to it?

20 Herbs and Their Uses

Herbal remedies have been around since the beginning of time to treat everything from insomnia to infectious diseases.  In recent years, the supplement business has become mainstream again as herbs have begun to regain their reputation as healing agents after natural medicine almost became obsolete in the early 1900's.

Michael Castleman has written "The New Healing Herbs" ($7.99, Bantam Books).  This book lists the following herbs and therapeutic uses:

Aloe – sunburn, infections, burns, psoriasis

Astragalus – colds, flu

Black cohosh – PMS, menstrual cramps, hot flashes, high blood pressure

Chamomile – digestive disorders, ulcers, menstrual cramps, arthritis

Dandelion – gallstones, PMS, high blood pressure, yeast infections

Echinacea – colds, flu, wounds, weakened immune system

Ginger – motion sickness, morning sickness, high cholesterol, ulcers, arthritis, menstrual cramps, colds, flu

Ginko biloba – memory loss, chronic dizziness, chronic ringing in the ears, macular degeneration

Ginseng – low energy, impaired mental function, appetite loss, impotence

Goldenseal – infections, digestive disorders, heavy menstruation

Horse Chestnut – varicose veins, hemorrhoids, arthritis

Lavender – anxiety, insomnia, wounds, digestive disorders, menstrual cramps

Garlic – urinary tract infections, vaginal infections, chemical toxicity, high cholesterol

Licorice – arthritis, canker sores, herpes, infections, hot flashes

Passionflower – insomnia, digestive disorders, menstrual cramps, wounds

Senna – constipation

St. John's Wart – mild depression, viral infections, wounds

Uva Ursi – urinary tract infections, premenstrual bloating, wounds diarrhea

Valerian – insomnia, high blood pressure

Note:  This information is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment or medication.
 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Grape Seed Oil?

Sorry Rachael Ray but Grape Seed Oil may actually be better for cooking!  Olive Oil is not designed for sautéing, frying or heat; rather, it is to be used as a condiment to enhance the flavor of food.  Dr. Oz says to cook the food, not the olive oil.  Personally, my stainless steel pans clean much easier using grape seed oil and I like that.

Speaking of fats, check out:  http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3046074 to learn how to determine just what fats to use and how to avoid the consequences of using fats that create health complications that we want to avoid.  As restaurants and bakeries use different oils to compensate for the ban on trans fats, be aware that the substitutions can be just as detrimental if you over-indulge.

Oral Health

Research has determined that your oral health says a lot about your general health so it's vitally important to regularly see your dentist to stave off gum disease because its occurrence has been linked to heart disease, stroke and even cancer.

According to USA Weekend, there are breakthroughs on the horizon and one that I found most interesting is that scientists at UCLA are working on a method to determine how to clinically use saliva as a diagnostic fluid.  According to the scientists, saliva contains bio-markers for certain diseases.  In the not too distant future your doc or dentist may detect the early presence of disease and disorders via a drop of your saliva.

Scientists at the University of Alberta in Canada have found a way to regrow dental tissue and I think that's exceptionally wonderful.  Get this; a computer chip is inserted into the mouth that can stimulate the formation of new dental matter.  Ohmygoodness!  We live in an age of incredible technology!

You've probably heard about the amazing product – ORA MD – an all natural, highly effective scientific formulation of pure botanical oils for teeth and gum health.  The ingredients are natural enemies of bacteria that cause gingivitis and periodontal disease.  It's safe for children and I'm delighted to tell you that I think it works to firm up gums while it freshens the breath.  http://www.oramd.com/?kbid=2192

Women's Heart Health

A family history of premature heart disease (before age 60) and C-Reactive Protein are two new risk variables for women.  It is recommended that if you have not had your C-Reactive Protein tested, that you get a high-sensitivity test to determine if you are at risk for heart disease.  The normal range is below 1 mg/L and 3 mg/L.  Learn more at:  http://www.reynoldsriskscore.com/

C-Reactive Protein is an indicator of inflammation although research has not definitively determined how CRP relates to heart disease.  Obesity is probably the biggest culprit so losing weight by increasing your intake of veggies, fiber such as beans and whole grains and exercising regularly most likely will help lower the reading.  There are supplements you can add:  Selenium, Vitamin C, B Complex - to significantly lower the reading.

Look Younger

So you looked in the mirror and knew it was time to call 911.  Emergency wake-up calls happen when we see visible signs of aging in our faces; we feel helpless, desperate and willing to submit to all sorts of scary injections or even surgical tactics to stop Mother Nature's grip.  Relax...surgery nor injections are needed!  Facial Magic will address the cause of aging - sagging facial muscles - and your skin will look younger, too, as oxygenated blood is forced through the tissues. 

For years there has been extensive misinformation propagated to the masses that have confused everyone; surgery is temporary with long recovery times and it's expensive and even dangerous - it could potentially ruin your life.  Injections of chemicals can cause long term bruising and tenderness and will require frequent re-injections to plump up the tissue. 

Exercise is natural and Facial Magic will give you the face lift you desire without pain, without bruising, without risk, without recovery, without infection and without worry of something going wrong or drug related side effects.

Tech Neck

Do you suffer from mind numbing "Tech Neck"?  You know that dreadful neck ache that comes from sitting in front of your computer hunched over the keyboard straining to see the type?  Bad posture is on the upsurge for those who use their cell phones and computers regularly.  Chiropractors and massage therapists regularly see patients complaining of the hi-tech malady "Tech Neck".

Deep tissue pressure can relax the shoulders, neck and arms.  Chronic patterns of tension and pain plague most of us so we know where our "sore spots" are – we just need to know how to massage them ourselves for instant relief.  When our neck and shoulder muscles are stressed, tension blocks oxygen and nutrients, leading to inflammation that builds up toxins in the muscle tissue.  Use Omega 3 to lessen inflammation.

My friend, Julie Donnelly, www.aboutcarpaltunnel.com, has lots of information about the cause and treatment of muscle pain.  She knows techniques that you can do at home to stop pain that affects the neck, shoulders, back and arms. Try self treating using her information; this therapy can save you time and money while providing almost instant relief to those stiff, knotted muscles.

Is Hyperactivity in Children due to Food Additives?

Ever notice how a child’s behavior changes after eating certain processed foods?  Artificial dyes and flavorings used in most brightly colored candy, sodas, and sugary cereals can greatly affect some children’s behavior and mimic a “sugar high”.  Symptoms of restlessness, excessive talking and acting out have school teachers and parents demanding medication so they can deal with their children’s inattentiveness and excessive behaviors.

Kathy Bratby, clinical assistant professor at Stony Brook University School of Nursing says, “Before you conclude that your child has a disorder, take a look at what he or she is eating. Food dyes are synthesized from petroleum, just like gasoline and it doesn’t take much to set off a sensitive child.  Artificial flavorings can be made from thousands of synthetic chemicals and some people cannot tolerate them.”

Please share this information with your children and grandchildren so their future health is maximized. Consider forwarding this link to them: http://www.feingold.org/story-pg.html

6 Rules for Successful Dieting

1.  Eat foods in their natural state whenever possible.

2.  Eat super nutritious foods that are a little difficult to digest - raw carrots rather than cooked,   broccoli, etc.

3.  Eat foods that are high in fiber - apples, bran, oatmeal

4.  Avoid foods that are white in appearance - sugar, flour, pasta, rice, bread, potatoes

5.  Don’t use artificial sweeteners.

6.  Drink sufficient water.

Submitted by C. Zaslaw - Oklahoma- advice from her trainer

IS CEREAL HEALTHY OR JUST HYPE?

Cheerios, Total, Wheaties and Shredded Wheat - These four cereals are probably the best in the marketplace today.  Why?  Low in sugar, high in fiber and they actually taste pretty good.  I like these cereals sprinkled with a dash of Stevia and either unsweetened soy, rice or almond milk. 

Remember 100% whole grain has to be the first ingredient for cereal to be healthy and please don’t fall for the gimmicks that are so prevalent in today’s advertising. One gimmick is yogurt in the cereal – it’s not really yogurt according to Jayne Hurley, a senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, rather by using yogurt powder, the good benefit of yogurt is destroyed and all you’re eating is palm kernel oil, sugar and dextrose.  In other words, these cereals have really no nutritive value.

Health writer Herb Weisbaum keeps his finger on the pulse of our health and welfare; his business is to look out for the people.  His focus is to keep consumers aware that some advertising is misleading…consider these next two paragraphs regarding juice drinks: 

“Juice drinks can be especially misleading. The product may not be all juice, and it may not be the juice you’d assume it to be. For example, Tropicana's Peach Papaya drink does not contain any peach or papaya juice. It’s mostly water, sweeteners and some pear juice. Last August  parent company PepsiCo settled a lawsuit by agreeing to call the product “Peach Papaya flavored juice drink.” It has also removed the claim “made with REAL fruit juice.” And yet the package still has pictures of peaches and papayas on it.

Remember, if a juice product is called a “beverage,” “drink” or “punch,” you can bet it is not 100 percent juice. It probably contains a large amount of water, sweeteners and white grape juice, which is cheap and not very nutritious. The only way to know for sure is to check the ingredient label…That means you, the shopper, need to look past the big bold claims on the front of the package. Check for the fine print that modifies that claim. Most importantly, read the nutrition label to get the true picture of what’s in that product. Remember, ingredients are listed from highest amount to lowest amount.”          http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11620548/
 

KIRSTY ALLEY AND PORTION CONTROL

Kirsty Alley’s weight loss story was featured in People Magazine where she shared that she had been eating up to 6,000 calories some days before her relationship with Jenny began!  Wow, that’s a lot of fuel!  Kirsty loves being a mom and enjoys cooking for her kids, unfortunately all that "kitchen time" found her eating to excess.  Now she's learning what it takes to reshape her attitude and her body.

Most of us feel that we would easily like to drop 5 – 15 pounds; portion control plus eating too much saturated fat is at the very heart of losing that weight.  According to an article by Karen Collins, RD, “There are many ways to achieve reduction. Each time you exchange a deck-of-cards-sized portion of a higher-fat red meat for lean red meat, seafood or skinless chicken, you cut at least 5 grams of saturated fat. If your meat portions are larger than a deck of cards, reducing them to this size will eliminate even more. For each ounce of regular cheddar or other high-fat cheese you replace with low-fat cheeses, you slash saturated fat by 5 grams. A cup of 1 percent or skim milk instead of whole milk will save you 3 to 5 grams. Two teaspoons of soft margarine or olive oil instead of butter will get rid of more than 3 grams.  To reach the recommended levels of saturated fat, on average Americans need to cut 5 to 10 grams of it from their daily food choices.”

Saturated fats and Trans Fats are found in vegetable shortening, some margarines (stick margarine is the worst), packaged food, soups, fast food, some frozen foods and in manufactured baked goods (cookies, cakes, chips and snacks).  Become a label reader so you know.

Kirsty looks beautiful, healthy and happy.  We congratulate her!

MORE DRUGS EQUAL LESS HEALTH

William Campbell Douglas II, MD, editor of “Daily Dose” wrote an interesting article recently describing how “more drugs equal less health”.  Dr. Douglas is referring to mainstream medicine, “…the pill and scalpel way we most often attempt to heal disease here in the western world...”

Conventional medicine also known as “allopathic medicine does not attempt to cure disease by eliminating its causes. Instead, it seeks only to mask or counteract a given disease's symptoms. The only thing this kind of medicine ensures is that NO TRUE HEALING WILL HAPPEN, only a continuation of treatment, ad infinitum,” says Douglas.

Dr. Douglas’s definition of Allopathic:  “N. Of or pertaining to allopathy, the treatment of disease with drugs (see also: dangerous synthetic chemicals) having opposite effects to the symptoms.”

Watch an eye-opening allegorical short film of the “far-reaching effects of the whole modern day allopathic medicine quagmire” at Dr. Joseph Mercola’s site:  http://www.mercola.com/

Subscribe to “Daily Dose” at: http://www.healthiernews.com/dailydose/dd200409/dd20040917.html )

FAT TODAY - CANCER TOMORROW?

If you are still carrying those extra pounds and find yourself adding more as the years go by, watch out!  You may be adding risk as the scale increases!  Experts say that you could be heading for the “BIG C” if you don’t make better diet and exercise choices.

Carrying extra pounds can cause different types of cancer and these include lymphoma, breast cancer, kidney, pancreas and more!  Most scientists believe that this connection may occur because the body’s inability to process insulin is compromised by how much weight our body carries.  Are you obese?  If so, you’re at risk!

Just how overweight is “obese”?  Obese is defined as being excessively fat (a lukewarm definition from Webster Collegiate).  What weight were you at 20?  At 30? 40?  A BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 is considered obese; years ago a similar rule of thumb was 30 pounds of excess weight was considered obese.  Calculate your BMI now to determine the finding.
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/adult_BMI/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.htm

Sun Screen/Sun Block Update

Applying sun screen for maximum protection requires that you allow it to bind to your skin for about 30 minutes before sun exposure.  It’s tempting to just slather it on and dash out the door but you really need to give yourself time for those ingredients to actively protect your skin. 

Facial Magic’s Mineral Sun Crème was discovered in a plastic surgeons office – it’s pure, natural and hydrating for your skin. Especially effective for face, neck, hands, chest and back of neck so make it a part of your morning routine. Safe for the entire family!

Leg Cramps

Gloria came into the office today complaining that she had awakened twice during the night from severe leg cramps; she has not been taking diuretics but as we talked about her day yesterday, she disclosed she had worn high heels for a better part of the weekend.  I handed her an article written by Joe and Teresa Graedon, authors of www.peoplespharmacy.com.  In their recent column, they discussed three remedies for leg cramps:  drinking low-sodium V-8 juice (even this low sodium variety has dangerously high levels of sodium so if you’re prone to heart disease or high blood pressure, please check with your doc before consuming), pinching the upper lip for a few seconds and putting a bar of soap under the bottom sheet. 

"A very useful, natural medicine is vinegar", says Jamison Starbuck, ND, Missoula, MT. "Simply eat a salad with a vinegar-based dressing whenever you can."  Some leg cramps can be relieved by taking a combination of magnesium, calcium and zinc.  If you have a remedy, send it to us and we’ll pass it to our readers.

Breaking the Food-depression Cycle

All too often, depression can literally feed on itself. Such is the case for the approximately eight million Americans who suffer from atypical depression, a variety of depression in which sufferers have an increased appetite leading to weight gain, sleeping too much, excessive lethargy and hypersensitivity to interpersonal rejection. Although atypical depression symptoms are quite apparent and they account for about 42% of the 19 million Americans who suffer from clinical depression, the problem frequently goes undiagnosed.

Recent research CAN HELP

The good news for these people is that John P. Docherty, MD, CEO of Comprehensive NeuroScience Inc., and adjunct professor of psychiatry at Weill Medical College, Cornell University in New York City, headed a recent study that looked at the role of chromium salts in helping to control blood sugar, and in turn, cravings. I spoke with Dr. Docherty who says that the carbohydrates that patients overindulge in the most are not surprising -- baked goods and pasta, both ranking high as comfort foods. But the resulting weight gain adds to patients' depression, and can be a sort of double-whammy since a common side effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) -- antidepressant medications, such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft) -- is weight gain, as well.

The 113 participants in the eight-week study, all people with atypical depression and a mean body mass index (BMI) that was borderline obese, were randomized into a group taking up to 600 mg of chromium picolinate a day or a placebo group. The findings showed that the chromium picolinate group had a significant improvement -- 65% versus 33% in the placebo group -- in terms of decreased appetite and lowered carbohydrate craving.

Dr. Docherty says we don't know exactly why chromium picolinate works to decrease carb cravings, but it probably has to do with the fact that it seems to enhance insulin regulation. (Many people with diabetes type 2 take it for this reason.) Daily Health News contributing editor Andrew L. Rubman, ND, however, adds that chromium seems to increase the sensitivity of chromium receptors, which in turn increases its effect on insulin regulation. The picolinate form of chromium was used in the study not because it's the most effective form to use, but because it is the most widely available form. Chromium is abundantly available in whole-grains, seafood, green beans and broccoli, among other foods, though it can be safely supplemented with physician oversight. Diabetics especially should never start chromium supplements without medical supervision.

This research team will soon be doing further studies to understand chromium and carbohydrate craving, but in the meantime, Dr. Docherty stresses that it is important for all family members, friends and doctors to pay close attention when an individual starts to gain weight and seems unusually lethargic. These may well be signs that the person is suffering from depression and should be evaluated.

Bottom Line Health News

Red flag for eczema creams!

On March 10, 2005, the FDA issued a public health advisory to inform consumers that the use of two topical eczema creams - Protopic and Elidel - may pose a cancer risk. Both of these products address eczema by suppressing the immune system.

Dental advice.

It is important to maintain good dental health, not only for our smiles, but for our facial muscles, too. Just recently, after completing minor dental work, my dentist remarked that he thought the changes made me look younger. Hey, I like that! That remark got me thinking, especially when I remembered that my sister, who had jaw problems surgically repaired, had noticeable compression and wrinkling in her lower mouth. Now that her jaw is better positioned, her face has relaxed and looks more youthful.

The next time you visit your dentist, ask how she/he would improve your youthfulness and your smile. You might be surprised by the results.

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