MEDICAL CENTRE

Calcium for Health, Weight Loss and Osteoporosis

2008-09-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

by: Louise Elcoat

Calcium is a mineral essential to all stages of life, age groups, and gender.

99% of the body’s calcium is stored in the bones and teeth. The remainder circulates in the blood for use by the muscles and nervous system. It is important to note that the body does not make its own calcium; it is obtained and absorbed from the foods in your diet. This will include supplements if you are taking them.

Calcium concentration must be kept constant, and if not enough is taken in to the body, calcium will be withdrawn from the store sites in your bones. The bones will gradually become less dense, losing some of their strength, which can then lead to osteoporosis (brittle, porous bones). Withdrawing calcium from the bones is the body’s way of keeping blood levels constant.

Men and women will naturally lose calcium from their bones as they age, but the rate of loss is much higher in women. Women who are experiencing menopause, will have a faster loss of calcium from their bones. A good store of calcium in the bones at the menopause stage of life, will assist a woman in keeping osteoporosis at bay.

A calcium rich diet for the first 30 to 40 years of your life is essential for building-up your calcium stores. This will put you in a good position for fighting off bone disease in later life.

Calcium is essential to the body for many functions including; maintaining healthy bones and teeth; muscle contraction, including heart beat regulation; maintaining a healthy nervous system; regulating blood pressure (aiding blood clotting); the fight against osteoporosis. Studies have shown that diets rich in calcium can help the body to manage fat cells by aiding the mechanisms that store fat in the body. The result can help with weight loss. Including foods rich in calcium can help create a feeling of fullness, which can help to prevent snacking in-between meals.

Factors that influence calcium absorption

Vitamin D: Obtained from the sun on our skin, and is prevalent in food items such as canned salmon, eggs, butter and margarine. Calcium can not function in the body without Vitamin D. This vitamin helps to regulate the absorption of calcium from the food we ingest.

Exercise: Weight bearing exercise is needed for optimal absorption of calcium into the bones. This can include, walking, aerobics, running, dancing, cycling, gardening, weights or even pushing a pram.

Protein: A high protein intake reduces calcium absorption. Recent studies indicate that while dairy products are a good source of calcium, their high protein content can interfere with the body’s ability to use the calcium ingested. It is best to obtain calcium from a varied diet, which includes non-dairy sources such as soybeans, almonds and salmon.

Hormones: Menopause sees a decline in oestrogen levels, resulting in a decline in the body’s ability to absorb calcium from your diet. The adolescence (teens) stage of life sees less calcium being absorbed due to the changes in hormone levels for both males and females.

Weight: Extreme thinness, (low body fat levels) or following very restricted diets will affect calcium absorption, and see withdrawal from the bones as the body struggles to maintain a constant level of calcium in the blood. This can lead to osteoporosis in later life, as the skeleton has not been given a chance to become strong.

And: High levels of Caffeine, Salt, Alcohol or Smoking will all reduce the amount of calcium the body can absorb from the diet.

Signs of Deficiency

A mild calcium deficiency can lead to insomnia, brittle nails, muscle twitching, irritability, and palpitations. Severe deficiency affects the muscular system – cramps, pains, numbness, stiffness, and depression. A deficiency of this degree can cause rickets in children. The most at risk are the elderly, those who avoid dairy products or other sources of calcium rich foods, those on high protein/high fibre diets, or when consuming large amounts of alcohol.

How much do you need per day?
Men 800mg
Women 800mg
Pregnancy 1100-1300mg
Children 1000mg

Sources of Calcium

Milk (250ml) 290mg
Fortified Low Fat Milk (250ml) 450mg
Yoghurt, 200g 380mg
Cheese, 25g 240mg
Almonds, 50g 125mg
Tahini Sesame Paste, 20g 190mg
Sesame Bar, 40g 115mg
Salmon, 100g 185mg
Sardines, 50g 455mg
Soybeans, 1 cup 130mg
Fortified Soy Milk, (250ml) 290mg
Tofu, 100mg 130mg
Oysters, 6 145mg
Broccoli, 100g 125mg
Baked Beans, ¼ cup 50mg
Figs, 5 135mg
Brazil Nuts, ½ cup 123mg
Peanuts, ½ cup 134mg
Chinese Kale, 100g 179mg
Special K, 30g 200mg
Mixed grain bread, 1 slice 112mg
Brown bread, 1 slice 15mg

Finally...The Truth About Calcium Supplements

2008-09-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

by: Dr. Loretta Lanphier, ND, CCN, HHP

Undoubtedly calcium has become a hot topic of controversy. We are bombarded with advertising telling us exactly what will give our body more calcium. Between the “Got Milk?” slogans on one end and the Coral Calcium “cure-all” TV spots on the opposite end it is time that the truth be exposed. Let’s look at why we need calcium and then some signs of calcium deficiency.

How the Body Uses Calcium:

* Strong bones, teeth and gums
* Maintaining a regular heartbeat
* The lowering of cholesterol
* Helps prevent cardiovascular disease
* Needed for muscular growth and contraction
* Prevents muscle cramps
* Essential in blood clotting
* Helps prevent cancer
* May lower blood pressure
* May prevent bone loss associated with osteoporosis
* Helps to activate enzymes which breaks down fats
* Maintains proper cell membrane permeability
* Helps keep skin healthy
* Protects against preeclampsia during pregnancy
* Can help reduce high blood pressure in pregnancy
* Protects the bones and teeth from lead by inhibiting absorption of this metal

Calcium DeficiencySymptoms:

* Aching joints
* Brittle nails
* Eczema
* Elevated blood cholesterol
* Heart palpitations
* High blood pressure
* Muscle Cramps
* Insomnia
* Nervousness
* Numbness in arms or legs
* Rheumatoid arthritis
* Tooth decay
* Depression
* Hyperactivity
* Hives
* Psoriasis

“Got Milk?”…Are You Really Getting Calcium?

No way! The damage that this one slogan is doing to the health of Americans, especially children, is tremendous. Consider the following written by Robert Cohen (www.notmilk.com):

A publication in the February, 2003 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol. 77, No. 2, 504-511) clearly demonstrates that eighteen years of milk consumption did not prevent hip fractures for post-menopausal women.

How many subjects participated in the study?

A mere 72,337. As part of Walter Willett's Harvard Nurses Study, investigator Diane Feskanich performed statistical tests of significance for 18 years of data including dietary intake of calcium (dairy and supplements) to determine her findings.

The conclusion reached from this observational analyses, is that dietary calcium plays little or no role in preventing bone loss. Drinking milk does not prevent osteoporosis. A total of 603 hip fractures were analyzed. Scientists determined that milk consumption was in no way associated with hip fracture risk. The same conclusion was reached for total calcium consumption.

The Harvard Nurses study previously determined that there is no positive association between teenaged milk consumption and the risk of adult fractures. (American Journal of Public Health 1997;87). As a matter of fact, just the opposite was found to be true. Women consuming greater amounts of calcium from dairy foods suffered significantly increased risks of hip fractures.

In light of these findings, the dairy industry milk mustache campaign has been proven to be one enormous deception. Bones break because women eating the wrong foods create an acid condition in their own bloodstreams, which must be neutralized by available calcium. The body achieves balance by taking calcium out of its own bones. Ergo, people eating the greatest amount of total animal protein are the ones experiencing accelerated rates of bone loss. The same Journal of Clinical Nutrition, (1995; 61, 4) confirmed this truth:

"Dietary protein increases production of acid in the blood which can be neutralized by calcium mobilized from the skeleton."

Eighteen years earlier, as the Harvard Nurses study was just beginning, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1979;32,4) reported:

"Even when eating 1,400 mg of calcium daily, one can lose up to 4% of his or her bone mass each year while consuming a high-protein diet."

Why do you imagine that today's most recent study will not be publicized on tonight's 6 PM news, or headlined in your local newspaper? Because it lacks one critical ingredient. Cash. For a story to be released, it must be accompanied by paid dairy industry advertising. In this deceptively dangerous manner, most of us get our biased health information.

Milk? It does not do the body good.

Coral Calcium

How these people have been in business so long just amazes me! I used to get spammed at least ten times per day with advertisements suggesting that Coral Calcium cures just about everything!! I have often wondered just where the FDA police was during all of this hype.

Coral calcium is calcium carbonate and is no better than the calcium that is available in most drug stores or vitamin stores. What is calcium carbonate? Chalk! Put a piece in a glass of water and see how long it takes to dissolve…believe me, you will be there for longer than you care to know. Yes, you may get some benefit from it but it is not the most absorbable form of calcium and therefore not the most beneficial.

Ridiculous Claims:

It’s from the ocean: Not “everything” in the ocean is wonderful. Ever read about how polluted our oceans are? Enough said.

The people in Okinawa live longer and look younger: When doing research on this you will find that their longevity is more than likely contributed to their diet and stress-free life. There is no supplement that will ever take the place of good nutritional balancing.

Disease Cure-All: This is the one that makes me cringe. There has not been one study to back up any cure from taking calcium (any kind) alone. Yes, the body needs calcium to function properly, but calcium, by itself, will not cure anything! I do believe in disease elimination using natural methods but there is no magic bullet and no magic supplement. If a company is selling a product claiming a “cure-all” this should raise huge red flags.

Calcium Orotate—The Best From of Calcium Available

According to studies conducted by Dr. Hans Nieper (Germany) only Calcium Orotate penetrates directly through the cell membrane, delivering calcium to the interior of the cell where it is readily utilized.

Orotates are mineral salts of orotic acid — used by plants and animals to make DNA and RNA. Hans Nieper, a physician and dabbler in offbeat theories of gravitation, used orotates clinically prior to 1980. He thought that orotate salts, being neutrally charged, pass easily through cell membranes. In effect, orotate ferries the mineral atoms into cells and tissues, producing higher concentrations.

Nieper promoted orotates as treatments for nearly every ailment imaginable and was consequently ignored; most of his medical claims were never rigorously tested. But in certain applications — such as athletic performance — where his ideas have recently received scientific scrutiny, they have been found to work. Nieper may have been on the right track after all.

Dr. Nieper's theoretical explanations of the mechanisms behind his stunning success in the clinical application of sophisticated mineral transporters rely heavily on the concept of the fixed pore mechanism of active transport. The theory called fixed pore mechanism suggests that a carrier molecule, in this case Orotic Acid (B-13), is attached to the compound being transported. This research has lead to the creation of mineral chelates called orotic acid chelates, or orotates which offers a 20 fold increase in utilizing minerals.

Calcium orotate was used by Nieper to treat bone loss and pain due to inflammation or osteoporosis, high blood pressure, angina pectoris, multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, retinitis, hepatitis, arthritis, arteriosclerosis, phlebitis and colitis. In addition, it is very effective against psoriasis, a scaling skin disorder. The long-term clinical tolerance and overall value of calcium orotate is far superior to other therapeutic calcium substances and to the so-called immune depressors.

Calcium Orotate is one of the three mineral transporters that is the most active in providing treatment for bone decalcification. Has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect on arthritis, arteriosclerosis, retinitis, encephalitis and phlebitis, psoriasis, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis and colitis. It can be very effective in re-calcifying the bone tissue following extensive radiation treatment of cancerous bone lesions.

Calcium Orotate tablets have been beneficial in:

1. Assisting with prevention of osteoporosis.
2. Helping to avoid muscle cramps.
3. Relieving the pain associated with disc problems.
4. Maintaining strong bones & teeth.
5. Keeping your heart beating regularly
6. Alleviation of insomnia
7. Helping the body metabolize iron
8. Reduced Stress
9. Increased alertness

We use Calcium Orotate along with the other orotates (magnesium, potassium, zinc and lithium) at Global Healing Center in a whole body, synergistic approach to eliminating disease. The results that we see using calcium orotate conclude that it is absorbed, transported and utilizied in the body better than any other form of calcium. It is time that the public knows the truth about calcium, its many benefits, why it is necessary and the best form available. Remember that he first step in getting healthy is always education and I believe that it is your right to know the truth about every hopeful treatment and prevention option available to you.

Good Exercises To Do When Pregnant

2008-09-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

by: Adwina Jackson

Most women can and should exercise when pregnant. Unless your pregnancy is high risk or your doctor has ordered you to stay in bed, there is no reason in fact you can’t exercise while pregnant.

Studies show that there are numerous benefits to exercising while pregnant. You can improve your energy levels, get your blood pumping to your legs and improve your circulation, and improve your chances for a speedy recovery.

Another reason to exercise? Moms who worked out while pregnant generally had shorter and easier labors.

So what kinds of exercises are good to do when pregnant?

Well let’s start with those you should avoid. You should avoid embarking on any stringent exercise program you are unfamiliar with. Avoid running and other jarring activities unless you are a very experienced runner. Even then you should consult with your physician.

Here are some generally good and safe exercises that are recommended during pregnancy:

Walking – This is the best overall exercise for pregnant mothers anywhere. It is low impact but still gets your heart rate up and your blood pumping. Walking is usually safe throughout the entire pregnancy.

Jogging – Jogging can be done safely if you are an experienced jogger. You should reduce your jogging regimen however the further along you are in your pregnancy. If you are not able to have a conversation when jogging, then you are working out too hard.

Swimming – This is the number one exercise and the safest exercise when it comes to pregnancy. Swimming alleviates the heaviness you feel from weight gain associated with pregnancy. It also provides you with optimal cardiovascular benefits and helps you feel light and refreshed.

Yoga – Yoga can help you maintain your muscle tone and stretch out tight ligaments during pregnancy. Be sure you investigate a pre-natal yoga class if at all possible.

Weight Training – Weight training is a great way to maintain and build muscle during your pregnancy. Just keep in mind you should avoid heavy weights and weight bearing exercises that require you to lie on your back.

To be safe you should always consult with your doctor or physician before beginning any exercise program. Most pregnant women are fine to work out particularly if they’ve been active before.

If you are just starting a program be sure to take it easy initially. You should also commit to exercising regularly. Generally 30 minutes of exercise 4-7 days per week is recommended.

One last point… be sure to keep hydrated and avoid over-heating which can be dangerous for you and your baby. Avoid getting your heart rate much over 140 and stop any exercise if you start to feel dizzy or lightheaded.

Also don’t forget the importance of warming up before any and all activity. You’ll reduce the likelihood of injury. Warm up after activities will also help your heart rate return to normal.

Good luck and have fun!

Time To Take Control Over Those Food Cravings

2008-09-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

by: Marie Gordon

One of my greatest problems with the control of my weight is the fact that so much self disipline is needed to achieve any tangible results. Ah, but I hear you saying, "Whats new about that" We all have that problem! Tell us something new!

Well yes we do all know that that is the biggest problem is it not. Lets face it, eating is one of life's greatest pleasures, and we would be pretty abnormal if this was otherwise.

After all, most of us are "regular" people. How many of us stick to the perfect diet all the time, we all have our struggles with food to a greater or lesser extent. If we can recognize an awareness of this problem, and also make a point of knowing a little bit about our health, and also proper food nutrition, we are then much more likely to make wiser decisions about our choices of food.

Many people struggle with food "cravings," and reasearch tells us that it is fairly common for food "cravings" to occur at certain times, quite often around bedtime. Your guard may be down, or you may have had an unusually hard day, and off you go on your not-so-merry way, intent on finding that tasty treat. Fatigue and stress often combine to take their toll on the best of intentions, so please don't worry about it, rest assured you are not alone.

When food "cravings" are out of control, what started out as a bedtime snack, quickly turns into a full blown feeding frenzy...not something most of us fully understand or appreciate. We head to the kitchen and every other possible place where food can hide, quickly clearing a path as we go.

Most food cravings are not about satisfying a nutritional need or imbalance. They seem to be more emotionally related, or God forbid, are caused by plain old gluttony. Exactly why we over-indulge is not completely understood, however our knowledge about this subject continues to grow.

These Are Some Of My Thoughts On How To Control Food Cravings.

If the food isn't available, you can't eat it. Empty the cookie jar and keep it that way! Keep healthy food choices on-hand.

It is important to recognize the feelings and emotions that will lead to a food craving. Do you have food cravings when you’re bored, or maybe you are feeling lonely, or is it stress that is the trigger. If you can identify the trigger which leads to that craving, then you are half way to winning the battle, because you will be able to deal with the emotion that is making you desire a certain food.

Sometimes, even recognizing that a craving is about to happen doesn't seem to help, but please do not give yourself a hard time about it, what is done is done, do not feel guilty because after all there is always tomorrow. Why not call one of your friends and share how you were feeling at that time, because it is a very good idea to make good use of your support network.

Self-control and discipline by themselves will not cut it! If you depend totally on yourself for control, you will fail. Forming caring and supportive relationships is really essential, so if you do not currently have a support network, start building one TODAY.

Get enough sleep. When you are feeling really tired, you are more likely to crave things, and with me personally, it is usually chocolate, possibly you are the same.

Never give up. When you go off the rails, do not despair, get a grip, do whatever is necessary to re-gain control, because you really must get that control back. Try to practice restraint most of the time, but do not get obsessed and un-balanced in your weight loss approach. Think moderation and not total abstinence at all times!

Exercise. This will increase the feel good endorphins that will help cut down on your cravings. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. I hear so many people say that they just cannot fit in any excerise, believe me you can, we are talking about 30 minutes here, at the worst, it will mean you will have to get out of bed that bit earlier.

An early morning brisk walk will do wonders for the spirit and the soul, and will help set you up for the rest of the day!

Use moderation. Instead of stuffing yourself with every kind of food hoping that your cravings will disappear, eat 100 to 200 calories of whatever it is that you happen to be craving for at at that particular moment in time, but you must stop it at that!

Substitute with low-fat foods and complex carbs. If you’re hungry for chocolate, eat non-fat chocolate yogurt or mousse, or try fig bars or raisins for a sweet craving instead. You will be amazed at how this will help.

You must try and never skip a meal. It is much wiser to eat something if even only an apple, every three to five hours. Try six smaller meals, or regular meals with nutritious snacks in between.

Try and remember that hunger cravings are very frequently stress related. Practice other ways to cope with stress, a walk in the park for example, spiritual connections, a cozy fireplace, or even take a bath. You see, all of these stimulate neurochemicals that activate regions of the brain which increases a feeling of well being. Relaxation techniques really can be beneficial in reducing the levels of stress which you may be experiencing.

So the bottom line is to try and substitute pleasurable experiences for comfort foods.

Beware of certain medications which can stimulate your appetite. Certain drugs which are used for the treatment of depression and bipolar disorder can be appetite stimulants. Other drugs, both prescription and over the counter, may influence appetite as well. If you are on a medication and troubled by food cravings, discuss this with your doctor or pharmacist. You may well be able to find an alternative that doesn't send your food cravings out of control.

Distract yourself. What's that old expression...idle hands are the devils workshop, so get busy! Do anything other than give in to your desire for food, and keep doing it until the cravings subside.

One final thought for you. Take a look inside your refrigerator and kitchen cabinets and do some general "house cleaning." Throw-out all that unhealthy stuff that is waiting to sabotage your diet, and start shopping more wisely. A little forethought and careful planning will go a long way for improving your chances of success.

One of my golden rules is that I NEVER go shopping when I am hungry! Absolutely fatal!

So to conclude, remember that control is the key, eat healthily and in moderation at all times, but do not forget that at the end of the day you are only human. If you do give in to temptation, don't beat yourself up about it, tomorrow is another day, live long, enjoy your life, and most of all be happy!

Vegetable Nutrition For a Healthy Life

2008-09-19T06:11:00.000-07:00

by: Shelley Green

Fruit and vegetables are brimming with fibre, plus a whole range of vitamins and minerals, and because they're low in calories, they make an important and healthy addition to any diet. Here is some information for you about vegetable nutrition. "Eat your fruits and vegetables" is one of the tried and true recommendations for a healthy diet, and for good reason. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help you ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure and cholesterol, prevent some types of cancer, avoid a painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration, two common causes of vision loss."5 A Day" is a national health programme in the USA and also in the UK to explain why you need vegetable nutrition as well as fruit and to encourage you to eat more servings of fruit and vegetables every day. People all over the world are becoming more and more aware of how important fruit nutrition and vegetable nutrition is to stay healthy.

In general, yellow and dark green vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin A. Green leafy vegetables are rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin C and many of the B vitamins. The greener the leaf, the richer the nutrients will be. Here are some suggestions to think about color to pack nutritional power in your diet: · White: Eat cauliflower more often than potatoes, onions and mushrooms.· Green: Add more dark lettuces, such as romaine and red leaf lettuce, spinach, broccoli and Brussels sprouts to replace iceberg lettuce and green beans. · Yellow-orange: Substitute more carrots, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, oranges and grapefruit for corn or bananas. · Red: Select tomatoes, red peppers and strawberries in favor of apples. If you are trying to watch your weight, an idea is to make sure you are not eating too many calories if you are adding these foods to your diet. increasing the amounts of fruits and vegetables you eat can promote weight control, but only if they replace higher fat foods like ice cream, meat and chips to help you consume fewer calories. But if fruits and vegetables are simply added to what you already eat, total calories won't significantly drop and weight loss should not be expected. The most important thing to do is to vary the fruit and vegetables that you eat from day to day. This is to give your body a variety but to also keep you interested in your food. There are always great new recipes, ideas and ways to make your food look and taste great!

Breaking Out of Sugar Hell

2008-08-30T02:09:00.000-07:00

by:Karen Schacter

I was recently in New York City, standing in line at Starbucks when my friend pointed out this sign to me: "Make Yourself Happy - Choose a Sweet Indulgence or a Non-Fat Option." As initially tempting as all the treats in the case behind the sign looked, I had to laugh at the irony of the words on the sign. Nothing against Starbucks (I'm a huge fan of their chai tea mistos), because they are only a small part of a huge industry that sells false messages about food, but I have got to set the record straight. Low fat will not make you happy. Neither will a sweet indulgence. Temporarily, maybe. Long term, never.

We are born into a world where we are given mixed messages about food, especially sugar. On the one hand: don't eat sweets -they are bad for you! They will make you fat! They will cause your teeth to rot! They will give you diabetes! And on the other hand: Eat sweets - they will make you happy! Or creative! Or inspired! Let's celebrate with cake! Here's a piece of candy, now please stop crying! Or here's a cookie because you were good! I love you - here's chocolate!

Pretty powerful - and confusing - messaging that is infiltrated into our brains from practically the time we are born (and then compounded a hundred times over by advertising). The message is this: That although sugar might be bad for our health, it can make us oh, so happy and, without it, our lives might feel depleted, depressing, loveless and lonely.

Although we all know that too much sugar is not good for us, many of my clients, readers, friends and people in the audience at my talks find this white substance (or another form of sugar, like alcohol, white flour, or other quickly absorbed carbohydrates from processed foods) addictive and compelling. Despite our best efforts at "willpower," almost everyone has experienced the "I NEED SOMETHING SWEET OR CRUNCHY OR ALCOHOLIC NOW" syndrome. . . that intense craving for some substance that will bring us comfort or relief or cheer. And the reason is: it works! It really does. . . that is, it works temporarily.

Like a drug, sugar (and its partners in crime) literally affects our brain so that we feel immediately relieved, calm and happy. Problem is, this feeling does not last and we often find ourselves later feeling equally - or more - down, upset or irritable. No amount of willpower works when our brains are working against us.

And here's another crazy thing: Many of us are so used to feeling irritable, anxious, mildly (or intensely) depressed, tired, unfocused, and full of cravings, that this state of being feels almost "normal." But let me assure you: this is not normal. When our brains and bodies are balanced, our normal state is to feel good. Energetic. Calm. Focused. Satisfied and fulfilled and nourished by our food and by our lives.

Now I am not blaming sugar for every emotional or physiological problem we experience. Anxiety, depression, irritability, lack of focus and cravings are often multi-determined and complex. And I must admit, I am hesitant to even write about this because I don't want to perpetuate the "bad food/good food" mindset that you may have. But, as a therapist and as a person who struggled with some depression, anxiety and eating problems myself, I am convinced that sugar's affect on our brain chemistry must be understood if we are to break out of some of these painful cycles.

Let's use my day yesterday and my initial descent into "sugar hell" as an example of what could - and often does - happen when we eat sugar. I started off my day as usual - some protein, fat and complex carbohydrates (a big dose of peanut butter on a sprouted wheat bagel), which kept me pretty full and satisfied until lunch. At that point, my husband made the kids grilled cheese which looked so good that I couldn't resist. This is not my typical lunch and, although filling physically, did not feel at all satisfying. I knew I needed more protein and some vegetables, but we were busy so I skipped it.

I had an amazing slice of cake at my daughter's birthday party and enjoyed every bite of it, but afterwards, found myself nibbling at the snack food that was out. And nibbling. And more nibbling. (Still hungry from lunch, and triggered by the sugar in the cake). I really couldn't stop which, these days, is quite unusual for me. When we left the party and got home, I found myself searching cabinets. I munched on the popcorn my husband made for the kids. I noshed on some left over cake (just straightened out the edges several timesJ). I picked at some leftover Chinese food.

I was in quite a state really, searching, physically full, but unsatisfied, and noticing my mood shifting from calm and stable to mildly irritable and jittery. And because I have been in "sugar hell" before and am quite familiar with what I need to do to get out of it, I was able to stop. It is in these moments that I ask myself what I need to do to "right" my body's chemistry. Although I was physically full, I knew I needed real fuel for my brain in order to get off the rollercoaster I was on. I knew, for me, that fuel had to come in the form of protein (and I wanted red meat) and fat. I ate a good meal, watched a funny movie with my husband, and got into bed, finally satiated, physically and emotionally.

Had I not been in tune with my body, or had I not really tuned in and listened, this "sugar hell" (or cycle of craving and munching and dissatisfaction with elevating irritability and anxiety) could have continued for quite a while (and let me assure you, it has in the past - in fact, I used to LIVE in this place!). When we eat sugar, our blood sugar temporarily rises and we feel good, leading later to a drop in blood sugar levels and an intense craving for MORE. Sugar may also temporarily increase our serotonin levels (our "feel good" brain chemicals). But again, these feelings don't last and ultimately, the sugar and fake foods (like a drug) deplete our bodies and our brains so that over time, we feel less good (and feel like we NEED more sugar to feel better).

Unfair, I know. And I am not suggesting we never eat sugar again or never feed it to our kids. We need to balance our psychology and emotional response (the word NEVER tends to throw us into a state of feeling deprived) with our biology and physiology (the physical effect of these foods on our body and our brain), so that we can find a way of relating to sugar (and its counterparts) effectively. So that we can become aware of the effects of these foods on our bodies and arm ourselves against intense and continual cycles of fatigue, irritability and cravings.

Here are a few tips that may help either prevent "sugar hell" in you or your children, or help pull you out of them if you happen to find yourself there:

1) TUNE IN to your body. Figure out what works for you (and your children) and what keeps your blood sugar levels and brain chemistry stable. Notice what foods trigger cravings, difficult behavior,fatigue or irritability, and minimize them.

2) Notice what emotional states might trigger sugar cravings - loneliness? Stress? Boredom? Fatigue? Begin to address them with non-food solutions and get help if you need to.

3) Most people benefit from some combination of protein, fats and high-quality carbohydrates at each meal and snack to stabilize blood sugar levels.

4) If you are going to eat sugar or processed carbohydrates, arm yourself by eating protein and/or fat (a piece of cheese, some nuts, some sliced turkey, for example), beforehand.

5) Do NOT skip meals - ever.

6) Avoid fake sweeteners (like NutraSweet, saccharine, Splenda, etc), which just "whet" your appetite for more sweets.

7) Avoid packaged foods that are labeled low fat. In fact, don't be afraid of fat at all - most unprocessed fats are GOOD for your body and your brain (more on this another time!).

8) If you find yourself in the middle of a sugar binge or "sugar hell," stop and ask yourself: "what is the next thing I can do to shift this cycle?" Then DO IT.

9) Don't beat yourself up - for anything. Especially for not having "enough willpower." Remember, your cravings are not about willpower, but about your body's way of trying to tell you that you are out of balance somehow.

10) Stop thinking of sweets as a reward. Find non-food treats for yourself and your children.

Copyright (c) 2008 Healthy Bodies, Happy Minds

Learning to Eat Healthy

2008-08-30T02:08:00.000-07:00

by:Mary Watson

Many people have weight problems not because they don’t understand how to eat or prepare healthy food. There is some tendency to think that because a food is healthy, it must not be tasty. Avoiding these misconceptions is one of the first steps toward learning to eat and prepare healthy foods.

Choose Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Instead of buying canned fruits and vegetables, choose fresh ones when they are in season. Fruits fresh from the produce department of your market are better for you than canned fruits that have added sugar or are packaged in high calorie syrup. If you must buy canned fruit, choose those with no added sugar that are packed in natural fruit juices. Vegetables from the can tend to have extra salt and other ingredients that are not essential for the flavour.

Instead of cooking vegetables in butter or margarine, steam them and add spices or lemon juice for flavour. With so many different spices available for purchase at the market, there is no need to use excess butter or salt. You can even blend some of your spices to create a unique flavour of your own.

Choose Lean Meats and Restrict Red Meat

Instead of going for the high fat and high cholesterol red meats, try to stay with poultry and fish instead. In addition, do not fry your meats but bake, roast, or broil them. Avoid cooking in vegetable oil and choose olive oil instead for a healthier choice. For foods such as steak or hamburger, grill rather than fry them. The market is prime today for people trying to cut their fat content, and products such as the ever-popular George Foreman grill are invading more homes than in the past.

One way to enjoy ground beef without the fat and calories is to substitute ground chicken or ground turkey. With the proper seasoning the flavour is pleasing, and when used for cooking things such as meatballs or chilli, the additional ingredients make the flavour undetectable. When trying to lose weight or stay healthy, many of us are guilty of deciding we don’t like something before we try it. In that way we restrict foods that we may potentially like and complain that dieting has too many restrictions.

Choose Carbohydrates with a Low Glycemic Index

One of the biggest contributors to weight gain and failure to lose weight is too many simple carbohydrates. The old adage that only candy and other sweets make up the simple carbohydrates is false. Any starchy food has the potential to turn to sugar, so it’s essential to learn to eat healthier carbohydrates, namely those made of whole grains such as wheat bread, wheat flour, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and even whole grain cereals such as those made with oats, wheat, and barley. These whole grains do not turn to sugar when they are consumed and yet provide us the energy we need to attend to our daily activities.

Avoid Diets that Eliminate Food Groups

Most of us learned in school the importance of consuming food for each of the basic food groups daily. However, in today’s market many diets are geared toward eliminating or greatly reducing the amount of food we consume from some of the food groups. This may not be on a regular basis, but nonetheless these diets are not the healthiest nor will they help you achieve permanent weight loss. The key to permanent weight loss is changing your lifestyle such as the way you eat, adding exercise to your daily routine, and drinking eight to ten ounces of water every day. Eliminating entire food groups is not only unhealthy, but it also increases your feelings of deprivation.

3 Things you want to know about Cholesterol

2008-08-30T02:03:00.001-07:00

by:Lee Cummings

You wouldn't judge a book by its cover, would you?

You would want to open the book and read part of it to get a better idea about what is going on, right?

Well, judging a book by its cover is what happens when you look at LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and decide that this is the only - or even the best indicator of heart disease.

Worse yet, you are told you MUST lower your LDL cholesterol level.

#1 Naturally produced by the body, cholesterol is needed for a variety of functions.-1

Your body uses cholesterol to make testosterone and other essential hormones and is one of the best health and youth enhancing strategies for aging men and women. -2

As you age your body naturally starts to lose its ability to produce as much testosterone and you start to lose energy, strength, sexual desire and sexual capacity.-2

#2 Because the fact is cholesterol alone is not THE indicator of heart disease. Cholesterol which has been oxidized is the problem. Oxidation of cholesterol is the more specific problem which would enable the cholesterol to become "sticky" and start to form plaque in the walls of the arteries.-3

We have all seen an apple cut open and watch as it turns brown - this is oxidation. Your body will oxidize on the inside unless steps are taken to help prevent this.

One can keep oxidation of cholesterol in check by incorporating plenty of anti-oxidants in your consumption of food and supplements.-1, 3

A few of the most powerful anti-oxidants are:

CoenzymeQ10
Vitamin E
Vitamin A
Vitamin C

Low cost, safe and proven food sources high in omega 3's and the right fats to help keep your cholesterol levels in balance-1, 3

Garlic
Ginger
Olive oil
Olives
Almonds
Walnuts
Flaxseed
Eggplant
Okra
Eggs
Fresh fruit

These are better, safe, proven and natural ways to prevent cholesterol from becoming a problem.

A diet heavy in grains and processed foods will actually raise your blood cholesterol levels more than foods which contain cholesterol.

A diet low in cholesterol will do you little if anything health wise -4

Focusing on raising your HDL cholesterol levels because as you raise your good cholesterol it decreases the concern about your LDL levels of cholesterol and gives you a better total cholesterol profile. -5

Some of the best ways to improve your “Good” or HDL cholesterol is through:

Exercise.
Vitamin D
Niacin
Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with raising HDL cholesterol levels - 6

There is a big difference between the cholesterol your Body produces and dietary cholesterol from the food you eat.

#3 Two factors which are of greater concern and are better indicators of heart disease are -3

1. A measure of inflammation in the blood stream called C-reactive protein

2. An amino acid produced by the body called homocysteine.

High levels of C-reactive protein and high levels of homocysteine are better leading indicators and also contribute to the formation of plaque in the blood vessels leading to heart disease -3

As reported in the July, 2003 issue of JAMA, a study was conducted which showed that a diet high in plant sterols, fiber and almonds was clearly the better way to reduce cholesterol and heart disease over statin drugs.-8

And finally …

Policosanol – An organic plant alcohol from sugar cane is one of the best natural ways to reduce bad cholesterol levels-7

Naturally, as you realize the power of these proven ways to prevent cholesterol from becoming a problem, you will find yourself taking action.

America's Children Are Dying To Lose Weight

2008-08-30T02:01:00.000-07:00

by:Foster W. Cline MD And Lisa Greene

Wasting away, Katie died weighing only 58 pounds. And she was sixteen. That just doesn't seem possible to me when I look at my seven-year-old daughter who weighs in at about 55 pounds. Anorexia is a medical enigma. Although there is little concrete evidence of what actually causes anorexia, most experts agree that there are several contributing risk factors. We believe that awareness of these risk factors can reduce the odds that they will be triggered so we are hopeful that this information will save lives. If you're a parent or a teacher, you need to read on…

Word has it around town that Katie had been told by a high school teacher that "she needed to go on a diet." So she did. Certainly this one comment didn't cause this young lady to spin out of control with dieting but it might have been the straw that broke the camel's back. Negative comments about body type and size from authority figures, teachers, coaches and parents, can have a big impact on an adolescent child's self-esteem and are implicated as possible triggers in studies on anorexia. Never underestimate the power of the spoken word to heal… or kill…

Eating disorders (bulimia and anorexia) have historically been considered a girl problem but the pendulum is swinging. Anorexia is being diagnosed more frequently in boys, too. Young boys are becoming more body image conscious than in previous generations. Case in point: my nine-year-old son has come home from school upset on several occasions because kids have called him fat. He is far from fat; in fact, he has cystic fibrosis so we are grateful for any extra padding he has and work very hard to keep his weight as high as possible. His diet is exactly the opposite of what everyone else is eating, filled with high fat, high calorie foods. Jacob understands the importance of complying with his dietary requirements but it can be hard for him to go against the norm.

With the emphasis on childhood obesity and diabetes, children are thankfully becoming more aware of the necessity of good nutrition and weight control. But I wonder if there is a price to be paid by children who are predisposed to eating disorders. With the media, parents, doctors, schools and peers emphasizing being thin and high achieving, it will be unfortunate if the numbers of children diagnosed with anorexia accelerates.

The difficulty lies in knowing which children are predisposed to eating disorders. As our society addresses the obesity issue, are we unknowingly putting some children at risk for eating disorders? How can we address the very real, very troublesome problems associated with the alarmingly increasing body mass index of our young children without triggering other children's potential for becoming anorexic?

This is a problem every parent of every child should consider. Research shows that about 6% of young people suffer from an eating disorder and this figure is thought to be low. The next time you are at a school assembly, look around. There are likely to be at least 10 kids there who have an eating disorder. One of them may even be your own. It is thought that the "anorexic mentality" is in place long before there is physical evidence of the disease. Has your thirteen -year-old been on a diet lately? Stats say that there is an 80% likelihood that she has been. Dieting at a young age puts children at risk for anorexia.

The cause of an eating disorder in any one child is unclear because multiple factors appear to play a role. Genetic factors, family interaction patterns, and the individual's own character and personality have all been implicated. But to summarize the problem in a single sentence, it appears that the illness is a response to coping with stress in genetically predisposed children who are filled with denial about their feelings and weight. There! Quick, short, concise, and anything but simple. This single sentence has many implications for parents and parenting. Let's take a brief look at each of these contributing factors individually and provide parenting responses that might be helpful in combating eating disorders.

1. The Genetic Factor in Eating Disorders

Eating disorders, like many other behavioral illnesses, appear to run in families. Not only does the illness itself run in families but the predisposing temperament seems to as well. The one good thing about illnesses that run in families is the fact that children can be prepared to recognize warning factors prior to the onset of the problem. When children are forewarned, they are forearmed. This forewarning is best carried out in a heart-to-heart discussion about possible future problems. A loving parent, relative, or counselor can initiate dialogue before the child is an adolescent, in an informative, non-hand-wringing and factual manner that indicates a hopeful outlook for a healthy future.

2. Anorexia and Bulimia as a Way of Coping with Stress

Food and emotions are closely linked. Over- and under-eating change brain chemicals that affect anxiety and depression. They are both often unhappy and ineffective ways of coping with stress. An authority on anorexia recently noted that a child's inherent vulnerabilities "load the gun," and environmental stresses "pull the trigger." So, assuming inherent vulnerabilities like genetics are unchangeable, how can we avoid pulling the trigger? Is it possible that we can use parenting techniques that will reduce the odds of pulling the trigger?

We believe the answer is yes. We can easily use parenting techniques that excel at raising children who effectively learn to cope with stress in healthy ways. Such techniques include guiding children to solve their own problems rather than solving them for them, allowing children to experience the consequences of their decisions, and responding to children's mistakes with empathy and understanding rather than anger, frustration, and criticism. These are great immunizations against the use of food as a dysfunctional coping response. The experience of coping and overcoming difficulties with good problem-solving skills leads to the ability to confront feelings and issues in a healthy manner, rather than displacing them with changes in food intake. Also, the child's history of successfully coping with painful outcomes of poor choices makes denial much less likely. And, when a child's mistakes are met with empathy and understanding rather than anger and frustration, a child feels supported and understood rather than criticized, demeaned and alone.

3. Psychological Factors in Eating Disorders

Two personality factors have often been reported to be present in eating disorders: perfectionism and high, unrealistic expectations of self. Even when anorexic adults have achieved success, deep down they report feeling insecure and inadequate. There is a tendency to see things only in extremes without shades of gray:

"I'm good or I'm bad."
"I'm pretty or I'm ugly."
"I'm successful or a complete failure."
"I'm perfect or defective."
"I'm fat or I'm thin."

Healthy parenting techniques discourage this type of thinking. Parents: don't over-reassure your children. Over-reassurance actually validates the child's negative thinking and may lead to unhealthy "either/or" black-and-white thinking. Responding with, "Gee, honey, I see it differently, but tell me how you are no good," allows for less manipulation, more acceptance of responsibility, and a child's far more accurate self-examination. Using encouragement rather than praise is also an important parenting technique to increase children's self-awareness. Encouragement gives them experience in viewing themselves, their responses, and their creations realistically, rather than simply trying to please an authority figure. With this simple tool, parents can easily help children learn how to feel good from the inside out rather than looking for approval and self-worth from authority figures.

4. The Role of the Family

There are a number of family factors that are thought to play a role in eating disorders. As we look at some of these interaction factors, it is safe to say that while healthy parenting patterns certainly will not cause or aggravate the problem, they may not be able to alleviate the problem either. Loving, effective parents are known to have had children suffering depression, suicide, and eating disorders. Also, this discussion on parenting styles should not be used as a source of parental guilt but instead provide motivation for change if change is needed. Parents do the best they can, under the circumstances they experience, to raise their children with the love they are able to show. The problem in examining family patterns lies with the fact that all sorts of dysfunctional patterns have been reported. These form a long list:

- Smothering and over-protective families
- Controlling and critical parents
- A chronic feeling of being abandoned and misunderstood
- Having parents or a family that overemphasize appearance and achievement
- Having rigid parents who don't model good conflict resolution skills

The effect of unintentional, yet unhealthy, parental responses cannot be ignored. Again, good parenting techniques do not guarantee success, but at least they are unlikely to contribute to the problem. So rather than focusing on what is speculatively wrong, it is more effective to focus on doing what is right by using healthy parenting skills rather than the unhealthy ones that contribute to dysfunctional family patterns. Whether or not an eating disorder is present, or may be present in the future, it will never hurt for parents to show healthy responses and good parenting techniques.

5. Societal Influences

Finally, there are possible societal factors that influence eating disorders. Big drinks and big burgers have enticed the population into a diabetic frenzy. While most of the population is downright overweight, the females that populate the media (those who model prettiness and good looks) are generally thin to the point of appearing anorexic themselves. Talk about image confusion! On the male side of the equation, we have the same issue with buff men cavorting playfully with thin, pretty women.

With so much emphasis in our culture on athletic performance and good looks, it is not too surprising that some predisposed children take things too far. And, although on the surface it seems reasonable enough to blame society for the self-destructive choices of an individual, this is ultimately self-defeating when dealing with individual situations. Blaming society or others simply removes individual responsibility and accountability and actually increases the likelihood of the negative behavior.

In conclusion, when all is said and done, nobody, at this point, can say with any certainty the exact cause of an eating disorder in any one particular child. But we can say with absolute certainty that all the speculation, studies, reports, and conjecture do not implicate the healthy family interaction patterns taught by Love and Logic. It would appear the personality of the anorexic person is not that of children who have grown up in a home advocating honest acceptance of personal responsibility and where children are:

- Lovingly supported by parents who view mistakes as learning experiences,
- Allowed to make choices and share control,
- And encouraged to cope with the stresses of life in healthy ways.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure particularly where eating disorders are concerned. At this time, there is no cure for anorexia. And America's children are dying to lose weight.

Self-care Strategies for Managing Depression, Anxiety, and Other Emotions

2008-08-30T01:59:00.000-07:00

by:Jane Ball, MA, RCC, MBACP

Depression, anxiety, and other emotional problems are issues that many people struggle with. Often, these problems interfere with everyday life and general well-being. I have read a statistic saying that 80% of the population in North America will suffer from some degree of depression at some point in their lives.

There are self-care strategies that you can learn to help you get through your days with a bit more ease if you find you are struggling with managing your emotions or find yourself on a bit of a roller-coaster of emotion at times. Even during bouts of low-self-esteem, self-care and emotional management techniques can help.

In this article, I am going to share some information that I teach to my clients in counselling sessions as well as to members of self-care workshops. If you have any questions about something I have included here, please do not hesitate to contact me and ask.

Good grounding tools are very helpful for better daily living. By grounding, I mean the tool(s) used to help calm yourself in an emotionally upset time. Now don’t get me wrong, I believe it is important to process and feel your emotions at times as this is the body’s way of healing emotional upset to be able to set it aside. Sometimes this can be done at home using some of the tools listed here and sometimes people need the help of a professional to heal some deeper wounds or to help you get over a hurdle. However, there will be times when it is not appropriate to feel upsetting or disturbing emotions, and it is then useful to know way to ‘ground’ or set the emotion aside and come back to it later at a more appropriate time.

Fundamentally, all of these strategies are about you being in control of your emotions instead of your emotions being in control of you. It can be helpful to know that our bodies have processes already designed into our nervous systems to take care of emotions. Emotions have a lifespan of about 45 to 50 minutes. They do not last forever.

Please note that not every technique will work for everyone. Every person will have some that work for them and some that don’t. Once you have found techniques that work for you, it can be helpful to write them up, or type them and print them out, and keep them handy to ensure you'll use them when you need them.

The main concept to understand is that when you are feeling a lot of emotion, you are functioning from the right side of your brain where your negative emotional centre lies. It is commonly noted in psychology that when you are trapped, in a way, on the right side of your brain, your left side is functioning at a lower capacity. The left side of your brain is thought to be the rational or logical side of the brain. It is therefore helpful to get your left side more activated, but sometimes it needs some help during emotionally charged times. There are many ways to do this, but again, find the strategies that work for you.

Strategies:

Shifting your focus away from the emotion and back to your body can be very useful. This can be done by tapping your feet back and forth and really feeling how your feet connect with the floor.

Another way to shift the focus back to the body is to notice how your body feels on the chair you are sitting in. Notice your back on the back of the chair, your arms on the arm of the chair, your legs, and how your hands are placed.

Next, notice your breath. Long deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth if you can. Really feel the breath going into the body. Breath is very life sustaining and supportive – it is a very good thing to connect with at times of feeling emotionally upset. This can help ground and soothe the body and shift your focus away from an upsetting emotion.

Now, the counseling modality I use most of in my practice is something called EMDR (which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). You can read some information about EMDR if you click on the tap in the menu bar of the website. Some of the grounding strategies I am including here are the tools I use to end sessions with clients so that things are not left open and my clients can get home safely, go back to work, or whatever it that they need to do that day.

The most important of these tools sounds very simple but it is very effective. All you have to do is move your eyes up and down in a vertical line. No need to move your head, just your eyes. Turning your body to face a doorframe or the corner of a room can help. You can think of a metaphorical door in your mind closing your emotional self and centering the body.

Becoming more aware of your physical surroundings can help shift your awareness and activate the left side of the brain. This can be done through naming objects you see in the room around you, naming colours that you see, as well and sounds that you hear.

Another way to get both sides of your brain working if you are feeling a strong emotion is to access them both at the same time. This an be done by looking at a piece of art such as a painting or a sculpture – not a photograph though - and count at the same time. You do not need to analyze the art. Just by looking at it, the right side of your brain is accessed. By counting (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 – as far up as you need to go), you activate the left side of the brain. If you are aware of a feeling and do these two things together, the feeling should dissipate.

Going for a walk, or other physical activity, can help the body feel better and help release the emotion. I strongly believe in the term “walk it off”.

Reading is something that many people do to take their minds off their worries. Some sort of distraction can help shift your focus away from the emotion.

Cooking can be another good, healthy distraction. By the way, eating healthily and getting some exercise are two of the best things you can do for depression.

Journalling, or writing, is very helpful for some to help you handle an emotionally charged situation. It helps give clarity to thoughts and allows for some distance from them by looking at them. Some people find writing very therapeutic. If it is not the right thing for you, that is okay. Keep in mind, you do not always have to go back and read what you wrote. Sometimes its just nice to have a place to get it out in the moment.

Other creative outlets are very helpful as well. Doing some art – which does not have to look like anything – helps get emotion out. This is a similar idea to journalling. What colour would anger be? What would it look like?

If you are able to do some art and give your thoughts or feelings some creative expression, follow-up with some good self-care like a nice bath, a walk, or a warm drink.

The ‘Container’ is a very common therapeutic tool. To some, the concept of the container might not sound very useful, but when practiced and developed, it does wonders for helping set emotions, upsetting thoughts, or memories aside when it is not a good time to be aware of them.

The container is about using imagery, or the power of you imagination (your mind) to help you when you need it. Our minds are pretty powerful so I encourage you to give this one a shot and see how it goes. When I first heard of this exercise, I also did not think it would be helpful. Was I ever wrong. Even last week on the street I had a member of a group I had run come up to me and tell me how helpful the container is and expressed, “Its just great.”

The container is about imagining some sort of container that is big enough, and strong enough, to hold whatever you might ever need to put in it. One stipulation is that it shouldn’t be something that you see all the time in your day as you may be getting a constant reminder of what you are trying to forget (for the time-being). It can be made of any material and can be any colour. It needs some sort of door or lid to keep what ever you put in there safe inside. It may need a lock of some sort. Examples could be a warehouse, a safe or vault, a big box, or plastic container.

To use, or access, your container when you need it, it is helpful to have a really clear picture of it first (drawing it can help). You might picture the items you would like to go into your container individually being placed inside. You might just get a felt sense of it being set aside and placed into the container. Some people like to have some sort of animation to help take the items into the container such as a pack man motion or some sort of suction.

Now, an important idea pertaining to the Container is that you are not trying to make the things you place into it disappear or say that they are not important. It is about setting things aside and coming back to them at a later time when you can better deal with them such as in counselling, talking to a friend, or journalling about it at home.

Sometimes it is helpful to have some sort of nozzle or valve on the container so that you can more easily be in control of what comes out when it is time to take something out.

The Safe Place is another very common therapeutic strategy and is a very useful tool for many. I originally learned of the ‘safe place’ in relation to working with sexual abuse survivors. However, as the years have progressed, I have found that this tool is very useful for anyone. Again, this strategy utilizes our minds by using imagery to help calm the body and the mind. The safe place works by closing your eyes and imagining yourself in a place (which can be real or imaginary). It can be any place at all that you find soothing and comforting. Some people call this place a relaxation place or a happy place. It is helpful if there are not people who are currently a part of your life in your safe place because if that relationship were to ever go sour for a time, it would affect your safe place.

The safe place can be somewhere you have been, a place that you liked when you were a kid, a place you have always dreamed of going, or an imaginary place such as somewhere in outer space. It is helpful to notice all the colours that are there, the sounds, the objects. The clearer the image is for you, it will easier it will be for you to access it and to use it when you need it.

Imagine yourself in this place and notice how it makes you feel. Do you feel calm, more relaxed, at peace? Whatever the feeling is, notice also where you can feel it in your body. Allow yourself to stay there as long as you need to calm yourself.

Anther strategy to help alleviate emotional distress is the Spiral Technique. For this exercise, allow yourself to feel the emotion and close your eyes. Which direction would the spiral be turning? Ok, now change the direction – this will decrease the intensity of the emotion. Try practicing it and see if you can have work for you.

Practicing something referred to as ‘Dual Awareness’ can really help get you through when nothing else seems to be helping. For this concept, it is helpful to note that the emotion is caused from a past experience. However, you are feeling that past experience being triggered in the present. Be aware of these 2 things at the same time: the emotion being connected to a past experience and yourself in your present surroundings. Tell yourself, “I can allow myself to know I am okay right now”. The feeling will eventually pass – your body will take care of it in its own in time. It will not last forever. Sometimes you might feel as if you just need to hang on. Find something to help you connect with your current surroundings.

Design your surroundings so that they reflect calm and relaxation. Your surrounds can greatly affect your mood. Soothing pictures, some spiritual objects, or other calming objects help create an atmosphere of better emotional health.

Spend time talking to friends when you can. Be aware of their boundaries so that you do not go too far with pushing limits. It is important to share with people who will be understanding and supportive.

When dealing with issues of anger, there are healthy ways to process it. Anger has a lot of energy to it and wants to have a physical way to get out of your system. Going to the gym, for a walk, or for a run can help. Screaming into or punching pillows can also help. Stress balls are good as well. Find a healthy way to get the energy out. Anger serves a purpose of letting us know that something needs to be different but, just as it can be done with other emotions, anger too can find a positive outlet.

Rescue Remedy is a homeopathic product that is becoming more and more common as it is helpful to calm your nerves. You might give this a try and carry it around with you if you find it helpful. It can be found at many health food stores.

If spirituality is important to you, you can get in tune with your body at times of feeling emotional upset by visualizing your chakra system and aligning the chakras. Be aware of centering the body along this system. Finding other spiritual beliefs or outlets can help as well.

It is important to remember that practicing these tools will help. Repetition is the best way to learn something new. Also, please keep in mind that this is not a comprehensive list. There are many ways to ground and self-soothe during times of emotional upset.

In closing, I would like to mention that something I try to encourage to all of my clients and to others in my life as well, is to always attempt to have good self-care. Taking care of what you eat, how much sleep you are getting, limiting the amount of caffeine is in your diet, and getting some exercise will go a long way to helping your body take care of you and help support you better during times of emotional upset.

I hope some of the things on this list will help you.

©2008 Janel Ball

Janel Ball, MA, RCC, MBACP
Healing Solutions Professional Counselling Services
http://healingsolutions.ca
604-809-0351

Sports Nutrition for the Vegetarian Organic Athlete

2008-08-30T01:56:00.000-07:00

by:Will Power Byron

Sports nutrition can be defined as simply as the specific nutritional intake before during and after an athletic event or exercise session. My definition of an organic athlete is an athlete which seeks to achieve Xtreme Health™, maximum performance levels, and joyful living, by consuming primarily vegetarian, mostly raw, organic foods. A vegetarian can be a full vegan who consumes no meats, fish, poultry, or dairy products. Or you can be a semi-vegetarian and occasionally eat organic eggs, Wild fish, and or poultry, but not meat. What I would like to do in this article is share an enormous amount of knowledge for those who are seeking an organic lifestyle, in particular, a vegan lifestyle, while simultaneously competing in endurance events.

I have gone to many resources on the internet to find information for endurance athletes which are vegetarians. They are very few if any which not only focus on endurance athletes and vegetarians but also then take it to the next level and use Superfoods as the staple ingredient in the diet. Most of the resources talk about whole grains, fruits and vegetables, pasta, yogurt, peanut butter, oatmeal, toast, turkey, chicken, etc etc. I want to take you way beyond that. I not only want you competing at the highest level you ever have, but I want you to have the most awesome health ever. I want you to reverse or slow down your aging process; I want to clean out your body of all the bad stuff that goes in it on a daily basis from toxicity in our environments. I want you to feel happy and not depressed. And I want you to be competing in triathlons, adventure races, marathons, cross country bike events or whatever your endurance sport may be, until you are in the over 100 Age group category.

I know this seems like a tall order. In fact your friend or co-worker may have told you it's not possible or even worse your doctor. The truth is that I have discovered some amazing foods for athletes and I know that 90% of athletes do not consume these foods on a regular basis. And I say this because most people I meet have either never heard of them, do not know where to get them, or just are habitually eating whatever they could afford, is most convenient or is part of their family eating history.

Lets first list the energy sources of carbohydrates, proteins and fats which I consume that have taking my health to a whole new level and which I anticipate taking me even further. For instance, here are some of the benefits I have gained from eating primarily raw, organic, plant based foods and superfoods. I have lowered my cholesterol by 75 points. I have got rid of various stages of arthritis which annoyed me for 8 years. I have lost 40 lbs. I have lowered my resting heart rate from 59 to 39. I have lowered my blood pressure from 140/90 to 110/60. I have begun to start enjoying life again to its fullest by being able to compete for the first time in years. I have brought key test results into alignment such as thyroid, neurotransmitters, key minerals and nutrient levels. I have lowered heavy metal toxicity levels. I have stopped having to take antacids on a daily basis and I have stopped getting sinus infections and bronchitis after getting them every year for almost 20 years. I have experienced tremendous energy and in fact have not been sick for over a year besides the occasional onset of colds after multiple sessions of extreme exercise which quickly disappears as a result of my body's ability to recover quickly from the acidic and inflammatory state.

These are my top choices for nutrient rich, high carb energy sources (Grains/Breads/Syrups include:

Quinoa, Organic Pancakes, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Wild Honey, Agave Nectar, Organic Sprouted Breads(flax, spelt, essene) with Organic Jellies, Organic Pasta (Quinoa, Spelt), Hammer Nutrition Organic Bars, and Organic Brown rice.

My top choices for Fruits and berry carbohydrates are:

(Fruits- Grapes with seeds, Apples, Pears, Pineapple, Bananas, Watermelon, Mangos, Oranges and Dates. "Vegetable" fruits including tomatoes, peppers and Cucumbers), (Berries - Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Incan Berries and Goji Berries)

My top choices for powders, shakes and gels are (Sport drink powders - Hammer Nutrition Heed and Sustained Energy and Carbo Pro, (Shakes - Isagenix Products (Isalean, IsaCrunch , IsaPro, Ionix Supreme, Sun is everything superfood and cacao powder ), (Gels - Hammer Gels and Organic Clif shots).

For Greens and Sprouts I recommend (Kale, Spinach, Broccoli, Mesclun Greens, Romaine lettuce, Celery, Pea Sprouts, Broccoli Sprouts, Sunflower Sprouts, Dulse and Kelp).

These are my choices for clean non animal protein energy sources (Hemp seeds and hemp protein, Whey Protein, Rice Protein, Vegetable Proteins (kale, Spinach, Broccoli, Sprouts), Wheat Grass, Spirulina, Chlorella, Blue Green Algae, Quinoa, Spelt, Millet, Bee pollen, Organic Eggs (for semi-vegetarians), Wild Caught (Not Farm Raised) Salmon, Cod, or Halibut or tilapia fish (for semi-vegetarians), Almonds, Pumpkin seeds, Uncooked Cashews, Organic beans and Goji Berries). Good choices for Fat Energy Sources include (Flax Seed. Olive oil, Flax Oil, Krill Oil, Hemp Seed Oil, Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, Avocados, Coconut Oil, Almonds, Organic Peanut Butter).

Now here are some of the other secret gems of health and nutrition which many high level nutritionist and wellness professionals have taught me about. A lot of these are not as well known simply because they are not in the mainstream media. You have to go out and seek out this kind of information about superfoods because it is not sold in most supermarkets therefore the average athlete is left out.

Other additions to your "Super" Athletic Diet (Some have been mentioned above and recategorized here) (Superfoods -Spirulina, Chlorella, Cacao Powder, Goji berries, Wheat Grass, Barley Grass, Coconut Oil, Bee Pollen, Maca Powder, and Hemp Seed) ,(Super Juices - Goji Juice, Acai juice, Mangosteen juice, Noni Juice, Aloe Vera Juice) , (SuperHerbs - Cats Claw, Reishi Mushroom, Garlic, Ginseng, Turmeric, Oregano, Parsley, Cayenne Pepper, Holy Basil (Tulsi), Cinnamon, Vanilla, Ginger),(Other Super Additions - Probiotics and Enzyme blends, Fiber such as Psyllium, Oats, Acacia gum, flax, hemp),(Omega 3's such as Flax Seed, Hemp seed oil, Avocados, Almonds) ,Green Tea, Echinacea Tea, Ginseng tea, Milk Thistle tea, Yerba Mate and Dandelion Root tea. Teas are for cleansing, immune system support, and antioxidant support. Supplement/Other Energy Sources which I have used are (Creatine - helps supply energy to muscles and nerve cells), (Glutamine - Recovery Aid, Muscle Promoter, Highly Absorbable Protein), (L-Carnitine - Helps metabolize fats into the mitochondria), (D-Ribose - Aids in the generation of positive ATP levels), and (CoQ10 - Primarily responsible for creating ATP (energy from our cells) in the Mitochondria).

There are many natural anti-nflammatories that athletes should use including (Quercitin, Vitamin D,Green Tea,Omega 3's,Organic Ginger (either raw or powdered),Organic MSM (About 5 grams),Enzymes (capsule form should include Bromelain and Papain),Omega 3's and 6's (1 ounce cold oil or ground flaxseed),Agave Nectar ,Organic garlic (1 clove or sprinkle from a jar),Vitamin C (Either 2 or 3 capsules ground in a blender from a whole food source or Potent C Guard) ,Willow Bark (similar to aspirin),Turmeric,Glucosamine,Resveratrol (Grapes) and Aloe Vera.

I have written other articles specifically about some of the herbs and superfoods listed above. It is difficult for most people to start to consume all of the above foods. What I did was first educate myself about them, then introduce them slowly to see which ones I liked and didn't like. Once you find the few superfoods that agree with you, I believe you certainly are headed in a new direction towards "Xtreme Health".

Once you have a list of "What" to eat you then have the questions of When and how much. Most endurance nutrition resources I have come across seem to equate body weight with how many grams of protein, carbs, and fats should be taken before during and after exercise. The amount of grams that your body requires is dependent on several factors:

1) The cycle of training you are in (Base Training, Build Training, Peak Training, Recovery Training or transition (end of season) training
2) The type of training you are doing
3) The intensity of the training you are doing
4) Your own metabolic make-up (Women, Man) (Good Digestive Health, Poor Digestive Health)(Resting Metabolic rates)
5) Weight loss goals of the individual

How Much to eat?

The factors included above determine your Daily energy expenditure. If you did not exercise at all and just lay in a bed breathing all day your body would burn a certain amount of calories. This is probably somewhere between 1500 and 2100 calories per day. There are 3500 calories in a pound.

Depending on your weight and the type and intensity of activity you are participating in you will burn anywhere from 5 to 30 calories a minute. For instance a 150 pound runner running at a 8.35 minute per mile pace will burn approximately 12.8 calories per minute.

By determining your Resting Metabolic Rate and factoring in the intensity and type of training you are doing you can then begin to formulate a Daily Caloric Expenditure to ensure you are taking in the optimum amount of calories. If the athlete desires to lose weight they should do so cautiously because you want to be able to restore liver and muscle glycogen levels as well as blood glucose levels for your next training session. However it can be done as long as it is done during the base, recovery and transition periods. What I have done with success is a 200 to 400 calorie deficit a day which will give you 1400 to 2800 calories burned per week. This is about 1.5 pounds every 2 weeks of weight loss.

There has been many myths about protein, carb and fat diets and the proportion of which you need to take for weight loss or for muscle growth. I find a 50 to 65% Carbohydrate, 20 to 30% protein and 15 to 20% fat intake to be optimal for endurance athletes. So depending on your calorie requirements for the day, the amount of grams you take in from each category go up and down proportionally. It is important to note that during the different phases of training you will be training in different aerobic zones. For instance during base training you should be training in Zone 1, which is between 60 and 75% of your maximum heart rate. What your body uses for fuel in Zone 1 vs. Zone 4 which is 90 to 95% of your maximum heart rate differs tremendously. The percentages of fat, carbohydrates and protein that your body will burn depends on the level of activity. At rest you will burn 58% carbohydrates, 30% fat and 3% protein. At a mild intensity you will burn 49% carbohydrates, 49% fat and 2% protein and at a high intensity you will burn 75% carbohydrates, 17% fat and 8% protein.

There are a few items are worth noting. One is that your body burns proteins all the time. It is for this reason that the lack of muscle building and strength training has the tendency to contribute to loss of muscle mass and therefore lowers the metabolism over time. Also, your body actually burns more fat during the base or mild intensity phase of your training. We can also see that carbohydrates are the main source of energy during high intensity workouts such as 5k races. In fact muscle glycogen depletion could happen as fast as 50 to 60 minutes instead of the common rule of thumb of 90 minutes during Zone 3 to Zone 4 type of training and exercise.

The amount of grams of each macronutrient (protein, fat, carbohydrate) you need to take in during a particular day depends on whether you have 1 or 2 workouts in a day and you have to take into consideration pre-excerise race meals, during exercise refueling, and post exercise/race recovery as well as the calories you may consume for dinner (night before races), lunches, snacks etc. For instance for 3 to 4 hours of high intensity training you will need about 4.5 to 5.5 grams of carbs for each pound of body weight for that day. For heavy training you need approximately .50 to .75 grams of protein per pound of body weight and about .50 to .55 grams of fat per pound of body weight.

Besides taken into consideration how much you are burning during your workouts perhaps more important is how much you could absorb. A simple sugar carbohydrate with a 6 to 8% solution mix isnot going to provide enough calories per hour. If you increase the solution density you have to drink more water in order to help the digestion process and this may lead to over hydration, cramping, and bloating.

Complex carbohydrate solutions are a little better because the 16 to 18% density of the solution matches the osmolality of the water digestion. I have always been at odds with all the solutions out there but have come to use more of the complex carbohydrate solutions and in fact make my own from coconut water, dates, and spirulina as much as possible because real food will ultimately be the greatest source of energy. It is extremely difficult for most athletes to mix there own home brewed sport drinks but if even one of your 28 oz bottles could be home brewed it could give you a huge edge in your fueling plan. Some companies such as hammer nutrition recommend about 240 to 280 calories per hour, 400 to 600 grams of sodium per hour and 16 to 28 oz of water per hour for a 165 lb athlete adjusted up or down slightly for weight differences.

When to Eat

Knowing when to eat can be tricky for most people because a lot depends on other things going on in your life. Most athletes including myself feel best before a long endurance workout eating 3 to 4 hours in advance. However this is not always possible. You should be eating about 300 grams of carbs the night befoe an event depending on weight. The morning of the event the closer you get to the start time you want to lower the fiber and protein and increase the carbohydrates and actually move towards liquid food as much as possible. It is suggested that the foods primarily in this article be the focus of your choices but occasionally when it is not feasible or affordable it is ok to use traditional sources of energy. However, just be aware that the organic and clean sources of energy will have the least amount of pollutants, pesticides, herbicides, foreign unrecognizable material from cooking, etc, for your body to have to use energy and figure out how to save you from death and store it in fat cells or move it as quickly as possible through the digestive and lymphatic system for removal from your body. You want your body to generate ATP not use fuel to get rid of toxins.

Fluid and electrolyte intake is extremely important if not the most important factor in refueling. Everyones body is different but your body needs to consume an amount equal to your sweat rate. This is different for everyone. However as a general rule you should drink approx half your weight in ounces per day on a normal low intensity day. During exercise between 16 and 28 ounces per hour is recommended. Be careful not to consume so much water that you have to eliminate water very often. If your body has too much water it will need to get rid of it and will take precious alkaline minerals with it. So moderate your water intake based on your daily activity and training sessions.

Electrolytes which are important are sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and manganese. Most sport drinks contain only 2 or 3 of these electrolytes but an electrolyte replacement that you could control such as endurolytes by Hammer Nutrition will allow you to have them with you at all times and you can consume them as prescribed. There are also some natural electrolytes which I consume in my water bottles. Coconut water is the most natural form of electrolyte on the planet. It mimics the bloods proportions of electrolytes perfectly. Having at least 1 water bottle on rides with coconut water is a great idea.

I have given a lot of information to get you started on the road towards organic nutrition and sports nutrition. You will be miles ahead so to speak of every athlete by experimenting with the foods in this article and best of all you will achieve great health as a critical side benefit. Health and Fitness are two different things and when you combine the two you are well on your way to achieving Xtreme health™

5 MORE Fat Burning Nutritional Tips

2008-08-30T01:54:00.000-07:00

by:Ben Greendfield

This article will give you 5 more tips to turn your body into a lean muscle-building, fat-burning machine. In case you didn't read the last 5 tips, the basic overview was to increase fiber intake, frequently drink water, eat a complex and healthy breakfast, increase calcium intake, and eat several small meals per day (as high as 8-10). Ready for more? Good! Keep reading...

#6: Eat carbs early in the day

Meals that contain larger amounts of carbohydrates should be eaten earlier in the day. This means that much of your whole grain and fruit consumption should occur before noon. The body's metabolism is highest earlier in the day, so this is a great time to be supplying your muscles with energy in the form of glycogen (carbohydrates), while also ensuring that many of the carbohydrates you consume will be burned for fuel, rather than deposited as fat stores. Many families tend to have the biggest meal of the day in the evening, ironically at the time when the body is least in need of energy and the metabolism is lowest. The practical application would be to make breakfast bigger and dinner smaller. So try it out - prioritize eating carbohydrates early in the day, and focus on decreasing carbohydrate portion size as afternoon and evening approaches.

#7: Eat the right kind of carbs

While carbohydrates are important for providing energy and giving your body the ability to burn fat, you must choose the right carbs. Simple carbs like sugar and processed flour tend to be rapidly absorbed by the digestive system, which causes a release of the hormone that encourages fat deposit - insulin. Furthermore, the quick energy release that is followed by a rapid decrease in sugar levels will cause you to crave more food, which is why many people on a typical American diet are *always* hungry! So no matter what percentage of your diet is made up of carbohydrates, you must choose complex carbs that are slowly absorbed and digested, thus producing a long term source of energy that keeps you fuller for a longer period of time. Whole grain flours, vegetables, oats, and unprocessed grains, such as brown or wild rice are great choices, and also include many other compounds important in maintaining a high metabolism and proper digestive function.

#8 Eat fat

For the past several decades, mainstream Americans have been shifting to low or no fat diets, with the general result being an *increase* in obesity and chronic disease, and a decrease in health and fitness. In the meantime, world populations such as Eskimos, that consume as much as 70% of their diet from fat calories in whale blubber and fish, have one of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world. While this may seem ironic, there are some very good reasons. Typically, to replace calories that are not provided by dietary fat, carbohydrate consumption increases. Increased carb consumption leads to a faster burning energy source, which tends to contribute to cycling blood sugar levels, use of muscle tissue as fuel, low energy, and decreased metabolism and hormone production. In addition, many Americans will replace saturated fat, such as butter, with a trans fat, such as margarine. Trans fats are *much* worse for the body than saturated fat. So it is important to choose the right kinds of fat. Most animal fats, and many vegetable oils, are high in cholesterol, which contributes to heart disease. However, mono-unsaturated fats, such as those found in olive oil, nuts, fish oil, and various seed oils, can help lower cholesterol, reduce risk of heart disease, and enhance your body's ability to burn fat as a fuel source. So try to eat fish several times a week (or supplement with fish oil), cook with olive oil, and try to eat at least a handful of a healthy nut (like almonds or walnuts) once per day.

#9 Avoid sugar substitutes

Artifical sweeteners, such as Aspartame, still taste sweet (that's why they're sugar replacements!). When the taste receptors on your tongue taste this sweet substance, your digestive systems begins to produce compounds that prepare your body to use the "food" that your brain thinks you are consuming. The hormones produced in the digestive process are still present once this fake food enters your small intestine, but no actual energy release or satiety occurs, which leaves you with a gut full of digestive hormones that need food to break down and make the brain crave even more food, this time the real stuff. This is why studies have shown that consumption of diet soda products are associated with obesity! If you're really serious about burning fat, ditch any sugar substitute foods or diet drinks that you currently consume. I guarantee that once you overcome the initial addiction withdrawal, you'll feel a hundred times better.

#10 Eat like a car

Your body runs on fuel. If you put too much fuel into the gas tank, an overflow occurs, and in the body's case, this means fat deposition. I realize that the idea of limiting calories is very simple, but sometimes the approach is wrong. Never give yourself a certain "number" of calories per day. You'd never take your car to the gas station and fill up if you didn't plan on driving it, and the same goes for your body. If you have a light day of activity ("low mileage") or a sedentary day (sitting in the garage), you should sometimes not even be consuming 50% of the calories you'd normally consume, because your body doesn't need them. For instance, on a typical day, I consume 5000-6000 calories (based on my metabolism and amount of activity), but on a weekend of travel, where I am either sitting in a car or airplane, I often consume as little as 1000 calories per day! If your body doesn't need the fuel, there's not a necessity to put it in your mouth. On the other hand, there will be some days where I consume up to 8000 calories, simply because that is how many I actually burn through with my activities! So if you're on a set diet of, say, 2000 calories per day, don't be afraid to vary as needed.

I'd like to finish by encouraging you to keep at it. Switching to a healthy diet can be unbearable at times, but the longer you stick with it, the easier it gets. It's just like exercise - you can bring yourself to a maintenance phase where moderate to high physical activity becomes easier, but the initial work is pretty difficult. If you'd like to more information about diet and nutrition, or exercise, you can e-mail me at elite@pacificfit.net to ask questions.

When you sign-up for personal training with Pacific Elite Fitness, you can receive a complete dietary analysis, complete with grocery list and food substitution suggestions, and monthly tools to track your progress, caloric intake, and macronutrient percentage. You have access to your own personal fitness coach to guide you through your workout routine, using the latest fitness research and breakthrough techniques. You are guaranteed to get fitter faster on a Pacific Elite Fitness program.

Until next time, train smart,

Ben Greenfield

Fuel Usage During Exercise

2008-08-30T01:52:00.000-07:00

by:Yuri Elkaim

The type of substrate (fuel) and the rate at which it is utilized during exercise is largely dependent on the intensity and duration of the exercise. During strenuous exercise there is an obligatory demand for carbohydrate (CHO) oxidation that must be met; fat oxidation cannot substitute. In contrast, there is an increase in fat oxidation during prolonged moderate intensity exercise as carbohydrate fuels are depleted. Fats are also more dominant in long duration exercise since fat oxidation requires more oxygen than does carbohydrate oxidation.

Fuel Selection During Exercise

Again, fats are the primary source of fuel for muscle during low-intensity exercise (70% of VO2max). Proteins contribute less than 2% of the substrate used during exercise of less than one hour’s duration but may increase up to 5-15% during the final minutes of exercise lasting 3-5 hours.

At about 40% of VO2max there is a “crossover point” where carbohydrate becomes more dominant than fat in supplying fuel to the muscle. This shift to CHO metabolism is caused by two factors: the recruitment of fast twitch fibers (which are better equipped to metabolize CHOs) and increasing levels of epinephrine in the blood (which contribute to glycogen breakdown). This shift can also be seen when examining the contribution of fat oxidation at various exercise intensities. At 20%, 50%, 80%, and 100% of VO2max, fat oxidation yields 175 kcal/min, 250 kcal/min, 200 kcal/min, and 25 kcal/min, respectively. As such, someone looking to burn more fat during exercise would want to hover in the 50% to 80% VO2max range.

As the duration of exercise increases, there is a greater contribution from fat and less from carbohydrate. This is the result of increased levels of blood lipase, an enzyme that helps break down fat, during low-intensity longer duration exercise.

Muscle Glycogen Utilization

At the onset of most types of exercise, and for the entire duration of very strenuous exercise, muscle glycogen is the primary carbohydrate fuel for muscular work. The intensity of exercise determines the rate at which muscle glycogen is used as a fuel. The heavier the exercise, the faster glycogen is broken down. Furthermore, studies have shown that glycogen is depleted faster from fast-twitch fibers, especially during interval type work .

Historically, it has been thought that increased epinephrine levels in the blood were responsible for the initiation of glycogenolysis (glycogen breakdown). However, other research has shown that the breakdown is also triggered within the muscle itself as a result of increased Calcium ions .

Maintenance of Normal Blood Glucose Levels During Exercise

As glycogen, and thus glucose, is the primary fuel sources during most exercise, it is needs to be remembered that glucose plays a primary role in supplying our vital organs with energy. As such, the body has many systems in place to maintain adequate levels of glucose in the blood during times of inadequate carbohydrate intake (starvation/fasting) and accelerated glucose removal from the blood (exercise). Blood glucose concentration is maintained through four different processes:

• Mobilization of glucose from liver glycogen stores

• Mobilization of fats to spare blood glucose

• Synthesis of new glucose in the liver from amino acids, lactic acid, and glycerol

• Blocking of glucose entry into the cell to force the substitution of fat as a fuel.

These processes are controlled by several “slow” and “fasting” acting hormones such as thyroxine, cortisol, growth hormone, epinephrine/norepinephrine and insulin/glucagon. Maintaining normal blood glucose concentrations is a major task when you consider that the liver may only have 80g of glucose before exercise begins, and the rate of blood glucose oxidation approaches 1g/min in heavy exercise or in prolonged (>3 hours) moderate intensity exercise.

Carbohydrate Replenishment and Diets

This is one of the main reasons why it is recommended to replenish glucose and glycogen levels during activities such as soccer games, marathons, triathlons, 3-5 set tennis match, and so forth. Each of these sporting activities require moderate to high levels of exertion for extended periods of time and thus fuel replenish, mainly via sports drinks, is essential in maintaining physical performance and skill execution.

The effect of carbohydrate intake and diet composition on performance has been heavily studied. The vast majority of studies show that a high carbohydrate diet is essential for those who engage in intense or long duration exercise. For instance, one study had trained subjects run a 30 km race twice, once following a high carbohydrate (CHO) diet and the other time after a mixed diet. The initial muscle glycogen level was 3.5g/100g of muscle following the CHO diet and 1.7g/100g of muscle during following the mixed diet. The best performance of all subjects occurred during the high CHO diet. Although the starting pace was not faster, the additional CHO allowed them to maintain the pace for a longer period of time .

Bear in mind that substrates and hormones can interact and alter certain processes. This is commonly seen when a high glycemix index CHO food is ingested just prior to exercise. In this case, the resulting spike in blood glucose elicits a rise in insulin levels. As a result, fat mobilization is reduced (due to insulin’s anabolic effect on fats) forcing the muscle to use additional muscle glycogen. This is not desired if you are looking to sustain a given exercise intensity for prolonged periods of time.

Putting It All Together

The common misconception is that to lose weight you must stay in your “fat burning zone”. Eventhough there is some truth to this statement, it is inaccurate in the sense that losing weight is about burning as many calories as possible. As such, exercising at a higher intensity for moderate durations would be most effective in burning calories. It is important to remember that a calorie is a calorie regardless of its source and since 1 lb of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories, calorie-reducing exercise regimens are most suitable for those looking to lose weight.

Such exercise programs can take the form of interval work, where a bout of high-intensity exercise is combined with a bout of low-intensity. This type of training of has been shown to elevate the body’s metabolism for up to 16 hours post-exercise. It also fosters the maintenance of lean body mass while stimulating the release of lipase – a good thing since maintaining muscle and losing fat should be the goal. Having said this, I would also recommend implementing longer duration low-intensity exercise as well for it’s aforementioned benefits on fat oxidation. However, ensure to keep the intensity in the 50-80% VO2max range for best results!

References:

Essen et al. (1978). Glycogen depletion of different fiber types in human skeletal muscle during intermittent and continuous exercise. Acta Physiologica Scandinavia, 103: 446-55.

Hultman et al. (1967). Physiological role of muscle glycogen in man with special reference to exercise. In Circulation Research XX and XXI, ed. C.B. Chapman, 1-99 and 1-114. New York: The American Heart Association.

Karlsson, J. & Saltin, B. (1971). Diet, muscle glycogen and endurance performance. Journal of Applied Phsyiology, 31: 203-206.

7 Tips For A Great Home Hot Stone Massage

2008-08-30T01:49:00.000-07:00

by:Chris Turley

Once you’ve tried getting a home service for a hot stone therapy, it’s difficult to make yourself go back to a spa or massage center. Having the therapy done right inside your home seems more sensible than hopping back into your car and subjecting yourself to road stress after a relaxing trip to the spa.

However, there are some drawbacks to home massage since unlike a spa or massage center which has facilities and an ambiance designed specifically to optimize the benefits of massage, your home may not be able to provide the same.

Fortunately, with these simple tips you can turn your home massage into a blissful experience:

1. Find a skillful and trustworthy therapist. Having another person touch you already involves major trust issue, what more having that person enter your home? This is why it’s crucial that you find someone who has efficient educational background, specialized training and sufficient experience on hot stone therapy to acquire a good quality massage. More importantly, your therapist should be someone you can trust. Getting recommendations from family and friends is often a good way to find the right therapist.

2. Prepare yourself before the therapist arrives. Relaxing is one of the most important preparation methods. Don’t try to finish a load of laundry or a pile of paper work before your session. Unwind by taking a warm bath or by meditating. Also, don’t eat a full meal at least one hour before your appointment for this will make you feel bloated and make it hard for you to relax. If you must eat, opt for light crackers.

3. Set up a sufficient space for the session. A massage table is ideal but a bed will also do. Make sure you give your therapist ample space to place her supplies as well as enough room to move around without having to bump into furniture.

4. Create a relaxing ambiance. Dim the lights and put on some soothing music. Lighting up some scented candles will also help create a calming surrounding. The pleasurable sensation of a massage is heightened by activating the sense of smell and hearing through candles and music.

5. Turn off distractions such as television and telephone. Interruptions like the ringing of a phone or a loud sound from the television can surely ruin a perfect massage experience.

6. Don’t let children play around the massage area. This may be impossible for parents who do not have anyone to leave their kids with. But letting kids play in another room and giving some treats for them to let you have some quiet time can do the trick.

7. You can chat with your therapist if you feel like opening up a conversation but don’t feel that it’s compulsory. If you want to indulge on the massage quietly, there’s nothing wrong with that. Your therapist will respect your decision.

8. After the session, you don’t have to immediately get off the table. It is recommended to allow yourself to have some down time to rest and relax to further enhance the therapeutic benefits of the therapy. To save yourself the trouble of getting up to pay or the therapist from having to wait until you wake up from your nap, it is advised to make your payment prior to the massage.

Having a home massage is truly a great experience. With these tips kept in mind, you can have the benefits of a hot stone therapy without having to leave the comfort of your home.

Different Herbs for Anxiety Treatment

2008-08-30T01:47:00.000-07:00

by:Greg Frost

Anxiety disorders are a common problem, affecting approximately 20 million adults and children in America. Anxiety is a common emotion consisting of uncertainty and worry faced by many, whilst anxiety disorders are when such fears are experienced irrationally. There are many treatments available, ranging from medication to therapy and alternative treatments. One treatment is through using natural herbal supplements.

Natural herbs are less costly than medication, and consist of herbs, vitamins and botanicals. They can be taken individually, or with other supplements, but it is best to first consult your doctor before deciding on natural herbs as a treatment for anxiety disorders. They also have the advantage of having no side effects, as compared to medications which can result in side effects such as nausea. Below are some common herbs used in anxiety disorders treatment.

1. Passion Flower

This is a natural plant that is used to treat anxiety, amongst other ailments. Its has unique calming properties, and can also reduce body tremors from fear. It promotes better sleep, and can act as a painkiller. It also contains anti depressants, and is used for high blood pressure and epilepsy.

2. Lavender

This is a more popular alternative than the passion flower, and is also known for its calming properties. It is also one of the more effective treatments for panic attacks, and is a tonic for the nervous system.

3. Lemon Balm

This is used to calm the digestive and nervous system, and also reduces blood pressure. It is uncertain if used alone, lemon balm is effective for treating anxiety attacks. It is usually taken with Valerian, Chamomile or Passion flower.

4. Kava

It is an effective tranquilizer, and whilst it is not an addictive substance, research suggests that it may be linked to liver problems.

5. Valerian

This is another natural plant used for treating anxiety. It also promotes better sleep, allowing for the body to rest and recuperate.

6. Chamomile

Chamomile flower leaves are used to make tea, and is a natural alternative for treating anxiety. It also reduces fever, encourages sleep and enhances the body’s metabolism.

7. Dandelion

The roots and leaves are used to treat the body’s internal systems, and through it, provide relief for some of the symptoms of anxiety. It is commonly used in salads and tea, and can also be used as a substitute for coffee.

There are many natural treatments available, and herbs have been used for treating illnesses for centuries. However, do keep in mind that it is not a quick fix, and can only alleviate the symptoms of anxiety attacks. It is advisable to seek out behavioral or cognitive therapy so as to eliminate the root of the problem causing anxiety attacks.

5 tips to help with home recycling

2008-08-30T01:42:00.000-07:00

by:David Lynes - Loans4

The issue of recycling has been an important one for some years, but recently, with councils resorting to fortnightly collections in a bid to encourage recycling, this is an issue that has been receiving increased attention across the country. Councils are doing what they can to encourage recycling by providing recycle bins to households to make this task easier, and the government has pledged to increase the number of recycling bins in public areas to also encourage this activity.

We can all do our bit for the environment, help to reduce landfill site waste, and help others by recycling many of the items in our home – not just rubbish but all sorts of items. And once you get the hang of recycling you will find that it is an easy, effective, and useful way to do your bit for the environment.

1. Learn more about what can be recycled. Many people just think about things like cans or bottles when they think about recycling, but you can actually recycle pretty much anything. This includes textiles, rubber, building, materials, carton and cardboard, and more. Before you automatically throw something into to rubbish for collection think carefully about whether you could actually recycle the item in some way.

2. Familiarize yourself with the recycling bins in the area. There are different recycle bins for different things, such as some for bottles and cans, some for textiles, etc. The government has also promised to increase the number of recycling bins in public areas. In the meantime, it is a good idea to try and familiarise yourself with where the bins are in your area so that you know where to go to recycle your items.

3. Make use of the council recycle bin. Local authorities have issued many households with recycle bins now so there is no excuse for not being able to recycle. Make use of this facility and recycle as much as you can – with a bin on your doorstep there is not additional hassle involved and you could really help the environment in the long term.

4. Make sure that you use the right recycle bins for the right products. It can be encouraging to also use the recycle bins in public areas, as this will encourage others to do the same if they see you and others recycling their waste. However, do make sure that you use the recycle bins appropriately and don’t just stick all of your items into one recycle bin, as they are separate depending on the type of product that you are recycling.

5. Save on fuel and emissions. Wherever possible, if you have to drive to take your recycled waste to a public recycle bin area try and drop your recycling whilst on your way somewhere rather than making a special trip. This will save any additional pollution from driving and will save you petrol. Better still, if the recycling area is not far then take a stroll up there!

Fantastic Method to Eliminate Cellulite!

2008-08-30T01:38:00.000-07:00

by:Darrent Bent

Contrary to popular myth that cellulite is irreversible, cellulite can be removed!

However, you need to have an effective treatment as cellulite is a build up of several years and is not an overnight accumulation. It is the improper distribution of fat which is joined to the connective tissues in the body. The connective tissues are those which help n the distribution of fat below the skin surface and sometimes due to accumulation of toxins in the body, uneven distribution takes place leading to cellulite or lumping. You need not be obese to have cellulite, as even models are known to suffer from it!

It has a drastic effect on your self esteem and especially in the summer months you feel embarrassed wearing short skirts and minis. However, it not restricted to women as equal number of men suffer from it. Cellulite accumulates usually on the buttocks, things and hips which makes it unsightly when you need to wear a swimsuit.

Accumulation of toxins is one of the biggest reasons for cellulite formation as built in toxins hinder proper blood circulation. You must be wondering as to what you eat to accumulate so many toxins- well, think about all the preservatives, alcohol consumption, smoking, colors and artificial flavors all contribute to some extent for the toxin built up in the body. Improper drinking of water becomes the last straw.

To completely flush out toxins, one must drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water which goes a long way to eliminate cellulite also as all of these are inter connected. Proper exercise and inclusion of fresh fruits and vegetable also helps. With research and study, many herbal creams and oils are now available which help in smoothening out the skin. The orange peel look is attributed to lumping up of fat cells under the thin layer of the skin. Effective remedies help in breaking the fat cells accumulations while walking, leg squats, leg exercises also help in proper blood circulation. A rejuvenating massage is also a good idea to reduce the cellulite lumps as massage helps to increase blood circulation and breaks muscle, fat lumps in the body.

There are many anti-cellulite creams, essential oils and lotions available which are known to be effective in curing cellulite completely. However, left alone cellulite creams will not be effective unless you exercise and increase blood circulation in the body but it can definitely go away, is a fact.

Blow Away Your Dandruff

2008-08-30T01:26:00.000-07:00

by:Darrent Bent

Do you suffer from itchy scalp but embarrassed to scratch in public?

Do you have hair loss while you always have white flakes shedding on your clothes?

You are not alone as there are millions like you who suffer from Dandruff. Understanding what this skin disease is and how to combat it effectively is the only solution. Dandruff is the name given to the shedding of skin on the scalp, and appears as white flakes in the hair causing discomfort. Although our skin sheds dead cells and renews itself every fortnight, the word dandruff refers to the unsightly shedding of dead skin which is known to be caused by a fungus. The common symptoms are itchy scalp and white flakes visible in the hair and surface when you scratch.

Dandruff is usually two fungi, Malassezia Furfur and Pityrosporum ovale, that reside in the human body. The fungus sometimes creates an imbalance, so that the renewal of skin cells leads to an overload of dead cells being shed. Most of the dandruff shampoos which claim to reduce dandruff contain Zinc Pyrithione and Nizoral. However, the more chemical you apply to your skin, the more the chances of an adverse reaction increase. In the case of an allergic reaction, consider trying out natural and herb based shampoos, which can contain the growth of dandruff.

You will need to wash your hair very frequently with these highly chemical based shampoos to curb the spread of these fungi. The main function of anti dandruff shampoos is to wash away and remove the dead skin cells faster than they can be shed. This is the only way to keep your scalp healthy and clean. Anti Dandruff shampoos contain strong chemicals which break down oils and contain fungicides to kill the microbial and fungi growth for cleaner hair and a healthier scalp. Lemon, orange, basil, papaya, cloves and other citrus fruits contain astringents that help keep the scalp clear of dead skin.

Applying herb based oils containing Lemon have concentration of anti fungal properties. Lemon oils are used to treat skin allergies which occur due to intense oil production. Lemon has a unique quality of sapping away excess oil which helps to eliminate acne and dandruff. Washing your hair after oiling it well with coconut oil is also known to benefit curbing dandruff. You can also condition your hair using eggs, once a fortnight as egg is known to give a beautiful shine to your hair.

Various Forms of ADHD Medications

2008-08-30T01:24:00.000-07:00

by:Greg Frost

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) occurs in children as well as adults, and cause symptoms such as restlessness, inattentiveness, aggression, agitation, inability to focus as well as hyperactivity and learning disorders in children. It should be seen as a serious and debilitating condition, and if you suspect you or your child of suffering from any of these symptoms, it would be wise to seek a professional opinion. ADHD is one of the most common neurological diseases in America, but it is not without cure. With proper medication and treatment, you can lead a normal life too, without the severe effects of ADHD.

Majority of ADHD sufferers turn to stimulants such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamine (Dexedrine). These stimulants serve to increase dopamine and norepinphrine in the brain, increasing the communication and connection between different regions of the brain. Stimulants can be separated into 2 separate categories, based on the time duration of the medication.

Ritalin is the most commonly prescribed medication, and can be used on children who are older than 6. It is a fast acting medication, and can last for up to 4 hours. Dexedrine is also extremely popular as it can be used on children who are older than 3, and can last for up to 5 hours. The duration of the medication varies from each individual.

There are also stimulants that last for longer durations, such as Metadate CD and Concerta. Metadate CD is a recent medication that also contains methylphenidate, and can last up to 8 hours. It comes in capsule form that can be swallowed or mixed in with meals. Concerta can last up to 12 hours.

For those who have children unable to swallow pills, research by FDA is underway for the release of Methypatch, which is adhered to the skin to deliver the chemical into the body. There is a huge range of medication available, each with different durations and some of these have harmful side effects. These range from headaches, stomach upsets, loss of appetite, insomnia, anxiety, depression and irritability. Speak to your doctor who will be better able to recommend one that suits your condition the best. It is also important to take note that these medications may be addictive if consumed in the long run.

For individuals who find stimulants unsuitable due to its side effects or existing medical conditions, there are alternative treatments available as well. Usually, a second medication is mixed with the current stimulant. For individuals who find stimulants ineffective, a complete substitute of medication may be necessary.

Common non-stimulant medications include atomoxetine (Strattera), which whilst more expensive, can be used for adults and is taken once a day. It works by strengthening the nerves that rely of norepinephrine for communication in the brain. However, it is not without its own set of side effects, similar to stimulants. Buproprion SR and XL have also been used for treating adults, but it is less effective compared to amphetamine.

Antidepressents such as SSRIs, tricyclic antidepressents and MAOI may also be prescribed for treating ADHD.

The Difference between Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol

2008-08-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

The Difference between Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol
by: Stephanie Larkin

There are many differences between Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol. One of the major differences in usage is that ethanol has recently been used as an alternative fuel. Although Ethanol is used as a solvent as well, Trifluoroethanol on the other hand is an organic compound that is used as a solvent in chemistry.

Chemistry Make Up of Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol

Ethanol is also known as drinking alcohol or grain alcohol, or ethyl alcohol. It is a flammable and colorless chemical compound. The alcohol in beverages with alcohol is also known as ethanol. Many times, Ethanol is referred to simply as "alcohol", although that distinction is not always quite correct. It has the molecular formula of EtOH, CH3CH2OH, C2H5OH, and is also known by its empirical formula of C2H6O. Ethanol is classified as being an alcohol. This means that the carbon that is attached to its hydroxyl group is a carbon which has at least two hydrogen atoms that are attached to it also. Ethanol has a hydroxyl proton that is weakly acidic, even more so than water.

Trifluoroethanol, on the other hand, is an fluoro organic compound. It has the formula of CF3CH2OH. It is also known as TFE, and is sometimes called trifluoroethyl alcohol. It is also colorless, but is a liquid compound that is water-miscible. It is often confused with Ethanol because Trifluoroethanol smells similar to Ethanol. Trifluoroethanol is extremely acidic, much more acidic than ethanol. It is therefore able to form stable compounds with other heterocycles, through hydrogen bonding.

Creation of Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol

Ethanol is created by the fermentation of sugar. This is almost the earliest organic reaction that is known to man. In fact, this organic reaction, and the intoxicating effects that consuming Ethanol have had on the body, have been known since ancient times. Ethanol is also used in industry, and this type of ethanol is produced from petroleum refining.

Trifluoroethanol, on the other hand, is produced industrially. It is formed by the process of hydrogenation – or the process of the reduction of hydride derivatives of esters or acid chloride. These derivatives of trifluoroacetic acid are what produce Trifluoroethanol. Trifluoroethanol can also be produced by hydrogenolysis of certain compounds. These are the compounds of the genetic formula CF3-CHOH-OR.

Uses of Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol

Ethanol has been used for many years as a solvent for substances that are intended to come into contact with humans. This includes lots of different things, such as scents, flavorings, medicines, or colorings. It is also a solvent in chemistry. This is because it is extremely versatile – meaning that it can be mixed with water and many other organic solvents. Some of these include acetic acide, benzene, acetone, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, diethyl ether, glycerol, ethylene glycol, pyridine, toluene, and nitromethane. It can also be mixed with aliphatic chlorides. These include trichloroethane, and tetrachloroethylene.

Ethanol and water mixed together create several unusual phenomena. It is able to reduce the surface tension of water. It also forms an azeotrope or constant-boiling mixture when it is mixed with water.

However, most notably Ethanol is used as a fuel for internal combustion engines. It is used for motor fuel, and also for a fuel additive. This happens all over the world, but Brazil has the highest percentage of Ethanol that is found in fuels. 20% of the fuel is ethanol. In the United States, a mixture of 85% Ethanol has been introduced as a fuel for cars. Cars must be created with the ability to use this fuel.

Trifluoroethanol, on the other hand, is used as a solvent in organic chemistry. Most notably, Trifluoroethanol is used in oxidations of sulfur compounds that use hydrogen peroxide. Trifluoroethanol is also used in biology. It is a co-solvent in the protein folding process that is used with NMR spectroscopy. This is because TFE can solubilize proteins and also peptides. It has a very strong effect on the structure of proteins, which is a three dimensional structure. This effect allows Trifluoroethanol to be used in these situations and to be used to create solutions with proteins. Trifluoroethanol is also used industrially. It is used in these situations as a solvent for nylon. This allows the nylon to be changed and molded. Trifluoroethanol is also used in several applications in the pharmaceutical field.

Although Ethanol and Trifluoroethanol smell the same, and are both used as solvents, they are actually quite different. Understanding this difference allows companies and researchers to use both of these compounds to their greatest overall potentials.

Why Your Diet May Not Be As Rich In Iodine As You Assume

2008-08-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

Why Your Diet May Not Be As Rich In Iodine As You Assume
by: Steve Smith

The trace mineral iodine is well known for its crucial role in enabling the body's manufacture of vital thyroid hormones, but it is also important for the health of the immune system and for optimal brain function. It is widely believed by many authorities that iodine deficiency should never be seen in the affluent West, although this problem affects millions throughout the developed world.

Some nutritionists argue, however, that this conventional view is too optimistic, because the content of all minerals in foods is heavily dependent on the mineral content of the soil from which those foods are derived. The assumption must therefore be that the continuing de-mineralisation of farm soils has led to a reduction in the amount of dietary iodine commonly consumed.

Fish and other seafood, however, remain a relatively rich source because these ocean creatures concentrate the sea's iodine in their flesh. Though not commonly eaten in the West, seaweed, or kelp, is also an excellent source of iodine for this reason, and is readily available in the form of a dietary supplements. Dairy products and certain meats may also be a good source, particularly where iodine is routinely added to farm animal feed. But in countries, including most of Western Europe, where animals are grazing fields growing on iodine depleted soils, levels are likely to be much lower.

So even in the West, those not including fish or seafood in their diets, and not using iodised or sea salt, may be at real risk of deficiency. In an effort to compensate for low levels of dietary iodine, the mineral has been routinely added to ordinary table salt in the US for many years. But the practice is not as common in the UK and other European countries, where specially iodised or natural "sea-salt" has been marketed more as a luxury alternative. The problem of insufficient dietary iodine has been compounded on both sides of the Atlantic, however, by increasing concern about the possible adverse health consequences, particularly high blood pressure, of excessive salt intake. Many nutritionists, however, regard these fears as exaggerated, and believe that any such potential problems are far less serious than the consequences of an insufficiency of iodine, and may be easily resolved by the use of the low sodium salt alternatives available.

Iodine, however, cannot in any case be regarded as a luxury. Its essential function lies in the production of the vital thyroid hormones; thyroxine, sometimes known as T4, and tri-iodothyronine, or T3. And as is well known, these hormones are crucially important in ensuring a healthy metabolic rate and the release of energy from food; so an underactive thyroid gland is commonly the villain in cases of excessive weight gain, particularly where this of sudden onset, and in cases of difficulty in losing weight even when following a sensible reducing programme. A healthy thyroid gland is also crucial for the optimal functioning of the immune system.

But perhaps even more importantly, iodine deficiency is also known as a major cause of avoidable brain damage; a problem which the World Health Organisation has estimated to affect an astonishing 50 million people worldwide. Sadly, many of these cases occur in children whose mothers were iodine deficient in pregnancy, resulting in a condition of severely retarded brain development known as congenital hypothyroidism, or "cretinism". Even where such catastrophic consequences are avoided, iodine deficiency in childhood may also have serious effects on the developing brain, leading to low energy and motivation for learning, and measurable impairment of IQ scores.

Since 2001 the Food and Nutrition Board of the US Institute of Medicine (FNB) has prescribed a Recommended Dietary Allowance for iodine of 150 mcg for all individuals over 14, rising to 220 mcg for pregnant women and 290 mcg for those breastfeeding. Somewhat confusingly, however, an excessive consumption of iodine is also associated with a malfunctioning or enlargement of the thyroid gland, as well as mouth ulcers, headaches and gastric upsets, and the FNB therefore advises an upper safe limit for daily iodine consumption of 1,100 mcg for adults. Most people eating a conventional Western diet are unlikely to exceed this level.

With the possible exception of pregnant and breastfeeding women, people in the West who use liberal quantities of iodised salt as a regular seasoning are unlikely to need further supplements. But many commercial multi-mineral preparations contain iodine in reasonable quantities, usually in the form of potassium iodide, and whilst not perhaps strictly necessary, such supplementary doses will do no harm and may be regarded as a useful insurance policy given that, like all minerals needed by the body, iodine functions best in the presence of adequate supplies of all the others. And it should be particularly noted in this context that the effects of any deficiency of iodine may be intensified by any deficiency of selenium, iron or vitamin A.

HIPAA & FERPA

2008-08-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Everything You've Always Wanted To Know About HIPAA And FERPA

Consider this question. Say the mother of a 22-year old student that you have treated requests to see her daughter’s medical records. The Bursar’s office confirms that the student is listed as a dependent for tax purposes. There seems to be no urgent reason for such a release and the student does not wish to give her mother access. How would you protect the privacy of her information?

Situations such as this one that require knowledge of privacy laws to resolve successfully are all too common in the average student health center, yet the acronyms HIPAA and FERPA tend to strike fear into the hearts of the staunchest of college health professionals. So much has been written anecdotally on the subject of how complicated and unspecific these laws are that some may be surprised to find that according to legal professionals, the intersections between the laws are generally clear-cut. This article aims to explain which laws apply to you and what you can do to avoid the headaches that ensue from a conflict between your principles as a care provider and the law.

Six golden rules of privacy law

* FERPA never applies to non-students
* FERPA only applies when the student’s medical records are released
* HIPAA doesn’t apply to records covered by FERPA or to student “treatment records”
* Even if you treat non-students, you’re not bound by HIPAA unless you perform electronic transactions.
* Student health and counseling centers that do perform electronic transactions for non-students only have to abide by HIPAA for those transactions.
* State laws are applicable whether or not other federal laws apply

This is how these rules break down.

RULE 1: FERPA never applies to non-students

RULE 2: FERPA only applies when the student’s medical records are released

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the older of the two federal privacy laws. Enacted in 1974, one aspect of its governance is the privacy of educational records. There is a popular myth circulating that student medical records fall under the FERPA’s umbrella term “educational records”. In fact, FERPA specifically excludes the treatment records of students in higher education from its definition of educational records (see USC 20, 1232g for a complete definition). It also excludes employees of an educational institution if they are not students. FERPA does come into play, but only if the records are released to someone outside the health center, whether that is the student, their parents, their professors, or another health provider outside the university, at which point they become “educational records” rather than treatment records.

It is important to note that it is not the request for the release that brings FERPA into effect. Many student health professionals believe that if a request to see the records is made that is in accordance with FERPA guidelines, they have to release them or be in violation of FERPA. Not so, says Kristine Dunne, BA, EdM, JD, an associate at the Washington, D.C. office of law firm Arent Fox, LLC.

“It's the release of the records that triggers FERPA,” she explains. “There are no rights extended under FERPA to those medical records until such time as they have been made available to someone other than the treating health professionals, at which point the FERPA protections of student records kick in.”

Applying this to the example at the beginning of the article, if state law doesn’t require you to release the student’s unreleased medical records to her mother, you are under no legal obligation to do so without a court order. Similarly, even if you think a professor may have a “legitimate educational interest” in requesting a student’s unreleased medical records, you still don’t have to release them.

FERPA is just one part of the puzzle, however. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is another relevant law that seeks to be the national privacy standard in health care. It was updated in 2003 to take into account the trend toward automation and electronic record-keeping. These privacy guidelines have been well publicized and generally uphold the kind of patient confidentiality that most health care providers are comfortable with and there has therefore been a widespread trend in health centers to apply these standards to student medical records, even if they are not legally required. It is important to realize, however, that while its principles of privacy and confidentiality are excellent, in most cases, compliance is not required by law.

RULE 3: HIPAA doesn’t apply to records covered by FERPA or to student medical records which are made, maintained, or used only in connection with the provision of treatment to the student, and are not available to anyone other than persons providing such treatment.

RULE 4: Even if you treat non-students, you’re not bound by HIPAA unless you transmit health care information in electronic form in connection with the submission of claims for payment.

HIPAA’s definition of protected health information (PHI) specifically excludes education records covered by FERPA and the treatment records of students in higher education as defined above. Dunne explains that the goal of this exclusion is simplification.

“If student medical records were subject to HIPAA, there would be two completely different schemes – up until the health center released the record, it would be governed by HIPAA, and when it had been released it would be governed by FERPA,” she says.

This was apparently considered unworkable by Congress, hence the blanket exception that HIPAA makes for any kind of student medical records. However, many student health and counseling centers also treat non-students, and this is where it starts to get a little bit trickier. To be considered a “covered entity” (i.e., bound by HIPAA), your health center must electronically transmit health information in connection with a “HIPAA transaction”. More detailed information on what constitutes a HIPAA transaction can be found in this primer released by The American Council on Education, but essentially it is any administrative or financial task carried out in the course of health care that transmits PHI. If you don’t perform electronic transactions, you don’t have to comply with HIPAA.

RULE 5: Student health and counseling centers that do perform electronic transactions for non-students only have to abide by HIPAA for those transactions.

Usually, every transaction of “covered entities” has to be bound by HIPAA standards, even if they are not all electronic transactions. However, because of the intersection with FERPA, these health centers are able to be bound by HIPAA just for the non-student transactions.

RULE 6: State laws are applicable whether or not other federal laws apply

With all the fuss about HIPAA and FERPA, don’t forget about your state’s laws concerning privacy. In some cases, state laws are the only ones that will apply to student medical records, but even where HIPAA or FERPA apply, state law is still relevant. Despite the fact that HIPAA is a federal law, it bows to state law in those cases where state law is more stringent. Arent Fox Associate Richard Liner, BA, JD, MPH, elaborates:

“HIPAA has an enormous pre-emption problem because it sets a floor and not a ceiling for health care privacy. Congress only established a minimum for protecting patient information. If a state’s laws or regulations are more stringent than HIPAA in their protection of patient health information, then covered entities must follow state requirements.”

This may conjure up ideas of conflicting laws, but Arent Fox counsels that generally, state laws are more specific and will very rarely conflict directly with HIPAA or FERPA. If more than one law is applicable, generally the more stringent requirements will apply. When in doubt, consult counsel before taking action.

Knowing the theory is one thing, but applying it can be a lot more complicated. FERPA requires the student to give written, dated permission before his or her student records information is released – even to other health care providers outside the university, which is a source of frustration for many. But the same information can be released, unauthorized, to school officials who have a “legitimate educational interest”. Similarly, FERPA allows unauthorized disclosure in an emergency, if it is “necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons”. Dunne counsels to rely on common sense to interpret these terms, and to consult counsel early in the process. No law can specifically cover every eventuality; the burden of responsibility and interpretation must, through necessity, rest on the care provider.

This responsibility weighs all the more heavy because schools are concerned about penalties for breaching FERPA. If the Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) found a pattern of violations of FERPA with no obvious attempts to follow the guidelines, it could result in a removal of federal funding. However, it is important to know that individuals cannot be prosecuted for a FERPA breach and individual students cannot sue for damages for such a breach. Schools should carefully develop, implement and maintain compliance oversight with regard to these important privacy laws in order to prevent unlawful release of student records. Likewise, if your school treats non-students, files electronic claims and is bound by HIPAA for those transactions, you should make sure that HIPAA protections are implemented, even though a HIPAA violation may not – for now – result in a fine being imposed. Liner explains:

“In the vast majority of cases where there’s found to be a violation of HIPAA, there is what’s called an ‘administrative resolution’, which generally means the mistake wasn’t intentional and the organization voluntarily agrees to take appropriate remedial action.”

No civil fines for violations of HIPAA have been imposed so far, although Liner warns that is likely to soon change.

Although information on the triumvirate of privacy laws has always been available to those who know where to look for it, there is also a wealth of partial and incorrect information available on the Internet that has muddied the waters for those health professionals attempting to do a little research on the laws that apply to them. Dunne and Liner counsel that you should speak to a professional who knows the law in your state and the ins and outs of FERPA and HIPAA if you are worried about misinterpretation of the law. Even if you know the basics, state laws vary greatly and knowing the details of how the three laws intersect will allow you the greatest leeway to interpret them in a way that is consistent with your ethics.

“It is complicated,” sympathizes Liner. “Talk to the privacy officer within the university, if there is one. There are also a few government Web sites that are really good in terms of user-friendly guidance to help people navigate through the more basic pitfalls.” For instance, the Office of Civil Rights, the enforcement agency for the HIPAA privacy standards, offers tremendously helpful information and FAQs on its Web site.

“Consult with your legal counsel to ensure you’re interpreting and applying the law correctly,” adds Dunne. “And be clear to those who use student health center services, especially students, about the laws that apply.”

by:Kristine Dunne

Acne Fact and Fiction!

2008-08-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

Acne Fact and Fiction! Do Stress, Facials and Concealer's Help to Promote or Reduce Acne Breakouts?

What is Acne? People have differing opinions as to what acne really is. So, what exactly is acne? Do a couple of occasional but recurring zits qualify as a case of acne or do you have to have a lot of zits?

Believe it or not, the answer is that occasional pimples or zits do not constitute a true case of acne. Although zits do seem to have the ability to appear almost instantaneously and at the most inopportune times like picture day, prom night, spelling bees, sporting events, dates, and special award ceremonies, they are not a true acne outbreak.

The dictionary defines acne as "an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands, characterized by comedones and pimples, especially on the face, back, chest, and, in severe cases, by cysts and nodules resulting in scarring."

The anatomical definition of sebaceous glands is: "small subcutaneous glands usually connected with hair follicles. The follicles secrete an oily semi-fluid matter, composed in great part of fat, which softens and lubricates the hair and skin."

Real acne outbreaks are actually a disease of the skin. However, the great news is that acne is treatable. Although it can be very embarrassing, cause great emotional distress, and lower your personal self-esteem for a period of time, acne is not fatal.

There are new and effective treatments being sought by researchers and great advances have been made in the treatment of acne in the last few years. Years ago, when a person had acne, they were pretty much stuck with the problem. There were very few treatments available and the medical profession didn't even consider acne a disease.

It was long thought that acne was the direct result of a diet that was too high in fat and/or sweets. That is no longer the case. Acne is most often associated with puberty and the onset of pre-teen and teenage years but it can and does develop in adults as well. When acne does finally heal, there can be permanent scars left (from picking and popping) that are unsightly and cause patients to suffer long term emotional distress and low self- esteem.

New and very effective skin resurfacing treatments have been developed over the last several years that have, if not completely removed acne scars, at least diminished their appearance and severity.

Acne Fact or Fiction:

You can hear a lot of tall tales about acne today, so let's take a look at the fact or fiction of acne. It is always better to be well armed with factual information so that you don't get fooled by the fictional facts that surround acne.

Fictional Fact #1: Acne is caused by a lack of sexual activity.

Factual Fact: Acne and sexual activity are two entirely separate issues. One has no bearing on the other. Hormones secreted during puberty and young adulthood does have a bearing on acne. They also have a bearing on sexual arousal and activity. However, acne has no bearing on sexual activity nor does sexual activity have any bearing on acne.

Fictional Fact #2: People have acne because they are dirty.

Factual Fact: Dirt has no part in acne. Dirt is dirt. Acne is acne. One has nothing to do with the other. Acne is a build up of oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria. Dirt isn't involved. Keeping the face clean can and will help to prevent clogged pores but dirt does not cause acne.

Fictional Fact #3: Dermatologists can cure acne.

Factual Fact: Dermatologists can TREAT acne. They can help to alleviate the symptoms and help to clear up the pimples, black-heads, and white heads. They can prescribe antibiotics and topical ointments, lotions, and creams that will help but there is no cure at this time for acne.

Fictional Fact #4: Acne is simply a skin problem.

Factual Fact: It's true that acne affects the skin but it can also affect the way a person sees himself or herself. Acne and the scarring it can leave behind may cause a sufferer to become depressed and develop low self-esteem, both of which can lead to larger and more complex life socialization problems. Acne sufferers need the loving support and reassurance from their family and friends.

Acne and Stress:

Can stress actually cause acne? There is ample evidence available to suggest that stress can most assuredly cause an acne breakout or make an existing breakout worse. Our bodies are highly developed chemical laboratories that produce all sorts of stuff.

At puberty, our body begins to produce an abundance of male hormones and this happens in both boys and girls. This overproduction of male hormones can happen at other times in life besides puberty; for example, when a girl or woman starting or stops taking birth control pills.

These male hormones cause the bodies sebaceous glands to shift into overdrive and begin producing sebum. The sebum then travels up hair follicles, clogs the pores and begins the acne development cycle. However, male hormones are not the only cause for the sebaceous glands to begin producing an overabundance of sebum. When we become extremely stressed or overly emotional, our bodies react by causing the adrenal glands to produce a substance known as Cortisol, which is released directly into the bloodstream. Then the chemical chain reaction continues as the sebaceous glands release sebum, the sebum travels up the same hair follicles, clogs the pores and acne develops.

The physical changes in the body can cause exactly the same chemical chain reaction as the emotional changes in the mind. The mind/body connection is very real. Maybe some of it really IS in your head. If that's the case, there is help available to help people deal with the acne that is caused by stress. Reducing stress will just naturally reduce sebum production by the sebaceous glands and reducing sebum production will help to alleviate an acne breakout. Therefore, when you learn to reduce and control you stress levels, this part of the chemical chain reaction is minimized.

It really it isn't any different than restoring a hormonal balance to your body that reduces sebum production. So, in the final analysis, both factors that cause excessive sebum production should be addressed. Solving one problem might help; however, solving both problems could eliminate acne altogether.

Acne Facials:

If you are part of the 95 of the population who suffer from acne, you have more than likely seen TV or print media advertisements for acne facials. Have you ever wondered if there is anything to the claims that their manufacturers make?

In general, the answer is yes! Most acne facials are very effective, pretty much worth the price, and can be used in conjunction with your usual acne fighting regime. They won't necessarily replace any part of what you are already doing; but, rather enhance the overall effects.

You can find acne facials in most health stores, at many cosmetic counters, and online. As a matter of fact, you can probably complete a better comparison of available products online than you can anywhere else.

Most of these acne facial products provide for a three-step program. The first step is a complete facial cleansing. The next step is a steam massage. The final step is a facial mask. The first two steps are designed to prepare the face. The steam massage softens the black heads and the white heads to remove toxins from your skin. The facial mask serves to remove the dead skin cells from the face and to moisturize it as well. The overall effect of the acne facial is a very relaxing, calming, and cleansing experience. It just plain feels good. Anything that helps to calm and sooth your stress can't be bad because we all know that acne is aggravated by high stress levels. Acne facial masks can be used in addition to other parts of your acne prevention and treatment regime or you may find that the facial can, in fact, actually replace some things that you are currently doing.

Acne Concealer's:

One of Newton's laws of physics laws says that, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." That law of physics spills over into a lot of our life situations. For example: A young woman gets a zit and wants to cover it up. The cosmetics industry has a multitude of products designed to do just that. Okay, that's a little far out there but you get my point.

The acne pimples, whether they are white heads or black heads should never be picked at or popped. If they are popped or picked, it can and normally does result is a scar that is much harder to get rid of than the actual pimple, black head or white head. Popping a pimple is not going to make it go away. In fact, popping a pimple is only going to make the acne worse.

Still when you get a zit, you have to go out and face the world so you are looking for ways to make your skin look clear. You want to disguise the zit and make it as unnoticeable as possible. Here is where the cosmetic industry can help. There are a multitude of products designed to make a zit less noticeable. You don't want to use a product that just adds to the problem by adding additional oil to already oily skin. So, you do need to remember, that when you use a cover product to make the zit less noticeable, you need to totally clean the product from your skin immediately when you return home.

Some of the better known as well as more effective cosmetic concealer's on the market today are:

1. Dermablend Smooth Indulgence Concealer: This product produces a smooth matte appearance and was designed specifically for covering acne blemishes as well as for covering Rosacea and dark circles under the eyes.

2. Flawless Skin by Prescriptives: This product will not aggravate acne but will supply a medium to full coverage and it contains SPF 25 for protection from the sun.

Don't let acne control you; but rather, become smart and learn how to control the negative influences in your life that create a positive situation for acne to develop!

by:Stephen M.Seabrook

sel telur keluar dari ovarium seorang wanita

2008-07-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

UNTUK pertama kalinya dalam sejarah para ahli di Belgia belum lama ini
berhasil merekam dengan sangat jelas proses awal pada reproduksi manusia,
yakni keluarnya sel telur dari ovarium seorang wanita.

Adalah ginekolog Dr Jacques Donnez dari Universitas Katolik Louvain (UCL)
di Brussels yang berhasil merekam proses pelepasan oosit dari ovarium ketika ia sedang melakukan operasi histerektomi atau pengangkatan kandungan (rahim, uterus) seorang wanita. Gambar-gambar yang menakjubkan ini juga dipublikasikan dalam majalah New Scientist.

Secara alami, wanita normal mengeluarkan satu hingga beberapa sel telur setiap bulan ketika memasuki masa-masa subur. Namun begitu, sejauh ini belum ada ahli yang mampu merekam secara jelas dan detail momen-momen keluarnya sel telur manusi dari organ wanita.

Sel telur dihasilkan oleh folikel-folikel, kantung-kantung berisi cairan,
di bagian dalam ovarium yang pada masa ovulasi akan mengeluarkan
benjolan (protrusi) kecil berwarna kemerahan yang terlihat dalam gambar.

Telur-telur akan muncul pada ujung benjolan tersebut dengan bentuk sel-sel
yang mirip jeli. Setelah keluar dan lepas dari benjolan tersebut, sel-sel
kemudian akan berkelana menuju tuba falopi di mana nantinya akan dibuahi
oleh sel sperma dari seorang pria.

Sel telur dalam gambar tersebut adalah milik seorang perempuan berusia 45
tahun asal Belgia. Donnez mengatakan, beberapa teori mengindikasikan bahwa
pelepasan sel telur dalam ovarium bersifat "eksplosif", namun apa yang
direkamnya ini berlangsung sekitar 15 menit.

SUMBERnya dari SINI ...
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7447942.stm)

Transplantasi Monitor Online Jatung Lemah

2008-07-01T17:31:00.002-07:00

BERLIN - Dunia kedokteran kembali membuat terobosan. Saat ini telah tersedia sebuah alat monitor jantung yang ditanam dalam tubuh. Alat itu bekerja secara otomatis untuk mendeteksi gejala dini gagal jantung yang diklaim tercepat dan paling akurat. Dengan alat baru ini, tubuh pasien dapat mengirim data kinerja jantung ke rumah sakit melalui sinyal telepon.

Saat menerima sinyal potensi gagal jantung seorang pasien, rumah sakit dapat segera mengirim tim medis atau memberi tahu pasien untuk segera mencari tempat perawatan terdekat.

Perangkat monitor yang disebut cardiac re-synchronisation therapy defibrillator device atau Consulta CRT-D itu telah ditanam pada seorang pasien jantung, Monique Pachalek, pada 23 April lalu di German Heart Institute Berlin (DHZB).

Menurut dokter Bjoern Peters dari German Heart Institute Berlin (DHZB), produk Medtronic Inc, perusahaan pembuat alat-alat kesehatan terbesar di dunia, itu baru saja mendapat persetujuan dari badan pengawasan obat dan makanan AS (FDA, Food and Drug Administration). "Alat ini juga dapat berfungsi sebagai defibrilator, yaitu suatu alat pemacu jantung agar dapat berdenyut kembali dengan ritme normal," ujarnya.

Bjoern menambahkan, berbeda dengan alat monitor dan pacu jantung konvensional, CRT-D mendeteksi potensi gagal jantung dari aliran darah, bukan detak jantung. "Metode baru ini akan sangat membantu penderita penyakit jantung karena gejala awal gagal jantung dapat diketahui lebih cepat sehingga segera mendapat penanganan," jelasnya. (biz/AP/kim)

Sumber : Jawa Pos, 30 April 2008

Lingkar pinggang besar meningkatkan risiko kematian pada wanita

2008-07-01T17:31:00.001-07:00

Kalbe.co.id - Menurut studi besar di Amerika, wanita dengan banyak lemak perut meninggal lebih awal akibat penyakit jantung dan kanker dibandingkan wanita lain, tidak tergantung berat tubuhnya.

Temuan ini dilaporkan dalam jurnal medis Circulation edisi 1 April 2008, menambah bukti bahwa ketika berkaitan dengan risiko kesehatan, berat total tidak sepenting dibandingkan lemak perut.

Studi terdahulu menemukan bahwa orang dengan tipe ’bentuk apel’tampaknya berisiko arteri, tekanan darah tinggi dan diabetes. Obesitas perut juga telah dikaitkan dengan kanker tertentu seperti kanker ginjal dan kanker kolon.

Dalam studi baru, para peneliti di National Institute of Health and Harvard Medical School menemukan bahwa wanita paruh baya dan lansia yang mengamali obesitas perut (lingkar pinggang 89 cm atau lebih) tampaknya lebih banyak meninggal akibat penyakit jantung atau kanker selama studi dibandingkan wanita yang lebih ramping.

Diantara 44.000 wanita Amerika yang diteliti selama 16 tahun, obesitas perut menaikkan 2 kali lipat kematian akibat penyakit jantung atau stroke, dibandingkan wanita yang lingkar pinggangnya lebih kecil dari 71 cm. Jika dikaitkan dengan kematian akibat kanker, wanita dengan ukuran pinggang terbesar mempunyai 63% lebih tinggi risikonya dibandingkan wanita kebanyakan.
Studi ini juga menemukan risiko pinggang besar tidak tergantung indeks massa tubuh (IMT) keseluruhan. Nyatanya, diantara wanita dengan berat badan normal terdapat yang lingkar pinggangnya 89 cm atau lebih menghadapi risiko kematian lebih besar dari penyakit stroke dan penyakit jantung.

Hasil ini menekankan pentingnya tetap ramping di usia pertengahan, menurut pimpinan penelitian Dr. Cuilin Zhang dari National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Walaupun mempertahankan berat ideal harus terus dilakukan untuk pencegahan penyakit kronis dan kematian prematur, hal yang sama penting untuk mempertahankan ukuran pinggang dan mencegah obesitas perut.

Kelebihan lemak perut diperkirakan tidak sehat karena efek metaboliknya. Terlalu banyak lemak di daerah tubuh ini tampaknya meningkatkan kadar kolesterol, meningkatkan resistensi insulin (prekursor diabetes tipe 2) dan menyebabkan inflamasi luas dalam tubuh yang berkontribusi pada penyakit jantung dan kanker tertentu.

Sumber : www.kalbe.co.id

Studi tentang komposisi telur

2008-07-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

Kalbe.co.id - Sebuah laporan dalam American Journal od Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) edisi April 2008 menjelaskan kaitan antara tingginya konsumsi telur dan semua penyebab kematian, temuan tidak biasa sehingga para ilmuwan tidak dapat memberikan penjelasan. Para peneliti, Djouss dan Gaziano, menganalisis data dari Physicians Health Study I yang diikuti dokter-dokter laki-laki selama periode 20 tahun.

Faktanya, orang dewasa sehat terus menikmati telur sebagai bagian diet seimbangnya dan temuan tidak cukup kuat untuk menyarankan orang-orang mengubah diet mereka. Pada studi epidemiologi, tidak ditunjukkan sebab dan akibat dan ada kelemahan di dalamnya. Para ilmuwan tidak mengendalikan berbagai faktor termasuk asupan makanan dan nutrisi termasuk lemak jenuh. Sebagai tambahan, konsumen telur menunjukkan gaya hidup lain dan pola diet yang berkaitan dengan risiko peningkatan kesehatan. Dalam edtorial penyertanya, Dr. Robert Eckel, wakil ketua Committee on Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease, berkomentar bahwa studi ini kurang informasi diet secara detail sehingga dapat mengacaukan interprestasi, seperti pola asupan diet lemak jenuh dan lemak bentuk trans. Bebrapa orang yang makan telur banyak sering mengkonsumsi bersamaan dengan makanan tinggi lemak jenuh.

Sebagai tambahan, para ilmuwan tidak mengomentari tingkat kontrol diabetes. Kontrol diabetes jelek berkaitan dengan peningkatan risiko banyak penyakit kronik yang juga berefek mematikan. Lagipula, sulit mengeneralisir temuan ini pada populasi umum karena sampel didasarkan pada dokter-dokter pria seluruhnya yang mempunyai tingkah laku berbeda dengan populasi umum.

Titik paling kredibel dari studi ini adalah para ilmuwan menunjukkan tidak adanya hubungan antara konsumsi telur dengan risiko kardiovaskular. Hal ini konsisten dengan penelitian komprehensif 30 tahun terakhir yang seluruhnya menunjukkan bahwa orang dewasa sehat dapat menikmati telur tanpa berdampak signifikan pada risiko penyakit jantung. American Heart Association (AHA) menyetujui bahwa telur sesuai pedoman sehat jantung ketika kolesterol dari sumber lain dibatasi. Konsumsi telur tidak berdampak signifikan pada rasio LDL:HDL, salah satu indikator terbaik yang diketahui dan secara ilmiah untuk risiko penyakit jantung.

Orang dewasa sehat harus terus menikmati telur untuk meningkatkan asupan nutrisi menguntungkan buat mereka. Satu telur termasuk kuningnya mempunyai 13 vitamin dan mineral esensial, protein mutu tinggi, lemak tak jenuh sehat dan antioksidan, hanya sebanyak 70 kalori.

Sumber : www.kalbe.co.id

Diet vegetarian membantu meringankan artritis rematoid

2008-07-01T17:29:00.000-07:00

Kalbe.co.id - Diet vegetarian bebas gluten dari kacang, biji bunga matahari, buah-buahan dan sayuran tampaknya menawarkan perlindungan terhadap serangan jantung dan stroke bagi orang yang menderita artritis rematoid. Tampaknya diet ini menurunkan kolesterol dan juga berefek pada sistem imun sehingga meringankan beberapa gejala berkaitan dengan nyeri sendi, demikian menurut para peneliti Swedia. Tim dari Sweden’s Karolinska Institute mengatakan bahwa studi menjelaskan diet dapat berperan penting pada penderita artritis rematoid yang sering menyebabkan serangan jantung, stroke dan penyumbatan arteri.

Para peneliti menulis dalam jurnal Arthritis Research and Therapy, 18 maret 2008 mengatakan bahwa temuan ini sejalan dengan temuan sebelumnya yang hasilnya regimen diet vegetarian pada penderita artritis yang menunjukkan penurunan tekanan darah, penurunan indeks massa tubuh dan penurunan insiden kardiovaskular.

Sekitar 20 juta orang mengalami artritis rematoid di seluruh dunia, sebuah penyakit otoimun yang disebabkan tubuh kita bingung mengenali bahan asing dan menyerang jaringan sehat sendiri.

Dalam studi ini, Johan Frostegard dan koleganya memberikan makanan vegetarian bebas gluten kepada 38 sukarelawan dan 28 orang lain diberikan makanan seimbang tapi diet non vegetarian selama satu tahun.

Orang dengan diet tanpa produk hewani dan gluten, biasa ditemukan dalam gandum, rye dan barley, mempunyai kadar kolesterol ‘jelek’ atau LDL (low density lipoprotein) lebih rendah. Kolesterol ‘jelek’ ini dapat menghambat pembuluh darah arteri. Mereka juga turun berat badannya sementara sukarelawan dengan diet lain tidak ada perubahan. Para peneliti mengatakan studi lebih lanjut diperlukan untuk menentukan peranan makanan yang berbeda dapat mempunyai manfaat perlindungan melawan serangan jantung dan stroke.

Bulan Maret 2008, para peneliti dari Finlandia mengatakan bahwa pil generik 1 kali seminggu untuk menangani penyakit, secara bermakna menurunkan risiko serangan jantung dan stroke pada orang-orang dengan kondisi ini. Studi terbaru juga menunjukkan bahwa obat-obat baru yang menghambat protein inflamasi disebut tumor necrosis factor (TNF) juga efektif menurunkan risiko serangan jantung dan stroke pada orang dengan kondisi ini.

Para peneliti mengatakan dalam laporannya, bukti menunjukkan bahwa LDL dapat terlibat dalam aktivasi sistem imun yang salah. Para sukarelawan dengan diet vegetarian mempunyai kadar C reactive protein (CRP) lebih rendah, yang merupakan indikator kadar inflamasi dalam tubuh dan berkaitan dengan penyakit jantung.

Sumber : www.kalbe.co.id

Panduan Baru Penanganan Osteoartritis

2008-07-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

Kalbe.co.id - Osteoartritis (OA) merupakan penyakit peradangan sendi yang paling sering terjadi dan merupakan penyebab utama nyeri muskuloskeletal kronis dan kecacatan pada populasi usia lanjut di seluruh dunia. Nyeri pada lutut dan pinggul merupakan penyebab utama kesulitan berjalan dan menaiki tangga pada kelompok usia lanjut di Eropa dan AS dan sebanyak 40% dari orang-orang berusia >65 tahun di Inggris mengalami gejala-gejala yang berhubungan dengan OA lutut dan pinggul.

Tujuan dari penanganan OA lutut dan pinggul adalah menurunkan nyeri dan kekakuan sendi, mempertahankan dan meningkatkan mobilitas persendian, menurunkan keterbatasan dan kecacatan fisik, memperbaiki kualitas hidup sehat, menghambat progresifitas kerusakan sendi, dan mengedukasi pasien tentang penyakit OA dan cara penanganannya.

Standar nasional baru untuk penanganan OA menganjurkan perubahan gaya hidup untuk membantu meringankan gejala-gejala dan rasa nyeri yang dialami oleh pasien OA. Panduan yang dikeluarkan oleh National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) dan National Collaborating Centre for Acute Care tahun 2008 tersebut juga berisi tentang terapi farmakologis yang efektif untuk pasien OA.

Panduan tersebut juga meminta para tenaga kesehatan untuk menyampaikan informasi baik secara lisan maupun tulisan kepada semua orang yang menderita OA agar semakin mengerti kondisi mereka dan cara penanganan OA serta untuk meluruskan pemikiran-pemikiran mereka yang salah, seperti bahwa OA merupakan bagian dari proses penuaan dan tidak dapat ditangani.

Panduan NICE untuk penanganan OA adalah sebagai berikut :

* Penanganan yang utama bagi pasien OA adalah latihan untuk meningkatkan kekuatan otot-otot yang terkena OA dengan melakukan aerobik, tanpa memandang usia, penyakit lain yang menyertai, rasa nyeri, atau kecacatan.
* Pasien OA dengan obesitas harus didukung untuk melakukan penurunan berat badan.
* Para tenaga kesehatan harus mempertimbangkan pemberian NSAID topikal untuk mengurangi nyeri sebagai tambahan terhadap terapi utama pada pasien OA lutut dan tangan. Pemberian NSAID topikal dan/atau paracetamol harus lebih dahulu dipertimbangkan sebelum memberikan NSAID oral, inhibitor COX-2, atau golongan opioid.
* Para tenaga kesehatan harus mempertimbangkan pemberian parasetamol untuk mengurangi rasa nyeri sebagai tambahan terhadap terapi utama.
* Ketika akan memberikan terapi NSAID oral/inhibitor COX-2, pilihan pertama haruslah NSAID standar yang biasa digunakan dalam penanganan OA atau inhibitor COX-2. Perlu juga dipertimbangkan pemberian inhibitor pompa proton (PPI) untuk menurunkan timbulnya efek samping saluran cerna yang tidak diinginkan.
* Penanganan menggunakan pembedahan dengan menggantikan sendi yang rusak harus dipertimbangkan pada pasien-pasien OA yang mengalami gejala-gejala pada persendian (nyeri, kaku dan penurunan fungsi) yang mengganggu kualitas hidup mereka dan tidak berespon terhadap terapi non bedah. Keputusan untuk melakukan pembedahan harus diambil secepatnya sebelum terjadi keterbatasan fungsi persendian yang permanen dan timbulnya nyeri yang hebat.

Panduan penanganan OA menurut Osteoarthitis Research Society International (OARSI) sebagai berikut :
1. 12 rekomendasi mengenai penanganan non-farmakologis :

* Edukasi dan penanganan oleh pasien sendiri.
* Kontak telepon dengan tenaga kesehatan secara teratur.
* Terapi fisik pada penderita OA yang menggunakan tongkat.
* Latihan kekuatan otot dengan aerobik dan berenang.
* Penurunan berat badan pada pasien yang obesitas.
* Penggunaan alat-alat seperti tongkat, penahan lutut, dan alas kaki.
* Terapi menggunakan panas.
* Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation untuk penanganan sementara nyeri.
* Akupuntur.

2. 8 rekomendasi penanganan farmakologis :

* Penggunaan asetaminofen (hingga 4 g/hari).
* NSAID oral selektif dan non-selektif COX-2 yang digunakan dengan dosis terendah yang efektif untuk penanganan OA, dan hindari penggunaannya dalam jangka panjang.
* Preparat topikal NSAID dan capsaicin.
* Injeksi intraartikular kortikosteroid dan hialuronat.
* Suplementasi menggunakan glucosamine dan chondroitin sulfat untuk meringankan gejala-gejala simtomatik.
* Structure-modifying effects dengan penggunaan glucosamine sulfat, chondroitin sulfat dan diacerein.
* Indikasi penggunaan golongan opioid dan analgesik narkotik lemah untuk penanganan nyeri yang refrakter.

3. 5 rekomendasi penanganan bedah :

* Total joint replacements.
* Unicompartmental knee replacement.
* Osteotomi dan joint-preserving surgical procedures.
* Joint lavage and arthroscopic debridement untuk OA lutut.
* Joint fusion yang digunakan ketika joint replacement gagal.

Pasien OA lutut atau pinggul yang tidak mendapatkan perbaikan rasa nyeri dan perbaikan fungsi yang adekuat dengan menggunakan kombinasi terapi non-farmakologis dan farmakologis harus mempertimbangkan terapi bedah joint replacement. Replacement arthroplasties efektif dan cost-effective bagi pasien dengan gejala-gejala yang signifikan dan/atau dengan keterbatasan fungsi yang berhubungan dengan penurunan kualitas hidup sehat.

Sumber : www.kalbe.co.id

Penanganan Serangan Gout Akut

2008-07-01T17:27:00.001-07:00

Kalbe.co.id - Artritis gout merupakan penyakit peradangan sendi yang paling banyak terjadi pada pria berusia >40 tahun. Serangan akut gout ditandai dengan onset-nya yang cepat dan rasa nyeri yang semakin bertambah. Selama stadium akut gout, pasien mengalami rasa nyeri yang hebat yang ditandai dengan kemerahan, rasa panas, pembengkakan dan penurunan jangkauan gerak dari sendi yang terkena. Serangan awal pada fase akut biasanya mengenai satu persendian (monoartikular). Sendi metatarsofalangeal I merupakan sendi pertama yang terkena serangan akut gout pada sekitar 50% dari seluruh jumlah pasien gout. Persendian lain yang dapat terkena (berdasarkan urutan yang paling sering terkena) adalah mata kaki, tumit, pergelangan, jari-jari, dan siku. Gejala dan tanda sistemik lain yang dapat menyertai serangan akut gout adalah kelelahan, demam, dan mengigil. Lamanya serangan akut pada gout yang tidak diobati bervariasi dari hanya beberapa jam hingga bertahan selama beberapa hari. Tiga tahap dalam penanganan gout adalah sebagai berikut :

* Mengobati serangan gout akut.
* Menurunkan penyimpanan asam urat yang berlebihan untuk mencegah deposisi urat pada jaringan dan mencegah flares artritis gout.
* Memberikan profilaksis untuk pencegahan flares akut.

Penanganan Serangan Akut Gout
Tujuan penanganan pada serangan akut gout adalah penghentian rasa nyeri dan inflamasi secara tepat dan aman.
Serangan gout akut biasanya ditangani dengan pemberian obat anti inflamasi non-steroid (NSAID) dan/atau colchicine. Terapi lainnya yang dapat digunakan adalah :

* Pemberian kortikosteroid intraartikular saat infeksi yang ada sudah ditangani.
* Pemberian kortikosteroid oral atau intravena pada pasien dengan kontraindikasi pemberian NSAID.
* Pemberian injeksi intramuskular atau subkutan kortikotropin.

Penanganan serangan akut gout dapat melalui 2 pendekatan, yaitu :

1) Penanganan non-farmakologis
Diet. Konsumsi daging dan kerang-kerangan tinggi purin telah dihubungkan dengan peningkatan resiko gout, namun konsumsi sayur-sayuran kaya akan purin, seperti bayam tidak dihubungkan dengan peningkatan resiko gout. Keuntungan diet rendah kalori dan karbohidrat serta tinggi protein dan lemak tak jenuh adalah memperbaiki sensitivitas insulin, penurunan kadar insulin plasma, dan peningkatan ekskresi urat melalui ginjal bersamaan dengan penurunan kadar urat serum.

Konsumsi alkohol. Konsumsi alkohol juga terkait erat dengan gout. Beberapa faktor yang mendasari hubungan ini adalah : asidemia laktat transien akibat kadar alcohol yang berlebihan akan menurunkan ekskresi urat melalui ginjal; konsumsi alcohol jangka panjang merangsang produksi purin; bir mengandung purin; dan minuman yang terkontaminasi timbal (contoh, moonshine) akan menurunkan ekskresi urat.

Hipertensi. Hipertensi akan menurunkan ekskresi urat melalui ginjal yang akan menimbulkan hiperurisemia. Thiazide dan loop diuretic, yang sering digunakan dalam penanganan hipertensi, akan meningkatkan kadar urat serum dengan mempengaruhi transpor ion tubular ginjal dan akan menyebabkan deplesi volume, yang akhirnya menimbulkan reabsorpsi urat oleh proximal convoluted tubule (PCT).

Gerakan sendi dapat meningkatkan inflamasi yang terjadi, dimana pengistirahatan sendi yang terkena mempercepat penyembuhan. Kebutuhan menggunakan obat-obatan berkurang pada pasien yang dapat mengistirahatkan sendi yang terkena selama 1-2 hari.

Pemberian kompres dingin pada sendi yang terkena dapat berguna sebagai terapi tambahan pada serangan akut gout.

2) Penanganan farmakologis
Colchicine dan NSAID merupakan obat yang paling banyak digunakan dalam penanganan serangan gout akut. Di AS, kombinasi terapi dalam penanganan serangan gout akut yang paling banyak digunakan pada individu yang tidak memiliki penyakit penyerta lainnya adalah :

* NSAID dengan kortikosteroid intraartikular (43%)
* NSAID dengan kortikosteroid oral (33%)
* NSAID dengan colchicines oral (32%)
* NSAID saja (27%)

Di AS, terapi tunggal dalam penanganan serangan gout akut yang paling banyak digunakan pada individu yang tidak memiliki penyakit penyerta lainnya adalah NSAID (77%), injeksi kortikosteroid intraartikular (47%), prednisone oral (42%), colchicine oral (37%), triamcinolone intramuskular (11%), kortikotropin intramuskular (5%), dan colchicine intravena (4%).

a. Colchicine oral
Mekanisme kerja secara jelas bagaimana colchicine dapat mengurangi rasa nyeri akibat gout tidak diketahui sampai sekarang. Namun, diduga rasa nyeri dapat dikurangi karena efek farmakologik colchicine yang terikat pada dimer tubulin. Colchicine juga diduga terlibat dalam berbagai macam fungsi leukosit, termasuk diapedesis (pergerakan ameboid), mobilisasi, degranulasi lisosomal, dan yang paling penting terlibat dalam kemotaksis leukosit.

Absorpsi colchicine oral cepat namun tidak sempurna (waktu yang diperlukan untuk mencapai konsentrasi maksimum 2 jam; bioavailabilitas 25-50%). Mula kerja colchicine (mengurangi rasa nyeri akibat gout) sekitar 8 jam dengan pemberian intravena dan sekitar 24 jam dengan pemberian oral. Waktu paruh colchicine setelah pemberian oral pada pasien dengan fungsi ginjal dan hati normal sekitar 9 jam; dimana pada pasien gagal ginjal, waktu paruh colchicine 2-3 kali lebih panjang (sekitar 24 jam); dan pada pasien sirosis dan gagal ginjal, waktu paruh colchicine 10 kali lebih panjang (sekitar 4 hari). Colchicine lebih efektif jika digunakan dalam waktu 24 jam setelah serangan akut gout. Dosis colchicine yang dianjurkan menurut British National Formulary adalah sebagai berikut : dosis awal 1 mg dilanjutkan 500 μg setiap 2-3 jam hingga rasa nyeri berkurang, timbulnya muntah dan diare, atau hingga dosis total 6 mg telah dicapai; pemberian boleh diulang setelah 3 hari. Colchicine tidak boleh digunakan jika laju filtrasi glomerulus (GFR) <10 ml/menit, dan dosis harus diturunkan sebanyak 1.5 kali dosis normal jika GFR <50 ml/menit. Pemberian colchicine harus dihindari pada pasien dengan gangguan fungsi hati, obstruksi bilier atau ketidakmampuan untuk mentolerir diare.

b. Colchicine intravena
Colchicine intravena merupakan obat yang efektif untuk gout akut namun kerugian yang ditimbulkan akibat pemberian colchicine intravena lebih banyak bila dibandingkan dengan keuntungan yang didapat dan tersedia pilihan terapi lainnya yang lebih aman.

c.NSAID oral
NSAID merupakan terapi pilihan pada sebagian besar pasien gout yang tidak mempunyai penyakit lain yang menyertai. Resolusi lengkap terjadi dalam waktu 5-8 hari setelah pemberian terapi awal pada >90% pasien. Pemberian NSAID harus dihindari pada pasien dengan penyakit ulkus peptikum, tingkat klirens kreatinin yang rendah, penyakit hati dan gagal jantung kongestif yang tidak terkompensasi, dan pada pasien yang mendapatkan terapi antikoagulan. Dosis maksimum harus diberikan segera mungkin setelah timbulnya gejala-gejala serangan akut gout atau pada saat penegakkan diagnosis dan diteruskan hingga 24 jam setelah terjadinya resolusi lengkap, lalu diturunkan secara cepat dalam waktu 2-3 hari.

d. Kortikosteroid intraartikular
Kortikosteroid intraartikular dapat diberikan pada pasien yang mengalami peradangan pada satu atau dua persendian akibat serangan akut gout. Pasien dengan gout poliartikular yang tidak berespon terhadap pemberian NSAID oral atau pasien yang memiliki kontraindikasi terhadap pemberian NSAID dapat juga diberikan kortikosteroid intraartikular.

e. Kortikosteroid sistemik
Kortikosteroid dapat diberikan pada pasien yang tidak dapat menggunakan NSAID atau colchicine, dan dapat diberikan secara peroral, intravena atau intramuskular. Prednisone dapat diberikan dengan dosis 30 mg selama 1-3 hari, lalu diturunkan dalam waktu 1-2 minggu.

f. Kortikotropin
Hormon adrenokortikotropin (ACTH) merupakan hormon yang disekresi oleh kelenjar pituitari, dimana hormon ini akan merangsang produksi kortisol, kortikosteron dan androgen oleh kelenjar pituitari. Mekanisme kerja kortikotropin terhadap proses inflamasi yang terjadi pada gout belum diketahui secara jelas. Fungsi kortikotropin pada proses inflamasi akibat gout diduga berhubungan dengan salah satu fungsinya dalam merangsang pelepasan kortikosteroid adrenal. Kortikotropin bekerja melalui jalur perifer dengan pengaktifan reseptor melanokortin, yaitu reseptor melanokortin tipe 3 (MC3R), dan hal inilah yang diduga bertanggung jawab terhadap efikasi kortikotropin pada gout akut.

Getting dkk memperlihatkan bahwa fragmen α-MSH (Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone) dan β-MSH yang lebih kecil dapat menghambat migrasi neutrofil serta pelepasan sitokin dan kemokin pro-inflamasi yang diinduksi oleh kristal monosodium urat (MSU).

Ritter dkk mengadakan retrospective chart review pada 33 pasien gout akut (38 episode) dan 5 pasien pseudogout akut (5 episode) yang mendapat kortikotropin. 11 pasien sudah didiagnosis memiliki kristal MSU (+). Indikasi penggunaan kortikotropin yang paling sering adalah sebagai berikut : gagal jantung kongestif (n=18), gagal ginjal kronik (n=20), riwayat perdarahan saluran cerna (n=10) dan kurangnya respon terhadap pemberian NSAID dan colchicine (n=6). Usia pasien rata-rata adalah 66 tahun (43-93 tahun). 27 pasien diterapi dengan kortikotropin intravena, 6 pasien dengan kortikotropin intramuskular, dan 5 pasien dengan kortikotropin subkutan. 34 episode gout diterapi dengan kortikotropin 40 IU setiap 8 jam dan 4 episode dengan 80 IU setiap 8 jam. Dosis diturunkan setiap hari berdasarkan perbaikan klinis (misalnya, penurunan derajat sinovitis dan perbaikan jangkauan gerak). Sediaan yang paling sering digunakan adalah 40 IU setiap 8 jam (90%), diikuti oleh 40 IU setiap 12 jam dan 40 IU sekali sehari. Lama pemberian terapi 1-14 hari. Colchicine profilaksis diberikan pada 79% pasien (n=30) saat dosis kortikotropin diturunkan. Tingkat resolusi yang dilaporkan adalah 97%. Pada beberapa pasien, resolusi terjadi pada hari pertama. Waktu rata-rata yang dibutuhkan agar tercapai resolusi adalah 5.5 hari. Tingkat relaps yang dilaporkan adalah 11% (n=4). Dapat disimpulkan bahwa kortikotropin efektif pada pasien dengan masalah medik yang multipel seperti gagal jantung kongestif, gagal ginjal, dan perdarahan saluran cerna.

Pada prospective, quasi-randomized, non-blinded, controlled study yang melibatkan 76 pasien yang mengalami serangan akut gout dalam 24 jam terakhir, Axelrod dan Preston membandingkan pemberian kortikotropin parenteral (dosis tunggal 40 IU diberikan secara intramuskular) dengan indomethacin oral 50 mg 4 kali sehari yang diberikan bersamaan dengan makanan, hingga rasa nyeri pasien berkurang. Untuk serangan-serangan akut berikutnya, pasien tetap melanjutkan terapi dengan kortikotropin dan indomethacin dan diikuti perjalanannya selama 1 tahun. Selama waktu pemberian terapi, pasien-pasien tersebut diterapi dan diobservasi selama 5 jam sebelum diijinkan pulang. Pasien harus melaporkan untuk follow-up, 5-7 hari setelah setiap serangan akut dan dinilai waktu yang dibutuhkan sampai nyeri reda, kemampuan berjalan dan timbulnya efek samping. Diagnosis ditegakkan dengan pemeriksaan kristal MSU pada semua pasien. Interval nyeri rata-rata dari waktu pemberian obat hingga hilangnya rasa nyeri adalah 3±1 jam pada pasien yang diberikan kortikotropin dan 24±10 jam dengan indomethacin (p<0.0001). Nyeri menghilang dalam waktu 4 jam dan tidak ada efek samping yang timbul pada 36 pasien yang mendapat kortikotropin intramuskular. Dapat disimpulkan bahwa pasien yang menerima kortikotropin mengalami penurunan rasa nyeri yang lebih cepat dibandingkan dengan yang menerima indomethacin oral.

Pada review akhir-akhir ini, Taylor dkk menyimpulkan bahwa pemberian tunggal kortikotropin atau kombinasi dengan colchicine efektif dalam penanganan gout akut. Efek samping potensial yang dapat terjadi adalah hipokalemia, kontrol glisemik yang memburuk pada pasien diabetes melitus, retensi cairan, dan kemungkinan relaps dan flares gout. Kortikotropin dapat berguna dalam penanganan gout akut pada pasien yang tidak berespons dengan pemberian NSAID, dan pada pasien dengan kontraindikasi terhadap ginjal dan saluran cerna pada pemberian terapi lainnya.

Sumber : www.kalbe.co.id

Sanggama Nikmat, Bayi Selamat

2008-07-01T17:26:00.001-07:00

Kehamilan bukan penghalang aktivitas seksual. Konon, wanita hamil lebih mudah mencapai orgasme multipel.

“Berbahaya nggak ya, buat kehamilanku?” Itu memang kekhawatiran kebanyakan wanita hamil untuk melakukan hubungan seks. Tenang saja. Anda tetap boleh melakukannya selama kehamilan Anda sehat.

Asal tahu saja, tidak sedikit wanita hamil yang justru merasakan kenikmatan dan kepuasan luar biasa, dibanding semasa tidak hamil. Bahkan, sebagian wanita hamil mengaku dapat mencapai orgasme multipel dengan mudah.

Pengakuan mereka masuk akal. Sebab ketika hamil, berbagai hormon wanita dan hormon kehamilan mengalami peningkatan. Ini menyebabkan perubahan pada sejumlah organ tubuh antara lain, payudara dan organ reproduksi, termasuk vagina jadi lebih sensitif dan responsif.

Libido turun naik

Libido (hasrat seksual) dan keinginan untuk menikmati hubungan intim selama masa kehamilan sangat bervariasi. Umumnya, dorongan seksual agak menurun di trimester pertama. Maklumlah perubahan hormon yang menimbulkan mual-mual membuat Anda enggan berhubungan intim.
Tapi memasuki trimester kedua, dorongan seksual wanita hamil akan kembali meningkat, sejalan dengan hilangnya keluhan mual. Libido ini turun kembali di trimester ke-3 akibat ukuran dan berat janin yang semakin membesar.

Asal tahu saja, pengaruh perubahan hormon selama kehamilan terhadap libido itu sangat besar. Peningkatan kadar hormon estrogen, misalnya, akan meningkatkan aliran darah, khususnya di daerah sekitar panggul, termasuk alat kelamin. Ini membuat vagina beserta bibir luar (labia major), bibir dalam (labia minor), serta klitoris membesar, sehingga ujung-ujung saraf di dalamnya menjadi sangat sensitif. Pada keadaan biasa alias sedang tidak hamil, bagian-bagian tersebut hanya akan membesar dan menjadi lebih sensitif pada saat menjelang orgasme.

Selain di daerah panggul, payudara dan daerah di sekitarnya juga membesar dan menjadi jauh lebih sensitif, termasuk daerah di sekeliling puting payudara Anda. Kondisi inilah yang memungkinkan Anda lebih cepat dan mudah mencapai orgasme. Satu lagi, aliran darah yang meningkat di sekitar vagina juga menyebabkan cairan vagina menjadi lebih cepat dan lebih mudah ke luar. Kondisi ini akan membuat penetrasi jadi lebih mudah terjadi.

Kapan saat yang tepat?

Tidak ada batasan waktu kapan saat tepat untuk bersanggama selama hamil. Asalkan kehamilan Anda dinyatakan tidak memiliki risiko apa pun, lakukanlah make love kapan pun Anda menginginkannya, bahkan sampai menjelang persalinan. Dengan tetap menikmati aktivitas yang satu ini bersama suami, Anda berdua bisa saling berbagi rasa takut maupun kekhawatiran, serta stres yang mungkin muncul selama masa kehamilan.

Bagi Anda yang hamilnya berisiko, misalnya letak plasenta tidak pada posisi yang seharusnya (plasenta previa), lebih baik berkonsultasi dulu dengan dokter. Begitu juga apabila Anda mengalami perdarahan ringan, seperti keluarnya flek-flek pada kehamilan trimester pertama, tunda dulu keinginan untuk make love.

Andaikan dokter mengizinkan hubungan seksual, terimalah hal itu sebagai hadiah bagi si kecil. Anda dan suami tentu menginginkan si kecil tumbuh dan berkembang optimal hingga tiba saat kelahiran, bukan?

Jangan aneh-aneh

Hubungan seksual selama hamil bukan hanya sebuah aktivitas yang mengasyikkan, tapi di balik itu juga bermanfaat sebagai persiapan bagi otot-otot panggul Anda untuk menghadapi proses persalinan kelak. Yakni, di saat terjadi kontraksi otot-otot di daerah panggul dan organ kelamin sewaktu Anda hampir mencapai orgasme. Tapi dengan catatan, Anda tidak melakukannya dengan gaya yang ‘aneh-aneh’ dengan dalih bereksperimen untuk menambah variasi.

Memang, di masa trimester pertama, Anda masih punya banyak pilihan posisi bercinta. Namun, beberapa bulan kemudian pilihan posisi itu semakin terbatas. Posisi misionaris, wanita di bawah dan pria di atas, misalnya, menjadi tidak nikmat lagi.

Itu sebabnya, posisi sanggama selama hamil, adalah variasi dari posisi menyamping, sehingga perut Anda terbebas dari tindihan. Beberapa posisi yang bisa Anda pilih adalah:

* Wanita di atas, pria di bawah

Dengan posisi ini, Anda bisa mencegah terjadinya tekanan yang terlalu banyak pada bagian perut dan payudara. Keuntungan lainnya, Anda dapat mengatur kedalaman penetrasi penis pasangan Anda, dan juga kecepatan serta irama bercinta Anda.

• Posisi sendok

Posisi ini dilakukan dengan tubuh berbaring menyamping. Pasangan Anda berada di belakang Anda, sehingga penetrasi dapat dilakukan dari belakang. Posisi ini juga sesuai untuk dilakukan pada saat perut Anda sudah besar, atau saat Anda tidak dapat berperan aktif lagi selama bercinta.

• Posisi duduk

Posisi ini dapat menjadi pilihan di akhir trimester ke-2 atau di awal trimester ke-3. Posisi ini cukup nyaman, baik untuk Anda maupun pasangan, sekali pun tidak memberikan Anda berdua kesempatan untuk banyak melakukan gerakan aktif saat pemanasan (foreplay). Sayangnya, posisi duduk ini hanya nyaman dilakukan bagi berat tubuh Anda tergolong normal. Sebab, pada posisi ini pasangan Anda harus menopang berat tubuh Anda pada pangkuannya.

Posisi manapun yang Anda pilih, nikmatilah aktivitas seksual itu bersama suami dengan tetap memperhatikan kondisi kehamilan Anda.

Sumber : www.ayahbunda-online.com

Manfaat Sarapan Bagi Kesehatan Tubuh

2008-07-01T17:25:00.001-07:00

kapangila.com - Mungkin tak banyak orang menyadari, bahwa sebenarnya sarapan adalah salah satu rahasia untuk menjaga kesehatan. Tak peduli seberapa sibuknya Anda, penting untuk mengisi bahan bakar untuk tubuh Anda sehingga energi Anda terpenuhi sepanjang hari. Sarapan memberi modal energi pada Anda untuk berktivitas sepanjang hari. Sebenarnya, selain memberi energi pada tubuh, sarapan juga memiliki manfaat lain yang tak kalah pentingnya. Berikut beberapa manfaat dari sarapan.

Memberi Kekuatan Metabolisme Setelah Sepanjang Malam - Sarapan dipertimbangkan sebagai waktu makan yang penting karena mengganti waktu malam yang tak terisi makanan serta menambah kebutuhan gula Anda. Gula adalah sumber energi yang diserap dari karbohidrat yang Anda makan. Di pagi hari, setelah Anda tak mengkonsumsi makanan selama 12 jam, zat gula dalam tubuh Anda turun ketingkat yang paling rendah. Saat ini terjadi, tubuh Anda menggantinya dengan melepas zat gula yang telah ditimbun di lapisan otot dan liver, yang disebut glycogen.

Berguna Untuk Penurunan Berat Badan - Selama tidur 12 jam tubuh Anda puasa sepanjang malam, dan di pagi hari Anda berada dalam tahap pertama merasa lapar. Melewatkan sarapan membuat tubuh Anda tetap 'dalam kelaparan,' sedang mengkonsumsi makanan yang bagus akan memberi peningkatan metabolisme. Jika Anda dalam upaya mengurangi berat badan, hal terakhir yang Anda ingin lakukan Andalah tingkat metabolisme rendah. Sarapan makanan sehat akan meningkatkan kemampuan pembakaran lemak dalam tubuh Anda. Lebih jauh, sarapan dapat meningkatkan tingkat energi Anda sebagaimana metabolisme sepanjang hari.

Menambah Esensial Nutrisi Dan Tingkat Keseluruhan Energi - Sarapan menyediakan proporsi significan asupan total nutrisi untuk sepanjang hari, dan menawarkan kesempatan untuk mengkonsumsi makanan yang penuh nutrisi seperti zat besi, vitamin dan serat. Esensial vitamin, mineral dan nutrisi lainnya hanya dapat diperoleh dari makanan.

Memberi Otak Anda Bahan Bakar Untuk Meningkatkan Konsentrasi - Sarapan memperbaiki kemampuan Anda berpikir dan menjaga Anda tetap berada dalam penampilan mental terbaik. Sarapan menyediakan bahan bakar bagi otak Anda untuk meningkatkan kemampuan dalam pemecahan masalah dan ingatan.

Menghindari Makan Tak Terkontrol - Sarapan dengan baik akan menjaga Anda dari rasa lapar berlebih, dimana ini dapat mencegah Anda makan berlebihan di siang harinya. Makanan yang dikonsumsi saat sarapan mampu menahan lemak dan kalori tinggi dari makanan sepanjang hari. Saat Anda meninggalkan sarapan, Anda akan cenderung mengalihkan rasa lapar dengan ngemil sepajang pagi hingga menjelang makan siang. Dan hal ini akan mendorong Anda mencari pelarian lain pada kopi, atau minuman yang mampu meningkatkan energi.

Apapun yang Anda pilih untuk menu sarapan, beri tubuh dan otak Anda energi yang dibutuhkan untuk dibawa sepanjang hari. Berlakulah baik pada diri Anda sendiri, dan biasakan sarapan. Kebiasaan ini akan membuat Anda merasa lebih baik sepanjang hari. (.articlebiz/erl)

MAKANAN SEHAT UNTUK KESEHATAN TUBUH

2008-07-01T17:24:00.002-07:00

Oleh : Haryo Bagus Handoko, SP (Sarjana Pertanian Agribisnis)

Sebagai manusia pastilah kita pernah mengalami kondisi kesehatan yang tidak begitu baik, dan kita pasti akan merasa kurang nyaman saat harus terpaksa minum obat dari dokter. Kita tentu tidak merasa nyaman saat harus meminum obat resep dokter demi kesembuhan kita, namun tentu kita tidak akan menolak saat obat penyembuh itu bukan berupa pil, namun berupa makanan berkhasiat yang bisa menyembuhkan dan memulihkan kesehatan tubuh kita.

Apa yang dimaksud dengan Nutriceuticals ?
Pengobatan dengan cara mengkonsumsi suatu resep masakan atau minuman tertentu selanjutnya dalam dunia kedokteran disebut sebagai nutriceuticals. Salah satu ahli dalam bidang ini di Indonesia adalah Dokter Hembing yang terkenal bisa meramu berbagai bahan tanaman dan bahan makanan dalam suatu resep masakan dan minuman sehat yang bercita rasa enak namun terbukti bisa menyembuhkan berbagai penyakit dan memberikan khasiat yang baik bagi kesehatan, stamina, imunitas dan kebugaran tubuh.
Banyak bahan makanan di sekitar kita yang dapat menjadi “obat” penyembuh dan pemulih stamina tubuh kita. Misalnya saja, sup ayam. Sup ayam telah dikenal sebagai pemulih kekuatan dan stamina serta penyembuh bila kondisi tubuh kita begitu lemah atau dalam keadaan sakit. Dalam resep kuno bangsa Cina, sup ayam dikenal sebagai “obat mujarab” bagi pemulihan kondisi dan stamina wanita yang baru saja melahirkan dan berada dalam kondisi lemah, bahkan dalam beberapa kasus operasi, sup ayam yang dicampurkan dengan air rebusan tanduk kijang, kemudian dikonsumsi (dimakan) secara teratur oleh orang yang sakit atau si pasien, dipercaya bisa memulihkan stamina dan mempercepat pemulihan luka operasi.
Dalam kebudayaan yang lain, seperti kebudayaan Yahudi kuno, sup ayam dipercaya dapat mengobati berbagai penyakit yang diakibatkan oleh virus, misalnya saja penyakit flu. Bahkan beberapa orang ahli dari Amerika, biasa menyebut sup ayam sebagai antihistamine alami dan beberapa orang ahli yang lain bahkan menyebut bahwa sup ayam mempunyai fungsi yang sama dengan zat antibiotika penicillin. Selain meningkatkan kekebalan dan imunitas tubuh, sup ayam juga dipercaya bisa “membunuh” penyakit yang menyerang kekebalan tubuh kita.
Dalam pengobatan modern, sup ayam bisa juga terbukti secara ampuh menyembuhkan atau mengurangi rasa sakit akibat penyakit rematik atau pun cedera otot atau persendian (rheumatoid arthritis). Dalam sebuah penelitian di Amerika, seorang dokter bernama David E. Trentham dan tim risetnya dari Harvard Medical School mengadakan percobaan terhadap 30 orang pasien penderita penyakit radang persendian (arthritis) atau pun rematik dengan memberikan mereka makanan berupa sup ayam setiap hari. Setelah 3 bulan lamanya para pasien secara teratur mengkonsumsi sup ayam, 25-30% dari pasien penderita tersebut merasakan berkurangnya rasa sakit pada persendian mereka.
Berikut ini disajikan beberapa deret daftar bahan makanan sehat yang “dipercaya” bisa memulihkan stamina tubuh dengan cepat dan juga menyembuhkan tubuh dari serangan penyakit, yaitu : bawang putih, kacang kedele, ubi/ketela merah, buah kiwi, pisang, kacang hijau, dan aneka kacang-kacangan lain, brokoli, ikan tuna segar yang dikukus dan aneka ikan laut lainnya, daging ayam, daging kalkun bebas lemak (sudah dikuliti), gandum (oat meal), kentang panggang atau dikukus, paprika hijau dan merah, wortel, pepaya, nasi, ketan hitam, bayam, turnip, bawang bombay, yoghurt (tidak berlemak), aprikot, jeruk, tomat, daging kambing, pasta (misalnya spageti, atau aneka jenis pasta yang lain).
Dengan mengetahui bahan makanan apa saja yang dipercaya dapat menyembuhkan dan memulihkan stamina tubuh kita, maka kita bisa meracik sendiri bahan-bahan makanan tersebut menjadi suatu resep makanan yang juga berkhasiat bagi kesehatan dan kebugaran tubuh kita.
Tidak hanya makanan saja yang bisa membantu kita memperoleh tubuh yang sehat, bugar dan stamina tubuh yang prima. Minuman yang tepat juga terbukti bisa membantu kita memperoleh kesehatan dan kebugaran. Sejumlah penelitian menunjukkan hasil bahwa minuman teh yang biasa kita minum terbukti dapat mengurangi resiko tubuh kita terkena penyakit kanker, serangan jantung, penyakit stroke maupun membantu kita menurunkan kadar kolesterol dalam tubuh. Rahasia keampuhan khasiat dari minuman teh ternyata terkandung dalam daun teh yang mengandung zat yang bernama flavonoid, sebuah zat antioksidan yang dapat menghindarkan tubuh kita dari kerusakan sel akibat adanya radikal bebas yang masuk ke dalam tubuh (baik lewat pernapasan, makanan, atau minuman yang terkontaminasi oleh zat-zat polutan, zat beracun yang tidak sengaja bisa masuk ke dalam tubuh kita).
Sangat disarankan memilih varietas daun teh seperti misalnya teh hitam, teh hijau, atau pun teh bunga chrysanthemum dan varietas teh sejenis. Minuman teh yang dikemas dalam bentuk botolan, es teh atau minuman teh kemasan yang siap minum biasanya mengandung lebih sedikit flavonoid, sementara minuman teh herbal tidak mengandung flavonoid. Jadi kita harus pintar-pintar memilih jenis teh yang akan kita konsumsi, bila kita khusus tertarik pada khasiat flavonoidnya.
Saat kita membuat atau menyeduh teh, sebaiknya biarkan dulu selama lima menit, barulah kita bisa meminumnya. Hal ini untuk memberikan waktu agar air panas yang kita seduhkan pada daun-daun teh benar-benar bisa melarutkan flavonoid sehingga benar-benar terlarut dalam air teh yang nantinya akan kita minum.
Menurut hasil penelitian di Inggris, disarankan agar kita paling tidak meminum sekurang-kurangnya 8 cangkir teh (1.89 liter teh) per hari sehingga antioksidan dalam minuman teh (flavonoid) yang masuk ke dalam tubuh kita sama kadarnya dengan 6 buah apel yang idealnya kita makan dalam sehari. Namun bila kita termasuk orang yang sensitif terhadap zat seperti kafein yang terkandung juga dalam minuman teh, maka sebaiknya kita bisa mengurangi sendiri jumlah konsumsi minuman teh yang kita minum dalam sehari.
Untuk manfaat serta khasiat yang lebih kompleks, kita bisa mencampurkan minuman teh yang kita minum dengan madu untuk menambah kadar zat antioksidan yang masuk ke dalam tubuh kita, perasan air jeruk nipis (yang berfungsi untuk memacu pelepasan flavonoid dalam daun teh agar semakin banyak yang terlarut dalam air teh seduhan yang nantinya akan kita minum), atau pun kita bisa juga mencampurkan sedikit susu ke dalam minuman teh kita untuk menambahkan kalsium yang terkandung di dalamnya, sehingga minuman yang kita minum benar-benar mengandung berbagai zat penting yang berguna untuk peningkatan daya tahan dan stamina tubuh kita.

Apa yang dimaksud dengan Phytochemicals ?
Phytochemicals adalah sebutan terhadap tumbuhan, sayuran, buah-buahan, biji-bijian, dan kacang-kacangan yang mengandung zat kimia alami yang dapat berfungsi sebagai bahan untuk pengobatan. Di Indonesia, istilah ini juga dikenal sebagai tanaman TOGA (Tanaman Obat Keluarga). Bila bahan makanan ini dikonsumsi secara teratur maka akan bisa meningkatkan stamina, imunitas, kekebalan tubuh, sehingga kita bisa terhindar dari penyakit dan juga bisa memulihkan kondisi tubuh kita agar sehat dan bugar kembali saat kita sedang sakit dan berada dalam kondisi dan stamina tubuh yang lemah.
Chris Beecher, PhD, seorang peneliti dalam bidang kimia obat-obatan di Universitas Illinois Chicago, Amerika Serikat, telah membuat katalog mengenai 900 macam tumbuhan, sayuran, buah-buahan, biji-bijian dan kacang-kacangan yang dapat digolongkan sebagai Phytochemicals (Tanaman Obat). Diantaranya adalah sterol yang bisa dijumpai dalam mentimun. Sterol dipercaya bisa meluruhkan atau menghilangkan kolesterol dari dalam tubuh. Jadi dengan mengkonsumsi mentimun secara teratur, kolesterol dalam tubuh kita bisa kita kurangi. Bahkan mentimun cukup cocok dikonsumsi oleh para pasien tekanan darah tinggi, karena mentimun bisa menurunkan tekanan darah. Zat kimia alami lain yang bisa dijumpai dalam tumbuhan misalnya, polyacetylene, yang terkandung dalam tanaman parsley, yang bila dikonsumsi secara teratur bisa menghindarkan kita dari resiko terkena penyakit kanker, karena polyacetylene yang terkandung dalam tanaman parsley, berfungsi sebagai buffer (penyeimbang) terhadap zat asing dan bahan asing (misalnya zat karsinogenik) yang masuk ke dalam tubuh kita yang bisa berpotensi menyebabkan kanker. Zat alami lain seperti quinone yang bisa dijumpai dalam tanaman rosemary, berfungsi untuk menstimulasi tubuh kita agar memproduksi lebih banyak enzim penolak racun (detoxifying enzymes), dan zat-zat kimia seperti indole (yang bisa dijumpai dalam cabe atau lombok) yang terbukti bisa memerangi gejala kanker dengan cara mendeaktivasi hormon estrogen. Jadi bila kita yang terbiasa memakan lalapan mentimun dan sambal saat makan siang, secara teratur, berarti kita sudah menghindarkan tubuh kita dari resiko terserang penyakit kanker. Juga sangat disarankan agar mengurangi konsumsi bahan makanan daging yang dimasak dengan cara dibakar atau dipanggang, karena bila kita terlalu sering memakan daging panggang (terutama yang dipanggang atau dibakar hingga agak gosong), resiko tubuh terkena penyakit kanker juga semakin besar karena dalam daging bakar yang agak gosong (terlalu matang) berpotensi mengandung zat karsinogenik yang memicu pertumbuhan sel-sel kanker dalam tubuh kita. Jadi biasakanlah makan lebih banyak sayur dan buah-buahan bila ingin tubuh kita senantiasa sehat dan bugar.
Sebenarnya masih ada ratusan jenis bahan makanan (sayuran, buah-buahan, biji-bijian dan kacang-kacangan) yang termasuk dalam kategori phytochemicals. Phytochemicals atau tanaman obat bisa melindungi tubuh kita dari kerentanan akan serangan penyakit melalui berbagai cara, mulai dari melindungi DNA kita dari kerusakan, mengatur kerja hormon tubuh kita secara simultan, dan menstimulasi produksi bahan-bahan kimia dalam tubuh yang berfungsi membantu kerja syaraf tubuh kita (neurotransmitters).
Seorang pakar tanaman obat (naturopathy) dari Australia, Alison Johnson pernah berkata bahwa halaman kebun belakang rumah bisa merupakan lahan yang cukup baik untuk menanam berbagai jenis tanaman obat-obatan yang pada suatu saat mungkin bisa cukup berguna bagi kita. Beberapa jenis tanaman yang dia sarankan untuk ditanam di kebun belakang rumah kita antara lain :
Lidah buaya (Aloe vera), cukup berkhasiat untuk mengatasi gangguan pencernaan, tanaman ini bisa dipotong kecil-kecil kemudian dicampurkan dalam minuman sirup yang selanjutnya bisa kita minum untuk menjaga kesehatan pencernaan kita. Untuk manfaat yang lain, ternyata getah dan gel dari tanaman ini bisa bermanfaat untuk mengobati luka bakar, menyembuhkan jerawat yang membandel, dan juga menyembuhkan luka akibat tersayat atau karena jatuh, tentu saja cara pemakaiannya dengan dioleskan pada bagian anggota tubuh yang dimaksud.
German chamomile, merupakan tanaman tahunan dengan bunga berwarna putih dengan warna kuning di bagian pusatnya. Tanaman bunga ini bisa dimanfaatkan sebagai minuman teh yang berkhasiat, caranya dengan dimasukkan dalam air mendidih dan dididihkan hingga 20 menit kemudian airnya diminum. Cukup berkhasiat mengatasi gangguan pencernaan dan masuk angin (bila diminum bisa menstimulasi perut kita agar bisa mengeluarkan gas / kentut), selain itu dengan minum teh chamomile secara teratur bisa mengatasi gejala insomnia (susah tidur) karena efek dari teh chamomile ini bisa membantu kita agar bisa tidur nyenyak.
Lavender. Minuman teh dari seduhan bunga lavender berkhasiat mengatasi sakit kepala, sulit tidur (insomnia), penyakit rematik dan gangguan pencernaan. Minyak lavender dapat digunakan mengusir demam, mengobati luka bakar, dan bisa mengobati penyakit batuk bila dioleskan di bagian dada si pasien sesaat sebelum tidur. Bunga lavender dapat ditanam di tanah ataupun di pot, serta bisa juga berfungsi ganda sebagai tanaman hias nan cantik. Sebaiknya ditanam di bagian kebun yang memiliki penyinaran sinar matahari yang cukup.
Parsley, tanaman rempah ini berkhasiat untuk menyegarkan pernapasan dan bau mulut bila dikunyah secara teratur. Daun Parsley juga bisa dimanfaatkan sebagai tonik untuk kita yang berjenis kulit kering, dapat pula digunakan untuk tonik rambut. Parsley bisa ditanam di pot atau bisa juga ditanam sebagai tanaman pagar.
Rosemary, tidak hanya berguna sebagai bumbu masak, namun juga dapat berkhasiat sebagai obat keramas atau pun tonik untuk mengatasi rambut berketombe. Caranya dengan mencampurkan Rosemary dengan air secukupnya dan kemudian memblendernya hingga hancur, kemudian baru bisa dipakai untuk keramas atau juga sebagai tonik rambut. Rosemary bisa juga dibuat sebagai minuman teh yang ternyata cukup berkhasiat untuk mengobati “penyakit pikun”, mengobati sakit kepala, melegakan hidung tersumbat saat pilek dan juga mengatasi gangguan pencernaan serta meredakan rasa sakit akibat penyakit rematik.
Salvia atau Sage, termasuk tanaman jenis herba. Salvia (nama botani) karena mempunyai arti “sehat”. Tanaman ini bila dibuat sebagai minuman teh (dengan menggunakan 4 helai daun dengan dididihkan di air mendidih) bisa mengatasi gangguan pencernaan, mengobati sakit tenggorokan atau batuk dan juga dapat mengurangi jumlah keringat yang keluar dari tubuh (bagi orang yang bermasalah karena terlalu banyak mengeluarkan keringat sehingga menimbulkan bau badan yang tidak enak).
Thyme, tidak hanya bermanfaat sebagai bumbu masak, namun bisa juga dibuat sebagai minuman teh yang berkhasiat untuk mengobati sakit tenggorokan, dapat pula air teh yang dibuat dari thyme bisa digunakan untuk merendam kaki yang bengkak akibat terlalu capek berjalan atau berlari (biasanya banyak terjadi pada para olahragawan).
Bay leaves, tidak hanya berfungsi sebagai bumbu masak namun juga bisa bermanfaat untuk meredakan rasa sakit bila diremas-remas dan digosok-gosokkan pada bagian tubuh yang ngilu akibat rematik atau arthritis (gangguan atau radang persendian).

Di Indonesia sendiri, sebenarnya ahli dalam bidang tanaman obat juga sudah ada, dan bahkan sudah cukup dikenal, yaitu Dr. Hembing yang sering muncul dalam acara-acara televisi dan bahkan telah menerbitkan buku-buku mengenai tanaman obat yang berkhasiat bagi kesehatan tubuh manusia.

Berikut ini juga dibahas mengenai beberapa jenis bahan makanan lainnya yang berkhasiat baik bagi kesehatan tubuh kita, yaitu antara lain :

Ubi/Ketela Merah
Mungkin kita selama ini memandang sebelah mata terhadap bahan makanan yang satu ini. Banyak yang beranggapan bahwa ketela merah / ubi (orang Jawa menyebutnya dengan istilah “telo”) adalah makanan orang pedesaan, makanan udik, atau makanan kalangan ekonomi lemah. Kita mungkin tidak pernah menyadari bahwa dari bahan makanan yang murah ini mempunyai manfaat dan khasiat yang tidak bisa diremehkan begitu saja.
Ubi / ketela merah mengandung lebih banyak beta-carotene daripada wortel, mengandung vitamin C dan E, berkhasiat secara ampuh menghindarkan tubuh dari resiko terserang penyakit kanker. Berkhasiat pula untuk mengatasi gejala menopause pada wanita usia lanjut dan juga mencegah kaum wanita dari terserang osteoporosis, karena ubi/ketela merah terbukti mengandung hormon progesteron yang bisa membantu pembentukan tulang secara sehat sehingga kaum wanita bisa terhindar dari terserang osteoporosis. Bagi kaum pria, mengkonsumsi ubi/ketela merah juga bisa berkhasiat memberikan “bentuk tubuh yang bagus” karena ubi/ketela merah mengandung berbagai macam tipe karbohidrat serta mineral yang berguna bagi pertumbuhan dan pembentukan otot dan tubuh. Dalam industri obat-obatan, bahkan ubi/ketela merah banyak digunakan sebagai bahan dalam pembuatan pil KB atau pil kontrasepsi.
Bagi kita yang bertubuh kerempeng atau terlalu kurus, tentulah kita menginginkan memiliki badan yang bagus, padat berisi (bagi kaum wanita) atau sehat berotot (bagi kaum pria). Selain disarankan mengkonsumsi makanan yang mengandung protein (untuk pembentukan tubuh), kita juga disarankan pula mengkonsumsi karbohidrat dan juga mineral-mineral yang diperlukan oleh tubuh. Ketela merah atau ubi memiliki zat-zat yang dibutuhkan untuk pembentukan dan pembangunan tubuh kita seperti karbohidrat, kandungan karbohidrat dalam jumlah yang kompleks yang terkandung dalam ubi / ketela merah terbukti dapat membantu pembentukan jaringan otot, serta tubuh yang padat dan berisi. Semakin banyak atlit maupun para binaragawan yang memperbanyak konsumsi ubi / ketela merah dalam menu makanan mereka setiap harinya. Semakin banyak atlit, olahragawan dan binaragawan yang beralih dari menu makanan nasi, kentang, atau roti ke pengkonsumsian ubi / ketela merah sebagai makanan pokok. Hal ini karena ubi / ketela merah atau yam dipercaya sebagai makanan yang bebas kandungan lemak, maupun bebas kolesterol, namun sarat mineral dan vitamin yang berguna bagi pembentukan tubuh yang padat berisi namun bebas lemak.
Sudah bukan rahasia lagi bahwa ubi atau ketela merah (orang barat biasa menyebutnya dengan sebutan Yam), sekarang banyak dikonsumsi oleh para atlet binaraga, pesenam hingga balerina yang menginginkan tubuh yang sehat kuat, padat berisi dan bebas lemak. Bahkan sudah banyak hidangan vegetarian ala barat yang memasukkan bahan makanan ubi / ketela merah dalam menu hidangan tersebut. Ubi / ketela merah bisa dimasak dengan cara ditumis atau dipanggang bersama sayur mayur hijau seperti bayam, wortel, kacang-kacangan, bawang putih, kacang kedele, kentang, brokoli, tomat, pasta, spageti, hingga dimasak bersama daging kambing. Ada pula yang memasak ubi / ketela merah kukus bersama keju dan susu, serta daging asap yang kemudian dipanggang dalam oven untuk kemudian disantap saat matang.
Jadi sekarang jangan pernah menganggap remeh lagi bahan makanan sederhana yaitu ubi / ketela merah yang selama ini biasa dipandang sebelah mata. Sangat banyak khasiat dan manfaat yang terkandung dalam bahan makanan murah namun berguna bagi kesehatan dan kebugaran ini. Mari mulai kembali ke gaya hidup pedesaan dengan mengkonsumsi makanan sehat yang alami demi kesehatan dan kebugaran tubuh kita.

Bawang Putih
Sudah terbukti sejak ribuan tahun yang lalu, bahwa bawang putih banyak memiliki khasiat bagi kesehatan dan penyembuhan, karena mengandung zat anti bakteri dan anti virus. Misalnya saja bawang putih turut berperan dalam penyembuhan terhadap sekian banyak manusia yang terserang wabah disentri dalam perang dunia I. Bawang putih juga terbukti menyembuhkan dan menyelamatkan begitu banyak nyawa saat wabah penyakit aneh yang menyerang kerajaan Romawi dan Mesir kuno ribuan tahun silam menyerang para penduduk negeri tersebut. Dalam masa itu, penyakit aneh tersebut telah menyerang banyak korban dengan ganasnya sehingga dalam waktu satu atau beberapa hari saja sudah begitu banyak nyawa yang melayang. Untunglah saat itu seseorang tanpa sengaja mengunyah dan memakan bawang putih dan segera saja ia bisa sembuh secara “misterius”. Pengetahuan ini selanjutnya menyebar dari mulut ke mulut sehingga wabah penyakit misterius yang semula begitu ganas menyerang dan tak tertangani bisa segera teratasi dan begitu banyak nyawa yang terselamatkan oleh khasiat bawang putih ini. Hingga saat ini, penyakit misterius apa yang sempat menyerang kerajaan Romawi dan Mesir kuno itu belum juga terpecahkan dan belum diketahui jenisnya. Namun satu hal yang pasti bisa menyembuhkan penyakit ganas misterius itu, hanyalah “bawang putih”.
Memang sudah sejak ribuan tahun yang lalu, bawang putih dipercaya dapat menjaga dan memulihkan stamina serta daya tahan dan imunitas atau kekebalan tubuh. Bangsa Mesir kuno dan Romawi kuno sudah sejak lama menggunakan dan mengkonsumsi bawang putih untuk kebugaran dan daya tahan imunitas tubuh sehingga tidak mudah terserang oleh penyakit. Mulai dari penyakit flu, desentri, hingga berbagai penyakit yang berhubungan dengan infeksi saluran pernapasan, dan banyak penyakit lainnya bisa disembuhkan hanya dengan banyak mengkonsumsi bawang putih.
Bawang putih terbukti mengandung berbagai zat seperti potassium, fluorine, sulfur, phosphorus, serta vitamin A dan C. Bawang putih juga terbukti mengandung bioflavonoid quercetin yang bisa menghambat atau menghentikan reaksi alergi maupun reaksi pembengkakan jaringan tubuh. Zat kimia yang terkandung dalam bawang putih juga terbukti dapat melindungi hati atau liver dari kerusakan akibat penggunaan dosis tinggi dari zat kimia seperti Acetaminophen yang banyak terkandung dalam obat-obatan penghilang rasa sakit maupun obat-obatan atau pil dan tablet penyembuh penyakit flu atau influenza. Berbagai studi mengenai penyakit kanker juga membuktikan bahwa pengkonsumsian bawang putih segar (tanpa dimasak lebih dulu) secara rutin bisa menghindarkan kita dari resiko terkena berbagai macam penyakit kanker, termasuk pula di dalamnya terhindar dari resiko terkena penyakit kanker perut. Bawang putih juga bisa menghindarkan kita dari resiko anemia atau kurang darah. Bahkan ada yang beranggapan bahwa bawang putih bisa pula membantu para pasien AIDS atau HIV untuk bisa bertahan hidup lebih lama karena bawang putih terbukti bisa meningkatkan daya tahan tubuh atau antibodi. Jadi mulailah mengkonsumsi bawang putih mulai dari sekarang baik untuk dijadikan semacam sayur lalapan ataupun dicincang kecil-kecil dan kemudian diminum bersama segelas air putih secara rutin tiga kali dalam sehari.

Ikan Laut dan Kerang-Kerangan (Makanan Laut atau Seafood)
Bahan makanan dari laut, terutama jenis kerang-kerangan sangat kaya akan stimulan kekebalan tubuh, khususnya mineral seng (zinc). Mineral seng sangat penting bagi pertumbuhan dan perkembangan jaringan otot, pembentukan dan perkembangan tulang dan organ seksual. Bahkan para ahli ada yang menganggap bahwa kerang adalah salah satu jenis aphrodiziac (bahan makanan yang bisa menstimulir libido atau hasrat seksual). Bahan makanan lain yang mengandung mineral seng, antara lain adalah jeroan (organ dalam sapi), daging sapi segar, biji-bijian dan kacang-kacangan, kacang polong, wortel, kacang panjang, kacang hijau dan kentang.
Makanan laut, terutama ikan juga dipercaya untuk memperlambat penuaan karena ikan banyak mengandung koenzim Q10 (coenzyme Q10 atau biasa disebut ubiquinone), suatu zat kimia antioksidan yang fungsinya menyerupai vitamin E. Koenzim Q10 berperan aktif dalam meningkatkan kekebalan tubuh (sistem imunitas), serta memperlambat proses penuaan. Pengkonsumsian ikan secara teratur dalam menu makanan sehat cukup menampakkan hasil pada pasien yang mengidap penyakit jantung, dimana kemampuan pompa jantung meningkat pesat setelah si pasien mengkonsumsi makanan berbahan dasar ikan laut secara teratur selama satu tahun, pasien bisa lebih bernafas lega dan napasnya tidak lagi tersengal-sengal setelah banyak mengkonsumsi makanan berbahan dasar ikan laut.
Ikan laut bila dikonsumsi dalam porsi yang cukup dan dikonsumsi secara teratur terbukti bisa meningkatkan kemampuan dan kekuatan otot. Oleh karena itu semakin banyak olahragawan dan binaragawan yang mengkonsumsi ikan laut daripada daging hewan darat, hal ini karena ikan laut dipercaya lebih bisa menyediakan protein yang dibutuhkan untuk pembentukan dan perkembangan otot dalam jumlah yang dibutuhkan oleh tubuh.
Mengkonsumsi ikan laut juga bisa mengatasi gangguan pencernaan lambung (sakit maag), dan juga baik untuk kesehatan usus dua belas jari yang ada dalam perut manusia. Pengkonsumsian ikan laut dan bahan makanan dari laut juga sangat baik bagi para penderita asma, dan juga para penderita alergi terhadap histamine, karena ikan laut terbukti cukup ampuh untuk mengimbangi efek histamine yang masuk ke dalam tubuh.

Kacang-Kacangan
Bahan makanan dari kacang-kacangan sangat kaya akan zat besi. Zat besi dibutuhkan oleh tubuh untuk mengangkut oksigen ke dalam setiap sel tubuh dan juga membantu dalam penggunaan oksigen sehingga bisa dimanfaatkan sebaik-baiknya oleh sel tubuh. Zat besi sangat banyak terkandung dalam darah manusia. Oleh karena itu bila seseorang banyak kehilangan darah, misalnya karena kecelakaan atau karena sehabis melahirkan, maka biasanya orang tersebut juga sangat membutuhkan asupan zat besi dalam jumlah banyak yang seharusnya dipasok dari bahan makanan yang dimakannya. Kekurangan zat besi biasanya ditandai dengan gejala mudah capek, badan selalu lemas dan lemah. Orang yang kekurangan zat besi dianjurkan lebih banyak makan makanan yang banyak mengandung zat besi, seperti telur, ikan, hati, daging sapi, daging unggas, sayuran berwarna hijau, gandum, roti, sereal, kacang almond, alpukat, parsley, buah pir, waluh, kismis, nasi, ketan, kedele, dan kacang lentil.

Bahan Makanan yang Mengandung Kalsium
Makanan berbahan dasar susu, seperti aneka keju (keju parmesan, keju mozzarella, keju ricotta), susu skim, krim, susu segar, maupun yoghurt bebas lemak adalah sangat kaya akan kalsium. Kalsium sangat dibutuhkan dalam pembentukan dan perkembangan tulang dan gigi. Kalsium juga dapat mencegah serangan penyakit jantung, karena kalsium berperan dalam menstabilkan denyut jantung. Di samping itu mengkonsumsi kalsium dalam jumlah yang cukup dapat memperbaiki kegiatan transmisi ransangan syaraf tubuh (impuls syaraf), mencegah kanker usus, serta mencegah osteoporosis. Kalsium juga sangat dibutuhkan untuk perkembangan, pertumbuhan serta kontraksi otot dalam rangka mencegah terjadinya kram otot. Kalsium juga memasok energi dan berpartisipasi dalam pembentukan protein RNA dan DNA.
Bahan makanan lainnya yang mengandung kalsium antara lain ikan salmon, ikan sardin, sayuran berwarna hijau, brokolo, asparagus, kobis, tahu, mustard, dan kacang almond.

Sayur dan Buah yang Mengandung Vitamin
Vitamin A, C dan E adalah merupakan antioksidan penting bagi tubuh. Vitamin C berperan dalam mencegah dan mengobati serangan jantung, kanker, serta membangun kekebalan tubuh saat tubuh terserang infeksi, misalnya saat tubuh terserang penyakit influenza.
Vitamin A berpartisipasi dalam pembentukan dan kesehatan kulit, rambut dan selaput atau membran mukus (selaput yang menyelubungi organ dalam kita, misalnya saja selaput pipi). Vitamin A juga turut berperan dalam pertumbuhan tulang, perkembangan gigi, dan proses reproduksi. Vitamin A juga berkhasiat mencegah serangan penyakit kanker dan mengatasi penuaan pada kulit. Prekursor Vitamin A, yaitu Beta-Carotene, dapat mencegah terjadinya kanker dan mencegah serangan penyakit jantung serta mencegah terjadinya serangan penyakit katarak pada mata. Vitamin A dapat diperoleh dari bahan makanan seperti waluh, wortel, bayam, paprika, lombok merah, aprikot, brokolo, kuning telur dan hati sapi.
Vitamin C mempercepat proses penyembuhan dan pemulihan stamina tubuh, menstimulasi tubuh untuk melepaskan energi dengan cara memecah karbohidrat yang tersimpan dalam tubuh melalui proses metabolisme (pernapasan) serta mempunyai andil dan peran yang cukup penting dalam kinerja sistem syaraf tubuh. Vitamin C mudah diperoleh dengan cara mengkonsumsi buah-buahan dan sayur-sayuran seperti jeruk, paprika, buah kiwi, strawberi, melon, brokoli, parsley, dan kobis.
Vitamin E dibutuhkan tubuh untuk kesehatan hati dan otot-otot yang melekat pada tulang. Vitamin E juga dibutuhkan untuk membentuk sel darah merah dan melindungi serta menghindarkan kita dari serangan penyakit jantung dan kanker. Vitamin E juga turut berperan dan berkhasiat untuk mengobati radang persendian (arthritis) dan juga aneka macam permasalahan pada kulit (kulit sensitif). Vitamin E sangat mudah dijumpai pada minyak kulit ari, biji bunga matahari, minyak sayur, kacang almond, kacang tanah, mentega kacang, serta buah pir.

Bahan Makanan Berserat Yang Lain
Bahan makanan berserat bila dikonsumsi secara teratur terbukti bisa mencegah serangan kanker, serangan penyakit jantung, dan kelainan serta penyakit lainnya. Makanan berserat dibedakan menjadi dua, yaitu serat yang tidak larut dalam air (Insoluble Fibers atau biasa disebut Roughage) dan serat yang larut dalam air (Soluble Fibers).
Bahan makanan yang seratnya tidak larut dalam air berfungsi membersihkan saluran pencernaan hingga benar-benar bersih, serta menyerap zat-zat racun yang tersisa di dinding saluran pencernaan maupun usus dua belas jari. Bahan makanan yang seratnya tidak larut dalam air bisa diperoleh dengan mengkonsumsi sayuran, nasi, jagung dan gandum.
Bahan makanan yang seratnya larut dalam air (misalnya pektin), berpartisipasi dalam kegiatan mencerna dan menyerap sari-sari makanan. Bahan makanan yang seratnya larut dalam air bisa diperoleh dengan mengkonsumsi gandum dan barley, kacang-kacangan, buah jeruk, serta buah-buahan yang lain.

Demikianlah, ternyata bahan makanan yang melimpah ruah di sekitar kita juga bisa berfungsi untuk menghindarkan kita dari serangan penyakit, meningkatkan stamina dan ketahanan tubuh kita dan bahkan menyembuhkan kita dari suatu penyakit.

Diet Dengan Minum Air Putih

2008-07-01T17:24:00.001-07:00

Banyak orang menginginkan tubuh yang semampai bak peragawati, sehingga banyak produk penurunan berat badan dijual di pasaran. Semuanya menjanjikan penurunan berat badan dengan cepat dan mudah. Banyak orang tidak pernah peduli sudah berapa banyak uang yang dikeluarkan untuk mendapatkan tubuh yang ideal. Jangan ditanya berapa banyak, masalahnya hampir semuanya berharga mahal. Kalaupun mereka membeli dan mencoba, tapi belum tentu akan cocok dengan kondisi tubuh mereka.

Kondisi inilah yang akhirnya membuat kita lupa, bahwa sebenarnya ada cara menurunkan berat badan yang relatif murah dan hampir tanpa resiko. Yaitu diet dengan minum air putih. Nah, daripada kita sulit menemukan obat penurun berat badan, kenapa tak mencoba saja diet dengan air putih ini?

Manfaat Air

Air begitu besar manfaatnya bagi tubuh, selain untuk menjaga kesegaran tubuh, membantu melancarkan pencernaan, menyembuhkan berbagai macam penyakit dan mengeluarkan racun dalam tubuh. Ternyata air putih juga dapat membantu mengurangi berat badan Anda.

Air putih merupakan elemen penting dalam proses metabolisme (pembakaran kalori) dalam tubuh dengan mengubah makanan menjadi energi. Air berperan sebagai bahan bakar untuk mendorong reaksi kimia metabolisme. Jadi, apabila kita tidak minum cukup air, maka bisa dipastikan tubuh kita tidak akan dapat membakar kalori dengan baik.

Beberapa akibat jika tubuh kita kekurangan air, seperti:

1. Kekurangan air dapat menyebabkan penumpukan racun dalam tubuh. Semakin banyak racun dalam tubuh kita, itu artinya akan semakin sulit bagi kita untuk mengurangi berat badan.

2. Kekurangan air dalam tubuh dapat memperlambat proses penurunan berat badan. Hal ini karena sekitar 2.5 liter air habis oleh fungsi tubuh sehari-hari seperti berkeringat. Sehingga jika kita menjalani program diet dan berat badan masih saja tidak turun, mungkin hal ini disebabkan kita tidak minum cukup air.

3. Sistem pencernaan terganggu. Air penting bagi proses pencernaan. Pencernaan yang terganggu adalah jika kita tidak bisa menyerap manfaat dari makanan, sementara tubuh akan mengirimkan sinyal yang menandakan minta tambahan makanan yang mengandung mineral yang dirasakan kurang oleh tubuh.

4. Kita merasa “pura-pura” lapar. Ketika dehidrasi, tubuh akan mengirim sinyal seolah-olah meminta tambahan makanan. Dengan minum air, kita bukan hanya dapat mengekang rasa lapar, tapi juga membuat kita merasa kenyang.

5. Kita tidak dapat memperoleh seluruh manfaat dari olahraga saja. Metabolisme memang dapat meningkat dengan olahraga, tetapi air-lah yang berperan penting memaksimalkan metabolisme tersebut. Karena itu, minumlah cukup air sebelum, selama, dan sesudah olahraga.

Jadi, bagaimana caranya agar kita tahu bahwa tubuh kita telah memperoleh cairan yang cukup? Karena jumlah cairan yang dibutuhkan oleh tubuh berbeda-beda tergantung dari aktivitas apa yang kita lakukan serta suhu dan kelembaban udara di lingkungan kita. Sangat dianjurkan agar orang dewasa minum 8 gelas atau lebih air putih sehari atau minuman lain seperti jus buah yang juga dapat membantu menambah cairan dalam tubuh.

http://www.sehatbugar.info

ONKOLOGI

2008-07-01T17:22:00.000-07:00

Ketika Sel-sel Kanker Membeku

[img]http://asteroid.bluefameupload.com/img/8a73dfe8dec78ce19fde759ad390c5db/KankerBeku.jpg[img]

Tim medis tengah melaksanakan tindakan terapi cryo (pendinginan pada suhu hingga -100 derajat Celsius) untuk membekukan sel-sel kanker pada pasien kanker paru, Jumat (14/3), di Rumah Sakit Gading Pluit, Jakarta Utara. Tindakan medis itu disiarkan secara langsung dalam seminar bertema "Diagnosis dan Terapi Kanker Tingkat Lanjut" beberapa waktu lalu. (EVY RACHMAWATI)

Di usia paruh baya, segudang penyakit menyerang tubuh Robiyanto. Sel-sel kanker menggerogoti paru-parunya. Aktivitas kerja yang ditekuninya pun terhenti. Rasa putus asa mendera tatkala segala macam pengobatan yang dijalani tak juga membuahkan hasil memuaskan.

Kebiasaannya merokok sejak kecil, sekitar kelas 5 SD, merupakan pangkal masalah kesehatannya. Selama puluhan tahun ia menghabiskan satu hingga dua bungkus rokok keretek setiap hari. ”Di mana pun berada, saya sulit lepas dari rokok. Abu rokok berserakan di seluruh penjuru rumah. Di kamar tidur pun saya merokok,” ujar pria berusia 55 tahun itu.

Beberapa tahun silam, sang istri didiagnosis menderita kanker paru-paru stadium lanjut. Namun, istrinya enggan menjalani kemoterapi dan terapi lain hingga mengembuskan napas terakhir pada tahun 2003. Sepeninggal istrinya, Robiyanto dihantui rasa bersalah karena merasa kecanduannya merokoklah penyebab pendamping hidupnya terserang tumor ganas.

Ia pun terbenam dalam penyesalan. Untuk melampiaskan rasa bersalah, pria berkulit putih itu makin larut dalam kebiasaan merokok. Setiap hari, ia bisa menghabiskan empat bungkus rokok ditambah beberapa gelas kopi. Seisi rumahnya pun dipenuhi pekatnya asap rokok. ”Saya kehilangan semangat hidup sepeninggal istri saya,” kata Robiyanto.

Hal itu mengakibatkan kondisi kesehatannya memburuk hingga akhirnya ia terserang stroke pada Oktober 2006. Separuh tubuhnya lumpuh. Dalam rangkaian pemeriksaan kesehatan di Rumah Sakit St Carolus Jakarta, paru-parunya dibiopsi. Hasilnya menunjukkan, sel-sel kanker menggerogoti tubuhnya dan telah memasuki stadium lanjut. Jantungnya juga bocor.

Berkat dorongan keluarganya, semangat Robiyanto untuk sembuh agar bisa beraktivitas secara normal mulai bangkit. Namun, harapannya untuk sembuh nyaris pupus ketika tim medis dari rumah sakit kanker di Jakarta tak bisa menemukan induk sel-sel kankernya. Ia lalu beralih berobat ke Singapura dan akhirnya diketahui induk kankernya di kepala dan paru-paru.

Di Singapura, tumor ganas di kepala pria humoris ini diangkat. Sedangkan tumor ganas di bagian paru-paru tidak berani dioperasi lantaran lokasinya tersembunyi dan dekat dengan organ vital, yaitu area jantung. Pengobatan dilanjutkan dengan kemoterapi. Meski telah menjalani tiga tahapan kemoterapi, tumornya terus membesar.

”Setiap dikemoterapi, rasanya sangat tidak enak, terasa mual, rambut rontok. Pemulihannya butuh waktu agak lama,” kata Robiyanto. Setelah kemoterapi tak membuahkan hasil memuaskan, ia kemudian beberapa kali mencoba terapi target, tetapi juga tidak sanggup mematikan sel kanker di bagian paru. Padahal, ia telah menghabiskan uang hingga ratusan juta rupiah untuk terapi.

Ia lalu memutuskan menghentikan segala jenis terapi sejak Oktober lalu dan cuma pasrah menunggu hari terakhir. Sehari-hari, ia hanya mengonsumsi suplemen. Akibat terkena komplikasi stroke, masalah jantung, dan kanker, ia sering sesak napas. Untuk berjalan ke ruang makan saja sulit sekali dia lakukan. ”Beberapa bulan tidak berobat, tumor membesar dua kali lipat dari lima sentimeter jadi 10 cm,” ujarnya.

Atas anjuran kerabatnya, ia mencoba menjalani Terapi Cryo (pembekuan sel-sel kanker hingga suhu -100° Celsius) di Pusat Kanker Rumah Sakit Gading Pluit, Jakarta. Sebelum di terapi cryo, ia terlebih dulu diperiksa dengan ultrasonografi (USG) dan pencitraan untuk mengetahui secara tepat posisi tumornya.

Setelah dibius lokal, bagian dadanya ditusuk dengan empat jarum hingga mengenai tumor ganas berbentuk padat yang ada di paru-parunya. Melalui jarum itu, gas helium (He) dialirkan ke tubuh untuk mendinginkan tumor dalam tubuhnya hingga minus 150° Celsius. Setelah membeku, gas argon (Ar) disuntikkan agar suhu tubuh kembali normal. Untuk membekukan tumor, proses pendinginan dan pemanasan itu diulang sekali lagi.

Usai diterapi, ia mengaku tidak lagi sesak napas. ”Saya sempat khawatir terapinya tidak bisa dilakukan karena sehari sebelumnya saya sesak napas sampai harus dipasang alat bantu pernapasan,” ujarnya. Ternyata proses pemulihan pascaoperasi sangat cepat. Sehari setelah diterapi, ia bisa berbicara dengan lancar dan sesak napasnya jauh berkurang.

Tanpa bedah

Kanker merupakan salah satu penyebab utama kematian di dunia maupun di Indonesia. Di negara maju, sebagian besar pasien datang pada stadium rendah. Sebaliknya, di Indonesia dan sejumlah negara berkembang lain, pasien datang pada stadium lanjut. Banyak pasien baru tahu terserang kanker saat berobat untuk jenis penyakit lain.

Sebenarnya pada stadium dini, harapan hidup lima tahun tanpa penyakit mencapai lebih dari 50 persen. Pada stadium rendah, operasi dapat segera dilakukan dan pada keadaan tertentu juga dapat dilakukan operasi pengangkatan tumor.

Sedangkan pada stadium lanjut, pengobatan lebih bersifat paliatif atau memfokuskan pada upaya mempertahankan kualitas hidup. Pada stadium ini mungkin hanya bisa dilakukan biopsi dan terapi paliatif, baik dengan radiasi maupun pengobatan medik. Untuk kemoterapi, dulu hanya beberapa obat saja yang dikenal, sementara saat ini banyak jenis obat baru seperti golongan taxane dan gemcitabine. Kini datang obat baru golongan terapi target yang penggunaannya hanya boleh sesuai indikasi dan tepat guna.

Kini di Indonesia diterapkan terapi cryo, salah satu cara diagnosis dan pengobatan baru terhadap penyakit yang hingga kini belum ditemukan obatnya itu. Terapi ini berfungsi membekukan sel tumor dengan cara membekukannya. Terapi ini biasanya dilakukan dengan memakai media jarum untuk mendinginkan tumor sampai -100° Celsius.

Menurut Ketua Asosiasi Bedah Cryo Internasional Prof Franco Lugnani, terapi dingin pada pasien tidak perlu dengan pembedahan pada organ tubuh yang terserang sel kanker. ”Jadi, terapinya dilakukan dengan mencari lokasi kanker itu melalui CT-scan, lalu jarum cryo ditusukkan lewat permukaan kulit,” ujarnya dalam seminar bertema ”Recent Advances in Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy” di Jakarta beberapa waktu lalu.

Ahli terapi cryo dari Rumah Sakit Kanker Fuda Guangzhou Prof Xu Ke Cheng menjelaskan, terapi ini cocok digunakan pada pasien kanker yang telah memasuki stadium lanjut yang gagal diterapi dengan operasi dan kemoterapi. Di China, mayoritas pasien berobat ketika kankernya sudah stadium tiga dan empat.

Dari sejumlah kasus penderita kanker yang ditanganinya, terapi pembekuan ternyata lebih efektif dan banyak berhasil ketimbang operasi pengangkatan. Sejauh ini, jenis kanker yang bisa diterapi cryo antara lain kanker prostat, kanker hati, dan kanker paru yang ada pada stadium dua. Terapi ini terutama digunakan pada tumor padat berukuran besar—diameter lebih dari 2 sentimeter—bukan tumor yang ada dalam aliran darah.

Selama ini pengobatan kanker cenderung dilakukan dengan cara ”pemanasan” (melibatkan unsur panas dalam prosesnya). Pengobatan ini membutuhkan pemulihan lama dan efek samping seperti mual dan rambut rontok. ”Ternyata dengan (proses) pendinginan, hasilnya cukup efektif dan bisa dilakukan berulang kali. Untuk menghindari komplikasi, jarum harus ditusukkan pada lokasi yang tepat,” tambahnya.

Sebenarnya ”terapi dingin” ini bukan hal baru dalam dunia kedokteran. Terapi ini sudah ditemukan sekitar seabad silam dalam metode pembedahan. Namun, cara itu mulai ditinggalkan lantaran sistem pendinginan turut membekukan jaringan sel yang masih sehat di sekitar tumor sehingga menimbulkan banyak komplikasi.

Pada awal 1990-an, metode terapi cryo berhasil disempurnakan dengan dukungan teknologi canggih. Jadi, terapi itu tidak bisa diterapkan tanpa alat deteksi seperti CT-scan dan ultrasonografi. ”Kini mulai dikembangkan terapi cryo dengan intervensi minimal melalui media jarum,” kata ahli terapi cryo dari RS Kanker Fuda Guangzhou, China, Associate Professor Niu Lizhi.

”Dengan invasi minimal, maka efek samping pascaterapi pembekuan bisa diminimalisasi. Di China metode ini telah digunakan kepada ribuan pasien, termasuk penderita yang takut dioperasi,” kata Niu. Masa pemulihan pascabedah cryo cukup singkat. Bahkan, banyak pasien kondisinya pulih hanya dalam waktu dua hari.

Terapi ”pendinginan”, menurut Associate Professor dari Universitas Bern, Switzerland, Hans U Baer, juga sangat bermanfaat untuk mengatasi kanker pankreas yang sulit diobati. Keberadaan terapi ini bagian dari upaya paliatif yang memberi harapan bagi penderita kanker untuk mengurangi rasa sakit.

Ibu-Ibu Amerika Gugat Vaksinasi

2008-07-01T17:21:00.002-07:00

Berbahan Pengawet Thimerosal, Dituding Sebabkan Autisme
WASHINGTON - Pemberian vaksin kepada anak-anak yang bertujuan meningkatkan kekebalan tubuh malah dirasa bermasalah. Ibu-ibu di Amerika Serikat merasa bahwa vaksin dengan bahan pengawet thimerosal yang diberikan kepada anak-anak mereka telah memicu sindrom autisme.

Thimerosal adalah senyawa organomerkuri. Di AS, thimerosal biasa digunakan untuk antiseptik dan antifugal. Kandungan merkuri thimerosal bisa mencapai 49 persen.

Ibu-ibu yang merasa dirugikan kemarin mengajukan gugatan ke pengadilan. Pengacara mereka berusaha menunjukkan bahwa bahan pengawet yang menggunakan merkuri dapat memicu gejala autisme.

Sebagai bukti nyata, seorang anak laki-laki dari Portland, Oregon, akan menjalani serangkaian tes untuk membuktikan hal itu. Pengacaranya menyatakan bahwa bocah tersebut sebelum divaksinasi dalam kondisi sehat, bahagia, dan normal.

Tapi setelah divaksinasi dengan thimerosal, kondisinya mengalami kemunduran. Jika hal itu terbukti benar, ratusan keluarga tersebut akan mendapatkan uang kompensasi.

Secara keseluruhan, hampir 4.900 keluarga telah mengajukan klaim ke Pengadilan Federal AS (pengadilan yang menangani klaim melawan pemerintah AS, Red). Mereka menyatakan bahwa vaksin tersebut menyebabkan autisme dan masalah-masalah saraf pada anak-anak mereka.

Pengacara dari keluarga yang mengajukan gugatan menyatakan bahwa mereka akan menunjukkan bukti bahwa suntikan vaksin yang mengandung thimerosal menyebabkan endapan merkuri di otak. Zat merkuri tersebut telah membangkitkan sel otak tertentu yang memicu autisme sehingga anak cenderung acuh. "Di beberapa anak, ada cukup merkuri untuk membuat pola neuroinflammatory kronis yang dapat memicu penyakit autisme regresif," ujar Mike Williams, salah seorang pengacara para ibu tersebut.

Badan ahli khusus dari pengadilan telah menginstruksi penggugat untuk melakukan tes untuk membuktikan teori penyebab autisme tersebut. Mereka juga menunjuk tiga ahli untuk menangani kasus itu.

Tiga kasus di kategori pertama pernah didengar dan diajukan tahun lalu, namun sampai saat ini belum ada keputusannya. Kasus yang disidangkan kemarin difokuskan pada teori kedua tentang penyebab autisme.

Teori tersebut menyatakan bahwa thimerosal yang terdapat dalam vaksin menyebabkan autisme. Para pengacara keluarga itu berharap bisa meyakinkan para ahli bahwa thimerosal menyebabkan peradangan yang memicu autisme regresif.

Namun, banyak di antara anggota komunitas medis merasa skeptis terhadap klaim tersebut. Mereka takut klaim itu akan mengakibatkan beberapa orang tidak melakukan vaksinasi atas anak-anaknya. "Yang saya sayangkan adalah orang-orang yang antivaksin akan beralih dari satu hipotesis ke hipotesis berikutnya tanpa menengok kasus di belakangnya," ujar Dr Paul Offit, direktur pusat pendidikan vaksinasi di rumah sakit anak Philadelphia.

Sebenarnya, beberapa tahun belakangan thimerosal telah dihilangkan dari standar vaksinasi anak-anak, kecuali dalam vaksin flu yang tidak dikemas dalam satu dosis. Pusat pengendalian penyakit AS (Centers for Disease Control/CDC) menyatakan bahwa vaksin flu yang mengandung thimerosal hanya tersedia dalam jumlah yang terbatas.

Pada 2004, institut obat-obatan di AS telah mengadakan penelitian tentang penggunaan thimerosal dalam vaksin. Berdasar penelitian tersebut, tidak ada bukti-bukti nyata yang menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan thimerosal dapat memicu autisme pada anak-anak.

Meski demikian, ratusan keluarga yang menuntut mempunyai pendapat berbeda. Berdasar pengalaman, anak-anak mereka menderita gejala autisme setelah pemberian vaksin dengan thimerosal tersebut.

Website yang dirilis pengadilan menunjukkan bahwa lebih dari 12.500 klaim telah diajukan sejak program vaksinasi dengan thimerosal pada 1987. Dari keseluruhan klaim tersebut, 5.300 klaim adalah kasus autisme dan lebih dari USD 1,7 miliar (Rp 15,7 triliun) telah dibayarkan. Website itu juga menyatakan bahwa saat ini lebih dari USD 2,7 miliar (Rp 24,94 triliun) dana yang berasal dari pajak pertambahan nilai telah disediakan untuk meng-cover jika terjadi masalah dalam program vaksinasi. (AP/sha/ruk)

Sumber : www. jawapos.com

Menghitung Usia Kehamilan

2008-07-01T17:21:00.001-07:00

Begitu dinyatakan positif hamil, saat itu pula Anda mulai menghitung usia kehamilan. Ada banyak cara. Mana yang paling akurat?

Seringkali ibu hamil tidak tahu pasti berapa usia kehamilannya, karena waktu terjadinya pembuahan tidak diketahui secara pasti. Berikut beberapa cara untuk menghitung usia kehamilan Anda.

Hari pertama haid terakhir

Di sini, daur haid yang jadi patokan. Berdasarkan tanggal itu, dokter memperkirakan usia kehamilan dan tanggal kelahiran si kecil yang dihitung berdasarkan rumus Naegele, yakni (hari+7), (bulan–3), (tahun+1). Contohnya, bila haid terakhir tanggal 1 Juni 2003, diperkirakan persalinan tanggal 8 Maret 2004.

Catatan:

* Rumus ini hanya bisa diterapkan pada wanita yang daur haidnya teratur, yakni antara 28-30 hari.

- Perkiraan tanggal persalinan sering meleset antara 7 hari sebelum atau setelahnya. Hanya sekitar 5% bayi yang akan lahir sesuai perhitungan ini.

- Untuk mengurangi kemungkinan terlalu melesetnya perhitungan pada wanita yang daur haidnya pendek, akan ditambahkan beberapa hari dari hari-H. Sedang yang daur haidnya panjang, akan dikurangi beberapa hari.

- Untuk bulan yang tidak bisa dikurangi 3, misalnya Januari, Februari, dan Maret, maka bulannya ditambah 9, tapi tahunnya tetap.

Gerakan janin

- Pada kehamilan pertama, gerakan janin mulai terasa sesudah usia kehamilan 18-20 minggu.

- Pada kehamilan ke-2 dan seterusnya, gerakan janin sudah terasa pada usia kehamilan 16-18 minggu.

- Memasuki trimester ke-3 usia kehamilan, gerakan janin akan semakin kuat dan sering. Namun, tak jarang janin justru kurang aktif bergerak.

Catatan: Perkiraan ini dilakukan bila Anda lupa hari pertama haid terakhir.

Tinggi puncak rahim

Pada pengukuran ini, dokter akan meraba puncak rahim (fundus uteri) yang menonjol di dinding perut. Di sini, usia kehamilan dihitung dengan 3 cara yang dimulai dari tulang kemaluan.

- Memakai satuan cm

- Kalau jarak dari tulang kemaluan sampai puncak rahim sekitar 28 cm, ini berarti usia kehamilan sudah mencapai 28 minggu.

- Tinggi maksimal puncak rahim adalah 36 cm, dan ini menunjukkan usia kehamilan 36 minggu.

Catatan: Ukuran ini tidak akan bertambah lagi, meski usia kehamilan mencapai 40 minggu. Kalaupun tingginya bertambah, kemungkinan bayi Anda besar, kembar, atau cairan tubuh Anda berlebih.

Menggunakan 2 jari tangan

- Jika jarak antara tulang kemaluan dengan puncak rahim masih di bawah pusar, setiap penambahan 2 jari berarti penambahan usia kehamilan sebanyak 2 minggu.

- Bila jarak tadi sudah di atas pusar, setiap penambahan 2 jari sama dengan bertambahnya usia kehamilan 4 minggu.

- Membandingkan tinggi puncak rahim dan tinggi pusar

- Kalau sama-sama tinggi, ini berarti usia kehamilan mencapai 5 bulan.

- Tinggi puncak rahim yang melewati pusar dan hampir di tengah-tengah dada menunjukkan usia kehamilan sudah sekitar 7 bulan.

- Jika tinggi puncak rahim sudah mencapai dada, dapat dipastikan usia kehamilan 9 bulan.

Catatan: Cara ini agak sulit dilakukan pada wanita yang bertubuh gemuk.

Ultrasonografi (USG)

USG dapat menentukan usia kehamilan dan memperkirakan waktu kelahiran si kecil berdasarkan “gambar” janin yang muncul pada layar monitor dengan bantuan transducer .

Catatan: USG sering digunakan untuk melengkapi kepastian usia kehamilan. Meski biaya pemeriksaannya agak mahal, tapi tingkat akurasinya tinggi, yakni sekitar 95%.

Nah, cara mana yang terbaik? Sulit ditentukan, karena masing-masing cara memiliki kelebihan sekaligus kekurangan. Menggabungkan beberapa cara merupakan pilihan terbaik.

Sumber : www.ayahbunda-online.com

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, May 18, 2008

2008-07-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

Statement of Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Twenty-five years ago this month, researchers reported the isolation of the virus that causes AIDS. Since then, over 60 million people have been infected with HIV — an estimated 2.5 million in 2007 alone — numbers that remind us that the development of an HIV vaccine is an urgent humanitarian imperative. This year’s HIV Vaccine Awareness Day provides us with an opportunity to renew and strengthen our commitment here at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to finding a safe and effective HIV vaccine that will slow, and hopefully one day end, the HIV⁄AIDS pandemic.

The past year was a disappointing one in the search for a safe and effective HIV vaccine. The scientific concept tested in the HIV vaccine study known as the STEP trial was considered to have great promise; however, the vaccine did not have the desired beneficial effect. Although the finding was disappointing, it was not unusual given the nature of science and vaccine development. Historically, it has taken decades to find effective vaccines to combat infectious diseases. In the 89 years it took to create an effective pertussis vaccine and the 42 years it took to develop an effective measles vaccine, researchers experienced numerous setbacks and disappointments before reaching success; yet they persevered. Finding a safe and effective HIV vaccine demands an equally intense resolve.

Last year, 2.1 million people died as a result of AIDS, including 330,000 children under the age of 15. Today, 33.3 million people are living with HIV infection. Although the problem is most severe in sub-Saharan Africa, the United States also has been hard-hit: more than 565,000 people in this country have died of AIDS and an estimated 1.1 million are living with HIV infection. African-Americans and Hispanics shoulder the greatest burden, accounting for 59 percent of U.S. AIDS cases in 2006. In some urban areas, the HIV infection rates rival those of Africa. Nowhere is this more shocking than in the nation’s capital, where one in 20 Washingtonians have HIV and one in 50 has AIDS.

Through important public health programs, such as the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Clinton Foundation, we have made enormous strides in making life-saving treatments accessible to HIV-infected individuals throughout the world. Despite this heroic achievement, only a fraction of those individuals in developing countries who need antiretroviral therapy are receiving it. The stark reality is that for every person with HIV who is placed on therapy, about three more individuals become newly infected with the virus. The rate of new HIV infections far outpaces our ability to supply a lifetime regimen of HIV medication to everyone who needs it.

Further scale-up of lifesaving HIV treatment programs is critical. However, treatment alone will not end the AIDS pandemic. Developing HIV prevention strategies, including a vaccine, remains an extremely important goal. A number of proven strategies to prevent HIV transmission are already available, including education and behavior modification; condom usage; medically supervised adult male circumcision; harm-reduction approaches such as needle and syringe exchanges for injection drug users; and antiretroviral drug regimens for HIV-infected pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission of the virus. NIAID is testing other prevention strategies, such as microbicide gels or creams that can be applied prior to sexual intercourse and preventive regimens of antiretroviral drugs, that we hope will prove successful. Ideally, a vaccine that prevents HIV infection would be a core component of our prevention program.

Recently, NIAID convened a scientific summit to examine the state of HIV vaccine research and determine how best to move the field forward. Based on that discussion, it became clear that although it is important to maintain our approach to identifying promising HIV vaccine candidates and clinically testing those candidates when appropriate, it also is imperative that we place greater emphasis on the basic research necessary to address the many unanswered questions that remain about HIV. We must understand how to create a vaccine that induces a protective immune response in people that is more effective than the immune response that results when someone is naturally infected with HIV.

By striking a better balance between fundamental HIV research and vaccine development and by fostering research across scientific disciplines, we can expand the body of knowledge needed to better understand this complex virus and develop a safe and effective HIV vaccine.

On HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, we applaud the thousands of volunteers, scientists, community members and health professionals who have been involved in HIV vaccine research and who continue to support and participate in this extremely vital area of public health research. We encourage all interested parties to join with us in our rededicated battle to find an effective HIV vaccine to end the scourge of AIDS.

Dr. Fauci is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health. NIAID supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria and illness from potential agents of bioterrorism. NIAID also supports research on basic immunology, transplantation and immune-related disorders, including autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergies. Media inquiries can be directed to the NIAID Office of Communications at 301-402-1663, niaidnews@niaid.nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

Sumber : nih.gov

TERAPI ALAM

2008-07-01T17:19:00.002-07:00

Tanaman Pelawan Kanker
Dari Kunyit Putih hingga Benalu

JAKARTA – Tumbuh-tumbuhan di Indonesia terbukti mampu mencegah maupun mengobati kanker. Meski perlu penelitian dan pengembangan lebih lanjut, sejumlah tanaman seperti kunyit putih, tapak dara, daun dewa hingga benalu telah digunakan penderita kanker sebagai ikhtiar mengobati penyakitnya. Banyak yang berhasil sembuh sehingga pengobatan tradisional pun menjadi tumpuan harapan baru bagi para penderita kanker.
Kunyit putih diyakini memiliki khasiat antikanker. Meski demikian cuma kunyit putih jenis mangga (Curcuma mangga) yang tumbuh terbatas di tempat yang bersuhu dingin di Indonesia, yang dapat mencegah atau mengobati kanker. Kunyit putih ini mempunyai ciri tertentu, antara lain bintik umbinya seperti umbi jahe dan berwarna kuning muda (krem). Dalam keadaan segar baunya seperti buah mangga kweni dan bila telah diekstrak atau dijadikan bubuk, warnanya tetap kuning muda (krem).
Sementara tapak dara (Catharanthus roseus) telah teruji sebagai bahan pencegah dan penumpas sel kanker. Tanaman yang masih termasuk keluarga Apocynaceae atau kamboja-kambojaan ini mengandung dua senyawa golongan alkaloid vinka yakni vinkristin dan vinblastin yang berkhasiat menghambat perbanyakan dan penyebaran sel kanker.
Vinkristin digunakan sebagai bahan pengobatan kanker bronkial, tumor ganas pada ginjal, kanker payudara, dan berbagai jenis tumor ganas yang awalnya menyerang urat saraf maupun otot. Tanaman yang di Sumatera disebut rumput jalang itu juga mengandung alkaloid cabtharanthin yang diperkirakan dapat mendesak dan melarutkan inti sel kanker.
Sebagai obat kanker payudara, rebus 22 lembar daun tapak dara dan buah adas (Foeniculum vulgare) serta kulit kayu pulasari (Alyxia reinwardti) dengan tiga gelas air. Bubuhi gula merah secukupnya. Setelah mendidih sampai tinggal setengahnya, saring. Ramuan diminum tiga kali sehari masing-masing setengah gelas. Pengobatan dilakukan paling tidak selama sebulan.
Keladi tikus (Typhonium Flagelliforme/Rodent Tuber) juga telah diteliti sebagai tanaman obat yang dapat menghentikan dan mengobati berbagai penyakit kanker. Untuk menghambat pertumbuhan sel kanker, tiga batang keladi tikus lengkap dengan daunnya (kurang lebih 50 gram) direndam selama 30 menit, tumbuk halus dan peras. Air perasan ini disaring lalu diminum. Di Malaysia, sudah ada uji ilmiah khasiat keladi tikus. Bahkan ekstrak keladi tikus dalam bentuk pil dan teh bubuk yang dikombinasikan dengan tanaman lainnya dalam dosis tertentu, sudah dipasarkan di negeri jiran tersebut.
Air perasan temu lawak (Curcuma Zedoaria) juga mujarab sebagai obat kanker. Menurut Andrew Chevallier Mnimh, herbalis asal London, dalam temulawak terkandung curcumol dan curdione yang berkhasiat antikanker dan antitumor. Di Cina, temulawak telah lama digunakan sebagai obat kanker leher rahim. Tanaman ini bisa meningkatkan efek mematikan sel kanker ketika dilakukan radioterapi dan kemoterapi.
Mengkudu juga tengah populer sebagai tanaman obat-obatan yang manjur. Daging buah mengkudu atau pace (Morinda citrifolia L.) mengandung dammacanthel, zat antikanker yang mampu melawan pertumbuhan sel abnormal pada stadium prakanker dan dapat mencegah perkembangan sel kanker. Sari dari perasan dua atau tiga buah mengkudu dapat dibubuhi madu agar rasanya lebih nikmat. Sebaiknya pilihlah mengkudu yang tidak terlalu masak karena alkohol yang terbentuk akibat proses fermentasi pada mengkudu yang terlalu masak merusak zat-zat penting yang terkandung di dalamnya.
Daun dewa (Gynura divaricata) juga merupakan tanaman yang telah dikenal sebagai tanaman antikanker. Ramuan 30 gram daun dewa segar, 20 gram temu putih, 30 gram jombang yang direbus dengan 600 cc air hingga tersisa 300 cc, lalu disaring dan diminum airnya dapat digunakan dalam pengobatan penyakit kanker. Dapat pula menggunakan bahan lain seperti 30 gram daun dewa segar, 30 gram tapak dara segar, 30 gram rumput mutiara, 30 gram rumput lidah ular direbus dengan 1.000 cc air hingga tersisa 500 cc. Airnya disaring lalu tambahkan madu secukupnya, aduk kemudian diminum selagi hangat.
Daun ceremai (Phyllanthus acidus) juga dapat dapat digunakan sebagai obat antikanker. Segenggam daun ceremai muda, sejumput daun belimbing, bidara upas sejari, gadung cina sejari dan gula aren direbus dengan tiga gelas air hingga tinggal segelas. Ramuan ini diminum tiga kali sehari masing-masing satu gelas.
Sementara senyawa dalam benalu telah lama diperkirakan bekerja sebagai penghambat keganasan kanker. Benalu yang direbus menjadi teh terbukti dapat dipakai sebagai obat penunjang selama menjalani kemoterapi (terapi dengan mengonsumsi obat antikanker).
Bagi Anda yang belum terkena kanker, tumisan brokoli, sawi, kembang kol, wortel, tomat dan daging ikan dengan bumbu sedikit garam dan bawang putih, mampu menjadi masakan yang kaya akan zat antikanker. Penelitian Universitas Harvard terhadap 48.000 orang pada tahun 1995 menunjukkan risiko terkena kanker prostat bagi mereka yang memakan 10 kali hidangan yang mengandung tomat per minggu turun sampai hampir separuhnya.

Sumber : www.sinarharapan.co.id

Berponsel Saat Hamil Bikin Anak 'Rusak'

2008-07-01T17:19:00.001-07:00

California - Wanita yang memakai ponsel secara rutin saat hamil berisiko punya anak bermasalah. Demikian kesimpulan studi University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Amerika Serikat yang akan dipublikasikan di jurnal Edidemiology.

Studi ini menemukan, pemakaian handset dua sampai tiga kali sehari oleh ibu sudah cukup untuk meningkatkan risiko bayi memiliki masalah sikap saat mencapai usia sekolah.

Para ilmuwan itu menanyai ibu dari 13.159 anak yang lahir di Denmark sekitar tahun 1990-an seputar kebiasaan memakai ponsel. Mereka dipantau sampai anak mereka berumur tujuh tahun.

Disimpulkan, ibu pemakai ponsel punya kemungkinan 54 persen anaknya punya masalah perilaku. Jika anak mereka kemudian juga memakai ponsel sebelum umur 7 tahun, ada kemungkinan sampai 80 persen terjadinya masalah perilaku.

Rinciannya, terdapat 25 persen risiko masalah emosional, 34 persen sulit berelasi dengan teman sebaya dan 35 persen risiko hiperaktif.

Dikutip detikINET dari TheIndependent, Senin (19/5/2008), para ilmuwan peneliti belum bisa menjelaskan sebab biologis pasti permasalahan ini. Selain radiasi ponsel, ada kemungkinan misalnya sang ibu terlalu sibuk dengan ponsel sehingga mengabaikan pertumbuhan anak-anak.

Studi ini disetujui Profesor Sam Milhan dari University of Washington School of Public Health yang juga peneliti pengaruh radiasi ponsel terkemuka. Dia menggarisbawahi penelitian di Kanada di mana tikus hamil yang terkena radiasi punya keturunan yang otaknya terganggu.

sumber : detik.com

Cara Jitu Pantau Janin

2008-07-01T17:18:00.001-07:00

Pada saat-saat kritis, adakalanya janin tidak mampu lagi “berjuang” untuk proses kelahirannya. Melalui pemantauan, kondisinya bisa dideteksi.

Meski proses persalinan adalah proses alamiah, perjalanan janin bisa saja tidak mulus. Dan, bila kehamilan Anda berisiko tinggi, yakni usia di atas 35 tahun, menderita penyakit (diabetes, tekanan darah tinggi, jantung, paru-paru, dan ginjal), pernah mengalami kematian janin, serta sering melahirkan, pemantauan janin perlu dilakukan.

Lihat dulu denyut jantungnya

Pemantauan janin tak bisa dilakukan secara kasat mata, karena ia masih “bersembunyi” dalam rahim. Umumnya, pemantauan dilakukan dengan cara mendengar denyut jantung janin. Bukan hanya keras atau lemahnya denyut jantung, tetapi juga perubahan iramanya, terutama saat terjadi kontraksi rahim. Kenapa? Ketika janin stres, denyut jantung yang tadinya berirama dan kuat, bisa saja jadi tidak berirama dan melemah. Informasi ini perlu untuk mengetahui sejauh mana kemampuan toleransi janin terhadap proses persalinan. Dokter juga bisa tahu apakah perlu intervensi atau tidak.

Sebagai catatan, denyut jantung normal yang menunjukkan bahwa janin tidak mengalami stres adalah 120-160 per menit, dengan variabilitas sekitar 5-25 denyut per menit.

Masih banyak cara lain

Berikut beberapa cara pemantauan janin yang juga biasa dilakukan:
* Fetoscope
* Dilakukan dengan stetoskop yang dirancang khusus untuk mendengarkan detak jantung janin.
* Cara ini sangat sederhana. Namun, jika ada kasus berisiko tinggi, pasien sedang diinduksi atau dalam pengobatan tertentu, fetoscope tidak dapat dipakai untuk memantau janin selama 24 jam nonstop.
* Doppler
* Menggunakan ultrasound atau gelombang suara.
* Dapat dilakukan ketika ibu kontraksi.
* Cara ini juga sederhana, namun tidak dapat dipakai sebagai pemantau yang terus menerus pada kehamilan risiko tinggi.
* Electronic fetal monitoring
* Melihat denyut jantung janin saat ibu berkontraksi.
* Pemakaian bisa berkesinambungan, bisa juga hanya sebentar.
* Bermanfaat bila digunakan pada ibu yang berisiko tinggi.
* Ibu kurang bisa bergerak bebas. Akibatnya, bisa memperlambat proses persalinan karena perhatiannya teralih ke mesin.
* Internal monitoring
* Lebih akurat daripada electronic fetal monitoring , karena menggunakan alat yang ditempelkan pada kepala janin.
* Untuk pemantauan berkesinambungan pada ibu yang berisiko tinggi.
* Digunakan jika ketuban sudah pecah dan pembukaan vagina sekitar 2–3 cm.
* Lebih berisiko menyebabkan infeksi pada janin atau ibu, karena ketuban sudah pecah. Makanya, digunakan jika kondisi janin berisiko tinggi atau butuh pemantauan yang lebih akurat.
* Telemetry monitoring
* Adalah cara terbaru untuk memantau janin.
* Menggunakan gelombang radio yang dihubungkan dengan transmitter (pemancar) kecil yang ditempelkan pada paha ibu. Transmitter berfungsi memancarkan suara denyut jantung janin, sehingga dapat dipantau dari ruang perawat.
* Untuk ibu hamil yang berisiko rendah, cara ini masih dipertanyakan.

Mana yang lebih cocok?

Tidak semua alat cocok untuk berbagai jenis kehamilan dan persalinan, karena tergantung dari cara persalinan, serta kondisi ibu dan janin. Kenapa?

* Ibu yang berisiko tinggi bisa jadi butuh pemantauan yang berkesinambungan selama proses persalinan. Pemantauan janin yang berkesinambungan tidak meningkatkan kondisi janin atau ibu dalam proses persalinan, tetapi hanya memantau dan membantu diagnosa dokter.

* Jika kondisi ibu dan janin baik, biasanya alat pantau berupa stetoskop, doppler, dan ultrasonografi (USG), sudah cukup efektif untuk memperkirakan kondisi bayi.

Sumber : www.ayahbunda-online.com

amplop atau perangko/meterai

2008-07-01T17:16:00.000-07:00

Jangan pernah menjilat amplop atau perangko/meterai untuk merekatkannya

Suatu hari seorang wanita yang bekerja di sebuah kantor pos di California,merekatkan amplop dan perangko tanpa menggunakan lem atau busa basah melainkan dengan cara menjilatnya. Pada saat itu wanita tersebut langsung merasakan lidahnya terasa seperti teriris.
Seminggu kemudian dia merasakan sesuatu yang tidak biasa pada lidahnya.Dia pergi ke dokter dan tidak ditemukan sesuatu yang aneh. Lidahnya tidak luka atau tidak ada kelainan apapun.

Beberapa hari berikutnya, lidahnya mulai agak membengkak dan mulai terasa sakit, begitu sakitnya sehingga dia tidak dapat makan apapun. Dia segera ke RS dan dokter melakukan pemeriksaan X-Ray. Ternyata ada sesuatu di dalam lidahnya. Saat itu juga dokter segera mempersiapkan pembedahan kecil.

Ketika dokter mengiris membuka lidah tersebut, ternyata seekor kecoak kecil merayap keluar.

Setelah diselidiki maka didapat kenyataan bahwa kecoak tersebut berasal dari telur kecoak yang sangat kecil yang menempel pada bagian lem amplop. Setelah dijilat maka telur tersebut menempel pada lidah dan mengeram disana karena adanya ludah yang hangat dan lembab hingga kecoak tersebut menetas.

Kejadian nyata ini dilaporkan oleh CNN.

Andy Hu menulis :
'Saya bekerja di pabrik amplop, dan kalian tidak akan percaya..... . ada sesuatu yang mengambang disekitar nampan wadah lem , saya tidak pernah sekalipun menjilat amplop. Saya pernah bekerja di percetakan (32 tahun lalu) dan kami selalu dihimbau agar jangan merekatkan amplop dengan lidah. Saya tidak pernah mengerti mengapa, hingga suatu saat saya masuk ke ruang penyimpanan untuk mengambil 2,500 lembar amplop yang sudah dicetak dan melihat sendiri beberapa ekor kecoak berkeliaran di dalam kotak amplop dengan telur kecoak dimana-mana. Mereka hidup dengan memakan lem yang terdapat pada amplop-amplop tersebut'.

Setelah mengetahui hal ini, janganlah pernah sekalipun Anda merekatkan amplop, perangko ataupun meterai dengan cara menjilatnya. Gunakanlah lem atau busa atau lem.

"Inisiasi Menyusui Dini"

2008-07-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

Cerita Seorang Ibu Yang Mengikuti Talkshow "Inisiasi Menyusui Dini" 6 April 2008 di RS St. Carolus

Apa sih Inisiasi Menyusui Dini ??

Ini merupakan proses membiarkan bayi menyusu sendiri segera setelah lahiran.

Ternyata selama bertahun-tahun, kita bener-bener merupakan kodrat dan anugrah dari Tuhan yang sudah disusun untuk kita.

Kata dokter yang kemaren berbicara, dia mengatakan, di luar sudah sadar hal ini sejak 1987 tp di Indonesia baru sadar thn 2006. Lebih baik baru tahu daripada tidak sama sekali.

Si Dokter menceritakan bagaimana proses inisiasi menyusui dini ternyata merupakan proses alami yang seharusnya dilakukan setelah seorang ibu melahirkan bayinya. Dia menceritakan dan bahkan memutarkan video yang dia buat terhadap cucunya sendiri dan juga seorang bayi lainnya. Dia bercerita, bahwa ternyata ada beberapa hal yang akan terjadi selama proses ini, dan ini juga tergambar dalam video yang
diputar.

Jadi si Dokter ini menjelaskan bahwa pada saat proses Inisiasi Menyusui Dini akan terjadi tahap2 spt ini (berdasarkan penelitian Ilmiah):

1. Sesaat setelah lahiran sehabis ari-ari dipotong, bayi langsung diletakan di dada si ibu tanpa membersihkan si bayi kecuali tangannya, kulit ketemu kulit. Ternyata suhu badan ibu yang habis melahirkan 1 derajat lebih tinggi. Namun jika si bayi itu kedinginan, otomatis suhu badan si ibu jadi naik 2 derajat, dan jika si bayi kepanasan, suhu badan ibu akan turun 1 derajat. Jadi Tuhan sudah mengatur bahwa si ibu yang akan membawa si bayi beradaptasi dengan kehidupan barunya. Setelah diletakkan di dada si ibu, biasanya si bayi hanya akan diam selama 20-30 menit, dan ternyata hal ini terjadi karena si bayi sedang menetralisir keadaannya setelah trauma melahirkan.
2. Gerakan kedua yang terjadi yaitu, setelah si bayi merasa lebih tenang, maka secara otomatis kaki si bayi akan mulai bergerak-gerak spt hendak merangkak. Ternyata gerakan ini pun bukanlah gerakan tanpa makna karena ternyata kaki si bayi itu pasti hanya akan menginjak2 perut ibunya di atas rahim. Gerakan ini bertujuan untuk menghentikan pendarahan si ibu. Lama dari proses ini tergantung dari si bayi. Untuk gerakan ini, ternyata si dokter punya pengalaman. Pernah ada dukun beranak melakukan proses melahirkan, dan ternyata si ibu mengalami pendarahan hebat. Pada saat itu si dukun meletakkan anaknya di dada si ibu, dan anak tersebut menggerak-gerakkan kakinya memasage perut ibunya bahkan lebih dari satu jam, sampai pendarahan si ibu berhenti.
3. Setelah melakukan gerakan di kakinya, si bayi akan melanjutkan dengan mencium tangannya, ternyata bau tangan si bayi sama dengan bau air ketuban. Dan ternyata wilayah sekitar putiing si ibu itu juga memiliki bau yang sama, jadi dengan mencium bau tangannya, si bayi membantu si bayi untuk mengarahkan kemana dia akan bergerak. Dia akan mulai bergerak mendekati puting ibu denga ketika sudah mendekati puting si ibu, si bayi itu akan menjilat2 dada si ibu. Ternyata jilatan ini berfungsi utk membersihkan dada si ibu dari bakteri2 jahat dan begitu masuk ke tubuh si bayi akan diubah menjadi bakteri2 yang baik dalam tubuhnya. Lamanya kegiatan ini juga tergantung dari si bayi karena hanya si bayi yang tau seberapa banyak dia harus membersihkan dada si ibu.
4. Setelah itu, si bayi akan mulai meremas-remas puting susu si ibu yang bertujuan untuk merangsang supaya air susu si ibu segera berproduksi dan bisa keluar. Lamanya kegiatan ini juga tergantung dari si bayi itu
5. Terakhir baru mulailah si bayi itu menyusu.
Mendengar cerita si Dokter ditambah dengan video yang diputarnya, aku ngerasa Amazing... Tuhan memang maha sempurna. Dia sudah menciptakan siklus kehidupan yang begitu indah, namun ternyata diputus oleh manusia selama bertahun-tahun lamanya. Ternyata, walaupun waktu aku melahirkan ada inisialisasi menyusui dini, ternyata langkahnya belum sempurna, karena waktu itu bayi ku cuma melakukan sampai tahap ke 3, yaitu menjilat2 sekitar dada aku.

Si Dokter benar-benar menyarankan audience jika suatu saat akan memiliki anak, untuk meminta kepada rumah sakit yang akan membantu kelahiran supaya diperbolehkan melakukan inisiasi menyusui dini ini minimal 1 jam, karena kelima proses di atas ini bisa berlangsung sekitar 1-2 jam. Beliau juga mengatakan tidak semua RS berani melakukan ini, dan kita sebagai orang tua harus berani meminta ini dilakukan karena ternyata hal ini merupakan siklus kehidupan yang selama ini tidak kita sadari sudah kita putus.

Si Dokter juga mengatakan, bahwa dengan melakukan hal ini, akan membantu meningkatkan daya tahan tubuh si bayi terhadap penyakit2, kanker syaraf, leukimia, dan beberapa penyakit2 lainnya. Dikatakan juga menekan angka kematian bayi baru melahirkan sebesar 22%.

Makanya dia benar2 mempromosikan hal ini kepada semua calon ortu.

Beliau juga mengatakan, sebuah rumah sakit yang benar-benar mendukung ibu dan anak, maka tidak akan menyediakan ruangan khusus bayi, karena dia mengatakan bahwa dengan memisahkan si ibu dengan si bayi ternyata daya tahan tubuh si bayi akan drop sampai 25%.

Jadi seharusnya tempat bayi adalah di sisi si ibu, 24 jam penuh. Jika ada tindakan memisahkan si ibu dari bayi, maka menurutnya itu adalah tiindakan kriminal. Dan ternyata sebagai RS yang sudah melakukan hal ini, RS Carolus sudah melakukan hal ini (bukan promosi). Tidak ada ruang khusus bayi di Rumah Sakit. Karena ketika si ibu bersama dengan si bayi, daya tahan si bayi akan dalam kondisi prima, dan si ibu bisa melakukan proteksi terhadap si bayi jika memang perlu. Bahkan di RS Carolus tidak ada waktu utk show bayi, karena letak bayi adalah di sisi si ibu. Si dokter mengatakan 95% bayi menangis bukan karena kelaparan, tapi karena dia dipisahkan dari ibunya. Karena berdasarkan penelitian, seorang bayi yang baru lahir, dibekali dari rahim ibunya utk bertahan selama 2-3 hari tanpa makanan. Jadi jangan pernah minta diberikan susu formula untuk si bayi, walau air susu ibu belum keluar.

Aku benar-benar terpukau denger cerita ini. N ini benar-benar pengalaman baru buat aku, dan benar-benar menambah pengalaman utk masa depan aku. N aku juga sempet ngerasa berdosa banget ama anakku, karena walau aku sering minta anakku di bawa ke ruangan, ada jam2 tertentu di mana bayiku aku letakkan di ruang bayi. Maaf ya anakku ..

7 Larangan setelah makan

2008-07-01T17:13:00.002-07:00

Jangan Merokok - Penelitian dari para ahli membuktikan bahwa merokok sebatang rokok setelah makan sama dengan merokok 10 rokok (kemungkinan terserang kanker lebih besar)

Jangan langsung makan buah-buahan - Langsung makan buah-buahan setelah makan
akan menyebabkan perut dipenuhi dengan udara. Untuk itu makanlah buah-buahan 1-2 jam setelah makan atau 1 jam sebelum makan

Jangan minum Teh - karena daun teh mengandung kandungan asam yang tinggi. kandungan ini akan menyebabkan kandungan protein pada makanan yang telah kita konsumsi sulit untuk dicerna.

Jangan mengendorkan ikat pinggangmu - Mengendorkan ikat pinggang setelah makan akan menyebabkan usus terbelit dan terblokir.

Jangan Mandi - Mandi akan menaikan aliran darah ke tangan, kaki dan badan yang menyebabkan jumlah darah sekitar perut akan terus berkurang. Hal ini akan melemahkan system pencernaan di dalam perut kita.

Jangan Berjalan-jalan - Orang-orang sering mengatakan bahwa berjalan beberapa langkah setelah makan akan memperpanjang umur. Pada kenyataannya hal ini tidaklah benar. Berjalan akan menyebabkan system pencernaan tidak mampu menyerab nutrisi dari makanan yang telah kita makan.

Jangan langsung tidur - Makanan yang kita makan tidak dapat dicerna secara baik. Hal ini akan menyebabkan usus mengalami kembung dan peradangan.

Pemberitahuan penting kesehatan

2008-07-01T17:13:00.001-07:00

Kurangi TEH yang kamu konsumsi

Jangan membiasakan memakan roti yang telah dipanggang.

Jaga jarakmu dari telepon genggam DALAM KONDISI DI CHARGE

minum banyak AIR pagi hari, kurangi minum pada malam hari

Jangan meminum kopi DUA KALI satu hari

Kurangi makanan BERMINYAK yang kamu konsumsi

Waktu tidur terbaik dari 10pm pada malam hari ke 6am pagi-pagi

Jangan makan BESAR setelah 5pm

Jangan mengambil alkohol lebih dari satu gelas / cangkir satu hari

Jangan meminum pil dengan air DINGIN

Jangan langsung berbaring setelah minum obat disaat sebelum tidur

tidur KURANG dari 8 jam dapat mempengaruhi kesehatanmu

Orang-orang yang terbiasa tidur sebentar tidak akan mudah menjadi tua

Ketika baterai LOW , jangan menjawab telpon, radiasi yang dihasilkan bisa 1000 kali
Jawab telpon dengan telinga KIRI
Ini akan merusak otakmu secara langsung jika mempergunakan telinga kanan
Jangan mempergunakan headphone / penyuara kuping dalam jangka waktu yang LAMA
Rehatkan telingamu sebentar setelah 1 jam

Yang Berbahaya Di Lingkungan Kita

2008-07-01T17:12:00.001-07:00

1. Bekas Botol Aqua
Mungkin sebagian dari kita mempunyai kebiasaan memakai dan memakai ulang botol plastik (Aqua, VIT , etc) dan menaruhnya di mobil atau di
kantor. Kebiasaan ini tidak baik, karena bahan plastic botol (disebut juga sebagai polyethylene terephthalate or PET) yang dipakai di botol2 ini mengandung zat2 karsinogen (atau DEHA). Botol ini aman untuk dipakai 1-2 kali saja, jika anda ingin memakainya lebih lama, tidak boleh lebih dari seminggu, dan harus ditaruh ditempat yang jauh dari matahari. Kebiasaan mencuci ulang dapat membuat lapisan plastik rusak dan zat karsinogen itu bisa masuk ke air yang kita minum. Lebih baik membeli botol air yang memang untuk dipakai ber-ulang2, jangan memakai botol plastik.

2. Penggemar Sate
Kalau Anda makan sate, jangan lupa makan timun setelahnya. Karena ketika kita makan sate sebetulnya ikut juga karbon dari hasil
pembakaran arang yang dapat menyebabkan kanker. Untuk itu kita punya obatnya yaitu timun yang disarankan untuk dimakan setelah makan
sate. Karena sate mempunyai zat Karsinogen (penyebab kanker) tetapi timun ternyata punya anti Karsinogen. Jadi jangan lupa makan timun
setelah makan sate.

3. Udang dan Vitamin C
Jangan makan udang setelah Anda makan Vitamin C. Karena ini akan menyebabkan keracunan dari racun Arsenik (As) yang merupakan proses
reaksi dari Udang dan Vitamin C di dalam tubuh dan berakibat keracunan yang fatal dalam hitungan jam.

4. Mi Instan
Untuk para penggemar mi instan, pastikan Anda punya selang waktu paling tidak 3 (tiga) hari setelah Anda mengkonsumsi mi instan, jika
Anda akan mengkonsumsinya lagi, dari informasi kedokteran, ternyata terdapat lilin yang melapisi mi instan. Itu sebabnya mengapa mi
instan tidak lengket satu sama lainnya ketika dimasak. Konsumsi mie instan setiap hari akan meningkatkan kemungkinan seseorang terjangkiti
kanker. Seseorang, karena begitu sibuknya dalam berkarir tidak punya waktu lagi untuk memasak, sehingga diputuskannya untuk mengkonsumsi mi
instan setiap hari . Akhirnya dia menderita kanker.
Dokternya mengatakan bahwa hal ini disebabkan karena adanya lilin dalam mi instan tersebut. Dokter tersebut mengatakan bahwa tubuh kita
memerlukan waktu lebih dari 2 (dua) hari untuk membersihkan lilin tersebut.

5. Bahaya Dibalik Kemasan Makanan
Kemasan makanan merupakan bagian dari makanan yang sehari-hari kita konsumsi. Bagi sebagian besar orang, kemasan makanan hanya sekadar
bungkus makanan dan cenderung dianggap sebagai "pelindung " makanan. Sebetulnya tidak tepat begitu, tergantung jenis bahan kemasan.
Sebaiknya mulai sekarang Anda cermat memilik kemasan makanan. Kemasan pada makanan mempunyai fungsi kesehatan, pengawetan,
kemudahan, penyeragaman, promosi, dan informasi. Ada begitu banyak bahan yang digunakan sebagai pengemas primer pada makanan, yaitu
kemasan yang bersentuhan langsung dengan makanan . Tetapi tidak semua bahan ini aman bagi makanan yang dikemasnya.

Inilah ranking teratas bahan kemasan makanan yang perlu Anda waspadai.
5.1. Kertas
Beberapa kertas kemasan dan non-kemasan (kertas koran dan majalah) yang sering digunakan untuk membungkus makanan, terdeteksi mengandung timbal (Pb) melebihi batas yang ditentukan. Di dalam tubuh manusia , timbal masuk melalui saluran pernapasan atau ngan kita. pencernaan menuju sistem peredaran darah dan kemudian menyebar ke berbagai jaringan lain, seperti: ginjal , hati, otak, saraf dan tulang. Keracunan timbal pada orang dewasa ditandai dengan gejala 3 P, yaitu pallor (pucat), pain (sakit) & paralysis (kelumpuhan) . Keracunan yang
terjadipun bisa bersifat kronis dan akut. Untuk terhindar dari makanan yang terkontaminasi logam berat timbal, memang susah-susah gampang.
Banyak makanan jajanan seperti pisang goreng, tahu goreng dan tempe goreng yang dibungkus dengan Koran karena pengetahuan yang kurang dari si penjual, padahal bahan yang panas dan berlemak mempermudah berpindahnya timbale makanan tsb. Sebagai usaha pencegahan , taruhlah makanan jajanan tersebut di atas
piring.
5.2. Styrofoam
Bahan pengemas styrofoam atau polystyrene telah menjadi salah satu pilihan yang paling populer dalam bisnis pangan. Tetapi, riset terkini
membuktikan bahwa styrofoam diragukan keamanannya. Styrofoam yang dibuat dari kopolimer styren ini menjadi pilihan bisnis pangan karena mampu mencegah kebocoran dan tetap mempertahankan bentuknya saat dipegang. Selain itu, bahan tersebut juga mampu mempertahankan panas dan dingin tetapi tetap nyaman dipegang, mempertahankan kesegaran dan keutuhan bahan yang dikemas, biaya murah, lebih aman, serta ringan. Pada Juli 2001, Divisi Keamanan Pangan Pemerintah Jepang mengungkapkan bahwa residu styrofoam dalam makanan sangat berbahaya. Residu itu dapat menyebabkan endocrine disrupter (EDC), yaitu suatu penyakit yang terjadi akibat adanya gangguan pada system endokrinologi dan reproduksi manusia akibat bahan kimia karsinogen dalam makanan.

Enterovirus 71

2008-07-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

Si Pembawa Maut (Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease)

Kementerian Kesehatan Cina mengeluarkan perintah siaga nasional Sabtu (3/5) karena merebaknya virus maut yang telah merenggut jiwa 23 anak-anak di satu kota dengan cepat. Peningkatan kesiagaan dilakukan karena melonjaknya kasus penyakit yang disebabkan virus Enterovirus 71 atau EV-71, satu jenis penyakit kaki, mulut dan tangan. Fenomena ini tampaknya harus diantisipasi dengan cermat dan cepat oleh masyarakat khususnya pihak departemen kesehatan. Bukankah penyakit SARS dan flu burung juga diawali terjadinya di daratan Asia tersebut ? Tetapi justru selanjutnya di Indonesia penyakit yang berpotensi pandemi itu sering lebih sulit dikendalikan di Indonesia.

Bagi masyarakat Indonesia kejadian luar biasa tersebut sebenarnya mungkin merupakan hal yang biasa. Karena, infeksi kaki, tangan dan mulut adalah suatu yang sering terjadi di Indonesia. Yang menjadi tidak biasa adalah penyebabnya enterovirus 71, yang cukup mematikan. Dalam era globalisasi dimana tranportasi serta perpindahan penduduk antar negara yang demikian pesat bukan tidak mungkin penyakit yang sangat cepat penyebarannya itu nantinya berpotensi mengancam masyarakat Indonesia. Kejadian luar biasa yang ditemukan di bagian selatan Cina memicu kekhawatiran bahwa virus itu kemungkinan akan menyebar, karena bulan Juni dan Juli dianggap sebagai musim puncak penyakit ini

Infeksi Kaki tangan dan Mulut
Dalam masyarakat infeksi virus tersebut sering disebut sebagai "Flu Singapura". Dalam dunia kedokteran dikenal sebagai Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) atau penyakit Kaki, Tangan dan Mulut ( KTM ). Penyakit KTM ini adalah penyakit infeksi yang disebabkan oleh virus RNA yang masuk dalam famili Picornaviridae, Genus Enteroviru. Genus yang lain adalah Rhinovirus, Cardiovirus, Apthovirus. Didalam Genus enterovirus terdiri dari Coxsackie A virus, Coxsackie B virus, Echovirus dan Enterovirus. Penyebab KTM yang paling sering pada pasien rawat jalan adalah Coxsackie A16, sedangkan yang sering memerlukan perawatan karena keadaannya lebih berat atau ada komplikasi sampai meninggal adalah Enterovirus 71.

Satu kelompok dengan infeksi KTM adalah vesicular stomatitis dengan eksantema (KTM)- Cox A 16, EV 71, vesikular faringitis (Herpangina) - EV 70 dan Acute Lymphonodular Pharyngitis - Cox A 10.

Penyakit ini sangat menular dan sering terjadi dalam musim panas. KTM adalah penyakit umum yang biasa terjadi pada kelompok masyarakat yang sangat padat dan menyerang anak-anak usia 2 minggu sampai 5 tahun. Orang dewasa umumnya kebal terhadap enterovirus. Penularannya melalui kontak langsung dari orang ke orang yaitu melalui droplet, pilek, air liur, tinja, cairan dari vesikel atau ekskreta. Penularan kontak tidak langsung melalui barang, handuk, baju, peralatan makanan, dan mainan yang terkontaminasi oleh sekresi itu. Tidak ada vektor tetapi ada pembawa penyakit seperti lalat dan kecoa. Penyakit KTM ini mempunyai imunitas spesifik, namun anak dapat terkena KTM lagi oleh virus strain Enterovirus lainnya. Penyakit tangan, kaki dan mulut adalah penyakit umum dan penyebarannya dapat terjadi di antara kelompok anak, misalnya di sekolah atau di tempat penitipan anak. Penyakit tangan, kaki dan mulut biasanya tersebar melalui hubungan sesama manusia. Virus ini tersebar dari kotoran seorang yang terkena ke mulut orang lain lewat tangan tercemar, tapi bisa juga disebarkan lewat lendir mulut atau sistem pernapasan dan sentuhan langsung dengan cairan di dalam lepuhnya. Sesudah berhubungan dengan orang yang terkena, biasanya makan waktu di antara 3-5 hari baru lepuhnya timbul. Selama masih ada cairannya, lepuh ini bisa menulari. Virus ini bisa berminggu-minggu berada di dalam kotoran.

Manifestasi klinis.
Penyakit tangan, kaki dan mulut yang ringan biasanya disebabkan oleh Coxsackievirus. Anak usia di bawah 5 tahun sering terkena infeksi virus ini, meskipun pada orang dewasa dapat juga terjadi. Infeksi Coxsackievirus mungkin sama sekali tidak menunjukkan gejala atau hanya ringan

Gejala penyakit diawali dengan demam tidak tinggi 2-3 hari, diikuti nyeri tengorokan atau infeksi tengorokan (faringitis), sulit makan dan minum karena nyeri akibat luka di mulut dan lidah. Kadang disertai sedikit pilek atau gejala seperti flu. Timbul vesikel yang kemudian pecah, ada 3-10 ulcus atau luka dimulut seperti sariawan di sekitar lidah, gusi, pipi sebelah dalam, terasa nyeri sehingga sukar untuk menelan. Bersamaan dengan itu timbul rash atau ruam atau vesikel (lepuh kemerahan/blister yang kecil dan rata), papulovesikel yang tidak gatal ditelapak tangan dan kaki. Kadang-kadang rash atau ruam (makulopapel) ada dibokong.

Pada bayi atau anak usia di bawah 5 tahun yang timbul gejala berat harus dirujuk ke rumah sakit. Gejala yang dianggap berat adalah hiperpireksia (suhu lebih dari 39oC) atau demam tidak turun-turun, denyut jantung sangat cepat (Tachicardia), sesak, malas makan minum, muntah atau diare dengan dehidrasi, badan sangat lemas, kesadaran turun atau kejang-kejang.

Komplikasi yang dapat terjadi pada penyakit ini adalah infeksi selaput otak atau meningitis (aseptic meningitis, meningitis serosa atau non bakterial), infeksi otak atau encefalitis (bulbar), infeksi otot jantung atau miokarditis (Coxsackie Virus Carditis) dan perikarditis, paralisis akut flasid (Polio-like illness), infeksi paru atau pneumonia. Resiko untuk terjadi ancaman jiwa lebih sering terjadi pada infeksi enterovirus 71, sedangkan virus Coxsackie sangat jarang terjadi ancaman jiwa kecuali pada penderita dengan kondisi daya tahan tubuh yang menurun.

Diagnosis laboratorium adalah dengan mendeteksi virus melalui Immuno histochemistry (insitu) Imunofluoresensi antibodi (indirek), Isolasi dan identifikasi virus. Pemeriksaan lain dengan mendeteksi RNA seperti RT-PCR Primer, partial DNA sekuensing (PCR Product). Sebenarnya secara klinis atau tanpa pemeriksaan laboratorium sudah cukup untuk mendiagnosis KTM. Sedangkan melalui pemeriksaan penunjang tersebut dapat diketahui apakah penyebabnya Coxsackie A-16 atau Enterovirus 71.

Penanganan penyakit ini tidak ada yang khusus, karena merupakan penyakit “self limiting disease” atau penyakit yang sembuh sendiri dalam 7-10 hari. Penderita perlu istirahat karena daya tahan tubuh menurun. Obat golongan paracetamol atau penurun panas digunakan dalam penganan demam yang terjadi. Dalam keadaan tertentu dapat diberikan Immunoglobulin IV (IGIV) pada pasien dengan daya tahan tubuh yang menurun seperti pada bayi. Pemberian cairan cukup untuk dehidrasi yang disebabkan sulit minum dan demam.

Pencegahan dan Antisipasi
Perilaku hidup sehat dan bersih adalah pencegahan dan perlindungan terbaik. Sebaiknya mencuci tangan dengan sabun dan air sesudah ke WC, sebelum makan, sesudah membuang ingus dan sesudah mengganti popok atau pakaian kotor. Pinjam-meminjam cangkir, sendok garpu, alat kebersihan pribadi misalnya handuk, lap muka, sikat gigi dan pakaian, terutama sepatu dan kaus kaki adalah perilaku yang berpotensi mempercepat penyebaran penyakit ini. Mencuci pakaian kotor harus dengan baik dan higienis. Perilaku batuk dan bersin, sebaiknya harus menutup mulut dan hidung dengan baik. Bersihkanlah hidung serta mulut dengan tisu wajah, sesudah dipakai sekali buanglah, kemudian cucilah tangan. Anak yang terkena penyakit tangan, kaki dan mulut seyogyanya jangan dulu ke sekolah atau tempat penitipan anak sampai lepuhnya mengering. Penyakit ini sebaiknya dilaporkan kepada pengurus tempat penitipan anak atau kepala sekolah untuk dilakukan pencegahan dengan baik.

Seperti halnya infeksi virus pandemi lainnya seperti SARS atau flu burung, fenomena infeksi enterovirus 71 di bagian selatan Cina tersebut sangat berpotensi menyebar di Negara Indonesia bila tidak dilakukan antisipasi dengan baik. Meskipun diakui untuk melakukan skrening atau deteksi manusia yang masuk dari negera tersebut ke Indonesia sulit dilakukan. Paling tidak departemen kesehatan dan berbagai jajarannya termasuk tenaga medis di Indonesia nantinya harus cepat dalam mengantisipasinya. Tindakan yang mungkin segera dapat dilakukan oleh pemerintah adalah melakukan “traveller warning” kepada masyakat Indonesia dalam berkunjung ke daerah yang berpotensi terjadi penularan. Nantinya harus lebih dicermati apakah infeksi KTM yang terjadi di dalam masyarakat adalah Coxsackie A 16 atau Enterovirus 71. Untuk itu diperlakukan penemuan kasus dan pelaporan yang baik dan terkoordinasi bila terjadi. Jangan sampai infeksi enterovitrus 71 sudah banyak mengancam nyawa anak Indonesia, tetapi tindakan antisipasi baru dilakukan.

Sumber : www.solusisehat.net

Lipgloss Picu Kanker Kulit

2008-07-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

Lipbalm atau lipgloss memang membuat bibir perempuan kelihatan lebih lembab dan seksi. Namun waspadalah, pemulas bibir itu bisa memicu kanker kulit.

Ahli penyakit kulit alias dermatologis asal Baylor University Medical Center di Dallas, AS, memberi peringatan bahayanya menggunakan lipbalm atau lipgloss. Demikian diberitakan HealthDay, Senin (28/4/2008).

Menurut Dr Christine Brown, lipbalm atau lipglos yang berkilau tidak memberi perlindungan. Justru, lanjut Brown, menarik sinar matahari masuk ke bibir.

"Kebanyakan yang tidak disadari orang, mereka sebenarnya tengah menambah penetrasi cahaya ke dalam bibir dengan menggunakan sesuatu yang bening dan berkilau," jelasnya.

Brown menambahkan, perempuan seharusnya hanya mengenakan lipstik yang berkilau saat mereka telah terlindungi dari matahari.

Gunakan tabir surya untuk bibir yang mengandung SPF 30, jika hendak berada di luar ruangan selama lebih dari 20 menit. Sebelum menggunakan lipstik atau lipgloss, gunakan dulu tabir surya itu. Setelah itu jangan lupa tambahkan lagi sepanjang hari.

Jangan lupa juga untuk memeriksakan bibir Anda. Jika menemukan perubahan warna di sekitar bibir, misalnya memutih.

"Atau jika terjadi pengelupasan di bibir anda," imbuh Brown.

Sumber: detikcom

Konsumsi Minuman Energi

2008-07-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

Awas! Berlebih Bisa Ganggu Ginjal

Anda penggemar minuman berenergi? Jika ya, hati-hati saat mengkonsumsi minuman penambah tenaga tersebut. Konsumsi yang berlebihan dapat menyebabkan gangguan pada ginjal dan liver.

"Misalnya, dalam sehari minum sampai 10 kali dalam waktu panjang bisa merusak ginjal dan livernya," kata pakar kesehatan gizi klinis Fakultas Kedokteran UI, Dr Samuel Oetoro.

Hal itu disampaikan dia dalam seminar bertajuk, 'Kiat memilih minuman energi yang aman bagi kesehatan', di Hotel Atlet Century, Jl Sudirman, Jakarta Pusat, Senin (31/3/2008).

Mereka yang gemar meminum minuman berenergi, kata Samuel, haruslah mengimbanginya dengan berolahraga dan memakan makanan yang bergizi. Meski demikian, pengkonsumsi minuman energi juga tetap harus waspada saat mengkonsumsi minuman itu.

"Ada kandungan yang berbahaya yang tidak boleh dikonsumsi," imbuh dia.

Kandungan yang mengandung zat pengawet, pewarna, perasa dan pemanis yang tidak dianjurkan merupakan zat-zat yang berbahaya bagi pengkonsumsi minuman bertenaga ini. Dia menambahkan, konsumsi minuman berenergi tetap harus memperhatikan dosis yang tepat.

"Maksimal 3 kali seharilah," pungkas pengajar konsulen gizi klinis FKUI ini.

Sumber: detikcom

G-Spot

2008-07-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

Mitos atau Fakta?

Setelah melalui perdebatan panjang selama lebih dari satu setengah abad, akhirnya para peneliti dari Inggris menemukan lokasi G-Spot wanita.

G-Spot, pertama kali ditemukan keberadaannya pada tahun 1950. Nama itu kemudian muncul dari seorang ginekolog asal Jerman, Ernst Graefenberg.

Dia mengatakan, area sekitar vagina adalah daerah paling sensitif wanita. Bila dirangsang, seorang wanita dapat mencapai tingkat kepuasan atau orgasme.

Tetapi dimana G-Spot itu berada, sempat hilang karena adanya bukti subjektif, bahkan ada beberapa pakar menyatakan G-Spot itu sebenarnya tidak ada.

Sebagaimana dikutip dari AFP, Kamis (21/2/2008), menurut peneliti asal Italia, Emmanuele Jannini, hanya beberapa wanita yang beruntung bisa mendapatkan kepuasan di area tersebut. Meski demikian, Jannini mengaku sependapat dengan para pakar bahwa G-Spot itu sebenarnya tidak ada.

Untuk membuktikannya, Jannini melakukan percobaan di Universitas L'Aquila. Dia menggunakan alat ultrasound pada sembilan orang wanita yang mengaku pernah melakukan orgasme vagina dan 11 wanita yang tidak melakukannya.

Targetnya adalah jaringan kulit tipis yang lokasinya berada di depan dinding vagina di belakang uretra. Untuk kelompok pertama, lebih tebal, dibanding grup yang kedua, kemudian pemeriksaan elektronis yang membuktikan percobaan itu.

Dalam penelitiannya di The Journal of Sexual Medicine, Jannini mengatakan, percobaan yang dilakukannya jelas, yakni wanita yang tidak tahu G-Spotnya tidak dapat memperoleh orgasme vagina.

"Untuk kali pertama, mungkin saja mudah mengatakan dimana letak G-spot wanita. Dan hanya dengan melakukan metode yang tidak mahal," kata Jannini.

Beberapa pakar bahkan mempertanyakan tentang pernyataan Jannini soal G-Spot merupakan bagian dari klitoris, dimana ukurannya sangat bervariasi.

Selain itu, pendapat Jannini kalau G Spot hilang pada wanita yang tidak mempunyai pengalaman melakukan orgasme vagina. Hal itu dipertentangkan oleh beberapa pakar. Menurut mereka, G-Spot ada pada semua wanita, namun memiliki tingkat sensitif yang berbeda-beda.

Wanita yang tidak memiliki G-spot tidak perlu putus asa, "Mereka masih bisa mendapatkan orgasme secara normal melalui stimulasi dari klitoris," imbuh Jannini.

Sumber: detikcom

Terapi Cryo,

2008-07-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

Pengobatan Baru Bagi Penderita Kanker

Kabar gembira buat para penderita kanker di Indonesia. Kini diperkenalkan cara diagnosis dan pengobatan baru terhadap penyakit yang hingga kini belum ditemukan obatnya itu. Pengobatan itu bernama terapi dingin (cryo).

Terapi, guna melumerkan sel tumor yang ada dengan cara mendinginkannya. Cryo terapi biasanya dilakukan dengan menggunakan media jarum yang bertemperatur sampai di bawah 0 atau minus 100º Celcius.

Menurut Chief of Cryo Surgery International Prof Franco Lugnani, keistimewaan terapi dingin pada para pasien adalah tidak perlu pembedahan pada bagian tubuh yang terjangkit sel kanker.

“Cukup cari tahu keberadaan kanker tersebut dari CT-Scan, kemudian tinggal menusukkan jarum cryo lewat permukaan kulit,” ungkap Franco pada konferensi pers acara seminar kesehatan bertajuk Recent Advances in Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy di Jakarta, kemarin.

Ahli cyrotherapy dari Tionghoa Prof Xu Ke Chen menuturkan, dari sejumlah kasus penderita kanker tertentu yang ditanganinya, terapi dingin terbukti lebih efektif dan banyak berhasil ketimbang operasi pengangkatan. Kasus tertentu yang dimaksud, seperti jenis kanker prostat dan hati di atas stadium II atau telah berukuran besar.

Chen menjelaskan, kebanyakan kasus di Tiongkok, para penderita kanker yang datang berobat adalah kankernya sudah mencapai tahap stadium tinggi, yakni stadium III dan IV. “Bila ukuran tumornya sudah besar, ya harus diciutkan dulu dengan cryo, setelah itu baru bisa dioperasi,” ungkap dokter yang mengaku sudah melakukan terapi hampir 1.000 kali itu.

Terapi dingin, menurut Associate Professor of Surgery University of Bern, Switzerland Hhans U Baer, juga sangat berguna untuk mengobati penderita kanker pancreas. Selama ini kanker pankreas dikenal paling sulit untuk diobati. Kehadiran terapi dingin sebagai paliatif, yakni usaha dengan ‘harapan’ mengecilkan tumor dan mengurangi rasa sakit yang dialami si penderita, yang selama ini tidak bisa dilakukan oleh kemoterapi.

Banyak pihak mengakui bahwa terapi cryo bukanlah hal baru dalam dunia kedokteran. Menurut Franco, terapi ini sudah ditemukan sekitar seabad silam. Namun, cara ‘kuno’ itu mulai ditinggalkan, karena sistem pendinginan turut melumerkan jaringan sel yang masih sehat di pinggiran atau sekitar tumor.

Hingga awal 1990-an, dua orang ahli dari Amerika Serikat (AS) berhasil menyempurnakan cara terapi cryo, termasuk dengan dukungan teknologi yang canggih. “Maka itu, terapi dingin tidak akan bisa dilakukan tanpa alat deteksi yang canggih, seperti MRI atau CT-Scan,” ujar Franco.

Sumber: PdPersi

Kasus Kanker Hati

2008-07-01T17:04:00.000-07:00

Jangan anggap remeh penyakit hepatitis! Sebagian besar kasus kanker hati (hepatocellular carcinoma/HCC) atau sekitar 40-50 persen disebabkan oleh Hepatitis B, dan sisanya oleh Hepatitis C (30-40 persen) serta faktor non-hepatitis B dan C seperti perlemakan hati (10-20 persen).

Kepala Kelompok Kerja Hepatitis Nasional Prof Dr Ali Sulaiman SpPD, KGEH menjelaskan, kanker hati menyebabkan kegagalan fungsi hati dan bisa mengakibatkan kematian.

“Terlebih jika pasien baru diketahui menderita kanker hati setelah penyakitnya mencapai stadium lanjut,” ujar Ali yang juga guru besar hepatologi Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Indonesia itu.

Menurut Ali, tanpa pengobatan yang tepat, pasien kanker hati umumnya tidak memiliki angka harapan hidup yang lebih dari dua tahun setelah diagnosa ditegakkan.

Metode pengobatan kanker hati beragam, diantaranya pemotongan (reseksi) dan pencangkokan (transplantasi), penyuntikan dengan ethanol, hemoembolisasi, Radio Frequency Ablation, kemoterapi, dan terapi lokal (molecullar targetted therapy).

Selain itu, kata Ali, ada penemuan obat oral multikinase inhibitor baru yang disebut sorafenib bisa menjadi pilihan bagi pasien kanker hati tingkat lanjut.

Selain bisa menekan pertumbuhan jumlah sel kanker, menurut Ali, obat itu juga berfungsi sebagai antiangiogenesis yakni penghambat pembentukan pembuluh darah yang menyuplai kebutuhan sel kanker.

Menurut Ali, obat itu membidik dua bagian yakni proliferasi sel dan angiogenesis atau pembentukan pembuluh darah. Keduanya berperan besar dalam proses pertumbuhan kanker.

“Hasil pengujian secara klinis terhadap penggunaan sorafenib, menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan obat tersebut dapat memperbaiki kualitas hidup pasien dan memperlambat perkembangan penyakit,” tutur Ali.

Meski demikian, kata Ali, ada efek samping akibat penggunaan obat oral tersebut pada pasien kanker hati tingkat lanjut yaitu diare dan pengelupasan kulit tangan dan kaki.

Sumber: PdPersi