May 11, 2010 
Dead Sea Herbs
100% natural herb products for skin care, Fungi Treatment, Pain Relief and Relaxation
Site Search:
May 11, 2010 September 2, 2010 You’ve probably heard that “Evian” is simply “naïve” spelled backwards. OK, so the well-known company probably did not choose their name for that reason – but many people believe that consumers who buy bottled water are certainly naïve. After all, water is one of the most abundant resources in the world and is available for free from countless water fountains and sinks across the nation. Yet, many consumers are still willing to pay $3 a bottle of it.
In 2009, the U.S. Congress revealed that about 45% of bottled water comes from municipal taps – and then the bottled water company may or may not do some additional filtering before pouring it in their logo-stamped bottles. Still, Americans continue to buy more than 500 million bottles every week, making it the second most popular purchased drink (after soda).
Plastics you should avoid:
#3 polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), it has endocrine disruptors and probable human carcinogens.
#6 polystyrene (PS) can leach styrene into food and water.
#7 polycarbonate, contains a bisphenol-A (a hormone disruptor). However, it is used in most baby bottles, five-gallon water jugs and reusable sports bottles.
September 1, 2010 The American Academy of Family Physicians offers this list of essential nutrients and examples of where to find them:
Calcium, which is acquired from dairy products and leafy, dark-colored green vegetables.
Potassium, acquired from bananas, raisins, spinach, nuts and fish.
Fiber, found in legumes, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Magnesium, from peas, black beans, spinach and almonds.
Vitamin A, found in milk, eggs, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe and carrots.
Vitamin C, found in fruits such as strawberries, oranges and kiwi; and veggies such as broccoli and green peppers.
Vitamin E, found in seeds and nuts, whole grains, avocados and spinach.
– Diana Kohnle
Vitamins in food
August 31, 2010 The new Earthjustice/EIP/Sierra Club report (PDF, 6MB) shows that at every one of the coal ash dump sites equipped with
Coal ash contamination
groundwater monitoring wells concentrations of heavy metals such as arsenic or lead exceed federal health-based standards for drinking water, with concentrations at Hatfield’s Ferry site in Pennsylvania reaching as high as 341 times the federal standard for arsenic.
A February 2010 EIP/Earthjustice report documented 31 coal ash dump sites in 14 states. The 39 additional sites in today’s report along with the 67 already identified by the EPA bring the total number of known toxic contamination sites from coal ash pollution to 137 sites in 34 states.
Together, the independent reports and the EPA’s own findings make clear the growing number of waters known to be poisoned by poor management of the toxic ash left over after coal is burned for electricity.
“There is no greater reason for coal ash regulation than preventing the poisoning of our water. We now have 39 more good reasons for a national coal ash rule,” said Lisa Evans, Senior Legislative Counsel at Earthjustice. “The mounting number of contaminated sites demonstrates that the states are unable or unwilling to solve this problem.”
“The contamination of water supplies, threats to people, and damage to the environment documented in this report illustrate very real and dangerous harms that are prohibited by federal law but are going on in a largely unchecked fashion at today’s coal ash dump sites,” said Jeff Stant, director, Coal Combustion Waste Initiative, Environmental Integrity Project.
“The health risks from exposure to this toxic waste are real and we cannot afford to ignore them any longer,” said Lyndsay Moseley, Federal Policy Representative with Sierra Club. “It is clear from this report that the closer we look the worse this problem becomes. The only real solution is for the EPA to adopt federally enforceable protections as part of its push to improve public health.”
Report Highlights:
Coal ash pollution poses serious health risks. People living near unlined coal ash ponds can have an extremely high 1 in 50 risk of cancer. That’s more than 2,000 times higher than what the EPA considers acceptable by coal ash (including scrubber sludge) now is at least 137 in 34 states.
Coal ash is putting drinking water from private wells at risk. Contaminated groundwater underneath at least 15 of the 39 sites is moving toward private water wells within two miles of site boundaries, according to monitoring data and public information on private well locations.
Coal ash threatens public water wells and intakes. At least 18 of the 39 contaminated sites are located within five miles of a public groundwater well that could potentially be affected by pollutants from these sites. At nine of those sites, there are at least five public water wells within a five-mile radius.
Coal ash toxins are threatening surface waters. In several cases coal ash dump sites are leaking their toxic cargo into rivers just upstream from the intakes for public water systems. Often, metals like arsenic are discharged to rivers through adjacent groundwater.
Most damaged sites are still active and virtually all show recent evidence of contamination. The damaged sites identified cannot be dismissed as a legacy of past practices that are no longer allowed today. Almost all of the facilities described in the report are active disposal sites.
Nearly 40 years after coal ash disposal stopped at the Montville site (CT), average concentrations of arsenic in groundwater collected in 2007-2009 still exceed the MCL by 21 times and are higher than measurements taken ten years ago.
Very good reasons for stricter regulations!
August 30, 2010 Chicago Tribune
Ann MeyerMinding Your Business
Wellness is health care
As companies increasingly get creative about holding the line on health care costs, more are turning to inexpensive wellness programs. Events that promise to get workers moving and thinking about preventive health care are paying off in increased job attendance and smaller annual health care cost increases.
“We learned very quickly that some of the best ways to manage health care costs are through promoting a healthy work force,” said Lisa Pinion, vice president of human resources at Assurance Agency in Schaumburg. “We’ve been able to show, by taking a proactive role, you not only can help manage your health care costs but you can improve your productivity.”
Using its 210-employee company as a case study of wellness programs, Assurance has found a substantial drop in sick-time usage. On average, the number of sick days used per employee dropped to one day per 12 months as of the end of July, down from about five days per employee in 2005, Pinion said.
“We give our employees eight paid illness days, and almost no one is using them,” she said.
Assurance also has held the line on insurance costs to single- and low-single-digit annual increases, Pinion said. Three out of four employees participated in at least one wellness event last year, and the company’s current goal is to have 85 percent of workers try at least three events this year.
Short-term activities often work best, Pinion said. “If you’re doing a walking challenge, make it a four-week program, not a six-month program, because it will lose steam,” she said.
Wellness events don’t have to be extravagant, Pinion said. “Small things make a difference over time.”
Alper Services, a Chicago insurance broker, offers its 50 employees free flu shots, CPR training, walking and weight-loss contests, and lunchtime lessons in karate, yoga and nutrition. Its Walk the Talk challenge in April encouraged employees to take 150,000 steps, or about 5,000 a day.
In August, it hosted a weekday summer outing to Lincoln Park Zoo, where employees competed in a race to take the most steps during a three-hour period. The winner was crowned the Alper Zookeeper, and won a half-day off.
Making activities into group events can build camaraderie, said Yvette Bickcom, who works in the employee benefits department at Alper Services. “Certain things, I wouldn’t do on my own,” she said.
The American health care system gets an “F” when it comes to acting on a handful of prevention methods that have the potential to save the most lives.
That failing grade came from Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a Wednesday speech to members of the National Association of County and City Health Officials gathered here for their annual conference at Cook Convention Center.
Frieden said some of America’s biggest killers — heart disease, cancer and lung disease — can be tamed with prevention strategies.
August 25, 2010 Why Isotonic Nutrition?
It’s Easy. Absorb Vitamins Faster, More Effectively. No Strain, No Pills.What is Isotonic?Isotonic |ˌīsəˈtänik| – a solution having the same osmotic pressure as body fluids. Vitamin supplements in isotonic form are the best and most efficient at delivering the maximum benefits that vitamins, minerals, and supplements provide. Market America’s Isotonix® complete line of vitamins and nutritional supplements consist of scientifically advanced isotonic formulas.Isotonic nutrition is by far the fastest and most effective way to maximize the benefits of taking vitamins and nutritional supplements.Unlike the usual daily vitamins or nutritional supplements in pill or tablet form which can take up to 4 hours to digest and absorb, thus increasing the likelihood of being unable to completely maximize absorption of nutrients, isotonic nutrition like the ones from Isotonix®, provides rapid, almost instant and maximum absorption. This enables the body to fully benefit from these nutrients and remain healthy.Isotonix® vitamins and nutritional supplements use a scientifically advanced isotonic formula to speed nutrients to the body where they are needed most. The powder formula when mixed with water, minimizes the amount of digestion needed to deliver maximum benefit to the body.
August 22, 2010 
Beauty of Nature
Vitamin D has risen to the ranks of nutritional superstardom. Research suggests this nutrient will perform best if you take it during your biggest meal of the day — be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
D for Dinner?
About three-quarters of us are deficient in vitamin D. A growing body of research links this nutrient to a list of health benefits, such as lower blood pressure, stronger bones, better immunity, and possibly even a lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers. One easy way to get your D is to spend some time outside just 10 to 20 minutes of sun during peak hours is all you need. But a supplement is a great backup plan. And when researchers examined D-deficient middle-aged and older adults, they found that pairing the supplement with the largest meal of their day — rather than small meals, snacks, or an empty stomach — doubled the participants’ blood levels.
Table 1: Selected food sources of vitamin D10-12
| Food | International Units(IU) per serving |
Percent DV DailyValue)* |
| Pure Cod liver oil, 1 Tablespoon (Note: most refined cod liver oils today have the vitamin D removed! Check your label to be certain.) | 1,360 | 340 |
| Salmon, cooked, 3½ ounces | 360 | 90 |
| Mackerel, cooked, 3½ ounces | 345 | 90 |
| Tuna fish, canned in oil, 3 ounces | 200 | 50 |
| Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 1¾ ounces | 250 | 70 |
| Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D fortified, 1 cup | 98 | 25 |
| Margarine, fortified, 1 Tablespoon | 60 | 15 |
| Pudding, prepared from mix and made with vitamin D fortified milk, ½ cup | 50 | 10 |
| Ready-to-eat cereals fortified with 10% of the DV for vitamin D, ¾ cup to 1 cup servings (servings vary according to the brand) | 40 | 10 |
| Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is found in egg yolk) | 20 | 6 |
| Liver, beef, cooked, 3½ ounces | 15 | 4 |
| Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce | 12 | 4 |
August 20, 2010 Organic food is becoming more popular.
But in many parts of the country it is not available and it is expencive
This article in Time is helpful.
Article in Time Magazine August 30 2010
Should we buy organic?
Our diet is indeed killing us, and it’s killing the planet too. Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta released a study revealing that nearly 27% of Americans are now considered obese (that is, more than 20% above their ideal weight), and in nine states, the obesity rate tops 30%. We eat way too much meat — up to 220 lb. per year for every man, woman and child in the U.S. — and only 14% of us consume our recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
Our processed food is dense with salt and swimming in high-fructose corn syrup, two flavors we can’t resist. Currently, enough food is manufactured in the U.S. for every American to consume 3,800 calories per day — we need only 2,350 in a healthy diet — and while some of that gets thrown away, most is gobbled up long before it can go stale on the shelves.
Humans are designed to use and digest foods that look the way they did when they came from the ground or were cooked fresh from an animal. No matter how much technology or genetic modification led to what’s on your plate, your digestive system is pretty much the same as it was when our ancestors climbed down from the trees. So the smallest amount of industrial additives must be best, right? Maybe not.
Introducing modern chemicals into the food chain has raised concerns as well. Hormones given to livestock to spur growth are troublesome enough to warrant the extra cost of a label declaring which meat products are hormone-free. Paying a bit extra for hormone-free meat may be a case in which spending a little more makes sense. Otherwise, read as much as possible about the various hormones used in animals, since not all of them affect us the same way.
Here are some shortcuts to getting the benefits of organic without the cost:
• Avoid synthetic colorants.
• Choose foods without labels, which are better than packaged foods.
• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, preferably with a vegetable brush, which can enhance pesticide removal. Some foods absorb more pesticides than others and are easier to clean.
The top five common items that I recommend always be washed are peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery and nectarines.
• Peel fruit if possible since that removes pesticides and allows you to save money by buying nonorganic.
• Buy seasonal fruits. It lowers your grocery bill. And bear in mind, frozen veggies retain most of the health benefits of fresh ones.
Most important, remember: When it comes to food, buy organic if you can afford it to help the planet. If not, you can still eat healthily with a few precautions. Food is an affordable medicine for all of us.
August 19, 2010 
Pine bark extract Pycnogenol
Pycnogenol is a trade name for a compound of natural antioxidants extracted from the bark of the French Maritime pine tree-Pinus pinaster. Loaded with bioflavonoids and other biologically active phytonutrients, or plant nutrients, Pycnogenol is backed by clinical research and a long history of use. Studies show that Pycnogenol-a powerful antioxidant-has cardiovascular benefits, boosts the immune system, improves the appearance of the skin, treats varicose veins, relieves the pain of arthritis, and reduces inflammation.
Pycnogenol is one of the few standardized bioflavonoid-containing plant extracts that has undergone numerous experimental and clinical studies to determine its effects on the human body. Because Pycnogenol is a standardized extract-meaning that each batch of Pycnogenol contains exactly the same amount of bioflavonoids and procyanidins-other researchers can use it in their experiments to confirm the results of previous studies. This is one of the important criteria of scientific research-that experiments can be successfully reproduced by other researchers. In fact, one reason why researchers have come up with so many different results when testing plant extracts and compounds is because these substances have not been standardized. Once a substance becomes standardized, however, it often attracts much scientific attention.
Short history
French explorer Jacques Cartier was introduced to pine-bark tea by the native Indians of Quebec during the winter of 1534. The Indians gave Cartier and his men the pine-bark tea to save them from dying of scurvy. Over 400 years later, Professor Jack Masquelier of the University of Bordeaux in France was working in Canada and came across this information. It fascinated him because he was very interested in studying the bioflavonoids, which he suspected were partly responsible for helping Cartier’s group ward off scurvy.
Professor Masquelier began to conduct research on pine bark to determine its biological effects. Later in France, he worked with extracts made from the bark of the Maritime pine trees that grew there. From this work, he determined that the extract did indeed display antioxidant activity and had beneficial effects on the vascular system-similar to the vitamin-P factor observed years earlier by Albert Szent-Gyorgyi. Professor Masquelier continued his work on pine-bark extract and developed a standardized extract, which he eventually called Pycnogenol.
The Isotonix (TM) OPC-3
Pycnogenol has been used safely for many years in Europe.
This substance has no mutagenic activity as determined by the Ames test. This means that Pycnogenol does not cause DNA mutations and is non-cancer causing. Moreover, Pycnogenol has gone through extensive testing to confirm its purity and safety. Studies on humans report no alarming side effects-even at high dosages. Pycnogenol is therefore considered nontoxic at the recommended dosage of 20 to 100mg per day for extended periods of several months, or 100 to 300mg for shorter periods of a few months, which is reserved for therapeutic usagThe phytonutrient components of Pycnogenol-including the antioxidant organic acids caffeic acid, gallic acid, and ferulic acid-have been tested for their free-radical scavenging activities. Pycnogenol has been shown to be effective in neutralizing several types of free radicals, such as the super oxide radical and hydroxyl radical. It also inhibits fatty-acid peroxidation caused by the biochemical t-butyl hydro peroxide, and thereby reduces damage to the cardiovascular system.
Here is some research done on Pycnogenol:
August 12, 2010 What is Acupressure?
Healing touch
Acupressure is an ancient healing art using the fingers and other parts of the body to skillfully press key points, which stimulate the body’s natural self-curing abilities. When these trigger points are pressed, they release muscular tension, and promote circulation of blood, and the body’s life force energy (Qi or Chi or Prana) to aid healing. Acupuncture and acupressure use the same pressure points and meridians, but acupuncture employs needles, while acupressure uses gentle to firm pressure and integrates bodywork therapies, therapeutic touch, somatic work, healing imagery, energy psychology, and massage therapy techniques.
The Chinese scriptures which date back more than 4000 years tell us about treatments with nails to balance body and mind. No one knows for sure when the bed of nails was first used to heal the body and raise consciousness. An approximate estimate is at least several thousand years
Channeling Ki or Chi or Reiki energy through the acupressure points can enable you to tap into Traditional Chinese or Indian Medicine’s tremendous wealth of ancient healing knowledge – that’s point specific.
Advantages of Using Acupressure include relieving pain, balancing the body, and maintaining good health. Acupressure’s healing touch reduces tension, increases circulation, and enables the body to relax deeply. By relieving stress, acupressure therapy strengthens resistance to disease and promotes wellness. Learn self-acupressure point formulas for various energy imbalances and healing applications.
Shakti acupressure mat
Our modern day acupressure spike mat is designed to relieve pain and stress, and produce relaxation through acupressure therapy. Lying on the 6,200 plastic spikes assembled on the Shakti Mat helps increase blood flow and stimulate nerve endings. The result is an effective tool to resolve tension, relieve pain and provide deep relaxation.
If you haven’t already seen one, tried one, or at least heard about the Shakti mat – be prepared. This mat sold 300.000 pieces last year in Sweden alone. And now the inventor is ready for a world-wide launch.
The Shakti Mat’s distinctive design is reminiscent of the Indian bed of nails, an ancient healing practice used by mystics to achieve deep meditative states. Our Shakti mat combines thousands of years of Indian tradition with modern technology to aid in the healing process and help release emotional, physical and mental blockages.
When you lie on the Shakti Mat, it prompts the body to produce good hormones such as endorphins and oxytocin. Endorphins are normally released during physical movement and exercise, and help support body against pain. Oxytocin helps you relax and allows you to fall asleep more easily.
August 11, 2010 
Accutane is a medication used for the treatment of severe cases of acne, especially those linked to permanent and disfiguring scarring such as acne vulgaris, acne conglobata and acne fulminans.
This drug is related to vitamin A, which makes it classified as a retinoid. Most dermatologists and physicians prescribe Accutane for management of acne. Since there are high risks for developing side effects, it is often not used as the first course of treatment. Deep facial cleansers, herbal skin care creams and topical ointments are usually the first round of treatments patients will receive. These alternative methods have become more popular due to the side effects one can develop from using drugs such as Accutane.
Physicians have also utilized the drug to treat Harlequin-type-ichthyosis, a rare condition that causes the skin to present plating as thick as armor after birth. Accutane has also been used sparsely to treat certain types of cancers including pancreatic and brain cancer. However, the drug may work throughout the body in killing cells not related to cancers.
Accutane is linked to the development of severe side effects, including inflammatory bowel disease, which has prompted many patients to file an Accutane lawsuit to seek compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering. In a 2006 study conducted by The American Journal of Gastroenterology, treatment with Accutane was noted as a possible “trigger” for inflammatory bowel disease. Frequently referred to as IBD, inflammatory bowel disease is a gastrointestinal disorder that refers to two chronic conditions that cause inflammation of the digestive tract, known as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
According to a 2010 study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, Accutane may nearly quadruple a patient’s risk of developing ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that requires the surgical removal of the colon in 25 to 40 percent of all cases. The study also reported that the risk of developing ulcerative colitis was highest in patients who used Accutane for more than two months.
Despite the fact that a possible association between Accutane and IBD was first discovered in the early 1980s, Accutane contained no warning of an increased risk of IBD for the majority of the time it was available on the market. A number of patients who have suffered these side effects argue that Roche Pharmaceuticals did not adequately warn them about Accutane’s risks. Please be sure to speak or receive a checkup with a dermatologist prior to making a decision.
By providing FDA alerts, drug information and drug side effects about prescription and over the counter medications, we can ensure an environment where patients have the best knowledge on their medical treatment and health. Additional information may be found on DrugWatch.com.
read users’ comments(2)