Sunday, November 29, 2009

Lock Out 'the Bone Thief'

First, a look at just what osteoporosis is, and who it strikes. This “silent disease” has no outward symptoms: it gradually steals mass and strength from bones, leaving them porous and weakened. Its main targets? The hip, spine and wrist.The damage leaves victims vulnerable to falls and fractures, and that can lead to even more scary situations – including death. While “the bone thief” can attack people of any age and either gender,women and mature adults are most likely to be affected. Osteoporosis is not an inevitable part of aging, and it is a big deal.

One of the latest in a long line of studies about osteoporosis indicates that in people over age 60, any bone fracture dramatically boosts the risk of dying.

The Australian study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at more than 4,000 people over a period of almost 20 years, and found these dramatic results: * After even a minor bone break like a wrist fracture, the risk of death zoomed by 42% in women and 33% in men. * After a hip fracture, women were twice as likely to die than before, and men, three times as likely to die. * These jumps in death risk lingered for years: 5 years for all fractures, and up to 10 years after a hip fracture.

What brings on bone loss? Time steals bone from us all. Around age 30, bone (which is living tissue made of collagen protein and calcium phosphate, a mineral) reaches a peak of density and strength. After that, bone starts being lost at a faster rate than it’s created; the process really speeds up after menopause, and continues into postmenopause due to decreased levels of the hormone estrogen. People most at risk are small, thin-boned Caucasian and Asian women with a family history of osteoporosis, and their risk increases with age.

The bone-breaking risk goes up in general for people who smoke, don’t exercise, drink alcohol, take certain medications and don’t get enough calcium and Vitamin D.

Detection & Prevention.

Sadly, the first clue some people get about osteoporosis stealing their bones is a sudden fall that fractures a hip or makes a spinal vertebra collapse. At this stage, or before, during a wellness exam, a healthcare professional may order a bone mineral density (BMD) test. This painless test can detect the current stage of bone loss, or identify bone issues before they become a problem (“osteopenia” or low bone density can be a sign of osteoporosis to come). There are medications for osteoporosis, and several other everyday ways that everyone can help protect their precious bones.

Healthcare professionals recommend three main strategies to turn away the bone thief and help stay strong:

1. crank up the calcium. This mineral is vital to bones; if you don’t get enough over your lifetime, you’re leaving yourself wide open to bone theft. Since many people consume less than half the recommended amount of calcium, it’s important to take up the slack: eat foods like low-fat dairy products, dark green, leafy vegetables and calciumfortifi ed foods. Taking quality calcium supplements is also suggested for many people. This is especially important as we age, because our bodies become less able to absorb calcium effi ciently.

2. Dose up on “D.” Vitamin D is a key player in helping absorb calcium and maintaining bone health. We get it via sunlight and foods like egg yolks and liver. D supplements are smart for many, especially older people and anyone during winter months who tends to stay indoors.

3. Bone up on exercise. Any activity that has you working against gravity is working for your bone health; it’s called weight-bearing exercise. You don’t have to lift weights or run marathons: just walk, hike, jog, climb stairs, play tennis or dance. Bonus: Since exercise helps improve your muscle tone and strength, coordination and balance, it boosts your overall health. And, with stronger muscles and better balance, you’ll help avoid the falls that can lead to fractures.

Since falling down can fracture bones, avoiding falls is especially important for anyone with weak or brittle bones. This is why exercise is so helpful to stay balanced and coordinated. In addition, these tips can help you stay upright and safe: * If needed, use a cane or walker for added stability. * Wear traction-soled shoes. * When sidewalks are slippery, walk on grass. * Tread carefully on polished fl oors that can be dangerously slick when wet. * Indoors, avoid walking in socks or slick-soled slippers. * Don’t use scatter rugs. All carpets and area rugs should either have skid-proof backing or be secured to the floor. * If possible, have handrails on both sides of stairways.

Help avoid fractures from weakened bones with TriVita’s Bone Growth Factor:

http://www.trivita.com/13170419

[Via http://wellnesscrusader.wordpress.com]

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Osteoporosis Compression Fractures - New Thoughts

Osteoporosis Fractures: Severe osteoporosis can lead to compression fractures of the spine, often in the mid-back. (See illustration to the left) Note that its the part under the disc, the vertebral body, not the rear part that causes paralysis.  However it is painful and leads to a humpbacked posture (hyerkyphosis).

Conservative Measures: Rest, ice packs, OTC analgesics and limited vertical time are common treatments while the body heals the crushed bone. Posture will deteriorate with each fracture event of significance.

Vertebroplasty: One of the respected Chiropractic Radiologists, Deborah Pate D.C., D.A.C.B.R. wrote in Chiropractic literature that  vertebroplasty surgery (see second illustration) was an option to be considered  In a recent article she reversed her position and even apologized.  In the respected New England Journal of Medicine, one of the leading journals of medicine, two recent studies raised question about the efficacy of the surgery and one showed no significant difference from the procedure vs. conservative healing. (N. Engl. J. Med. 2009, 361: 569-579 & 557-558)

The surgery involves injecting an acrylic into the fracture area  (see vertebroplasty illustration).  The acrylic hardens and supposed to support the fracture.  But it can leak.   A more recent variation includes a balloon process.

Accepted Procedure? This procedure has been accepted as efficacious for more than twenty years! UNTIL NOW when two studies.

Frequency: 750,000 compression fractures are estimated in the U.S. annually.  One third are estimated to have treatment costing from $12 -$18 billion.  The number of vertebroplasty procedures has doubled in the last six years.

Chiropractic Moral:

  • question even the assumed “normal” procedures in medicine.
  • don’t assume later in life there will be no complication or that there will be lasting results.
  • don’t assumed there will be always  less pain and/or disability in life with a surgery than without.
  • use holistic methods to support your body’s health including activity, nutrition, chiropractic etc. – HEALTH IS CUMULATIVE.



[Via http://millerfamilychiropractic.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Al elegir tus alimentos, eliges tu salud

Uno de los aspectos más importantes de la cultura es la comida. No se trata solamente de cumplir una necesidad fisiológica, sino que, además de proporcionar el alimento necesario para el organismo, el comer se ha convertido en un acto social de gran importancia,  en torno al cual se estructuran las actividades cotidianas y, también, las extraordinarias. Con frecuencia, las celebraciones se realizan alrededor de una buena mesa. La publicidad nos informa de las supuestas bondades nutricionales de uno u otro alimento, y muchas veces no sabemos a qué carta quedarnos.

La alimentación influye en la salud humana ya desde la infancia y adolescencia.  Por ello, es muy importante que los niños adopten formas de alimentación saludables, enseñándoles cómo deben alimentarse y aprendiendo a comer de todo.  La educación alimentaria o educación nutricional, es la base para lograr un estado de nutrición saludable.

Una buena alimentación es indispensable para el crecimiento y la salud del individuo.  Por ejemplo,  es fácil de reconocer por cualquiera  de nosotros el aumento de  la talla media  que se ha producido en España asociado a una mejoría de la alimentación de nuestros escolares. Una  persona bien nutrida (sin déficits ni excesos) tiene más reservas para combatir  ciertas enfermedades. Al contrario, las personas desnutridas, que en nuestra sociedad  suelen ser los enfermos, los indigentes y los ancianos, tienen una especial susceptibilidad a  desarrollar enfermedades, especialmente de tipo infeccioso. Ya lo dice el refrán “a perro flaco, todo son pulgas”.  Las personas bien alimentadas, lo que no significa necesariamente alimentadas en exceso,  tienen un mejor  rendimiento en el trabajo. De igual  forma, se recomienda que  los niños deben desayunar para lograr un buen rendimiento escolar.

Desgraciadamente, los médicos parece que no llegamos a cumplir con nuestro deber de información a la sociedad. En la consulta son múltiples las personas que hacen preguntas sobre la nutrición. No depende de la clase social ni del nivel cultural. Algunas personas vienen a la consulta y me dicen “enséñeme qué debo comer”. Por otra parte, las mujeres somos las transmisoras de la cultura nutricional, ya que influimos directamente en los hábitos alimenticios de nuestros hijos. Si queremos hacer una adecuada prevención de las enfermedades de la nutrición, es prioritario enseñar bien a las madres. Alguna vez he dicho algo que creo profundamente: “el mejor consejo nutricional que una madre puede darle a un hijo es enseñarle a comer con agrado las frutas y verduras”.

Y lo verdaderamente importante es que el estilo de vida y la nutrición es un importante determinante de la salud en los años futuros, a edades más avanzadas y de las enfermedades que vamos a desarrollar. Por ello, se puede decir que al elegir los alimentos, también se está eligiendo, en cierto modo, la salud . Sin embargo, el estilo de vida  y la nutrición de las sociedades avanzadas,  u  “occidentales”,  va cambiando. Y no todos los cambios son positivos.  La falta de actividad física, sobre todo si se une a un consumo  excesivo de energía, aumenta el riesgo de enfermedades crónicas  relacionadas con la nutrición, como por ejemplo, la obesidad, la hipertensión, las enfermedades cardiovasculares , la osteoporosis y determinados tipos de cánceres.

Y me dirán, ¿cual es esa dieta ideal? No existe una única dieta adecuada para conseguir una buena nutrición. Tampoco hay alimentos buenos y malos o completamente prohibidos.  Los patrones de dietas y de hábitos alimentarios varían de una sociedad a otra. En España, debido a la riqueza gastronómica de nuestra nación, varían incluso  de una Comunidad autónoma a otra, y también varía el patrón de alimentación a lo largo de la vida, según van cambiando las necesidades nutricionales  con la edad. La gran abundancia de alimentos en la sociedad industrializada ha hecho que cambien rápidamente los hábitos alimentarios. Además gracias a los modernos medios de transporte, hay un intercambio cultural de alimentos. Alimentos  y  platos que antes se consideraban exóticos, actualmente se consideran “corrientes”.  Además, la incorporación de la mujer al mundo laboral supone la aparición de platos y comidas rápidas y prefabricadas,  junto con  la dificultad para compartir en familia, por razones de horario, los momentos de las comidas.  El alimento natural,  como son los alimentos ecológicos, se ha elevado a la categoría de mito. Los avances científicos hacen variar los conceptos de la alimentación sana. Por ello, para conocer la dieta correcta es necesaria una cierta información nutricional, que les voy a ir exponiendo en este blog.

Dra. Pilar Riobó

 

Sunday, November 15, 2009

raining and still raining

arrgghhh..hujan daripada pagi tadi sampai petang ni. sendi pun sakit pasal tu la i pakai stokin dan minum Anlene. yealah mother i ada Osteoporosis, jadi i pun kena la berhati hati kan. kesian tengok my mom suffer from osteoporosis. rasanya tak semua orang tau tentang Osteoporosis. actualy i pun tak tau sangat tapi after my mom been diagnose with osteoporosis ada lah buat research sikit. Sesiapa nak tau lebih lanjut bolehla klik link below.. remember prevention better than cure..

www.infosihat.gov.my/penyakit/Dewasa/TulangRapuh.pdf

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Cleaning the organism by Dr. Sohrab Khoshbin

“We have to treat the causes of illnesses by cleaning and balancing our organism” – Dr. Sohrab Khoshbin

There are several organs that expulse invading toxins from our remarkable organism – the human body.  The most important role in this process belongs to the liver, which is responsible for all chemical activity in the body. In particular it is active in the processing of digested food.  The liver makes the most serious “decisions” in food absorption.  The most significant and remarkable organ has the capability to regenerate itself. I f we only had half of our liver, it would still be capable of performing all its function.

Liver has a very important role in our organism:

  •  Deprives the organism of toxic substances as well as from adverse fat in fried and chemically processed foods
  •  Fulfills 24 regular tasks
  •  The emotions such as anger, irritation or stress have a negative impact on liver activity

The other very important organ is the intestine, which escorts waste (the mass of sediments) from our body.  Our health depends, among other things, on regular elimination.  If sediments stay too long in our intestines, toxins are being created.  After time they get into our bloodstream which results in the poisoning of the organism.  This can lead to various illnesses such as migraine headaches or even cancer.

The kidneys also play an important role for toxin removal (in liquid form).  In Chinese medicine, the kidney is called “essence of life” which suggests our vital energy originates from this organ.  We can view the entire state of our organism functioning on the surface of our skin.  Skin blemishes and irregularities indicate that there are problems with digestion and toxicity.  Almost all skin illnesses originate from inside our organism and are signaled by various inflammations and eczemas.

The face is particularly revealing about our state of health.  Skin disorders on the upper lip give information about current stomach conditions and the lower lip points to adversities and intestines.  Blemishes found between the eyes alert to adverse conditions of the liver and stomach; if found on the tip of the nose, it can signal a heart problem.  The eyes are considered to be a reflection of the state of health of the body.

On the basis of iris research, many illnesses can be diagnosed, even in their initial stage before any symptoms are known.  The clarity of the eyes reveals the condition of the liver; if they are congested it means the liver is stressed with toxins.  If there are corners of the eye filled with veins it points to the heart being in less than optimum health.  If crusts appear in the corner of the eyes, it indicates that the liver is attempting to get rid of excessive amounts of fat.

It is necessary to observe the organism attentively because it informs us about all illnesses and balances disturbances so treatment can be administrated early before any serious damage occurs.  A traditional treatment of illnesses often depends on a successful elimination of symptoms.  This is only the suppression of the illness from an outside observance and only good for a short time period.  As the cause of illness is not clearly understood, it is difficult to be cured.  Ailments will continue and often in an intensive form.  It is necessary to look for a treat the cause and not only eliminate the effects.

As we know, the majority of civilization illnesses are the result of an improper way of life and excessive quantities of toxins in the organism; and to treat only the symptoms will never provide good results.  Alveo is an ideal herbal product that helps prevent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

There are two kinds of Alveo: peppermint and grape.  Aside from being different flavors, there is no difference between the two.  Each will clean and nourish our organism, creating a balance.  Both of them contain the same herbs.  The Peppermint Alveo is better for people who have stomach problems, especially for those that suffer from an abnormal production of acids.  The juice from grapes could have stimulating affects; while the peppermint in an alleviative.

The causes of imbalances in the organism:

  •  Hypoxia of particular organs
  •  Environmental pollution
  •  Consumption of processed food containing chemical substances
  •  Toxic compounds in our organism
  •  Overeating
  •  Insufficient physical activity
  •  Shortage of vitamins and minerals
  •  Stress, intensity and concern
  •  Inability to relax

Alveo prevents illness and keeps the organism healthy because:

  •  It is natural
  •  Acts positively for the gastrointestinal tract (Siberian Ginseng, Alfalfa)
  •  Supports digestion processes and the absorption of nutrients (Cardamom, Passionflower, Peppermint)

 

To be continued…

 

Until next time…Stay healthy

Katarzyna