Health Tip: Don't Overdo Fast Food

(HealthDay News) -- Fast food is a tempting option for hungry people on the run. But eating it too often or downing too much can wreak havoc on your health and waistline.

Keep these tips in mind when considering fast food, provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

• Fast foods are often high in calories, fat, sugar and salt.


• Many fast foods are cooked with high-calorie fats and butters.


• Fast food choices tend to lack fresh fruits and vegetables.


• The large portion sizes offered can encourage overeating.


• Many fast food restaurants have begun publishing nutritional information about their foods. In other cases, it is available on request. This information can help you better plan what you order.

Detox Toxic Substance from Your Body, Clinical Nutrition

How body detox can change your life and improve your wellness.

Colon cleansing

Bowel movements are the basis of your health. If you don't have at least 1 bowel movement per day, you are already walking your way toward disease. Man's body has not changed very much in the past several thousand years... however man's diet has certainly changed a lot. All the refined sugar, white flour, hormone/antibiotics-filled meats we constantly ingest constitute an assault on our bodies. We are continuously violating our bodies by eating terrible foods. Colon cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.

So, all congestion and toxins must be removed, and it must begin with cleansing of the bowel.

One of the most frequent bowel problems that people experience today is constipation.

A constipated system is one in which the transition time of toxic wastes is slow. The longer the "transit time," the longer the toxic waste matter sits in our bowel, which allows them to putrefy, ferment and possibly be reabsorbed. The longer your body is exposed to putrefying food in your intestines, the greater the risk of developing disease. Even with one bowel movement per day, you will still have at least three meals worth of waste matter putrefying in your colon at all times.

Disease usually begins with a toxic bowel. Those having fewer bowel movements are harboring a potentially fertile breeding ground for serious diseases. Infrequent or poor quality bowel movements over an extended period of time may be very hazardous to your health.

A Proper Colon Cleansing Program Removes the Mucoid Plaque From the Colon.

Lemon Drink for your Master Cleanse

LEMON DRINK for your Master Cleanse - you need:
2 tablespoons FRESH squeezed lemon or lime juice (approx. 1/2 lemon)
2 tablespoons genuine organic maple syrup, Grade B (the darker the better)*
1/10 teaspoon (a small pinch!) cayenne pepper, gradually increase (the more BTUs the better)
300 - 500 ccm (10-14 oz) pure water

In a 300ccm (10-ounce) glass (to allow for 227ccm and mixing room): 2 tablespoons fresh (and organic, if possible) lemon or lime juice (absolutely no canned or frozen juice). 2 tablespoons real (and organic, if possible) grade B or C maple syrup. (Don't use Grade A maple syrup or maple-flavored syrup.

They are over-refined, which means that they are mostly refined sugars and lack essential minerals.) A small pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste). Spring or purified water, between room temperature and medium hot (but not cold) – fill to 1/4 liter (8 oz). Mix all the ingredients by thoroughly stirring or shaking, and drink.

Or, in two 1 liter bottles: Juice of 3 lemons, divided equally between the two bottles (about 85ccm or 3 oz per bottle) An equal quantity of grade B or C maple syrup in each bottle (about 85 ccm or 3 oz per bottle) A pinch of cayenne in each bottle Spring or purified water (fill bottles to the top) Mix all the ingredients by thoroughly shaking; then drink throughout the day.

Use fresh lemons or limes only, never canned or frozen lemon juice. Use organic and vine ripened when possible. Also, mix your lemonade fresh just before drinking. Don't mix it up in the morning for the whole day. You can, however, squeeze your lemons in the morning and measure out the 2 tablespoons when needed.

SALT WATER FLUSH:
Drink an oral salt water enema upon arising. To do this, add 2 level teaspoons of uniodized sea salt to a quart of lukewarm water (the one-quart juice bottles in which most organic juices come work very well). Shake well, then drink the entire quart. It's also good to massage the colon as well. Make sure you use uniodized sea salt; regular or iodized salt will not have the same beneficial effect. This oral enema will flush out your entire digestive tract and colon from top to bottom, usually within an hour, prompting you to eliminate several times, clearing out the plaque and debris from the walls, and the parasites that have been living there.

Lemonade Drink:
Drink the lemonade mix every 1 to 2 hours. Take no other food, but do be sure to drink plenty of purified water in addition to the lemonade drink. Drink as much of this lemonade as you want, but make sure that you drink at least twelve 1/4 liter (8 oz) glasses. The lemonade contains all the vitamins and minerals you need. This can be combined with supplements for colon cleansing such as Bentonite or Psyllium Seeds.

You don't have to start your fast on the morning of the first day. You can begin later in the day, even if you've already eaten. Once you begin, however, eat nothing more while you're on the fast. It's also a good idea to read Stanley Burrough's book, The Master Cleanser. Note: Diabetics, refer to the special instructions on page 19 of The Master Cleanser.

Note: Bentonite is the only product known to remove plaque from the walls of the intestine and colon. The plaque in your stool will look like egg shells on the outside of the bentonite "gel." Bentonite works most effectively when the colon is empty of food. It grabs the plaque which has been loosened by the lemon juice and the resting/fasting process. The salt water enema pushes out the bentonite gel and the plaque and debris that is stuck to it and in it. The salt water further cleanses the walls as it passes through, resulting in shiny clean walls.

Herbal Laxative:
Each evening you can drink an herbal laxative tea to help with elimination, do this right before bed time.

GOING OFF LEMONADE FAST
Burroughs recommends a minimum of 10 days on this. You can safely do 40 days or more.

First Day: Start with 4 oz. [1/8 liter] fresh squeezed orange juice mixed with 4 oz. water. If it goes well, drink several more 8 oz. [1/4 liter] glasses of fresh orange juice during the day. Sip slowly. Dilute with water if needed.

Second Day: Drink several 8 oz. [1/4 liter] glasses of orange juice during the day -- with extra water, if needed.

In the evening make a vegetable broth (no canned soup). Use seasonal leafy and root vegetables such as: beets and beet tops, turnips and turnip greens, kale, carrots, onions, parsley, celery, potatoes, okra, one or two inds of legumes, squash, beans, a little salt, cayenne pepper and dehydrated vegetables or veg. powder may be added for flavor (no MSG or hydrolyzed protein).
Cook lightly. Drink the broth, eating only a few bites of the vegetables.

Third Day: Orange juice in the morning. At noon have some more soup with some of the vegetables. No meat, fish, eggs, bread, pastries, tea, milk, or coffee. For Dinner, have the vegetables in the soup.

Fourth Day: Orange juice or lemon and maple syrup in the morning. Fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts for lunch. Salad or fruit for dinner.

Fifth Day: Eat normally but no junk food, dairy, tea, coffee, white flour or white rice, heavy animal proteins. If, after eating is resumed, distress or gas occurs, go back to the lemonade diet for a few days until the system is ready for food.

(Excerpt from "Healing for the Age of Enlightenment" by Stanley Burroughs -Stanley Burroughs Master Cleanse - available through Essential Science Publishing.)

10 Ways to Detoxify Your Body

Feeling sluggish or out of sync? Having skin problems, aches and pains, or digestive problems? Straying from your healthier habits lately? It might be time for a detox.

Practiced for centuries by many cultures around the world — including ayurvedic and Chinese medicine systems — detoxification is about resting, cleaning and nourishing the body from the inside out. By removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients, detoxifying can help protect you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimum health.

"The body has its own natural healing system," says Peter Bennett, N.D., medical director of Helios Clinic in Victoria, B.C., and co-author with Stephen Barrie, N.D. and Sara Faye, of 7-Day Detox Miracle (Prima Health). "Detoxification enhances this system," he explains.

How Does Detoxification Work?
Basically, detoxification means cleaning the blood. It does this mainly by removing impurities from the blood in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. The body also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymph and skin. However, when this system is compromised, impurities aren't properly filtered and every cell in the body is adversely affected.
Continue reading >>

Related Video: Body Detox Techniques and Diet: How to Detox Your Body : Colon Cleansing for Body Detoxification

The Detox Diet

Learn About the Detox Diet

Detox, short for detoxification, is the removal of potentially toxic substances from the body. Although detox is primarily thought of as a treatment for alcohol or drug dependence, the term is also used to refer to diets, herbs, and other methods of removing environmental and dietary toxins from the body for general health.

This is a sample two-week detox diet plan to support detoxification by increasing elimination from the body, cleansing the colon, enhancing circulation to clear toxic substances, eliminating foods from the diet that require detoxification or are allergenic, and providing nutrients to support and protect the liver, the main organ involved in detoxification.

Step 1: The detox screening quizAccordint to alternative practitioners, a detox screening quiz can help you become more familiar with possible symptoms of toxicity.

Many holistic practitioners believe that people with adrenal fatigue, brought on by prolonged stress, should not try the detox diet until that condition is addressed.

Step 2: Learn the basics about detox diets

This article, Detox Basics, has necessary information about detox diets, including:
What is the detox diet?
Side effects and safety concerns
Health benefits
Criticisms of detox diets
Guidelines

Step 3: Find out what foods to eat and avoid on detox diets

Step 4: How a detox diet can be customized Ayurveda is the traditional medicine of India. Knowing your Ayurvedic "type" can help you learn what foods, according to Ayurveda, support an individual's health and what foods might detract from health. Try this simple quiz.

Step 5: Proper eliminationElimination of stools and urine is the body's primary method of getting rid of toxic substances. Especially important during a detox diet, regular bowel movements decrease the likelihood that toxins will be reabsorbed into the body.

Step 6: Sample detox diet menu Learn about a typical day's meals on a detox diet with this sample menu.

Step 7: Essential nutrients for detox supportThe liver requires certain nutrients in order to produce the enzymes and antioxidants needed for detoxification.

Step 8: The hypochlorhydria screening quizSome alternative practitioners believe that hypochlorhydria, also known as low stomach acid, may be involved in indigestion, food sensitivities, nutritional deficiency, bacterial overgrowth, yeast infections, weak hair, skin, and nails, and a host of other conditions. By the time people reach their 50's, many nutritionally-oriented doctors believe that many of their clients have hypochlorhydria. Step 9: What people drink on a detox diet

Step 10: Do you have positive or negative energy? Try this quick quiz, created for us by Judith Orloff, MD, to find out if you have positive energy or if you could use a mind/body detox. Dr. Orloff is a medical intuitive, psychiatrist, and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA.

Dr. Judith Orloff's first step for creating positive energy. Read this excerpt from her best-selling book, Positive Energy, to learn how to create more positive energy in your life
Steps 11 through 16 of the detox diet plan are on the next page>>

What is a "Kidney Cleanse" ?

A Kidney cleanse is a procedure aimed at dissolving Kidney stones - stones formed inside kidneys.

Kidney cleanse can also be used for improving kidney health by flushing out toxins accumulated inside kidney tissues.

There are many different kinds of Kidney stones. Sometimes, it can take days to dissolve them, sometimes it can take months. Sometimes, water is enough, sometimes, you may need several different remedies.

Crystals form in urine from various salts that build up on the inner surfaces of the kidney. Eventually these crystals become large enough to form stones in the kidney (called nephrolithiasis).

Such salts may include calcium oxalate, uric acid, cystine, or xanthine. These salts can become extremely concentrated under certain circumstances: if the volume of urine is significantly reduced (chronic thirst and dehydration); or if abnormally high amounts of crystal-forming salts are present (infection). When concentration levels reach the point at which the salts no longer dissolve, they precipitate out and form crystals.

Stones may also form in the ureter or the bladder. The salts that form these stones are made up of combinations of minerals and other chemicals, some of which are derived from a person's diet.

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The Liver Flush

One of the more simple and popular cleansing techniques is known as the Liver Flush.

It is used for removing excess fatty acids and other toxic substances from the liver. A healthy liver can play a crucial role in contributing to the healing of the immune system as it is an important part of digestion and plays the main role in processing toxic and allergy-causing substances in the bloodstream.

The Liver Flush can be done at any time, but is commonly done in the Spring and Autumn.

i. Simple Liver Cleanse

The following herbal products can be used to assist in cleansing and rebuilding the liver. I use the formulas for three to four weeks.
- Hepato-Pure You can purchase this formula (made by Planetary Herbal Formulas) from your local natural food store or call Planetary Herbal Formulas 800-606-6226 for the nearest distributor. It contains Bupleurum (a chinese herb reknowned for liver cleansing), Wild Yam Root, Oregon Grape Root, Lycii Berry, Cyperus, Dandelion Root Extract, Dong Quai, Peony Alba, Ginger Root, Fennel Seed, Green Citrus Peel, Dandelion Root, Milk Thistle Seed Extract (83% Silymarin), Dong Quai Extract.

- DeLiver 1 and DeLiver 2
These two formulas can be purchased from Arise & Shine (602/293-1098).

DeLiver 1 contains Cholic acid, Deoxycholic acid, Taraxacum (Dandelion), Burdock Root, Rhubarb Root, Cynaris, Catalase.

DeLiver 2 is formulated for severe congestion of the liver.
- Liv Alive Caps
You can purchase this herbal formula from your local natural foods store or contact the manufacturer, Crystal Star Herbal Nutrition (209/532-6474), for the nearest distributor. The formula contains Beet Root, Oregon Grape Root, Dandelion Root, Wild Yam, Milk Thistle Seed, Yellow Dock Root, Ginkgo, Biloba, Wild Cherry, Licorice Root, Gotu Kola, Ginger Root, Barberry Bark, Choline, Inositol.

- Milk Thistle Seeds
Milk Thistle has a reputation of being the most powerful herb for healing and strengthening the liver. You can get a tincture or tablets of the powdered concentrate in most natural foods stores. Take approximately 150mg (3 tablets) / 3 times per day or 20 drops of tincture / 3 times per day. This can be done for a couple of weeks after performing a Liver Flush (see below) or taking a liver cleansing herbal formula for a few weeks. You can find out more about Milk Thistle by reading "Milk Thistle

-- The Liver Herb" by Christopher Hobbs, Botanica Press, c1992,

ii. Castor oil compress

A castor oil compress is usually performed every other day during the Liver Flush regimen. It is helpful in encouraging the liver to dump excess fats. Soak a piece of wool or flannel (or a baby's cotton diaper) in castor oil. Ring out the cloth so that it doesn't drip. Place over the liver area (on the right side, just under the ribcage). place a hot water bottle (purchase from a drug store), not an electric heating pad over the cloth. Then place a towel over the hot water bottle. Leave on for 1.5 hours, replacing the water when necessary so that the area is kept hot (but not too hot to stand). After removing the compress, spend 5 to 10 minutes rubbing small amounts of virgin olive oil into the liver area.

iii. Coffee Enema

A coffee enema is usually used as a *part* of a cleansing program in order to encourage the liver to dump large amounts of toxins. You may wish to try this technique *once or twice* when you are performing the Liver Flush, Gallbladder Flush or GI Tract cleanse. Do not use this technique obsessively, just on occassion when performing a cleanse. You can get a coffee enema instruction sheet for free from Arise & Shine.

iv. Liver Flush

The following Liver Flush instructions are based upon Christopher Hobbs' suggestions in his book, "Foundations of Health: The Liver and Digestive Herbal." For 10 days you do the following:

1. In the morning after a little exercise (e.g., short walk, yoga, breathing exercises, etc.), drink the liver flush mixture (see below).

2. After drinking the liver flush mixture, drink two cups of herbal tea designed to cleanse the liver. Alternatively, take one of the liver cleansing formulas listed above as directed.

3. Follow a healthy, natural foods diet during the rest of the day. Also, remembering to breath deeping, using the diaphram, can be helpful. A light abdominal massage once per day can also be helpful.

4. Take (or continue taking) one of the liver cleansing formulas listed above for two to three more weeks.

5. Take Milk Thistle and Red Beet Crystals (see above) for a few weeks after finishing the liver cleanse. This will help the process of rebuilding the liver. 6. Optional and helpful - Perform the Castor oil compress every other day. - Perform one coffee enema during the cleanse. - Perform abdominal massage every other day. Liver flush mixture

Mix freshly sqeezed citrus juices together (e.g., orange, grapefruit). Mix in as much freshly sqeezed lemon (or lime) as possible. The more sour the taste, the better the cleanse. Add 1-2 cloves of fresh-sqeezed garlic. Add a small amount of ginger root juice (grate the ginger and sqeeze the resultant fibers to obtain ginger juice). Finally, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil (use the expensive stuff from a natural foods stores). Shake or blend and drink. Cleansing herbal tea

Example 1 - "Puri-Tea" from Brigitte Mars (herbalist in Colorado) Peppermint, red clover, fennel, licorice, cleavers, dandelion, Oregon grape root, burdock root, butternut bark, chickweed, parsley root, nettles. You should be able to find something similar at your local natural foods store.

Example 2 - Fennel Seed (1 part), Fenugreek (1 part), Flax Seed (1 part), Licorice Root (1/4 part), Burdock (1/4 part), Peppermint (1 part). Simmer all herbs except the peppermint for 20 minutes. Add 1 part peppermint and let the tea steep for 10 minutes. Use approximately 1 ounce (wt.) of total dried tea per pint of water. See the following books for more information on healing the liver:

i. Foundations of Health: The Liver and Digestive Herbal by Christopher Hobbs Botanica Press, c1992

ii. Natural Liver Therapy by Christopher Hobbs Botanica Press, c1993 (3rd revision) This book contains alot of good information on restoring the health of the liver as well as many natural remedies.

Rebuilding & Strengthening

1. Milk Thistle Seeds (see above)

2. Herbal Formula such as Hepato-Pure from Planetary Herbal Formulas (see above).

3. Building a healthy population of beneficial bacteria in the intestines is very helpful for preventing the building of toxins which can overwork the liver. Regularly eating fermented foods (if tolerable) or taking a probiotic suppliment can be very helpful in doing this. See the "Probiotics" section of the "Food & Nutrition" chapter for more information.

4. Abdominal Massage once per day.

5. Deep breathing exercises and yogic breathing exercises (see "Yoga" chapter and "Emotional Healing" chapter for Hendricks Breathing Exercises).

6. Healthy diet without dairy.

7. See "Natural Liver Therapy" by Christopher Hobbs for additional tips.

Carb Intake, Obesity Tied to Rise in Esophageal Cancers

(HealthDay News) -- There may be a link between rising rates of carbohydrate intake and obesity and the increasing number of esophageal cancer cases in the United States, a new study says.

Researchers noted that cases of esophageal cancer increased from 300,000 in 1973 to 2.1 million in 2001, which closely mirrors increases in carbohydrate intake and obesity over the same time.

Obesity is a major risk factor for many types of cancer, and a diet high in calories from refined carbohydrates is a common contributor to obesity, the researchers noted. They also said no other studied nutrients were found to correlate with esophageal cancer rates.

"If we can reverse the trends in refined carbohydrate intake and obesity in the U.S., we may be able to reduce the incidence of esophageal cancer," study senior author Dr. Li Li, an assistant professor in the department of family medicine and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Health System, said in a prepared statement.

The study was published in a recent issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
The causes of esophageal cancer are largely unknown, and despite recent advances, patients with this type of cancer have a poor prognosis. The five-year survival rate is less than 20 percent.

More information
The American Cancer Society has more about esophageal cancer.

Health Tip: What's Causing Your Dizziness?

(HealthDay News) - Dizziness is not a disease, but a symptom of another condition. While it's usually not serious and is often temporary, it helps to know what's causing the problem.

The University of Michigan Health System lists these common causes of dizziness:

• An infection or other condition affecting the inner ear.
• Fatigue, stress or fever.
• Low blood sugar.
• Anemia.
• Dehydration.
• An injury to the head.
• A heart or circulatory condition.
• Stroke.
• A side effect of certain medications.

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Oxy-Powder® Complete Cleansing System $147.75 [ learn more ] Complete Cleansing System with Livatrex™, Oxy-Powder®, Latero-Flora™, and two bottles of ParaTrex®.

Beware Holiday Toys That Can Injure Young Eyes

(HealthDay News) -- While concern about lead in toys has attracted a great deal of attention lately, it's just one of the potential dangers that toys may pose to children. For example, some toys can damage children's eyes, warns the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

There were more than 210,000 toy-related injuries treated in U.S. emergency rooms in 2005, and about 6,000 of those involved injuries to the eyes of children under age 15, according to the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission.

"The holidays are supposed to be a time of happiness and celebration. A serious eye injury can bring an abrupt end to the celebration. Parents should choose a toy that is appropriate for their child's age, abilities, maturity, and the parent's willingness to supervise use of the toy," Dr. David Coats, clinical correspondent for the AAO and a pediatric ophthalmologist at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, said in a prepared statement.

BB guns, darts, pellet guns and paintball guns are among the toys that pose a threat to the eyes.
"Any toy that can eject or propel an object can lead to a serious eye injury if used incorrectly.

This includes innocuous appearing toys such as a popgun or a paddleball set," Coats said.

He also said children who receive sports equipment as gifts should be given protective eyewear.

"If you plan to give sports equipment, provide appropriate protective gear, such as helmets, facemasks or goggles with polycarbonate lenses," Coats said.

More information
Safe Kids USA has more about toy-related injuries.

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Sex Ed Does Delay Teen Sex: CDC

(HealthDay News) -- Sex education programs do work to help discourage many teens from becoming sexually active before age 15, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Formal programs -- such as those presented in schools and church groups -- did appear to delay onset of sexual activity. For example, teen girls in the nationally representative sample were 59 percent less likely to start having sex before age 15 if they had received sex education, while teen boys were 71 percent less likely, the study found.

"We were obviously hoping to find that sex education is effective. We're glad to see the strong associations," said lead author Trisha Mueller, a CDC epidemiologist. She emphasized that in order to be successful, sex education should take place before young people become sexually active.

Mueller's team also learned that teen boys who attended school were almost three times more likely to use contraception if they had attended a sex education program, compared to those who had not.

However, attendance at a sex education class did not seem to impact girls' use of birth control, the survey found.

The survey did not differentiate between programs that emphasized abstinence and those that educated about contraception. Instead, researchers focused only on whether the teens had ever attended any sex education program in a formal setting, such as school or church.

The study was expected to be published in the January issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.

According to earlier, 2005 data available from the CDC, 47 percent of high school students said they had already had sex. Of those who were currently involved in a sexual relationship, one-third said they were not using a condom.

Curious about the effectiveness of sexual education on these behaviors, Mueller and colleagues examined data from more than 2,000 teen boys and girls between 15 and 19 years of age who participated in the door-to-door 2002 National Survey of Family Growth.

"Formal sex education is beneficial for youth who are considered to be at-risk," noted Mueller, who cited as an example the 88 percent reduced risk of initiation sex before age 15 among urban black females who had received any sex education. Urban black teen girls who were still in school at the time of the survey had a 91 percent reduced risk of initiation sex before age 15, the survey found.

The research also showed that boys living in single-parent households were more likely to delay sex past age 15 if they had attended a sex education class.

Mueller and her team were interested in teen sexual decision-making before and after the age of 15, because the federal governments' Healthy People 2010 initiative treats 15 as a dividing line. Healthy People 2010 sets a wide array of health goals for states and communities to achieve over the first decade of this century. One of its objectives: to reduce the number of teens under age 15 who are having sex for the first time.

"First and foremost, the report makes clear that the timing of sex education is quite important. That is, providing sex education to young people at an early age seems quite important in helping delay sexual activity," said Bill Albert, deputy director of the Washington, D.C.-based National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

The researchers said the study could not explain why sex education might have a stronger effect in delaying sex among teen boys and black girls, but Albert offered an explanation.

"It is the case that declines in sexual activity among teen boys, as opposed to girls, and African-American teen girls, as opposed to other racial/ethnic groups, have been much more dramatic over the past decade. This may, in part, explain why the effect of sex education seems stronger. It may also be that concern about HIV/AIDs may be particularly strong among these two groups," said Albert.

However, certain sub-populations of teens deserve further research, said Mueller. The data suggested that both rural, white teen girls and white or Hispanic teen girls who had dropped out of school might be more likely to have sex before age 15 if they had sex education, but Mueller said the number of people in those groups in the study was so small that the results could be a statistical fluke.

"They were kind of opposite findings," said Mueller, who acknowledged that "some subgroups may not benefit from sex ed the same way as the larger group of teens."

This research comes in the wake of data released Dec. 5 by the CDC showing that the annual rate of births to teens has increased for the first time in 14 years. Between 2005 and 2006, the birth rate for girls 15 to 19 rose 3 percent -- from 40.5 births per 1,000 in 2005 to 41.9 per 1,000 in 2006.

Considering both studies, Albert said, "The early wins may have been won. Future efforts may well have to be more intense, focused, and creative if the nation is to make continued progress in reducing teen pregnancy and childbearing. Put another way, yesterday's way of doing business will no longer suffice."

More information
To find more data about teenagers and sexual decision-making, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Extra Doses of Vitamins C, E Don't Guard Against Preeclampsia

(HealthDay News) -- Taking extra doses of vitamins E and C doesn't reduce the chances of the blood pressure disorder preeclampsia in women who are at risk for the dangerous pregnancy complication, a new report finds.

The study casts real doubt on the effectiveness of this regimen in preventing preeclampsia, said study author Dr. Joseph A. Spinnato II, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. "There were those that were arguing that the evidence was enough prior to our publication, so I think this is added weight," he said.

There may be other avenues of hope, however.

"The article was compelling and a little disappointing, but the authors left us with an out at the end of the article, that perhaps we shouldn't give E and C at the same time because the E might negate the C," said Dr. Miriam Greene, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University School of Medicine in New York City. "You can continue and try to do the two separately. They did prove that the drugs were safe."

The findings appears in the December issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Preeclampsia, which occurs in about 5 percent of all pregnant women in the United States, can lead to sudden high blood pressure and irregular blood flow. This can activate platelets and the clotting system, which in turn slows blood flow further.

Risk factors for preeclampsia include: first pregnancy, 10 years since previous pregnancy, carrying multiple fetuses, being overweight, being under 20 or over 35, or having a history of high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, lupus or preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy, according to the March of Dimes.

At present, medical professionals have no clear guidance on how to prevent this potentially fatal condition.

"We don't have a good way to reduce the incidence of preeclampsia, except in calcium-deficient populations and those tend not to be in the U.S.," Spinnato said. "There is some evidence that still supports the use of baby aspirin among patients at risk, but even that is argued pretty heavily."

An Australian study published last year also found no benefit to vitamin C and E supplementation.

The current study involved 707 women at four Brazilian sites who were in their second trimester of pregnancy and who had chronic hypertension or a prior history of preeclampsia.
The women were randomly assigned to receive 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C with 400 International Units of vitamin E or a placebo daily.

The rate of preeclampsia was 13.8 percent in the vitamin group and 15.6 percent in placebo group, which was not a statistically significant difference.

There appeared to be no harmful effects on the fetus, a finding echoed in previous trials.
But this study had one surprise finding: more frequent premature rupture of membranes among women taking vitamins. "That was completely unexpected," said Spinnato, who is following up on the finding.

Other than the possibility that vitamin E is canceling out vitamin C, there is no clear explanation for why the combination didn't work.

"One of the continuing challenges to vitamin supplementation as a general thing is getting it from leafy vegetables is different than getting it from a pill," Spinnato said. "There are also those who argue that we didn't start [giving the vitamins] early enough, but that argument is difficult to swallow. There are medical and legal ramifications even for vitamins."

More information
To learn more about preeclampsia, visit the March of Dimes.

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Low Testosterone Might Shorten Men's Lives

(HealthDay News) -- Men aged 40 or over with low levels of testosterone may be at increased risk of fatal heart attacks or death from any cause, a British study suggests.

In fact, "The magnitude of the effect was very similar to that of [high] cholesterol or blood pressure," said lead researcher Dr. Kay-Tee Khaw, professor of clinical gerontology at the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine.

However, more work is needed to see whether testosterone supplements should be recommended for men with naturally low levels of the hormone, she said.

"We need to replicate these findings," Khaw said. "We hope we can entice other investigators to look at testosterone levels and see if these findings are confirmed."

Her team published the findings in the Nov. 27 issue of Circulation.

The study included more than 11,600 men ages 40 to 79 who were free of known cardiovascular disease and cancer at the start of the trial. It was done because "there have been lots of studies suggesting that low testosterone may not be good for health," Khaw said. "So, we wanted to see if this could be demonstrated in a large population. Testosterone is hard to measure, the test can be expensive."

The men were divided into four groups based on their blood testosterone levels.

Those men in the highest quarter of testosterone readings -- with at least 19.6 nanomoles of the hormone per liter of blood -- had a 41 percent lower risk of dying over 10 years than those in the lowest quarter of testosterone readings -- less than 12.5 nanomoles of testosterone per liter of blood.

One major question is whether low testosterone is a risk factor itself or just a marker for other risk factors, said Dr. Victor Montori, associate professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He has done his own studies on testosterone replacement therapy.

"It does not mean that replacing or normalizing levels of testosterone would reverse the outcome," he said. "There are other hormones in the blood that are related to other risk factors, such as diabetes and hypertension."

In any case, a testosterone replacement regimen "would not be a walk in the park," Montori said. "It would be a major intervention."

According to Dr. Jorge Plutzky, director of the Vascular Disease Prevention Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, the experience of women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) shows that hormonal regimens can have their dangers.

Beginning in the 1990s, millions of older American women took HRT, which replaced two female hormones, estrogen and progestin. Early trials had indicated that the therapy might reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke in older women.

Instead, the Women's Health Initiative, a major study released in 2002, found that women taking HRT were at increased incidence of stroke, blood clots and breast cancer, noted Plutzky, who is also a spokesman for the American Cancer Society. HRT prescriptions dropped off precipitously after the study's release.

So, much more research is needed on the link between testosterone levels and mortality before doctors can recommend the regimen to men, Khaw said. Such studies might provide "insights and better understanding of disease mechanisms, such as how and why testosterone might be related to poorer health through, for example, insulin metabolism, lipid metabolism or inflammation," she said.

More information
There's more on testosterone at the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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Back Pain Prevention Should Start With a Plan

(HealthDay News) -- A 10-step plan to help you reduce body stress and prevent back pain, especially during the demanding holiday season, is outlined by the U.S. National Athletic Trainers' Association.

"The human body is an incredible machine that adapts to the stresses we give it every day. Stresses such as poor posture, unusual movement or activities, or even a sedentary lifestyle can lead to poor mechanics and pain. Disability from back pain is second only to the common cold as a cause of lost work time," certified athletic trainer Darrell Barnes of the St. Vincent Sports Performance Center in Indianapolis, Ind., said in a prepared statement.

Back pain affects 80 percent of adults at some point in their lives, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Each year, Americans pay about $24 billion for treatment of back pain, limited mobility and stiffness.

Here are 10 things you can do to prevent and reduce back pain:

• Identify and correct body stresses such as poor posture, improper lifting techniques, or weak or tight muscles. Strengthen your back, learn proper lifting methods, carry lighter loads, and use luggage carts for heavy packages and suitcases.
• Increase your muscle mobility by stretching or doing activities -- such as yoga, tai chi, swimming or pilates -- that help keep you limber.
• Boost your strength by doing exercises that involve the whole body, especially the core muscles of the stomach, back, hips and pelvis. In addition, strengthening your legs and shoulders can help improve your ability to squat, lift and carry items without overworking or injuring your back.
• Do aerobic exercise, like walking, swimming and running, for at least 20 minutes three times a week. This kind of exercise increases muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness, improves blood flow to the spine, and helps reduce stress.
• Practice good posture. If possible, don't sit for long periods of time. Get up every 15 to 30 minutes and move around or stretch. When you're seated, keep your hips and knees at right angles to one another and use a chair with adequate lumbar (lower back) support.
• When standing, keep your head up, shoulders straight, chest forward and stomach tight.
• Don't stand in the same position for too long. Use your legs, not your back, when pushing or pulling heavy items.
• Use proper lifting techniques. When lifting objects from a position below your waist, stand with a wide stance and a slight bend at your hips and knees. Tighten your stomach as you lift and keep your back as flat as possible -- don't arch or bend it. When carrying heavy items, keep them as close as possible to your body. Don't carry items on only one side of your body.
• Sleep on a firm mattress and box spring that doesn't sag. Sleep in a position that allows you to maintain the natural curve in your back.
• Warm up before exercise or sports. Increasing muscle temperature and mobility beforehand will reduce the risk of injury.
• Maintain/adopt a healthy lifestyle. Obesity and smoking increase the incidence of back pain.

More information
The U.S. National Institutes of Health offers back pain prevention advice.

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Health Tip: Managing Menopause

(HealthDay News) - If hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause are cramping your style, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers these suggestions:

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats.


• Get plenty of regular exercise.


• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may help certain women, but it carries medical risks. Discuss HRT with your doctor.


• Foods rich in soy may help some side effects, such as hot flashes.


• Get plenty of sleep, and maintain a regular sleep schedule.


• Avoid caffeine and alcohol.

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Study Rates Heart Health of Popular Diet Plans

(HealthDay News) -- Not all diet plans are equally heart-healthy, according to a study ranking eight popular weight-loss programs.

Diets that emphasize a variety of fruits and vegetables scored better than those with a heavy protein focus.

The Ornish diet plan came out on top with the most potential to prevent heart disease risk factors. The Atkins diet came in last, lagging behind the Zone and Weight Watchers.

"It was not surprising to me that the Ornish diet came out on top given that the index used is designed to measure dietary components related to risk of heart disease," said dietician Lona Sandon, a national spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Sandon said the take-home message for consumers is "if heart disease is your concern, you need to focus more on fruits, vegetables and make all your grains whole grains, as well as limit intake of animal foods and fats."

The findings are published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School ranked daily meal plans and food recommendations in the Ornish Plan, the Zone Diet, Atkins, two Weight Watchers plans, the South Beach Diet, the New Glucose Revolution and the 2005 MyPyramid plan.

The rankings were based on the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), which uses the daily dietary intake of fruits, vegetables, fats, fiber, nuts, soy and white meats instead of red meat to determine how much benefit a diet has for heart health.

The highest possible score is 70. While none of the diets had a perfect score, they varied across a 20-point spread:

Ornish, 64.6.
Weight Watchers high-carbohydrate, 57.4.
New Glucose Revolution, 57.2.
South Beach Phase 2, 50.7.
Zone, 49.8.
MyPyramid, 48.7.
Weight Watchers high protein, 47.3.
Atkins 100-g carbohydrate, 46.
South Beach Phase 3, 45.6.
Atkins 45-g carbohydrate, 42.3.

Study author and clinical psychologist Sherry Pagoto said there's no cut-off point in the AHEI scale below which a diet could be definitively considered heart unhealthy. But other studies have ranked low-quality diets in populations at risk for heart disease around the 30-point mark.

"We were most surprised by the fact that the MyPyramid wasn't even in the top three. We figured that this would be a model diet because it is based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture dietary recommendations," Pagoto said.

However, coming in last doesn't mean a diet is of low quality, she said. All of the diets have the potential to be healthy and have been shown in a variety of studies to result in weight loss, which is itself important to improving heart health. Additionally, coming in first does not mean the diet plan is ideal for everyone, she added.

"While the Ornish plan was on top, it's a hard one for most people to follow," Pagoto said. The Ornish plan is a very low-fat, low-calorie, primarily vegetarian diet developed for people who have survived heart attacks, she explained.

In her work counseling clients at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Weight Center, Pagoto said she has learned that it's important for people to be able to stick to the diet plan they choose.

"There is more than one element of a diet to consider," she said.

People with a personal or family history of heart disease should consider the results of this study as a guide when choosing a diet plan, Pagoto said. But they should also think about their food preferences. For example, people who really like carbohydrates would do better with Weight Watchers than with Atkins, regardless of this ranking system, she said.

Pagoto advises patients to keep a food log over several weeks to get a better idea of their food preferences and calorie intake before starting a diet.

Lack of variety courts diet disaster due to boredom, Pagoto said. People will eventually get tired of the limitations of a tightly controlled or hard-to-implement diet, she said.

Despite not making the top three, the USDA's MyPyramid allows for the most variety, she said.
Sandon said: "What I find in working with clients is that most people tend to eat the same foods on a daily or weekly basis and have little variety. They do not want to have to seek out special foods or learn to prepare new foods they are not familiar with. In general, I find that many people in the initial phase of starting a weight-loss plan are more comfortable sticking to a plan of the same foods most of the time but want permission to have something different here and there."

A second study in the same issue of the journal suggests that using canola-based products instead of other oils all the time could meet national standards for healthy fats. Canola oil can help decrease adults' saturated fatty acid intake by up to 9.4 percent and increase their intake of monounsaturated fatty acids by 27.6 percent. Alpha-linolenic acid intake would increase 73 percent. The switch would not affect total calories, fat and cholesterol, according to the researchers, from the University of Illinois and Pennsylvania State University, who studied the diets of more than 9,000 people.

More information
For more about the USDA's dietary guidelines, visit MyPyramid.

No Clear Winner in Diabetes Treatment Trial

(HealthDay News) -- A study designed to tell which insulin-plus-drug regimen might best control type 2 diabetes has produced disappointing preliminary results, with none of the three strategies tested coming out on top.

"What this shows is that none of the strategies in the study can be recommended" as being superior to the other, said Dr. Graham T. McMahon, an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and co-author of an editorial accompanying the report, published online Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Instead, he said, the insulin regimen would probably have to be tailored to each patient, McMahon said.

The report was released early, because the preliminary, one-year results of the four-year study are being presented at a meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, in Amsterdam.

The study, led by British diabetes specialists at the University of Oxford, included 708 participants with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, which affects about 95 percent of diabetics, typically occurs in adulthood and is often tied to obesity.

All of the trial participants were given maximum doses of two diabetes drugs, metformin and sulfonylurea, and a different regimen of injected insulin three times a day, two times a day or just once a day. The once-a-day group got an extra dose if deemed necessary.

The goal was to reduce blood levels of glycolated hemoglobin, which forms when sugar enters blood cells, to 6.5 percent or less.

The results overall were not impressive: The treatment goal was achieved by just 23.9 percent of those getting insulin three times a day, 17 percent of those getting insulin twice a day and 8.1 percent of those in the once-a-day group, the researchers reported.

The greater success rate in the two- and three-times-a-day regimen had a down side, the team noted, since it was also accompanied by an increased incidence of weight gain and low blood sugar levels, the report said.

Still, the results indicated that "the best thing to be done is to follow current guidelines," McMahon said. That means "using long-acting drugs and adding insulin either once, twice or three times a day," he said, depending on each patient's particular needs.

What the new data "suggests to the doctor is that if you are serious about controlling diabetes, you should be willing to use the more complex method," added Dr. Larry Deeb, clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Florida and immediate past president of the American Diabetes Association.

Diabetes control "is hard work for doctor and patient," Deeb said, and "family doctors have got to learn to give insulin the way we endocrinologists do." Deeb is located in Tallahassee, Fla., where the ratio of endocrinologists is 1 to 75,000 inhabitants, he noted.

Family doctors can handle type 2 diabetes, McMahon said, but it is best if they do not work alone. "An endocrinologist, nutritionist and nurse-educator should cooperate," he said.

Because type 2 diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease, attention should be paid not only to blood sugar levels but also to other coronary risk factors, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels, McMahon said.

What lies ahead for the British study is uncertain, McMahon said. "They are going to next look at what happens when the first steps fail," he said.

More information
For more on type 2 diabetes, consult the American Diabetes Association.

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Nasal Flu Vaccine Approved for Children Ages 2-5

(HealthDay News) -- The nasal flu vaccine FluMist has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for children between the ages of two and five.

Previously, the vaccine's approval had been limited to healthy people ages five to 49. It's made from a weakened form of the live influenza virus; in contrast flu shots usually contain a dead form of the virus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that children six months and older be vaccinated for flu. However, the FDA said children under two years should not get FluMist because of an increased risk of wheezing and other side effects of the nasal inoculation.

FluMist also shouldn't be given to anyone with asthma, those with allergies to eggs, or to children under age five who chronically wheeze, the agency said.

FluMist is produced by MedImmune Vaccines Inc.

More information
Here's more about the expanded FluMist approval from the FDA.

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Don't Ignore Tough or Long-Term Stomach Pain

(HealthDay News) -- While the occasional stomachache isn't a serious health issue, persistent or severe stomach pain is another matter that could signal serious trouble, says the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG).
People with the following symptoms need to see a doctor:

• steady, severe pain or regularly recurring pain;


• pain lasting for hours or days;


• pain that wakes you from sleep;


• pain that impairs your ability to work or perform routine activities;


• loss of weight or appetite.

Immediate medical attention is required if abdominal pain is accompanied by:

• fever;


• diarrhea;


• persistent constipation;


• blood in the stool;


• change in the color of urine;


• persistent nausea or vomiting;


• vomiting blood;


• severe tenderness of the belly;


• jaundice (yellowish discoloration of the skin or whites of the eyes);


• swelling of the abdomen.

The ACG also recommends that people see a doctor if they are regularly taking any medicines that can cause ulcers, such as aspirin or other medications commonly used to treat arthritis or headaches.

More information
The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia has more about abdominal pain.

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