grandparichardshealth.com

Sun, sand and. travel diseases?

Richard — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:55:01 +0000

During the winter months, many Canadians find themselves longing for a warm, tropical vacation. If you are planning a winter getaway, don’t forget about your health. There’s nothing worse than returning to snowy Canada with a travel illness you caught in the Caribbean.

When planning a winter get-away down south, many Canadians know to take health precautions - they pack sunscreen, buy travel insurance, and bring an extra bottle of pain relievers. But many don’t know that malaria is present in common Canadian vacation destinations.

Malaria is often associated with areas like Africa and South Asia, but this illness occurs in popular travel destinations, like the Caribbean including Jamaica and certain parts of the Dominican Republic.

Malaria is spread through the bite of infected mosquitoes and symptoms include fever, headache, chills, tiredness, muscle aches and vomiting. In general, it is a curable disease, but without treatment it can lead to more serious problems and can sometimes be fatal.

You can prevent a malaria infection on your vacation by avoiding exposure to mosquitoes and by taking a preventative anti-malarial medication. So, before you dig your toes in the sand and take that first sip of your cocktail, read these helpful tips to ensure a healthy holiday:

1. Mosquitoes are most active between dusk and dawn, so try to stay indoors at these times and wear light-coloured, long-sleeved clothing.

2. Consult your health care provider about taking a preventative anti-malarial medication. Some medications only need to be started one or two days before your trip.

3. Use insect repellent containing DEET on exposed skin.

4. Use screens and bed nets to reduce the number of mosquitoes entering your room.

More information is available online at http://www.MalariaFacts.ca.

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Ask the Expert: Malaria Myths and Facts

Richard — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:29:22 +0000

Many Canadians will be surprised to know that malaria is increasingly becoming a threat in many popular Canadian vacation destinations. Dr. Jay Keystone, Medisys Travel Medicine Specialist and Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, has answered a few questions about the disease.

What is malaria and how do you catch it?

Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease that is commonly spread through the bite of infected mosquitoes. The infection cannot be transmitted from one person to another.

Typical symptoms include fever, headaches, chills, tiredness, muscle aches and vomiting. For most people, symptoms begin 10 days to 4 weeks after infection, although a person may feel ill as early as 7 days or as late as 1 year later. It is important for anyone who has a fever during their trip or within three months of returning from a malaria-prone area to seek immediate medical attention. In general, malaria is a curable disease if diagnosed and treated promptly and correctly, however it can be deadly if not caught in time.

I thought malaria was found in areas like Africa and Asia - is there any need for most Canadians to be concerned about contracting it?

Malaria is not endemic in Canada, but it is present in the Caribbean including Jamaica and certain areas of the Dominican Republic - all very popular travel destinations for Canadians. It is also common in large areas of Central and South America, Haiti, Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific.

Can anything be done to prevent malaria?

There are two ways to prevent malaria infection:

The first is to avoid mosquitoes especially from dusk until dawn when they are most actively feeding. Use an insect repellent containing DEET while you are outside and, where applicable, bed nets to keep mosquitoes at bay. Staying indoors and wearing light-coloured, long-sleeved clothing in the evening will provide additional protection.

The best way to avoid contracting malaria is to take a preventive anti-malarial medication. You should to talk to your health care provider or travel medicine expert six to eight weeks before your trip. However, some anti-malarial medications can still be started a couple of days prior to your vacation.

More information is available online at http://www.MalariaFacts.ca.

Getting Relief With Natural Health Products

health-nut — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:26:04 +0000

From herbal tea to supplements to creams, there seems to be no limit to natural sleep aids. There are various great, non-addictive, natural alternatives to insomnia that are not only cheap but also easy to use to get the relief that you need. Natural health products for stress and insomnia are not only available in many local stores but they are all over the net; you just have to be careful you purchase your needed natural remedy from a trusted site.

Whether you want to get relief from constipation or simply would want to have a periodic colon cleanse, there are numerous natural colon cleasers online and they are available as supplements or powder extracts. A regular colon cleanse can help clear the colon of any toxins, accumulated waste and improve digestion and absorption of vital nutrients.

Many topical progesterone creams are available over the counter in many drug stores now and many online natural health sites are also offering these transdermal creams that promise safe and natural menopause relief. Hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, anxiety and fatigue are just several symptoms of menopause that most women find aggravating. Natural progesterone cream works by delivering its ingredients straight into your blood to help relieve most symptoms severe of menopause. Choose bio-identical progesterone creams that are absorbed by your skin better and doesn’t have the side effects of synthetic types.

Whatever it is you want to get relief from it is always worth a try using all-natural health products because they are not only safe without the usual side effects but are fairly effective as well.

The information and materials on this site are provided for general information purposes and may not be relied on as a substitute for actual professional medical advice, care or treatment. Please consult you physician before beginning any supplement regimen.

Skincare Tips: Science delivers relief from eczema

Richard — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:23:01 +0000

By J. C. Carroll

Our skin is the first to rebel against the dryness of winter. The forced warm air inside is very dehydrating, while outside, the ice-cold wind of the deep freeze is often deplete of moisture. Winter conditions are even harder on those with skin irritations, like eczema.

“Studies have shown that moisture is not properly retained in the skin of eczema sufferers,” says Dr. Weinstein of the Eczema Society of Canada. “This is due to an impaired skin barrier and to the fact that the upper layer of skin has a reduced lipid content. This means that creams and lotions used by people with eczema should improve the barrier and help retain more moisture in the skin.”

Dermatologists are increasingly pointing to the impressive healing properties of oat grains, which are thought to have an optimum amino acid balance.

“At Aveeno, we’re big believers in the soothing power of oats,” explained Ted Lachmansingh the group marketing manager at Aveeno. “They have anti-inflammatory properties, are hypoallergenic and highly absorptive. In short, oat formulas have clinically shown to help heal dry, itchy skin.

“Our expert dermatologists recommend natural colloidal oatmeal, key lipids, including ceramides and panthenol, which maintain the skin barrier and provide moisturizing for a full 24 hours. All combined, this fragrance-free formula, helps to prevent the recurrence of red and irritated, extra dry skin. This is why we have created Eczema Skincare Moisturizing Cream which contains all of the above and a patented “triple oat” formula to soothe and moisturize and improve the skin condition.”

Here are a few more healthy skin tips for winter:

. Take quick showers. Water hydrates, but too much will strip your skin of natural oils. Aim for 5 to 10 minutes maximum.

. Avoid hot water. Itwill also rob your skin of oils. Warm water is best for bathing.

. Use a mild soap. Choose natural cleansers suited to your condition, without detergents and fragrances.

. Moisturize immediately after bathing. Towel dry and apply. A good cream will trap the water in the skin.

Why Organic Food is Better Than Fast Food

health-nut — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 23:33:14 +0000

Do you enjoy eating out? Have you noticed how fast you have gained weight and did you look and feel terrible after consuming massive amounts of trans fat and pounds of sugar from fast food junkies?

The problem with fast food servings is that they are too large that you can’t be sure how many calories are involved; not to mention that when you eat out, you don’t know how the meal is prepared or with what ingredients. Because of the calorie density of fast food most people don’t realize how much they’re really eating. Organic food, on the other hand, aside from the fact that it doesn’t compel you to spend, it promotes natural health and helps prevent some of the most common ailments as well. Herbs and spices such as peppermint and rosemary can be used as natural sleep aid.

Flax seeds, almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and nuts are great for constipation relief. You can grind them into a powder and eat or add it to a nondairy smoothie, juice, or your morning cereal. You should also have some on your salad. The mixture of ground up seeds will provide you with extra fiber and a batch of minerals. Flax seeds are astringent and have laxative action that are good for mild or moderate symptoms of constipation.

Soy has recieved a lot of interest in relation to menopause, and one of it’s benefits is in helping alleviate hot flashes. The best source of soy is in organic food, and these days many cereal based products like bread and breakfast cereals come with soy in them; thus making it a convenient home menopause remedy. Food sources of soy protein include tofu, soy milk, tempeh, and soybeans.

While eating fatty and spicy foods in restaurants can cause several problems in your health and can trigger certain ailments such as insomnia, constipation and hot flashes, organic food promises only natural relief and good health. Eating at home is often a healthier choice.

The information and materials on this site are provided for general information purposes and may not be relied on as a substitute for actual professional medical advice, care or treatment.

Travel Quick Tip: Protect your skin from strong winter sun

Richard — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 12:55:01 +0000

Sunburn is better prevented than treated. Most health professionals recommend a sunscreen SPF level of at least 30-and greater if you plan to be outdoors on a winter vacation, north or south. Take a look at these valuable sun protection quick tips, courtesy of the makers of Neutrogena:

. Wear a wide brimmed hat to shade the face, neck and ears-and avoid direct sun rays in the middle of the day.

. When buying new sunglasses check the label to be sure the lenses block out 99 to 100 percent of both ultraviolet A and B (UVA/UVB) radiation rays. Sunglasses should also be free of distortion and imperfection.

. To keep cool and hydrated, drink lots of water and wear light coloured clothing to reflect, not absorb, the sun.

. Sunscreen should be generously applied and should contain both UVA and UVB sunscreen actives, since the sun causes damage by penetrating to different depths in the skin. Avobenzone is considered one of the most powerful sunscreens available to date, even more effective if it is stabilized with technology called Helioplex.

Are you missing 50% of the fibre you need?

Richard — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 10:29:22 +0000

Most Canadians are missing out nutritionally by only getting half the amount of fibre that they need each day. The recommended amount of fibre or “Daily Value” is 25 grams. Knowing this, you can start to read food labels and get a better idea of how much you need to boost your consumption of fibre.

What comes to mind when you think of the health benefits of fibre? If you are like most people, you may think of the role it plays in keeping you ‘regular’. However fibre does a lot more than just keep the digestive system running smoothly.

There are two main types of fibre: soluble and insoluble. These two types of fibre work quite differently in the body and both are important for good health. Soluble fibre is mostly found in dried peas, beans, lentils, oat bran and some fruits and vegetables.

Insoluble fibre is the kind that promotes ‘regularity’ and is mostly found in wheat bran and products containing wheat bran as well as some vegetables and skins of fruits.

Try some of these easy tips for increasing fibre in your diet:

. Start your day with a high fibre cereal. In order to be called “high fibre” a food product must have at least 4 grams of fibre per serving. Read food labels. You’ll see that the delicious varieties of Fibre 1 cereals have from 11 to 14 grams of fibre per serving. That’s half of the Daily Value in one bowl.

. Sprinkle a high fibre cereal like Fibre 1 on your applesauce and yogurt.

. Add crushed high fibre cereals to foods you make such as muffins, pancakes, cookies and breads.

. Be berry wild. Choose raspberries, blackberries and others to add variety to your cereals. These berries have twice the fibre of many other fruit selections. (1/2 cup of fresh raspberries= 4 grams fibre)

. Go nuts. Jazz up salads, vegetables, snacks and desserts with almonds, sunflower seed or soy nuts. (1/4 cup of roasted almonds = 4 grams fibre)

. Savour the skins. Eat fruits and vegetables with the skin on. ( a medium baked potato with skin on = 4 grams fibre)

. Bring on the brown. Use brown rice instead of white. Switch to whole wheat pasta, whole wheat flour, whole wheat breads and whole wheat crackers.

Here is a great high fibre muffin recipe from http://www.everydaycelebrations.ca:

Fibre 1 Flax Seed Morning Glory Muffins

Prep time: 30 minutes

Total time: 52 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 mL) Fibre 1* Original cereal, crushed

2/3 cup (150 mL) skim milk

1 cup (250 mL) flour

3/4 cup (175 mL) ground flax seed

3/4 cup (175 mL) chopped apple

1/2 cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (125 mL) finely shredded carrot

1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar

1/4 cup ( 50 mL) flaked coconut

1 tbsp (15 mL) canola or soybean oil

1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder

2 tsp (10 mL) cinnamon

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

2 eggs, slightly beaten

Method:

. Heat oven to 375?F (190?C). Grease 12 regular size muffin cups, or place a paper baking cup in each.

. In large bowl, stir together cereal and milk; let stand about 5 minutes or until cereal is softened. Stir in remaining ingredients. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove from pan and serve warm.

Makes: 12 muffins

Tip: Did You Know? Flax seeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Eating foods rich in omega-3s will contribute to overall health and wellness.

As you increase your fibre intake make sure you drink more fluids. Your body will need more fluid to help process the added fibre. To save calories, focus on water. Make sure you are getting all the nutritious benefits fibre has to offer.

Teach healthy, safe eating right from the start

Richard — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:23:01 +0000

For new parents, every stage of their child’s development is exciting but the toddler stage is extra special. This is the age when children take their first steps, utter their first words and start to eat solid foods.

“On the road to great eating habits, starting out with healthy, safe, age appropriate foods is paramount” says mother and dietitian Pierrette Buklis. “Early choices can greatly influence a child’s food habits for many years to come” she explains.

Slowly introducing your child to a variety of new foods is an obvious goal but safety concerns need to also be considered. Between six and nine months of age, the transition to a variety of solid foods takes place. Your baby can now begin to chew foods and gradually needs more texture.

Easily managed by little fingers, Cheerios are a healthy, fun and safe first finger food. They are firm enough to resist crumbling yet melt in their mouths without posing a choking hazard. With one gram of sugar per serving Cheerios is a healthy snack or mealtime choice for toddlers. In fact, results of a 2008 independent survey of Canadian pediatricians suggest that four out of five pediatricians recommend Cheerios to parents for their infants and toddlers.

Here are other recommendations for safely feeding your baby and toddler:

. Be sure to stay with your child at all times during feeding.

. The following foods can cause choking in children under 4 and should be avoided: popcorn, nuts, hard candies, gum, raisins, whole grapes, raw vegetables, fish with bones, a spoonful of peanut butter, wieners and chunks of meat.

. Avoid egg whites until after one year of age to reduce the risk of egg allergy. Make sure that egg yolks are cooked well and avoid products made with raw or runny eggs.

. Wait until 12 months before introducing cow’s milk to reduce the risk of iron deficiency. Some experts believe this may also reduce the chance of cow’s milk allergy.

. Don’t give your baby honey in the first year because their immune systems are not fully developed. Honey has been linked to botulism, a serious form of food poisoning in babies.

As toddlers begin to sample their first foods, meals and snack times become perfect opportunities for quality bonding. Everydaycelebrations.ca is a website with lots of great family recipes and wonderful family craft, games and activity ideas.

Today all people have Back Pain Problems

health-nut — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:39:04 +0000

Can you list someone that has Back Pain ?Do you really know anyone that doesn’t suffer from back pain! Chances are that list would be much shorter. It’s no surprise that there are many new medications being marketed every year that specifically target this problem; chronic and consistent back pain is becoming incredibly commonplace. But why is this? Why do so many have such a problem? Humans today are genetically identical to what they were hundreds and even thousands of years ago, so why does it seem like this is some type of twentieth or twenty-first century plague?

Of course the issue of back pain is incredibly complicated. There’s no way of diagnosing any one person’s problem without a complete and thorough physical exam. But most doctors agree that there seems to be a few common causes found in most cases of Back Suffering today, and what is surprising is how often these things are brought on by the sufferer himself or herself! Let’s take a look at some of these common causes.

For one thing, being overweight is almost certain to bring about chronic and consistent back pain.Sometimes people deny that this is a cause of back pain and don’t want to talk about it! But your back is meant to lift and move only so much weight and anything beyond that means that it’s being constantly overworked. If you had to carry around a bowling ball or a big sack of flour you know you’d be in some pain, and yet when a person is overweight they’re doing the same thing! Most who lose even a good ten or fifteen pounds find that they get some relief from their back pain.

Working out too hard or misusing the back when exercising is also a common problem that typically causes back pain. Many people try to pull or push too much weight when working out and wind up using the back muscles, which just injures them. They are typically guilty of using improper form when working out which itself can strain the back; when the back is cramped up during exercise of course it will be in pain later. If you feel back pain after exercising or lifting weights then chances are you’re either lifting too much weight or are using the machines incorrectly.

Of course there are other common causes of consistent back pain.Sometimes we lift heavy objects but we don’t think about lifting with our backs. They also typically play sports without properly warming up or stretching, which can lead to stresses and strains of the back as well. While many of these common causes of back pain are difficult for people to admit to, it also means that they can avoid these problems by making a few changes. Stretching, exercising properly, and losing those extra pounds can really alleviate a tremendous amount of back pain in most.

BackSuffering.com is a new website with tons of information on back suffering. If you visit the website today you will get a free ebook with Back Suffering Tips and Tricks just for visiting! Visit BACKSUFFERING.COM now to get your free ebook.

Radon health risks require testing

Richard — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:55:01 +0000

Since you can’t smell, taste, or see radon gas which is present in most homes, how can you know if your home is unsafe? The only way to know for sure is to purchase a test kit and measure the level of radon in your home.

Is it really worth testing for this gas, you might be wondering? Absolutely. Radon exposure is actually the second-leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking. Your risk of developing lung cancer due to radon depends on its concentration in the air you breathe and the duration of the exposure. Time between exposure and the onset of cancer is usually many years -all the more reason to test sooner rather than later.

For smokers, the exposure to radon combined with tobacco use can cause a significant increase in their risk of lung cancer.

Radon is present in the soil and escapes from the ground and gets into the air. When this happens outdoors, the air is diluted to low concentrations and doesn’t pose a risk. The problem occurs when radon enters enclosed spaces, like your home, and accumulates to unsafe levels, contaminating the air you breathe.

The only known risk of extended exposure to elevated levels of radon gas is an increased risk of developing lung cancer. Test your home to ensure you and your family are safe.