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Tuesday, March 30, 2010
IODINE This mineral is needed in trace amounts for a healthy thyroid gland
IODINE This mineral is needed in trace amounts for a healthy thyroid gland, and to help metabolize excess fat.HERBAL SOURCES: Calendula, tarragon leaves, turkey rhubarb.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Ginseng product Side Effects and Warnings
Side Effects and Warnings
Ginseng has been well tolerated by most people in scientific studies when used at recommended doses, and serious side effects appear to be rare.
Based on limited evidence, long-term use may be associated with skin rash or spots, itching, diarrhea, sore throat, loss of appetite, excitability, anxiety, depression, or insomnia. Less common reported side effects include headache, fever, dizziness, chest pain, difficult menstruation, heartburn, heart palpitations, rapid heart rate, leg swelling, nausea/vomiting, or manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder.
Consumption of ginseng may increase or and decrease blood pressure. Caution should be used in those with high or low blood pressure or in those taking drugs for either of these conditions.
There is report of seizures after high consumption of energy drinks containing caffeine, guarana, and herbal supplements, including ginseng.
Based on human research, ginseng may lower blood sugar levels. This effect may be greater in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. Use cautiously in patients with diabetes or hypoglycemia, and in those taking drugs, herbs, or supplements that affect blood sugar. Blood glucose levels may need to be monitored by a healthcare provider, and medication adjustments may be necessary.
There are reports of nosebleeds and vaginal bleeding with ginseng use, although scientific study is limited in this area. There is also evidence in humans of ginseng reducing the effectiveness of the "blood thinning" medication warfarin (Coumadin®). Caution is advised in patients with bleeding disorders or taking drugs that may affect the risk of bleeding or blood clotting. Dosing adjustments may be necessary.
Several cases of severe drops in white blood cell counts were reported in people using a combination product containing ginseng in the 1970s; this may have been due to contamination.
Ginseng may have estrogen-like effects and has been associated with reports of breast tenderness, loss of menstrual periods, vaginal bleeding after menopause, breast enlargement (reported in men), difficulty developing or maintaining an erection, or increased "sexual responsiveness." Avoid use of ginseng in patients with hormone sensitive conditions, such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, or endometriosis.
A severe life-threatening rash known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome occurred in one patient and may have been due to contaminants in a ginseng product. A case report describes liver damage (cholestatic hepatitis) after taking a combination product containing ginseng.
High doses of ginseng have been associated with rare cases of temporary swelling of blood vessels in the brain (cerebral arteritis), abnormal dilation of the pupils of the eye or confusion.
herbal hair products herbal what kind of pill is this for weight loss healthy weight loss
herbal hair products herbal what kind of pill is this for weight loss healthy weight loss
Sunday, March 14, 2010
I had lost 2.2 pounds and nearly 2% body fat
I vowed to enter my 30s in the best shape of my life. But my Lose the Dough challenge has been harder than I thought. I struggled to keep my sweet tooth in check and battled with my pantry to find healthy choices before moving to a new apartment, so the past month hasn't been easy. I also dined out quite a bit over the course of the month, so I didn't think that I would make much progress on the scale—and if I did, it would be in the wrong direction!
So I was admittedly a little scared when I had to check in with my trainer last week.
Here's the shocker: I had lost 2.2 pounds and nearly 2% body fat! I completely exceeded my expectations for the first month! I definitely didn't lay off the dessert, so how could this have happened? Somehow my minor changes added up in a big way. Losing weight has always seemed sort of painful for me—something that requires diligence and commitment. But since I lost weight this month without really trying, maybe I was wrong.
Here are three small changes that lead to big results:
1. I added more strength training to my workouts.
I've always been somewhat consistent with strength training, but this month, I increased my workouts with two 50-minute Body Pump sessions each week. I already feel stronger and muscles that I didn't know I had are starting to show. Plus I lost 2% of my body fat, and I know strength training is responsible for most of that.
no-pain-no-gain-scale
2. I cut down on alcohol.
One of my goals for Lose the Dough was to limit the number of cocktails I consumed in one sitting. Last month, I didn't have more than 2 drinks in an evening— and a couple of nights, I skipped the alcohol all together. I kept in mind that a cocktail was a treat and focused on enjoying it instead of slugging it down. I probably cut hundreds of calories from my diet—and it was completely painless!
3. I viewed dessert differently.
I had a few slipups with overdoing it on desserts, but I took my own advice and cut back on the amount and frequency of dessert that I consumed. I'm surprised that I don't miss it as much as I thought I would!
Small changes really do add up, so I'm actually looking forward to my next weigh in. Wish me luck on Month 2!
So I was admittedly a little scared when I had to check in with my trainer last week.
Here's the shocker: I had lost 2.2 pounds and nearly 2% body fat! I completely exceeded my expectations for the first month! I definitely didn't lay off the dessert, so how could this have happened? Somehow my minor changes added up in a big way. Losing weight has always seemed sort of painful for me—something that requires diligence and commitment. But since I lost weight this month without really trying, maybe I was wrong.
Here are three small changes that lead to big results:
1. I added more strength training to my workouts.
I've always been somewhat consistent with strength training, but this month, I increased my workouts with two 50-minute Body Pump sessions each week. I already feel stronger and muscles that I didn't know I had are starting to show. Plus I lost 2% of my body fat, and I know strength training is responsible for most of that.
no-pain-no-gain-scale
2. I cut down on alcohol.
One of my goals for Lose the Dough was to limit the number of cocktails I consumed in one sitting. Last month, I didn't have more than 2 drinks in an evening— and a couple of nights, I skipped the alcohol all together. I kept in mind that a cocktail was a treat and focused on enjoying it instead of slugging it down. I probably cut hundreds of calories from my diet—and it was completely painless!
3. I viewed dessert differently.
I had a few slipups with overdoing it on desserts, but I took my own advice and cut back on the amount and frequency of dessert that I consumed. I'm surprised that I don't miss it as much as I thought I would!
Small changes really do add up, so I'm actually looking forward to my next weigh in. Wish me luck on Month 2!
Commitment to losing weight
Once I made a commitment to losing weight and eating healthier food, I realized that the best way to love my body was by making more nutritious choices. Now a funny little habit of mine has made me realize that food is the best way to show those around me that I love them, too.
Monday through Friday, I wake up with my husband at 6 a.m., even though I don't need to be at work for another four hours. It's not because I'm trying to squeeze in a workout or a sunrise yoga session—it's because I like to make him breakfast. Usually it's a big batch of banana oatmeal for the both of us, and I add all the fixings—like wheat berries, almonds, and a dollop of peanut butter. Being a grown man, my husband is more than capable of cooking himself a healthy breakfast, but I really enjoy helping him start his day off on the right foot. Plus, eating our breakfast together is easily my favorite part of the day.
I never considered myself a nurturing person until I started cooking for my husband. In fact, the act of cooking sort of scared me—mostly because I was terrible at it! Growing up, I never really learned to cook. My mom was a single parent, so the majority of our meals were quick and easy convenience meals—Pop Tarts for breakfast, boxed mac 'n' cheese for lunch, and microwavable meals for dinner—which, of course, weren't the most nutritious foods to eat.
But in my mother's defense, she managed to prepare three meals a day for my sister and me, all while holding down two jobs that had her working more than 50 hours per week. We never complained about what my mom made for dinner. If we did, her response was always the same: "I'm not running a restaurant." She made the effort to put something on the table, which we always appreciated.
food-is-love-oatmeal
My mom planted the seed that even if you're short on time, sitting down for a meal—any meal—is a form of bonding. Over the years I've changed the way that I eat—home-cooked meals instead of frozen fare—and I've realized just how much food is love. I used to focus on low-calorie and low-fat foods—typically ones made with artificial ingredients—but I soon learned that they don't make me feel as good as "real" food does. For instance, an apple with lots of fiber and nutrients satisfies me much more than an apple-cinnamon rice cake. Choosing real foods over fake ones makes me feel like I am choosing to treat my body right. Similarly, picking high quality ingredients for my meals also makes me feel like I am taking good care of myself—and now my husband too.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Culprit responsible for Type 2 diabete
Alterations in our response to the taste or smell of food may be another culprit responsible for Type 2 diabetes, according to scientists at Duke University Medical Center who have identified the specific mechanism in human specimens and in mice.
When we anticipate or smell a meal, the parasympathetic nervous system triggers salivation and increases insulin production in response to the expectation that glucose will be entering the blood stream.
"We think this parasympathetic response is potentially important in type 2 diabetes ," said Vann Bennett, the James B. Duke professor in the departments of cell biology, biochemistry, and neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. "Our study showed there is a novel mutation in the gene encoding ankyrin-B, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes . This happens through an impairment of the insulin secretion that is added by the parasympathetic nervous system."
The study was released online on Tuesday, March 16 in Science Signaling.
Bennett was the first scientist to delineate a molecule called ankyrin and for years has been studying its roles in the heart and brain, as well as other organ systems. Bennett and colleagues discovered the importance of ankyrin-B in the insulin response and the source of a mutation that could lead to diabetes.
In earlier experiments, the group found that pancreatic beta cells that are ankyrin-B deficient display impaired insulin secretion in mice. Ankyrin-B-deficient mice had high blood sugar after eating a source of glucose, but not if the glucose bypassed the mouse's mouth. These findings indicated that ankyrin-B deficiency impaired the parasympathetic chain of events that enhance insulin secretion and had a measurable impact on blood sugar levels.
The scientists then asked whether mutations involving ankyrin-B loss of function were associated with diabetes in humans. They used the American Diabetes Association's GENNID genetic specimen collection from families with type 2 diabetes to genotype 524 people with diabetes disorders and 498 non-diabetic controls. They were searching for three ankyrin-B mutations that had previously been shown in heart muscle cells to create severe loss of function.
They found that one of these mutations of ankyrin-B (R1788W) was associated with type 2 diabetes in about 1 percent of Caucasian and Hispanic individuals. "Genomewide studies have failed to identify more than a small fraction of the genetic heritability in diabetes as well as in other complex diseases," Bennett said. "There are estimates that only 6 percent of the heritability of type 2 diabetes has been detected, by multiple genomewide studies."
Bennett said this implies there is a large reservoir of genes yet to be identified, that are risk factors in type 2 diabetes. "We are excited by our findings of a specific mutation with a known mechanism because of the potential for personalized treatment of diabetes ," he said. "This particular mutation is likely to play a role in 1 percent of adults with diabetes . We hope our finding will lead to strategies to specifically benefit these individuals."
Support for the study came from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the American Diabetes Association for management of the GENNID database and DNA samples, as well as a pre-doctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association. The National Institutes of Health also supported the study as did the Swedish Council and the Family Erling-Persson Foundation.
When we anticipate or smell a meal, the parasympathetic nervous system triggers salivation and increases insulin production in response to the expectation that glucose will be entering the blood stream.
"We think this parasympathetic response is potentially important in type 2 diabetes ," said Vann Bennett, the James B. Duke professor in the departments of cell biology, biochemistry, and neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. "Our study showed there is a novel mutation in the gene encoding ankyrin-B, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes . This happens through an impairment of the insulin secretion that is added by the parasympathetic nervous system."
The study was released online on Tuesday, March 16 in Science Signaling.
Bennett was the first scientist to delineate a molecule called ankyrin and for years has been studying its roles in the heart and brain, as well as other organ systems. Bennett and colleagues discovered the importance of ankyrin-B in the insulin response and the source of a mutation that could lead to diabetes.
In earlier experiments, the group found that pancreatic beta cells that are ankyrin-B deficient display impaired insulin secretion in mice. Ankyrin-B-deficient mice had high blood sugar after eating a source of glucose, but not if the glucose bypassed the mouse's mouth. These findings indicated that ankyrin-B deficiency impaired the parasympathetic chain of events that enhance insulin secretion and had a measurable impact on blood sugar levels.
The scientists then asked whether mutations involving ankyrin-B loss of function were associated with diabetes in humans. They used the American Diabetes Association's GENNID genetic specimen collection from families with type 2 diabetes to genotype 524 people with diabetes disorders and 498 non-diabetic controls. They were searching for three ankyrin-B mutations that had previously been shown in heart muscle cells to create severe loss of function.
They found that one of these mutations of ankyrin-B (R1788W) was associated with type 2 diabetes in about 1 percent of Caucasian and Hispanic individuals. "Genomewide studies have failed to identify more than a small fraction of the genetic heritability in diabetes as well as in other complex diseases," Bennett said. "There are estimates that only 6 percent of the heritability of type 2 diabetes has been detected, by multiple genomewide studies."
Bennett said this implies there is a large reservoir of genes yet to be identified, that are risk factors in type 2 diabetes. "We are excited by our findings of a specific mutation with a known mechanism because of the potential for personalized treatment of diabetes ," he said. "This particular mutation is likely to play a role in 1 percent of adults with diabetes . We hope our finding will lead to strategies to specifically benefit these individuals."
Support for the study came from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the American Diabetes Association for management of the GENNID database and DNA samples, as well as a pre-doctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association. The National Institutes of Health also supported the study as did the Swedish Council and the Family Erling-Persson Foundation.
Co-authors included lead author Jane A. Healy of the Duke Department of Biochemistry, Kent R. Nilsson, Hans E. Hohmeier and Christopher Newgard, lab director, of the Duke Department of Medicine (Hohmeier and Newargard also are in the Duke Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology and the Sarah W. Stedman Nutrition And Metabolism Center); Jonathan Davis and Janis Hoffman of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; and Martin Kohler, Luo-Sheng Li and lab director Per-Olof Berggren from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.
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