Health, Lifestyle & Fitness

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The health care products industry is possibly one of the most profitable in the market place today. Every year millions of weekend warriors spend millions of dollars on exercise equipment, health club memberships and weight loss products. Every year, those same well intentioned individuals either give away their expensive exercise equipment, or sell it on garage sales for next to nothing in order to make room in their over crowded garage.

Many are discouraged by the current failure rate that plagues many that venture into living a healthier and better life. This toppled with the high cost of all the “get healthy” paraphernalia that is typical of weight loss enthusiast, is preventing many from taking a step towards a healthier life style. But the truth is that in order to loose weight one does not need to purchase expensive exercise equipment at all.

One of the healthiest and most rewarding exercises available to the average person is walking? Walking can provide one with the ability to loose unwanted pounds in a healthy way. To make walking more palatable, try walking at a park or by the beach if at all possible. Adding a change of scenery to ones walking routine can get rid of the “walking blues” by providing a stimulating environment that can certainly invigorate.

Another way that you can spice up your walking is by talking your dog along with you. Taking your canine friend with you can certainly be a win-win situation for the both of you, since your dog will benefit from walking. Additionally, if you happen to be the owner of a large breed dog, bringing your dog with you can provide protection for you. This is especially important if you are a female and if you will be walking in an area while it is dark, or when there are not too many people around. If your dog is the type that likes to pull and lead the way, visit a Dog Directory and look for information on dog trainers or dog training, so that you can train your dog not to pull you any more.

The fact of the matter is that aside from having a physical disability, there is not a valid reason for getting involved with walking as a form of exercising and weight loss or control. So get up on your feet and out the door, and get in good shape before it is too late.

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I was reading an article that claimed that eating ice cream might help woman get pregnant. I know, it sounds crazy and you might be led to believe that I was reading one of those crazy tabloids out there, but according to the article a study from the well known Nurses’ Health Study showed that eating two ice cream servings a week reduces a woman’s risk of infertility by approximately 38 percent.

Although scientists were able to observe the dramatic increase in percentage, to this date they are not able to figure out why. However, it is obvious that the fat in the ice cream and in other full fat dairy products or perhaps a substance inside the fat seem to help the ovaries function properly. Of course, I am not making this up. Dr. Chavarro who is a fellow in the research department at Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Nutrition, backs up this research according to the article I read.

The same Dr. Chavarro also found that woman that get their daily iron from pasta, cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables, had a better chance of not suffering from the risk of infertility, as supposed to those who got their iron from chicken, beef and fish. He attributes this finding to the fact that pasta may encourage egg development, and that there is the possibility that the fat on meat limits iron absorption.

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One of the things that concern me the most about traditional medicine and its treatment protocols is that most of the drugs that are prescribed have major side effects. For instance, I was reading that the drug REQUIP (Ropinirole Hydrochloride) which is used to treat moderate to severe Restless Legs Syndrome, and some time is used to treat Parkinson’s disease, has some minor side effects that I think should be looked into by those who are about to use it.

The possible side effects of REQUIP are:

Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, sleepiness. Some patients also show urges to gamble, increase sexual urges, and hallucinations.

As always consult a licensed health care provider to discuss this side effects or any other questions that you might have. The content provided here is solely for informational purposes only and was not meant to treat or diagnose an illness.

Indonesia confirms two more bird flu deaths

Jakarta (VNA) - The Indonesian Health Ministry on August 13 confirmed the deaths of a woman and her daughter in Bali as a results of bird flu, bringing the country's total death toll from the disease to 83.

These were the first human deaths from bird flu on the resort island, where the H5N1 virus was identified more than a year ago.

The 29-year-old woman died on August 12 and her five-year-old daughter on August 3, Bayu Krisnamurti, head of the national commission for bird flu, said.

Laboratory tests provided by the Eikman Institute and the Health Ministry confirmed the presence of H5N1 in both cases, Bayu told reporters.

Baxter says trial on new flu shot promising

Baxter International Inc., working to modernize the production of influenza vaccines, this morning said its seasonal flu product is showing "strong antibody responses and good tolerability" in an early stage clinical trial in humans.

Although Baxter is still several years from winning approval of the product, the study shows Baxter's reformulated seasonal flu vaccine is tolerable. In late 2004, Baxter had to suspend final-stage human sudy of its seasonal flu vaccine because it was causing fevers in some patients.

The Deerfield-based medical product giant is trying to develop a flu vaccine produced with cell tissues, which is a method that would allow manufacturers to quickly brew vaccine by the vat and likely eliminate shortages like the one that rattle U.S. consumers and health-care providers from time to time.
The cell-based approach is a sharp contrast to the tedious, 1940s method still used today that involves hand-processing millions of chicken eggs in labs. For each dosers shine a light through the shell of an egg to find the fluid surrounding an embryo, inject a strain of the flu virus and let it incubate for several months.

The current method is a long months-long process fraught with risk, while cell-based vaccines are more consistent and could be produced in as little as nine to 12 weeks.

In the latest clinical trial, Baxter said more than 900 patients were studied. Baxter said the preliminary data show its cell-based seasonal influenza vaccine's "tolerability profile" to be similar to egg-based seasonal flu vaccines on the market. There were, however, some side effects that included headaches and some injection site reactions, Baxter said.

Baxter is building momentum for its vaccines business. The company is also in the final stages of testing for a vaccine against strains of the Avian influenza, also known as the bird flu and is working with governments around the world interested in stockpiling the product in the event of a pandemic outbreak. Chicago Tribune