ADD and ADHD are two commonly diagnosed conditions affecting many of our youth. Many parents are faced with the dilemma of having to medicate their children. There are said to be ways to control the affects of ADD and ADHD by making dietary changes. Removing artificial coloring and preservatives from the ADD/HD child has been proven to greatly reduce hyperactivity in children.

Start by removing artificial colors from your child’s diet. Red #40 and yellows are said to have the greatest affect on people. If this is part of the problem you will notice a difference in about 3 days after it is all out of their system. According to child allergy specialists there has been scientific evidence that preservatives and colorings increased hyperactive behavior. However, parents of children with ADD/HD are rarely encouraged to make dietary changes by the medical professionals.

Eliminating food dyes and preservatives is thought by some to be some type of “alternative medicine treatment” rather than the standard prescription treatment, like drugs, for ADHD. It is thought that half of ADD/HD families use dietary modification as a form of treatment with positive results, and non-medicated zombie like children.

Recent trials have shown that reducing preservatives and food dyes is shown to reduce hyperactivity in ALL children. Some of the “sugar highs” are not actually the product of sugar consumption, but a product of the reaction to the dyes in most candy. If your child has a sweet tooth, chocolate is a better choice. It is not as bad for them as some of the fat free, fruity treats parents usually prefer.

Removiing these ingredients from your child’s diet is certainly harmless. It will not hurt them to go without these things and in many parent’s eyes, it is a better alternative to prescription drugs.

Other studies of dietary modification include removing Wheat, wheat gluten and casiens from children’s diets as a form of treatment. Many children have allergies and intolerance to these ingredients, which present themselves as hyperactivity. Removing these ingredients is much harder than the food dye removal. Everything they eat seems to have wheat etc. But in many parent’s eyes it’s worth the struggle to help the child naturally.

The course of treatment is a very personal decision for most parents, but these changes certainly will not hurt in any child in any program.

It has often been shown that people with excessive belly fat are more prone to illness than those without. It is this belief that has many people trying to reduce their belly fat so that they will have a healthier future.

It has been proven that interval exercise has the greatest effect on belly fat reduction. Interval exercise refers to any exercise program where you continually change the level of intensity during the activity. Walking is a great form of exercise and works well as an interval exercise. Begin, of course, with a warm-up walk and then start to increase to a moderate pace for 15 seconds, and then reduce speed for approximately 60 seconds. Continue to repeat this for an appropriate period of time but always end with a two-minute cool down period. This is actually more interesting than just normal walking and allows the time to go faster. A 30 minute walk is generally considered most beneficial.

Another means of interval exercising is to march in place for approximately five minutes and then switch to jumping jacks for no longer than 30 seconds. This can be repeated until you have accomplished a 20-minute routine.

I have found that for my body type, a low carb diet is best. I have mad a choice to eat a very healthy low carb diet for over a year now. I have managed to lose 60+ pounds and keep it off most of which came off in the first 6 months. Of course I do incorporate regular exercise into my routine, but not strenuous exercise.
For those who are unsure, the low carb diet is easy to understand and very easy to stick to. Basically you just can’t eat anything with flour or sugar. No bread, no pasta, no sweets. There are variations and exceptions to these basic rules, but you have to be careful varying from the basics and introducing carbs. Once you reintroduce large amounts of carbs, there is a good chance you will gain weight. The carbs will cause a chemical change in how your body metabolizes fat and calories.

When you choose a low carb program, be sure you understand it. There are many different thoughts on exactly what is and is not allowed and each program is a little different. I prefer to eat mostly lean protein. By doing so, I’m actually watching calories and carbs, without counting calories at all. Just by making my low carb selections lean protein. These are low cal as well.

Some low carb dieters choose to go “all-out” and eat as much fat, calories and protein as they want. Unlimited amounts of any type of food is not good for you, no matter what. Any weight loss program is always about moderation. So, for those who eat a pound of bacon with their triple quarter pound burger and still manage to lose weight, that’s great if it works for them, but it’s not for me.

Occasionally, I do, like everyone else, just HAVE to have a bowl of pasta, a loaf of bread or a big ol’ piece of chocolate cake. I give in, but not without paying the a price When I feel this way, sometimes I do allow myself one full day of poor choices. However, the next day, I immediately go back to NO CARBS for 2-3 days then reintroduce the good carbs, like veggies, slowly. The price I pay for this is not worth the thrill of eating whatever food I was craving, I feel miserable when I take in a lot of high sugar/high carb foods. I become sluggish and tired, my stomach gets bloated and gassy, I become moody and just awful to be around.

I have learned the hard way, that carbs are not my friends and I try to remember this every time I want to binge on sweets…etc, but I do try to remind myself of how awful it makes me feel.

When making a decision to become healthier, diet and lose weight is a very personal decision. There are many schools of thought on what really works, and why. I believe for myself and my husband too, this is the best way for us to live, to stay trim and feel healthy and remain active. Losing weight and changing our eating habits changed our lives and we are such better partners and parents because of it.

I absolutely recommend a low carb lifestyle to anyone considering weight loss.

Insomnia is a condition in which the patient has trouble falling and/or staying asleep. Some patients experiencing insomnia may fall asleep easily but wake up too quickly and cannot get back to sleep. Other patients may have the opposite problem. They just can not fall asleep. While some have trouble with both falling asleep and staying asleep. In any case, the end result is lack of rest and rejeuvenation coupled with poor-quality sleep that doesn’t leave them feeling refreshed when they wake up to begin their day.

Insomnia affects each of us at some point in our lives. It has been linked to many different factors including stress, diet, weight gain or loss, chronic pain, climate, as well as a chemical imbalance. Although there are over the counter and prescription medications that will help with sleep problems, these medications can be dangerous and are not always the safest methods for dealing with insomnia. Some can become habit forming and should only be used with caution and as directed by your family Dr. If possible, it is best to get to the bottom of what is causing the sleep problems and deal with that directly before relying on a prescription or over the counter medication to mask the underlying cause of the sleep disorder.

There are a few steps you can take when experiencing sleep problems to make the most of your sleep environment before seeking medical help. These steps include:

Make your bedroom a sanctuary for sleeping only. Completely clear the room of any clutter or other distracting items, such as ticking clocks. Be certain to make the room dark enough; completely cover the windows with some type of room darkening material to ensure that an outside light source is not causing a problem.

Consider the condition your mattress and pillows. If you feel that your mattress or pillows need replacing these could be the culprit. Be certain your mattress is the right type for you. An investment in a good quality mattress is worth it if it will improve your quality of sleep and quality of life.

Use the bed for sleeping only. Never eat, or work in bed. If you read in bed, be certain it is only pleasure reading. No thought provoking self help books or tragic stories in the newspaper should be read in bed or right before bedtime. This is a method for conditioning yourself for rest.

In the case where you can’t sleep, get out of the bed. Go into another room to watch television, this will help by associating the bed with sleep only.

As tired as you may be during the day, after a restless night, resisit the urge to nap. You must set a normal sleep cycle for your body and napping will only disrupt it.

Caffeine, alcohol and cigarette smoking all lead to restless sleep patterns. Limit all of these, if not eliminate them from your life completely. Alcohol is tricky because it may make you feel tired and help you fall asleep, but as the body processes it, it can in turn cause the sleeplessness.

Exercise is an absolute must. Exercise will definitely help with sleep, however not if practiced right at bedtime. Do not participate in any strenuous exercise within 3 hours of bedtime. This is recommended to avoid a sudden surge of hormones that can affect your sleep.

Establish a routine of relaxation and winding down nightly. Try to completely free your mind of any troublesome thoughts by reading or watching a pleasurable program (just don’t do these activities in the bedroom). Learning meditation techniques is also another great form of relaxing and clearing the mind.

All of the above suggestions are meant to help create a soothing relaxing environment, which in turn will promote a restful night’s sleep. If your sleep problems persist for more than a week, the advice and help of a medical doctor may be the only way.

The single best way to protect yourself and your family from the flu virus is to get vaccinated each year. Flu vaccines now come in more than one form. There is the “flu shot” and the nasal spray flu vaccine. The shot is an inactivated vaccine, containing a killed strand of the virus, that is injected by needle, usually in the upper arm. The nasal spray vaccine is made with live, weakened flu viruses, that does not cause the flu. Each vaccine contains three viruses that can change each year based on scientists’ estimations on which types may be circulating in a given year.

These vaccinations usually begin to provide protection about two weeks after treatment, giving the antibodies time to develop in the body, thus providing the ability to fight off the flu virus. It is important to get vaccinated as soon as your provider makes it available. September into January is considered to be “flu-season” and you want to be protected during this time. Anyone who wants to be protected can and should consider the vaccine yearly. There are very few health conditions that limit the ability to receive a flu vaccine. However, the nasal spray is not recommended for those who are pregnant.

The effectiveness of the vaccine depends on each individual. The age and health status of each person are contributing factors as well as the strain in the vaccine and the circulating strain of the virus. The shot and the nasal spray are equally effective in preventing the flu.

Side effects of the shot include fever, soreness at the site of injection, and general aches and pains. These symptoms are mild and should begin to subside after 1-2 days.

The nasal spray the side effects may include runny nose, wheezing,, headache, vomiting, muscular aches and fever , some being more prevalent in children than adults.

The nasal spray seems to be preferred by children and many adults who fear needles. Both are equally effective and should be considered a great alternative to being down and out with the flu. If you have ever had the flu, the ACTUAL influenza virus, you will gladly take a shot or a spray or whatever it takes to prevent yourself from going through that again.

Acupuncture treatment is an important part of many cultures and has been for hundreds of years. Acupuncture can provide treatment for a variety of different conditions. Acupuncture treatment can be used to address a variety of pains, ailments, illnesses, and medical conditions. The Chinese first developed acupuncture treatment about 2000 years ago.

Though some may look at acupuncture treatment as a bit controversial, it has been used effectively for over 2000 years. The idea behind acupuncture treatment is relatively basic. The treatment is based solely on the belief that there are certain areas of the body, called meridians, which are responsible for controlling the balance of the body’s energy. When someone is suffering from an illness or an ailment it is thought to be due to a blockage of some of these vital energies, the use of acupuncture treatment is thought to somehow unblock these meridians or channels that have become blocked. Bringing balance to the body and well being.

These blocked channels or meridians are essentially unblocked by the treatment received during the course of an acupuncture session. A therapy session includes a series of thin needles being inserted into specific areas that are believed to create the ailment or difficulty by being blocked. It is believed that by strategically inserting these needles into these specific points in the body, the nervous system is stimulated to release chemicals from various places in the body in order to help promote healing.

Modern day doctors believe that acupuncture treatment stimulates the body’s natural ability to heal, thus promoting both physical and mental well being. Acupuncture treatments have evolved greatly in recent times to include a variety of methods and techniques other than the traditional use of needles. Some forms of acupuncture treatment now make use of certain herbs, as well as electricity and electrical currents. There are multiple other forms of acupuncture including some that use lasers and magnets to stimulate the body in the same way that needles have traditionally been used.

Acupuncture is a great form of healing and balancing the body’s energy to promote mental and physical well being. It should be considered by those looking for an alternative to medication and prescription drugs. It is much more widely available now than ever before and is being recognized as a viable form of treatment by many in the medical community.

What a day to discuss health issues — both physical and mental — as effected by daily stresses in life. I am sooo stressed out today, I absolutely have the heebie-jeebies! If I could just get away from myself for a little while, I know it would help.

For three weeks, I have been dealing with this physical condition created by a sinus/ear infection that has left me with chronically stopped up ears — I CAN’T HEAR A THING!!! Understand, there is no pain associated with the condition; there is no obvious visible sign associated with the condition. In other words, I am not writhing and screaming in pain, nor are there roaring flames shooting from my ears. That said, one might get the picture that the condition is simply annoying and that my patience is completely gone.

My spouse, never a patient person when life throws him even a teeny, weeny curve, has taken this problem of mine on as though it is HIS cross to bear. Do not mistake what I just said to indicate that his compassion is overwhelming. What I mean is his compassion is somewhere between underwhelming and non-existent. MY inability to hear much of anything other than muffledy-muff-muffle, has become in his opinion, my opportunity to drive him nuts (a short trip, if you know what I mean). He fully believes that this is part of a plot that the entire Communist Party and I have concocted to annoy him to the point that he may have to go fishing to get away from my bad attitude.

(I offered to pay for his bait — hell, I offered to buy him a boat!)So until I can get in to see the ear, nose and throat specialist next week, I am seriously in doubt if anyone can save this marriage between now and then. I’ve read that with the right kind of marriage counseling, even a situation like ours can be turned around to the point that it feels like you are back on your honeymoon. (Do I need to mention at this point that one of the highlights of our honeymoon included a trip to the Dothan Worm Gardens?)

Chronic otitis by itself is a walk in the park but not when combined with a marriage being challenged by the temporary infirmity of the wife when the husband is a paranoid, whiney-assed baby. So when my hearing condition is cured, as I am sure it will be, perhaps I will have the patience again to work on saving this marriage. I hope my mental health holds out until then.

Though there are over a hundred kinds of arthritis, the most common is osteoarthritis. It is considered a degenerative arthritis, wear and tear arthritis, and can appear in any joint in the body – from knees to neck to hands to feet. It occurs when the cartilage in the joint begins to deteriorate. If the cartilage goes, the joint goes. The resulting symptoms are pain, swelling and stiffness. It is most common in middle-aged and older people.

There are several factors that can increase your chances of developing arthritis — heredity, injury and obesity, as well as overuse.

Heredity causes range from being born with joint abnormalities to inheriting a defect in the genes that make up the cartilage in the joints.

Injuries can contribute to developing osteoarthritis. A broken bone or an injury near a joint can make you more predisposed to develop the condition in that joint.

Obesity obviously creates more wear and tear on the joints, especially the hips and knees and back.

Overuse of the joints is a contributor. For instance, people that are required to lift heavy objects or bend excessively on the job, are more susceptible to developing osteoarthritis of the knees or back.

Osteoarthritis can be diagnosed in several different ways with x-ray probably being the most common.

Once diagnosed, treatments vary from over-the-counter oral medications such acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin and ibuprofen, to prescribed oral medications such as Celebrex. There are topical treatments also found in creams and rubs and patches and sprays which when applied to the skin of the affected area, can relieve the pain. People with persistent pain often consider steroid injections directly into the joint affected by the condition although those injections are usually limited as they can contribute to further deterioration of the bone and cartilage.

There are alternative treatments available in using dietary supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin and some people with severe symptoms find relief with acupuncture treatments.

When there is no relief from the discomfort of this condition using the above methods, surgery may be required. Arthroscopy, joint replacement and joint fusion are several surgical procedures used and they are all improving daily. The severity and location of the condition would determine the most effective procedure. Your doctor will help you make that decision.

If you believe that those aches and pains and that stiffness are creeping up on you a little faster and a little more severely, you may consider consulting your physician. It could turn out that weight control and some gentle exercises, coupled with an occasional ibuprofen and/or topical treatment might just give you all the relief you need.

“Hearing loss is widely prevalent in the United States today”, he announced. “What? Huh? Hurling floss with the whiney president of the United States today?” I replied. Good grief!! Either that is the strangest thing I have heard lately or I need my hearing checked.

Hearing loss is pretty common among people over seventy, but I have a few years before I reach that age. Of course, as far as music is concerned, I have always held to the belief that ’if it’s too loud, you’re too old’.

As I understand it, we should have our hearing checked right away when we notice we are having difficulty hearing. Problem is, the person developing the loss is often unaware of it especially if it is developing gradually. It may take a friend or family member to notice it. They may become aware that you often ask them to repeat what they just said or you may begin to answer a question based on what you think they just said.

For years, I have been aware that I have difficulty understanding what is being said in certain social settings, especially in restaurants where the background noise is anything from chattering voices to the clattering of dishes and silverware or televisions or music playing a little too loud. In those circumstances, I DO ask to have things repeated or I tend to try to read lips or the tone of the voice or the gestures being made.

Hearing loss, huh? I don’t think I have had my hearing checked since elementary school. Maybe it is time.

Auditory damage can develop from playing the radio too loud, loud equipment in the workplace (even lawn mowers and power tools) and motorcycles. Damage from an injury or illness can also contribute, including earwax buildup and a ruptured eardrum or any other condition that can effect the inner or middle ear.

Is your hearing muffled? Do you feel like your ears are plugged? Do you have buzzing or ringing or roaring or hissing in your ears? Do you have difficulty in understanding what is being said? Is there ear pain or itching or irritation? Do you turn the television or radio up a little louder than you used to? Well, those are all symptoms. Get thee to the doctor, my friend. It could be just old age creeping up on you, but chances are you have created some kind of damage just by your lifestyle.

If it is necessary, there are a number of devices (usually basic hearing aids) that can assist in improving the condition. You no longer have to use that ever-so-attractive, old timey ear horn or ear trumpet. Most hearing aids are barely visible and even if they are neon green and have flashing lights, what could be worse than not being able to hear what is going on around you.

I for one am going to schedule an appointment with a specialist in the very near future. I simply cannot bear the thought of not being able to hear my grandchildren saying, “I love you too, Grammy.” Talk about music to my ears!!!

Can you really develop brain cancer from using your cell phone? Well, if that is true, then I know a lot of people who need to change their way of communicating. I have several friends who have done away with their land lines phones in favor of the cell phone. Those same friends use their cell phones FAR more than they would have been using land line phones. They walk into the workplace on their cell phone, they leave their cell phones turned on at their desks and use them constantly, including every lunch break, on the way to and from their cars, in their cars, at the lunch table, and the same routine back to the office. The cell phone is stuck right to their ear in the grocery store, at the doctor’s office, at the bank — you name the place, they are using it. I find it not only annoying, but rude.

I have a cell phone which I use basically for emergency situations or in last minute communication with my daughters as I am on the way to their houses, each a thirty minute drive away. I rarely leave it turned on unless I am on a longer distance drive. Quite frankly, I really don’t want to be bothered until I reach home again. Once home again, I can spend two hours at a time on the phone — land line phone — and not think anything of it.

Cell phones have really only been in use by the common public for a little over a decade so there has been limited opportunity to research the long-term effects on their usage. The tests so far have been inconclusive, but the link between cell phone use and brain cancer is still being researched.

Cell phones operate with radio frequency energy (RF), a form of energy emitted, the strength of which is somewhere between FM radio waves and the waves used in radar or satellite stations. Apparently the risk comes from the exposure to RF depending on the duration and frequency of cell phone use.

Cordless phones, more commonly used in the home, are plugged into a telephone jack which is wired to a local telephone service (a land line phone). They are not considered cell phones and the health risk associated with their usage has not been a concern. Cell phones use five or six hundred times the amount of power of a cordless phone.

If you are a cell phone junky or even if you have a reasonable concern about the risks involved, you might want to check out one of the following websites:
Federal Communications Commission
RF Safety Program, Office of Engineering and Technology
Web site:

www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety/

Food and Drug Administration
Cell Phone Facts: Consumer Information on Wireless Phones
Web site:

www.fda.gov/cellphones/

World Health Organization
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (select Qs & As)
Web site:

www.who.int/emf
NO MATTER WHAT THE CONCERN IS, KNOWLEDGE IS ALWAYS YOUR BEST DEFENSE. So check it all out for yourself, but meanwhile…get off the phone and drive!!