New-SARS Virus In US?

May 23, 2013

The World Health Organization has given out a very general warning about the new Coronavirus (similar to SARS but with nasty effects on the kidneys): health care professionals need to watch for strange clusters of flu-like symptoms.

Guess what’s shown up in Alabama?

If you guessed “a strange cluster of flu-like symptoms”, you’re spot on.

7 people have come down with flu-like symptoms. Young and old, there’s no pattern, and health officials haven’t found a common thread connecting them yet. They all seem to have a cough, fever, and shortness of breath. 2 have already died.

Health officials still need to identify whether they all have the same strain, what family the virus belongs to, etc. If they identify where the virus came from, they will likely issue a warning to others who might be infected. Likely, there are those out there with strong immune systems who are carrying the virus but showing no symptoms, and these people need to be aware of the risk of spreading it.

If it’s not the new Coronavirus strain, it could also be the new H7N9 strain, or another version of avian flu.

What do you think? Share in the comments:

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Another Tool Against Alzheimer’s Disease

May 22, 2013

ForgetfulAlthough coconut oil has become the Alzheimer’s cure du jour, most of the evidence supporting it is anecdotal. But now there’s a study showing strong evidence that B Vitamins can protect against Alzheimer’s Disease.

When 25% is a good result, 90% is amazing, and that’s how much B Vitamins helped reduce brain shrinkage due to Alzheimers.

As we age, we lose our ability to effectively absorb nutrients, and taking a good multivitamin becomes essential. Bowel diseases like Crohn’s, Celiac Disease, etc. can also impair the gut’s ability to absorb nutrients. People who have these problems tend to specifically be deficient in Vitamin B.

There’s more: Vitamin B lowers other markers of Alzheimer’s. It balances brain chemicals that, when unbalanced, are strongly associated with Alzheimer’s.

It’s never too late to start protecting yourself from Alzheimer’s, but it’s better if you start early. Alzheimer’s symptoms can start appearing as early as your 30s. Exercise has also been shown to help protect against Alzheimer’s.

Vitamin B has other benefits like boosting your metabolism. It’s also important for anyone eating a vegetarian diet, as B12 is almost solely found in animals.

Have you started coconut oil in your diet? Will you add B Vitamins?

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The Capstone Of Health And Fitness

May 21, 2013

Outdoor TrainingEating well, exercise, enough sleep, you probably already know what you’re supposed to do to stay healthy and fit.

But there’s one, very easy way, to support all of these activities: take a good multivitamin.

The best diet is not going to be varied enough in a single day to get every nutrient, mineral, or beneficial herb you need. A really healthy diet might get most, but that’s not most people. In fact, many people are now on elimination diets of one form or another, and need a multivitamin to fill the gaps left (B12 for vegetarians, calcium for dairy, iron for red meat, etc.).

A good multivitamin is the capstone of health and fitness. Health is dependant upon getting the nutrients your cells need, and fitness exacerbates that need, pushing your body to build itself up to even healthier and stronger levels.

If you want the best, most efficient multivitamins, look no further. Here are the first steps to building a healthy diet and lifestyle:

1) Start with the set of multivitamins that everyone should take: Welltrient Trio consists of Welltrient Vita One (basic vitamins and minerals), Mito Cardia (cell and heart health) and Triple Strength Antioxidant (providing nutrients that fight free radicals and promote overall health). If you’re interested in health and fitness, this is it.

2) Consider pairing Welltrient Trio with the Sleep Support Pack. If you need help falling and staying asleep (and want real sleep, not just fake sleep) this is the sleep aid for you. If you don’t need help sleeping, it’s the multivitamin combo to support your brain health while you’re sleeping.

3) Finally, consider your specific health needs, and add them to your regimen. Whether you’re a man or a woman, older, younger, really into fitness, or want to support your body as you battle specific health conditions, there’s something for you.

If nothing else. stick to the capstone: Welltrient Trio.

Where are you in your search for optimal health and fitness?

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The Quick, Easy, Anywhere Home Workout

May 20, 2013

Scientists have paired an intense run and weightlifting down to a 7 minute, whole body workout (this isn’t just your abs!). Best of all, you can do it anywhere, you just need a chair, a wall, and a small amount of space for prone positions.

The researchers based their workout on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), which involves intensely working out in short bursts, followed by a shorter rest. Previous studies have shown HIIT type workouts were more effective than longer, steady paced workouts. Up until now, how to incorporate HIIT has varied a lot depending on sport, style, and trainer. This new study aims to create a precise methodology for HIIT. It also focuses on moves that can be done anywhere, using your own body as the weight, so you don’t need access to a gym!

It should be said, to do this workout right requires a high level of energy, and is definitely not something you should do without talking to your doctor about it, especially if you have previous health concerns. People who have incorporated the HIIT concept into their workouts will tell you that doing it right should leave you sore, ready to pass out, and nauseated. The moves are easy to do and learn, but the effort you put into it needs to be intense!

So how’s it done?

There are twelve exercises that alternate muscle groups (order matters!), and you do each for 30 seconds with a 10 second rest in between. You might want to work out with a friend and take turns holding the stop watch and shouting out which exercise to do next. A workout buddy can also help keep you motivated—remember, the key to HIIT is to be at an 8 or 9, at least, energywise.

Here are a list of exercises, as suggested by the researchers based on what they found to be optimal intervals, etc.:

1. Jumping jacks (Total body)

2. Wall sit (Lower body)

3. Push-up (Upper body)

4. Abdominal crunch (Core)

5. Step-up onto chair (Total body)

6. Squat (Lower body)

7. Triceps dip on chair (Upper body)

8. Plank (Core)

9. High knees/running in place (Total body)

10. Lunge (Lower body)

11. Push-up and rotation (Upper body)

12. Side plank (Core)

After you’ve done the workout, it’s time to eat in order to support your muscle growth and refuel your body. Be sure to add some multivitamins to that meal to ensure you get all needed nutrients—your body will need them!

Do you use HIIT or sprints as your workout method?

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Make Sure Your Doctor Isn’t Reusing Needles

May 17, 2013

Needle ReuseIt’s a way to save money. One Denver dentist tried to reuse (and sterilize, supposedly) needles and potentially gave Hep C to THOUSANDS of people. Another reused a bottle of painkiller and caused a small MRSA outbreak.

Now, a VA hospital in NY was caught reusing insulin needles, putting over 700 veterans at risk for illnesses including Hep C and HIV. What’s particularly horrible in this instance is that many of them are older, so the chance that their immune systems were able to fight off the infection is low, and it’s quite likely that anyone exposed would develop Hep C symptoms sooner than later.

Reusing needles happens more than people think, unfortunately. The flashier stories are when some hospital employee steals pain meds, borrowing your needle to do so. Those have the added element of undermedicated patients!

But in some offices needles are reused regularly. Many doctors are struggling from being underpaid by insurance—Medicare sets prices almost arbitrarily low, and insurance follows suit. Most doctors inflate their prices to compensate. Plus, they have to figure out how to spread the wages for the nurses and techs who care for you into those costs. But in some states, like California, state offered health care is already bankrupt and doesn’t pay anything! And many smaller offices struggle to meet expenses (yep, the general stereotype is wrong here!).

And dentists, whose offices are most often in the news for the offence of reusing needles, have been struggling the hardest from the recession and the new national health care laws. As insurance rates are skyrocketing, many people are cutting dental from their plans. Even before these new higher prices started coming into effect, the recession helped many people realize they could live without paying to have their teeth scraped clean, or that they could make it a little longer with that cavity.

I know of one local dentist who had to let all of his staff go except one nurse, and brought his wife in to work reception in order to keep the lights on. I have no idea what else he might have done to keep his families source of income going.

So, watch out. Needles should come from new packages, and should be disposed of in hazardous waste containers. They should be concerned with counting needles as they dispose of them so none are left out.

If you have to go to the hospital for any reason, needles or no, make sure you keep your immune system strong and continue to support your health. Colloids For Life has a wide range of products to help you!

What do you think of the continual news of the risk of getting Hep C from the doctor’s office?

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