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Showing posts from 2009

ffectiveness Revealed

NNT means Number Needed to Treat. It is in that fine print sheet that comes with the drug your doctor prescribed and, if not, can be accessed on the manufacturer's web site. The doc said the stuff would treat the particular condition that the patient was complaining about. But will it help YOU? How effective is it for that particular problem? Drug companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, sometimes millions, to develop a drug to alleviate certain symptoms. I said treat, not cure. Pharmaceutical companies don't want to cure; they want to treat so they can continue to sell their drugs. A cure would put them out of business. There are many cures for cancer, but none allowed in the U.S. A very damning statement that will not be pursued here. NNT is the number of patients needed to be treated in order to prevent ONE additional bad outcome compared in a controlled clinical trial. The ideal NNT outcome of a trial is ONE where everyone improves from the drug

Keys to Getting Into Great Shape

Everyone wants to be healthy. For most of us, being healthy has come to simply mean not getting sick and pretty much being able to do what we want to do everyday. Such a notion may seem too simplistic, but on the face of an ever-growing number of highly-stressed individuals, it seems to work well as a general guide. If you really want to get technical about it, the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports defines total fitness as "the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue and with ample energy to enjoy leisure time pursuits and to meet unforeseen emergencies." The American Heart Association says it's "a state of body efficiency enabling a person to exercise vigorously for a long time period without fatigue." Obviously, total fitness is more than being able to workout a couple of hours each day. It's a state of body and mind that allows an individual to function at his or her most opti

Side effects of Acupuncture

Acupuncture treatment is tested now for over 3000 years and till date it is considered as most efficient and trustworthy form of healing people. It is helpful in promoting health, reducing pain and decreases the symptoms of diseases. This method of healing seems to be weird but with time people has recognized this ancient Chinese art of healing and curing. The basic focus of the acupuncturist is to increase and balance chi in your body. "Chi" is the positive energy that flows in the human body. When chi is imbalance the body falls sick and weak. The experienced and efficient acupuncturist from their knowledge can control health and illness by motivating some points of areas that lie along the meridian. These specific points of areas are called "acupoints" where the needles are inserted. The needles used in this method are almost the size of human hair strands. Nowadays, in acupuncture new additions are done such as introduction of herbs, magnet and

Natural allergy remedies

Natural allergy remedies always help in improving the allergy condition provided they are used properly and in accordance with the methods. In fact the results are quite surprising at times even to the extent that the allergy medications are no longer required and I bear testimony to this fact as I use it always. There can be no doubt regarding the effectiveness of the therapy. So I decided to share through this article the most effective of the natural remedies for allergy practiced around the globe. 1. Changing the Eating and Diet Habits Amongst the best remedies of the natural kind that combat allergies is changing the diet. The fact is that allergies are inflammatory in nature; therefore if anyone suffering from this disease is able to contain or block the production of the bodily chemicals that inflammatory then they can pretty much control the problem of their allergy. Having said that, one needs to know the method of containing or blocking the inflammatory che
The short and simple answer is, yes, quinoa is gluten free. Contrary to what many people believe, quinoa is not a grain. It is the seed of the goosefoot plant, which is closely related to the spinach. Aside from the seeds, the leaves are also edible, though not as widely marketed as the seed. They have been around since the time of the Inca civilization. The quinoa seed is one of the many food choices open to people who have celiac disease or who have some form of gluten allergy or gluten sensitivity and need to stay on a gluten free diet. But what makes quinoa far superior to other gluten free foods is the nutritive value of this food. One of the most celebrated qualities of quinoa is its protein content. It makes a good substitute to meat as a source of protein. It contains all the required essential nutrients that our body needs in an easily digestible form. Aside from protein, it also includes good amounts of calcium and iron. Quinoa contains high levels of magn

Running Parachutes for Football Players

It blows my mind that training aids such as the running parachute are not used in every high school and collegiate speed training program. The biggest problem most athletes face in high school athletics today is that many athletes never realize their full potential due to lack of adequate training. So many high school athletes run track "on the side", football is their main sport. They take it easy on the track in the afternoon so they can work harder in the weightroom that evening. However, the running parachute increases core and leg strength while simultaneously boosting explosiveness. Speed and explosiveness, in my opinion, are the two most important characteristics a football player can have. On the collegiate level, many athletes are overworked and therefore overshooting their potential. By substituting workout aids in the place of extreme intensity workouts, athletes can reduce their risk of injury during two-a-days and other high intensity training se

What Are Allergies

Allergy is a common word that we use in our daily life no matter if we have some or if we are talking about someone who is allergic to something. Allergies are of different kinds and there can be multiple reasons of their occurrence. Smoke and dust allergies are the most common types of allergy and people having these face most of the trouble at times. It is necessary to have knowledge about allergies and what causes them. Here are some points which should help you in understanding this phenomenon better. 1. When a person is allergic, his or her body reacts to a particular substance in such a way that some chemicals are released by the body during the process which cause allergy symptoms. 2. A particular medicine may also cause side effects such as pimples. However, it does not necessarily mean that the person is allergic to that medicine. It may be due to some component present in it. Most of the medicines are made from herbs and many people are allergic to herbs. Ev

Anxiety Root Causes

What causes anxiety in us and what can be done to provide a lasting anxiety remedy? We can divide the causes of anxiety into two very general areas. The first area is that of some sort of chemical imbalance in the body or brain, this can be very serious and you should consult a qualified doctor to assist you in determining what could help you. The second area is likely where the majority of us fall, and that is everyday worry, which left unchecked gets out of control and can lead us to feeling anxious. Where Anxiety Begins And Ends We know that science backs up the facts that how we think, and what we are thinking about, has great impact on our bodies, our health, and the way we feel, and whether we're anxious or not. However, even if we were very skeptical, or completely didn't believe in any studies or science at all, common sense still wins the day. Just think about how you feel when you have a sizable debt to pay for example, and compare that to how you migh

Social Anxiety

Did you know that social anxiety did exist? Neither did I until I met my school mate whom I haven't seen since then. I came to know that he had this anxiety of not liking to be in the center of attention. He would be afraid to get criticized and hate to draw any kind of attention that might have resulted in some sort of embarrassment. So I thought he was just being shy. It turns out that there are many more people like my friend who get stage fright or are subjected to nervousness in front of a crowd. So my research has begun and I found out a lot of things about this "disorder". We might have had friends who just went dumb on the stage while singing a song. We might have laughed the matter earlier, but the problem that this behavior relates to is very serious. In medical terms, it is known as the 'social anxiety disorder' or 'SAD'. It is a relatively less harmful form of anxiety disorder which may not affect the clinical health of an indi

Best Self Help Techniques For Panic Attack

There are plenty of things that people can perform to help themselves aid their own recovery. These are self help treatments that they can do on their own. Very first is to avoid things and substances which will only worsen the problem. Substances like alcoholic beverages, caffeine and banned drugs are to be prevented. Other things that people can perform is to engage in aerobic fitness exercise and get involve within following techniques that will assist sufferers cope with anxiety attack. These includes stress administration, proper breathing and rest techniques. They have to do this on the regular basis since it has been discovered that these techniques help much decrease panic episodes. For those individuals who are already diagnosed with anxiety attacks and is familiar with the actual signs and symptoms, the following methods may help them cease the attack. Very first is to relax the actual shoulders and become conscious of any kind of tension in the muscle tis
If you're thinking of getting acupuncture for the first time, you're probably wondering, "How do I choose an acupuncturist?" The fact that fine needles are going to be inserted in your skin is enough to make anyone cautious. There are many safe and reliable practitioners in this field. It is an ancient Chinese medical treatment that has long been used for alleviating pain and treating diseases. By applying fine needles to pressure points in the body, acupuncturists are able to drain excess, release stagnation and tone the body where needed. You must find the right practitioner to suit your needs, though. There may be many different acupuncturists in your area at any given time. You can find them online, in the yellow pages, in local holistic health listings and many other sources. It's always good to find someone by word of mouth, though, so if you know anyone who's gotten acupuncture and been happy with the service, find out where they go for

Relief From Hemorrhoids With These Tips

Obtaining hemorrhoids relief is one area that everyone having hemorrhoids wants to get. After all, this disorder in particular is an extremely painful condition. Hemorrhoids are inflamed veins that are located in, or around, the anus. Oftentimes when they get inflamed they swell up; thus, becoming very sensitive. Because of the location of the hemorrhoids, friction, weight, walking and sitting cause irritation. This means that individuals who suffer with this condition would do well to test every known way of getting a little respite from their hemorrhoids. One means to get some hemorrhoids relief is to take a mildly warm bath. Called a Sitz bath, this is easily set up by simply filling your tub with enough warm water to barely reach past your backside, and sitting in this water for a few moments. This can do a lot to alleviate discomfort. Something different that is a popular choice to give relief to those in need is the essential oil, Cypress. Because of its pungent