I set off a bit of an email flurry a couple of days ago when I suggested that Gastric Bypass surgery is bad and is the wrong way to lose so I thought that I would explain why I do not like the idea of losing using gastric bypass surgery. Gastric Bypass for those that are not aware of the idea is a surgery that either puts a band around a part of your stomach or staples your stomach so that it is smaller. This smaller stomach of course can hold less food so most people are going to lose a … [Read more...] about Gastric Bypass is the wrong answer
Health Issues
Exercise at the computer
As we all know it is difficult to do exercises at our computers and stay in shape. Most of the time you are probably sitting just like me right now, hunched over the keyboard, body frozen in a position to type and slightly tightening the shoulders (that will not feel so good later today). The best way to stop yourself from getting those aches and pains at your desk is to take quick breaks occasionally during the day to stretch, and here are a bunch of stretches that I found courtesy of Dr … [Read more...] about Exercise at the computer
Types of Arthritis
I thought that over the next few days I would put up some posts about arthritis. My wife has settled with arthritis for years and not a lot has helped. There are of course a lot of pills on the market notably Vioxx and Celebrex (which my wife did take) the problems with these drugs is that the Cox-2 inhibitors have been linked to heart problems. Arthritis Arthritis is a general name for over 100 conditions and diseases that affect the joints of the bones. Many people with arthritis do not have … [Read more...] about Types of Arthritis
Taking care of Contact Lenses
Taking care of Contact Lenses is critical to protect your sight. Yesterday I switched back to contact lenses from glasses. I have worn contacts off and on for the last 25 years or so and over the last three years I have almost exclusively worn contact lenses. I rememver the last time that I got contact lenses my optometrists asked me how long I wore my contact lenses and I replied "about 12 hours a day", he was shocked and asked me what I had against my eyes to treat them so badly. I am sure … [Read more...] about Taking care of Contact Lenses
Flu season is arriving
Flu season is coming and around my town there are clinics setup everywhere for people to get vaccinated against the flu. One of the stories that I hear every year is how the people that develop the flu vaccination did not correctly figure out what strain of flu will be coming this year and this year is no exception. News stories are all about sensationalizing the stories that they have and every year I hear this "should you both getting vaccinated" Well yes of course you should get vaccinated … [Read more...] about Flu season is arriving
5 Detox Diet Options
There are at least five detox diet options when it comes to trying to clean out your body. I am going to stay away at this point from the battle between the detoxers and the non-detoxers. There is of course a camp of people that believe that there is no good that comes out of detoxing your body and that it is just a waste of time. I have no view either way but thought i would just offer these fixe options out to you to either try or to give you something to think about in the future In order … [Read more...] about 5 Detox Diet Options
Cold Medicine for kids
You may have heard that the FDA has cautioned gainst giving any kind of cold medicine to kids saying that it does not do any good anyway. I am not too sure about this as we have always given stuff to our kids to help them sleep at night when they have a cold or congestion but we have never bothered to give it to them during the day. I guess maybe we will have to research this a little better and thankfully both kids are quite healthy these days. Anyway I grabbed the following tips from MSNBC … [Read more...] about Cold Medicine for kids
FDA warns against cold medicines for children
Ususally I am not to impressed with CNN articles as they seem to be a bit fluffy or alarmist but there is a great article about the FDAs warning against giving kids 6 or under certain cold medicinesFDA: Stop giving cold, cough meds to toddlers - CNN.comI know that most parents are very nervous about kids having colds and I have always been one of them as well. The first real sign that my kids have a cough and I reach for the kids cold medicine, I guess maybe not anymore.Here are some highlights … [Read more...] about FDA warns against cold medicines for children
How is Erectile Dysfunction treated?
The usual first step in treating Erectile Dysfunction is to check whether the problem is the result of a medication side effect. If so, there may be a different drug that can be prescribed that won't result in Erectile Dysfunction. Medications for Erectile Dysfunction Medications are not the only treatment choices for men seeking help for Erectile Dysfunction. One option is a mechanical vacuum device that causes an erection by creating a partial vacuum that draws blood into the penis. These … [Read more...] about How is Erectile Dysfunction treated?
Antioxidants And Good Health
We hear very often about the importance of antioxidants and the role they play in improving our health so I thought I would check the great Wikipedia and US government research sites to see if I could find some good info on the role that antioxidants play in good health and how to get them. Antioxidants are present in foods as vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and polyphenols, among others. Many antioxidants are often identified in food by their distinctive colors—the deep red of cherries … [Read more...] about Antioxidants And Good Health
How good is Canadian Health Care?
On the weekend I had a chance to see Michael Moores movie Sicko. Sicko as everyone no knows is a documentary that looks at some people that are on underinsured health plans and compares them to regular folk in other countries. I am a Canadian so I can answer a little to the Canadian experience but of course I do not know much about the other countries that Michael Moore went to. First of all in Canada it is important to know that the federal government sets up rules as to what kind of care … [Read more...] about How good is Canadian Health Care?
New FDA standards for dietary supplements
Well this was a long time in coming and we will have to wait to see the effect but the FDA has set new rules for standards and purity for all of those supplements that we see out there. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced a final rule establishing regulations to require current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) for dietary supplements. The rule ensures that dietary supplements are produced in a quality manner, do not contain contaminants or impurities, and are accurately … [Read more...] about New FDA standards for dietary supplements
First signs of West Nile Virus
I was in a park field with the kids this afternoon and getting stung by mosquitos like they had never seen me before. This got me to wondering what the first symptoms of West Nile Virus would be. After a bit of a search around I was able to find a great faq of info from the CDC on what and how to tell if you have West Nile Virus. Q. What are the symptoms of West Nile virus (WNV) infection? A. Infection with WNV can be asymptomtic (no symptoms), or can lead to West Nile fever or severe West … [Read more...] about First signs of West Nile Virus
Recipe for better skin
Keeping beautiful skin is a major priority for many of us. We are continuously seeking ways to improve our complexion. However, improving our body’s outer texture and tone may not be enough. If we are not selective in how we do this it can be extremely expensive. However, you don't have to break the bank to improve the condition of your complexion. Time-honored recipes from our grandmothers are inexpensive and fun to make. In addition, knowing which ingredients to look for can help you select … [Read more...] about Recipe for better skin
News on Vioxx replacements
Two years ago there were problems found with arthritis medications that contained Cox-2 inhibitors and both Vioxx and Celebrex were pulled off of the market. If you remember the problem was that users of these products had a higher inciednce of cariac problems compared to a control group that took a placebo. Now Merck, one of the largest drug manufacturers worldwide is trying to create a new drug called Arcoxia that also uses Cox-2 inhibitors as a painkiller to tackle arthritis pain. Merck … [Read more...] about News on Vioxx replacements
