Archive for the ‘Hormone Physician’ Category

I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this.

Emo Philips, American Comedian

A research letter in JAMA Cardiology captures the same idea, substituting cardiologist for brain and physician for organ in my body.

Researchers begin by noting that new medications for diabetes also modify the course of heart disease; and that there are increasing numbers of patients with new-onset Type 2 diabetes. They then look at new-onset cases of Type 2 diabetes by state comparing them to the available supply of cardiologists, endocrinologists (physicians caring specifically for diabetes among other hormone-related conditions), and nephrologists (physicians who care for kidney disease). Low and behold, with three times more cardiologists than either endocrinologists or nephrologists, who is well-positioned to participate in diabetes care given their numbers and distribution relative to diabetes cases? Yes, cardiologists.

In addition to their sheer numbers, cardiologists bring other values to the table. Cardiologists see more patients with diabetes than endocrinologists; cardiologists are more frequently consulted in the hospital for issues involving patients with diabetes increasing the teachable moments. And finally, diabetes is becoming less glucocentric and more about global risk reduction. Frankly, who knows more about reducing risk, cardiologists just ask them.

All right, I must confess, I have a conflict of interest here. As a vascular surgeon, I have watched cardiologists claim that they can care for vascular disease, the area I trained in for six years because they are good with wires and balloons and they fix coronary arteries that are very small and important, so the big arteries that I care for are easy. Arteries are arteries after all unless, of course, you are a vascular surgeon that, for some bizarre reason, feels that you should fix a coronary artery with a balloon and stent; then, those arteries are different.

There is an invited commentary from a primary care physician; more specifically, an individual specializes in general internal medicine. He points out that patients often require coordinated, collaborative care, and there is a push to create a medical home, business-speak for having one consistent primary care physician. To extend that medical home metaphor, he points out that other specialists, part of the medical neighborhood, have much to offer, but that the decision to involve the neighbors, like cardiology, nephrology, or endocrinology involved should be made by the patient and their immediate real and medical family.

Collaboration and communication are not easy, even in this day of smartphones and text. It is challenging to coordinate a discussion about a patient using text messaging.; If you think that a physician has a time advantage when calling another physician, then you havent witnessed the dance of competing office staff trying to eliminate any waiting time for their doc - someone has to wait on the line. As a result, coordinating care often means prolonging decisions, increasing patient wait times, and in some instances, anxiety. Who is best qualified to coordinate the neighborhood? I agree with the commentator, the generalist has the best view, seeing more than the heart disease or glucose management.

Why are cardiologists so interested in expanding their lane? Why are they not content, supporting the hard work of primary-care physicians? As we move deeper into team medicine, not everyone can be the quarterback coordinating the play; even that gifted receiver, the one in this instance caring for your heart.

Source: Implications of Specialist Density for Diabetes Care in the United States JAMA Cardiology DOI: 10.1001/jamacardio.2019.3796

Optimizing the Physician Workforce for Care of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes JAMA Cardiology DOI: 10.1001/jamacardio.2019.3827

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If Diabetes Leads to Heart Disease, Should Cardiologists Care For Diabetes? - American Council on Science and Health

Posted: Oct 28, 2019 / 05:26 PM GMT-0600 / Updated: Oct 29, 2019 / 11:47 AM GMT-0600

Everyone wants to lose weight and keep it off, but even with exercise and diet, that can be hard. Dr. Kristen Kells, DC, BSc, Chiropractic Physician.

Dr. Kells started her successful weight loss center in Colorado. She explained how her patients saw results, hit their target weight and were able to keep the weight off! Kells herself struggled with weight resistance.

Dr. Kells and her team specialize in weight loss resistance treatment. Triggers that can keep you from losing the weight are symptoms such as brain fog, hormone disregulation, fatigue, belly fat and craving carbs. There are many factors that can contribute to this and everyones body is different so the approaches are client specific.

Kristin DeHerrera, a client of Dr. Kells weight loss program over the last 3 months has already lost an astonishing 45lbs. She says it works because you dont need to do anything too special outside your daily life to make things work. I like the real life aspect of it That I just have to take whats out there and make it work.

If you are struggling to keep the weight off and feel that you have tried every trick in the book, call (385) 217-6368 for a free consultation or visit drkellsweightloss.com.

This story includes sponsored content.

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Why this program can help you lose weight and keep it off for life - ABC 4

IOWA CITY A growing percentage of younger women are getting breast cancer with rates among 20-somethings increasing the fastest, according to new University of Iowa-led research.

Although the overall number of affected women in that age range remains well below other age groups, the rate of 20 to 29-year-olds diagnosed with stage 1 to stage 3 breast cancer increased about 2 percentage points a year during the 15-year study period, according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute Cancer Spectrum.

Breast cancer rates for women in their 30s and 40s also increased from 2000 to 2015, although not as fast, inching up about .3 percentage points a year.

The study looked not only at incidence rates but survival rates and found that, in addition to seeing the largest annual percentage increase, the diagnosed 20-somethings had lower 10-year survival rates than their 30-to-40-year-old peers.

Reasons for the worse outcomes could be multifold and include that younger women often experience diagnosis and care delays in part because breast-cancer screening is less common among that age group.

Physicians might be less suspicious of malignancy in younger patients even when they show up in clinic with a breast lump, according to researchers.

Detecting cancerous growth in younger women also can be more challenging due to their dense breast tissue, according to the studys lead author, UI professor of epidemiology Paul Romitti.

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Romitti said the findings could have important clinical and self-care implications encouraging increased education and self-checks at a younger age.

Try to avoid care delays with these women, Romitti said. Be aware that because theyre traditionally not screened to make sure that when patients report a lump in their breast, its checked.

Brooke McKinnon of Coralville said shes glad her physician did, when last December she went in for her annual gynecology appointment. At age 27, the UI graduate and Hawkeye rowing athletic trainer hadnt yet had a mammogram.

But during her appointment, the doctor felt a lump and given that McKinnons mother not even two years before had been diagnosed with breast cancer the physician encouraged her to get a full work-up, while trying to calm her nerves.

Shes like, You know, young women get cysts in their breasts sometimes. She said, Dont get yourself worked up, but lets just get it checked out, McKinnon said.

That guarded reassurance did infiltrate McKinnons thinking as she waited four long weeks between that original appointment and when they could get her in for more imaging and tests.

I kind of convinced myself that Im too young to have breast cancer and this is not cancer and Ill be fine, she recalled.

But ultrasound and biopsy results revealed McKinnon despite her young age did have cancer grade 1B invasive ductal carcinoma. She got the call on a Monday morning and by that afternoon she had an appointment with the breast surgeon.

They mapped out a plan for a lumpectomy and more tests, and just after Christmas she learned her cancer hadnt spread and therefore was considered stage 1.

That was the best news you could get, she said.

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McKinnon still endured chemotherapy and continues to undergo hormone therapy in that her cancer cells grew in response to estrogen and progesterone.

Being premenopausal complicates treatment for younger patients, especially those such as McKinnon who havent had children but want to.

Having my own kid is very important to me, so I did IVF (in vitro fertilization) before even starting chemotherapy, she said.

When McKinnon was diagnosed, she was engaged with a wedding date planned for the coming summer. They managed one embryo from the IVF, and she took a drug to protect her ovaries during her cancer treatment in hopes shell be able to conceive without IVF in the future.

After her follow-up radiation, McKinnon today is cancer free and has a good prognosis not to mention a wedding still on the books for June.

Learning that her age group is getting breast cancer at a faster clip than others, she said, was shocking.

Its unsettling, she said.

The UI research in addition to assessing incidence and survival rates by age range looked at different types of breast cancers and variations by race and ethnicity.

Survival rates were lower among those who identified as non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics, compared with non-Hispanic whites and Asian/Pacific Islanders.

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Some of those differences could be tied to variations in access to health care, according to Romitti, who is continuing his research by focusing on Iowa women in hopes of identifying life factors that might contribute to incidence and survival rates.

But based on what this initial research has found, his colleague and co-author at Wake Forest School of Medicine, Alexandra Thomas, stressed physicians should reject assumptions that younger women with lumps in their breasts dont have cancer.

We want physicians to be alerted to the rising cancer incidence among this population, Thomas said.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com

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More women are getting breast cancer in their 20s, University of Iowa research shows - The Gazette

When Kimberly Zieselman was 41, she got hold of her medical records from Massachusetts General Hospital. What she found was shocking.

The words "male pseudo hermaphrodite" were written on her chart.

Zieselman discovered she was born with XY chromosomes. Until that moment, she had no idea she was born intersex, an umbrella term used to describe people born with male and female anatomical characteristics.

As a teenager, Zieselman came to discover, doctors had performed surgery on her reproductive organs in an effort to conform her anatomy to fit one mold a move that had serious psychological ramifications for her later on in life, she said, and that was done without her complete, informed consent.

Like, Zieselman, many intersex adults who underwent procedures as babies have dealt with painful consequences later in life. Now 53, Zieselman has become a part of a growing movement within the intersex community speaking out against surgeries performed on intersex babies. Unless surgery is medically necessary, activists say, doctors should not interfere. Some activists are lobbying their state governments to pass legislation to ban surgeries that are medically unnecessary such legislation has already been proposed in California and Connecticut.

In the medical community, though, many say the issue should not be legislated, and that medical decision-making for children should remain parents responsibility after consulting with medical professionals.

A 2000 study in the American Journal of Human Biology found that 1.7 percent of babies are born intersex. There are many variations of intersex that manifest as differences in external genitals, internal reproductive organs and sex chromosomes. Another term used is DSD, which stands for Differences of Sex Development.

In Zieselmans case, she has Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, or CAIS. She was born with external female anatomy and internal testes. This means her body doesnt respond to testosterone and instead converts it to estrogen. In 1982, when Zieselman was 15, doctors removed her testes and told her and her parents that it was a partial hysterectomy, when, in fact, she never had a uterus or ovaries. All she knew was that she would never menstruate or be able to get pregnant.

My parents were told I was born with partially formed reproductive organs, Zieselman said.

She felt betrayed.

I realized I had been lied to by the medical community, by doctors who had been involved in this surgery and diagnosis. The truth was hidden even from my parents, she said.

Zieselman believes her doctors thought they were doing what was in her best interest at the time. But she disagrees.

The procedure, she said, meant having to take hormone replacements for the rest of her life. She maintains that had doctors not removed her gonads, she wouldnt have to take estrogen supplements. The psychological toll of learning the truth about her surgery was also devastating.

Its that feeling of being told youre not good enough. That there is something wrong with your body, that it is something to be shameful of and something to hide. And the fact that youre lied to. It was so shameful that the doctors didnt even tell your parents the whole story, she said.

Learning she is intersex was a turning point for Zieselman. The married mother of two who lives outside of Boston is now the executive director of InterACT, an advocacy group for intersex youth. Shes also publishing a memoir next spring, titled "XOXY."

Activists and medical professionals alike acknowledge that in rare, severe cases involving the reproductive organs like when there is no passage for urine, or when the bladder is on the outside of the body surgery is imperative.

Activists say that the types of surgeries that they condemn are not medical emergencies. Its common for infants with atypical genitalia to undergo procedures within the first year of their lives to make their anatomy look more traditionally male or female. Some baby girls undergo clitoral reduction, a cosmetic surgery, solely for appearance reasons. In 2013, the U.N. Human Rights Council deemed these procedures cruel.

But Jack Elder, chief of pediatric urology at Massachusetts General Hospital, said the term "medically necessary" can be interpreted differently, and he thinks legislation gets in between the physician and patient.

How can somebody else, an outside group, a legislative body, decide what is medically necessary or unnecessary when we're dealing with genital ambiguity? Elder said.

Elder says he and his colleagues dont dictate what parents should do. Instead, he encourages parents of his patients to educate themselves on the pros and cons of having their infant undergo surgery.

We're just trying to help parents and provide some guidance. They might say, What do you think I should do?" he said. "You've got to make a decision at some point, because when they hit puberty, its going to create issues, and the surgery is a lot more involved.

As the debate around these surgeries grows fiercer, pediatric urologists have found themselves being increasingly questioned about their practices surrounding surgeries on intersex babies. WGBH News reached out to three other hospitals in and around Boston and pediatric urologists declined, two of which cited the sensitive nature of the topic.

In March 2018, the Societies for Pediatric Urology and the American Urological Association issued a joint statement on pediatric decision-making. They said they believe medical decision-making for children should remain parents' responsibility after consulting with medical professionals and should not be legislated. The statement also said that children should be involved in these decisions.

In Nov. 2018, the Massachusetts Medical Societys Committee on LGBTQ Matters submitted a report to MMS, recommending hospitals create teams designed to assess the needs of intersex babies and proposing that MMS advocate for a delay of surgery.

Parents who have just welcomed a newborn can find themselves overwhelmed with a multidisciplinary team made up of pediatric urologists, endocrinologists and pediatric gynecologists and social workers.

A Boston-area mother, who asked not to be named to protect the identity of her child, has a daughter with an intersex condition who was treated at a different Boston hospital three years ago. Within a couple days of their daughters birth, she and her husband met with a team of 15 people.

[It] is very overwhelming, and everyone is telling you different things: She doesnt have a uterus, there are testes," she remembered. "They started talking about her vagina hole size and talking about intercourse for her one day. It was hard to talk about my daughters sexual health when she was just born.

She and her husband felt some pressure to have their daughters gonads removed. They connected with an intersex support group in search of advice.

We heard adults telling us that they felt violated, that they had to have multiple surgeries. We were shocked at the horror stories we heard, she said.

When she called their daughters pediatric urologist with their decision not to have their daughters testes removed, she said he was visibly unhappy with their decision. He abruptly ended the meeting.

In the beginning when we made the decision, we were still skeptical. Like, is this real? We were nervous that we only talked with people who were unhappy and rightfully so. But the more we talk about it, the more we feel really strongly against surgeries, she said.

Their daughter could develop secondary male characteristics once she hits puberty, but this is a possibility her parents have accepted. They believe their daughter should decide what she wants to do with her body when shes older.

Dina Matos, executive director of the CARES Foundation, an organization based in New Jersey that offers support for people with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia the most common DSD said the organization is not for or against genital reconstructive surgery and that their role is to educate parents and patients.

We always encourage people to get more than one opinion. The one thing we highlight most importantly, is if they decide that surgery is indicated with their child, that they seek out an expert," Matos said. "It really takes the surgeon with significant experience, and we really only refer to three or four surgeons in the country right now.

Meredith Nierman/WGBH News

For some, surgery is never an option. Tatenda Ngwaru, an intersex activist from Zimbabwe, recently moved to the suburbs of Boston.

Some people tried to burn down my father's house and kill all of us. And this was done just because of me, because I have a big mouth, Ngwaru said.

When Ngwaru was born, doctors mistook her enlarged clitoris for a penis. She was raised as a boy for the first 10 years of her life, until doctors discovered she had ovaries. It was what she calls an aha moment she never felt like a boy. But in her small town, going from son to daughter was out of the question.

It had always been treated as an abomination, as bad. Back then they used to say we're the ones who will give bad luck to the community, Ngwaru said.

Her parents, stunned by this news, didnt want her to be bullied, so they urged her to continue wearing a boys uniform throughout high school. It was agonizing.

I remember sleeping at night sometimes and thinking, Couldn't morning just come so that we can get it over with? Or maybe morning shouldn't come at all, because I didn't want to deal with daylight and having to be out and pretending and hiding something. There's nothing as painful as an untold story that you have to hide inside, she said.

Ngwaru waited until she was at college in a different part of Zimbabwe to live as a woman and started Zimbabwes first intersex advocacy organization. But trouble soon followed. She was attacked, her office was raided and her family was threatened.

So she fled for the U.S., seeking asylum from gender persecution. And she thought things would be different here.

I thought, they are promoting transgender lives on their TV shows. Clearly, they must know about intersex. I had a rude awakening. Nobody seemed to know what intersex is. And in America what was most shocking for me are the surgeries that had been done on infants, she said.

Zieselman said she wants attitudes to shift in the way they recently have for transgender people.

With transgender children, what the standard of practice has become is to do reversible procedures first and provide a lot of psycho-social support to the child and family, so no irreversible decisions are made too quickly until the child is really sure about what they want," she said. "Why arent we using the same standard of practice for intersex children?

Massachusetts voters may someday see a push for legislation banning medically unnecessary surgeries on infants. Zieselman said she is in discussion with state lawmakers about proposing a bill "to protect intersex children."

All humans have bodily differences, and if theres nothing making them sick or interfering with their health, then theres no reason to modify them," she said. "Intersex people can grow up without surgery and be happy and healthy.

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Kimberly Zieselman's name.

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Medically Necessary Or 'Cruel'? Inside The Battle Over Surgery On Intersex Babies - wgbh.org

(MENAFN - Arab Times) Gynecomastia is a problem that occurs in some men in whichbreast tissue develops. It is often caused by some type of disruption to theendocrine system. This is the system of the body which consists of glands thatsecrete various hormones, so any thing that upsets the homeostatic balance ofparticular sex hormones can result in gynecomastia.

There are some cases where a man may not have extra breasttissue because of hormonal problems but rather from having too much fat thataccumulates behind the areolae of the chest. This condition is sometimesdistinguished from gynecomastia and is called lipomastia or adipomastia.

Interestingly gynecomastia is not uncommon in newborn maleinfants and is found in from 60 to 90% of newborn baby boys, but thecondition usually goes away on its own. It can occur in about 1/3 of menbetween 25 and 45 and it becomes more prevalent with age.

How steroids causehormonal problems

One of the major factors associated with the development ofgynecomastia in men is the use of anabolic steroids, causing as many as 25% of allcases in men. Steroid abuse has long been a problem in the sports world,and the concern is that there are unpleasant side effects with these drugs.

The steroids often alter the balance of estrogen andandrogen hormones in people. A man usually has a lot of the androgen hormoneslike testosterone and very little estrogen, but the steroids affect theconcentrations. This hormonal imbalance is believed to be the main causativefactor of gynecomastia in men.

Not all of the steroid drugs necessarily cause breastdevelopment, but those that do often do so because they can cause a change inhormone levels. The synthetic steroid mimics the effect of naturally producedtestosterone. Testosterone is the hormone most associated with muscledevelopment in boys at puberty, and it can lead to increased muscle mass asboys mature during adolescence. Unfortunately the body tends to convert theartificial testosterone found in anabolic steroids into estrogen after a whilewhich then leads to breast tissue development.

What can be doneabout gynecomastia ?

The most permanent solution to the problem of gynecomastiais to have breast reduction surgery as is done at such places as theVera Clinicin Turkey. A surgeon canremove the excess breast tissue from the chest area to create a more masculineappearance. A man does have to be healthy enough to undergo surgery though, sothis is something to keep in mind and why consulting with a physician is a goodfirst step in looking for treatment options.

For some men, the breast cancer drug Tamoxifen has provedhelpful in treating their gynecomastia condition. If a man has breast tissuebecause of being overweight, the first step should be to try to lose weight bystarting an exercise program and following a healthy diet. In the end this canonly benefit you even if you later decide on breast reduction surgery.

MENAFN3010201900960000ID1099198024

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The link between anabolic steroids and gynecomastia in men - MENAFN.COM

Early detection is the best defense to managing breast health.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and a good reminder to schedule your mammogram, perform a self-check in the shower or ask your doctor about your risk factors.

Its important for every woman to know what shes up against regarding breast cancer, says Jessica Bensenhaver, M.D., director of the breast cancer program at Henry Ford Cancer Institute, but the most important things you can do are to be a self-advocate and attend your annual screening.

Breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in women in the United States. Overall, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. However, risk increases with age. According to Dr. Bensenhaver, at age 30, 1 in 217 women are likely to get breast cancer. At age 40, the figure is 1 in 67.

Since breast cancer is treatable at any age when discovered early, routine screenings should be an important part of every womans health plan.

Although most women with breast cancer have no family history of the disease, those with an immediate family member on either parents side should notify their doctor.

Age and family history are among the risk factors women cant control. Others include:

BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations that mean an eight out of 10 chance of getting breast cancer at some point in your life

Race/ethnicity. According to Dr. Bensenhaver, Caucasian women are traditionally more likely to get breast cancer than African Americans. However, if youre younger than 45, African American women are at a higher risk

Breast density. In addition to increasing your risk of breast cancer, having dense breast tissue can make diagnosis of a lump or tumor through standard mammography more challenging. In Michigan, women must legally be notified if their breasts are dense. Sometimes it is recommended that women with dense breasts undergo additional screening methods, like ultrasound or screening tomosynthesis, also known as 3D mammograms

In addition to scheduling regular screenings, women should be familiar with their breasts and see a doctor immediately if they feel a lump, experience persistent pain or observe changes in skin color or texture.

Since worrying about breast cancer can weigh heavily on the mind, the Henry Ford Cancer Institute encourages women to be proactive about their breast health. Dr. Bensenhaver said to lower your overall risk of breast cancer:

Numerous studies have shown that obesity can increase your risk for many types of cancer, including breast cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, postmenopausal women who are obese have a 20 to 40% increased risk of developing breast cancer.

Consuming one alcoholic drink per day increases your chances of getting breast cancer by at least 5 percent, according to the American Cancer Institute for Cancer Research. Two to three drinks per day raises your risk by 20%.

Although no one knows why, studies show that women who breastfeed have a lower risk of breast cancer. Even just a couple of months of breastfeeding can lower your risk.

In 2002, researchers discovered a connection between Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and increased breast cancer risk. Although HRT can ease postmenopausal symptoms, talk to your doctor about the possible risks and avoid it if possible.

To take the private, at-home assessment, simply visit HenryFord.com/BreastCancerRisk to answer questions about your current health status and fitness levels as well as your family history. The assessment will generate a personalized report that you can download and share with your doctor.

Talking to your doctor is a critical part of the process. Your physician can answer your questions and help you navigate through massive amounts of information available about breast cancer health online. As you try to determine how to reduce your controllable risks, your doctor can cut through all the what ifs to provide compassionate care and straightforward information.

Despite their best efforts, the fact is that some women will face a breast cancer diagnosis. The Henry Ford Cancer Institute has one of the nations leading breast cancer programs, featuring specially trained breast radiologists who read all mammograms and imaging results.

Henry Ford also has the most advanced technologies available to detect and diagnose breast cancer and offers mammography locations throughout southeast and south central Michigan, with day, evening and weekend hours available. Visit HenryFord.com/Mammography for locations and to schedule your mammogram.

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Don't wait: Schedule your breast cancer screening at Henry Ford Cancer Institute - Dearborn Press and Guide

LOS ANGELES, Oct 23 (Reuters) - One toke for the road could end up being a total bummer for drivers who smoke pot, with several companies in the United States preparing to market cannabis breathalyzers as legalized marijuana spreads across the country.

Law enforcement agencies will require breathalyzers to detect marijuana as they are "faced with the necessity of stopping more and more motor vehicles being operated under the influence of THC," said Brett Meade, a retired police chief and a senior program manager for Washington-based non-profit group the Police Foundation.

Nearly a dozen U.S. states allow recreational marijuana consumption and 33 states permit pot for medical use. But all states prohibit driving under the influence of marijuana.

Oakland, California-based Hound Labs is one of the companies developing a breathalyzer to detect THC - the component in marijuana that gets people high - and plans to market it in 2020.

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Legal recreational marijuana sold in California

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Customers buy recreational marijuana at the MedMen store in West Hollywood, California U.S. January 2, 2018. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Marijuana is displayed for sale at the MedMen store in West Hollywood, California U.S. January 2, 2018. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

A customer browses marijuana products for sale at the MedMen store in West Hollywood, California U.S. January 2, 2018. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Customers queue for recreational marijuana outside the MedMen store in West Hollywood, California U.S. January 2, 2018. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

A customer browses screens displaying recreational marijuana products for sale at the MedMen store in West Hollywood, California U.S. January 2, 2018. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

A woman holds marijuana for sale at the MedMen store in West Hollywood, California U.S. January 2, 2018. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Marijuana edibles are displayed for sale at the MedMen store in West Hollywood, California U.S. January 2, 2018. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Eron Silverstein, 51, (R) shops for marijuana at the MedMen store in West Hollywood, California U.S. January 2, 2018. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Marijuana products are displayed for sale at the MedMen store in West Hollywood, California U.S. January 2, 2018. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Customers purchase marijuana at Harborside, one of California's largest and oldest dispensary dispensaries of medical marijuana, on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana sales in Oakland, California, U.S., January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

People wait in line at Harborside, one of California's largest and oldest dispensaries of medical marijuana, on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana sales in Oakland, California, U.S., January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

A customer waits at the counter to purchase marijuana as others wait in line at Harborside, one of California's largest and oldest dispensaries of medical marijuana, on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana in Oakland, California, U.S., January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

Andrew DeAngelo (L) and his brother Steve DeAngelo (R), co-founders of Harborside, one of California's largest and oldest dispensaries of medical marijuana, celebrate after a ceremonial ribbon cutting on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana in Oakland, California, U.S., January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

An employee hugs a customer as others wait in line at Harborside, one of California's largest and oldest dispensaries of medical marijuana, on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana in Oakland, California, U.S., January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

An employee finds marijuana for a customer at Harborside, one of California's largest and oldest dispensaries of medical marijuana, on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana in Oakland, California, U.S., January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

Employees wait behind the counter at Harborside, one of California's largest and oldest dispensaries of medical marijuana, as a large clock counts down to the store's official opening at 6am on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana in Oakland, California, U.S. January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

Different strains of marijuana are seen for sale at Harborside, one of California's largest and oldest dispensaries of medical marijuana, on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana in Oakland, California, U.S., January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

A couple poses behind a cardboard Instagram frame while waiting in line at Harborside, one of California's largest and oldest dispensaries of medical marijuana, on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana in Oakland, California, U.S., January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

Employees prepare to open at Harborside, one of California's largest and oldest dispensaries of medical marijuana, on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana in Oakland, California, U.S., January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

Steve DeAngelo (C) makes the first legal recreational marijuana sale to Henry Wykowski at Harborside, one of California's largest and oldest dispensaries of medical marijuana, on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana sales in Oakland, California, U.S. January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

Michael Sherman purchases marijuana at Harborside, one of California's largest and oldest dispensaries of medical marijuana, on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana sales in Oakland, California, U.S., January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

A customer peers at different marijuana strains in a glass case at Harborside, one of California's largest and oldest dispensaries of medical marijuana, on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana in Oakland, California, U.S., January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

Marijuana is seen for sale at Harborside, one of California's largest and oldest dispensaries of medical marijuana, on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana sales in Oakland, California, U.S., January 1, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

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Construction companies could be a big part of its market, said Hound Labs Chief Executive Officer Mike Lynn.

"Nobody wants a crane operator 50 stories up to be smoking a joint," he told Reuters.

Lynn, a physician, said pregnancy tests, which can detect minute quantities of hormone, inspired him to tackle the challenge of measuring THC on users' breath.

Separately, Cannabix Technologies Inc based in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby is testing a pair of devices at different price points.

Its THC Breath Analyzer could be cheap enough at a few hundred dollars per unit to potentially allow parents interested in testing their teenager before turning over the keys to the family car, said Cannabix CEO Rav Mlait.

The U.S. court system would need to consider how to treat evidence from THC breathalyzers.

Assuming a motorist who tested positive with a THC breathalyzer was impaired behind the wheel could be "problematic," said Stanford University law professor Robert MacCoun.

Unlike with alcohol, scientific research has not yet established firm correlations between the amount of marijuana people consume and how impaired they become, MacCoun said in an email.

Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, expressed similar concerns.

But he welcomed breathalyzers as an improvement over existing tests used by police and employers, such as urine analysis that is unable to determine whether marijuana was used recently with the potential for impairment, or days or weeks in the past. Breathalyzers are likely to only detect a user who consumed cannabis within the last few hours.

"A test like that would frankly make sense," Armentano said. "Just like we wouldn't allow employees to have a couple drinks and show up to work." (Additional reporting by Jane Ross in Newark, California; editing by Bill Tarrant and Bill Berkrot)

More from Aol.com: Body of missing Alabama girl found; 2 charged with murder Video allegedly shows police officer roughing up 11-year-old girl NM woman playing 'Pokmon Go' with boyfriend shot dead

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That last toke for the road could be a downer with pot breathalyzers coming - AOL

Conley recently created a GoFundMe page to help cover his future medical bills. Despite this, he said he feels uncomfortable putting his personal life on public display, especially since he hasn't yet come out to his grandmother.

But accessing affordable, supportive health care, he said, has been a challenge. He has rescheduled the surgery twice due to insurance confusion and financial stress.

Because of N.C. State Health Plan's policy, the $9,000 estimated cost of the surgery, and potentially all future trans-related health care, will fall on Conley. He said he has saved his own money, but it will not be enough without crowdsourcing.

He also said it has been difficult to find trans-positive health care providers and surgeons.

This is just one example of how transgender people are left out of the discourse, Ezra Wright, a member of UNCs Sexuality and Gender Alliance said.

There is minimal representation and few doctors that perform gender affirmation surgery, they said.

Anne Stephens, a clinical medicine physician at Campus Health, said she understands that LGBTQ+ healthcare should not have a singular approach.

There is a range of ways individuals may choose to transition and express their gender, she said. Changes may be social factors like name and clothing style, or more medical-based changes with male or female hormone medication. The medical side of student transitions is what she and her colleagues aim to help with.

Conley said that pursuing gender confirmation surgery is the right choice for him. However, medical transitions mark a small piece of the deeper LGBTQ+ identity.

The idea that as a transgender person you need to be transitioning is not true, Wright said. It has nothing to do with validity.

They said that the story of gender does not end with surgery that surgery is not the core of the transgender experience.

Its like gender, Wright said. Transitioning is treated as binary its not.

The transgender and LGBTQ+ experience, Conley said, is somewhat shaped by cultural exceptions and the media. He said that it is extremely important that support for the transgender community be genuine.

There are a lot of people at this University that I have found to be my best supporters, he said. But Im not sure that this University as a whole is cognizant of the struggles that trans people face."

Conley said that there is a prevalence of token queer people or token people of color in the media and University public relations.

In terms of University treatment of trans individuals, he said, a motto that they should go by is 'representation, not exploitation.'

He said acknowledging the successes, not just the dangers and violence, in the LGBTQ+ community is a necessary shift in mindset. He said the resilience of the transgender community is shown through the presence of transgender people in academia, healthcare, the arts and other industries.

Why should someone have to die in order for people to care? he said. The ultimate act of resistance is still being alive.

Conley said he is still discovering his own identity and his advocacy work.

I don't want my narrative to be pigeonholed into being a single-story narrative," he said. There is not a before or an after to my transition, as I am learning.

Conley is often afraid that his identity defines him and his body.

Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I still see a stranger," he said. "I will always be living in a state of transition."

Conleys view of top surgery is not cosmetic.

It's one step closer to becoming someone I recognize to be myself, he said. And quite honestly, it will be a life-saving procedure like any other surgery someone may have.

@alliemkelly

university@dailytarheel.com

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When N.C. healthcare wouldn't cover his top surgery, Owen Conley turned to GoFundMe - The Daily Tar Heel

Texas government officials are parroting right-wing media misinformation about trans youth, including during an appearance on Fox News, as the state is attempting to launch a child abuse investigation into a custody battle over a transgender child whose parents disagree about affirming her gender identity. Anti-trans figures have consistently portrayed the affirmation of trans youth as child abuse.

Right-wing media outlets have dubiously framed the custody battle as a debate over medical intervention -- despite the fact that the child would not be undergoing any such procedures in the near future. They have also pushed misinformation about medical interventions that are widely supported by medical professionals, inaccurately calling them chemical castration -- a false claim which has also been repeated by the Texas attorney general office.

The custody battle is between Anne Georgulas and Jeffrey Younger, two divorced Texas parents of a trans child who goes by Luna and uses female pronouns. Three mental health professionals have diagnosed Luna with gender dysphoria, and Georgulas has accepted her as trans. However, Younger has rejected Lunas gender identity, insisting she is not trans and referring to her by her former name (commonly referred to as a deadname). According to court documents, Younger has engaged in increasingly aggressive behavior, including physical force, toward Georgulas and emotionally abusive behavior toward the child. He has also launched an online campaign, fundraiser, and petition all using the name Luna formerly used.

On October 24, a judge ruled that the parents would share joint custody of Luna despite a jury ruling that Georgulas should have sole custody earlier this week. The judges decision came after major outcry from right-wing media figures and Texas elected officials, including Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).

Right-wing media led an extensive misinformation campaign about the custody battle, which Texas government officials relied on to justify launching an investigation.

Abbott announced on October 23 that the Texas Office of the Attorney General and Department of Family and Protective Services are looking into the custody case. Government officials in the state usedthat misinformation to justifythe potential investigation. Following the announcement, Texas Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Mateer sent a letter and issued a press release requesting that the state Department of Family and Protective Services conduct a thorough investigation into possible child abuse to protect the boy in question [from] permanent and potentially irreversible harm by his mother.

Mateer is an allied attorney with the extreme anti-LGBTQ group Alliance Defending Freedom; at least four other ADF allied attorneys worked in the Texas attorney generals office in 2018. In 2017, Mateers federal judicial nomination was withdrawn after some of his extreme anti-LGBTQ comments were uncovered. Notably, Mateer claimed that the existence of trans youth proves that Satans plan is working, and he advocated for the harmful and debunked practice of conversion therapy.

On October 24, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick went on Fox News The Ingraham Angle, a friendly show for anti-LGBTQ viewpoints, and claimed that at seven, you can't make that decision that will change their life forever -- that you cannot come back, particularly if you go through the full treatment into their teen years. During the segment, Ingraham also called gender-affirming carechild abuse. In another segment from Foxs The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino on October 25, Patrick suggested the legislature would explore the issue in its next session.

The language in Mateers comments and Patricks interviews comes directly from right-wing media, which have taken the custody battle and falsely reframed it to be about supposedly irreversible medical procedures. In fact, therapists have not recommended any medical interventions for Luna, but rather would allow her to dress and otherwise identify as a girl. The Washington Post has noted:

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Right-wing media built the Texas government investigation into custody battle over trans child - Media Matters for America

Pain in cancer may come from compressing or infiltrating nearby body parts, from treatments and diagnostic procedures or from skin, nerve, and the other changes caused by a hormone imbalance or immune response.

The report, states that opioids will continue to dominate as a breakthrough cancer pain treatment, mostly due to available generics and physician familiarity.

Access Report Details at: https://www.themarketreports.com/report/global-cancer-pain-market-research-report

The global Cancer Pain market is valued at xx million US$ in 2018 is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025.

This report focuses on Cancer Pain volume and value at global level, regional level and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents overall Cancer Pain market size by analyzing historical data and future prospect. Regionally, this report focuses on several key regions: North America, Europe, China and Japan.

Key companies profiled in Cancer Pain Market report are Biodelivery Science, Prostrakan Group, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Eli-Lilly, Grunenthal Group, Gw Pharmaceuticals, JohnsonJohnson, Meda Pharmaceuticals, Orexo, Sanofi, Wex Pharmaceuticalsand more in term of company basic information, Product Introduction, Application, Specification, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2014-2019), etc.

Purchase this Premium Report at: https://www.themarketreports.com/report/buy-now/1417222

Table of Content

1 Cancer Pain Market Overview

2 Global Cancer Pain Market Competition by Manufacturers

3 Global Cancer Pain Production Market Share by Regions

4 Global Cancer Pain Consumption by Regions

5 Global Cancer PainProduction, Revenue, Price Trend by Type

6 Global Cancer Pain Market Analysis by Applications

7 Company Profiles and Key Figures in Cancer Pain Business

8 Cancer Pain Manufacturing Cost Analysis

9 Marketing Channel, Distributors and Customers

10 Market Dynamics

11 Global Cancer Pain Market Forecast

12 Research Findings and Conclusion

13 Methodology and Data Source

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Global Cancer Pain Market Report to Share Key Aspects of the Industry with the details of Influence Factors - Market Research Reporting

My daughter teaches at a school where a major theme for the students this year is doing acts of kindness.

This prompted me to wonder about the health ramifications of being kind. Its not unusual for some of my older patients to feel withdrawn, and I speculate that if they could engage in sustainable acts of kindness (such as volunteering), maybe their mental health and physical health would improve.

When we hold an elevator door open for someone, hand a dollar to a homeless person or let someone go ahead of us in a line, we notice that we tend to feel good. Aside from the benefit to the recipient when were kind, might there be health benefits to the giver, as well?

In order to answer this question, first we have to look at what happens in the brain when a good deed is performed.

An act of kindness results in the release of several brain chemicals: oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin and endorphins.

Oxytocin is known as the love hormone. It plays a role in social bonding and helps mothers when giving birth and breastfeeding. It also causes the release of nitric oxide in the body, which dilates blood vessels. This results in lowering blood pressure, which, in turn, leads to lower risk of heart attack and stroke.

Dopamine is the neuro-transmitter that is most credited with causing the helpers high. It has a major role in the brains pleasure and reward system.

Serotonin is the neuro-transmitter that regulates mood and happiness. Most prescription anti-depressants work by increasing serotonin levels in the brain.

Endorphins, another kind of neuro-transmitter, interact with opiate receptors to reduce the perception of pain and can lead to feelings of euphoria. Prolonged exercise and consuming chocolate are familiar ways of increasing endorphins.

Performing acts of kindness regularly provides other health benefits. It reduces cortisol, the stress hormone, thereby lowering anxiety.

In a study of 3,000 patients aged 57 to 85, volunteering was the activity most strongly linked to lowering inflammation in the body as measured by C-reactive protein (CRP), a substance made in the liver. High CRP can increase the risk of stroke, heart attack and mortality. In particular, active volunteers aged 70 to 85 had lower CRP levels than those aged 58 to 69 who were not active as volunteers. If thats not enough, there have been several studies that show volunteering leads to longer lifespan.

A study from Pennsylvania State University published in November 2015 in the American Journal of Public Health studied 753 kindergartners to determine the link between social competence and future wellness. Each child was scored on a scale that included items like cooperates with peers without prompting and is helpful to others.

Follow-up was done when these students were approximately 25 years old. The children who scored the highest in social competency in kindergarten predictably had significantly higher college graduation rates and stable employment, and fewer crime, binge-drinking and mental-health problems as adults. By fostering kind behavior in children, we are giving them a greater chance for success later in life.

So how much kindness do you need to do to acquire long-lasting emotional and health benefits?

A lot.

A single act of kindness results in maybe a two-minute high, so to obtain real benefits, performing acts of kindness needs to be repetitive or sustained like by volunteering. Performing a single act of kindness would be like saying you did your exercise quota for the entire day by walking half a block.

An example: After a colleague of mine lost his wife, I was surprised to see him back at work the next day. Being a physician afforded him many opportunities to demonstrate kindness, a natural way for him to cope with his despair. I imagine social-service professionals and those who work as caregivers, educators and clergy have similar chances.

There are many acts of kindness that can become habits. These may include things like tutoring, making charitable donations, expressing gratitude to others, or reading to children or grandchildren.

Caring about one another can lead us to act compassionately. And when acts of kindness become a ritual, the positive effect on our own health can become a surprising side benefit. What will be your next act of kindness?

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Acts of kindness are good for your health - The Jewish News of Northern California

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - One toke for the road could end up being a total bummer for drivers who smoke pot, with several companies in the United States preparing to market cannabis breathalyzers as legalized marijuana spreads across the country.

Law enforcement agencies will require breathalyzers to detect marijuana as they are faced with the necessity of stopping more and more motor vehicles being operated under the influence of THC, said Brett Meade, a retired police chief and a senior program manager for Washington-based non-profit group the Police Foundation.

Nearly a dozen U.S. states allow recreational marijuana consumption and 33 states permit pot for medical use. But all states prohibit driving under the influence of marijuana.

Oakland, California-based Hound Labs is one of the companies developing a breathalyzer to detect THC - the component in marijuana that gets people high - and plans to market it in 2020.

Construction companies could be a big part of its market, said Hound Labs Chief Executive Officer Mike Lynn.

Nobody wants a crane operator 50 stories up to be smoking a joint, he told Reuters.

Lynn, a physician, said pregnancy tests, which can detect minute quantities of hormone, inspired him to tackle the challenge of measuring THC on users breath.

Separately, Cannabix Technologies Inc based in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby is testing a pair of devices at different price points.

Its THC Breath Analyzer could be cheap enough at a few hundred dollars per unit to potentially allow parents interested in testing their teenager before turning over the keys to the family car, said Cannabix CEO Rav Mlait.

The U.S. court system would need to consider how to treat evidence from THC breathalyzers.

Assuming a motorist who tested positive with a THC breathalyzer was impaired behind the wheel could be problematic, said Stanford University law professor Robert MacCoun.

Unlike with alcohol, scientific research has not yet established firm correlations between the amount of marijuana people consume and how impaired they become, MacCoun said in an email.

Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, expressed similar concerns.

But he welcomed breathalyzers as an improvement over existing tests used by police and employers, such as urine analysis that is unable to determine whether marijuana was used recently with the potential for impairment, or days or weeks in the past. Breathalyzers are likely to only detect a user who consumed cannabis within the last few hours.

A test like that would frankly make sense, Armentano said. Just like we wouldnt allow employees to have a couple drinks and show up to work.

Additional reporting by Jane Ross in Newark, California; editing by Bill Tarrant and Bill Berkrot

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That last toke for the road could be a downer with pot breathalyzers coming - Reuters

Jerusalem Linda Gradstein has a strong family history of breast cancer. Her mother survived breast cancer in her 60s but died a decade later from leukemia. Her maternal grandmother died of the disease in her 50s and her fathers father died of it in his 60s.

So when Gradsteins physician suggested she get tested for the BRCA1 & 2 mutations that greatly raise the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers especially in Ashkenazi women, the 57-year-old Jerusalem resident readily agreed.

When the test came back negative I felt quite relieved, as if I didnt have to deal with this now, Gradstein, a journalist, told The Jewish Week.

Even so, Gradstein is aware that she may harbor another type of breast cancer-inducing gene mutation.

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Its scary because I feel I have no control over it. I try not to think about it too much, she acknowledged.

Hoping to lower her risk, Gradstein eats healthily and exercises regularly, especially because being overweight is a risk factor for breast cancer. She also continues to get mammograms, may retest for the BRCA1 & 2 mutations (the test has improved over time), and is considering undergoing testing for other gene mutations.

Gradstein is one of the many women who have tested negative for the BRCA1 & 2 mutations but are still considered to be at higher than average risk of developing breast cancer.

About her family history of breast cancer, Linda Gradstein says, Its scary because I have no control over it. Courtesy of Linda Gradstein

Just 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are thought to be hereditary, caused by mutated genes inherited from a parent. But these low odds are of little comfort to families where multiple relatives have been diagnosed, especially prior to the onset of menopause.

BRCA1 and 2 mutations account for an estimated 20 to 25 percent of hereditary breast cancers and about 5 to 10 percent of all breast cancers.

Li-Fraumeni and Cowden syndromes raise the risk of developing several types of cancer, including breast cancer. Additionally, more than 150 other genetic mutations have been associated with a slightly higher breast cancer risk, according to a report by the American Cancer Society.

A mutated gene can be inherited from a persons father or mother.

Physicians advise high-risk BRCA-negative women to undergo frequent breast exams that combine a physical exam by a breast specialist with mammograms and/or ultrasounds. Some also advise an MRI, in between mammograms.

Otherwise, you have almost a year with no imaging, said Dr. Tal Hadar, a breast surgeon at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, who advises many of her patients at risk for hereditary breast cancer to alternate mammograms with MRIs every six months, along with a clinical exam.

A trained breast specialist may be able to detect breast lumps and spot irregular discharge from the nipples that imaging technology can miss.

Professor Tamar Peretz, who heads Hadassahs Sharett Institute of Oncology, Center for Malignant Breast Diseases, emphasized that not every woman who has a mutated gene will develop breast cancer.

We cannot say or define exactly why one woman with a mutated gene develops cancer and her sister with the same genomic profile does not. This is part of our research, Peretz said.

Hadassahs Professor Tamar Peretz says a healthy lifestyle can reduce the likelihood of developing breast cancer. Hadassahinternational.org

But there is data suggesting that a healthy lifestyle can reduce the likelihood of developing breast cancer.

Factors such as hormone exposure, environmental exposures, diet, exercise and other genes can affect cancer risk, both in people with inherited genetic mutations that increase cancer risk and people who do not have a mutation.

Based on a womans estimated risk and her personal preferences, her physician may recommend comprehensive panel testing (testing for a number of gene mutations) to determine whether she has a non-BRCA mutation that could raise her breast cancer risk.

Although limited testing for just a handful of so-called Ashkenazi mutations, including BRCA1 & 2, was once the norm, some cancer specialists now advise their patients to opt for full sequence testing, with searches for those mutations plus many others.

We know if a woman is Ashkenazi and tested [negative] only for the mutations most common in Ashkenazi Jews, there is still a 4-to-5 percent probability she is carrying another mutation in the BRCA gene, Peretz said. And among the BRCA-negatives, there are several gene mutations in other genes that have already been identified.

Before opting for genetic testing a woman should sit with a genetic counselor not only to gauge her risk based on everything from family history to whether she breastfed her children, but to discuss the implications of discovering a non-BRCA mutation.

While the risks of having certain mutations (such as PALB2, CHEK2, ATM, BARD1, PTEN, TP53, NF1, CDH1, NBN, and STK11) are well-established, there are many other mutations whose level of risk is not currently known.

There are instances when the tests come back with variants of uncertain significance, which means that there is a mutation but its potential impact on health is unknown at this time, said Dr. Ephrat Levy-Lahad, the director of the Medical Genetics Institute at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.

While scientists may one day learn more about the mutations implications, right now geneticists cannot say how much risk the mutation carries. Not everyone is comfortable living with that uncertainty.

When a mutations implications are known, knowing you are carrying that variation may lead to more positive outcomes, according to Hadar.

Speaking at a medical gathering, Hadar noted that patients at Shaare Zedeks Noga clinic for women who are BRCA1 & 2 positive are usually diagnosed earlier [than patients who are not BRCA-positive] because they are aware of the danger and have a better prognosis. They have more frequent screenings and may decide to have a preventative double mastectomy to prevent cancer from developing.

Being BRCA1 & 2 negative has only boosted Gradsteins desire to learn as much as possible about her cancer risk.

I feel like if we have the opportunity to have more information, why wouldnt we want to have it, in the hopes of early detection? she said.

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BRCA-negative Women Explore Their Options - Jewish Week

For years, speed skater Katherine Adamek struggled with chronic professional self-doubt, despite having won two Olympic medals. The anxiety and insecurity were bleeding over from the ice into her personal life. A hip injury forced her into retirement in 2013.

After three years, though, Adamek was craving a comeback, but I wanted to do things differently this time, she says, building my confidence and learning how to be present for my teammates, how to enjoy my successes and learn from my mistakes instead ruminating and judging myself for them. She reached out to an Olympic sports psychologist with whom shed previously trained, who agreed to help, with one caveat: Adamek needed to start using a meditation app.

Between grueling workouts, Adamek interspersed three-minute guided meditations, building to 10- and 20-minute sessions. Within a few weeks, negative emotions passed more easily. I noticed changes in my relationships with my family, friends and teammates. I could enter a strength training session feeling confident, even if my last workout wasnt great. Adamek set a new American record at her first World Cup Circuit back from retirement in 2016.

Related: The Best Free Meditation Appsand One You Should Pay For

In the early 90s, when Phil Jackson (Nickname: The Zen Master) introduced mindfulness to the Chicago Bulls, the concept of athletes using meditation to tune into their bodies and minds and live in the moment was novel. But as meditation has moved mainstream among the American publicmore than tripling from 2012 to 2017, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventionmore and more athletes have embraced the technique.

Kobe Bryant, who learned to meditate when Jackson began coaching the Los Angeles Lakers, has said 15 minutes of daily morning meditation act like an anchor for his day, leaving him calm, set and ready for whatever may come my way. Pete Carroll, head coach of the Seattle Seahawks and an ardent believer in mindfulness, hired a sport psychologist to teach meditation, deep breathing and visualization to his athletes as a means of calming their minds during stressful plays and helping them enter the zonethe mental state of peak performance where an athlete can seemingly do no wrong. And Nike has partnered with the Headspace meditation app, offering subscribers features like mindful guided runs as part of a holistic athlete experience.

Orthopedic surgeon Mark Schickendantz, MD, director of Cleveland Clinic Sports Health and head team physician of the Cleveland Indians Major League Baseball team (yes, they employ a mindfulness coach), says meditation doesnt make players run faster or hit the ball with more force. It allows athletes to grow more grounded and centered, he explains and that mental stillness translates into them being able to tune out noise from the crowd, or not let a strike out wreck their performance for the rest of the game.

Schickendantz says it can do the same for everyday folks watching from the bleachers. Think about the stressors that come into our lives and catch us off guard; we tend to react mindlessly, yelling at the person who cut us off in traffic, for example. With practice, meditation and other mindfulness techniques help you respond to stress in a calmer, more present manner.

Practice gratitude. It can reduce depression and anxiety, lower your risk of disease and flood the brain with feel-good chemicals like serotonin. Work gratitude into your daily routine by reaching out to say thanks to someone who means a lot to you.

You dont need a candlelit yoga studio or an NBA locker room; just find a quiet, comfortable place where you can sit upright and be comfortable. Choose something to focus on; your breath, a mantra, an object. Feel your feet on the floor, connecting to the earth, and take three deep cleansing breaths, inhaling through your nose and out through your mouth, Schickendantz says.

Outside thoughts, like your looming To Do list, are bound to arise. Not only is that perfectly OK its the point of meditating. Mind-wandering isnt bad, he assures. Dont judge it. Just recognize it, label itWhoops, my mind is wandering and bring yourself back to the meditation. This continual re-centering is what builds mindfulness muscles, helping you better filter out stress and distractions and respond to life in a calmer, less-judgmental manner.

Creating a formal daily practice can maximize your benefits, but Journal of Clinical Psychology research found that meditating for five minutes a day, five days a week was enough to slash stress, elevate happiness and enhance the sense of connection subjects felt with others. Try grabbing it throughout the day, encourages Schickendantz, who practices while stuck in traffic. Do it while standing in line at the coffee shopinstead of automatically grabbling your phone [and mindlessly scrolling,] just stand there and be with yourself. (These are sometimes called micro-meditations.)

Related:The Four Sacred SecretsAuthors Share Their Favorite 6-Step Meditation for Beginners

Thanks to modern-day addictions like smartphones and social media, along with the tendency to over-analyze our words and actions, many of us neglect to tune into our thoughts and emotions, causing us to miss out on everyday moments, big or small, and disconnecting us from our bodies, says ChristianSlomka, Community Manager for the Calm meditation app. For athletes, losing focus can mean the difference between a huge win or loss; for you, the stakes range from sad (your little one feels ignored when you appear to choose your tablet over her) to sick (constant rumination triggers the bodys stress response, which is linked with an exhaustive laundry list of illnesses) to devastating (a texting-while-driving car accident).

Schickendantz says relief comes by treating pain just like an unwelcome thought: You identify it, label itTheres that pain againand let it go, accepting it as something that just happens to be a part of your life right now. Its not easy, he acknowledges but it can work. In a recent study by the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, meditation and mindful breathing helped patients manage chronic pain, sometimes lessening the need for opioid medication. Other research showed a single 10-minute meditation session could feasibly replace painkillers, boosting pain tolerance and reducing pain-related anxiety.

Whether youre an injured Olympian coping with an injury or a parent attempting to keep cool during a toddler temper tantrum, meditation can help you respond to life in a calm, mindful, less judgmental way. The practice also elicits multiple calm-inducing health effects, such as decreased heart rate and blood pressure, and reduced stress hormone production.

Celebrity interviews, recipes and health tips delivered to yourinbox.

The National Sleep Foundation says people who meditate fall asleep faster, sleep longer and catch higher quality zzzs.

Pre-meditation, Id bring work home with me and it would affect my interactions with my husband, Adamek described. After six weeks of using the Vision Pursue meditation app (cofounded by 10-year NFL veteran Jon McGraw), I brought less stress home with me and could be present, asking him about his dayand really listening. Back on the ice post-retirement, her new mindful skills helped her tune into teammates having bad days, encouraging them to open up. Today, as owner of a coaching company called Fix Your Mindset, Adamek helps athletes and organizations reach their next level via mental toughness skills including, of course, meditation.

Try a mealtime meditation with this easy exercise.

Original post:
5 Benefits of Meditation: Why Athletes Meditate and You Should, Too - Parade

During the week, online newspaper, TheCable published an expose on the rot and other shady deals that take place at police stations.

Although they zeroed in on a particular police station in Lagos, however, what they exposed is what is happing at the various other police stations dotted across the length and breadth of this country.

In the story, captioned: UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION (I): Bribery, bail for sale Lagos police station where innocent civilians are held and criminals are recycled, TheCable wrote in their intro to the piece: Investigative journalist FISAYO SOYOMBO spent two weeks in detention five days in a Police cell and eight as an inmate in Ikoyi Prison to track corruption in Nigerias criminal justice system, beginning from the moment of arrest by the Police to the point of release from prison.

To experience the workings of the system in its raw state, Soyombo adopting the pseudonym Ojo Olajumoke feigned an offence for which he was arrested and detained in police custody; arraigned in court and eventually remanded in Prisonhe uncovers how the Police pervert the course of justice in their quest for ill-gotten money.

TheCable then goes on to give a vivid account of what transpires at the Pedro Police Station and even Ikoyi Prison through the first-hand experience of their undercover reporter.

In one instance, Ojo Olajumoke wrote: The complainant was already registering the case with a policewoman by the time we returned, and soon after they were haggling over the fees. Chigozie Odo, the policewoman, had rejected his offer of N500. After some five minutes of talking, he handed her a N1, 000 note.

Odo stripped me of my shirt, singlet, belt, wristwatch, shoes and cash. Look at his hair; na you gangan be Ruggedy Baba, she said as she unlocked the cell and bundled me in.

This report was only published during the week, but sadly, I can point out that this has been the pattern for decades; because I have also personally experienced it.

In my own case, it was not an attempt to expose the rot through fine investigative reporting, but rather I was a forced participant because a then military governor wanted to deal with my then medium, The Guardian.

I have actually written the story before in a piece I titled How Champions League landed me in Kirikiri Prison, which I wrote to commemorate the 25th year that I and three other colleagues, Bayo Oguntimehin, Taiwo Akerele and Ben Akparanta (now late) were hounded into detention for about 16 days, first at Alausa Police Station and then Motor Traffic Division (MTD), both in Ikeja, Lagos, before ending up in Kirikiri Medium Prisons, just because the then governor Col, Raji Rasaki (rtd) had some bones to pick with the flagship over The Guardians critical position on some of his actions as governor of Lagos.

Our ordeal began on May 29, 1991 when the then governor made his move leading to the closure of The Guardian by the state government.

At both Alausa and MTD, we witnessed first-hand how the police who claim to be our friends interact with those who come to the station to either lodge complaints or are brought in for allegedly committing and offence.

They (police officers) were mostly unfriendly towards such people and more often than not were ready to either bend the law or dish out favours following the receipt of some form of gratification.

For instance, on the first night of our detention after our management had spoken to the officers on duty, we were not immediately shoved into the detention cells with other suspects.

Instead, we were kept outside until about midnight before we were told we had to be put into the cell because it was against the law to allow suspects spend a whole night outside the holding bay.

But of course, before sending us into the cell, they (police) had spoken to the president to ensure that we (journalists) were not given the traditional welcoming which is often a severe beating.

And just like Ojo Olajumoke wrote, I still recall having to remove my belt, watch and other valuables on me and when I jokingly asked what would happen should my trousers not stay up without a belt, I was told if that be the case, then I would have to hold my sokoto because I could not enter the cell with a belt so that I dont use it to commit suicide or as a weapon!

Those in the holding cells were a sorry sight to behold with many of them complaining that they had been thrown in on trumped up charges and would only regain their freedoms as soon as they settled.

Many of them were brought in for wandering, which was then an offence that the police exploited very well in apprehending people.

Although it is often said lightening does not strike twice, however, I have been an exception; and six years after my Kirikiri trip, I was again a forced guest of the police, after I and my two other co-tenants were arrested for armed robbery and gun running.

Incidentally, I had just arrived in the country from Egypt, where I had gone to cover the FIFA U17 World Cup when this fresh incident occurred.

This time we were lodged at the Adeniji Adele Police Station, while we battled to extradite ourselves from the case, which if not properly handled could see me face the death penalty.

Sadly, during the course of our investigation, we were told by our fellow detainees, that we had actually been setup by one of our fellow tenants, who was the only one not with us in detention.

We were told that he (the tenant) had come to the police that he could make money for them by writing a petition that he knew of some armed robbery suspects who once caught would be ready to cough up money in order to free themselves and it was this money that they (the tenant and police) would share.

Unfortunately in the end, the police doubled crossed him on the grounds that the money they made was not as much as he had claimed they would make.

Both stories were subsequently written, but here more than two decades after, we are reading the same story all over a clear indication that absolutely nothing had changed!

And this sadly is one of the biggest problems we face in this country failure to tackle issues head on in order to improve as a nation.

Instead we will all complain about poor governance and yet still vote for the same people that are the hindrance to the nation having decent governance.

At the end of the day, the path to a decent society lies with us as a people, who must then decide once and for all that enough is enough and we are now ready for real change and not just mouth change.

Unless this happens, I can bet that two decades down the line another Ojo Olajumoke will write another expose on virtually the same issue.

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When the hair falls off - New Telegraph Newspaper

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) One toke for the road could end up being a total bummer for drivers who smoke pot, with several companies in the United States preparing to market cannabis breathalyzers as legalized marijuana spreads across the country.

Law enforcement agencies will require breathalyzers to detect marijuana as they are faced with the necessity of stopping more and more motor vehicles being operated under the influence of THC, said Brett Meade, a retired police chief and a senior program manager for Washington-based non-profit group the Police Foundation.

Nearly a dozen U.S. states allow recreational marijuana consumption and 33 states permit pot for medical use. But all states prohibit driving under the influence of marijuana.

Oakland, California-based Hound Labs is one of the companies developing a breathalyzer to detect THC the component in marijuana that gets people high and plans to market it in 2020.

Construction companies could be a big part of its market, said Hound Labs Chief Executive Officer Mike Lynn.

Nobody wants a crane operator 50 stories up to be smoking a joint, he told Reuters.

Lynn, a physician, said pregnancy tests, which can detect minute quantities of hormone, inspired him to tackle the challenge of measuring THC on users breath.

Separately, Cannabix Technologies Inc based in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby is testing a pair of devices at different price points.

Its THC Breath Analyzer could be cheap enough at a few hundred dollars per unit to potentially allow parents interested in testing their teenager before turning over the keys to the family car, said Cannabix CEO Rav Mlait.

The U.S. court system would need to consider how to treat evidence from THC breathalyzers.

Assuming a motorist who tested positive with a THC breathalyzer was impaired behind the wheel could be problematic, said Stanford University law professor Robert MacCoun.

Unlike with alcohol, scientific research has not yet established firm correlations between the amount of marijuana people consume and how impaired they become, MacCoun said in an email.

Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, expressed similar concerns.

But he welcomed breathalyzers as an improvement over existing tests used by police and employers, such as urine analysis that is unable to determine whether marijuana was used recently with the potential for impairment, or days or weeks in the past. Breathalyzers are likely to only detect a user who consumed cannabis within the last few hours.

A test like that would frankly make sense, Armentano said. Just like we wouldnt allow employees to have a couple drinks and show up to work.

(Additional reporting by Jane Ross in Newark, California; editing by Bill Tarrant and Bill Berkrot)

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That last toke for the road could be a downer with pot breathalyzers coming - Physician's Weekly

When you think of any sort of preconception or fertility treatment, such as hormone testing or in vitro fertilization (IVF), chances are you envision going into either your OB-GYN's office or a fertility clinic and encountering lots of doctors and a slew of needles. But just as services like grocery delivery and transportation are becoming increasingly app-based and tech-savvy, so too are fertility tests and treatments.

As the industry strives to increase access and convenience for patients with at-home options, it's important to remember that there's no one-size-fits-all in fertility treatments, says Chantae Sullivan-Pyke, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at Kofinas Fertility Group in New York City. Therefore you'll do well to consult a health care provider about whether an at-home treatment, test, or tracking system is right for you.

So just how much can (and should) really be DIY when it comes to bettering your odds of getting pregnant? We took a look at three of the latest at-home fertility products and services that aim to allow you to take matters of your fertility into your own handsand hometo weigh the pros and cons.

New Hope Fertility in New York City has an exclusive service called At-Home IVF, which is meant to cut out the stressful commute to and from a doctor's office. The kit includes an instruction card, color-coded individual packets with oral and vaginal medications that are numbered by day, a nasal spray which is used on days 12 and 13, and an ovulation testing kit with test strips. Day 14 is the only day that isn't "at-home," as it's when a patient will go into the clinic for egg retrieval.

The pros: "There is no need to go the the physician's office for monitoring, for bloodwork, or for ultrasounds," says Zaher Merhi, MD, FACOG, the director of IVF research and development in IVF technologies at New York'sNew Hope Fertility Clinic. "The woman will only go to the office on the day of the procedure, the egg retrieval. This translates into a tremendous advantage for the woman. She will have much less stress, no concerns about making and keeping appointments at the doctor's office, for women who already have a child there is no need to get a babysitter, and no worries about losing time from work."

The cons: A high chance of human error. Dr. Merhi has acknowledged previously it's a possibility, but the clinic has a built-in contingency plan. Of course, the patient needs to be hyper-vigilant and very motivated to adhere to the correct protocols, he told the New York Post. If an error occurs during the process, the clinic might offer a discount on future treatment and future monitoring would be done in the office versus at home.

The cost: The At-Home IVF kit costs $850. But compared to the cost of conventional IVF at New Hope Fertility which totals approximately $4,000 according to Dr. Merhi, trying the DIY method means a savings of $3,200.

New Hope isn't the only business selling more convenient, in-home kits. Modern Fertility is a hormonal testing kit that allows you to gain insight into the hormones that effect fertility with a finger prick. The blood sample is collected at home, then the test is shipped back to the company. They then provide customers with a report analyzing their hormone levels.

The pros: Knowledge is power. "I actually tried Modern Fertility at 38, a few months before getting married, and it was a 'fertility saver,'" says Ann Murray-Dunning, 40, an expectant mom from San Francisco. "I didn't realize how low my AMH was for my age (.6), and that this meant that my egg reserve was very low for my age. Due to this new knowledge, I sped up the timeline, if you will, and we turned to the pregnancy journey soon after. After some difficulties likely given my low AMH, I am now 18 weeks naturally pregnant with a healthy girl."

Murray-Dunning says she's so confident that all women should do tests like Modern Fertility that she bought a kit for her younger sister. "I talk to her about my challenges and suggested she do what I did earliertest early, so that she has the power of more time and planning," she notes.

The cons: Due to the nature of their profession, doctors are natural skeptics of any at-home hormone testing. "There are a number of at-home hormone tests. Some are reliable and some are not, but all should be confirmed and interpreted with a medical provider if someone is concerned about an underlying medical condition or if someone is struggling with fertility," says Emily Jungheim, MD, MSCI, a board certified reproductive endocrinologist and fertility expert at the Women & Infants Center in St. Louis, Missouri. "That's why we recommend using at-home hormone tests in conjunction with your doctor's care rather than in lieu of it."

The cost: Modern Fertility costs $159. Similar tests include EverlyWell (which costs $159 and looks at the hormones that influence normal ovarian function) and Proov (which costs $39.99 and zeros in on the ebb and flow of your progesterone levels).

Before trying intrauterine insemination (IUI), people hoping to conceive might be drawn to at-home conception aids. Take The Mosie Kit, an insemination syringe kit that was designed for women by women for home insemination and is geared to helping couples with unexplained infertility, the LGBTQ community, women suffering from vaginismus, endometriosis and tilted uterus, male factor issues (low motility, sperm count, and performance anxiety), as well as single mothers by choice.

The pros: "You can do almost anything from home nowadays with DIY kits, and the same goes with slinging sperm," says Aimee D. Eyvazzadeh, MD, MPH. "There are a lot of times when doing this is helpful, but the most helpful is when sex hurts. Then, you can take it into your own hands! I help about four to five patients a year get pregnant in this way, and The Mosie is actually something I've been doing with my patients for over 10 years! And it works."

The cons: A potential lack of information or misinformation. Dr. Eyvazzadeh says The Mosie works even better when patients are shown how to do it by their health care provider so they aren't "missing anything big picture."

Sheeva Talebian, MD, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist at CCRM Fertility New York, agrees, emphasizing that couples who are turning to these aids because they're struggling with fertility concerns should work with a physician who can provide a comprehensive fertility evaluation. If male factor issues (determined by a semen analysis) are at play, an in-office intrauterine insemination (IUI) may be more effective than an at-home device, she says.

Dr. Eyvazzadeh is also concerned about false claims that other products (like one called The Stork OTC) advertise in regard to "higher pregnancy rates than are truly possible."

"To tell someone that it really increases their chances isn't fair or telling them the truth," Dr. Eyvazzadeh notes. "At-home inseminations aren't as successful as they describe on their website. I wish!"

The cost: The Mosie's two-pack insemination syringe kit costs $89.

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At-Home Fertility Tests and Treatments: Understanding the Pros and Cons - Yahoo Lifestyle

CHARLESTON When Julia Shalhoup was getting ready to retire, she wasnt sure what she was going to do with her new freedom.

A breast cancer diagnosis just three days after her retirement answered that question.

I had so many doctors appointments. Thats all I did, she said.

At the time of her diagnosis, Shalhoup hadnt gone in for a mammogram in several years, she said.

This was despite a standing order for a mammogram.

It was not Shalhoups first experience with cancer.

Shalhoup, who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 1991, found herself in the hospital in 1994 due to severe anemia caused by the disease.

A couple weeks later during a checkup of the colitis, they found an ovarian tumor.

It was totally encapsulated, but it was ovarian cancer, stage 1 and malignant. Had I not had the colitis, they wouldnt have found the ovarian cancer most likely, she said.

When I was diagnosed with the ovarian cancer I think I was in shock. I knew I wasnt feeling well, but I thought the symptoms were on account of the colitis. I was working raising kids and practicing (law).

By the time the cancer was removed, it had grown to the size of a grapefruit.

It was just a tough surgery, and recovery was tough, she said.

At first, Shalhoup was good about faithfully getting her recommended mammograms.

Once you tell physician youve had ovarian cancer, youre top of the list for other cancers, she said.

At a point, however, she felt too busy with her law practice and began to put it off.

I was remiss, she said. It was on my to-do list.

The breast cancer diagnosis in spring 2019 therefore came by accident.

As she was shutting down her divorce law practice that she had devoted nearly 20 years to, she sought treatment for an ulcer.

The physician ordered a scan of her abdominal area. Luckily, the scan included her chest and doctors identified the cancer.

She was fortunate. The cancer was identified at an early stage.

I felt good. You could barely feel the lump, she said.

Still, it was a shocker for the family.

At first, youre a little shocked, said Nick Shalhoup, her husband. I handle things pretty well and so does Julie, but I just felt bad. Especially right after she retired and then days later she gets the diagnosis. You think youre going to enjoy your free time and then you have to deal with this.

She did not require chemotherapy and instead went through a lumpectomy and 16 radiation sessions at the WVU Cancer Institute.

I was great up until the last week. I had a very significant exhaustion period. It felt like I had narcolepsy. Im a reader and I would open a book and start to read and fall asleep. The doctor assured me that was normal, Julia Shalhoup said.

Following treatment, she was prescribed Arimidex, a commonly prescribed therapy for post-menopausal women who have had hormone-receptor positive breast cancer to prevent recurrence.

Theres some pretty serious side effects that can affect the rest of your life and have nothing to do with the cancer, she said. For her, those come from the Arimidex.

Now, she deals with the side effects of that medication, which are hard to bear.

Ive been taking it for almost six weeks and I have at least four or five of the symptoms that are pretty difficult to take, she said.

These include back pain, hot flashes that she describes as more of an internal heat than what she experienced during menopause, and weakness and pain in the extremities.

I truly believe shes handled this very well. Obviously, she has her moments. Everyone would. Worst part has been the Arimidex. It has so many side effects, Nick Shalhoup said.

Julia Shalhoup said she shares her story not for sympathy, but to remind women of the importance of getting the recommended screenings.

I just feel hopeful that if I talk to enough people, theyll feel compelled to do mammograms, she said.

Finding the cancer at an early stage not only improves personal outcomes, but can give your family the information they need to make their own medical decisions.

Shalhoup said waiting for results of her daughters BRCA genetic testing was the hardest part of the process.

That was probably the most difficult two weeks of my life, just worrying about whether she had the genetic marker, she said. She did not have the marker.

Im telling everybody. Im telling everybody Im fine. The sympathy I dont need. I need to make sure that you reach out to every woman you know and say, You need to get this test. Theyre not painful anymore, she said. They used to be painful, but theyre not painful anymore.

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'You need to get this test': Julia Shalhoup stresses importance of mammograms after her own breast cancer experience - WV News

Hypothyroidism is an opposite of hyperthyroidism; one condition may also lead to another. In these conditions, thyroid glands do not function as per the body need and thus, the condition erupts. Lets first understand about the condition.

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which thyroid glands do not produce enough thyroid hormone which means its underactive. Thyroid glands are in the front of the neck with two lobes at each side of the windpipe. These hormones are responsible for regulating bodys metabolism and therefore, any affect on its production can hurt the metabolic function. Thyroid hormone is regulated by thyroid-stimulation hormone which is produced by pituitary gland.

The thyroid gland produced two hormones TS3 and TS4. The symptoms of the condition include fatigue, intolerance towards cold, and muscle and joint pain. Other symptoms could be weight gain, constipation, dry skin and decreased sweating, high cholesterol and insomnia. In some extreme cases, there could be respiratory infections, depression and loss of libido.

Because the condition impacts the metabolism, processing sugar and carbs from processed food could get difficult for the body. Sugary food can also cause increase in inflammation in body further aggravating the condition. Also, sugar can only give short term energy boost. However, controlling your sugar intake can help in long-term regulation of sugar. It may help your skin condition and stress levels that can come with the condition. It could be difficult, but you start with processed food and additional sugar.

Vitamin B12 levels get decreased during hypothyroidism causing fatigue and tiredness. It also impacts vitamin B1 levels in body. Taking these supplements may help refurbish the deteriorating levels of vitamin B in body. Include more of peas, cheese, milk, sesame seeds and eggs in your diet. If in case you are planning to take supplements, make sure you discuss with your doctor once.

Ashwagandha is a herb that can be beneficial for health in many ways. It is called an adaptogenic herb that can prove to be magical in balancing the thyroid hormones. This herb is used to strengthen the immunity and thus, relieving stress and boosting stamina which are common during hypothyroidism. This supplement can be sued twice a day, or you may discuss it with your physician in case you are sceptical about the dose. As its natural, it will not have any side-effects.

Flaxseeds are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. This can be beneficial for hypothyroidism. Alpha-linolenic acid is the type of omega-3 fatty acid present in flaxseeds. This has proven benefits in regulating the production of thyroid hormones. They have phytoestrogenic properties that support sex hormones which in turn can regulate thyroid hormones. Magnesium and vitamin B12 present in flaxseeds help body fight symptoms of hypothyroidism. However, make sure you dont consume it in excess for it may have a reverse reaction. Limit it to a couple of spoons a day.

Coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids which are easier to break by the body. Ingredients that are easier to digest are important when the metabolic function of the body is affected. It helps in boosting metabolism, one of the biggest ill-effect of hypothyroid. It also helps in keeping your body temperature in control to help keep your intolerance towards cold at bay.

Ginger is full of benefitsit has potassium, magnesium and polyphenols. It has anti-inflammatory properties as well that will help relieve hypothyroidism symptoms. Ginger tea could be the best way to consume ginger to absorb most of its goodness.

Published : October 24, 2019 2:32 pm

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Here are how you can treat hypothyroidism at home - TheHealthSite

ANKARA, TURKEY - NOVEMBER 14: A woman takes a pill on November 14, 2018 in Ankara, Turkey. (Photo ... [+] by Dogukan Keskinkilic/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

If you have high blood pressure, remembering to take your medication is so important.

In fact, the time of day when you take your medicine could influence your risk for complications such as heart attack and stroke, which is ultimately related to how well you manage your blood pressure.

The bodys natural rhythm, known as the circadian rhythm also affects how we respond to specific medications, the result of a complex interplay between your medication and cortisol, the chief hormone responsible for this rhythm.

Now, a new study recommends that you take your blood pressure medicine at bedtimeto lower your blood pressure during the night and early morninghelping to prevent elevation of blood pressure that normally occurs as you awaken.

The research was published earlier this week in the European Heart Journal.

There is a growing body of evidence which indicates that not only genetics, but the time of day you take a medicine may influence how effective it is for treating a particular condition.

The current study looking at this phenomenon represents the largest study to date of patients with high blood pressure, and included more than 19,000 persons (from 40 ambulatory blood pressure monitoring clinics in Spain) on medications to treat high blood pressure.

For the study, the patients were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups: one group took their pills in the morning, and the other group took them at bedtime. The investigators monitored the patients for over 6 years tracking their blood pressure.

Blood pressure normally drops as we fall asleep, reaching its lowest between midnight and 3-4 am. It gradually rises as we awaken thanks to release of cortisol from the adrenal glands. Those who do not experience a drop in blood pressure during sleep may, in fact, be at higher risk for heart attack and stroke.

The study found that those who took their medication at bedtime had a significantly lower average blood pressure both at night and during the day, dipping more at night compared to those who took their medication during the morning or daytime.

Study participants who took their medicine at night were 43% less likely to experience any cardiovascular event (heart attack, stroke, heart failure) compared with those who took it in the morning. Those who took their medicine in the nighttime also had a 49% lower risk for stroke, 34% lower risk for heart attack, and 42% lower risk for developing heart failure.

Overall, there was a 45% reduction in cardiovascular risk from any cause (composite score of risk of heart attack, stroke, coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG] or cardiac stent placement, heart failure) in those who took blood pressure medication at bedtime. There was also a 56 % reduction in risk from cardiovascular disease overall.

The results of the study, demonstrating an impressive reduction in risk for heart attacks and strokes, argue for taking blood pressure medicine at bedtime. While previous research has also shown reduction in cardiovascular effects with night time administration of blood pressure medication, this is the largest study to date.

That said, more research is still necessary to better understand if the effect seen in patients taking a specific class of medication in this study also applies to different classes of blood pressure medications. (Study participants took a variety of blood pressure medications including ACE inhibitors, ARBs, ACEI- ARB combination, diuretics, calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers.)

Additional research is also necessary for different ethnicities, as well as those who work various late or overnight shifts to see if taking blood pressure medications in the late evening before bed has the same effect on reducing stroke and heart attacks

While blood pressure has multiple genetic determinants, lifestyle choices also have a significant impact. To reduce blood pressure, its best to reduce alcohol intake, quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, exercise more, reduce salt intake, practice yoga or Tai chi, and embrace deep abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing and meditation.

Health care providers recommend that patients try to adhere to a schedule and take their medications at the same time every day. Interestingly, current guidelines dont provide any specific recommendation regarding timing for blood pressure medications, with many people choosing to take them in the morning.

If you take blood pressure medicine, your health care provider has indicated on your prescription when to take it. Its best to consult with your provider and inquire why they have prescribed to take in the morning or before going to bed.

One issue is whether taking blood pressure medicine at night time is the best clinical approach for all patients. Age is certainly one determinant as well as fall risk, since a lower blood pressure at night and early morning can place patients at higher risk for falls, especially in a dark room when attempting to use the bathroom.

Timing of blood pressure medicine is very patient-specific, said Satjit Bhusri, M.D., FACC, Assistant Professor of Cardiology, Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health. There are many factors, including compliance, labile blood pressure, and other medications being administered at the same time.

In conjunction with your healthcare provider, the desire to change the timing of blood pressure medication ultimately involves the ability to lower cardiovascular risk. To achieve lower blood pressure while asleep, its vital that patients take their medicine at the same time every night.

The key here is routines, said Bhusri.An even routine has shown that patients are more compliant with taking their medications more regularly and not forgetting.

While a nighttime approach may achieve a lower mean blood pressure while asleep, helping to reduce cardiovascular risk, is compliance or consistency also playing a role?

The key play here is compliance of medication, offered Bhusri.Not missing a dosewe know one thing worse than an elevated blood pressure is swings in blood pressure due to periodic non-compliance.

If further trials continue to demonstrate reductions in cardiovascular risk with the night time approach, the issue is whether all patients should take their meds at bedtime.

This recommendation is a personalized one that should involve a joint physician-patient interchange, concluded Bhusri.

The Skinny on Blood Pressure

It turns out that your blood pressure begins to rise as you wake up in the morning, elevates through midday, but then actually reaches its lowest point of the day between midnight and 3-4 am.

That said, persons with

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Day Or NightWhen Is The Best Time To Take Your Blood Pressure Medicine? - Forbes

Questionable nutritional advice is easily amplified in our digital world, but older generations have always passed down health adages that younger generations found difficult to believe.

Did your parents ever encourage you to drink fish oil to boost brain power before an exam or offer mustard when you had a muscle cramp?

My folks believed ginger relieves nausea. I was curious whether these adages and folk remedies could withstand the scrutiny of science or if theyre bunk. I set out to research a few of them.

This well-known statement is based on an 1860s Welsh proverb that eating apples will diminish doctor visits. And it has actually been put to the test in a 2015 April Fools Day issue of JAMA Internal Medicine (while the topics were zany, the studies were real).

Researchers investigated whether people who reported eating apples daily actually had fewer annual doctor visits or were in better overall health. Of the 8,399 study participants, 753 ate at least one small apple daily.

The results showed that 39% of apple eaters avoided physician visits compared to 34% of non-apple-eaters, which was not a statistically significant difference.

Researchers did find that apple eaters were a bit less likely to require prescription medications compared to non-apple-eaters, leading the researcher to joke that an apple a day keeps the pharmacist away.

Of course, the doctor proverb shouldnt be taken literally, but the overall sentiment is true: Eating vegetables and fruits daily has health benefits. The mix of fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients may help reduce inflammation and combat cardiovascular disease and cancer.

This narrative traces back to World War II. In 1940, British Royal Air Force pilots used radar to shoot down enemy planes in the dark. To keep this technology a secret, the Ministry of Information propaganda was that the pilots had great visual accuracy because they ate carrots, which improved their night vision.

It seemed plausible, too, because carrots are rich in the antioxidant beta carotene, the precursor to vitamin A. Once absorbed by the body, vitamin A helps make rhodopsin, a pigment that helps eyes work better in low light. Carrots can help if you have vitamin A deficiency that causes poor night vision.

But of course they cant really help you (or Air Force pilots) see in complete darkness. So, yes, carrots are good for eyesight, but other foods rich in beta carotene, such as sweet potatoes, squash and leafy green vegetables, have the same benefits.

Weve all heard this one after Thanksgiving dinner: The turkey made you fall asleep! Turkey contains an amino acid (a building block of protein) known as tryptophan, which the body uses to generate serotonin, which helps promote sleep. So then there must be something to this whole turkey-sleep connection, right?

Not so fast. Turkey contains no more tryptophan than beef, eggs, fish or chicken, and tryptophan has a difficult time getting past the blood-brain barrier, so its not an effective sleep inducer on its own. But the effect of tryptophan increases when insulin levels are high as happens after you eat a carb-rich meal such as a Thanksgiving dinner with stuffing, potatoes and apple pie.

Its actually carbs that increase serotonin levels and help with the production of the hormone melatonin, which makes you sleepy. Eating a large meal can have a similar effect because theres increased blood flow to the stomach for digestion and decreased blood flow to the brain. Its definitely not just turkey that makes you sleepy.

This remedy has strong roots. More than 5,000 years ago, people from India and China used ginger as a tonic to treat many ailments. The most common and well-established historical use is to alleviate nausea and vomiting. Today, many clinical studies support the use of ginger for this purpose.

Research shows that ginger helps relieve nausea and vomiting caused by motion sickness, morning sickness in pregnancy, during chemotherapy treatments and post-surgically after anesthetic. Its thought that the constituents in ginger including gingerols and shogaols help speed gastric emptying, which relieves nausea.

Some people sip ginger tea for relief, while others prefer to take a ginger capsule, and studies show that both options can work. My mom used to open a can of ginger ale when I was queasy. While she was on the right track, it turns out that many soda brands use artificial flavoring rather than real ginger, so those are of little benefit.

In his 1930 short-story collection Very Good Jeeves, British author and humorist P.G. Wodehouse wrote: They say fish are good for the brain. Have a go at the sardines and come back and report. Wodehouse was onto something!

In 2016, researchers found that weekly consumption of fish was associated with high volume of gray matter, the dark tissue of the brain thats in charge of processing information and controlling vision and memory. Many people have postulated that the value of fish comes largely from omega-3 fats, which play many important roles in brain health.

Yet, interestingly, this study showed that any fish not just those high in omega-3 fat had this positive effect. Another review study found that fish intake may help delay cognitive impairment and Alzheimers disease but cast doubt as to whether the omega-3 fats are the reason.

That means taking omega-3 fish oil supplements (or drinking cod liver oil) for brain health might not cut it theres something about eating a whole fish fillet thats more beneficial.

Have you ever been jolted from sleep with a leg cramp or felt your calf seize after a run? Maybe you were told to take a shot of pickle juice or a teaspoon of yellow mustard. For years, people assumed this worked because the pickles and mustard contain fluids and sodium, which may help ease leg cramps caused by dehydration or an electrolyte imbalance.

But research doesnt confirm this reasoning. In one study, researchers induced leg cramps in male subjects, then gave them pickle juice or water. The pickle juice made the cramps go away faster, but the effect was not due to restoring body fluids or the water would have worked just as well.

Plus, the researchers found no changes in plasma electrolytes or volume in the five minutes after ingesting the pickle juice. They concluded that the benefit from pickle juice could not be explained by rapid restoration of body fluids or electrolytes.

Now researchers believe the problem is not actually with the muscle itself but with the motor neurons that send signals to it, which become hyperactive. The researchers hypothesize that strong flavors (as in mustard or pickle juice) stimulate neurons in the mouth and upper GI tract, which in turn restores the normal activity of the motor neurons involved in muscle cramping sort of like a distraction.

There are no rigorous studies to prove this interesting theory, so drinking pickle juice remains mostly unsubstantiated. But if it works for you, drink up.

Registered dietitian Cara Rosenbloom is president of Words to Eat By, a nutrition communications company specializing in writing, nutrition education and recipe development. She is the co-author of Nourish: Whole Food Recipes Featuring Seeds, Nuts and Beans.

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What science has to say about these age-old health adages - The Spokesman-Review

I need a glass of water.

Just one more story?

Mommy, I had a bad dream.

Every parent faces bedtime-stalling tactics and sleep problems from time to time. But if your child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD), settling down for sleep and getting a good nights rest may be a daily challenge with serious health consequences.

Many American families today struggle to get enough sleep. A poll by the National Sleep Foundation, for example, found that more than one-third of parents report that scheduled evening activities impede a good nights sleep for their child. Whats more, one in four parents report that homework made it more difficult for their child to get a good nights sleep at least once in the preceding seven days. Add in the artificial light and noise from media, available at all hours of the day and night, and its a wonder any of us get any sleep.

The symptoms of ADHD exacerbate all of the things that make sleep difficult and elusive for so many people. Children and teens with ADHD are hypersensitive to environmental stimuli and their bodies react more strongly, making it harder to turn off their brains and settle down for sleep.

In addition, poor sleep is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just one night of bad sleep can make a childs inattention and opposition even worse the next day, in turn making it even more difficult to get ready and settled for sleep the next night. The pattern repeats indefinitely if not arrested.

Patients may experience a vicious cycle of poor sleep exacerbating ADHD symptoms, which in turn make sleep worse. Poor sleep can also negatively affect learning and memory. Several studies in the past decade have found that.1,2

The reality is that kids learn as much during sleep as they do when theyre awake. Sleep is when learning is actually consolidated.

Sleep is critical, and hard to come by we get it. But what can parents do to help their children and teens overcome ADHD sleep problems?

Parents working through ADHD-impacted sleep issues should begin by consulting their childs physician.

Some ADHD stimulants can make sleep worse, so its important to talk with your provider about the time your child is taking the medication, how long the stimulants are lasting, when they are wearing off, and how they are affecting the childs sleep. Some stimulants have actually been shown to improve sleep in patients with ADHD, so talking with your healthcare provider about this is very important.

Assuming a childs sleep issues are not being caused by stimulant medications, parents should adopt a behavioral perspective and focus on basic sleep hygiene for children.

Its important to put both time and space boundaries around sleep, making it a special action that we want our kids to learn to do. That means starting the bedtime routine early enough to ensure adequate sleep for the childs age.

For school-age children, for example, start the bedtime routine by 7:30 pm at the latest to ensure children get the recommended 10 to 12 hours of sleep their bodies require. Sticking to a regular and consistent bedtime routine perhaps ending with some kind of positive ritual that the child enjoys reading a book, singing a song, saying prayers, or talking about the best part of their day can also help create a positive association with bedtime.

We want the childs brain to learn that going to bed and sleeping are where something nice happens and it feels good, he says.

ADHD teen brains need 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night. Since most classes begin before 8 am, that means aiming for a 9 pm bedtime. Teens should avoid heavy meals and vigorous exercise, as well as electronic screen use, an hour before bedtime. This means no texting, social media, or video games after 8 pm, which will no doubt be controversial in most households. The blue light from electronic screens affects the bodys pineal gland and actually physiologically decreases our production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Popular blue-light glasses filter the light, which may decrease the effects of screens on that hormone production, they cant take away the stimulating effects of media itself.

Even if blue-light glasses solve one piece of the problem, they arent going to help the body and the brain really relax and get ready for the sleep cycle. Modeling this no-screens-after-8 policy can be one of the most effective ways that parents can make this rule stick. Its also important to make it clear that the child is not in trouble and putting away phones at 8 is not a punishment, but rather a strategy for getting healthy and functioning well tomorrow.

If working together with your child is not helping to solve sleep issues, or if they do appear to be getting enough sleep and are still showing symptoms of being sleepy, its time to consider a formal evaluation by a sleep specialist. This may indicate a more serious sleep disorder such as sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome. The good news is that, for nearly all sleep disorders, there are effective treatments to help children and teens get the rest they need.

The content for this article came from the webinar titled Sleep and the ADHD Brain: Why Its Critical and How To Get More.

1 Sandoval, M. , Leclerc, J. A. and Gmez, R. L. Words to Sleep On: Naps Facilitate Verb Generalization in Habitually and Nonhabitually Napping Preschoolers. Child Dev. (2017). doi:10.1111/cdev.12723

2 Axelsson, E. L., Swinton, J., Winiger, A. I., & Horst, J. S. Napping and toddlers memory for fast-mapped words. First Language (2018).https://doi.org/10.1177/0142723718785490

Updated on October 23, 2019

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Treating ADHD Sleep Problems in Children and Teens - ADDitude

Katie: Hi there and welcome to The Wellness Mama Podcast. Im Katie from wellnessmama.com. And Im right here as we speak with an expensive buddy, Razi Berry, whos the founder and writer of the journal, Naturopathic Physician Information & Assessment, which has been in print since 2005 and the premier consumer-based web site of Naturopathic Drugs, NaturalPath. Its important to test it out. The hyperlink shall be within the present notes. Shes additionally the host of The Pure Most cancers Prevention Summit and The Coronary heart Revolution-Heal, Empower and Comply with Your Coronary heart, in addition to the ever-popular 10 Week Sugar-Free Summer season Program. And were going to speak about her story as we speak. However from a near-death expertise as a younger lady that healed her coronary heart to later overcoming infertility, power fatigue, and fibromyalgia by Naturopathic Drugs, she has lived this mind-body therapeutic paradigm and now works to coach the world about it. Welcome, Razi, and thanks for being right here.

Razi: Hello, Katie. Its a number of enjoyable to be right here. Thanks.

Katie: And I really feel like I cant drop a line like that within the bio with out asking you to share your story. What was your near-death expertise as a toddler when you dont thoughts sharing?

Razi: Yeah, its fairly an incredible story. And its humorous as a result of I discovered much more about it as an grownup. So let me begin. Ill give the truncated model. However principally, once I was 14 years outdated, I used to be within the hospital in Phoenix Kidss Hospital and I used to be dying of coronary heart failure. Theres actually nothing that the docs may do. And so my household introduced in our household priest, Dr. Father McGuire, to do the final rites ceremony. And so for these of you that arent conversant in the final rites ceremony, its within the Catholic custom. Its type of like baptism is the sacrament if youre born and final rites is a sacrament if youre dying. So, you understand, it was a extremely troublesome time in our lives.

And the day after the sacrament was given, my mom was with my four-year-old brother within the room. Principally, they have been coming to have some remaining moments with me. And one of many docs was within the room. And he stated to my mom, This can be a disgrace, Mrs. Berry, as a result of shes doing it to herself. And once I heard that it was type of out and in of consciousness. And once I heard that I out of the blueI felt a lot disgrace, Katie, and a extremely unusual factor occurred. I didnt actually perceive till years later, as I out of the blue was wanting down on the physician when he stated that. And I used to be wanting down on my mom and down on my brother as if it was from the highest of the room. And the disgrace that I felt when he stated that was as a result of it was true. I used to be doing it to myself. I had an consuming dysfunction. I had anorexia nervosa and that was the reason for the guts failure.

Coronary heart failure is among the main causes of dying in extreme consuming issues. And so he was proper. And one thing in my psyche and my physique simply needed to flee that disgrace. After which out of the blue I used to be in, you understand, simply one other place. And it appeared prefer it lasted ceaselessly. In keeping with the nurse and the physician and the household that was round me, it was minutes. I name it the near-death expertise again then, my household stated that God healed you. However what occurred is after I got here again into my physique, I used to be healed. I ended up leaving the hospital with out an consuming dysfunction, with none medicines, and with a healed coronary heart.

In order that the expertise of what occurred like what did Ilots of people need to know like, What did you hear? What did you see? And, you understand, I heard issues and I felt issues and I noticed issues. However none of that was actually as vital as what occurred once I got here again in my physique as a result of what I noticed, Katie, is I had been so dissociated from myself, proper? Its important to be in a whole state of dissociation to not feed your self correctly, to not nourish your self. And as Ive grown and been concerned in naturopathic drugs and in well being basically, you understand, its actually clear to me that, thats actually the reason for many illnesses is that this dissociative state the place were not absolutely linked inside our our bodies. Were not listening to the messages and the alerts our physique provides us.

So, I now have a look at it as an awesome present as a result of previous to that, every time I used to be sick, my mother took us to the physician and so they gave us a shot or some drugs. However this time the docs couldnt do something. So then I assumed, Properly, what healed me then? If the physician didnt heal me the place does therapeutic come from? And it was type of a present to start with of simply this journey of simply discovering, you understand, whats therapeutic?

Katie: Wow. And I guess that has had far-reaching results all through your total life. Thats wonderful.

Razi: Yeah, it undoubtedly did. After which there have been instances the place I used to be sick and I didnt spontaneously heal, proper? So it brought about additional questions and additional investigation.

Katie: Properly, yeah. And I really feel like that brings up a lot attention-grabbing issues to consider, about that mind-body connection. I do know that is one thing that you justve talked about fairly a bit. However it additionally looks like one thing that folks could be, together with me, like so skeptical of at instances. Like realizing that wed even have the facility to try this. Like why do you suppose that second or that specific factor, like what modified in that for you that made that attainable?

Razi: So, sure, I perceive this skepticism that even I had for a extremely very long time about the entire concept of mind-body therapeutic. And I believe its as a result of we focus a lot on the thoughts or this ethereal other-world facet. What I actually suppose healed me was this integration that I had been type of residing with out my physique. I hadnt actually been listening and been in tune to my physique alerts which, you understand, all of us are born with. I imagine that were all born and designed with this good capacity to get info from the pure world round us and at all times know the precise choices to make. After which if we dont make the precise resolution for ourselves, then our physique, thoughts provides us different clues, whether or not its a sense, a sensation, a symptom that may carry us again. So I imagine that were all actually born with all the things that we have to know. And I believe that it was the precise coming again into my physique.

After that have, I grew to become so keenly conscious of my physiques messages of emotions and my physique. And I believe that was the present. However the wonderful factor is, and Ive been learning this for years now, is that you just dont need to have a near-death expertise to get actually extra in physique to get actually again in contact. However that was what I believe the present was. I believe it was the precise simply one thing thrust me again into that visceral phenomenological expertise of residing, of what its wish to be inside a physique. I imply, our thoughts is in our physique, proper? The chemical compounds that our physique produces to suppose cognition, feeling emotion, these are all neurotransmitters and peptides. Candace Pert referred to as them molecules of emotion. And he or she who was a pharmacologist who believed that it was these ideas and emotions, these chemical messengers that have been type of the mediator between our lived expertise of the physiology of our physique and the better world round us that were dont essentially see.

Katie: And from the sounds of your bio, your story undoubtedly doesnt cease there both as a result of it additionally says you overcame infertility, power fatigue, and fibromyalgia. Was {that a} related course of or was {that a} totally different a part of the journey for you?

Razi: So its humorous as a result of generally I believe youve questions after which life undoubtedly provides you a manner to determine the reply for that, proper? So I had been actually desirous about studying about how the physique heals and the way the thoughts and physique are linked. And I felt although a number of info was simply actually whoo-whoo, it was all primarily based on identical to, you understand, one other worldly psychic phenomenon, and never essentially one thing that was like aware and physiological collectively. And so, in my mid-20s, I obtained actually sick. At that time, you understand, this was, what, 16 years in the past, the docs didnt actually have a prognosis for fibromyalgia. So I used to be simply in extreme power ache. And I ended up on the Mayo Clinic after seeing a number of docs who stated, Oh, its the flu, or, You have to be pregnant.

At one time that ache was so dangerous that really bear in mind crawling throughout the ground to go to the lavatory. So the Mayo Clinic had some wonderful diagnostics, however that they had me on so many medicines and a few even like chemotherapeutic sort medicine. So my hair was falling out. And I simply went to the physician at some point and I used to be like, This simply isnt what I need. And so they stated, You already know, Im sorry. You simply have to go on incapacity. So at that second I fired my physician, and I simply went to Much like your story, Katie, I simply determined to take it by the reins and discover a health care provider that may actually hearken to me.

So there was a number of deep ache in these years, bodily ache after which the ache from having 5 miscarriages in six years. It was a extremely darkish interval. However I attempted to simply bear in mind what I had been studying in regards to the ideas of naturopathy, which I hope we get to speak about, and in addition, from what I discovered in my previous expertise with therapeutic that therapeutic occurs in your physique and never simply, you understand, in your thoughts. A whole lot of instances the docs simply needed to provide me one thing that may management my thoughts like assist me sleep or assist me get up or take care of melancholy and the anxiousness that ensued. And so the therapeutic occurred once I actually began to concentrate once more to whats my physique telling me? What are the messages that these signs imply? As a result of actually, once we type of flip it round, signs which appears so painful and so horrible, they really are an expensive a part of ourselves. They love us a lot that theyre actually asking us for one thing.

Katie: Yeah. And I really like that you just shared your story of your 5 miscarriages. And when youre snug speaking about it, Id truly love to speak about that for a minute as a result of I believe we as a society have gotten so significantly better about speaking about so many points of motherhood and of life expertise. And thats one whichs nonetheless so guarded and so painful I believe for thus many individuals however but Ive had a miscarriage. Youve had miscarriages. I believe its one thing thats truly extraordinarily widespread however but theres nonetheless a lot ache and disgrace hidden round that. So when youre snug sharing Id love to listen to slightly little bit of what your interior course of has been in therapeutic from that.

Razi: Sure, and I do know that, you understand, all forms of relationships, even motherhood, theres a spectrum, proper? Some folks really feel extraordinarily maternal. Some folks much less so. And I dont have any judgment there. However I occur to be only a very maternal leaning. So once I had my first two miscarriages, the docs have been like, Oh, that is, you understand, widespread. Even that was actually troublesome for me, Katie, as a result of myself and I believe a number of girls like as quickly as I came upon that I used to be pregnant, I started to kind a relationship with my unborn youngster, proper?

Such as you discuss and sing to your youngster. You dream about what the long run goes to carry. And also you put together, not only for their start, however for the life that you just need to assist them develop. So I felt like there werent a number of sources for me to actually mourn the loss, even when the pregnancies have been early. I felt when the pregnancies have been slightly bit additional alongside, there was extra, you understand, type of sympathy, I suppose. However I felt like there was an actual lack of capacity to seek out sources and I really feel like I actually needed to mourn it alone. I obtained to a degree like after about my fourth miscarriages, my associates stopped inviting me to child showers, to not be unkind, however as a result of they simply didnt know tips on how to take care of it, particularly as a result of a few of them had identified, you understand, I used to be pregnant for, you understand, few months and so they simply didnt know tips on how to take care of it. So, I actually needed to flip to, you understand, my household, my spirituality.

I want that I had like a extremely fantastic method to share. However one factor that Ive discovered after residing some extra years on this Earth is the easiest way that Ive discovered to take care of issues like loss usually are not a lot to give attention to my thought patterns as a result of, you understand, the rationale we ruminate and psychology will inform us the rationale that we predict again and again generally about issues is as a result of we so badly desire a resolution out of one thing painful and generally theres not essentially an answer. And so what I discovered is if you actually take excellent care of your physique, the thoughtsIm not saying mindset isnt vital, however if you actually hear into whats your physique asking you, like when youre in a time of grief after miscarriage and you are feeling drained on a regular basis, or youll be able tot sleep otherwise you simply hungry on a regular basis otherwise youre not hungry in any respect, you understand, these are totally different messages our physique is giving us. And I believe if We dont ever need to get caught in a rut, but when we take a while and simply enable our physique to precise themselves after which nourish and nurture our our bodies in line with these messages, for me, that was at all times the way in which out of grief or loss.

Katie: Yeah, I really like that. And I discovered for me even simply, yeah, having the ability to communicate it and discuss to others too additionally it felt like that gave credibility to that life and in addition simply actually helped to work by the method. And I really like that you just share so susceptible your story with a want to assist different folks. And I do know additionally as a part of your want to assist others youve been so concerned within the naturopath group and in naturopathic drugs for years. And so, for anybody listening whos not acquainted, Id love when you may stroll us by your course of with this and your publication and what youve discovered by all of these years of that deep involvement with naturopathic drugs.

Razi: Sure. So first, I need to say that Im a fan of all forms of well being practitioners and all well being therapeutic paradigms. I believe theres a spot for all of them. And I believe that every individual individually wants to decide on which is the perfect for them. I are inclined to really feel inclined and I imagine most all folks ought to have a naturopathic physician on their well being care staff and a few the reason why. So once we have a look at what naturopathic drugs is, its a really distinctive paradigm of drugs. So once we have a look at a doctoral stage of medical coaching, we principally have three important faculties of that. Theres osteopathy, which is a DO, a medical physician, which is an MD and a naturopathic physician, which is an ND. All of them have very related training so far as the variety of hours, the variety of pharmacology they should take, and issues like that.

And the place naturopathic drugs is slightly totally different, is after they get a number of vitamin, in fact, the entire like Hippocratic meals is drugs. However theres additionally these six ideas that underlie naturopathic drugs which are all framed round a therapeutic order, which makes it so distinctive. So the ideas, Ill undergo them in a short time. One is, first, do no hurt, which all docs actually take that oath that, you understand, you do the least poisonous, least forceful remedy first. Then is the therapeutic energy of nature. And in Latin, that is referred to as the vis medicatrix naturea. And the vis or the vise is that innate life drive that every one residing beings have. So crops, animals, people. Theres this life drive. Some folks name it God. Some folks name it universe. In naturopathy, its referred to as the vis. And its simply that factor that propels us in direction of homeostasis that enables us to expertise allostasis the place were always our our bodies are always altering to adapt to our surroundings. And we imagine that thats actually the pure state of all of us to have the ability to self-heal.

The following one is to determine and deal with the trigger. This has grow to be actually common in lots of paradigms in drugs now and Im so glad that to take a look at the basis trigger. And in naturopathy, were at all times type of peeling that onion slightly bit extra. So it doesnt simply cease at like, Okay, nicely, right heres the thyroid hormones. Its like, Properly, why is the thyroid behaving this fashion? And you then simply type of you retain wanting again till youll be able to actually discover the basis trigger. And a part of that or my favourite elements of that known as eradicating the impediment to remedy. So its not simply wanting on the trigger as a deficiency, but additionally taking a look at the reason for some form of extra or one thing pointless that must be stripped away.

The following one is docere, which is the basis of the phrase physician, which suggests to show. And it says that your physician can be a instructor. The physician doesnt trump your self-knowledge. The physician is your information that will help you self-heal. Deal with the entire individual is quantity 5. I believe once more, thats not as obscure because it as soon as was. However its wanting on the built-in complete of the physique, all of its bodily and religious and its energetic dimensions and the way you form of transfer by house, how you progress by the world. What are your relationships like? Whats your work setting? Whats your private home setting? And the final one is prevention, which, in fact, prevention is the perfect remedy if we may get again to this concept that we need to stop illness as an alternative of ready. Docs actually attempt Naturopathic drugs tries to actually educate these. So these are the ideas. And if I can for a second, Katie, simply type of clarify how they match into this actually distinctive framework. Its referred to as the therapeutic order. Can I do this?

Katie: Yeah, completely.

Razi: So the therapeutic order, when you think about a pyramid, and the very backside of the pyramid is the muse. And that basis is to ascertain the muse for optimum well being. In order thats the place you type of determine what the trigger is, you understand, past what a lab would present. You already know, lets have a look at way of life. Lets have a look at attitudes. Lets have a look at all of the totally different shifting elements in your life and even out of your previous. And you then assess the determinants of well being. What does this individual want with the intention to restore well being? So that is the muse. So that is earlier than dietary supplements are given. That is earlier than vitamin is given. First, thats decided. You then stimulate the self-healing mechanism. So generally a naturopathic physician will say, Yeah, you want thyroid medicine, however youre not prepared for it but. Your vitality isnt fairly there but.

So perhaps theres one other space. Perhaps they should strengthen one thing along with your pituitary. And theyre going to type of stimulate the physiques type of vitality so its prepared for remedy. Then, its if you look to assist and restore weaken programs. And that is the place a number of medical paradigms start and theres nothing mistaken with that. However as you see in naturopathy, theres a couple of steps that come earlier than that. So that is the place you type of support in just like the regeneration of broken organ programs or organs. After which the following step on prime of thats handle the bodily alignment. So whats the structural integrity of the bones, the muscle tissues, generally even posture? You already know, weve type of gotten so enthusiastic about new neat hacks that we overlook about easy issues like hydration and posture for well being.

Then above thats pure symptom management. So the physician first begins in these first steps Im speaking about earlier than we use pure substances to form of palliate signs. And that is the place the physician says, You already know, the symptom is the message. However in some circumstances simply to provide the affected person some aid or to permit the vitality to strengthen, well management these signs and we first attempt it with pure substances. Above that on this pyramid is the artificial aid of signs. Typically medicine are wanted to palliate a symptom to assist the individual. Once more, its to not remedy them. Its to type of assist the important drive, type of unlock the physiques power so it may possibly do its personal self-healing. After which the very tip is the high-force interventions. Typically theyre wanted. They by no means start there. And thats the place you generally suppress pathology. Its by no means the primary alternative, because it typically could be in, you understand, type of conventional drugs. And thats the therapeutic order.

Katie: I really like that. Its so sensible and its such a strong framework. And I believe, you understand, it addresses among the potential deficiencies of typical drugs. However Im additionally curious. I imply, I do know that thats the extra widespread paradigm within the U.S. So how do you see naturopathic drugs and traditional drugs working collectively if theyll or, like, how do you view these two?

Razi: Yeah, so I believe theyre fantastic enhances to one another. And I believe that is actually the place I really like the concept of affected person alternative as a result of, actually, theres so many various methods which you could deal with a illness. You possibly can deal with it by homeopathy, by herbs, by medicines, and nobody is basically going to know that apart from collectively along with your relationship along with your physician. So some folks select to just do typical drugs. Some folks select to do actually old fashioned nature care the place its like cold and hot water remedy, energetic, you understand, structural alignment, and issues like that. And a few folks like a mix of the 2.

I believe that like naturopaths are educated to work with typical medical docs and so they get among the similar coaching. They perceive pharmacology and, in truth, they need to take extra persevering with ed and pharmacology than MDs and DOs, which is form of ironic. However I believe they match collectively so completely as a result of having a naturopathic physician can type of simplyyou understand, the workplace visits are slightly bit longer and so they simply ask totally different questions. And so you need to use it alone or youll be able to simply type of decide and select. Like theres sure issues in my life that I exploit several types of naturopathic docs for, proper? So like if Im in a interval of stress and Ive a flare-up of my fibromyalgia, then Ive a health care provider, a naturopath, that Ive been working with for a very long time and I actually, actually know and belief her.

However final October I had this simply randomnicely, nothing is random, however this intestinal an infection that occurred in a single day and it ended me within the hospital going into sepsis. And, in fact, I wanted typical medical care as a result of what I wanted at the moment was on the very prime of the pyramid. I wanted a high-force intervention to do away with that in order that my physique may then heal. So what I did is I went to the hospital. I used to be there for per week, sadly, needing antibiotics, which I by no means actually need to use until Ive to. However then I had my naturopathic physician to assist me get better from that. So that they work collectively superbly.

Katie: Yeah, I completely agree. And I believe, you understand, you typically hear it stated that for any type of trauma or like acute factor we really are in the perfect place in your entire world relating to that. And I undoubtedly by no means need to low cost what typical drugs and what emergency drugs physicians can do as a result of its really wonderful and so they completely do save lives. Like for me, that was my third child had placenta previa. He was born C-section. With out that, we each would have died. My husbands appendix ruptured. Positively, a time for typical drugs. However I really like that with the 2 of them collectively, youre capable of then for issues that arent an acute drawback or one thing thats extra power, youre capable of go to the basis trigger. Even when you do Such as you stated, even when you want typical drugs too, to start with, to get to the purpose the place youll be able to truly heal and you then use naturopathic drugs to work by it, I believe theres a magnificence there in accessing all of those approaches now. And its simply so wonderful that we now have this. Its unbelievable.

Razi: I do know. Its stunning that we now have so many choices now. And Im actually grateful for that.

Katie: And I do know that you justveSo by publishing the Naturopathic Physician Information and Assessment youve written for nicely over a decade, 14 years now, hundreds of circumstances. Im curious if theres any takeaways or commonalities that you justve seen by all of these articles and that have and studying from all of these.

Razi: Yeah, so I dont write the circumstances. The docs submit the circumstances primarily based on an editorial calendar that I put collectively yearly. So Ive simply been capable of learn and publish, you understand, over 2,000 circumstances. And what I discovered to be actually an underlying theme and this isnt, you understand, something new however that in studying all of the SOAP notes that the physician sends in and what the care is and what the affected persons form of homework is, I discovered that theres actually an emotional facet to just about each state of illness. Theres at all times an emotional facet to it. And my dream is, and I believe its taking place increasingly that, a world the place all docs are form of educated to search for that and assist the affected person uncover that by self-awareness. The entire concept of docere, physician is instructor.

In my very own life, I do know that the way in which I manifest stress is thru my intestine. And so now realizing that and being conscious of it, you understand, when Ive issues that I can do or methods I can change my food plan or totally different self-care practices I can do it below instances of stress to assist type of stop a flare-up in that case. So, yeah, so its not any, like wonderful like biomarker that I came upon, though Ive seen a number of actually neat issues like that, however its simply that, you understand, were such emotional beings. And whether or not we enable that to stream freely by us or we block those who actually generally is a determinant of well being.

Katie: Yeah, I believe thats an ideal segue. I need to be sure we point out it. You have got each a podcast and a mission referred to as Love is Drugs. Like that could be a good title for the phase of your work with speaking in regards to the emotional aspect of it. So type of give us an outline of what thats and the place folks can discover it?

Razi: Thanks, Katie. Love is Drugs actually began again once I had that near-death expertise as a toddler. Once more, I dont know precisely what it was, all I do know it was an expertise that I had. It was a transformative expertise and all of us have them. Typically its simply holding one in all our youngsters and having this intense feeling of oneness, proper, with all the things or with God. Typically its climbing a mountain or being in nature. However there was type of a message in there. The message was that, you understand, I used to be beloved. There was love throughout me. And the way in which that the Earth is form of designed, if I can use that phrase, is to like us. The solar, you understand, rises each morning and the Earth biofield is giving, you understand, is an antioxidant for us and theres meals rising from the Earth. And theres folks round us to commune with. And theres simply love throughout us. And I imagine that love is the therapeutic elixir for all the things.

And once I say love, I dont actually imply essentially, you understand, a love relationship. However its how we transfer by our world. Its how we relate to one another. Its how we understand ourselves. Its how we transfer by our day, how we handle our physique, how we handle the those that we love. That to me is drugs. And I believe theres increasingly analysis to point out that. You already know, Im positive youve had, you understand, many, many visitors discuss loneliness is extra detrimental than cigarette smoking and emotions of isolation. Even when its self-reported could be, you understand, actual trigger for like coronary heart illness and even most cancers. So love is drugs. Its about simply type of that self-awareness of coming again into this concept that youve got all of the solutions inside you and the way you eat, breathe, transfer, communicate, suppose, and relate to the world round you and folks round you have an effect on each cell in your physique. And to me, thats what Love is Drugs is.

Katie: Thats superior. And Ill be sure hyperlinks are within the present notes so folks can discover you on that.

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Katie: Are there every other suggestions or workout routines that youd give us for these of us studying to connect with that type of interior knowledge or to work by that interior emotional aspect?

Razi: Sure. Im truly writing a e book proper now that however it gainedt be out for a yr on actually tips on how to reconnect. And theres a few easy suggestions. One method to actually reconnect along with your physique and this introspective sensitivity that we now have Interception is that this physiological means of understanding our interior physique. As an example, have you ever ever heard of the time period Mittelschmerz, Katie?

Katie: I havent.

Razi: Okay, Mittelschmerz is a German title for center ache and its a phrase that will get used when girls can really feel themselves ovulate. And so having the ability to type of perceive like be delicate to your coronary heart fee variability, adjustments in blood strain, and actually being in tune along with your our bodies known as interception. They discovered that folks like on the autism spectrum have much less capacity with folks with consuming issues, have much less capacity to actually hear to those inside physique alerts. And there was one research that confirmed that if you do energy posing, it may possibly assist strengthen your interceptive sensitivity, being extra conscious of them. And I believe its enjoyable as a result of its so easy and so like one thing I by no means would have considered. However energy poses or issues like this. Like youll be able to sit again in a chair in entrance of a desk or a desk and put your toes up, put your arms behind your head, type of like, Yeah, Ive obtained this. Im the boss right here. And its an influence pose. And an influence pose like that could be a physique motion that form of interprets right into a deeper understanding of your physique.

One other energy pose is standing up tall along with your toes about, you understand, hip-width aside and placing your two arms in your hips and simply type of standing tall. And I wish to put like a facial like a smile or type of unknowing grin on my face every time I do that energy pose. And I educate my children to do it too. Theyre a number of enjoyable. In the event that theyre making an attempt to decide, Ill say, Properly, do some energy posing and actually get linked along with your physique. So these are some actually enjoyable methods which you could get in contact. One other factor that I really like is Im so fascinated by the way in which our olfactory sense is linked to cognition. And cognition is a extremely vital a part of our instinct as a result of really, we predict with each cell in our physique. Weve obtained immunological reminiscence, mobile reminiscence. Our immune system has a reminiscence.

And so our olfactory sense is so linked to all these. In reality, it was just lately found that we now have olfactory receptors in our kidneys that assist sniff out like what the constituents of your blood are in your blood and assist management like blood strain and different like chemical regulation of the bloodstream. So one of many issues that I actually love to do to get actually in tune is a sensory detox. And one of many ones is with our olfactory, our sense of odor. So what I ask folks to do is for 2 weeks do away with something scented of their setting, even pure scents. So meaning no important oils, no perfumes, no deodorants, nothing scented, and type of get used to and conscious of the scents which are throughout you, even this scents which are coming from your personal physique, your breath, your armpits, simply the pores and skin, your hair, as a result of we soak up chemo alerts 24/7. After were asleep, once were awake, were taking in these chemical compounds from the world round us.

Typically theyre pheromones, however theres so many extra that were simply studying about. And that is knowledge that offers our physique info. In reality, there are some rat research that confirmed youll be able to breed a rat for a number of generations in complete sterility. So that they havent seen every other animals, no predators, or something for a number of generations. After which what they did is that theyI need to say generations. Rats dont stay a really very long time. So its not like tons of of years. However then what they do is that they introduce physique fluids from totally different different animals.

And thru posture and new habits, the rats may inform by the simply these pure chemical compounds coming from different animals our bodies and people too, they may inform if it was a predator, male or feminine, if it was in warmth. Like they may introduce a scent of like a younger feminine rat, after which the male rat would dont have any sexual posturing. But when it was like an older feminine rat if it was of I dont know when youd say childbearing age in a rat, however then that animal had like sexual posturing. So weve discovered a lot in regards to the world round us by this chemo sense of olfaction. And I believe its a extremely nice method to begin getting in tune along with your physique.

Katie: Thats so fascinating. Ive by no means heard that earlier than in regards to the kidneys having the olfactory sensors. Thats wonderful.

And it is smart too. The physique, I believe I imply, I nonetheless really feel like were solely barely beginning to perceive and contact on the knowledge of the physique. I believe were nonetheless going to be taught a lot. And Im wonderingso like being on this well being world myself, its like theres a lot info and weve discovered a lot knowledge of all of the issues that we ought to be doing. Im curious for you having, you understand, 14 years of publicity to this expertise, what are the issues that really stick and that you just implement in your every day life? So like in your morning routine or which are a part of your every day routine.

Razi: Yeah, so a number of them I believe youve most likely heard many instances earlier than, however I attempt to at all times get up naturally and have my children do this too. I really feel like that its simply so vital. And I seen only a large distinction. Similar to they are saying a toddler is aware of when it ought to be born by giving the moms alerts in an ideal setting, proper, I really feel like your physique simply is aware of when its time to get up. So I additionally do, you understand, go exterior first. And I at all times hug bushes. Its type of like I suppose a foolish geeky factor. However, you understand, the bushes roots are going to date down into the Earth and so theyre linked to different tree roots. And I even have some bushes in my yard that my late father had planted. So I make a ritual of it each morning to hug some bushes. And I simply actually really feel, you understand, the results of the Earths biofield and the daylight.

And I additionally, all through the day, I take these little self-awareness breaks however Im not a meditator. Truly, I hate yoga and I hate meditating and Im at all times embarrassed to say that however theyre two issues that I do know are so good for you however I simply dont like both of them. So I take the self-awareness breaks throughout the day. And right heres the way its totally different from meditation. And meditation typically says, you understand, Shut your eyes and breathe deeply. Properly, I say, Overlook that. I say, Hold your eyes open and breathe usually. I name it sleeping, child respiratory. While you breathe usually, youve, you understand, these sure ratios of various chemical compounds that assist your physique soak up oxygen. And, you understand, deep respiratory is sweet too, however to simply concentrate on the place your physique actually is at that second. So we hold our eyes open, and we breathe usually. And we hold our physique posture wherever its. Typically I ship a sign on my telephone to do that.

And also you guys discover issues like what am I listening to proper now? Proper now on my proper ear, I hear the neighbors lawnmower. After which I additionally really feel like my bra strap is slightly bit too tight. I really feel like I can really feel, you understand, what the chilly ground looks like on the underside of my toes. I can really feel, you understand, that my mouth is slightly bit dry, that I most likely ought to be consuming some extra water this morning. And I hear and really feel the air-con type of brush towards my left shoulder coming in from the room. So once I do these easy practices, generally Ill do it once Im cooking, slicing and onion. I discover the deep purple colour of the onion. I really feel what does the little muscle tissues in my eyes really feel like if they start to tear? Im open to the slicing sound.

And I attempt to simply get tremendous conscious of it, not simply in my head, in my complete physique. And what I discover is if you follow wherever your physique is at, youre type of coaching your self to know what your physique wants always. In any other case, once I dont do it, Im not going engaged on the pc after speaking to you for an additional hour with out consuming water, proper, as a result of were simply centered in our thoughts of what we should be doing. However once we take these little self-awareness breaks, it trains us to hearken to our our bodies.

Katie: Thats an awesome tip and thats what Ive by no means heard earlier than. Im additionally not an enormous fan of meditating. And like I do higher with one thing concrete such as you and Ive talked about earlier than, like chilly water or particular respiratory. And like I dont simply the concept of meditating however I really like these self-awareness check-ins. Thats an awesome concept.

Razi: Thanks, Katie. Its enjoyable too as a result of I believe like, Oh, my gosh like Ive been sitting with my legs crossed and my legs beginning to go to sleep. Like how lengthy was I gonna let myself do this, you understand? And thats not a significant factor thats a determinant of well being. However when you begin with the small issues, then I believe you grow to be extra conscious of the bigger issues in your life that your physique tells you it wants.

Katie: Yeah, thats such an awesome level. And our time is flying by so quick since youre really easy to speak to. However a pair questions Id like to ask towards the top and I do know that you justre additionally very well-read. So Im curious if theres a e book or variety of books which have actually had a dramatic affect in your life, and in that case, what theyre and why?

Razi: Okay, so one e book that I obtained in highschool that I used to be at like a storage sale, and its referred to as The Artwork of Loving by Erich Fromm. Have you ever heard of it?

Kaie: Ive heard of it. However Ive not learn it.

Katie: Okay, so Erich Fromm was I suppose hes like a psychoanalyst, a psychotherapist, and in addition only a social, I suppose thinker, and he was the primary individual to actually discuss love as one thing price taking a look at like in a tutorial form of manner. And theres a passage Id like or only a sentence or two Id wish to learn from his e book that basically modified my concept of what love is. And it says this. Love shouldnt be primarily a relationship to a selected individual. Its an perspective, an orientation of character, which determines the relatedness the individual to the world as a complete, not towards one object of affection. If an individual loves just one different individual and is detached to the remainder of his fellow-men, this love shouldnt be love however a symbiotic attachment.

And once I learn that was simply, you understand, a younger lady in highschool and I had my past love, my first boyfriend, and all of the marvel and type of angst that goes with that. And I used to be actually type of astounded by this little e book and the way it teaches rather a lot about self-responsibility and that love is definitelysuch as you dont fall in love. You stand in love. And it talks about love as an artwork so its referred to as The Artwork of Loving as every other endeavor that we do this we as people are referred to as even biblically when youre so inclined to like each other. Not from a non secular perspective, however it type of explores what does that seem like. And I believe if we actually observe that and look inside and love ourselves and love the folks, the world round us, I believe its actually an answer to a number of what ails us.

Katie: Ill be sure I add that within the present notes so folks can discover that e book. Thats attention-grabbing and, yeah, a brand new advice on right here. Lastly, is there any parting recommendation you wish to go away with the viewers as we speak?

Razi: Im at all times searching for recommendation myself and I undoubtedly suppose that Im type of a scholar of life as nicely. However I believe the perfect recommendation I might give is to at all times be sincere with your self. I believe that theres a number of methods particularly taking a look at social media and stuff that we type of, you understand, badass ourselves out of wanting on the fact, that we type of excessive 5 ourselves generally in a manner that may be truly type of aggressive and even passive-aggressive. And I believe that the easiest way in direction of happiness is to at all times simply be sincere with your self in each scenario that you justre in, whether or not its an sickness or pleasure, elevating your loved ones, being in a relationship, what youre consuming, a brand new train routine. I believe that basically being sincere with your self is a manner which you could by no means go mistaken.

Katie: I really like that. I believe its an ideal place to wrap up. And Ill ensure that the hyperlinks to all the issues weve talked about to naturopath and to your publication and podcasts and all the things are within the present notes at wellnessmama.fm. So when you guys are driving or exercising or no matter it could be, youll find these hyperlinks later at wellnessmama.fm. However, Razi, thanks a lot for being right here. Its at all times such a pleasure to talk with you.

Razi: It was numerous enjoyable. Thanks once more, Katie.

Katie: And because of all of you for sharing your most dear asset, your time, with us as we speak. Were each so grateful that you just did. And I hope that youll be part of me once more on the following episode of The Wellness Mama Podcast.

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283: A Entire-Particular person Strategy to Well being With Razi Berry - Editorials 360

Questionable nutritional advice is easily amplified in our digital world, but older generations have always passed down health adages that younger generations found difficult to believe. Did your parents ever encourage you to drink fish oil to boost brain power before an exam, or offer mustard when you had a muscle cramp? My folks believed ginger relieves nausea. I was curious whether these adages and folk remedies could withstand the scrutiny of science or whether theyre bunkum. So I set out to research a few of them.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

This well-known statement is based on an 1860s Welsh proverb that eating apples will diminish doctor visits. And it has actually been put to the test in a 2015 April FoolsDay issue of JAMA Internal Medicine (while the topics were zany, the studies were real).

From 15p 0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.

Researchers investigated whether people who reported eating apples daily actually had fewer annual doctor visits or were in better overall health. Of the 8,399 study participants, 753 ate at least one small apple daily. The results showed that 39 per cent of apple eaters avoided physician visits compared to 34 per cent of non-apple eaters, which was not a statistically significant difference. Researchers did find that apple eaters were a bit less likely to require prescription medications compared to non-apple eaters, leading the researcher to joke that an apple a day keeps the pharmacist away.

Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average.

Getty

The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females.But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal

Ye et al/Current Biology

African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017.

Reuters

Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago

A. Gennari

A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste

Steven G Johnson

Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands

Clay Bolt

Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal

New Mexico Museum of Natural History

Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold

Faye Levine, University of Maryland

A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males

Getty

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase

Getty

The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies

Getty/AFP

The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Grard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers

Reuters/AP

The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn"

Viktor Radermacher / SWNS

Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star.

ESO/A. Mller et al

Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins

Getty

Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs

Jos Iriarte

More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test.Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly.

Getty

The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth.

Pictures by: Tom Momary

Included in Wellcome Image Awards, this 3D image of an African grey parrot shows the highly intricate system of blood vessels.

Scott Birch. Wellcome Images

Another Wellcome Images Award winner, this time of baby Hawaiian bobtail squid. The black ink sac and light organ in the centre of the squids mantle cavity can be clearly seen.

Macroscopic Solutions. Wellcome Images

Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average.

Getty

The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females.But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal

Ye et al/Current Biology

African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017.

Reuters

Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago

A. Gennari

A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste

Steven G Johnson

Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands

Clay Bolt

Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal

New Mexico Museum of Natural History

Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold

Faye Levine, University of Maryland

A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males

Getty

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase

Getty

The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies

Getty/AFP

The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Grard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers

Reuters/AP

The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn"

Viktor Radermacher / SWNS

Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star.

ESO/A. Mller et al

Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins

Getty

Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs

Jos Iriarte

More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test.Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly.

Getty

The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth.

Pictures by: Tom Momary

Included in Wellcome Image Awards, this 3D image of an African grey parrot shows the highly intricate system of blood vessels.

Scott Birch. Wellcome Images

Another Wellcome Images Award winner, this time of baby Hawaiian bobtail squid. The black ink sac and light organ in the centre of the squids mantle cavity can be clearly seen.

Macroscopic Solutions. Wellcome Images

Of course, the doctor proverb shouldnt be taken literally, but the overall sentiment is true: eating vegetables and fruits daily does have health benefits. Thats because the combination of fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients may help reduce inflammation and combat cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer.

Carrots are good for your eyes

This narrative traces back to the SecondWorld War. In 1940, British royal air force pilots began using radar to shoot down enemy planes in the dark. To keep this new technology a secret, the Ministry of Informations propaganda was that the pilots had great visual accuracy because they ate carrots, which improved their night vision.

Many children have to be threatened with the possibility of poor eyesightbefore they eat their carrots(Getty)

It seemed plausible, too, because carrots are rich in the antioxidant beta carotene, the precursor to vitamin A. Once absorbed by the body, vitamin A helps make rhodopsin, a pigment that helps eyes work better in low light. Carrots can help if you have vitamin A deficiency that causes poor night vision, but of course they cant really help you (or air force pilots) see in complete darkness. So, yes, carrots are good for eyesight, but other foods rich in beta carotene, such as sweet potatoes, squash and leafy green vegetables, have the same benefits.

Turkey makes you tired

Weve all heard this one after Christmas dinner: The turkey made you fall asleep! Turkey contains an amino acid (a building block of protein) known as tryptophan, which the body uses to generate serotonin, which helps promote sleep. So then there must be something to this whole turkey-sleep connection, right?

Not so fast. Turkey contains no more tryptophan than beef, eggs, fish or chicken, and tryptophan has a hard time getting past the blood-brain barrier, so its not an effective sleep inducer on its own. But the effect of tryptophan increases when insulin levels are high, as happens after you eat a carb-rich meal such as a Christmasdinner with stuffing andpotatoes. So its actually carbs that increase serotonin levels and help with the production of the hormone melatonin, which makes you sleepy. Eating a large meal can have a similar effect because theres increased blood flow to the stomach for digestion, and decreased blood flow to the brain. So its definitely not just turkey that makes you sleepy.

Ginger is also believed to help chronic indigestion and muscle pain (Getty)

Ginger relieves nausea

This remedy has strong roots. More than 5,000 years ago, people from India and China used ginger as a tonic to treat many ailments. The most common and well-established historical use is to alleviate nausea and vomiting. Today, many clinical studies support the use of ginger for exactly this purpose.

Research shows that ginger helps relieve nausea and vomiting caused by motion sickness, morning sickness in pregnancy, during chemotherapy treatments and post-surgically after anaesthetic. Its thought that the constituents in ginger including gingerols and shogaols help speed gastric emptying, which relieves nausea. Some people sip ginger tea for relief, while others prefer to take a ginger capsule, and studies show that both options can work. My mum used to open a can of ginger ale when I was queasy. While she was on the right track, it turns out many soda brands use artificial flavouring rather than real ginger, so those are of little benefit.

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Fish can be one of the most diverse and budget-friendly proteins (Getty)

Fish is good for your brain

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Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? The health myths that are just that - The Independent

If you are feeling lethargic or anxious and have gained weight, your doctor might recommend a thyroid function test. These are a series of blood tests that are used to measure how the thyroid gland is functioning. Thyroid hormone affects a persons physical energy, temperature, weight and mood.An estimated 42 million people in India suffer from thyroid diseases, so it is important to get a thyroid function test, especially if you are in the high risk category. Women and old people are at a higher risk of hypothyroidism.What are thyroid function tests?

The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine T4) and a thyroid function test is recommended to assess the levels of these two hormones.

The thyroid panel (test package) also includes a test for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which is produced by the pituitary gland. This hormone helps in regulating the hormones produced by the thyroid gland.

A TSH test is used to determine the underlying cause of abnormal thyroid hormone levels. It is also used to screen for an underactive or overactive thyroid gland.

Are you at risk of thyroid?

T4 and TSH tests are routinely performed on newborns to identify low-functioning thyroid gland. If you are 35 and above or have any risk factors of thyroid disease, it is advised to undergo a screening for thyroid every five years or as prescribed by your doctor.

In addition to high-risk groups, doctors may recommend thyroid screening for patients:

-With a swollen neck (due to an enlarged thyroid gland).-Who have had surgery or radiation therapy, which might have affected the thyroid gland.-With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.-With family history of autoimmune thyroid disease.-With psychiatric disorders.-With Downs or Turner Syndrome.

What is the normal range of T3, T4 and TSH?T3: 100200 nanograms per deciliter of blood (ng/dL)

T4: 4.5 11.2 micrograms per deciliter of blood (mcg/dL)

TSH: 0.4 5.0 milli-international units per liter (mIU/dL)

However, if you already have thyroid disease, then the normal range of TSH should be 0.5 3.0 milli-international units per liter.

Overnight fasting is required before undergoing the test. Also, if you are on steroids or taking oral contraceptives, inform your doctor about the same as it might interfere with the test reports.

Understanding the test resultsUsually, T4 and TSH results are used to derive at a diagnosis. However, T3 can help if T4 and TSH suggest hyperthyroidism or if your thyroid levels are not elevated but you might be showing signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

Patterns of thyroid function tests during an assessment of thyroid function are:

Normal thyroid (Euthyroid)

T3: Normal

T4: Normal

TSH: Normal

Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)

T3: High

T4: High or normal

TSH: Low

Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

T3: Normal or low

T4: Low

TSH: High

Thyroid tests next steps

If the test reports are normal, even then diet modifications such as vitamin and mineral supplements may be recommended by your doctor.

DISCLAIMER:This article is authored and provided by The Times of India Healthy India Fit India partner, 1mg.

Continued here:
Thyroid function test: Know what T3, T4 and TSH mean - Times of India