Live 2010 Like You Want To

By Bill Callahan, M.D. 




It’s that time again.  Big balls dropping, toasts given, resolutions given and many broken.  We are on the eve of a New Year. I look at a resolution for change, whether on January 1 or on any anniversary, as a battle between the healthy part of me that is for change and courage, and the destructive part of me that wallows in ruts and familiar patterns.




A careful review of our behavior over the past year allows us to see the thoughts, actions, and fear that causes us to retreat into familiar patterns with known results.  We can predict, if we are honest with ourselves, how we talk ourselves out of change, and perhaps berate ourselves after we get disappointed.  This hopeless pattern does not need to continue.




I find when I set out for my three mile run in the dark at the end of the day, that there is a point just before a mile where my mind and body scream out with every reason to give it up (just for today they tell me) with all kinds of legitimate reasons to postpone, and yet when I make myself persevere there is a powerful euphoria related to the genuine side of me winning over the part that wants to quit and postpone.  We all have the chance to strengthen our healthy side and weaken the self destructive parts of us.

A few ideas that I use to keep resolutions for change, at New Year’s or any anniversary that matters to me:

1.      1. Do set goals.  The focus of our minds makes a huge difference.  Take a look at the movie What the Bleep Do We Know to get a glimpse into the untapped potential of the human mind and spirit.

2.      2.  Catalogue the ways you talk yourself out of change, postpone and procrastinate so that you know the enemy parts of yourself and their maneuvers.  Every time you stop one of them it’s another win for you.

3.     3. Pat yourself on the back for successes, but don’t reward yourself by undoing your gain (spending money if you are reigning that in, eating excessively when you wish to lose weight).  Speak honestly to yourself when you have given in to your destructive side but without berating yourself.

4.     4. Learn to talk in terms of what you want and will do.  Remove the words should, need, have to, can and can’t from your vocabulary.  This language reinforces obligation, which can cause a  knee-jerk stubbornness, and the helpless part of our character.  These parts are not our friends.

5.     5. Remember, when waging war for your independence, there will be many battles.  You simply need to win more than you lose, and you can do that.

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Posted in: Bill Callahan MD,goals

CHG Best of December 2009

Apologies for the excessive link compilations, folks. We'll return to regular blogging on Monday. In the meantime - it's the best of December 2009. Lots of liveblogging this month, including the Biggest Loser finale and the all-day Food Network marathon, from which the world may never truly recover. And by “the world,” I mean “my lower back.” (Hyuck hyuck hyuck.)

Happy reading, everybody, and thank you for making CHG as joyous as it is.

DECEMBER'S NEW RECIPES
Almond Milk
Chicken Fried Rice
Lighter Baked Ziti
Mushroom Bhaji (Mushrooms in Tomato Onion Sauce)
Red Cabbage with Apples


DECEMBER ARTICLES

We watched Paula, Emeril, Alton, and company for 19-Hour Food Network Running Diary: The Whole Thing and Various Conclusions. Then we blogged about it.

First, we got some practice with The Biggest Loser Season 8 Finale: Livebloggin’.

If you ever wanted to eat healthier without a cookbook, then you might dig Lighten Any Meal: 10 Easy, Inexpensive Steps to Healthier Recipes.

Leigh clued us into faux flesh with Newsflash! Scientists Getting Closer to Lab-grown Meat.

In this month’s Ask the Internet, we answered a wedding beer question, brought up an ethical dilemma concerning bad produce, wondered about unused Christmas food, and suggested family recipes for a vegetarian, a meat-eater, and picky kids.


FOR MORE CHEAP HEALTHY GOODNESS...

1) Have your say!
We love creative comments and thought-provoking discussions. There’s even a fabulous new Ask the Internet column, where readers can write in with various inquiries and/or offer helpful suggestions. Sweet.

2) Spread the word!
Like us? Link to us! Refer us to a bookmarking site! (We have StumbleUpon and Digg buttons now!) Or just talk us up to your mom. That’s nice, too.

3) Behold our social networking!
Subscribe to our feed, join our Facebook page, or check out our Twitter … thing. They’re super fun ways to kill time, minus the soul-crushing frustration of Bejeweled.

4) Buy from our Amazon Store!
If you click on the Amazon widget (lower left hand corner) and buy anything from Amazon (not just what we’re advertising on CHG), we get a small commission. And that’s always nice. P.S. Thank you to EVERYONE who so generously bought for Christmas. It was much appreciated.

5) Remember: it’s “supposedly,” not “supposubly.”
With your help, we can stop this terrible affliction in the new year. Happy 2010!

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Posted in: Links

TIFUS

Cukup banyak masyarakat di Indonesia yang pernah terserang tifus,apa sih sebenernya penyakit ini?Dan bagaimana ia bisa menjangkiti tubuh kita hingga terasa amat lemas ?Cek dulu deh yang di bawah ini.

Demam tifoid atau yang dikenal dengan istilah tifus,merupakan penyakit infeksi yang masuk melalui saluran cerna kemudian menyebar ke seluruh tubuh melalui darah ( infeksi sistemik ).Tifus disebabkan oleh bakteri yang bernama Salmonella serovarian typhi dan paratyph.Meski terdapat ratusan jenis bakteri Salmonella,terdapat hanya 4 jenis yang dapat menimbulkan tifus yaitu Salmonella serovarian typhi,paratyphi A,paratyphi B,dan paratyphi C.

tifus di sebut juga demam tifoid

Tifus merupakan penyakit endemis yang berarti kasusnya selalu ada sepanjang tahun.Umumnya penderita tifus meningkat,terutama pada musim kemarau.Penyakit ini terjadi apabila seseorang terinfeksi kuman Salmonella,yang umumnya melalui makanan atau minuman yang tercemar.Apabila jumlah kuman yang masuk ke tubuh cukup untuk menimbulkan infeksi,kuman akan menempel pada saluran cerna kemudian berkembang biak.Setelah itu,kuman menembus dinding usus dan masul ke aliran darah sehingga menyebar ke seluruh tubuh,menimbulkan infeksi pada organ tubuh lain di luar saluran cerna.Ada kalanya kuman tidak cukup untuk menyerang dan hanya menimbulkan infeksi lokal di saluran cerna dengan gejala perut kembung,mual atau diare,keadaan ini disebut dengan Salmonelosis.

Gejala yang khas pada tifus adalah demam.Demam pada tifus umumnya memiliki pola khusus,dengan suhu yang meningkat sangat tinggi ( mencapai 39 derajat celcius atau lebih ) naik dan turun,dan umumnya meningkat pada sore dan malam hari.

Pada beberapa hari pertama,sering kali sulit membedakan apalah demam disebabkan oleh tifus atau oleh penyebab demam lain,seperti demam berdarah atau malaria.Pola demam yang disebabkan demam berdarah umumnya meningkat mendadak dengan suhu sangat tinggi dan demam akan turun secara cepat di hari ke - 5 atau 6.Bila demam sudah berlangsung lebih dari 7 hari,besar kemungkinan demam disebabkan oleh tifus dan bukan demam berdarah.

bila suhu tubuh tinggi,ada kemungkinan
terserang tifus

Gejala lain yang sering menyertai adalah gejala pada pencernaan,seperti mual,muntah,sembelit atau diare,gelisah,mengigau,kesadaran menurun,nyeri perut dan buang air besar berdarah dapat terjadi.
Salah satu pemeriksaan laboratorium yang sering dilakukan untuk mendiagnosis penyakit tifus adalah pemeriksaan widal.Uji widal adalah suatu pemeriksaan serologi yang berarti bahwa hasil uji widal positif menunjukkan adanya zat anti ( anti-bodi ) terhadap kuman Salmonella.Uji widal positif menunjukkan bahwa seseorang pernah terinfeksi dengan kuman Salmonella tipe tertentu.

Untuk menentukan seseorang menderita demam tifoid,tetap harus di dasarkan adanya gejala yang sesuai dengan penyakit tifus,uji widal hanya sebagai pemeriksaan yang menunjang diagnosa.
Beberapa hal yang sering disalahartikan dari pemeriksaan widal adalah :



1) Pemeriksaan widal positif dianggap ada kuman dalam tubuh : uji widal hanya menunjukkan adanya antibodi terhadap kuman salmonella.

2) Pemeriksaan widal yang diulang setelah pengobatan dan menunjukkan hasil positif dianggap masih menderita tifus : setelah seseorang menderita tifus dan mendapat pengobauan,hasil uji widal tetap positif untuk waktu yang lama sehingga uji widal tidak dapat digunakan sebagai acuan untuk menyatakan kesembuhan
.
3) Hasil uji negatif dianggap tidak menderita tifus : uji widal umumnya menunjukkan hasil positif 5 hari atau lebih setelah infeksi.Karena itu bila infeksi baru berlangsung beberapa hari,sering kali hasilnya masih negatif dan baru akan positif bila pemeriksaan diulang.




Lalu,apa yang harus dilakukan kalau mengalami tifus?



Hal terpenting dalam pengobatan tifus adalah mendeteksi dan mengobati sedini mungkin sehingga dapat mencegah terjadinya komplikasi.Umumnya terjadi pada minggu ke - 2 dan ke - 3 setelah demam,berupa perdarahan saluran cerna,nyeri perut atau penurunan kesadaran.Bila demam tinggi terus berlangsung lebih dari 7 hari,atau terdapat gejala yang berhubungan dengan komplikasi tifus,sebaiknya penderita dibawa ke rumah sakit atau sarana kesehatan terdekat untuk mendapat pengobatan.
Perawatan penderita tifus yang dapat dilakukan di rumah adalah : beristirahat,makan makanan dengan protein dan gizi yang cukup,cukup minum.Hindari makanan yang berserat tinggi,berbumbu pedas atau asam karena dapat mengiritasi usus dan berisiko menimbulkan perdarahan.Bentuk makanan padat seperti nasi lunak dapat diberikan asal dikunyah secara baik.



Apakah tifus bisa disembuhkan?

Pada umumnya dengan pengobatan antibiotika yang tersedia saat ini,tifus dapat diobati dengan tuntas.Hanya sebagian kecil penderita setelah sembuh mengalami kekambuhan,dan umumnya kekambuhan ditandai dengan timbulnya kembali gejala demam 1 minggu setelah pengobatan dihentikan.

Kesembuhan setelah pengobatan tidak menjamin seseorang menjadi kebal terhadap infeksi berikutnya.Infeksi berulang lebih sering dialami karena kurang menjaga kebersihan,terutama mencuci tangan sebelum makan dan minum,selain itu upaya pencegahan lain yang dapat dilakukan adalah dengan memberikan vaksinasi.

Pembawa kuman atau karier,dapat dialami pada sebagian kecil penderita yang tidak mendapat pengobatan secara tuntas.Pada karier kuman Salmonella,umumnya tidak bergejala dan hanya dapat diketahui dari pemeriksaan pembiakan kuman dari tinja dan kemih.Seorang karier sebaiknya mendapat pengobatan,dan tidak diperbolehkan menyajikan makanan atau minuman sebelum pengobatannya tuntas,karena berpotensi menyebarkan atau menularkan tifus kepada orang lain.

Jangan sampe kena tifus ya!Repot loh!Hehehe.


Source : berbagai sumber

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Posted in: demam tifoid,Disease,Tifus

10 Langkah Dapetin Kulit Mulus

Semua manusia,khususnya kaum hawa pasti ingin selalu tampil sempurna dan diperhatikan lawan jenis,nah salah satunya dengan menjaga kulit tubuh agar senantiasa fresh,gimana sih caranya?gampang ko,ayo deh kita liat langkah - langkah nya...


Langkah 1 : Mandi.

Of course,penting banget loh membersihkan tubuh kita minimal 2 kali sehari.Supaya kotoran yang melekat di kulit segera dibersihkan.Semakin jarang mandi,tentunya semakin kumel penampilan kulit kita.Soalnya kotoran makin banyak dan menumpuk,iiih ngeri.Untuk membersihkan kulit muka,lebih dulu gunakan pembersih wajah.Kalo perlu,gunakan produk yang mengandung "Salicylic acid" untuk mencegah timbulnya jerawat.Kemudian,gunakan sabun wajah berbentuk foam ( busa ) yang mudah mengangkat kotoran.




Langkah 2 : Jauhi Rokok.

Ssstt,larangan ini bukan cuma di pasang di ruangan ber - AC atau kawasan bebas rokok,tapi juga di dalam tubuh kita,loh.Kenapa?Karena merokok adalah cara yang paling mujarab untuk merusak kulit indah kita.Masih mau ngerokok?Gini lho,asap rokok menyumbat aliran darah yang mengandung gizi ke kulit,sehingga kulit akan kehilangan oksigen dan darah yang dibutuhkan.
Kalu kamu merokok,yakin deh kulitmu pasti kusam.



Langkah 3 : Asupan Makanan.

Diet yang seimbang,mencakup banyak buah dan sayur segar dan cukup protein,akan meningkatkan kesehatan kulit.Karena kulit yang sehat,berawal dari dalam tentunya.Ngemil sih boleh - boleh aja,asal nggak berlebihan dan selalu menyertakan buah atau sayur segar dalam daftar makanan kita.Kalo sesuatu terjadi pada kesehatan kita,kulit lah yang terlebih dahulu menampakkan tanda - tandanya.



Langkah 4 : Water...Water...

Minumlah minimal 8 gelas sehari!Kenapa 8 gelas?Kenapa nggak 7 atau 6?Yup!Karena itulah jumlah minimal yang kita butuhkan agar tubuh nggak kekurangan cairan.Kalo kita sering merasa haus,kulit kita pasti cepat keriput.
Air dapat membuat kulit kita sehat,halus dan segar,karena air melembabkan kulit dari dalam.Selain itu,meminum air putih dapat membuang racun dari dalam tubuh kita.Pengen sehat kan?Minum dong!Tapi bukan minum alkohol ya!Hehehe...



Langkah 5 : Tidur.

Pernah denger dongeng "Putri Bobo" eh "Putri Tidur" ? Menurut ceritanya,si putri itu berwajah cantik bukan?( kalo jelek pasti disebutnya putri buruk rupa,wkwkwk ).Nah si putri jadi cantik begitu karena cukup tidur.Kulit kita membutuhkan tidur agar sel - sel kulitnya bisa memperbaiki diri.Makanya,penting loh menyediakan waktu tidur yang berkualitas!Paling nggak 6 jam sehari deh,supaya kulit kita terlihat sehat.Selagi kita bobo,sel kulit yang rusak juga lebih cepat ber - regenerasi.



Langkah 6 : Don't Touch!

Ugghh rasanya jari - jari gatel buaanngget deh pengen mencetin jerawat nakal yang suka timbul di saat yang tidak tepat!( emang kapan tepat nya? ).Well,apapun makananmu minumnya teh...Eh salah,maksudnya apapun masalahmu,jangan pernah memencet jerawat dengan jari.Karena,dengan memencet jerawat hanya akan membuat kulit wajah kita terluka dan butuh waktu yang cukup lama untuk menghilangkannya.Haduh?!Apalagi kalo jari tangan kita kotor,bakalan infeksi deh!!Iiih amit - amit,bukanya mau nge - iklan ( karena emang belum di bayar,hihihi ) mendingan pake obat jerawat yang aman aja deh,korbaninlah sedikit kocek.



Langkah 7 : Pelembab.

Kalo habis mandi,cepet - cepet deh dikeringin,takut jadi panu.Nah habis itu,pake pelembab untuk menahan kelembaban tubuh kita.Bedakan antara pelembab tubuh dan wajah,ya karena formulasi keduanya berbeda.Yang pasti,pilih pelembab yang cocok aja dengan kulitmu.



Langkah 8 : Scrub.

Sel - sel kulit yang udah menua,waktunya pensiun!Kalo nggak di - scrub,wajah kita bakal terlihat kusam dan yang lebih parahnya,bisa menutup pori - pori.Tau nggak?Kalo pori - pori tertutup,bakal muncul deh yang namanya komedo dan sodaranya,si jerawat.Sel kulit ini sebenarnya akan rontok sendiri di setiap 28 hari.Tapi,yah namanya juga manusia,kondisi kulit nya nggak sama antara yang satu dan lainnya.So,scrubing aja seminggu sekali,dan untuk kulit tubuh,lakukan aja 2 minggu sekali.



Langkah 9 : Alas Bedak.

Jangan memakai alas bedak,kecuali kalo pergi ke pesta malam.Apalagi,kalo kamu nggak ngerti cara milihnya,cuma akan membuat kulit wajahmu menjadi tua,hiii ogah banget kan? Sekalipun kamu memang perlu banget,pilih deh yang oil - free alias bebas minyak,dan ulaskan di daerah kulit yang warnanya nggak rata aja.





Langkah 10 : Awas Mr.Sun!

Kulit yang kecoklatan memang lebih enak dilihat dan lebih eksotis ketimbang kulit bule yang kemerahan.Itu sebabnya,orang bule suka berjemur ( di Bali kan banyak ).But,kulit perlu pelindung loh,selain menahan sinar matahari yang bisa meruabah warna kulit jadi lebih gelap,pelindung kulit yang berupa lotion ini bisa mencegah kulit kita terkena kanker kulit.Sekarang ini,banyak pelembab yang udah menyertakan SPF dalam kandungannya.


Source : berbagai sumber

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Posted in: cara membuat kulit mulus,kulit mulus,Skin

Pandemi Flu

Pandemi flu sebenarnya bukan baru kali ini terjadi,pada abad yang lalu,tiga pandemi flu pernah menyerang dunia dan menewaskan jutaan orang.Dan tiga "monster" pandemi flu itu adalah :

Flu Spanyol

flu spanyol

• Pertama kali diketahui di Amerika pada bulan Maret 1918.
• Mulai mewabah ke beberapa belahan dunia sekitar bulan Juni 1918.
• Menginfeksi sekitar 50 persen penduduk dunia
• Mengakibatkan tewasnya 40 - 50 juta jiwa.

Flu Asia

• Pertama kali dilaporkan di Cina,Februari 1957.



flu asia

• Menyebar ke seluruh dunia dalam waktu kurang lebih enam bulan
• Menginfeksi 40 hingga 50 persen penduduk di seluruh dunia.
• Menewaskan lebih dari satu juta orang.

Flu Hongkong

flu hongkong

• Menyebar di Cina pada bulan Juli 1968.
• Meluas ke seluruh dunia pada pertengahan 1969.
• Korban tewas hingga 3 juta orang.

Dan yang baru - baru ini sempat menjadi masalah di dalam dunia kesehatan yakni hadir nya generasi flu ter "update" yaitu FLU BABI ( H5N1 )

Gejala - gejala Flu Babi :

1) Tiba - tiba demam ( di atas 38 derajat celcius )

2) Tiba - tiba batuk

3) Merasa lelah,kedinginan

4) Otot dan sendi terasa sakit
.
5) Diare,kehilangan selera makan.

6) Sakit kepala,tenggorokan sakit,hidung beringus,bersin - bersin.



Source : berbagai sumber

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Posted in: Disease,flu babi,pandemi flu

Vitamin oh Vitamin

Di postingan kali ini Jasmine mau bagi - bagi informasi tentang berbagai jenis dan nama - nama Vitamin,oke langsung aja kita liat sama - sama yuk,cekidot!

1) Vitamin A ( Retinol )

Fungsi :

menjaga sistem kekebalan tubuh,menyediakan makanan untuk kulit,mata,rambut,kuku,selaput- selaput halus dan kelenjar - kelenjar andrenalin.Mengatasi infeksi,meningkatkan fungsi hati dan tiroid.Mengurangi stres,membantu penglihatan menjadi jelas dan menyokong pertumbuhan dan reproduksi.

Terdapat pada :
kacang-kacangan,kol,wortel,selada,bayam,minyak nabati,telur dan hati.




2) Vitamin B1 ( Thiamin )

Fungsi :

mempertahankan metabolisme karbohidrat menjadi normal,menjaga berfungsinya sistem saraf,membangun kekuatan otot yang baik untuk sistem peredaran darah,terutama hati,mengurangi kelelahan,membantu pencernaan dan melindungi sistem kekebalan tubuh.

Terdapat pada :

kubis,selada,buncis,kacang polong,wortel,apel,buah,aprikot,pisang,jeruk besar,hazelnut,almond,gandum,beras,jagung manis,kuning telur,hati,kentang.
Vitamin B1 cepat hilang dari tubuh,sehingga harus diganti setiap hari.




3) Vitamin B2 ( Riboflavin )

Fungsi :

untuk kesehatan rambut,kulit,dan kuku.Melindungi kelenjar - kelenjar adrenalin dari kerusakan yang disebabkan stres.Melindungi sistem kekebalan tubuh,perawatan sel,terutama dalam penyembuhan luka.

Terdapat pada :

selada,seledri,bayam,daun jelatang,buncis,kacang polong,kembang kol,aprikot,buah persik,buah prem,buah pir,almond,walnut,gandum hitam,beras,susu,telur,ikan,hati,dan ginjal.




4) Vitamin B3 ( Niasin )

Fungsi :

meningkatkan sistem peredaran darah,metabolisme otak,melindungi sistem kekebalan tubuh.

Terdapat pada :

kacang - kacangan,kacang kedelai,jamur pengembang bir,ikan,hati,unggas,ginjal.




5) Vitamin B5 ( Asam Pantotenik )

Fungsi :

mengurangi kadar racun dalam obat - obatan,menambah kemampuan tubuh menanggung stres,melindungi sistem kekebalan tubuh,metabolisme tenaga,pembentukan Asetikolin ( zat yang dibutuhkan supaya ingatan berfungsi dengan semestinya ).

Terdapat pada :

sereal wholegrain,berbagai tumbuhan polong,jamur pengembang bir,telur,unggas,hati ikan dan ginjal.




6) Vitamin B6 ( Piridoksin )

Fungsi :

untuk menjaga kesehatan DNA dan RNA ( gen ).Membantu pembentukan kolagen dan elastin,melindungi sistem kekebalan tubuh,metabolisme lemah,gula dan protein.

Terdapat pada :

kacang - kacangan,kacang polong,kentang,selada,tomat,beras merah,jamur pengembang bir,biji bunga matahari,hazelnut,kacang tanah,pisang,susu,kuning telur,ikan,daging tanpa lemak,hati.




7) Vitamin B12 ( Sianokobalamin )

Fungsi :

membantu menjaga usus - usus tetap sehat sehingga meningkatkan kerja pencernaan.Mensintesiskan asam nukleat,menjaga sistem kekebalan tubuh.Metabolisme asam lemak dan protein.Unsur untuk memproduksi sel - sel darah merah.

Terdapat pada :

kebanyakan sayur - sayuran mentah,gandum,jamur pengembang roti,biji gandum,susu,keju,tiram,kerang,ikan sardin,ikan hering,salmon,hati dan ginjal.




8) Vitamin C ( asam askorbat )

Fungsi :

memperkuat dinding - dinding saluran darah,membantu mempercepat proses penyembuhan luka,anti oksidan alamiah,mencegah penyakit demam,penyakit hati koroner,engsel - engsel yang bengkak dan terasa sakit,melindungi sistem kekebalan tubuh.

Terdapat pada :

brussels sprout,merica,curly kake,brokoli,sayuran hijau mentah,tomat,walnut segar,stroberi,jeruk,lemon,kentang,bawang merah,salad dan delion.




9) Vitamin D

Fungsi :

proses absorpsi kalsium,pertumbuhan dan pemeliharaan tulang - tulang yang sehat.Mengatur metabolisme kalsium dan fosfat,pengirim sinyal - sinyal dan penata keteraturan.

Terdapat pada :

sinar matahari,sayuran berwarna hijau,biji sereal,ragi,susu,mentega,kuning telur,minyak hati ikan,ikan tuna,ikan salmon.




10) Vitamin E ( Tokoferol )

Fungsi :

perlindungan terhadap ibu dan anak selama kehamilan,antioksidan alamiah yang merangsang metabolisme sel - sel kulit,melindungi sistem kekebalan tubuh.

Terdapat pada :

sayuran berdaun hijau,minyak nabati,minyak biji gandum,minyak kedelai,kacang tanah,semua jenis gandum,sereal.




11) Vitamin F ( Asam lemak Esensial )

Fungsi :

penting untuk sistem peredaran darah,mengurangi kolesterol yang terlalu banyak,mencegah penyakit jantung dan arterios klerosis.

Terdapat pada :

sebagian besar gandum,biji - bijian,terutama biji rami.




12) Vitamin H ( Biotin )

Fungsi :

membantu sintesis asam lemak dan glukosa,merawat kesehatan kulit,melindungi sistem kekebalan tubuh.Penting untuk metabolisme karbohidrat dan lemak.

Terdapat pada :

ragi,hati,kuning telur,kacang kedelai,beras merah.




13) Vitamin K

Fungsi :

penting dalam proses pembekuan darah,penting dalam fungsi hati,menyediakan energi ekstra untuk sel - sel tubuh anda.

Terdapat pada :
sayuran hijau dengan daun keriting,kubis hijau,bayam,daun jelatang,yogurt,susu,telur,minyak hati ikan.

Keep healthy!
Mensana incorpore sano!
Semoga bermanfaat...

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Posted in: Vitamin

Health Lobby Fights Against Progress with $$$

If you aren't aware that the health insurance reform bills aren't being bought, here's an update on how the battle is moving from Congress payoffs to the state level -

" Insurance companies, hospitals and other health care interests have been positioning themselves in statehouses around the country to influence the outcome of the proposed health care overhaul. Around the 2008 election, the groups that provide health care contributed about $102 million to state political campaigns across the country, surpassing the $89 million the same donors spent at the federal level, according to the institute. " Health Lobby Takes Fight to the States

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Posted in: corporate backing for health reform,health insurance reform,health lobby,health reform

Prevent Amputation

Recent reports indicate that the risk of amputation for people with diabetes is increasing.

Rise in diabetes limb amputations
By Emma Wilkinson, BBC News health reporter

The number of people in England having a limb amputated because of type-two diabetes has risen dramatically, a study has shown.

Between 1996 and 2005, below-ankle amputations doubled to more than 2,000, and major amputations increased by 43%.  Read complete article

Certainly there are many factors in this equation regarding food quality, food quantity, newer medications, lack of exercise, lack of access to clean water, and lack of prevention efforts.

The circulatory problems in diabetes can be prevented and along with this, reduction and/or elimination of the risk of amputation.

For decades those of us in natural health have known that several nutrients taken in therapeutic dose will forestall this problem.

Natural vitamin E, vitamin C, RK BioBlend, B vitamins, EFAs, and herbs like non-irradiated cayenne (35,000 HU), good garlic, as well as other approaches can help you extremely well.  Using a health promoting food plan can be important too.

A Massage Technique for ulcers.

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Posted in: amputation,circulation,diabetes,natural health news for diabetes,natural news for diabetes,natural remedies prevent risk of amputation

Zerose, Zevia or what ever you wish to call it, it's toxic by any name

UPDATE 2/3/10 

Sorbitol and erythritol are both sugar alcohols and should be limited by people with diabetes - or anyone interested in health. 

frequent google search = does zevia cause gas and flatulence?

Sorbitol and Diabetes

Sorbitol, a sugar alcohol, is a sugar substitute used in many foods labeled as “sugar free” or “dietetic.” It can be found in chewing gum, jellies, baked products, fruit cookies and even in some medications. It is used as a sweetener, to improve stability and/or to help retard moisture. Sorbitol is thought to be appropriate for use by people who have Diabetes Mellitus because sorbitol is converted to fructose in the liver, which is not dependent on insulin for metabolism. However, single doses of 10 to 50 grams of sorbitol may produce osmotic diarrhea, along with abdominal cramps and flatulence.

Many food products containing sorbitol are actually higher in calories than products made with sucrose because of the fat that must be added to make sorbitol soluble. Sorbitol and sucrose have the same number of calories, although sorbitol is half as sweet as sucrose.

The American Dietetic Association recommends that foods containing sorbitol be limited to portions containing 20 calories or less.

Post date 12/29/09

A few days ago, a visitor to Natural Health News wanted to know if the new sugar alcohol based sweeteners might be a cause of diarrhea.

The answer to this is that the sugar alcohol based sweeteners do cause gastrointestinal disturbances and this is one reason why we do not recommend nay products containing a blend of chemically altered stevia.

Problems with new sweetener, including ZSweet, Zevia or Zerose

Stay with the natural forms of stevia, those with no additives or those that have been chemically altered.

Get pure stevia extract from us (see right column) or look for Just Like Sugar.

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Posted in: diabetes,natural health news,natural news,New sweetener,rebiana,sorbitol,zerose,Zevia

Ask the Internet: Unused Christmas Food Gifts - What to do?

This week’s Ask the Internet question comes from right here at home, and addresses an issue many of us might be facing in our post-Christmas hazes.

Q: Two years ago, I received several bread mixes and a jar of chocolate sauce for Christmas. The breads were baked and eaten within a month, but the sauce still lingers in the bottom of my pantry. What should I do with it? What do YOU do with food-based Christmas gifts you don’t use and/or never intend to?

A: While the generosity and thoughtfulness of a food present is wonderful, there are zillions of pepperoni sticks and Jordan almonds that will go uneaten this year. What makes it tougher: many of them (see: chocolate sauce) would be of little use to a food bank.

So, readers – what’s your plan for this stuff? Will you re-gift? Will you bring the edibles to a party, or try to pawn them off at the office? Will they simply go in the garbage? Any and all suggestions are welcome in the comment section.

P.S. Good Christmas food stories are highly encouraged.

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.

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Posted in: Ask the Internet

Jerawat

SEBAB - SEBAB TIMBULNYA JERAWAT:

Para ahli berpendapat,kulit adalah tameng tubuh kita,juga indikator keadaan tubuh.Kalau kulit bermasalah,kemungkinan juga ada masalah dalam tubuh.Termasuk juga munculnya jerawat,disebabkan oleh hormon yang ada dalam tubuh menstimulasi kelenjar lemak pada kulit,sehingga kulit banyak mengeluarkan minyak.Minyak ini menyebabkan kuman - kuman mudah menempel pada kulit,kulit kemudian bereaksi memerah dan jadilah jerawat!Selain itu,sebab lain timbulnya jerawat adalah kosmetik.Karena itu,bedak,blush on,foundation dan krim,walaupun bisa menyamarkan jerawat,tapi setelah pemakaian justru memicu pertumbuhan jerawat baru.So,kalo berjerawat,hati - hati deh pake kosmetik!

Jerawat  biasanya timbul karena pengaruh hormon

CARA MENGATASINYA GIMANA?

Nah,habis ngomongin sedikit mengenai penyebab timbulnya jerawat,sekarang kita akan ngebahas soal mengatasi jerawat.Untuk menyeimbangkan hormon berlebih,sebenarnya kita harus mengatur pola makan.Sering banget deh kita denger,Yup! 4 sehat 5 sempurna!Jadi,makanan yang sehat adalah kunci penting untuk mengembalikan kondisi yang menurun dan kesehatan kulit,sekaligus menghilangkan jerawat.



JENIS MAKANAN yang DIPERBANYAK:

- Banyak mengkonsumsi makanan yang mengandung Zinc dan Kalsium.
Zinc dapat menambah daya tahan tubuh,memacu kerja protein untuk memperbaiki sel tubuh dan mempercepat kesembuhan luka.Sedangkan Kalsium,dapat menenangkan syaraf.Makanan yang banyak mengandung Zinc antara lain : jagung,kedelai,lobak,jamur,hati.Susu adalah pilihan yang baik untuk mencukupi kebutuhan kalsium.

- Banyak mengkonsumsi makanan yang mengandung vitamin A,B2,B6,C,E.
Makanan yang banyak mengandung vitamin A diantaranya : minyak ikan,telur ikan,hati,mangga,almond,bayam,selada.Vitamin A berguna untuk regenerasi kulit.Bersama dengan Zinc,vitamin A bisa memperkecil pori - pori,mengurangi keasaman yang merusak kulit.Sementara minyak kacang,jamur kuping dan jamur merang,mengandung vitamin E.Vitamin ini termasuk factor pencegah yang paling efektif.Selain untuk menghilangkan jerawat,juga sangat baik untuk mencegah penuaan.
Yang mengandung vitamin B2 dan B6 kebanyakan sayuran hijau,ikan khususnya Salmon.Vitamin ini dapat mempercepat penyembuhan kulit dan juga menetralkan jerawat.Sedangkan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan vitamin C,cukup dengan banyak mengkonsumsi buah - buahan.Vitamin ini berpengaruh pada pencegahan,juga berguna dalam penyembuhan kulit bekas timbul jerawat.

- Banyak mengkonsumsi makanan berserat,juga banyak minum air.Ini dapat memperlancar pencernaan sehingga kelebihan minyak cepat terbuang.Makanan berserat seperti roti gandum dan kacang - kacangan.




PANTANGAN!



- Menurut kedokteran Cina,jerawat timbul karena terlalu banyak mengkonsumsi makanan berlemak dan makanan yang terlalu berbumbu.Emang sih ehmm Yummy...Tapi,kalo mau bebas jerawat ya mesti menjauh dari jenis makan ini.Berkorban dikit lah...

- Makanan pedas dan panas.Karena makanan pedas bisa mengganggu fungsi syaraf dan aliran darah,mudah banget memicu jerawat buat nongol lagi.

Emang sih,walaupun kita udah mulai memperhatikan asupan makanan kita,nggak berarti kondisi kulit langsung membaik.Dan dibawah ini adalah alternatif yang bisa kita praktikkan!

1)Susu Kacang : diminum langsung dapat membantu penyembuhan jerawat.

2)Sup Kecambah Kedelai : kecambah kedelai di cuci bersih lalu direbus dengan api besar,setelah mendidih masak lagi 30 menit dengan api kecil.Minum Supnya selagi hangat.

3)Perasan Bawang Putih : jus bawang putih,lalu ditambah air hangat,gunakan untuk cuci muka.Pengaruhnya bisa langsung terlihat.

4)Perasan Lemon : air perasan lemon ditambah dengan air hangat,gunakan untuk mencuci muka.Dapat mengurangi infeksi dan menyegarkan.

Selain itu,ada satu hal yang harus selalu kita ingat,yakni "Tidur yang Cukup".Coba deh kita perhatiin,saat kita kurang tidur pasti banyak jerawat yang muncul.So,kurangi begadang,,,kalau tak ada gunanya.Hehehe

Semoga bermanfaat...

Source : berbagai sumber

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Posted in: jerawat,penyakit kulit,Skin

Bahaya Merokok

Seperti halnya narkoba,rokok pun bisa menimbulkan adiksi pada pemakainya.Mengapa orang sulit meninggalkan rokok?Ini gara - gara ulah nikotin dalam tembakau.Nikotin yang terisap melalui batangan rokok sontak menyusup ke paru - paru,lalu menuju ke otak dan menyebabkan pelepasan glukosa,serta meningkatkan tekanan darah dan detak jantung.Nikotin juga memicu pelepasan dopamine pada bagian otak yang mengendalikan perasaan senang,menenangkan,dan meningkatkan motivasi.Untuk mempertahankan efek menyenangkan ini,seseorang terdorong untuk terus mengisap rokok.Kebutuhan akan rokok pun jadi lebih tinggi saat perokok terjebak dalam stres dan depresi.

Akan lebih berbahaya lagi jika asap ini terisap perokok pasif anak - anak.Karbon monoksida yang terkandung dalam rokok berpotensi mereduksi aliran oksigen ke dalam sel - sel jaringan dan tubuh,termasuk otak,sehingga memengaruhi kecerdasan anak.Yang memprihatinkan,para perokok di tempat - tempat umum kurang memedulikan hal ini.

Ancaman paling berbahaya dari rokok terkandung 4.000 bahan kimia dan 200 diantaranya adalah racun.Selain nikotin,asap rokok tersusun atas selusin gas dan sebagian besar adalah karbon monoksida,yang dapat menghambat penyerapan oksigen dalam sel darah merah dan tar.Tar adalah getah tembakau atau ampas asap yang dapat menyebabkan kanker paru - paru.Semua organ tubuh dapat terkena imbas buruk dari rokok.

Manakala seseorang sedang asyik mengisap rokok,gas karbon monoksida ikut masuk ke dalam tubuh.Gas CO berebut dengan oksigen untuk masuk ke dalam sel darah merah.Oksigen di dalam darah kaum perokok akan dikalahkan CO,sehingga oksigen yang beredar ke seluruh tubuh berkurang.Karenanya,organ tubuh dan otak tidak mampu berfungsi baik.Akibatnya,wajah jadi pucat dan loyo.

Rokok memperlebar peluang terjadinya penyempitan pembuluh darah ( artherosclerosis ).Hal itu menyebabkan tubuh mengalami kekurangan oksigen sehingga mengakibatkbn pecahnya aorta serta merampas nyawa.

Asap rokok diyakini dapat menyebabkan penurunan fungsi paru - paru dan kanker pada bagian organ tubuh ini.Pemicunya,tar yang terkandung dalam asap rokok akan menempel di permukaan saluran pernapasan sehingga menyebabkan perubahan sel normal menjadi ganas.Sekitar 87 - 90 % kasus kanker paru - paru disebabkan oleh rokok dan 30% diantaranya dialami oleh perokok pasif.Kebiasaan merokok 20 batang per hari bisa mencetuskan kanker paru - paru 25 kali lebih besar dibandingkan dengan tidak merokok.Penelitian terakhir bahkan menyebutkan,batangan tembakau ini mengandung formalin.Jika pada lambung saja formalin bisa menimbulkan iritasi,bayangkan jika zat berbahaya ini mengontaminasi paru - paru.

Rokok adalah salah satu pencetus paru - paru obstruksi kronis.Selain itu,asap rokok juga mengubah perubahan struktur saluran udara.Kemungkinan terkena bronkitis pun kian besar.Rokok juga menjadi biang timbulnya penyakit emfisema,yaitu gangguan atau penurunan faal yang semakin lama semakin besar.Sementara asap tembakau yang tersebar di tempat terbuka akan memengaruhi orang - orang di sekitarnya,asap rokok justru menyebabkan iritasi pernapasan yang cukup berat dan merupakan faktor pencetus serangan asma.

Selain kerugian - kerugian di atas,rokok pun punya andil besar dalam kasus penuaan dini.Hal itu karena asap rokok mengurangi aliran oksigen dan menghambat absorbsi zat - zat gizi yang diperlukan sel kulit.Bibir dan gusi serta gigi yang menghitam adalah kerugian lain yang kita peroleh sebagai akibat dari menghisap "batang kanker" ini.

Udah deh mendingan gak usah ngerokok,gak ada untungnya tau,lagian kan hukumnya makruh,so lebih baik gak usah di coba.

Keep Healthy!

Source : berbagai sumber

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Posted in: Bahaya Rokok,Fakta Rokok,merokok

Nyeri Pinggang

Penyebab

Gejala nyeri pinggang bisa berupa sedikit pegal sampai nyeri sekali. Timbulnya bisa secara mendadak atau perlahan-lahan dalam waktu beberapa jam hingga beberapa hari. Rasa sakitnya dapat dirasakan pada tubuh bagian belakang rusuk terakhir hingga bagian bawah pantat, tapi dapat juga menjalar ke tungkai.



Banyak kasus nyeri pinggang yang disebabkan oleh sikap fisik dan mental, maupun faktor lainnya. Penyebab lain ini bisa dikarenakan faktor organik seperti sakit ginjal, tumor dan lain-lain.


Paling tidak ada lima kategori penyebab nyeri pinggang yang perlu Anda ketahui yakni : nyeri pinggang akibat sikap yang salah, akibat kelainan tulang belakang,karena penyakit pada organ dalam tubuh, karena rematik dan ketegangan ( psikis ).

Melakukan gerakan secara mendadak yang melampaui batas kemampuan sendi dan otot dalam jangka waktu yang lama juga dapat menyebabkan nyeri pinggang.
Nyeri pinggang pada kelainan tulang belakang bisa karena adanya cedera ( trauma ), infeksi, tumor dan osteoporosis ( keropos tulang ).


Osteoporosis yang sering terjadi pada wanita lanjut usia ( lansia ), dapat juga menimbulkan nyeri pinggang. Hal ini disebabkan oleh tulang belakang terutama bagian pinggang ( lumbal ) yang mengalami keropos akan mudah patah sehingga menekan bagian peka nyeri di daerah tersebut. Sifat nyeri biasanya pegal-pegal pada pinggang bagian bawah, bisa juga menjalar ke bokong dan tungkai. Tidak jarang nyeri ini didahului oleh trauma ringan.
Bila nyeri pinggang karena tumor pada sumsum tulang belakang ( baik yang jinak maupun ganas ), biasanya dimulai dengan rasa pegal di pinggang yang lambat laun menjadi nyeri pinggang dan akhirnya nyeri sekali hingga tak tertahan.


Ada lagi nyeri pinggang pada penyakit organ dalam tubuh yang dikenal dengan refered pain, akibat batu ginjal, radang ginjal, radang lambung dan penyakit kandungan. Sedangkan nyeri pinggang yang terjadi karena faktor psikis, tanpa dasar organik nyata, seperti tekanan mental atau pikiran yang berlebihan dapat menyebabkan tulang belakang mengencang dan kaku disertai nyeri.



Tipsnya :

Bila Anda merasakan nyeri pinggang, jangan terus punya pikiran yang membuat Anda terlalu khawatir karena hal ini bisa menambah ketegangan otot yang tentu bisa menambah sakit pinggang. Tapi tenangkan diri dan cobalah beberapa hal berikut ini :



1. Ubah posisi Anda secara berkala apabila Anda harus duduk, berdiri atau membungkuk terlalu lama. Kemudian bangun dan bungkukkan badan ke depan dan ke belakang.

2. Hangatkan bagian yang sakit selama 15 menit, selama satu atau dua kali seminggu, dengan menempelkan handuk hangat atau botol berisi air panas. Apabila kompres panas malah menambah nyeri, kompres dingin ( es ) dapat dicoba.

3. Pijatlah bagian yang sakit secara perlahan-lahan dengan mengoleskan salep atau balsem anti radang.

4. Bila perlu minumlah obat pereda rasa sakit seperti parasetamol, aspiril sesuai dosisnya.

5. Periksakan ke dokter bila sakitnya tidak berkurang, nyeri terasa menjalar ke kaki atau tidak bisa bangun setelah membungkuk.

6.Hindari kopi atau soft drink.Karena kedua jenis minuman ini dapat mengurangi kemampuan tubuh dalam menyerap kalsium.

softdrink tidak baik untuk kesehatan

7.Teratur mengkonsumsi sea food dan sayuran hijau tua yang kaya kalsium,fosfor dan vitamin C.Kalsium maupun fosfor merupakan gizi utama bagi perawatan tulang.Sedangkan vitamin C membantu mengoptimalkan penyerapan fosfor/kalsium oleh tubuh.

8.Berjalan kaki atau olahraga selama setengah jam empat kali per minggu,hal ini dapat memperkuat tulang belakang.

olahraga teratur dapat mengurangi resiko
terserang nyeri pinggang

9.Hindari penggunaan sepatu dengan hak tinggi lebih dari 5 cm.LUMBAL ( pinggang bagian tulang belakang antara punggung dan pantat ) memang melengkung.Namun,karena pakai sepatu hak tinggi,posisi tubuh jadi condong ke depan.Untuk menjaga supaya tubuh tidak jatuh ke depan,otomatis pantat akan mundur dan lama - lama menambah cekungan tulang belakang.Dan sebagai akibatnya,pinggang terasa sakit.







Source : berbagai sumber

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Posted in: Disease,nyeri pinggang

Say No!To Alkohol.

Jangan deh nyobain yang namanya alkohol,walau sebesar apapun rasa penasaran kita terhadap benda cair yang diharamkan oleh agama itu.Apalagi bagi kita yang sedang menjalani program diet atau yang sedang menyusui.Pengaruhnya,wah bahaya banget tuh,apalagi kalau sampe kecanduan.Di bawah ini ada beberapa penyakit yang rawan diderita oleh orang-orang yang terbiasa mengkonsumsi alkohol.

minuman keras

1) Tekanan Darah Tinggi.
Resikonya cukup besar jika kita rutin mengkonsumsi alkohol dalam kadar tinggi.Akibatnya,kita juga berpeluang terkena Stroke atau serangan jantung.Hmmm,pikir dua kali deh kalau mau gaya-gayaan dengan minuman keras.



2) Kanker Payudara.

Ini nih yang paling ditakutin kaum hawa.Menurut penelitian The National Institutes of Health,milik USA,alkohol itu ternyata dapat memperbesar resiko seorang perempuan(segala usia)menderita kanker payudara hingga 9 %.Wiiiihhh!!



3) Osteoporosis.

Tau kan? Mengkonsumsi alkohol dapat membuat tulang rapuh,akibatnya kekuatan tubuh kita pun berkurang.Waduh,kebayang deh.






4) Alzheimer.
Lebih mudah diderita perempuan,apalagi yang hobi "minum".



5) Mempengaruhi Kesuburan.
The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologist,berpendapat kalau alkohol berlebih dapat mengurangi kesuburan.



6) Kerusakan Otak

• Amnesia dan demensia        
• Penyusutan otak

7) Kegagalan Organ Tubuh

• Jantung
• Hati
• Ginjal
• Lambung
• Pankreas
• Kerusakan Mata

8) Cacat Lahir

• Keterbelakangan mental
• Sindroma Alkohol pada Janin: Pertumbuhan kerdil,Cacat muka
• Sindroma Kematian Bayi Mendadak
• Keguguran

9) Kekerasan karena Alkohol

• Penyiksaan anak: 50% kasus
• Kekerasan kepada orang-orang yang dikasihi: 30% kasus
• Tindakan kekerasan: 40-80% kasus
• Bunuh diri : 20-50% kasus

Udah tau kan?
Ini baru sebagian kecil dari dampaknya lho?!
Masih pengen coba?
Pikir lagi deh...

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Posted in: akibat alkohol,alkohol,bahaya alkohol,Health

New Routines for the New Year

by R. Scott Benson, M.D.



A reader asked what to do before you get to the doctor asking about medication for a child’s school behavior problems. I thought it appropriate to answer that question and take advantage of the tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions.



In general, the answer is increased structure, not punishment. Set routines that head off trouble before it starts. Families can improve structure with a behavior plan. You will get the best success if you focus on one problem area to address and promote a positive behavior that would prevent the problem. And it will take 2, 3, even 4 weeks to see consistent change.



Let me give an example. I asked a second grader “What time do you get up in the morning?” He gave his mother a puzzled look, hoping she would answer the question. But I pressed a little, “Tell me about getting up in the morning.” Now we get the interesting part. “Well, my mother wakes me up, but I can stay in bed. She calls me a couple of times before she sends my dad in. Then I get up.”



Many families do this kind of complicated dance every school morning. Of course, it adds to the parents’ frustration when the same sleepy-head child bounds out of bed early Saturday if cartoon time is scheduled.



One family faced with this fight every morning decided to send Dad first. And they kept score with punch tickets which could be traded for a treat (a special late movie on Friday, a lunch out with Dad on Saturday). And they practiced their lines, “Good morning, this will be a great day.” Or something similar.



Has you family found a different solution to this problem? What are the other conflicts that repeat every day in your house?

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Posted in: children,family,parenting

Falafel with Tahini Sauce: A Recipe for Happiness

This recipe first appeared in July 2007. It's really good. And today on Serious Eats, it's Baked Oatmeal. Also, really good.

I dig falafel. The boyfriend digs it even more. If falafel was single and a good kisser, I’d end up dumped and homeless on the street. Heartbroken and forlorn, I’d wander about blindly, cursing the day chickpeas sauntered into my life.

But, thank Jeebus, falafel is just a food – a tempting, fatty food that’s normally deep-fried to get its flavor and texture. The challenge then, dear friends, was cutting the ginormous amounts of oil without losing a whit of the taste.

After browsing a few falafel recipes (Sara Moulton, AllRecipes, etc.), I finally bogarted a good-looking one from Epicurious, which garnered it from a cookbook called Foods of Israel Today. Since I was using canned chickpeas instead of dried, I then made a few preparation changes based on the advice of an Epicurious reviewer only known as dickrebel. It turned out to be indispensable, so big round of applause for dickrebel, ladies and gentlemen.

When it came time to cook, once again, it was Weight Watchers to the rescue. They suggested frying the falafel in 2 teaspoons of oil, and then sticking it in a hot oven to finish. Since 2 teaspoons of oil sounded a bit meager, I jacked it up to 2 tablespoons, which was just right. It gave each piece a nice brown color and satisfying crunch without affecting the fat content too terribly. The oven warmed the falafel through, and the addition of garnishes and a lower-fat tahini-yogurt sauce from EatingWell.com finished the whole dish quite nicely. The boyfriend loved it, and ate it so fast that I didn’t worry about them running away together.

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might also dig:

• Chickpea Salad
• Curried Chickpeas and Black Beans
• Tunisian-style Greens and Beans

~~~

Falafel
5 servings – 4 pieces per serving
Adapted from Epicurious.


1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves of garlic
1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried thoroughly
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp baking powder
4 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp vegetable oil for frying

1 tomato, chopped for garnish
¼ large onion, diced for garnish
½ green bell pepper, diced for garnish
Eating Well’s Tahini sauce (listed below)
2 ½ Whole Wheat Pitas

1) Combine onion, garlic and pepper flakes in food processor. Pulse until they’re about 1/8-in. big.

2) Add chickpeas, parsley, and cilantro and chop until “pieces are about the size of a large pinhead.” You don’t want a puree here, because mushiness will make the falafel fall apart. (Thanks, dickrebel.)

3) Dump the items from the food processor into a bowl. Stir in salt, cumin, baking powder and flour until well-mixed., but not really a dough.

4) Stick it in the fridge, covered, for anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours. The longer the better. (I did it for an hour, and turned out nicely.)

5) With your hands, make small falafel hockey pucks about 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter and ¾ of an inch high. (The flat surface will help with the frying.)

6) Turn oven to 400ºF.

7) Heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in a huge ovenproof skillet on medium-high. Make sure the pan is good and hot before you put the falafel down. (Think of it like making pancakes.) Fry the pucks for about 3 minutes on the first side, and 2 minutes on the second, until they’re golden brown.

8) When finished, stick skillet in oven (or transfer pucks to a Pam-ed aluminum foil lined cookie sheet) and bake for 10-12 minutes.

9) Stick four balls in half a pita with tomatoes, green pepper, and onions. Drizzle with tahini sauce (recipe below).

Eating Well Tahini sauce
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 Tbsp tahini
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp salt

1) Mix all ingredients thoroughly in bowl. That’s it.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
296 calories, 11.7 g fat, $1.11

Calculations
1 can chickpeas, drained: 350 calories, 7 g fat, $0.79
3/4 onion (main recipe plus garnish): 100 calories, 0 g fat, $0.24
8 Tbsp fresh parsley (main recipe plus sauce): negligible calories and fat, $0.99
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro: negligible calories and fat, $0.33
1 ¼ tsp salt (main recipe plus sauce): negligible calories and fat, $0.01
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes: negligible calories and fat, $0.15
4 cloves garlic: 20 calories, 0 g fat, $0.20
1 tsp cumin: negligible calories and fat, $0.05
1 tsp baking powder: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
4 Tbsp flour: 100 calories, 0 g fat, $0.03
2 Tbsp vegetable oil for frying: 240 calories, 28 g fat, $0.08
1 tomato, chopped for garnish: 30 calories, 0 g fat, $0.56
½ green bell pepper, diced for garnish: 20 calories, 0 g fat, $0.24
2 ½ Whole Wheat Pitas: 350 calories, 4.25 g fat, $0.47
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt: 80 calories, 1.25 g fat, $0.95
2 Tbsp tahini: 190 calories, 18 g fat, $0.25
1 Tbsp lemon juice: negligible calories and fat, $0.17
TOTAL: 1480 calories, 58.5 g fat, $5.53
PER SERVING (TOTAL/5): 296 calories, 11.7 g fat, $1.11

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Posted in: Mains,Vegan,Vegetarian

GMO Crops: None too good for health

More herbicide use reported on genetically modified crops

Soy, corn, wheat, and any other crop you might want to list - again and again - are showing the long-criticized concerns postulated by scientists who have not been under Monsanto's thumb for the last couple of decades as this expands.

A report released by the Organic Center found that the amount of herbicides used on genetically engineered crops has increased in the past 10 years, not decreased as might be expected. Since many genetically engineered crops were modified so that farmers could spray Roundup, or Glyphosate, to kill the weeds in their fields but not the crops themselves, the expectation was that less herbicide would be required. But the new report found that this is not what happened.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2009/1221/More-herbicide-use-reported-on-genetically-modified-crops

Learn more here, here, here, and here

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Posted in: GMO,herbicides,Rachel's Environmental Weekly

Vitamins for Alzheimer's

September 2010 Good News for B Vitamins and Your Brain
Ranks now in the TOP10 out of 3.9 M

Access the May 2007 issue of herbalYODA Says! that focuses on vitamin B12 with a donation to help us continue this work.
Elder Health
Updated from May 09
2004 Article,  Don't Overlook There ALZ Remiders, Related NHN article  This post ranks 1 of 1.23 Million about vitamins for Alzheimer's

Food and Life

for information on how to use B3 therapeutically, contact us for our fact sheet

UPDATE: 4 May, 2009

No wonder vitamin E works, it is antioxidant and carries O2 across the cell wall membrane as well as offering a myriad of other remarkable healing attributes.

Another FAT soluble vitamin to the rescue!

Use the search window to learn more about vitamin E on Natural Health News

Vitamin E may slow Alzheimer's disease By Megan Rauscher
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – An analysis of "real-world" clinical data indicates that vitamin E, and drugs that reduce generalized inflammation, may slow the decline of mental and physical abilities in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) over the long term.

"Our results are consistent for a potential benefit of vitamin E on slowing functional decline and a smaller possible benefit of anti-inflammatory medications on slowing cognitive decline in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease," Dr. Alireza Atri told Reuters Health.

Atri, at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the VA Bedford Medical Center, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, led the National Institutes of Health-sponsored research. The findings, reported at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society in Chicago, stem from data on 540 patients treated at the MGH Memory Disorders Unit.

All of the patients were receiving standard-of-care treatment with a drug intended to help patients with Alzheimer's. As part of their clinical care, 208 patients also took vitamin E but no anti-inflammatory, 49 took an anti-inflammatory but no vitamin E, 177 took both vitamin E and an anti-inflammatory, and 106 took neither.

While the daily dose of vitamin E ranged from 200 to 2000 units, the majority of patients were given high doses that ranged from 800 units daily to 1000 units twice daily.

Each patient's performance on cognitive tests and their ability to carry out daily functions such as dressing and personal care were assessed every 6 months. After an average of 3 years, "there was a modest slowing of decline in function in those patients taking vitamin E," study investigator Michael R. Flaherty noted in a telephone interview with Reuters Health.

Flaherty, a second-year student at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine, presented the findings at the meeting. He added that the treatment benefit from vitamin E was "small to medium" but increased with time.

Taking an anti-inflammatory medication was associated with "very consistent but generally only small effects on slowing long-term decline in cognitive functioning," Atri told Reuters Health.

However, in patients who took both vitamin E and anti-inflammatory medications, there appeared to be an additive effect in terms of slowing overall decline.

Given that past studies have produced equivocal results, the investigators conclude that further studies are needed to assess the long-term balance of risks versus benefits for people with Alzheimer's disease from taking vitamin E and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Copyright © 2009 Reuters Limited.

-------------------------

UPDATE: 23 MARCH, 2009

Niacin Protects against Alzheimer's Disease and Age-related Cognitive Decline

Niacin (vitamin B3) is already known to lower cholesterol. Now, research published in the August 2004 issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry indicates regular consumption of niacin-rich foods also provides protection against Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline.

Researchers from the Chicago Health and Aging Project interviewed 3,718 Chicago residents aged 65 or older about their diet, then tested their cognitive abilities over the following six years.

Those getting the most niacin from foods (22 mg per day) were 70% less likely to have developed Alzheimer's disease than those consuming the least (about 13 mg daily), and their rate of age-related cognitive decline was significantly less. In addition to eating the niacin-rich foods, another way to boost your body's niacin levels is to eat more foods rich in the amino acid tryptophan. Your body can convert tryptophan to niacin, with a little help from other B vitamins, iron and vitamin C. Foods high in tryptophan include shrimp, crimini mushrooms, yellowfin tuna, halibut, chicken breast, scallops, salmon, turkey and tofu. As you can see, several foods rich in tryptophan provide two ways to increase niacin levels as they are also rich in the B vitamin.(August 23, 2004)

UPDATE: 12 March, 2009

Another supplement to help Alzheimer's: "One of the newer drugs developed in Europe apparently 'works' by protecting brain cells from damage by over-production of glutamate, one of the well known actions of lithium.

Other research findings strongly suggest that lithium may protect against Alzheimer's disease and slow the progression of the disease. Lithium inhibits beta-amaloid secretion and protects against damage caused by beta-amyloid protein after it has formed.

Over-activation of tau protein in the brain also contributes to neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer's disease, as does the formation of neurofibrilary tangles. Lithium inhibits both of these.

People with Alzheimer's have excess aluminum accumulation in brain cells. Lithium can help protect against aluminum accumulation through chelation and easier removal from the body."

See also a related B3 article I posted in November - xref: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

-----------------------------

While we are on this thread of natural help for dis-ease isn't it timely that I just received this article about how "High Doses of Vitamins Fight Alzheimer's Disease".

And now I am sharing it with you, for your education, and then you can ask your doctor why they aren't recommending them.

Vitamin B3 is also used successfully for schizophrenia, rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis, reducing plaque of arteriosclerosis and cholesterol reduction. It has an excellent anti-inflammatory action.

(OMNS, December 9, 2008) The news media recently reported that "huge doses of an ordinary vitamin appeared to eliminate memory problems in mice with the rodent equivalent of Alzheimer's disease." They then quickly added that "scientists aren't ready to recommend that people try the vitamin on their own outside of normal doses." (1)

In other words, extra-large amounts of a vitamin are helpful, so don't you take them!

That does not even pass the straight-faced test. So what's the story?

Researchers at the University of California at Irvine gave the human dose equivalent of 2,000 to 3,000 mg of vitamin B3 to mice with Alzheimer's. (2) It worked. Kim Green, one of the researchers, is quoted as saying, "Cognitively, they were cured. They performed as if they'd never developed the disease."



for information on how to use B3 therapeutically, contact us for our fact sheet

Specifically, the study employed large amounts of nicotinamide, the vitamin B3 widely found in foods such as meat, poultry, fish, nuts and seeds. Nicotinamide is also the form of niacin found, in far greater quantity, in dietary supplements. It is more commonly known as niacinamide. It is inexpensive and its safety is long established. The most common side effect of niacinamide in very high doses is nausea. This can be eliminated by taking less, by using regular niacin instead, which may cause a warm flush, or choosing inositol hexaniacinate, which does not. They are all vitamin B3.
HealthDay Reporter mentioned how cheap the vitamin is; the study authors "bought a year's supply for $30" and noted that it "appears to be safe." Even so, one author said that "I wouldn't advocate people rush out and eat grams of this stuff each day." (1)
The BBC quoted Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the UK Alzheimer's Research Trust, who said, "Until the human research was completed, people should not start taking the supplement. . . . people should be wary about changing their diet or taking supplements. In high doses vitamin B3 can be toxic." (3)
The Irish Times reiterated it: "People have been cautioned about rushing out to buy high dose vitamin B3 supplements in an attempt to prevent memory loss . . . The warnings came today one day on from the announcement . . .Vitamins in high doses can be toxic." (4)
Their choice of words is quaint but hardly accurate. There is no wild "rush;" half of the population already takes food supplements. And as for "toxic," niacin isn't. Canadian psychiatrist Abram Hoffer, M.D., asserts that it is actually remarkably safe. "There have been no deaths from niacin supplements," Dr. Hoffer says. "The LD 50 (the dosage that would kill half of those taking it) for dogs is 5,000-6,000 milligrams per kilogram body weight. That is equivalent to almost a pound of niacin per day for a human. No human takes 375,000 milligrams of niacin a day. They would be nauseous long before reaching a harmful dose." Dr. Hoffer conducted the first double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of niacin. He adds, "Niacin is not liver toxic. Niacin therapy increases liver function tests. But this elevation means that the liver is active. It does not indicate an underlying liver pathology."
The medical literature repeatedly confirms niacin's safety. Indeed, for over 50 years, nutritional (orthomolecular) physicians have used vitamin B3 in doses as high as tens of thousands of milligrams per day. Cardiologists frequently give patients thousands of milligrams of niacin daily to lower cholesterol. Niacin is preferred because its safety margin is so very large. The American Association of Poison Control Centers' Toxic Exposure Surveillance System annual reports indicates there is not even one death per year due to niacin in any of its forms. (5)
One the other hand, there are 140,000 deaths annually attributable to properly prescribed prescription drugs. (6) And this figure is just for one year, and just for the USA. Furthermore, when overdoses, incorrect prescription, and adverse drug interactions are figured in, total drug fatalities number over a quarter of a million dead. Each year.
The BBC's curious mention that we should even be "wary about changing our diets" is especially odd. More and more scientists think our much-in-need-of-improvement diets are what contribute more than anything to developing Alzheimer's. "There appears to be a statistically significant link between a low dietary intake of niacin and a high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. A study of the niacin intake of 6158 Chicago residents 65 years of age or older established that the lower the daily intake of niacin, the greater the risk of becoming an Alzheimer's disease patient." The group with the highest daily intake of niacin had a 70 percent decrease in incidence of this disease compared to the lowest group. "The most compelling evidence to date is that early memory loss can be reversed by the ascorbate (vitamin C) minerals. Greater Alzheimer's disease risk also has been linked to low dietary intake of vitamin E and of fish." (7)
Nutrient deficiency of long standing may create a nutrient dependency. A nutrient dependency is an exaggerated need for the missing nutrient, a need not met by dietary intakes or even by low-dose supplementation. Robert P. Heaney, M.D., uses the term "long latency deficiency diseases" to describe illnesses that fit this description. He writes: "Inadequate intakes of many nutrients are now recognized as contributing to several of the major chronic diseases that affect the populations of the industrialized nations. Often taking many years to manifest themselves, these disease outcomes should be thought of as long-latency deficiency diseases. . . Because the intakes required to prevent many of the long-latency disorders are higher than those required to prevent the respective index diseases, recommendations based solely on preventing the index diseases are no longer biologically defensible." (8) Where pathology already exists, unusually large quantities of vitamins may be needed to repair damaged tissue. Thirty-five years ago, in another paper, Hoffer wrote: "The borderline between vitamin deficiency and vitamin-dependency conditions is merely a quantitative one when one considers prevention and cure." (9)
As there is no recognized cure for Alzheimer's, prevention is vital. In their article, the Irish Times does admit that "Healthy mice fed the vitamins also outperformed mice on a normal diet" and quoted study co-author Frank LaFerla saying that "This suggests that not only is it good for Alzheimer's disease, but if normal people take it, some aspects of their memory might improve." (4) And study author Green added, "If we combine this with other things already out there, we'd probably see a large effect."
The US Alzheimer's Association's Dr. Ralph Nixon has said that previous research has suggested that vitamins such as vitamin E, vitamin C and vitamin B12 may help people lower their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. At their website (although you have to search for it), the Alzheimer's Association says, "Vitamins may be helpful. There is some indication that vitamins, such as vitamin E, or vitamins E and C together, vitamin B12 and folate may be important in lowering your risk of developing Alzheimer's. . . One large federally funded study (10) showed that vitamin E slightly delayed loss of ability to carry out daily activities and placement in residential care."
But overall, at their website http://www.alz.org/index.asp the Alzheimer's Association has strikingly little to say about vitamins, and they hasten to tell people that "No one should use vitamin E to treat Alzheimer's disease except under the supervision of a physician." ( http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_10428.asp ) "They write as if these safe vitamins are dangerous drugs, not be used without a doctor's consent," comments Dr. Hoffer. "I have been using them for decades."
Niacin and nerves go together. Orthomolecular physicians have found niacin and other nutrients to be an effective treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, psychotic behavior, and schizophrenia. New research confirms that niacinamide (the same form of B3 used in the Alzheimer's research) "profoundly prevents the degeneration of demyelinated axons and improves the behavioral deficits" in animals with an illness very similar to multiple sclerosis. (11)
A measure of journalistic caution is understandable, especially with ever-new promises for pharmaceutical products. Drugs routinely used to treat Alzheimer's Disease have had a disappointing, even dismal success rate. So when nutrition may be the better answer, foot-dragging is inexplicable, even inexcusable. Nutrients are vastly safer than drugs. Unjustified, needlessly negative opinionating is out of place. Over 5 million Americans now have Alzheimer's disease, and the number is estimated to reach 14 million by 2050. Potentially, 9 million people would benefit later from niacin now.
"Man is a food-dependent creature," wrote University of Alabama professor of medicine Emanuel Cheraskin, M.D.. "If you don't feed him, he will die. If you feed him improperly, part of him will die."
When that part is the brain, it is dangerous to delay the use of optimum nutrition.

References:

(1) Vitamin Holds Promise for Alzheimer's Disease. Randy Dotinga, HealthDay Reporter, Nov 5, 2008.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/05/AR2008110502796.html and also http://health.yahoo.com/news/healthday/vitaminholdspromiseforalzheimersdisease.html

(2) Green KN, Steffan JS, Martinez-Coria H, Sun X, Schreiber SS, Thompson LM, LaFerla FM. Nicotinamide restores cognition in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice via a mechanism involving sirtuin inhibition and selective reduction of Thr231-phosphotau. J Neurosci. 2008 Nov 5;28(45):11500-10.

(3) BBC, 5 Nov 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7710365.stm

(4) Donnellan E. Caution urged over using vitamin B3 to treat Alzheimer's. Wed, Nov 05, 2008. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/1105/breaking91.htm

(5) Annual Reports of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poisoning and Exposure Database (formerly known as the Toxic Exposure Surveillance System). AAPCC, 3201 New Mexico Avenue, Ste. 330, Washington, DC 20016. Download any report from1983-2006 at http://www.aapcc.org/dnn/NPDS/AnnualReports/tabid/125/Default.aspx free of charge. The "Vitamin" category is usually near the end of the report.

(6) Classen DC, Pestotnik SL, Evans RS, Lloyd JF, Burke JP. Adverse drug events in hospitalized patients. Excess length of stay, extra costs, and attributable mortality. JAMA. 1997 Jan 22-29;277(4):301-6.

(7) 21. Hoffer A and Foster HD. Feel Better, Live Longer With Vitamin B-3: Nutrient Deficiency and Dependency. CCNM Press, 2007. ISBN-10: 1897025246; ISBN-13: 978-1897025246. Also: Foster HD. What Really Causes Alzheimer's Disease. Trafford, 2004. ISBN 1-4120-4921-0.

(8) Heaney RP: Long-latency deficiency disease: insights from calcium and vitamin D. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003; Nov; 78(5):912-9.

(9) Hoffer A. Mechanism of action of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide in the treatment of schizophrenia. In: Hawkins D and Pauling L: Orthomolecular Psychiatry: Treatment of Schizophrenia. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman. 1973; p. 202-262.

(10) Sano M, Ernesto C, Thomas RG et al. A controlled trial of selegiline, alpha-tocopherol, or both as treatment for Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study. N Engl J Med. 1997 Apr 24;336(17):1216-22

(11) Kaneko S, Wang J, Kaneko M, Yiu G, Hurrell JM, Chitnis T, Khoury SJ, He Z. Protecting axonal degeneration by increasing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide levels in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis models. J Neurosci. 2006 Sep 20;26(38):9794-804. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed See also: Vitamins fight multiple sclerosis. Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, October 4, 2006.

For More Information:

A complete copy of Dr. Harold D. Foster's What Really Causes Alzheimer's Disease is available in PDF format, free of charge: http://www.hdfoster.com/Foster_Alzheimers.pdf

To access a free archive of peer-reviewed medical journal papers on the safety and efficacy of vitamin therapy: http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom/

Review of nutritional approaches to Alzheimer's Disease: http://www.doctoryourself.com/alzheimer.html

Additional Reading:

Klenner FR. Response of peripheral and central nerve pathology to mega-doses of the vitamin B-complex and other metabolites. Journal of Applied Nutrition, 1973. http://www.tldp.com/issue/11_00/klenner.htm

Morris MC, Evans DA, Bienias JL, Tangney CC, Bennett DA, Aggarwal N, Wilson RS, and Scherr PA. Dietary intake of antioxidant nutrients and the risk of incident Alzheimer's disease in a biracial community study. Journal of the American Medical Association, 2002. 287(24), 3230-3237.

Morris MC, Evans DA, Bienias PA, Scherr A, Tangney CC, Hebert LE, Bennett DA, Wilson RS, and Aggarwal N. Dietary Niacin and the Risk of Incident Alzheimer's Disease and of Cognitive Decline. J Neurology, Psychiatry 2004; 75: 1093-1099.

Bobkova NV. The impact of mineral ascorbates on memory loss. Paper presented at the III World Congress on Vitamin C, 2001, Committee for World Health, Victoria, BC, Canada.

Galeev A, Kazakova A, Zherebker E, Dana E, and Dana R. Mineral ascorbates improve memory and cognitive functions in older individuals with pre-Alzheimer's symptoms. Copy of paper given to authors by R. Dana and E. Dana, Committee for World Health, 20331 Lake Forest Drive, Suite C-15, Lake Forest, California 92630, USA.

Bobkova NV, Nesterova IV, Dana E, Nesterov VI, Aleksandrova IIu, Medvinskaia NI, and Samokhia AN (2003). Morpho-functional changes of neurons in temporal cortex in comparison with spatial memory in bulbectomized mice after treatment with minerals and ascorbates. Morfologiia, 123(3), 27-31. [In Russian]

Engelhart MJ, Geerlings MI, Ruitenberg A, van Swieten JC, Hofman A, and Witteman JC (2002). Dietary intake of antioxidants and risk of Alzheimer's disease: Food for thought. Journal of the American Medical Association, 287(24), 3223-3229.

Grant WB. Dietary links to Alzheimer's disease: 1999 update. Journal of Alzheimer's disease, 1999, 1(4,5), 197-201.

Barberger-Gateau P, Letenneur L, Deschamps V, Pérès K, Jean-François Dartigues JF, and Renaud S (2002). Fish, meat, and risk of dementia: Cohort study. British Medical Journal, 325, 932-933.

Vogiatzoglou A, Refsum H, Johnston C, Smith SM, Bradley KM, de Jager C, Budge MM, Smith AD. Vitamin B12 status and rate of brain volume loss in community-dwelling elderly. Neurology. 2008 Sep 9;71(11):826-32.

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Posted in: 2009,Alzheimer's,health news,lithium,natural health news,natural news,niacin,vitamins,vitamins for Alzheimer's