Vitamins and Supplements

Omega 3 Supplements During Pregnancy

Omega 3 fatty acids are fatty acids that are used to help control fats in the body. They may also be used by pregnant women. You should strongly consider the use of omega 3 supplements during your pregnancy.

Why is a Supplement So Important?

You need to get an omega 3 supplement to work for you during your pregnancy because your body is not going to actually produce these fatty acids. You have to go out and get these fatty acids for yourself.

What Can a Supplement Do?

The things that a supplement like this can do for your body during a pregnancy can be important. First, you need to use a supplement to help control your heart’s natural rhythm. This is so it will not be at risk of damages or stress.

It can also assist you in keeping your pregnancy under control. It has been found that women who use omega 3 fatty acids during pregnancy are less likely to suffer from issues relating to pre-term labor.

Can It Help the Baby?

You can use omega 3 supplements to improve your unborn child’s health as well. These supplements can be used to support brain growth in an unborn child. A child whose brain grows properly before birth will be more likely to have improved mental skills.

In fact, supplements are made without the use of mercury, a substance that might be found in some natural sources that omega 3s can be found in. Mercury can cause brain damage in an unborn child. Therefore, a supplement with these fatty acids should be used.

Can You Get Them Elsewhere?

You can always get these fatty acids from leafy green vegetables and also from soybeans. Some fatty fish types like trout or salmon may work too. A supplement should still be used so you can ensure that you are getting an appropriate amount.

How Much is Needed?

It should not be difficult for you to find a supplement that will provide you with a suitable amount of fatty acids. A good supplement should include about 200 mg of omega 3s. This should help you out with getting enough fatty acids for your baby’s development without creating any significant risks on the pregnancy.

The use of omega 3 supplements can be important to anyone but it is especially important for pregnant women to consider. You need to make sure you are using these supplements the right way.

by ashu
Health Care

Light Therapy

Light therapy employs either natural or artificial light to treat various disorders, ranging from psoriasis and other skin diseases to soft bones and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that occurs during the winter.

Origins

Exposure to bright sunlight and to the ultraviolet rays of sun lamps has been used to treat skin diseases for many years. The application of light therapy for treating SAD dates from the late 1980s when doctors first recognized the link between depression and the long, dark days of mid winter. Practitioners

Light therapy may be administered by a physician, physical therapist, or psychologist. It is also carried out at home under instructions by a qualified health professional.

When It Is Used

Light therapy is now the treatment of choice for SAD, largely replacing the use of antidepressants and psychotherapy. Ultraviolet light has several uses. One is to treat psoriasis, often in conjunction with drugs, as well as other nonspecific skin conditions that cause itching. Another is to treat rickets (in children) or osteomalacia (in adults). These disorders, in which the bones become soft, are caused by a lack of vitamin D, which the body makes when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Elderly shut ins benefit from such treatment in two ways: The light therapy helps strengthen their bones, and at the same time helps them counter depression. Infants born with jaundice are also sometimes exposed to ultraviolet light. Other potential uses of light therapy include treatment for jet lag, sleep disorders, and the biorhythm problems that are often experienced by people who work at night.

How It Works

Exposure to varying levels of light affects the biological clock of all living creatures. In humans, lack of sunshine has a more profound psychological effect than was formerly recognized. (Some researchers estimate that 20 percent of people who live in the northern United States and Canada could benefit from light therapy, with women outnumbering men four to one.) Daylight stimulates the human brain to produce hormones and other brain chemicals that are essential for psychological and emotional well being. For most SAD sufferers, daily exposure to a few hours of very bright fluorescent lights relieves their symptoms as effectively as a winter vacation in the sunny tropics. Within four days of beginning treatment, most patients show a marked improvement-much more quickly than with anti depressant medication. Benefits seem to be the same whether therapy takes place during the day or night. Ultraviolet light also directly affects the skin in several ways: It promotes the manufacture of vitamin D and slows the growth of new skin cells in psoriasis. Its drying effect may help improve acne. In some people, however, sunlight triggers a flare up of acne; one should proceed with caution.

What to expect

The special fluorescent lights used for treating SAD are housed in boxes containing a reflector and a light diffusing cover. The treatments, which are simple, painless, inexpensive, and harmless when done properly, usually take two or three hours a day, although some people benefit from as little as half an hour of exposure. During a treatment, the patient can nap, read, or go about other quiet activities. New types of light therapy devices that would not interfere with a patient’s daily routine are being investigated. One of these is a computer controlled gadget that switches on a bright light early in the morning to simulate the arrival of dawn before the time of the usual winter sunrise. Studies at New York’s Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, where the device was developed, found that test volunteers woke up feeling alert and vigorous.

Precautions

  • Light therapy is effective only with lights for this purpose. Other types of bright lights, such as lamps and sunlamps, are not suitable.
  • To avoid eye irritation and damage, do not look light source. Always cover the eyes of babies who are exposed to bright, direct light.
  • Because ultraviolet light increases the risk of skin use should be carefully monitored by a doctor.
by ashu
Health Care

Massage

Origins

Massage is an instinctive means of communication and giving comfort. Among animals, mothers stroke their young, and the adults of many species rub or groom each other. Medically, massage is our oldest form of treatment and one that is used by every culture. The earliest Chinese, Egyptian, and Indian medical writings all describe preventive and therapeutic uses of massage. Galen, a second century Roman physician, massaged both the emperor and gladiator, and wrote more than a dozen medical books about massage. The most familiar form in the United States, Swedish, or classic massage, was developed in Sweden in the early 1800s by Per Henrik Ling; before his death in 1838, institutes for it had been established in several countries. Following World War I, massage by hand was gradually replaced by the electrical devices used in physical therapy. By the 1940s, massage therapy had been eclipsed by modern medicine, and it was relegated to seedy massage parlors or scorned as a pleasure of the pampered rich. In recent years, the pendulum has begun to swing back, and massage by hand is once again considered a useful therapeutic tool.

Practitioners

Almost everyone can do a simple form of massage on himself or someone else, but special instruction is needed to master the techniques of the therapeutic form. Depending upon the practice, training ranges from a few weeks to a year or more. For membership, the American Massage Therapy Association requires 500 hours of study, including courses in anatomy and physiology. There are also institutes that teach and certify certain specialized forms of massage such as rolfing, a vigorous deep kneading, and reflexology and shiatsu, techniques in which specific pressure points are pressed or massaged to alleviate pain and other symptoms. Most massage therapists practice independently, although some work in tandem with physical therapists, sports medicine physicians, rehabilitation specialists, osteopaths, chiropractors, and other health professionals. To find a reputable practitioner, call the rehabilitation, or physiatry, department of a hospital.

When It Is Used

Massage is employed to alleviate stiffness, tension, and soreness in muscles, and to promote comfort and help overcome stress. Many athletic trainers recommend massage to loosen muscles before competition as well as to ease soreness afterwards. Massage can also relieve leg cramps. If you are often awakened by leg cramps or suffer restless leg syndrome, try massaging your legs before going to bed. Back and shoulder massages help some women manage labor pains, and gentle massage is one way to comfort a colicky baby. Migraines and tension headaches can be alleviated by massage; the same is true of lower back pain due to muscle spasms.

How It Works

In general, massage works by easing muscle and psychological tension and promoting relaxation. The use of aromatic oils during massage a variation of aromatherapy can help deepen relaxation. Massage increases blood flow to the area being rubbed, and this may speed healing. Contrary to common claims, however, massage cannot speed the expelling of toxins from the body. Practitioners of massage techniques that employ pressure points for example, shiatsu, reflexology, and acupressure claim benefits similar to those of acupuncture. The idea is to apply pressure to a specific part of the body to elicit a response elsewhere.

What To Expect

For Swedish, or European, massage, the person receiving treatment undresses and then reclines on a padded table, mattress, or floor pad, and the massager stands or kneels at his side. A towel or sheet is draped over parts of the body that are not being massaged. A warm, often scented oil is applied to the exposed skin, which is then massaged with different strokes. Depending upon the stroke, the fingers, thumbs, palms, or edges of the hand, as well as elbows and forearms, are used. Most strokes are gentle and pleasant. In deep massage, however, the muscles are vigorously prodded and thumped. The effect should be invigorating rafter than uncomfortable; let the practitioner know if the massage produces any sharp or radiating pain. Rolfing, another vigorous form of massage, involves manipulating the deep connective tissue, or fascia, that holds the muscles together. During a session, the rolfer uses his hands, fingers, and elbows to press deeply or pummel different parts of the body. A session can be quite painful, but devotees say they feel wonderful afterwards. There are a few other therapies that incorporate massage as part of their overall approach. For example, Hellerwork, an outgrowth of rolfing, combines deep tissue massage with posture exercises. And polarity uses massage to harness and redirect the body’s flow of energy. It also employs yoga, exercise, and nutritional and psychological counseling to provide a total approach to health and healing.

by ashu
Diets

Helpful Hints for Diets

Though precise rules of nutrition were not formulated in ancient days, our ancestors had evolved a set of healthy food habits such as the use of unrefined cereals, the combination of cereals and dais to provide ‘complete’ proteins, and the use of natural sugars. Modern man, however, has acquired artificial tastes and alienated himself from Nature even in his food habits. The growing consumption of refined grains, white sugar and junk food creates disorders in the human body.

  • Soaking, sprouting and fermentation increase the nutritional value of dais and cereal grains. Sprouting breaks down proteins and starches into simple forms and makes the vitamins available for ready absorption. The increase in vitamins Band C compensates for the minor losses in roasting and cooking. Methi seeds are especially benefited by this method. Sprouting makes them lose their bitterness, thus allowing us to avail their valuable amino acids.
  • Another golden rule is combination. Since the Indian diet relies heavily on cereals, combine cereals with dais for maximum protein value. Good sources of vegetable proteins are yeast (khameer), skimmed milk powder, soya granules, mushrooms, sprouted dais, peanuts and paneer.
  • Do not over-wash vegetables, do not soak them in water for a long time, and do not store them for longer than necessary. This helps vegetables retain valuable water-soluble vitamins and minerals.
  • Conserve vitamins by cooking vegetables in very little water, with a lid on the saucepan.
  • Never throwaway the water in which vegetables were cooked. Use it for making dais, curries, soups and gravies.
  • Use non-stick pans to minimize the use of oil.
  • Avoid using aluminum saucepans, unless you are careful not to scour them. Try to use stainless steel or enamel saucepans for soups, etc. Copper and brass vessels are highly recommended.
  • As far as possible, do not liquidize vegetables and fruits at high speeds. Even chutneys are best ground on a grindstone, because high-speed mixers can destroy vitamins B and C.
  • Do not peel fruits and vegetables unnecessarily (except for fruits such as oranges, mangoes and bananas). Peeling removes much of the nutrients that fruits and vegetables are supposed to provide.

 

by ashu
Health Care

Lets Talk About The Fact

Oil operators spend billions of dollars each year on oilfield equipment. Some of the products purchase consists of casing, tubing, pump jack, oil rig, rotary tables, block, truck mounted rigs, jack up rigs. There are hundreds of company that sell equipment. Finding and buying oilfield equipment such as oilfield drill bits and coiled tubing is not necessarily simple. The businesses the use this equipment are working in a very high pressure situation that requires the finest parts and services so that the operations can be as safe as humanly possible.

There are more than 40,000 oil fields that require specialized equipment to run. Some are on land, others are offshore. No matter where the field is located oilfield equipment is required. Oil fields are regions with a large quantity of oil wells. Most of the wells are extracting crude oil.

With the growing need for oil the necessity of moving the equipment from old location to the new oil field is increasing. Once a new oil field has been found the extraction should be started immediately and thus the need for moving various equipment like drilling dampeners, pulsation dampeners and many more is vital to the oil extracting companies. As a result of this there is an increased demand for drilling rig moving equipment. Oil industry companies no longer invest in fixed drilling equipment. It is more cost effective to be able to transport a drilling rig to new oil deposits than to go for new equipment as these equipment are very expensive.

by ashu
Herbs

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is cultivated in Central and South America and Australia. The medicinal parts of the lemongrass plant are the dried leaves, the lemongrass oil of Cymbopogon citratus, and the citronella oil of C. nardus. Lemongrass contains alkaloids, a saponin fraction, and cymbopogonol. Fresh leaves contain 0.4% to 0.5% volatile oil that contains citral, myrcene, geranial, and several other fragrant compounds. Myrcene may have some peripheral analgessic activity similar to peripherally acting opiates that directly down-regulate sensitized receptors.

Reported uses

Lemongrass is used topically as an analgesic for neuralgic and rheumatic pain and strains, and as a mild astringent. The
crushed leaves are used topically as a mosquito repellent. The essential oil is used as a food additive and also in perfumes. Internally, lemon grass is used as an antispasmodic and for the treatment of nervous and GI disorders.

Administration

  • Oil: Applied topically for pain
  • Tea: Prepared by adding 2 to 4 g of esh Or dried leaves to 5 oz of boiling Water.

Hazards

Lemongrass may cause dry mouth, polyuria, allergic reactions, hypotension, and increased liver enzymes. Lemongrass has been found to have a diuretic effect in rats. Concomitant use of lemongrass with a diuretic may cause excess diuresis. Concomitant use of lemongrass with an antihypertensive agent may lead to hypotension. Lemongrass may exert an antimicrobial and antifungal effect. Concomitant use of lemongrass with an antibiotic and/or antifungal may lead to an enhanced effect.
Patients who are pregnant or breast-feeding or with a history of liver dysfunction shouldn’t use this herb.

Clinical considerations

  • Tell patient that lemongrass may cause increased frequency of urination.
  • Monitor patient’s liver enzymes.
  • Advise patient to keep lemongrass out of reach of children.
  • Tell patient to remind prescriber and pharmacist of any herbal or dietary supplement that he’s taking when obtaining a new prescription.
  • Advise patient to consult his health care provider before using an herbal preparation because a treatment with proven efficacy may be available.

Research summary

Studies have shown lemongrass to be useful as an antitumor agent and a fever reducer. There has also been some indication that lemon grass has antiradical and antioxidant activity.

by ashu
Vitamins and Supplements

Glorification of Alcohol and Drug Use without Addiction Treatment in the Media

In our media-hungry society, Americans encounter alcohol and drug use in the media with more frequency than we likely realize. While difficult to quantify, one can only imagine the effects of this exposure on substance abuse. During the 70’s, drug and alcohol abuse reached a peak. Music and social conditions created a social arena ripe for addiction. This was the beginning of the glorification of drug use and the heyday addiction treatment clinic.

Drug Use in Film

Sadly, for many Americans, the image of the wasted junkie has lost its shock value. The frightening images of junkies of movie fame, including Juice and The Basketball Diaries, have been replaced by other nerve-exposing images. Traffic, a blockbuster in the 90’s, provided new scandal for the jaded. In the film, an underage Caucasian girl from a good home is graphically portrayed as the zombie-like conquest of an African-American drug dealer. Her loving parents guide her to drug detox, and hope appears on the horizon for the defiled damsel. Apparently the notion of “little junkie girl” lost was no longer enough to disturb the average American; racial stereotypes and socio-economic terror must join the amalgam for proper shock value.

Double Take: Models or Heroin Addicts?

The wasted figure of the emaciated supermodel peaked during the 90’s, when major fashion designers featured the thin figures of models with dark eye make-up and strung-out poses. This was the beginning of heroin chic, a trend in the fashion industry supporting the glazed-eye look of a junkie. In part due to the rising availability of the drug, the images of addicts were emblazoned upon billboards and bus sides. The decline of this advertising began only when a well-known photographer died of an overdose.

In The Cross-Hairs: Targeting Minors through Marketing

Alcohol manufacturers employ aggressive ad campaigns to target youth under the drinking age. With imagery and music borrowed from Rave culture, several companies offer enticing visuals of fun and popularity among attractive young people. Youth exposure to alcohol advertising occurs because ads are placed around programming that has minors among its largest viewership. Over 40% of minors viewed these ads while watching TV, while most never see the inside of an alcohol rehab center.

Another study shows that up to 20% of teens own clothing advertising alcohol. Disturbingly, the children who participated in the study, which followed the habits and behaviors of minors owning clothing bearing these advertisements, were under the age of 15.

Celebrities and Substance Abuse

Celebrity status and alcohol and drug use is depicted as going hand-in-hand. While some celebs attempt discretion while entering a drug or alcohol rehab center, as often as not, the information is used as a tactic to acquire media attention. In the predatory world of Hollywood glamour, the desperate media strategies employed by managers and celebrities are frequently exquisitely timed. An actor’s public entrance into an alcohol rehabilitation program, for instance, often somehow coincides with a movie premiere. Likewise, this formula can be applied to the music industry, which pairs album release dates with the shocking news of an artist entering a rehab center for assistance with his problem.

by tom57
Vitamins and Supplements

Impact of Vitamin and Herbs on Depression

While modern medicine has an idea of how depression “works,” a definitive cure for depression still eludes doctors and scientists. A variety of factors seem to indicate how likely a person is to develop depression. Environment, genetics, exposure to a traumatic event, increased stress level, hormonal balance, and poor nutrition all influence one’s probability to become depressed. One theory even posits that it is caused by inefficiency in the body’s ability to store vitamin. While these causes are acknowledged, the larger question of how to treat depression for the long-term remains unanswered.

Traditional treatment for depression has evolved somewhat over the years. In the past, extreme measures such as electro-shock and lobotomy were considered acceptable options. Today, although the horror of electro-shock therapy still exists, the majority of people undergo treatment via counseling and sometimes the use of anti-depressants. Interestingly, an infinitely gentler method of using electricity on the brain is being studied with a group of people who are utterly incapacitated by depression and do not respond to drug therapy.

About 50 patients suffering from a depression so severe that they were unable to function in daily life volunteered for an experiment in which the brain was stimulated by a very mild electric current. The procedure, called “deep stimulation,” targets a certain area of the brain with a low level of electricity. Results from the trials conducted in America and Canada have shown positive results for participants. Several patients who were so non-functioning that they could not even work have returned to employment and are leading normal lives.

For those who wish to avoid surgical insertion of electrical stimuli into the brain, there remain other options. Approaching depression as a type of malnourishment created other possible treatments, such as the including supplements, like B vitamins and cheap vitamin C, to the diet. Shifting meal plans away from junk food, eating more fruits and vegetables, and reducing intake of fatty foods and carbohydrates are strategies used. Additionally, Omega-3 fatty acids, attainable through consumption of foods like fish and flax seed, may improve mood. These amino acids are also available in supplement form. Other trials have shown that taking calcium supplements alleviates the symptoms of depression in 30% of subjects, who felt relief when calcium was added to their diet via supplement. Vitamin D has recently been added to the list of vitamin and herbs that impact mood, especially for those suffering from seasonal depression.

Because conventional drug treatments can have dangerous side effects and cause increased health risks with long-term use, some people are considering other avenues. Options such as behavioral modification, dietary adjustment, light therapy, and meditation have been presented in a certain groundbreaking new book by a doctor seeking other ways to help sufferers of this illness. For those sensitive to medication or experiencing mild depression, the use of discount herbal supplements might be used to treat symptoms economically. In Germany, doctors actually prescribe St. John’s Wort for the illness.

One of the most radical treatments being explored for depression is perhaps the most simple: exercise. Adding a regular fitness regimen to their daily routine improved the moods of 30% of patients in a study about the impact of exercise on mood.

by tom57