Because you have asthma, your airways are very sensitive. They may react to things called triggers (stimuli that can cause asthma episodes). Your airways may become swollen, tighten up, and produce excess mucus in the presence of one or more of the triggers below. These triggers may make asthma symptoms worse or keep you from getting better. It’s important to find out what your asthma triggers are. Learn ways to avoid them. If you cannot avoid triggers, and your medicine plan does not work as well as you and your health care provider think it should, you both should discuss allergy shots (immunotherapy).

Ask your health care provider to help you find out what your triggers are and to decide which actions will help the most to reduce your asthma symptoms.

 Number each action item in order of importance. Carry out these actions first.

Once you have completed these actions, move on to actions that are of lesser importance.

Discuss the results of these efforts with your health care provider.

Pollen and Molds (outdoors)

 Stay indoors during the midday and afternoon when the pollen count is high.

 Use air conditioning, if possible.

 Keep windows closed during seasons when pollen and mold are highest.

 Avoid sources of molds (wet leaves, garden debris, carpet over concrete floors).

Cockroach Allergen

 Use insect sprays; but have someone else spray when you are outside of the home.

 Air out the home for a few hours after spraying.

 Use roach traps.

House Dust Mites

These are actions you should take to

gain control of dust mites:

______ Encase your mattress and box spring in an airtight cover.

______ Either encase your pillow or wash it once a week every week.

______ Avoid sleeping or lying on upholstered furniture.

______ Remove carpets that are laid on concrete.

______ Wash your bed covers, clothes, and stuffed toys once a week in hot (130° F) water.

These actions will also help you gain control of dust mites - but they may not be

essential:

______ Reduce indoor humidity to less than 50 percent. Use a dehumidifier if needed.

______ Remove carpets from your bedroom.

______ Use chemical agents to kill mites or to change mite antigens in the house.

______ Avoid using a vacuum or being in a room while it is being vacuumed.

______ If you must vacuum, one ore more of the following things can be done to reduce the amount of dust you breathe in: Use a dust mask, use a central vacuum cleaner with the collecting bag outside the home, use a vacuum cleaner that has powerful suction.

Animal Dander

Dander refers to flakes in the skin, hair, or feathers of all warm-blooded pets including dogs, cats, birds, and rodents. There is no such thing as an allergenfree dog. The length of a pet’s hair does not matter. The allergen is in the saliva, urine, and dander.

 Remove the animal from the house or school classroom.

 If you must have a pet, keep the pet out of your bedroom at all times.

 If there is forced air heating in the home with a pet, close the air ducts in your bedroom.

 Wash the pet weekly.

 Avoid visits to friends or relatives with pets.

 Take asthma medicine (cromolyn or beta2-agonist; cromolyn is often preferred) before

visiting homes or sites where animals arepresent.

Choose a pet without fur or feathers (such as a fish or a snake).

 Avoid products made with feathers, for example, pillows or comforters.

 Also avoid pillows, bedding, and furniture stuffed with kapok (silky fibers from the seed

pods of the silk-cotton tree).

Use a vacuum cleaner fitted with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter.

Indoor molds

 Keep bathrooms, kitchens, and basements well aired.

 Clean bathrooms, kitchens, and basements regularly.

 Do not use humidifiers unless humidity drops below 15%

 Use dehumidifiers for damp basement areas, with humidity level set for less than

50% but above 25%. Empty and clean unit regularly.

Tobacco Smoke

 Do not smoke.

 Do not allow smoking in the home.

 Have household members smoke outside.

 Do not allow any smoking in your bedroom.

Encourage family members to quit smoking.

Their health care provider can help them quit.

 Use an indoor air-cleaning device (for smoke, mold, and dander).

Wood Smoke

 Avoid using a wood burning heat stove to heat your home. The smoke increases

lower respiratory symptoms.

 Avoid using kerosene heaters.

Strong Odors and Sprays

 Do not stay in your home when it is being painted. Allow enough time for the paint

to dry.

 Avoid perfume and perfumed cosmetics such as talcum powder and hair spray.

 Do not use room deodorizers. § Use non-perfumed household cleaning

products whenever possible.

 Reduce strong cooking odors (especially frying) by using a fan and opening windows.

 Avoid air pollution by staying indoors on days when the pollution count is high.

Colds and Infections

 Avoid people with colds or the flu.

 Get rest, eat a balanced diet, and exercise regularly.

 Talk to your health care provider about flu shots.

 Do not take over-the-counter remedies, such as antihistamines and cough syrup,

unless you speak to your health care provider first.

Exercise

 Work out a medicine plan with your health care provider that allows you to exercise

without symptoms.

 Take inhaled beta2-agonist or prescribed anti-inflammatory medicine before

exercising.

 Warm up before doing exercise and cool down afterwards.

Weather

 Wear a scarf over your mouth and nose in cold weather.

 Pull a turtleneck over your nose on windy or cold days.

 Dress warmly in the winter or on windy days.

Food Sensitivity

 You may want to avoid products that could possibly contain the preservative sulfite.

Among these are: precut or dried fruit, fresh mushrooms, processed potatoes, pickled

foods, shrimp, cherries , beer, or wine.

Remember: Making these changes will help keep asthma episodes from starting. An asthma trigger control plan is an important part of controlling asthma

MANILA - The non-invasive Oriental medicine approach utilizes acupuncture and chiropractice

AT THE KAYA KOREAN RESTAURANT, A lecture-demonstration by Dr. Kim Jae Woo from Korea on natural facelift gathered nearly a full room 30 minutes before the start.

Host was Kathy Park, owner of the Kaya Restaurant in Bel-Air (tel. 8950862), and she set the mood by telling the audience she had just had herself treated in November, had previously spent hundreds of thousands on Botox until she discovered the noninvasive type of treatment from Dr. Kim. She showed off her impeccable face that, to those who had known her, was many years younger. Forever young, she quipped.

Dr. Kim is the director of public health and president of the International Oriental Medicine Cosmetic Surgery Society. He’s also CEO and director of Complete Body Oriental Medicine Clinic.

With the aid of an interpreter, Dr. Kim talked about his practice in nonsurgical face-lifting that makes use of acupuncture (the insertion of fine needles to stimulate the flow of vital energy at certain points of the body) in combination with chiropractice (the manipulation of the spine, joints and soft tissues) familiar to many who have witnessed sports-related ailments.

Both acupuncture and chiropractice, expectedly, are still considered alternative medicine by practitioners of mainstream medicine and science. But Kim points out that acupuncture operates along that of the principle of tissue regeneration, like laser-light surgery.

The field of cosmetic beautification and enhancement worldwide has grown by leaps and bounds since a mere 30 years ago when patients went under the knife for facelifts, bust augmentation, nose lifts, chin reduction, hair loss, removal of wrinkles, eye treatments, buttock lifts, obesity, vagina plastic surgery. All these are today possible using his noninvasive nonsurgical method, Dr. Kim says.

Most of us in the audience were women (plus a sprinkling of men, including actor Ricky Davao, who wanted treatment of shoulder pains). Many belonged to the medical field while some in the audience had had unhappy experiences with traditional cosmetic surgery. Society figures such as Becky Garcia, Tina Ferreros, Geena Zablan, Cory Quirino and Maurice Arcache were present.

Tina Ferreros had agreed to be the subject of the demonstration. She had been given anesthesia an hour before as she was so nervous about the procedure. “I don’t know why I agreed,” she told the audience.

In action

Kim pointed out the areas of her face that needed treatment—her uneven chin alignment, laugh lines that were deeper on one side, wrinkles, a general imbalance of the joints of her upper body.

He started working on the jaw, inserted acupuncture needles with stems inside her mouth and told her to bite on the stems. He later worked on the side of her face that was sagging and had defined laugh lines: With a single fine needle, he started massaging and manipulating her chin. Then it was all over and he asked the audience for comments.

Tina’s chin did appear more aligned. The procedure on wrinkles and laugh lines would be more obvious after the swelling had subsided. In a month’s time, Kim says, regeneration of tissues would show the difference in her face.

This idea of making the body heal itself is endemic to Chinese and Asian practices. In the Orient there has been traditional resistance to tampering with what God has given. That is why many still prefer going to a “hilot” for body pains, drinking organic herbal juices for various ailments, taking a beauty bath in carabao milk, treating minor itchiness and allergies with guava leaves. Medical tourism records show that the West has likewise been invaded by this thinking.

Foreign visitors to Singapore for cosmetic medical tourism in 2007 was around 350,000, which has more than tripled today. Thailand had around 750,000 in 2008, which now should be around 1.5 million.

In contrast, South Korea had only 50,000 in 2009 even while the cost of similar treatment is 30 percent less than that in the US, and 60 percent less than that in Japan. The main problem, according to research, is that of language, a matter that Dr. Kim and Katy as his agent here are determined to solve.

While not directly confronting traditional medicine, Kim says the popular Botox is at best a temporary solution and cautions that it will weaken muscles which may cause deformity. He says one may look beautiful after going under the knife in one’s youth with bad effects appearing upon reaching one’s 50s.

We are suddenly reminded of the case of one show-biz wife whose problem now has been inadvertently divulged by her mom. Kim is not saying no to surgical procedures en toto, but just advising one should be careful.

The main theory behind Kim’s Oriental medicine practice is not to use anything synthetic inside the body. The final shape of our body is formed by membrane, fats, tendons, muscles, blood vessels, skin and our bone structure, which determine the final form of our body. Dr. Kim shows how we can reshape each of our body parts through various acupuncture techniques, a procedure similar to chiropractice, procedures involving enhancement of the muscles and the skin. These will result in delaying aging while becoming healthier at the same time.

In a demonstration of how the body points can rule one’s final appearance, he shows how the muscle beside the spinal cord can affect the appearance of one’s nose. “After stimulating the muscle two to three times a day for a couple of months, you will notice a marked difference in your nose’s appearance. ”

By Bibsy M. Carballo

Nearly 50% of Americans residing in the United States use some type of vitamin or vitamin supplement ever day. Even though they may take vitamins, most are unaware of the fact that nearly 90% of the nutrients and minerals found in the vitamin isn’t properly absorbed by the body, which means they are virtually watered down and most of their benefits proven to be not effective.

Almost all individuals who take vitamins use the pill form. Pills were once thought of to be the best, simply because they were the only vitamin sources. These days, liquid vitamins are much more effective, and people are starting to realize it. Although many use pills or chewable vitamins, they aren’t getting near the benefit they think they are.

Vitamins and supplements are very popular, especially for those who have active lifestyles and find it difficult to consume the necessary vitamins and minerals they need from the proper meals. Therefore, those with busy lifestyles turn to vitamins and supplements to give their bodies what it needs to carry out day to day activities. Even though you should never replace food with vitamins, vitamins can help you to get the nutrients and minerals you need on a daily basis.

The main reason why liquid vitamins are more effective than pills and tablets is due to the nature of their liquid base. With the vitamins being liquid, they are easier for the body to digest and easily absorbed into the digestive tract as well. Chewable tablets and pills will pass through the body in hard form, making them hard to digest. Liquid is always digested when it passes through, so it will go through your body quicker and take effect faster.

Due to the body having to work less to break down and absorb liquid vitamins, they will pass through the body much faster. The nutrients and minerals contained in liquid vitamins will reach vital areas faster through the bloodstream, and they are easier to use by the most important organs in your body that need them the most. Liquid is also easy to swallow as well, as you can add the liquid vitamin to your favorite juice or just take it right out of the bottle if you prefer.

With pills or chewable vitamins, the majority of the nutrients and minerals that are contained in the vitamins aren’t normally broken down in the digestive system. With these types of vitamins being in hard form, they are harder for the body to pass at the most crucial moments, where the body needs to have nutrients and minerals. Unless you completely chew up the vitamin, it can stay in hard form until it passes through when you go to the bathroom. If this happens, you are normally just wasting the vitamin as it doesn’t have a chance to get into the bloodstream.

Liquid vitamins have proven themselves to be the best way to get the minerals and nutrients your body needs. As more and more people discover the benefits of liquid vitamins and how easy they are to digest, they make the switch. Liquid is far superior to tablets and pills, simply because it tastes better, it’s easier to digest, and it travels through the body faster. You can find many different flavors and types of vitamin supplements at your local nutrition store, or get online and order what you need there. Either way you go - you’ll find liquid vitamins to be the ideal way to get the nutrients you need for you body on a daily basis.

By – P. Stevens

SYRACUSE - Hypnosis has potential therapeutic value in children with respiratory disorders for alleviating symptoms such as habit cough or unexplained sensations of difficulty breathing and for lessening a child’s discomfort during medical procedures. Proper utilization of hypnosis as an adjunct to conventional treatment and its ability to use the mind-body connection to bring about physiological changes are explored in a provocative paper in Pediatric Asthma, Allergy & Immunology, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The paper is available free online.

Ran D. Anbar, MD, Professor of Pediatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University, in Syracuse, NY, recommends hypnosis as a treatment option when a child’s respiratory symptoms appear to have a psychological component. In his paper, “Adding Hypnosis to the Therapeutic Toolbox of Pediatric Respiratory Care,” Dr. Anbar points to symptoms such as difficulty taking a breath, a disruptive cough, hyperventilation, noise on inspiration such as a gasp or squeak, and difficulty swallowing despite normal lung function as possible indications for the use of hypnosis to supplement medical therapy. Symptoms that are absent during sleep, can be associated with a particular activity or location, or are linked to or triggered by an emotional response may be particularly responsive to hypnosis.

Published data support the benefit of hypnosis in children with respiratory disorders with a large mind-body component such as vocal cord dysfunction and habit cough. Hypnosis can also help lessen sensations of difficulty breathing and anxiety in other respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis and asthma. Hypnosis is also a valuable tool for easing a child’s anxiety and helping patients control their response to discomfort.

Dr. Anbar cautions that hypnosis should not be attempted or considered for use by someone who is not a health care provider and has not received appropriate training in the technique.

“Dr. Anbar has added hypnosis to our therapeutic toolbox. When breathing problems have a large mind-body component, resolution with hypnosis can dramatically reduce the need for expensive testing and medications,” says Harold Farber, MD, MSPH, Editor of Pediatric Asthma, Allergy Immunology, and Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Section of Pulmonology, at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.

US TELE-MEDICINE RECOMMENDS BARRY EISEN FOR HYPNOTHERAPY HELP: WWW.BARRYEISEN.COM

Classical music, aromatherapy, massage tables…these are things you’d expect to find at a day spa.  But these mind-relaxing modes are now being used for a different purpose…medicine.

It used to be that hospitals kept to traditional, or what’s known as western medicine.

But more medical facilities in Maine are realizing that treating the problem isn’t enough, you have to mend the person as well.

“In the last decade or so, the word integrative medicine has been used more and more.”

Dr. john Woytowicz should know. He’s the Director of Integrative Medicine at Maine Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency in Augusta. The physician started studying herbs at the request of his patients.

“Over time, I’ve incorporated botanical medicine into my practice,” says Dr. Woytowicz.

At one time, holistic healing was considered alternative medicine. But now, Dr. Woytowicz and other physicians around Maine are offering it to their patients as an enhancement option for more traditional treatments.

“I try to use it as another service to provide to them, another set of skills that might help them,” the herbalist says.

Dr. Woytowicz says many common health problems can be treated with botanical medicines.

“Things like headaches, arthritis, digestive problems is a very, very common area where herbal medicines can be very, very useful. Herbs are different from pharmaceuticals in many ways. I mean, they have active ingredients, but there’s many active ingredients in a plant. And they’re balanced in some ways.”

Sherrie Woodward is the Senior Vice President for Patient Services at Maine General Medical Center.

“I think we’re coming out of a generation that looked for a pill to be the answer for everything.”

Maine General has incorporated integrative medicine into many of its patient services. Things like art and music therapy, reiki, accupuncture, and massage.

“We try to look at the patient as an individual and as a whole. And what works for you may not work for me,” says Woodward.

Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor also uses integrative medicine, particularly in its rehab and cancer centers.

Reiki, a type of touch therapy, is provided to patients as well as family members.

“Patients have had very positive responses,” says Martha Wildman, director of volunteer services at EMMC. “We’re tracking our sessions, Reiki sessions, and the patients have overwhelmingly had very positive responses. They don’t all necessarily know exactly what’s happened but they are very comfortable with it and feel very comforted and much less pain in a lot of situations.”

“I think as we’re learning, that often times healing comes from within and that there are many different modalities of what we need to do,” says Woodward.

A call to hospitals around the area revealed that integrative medicine is still a new idea.

Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover Foxcroft does offer accupucture at one of its family practices.

St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor offers an art therapy program for folks with diabetes.

Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast did offer reiki and massage therapy, but was forced to stop because of budget cuts.

CHICAGO - Doctors at Rush University Medical Center are offering pediatric patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses acupuncture therapy to help ease the pain and negative side effects like nausea, fatigue, and vomiting caused by chronic health conditions and intensive treatments. The confluence of Chinese and Western medicine at Rush Children’s Hospital is part of a study to analyze and document how acupuncture might help in reducing pain in children and increase quality of life.

“Treating children with acupuncture is a new frontier,” said Dr. Paul Kent, pediatric hematology and oncology expert, Rush Children’s Hospital. “We are looking to see if there is an effective pain management therapy we can offer that does not have the serious side effects that can be caused by narcotics and other serious pain medications.”

The lack of options for pain management in children has been reported as one of the most difficult aspects of providing care to pediatric patients. Research indicates that up to 70 percent of pediatric patients experience pain and those with chronic illnesses often do not have adequate relief or prevention of pain.

“Acupuncture could be a potential solution to this dilemma of controlling pain in pediatric patients,” said Angela Johnson, Chinese medicine practitioner at Rush.

Acupuncture is the use of tiny, hair-thin needles which are gently inserted along various parts of the body. The therapy is based on the premise that patterns of energy flowing through the body are essential for health. This energy, called Qi, flows along certain pathways. It is believed that placing the tiny needles at points along the pathways reduce pain and improve the healing process.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) has published a statement concluding that acupuncture is effective for treating adults for nausea following chemotherapy and for pain after dental surgery. The agency also said that the therapy might be useful in treating other health issues such as addiction, migraines, headaches, menstrual cramps, abdominal pain, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, arthritis, low-back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and asthma. In some pediatric studies, both patients and parents have stated that acupuncture treatments were both helpful and relaxing.

Rush will be offering acupuncture therapy to pediatric patients between the ages of 5-20 years of age, who are experiencing pain. A practitioner who is licensed in acupuncture by the State of Illinois and certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine will be giving the treatments. Study participants will receive eight acupuncture treatments at no charge.

“Many children with chronic or acute health issues turn to complementary or integrative approaches after all other conventional treatment options are exhausted,” said Johnson. “Parents should be aware that integrative therapies like acupuncture can be helpful from the onset of disease and can have a tremendously positive influence on a child’s quality of life.”

Recent media reports have covered research announced ahead of the American Academy of Neurology’s (AAN) Annual Meeting in April which suggested that milk during pregnancy may lower a baby’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life.

The theory from the researchers in Boston, announced in an AAN press release, was based on a survey of American mothers.

It was claimed that MS risk was lower among women born to mothers with high milk or dietary vitamin D intake in pregnancy.

Unfortunately UK media reports focused on the milk link ; however it is in fact the case that there are only trace elements of vitamin D in milk consumed in this country.

Unlike America, most of Britain’s milk is not fortified with vitamin D and so whatever quantity of milk is ingested, vitamin D levels in the body are likely to remain unaffected.

While it may be true that vitamin D has previously been shown to potentially play a role in MS, maintaining a healthy, balanced diet including oily fish and exposing skin to safe levels of sunshine are the best ways to increase levels of vitamin D.

SYDNEY - Walking less than two miles a couple of times a week and taking a natural supplement can significantly ease the crippling pain of arthritis, a new study shows.

 Walking further or for five days a week did not make patients feel substantially better, the study also shows.

Experts recommend that most people walk for much longer, around 10,000 steps a day, to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

But there has been confusion over how much exercise those with osteoarthritis, the ‘wear and tear’ form of the condition, thought to affect around eight million people in Britain, should take.

Dr Kristiann Heesch, from the University of Queensland in Australia, who led the study, said: “These findings provide preliminary evidence that osteoarthritis sufferers can benefit from a combination of glucosamine sulphate and walking 3,000 steps per day for exercise, in bouts of at least 1,500 steps each, on at least three days per week.”

The supplement, glucosamine sulphate, which is made from the shells of shellfish, has previously been linked to easing the pain of arthritis, although the evidence has not been conclusive.

Volunteers took the supplement for six weeks, by the end of which their pain levels had fallen by 13 per cent.

They were then asked start taking regular exercise on top of the supplement.

By the end of six months patients reported that both their levels of pain and stiffness had halved, the findings, published in the journal Arthritis Research and Therapy, show.

Jane Tadman, from the Arthritis Research Campaign, said: “We know that exercise and keeping mobile is very important for people with arthritis to keep the muscles that support the joints strong and supple.

“But we don’t really know what the appropriate amount of exercise is, and this study is an attempt to answer that.”

She added: “Recent studies into the effectiveness of glucosamine have been very mixed, although anecdotally lots of people with osteoarthritis report some benefit.”

Jane Spence, from Arthritis Care, said: “Maintaining a healthy weight and taking a mixture of appropriate exercise and rest as advised by your health professional is sensible for people to manage their condition.

“Exercise is good for overall wellbeing, helps mobility, and actually lifts low spirits by releasing endorphins – the body’s natural ‘painkillers’ – into the bloodstream.”

The University of Queensland team admit that there study was small, with only 36 patients completing the full six months – in part because some were advised to drop out of the trial by their family doctor, concerned that they should not take too much exercise.

They have called for larger studies to validate their findings.

Last year similar research suggested that practising Tai Chi could ease the pain of arthritis.

The NHS performs 65,000 knee replacements a year, many on patients with arthritis of the knee.

LONDON - The heir to the throne, who is a long-standing supporter of complementary and alternative medicine, made his comments on Friday morning after meeting ordinands at St Mellitus College, London’s newest Anglican theological training institution.

Discussing the trainee priests’ decision to go into the church, the Prince said: “It would seem in today’s world that this was a frightfully unfashionable thing to do, but ladies and gentleman, you are, in some extraordinary way, bucking the trend.”

He praised the work of the evangelical Alpha Course, which was founded by the parish vicar, Nicky Gumbel of Holy Trinity Brompton.

The Prince, who would become Supreme Governor of the Church of England if he is crowned king, said: “The fact that you are able to plant churches and help encourage congregations in some of these previously redundant, unused churches is again enormously encouraging and I greatly admire Nicky Gumbel and indeed his son for the work they are doing and for the work they are inspiring among so many of you.”

He went on: “One of the reasons I started my Foundation for Integrated Health was to try and encourage people to appreciate the fact that we are made up of mind, body and spirit.

“One of the great tragedies, it seems to me, about today’s world is the way in which it has become so fragmented that we can no longer see the whole picture, we no longer see the unity of things let alone our relationship and inter-connectedness with nature, because after all we are nature but somehow we are taught that we apart from it and not a part of it.”

The Prince referred to Marylebone Health Centre, which he opened in the crypt of a church in 1987 as the first NHS practice to use complementary therapies such as massage, acupuncture and homeopathy.

It is linked to a Healing and Counselling Centre where patients can receive “healing prayer” and “spiritual direction” with Christian priests.

The Prince said: “The thing I thought was so wonderful about that particular clinic was the fact that they used the Church of England spiritual healing mission.

“So often the doctors would tell me they would be able to send a patient down the corridor to the Church of England spiritual healing mission, who would have time to listen and it was the listening to the particular problem that people had, that actually helped the healing process.

“And again, so often those people that had been healed would come back to help with others.”

He went on: “It always seemed to me that in today’s world because of the fragmentation and the disconnection, the greatest challenge it seems is how do you reconnect people to anything like a spiritual understanding? It seemed to me that one way possibly was through healthcare, if you can reintroduce people to the mind, body and spirit element in their make up.”

We have never posted an article like this, however if there was ever an exception to promote spiritual and holistic wellness, this is it. 

This is a wonderful piece by Michael Gartner, editor of newspapers large and small and past president of NBC News.  In 1997, he won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing.  It is well worth reading, and a few good chuckles are guaranteed.  Here goes….

My father never drove a car.  Well, that’s not quite right.  I should say I never saw him drive a car.

“No,” he said ” If we miss it at seven, we just come home and call it a bad day.  Besides, nothing in life is so important it can’t be put off another day or another week.”

    My mother was never in an accident, but one evening she handed me her car keys and said she had decided to quit driving.. That was in 1999, when she was 90.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. 

So love the people who treat you right.  Forget about the one’s who don’t. Believe everything happens for a reason.  If you get a chance, take it & if it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it.

ENJOY LIFE NOW - IT HAS AN EXPIRATION DATE

GENEVA - Most of the 2.6 million deaths of young people each year are preventable, according to a new study supported by the World Health Organization and released in Geneva Friday.

The main causes of deaths in the 10-24 age group were road traffic accidents, complications during pregnancy and child birth, suicide, violence, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.

The study, to be published in the Lancet, a medical journal, found that 97 percent of these deaths were taking place in low and middle-income countries.

“Young people … often fall through the cracks,” said Daisy Mafubelu, WHO’s expert for family and community health.

She said it was important to improve their access to information and services “and help young people avoid risky behaviors that can lead to death”.

There are an estimated 1.8 billion people that fall into this age group, accounting for 30 percent of the world’s population.

Road traffic accidents could be avoided through more appropriate speed limits, strict enforcement of drunk-driving laws and by the use of helmets and safety belts, the WHO said.

Moreover, young people need sex education, condoms and other contraceptives, the ability to perform safe abortions, access to antenatal and obstetric services and testing and care for HIV/AIDS.

The study also led the researchers to conclude that suicide and other violence could be prevented through life-skills training and positive parental involvement in young people’s lives.

Furthermore, the WHO recommended that access to lethal means of all kinds, including guns and toxins, should be reduced, along with limiting the consumption of alcohol.

There also needed to be better care and support for those exposed to child abuse, youth violence, and sexual assault, to help young people deal with the immediate and long-term consequences of these traumatic events.

Brain fitness has basic principles: variety and curiosity. When anything you do becomes second nature, you need to make a change. If you can do the crossword puzzle in your sleep, it’s time for you to move on to a new challenge in order to get the best workout for your brain. Curiosity about the world around you, how it works and how you can understand it will keep your brain working fast and efficiently. Use the ideas below to help attain your quest for mental fitness.

1. Play Games

Brain fitness programs and games are a wonderful way to tease and challenge your brain. Suduko, crosswords and electronic games can all improve your brain’s speed and memory. These games rely on logic, word skills, math and more. These games are also fun. You’ll get benefit more by doing these games a little bit every day — spend 15 minutes or so, not hours.

2. Meditation

Daily meditation is perhaps the single greatest thing you can do for your mind/body health. Meditation not only relaxes you, it gives your brain a workout. By creating a different mental state, you engage your brain in new and interesting ways while increasing your brain fitness.

3. Eat for Your Brain

Your brain needs you to eat healthy fats. Focus on fish oils from wild salmon, nuts such as walnuts, seeds such as flax seed and olive oil. Eat more of these foods and less saturated fats. Eliminate transfats completely from your diet.

4. Tell Good Stories

Stories are a way that we solidify memories, interpret events and share moments. Practice telling your stories, both new and old, so that they are interesting, compelling and fun. Some basic storytelling techniques will go a long way in keeping people’s interest both in you and in what you have to say.

5. Turn Off Your Television

The average person watches more than 4 hours of television everyday. Television can stand in the way of relationships, life and more. Turn off your TV and spend more time living and exercising your mind and body.

6. Exercise Your Body To Exercise Your Brain

Physical exercise is great brain exercise too. By moving your body, your brain has to learn new muscle skills, estimate distance and practice balance. Choose a variety of exercises to challenge your brain.

7. Read Something Different

Books are portable, free from libraries and filled with infinite interesting characters, information and facts. Branch out from familiar reading topics. If you usually read history books, try a contemporary novel. Read foreign authors, the classics and random books. Not only will your brain get a workout by imagining different time periods, cultures and peoples, you will also have interesting stories to tell about your reading, what it makes you think of and the connections you draw between modern life and the words.

8. Learn a New Skill

Learning a new skill works multiple areas of the brain. Your memory comes into play, you learn new movements and you associate things differently. Reading Shakespeare, learning to cook and building an airplane out of toothpicks all will challenge your brain and give you something to think about.

9. Make Simple Changes

We love our routines. We have hobbies and pastimes that we could do for hours on end. But the more something is ’second nature,’ the less our brains have to work to do it. To really help your brain stay young, challenge it. Change routes to the grocery store, use your opposite hand to open doors and eat dessert first. All this will force your brain to wake up from habits and pay attention again.

10. Train Your Brain

Brain training is becoming a trend. There are formal courses, websites and books with programs on how to train your brain to work better and faster. There is some research behind these programs, but the basic principles are memory, visualization and reasoning. Work on these three concepts everyday and your brain will be ready for anything.

CHICAGO - Scientists have come up with a new way to watch bacteria as they swim, which is expected to eventually help trap Escherichia coli bacteria and modify the microbes’ environment without hindering the way they move.

The new approach uses optical traps, microfluidic chambers and fluorescence to get an improved picture of how E. coli get around.

Yann Chemla, a professor of Physics at the University of Illinois, says that the microfluidic chambers provide a controlled environment in which the bacteria swim, and allow them to introduce specific stimuli - such as chemical attractants - to see if the microbes change direction in response to that stimulus.

Chemla, who jointly led the study with physics professor Ido Golding, further says that optical traps use lasers to confine individual cells without impeding their rotation or the movement of their flagella.

The researcher calls the optical traps “bacterial treadmills”.

According to the researchers, movement of the bacterial cell alters the light from the laser, and, thereby, help track its behaviour.

Fluorescent markers enhance visualization of the bacteria and their flagella under a microscope, say the researchers.

While earlier studies have been unable to follow individual bacterial cells moving in three dimensions for more than about 30 seconds, the new approach allows the researchers to track a single bacterium as it swims for up to an hour, and that is why it may offer a new look at questions that so far have been unanswerable.

“For example, some people have asked whether E. coli has a nose. Does it have a front and back?” Nature magazine quoted Golding as saying.

He and his colleagues have observed that while the bacterium can travel in either direction, most E.coli have “a pronounced preference” for one over the other.

The researchers found that after most tumbles, a bacterium usually continued swimming in the same general direction, but that about one in six tumbles caused it to change direction completely.

They were also able to quantify other features of bacterial swimming, such as changes in velocity and the time spent running and tumbling.

They hope that their novel method will allow scientists to address many more questions about this model organism.

“That’s the typical way biology moves forward. You develop a new measurement capability and then you can use that to go back and look at fundamental questions that people had been looking at but had no way of answering,” Golding said.

A research article describing the new technique has been published in the journal Nature Methods.

 BY: BARRY EISEN
Developmental Excelerations Inc.
11684 Ventura Blvd. #747
Studio City, Ca. 91604
818-769-4300
fax 818-980-8181

http://barryeisen.com

barryeisen@roadrunner.com

She seemed so in charge of her balanced life.  So I asked my student, this longtime, top producer, exactly how  she managed to juggle so much and so well.  Her response was the same I’ve heard repeatedly from achievers over the years, “I learned how to really concentrate.”  When the vision is clear, braking down specific goals or tasks becomes easier.  The ability to concentrate on single issues at a time becomes do-able and the success process becomes easier to control and duplicate.

 The basic theme you hear from pro athletes at the peak of their game is the same you hear from great parents, teachers, students, scientists, realtors, doctors, communicators etc.  They share a view that it is never the glitches, setbacks, disappointments that hold a person back, but rather the message the person assigns to those events or to any distractions.  Stuff happens.  How we choose to view and respond to these happenings determines whether we move away from or toward our personal power.

Many don’t feel they run their life.  They feel their life runs them.  They use others’ actions and opinions as well as their own experiences as excuses for what they choose to do.  It’s like using an out-of-town guest as an excuse to do no work, as if the guest is pointing a gun and saying, “Take care of me every moment or I’ll shoot.”  Or, we see external changes over which we have no control, like an interest rate change, and suddenly some find the way they sleep, communicate, project the future, view their colleagues or even their family, changes too.  We’ve all been cut off in traffic.  The driver who did the cutting, whether intentional or inadvertent, drives off focused on his destination.  But how often have we, the ones cut off, invited that long gone, other driver to live, rent-free in our head?   Learning to “let go”  is not a just some random concept.  Letting go is a way of coping with our distractions and disappointments in a healthy, productive way.

Letting go is about focusing elsewhere, by conscious choice.  We don’t let go by saying, “I don’t want to think about it.”  That’s like highlighting with a yellow marker the very thought we want to avoid.  Imagine a teacher directing, “OK class… don’t think of a purple elephant…. large orange ears flapping in the breeze.” What did you see.. even if you tried to “let go” of it?  Yet, there is a way to let go and it’s simple.  We simply turn our attention to something else and keep placing our mind exactly where we want it to be until the mind gets the message.  The mind learns by our repetition that we’re serious and in control of the DIRECTION of our attention.  Imagine allowing all distractions and challenges to do only one thing:  to serve as a reminder to focus and concentrate on those ideas and things about which we CAN do something, and towards those things that have value for own highest, most exciting, magnificent, “worth-it” goals.

And the great news is - this chosen FOCUS and CONCENTRATION is a way of responding and behaving that can be practiced and learned.

Here are a few simple tools to “get ‘er done:”

1.  DO the SESSIONS.  One way to establish excellence in focus and concentration is to practice the relaxation and self-hypnosis sessions I teach in seminars.

When you relax your mind (relaxing your body is great, but relaxing your mind is the key to excellence), many distractions may pull at you.   As you keep bringing your mind back to your chosen focus (positive affirmations, imagery), like a puppy gets the message when you gently and consistently repeat, your mind gets the message and learns.  Do these training sessions with yourself and just like muscles in the body, your mind gets stronger and more disciplined.   Practice directing your mind to those acts and abilities you want, for example reading fast with perfect comprehension, giving clear presentations that are  on target, being inspired by rejection or intimidating tactics of others, prospecting with confidence, experiencing memory that accesses with ease the images and details that serve, playing fluid, powerful, golf, being relaxed and confident taking tests, etc.  Being ”present” or ”in the moment”  are not just phrases.  Like letting go, they are skills which can be learned and perfected for a better way of performing.

2.  ASK YOURSELF the MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION.  Another way of practicing the development of focus and concentration is to, throughout the day, ask yourself “Is what I am doing the most beneficial thing I could be doing, right NOW?”

Write this question on a 3×5 card and carry it with you for a couple of weeks to ingrain the sense of control you really do have over your time and energy.  Don’t wait to be moved by this little reminder.  If the answer is “Yes,” continue doing what you’re doing.  If the answer is “No,” pay attention and take action that moves you NOW to your best use of your focused attention and resources of time, energy.  The beginning of any process of change may be erratic and uncomfortable.  It is also totally worthwhile.  Look at the people who you think “have it together” and you may not necessarily find the most gifted or brilliant, but you will likely find those who choose to “shift gears” smoothly and be totally present.  Copy success.  Copy their best attributes.

3.  CELEBRATE VICTORIES.  Think about it: Confidence in this area of developing focus, like confidence about anything else doesn’t necessarily come from belief or faith, it comes from creating victories which we acknowledge.  Start from wherever you are and show yourself what you CAN do.  When you do something well, avoid the trap of thinking “It’s no big deal.”  Acknowledge successes, little or giant, as of equal value relative to your ability to have success.  What’s small to you may be huge to someone else.. and vice versa.  Celebration of each success, without judgment of its size, continues to move us forward while creating a new habit.  This is using our power and strengthening the habit of concentration.

The practice of self hypnosis will greatly facilitate your ability to focus.  One of the definitions of self hypnosis is Heightened Awareness.  If you commit yourself to practice a couple of sessions each day, within two to three weeks you will find some very interesting shifts in concentration and consciousness take place.  Learn how, do it, celebrate your successes, benefit.  Start NOW.

 Please take a look at my CDs that can help you focus in your business and personal life and prepare you to have the best year ever.  The choice is always there and the choice is always yours.

 Warmest Regards,

Barry

TRENTON - Scientists from University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey have identified a protein that can repair brain damage in Alzheimer’s patients.

They said that a protein called vimentin normally appears twice in a lifetime - when neurons in the brain are forming during the first years of life and, years later when the brain’s neurons are under siege from Alzheimer’s or other neurodegenerative diseases.

“Vimentin is expressed by neurons in regions of the brain where there is Alzheimer’s damage but not in undamaged areas of the brain,” said Dr Robert Nagele, a professor at UMDNJ and the study’s corresponding author.

“When the patient shows up at the doctor’s office with symptoms of cognitive impairment, the neurons have reached the point where they can no longer keep pace with the ever-increasing damage caused by Alzheimer’s,” he added.

While explaining the study results, Nagele likened neurons to a tree with long strands called dendrites branching off from the main part of the cell.

The dendrite branches are covered with 10,000 tiny “leaves” called synapses that allow neurons to communicate with each other. Vimentin is an essential protein for building the dendrite branches that support the synapses.

“A hallmark of Alzheimer’s is the accumulation of amyloid deposits that gradually destroy the synapses and cause the collapse of dendrite branches,” he said.

“When the dendrites and synapses degenerate, the neuron releases vimentin in an attempt to re-grow the dendrite tree branches and synapses. It’s a rerun of the embryonic program that allowed the brain to develop in the early years of life,” Nagele added.

The researchers also reported some initial findings that indicated a similar damage response mechanism takes place following traumatic brain injury, suggesting the possibility that similar therapeutic agents could be developed to enhance repair both for sudden brain trauma and for progressive neurodegenerative diseases.

The findings are published in journal Brain Research.

SYDNEY - The build-up of iron in a cell centre may lead to debilitating diseases which can cause brain and cardiac disorders, a study has revealed.

The accumulation of iron in mitochondria, which is the centre for cell respiration and energy production, is toxic. The iron can substantially damage the cell and cause death.

Using a mouse model, University of Sydney (U-S) researchers found that the iron loading was caused by its increased iron uptake and decreased release due to reduced iron utilization in two major mitochondrial pathways.

“The terrible part is that these children (with high iron accumulation in cells) grow up knowing the joys of self-sufficiency, being able to walk and function normally before they are struck down,” said Des Richardson.

Michael Huang, study co-author noted: “It’s great to work on such an intractable disease and by unveiling its underlying nuts and bolts to get results that can potentially help lots of people.”

The study appeared in the latest edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

SOUTHAHMPTON - Infant intelligence is more likely to be shaped by family environment than by the amount of omega 3 fatty acids, called DHA, fed in breast milk or fortified formula, according to new research funded by the Medical Research Council and the Food Standards Agency.

Omega 3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are found in high concentrations in the brain and accumulate during the spurt in brain growth that occurs between the last trimester of pregnancy and the first year of life. Studies in animals have shown that a lack of DHA during periods of rapid brain growth may lead to problems in brain development but trials of the effect of DHA-fortified formula on brain function in babies have produced conflicting results.

In this study, MRC scientists followed 241 children from birth until they reached four years of age to investigate the relationship between breastfeeding and the use of DHA-fortified formula in infancy and performance in tests of intelligence and other aspects of brain function.

Dr Catharine Gale, from the MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre at the University of Southampton, who led the study said:

“This study helps to dispel some of the myths surrounding DHA. We do know that there are clear health benefits to breast feeding but DHA, which is naturally present in breast milk and added into some formulas, is not the secret ingredient that will turn your child into an Einstein. Children’s IQ bears no relation to the levels of DHA they receive as babies. Factors in the home, such as the mother’s intelligence and what mental stimulation children receive, were the most important influences on their IQ.”

- This study is one part of a wider Food Standards Agency project which was commissioned to look at the effect of diet in early childhood on intelligence and physical well being in later life. These results provide a useful addition to the evidence base in this area of research. It does not alter government advice that babies up to 6 months should be exclusively breastfed.

- Omega three fatty acids, often called long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), which include DHA, are involved in cell signalling, regulation of gene expression and neuronal growth.

- The Southampton Women’s Survey (SWS), a study of a population sample of non-pregnant women aged 20 to 34 years in Southampton, is funded by the Medical Research Council and the Dunhill Medical Trust. Children born to SWS were used to provide the data for this study.

- The four year follow-up of the children was funded by a research contract with the Food Standards Agency.

GENEVA - Prostate cancer patients who belong to low socio-economic status are more likely to die than patients with higher incomes, according to a new study from Swiss researchers.

The study’s findings indicate that poor prostate cancer patients receive worse care than their wealthier counterparts.

The researchers wanted to know how disparities affected prostate cancer mortality in Switzerland, a country with an extremely well developed health care system and where healthcare costs, medical coverage, and life expectancy are among the highest in the world,

Dr. Elisabetta Rapiti, of the University of Geneva, and her colleagues conducted a population-based study that included all residents of the region who were diagnosed with invasive prostate cancer between 1995 and 2005.

The analysis included 2,738 patients identified through the Geneva Cancer Registry.

The researchers found that as compared with patients of high socio-economic status, those of low socio-economic status were less likely to have their cancer detected by screening, had more advanced stages of cancer at diagnosis, and underwent fewer tests to characterize their cancer.

These patients were less likely to have their prostates removed and were more likely to be managed with watchful waiting, or careful monitoring.

Patients with low socio-economic status also had a 2-fold increased risk of dying from prostate cancer compared with patients of high socio-economic status.

“The increased mortality risk of patients of low socio-economic status is almost completely explained by delayed diagnosis, poor work-up, and less complete treatment, indicating inequitable use of the health care system,” said Rapiti.

The authors say lead time and length time biases linked to early detection through PSA screening may partially explain the survival advantage observed among high SES patients.

The study has been published in the latest issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.