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The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Alternative Health Prescription
November 7th, 2007
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Prevention seems to be this week's theme, and as ever I firmly believe that you are the best person to take care of your health in the first instance. I have always like the ancient Chinese method of healthcare where you paid your doctor a weekly sum, and stopped paying when you were ill, so he had every incentive to get you well as fast as possible! In fact I could also refer you to that great philosopher and physician Hippocrates who said "If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health." May I wish you an interesting journey on your way to good health - AnnA

In this issue:
- Chlamydia fears for male fertility
- China has longevity licked
- Probiotics strengthen immune system
- High blood pressure in pregnancy presents future risk
- Tangerines may tackle cancer

Chlamydia and male fertility
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Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis. In the UK, the number of new diagnoses has been steadily increasing each year since the mid-1990s, and it has now become the most commonly diagnosed STI.

There has been much publicity about the devastating effects of chlamydia on fertility in women, where, if left untreated, it can affect the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes. It is estimated that sexually active women aged under-25, have a 1 in 10 chance of getting chlamydia but scientists from Spain and Mexico have now established that it presents similar risks for men.

They have estimated that men who are aged between 20 and 30 are most at risk of becoming infected and that it can make men infertile by damaging the quality of their sperm.

As chlamydia often has no symptoms, in both men and women, it can often go undiagnosed, but is easily treatable in the early stages. It is when it is well established that damage can occur so prevention is the best plan by always using condoms and having regular checkups. STI clinics can perform a simple urine test, or there are also home testing kits available.


China has longevity licked
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Generally speaking, you would think China would be an unhealthy place to live given all the bad pres they have received about their lack of food standards, dangerous lead-laced toys, environmental abuses, exorbitant pollution, and widespread poverty. However, there are two surprising facts that have emerged recently: China boasts a life expectancy surprisingly close to that of the United States and perhaps not surprisingly they do this by spending a lot less money.

The US life expectancy is about 78 years, compared to China's of 73 years overall, though it rises to around 80 years in cities like Beijing and Shanghai and Hong Kong is out in front with over 82 years. What do the Chinese pay for these extra years of life? Just $277 a head on healthcare in a year, compared to the United States where it is a staggering $6,100 a head each year.

The Chinese are great smokers, live with the many health hazards inherent with living in hugely over-crowded cities and in one of the most polluted countries on earth. So what is their secret? Well it is very simple and down to the fact that daily exercise is widespread and woven into the Chinese culture, offering more than just a way to burn calories. It also enforces social interaction, limiting the isolation that so often comes with old age in the West. Any visitor to China is struck by the way masses of people can be seen practicing tai-chi, aerobics, games, and even open air ballroom dancing.

Every day exercise is vital for health and longevity and if you want to try something different from your usual morning or evening walk, then studies have pinpointed several benefits of Tai Chi, as it stimulates your central nervous system, lowers your blood pressure, relieves stress, tones muscles and helps with digestion and waste elimination. If you want to find a teacher locally, then ask at your local alternative health centre or shop for a personal recommendation or visit http://www.taichifinder.co.uk and just put in your postcode.

Probiotics strengthen immune system
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Probiotics are living microorganisms, usually lactic acid bacteria, that help maintain the natural balance of the intestines especially after a period of taking antibiotics which can seriously disrupt that balance. Now it appears they can also help to strengthen the immune system and reduce the effect of allergies. A quick look in the chiller cabinet in the supermarket will show you that 'probiotics' are listed on the labels of products like drinks and yoghurts, though as these often contain sugar it might be better to take a plain acidopholus supplement or add in foods that contain probiotics such as plain, live, yoghurt and aged cheeses.


High blood pressure in pregnancy may pose long-term risk

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High blood pressure is closely monitored during pregnancy but there is new evidence from a study at the Mayo Clinic in the USA that it is an under-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Compared with women who have had normal blood pressure throughout their pregnancies, those who had high blood pressure are at greater risk of heart disease later in life. One reason could be that having high blood pressure in pregnancy has some of the same risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as diabetes or obesity. Another theory is that hypertension in pregnancy could induce long-term metabolic and vascular abnormalities that might increase the overall risk of heart disease later in life. Anyone with a family history of heart disease is well advised to have their blood pressure very closely monitored during pregnancy.


Tangerines may tackle cancer
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One of the delights of the winter period for me as a child was the appearance of tangerines. Oranges were just too much trouble to tackle, but those small, sweet tangerines were just right for small fingers. Now it appears that new research by the Leicester School of Pharmacy has revealed that tangerine peel can kill certain human cancer cells. They found that salvestrol, which is a chemical produced by plants to repel attackers such as insects or fungi, was also able to kill cancer cells. Salvestrol is converted into a toxic compound by a particular enzyme which is found in much higher levels in cancer cells. It was found to be 20 times more toxic to cancer cells than to healthy cells. Eating tangerine peel doesn't seem like much of an appetiser, but if you want to protect against cancer than salvestrol is found in other fruit and vegetables including those other winter favourites broccoli and Brussels sprouts.


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I hope you have found this information useful, and please feel free to pass it on to others. Remember, I am not a doctor and cannot give you medical advice, so please always take appropriate action by consulting your own medical advisor if you have concerns about any aspect of your health.

Wishing you the best of good health, AnnA

www.catalystonline.co.uk
www.writeyourlifestory.co.uk
www.procrastinationkiller.co.uk
 

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The Healthy Newsletter from AnnA
Your Weekly Alternative Health Prescription
November 14th, 2007
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It's all about prevention this time, and I hope I can save you
some money with my interesting report on whether it is worth the
extra expense of buying organic products. May I wish you the best
of good health - AnnA

In this issue:
- Natural remedy for cold sores
- Is organic always worth it?
- Three minutes a day for a better back
- Women smokers at greater risk for heart attacks


Natural remedy for cold sores
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Lemon Balm is best known for its calming properties, and has
been used for centuries as a mild form of tranquilliser(a sort of
medieval form of Valium if you like) and it has properties that
inhibit bacteria and viruses. It now appears that it can also
help you with one of winter's biggest bugbears, cold sores.
A study carried out in Germany at the University of Heidelberg
has found that the plant contains a naturally occurring ingredient
that actually stops the herpes virus from getting into the skin
cells. If you are prone to this unpleasant and unsightly
condition, then get a natural lip balm from the health store that
contains the herb, or make a daily cup of lemon balm tea part of
your winter regime - it makes a very refreshing herbal tea and
would be a very calming start, or end, to the day - certainly a
bit healthier than coffee!


Is organic always worth it?
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The sales of organic food has rocketed with our increasing concern
about the effects of herbicides, pesticides and pollution. However,
it can be an expensive alternative and recent research has shown
that for some foods it is worth paying the difference, but not
for others. Here's how it checks out:

*** Organic whole milk was shown to contain 68% more beneficial
omega 3 fatty acids in one UK study

*** Potatoes and Green Beans both have a much higher vitamin C
content than their non-organic equivalent

*** Peaches contain more nutrients in terms of their vitamin
content when organically grown

*** Kiwi fruit studied by the University of California
scientists were revealed to have 17% more cancer-busting
polyphenols and 14% more vitamin C than non-organic fruit

BUT if bananas are your favourite fruit, don't waste your money
buying organic as one study found that the fruit was so well
protected by its thick skin from the 50 or more chemicals
routinely used during growing and storage that virtually no trace
was found of them in the fruit itself.


Three minutes a day for a better back
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Suffering from back pain and poor posture is sadly all too
frequent these days. We spend a lot of time sitting for long
periods, whether at a computer or in front of a television and
what our back needs is gentle and regular stretching and exercise.

Visiting a chiropracter is essential for serious or chronic back problems,
but if you want a simple, preventive routine then the
British Chiropractic Association have devised a three minute
daily stretching routine that will improve your posture and
strengthen your spine. The exercises have delightful names like
Twirling Star, Humming Bird and Butterfly - or if you are feeling
a little more warrior-like there is also Extending the Sword and Tightrope.

They also offer you some good advice, like checking the weight of
your bag or briefcase and dumping any unnecessary items out and
implementing the ten minute rule - if it takes less than that to
walk, then do so and leave the car at home.

To get your copy call the British Chiropractic Association on
0118 950 5950 or download a copy straight from the web, it's
only a couple of A4 pages at www.straightenupuk.org and click on
the downloads link. There are two leaflets, one for adults and one
for children, just click on the one you want, print it out and off
you go on your way to a healthier back.


Women smokers at greater risk for heart attacks

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Traditionally women have enjoyed a natural shield against a major
cardiac event such as a heart attack. Being a woman has ensured a
huge nine year barrier before women become more prone to heart
disease, but now a new finding has been reported by the American
Heart Association. A study of more than 7,000 men and women
undertaken at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore has found
that women who smoke eliminate that beneficial barrier and their
risk of a heart attack is exactly the same as a man's.

In real terms, this means that up to now, women who do not smoke
would not normally present with heart problems until on average
around the age of 71 but women smokers are being seen with heart
problems at around the age of 62. That is a loss of nine years,
but if you need an even greater incentive to give up - or persuade
the woman in your life to do so = then the researchers also found
that if a woman quits smoking for at least six months, her risk
factors for heart attacks reverts to average.

Interestingly, the analysis of men showed virtually the same,
although men only lost 3.8 years because of smoking. Men who
didn't smoke tended to show up with a heart attack at age 61;
men who smoked showed up at the emergency room when they were 57.

A final cheery note from the director of the New York University Women's
Health Program. "Smoking among women causes heart attacks, lung disease,
and wrinkles so this study is just another reason for women to quit or never start. It takes nine years off your life."


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I hope you have found this information useful, and please feel
free to pass it on to others. Remember, I am not a doctor and
cannot give you medical advice, so please always take appropriate action
by consulting your own medical advisor if you have concerns about any
aspect of your health.

Wishing you the best of good health, AnnA

Please feel free to pass on any of this information or suggest
they sign up for the newsletter themselves at the website.

www.catalystonline.co.uk
www.writeyourlifestory.co.uk
www.procrastinationkiller.co.uk

 

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