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START OR RESTART AN AEROBIC ROUTINE -- The most beneficial aerobic exercises are total body activities that involve all the large muscle groups. If you have been sedentary for a long period of time, starting an aerobic program may be the hardest part. Plan your program, stay in the moment, and just get started. If you try too much too soon, the following day you may have soreness in your long dormant muscles. The key is to start slowly, do not overdo it, and stay relaxed and comfortable. Choose a specific time to exercise and stick with it. Experiment by exercising at different times of the day. The second time around may be harder and require a 16-week period of fighting an uphill battle before fitness becomes a habit.

COMBAT COLON CANCER THOUGH YOUR DIET -- Your secret weapon to avoiding colon cancer may just be calcium. Calcium is thought to help by binding with bile and fatty acids, which can stimulate colon cells to divide rapidly, increasing the risk of cancer-causing mutations. So, eat low-fat dairy products, green leafy vegetables, and canned salmon to prevent colon cancer. You should eat at least three low-fat or non-fat calcium-rich foods (such as yogurt) to reach a target of about 1,000 mg a day.

TOOTHACHE PAIN HOME REMEDIES -- For toothache pain try Clove Oil. Using a Q-tip, dab some clove oil on and around the gum line of the tooth that is bothering you - it does not taste all that great but it works wonderfully. Something else that works very well is "Spirit of Cloves" which is a flavoring for cooking found in many supermarkets. It is also available in pharmacies and does a great job for a short term remedy until you can see a dentist.

BEARD LICHEN -- Beard lichen, or Usnea barbata, can be used externally for fungal infections. You can apply extracts or tinctures of this plant to wounds / cuts to prevent or treat infections.

ACID REFLUX AND WORMWOOD -- Reflux esophagitis is an inflammation of the esophagus and is often caused by acid from the stomach refluxing back up into the esophagus. We commonly experience this as heartburn. This may or may not be accompanied by a hiatal hernia, and possibly other symptoms. The antioxidants in the Wormwood herb will decrease the over-acidity and protect against inflammation and ulceration.

LOWER YOUR LDL CHOLESTEROL -- It is a fact: a healthy diet can lower your LDL ("bad") cholesterol significantly! But how do you achieve the right balance of foods? The National Institutes of Health reports that 33 percent of adults are in need of lifestyle changes in order to attain an acceptable diet. Here's how to lower your LDL: 1. Reduce fat. Make sure that less than seven percent of your daily calories come from those nasty saturated fats. 2. Check your waist. If you are a male with a waist bigger than 40 inches or a female larger than 35 inches, you are abdominally obese. This size puts you at serious risk for heart disease. 3. Assess your risk. Speak with your doctor about your specific heart attack risk, or visit http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov for more heart-related information.

TIPS FOR HEALTHY EYES -- Eye specialists recommend screening children's vision to catch such problems as amblyopia and strabismus early to prevent future vision loss. Other tips for healthy vision include: Wear sunglasses and hats to help protect eyes from ultraviolet light, which can cause cataracts and, perhaps, retinal disease; eat fruits and vegetables and other good sources of antioxidants, to prevent several eye diseases; keep away from potentially injurious fireworks; wear eye protection at home, work and play during sports or when handling chemicals or yard debris; clean and treat contact lenses properly to prevent infections and even blindness; do not smoke, a risk factor in retinal eye diseases; avoid using old mascara, a harbinger of bacteria that can lead to eye infections; and give children safe toys without sharp or protruding parts. People with diabetes also should undergo dilated medical eye exams because early detection and treatment can help prevent vision loss from diabetic retinopathy.

THE FACTS ABOUT SPINA BIFIDA -- What is Spina Bifida? Spina Bifida is the number one permanently disabling birth defect in the United States. There are approximately 70,000 people in the United States living with Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida is a neural tube defect (NTD) and occurs when the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) does not form properly during the early stages of pregnancy. The exact cause of Spina Bifida is unknown, however over the last decade, medical research has confirmed a link between a woman's folate level before pregnancy and the occurrence of Spina Bifida and other neural tube defects.

Sixty million women are at risk of having a child born with Spina Bifida and each year approximately 4,000 pregnancies in this country are affected by Spina Bifida, resulting in 2,500 births. Recent studies have shown that if all women of childbearing age were to consume 0.4 mg of folic acid prior to becoming pregnant and throughout the first trimester of pregnancy, the incidence of Spina Bifida could be reduced by up to 75%.

What conditions are associated with Spina Bifida?

The effects of Spina Bifida vary widely from individual to individual. Spina Bifida is a medically complex birth defect affecting the orthopedic, urological and central nervous system. Many secondary conditions are associated with Spina Bifida including full or partial paralysis, further neurological complications, hydrocephalus, bladder and bowel control difficulties, learning disabilities, depression, latex allergy, and social and sexual issues.

General Facts

1. Approximately 4,000 pregnancies each year are affected by spina bifida.
2. Each year almost 500,000 children worldwide are born with some kind of neural tube defect.
3. Spina bifida occurs between the 3rd and 4th week of a pregnancy before most women know they are pregnant.
4. 70 percent of children born with spina bifida are able to walk with or without the use of assistive devices.
5. Hydrocephalus, or fluid on the brain, occurs in 70 to 90 percent of children with the most severe form of spina bifida.
6. 95 percent of babies with spina bifida and other neural tube defects are born to parents with no family history of these disorders.
7. If one child has spina bifida the risk of recurrence in any subsequent pregnancy is about one in 40.
8. Up to 74 percent of children with spina bifida are allergic to latex.
9. Approximately 40 percent of all Americans may have spina bifida occulta (the most mild type of spina bifida).
10. Costs. The average total lifetime cost to society for each infant born with spina bifida is approximately $532,000 per child. For many children, the total cost may be well above $1,000,000! The annual medical care and surgical costs for persons with spina bifida in the United States exceed $200,000,000!

WELLNESS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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** Q & A #1:
I have been using over-the-counter nasal sprays for a long time to help me breathe. Are they harmful in any way? Are there any alternatives?

Two squirts up each nostril might seem like all that is standing between you and mucus and swelling, but when used over the long haul, nasal sprays can actually make runny noses and congestion worse. Over-the-counter nasal sprays - the nasal decongestant or medicated kind - work by constricting the blood vessels in the nose, reducing swelling, irritation, and sniffling. As swelling in the nasal passages decreases, you have more room to get air in, and quick as a sniff, that uncomfortable stuffy head feeling is gone. But, when the spray wears off, blood vessels dilate again, bringing swelling and congestion with the extra blood flow. This is when most folks reach for the spray bottle again and again.

However, with continuous use, nasal sprays can cause "rebound rhinitis," a condition in which nasal passages become even more swollen than they were originally. Long-term use can actually lead to around-the-clock congestion. Overuse of nasal sprays can also raise heart rate and blood pressure levels. For these reasons, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology advises against using over-the-counter nasal sprays for more than three or four days in a row.

Since you have been using nasal sprays for an extended length of time, you will probably want to get help in finding a spray-free solution to what you have. Explain your situation to your health care provider; they may be able to prescribe another prescription decongestant, such as one that is steroid-based, to keep your head clear while you wean yourself off of nasal sprays. Your doctor may also want to refer you to an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist (a.k.a., an Otolaryngologist or E.N.T.), who can address any underlying issues causing your congestion, or the damage you may have done to your nasal passages from overusing the nasal spray.

For people trying to deal with a fresh case of marathon nose (one that can run all day without stopping), try using a saline (non-medicated) nasal spray that can moisturize and shrink nasal passages (and is not addictive), a steam bath and/or shower that will loosen mucus and allow it to drain from nasal passages, and/or an over-the-counter decongestant and/or antihistamine pill.

** Q & A #2:
What is a staph infection?

Staph (pronounced "staff") is medical quick speak for staphylococcus aureus bacteria. This pesky little bacterium is very common (many people have some living on their skin all the time), but when it enters the human body, usually through an open cut or break in the skin, it can cause infection and trouble anywhere in the body. Staph infections tend to be pus-producing. Common minor (or relatively minor) skin infections caused by staph include: Folliculitis - infections of hair follicles that cause itchy white pus-filled bumps on the skin (often where people shave or have irritations from skin rubbing against clothes); Boils - infections deeper within hair follicles that leave large, frequently red inflammations (often occur on the face or neck); Sties - infection of the follicle surrounding the eyelashes, causing a sore red bump in the eyelid; Impetigo - the infection kids often get around their mouths and noses that causes blisters and red scabby skin; Abscesses - infection characterized by pus and swelling that can occur in the skin and in any other organ.

** Q & A #3:
What are gallstones and who gets them?

Gallstones are pieces of solid material that form in the gallbladder. Gallstones form when substances in the bile, primarily cholesterol and bile pigments, form hard, crystal-like particles. Risk factors for gallstones include obesity; a large clinical study showed that being even moderately overweight increases one's risk for developing gallstones. This is probably true because obesity tends to cause excess cholesterol in bile, low bile salts, and decreased gallbladder emptying. Very low calorie, rapid weight-loss diets, and prolonged fasting, seem to also cause gallstone formation. No clear relationship has been proven between diet and gallstone formation. However, low-fiber, high-cholesterol, high protein diets, and diets high in starchy foods have been suggested as contributing to gallstone formation.

Those who are most likely to develop gallstones are: 1. Women between 20 and 60 years of age. They are twice as likely to develop gallstones than men. 2. Men and women over age 60. 3. Pregnant women or women who have used birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy. 4. Native Americans. They have the highest prevalence of gallstones in the United States. A majority of Native American men have gallstones by age 60. Among the Pima Indians of Arizona, 70 percent of women have gallstones by age 30. 5. Mexican-American men and women of all ages. 6. Men and women who are overweight. 7. People who go on "crash" diets or who lose a lot of weight quickly.

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FEATURED ARTICLE

• "How To Jump-start Your Emotional Health"
  by Patricia Wagner

Did you know that what you are thinking affects your health as well as your emotional well-being?

You have probably heard the expression: "It's not what you are eating. It's what's eating you!" This well-known saying reminds us that the thoughts we entertain can have an impact on our health.

Scientists have discovered that what you are thinking actually affects your physical health as well as your emotional well-being. Ulcers, indigestion, nervousness, high blood pressure and a wide variety of diseases can result from an injured immune system brought on by harmful thought patterns.

There are thoughts that heal and thoughts that hurt.

If you read this article through to the end, you will discover an effective tool to enhance your emotional and physical health.

Here are five keys to emotional well-being:

1. Emotions tag right along behind your thoughts, so guard your mind carefully.

   Your emotions cannot tell if what you are thinking about is really happening or if it is just an image in your head.

   Prove this to yourself by thinking back to when you watched a terrifying scene on television on in a movie. Even though you knew what you were watching was not actually happening, you were still scared - weren't you?

   Here is something to consider. About ten minutes after you start to dwell on something, corresponding emotions will follow.

   We are what we eat - both physically and mentally. Pay close attention to what you are feeding your mind. The books, television, movies, newspapers, and even the jokes we hear enter into our lives and become part of us.

   So what is eating you? Examine what you are feeling and then ask yourself this question, "What have I been thinking about recently?"

   If you have a garbage can for a head, life will look like garbage to you.

2. Learn to develop a cheerful attitude toward life.

   Life can be painful, but it is possible to overcome.

   Choose to behave in a cheerful way as much as possible even if you do not feel like it. You may be surprised at what happens. Cheerfulness is contagious.

   A positive attitude toward life may help ward off sicknesses. Psychology Professor Sheldon Cohen (Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh) found that relaxed, happy people are less prone to catch colds than unhappy, anxious people.

3. Deal with stress as an opportunity to grow.

   Stress can be a killer.

   People who go through stressful events seem to become ill more often than those who have less problems confronting them. But some people thrive on stress. This tends to show that the problem is not stress, but how we deal with it.

   When we experience times of anxiety and fear, our brains release hormones as part of the fight-flight syndrome to prepare us for dangerous situations. When the body receives too many of these "danger" messages from our brains, our disease-resistance systems are weakened.

   Stressful situations seem to cause increased illnesses in those who consider themselves to be victims and who react with anxiety and frustration.

   Others consider stressful situations as opportunities to overcome. So why not choose this positive approach yourself?

4. Make the right friends.

   Select people who are cheerful instead of depressed for the majority of your friends.

   Emotions can be transferred almost by osmosis. Retired baseball Coach, John Scolinos (from California Polytechnic College, Pomona), used to tell his winning baseball players, "Show me who you are with and I will tell you who you are."

   We need a positive social life that includes friends, close family members, churches, and members of organizations.

   Those who have satisfying social lives enjoy improved resistance to illness.

5. Let wisdom from the world's greatest book be your guide.

   "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones" (Proverbs 17:22 NIV).

   "All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast." (Proverbs 15:15 NASV).

Copyright © 2005 by Patricia Wagner

Patricia Wagner offers informative tips on living a more energetic lifestyle at http://www.a-to-z-wellness.com. She is also an artist and you can view her original paintings at http://www.artbywagner.com

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Thank you for reading this edition of the Archangel Health News and may God bless you and your HEALTH!

Darrin and Sandi Quiles
Archangel Health and Nutrition Store

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Copyright © 2005 by Sandi and Darrin Quiles. All rights reserved.