On August 19, 2008, the American Chemical Society's national meeting was
held in Philadelphia. One of the topics presented concerned new findings that
common fruit juices - grapefruit, orange and apple - can interfere with drugs.
The interaction diminishes the body's ability to absorb numerous medications.

Lack of absorbtion was noted in drugs prescribed for life-threatening diseases
such as cancer, heart disease and organ transplants. Research by David Bailey,
a clinical pharmacologist and professor at the University of Western Ontario,
originally uncovered the interaction with a patient's medication and grapefruit
juice. Now, he has further discovered that fruit juices can also block the body's
ability to absorb or limit the beneficial effects of needed medications.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist if the medications you are ingesting can be
taken with fruit juice - OR - just to be safe, try a glass of water. I know I
will from now on.

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LDL is "bad" and HDL is "good" Cholesterol. What does that mean?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance made in your liver. The more products you eat
that are animal products (cheese, meat), the more cholesterol your liver produces.
Over time, cholesterol builds up in your blood vessels and clogs them. This may
reduce the blood flow to your heart, which cold cause a heart attack or stroke.

Cholesterol can’t dissolve in the blood. It is carried to and from the cells by lipoproteins. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as “bad” cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as “good” cholesterol. These two types of lipids, along with triglycerides and Lp(a) cholesterol, make up your total cholesterol count, which can be determined through a blood test.

LDL (Bad) Cholesterol
When too much LDL (bad) cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. It can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, heart attack or stroke can result.

HDL (good) Cholesterol
About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack. Low levels of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL) also increase the risk of heart disease. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body. Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, slowing its buildup.

Triglycerides
Triglyceride is a form of fat made in the body. Elevated triglycerides can be due to overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption and a diet very high in carbohydrates (60 percent of total calories or more). People with high triglycerides often have a high total cholesterol level, including a high LDL (bad) level and a low HDL (good) level. Many people with heart disease and/or diabetes also have high triglyceride levels.

Information for this article was taken from The American Heart Association and
American Dietetic Association. If you would like more information, go to:
1) American Heart Association.org
2) www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/
3) familydoctor.org

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An excellent article, by Marin Gazzaniga for MSN Health & Fitness, focused on Ten Tips to Protect Your Eyes. Using information from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), Gazzaniga proposes the following 10 suggestions for
maintaining healthy eyes:

1. Regular checkups: The AAO recommends an eye exam before age 5 to check for childhood problems like lazy eye or crossed eyes. It's normal for vision to change with age, plus serious eye problems like glaucoma and macular degeneration (deterioration of retina causing loss of detail vision) can be treated if detected early.

2. SPF for the eyes: Sunglasses block harmful ultraviolet and other rays than can play a role in cataracts and macular degeneration. Buy sunglasses that have 100 percent UV protection. The blue wavelengths affect the retina; the best filters against blue are in the amber-orange-brown range of commercial sunglasses. Always wear sunglasses outdoors, especially in high glare areas like snow or water. A wide-brimmed hat helps block harmful rays.

3. Eye protection: Wear clear plastic eye protection, if you are doing construction, manufacturing or any job with machinery and flying particles.

4. Contact care: Wearing your contacts when your eyes are irritated can turn a simple problem (irritation) into a significant problem (ulcers). Make sure you care for the lenses. Make sure your solutions aren't expired, keep your contacts clean, and don't put them in your mouth.

5. Eating for your eyes: Green leafy veggies like kale, collard and mustard greens,
and spinach are good for the eyes because they contain lutein, which studies
indicate can reverse symptoms of macular degeneration. Carrots are always
a good vegetable, because of its high vitamin A content.

6. Eye lube: Our eyes get dryer as we age, because the tear film doesn't always have the right consistency of water, mucus and oil. The oil part of your tears comes from little glands around your eyelids. As you blink, oil is supposed to coat the eyes. But if you don't have a good eye slick, the tear film evaporates and eyes feel dry. This triggers extra tear glands, which is why your eyes tear up when they get dry and irritated. Omega-3 helps with this. Also, heat and air conditioning can cause dry eyes, especially if you sit near a vent or fan unit. Make sure your car's vent isn't blowing toward your face.

7. Stop smoking: Smoking increases the risk and accelerates the development of cataracts, macular degeneration and optic nerve damage.

8. Eye strain: When you sit in front of a computer screen for lengths of time, you don't blink as frequently. Stop frequently to give your eyes a rest. Artificial tears can help with eyestrain and help lubricate your eyes.

9. Eye problems are often hereditary: If you are diagnosed with glaucoma or another
eye condition, share that information with your immediate and extended family.
Early intervention is always the best defense.

10. Maintain good health: Eating the right food, helps with eye health. Exercise can lower pressure on the eyes, which helps with those who have glaucoma. Getting regular overall physicals may lead to early detection of diseases like diabetes or other systemic conditions that can lead to eye problems.

Read More About Eye Care from MSN Health & Fitness:
Marin Gazzaniga lives in Brooklyn, New York. She writes about fitness, health and science, culture and women's issues. She has written for Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle and AOL Time Warner, and is the author of several books.

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A variety of meditative practices have been studied by Western researchers
for their effects on mental and physical health and to reduce stress:
Tai Chi
An active exercise, sometimes called moving meditation, involving extremely
slow, continuous movement and extreme concentration. The movements are to
balance the vital energy of the body but have no religious significance. Studies
are mixed, some finding it can reduce blood pressure in patients, and others
finding no effect. It can help elderly people improve balance.

Transcendental Meditation
Meditators sit comfortably, eyes closed, and breathe naturally. They repeat
and concentrate on the mantra, a word or sound chosen by the instructor to
achieve state of deep, transcendent absorption. Studies suggest it can reduce
blood pressure in some patients.
Mindfulness meditation is easy to describe.
Sit in a comfortable position, eyes closed, preferably with the back
upright and unsupported. Relax and be aware of body sensations, sounds
and moods. Allow your mind to settle into the rhythm of breathing.
Try to maintain this for at least ten minutes. If a stray thought or emotion
enters the mind, allow it to pass and return attention to the breath. The aim
is to achieve focused awareness on what is happening moment to moment.
After mastering control of attention, you may be able to face a threatening or
troubling thoughts more clearly. Thoughts of anger and sadness are
sometimes lessened. People who have tried mindfulness meditation say they
feel relaxed and more able to deal with difficult problems.
(Provided by RealAge):
Could you boost your immunity with your own brainpower?
A study involving mindfulness meditation revealed that the practice boosted
immune system function in participants. Mindfulness meditation is the
practice of becoming deeply aware of the present moment through meditation.
The stress-reduction qualities of this practice may be the source of its
immune-boosting powers.
(Provided by Psychology Today):

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A U.S. Senate committee is considering a bill banning labels that say, "this milk is produced without hormones." Why does this concern us? Well, consumers want information about milk additives as well as what the cattle producing the milk has ingested or had injected into their bodies. Knowing this information makes us educated consumers who can decide which milk to purchase for ourselves and our children.

Some people argue that if the milk comes from cows that were given growth hormones, that the milk should be labeled to indicate that. Some say the label should also say that the FDA has found no health risks from that milk.

Here is a condensed excerpt from an article I read on line entitled
"Bovine Growth Hormone Milk does Nobody Good," by Mike Ewall.
The recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH), is a genetically engineered hormone manufactured by Monsanto, sometimes referred to as Bovine Somatotropin (rBST).
This hormone is injected in the cows every other week to force the cows to produce more milk than their bodies normally would. rBGH is similar, although not identical, to a hormone that the cow naturally produces. Increasing levels of this hormone boosts milk production, causing a number of problems with the milk.
Whenever cows are forced to produce more milk, they become more susceptible to udder infections called mastitis, which is then treated with antibiotics, increasing the antibiotics residues which are present in milk fed to consumers. Proponents of rBGH insist that milk is one of the most heavily regulated foods with regards to antibiotics. They claim that antibiotic residues in the milk couldn’t possibly reach the consumer because each tanker of milk is tested and would have to be thrown out if antibiotic residues were found.

It is possible that when cow's milk is consumed by humans, it behaves as a cancer-accelerator. Some of the cancer agents are not destroyed in the pasteurization process nor during human digestion and is therefore biologically active in humans, being associated with breast, prostate, and colon cancers.
If you want to learn more about rBGH-treated milk, visit http://www.ejnet.org/bgh/nogood.html
Google Bovine Growth Hormone, BGH, or Monsanto

How should milk be labeled — if at all? What do you think?
Please write a comment.

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Can the lack of sleep be making me gain weight?

Recent research indicates that people who don't get enough sleep tend to
weigh more -- and that sleep can affect levels of the appetite-regulating
hormones leptin and ghrelin.
At the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's (UPMC) Sleep Medicine
Center, tests show that there is a strong relationship between good sleep
and good health. Not sleeping affects hormonal balance, appetite and mood
swings. Two out of three Americans are overweight, and almost one in five
are obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers at the Sleep Disorders Center at Sentara Norfolk General
Hospital in Virginia conducted two studies, each included 1,000 men and
women, and they found that those who reported sleeping less tended to
weigh more.

"People who are overweight may have less restful sleep due to heartburn,
snoring or more serious sleep disorders like sleep apnea or night eating
syndrome," said Dr. Michelle May, author of Am I Hungry? What To Do
When Diets Don't Work. Studies of healthy young men indicated
that the levels of the hormone that tells your brain to stop eating (leptin)
and the hormone that turns on hunger (ghrelin) were out of whack when
there was sleep deprivation. Also, sleep deprivation affects memory, disease
resistance, and leaves people unable to stay alert in school, at jobs and while
driving vehicles. Sleepy people are also hungrier!
Information from the National Sleep Foundation

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The infection, Clostridium difficile, (C-diff) grows in the colon and is known to
cause diarrhea and colitis-type symptoms. When it grows in spores in feces,
it is difficult to destroy. It is resistant to household cleaners and antibacterial
soaps. It is also resistant to some antibiotics usually used for intestinal problems,
since it appears to work against the good colon bacteria. Instead, the C-diff
increases.

In Atlanta, Georgia, more than 10,000 cases were reported last year. It had
rarely been reported before 2000. Research is being published in the June issue
of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

In Florida, where there is a huge population of older residents, C-diff is raising
its ugly head. Doctors are looking for the symptoms, closely, so that inappropriate
antibiotics are not used.

C-diff is not only a problem here in the U.S., Canada has reported thousands of
cases, as well.

If you are experiencing gastrointestinal problems, discuss your symptoms
with your doctor. Ask about C-diff.

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Get Old, Get Happy

The topic of "Older But Happier" seems to be in the news, lately. It appears
to have replaced the time-worn adage, "Older But Wiser." Happiness really
does come with age, researchers at the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Measures of happiness steadily climbed among study participants into their
mid-60s, with people in their 80s tending to be happier than people under 40.

"With age comes happiness,'' writes U. of C. assistant professor of sociology
Yang Yang in the April issue of American Sociological Review. Among the
possible reasons: increasing job satisfaction and more settled personal lives.
Although older people may have more health problems ( arthritis, heart issues,
and cancer) they tend to be more emotionally balanced, due to being taught
by "life experiences." Fewer youth-related issues (raising children, paying
for college, broken hearts,) increased the level of satisfaction. Married
people and those with college degrees appear to be happier in "old age."
Older adults take more financial risks, which "lights up the same parts
of the brain as sexy photographs," according to studies by Stanford university.

Cognitive decline strikes 33% of Seniors, reports a new study by the National
Institute on Aging. 22% of those over 71 have mild impairment, added to
16% suffering dementia, the Washington Post reports.
An Alzheimer's Association report out today estimates that 1 in 8
baby boomers will have the disease in their lifetime.

Are Baby Boomers happy? Well, surveyed boomers reported that their failures
to achieve many high expectations often led to much unhappiness. But,
ability to travel is very high on the list for many older persons. Mobility and the freedom to visit places high on their "Bucket List" is a priority. So, get away and "BE HAPPY!"

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Cinnamon is an antioxidant-rich spice that has become the rage of The Super
Foods Rx Diet, by Wendy Bazilian. Cinnamon boasts a rating of 6,956 ORAC
(Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), beating out even anti-oxidant-rich foods
such as blueberries and cranberries, according to the USDA.
A Study of the antioxidant capacities of 277 selected foods were released in
November, 2007, by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. The new
database provides easy access to antioxidant values for a wide variety of foods,
cinnamon having one of the highest ratings. It has also been suggested that
cinnamon may improve blood glucose and cholesterol levels in people with Type 2 diabetes.

The database will be used by scientists to help guide current research into
how antioxidants affect our nutritional health. For example, many fruits
and vegetables are known to be good sources of antioxidant vitamins,
such as E, C, and beta carotene, a form of vitamin A. But these natural foods
also contain other compounds, collectively known as phytonutrients, that
may also contribute to better health.

Other healthy spice winners include cloves, oregano, turmeric, curry powder,
ginger, thyme, paprika, rosemary, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin and
chili powder.

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Recently, the chemical "bisphenol" has been mentioned in the news media as
a possible risk to human reproduction. Bisphenol is a common chemical found
in baby bottles, sports bottles and microwaveable dishes. Here is some
information found on the website for the Center for Evaluation of Risks (CERHR)
to Human reproduction, part of the National Institutes of Health:
cerhr.niehs.nih.gov
CERHR selected bisphenol A for evaluation because it has received
considerable attention in recent years due to widespread human exposures
and concern for reproductive and developmental effects reported in laboratory
animal studies.
What is Bisphenol A?
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical produced in large quantities for use primarily in
the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. It exists at room
temperature as a white solid and has a mild “phenolic” or hospital odor.
Polycarbonate plastics have many applications including use in certain food
and drink packaging, e.g., water and infant bottles, compact discs, and
medical devices. Polycarbonate plastics are typically clear and hard and
marked with the recycle symbol “7” or may contain the letters "PC" near the
recycle symbol.
Polycarbonate plastic can also be blended with other materials to create
molded parts for use in mobile phone housings, household items, and
automobiles. Epoxy resins are used as lacquers to coat metal products
such as food cans, bottle tops, and water supply pipes. Some polymers
used in dental sealants or composites contain bisphenol A-derived
materials. In 2004, the estimated production of bisphenol A in the
United States was approximately 2.3 billion pounds, most of which
was used in polycarbonate plastics and resins.

Is Your Baby's Bottle Potentially Harmful?
A new study “Baby's Toxic Bottle: Bisphenol A Leaching from Popular
Baby Bottles,” released by environmental health groups in the U.S. and Canada
insists that the toxic chemical bisphenol A leaches from plastic baby
bottles when heated. The groups are calling for strong measures against
the use of bisphenol A in baby bottles and other food and beverage
containers. The report was commissioned, written and released by the
Work Group for Safe Markets, a coalition of environmental health NGOs.

Ninety-five percent of all baby bottles on the market are made with
bisphenol A. The results of the U.S. study show that, when new bottles
are heated, those manufactured by Avent, Evenflo, Dr. Brown’s and
Disney/First Years leached between 4.7 – 8.3 parts per billion of
bisphenol A. Recent research on animals shows that bisphenol A
can be harmful by disrupting development at doses below these levels.

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Delray/Boynton Chapter of the HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OF America
monthly meeting will take place Friday, May 16, 2008 from 9:45 A.M.
to 12 Noon at the South County Civic Center, 16700 Jog Road, Delray Beach .
(opposite Morikami Park.) Guest Speaker: Patricia B. Kricos, Ph.D,
Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders,
University of Florida. Question and answer period will follow.

Subject: “Living with hearing Loss: It Takes Two to Tango."
This is the final meeting of the season. Next meeting will be
September 19, 2008.

The meeting is open to the public at no charge.
Complimentary coffee and bagels served.
Oscar Segal, President
Email: trip3584@comcast.net
Tel. (561) 499-9873

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Skin patches are a new way to deliver medicine to patients. Today, many
medications are being administered topically, via the skin, rather than
orally or by injection. Hormone supplements, anti-depression, birth-control
medication, as well as treatments for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other
disease prevention medications are being administered via a "skin patch."

Skin patches provide an alternative to common gastric irritation and they
are less likely to affect a patient's liver.

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One out of eight Baby Boomers will develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to new Alzheimer’s Association report that estimates 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. The report, entitled: 2008 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, says that today, as many as 5.2 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, which includes between 200,000-500,000 people under age 65 with young-onset Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. Experts predict by 2010, there will be almost a half million new cases of Alzheimer’s disease each year; and by 2050, there will be almost a million new cases each year.

The Association’s report details the escalation of Alzheimer’s disease, which now is the seventh-leading cause of death in the country and the fifth-leading cause of death for those over age 65. It also offers numerous statistics that convey the burden Alzheimer’s imposes on individuals, families, government, business, and the nation’s health and long-term care systems.

for more information: Google Alzheimer's Foundation

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“The Bucket List," If you have not seen it, is a terrific movie (a tear jerker though) with Jack Nicholas & Morgan Freeman. The two of them are both diagnosed with terminal cancer, meet in the hospital, and decide to spend their last days traveling and doing all of the things that they wanted to do before “kicking the bucket”. The movie truly makes you think.

As an owner of Sand & C Travel Agency, Alan Rosen sent this message to his clients, after he and his wife saw it: "We have been blessed to have seen many great wonders of the world at a young age. No matter how old you are, I believe it is beneficial to make your own 'Bucket List', either on paper or just in your mind. Now I am not going to discuss goals such as skydiving (which they did in the movie), but I think I can give you some ideas for places to visit in your lifetime.

Some of the greatest places to see on earth were shown in the movie. These include the pyramids of Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India, the Great Wall of China and an African Safari; The Western Wall in Jerusalem, the Galapagos Islands, and, right here in the United States, the Grand Canyon and California coast. Finally, a couple that are on my list but that I have not been to, nor were in the movie, are The Great Barrier Reef off Australia and the penguins of Antarctica.

No matter how old you are, I believe that you are never too young to start, or too old that you have to stop, making your dreams come true. I started this letter talking about how time continues to fly. One of the most important lessons that I have learned in my life is, that if you keep waiting for tomorrow, next week, or next year to accomplish your goals on your “bucket list,” it is probably never going to happen. Enjoy life while you can, because we all never know what is around the next corner. Appreciate your family and loved ones, and seek to obtain your goals. Because when it comes down to the last moments, those are the things that you are going to look back upon."

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WebMD magazine can be found in the waiting rooms of most physicians.
I like to read it because it contains useful articles about the newest breakthroughs
in medicine. Some recent articles addressed: children's cold medicines, overeating,
hemorrhoids, strep throat, and why garlic is good for you. Other articles
gave detailed information about nicotine patches, PMS, and rheumatoid
arthritis. Ask your doctor for one of his/her free copies. Patients are supposed to
read them. Become an informed patient!

One feature I found interesting and useful is their web site called "symptomchecker."
This site does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, nor treatment. But,
when you are trying to determine which doctor to call, because you are not certain
about how to describe or to detail your symptoms, this site can be quite helpful.
By answering a series of questions, you will receive information on the names of
conditions, diseases, and medications. This is an interactive tool to help you
identify your problem.

For more information: www.WebMD.com or http://symptoms.webmd.com/

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Beef Recalls are making me emotionally and physically sick. I feel anxious about
eating meat in restaurants. I'm not referring to a steak dinner or a hamburger.
Beef is included by chefs in spaghetti sauce, taco sauce, beef crumbles, lasagna
and taco filling. I'm certain there are hundreds of other recipes that include beef.

During the first week of February, 2008, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced
that it was placing a hold on beef from a slaughterhouse that appeared to be processing
cattle too sick or injured to walk. "Downer cows," is the term used for these cows
which are excluded from the food supply because they’re considered at higher risk
for transmitting mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy).

According to Consumer Reports, "carcasses can move through slaughterhouses at a
rate of up to 390 per hour, making inspection difficult. If meat tests positive for E. coli,
companies are allowed to cook it for sale in other products, such as pizza or tacos."

Undercover video taken by the Humane Society of the United States last fall,
at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. in Chino, Calif., shows workers
ramming old dairy cows with forklifts, prodding them with electric shocks
and other methods in what appears to be an attempt to get them to stand up.
Because they’re not able to stand, the cows lie in their own feces, therefore
risk picking up bacteria that cause food borne illnesses like E. coli 015:H7.

Where is the beef now? Well, some of the meat would have been distributed
through the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which the Department of Human
Resources of each state oversees. But, they also shipped 27 million
pounds to federal nutrition programs in 2007, in 36 states.

Some positive news: Wal-Mart has become the first chain to adopt Global Food Safety
Initiative. It is requiring its private-label and other suppliers to have their factories
certified against the Global Food Safety Initiative, an international standard that
goes beyond the FDA’s requirements for food safety.

The Global Food Safety Initiative was launched in May 2000 to establish food-safety
management systems to ensure confidence in the delivery of safe food to consumers.
The initiative has fostered a convergence among food safety standards, achieved
cost efficiencies through common acceptance of GFSI recognized standards,
and provided a forum for exchange of best food-safety practices.

Consumer illnesses trigger more recalls than government or industry testing.
So make yourself heard!!!

Want to be an informed consumer? To find out what has been recalled by
the six federal agencies that oversee consumer safety, go to:
www.recalls.gov.

If you have questions about food safety, you can go to the website of the
USDA's Food Safety & Inspection Service. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/

Comments are welcomed! Your e-mail address is always kept private.
What do you think about this topic?

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