Health News

The average person puts on between five and ten pounds between November and January and it's pretty easy to put on more if you let yourself gorge on all the delights of the season. But who wants to be miserable and diet through Christmas? Follow these 5 tips so you can enjoy Christmas without piling on the pounds.

1. Have The Right Attitude.

If you start your Christmas holidays with the idea that you can just eat everything possible and worry about it in January, then you will bitterly regret your decision when Christmas is over. Decide to enjoy the festive season without going crazy over all the Christmas goodies on offer. Choose the things you particularly like and say a firm no to yourself over anything you're really not bothered about eating.

2. Eat How Much You Need.

This one's obvious, but very important! At every meal aim for a comfortable feeling of satisfaction rather than getting to the stage where you need to loosen your belt. Decide to enjoy your meal AND feel great afterwards. This tip will save you hundreds of calories on every meal. If you want to try all the courses, have small portions of everything you really want.

3. Keep Up The exercise!

Don't give up your usual exercise routine over the holidays because it will be hard to get back into it later. If you really can't get to the gym, do a few exercises at home or go out for a walk. This simple action will not just burn off some calories, it will also remind you about your desire to stay slim and healthy. Try to keep as active as possible as you go about your day - don't sit about watching the TV specials, nibbling nuts and chocolate.

4. Put Away 'Tempting Treats'.

If you have lots of treats at home "for guests", get them out when people come and then put them 'out of harms way' when they go home. Out of sight, out of mind will help a little but if those treats do start calling out to you from the cupboard, put a few on a plate and put the rest away so that you are not constantly nibbling from the packet.

5. Don't Panic!

Try and keep calm over Christmas. As stress levels rise, so does our tendency to eat for comfort. Just remember that you don't have to make Christmas perfect for everyone else while running yourself into the ground. Do the best you can with the time available and then just decide to enjoy it however much you've done. If others have expectations of how Christmas should be then get them involved in making it so! Have some (non-food) treats up your sleeve to enjoy when it all gets a bit too much. It doesn't cost a lot to tuck away a sachet of perfumed bubble bath, a glossy magazine or a novel you've been dying to read. If all else fails call an old friend for a chat rather than eating the fridge empty!

Scientists say that they've discovered how a gene mutation linked to an inherited form of Parkinson's disease damages the brain.

The LRRK2 gene produces malfunctioning proteins that stunt the normal growth and branching of dopamine-producing neurons, which eventually causes them to die, concludes the Columbia University study.

The finding could lead to animal models that could be used to study this form of Parkinson's in an effort to develop new treatments for the disease.

The research was published Wednesday in the journal Neuron.

The New York City team created mutant LRRK2 proteins and introduced them into laboratory-cultured neurons, resulting in reduced growth and branching of the neurons. This growth and branching is essential in order for the cells to establish and maintain connections with one another within the brain's circuitry.

Similar effects were seen when mutant LRRK2 proteins were introduced into the brains of adult and embryonic rats, the researchers say.

SOURCE: Cell Press, news release, Nov. 22, 2006

Two recent clinical trials evaluated if two popular dietary supplements may, or may not, provide relief to arthritis sufferers.

Glucosamine comes from the crushed shells of lobsters and crabs; whereby, Chondroitin comes from animal cartilage. Both claim to help alleviate arthritic pain. They also claim to prevent joint narrowing and grinding of bone against bone common in arthritis.

The two clinical trials set-out to determine if the two supplements really worked. Some 1,583 people from the U.S., and 318 from Europe, participated in the study. The results were reported in a recent meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in San Diego.

Daniel O. Clegg, MD, with the National Institute of Health led the U.S part of the study. Clegg concluded: “The supplements were not better than the placebo.”

A spokesperson for the Arthritis Foundation, Erin Arnold, MD, stated the Clegg focused more on the studies overall conclusion. She was more impressed with the study’s finding that patients who used a combination of Glucosamine and Chondroitin reported significant relief. Arnold stated that she encourages patients to try the combination and is happy with the results of the study.

The European study had less controversial findings. Gabriel Herrero-Beaumont, MD, from the Jiminez Diaz Foundation in Madrid, Spain led the study.

Herrero-Beaumont recently claimed that their results clearly demonstrated the Glucosamine could control knee pain caused by osteoarthritis.

Is Glucosamine and Chondroitin only for bad arthritis pain?

Patients older than 40 with knee pain caused by osteoarthritis were admitted to the U.S. study. Each was randomly assigned to one of five different treatments:

1. A Chondroitin and Glucosamine combination
2. Placebo pills
3. A daily 20mg dose of Celebrex
4. 400mg of Sodium Chondroitin 3 times a day
5. 500mg of Glucosamine Hydrochloride 3 times a day

Participants in general pain related studies often indicated relief from their pain from taking the placebo pills. In this study, almost 60% of the participants said they had pain after taking the placebo pill. About 67% reported less pain when taking the Glucosamine and Chondroitin pill. That is a 5% difference indicating that the safety data is reassuring but that efficacy data is inconclusive.

When those who reported moderate to severe pain were looked at the results showed 54% got relief from the placebo pill, while 79% got relief form the Glucosamine and Chondroitin pill.

U.S. Study opinions

The Arthritis Foundation has stated that Clegg’s study shows that Glucosamine and Chondroitin may be a beneficial part in the overall treatment strategy for people with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis. The Foundation also believes that the supplements are safe and recommends giving them a “try.”

There are at least 50 or more published clinical trials indicating that there is some degree of a reduction in joint pain and improved joint spacing when using these supplements. The supplements provide overall joint health and are not restricted only to osteoarthritis sufferers.

Is Glucosamine better than Acetaminophen?

Some positive results coming out of the European study. Either a 1,000mg of acetaminophen was given each day, a 1,500mg dose of Glucosamine Sulfate, or an inactive Placebo was given to the patients.

Those receiving the Glucosamine or Acetaminophen reported significantly less pain than those getting the Placebo pills. But Herrero-Beaumont stated that those receiving the Glucosamine supplements reported a higher level of improvement than those treated with the Acetaminophen.

Points to consider

It is important to know that these supplements do not cure arthritis. They are only part of an over-all strategy to deal with arthritic pain. Certain supplements work better with some individuals than others. Using these supplements typically decreases the necessity for anti-inflammatory and other pain medications.

Both Glucosamine and Chondroitin actually repair damaged joints rather than masking the pain. Repair takes time and patients should be patient with their recovery expectations. Sometimes effects of the supplements are not fully benefited from until after 2 to 3 months of taking the pills.

You may want to run out and buy a new pair of glasses when you have diabetes. But wait, blurred vision is a common temporary symptom of an abnormal blood glucose level.

Eyes tend to swell when blood glucose levels are high and a swollen eye changes your ability to see clearly. Getting your blood glucose level back into the target ranges (90-130 mg/dL before meals, and 180 mg/dL or less one or two hours after a meal) is essential to correct blurred vision. Be patient as it can take as long as three months for you vision to be properly restored.

Consult an optometrist if your blurred vision continues past three to four months as it could be a sign of a more serious problem. People with diabetes are more susceptible to cataracts, glaucoma, and retinopathy.

Cataracts

A cataract is when the clear part of the lens becomes cloudy and fogged. The eye is composed of many parts, but the lens is the part that allows the eye to focus on an image. The eye cannot properly focus light and this causes glaring and blurring of vision. Anyone can get cataracts; however, people with diabetes can get it at an earlier age and it progresses far quicker in diabetic people.

Surgery to remove the cataract is the most common treatment. Also lens transplants are becoming more prevalent as well. Contacts or corrective glasses are usually needed to further correct vision.

Glaucoma

When fluid doesn’t drain properly and builds-up inside the eye, it causes a disease called glaucoma. The fluid continues to build causing pressure on the eye and damages the nerves and blood vessels in the eye resulting in a change in vision.

Glaucoma often has no symptoms until it has progressed into the more advanced stages. Severe and rapid vision loss is its main symptom. Symptoms have also included eye aches and pains, headaches, watering eyes, and halo or rings around lights in less common forms of the disease.

Special eye drops, laser incisions, medicine and surgery are treatments for the disease. Prevention is the best way to treat Glaucoma by getting an annual glaucoma screening.

Retinopathy

The eye has a group of specialized cells that change light into actual images and the optic nerve transmits those images to the brain. When the vascular channels around the eye are damaged, it prevents the signals from reaching the brain. Retinopathy caused by diabetes effects this message delivery system by creating a micro vascular condition, which if not treated, causing blindness.

It is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the industrialized world. There has been a direct link between the length a person has diabetes to the probability of developing retinopathy. The longer one has diabetes, the higher the risk of contraction.

Usually, retinopathy doesn’t develop in those that have had diabetes for less than 5 years. Rarely does it affect those that have not reached puberty. A study by the DCCT, found that people that strictly control their blood sugar levels reduced their risk of developing retinopathy. Strict control resulted in reducing their probability of developing retinopathy by 50% to 70%.

People with Type 2 diabetes usually showed signs of already having the disease at the time of their diagnoses. Overall progression of the disease can be controlled by the proper control of blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.

Different types of retinopathy

Background retinopathy. When there is damage to the eye, but there are no immediate vision problems this is called background retinopathy. During this stage, it is important to carefully manage your diabetes to prevent it from becoming more serious and affecting your vision.

Maculopathy. There is a small area of the eye called the macula and it is a critical part of the whole vision process. Maculopathy damages the macula and can severely reduce vision.

Proliferative retinopathy. This type of retinopathy affects the small vessels in the back of the eye and prevents them from receiving the proper amount of oxygen. The vessels then occlude and improperly remodel themselves.

There are certain risks factors with which can worsen the occluded vessels. To stop the progression of new vessels from forming around the eye one should not smoke, manage their cholesterol intake, and control their glucose levels. The vessels are very fragile and can clot and bleed into the orbit which causes scares to form and lead to blindness.

Laser procedures and surgery are the leading treatments for diabetic retinopathy. Most procedures result in at least a 50% reduction of blindness.

Get your eyes screened annually to prevent retinopathy from going undiagnosed. Pregnant woman should also have a comprehensive screening during the first trimester.

How to prevent eye problems:

The ADA (American Diabetes Association) recommends these eye care guidelines for persons with diabetes:

1. Get a dilated eye exam if you have Type 1 diabetes every 3 to 5 years after being diagnosed with diabetes.

2. If you have Type 2 diabetes, have an exam shortly after your diagnoses.

3. Have an annual eye exam performed regardless of the type of diabetes you have.

4. Women considering pregnancy and have a history of diabetes should have an eye exam.

When to contact a doctor:

- Sudden sustained blurred vision.
- Light flashes or pops.
- Black spots or holes in your vision.

Each morning you wake-up and your face is covered by this dark shadow of a thing called facial hair. And each morning you hate having to shave them over and over. The bright side is that each hair follicle that you have keeps your face wrinkle-free.

Hair of your face acts as a kind of structure for it. Also men have far more collagen and elastin fibers. Elastin is the connective tissue that gives skin strength and elasticity.

Men’s skin is about 20% to 30% thicker than a woman’s skin. The thicker the skin, the better job it does in resisting wrinkles.

The glands of the hair also make oil – so a man’s face is usually oilier than a woman’s. The oil keeps moisture in the face and hydrates the skin making it plumper and youthful.

The next time you are shaving, think of it as an awesome skin exfoliation. When you shave you remove the outermost layer of skin – generally it’s dead and dull. Shaving keeps skin look new and youthful.

But shaving 8 times a day is not going to be fountain of youth. You’re face is going to age. There will still be the acne, blackheads, and skin cancer as well. There are some steps that you can do to protect yourself.

Most importantly, you have to protect your skin from the sun. Get a sunscreen that provides a full-spectrum of protection. Look for one that protects you from both UVA and UVB radiation. The SPF number listed is the rating of protection against UVB, which causes sunburn and many types of skin cancer. Look for a rating of at least SPF 15 when you’re shopping.

Here’s some advice of how to make sun protection part of your daily skincare routine:

Use a gel or a spray. Some men feel like lotions are too thick and creamy. Gels and sprays apply easy and are light on the skin.

Cover all of it. If you’ve got a bald spot on the top of your head – cover it up. Use a hat or put on plenty of sunscreen. Wear long pants, and shirts made from tightly knitted fabric.

Portable tans. If you have to have a tan – do it artificially. The active ingredient in artificial tanning agents is DHA and has been given the “thumbs-up” from the American Academy of Dermatology.

Protect your skin everyday:

Here’s some information about some products that you may use in your daily skin care regimen:

Cleansers. Fine for most skin types. Men with oilier than normal skin may want to use an astringent. Look for products that are dye and fragrance free if you have sensitive skin.

Razors. The more blades the better the shave. Multi-blade razors are great for giving a close shave. But African-American men may want to stay with a single blade because of the nature of their facial hair. Multi-blades can be painful to them and cause ingrown hairs. Also consider using an electric razor if you commonly suffer from razor burns and bumps.

Aftershaves. Most aftershaves leave the skin dried-out. Stay away from them if you have healthy skin. Or, look for a balm type that has moisturizers in it.

Retinoids. These help unclog porous skin and prevent it from clogging up again. Prescription strength retinoids are proven to prevent or reverse sun-induced skin.

Antioxidants. Skin creams with vitamin C are becoming popular. Make sure to look for topical serums rather than creams because only serums can be absorbed into the skin. Same holds true for vitamin E and green tea extracts.