Health & Nutrition Facts for Bodybuilders

Lyme disease is probably the most common vectored disease in the world. Its causative agent is a spirochete: Borrelia burgdorferi . Borrelia normally requires both a tick host of the Ixodes genus and a warm-blooded host to complete its infectious cycle, but insects may occasionally also be vectors, transmitting Borrelia from one host to another. Spirochetes undergo multiple changes as the ticks are biting their warm-blooded host. But these pale in comparison with the changes that occur inside a human. Inside the Human If left alone once inside a warm-blooded host, spirochetes move through the blood stream, reproduce slowly, produce blebs, change shape, and move into the host's organs and tissues where they give off toxins that often reduce host mobility. Reduced host mobility increases the probability that new ticks will find and bite the infected host and transfer the spirochetes to more vertebrates. Spirochetes Release “Cluster Bombs” Each active bacterium releases int

Most people have been or know someone affected by Lyme Disease. The ticks that transmit this disease are found in all of the US, Canada, Mexico, European and most Asian countries. When they bite, they can inject the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and other diseases. Early Symptoms of Lyme Disease Lyme disease begins after a tick bite. This is sometimes followed by a bulls-eye rash, becoming exhausted in the middle of the day – totally incapable of continuing without collapsing in bed, flu-like symptoms that may or may not go away, or suddenly developing arthritis. Since any of these symptoms could be something else, diagnosing LD is difficult. Diagnosis Difficulties The bulls-eye rash is diagnostic for Lyme disease and treatment often begins with no further testing, but almost 50% of people affected have no or atypical rashes. When Lyme disease is suspected, doctors send blood samples for testing. This test looks for antibodies in response to the bacterium. If the

Have you laughed at all today? Do you know the last time you laughed? How about laughed out loud. LOL. How about laughing while watching a great TV show? Can you even remember the last time you laughed? Catherine Kalamis, in “Laugh Your Way to Health” (Choice magazine, March 2001), said that a 10-minute bout of laughing can have the following effects: As the person laughs, carbon dioxide is driven out of the body and replaced by oxygen-rich air, providing physical and mental freshness. Laughing can produce anti-inflammatory agents that can aid back pain or arthritis. Laughing encourages muscles to relax and exercises muscles all over the body, from the scalp to the legs. Laughing reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. It is also thought that laughter may possibly aid immune system responses, (though the evidence for that is primarily anecdotal). Laughing exercises facial muscles to prevent sagging. Laughing boosts the production of “feel-good” endorphin hormones. Gigg

Misdiagnosis of Lyme disease is rampant. In the 40% to 45% of cases where there is no rash after infection, the early symptoms of Lyme disease are difficult to classify. Diagnostic tests are only 50% to 60% reliable. The disease mimics many other conditions, and some doctors will not diagnose it based on symptoms if test results are negative. The Basis for Misdiagnosis Without seeing a tick or rash, the symptoms are varied, vague, and mimic many maladies: flu, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, neurological disorders, cardiac arrhythmias, muscle weakness, and others. During the progression of Lyme disease, the symptoms change as bacteria move out of the blood, transform, and mutate. The immune response is depressed, and the organism becomes extremely difficult to detect. In addition, the bacteria produce blebs (packages of active Borrelia enzymes) that attach to antibodies and divert T-cells (attack cells) from the bacteria the

Tears may be dried up— But the heart, never. —Marguerite de Valois What makes a healthy heart? Certainly a healthful diet that includes Omega 3 fatty acids, regular exercise, adequate sleep, very moderate alcohol consumption, and no smoking. But did you realize that your emotional health is actually a better predictor of heart health than your other healthful habits? Scientist William Harvey (1578-1657) noticed a connection between heart and emotional health as early as 1625. Early physician William Osler said that the typical heart disease patient is “a keen and ambitious man, the indicator of whose engine is always ‘full speed ahead’.” Of course, to any woman reading Osler’s observation, it is clear that things have changed for our gender; today, heart disease is the leading cause of death for today’s woman, who seems always on the go and buffeted by conflicting demands. Even so, the connection between emotions and heart disease is somewhat poorly understood. Anger, depress

What is Duane Syndrome? Duane syndrome (DS) is an eye movement disorder that is present at birth and characterized by a limited ability to move an eye inward towards the nose, outward towards the ear or in both directions. The frequency of DS in the general population of individuals with eye movement disorders is approximately 1-5%. About 40% of patients develop esotropia, a head turn toward the eye to maintain single binocular vision, or they maintain a straight head but accept esotropia, and suppression, if available. A child with Duane Syndrome My son was born with DS and diagnosed around 18 months of age. I had noticed a slight “lazy” eye and discussed it with our pediatrician. The recommendation was to watch it until he was a year old. As the year progressed the eye became worse and we were referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist. During the initial visit eye exercises, dilation and a vision screening were completed. The signs and symptoms the ophthalmologist discussed w

Some great ideas for headaches . Brew Up Some Rosemary - Rosemary helps keep blood vessels dilated. Use 1 teaspoon of rosemary per cup of hot water, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Strain, and sip a cup three times a day. Or Try Ginger. Ginger inhibits a substance called thromboxane A2 that prevents the release of substances that make blood vessels dilate. In other words, it can help keep blood flowing on an even keel, which is essential in migraine prevention. Grate fresh ginger into juice, nosh on Japanese pickled ginger, use fresh or powdered ginger when you cook, or nibble on a piece or two of crystallized ginger candy daily. Even if you've never had a migraine, you've almost certainly encountered other kinds of headache. Tension-type headaches are the most common variety. Marked by tightness in the head, neck and shoulders, they affect more than 75 percent of all headache sufferers, according to the American Council for Headache Information. Sinus headaches ar

Anyone who experiences chest pain often feels a sense of alarm. People have been taught to see a physician for chest pain because it may be a heart attack. There is nothing wrong with such a concern. However, it does not mean that all episodes of chest pain are from coronary artery disease. There are other causes, including non-cardiac ones. Cardiac Causes Cardiac chest pain that isn't a heart attack can involve the outside of the heart. Normally, it sits within a fibrous sac called the pericardium. This sac can become inflamed (pericarditis) from various causes, including infection (e.g. virus, tuberculosis), autoimmune conditions (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus), uremia from kidney failure, certain medications, and radiation injury. The pain is usually in the center of the chest and is notably worsened when one takes a deep breath (pleuritic chest pain), swallows, or lies down. In contrast, this same pain can be lessened with sitting up and leaning

Advance directives are legal documents that allow control over decisions such as what care should be provided when capacity to make decisions is lost. There are two primary types. Firstly there is a Living Will and secondly a Durable Power of Attorney for health care. These are recognized and defined documents by statute with the aim of providing a legal tool by which people can express their wishes. However, they are not the exclusive means available to express wishes. Any authentic expression of a patient's wishes should be respected. An advance directive cannot be completed after a patient becomes mentally incapacitated and it does not become effective until after incapacity has been determined. If an advance directive has been prepared, an authorized surrogate must be identified to make medical care decisions. A living will expresses a patient's preferences for end-of-life medical care. State laws vary greatly regarding scope and applicability of living wills. A l

It’s a typical scene in many UK bars and restaurants. While rain lashes down, smokers shiver outside under shelters or in doorways, indulging in a habit that’s illegal indoors. Inside though, a group of people seem to be flouting the law. They are smoking what appear to be cigarettes, yet don’t have the smell of burning tobacco or ever need putting out. They are smoking, or rather "vaping," electronic cigarettes - an innovation that’s not only regarded in some quarters as being much healthier than traditional cigarettes, but is inexpensive and legal to use indoors. Most e-cigs consist of three parts – a battery, a chamber containing a heating element (referred to as an atomiser) and a cartridge containing a filter soaked in liquid, usually made up of nicotine extract, flavourings and propylene glycol, a chemical used in many foodstuffs. It is this that, when heated, produces the "‘smoke’" or vapour. For smokers or anyone trying to quit, this all sounds to

Poison ivy is known as toxicodendron radicans. It is a plant the grows on a vine or shrub. Poison ivy grows in nearly every state in the United States and in some Canadian provinces. Some people are highly allergic to poison ivy. Here are some tips on what to look for and how to treat it. What Poison Ivy Looks Like Poison ivy either grows down low on the ground or in a hairy climbing vine attached to something like a tree. It is a plant that grows in leaves of three from a stem. The leaves are light to dark green and in the fall turn a reddish color. When a person touches a poison ivy plant, the oil from the plant called urushiol sticks to the skin. Within a couple of days of contact with the ivy, a person will start to get red rash and it will be swollen. A few days after the rash starts, blisters will start popping up and will be itchy. Do not scratch it. It could become infected. How to Treat Poison Ivy When a person knows they have come in contact with poison ivy, they s

Since Lyme disease is the most common vectored disease in the US, possibly in the world, researchers are studying the organisms intensely. In the US, its causative agent is aspirochete: Borrelia burgdorferi . Borrelia requires both a tick host of the Ixodes genus and a warm-blooded host to complete its infectious cycle , reproducing inside both hosts. These bacteria are transmitted primarily by I. scapularis in the Eastern US, I. pacifica in the Western US. After hatching, ticks pass through three life stages, each lasting about a year: larva, nymph, and adult. Ticks usually feed only once during each life stage. The transfer of Lyme Disease begins when a tick becomes infected by feeding on a vertebrate host with Bb . Inside the tick, the spirochetes are dormant. When the tick feeds on a new host, spirochetes reproduce, are passed to the warm-blooded host, and this host becomes infected. Spirochetes that remain in the tick become dormant again and wait for another feeding bout. Ti

Lyme disease (LD) is normally transmitted by ticks, usually Ixodes scapularis , the black-legged tick; but other ticks, mosquitoes, and horse flies have been known to also transmit it. If not interrupted, ticks feed for four or more days. They become engorged within a day of biting, but stay about the same size although they continue to feed for several more days. Transmitting the Bacteria Blood is composed of only 40% blood cells, and those are about 90% water. Thus, about 95% of what the tick removes from the host has no nutritive value for the tick. In order to prevent itself from exploding from excess water, the tick removes nutrients and proteins (albumin and hemoglobin) from the blood and vomits the liquid back into the host: repeatedly sucking fresh blood, removing the nutrients, and spitting the liquid back. If the tick is infected, the bacteria are injected while the tick is regurgitating. This usually does not happen until the tick has become engorged with blood – about

Pesticide-Free Alternatives to Kill Lice Concerned about potentially toxic head lice treatments? Some parents are leery of exposing children to the insecticides in the widely-available OTC products or prescription-only treatments, or fear allergic reactions. Others question effectiveness, noting some recent reports indicating lice may be becoming resistant. An internet search for pesticide-free lice treatments reveals a vast and confusing array of commercial products and home remedies with detailed instructions. Most include enthusiastic testimonials, but deeper searching may uncover many reports of treatment failures. Few offer conclusive, well-controlled research to back up their claims. How do you make a choice? Know this first It’s critical to understand the life cycle of the head louse. Adult lice can live on the scalp about 30 days and lay up to 100 eggs (nits), firmly “gluing” them to the hair shaft. New lice hatch in 7-10 days, and reach maturity and lay eg

American Sites Selling not so 'Canadian' Drugs It’s a billion dollar business. ‘Canadian’ drugs online mean huge profits for pharmacies that span the web. But the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations found that about 86 percent of online pharmacies claiming to be Canadian are actually hosted by US companies. Researchers tracked about 11,000 Internet pharmacies that claimed to be accredited Canadian sites, and found that less than 25 percent were legit. The rest were hosted by companies or individuals outside Canada, 86 percent from the US. Americans flock to Canadian sites because they pay less- typically 20-25 percent says researcher Maria Bekiaris in her article Cut-Price Medicine. In large part it’s because the Canadian drug industry is regulated while the US industry is not she says. It’s not even legal for Americans to buy drugs from accredited Canadian sites, specifically under the U.S. Prescription Drug Marketing Act (PDMA), 1987. The FDA advises tha

Having a friend or loved one in the hospital places them in a vulnerable position. Let's face it if the patient were healthy they wouldn't be in the hospital. It is up to you and your family to be their advocate to make sure they are getting proper patient care and to detect if there are signs of neglect. If you suspect that the patient is not getting proper care, here are a few things you can do and look for to determine whether or not your loved one is a victim of neglect: Sniff around: Literally use your nose to help determine signs of neglect. Although hospital smells are not appealing, you will quickly recognize which smells are normal hospital smells and which ones are not. Your sense of smell will help you to quickly determine if your loved one is getting the proper care in being bathed and cleaned regularly. If not it is a sign of patient neglect. Look for bedsores: If the patient has bedsores, you'd be right to suspect patient neglect. The staff is not adequat

Pets don't care what we wear or if our hair is combed. Pets Pets provide unconditional love and companionship for people of all ages—a fact that any pet owner can confirm. But scientific research also suggests pets help people control blood pressure and manage stress. Researchers have taken an interest in pets because controlling stress and blood pressure are vital keys to reducing the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. A 2000 study, for instance, found that dogs help relieve cardiovascular stress in people who have had difficulty controlling their stress . The study was just one of a series that demonstrated the positive health benefits of pet ownership. Dr. Karen Allen has led a team of researchers from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo in a series of pet-related studies that began more than a decade ago. Their results have repeatedly demonstrated that people show a reduced stress response (i.e., less of a rise in blood pressure or heart rate) if

More Than Just Cardiovascular Disease Whenever there is talk about obesity , it is generally discussed alongside the risks for heart attack and stroke. In reality, there is a long list of conditions that obesity is associated with an increased risk for. While this article will not cover every single one, it will highlight some of the effects of obesity that people may be less aware of. Sleep Apnea Sleep apnea is when you stop breathing momentarily in your sleep. It could be a central sleep apnea from neurological impairment or obstructive sleep apnea from your airway closing off. Obesity is a cause of obstructive sleep apnea because excess fat tissue around the airway and in your neck can make the airway easier to collapse. What ultimately happens is that you would be excessively sleepy in the daytime, enough to impair concentration and put you at risk for accidents. Keep in mind that you do not need to be obese to have obstructive sleep apnea. Upper airway obstruction has other

It's every parent's worst fear. It's the middle of the night and your child is sick. How do you know when to take her to the emergency room? It can be tempting to take your child to the ER at the first sign of trouble, but it is never a good idea to pay your local hospital a visit without good information. An unnecessary trip to the ER can result in an hours-long wait. If an occasion is non-emergent, those with urgent conditions will be treated first, and if your “emergency” isn't truly an emergency, the hospital can refuse to treat you once you've been triaged. If your child is under one year and has a fever above 100 degrees, a call to your pediatrician and a trip to the ER is justified. If your child is over one year, a fever alone is not reason enough for an ER visit. The fever can be treated with over the counter ibuprofen or acetaminophen until you can get to your pediatrician's office. If the fever is accompanied by a headache, a rash, a stiff or pai

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, carbon monoxide is a gas that is hard to detect and that can kill an individual in a very short period of time. Each year hundreds of individuals die after unknowingly inhaling carbon monoxide. Being aware of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and preventing carbon monoxide leaks has the potential to save lives. Causes of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning According to the Center for Disease Control carbon monoxide poisoning can occur when an individual breathes in combustion fumes. Car exhaust, gas stoves, gas heaters, and a variety of other combustion based household appliances emit carbon monoxide. Normally this is not a problem, but if too much carbon monoxide accumulates in an area that is not well ventilated the results can be tragic. Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning The NY Times reports carbon monoxide causes the body to be oxygen starved because it takes the place of oxygen in the blood. Symptoms of carbon