Health & Nutrition Facts for Bodybuilders

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