Monthly Archives: June 2018

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Adult Acne treatment

Here’s What Happens to Your Skin If You Stop Washing Your Face

Acne

Washing your face should be a daily habit that all individuals (both men and women!) work into their daily routine. If you don’t cleanse, it can actually increase any current skin issues you may have. Oily skin gets oilier this can lead to break outs and acne. Dry skin gets dryer and the appearance gets duller.

Cleansing is important because:

  • It clears away makeup, oil, dirt, sunscreen, pollutants, sweat and dead skin cells.
  • If you use any kind of skin cream or moisturizer it will not work effectively because without being applied to a clean face, it cannot do it’s job and be absorbed properly.
  • Not washing daily also assures that you will hide that healthy glow, and that can make skin look older!
  • Without washing, skin cannot properly regenerate while we sleep.
  • That nightly wash keeps your pillow clean from allergens and makeup residue.
  • Pores can become clogged and this has to potential to lead to skin infections, especially for those with dry, itchy skin.

Over cleansing must be avoided, though. This can make even the healthiest skin dry out, especially in the colder months. It can remove essential oils that are needed by our faces to keep the appearance of healthy skin which could be replaced by dry, flaky, itchy skin. Much of this depends on the time of year and where you live.  Cleansing twice per day is optimal.

Washing daily is a good habit to start your day with. Aside from washing away dirt and grime, it helps your face look healthy.

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Do Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, or Low-Carb Diets Actually Work?

Plan for Weight Loss

Are extreme diets where we eliminate whole food groups effective and sustainable?

Gluten-Free

Gluten is a protein found in bread, pasta, cereal, crackers, beer, basically tons of stuff. Only those with wheat allergies or more seriously, celiac disease, must strictly comply with the diet though. Those with celiac or major gluten sensitivity will see the most improvement from the Gluten-free diet. Gluten can trigger inflammatory responses that lead to acne, rosacea, eczema. Not eating gluten can help clear up your skin. The drawbacks to gluten free diet are you may end up eating more calories then your body needs. The gluten free diet is a great for those who can’t eat gluten, with an appealing choice of options but everyone else can skip this diet if you don’t require it.

Dairy-Free

The dairy free diet is harder then it sounds. It requires avoiding milk, cheese, yogurt as well as many foods people often don’t think of like energy bars, sausages, and baked goods. Most people however don’t need to go completely dairy free. Concerns about animal welfare have increased the championing of dairy free diets, not just lactose intolerance. Benefits to going dairy free include a decrease in bloating and gas, heartburn and headaches. Your skin also might clear up to. Hormones found in milk can increase the production of oils that clog pores. The drawbacks are how crucial calcium and vitamin D are. People who take the dairy diet often have to take a vitamin D supplement and make sure they eat plenty of leafy greens. Bottom line is people can do without dairy.

Sugar-Free

Sugar free diet is like getting pollen out of the air, its everywhere. If you can limit sources like soda, candy, and baked goods along with processed foods you can greatly reduce the 77 pounds each person consumes on average in a year. Cutting out sugar can stabilize your mood, eliminating the surge and plummet that often comes with the body digesting glucose. Not all sugar is bad though, fruits have natural occurring sugar but are a healthy source of essential nutrients. Bottom line, going sugar free can boost your mood, but just cutting back can be good to.

Paleo

The paleo diet consists of foods that can be hunted, fished, or gathered. The benefits include feeling fuller longer from the high protein intake, and you will be getting plenty of vitamins from whole fruits and vegetables. the drawbacks are possibly missing out on key nutrients from strict adherence to the diet. You may also get to much cholesterol and saturated fat if your main protein is red meat. Bottom line is focusing on whole foods is always good, but eliminating entire food groups paleo-style may make it harder to get nutrients you need. listen to your body and work with a health care provider to figure out the best way to nourish yourself.

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CBD as a Natural Cure for Inflammation

CBD, Wellness

Dozens of studies have compellingly indicated (1) that cannabidiol (CBD) is a potent anti-inflammatory compound. These same studies also suggest that CBD does not have any notable side effects. This plant-based compound can be manufactured cheaply and easily using a variety of widespread methods. In a market dominated by expensive anti-inflammatory medications that can often do more harm than good, this simple hemp derivative is a ray of hope for those suffering from inflammation-related conditions. But what exactly is CBD and how does it reduce inflammation in the body?  

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New Technology ‘Rewires’ Brain to Help Stroke Patients Regain Use of Their Arms

Stroke

When the brain suffers a stroke, the flow of oxygenated blood is interrupted. This deprives neural cells of that oxygen, and can damage or even kill them. This is the reason stroke victims can lose functions such as the ability to speak or use their bodies the way they did before the incident. A new treatment program is using nerve stimulation in combination with physical therapy to help bolster the ability of stroke patients to regain use of lost motor function.

The treatment is still in the experimental stage, under clinical research that is still looking for volunteers, but the early signs are promising. Doctors at Wexner Medical Center in Ohio are investigating the treatment to determine if it can be developed into a viable and widespread treatment option for stroke patients. The therapy is vivistim, and requires the implantation of a neurotransmitter into the chest. The device is only placed just below the skin, so the surgery is not invasive. Once in place, the transmitter stimulates the vagus nerve. When it’s operating, the treatment attempts to create new neural pathways in the brain by taking over missing signals, using direct stimulation of the nerve to encourage the brain to adapt to the stroke damage. Other conditions have been able to benefit from vagus nerve stimulus, such as epilepsy.

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The 15 Month Sleep Regression — What to Expect

Sleep

Sleep regression in babies happens in 3 month intervals and is highlighted by fussiness, waking up in the middle of the night, taking fewer or shorter naps, and having changes in appetite. The main cause of these sleep regressions is the child’s body is beginning or in the process of growth.

Two milestones are reached at 15 months of age. The first being the child’s new ability to walk independently. The second is the child going from taking 2 naps per day down to 1 nap. During this transition it’s normal for children to fight against taking any naps at all.

Less sleep during the day makes getting to sleep at night difficult while overtired. A few ways to support your child in the 15 month regression is to give them more time to calm down before bed, be calm and caring when they get upset, try to be more flexible about nap times, keep a predictable bedtime routine, and don’t transition to 1 nap a day until they are sleeping through the whole night. Now that the child is cared for you need to take care of yourself. Sleep regressions are temporary and will pass. Be patient and keep your good habits and soon you will be having fun with a toddler who only takes 1 nap per day!

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Subjective Memory May Be Marker for Cognitive Decline

Fit Minds

The Center for Vital Longevity (CVL) is doing research that suggests that participants who complain about poor subjective memory, especially in the elderly could be an early detection method for Alzheimer’s disease. Subjective memory is the opinion of how good the persons memory is and if it is slipping or getting worse through age. These participants are able to self-evaluate and report memory issues that are subtle and not detected by memory testing typically used when evaluating currently. The study did screen out depressed individuals and measured for risk factors like higher levels of beta-amyloid, to compare if subjective memory alone would correlate with their actual memory abilities.

This study has shown that a person’s own assessment of their memory was a very reliable predictor of how they would perform during the testing provided, especially true for those with genetic risks.

The research also showed men who had genetic risk factors also reported more subjective memory concerns during the study. This is the first study where sex-specific relationships with Alzheimer’s has been shown. The findings of this study, that a patient’s own awareness of memory loss was the strongest with participants who also had known risk factors is interesting.  These participants will continued to be followed to further the research.

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Obesity: Both a Cause and a Result of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Health & Fitness

Being overweight can’t just make it more likely you could experience rheumatoid arthritis, but also worsen the symptoms you do experience. Being obese places greater stress on the body, both inside and out. Your organs will work harder to support the extra mass. One of the most obvious problems with a higher than ideal Body Mass Index is the stress it places on your joints. Worse, the physical problems with your skeletal muscles and joints that come from being overweight can make it harder, sometimes all but impossible, to effectively exercise. And exercise is the most recommended and reliable way to lose weight.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common cause of disability and inability to not only work, but even function normally in day to day life. As pain mounts and your mobility is reduced, it can create a feedback loop that causes all your symptoms to worsen. A recent study at the University of Pennsylvania tracked nearly twenty-five thousand patients, and found data to support these findings. Good scientific data is critical now more than ever, as obesity continues to rise in the United States, and both patients and doctors need hard facts to make decisions with. The good news is, whatever your current condition, your doctor can find ways to help you; so don’t wait to see him or her for guidance.

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Hot or Cold Shower? Which One Improve Your Regeneration More?

Health & Fitness

Does it matter what temperature you like your showers? Does it matter if you’re an athlete or someone else who is physically active, and regularly uses your body and muscles at a higher level than the normal person does? Some conventional athletic wisdom is that cold water, and especially using a sort of shock treatment of cold water that is applied to the body for more than a brief period, is good for muscles that are fatigued and rebuilding after high use. Some people prefer the opposite; using high temperature water to soothe the aches and pains of well used muscles to ease into the recovery phase.

Which is better for the body remains the question. Both views have reasonable arguments to support them.

Cold water can help push the lactic acid that builds up in muscles as they’re used out of the muscle fiber and into the rest of the body. The cold helps constrict the blood vessels, encouraging the body to move the acid out so rebuilding can start sooner.

Heat can help cover over the pain of muscles that aren’t damaged, but merely sore; and lower pain levels encourages you to continue exercising, which makes them stronger.

Medical research says both views have merit, and in many cases it comes down to personal preference. You should do what feels best for you, your body, and how you want to maintain your personal exercise programs.

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Using Ibuprofen for a Severe UTI Is a Bad Idea

Supplements

Ibuprofen is often prescribed to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections.  Resent research shows that this may not be a good idea.  Physicians are worried about antibiotic resistance, needing stronger antibiotics to cure infections. Instead of prescribing antibiotics it was thought that ibuprofen could alleviatee UTI symptoms and your body would rid itself of the infection.  Those women being treated with ibuprofen alone are having complications.  Their symptoms are lasting longer and the primary infection can spread.

UTIs are becoming more common, in fact one in five women will contract a UTI in their life. Excess use of antibiotics, as noted in the trend previously, can make women more susceptible to UTIs and complications. Because of this, researchers have been scrambling to find a non antibiotic treatment.

Women with UTIs were treated with both antibiotics and ibuprofen. The results showed that the women taking ibuprofen recovered as much as three days slower than women on antibiotics. In addition, 12 of the women using ibuprofen contracted complications, and 4% got kidney infections.

Seek a doctor immediately if you are having painful urination, fever, back pain and nausea.

In conclusion, it is much more beneficial for women with UTIs to take antibiotics than ibuprofen for treatment.

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Naps During Pregnancy May Be Linked With Healthier Birth Weight

Sleep

 A recent study out of China shows that napping during pregnancy correlated to a healthier birth weight for babies.

Low birth weight, where babies weigh less than 5 ½ pounds at birth can cause complications for children for many years following birth.  Even adults who had a low birth weight are at greater risk for diabetes and hypertension.  Looking into risk factors for low birth weight is beneficial for all.  In the United States 8% of babies are of low birth weight.

10,000 women were studied in China and out of that number 442 had low birth weight babies.

  • Taking a nap of 1 hour to 1 ½ hours reduced risk of low birth weight by 29%.
  • Napping 5 days or 7 days per week reduced risk by 22%
  • Sleep is a vital sign that should be measured.
  • Sleep disorders should be treated. Sleep apnea may restrict oxygen flow to the baby.  If you have sleep apnea it needs to be treated for the health of the mother and the baby.

Pregnant women should try and nap regularly to reduce low birth weight risk for their unborn child.

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