The Medical Health Plus

Health benefit of Tea and Coffee

As interest in diet, fitness and living a healthier lifestyle grows, so does the popularity of tea and coffee increases. Coffee and tea remain two very different beverages that do different things for different people. For health benefits, tea will always beat coffee, especially white and green tea. Tea has more antioxidants per cup than coffee does, and also contains less caffeine. A cup of black tea has half the amount of caffeine than a cup of coffee, and a lot more antioxidants such as flavonoids, catechins, and tannins. Coffee does not have as much as these properties present, but does have its share of minerals though Research has shown that coffee has health benefits, despite its bad reputation.

Green, and white tea have even less caffeine and even more antioxidants. In fact, white tea has shown to contain the highest levels, and is one of the best sources when measured by volume for antioxidants in the world.

The health benefits of antioxidants are broad, since the compounds neutralize errant molecules known as “free radicals.” These electrically unbalanced cells kill healthy cells as they try to stabilize themselves by robbing sub-atomic particles. This process has been implicated in premature aging, cardiovascular disease, degenerative brain disorders, cancer, cataracts, the decline of the immune and nervous system, and other health problems.

If you prefer decaffeinated tea, you should be aware of that there are two methods to decaffeinate tea.
One is a chemical process using ethyl acetate that basically destroys 70% of the health benefits of tea.  If you choose tea decaffeinated via the chemical process, you might as well not even drink the tea in my humble opinion.
The second method involves using Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Water.  This method is more expensive, but less damaging to the tea leaves.  Most health-conscious prefer the CO2 method and either ask or look on the label for verification.

Caffeine in Tea Compared With Coffee

The following lists the amount of caffeine in an 8oz cup of various teas and coffee:

• Coffee: 100 mg
• Black Tea: 40 to 50 mg
• Oolong Tea: 25 to 35 mg
• Green Tea: 20 to 30 mg
• Decaffeinated Black Tea: 4 mg
• Decaffeinated Green Tea: 4 mg

Benefits in Coffee Drink

Regular drinking black coffee can give you the best benefits that it has. With black coffee, drinking approximately 4 cups or more a day can in fact lower your risk of having diabetes and prevent you from getting different cancers.

Research has shown that the more coffee one drinks, the greater the protection. Men who drank six or more cups a day reduced their diabetes risk by 54%, four to five cups by 29% and one to three by 7%. In women, the figures were, respectively, 29%, 30% and 1%. Results were adjusted to offset other risk factors such as age, weight and exercise, and so coffee drinking was isolated as the cause of the benefit.
Scientists had long suspected a connection between coffee and cancer protection. A powerful antioxidant found almost exclusively in coffee, methylpyridinium, boosts blood enzymes widely believed to protect against colon cancer. Methylpyridinium is formed in the roasting process from a chemical found naturally in coffee beans. The stronger the coffee, the study also found, the higher the level of the compound, with darker roasts containing two to three times more than medium roasts.

Coffee consumption has been proven to cut the risk of liver cirrhosis by 80%, to help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is unavailable, and in moderation to decrease the risk of developing acute coronary disease. It’s also shown that coffee can stop a headache, boost mood, prevent cavities, and even offset damage of smoking and heavy alcohol intake.

Benefit in Tea

We’ve heard a lot about the health benefits of tea, especially green tea. It is high in polyphenols–compounds with strong antioxidant activity that in test-tube and animal models show anticancer and heart-protective effects.
Similar to coffee, tea helps prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Tea may also help keep bones strong to help fight against Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects peoples posture which affects the way they walk. Drinking tea may help you ward off Osteoporosis which is very important.

Tea may be more vital to your health than you think. Coffee just suppresses your appetite making you not want to eat. However, tea helps speed up your metabolism which causes you to burn fat faster and helps you to lose weight alot quicker.
Drinking at least one cup of tea a day could cut the risk of heart attack by 44%, according to recent research. Investigators say the beneficial results probably are due to the powerful amounts of natural substances in tea known as flavonoids, vitamin-like nutrients that make blood cells less prone to clotting. Flavonoids also are one of the most powerful antioxidants, or substances that offset the damaging effects of oxygen in the body.
Unlike coffee, tea helps your teeth. Coffee makes your teeth discolored and brittle. However tea has antioxidants that prevent cavities and unlike coffee, tea doesn’t stain your teeth. Coffee drinkers are advised to visit the dentist a minimum of 2 times per year unlike non-coffee drinkers who may got once a year.

But coffee does have its advantages over tea in some areas. Take the simple fact that if you can tolerate caffeine, coffee is a great stimulant, and is helpful in waking folks up in the morning. People also prefer the stronger taste of coffee when having breakfast over the lighter flavor of tea.

Brewing coffee and tea is different for each, as tea is steeped in an infuser or tea bag, while coffee is either made in a percolator or slowly dripped through grains and into a pot.

When it come to tea vs coffee as far as varieties, tea has this one as well. There are literally thousands of varieties and sub varieties of tea that are processed by many different cultures worldwide. Tea is also a more social beverage than coffee and is a better choice if one just wants to relax with a calming drink. If you have a choice between coffee or tea, tea is better! If coffee is part of your morning routine, you have nothing to worry about.

Can PID cause infertility?

What is Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)?
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an inflammation of a woman’s upper reproductive tract, including the structures of the uterus (womb), fallopian tubes, ovaries, and/or surrounding tissues. It is usually caused by untreated sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), but it can also follow a miscarriage, abortion, or childbirth.
It is usually caused as a  result of infection ascending from the endocervix causing endometritis, salpingitis, parametritis, oophoritis, tuboovarian abscess and/or pelvic peritonitis. As the immune system tries to fight off the invading bacteria, it causes local inflammation and scarring.
PID can cause scarring in the uterus, fallopian tubes, and even in the pelvic cavity. This is one of the main reasons it causes chronic pelvic pain.

Risk factors of having PID include:

* Multiple sexual partners
* Past history of any sexually transmitted disease
* You have had PID before.
* Sexual activity during adolescence
* You have had a sexual partner who had either gonorrhoea or chlamydia.
* You yourself have ever had gonorrhoea or chlamydia.
* You have used or still use an IUD for contraception.
* You are under 35 years of age.

Can PID cause infertility?

Yes,it can result in an abscess in the fallopian tubes, which can cause scarring or blockage in the fallopian tubes. This can make it more difficult for the eggs and sperm to pass through the tubes, increasing the risk of infertility or an ectopic pregnancy (where the foetus develops outside the uterus (womb), such as in one of the fallopian tubes).
Scarring inside the fallopian tubes is permanent and can twist or block the tubes with scar tissue or fluid, leading to tubal infertility. About 1 in 10 women cannot become pregnant after having PID once. After having PID three or more times, as many as 7 in 10 women become infertile

What are the symptoms of PID?

Symptoms can include:

• Pain and tenderness in the lower abdomen
• Heavy vaginal discharge with a strong unpleasant odour
• Irregular or heavy menstrual periods
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Low back pain
• Flu-like symptoms such as fever, nausea and vomiting, general discomfort or fatigue

Prevention of PID

• Do not use an IUD for contraception.
• Visit your doctor immediately if you notice any symptoms of PID or you find out that a current or former sex partner has, or might have had, a sexually transmitted disease.
• Have regular pelvic exams (pap smear) that include STD testing to screen for symptomless pelvic inflammatory disease.
• Insist that your current partner be tested and treated for any STD’s before sex.
• Know that when a partner says that they have been tested for an STD they usually mean chlamydia and gonorrhea, but that those are not all of the sexually transmissible diseases.

Key Strategies to Prevent an Obesity

Obesity is the most dangerous disease in the world. It is the heavy accumulation of fat in your body to such a degree that it rapidly increases your risk of diseases that can damage your health. A certain amount of body fat is necessary for storing energy, heat insulation, shock absorption, and other functions. The normal amount of body fat (expressed as percentage of body fat) is between 25%-30% in women and 18%-23% in men. Women with over 30% body fat and men with over 25% body fat are considered obese.

The foods we eat every day contribute to our well-being. Foods provide us with the nutrients we need for healthy bodies and the calories we need for energy. If we eat too much, however, the extra food turns to fat and is stored in our bodies. If we overeat regularly, we gain weight, and if we continue to gain weight, we may become obese. Weight gain occurs when you eat more calories than your body uses up. If the food you eat provides more calories than your body needs, the excess is converted to fat. Initially, fat cells increase in size. When they can no longer expand, they increase in number. If you lose weight, the size of the fat cells decreases, but the number of cells does not!

What causes an Obesity

The reasons for the imbalance between calorie intake and consumption vary by individual.

* Genes: Obesity tends to run in families. This is caused both by genes and by shared diet and lifestyle habits. Having obese relatives does not guarantee that you will be obese.
* Emotions: Some people overeat because of depression, hopelessness, anger, boredom, and many other reasons that have nothing to do with hunger. This doesn’t mean that overweight and obese people have more emotional problems than other people. It just means that their feelings influence their eating habits, causing them to overeat. In some unusual cases, obesity may be used as a defense mechanism because of the perceived social pressures related to being more physically desirable, particularly in young girls. In these cases, as with the other emotional causes, psychological intervention may be helpful.
* Environmental factors: The most important environmental factor is lifestyle. Your eating habits and activity level are partly learned from the people around you. Overeating and sedentary habits (inactivity) are the most important risk factors for obesity.
* Sex: Men have more muscle than women, on average. Because muscle burns more calories than other types of tissue, men use more calories than women, even at rest. Thus, women are more likely than men to gain weight with the same calorie intake.
* Age: People tend to lose muscle and gain fat as they age. Their metabolism also slows somewhat. Both of these lower their calorie requirements.
* Pregnancy: Women tend to weigh an average of 4-6 pounds more after a pregnancy than they did before the pregnancy. This can compound with each pregnancy. This weight gain may contribute to obesity in women.
* “Glands” (hormonal problems) are rarely the cause of obesity.
* Obesity can be associated with other eating disorders, such as binge eating or bulimia.

* Certain medical conditions and medications can cause or promote obesity, although these are much less common causes of obesity than overeating and inactivity. Some examples of these are as follows:

o Hypothyroidism
o Cushing syndrome
o Depression
o Certain medications (examples are steroids, antidepressants, birth control pills)
o Prader-Willi syndrome
o Polycystic ovarian syndrome

What problems can obesity cause?
Obesity increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions which include:

* Coronary heart disease
* Type 2 diabetes
* Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
* Hypertension (high blood pressure)
* Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
* Diseases related to hardening of the arteries such as heart attack and stroke  (cardiovascular disease).
* Liver and Gallbladder disease
* Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
* Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
* Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)

Common physical problems include:

* Difficulties breathing
* Difficulties walking or running
* Increased sweating
* Pain in the knees and back
* Skin conditions such as acne
* Gallstones.

Strategies to Prevent an Obesity

• Stay active. Simple activities, such as taking the stairs or walking to the store, can help tremendously. Many people also enjoy going to the gym.
• Watch your weight. You should weigh yourself once a week to monitor your health. If you notice that you are starting to gain weight, better do something on it.
• Drink water. Many times people will mistake dehydration for hunger signals in the body. The FDA recommends drinking eight to 10 glasses of water per day.
• Keep junk food out of your house. The lure of sweet junk food can sometimes be too much to bear and you may succumb to the temptation.
• Only eat when you are hungry. Make a schedule when you really need to eat. Keep this schedule as you daily routine.

Honey as a Natural Treatment

Honey is a great rich golden liquid a product of honey bees and a naturally delicious alternative to white sugar.  It is an excellent substitute for sugar in our drinks and food. It is also good for many medicinal uses and treating certain conditions. Its man’s oldest sweetener! It is composed of sugars like glucose and fructose and minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, iron and phosphate.

The fascinating process of making honey begins when the bees feast on flowers, collecting the flower nectar in their mouths. This nectar then mixes with special enzymes in the bees’ saliva, an alchemical process that turns it into honey. The bees carry the honey back to the hive where they deposit it into the cells of the hive’s walls. The fluttering of their wings provides the necessary ventilation to reduce the moisture’s content making it ready for consumption.

Using Honey instead of Sugar
Honey is clearly a better sweetener option than sugar! but we usually use cane or beet sugar just because of its convenience. We know honey makes more sense, but using it place of sugar seems complicated meanily because the types of natural sugars in honey leads baked goods to brown more quickly than sugar, then honey is much sweeter than sugar, meaning you don’t need to use as much as the liquid as you would traditional sugar and finally, honey is a liquid and most recipes are designed for use with sugar. The increased liquid content skews our recipes.

Honey Vs Sugar
Most people are now recognizing the numerous health benefits of the bee-produced product and are using it in place of cane or beet sugar in a number of ways and why are people embracing the golden liquid?

Honey is definitely better for you than refined sugar. However, keep in mind that they are both calorie dense and eating large amounts of honey will still make you deposit body fat if it means you exceed your caloric maintenance level.

Honey and sugar are both natural, simple carbohydrates. Aside from taste and cost differences (which is personal preference), both give us calories with very little nutrient content and cause blood sugar to rise about the same (having similar glycemic index rankings). Common table sugar, also known as sucrose, is made up of the two sugars glucose and fructose. Honey is made up of a combination of these two sugars too, but also contains a small amount of the sugar galactose. Sugars provide 4 calories for every gram (by weight). So they provide the same number of calories if you were to weigh out equal amounts. However, if you compare one measured tablespoon of each, the honey weighs more. One tablespoon of honey is 64 calories vs. 49 calories from sugar. Because honey is made up of more fructose, which is sweeter to the taste than sucrose, you can use smaller amounts for the sweetness you are looking for.
If the only ingredient is honey, it should be a pure product. If it contains any additives, including added water, it is not.
Raw honey has many beneficial nutrients, enzymes, and antioxidants… raw honey is best as typical honey processing (the kind of honey you’ll find at your grocery store) destroys many of the enzymes and antioxidants that give the benefits of raw honey.

What’s so Special about Raw Honey?
Raw honey is when you associate it with uncooked vegetables and meat whereby any form of heating is avoided so as to preserve all the natural vitamins, enzymes and other nutritional elements.

Raw honey is the concentrated nectar of flowers that comes straight from the extractor; it is the only unheated, pure, unpasteurized, unprocessed honey. An alkaline-forming food, this type of honey contains ingredients similar to those found in fruits, which become alkaline in the digestive system. It doesn’t ferment in the stomach and it can be used to counteract acid indigestion. When mixed with ginger and lemon juices, it also relieves nausea and supplies energy. Raw honey is the healthiest choice amongst the various forms of honey as it has the most nutritional value and contains amylase, an enzyme concentrated in flower pollen which helps predigest starchy foods like breads.

Most honeys found in the supermarket are not raw honey but “commercial” honey, which has been heated and filtered so that it looks cleaner and smoother, more appealing on the shelf, and easier to handle and package. When honey is heated, its delicate aromas, yeast and enzymes which are responsible for activating vitamins and minerals in the body system are partially destroyed. Hence, such honey is not as nutritious as raw honey.

Characterised by fine textured crystals, raw honey looks milkier and contains particles and flecks made of bee pollen, honeycomb bits, propolis, and broken bee wing fragments. Raw and unfiltered honey is relatively low in moisture content (14% to 18%) and has a high antioxidant level. It will usually granulate and crystallize to a margarine-like consistency after a month or two. Many people prefer to spread it on bread and waffles, dissolve it in hot coffee or tea, or use it for cooking and baking.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF HONEY
Health benefits of honey are awesomely a lot! Energise the body, boost immunity, promote healing of cuts and burns, remedy for sore throats, heart disease, insect bites, arthritis, hair loss, bladder infections, toothaches, colds gum disease, eczema, prostate problems, eye infections, ulcers, insomnia, etc. because honey contains vitamins B1, B2, C, B6, B5 and B3 all of which change according to the qualities of the nectar and pollen. Besides the above, copper, iodine, and zinc exist in it in small quantities. Several kinds of hormones are also present in it. Approximately one half of the human diet is derived directly or indirectly from crops pollinated by bees. Today honeybees are an essential part of a healthy agriculture economy.

Honey can be used to:

* Relieves burns
* Avoid bed wetting in children because it aids water retention
* Natural Beauty, Honey softens and moisturizes for a healthy complexion. To take advantage of honey’s skin softening potential, splash warm water on your face to open the pores. Then apply a thin honey mask, wash it off, and finish with a bit of cold water to the face. Dry skin cells plump up and wrinkles tend to smooth away. Dairy cream, whipped egg white, fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or any fruit juice may be mixed into your honey mask.
* help you sleep when served with a cup of hot milk
* clear nasal congestion,  mix a dessert spoon or two of honey in basin of hot water. Bend over the basin, covering your head and the basin with a large towel and inhale the fumes.
* natural antiseptic, it heals wounds such as cuts, grazes, scrape when covered with honey. By applying honey to your wounds,cuts, you can prevent infections. Honey contains antimicrobial agents, which prevents infections by killing the bacteria in and around your wounds. Many types of bacteria can’t survive in honey, so wounds heal, swelling eases, and tissue can grow back. and bandage is an excellent healer!
* Aids Digestion, Mix honey and apple cider vinegar in equal proportion, dilute with water. This wonder drink aids digestion and eases joint inflammation.
* for sore throat – Trickle down a teaspoon of honey down the throat for inflamed raw tissues for sore throat. If you have eaten any thing pungent, spicy and feel your tongue burning after downing glasses of water. Eat a spoonful of honey to appease your taste buds
* Multi-vitamin
* Makes the brain function better since the brain is the largest consumer of sugar, thus, reduces fatigue. Honey as a property where it can rapidly diffuses through the blood in 7 minutes when accompanied with water.
* food preservative, while baking cakes by replacing sugar with honey, they will stay fresher longer due to natural antibiotics as honey retains moisture.
*  Curing coughs, mix 6 oz. of liquid honey, 2 oz. of glycerin and juice of two lemons. Mix well, store it bottle with a tight screw cap and use when required. An instant home made remedy for cough.
* during migraine attacks, sip a dessert spoon of honey dissolved in half a glass of warm water at the start of the attack. Repeat after 20 minutes if needed. Its effective as migraine is stress related.
* Asthma patients, chewing the tops of honey combs for 20 minutes a teaspoon of bee capping; five to six times a day stimulates the immune system. It’s effective for asthma patients.

Advantages of Honey.

• It is non-irritating to the lining of the digestive tract.
• It is easily and rapidly assimilated.
• It quickly furnishes the demand for energy.
• It enables athletes and others who expand energy heavily to recuperate rapidly from exertion.
• It is, of all sugars, handled best by the kidneys.
• It has a natural and gentle laxative effect.
• It has sedative value, quieting the body.
• It is easily obtainable.
• It is inexpensive.

Tips for Cooking with Honey:
If your honey has crystallized, placing the container in hot water for 15 minutes will help return it to its liquid state. Do not heat honey in the microwave as this alters its taste by increasing its hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content. To prevent honey from sticking to measuring cups and spoons, use honey that is in its liquid form.

Honey makes a good replacement for sugar in most recipes. Since honey is sweeter than sugar, you need to use less, one-half to three-quarters of a cup for each cup of sugar. For each cup of sugar replaced, you should also reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by one-quarter of a cup. In addition, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF since honey causes foods to brown more easily.

Make sure it is raw local honey. You can find raw local honey at farmer’s markets, natural food stores and sometimes in the health food section of your grocery store.

Dehydration

Dehydration means your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should, dehydration can be caused by losing too much fluid, not drinking enough water or fluids, or both. Water is the most important essential nutrient in the human body. Even in view of this incredible importance, we are not vigilant enough about maintaining its purity and accessibility. Our muscle and brain tissue is roughly 70% water. Most of the water is found within the cells of the body (intracellular space). The rest is found in the so-called extracellular space, which consists of the blood vessels (intravascular space) and the spaces between cells (interstitial space).

Dehydration is loss of water and important blood salts like potassium (K+) and sodium (Na+). Vital organs like the kidneys, brain, and heart can’t function without a certain minimum of water and salt. Dehydration occurs when the amount of water leaving the body is greater than the amount being taken in. The body is very dynamic and always changing. This is especially true with water in the body.

Under normal conditions, we all lose some body water every day in our sweat, tears, urine, and stool. Water also evaporates from our skin and leaves the body as vapor when we breathe. We usually replace this body fluid and the salts it contains with the water and salts in our regular diet. In a normal day, a person has to drink a significant amount of water to replace this routine loss.

If intravascular (within the blood vessels) water is lost, the body can compensate somewhat by shifting water from cells into the blood vessels, but this is a very short-term solution. Signs and symptoms of dehydration will occur quickly if the water is not replenished.

The Causes of Dehydration

There are many things that can cause dehydration, the most common are vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss, malnutrition, and plain old failure to replenish liquids lost from sweating and urination (Not drinking enough water). Many illnesses and diseases can trigger acute dehydration due to the increased body temperature and sweating that usually occur. This is why your doctor tells you to drink plenty of fluids when you are ill. Your body uses fluids to expell toxins as well as to keep your system flexible, lubricated and running smoothly.

• Diarrhea: Diarrhea is the most common reason a person loses excess water. A significant amount of water can be lost with each bowel movement. Worldwide, more than four million children die each year because of dehydration from diarrhea.
• Vomiting: Vomiting can also be a cause of fluid loss; as well, it makes it difficult to replace water by drinking it.
• Sweat: The body can lose significant amounts of water when it tries to cool itself by sweating. Whether the body is hot because of the environment (for example, working in a warm environment), intense exercising in a hot environment, or because a fever is present due to an infection, the body uses a significant amount of water in the form of sweat to cool itself. Depending upon weather conditions, a brisk walk will generate up to 16 ounces of sweat (a pound of water).
• Diabetes: In people with diabetes, elevated blood sugar levels cause sugar to spill into the urine and water then follows. Significant dehydration can occur. For this reason, frequent urination and excessive thirst are among the symptoms of diabetes.
• Burns: Burn victims become dehydrated because water seeps into the damaged skin. Other inflammatory diseases of the skin are also associated with fluid loss.
• Inability to drink fluids: The inability to drink adequately is the other potential cause of dehydration. Whether it is the lack of availability of water or the lack of strength to drink adequate amounts, this, coupled with routine or extraordinary water losses, can compound the degree of dehydration.

The Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration
Dehydration is classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on how much of the body’s fluid is lost or not replenished. When severe, dehydration is a life-threatening emergency. It is usually possible to avoid serious complications of dehydration by recognizing the early signs and symptoms of dehydration and getting quick medical attention.

Symptoms of dehydration usually begin with thirst and progress to more alarming manifestations as the need for water becomes more dire. The initial signs and symptoms of mild dehydration in adults appear when the body has lost about 2% of it’s total fluid. These mild dehydration symptoms are often (but not limited to):

Symptoms of Minimal Dehydration
Patient who are sick, either with a cold or mild stomach bug, will have minimal or no dehydration. These patient are alert and appear well and have:

• normal thirst or may refuse some liquids
• a moist mouth and tongue
• normal to slightly decreased urine output
• less than 3 percent weight loss
• loss of Appetite
• dry Skin
• Skin Flushing
• dark Colored Urine
• fatique or Weakness
• chills
• head Rushes
• normal heart rate, pulses, breathing, and warm extremities
• capillary refill less than 2 seconds
• instant recoil on skin turgor test
• eyes not sunken (and/or fontanel in a baby)

Symptoms of Mild to Moderate Dehydration
Once their dehydration worsens, they may begin to feel tired, restless, and irritable, which makes it difficult to get them to drink more fluids. Other signs and symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration, for which you should usually call your doctors include:

• increased thirst
• a dry mouth and tongue
• decreased urine output
• 3 to 9 percent weight loss
• normal to increased heart rate and pulses, normal to fast breathing, and cool extremities
• capillary refill greater than 2 seconds
• recoil on skin turgor test in less than 2 seconds
• slightly sunken eyes

Symptoms of Severe Dehydration
Severe dehydration is a medical emergency and you should seek immediate medical attention. These children appear lethargic (meaning they are difficult to keep awake) or may be unconscious. They also may have:

• a parched mouth and tongue
• poor drinking or may be unable to drink
• minimal or no urine output
• greater than 9 percent weight loss
• increased heart rate, weak pulses, deep breathing, and cool, mottled extremities
• Muscle spasms
• Vomiting
• Racing pulse
• Shriveled skin
• Dim vision
• Painful urination
• Confusion
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest and Abdominal pain
• Unconciousness

Effects includes:

• Increased heart rate
• Increased respiration
• Decreased sweating
• Decreased urination
• Increased body temperature
• Extreme fatigue
• Muscle cramps
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Tingling of the limbs

Treatment
Drinking fluids is usually sufficient for mild dehydration. It is better to have frequent, small amounts of fluid (using a teaspoon or syringe for an infant or child) rather than trying to force large amounts of fluid at one time. Drinking too much fluid at once can bring on more vomiting.

Electrolyte solutions or freezer pops are especially effective. These are available at pharmacies. Sport drinks contain a lot of sugar and can cause or worsen diarrhea.

Intravenous fluids and hospitalization may be necessary for moderate to severe dehydration. The doctor will try to identify and then treat the cause of the dehydration.

Most cases of stomach viruses (also called viral gastroenteritis) tend to resolve on their own after a few days

Note:
Symptoms of dehydration will differ from person to person because the body is a complex network of systems and everyone’s body is different. When these systems are disturbed due to loss of fluids there will be several common symptoms shared by most bodies, but there may also be unusual or unexpected responses depending on the particular person in question. Age also plays a part in the manifestation of symptoms. Signs of dehydration in a child will not be the same as those experienced by a teenager, adult or in the elderly. Dehydration prevention is the best treatment for every age group. heatstroke is always around the corner.

Childhood Poisoning

Lead poisoning occurs when too much lead gets into the body.  Young kids have the highest risk of poisoning because of their natural curiosity. Children are at greater risk than adults because children absorb lead more readily than adults, and a small amount of lead in children bodies can do a great deal of harm. Lead can cause irreversible damage to a child’s developing brain, so the effects of lead poisoning on children can therefore have a significant, long-lasting impact on learning and behavior of children.

Poison-proofing your home is the key to preventing childhood poisonings. Most people regard their home as a safe haven,however,  home can be a dangerous place when it comes to accidental poisoning, especially accidental poisoning of children. One tablet of some medicines can wreak havoc in or kill a child.

Although iron poisoning is the biggest concern when it comes to childhood poisoning, there is also concern about other drugs. Iron-Containing Products remain the [b]Biggest Problem[/b] by Far When It Comes to Childhood Poisoning.

Children poisoned with iron face immediate and long-term problems. Within minutes or hours of swallowing iron tablets, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal bleeding can occur. These problems can progress to shock, coma, seizures, and death. Even if a child appears to have no symptoms after accidentally swallowing iron, or appears to be recovering, medical evaluation should still be sought since successful treatment is difficult once iron is absorbed from the small intestine into the bloodstream. And children who survive iron poisoning can experience other problems, such as gastrointestinal obstruction and liver damage, up to four weeks after the ingested poisoning.

FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is taking steps to protect children from iron poisoning by proposing regulations that will make it harder for small children to gain access to high-potency iron products (30 milligrams of iron or more per tablet). FDA is also taking steps to ensure that health-care providers and consumers are alerted to the dangers associated with accidental overdoses of iron-containing products, including pediatric multivitamin supplements that contain iron.

Poison-Proofing Your Home
Poison-proofing your home is the key to preventing childhood poisonings. In the case of iron-containing pills or any medicine:

• Always close the container as soon as you’ve finished using it. Properly secure the child-resistant packaging, and put it away immediately in a place where children can’t reach it.
• Never change container of pills, always keep pills in their original container.
• Keep iron-containing tablets, and all medicines, out of reach–and out of sight–of children.
• Then never keep medicines on a countertop or bedside table.
• Always follow medicine label directions carefully to avoid accidental overdoses or misdoses that could result in accidental poisoning.

Signs of Poisoning
When a child was well before and in a space of hours develops unusual symptoms: They can’t follow you with their eyes, they’re sleepy before it’s their nap time, their eyes go around in circles. Any unusual or new symptoms should make you think of poisoning as a possibility,” Rodgers advises. “Poisonings typically affect the stomach and central nervous system. If a child suddenly throws up, that can be more difficult to diagnose.

Burns around the lips or mouth can also be a sign of poison ingestion, stains of the substance around the child’s mouth, or the smell of a child’s breath. Suspect a possible poisoning if you find an opened or spilled bottle of pills.

HOW CAN PARENTS PREVENT LEAD POISONING?

It important for parents to be aware of the risk factors for lead poisoning and to minimize their child’s exposure before poisoning occurs.Every parents want their children to grow up normally in a safe environment but, regrettably, childhood poisonings occurs constantly in the media. What can adults do to reduce the number of these incidents?

Parents must understand the basic nature of children, especially the intense curiosity and willingness to try anything of the pre-schooler. These characteristics combined with a woefully insufficient understanding of things lead to tragic results—swallowing medicines, insecticides, household cleaning compounds and other dangerous items by accident. Children may see adults taking medicine and then mimic their behavior once they themselves get access to it. Children are more sensitive to toxic substances because their bodies are far more fragile than those of adults; and once they have been poisoned, they suffer much greater harm.

Parents should rid the environment of potential dangers. There shouldn’t be things like medicines, household cleaners, insecticides, paint, mosquito vaporizer liquid, camphor pellets, or air fresheners be stored in places where children might come into contact them. Cosmetics (fingernail polish, hair styling gel, perfume, nail polish remover, etc.) should also be securely stored away to prevent a child from accidentally ingesting them.

Most exposure to lead occurs at home. Older homes often have leaded interior or exterior paint. Dust from the deterioration of this paint can create a lead hazard. The most common sites of risk in the home are at windows, porches, or entryway areas. Parents can be advised to keep these areas clean and prevent children from playing in these areas unless the risk of exposure is low. Renovations that disturb leaded paint can release dust in a home and should not be attempted without expert advice and training. Soil around older homes may be contaminated with lead from paint residue, and soil along busy streets may have leaded gasoline residue. At-risk children may also live in areas with industries nearby such as lead smelters or battery recycling plants that have emitted lead dust into the air and soil

Lead found in water tends to occur in much lower concentrations than lead in paint or soil, and it therefore presents much lower risk. The major source of lead in water is the solder found in pipes in older homes. Before using water for cooking or drinking, parents are advised to: (1) run tap water for 15 to 30 seconds if it has not been used for a few hours; and (2) use cold water, which leaches lead more slowly than warm or hot water.

Children with iron deficiency or with low daily calcium intake absorb lead more readily, so parents will want to make sure that their child’s diet contains sufficient–although not excessive–amounts of these nutrients (ATSDR, 1995; AAP, 1998; EPA, 1999). Parents cannot prevent their children from putting things in their mouths, but parents can prevent them from reaching potentially dangerous items and teach them to wash their hands before eating. These measures are parts of the solution, but they are insufficient to prevent lead poisoning if the environmental risk is still present.

carbon monoxide is also a major killer. Hot water heaters should be installed outside the room where there is plenty of air circulation. And air circulation inside the room should also be maintained at all times to reduce the chances of carbon monoxide poisoning. To prevent childhood poisoning, adults should be fully vigilant, increase their understanding of the dangers, and adopt appropriate preventative measures. In this way, they will be able effectively to reduce the number of these incidents. At the same time, adults should take every opportunity in their day-to-day life to teach their children to understand better the dangers of accidental poisoning–this itself will prove an effective weapon in the fight against childhood poisoning.

In conclusion
After understanding the basic nature of the child and how to handle toxic substances, the next responsibility of the adult is to rid the environment of potential dangers. Under no circumstances, just because it is convenient, should things like medicines, household cleaners, insecticides, paint, mosquito vaporizer liquid, camphor pellets, or air fresheners be stored in places where children might come into contact them. Cosmetics (fingernail polish, hair styling gel, perfume, nail polish remover, etc.) should also be securely stored away to prevent a child from accidentally ingesting them.

Fatty Acids and Your Health

The National Cholesterol Education program recommends that everyone over the age of 20 be tested for cholesterol at least once every 5 years.

Improve your health, eat foods high in essential Fatty Acids. Two decades of research has improved our understanding of the health benefits of many foods and food components, including the essential roles of fats and individual fatty acids in the diet.

The three major categories of dietary fats-saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated-have various effects on low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) and high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) levels. Saturated fats, in general, are shown to elevate LDL-cholesterol levels, and high levels of LDL cholesterol are considered a major risk factor for heart disease. In contrast, diets higher in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are known to lead to lower LDL-cholesterol levels.

There are two subclasses of fatty acids within the polyunsaturated fat category: omega-6 (n-6) fatty acids and omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids. Vegetable oils such as corn, sunflower, safflower and soybean oils are rich in n-6 fatty acids. Soybean oil is also an excellent source of n-3 fatty acids, as are canola oil and deep-sea fish, or “fatty fish.”

Fats, or lipids, can be divided into three general categories: Triglycerides, Phospholipids and Sterols.

• Triglycerides – (fats and oils) This is the main form of fat in the diet. Triglycerides provide us with energy, insulates, cushions and protects internal organs and helps our bodies use carbohydrates and proteins more efficiently. Triglycerides can be further divided into the following categories:
  • Saturated fats – Usually solid at room temperature, saturated fats contain the maximum number of hydrogen atoms (saturated with hydrogen).  Saturated fats are considered the most detrimental to health.
  • Monounsaturated fats – Liquid at room temperature, monounsaturated fats include olive and canola oils.  This type of fat tends to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol while leaving the “good” HDL cholesterol unchanged.
  • Polyunsaturated fats – Liquid at room temperature, polyunsaturated fats include corn oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil. This type of fat tends to lower both “bad” LDL and “good”   HDL cholesterol.
  • Hydrogenated fats – This fat results from a process where hydrogen atoms are added back to polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats to protect against rancidity .  This procedure effectively causes hydrogenated fats to become saturated fats.  Thus, if a food lists partially hydrogenated oils among its first three ingredients, it usually contains alot of trans-fatty acids and saturated fats.
  • Trans-fatty acids – In nature, most unsaturated fats are cis-fatty acids. During hydrogenation, the molecular structure changes from cis- to trans-fatty acids.  Trans-fatty acids increase “bad” LDL  cholesterol and lower “good” HDL cholesterol, which may increase heart disease risk.
  • Essential fatty acids – Essential fatty acids must be supplied by the diet. The body uses essential fatty acids to maintain the structural parts of cell membranes. They are also used as a component in the production of hormone-like substances (eicosanoids) that help regulate blood pressure, clot formation, and maintain the immune response.
    • Linoleic Acid – The Omega-6 family.  Common sources for these essential fatty acids are vegetable oils and meats.   Most individuals can ensure an adequate intake of Omega-6 fatty acids by including grains, seeds, leafy vegetables, and small amounts of vegetable oils and meats in the diet.
    • Linolenic Acid – The Omega-3 family.  Linolenic acid is a major component of the communicating membranes of the brain, and is active in the eye’s retina.  It is essential for growth and development.  Fish, in particular, is abundant in both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.
• Phospholipids – (eg. lecithin) Phospholipids help transport fat-soluble vitamins, hormones and other substances through cell membranes.   Because they can dissolve in both water and fat, they act as an emulsifier, helping to keep fats suspended in body fluids and blood.  The liver can produce all the body’s phospholipids from scratch, therefore it is not an essential nutrient.
• Sterols – Sterols include cholesterol, vitamin D and sex hormones.  The are a component of bile, sex hormones (testosterone), adrenal hormones (cortisol) and are a structural component of cell membranes.  9/10 of the body’s cholesterol is stored in cells.Cholesterol – The liver manufacturers about 800-1500 mg. of cholesterol per day, which contributes much more to total body cholesterol than does diet.  The liver can also make cholesterol from carbohydrates, proteins or fat.  Only animal foods contain cholesterol.  Excess cholesterol harms the body when it forms deposits on artery walls, leading to atherosclerosis and heart disease.  Cholesterol can be further divided into HDLs and LDLs:

• Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL) – Considered “bad” cholesterol.  It is produced in the liver and circulates through the body, transporting fat to the muscles, heart, fat stores and other tissues.
• High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL) – Considered “good” cholesterol. It is produced by the liver to carry cholesterol and phospholipids from the cells back to the liver for recycling and/or excretion.   Because HDLs represent cholesterol removal from arteries and blood to the liver for breakdown and disposal, it is considered “good” cholesterol.  Therefore, high levels of HDL cholesterol is considered a negative risk factor for heart disease.Eating foods that are rich in fatty acids can reduce inflammation in your body, help prevent cancer cell growth, and reduce the risk of becoming obese, and these are just a few of the benefits of essential fatty acids.
  
  Functions Performed By Essential Fatty Acids includes:
  

• Fatty acids are an important part of cell membranes, which helps to determine the fluidity and chemical activity of cell membranes.
• They  enable the synthesis of prostaglandins – hormone like substances found in all cells which are responsible for many functions at cellular level and regulate many body processes such as: cardiovascular function, immune system processes and maintenance of the musculoskeletal system.
• Fatty acid regulates oxygen use, electron transportation and energy production (these are the most important processes occurring in the cells).
• It help brain & vision development of infants
  
• It help to form red blood pigments (haemoglobin).
• It support the production of secretions of digestive enzymes.
• It help make the lubricants that allow joints to move effectively.
• It help transport cholesterol in the blood.
• It help to generate electrical currents and keep the heart rate regular.
• Fatty acid are needed by the tissues of the brain, retina, adrenal glands and testes.
• It increase memory and learning ability
• They help immune function in fighting infection.
• It help balance the immune system and prevent allergies.
• It ensures  proper nerve transmission from one nerve to the next – especially in the memory and concentration areas of the brain.
• It ensure adequate bone formation and repair

  Foods in Essential Fatty Acids
  

• Flax seeds
  2 Tbs contain 146% of the RDA for essential fatty acids. Flaxseeds are slightly larger than sesame seeds and have a nice nutty flavor. You can buy flaxseeds either whole or ground and sprinkle them on your food. Many people like them on their cereal, in muffin and bread recipes, sprinkled on their vegetables, or added to smoothies. If this does not sound appealing to you, you can buy flaxseed oil.

  The benefits of fiber rich flaxseeds make up a long list. Just a few health benefits they offer are reducing hot flashes, lowering blood pressure, and lowering cholesterol.

• Walnuts
  1/4 cup contains 95% of the RDA. Walnuts improve your cardiovascular health by lowering high blood pressure and lowering cholesterol in people with Type II Diabetes.
• Salmon
  4 oz contains 87% of the RDA. For the highest levels of essential fatty acids, try to buy Chinook or Sockeye Salmon. In addition to being high in essential fats, Salmon protects your heart against arrhythmia.
• Cauliflower
  1 cup contains 9% of the RDA. Cauliflower contains compounds that may help protect you against cancer. In addition to having a high amount of essential fatty acids, the compounds in cauliflower also promote liver detoxification. These compounds signal your genes to increase production of enzymes to detoxify and cleanse your body and eliminate harmful toxins in your system.
• Cabbage
  1 cup contains 7% of the RDA. Like cauliflower, cabbage is another cruciferous vegetable that helps cleanse your body and provide heart healthy fatty acids.

  Experts recommend for optimum health, consuming at least 2% of your total daily calories as essential fatty acids. For the average diet of 2000 calories, this means eating 4 grams per day.

  By adding just flaxseeds and salmon to your diet, you can quickly reach your goal of 4 grams. Two tablespoons of flaxseeds has 3.5 grams of fatty acids, while a 4-ounce piece of salmon contains 1.5 grams.
  
  How to improve Cholesterol Levels

• Reduce or maintain a desirable weight
• Exercise. Aerobic exercise four days per week for 30 minutes or more can increase the level of (“good”) HDL cholesterol in your body
• Choose monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats in small amounts in place of saturated fats
• Avoid saturated fats
• Eat fish once or twice per week
• Avoid hydrogenated or trans-fatty acids
• Reduce consumption of high-cholesterol foods
• Consume more soluble fiber (see our Amazing Grains article)
• Graze. Eating 5 or more meals per day keeps insulin concentrations low and slows down the liver’s synthesis of cholesterol
  

Basic Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins assist the enzymes that release energy from carbohydrates, proteins and fats, but they do not provide energy themselves, unlike protein, carbohydrates and fats, vitamins do not yield usable energy when broken down.

Vitamins are natural organic substances essential for the proper regulation of reproduction, growth, health, and energy production. Humans are unable to manufacture most of the necessary vitamins and these must be obtained from dietary sources, either as whole foods or supplements.Though its essential to get vitamins from food. Supplements should be taken in addition to meals and with meals for their essential and proper absorption.

There are 13 vitamins, 16 minerals, and one additional dietary component that your body needs but cannot manufacture in sufficient amounts. Acting in concert, these essential vitamins and minerals help keep billions of cells healthy and encourage them to grow and reproduce. Some supply the keys to unlocking the energy in the carbohydrate, fat, and protein in the foods you eat. These essentials are often called micronutrients because your body needs only tiny amounts of them. Yet failing to get even those small quantities virtually guarantees disease. Old-time sailors learned that living for months without fresh fruits or vegetables — the main sources of vitamin C — causes the bleeding gums and listlessness of scurvy. In some developing countries, people still become blind from vitamin A deficiency. And even in the United States, some children develop the soft, deformed bones of rickets because they don’t get enough vitamin D.

While the absence of key micronutrients hampers good health, their presence in sufficient quantities promotes it. Getting a full complement of iron helps proteins in your blood and muscles pick up and release the oxygen that’s vital to all of your cells. It also fends off the absorption of lead, a heavy metal that can cause widespread damage. The B vitamin folic acid can be a powerful agent in protecting against birth defects and may help ward off heart disease and some forms of cancer. And a combination of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium, and phosphorus protects your bones against fractures.

Many of these micronutrients interact with one another. Vitamin D enables your body to pluck calcium from food sources passing through your digestive tract. Vitamin C helps you absorb iron. Vitamins and minerals differ in basic ways. Vitamins can be broken down by heat, air, or acid. Minerals are chemical elements that do not change. That means the minerals in soil and water easily find their way into your body through the plants, fish, animals, and fluids you consume. But it’s tougher to shuttle vitamins from food and other sources into your body because cooking, storage, and simple exposure to air can inactivate these more fragile nutrients.

Vitamins and minerals are widely available from the natural foods we eat.  So, before you reach for the vitamin jar, try eating your vitamins from natural foods.   Here are some of the best sources for each:

• Vitamins
• Minerals

Vitamins

Minerals

Note that physical attributes of Eating Disorders are caused by a variety of factors such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies, hormone loss, electrolyte imbalances, continued strain on the body and fatigue.

Nutritional requirements are often slightly different for young children, adolescents, and during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are concerned about your vitamin intake.