Mens Health Blog. Medical Blog

The recognition that changing behavior and attitudes may be a matter of life and death is a significant motivator for change. Many of our patients have reported that one of the benefits of their illness was that they could no longer ignore their true needs. The illness permitted them to override their social conditioning and begin to grow as humans beings: to express their feelings and go about meeting their needs openly and directly. Without the incentive of the illness, they could have continued to live lives of quiet desperation.It is essential to recognize that the needs being met through the illness are fully legitimate and deserve to be met. The body is demanding attention in the only way it knows how. Whether it is Willie’s need to feel that he has some control over his life, the psychiatrist’s need to resolve his guilt, the young professional’s need to balance his work with other parts of his life, or the businesswoman’s need to say no, all Of these are needs that human beings must meet to maintain their physical and emotional health. From this viewpoint, the intent of the organism is constructive, even in illness. Illness is an opportunity for the individual to achieve emotional growth.*37\347\2*

Comments (0) Jul 26 2011

As I have pointed out, according to research, the average American male is eating 216 more calories each day and the average female is consuming 112 more calories each day than they did twenty years ago.One of the reasons for this additional consumption is that Americans have become visually accustomed to a larger portion size on their plates. They seem oblivious to the fact that the larger portion equates to a greater number of calories. Many people are shocked when I tell them that they are simply eating too much food. They are truly not aware of the caloric value of what they are eating because they have become conditioned to consume these large amounts on a daily basis. What they see in front of them looks “right.” My weight-loss management firm had a client who has struggled with her weight for several years. When she came to us for help, she was eating a very healthy diet. However, even healthy diets can contain too many calories. Once we got her caloric consumption under control, she began to lose weight. Her problem, similar to that of so many others, was essentially “portion distortion” and lack of awareness. To reverse this trend, homework and planning are necessary.Recall the case of my client who was raised in Santiago, Chile. She and her family, none of whom were overweight, ate five-course European-style meals for lunch and dinner, including everything from meat to cheese to a sweet. Why weren’t they overweight? What this underscores is the tremendous difference that exists between American and European portion sizes. Self magazine did a great piece on this subject. Here are some of the comparisons highlighted:
EUROPEAN VERSUS AMERICAN PORTION SIZE AND CALORIC CONTENTFood item European AmericanFrench croissant 2 ounces, 215 calories 4 ounces, 430 caloriesChocolate truffles 25 ounce, 40 calories 1.5 ounces, 240 caloriesSteak 8 ounces, 545 calories 20 ounces, 1,360 caloriesCappuccino 4.5 ounces, 50 calories 12 ounces, 140 calories
Do you notice how substantial the differences are? If we were to reduce those portion sizes, we would reduce our body size. John Travolta has said that he lost weight by eating all the foods he previously ate, but now he eats only half-portions – half a cheeseburger, half a bagel. It worked for him, and portion control can dramatically work for you, too. Go back to your Balance of Energy Equation. Reduce the energy in and body weight will go down. In addition to reduced portions, Europeans, and many thin Americans, observe a few simple eating rules. *62/280/5*

Comments (0) Jul 14 2011

Most people are reluctant to take drugs. The two reasons given for this are side-effects and dependence.
Side-effectsThere are very few medicines which are entirely free from unpleasant or harmful effects. If a drug works, it does so by acting on the body’s tissues, so that when taken in excessive amounts, it will necessarily be harmful. People vary in their reactions, and some are more sensitive than others. Even the most widely taken drugs such as aspirin produce unpleasant effects, e.g. vomiting of blood in certain individuals, and most are familiar with the side-effects of the most popular of drugs-alcohol.
DependenceMany drugs, particularly those having effects on the brain, such as sedatives and tranquillizers, have a reputation of dependence. This means that when the drug is stopped, the individual suffers from unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. The most well-known and dramatic of these is seen in chronic alcoholics and morphine addicts who, when their drug intake is suddenly stopped, develop hallucinations and tremor.In chronic or recurrent disease, of which migraine is one example, it is particularly important to avoid dependence. The withdrawal symptoms seen after long-term administration of sedatives or tranquillizers are comparatively mild but can lead to insomnia, irritability, and depression.For these reasons drugs should be taken only when necessary; the indication in migraine is when attacks are severe and interfere with daily life. When attacks are frequent, drug therapy may be more effective if preventive (prophylactic) treatment is given rather than waiting for the attacks which, when started, may not be so easily remedied.Most people with migraine have mild attacks and the patients cope themselves without going to the doctor. It is only the severe migraine attacks, not controlled by the usual simple measures that prove to be a treatment problem.
*51/152/5*

Comments (0) Jul 04 2011

Skin disorders are quite common in adults. Because they are often visible, on the face or hands for example, sufferers may be very self-conscious or even embarrassed about them. Nearly all of the population gets some sort of skin, hair or nail disorder at some time in their lives. Most of these are not serious and certainly most are treatable. They are not things you must simply ‘learn to live with’.Adult acne is becoming increasingly common in women, with many continuing to have blemishes into their thirties and forties. The exact cause for this is not known, although there are several possibilities.Some women have true ‘hormonal acne’ which is associated with premenstrual pimples and irregular periods, and occasionally with excessive facial hair. Hormonal acne responds well to Aldactone and Androcur. These drugs work against excessive production of male-type hormones.In other women acne is caused by excessive use of moisturizing cosmetics. Usually, women in their twenties start becoming aware of skin care products, and spend their hard-earned pennies on various cleansers, moisturizers, anti-age creams and night creams, only to find that blemishes appear for the first time. Once they stop using such creams their skin tends to improve dramatically. For these women, correct skin care advice (away from department stores) is essential.Stress may be another contributing factor. Many women today find themselves working not only in paid employment, but bringing up children and running a household as well. Stress is thus an escalating factor in most women’s lives and it is not surprising that acne can be a manifestation of this.
*32/150/5*

Comments (0) Jun 21 2011

First I must explain what reflexes are. A reflex is a reaction of the body to certain changes that take place within the body. Let us see how in the following examples:1You touch something hot and automatically the hand is snatched away to prevent the fingers from getting burned. The nerve endings on the fingertips that feel heat send impulses via sensory nerves to the spine where a ‘process centre’ or ‘analysing centre’ in the brain promptly sends commands to the muscles via motor nerves to withdraw the hand immediately. This path from fingertips to the spine to the muscles of the arm is a reflex. It is almost like the rays of the sun being reflected by a mirror on to the wall.2You feel cold and the body responds to it in a certain way: you shiver to generate more body heat; you get goose pimples to trap a layer of air between ‘raised hair’ on the skin to prevent heat loss from its surface; your body mobilises reserve glucose and fat to release more fuel to generate heat. All these different responses (involuntary) come about because of the stimulation of cold ‘receptors’ or nerve endings on the skin. These receptors send messages to the subconscious brain which processes the information before sending commands to the autonomous (involuntary) nerve centres to shiver, create ‘goose bumps’ and release glucose. This is a complex reflex with a series of reactions to a single stimulus (cold).*79\330\8*

Comments (0) Jun 17 2011

AntibioticsAfter reading the Candida chapter you will not be surprised that there are complaints of long-term digestive upsets from people who have taken antibiotics. If you have an infection that has failed to respond to natural healing methods such as garlic, fluids and rest, you may need to take an antibiotic. You can minimize trouble by replacing the good bacteria in the bowel which are being killed off by the drug by eating live yoghurt or finding a supplement in your health store which contains Lactobacillus acidophilus (see page 79). If you have been on antibiotics long-term you may also need to take a yeast-free vitamin B complex formula.CAUTION:1 You may risk severe illness if you have a serious infection and refuse antibiotics.2 You may now be allergic to an antibiotic you were formerly able to tolerate.*85\326\8*

Comments (0) Jun 03 2011

ArrhythmiasAn arrhythmia is an irregularity in heartbeat, a condition experienced with varying degrees of frequency by over 4 million Americans. It may be suspected, for instance, when a person complains of a racing heart in the absence of exercise or anxiety; tachycardia is the medical term for this abnormally fast heartbeat. On the other end of the continuum is bradycardia, or abnormally slow heartbeat. When a heart goes into fibrillation, it exhibits a totally sporadic, quivering pattern of beating resulting in extreme inefficiency in moving blood through the cardiovascular system. If untreated, this condition may be fatal. Not all arrhythmias are life threatening. In many instances, excessive caffeine or nicotine consumption can trigger an arrhythmia episode. However, severe cases may require drug therapy or external electrical stimulus to prevent serious complications.
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)When the heart muscle is damaged or overworked and lacks the strength to keep blood circulating normally through the body, its chambers are often taxed to the limit. CHF affects over 5 million Americans and dramatically increases risk of premature death. Patients who have been afflicted with rheumatic fever, pneumonia, or other cardiovascular problems (particularly after heart surgery) in the past often have weakened heart muscles. In addition, the walls of the heart and the blood vessels may be damaged from previous radiation or chemotherapy treatments for cancer. These weakened muscles respond poorly when stressed, blood flow out of the heart through the arteries is diminished, and the return flow of blood through the veins begins to back up, causing congestion in the tissues. This pooling of blood causes enlargement of the heart and decreases the amount of blood that can be circulated. Fluid begins to accumulate in other body areas, such as in the vessels in the legs and ankles or the lungs, causing swelling or difficulty in breathing. Today, CHF is the single most frequent cause of hospitalization in the United States. If untreated, congestive heart failure will result in death. Most cases respond well to treatment that includes diuretics (water pills) for relief of fluid accumulation; drugs, such as digitalis, that increase the pumping action of the heart; and drugs called vasodilators that expand blood vessels and decrease resistance, allowing blood to flow more easily and making the heart’s work easier.*8/277/5*

Comments (0) May 30 2011

Self-Centred, always thinking and talking of his own troubles—the “talkative hypochondriac”Heather’ relates to the soul qualities of sympathy and desire to help others—an extrovert state.In the negative state, the same divine quality turns introvert, and the person becomes self-centred. He is always thinking of his own troubles, and is so much obsessed with them that he needs releasing that pressure by talking to others, and he confines his talk to narrating his personal problems in the minutest detail. He has no time to listen to the other man’s problems, and while talking does not allow any time to other man to talk.If he goes to a doctor for consultation and starts giving his case history, the queue of persons waiting for their turn in the doctor’s clinic goes on swelling, because the Heather patient goes on and on giving minutest details of relevantand irrelevant details.He has the knack of turning any conversation to himself and then become the centre of attention.Suppose in a public place, say a milk booth, two persons are discussing some office problem, then this ‘Heather’ gentleman will innocently poke his nose in, and cleverly generalise the problem and himself become the centre of attention, sometimes stretching the discussion to his personal problems.He tends to exaggerate his troubles, often making mountains of mole-hills. The negative ‘Heather’ type is aptly called The needy child”, because he is always depending on the attention and affection of others which he evokes by talking of his problems before others.Naturally, he wants listeners. He must have the company of some-one to whom he can talk. He feels oppressed when alone, and desperately needs company to off-load everything that happens to him by telling it to others.But nobody likes his company. It is so boring. He is so self-centred and talks incessantly of his personal problems which are of no interest to others. Other people avoid or shun his society. Those that can do it go out of his way.But there are weaker characters which become victims of this type—Centaury is one such type who lacks the will power to rid themselves of its dominant influence. Mimulus type, with its inherent fear and nervousness, also lack the courage to break away, and remain unwilling listeners to the unceasing woes of the ‘HEATHER’ type.*111\308\8*

Comments (0) May 16 2011

Emily was first diagnosed with scoliosis in childhood, and suffered with anorexia for about a year in her late teens. She confessed she still was constantly dieting. She is otherwise a basically healthy, very petite, 40-year-old woman, and has no family history of low bone density. Recently, she had a bone density measurement done. She had no symptoms (most people don’t until they break a bone), but she was concerned about the effects the scoliosis, anorexia, and continual dieting might have had on her bones.Sure enough, Emily’s DEXA scan revealed she already had osteoporosis in the vertebrae of her lower back. Her density was about 25 percent lower than average peak bone density. She had osteoporosis at a time when she should still have been at just about peak bone density. With her suspicions confirmed, she had tests of her NTX, vitamin D, parathyroid, and thyroid levels to determine the best way to stop any further loss and strengthen her spine.I told her she’ll be a prime candidate for HRT when the time comes, but she’s not there yet. After I laid out the treatment options that exist, she decided to try calcitonin, since she recognized the hard fact that for her, with no treatment, the worst was yet to come. At menopause she could be losing even more bone density unless she took drastic action now—and she had probably ten years of loss at her current rate before she even got that far.The aggressive approach she took consisted of improving her diet and exercise habits—like eating yogurt and soybeans at least once a day, starting strength training, and using supplements of calcium and other nutrients. Still she feared that might not be enough to keep her from shrinking and risking fractures and bone pain since her loss had become so advanced so early. With the calcitonin, her bone density was out of the danger zone within two years.*25\228\2*

Comments (0) May 05 2011

You have developed diabetes probably because your body contains the genes linked to development of the disorder. You got those genes from one or both of your parents.There is quite a bit of evidence that your type of diabetes (called type II, non-insulin-dependent diabetes) is an inherited disorder caused by a defective gene passed on by one or both parents. Even if neither of your parents had diabetes, they could have inherited the tendency and passed that on to you.You have carried this gene in your body since you were born. But you didn’t develop diabetes until recently, when your blood glucose increased above the normal range. You probably didn’t even have the symptoms of diabetes and only found out you had this disease after your doctor performed a blood glucose test.Your type of diabetes usually shows up in mature adults (over the age of forty). It often develops in people who are overweight or obese and in women who deliver babies who weigh four kilograms or more at birth.Some women develop a form of diabetes (gestational diabetes) during pregnancy. This form of diabetes must be treated intensively during pregnancy to ensure delivery of a healthy baby. Women with this form of diabetes usually are free of diabetes after delivery, although they are at increased risk for the development of “regular” diabetes later in life.*2/210/5*

Comments (0) Apr 26 2011