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Coping with Stress of Senior Home Care

Wednesday, December 09th, 2009 | Author:

senior_careSenior home care is making the decision to care for your aging parents or loved ones in their home or in your home allowing them their independence but taking on the responsibility of their being the caregiver. Caring for aging parents or loved ones carries a lot of responsibility and a range of emotions. No matter how much love in your heart, carrying the load of caring for your loved one will leave you drained physically, emotionally and possibly financially. Coping with the stress of senior home care has to be managed or you will not be able to be an effective caregiver.

Managing the stress of senior home care is all about taking charge. Take charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment and the way you deal with problems and unexpected situations. The ultimate goal of coping with the stress of senior home care is to achieve a balanced life.

How to reduce, prevent, and cope with the stress of senior home care

Senior home care requires organization – Organize your time and your schedule. Write everything down so that you or another family member has reference to phone numbers, doctors, medications, in home senior care providers, important insurance and financial numbers.

Start a personal journal – Share your feelings about the stress of senior home care. Writing down your thoughts will help you to take charge of your emotions.

Prioritize your health and well-being. Nurturing yourself is a necessary not a luxury.

Healthy ways to relax and recharge

  • Go for a walk
  • Call a good friend
  • Sweat out the tension with a good workout
  • Write in your journal
  • Curl up with a good book
  • Take a long bath
  • Eat healthy and exercise regularly
  • Play with your pet
  • Work in your garden
  • Listen to music
  • Savor a cup of warm coffee or tea

Give yourself a break – Enlist the help of a professional senior home care provider. Senior home care providers such as Visiting Angels can provide daily or weekly help to everyday chores, errands, hygiene, meals or transportation needs just to name a few. Senior home care providers can also provide a respite to you responsibilities with as little as 15 minute notice to avoid unnecessary stress if your schedule needs help.

Coping with the stress of senior home care is the only possible way to be an effective caregiver to your loved ones. Your mental and physical health must take priority or you will not be able to manage what needs to be done. Take advantage of these tips. Organize yourself, express yourself, nurture yourself and help yourself by arranging for assistance with a senior home care provider.

Bio: Linda Dunkelberger is a freelance writer and editor. “Coping with Stress of Senior Home Care” shares tips for coping with the stress of senior home care. Visiting Angels is a senior home care provider that helps seniors with everyday tasks, errands, meals, transportation, just to name a few services. For more information on Visiting Angels in your area, see www.Visitingangels.com.

Category: Health Care, Healthy Living | 5 Comments

How To Treat Gallstones

Monday, August 10th, 2009 | Author:

gallstonesAre you wondering how to treat gallstones? This year alone, about one-half of a million Americans will remove their organ, the gallbladder because of gallstone problems. Unfortunately, western medicine still believes that removing an organ is the best treatment for gallstones.

However, thousands of people will treat their problem with an alternative treatment which helps the body flush the gallbladder. In the process of flushing the gallbladder, the stones are painlessly passed from the body.

However, most medical establishments do not recommend passing your stones naturally because it could mean millions of dollars lost from less cholecystectomy surgeries. In this article, you will learn some simple natural health secrets about treating this problem naturally.

How to Save Thousands of Dollars and Your Organ

Imagine saving thousands of dollars and passing your gallstone at home. Though this sounds too good to be true, it just may be easier than you expect. One of the most popular ways to treat this common disease is with a liver and gallbladder cleanse.

With a liver cleanse, you are rewarding the liver for its daily work and in the process you are helping alleviate the possibility of additional strain being placed on the gallbladder with the excess cholesterol and bile salts that can accumulate with an under-functioning liver.

Many people have found that using simple vegetables, fruits, herbs and basic cooking ingredients can quickly and painlessly pass gallstones.

How to Pass Your Gallstones from Home

  1. Many people begin a home treatment by supplementing magnesium. For instance, magnesium has been shown to reduce the risk of stone development in the gallbladder. Many natural health doctors recommend a diet that has about 400 mg a day of magnesium.
  2. You may also wish to prevent gallstones with preventing them from forming. By avoiding saturated fats, such as red meats and pork, you will help the gallbladder cleanse itself. Your gallbladder will then be able to work at flushing the stones naturally.
  3. Fiber has been shown to help flush cholesterol from the gallbladder and also help the liver’s effectiveness. Fiber therapy is a commonly used treatment to help both the liver and gallbladder work more effectively. One part of the treatment calls for 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
  4. Another quick tip is to drink one cup of coffee daily. Recent studies have shown that coffee will increase the flow of bile and decrease the risk of developing gallstones.
  5. Try converting the cholesterol stones into bile by supplementing ascorbic acid, vitamin C to your diet. You can supplement 3000 mg daily.

Article By: Joe Barton

Guaranteed! Researched! Step by Step! Joe Barton and Barton Publishing have helped thousands of sufferers learn how to treat gallstones at home. Now it’s your turn! www.getridofgallstones.com/gall

Liver & Gallbladder Cleanse

DOCTOR’S NOTE: If you do not have a gallbladder, the liver has to work twice as hard and can thus accumulate twice as many stones. This cleanse is highly recommended to help support individuals without gallbladders.

Ingredients:

  • 1 gallon of apple juice (freshly pressed organic). The malic acid in the apple juice helps to soften stones and dissolve stagnant bile that may be present. You can use distilled water or Wellness Water® instead of apple juice if you are allergic to apples or need to watch your sugar intake due to diabetes
  • 2 ounces (1 full bottle) of Livatrex®
  • 3 Tablespoons of Epsom salt
  • Organic ingredients for making the Liver/Gallbladder Soup
  • Organic Fruits for breakfast each morning
  • 8 oz. Organic Walnuts or 3 Organic Avocados with 1 Organic Lime or Lemon for the mid-afternoon snack on day 5. (Choose one or the other)
  • 6 oz. of Organic Olive Oil – Use Extra virgin high quality, cold-pressed for best results
  • 1 bottle of Oxy-Powder® & 1 bottle of Latero-Flora™
  • 1 bottle (8 ounces) of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (available at most health food stores or online)

Complete Liver & Gallbladder Cleanse Instructions

Category: Health Care, Healthy Living, Home Remedies, Recommended Product | Leave a Comment

The Importance of Bodily Fluids

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 | Author:

The Importance of Water
source

While most of us are aware of the importance of drinking a sufficient amount of water each day, we do not always think about our body fluids in terms of our health.

Tears, one of our most important body fluids, are made up of three different materials:

  • Mucous secretions
  • Watery tears
  • Oil

Mucous secretions originate from what is called the goblet cells. Goblet cells are found in our eyelids, and they are responsible for producing the layer of tears that are in the closest contact with our eyes. It is important for our bodies to ingest adequate amounts of Vitamin A and carotenoids because they play an important role in helping our goblet cells to produce mucous. All it takes is the depletion of one component of our tears to create a dry-eye situation, and to put our eyes at risk of developing health problems.

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The watery part of our tears comes from the lachrymal glands. This component of our tears is critical for maintaining healthy moisture in our eyes, so drinking lots of water is very important.

The oil component is produced in the Meibomian glands. This oil is generated on top of the watery component so that more moisture can be retained in our eyes. You must consume appropriate amounts of fatty acids in order to keep the oil production in your eyes at a healthy and constant level. While most people never think of any oils as being a part of our vital body fluids, they are an intricate and necessary component of maintaining good health.

What You Need To Know For Maintaining Healthy Tear Production

Overall, it is very important for us to consume adequate amounts of protein, potassium, zinc, and Vitamins A, B6, and C in order to maintain healthy tear production. It should be noted, however, that it is possible to consume too much when it comes to certain parts of your diet. Studies have shown that eating too much salt, alcohol, fat, protein, sugar, or salt can lead to abnormal tear production.

Lactoferrin


Lactoferrin is a protein that serves many functions in our bodies. It is found in some of our body fluids, most notably our mucous secretions such as tears, saliva, nasal secretions, and pancreatic juice. The highest levels of lactoferrin are found in human milk. This protein is very important because it acts as an antibacterial and antifungal agent.

Though research is still ongoing as to the many benefits that lactoferrin may potentially offer to human health, it is known to be a huge defense against a variety of pathogens. For example, recent research has shown that lactoferrin prevents bacteria from generating into potentially deadly biofilms.

Biofilms

Biofilms are microorganisms that are known to bear at least some responsibility for various microbial infections in the human body. There is a definite relationship between normal goblet and cilia cells and biofilms. Those who have normal levels of body fluids in their goblet and cilia cells do not develop biofilms. Biofilms are believed to play a part in the following health problems:

  • Gingivitis
  • Dental plaque
  • Inner ear infections
  • Urinary tract infections
  • Catheter infections
  • Coating of contact lenses

Biofilms grow and develop from a variety of bacteria that may be present in the human body. These microorganisms thrive on iron, as it is a necessary component for biofilms to be able to grow and flourish.

Did you know that biofilms generally only develop in people whose immune systems have been compromised?

It is important to note that biofilm research is still in the early stages. It has only been in the last 20 years that scientists have realized that there was more to disease than simple bacteria. What this means is that a vast majority of vaccines and antibiotics are ineffective against diseases and illnesses that are caused by the presence of biofilms.

  

The best precaution that we can all take is to make sure that we have sufficient lactoferrin in our bodies, as it is the best defense against the development of biofilms.

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Category: Health Care, Healthy Living, Organic Health | 3 Comments

Study: Increased Calcium Improves Children’s Bone Health

Sunday, February 01st, 2009 | Author:

Calcium in Milk

More and more our children are being left behind when it comes to health. They’re getting fatter, lazier, and now, according to new research, they’re not getting enough calcium.

New findings, published in the August edition of the journal Bone, came to the conclusion that “Increased dietary calcium/dairy products, with and without vitamin D, significantly increases total body and lumbar spine BMC in children with low base-line intakes.”

In this latest research, Michael Huncharek, Joshua Muscat and Bruce Kupelnickb analyzed the data from a total of 21 clinical trials. Totalling more than 3,800 children, the researchers set out to determine how the intake of dietary calcium would affect bone mineral content in children.

The information revealed that those children, who were not taking enough calcium at the beginning of these studies, saw a substantial increase in their total body bone mineral content (BMC). This increase measured out to be about 25x greater than that of children who had already been on a healthy diet of calcium.

Comments from Michael Huncharek MD, MPH, Director of the Meta-Analysis Research Group and lead author of the study.
“Dairy and other foods that are rich in calcium are thought to be important for the growth and strengthening of bones in children and adolescents. In the US, dairy products tend to be the preferred source of calcium since diets that exclude dairy are often deficient in this important nutrient.”
“The new findings show that for those children who have inadequate calcium intake, increasing dietary calcium has a significant impact on bone development. Since most children don’t get enough calcium, meeting calcium recommendations may help to prevent future osteoporosis.”

Many of us would have encountered advertising on television and elsewhere, warning us of consuming a healthy diet high in calcium to ensure that we stemmed the possibility of osteoporosis. A disease of the bone, osteoporosis leads to an increased rate of bone fracture through a diminishing of our bone mineral density.


Given the possibility that there is a way to stem the risk of osteoporosis from an early age, one would imagine just why there are so many children not getting the right amount. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that each individual should consume at least 3 servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy foods each day as part of their diet.

“It’s never too early to make bone health a priority. These findings continue to support the research that shows milk is an important source of calcium which helps build and maintain strong bones, muscles and teeth in children,” said Ann Marie Krautheim, R.D., senior vice president of Nutrition Affairs for the National Dairy Council.

The Benefits of Calcium Supplements

According to work done by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 7 out of 10 boys and 9 out of 10 girls are not consuming enough calcium needed to maintain a healthy bone density.

However not everyone is able to rely entirely on dairy products for their calcium intake. That is where calcium supplements come in to the equation. If you are unable to get the recommended amount of calcium from your diet, it may be wise to supplement your diet with added calcium.

Check out the below video of Dr. Edward Group III discussing the differences between calcium orotate and calcium citrate… and which one is better for you.

For more information about how to naturally get calcium into your diet, it is recommended for you to read the following articles about soy milk and hemp milk.

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Flickr image created by: Papisc

Category: Health Care, Healthy Living, Natural Diet, Natural Supplements | 14 Comments

The Downsides of Modern Healthcare Innovations

Friday, December 19th, 2008 | Author:

Downsides of Modern Healthcare InnovationsThere are countless blessings that have sprung from modern medicine. It has done miracles for people in this age and as a result, on average, we now aim to live much longer than previous eras.

However, there are some downsides that have occurred due to this rapid advancement. Every innovation has its disadvantages and as technology progresses, we will also notice strange new health problems arising.

For example, previously after the industrial revolution, processed foods have become increasingly popular due to its marketability and convenience for production on a mass scale level. The human body responds to this change in diet accordingly. The reaction can include anything from constipation to colon disease on an extreme level. As an even earlier illustration, there have even been studies where there was a sharp increase in appendicitis among early 19th century African slaves after adapting to a processed diet that’s popular among industrialized countries.

If the human body suffers digestive problems from these dietary changes, modern medicine comes into play by curing the symptoms but rarely eliminates the cause of a deeper biological incongruence.

For example, with the advent of modern surgical and anesthetic techniques, it seems like many people in 1st world nations forget about older forms of treatment. People rarely consciously practice the highest form of health care which is prevention, when it comes to digestive health. Even worse, pills and surgery became such a commonly recommended treatment by health authorities that people neglect that long term consequences follow if you simply forget the existence of a deeper issue and resort to quick fixes. As one example, surgery for hemorrhoids does not always heal properly because the tissue is not meant to be altered in such an unnatural manner.


Another fix that is popular is chemical-based medication. Because of the powerful effects that chemistry can have on the human body, it seems to be a more powerful effect at first glance. However, this hides a very dark reality that manifests in the form of random side-effects in the beginning. In the more extreme cases, it can damage one’s immune system or cause other disorders to occur.

For example, if one is suffering from hemorrhoids, hemorrhoid creams are placed upon the tissue to relax the blood vessels. This does have the temporal effects but does not resolve anything in the long-run. Once the creams effect wears off (assuming it ever did), the hemorrhoid will merely come back.

From this perspective, the ideal way to prevent digestive problems is by reverting to a natural lifestyle more attuned to that of a hunter/gatherer diet. This is definitely impractical, but one can still seek out natural remedies in the process and come as close as possible to this ideal.

As societal economics and media in the 1st world causes more people to be attracted towards an instant gratification fix, while downplaying the traditional methods of prevention, that same desire for instant gratification can be seen reflected increasingly in healthcare. The key is to recognize this and not place your health at risk despite what is considered “conventional” practice.

Article by: Holly Hayden
Holly Hayden is a respected authority on how to cure hemorrhoids easily and naturally. Her exclusive system has already helped thousands of people treat their hemorrhoids towards elimination without surgery or recurring creams.


Category: Health Care, Healthy Living | 2 Comments