Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Learning And Video Games. Boys 6-9, took intelligence tests and reading and writing assessments. The boys' parents and teachers filled out questionnaires relating to their behavior at home and at school. Half the families received a video-game system immediately and the other half were promised a video-game system four months later, at the end of the study. Boys who received the system immediately spent more time playing video games and less time engaged in after-school academic activities. They also had significantly lower reading and writing scores four months later and had greater teacher-reported learning problems. When children have problems with language at a young age, they tend to have a tougher time acquiring advanced reading and writing skills later on.  Psychological Science, April 2010

Health Alert: Adolescent Drinking Adds To Risk Of Breast Disease, Breast Cancer! Girls 9-15, who drink alcohol increase their risk of benign breast disease (benign breast disease increases the risk for developing breast cancer). Girls who drink 6-7 days a week are 5.5 times more likely to have benign breast disease. Girls who drink 3-5 days per week have 3 times the risk. On average, girls diagnosed with benign breast disease drink more often, drink more on each occasion and have an average daily consumption 2 times that of those who did not have benign breast disease. They also had more episodes of binge drinking.
Pediatrics, May 2010


Diet: Go Nuts for Cardiovascular Health. Nuts help lower cholesterol. Nuts are high in monounsaturated fat, which lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol while leaving HDL ("good") cholesterol intact. Studies show people who eat about an ounce of nuts a day have lower risk of heart disease. Nuts are high in fat and calories, so only eat a handful, and make sure they're not covered in sugar or chocolate.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February 2006

Exercise: Jog Lightly? If a person weighing 150 lbs jogs 3 miles, the cumulative impact on each foot is greater than 150 tons. This impact can be detrimental to your entire body and not just your feet. Remember to run on soft surfaces and avoid concrete sidewalks.


Chiropractic/Physical Therapy: Low Back Pain And Your Muscles. Patients with low back pain recruit muscles in different patterns and cause altered loads on the lumbar spine. The joints are out of sync to protect the spinal tissues from motion that may cause pain. These patterns will persist as long as the tissue attempts to avoid pain. Spine Journal, 2007

Wellness/Prevention: Childhood Body Size Affects Future Breast Cancer Risk. Girls who are leaner at age seven are at higher risk of cancer later in life. A larger body type at age seven is associated with a decreased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.  BioMed Central Limited, April, 2010

Quote: "A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his thought to derive benefit from his illnesses." ~ Hippocrates

The Economic Double Standard

The inequity of the economic double standard existing between the worlds general populous and their respective governments and financial institutions is untenable and is about to come apart at the seams.

If the average individual or businesses make ill informed or rash financial decisions, then they only have themselves to blame and will ultimately bear the consequences of their actions; they will lose their wealth, property, businesses and will probably be forced into bankruptcy as a result. Nobody can really argue with that scenario as it has always been that way; they are the rules of the game, no harm, no foul.
That is until the recent past, where the rules and the playing field have been radically changed. The inequity and double standard arises when the burden of government and other institutional conglomerates miscalculations, debt, and greed, are solely and disproportionately applied to individuals who had no control or bear no responsibility for the actions undertaken by them.

As a general populous the world over, we are being forced to pay the debt and interest on $38 trillion of public loans we did not want, negotiate or sign up for. Why! Because global governments in their infinite wisdom made the decision for us.

The act of trying to borrow ones way out of debt is incongruous with all the laws of finance, yet governments the world over are doing  just that. Why? Because they are petrified of the only other option; allowing society to realign itself to become a saner, reasonable, moral and more rational, value driven civilization. It will happen, this realignment is the inevitable consequence of decades of social and economic malfeasance by both governments and financial institutions the world over. The general populous also have to shoulder some of the blame, because they have allowed themselves to be sucked into this delusional morass of modern day commercialism.

We are living in a society, obsessed with money; businesses and individuals alike act solely for profit, everything they do has an excessive emphasis on making profit. Society as a whole has lost its way, the things that should matter don’t and the things that shouldn’t matter do.

Life should be about the things that make us happy, contented and fulfil our needs and not about the incessant pursuit of intangible assets which add little or nothing to the quality of our lives. Just take a look around you; of everything you can see what percentage of those items does one actually need to live life in relative comfort and harmony. We are continually being cajoled into buying stuff (I use this word because anything we don’t need in the true sense of the word is STUFF) that has absolutely no practical use in our everyday lives.

We have become a hedonistic society of self gratifying, self indulgent, pleasure seeking humans who do everything to excess. All in the name of commercialism.

As an example we drive cars, with a multiplicity of body shapes, different engine sizes, performance ratings, and roominess why? Transportation is transportation whichever way you look at it; the reality is we need the ability to get from A to B, safely, economically and in relative comfort. We have speed limits which restrict our top speeds; then what is the point of owning a car with the capacity do travel at over twice those limits. The fuel we use to power our vehicles has draconian levels of taxation applied to it all in the name of energy conservation, and pollution control; it is all about big business, taxation and money, none of it makes any sense.

The bottom line is money is a great slave, but a terrible master. Unfortunately as a global society we are the ones who have become slaves to money, and all the worthless accoutrements that it can buy.

Billions of people face decades of personal and family hardship because of the reckless actions of the worlds banking and financial service industry. Draconian levels of taxation, vicious cuts to public services and devaluation of our personal wealth will be the order of the day; the question becomes, will the general public meekly lie down and accept the medicine being doled out by governments or will they react and demand radical change to a morally and financially bankrupt society.

I don’t know what the future holds in store, but I do know society cannot continue on its current path without serious consequences.

Michael Cavallaro- Positive Thinking Another Perspective

Video: Positive Thinking Another Perspective

Michael Cavallaro, author of The 55 Concepts, A Guide to Conscious Living, offers a different perspective on what positive thinking is and is not.

Michael Cavallaro: Conscious Eating

Video: Author of the 55 Concepts Michael Cavallaro


Michael Cavallaro speaks on conscious eating and how that translates in to our belief systems.

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Michael Cavallaro: Personal Insanity

Michael Cavallaro: Author of the
55 Concepts  

Video:This information is about how we create our own insanity within us. We in our beliefs, patterns and isssues create this insanity. The 55 Concepts, A Guide to Conscious Living, will assist in the uncreation of this personal insanity.
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Childhood Obesity

By. Leah Rampolla

The following information was obtained from Georgetown University’ website in an article entitled: Childhood Obesity: Life Long Threat to Health. Statistics from NHIS (National Health Interview Survey) and MEPS (Medical Expenditure Panel Survey) have indicated that 14 million children; 24% of the U.S. population ages 2-17 are obese and an additional 8.6 million children are at risk for obesity. Obesity is a risk factor for 4 of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States: coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and cancer. Obesity and physical inactivity account for more than 300,000 premature deaths annually.

Sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity may be risk factors for obesity in youth. Two factors that have contributed to the decline of physical activity of youth are: a greater reliance on television and computers for entertainment as well as decreased participation in physical education classes in school. Over one quarter; 26% of 8-16 year olds watch more than 4 hours of television on a daily basis. 43% of high school students watch more than 2 hours of television on school days. The number of high school students who participated in gym class decreased from 46% in 1991 to 29% in 1999.

Older children are more at risk for obesity which is why the number of high school students who do not participate in gym class is of particular concern. 17% of 6-17 year olds are at risk for obesity while 10% of children under the age of 6 are at risk. Obesity is detrimental to quality of life and is a risk factor for premature death.

In addition to children’s health and quality of life, obesity has a negative impact on America’s health care system. 70% of total health care expenditures for obese children are financed by Medicaid and private insurance while 26% of healthcare costs for obese children are paid out of pocket. This is a significant issue for low income families where obesity is most prevalent. Medicaid provides health insurance for over 4 million obese children. 1/3 or 30% of obese children are covered under Medicaid compared to 18% of non obese children.

It is important that obesity in children be addressed at an early age. Obese children under the age of three are generally low risk for adult obesity, but more than half of obese children over 6 are obese adults.  Obese children ages 12-17 are 70-80% likely to be obese adults.  In addition to health risks, the quality of life is also affected. Obese children ages 12-17 that are unhappy often have long term consequences for their emotional and mental well being as adults.

Obesity and overweight may soon cause as much preventable disease and death as cigarette smoking. 430,000 people die annually from tobacco related conditions; 300,000 people die annually, 1,200 daily from illnesses related to obesity or overweight.  According to the National Institute of Health, weight loss of 15 pounds could reduce the risk of diabetes by 58% in those close to developing the disease.  Increasing physical activity among more than 88 million inactive Americans over the age of 15 could reduce annual health care costs by as much as $77 billion.

This suggests that minimal lifestyle changes perpetuate significant improvements in one’s health. Exercising more and eating less can promote lifelong good health, improve quality of life, and help prevent disease.  Eating more of the right foods is also an important part in promoting and maintaining good health. Foods like fruits, vegetables, and Popcake pancakes that are low calorie, low fat, and low cholesterol are one of many easy choices that can be made to live a long, healthy, and happy life.

Weekly Health Updates

Mental Attitude: Depressed People Are More Likely To Smoke.

*43% of adults with depression are current smokers, compared to 22% without depression.

*Adults with depression are less likely to quit smoking.

*The percentage of smokers increases as depression severity increases.

*28% of depressed smokers smoke more than a pack a day, compared to 15% without depression.

*51% of depressed smokers smoke their first cigarette within the first 5 minutes of the day compared to 30% with no depression.

National Center for Health Statistics, April, 2010.

Health Alert: Addicted To Drugs? 80% of US adults, 175 million, report taking Over The Counter medications; 15% daily; 14% several times per week; 27% several times per month. 90% of people over 65 take at least one prescription drug per week; 45% use acetaminophen; 60% use various NSAIDs; 18% use aspirin.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Diet: Menu Labeling! The new health reform bill includes a provision requiring calorie labeling on chain restaurant menus, menu boards and drive-through displays. It also requires these establishments to provide additional nutrition information in the restaurant, upon request. Educated consumers are better prepared to make informed decisions. Nutrition information on menus makes an impact on food purchases by prompting customers to choose lower calorie food and beverage selections and spurring the industry to create healthier menu offerings. American Heart Association, 2010

Exercise: Movement Is Life. Regular exercise improves circulation, enhances flexibility and gives you a greater ability to accomplish physical tasks, without risking injury. It takes only 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
US Department of Health and Human Services' Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

Chiropractic and Physical Therapy: Pain Free? Strains on the tissues of your spine build-up gradually from the repetitive activities of daily living. In time, the tissue will be stressed enough to cause pain as chemical by-products become trapped in the tense tissue. Maintaining proper spine and joint motion through chiropractic care and physical therapy can prevent and decrease pain.

Wellness/Prevention: Toothpaste With Triclosan/Copolymer Kills Harmful Germs. Your mouth is home to 800-1,000 different kinds of bacteria. Toothpaste containing triclosan/copolymer is better than regular fluoride toothpastes at killing these bacteria. Triclosan has been shown to inhibit plaque and gingivitis. The copolymer helps to keep triclosan in your mouth for a longer period of time, which boosts its ability to inhibit oral bacteria.
General Dentistry, Jan/Feb 2010


Quote: "Having good health is very different from only being not sick."
~ Seneca The Younger, 50 AD

The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing Like the Truth

Is it any wonder that the British public are so thoroughly sick to death with politics and politicians? There is no other sector with the power and will to exert a direct impact on our lives that diminishes the truth to the extent that they do! 

 

We are fed an endless stream of unmitigated lies on a daily basis, covering every conceivable subject known to man.When I was growing up my parents instilled a very basic concept in my psyche, all lies are bad, and the truth is good, even if it hurts. The empirical difference between black and white has a very strong dividing line that is, until politicians got a hold of it and introduced the grey area. The grey area allows manipulating politicians (and others) to stretch the truth, blur the lines between black and white, to such an extent that it has become almost impossible to recognise the truth, even when it is staring us in the face. This ever enlarging grey area has now been given the title of Plausible Deniability (to you and me lying). It allows individuals we elected to lie to us with impunity.

One cannot manipulate other people with the truth, only with lies, that is a fact. Lying is one of the most pervasive social ills in British society if not the world, it has become the norm, and people believe that the only way to get ahead is to lie, why? Because of the old adage of monkey see, monkey do!

Our continuous exposure to the culture of lying has imprinted the belief that if it works for them it must also work for me syndrome. I watch politicians stand up uttering statements one after another with the words, “in all honesty, to be to totally honest with you, or the truth is, trust me when I say”!  I know they are lying, you know they are lying, and they know they are lying, so where lays the truth! The catalogue of words to disguise the truth is growing larger by the day, how many times have you heard politicians and bankers utter the following words in the last few months. Mistaken flawed, wrong, incorrect, invalid, untrue, misspoke and misrepresented, never once have I heard someone stand up and say I lied!

We are left with the unenviable task of trying to separate the wheat from the chaff, the good from the bad, and the lies from the truth and unfortunately there is no instruction manual to figure it out. How are we the public supposed to make educated and informed decisions on important matters affecting our everyday lives, when the only information we have is fundamentally based on lies (sorry mistruths) and erroneous statements.

As it stands right now the only philosophy I can adhere to when I see a politician (and others) speaking is “they must be lying, because their lips are moving!

There has to be a fundamental and radical change in the way that politicians interact with the general public, we need “the truth the whole truth” or the quality of all our lives will continue to diminish at an ever increasing rate of speed.

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Nutrition: Childhood Obesity

Trevor Gardner, an expert author in health and fitness, points out that there are five primary problems that are caused by childhood obesity. Elevated counts of cholesterol which is directly related to increased stroke and/or heart attack potential, liver disease due to insulin resistance, increases in diabetes cases, reduction in life expectancy, and the emotional and mental trauma that results from bullying and can cause significant self esteem and self worth issues.  The CDC has confirmed that the youngest generation is facing a shorter life expectancy than their parents for the first time in history. Over the past fifteen years, obesity rates in young children have doubled and have nearly tripled in teenagers.

According to information from an article written by Tess Thompson entitled: Childhood Obesity Health Risks, Diagnosis, and Treatment,   childhood obesity is the primary cause of various adult diseases being reported in children and adolescents.  There has been a 400% increase in the number of obese children six and older in the last 2 1/2 decades. Obesity is a health risk that is a catalyst for other health problems such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, orthopedic complications, sleep-apnea, depression, and asthma.

According to the website Kidshealth, one out of three children are now considered overweight or obese. Overweight and obesity are determined by BMI or Body Mass Index. BMI uses height and weight measurements to estimate the amount of body fat on a person. To determine BMI for pounds and inches- divide weight by height squared and multiply the result by the conversion factor 703.  There are four BMI categories: underweight BMI which falls below the 5th percentile, normal weight BMI which reaches the 5th percentile and is less than the 85th percentile, overweight BMI which reaches the 85th percentile but does not exceed the 95th percentile, and an obese BMI which is at or above the 95th percentile.

Children who are unhappy or uncomfortable with their weight are more prone to developing eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia, depression, and substance abuse. Children who are overweight and obese are at risk for medical problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, abnormal blood lipid levels, insulin resistance, liver and gallbladder disease, and bone and joint problems. Restless or disordered sleep patterns may also result from overweight and obesity.  Overweight and obese youth have a tendency to mature earlier and may be taller and more sexually mature. Females may have irregular menstrual cycles and fertility issues in adulthood.

The ill effects of overweight and obesity with children are far reaching. Not only can their health be detrimentally affected, it may also cause emotional and mental stress. Both the physical and mental effects of obesity can follow children into adulthood and create a lifelong struggle. Parents can help their children lead healthy lives by teaching them about proper nutrition and regular physical exercise. Food such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low fat, low calorie foods like Popcake pancakes are all smart choices that children can make to promote a happy and healthy lifestyle.