Wednesday, October 2, 2013
What to Ask your Doctor at a Check-Up
First of all, there is certain information that you will want to provide your doctor, such as
your medical history – including any current or past health conditions. Also discuss your family medical history. Additionally be sure to discuss any allergies you have, paricularly to medications.And speaking of medicaations, be sure to bring a list of all prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins and herbs you're taking.
Before your visit, brainstorm any uestions you may have for your doctor. Some things to ask yourself are: Am I having any health issues or symptoms that I'm concerned about? How long have these symptoms been occuring? Have they changed over time? During your visit
use your list of questions as a guide because when you're there more questions may come to mind.
Also ask about immuniations and screenings you might need, just as routine and also pertaining to any symptoms you may be having. If there is an issue, ask about treatment options and follow-up visits. Also ask about self-care and any dietary or other restrictions you may need to follow becuase of your condition.
A trip to the doctor can be intimidating, but it need not be if you are prepared ahead of time and have an idea of what you want out of the visit. Remember, you are a consumer and the doctor is there to serve your needs so don't be afraid to speak up and ask questions.
Monday, September 30, 2013
How to Find the Right Doctor
Sometimes it isn't easy to know where to go when you need medical help. While some have been lucky enough to have the same doctor for many years, others face the daunting task of find a new practitioner, for whatever the reason. Here are some tips on what to do. Firstly, ask for references. Talk topeople you know and trust. Call local hospitals and medical schools and ask for referrals. Secondly, call around several different places and speak to their doctors. Don't just stop at the very first doctor you find, look around and consider your choices before making a choice. Also, ask the doctors for their credentials. Make sure the doctor has credentials and is licensed. You can call your state's medical licensing board and ask for a background check on the doctor. Be sure that the doctor takes your insurance plan. Be specific and ask if it covers visits, medications, etc. And lastly, trust your gut -- it's usually right. You'll know when you've found the right fit for you.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
PROSTATE CANCER: Causes and Prevention
Prostate cancer only affects men. But before we get into causes and prevention -- what is a prostate?
The word "prostate" comes from Medieval Latin prostate and Medieval French prostate. The ancient Greek word prostates means "one standing in front", from proistanai meaning "set before". The prostate is so called because of its position - it is at the base of the bladder.
This explains why one of the symptoms of prostate cancer is frequent urination. Anyway, back to the prostate. The prostate is an exocrine gland of the male reproductive system, and exists directly under the bladder, in front of the rectum. An exocrine gland is one whose secretions end up outside the body e.g. prostate gland and sweat glands. It is approximately the size of a walnut. There are thousands of tiny glands in the prostate - they all produce a fluid that forms part of the semen.
The epithelial cells in the prostate gland produce a protein called PSA (prostate-specific antigen). The PSA helps keep the semen in its liquid state. Some of the PSA escapes into the bloodstream. We can measure a man's PSA levels by checking his blood. If a man's levels of PSA are high, it might be an indication of either prostate cancer or some kind of prostate condition.
So what causes prostate cancer? Nobody is really sure of what the specific causes are. There are so many possible factors, including age, race, lifestyle, medications, and genetics, to name a few. Age is certainly a factor -- men over 50 are much more suseptable. Also, Studies indicate that the two faulty genes - BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 - which are important risk factors for breast cancer and ovarian cancer, have also been implicated in prostate cancer risk.
Prevention of prostate cancer lies in diet, it appears. A review of diets indicated that the Mediterranean diet may reduce a person's chances of developing prostate cancer. Another study indicates that soy, selenium and green tea, offer additional possibilities for disease prevention - however, a more recent study indicated that combination therapy of vitamin E, selenium and soy does not prevent the progression from high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) to prostate cancer. A diet high in vegetable consumption was found in a study to be beneficial.
In addition to diet and nutrients, the single most important preventative is early detection and all men over 50 are urged by doctors to get their prostate tested.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
RAW FOOD DIET SAID TO BENEFIT SKIN
The Raw Food Diet promotes the consumption of uncooked, unprocessed, and organic foods in the diet. A raw food diet consists of foods which have not been heated above a certain temperature. The temperature varies depending of how strict the raw food afficionado is. Raw foodies eat raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, eggs, fish, meat and unpasteurized dairy products.
The Raw Food Diet is a healthy lifestyle with many benefits, one of which is that it's purifying properties clear the skin, offering more youthful and clear skin.
Food that is processed, as well as fatty foods can overtax the liver and digestive organs, clogging your colon and capillaries. This process leaves behind metabolic waste that pushes outward through the skin, causing pimples, age spots, and whiteheads and an overall look of unhealthy skin. Eating the Raw food way -- all natural, "clean" foods do not taxt the body in this way, instead cleansing the live and other organs and ultimately producing a bright, fresh complexion.
Here is a demonstration of how the Raw Food Diet benefits your skin:
Friday, October 26, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Sun Tzu: The Art of War: Part 4
Terrain
We may distinguish six kinds of terrain:
(1) Accessible ground
(2) Entangling ground
(3) Temporising ground
(4) Narrow passes
(5) Precipitous heights
(6) Positions at a great distance from the enemy
Ground which can be freely traversed by both sides is called ACCESSIBLE. With regard to ground of this nature, be before the enemy in occupying the raised and sunny spots, and carefully guard your line of supplies. Then you will be able to fight with advantage.
Ground which can be abandoned but is hard to re-occupy is called ENTANGLING. From a position of this sort, if the enemy is unprepared, you may sally forth and defeat him. But if the enemy is prepared for your coming, and you fail to defeat him, then, return being impossible, disaster will ensue.
When the position is such that neither side will gain by making the first move, it is called TEMPORIZING ground. In a position of this sort, even though the enemy should offer us an attractive bait, it will be advisable not to stir forth, but rather to retreat, thus enticing the enemy in his turn; then, when part of his army has come out, we may deliver our attack with advantage.
With regard to NARROW PASSES, if you can occupy them first, let them be strongly garrisoned and await the advent of the enemy. Should the army forestall you in occupying a pass, do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned, but only if it is weakly garrisoned.
With regard to PRECIPITOUS HEIGHTS, if you are beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the raised and sunny spots, and there wait for him to come up. If the enemy has occupied them before you, do not follow him, but retreat and try to entice him away.
If you are situated at a great distance from the enemy, and the strength of the two armies is equal, it is not easy to provoke a battle, and fighting will be to your disadvantage. These six are the principles connected with Earth. The general who has attained a responsible post must be careful to study them. Now an army is exposed to six several calamities, not arising from natural causes, but from faults for which the general is responsible. These are:
(1) Flight
(2) Insubordination
(3) Collapse
(4) Ruin
(5) Disorganization
(6) Rout
Other conditions being equal, if one force is hurled against another ten times its size, the result will be the FLIGHT of the former. When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is INSUBORDINATION. When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is COLLAPSE. When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account from a feeling of resentment, before the commander-in-chief can tell whether or no he is in a position to fight, the result is RUIN. When the general is weak and without authority; when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there are no fixes duties assigned to officers and men, and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner, the result is utter DISORGANIZATION. When a general, unable to estimate the enemy's strength, allows an inferior force to engage a larger one, or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one, and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank, the result must be ROUT.
These are six ways of courting defeat, which must be carefully noted by the general who has attained a responsible post. The natural formation of the country is the soldier's best ally; but a power of estimating the adversary, of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances, constitutes the test of a great general. He who knows these things, and in fighting puts his knowledge into practice, will win his battles. He who knows them not, nor practices them, will surely be defeated. If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it; if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler's bidding. The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.
Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death. If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder: then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children; they are useless for any practical purpose.
If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, and also know that our men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway towards victory. Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss. Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete.
Sun Tzu: The Art of War: Part 4
Terrain
We may distinguish six kinds of terrain:
(1) Accessible ground
(2) Entangling ground
(3) Temporising ground
(4) Narrow passes
(5) Precipitous heights
(6) Positions at a great distance from the enemy
Ground which can be freely traversed by both sides is called ACCESSIBLE. With regard to ground of this nature, be before the enemy in occupying the raised and sunny spots, and carefully guard your line of supplies. Then you will be able to fight with advantage.
Ground which can be abandoned but is hard to re-occupy is called ENTANGLING. From a position of this sort, if the enemy is unprepared, you may sally forth and defeat him. But if the enemy is prepared for your coming, and you fail to defeat him, then, return being impossible, disaster will ensue.
When the position is such that neither side will gain by making the first move, it is called TEMPORIZING ground. In a position of this sort, even though the enemy should offer us an attractive bait, it will be advisable not to stir forth, but rather to retreat, thus enticing the enemy in his turn; then, when part of his army has come out, we may deliver our attack with advantage.
With regard to NARROW PASSES, if you can occupy them first, let them be strongly garrisoned and await the advent of the enemy. Should the army forestall you in occupying a pass, do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned, but only if it is weakly garrisoned.
With regard to PRECIPITOUS HEIGHTS, if you are beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the raised and sunny spots, and there wait for him to come up. If the enemy has occupied them before you, do not follow him, but retreat and try to entice him away.
If you are situated at a great distance from the enemy, and the strength of the two armies is equal, it is not easy to provoke a battle, and fighting will be to your disadvantage. These six are the principles connected with Earth. The general who has attained a responsible post must be careful to study them. Now an army is exposed to six several calamities, not arising from natural causes, but from faults for which the general is responsible. These are:
(1) Flight
(2) Insubordination
(3) Collapse
(4) Ruin
(5) Disorganization
(6) Rout
Other conditions being equal, if one force is hurled against another ten times its size, the result will be the FLIGHT of the former. When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is INSUBORDINATION. When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is COLLAPSE. When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account from a feeling of resentment, before the commander-in-chief can tell whether or no he is in a position to fight, the result is RUIN. When the general is weak and without authority; when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there are no fixes duties assigned to officers and men, and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner, the result is utter DISORGANIZATION. When a general, unable to estimate the enemy's strength, allows an inferior force to engage a larger one, or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one, and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank, the result must be ROUT.
These are six ways of courting defeat, which must be carefully noted by the general who has attained a responsible post. The natural formation of the country is the soldier's best ally; but a power of estimating the adversary, of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances, constitutes the test of a great general. He who knows these things, and in fighting puts his knowledge into practice, will win his battles. He who knows them not, nor practices them, will surely be defeated. If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it; if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler's bidding. The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.
Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death. If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder: then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children; they are useless for any practical purpose.
If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, and also know that our men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway towards victory. Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss. Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
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