Suicide - Is A Parasite To Blame?

The big question - Are people with risk factors for suicidal behavior more likely to be infected with the parasite, or does the parasite's affect on the brain cause people to be suicidal?

The parasite in question is Toxoplasma gondii. It is spread through contact with cat feces or eating undercooked meat or unwashed vegetables. This bug resides in brain and muscle cells, and is linked to mental illness and behavioral changes.

A new study of 45,000 Denmark women indicates that those infected with T. gondii are at an increased risk of attempting suicide. The researchers stress that they can not say that the parasite cause the infected women to commit suicide, but there is a predictive association between the parasite infection and suicide attempts later in life. More research is needed to determine a possible connection between infection and suicide attempts.

One-third of the world's population is estimated to be infected with the parasite. We can become infected by

• changing an infected cat's liter box
• eating unwashed vegetables
• eating undercooked or raw meat that is infested with the parasite cysts
• drinking contaminated water
• and by not properly washing knives used to cut raw meat

Pregnant women can pass the parasite directly to their fetus. That is why it is advisable that pregnant women avoid changing cat liter boxes.

To reduce your risks of infection, properly wash and cook vegetables and meats, and always wash your hands after handling liter boxes and raw meats.

Charles A. Pennison

Reference:

University of Maryland: " Women Infected With Toxoplasma Gondii Parasite Have Increased Risk Of Attempting Suicide "

Rid Yourself Of Intestinal Parasites In A Week Using a Natural Remedy

You say that you don't have intestinal parasites. Are you sure?

Many Americans have these pest in their gut, and don't realize it. You can easily pick up parasites from pets, infected children or food, or a visit to a nursing home.

Many parasites can live in your intestines for years without any symptoms. However, symptoms can eventually develop and include

1. Abdominal pain
2. Diarrhea
3. Nausea
4. Gas or that bloated feeling
5. Loose stool containing blood and mucus
6. A rash around your rectum
7. Stomach pain or tenderness
8. Constant fatigue
9. Weight loss
10. Or the passing of a worm in your stool

Your doctor can give you drugs to help kill the parasites. However, there is also a natural remedy that has proven to be effective in ridding patients of intestinal bugs.

Researchers at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria have shown that dried papaya seeds can eleminate intestinal parasites from 75% of infected patients in one week. Even if you don't have parasites, papaya seeds are nutritious. Some people may not like the peppery taste of these seeds. That is why the Nigerian researchers mixed the seeds with honey to improve their taste.

I like the peppery taste that these seeds give to a green salad.

Eat a quarter cup of papaya seeds with a tablespoon of honey to treat for intestinal parasites. Consume the seeds on an empty stomach for maximum effectiveness. 

Another method that has proven effective against intestinal parasites is eating two, raw garlic cloves each day. Personally, I prefer the papaya seeds.

Charles A. Pennison

References:

University of Maryland: " Intestinal Parasites "
NCBI: " Effectiveness of Dried Carica Papaya Seeds Against Human Intestinal Parasitosis "
Yahoo Health: " A Natural Cure for Parasites "

FTC: Skechers Deceived Consumers With Shoe Ads

 It would be great to be able to increase weight loss, reduce your body fat and improve circulation and aerobic conditioning simply by wearing shoes. As usual, what appears too good to be true is too good to be true.

The FTC claims that Skechers incorrectly reported results of research studies that also included defects. They claimed people lost weight when they actually gained weight. The FTC also claims that the company failed to disclose that a researcher was paid to conduct and study on the shoes, and that the researcher was married to a Skechers marketing executive.

I always thought it strange that people would want to wear shoes that are designed to keep you off balance as you walk. But the lure of looking like a super model by wearing shoes is tempting.

If you truly want to strengthen muscle, reduce body fat and improve aerobic conditioning, you will have to

1. eat properly and with healthy portions
2. and stay physically active as much as possible throughout the day.

There is just no way around it. A healthy body is the result of a healthy lifestyle, and not the type of shoes that you wear.

For information on the Skechers Refund, visit  http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/cases/skechers/index.shtm .

Charles

FTC: Skechers Refunds
Los Angeles Times: " Skechers agrees to pay $50 million to settle toning-shoe cases "

Is A Healthy Lifestyle Worth The Effort?

Does living a healthy lifestyle lead to a healthier life?

Apparently it does, according to a study reported in the American Journal of Cardiology.

This study, led by Dr. Owais Khawaja of the Harvard Medical School, focused on men who had at least one parent that suffered a heart attack before the age of 55. This is considered to be premature heart disease, and children of such parents are at a higher risk of premature heart failure themselves.

The data for this study is based on the Physicians' Health Study, which has followed over 20,000 US male doctors since the 1980s.

The results of the study indicates that men with a family history of premature heart attacks were less likely to suffer a premature heart attack themselves if they lived a healthy lifestyle.

How Did They Live A Healthy Lifestyle?

They adhered to at least 3 healthy, modifiable lifestyle habits. Modifiable lifestyle habits include

1. Maintaining a healthy body weight
2. Not smoking
3. Regular physical exercise
4. Moderate alcohol consumption
5. Eating a healthy breakfast regularly
6. And a high consumption of fruits and vegetables

Study Results

Of the genetically-at-risk men living a healthy lifestyle, the rate of heart failure is 7 cases for each 10,000 men each year. This is in comparison with genetically-at-risk men living an unhealthy lifestyle, which have a heart failure rate of 14 cases for each 10,000 men each year.

This indicates that even with a genetic predisposition to heart failure, a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce your chances of having a heart attack.

In conclusion, if you truly want a longer and healthier life, you must adhere to a healthy lifestyle.

Charles

References:

Reuters: " Even at higher genetic heart risk, lifestyle helps "
The American Journal of Cardiology: " Usefulness of Desirable Lifestyle Factors "
JAMA: " Relation Between Modifiable Lifestyle Factors and Lifetime Risk of Heart Failures "

May: National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

A message from Michaela Thayer.

Good afternoon Charles,

On behalf of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, I’d love for you and your readers to help us celebrate National Physical Fitness and Sports Month beginning in May. This month serves as an opportunity to highlight the importance of physical activity and encourage Americans of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to get and stay active.

Here are three ways you can get involved in National Physical Fitness and Sports Month:

Join us for the PCFSN Annual Meeting
PCFSN holds its annual meeting each May in Washington, D.C., to kick off National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. PCFSN's celebrity Council members, including NFL Quarterback Drew Brees and Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes, discuss the Council's current physical activity outreach initiatives and progress toward 2012 goals. Watch LIVE at pcfsnmeetingwebcast.com at 10am ET on May 1.

Participate in the conversation on Twitter
Did you know that physical activity is anything that gets your body moving? Are you getting enough physical activity each day? How has physical activity benefited your life? Log on to Twitter, follow @FitnessGov, and join in on the discussion using the hash tag #FitnessMonth. Follow us so that you are among the first to know about our special Twitter chat on fitness that will be announced in the coming weeks.

Pledge to earn the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (Activity + Nutrition)
Take the pledge this May to sign up for the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (Activity + Nutrition) – commonly known as PALA+. PALA+ encourages youth to be active for 60 minutes a day and adults for 30 minutes a day, five days a week for six out of eight weeks. You also commit to one new healthy eating goal each week – like filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables or making half the grains you eat whole grains – and then build upon that goal each week. It’s a great way to motivate your physical activity and eating routines. Learn more at Fitness.gov.

We hope you’ll join us in celebrating National Physical Fitness and Sports Month! Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best,
Michaela

Did You Know That Proper Breathing Techniques Can Reduce Your Blood Pressure

Do you know how to breathe properly?

Most of us simply do not know the proper breathing techniques to keep ourselves healthy and fit.

For most of my life, I thought that you should hold your stomach in and expand your chest to fill your lungs with as much air as possible. Believe it or not, this is the wrong way to breathe.

We should actually allow our stomach area to expand as we breathe in. This action lowers the diaphragm, which in turn allows more air to fill the lower parts of your lungs. This is important since the lowest part of your lungs contains blood with the highest oxygen content.

I have also learned that slow, deep breathes can help you reduce your blood pressure for low periods of time. Research has shown that taking fewer than 10 breaths a minute does reduce blood pressures in people who have mastered this slow breathing technique.

Researchers are not sure why this works, but they do have a theory.

When we take frequent, shallow breaths, we tend to hold our breath for a short period of time. This diverts more blood to our brain, which in turn changes our blood chemistry to a more acidic nature. This increase in blood acidity makes our kidneys less efficient at removing sodium from our bodies. This in turn increases our blood pressure over an extended period of time.

On the other hand, taking longer, deep breaths, maintains a more proper blood chemistry, which in turn allows our kidneys to remove excess sodium and reduce our blood pressure.

Proper Breathing Technique

1. Hold your chin up as you breathe in to keep the passage way to your lungs as open as possible
2. Place your hands over your abdomen to make sure that you are expanding your abdomen area as you breathe in
3. Try to reduce your breathing rate to 10 breaths per minute or less.
4. Slowly breath in by allowing your abdomen to expand
5. Once your lungs are full, slowly breathe out without holding your breath during the entire cycle
6. Repeat this exercise for 10 to 15 minutes each day
7. Eventually, your body will naturally start to breathe properly all the time

This is a great meditation exercise that will reap lots of health and fitness benefits. The best benefit in achieving the proper breathing technique is lower blood pressure. With a lower blood pressure comes the lower risk of heart disease and strokes. And all you have to do is breathe properly.

Charles

References:

The Telegraph: " Why do so few of us know how to breathe properly? "
MSNBC: " Breathe deep to lower blood pressure, doc says "