TheWellnessLiving Health Tips

The March issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry published a note by Dr. Jerald Block in which he argues that Internet addiction should be included in the next update of the DSM handbook, the Bible of mental health conditions.

Dr Block says that the diagnosis of Internet addiction is a type of compulsive-impulsive disorder that involves online and/or offline computer usage. He recognizes three subtypes, characterised by a) excessive gaming, b) sexual preoccupations, and c) e-mail/text messaging.

In turn, these variants have the following four components:

1) excessive use (through loss of sense of time)

2) withdrawal (characterised by feelings of anger and/or depression when the computer is not available)

3) tolerance (need for better computer equipment, more software, or more hours of use)

4) negative repercussions in social life (arguments, lying, poor achievement, social isolation, and fatigue)

Some countries are already deeply concerned about this problem, such as Korea and China, where studies have shown that large numbers of adolescents are in need of psychiatric counseling or even medication and hospitalization due to Internet and gaming addiction. Data from USA is lacking because the vast majority of Internet users access the network from home (in Asia, use of Internet cafés is more widespread) and so it is difficult to assess, but the situation seems not much different.

Inclusion into DSM-V is a critical goal for many professionals who investigate new or poorly described mental conditions. Being listed in DSM is a sort of ‘official recognition’ as a disease and thus it is more likely to get grants or other forms of financial help to carry out studies and trials, which will lead to improving the chances for treatment.

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Smoking is the most importan cause of preventable death in the developed world. In spite of this, tocacco dependence is still viewed by many just as a bad habit. Because of the strong bonds created by the dependence, most smokers wanting to quit find it difficult and many fail if not following a strict treatment.

In a recent article in the specialized journal “Annals of Internal Medicine”, Dr Steinberg and collaborators from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey discussed the importance of regarding tobacco dependence as a medical condition that requires a specific medical treatment, rather than a bad habit or a lifestyle choice. They compare smoking to diabetes. Diabetes, they say, is similar to tobacco dependence in “their potential to exacerbate other diseases, their behavioral components of treatment, and their effectiveness of medications”. In spite of this, treatments for diabetes are amply covered by health insurance plans, whereas coverage for tobacco cessation products and treatments are usually very limited.

In the article, the authors review some of the available treatments that usually have satisfactory results. Among the safest options is behavioral counseling, but there are also pharmacotherapies that are safe and effective. “Nicotine replacement therapy effectively delivers nicotine in safer doses without exposure to the toxins and chemicals in cigarette smoke”. As everybody is different, optimal duration of tobacco dependence treatment cannot be established, and some smokers may require more extended courses or treatment than others.

They conclude that limited coverage constitutes a severe downside for this important problem. For those smokers for whom normal methods don’t work, health care providers should encourage using long-term cessation treatments and insurance carriers should cover them. To achieve this, “tobacco dependence should share the status of other chronic illnesses, with effective treatments given as long as is necessary to achieve successful clinical outcomes”.

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UK’s NHS Information Centre for health and social care informed that prescribed anti obesity drugs reached more than a million a year. This represents an annual cost of £47.5 million. Officials said that the number of prescriptions surpassed for more than eight times the level nine years ago. Most prescriptions are written for two drugs, orlistat (Xenical) and sibutramine (Reductil).

The two drugs work very differently. Sibutramine functions by altering chemical messages that control feelings such as hunger or desire to eat, whereas orlistat reduces absorption of ingested fat.

The NHS also informed that about one fifth of men and nearly one in four women are now at very high risk of developing health problems caused or stimulated by overweight.

Exercise and healthy diet

One of the problems is that many people recur to taking a pill to solve their weight problems instead of focusing on earlier stages of the process. Anti-obesity drugs can help manage weight problems but it is best if they are left as the last resort. Doctors recommend a healthy diet and regular physical activity to manage weight. This way it is possible to reduce serious conditions linked to obesity such as diabetes and heart disease in a more efficient way.

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Arsenic is a toxic element that is present in many water streams that supply human populations with drinking water. In some places the amount of arsenic in the water is very high and causes severe toxicologic problems. This is especially problematic in regions of Bangladesh and India, where contaminated water sources affect millions.

A recent study carried out in the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology in Kolkata by Keya Chaudhuri and colleagues used rats to test the effect of garlic on arsenic poisoning. The rats were given daily doses of arsenic in their water, in quantities similar to those occurring in groundwater in Bangladesh and West Bengal. The groups of rats that were also fed garlic extracts had 40 per cent less arsenic in their blood and liver. They were also fount to excrete 45 per cent more arsenic in their urine. The work was published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology (DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2007.09.108).

About the mechanism by which garlic may be helping, Dr Chaudhuri says that certain compounds that contain sulphur present in garlic could be “scavenging” arsenic from tissues and blood. Based on her findings, she thinks having one to three garlic cloves a day may help people living in risk areas to prevent or reduce the toxic effects of arsenic.

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The power of hypnosis is as vast as the human imagination. What makes you different from anyone else in this world are the thoughts that run through your mind every day. How you feel and what you achieve in your life begins with your thoughts.

Do you know that the average human uses only about 10% of its mental power and hypnosis might be one way to find the keys that open the gateway to the hidden treasure our powerful minds contain. We can change how we think and change our entire life. The physical and mental health and financial success of many people has been improved greatly through hypnosis.

Most very successful people use hypnosis in one way or another. Basically, we program ourselves for our future. Therefore, people who think like winners - become winners. People who think like losers - become losers. The good news is that YOU can control how you think and program yourself positively with the help of hypnosis. Alternatively, hypnosis or hypnotherapy are gaining credibility and are being used as psychological treatments for a variety of illnesses with apparent success. If hypnosis has been known to be able to help reduce pain, stress, increasie our immune system, infertility, cure insomnia, weight loss, stop smoking, speed up healing and get rid of phobias of all types, imagine how powerful hypnosis can be use to make great changes in our life.

In the October 7th, 2003 issue of The Wall Street Journal, it stated, “Numerous scientifc studies have emerged in recent years showing that the hypnotized mind can exert a real and powerul effect on the body.

Are you determined to become healthier, build self confidence, eliminate bad habits, improve your sense of wellbeing and unleash the power within you? Learn hypnosis and you too can enjoy the secrets and look forward to make important changes in how you think and feel.

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Getting healthy and losing weight doesn’t have to mean a dramatic overhaul of your life, spending hour upon hour on the exercise bike, or turning down one party invitation after another. You can lose weight and still have fun. Making small changes gradually makes healthy eating a part of your life. And the good news is that making small and easy changes is a whole lot better for you in the long run than going on a mad diet of only apples that leaves you falling-down hungry and desperate. This is about getting smart with what you already eat. Eat to lose weight. That’s right, if you skip meals you won’t lose weight. Why not? Because then you’ll get so hungry that you snack, or eat more than you want to, or end up feeling miserable and give-up straight away. Don’t wait until Monday and make this smart choice now – choose smart diet program devised by Smart for Life Weight Management medical specialists. The diet is very simple – six smart cookies throughout the day, eight glasses of water or other no calorie drinks and a low fat protein dinner consisting of six ounces of fish, chicken, turkey or shellfish and two vegetables. Smart diet cookies are full of nutrients, amino acids, and fiber which suppress hunger while still supplying the body with the protein it needs. They are also all-natural, with organic ingredients and great taste. So, pick out your party dress and throw away those big pants! It’s time to get gorgeous!

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QualityHealth is one of those resources that seem to have an answer for virtually every question related to health issues so it is a great address to have in our Internet bokmarks. Information at QualityHealth is arranged among about two dozen Health Centers, each dedicated to a specific subject such as Cancer, Osteoporosis, Allergies, Asthma, Depression, Nutrition, Epilepsy and many more. Each center is loaded with accurate and up-to-date information aimed to the general public. But this is where the similarity to other websites ends. HealthQuality also hosts several Suport Groups where people can post questions, concerns or comments about issues like ADHD, insomnia, diabetes, pain management and many more.

Ask your Doctor… the right questions!

Another great section is Ask Your Doctor. By signing up to this free service, you’ll receive lists of questions to ask your doctor. As many of us often forget many of the questions we’d like to ask to our Doctors, this lists are a great thing to take with us when visiting our Doctor. The questions are tailored to your specific concerns and are designed to get the most out of your appointment.

The reference section is a real treasure box. The A-Z “conditions” and “medications” lists have literally thousands of entries with useful information and advice about diseases, symptoms and medications. The latter come especially handy when you are in doubt about taking or not certain pill when experiencing a symptom.

Real added value: Fill your cabinet with free samples

By signing up the QualityHealth email list you’ll receive periodically free samples from dozens of Pharmaceutical, Health, Wellness and Fitness providers that will keep you stocked for the season. Also, the emails come with rebates, valuable discount coupons, offers, articles, recipes and many more free gifts for you and your family. The free samples are actual products and not just promotional gimmicks. Some examples of samples are Robitussin, Nexium and Alavert. Considering that OTC products are not covered by health insurance, these samples are a great way to save! Click here to get your FREE HEALTHY SAMPLES from Qualityhealth.com. !

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A link between obesity and diabetes has been take for granted for a long time, but the exact relationship has been elusive. New evidence suggest that excess fat may be contributing to the accumulation of pollutants that eventually influence the appearance of tye 2 diabetes.

Certain pollutants present in the environment tend to accumulate in the fatty tissues of animals. An example if these substances in PCB, which occurs in many types of electrical equipment. Another example is the pesticide DDT, which in spite of being banned still persists in the environment. Some pollutants are directly conmumed by people, and in other cases they are ingested by animals, entering the food chain and end up in people as well.

Researchers at the Kyungpook National University in South Korea found out that people that had elevated levels of six different kinds of pollutants in their fatty tissues had more chances to develop diabetes than people with low levels of these pollutants (for more info see New Scientist, 30 September 2006, p 18). This study was backed by further evidence suggesting a link between PCB and some pesticides and development of insulin resistance in non-diabetics. The hypothesis is that fat people will tend to accumulate more pollutants as their fat acts as a storage agent. Although the theory is appealing, other investigators warn that the relationship is much more complex and other factors may be at play.

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Mangosteen - Much has been made over the recent scientific studies completed on the mangosteen fruit. One of the leading mangosteen researchers (Professor Nakatani from Japan) was recently recruited by Pfizer Inc. Pfizer secured Nakatani’s research under a non-disclosure agreement and he may no longer discuss his research on the mangosteen.

Why would the world’s fastest-growing major pharmaceutical company, the one Fortune® magazine ranked #14 on it’s list of “World’s Most Admired Companies,” be so interested in the mangosteen fruit? Maybe there is something to the mangosteen and what it holds!

Some Keywords to Research on:

- Xanthones
- Gamma Mangostin (one of the many xanthones in Mangosteen)
- Mangosteen
- Garcinia Mangostana (scientific name)

Mangosteen Ingredients

The research on Mangosteen & Xanthones is astounding. What’s more, the fact that the world is just finding out about this gift from nature, means that we are very lucky to be hearing about this fruit now.

But Xanthones are not the only great component of the mangosteen fruit. There are other ingredients which have their own set of benefits. It is also known to have: Vitamins C, B1, B1, Protein, Iron, Calcium Fiber, Potassium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Niacin, and Polyphenols, Cathechins/tannins, Flavonoids.

Polyphenols - These are a group of plant chemical substances. They are considered to be strong antioxidants in their own right. You’ve probably heard of some of the other things with high polyphenols - pomegranates, green teas and extra virgin olive oil.

Flavonoids - there have been over 5,000 naturally occurring flavonoids identified in various plants. Quite often, the benefits associated with plant foods actually come from the flavonoids instead of other known nutrients.

Catechins - Usually associated with Flavonoids.

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Durg addiction and alcoholism are serious conditions that affect millions of people in the U.S. Even though some still believe that addicts are always marginals or people with emotional disturbs, the true is that nobody is risk-free when it comes to addictions. It is very difficult to realize that one has an addiction problem until it is too late. At the beginning one thinks that quitting is not a problem, but when the first symptoms such as health conditions or social problems appear, going back seems like an overwhelmingly difficult task.

A simple but clear fact is that very little people find the way out of addiction by themselves. Help from others is a prime requisite for a recovery plan. Family and friends must constitute the first line in a recovery program, and fortunately there are different options to explore when somebody we know need help. Addiction intervention is an effective way to successfully get somebody out of an addiction problem.

An intervention works by bringing together the addict with his/her loved ones with the support and guidance of an interventionist. They work with the goal of helping the addict realize where they are and what can be done to help get rid of substance addiction. Properly conducted, an intervention is exceptionally effective in leading someone to accept entering a treatment program and greatly improve the chances of definitive recovery after the rehabilitation process.

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