Hi.
Are there any psychological characters of type 1 diabetes?
So far I have : Higher risk for eating disorders, depression, and dementia/
What am I missing?
Even though type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, I guess quality of life could be decreased in some people who have it. A major diagnosis that is going to affect you for the rest of your life frequently causes depression - both at the time of diagnosis and throughout your life due to dealing with the constant monitoring and care that type 1 diabetes requires.
I recently read a nursing journal article that young females with type one diabetes are at higher risk for anorexia nervosa due to the strict adherence of a 'diabetic diet' and it discussed insulin omission with this.
I haven't heard about the dementia one though - hope you're not right there!
Thanks & please help, anything, tips, facts, a site, anything like that that would help…about beauty or health tips or facts for hair.
http://prettypollysprettythings.blogspot.com/
I am considering acupuncture for weight loss. I am hypothyroid and struggle constantly. Although I am on medication, I'm rarely regulated. Would acupuncture work?
Acupuncture for weight loss is a very good support mechanism and it can also help alleviate hypothyroid symptoms.
It is very important to realize that acupuncture isn't going to magically make you lose weight. You will still need to exercise and eat healthy. The acupuncture for weight loss helps with appetite control, craving control, and energy levels.
What type of diabetes happens during pregnancy?
By · CommentsLike the question states, what type of diabetes happens during pregnancy.
More importantly, why does the head of most babies are usually abnormally large after such a pregnancy?
I am more looking for an answer on why there heads are usually large after such a pregnancy.
It is a question my teacher has been asking and he wants to know why.
There is a slight increased risk of the fetus or newborn dying when the mother has gestational diabetes, but this risk is lowered with effective treatment and careful watching of the mother and fetus. High blood glucose levels often go back to normal after delivery. However, women with gestational diabetes should be watched closely after giving birth and at regular intervals to detect diabetes early.
Up to 40% of women with gestational diabetes develop full-blown diabetes within 5-10 years after delivery. The risk may be increased in obese women.
Please see the web pages for more details on Gestational diabetes.
My mother had lung cancer a year ago and although it has not returned, she now has a tumor in her brain the size of a dime. It is cancerous …. so what is the prognosis and what is the difference between this type of brain cancer (where it originated in the lungs) and brain cancer that originiates in the brain. Also, what is the prognosis?
Cancer originating in a particular organ for the first time is called Primary neoplasm.
Metastasis is its secondary spread through blood or lymph.
Prognosis really depends on histological type of the cancer but metastasis generally requires more aggressive treatment in the form of chemo & radio because it is wide-spread.
My best wishes are with your mother and you as her family in the battle against this cancer.
Womens Health
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The control of womens reproductive function.
There have been many arguments about the right of the woman to their body and control towards their reproductive functions.
Womenâs reproductive health has been the subject of many discussions for sometime now.Do women have rights to control their reproductive functions? Womenâs reproductive health has been the subject of many discussions for sometime now. There have been many arguments about the right of the woman to their body and control towards their reproductive functions.
For the more conservative sectors of society, a womenâs reproductive health should not be a subject to control from the woman herself to by any other person. According to the fundamentalistsâ point of view, the reproductive function of a woman is natural phenomenon that should not be interfered with by anybody.
However, this point of view have been vigorously opposed by the more liberal sectors of society stating that a person has the right to control his or her own body thus if the woman do not want to have children, society should respect her decision.
What do women say over this issue? The opinions of women all over the world varies when it comes to reproductive health. Some would tend to take the side of the conservative sector and some are more liberal. For the more liberal women, taking a stand on womenâs reproductive health issue could be very emotional. It cannot be denied that most women will need to give so much once they have children. In some cases, women will need to give up their dreams and their careers especially when their children would need extra care and attention as in the case of special children. In most developing countries, issues on womenâs reproductive health take on a broader dimension because of poverty. Poverty in developing countries has the face of a woman attached to it.
Women bear the brunt of economic deprivation that issues on womenâs reproductive health takes on a more economic, social and political dimensions. Womenâs reproductive health in these parts of the world is not just about having children and having diseases connected to the women reproductive organs.
http://www.preferedforms.com
Bob Taylor
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/womens-health-135973.html
Workplace Wellness Programs
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Workplace wellness programs benefit both employer and employee. For many companies, workplace wellness programs have become a valuable asset by lowering costs in absenteeism and work related injuries as well as disability management costs and worker’s compensation claims.
Studies have found that employee absenteeism is directly related to four primary factors. Depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders topped the list at 66% while stress came in a close second at 60%. Negative relationship with a supervisor or manager yielded 44% and co worker conflict in the workplace was at 28%. These factors can be effectively combated by employing workplace wellness programs. Conflict resolution programs, mental health programs and stress management courses have not only become popular, but have proven to be very effective.
Research spanning more than a decade has consistently shown workplace wellness programs to be financially effective and that every dollar invested on a corporate wellness program can return $2.30 and $10.10 by reducing absenteeism, sick day usage and by lowering insurance costs. Additionally it is noted that there are marked improvements in employee performance and productivity in organizations that implement a workplace wellness program.
Healthy organizations enjoy increased employee morale and an improved ability to attract and retain key people. Additionally, employees are more alert and productive. For instance, Coca Cola reports that they save an estimated $500 a year per employee once they implemented a fitness program in which 60% of their employees participate. Coors Brewing Company reported that employees who participated in their workplace wellness programs reduced their absentee rate by 18%.
Employees enjoy their share of benefits from workplace wellness programs too. A healthy lifestyle affects every part of a person’s life, including their work environment. Workplace wellness programs result in fewer injuries, less human error and a work environment that is more harmonious and relaxed. Additionally, employees who work at a company that implements a workplace wellness program know that their organization is concerned about their health and wellness. Employees often report a reduction in their stress levels due to workplace wellness programs.
As employees feel better, more relaxed, more valued and more human to their company; they enjoy an increase in productivity. This increase in productivity, while beneficial to the company, is also essential to the employee as it increases their own sense of self worth and confidence levels. Employees who feel successful and who feel that they accomplish goals are overall happier and in a better frame of mind.
The benefits of workplace wellness programs, both tangible and intangible, are evident. It is a wise move for a corporation to implement a workplace wellness program, particularly when they incorporate some form of mental health aspect into it. This also has social benefits as domestic violence and child abuse is shown to be decreased in areas where wellness programs are implemented. These days, an organization can almost not afford to have some sort of wellness program to offer to their employees.
John Payton
http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/workplace-wellness-programs-126460.html
The Best Bodybuilding Supplements to Take
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Sport nutrition supplements help promote muscle growth in bodybuilders. Nutritional bodybuilding supplements also enhance performance and workout routines that include physical exercises. Weightlifting programs or weight training with free weights or machines will benefit from the addition of body building supplements.
Whether you are body building, weight lifting or working out with body toning exercises, always read and review the nutritional information on supplements before adding them to your workout routine. There are many different kinds of nutritional supplements which can be used for bodybuilding, weightlifting or even the general exercise enthusiast.
Many body building supplements also work well for weightlifting programs and even certain diet programs. On the other hand, you may find some sports supplements and nutritional products work better for the specific style of workout routine you are following.
For body building enthusiasts working towards muscle growth, there are some excellent weight gainer whey protein supplements available to help meet your goal. Because these bodybuilding products help add weight and muscle, they may not be best suited for workout routines designed only to tone muscle.
Body Building Supplements
Building muscle mass while sculpting your body for the perfect look can be a long and difficult process.
You can improve workout results with sports nutrition products like whey protein isolate, nor androstenediol, guggulsterones, amino acids, DHEA and meal replacement bars. Bodybuilders and weightlifters alike reach their goals as well as their limits while depending on quality bodybuilding supplements.
Weightlifting Supplements
Weightlifters are always pushing themselves to the limit or lifting weights to the point of âfailureâ. To âburnâ through these sets and increase muscle growth, weightlifters employ nutritional supplements. You can safely combine supplements, such as a whey protein isolate, Nitric Oxide and Testosterone Boosters, whether you are just beginning or wanting to reach your peak performance. Weight training programs at all levels benefit when bodybuilding supplements are used in weightlifting workouts.
Nitric Oxide
Nitric Oxide is a free form gas that is produced in the body and is used by the body to communicate with other cells in the body. To produce this gas, enzymes in the body break down the amino acid Arginine.
Nitric Oxide is a molecule consisting of one atom of nitrogen and one atom of oxygen. The production of Nitric Oxide occurs when the amino acid L-arginine is converted into L-citruline through an enzyme group known as Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS).
Everyone REQUIRES nitric oxide to carry out key physiological processes within the body. From a bodybuilder’s perspective, nitric oxide supplementation may prove useful in increasing growth due to increases in blood flow to certain areas of the body. Further, men suffering from erectile dysfunction may also find supplementing with nitric oxide helpful.
Signs of deficiency include the inability to achieve and sustain erections, physical weakness and extreme fatigue. Most “nitric oxide” supplements contain the amino acid Arginine-alpha-keto-glutarate.
With any amino acid containing product, overdose is a possibility. Dosing with too much arginine can lead to diarrhea, weakness and nausea. Clear dosing guidelines have not been established, so it is best to do what is known as “tolerance mapping”. Take a small dosage for one week, note the benefits and the side effects, and increase the dosage until the benefits are maximized and the side effects minimized. Over time the two will converge and you will hit the optimal dose. This process is similar to “receptor mapping”
for bodybuilders who use insulin.
Protien Powders
Many protein powders are fortified with amino acids, including arginine. With this in mind, pay particular attention to how much arginine you are ingesting from all supplements taken.
Protein powders are formulated to be the perfect meal in a quick and easy shake. It is easy to take them with you to work or school or anywhere that you need to get your protein or satisfy your hunger in a healthy way.
Need to eat one gram of protein per pound of body weight? Or maybe you are trying to eat six small meals each day? Sounds easier than it really is, huh? Protein powders like the ones listed below may be exactly what you are looking for.
How do you pick a protein out of the hundreds that we have for you to choose from? Basically, you are looking for a powder that has the right amount of protein, carbs, fat and the correct protein type for your goal.
If you are trying to lose fat, you will most likely want a low carb, low calorie protein. The extra protein will help you keep your current muscle mass. If you are trying to gain muscle, you would want a high protein, high calorie powder that is relatively low in sugar and fat. If you are simply trying to find a quick meal replacement, a protein powder with medium carbs and medium calories would most likely be for you.
The three most popular types of protein are whey, casein and soy.
Whey
Out of the many protein sources out there, whey protein is the ultimate. It comes from milk. During the process of turning milk into cheese, whey protein is separated out. Protein can be found in a variety of foods -mainly meats, such as fish, beef, and chicken.
Dairy products as well as eggs, cottage cheese, soy and vegetable protein also contain good amounts of protein.
Nevertheless, none of these sources compares in quality or ease of use like whey protein. Whey protein has the highest value in providing branched-chain amino acids, which result in building and retaining muscle tissue.
Whey protein (the highest quality and best form of protein) is incredible stuff. It provides the body with the necessary building blocks to produce amino acids that are used for building muscle tissue. Whoa! Nearly every bodybuilder knows the importance of protein supplementation. Studies have been conducted that compare whey protein to other sources. They have found that whey protein contains the perfect combination of overall amino acid makeup… and in just the right concentrations for optimal performance in the body. Both hormonal and cellular responses seem to be greatly enhanced with supplementation of whey protein, too! Not to mention the benefits whey protein has on the body’s immune system according to documented scientific research. Whey protein also plays a role as an antioxidant and helps support a health immune system. Most importantly, consistent whey protein intake coupled with exercise will result in consistent muscle building.
Training athletes often consume 25 grams of whey protein per day. Bodybuilders who want serious gains (and are burning serious calories), generally consume 150 grams per day. Extremely high doses of whey protein is not recommended, as this will cause the body’s liver to be overloaded and you won’t get the same benefits as with a consistent lower amount taken three to five times per day.
BCAA:
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Amino Acid supplements are an effective and useful blend of essential amino acids for the human body.
Amino acids come from protein rich sources such as meat, fish, dairy products, and vegetables such as legumes, peas, and grains. There are many types of amino acid supplements on the market. Some products claim to have a large quantity of amino acids, but come primarily from a weak protein source (such as milk). Unfortunately, people may have allergies associated with the protein source. Our supplement formula is comprised of the highest quality crystalline protein source.
One and one-half grams of powder three times a day should be sufficient to provide the body with an adequate supply of available amino acids to assist in digesting food and bulking up. There are no side effects with proper supplementation.
Testosterone Boosters:
Raising your testosterone helps you to gain muscle, enhance your mood, support healthy libido, and more! Some prohormones do a great job of raising test levels, but some people prefer not to use them.
Arginine
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. It is a building block of protein that performs a myriad of physiological functions. It is a known precursor of the gas nitric oxide [N02].
Arginine is an amino acid that the body cannot make naturally. Therefore it is important to consume foods that are rich in arginine.1
Arginine is found in high concentrations in nuts and seeds like peanuts and almonds. It can also be found in chocolate and raisins.
Individuals with existing heart or psychiatric conditions should consult with their physician prior to supplementing with Arginine. With any amino acid containing product, overdose is a possibility. Dosing with too much arginine can lead to diarrhea, weakness and nausea. Clear dosing guidelines have not yet been established, so it is best to do what is known as “tolerance mapping” - Take a small dosage for one week, note the benefits and the side effects, and increase the dosage until the benefits are maximized and the side effects minimized. Over time the two will converge and you will hit the optimal dose. This process is similar to “receptor mapping” for bodybuilders who use insulin and steroids.
Many protein powders on the market are fortified with amino acids, including arginine. With this in mind, pay particular attention to how much arginine you are ingesting from sources. If you do not feel comfortable following the above described procedure, it is always best to follow the directions as prescribed on the products label.
Chris DiCicco
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/the-best-bodybuilding-supplements-to-take-134714.html
Body Building And Nutrition
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Things To Take Into Account Before Starting Your Body Building Routine
It goes without saying that nutrition is a crucial element for anyone starting an exercise habit. I would even go as far as to say that one of the first things to be considered when contemplating a body building routine is your nutrition. The two, body building and nutrition go shoulder to shoulder. Within the body building nutrition, you need to pay attention to two aspects: frequency of meals and meal ratios
Frequency Of Meals
The main goal of body building nutrition is to stimulate the assimilation of the nutrients into the growth of lean muscle, clearance of body fat and the diminishment of water retention. A good way to do this is to increase your meal frequency, meaning smaller but more frequent meals. In practice you can eat every two and a half to three hours. This higher frequency keeps your metabolism going and ensures that your body’s engine never stalls. Not only is the frequency of the meals important but also the characteristics and composition of the meals.
Additionally to a higher frequency, it will also be important to plan your meals in a strategic way. As stated before, body building and nutrition go shoulder to shoulder, but also in regards to when the meals and nutrients should be ingested. The intake of calories should be geared towards the times of exercises: more intake when doing the routine and less in times of inactivity.
Constituence and Composition Of Meals
Frequency of your meals is not the only thing that relates body building and nutrition. The composition of your meals is another relating factor between the two. The most important factor here is the arithmetical proportion of carbohydrates and proteins in your nutrition. The ideal ratio would be 40% carbohydrates, 40% proteins, and 20% fats. As for fats preference should be given to the fats found in lean meats or in plant oils. Proteins consist of amino acids and these amino acids are assimilated by the body to form muscle tissue. Carbohydrates produce the energy needed to get going during a workout. And although fats have been attributed with a bad name, they too are a fundamental element. They work in two key parts in the body: the protect essential organs by procuring a cushion around them and they also work as an insulator and coating for nerves. Needless to say that a smart body builder makes sure that his nutrition contains enough fats.
Did I hear you say water?
Body building and nutrition can’t go without water, it is again one of the important and essential constituents and indeed water is critical to your body building excellence. Water has many uses for every person but certainly for a body builder: it can help in cooling the body down after an intense workout. Water also flushes out any toxins that build up in the body. Making sure you get plenty of water controls the appetite and some research shows that cold water helps to spruce up metabolism.
Frank Rom
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/body-building-and-nutrition-114388.html
Mental Health Disorders: Schizophrenia
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Schizophrenia affects around 1% of the population of this planet. It is a chronic, severe, and disabling mental disorder. It has also been recognized for centuries, maybe not with the same nomenclature, but most likely with the same symptoms. However, the complex mechanisms which cause this condition remain a mystery of their own… but for how long?
History of Schizophrenia: from demons to genes
The symptoms commonly associated with schizophrenia are on the records of many ancient civilizations, such as the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. The causes for this mental disorder have been associated with demons, gods, poisonous substances, dark creatures and more â but until today, there are still no definite answers. There is evidence, however, to the different treatments tested (and used) in several patients. Drilling holes in a patientâs skull and performing dance rituals were some of them.
The term âSchizophreniaâ (derived from the Greek words âschizoâ=split and âphreneâ=mind) was only created in 1911 by Eugene Bleuler, a Swiss physician. Bleuler changed the term âdementia praecoxâ created by Emile Kraepelin â the German physician who first classified mental disorders in categories â because the disorder was not a dementia. Later on, both scientists sub-classified schizophrenia into categories based on specific symptoms, three of which were delineated in the DSM-III (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders): disorganized, catatonic, paranoid, residual, and undifferentiated. Kraepelinâs classification remains influential and it is the basis of the DSM-IV.
Nowadays, it is believed that schizophrenia is caused by a mixture of gene interaction and environmental influence. However, it is not clear how much influence each of these causes wields.
The Symptoms
The symptoms of schizophrenia are divided into three categories: positive, negative and cognitive.
Positive symptoms are volatile, easy to recognise and normally involve some loss of contact with reality. Hallucinations (distortions of the human senses), delusions (false personal beliefs) and movement disorders are examples of such symptoms.
Negative symptoms are harder to recognise as they relate to some loss in abilities such as planning, speaking, expressing emotions or being motivated. These symptoms can easily be misconnected to laziness, depression or other conditions which involve similar behaviour. The term is referred as ânegativeâ due to the reductions in ânormalityâ â both emotional and behavioural.
Cognitive symptoms relate to problems in normal cognitive functions. In many cases these cognitive impairments are only detected through neuropsychological tests. Such symptoms include problems with memory, attention, decision-making and more.
The Causes
As previously noted, schizophrenia is believed to be caused by a mixture of gene and environmental influence. Davies stated that âschizophrenia appears to be caused by abnormalities in the development of the brain that become manifest in late adolescence or the early twenties, a time when a differentiation and maturation of the central nervous system is at its most complexâ (Davies 2005 p. 210*).
However, the disorder is not characterised by a single predominant gene â it relies on the combination of a group of genes, each exerting a small effect. These gene combinations, along with the presence non-genetic factors such as exposure to viruses or drug abuse, play a key role of increasing vulnerability.
Current research is attempting to identify the genes which could be directly involved with the incidence of schizophrenia and psychotic episodes. There are candidate genes - however there is not enough evidence to prove that these genes in fact increase risk. âSome genes that have recently been associated with schizophrenia code for enzymes and proteins that help brain cells communicate with each other.
Some of these enzymes and proteins are involved in neurotransmitter systems that have long been implicated in schizophrenia, such as dopamine, glutamate and GABA. Other genes code for proteins involved in the brain development, while others code for proteins of yet undetermined functionâ. (NIMH â National Institute of Mental Health**).
Facts and the treatments
Schizophrenia is a chronic and disabling disorder, but nevertheless misinterpreted by the general population. In fact, between 25 and 40% of people who experience a psychotic episode not only recover, but never experience a second episode. In many instances, patients enter hospital care voluntarily, and are able to function normally when not experiencing an episode. Although people with schizophrenia are more likely to attempt suicide, they are not particularly prone to violence or crimes.
Over the last few years, new anti-psychotic medications have been developed â such as clozapine, risperidone and olanzapine. These drugs do not cure schizophrenia, but they effectively alleviate its symptoms and extrapyramidal side effects (such as rigidity, muscle spasms and tremors) which used to appear in older drug treatments.
Psychosocial treatment is also important in the management of schizophrenia. Rehabilitation and substance abuse treatment are helpful in integrating the patient to the society, and improving the patientâs capability to counteract the degenerative effects of the disease. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) can also help. This treatment seems to be effective in reducing the severity of symptoms and decreasing the risk of relapse in patients which symptoms persist even when they take medication.
Furthermore, the efficacy of treatment can be vastly improved with the participation of family and friends. Because the positive symptoms of this mental illness are easy to distinguish, both patient and relatives are able to act when noticing the prevalence of different behaviour.
Overcoming schizophrenia: too far or too close?
The future of schizophrenia runs parallel to most research in mental health. With the advent of new brain mapping and scanning technologies, such as PET, MRI, fMRI and the developments in genetic research â scientists are narrowing their focus to the interaction between neurons and how each of our cognitive functions affect neurotransmission at a molecular level. With this in hand, there are expectations that the approach to schizophrenia will be more specific and efficient â but to predict cure at this stage, is a long shot.
Nevertheless, there may be more excitement in the other side of the spectrum. Identifying the exact gene combination which increases the incidence of this condition, and the role of non-genetic factors, may still seem distant. However, another solution could effectively help the vast population suffering from the symptoms of schizophrenia.
The general thinking is that the best way to combat an illness is to develop a cure. What about instead of finding the cure, combating the symptoms? That is the approach used for most illnesses which cure is yet to be discovered, and it could be a temporary solution to improve the lives of millions. Cognitive enhancers, such as nootropics (cited in a previous edition of this ezine) and cognitive enhancing methods â such as the use of electric waves in specific brain regions â could counteract some of the debilitating symptoms of schizophrenia.
Most of these techniques are still being tested, but they are much closer to reality and have already predictions to reach the market within a few years. Although there have been some studies in cognitive enhancing drugs, new drug classes are on the scene â and brain science and pharmacology are allowing further discoveries in the field. What will be the next step? That might not be the one million dollar question, but perhaps it holds the answer which over 65 million people have been waiting for.
Sources *Davies, J. (November 2005) A Manual of Mental Health Care in General Practice, Commonwealth Department of health and Ageing, Canberra.
** National Institute of Mental Health Website (www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/schizresfact.cfm).
Pedro Gondim
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/mental-health-disorders-schizophrenia-139841.html