HART-Empire Network II - Health and Fitness Channel

Most people will try a hundred different fad diets, at least as many nutritional supplements and even all sorts of wacky alternatives. But, getting them to exercise can be a real challenge.

Nevertheless, it’s an inescapable fact that proper diet has to be accompanied by an age-appropriate, regular exercise program - if the goal is good health and an attractive body. Diet is essential, but exercise is its essential partner. Diet provides the proper fuel, but exercise uses that fuel to generate health and fitness.

There’s no need to become a fitness fanatic, but there are several simple exercises you can begin today. Start a daily stretching routine of at least 10 minutes before doing any vigorous training. A 20-minute walk every other day is a great beginning for those not used to exercise.

Work up to more effort slowly. Most of those new to exercise get discouraged and quit too soon because they try too hard at first. This produces soreness and sometimes injury. That reduces the motivation.

Instead, start with some light weight training, using 5lb, 10lb, then 20lb weights. Curls, squats and other exercises are simple and you’ll soon graduate. Then add a 10-minute jog, a 20-minute jog, then 30-minutes. Once you hit an hour-long run, you’re into the serious workout category.

If you can, invest in equipment that may help you get motivated. Others will need the social stimulus of a gym to keep their willpower up. But in either case, don’t let your money go to waste. Make a commitment to regular workouts, whether at home or away. If you do join a gym, don’t be shy. Take advantage of the expertise of more experienced fitness enthusiasts and the staff.

In order to lose weight, you want to be sure to include some cardiovascular exercises in your routine. That can be running, cycling or any number of alternatives. To tone muscles and tighten the slack skin that will result from major body fat reduction, you’ll need to add resistance and weightlifting exercises. You can use stretchers, rope and pulley or other equipment to supply the resistance. Weight machines are great for lifting exercises.

As you get into the routine, you may or may not actually lose weight. If you’re not obese but merely overweight, you may not see much loss. As you reduce fat deposits the difference can be made up by gains in muscle mass. Don’t pay much attention to early losses, they may well be due as much to water loss as anything else.

But as you reduce excess body fat and tone muscles you’ll experience many side benefits beyond a more attractive body. You’ll feel better overall, be more energetic and should experience a heightened mood.

Feel good about it. You worked hard for the results.

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I met my friend M. while she was doing an undergraduate summer internship in a cancer research at the university where I worked. A year later, she joined my school as a PhD student and I trained her when she did a research rotation in my laboratory. About this time last year, she had a night on the town cut short by sudden, uncontrollable bleeding. She went home feeling pretty sick, and later that night, her boyfriend rushed her to the emergency room. Later on that week, she was told that that she had cancer.

We were friends — not best friends, but close enough where we regularly shared stories about our wacky families and our mutual fear that a life at the bench might not be for us, met for lunch, and watched basketball games when we could. In the months that followed, we got a lot closer. I visited her in her emergency hospitalizations, helped her sort through the business of hospital billing, and drove her to her specialist appointments four hours away at Johns Hopkins University. We even ended up being interviewed for a “Dateline” special together for a documentary on cancer patients!

In the time that she wasn’t in the hospital or at home recovering from procedures, we spent a lot of time talking. She told me all about how she wanted her life to be as normal as possible, so whenever I called her, we talked about the most mundane things like the latest gossip about our coworkers and the quirks about our bosses.

The thing that she didn’t know was that it was actually really hard for me to act like things were normal. I didn’t know why, but sometimes the prospect of talking to her was sometimes really daunting for me. Sometimes I wouldn’t respond to her email and phone calls right away. I hated it because I wanted to be a good friend to her, but I didn’t know how to deal with what I was feeling. I’m ashamed to say that the reason was that I just felt uncomfortable being reminded with the fact that she had cancer — and it could have been me!

The fine folks at Awareness Always recently pointed to a 2005 story in Time magazine entitled How to Talk to a Friend With Cancer. It was an interview with Lori Hope, a cancer patient while she was promoting her book, Help Me Live: 20 Things People With Cancer Want You to Know.

I was particularly struck by the following question:

Q: Why do you think so many of us feel tongue-tied and awkward around cancer patients?

A: You are confronted with the possibility of death, and you are afraid. And, in a way, you are relieved it’s not you. It brings up so many fears.”

I’m ashamed to say that I wasn’t the friend that I could have been to her during that time, but reading this helped me realize that this is apparently a common reaction. Read the article if you get a chance — it’s an enlightening read.

By the way, my friend’s okay now and back in school full-time. Also, Awareness Always has some really neat jewelery on sale, including this Daphne bracelet. A huge percent of the profits go to charity, so check them out!

 

For my readers who have recently known someone close who have been diagnosed with cancer — how did you handle the news, and how did you deal with your own feelings during the more difficult times? I’m curious to hear your stories — click on the “Submit your Story” tab or leave it in the comments!

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By Robert Groth

There are several recognized risk factors in Multiple Sclerosis, although there is not a definite known cause. These risk factors do not guarantee that you will be diagnosed with the disease, but they do increase your chances.

Heredity is the first of the known risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis. If no one has Multiple Sclerosis in your family, then your chances of having MS are only 1 in 750. Having a parent or sibling with MS increases the odds to 1 in 100. If you have an identical twin with MS, your chances are 1 in 4, although both twins do not always have MS. For this reason, many researchers believe that Multiple Sclerosis is not just a genetic disease, although heredity does affect the chances you will have it.

Environmental factors are the second risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis. Research shows that bacteria and viruses, especially at certain ages, can increase your chances of having MS. Alone these infections should not cause MS, but when combined with other risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis, especially heredity, they can greatly increase the odds of having it. The infections that could be related to MS are measles, herpes, chickenpox, rubella, mononucleosis, chlamydia, and some types of flu. These may have the most risk when they are contracted as a teenager.

Geography is the third risk factor in Multiple Sclerosis. For some unknown reason, MS is more common in temperate climates such as Europe, southern Canada, northern United States, and southeastern Australia. This geographical factor seems to be most important during puberty.

Gender is the fourth risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis. Women are 2 to 3 times more likely than men to have MS. This is believed to be due to hormonal differences. Men who smoke are twice as likely as men who do not smoke to be diagnosed with MS.

Age is the fifth risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis. Usually MS is diagnosed to people between 20 and 50. It is possible to be diagnosed during childhood or after the age of 50, but this age range seems to be the most critical.

The sixth risk factor in Multiple Sclerosis is giving cow’s milk to babies. This is a newly discovered risk, and the reasons are not yet known. It may be proven in the future to be in no way linked to MS. Pediatrician’s advise against cow milk for infants under one year of age, anyway, so it would be best to be careful. Breast milk is believed to be the best food for infants because it helps the brain develop faster and more fully. This may be the link between cow’s milk and MS, since the brain would not be as developed.

Heredity is probably the only risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis that may cause the disease on its own, but combining several of these factors together may greatly increase your odds. Since many of these things are beyond your control, if you meet several of these risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis, you may want to consult a doctor. At the least watch for any symptoms related to the disease. Anything you can due to reduce your chances or your loved one’s chances of meeting these risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis would be worth the effort.

© CG Groth 2007

Robert Groth, author and speaker was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1990. Receive more information and a free inspirational daily email on how you can beat multiple sclerosis at www.beatmultiplesclerosis.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Groth

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Hi everyone,

As I mentioned yesterday, tomorrow is first day of volunteer orientation at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. MDA is nestled within the depths of the The Texas Medical Center, a system of over 40 government and not-for-profit institutions making it the largest medical center in the world. As a small town girl, it’s a pretty amazing sight to see (except around rush hour when it loses its charm just a little).

MD Anderson has some of the best and brightest cancer physicians and research scientists in the world. This week, many of them are in San Francisco, California discussing their findings at the International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, the joint meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. This annual meeting is one of the world’s leading conferences covering breakthroughs in new developments in chemotherapeutics. Here’s some of the latest daily headlines from the meeting, courtesy of AACR:

Clinical Studies in the Pipeline: The Therapies of Tomorrow in Trials Today

Studies presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics demonstrate the flexibility of targeted therapy techniques, where new drugs can be developed and tested in human trials more quickly and safely than ever before.

Advances in Drug Screening: Building a Better Haystack for the Needles of Tomorrow

With the discovery of suitable molecular targets - cellular molecules along pathways crucial for sustaining the life of cancer cells - comes the perplexing dilemma of where to find the next therapeutics that will bind to and disable those targets. While the possibilities for drug designs are near-limitless, the methods to screen drug databases and repositories are often problematic or ill-suited for the particular needs of researchers. . . Researchers report new means of delving into vast stores of data in search of potential therapies, whether to find the next natural cancer fighter or to discover new classes of therapeutics.

Combination Targets: Some Drugs May Work Best When They Work Together

While some targeted therapies - drugs developed to attack specific molecules in the critical chemical pathways occurring within cancer cells - work well by themselves, increasingly researchers are finding that they work better when teamed with other targeted and conventional therapies.

Reported today at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, multiple-target applications of new and existing drugs are offering new hope in the fight against cancer and drug resistance, from lung and breast cancer to rare tumors of the bile duct.

Experimental Cancer Pharmaceuticals under Trial

Advances in drug development have enabled scientists to attack new and unconventional cancer targets, leading to better treatments for cancer patients with fewer unwanted side effects. The following items highlight the early results from two experimental therapeutics, currently involved in Phase I or II trials, which are being presented today at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics.

A Fresh Look at Existing Therapies: Researchers Explore Ways to Teach Approved Drugs New Tricks

Although all cancers are not alike, most share common causes, whether it is the result of a genetic mutation or faulty biochemical signaling pathway. For that reason, drugs developed specifically for one disease might have an impact on many others. Increasingly, researchers are discovering ways of combining new and existing drugs to fight cancer - broadening the targets of already-approved targeted therapeutics.

Today at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, researchers present the results of some of these investigations, whether it is finding a new use for the immunosuppressant rapamycin or adapting the use of approved antibodies to reach the same targets within different cancers.

Targets on the Horizon: Emerging Therapies and Novel Targets

New targets, such as cell signaling receptors found on cancer tumors, provide tantalizing targets for engineered antibodies and small inhibitory molecules. New therapeutic technologies, such as virus-based therapy against cancers metastasized to nerve cells and a unique two-headed antibody that attaches killer T cells to tumor cells, offer promising methods for controlling disease

Lots of cool stuff out there, and it makes me miss being in the lab a little bit. Wish me luck for tomorrow!

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I’ve been fortunate in the last month to be blessed with some really good circumstances: a relocation to a new city with great opportunities, employment in a situation that lets me blend the two things that I’m most interested in (science and writing), and the welcome surprise of moving into a great apartment that me, my husband, and my two parrots love.

My family has always instilled in me the sense of giving back when one has been so blessed, so in that spirit of giving, I signed up today to be a volunteer at my local hospital. Incidentally, my local hospital happens to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Clinic, America’s #1 Best Hospital for cancer treatment according to the 2007 US News & World Report. My orientation session is this Friday, and I’m really excited to start. . . and I’d like you to come and join me as a new volunteer!

Why volunteer?

* Volunteer because you or someone you know has cancer

I have one aunt who is a survivor of breast cancer and one close friend who is battling a particularly rare form of uterine cancer. I’m sure you know someone, too. Even though deaths due to cancer are now on the decline, the physical and emotional impact of each new diagnosis is huge.

* Volunteer your time because as a current patient, survivor, friend or family member of a cancer patient, you know what the face of cancer looks like.

Volunteering helps you invest in your community. Call it “The Golden Rule,” an exercise in spirituality, karma coming back to you, or whatever you want — giving back to the place where you live makes your community a better place. The benefit that you give to a place isn’t just in measured in dollars, but in a sense of pride. And who doesn’t want to be part of a community that they’re proud of?

* Volunteering gives legs to the existence of hundreds of non-profit organizations.

They educate about prevention and early detection, they help current patients through financial and emotional support, and they fund a huge number medical and scientific advances in research through grants. However, non-profit organization organizations can’t exist without volunteers to spread their message. Find an organization you can get behind, and volunteer your time. It can really make a difference.

* Volunteering can give you a chance to meet new people.

As mentioned before, I’ve recently moved to a new town. Since I telecommute, I don’t often get a chance to talk to that many people face-to-face. By signing up as a volunteer at my local hospital, I get the chance to interact with other volunteers, patients and their loved ones, and health care professionals. It’s a win-win situation!

* Volunteering can help you learn new skills.

I tend to be a behind-the-scenes organizer in my work life, but volunteering often forces me to take the reigns and lead in ways I never thought I could.  After my first year of graduate school, I took time off to serve as an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer. I spent the first three months getting a crash course in developing, organizing, and implementing an after-school enrichment program for elementary school students. Spending day after day hiring tutors, working with teachers to develop curriculum, creating class schedules, and recruiting high school volunteers, I often joked that having a highly specialized background in genetics didn’t give me many useful skills. Luckily as a volunteer, I learned a lot “on the job.” A self-proclaimed geeky introvert, I was forced to work outside my comfort level when I had to speak to parents, comfort agitated children, and hustle for donations. I honed skills in public speaking, working with children, and grant writing — things that I would never have encountered in graduate school. Incidentally, I also learned that working with children was not the best fit for someone who thrives in calm and quiet environments and I promptly went back to graduate school after my service term. Still, it was a good lesson learned!

Want to start volunteering your time?

There are plenty of organizations out there that are looking for people like you. Many of these places will allow you to sign up online to volunteer for direct patient interaction, clerical help, organizational skills, ability to participate in educational aspects, and other opportunities. In honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, I’ve compiled a list of organizations focused on breast cancer that are currently looking for volunteers.

1. Local Cancer Clinics / Hospitals: Contact your local cancer clinic and ask for their Volunteer Services department.  The National Cancer Institute has a listing of cancer clinics in the US state by state. A list of cancer hospitals in Canada is also available online.

2. The National Breast Cancer Foundation: The NBCF Mission is “to save lives by increasing awareness of breast cancer through education and by providing mammograms for those in need.” The NBCF has partnerships some of America’s major cancer clinics, including The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles, The Taussig Cancer Center at The Cleveland Clinic, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore. Contact the National Breast Cancer Foundation to see if there’s a site near you.

3. The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer: In 2006, the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer series raised nearly $70 million dollars dispersed throughout all 50 states in America. According to their website:

Funds raised through the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer event series are managed by the Avon Foundation, an accredited 501(c)(3) charity, to advance access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer. The Avon Foundation supports a virtual national network of research, medical, social service and community-based organizations, each of which is making a unique contribution to helping patients or advancing breast cancer research.

The Avon Foundation awards funding in breast cancer education and awareness; screening and diagnosis; access to treatment; support services; and scientific research into the possible cause, prevention, treatment and cure.

2007/2008 walks are scheduled in nine major cities in the US, including Boston, Los Angeles, and New York City. Thousands of volunteers all throughout the year to provide office support, host participant outreach nights, lead introduction meeting and other tasks. Register to be a volunteer at the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer website.

4. The American Cancer Society: The American Cancer Society has multiple branches in each state. Not specific to breast cancer, it aims to “empower and mobilize communities to prevent cancer, save lives, and diminish suffering by distinguishing the Society as the organization of choice for meaningful volunteer engagement.” A significant portion of funds raised by the American Cancer Society goes straight back into research initiatives. Almost every cancer research laboratory that I’ve worked in has had at funding at some point by the American Cancer Society, so I can personally assure you that the money is well spent.

Volunteers can fill out applications at the American Cancer Society volunteer page.

5. The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation: The CBCF is a grass-roots organization with a vision to create a future without breast cancer. Volunteers assist in a range of activities that include everything from answering phones, to making pink ribbons, to organizing community Run for the Cure fund-raisers. Money raised by the CFCB goes to funding research, education initiatives, and awareness programs.

Sign up today to be a volunteer at the CBCF website.

6. Rethink Breast Cancer: This is a Canadian charity that focuses specifically on women under 40 both with and without breast cancer. Money raised by Rethink Breast Cancer goes to education, research, and support programs. Unlike many organizations, research money is focused on finding young investigators in breast cancer research for longer periods.

Interested in volunteering? Visit Rethink Breast Cancer’s volunteer page.

Are you currently volunteering working with cancer foundations? Battling Cancer wants to know why and how you started donating your time. Use the “Submit your Story” tab at the top of the page or leave it here in the comments and I’ll highlight the best stories in a future post!

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Women:  Are you looking for the newest tool in early breast cancer detection?  If Dr. Elias Siores had his way, you might not have to look further than your own lingerie drawer.

According to ABCNews.com, a team of researchers led by Dr. Siores at the United Kingdom’s Centre for Research and Innovation at the University of Bolton has developed a new “smart bra” that they hope will alert women of any microscopic changes in body temperature.  Small changes in temperature such as these may be correlated with early tumor development, and this new foray into women’s clothing design hopes to take advantage of that fact by using passive microwaves that are embedded into the fibers of the bra.

But is such an easy solution accurate?  The Mayo Clinic thinks that women should be weary of such one-size-fits-all approaches to tumor detection.

Sandhya Prudhi, MD, a breast health specialist at the Mayo Clinic, had this to say about the use of thermography for early breast cancer detection:

“There is no evidence that breast thermography is an effective screening tool for early detection of breast cancer. . . This technology is most effective in detecting tumors that are close to the skin surface but not tumors deeper in the breast. Also, breast thermography is not sensitive enough to detect small cancers. Breast thermography is not routinely used for breast cancer detection and should not be used instead of mammograms.” 

New research suggests, however, that more advanced integrated techniques in breast cancer thermography still have a lot of promise. An August 2007 study reviewing recent advances in breast cancer thermography in the Journal of Medical Engineering Techology states:

“Technological advances in the field of infrared thermography over the last 20 years warrant a re-evaluation of the use of high-resolution digital thermographic camera systems in the diagnosis and management of breast cancer. . .   Of particular interest would be investigation in younger women and men, for whom mammography is either unsuitable or of limited effectiveness.”

I recognize the value in having an easy-to-use early cancer detection tool, but I’m still not sure that I would rely on a thermography in an undergarment. It seems like there could be a lot of room could be attributed to human error, especially for a klutz for me who routinely spills coffee down the front of my shirt.  Readers, would you consider using a tool like this?

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By Christine Groth

A good Multiple Sclerosis diet is believed to help control and possibly eliminate many of the symptoms that come along with the disease. This can help slow the progression of the disease. While you should check with a doctor for specific suggestions or guidelines, there are some basic tips to a good MS diet.

A key factor in a healthy multiple sclerosis diet is to eliminate all gluten. In general, you should avoid eating anything with flour, but you can check package ingredients if you are unsure of their content. Many diets besides the MS diet do not allow gluten, so this is now easily found on many packages. Avoiding wheats, barley, oats, or rye is another way to cut gluten.

For a successful diet you should also limit or avoid animal fats, including dairy products and margarine. Olive oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil are suitable alternatives for cooking or salads. For good digestion, you should try to avoid fried foods in general.

Avoid highly saturated fats in your diet. White meat skinless chicken, seafood, and fish are the best meat choices. Make sure to always completely remove any fat. Try to replace the saturated fats you cut out with unsaturated fats.

Anyone, but especially those on a Multiple Sclerosis diet, should try to completely eliminate refined sugar. There are many healthier alternatives. Honey, fructose, or natural unsweetened fruit or vegetable juices would be ideal for a person on this diet.

Obviously, any foods you are allergic to should be cut from your diet. If you are unsure of allergies, try consulting a doctor or allergy specialist. You may also try eliminating all of the most common problem foods from your diet, and after two weeks bring them back one at a time. If you have a bad reaction to any food, then you should probably eliminate it from your multiple sclerosis diet.

You should increase the amount of fresh vegetables and fruits in your MS diet. Try to always eat freshly cooked food when you must cook it. This will increase the amount of vitamins and minerals your body absorbs. This will help to make up for some of the nutrients you lose by cutting certain things from your diet. Vitamin supplements may also be beneficial or even necessary for your Multiple Sclerosis, but you should consult a doctor to make sure you take the right vitamins.

Always drink lots of water. It is very easy for a person with Multiple Sclerosis to become dehydrated, so make sure to drink at least 8 large glasses of water every day. As strange as it sounds, this may help to improve the incontinence that many people with MS suffer from.

These tips for improving your Multiple Sclerosis diet are intended to help you control many common problems such as fatigue, incontinence, and constipation. Adjusting your diet may also help to avoid making other problems worse. Many of these tips are included in other diets, and even people without special dietary needs may benefit from following these suggestions.

(C) CG Groth Inc 2007

The “Daycare Diva”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Groth

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In the fast-paced world nearly everyone lives in today, stress is an ever-present possibility. Just-in-time manufacturing, instant news from around the world, computers and a host of other modern technologies are a great benefit. But along with them comes quicker deadlines, instant notification of bad news and more communication to deal with.

But no one is going to slow down the world, nor would many of us want to. At the same time, it’s helpful to realize that with more technology comes more options. Some of those options allow us to find new ways to deal with the internal and external factors that can form the basis of stress.

You may be unlucky enough to have a boss who imposes unreasonable deadlines to meet pointless work milestones. But many have the option now to telecommute, work flexible hours and take extended leave for pregnancy and other family situations.

There may be myriad challenges in the modern world, but there are a variety of new tools to deal with them. Computers can pile up work faster, but they also allow us to get more done with less labor. They also enable us to find those with similar interests who may live thousands of miles away. In decades past, that would have been nearly impossible, except for the occasional convention in a distant city.

Psychology, though still in its infancy as a science, is starting to compile a set of good data on neurobiology, nutrition and a host of other factors relevant to stress. Figuring out useful treatments from this bewildering array of studies will take time, but progress is being made.

Sports and diet have become much more scientific than they were a generation or two ago. As tools to fight stress, exercise and a proper diet are now recognized as twins in one of the most effective strategies for combating stress.

While millions still work hard, basics like housing and food, transportation and medical treatment constitute a smaller percentage of income for most than they did in generations past. It’s not uncommon for two-driver families to have more than two vehicles today.

Certainly there is no shortage of potential stressors. To listen to the nightly newscast is to see a picture of a world about to come apart at the seams. And, yet, we endure. It may be that there is more to the lives most people live than we see on the TV.

Dealing with difficult problems is, well, difficult. But that need not lead to stress. That results from a viewpoint that sees the dilemma between “I must” and “I can’t” as unsolvable. But there are many more methods available today to overcome “I can’t” and much more freedom to deny that “I must.” Toss the dilemma aside and declare your independence from stress.

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