Diet drinks and artificially sweetened treats are calorie free, but new research indicates that they’re fooling more than your mouth—and most likely messing with your metabolism. Scientists have discovered that the biological machinery that allows you to taste sweet with your tongue also exists in the gut, reports Science News (March 27, 2010).

In the mouth, sweet-taste receptors tell the brain to pump saliva, chew, and swallow. No problem there. In the gut, however, they “take this response to the next level, affirming that fuel is indeed incoming and setting off reactions to cope with it.” These reactions include releasing a surge of insulin, which encourages cells to drain glucose from blood and store it as energy in the muscles and liver. Artificial sweeteners trigger the same reactions, only there’s no energy for the body to harvest.

Scientists are still enthusiastically studying this whole body sense of taste, but the nascent discovery is likely to shed light on recent studies that established a seemingly perplexing association between drinking diet beverages and developing metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. As Science News concludes: “Perhaps that adage ‘Trust your gut’ should be accompanied with another edict: ‘Tell it no lies.’ No Trackbacks

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The blind will now be able to see, with their tongues:

***
We take many things for granted, like the ability to see. Sight allows one to walk in a crowd without bumping into others, to cross the street at the crosswalk, to know if the car in front of you is a taxi, to read a street name, to gather all kinds of visual information. Sight allows us an independence and freedom denied to blind people. But what if there was a way to give sight back to the blind? Impossible? Science-fiction?

Not so fast. This man is actually experiencing this miracle. His name is Roger Behm and he is identifying a variety of signs on a wall.

He's also manoeuvring his way around a chair in a passage, avoids it and sits down.

He does all of this despite being completely blind.

Roger Behm: 'Well, I'm 55... almost 56 now, and I was pretty much totally blind since 16. So it has been 40 years.'

Roger was an ordinary, happy child, but his life started to change when he was a teenager.

Roger: 'And I had sight up to about age 16... I never knew if it was perfect sight, but it was sight...

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Here's a radical solution to an agonizing problem.


Originally published on August 31, 2009 "
Source URL = http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200909/health-care

The Atlantic" -- Almost two years ago, my father was killed by a hospital-borne infection in the intensive-care unit of a well-regarded nonprofit hospital in New York City. Dad had just turned 83, and he had a variety of the ailments common to men of his age. But he was still working on the day he walked into the hospital with pneumonia. Within 36 hours, he had developed sepsis. Over the next five weeks in the ICU, a wave of secondary infections, also acquired in the hospital, overwhelmed his defenses. My dad became a statistic—merely one of the roughly 100,000 Americans whose deaths are caused or influenced by infections picked up in hospitals. One hundred thousand deaths: more than double the number of people killed in car crashes, five times the number killed in homicides, 20 times the total number of our armed forces killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another victim in a building American tragedy.

About a week after my father’s death, The New Yorker ran an article by Atul Gawande profiling the efforts of Dr. Peter Pronovost to reduce the incidence...

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Source URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/FredsHeadCompanion/~3/84600759/trustworthy-medical-websites.html

Thanks to the Internet, we have the ability to find the answers to many medical problems before we visit the doctor's office. Many medical research websites are now accessible and ready to share medical advice that will help you diagnose your every ailment. The websites with medical advice that you visit could give you valuable information and may help you decide what questions to ask when you visit your doctor.

So how do you know which sites are trustworthy? The last thing you want to do is get advice from someone who isn't qualified. Look for websites where registered doctors are the key source of information. Places like WebMD and HealthAtoZ have specific doctors who approve all of
the content, assuring that you get the most accurate information. Here's a list of trustworthy sites for you to check out. Remember, these sites do not replace a professional doctor's diagnosis. Do not begin your own medical treatment
without talking to your doctor.

• Alternative Medicine is a great resource for alternative medicines. It includes articles from doctors and medical practitioners and some creative alternatives to common medicines.
  
  
• WebMD contains thousands of articles on diseases and how to stay healthy. You can go through a
  mini-test to check out if that sore throat is really just a sore throat, or if it could be something worse. The test is divided for men and women, to give a more accurate diagnosis.
  
  
  
  
• The Mayo Clinic website uses a similar symptom checker and contains an "Ask the Specialist" section, where you can ask doctors specific medical questions.
  
  
  
  
• eMedicineHealth.com offers a crash course in first aid treatment for the most common emergencies like choking or bee stings.
  
  
  
  
• HealthAtoZ.com is another website filled with medical suggestions, tips and advice. Use it as a resource when you need a second opinion.
  
  
  
  
• The RX List website offers current prescription information, including a list of side effects for many drugs.
  

If you need someone to talk to about your current medical problems, you may want to visit an online support group. Online support groups are there for you if you don't have time to visit a live group, or you just prefer to remain anonymous. You can exchange emails and posts about your questions, get answers, and provide support for others. Support Path provides a list of the most popular support groups that you can find on the Internet. You can also check out Google's Support Groups for a list of some of the more common support groups.



Article Source:

http://www.askbobrankin.com/medical_advice_online_.html

Symptom Checker

Have you ever gotten a sore throat or an ear ache and wondered why? Or even more, what it could be a symptom of? I most certainly have. So, I like to go
and look at a symptom checker like this one from the Mayo Clinic to see what's going on.

When the page loads, you'll notice that there is one side for Adults and one for Children. Choose the appropriate side for the person you are checking the
symptoms for and then look at the list of symptoms to choose the one that matches.

This will take you to a page for that symptom where you will fill in the checkboxes for everything that applies. It is normally divided up into sections.
The most common being: Symptom is, Triggered By, Accompanied by, Relieved by and Pattern. Go through each section for your symptom and be honest in your
answers. Then click Submit.

It will then load a page of diseases and conditions that your symptoms match, as well as, information on the disease, what symptoms matched each disease
and when you should seek urgent medical care.

Flu (Influenza) Information from the CDC

It's a bad flu season, so check this website from the Center for Disease Control for weekly flu activity reports,
ways to prevent flu, symptoms and treatment, and advice for parents,
schools and childcare providers, employers, etc.



Click this link to learn more about the flu from the CDC.

Now remember, this is only a guide and it shouldn't serve as a diagnosis for a condition. It's sort of just to point you in the right direction and let
you know when to seek professional health care!


Click this link to visit the Symptom Checker at the Mayo Clenic.

Health Hotlines from The National Library of Medicine

The National Library of Medicine offers this searchable, browsable online
database of health-related organizations that operate toll-free telephone
services.



Click this link to visit the Health Hotlines from the NLM: http://healthhotlines.nlm.nih.gov. No Trackbacks

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Welcome to FruitAndVeggieGuru, your portal to everything you need to know about the delicious fruits and vegetables you enjoy. You'll find answers to all
kinds of questions, from why you should eat more produce to how to prepare artichokes.

If it's a specific fruit or vegetable you're interested in, either click on the fruit or vegetable pull-down tab at the top, or type the name in the search
box. Once you enter the world of your chosen produce item, you'll find loads of background and variety information, nutrition specifics, serving sizes,
preparation ideas and care and handling tips. Perhaps you've read about a specific nutrient offered by some fruits and vegetables, and you want to investigate
it. Just use the search tool to locate the nutrient.

For a broader sweep of the produce world, check out the various tabs on the site. For example, stay current with everything going on in the ever-changing
realm of produce by clicking on the "Produce in the News " tab. The site scans hundreds of newspapers and magazines and pass along what's important to
you, whether it's new cooking methods, breaking news about food safety or seasonal produce information.

As you think of adding more healthy produce to the dinner plate, no doubt you've grappled with such questions as, "How can I get my child to eat more fruits
and vegetables?" or "What's really the deal with organics?" You can find answers to those questions by clicking on the appropriate tab.

If you're not convinced that there's any good in the greens, just look at the "Produce and Your Health" section. Whatever we've missed in FruitAndVeggieGuru,
hopefully you will find it in the links provided throughout or in the "Links" section.

It's time to get started on your journey into the wild-and-tasty, living-and-breathing world of fruits and vegetables.
Click this link to visit http://www.FruitAndVeggieGuru.com.
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This accessible blog is all about improving your life and your lifestyle. Mens health, womens health, secrets of youth, life extension and quality of life
can all be found with a visit. Whether you want to live longer, live better, love longer, love better or just be healthy, active and having a good time
until you are well into your 100's!

It doesn't matter if you are in your 20's or in your 90's, this site will help you to live longer and live better. Quality of life and duration of life
is what is important here.

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At an FDA hearing on the safety of psychotropic drugs on Feb 2, 2004, dozens of tortured parents testified that their children had committed suicide or
other violent acts after being prescribed the same drugs that are being marketed in the Bush-backed pharmaceutical industry schemes aimed at recruiting
the nations 52 million school children as customers.
In July 2003, the Bush appointed New Freedoms Commission on Mental Health (NFC) recommended screening all children for mental illness and designated TeenScreen
as a model program to ensure that every student receives a mental health check-up before finishing high school.

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May 31, 2006

(AP) Instead of a conventional hospital birth, Heidi Teeple and her husband, Rod, brought baby Logan into the world while soaking together in a freestanding
tub of warm water in their living room, with a fire in the fireplace and two midwives at their side.

"It was great," said Heidi Teeple, who lives in San Anselmo, Calif. "It was much more relaxing. There was no anxiety about when to go to the hospital. I
called the midwives; they came. They were both very calm and soothing."

The Teeples are part of a small but growing contingent of people choosing to give birth with midwives, caregivers who view birth as a natural, rather than
medical, experience, and one that should be tailored to a mother's needs.

The trend has been slow but steady in coming.

The number of women giving birth with a midwife has doubled since 1990, both in absolute numbers and as a percentage of overall births. According to data
from the National Center for Health Statistics for 2003, the most recent year for which data is available, 8 percent of pregnant women in the United States
gave birth with a midwife compared with 4 percent in 1990. Births attended by a certified nurse midwife, for example, have risen every year since 1975.

Laws governing midwifery vary from state to state, as does insurance coverage of midwife-assisted births.

Generally, many insurers cover midwife care, provided she is licensed according to state law and works in a hospital or approved birthing center. Not all
midwives are certified nurses; those who aren't are sometimes referred to as lay midwives. Insurance coverage is spottier for those midwives who are not
certified nurses, or who assist home birth or otherwise work outside the traditional hospital setting.

But choosing a midwife is about more than merely selecting a care provider or deciding between birth at a hospital or home. It represents a paradigm shift
in how a woman approaches pregnancy, advocates say. Although certified nurse midwives are licensed to administer medication, they generally encourage a
drug-free birth and rely primarily on natural methods of care.

At the core, it's a rejection of the quintessential birth scene: the pregnant woman lying in a single bed, a nurse at the ready with a pain-relieving epidural
shot and a hospital room full of people yelling "push!"

Still, with pregnancy and birth having some of the highest costs in medical care, families do need to consider whether a midwife's services will be covered.

WellPoint Inc., the nation's largest health insurer, said its coverage of midwifery varies by locality and health plan.

(AP) Aetna Inc. said it contracts with midwives who assist deliveries in hospitals or birthing centers but does not cover planned home births, except in
New York and Washington or elsewhere in the world where law mandates coverage. One of the insurer's global plans covered 80 percent of Teeple's pregnancy
and birth, Teeple said.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. said it covers both hospital and home births with a licensed midwife. Benefits are generally the same for a woman who chooses a
physician and hospital as for a woman who prefers a midwife and home birth.

"If you are a consumer, you need to ask if there are midwives in a given market's network," spokesman Roger Rollman said . "Some have midwives, and some
do not."

In some parts of the country, access to midwife care has been hampered by the rising cost of malpractice insurance. In order to curb costs, some obstetric
practices have laid off their midwives in order to save on overhead expenses.

Where midwives are available, the cost of a midwife-attended birth varies by place and practitioner.

"When we were first looking at the cost, it was a lot less to deliver with a midwife," said Christine Louden, a West Hartford, Conn., mother who had her
two boys with midwives. "Cost didn't motivate our decision but we saw the cost and thought, 'Wow.' But the decision was definitely motivated by belief
systems."

Couples who give birth with a midwife describe the experience with words like "soothing," "romantic" and "calm."

During her labor, the midwives "didn't say much at all," said Heidi Teeple, 31. "As it got closer, they made sure things were going right. It was very empowering
to feel like I was doing it on my own."

In a separate conversation, Rod Teeple, who is 41, echoed his wife and said having the midwives there more than anything gave him confidence. He called
Logan's birth "the most smooth, amazing experience," one that was "very private."

Some women say part of the draw of midwifery is the freedom to give birth wherever and however they choose.

Rachel Ledoux, a 27-year-old mother from Chicopee, Mass., said she spent a good deal of her labor in the hospital room's shower, with the midwife periodically
getting in with her to check her progress. Louden, 36, gave birth to her son in a king-sized bed in a birthing center with her husband David lying beside
her.

"Midwives let women be in whatever position they want to be in, on their hands and knees on the floor, squatting, in a tub," said Susan Hodges, president
of the advocacy group Citizens for Midwifery. "Without signs of a real medical problem, birth should actually be more hands-off than it is." No Trackbacks

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Hypoglycemia, otherwise known as low blood sugar, can cause symptoms ranging from temporary dizziness to passing out. Most of us have symptoms somewhere
in between. Constant hunger, heart palpitations, difficulty concentrating—all of these are common, not to mention very discouraging.

But there is a way out. You can control your blood sugar by turning these 10 rules for changing your diet and lifestyle into habits. Take it slowly and
implement one rule every few weeks—it will get easier as you go.

1. Eat small amounts frequently

This is the first new habit you need, and the best way to get started because eating often can prevent your blood sugar from dropping to an uncomfortable
level. Eat three meals and at least three snacks every day, including a snack before bed.

2. Choose balanced snacks and meals

We all know that a balanced diet, complete with all of the vitamins and minerals we need is crucial, but when I talk about a “balanced” diet, I mean balancing
carbohydrates, protein and fats. We need all three in every meal and snack. We have all been inundated with the “fat is bad” mantra, but moderate amounts
of good fats can really help with blood sugar control.

3. Switch to high-fiber carbohydrates

Fiber is great for digestion and helps slow the movement of food through your system. We usually think of grains, but vegetables are a great source of fiber,
too. Choose lots of different vegetables and eat them raw as much as possible. If you cook your vegetables, steam them, but leave them crisp. Choose whole
grains and unprocessed, natural foods as much as possible.

4. Avoid sugar (in all its forms)

Sugar is the big no-no for hypoglycemics and one of the hardest foods to eliminate from your diet. First, there is sugar, in some form or another, in almost
every packaged food you can find. Second, most hypoglycemics have intense sugar cravings. It can be very difficult to quit, and most of us feel a real
psychological and physical loss as we try to stop eating sugar. That’s why this rule is fourth on the list—eating more often and adding protein and high
fiber foods to every meal and snack over a period of weeks will make it easier to take this drastic step. Make it a habit to read labels, avoid refined
sugary foods and don’t use soft drinks.

5. Don’t drink alcohol

Alcohol can often be a crutch for the physical and mental symptoms of low blood sugar. You will feel better for a while, but you will likely have a blood
sugar crash as the alcohol passes through your system. Alcohol makes me feel light-headed and headachy almost immediately. If you are still not convinced,
consider this: Several studies have shown that 80-95% of alcoholics are hypoglycemic—alcohol is their way of self-medicating.

6. Avoid caffeine

Caffeine is another way of self-medicating. Caffeine artificially raises your blood sugar and temporarily reduces the symptoms. This is not a permanent
way to control your blood sugar, and caffeine has to go before you can really start a permanent recovery of your out-of-control blood sugar. Switch to
decaffeinated coffee and tea, or eliminate them altogether.

7. Stop smoking

Nicotine, like caffeine, acts like a sugar hit, and each cigarette will result in a sugar drop later. Smoking is another way of self-medicating and you
can’t get long term improvement of your blood sugar until you quit. Talk to your doctor about how you can finally kick the habit.

8. Exercise

Exercise is great for your health, fitness level and your sense of well-being. Your exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous, but try to move every day, even
if it is only taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Over-exercising can be a problem for hypoglycemics because your blood sugar can suddenly drop.
That’s why it’s important to carry snacks with you when you exercise.

9. Take time to sleep

Get at least seven hours of sleep every night. Any stress on your body, whether it is caused by what you eat or drink or by constant sleep deprivation will
make your hypoglycemia symptoms worse.

10. Reduce your stress

Taking care of your kids, your parents, your job, your household—it can just be too much sometimes. You can’t get rid of all your stressors, but remove
those sources of stress that you have control over. Some of us are really reluctant to ask for help or even accept help when it is offered. Give yourself
a break—make some time to take care of YOU!

You can eat well and live well with hypoglycemia. It just takes practice. Take the time to get used to each change before making the next one. Most importantly,
be patient with yourself. By the time you get to Rule #10, you may be feeling so well you’ll have trouble remembering why you were changing in the first
place!

Anita Flegg is an Ottawa writer and editor and the author of Hypoglycemia: The Other Sugar Disease. For more information about hypoglycemia and her book,
please visit
www.theothersugardisease.com
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Yeah, and I've always liked Lemonade .
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May 24, 2006 -- If life gives you kidney stones, make lemonade.

New research shows that lemonade is an effective -- and delicious -- way
for kidney-stone-prone people to slow the development of new stones.

"When treating patients in our kidney stone center, we put everyone on
lemonade therapy," says Steven Y. Nakada, chair and professor of urology
at the Universïty of Wisconsin, Madison.

(Go to this link for complete news story)
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/122/114829.htm
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