The older you get,  the more you realize that nothing is really that important.  Enjoy every minute of your life….regardless of what you are doing.  You could be washing the dishes or mowing the lawn.  It really doesn’t matter what activity you are involved in….you can be happy doing anything.  It’s all about your state of mind.

Periodically go back and re-read this list.  If you have started to slip and begin thinking that life is a chore, this will bring you back to thinking about what is really important in life.   This will keep your mind healthy.

However, your body is equally important and a  great way to keep it healthy is to change your system from being acidic to being alkaline.  Read about a great way to do that at this very informative website:

http://www.GetAlkalizedWithKangen.com

Acidosis will decrease the body’s ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients, decrease the energy production in the cells, decrease it’s ability to repair damaged cells, decrease it’s ability to detoxify heavy metals, make tumor cells thrive, and make it more susceptible to fatigue and illness.

An acidic pH can occur from an acid-forming diet, emotional stress, toxic overload, and/or immune reactions or any process that deprives the cells of oxygen and other nutrients. The body will try to compensate for acidic pH by using alkaline minerals. If the diet does not contain enough minerals to compensate, a build up of acids in the cells will occur. Acidosis can cause such problems as:

Cardiovascular damage.

Weight gain, obesity and diabetes.

Bladder conditions.

Kidney stones.

Immune deficiency.

Acceleration of free radical damage.

Hormonal problems.

Premature aging.

Osteoporosis and joint pain.

Aching muscles and lactic acid buildup.

Low energy and chronic fatigue. Slow digestion and elimination.

Yeast/fungal overgrowth.

Lack of energy and fatigue.

Lower body temperature.

Tendency to get infections.

Loss of drive, joy, and enthusiasm.

Depressive tendencies.

Easily stressed.

Pale complexion.

Headaches.

Inflammation of the corneas and eyelids. Loose and painful teeth.

Inflamed, sensitive gums.

Mouth and stomach ulcers.

Cracks at the corners of the lips.

Excess stomach acid.

Gastritis.

Nails are thin and split easily.

Hair looks dull, has split ends, and falls out.

Dry skin.

Skin easily irritated.

Leg cramps and spasms.

So it’s essential that we change our bodies from being acidic to being alkaline.

If you would like additional information on the very best way to accomplish this, then check out the website at:

www.GetAlkalizedWithKangen.com

They declared a  public health emergency and vaccines were stockpiled….enough for a universal immunization program.

As of  Tuesday, April 28, 2009, there have been 68 reported cases of a new ’swine flu’ in the United States.  Obviously, before it’s all over there will be many more cases.  The reaction has not differed much from back in 1976.  It has once again been declared a public health emergency and the vaccine is again being stockpiled.

No doubt we all recall the SARS, Bird Flu and West Nile Virus scares.  Could this latest case of the swine flu be the ‘Big One’?    At the moment no one knows how much of an impact this is going to have on society in general.  It would be complete conjecture at this stage of the game.

I live on Vancouver Island and Victoria is only a one hour drive away.  Today I read in the local paper that a Victoria woman is on the mend from the swine flu.  She recently returned from a resort in Cancun, Mexico.  She is the first person on Vancouver Island to be diagnosed with it.  However, as of yesterday there were seven new cases confirmed here in Canada.  They all have links with travel to Mexico, where the illness is suspected of killing at least 150 people and making another 1600 sick.  There are about 80 other confirmed cases in other countries.

The Asian flu of 1957-58 and the Hong Kong flu of 1968-69 were the last big epidemics to hit the U.S., and we won’t know what the next epidemic is until we are actually in the middle of it.  There is no need for anyone to panic but on the other hand, we don’t want to ignore the situation either.

We want to use our common sense and make sure we know what we should do to prepare ourselves for a pandemic.  We all realize that with the speed of travel these days, something of a viral nature can spread very quickly.

One of the very best things to stop the spread of infectious diseases is isolation.  You would obviously want to eliminate, or at least minimize, your exposure to the general public.  Make sure you always have a supply of non-perishable food items on hand along with sufficient water.  Your supply should be enough to last you at least a few weeks without having to leave your home.  It’s also a good idea to have a minimum of three months supply of any medications you take.  Keep a small supply of fibre surgical masks around also.

The experts believe that it is not a matter of whether, but when, we eventually have another pandemic.  Is this outbreak of swine flu going to be the big one?  Most likely not.  The strain does not appear to be very potent and people are recovering quite rapidly.  However, we can look at it as a good wakeup call, so that we can make all necessary arrangements for possible future events.

In the meantime, do whatever you can to keep your immune system strong.  Obviously these diseases will affect people with a weakened system to a greater degree than a person with a healthy one.  It is definitely not a time to panic, but to be wise and take all the necessary precautions and preparations to protect your precious health.

Here you will find the very best way to improve your health and your immune system

The cause of 90 - 95% of the cases of hypertension isn’t known. This is referred to as ‘essential hypertension’.  However, regardless of that, it is easy to diagnose and there are numerous treatments to help control it.

Many conditions can adversely affect the blood pressure. Eight of them are as follows:-

1. STRESS An argument, financial problems, fear and other emotional factors will temporarily raise your blood pressure. This actually is a defense mechanism to enable you to function more efficiently by increasing the amount of oxygen and nutrients available to the cells. Unless you already have hypertension, a temporary increase shouldn’t be harmful, but if you are already a sufferer, it could bring about a stroke.  This is why people who are chronically hypertensive, are told to stay calm and not get overly excited.
2. SMOKING Literally within seconds of lighting a cigarette, your blood pressure increases as much as 15-20 points. This happens because nicotine has a stimulating effect on the adrenal glands. They send out a hormone to help defend the body against the poison and when this happens the blood vessels constrict and the pressure goes up.
3. SALT Common table salt can affect your blood pressure tremendously. However, not everyone who has HBP reacts adversely to table salt. You should be able to determine very easily whether it affects you.  Monitor your blood pressure a few times during the day and then when you have a highly salted meal (for instance Chinese food) check your blood pressure a few times over the next 24 hours. People that are sensitive to salt have to be extremely careful with their diet, and make sure they read the labels on their food products.  Canned soups are notoriously high in sodium.
4. KIDNEY DISEASE With kidney disease, the kidneys are unable to eliminate the liquid wastes from the body and they accumulate, producing edema and toxicity.
5. LIVER CONGESTION All the blood in the body flows through the liver, both to pick up nutrients that the liver stores and for detoxification. If the liver is congested with toxins or chemicals, and has lost its ability to function properly for a number of reasons, a back pressure builds up in the portal circulation. This can be reflected in the whole body circulation as high blood pressure.
6. ATHEROSCLEROSIS - ARTERIOSCLEROSIS Many feel that the major cause of hypertension is the narrowing of the arterial system by deposits of calcium, cholesterol, fibrin and other blood constituents resulting in either atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis. As plaque builds up, the internal diameter of the blood vessel is decreased significantly. This results in increased pressure because the same amount of fluid is being forced through a narrower opening.
7. TUMORS In a very small percentage of patients suffering with HPB, other factors, such as tumors, are involved.
8. NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES A deficiency in calcium, magnesium, potassium and other nutrients have a definite effect on creating the condition of hypertension.

These eight conditions can adversely affect the blood pressure but are not the underlying causes of having the condition in the first place. As the majority of people suffer from essential hypertension (HPB of unknown cause), the best that they can do is be aware of these conditions and do whatever is necessary to protect themselves. They, of course, should be under the care of their physician, as there are numerous medications available, as well as many natural products that can also be very beneficial.

Check here for something that has improved the HBP of very many people

Our anxiety can be accompanied by physical effects such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, stomach ache, headaches and nausea. This is the way the body is preparing to deal with a perceived threat. Blood pressure, heart rate and sweating increase and blood flow to the muscles also increases. However, at the same time function to the immune and digestive systems is inhibited. This is what is referrred to as the fight or flight response. Some outward signs include sweating, trembling and pale skin.

The person suffering from an anxiety attack might also feel a sense of dread or panic, but not the almost paralyzing terror suffered by a person having a panic attack.

People who are suffering from anxiety disorders are three to five times more likely to seek medical treatment and six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than other people.

When a person is having an anxiety attack they usually feel out of control. They experience very little warning prior to having one and then don’t know how to handle it when it comes. Most people who suffer from anxiety attacks end up visiting their doctor and usually they are given a prescription for a tranquilizer. Unfortunately, this is not the answer. It’s just a bandaid solution and does not get to the root cause of the attacks.

Sometimes there are physical problems that are contributing to the anxiety, such as hormonal fluctuations with the ovaries or the thyroid gland. Also, those suffering from hypoglycemia can also show symptoms of anxiety when their blood sugar levels suddenly drop. Blood tests can determine any of these causes.  Once a physical cause is identified, then the next step is to correct the problem with some form of treatment.

However, for many people, there is not a physical cause for their anxiety. Stress is invariably involved in the majority, if not all, cases of anxiety attacks. Following are some of the ways to combat stress and prevent future anxiety attacks:-

• The first thing you must do is make a conscious effort to relax and breathe deliberately and slowly;
• Call a relative or a close friend to give you support;
• Don’t expect too much from yourself; accept the things you cannot change;  realize that not everything is in your control;
• Take a hot bath;
• Grow in your faith;
• Learn some relaxation and exercise techniques such as meditation and yoga;
• Buy a few relaxation CDs and listen to them as soon as you think you are getting anxious;
• Surround yourself with things that you love;
• Schedule some alone time for yourself and do something you love to do such as listening to your favorite music or reading a good book.

We are never going to be able to eliminate stress from our lives.  We just have to learn some ways that work for us in reducing the stress levels and have some techniques to fall back on when we start to feel anxious.  It is possible to live a happy life, free from anxiety attacks.  Many people have done it, including myself.  It will take some effort of your part, but it is so worth it.

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Change your body from being acidic to being alkaline and see the difference it makes in your overall health

• AGE -  85% of all people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 years of age or older;
• GENDER -  Men are at greater risk that women and they have more attacks earlier in life.  Even after  women are through the menopause stage, their death rate is still not as great as that of men;
• HEREDITY AND FAMILY HISTORY -  You are more likely to develop heart disease, if your parents developed it prior to the age of 55;
• CONGENITAL RISKS -  Genetic abnormalities and inherited problems will increase the risk;
• MENOPAUSE -  Prior to a woman reaching menopause, her hormones seem to protect her heart and blood vessels.  However, during menopause her estrogen levels significantly decrease and as a result of that, the risk for heart disease increases.

BUT WAIT…THERE IS SOME GOOD NEWS…there are a number of factors that are well within your control.  If you pay close attention to these and modify your lifestyle and behaviour,  you can make a tremendous difference in the health of your heart.

Here are three controllable risk factors.

• HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE -  If you suffer from hypertension, your heart is having to work overtime, causing it to enlarge and weaken over time.  It is also known to increase your risk of stroke, heart attack, congestive heart failure and kidney failure.  If you are also obese, smoke, have high cholesterol levels or diabetes, your risk of having a heart attack multiplies;
• DIABETES -  Unfortunately, statistics show that two thirds of people with diabetes die from some form of heart or blood vessel disease….and that is even if their glucose levels are under control.  Therefore, if you are a diabetic, it is  critical to diligently monitor your blood sugar levels and do everything you can to control it;
• HIGH BLOOD CHOLESTEROL -  As blood cholesterol levels increase so does the risk of coronary heart disease.  If you happen to smoke and also have high blood pressure, then the risk increases even more.  Cholesterol level can also be affected by  age, gender, heredity and diet.

There are numerous treatments for all of the above three risk factors.  However, in many cases it is just a matter of a change in lifestyle.  For instance, smoking is very harmful to not only the health of your heart and your blood vessels, but many other organs of your body.  Giving up smoking might take a great deal of effort and self control, but anyone who has done it will tell you how they feel so much better.

We also have complete control over our diet.  Try to get as many fruits and vegetables into your diet as possible.  Make good protein choices, such as fish, skinless chicken and turkey and legumes.  Low fat and non-fat dairy products are also recommended.  Use monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as olive, canola and corn oil.

Even though you might be one of those persons who has been dealt a raw hand when it comes to risk factors, there is still so much that you can do to keep your heart and blood vessels as healthy as they can be for you.  It really is worth all the effort you can muster to do this.

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Disease cannot thrive or even survive in an alkaline body.  Learn all about it here.

Many people ask me how they are supposed to know when they are finished with the menopause.  Very simply, once you have gone a full 12 consecutive months without a period,  then you are considered to have completed the menopause.

Until 2002 hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was routinely used to treat menopausal symptoms and protect long term health.  So what happened in 2002?  Well, there was a large clinical trial called the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) that reported that HRT actually caused more health risks than benefits for the women in the trial.  Doctors started to get very nervous about prescribing it to their patients.  The final outcome was that up to two-thirds of women discontinued its use, quite often without even discussing it with their doctors.

Even though there is still plenty of confusion surrounding HRT, it is still considered the most effective treatment for dealing with menopausal symptoms.  The following are some of the benefits of replacement therapy.

• relief of hot flashes and night sweats;
• relief of vaginal symptoms including dryness, itching and burning;

For the most part, these are the symptoms that bother women the most .

It is no longer routinely recommended that a women take HRT on a long-term basis.  However, even for those women who take it for the short-term relief of menopausal symptoms, they might also gain some protection against the following conditions:-

• OSTEOPOROSIS. After the menopause, women are at risk for osteoporosis-related hip fractures.  Studies have shown that HRT can prevent the bone loss than occurs after menopause, thereby decreasing their risk for bone fractures;
• COLORECTAL CANCER. The studies have also shown that HRT can decrease the risk of getting colorectal cancer;
• HEART DISEASE. Even though all the data is not yet in, what they do have suggests that estrogen can decrease the risk of heart disease, if it is taken early in the postmenopausal years.

If you have transitioned into menopause naturally,  your doctor will generally prescribe a combination therapy of estrogen and progestin.  The reason for this is because estrogen alone can increase the risk of uterine cancer.  For women who have undergone a hysterectomy (the surgical removal of the uterus),  they can take estrogen alone.  Even in these cases, some doctors like to prescribe a little progestin, obviously for reasons other than the prevention of uterine cancer.

This is one blog post in a series.  Other posts will deal with:-

(a) the risks of hormone therapy, and

(b) how to protect yourself from the added risks, if you do decide to take it.

I recommend that you get all the facts before making a decision that can affect your health in a number of ways, both positively and adversely.  Be an informed consumer and take an active part in taking care of your health.

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To improve your total health you have to change your body from being acidic to being alkaline.  Check it out here.

In a heart attack, one of the blood vessels supplying blood to the heart has a blockage.  In a stroke, the blood vessel supplying blood to the brain is blocked.  The heart attack causes damage to the heart muscle and the stroke causes damage to a section of the brain.  A stroke can also be caused by an aneurysm, which is a weakened blood vessel inside the brain itself.

Chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, fainting, fatigue, sweating and cold sweats, nausea and vomiting, anxiety, panic and heartburn are all signs and symptoms of a heart attack.

The symptoms of a stroke can sometimes be very similar, so it’s important to know that there are definite warning signs for strictly a stroke.   According to the American Stroke Foundation, these are the five warning signs:-

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body;
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding;
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes;
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or co-ordination;
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Note that all these symptoms come on suddenly and they can be more obvious than those of a heart attack.   However, because the sick person might be feeling very confused, he might not comprehend what is happening to him and because of this  might not take any action.  If we happen to notice a sudden change in the behaviour or appearance of someone we are with, we shouldn’t hesitate to phone 911.   Clot-busting drugs are now available, and if given within three hours of the start of symptoms of a stroke, this treatment can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke.

If you familiarize yourself with these stroke symptoms you will be in a good position to take fast action if you think that either yourself or someone you are with is actually having a stroke.  The timing is crucial, so please don’t hesitate to act.  You very well might save someone’s life…perhaps even your own.

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Take control of your health…change your body from being acidic to being alkaline.

• The inability of the blood to clot due to blood thinning medication such as aspirin or warfarin;
• Liver disease;
• Thinning of the membranes inside the nose causing the vessels to be very close to the surface;
• Rare causes — abnormal blood vessels in the nose and nasal cancers;
• High Blood Pressure  –  this may be a contributing factor but is almost never the only reason;
• Scratching the inside of the nose, especially if it is dry and crusty inside;

Parents are especially concerned when their child has a nosebleed and they wonder whether it warrants a trip to the hospital.

The following is the criteria for deciding on whether to visit the hospital or not:-

• The nose is still bleeding significantly after 10 minutes of pressure on the nose;
• You are having repeated episodes;
• You are feeling dizzy or lightheaded and feeling like you are going to pass out;
• Rapid heart beat or trouble breathing;
• spitting up or vomiting blood;

There isn’t usually an excessive loss of blood with most nosebleeds.  However, it can happen, so it is essential that you immediately do everything you can to stop the flow of blood.  If the nosebleed originates  from the posterior area, then the flow can be quite dramatic and it has to be stopped as soon as possible.  Those that originate from the anterior are less severe and also much easier to handle without having to leave your home.

Here are a few suggestions for stopping the bleed:-

• pinch the nose for at least 10 minutes;  do not let go at all during that period of time;
• put an icepack on the back of the neck;
• always lean forward otherwise the blood will trickle down the back of your throat;
• try to keep calm and not panic;
• you might want to roll some toilet paper up and pack the nostril and leave it in for a while;

There is much debate as to whether you should blow your nose during the nosebleed or even when it’s all over.  I was of the opinion that you should not….that was until I had such a severe nosebleed that the ambulance was called.  The attendants periodically had me gently blow,  especially as I could hardly breathe because of the size of the clot.  This worked well for me, even though it took a few clots forming and subsequently getting rid of them, before things subsided.  A posterior nosebleed can be quite dramatic and it can be very scary, especially if this is the first time you have experienced one.  I reiterate, please stay as calm as possible and just concentrate on stopping the bleeding.

It is a wise decision to make an appointment with an ear, nose and throat specialist if you are having recurring nosebleeds and especially if they are from the posterior area.

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To greatly improve your health you must change your system from being acidic to being alkaline.  Here is the easiest and fastest way to do it.