A team of researchers reported in June 2007 in Nippon Rinsho have found what is sure to be a great health breakthrough for chronic fatigue syndrome saying that far infrared sauna therapy is showing to be a promising new treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients. This study, which involved thirteen patients from the Masuda Clinic in Japan, has offered important insight into CFS treatment. In this study, thermal therapy was performed using far infrared ray dry sauna for CFS patients who had symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and low-grade fever. These symptoms were dramatically improved in two patients, so prednisolone administration was discontinued. These two patients did sauna therapy consisting of a far infrared ray dry sauna at sixty degrees Celsius, with post-sauna warming. This therapy was preformed once each day, for a total of thirty-five days. Symptoms such as fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, and low-grade fever were dramatically improved after only fifteen to twenty sessions of thermal therapy. Although the steroid administration was discontinued, the subjects did not show any relapse of symptoms during the first year after their discharge. The other eleven patients with CFS showed improvement in their physical symptoms such as fatigue and pain. Additionally, they reported that repeated thermal therapy had a relaxing effect and reduced appetite loss and complains in those patients who were mildly depressed. These results show that repeated thermally therapy may be a great method for the treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Far infrared technology wavelengths get into the body to create heat, which in turn creates great therapeutic benefits such as increasing blood flow to the muscles which delivers more concentrated oxygen, and therefore creating more energy to heal. Additionally, far infrared therapy stimulates circulation, helping the body to eliminate metabolic debris and waste.

Working with CFS requires daily therapy and the trouble with relying on a health professional’s office for your far infrared therapy means everyday trips to the office and more than likely fees. The best place to find far infrared heat is inside a Sunlight Sauna, which uses an exclusive Solocarbon heater, and operates at a lower temperature which is perfectly compatible with the human body. This lower heat frequency causes the production of more vital infrared light energy.

Infrared light is the part of the sun’s invisible spectrum of light that is able to penetrate the human tissue. Infrared heater technology uses these characteristics to heat the body directly instead of just the air. Far infrared saunas increase the body’s core temperature, helping the body to rid itself of harmful toxins through a deeper sweat. Conventional saunas heat the air with steam, which can often be extremely hot and only cause you to sweat on the surface. The steam also makes the air difficult to breath. A far infrared sauna, on the other hand, uses dry far infrared heat that is well ventilated which makes it extremely comfortable and relaxing. Many of America’s leading doctors and health experts endorse the use of Sunlight Sauna units. If you put one of these units in your home or practice for regular use, the health benefits are guaranteed to be well worth the investment, especially for those with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

————
More information on chronic fatigue and vitamin supplements can be found at VitaNet, LLC Health Foods. http://vitanetonline.com/

Women find their own breast cancers most of the time (90% of the time according to one English study).

Monthly breast self-exam (or breast self-massage) provides early detection at lower cost, with no danger - and more pleasure - than yearly screening mammograms.

Most breast cancers (80%) are slow growing, taking between 42 and 300 days to double in size. A yearly mammogram could find these cancers 8-16 months before they could be felt, but this “early detection” does little to improve the already excellent longevity of women with slow-growing, non-metastasized breast cancers.

The 20% of breast cancers that are fast growing are the trouble-makers. They can double in size in 21 days. Monthly breast self-exams are much more likely to find these aggressive cancers than are yearly mammograms. (A 21-day doubling cancer will be visible on a mammogram only six weeks before it can be felt.) If you massage or examine your breasts even six times a year, you can take action on fast-growing lumps. If you rely on mammograms exclusively, the cancer could grow undetected for months.

In a recent look at 60,000 breast cancer diagnoses in the United States, 67% were found by the woman or her doctor - and over half of these were not visible on a mammogram - while 33% were discovered by mammogram. (This may seem like a substantial number of cancers found by mammography, but the majority of them were in situ cancers, a controversial type of cancer that may - but often does not - progress to invasive cancer.)

Green blessings!

———————–

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498

www.susunweed.com

www.ashtreepublishing.com

Mammographic screening increases risk of breast cancer mortality in premenopausal women. A Canadian study of 90,000 women (published in Lancet, November 1992) showed a 36-52% increase in mortality from breast cancer in women 40-49 who had annual mammograms.

The Swedish Malmo Screening Trial (as reported in The British Medical Journal, 1988) which also included tens of thousands of women, showed 29% greater mortality from breast cancer in women under 55 who were regularly screened with mammograms. (Studies of women 50-59 showed no difference in breast cancer mortality between women who did and women who did not have regular screening mammograms.)

Critics of these studies claim that newer mammographic equipment uses less radiation. This belies the point that mammograms are inherently dangerous. Orthodox medicine tells me again and again to overlook the harm that it has done to women and promises a future where the machines will be better calibrated and safer. But what of the harm that has been, and is now, done?

Mammographic screening is not and never will be a safe way to find breast cancer. Although safer after menopause than before, mammography is never without risk entirely.

Why I haven’t had a baseline mammogram: The idea behind having a baseline mammogram -that there will be a norm to refer back to - is erroneous. Breast tissues are constantly changing as menstrual, ovulatory, pregnancy, lactational, and menopausal hormones change. Science, the constant straight line, meets woman, the ever-changing spiral. And younger breast tissue is especially sensitive to radiation. According to J. W. Gofman (M.D., Ph.D., authority on dangers of radiation exposure), a 35-year-old woman whose normal risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 1500 increases it to 1 in 660 by exposing herself to the radiation of a baseline mammogram. The National Women’s Health Network says baseline mammograms should be abolished.

If you’ve already had a baseline mammogram and now feel worried, make yourself a soup of lentils (to restore damaged DNA to normalcy), seaweed (to remove radioactive isotopes), and carrots (to support your immune system). Season with miso and tamari (to stop the promotion of cancer cells), and thyme, rosemary, and garlic (to further strengthen the immune system). Breathe in, relax, don’t worry.

——————-

Green Blessings.
Susun Weed PO Box 64 Woodstock, NY 12498 Fax: 1-845-246-8081 Visit Susun Weed at: www.susunweed.com and www.ashtreepublishing.com. For permission to reprint this article, contact us at: susunweed@herbshealing.com

On average, we need about seven to eight hours of sleep a night to function optimally. In today’s fast paced and high stress society, a third of the population reports difficulties with sleep, and about 10% of people report chronic insomnia, a condition that involves trouble falling or staying asleep, waking up in the middle of the night or too early in the morning, persistently poor sleep quality, and trouble functioning the next day.

There are many reasons why people have trouble sleeping. High levels of stress, anxiety, and/or depression are often the culprit. Other possible causes include medical problems or conditions, chronic pain, use of certain medications, excessive use of alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine, or the presence of a more complicated sleep disorder (such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome).

In order to address sleep difficulties, it is important to identify the specific cause. It is wise to consult with your family physician to rule out medical problems that could be causing poor sleep.

If sleep problems are caused by depression, anxiety, or high levels of stress, consulting with a psychologist is a good idea, as psychological treatments such as cognitive-behavioural therapy have been shown to very effective at decreasing anxiety and depression and helping people to improve how they cope with stress. Certain medications that target anxiety and depression can also be prescribed by your physician. If an underlying depression or anxiety disorder is properly treated, sleep problems often improve.

Sometimes people have sleep problems or insomnia in the absence of any other psychological difficulties such as depression or anxiety. In these cases, seeing a psychologist can still be very helpful, as certain psychological interventions have been shown to be effective at addressing poor sleep directly. Psychologists can teach you to learn to relax, cope with stress, and improve your “sleep hygiene” (or habits). Psychologists can also use other behavioural strategies to help target sleeping problems. About 75% of people with insomnia report significantly improved sleep after undergoing such psychological treatment.

Family physicians often prescribe hypnotic medications that help people to sleep. These medications are often helpful for individuals who are going through a stressful period. It is advised to only use these medications in the short-term as they can become addictive and less effective if you use them nightly over longer periods of time. Moreover, some of these medications can result in drowsiness and concentration difficulties the following day. Over the counter sleep supplements have generally been found to be ineffective.

As a general rule, sleeping medication can be helpful in the short-term but becomes less effective over time, whereas psychological treatments are effective in the long-term.

————
Dr. Jeremy Frank is a Toronto psychologist in private practice in North York.

No one knows the reason, but there is a close relationship between acid reflux and obesity. A recent and staggering statistic that was published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) revealed that approximately 61% of the American population is obese or overweight.

That now puts 6 out of 10 U.S. Citizens at risk for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (commonly referred to as GERD) which is now nearing epidemic proportions. Acid reflux, is heartburn in the most severe form.

It is often accompanied by a variety of other symptoms and it is more challenging to treat than heartburn alone.

Statistics like the ones recently released from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) are very telling. Americans, who are prone to super-size everything, now have one more reason to re-think their diet and exercise regimen: acid reflux.

Although researchers are still unsure as to why acid reflux and obesity are linked, they are certain that a notable correlation does exist. If you are a sufferer and you think that your weight might be the culprit, a visit to your family physician may be in order.

Only he or she is qualified to make that diagnosis. The specific measure that is used to determine whether a person is “obese” or “overweight” as it is related to the symptoms of acid reflux is called a BMI, or body mass index, which is a calculation that is based on your weight and height.

BMI typically correlates with, but does not directly measure, body fat. The BMI is the measurement recommended by the CDC because it is inexpensive, readily available and easy to use for both the general public as well as doctors. It also allows you to gauge how your own body mass index compares to the vast majority of the country’s population.

If you would like to see where you rank, you can use the BMI calculator found www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/ You cannot depend on the kitchen scales to accurately measure your BMI, and there may be extenuating circumstances that you may not be taking into consideration, so it is essential that you consult a professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment options.

Once your healthcare provider calculates your BMI it is important to know that current studies have consistently revealed that the severity and frequency with which an individual experiences acid reflux symptoms is greater as their BMI increases. In other words, the heavier you are, the more you risk getting acid reflux.

That alone should be enough to motivate most sufferers to change their habits. Losing weight is not an easy thing to do. Nobody likes the word “diet” but if your acid reflux interferes with your life (with things like “heart-attack like” symptoms) you may be doing yourself a disservice by not exploring all of the non-medically related options that are available.

Prescription medications for acid reflux can be very expensive, especially if you are a cash paying patient. Although they are effective, they only mask the problem: your weight. Since acid reflux and obesity are obviously linked, the right diet and exercise plan may eventually eliminate the need for medication altogether by treating the underlying cause instead of the symptom.

Acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a relatively common problem, affecting up to seven million Americans, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

But you don’t need to suffer from this uncomfortable backing up of stomach acid that manifests as heartburn, regurgitation of stomach liquid and nausea. And you don’t need to resign yourself to taking a pill every day for the rest of your life to keep symptoms down.

I know what I’m talking about because my father had a major reflux problem caused by a surgery in which a bile duct was connected to his stomach instead of his intestine. For almost a year, he suffered for GERD that was so severe he threw up several times a day.

But eventually he discovered, quite by chance, that a simple supermarket apple made him feel better. He eventually determined how much apple and what kind of apple was the best to be consumed each day to keep all of his symptoms in check for good.

There are many other things that people with acid reflux can do to eliminate their symptoms. One of the most important things is to try to stop causing irritation and scratching of your esophagus, which will just make your acid problems worse.

Eating smaller meals is often helpful for people who have acid reflux. Some people recommend not drinking during a meal, since the liquid dilutes the acid and makes it easier for the acid to reflux. On the other hand, it’s a good idea to drink a glass of water after eating, because it helps cleanse the lower esophageal sphincter, which then closes up tighter, which means less acid will be able to get to your esophagus.

Cutting back coffee, alcohol and carbonated beverages, especially at meal times, are also good natural aids to eliminating acid reflux. It’s a good idea to cut back your coffee intake to just one cup a day, because coffee is acidic. If you do continue to drink coffee, drink a glass of water right after to clear away the acid.

One of the most important things you can do if you have GERD and you smoke is to quit smoking. Of course there are all sorts of wonderful reasons to quit smoking, but one that has to do with acid reflux is that smoking actually irritates your throat. What’s more, the chemicals in cigarettes cause your lower esophageal sphincter to relax, which allows even more fluid and other unpleasantness into your esophagus. Some people find that even quitting for just a couple of days is a big help for eliminating some of their irritation.

No one remedy works for everyone, but these ideas (plus tons of others in the Reflux Remedy Report) should get you back to feeling like your old self in no time.

———————-
Joe Barton is an expert in natural healing of acid reflux, heartburn, gastritis and other gastroesophageal problems. His Reflux Remedy Report shares more successful ideas for quickly, safely and naturally treating acid reflux. Find out more at http://www.refluxremedy.com.

On average, we need about seven to eight hours of sleep a night to function optimally. In today’s fast paced and high stress society, a third of the population reports difficulties with sleep, and about 10% of people report chronic insomnia, a condition that involves trouble falling or staying asleep, waking up in the middle of the night or too early in the morning, persistently poor sleep quality, and trouble functioning the next day.

There are many reasons why people have trouble sleeping. High levels of stress, anxiety, and/or depression are often the culprit. Other possible causes include medical problems or conditions, chronic pain, use of certain medications, excessive use of alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine, or the presence of a more complicated sleep disorder (such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome).

In order to address sleep difficulties, it is important to identify the specific cause. It is wise to consult with your family physician to rule out medical problems that could be causing poor sleep.

If sleep problems are caused by depression, anxiety, or high levels of stress, consulting with a psychologist is a good idea, as psychological treatments such as cognitive-behavioural therapy have been shown to very effective at decreasing anxiety and depression and helping people to improve how they cope with stress. Certain medications that target anxiety and depression can also be prescribed by your physician. If an underlying depression or anxiety disorder is properly treated, sleep problems often improve.

Sometimes people have sleep problems or insomnia in the absence of any other psychological difficulties such as depression or anxiety. In these cases, seeing a psychologist can still be very helpful, as certain psychological interventions have been shown to be effective at addressing poor sleep directly. Psychologists can teach you to learn to relax, cope with stress, and improve your “sleep hygiene” (or habits). Psychologists can also use other behavioural strategies to help target sleeping problems. About 75% of people with insomnia report significantly improved sleep after undergoing such psychological treatment.

Family physicians often prescribe hypnotic medications that help people to sleep. These medications are often helpful for individuals who are going through a stressful period. It is advised to only use these medications in the short-term as they can become addictive and less effective if you use them nightly over longer periods of time. Moreover, some of these medications can result in drowsiness and concentration difficulties the following day. Over the counter sleep supplements have generally been found to be ineffective.

As a general rule, sleeping medication can be helpful in the short-term but becomes less effective over time, whereas psychological treatments are effective in the long-term.

For more information on sleeping problems and insomnia, go to National Sleep Foundation website.

————
Dr. Jeremy Frank is a Toronto psychologist in private practice in North York.

She ought to be dead, but adult stem cell therapy has ensured a California woman with Cardiomyopathy continues to live an active life without any further deterioration to her damaged heart.

Clara Chestnut from California has just become one of only a handful who have received her second treatment of adult stem cells for her failing heart. “I’ve been going downhill since 2000, with every year more of my heart being dead,” she said. “But after my first treatment in April 2006 my cardiologists have done a huge attitude shift and now recognize that ‘No change’ is a certificate of my wellbeing. Staying the same is terrific, so if it takes coming back every year I will do that.”

Like many heart patients Clara had experienced several heart attacks without knowing what they were. Her doctor concurred that at 59 the pains she experienced were probably arthritis, so she started carrying her purse on the other arm, but it made no difference. Then in 2000 she had two major heart attacks and started on the downhill slide. Specialists gave her 30days to live without a bypass and also told her she probably would not survive the surgery.

Clara got mad and searched until she found someone who could help her. “I wasn’t ready to die, and I knew that someone, somewhere, knew more than those people,” she said. Her new doctor gave her the first of seven stents and she felt “wonderful”. She read about singer Don Ho and his success story with VesCell adult stem cells, so did her research and in the face of her doctors’ opposition went to Bangkok in the care of TheraVitae, a leading international biotechnology company whose product, VesCell, has now helped hundreds of heart failure and PAD patients. “I was most impressed with the professionalism of the doctors and the nursing staff. Everything went fine and the following February I returned to my specialist for a cardiogram. He told me nothing had changed, so I asked him ‘Would you go back to Bangkok if you were me?’ He said that he would, but that I didn’t have to leave the next morning! That is an enormous attitude change.”

People looking for hope and help, who want to feel better and be more active, are the most outspoken advocates of adult stem cell therapy. “I listen to myself and I feel anybody with any sense would listen to themselves and know it’s something they should do. They know how they are feeling. They know how wonderful it would be to feel better. I don’t see why anybody would be reluctant,” she said.

———-
Jon Bradshaw writes constantly about the next to miraculous effects of adult stem cells. Theravitae’s Vescell adult stem cells the new frontier of regenerative medicine. They offer a return to a more active, longer and healthier life to patients who have heart disease or PAD. They are derived from the patient’s own blood so cannot be rejected by the body.

Over 40% of people with severe headache pain aren’t even aware their condition is technically and medically a migraine.
Additionally, many migraine headaches have been actually misdiagnosed as tension headaches, sinus headaches or even TMJ - headaches associated with jaw problems. Most people who are researching the internet for information on migraines clearly understand that they have migraine headaches. But for the remainder it may not be so clear. Many of you have written us with detailed descriptions of your headaches and asking, “Do I have migraine headaches”? Nearly half of the messages our clinic receives on a daily basis can be summed up in a single question:

“What kind of headache do I really have?”

And the answer is usually very simple:

Your TENSION (or SINUS) (or CLUSTER) headache might actually be a MIGRAINE headache!

Here are the facts - approximately 1 out of every 10 Americans experiences migraines. For women, it is much higher number – as much as 1 out of every 3 around the age of 35.

Yet many people suffer needlessly because neither they nor their doctors recognize the symptoms that can accompany migraines. They also underestimate the impact that their headaches are having on their lives and on their families.

The bottom line is if you don’t get the relief you need for your frequent bad headaches, you may have migraines. In fact, in the United States alone over 14 million people who suffer from migraines have not been diagnosed with migraines yet. Could you be one of them?

Cluster Headaches are often misdiagnosed as well.

Cluster headache, which is an incredibly severe headache, is frequently just another form of a migraine headache. Cluster headaches are usually found in men. There is a great deal of controversy whether cluster headaches are a subset of migraine headaches since many of the symptoms overlap.

If you experience any 3 or more of the following symptoms, you are highly likely to have migraines:

• Your headache feels like someone has stabbed an ice pick inside your brain
• Pain is usually one-sided (but can be both-sided, especially if around the eyes)
• Your headache does not respond to regular over-the-counter painkillers
• Pain is pulsating, pounding, or throbbing
• Light and sound bother you a lot
• Pain worsens when you move or bend over
• Pain becomes so intense that you throw up or become nauseated
• You get dizzy just by turning your head (lying in bed)
• You feel that you have to lie down, go to bed, or withdraw to a quiet dark room
• Vision may be blurred, like a curtain comes down over your visual field in one or both eyes
• The headache can last from several hours to several days (or even weeks)

People with tension headaches or sinus headaches do not and never will have a disabling headache. Cluster headaches are frequently a subset of a migraine headache.

The key word here is “DISABLING”. If your “tension” or “sinus” headache is disabling, then you do not have a tension or sinus headache. You have a migraine. Only migraine headaches are disabling.

If you are reading this article because of severe, debilitating headaches that are poisoning your life, do not respond to painkillers, and keep coming back over and over again, you are very likely to have migraines. People with standard tension or sinus headaches do not bother to look them up on the Internet.

You are here because YOUR bad headaches are interfering with your life and you are looking for a way to fix that. If you keep suffering through tremendous pain along with other symptoms mentioned above, then you have migraine headaches.

For those of you who have been told by numerous doctors over the last decade that your disabling headaches are not migraines – the good news is that migraine headaches are now a treatable and curable condition.

A Better Method

There is another option as opposed to suffereing and just treating the “outbreaks” – a migraine cure. Cure the migraine and never worry about headache pain again.

Recent reports indicate migraine headaches can indeed be totally abolished – as a number of elite medical clinics catering to women have testified. Under their treatment protocols, migraines are completely eliminated in 80% of their patients.

These successes are limited to women only, as addressing a woman’s hormones is the basis of the cure. Some clinics have published their treatment protocols and even made them available to the public.

The Women’s Health Institute of Texas believes that a migraine cure certainly eliminates the migraine headaches altogether - at least in women.

——————
Dr. Andrew P. Jones, M.D. is the Medical Director for the Women’s Health Institute of Texas. http://www.WomensHealthInstituteofTexas.com He is Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and by the American Academy of Biologically Identical Hormone Therapy. Find out more about Dr. Jones and the cure for migraine headaches at: http://www.migraine-headaches-information.com His medical experience primarily revolves around the relationship of women’s health issues and bio-identical hormone management of PMS, menopause and migraine headaches.