Tuesday - July 20, 2010

Perfect Eyes

There are many causes for the various eye conditions. Sometimes an eye condition can be related to another medical condition. Some eye conditions are caused by stress placed on the eyes. Some are inherited.



However, as people age, the problems they develop with their eyesight are primarily caused by free radical damage. Free radicals can damage the retina of the eye, the light sensitive layer at the back of the eye, causing macular degeneration. Inflammation of the blood vessels coming into the eye will cause cellular debris that congests the eye fluids causing the pressure build-up in glaucoma. Cataracts are most likely caused by free radical damage to the lens.

Tuesday - July 20, 2010

Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis)

One of the biggest problems with many herb books is that they simply list a bunch of diseases that herb has been used for without telling you important information such as 1) what part is used, 2) how it is prepared and 3) how it is administered.  All of these things make a difference in how the herb works.

Eyebright is a perfect example of a plant that has fallen victim, not so much to misinformation, but rather to a lack of important data about how it is most effectively used. Most people who are familiar with herbs, will immediately connect eyebright as an eye remedy, and they would be partially correct.

Tuesday - July 20, 2010

See Your Way to Better Vision with Antioxidants

by Steven Horne, RH(AHG)

Millions of Americans have sung the question, "Oh say, can you see?"  Unfortunately, for many millions of senior citizens, the answer to that question is, "No."  That's because diseases like cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration rob thousands of people of their vision every year.

The sad thing is that one simple nutritional change could save many people's vision.  That change is to get more antioxidant nutrients into the diet. Antioxidants are extremely critical to eye health because the eyes are extremely prone to oxidative stress and free radical damage.  In fact, oxidative stress is the underlying cause of cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Friday - July 09, 2010

Nervous System Support

The nervous system is a complex system that regulates and coordinates body functions, including the coordination of muscles, the senses, speech, memory, thought and emotion. Nervous system health, especially brain health, becomes a common concern as we age. As we get older, physical changes occur in the brain that can lead to cognitive decline, including a decrease in levels of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, which plays a large role in memory and learning. Other factors that can adversely affect cognitive health include alcohol abuse, chronic inflammation, vascular diseases and stress.

Saturday - July 03, 2010

This Single Cell Plant Actually Expels Mercury from Your Body…

A study shows that chlorella, a single-celled organism that has been used for many years as a nutritional supplement, can help flush methylmercury from your system. Mice fed methylmercury were given chlorella, and the amount of methylmercury excreted in their urine and feces was approximately twice the amount excreted by mice not treated with chlorella.

Saturday - July 03, 2010

Natural Solutions to Endometriosis

by Steven Horne, RH(AHG)

A common cause of pelvic pain, endometriosis is a disorder where endometrial (uterine) tissue is found outside of the uterus.  This tissue responds to hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle just like the uterine lining.  It falls apart at the same time the uterine lining sheds causing menstruation.  This can cause internal bleeding that results in swelling and inflammation of surrounding tissues. It may even cause scar tissue to form.

Saturday - June 26, 2010

Honey, It's Not Me, It's My Liver!

PMS and Your Liver by Steven Horne, RH(AHG)

Jokes help us defuse difficult and painful situations, which is why PMS is the brunt of many jokes.  It’s no fun for women, or their family members, when PMS creates feelings of anger, irritability, depression, moodiness  or emotional sensitivity.  I know we typically blame it on hormones, but I have a new excuse—blame it on the liver.

Most of the women I’ve seen who have serious problems with PMS have underlying health issues with the liver.  This doesn’t come as a surprise, as many symptoms of PMS are identical to symptoms of liver imbalance, both physically and emotionally.

Friday - June 18, 2010

Emotional Issues Associated With PMS and Menopause

How Your Mind and Emotions Affect Hormones And Things You Can Do About It

by Steven Horne, RH(AHG)

In modern medicine it’s popular to view mood changes as being caused by biochemical imbalances.  It is believed that problems with messenger chemicals like hormones and neurotransmitters create mental and emotional health problems.  That’s why the most popular treatment for problems like depression, anxiety and moodiness are drugs that mimic hormones and neurotransmitters. But, what if the reverse were true?  What if the mental and emotional issues are actually the cause of the imbalances in the body’s messenger chemicals? This is a perfectly valid hypothesis, too.

To understand how hormonal imbalances can be the result of mental and emotional issues, it’s important to remember that the endocrine system and the nervous system are intimately connected via the hypothalamus. A part of the brain, the hypothalamus sends messengers to the pituitary that trigger the release of hormones that regulate the rest of the endocrine system.

Thursday - May 27, 2010

A Helpful Guide For Storing And Saving Produce

When fresh fruits and vegetables are in season it’s a good idea to stock up on nutritious foods… but what’s the best way to maintain shelf life without throwing away unused or ruined produce?

It’s best to eat your foods fresh, but sometimes storage is necessary, especially if you buy items in bulk from farmers’ markets or the grocery. This guide from Raw Food Health online should help you determine how best to store your fruits and veggies.

Wednesday - May 26, 2010

Health Tip: Understanding Organic Foods

And whether they're healthier for you

Organic foods must meet certain standards established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

They must be produced without the use of hormones, herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics or fertilizers created with sewer waste or ingredients that aren't natural, says the Nemours Foundation.

Tuesday - May 25, 2010

Legislation Could Restrict Your Access To Nutritional Supplements

Many of our readers may already be aware of the amendment in the United States House of Representatives' version of the recently passed Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009 (H.R. 4173). This amendment was introduced by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.).

It would give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the authority to require nutritional supplement companies to perform at least two human studies before making any claims for their products, according to the Alliance for Natural Health (ANH). Currently, supplements are regulated under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).

Tuesday - May 25, 2010

Dark Chocolate Guards Against Brain Injury

Researchers have discovered that epicatechin, a compound in dark chocolate, may protect your brain after a stroke by increasing cellular signals that shield nerve cells from damage.

An hour and a half after feeding mice a single dose of epicatechin, animals that had ingested the compound suffered significantly less brain damage following an induced stroke.

Thursday - May 20, 2010

Drug Company to Pay Half a Billion Dollar Fine for ILLEGAL Marketing

Drugmaker AstraZeneca has agreed to pay $520 million to settle federal investigations into marketing practices for its schizophrenia drug Seroquel. This makes AstraZeneca the fourth big drug company in the last three years to admit to federal charges of illegal marketing of antipsychotic drugs.

The company was accused of misleading doctors and patients by spotlighting favorable research while failing to adequately disclose studies showing that Seroquel increases the risk of diabetes.

Thursday - May 20, 2010

Drinking Green Tea May Protect Eyes

Researchers confirm that beneficial ingredients penetrate eye tissue

Beneficial ingredients in green tea penetrate into the tissues of the eye and may help protect against glaucoma and other eye diseases, says a new study.

Researchers analyzed eye tissue from rats that drank green tea and found that the lens, retina and other tissues absorbed significant amounts of green tea catechins, which are antioxidants believed to protect the eye. Catechins include vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein and zeaxanthin.

Tuesday - May 18, 2010

Chocolate a Sweet Pick-Me-Up for the Depressed

Consumption rises alongside levels of depression, study finds

Could the depressed be "self-medicating" with chocolate? A new study finds that people battling depression reach for more of the sweet treat than non-depressed folks do.

Many people believe that "when they are feeling a little bit down, chocolate makes them feel better," said lead researcher Dr. Beatrice A. Golomb, an associate professor in the department of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, San Diego.

Chocolate does appear to be popular among people with depression, whether or not they are being treated with antidepressants, the research team found. "A lot of us may have been able to predict this finding," Golomb said.

Tuesday - May 11, 2010

Hot Flash News: Tips for Cooling the "Heat"

by Steven Horne, RH(AHG)

Summer will be here soon, but many women going through menopause are "feeling the heat" right now. Yes, we're talking about hot flashes, the most common symptoms of menopause.

The bad news is that hot flashes are extremely common in American women.  About 70-80% of all women going through menopause experience them and about 10-15% have a severe problem with them.  Night sweats are essentially a “hot flash” that occurs at night, causing severe perspiration.  Sometimes, hot flashes are accompanied by heart palpitations.

The exact mechanism that causes hot flashes is unknown.  However, they are known to occur as estrogen levels fall and levels of the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) rise.  FSH rises because the hypothalamus is trying to stimulate the ovaries to produce more estrogen.  Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with estrogen is known to stop hot flashes 90% of the time, so they are somehow linked to reduced estrogen levels in the body.

Wednesday - May 05, 2010

PMS and Menopausal Problems May Be Average, But They Aren't Normal

by Steven H. Horne, RH(AHG)

During May and June, we’re going to be taking a closer look at female health problems, specifically PMS and menstrual issues and menopausal symptoms.  But, before we can get into specifics on how to improve women’s health in these areas, it is important we develop an overall understanding of what is causing these problems, so we aren't just treating symptoms.

I was recently reviewing one of my favorite health books, Food Is Your Best Medicine, by Henry G. Bieler, to prepare for my Get Well Now webinar.  Food is Your Best Medicine is one of the best books on health ever written and I highly recommend you get and read it carefully, if you haven’t already done so.

Dr. Bieler was a medical doctor who cured his patients primarily with food.  He actually believed what Hippocrates wrote thousands of years ago, “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.”  Dr. Bieler asserts is that there is no such thing as a specific medicine (or cure) for any chronic illness, something I believe very strongly.

Wednesday - May 05, 2010

Structural Health

May is National Arthritis Month.  Spearheaded by the Arthritis Foundation, it’s a time to increase awareness of this leading cause of disability.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States, limiting the activities of nearly 19 million adults.  By the year 2030, 67 million (25%) adults aged 18 years and older will have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

The word arthritis actually means joint inflammation.  Arthritis comprises more than 100 different rheumatic diseases and conditions, the most common of which is osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease caused by the breakdown of joint cartilage, the connective tissue that cushions the joints.  Other frequently occurring forms of arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, and gout.  Although arthritis is more common among adults aged 65 years or older, people of all ages (including children) can be affected.

Sunday - May 02, 2010

Congress to Rewrite Chemical Regulations, for First Time in a Generation

Under the current 36 year old Toxic Substance Control Act manufacturers of new chemicals are not required to disclose information about chemicals used in products to the public if they deem the disclosure as potentially harming their bottom line. This weakness in the law has been exploited to the extreme over the years, so much so, that in the past several years, 95 percent of the notices for new chemicals sent to the government requested some secrecy, according to the Government Accountability Office. Not only the names of these chemicals are being kept secret but even the locations of factories that manufacture or use these chemicals can be kept secret. This high secrecy makes EPA regulation very difficult and makes it nearly impossible for consumers to know exactly what is in the products they use in daily life and how it is effecting them.

Thursday - April 22, 2010

Grave's Disease and Hyperthyroid

by Steven Horne, RH(AHG)

Last week I wrote about Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the most common cause of hypothyroid (low thyroid) in today’s society.  This week I want to write about the opposite problem, hyperthyroid, which is an overactive thyroid.  The most common cause of hyperactive thyroid is Grave’s disease, named after an Irish doctor named Robert James Graves.

Like Hashimoto’s, Grave's disease is an autoimmune problem, but in this case, the antibodies involved are affecting the receptor sites for TSH in the thyroid.  This causes the receptor sites to be overstimulated resulting in an increased output of thyroid hormones.  It may also cause the thyroid to enlarge and the eyes to bulge.