Healing Connections

A non-profit group in the US claims that most sunscreens either don’t work or are hazardous to health, but the sunscreen industry rejects the charge. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) said their investigation of nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreens showed that 4 out of 5 of them either don’t adequately protect against damaging UV radiation or contain potentially hazardous chemicals.

Leading brands like Coppertone, Banana Boat and Neutrogena were among the worst offenders, claimed the EWG in their report, “Sunscreen Summary - What Works and What’s Safe”, published on their website yesterday, 2nd July.

The sunscreen market is growing, with more Americans than ever using products to protect themselves from sun damage and skin cancer. Consumers tend to choose products with a high Sun Protection Factor (SPF), are waterproof and claim to offer “broad spectrum” protection, wrote the authors. However, few of the claims on the bottle were met.

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You know the old adage “you are what you eat”? It applies to your hair and skin, too. It makes sense when you think about it, that your body looks its best when all its parts are well nourished with a healthy diet. Of course going for variety is always a good idea, since it ups your chances of hitting all your vitamins and minerals, but making sure you’re getting certain nutrients will definitely enhance any beauty regime. So, here are the basics that will have you glowing from head to toe.

For Your Skin:

Omega 3s
Omega-3 fatty acids (the wonder class of nutrients, found in soybeans, nut oils and fish like salmon, that’s been in the news for its heart benefits) are key to maintaining a soft and youthful skin texture, thanks to their ability to strengthen the cell walls-meaning they help your cells retain more moisture. And when you throw in their anti-inflammatory benefits, they’re a must-have for any beauty diet.

Lycopene
Lycopene, a caretonoid (or fat-soluble pigment) found in cooked tomatoes (think marina sauce and stewed tomatoes) is one of the best things you can eat to ensure pretty skin. This anti-oxidant ups your skin’s natural sunscreen, protecting it from the sun from the inside and heading off signs of aging. In fact, in a 2001 study, volunteers who ate tomato paste for 10 weeks were less likely to show sunburned skin cells when exposed to ultraviolet light than the control group. That means that down the road, you’ll have fewer sun spots and fine lines.

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Diarrhea and vomiting are not something anyone wants to experience, yet thousands of babies and children experience them annually in the form of the Rotavirus. New Rotavirus vaccines have recently entered the market and are helping to prevent the effects of this dreaded virus. 2006 was the first year Merck’s RotaTeq® vaccination was marketed and has reported great results. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a reduction in cases of the Rotavirus since the entrance of RotaTeq®, noting that the 2007-2008 Rotavirus season started three months later than it has for the past 15 years, and that diagnosed cases were down last year by almost three fourths. The U.S. vaccine experts are recommending adding Rotavirus vaccinations to the routine immunizations list.

Positive Rotavirus results were down 79 percent during the first year of RotaTeq®. The FDA approved GlaxoSmithKline’s product Rotarix in April of this year and now allows for a choice between the two Rotavirus vaccines. The CDC’s Advisory Committee for immunizations is currently formulating recommendations in regards to the use of both Rotavirus vaccines that seem to be equally safe and effective.

RotaTeq® is given in three oral doses and Rotarix® in two oral doses, both over a six-month period. Rotarix® and RotaTeq® have been approved for use in children ages two months to six months. The main difference between the two is in the dosages. Some of the most common side effects of the vaccinations, per the FDA, were fussiness, irritability, nausea, and cold symptoms such as fever, runny nose and cough.

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Call them stoic, call them cost-conscious, call them under- or uninsured…but almost 20 percent of the U.S. population either went without or delayed needed medical care at sometime during 2007. That figure is up from 14 percent in 2003, and if you are counting, is an additional 9.5 million Americans who didn’t get the medical care they needed in 2007.

People had numerous reasons why they had postponed or had completely forgone medical care for themselves during the year. Chief among them was out-of-pocket medical costs and deductibles they couldn’t afford to pay, followed by a list that included things like a lack of acceptable clinic hours of operation, difficulty getting to clinics during working hours, problems with doctors being overbooked that resulted in difficulty getting timely appointments, and doctors and hospitals not accepting their insurance plans.

It wasn’t just people without medical insurance that were avoiding medical visits, but both people with and without insurance that were either delaying or forgoing medical care, according to a random national phone survey. The survey was conducted by the Center for Studying Health System Change, a nonpartisan policy group, who called 18,000 people, with a 43 percent response rate.

The study’s lead author, Peter Cunningham, noted that as health care costs increase, a larger share of cost, often in the form of higher deductibles, is being shifted to people and families, requiring them to pay more out of their own pockets. “To the extent that cost increases are passed on to individuals, continued declines in access to care are inevitable,” wrote the co-authors of the study.

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Magnesium oxide, also simply referred to as magnesia, is a mineral that is essential in human nutrition. Magnesium is involved in over 300 metabolic reactions and is necessary for every major biological process, including the production of energy and the synthesis of acids and proteins, the contraction of muscles, conduction of nerves, and regulation of vascular tone. It coincides with calcium in the body to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

On average, adult males should have an intake of approximately 300 to 350 milligrams per day, and females require only 200 to 250 milligrams. Foods containing a rich amount of magnesium include grains, nuts, and green vegetables, but standard amounts of the nutrient can be found in meats, starches, and milk. Through the consumption of these foods, magnesium is absorbed through the small intestine and the colon, and then delivered to the liver, bone, and cells.

Magnesium deficiency is quite common in people with alcoholism, hyperthyroidism, malabsorption syndromes, and some types of diabetes. Signs of the lack of magnesium in the body include anorexia, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, hypertension, muscle spasm, confusion, tremors and seizures, and loss of coordination. Supplements can remedy the cause of these symptoms.

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When planning an exercise routine, most people want to incorporate some type of walking, jogging, or running. The multiple benefits of such activities – cardiovascular, bone density, muscles, weight loss, and energy, to name a few – are enough to encourage most to add this physical activity to the exercise plan.

Many often wonder, however, whether it is more beneficial to walk, run, or jog on a treadmill or the roads. For the most part, the physical benefits are the same. These activities involve moving muscle and bone against the force of gravity, and using the hard surface of concrete gives a slight benefit over the treadmill. The exception is jogging which should be done on a less rigid surface like a track or a treadmill – even the actual road has a more forgiving surface than the sidewalk.

On a treadmill, you can adjust the speed, incline, and resistance to give a more intense workout. For those who want to gradually increase those levels to provide more of a challenge, the treadmill has those features. However, some people find the same challenges by altering the routes, increasing speeds, and wearing arm weights for resistance.

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There are two things that all women want. Do you know what they are? Here are a few hints for Number one! The first thing all women want has a rock-musical by the same name and countless songs have it in their titles: from Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young’s “Almost Cut My Hair” to Led Zeppelin’s “The Girl I Love She Got Long Wavy Black Hair”. The Cowsills performed a song about it; the lyrics went like this:

“Oh give me a head with hair Long, beautiful hair Shining, gleaming, Streaming, flaxen, waxen”

That’s right – BEAUTIFUL HAIR! Hairstyles play a large role in a woman’s appearance. Women often use hairstyles to make a statement or to attract a mate. There is an entire industry dedicated to the care, preservation, and presentation of hair.

The true purpose of hair, however, is certainly not cosmetic. Hair was meant to provide protection against heat loss by trapping air adjacent to the skin and create insulating layer. Men, especially those living in extremely cold or windy areas, use their beards and hair to help keep them warm. Many mammalian species produce thick, winter coats for protection to adverse conditions.

Hair fiber forms a barrier which helps protect the epidermis from abrasions and harsh UV rays. The specialized hair of the eyebrows and eyelashes give protection to the eyes by sweeping away dust, debris and fluids. The hairs in our nasal passages trap harmful, airborne particles, preventing them from reaching the lungs.

The hair follicle plays an important role in the survival of mammals. The total number of hair follicles for an adult is estimated at five million, with one million of those being on the head. The only external areas of the body lacking hair follicles are the soles of the feet and palms of the hands. Some hair follicles are surrounded by a highly developed network of nerves which provide useful information about our environment.

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