November 25th, 2008
By Naweko San-Joyz
Home Fitness Model & Innovation
Nov. 24, 2008
The number people over 30 needing acne treatments has climbed to the extent that a report published in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology recommends raising the age for insurance coverage of the acne drug tretinoin to at least 40. The authors of the report, Drs. Steven Feldman and Alan Fleischer, dermatologists at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, add that many insurance companies refuse to pay for tretinoin prescriptions for patients older than 25.
Even if your insurance company leaves you to fend for yourself, you still have options for freeing yourself from acne and wrinkles. At first, coping with acne and wrinkles may seem like a cosmetic catch 22. Do you dry your skin with acne cleansers containing benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, and worsen your wrinkles? Or, do you smear on the moisturizer to smooth the wrinkles, but cope with the zits brought on by the extra oil?
Before you get frantic, ask yourself a series of questions. Adult acne may be the result of hormonal flunctuations triggers by diet, stress or your environment.
1. Are you regular?
About 70% of your immune system is located in your intestines. If this area is blocked with waste, your immuno-defenses are down. So, instead of waste leaving your body via the rectum, it chooses to leave through the skin. Waste leaving the skin can cause an infection that presents itself as acne.
2. Are you tense?
Tension likewise reduces the vigor of the immune system. Take a few deep breaths throughout the day to calm your body. Take a long walk in the fresh air to wind down.
3. Are you eating all the nutrients you need?
Cases of acne have been improved with consuming foods containing zinc, essential fatty acids, vitamin A and a host of other nutrients. All of these vital nutrients are available in leafy green vegetables, fruits and olive oil.
4. Are you constantly thinking about a personal issue that you have not addressed?
Not resolving personal issues creates conflict and tension in the body. Again, these issues most be addressed to avoid undue stress within the body.
5. Are you exercising everyday?
Exercise reduces stress and gives you an opportunity to subconsciously contemplate challenges that you may be facing. Physical activity also keeps your muscles and intestines toned, which keeps encourages regularity.
6. Are you changing your pillowcase frequently?
Using a dirty pillowcase aggravates an acne condition. Your face naturally secretes oils during the night. These oils are sticky. So if you pillowcase if dirty, you are allowing your face to collect extra waste during the night, which could further clog your pores.
7. Have you moved recently or are you changing your job/career?
New demands or feelings of lose can sometimes accompany change. Transfer these emotions into something constructive by writing in a journal or envisioning how these changes are going to benefit you. Find comfort in these changes and opportunities for new beginnings.
8. (Women) Do you also experience excessive facial hair growth and erratic periods?
Conditions such as acne, excessive facial hair, and erratic periods could indicate an androgen disorder or other underlying hormonal imbalances. Your doctor can provide you with a series of endocrine tests to ascertain your hormone levels and what corrective actions you should take. Ricardo Azziz, M.D, who serves as Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Director of the Center for Androgen-Related Disorders at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, estimates that 80 percent of women with excessive androgen levels suffer from an endocrine disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Dr. Azziz adds that women with PCOS often have insulin resistance and are at increased risk for developing Type II diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.
Health author and Stanford University graduate Naweko San-Joyz lovingly writes from her home in San Diego. Her works include Acne Messages: Crack the code of your zits and say goodbye to acne (ISBN: 0974912204) and the upcoming work Skinny Fat Chicks, Why we’re still not getting this dieting thing? (ISBN: 0974912212) for release in June of 2005. For useful acne self-help articles visit http://www.Noixia.com
November 24th, 2008
By Kelly Baker
Heraldsun.com.au
November 23, 2008
ARE you addicted to sugar? It has several health risks and it’s in more foods than you might think.
Swimming superstar Elka Graham knew she had a problem. And several months ago she realised it was time to do something about it.
Graham, a two-time Olympian and multiple record holder, had two options. She could gradually cut back on the substance she was addicted to or she could go cold turkey.
She opted for the latter and, while quitting was a struggle, today Graham is 100 per cent “clean”. What was the substance that had her in its iron grip? Sweet, sweet sugar.
“It wasn’t easy, but I kicked it,” says Graham proudly. “I struggled at first, particularly with coffee.
When I first started drinking it without sugar it tasted so strong, very bitter and unpleasant. Even the way it smelled bothered me.”
Graham’s first sugar-free days were rough. She was desperate for the sweet stuff and several times found herself involuntarily reaching for it, but in the end she held strong. And eventually she found she had turned a craving corner.
“At first it was awful, but then I started to adapt,” she says.
“I started to feel cleansed and I kept reminding myself that the short-term pain was worth the long-term gain. And I liked that I felt more consistent. I didn’t want the false high of sugar. I’d rather get my high from exercise.
“Plus, I began to see that you spoil the taste of a good coffee when you put rubbish like sugar in it.”
Okay, we know what you’re thinking… there are plenty of nastier things than sugar that you could be addicted to, but there’s no doubt that being dependent on the white stuff has its downsides. In fact, some of them are deadly serious.
Sugar rush
For starters, research has shown that sugary drinks may increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Sugary beverages have also been linked to gout in men, according to a study published by the British Medical Journal.
A further study published in the Journal Of Clinical Investigation in 2007 found that eating too much sugar shuts down the gene SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin), thus reducing the amount of SHBG protein in the blood.
This protein plays a key role in controlling the amount of testosterone and oestrogen available throughout the body.
To continue reading:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24685081-5006012,00.html
November 20th, 2008
By Angi Ingalls
PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) was originally named “Stein-Leventhal Syndrome” after the two doctors who classified this disease back in the 1930s, having found polycystic ovaries to be the number one symptom in their patients. It was considered the defining symptom to diagnose what is now called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).
Medical research has come a long way since then. New discoveries are made everyday and improved technologies surface to help us find answers.
Typical symptoms of PCOS are menstrual issues, lack of or inconsistent ovulation, ovarian cysts, hormonal imbalances, skin conditions, excess hair growth and/or loss of hair, depression, mood swings, infertility and changes in weight – just to name a few. As you see, PCOS is properly categorized as a “Syndrome” meaning “a complex of symptoms that together indicate the existence of an undesirable condition or disease.”
Having said that, a woman can have all, some or even none of these symptoms present to live with PCOS.
You may be thinking “How can that be if Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome indicates cysts on the ovaries? It implies polycystic ovaries right in the name! Wouldn’t that mean I would have to have cysts to have PCOS?”
Absolutely not. Remember, the term “PCOS” has been used for decades – before we knew that PCOS begins in the endocrine system and that reproductive issues are only symptoms of the underlying cause, insulin resistance.
Polycystic Ovaries
Polycystic Ovaries or PCO is a symptom and in many cases, its own diagnosis, not the defining issue of PCOS. In fact, a female at any age can have PCO – regardless of their medical conditions or lack thereof. Cysts are natural and are not always considered alarming. The cysts become of medical concern when they are long-lasting and problematic.
You may be the victim of an unknowledgeable doctor if (s) he dismisses PCOS because you don’t suffer from polycystic ovaries.
PCOS is diagnosed using, at the very minimum, two tools. Blood work and medical history are absolutely vital. In some cases, a pelvic or abdominal ultrasound is used, and some doctors perform a laparoscopy. Whatever approach your doctor decides to use, make sure they are using more than one medical method for diagnosing.
If a doctor looks at you, without doing any test, and tells you that you do or do not have PCOS, seek another opinion. I would encourage you to find an Endocrinologist or a Reproductive Endocrinologist for this particular disease as PCOS is linked with insulin resistance.
If you are a woman with PCOS, with polycystic ovaries, you have several treatment options available to you.
1) Treating the PCOS – This is always a must, not just for the cysts but for your body as a whole. I strongly recommend a health care protocol including the basic needs: nutrition, exercise and support to help the process and remain focused. Many, including myself, have also used or needed supplements to help the process along. Let’s face it, our bodies do not function properly and usually need something to tell our system “hey, this is what you are supposed to do.” That said, I highly suggest the very popular system called the Insulite PCOS System at www.pcos.insulitelabs.com.
2) Ovarian Drilling – This is a medical procedure performed with a laparoscopy and you do not have to have cysts to have it done. The purpose is to burn away any cysts and/or part of the ovary with hormonal build-up. The benefits can last up to 2 years – if not more! I had this procedure done in 2001 and will do it again if necessary. Before my ovarian drilling, I was lucky to have my menstrual period every 3 to 4 months. With the surgery, Metformin, eating healthily and exercising, I have been regular and ovulatory ever since.
3) Medications (i.e. Clomid, injections) – If you are trying to conceive, this is another option. These medications can help you ovulate. You can also use medications even if you do not want children; just make sure you use other methods of birth control such as condoms, diaphragms or abstinence. For some, once you ovulate, it’s like kick starting your body into motion. The benefits can last up to 6 months or more.
4) Having a baby – Yes, believe it or not, this is an option. The same applies as the previously mentioned but the lasting effects can be much longer – for some women, it has been said up to two years!
I hope you feel more confident about dealing with ovarian cysts. For some women, it can be utterly painful, others might not even know they have them. Dealing with them is quite frustrating, I’m sure. Knowledge is power!
Published originally in PCOSA Today
About the author
Angi Ingalls has been living with PCOS since she was 8 years old. Her support for women with PCOS began when she was 15 and started her own personal outreach and education program to both the medical community and her peers. On moving to Connecticut in March 2007, she was concerned with the lack of PCOS, pre-diabetes and diabetes support and started a local support group – PCOS in ConnecTion. A PCOSA Ambassador, Angi is active in the organization’s Connecticut chapter.
November 18th, 2008
By Dr. Nancy Dunne and Bill Slater
PCOS Review
Nov. 2008
We can hardly stress enough how important vitamin D is for you. Some of you may be wondering why there is so much vitamin D in our d-pinitol formula.
In the full article on our site, we list a number of previous newsletter articles that review the benefits of vitamin D for ovarian health and reducing insulin resistance.
We then go on to review some new research data about vitamin D. Several studies indicate a correlation between low levels of vitamin D and an increased incidence of breast cancer. One study suggested that intake of 2,000 IU of vitamin D could increase vitamin D levels in your body enough to reduce the incidence of breast cancer by 50%. Fifty percent is a very big drop in risk!
The other interesting study showed large doses of vitamin D for one year were useful for depression in people who were overweight.
In summary, there are multiple health benefits from making sure your vitamin D levels are optimal. You may need to take a significant amount of supplemental vitamin D to reach an optimal level. This is why there is so much vitamin D in the d-pinitol product.
Read the full article here:
www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/news69.html
To purchase D-pinitol (U.S. Only):
www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/store/pinitol
