By Sherry Dell, PhD, CN
(first published in “I am the Allower of my own Wellbeing,”a natural health newsletter

We seldom think of it, except perhaps for vanity’s sake, but our skin is the body’s largest organ of both nourishment and elimination.  This makes your skin one of your most critical components of health.
It is also essentially one of your earliest warning signs of nutritional imbalances, stresses, or other biochemical problems.  You already know this.  One night of poor sleep or a bit too much hedonistic overindulgence, and voila!  What do you see in the mirror?  Dark circles under the eyes, a sallowness in your overall color, maybe some skin outbreaks or eruptions.
If we think about our skin at all, we generally think about what we can do topically on the outside to make it look better.  I want to suggest that the best way to make your skin look better happens from what you put on the inside.  And more importantly,  what you put on the inside will determine how well your skin can participate in keeping you healthy.
There are of course many, many kinds of skin conditions and each will communicate its own unique messages of imbalance to those who know how to listen.  Your job is to find a practitioner who can help you translate those messages.  Here are a couple examples of the kinds of messages you might be receiving.
At age 12, 13, 14 or so, acne is likely to be your primary skin symptom. As the hormones of adolescence begin to kick in, it’s easy for imbalances to occur.  If you happen to be eating a high-carbohydrate diet these hormone imbalances are likely to be more pronounced. Too much sugary carbohydrate raises your insulin levels which in turn creates a whole cascade of biochemical changes in your body moving you away from health.  Acne is one of them.
If you’re still having acne at 20, 30, 40, or 50, don’t feel bad.  The standard American diet has managed to keep our hormones imbalanced throughout our lives.  Begin with your diet to correct these problems.
What does a high carbohydrate diet look like?  Besides the obvious sugary foods like sodas, candies, cookies, cakes or other treats, it also includes processed flour-based foods such as cereals, breads, pastas, crackers, pretzels, etc.  For example, pancakes or cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and pasta for supper along with a soda or two and a few treats throughout the day is a very high-carbohydrate diet.
So the first best thing to do for adolescent acne is to reduce simple carbohydrates in your diet.  Ensure you eat protein at every meal, preferably chicken, fish, turkey or vegetarian proteins; limit the red meats like beef and pork.  Increase high fiber foods like vegetables, fruit, and whole grains (not processed into flours) such as brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, etc.  Eliminate sodas and juices and other sweet drinks and replace them with pure spring water.  These changes alone may be enough to re-balance hormones and eliminate acne.
Sometimes you will need to add supplements to your diet to regain full balance.  Two that I have found most helpful for acne are zinc and essential fatty acids.  Ask your natural health practitioner for recommendations on doses and specific products.
At age 40, 50, 60 and beyond, wrinkles, sagging, and discoloration are likely to be your primary skin symptoms.  We associate these symptoms with aging.  But this begs the question, what is aging?
Theories abound, but in general, most researchers agree that oxidation caused by toxins and its production of free radicals are highly linked to the symptoms of aging.  In the skin, cells overloaded with toxins (everything from smog and exogenous hormones from animals raised with high levels of antibiotics and hormones to fried foods, caffeine, and alcohol), and suffering from poor circulation caused by high fat, low antioxidant diets, dehydration (too many diuretics such as caffeine and alcohol), low essential fatty acids, and stress result in age spots, wrinkles and dry skin, and poor muscle tone.
Just as we learned in the discussion of acne, your diet is your most powerful choice to reduce the skin symptoms of aging.  Avoid high carbohydrate diets at all costs.  In addition, to reduce wrinkles and to avoid drying out your skin in general avoid all diuretics; replace coffee, caffeinated sodas and alcohol with at least 8 glasses of water/day.  Emphasize fish in your diet to increase the food sources of essential fatty acids in your diet.  Avoid the red meats and other high fat foods to increase circulation.  And of course, daily exercise is also critically important to improve circulation.
Age spots and sallow, yellow skin are indications of a struggling liver.  In the standard, American lifestyle, the liver has a Sisyphean task to accomplish every day (Remember Sisyphus?  He was the king punished by the Gods who had to roll a huge boulder up a mountainside every day only to watch it roll back down again at the end of the day, for eternity; eek!). The liver has to detoxify all the toxins we ingest via eating, drinking, breathing, or assimilating them through our skin.
The good news is there are many things we can do to help our livers with its many jobs.  Cleaning up your diet of course is probably the most important.  Adequate water and optimal biochemical hydration is also a wonderful support to your liver.  Additionally, with the help of a natural health practitioner, you may be able to go on a liver cleansing program for a few days or weeks each year.  You may also be able to make use of liver cleansing and supporting herbs such as milk thistle, turmeric, yellow dock or burdock. 
To me, even more motivating than the vanities of acne-free, wrinkle-free skin, is the fact that these skin health strategies will go a long way toward improving any other health symptoms you might have.  No kidding.  Improve your skin, improve your health.

by Sherry Dell, PhD, CN

Purple is my favorite color.  This predisposes me to love all things purple.  So when it comes to food, blueberries get my attention for several reasons.  Besides their luscious color and their delicious taste, they are one of the most therapeutic plants on the planet.

Purple and indigo colored food of all kinds is high in a flavonoid called anthocyanins.  Anthocyanins are very high in antioxidants.  Because oxidative stress and the free radicals that are produced by oxidation are linked with so many degenerative processes, not surprisingly, the fruit of the blueberry plant and its antioxidant capacity have been shown in research to reduce aging symptoms in general.

Oxidation essentially wears down the tissues of the body.  Just like your old car that had oxidized or rust spots on it, our bodies can also “rust out.”  Oxidation is caused by everything from just plain breathing to being exposed to toxins either by choice (processed foods, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, etc.) or by environmental features (smog, paint fumes, farm chemicals in food, etc.).

The natural design of our bodies allows these oxidative processes or “fires” to be quenched through the anti-oxidants in our foods.  Water, for example, has very high antioxidant capacity. Measurements vary but below is a list of the 20 highest antioxidant capacity foods as identified by a recent USDA study (1).  Eating from this list is a very good idea for most people.  Notice especially the rating of the blueberry.

1. Small red bean (dried), 1/2 cup
2. Wild blueberry, 1 cup
3. Red kidney bean (dried), 1/2 cup
4. Pinto bean, 1/2 cup
5. Blueberry (cultivated), 1 cup
6. Cranberry, 1 cup (whole)
7. Artichoke (cooked hearts), 1 cup
8. Blackberry, 1 cup
9. Prune, 1/2 cup
10. Raspberry, 1 cup
11. Strawberry, 1 cup
12. Red delicious apple, 1
13. Granny Smith apple, 1
14. Pecan, 1 ounce
15. Sweet cherry, 1 cup
16. Black plum, 1
17. Russet potato, 1 cooked
18. Black bean (dried), 1/2 cup
19. Plum, 1
20. Gala apple, 1

To  be more specific about blueberries (both the fruit and the leaves), research has shown their positive impact on:

A close European cousin of the American blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum and Vaccinium corymbosum)  is called bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus).  Bilberry leaf has been researched to show similar results to the blueberry.

A therapeutic dose of blueberry fruit is one cup per day.  Not a bad prescription, eh?

_{(1) American Chemical Society. “Largest USDA Study Of Food Antioxidants Reveals Best Sources.” ScienceDaily 17 June 2004.}

_{(2) “Anthocyanins and Blueberries,” Nutrition Week, October 3, 1997;27(38):7/Doctor’s Guide to Medical and Other News, September 25, 1997;3.}

_{(3) “Blueberry-induced changes in spatial working memory correlate with changes in hippocampal CREB phosphorylation and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels,” Williams CM, El Mohsen MA, et al, Free Radical Biol Med, 2008 May 2.}

_{(4) “Cellular antioxidant activity of common fruits,” Wolfe KL, Kang X, et al, J Agric Food Chem, 2008; 24(56): 8418-26.} 

_{(5) “Blueberries May Reverse Some Aging,” Sison A, Medical Tribune, October, 1999;40(17):4.}

_{(6) “Antioxidant Activity of Berry Phenolics on Human Low-Density Lipoprotein and Liposome Oxidation,” Heinonen IM, et al, J Agric Food Chem, 1998;46(10):4107-4112.}

_{(7) “Blueberry fruit polyphenolics suppress oxidative stress-induced skeletal muscle cell damage in vitro,” Hurst RD, Wells RW, et al, Mol Nutr Food Res, 2010 March; 54(3): 353-63.}

_{(8) “Dietary flavanols and flavanol-rich foods intake and the risk of breast cancer,” Adebamowo CA, Cho E, et al, Int J Cancer., 2005; 114(4): 628-33.} 

By Trish Moseley Currin

First of all, I would like to introduce myself. I am a working, married woman with two small kids, ages 3.5 and 2. I work in retail, although I do have a degree, and am reasonably happy with my current status. I am only writing to express my views, and there is relatively little scientific fact in this article. I am also a woman who has suffered the loss of a miscarriage, as well as supported family and friends who have suffered as well.

My topic of choice is miscarriages. Webster’s Dictionary defines this as follows:

1. corrupt or incompetent management; especially; a failure in the administration of justice;
2. spontaneous expulsion of a human fetus before it is viable and especially between the 12th and 28th week of gestation.

I find this word, in relation to pregnancy especially offensive. When you look at the word, broken down into it’s parts: mis-wrong; carriage- to carry, it literally means to carry wrong. It seems to place blame on the person carrying it. When you talk about miscarriage of justice, it means, justice carried out wrongly. When you talk about miscarriage of freight or mail, it means it was carried wrongly. When a woman miscarries, it just means that the baby left her body, or died. Generally, it has nothing to do with any wrongdoing of the woman itself. Why put such a sinister label on something so natural and personal?
There are several different ways to miscarry:

• early term, in the first trimester
• when the fetus doesn’t attach to the wall
• attaches to the wrong wall
• or is spontaneously expelled for a variety of reasons
• mid term, where the fetus dies in uterus and the body doesn’t expel the fetus naturally
• and late term, which is considered not a miscarriage, but a still birth.

All these reasons can be explained medically, but emotionally, there is no explanation to suffice.

What the doctors and scientists do not research enough is the emotional and psychological effects of a miscarriage. The word alone can leave the woman feeling guilty, insufficient, and all alone. Women who do “miscarry” tend to feel an overwhelming sense of guilt, especially those who did nothing wrong in the first place. There are those who cause the miscarriages on their own, but the majority doesn’t even know they are pregnant, until it is too late. In the ‘grand’ old days, miscarriages were spoken about in a whisper, not mentioned in front of the woman, and respected as a true loss. In the age of abortion, casual sex, and information, it is little more than a byline of someone else’s life. It is discussed openly, casually, as if discussing a boil from under one’s arm, and not what it truly is: a loss of a life. What was once a private matter is now public domain, being blogged about, Twittered, and Facebooked for all to see. The pain they feel is left wide open for all to see, comment on, and judge.

For the woman, and man, for that matter, who truly wanted the life that they created, society now tells them, it’s okay, discuss it with the whole world, join a support group, get over it as quickly as you can, and move on. No longer are you allowed to grieve in private, you have people asking you a million questions, giving a thousand hugs, and that most dreaded, benign saying: I’m sorry for your loss. When did it become okay to discuss the most private, personal matters?

By Amy Cook

We count how old our children are; how long we’ve married or divorce; and how long we’ve been at a job.  Yet, how often do we count how long we’ve been parents.  Many of us have been parents longer than we’ve been at our current job.

Now that one of our babies is leaving home, I count.  How many years for me?  This is the beginning of my 25th year – a quarter of a century.  That gives me the right to reflect back.

Dreams – I had a few.  Like going to Machu Picchu and the pyramids; running with the bulls in Pamplona and seeing Venice. (For those 50+, don’t you remember the mother in that cancer commercial that talked about seeing Venice.)  Have I done any of those?  No.  Do I regret?  No – well maybe – at least Venice.

What I’ve done is:
• brushed hair 4015 times before being told, “I’m too big for that now”;
• driven 21 First Days to school, hiding both tears of joys and smiles of relief;
• shopped for the perfect outfit for first days of school. 

I’ve attended
• orchestra concerts, cross country meets and school musicals;
• helped dress for many a party or prom (my clothes have gone places I’ve never been);
• and listened to many tales of friendships, both girls and boys.  (Where have the days when boys have cooties gone?)

I’ve read
• countless number of bedtime stories – Dr Seuss was the best;
• tucked daughters into bed – even when they were too old for Mom;
• and wiped away tears of joy and sadness. 

If you haven’t been a parent, you wouldn’t understand. 
• Being a parent is all about putting your dreams on hold to nurture young minds;
• buying the extras when the money was saved for mom’s essentials;
• and loosing sleep, because staying a wake til all hours is what Moms do.

You can always tell when you are working with a mom. 
• She can juggle her schedule; your tasks and pick up her kids on time from soccer practice. 
• Flexibility is her middle name. 
• Other notable traits: compassionate heart, intuitive, multi-tasker extraordinaire;
• and a sense of humor that gets her through the most challenging set of circumstances.

Who on tv exemptafies us?  Jada Pinkett-Smith’s character, Christina Hawthorne rocks!  She’s a working medical mom with a teenage daughter and unhappy mother-in-law.  Am I similar?  A working mom who also wants to heal/change the world.  I too have a teenage daughter, actually two, and a mother-in-law – unhappy, well you will have to ask her.  The only difference is my husband is only sick, not dead. 

Hawthorne’s one of my role models; Michael Weston’s mom (Sharon Gless) on Burn Notice is another. 
Though I grew up with June Cleaver and Harriet Nelson.  I’m not big into co-dependent women who put their lives on hold. (Dreams on hold are not the same as lives on home.)

Another favorite is Jane Seymour’s Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.  She too balanced home and career, plus she was based on the life of one of Colorado first doctors.

Why don’t I have any real role models?  Right now, there are too many people struggling on the planet – just making it through the day to day. 

They are focused on struggle and fear;

Or they tell us how to maintain diversity, individuality and materialism.

This isn’t who I am.  My role model embraces community, family and life.  These will be women who can inspire not only me; they inspire our daughters and granddaughters.

Can I be a role model as a mom?  Twenty five years will tell.  When my daughters can look back and say, “I learned that from Mom.”  Then I will feel successful.  Until then, I will still drive carpool for another few years; replenish diminished bank accounts and offer “sage” mom advice when asked for, but never offered.

And when our last daughter leaves home, what will I do?  After twenty nine years, I will retire from being a stay-at-home mom.  Then what?  I can have my dreams -  maybe visit Machu Picchu or the pyramids at Giza and then Venice.  Or I can create a new dream.

Affirmations:

I (your name) am the best mom.
My (your) children listen to me.

Count your affirmations.  Count your days.  Count your dreams.  What truly counts?  That which makes you happy.

New  Sign of a Stroke ——– Stick out Your  Tongue

 Another ‘sign’ of a stroke is this: Ask the  person to ‘stick’ out his tongue… If the  tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or  the other,  that is  also an indication of a stroke.
For more information on Strokes :http://www.equinaut.net/?p=307

By Dr Janet Hull

www.janethull.com/newsletter/0509/how_to_prevent_the_swine_flu.php

Listen to the radio, watch television, read any newspaper – swine flu is creating a panic. Jury trials are postponed, public events have been cancelled, school districts are shut down, and President Obama says the horse is out of the barn – now what do we do?
First, you don’t panic and second, you activate some serious good sense and some nutritional ER!
Prevention is what all human beings must practice daily to avoid any threat to their safety. You change the oil in your car to prevent your engine from burning and cracking, don’t you? You rotate your tires regularly to prevent wear and tear on your tires to prevent an unexpected flat, don’t you? You balance your bank checking account to prevent bouncing checks, I assume.
So, to prevent catching the flu, take extra supplements to boost your immune system when the threat of a flu outbreak is eminent. Here are some tips that we all should do daily to prevent exposing our bodies to any disease, and don’t just practice these health tips in the eleventh hour when a outbreak of a virus or bacteria or pollutant looms near; practice these daily, for the rest of your life to prevent exposure to ALL those nasty bugs that threaten your immune strength!
• Avoid chemicals in your diet. Not only have most food chemicals been proven to cause disease, but also, they offer your body NO NUTRITION. They are NOT nutrient sources, and they wear the body down because your body cannot process them nor use them in any healthy way. THIS breaks down your immune system, and opens the barn door to disease and viruses like the swine flu.
• Eat healthy foods at every meal and snack. This offers your body the tools it needs to stay strong, so when you are exposed to a virus, your body can excrete that toxin before it takes hold of you.
• Maintain a healthy vitamin supplement program, regularly. Back in the 1960s when the quality of food was more natural and processed foods were not as predominant as today, doctors used to say that taking vitamins was a waste of time and money. That belief has gone out of style along with the VW van and big bubble-cut, hair bobs. With the depletion of healthy soils, plus the chemicals added to both farmland and the plants and animals grown on those grasslands, and with the number of fake food chemicals saturating our food supply, human beings need to add natural nutrients into their daily lives through high-quality vitamins and minerals. And this need begins at a very young age. For those that maintain a healthy vitamin and mineral protocol, their immune systems stay strong, and they suffer less colds and flu, and they typically do not fall victim to degenerative diseases, osteoporosis, cancer, or flu epidemics. Do you ever wonder why your neighbor is always sick, but you are not?
• Take an extra antioxidant supplement when pandemic disease is a threat. An extra antioxidant is good to take when your immune system is compromised, at any time. If you smoke, if you have been diagnosed with a degenerative disease, if you have chronic allergies, if you have Candida or any chronic fungal or bacterial issues, or if you want to prevent catching the swine flu, taking an extra antioxidant supplement is a very wise thing to do.
• Increase you vitamin C to bowel tolerance. I have repeatedly written about the critical need of using vitamin C daily for health! Humans do not make their own vitamin C in their liver, like all other animals do. When THEY are exposed to toxins, viruses, and other elements that weaken their immune systems, all other animals produce as much vitamin C as needed to combat the unhealthy invader. So if your cat or dog is exposed to the swine flu, it will kick in its immune system, produce more vitamin C needed to destroy a virulent disease, it will sleep more, eat less, and drink more water to allow its body to win over the toxin. Humans must do the same, but if you are not eating and drinking whole foods to supply you extra vitamin C to prevent catching the flu or a cold, then you MUST supply that through a quality vitamin C supplement from pure ascorbic acid.
How do you know how much extra vitamin C to take? Well, here is your first clue that you need it, especially if you are getting sick: your stools will begin to dry up, and you may become constipated or have difficulty having a complete bowel movement. At this first clue, increase your ascorbic acid by 1,000 mg a day, and you can do this three times a day if needed. When you have a loose stool for 2-3 days in a row, then begin backing down by 1,000 mg daily until you return to your normal bowel routine. This provides your immune system the extra defense mechanism needed to resist and excrete any viruses or other causes of disease.
• Sniff a solution of warm salt-water up your nostrils every night before bed. I was raised in Florida, and a dunk in the ocean can prevent many illnesses from getting into your body through your nose and mouth. When you keep nasty bugs and viruses from entering your body, and keep a pH balance in these cavities, you can prevent many colds and flu. Mix a solution of one-teaspoon sea salt with one-cup warm water. Cup your hand and sniff into one nostril at a time. Then bath your eyes with the salt-water solution, and gargle with the leftovers. You will have to blow your nose shortly afterwards because the solution will come right back out into your handkerchief, but the contagious elements will come out with it. You are blowing OUT of your body what would have GONE IN.
• Keep Lysol® on hand. Spraying Lysol on door handles, your telephone, on TV remotes, on your computer keyboard and mouse, and on anything that you “touch” is a good way to prevent spreading disease from a contact point into your body.
• Carry baby-wipes with you. Keep a travel pack of baby wipes in your car, briefcase, backpack or purse, and wipe off shopping cart handles, all kind of things in public restrooms, use at school, work, or in public activity centers.
If you do catch the swine flu, immediately activate all the recommendations above to help boost your immune system. Nutritional ER always compliments any medical efforts to remove the virus and restore your heath.
Wishing you healthy swine flu prevention. Now, go take a nap with your cat.

Serious Health Risks
Recalled Products
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers to immediately stop using Hydroxycut products by Iovate Health Sciences Inc., of Oakville, Ontario and distributed by Iovate Health Sciences USA Inc. of Blasdell, N.Y. Some Hydroxycut products are associated with a number of serious liver injuries. Iovate has agreed to recall Hydroxycut products from the market.

Hydroxycut products are dietary supplements that are marketed for weight loss, as fat burners, as energy-enhancers, as low carb diet aids, and for water loss under the Iovate and MuscleTech brand names.

Serious Health Risks
FDA has received 23 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of potential liver injury, to liver damage requiring liver transplant. One death due to liver failure has been reported to the FDA.

Liver injury, although rare, was reported by patients at the doses of Hydroxycut recommended on the bottle. Symptoms of liver injury include jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes) and brown urine. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, excessive fatigue, weakness, stomach or abdominal pain, itching, and loss of appetite.

Other health problems reported include seizures; cardiovascular disorders; and rhabdomyolysis, a type of muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems such as kidney failure.

FDA urges consumers to stop using Hydroxycut products in order to avoid any undue risk, says Linda Katz, M.D., interim chief medical officer of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “Adverse events are rare, but exist,” Katz says. “Consumers should consult a physician or other health care professional if they are experiencing symptoms possibly associated with these products.

Recalled Products
The list of products being recalled by Iovate currently includes:

Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
Hydroxycut 24
Hydroxycut Carb Control
Hydroxycut Natural
Although FDA has not received reports of serious liver-related adverse reactions for all Hydroxycut products, Iovate has agreed to recall all the products listed above. Hydroxycut Cleanse and Hoodia products are not affected by the recall.

Consumers who have these products are advised to stop using them and to return them to the place of purchase. The agency has not yet determined which ingredients, dosages, or other health-related factors may be associated with risks related to these Hydroxycut products. The products contain a variety of ingredients and herbal extracts.

Health care professionals and consumers are encouraged to report serious adverse events (side effects) or product quality problems with the use of these products to FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online, by regular mail, fax or phone.

Online: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm
Regular Mail: Use FDA postage paid form 3500 found at: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm and mail to MedWatch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787
Fax: 800-FDA-0178
Phone: 800-FDA-1088

FDA continues to investigate the potential relationship between Hydroxycut dietary supplements and liver injury or other potentially serious side effects

Pollen grains from trees, grasses and weeds can float through the air in spring, summer or fall. But on their way to fertilize plants and tree flowers, pollen particles often end up in our noses, eyes, ears and mouths. The result can be sneezing spells, watery eyes, congestion and an itchy throat.

The collection of symptoms that affect the nose when you breathe in something you are allergic to is called allergic rhinitis; when the symptoms affect the eyes, it’s called allergic conjunctivitis. Allergic rhinitis caused by plant pollen is commonly called hay fever—although it’s not a reaction to hay and it doesn’t cause fever.

Pollen allergy affects about 1 out of 10 Americans, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). For some, symptoms can be controlled by using over-the-counter (OTC) medicine occasionally. Others have reactions that may more seriously disrupt the quality of their lives. Allergies can trigger or worsen asthma and lead to other health problems such as sinus infection (sinusitis) and ear infections in children.

“You can distinguish allergy symptoms from a cold because a cold tends to be short-lived, results in thicker nasal secretions, and is usually associated with sore throat, hoarseness, malaise, and fever,” says Badrul Chowdhury, M.D., Ph.D., an allergist and immunologist in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Many people with allergic rhinitis notice a seasonal pattern with their symptoms, but others may need a health care professional’s help to find out for sure if pollen is the source of their misery. If symptoms crop up year-round, dust mites, pet dander or another indoor allergy trigger (allergen) could be the culprit. This year-round condition is known as perennial allergic rhinitis.

When to Get Treatment

Chowdhury suggests seeing a health care professional if you experience allergies for the first time, your symptoms interfere with your ability to function, you don’t find relief from OTC drugs, or you experience allergy symptoms over a long period.

You may need an allergy test, the most common of which is a skin test that shows how you react to different allergens, including specific pollen allergens like ragweed and grass pollen.

Avoid Pollen

Once you know you have seasonal allergies, try to avoid pollen as much as possible, says Chowdhury. Pay attention to pollen counts and try to stay indoors when pollen levels are highest. Pollen counts measure how much pollen is in the air (pollen level) and are expressed in grains of pollen per square meter of air collected during a 24-hour period.

• In the late summer and early fall, during ragweed pollen season, pollen levels are highest in the morning.
• In the spring and summer, during the grass pollen season, pollen levels are highest in the evening.
• Some molds, another allergy trigger, may also be seasonal. For example, leaf mold is more common in the fall.
• Sunny, windy days can be especially troublesome for pollen allergy sufferers.

It may also help to

• keep windows closed in your house and car and run the air conditioner
• avoid mowing grass and doing other yard work, if possible

wear a face mask designed to filter pollen out of the air and keep it from reaching nasal passages.

By BigVil600

Presented by: Michele E. Mukatis

It is  that time of year; if you listen closely, you can hear the call – go get me greens – lettuces, arugula, parsley, and others. I want peas, radishes and asparagus to scrub winter’s sluggishness out of my system. Listen to that siren’s song. You may not like everything that your best friend, husband or children like, but your body will tell you what it needs.
Seasonal eating is not a new notion. People around the world have been doing it since the beginning of time and Ayurveda is a whole way of life designed around knowing your type and living seasonally.
In the winter, our bodies need to stock up on foods that will give us more to draw from to protect our bodies from the severe weather that happens in many climates. Apples, root vegetables, potatoes, onions, oils, heavier starches and meats are more readily available and will necessarily put on the pounds if you eat enough.
When spring arrives, the fruits and vegetables that grow well are designed to flush fat and extra pounds from your system. For instance, strawberries are very low in calories, but satisfy that sweet tooth that you get from winter produce. Lettuces and other greens as well as cabbages, broccoli, radishes, asparagus and peas, are full of fiber and astringent or bitter qualities, all of which help to flush fat.
At this point, you should be cutting down on the oils you intake, which means eating fewer nuts and less of the heavier, starchier grains as well as fattier meats. Bring millet, corn, rye and barley into your diet and eat less wheat and rice.
Of course, cutting down on the sugar intake is also key. All of those starchy sweet vegetables which were great over the winter will give way to the spring fruit such as strawberries in the early spring and cherries and blueberries as the season progresses. Use raw honey or agave nectar as a sweetener, instead of more processed sugars, to give you a boost, but keep it natural and easily digested.
Finally, you don’t need to make the switch overnight. Just as winter gives way to spring with highs and lows over a series of weeks, you can make the changes in your diet gradually. This is the best way to not stress your system.
As with anything, the point is to pay attention to what your body is saying it needs. You may not know why you “don’t like” peas, but your body may have a good reason. Maybe peas have a nutrient of which you already have enough. If your body tells you not to eat something, it’s okay to leave it out, even if your best friend swears it’s the best weight-loss, energy-giving food he’s ever found.
Enjoy the savor of spring cleaning and lightness that the season brings.
I
The Nibble
One way to relax and feel good
Savor a spicy meal. Hot foods trigger the release of endorphins – the natural chemicals that trigger feelings of euphoria and well-being.Spicy foods can   also help you slim down because they speed up your metabolism and make you feel satisfied more quickly.

Considerably more people than previously believed are allergic to the most common fragrance ingredient used in shampoos, conditioners and soap. In a study, over 5 percent of those who underwent patch testing were allergic to the air oxidized form of the fragrance ingredient linalool.

Linalool is found in 60 to 80 percent of perfumed hygiene products, soap and household cleaning agents that can be bought in the supermarket, so it can be difficult for people who are allergic to avoid these products.

In the study, oxidized linalool was added at patch testing for more than 3,000 patients who wanted to find out what was causing their eczema. Between 5 percent and 7 percent proved to be allergic.
Sources:
Eurekalert March 27, 2009
Contact Dermatitis January 2009; 60(1):32-40