Prescription for Well-Being

Sinister Belly Fat

Is any fat really that good? Well, yes, but today I came across a study on belly fat, or the visceral fat that is  stored in the belly behind the abdomen muscles. While the verdict is still out on why exactly this kind of fat is considered a terrible one to acquire, there was one theory applicable to most people presented by Dr. Leibel that caught my attention. By way of direct correlation, having a big belly = eating beyond our needs, one would think belly fat is only derived from dietary habits, or it being the source of an unhealthy appearance and lifestyle. But if you have uncomfortable amounts of belly fat it may be a sign of "psychological stress and other health problems." One way to arrive at the given theory is too take into account fats associated conditions like high blood pressure or poor vascular function which leads to Alzheimer's, dementia. Though this also seems to not be all that well understood.

If this is freaking you out, the possibility of physical appearance being a reflection of how you feel... check the little table way below.

Now,as we are all well aware, one cannot determine where to store fat, or where to lose fat (spot reduction). But here's some motivation for you to get your running shoes and the dog out for a run; visceral fat is usually the first to go when losing weight, in both sexes. Cardiovascular exercise, that's right, exercise, the word we dread, but the action you can easily learn to love and appreciate.

Dr. Liebel also warns against supplemental aids to flatten stomachs by limiting cortisol. "Your adrenal gland is like a power tool, you don't want to be messing around in the garage with it without supervision."

GUT INSTINCTS

 

• A waist circumference of more than 40 inches for men, or 35 inches for a woman, is a sign of potentially dangerous girth.

• To measure accurately, lie down and run a tape measure around your midsection at the level of your navel.

• Flesh that is flabby and can be pinched between your fingers -- like "love handles" -- is likely to be subcutaneous fat. If your belly is firm but distended, that's likely to be visceral fat that is linked to many health problems.

*content gathered from Wall Street Journal.

Menstrual Blood Repairs Hearts

In more Tokyo news, an Associated Foreign Press report is revealing that scientists, using menstrual blood from nine women, cultivating it for a month and focusing on a kind of cell that can act like stem cells, were able to get heart cells to begin beating in 20 percent of tests. This success rate is much more successful than stem cells taken from bone marrow, which is about 0.2 to 0.3 percent successful.

Not only did 20% of the cells begin beating about three days later, they also formed sheet-like muscle tissue. Another test showed that rats that had suffered heart attacks improved after they received the cells from the menstrual blood.

Scientists are also reporting that women could soon be able to use their own menstrual blood to one day build stockpiles of cells and that storage of the blood could stay for 200 to 300 years waiting for the perfect match -- I guess in case there's a low supply of menstrual blood donors in the future.

Japanese Teen Uses Combination of Detergents to Commit Suicide

In a really disturbing and sad story, the Canadian Press is reporting that a 14-year-old girl in Tokyo committed suicide by mixing laundry detergent with cleanser creating fumes so strong that it also sickened 90 neighbors. Apparently the teen discovered the concoction on an Internet suicide site and went about committing the act in her apartment house, which also ultimately required 10 of her neighbors to be hospitalized due to the strength of the fumes.

Sadly, authorities in Japan are saying that this is the latest in what has become a string of suicides by use of detergent. A 31-year-old man outside of Tokyo also killed himself by using a mixture of detergent an bath salts. Estimates of suicides by detergent have reached as high as 30 in this, not counting those who has just gotten sick from the concoction.

Middle School Students Arrested in Prescription Drug Trade

When I was in junior high school, we used to take baseball cards to school and trade them. That was fun. I remember getting ripped off though when someone got me to take a Wally Joyner rookie card for a Gary Sheffield rookie card and feeling bad about it the rest of the day. Later, it was basketball cards and wisely, I collected as many Michael Jordan cards as possible, suckering someone into taking my Harold Minor rookie card for a Jordan.

Anyway, that was then and now it's a little different. Three female middle school students in Colorado were arrested for trading prescription drugs. The eFlux story goes something like: one of the girls brings in two prescription drugs (Strattera and Concerta -- both used to treat hyperactivity disorder) in order to trade them for alcohol with another student. The receiving student then gives a Strattera to another student, who asked a fourth to hold the pills for the rest of the day. Two of the students were charged with distribution of a controlled substance and the third was charged with possession. One of the kids was also taken to the hospital after taking one of the pills.

CNN Show Urges Usage of DRx.com

I've personally been touting the wonderful benefits of DRx.com for a while since honestly, the ability to compare prescription prices, maintain Medicine Cabinets for yourself and others can be a tremendously valuable tool. Turns out that CNN also feels the same way as can be seen by this video or the transcript from the presentation on saving on health care costs.

The cable news channel touted the benefits of visiting DRx.com on "Paging Dr. Gupta"  hosted by Sanjay Gupta on saving money on health care by visiting DRx.com as a way to compare prescription drug prices and save money on health care.

What's with the Itch?

    It's spring time! Cherry blossoms in DC, tulips in Washington, snow in Utah...still. And lest we forget, mosquito bites. The mosquito season, and it's bite, also means the occasional fervent itch, your friends telling you not to scratch, and mom, at least my mom, telling me her tea will make it all better.
    So this is how it works. You get bit, the mosquito feeds, and in exchange for blood it drops a protein that keeps the blood from coagulating as it drinks, leaving you with a nasty allergic reaction. Your body responds by releasing histamines, causing itching, swelling and general discomfort. Is there something you can do to alleviate the body's allergic response?

    You can wait it out. According to Dr. Nanette Silverberg one such option is to do just that. If you don't have a high tolerance for the itch of a mosquito bite, it can be developed over a period of exposure, and itching usually stops between 24 - 48 hours.
    If over the counter is your cup of tea, it's likely your doctor would recommend either benadryl or hydrocortisone cream from the bite. Benadryl, an antihistamine, is suggested to cause relaxation and sleep, while hydrocortisone is more of an anti-inflammatory.
    Whatever your choice in combating the effects of a mosquito bite; over the counter or home remedy driven like oatmeal, toothpaste or garlic, the best bet is probably slapping on some repellent. Especially when more than a bad itch can accompany a mosquito bite, read here.

Former Ukranian Olympic Athlete Pasha Grishuk Drugged With GHB

Pasha Grishuk, a former Olympic ice dancer, was drugged with gamma hydroxy butyrate, or "GHB" for short, during a business meeting in California according to a report from the Associated Press. Authorities said the 36-year-old Ukranian athlete who now resides in Los Angeles was given the drug, commonly referred to as the "date rape drug" due to its qualities of making its users drowsy and somewhat defenseless to predatory attacks, during a business meeting in Orange County.

The former athlete started to feel feel ill and numb during the dinner before noticing a dissolved pill in her drink. Investigators later found another dissolved pill in the bottom of another drink she had ordered in the hotel's lounge.

GHB can cause breathing problems, loss of consciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma and even death when used. The Drug Enforcement Agency says in addition to its frequent uses in the act of date rape, the drug is also used by bodybuilders for its anabolic effects.

PETA Offers Million Dollar Bounty for Fake Meat

Hoping to end the suffering of animals who are raised solely for the purpose of killing to feed humans, PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is offering a one million dollar reward for anyone that can grow meat in a test tube. Yahoo is reporting that the group will pay the million dollars to anyone that can figure out a way to grow in-vitro meat by 2012 that tastes just like real meat, is comparable in price to the real thing and can be grown in quantities large enough that it can be sold and consumed in ten states.

PETA notes that nearly one million chickens are consumed each hour in the United States, this sort of innovation could save countless animals from suffering and allow the land that is used for raising animals to be used for other things.

I find it interesting that PETA is encouraging meat to be created in this fashion since this might involve experimenting on animals and even PETA notes that there was a real conflict inside of PETA when determining whether or not to go through with this since it ultimately involves eating meat. Also, there seems to be something weird going on with the fact that growing animal cells in a tube for consumption would seem to be similar to raising animals for that same reason, but I'm guessing that PETA is reasoning that this is better than the original task since it doesn't involve the horrible conditions these animals are forced to live in, nor would test-tube animals really be alive and moving around. Regardless, it'll be interesting to see if this reward is ever actually given out or if anyone can come up with a resolution that PETA will find acceptable or reject.

Ohio Chipotle Restaurant Closed After 47 Fall Ill

Chipotle is good food, in my opinion. I love going there and getting a big, chicken burrito where they can barely pinch the tortilla closed because there's so much meat and beans and stuff in there, then taking it back to my seat and devouring it alongside a side of chips and guacamole until I have to lean back in my chair to avoid falling over forwards. Well, WLWT.com is reporting that 47 people may be falling forward for a different reason in Kent, Ohio after falling ill following a visit to the restaurant. The people complained of severe vomiting, diarrhea and nausea.

Oddly enough, several of the patrons had donated blood and received a coupon to eat there for free.

Study of Pets Shows Presence of Dangerous Chemicals

Let me first start off by saying I have three dogs -- sorry, three beautiful dogs (don't want them to be upset if they read this). Two of them live with my mother and the other one lives with me, which gives me ample opportunity to walk her, pet her and do all of the fun stuff that comes along with the human-dog relationship. In fact, I probably view her more as a daughter than I do as a dog, which is probably how most owners see their animals.

So like a lot of other pet owners, a report from eFlux that shows that blood and urine samples from 35 dogs and 37 cats showed that 48 industrial chemicals were present, likely a result of their proximity to the ground and the fact that they lick their paws and fur after walking and lying down. In fact, the study showed that pets have a higher concentration of these chemicals than most humans, resulting in health problems for them. The article even specifically points out that there's an increase in cancer in dogs and cats and hyperthroidism in cats.