Clipmarks | kwonsu's 'health' clips

Embrace Reality (by Thich Nhat Hanh)

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:22:53 GMT

clipped by: kwonsu

When you deny the reality of life, you appreciate it less. Meditate on the Buddha's Five Remembrances and rediscover the magic of life just as it is.

I am of the nature to grow old.
There is no way to escape growing old.

I am of the nature to have ill health.
There is no way to escape ill health.

I am of the nature to die.
There is no way to escape death.

All that is dear to me and everyone I love
are the nature to change.

There is no way to escape
being separated from them.

My actions are my only true belongings.
I cannot escape the consequences of my actions.

My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

from: The Plum Village Chanting, by Thich Nhat Hanh

Tags: thich nhat hanh, reality, lifestyle, spirituality

Improving your mental fitness

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 21:45:31 GMT

clipped by: kwonsu

Clip Source: longevity.about.com

There are two basic principles to keep your brain healthy and sharp as you age: variety and curiosity.

If you can do the crossword puzzle in your sleep, it's time for you to move on to a new challenge

Curiosity about the world around you, how it works and how you can understand it will keep your brain working fast and efficiently

1) Play Games

Games are a wonderful way to tease and challenge your brain.

2) Meditation

Daily meditation is perhaps the single greatest thing you can do for your mind/body health.

3) Eat for Your Brain

Your brain needs you to eat healthy fats.

4) Tell Good Stories

Stories are a way that we solidify memories, interpret events and share moments.

5) Turn Off Your Television

Television can stand in the way of relationships, life and more.

6) Exercise Your Body To Exercise Your Brain

Physical exercise is great brain exercise too.

7) Read Something Different

Books are portable, free from libraries and filled with infinite interesting characters, information and facts.

Tags: brain, health, fitness, life, people, meditation

Prozac for paedophiles

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:55:18 GMT

clipped by: kwonsu

Clip Source: news.independent.co.uk

Jailed sex offenders to get anti-depressants in controversial treatment approved by ministers. Home Secretary attacked by Met police chief over plans to move offenders out of hostels

Paedophiles and other sex offenders are to be prescribed Prozac in an attempt to prevent them reoffending, under radical plans approved by ministers.

The Independent on Sunday can today reveal that 100 prisoners in nine jails will take part in trials of the anti-depressant drug this autumn to test its use in suppressing obsessive sexual urges. An estimated 10 per cent of sex offenders could eventually be treated with the drug.

The Department of Health is also understood to be investigating the possible use of voluntary "chemical castration", which uses libido-suppressing drugs to treat sex offenders who do not respond to ordinary programmes.

How it works

Prozac stimulates the brain's production of the enzyme serotonin, which can cause loss of libido.

Tags: prozac, paedophiles, crime, law, people, life, science, health, libido, sex offenders

Six Great ways to start your day

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 09:58:29 GMT

clipped by: kwonsu

Clip Source: stress.about.com

The way you spend your morning can add a certain flavor to the rest of your day. Here are some healthy lifestyle habits to incorporate into your morning routine that can leave you better able to handle the stress you experience. Try one or several, and experiment until you find what suits you.

Put On Some Music

Music therapy has been shown to reduce stress and have a positive effect on health.

Listening to music as you get ready and start your day will create positive energy and a soothing sense of peace (or a sense of fun, if you play party music).

Stretch in the Shower

The hot water will loosen up your muscles, so it’s easier to get a good stretch.

Eat a Balanced Breakfast

Breakfast is known as ‘the most important meal of the day’ f

Drink Green Tea

Green tea is loaded with antioxidants, so it’s a delicious and healthy lifestyle choice.

Write in Your Journal

Writing once a day can help you feel focused, process negative emotions, and solve problems.

Morning Walk

Yoga

Tags: life, health, happiness, people, stress, lifestyle

How can I improve my emotional health?

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 22:32:17 GMT

clipped by: kwonsu

Clip Source: familydoctor.org

First, try to recognize your emotions and understand why you are having them. Sorting out the causes of sadness, stress and anxiety in your life can help you manage your emotional health. The following are some other helpful tips.

Express your feelings in appropriate ways.

f feelings of stress, sadness or anxiety are causing physical problems, keeping these feelings inside can make you feel worse. It’s OK to let your loved ones know when something is bothering you.

Live a balanced life.

Try not to obsess about the problems at work, school or home that lead to negative feelings. This doesn’t mean you have to pretend to be happy when you feel stressed, anxious or upset. It’s important to deal with these negative feelings, but try to focus on the positive things in your life too.

Calm your mind and body.

Take care of yourself.

Relaxation methods, such as meditation, are useful ways to bring your emotions into balance.

To have good emotional health, it’s important to take care of your body

Tags: health, emotional, life, people

Most useful health web sites

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 03:52:05 GMT

clipped by: kwonsu

Clip Source: www.mlanet.org

Cancer.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
familydoctor.org
healthfinder®
HIV InSite
Kidshealth®
Mayo Clinic
MEDEM: an information partnership of medical societies
MEDLINEplus (English | Spanish)
NOAH: New York Online Access to Health

The Consumer and Patient Health Information Section (CAPHIS) of MLA evaluates web sites based on the following criteria: credibility, sponsorship/authorship, content, audience, currency, disclosure, purpose, links, design, interactivity, and disclaimers.

Tags: web, health, medicine, people, life

Men, beware of anti-aging therapy

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 16:03:08 GMT

clipped by: kwonsu

Clip Source: www.canada.com

For some aging men, the temptations are enticing - bigger muscles, more stamina, enhanced memory and improved sex drive and performance.

But the jury is still out on the risks of testosterone therapy as an anti-aging formula, urologist Alvaro Morales told an international conference on men and aging this week at a Montreal hotel.

The issue of hormone-replacement therapy for men has been marred by controversy for years - even before an aging population led to an increase in its use, Morales said.

Testosterone may protect male brains
Gallery: Age-defying secrets
Non-medication treatments

More Men's Health news

"When I went to medical school, we were taught that (hormone replacement) was very bad for your heart and your circulation," said Morales of Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. "But the greatest fear is the risk of prostate cancer."

There is no evidence testosterone causes prostate cancer, but doctors fear it might fuel the growth of a cancer that's already present, Morales said.

Still, testosterone therapy is growing.

In Canada, prescriptions for testosterone pills, patches, gels and injections have more than doubled to 323,535 in 2006 from 150,000 in 1999.

The majority - 90 per cent - are dispensed to men, according to IMS Health, which tracks pharmaceutical data.

"I call it the M factor - marketing," Morales said. "Look what happened with Viagra."

Testosterone, the male hormone, often is prescribed as part of a regimen to both men and women looking for a libido lift.

In his book Testosterone Dreams, John Hoberman refers to "fantasies about exploiting the therapeutic potential of androgenic drugs."

Steroid use has been documented in professional athletes, as well as in police officers, prison guards, firefighters and soldiers who want greater "physical self-assertion and self-confidence," Hoberman writes.

For today's baby boomer who wants to look good and feel young, hormones are part of the package.

Tags: sex, aging, health, medicine, people, testosterone, hormone

Retard aging, combat fatigue and stimulate the mind

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 11:59:01 GMT

clipped by: kwonsu

Clip Source: www.noborders.net

Yerba Mate, or Mate as it is often called, is a South American herb that has won many admirers in wide-ranging parts of the world. In the search for a natural stimulant devoid of side effects and toxicity, Mate currently holds the most hope. An invigorator of the mind and body, a natural source of nutrition, and a health promoter par excellence, Mate deserves the attention of every person interested in optimum health. Yerba Mate was introduced to colonizing and modern civilizations by the primitive Guarani Indians of Paraguay and Argentina. It has seemingly always been the most common ingredient in household cures of the Guarani. In modern Argentina and Paraguay, however, Mate tea has become almost pathologically ritualized in a manner reminiscent of coffee and tea abuse in Western and Eastern countries. Among the native Guarani, on the other hand, the natural use of Mate for healthful purposes has persisted. They use it to boost immunity, cleanse and detoxify the blood, tone the nervous system, restore youthful hair color, retard aging, combat fatigue, stimulate the mind, control the appetite, reduce the effects of debilitating disease, reduce stress, and eliminate insomnia.

Mate (flex paraguariensis) is an evergreen member of the holly family. It grows wild in Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Brazil, but is most abundant in Paraguay where it is also cultivated. The plant is classified vaguely, according to Western herbal medicine, as aromatic, stimulant, bitter, aperient (laxative), astringent, diuretic, purgative, sudorific (sweat inducing), and febrifuge (fever reducing). Mate contains numerous vitamins and minerals.

Tags: aging, fatigue, health, mate, science, medicine, mind

Bush orders every regulatory office to be supervised by political appointee

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 17:10:02 GMT

clipped by: jklugman
clipper's remarks: Be scared. Be very, very, scared.

Via Ezra Klein.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

January 30, 2007

Bush Directive Increases Sway on Regulation

By ROBERT PEAR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 — President Bush has signed a directive that gives the White House much greater control over the rules and policy statements that the government develops to protect public health, safety, the environment, civil rights and privacy.

In an executive order published last week in the Federal Register, Mr. Bush said that each agency must have a regulatory policy office run by a political appointee, to supervise the development of rules and documents providing guidance to regulated industries. The White House will thus have a gatekeeper in each agency to analyze the costs and the benefits of new rules and to make sure the agencies carry out the president’s priorities.

This strengthens the hand of the White House in shaping rules that have, in the past, often been generated by civil servants and scientific experts. It suggests that the administration still has ways to exert its power after the takeover of Congress by the Democrats.

The White House said the executive order was not meant to rein in any one agency. But business executives and consumer advocates said the administration was particularly concerned about rules and guidance issued by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Business groups welcomed the executive order, saying it had the potential to reduce what they saw as the burden of federal regulations. This burden is of great concern to many groups, including small businesses, that have given strong political and financial backing to Mr. Bush.

Consumer, labor and environmental groups denounced the executive order, saying it gave too much control to the White House and would hinder agencies’ efforts to protect the public.

Tags: regulation, who-rules-america, bush administration, business, corporate-malfeasance, osha, epa, news, politics, via:ezra klein