Laser Vision Correction, also known as LASIK, wavefront LASIK, EPI LASIK, or PRK, can provide freedom for the majority of individuals who wear glasses or contact lenses. Anyone who has worn glasses and then been able to see clearly without them will be quick to tell you about their sense of liberation and how they had wished that they had LASIK earlier.
In America, over 8.1 million LASIK procedures have been performed to correct near-sightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. LASIK is one of the most successful medical procedures and it performed more than any other procedure.
The best candidates for LASIK, including Wavefront LASIK tend to be people who are dissatisfied with their glasses or contact lenses and are motivated to make a change, whether due to professional or lifestyle reasons.
BENEFITS OF LASER VISION CORRECTION
Financial - Saving Money with LASIK
* To save time. In one year, the average contact lens wearer spends nearly 60 hours wetting, soaking, rubbing, cleaning and otherwise maintaining their contacts
* To save money. Over the years, the cost of lenses, solutions and glasses becomes quite substantial, amounting to thousands of dollars
* Increased work productivity and work safety due to clearer vision (i.e. the elimination of glasses fogging up at critical times, constant eye irritation from excessive contact lense wear, or expanded field of vision due to more peripheral vision)
* Enhanced professional abilities and expanded career opportunities — especially in careers where excellent vision is paramount (i.e. police officers, firefighters, pilots, and tradesmen)
* May be able to have corrective lens requirement removed from driver's license
Lifestyle Improvements
* Freedom from the hassles and inconvenience of contacts or glasses
* To wake up in the morning or middle of the night and see the alarm clock
* To have a more natural appearance without glasses
* Increased self confidence—your visual improvement will have psychological benefits if you feel you look and function better without corrective eyewear
* To be able to see while in the shower, putting on makeup, or while shaving
* To be able to unexpectedly stay overnight away from your glasses or contact lenses and supplies
* No more fear over being incapacitated if your glasses or contacts lenses are lost
LASIK for Sporting Activities
* Improved vision for recreational activities, especially water, winter, and contact sports
* To participate in outdoor sports without fear that your glasses will fog or get wet from rain or lenses that will dry out in the wind
* To go swimming, scuba diving, etc. and being able to see
* Expanded field of vision due to more natural peripheral vision
* To have clearer vision without a dependency on glasses or contact lenses
* No more fear of being incapacitated if your glasses or contacts lenses are broken
Read More......
Thursday, November 19, 2009
What is LASIK ?
LASIK
LASIK, or Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis, is a safe and effective procedure performed in an eye laser center that is suitable not only for treating higher prescriptions but also for patients with moderate to low amounts of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. LASIK has a remarkable success rate, with 96% of patients achieving 20/20 vision or better, according to the American Society of Cataracts and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS)
Here's how LASIK works:
Normally, your eye "sees" by the cornea (front part of the eye) focusing light onto the retina (back part of the eye) to create an image. If the cornea is imperfectly shaped, or the eyeball is longer or shorter than normal, a distorted image is projected onto the retina, resulting in blurry vision. For many years, the only solution to this problem was corrective eyewear. Since the FDA's approval in 1995, LASIK has been the solution for over four million people.
LASIK uses an excimer laser (a cool beam of light) to reshape the cornea in order to decrease or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses, so that you can see your best AND look your best!
What the LASIK procedure does is remove tiny amounts of tissue from the cornea, changing its shape - and, by so doing, changing the angle at which light enters through it and is projected onto the retina. This involves a two-step process: first, the surgeon exposes the cornea to the laser. This is done by creating a tiny "flap" in the surface layer of the cornea (called the epithelium). Once this is done, the laser gently reshapes the exposed cornea. Each pulse of the laser removes 39-millionths of an inch of tissue, enabling surgeons to achieve remarkable accuracy while maintaining excellent control throughout the procedure. The flap is then replaced, adhering naturally and securely to the eye, and you are on your way to better vision.
Because the surface layer of the cornea is preserved, discomfort following LASIK is minimal and recovery time is quick. Most people are able to resume their normal schedule and even drive home from the eye laser center THE VERY NEXT DAY after the procedure.
Custom LASIK
Custom LASIK, sometimes referred to as Wavefront LASIK, makes use of the latest laser vision technology at the lowest LASIK eye surgery price. This allows for individualized vision correction outcomes that may not be possible with Traditional LASIK, or glasses and contacts lenses. By mapping up to 2,000 data points on the eye, Custom LASIK can address additional vision irregularities (called higher abberations) that may affect sight. The same laser is used in both Traditional and Custom LASIK, however it is the measurement data that is programmed into the laser that makes a procedure Custom LASIK.
Custom LASIK can only treat a certain prescription range, so not everyone will qualify for, or need, Custom LASIK. Custom LASIK is most beneficial for people with hard-to-correct or unusual vision problems. Other benefits of Custom LASIK may include clearer night vision, decreased risk of glare and halos, and a greater chance of achieving 20/20 vision.
It is important to discuss your options with a health care provider to determine which type of LASIK procedure you qualify for and, therefore, receive the best results from the eye laser center.
PRK and LASEK
LASEK and PRK are primarily used for patients who have thin corneas, are at risk of occupational damage to the eye, or are reluctant to have a LASIK flap. PRK and LASEK differ from LASIK due to the way in which the surface of the cornea is treated.
PRK
PRK (Photorefractive keratectomy) is a procedure much like LASIK and can be used to correct most vision disorders such as hyperopia, myopia, or astigmatism. PRK also uses a laser to change the shape of the cornea, allowing light to focus more clearly in the eye and bring vision closer to normal. Unlike LASIK, with PRK, a flap is not created on the surface layer of the cornea. Instead, the surgeon wipes off a very thin layer of the surface layer of the cornea (epithelium). A laser is then used to reshape the curve of the cornea, the same laser that is used for LASIK.
After the procedure a transparent "bandage", similar to a contact lens, is placed over the cornea to promote healing.
The procedure is painless and visual recovery occurs over several days and can often be accompanied by mild discomfort.
It is important to discuss your options with a health care provider to determine which type of LASIK procedure you qualify for and, therefore, receive the best results from the eye laser center.
LASEK
LASEK (Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis) is a variation on the techniques for both LASIK and PRK. Like LASIK, a flap is made in the cornea, but LASEK differs because a much thinner flap is cut affecting only about as much of the surface layer of the cornea as in PRK. The surgeon would then apply the laser to reshape the cornea. Again, the laser is used in the same way to correct vision as is in LASIK and PRK.
After the procedure a surgeon would replace the thin flap and cover the cornea with a transparent "bandage" contact lens to promote healing, much like PRK. Recovery time for LASEK is quicker than PRK, but longer than LASIK.
It is important to discuss your options with a health care provider to determine which type of LASIK procedure you qualify for and, therefore, receive the best results from the eye laser center.
Read More......
LASIK, or Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis, is a safe and effective procedure performed in an eye laser center that is suitable not only for treating higher prescriptions but also for patients with moderate to low amounts of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. LASIK has a remarkable success rate, with 96% of patients achieving 20/20 vision or better, according to the American Society of Cataracts and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS)
Here's how LASIK works:
Normally, your eye "sees" by the cornea (front part of the eye) focusing light onto the retina (back part of the eye) to create an image. If the cornea is imperfectly shaped, or the eyeball is longer or shorter than normal, a distorted image is projected onto the retina, resulting in blurry vision. For many years, the only solution to this problem was corrective eyewear. Since the FDA's approval in 1995, LASIK has been the solution for over four million people.
LASIK uses an excimer laser (a cool beam of light) to reshape the cornea in order to decrease or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses, so that you can see your best AND look your best!
What the LASIK procedure does is remove tiny amounts of tissue from the cornea, changing its shape - and, by so doing, changing the angle at which light enters through it and is projected onto the retina. This involves a two-step process: first, the surgeon exposes the cornea to the laser. This is done by creating a tiny "flap" in the surface layer of the cornea (called the epithelium). Once this is done, the laser gently reshapes the exposed cornea. Each pulse of the laser removes 39-millionths of an inch of tissue, enabling surgeons to achieve remarkable accuracy while maintaining excellent control throughout the procedure. The flap is then replaced, adhering naturally and securely to the eye, and you are on your way to better vision.
Because the surface layer of the cornea is preserved, discomfort following LASIK is minimal and recovery time is quick. Most people are able to resume their normal schedule and even drive home from the eye laser center THE VERY NEXT DAY after the procedure.
Custom LASIK
Custom LASIK, sometimes referred to as Wavefront LASIK, makes use of the latest laser vision technology at the lowest LASIK eye surgery price. This allows for individualized vision correction outcomes that may not be possible with Traditional LASIK, or glasses and contacts lenses. By mapping up to 2,000 data points on the eye, Custom LASIK can address additional vision irregularities (called higher abberations) that may affect sight. The same laser is used in both Traditional and Custom LASIK, however it is the measurement data that is programmed into the laser that makes a procedure Custom LASIK.
Custom LASIK can only treat a certain prescription range, so not everyone will qualify for, or need, Custom LASIK. Custom LASIK is most beneficial for people with hard-to-correct or unusual vision problems. Other benefits of Custom LASIK may include clearer night vision, decreased risk of glare and halos, and a greater chance of achieving 20/20 vision.
It is important to discuss your options with a health care provider to determine which type of LASIK procedure you qualify for and, therefore, receive the best results from the eye laser center.
PRK and LASEK
LASEK and PRK are primarily used for patients who have thin corneas, are at risk of occupational damage to the eye, or are reluctant to have a LASIK flap. PRK and LASEK differ from LASIK due to the way in which the surface of the cornea is treated.
PRK
PRK (Photorefractive keratectomy) is a procedure much like LASIK and can be used to correct most vision disorders such as hyperopia, myopia, or astigmatism. PRK also uses a laser to change the shape of the cornea, allowing light to focus more clearly in the eye and bring vision closer to normal. Unlike LASIK, with PRK, a flap is not created on the surface layer of the cornea. Instead, the surgeon wipes off a very thin layer of the surface layer of the cornea (epithelium). A laser is then used to reshape the curve of the cornea, the same laser that is used for LASIK.
After the procedure a transparent "bandage", similar to a contact lens, is placed over the cornea to promote healing.
The procedure is painless and visual recovery occurs over several days and can often be accompanied by mild discomfort.
It is important to discuss your options with a health care provider to determine which type of LASIK procedure you qualify for and, therefore, receive the best results from the eye laser center.
LASEK
LASEK (Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis) is a variation on the techniques for both LASIK and PRK. Like LASIK, a flap is made in the cornea, but LASEK differs because a much thinner flap is cut affecting only about as much of the surface layer of the cornea as in PRK. The surgeon would then apply the laser to reshape the cornea. Again, the laser is used in the same way to correct vision as is in LASIK and PRK.
After the procedure a surgeon would replace the thin flap and cover the cornea with a transparent "bandage" contact lens to promote healing, much like PRK. Recovery time for LASEK is quicker than PRK, but longer than LASIK.
It is important to discuss your options with a health care provider to determine which type of LASIK procedure you qualify for and, therefore, receive the best results from the eye laser center.
Read More......
What Is the H1N1 Virus
The H1N1 virus is an A-type influenza virus and is the most common cause of flu in humans. In 2006, for example, H1N1 flu types caused around 50% of all cases of influenza. While most strains of the H1N1 virus are relatively harmless, there have been several instances where outbreaks of a more virulent strain of H1N1 have occurred. Such outbreaks have been noted most recently in 1918 and 2009.
Some strains of the H1N1 virus are endemic in humans, while others are endemic in pigs or birds. The latter two are often referred to as swine flu and avian or bird flu. Various strains of the human H1N1 flu virus are known to cause a large percentage of the seasonal flu epidemics that occur in the colder months of each year. In most cases, these seasonal epidemics are not dangerous, except to the very young or very old.
The first incidence of an outbreak of H1N1 pandemic flu occurred in 1918. This A-type influenza outbreak was then referred to as the Spanish flu, but this was not because the virus was known to originate in Spain. Instead, the name stuck because Spain was the only country in Europe which did not suppress news reports of the thousands of men who died from the flu while fighting in World War I. Other countries felt that the news would be too demoralizing.
The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic killed between fifty and one hundred million people over approximately twelve months. It is thought that this strain of the H1N1 virus was particularly virulent because it caused a cytokine storm. This occurs when elevated levels of cytokines generate a feedback loop which causes the immune response to the virus to escalate almost infinitely. In the case of the Spanish flu this resulted in massive migration of immune cells to the lungs, leading to extensive lung damage that was typically fatal.
Young adults were more at risk of dying than children or the elderly during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. This is thought to be the case because young adults were most capable of mounting a strong immune response, which was more likely to lead to a cytokine storm. The weaker immune systems of the very young and the very old gave them a certain degree of protection.
In 2009, a new outbreak of the H1N1 virus was reported. Initially referred to as swine flu, this new strain of the H1N1 flu virus was confirmed to be a reassortment of genes from four A-type influenza strains. The four strains include one known to be endemic in humans, as well as one strain of avian flu, and two different strains of swine flu. The World Health Organization officially declared the H1N1 outbreak as a pandemic on June 11, 2009, noting that the declaration was due to the rapid spread of the virus and not to the mortality risk.
Infection with the H1N1 flu strain causes expected flu symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain, and fatigue. Vomiting and diarrhea, coughing, and runny nose have also been reported. Young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with medical conditions such as asthma, heart disease, and diabetes may have an increased risk of serious H1N1 virus symptoms.
The 2009 H1N1 pandemic originated in Mexico, where it is believed that the virus may have circulated among the population for several months before spreading to other countries. Research indicates that this particular H1N1 virus strain had been circulating amongst pigs in North America and Europe for several years prior to its transmission to humans. It is thought that cycling of the virus between various pig populations facilitated the extensive mutation this particular strain has undergone.
Read More......
Some strains of the H1N1 virus are endemic in humans, while others are endemic in pigs or birds. The latter two are often referred to as swine flu and avian or bird flu. Various strains of the human H1N1 flu virus are known to cause a large percentage of the seasonal flu epidemics that occur in the colder months of each year. In most cases, these seasonal epidemics are not dangerous, except to the very young or very old.
The first incidence of an outbreak of H1N1 pandemic flu occurred in 1918. This A-type influenza outbreak was then referred to as the Spanish flu, but this was not because the virus was known to originate in Spain. Instead, the name stuck because Spain was the only country in Europe which did not suppress news reports of the thousands of men who died from the flu while fighting in World War I. Other countries felt that the news would be too demoralizing.
The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic killed between fifty and one hundred million people over approximately twelve months. It is thought that this strain of the H1N1 virus was particularly virulent because it caused a cytokine storm. This occurs when elevated levels of cytokines generate a feedback loop which causes the immune response to the virus to escalate almost infinitely. In the case of the Spanish flu this resulted in massive migration of immune cells to the lungs, leading to extensive lung damage that was typically fatal.
Young adults were more at risk of dying than children or the elderly during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. This is thought to be the case because young adults were most capable of mounting a strong immune response, which was more likely to lead to a cytokine storm. The weaker immune systems of the very young and the very old gave them a certain degree of protection.
In 2009, a new outbreak of the H1N1 virus was reported. Initially referred to as swine flu, this new strain of the H1N1 flu virus was confirmed to be a reassortment of genes from four A-type influenza strains. The four strains include one known to be endemic in humans, as well as one strain of avian flu, and two different strains of swine flu. The World Health Organization officially declared the H1N1 outbreak as a pandemic on June 11, 2009, noting that the declaration was due to the rapid spread of the virus and not to the mortality risk.
Infection with the H1N1 flu strain causes expected flu symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain, and fatigue. Vomiting and diarrhea, coughing, and runny nose have also been reported. Young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with medical conditions such as asthma, heart disease, and diabetes may have an increased risk of serious H1N1 virus symptoms.
The 2009 H1N1 pandemic originated in Mexico, where it is believed that the virus may have circulated among the population for several months before spreading to other countries. Research indicates that this particular H1N1 virus strain had been circulating amongst pigs in North America and Europe for several years prior to its transmission to humans. It is thought that cycling of the virus between various pig populations facilitated the extensive mutation this particular strain has undergone.
Read More......
All About Green Tea And Polyphenols
A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind, Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi (1893 - 1986)
Or as I like to say… When the student is ready, the teacher shall appear! By the way, have I said how much I passionately enjoy green tea, the personal benefits I have witnessed from green tea and what a fantastic unearthing this ‘ancient medicine’ is for modern western living?
After a good deal of research, I have found that there isn’t any other food or drink in general consumption reported to have the innumerable health benefits that green tea possesses...none!
The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches and lethargia to depression. And did you know that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for over 4,000 years… When will we westerners learn?
At present, in both Asia and America, scientific research is providing a more than solid substantiation for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For instance, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study demonstrating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. Conversely, University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
To abridge just a few of the medical conditions in which drinking green tea has proved to be helpful:
impaired immune system function
cardiovascular disease
cancer
rheumatoid arthritis
elevated cholesterol levels
numerous types of infections
muscle wasting diseases
Green tea’s ‘secret’ lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been exceedingly effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The preceding takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the foremost cause of heart attacks and stroke. Quite startling, don’t you think?
For The Record Books…
Correlates are being drawn between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, researchers were mystified by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in saturated fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas concluded that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is significantly low, even though in excess of seventy-five percent are smokers.
So why don't other Chinese teas have similar earth-shaking health benefits? Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed.In particular, green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are processed from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being transformed into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various conditions and diseases.
Some Additional Benefits…
The latest evidence emerging is that green tea can even help dieters attain success more rapidly an efficiently. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.
Incidentally, green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacterium that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market showing positive effects.
The Potential Unsafe Effects?
As of today, the only adverse side effect reported from drinking green tea is mild insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine. On the other hand, green tea contains much less caffeine than coffee and most soda: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee and can you imagine the huge contrast in caffeine content between green tea and these ‘new’ high-tech energy drinks that are currently being consumed by the masses with such ravenous voracity.
Green Tea Polyphenols, What Are They You Ask?
Specifically, tea polyphenols are compounds in tea leaves that are natural plant antioxidants. Antioxidants have been proven to prevent damage caused by free radicals to DNA and other molecules.
How Do They Work?
Green tea polyphenols have corroborated several cancer preventive properties. In addition to antioxidant activity, these compounds may as previously mentioned have shown to reduce abnormal cell growth and inflammation; help the body get rid of cancer-causing agents; and restore communication between different cells in the body.
On Cancer… The Facts
The relationship between green tea consumption and human cancer has been studied in several different populations and at various cancer sites. Some of the studies comparing green tea drinkers to non-green tea drinkers support the claim that green tea-drinking, in fact prevents certain types of cancer. Certain dietary, environmental, and population differences may account for these discrepancies. In animal studies, different tea extracts, tea polyphenol mixtures, purified tea components, and tea infusions as the sole drinking fluid have more consistently been shown to prevent cancer, including cancers of the colon, esophagus, liver, stomach, lung, breast, pancreas, and skin. The purified component, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), prevented colon cancer, but did not prevent cancer of the esophagus in animal models. A polyphenol mixture with EGCG, called Polyphenon E, has also shown cancer preventive properties in animals. Animal studies were inconclusive as to whether EGCG or Polyphenol E caused DNA mutations that might trigger cancer growth. Both EGCG and Polyphenon E are being tested for safety and efficacy in humans.
Slower Prostate Cancer Cell Growth Found From Consumption Of Green And Black Tea
A study at The Experimental Biology 2004, in Washington, D.C., reported as part of the scientific program of the American Society of Nutritional Sciences, anti-tumor effects of green and black tea polyphenols in human tissue. And researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles found and were able to detect tea polyphenols in prostate tissue after a very limited consumption of the tea. More notably, the scientists found that prostate cancer cells grew more slowly when placed in a medium containing blood serum of men who had consumed either green or black tea for five days compared to serum collected before the men began their tea-drinking regimen. Serum from men who drank comparable amounts of diet or regular soda showed no such slowing in cancer cell proliferation.
Consequently, Dr. Susanne Henning, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, pronounced that the UCLA research team - a combination of nutrition scientists and urologists - focused on the feasible outcome of tea polyphenols on factors named polyamines and the enzymes responsible for the production of polyamines. Elevated levels of polyamines have been connected with malignancy in humans, including prostate cancer, and - since polyamines are current in prostate tissue in high concentration - are considered a logical target for chemoprevention of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is one of the most widespread cancers among males in the United States, and more than a fourth of all those patients with prostate cancer are known to use alternative therapies, including green tea. This study suggests that both black and green tea are promising natural dietary supplements useful for chemoprevention of prostate cancer, according to Dr. Henning. She plans to investigate if this effect can be enhanced by consuming larger amounts of tea polyphenols in the form of green tea extract supplement capsules.
So If It’s That Good, How Much Should I Drink?
Strangely enough, there are as many answers to this question as there are researchers investigating the beneficial properties of green tea and polyphenols. Herbs for Health magazine mentions a Japanese report citing that men who drank ten cups of green tea per day stayed cancer-free for three years longer than men who drank less than three cups a day (there are approximately 240 - 320 mg of polyphenols in three cups of green tea).
Meanwhile, a study by Cleveland's Western Reserve University concluded that drinking four or more cups of green tea per day could help prevent rheumatoid arthritis, or reduce symptoms in individuals already suffering from the disease. And Japanese scientists at the Saitama Cancer Research Institute have discovered that there were fewer recurrences of breast cancer, and the disease spread less quickly, in women with a history of drinking five cups or more of green tea daily.
A University of California study on the cancer-preventative qualities of green tea concluded that you could probably attain the desired level of polyphenols by drinking merely two cups per day. So which is it? I personally don’t buy the hype that those that manufacture and sell green tea products are propagating…moderation is, like with all things probably your best bet! But given all the evidence, it is almost certainly safe to plan on drinking four to five cups of green tea daily. If you're a real aficionado, by all means imbibe more; but whether or not you'll derive added health benefits remains to be determined.
Okay, enough science… Let’s all just relax and have a cup of green tea or if you like your beverages cold like I do, a glass of ‘iced’ green tea.
About the author:
Kurt Lee Hurley, operator of www.kreatefitness.com,whose clients refer to him as the "Secret Weapon" has built over 3,000 weight loss success testimonials and his Provo, Utah Wellness Facility, Synergy Fitness Systems has become known as a "Results Factory" a "Living Laboratory" of Achievement, Enhanced Human Performance and a place to congregate for Empowerment and of course, the Success of attaining Weight Loss RESULTS!
Read More......
Or as I like to say… When the student is ready, the teacher shall appear! By the way, have I said how much I passionately enjoy green tea, the personal benefits I have witnessed from green tea and what a fantastic unearthing this ‘ancient medicine’ is for modern western living?
After a good deal of research, I have found that there isn’t any other food or drink in general consumption reported to have the innumerable health benefits that green tea possesses...none!
The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches and lethargia to depression. And did you know that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for over 4,000 years… When will we westerners learn?
At present, in both Asia and America, scientific research is providing a more than solid substantiation for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For instance, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study demonstrating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. Conversely, University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
To abridge just a few of the medical conditions in which drinking green tea has proved to be helpful:
impaired immune system function
cardiovascular disease
cancer
rheumatoid arthritis
elevated cholesterol levels
numerous types of infections
muscle wasting diseases
Green tea’s ‘secret’ lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been exceedingly effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The preceding takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the foremost cause of heart attacks and stroke. Quite startling, don’t you think?
For The Record Books…
Correlates are being drawn between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, researchers were mystified by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in saturated fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas concluded that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is significantly low, even though in excess of seventy-five percent are smokers.
So why don't other Chinese teas have similar earth-shaking health benefits? Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed.In particular, green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are processed from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being transformed into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various conditions and diseases.
Some Additional Benefits…
The latest evidence emerging is that green tea can even help dieters attain success more rapidly an efficiently. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.
Incidentally, green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacterium that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market showing positive effects.
The Potential Unsafe Effects?
As of today, the only adverse side effect reported from drinking green tea is mild insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine. On the other hand, green tea contains much less caffeine than coffee and most soda: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee and can you imagine the huge contrast in caffeine content between green tea and these ‘new’ high-tech energy drinks that are currently being consumed by the masses with such ravenous voracity.
Green Tea Polyphenols, What Are They You Ask?
Specifically, tea polyphenols are compounds in tea leaves that are natural plant antioxidants. Antioxidants have been proven to prevent damage caused by free radicals to DNA and other molecules.
How Do They Work?
Green tea polyphenols have corroborated several cancer preventive properties. In addition to antioxidant activity, these compounds may as previously mentioned have shown to reduce abnormal cell growth and inflammation; help the body get rid of cancer-causing agents; and restore communication between different cells in the body.
On Cancer… The Facts
The relationship between green tea consumption and human cancer has been studied in several different populations and at various cancer sites. Some of the studies comparing green tea drinkers to non-green tea drinkers support the claim that green tea-drinking, in fact prevents certain types of cancer. Certain dietary, environmental, and population differences may account for these discrepancies. In animal studies, different tea extracts, tea polyphenol mixtures, purified tea components, and tea infusions as the sole drinking fluid have more consistently been shown to prevent cancer, including cancers of the colon, esophagus, liver, stomach, lung, breast, pancreas, and skin. The purified component, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), prevented colon cancer, but did not prevent cancer of the esophagus in animal models. A polyphenol mixture with EGCG, called Polyphenon E, has also shown cancer preventive properties in animals. Animal studies were inconclusive as to whether EGCG or Polyphenol E caused DNA mutations that might trigger cancer growth. Both EGCG and Polyphenon E are being tested for safety and efficacy in humans.
Slower Prostate Cancer Cell Growth Found From Consumption Of Green And Black Tea
A study at The Experimental Biology 2004, in Washington, D.C., reported as part of the scientific program of the American Society of Nutritional Sciences, anti-tumor effects of green and black tea polyphenols in human tissue. And researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles found and were able to detect tea polyphenols in prostate tissue after a very limited consumption of the tea. More notably, the scientists found that prostate cancer cells grew more slowly when placed in a medium containing blood serum of men who had consumed either green or black tea for five days compared to serum collected before the men began their tea-drinking regimen. Serum from men who drank comparable amounts of diet or regular soda showed no such slowing in cancer cell proliferation.
Consequently, Dr. Susanne Henning, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, pronounced that the UCLA research team - a combination of nutrition scientists and urologists - focused on the feasible outcome of tea polyphenols on factors named polyamines and the enzymes responsible for the production of polyamines. Elevated levels of polyamines have been connected with malignancy in humans, including prostate cancer, and - since polyamines are current in prostate tissue in high concentration - are considered a logical target for chemoprevention of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is one of the most widespread cancers among males in the United States, and more than a fourth of all those patients with prostate cancer are known to use alternative therapies, including green tea. This study suggests that both black and green tea are promising natural dietary supplements useful for chemoprevention of prostate cancer, according to Dr. Henning. She plans to investigate if this effect can be enhanced by consuming larger amounts of tea polyphenols in the form of green tea extract supplement capsules.
So If It’s That Good, How Much Should I Drink?
Strangely enough, there are as many answers to this question as there are researchers investigating the beneficial properties of green tea and polyphenols. Herbs for Health magazine mentions a Japanese report citing that men who drank ten cups of green tea per day stayed cancer-free for three years longer than men who drank less than three cups a day (there are approximately 240 - 320 mg of polyphenols in three cups of green tea).
Meanwhile, a study by Cleveland's Western Reserve University concluded that drinking four or more cups of green tea per day could help prevent rheumatoid arthritis, or reduce symptoms in individuals already suffering from the disease. And Japanese scientists at the Saitama Cancer Research Institute have discovered that there were fewer recurrences of breast cancer, and the disease spread less quickly, in women with a history of drinking five cups or more of green tea daily.
A University of California study on the cancer-preventative qualities of green tea concluded that you could probably attain the desired level of polyphenols by drinking merely two cups per day. So which is it? I personally don’t buy the hype that those that manufacture and sell green tea products are propagating…moderation is, like with all things probably your best bet! But given all the evidence, it is almost certainly safe to plan on drinking four to five cups of green tea daily. If you're a real aficionado, by all means imbibe more; but whether or not you'll derive added health benefits remains to be determined.
Okay, enough science… Let’s all just relax and have a cup of green tea or if you like your beverages cold like I do, a glass of ‘iced’ green tea.
About the author:
Kurt Lee Hurley, operator of www.kreatefitness.com,whose clients refer to him as the "Secret Weapon" has built over 3,000 weight loss success testimonials and his Provo, Utah Wellness Facility, Synergy Fitness Systems has become known as a "Results Factory" a "Living Laboratory" of Achievement, Enhanced Human Performance and a place to congregate for Empowerment and of course, the Success of attaining Weight Loss RESULTS!
Read More......
What is the Spanish Flu
The Spanish flu was a terrible worldwide epidemic that killed between 50-100 million people in an 18 month period throughout 1918 and 1919. This classifies it as a 5 on the Pandemic Severity Index, meaning more than 2% people who were infected died. The Spanish flu resulted in the death of 2.5-5% of the world population at the time it struck, killing more than World War I, which it occurred immediately after. The Spanish flu was in the same category of severity as the Bubonic Plague, which, when it struck as the Black Death, killed about 75 million people, 25-50 million of them in Europe.
The Spanish flu was caused by an unusually severe and deadly Influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1. In contrast to most influenza outbreaks in history, the Spanish flu struck people down in their prime of life, rather than picking off the old and young. People with weaker immune systems, such as children and middle aged adults, had lower mortality rates, while young adults had the highest mortality rates.
The distribution pattern of deaths has led scientists to argue that the Spanish flu killed because of an excessive immune response, called a cytokine storm. In a cytokine storm, the immune response is so overwhelming that the overabundance of immune cells, such as macrophages, can clog local tissues, causing the buildup of fluids and eventually fatal damage. Cytokine storms are normally rare, and are thought to be caused as a reaction of the immune system to a novel and highly pathogenic invader.
In comparison to a more typical case of the flu, which kills 0.1% of those infected, the Spanish flu killed between 2-20% of sufferers. The primary cause of death was from a secondary infection of the lungs, bacterial pneumonia. The secondary cause of death was from the virus itself, which caused massive hemorrhages and edema in the lungs.
Genetic material from the Spanish flu virus has been recovered from the corpse of a flu victim in Alaskan permafrost, a woman who had collapsed in the wilderness after being struck down by the disease. This genetic material has been used to recreate the virus from scratch and sequence its entire genome, which has been published on the Internet. Some technologists, such as inventor Ray Kurzweil and Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy, have expressed dismay at this development.
Read More......
The Spanish flu was caused by an unusually severe and deadly Influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1. In contrast to most influenza outbreaks in history, the Spanish flu struck people down in their prime of life, rather than picking off the old and young. People with weaker immune systems, such as children and middle aged adults, had lower mortality rates, while young adults had the highest mortality rates.
The distribution pattern of deaths has led scientists to argue that the Spanish flu killed because of an excessive immune response, called a cytokine storm. In a cytokine storm, the immune response is so overwhelming that the overabundance of immune cells, such as macrophages, can clog local tissues, causing the buildup of fluids and eventually fatal damage. Cytokine storms are normally rare, and are thought to be caused as a reaction of the immune system to a novel and highly pathogenic invader.
In comparison to a more typical case of the flu, which kills 0.1% of those infected, the Spanish flu killed between 2-20% of sufferers. The primary cause of death was from a secondary infection of the lungs, bacterial pneumonia. The secondary cause of death was from the virus itself, which caused massive hemorrhages and edema in the lungs.
Genetic material from the Spanish flu virus has been recovered from the corpse of a flu victim in Alaskan permafrost, a woman who had collapsed in the wilderness after being struck down by the disease. This genetic material has been used to recreate the virus from scratch and sequence its entire genome, which has been published on the Internet. Some technologists, such as inventor Ray Kurzweil and Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy, have expressed dismay at this development.
Read More......
Friday, August 21, 2009
7 Things That Other LASIK Surgeons Won’t Tell You By: William Goldstein Thank you for reading my special report “The 7 Things That Oth
By: William Goldstein
Thank you for reading my special report “The 7 Things That Other LASIK
Surgeons Won’t Tell You”. I think you will find these items interesting, and some of
them may even startle you!
You get what you pay for!
The price for LASIK seems to vary from $399 per eye to over $2000 per eye. Many
patients ask me why I charge $1800 per eye for surgery. Simply put, you get what
you pay for. “Cost cutting” LASIK centers have man methods for reducing costs,
most of which involve the use of inferior or older technology to perform the surgery,
and/or the use of non-physicians to perform the preop and postop care. Check out
the ‘Pricing’ page on my website, www.2020vision.com, and you can see everything
that I include in my global fee. There is a ‘head-to-head’ comparison chart on that
page, too.
Not all surgeons have great results!
Results can be measured several ways, but I think that accuracy is a good measure
of a surgeon’s ability and the statistics back this up. I recently reviewed my
results, and found that the percentage of patients who obtain 20/20 (or better!)
vision in my hands was far superior to the results in the FDA studies.
Why is there a difference? My staff and I have spent many years perfecting the care
of our LASIK patients. The extra time that we take with each patient helps us to
understand their goals for surgery. And (to borrow an old carpenter’s saying)
taking the time to ‘measure twice and cut once’ has always been my standard.
Watch out for the portable or ‘roll on’ laser!
Some surgeons are using a laser that is literally taken off of a truck and placed in
the surgery center once a week or once a month. Studies have shown that this
makes for less accurate surgery. I use a laser that is not mobile. It stays in place in
a room that has air filters and strict humidity controls. Every surgery is performed
under standardized conditions to increase our accuracy, and reduce the need for
reoperations.
All lasers are not created equal!
Even when a surgeon advertises that they are using a modern laser, they may not
have all of the available features installed. The newest generation of lasers, which I
use on all of my patients, combines CustomVue technology, pupil tracking and iris
registration for increased accuracy. This means that a fingerprint of the iris is used
and that the treatment is carried out in the most precise manner. Since the laser
that I use has all of the latest updates in hardware and software, you can be
assured of the best outcomes, with the smallest chance of any problems.
Patients over 40 years of age can reduce their need for reading glasses!
Many patients don’t realize that there is a way for LASIK surgery to improve reading
vision, even in patients who normally don’t wear glasses for distance correction!
This so-called ‘monovision’ approach can be used for most patients.
Only one surgery is needed to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses!
Surgeons often recommend that patients who want to improve both distance and
near vision first have surgery for distance correction. Then they charge extra for
another surgery to reduce the need for reading glasses! I recommend monovision
surgery, so that patients only need one surgery to accomplish their goals.
Not all surgeons have your best interests in mind!
My practice philosophy is simple; treat each patient as if they were a family
member. In this way, I always put my patients’ needs first, and will only perform
surgeries that best fit those individuals.
When I need surgery, I expect my surgeon to take care of me personally. I would
never go to a cost-cutting/cookie cutter surgeon for ANY of my medical care, and
certainly not where my eyes are involved.
I hope you found these “Seven Things” useful in your search for a LASIK surgeon.
And I hope you can understand why the vast majority of my patients are referred
by their family, friends, or their internist or family doctor! My straight-forward
approach to patient care is also the reason that I am known as “The Doctor that
Doctors Trust” in my community.
As always, if you have any questions, you can contact me directly via email at
wgoldstein@2020vision.com. You can email my LASIK coordinator, Michelle right
now at michelle@2020vision.com, or call my office at 586-323-2020 to arrange an
individual educational session with me. Let’s sit down and discuss the surgical
approach that best fits YOUR needs!
Thanks!
Dr. G
Links:
LASIK surgery Michigan-Trust the LASIK surgeon in Michigan, William S. Goldstein. The best in LASIK laser eye surgery in Michigan.
Read More......
Thank you for reading my special report “The 7 Things That Other LASIK
Surgeons Won’t Tell You”. I think you will find these items interesting, and some of
them may even startle you!
You get what you pay for!
The price for LASIK seems to vary from $399 per eye to over $2000 per eye. Many
patients ask me why I charge $1800 per eye for surgery. Simply put, you get what
you pay for. “Cost cutting” LASIK centers have man methods for reducing costs,
most of which involve the use of inferior or older technology to perform the surgery,
and/or the use of non-physicians to perform the preop and postop care. Check out
the ‘Pricing’ page on my website, www.2020vision.com, and you can see everything
that I include in my global fee. There is a ‘head-to-head’ comparison chart on that
page, too.
Not all surgeons have great results!
Results can be measured several ways, but I think that accuracy is a good measure
of a surgeon’s ability and the statistics back this up. I recently reviewed my
results, and found that the percentage of patients who obtain 20/20 (or better!)
vision in my hands was far superior to the results in the FDA studies.
Why is there a difference? My staff and I have spent many years perfecting the care
of our LASIK patients. The extra time that we take with each patient helps us to
understand their goals for surgery. And (to borrow an old carpenter’s saying)
taking the time to ‘measure twice and cut once’ has always been my standard.
Watch out for the portable or ‘roll on’ laser!
Some surgeons are using a laser that is literally taken off of a truck and placed in
the surgery center once a week or once a month. Studies have shown that this
makes for less accurate surgery. I use a laser that is not mobile. It stays in place in
a room that has air filters and strict humidity controls. Every surgery is performed
under standardized conditions to increase our accuracy, and reduce the need for
reoperations.
All lasers are not created equal!
Even when a surgeon advertises that they are using a modern laser, they may not
have all of the available features installed. The newest generation of lasers, which I
use on all of my patients, combines CustomVue technology, pupil tracking and iris
registration for increased accuracy. This means that a fingerprint of the iris is used
and that the treatment is carried out in the most precise manner. Since the laser
that I use has all of the latest updates in hardware and software, you can be
assured of the best outcomes, with the smallest chance of any problems.
Patients over 40 years of age can reduce their need for reading glasses!
Many patients don’t realize that there is a way for LASIK surgery to improve reading
vision, even in patients who normally don’t wear glasses for distance correction!
This so-called ‘monovision’ approach can be used for most patients.
Only one surgery is needed to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses!
Surgeons often recommend that patients who want to improve both distance and
near vision first have surgery for distance correction. Then they charge extra for
another surgery to reduce the need for reading glasses! I recommend monovision
surgery, so that patients only need one surgery to accomplish their goals.
Not all surgeons have your best interests in mind!
My practice philosophy is simple; treat each patient as if they were a family
member. In this way, I always put my patients’ needs first, and will only perform
surgeries that best fit those individuals.
When I need surgery, I expect my surgeon to take care of me personally. I would
never go to a cost-cutting/cookie cutter surgeon for ANY of my medical care, and
certainly not where my eyes are involved.
I hope you found these “Seven Things” useful in your search for a LASIK surgeon.
And I hope you can understand why the vast majority of my patients are referred
by their family, friends, or their internist or family doctor! My straight-forward
approach to patient care is also the reason that I am known as “The Doctor that
Doctors Trust” in my community.
As always, if you have any questions, you can contact me directly via email at
wgoldstein@2020vision.com. You can email my LASIK coordinator, Michelle right
now at michelle@2020vision.com, or call my office at 586-323-2020 to arrange an
individual educational session with me. Let’s sit down and discuss the surgical
approach that best fits YOUR needs!
Thanks!
Dr. G
Links:
LASIK surgery Michigan-Trust the LASIK surgeon in Michigan, William S. Goldstein. The best in LASIK laser eye surgery in Michigan.
Read More......
Heart Attack: Are You At Risk?
by: Ray Kelly
If you’re male and you lead an inactive lifestyle you probably have at least 3 risk factors associated with heart disease.
I know, I know, you feel fine but so do most people before they have a heart attack. Unfortunately, most people find out they have heart disease the day they are admitted in to hospital, and they are the lucky ones!
Ladies, don’t think this is just something for men to worry about (as it has been in the past). Women, as well as men, are more likely to die of heart disease than of any type of cancer.
This is because of our modern lifestyle. We are working longer hours, so we eat fast food, and there’s no time for exercise. To make matters worse, machines are taking the ‘work’ out of work. We are less active and it’s killing us!
So what are the risk factors for heart disease?
Firstly, there are two types of risk factors: those that can be changed, and those that can’t be changed. It’s important to know that you only need to have 3 of these to be at risk. Each extra risk factor that you have increases your chance of having a heart attack substantially.
Risk factors that can’t be changed:
Heredity: You are at greater risk if your parents, grandparents, brothers, or sisters, have heart disease.
Gender: Men are at greater risk than women, though the risk for women increases after menopause.
Age: As you increase in age, so do your chances of having a heart attack. Once you reach 40 you should have regular check-ups.
Risk factors that can be changed:
Smoking: A smoker is twice as likely than a non-smoker to have a heart attack. It not only places extra strain on the heart and lungs but also makes blood cholesterol stickier, making it easier to block arteries.
High Blood Cholesterol: Cholesterol is produced naturally by the body and is essential to our health. The problem comes when we consume too much in our diet.
High Blood Pressure: Just like with high cholesterol there are no early symptoms. The first most people learn they have this is when it’s at a dangerous level.
Physical Inactivity: If you are inactive, you are more likely to have a heart attack. Even a 10 minute walk each day can make all the difference.
Obesity: If you are obese, you are placing your heart under a great deal of strain even at rest.
I might be at risk, what should I do?
If you think you could be at risk, the first thing you should do is visit your doctor. Secondly, you need to modify your lifestyle. Exercise for at least 10 minutes per day (30 minutes is better but anything is better than nothing!). You also need to eat foods that are low in fat. If you smoke you need to give up.
Even if you don’t have many risk factors it’s a good idea to visit your doctor each year. Some risk factors can change within a short period of time and getting on to them early can make all the difference.
About the author:
Ray Kelly is an Exercise Scientist with 15 years experience in the health and fitness industry. Sign up for his free 7 Day Weight Loss Course at http://www.free-online-health.com
Read More......
If you’re male and you lead an inactive lifestyle you probably have at least 3 risk factors associated with heart disease.
I know, I know, you feel fine but so do most people before they have a heart attack. Unfortunately, most people find out they have heart disease the day they are admitted in to hospital, and they are the lucky ones!
Ladies, don’t think this is just something for men to worry about (as it has been in the past). Women, as well as men, are more likely to die of heart disease than of any type of cancer.
This is because of our modern lifestyle. We are working longer hours, so we eat fast food, and there’s no time for exercise. To make matters worse, machines are taking the ‘work’ out of work. We are less active and it’s killing us!
So what are the risk factors for heart disease?
Firstly, there are two types of risk factors: those that can be changed, and those that can’t be changed. It’s important to know that you only need to have 3 of these to be at risk. Each extra risk factor that you have increases your chance of having a heart attack substantially.
Risk factors that can’t be changed:
Heredity: You are at greater risk if your parents, grandparents, brothers, or sisters, have heart disease.
Gender: Men are at greater risk than women, though the risk for women increases after menopause.
Age: As you increase in age, so do your chances of having a heart attack. Once you reach 40 you should have regular check-ups.
Risk factors that can be changed:
Smoking: A smoker is twice as likely than a non-smoker to have a heart attack. It not only places extra strain on the heart and lungs but also makes blood cholesterol stickier, making it easier to block arteries.
High Blood Cholesterol: Cholesterol is produced naturally by the body and is essential to our health. The problem comes when we consume too much in our diet.
High Blood Pressure: Just like with high cholesterol there are no early symptoms. The first most people learn they have this is when it’s at a dangerous level.
Physical Inactivity: If you are inactive, you are more likely to have a heart attack. Even a 10 minute walk each day can make all the difference.
Obesity: If you are obese, you are placing your heart under a great deal of strain even at rest.
I might be at risk, what should I do?
If you think you could be at risk, the first thing you should do is visit your doctor. Secondly, you need to modify your lifestyle. Exercise for at least 10 minutes per day (30 minutes is better but anything is better than nothing!). You also need to eat foods that are low in fat. If you smoke you need to give up.
Even if you don’t have many risk factors it’s a good idea to visit your doctor each year. Some risk factors can change within a short period of time and getting on to them early can make all the difference.
About the author:
Ray Kelly is an Exercise Scientist with 15 years experience in the health and fitness industry. Sign up for his free 7 Day Weight Loss Course at http://www.free-online-health.com
Read More......
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