Taco Bell removes green onions

Taco Bell ordered the removal of green onions from its 5,800 restaurants nationwide Wednesday after tests suggested they might be responsible for the
E. coli outbreak that sickened at least three dozen people in three states....more

The National Sleep Research Project - 40 amazing facts about sleep

To drop off we must cool off; body temperature and the brain's sleep-wake cycle are closely linked. That's why hot summer nights can cause a restless sleep. The blood flow mechanism that transfers core body heat to the skin works best between 18 and 30 degrees. But later in life, the comfort zone shrinks to between 23 and 25 degrees - one reason why older people have more sleep disorders

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Arrested for Epilepsy

Roughly 3 million Americans live with epilepsy. And a surprising number of them go to jail for it.

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Extremely rare, some people can TASTE with their ears

"A rarer few, said Julia Simner, a cognitive neuropsychologist at the University of Edinburgh, involuntarily “taste” words when they hear them. In a study, “The Taste of Words on the Tip of the Tongue,” published in the journal Nature today, Dr. Simner reported finding only 10 such people in Europe and the United States."

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New data from NIH lab confirms protocol to reverse type 1 diabetes in mice

New data published in the Nov. 24 issue of Science provide further support for a protocol to reverse type 1 diabetes in mice and new evidence that adult precursor cells from the spleen can contribute to the regeneration of beta cells.

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Cranberries benefits

Cranberries are among the top foods with proven health benefits, according to Amy Howell, a researcher at Rutgers University.


Cranberries are full of antioxidants, which protects cells from damage by unstable molecules called free radicals.

The
National Institutes of Health is funding research on the cranberry's effects on heart disease, yeast infections and other conditions, and other researchers are investigating its potential against cancer, stroke and viral infections.

So far, research has found:

• Drinking cranberry juice can block urinary infections by binding to bacteria so they can't adhere to cell walls. While women often drink unsweetened cranberry juice to treat an infection, there's no hard evidence that works.

• A compound Howell discovered in cranberries, proanthocyanidine, prevents plaque formation on teeth; mouthwashes containing it are being developed to prevent periodontal disease.

• In some people, regular cranberry juice consumption for months can kill the H. pylori bacteria, which can cause stomach cancer and ulcers.

Preliminary research also shows:

• Drinking cranberry juice daily may increase levels of HDL, or good cholesterol and reduce levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol.

• Cranberries may prevent tumors from growing rapidly or starting in the first place.

• Extracts of chemicals in cranberries prevent breast cancer cells from multiplying in a test tube; whether that would work in women is unknown.

Heart Valves Created From Stem Cells

Scientists for the first time have grown human heart valves using stem cells from the fluid that cushions babies in the womb, offering an approach that may be used to repair defective hearts.The idea is to create new valves in the laboratory while a pregnancy progresses and have them ready to implant in a baby with heart defects after it is born...

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Natural-born Painkiller Found in Human Saliva

Saliva from humans has yielded a natural painkiller up to six times more powerful than morphine, researchers say.

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Contact lenses that check blood sugar

A scientist in Baltimore has developed a contact lens that can provide diabetics with a non-invasive way to monitor blood sugar. Instead of using blood, Dr. Chris Geddes of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute has produced contact lenses that change color in response to the glucose level in the wearer's tears.

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What smoking really costs

According to TobaccoFreeKids.org, the average price for a pack of cigarettes in the United States is $4.35. That means that a person who smokes one pack of cigarettes per day spends roughly $1,600 per year on smokes. That
’s a lot of money to be spending on anything, let alone on something that’s so bad for you.

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Top Warning Signs of Diabetes

High glucose levels in Type I are due to a lack of insulin because the insulin producing cells have been destroyed. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body's cells become resistant to insulin that is being produced. Either way, your cells aren't getting the glucose that they need, and your body lets you know by giving you these signs and symptoms.

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7 Pains You Should Never Ignore

Most of the time, it's good that the little Vince Lombardi sitting on our shoulder tells us to shut up and play through the pain, otherwise we'd never get anything done. On the other hand, there are a few instances in which we can actually talk ourselves out of existence. These common aches could very well be nothing. Or something far, far worse.

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A Trip to the Dentist May Look Like a Scene from Star Wars

The next time you go to the dentist you may be facing a "plasma needle" rather that a drill.

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Why Do We Have an Adam's Apple?

Contrary to popular belief, both males and females have Adam's apples, a chunk of bony cartilage that's wrapped around the larynx. In grown men they just stick out a lot more because of their larger voice boxes—also the reason why dudes speak in deeper tones.

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Docs worry about kids buzzed on energy drinks

More than 500 new energy drinks launched worldwide this year, and coffee fans are probably too old to understand why.

Energy drinks aren’t merely popular with young people. They attract fan mail on their own MySpace pages. They spawn urban legends. They get reviewed by bloggers. And they taste like carbonated cough syrup.

Vying for the dollars of teenagers with promises of weight loss, increased endurance and legal highs, the new products join top-sellers Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar to make up a $3.4 billion-a-year industry that grew by 80 percent last year...more

7-Eleven stores pull Cocaine energy drink

Convenience-store operator 7-Eleven Inc. is telling franchises to pull a high-caffeine drink from its shelves because of the product's name: Cocaine.

The company acted after getting complaints from parents of teens, who are a big part of the drink's target audience.

"Our merchandising team believes the product's name promotes an image which we didn't want to be associated with," said Margaret Chabris, a spokeswoman for 7-Eleven...more

British scientists grow human liver in a laboratory

British scientists have grown the world's first artificial liver from stem cells in a breakthrough that will one day provide entire organs for transplant.

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10 Useless or Even Dangerous First Aid Myths

We all know some remedy myths or old wives tales, but some of them have no effect on conditions, ailments, or illnesses of the human body. If you try any of these myths, you may run the risk of having an adverse reaction or the opposite result of what you would like to happen.

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Curry may keep elderly minds sharp

diet containing curry may help protect the aging brain, according a study of elderly Asians in which increased curry consumption was associated with better cognitive performance on standard tests. Curcumin, found in the curry spice turmeric, possesses potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

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Caffeine-Stoked Energy Drinks Worry Doctors

Nutritionists warn that the drinks, laden with caffeine and sugar, can hook kids on an unhealthy jolt-and-crash cycle. But the biggest worry is how some teens use the drinks. Some report downing several cans in a row to get a buzz, and a new study found a surprising number of poison-center calls from young people getting sick from too much caffeine

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Breakthrough in Skin Cancer

A revolutionary new "sticking plaster" skin cancer treatment which is less painful and can be used by patients in their homes has been developed by Scottish researchers.

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Dilbert creator Scott Adams temporarily fixes his uncurable voice disorder

Scott Adams suffers from a condition known as Spasmodic Dysphonia, which prevents him from speaking in normal conversation, but he can still speak in some contexts such as public speaking. There is no known cure for this condition, but Scott has recently found a way to get himself to be able to speak mostly normally again, by speaking in rhyme.

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Trans fat adds more pounds than other fat

Trans fat, which is used in many fried and processed foods, may contribute more to weight gain than other types of fat, suggests a new study presented here Saturday at the annual meeting of the Obesity Society, an organization of weight-loss professionals.

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Restaurants dishing out extra-large portions

Most restaurant chefs are dishing out portions that are two to four times bigger than the government's recommended serving sizes. In addition, a typical restaurant meal has at least 60% more calories than the average meal made at home, and Americans purchased 209 meals a person from restaurants last year.

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Your Questions on Lasik Eye Surgery

We asked for your questions last week after features on the vision-correcting surgical procedures Lasik and radial keratotomy.

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Study finds caffeine abuse among young Americans

CHICAGO - Young Americans searching for a legal high or just trying to stay alert may be abusing caffeine pills, sending some to the hospital, a study said on Monday. A review of records at the Illinois Poison Center in Chicago found more than 250 cases of medical complications from ingesting caffeine supplements.

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Study Finds U.S. Hospital Outcomes Vary Widely

Treatment outcomes at U.S. hospitals vary widely, depending on which state, city or individual hospital provides the care, a new report finds. The report, "HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study", found that patients have a 69 percent lower risk of dying at "5-star" hospitals compared with "1-star" institutions.

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Omega-3, junk food and the link between violence and what we eat

Research with violent British and US prisoners suggests nutritional deficiencies may play a key role in aggressive bevaviour. US clinician Joseph Hibbeln's hypothesis is that modern industrialised diets may be changing the very architecture and functioning of the brain. We are suffering, he believes, from widespread diseases of deficiency.

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Study Suggests Vitamin D May Help Fight Breast Cancer

Women with early stage breast cancer have significantly higher levels of vitamin D in their blood than women with cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, a small study found.
This could mean that a lack of vitamin D somehow plays a role in the spread of the disease. However, it's way too early to make specific recommendations.

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US Navy SEALs Workout: Physical Fitness Standards

Are you healthy enough to be a Navy SEAL?

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Caffeine more disruptive for daytime sleep

Caffeine has a stronger disruptive effect on daytime, catch-up sleep after a night of sleep deprivation than it does on a normal night's sleep, a new study shows.

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Software Helps Doctors Calculate Heart Attack Risk

Pioneering computer software is helping doctors to decide how best to treat patients admitted to hospital with suspected heart attacks. An international consortium of researchers, led by the University of Edinburgh, has developed a programme that enables doctors to swiftly assess the severity of a patient's condition.

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The Claim: A Plane’s Back Row Is the Safest Place to Sit

THE FACTS You have to put up with the noise, the bathroom and the prospect of being the last passenger to exit the plane. But if you sit at the back of an airplane, are you safer in a crash?

Some people argue that the rear portion of a plane is the safest place to sit because airplanes tend to plunge nose first. Others say the wing section is safer, arguing that it is more structurally stable...more

New Liquid Could Replace Adhesive Bandages

Adhesive bandages might become a thing of the past, thanks to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Hong Kong University who have developed a simple biodegradable liquid that can stop bleeding in rodents within seconds.

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Extra Pounds May Drain Brain

Add another hazard to the pitfalls of being overweight -- a few extra pounds might reduce your brainpower. According to a new French study, heftier people score lower on cognitive tests, even when factors such as education level are taken into account.

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Saving Generation XXL

Taking whole milk out of schools won't make kids thinner. Neither will levying taxes on video games. These are actual proposals— by the Illinois State Board of Education and the New York Legislature, no less. But they're misguided, arising predictably from misinformation.

You don't need to be told that American kids are getting fatter. You've seen the evidence waddling toward you in the mall...more

Natural remedies of Arabia

As you gaze at the piles of twisted bark or the varied combinations of dried flowers, you may wonder: What are these products? Where do they come from? How are they used locally?

These fascinating items whisper tales of the ancient trade routes, for many still come to Arabia from India, China, Indonesia, Egypt, Syria and other exotic locations, and are distributed across the Peninsula through existing commercial networks. Others are harvested locally, some under harsh desert conditions, and have their own fascinating stories to tell...more

Expanding Portions, Expanding Waistlines

MONDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- You've cut down on fat and reduced your desserts, and still you can't seem to lose -- or even maintain -- weight.
Chances are, like most Americans, you're suffering from what dietitians call "portion distortion." You're eating too much at a sitting. And eating too much of even the healthiest foods can translate quickly into a higher calorie count and disheartening readings on the scale
...more

BOLTHOUSE FARMS ISSUES VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR 100% CARROT JUICE

As a precautionary measure, following incidents involving two bottles of temperature abused 100% Carrot Juice, Wm. Bolthouse Farms of Bakersfield, CA is recalling 100% Carrot Juice. Carrot juice has the potential, if left unrefrigerated, to develop botulism, an illness which can be lifethreatening.

Proper refrigeration is generally achieved at or below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
All Bolthouse Farms processing facilities have been examined closely by internal auditors and the FDA, and have been found to be in compliance will all appropriate controlling regulations. In addition,samples from suspect lots have been examined by the FDA, and all samples have been found to be toxin free.

These results clearly indicate a likely link between consumer temperature abuse and the development of botulinum toxin...more

Lettuce recalled over E. coli concerns

A popular brand of lettuce grown in California's Salinas Valley, the region at the center of a nationwide spinach scare, has been recalled over concerns about
E. coli contamination.
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The lettuce does not appear to have caused any illnesses, according to the president of Salinas-based Nunes Co. Inc.

Executives ordered the recall Sunday after learning that irrigation water may have been contaminated with E. coli, Tom Nunes Jr. said...more

Exercise alone fails to tackle childhood obesity, says study

The belief that obesity can be thwarted by getting tubby kids to exercise more is misplaced, says a study among nursery-school children.

In an unusual experiment, British researchers tested the exercise theory among 545 preschoolers among 36 nurseries in the Scottish city of Glasgow, where fatty diets and a couch potato lifestyle are entrenched...more

Clinton deal cuts school snack foods

Snacks sold in schools will have to cut the fat, sugar and salt under the latest crackdown on junk food won by former President Clinton.


Just five months after a similar agreement targeting the sale of sodas in schools, Clinton and the American Heart Association announced a deal Friday with several major food companies to make school snacks healthier — the latest assault on the nation's childhood obesity epidemic...more

Why do some age well while others don't

The question is why some age well and others do not, often heading along a path that ends up in a medical condition known as frailty. Now, though, scientists are surprised to find that, in many cases, a single factor undetected cardiovascular disease is often a major reason people become frail.

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Drinking Tea Soothes Stress, Researchers Say

Published in the international journal Psychopharmacology, the study found that people who drank tea were able to de-stress more quickly than those who drank a tea substitute. Following a stressful event, tea-drinkers also had lower levels of cortisol in their blood when compared with a control group who drank placebo tea.

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Are Fido and Fluffy good for your health?

Seven out of every 10 American households are dwellings for people and pets alike. Here’s a look at some of the health benefits and risks of sharing our homes with dogs and cats...more

Fatty Liver Disease Endangers 6.5 Million U.S. Kids

As many as 6.5 million American children could have a dangerous condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), new research suggests.


NAFLD -- an accumulation of fat in the liver cells -- can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, end-stage liver disease requiring a transplant, and liver cancer. Until now, there has been little research into the prevalence of NAFLD in children...more

The Truth About Food Expiration Dates

Since the spinach scare, food safety is foremost on the minds of grocery shoppers nationwide. Dates on labels? Here's what you need to know

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Acrolein: Scientists Identify Potent Tobacco Carcinogen

The chemical acrolein, found in tobacco and also some cooking oils, appears to be a prime cause of smoking-related lung cancer and some nonsmoking-related lung cancers as well, according to studies conducted with lung cancer cells. many women who don't smoke still get lung cancer. However, these women cook with oils that are heated to high tem

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Eat fruits and veggies, avoid too much sugar and fat

Eating less isn't the only way to drop a few pounds.

If you eat the right foods, you can actually eat more and weigh less, says Genesys Regional Medical Center in Michigan...more

Food may be like a drug for some, study shows

The same brain circuits are involved when obese people fill their stomachs as when drug addicts think about drugs, a finding that suggests overeating and addiction may be linked, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.


The finding may help in creating better treatments for obesity -- a growing problem in the United States and elsewhere.

"We wanted to know why, when people are already full, why people are still eating a lot," said Dr. Gene-Jack Wang of Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York...more

Dust mite droppings damage skin's defences

"Faeces deposited on our skin by dust mites may make our skin more permeable to different kinds of allergens and irritants, according to a new study in mice."

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Too Much Testosterone Kills Brain Cells

Tests on brain cells in lab dishes showed that while a little of the male hormone is good, too much of it causes cells to self-destruct in a process similar to that seen in brain illnesses such as Alzheimer's.

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Popcorn Lung???

One of America's favorite snack foods - popcorn - is at the center of a national health controversy. The chemical diacetyl, used to make artificial butter flavoring, has been linked to a respiratory disease called "popcorn lung" in hundreds of people.

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Cutting the Fat Video

Trans fat may be to blame for 50,000 premature deaths a year. what the fast food industry is doing to combat transfat...view video

Bye-bye BMI? Tape may measure obesity better

Just last week a study came out showing that being overweight wasn’t likely to kill you. Then yesterday, two more studies were published saying that by packing on only a few extra pounds, you could significantly increase your risk of premature death.
At first glance, these three studies might lead to considerable confusion — and a devil-may-care attitude towards weight gain.
But experts emphasize there’s no real doubt that obesity raises the risk of death as well as serious conditions like heart disease, stroke and diabetes....more

Doughnuts in danger? NYC may ban trans fats

NEW YORK - Three years after the city banned smoking in restaurants, health officials are talking about prohibiting something they say is almost as bad: artificial trans fatty acids.
The city health department unveiled a proposal Tuesday that would bar cooks at any of the city’s 24,600 food service establishments from using ingredients that contain the artery-clogging substance, commonly listed on food labels as partially hydrogenated oil....more

Healthy Habits That Zap Your Energy

It's easy to blame an energy slump on bad habits, but what about those times when you do almost everything right -- yet you can barely stay awake? Some of the moves you think are good for you can actually make you more exhausted. But perk up: These simple tweaks will turn yawn inducers into stamina boosters...more

Surgeons do 1st near-weightless surgery

A team of French doctors said they successfully operated on a man in near zero-gravity conditions Wednesday on a flight looping in the air like a roller coaster to mimic weightlessness.
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The five-man team and the patient landed safely at an airport in southwestern France after a three-hour flight, although doctors said the midair surgery to remove a cyst from the man's arm took only about 10 minutes...more

Why artificial daylight could brighten up your day

Scientists have long been interested in the biological rhythms that affect our levels of alertness during the day. They know that the post-lunch dip occurs even in people who don't eat lunch. Now they believe these rhythms can be influenced by a hitherto neglected feature of the office environment - the lighting.

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22 Teeth Tips to Chew On

Let’s be honest. The last time you visited your dental hygienist you ended up talking more about "The Apprentice" than about your teeth. We know you have interesting (or maybe embarrassing) questions about what’s happening in your oral cavity, so we’ve brought together 22 answers and other hints to help you brighten your smile. After all, a healthy mouth leads to a healthy life...more

Flossing

Less than 50 years ago, elderly people went to sleep with their teeth in a jar next to the bed. But now your teeth can last a lifetime provided you use good oral hygiene—which includes a daily regimen of flossing before bedtime...more

33 Quick Home Cures

What does a dermatologist do for her sunburn? How does a physical therapist ease aching muscles after a "casual" volleyball match? What does the pediatrician's kid get for a hacking cough in the middle of the night? Doctors don't always have a pharmacy at their fingertips—sometimes they have to improvise just like the rest of us...more

Walking not enough for significant exercise benefits.

"Generally, low-intensity activity such as walking alone is not likely going to give anybody marked health benefits compared to programs that occasionally elevate the intensity," said Dr. Vicki Harber, lead author on the Health First study. The good news is that it looks like you can get away with moderate exercise.

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This Fall, Eat This Not That

Make better choices and lose weight with our meal-by-meal guide...more

Exercise = Weight Loss, Except When It Doesn�t

"People who exercise regularly give many reasons for why they do what they do regardless of life's demands. They say exercise can improve their health, mood, strength and stamina..."

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The worst school lunches money can buy

It's September, which means parents everywhere are loading the fridge with healthy food, vowing that this year they will fix their kids a tasty, nutritious, made-with-love lunch every day. This usually lasts about a week. Slate chose nine prepackaged lunches that kids eat and ranked them on how bad they are.

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Top Ten Foods for Better Health

A hectic lifestyle makes it easy to skip a meal or just grab less-than-nutritious food on the run. But a busy day doesn’t have to stand in the way of great health. A multivitamin is great insurance for days when you do miss a meal or two, but real food should always be your primary source of nutrients. Keep these 10 foods on hand at all times, and you'll be able to whip up a delicious meal or snack that will keep your energy up and your immune system strong...more

Vitamin D Cuts Pancreatic Cancer Risk

Taking 450 international units (IUs) of vitamin D,about the standard dose in most multivitamins reduced the risk of pancreatic cancer by 43 percent, according to researchers at Northwestern and Harvard universities who led the latest study.

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Parents: The Weakest Link in the Childhood Obesity Epidemic

Parents have a monumental effect on their children's health. The problem is that many young parents have learned their eating habits from the fast food culture and pass them down to their children. Parents should do their part in fixing the obesity epidemic by teaching their children sound, healthy lifestyles.

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Drug Prevents Diabetes

The largest diabetes prevention study ever done has found that a drug already used to treat the disease also can help keep "pre-diabetics" from developing it. But many experts say that losing weight and exercising remain a safer, cheaper approach.

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E. coli outbreak spreads to 10th state

A deadly E. coli outbreak linked to bagged spinach has spread to a ninth state, with Ohio officials reporting seven cases, The Associated Press reports.

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E. coli outbreak spreads to 10th state

A deadly E. coli outbreak linked to bagged spinach has spread to a ninth state, with Ohio officials reporting seven cases, The Associated Press reports.

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The War Over Salt

"Sprinkled into everything from bread to cheese, soups and breakfast cereal, just about every fast-food restaurant meal and now even fresh cuts of meat, salt is ubiquitous in the American food supply. And according to government data, Americans eat far too much of it."

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Free Restore Cookbook!

IT's finally here! the Restore cookbook is avaliable online for download, it's free! In order to read or print the cookbook, you also need Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may download the free reader here

Antibiotic alternative: tannins in cranberry juice

A group of tannins found primarily in cranberries have the ability to change E. coli bacteria in ways that render them unable to initiate an infection. The new findings suggest that the cranberry may provide an alternative to antibiotics for combating bacteria that have become resistant to conventional treatment.

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Man spends 48 days without a heart.

A Miami man received a second heart transplant recently after spending 48 days without a heart.

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Swallowable Sensors

The SmartPill is an ingested, wireless device for measuring the health of the digestive system. As it passes through the digestive tract, the capsule transmits data to a receiver.

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FDA Approves Mechanical Heart for Dying Patients

Heart patients who do not qualify for a transplant and are not expected to survive longer than a month now have the possibility of extending their lives with an implantable artificial heart.

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Effects of Substance Use Spans Generations

In a long-term study conducted across three generations, researchers found that substance use in one generation was associated with problem behaviors and later substance use in the following generation. In turn, the substance use in the second generation was related to problem behaviors in the third generation.

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Australian scientists begin human tests on 'bionic eye'

Australian researchers developing a "bionic eye" say early tests have succeeded in stimulating limited visual sensation in people suffering a rare form of genetic blindness.

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10 Years of Meth Use

Here is a series of 10 photos in 10 years of what someone looks like when using meth.

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Want to Improve Education? Let Kids Sleep

This controversy over early school start times is raging in hundreds of communities today, pitting parents against unbending school bureaucracies. Surveys of teen's parents in school districts with early start times find that as many as 90% favor a later starting bell. Research confirms that lack of sleep in adolescents has become a problem.

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After 42 years, woman hears for first time

Collins, 42, executive director of the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, was hearing things for the first time because her cochlear implant had just been activated.

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Scientists unlocking the secrets of bioavailability.

Experts advise us to eat more fruit and veg; boost protein and fibre intake; make sure we get the optimum levels of vitamins and minerals. But what actually happens to these nutrients once they are inside the body? Eat iron rich veggies with OJ to convert the iron into the form we get the most from, but coffee and tea inhibit iron absorption.

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Drinking Tea Is Better For Health Than Plain Water

If you drink three or more cups of tea a day you might be doing your health more good than drinking plain water, say researchers from King's College, London, UK.. This new study found, among other things, that the urban myth that tea dehydrates could not be further from the truth - tea hydrates as well as water does, say the researchers.

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20 Things You Didn't Know About... Death

#13 During a railway expansion in Egypt in the 19th century, construction companies unearthed so many mummies that they used them as fuel for locomotives.

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How About A Bologna & Virus Sandwich?

The FDA has for the first time approved the use of bacteria-eating viruses as an additive to foods. From now on, these viruses âlso known as bacteriophage or phage can be sprayed on ready-to-eat cold cuts and luncheon meats by manufacturers to prevent listeriosis. Sounds delicious!

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Cancer news - how cigarette smoke blocks cell repair

Cigarette smoke can turn normal breast cells cancerous by blocking their ability to repair themselves, eventually triggering tumor development. While some cells nonetheless rally and are able to fix their damaged DNA, many others become unable to access their own cellular first aid kit.

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Universities: Helping Students Avoid The 'Freshman 15'

While experts say the so-called "Freshman 15" is usually only 5 to 7 pounds, it's a common experience for many college newcomers faced with unlimited cafeteria food, late-night pizza binges and snacking that comes with irregular student schedules.

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Discovery: Why The Immune System Cannot Battle HIV

Scientists at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital say they have discovered why the immune system cannot fight the HIV virus. HIV activates a molecular switch in the cells that turns them off, but he and his team were able to reactive the cells in a laboratory setting. He said the process might someday help fight HIV, cancer and Hepatitis C.

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Strongest Dad in the world

A glimpse of the remarkable father-son bond of Dick and Rick Hoyt, and their inspirational journey together in a triathlon and life itself.

Music: "I Can Only Imagine" by Mercy Me

Video produced by unknown person(s); passed on by Tom C.

18 Ways to Stay Focused at Work

So what are some of the things we can do to minimise such interruptions and distractions?

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Hot Dogs May Cause Genetic Mutations

"Everyone knows hot dogs aren't exactly healthy for you, but in a new study chemists find they may contain DNA-mutating compounds that might boost one's risk for cancer."

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Morning is the best time for surgery.

If your able to schedule your surgery a team at Duke University has determined that the best time is between 9am and noon. The time to avoid is between 3pm-4pm when complications are much more likely. The authors say natural changes in the body's pain levels during the day and staff fatigue could be involved.



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White House: Bird Flu Suspected in Michigan Geese

"U.S. officials believe that wild geese in Michigan may have been infected with a strain of the bird flu virus, but it is not thought to be a highly pathogenic strain and is one that has been seen previously in North America, the White House said on Monday."

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The woman with the largest human parasite

Rita was meticulous in keeping a kosher house and enjoyed making the special Jewish dishes, including gefilte fish. But she had not been feeling well for months: abdominal symptoms of cramps, distention and occasional diarrhea, associated with increasing weakness, shortness of breath, lethargy and fatigue. Her doctors were stumped.

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Pesti-Cola Scandal: Pesticide Claims Shake Up Coke and Pepsi

After allegations of high levels of toxic chemicals in their subcontinental sodas, the companies face bans amid a media uproar. Welcome to the India installment of the fabled cola wars. Global soft-drink heavies Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are actually on the same side. In short, this is shaping up to be a public-relations calamity of the first order.

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Stress Can Shrink and Age Your Brain

New research is providing insight into how stress can shrink your brain cells and prematurely age your immune system.

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Researchers zero in on why western diet makes children fat.

High calorie, low fiber diets are causing children to become obese and they are suffering from adult diseases at greater rates. While the answer is obvious, there is more to it than the simple explanation.

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Sugary drinks are piling on pounds, new report says

An extra can of soda a day can pile on 15 pounds in a single year, and the "weight of evidence" strongly suggests that this sort of increased consumption is a key reason that more people have gained weight, the researchers say.

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Study: Emotion rules the brain's decisions

The evidence has been piling up throughout history, and now neuroscientists have proved it's true: The brain's wiring emphatically relies on emotion over intellect in decision-making.

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America, the Lonely Nation

In bleak nursing homes and vibrant college dorms, in crowded cities and spread-out suburbs, Americans confront an ailment with no single cause or cure. Some call it social isolation or disconnectedness. Often, it's just plain loneliness.

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Ultrasound can affect brain development

Exposure to ultrasound can affect fetal brain development, a new study suggests. But researchers say the findings, in mice, should not discourage pregnant women from having ultrasound scans for medical reasons.

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Beef Producers Not Allowed to Test for Mad Cow

A Kansas beef producer, wants to reassure customers that its cattle are safe to eat by testing them all for mad cow disease. Sounds like a smart business move, but there's one problem: The federal government won't let the company do it.

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Beef Producers Not Allowed to Test for Mad Cow

A Kansas beef producer, wants to reassure customers that its cattle are safe to eat by testing them all for mad cow disease. Sounds like a smart business move, but there's one problem: The federal government won't let the company do it.

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WebMD on Bottled Water: It is NOT Better Than Tap

"If you repeatedly test over 100 brands of bottled water, about a third will have a problem, but if you tested tap water that often, you will find something similar." Most municipal systems and most bottled water sources are fairly equal in terms of contaminants and other health and safety issues.

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Ground beef recalled in Ga., Tenn.

About 4,337 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli is being recalled by Southeastern Meats in Chattanooga, Tenn. The ground beef was produced on July 31 and Aug. 1 and was distributed to retail establishments and institutions in Georgia and Tennessee.

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When Only One Twin Gets a Disease

Identical twins share the same set of genes, such as ones for thick eyelashes or a pointy nose -- as well as the genes that boost risk for diseases. But sometimes rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, or another malady strikes one twin and not the other. What leads to such seemingly capricious twists of fate?

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Common cat parasite affects human brains.

U.S. researchers say more than a quarter of the world's population is infected with a feline parasite related to malaria and which causes personality changes. "In populations where this parasite is very common, mass personality modification could result in cultural change," Dr. Lafferty wrote.

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Her Teeth Are Purple and the Sun Will Kill Her -- It's a Medical Mystery

"Can you imagine what life would be like if you could only come out at night? If ultraviolet rays even from a light bulb could be dangerous, perhaps fatal? Kasey Knauff, 5, of Bellefonte, Pa., faces this reality. Her strange symptoms began the day she was born: April 10, 2001. "

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An Apple A Day Will Keep The Memory At Bay

"New research demonstrates that apple products can help boost brain function similar to medication. Animal research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) indicates that apple juice consumption may actually increase the production in the brain of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine, resulting in improved memory."

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How BrainPort Lets the Blind "See"

A blind woman sits in a chair holding a video camera focused on a scientist. A device in her mouth is connected to the camera. The scientist rolls a rubber ball toward her, and she puts her hand out to stop it. Blind since birth, the woman "saw" the ball - through her tongue. The device is called "BrainPort" and here is how it works.

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Genetic glitch could keep some people from feeling full

Nearly 6 percent of morbidly obese children and adults have a genetic defect that keeps them feeling like their stomach is running on empty, no matter how much they have eaten.

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Finally a device to cure Hiccups

The Hic-Cup, a patented Class I medical device, allows hiccup sufferers to enjoy 100% drug-free relief from this plaguing condition.

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Why doesn't a hangover occur the night before?

Alcohol ingestion can alter the normal daily rhythm of various body functions. After the assault upon the body from too much alcohol occurs, it takes time for the body to respond to the stress and eventually get back to normal. Thus a hangover is not immediate.

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Itching for Answers to a Mystery Condition

Dr. Gregory Smith wants people to know it's not all in his head. White fibers have been burrowing into his skin for the past two years, making him feel like he's under constant bombardment from insects or cactus needles. Shine a black light on these fibers and they'll fluoresce blue, he says, just like something you'd see in The Twilight Zone.

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Electricity Speeds Wound Healing by up to 50%

preliminary lab tests, researchers showed that by controlling the weak electrical fields that arise naturally at wound sites, they could direct cells to either close or open up a wound at the flick of a switch. By making the cells move faster, they were able to speed up wound healing by 50%.

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Study: AIDS Virus Hides in Gut

From the Journal of Virology: the AIDS virus hides out inside people's intestines. The virus replicates in the lining of the gut and does much of its damage to the immune system there. We need to be focusing our efforts on improving treatment of gut mucosa, where massive destruction of immune cells is occurring.

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Vegan diet reverses diabetes symptoms, study finds

People who ate a low-fat vegan diet, cutting out all meat and dairy, lowered their blood sugar more and lost more weight than people on a standard American Diabetes Association diet, researchers said on Thursday.


They lowered their cholesterol more and ended up with better kidney function, according to the report published in Diabetes Care, a journal published by the American Diabetes Association.

Participants said the vegan diet was easier to follow than most because they did not measure portions or count calories. Three of the vegan dieters dropped out of the study, compared to eight on the standard diet.

"I hope this study will rekindle interest in using diet changes first, rather than prescription drugs," Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, which helped conduct the study, told a news conference...more

CNN.com - Teenagers 'bagging' mothballs to get high

Practice of inhaling, chewing, is probably underreported, journal says

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Should we worry about soya in our food?

Whether you know it or not, you'll probably be eating soya today. It's in 60% of all processed food, from cheese to ice cream, baby formula to biscuits. But should it carry a health warning?

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More Americans too fat for X-rays and other scans

More and more obese people are unable to get full medical care because they are either too big to fit into scanners, or their fat is too dense for X-rays or sound waves to penetrate, radiologists reported on Tuesday.

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Doctors test anti-smoking vaccine

Doctors are testing a radical new way to help smokers quit: a shot that â??immunizesâ?? them against the nicotine rush that fuels their addiction. 300 people around the country are testing an experimental vaccine that makes the immune system attack nicotine in much the same way it would fight a life-threatening germ.

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Want To Lose Weight? Try Sleeping More

Michael Sivak presents calculations showing that replacing one hour of inactive wakefulness with sleep can result in a 6 percent reduction in caloric intake.

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Scientists turn fat cells into muscle

Stem cells taken from human fat can be transformed into smooth muscle cells, offering a way to treat diseases of the heart, gut and bladder, US researchers report.

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Cancer Medicine Found To Be "Toxic To The Heart"

A widely hailed cancer drug can damage cardiac tissue and may lead to heart failure, US researchers say.

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Study: Kids Should Play More

Doctors may soon have a prescription for health that even kids will like: more playtime.

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An Eye Test Could Detect Alzheimer's

Early dementia could be detected with a simple eye test, similar to those used to test for high blood pressure and diabetes.

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10 ways to cancer proof your future

The fear of the Big C strikes terror into all of us.Not surprising, when one in three men and one in four women will be directly affected by cancer before the age of 75. But according to Professor Ian Olver, from The Cancer Council Australia, 50% of all cancer cases are potentially preventable and "are directly linked to lifestyle factors."

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Bubbles Go High-Tech to Fight Tumors

You've bathed in them, popped them, endured bad song lyrics about them. Now, University of Michigan researchers hope to add a more sophisticated application to the list
â gas bubbles used like corks to block oxygen flow to tumors, or to deliver drugs.

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What Are Stem Cells? Good Page Giving Explaination

"Ever since the late 1990s, when researchers first isolated and grew human embryonic stem cells, scientists have tried to assess and harness the cells' healing potential. Unlike mature cells, which have a single, specialized function, stem cells are at an early stage of development and so have the ability to morph into different types of cells."

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World's tallest woman being treated for tumor (7.4ft tall)

Yao, 36, suffers from a large tumor in her pituitary gland, which has stimulated her body to release excessive amounts of growth hormone and has made her bones weak, doctors say.

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A bacteria a day keeps a cold away

The University of Newcastle Department of Immunology and Microbiology has discovered that a daily dose of a healthy bacteria (probiotic lactoacillus acidophilus) capsule over a month can reverse a problem in immunity in fatigued athletes.

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Is America's $8 Billion Bottled Water Industry A Fraud?

"In a trendy nightclub in New York City, the bartender tells guests they can only be served bottled water, which costs $5 for each tiny half-pint container. One outraged clubber is
stopped by the restroom attendant as she tries to refill the bottle from the
tap. "You can't do that," says the attendant. "New York's tap water isn't
safe."

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Why Mosquitoes Prey on Certain People More Than Others

Genetics account for a whopping 85% of our susceptibility to mosquito bites, and certain elements of our body chemistry make mosquitoes swarm closer. Any type of carbon dioxide is attractive, even over a long distance... larger people tend to give off more carbon dioxide. Movement and heat also attract mosquitoes.

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Study links asthma with indoor swimming pools

"The prevalence of childhood asthma and the number of indoor chlorinated swimming pools in Europe are linked through associations that are geographically consistent and independent of climate, altitude and the socioeconomic status of the country," said Professor Alfred Bernard

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Frappucinos pack more fat than a Big Mac and Coke COMBINED

Wake up and smell the coffee - that frappuccino you just drank contained more fat than a Big Mac and a medium Coke combined. A survey of national coffee chains Starbucks and Gloria Jean's Coffees, published in this month's Consumer magazine, reveals your coffee break could see you breaking the scales.

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18 Tricks to Teach Your Body

You'll remeber these tricks that you can do with your body when the time is needed.

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Seaweed extract protects against cervical cancer

Algae compound surprisingly effective at preventing cancer-causing viral infection.

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Breakthrough: kidney transplant with incompatible blood types

The first kidney transplant in Australia between a donor and recipient with incompatible blood types has just been performed in Melbourne.

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Study: Women Smokers' Lung Cancer Risk Twice That Of Men's

Cigarette-smoking women run twice the risk of lung cancer as men who smoke but are far less likely to die from the disease than males, according to a study published on Tuesday.

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Seaweed extract protects against cervical cancer

Algae compound surprisingly effective at preventing cancer-causing viral infection.

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Living Alone Raises Risk of Heart Attack

People who live by themselves are at twice the risk of serious heart problems compared to those who have a partner.

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Dick Hartzell - Intro to Bands

For More Health Videos, visit us www.ccmhi.org

Sleep Deprivation Doubles Risks of Obesity

Research by Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick has found that sleep deprivation is associated with an almost a two-fold increased risk of being obese for both children and adults.


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Study Suggests Money is not as Dirty as We Think

The long-held belief that you can catch disease from handling money may be exaggerated, says an Australian researcher. A study by Dr Frank Vriesekoop, a lecturer in food science at the University of Ballarat, has found there are generally few pathogenic bacteria on banknotes and coins.

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The Smoking Airline

Non-Smoker's Alert!
Smoker's International Airways (SMINTAIR) is planning to take to the skies in March 2007 catering just for smokers. the first SMINTAIR 747 will fly between Dusseldorf and Narita (Tokyo).

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America's FAT!!

yea yea... we all know this but here's an interesting visual map of how fat we are. Come on.. lose some weight already!

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If artificial sugar is so splendid, why aren't we thin?

More than half of Americans using sugar free products, but our waistlines keep growing. Some studies have suggested that artificial sweeteners interfere with our ability to gauge calories from foods containing real food. That wouldn't be good considering even foods like peanut butter and soup come loaded with sugar these days.

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Needle-free avian flu vaccine - new genetic technology

British vaccine maker PowderMed Ltd. could soon become the first company to sell a needle-free H5N1 vaccine for humans. The new vaccine is made using a technology that is entirely different from the conventional flu vaccines. PowderMed chose instead a genetic technology where fragments of the deadly H5N1 virus are enclosed in tiny gold particles.

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New model of brain sheds light on triggers of autism

A new model of the brain developed by Dr. Stephen Grossberg, professor and chairman of the Department of Cognitive and Neural Systems at Boston University, and Dr. Don Seidman, a pediatrician with the DuPage Medical Group in Elmhurst, IL, sheds light on the triggers of behaviors commonly associated with autism.

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Americans read food labels, then eat what they want, poll finds

It's not surprising, even a bit obvious, but why read them in the first place if it isn't going to affect your decision?

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Why Knuckles Crack and Joints Creak

What's behind the bodily percussive symphony? And is it okay to crack your knuckles?

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Health Tip: Cold or Flu?

Although colds and influenza are both respiratory infections, they are caused by different viruses. And while symptoms may seem similar, it is important to be diagnosed correctly to avoid complications from flu, like pneumonia.


According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu symptoms -- including body aches, fever, cough and fatigue -- are typically much more severe than a cold's. Congestion and a runny nose are more typical symptoms of a cold than the flu.


A cold will usually clear up on its own. The flu, however, can lead to serious complications -- especially in the elderly or people with chronic diseases such as diabetes. Left untreated, the CDC says, flu can lead to pneumonia and bacterial infection.

Man offers free lawn mowing to lose weight

COON RAPIDS, Minn. - A local man who has struggled to lose weight is hoping a lawn mower will help him shed between 30 and 50 pounds.


After working up quite a sweat mowing his own lawn this summer, Darrell Nelson thought that he could get a good workout by mowing lawns for other people as well.

So, on the Web site Craig's List, he placed an ad offering to mow lawns for free.

He figures if he eats better and mows a lawn per day nearly every day of the week, he will be able to keep an exercise program going. He said he has a hard time keeping commitments to himself, but he will stick to commitments he makes to others.

"This is no joke or gimmick," he wrote on the Web site. "I need to lose weight. I have struggled on sticking to exercise programs, including just walking, for quite a while now."

Nelson is a former power lifter who's about 5-foot-9 and 258 pounds. Since news of his ad spread, he has fielded calls from the media, strangers — even some women who have asked him out on dates.

"My life has been turned upside down, man, unbelievable," he said. "I was planning on doing five lawns: Mine plus four others. Now, I'm doing six lawns: Mine plus five others. ... I was just trying to do some yards and lose some weight, and it just — voila — away it went."

Bird flu is getting closer - SPAIN

Spain has recorded its first case of H5N1 bird flu, the Agriculture Ministry said Friday. The deadly strain was found in a water fowl in a marsh area outside the northern city of Vitoria.


A protective area of 2 miles was declared outside the area where the bird — known as a great crested grebe — was found, the ministry statement said.

Spanish officials said late last year, as bird flu spread to several European countries, that it was only a matter of time before the disease made it to this country, which is on the route of northern-bound migratory birds from Africa.

Preventive measures taken so far had included banning outdoor poultry farming within a 6-mile radius of marshlands where migratory birds tend to gather.

Bird flu has killed at least 131 people worldwide since it started ravaging Asian poultry farms in late 2003, according to the WHO. Most human cases have been linked to contact with infected birds, but experts fear the virus could mutate into a form that makes it more easily transmissible among humans.

New Drug that Reduces Blood Flow to Tumors and Inhibits Growth Developed

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed novel anti-cancer drugs to treat solid tumors. These "small molecules" belong to a class of pharmaceutical agents called anti-angiogenics. The new compounds are a refined form of drugs that effectively reduce blood flow to the tumor, thereby inhibiting tumor growth.

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Burgers Out of Control

It's official... the fast food industry has accelerated their efforts to kill us.
Few people took notice when McDonald's recently introduced the
"DOUBLE Quarter Pounder" cheeseburger.
That's because Wendy's had already been selling
those half-pounder cheeseburgers for years prior to that.

But... when Wendy's brought back their infamous
"TRIPLE" (fully three quarters of a pound of beef), some
people did express concern... even disgust.
The burger even looked ridiculous with that inch-and-a-half thick
stack of three big slabs of beef between two buns.
Their "TRIPLE" was the equivalent of three of their
full-size regular cheeseburgers... and it was the equivalent
of SIX of their "Jr. Cheeseburgers"... all in one sandwich!

Now... hold onto your seat (literally)... because Burger King
has just introduced the new "B.K. Stacker" which is...
... I swear I am not making this up... FOUR big quarter-pound
slabs of beef... (a FULL POUND)... with FOUR cheese slices...
and wait, I'm not done... EIGHT STRIPS OF BACON on the top,
with a thick layer of mayo-based sauce!

That is the meat-equivalent of TEN (10) of their small cheeseburgers,
in just this one sandwich! Ten!!!!

I just went to the Burger King website... and they clearly state that
this is their one burger for which you cannot "have it your way"...
because, as they say, "no veggies are allowed" so they will
not honor requests for lettuce or tomato, etc. They call it a
"mountain of beef, bacon, and cheese" on a buttery bun.

The nutritional page says that this one sandwich alone has
ONE THOUSAND CALORIES and 68 GRAMS of FAT!

(For the average size person, their daily calorie intake should be
around 2,000 calories, and no more than 60 grams of fat....
and that is for the whole day.)

And you know that 90% of the people who order it are going to ADD
a large order of French Fries, and a Large Coke.

Break out your "man-dress" - you are going to need it.
God save us from ourselves... this is insanity.

Be healthier: Eat red, orange, and green foods

We’ve all heard the saying: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. But what is it about the apple that gives us health benefits? The answer could be in the food’s color. Madelyn Fernstrom, a “Today” contributor and director of the Weight Management Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, was invited on the show to tell us which colorful foods we should be sure to include in our diets. Here are her tips...more

Stay hydrated without gaining weight

You need to pay more attention to your fluid intake in the summertime. In warm weather, you sweat more, and if you’re also more active, you’ll sweat still more. So it’s important that you hydrate. But not all fluids are equal. Some beverages are loaded with sugar — and calories. We don’t sense the calories in liquids the same way we do as in solid foods, so we don’t realize how many “hidden” calories we’re consuming when we’re drinking some beverages. This is true for alcohol as well as for non-alcoholic drinks. Madelyn Fernstrom, a “Today” contributor and director of the Weight Management Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, was invited on the show to tell us which drinks to avoid — and which ones to choose...more

Health Tip: Know the Signs of Anorexia

Anorexia nervosa occurs when a person is consumed with body image, loses weight and often exercises compulsively. Although it can affect people of any age or gender, the American Academy of Family Physicians says it is most prevalent in teenage girls.


People with anorexia typically think they are fat, even though they may be very thin, and take drastic measures to lose weight.


Anorexics usually eat small portions of no- or low-calorie foods, often exercise compulsively, and are afraid of gaining weight or being overweight.


Other symptoms include no menstruation, dry or pale skin, hair loss, feeling cold, irritability and frequent illness. If the disease progresses for too long, an anorexic may die of starvation.


Anorexia is usually treated with counseling, and often hospitalization to address the underlying emotional issues. Many people with anorexia do not want or believe that they need help, making emotional support from family members and friends very important, the AAFP says.

Study finds breast feeding wards off bed-wetting

Children breast-fed as infants are less likely to wet the bed later on, researchers reported on Wednesday, probably because they have a developmental edge.


There is strong evidence that in many cases bed-wetting can "result from delayed neurodevelopment," said the report from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

"There is biological plausibility in inferring that breast-feeding protects against bed-wetting and our results show a strong statistical association" although not enough to prove a direct cause-effect, the study said.

Breast-feeding is beneficial because of the role that certain fatty acids passed onto the infant play in brain development, said the study published in the July issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The study was based on 55 children who were bed-wetters at ages 5 to 13 and 117 in the same age range who were not. Of the bed-wetters, 45 percent had been breast-fed, compared to 81 percent of those who were continent at night. The study also found that babies who received breast milk supplemented with formula had a similar rate of bed-wetting as those who received formula alone.

High Tylenol doses linked to liver woes

Healthy adults taking maximum doses of Tylenol for two weeks had abnormal liver test results in a small study, researchers found, raising concerns that even recommended amounts of the popular painkiller might lead to liver damage.




In the study, 106 participants took four grams of Tylenol — equivalent to eight extra-strength Tylenol tablets — each day for two weeks. Some took Tylenol alone and some took it with an opioid painkiller. Dummy pills were given to 39 others.

There were no alarming liver test results among the people who took the placebos. But nearly 40 percent of people in all the other groups had abnormal test results that would signal liver damage, according to the study that appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association...more

Canada confirms 6th case of mad cow

Canada confirmed on Tuesday its sixth case of mad cow disease and said it would investigate where the cow was born and what other animals may have eaten the same feed.


The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said test results confirmed what was suspected last week. The animal was at least 15 years of age, and was born before Canada implemented restrictions on potentially dangerous feed in 1997.

The agency said it was launching an investigation.

Mad cow disease is believed to spread through feed, when cows eat the contaminated tissue of other cattle. Humans can get a related disease, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, in similar fashion — by eating meat contaminated with mad cow. There have been more than 150 human deaths worldwide linked to the variant...more

You May Be Sleeping Even Less Than You Think

A study of the sleep characteristics of 669 middle-aged adults found that people sleep much less than they should, and even less than they think. Published in the July issue in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the study also found that blacks sleep less than whites, men sleep less than women, and the poor sleep less than the wealthy.

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Pomegranate juice can help fight prostrate cancer

A daily glass of pomegranate juice can hold back prostate cancer and could even prevent men dying of the disease, new research has shown. Just one glass per day increased the stability period of prostate cancer four-fold. The effect was so pronounced it may allow older men to avoid dying from the cancer.

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Health Tip: Proper Diet Can Help Constipation

Constipation refers to difficult or infrequent bowel movements.


Insufficient fiber and fluids in the diet are the most common causes of constipation, according to the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Certain supplements and medications may also affect the regularity of bowel movements, including blood pressure medications, painkillers and antidepressants.


The ASCRS says the best way to get regular again is to increase daily dietary fiber, making sure to drink plenty of fluids. Bran, whole grains and whole wheat, fruits and vegetables are all high in fiber and will help constipation. Fiber supplements may also help, but laxatives should be used under a doctor's guidance, the society says.

Stay Safe When Lightning Strikes

Lightning may not strike twice, but just once is enough to kill or seriously injure. And summertime is peak time for lightning -- one of the top three causes of weather-related deaths.

Lightning strikes are most common between the hours of 2 p.m. and 6 p.m, say experts at the Medical College of Georgia Sports Medicine Center, Augusta.


They offer the following safety tips:

Check the weather forecast 24 hours before you attend an outdoor event.
When you're outdoors, identify a safe location you can use if there's a storm. Safe places include buildings and fully enclosed vehicles with the windows completely closed.
Avoid unsafe places such as golf carts, bleachers, high ground, open spaces, pools or other bodies of water, picnic shelters, and under or near trees.
If you can hear or see lightning, seek shelter immediately and stay inside until there has been no thunder or lightning for at least 30 minutes. Don't wait until it rains to seek shelter because lightning can strike before there's any rain.
If you're caught outside and unable to seek shelter, find the lowest point and crouch down with your feet together. Stay at least seven feet away from any tall structures such as trees or poles.
If you're indoors during a storm, stay away from doors and windows, don't make telephone calls, and avoid using sinks and other water sources. Turn off, unplug and stay away from appliances. Remove headsets.
If a person has been struck by lightning, it is safe to touch them. Lightning does not leave a residual charge. Call 911 immediately and attempt CPR.

Poll: Overweight America does read labels

Oh, the irony. A nation full of overweight people is also full of label readers. Nearly 80 percent of Americans insist they check the labels on food at the grocery store.


They scan the little charts like careful dieters, looking for no-nos such as fat and calories and sugars.

Yet even when the label practically screams, "Don't do it!" people drop the package into the cart anyway. At least that is what 44 percent of people admitted in a recent AP-Ipsos poll.

So attentive, yet so overweight. Two-thirds of people in the United States weigh too much. Why, then, don't labels make a difference? Why do people bother with them at all...more

No Pain Big Gain!

Exercise! Get Healthy and Wealthy!
Participate for a week and you may win a $100 gift certificate.
Participate for an entire month and you may win a $250 gift certificate.
Participate for 3 months in a row and you may win a $1,000 gift certificate .

Starts July 2nd, We're giving away $100 every week! Spread the word!

Waiting For an Arm and a Leg

The next generation of artificial limbs
fused directly to human bone and commanded by the brain promises effortless, natural motion. It can't come soon enough for the newest group of prosthetics wearers:U.S. soldiers

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Vitamin Pills Fail Brain Test

Folate and B vitamin pills failed to help keep elderly people's brains and memories sharp in the longest study yet to test this approach.

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Cranberries may help prevent tooth decay.

Researchers believe they have found the mechanism by which cranberries can help prevent tooth decay. Doctors are cautioning that the sugar used to sweeten them could offset some of the benefits. Not in the article, but the quercetin in cranberries has also been shown to help people with allergies.

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More to weight than diet and exercise

New reasons for why we are fat such as air-conditioning, lack of sleep, and use of antidepressant medications top the list of a new scientific study published in the International Journal of Obesity. Scientists hope to generate additional research in these understudied areas.

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Company comes up with 'hybrid' hamburger

What's a health-conscious burger lover to do? The real thing tends to have too many calories and too much fat, but meatless burgers seem to lack the flavor and consistency of real beef.


St. Louis-based Solae LLC has come up with a solution, a patent-pending invention called SoleCina that involves both the process and the ingredients to produce either a "hybrid" meat — part soy, part real meat — or a completely meatless food that tastes like chicken, beef, pork or turkey.

The company said both versions taste — and feel to the mouth — much like real meat, but are much healthier. For example, a hybrid burger dubbed the "Better Burger" by Solae has two-third the calories and half the fat and saturated fat as a burger of comparable size...more

marijuana tea to debut in British health food shops

British health food shops will soon be offering customers iced cannabis tea, its Swiss distributor said.


Sold under the label "C-Ice Swiss Cannabis Ice Tea", the beverage contains five percent of hemp flower syrup and a tiny (0.0015 percent) quantity of THC, the active ingredient of marijuana.

Any ingredient that could put it in the drugs category has been removed and the tea will not lead to dependency.

But British anti-drug campaigners say that selling the tea is dangerous because it will give young people the impression that cannabis is commonplace.

The product was launched in Switzerland in 2003 and is already available in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain