Generation Solutions, At Home Senior Care Company, is now serving the Smith Mountain Lake area. They provide quality care, (home health care, private duty services, medical equipment/supplies) in the privacy and comfort of your own home.  Call Sheila Andrews at 434.841.0073 to discuss their services. www.GenerationSolutions.net.

SMLRV will host a 4 part series of Alzheimer’s education seminars every Tuesday night in September from 6p-7p.  Q&A time will follow and refreshments will be served.  Please call 540-719-1300 by noon on Monday of each week to reserve your seat. They look forward to having you visit!

Confused about the new Health Care Reform Act and how it will affect you?  Call BMS Consulting, 540-721-4045, to get the latest update.  Or stop by our office at 13245 Booker T Washington Hwy, Westlake.  We offer free competitive quotes for your health care, dental, disability, and retirement plan needs.

The Centre at VitaZen now offers yoga classes 6 days per week. Try our newest classes on Monday, Wednesday, & Friday at 9:00am. The Centre at VitaZen is located at 12787 Booker T Washington Hwy. (rear entrance). For more info call 721-9365 or go to www.VitaZen.net/yoga.

Please join the Alzheimer’s Association of Central and Western Virginia at Hollins University on September 25  at 8:00am for the Roanoke Memory walk or at Riverside Park on October 16 at 8:00 a.m. for the Lynchburg Memory Walk.Go to www.lynchburgmemorywalk.com  or www.roanokememorywalk.com for more details.

But even if you do not enjoy the taste of cucumbers, you may be amazed to know some of the other things they are used for besides food. The following list has not been researched and proven to our knowledge, but it can’t hurt to experiment a little on our own right?

1. Skin Tightener: Have you ever wondered why women put cucumbers on their eyes? The photochemical in cucumbers makes the collagen in your skin tighten, which reduces puffiness. Did you know that you can rub a cucumber on a problematic spot of cellulite anywhere on your body to tighten and make it less visible? Did you also know that it has the same effect on wrinkles? You can also rub a little bit under your eyes after a long bout of crying to avoid that swollen depressed look.

2. Window Cleaner: Do you hate the fog on the mirror after a shower? Try rubbing a slice of cucumber on the mirror before you hop in and not only will you get a fog-free mirror, but you’ll have a nice smell that will boost your mood.

3. WD-40 Alternative: Did you know you can get rid of a squeak by rubbing a cucumber on the hinge? Who would have thought?

4. Bad Breath?: Take a slice of cucumber and put it on the roof of your mouth. Hold it there with your tongue for 30 seconds. The photochemical that women love for reducing puffiness, can also kill the bacteria that is causing your bad breath.

5. Tarnish remover: If you’re finding tarnish on your stainless steel kitchen faucets and appliances? Rub it off with a cucumber slice. Not only will it remove years of tarnish, it will leave it streak free and your hands will thank you, and your kids won’t be put at risk from a dangerous chemical.

6. Energy booster: If you’re feeling tired in the afternoon, don’t give Starbucks your money. Instead, grab a cucumber. There are just enough carbohydrates and B vitamins to give you a longer-lasting and healthier boost of energy than soda, coffee, or those health hazard energy drinks.

7. Frugal facial: Slice up a cucumber and boil it in a pot of water. The chemicals inside of the cucumber will mix with the steam. Remove the pot from heat and lean over it, letting the steam hit you. Your skin will be more radiant and healthy, and you will feel relaxed and rejuvenated.

8. Pest control: Put three or four slices of cucumber in a small pie tin and place them in your garden. The chemicals in the cucumber have a reaction that pests hate. You won’t smell it, but it will drive them from your garden all year long. Replace them periodically.

9. Sunburn: Sometimes sun block doesn’t always protect you and your little ones from sunburn. If you have sunburns and no aloe, rub some cucumber on them. Many doctors even use cucumber to treat patients with irritated skin and sunburns.

10. Blood pressure: Believe it or not Cucumber concentrates have long been used to treat high blood pressure. If you have it, add cucumbers to your daily diet. There is also ongoing research into the use of cucumbers for lowering cholesterol.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can lead to permanent damage and even death, and not just for the sick and elderly. Anyone of any age can be overcome by severe heat. If you have a medical condition you may need to come in out of the heat sooner than your neighbor, but everyone of all ages should be careful not to get too hot.

Heat exhaustion can rapidly lead to a heat stroke and permanent damage if not death. It is critical to be able to recognise the symptoms of heat exhaustion if you are outdoors or exercising this summer. 

If you have, or notice these symptoms in someone else, go immediately to a cooler place and drink plenty of water or electrolyte replacing drinks, and contact your doctor for further instructions. 

- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache and dizziness
- Muscle cramping, clammy skin
- Fast heart beat and fainting

Heat exhaustion can lead to a heat stroke, which can be life threatening. Know that you can become hot enough to have a heat stroke even if you are not exerting yourself physically. Some of the symptoms of heat stroke:

- Extreme headache, fever
- Confusion, delusions, dizziness
- Lack of sweating, with hot, dry skin
- Muscle spasms, seizures
- Fainting, passing out
- Death

Go to the hospital or call 911 immediately if any of the above signs are in evidence. Heat stroke can kill!

Preventing illness is far better than having to try to cure it. You can take steps to avoid heat related sickness:

- First check your weather and try to compensate for the hottest days by planning around them.
- Be sure not to wear tight clothing. Clothes that fit loosely and are made of cotton help keep you cool.
- Do not go outdoors between Noon and 5pm. on hot days. If you don’t have AC, plan to be somewhere you will not get too hot during those hours.
- Drink plenty of water, and stay away from caffeine and alcohol. They do not mix well with excessive heat.

Just don’t forget that same beautiful hot sun can be very dangerous. Many folks think that heat stroke is a condition that just hits the elderly, or the very young, or those already weakened by illness. That is simply not the case.

A friend who lives here is Franklin Co. used to raise border collies. A couple of summers ago, she learned a lesson about the danger of a hot day – the hard way. Some friends and family were at the lake and she tied her beloved female border collie in the shade of a big tree with a bowl of water,  near where they were visiting. After just a couple of hours, the dog had collapsed and we rushed her to an emergency vet, who bathed her in cold water and gave her fluids. She died that night and the vet said it was a simple case of heat stroke. Don’t forget the dog was in the shade and had a water bowl and she was not an old dog.

Around 500 people die each year, and not from over-exercising on a hot day. A fair number of them were sitting in a chair doing nothing when they were struck down. You see heat stroke occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature. The body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. Does this happen more when a person is unwell? Yes, that is a contributing factor, but is not the only risk factor.

Michael McGeehin, PhD, MSPH, director of the division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects says that most people underestimate the risks of extreme heat and get into trouble very rapidly.

So while you are loving the summer sunshine, be very careful to stay cool and hydrated in the heat.

Next time learn how to avoid overheating, the signs of heat stroke and what to do.

I learned recently that diabetic eye diseases (such as diabetic retinopathy) are the most common cause of blindness in the US.  However, the risk can be significantly reduced by early blood glucose control and treatment of vascular risk factors. Ophthalmologic screening visits in diabetics even without visual symptoms are necessary to ensure early treatment. Once visual function is impaired, it is often irreversible. This makes early detection essential.

The second leading cause of blindness is glaucoma – which also can be slowed or treated to prevent further vision loss, with early detection. (Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually steal sight without warning. Experts estimate that half of the people affected by glaucoma may not know they have it. Vision loss is caused by damage to the optic nerve. This nerve acts like an electric cable with over a million wires. It is responsible for carrying images from the eye to the brain.)

Third and last, after age 50, blindness is primarily caused by age-related macular degeneration, a progressive disease of the retina wherein the light-sensing cells in the central area of vision (the macula) stop working and eventually die.

As you can see, routine eye exams are extremely important if you value your eye sight. We have several good Optometrists at the lake. If you have not had an eye exam in the last year, call and make an appointment to have one. Your vision is precious, don’t lose it when simple check-ups can keep you informed in time to make a difference.

We know the heavy pollen season will pass, but in the meantime what can be done to help those of us who have every allergy symptom in the book, to cope? A little research and a few conversations with folks at our local health food stores reveals a few natural allergy aids.

- Quercetin is very popular with customers who say the bioflavonoid significantly reduces their allergic responses.

- Vitamin C is touted as a natural antihistamine and immune system strengthener.

- Alfalfa is rich in many nutrients that fight allergies, especially chlorophyll (the green stuff in all plants).

- Aller-Pure by Irwin Naturals is a best seller that combines a variety of herbs and vitamins to combat allergies.

- Most important of all is to build your bodies ability to combat all immune issues by eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies and avoiding processed, refined, sugary foods that weaken your immune system.

Don’t just sit there and suffer or think that over the counter meds that make you drowsy are your only options. Join the ranks of those who have gotten relief naturally.

According to a Harvard Medical study on eggs, this popular breakfast food is not bad after all. There are other studies that show some positive benefits of eggs such as the presence of carotenoids, vit. d, choline, etc. as well as an absence of other studies to prove that they are harmful to your health.

The only way that eggs have been shown to have detrimental effects is “scrambled” or cooked/fried in some nasty kind of oil such as lard or other hydrogenated/saturated/refined fats.

Below you will find the essence of the Harvard study and you can go to PubMed to see even more info. if you so desire. In the meantime, buy some organic eggs and poach, boil or fry while keeping a soft yolk………and enjoy!

Dietary cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients: a review of the Harvard Egg Study and other data.

Jones PJ.

Nutrition and Functional Foods, Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. peter_jones@umanitoba.ca

Recently I had heard several people mention how they had gotten something at their health food store which cured their sinus problems. With some investigation, I found that the herb under discussion was oregano oil capsules. It did not take long from there to discover that oregano has a long list of purported healing properties.

Here is a partial list of the qualities you can find listed in various places for oregano oil as a supplement: anti-infectious, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. They say it can kill parasites, cure sinus and respiratory problems, digestive problems and candida.

Some folks use it for these external conditions as well: toothache, ringworm, athletes foot, psoriasis/eczema, warts and rashes.

I will not go into the research here but you can find a good deal in the way of clinical studies if you read the literature of one of the original companies to market oregano oil, North American Herb and Spice.

I have personally used this herb successfully for several health issues and found it to be incredibly beneficial. It might be worth some consideration as far as an addition to any medicine chest.

Aspartame producer Ajinomoto is launching a new initiative that will re-brand the sweetener as “AminoSweet”.

Aspartame is used in many foods and beverages marketed as low calorie or sugar-free. However, its reputation has been clouded somewhat by studies that have investigated reports of ill effects.

Just to remind you, the side effects of aspartame can include:

Headache
Change in vision
Convulsions and seizures
Hallucination
Nausea and vomiting
Joint pain
It can cause many, many other problems as well.

Aspartame is the most controversial food additive in history, and its approval for use in food was the most contested in FDA history. In the end, the artificial sweetener was approved, not on scientific grounds, but rather because of strong political and financial pressure. After all, aspartame was previously listed by the Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent!

It’s hard to believe such a chemical would be allowed into the food supply, but it was, and it has been wreaking silent havoc with people’s health for the past 30 years.

The truth is, it should never have been released onto the market, and allowing it to remain in the food chain is seriously hurting people – no matter how many times you re-brand it under fancy new names.

The Deceptive Marketing of Aspartame

Sold commercially under names like NutraSweet, Canderel, and now AminoSweet, aspartame can be found in more than 6,000 foods, including soft drinks, chewing gum, table-top sweeteners, diet and diabetic foods, breakfast cereals, jams, sweets, vitamins, prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Aspartame producer Ajinomoto chose to re-brand it under the name AminoSweet, to “remind the industry that aspartame tastes just like sugar, and that it’s made from amino acids – the building blocks of protein that are abundant in our diet.”

This is deception at its finest: Begin with a shred of truth, and then spin it to fit your own agenda.

In this case, the agenda is to make you believe that aspartame is somehow a harmless, natural sweetener made with two amino acids that are essential for health and present in your diet already.

They want you to believe aspartame delivers all the benefits of sugar and none of its drawbacks. But nothing could be further from the truth.

How Aspartame Wreaks Havoc on Your Health

Did you know there have been more reports to the FDA for aspartame reactions than for all other food additives combined?

In fact, there are over 10,000 official complaints, but by the FDA’s own admission, less than 1 percent of those who experience a reaction to a product ever report it. So in all likelihood, the toxic effects of aspartame may have affected roughly a million people already.

While a variety of symptoms have been reported, almost two-thirds of them fall into the neurological and behavioral category consisting mostly of headaches, mood alterations, and hallucinations. The remaining third is mostly gastrointestinal symptoms.

Unfortunately, aspartame toxicity is not well-known by doctors, despite its frequency. Diagnosis is also hampered by the fact that it mimics several other common health conditions, such as:

Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Multiple chemical sensitivity, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Attention deficit disorder, Panic disorder, Depression and other psychological disorders, Lupus, Diabetes and diabetic complications, Birth defects, Lymphoma, Lyme disease, Hypothyroidism
 

How Diet Foods and Drinks CAUSE Weight Problems

In recent years, food manufacturers have increasingly focused on developing low-calorie foods and drinks to help you maintain a healthy weight and avoid obesity. Unfortunately, the science behind these products is so flawed, most of these products can actually lead to increased weight gain!

For example, researchers have discovered that drinking diet soda increases your risk of metabolic syndrome, and may double your risk of obesity – the complete opposite of the stated intention behind these “zero calorie” drinks.

The sad truth is that diet foods and drinks ruin your body’s ability to count calories, and in fact stimulate your appetite, thus boosting your inclination to overindulge.

Unfortunately, most public health agencies and nutritionists in the United States recommend these toxic artificial sweeteners as an acceptable alternative to sugar, which is at best confusing and at worst harming the health of those who take their misguided advice.

Even More Toxic Dangers of Aspartame

Truly, there is enough evidence showing the dangers of consuming artificial sweeteners to fill an entire book — which is exactly why I wrote Sweet Deception. If you or your loved ones drink diet beverages or eat diet foods, this book will explain how you’ve been deceived about the truth behind artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose — for greed, for profits, and at the expense of your health.

As mentioned earlier, almost two-thirds of all documented side effects of aspartame consumption are neurological.

One of the reasons for this side effect, researchers have discovered, is because the phenylalanine in aspartame dissociates from the ester bond. While these amino acids are indeed completely natural and safe, they were never designed to be ingested as isolated amino acids in massive quantities, which in and of itself will cause complications.

Additionally this will also increase dopamine levels in your brain. This can lead to symptoms of depression because it distorts your serotonin/dopamine balance. It can also lead to migraine headaches and brain tumors through a similar mechanism.

The aspartic acid in aspartame is a well-documented excitotoxin. Excitotoxins are usually amino acids, such as glutamate and aspartate. These special amino acids cause particular brain cells to become excessively excited, to the point that they die.

Excitotoxins can also cause a loss of brain synapses and connecting fibers. A review conducted in 2008 by scientists from the University of Pretoria and the University of Limpopo found that consuming a lot of aspartame may inhibit the ability of enzymes in your brain to function normally, and may lead to neurodegeneration.

According to the researchers, consuming a lot of aspartame can disturb:

The metabolism of amino acids
Protein structure and metabolism
The integrity of nucleic acids
Neuronal function
Endocrine balances
Furthermore, the ester bond in aspartame breaks down to formaldehyde and methanol, which are also toxic in their own right. So it is not surprising that this popular artificial sweetener has also been found to cause cancer.

One truly compelling case study that shows this all too well was done by a private citizen named Victoria Inness-Brown. She decided to perform her own aspartame experiment on 108 rats over a period of 2 years and 8 months.

Daily, she fed some of the rats the equivalent (for their body weight) of two-thirds the aspartame contained in 8-oz of diet soda. Thirty-seven percent of the females fed aspartame developed tumors, some of massive size.

To read the complete article or sign up for Dr. Mercola’s free newsletter, visit his website.

If you ask the folks at your favorite health food store what herbs and vitamins sell the best this time of year as I did, they will give you a list something like this:

Garlic, ginger and Oregano – These herbs fly off the store shelves for sinus infections, flu and virus, as well as stomach flu, arthritis and inflammation, just to name a few.

Vitamin C with bioflavonoids – One lady told me she uses Vitamin C for allergies, colds, arthritis, viral infections and even a mouthwash. Apparently she isn’t the only one, since the cashier sold 2 more bottles of it while I was standing there.

Elderberry – Customers swear by this berry (in syrup and pills) for keeping both viruses and bacteria at bay, as well as for treating sickness they may already have.

Echinacea & Goldenseal – Many say that they use Echinacea at the first sign of any kind of upper respiratory problem with effectiveness. The goldenseal they add to the combo because they believe it has antibiotic effects.

Beta Carotene, zinc, and Vitamin D – These 3 vitamins are touted by those who seem to know, as covering a multitude of immune issues that can arise during the winter.

I know these types of supplements have helped our family to avoid any sickness going around during the past 6 months (of which there have been many). If you need further info. I am sure the people at Nature’s Outlet or Vitazen would be happy to give you reading material or other educational materials to help boost your bodies ability to protect itself.