Our amazing Milky Way Galaxy

Parkinson's, Michael J Fox and real life

Parkinson's disease, characterized by neuromuscular changes, has a great representative these days. Michael J Fox has jumped into the spotlight, on-screen and off, as one of the most well-know public advocates for Parkinson's research. Advancements in Parkinson's disease treatments can be directly attributed to his work.

But it all started with his own journey, with Michael's own everyday experiences of living with Parkinson's. Watch this interview to find out more about his positive perspective and his foundation:

Cancer exam results can be troublesome

Have you recently been tested for cancer? Did you get retested after you received the results? Early screening and detection of cancer is critical, and correct exam results can save your life. How do you know if your exam results are reliable? Watch this video to understand the process better:



What else can you do to prevent and detect cancer?
Know your family history. Is there a type of cancer that is prevalent amongst your family members?
Practice prevention with a healthy lifestyle. Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, avoiding unhealthy foods with sugar and processed ingredients. Practice regular exercise, daily. Drink alcohol in small quantities. If you smoke, quit immediately.

Living a healthy lifestyle is the best way to prevent cancer.

Pesticides, Fruits and Vegetables, and Eating Organic

Pesticides in your produce? How can we protect ourselves from eating too much pesticide residue with our fruits, vegetables, and other food?
Watch this news report for more information:



Of course, you can choose to minimize or eliminate how much pesticides you eat: Buy Organic! When you eat organic produce, you can be assured that it is virtually chemically-free. Organic foods are those grown naturally, without the use of pesticides and herbicides or other chemicals. AND...
Organic foods have been tested for their nutritious quality. They have been proven to contain far more nutrients than their "chemically-influenced" counterparts. Best of all, organic tastes better!

Non-stop hunger and eating: Prader-Willi Syndrome

Have you ever felt like you couldn't stop eating? Some people actually have a medical condition in which their brains do not shut off the hunger signal. Their satiety is left unfulfilled, 24/7. Having Prader-Willi Syndrome can lead to more serious health problems, too. Watch how the Kane family has dealt with their daughter's perpetual hunger:

Painkillers and acetaminophen medications regulation and restriction

If you take painkillers, or other medications with pain-relieving effects from acetaminophen, you should know the risks associated with them. They are serious, even life-threatening. There are other alternatives for pain relief.

Read this article to learn why the government wants stricter regulation of pain relievers that contain acetaminophen:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090707/ap_on_he_me/us_med_painkiller_limits

It's important to know what you are consuming and its potential risks. Side effects are sometimes subtle, or develop slowly with use. Be aware and be safe.

Raven Johnson's prom, saved

Here's a touching story of a community who teamed up to create a special prom night for a sick gal. Watch Raven's prom story:

Eating gluten-free? Elizabeth Hasselbeck eats for Celiac's disease

If you have heard anything about reducing the carbohydrates, or "carbs", in your diet, then you might have heard about gluten. Gluten is an ingredient found in wheat and wheat products. It can be hard to digest.
People with Celiac's disease have an extemely difficult time digesting gluten. Their intestinal tract goes into distress. Symptoms of gluten intolerance can include fatigue, upset stomach and bloating, and misdiagnoses are common.

Watch this video interview in which Elizabeth Hasselbeck describes her journey to the proper diagnosis, and how to eat gluten-free:



Granted, not every wheat intolerance or chronic digestive disturbance is Celiac's disease! Yes, Celiac's is commonly mistaken for other problems, but there are so many gastrointestinal disorders that can cause similar symptoms.
Before you settle on a diagnosis, try food allergy testing and elimination diets to determine which ingredients are upsetting you.

And READ NUTRITION LABELS on your foods! You can't take for granted that you know every ingredient in your food. Look for hidden sources of soy, wheat, corn, sugar, and chemical sweeteners. These are common food allergens. And it's shocking how often they are "snuck" into foods. Educate yourself, and Read those Labels!

Prevent germs and sickness: Boost your Immunity and lymph with these tricks

How much time can you spend cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing your household items? The #1 best thing you can do to reduce your chances of getting sick is WASH YOUR HANDS regularly.

If you want to know how to kill germs all over your house, watch this video story:


What else can you do? Boost your immune system with these great tricks:

1) Bounce on a trampoline. You can find cheap mini-tramps at your local sporting goods store, and sometimes at yard sales and in the classified swap ads (in the newspaper). Bouncing on a tramp is one of the few exercises that you can do to completely rejuvenate your lymph fluid. 3 minutes and your lymph system gets a flush!

2) Get regular exercise. One of the best ways to boost immunity. Your lymph vessels do not have their own pumps, so they need "milking" from the muscles around them. Exercise is critical to staying healthy!

3) Sauna therapy- Far Infrared Saunas (FIR) are supposed to have more immune-boosting properties than regular hot-rocks saunas. They also detoxify your whole body, purify your skin, enhance circulation, and soothe weary joints.

4) Get Dry-Brushing or light body scrub treatments. Do you really need an excuse to go to the spa? C'mon, now you have another one. Those gentle herbal and salt scrubs are lymph-boosters. The light exfoliation is the key to moving lymph. Opt for loofahs, fine salts, dry-brushing, and body mitts in the treatment.

5) Spend more time outside. Give your body exposure to different environments. Making your immune system work is key to fighting germs. Get out and about!

Skin cancer cautions: Prevent, Watch, Reduce exposure

Sunshine and warm days mean "skin cancer season" is coming on. Did you know that you can eat vegetables for sun protection? Did you know that your blood glucose is related to skin cancer risk? And exercise reduces risk of all types of cancer, so it's an important form of protection!

Olessa Pindak shares her expertise on skin cancer prevention in this video clip:

Katie Visco runs to inspire youth, motivate others

Katie Visco, an inspired 23-year-old from Illinois, wants to inspire others through her passion, RUNNING. Run, Katie, Run. She's running across the whole country!

With Pave Your Lane, Katie will run and run and speak and run and run and run and give and run, and run some more. Watch this April interview to learn about her running plans:



Support Katie. Take a small step. And get out there and RUN!

Low Energy from Statin drug use may lead to other health risks

Statin drugs can create many possible side effects, including low energy, amnesia and memory problems, inflammation, and stiff muscles.
These side effects can cause you to avoid some of the healthy lifestyle habits that are critical to lowering your cholesterol naturally! Exercise is critical to cholesterol reduction. This can be tough if the statin drug is causing you to have low energy and stiff muscles.

Watch this video clip to find out more about decreased energy due to statins:



Exercise is critical to good health. If you have high cholesterol, exercise and nutrition are important to naturally lower it.
If your statin drugs are reducing your energy, here are more tips so you can lower cholesterol naturally and boost your energy:
* Get short bouts of exercise throughout your day, whenever you have energy. For example, run errands for work on foot like post office visits and buying supplies.
* At work, take regular stretching breaks. When you get up for a bathroom break, walk briskly. Take the stairs.
* When driving places, park farther away to walk a little extra.
* Kick Caffeine! Take a weekend and go off all caffeinated beverages. Over time, our bodies build up a tolerance to caffeine, so we end up more tired and lifeless!
* Eat nutritious, high-energy foods for snacks, like nuts and dried fruits. But do not snack in between each meal. If you keep your digestive system working 'round the clock, it might "drain the brain" and leave you less alert or focused.

Is your wrist pain from upper-body tension, instead of carpal tunnel problems?

If you suffer from wrist pain, you might not have carpal tunnel problems. You could have arm, elbow, or wrist pain. But tension in your shoulders and upper back could be causing any of these painful symptoms.

To discover how upper-body tension can be mistaken for carpal tunnel syndrome, read this article:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Confused-About-Wrist-Pain?-How-Upper-Body-Tension-Causes-Carpal-Tunnel-Symptoms-and-Wrist-Pain&id=1902510

What can you do to prevent the tension that causes this cascade of problems?
* Strengthen those muscles. Often those muscles feel tense because they are being overstretched. They need to be strengthened, "tightened up", so to speak.
* Improve your ergonomics at work and during hobbies. How is your posture during your work-day? How is your posture during hobby activities?
* Get cardio exercise. Get the blood-flow and oxygen to those tense spots. Get Moving!
* Try natural alternatives such as massage, acupuncture, and sauna therapies.

Is your skin allergic to everyday items? Common irritants explained

Are you aware of these common skin allergens? Your skin might be irritated from allergic reactions to everyday items.

Dr. Doris Day describes common irritants in this video interview:


Avoid these allergens and keep your skin healthy!

Signs of closed head injury: hematoma survival story and signs to watch

A recent actress suffered an epidural hematoma, a type of head injury that results in bleeding and compressing brain tissue. Morgan, a young girl, was saved when her parents watched her symptoms closely and reacted quickly. Morgan received medical treatment that cleared her hematoma and saved her brain. Watch the video to see her story:



Learn the signs of a serious head injury. Sometimes a concussion doesn't even look like a serious problem. You don't have to lose consciousness to have a life-threatening emergency.
In addition to loss of consciousness, bleeding, broken bones, and other outwardly apparent signs of trauma, Get immediate medical care if someone suffers a "bump on the head" and then develops:
* Impaired hearing, smell, taste or vision
* Headaches
* Stiff neck
* Vomiting
* Sudden drowsiness
* Starts behaving oddly or seems to be acting "unlike themselves"

If you suspect a closed head injury, apply first aid and get medical help immediately!

Ridley Rows for skin cancer awareness

Paul Ridley rowed his way across the Atlantic Ocean to raise funds for skin cancer research. Congratulations, Paul!

Upon his arrival in Antigua, he was interviewed. Watch this video for his interview:

Saving food, Eating fresh and healthy

We don't want to throw away foods. We can save them. Here are some video tips for keeping foods longer, safer, and healthier:

Acai Berry diet scams

Beware of diet scams like the common Acai Berry "free trial" offers!

Healthcare coverage during unemployment and cutting healthcare costs

If you or your spouse might lose your job, you can act immediately and keep your healthcare coverage. You have options.

And COBRA can cover you while you are unemployed if you worked for an employer that employs 20+ employees.

Watch this video for more information on healthcare coverage during times of unemployment, and tips for saving money on healthcare costs:

Traumatic Brain Injury from skiing

Neurosurgeon Dr. Jamshid Ghajar explains how the brain is injured in a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and how a skiing accident can cause this. He recommends precautions so you can recover if you get a concussion. And he describes how preexisting conditions may contribute to the damage.

Watch this video for Dr. Ghajar's explanation and tips: