HealthBee

This is a test post. two cats under Accup

Popularity: 100% [?]

I'm going to make this into a new, kick ass site with a new kick ass template. So, if you see strange posts with "lorum ipsum" in them, please know this is me tweaking the template.

Stay tuned!

Now, I'm going to do some list testing

• Bullet
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This is a a cute little quote in a boxPhasellus iaculis iaculis orci. Sed a diam. Vivamus et urna. Aliquam lacus felis, viverra eu, consectetur eget, eleifend ut, leo. Fusce ligula leo, eleifend eget, hendrerit sit amet, mattis ut, pede. Donec pharetra. Duis quis est. Pellentesque tempor, erat eget tempor fringilla, libero est aliquam orci, sed posuere quam felis non dolor. Cras arcu arcu, sagittis id, ullamcorper eget, hendrerit quis, urna. Integer vel purus. In in diam id purus cursus lacinia. Donec luctus imperdiet massa. Nunc ullamcorper velit non leo. Nulla ipsum ante, lacinia vel, elementum sit amet, consectetur ut, nisl. Vestibulum vel quam. Maecenas pellentesque augue.

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OK, so far, I've not had too many side effects with this medication. The one I have had is overeating. I don't have a weight problem: usually I eat until I am full and then stop. Well, somehow that "full feeling" is delayed and I don't feel full until much later. And then I feel so full I am sick.

Also, my sleep schedule is disturbed. If I take Symbyax right before bed, I'll lie awake for hours before I'm able to fall asleep. This issue was easily resolved by taking my pill with supper each night.

The issue with the overeating, according to my doctor is from the Zyprexia part of the drug. She put me on the 3 mg Zyprexia instead of 6 mg and my overeating has stopped.

Has anyone else had any side effects with this drug?

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A few weeks ago, I had an episode of depression that was lower than low. I didn't want to get out of bed, or for that matter, do anything. My entire body felt numb. And, I had dreams of squelching a cigarette out on my arm. (No, I didn't do that, but the fact it was there made me realize that I'd slipped further down than just home remedies could treat.)

So, I called my doctor's office and they said I needed to come in immediately. And, after running blood tests to see if my thyroid and other glands were working correctly, they put me on Symbyax, which is a combination of Prozac and Zyprexa. My doctor told me the Prozac was for the depression and the Zyprexa was for the 'stinkin thinkin' that my mind was doing.

And I have to say: I feel better than I've felt in a long while.

I had no idea I had slipped so far. Because depression runs in my family, my doctor said that I will probably be on depression meds on and off for the rest of my days.

And I hate that.

I hate the fact that I will need medication for my brain chemicals to function correctly. I hate the fact I can't just be 'normal.'

I especially hate the fact that I can't 'out-think' this. God knows, I have tried to 'just think positive thoughts and it'll get better' and it just doesn't work.

At the same time, I also hate being so depressed I can't function like a normal human being.

So, given the two options, I'll take the pill. It's sort of like getting glasses. You can complain about the fact that you can't see, or you can just get the glasses and deal with it.

I'll follow this up with the standard advice that I give to so many people who write to me after seeing this blog: if you're depressed or have thoughts of harming yourself, call a doctor immediately.

It really is that serious.

Popularity: 90% [?]

An article from CNN and a study by the American Psychological Association states that women more often stress over money than men do often times because they are in charge of the family checkbook.

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever received is this: "Your sanity is like your money: both are finite. Spend both wisely." In other words, don't stress over your 401K when you won't need it for 20 years. Focus instead on the family budget now, and take action. By taking action, you'll stress less because you'll be doing something about it.

Here are some ways to deal with your money issues in a way that makes you proactive:

1. Call your creditors before the payment is late. If you cannot make the mortgage payment, tell the bank before the mortgage payment is due. With so many people having money issues these days, banks are desperate to try to keep people from foreclosure and bankruptacy. Tell them what the issues are and work something out with them. At the very least ask them to waive any late payment fees for you. In this way, you can avoid the credit people calling you at all hours of the day and night.

2. Turn off the television and stop watching the news. Sure you need to be informed, but you don't need to be inundated. Watching how wall street is in toilet just makes you stress about things that are out of your control. Take the dog for a walk instead.

3. Look over the budget and set goals. Be upfront with your kids and spouse. Tell them you need to cut corners, and you'll be surprised by how they want to help out.

4. Carpool to work, take the bus, or trade in that gas guzzler for a smaller car. The smaller gas and insurance cost of a small car will many times make up for its own car payment over the gas guzzling SUV. It costs upwards of $80 to fill up an SUV, and you can fill up a small car for only $30. Or, take the bus and read a good book every day. Use that time to relax.

5. "Me" time gives you more energy for "we-time". Understand you cannot take care of others unless you take care of yourself first and take time for yourself.

6. Find something to laugh at. Laughter really is the best cure for many things. Rent a movie that makes you laugh, and take a break for a while.

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OK, so a quickie list of what I look for in a man because I couldn't think of anything else to write.

1. My ideal man must be a good eater. He has to like whole grain bread, eat most vegetables and want to eat well. Show me a man with a cupboard that contains Raisin Bran or Shredded Wheat or some other non-sugar filled cereal. Show me a man who likes to experiment on new foods. I don't know what it is about men who eat vegetables, but it turns me on.

   Understand, however, he can't be so much into vegetables that he's a die hard vegetarian. I do like to eat chicken and fish and cheeseburgers, and if he's going to lecture me on what to eat we just won't get along very well. I'm the alpha in the kitchen, and that has to stay that way.

2. My ideal man must have straight teeth. I can't explain this one either. Men with teeth growing out of their ears simply need not apply. It is a turn-off for me.

3. My ideal man must want to learn how to please me in bed. Sex is important. If the sex isn't good the relationship won't work, so I do believe in premarital sex. I'm not saying it has to be amazing every time, but the man who wants to be with me needs to study up if he doesn't know what to do or at least be willing to work together on making sex great for both of us.

4. My ideal man must be slightly hippy dippy enough to appreciate that I am spiritual but not religious. I am spiritual, I meditate, I sometimes burn incense and bless my house. He needs to be ok with all of that and not ridicule me. Absolutely NO Bible beaters.

5. My ideal man should be short.I am only 5'2" tall, and I like men that are more my size. Anyone 6' and under is great. This is another weird thing I can't really explain except that I know that I like that.

6. An active man I like men who are active, like to ride their bikes. Bonus points if he does triathlons because then we can exercise together. Active men usually have good bodies, and who doesn't like that.

(OK, so this is point number six but hey, while I'm at it, I'll add another.)

7. A mechanically adept man Yes. I swoon when there is a man who knows how to work on his own car. It must be some sort of blue collar gene I've got, but I love a man who can work with his hands both inside and outside the bedroom. This one isn't an absolute, however, but something I do appreciate.

So, hopefully, the man of my dreams will realize that he meets all of these criteria and sweep me off my feet, but I'm not holding my breath.

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The newest health concern is a study that bisphenol A-- or BPA may lead to diabetes and heart disease. Past animal studies have suggested reproductive and hormone-related problems from BPA.

The American Chemistry Council defends BPA saying that BPA is safe to continue using.

Just wait until Oprah does a show on this.

I find it interesting that after the report was published yesterday going on and on about the scares of BPA, today those reports are edited to stress that plastic products containing BPA is safe and to continue use.

OK, so perhaps plastic is safe to use, but for the rest of us who don't want to risk it and who want to save the environment in the process, here are some things we can do to limit our use of plastic.

1. Choose waxed paper instead of plastic sandwich bags. You can even get sandwich bags that are made from waxed paper, but you do have to look.
2. Avoid water in plastic bottles. Throw out your plastic water bottles and invest in some aluminum water bottles and a good water filter. Yes, they are expensive, but you will use them for the rest of your days.
3. When freezing things, try to use butcher paper to wrap your food in instead of plastic freezer bags. (Check to insure that you have butcher paper that is not coated in plastic. The way you can tell is to take your fingernail and scrape. If you can scrape off wax, you'll know it is not plastic lined.)
4. Make sure you buy baby food that is canned in cans or is stored in glass jars. Or, if you can spare the time and energy, make your own and can it.
5. Buy your milk in paper or glass containers. Yes, you can still buy milk in glass containers. You'll notice that your milk actually tastes different if you buy milk in the paper jugs instead of the plastic ones. It's subtle, but you'll be surprised if you ever do drink milk out of the plastic.

Now, if you you must use plastic -- and sometimes there isn't a way to get around it -- avoid the plastics with the recycling number 7 on the bottom. The FDA states that these have a higher BPA content than the rest. Also, avoid warming your food in plastic as this releases more of the chemical into your food.

Popularity: 64% [?]

OK, I usually try to keep this blog fairly upbeat and not rant about things, but this study just made me shake my head.

I love when there is a study that states the obvious. In recent study by North Dakota graduate student Holly Dannewitz, it was determined -- big shocker here -- that

... depressed medication users performed worse on tests of concentration and scanning than people not on any medication at all.

Well no kidding. Anyone who has been depressed could tell you that one of the biggest hassles to deal with about depression is the fact that you're a space cadet. I know when I was depressed, couldn't think, I couldn't take care of myself, and frankly, I didn't give a damn about anything.

Not to mention the fact that the Mayo Clinic, states that one of the major symptoms of depression is 'trouble focusing and concentrating.'

Here's another thing to consider: were the people not on medication depressed? Or were they not depressed? The article doesn't say. If the control group were the non depressed then one has to consider that the DEPRESSION is causing the spaciness. But hey, I'm no doctor.

The test focused on people's behavior behind the wheel. Here's another folly with the test: most of the people who took the test were in their 20's. Not the best age to look for safe drivers, though better than looking for teenagers or those over 70.

One more thing about the study that disturbed me was the fact that the people were taking different types of medications. AND, some of those in the study were taking many different types of medication including medications that were not antidepressants.

[Those in the study] also could have been taking other medication in addition to antidepressants, and a couple of the study subjects were taking up to 10-12 medications, says Dannewitz.

Hmmm. Let's see. If you're drugged out of your mind, you might be a worse driver behind the wheel. There's a stretch.

Popularity: 67% [?]

My first experience with acupuncture was about a year ago. I basically went in as a disbeliever, a skeptic. I now know this eastern treatment does work.

But let me tell you how I came up to the decision where I decided to go with acupuncture.

For a little over a year, I had been struggling with what is known as cubital tunnel syndrome. It is very similar to carpal tunnel syndrome, except that it starts in the elbows. As a web programmer, I often use the keyboard to type: in fact, it is not uncommon for me to type for 8 hours a day.

The pain in my forearms became so bad, that I could barely hold onto a fork to eat. In desperation, I went to a doctor that specialized in sports medicine. After about a month of tests, which included everything from x-rays to a $600 MRI that the insurance didn't tell me that wouldn't cover until after the MRI had been done (!), the doctors could find absolutely nothing wrong with my elbows or my arms. They gave me some arm braces and advised I start physical therapy as well as taking medicine to control the pain.

The medicine I took was to extra strength Aleve twice a day. Basically, it was enough that I was concerned about my liver and my stomach lining, even though the doctor said it was perfectly safe. I was also concerned that I would have to take medication forever.

I did physical therapy twice a week for about 6 months, and had little change. The next step the doctor said, was that I would have to get surgery on both elbows. At this point, I was desperate enough to even agree to it, however, I wanted to know that I did everything in my power to try and find a cure before I went to surgery.

This was how I came to try acupuncture. "Once it doesn't work," I thought,"Then I'll be ok with getting surgery."

Admittedly, I was really skeptical about the whole thing. I had expected to come into an office that looked more like a fortune teller's studio, complete with burning incense, red walls and wierd tinny sounding Chinese music playing in the background. I braced myself for the worst.

Not so. When I arrived at his office, I was pleasantly surprised to see that looked very similar to every other doctors office I've ever been to. Dr Kim looking like every other doctor I've ever seen, dressed in suit pants, a button-down shirt and a white lab coat. Thank God.

I filled up the necessary paperwork and stepped on the scale to take my weight and height. Then he asked to see my tongue, and told me that the state of the tongue held a lot of information about the health of the individual. We sat down to discuss my case, and he asked me how long I had had the problem. I told him I had my problem for over a year, and was concerned if he could help me. I asked him how long it would take, and figured it'd be at least a year of treatment. He said he could probably fix me in 6 to 12 sessions. "Yeah, right," I thought.

He explained to me that there are energy centers all over the body, and every energy center will affect every other energy enter. He showed me photographs of people who came in with large gaping wounds that had been healed only with acupuncture, and told me that even Cancer could be sent into remission, and insisted that all disease was due to the energy centers being disturbed.

I figured that I'd try this for 6 sessions. At $50 a session, it was a lot cheaper than the physical therapy and all the other stuff I tried, even when insurance paid their bit of it. If I felt absolutely no difference in 6 sessions, I'd give up on it.

I lay down on the table and he propped my arms up a little bit with towels. He told me not to be afraid, that the needles really wouldn't hurt. Since the needles are about the same diameter as a human hair, he said most people don't feel most of the needles going in or feel the needles after they are in the skin.

He was right: when he placed the needles in my shoulders and arms it only felt like someone was taking an ink pen and pressing up against my skin and tapping it. If they did hurt, it was only for a second or two and then the pain went away. I was relieved to know that this was not going to be a painful experience.

Then, he gently squeeze different parts of my ears between his thumb and forefinger and asked me to tell him if it hurt. He tried several places and I didn't feel anything. And then -- and I will never forget this -- he squeezed one part of my right ear and I screamed out in surprise: not only did my ear hurt where he squeezed it, but my left ring-finger toe felt like it had been shocked.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

"It's all connected," he replied.

'OK,' I thought, as he put needles in my ears, 'maybe this isn't a bunch of hippy dippy crap.'

He hooked me up to some electrical devices that would send pulses through the needles and into my arms. He told me not to move and then I lay there for 30 minutes while the machines did their work. And that was basically it. I didn't feel a significant difference in my arms, but then I didn't figure I would.

The next week we had the same routine. I got weighed, we talked about my case, he put the needles in and hooked me up to the machine. The day after this second session, however, there was a significant decrease in pain in my arms. I couldn't believe it. I had been working with traditional doctors for well over a year and they couldn't do anything and this man had taken away much of my pain in only two sessions. I was actually excited.

After five sessions, the pain in my arms was completely gone. And, the entire time that I had taken these treatments, I really didn't change any of my behaviors. I continued to type at my job.

I cannot say that one month of treatment has completely cured me, but I usually only have to go in for 'tuneups' about once every six months. But, it only takes two or three sessions and I'm back to being healthy again.

I am now a believer in the power of acupuncture. I wish I could explain this, but I can't. I went into this completely as a skeptic, and it worked better than any other treatment I've ever had. And, at $50 a session, it has been by far the best bang for the buck.

If you'd like to get an appointment with Dr. Bruce Kim he is located in Lewisville, TX near I-35 off of Hebron Parkway. His contact information is here:
Office: 972-315-1584
Mobile: 214-223-5588

Bruce Kim, L.Ac.
860 Hebron Parkway Suite #601
Lewisville Texas, 75057
Email: acubruce@gmail.com
http://www.acubruce.com

Popularity: 64% [?]

CNN's Dr. Gupta has a new video out that reports that dog owners may have an edge in the battle of losing weight. A study done by Basset Healthcare in New York showed that people who walked their dogs not only lost more weight than those who did not have dogs to walk, but they were more likely to keep the extra weight off due to the fact they had a reason to continue the walking exercise.

Another article by BBC News shows that the companionship given by dogs or other pets makes people happier and less stressed overall. Studies show that pet owners tend to be healthier members of the population, having lower blood pressure and cholesterol than non pet owners. Many doctors believe the the stress relief may be one key factor for this trend.

Pets have also shown to have positive effects on those with serious illnesses such as cancer, and for older people who may live alone.

Pets also help young children to build their immune systems. A child who has grown up with a dog or cat is much less likely to have allergy problems as an adult.

I know from personal experience that when I got a dog, my depression seemed to lift. I think, more than anything, getting a dog helped me feel better from day to day. When I didn't feel like getting out of bed, I had my dog help me get up and out and actually get moving. And, my dog's love was always there, many times, he made me laugh, when nothing else seemed to work. I can honestly say that my dog is a big reason I am no longer depressed.

If you think getting a dog might help you, contact your local SPCA who can match you up with a dog or cat that will match your lifestyle. Much of the time, you can specify that you want a dog or cat that is already potty trained...much easier than working with a puppy if you've never owned an animal before. In addition, they can give you support through the first few months of living with a pet.

Popularity: 87% [?]