The Hidden Sugar in Our Food

August 25th, 2009

A new American Heart Association scientific statement provides specific guidance on limiting the consumption of added sugars and provides information about the relationship between excess sugar intake and metabolic abnormalities, adverse health conditions and shortfalls in essential nutrients. The statement, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, for the first time, provides the association’s recommendations on specific levels and limits on the consumption of added sugars.

The statement says that most women should consume no more than 100 calories (about 25 grams) of added sugars per day. Most men should consume no more than 150 calories (about 37.5 grams) each day. That’s about six teaspoons of added sugar a day for women and nine for men.

The American Heart Association recommends a dietary pattern that is rich in fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, high-fiber whole grains, lean meat, poultry and fish.

How Are Companies Hiding Sugar?

Although most of us know that sugar equals calories, which in turn equals weight gain. Not all of us are aware that several foods that claim to be “low fat” or “health foods”, have hidden sugars. Even if they hide the sugars on the label with a different name.

Here are a few -
• honeycorn syrup
• molasses
• sorghum
• glucose
• fructose
• lactose
• dextrose
• sucrose
• galactose
• corn syrup
• and maltose
• high fructose corn syrup

Which all still equal sugar!

A Gram of Sugar Doesn’t Sound Like That Much, Right?

Another way that companies are fooling us is by putting the amount of sugar in products is by using a measurement, like grams of sugar, instead of teaspoons of sugar. Most Americans don’t have the faintest idea of how much a gram is, because we are not farmiliar with the metric system. Those grams can add up, a teaspoon is 5 grams so 40 grams is 8 teaspoons. So you look at a label, you read 20 grams of sugar, ”that sounds pretty small right?” But 20 grams of sugars is actually 4 teaspoons of sugar. “Now that sounds like a lot more, especially if you’re trying to cut calories.

About the Author -
Lisa Macfarlane is a professional health writer and editor who specializes in sexual health and health issues.

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Test may Determine Smokers’ Lung Cancer Risk

August 21st, 2009

Smoking is a deadly gamble. You never know who will end up developing lung cancer and who won’t. Researchers in Minnesota, say they are one step closer to determining a smoker’s risk for developing the disease. In a study, they tracked the carcinogen and nicotine levels in nearly 500 smokers through a simple urine test and discovered a link between the level of a specific carcinogen and lung cancer. Their findings were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research conference.

- Why did the researchers track only the levels of one carcinogen?

We all know that tobacco smoke is bad for us. It’s loaded with 60 different carcinogens, which cause all sorts of health risks and issues. There is one carcinogen in particular that researchers have suspected for years that directly contributes to human lung cancer. Although there were never any scientific human studies proving this relationship. The carcinogen is known as NNK. NNK releases into your body when you inhale cigarette smoke. It quickly passes through the liver, is metabolized and releases NNAL, into the bloodstream. NNAL is a byproduct of NNK. The researchers were tracking the NNAL levels through urine samples.

- How much do you have to smoke to develop high levels of NNAL?


The precise amount is a difficult to determine because it depends on how honest a person is about how many cigarettes he or she smoked a day. Also the type of cigarette and how deeply a person inhales affects the amount of carcinogens in the body. Researchers say a person with high levels of NNAL and high levels of nicotine (equivalent to smoking about a pack of cigarettes a day) is 8.5 times more likely to develop lung cancer compared with a smoker with lower levels. Although researchers have said that not everyone who has a high level of NNAL is going to develop lung cancer, it does help assign a number to a risk that was hard to measure in the past.

- Smoking is bad for you no matter what

Smoking has NO health benefits. Even if the conclusions of test put you in a category of low risk for developing lung cancer, it doesn’t mean you won’t develop a dozen other cancers frequently cause by smoking. If you smoke, you should quit. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. If it were that easy, more than 23 percent of adults in the United States would not smoke habitually. One of the benefits of knowing whether a smoker is at a higher risk for developing lung cancer, is that their doctor can screen them regularly for abnormalities. Hopefully these test will contribute to catching lung cancers early and save more lives in the process.

Lung cancer is but one aftereffects of smoking, so this type of testing is not going to fix everything. But as far as lung cancer goes, it may give people a better idea of when and how often to get screened.

About the Author -
Lisa Macfarlane is a professional health writer and editor who specializes in sexual health and health issues.

Posted in smoking cessation | No Comments »

2009 Men’s Health Advice

August 21st, 2009

Diet and Nutritional Needs Important for Men

The dietary issues that are important for women are also important for men. It gets down to the basics of eating a healthy diet. In particular, however, men tend to develop cardiovascular disease about a decade earlier than women. So they should pay attention to the dietary factors that influence the risk for cardiovascular disease. Eating a diet that’s low in saturated and trans fats and high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and other plant products is the best way to help your heart.

How Much Alcohol Is Okay To Drink

In general, moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with reduced risk of dying, mainly from a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Guidelines say that men can consume up to two drinks of alcohol per day; however, I don’t think it’s a good idea to consume alcohol everyday. It can turn into a habit, and sometimes habits can turn into problems. In addition, no one intends to have a problem with alcohol; that can develop over time. If someone doesn’t drink alcohol, there are no guidelines to take up drinking, but for people who do drink alcohol, moderate consumption may lead to a reduced risk of dying, particularly from heart disease.

Sexual Health

Men’s sexual health is an important aspect of men’s health, whether you’re trying to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases or you’re worried about erectile dysfunction or other men’s sexual health problems.

For some men, worries about penis size top the list of men’s sexual health concerns. However, you’re probably more normal than you think — and penis-enlargement products and procedures aren’t likely to be effective. If your men’s sexual health concerns include fertility, make sure you’re doing all you can to boost your sperm count and quality. Know what’s hazardous to sperm, and how to make sure your sperm are top performers.

As you get older, understand common changes in men’s sexual health — and how to maintain a healthy and enjoyable sex life at any age.

About the Author -
Lisa Macfarlane is a professional health writer and editor who specializes in sexual health and health issues.

Posted in Mens health | No Comments »

Differences between Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra

August 19th, 2009

Cialis, Levitra, and Viagra work by a similar mechanism to cause erections. There are subtle differences in how long the drug works and how quickly it works.

Levitra works a little longer than Viagra. They both take effect in about 30 minutes. With Levitra, the effects last for about 5 hours. With Viagra, the effects last approximately 4 hours.

Cialis works a bit faster (within about 15 minutes), and the effects last much longer — up to 36 hours in some cases.

Viagra

VIAGRA is the most prescribed oral medicine for erectile dysfunction (ED). Worldwide, it has helped 25 million men with ED improve their erections.

• VIAGRA has an established safety profile of more than 10 years

• VIAGRA works for most men with ED

• VIAGRA is safe for men with ED who have certain other conditions

Getting an Erection is only Part of the Story
Men agree. In a global survey, men identified 3 of the most important elements of a satisfying sexual experience: hardness, timing, and the ability to maintain an erection. VIAGRA can help with all 3.

Find out if VIAGRA is right for you. Speak to your doctor. He can tell you if you have ED. And can recommend an effective treatment like VIAGRA.

Cialis

Do you want the freedom and flexibility to choose when the moment is right for sexual activity. And when the moment is right, do you want to know that your ED (erectile dysfunction) medicine can work for you. If you answered yes, CIALIS offers you choices—two different dosing options to meet your individual needs and lifestyle.

Levitra

LEVITRA (vardenafil HCI) is an FDA-approved oral prescription medication for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. It is available in 2.5-mg, 5-mg, 10-mg, and 20-mg tablets and is taken about 1 hour prior to sexual activity. Take LEVITRA no more than once a day.

What LEVITRA does:

• LEVITRA helps increase blood flow to the penis, so it may help men with ED get and keep an erection that lasts long enough for sexual activity.

•LEVITRA has been clinically shown to improve erectile function, even in men who had other health factors, like high cholesterol1, high blood pressure2, or diabetes.

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Dangerous Medications Being Sold Online Illegally

August 19th, 2009

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy has identified approximately 200 domestic web sites that dispense prescription drugs but do not offer an online prescribing service.

According to a recent Chicago Tribune article cited by the American Medical Association, there are at least 400 web sites that both dispense and offer a prescribing service — half of these sites are located in foreign countries.

Some have estimated that the number of Websites selling prescription drugs may now be closer to 1,000. The number of Websites, however, fluctuates from day to day, and seems to be growing.

What Drugs Are Being Sold Online Illegally?

1. Generic versions of the Opiates like –
• OxyContin
• Methadone
• Vicodin

2. Benzodiazepines like -

• Xanax
• Valium

3. Stimulants like -

• Ritilin

Can You Still Buy Your Prescriptions Online?

Of course, you can, you just have to be careful and follow a few basic rules when purchasing medications online -

1. Do they have US licensed physicians that write the prescriptions, or do they require you to submit one?

2. Do they have US licensed pharmacists that dispense the medications?

3. Do they require a medical history form to be filled out prior to prescribing medication?

4. Are they a US based company, and do they provide a US mailing address and phone number on their site?

5. Do they have real people you can talk to through live web-chat or a toll-free telephone?

6. Does their website provide SSL encryption on all financial transactions?

7. Have they been in business for a substantial length of time?

8. Do they offer only brand-name, FDA-approved drugs?

Answering all of these questions with a YES, means that you have found a legitimate online pharmacy. Also you will find that most online pharmacies can be eliminated from your consideration because of the NO answers to many of the above questions.

About the Author -
Lisa Macfarlane is a professional health writer and editor who specializes in sexual health and health issues.

Posted in online pharmacy | No Comments »

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