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Allow me to hang my head in shame, for I have not eaten an oyster in my life. However, I'm going to try them because in my readings I have found they are a low calorie protein, an excellent source of zinc, vitamin B-12, and omega-3 fatty acids; all of which I definitely need to ingest more.

In promoting more people to eat oysters there has also been a lot of research done in how one should cook them, because if your oysters are undercooked you can develop serious illnesses. Gulf oysters should never be eaten raw, especially if you have problems with your liver or have a weak immune system.

In fact, there is such a need for more information in regards to cooking oysters that "Be Oyster Aware" devotes an entire site to teaching you about the risks involved in not properly cooking oysters. The site includes valuable and educational information as well as a slew of delicious recipes!

The major cause of concern in eating shellfish, including oysters, is due to Vibrio vulnificus. Oysters are sedentary bivalve mollusks that feed by filtering plankton water. Because Vibrio vulnificus occurs naturally in the same waters that oysters feed, the bacteria is ingested and becomes concentrated in the animal's tissues. When people ingest oysters, there is a risk of also ingesting Vibrio vulnificus. You can reduce your risk by eating oysters fully cooked or by eating oysters that have been post-harvest processed.

And so there you have it. The good and the bad. But the good is very beneficial and so learning how to prevent the bad is necessary!

Labels: oysters, vitamins

In case you were wondering what Cal Ripken, Jr. has been up to I thought I'd let you know.

Ripken, known as the "Ironman" because of his consecutive games streak, lost his father to lung disease just weeks before Opening Day in 1999. He now makes a strong effort in educating the public about lung cancer and I am extremely thrilled he is doing so.

Last night I was reading stats about cancer research. Brian and I discussed it briefly because I asked him why lung cancer would be getting so little research when it is the leading cause of cancer. He knew immediately the answer was lack of attention due to the lack of funding.

Ripken joined the Lung Cancer Alliance as part of their "The Face in the Fight" campaign, in the beginning of 2007 and renewed his commitment for 2008. "I am proud to work with Lung Cancer Alliance to help reverse the stigma surrounding the disease," said Ripken. "For too long, lung cancer has been ignored and those diagnosed have been blamed. Lung cancer survivors deserve to be treated with compassion and support regardless of their smoking history." Joe Buck and Troy Aikmen are also big parts of the campaign.

While I understand lung cancer may be on of the most preventable types, because well, you can stop smoking or never start smoking, I still don't believe it is right to give the disease less attention for that reason. Having Cal Ripken's name on the bill will hopefully benefit the need for research in this area.

Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer, killing more Americans each year than breast, prostate and colon cancers -- combined. What you might not know and what I didn't know is that 60% of lung cancer patients are people who quit smoking decades ago or never smoked to begin with. That shocked me and I think if more people noted that fact then they would be more apt to pitch in. However, Ripken said it well when he explained these patients should be treated with the same compassion and support regardless of their history.

Click here for a PDF poster to hang up at your place of work or around your local community.

In other related news, Congressman E. Clay Shaw, Jr. has taken the lead on lung cancer in the House of Representatives. He convinced 73 of his colleagues in the House to cosign a letter demanding more lung cancer research funding. To thank Congressman Shaw, a lung cancer survivor, for his hard work and leadership in getting other members of the House to stand up for more research funding for lung cancer please contact him.

By Mail:
The Honorable E. Clay Shaw
U.S. House of Representatives
1236 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

If your representative is one of the cosigners, thank him or her also.

If your representative is NOT one of the cosigners, you may want to ask if he or she would send a similar letter. To contact your representative simply go to www.house.gov/writerep/ and enter your ZIP code.

Labels: cancer, lung dieases

During my morning routine of getting ready for work, I always take time to wash my face. It's a ritual I do every morning and night actually because I know how important a good skin care routine is for women AND men.

Let's face it, as much as outward appearance shouldn't matter so much, it really does. I know I just don't feel as well about myself if I haven't take steps to make myself for more clean and fresh. You know what I mean? And a good skin care routine is VERY important to me.

I often switch up on the products I use, because it seems they inevitably stop working over time or just stop working as well. Right now I'm using one that is supposed to energize you, I have to say the scent is quite uplifting but I'm not sure it gives me anymore energy. =o)

One of the sites I use for more information on health and what I'm going to term "beauty wellness" is BORBA. They have tips on skin care products, acne solutions, remedies for oily skin or dry skin, whatever your needs are there are great articles offered.

Earlier this month there was an entry specifically about skin care for me. I think it is important for men to have a good skin care routine because they have facial hair and need to make sure to keep their skin clean and healthy. Otherwise it's going to itch and break out and all that other not-so-fun stuff. Right ladies? In fact, exfoliation is one of the highly recommended tips from BORBA in regards to men's skin care and you have to admit, it makes sense.

Overall BORBA is a great resource for anyone and I must admit I do love reading about the latest trends in cosmetics as well. I am a girl after all. And yes I do want to know about the latest lip gloss which "nourishes, moisturizes and rejuvenates" don't you?

BORBA is all about achieving total beauty... inside-out.

Labels: beauty, skincare, wellness

When I began reading this article I immediately thought about all the folks out there who will now become paranoid about the fact that they find themselves nodding off a lot.

Studies like this are helpful to a degree, but there are probably a whole slew of other things that are related to being THAT tired. Don't you think?
And so it is; daytime dozing also appears to raise the chance of having a heart attack or dying of a heart attack or stroke, the researchers say.

So now we have stated dozing off several times through the day can increase your risk of having a stroke or heart attack as you age. That is a frightening thought. Wouldn't it be more beneficial to explain the warning signs of such issues?

They type of "dozing" mentioned really means how often they fell asleep during specific situations: watching TV, sitting and talking to someone, or stopping in traffic. To me that is not dozing, that is severe sleep apnea. And yes that is concerning and I am sure it could lead to a variety of higher percentages of MANY health risks.

With all that being said I wanted to discuss sleep apnea in more depth. For mild sleep apnea it is possible you will only need to change your diet and lose some weight. If you are a smoker, sleep apnea is one more reason to QUIT! There are also special therapies, like Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for more severe sleep apnea issues.

CPAP brings me to my next point. Restricted airways are often the cause of sleep apnea and I feel they might really be the reason behind an increase risk of stroke or heart attack. To me it makes sense, if you have trouble breathing or stop breathing then not enough oxygen is getting to your brain or your heart. You’re forcing your body to work twice as hard to get blood flowing normally. This might be why losing weight and quitting smoking are two of the most important things you can do if sleep apnea is an issue for you.

Are you following me? I'm not a doctor obviously, but I just wish more of these research studies would break it down for you and get to the real cause of why things may or may not happen.

Labels: heart, sleep, stroke

This seems common sense to me, but I suppose it isn't.

This study was specifically done with children who live in poverty in an area of Oregon. This clearly means the study needs to be intensely expanded.

"Researchers at the University of Oregon studied a unique counseling strategy in a small group of poor families enrolled in a federal Head Start program in Oregon. They looked at measures of thinking skills in young children before and after parents had special counseling."

"Fourteen children aged 3-5 were tested on language ability and attention, and they had brain scans before their parents began the counseling. Another 14 children had the same tests, but their parents did not receive any special counseling. Once a week for eight weeks, parents of the experimental group went to sessions where they learned good parenting practices, like keeping consistent routines at home and how to discipline children in constructive ways."

Now I'm not sure studying fourteen children in one area who probably all know each other can give you any sort of insight on whether or not this theory is founded. But it's something interesting to further pursue.

The real issue is the lack of parental involvement in a child's life. And for the majority of parents they are less involved because they have to work more to make the money they need for their families. By the time these parents have time to spend with their children they are stressed and tired which doesn't make for good company. Right?

I wish I had a way to mend this situation, because it is indeed an issue which needs repair. If children grow up in this type of environment they will have trouble succeeding as adults. This only causes the cycle to continue repeating.

It's important for everyone to realize what is at stake here whether you are directly involved or not. This needs to happen in all communities, not just poverty stricken ones. Perhaps volunteer to be a mentor or tutor for the children. Employers, allow more training opportunities for these adults so they can progress within your company. Together we can make a difference.

SOURCE

Labels: children, education, intellect, parenting

"Results of an early study suggest that dairy-free diets and unconventional food preferences could put boys with autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at higher than normal risk for thinner, less dense bones when compared to a group of boys the same age who do not have autism."

Yes, it is true, I read Science Daily. Now that we're done laughing about that, I wanted to quickly mention one of their tatest articles about autism. Research suggests children, specifically boys, who have autism are at a higher risk for Vitamin D and Calcium deficiencies. So even though they have higher levels of growth hormones and can often be very tall, they are also slender due to thinner bones. You can see the problem that might arise. If their bodies are taller they will need stronger bones to support their limbs. This might be why many children with autism break so many bones.

The doctors involved with this research stress that more investigation needs to be done, but that it is a good idea for you to include a dietician into your child's plan of action when it comes to their disorder.

SOURCE

Labels: autism

Even when I was a wee gal people commented on the dark circles under my eyes. So though right now they may be puffy from lack of sleep, I know the circles would be there regardless.

This morning on MSN: Health & Fitness, there is a column about these horrid dark circles. Most of it is self explanatory if you know anything about your body, but I thought I'd quickly recap some of the highlights because it is interesting to me.

First of all, dark circles are hereditary. My Dad has dark circles and so I have dark circles. Somehow my brother ended up with my Mom's facial genes. =o) My son has dark circles under his eyes all the time. He gets sick a lot and when he does his skin is pale which only makes the dark circles more prominent.

The column on MSN explained the physiology involved, "The skin under our eyelids is extremely thin. That is an important thing to remember in trying to soften those dark circles. The extremely thin skin has the potential to reflect the dark blue color of the circulating blood in the soft tissues below its surface."

Some factors, other than genetics, which contribute to raccoon eyes are:

• Bone structure. Deep set eyes and a prominent forehead may create a shadowing effect and the illusion of dark circles.
• Menstruation and pregnancy. The hormonal changes may cause the facial skin to appear pale, leaving the darker pigments of the circulating blood in the veins under the eyes to stand out.
• Sun exposure, which triggers the skin pigment melanin to increase, resulting in a darker appearance.
• Allergies that may cause itching or rubbing around the eyes or lids. This causes the fragile blood vessels to dilate or bruise, leading to that dark appearance under the eyes known as "allergic shiners." This is especially noticeable in those with seasonal allergies, such as hay fever.
• Colds or sinus infections, which can lead to an increased pressure on the blood vessels under the eyes, leading to a temporary dark circle appearance.

For more from the article, click here.

Labels: dark circles, skincare