Category Archives: Health & Fitness

151 good things about ADHD

Posted on May 9, 2012 | 1 Comment

We frequently assume ADHD is a bad thing. However, it can also be used to one’s advantage when controlled.  Below is a list of the 151 good things about ADHD.   Pete Quily has an excellent website full of resources for those with ADHD.

http://www.addcoach4u.com

Positive Characteristics of People with Attention Deficit Disorder according to Pete Quily.

151 Positives.


Ability to find alternate paths to overcome obstacles
Able to take on large situations
Adaptive/collaborative
Adventurous, courageous, lives outside of boundaries
Always finding alternate routes to any given location.
Always willing to help others
Ambitious – you want to be everything when “you grow up”
Artistic
Attractive personality – magnetic due to high energy
Being able to see the big picture
Being able to see the patterns in the chaos.
Being intuitive towards others’ difficulties
Broad focus – can see more, notice things more
Can create order from chaos
Can do many projects at once
Can make people feel they are heard
Can see the big picture
Can talk about several things at one time
Can think on my feet
Career variety
Centre of attention
Comfortable talking in front of groups
Comfortable with change and chaos
Compassion for others and for themselves
Conceptualizes well
Confidence
Constantly evolving
Courageous
Creates connections easily
Creative
Creative writing
Creative – musical, artistic, “dramatic”
Good in a crisis
Good at customer relations
Dedicated
Detail-oriented
Determined to gain more control
Eager to make friends
Eager to try new things
Empathetic, sensitive
Energetic
Entrepreneurial
Excellent organizers using journals and reminders (notes etc.)
Flexible – changes as the situation requires
Fun guy to be around
Goal-oriented
Good at conceptualizing
Good at motivating self and others
Good at multitasking
Good at problem solving
Good at public speaking
Good at understanding others/mind reading – empathetic
Good conversationalist
Good delegator and good at organizing others
Good in emergency situations
Good listener
Good looking and aware of it
Good people skills
Good self esteem, energetic
Great brain-stormer
Great multitasker
Great self-company
Great sense of humour
Great storyteller
Great with kids (central figure around kids)
Hands-on workers
Hard worker
Has friendly relations with their family
Has the gift of gab
Helpful
Helps others who are also in trouble
High energy – go, go, go
Humour, very healthy, quick picking up ideas
Hyper focus !!
Hypersensitive – very empathetic and good at non-verbal communications
Idea generator
Imaginative
Impulsive (in a good way) not afraid to act
Initiators
Intelligent
Intuitive
It’s ok to not finish everything
Learning as much as I can to help children and others with adhd
Less sleep is good (midnight to 6 am)
Like to talk a lot
Likes learning new things
Look at multidimensional sides to a situation
Lots of interests
Loves to cook and be creative
Magnetic
Master idea generator
Mentoring others/helpful
Mentoring people with low self esteem
Modesty
Move on fast – never hold a grudge
Multitasks well
Never bored and rarely boring
Never intimidated to try new things
Non-linear, multi-dimensional/edge of chaos
Not afraid to speak mind
Not contained by boundaries.
On stage and ready
Optimistic
Outgoing
Passionate
Persistent
Philosophical
Holistic thinking
Playful
Pragmatic
Problem solver
Profound
Quick thinking
Quick witted
Relates to people easily
Resistant
Resourceful
Saves money in the short term by forgetting to file tax returns
See and remember details – recount them later
Sees the big picture
Socially adaptive and flexible.
Spontaneous
Stabilizer during difficult situations
Stable
Successful
Takes initiative
Tenacious
Theoretical
Think outside the box
Thinks 2 meters ahead of the world
Thinks big, dreams big
Thorough
Tolerant
Unconventional
Unlimited energy
Unorthodox
Versatile
Very creative, able to generate a lot of ideas
Very hard working to compensate – workaholic
Very intuitive
Very resourceful
Very successful
Visionary
Visual learner
Willing to explore
Willing to take risks
Willingness to help others
Witty
Won’t tolerate boredom
Works well under pressure
Worldly

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Posted in Diseases, Motivational

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Man claims BMW motorcycle causes 2 year erection

Posted on April 30, 2012 | Leave a comment

Commercials for erectile dysfunction medications like Cialis end with a warning that an individual should contact their doctor if they have an erection that lasts for more than four hours.

After 20 months, Henry Wolf decided to contact a lawyer instead, claiming that the seat on his BMW motorcycle gave him an erection lasting nearly two years. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Wolf filed a lawsuit against BMW North American and Corbin-Pacific claiming that the “ridged seat” on his 1993 motorcycle left him with mental and emotional anguish after allegedly causing an extreme case of priapism, also known as a long-lasting erection… read more here

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Posted in Medicine

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Are artificial sweeteners like aspartame and splenda bad for you?

Posted on April 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

With  the “fattening” of Americans and others worldwide, sugar has been blamed by many as the cause. However, is sugar really the problem?   This belief should perhaps be reconsidered.I am often asked  about the differences in sweeteners. I will discuss my recommendations,  from best to worst.

Realize, high fructose corn syrup is not on the list since it is not added by consumers, but by manufacturers. Avoid this if you can as it can lead to excess weight gain.

Sugar is the most natural sweetener on the market.  1 teaspoon has only 15 calories.  Processed sugar comes from either sugar cane or sugar beet.  It can be used  to help sweeten foods and drinks.  Unbleached sugar is a good option, this is raw sugar  marketed under the name “sugar in the raw”.  When used in  moderation, this is a good option. If one needs to limit sugar intake due to medical reasons, stevia should be considered.

Stevia  (Truvia) is a natural sweetener found many products.   comes from plant leaves from the genus  Stevia rebaudiana.  It is also known as sweet leaf.  Stevia  has  0 calories per serving and can be used in coffee, tea and baking. It does not raise blood sugar so is a great option for those with diabetes or those wanting a more natural option.  Stevia  is available in most stores nationwide.

Sucralose (Splenda) comes in a yellow packet. Sucralose is created when a chlorine molecule is added to sugar (glucose).  When ingested, Sucralose does not get absorbed into the bloodstream, so those with diabetes tend to do well with it  since it will not raise blood sugar.  Sucralose is 600 times sweeter than table sugar.  However, for some, it may cause intestinal upset as it can kill good bacteria in the intestines.

Saccharin is sold in the pink packet and  has been on the market for many years. The label used to state that consumption increased the risk of cancer in humans, but this was removed from the labels in 2000.  In 2010,  the EPA removed this product from  their list of hazardous  products stating  that saccharin is no longer considered a potential hazard to human health.

-Fox news even recommended avoiding aspartame due to the concerns regarding it’s safety-

Aspartame (Nutra-sweet, Equal) is marketed in a blue packet.  This is probably one of the most controversial sweeteners on the market. The FDA states it is safe while others, such as neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock ( Author of Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills) ,  have called for its removal from the market due to safety concerns.  It is 200 times sweeter than sugar.  Some people who consume this sweetener report migraines, memory loss and weight gain as it increases appetite.  It is present in over 6,000 diet and sugar free products, including chewing gum and diet sodas (Read about the dangers of diet coke, pepsi and other sodas).

Consuming foods which nature intended is always the safest way to go.  Minimizing artificial sweeteners is prudent. Consuming more fruits is a great way to get your sugar fix for the day. when needed.

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Posted in Diet and Nutrition, Diseases, Health & Fitness, Recipes

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Do sinus infections need antibiotic treatment?

Posted on March 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

Sinus infections are a common reason a patient goes to their doctor’s office. Symptoms may  include nasal stuffiness, ear pressure, facial pressure, teeth pain, post nasal drip and a cough.   However, asking your physician for an antibiotic the first few days may not be the best thing for you. Studies show that using an antibiotic, such as amoxicillin or Z-pak (azithromycin) may not be needed for most patients, especially in the first week of symptoms.

A study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis showed that patients with sinusitis who were given Amoxicillin vs a placebo (sugar pill) were no better at day 3 or day 10.  In other words, antibiotics did not improve the situation. (JAMA)

Most sinus infections start as a viral infection.  Antibiotics do NOT kill viruses, they only kill bacteria.   About 10% of people may ultimately develop a bacterial sinus infection,  this occurs  7 to 10 days after the symptoms start. This  occurs as a secondary infection, that is  if the viral sinusitis does not clear up.

90% of people with a sinus infection will improve by day 7 to 10.  If they happened to be given an antibiotic, they will assume this is the reason they improved.  However, this is not the case. They would have become better anyway.

Treating the symptoms may be the best therapy during the first week.  Using a saline sinus rinse netipot, such as those made by SinuCleanse can help prevent and treat sinus infections by rinsing away mucous buildup. Consider  antihistamine medications (Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec or the generic equivalent) or nasal steroids (Flonase, Nasonex, etc.) or even Sudafed to help control your symptoms.  Only if the pain persists or if a fever starts after 7-10 days should an antibiotic be taken.

To those patients who come into my office within 48 hours of an infection, I frequently will provide them with a prescription,  recommending they wait a week until taking it to their pharmacy.  This saves my patient a return trip back to my office.

 

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Posted in Diseases, Drugs, Infectious Disease

Are scientists creating bird flu bio-weapons?

Posted on November 21, 2011 | Leave a comment

NPR shared a story about scientists creating potential bio-weapons out of  bird flu… read more about the story here.

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Posted in Health & Fitness