Category Archives: Longevitiy

Positive thinking increases lung cancer survival

Posted on March 6, 2011 | 1 Comment

A  recent study  in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology demonstrated that those individuals diagnosed with lung cancer, who were more positive in their thinking, lived longer than those with negative thinking.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and worldwide.   In the USA, lung cancer accounts for 31% of all cancer deaths in men and  26% of all cancer deaths in women.

So what are your chances of developing lung cancer?   The answer may surprise you.   Believe it or not, 1 in 13 men and 1 in 16 women will  be affected by lung cancer- in which tobacco use accounts for 80% to 90% of all the cases.

Smoking, which causes oxidative damage to the body, overwhelms the DNA of our cells transforming them from normal healthy cells to unhealthy and unregulated cells which begin to grow uncontrollably, evading the body’s immune system which is supposed to “kill them”.

While having access to quality healthcare is crucial, having an optimistic attitude is also very important, especially when you or a loved one is diagnosed with cancer.

The study evaluated  534 people who were diagnosed with lung cancer. 48% women, 52% were men. Their average age was 67.   85% percent of the participants had non-small cell lung cancer while the other 15% has small cell lung cancer.

The study showed that those who were more optimistic had a 6 month survival advantage when compared to those who were less optimistic.  However, this study showed the benefit of optimism only in people who were diagnosed with an early stage of the lung cancer (Stage 1 and 2). Those diagnosed with an advanced stage of lung cancer (Stage 3 & 4) did not have the same survival benefit.

After five years,  33% of those with optimistic attitudes were still alive while only 21% of those with negative attitudes survived. The study’s author stated that more research still needs to be done to evaluate the connection more thoroughly.

Source: Journal of Thoracic Oncology: March 2010 – Volume 5 – Issue 3 – pp 326-332

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Posted in Diseases, Longevitiy, Medicine, Survival

Most Kidney Donors Lead Long, Healthy Lives

Posted on January 29, 2009 | Leave a comment

Most Kidney Donors Lead Long, Healthy Lives Biggest study of its kind finds no health downside to donation Posted January 28, 2009 By Ed Edelson HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Jan. 28

(HealthDay News) — Americans who give the gift of life by donating a kidney tend to lead long, healthy lives themselves. That’s the conclusion of the largest, longest follow-up of donors ever conducted. Related News Diets That Promote Health Keeping Your Brain Fit Good Parents, Bad Results America’s Best Hospitals “Their lifespan is comparable to others of the same age, gender and ethnic background,” said study author Dr. Hassan N. Ibrahim, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota. “Indeed, it appears that that kidney donors might actually have better survival.” Ibrahim and his colleagues reported their findings in the Jan. 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study tracked outcomes for nearly 3,700 people who donated kidneys, some as far back as 1963. It found that “their quality of life was better than 60 percent of the people in the general population of the same age and gender,” Ibrahim said. This is the first U.S. study to compare the survival of kidney donors to that of the general public, he noted. Two previous, smaller studies done in Norway and Sweden found similar results, but they did not measure the health of donors in as much detail or for as long as in this study, he added.

In addition to overall health, the study looked at measures of kidney function such as the glomerular filtration rate (the flow of filtered fluid through the kidney) as well as the presence of conditions such as high blood pressure. “Kidney donors have excellent glomerular filtration rates 85 percent of the time,” Ibrahim said. “Kidney donors are not likely to develop high blood pressure or have protein in their urine.” End-stage kidney failure developed in only 11 of the thousands…read more

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Posted in Longevitiy, Medicine

5 Alternative Treatments and Practices Worth Trying

Posted on December 18, 2008 | 3 Comments

5 Alternative Treatments and Practices Worth Trying

As a society full of technological advancements in all areas of our lives, we are sometimes hesitant to try traditional, or alternative, practices when it comes to our health and well-being. However, there has been a large increase in demand for therapies, treatments, and practices that are not aligned with our Western values.

Many people could feel the benefits of some of these practices, but have yet to try them. Here is a brief list of some alternative treatments and practices that are gaining popularity these days.

Therapeutic Massage

While this is the most popular alternative treatment by far, many people are still hesitant to undergo massage therapy for various reasons. Studies show, however, that there are many great benefits of utilizing massage therapy on a regular basis. Decreased anxiety, improved circulation, and increased flexibility and range of motion are just a few of these benefits. Talk to your physician or a licensed massage therapist and see if massage could help you.

Acupressure

Often confused with acupuncture, acupressure is less invasive and uses no needles to manipulate the body. Acupressure points are not generally related the affected areas, but rather associated with traditional Chinese medicine and the influences of yin, yang, and the individual’s chi. While this may not sound like something worth exploring, many who have undergone acupressure have finally felt relief which traditional medicine had been unable to provide.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture utilizes needles to manipulate the same points as in acupressure. Although acupuncture came first, some people are hesitant to undergo this procedure due to its extensive use of fine pointed needles. However, some people have gone so far as to claim acupuncture helped them to sleep better, quit snoring – even quit smoking. If you are adventurous and have explored your other options, you may want to consider acupuncture.

Reiki

Though this particular alternative treatment has no scientific basis, the people who claim to have experienced the healing powers of Reiki are growing on a significant scale. Reiki practitioners believe they’re able to manipulate a universal healing life-force energy, and that they are able to transfer this intelligent energy to their patients through the use of nothing more than their palms. People who undergo Reiki treatment claim to feel not only physical, but mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits from the treatments as well.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils to manipulate physical and/or emotional responses to help with an individual’s healing process. This is actually a Western derivation of alternative medicine, as essential oils are used in various ways in other holistic treatment options in varying degrees. Aromatherapy is used, with varying levels of success, in many people who don’t wish to venture too far beyond the realm of traditional medicine.

This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of medical coding online training. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com

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Posted in Alternative, Longevitiy, Wellness, Women's Health

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10 Worst Breakfast Foods-

Posted on September 19, 2008 | 4 Comments

Read about the  best breakfast foods for children

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It’s hard to overestimate the importance of eating breakfast. Studies show that people who take time for a morning meal consume fewer calories over the course of the day, have stronger cognitive skills, and are 30 percent less likely to be overweight or obese. Beyond that, people who skip breakfast are more likely to drink alcohol and smoke, and they’re less likely to exercise.

But just because breakfast is the most important meal of the day doesn’t grant you permission to go into a feeding frenzy. But that’s exactly what many of the country’s most popular breakfast joints are setting you up for, by peddling fatty scrambles, misguided muffins, and pancakes that look like manhole covers.

These foods are loaded with unhealthy fats, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates, which catapult your blood sugar, sap your energy levels, and tell your body to store fat.

To help you avoid the morning mishaps, we searched out the good, the bad, and the greasy, and uncovered some of the worst breakfast foods in America. We’ve presented a sampling of the worst offenders below. It’s like a lineup down at the local police station, except in this case, they’re all guilty as charged.

Worst Side Dish
Burger King Hash Browns (large)
620 calories
40 g fat (11 g saturated; 13 g trans)
1,200 mg sodium
60 g carbs

Yes, you’re ingesting more than a meal’s worth of calories from a side dish, but the real cause for concern here is that these little potato cakes pack seven times more trans fats than you’re supposed to eat all day! Until BK learns to cut out the partially hydrogenated oils, avoid encounters with potatoes of any kind at that fatty food joint.

Eat This Instead!
Burger King Egg & Cheese Croissan’wich
300 calories
17 g fat (6 g saturated; 2 g trans)
740 mg sodium
26 g carbs

Read more here

or Read about the  best breakfast foods for children

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Posted in Children's Health, Diet and Nutrition, Diseases, Health & Fitness, Longevitiy, Medicine, Survival, Wellness, Women's Health

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Vitamin C and Other Vitamins to Become Illegal in Canada?

Posted on June 18, 2008 | 2 Comments

So you want to take Vitamin C, how about if it was illegal to take that vitamin C, what if it was so illegal that you could be thrown in jail for up to 2 years and fined up to $5,000,000! Sounds like fiction doesn’t it?
Well it’s about to become reality unless people become aware of what is going on. The Canadian Government is trying to pass a bill known as Bill C51. This bill has already passed its second reading and it is flying under the radar, it is very close to becoming law and some powers that be DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW!

This bill would give entire control of supplements over to drug companies by only allowing MDs to “Prescribe” them as they see fit. Of course we know here in this country the government controls the doctors and the pharmaceutical companies tell the government what laws they want inorder to make more profit.

What this means is that if you want to take a multivitamin or some Omega-3, you have to book an appointment with your doctor, go in and try to convince your doctor that you are in need of these supplements. If you doctor doesn’t approve or better yet decides a certain drug would be better off for you then you unfortunately won’t have access to your supplements anymore.

On top of this the entire natural supplement industry will collapse on itself, thousands of jobs will be lost and even more stress will be placed on our already crumbing over-stressed medical system. Imagine waiting over a month to get in to see your MD just to request if you can take some oregano oil for a cold that has now come and past, only to have your request denied anyway.

The irony of all this is that MDs who are NOT trained in the use of herbs and supplements for the most part will have full control over what you can and CANNOT TAKE. To summarize:
….read more here….

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Posted in Alternative, Children's Health, Diet and Nutrition, Diseases, Health & Fitness, Herbal Medicine, Longevitiy, Medicine, Politics and Medicine, Society, Vitamins, Wellness, Women's Health

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