Imagine   we took   4,000 women,    40  years of age, with no symptoms, and separated them into 2 groups.  We offer 2,000 of the women a mammogram yearly or every other year  for 10 years.   The other 2,000 women  don’t   have a mammogram  for 10 years.  What would the difference in breast cancer death rates be over the following 10 years between the two groups?  The results may surprise you.

In the women who do NOT undergo yearly or every other year  mammogram for 10 years (5- 10 mammograms),  7 of the 2,ooo,  would die from breast cancer

In the women who DO undergo a  mammogram yearly or every other year for 10 years (5-10 mammograms), 6 of the 2,000 women would die from the mammogram.

In other words, the science shows that   1 in 2000 women, aged 40-49,  will avoid breast cancer due to the screening mammogram. Stated another way,  between 10,000 to 20,000 mammograms (assuming one is done every 1-2 years) need to be conducted to prevent 1 breast  cancer death for an average risk women between the age of 40-49.

Likewise, there will be 120-400 false positive screening tests requiring a surgical biospy  and 2-10 women will be “overdiagnosed” resulting in unnecessary  diagnosis and treatment resulting in surgery, radiation, chemotherapy for breast cancer.

While I am NOT recommending women avoid mammograms, I do recommend women talk to their doctors, their risk factors for breast cancer and what the best course of prevention and screening is  best for them.   In addition, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy body weight and exercising routinely are  strongly encouraged to help prevent cancer from beginning in the first place.

Remember, a mammogram simply finds a cancer that is already there. It does not prevent cancer itself.  In fact, the cumulative radiation doses may increase risk of cancer for  a small number of women after 10 to 30 years of mammograms. In addition, low levels of vitamin D are also a risk factor for developing breast cancer. I would recommend you ask your doctor to measure your vitamin D level and strive to reach levels >50 ng/ml.

Sources:

The Benefits and Harms of Mammography Screening, JAMA January 13, 2010. Vol. 303, No. 2

Vitamin D Prescription- The Healing Power of the Sun

Your doctor will tell you it is either normal or high. Blood pressure is the amount of force your heart muscle needs to exert as it pumps the blood through your arteries (not veins).   A blood pressure reading consists of 2 numbers and is expressed as “120 over 80″ or “120/80″.

The 120 (bigger number) is called your systolic pressure while the  80 (smaller number) is the diastolic pressure. Both numbers are important. Normal blood pressure is 120/80 or less.

If your blood pressure is >140/90 on two or more occasions, you have high blood pressure and need to see your physician.

High blood pressure increases your risk for heart attacks and strokes, so controlling it is very very important.  Diet, exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a lot of fruits and vegetables can all help lower blood pressure. You many also need to be on blood pressure medicine.

—-BELOW IS AN EXCERPT FROM VITAMIN D PRESCRIPTION BY ERIC MADRID MD, available on Amazon.com—-

Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is one of the top three cancers affecting those in developed countries. According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer accounts for 8% of all cancer deaths in men and 9% of all cancer deaths in women in the U.S. Colon cancer will affect 1 in 18 men and 1 in 19 women at some point in their lives. Fortunately, the majority of cases can be prevented. Worldwide, the World Health Organization predicts that colon cancer rates will increase 50% by 2020 and will affect up to 20 million people annually.

Risk factors for developing colon cancer include:

• Colon Polyps
• Poor diet, especially high in red meats
• Overweight
• Obesity
• Racial Groups (African Americans &  Ashkenazi Jews)
• Lack of exercise
• Excess alcohol intake
• Family history
• Type 2 diabetes
• Vitamin D deficiency

Those with higher consumption of fruits and vegetables have a benefit in preventing colon cancer from developing in the first place. A 1996 study reported in JAMA suggested that the trace mineral selenium, a potent antioxidant, and part of the glutathione reductase antioxidant complex, could also be protective against precancerous polyps and colon cancer.

There has been renewed interest in the last few years on the ability of sunshine to prevent colon cancer. Specifically, the sunshine vitamin has anti colon cancer properties, observed back in the 1930s, and later confirmed in the 1980s by Cedric Garland, DrPH (Moores Cancer Center University of California, San Diego), and Frank C. Garland, PhD, FACE (Technical Director, Naval Health Research Center (NHRC), San Diego).
Drs. Cedric and Frank Garlands’ landmark study showed that the risk of colon cancer was associated with solar radiation exposure; many other studies have since confirmed this finding. Drs. Garlands’ 1980 study revealed that in the two states with the most solar radiation, New Mexico and Arizona, white males had cancer rates of 6.7 and 10.1, respectively, per 100,000 people. In the three states with the least solar radiation, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire, white males experienced colon cancer rates of 17.3, 11.3, and 15.3, respectively, per 100,000 population. Data collection occurred from 1959 to 1961. The conclusion was that those with more sunshine exposure had less colon cancer when compared to those with less sunshine exposure.

A review of the CDC web site and the statistics for colon and rectal cancer from 2002–2004 shows similar results. The data today is more inclusive, with men and women from all ethnicities. Arizona and New Mexico have total colon and rectal cancer rates of 49.9 and 51.8, respectively, per 100,000 population. On the contrary, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire have rates of 63.0, 57.9, and 59.9, respectively, per 100,000 population…..read more about vitamin D and colon cancer when you purchase Vitamin D Prescription by Dr. Eric Madrid

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A c-section is a procedure in which a child is surgically removed through a mother’s abdomen, rather than emerging naturally through the vaginal opening. It is medically recommended only in cases where vaginal delivery would seriously endanger the life of infant or mother, but is becoming more common as many women’s preferred method of childbirth.

Researchers compared the rates of asthma and allergies among 2,917 eight-year-olds, comparing the rates between those who had been delivered vaginally and those who had been delivered by c-section. They found that the risk of asthma was 79 percent higher in those delivered by c-section compared with those delivered vaginally. The correlation between c-section and asthma risk was even higher among children born to one or more parents with allergies.

“Our results emphasize the importance of gene-environment interactions on the development of asthma in children,” the researchers wrote. “The increased rate of cesarean section is partly due to maternal demand without medical reason. In this situation, the mother should be informed of the risk of asthma for her child, especially when the parents have a history of allergy or asthma.”…read more here…

Hey guys, think you know everything there is to know about having sex with women? That erotic encyclopedia you carry around in your head may contain a lot of basic errors and omissions about women’s sexuality — errors that can lead to sex mistakes.

That’s because — after learning the facts of life — most of us are left to figure out sex for ourselves. Guys tend to take a lot of cues from adult movies, and we all know how true-to-life those are. Experience may help, but many women can be shy when talking about what they like.

To help us with some sex tips, WebMD asked two acclaimed sex educators, Tristan Taormino and Lou Paget, to tell us what they think are the most common sex mistakes men make with women.

Taormino is a prolific author, lecturer, and video producer. Her latest project is the Expert Guide educational video series from Vivid Ed.

Paget is author of The Great Lover Playbook and other sex manuals, and she gives seminars nationwide.

Sex Mistake No.1: You Know What She Wants

Men often make assumptions about what a woman wants based upon what they’ve done with other women. But women aren’t all the same.

“You develop a repertoire as you mature sexually, but you should never assume that what worked for the last person is going to work for this person,” Taormino says.

That applies not only to sexual predilections, but also to relationships, she says. “There are women who can have no-strings-attached sex, and women who can get attached very easily, and then everyone in between.”

Sex Mistake No. 2: You Have All She Needs

Some women can’t have an orgasm with less than 3,000 rpm. No human tongue or fingers can generate that kind of vibration. But men typically think something is wrong if a woman needs a vibrator.

“If the only way that a woman can achieve orgasm is with a vibrator, she’s not broken,” Taormino says.

Think of a vibrator as your assistant, not your substitute. Many couples use vibrators together. “While you’re doing one thing, or two things, the vibrator can be doing something else,” Taormino says…..read more here…

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

Posted in Alternative, Longevitiy, Wellness, Women's Health Tagged: acupressure, acupuncture, aromatherapy, reiki ]]> http://healthandsurvival.com/2008/12/18/5-alternative-treatments-and-practices-worth-trying/feed/ 3 Eric Madrid http://healthandsurvival.com/2008/09/19/10-worst-breakfast-foods/ http://healthandsurvival.com/2008/09/19/10-worst-breakfast-foods/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:34:57 +0000 Health And Survival Blog http://healthandsurvival.wordpress.com/?p=582 Continue reading →]]> 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