MonaVie: Benefits of this new fruit drink

MonaVie is a beverage containing eighteen beneficial fruits, plus one of nature’s top super foods, the acai berry. MonaVie's premier acai blends are designed to help you maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. The acai berry is found only in the Amazon Rain Forest of South America high on top of palm trees. Modern science has now validated the remarkable wellness benefits of the acai berry. As a whole food by itself, the berry would provide a remarkable source of complete protein, healthy fats, essential vitamins, and minerals. Particularly valuable are the class of polyphenols of which the Acai contains over a dozen. High on the list are the anthocyanins, which contribute the deep red, blue and purple to the plant’s appearance. Anthocyanins have a host of health benefits that have been identified in several studies.
Support your body's antioxidant and nutritional needs with MonaVie™. Taking a Balance-Variety-Moderation approach to nutrition, this premier formula delivers powerful antioxidants and phytonutrients to help fight free radicals and maintain your body's overall health.

Enhance your body's joint health with MonaVie Active®. This advanced formula features the added benefit of plant-derived glucosamine, which has been scientifically shown to promote healthy joint function by targeting mobility and flexibility. Designed to support joint performance and recovery, this vital formula delivers the resources your body needs to get moving.

Watching your cholesterol? MonaVie Pulse™ nutritionally supports your cardiovascular system. With added heart health benefits derived from plant sterols* (which studies suggest play a key factor in lowering cholesterol), resveratrol, and omega 3 fatty acids, maintaining existing healthy cholesterol levels has never been easier.
Some say it can kill pain, disease and malnutrition.
· Among the converted are former Daytona 500 champ Geoff Bodine, who credits MonaVie with helping him recover from one of the worst crashes in NASCAR history
· Viacom CEO Sumner Redstone, who says it will help him live another 50 years (he's 85)
· Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew, who sells the stuff on his MySpace page.
· Nafziger took the stage first, describing how a diabetic friend committed to MonaVie broke his need for insulin shots.
Larsen the founder of MonaVie says he reminds people that MonaVie "is just a juice”. Not everyone will think that it is a miracle juice but the people who do like it will swear by it.
From experience, my family loves it. My dad tried it and since he felt so good after only a few days of taking it he got other members of my family to start drinking it. He never used to be able to go out in the yard and play with us because he would be too sore. After drinking MonaVie, I came home one weekend and he was out playing all day in the yard with us. He was also supposed to get surgery on his wrist, neck, and upper back but the pain went away after he started drinking this so he is going to wait until the pain comes back. My grandmother also noticed significant changes right away. She went from taking three cholesterol pills a day to one.
If you want to learn more about this nutritional drink visit www.Thegreatproduct.com/Urella

http://www.newsweek.com/id/150499

http://www.acai-berry.com/content/monavie.html

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Ways to manage your stress!

No one likes being stressed out but do they realize that stress also affects your health? Stress will cause swelling of the adrenal glands, atrophy, or shrinking lymphatic system, and irritation of the digestive system if handled inappropriately.
Here are some tips to help manage stress:
¨ Your body needs energy from
o real foods
o adrenal gland support
o rest, exercise, and relaxation
¨ stop giving it energy
o avoid stressful situations
¨ make boundaries
o don’t take on extra work
o don’t date that certain person
o make stress-free rules to guide yourself
¨ response to memories causing stress need to be addressed
¨ use natural forces
o laugh (what can you do to increase your laughter? Who makes you laugh?)
¨ exercise – improves ability to cope with stress
¨ music - changes mood and stress level in moments
o what can you listen to that takes your mind off stress?...turn it on and turn it up!
¨ relax!!! – sit and do nothing
o take deep breaths

Stress cannot be avoided, everyone goes through it, it is just how you handle it.

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Pregnant : Back pain a problem?

What is the most common complaint you hear from a pregnant woman? That her back hurts. When you are pregnant, you put on a good amount of extra weight that you are not used to. This is a big contributor to the pain, plus with the extra weight you’re posture changes. Bain pain is something that pregnant women do not have to live with. Pain relievers such as Acetaminophen are safe to use while pregnant. Many medications are not safe so before taking anything you should check with a doctor. Even though back pain is easy to fix it should not be ignored. Back pain could mean complications with the pregnancy so you always want to monitor the pain.

Some other ways to prevent or stop back pain are:

Practice good posture. As your baby grows, your center of gravity shifts forward. As you compensate in some way to avoid falling forward, you may strain the muscles in your lower back — which can cause back pain. Enter the principles of good posture. Tuck your buttocks under, pull your shoulders back and downward, and stand straight and tall.
Sit and stand with care. Sit with your feet slightly elevated, and don't cross your legs. Choose a chair that supports your back. Change position often, and avoid standing for long periods of time. If you must stand, rest one foot on a low step stool.
Sleep on your side. Sleep on your side, not your back. Keep one or both knees bent. It may also help to place one pillow between your knees and another under your abdomen, or use a full-length body pillow.
Lift properly. When lifting a small object, squat down and lift with your legs. Don't bend at the waist or lift with your back. Try to avoid sudden reaching movements or stretching your arms high over your head. And know your limits. Don't attempt to lift heavy objects or children.
Get the right gear. Wear low-heeled shoes with good arch support. Wear maternity pants with a low, supportive waistband. Consider using a maternity support belt.
Try heat, cold or a back rub. Apply heat to your back. Soak in a warm bathtub, or use a hot water bottle or a heating pad. Some women find relief by alternating ice packs with heat. Rubbing your back also may help. Better yet, ask someone to rub your back for you.
Stay fit. Regular exercise can keep your back strong and may actually relieve back pain. With your health care provider's OK, try swimming, walking or riding a stationary bike.
Try pelvic tilt exercises. Kneel on your hands and knees with your head in line with your back. Pull in your abdomen, arching your spine upward. Hold the position for several seconds, then relax your abdomen and back. Repeat three to five times, working gradually up to 10. Ask your health care provider about other stretching exercises, too.
Consider complementary treatments. For some women, massage therapy or chiropractic care provides relief. Although these techniques haven't been proved effective for treating low back pain, they may provide some comfort and are generally safe during pregnancy — as long as you're receiving good prenatal care. Discuss your pain with your health care provider first, however, to make sure you're dealing with muscular back pain rather than an underlying condition.

Coke: What do you really know about it?

Cocaine is not a commonly used drug so many people do not know how serious the affects are or what to look for in someone who is using this drug. Unfortunately, for me it took witnessing a friend who went through the side effects of cocaine to want to find out more information about it. I knew the drug was bad for you but I had never been exposed to it to actually see the medical consequences. Some of the most frequent complications are cardiovascular effects, including disturbances in heart rhythm and heart attacks; respiratory effects such as chest pain and respiratory failure; neurological effects, including strokes, seizures, and headaches; and gastrointestinal complications, including abdominal pain and nausea. The long-term effects of cocaine lead to addiction, irritability and mood disturbances, restlessness, paranoia, and auditory hallucinations. If you are good friends with the user, I know firsthand that the long-term effects are easy to spot. You definitely notice something is different, even if you do not know the cause of the personality change right away. Sadly, cocaine is a hard drug to get away from. Recent studies have shown that, during periods of abstinence from cocaine use, the memory of the euphoria associated with cocaine use, or mere exposure to cues associated with drug use, can trigger tremendous craving and relapse to drug use, even after long periods of abstinence.

If you suspect someone is using cocaine here are some signs to look for:

Red, bloodshot eyes
A runny nose or frequently sniffing
A change in eating or sleeping patterns
A change in groups of friends
A change in school grades or behavior
Acting withdrawn, depressed, tired, or careless about personal appearance
Losing interest in school, family, or activities he or she used to enjoy
Frequently needing money

Some important facts you should know about cocaine are:

· Cocaine affects your brain. It is made from the coca plant and causes a short-lived high that is immediately followed by opposite, intense feelings of depression, edginess, and a craving for more of the drug.
· Cocaine affects your body. People who use cocaine often don't eat or sleep regularly. They can experience increased heart rate, muscle spasms, and convulsions. If they snort cocaine, they can also permanently damage their nasal tissue.
· Cocaine affects your emotions. Using cocaine can make you feel paranoid, angry, hostile, and anxious, even when you are not high.
· Cocaine is addictive. Cocaine interferes with the way your brain processes chemicals that create feelings of pleasure, so you need more and more of the drug just to feel normal. People who become addicted to cocaine start to lose interest in other areas of their life, like school, friends, and sports.
· Cocaine can kill you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpGtgZw5Z_U

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Do doctors always thoroughly examine patients?

Stress is one of many factors that can lead to heart disease. However, when stress is a symptom for women heart disease is overlooked. A case study was done comparing the diagnosis for male and female heart symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath and when stress was a factor. The doctors had the same diagnosis for men and women when they had all the normal signs and symptoms of heart disease. Doctors thought women who complained of having stressful lives were more psychological than physical factors. Men were assessed the same way as when stress was not a symptom.

Women should be aware when they go to the doctors to follow-up if symptoms keep occurring. Doctors can make mistakes and studies have shown that they do not diagnose females as often as males for heart disease when stress is a factor. If you feel like something is wrong make sure they do everything they can to assess what the problem is because you want to find out sooner than later that you have heart disease. It is pretty scary how quickly doctors assume nothing is wrong. I recently started getting chest pains and they would stay for a few days at a time. I went to the doctors and the only thing they did was check my heartbeat, ask what was wrong, and tell me my muscles were probably growing wrong. If something was seriously wrong they would never know because they didn’t take the time to check.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/just-stress-more-often-diagnosed-in-women/

Sexual Health & TV Related?

Surprisingly, the answer is yes and no. Teenagers who sit in and watch television all the time obviously are not going out and partying, so they are less likely to have sex. In this case, TV does not have a negative effect on sexual health; however is it not healthy to sit in front of the TV all day either. The “steamy television” is what studies say are more likely to affect teen pregnancy or sexual behavior. “When most of the television a teen watches is sexual in nature, risk for teen pregnancy doubles compared to kids who watch little or no sexually-themed television.” (Parker)

Of course, the shows that appeal to teenagers are all the drama-filled ones that are all about sex. Producers of these shows don’t care about the alarming pregnancy rates or the std’s that are transmitted because of the rising number of young kids having sex; they are just in it to make their money. Television shows are all scripted and the producers write in sex scenes as if they mean nothing. Young kids may not realize that it is just a show and the things they are seeing on TV should not happen in real life. Studies show that teens who watch these shows with casual, unprotected sex are more likely to go out and demonstrate these acts themselves. This is a huge warning to parents to monitor what their children are watching. You should not prevent kids from watching them but make sure they are informed of the consequences that can come from having sex. If kids are well informed it should not matter what they see on TV because they will know the truth about sex and pregnancies.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/03/behind-the-statistics-on-tv-and-teen-pregnancy/

Want to Prevent ACL Injuries?

A new program has been developed that involves strength training to reduce ACL injuries in women. ACL injuries affect many women especially those who play sports. There have been other programs developed to prevent this injury but many require the use of special equipment. The researchers doing this study wanted to find something that was easy enough to fit into any team practice. This study found a 41% decrease in the reported number of ACL injuries. If you participate in sports and want to prevent an injury that could take months to recover from this seems to be a beneficial program. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/health/nutrition/14exer.html?_r=2&ref=health&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

The study was published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine. The PEP program or The Prevention Injury and Enhance Performance Program are explained in detail and a chart is also given to show the different activities. This program involves a warm-up, stretching, strengthening, plyometrics, and agility.
http://ajs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/full/36/8/1476

To learn more about the anatomy of the knee and how complex it is watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTV5Yo3E7VQ&feature=related

Injuries of the knee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb-3ufvG7pQ&feature=related