A Rockledge Chiropractor Offers 5 Tips To Reduce Headaches

Ever have a headache so bad you thought your head would explode? You feel sick, have nausea and dizziness, intense neck and head pain, and even feel disoriented. You are not alone.

Millions of people suffer from debilitating headaches each day, some from migraines others cluster, but most due to tension from stress. Dr. La Starza has offered headache relief for thousands of people who have been suffering for years. If you have no significant health issues, then there are 5 things you can use to reduce the discomfort and pain associated with headaches and make your life more enjoyable.

My first suggestion for reducing headaches will even save you money. That's a bonus! I always recommend to my Chiropractic patients to reduce their caffeine intake. Coffee is usually the main culprit, but many times sodas, teas, energy drinks, and even "indulgence" foods like chocolate can be a huge contributor to your headaches. By reducing the intake of caffeine products, and replacing them with loads of clean water, you can take a major step forward in reducing the intensity, duration, and frequency of your headaches.

Another suggestion that can save you money and prevent other health issues is to stop smoking, which is putting chemical stress into your body. While the main culprit of cigarette smoking is nicotine, there are many other sources of nicotine to consider. Chewing tobacco, cigars, cigarettes and even second-hand smoke (at someone house or in bars and clubs) can be a significant contributor to your headaches. Reducing exposure to nicotine is a critical decision to make as it will affect many area�s of your health.

Third tip is easy and something our parents preached to us as young kids. Remember when your parents wished you a good night's sleep? They were teaching you something valuable! A good night's sleep, full of uninterrupted deep rest, goes a long way in reducing the duration and intensity of your headaches. It also helps with your immune system and overall health. When you sleep your body can repair and regenerate itself. Meditation helps reduce the overall stress in your life, so that you can get deep, quality sleep.

Next is maintain a good diet. Eating healthy will allow your body (and internal systems) to work properly. A diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables, and low in red meat will help reduce inflammation and decrease headaches. Refine your eating habits as much as possible so that you improve your overall health and, at the same time, reduce your headaches. Remember that a part of eating healthy is to drink plenty of water. Talk with your chiropractor or nutritionist, or look at the US RDA recommendations for your height and body weight. Chiropractors are very educated with nutrition and the biochemistry of the body. At La Starza Wellness Chiropractic in Rockledge we offer standard process nutritional products as well as many more.

Finally, chiropractic adjustments can help relieve headache pain quickly. Many of our patients with headaches have had an issue with a spinal cord disc, an impinged nerve, other spinal interference, which when corrected immediately relieved the headache. Find a qualified, licensed chiropractor, who has experience in relieving headaches. You should understand exactly what the chiropractor can do to help your body start working properly again.
by: Marco J. La Starza, D.C.

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Posted in: Headaches

Riset: Obesitas Percepat Kematian

STOCKHOLM - Sebuah studi menunjukkan bahwa orang-orang Denmark yang mengalami kegemukan atau obesitas di usia 20 tahun memiliki resiko meninggal delapan tahun lebih dulu dibanding mereka yang tidak kegemukan.

Penelitian tersebut, yang dipresentasikan pada Kongres Obesitas International di Stockholm, juga mengindikasikan jika obesitas biasanya berkembang sebelum usia penderita mencapai 20 tahun.

Lebih dari 5.000 wajib militer mengambil bagian dalam studi ini, mulai dari umur 20 sampai 80 tahun. Sekitar 2.000 responden telah mengalami kegemukan ketika mengikuti riset ini.

Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa risiko kematian prematur pada penderita obesitas meningkat 10 persen untuk setiap titik, melebihi level sehat dari 25 poin indeks massa tubuh (BMI). Indeks massa tubuh digunakan untuk menentukan lemak tubuh seseorang melalui perhitungan tinggi dan berat badan.

"Pada usia 70 tahun, 70 persen pria di kelompok lain dan 50 persen dari mereka dalam kelompok obesitas masih hidup. Dan kami memperkirakan bahwa dari usia menengah, penderita kegemukan kemungkinan meninggal delapan tahun lebih awal daripada mereka yang berada di kelompok lain," kata Esther Zimmermann dari Copenhagen University Hospital, seperti dikutip melalui Straits Times, Rabu (14/7/2010).

Zimmerman, yang memimpin tim peneliti di rumah sakit Institute of Preventive Medicine, mengatakan penelitian mencatat pengaruh merokok, tahun kelahiran, dan pendidikan tetapi tidak faktor-faktor lain, seperti penyakit keturunan. Penelitian itu tidak termasuk wanita, tetapi mereka megatakan temuan tersebut juga dibuat dalam studi serupa.

Tahun lalu, sebuah studi di Amerika yang diterbitkan dalam jurnal medis BMJ mengatakan jika obesitas mampu mengurangi kemungkinan para wanita mencapai usia 80 tahun dalam keadaan yang sehat. Para peneliti menemukan, untuk setiap kenaikan satu titik pada indeks massa tubuh wanita memiliki kesempatan lebih rendah 12 persen untuk menjalani usia 70 tahun dalam kesehatan yang baik.
Sebuah penelitian Inggris yang diterbitkan di Lancet pada tahun 2009 menemukan bahwa orang dengan indeks massa tubuh 30-35 memiliki resiko meninggal tiga tahun lebih awal dari biasanya, sementara orang-orang yang gemuk, dengan indeks di atas 40, mati sekitar satu dekade lebih dulu.
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Posted in: obesitas

Sugar Overload!!!

As kids our moms warned us that having too many sweets would rot our teeth. Well guess what, mom was right! A typical can of soda can contain as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar! And we all know that some Americans, especially teenagers, sure can guzzle their soda!

Do you know how much sugar you and your family drink every day? According to the American Dental Association (ADA), the consumption of soft drinks, fruit juices, and sports drinks has increased by 500% over the past 50 years in the United States. The ADA reports that Americans consume more than 53 gallons of carbonated soft drinks per person per year. Some people find it difficult to avoid these sugary drinks since there are nearly 450 different soft drinks available in the United States.

What�s alarming is that most people don�t realize how much sugar they, or their children, consume on a daily basis. A research project published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that the average American eats the equivalent of 21 teaspoons of added sugar a day and that�s about 2 � to 3 times more sugar than recommended.

Excess sugar consumption is associated with obesity, diabetes, and other conditions linked to heart disease. The study warns that eating a diet that is extremely high in sugar can be as dangerous as having one that is high in fat.

The study showed that people who ate the most added sugar had the lowest HDL, or good cholesterol and people who ate the least amount of sugar had the highest HDL, or bad cholesterol. The study concluded that eating large amounts of added sugar more than tripled the risk of having low HDL, which is �a major risk factor for heart disease.�

The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar in the diet to no more than 100 calories a day for most women and 150 calories a day for most men. That equals about 6 teaspoons of sugar a day for women and 9 teaspoons for men. Did you know, however, that just one 12-ounce can of regular soda can have up to 10 teaspoons of sugar!

Eating and drinking excessive amounts of sugar affects the health of your mouth, too. Consuming too much sugar may lead to oral health problems such as tooth decay and gum disease. Sugar weakens and erodes enamel, the protective outer surface of teeth, and this makes teeth more susceptible to harmful bacteria and decay.

Simply put, eating and drinking too much sugar can cause cavities. A cavity starts as a small hole in your tooth. The ADA explains on their website that when you eat or drink sugary or starchy foods, the sugars and plaque on your teeth mix together to make an acid. The acids in your mouth attack your teeth and can make cavities.

Cavities cannot be fixed by themselves. They can only be fixed by a dentist who will remove the decay and put a filling in the hole left in your tooth. So what can you do to prevent cavities? The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, flossing at least once per day, visiting the dentist regularly, and making nutritious food and beverage choices.

Bright Side Dental is a dental office with locations in Sterling Heights, Livonia, Canton, and Royal Oak, Michigan. Visit www.BrightSideDental.com for more information cavity prevention.
by: Josh Gershonowicz

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Posted in: obesity

This Common Drug Could be Causing Your Insomnia

It should not be a surprise that caffeine can have an impact on one's ability to get a good night's sleep. While some people can drink a quad venti mocha right before bed with no troubles, others will toss and turn all night if they consume any caffeine during the day.

If you are suffering from insomnia, you may want to take a look at the amount of caffeine that you ingest as being a possible culprit. Before taking drastic measures, such as taking sleeping pills, see what happens if you eliminate caffeine from your diet.

To some this may seem impossible, but if you can start to get a proper amount of sleep each night, that will do far more to boost your energy level than downing cup after cup of coffee. When you also consider that a lack of sleep can have an impact on your overall health, it should be an easy decision to try and cut out caffeine to see if that will relieve your insomnia.

If you insist on that morning cup of coffee, at least avoid all caffeine starting about lunchtime. While it would best to avoid caffeine altogether, at least if you keep your consumption of it to the morning hours, it will mostly have worked its way out of your system by bedtime. It is important to keep in mind that cutting out coffee and tea does not mean that you are eliminating all caffeine. Caffeine is found in a number of products, some of which you may never imagine would contain caffeine.

To cut your caffeine consumption you will, obviously, have to eliminate coffee and tea. You will also need to avoid most types of soda (caffeine-free varieties are fine). Some candy contains just as much caffeine as a small cup of coffee, so it should be avoided as well.

One of the biggest surprise sources of caffeine is in some over the counter medications. Some, such as Midol and Excedrin contain nearly 50 mg of caffeine. When you consider that a small cup of coffee contains about 100 mg, that amount is quite significant.

You may not have to avoid caffeine forever. Just try to cut it out, or at least way down, to see if that helps with your insomnia. If it does not, then you will know that you need to investigate other possible reasons for your inability to sleep. This may include a visit to your doctor or making other behavioral changes.

If your insomnia is helped by reducing caffeine, then you should try to continue to avoid it. If, however, you want to try to drink coffee or tea once again, try to add it only in small doses. If you used to drink 3 cups of coffee a day, try to stick to just one. Also, if you just miss the experience and taste of your coffee or tea, consider one of the many decaf varieties. Many taste just the same as caffeinated drinks. Cutting caffeine may be the answer to your insomnia. When you think of the alternative solutions, such as sleeping pills, it is certainly worth a try.
by: Paul Stevens

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Posted in: insomnia

Kontrol Kolesterol Selama Berpuasa

MENYANTAP menu makanan manis dan tinggi lemak plus kurangnya aktivitas fisik di bulan puasa, bisa memicu tingginya kadar kolesterol. Nah, bagaimana mengatasinya?

Banyak kebiasaan makan yang salah yang terjadi saat bulan Ramadan tiba. Mengonsumsi makanan berlebihan misalnya, kebiasaan ini menjadi salah satu kebiasaan dari beberapa orang saat berbuka puasa atau saat makan sahur. Umumnya, orang memakan makanan secara berlebihan karena sebagian dari mereka merasa takut jika siang hari kelaparan, apabila tidak menyimpan cadangan makanan yang banyak. Kebiasaan tersebut juga semakin diperburuk dengan kebiasaan tidur setelah makan sahur yang semakin menumpuk cadangan lemak tubuh.

Dikatakan spesialis penyakit saraf serta Ketua Bidang Humas dan Penyuluhan Yayasan Stroke Indonesia Dr H Sutarto Prodjo Disastro SpS, bahwa apabila pola makan yang salah terus dilakukan, maka tidak dapat dipungkiri kesehatan tubuh pun akan terganggu, seperti stroke yang disebabkan kolesterol. �Untuk menghindari penyakit serius seperti stroke, mengontrol kolesterol serta menjalani hidup yang lebih sehat, baik selama Ramadan dan Hari Raya, maupun setelah itu sangatlah dianjurkan,� tandasnya.

Dikatakan Marketing Communications Senior Manager PT Pfizer Indonesia Andriani Ganeswari, bahwa sudah menjadi kebiasaan setiap Ramadan serta saat Idul Fitri, kita memiliki kecenderungan mengonsumsi makanan dan minuman yang manis dan bersantan.
Selain itu, kita pun cenderung untuk mengurangi aktivitas olah tubuh dengan alasan untuk menyimpan tenaga agar kuat menjalani tugas sehari-hari.

�Tanpa kita sadari perubahan gaya hidup selama Ramadan dan Idul Fitri ini dapat menimbulkan risiko kolesterol tinggi,� ucapnya. Untuk itu, bagi para penderita kolesterol, sangat disarankan untuk mengontrol pola makan selama Ramadan dan saat Idul Fitri nanti, serta tidak lupa untuk berolahraga ringan.

Bisa dikatakan, peningkatan jumlah penderita stroke di Indonesia identik dengan kolesterol yang diakibatkan pola hidup yang tidak sehat. Menurut Yayasan Stroke Indonesia, saat ini ada kecenderungan meningkatnya jumlah penyandang stroke di Indonesia dalam dasawarsa terakhir. Kecenderungannya menyerang generasi muda yang masih dalam usia produktif.Hal ini akan berdampak terhadap menurunnya tingkat produktivitas serta dapat mengakibatkan terganggunya sosial-ekonomi keluarga.

Kolesterol merupakan senyawa lemak kompleks yang 80% dihasilkan dalam tubuh, yaitu oleh organ hati dan sisanya dari luar tubuh lewat asupan makanan. Kolesterol memiliki beragam fungsi bagi tubuh, antara lain sumber energi, pembentukan dinding sel, dan pembentukan hormon.
Selain itu, kolesterol membawa dampak baik untuk kesehatan apabila kadarnya dalam darah masih dalam keadaan normal. Namun apabila kolesterol yang berada dalam darah kadarnya melebihi batas normal, justru akan memberi dampak negatif dan membahayakan kesehatan.

Di negara-negara maju dengan konsumsi kolesterol yang tinggi, seperti Amerika Serikat, penyakit jantung merupakan salah satu penyebab utama kematian. Penelitian yang dilakukan American Heart Association (AHA) menyatakan bahwa lebih dari 100 juta orang di negara tersebut memiliki kadar kolesterol di atas rata-rata dan 40 juta di antaranya berkadar kolesterol yang sangat tinggi. Kondisi ini menyebabkan angka kematian akibat penyakit jantung dan stroke mencapai 500.000 orang setiap tahunnya.

Sementara data yang dikeluarkan WHO pada 2002, menyebutkan bahwa hiperkolesterolemia menyebabkan 4,4 juta kematian di dunia. Sebagian besar dari orang yang memiliki sifat hiperkolesterolemia adalah mereka yang mempunyai rata-rata kadar kolesterol cukup tinggi antara 200�250 mg%. International Stroke Conference (konferensi stroke internasional), suatu konferensi yang diadakan di Wina, Austria pada 2008 menyatakan bahwa jumlah pengidap stroke di kawasan Asia terus meningkat. Stroke yang juga merupakan penyebab kematian ketiga terbesar di Indonesia saat ini, cenderung mengancam usia-usia produktif di bawah 45 tahun.

Dikatakan spesialis penyakit jantung dan pembuluh darah dr Arieska Ann Soenarta SpJP (K), bahwa tingginya kadar kolesterol dalam darah dapat mengganggu kesehatan, salah satunya adalah meningkatkan risiko serangan jantung koroner. Di beberapa negara maju, prevalensi penyakit jantung koroner sebenarnya sudah mulai menunjukkan penurunan beberapa tahun terakhir ini, tetapi tidak demikian dengan negara berkembang. Pola hidup yang tidak sehat merupakan faktor utama penyebab meningkatnya kasus penyakit jantung koroner yang diakibatkan tingginya kadar kolesterol dalam darah. �Karena itulah, sangat penting bagi masyarakat untuk mulai menyikapi kolesterol dengan bijak sejak dini dan mengubah gaya hidup ke arah yang lebih sehat,� tuturnya dalam acara temu media bertema �Kontrol Hidup Kontrol Kolesterol� yang diadakan PT Pfizer Indonesia beberapa waktu lalu.

Perlunya Cek Kolesterol Rutin

Banyak cara untuk mengontrol kolesterol. Bagi yang belum memiliki sifat hiperkolesterolemia, risiko gangguan ini dapat dikontrol dengan secara berkesinambungan mengontrol gaya hidup mereka melalui pola makan dan olahraga. Untuk mendeteksi risiko kolesterol yang mungkin dihadapi, masyarakat juga harus secara rutin melakukan cek kolesterol setidaknya enam bulan sekali.

�Deteksi rutin ini dapat membantu masyarakat untuk lebih cepat bertindak dalam mengantisipasi gangguan kolesterol apabila tingkat risiko mereka sudah dinyatakan tinggi,� paparnya.

Bertindak dengan cepat untuk menurunkan kadar kolesterol jahat yang ada di dalam tubuhnya, adalah satu tindakan yang harus dilakukan bagi seseorang yang telah terdeteksi memiliki risiko gangguan kolesterol tinggi. Konsumsi obat-obatan secara teratur dan mengubah gaya hidup, dapat dilakukan untuk menurunkan kadar kolesterol.

�Kadar kolesterol juga harus diperiksa secara rutin di laboratorium dan dikonsultasikan dengan dokter,� jelas Arieska. Sejak 2005, Pfizer telah mengenalkan konsep 3 Ring Peduli Kolesterol yang bertujuan untuk membantu masyarakat dalam mengontrol gaya hidupnya agar terbebas dari gangguan kolesterol.
okezone.com

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Posted in: cholesterol,kolesterol