Tips & Advice

Are You Using Vitamin C to Control Gout Uric Acid?

Posted in Gout on November 4th, 2008

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Autism and School Aged Children Making Education a Positive Experience

Posted in Health & Fitness on October 10th, 2008

Autism and school are becoming a hot topic for school boards and parent groups right across the country and around the world. This is because the occurrence of autism in children is increasing at an alarming rate. Educators today are seeing an exponentially higher number of autistic children in their classrooms than a decade ago. For that reason, an increasing number of parents and educators want to ensure all children receive a positive educational experience.

As no two autistic children display precisely the same autism symptoms, it becomes impossible to create a standardized program that creates positive experiences for children with autism at school.

Therefore, it is likely that in order to receive the best possible education an autistic child will need to undergo an ever-changing educational strategy throughout their entire learning career.

For example, while some students on the spectrum may be able to keep up with peers on an academic level, they may experience challenges as far as the development and use of language and social skills. On the other hand, an autistic child of the same age, gender and IQ level as their peers may struggle not only with social skills and language, but also struggle to keep up with academics because the learning techniques are not right for him or her specific symptoms.

That being said, there are some techniques that seem to work well. This can include creating predictable and stable routines for the school day with clearly laid out accompanying schedules, which can include pictures. Having daily schedules that detail all the various activities and at what time they will occur can help children to understand the way the day will play out and be better able to transition between the various activities and tasks of the day.

Children with autism can also benefit from attending social skills programs that aim to improve social interaction and comprehension of various social cues from adults and other students. If possible, some time every day in a special education classroom where autistic students can have one-on-one time with a teacher or educational assistant will help to enforce lessons and skills learned in a “safe” environment. Here, effective support to lessons might include the use of functional communication cards to give students a break from having to communicate verbally – something that can be very taxing to some autistic children.

Don’t forget that not all school lessons are academically based. Your child may be good at art, music or sports for example. So if they are struggling to keep up with their peers in academic classes and have to be pulled out to attend special classes, push for them to be included in the classes where they can do well. Excelling in classes where they join in with their peers can be an important confidence booster allowing for a more effective academic and social experience overall.

Though a diagnosis of autism and school may feel incompatible at times, it’s important for parents not to lose faith that their children have the strength and ability to pull through when they are presented with the right learning strategy.

This is especially true when that learning strategy is supported with the activities that the child experiences at home. Many of these activities can be strictly for fun, like drawing or craft work and others can be very helpful in reinforcing the classroom’s daily routines. Parents should feel able to speak with teachers often to see what they can do at home to help their child’s autism and school progress to go as smoothly and positively as possible.

Grab your free copy of Rachel Evans’ brand new Autism Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you and your family find out about making autism and school fun. There are currently over 20,000 other parents and caregivers just like you signed up for The Essential Guide To Autism newsletter. Join today and become part of the community.

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Acid Reflux Weight Loss Part 3 - Developing a Personalized Weight Loss Plan for Acid Reflux Syndrome

Posted in Health & Fitness on September 5th, 2008

Obesity and a high body mass index (BMI) are major contributors to the symptoms of acid reflux syndrome. Therefore, it is only logical that weight loss can be an important part of your acid reflux treatment plan if you are overweight. Carrying excess fat puts pressure on your stomach, causing your stomach contents to rise, making it more likely that the Lower Esophageal Sphincter will not be able to stop stomach acids from refluxing into the esophagus. Additional fat in the area of the face, neck, and chest also puts more pressure on the esophagus, restricting it and weakening the ‘seal’ between itself and the stomach.

It is therefore easy to see how losing weight will generally lead to decreasing acid reflux syndrome symptoms. By reducing the fat around your stomach and esophagus, you can minimize or even eliminate many of your symptoms. To accomplish this, lifestyle changes are required. This includes a change in diet and activity level.

Here is some weight loss and lifestyle changes that can make a positive difference to your acid reflux syndrome symptoms:

- Increase the amount of water-soluble fiber foods in your diet. Water-soluble fiber can be found in raw, fresh vegetables and fruits. These are foods that are generally easily digested by your body and ensure that you remain regular so that you don’t end up bloated and avoid a toxic buildup in your digestive tract.

- Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Try not to eat a meal that is bigger than the size of your fist in one sitting and increase the frequency of meals to about five times a day. This not only helps your metabolism effectively digest the food you’re eating, but it also reduces the chance of over eating, helping to keep your stomach acid levels consistent.

- Try not to lie down within three hours of eating a meal. This will help your stomach acids stay where they are supposed to be (because of gravity) allowing them to do their job of breaking down food more effectively so that you’ll receive more nutrition from everything you eat.

- Avoid carbonated and acidic drinks. Not only do these kick acid reflux syndrome symptoms into gear, but also the average person could lose up to 20 pounds per year just by cutting them out of their diet.

- Eat an apple a day. The old phrase says that it keeps the doctor away, and it was right. Eating apples for many help to clear up acid reflux attacks and are healthy, weight loss-friendly sweet treats.

- If you’re feeling hungry think before you eat. Often this can because the body is dehydrated rather than needing food. Ensure you always have some water to hand to sip throughout the day and aim to have 8 – 10 8oz glasses. This helps avoid unnecessary food consumption, hydrates the body and also ‘washes’ any lingering refluxed acid out of the esophagus.

- Avoid activity that involves bending over straight after eating, as this action can place additional pressure to the LES and cause acid reflux.

Avoid falling into the trap of using commercial diet programs to lose weight for acid reflux syndrome. Though they may be effective for losing weight, they don’t necessarily help you to build the right kind of lifestyle, nor do they have acid reflux syndrome in mind in the foods that they select.

It’s important that you get to know the kinds of foods that should make up the bulk of your diet, those you can eat on occasion, and those that you should avoid altogether, not only for your waistline, but also for your acid reflux syndrome. Though this may seem like a lot of information at first, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you learn about what is right and what is wrong for your digestive system.

Grab your free copy of Kathryn Whittaker’s brand new Acid Reflux & GERD Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you find out about why a diet for acid reflux syndrome works. And for information on acid reflux foods that are suitable to eat please visit Stop Acid Reflux Now.

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Why Gout Relief Through Exercise Is So Important

Posted in Health & Fitness on August 8th, 2008

Gout relief doesn’t just come from medications and herbal remedies, but also through taking appropriate actions, such as exercises, to minimize gout symptoms and prevent the condition from flaring up again. When a gout attack is brought under control, exercising is an important part of strengthening the joint as well as reducing weight or maintaining the right weight level. Both of these issues are very important to gout relief as a strong joint will be less likely to suffer from a gout attack, and people who are in their healthy weight range are much less likely to suffer from the condition.

There are three primary forms of exercises that can be practiced in order to achieve gout relief and prevent its recurrence. These are:

- Strengthening exercises that help to increase or maintain muscles that support the joint.

- Range-of-motion exercises that help to keep joints well lubricated and moving, reducing stiffness.

- Endurance exercises, which assist in controlling your weight, provide you with energy, and strengthen your heart.

Of course, your ability to perform these exercises depends on your current physical condition. Before you begin any new exercise regimen, especially one designated for gout relief, you should speak to your doctor. He or she may be able to suggest specific exercises that will improve your chances of success, with the area of your gout attack kept in mind.

Even moderate stretching exercises are able to strengthen and build flexibility in the muscles and tendons surrounding the affected joint. You may also benefit from low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming, water aerobics, or bicycling on a stationary bike. These are all great for building strength, flexibility, and endurance, without putting a large amount of stress on your joints.

The worst thing that you can do for your gout is to lead an inactive or sedentary lifestyle. The portion of the population least likely to develop gout or arthritis includes those people who regularly exercise.

A 2008 study by Jennifer Hootman Ph.D. published in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine showed that only 30 percent of adults with gouty arthritis met the required minimum activity level set by federal guidelines. One of the main reasons that these gout sufferers refrained from activity was the misconception that their joints would be further harmed by exercise. They also feared the pain that can be involved when first getting started with an activity when suffering from gout.

Indeed, when gout is at its worst, it is often impossible to exercise, but it is the rest of the time that gout sufferers should remain active in order to reach gout relief. When the gout pain subsides enough for exercise to begin, sufferers should start slowly and make sure that the affected joint is always well relaxed and rested. Any inflammation can be treated with cool and warm compresses or with anti- inflammatory drugs.

You should also make sure that you’re making other efforts for gout relief, such as cutting foods out of your diet that may be helping gout to return more frequently. Look into your favorite beverages to ensure that you’re not making your gout worse just by sipping a drink on the couch.

Grab your free copy of Lisa McDowell’s brand new Gout Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you find out about gout relief and for information on gout exercise please visit Cure Gout Now.

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Diagnosing Autism and the Differences with Sensory Integration Disorder

Posted in Health & Fitness on July 18th, 2008

When it comes to diagnosing autism, there are many different factors that need to be considered. This is because the autism spectrum disorders have such a vast range of potential symptoms and no two cases are alike. Therefore, it is very easy to mistake autism for another condition. Among the most common mistakes when diagnosing autism is not understanding the difference between being on the spectrum, and sensory integration disorder.

This leads to the question of whether autism spectrum disorder and sensory integration disorder (also known as sensory processing disorder) are the same condition, or at the very least if they are related. Does one exclude the other? To begin, they are considered to be completely separate disorders, but to further understand them, Dr. Lucy Jane Miller performed a study “Quantitative psychophysiologic evaluation of Sensory Processing in children with autistic spectrum disorders”, involving 40 high functioning autism or Aspergers Syndrome children who were tested for sensory integration disorder.

Dr Miller’s results showed 78 percent of the participating children also displayed notable signs of sensory integration disorder. While, 22 percent of the participants did not show signs. However, a secondary study by the same researchers, “Relations among subtypes of Sensory Modulation Dysfunction” looked into children diagnosed with sensory integration disorder and tested them to see how many also had autism. Within that experiment, zero percent of the participants had autism. The reason that this is interesting is that while children with autism can exist without having sensory integration disorder, the majority show signs of the condition. On the other hand, there is no inclination toward autism in children who have only sensory integration disorder.

Children with both disorders demonstrate challenges with high-level tasks that involve the integration of different areas of the brain. This can include emotional regulation as well as complex sensory functions. However, the key to diagnosing autism as opposed to sensory integration disorder usually lies in the fact that autistic children experience greater problems in the areas of language, empathy, and social skills. Sensory integration disorder children do not experience the same connective breakdowns for controlling emotional empathy and social interaction.

In both disorders, children experience difficulties in tasks that require their brains to make long-distance connections, for example, between the frontal lobes (which coordinate the activities of the brain) and with the cerebellum (which regulates the perceptions and responses within the brain).

If you think that your child may have one or both of these disorders, it is important to speak to your child’s pediatrician for autism diagnosing or identification of sensory integration disorder on its own or in combination with autism. If autism or autism alongside sensory integration disorder is the diagnosis, then you will be able to begin talking about the possible treatments available. These treatments can include various medications as well as alternative therapies and may overlap in terms of addressing aspects of both conditions simultaneously. For example many children with autism benefit from sensory integration therapies that also work well for children with sensory integration disorder.

Grab your free copy of Rachel Evans’ brand new Autism Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you and your family find out about autism diagnosis and for information on diagnosing autism please visit The Essential Guide To Autism.

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Is Your Favorite Beverage Causing Your Gout Attack?

Posted in Health & Fitness on July 11th, 2008

If you want to do everything you can to prevent a gout attack, then you may want to look into your favorite beverages to make sure that they’re not increasing your odds of a gout recurrence. A recent study published on BMJ.com in January, 2008, called “Soft Drinks, Fructose Consumption, and the Risk of Gout in Men: Prospective Cohort Study”, by Hyon Choi and Gary Curhan showed that men who regularly consume foods and beverages containing fructose have a notably higher risk of a gout attack.

Gout levels in the United States have doubled throughout the last few decades. This increase in gout attacks mirrors the increase in fructose consumption through soft drinks and other sugary foods. Fructose is a simple form of sugar that is now known to increase the production of uric acid in the body.

Though patients who suffer gout attacks are typically instructed by their doctors to cut alcohol, organ meats, and legumes from their diets, as they are high in purines – organic compounds that encourage uric acid production in the body – it is rare for patients to be told to limit their consumption of fructose-filled foods such as soft drinks.

American and Canadian researchers examined the relationship between the intake of high-fructose foods such as soft drinks and the risk of a gout attack. They looked into more than 46,000 men who had no history of gout attacks, and who were aged 40 or older. They followed these men for 12 years, compiling data on food consumption regarding more than 130 different beverages and foods including both regular and diet soft drinks, as well as fruits and fruit juices which are also naturally quite high in their fructose levels. From the start of the study, the researchers collected weight, medication use, and medical condition data. During that time, there were 755 new cases of gout attacks diagnosed within the participants.

The major findings of the study included the following:

- The more sugar-sweetened soft drinks were consumed by the participants, the higher their risks of a gout attack would be.

- When men who drank fewer than one serving of soft drinks in a month were compared to participants who drank over five or six servings every week, the risk of a gout attack was increased by 29 percent.

- The participants who drank two or more servings of soft drinks daily increased their risk of a gout attack by a significant 85 percent when compared to those who consumed fewer than one serving of soft drinks every month.

- Participants who consumed only soft drinks did not increase their risk of a gout attack.

- Fructose-rich foods such as fruits and their juices also increased the risk of a gout attack. However, the study’s authors caution that the interpretation of the impact of fruits and fruit juices on the risk of gout should be interpreted with care as eating some fruits and vegetables is important for the prevention of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and some cancers, and should therefore perhaps be considered more beneficial than hazardous.

The study’s results occurred independently of other gout attack risk factors, such as age, body mass index, blood pressure, diuretic use, alcohol consumption, and the rest of the diet of the participants.

Grab your free copy of Lisa McDowell’s brand new Gout Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you discover gout attack prevention strategies and for information on gout diet options please visit Cure Gout Now.

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Looking for Relief? Acid Reflux Remedy Options for Children

Posted in Health & Fitness on June 13th, 2008

GERD can frequently begin as early as infancy, though most infants do stop showing the symptoms as grow into childhood. Unfortunately though, a small number of children ranging from 5 to 17 years of age do indeed suffer from GERD and require relief acid reflux remedies can provide. If you suspect that your child is suffering from GERD, it is very important that you take him or her to see the doctor as relief acid reflux treatments are different for children than they are for adults – if only in the dosage.

How do you know if your child might need acid reflux treatments? Look for the following symptoms:

- Chest pain
- Pain in the abdomen just above the area of the belly button
- Intolerant to pressure in the stomach area
- Throat or esophageal burning sensations
- Eating small amounts even when having mentioned hunger
- Extreme food pickiness or refusing to eat food altogether
- Choking or gagging
- Bad breath
- Weight loss or poor weight gain
- A continually runny nose
- Regular sore throats
- A nagging dry cough
- Coughing throughout the night
- Struggle to sleep, frequent waking, or poor overall sleep
- Respiratory issues such as wheezing, asthma, bronchitis, and others
- Sinus infections
- Regular ear congestion or ear infections
- A hoarse or deeper voice
- Excessive drooling or salivation

In order to diagnose GERD in your child and then be able to suggest acid reflux remedies, a physical examination will be required. This may also include one or several tests that will allow him or her to verify the GERD diagnosis and to determine the severity of the condition. It may also help the doctor to discover what is causing the acid reflux in your child.

Tests your child may need to undergo may include the following:

- Lab tests – these can include different types of blood and urine tests that can allow the doctor to rule out different reasons that any poor weight gain, vomiting, or other symptoms.

- Esophageal pH monitoring – this is a test that allows the doctor to measure the amount of acid that is present in the area of your child’s esophagus.

- Upper Endoscopy – this test involves the insertion of a tube with a light and a camera lens on the end into your child’s mouth, esophagus, and stomach. It allows the doctor to see if there is any inflammation of the esophagus (also known as esophagitis) or narrowing of the esophagus (also known as stricture).

Though the most common relief acid reflux therapies include taking antacids, acid suppressers, and acid blockers, there are also natural remedies that can be safely practiced at home. These can include incorporating the following foods in your child’s diet such as:

- Apples
- Bananas
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Peas
- Green beans
- Extra lean ground beef
- Skinless chicken breasts
- Egg substitute
- Egg whites
- Fish
- Fat free dairy products
- Multigrain breads
- Bran or oatmeal cereals
- Graham crackers
- Corn bread
- Pretzels
- Brown or white rice
- Rice cakes
- Baked potato chips
- Still Mineral water
- Jelly beans
- Red licorice

And avoiding foods high in fat, sodas, deep fried or sugary foods.

However, before starting your child on a relief acid reflux diet, make sure to check with your child’s doctor. He or she will be able to provide you with more suggestions and will likely advise you that your child should not eat within 2 to 3 hours of a nap or bedtime.

Grab your free copy of Kathryn Whittaker’s brand new Acid Reflux & GERD Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you find out about acid reflux help and for information on finding a natural cure for heartburn please visit Stop Acid Reflux Now.

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Create Your Own Gout Diet Plan and Take Control Today

Posted in Health & Fitness on May 9th, 2008

A gout diet plan is an important part of controlling your gout symptoms and attacks. After all, when not controlled, gout can cause severe and permanent damage to your tissues, joints, and tendons.

As gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood, a proper gout diet plan should aim to reduce uric acid levels and encourage proper elimination of uric acid from the body.

There are five main points that you need to remember in order to maintain a good gout diet plan. These are:

- Minimizing the number of foods high in purines. These include, primarily, meat, beer, and seafood.
- Maintaining a healthy body mass by eating a very healthy diet high in nutrients.
- Eating dairy products that are low in fat, to help to lower the risk of gout flare-ups.
- Drinking lots of water and clear liquids. The better you hydrate your body, the more prepared it will be to flush uric acid away.
- Eating more complex carbohydrates and fewer refined carbohydrates.

Now that you know the main rules for planning a quality gout diet plan, you are prepared to speak to your doctor or a registered dietician about your healthy daily caloric intake and nutritional requirements, as well as the right foods to keep your diet properly balanced while still abiding by these five primary rules.

Dr. Hyon K. Choi published a study in the New England Journal of Medicine’s March 11, 2004 issue. It discussed the importance of a low-purine, low-protein diet for decreasing the chances of crystal formation in the joints from uric acid in the body. Dr. Choi’s study examined a group of over forty seven thousand men over a twelve year period. These men had no prior history of gout, but by the end of the twelve years, 730 of them had been diagnosed with gout.

Through this study, it was discovered that those who eat large amounts of meat are 40 percent more likely to develop gout. Furthermore, those who eat large amounts of seafood are 50 percent more likely to develop gout.

Foods that were shown not to increase the risk of gout included:

- Beans
- Peas
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
- Cauliflower

Even though those foods are high in purines, they are low in protein. Choi has shown that it is a high-purine, high-protein combination that may be the true contributor to gout and not just the purines alone. It is also now suspected that gout and cardiovascular disease may also be linked, as the diets connected to gout are the same as those connected to heart and circulatory problems.

Foods high in purines and proteins and which should be avoided include:

- Herring
- Mussels
- Hearts
- Yeast
- Sardines
- Smelt
- Sweetbreads
- Anchovies
- Bacon
- Liver
- Grouse
- Veal
- Mutton
- Turkey
- Salmon
- Kidneys
- Trout
- Goose
- Partridge
- Haddock
- Scallops
- pheasant

By eliminating such foods from your diet and following the five important tips for creating a gout diet plan, you will be helping your body to take control of your gout.

Grab your free copy of Lisa McDowell’s brand new Gout Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you find out about implementing a gout diet plan and for information on what to eat for gout please visit Cure Gout Now.

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The Basics of Melatonin Autism Therapy

Posted in Health & Fitness on February 28th, 2008

Recent research – such as that performed by Jaak Panksepp, Ph.D. Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH – demonstrates that the melatonin autism sufferers produce in their bodies has an impact on the degree and the appearance of their symptoms as well as their ability to achieve a quality sleep.

The body’s natural clock is based upon a twenty-five hour cycle which, clearly, does not line up with the twenty-four hour solar clock on which the world functions. In order to make up for this lack of alignment, the human brain releases a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland, located at the very base of the brain. This is the gland most commonly linked to the various nerve and neural pathways between the visual center in the brain and the eyes which take in the images.

The pineal gland begins releasing melatonin when there is a lack of signals from the eyes to the visual center of the brain; that is, when it becomes dark. The greater the levels of melatonin in the blood, the less capable the brain stem (which is responsible for keeping us awake) is to keep us awake, and sleep results.

The way in which melatonin actually functions remains a mystery, as only rough details of the process are understood. What is known is that the body depends on melatonin in order to become synchronized with the solar day, and to regulate the times in which we work well, eat, and sleep, as well as when the majority of the body’s other hormones should or should not be present.

Melatonin is considered to be a safe enough substance that it is readily available without a prescription, over-the-counter at local pharmacies. It is commonly used to treat sleep disturbances and is usually most effective when taken a half hour before bedtime and when complimented by a “bedtime routine” such as dimming the lights and keeping calm.

When it comes to melatonin autism therapies, the aforementioned Dr. Jaak Panksepp described in an article that autistic children frequently suffer from sleep disorders, suggesting a melatonin-system related issue. As melatonin is the body’s natural sleep regulator, Panksepp finds that autistic children are better capable of achieving the quality sleep they need, and for adequate periods of time when melatonin is supplemented.

Further to this finding, improved biological rhythms are also achieved through melatonin application and a high anti-oxidant effect is witnessed. This anti-oxidant effect is explained through the body’s natural sleep functions within which certain chemical reactions occur to counteract the day’s collection of harmful free radicals. Anti-oxidants slow down the degeneration of tissue, hypertension, cataract, atherosclerosis, macular degeneration in the eyes, and other results of high free radical levels in the body. Those free radicals are neutralized by anti-oxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids, and body-generated chemicals such as melatonin.

With melatonin supplementation, autism sufferers can gain not only improved sleep but also powerful antioxid