Health Information Blog

Volunteering for Clinical Trials ?Q & A

admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:24:46 +0000

Every drug that comes to market, from something that treats your cough to the sophisticated immune-boosters given to HIV patients has to be tested for its effectiveness and its safety before it’s made available to the general population. This is where drug trials come in.

How does it Work?

Criteria vary from trial to trial. Let’s take a trial that’s testing for Cardio safety ?the effects on the heart ?of a non-cardio drug. The trial would likely use completely healthy participants who will stay in hospital for a given period of time and undergo strict monitoring while the drug is administered at the recommended intervals.

A trial testing the benefits of a new chemotherapy would require participants who are cancer patients. This trial would also be conducted on an in-patient basis.

A trial testing medication for a sore throat ?yes, even these trials exist ?may be conducted on an out-patient basis, possibly through a General Physician.

Who Can Participate?

Both completely healthy and those with pre-existing conditions can participate in paid medical trials. Those who apply to participate are required to have a full health screen before being accepted. informed consent? is also required. All participants must be made fully aware of the protocol and what the trial is testing for by one of the participating doctors. By signing the consent form you are stating that you are fully aware of the commitment you are making.

What Are the Advantages?

You get a full health screening before being accepted as a volunteer. This is always a useful procedure to undertake. If you have a pre-existing condition and are participating in a trial that tests drugs for your condition, you will receive much better monitoring than if you were in a standard hospital situation. Also, the drug that’s being tested may improve your condition.

What Are the Disadvantages?

You never know what the outcome will be. The medication may have a negative impact on your condition, or if you may receive a placebo, in which case, feel no effects at all. You may experience unpleasant side-effects.

Is It Safe?

All clinical trials in the U.K. are conducted in accordance with European legislation and have to be approved by two bodies: Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and The Research Ethics Committee. Large drug companies like GSK invest a lot of money in the research and development of new drugs. In some cases the cost is in the hundreds of millions. Much of this is spent on trialling the drug and a botched trial will only add to the expense. This is why trials are conducted according to a strict protocol and with patient safety in mind.

So, although it may not be something that immediately springs to mind and certainly may not be for everyone, volunteering for participation in a medical trial and medical research studies can be an excellent way to help to supplement your income while working , pay educational costs, or even fund your travels while spending time in foreign countries.

Guest Post contributed by Sally Shaws.

Health Care Information :From Fit to Fat in 6 months!

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:16:13 +0000

Oh, this is almost unbelievable! This amazingly, fit, strong-looking man (very muscular) goes from looking like that to a typical overweight gentleman. Eek! How did he do it – and in 6 months flat?!! Apparently, he simply ate the junk food everyone eats

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Oh, this is almost unbelievable! This amazingly, fit, strong-looking man (very muscular) goes from looking like that to a typical overweight gentleman. Eek! How did he do it – and in 6 months flat?!! Apparently, he simply ate the junk food everyone eats in North America. Check out the full post on Dr. Eenfeldt’s blog.

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Online Health Information :More Thanksgiving Ideas – this time for breakfast!

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:16:12 +0000

Thanksgiving in America has interesting roots. It started with early Pilgrim settlers on Dec. 13th, 1621 when they were so thankful to God for a bountiful harvest after many starved to death in the winter before. The native Indians helped them reap the harvest. Pumpkin

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Thanksgiving in America has interesting roots. It started with early Pilgrim settlers on Dec. 13th, 1621 when they were so thankful to God for a bountiful harvest after many starved to death in the winter before. The native Indians helped them reap the harvest. Pumpkin muffins with a nice cup of coffee or tea.Strawberry Cream Cheese-filled Crepes (GF) for breakfast - add a sausage and some scrambled egg for a King or Queen’s breakfast! Totally yummy – but you might want to have an evening dinner then. This should tide one over until then. Donna’s Pancakes for breakfast (GF)

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General Health Information :Food Addiction, Rewiring of the Reward Centers in the Brain and Why People are Getting Fatter

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:16:12 +0000

Hmm, remember when we first started figuring out that tobacco smoke was killing people? There were many law suits. The food and beverage industry my face the same in the future.Here is a very interesting article, although I think the heading is misleading. Sure the

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Hmm, remember when we first started figuring out that tobacco smoke was killing people? There were many law suits. The food and beverage industry my face the same in the future.Here is a very interesting article, although I think the heading is misleading. Sure the body craves fat – but usually in combination with sugar! When I was doing the Fat Fast many years ago due to weight loss resistance and Hashimoto’s thyoriditis, I didn’t find myself craving more and more fat, even although 80% or more of my diet came from fat. I was actually losing weight on 1000 or fewer calories a day. I knew of other insulin resistant folks that were having similar success and losing over 100 lbs that way!Here you will find help for binge eating. Here are some excerpts from the article but do read the whole article if you are interested, it’s an eye-opener.”Sugars and fats, of course, have always been present in the human diet and our bodies are programmed to crave them. What has changed is modern processing that creates food with concentrated levels of sugars, unhealthy fats and refined flour, without redeeming levels of fiber or nutrients, obesity experts said. Consumption of large quantities of those processed foods may be changing the way the brain is wired.Education, diets and drugs to treat obesity have proven largely ineffective and the new science of obesity may explain why, proponents say. Constant stimulation with tasty, calorie- laden foods may desensitize the brain’s circuitry, leading people to consume greater quantities of junk food to maintain a constant state of pleasure.The rats that had access to these foods for one hour a day started binge eating, even when more nutritious food was available all day long. Other groups of rats that had access to the sweets and fatty foods for 18 to 23 hours per day became obese, Paul Kenny, the Scripps scientist heading the study wrote in the journal Nature Neuroscience. The results produced the same brain pattern that occurs with escalating intake of cocaine, he wrote.Researchers are finding that damage to the brain’s reward centers may occur when people eat excessive quantities of food.”

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General Health Information :Pumpkin Cheesecake With Caramel Topping (GF)

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:16:12 +0000

PUMPKINCHEESECAKE WITH CARAMEL TOPPINGThis is a firm but deliciously creamycheesecake with subtle spices that do not overwhelm the sweetness of thefilling. This cheesecake does not evenneed the topping. If you like, you cantop it with a Crème Fraiche topping.Crust:3/4

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PUMPKINCHEESECAKE WITH CARAMEL TOPPINGThis is a firm but deliciously creamycheesecake with subtle spices that do not overwhelm the sweetness of thefilling. This cheesecake does not evenneed the topping. If you like, you cantop it with a Crème Fraiche topping.Crust:3/4 cupGluten-Free Bake Mix, (175 mL) page___1/2 cup almond meal, OR flour (125 mL)3 tbsp SPLENDA® Granular (45 mL)1/3 cupbutter, melted (75 mL)1 egg yolkFilling:24 oz regular cream cheese,softened (750 g)3 eggsLiquid sucralose to equal 11/4 cups (300 mL) SPLENDA® Granular1 cup canned pumpkin (250mL)1/2cup sour cream (125 mL)1/3 cuperythritol (75 mL)2 tbsp unsalted butter,melted (30 mL) (optional)1 tsp vanilla extract (5mL)1/2tsp cinnamon (5 mL)1/4 tspnutmeg (1 mL)1/4 tspallspice (1 mL)CaramelTopping, page___Crust: Preheat ovento 350°F(180°C). In medium bowl, combineGluten-Free Bake Mix, page___, almond meal, OR almond flour, SPLENDA® Granular, butter and egg yolk. Place in 8-inch (20 cm) nonstick springformpan. Cover with plastic wrap and pressout crust to cover surface evenly. Bakein oven 10 minutes.Filling: In foodprocessor, process cream cheese. Addeggs; process. Add liquid sucralose, ORSPLENDA® Granular, pumpkin,sour cream, erythritol, butter (if using), vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg andallspice. Pour over slightly cooledcrust. Bake 40 to 50 minutes untilset. Allow to cool at room temperature. Add Caramel Topping, page___ and refrigerate.Yield: 12 servings1serving, topping/without 378.7/310.6calories11.6/8.4g protein33.6/28.0g fat7.6/6.2g carbs

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General Health Information :Nutrition and Cancer (Guest Post)

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:16:12 +0000

Nutrition and CancerBy: Leroy Templeton Manycancer patients wonder what they can do to improve their health. When combinedwith the current methods to fight cancer, nutrition can be an essential

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Nutrition and CancerBy: Leroy Templeton Manycancer patients wonder what they can do to improve their health. When combinedwith the current methods to fight cancer, nutrition can be an essential andsignificant tool patients can use to fight cancer.The Science behind Nutrition as a Means of Fighting Cancer ScientistOtto Warburg discovered a connection between oxygen and cancer. In fact, he wona Nobel Prize in 1931 for his research that showed that a lack of oxygen in thecellular environment is the number one cause of cancer. Warburg studies show thatcancer cells are anaerobic, which means that cancer cells thrive in anenvironment that is oxygen depleted. However, in an environment that is rich inoxygen, cancer cells die.The Type of Foods That Contribute to an Oxygen RichEnvironment A dietthat is rich in alkaline foods helps our bodies to increase oxygen in thecellular environment, thus keeping our bodies healthy and vibrant. An acidic diet sucks the oxygen from cells andcreates an environment that is ripe for disease. This not only takes awaynutrients from the fruit but also puts one at risk for respiratory cancers suchas epithelialmesothelioma.How to Measure Where You Fall on the PH Scale The pHscale ranges from 0 to 14. The optimal blood pH level is 7.365. When the pHlevel falls below seven the body is too acidic. When the pH level falls aboveseven it is alkaline. There are urine pH strips on the market that patients canbuy to measure their pH levels.What Should Cancer Patients Eat Cancerpatients should eat foods that are alkaline rich that supply the body withenzymes and oxygen. Alkaline foodstend to fall in the fruits and vegetables category. Fruits and vegetablesprovide nutrition that can not only heal and repair the body, but give cancerpatients lots of energy as well.How Much Fruits and Vegetables Should Cancer Patients Eat Thebest plan is to eat 80% of each meal using fruits and vegetables. The other 20%of the meal can be a side dish. It’s also important to remember to eat avariety of fruits and vegetables because when combined a variety or nutrientswork best to fight cancer cells. Inconclusion, when combined with the current methods of treating cancer,nutrition can be a significant tool patients can use to fight cancer.

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Health Information :Study Says Teens are seeing 20% more Ads for Soda

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:16:11 +0000

Here is the full article.Excerpt: ”Studies also show that when children think they are getting a food as a reward, they will likely prefer that one. Parents usually tell children to eat their broccoli then they will be rewarded with ice cream.But if parents told them the opposite,

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Here is the full article.Excerpt: ”Studies also show that when children think they are getting a food as a reward, they will likely prefer that one. Parents usually tell children to eat their broccoli then they will be rewarded with ice cream.But if parents told them the opposite, to eat their ice cream so they would be rewarded with broccoli, children would more likely prefer the broccoli.”Do you believe the latter statement? I don’t.Drinking 2 drinks of sugary soda each day nearly doubles the risk of pancreatic cancer.

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General Health Information :Go to Dr. Eenfeld’s Blog and Listen to This! Why People Become Obese.

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:16:11 +0000

Dr. Eenfeldt interviews Prof. Robert Lustig. According to Dr. Eenfeldt who has been attending the Obesity Conference in America, Prof. Lustig understands perfectly why people get fat more than anyone practically. It’s a HUGE eyeopener as to why we are seeing people getting bigger

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Dr. Eenfeldt interviews Prof. Robert Lustig. According to Dr. Eenfeldt who has been attending the Obesity Conference in America, Prof. Lustig understands perfectly why people get fat more than anyone practically. It’s a HUGE eyeopener as to why we are seeing people getting bigger and bigger. It’s not actually their fault when things go awry – something goes horribly wrong in the body and really it’s very sad and it’s time that doctors wake up as to the reason and give people the help that they need to regain their health and normal body weight. It’s very cruel to simply blame the person and then put them on a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet and when that fails, again blame the person. Sorry, but that is cruel and unusual punishment in my opinion.1 in 10 adults in the world is obese. But to me something even more unfair than this is little children that become obese. It is tragic – children or adults that have this burden to bear but….there is a solution! I just wish more people knew about it. See my next sentence…It was interesting that one of the easiest antidotes besides drugs is a very low-carb diet – i.e. one that does an end run on insulin, the fat storing hormone.

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Health Care Information :Microwave Meatballs (GF)

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:16:10 +0000

MICROWAVEMEATBALLSThese terrific meatballs converted myson, Jonathan. He did not like regularmeatballs, until he had this lovely recipe sent from his ouma and oupa. Ouma and Oupa are my mother andfather-in-law, Kay and Dr. Danie Eloff, who live in sunny Cape Town, SouthAfrica,

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MICROWAVEMEATBALLSThese terrific meatballs converted myson, Jonathan. He did not like regularmeatballs, until he had this lovely recipe sent from his ouma and oupa. Ouma and Oupa are my mother andfather-in-law, Kay and Dr. Danie Eloff, who live in sunny Cape Town, SouthAfrica, where they have retired. Sorry, the photo is not the greatest but you get the idea. Hope you like them as much as we do! Looks like I got 12 meatballs instead of 10. I ate one before remembering to photograph the dish.18 oz extra leanground beef (500 g)1 egg3oz onion, grated* (90 g)1 tbsp gluten-free oat flour (15 mL)1 tbsp low-carb Ketchup** (15mL)1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce(15 mL)11/2 tsp whitevinegar (7 mL)1clove garlic, crushed 3/4 tsp salt (3mL)1/4 tsp whitepepper (1 mL)Sauce:2tbsp low-carb Chutney*** (25 mL)1tbsp Worcestershire sauce (15 mL)1tbsp low-carb Ketchup (15 mL)1tbsp olive oil (15 mL)1tsp curry powder (5 mL)In large bowl, combine ground beef with egg, onion,oat flour, Low-Carb Ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, white vinegar, garlic, saltand pepper. Form into 10 meatballs. Place in 2-quart (2 L) microwaveable bakingdish. Pour sauce over meatballs. Microwave uncovered on high power 10 minutes(1 minute per meatball).Sauce: In smallbowl, whisk together low-carb chutney, Worcestershire sauce, low-carb ketchup,olive oil and curry powder.Helpful Hints: *Use2 tbsp (25 mL) dehydrated onion (pour a little boiling water over it and letsit for a while), instead of grated onion, if desired. **I used Atkins Ketch-A-Tomato® for convenience, however,you may use Splenda Ketchup, page 89, SplendidLow-Carbing, if desired. ***You may either use acommercial product or low-carb apricot jam, or use Microwave Peach Chutney,page 102, Splendid Low-Carbing.***I make a very easy chutney with sugarless apricot jam: Just mix a little vinegar and Worcestershire sauce into it and wallah, you have very tasty, instant low-carb chutney! Yield: 10 meatballs1meatball per serving137.9calories10.5g protein9.5g fat1.6g carbs

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Online Health Information :Peanut Butter Cookies and Chunky Peanut Butter Banana Cookies (GF)

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:16:10 +0000

PEANUTBUTTER COOKIESIf you like peanut butter, then these cookies should be a hit. If youfreeze them, they actually become crunchy. The Peanut Butter Banana variationis super and probably my favorite of the two (Ian prefers the former) – theybecome chewy if you freeze them.

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PEANUTBUTTER COOKIESIf you like peanut butter, then these cookies should be a hit. If youfreeze them, they actually become crunchy. The Peanut Butter Banana variationis super and probably my favorite of the two (Ian prefers the former) – theybecome chewy if you freeze them. Photos: the bottom photo depicts the ones with banana in them – chunky, softer cookies.1/2cup butter, softened (125 mL)1/2cup creamy peanut butter, (125 mL) no sugar added1eggLiquidsucralose to equal 3/4 cup (175 mL) SPLENDA® Granular 1/4 cup granulated erythritol (60 mL)1tsp vanilla extract (5 mL)1/2tsp molasses (2 mL)11/4 cups Gluten-Free Bake Mix, (300mL) page___1/2tsp baking powder (2 mL)1/2tsp baking soda (2 mL)Powdered “Sugar” Topping:2tbsp SPLENDA® Granular (30 mL)2 tbsp granulatederythritol (30 mL)1/8 tsp xanthan gum (0.5 mL)Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). In food processor, combinebutter, peanut butter and egg; process. Add liquid sucralose, OR SPLENDA® Granular, vanilla extract and molasses; process. In medium bowl,combine Gluten-Free Bake Mix, page___, baking powder and baking soda. Add to peanut butter mixture and process atleast one minute. Make 1-inch (2.5 cm)dough balls. Place on greased cookiesheet. Use a fork to make a criss-crosspattern on the top. If the fork sticksto the dough, first dip the fork in the powdered “sugar.” Bake 12 to 14 minutes. Powdered“Sugar” Topping: In blender, combine SPLENDA® Granular, granulated erythritol and xanthan gum. Blend. Sprinkle baked cookies with topping.Yield: 22 cookies 1serving103.7calories2.6g protein9.3g fat2.3g carbsVariation: Chunky Peanut Butter Banana Cookies: Use 2 eggs, 1/3 cup (75 mL) erythritol and11/2 cups (375 mL) Gluten-Free Bake Mix, page___ and halfof a small banana. Yield: 24 cookies, 1 cookie: (105.6calories; 2.8 g protein; 9.1 g fat; 2.8 g carbs)

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