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The Institute for Vibrant Living natural health research dept. has prepared a report on the mysterious neurological condition known as autism. Here is their report:

 

Baffling. Exasperating. Overwhelming. Heartbreaking. Exhausting.

 

All of those adjectives have been used to describe autism, a developmental disorder that affects as many as one out of every 150 children in the US.

 

So what exactly is autism?

 

Autism is a lifelong disorder that causes abnormal neurological development and typically manifests itself by the age of 3.

 

According to the Autism Society of America, autism is a complex developmental disorder that affects social interaction and communication. As early as infancy, a child with autism may be unresponsive to people and focus intently on one item to the exclusion of others for long periods of time.

 

Many children with autism engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and twirling or in self-abusive behavior such as biting or head banging.  For reasons that are still not understood, about 20 to 30 percent of children with autism develop epilepsy by the time they reach adulthood.

 

Children with autism also have a tremendous amount of social anxiety, which can make attending school very difficult.

 

Although the symptoms will differ from child to child, the following are some of the most common traits of autism:

 

Does not socially interact well with others, including parents
Shows a lack of interest in, or rejection of physical contact
Avoids making eye contact with others, including parents
Fails to develop friends or interact with other children
Is delayed or does not develop language
Once language is developed, does not use language to communicate with others
Repeats same words or phrases over and over
Has repetitive motor movements, such as rocking and hand or finger flapping
Does not like noises
Has rituals
Requires routines

 

What causes autism?

 

Although experts disagree on the exact cause of the disorder, many researchers believe that it is somehow related to the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine (MMR).  That is because many parents report that their children were developing normally until they received the vaccine. 

 

A related theory suggests that the cause is mercury contamination of the vaccines, since many of these vaccines contain trace amounts of the dangerous heavy metal.

 

Still others suggest the cause is a deficiency in Magnesium, a critical facilitator of brain protection from toxic chemicals.

 

Because traditional medicine provides only limited treatment for autism, many parents turn to natural or alternative treatments.

 

What natural treatments exist for autism?

 

Although the average pediatrician may not be familiar with alternative treatments such as facilitated communication, secretin therapy, auditory integration training or nutritional supplements, they can usually provide you with the name of a doctor who is versed in these methods. 

 

Aromatherapy is something any adult can administer.

It is said to help awaken the senses and also relax autistic children.

 

Some holistic practitioners recommend giving the child a bath with invigorating oils in the morning (eucalyptus, bergamot, lemon, peppermint or rosemary). In the evening, oils such as chamomile, juniper, lavender, marjoram and sandalwood may help the child relax so that they can get a good night’s sleep.

 

Massage is another alternative therapy that may be helpful for autistic children.

 

Although many people with autism find light touching uncomfortable, they may enjoy the deep pressure of massage. Massage has been shown to decrease self-injury and other challenging behaviors in people with autism.

 

There are several supplements that holistic practitioners sometimes recommend for autistic children such as:

 

Vitamin B-6

DMG (dimethylglycine, vitamin B-15)

Magnesium

Omega-3 fatty acids

 

Studies have shown that autistic children can benefit from a diet that is free from gluten and casein. In other words, autistic children should not eat wheat gluten or dairy products.

 

You might also experiment with removing corn and avoid food coloring additives as much as possible. 

 

Are there health risks for autism caregivers?

 

It is common for parents with autistic children to become despondent. Parents and/or caregivers cannot give in to despair. They must try as hard as they can to be loving, accepting and sometimes even have the patience of Job!

 

Treating a child with autism is a group effort involving many professionals and non-professionals alike, as well as family and friends.

 

The world of autism is dynamic, so it is critical that parents and caregivers continue to educate themselves for the latest developments in autistic care.

 

And finally, by monitoring, maintaining and directing the goals of the “team” for the benefit of the autistic victim, they can receive the gift of understanding and caring that the autistic person so desperately needs.

 

 

 

 

 

Allergies in pets can be quite a severe problem. Allergies can lead to a number of different problems in pets- everything from yeast infections, skin conditions, irritable bowel to even possibly death.

The first step in trying to resolve an allergy is to identify the cause of the allergy. Many allergies are food related, so starting with diet modification may be the best first step in ensuring your pet doesn’t end up in a pet urn before its time. A protein elimination diet is usually the best method of identifying food allergies. You will want to start your dog on a novel protein- a source of food that he has never before tried. You’ll want to ensure that it doesn’t have ingredients that could be causing the allergy- like grains or other additives. Many people will purchase and prepare food for their dogs during this elimination diet, to ensure they have a source of food that is unlikely to contain any of the allergens that may be upsetting the dog.

Feed the dog this novel source of protein for several weeks, and monitor your dog’s health. If the dog does not exhibit allergies anymore, then you were most likely dealing with a food allergy, since the condition has stopped once you removed the source of the food allergen.

If the allergy problem does not exist when the dog is eating the novel protein, then you can slowly begin to introduce new food sources to your dog. Introduce food choices one at a time, monitoring your dog’s condition throughout this period. If and when the allergy returns, the last protein you fed your dog was likely the cause of that allergy. Once you have identified the source of the food allergy, you can return to a relatively normal diet for your dog, just ensuring that you avoid the particular cause of the food allergy.

A similar elimination process should be used for environmental allergens if the allergy persists once you change the source of your dog’s food.

Attempt to isolate the dog in an environment without potential allergens, and slowly reintroduce fabrics, materials, toys and other things that could be potentially causing the allergy. By controlling what your dog is exposed to, you should be able to identify the particular substance or substances that are causing the allergic reaction.

Alcoholism is a really serious issue, and according to the American Medical Association, it is also a disease. It isn’t a thing that can just disappear for good . without treatment. It must be treated as fast as possible and it’ll need a good deal of work and continual vigilance even subsequent to finishing an alcohol rehab program to prevent any relapses.

Alcohol addiction is a chronic ailment that simply cannot be cured with a single visit to a counselor. The process will be very long and involved, and it could also be painful, but the damage that a one does to his own body as well as to friends and family members is often much worse.

Drug abuse and addiction literally triggers physical alterations in the brain and body. Ultimately a person starts to depend on these types of drugs to support normal systemic operation, and the brain won’t know how to proceed without it.

This is why the best alcohol rehab program should include a time of detoxification as well as a continuous support system once the toxins are eliminated and the body begins to restore itself.

How do you know when someone will need to get into an alcohol rehab program? Alcohol usage is so prevalent and common that it can be hard for some people to realize that there is a problem. Is the friend that has a tendency to consume too much on evenings out in trouble? Are a few glasses of wine prior to going to bed excessive? What about a shot of whiskey in the morning coffee? The simplest way to find out may be to take away the alcohol from those situations and find out what happens.

Unfortunately, a person might know and understand they have a drinking problem but will never seek an alcohol rehab program. There was a well-known author who talked about his drinking problem and of the day he came to the realization that he was an alcoholic. It was a harsh realization, yet he did not think: “I better get help,” he only thought: “I better be careful.” He understood he had a problem, but he didn’t believe he could live or write without the crutch of substance abuse.

Alcohol rehab, however, does not have to be voluntary to work. Regardless of whether a person is coerced or directed into a rehab program, there’s a fairly high rate of success and many people will stay sober after completing the process. This is why interventions by friends and family can be step one for effectively conquering the addiction.

An alcohol rehab program will always begin with a detox period. A body needs to eliminate the chemicals that have been doing damage. Ending this physical addiction can be tough, and you’ll encounter a number of withdrawal symptoms that may be quite severe based on how long and how much an individual was drinking.

When this physical problem is overcome, though, it is time to address the psychological effects. In order to avoid any relapses and be sure a person remains clean, many alcohol rehab programs offer continuous help and guidance to help them maintain their sobriety and begin a healthier and happier life.

Are your kids growing up well? Are they healthy and strong or are they just growing vertically (and often horizontally too)? What are your son’s or daughter’s diet requirements? Are they receiving adequate amount of calories or are you worried they might be gorging on the wrong type of calories i.e. empty calories from sodas or overdoses of calories from junk foods?

As a parent you will probably agree that your child’s diet is quite unpredictable. Without proper supervision our kids will probably avoid entire food groups and only consume what they love i.e. carbohydrates and fats. It is a proven fact that weight and nutrition deficiencies, lack of energy, lack of concentration etc. can all be traced to faulty or imbalanced diet. The solution to the problem is pretty simple – we need to take an active interest in our child’s diet, healthy eating plans for weight loss as well as physical activity.

Doing so will not only make adolescent weight management plans and fitness much easier to handle it will also bring about a sense of wellbeing amongst your kids.

Research is usually designed to study weight loss, although adolescent health specialists have long stressed the importance of focusing on all the benefits of weight loss management program that lead to improved overall health and well being. Methods designed to achieve rapid weight loss through starvation, inappropriate strenuous exercise, and/or drugs can be harmful.

Most of us are painfully aware that obesity is of epidemic proportions in this country. This epidemic has resulted in increased incidences of obesity-related disease. An obese child therefore becomes much more susceptible to diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Because obesity is 70 percent genetic and 30 percent dependent upon psychosocial and environmental factors, obese parents often tend to accept their children’s obesity rather than seek to correct it.

Adopting the correct Weight Loss Strategy

Most of the experts including nutritionists and fitness experts recommend that our obese children be put on a healthy eating diet and are encouraged to exercise and modify the eating habits. Some may even recommend the occasional use of special medication. Unfortunately, all this often proves to be ineffective for most people suffering from obesity. The popular “mantra” is “eat less, eat right and exercise, exercise, exercise”.

Unfortunately this would be like telling a depressed person to think “happy” thoughts or a diabetic to control diabetics by eating less sugar and follow healthy eating diet plan. Initially all diets do seem to work – not because it is the right strategy but simply due to the fact that on one hand, calorie intake is reduced and on the other hand, more calories are burned through exercise.

All diets are ineffective in the long run. This is because of physiological reasons unique to humans. Here’s what happens; as soon as your child begins to eat less, the decreased calorie intake forces the metabolism to slow down. This is essentially an automatic compensatory response mechanism. Instead, encourage your child to eat the daily requirement of calories from all the food groups. NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS. The only foods that need to be removed from the menu are junk and other unhealthy foods.

Along with a correction in the type of food consumed, encourage your child to exercise or a have a high level of physical activity in their daily routine. The results will not be seen overnight but nevertheless, positive results will appear within a month or two. Once your child loses the extra flab, his (or her) self esteem and sense of empowerment will be heightened.

Click for Small portion plates and Portion control plates and bowls

The disease that is affecting most of the women in this world is breast cancer. Breast cancer is that type of cancer that starts in the tissue or in the cells of the breast. Breast cancers are of many type but most common cancer is that which begins in the milk ducts (ductal carcinoma). After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common affecting womens o whole countries. This cancer may affect both men and women but it is very common in women as compared to men. Fortunately breast cancer has treatment and decline the death rate that is caused by this disease.

This cancer can also occur in other areas of the breast, but it occurs at rare cases. Breast cancer are of two types that is Ductal carcinoma and Lobular carcinoma. First type of cancer that is Ductal carcinoma starts in the tubes (ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple. Most breast cancers are of this type. Whereas second type of cancer Lobular carcinoma starts in parts of the breast, called lobules, that produce milk. Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is a marker for an increased risk of invasive cancer in the same or both breasts.

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer may include a breast lump, bloody discharge from the nipple, change in the size or shape of a breast changes to the skin over the breast, such as dimpling, inverted nipple, peeling, scaling or flaking of the nipple or breast skin and redness or pitting of the skin over your breast. If you find a lump or other change in your breast you should immediately consult your doctor.

For the treatment of breast cancer there are various medicine available in the medical store. Femara is one of the best, most trusted and recommended medicine by the doctor. It is also approved by the FDA for the treatment of breast cancer. Femara is a drug used to treat treat certain types of breast cancer in women. It reduces the replication of HIV virus by interfering with the enzyme reverse transcriptase, hence terminating DNA chain. Femara is available in the form of capsules and powder for oral solution. Letrozole is the main ingredient of Femara medicine.

Few precaution needs to be taken before taking Femara medicine to avoid any side efect.
1) People allergic to this medicine or to its ingredient should not use this medicine.
2) People under this treatment should avoid drinking alcohol.
3) Femara medicine should not be used for the treatment of children.
4) It should be used cautiously in old aged patients.
5) Pregnant and breastfeeding mother should not use this medicine without doctor recommendation as use of this medicine may harm the health of unborn baby or nursed child. If in case you become pregnant during the treatment you should immediately consult your doctor or health care professional.

As it is a prescription medicine so it should be atken as prescribed by the doctor or health care professional. If you are taking any prescription, non prescription and herbal medicine you should inform your doctor before taking Femara medicine. The dosage recommended for Femara medicine is 2.5 mg tablet once in a day. Do not increase or decrease the dosage of the medicine on your own without consulting the doctor or health care professional as it may lead serious side effect. Keep all medicines away from children and pet.

74Chemicals have become a standard part of our world today with our modern homes and our technology so everyone has chemical exposure nowadays and we can never be one hundred percent free of them. And we know that many children on the Autism spectrum tend to be very sensitive to chemical exposure. We see quite often that they have impaired detoxification pathways due to imbalances in their biochemistry due to yeast or bacterial overgrowth, nutritional deficits or digestive imbalances, all of which can put a strain on their body. And if there is a chemical exposure then some, not all certainly, kids can have a negative reaction. This reaction can include poor sleep, agitation, poor behavior, self stimulatory behaviors, irritability, etc. after acute exposure to some type of chemicals.

There are all different kinds of tests that you can use to detect chemicals, some are quite easy, others are not very affordable and some are not even really necessary.

But if you are attempting to reduce your exposure to chemicals just to improve your lifestyle then you can achieve a lot by starting with your own home. You can choose to use purified or filtered water as one way to reduce chemical exposures. Also changing your laundry detergent to a more natural, biodegradable form without the synthetic chemicals and fragrances is another. Choosing organic foods and especially antibiotic and hormone free meat is another big way to reduce your chemical exposure as well. If you live in a city then you will have exposure to smog and you may have exposure to chemicals that are sprayed if you live in the country near farming so you will never escape all chemical exposure one hundred percent.

If you know your child has had exposure to chemicals, or even if you just think they may have, Epsom salt baths can be helpful. Epsom salts are made from magnesium sulfate and magnesium is a mineral that relaxes the body and the sulfate aids in detoxification. And while sulfur chemistry is vitally important in our connective tissue maintenance, it is also a very important aid to the elimination of toxins from our bodies. That is why Epsom salt baths can be a wonderful aid to our natural detoxification processes. And in the second part of this series we will go more in-depth as to how to implement this therapy as a way to facilitate the elimination of chemical toxins from the body.