Health and Diet Blog

Darren W. - asked:




Colon cleansing is becoming popular as a method of detoxification with more and more people taking natural methods to clean colon in order to lead healthier lives. There are many benefits of colon cleansing and most of us can take advantage of various natural methods in order to get rid of illness causing toxins that hamper our body’s day to day functions. Some of the major benefits of colon cleansing are as discussed below:

1. Overall Cleansing and Detoxification

Most of us know that we are overloading our body with toxins acquired from the environment and from food that is processed or grown in soil that is already polluted by toxic waste. Due to the large amount of toxin intake, our body is generally unable to get rid of all these harmful materials while performing its normal functioning and this leads to an accumulation of toxic waste in our organs, especially in the liver, lungs, skin, lymph nodes, kidney and colon. Some major side effects of toxin accumulation are lowered immunity, gastro intestinal problems, bad looking skin, headaches and sluggishness and irregular bowel movements or constipation. Therefore, it is necessary to perform internal cleansing of these organs especially the colon so that we can get rid of toxins and their side effects.

2. Freedom from Digestive Tract Problems

The most common and easily identifiable symptom of an unhealthy colon is constipation and irregular bowel movements. Stomach pains, heartburn, acidity, gastritis, flatulence and bloating are other major symptoms that point towards an unhealthy and clogged up colon. When you clean up your colon using natural methods, then all the waste and toxins clogging up the colon are flushed out, which helps your digestive system resume its normal functioning, thus making you healthy and free from all GI tract related problems.

3. Greater Energy and Vitality

As you keep stuffing your body with toxins contained in processed and overcooked foods and drinks, excessive alcohol, caffeine and nicotine as well as drugs and medications for all kinds of ailments, the organs in your body, especially your digestive tract, liver, kidneys and colon start requiring more and more energy in order to fight this waste and get rid of it. While your organs which are already weakened by all the trash that you consume and expose yourself to fail in performing their tasks properly, more and more energy is diverted towards getting rid of all the waste that is clogging them. As a result, you start feeling drained and sluggish right from the moment you wake up till the end of the day. When you clean your colon and other internal organs, then you can feel a considerable increase in your energy levels because of two reasons. Firstly, your GI tract starts performing better, leading to better digestion and absorption of the energy from your food. Secondly, lesser energy is involved in digesting food, thus leaving more energy to be spent on external tasks.

Some other benefits of colon cleansing that you get as a result of the effective cleaning of your colon are a better looking and problem free skin as well as an increased immunity and resistance to diseases. Most people also end up losing weight as a result of better digestion and lower rate of water and waste retention. These are only some benefits and you can definitely count on becoming healthier if you start following a regular colon cleansing regime.

peterhutch asked:




Pineapple is a tropical fruit, it contains a proteolytic enzyme bromelain, which helps in the digestion of protein. Pineapple can prevent blood clot formation because of its bromelain content.

Pineapple is one of those foods that is heaven to eat. A good, juicy ripe pineapple can satisfy a sweet craving as well as any chocolate bar. In addition to being a delicious food, there are many health benefits of pineapple.

A cup of fresh pineapple chunks contains 73% of the manganese the body needs for the day. Manganese, a trace mineral, is needed to build bone and connective tissues. A recent study found that a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and manganese offered significant improvement of symptoms for people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee.

Nutritional Value:

Pineapple’s nutrients include calcium, potassium, fiber ,and vitamin c It is low in fat and cholesterol. Vitamin c is the body’s primary water soluble antioxidant, against free radicals that attack and damage normal cells. It is also a good source of vitamin B1, vitamin B6, copper and dietary fiber.

Pineapple juice also relives sore throats and bronchitis. However, it should not be used by those with Hemophilia or by those with diseases of the kidneys and liver. It can be useful for heart patients but it seems to reduce the time taken to coagulate the blood which is not good for those with kidney and liver disease.

Pineapples provide an ample supply of vitamin C too, a commonly known antioxidant that protects the body from free radical damage and boosts the immune system. Vitamin C helps build and repair bodily tissue and promotes wound healing. The body uses vitamin C to help metabolize fats and cholesterol, absorb iron, and synthesize amino acids and collagen. Collagen is one of the primary building blocks of skin, cartilage and bones. Vitamin C also decreases the severity of colds and infections.

Pineapple is high in anti-oxidants. A very good source of vitamin C, pineapple offers your body an excellent protection against free-radicals, substances that attack healthy cells. A build up of free-radicals can lead to atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease, an increase in asthma attacks and an increased risk of developing certain cancers, such as colon cancer. Free-radicals have also been shown to accentuate the problems associated with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.This fruits if high in fibre content which helps in easy bowel movement.Pineapple helps in curing stomach problems as diarrhoea.It is used in beauty industry to remove warts.

Pineapple has been thought good for heart conditions and indeed should not be used by people with haemophilia or by those with diseases of the kidneys and liver. This is because it seems to reduce the time taken to coagulate the blood – which is why it can be useful for heart patients.

Pineapple is good for your gums: Furthermore, due to its high vitamin C content, pineapples are good for your oral health as well. Vitamin C can reduce your risk of gingivitis and periodontal disease. Besides increasing the ability of connective tissue to repair itself, vitamin C also increases the body’s ability to fight invading bacteria and other toxins that contribute to gum disease. Periodontal disease, which destroys gum tissue and underlying jaw bones, has been linked to heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

Western Australian Plastic Surgery Centre asked:




Natural posture is inevitably influenced by the distribution of weight across the body and so where large, heavy breasts are concerned, an imbalance in weight in the upper region can result in the development of back and neck pain. Often the individual suffering from the discomfort of large breasts can be limited in their ability to perform normal functions such as physical sporting activities and find themselves feeling increasingly self conscious and inhibited by their shape.

Breast reduction surgery, known as reduction mammaplasty, is the effective procedure of reducing breasts which are causing pain and discomfort to the individual under the expert guidance and handling of your breast reduction surgeon.

Under general anaesthesia, the breast reduction procedure involves the removal of excess breast tissue and the recontouring and repositioning of the nipples in order to leave you with the breasts you want to feel happy and confident in both their shape, size and appearance and ultimately provide you with the increased comfort you need in order to engage in normal activities.

After surgery has taken place it is important that post operative care is dealt with in a careful and sensitive way in order to minimise complications and as such, hospitalisation normal occurs for around four days depending on the individual case. The appearance of breast reduction scars can be an inevitable result of breast reduction surgery and the level of scarring can vary from individual to individual, however, the vast majority of women feel that the ultimate goal in relieving the pain, discomfort and displeasure of large breasts involves little is overwhelmingly successful.

Frank Miller asked:




Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a very common occurrence in people of almost all age groups. The symptomatic treatment may vary with age of the patient as well as the severity of the problem. General GERD treatments for relief from the symptoms include drug therapy, lifestyle modification and dietary changes. Drug therapy includes administration of antacids, acid suppressants or acid blockers. Nexium acid reflux relief is highly recognized by the medical fraternity throughout the world, with most physicians prescribing this proton pump inhibitor drug to patients not only for obtaining relief from acid reflux and the consequent heartburn problem, but also for healing erosive esophagitis, relieving heartburn related chest pain and chronic laryngitis, which is caused due to prolonged period of suffering caused due to GERD. Other proton pump inhibitors such as aciphex, nexium, prevacid, prilosec, and protonix are also found to be equally effective in treating the problem of acid reflux.

Other GERD treatments for symptomatic relief include the use of antacids (such as tums and rolaids, which aid in neutralizing the excess acids present in the stomach) and histamine antagonists such as axid, pepcid, tagamet, or zantac, which suppress the excessive production of digestive acids in the stomach. Because of acid reflux mucus lining in the esophagus gets badly corroded, as a result of which the esophagus may develop ulcerations and sores. However, Nexium heals the painful ulcers that develop in the esophagus due to frequent episodes of acid reflux. It is because of this reason that Nexium acid reflux relief is considered better than the relief obtained from other drugs. None of the antacids or H2 receptors are capable of providing relief from acid reflux mucus layer damage and in healing the inner mucosal lining of the esophagus.

There are several heartburn home remedies, though, which provide complete cure from acid reflux disease. Few of these heartburn home remedies include using apple cider vinegar or using aloe vera, which also has great healing power to heal the painful ulcers that develop in the esophageal area, due to frequent episodes of acid reflux.

In some cases, despite the use of appropriate antacids and acid levels controlling drugs, such as Nexium acid reflux controlling drugs, the person continues to suffer from frequent episodes of reflux. In such cases, it becomes necessary for the patient to ascertain whether or not the reflux is being caused by the digestive acids that leak in from the stomach. In case the reflux is not caused by the digestive acids of the stomach, but because of some other agents produced from other organs, related to the alimentary tract, then such a condition is referred to as non acid reflux. This condition occurs when instead of the digestive juices, other substances such as the bile get refluxed into the esophagus. Proton pump inhibitor drugs, histamine antagonists or antacids will not be able to provide any relief in the case of non acid reflux. Even the very versatile Nexium will not be able to provide any relief in the case of non acid reflux. However, anti spasm medicines such as baclofen, are highly effective in preventing non acid reflux.

Jamie Staggs asked:


Opiates are often referred to as narcotics and have been used medically to relieve pain for centuries. In the early 19th century, pure morphine extract was suitable for solution, and with the advent of the hypodermic needle in the mid-19th century, injection of morphine became a common method of pain relief. In 1898, heroin was introduced into the medical community as a remedy for addiction to morphine. However, it was soon revealed that heroin was even more likely to produce addiction than morphine. While opiates began their start in the medical community, they have quickly become one of the most commonly abused drug groups. Today, only codeine and morphine are still used in the clinical setting for pain management. The opiates drug group includes opium, morphine, codeine and heroin, among other synthetic opiates such as Demerol.

Short-term and Long-term Effects of Opiates

Opiates can cause serious health complications, such as fatal overdose, spontaneous abortion, and infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, particularly in users who inject opiates.

Opiates have short-term effects that appear quite soon after a dose and last a few hours. After injection of opiates, the user typically reports feeling a rush of euphoria, an increase in body temperature, dry mouth, and a heavy feeling in their limbs. The user then spends the next few hours alternating from a wakeful to a drowsy state until the drug wears off.

Regular use of opiates leads to a buildup of a user’s tolerance. This means that the user must increase their subsequent dose of opiates to achieve the same effect as before. As the user increases their dose over time, they develop physical dependency and addiction. Their body has acclimated to the drug use, and has grown to depend on the presence of drugs in order to function properly. If an opiate user stops the intake of that drug, uncomfortable and even dangerous withdrawal symptoms may occur. Death from a opiate overdoese often occurs when a user who has been off opiates for some time resumes taking the same amount of drug they are used to. Because the body’s tolerance has decreased during this time off period, the resulting effect is a drug overdose.

After repeated opiate use over a long peroid of time, long term side effects will begin to appear. Addicts who have been using for a long peroid of time often ignore their health because the only thing that matters is getting more of that drug. This self neglect can take the form of not eating and ignoring personal hygiene, which makes the user more susceptible to disease. Longtime users may develop collapsed veins, infections in their heart and valves, and liver disease. Because opiates depress respiration, pulmonary complications, such as pneumonia, may occur in longtime users due to respiratory depression and the poor health of the drug user.

Opiate Withdrawal

Opiate withdrawal can be incredibly painful, and in some case very dangerous. Withdrawal symptoms may occur as soon as a few hours after the last dose in users who have been regularly abusing opiates. Withdrawal symptoms include intense cravings for opiates, restlessness, body pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, and cold flashes among other symptoms. In longtime, heavy users who are in poor health, withdrawal can occasionally be fatal. Withdrawal symptoms for most users typically subside within a week.