Jeff Jarvis: Calling Dr. Google

Jeff Jarvis: Calling Dr. Google

I should have listened to Dr. Google. I woke up Sunday morning with the dregs of a cold, so I went back to sleep. An hour later, I woke up with a new pain on my right side about an inch down and three inches over from the navel. Given who I am -- chronic hypochondriac and a certified Google fan boy -- I searched Google for appendicitis.

By reputation, Google -- and the internet -- should have returned bogus, dangerous, uninformed, unauthoritative advice from cults, and witch doctors, and Demand Media. But it didn't. It gave me the NIH, WedMD, the Mayo Clinic, (yes) Wikipedia, and other good and trustworthy sources. It gave me more than enough good information to check and cross-check and then diagnose my new pain correctly.

But I didn't listen. First, I really am a hypochondriac. More than once, I've thought I had appendicitis, forgetting that it can't occur on the left side. And even I am struck by the absurdity of my recent medical history, all documented on my blog: atrial fibrillation, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer; surely, lightening is bored with me. I further found myself heeding those -- including doctors and nurses -- who pooh-pooh listening to Google. So I thought it prudent to wait and see whether this got worse, as I assumed appendicitis would, or turned into something else or nothing.

All day, the pain advanced. I repeat: This was a new, a unique pain to me. At 530pm, my wife and I went to a cocktail party at a friend's house that I'd been looking forward to. Fifteen minutes and one sip in, I knew I was in the wrong place, ready to succumb to hot flashes and God knows what else. I went home and drove to the hospital.

I think I can pinpoint the exact moment my appendix burst: at 730pm as I was going through the process of insurance, an even greater pain swept through me. In the emergency room, I was given pain medication, thank goodness, and tests, including, at some length, a CT scan. The scan eventually came back saying that I not only had a bloated appendix but also that it was "perforated." Now if they were sure the appendix had burst, the normal course, I was told, would have been to send me home with IV antibiotics for two weeks to clean up the sure infection that was just starting in my gut; then I'd return and they'd deal with it.

Luckily, very luckily, I had a hot dog doc who doubted the truth or extent of the oozage, given the freshness of my pain that morning, and so he decided to operate. At 2am, he started. He did, indeed find gunk in my belly and had to spend extra time flushing and vacuuming it up through three small holes in my belly -- one square in the navel -- for his arthroscopic instruments (two fewer than were needed for my robotic prostate operation). I was minus yet another body part -- I need some more spares! -- and lucky for it. Tuesday afternoon, after much IV antibiotics and pain meds, I went home.

Now here's the moral to the story: If I had gone straight to the emergency room at 10 that morning or anytime that afternoon, I'll bet my appendix wouldn't have burst and I would not have suffered the extra risk, bodily trauma, and uncertainty.

I should have listened to Dr. Google. All the good Doc did was send me to good docs -- not junk sources; note well that it's in Google's interest to give us quality and that is why its search algorithm has been changing for our benefit (there is no such thing as neutral search and I don't want it if anyone ever invents it). It gave me the information I needed to make an important decision and tell the doctors what they needed to know to make a diagnosis.

I -- of all people -- should not have doubted Dr. Google's healing power. Sorry, Doc.

Follow Jeff Jarvis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeffjarvis

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Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

What Is Guttate Psoriasis?

What Is Guttate Psoriasis?
Often caused by or associated with viral infections, Guttate Psoriasis is a type of psoriasis that typically afflicts those under 30. Best known symptoms are small, red scales that flake and spread across wide areas of the body. Though generally temporary, itching, inflammation and tenderness can be severe. Several treatments can offer relief of symptoms.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Five Powerful Supplements for Healthier Skin

Five Powerful Supplements for Healthier Skin
This article discusses five popular skin-care supplements and their potential health benefits. The supplements are: resveratrol, green tea, grape seed, turmeric, and alpha lipoic acid.
Source: EzineArticles.com

How To Lose Weight More Effectively

Losing weight often seems like an impossible dream to many of us. There is usually no shortage of motivation in the beginning. We do, but as time goes on, it is very common to feel less motivated. There are ways you can keep up your motivation and be successful. Continue reading this article to learn the secret to keeping weight off.

Never allow yourself to actually get hungry because it will cloud your judgment. Keep healthy snacks handy. If you haven't eaten all day, you can easily find yourself wandering into a fast food restaurant. Instead, know exactly what you plan to eat and have it on hand. You'll easily resist temptation and save money too!

Eliminate junk food from all of the places that you spend significant amounts of time and eat on a regular basis. If it is not there, you can not be tempted to eat it. Surround yourself with healthy food and snacks anyplace you eat on a regular basis. Have fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts handy for when you feel like snacking.

To help stay on a diet without becoming discouraged, it is actually best if you do not weigh yourself often. The human body will adapt to any diet you are on and your results will ultimately slow down. Seeing this plateau via the scales may discourage you, so weigh yourself only every two weeks instead of multiple times per week.

Here is another article on 5 Tips To Blast Your Calorie Burning During Summer which may interest you.

Grace Suh Coscia, L.Ac., Dipl.O.M.: 3 Simple Strategies To Detox For Summer

Grace Suh Coscia, L.Ac., Dipl.O.M.: 3 Simple Strategies To Detox For Summer

You stored your winter coats happily knowing you won't need them again til November, thoroughly scrubbed and aired out your home, and as you open the window you smell a lilac bush blossoming in your front yard. Finally, winter has departed and spiring and summer are here!

Spring is a "time of a year to rise early with the sun," says Paul Pitchford, author of Healing with Whole Foods: Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition. Indeed, you might find yourself awakening earlier as light envelops your bedroom. After months of cold darkness, 6 a.m. becomes a little easier when the sun greets your awakening.

Though you encounter a chilly breeze many spring days, you're already thinking ahead to the beach and your new two-piece, with the goal you'll lose five pounds before you first hit the surf.

Whatever season approaches, you want to look fabulous. But particularly during warmer weather you want to become your leanest, sexiest self because you're baring more of yourself.

If you're like most women, however, you might feel a little self-conscious or not yourself as you struggle to rid your body of that pesky winter weight that hid perfectly under a baggy sweater, but not so much under a fitted tee.

The Cycle of Five Elements and Weight Loss

Traditional Chinese medicine and herbology focuses on a cycle of five elements to which nature rotates. Since you're part of nature, you also experience these changes. From this Eastern perspective, spring becomes the Wood Element season.

We associate the Wood Element with your liver and gallbladder. During spring, cleansing and detoxifying your liver and gallbladder symbolizes letting go after winter storing and introversion.

Longer days provide more sunlight and warmer temperatures, which allow you more time outdoors. Sun provides you with vitamin D and opens your pores much like flowers blossom. Warmth symbolizes lightness, joy, and vibrant health.

I want to share my expertise in traditional Chinese medicine to give you three simple, effective strategies to detoxify, become your sexiest self, and get the most out of warmer weather ahead.

Balance Sour and Pungent

From an Eastern nutrition and medicine perspective, pungent flavors like basil, fennel, marjoram, rosemary, caraway, dill, and bay leaf balance your liver and gallbladder.

Basil, for instance, provides anti-inflammatory support for your liver and other organs. It also has vitamins A, C, K, as well as minerals like magnesium and potassium. Sprinkle fresh basil and other herbs liberally on your favorite foods.

And a study in the International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology showed that rosemary essential oil and other herbs, commonly used in many herbal preparations, helped reduce liver- and gallbladder-related oxidative stress.

These pungent spices can also help you lose weight and boost metabolism. Parsley, for instance, helps you eliminate water to de-bloat. Parsley can also curb your appetite, reduce cravings, and help balance blood sugar levels.

Whereas winter meant high-water root vegetables, spring brings cruciferous vegetables like Swiss chard, kale, broccoli, bok choy, and cabbage that support your liver and gallbladder.

Because of its cleansing and cooling nature, I also recommend raw vegetables and other foods as you move into spring.

Release Anger and Resentment

From an Eastern medicine perspective, your liver and gallbladder meridiana become congested and stressed during spring. Besides of that increased stress, anger and resentment can surface more easily.

I recommend professional help for unresolved anger and resentment, which otherwise might lead to depression and declining health.

You might also try Chinese medicine to balance your liver and gall bladder. According to Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald's book The Detox Solution, "In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is a sophisticated system of evaluating whether holding onto emotions such as anger, sadness, fear and worry may be contributing to ill health."

Because of the more acute, prevalent stress during spring, your neck and upper back might feel tenser. A good massage can help alleviate this tension.

You can also release liver- and gallbladder-related stress and tension by taking your fingers and gently rubbing or massaging your rib cage on both sides. I especially want you to focus on the area between your ribs (called the intercostal space) for a few minutes each day while deeply breathing in and out. This simple exercise addresses both your liver and gallbladder.

Finally, don't forget to be present and savor the simple joys of spring like flowers blossoming and birds singing! The season goes by too quickly.

Detoxify

Spring cleaning is de rigueur at your home, office, car, and other living spaces. You should devote this same attention to your body. Just like a clean workspace helps you become more productive, detoxifying your body helps your skin glow, your mind become clearer, and your body look its very best.

I want you to skip those potentially dangerous and probably ineffective over-the-counter cleanses. Look for a doctor-approved, clinically proven cleanse or detox plan that doesn't leave you depleted, tired, or hungry. Ideally, find a practitioner who can guide you through this cleanse and troubleshoot any concerns that might arise.

"[T]here are two pathways by which the body detoxifies harmful substances and it's essential to support both of these pathways in order to detoxify effectively," says Dr. Nieske Zabriskie. "Supporting only one of the detoxification pathways can actually do more harm than good."

Protein is the foundation of a good detox. Without adequate protein, your liver can't perform phase two detoxification, which means your body holds on rather than excretes toxins. Many juice or raw cleanses, unfortunately, neglect protein.

You also need high-quality fats like avocado and coconut oil, as well as complex carbs like fresh berries, to aid your body's detoxification pathways.

Remember your body has four ways to excrete toxins: your breath, urine, sweat, and feces. According to Dr. Susanne Bennett, author of The 7 Day Allergy Makeover, you need to drink half your body weight in ounces of water. So if you weigh 160 pounds, you'll need 80 ounces of purified water throughout your day.

Warm weather means sweating, which provides a wonderful way to excrete toxins. Your detoxification program should include a healthy workout where you sweat at least three or four times a week.

Fitness and nutrition expert JJ Virgin has a "4 x 4 workout" that combines the two most effective forms of exercise in just 15 minutes. Besides being incredibly effective, you'll certainly break a sweat. And you can spend the other 45 minutes you would have wasted at the gym cultivating your garden or just catching some sun.

Many detox programs have a disclaimer that they aren't for weight loss. Here's a little secret: Any balanced, clinically sound detox program helps you clear out toxins, but also fat. I often see clients lose seven pounds their first week alone doing my detox plan.

I love buy-one-get-one-free sales, and I sometimes joke that detoxing is the ultimate two-for-one deal: You get rid of toxins and you burn fat so you'll become lean and sexy to turn heads at the beach for summer. What a deal!

For more by Grace Suh Coscia, L.Ac., Dipl.O.M., click here.

For more on natural health, click here.

References:

[1] Fitzgerald, P. The Detox Solution: The Missing Link to Radiant Health, Abundant Energy, Ideal Weight, and Peace of Mind. (Santa Monica, CA: Illumination Press, 2001).

[2] Pitchford, P. Healing with Whole Foods: Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition. (Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 1993).

[3] http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=85

[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20646355

[5] http://www.emedicinal.com/articles/herbs-for-losing-weight.php

[6] http://www.vrp.com/detoxification/phase-I-and-II-detox-pathways

[7] http://drsusannebennett.com/allergy-makeover-book/

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Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Featured Interview: Searching for a Gentler World

Featured Interview: Searching for a Gentler World
� Many vegans dream of living in a completely peaceful society. Gentle World, an organization dedicated to teaching others how to live harmoniously, is working toward just that. The organization has two educational centers (one in New Zealand, and one in Hawaii), is a pioneer in the veganic agriculture movement, published the first ever (!!) [...]

Angel and Poof, a Gentle World rescued rabbit.

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Many vegans dream of living in a completely peaceful society. Gentle World, an organization dedicated to teaching others how to live harmoniously, is working toward just that. The organization has two educational centers (one in New Zealand, and one in Hawaii), is a pioneer in the veganic agriculture movement, published the first ever (!!) vegan cookbook, and rescues and fosters abused or abandoned animals. Recently VM dished with Angel Flinn, the organization’s Outreach Director.

Vegan Mainstream: We love that you not only promote veganism, but help to educate people so that they can be self sufficient. Tell me about Gentle World’s overall vision.

Angel Flinn: Well, the overall vision is a big one that’s limited only by the resources that are available to us. The idea is to show the world that it’s possible for people with shared values to live and work cooperatively, so that we can support each other by devoting our time, energy and efforts toward the accomplishment of our shared goal. In this case, the goal is the building of a model world, a sanctuary from life-as-it-is, and a demonstration of life-as-it-should-be.

We believe that if everyone lived the way we try to, limiting their consumption, conserving resources, reusing everything as much as possible, recycling religiously, and sharing things rather than each of us having our own, there would be far more available for everyone, and our planet would feel the relief.

Our educational program is our way of helping people to learn how to incorporate these values of practical ecology into their own lives. Amongst many other things, our goals for the future include the expansion of our Hawaii center, which is still waiting for us to acquire the ideal piece of land. 

VM: You published the first vegan cookbook to come out in the US. That’s impressive! How was it received?

AF: In 1981, there were still very few vegans in the US, and in the rest of the world. However, those who were, and those who had just discovered vegetarianism, welcomed the help it offered wholeheartedly. It was far from a bestseller at first, but little by little, as more and more vegans appeared, it became well-known. To date, it has sold over 100,000 copies, and is still in typewritten form (before computers). It’s a classic and is very well-loved by those who have it, as confirmed by the messages of appreciation we still receive.

VM: Now tell me about the third edition of Incredibly Delicious, which is currently underway, right?

AF: Right now, we’re actually exploring the possibilities for making Incredibly Delicious available in different formats, which might include an e-Book, or a Kindle version. The book will always be available in printed form, but we’re curious about whether it would be possible to leave behind the resource-intensive printing and distribution, in favor of more eco-friendly options.

In the meantime, we’re working on refining the recipes and illustrations, as well as the rest of the information in the book, which includes a lot of really handy resources for new or seasoned vegans. We’re also putting many of our favorites recipes on our website now, and publishing them on Care2.com, exposing many non-vegan readers to the delicious animal-free foods that Gentle World is famous for!

VM: Tell me about your visitor program.

AF: Our visitor program is the ‘hands-on’ part of our educational outreach. Visitors to Gentle World have the opportunity to live and work side-by-side with our member volunteers, some of whom have been vegan for over forty years, and all of whom have an enormous amount of knowledge and experience to share with those who are interested in benefiting from it.

Over the years, we have found that visitors to our center are profoundly influenced by the experience of living in a vegan culture; going about the activities of the day surrounded by people of many different ages, for whom veganism is more than just a lifestyle, but a whole way of approaching life and the world. Everyone who visits leaves with a better understanding of what veganism is, and many of our guests really take the vegan message to heart and carry it with them on their journey.

VM: What types of activities do your visitors do?

AF: The daily activities can include anything from preparing food in the kitchen or caring for the gardens and grounds, to helping us with center maintenance such as cleaning, organizing or painting. In addition to the daily tasks, guests have the opportunity to watch educational videos and participate in thought-provoking discussions, as well as being instructed in basic (or advanced) vegan food preparation and veganic gardening. We always try to include some informal food education along the way – whether that means learning some recipes for outrageous smoothies and salads, trying their hand at creating scrumptious baked goods, or helping one of our volunteers to whip up a batch of our decadent home-made ice cream or chocolate!



VM: What knowledge can they expect to walk away with?

AF: For those who are new to veganism, coming to Gentle World will help them greatly to understand, amongst other things, just how easy and natural it actually is to be vegan. For people who are vegan already, I can almost guarantee that their understanding of the significance of veganism will deepen and expand.

For those who are interested in growing their own food, there are plenty of opportunities to learn what that really involves, including how much hard work it takes! We have some very experienced, knowledgeable, and talented gardeners in Gentle World, including our head gardener at Shangri-La, who has been growing food organically since 1980.

VM: Any final thoughts?

AF: Despite all the resistance that vegans encounter from those who are threatened by our message, the fact is that veganism is the solution to the world’s problems. It’s time for vegan advocates to get together and try to find a way to get the world to finally listen to us. It’s never been more crucial than it is right now, and for those of us who have the answer, we have a responsibility to speak up and try to help others to see this issue through our eyes.

To those who feel alone, I say, reach out to others! Find people online and in your area who are committed to the vegan ideal and get together… Talk to people about veganism honestly, gently and openly, and soon you’ll find that there are people who are willing to listen.

The vegan future will be built one vegan person at a time. Every time any one of us helps someone to understand what veganism is about, what it really means, we take one step closer to the dream we all share.

To learn more, visit http://www.GentleWorld.org/

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Choosing Vegan Skin Care Products

Mainstream skin care & cosmetic products are generally not suitable for vegans as they contain animal derived ingredients or have involved animal testing. But vegan alternatives are available covering all types of cosmetics and make-ups. Read more