thewellnessblog

2007-10-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

According to an interesting article by esteemed journalist Donna Howell of the IBD news website,
reported that a mere 50% of individuals with chronic conditions go on the internet as compared
with about seventy percent of the overall U.S. population. These individuals
truly want to learn, research suggests, and are more eager than others to share their information so as to assist other
patients. All the while, many such sick individuals simply lack web access, sadly enouph.
This is truly an unfortunate situation since the need for reliable health information is more urgent than ever before.
The nation's disease burden continues to weigh very heavily. Many such conditions such as cancers, heart disease, hypertension and stroke, for example,
may cost us all as much as Four trillion plus dollars each year by the year 2023 or even sooner. Currently that figure
is only about a third of that, according to some data sources. The amount is due mainly because lost productivity issues instead of actual treatment costs.
Preventing these medical conditions early on before they have a chance to grow into full blown disease might save as much as $1.1 trillion by that year,
according to the director of the Milken Institute Center For Health Economics. When these individuals
go on the world wide web, they trade information about treatment with other individuals in the same situation as themselves.
As a general rule, Senior citizens often to use the information superhighway differently from others, according to Tobey Dichter of
generationsonline.org. This particular nonprofit organization helps to furnish software to retirement homes and similiar places for senior citizens.
The senior citizens that he works with are task oriented, generally speaking, so an issue often leads them to start using the computer.

2007-09-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

This article first appeared in the September 2007 issue of the Healthy Pet Net Newsletter.
HPN specializes in holistic pet products. More info. at Healthy Pet Net
More detail at
The Dog and Cat News Blog

Now that the Fall is here, a new school year has started. With ever-busier activity calenders, it is also that time of year when animal owners can find themselves with less time to spend with their pets. Here are a few tips for making the most of the time that you happen to have left:

• Set aside several minutes early in the day to groom your dog or cat. While brushing or combing your pet, chat about your plans for the day. If they do not like grooming for some, simply spend a a little while stroking them. Regardless of your particular morning regimen, attempt to do it on a regular predictable regiment.
Your companion will find comfort in the regimen – and so will you!
• If you happen to have a canine, do something they will like to do following your return home, such as hide-and-seek, or taking a walk. If you have a cat or kitten, we suggest playing with a ball or dangling feathers......... your feline loves that stuff.
• Add teeth cleaning, ear cleaning or perhaps even nail trimming into your routine. All too often, these health exercises are viewed as merely chores. Do your best to making this time as wonderful as can be.
• Massage is a superb way to connect with your dog or cat also. Look for one of the various pet massage books which are now available online or at your local bookstore. There is some evidence that this massage can really improve your animal’s health.
So consider giving your critter a treat!

2007-09-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

Just as humans experience an assortment of allergies, many pets, such as a dog may experience an allergy as well. It is agreed among professionals that specialize in the health of dogs, that there are at least five specific allergy types that a dog may experience in their lifetime. Common types of allergies in dogs include food allergy, reactions to fleas, and various forms of bacteria. A dog may also experience allergies that are related to inhaling certain irritants. Then, there are many dogs that may even suffer from allergies related to coming in contact with certain materials such as plastic, certain types of plants, and even grass.

When a dog experiences an allergy, they may display an assortment of symptoms. One of the first signs that a dog owner may recognize is that their pet seems to be scratching a lot. When an allergy occurs, it is quite common for the dog to experience a period of time in which their skin becomes extremely itchy. The next symptom that is often recognized by dog owners when their pet is experiencing an allergy is hair loss. The hair loss may be localized to one spot on the body, or it may occur in patches over the entire body.

As you can see, the skin of a dog usually becomes quite sensitive when an allergy is experienced. Many pet owners will see their dogs licking their paws quite often when an allergy is occurring. This is a natural method that the dog uses in order to soothe the symptoms and discomfort of the allergy that they are experiencing. You may notice that your pet is starting to experience redness, swelling, and rashes on the surface of their skin when they are allergic to something. These symptoms are quite common.

If a pet owner suspects that their dog is experiencing an allergy, the first thing that they should do is research the diet of the dog. There are many ingredients that are used in various types of dog foods that may cause reactions in the pet. Most of these ingredients are included in generic or cheap versions of dog foods. Just as many humans ingest toxins as a result of the way that particular foods are grown or processed, dogs suffer from allergies as a result of foods that are processed and created cheaply in order to sell the product at a discounted price.

The digestive system of the dog is sensitive. It requires key ingredients and nutrients in order to function appropriately. When selecting food for your pet, it is important to select premium foods that are loaded with “real” ingredients that can provide the highest level of nutritional value possible. It is vital to avoid foods that contain products such as wheat and soy. If a dog experiences an allergy associated with generic and/or processed ingredients, they may suffer from some very uncomfortable symptoms.

Apart from skin irritation and discomfort, an allergy related to poorly created food products can cause serious symptoms in a dog. These symptoms include severe vomiting, an increased amount of bowel movements each day that may become painful, and diarrhea, itching in the area of the anus, dehydration, and even seizures. Problems with the ears, such as infection and inflammation, are another common and uncomfortable symptom associated with food allergies in dogs.

If you are a pet owner, there are numerous ways that you can help to prevent allergies in dogs. It is important to ensure that you provide your animal with only the highest quality in foods. A dog should receive food that contains ingredients that are not processed. Having a diet with a high amount of nutrients, vitamins, and important minerals will help to allow your pet to remain healthy.

Certain test can be done at your vet’s office or you may have to go to a specialist. From there, numerous tests can be performed to find the exact issue. Some tests will show certain ingredients in food, ingredients in cleaning products, or dust etc. It may be a process to weed out the exact cause but will be worth it in the long run for the comfort of your pet and your sanity.

Lori Matthews studies health, nutrition and wellness. She enjoys writing articles on health for both people and pets. Please visit Lifes Abundance Healthy Dog Food for more information.

2007-09-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

While most people are aware of the high profile headlines concerning the recent pet food and human food recalls,
few people realize the difficulty in tracking the sources, according to a recent AP report by elite news journalist Andrew Bridges. All in all this has turned into a major health issue for the nation.
This is because if you take a look at the ninety-odd brands composing the recall of canned chili, stew & similiar food items, it all points back back to one manufacturer.
This was likewise the situation regarding the recalls of spinach, frozen meat and of course the now sad and infamous pet food recalls,
in which so many innocent animals were killed or severely sickened.
More than ever before, firms are outsourcing the food Americans consume, or at least the ingredients found in them — and then selling these items under many different brand names.
Many of these tainted ingredients come from China. To add insult to injury, many toys from that country have been found with toxic levels of lead in them.
The real issue here is that if individuals can't trace a particular item back to it's supplier, then that supplier has very little, if any, reason to keep their facilities or processing plants up to decent standards.
Oversight is remarkly slack. For example, the major brand in the pet food recalls was a co-regulator of the pet food industry along with the FDA.
Apparently, it all comes down to effeciency and simple economics: Outsourcing makes monetary sense for the firms who are unwilling to expand their existing manufacturing facilities. Established manufacturers may use excess capacity to fill the orders for others.
For some certain products which require expensive machinery — such as pet food for example — a limited number of contract manufacturers, like Menu Foods inc, make products which are then sold under many different brand names,
according to the AP report. The skeptics of this outsourcing believe that, in general, it creates increased vulnerability to our food supply. In essence, the manufacturer is no longer responsible to the consumer, but instead to other firms.
Meanwhile, various food safety advocates have repeatedly stated that when issues crop up with food items made under contract, sorting out who made what may delay recalls and public health warnings in general.
As an example, in July the FDA for a number of hours delayed issuing a consumer warning about botulism contamination in various canned food items until it could sort out the brands under which the Castleberry's Food Co. product was sold.
In addition to this, there has been a fairly long delay in mandating that imported fruits & vegetables be labeled with their nation of origin.

2007-09-01T19:54:00.001-07:00

According to a report from ScienceDaily as originally reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over one hundred and twenty million people in the U.S. who don't smoke are exposed to secondhand smoke
in their homes, vehicles, workplaces, and public places. This exposure causes thousands of lung cancer and heart disease deaths among nonsmokers every year, according to the California Environmental Protection Agency.
Making the leap from the effects of secondhand smoke on humans to their effects on pets isn't a big one, says veterinarian Carolynn MacAllister of Oklahoma State University.
"There have been a number of scientific papers recently that have reported the significant health threat secondhand smoke poses to pets," MacAllister said. "Secondhand smoke has been associated with oral cancer and lymphoma in cats, lung and nasal cancer in dogs, as well as lung cancer in birds."
She cited a study done by the Tufts College of Veterinary Medicine that showed that the number of cats living with mouth cancer (also known as squamous cell carcinoma) was higher for those living in homes with smokers than those who lived in smoke-free environments.
Cats living with smokers are also twice as likely to develop malignant lymphoma, a cancer that occurs in the lymph nodes and that is fatal to three out of four cats within 12 months of developing it.
Studies have also shown that dogs living in a smoking household are susceptible to cancers of the nose and sinus area, particularly if they are a long-nosed breed, because their noses have a greater surface area that is exposed
to carcinogens and a greater area for them to accumulate. Dogs affected with nasal cancer normally don't survive for more than one year.
Short and medium-nosed dogs are more susceptible to lung cancer, "because their shorter nasal passage aren't as effective at accumulating the inhaled secondhand smoke carcinogens," MacAllister said. "This results in more carcinogens reaching the lungs."
Birds are also at risk for lung cancer, as well as pneumonia, because their respiratory systems are hypersensitive to any type of air pollutant.
To help prevent animals from being adversely affected by smoking, pet owners who smoke should have a designated smoking area that is separated from the home or stop smoking altogether, MacAllister was quoted as stated.

2007-08-30T18:10:00.001-07:00

According to an article written by journalist Jerome Corsi on Worldnetdaily.com,
The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America meeting in Canada released a plan that establishes United nations law along with regulations
by the World Trade Organization & World Health Organization as paramount over United Stated law during a pandemic while also laying the foundation for militarizing the management of health emergencies,
according to the report yesterday.
In the meantime, the U.S. Northern Command has established a website dedicated to the avian flu and has been running exercises for the possible use of United States forces in a domestic emergency involving avian flu or pandemic influenza.
Under this Partnership, the Commander & Chief stated that the United States would work through the United Nations system influenza coordinator to make a continental emergency response plan operating
through authorities under the World Trade Organization, the North American Free Trade Agreement as well as the United nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Corsi see's a possible agenda because Dr. David Nabarro was appointed the first United nations system influenza coordinator, a position which also places him as a senior policy adviser to the U.N. director-general,
and it was Nabarro who earlier fueled speculation that an epidemic was basically inevitable.
Corsi stated that government websites document the increasing role for the U.S. military to be involved in domestic emergencies pertaining to health, such as the avian flu and pandemic influenza.
Corsi believes the threat of such a pandemic to be highly overblown, according to his site.

2007-08-29T19:24:00.001-07:00

Much the information for the following article was gleamed from the AP and Forbes.com....
The outlook for universal health care in the golden state does not appear too great at this particular point in time,
and some analysts believe that a failure could set back similar efforts around the whole country for at least several years more, unfortunately.
All in all, a formidable federation of trade Unions, physicians & similiar power brokers are arrayed against the Governors twelve billion annual plan to
make health insurance a requirement. He has threatened to veto the Democrats' alternative and take his own plan to the ballot.
A faceoff is possible by tomorrow, when the the Democrats plan to put the Governator's proposal to vote in the Assembly. The goal would be to prove how little support it really has.
Of course, what happens in the California may have major ramifications elsewhere, since it is the countries biggest state in terms of population.
Following the course set by Massachusetts, which passed universal health care into law last year, Schwarzenegger stated his particular plan last January to provide everyone in the Golden State
with health insurance. Nearly seven million people in California, or a staggering 18.5 percent of the people, are uninsured here.
The reason there is so much opposition is because his plan would call for new fees on physicians, hospitals and also employers.

2007-08-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

The following information was gleamed from the Trilogy August 2007 Health Newsletter.
The source of the following research was the Journal of Biological Chemistry (Aug. 3, 2007)
For additional data regarding the health 7 wellness benefits of taking pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplementation, visit the research section of Trilogy’s web site. You’ll find easy-to-read summaries of many of the latest scientific findings. Be sure to check in often, as we’ll be updating this section on a regular basis

Researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, published a study demonstrating that increased fish oil consumption and decreased vegetable oil consumption curbed the body’s overproduction of prostanoids. Additional information regarding this can be found at Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil Supps.

Prostanoids are valuable chemicals, as they help regulate blood pressure and reduce allergic reactions. But when prostanoids are produced excessively, it leads to inflammation of organ and other bodily tissues. This inflammation can cause redness, pain and, in some cases, visible swelling. Many believe that cellular inflammation is a major cause of multiple illnesses and disease states.

Researchers are hopeful that these findings will lead to new, more effective anti-inflammatory drugs, as current treatments are frequently accompanied by many side effects

2007-08-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

Much of the following information was taken from the August Trilogy Health and Wellness newsletter:
The majority nutritionists and dieticians concur that dietary supplements may be quite useful for achieving a balanced diet. In addition, high-quality supplements
may help to prevent long-term nutritional deficiencies. Furthermore, stress and a bad diet may disrupt the body’s natural ability to process and effectively use vitamins and minerals.
Vitamins are in fact nutrients that have to come from outside sources, like food & nutritional supplements, since the body cannot manufacture them on it's own.
Holistic researchers say that highly processed foods have a reduced nutritional value. The vast majority of mass-produced food products are chock full of preservatives such as nitrites and MSG, and these
can cause negative reactions in certain individuals, unfortunately. Processing and refining foods may reduce the fiber content of some food products.
More than ever, individuals are trying to maintain low-calorie diets. As a result many do not eat the diversity of foods that is required for complete nutrition.

Clearly, some form of supplementation is warranted for many of us. Ultralogix Nutritional Supplements has risen to meet the demand for better nutrition with a unique line of vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements

Established nutritional guidelines dictate that you consume several servings of fruits and vegetables everyday.
But some believe that our current agricultural system is depleting the soil of the very nutrients that our bodies require, through over-farming and a heavy dependence upon chemical insect repellents. It is possible that even though you may eat the recommended servings of particular foods, you may not be getting all of the nutrition your body needs

2007-08-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

According to an August 22nd article ron the News Inferno website,
Salmonella-tainted dog food is being recalled in number of states around the country.
The Mars Petcare US Corporation based in of Tennessee announced the recall a few days ago on the 21st. The firm
stated that it is recalling their five pound bags of Krasdale Gravy Dry Dog Food due to Salmonella contamination which can cause both pets and humans alike to get ill,
unfortunately. The FDA has stated that the dog food in question bears the UPC code 753062596
and a “best buy” date of July 16, 2008 and July 17, 2008. FDA tests on a sample of this dog food discovered the Salmonella bacteria. Any individuals who bought the dog food should throw it
out and return the bags for a full refund.
Animals can get quite ill from Salmonella if they eat the tainted Krasdale Gravy Dry Dog Food. In addition, humans can get sick also via cross-contamination. To help avoid this fate, individuals handling all non-premium pet food should
wash their hands thoroughly when they are finished feeding their animals. Furthermore, pet food bowls, dishes and scooping utensils should likewise be washed after use. Dry food should be stored in a cool dry place in the original bag or a container with a lid.
Pet food also should not be stored or handled in the same places that the food is stored or prepared.

2007-08-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

Workers Comp and the Committee on Health and Safety...
Honest employers, partricularly those in the various blue-collar fields, might be over-paying rates for workers' compensation insurance due to the fact that their less than honest industry peers are cheating, a California advisory committee stated recently.

The report, which was in excess of forty pages long from the Committee on Health and Safety & Workers' Compensation stated that this lack of integrity means that honest firms in a broad range of risky blue-collar fields may be paying as much as a staggering 8 times more for workers' compensation insurance than they should be!

The 8 person advisory committee, which was commisioned by the governor and Legislature, sent the report to Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, who has quickly formed an anti-fraud force.

Under the existing law, firms have to purchase workers' compensation insurance for every single individual that works for them. The costs for this insurance is relative to the risk of the particular work being done. As a general example, a secretary would be at much lower risk than the employee who uses power tools.
For such a a blue collar worker, the hirer might be required to pay a dollar in workers' comp premium for every single dollar in payroll. Therefore, it obviously costs the honest firm around two times the amount to send such a worker up on the roof than the paycheck might suggest. In contrast, however, to get workers' comp coverage for a secretary in the same
firm, he or she might have to add only one cent in workers' comp costs for every dollar.
So the honest firms will eventually get hit with a further rate increase to make up for the less than honest ones, unfortunately.
A San Francisco based insurance agent who heads a confederation of home and small-business owners and is involved in the anti-fraud campaign mentioned earlier, stated that officials have come to percieve that this particular kind of fraud is running amok. Yet he also stated that he did not fully understand how rates could really be 8 times bigger,
although any increase was too much and cannot be tolerated.

2007-08-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

According to a recent article on sciencedaily.com, Internet Addiction is in fact a very real problem.
Apparently it affects about 10% or so of all of all world wide web surfers and it goes by the technical name of “Internet addiction disorder”.
This condition can lead to both anxiety and eventually major depression.
Some experts even suggest that it be included along with other types of addictive disorders like drug addiction and kleptomania.
At this point in time, world wide web surfing addiction is officially classified as an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD. This is a moderate to severe mental health
condition which eventually results in a desire to engage in ritualistic thoughts & behavior, like excessive handwashing for example.
It appears that there are 2 distinct groups of people who are at greatest risk from this particular disorder, according to the experts. One group is teenagers. Perhaps more of a surprise however, the other risk group is males and females
in their mid-50s suffering from a sort of mid-life crises. The symptoms of WWW addiction in both of these groups are
somewhat vague and are very often touph to diagnose. Sufferers might experience a difficult time sleeping, anxiety attacks while not web surfing, isolation factors,
less prduction at work, and of course time periods of depression, unfortunately.
Recent research findings of this disorder have recently been published on the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.
Some experts state that web addicts are inevitable and are simply a product of modernization.

2007-08-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

The high profile Toxic Toy crises has not just hit the United Stated hard, unfortunately.
Canadian Health Minister Tony Clement has launched a comprehensive review of safety standards as the list of tainted Chinese-made
products continues to grow. Meanwhile, the ministry will reporting very soon on whether or not new measures are going to be required to protect consumers.
The Mattel corporation, a toy making giant, has announced 2 huge worldwide recalls of toys coated in highly toxic lead paint after earlier reports of tainted goods, including toothpaste, pet food and even defective tires.
It all adds up to increasing weariness regarding products from China. Sue Huh, a mother of 2 small children, says she has been deliberately avoiding toys made in China in recent months. Don't want junior to accendially swallow that Matchbox racecar.
The NY Times newspaper has reported that certain vinyl baby bibs from China have paint levels of a staggering 3 times the acceptable maximum of lead.
Finally, the governments of Canada, the United States and Mexico are ready to consider joint action.
The 3 leaders will be discussing safety standards for these products from a "continental perspective".
Health officials such as the federal Public Health Agency are on increased alert for any examples of lead poisoning, yet there have been no reports of any such illnesses up to this point, luckily.
The toys being recalled are small enough to fit into a kid's mouth, and saliva can dissolve lead from paint.
Legal fforts to reduce the lead in the environment, such as a ban on leaded gasoline, have succeeded in reducing the levels of lead as well as reported cases of poisoning, yet the symptoms, such as possible permanent brain damage, mean that parents are of course very concerned.

2007-08-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

Here is some great news for all you java junkies out there (caffeine is America's number one drug)... A recent research study reported on the News Max news network seems to prove that a double espresso every day along with exercise may actually ward off skin cancer. It is in fact consistent with similiar research that appears to show that coffee can be of assistance with a number of different diseases such as colon cancer, Parkinson’s disease & even liver cancer, among others.

The study at the Rutger’s University in New Jersey divided hairless mice into 4 groups. The first group drank caffeinated water which was the equivalent of some 2 cups of coffee per day. The next group ran on a running wheel the equivalent of a person running between 2 and 2.5 miles per day. The next group drank caffeinated water and exercised while the final group (the control group), did neither one. All of the mice were exposed to various lamps which generated enough UVB radiation to damage the DNA of their skin cells.

Researchers eventually found out that the mice who drank the caffeinated water and exercised killed off the damaged cells — the ones that would eventually lead to skin cancer — better than any other. Meanwhile, the mice who drank the caffeinated water killed off the damaged skin cells at a ninety-six percent better rate than the control group, and the exercise-only group killed off damaged cells one hundred and twenty percent better. Meanwhile the group that both drank caffeine and exercised killed off the cells in question at a staggering rate of nearly four hundred percent higher!

Nonetheless, all individuals should definately continue to protect themselves from the sun. “You should not give up the sunblock,” said the author of the study. It is the only truly proven way, say the experts, to protect yourself from the rays of the sun that could possibly lead to skin cancer.

In other health and nutrition related news, it was also reported by the News Max agency that Grape Juice May Protect women Against the threat of Breast Cancer.
This study appears to indicate that grape juice may maintain breast health and suppress oxidative stress and inhibiting DNA damage to cells which may lead to the beginning of cancer, or in helping to slow down the progression of breast cancer by slowing down the formation of cancer cells

2007-07-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

The Latest Fish Oil Supplementation research
Here is a great fish oil article written by Lori mathews

In the quest to achieve better health and wellness, fish oil supplements have become an increasingly popular way to take advantage of many different medical benefits. Fish oil originates from the tissues of oily fish, such as carp, herring, salmon, and fresh tuna. Today, fish oil is recommended as part of a healthy diet because of the amount of omega-3 fatty acids contained, which is known to reduce inflammation throughout the body and lessen the threat of coronary heart disease (among other things).

There are two main ways to include fish oil as part of a healthy diet. The first involves the consumption of oily fish, including sardines and cod, which contain oils throughout their body and about their gut, unlike other species of fish. Depending on the species, oily fish fillets may offer up to 30% oil. Besides omega-3 fatty acids, oily fish also provides a good source of vitamins A and D.
Decreased Pain Levels and Inflammation

Omega-3 fatty acids may posses the power to lessen inflammation in the body, as well as ease the pain associated with arthritis and cystitis. Rheumatoid arthritis patients often report an improvement in joint pains and inflammation when taking fish oil supplements.

Treats Depression and Stress

Some individuals have been able to ease their symptoms of depression by implementing omega-3 fish oil supplements into their diet. Fish oils have also been linked to showing promise in treating bipolar and psychotic patients. Supplements may also help to promote the overall mood of patients, and may even reduce premenstrual stress.

Cardiovascular Improvements

The heart, arteries, and veins may benefit from fish oil because it has been known to help lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure, while at the same time improving "good" cholesterol levels.
Fights Strokes and Heart Attack

The threat of stroke and heart attack may be decreased with the introduction of fish oils into a diet because they may help to prevent blood clots and other damage to the heart. A decreased risk of sudden death and heart attacks has also been seen.
Enhances Brain Activity

Fish oil is known to boost intelligence and overall happiness in users, as well as improve the memory and ability to stay focused. In the elderly, the risk of dementia and memory loss sometimes decreases with the use of fish oil supplements. Additionally, mothers who consume or take a high amount of omega-3/fish oils during pregnancy often give birth to children with a higher IQ.

Combats Childhood Disorders

Children, who suffer from disorders, such as ADD and ADHD, have experienced a better quality of life when incorporating fish oil fatty acids into their diet. Additional conditions that respond to fish oils include dyslexia and compulsive disorders.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Lori Matthews studies health, nutrition and wellness. She enjoys writing articles on health for both people and pets. Please visit benefits of taking pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplements for more information.

2007-07-05T22:03:00.001-07:00

European researchers have discovered evidence of an advanced mental ability in canines; one that was previously thought to be specific only to humans!

A behavior known as “selective imitation” is a method of learning that brings meaning and cultural context to specific actions. In selective imitation, observers (usually infants) differentiate between two types of behaviors. There are acts of necessity (I can’t use my hands right now because they’re otherwise occupied, so I’ll use my elbow to open the door lever) and there are acts of inefficient preference (even though I can use my hands which are not presently occupied, I like to open the door with my elbow). When human infants observe the two behaviors, they will adopt the latter skill (i.e., the latter behavior is “selected”).

In a recent study, dogs learned in just the same way. Dogs watched a demonstrator dog pulling a rod with a paw, rather than with the mouth. When the demonstrator dog carried a ball in its mouth, the actions were not adopted by the observer dogs. But, when the demonstrator dog had no object in its mouth and pulled the lever with a paw, the observer dogs began to adopt the behavior.

Certainly, further research is warranted in this area, but researchers are excited by these results which seem to indicate that our canine companions may have more complex learning abilities that previously believed.

2007-06-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

This article originally appeared in the June 2007 Issue of the Trilogy Online newsletter. Trilogy Online produces high quality Vitamins of the Ultralogix brand as well as pharmaceutical grade fish oil

Recent media attention has been directed toward the safety and efficacy of vitamins and supplements. Some nutritionists have claimed that supplements do less than promised and that we should simply eat healthier foods to provide for our dietary needs. And, in fact, these claims are not without merit. Many of the supplements available today do not deliver the nutrition that they claim.

Ideally, all of us would recieve our complete nutrition from a balanced and wholesome diet. But the reality is that modern lifestyles make numerous demands of our time … time that we could spend preparing the foods that our bodies truly need.

So, how can you determine if you need to fortify your diet with daily nutritional supplements? Here are some key factors that you need to consider to answer this question. Would you characterize your lifestyle or physical state closely with any of the following descriptions? If so, you might need the extra nutrition that comes from a supplement.

• If you’re not eating at least several servings of a variety of vegetables and fruits each day, it is not likely that you will be taking in the neede quantities of minerals & vitamins that you body requires for ideal health and wellness.

• If you happen to be on a restricted-calorie diet, you may not be fulfilling your daily requirements of nutrients. This is mainly due to not eating a broad array of foods, which makes it very somewhat hard to get all of the basic nutrients you require.

Also, If you are pregnant, your body’s needs are quite different. You will need a lot more calcium, iron as well as folate. The extra iron is needed for red blood cell health, just to to stave off fatigue. Folate is generally recommended to protect against fetal spinal defects, such as spina bifida.
Additional facts can be found at
Trilogy Health

2007-06-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

You might just wish to think again prior to drinking another soft drink: research reported in the Britain's Independent newspaper states that a common preservative used in fizzy drinks may switch off essential parts of your DNA. The preservative may bring on premature aging and even trigger certain diseases which are commonly associated with old age.

The preservative in question is none other than sodium benzoate, which is regularly used by the multi-billion dollar global soft drink industry. It is derived from benzoic acid, and it is known to prevent mold in drinks like Coke, Dr. Pepper, etc., and is also used in pickles and sauces as well as other products.

Alarm bells have already been going off about it, since it has been discovered that when it's mixed with vitamin C in soft drinks, it creates the carcinogenic substance benzene. Now British Professor Peter Piper of Sheffield University has sounded an even louder alarm — his tests appear to prove that benzoate damages DNA in the energy-producing mitochondria of cells.

"These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it: they knock it out altogether," Piper said. "The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it — as happens in a number of diseased states — then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA—Parkinson's and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole process of ageing."

2007-05-24T23:29:00.000-07:00

Never before has the pet-food industry been rocked by widespread contamination and rampant recalls. In all, more than 5,600 products by dozens of pet food makers have been recalled, from chain supermarket brands to prescription-only foods. This is a staggering number of products, and is unprecedented in this business.

Holistic veternarian Dr. Jane Bicks is quoted as saying: "Thousands of deaths are due to the contamination, and many thousands more have suffered illnesses. We shudder to think of the long-term impacts of the compromised liver and kidney function and how this will affect thousands of companion animals in America.

Leading experts believe that the severe reactions experienced by some cats and dogs were the result of an interaction of chemicals, between the melamine and a list of other culprits, including cyuranic acid.

The past few weeks have been very difficult for pet parents. News of the food recalls has struck a raw nerve with millions of us – don’t mess with my family!"

More information on Life's Abundance Premium Dog and Cat Food can be found at More info at
at
Premium Dog Food Nutrition

while additional detail regarding the pet food recalls and other related pet news may be found at:
More info at
at
The Pet care Blog

2007-05-10T21:40:00.000-07:00

New evidence suggests that prenatal intake of soy can have a long-term positive impact on weight..... This was reported in the Trilogy Only Health Newsletter (May 2007)....
Findings at a Duke University Medical Center research study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, give some degree of verification to the “developmental origins of adult disease” hypothesis, which states that a person’s prenatal experience affects their long-term health.

While not confirmed yet in tests on people, preliminary results indicate a correlation between prenatal consumption of soy – and specifically, the nutrient genistein – and the risk of becoming overweight......

When the pregnant mice in this research study consumed a diet which was rich in genistein, their offspring were substantially leaner throughout their adulthood. This could explain why Asian populations, which typically injest larger amounts of soy than other nations, often have lower rates of not only being overweight, but breast & prostate cancers as well........ More information can be found at
Trilogy Online

2007-04-22T22:39:00.001-07:00

More news about the fast becoming infamous pet food recalls....As reported by OregonLlive.com posted by The Associated Press and The Oregonian “Ingredients imported from China that went into recalled pet food may have been intentionally spiked with an industrial chemical to boost their protein content, federal officials said today.

That's one theory being pursued by the Food and Drug Administration as it investigates how the chemical, melamine, contaminated at least two ingredients used to make more than 100 brands of dog and cat foods. Melamine has been found by U.S. laboratories in both wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China.”

Melamine, an ingredient in plastics and fertilizers could lead to kidney failure in animals.

Stephen Sundlof, chief veterinarian for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said melamine, which has turned up in more than 100 brands of cat and dog food, might have been used to falsely boost the apparent nutritional content of rice protein. Melamine can skew test results to make a product appear more protein-rich than it really is, Sundlof said.

You think when you are buying food that all pet food manufacturers have your pet’s best interests in mind …………..right? – After all, who doesn’t love your pets more? Current pet food regulations allow manufacturers to use ingredients that you would never knowingly give to your pet. For example: by-products used (feet, bones and intestines, etc.), or as some of you heard the 4 D’s, dead diseased, dying and disabled Chemical preservatives (BHA and BHT) should not be in your pet’s food. Look for grains that are often difficult to digest (corn, wheat, gluten and soy), which are often used as a protein source instead of meat, should be avoided

If you switch to premium dog food, switch your pet’s diet to premium treats, bones and supplements. Often times we over look what else we are giving them. Treats can contain the harmful and not so healthy ingredients as listed above.

Life’s Abundance Premium Food for Puppies & Adult Dogs is made using only fresh, human-quality ingredients. It is a nutrient dense food with high quality meat proteins and NO by-products, corn, wheat, gluten or soy. NO artificial flavors, colors, sugars or chemical preservatives.

Lori Matthews studies health, nutrition and wellness. She enjoys writing articles on health for both people and pets. Please visit healthy, Premium Dog Food from Life’s Abundance for more detail..

2007-03-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

The pet food recall scandal continues unabated. Just a day after the first
dry food was added to the 50 plus dog brands and forty plus cat brands affected by the recall,
the list was further expanded on March 31 to also include a new brand even as authorities were baffled as to why the substance would kill dogs and cats, according to a report on Excite News.

Nestle Purina PetCare Co. said it was recalling all sizes and all varieties of the Alpo Prime Cuts & Gravy wet dog food with certain date codes. They stated that some of the food had a contaminated wheat gluten that was from China.
This gluten is supplied to numerous brands in fact.

For example this same U.S. supplier furnished wheat gluten, which is a protein source, to a Canadian firm, Menu Foods, which this month recalled recalled some million containers of wet dog and cat food it produces for sale under nearly one hundred brand labels.

Menu Foods and the FDA, which regulates the pet food industry, have refused to identify the firm which supplied the contaminated wheat gluten in question.
Does this mean menu Foods and other big suppliers are policing themselves. I am recommending to everyone that purchase a premium dog or cat food for their pet.

2007-03-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

As I am sure you know by now there has been a widespread pet food recall on numerous brands of dog food (over fifty at the time of this article) and cat food (over forty at this time) that may contain aminopterin, rat poison. Yes, rat poison. At this point there is no news as to how it even got into the food. It has been reported that this has been the cause of a minimum of sixteen deaths plus more which are very severely ill.

Regrettably, current pet food regulations allow manufacturers to use ingredients which you would never knowingly permit your dog or cat to eat. As a matter of fact, you may be taken aback by what what some brands of dog/cat food actually contain. For example: the use of by-products (feet, bones and intestines, and so on.), chemical preservatives (BHA and BHT) and grains that are often difficult to digest (corn, wheat, gluten and soy), which are often used as a protein source instead of meat.

Be Aware of these Ingredients
• By-products – basically this is what is left over when the good cuts of meat are taken for humans. Bones, intestines, heads, feet, tendons, ligaments and other body parts are known as by-products.

• Grains including soy, corn, corn gluten and wheat gluten are often used as protein sources; however, they are generally inferior and difficult to digest.

• Chemical Preservatives such as BHA, BHT and ethoxoquin may be quite harmful to pets.

• Freshness - The big conglamorate manufacturers make pet food in massive batches that can last for very, very long periods of time. MAnof the major dog food brands are owned by the sme parent company as well.

These are only a few of the things to stay away from. Look to see if your dog or cat food contains vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and bacteria cultures to name a few.

Remember, what your vet recommends as premium dog food might be the farthest thing from healthy.

Lori Matthews studies health, nutrition and wellness. She enjoys writing articles on health for both people and pets. Please visit her site containing information on holistic, premium dog food by Life's Abundance
This is a truly all natural, premium dog food, and it is formulated by renowned holistic veternarian Dr. Jane Bicks, former head of the New York veternary association.

2007-03-24T00:16:00.001-07:00

If you are a pet owner, It is now more important than ever to
be certain that you are feeding your animal a premium dog food
or a holistic, premium cat food. When I first heard about the horrors of the rendering plants,
I thought it was an exaggeration. But upon hearing the recent news of the dog and cat food recalls
I see that what I heard may have been just the tip of the iceberg.
At the time of this writing, there are some 53 dog products which have been recalled and another
42 cat products. And this list is likely to grow.
If your dog or cat has eaten any of the food listed on the rather extensive recall list and they are showing signs of illness, be sure to contact your vet right away
because with treatment it may not be too late.

2006-10-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are into body building or just lifting weights generally
have probably at least heard of Creatine, with many actually trying it out.
Apparently it is quite safe if you take it with juice or something with sugar.
Check out www.creatinejournal.com, a personal insight to using creatine supplement, with information on creatine side effects, benefits and a journal from personal experience.