Setting Standards For Our Health (Part I)

The pleasure of eating with a friend. There's not many things better!

What kind of standards do we set for what is certainly one of our most precious assets, our health? Heave we ever though about health standards? Are we complacent about our health? Do we even have standards?

Our health and well-being is an area where many of us have to do some real soul searching. After all, the old adage "you are what you eat" is hard to deny. What kind of health standards do we set for ourselves? Seriously, do we exercise like we know we should? Do we eat and drink (or refrain from eating and drinking) as we know deep down inside we should? Do we get enough sleep?

I am of the opinion that nearly all of us have been taught the basics of good health and well-being since our elementary school days. We really claim ignorance, can we? But honestly, when we take a good, hard look, how many of do what we know should? Sometimes I wonder. What kind of health standards can we set? What is realistic? Just a couple of basic goals or standards, can go a long way. In tomorrow's blog I would like to make a couple of suggestions to help us in our quest to Feel Outstanding.


Here's to Feeling Outstanding!
Tom Thorne
www.FeelingOutstanding.com

Pine Bark

In my last two blogs I talked about Feverfew and Butterbur, two herbal remedies that have shown very good results for Headaches. Let's take a look at a third.

Dr. Sirichai Chayasirisobhon of Kaiser Permanente Medical Center set out to address the question of whether free radical damage can contribute to migraine headaches. ("Use of a Pine Bark Extract and Antioxidant Vitamin Combination Product as Therapy for Medication", Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, Vol 46, No. 5, May 2006) He chose a dozen patients who had a long-term history of migraines with little to no success with various drugs (antidepressants, beta-blockers and anticonvulsants).

At the start of the study, subjects completed a questionnaire which was called the migraine disability assessment (MIDAS). The MIDAS was designed to assess the impact of migraine flare-ups on activities at home, work and while interacting with friends and family. This is a great way to start an unbiased test, so that the results before the test are well documented and there can be no dispute.

For the three month study period, each subject was given daily supplements that contained 600 mg of vitamin C, 300 IU of vitamin E and 1,200 mg of a pine bark extract. Subjects were allowed to continue using the medications they were currently taking. Upon the end of the trial period the subjects completed a seconds MIDAS questionnaire. Their responses indicated a significant improvement.

The overall MIDAS scored improvement was more than 50%.

The average number of migraine days was reduced from 44 days in the three months prior to the trial, to 26 days during the trial.

The average migraine severity score (which some will argue is the most important factor) was reduced from 7.5 (out of 10) to 5.5

One subject dropped out of the trial. Of the remaining 11, two reported no change in frequency, duration or severity. Among the other nine, the overall MIDAS score improvement was almost 68%.

These three herbal remedies for migraines have all shown very good results when tested as alternative treatments for migraine headaches. If you suffer from headaches, these three appear to be well worth a try. It is possible that people in this country need to take a new approach toward migraine headache relief. Herbal remedies may be the answer.

Visit the Herbal Remedies for Migraine Headaches web page for more information on herbal remedies for migraine headaches and great product offers. There are ways to help defeat the battle with migraines or headaches in general that many of us are facing.

Here's to good health!

Tom Thorne
http://www.feelingoutstanding.com/

Migraine Headaches and Herbal Supplements - Butterbur

Butterbur

Traditionally butterbur has been used to treat spasms in the respiratory and digestive tract. In addition, Butterbur is said to inhibit the production of histamine, which helps to keep air passages open. This may help to relieve allergic congestion and seasonal allergies.

Butterbur is very popular in Europe and becoming increasingly popular in America as a sound way to minimize neurological discomfort. The exact cause of this is still unclear but neurologically severe headaches may be caused by a number of biological factors. Some researchers believe that they stem from an imbalance in the central nervous system that encourages the release of blood-dilating peptides. This could result in inflammation of the brain's thin outer layer, the cerebral cortex. As pressure builds, blood flow becomes more restricted, potentially enhancing migraine headache symptoms. (Carle, R., Plant-based antiphlogistics and spasmolytics' (translated from German). Z Phytother. 1988; 9: 67-76).

Other physicians think that many commonly consumed food items trigger migraines or that they could be hereditary. A 12 week clinical study showed that the active compounds in butterbur can prevent peptidoleukotriene biosynthesis, which is an inflammatory process that has been linked to the onset of mgraines. (Bickel D, Roder T, Bestmann, J. Identification and characterization of inhibitors of peptide-leukotriene-synthesis from Petasites hybridus. Plant Medica. 1994; 60:31-322).

Also of note is the writing 'Petasites Hybridus Root (Butterbur) is an effective prevention for migraine" by Lipton, Einhaupl and Gobel (Neurology, 2004; 2240-4).

One thing to note about butterbur is that the plant contains liver toxins called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). So it is important to choose a formula that is PA free.

Butterbur is another herb that is worth a try if you are experiencing headaches. I know the pain and misery that headaches bring on. If you are expereincing headaches, migraines in particular, butterbur could very well be worth a try.

Tom Thorne
http://www.feelingoutstanding.com/

Migraine Headaches and Herbal Supplements - Feverfew

The feverfew plant.

Feverfew comes from the same tribe of plants (asteraceae) as the daisy. Since the 1st century A.D., it has been used for the treatment of headache, stomachaches and fever. Feverfew has anti-inflammatory, stimulant, relaxant, decongestant and anti-coagulant properties.

Feverfew is mainly used for the treatment and prevention of frequent and serious migraine headaches. From the Natural Health (2007-03-01) we are told that "in a recent, well-designed clinical trial, 170 German patients took a placebo pill or an extract of feverfew for 16 weeks. Those taking Feverfew had significantly fewer migraines."

Feverfew should be taken daily as a preventative, rather than a treatment for migraines. Herbal experts recommend tapering off the dose if you are going to quit taking the herb.

In my opinion, treating the source is a far superior method when compared to treating the cause. I worked with treating the cause for 40 years and things just got worse. I am on the road to recovery now and I love living life Feeling Outstanding!

Tom Thorne
http://www.feelingoutstanding.com/

We Love Our Junk Food

The list of the 10 U.S. cities where people spend the most amount of their yearly grocery bill on unhealthy food was released recently. Being from North Carolina I cannot say that I am especially proud that Charlotte was #5. The metro Charlotte region spends 10.9 percent of their annual food dollars in the unhealthy category. This would include items such as cake and brownie mixes, cookies, candies, frozen pizza, full-fat mayonnaise, chips and salty snacks, soft drinks, ice cream, bacon and sausage.

The #1 metro area was Minneapolis-St Paul, where people spend 11.5 percent. The top 10 look like this:
1. Minneapolis-St Paul
2. Richmond, VA
3. Indianapolis
4. Chicago
5. Charlotte
6. Louisville
7. New Orleans
8. Nashville
9. Memphis
10. Milwaukee (good thing they didn't include beer on the list)

This study was for the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S.

So which cites spent the least on unhealthy foods? The bottom five areas are Providence, R.I., Boston, MA, Portland, OR, Hartford, CT and Austin/San Antonio.

Tom Thorne
http://www.feelingoutstanding.com/

Today's Gas Prices - Is Their a Silver Lining?

I know that most of us are in the blues regarding the price of gas. I sure am. Even though the national average price has dropped to $3.67 per gallon it still hurts to fill up the car. This blog is about living life and feeling outstanding so see if their is any silver lining to this from the business standpoint.

As oil prices neared $150 a barrell costs seemed to increase for everything from jet fuel to plastic jars. The big question was how many companies would just fold up under this increased pressure?

The surprising answer is not many. The business men and women of this country continue to display amazing resilience. The concept of Theory Y employees that was proposed by Douglas McGregor back in 1960 has seemed to blossom as new ideas and ways to cut costs have been coming from all corners. And there have been a lot more cost cutting measures than just laying people off.

Granted, unemployment, which has jumped to a high in recent years of 5.6% is an issue, especially for those who are unemployed. But we also have to realize that throughout the mid 1990s up until very recently this country has been going through a period of great economic success. When I was in undergradute school at Indiana University in the late 1970s, 5% unemployment was considered to be 'normal.'

Productivity jumped by 4.3 percent in the April-June quarter. That's big news! My point is that with the many ingenious ideas that companies have developed to save money so the could stay in business and the productivity increases that have occured, when things turn for the better, companies should be in better shape.

In hard times as well as good times let's not forget about our health. Let's not forget to take care of ourselves, to eat right, exercise and take the nutritional supplements we need.

Here's to living life Feeling Outstanding.

Tom Thorne

www.FeelingOutstanding.com

Health, Sickness and Headaches - We Can Win!

Kessler Peak, Mount Olympus Wilderness. We Can Win!

We will never go beyond the barriers in our own mind. If we think we cannot do something, we never will. If we think we will always be sick, clumsy, overweight or have headaches, we always will. To a great extent the battle is in our mind. If we are defeated in our mind, the battle is already lost. If we do not think our aspirations for good health will ever come to pass, they never will.

If we don't think we have what it takes to rise up and set a new standard, it's not going to happen. How many of us have a standard for our health? We need to set a new standard for what certainly is one of our most precious assets, our health. A standard not only to get better, but to stay better. The importance of good heath is paramount. Think of people you know of who are constantly afflicted with a heath issue and how much of life they miss out on. Some people cannot play any sports, swim or enjoy themselves in the sun because of health issues. Let's set a standard for our health, for better health, so that we can enjoy life and help others to do the same.

Sometimes we see people fighting a sickness the same way, doing the same old things that have not worked before. Continually heading down a slippery slope and not improving, continuing down the same treatment path that is going nowhere. We may need to jolt ourselves out of our complacency and try something different.

Maybe, just maybe it's time to try an alternative approach for health. An alternative approach to fight those migraine headaches. Or maybe it's time to get involved in a regular exercise program to lose weight instead of all of those crazy, heavily inflated items that are advertised everywhere we turn. How about trying some green tea for cholesterol or Vitamin B complex if you're stressed out?

Let's overcome our mental obstacles. Let's set a standard. Maybe it is time try something different, an alternative approach for health.

Visit the Feeling Outstanding Natural Supplements page for an excellent selection of nutritional supplements and herbal remedies. An alternative approach for health.

In the midst sedrious economic problems let's try to keep a positive attitude. Our health is our greatest blessing.

Tom Thorne
http://www.feelingoutstanding.com/