Sweety Stevia, where have U been hiding?

Stevia. Most people probably haven’t heard of it. Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central America. The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, stevia’s taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations.

With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets. However, health and political controversies have limited stevia’s availability in many countries; for example, the United States banned it in the early 1990s unless labeled as a supplement.

The question to ask is: Why it was banned unless labeled as a supplement by the US FDA? Is it because it’s potentially harmful to humans? In reality, stevia is natural and non-toxic. Compared to nutra-sweet or Splenda which are both derived through a chemical process, it’s actually much healthier for you.

In 1991, when the FDA labeled the plant as an “unsafe additive,” it restricted the import of stevia. This brought on much controversy that brought up questions of whether the FDA acted on results from empirical data that stevia was “inadequate to demonstrate its safety,” or if it was pressure from lobbyists in the artificial sweetener industry. Most likely we all have our opinions on that!

Well guess what…last year the FDA lifted the restriction and stevia can now be used as an additive. Wow, just when you thought our government did not act in the best interest of the people they TOTALLY redeem themselves…or NOT.

The real reason the restriction was lifted is not because they find that it’s in the best interest of public health. Forget that there is this all-natural product that grows from the ground that could be used as a sugar substitute rather than using nasty chemicals that we are finding cause an array of symptoms. Instead, what really pushed them to make the change…COCA COLA. That’s right folks. The beverage giant pushed and the government tipped over.

At least the soda giants took a turn for the better **applause**:

In December 2008, the FDA gave a “no objection” approval for GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) product status to Truvia (developed by Cargill and The Coca-Cola Company) and PureVia (developed by PepsiCo and the Whole Earth Sweetener Company, a subsidiary of Merisant), both of which are wholly-derived from the Stevia plant.

NikiNorman Wellness Infotainment

The Deception of Aspartame (Sugar Free)

What is Aspartame?

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar in typical concentrations, without the high energy value of sugar. While aspartame, like otherpeptides, has a caloric value of 4 kilocalories (17 kilojoules) per gram, the quantity of aspartame needed to produce a sweet taste is so small that its caloric contribution is negligible, which makes it a popular sweetener for those trying to avoid calories from sugar. The taste of aspartame is not identical to that of sugar: the sweetness of aspartame has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar. Blends of aspartame with acesulfame potassium—usually listed in ingredients as acesulfame K—are alleged^[who?] to taste more like sugar, and to be sweeter than either substitute used alone.

Why do U use Aspartame?

This sweetener is marketed under a number of trademark names, including Equal, NutraSweet, and Canderel, and is an ingredient of approximately 6,000 consumer foods and beverages sold worldwide, including (but not limited to) diet sodas and other soft drinks, instant breakfasts, breath mints, cereals, sugar-free chewing gum, cocoa mixes, frozen desserts, gelatin desserts, juices, laxatives, chewable vitamins supplements, milk drinks, pharmaceutical drugs and supplements, shake mixes, tabletop sweeteners, teas, instant coffees, topping mixes, wine coolers and yogurt. It is provided as a table condiment in some countries. However, aspartame is not always suitable for baking because it often breaks down when heated and loses much of its sweetness. Aspartame is also one of the main sugar substitutes used by people withdiabetes.

The danger of Aspartame!

Aspartame is probably the most controversial food additive in history. Look up aspartame on the internet, and you’ll find page after page of information – most of it warnings on its dangers. Books have been written on aspartame dangers, there is even a video, “Sweet Misery,” depicting its dangers. The State of New Mexico initiated legislation to try to ban aspartame.

With so many negative reports about aspartame, it is important
to understand how aspartame was approved

In approximately 1967, G.D. Searle, manufacturer of aspartame, first began the process of seeking FDA approval for their artificial sweetener as a food additive.

What followed were years of controversy. Early on, respected neuroscientist and researcher, Dr. John W. Olney, warned the manufacturer that oral intake of glutamate, aspartate and cysteine, the excitotoxic amino acids found in aspartame, cause brain damage in mice. His findings were confirmed by another researcher, Ann Reynolds, who was hired by G. D. Searle. (Claiming an oversight, G. D. Searle did not inform the FDA of this study until after the approval of aspartame.)

Petitions by Dr. Olney prompted an FDA investigation which found G.D. Searle’s testing procedures to be full of inaccurate results and manipulated test data. Following the investigation, a grand jury probe began, but was thwarted six months later when the lead U.S. Attorney assigned to the case, Samuel Skinner, suddenly resigned and accepted a position at the law firm representing G.D. Searle.

About this same time (1977) the battle weary G.D. Searle company sought to turn the situation around by appointing, as their new CEO, former Illinois congressman and Washington “insider” Donald Rumsfeld (most recently the former Secretary of Defense).

Although it took several years, Rumsfeld’s political pull, rather than the scientific evidence, eventually resulted in the approval of Aspartame—through his associations in Washington and with President Ronald Reagan.

When Ronald Reagan (a good friend of G.D. Searle, manufacturer of aspartame) took office in 1981 he fired the current FDA Commissioner who refused to approve aspartame. President Reagan then hired Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes as commissioner. By this time there was so much controversy over aspartame that a Board of Inquiry was established. The Board advised Dr. Hayes not to approve aspartame. Dr. Hayes overruled his own Board and aspartame was approved for use in November 1981. Shortly (four months) after Dr. Hayes won approval for aspartame he left his position as FDA Commissioner and took a lucrative position with G.D. Searle’s Public Relations firm.

Based on widely available information, the FDA approval of aspartame certainly appears to be the result of manipulated data, bribery, deception and political corruption. For the history of aspartame, the following websites provide the pre approval and research data that led to the FDA approval of aspartame:

http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/history.faq

http://www.wnho.net/history_of_aspartame.htm

(1983) Even the National Soft Drink Association drafted an objection to permitting the use of aspartame in carbonated beverages. At that time, it was well documented that when liquid aspartame is stored above 85 degrees it breaks down into DKP and formaldehyde, both known toxins. Formaldehyde binds tightly to DNA, making it difficult to remove from the body. And, because it is a "cumulative toxin", even small amounts can become significantly toxic over time

Why is Aspartame is so dangerous?
Aspartame is an excitotoxin—a substance that excites or over-stimulates nerve cells, damaging the nervous system. The nervous system is responsible for carrying information to and from all parts of the body. Symptoms of nervous system damage run the gamut from loss of feeling and tingling, lack of coordination and reflexes, muscle rigidity, to slurred speech and seizures.

An excitotoxin, such as Aspartame, basically excites neural cells to death. This occurs in the brain and in peripheral nerves because the key components in aspartame are absorption accelerants and can easily cross the blood brain barrier. The blood brain barrier is a system of specialized capillary structures that are designed to prevent toxic substances from entering the brain.

Aspartame actually changes the brain’s chemistry. Some people react immediately, but more ominous, is that for many, the damage is slow, silent and can be irreversible with long term use.

Attention Diabetics: The methanol (wood alcohol) in aspartame causes blood sugar levels to go out of control. Diabetics with retinopathy are often misdiagnosed, when in fact it is the methanol that has caused damage to the optic nerve, leading to blindness. And aspartame causes some diabetics to go into a coma.

Over 75% of all food related complaints received by the FDA are associated with aspartame
Because of the high volume of complaints, the FDA has documented 92 common aspartame related symptoms. The majority of the symptoms are neurological, because aspartame destroys the nervous system. Some of the most serious are brain tumors, brain lesions, and lymphoma.

Among the most common complaints registered with the FDA are: headache, heart rate irregularities, dizziness, dramatic mood swings, nausea, abdominal pain, blindness, memory loss, muscle weakness, fatigue, rashes, sleep problems, blood sugar problems, sexual dysfunction, difficulty breathing, seizures and convulsions. Independent research shows that seizures are one of the most common reactions to aspartame.

Populations that consume aspartame are known to develop symptoms commonly diagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s.

NikiNorman Wellness Infotainment

Wah the Warrior - Luv U Buddy

The Gift

God said, “I am going to give you a tremendous gift.”
“I hope I am worthy of this gift,” I replied.
God said he would inflict me with a disease.
“Disease as a gift?” I asked. I could not fathom illness as a gift.

“What you do with this gift depends on you,” god said.
“You can treat it as a curse, or accept it for what it is.
You can lament or make the best of it. It is up to you.
What you do and how you act will prove if you are a Warrior.”

He struck me with Graves’ disease.
Life was pure hell for a few years.
Loss of memory, pain, and tremors,
But I got better.

I learned that by helping others with Graves’
I could help to heal myself.
I learned that helping others is a worthy cause.
I learned I had the strength to keep going
Even when I had no strength left.
I learned that as bad off as I felt there was another
Who was worse off than I who I could help.

I learned that instead of reaching for a helping hand
I had become the hand that was reached for.
Instead of being in the abyss I was on the edge
Helping others out of the void.

I am a Warrior. I no longer look at a person the same.
I see what is inside them not the shell of the body.
Instead of seeing a person in a wheelchair
I see a person who was given a gift.

I see God gave them a gift too.
I admire their strength.
I admire their courage.
I admire their will.

I pay homage to a fellow Warrior as we pass by.
I thank God for these gifts.
Fore they made me the man I have become.

Wah.. U have always been my warrior.

Always have and Always will.

Wah the Warrior - Luv U Buddy.

Wah Video at Cardio Ward - December 28th 2009

NikiNorman Wellness Infotainment

What U need to know about Heart Attack

What Is a Heart Attack?

A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a section of heart muscle becomes blocked. If the flow of blood isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle becomes damaged from lack of oxygen and begins to die.

Heart attack is a leading killer of both men and women in the United States. But fortunately, today there are excellent treatments for heart attack that can save lives and prevent disabilities. Treatment is most effective when started within 1 hour of the beginning of symptoms. If you think you or someone you’re with is having a heart attack, call 9–1–1 right away.

Overview

Heart attacks occur most often as a result of a condition called coronary artery disease(CAD). In CAD, a fatty material called plaque (plak) builds up over many years on the inside walls of the coronary arteries (the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to your heart). Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot to form on the surface of the plaque. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the part of the heart muscle fed by the artery.

Heart With Muscle Damage and a Blocked Artery

Figure A is an overview of a heart and coronary artery showing damage (dead heart muscle) caused by a heart attack. Figure B is a cross-section of the coronary artery with plaque buildup and a blood clot.

During a heart attack, if the blockage in the coronary artery isn’t treated quickly, the heart muscle will begin to die and be replaced by scar tissue. This heart damage may not be obvious, or it may cause severe or long-lasting problems.

Severe problems linked to heart attack can include heart failure and life-threateningarrhythmias (irregular heartbeats). Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood throughout the body. Ventricular fibrillation is a serious arrhythmia that can cause death if not treated quickly.

Get Help Quickly

Acting fast at the first sign of heart attack symptoms can save your life and limit damage to your heart. Treatment is most effective when started within 1 hour of the beginning of symptoms.

The most common heart attack signs and symptoms are:

• Chest discomfort or pain—uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest that can be mild or strong. This discomfort or pain lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.
• Upper body discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
• Shortness of breath may occur with or before chest discomfort.
• Other signs include nausea (feeling sick to your stomach), vomiting, lightheadedness or fainting, or breaking out in a cold sweat.

If you think you or someone you know may be having a heart attack:

• Call 9–1–1 within a few minutes—5 at the most—of the start of symptoms.
• If your symptoms stop completely in less than 5 minutes, still call your doctor.
• Only take an ambulance to the hospital. Going in a private car can delay treatment.
• Take a nitroglycerin pill if your doctor has prescribed this type of medicine.

Outlook

Each year, about 1.1 million people in the United States have heart attacks, and almost half of them die. CAD, which often results in a heart attack, is the leading killer of both men and women in the United States.

Many more people could recover from heart attacks if they got help faster. Of the people who die from heart attacks, about half die within an hour of the first symptoms and before they reach the hospital.

NikiNorman Wellness Infotainment

What U need to know about Stroke

What is a stroke?

A stroke is damage to the brain due either to blockage in blood flow or to loss of blood from blood vessels in the brain. Blockage in blood flow or loss of blood causes the brain to lack oxygen and blood nutrients.

The brain requires a constant flow of blood to work properly. If the blood flow is disrupted, brain cells do not receive enough oxygen, resulting in cell death. The degree of damage that results from a stroke is dependent on where and how much blood flow to the brain is interrupted.

A stroke can be a symptom of a serious condition such as brain cancer.

A stroke is also called a cerebrovascular accident, cerebrovascular disease or CVA.

Categories of Strokes

There are two major categories of stroke:hemorrhagic and ischemic. Within the major categories are different kinds of strokes.

In ischemic strokes, there is a blockage of blood flow to the brain. About 80% of all strokes are ischemic. Ischemic strokes usually occur when a blood clot forms in a blood vessel in the brain or neck. Blood clots can also travel from other parts of the body, such as the heart, to the neck or brain and cause a stroke. A blood vessel that is extremely narrowed can also cause an ischemic stroke.

In hemorrhagic strokes a blood vessel in the brain is leaking or broken. These types of strokes accounts for approximately one out of five strokes. Hemorrhagic stroke is associated with a higher death rate than ischemic stroke. Hemorrhage can occur from a weak or thinned out area on the artery wall that balloons out over time, and then ruptures.

Kinds of Strokes

A stroke may also develop paralysis in one or both sides of the body.

How Does a Stroke Occur?

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel bringing oxygen and nutrients to the brain bursts or becomes blocked. Vessels can be blocked by blood clots or other particles. When blockage occurs, nerve cells in the part of the brain that is deprived of oxygen becomes dysfunctional. When the nerve cells become dysfunctional, the part of the body that is controlled by these cells is also unable to perform.

What Causes a Stroke?

Several different mechanisms may result in stroke: thrombus formation, embolus, and hemorrhage.

1. Thrombosis formation is an obstruction within an artery resulting from the gradual accumulation of plaque (atherosclerosis). If large enough, the obstructions may restrict or completely block blood flow through the artery. Blockage of arteries supplying the brain causes stroke if alternative routes are not available to deliver an adequate blood supply

2. Embolus is an obstruction of an artery due to material formed elsewhere in the body (such as the heart). The materials are usually generated in one part of the body and travels throughout the body until it becomes trapped in a blood vessel. The blood vessel then is unable to supply the brain with blood and nutrients.

3. Hemorrhage results from a rupture of a blood vessel located in the brain. Blood erupts at high pressure in the brain or in tissue surrounding the brain. Normal brain cells may be destroyed. The presence of blood often results in severe headache, lethargy, or coma.

4. Multiple Factors. Most strokes are associated with atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, oxygen damage or a combination of the three.

5. Medication. Some medications may increase the risk of developing a stroke. Vioxx, a medication used to treat arthritis was pulled off the market in September 2004 because it is linked to strokes and heart attacks.

What Does a Stroke Effect?

Stroke affects different people in different ways, depending on the type of stroke, the area of the brain affected and the extent of the brain injury. Brain injury from a stroke can affect the senses, motor activity, speech and the ability to understand speech, behavioral patterns, thought patterns, memory and emotions. Paralysis or weakness on one side of the body is common.

A stroke survivor may cry easily or experience sudden mood swings, often for no apparent reason. This is called emotional liability. Laughing uncontrollably also may occur but isn't as common as crying. Depression is common, as stroke survivors may feel less than "whole."

A stroke can also affect seeing, touching, moving and thinking, so a person's perception of everyday objects may be changed. Stroke survivors may not be able to recognize and understand familiar objects the way they did before. When vision is affected, objects may look closer or farther away than they really are, causing survivors to have spills at the table or collisions when walking.

Strokes may cause people to have problems understanding speech. They also may have trouble saying what they're thinking. This is called aphasia. Aphasia affects the ability to talk, listen, read and write. Aphasia is most common when a stroke weakens the body's right side.

A related problem is that a stroke can affect muscles used in talking (those in the tongue, palate and lips). Speech can be slowed, slurred or distorted, so stroke survivors can be hard to understand. This is called dysarthria and may require the help of a speech expert.

After a stroke, the individual often has difficulty thinking clearly. Planning and carrying out even simple activities may be hard. Stroke survivors may not know how to start a task, confuse the sequence of logical steps in tasks, or forget how to do tasks they've done many times before.

Signs of a Major Stroke

Some of the signs of major stroke are facial weakness, inability to talk, loss of bladder control, difficulty in breathing and swallowing, and paralysis or weakness, particularly on one side of the body.

Risks of developing a Stroke

Some of the most common risks of developing a stroke are:

• A history of high blood pressure
• heart disease
• smoking
• atherosclerosis
• diabetes
• migraine headaches
• high levels of tryglycerides (a fatty substance in the blood)
• use of birth control pills

Stroke Statistics, News, and Interesting Information

Can a Stroke be Treated?

Anyone who has a stroke needs immediate hospitalization, possibly including intensive care and life support. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for a stroke.

Women and Strokes

Women who snore regularly may increase their risk of heart attack or stroke by 33% notes a researcher from the Harvard School of Public Health of Cambridge, Massachusetts. A temporary shortage of oxygen during snoring can activate the sympathetic nervous system, like heart rate and breathing, possibly leading to high blood pressure.

Read about them at http://www.stevicodirect.com/

NikiNorman Wellness Infotainment

What U need to know about Diabetic

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects over 150 million people in the world today. The percentage of people suffering from diabetes is increasing rapidly, to the point where many medical authorities are referring to it as an epidemic.

so what is DIABETES?

Diabetes prevents your body from turning your food into energy. Instead glucose stays in your bloodstream, and left untreated can result in a range of complications.

If you have recently been diagnosed as diabetic, don’t worry. With proper treatment and care, you will lead a normal and happy life. You may need to make a few changes in your lifestyle – but then, if you are like me, you probably had plans to do that anyway and just never got round to it.

Now is the time to kick yourself into action. You cannot leave this up to your doctor alone – it needs you to take responsibility for your own treatment, and that starts with understanding what you are dealing with.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES?

The most consistent symptom of diabetes mellitus (Type I and II) is elevated blood sugar levels. In Type I (insulin dependent / early onset) diabetes, this is caused by the body not producing enough insulin to properly regulate blood sugar. In Type II (non insulin dependent/adult onset) diabetes, it is caused by the body developing resistance to insulin, so it cannot properly use what it produces.

However, high blood sugar is not something you can see in the mirror at home, so it is useful to know the side-effects of high blood sugar, which are commonly recognized as the noticeablesymptoms of diabetes.

If you find yourself experiencing many of these diabetes symptoms on a consistent, long term basis, you should visit a doctor to be tested for diabetes. Ignoring (or not recognizing) the symptoms of diabetes can lead to long-term serious health risks and complications from untreated diabetes. Some of the common ‘early warning’ signs of diabetes are:

• The first symptom of diabetes is often excessive thirst (unrelated to exercise, hot weather, or short-term illness)
• Excessive hunger (you know you’ve eaten “enough” but are still hungry all the time)
• Frequent urination (often noticed because you must wake up repeatedly during the night)
• Tiredness and fatigue (possibly severe enough to make you fall asleep unexpectedly after meals), one of the most common symptoms of diabetes.
• Rapid and/or sudden weight loss (any dramatic change in weight is a sign to visit a doctor)

Whilemany of the signs and symptoms of diabetes can also be related to other causes, testing for diabetes is very easy, and the constant/regular presence of one or more of these symptoms over an extended period of time should be cause for a visit to the doctor.

If diabetes is suspected, tested for, and diagnosed when those symptoms first start appearing, other more serious symptoms of advanced diabetes can often be prevented or have their onset significantly delayed through diet, exercise and proper blood sugar management.

However, often the ‘minor’ symptoms of diabetes go and physical and neurological problems may arise, resulting in some
of the following symptoms:

• Blurred vision (diabetes can lead to macular degeneration and eventual blindness)
• Numbness and/or tingling in the hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy, a symptom of diabetes, causes nerve damage in NikiNorman Wellness Infotainment

• Slow healing of minor scratches and wounds (diabetes often leads to impaired immune system function)
• Recurrent or hard-to-treat yeast infections in women (another sign of impaired immune function)
• Dry or itchy skin (peripheral neuropathy also affects circulation and proper sweat gland function)

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms on a regular basis, or you recognize these symptoms in a child or relative, they may be signs of untreated diabetes. A doctor’s appointment should be made as soon as possible, so the individual experiencing the symptoms can — if diabetes is diagnosed — take the steps needed to prevent more serious health problems.

CONSEQUENCES OF DIABETES?

What is pre DIABETES?

WHAT IS TYPE 1DIABETES?

Type 1 Diabetes, (sometimes called Juvenile Diabetes) is usually found in young children and teenagers, but can also occur later in life.

In Type 1 Diabetes, your body is not producing insulin, a hormone needed to convert blood sugar into energy. Normally this hormone is produced by cells in your pancreas, but for some reason this is not happening as it should.

As the glucose in your blood can’t be converted into energy and absorbed by your cells, it builds up causing high blood sugar.

Left untreated, high blood sugar can cause serious long-term health problems.

The normal treatment for people with type 1 diabetes is daily injections of insulin which keeps the blood sugar level within normal ranges.

Finding out you have diabetes can be upsetting, but it should not prevent you from living a long and happy life.

If you think this condition will prevent you leading an active life, consider Sir Steve Redgrave, one of the World’s greatest Olympic athletes.

Sir Steve battled type 1 diabetes to win his record-breaking fifth Olympic Gold medal at the Sydney games in the coxless fours rowing event!

SO WHAT IS TYPE 2DIABETES?

As with Type 1 diabetes, the problem is related to insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar into energy.

With Type 2 diabetes your body might be producing too little insulin, or it might not be reacting to the insulin correctly. Either way, the end result is that glucose builds up in the bloodstream instead of going into the cells. Left untreated, high blood sugar can cause serious long-term health problems.

Type 2 diabetes usually appears later in life, often between the ages of 35-45 years. As it often develops slowly, many people may not recognise the symptoms, and may have diabetes without knowing it.

If you have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you are one of the lucky ones. Many people have diabetes without knowing it, and are at much greater risk of long term medical complications.

Finding out you have diabetes can be upsetting, but it should not prevent you from living a long and happy life. You may need to make a few changes in your lifestyle, but these changes are also good advice for non-diabetics, so probably a good idea anyway.

WHAT IS GESTATIONAL DIABETES?

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes, that is only suffered by pregnant women.

In Gestational diabetes, a woman’s blood sugar is higher than normal because of the other hormones pridcued during preganancy interfere with the insulin that is produced naturally.

Gestational diabetes usually becomes apparent during the 24th to 28th weeks of pregnancy, and, in most cases, disappears of its own accord once the baby is born.

Women with gestational diabetes usually do NOT have an increased risk of having a baby with birth defects.

Generally, sufferers of gestational diabetes have normal blood sugar levels during the critical first stages of the preganancy.

Whilst there can be complications caused by gestational diabetes, these can usually be managed by careful attention to nutrition and blood sugar levels.

Approximately 3 to 5 percent of all pregnant women in the developed world suffer from gestational diabetes.

Read about them at httpp://www.stevicodirect.com/

NikiNorman Wellness Infotainment