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Saturday, 31 March 2018

Medicinal Marijuana – Does it work?

Worldwide, marijuana is one of the most popular drugs and its effects on the human body are well understood.

Over the past few years, the United States has moved tepidly closer to legalizing it, first for medical use and then recreationally.

This slow walk toward legalization has led to increased research into the drug and its medical uses.

Support for marijuana legalization has grown over the past few years, and the percentage increases every year. Some states have already legalized marijuana – many for medical use and some for recreational.

As it becomes less stigmatized, there are an increasing number of doctors who are able to help people use it in a safe and efficient way. If you are looking to start, talk to a doctor about how you can use cannabis safely.

Of course, it’s not as well-studied as most other medications, due to its illegal status in many places around the world.

In fact, it’s historically been harder to receive government approval to study marijuana than to study the psychedelic drugs:magic mushrooms, and LSD.

In the past 25 years, scientists discovered that the body naturally has receptors in the brain that produce cannabinoids. They also learned that they play a major role in mood, the immune system, and memory.

Cannabis contains two primary active compounds – tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). There are many others as well. THC is very similar to anandamide, a naturally occurring neurotransmitter that can also be found in chocolate.

It’s responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis. CBD is less understood but appears to reduce anxiety and inflammation.

Because of the wide range of neurotransmitters that can be impacted by cannabis use, its effects on the body differ depending on the dosage and strain and are very diverse. Finding the best strain and dosage for an individual’s medical use requires trial and error.

Dosage

Anxiety is a common side effect of

marijuana use, but it’s usually a result of taking too large of a dose. You cannot overdose on cannabis, but people often experience paranoia and nausea. It’s entirely possible to avoid these adverse side effects when caution is exercised.

Marijuana can lower a person’s blood sugar, which can lead to a wide variety of symptoms. That’s why it’s a good idea not to use it on an empty stomach.

Marijuana has been bred for high yields and high potency so it can be very strong. However, the positive impacts of the drug are present inlow doses, while today’s varieties make it easy to take too much.

Despite the power of today’s strains, it is possible to experience medicinal benefits without the mind-altering effects.

How to Ingest

Smoking

Smoking marijuana, whether by a pipe or joint, is one of the most popular methods of ingestion. Just a couple of inhalations can lead to people feeling the effect, although it might take some practice for people who have never smoked before.

Vaping

Heating cannabis to a point where it vaporizes and the smoke can be inhaled has been found to be better for use indoors and better for lung health.

It’s become a very popular alternative. It’s less dense than smoke but more concentrated, so it’s easy to take too much.

Eating

Edibles are another popular alternative. By dissolving marijuana into an oil and mixing it into food, people can avoid inhaling the dangerous smoke. Plus, eating it provides a longer lasting effect and is less likely to lead to taking too much.

It’s tough to manage the concentration of edibles, since regulating the amount of cannabis that dissolves into oil is difficult.

Plus, it takes time for the human body to digest the drug, so the effects are not noticed for a while. That’s why people should take care not to eat too much,

Cannabis Strains

There are many varieties of the cannabis species, and a number of them are psychoactive. However, most marijuana that people purchase is either Cannabis Sativa or Cannabis Indica.

Many users have described significant differences in these two strains. For most, Indica is a depressant and Sativa is a stimulant. It’s very common for hybrids to be sold with the two combined.

Cannabis Sativa is best for use during the daytime. It is energizing and has stronger psychoactive effects.

This strain can alleviate ADHD, depression, and social anxiety. However, it can also lead to paranoia when too much is taken, especially by people who already suffer from anxiety.

Indica, on the other hand, leads to feelings of relaxation. It’s often recommended for calming purposes and pain relief, and can even be an alternative to Ambien or Xanax.

In the United States, some veteran’s organization are currently lobbying for PTSD to be included in the diseases that marijuana can be prescribed for.

It has a clear impact on memory, which can soften traumatic memories and help people process them. Many organizations have proposed studies on this, but they have not been approved yet.

Safety

There are some precautions that a person should take before using any drug, and those are no different for marijuana. These are a few that are particular safety suggestions for the use of cannabis:

Take care not to take too much. Start with a small dose, and be aware of the potency of the strain you’ve chosen to use.

Make sure that you’re full. Cannabis can cause blood sugar levels to drop, leading to anxiety, faintness, confusion, impatience, and a wide range of other symptoms. That’s why it’s important to eat first.

If you have a family history of schizophrenia or have experienced it yourself, do not take cannabis.

With the help of a doctor (and a few safety precautions), medical marijuana can be a great help to people suffering from a wide range of ailments.

“Robert has been on a personal quest to the perfect cannabis seeds for the last 20 years and through this has gathered extensive knowledge growing marijuana. Not only does Robert share his insights about growing marijuana, but also offers his insights on marijuana in the field of politics, market insights, activism, product development to further educate the public and support the further legalization of the plant”.

AUTHOR BIO

Evie Harrison is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences and express herself through her blogs.

Find her on Twitter: @iamevieharrison

Can A Healthy Lifestyle Alter Your Genes?

You must have heard the people saying- “What can I do? It's all due to my genes”. Why is it so? Well, it is due to the fact that our genes control how we look, how we behave, how we grow and how our health will be affected.

Genetics play a major role in our risk of getting prone to certain diseases, both physical and mental. The genetic tests help the people to determine if they carry the copies of the particular genes that can put them at risk for various diseases. And the test reports can change the people's decision for moving the next step.
However, there is also a brighter side to this. The recent studies show that the genetics is just half of the discussion.
Our lifestyle also plays a major role in reducing or increasing our risk to various diseases. The foods we eat, the extent up to which we utilize those foods, the chemicals we are exposed to, even the surroundings and social environments can alter the level of our genes they are active up to.
What leads to this change?
In simple, the food we eat leaves a positive or negative effect on the molecules in our body, which further decides that whether our risk to the particular disease will increase or decrease. For an instance, the carcinogens in the cigarette smoke stimulate the growth of cancer by transforming the anti-cancer genes.
Similarly, the positive choices leave a powerful positive impact on our genes. Having a right diet plan and getting involved in the exercise can “turn off” the genomes which put us at the risk for a particular health problem.
How is the gene activity affected?
Actually, it is not the genes that are affected by the lifestyle changes or environmental factors; it is the molecules around those genes which decide how active our genes will be.
One of such changes that occur due to environmental factors is Methylation. The addition or subtraction of the methyl group decides whether the genes will be active or not.
Therefore, in the people who share similar genomes, the molecules present around those genomes decide if the person will be at risk for the particular disease or not.
So, if you think that our health is affected by our genes as they can put us at risk for various diseases, including weight gain, depression, heart diseases and more, no doubt you are right.
At the same time, our lifestyle also affects our health at the level of our genes. Also, the exercise sways the stem cells to become the bone marrow blood-producing cells rather than becoming the fat cells.
Therefore, you are not only at the mercy of the genes because the genes are at the mercy of our lifestyle and the health related activities/habits.
All those who are feeling health problems due to the genetic issues can try to get rid of it as they have some power to change the condition. Make some healthy lifestyle choices by consulting your doctor and pay attention to his recommendations.
But, along with following your doctor's advice, make sure that your genes are also being affected in the desired way; otherwise, the results may be opposite.
About Author
David Polidan earned MBA from La Salle University. Now working as a sales manager in a wristband company i.e
WristbandBuddy . Also serving as an event fundraiser and helping in organizing charity events.

7 Facts About Pregnancy Every Dad To Be Should Know

Pregnancy is a wonderful experience for both the mother and the father. A man’s fatherhood does not begin as soon as the baby is born, it begins as soon as he finds out about the baby in the first place.

No matter if that baby is a wonderful surprise for you and your girlfriend or wife, from now on you are a father.

And what does any father really want? To be the best father that they can be. If you want to be the best father for your child, you should learn everything that you can not only about parenting but also about pregnancy.

Pregnancy is not something that the woman experiences just because it is happening in her body. You should do everything that is in your power to help her, and with that your child, on the way.

We decided to dedicate this article to the new dads-to-be to show them through some facts that they can really help in the right way.

Why are your support and help so important?

During pregnancy, the mother experiences a lot of changes in her body. This is going on for nine months and it I up to you to help her accept and go through the changes together.

Some of the changes are welcomed – e.g. that pregnancy glow, the baby bump that starts showing in a few months, your baby moving inside and etc. but on the other hand, there are a lot of changes that can be difficult for a new mom.

Imagine if you had to face morning sickness every day, or experience rapid mood changes due to hormonal changes.

You help and support will make your wife or girlfriend happy and with that you will make your baby happy as well.

Do not hesitate to help as much as you can around her.

Find out more about pregnancy through these 7 amazing facts!

We have prepared the following 7 amazing facts about pregnancy for you to find out. We also prepared a few pieces of advice following each fact about the ways that you can help your wife/girlfriend.

Maybe these facts will seem a bit weird now, but s you follow the pregnancy week by week you will see the changes for yourself!

No sex in the first trimester

During the first three months, sex can actually cause a damage. It is for the best to avoid sex during the first three months. This can cause some problems related to your intimacy and relationship. What you would want to do is not let that happen. There are many other ways that you can be intimate with your partner.

Heavy lifting can do a damage as well

That means helping around the house with cleaning, buying groceries and etc.

Hormonal changes cause mood changes

You will soon notice some unexplained mood changes surrounding your partner. The last thing that you would want to do is make things harder.

You would want to help your partner by any means necessary. Spend some time with her, help her relax, give her a compliment or two once in a while.

There will be a lot of cravings

The recommended intake of calories will increase during pregnancy. You need to expect that there will be a lot of cravings which is why you need to make sure that you have all the favorite food around the house all the time.

And of course, make sure that tour partner is eating a lot of healthy food as well.

There will be a lot of body changes

On the one side you have bigger breasts, shiny hair, skin, and fingernails, but on the other hand you have the risk of flatulence, incontinence, unshaved body parts and etc.

The fact is that you will see a lot of changes. And you need to find a way to be comfortable with them. And of course, make your partner comfortable as well.

Birthing classes do help

Take the time to join a birthing class together with your partner where you can learn everything that you can about giving birth.

Pregnancy is a stressful period as well
Apart from being a wonderful experience, pregnancy increases the bar for stress as well. You need to learn how to cope with this stress and relax, both you are your partner. Do things together, you are partners after all aren’t you?
Conclusion
It is not only the new mom – to be that has to learn to live with morning sickness, mood changes, and constant cravings. The new dad – to have to live with these changes as well for the next nine months. Which is why it is so important to keep in mind that for the next nine months you would want to learn everything that there is about pregnancy and be there for your wife and child because you are already a dad. Make sure that you use this period to prepare yourself for what is coming in the future and embrace every single one of those changes that happen.
Author Bio:
Meighan Sembrano is an enthusiast and passionate writer. She is a contributor to
Consumer Health Digest . She is expertise in Beauty and skin care articles. Also, have contributed in the health and fitness field. Her work gives an enthusiast twist to the readers. She resonates the readers with her simple and thoughtful words. . You can follow Meighan on Twitter and Facebook.

What a difference a couple of weeks make….

On 1st March 2018, two over-arching issues remained with me leaving Las Vegas and #HIMSS18: the central, recognized role of cybersecurity threats in healthcare, and the growing use of consumer-facing technologies for self- and virtual care.

Eighteen days later, we all learned about Cambridge Analytica’s misuse of 50 million Americans’ social network data posted on Facebook.

We who work in healthcare must pose the questions: going forward, how trusting will patients, consumers and caregivers be sharing their personal health information (PHI)? Will people connect dots between their Facebook lives – and their identities on social networks, generally – with their personal health information, privacy and security?

These uncertainties have been on my mind since learning the news about the world’s largest social networking platform, which as of the fourth quarter of 2017, had over 2.2 billion active monthly accounts.

Soda, Juice, Other Sugary Drinks May Boost Risk of Fatal Heart Disease

Sugary drinks may be worse for your health than sweet desserts.

Written by Joni Sweet on March 26, 2018

Still struggling to kick a daily soda habit?

New research that shows an association between consuming sugary drinks and death might be the final straw that gets you to give up soda and juice — for good.

In a study presented at a recent American Heart Association (AHA) scientific meeting this month, researchers found that adults who drank a lot of sweet beverages, including soft drinks, juice, and fruit drinks, may face an increased risk of dying from heart disease, as well as other health issues.

Researchers from Emory University and other institutions tracked the diets and health of 17,930 black and white adults over the age of 45 for about six years, using the data from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.

“There were two parts of this question we wanted to understand,” Jean Welsh, PhD, MPH, a study author, assistant professor at Emory University, and research director with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, said in a statement .

“Do added sugars increase risk of death from heart disease or other causes, and, if so, is there a difference in risk between sugar-sweetened beverages and sugary foods? We believe this study adds strong data to what already exists highlighting the importance of minimizing sugary beverages in our diet,” she said.

The results showed that adults who consumed at least 24 ounces of sugary drinks daily — equivalent to three cans of soda — had twice the risk of fatal coronary heart disease compared with participants who drank less than 1 ounce.

Those who drank sugary drinks also had an increased likelihood of death from all other causes compared to those who barely drank any of those drinks.

Interestingly, the researchers didn’t find a link between eating sugary foods — such as candy, desserts, and sweetened cereals — and death from coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions.

The distinction may be related to how the body metabolizes sweet food, which tends to balance the sugar with protein and fat, compared with drinks like soda, which generally contain no other nutrients and tend to cause an insulin spike.

Some experts also point to the high concentration of sugar in sweet beverages as a potential blame for poor health.

“It’s largely related to volume. There are so many more grams of sugar in a soda than a cookie because you need to add a lot of sugar to [soda] before it starts to taste sweet,” said Dr. Michael Miedema, a research cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation . “Once you start dissolving sugar into a liquid, you can get a lot more in there.”

What happens when you drink sugar?

Study authors note that their research doesn’t prove a cause-and-effect relationship between drinking sweetened beverages and death from heart disease. Rather, it shows that there’s an association between the two.

“The main limitation of a study like this is that it’s observational,” Miedema told Healthline. “Researchers are simply watching what happens to people who take in more sugar. Participants might be doing quite a few others things, such as eating more salt and saturated fats and less fruit and vegetables, that factor in here.”

The report does, however, fit into a larger context of research that shows high amounts of sugar might be dangerous for our bodies, Miedema added.

Research from 2014 found that U.S. adults who consumed a lot of foods and drinks with added sugar were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease.

Findings from another study showed that people are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if they drank two sugar-sweetened beverages per day compared with participants who sipped less than one per month.

In addition to foods with added sugars, items that are full of simple carbohydrates also quickly break down into sugars that may negatively impact your health.

“If you look at all the studies combined, there seems to be evidence that simple carbohydrates — like those found in white bread, white rice, pasta, cookies, candies, and soda — are not healthy for us, especially in larger volumes,” Miedema said.

How much soda is safe to drink?

Since most of us probably won’t completely give up our favorite sodas and juices, how much is actually safe to drink?

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend that less that 10 percent of your daily caloric intake come from added sugars. The World Health Organization agrees, but adds that keeping sugar intake below 5 percent of your overall diet would be even better.

According to the AHA, women and men should consume no more than 100 and 150 calories of added sugar, respectively.

Most medical advice recommends sticking to water when you’re thirsty and treating sugary drinks as special treats.

Limiting the frequency and quantity of sugary beverage consumption is key to achieving good health, said Miedema.

“A can of soda each week probably won’t do much harm. But we know that when unhealthy behaviors become part of a routine, it becomes difficult to control, so it’s probably better to avoid it altogether,” he said.

As for diet sodas, the study didn’t mention a link between no- or low-calorie sweeteners and death. However, Miedema said people who drink diet soda might not be off the hook.

“It’s tricky. Diet sodas don’t have any sugar or caloric value, so you don’t get that big insulin spike, which seems to be a good thing,” he explained. “But some small studies show that there are hormonal changes that happen in response to just tasting something sweet, so diet soda might not necessarily be a better alternative.”

Eating Less Just Might Help You Live Longer

Recent research done on humans indicates that calorie-restricted diets can slow down the aging process and increase longevity. Here’s why.

Want to live longer? Then resist your inner hunger and eat less.

That’s the conclusion of several studies that link healthy aging and calorie-restricted diets.

These diets may help improve mood and even defend against age-related diseases that ravage the body. People can use this tool to potentially increase their life spans, say experts.

One study published in Cell Metabolism journal this month concluded that cutting calorie intake by 15 percent over two years can slow aging and protect against diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.

The diets work by helping slow the metabolic rate and reducing free radicals linked to chronic illnesses.

A slowed metabolism is linked to longer life in hundreds of animal species, said Leanne Redman, PhD, associate professor of clinical sciences at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana and a co-author of the study, told Healthline.

“Energy is handled more efficiently,” added Rozalyn Anderson, PhD, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “Pathways of resilience are triggered.”

Fat, for example, is used rather than stored.

Garbage in, garbage out

The theory isn’t anything new.

Researchers have long known that calorie-restricted diets can be a potent anti-aging weapon. The caveat is that the studies have mostly been done on animals.

The most recent research was one of the first to focus on humans.

Participants were 53 healthy, non-obese people between the ages of 21 and 50.

The researchers said they discovered that even people who are healthy and lean can benefit from calorie-restricted diets.

In addition, many biomarkers for aging were reduced, according to the study, and health improved.

“One thing is certain,” Anderson told Healthline. “If you eat less and weigh less, you live longer.”

A different, more extreme calorie-restricted diet study published in Science Translational Medicine last month showed that so-called fasting-mimicking diets practiced for five days a month for three months can also help the body with aging.

The diet used was plant based and included energy bars and vegetable soups.

Calorie-restricted diets work because you’re cleaning the garbage out of your cells, explained Barry Sears, PhD, author of the Zone Diet book series and president of the Inflammation Research Foundation.

“The more calories you eat, the more free radicals you generate,” he told Healthline. “They cause damage.”

Yes, more studies on humans — rather than animals — are needed, say experts.

Yet, lots of information can also be gleaned from studies with animals, say experts.

An earlier study published in Nature Communications showed that calorie-restricted diets spurred health benefits for monkeys.

And another study done at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicated that some animals lived up to 50 percent longer after significantly cutting calories.

The diets begun early or in midlife in animals can increase longevity, according to researchers.

Energy efficiency is the key

Like engines, bodies do need fuel.

So some experts worry that people could drastically cut back calories too much or in the wrong way, resulting in reductions in muscle mass or bone density.

“You need fuel to be alive,” explained Anderson. “The vast majority of calorie intake keeps the ocean liner afloat.”

Even trickier, no one diet fits all people. So experts advise consulting a doctor before starting the diets.

Restricting calorie intake by 15 percent is not drastic, noted Priya Khorana, EdD, a doctor of nutrition education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

But a 25 percent calorie cutback wouldn’t be healthy, she said.

“And in the long run, these diets aren’t as effective as modest diets,” Khorana told Healthline. “Following a balanced nutrient-rich diet is the key to success.”

And, she adds, exercise is also important.

So just cutting back on calories without getting good nutritional information could mean missing out on essential vitamins and minerals.

In the two studies on humans, participants took vitamin supplements to make sure that the diets were still nutritionally rich.

The upshot is that efficiently using energy is the key to longevity — along with healthy eating.

Yes, counting calories is hard in a culture awash in processed foods and enticing sugar-loaded treats.

But experts insist that the gains from calorie-restricted diets far outweigh the risks.

Also, diets can be successfully changed in as little as four days, said Sears.

The underlying message, adds Anderson, is powerful: Aging is malleable.

“Diseases are all different,” she said. “But they’re all associated with aging. And calorie-restricted diets work.”

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