Astrological health profiles – Pisces

Pisces 20 February – 20 March

Pisces is a very sympathetic and sensitive sign, which absorbs others atmosphere and moods. Watch out for:

* Pisceans who need surgery are likely to recover more slowly from the anaesthetic
* Feet are a critical area and you are prone to corns, athletes foot, and veruccas
* Addiction patterns with drugs, alcohol, nicotine and caffeine to which you are commonly also allergic
* More prone to food poisoning than the other signs and can be seriously allergic to fish and seafood

Seems very unfair that those born under the sign of the fish should potentially have an allergy to seafood and most of the stimulants we are exposed to, but prevention is better than cure. So Pisceans need to be ‘body aware’ and see which foods upset you – and you know which they are – and eliminate or drastically reduce them from your diet. Make 2009 the ‘be kind to your feet’ year and invest in some plastic jelly sandals when swimming in public baths and forget fashion and go for comfortable shoes that won’t give you corns – there is nothing beautiful about a face pinched with pain.

Natural progesterone and prostate cancer

When I was running the Natural Progesterone Advisory Service I would hear many reports of the cream being used for other purposes than the recommended use for osteoporosis or hormone management. Most of these claims were anecdotal, and interesting but not verifiable. Over the years there has been research on the benefits of natural progesterone, but the most powerful advocates are still its users.

I was always particularly interested in its use for men, and the late Dr John Lee – the pioneer of natural progesterone usage – told me he often prescribed it for men with osteoporosis as, although there had been no research done, his patients showed consistently good results and higher bone density.

A similar situation has now come to my attention, with men using natural progesterone cream as part of their own treatment/self help programme for prostate cancer. Trevor Taylor runs Wellspring, a company that imports natural progesterone, and I am passing on information he gave me and which I think will be of interest to anyone with a family member at risk. I stress this is an anecdotal story, not medically verified, and I have let Trevor tell it in his own words:

I want to tell you about the experiences of a personal friend who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007. He has had a poor medical history and is 70 years old and in 1996 was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus; which was operated on in 1996, 2000 and 2003. In 2003 he also had a double hip replacement operation. He then learned of his prostate cancer diagnosis in 2007.

Over the years we have had several women customers who have recounted to us how natural progesterone had helped their husbands or partners who were suffering from prostate cancer. I of course was aware of this but was reticent to publicise these reports, but when my friend told me of his diagnosis I asked him if he would like to try it as well as his prescribed treatment, on the basis that it would do him no harm and might well help.

He was first diagnosed in October 2007 and eight sample biopsies showed a PSA level of over 4000. The ideal is less than one. His treatment is 3 monthly Zoladex injections and he used natural progesterone cream daily. In January 2008 his PSA level was checked and had dropped from 4,000 to 100. At the next check in April 2008 it had dropped from 100 to 20. The next check in August 2008 showed a drop from 20 to 6. Checks and treatment have been extended to 4 monthly and I am pleased to say that my friend looks in good health, is very active; married in August 2008, and is thoroughly enjoying life.

Now Trevor Taylor does not claim that this remarkable drop in PSA levels from over 4000 to just 6 in just eleven months is due entirely or in part to his friend’s using natural progesterone, but it is certainly food for thought. If you want to know more about using natural progesterone you can contact Wellsprings for a free booklet and more information on 01481 233370 or via their website at www.progesterone.co.uk

Worldwide attitudes to regulating health

I know we often feel ‘nannied’ by the Government in many areas and health is certainly a prime one. There is the ‘no operation’ unless you lose weight/give up smoking lobby and the imposition of rules around tobacco and alcohol are no longer questioned. But we are not alone in facing new and increasing government interference in what was once nobody’s business but our own?

I reported last year on the new proposal in the US for government workers to have to pass a monthly medical or they get their health insurance cover paid, and what if the Government insisted on regularly checking your waistline once you hit 40?

Personally, I stopped checking it years ago and I don’t see what business that is of the Government’s but it is being proposed in Japan. Anyone deemed too fat would be forced to have dietary counselling and if they didn’t shift the weight there would be penalties both for them, and for their community. The Japanese government’s argument is similar to that of the public employee one in the US, in that it has to have an input of how people live because bottom line is that the Government pays for the consequences of their lack of health care. eg that it must regulate citizens’ lifestyles because it is paying their health costs.

In 2007 in the UK censorship for health reared its head over a TV ad when The Egg Information Service wanted to screen an advert, which featured comedian Tony Hancock, to celebrate its 50th birthday. The offending item came in an iconic series of ads made in the 1950′s and whose slogan encouraged viewers to ‘go to work on an egg’. The advertising watchdog said went against the principle of eating a varied diet and refused to allow it to be shown.

Oh, and if you are fed up with all this and thinking of emigrating, I wouldn’t put New Zealand on your list unless you are healthy and slim, or willing to diet. Their government banned an overweight man and his wife from entering the country on the grounds that their obesity would “impose significant costs … on New Zealand’s health or special education services.” It had the right effect as he lost weight and was allowed in, but his wife couldn’t stick to the regime and had to stay home.

If you don’t watch your weight in Germany you are named as being “antisocial” for the amount of money you are costing the state in medical treatment.

If you know of a nice country that allows you to take responsibility for your own health then let me know and I will compile a list.

Talking therapies explained – Free guide

At some point, many of us want to take a fresh look at a problem, or an issue in their life and the first port of call is often a therapist. But which one? It can be confusing to sort your way through what is available, and how suitable it is for you and your particular concern. Most people know something of how counseling works, but would psychoanalysis or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy better – and how do you know? There is now an excellent free guide from The Mental Health Foundation called ‘Talking therapies explained’, and it does exactly that. It is a quick and easy guide that explains the types of different therapies available and how they work, as well as organisations listing reputable therapists.

To get the right help, you nee to know the right questions to ask, and the guide lists practical questions to ask when looking around because although work is being done to address the accreditation and regulation of therapists, there are still unscrupulous and poorly qualified practitioners around and you can’t always recognize them without some help.

The Government now has a programme to improve access to psychological therapies on the NHS, but it has only just begun and there is currently an average wait of six months to get an appointment. In these stressful times, more people need help than ever and certainly the talking therapies not only improve an individual’s mental health but also their ability to manage family life, relationships, a job or an ongoing physical illness.If you would like a copy of ‘Talking therapies explained’ you can either telephone the Mental Health Foundation on 020 7803 1101 or download it from their website at www.mentalhealth.org.uk and it is free for a single copy, though there is a small charge for bulk orders.

Astrological health profiles – Aquarius

Aquarius 21 January – 19 February

Generally speaking, Aquarians tend to be quite healthy individuals, but unfortunately you don’t always practice what you preach. You do have your own areas of weakness or vulnerability though, so this is what you need to watch out for:

*Exercise is fine in theory, but you don’t give it a high priority and this can have serious consequence, especially later in life.

*Two areas where you are particularly vulnerable are hardening of the arteries and varicose veins. *To keep circulatory problems like those at bay you need to do some exercise however gentle, or restricted in movement. Yoga, Tai Chi, swimming and walking would all work well *Whatever exercise you do, be very aware that your shins and ankles can be weak, leading to frequent falls and damage to the Achilles tendon or bone fractures. Aquarius is the water carrier, so maybe you would do well to add an element of water to your exercise routine – water aerobics would fit the bill and try a bone supplement such glucosamine and chondroitin to build up those weak ankles.

Anti ageing cell therapy

There are literally thousands of nutritional supplements and new ones appear every week. Some are interesting enough for me to try them and if, like me, you don’t like taking a handful of pills every day then this new product might be the answer. It is a complete mineral, oxygen and nutritional supplement that has been used by people with chronic illness to maximize the uptake of nutrients, particularly antioxidants, and it also helps improve cell health which is a key anti-ageing factor. Cell Therapy RejuvenateT with Fulvic Acid is a highly effective detoxifier and helps boost energy, reverse cell damage and rejuvenates the natural production of enzymes. As it contains 136 essential nutrients including: 74 electrically charged minerals, 16 trace minerals,28 metabolic enzymes, and 18 amino acids, its no surprise that it also supports the immune system through its role as both a powerful antioxidant and free-radical scavenger.

We all need at least 90 growth and maintenance nutrients throughout our lives to support our cells. If our bodies don’t get that support, then the cells break down, and that leads to degenerative diseases that are directly or indirectly related to mineral deficiencies such as arthritis, osteoporosis heart disease, cataracts and of course cancer. One cause of this deficiency has been the deterioration in soil quality and the fact that because of that plants are not producing the minerals they once did. The causes are well known; intensive farming, industrial fertilizers and pesticides and even the growth of the organic market doesn’t help the vast majority of people to get the nutrients they need from their everyday diet.

The key element Of all the factors that make a difference to the reversal and prevention of disease, as well as the maintenance of good health, is Fulvic which was abundantly present in plants but now has to be supplemented for maximum effect. Scientists have found that Fulvic is the element that makes minerals absorbable, and without maximum absorption you do not get the maximum effect from the food you eat. Fulvic is a supercharged electrolyte, and cellular electrical energy is the life force of the body. Cells disintegrate and die when electrical energy is reduced. It is believed that electrical and chemical balances within the cell can be created and controlled by electrolytes – the body’s mini battery chargers. Fulvic is one of the most powerful natural electrolytes known to man and the Fulvic molecule prepares nutrients to interact with each other and makes vitamins and elemental trace minerals more absorbable so that are easily transported into and through membranes and cell walls. It also increases the metabolism of proteins, which contributes to DNA/RNA synthesis, and chelates heavy metals and body toxins, removing them from the system.

Cell Therapy Rejuvenate’s utilizes this unique ability so that when it is mixed with water it immediately releases oxygen to the body releases its natural minerals, enzymes, electrolytes and amino acids to go to work on the deepest cellular level. It is very simple to take as you stir 8 drops into 250 ml (8 oz) of water, 3 times per day. It is best taken between meals (30 minutes before or 1 hour after) but personally I prefer to just put the drops straight into a water bottle and sip through the day for continuous benefit – and then I don’t have to remember to take it!

Because it contains organic enzymes it is not suitable for pregnant or nursing mothers and if you are under medical care, do talk to your doctor about it. A month’s supply cost £34.97 from Pro Active Healthcare, and if you want to know more then call them on 08707 650 304.

Transscleral light therapy – New way to maintain vision

As we get older small print on labels and that annoying habit magazines have of printing in white on a black background all become more difficult to read. The official term is presbyopia and it occurs at middle age when our eyes lose their ability to focus.

It can start with just a slight blurring and our close vision usually continues to deteriorate due to loss of elasticity of the crystalline lens so we are less able to focus on objects at various distances. At this point most people surrender and get glasses, a pair for close work, a pair for reading and a pair for distance, or combine them into bi or varifocal lenses. Now, a new treatment from America could change all that.

If you don’t want to wear glasses all the time, and don’t like the idea of laser surgery – which I confess I find rather more frightening than standing on the edge of Beachy Head in a force 10 gale – then three cheers for a new treatment called the transscleral light therapy system. Not a catchy name, I must admit, and it is still in the trial stage with the USA Food and Drug Administration but patient experience over the two years it has been monitored has been positive.

What happens is that a laser device emits a low level of light aimed at strengthening the ciliary muscle (which bends and straightens the lens) under the whites of the eyes. The key phrase here is ‘low level’ and consists of weekly 10-minute sessions at an optician’s office for five consecutive weeks, followed by periodic tune-up sessions about every six months. So no hospital visits, and one satisfied participant has thrown away his 8 pairs of glasses and just kept one distance pair which he only occasionally uses for driving at night.

If you think that sounds like a good option to you, and I would love to get rid of the permanent dent on the side of my nose from my glasses, then it should be widely available with 1-2 years – but not, I suspect, on the NHS.

Disability can strengthen older marriages

It can be a daunting thought in a relationship that if one partner is incapacitated or disabled in some way we may wonder about how we would cope. Well there is very good news from new research – particularly for older couples. An encouraging new study from Professor Jeremy Yorgason at Brigham Young University was reported in the academic journal ‘Research on Aging’ and showed that both men and women – regardless of age – reported being happier in their marriage after they themselves became physically disabled. It may seem strange that when one partner loses the ability to perform routine daily activities it improves the state of their relationship: finds that the onset of physical disability boosts marital happiness more often than not. It seems to apply more to men who are looking after their wives, rather than the other way round, but exactly why physical limitations boost marital happiness is not fully understood.

One theory is that by taking on a more active and caring role for their partner the couple experience more interaction with each other than they did before. The situation seemed to provide the men in the study an opportunity to support and spend more time with their wives and ultimately enhanced their appreciation of their relationship.

This is not of course to say that looking after a less able partner does not have its own stresses and strains, but it is good to know that there is also a bonus to be found there for many people in this situation.

Two Cancer Breakthroughs

The first breakthrough refers to women who have had breast cancer. The survival rate after treatment has improved, and it always helps to know about anything extra you can do to make those odds even better. One of the risk areas post breast cancer is that survivors have a lifetime risk for developing lymphedema as a result of surgery or radiotherapy. This is a chronic condition that occurs when lymphatic fluid builds up in the soft tissues of the body, usually in an arm or leg, as a result of damage or blockage in the lymph nodes and results in swelling of the affected limbs. Lymphedema is a risk for approximately two-thirds of breast cancer survivors in the 30 months after surgery and those who develop post-op swelling have a significantly higher risk of up to 40 percent. It is the second biggest concern, after the recurrence of the cancer itself, and if you are unfortunate enough to develop chronic lymphedema it can be difficult to treat. The swollen limbs can become vulnerable to infection from even a minor injury to the skin, such as a cut, scratch, insect bite, or even athlete’s foot. This condition is called lymphangitis and affects the connective tissue under the skin. Repeated infections can cause scarring that makes the tissue vulnerable to more swelling and infection. Unfortunately lymphedema can lay dormant and symptoms can occur 15 or more years following an injury to your lymphatic system. The good news is that one way to combat this problem is to ensure that there is no risk of seriously being overweight or obese after cancer treatment as a new study from the University of Missouri-Columbia, published on 2 January, found that the risk of developing lymphedema is 40-60 percent higher in women with a high BMI (Body Mass Index).

Breakthrough two is not ready to launch yet, but there is a way you can take action by utilising that old hospital visitor standby and taking a cancer patient a large bunch of grapes. Make sure they are white grapes, as The American Cancer Association has reported that researchers from the University of Kentucky have been feeding grape-seed extract to laboratory mice and found that it kills leukemia cells. Apparently it forces the damaged cells to commit cell suicide and does it effectively as the researchers found within 24 hours, 76 percent of such cells had died after being exposed to the extract. This isn’t the first time that grape seed extract has been tested for various types of cancer, but this is the first time it has been looked at in relation the blood and bone marrow cancer cells. The key factor is that the grape seed extract affects the cancer cells, but leaves normal cells alone.This research is at its early stages, but it’s a good reason to include grapes in your healthy five a day – just don’t peel them Beulah, eat them skin, seed and all.

The blessing of a senior memory

If you tend to see the past as having hotter summers, more fun and fewer problems then that’s a benefit of ageing. At least it is according to Neuroscientists from Duke University Medical Center in the USA as they have reported in the online issue of ‘Psychological Science’. They have discovered activity in the brain that causes us to remember fewer of life’s negative events than younger people – presumably because they are nearer in time to the bad events.

It seems that as our brains get older then they allow negative memories to fade away. It’s because older people use their brains differently than younger people when it comes to storing memories, particularly those associated with negative emotions. The study focused on two groups; over 70′s and under 25′s who were shown a series of 30 photographs while their brains were imaged in a functional MRI (fMRI) machine. The pictures varied from neutral to having very strong negative images such as attacking snakes, mutilated bodies and acts of violence. While in the fMRI machine, the subjects looked at the photos and ranked them on a pleasantness scale.

Later, they were then asked to recall the pictures while being scanned again and the results found that the older adults had less connectivity between areas of the brain that generate emotions and those of memory and learning, but had stronger connections with the frontal cortex, the higher thinking area of the brain that controls these lower-order parts of the brain.

In contrast, the young adults used more of the brain regions typically involved in emotion and recalling memories. This meant that they were able to recall more of the negative photos and that because the older adults were using more thinking than feeling, that they didn’t recall the more emotive, negative, pictures nearly so well.

The conclusion was that although the emotional centres of the older people were just as active as those of younger subjects, their brain connections were different. For older subjects the benefit is that they had over their lifetime learned to be less affected by negative information in order to maintain their well being and emotional state. So the summers may not have been hotter, but how nice to remember them that way and shut out all those days spent huddling under an umbrella on the sands.

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