Archive for the ‘Health Supplements and Products’ Category

Mangosteen Juice for Inflammation

Friday, February 8th, 2008

Internal Inflammation is now being widely considered as a major underlying factor in all disease. How do we calm the inflammation response?
Except for any noted source material, content copyright, Neva. J. Howell, all rights reserved

I’ve recently come across information about the body’s natural inflammation response and how that can get out of hand, causing internal inflammation throughout the body that can impact health in a wide range of ways.

The symptoms of chronic inflammation are so numerous that they just about include every condition from Asthma to Vaginitis but one of the most common, persistent symtoms is Joint pain and stiffness. Even though joint stiffness and joint pain is a rather noticable symptom of internal inflammation, there are other less noticable and more serious repercussions to having an overactive inflammation response, including heart stress and organ stress. In other words, internal inflammation might be a contributing factor underlying just about any condition, rather than being just a symptom of that condition.

If you think about it, anything that is swollen and inflamed cannot function as well as that same limb or organ without the inflammation.

Diets that are way out of balance with Omega 6 fatty acids vs. Omega 3’s tend to produce more inflammation than the body needs so looking into dietary changes that correct that imbalance are important, and that’s for another article.

In this little health tip, I’d just like to mention Mangosteen Juice for helping the body with internal inflammation. Of course, that’s not the only health benefit to Mangosteen Juice. It has a wide range of vitamins and minerals, for example, including B vitamins (1,2 and 6) and vitamin C as well as potassium, calcium and other minerals. Mangosteen Juice is also very high in antioxidants and Xanthones, which show promise for reducing cholesterol and atherosclerosis.

However, it is the effect Mangosteen has on inflammation that has most impressed me personally. I actually don’t see that talked about as much as the other qualities and, to me, it may be the most important benefit. If you suffer with joint stiffness, why not check out Mangosteen Juice?

Other natural anti-inflammatories include tumeric (which I’ve also used and found effective), boswellia, bioflavinoids, ginger, MSM (I’ve used and found effective), glucosamine (which I’ve also used and which did not agree with me at all) and Omega-3’s.

Of course, there are prescription drug anti-inflammatories too including NSAID’s like Motrin and Advil and and COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex and Vioxx but these are not without serious potential side effects and risk.

There is a also a medically recognized blood test called C-reactive protein test, or CRP for short, that can measure levels of inflammation in the body and diagnose internal inflammation so it’s wonderful to have a medical test that can definitely confirm this condition.


CardioCocktail Trial Update

Monday, February 4th, 2008

My personal experience with a high-arginine formula for cardiovascular health called Cardio Cocktail


Formor Cardiococktail Results

Except for any noted source material, content copyright, Neva. J. Howell, all rights reserved

It has been almost a month that I’ve been taking this supplement. This may be the last update I do on my experience with this product before my 90-day retesting with the PulseWave machine.

I made the decision to reduce my dosage of the Cardio Cocktail from one ounce to 1/4 ounce and have stayed at that dosage for past week or so. It’s working well. I also purchased the Argenix that I had used before, rather than another bottle of the cocktail, and plan on supplementing about a 1/4 ounce of that in the evenings, instead of taking more of the CardioCocktail. It is what feels right for me based on my experience so far.

See links below to follow that trail of posts.

I just got back home after a three-day trip to do some filmwork I brought enough CardioCocktail to continue my 1/4 ounce dose in the morning but the mixture got warm after I turned the fridge off at the hotel (making too much noise) and I wasn’t sure if it was still good so I skipped my morning dose on the last day of filming.

I don’t know if this is pure coincidence or not but, on the first day of filming (when I had taken the CardioCocktail) I didn’t even have to look at my script right before filming and hardly reviewed in-between scenes. The lines were just there. Also, my energy was great all through the long day.

However, the next day (when I didn’t take the cardiococktail), I simply could not get the lines right, even after just looking at them and reviewing them. My brain just was not clear and focused, as it had been the day before. My energy level became so low by the end of the day that I felt as if I could sleep standing up.

Now, I would have been tired regardless because they were long days and I didn’t sleep well at the hotel. However, the difference was drastic enough that I considered the potential that this health formula might be doing more than I realized.

I can say that my energy is back to really good levels now. Interesting.

Here are the earlier posts on this subject:
Earlier posts, by date:
1/4/08 The cardiovascular test that started it all
1/7/08 My concerns about this product for people with herpes or shingles
1/8/08 More information on arginine and herpes
1/23/08 Update on Cardiococktail Results
1/24/08 EDTA, Magnesium and Arginine


EDTA, Magnesium and Arginine

Thursday, January 24th, 2008

Types of EDTA and follow up after extended conversation with someone who is taking 3 ounces a day of the Cardio Cocktail.


EDTA, Magnesium and Arginine

Except for any noted source material, content copyright, Neva. J. Howell, all rights reserved

You’d think I was selling this product, I’m writing so much about it. In fact, I’m talking so much about it that I’m giving it a health category of it’s own.

At this point, I do not plan to sell it. I’m doing a very personal evaluation of it, studying all the most active ingredients and assessing the risks as well as the benefits.

If it pans out, I may start sharing it with others as part of my business but admit to not being crazy about promoting any mlm product.

Right now, I’m seeing what it does for me and reporting on that as accurately as I can.

I share information from companies I respect. That’s just part of having an online business. However, if I personally endorse a product, you better believe it has legs. It can walk the talk.

If you came directly to this page, it will be helpful to start at the beginning of my personal experience and read the previous posts.

However, I have also summarized my experience below for convenience.


Earlier posts, by date:

1/4/08 The cardiovascular test that started it all
1/7/08 My concerns about this product for people with herpes or shingles
1/8/08 More information on arginine and herpes
Update on CardioCocktail Results

It’s also vital to keep in mind that it is my personal experience ONLY. I’m not a doctor. I don’t diagnose or prescribe and I certainly don’t suggest that anyone else take the actions I’m taking in exploring this health supplement.

Also, I’m told by the person who represents this product that I am the only person in almost 100 people she has on the product who has reported the symptoms I’m reporting. Still, I’m me and it’s happening to me so I wanted to talk to someone about it.


Summary of my experience with ForMor Products:

To catch up, the symptoms I’ve had included a fever blister on the third day (after not having any for years), leg cramps and restless leg syndrome sensations by the fifth or sixth day and heart palpitations, increasing in frequency for two days before I started reducing my dosage.

In the interest of maintaining as much objectivity as possible, I also reported that I have had heart palpitations before, both from the hormonal flux of peri-menopause and also from stress. What was different was the frequency, which reached a level that caused me to reduce my dosage and supplement with magnesium.

I started at one ounce of the CardioCocktail and stayed at that level until the symptoms I’ve mentioned reached a level where I felt I should reduce my dosage. I first reduced to 1/2 ounce and am now only taking 1/4 ounce.

One of my concerns initially was the use of EDTA because I had read that certain types of chelation therapy could leach out minerals such as potassium, magnesium and zinc. When I started having the symptoms I was having, and realized that all of them could indicate magnesium deficiency, I took some Natural Calm Magnesium. It definitely helped.

In bringing my concerns to the representative, I learned that the symptoms themselves might have been an indicator that the formula was indeed working. This is how that was explained to me….if there is an existing, undiagnosed deficiency then sometimes the formula will make that evident. I’m assuming this is because of the increased circulation and better blood flow somehow.

I was assured that the EDTA was not taking out magnesium my body needed but that perhaps my body was deficient in magnesium already and I needed to supplement. Also, I was informed that the far more massive doses of EDTA that are used in intravenous chelation therapy might have been such that supplementation of some minerals might be needed but that oral chelation in the amounts in the formula would not cause mineral depletion.

I’m willing to buy that for now. I’m going to supplement with Natural Calm Magnesium (which by the way I do personally endorse but don’t sell) for a few days, staying at the lower dose of the cocktail.

There are several different types of EDTA, I discovered and have put in a call to the company to see which of the types they use. If you’d like to read more about the different types, here’s an article on types of EDTA.

In several online places where EDTA is discussed, I get the impression that the Calcium EDTA or Ca-EDTA is preferred over the other two types. I’m interested to hear back which type of EDTA is used in the cocktail.

I read about another chelation product that includes the amino acid lysine in the formula…..interesting….begs the question, would that help those with herpes be able to take the larger doses of the cocktail without triggering an outbreak?


My Earlier Experience with Arginine:
I mentioned in an earlier post that I had previously taken another product created by this same company. It is called Argenix and it worked marvelously well. I was not in near the good shape I am today. This was about, I guess, three years ago. I feel I may have been headed for a heart attack at that time. I was having all the symptoms, including pain down the left arm, shortness of breath when walking, pinching feeling in chin (classic heart attack symptom in women), enormous fatique, etc.

I went to a walk-in emergency clinic and told the doctor my symptoms. He wanted me to let him call an ambulance for the 2 mile drive to the hospital. He didn’t want me driving.

I did anyway. I’m stubborn like that. Instead of going to the hospital, I went to a natural health professional who performed applied kinesiology. The results of that session confirmed what I thought was going on and I asked what she suggested. She said Argenix.

I am absolutely sure that this product helped to save my life. My chest pain went away and I was able to walk without giving out or feeling pressure on my chest. A subsequent kinestheology testing showed that the formula was working as well.

When I did take the PulseWave test and the representative saw my results, she commented that most people who do as well as I did, at my age, are people who have previously taken the Argenix. I could believe that.

So why not just take the argenix? Well, I’m considering that. I think I might except for some pretty important differences….the cocktail has some powerful stuff in it that the Argenix does not have….Perilla oil for those important Omega 3-6-9’s, mangosteen juice, acai juice and a large dose of Vitamin D3. I’ve been reading research on this vitamin and the implications for preventing cancers of many kinds.

Also, if the EDTA is not causing my symptoms then everything else I’ve read points to it being a very potent ingredient to include and I’d hate to miss the benefits of chelation unless it just will not work for me.

So….I will give the cocktail more time. I will report honestly. And if I feel it’s in my best interest to do so, I’ll switch back to the Argenix.

Update on CardioCocktail Results

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008

Follow up to previous post on high-arginine formula for cardiovascular health, called Cardiococktail, that I’m taking

Except for any noted source material, content copyright, Neva. J. Howell, all rights reserved


To understand this post, you will need to read the earlier ones on my experience. I will be posting a review of this product in March, at the end of a 90-day period of use and after being retested with the Digital PulseWave Analyzer

Earlier posts, by date:
1/4/08 The cardiovascular test that started it all
1/7/08 My concerns about this product for people with herpes or shingles
1/8/08 More information on arginine and herpes

I’ve now been taking the CardioCocktail for almost 3 weeks. As I mentioned in the post on January 7, I did develop a fever blister after not having had one for years, which indicated to me that it may be a risk for anyone with any type of herpes, not just ocular or brain herpes. However, I also talked at length about feeling that banning arginine from the diet of anyone who has the normal, non-life-threatening types of herpes such as fever blisters, or HSV-1, might not be wise since arginine is so important for cardiovascular health.

I also discussed the possibility of adding an anti-viral like oregano gel caps, to kill any herpes virus that might be flushed out by the high doses of arginine.

IMPORTANT: I am a self-treating individual and willing to accept responsibility for that decision. the information I am sharing here is my own personal experience and decisions and, in no way, am I suggesting that anyone else take the risks I’m taking.

What I have not discussed yet is my initial concern over the addition of EDTA to this formula. I know that some types of EDTA can, in addition to very successfully removing plaque, chelate out minerals….specifically, magnesium, potassium and zinc.

I strongly feel that this was happening because I began to have leg cramps and restless leg sensations.

When the fever blister erupted, I had a choice to stop taking the product. I chose to keep taking it, at my own risk. I’ve always been sort of a guinea pig for health so I figured a little fever blister wasn’t going to stop me from seeing what the benefits of this formula might be for me.

A little later in my journey with this product, when the other, more troubling symptoms arose, I had to make a more serious decision. When I began having heart palpitations, I first dismissed them as probably the result of hormonal imbalances. I’m perimenopausal and heart palpitations are symptoms of menopause. I had experienced them before.

However, as each day passed, the palpitations got more frequent until they reached a point where I began to be concerned for my health. So, again, I had a choice. Rather than come off the product completely, which is what the company that made it would have suggested I’m sure, had I called them, I decided to half my dose, from one ounce per day to 1/2 ounce.

It worked. Within 24 hours the heart palpitations stopped but I still had a tight feeling around my heart. This went away almost entirely with one dose of Natural Calm magnesium, as did the leg cramps and the restless leg sensations. This was a very strong affirmation to me that I was correct in my feeling that, at least in my particular case, magnesium was being chelated out with the bad stuff. I also bought some organic bananas at Ingles and have instinctively craved a banana sandwich for the past two days, possibly adding back in potassium.

Except for any noted source material, content copyright, Neva. J. Howell, all rights reserved



I BELIEVE IN ARGININE FOR THE HEART:

I want to stress once more that I am taking risks because I believe in the direction this company is taking in addressing heart disease. However, I am also fast coming to the conclusion that, if it were my product, I’d be making a couple of important changes:

I’d find a way to make this product available to those with herpes and shingles, and I’d take the EDTA out and have it in a separate product, taken separately, and have enough liquid magnesium added to the cocktail to prevent chelation and deficiency.

Along with this product, I got a tape of some doctors talking about using oral chelation in their therapies and saying that they monitored minerals and had not seen a leaching out of minerals with their oral chelation therapy. At first listen, it sounds like they are endorsing the product but really, that was never said. I believe the chelation therapist on the tape was discussing whatever oral chelation therapy her office used, and not specifically the Cardio Cocktail. I’d be very interested to hear if any studies have been done on this particular formula, specifically checking for chelation of magnesium, potassium and zinc.

Starting this morning, I reduced my dosage yet again to 1/4 of an ounce. I am making these choices instinctively and realizing that a person with serious heart conditions might have a totally different experience than mine. I tested to be in fairly good cardiovascular health, with only normal aging and damage to the arterial walls and loss of strength to vascular flow. I am taking this because I believe I’d be in much better health if I had exercised throughout my life and I’m hoping that this product can help me get energy to do so for the last half of my life.

I’m tempted just to file this as my review of the product but I won’t do that. I’m going to see it through for the 90 days, get retested and then submit my review.


More on Arginine Benefits and Risks

Tuesday, January 8th, 2008

The Cardiovascular Benefits of Arginine Supplementation
Effects of the amino acid L-Arginine on cardio function
Except for any noted source material, content copyright, Neva. J. Howell, all rights reserved

This is a follow up to earlier posts on the high-arginine nutritional supplement I’m taking and on arginine and herpes. It may be helpful to read those earlier posts before continuing with this one.

Before, I had talked about the promise of arginine in helping the body heal itself of heart disease, atherioschlerosis and arteriosclerosis due to the nitric oxide that arginine produces. A nobel prize in medicine was awarded in 1998 for research showing how important a factor nitric oxide is in cardiovascular health.

L-Arginine is a potent anticoagulant, antioxidant and vascodilator. It relaxes arteries, which can help with high blood pressure, increases blood flow to the brain and helps improve insulin sensitivity among many, many other health benefits.

I’m taking the cardiococktail and am in my forth day. I’m going to take it for at least two months and then post my results and feelings about this supplement.

But what about herpes and arginine?
The research on arginine is truly impressive but the concerns about those with herpes virus in their system are still with me. I had a fever blister on my lip after 3 days on the product so I’m concerned that certain people with herpes, such as those with compromised immune systems, might have outbreaks if they take the cocktail….

However, an even bigger concern is whether or not avoiding arginine because of herpes might be a bigger mistake, since arginine seems so very instrumental in healthy heart function; so instrumental that I’d love to give this supplement to my mom but she has shingles and, as anyone with shingles will tell you, the pain of shingles can be almost unbearable.

Since shingles is caused by a strain of herpes virus (herpes zoster), I just can’t take the chance that the formula might trigger an outbreak, even though the only warning on the bottle is referencing ocular or brain herpes. I don’t have either of those but still had a fever blister after not having any for years so I’m not sure it wouldn’t pose a risk for shingles
too.

I am pondering the idea of whether adding a potent antiviral to the blend could kill herpes virus if it is triggered by the arginine…..in my last post I suggested maybe adding lemon balm but, on second thought, lemon balm inhibits viruses but I’m not sure it kills them. I wonder if oregano oil could be safely added? That’s one of the most potent anti-virals I know.

My theory is that, maybe repeatedly suppressing herpes viruses is not the best way to address them and that, by repeatedly killing the virus as soon as it emerges from it’s hiding places within the body might, over time, destroy it’s ability to replicate at all.

I hope the company that makes this product will look seriously at ways they may be able to fortify this formula with some sort of anti-viral that will successfully provide the body with the ammunition it needs to win the internal battle with herpes simplex virus. Then, it would truly be a miracle product.


Arginine and Herpes

Monday, January 7th, 2008

If you have herpes, should you avoid arginine?


Except for any noted source material, content copyright, Neva. J. Howell, all rights reserved

As a wellness counselor, I’ve read a lot of research on the herpes simplex virus and it’s various forms….fever blisters, genital herpes, shingles, ocular herpes, brain herpes, etc.

I’m also well-versed on the alternative medicine herpes treatments that are available, such as lysine, melissa, tea tree oil and other anti-viral essential oil blends, etc. I personally believe essential oil blends may be the most potent natural weapon we have against the herpes virus. This is a top-notch essential oil blend for herpes that I recommend.

I am less well-versed but familiar with the only medications approved for treatment of herpes: valtrex, acyclovir and famvir.

One of the main things that is echoed on almost every website geared toward helping those with herpes is that high-arginine foods should be avoided. This is because the amino acid arginine can trigger a herpes outbreak.

However, my concern about this ban on arginine has to do with my knowledge of the research being done on this particular amino acid and it’s importance to a healthy cardiovascular system. Is it a coincidence that one in four sexually active people have herpes AND that cardiovascular disease is a number one killer?

Oh, lord, there will have to be exhaustive studies on that one before I could say a word about it but what if….what if?

I’m in my third day on the CardioCocktail product I wrote about on the blog a few days ago. I’m not ready to give it my thumbs up yet but I can say I’m noticing more energy. And one kind of bizarre confirmation that it might be working to increase blood flow, oxygen, etc. happened at the Cracker Barrel restaurant yesterday.

As I’m sure most who eat a Cracker Barrel may have also done, I normally grab those little triangular games with the pegs and try to see if I’m dumb, pretty smart or a genius. If you’re not familiar with the games (there’s a study on wealth manifestation…would love to interview the man who created those and then got Cracker Barrels all over to buy them), they are little triangular pieces of wood with holes in them. There are pegs in every hole except one and the object is jump pegs until there is only one peg left.

In the past, and I’m talking 20 years of eating there, I have only done this one time and that was with specific help from a waitress there who knew how to do it. That one success was probably at least 5 or 6 years ago.

Well, yesterday, I sat down and did it, first try. I was looking around for somebody to tell. I tried again and failed, and then tried again, and succeeded a second time. Now this….is amazing to me.

Is my brain getting more oxygen now? Or is this just one of those strange, inexplicable little events that have nothing to do with anything else.

Anyway, I ramble. Back to the arginine studies. When a Nobel Prize is awarded for research, I tend to notice it. In 1998, the Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to Dr. Lou Ignarro for his research on Nitric Oxide in the body.

What does this have to do with arginine? L-Arginine, taken in large doses and with near-full absorption, helps our body produce Nitric Oxide, which in turn helps get more blood flow and oxygen through your system.

When I had the Digital test done, the technician commented that a lot people die of heart attacks in their sleep because they are not producing any nitric oxide. You have to be moving to produce it, as in exercise….or you can take arginine.

But what about all those people (one in four) estimated to have herpes? Can they take such large doses of arginine or is it dangerous? On the bottle, there is a warning for those who have ocular herpes (herpes of the eye) or brain herpes but not of the other forms.

My Theory About Herpes


I have had a theory about the herpes virus for a long time now and am waiting for research to confirm it. I believe keeping it latent may be a mistake. I think it could be that the herpes virus has to be weakened by repeated attack, just the same way that it weakens a person’s system from within by repeated attack. But how do you attack something that is hiding in your system? Flush it out and then kill it. What kills herpes? Tea tree oil will kill it on the surface. See, there’s the issue. Would you have an outbreak to stop outbreaks? That’s the thing anyone with herpes doesn’t want to think about. But what if it’s the only way?

Anyway, I am saying all this to say that this research on arginine has been enough to make me rethink how I counsel people with herpes. We may be preventing outbreaks by avoiding arginine but what are we doing to the rest of the body? There may be a better way.

I hope the company that created CardioCocktail will research this vital issue. To me, they are onto something with this formula and it would be a true shame if the huge numbers of people with herpes couldn’t benefit from it.

Maybe the folks at Formor can look at adding melissa (lemon balm) to the formula and then doing some controlled tests with people who have herpes. Lemon balm is a wonderful tonic herb anyway and can be taken longterm with no ill effects. It’s a good tea to drink all the time, for general toning and health on it’s own. Might it be added to the formula for those who have herpes and might that help their body kill the virus as soon as the arginine flushes it out of it’s hiding place? And, over time, might that not weaken the virus to the point that it dies? And might there be a cure for herpes after all?

Personal feedback: After 3 days on the CardioCocktail, I developed a small fever blister on the bottom of my lip. This is the first fever blister I’ve had in years. I applied tea tree oil immediately and the next day, the fever blister is almost gone.

Interesting update: Fever blister may have taken a little bit longer than normal to completely go away but it did not resurface even though I still took the same dose of CardioCocktail for several days after that, before reducing it.


FDA-Approved non-invasive testing

Friday, January 4th, 2008

Related Healthy Heart Article:
What is Hardening of the Arteries?


Cardiovascular test replaces 7 tests your cardiologist would do


FDA-Approved Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Screening Test

Except for any noted source material, content copyright, Neva. J. Howell, all rights reserved

Today, I had a fascinating health screening test done. I sat down in front of a computer, warmed my fingertips on a heating pad to improve circulation and had a clamp placed on my first finger of my left hand for about 3 minutes as the computer did it’s thing.

What was I doing? I was taking the new Digital PulseWave Analyzer, which is an FDA cleared early warning detection device. It is quite comprehensive as I mentioned, replacing 7 tests normally done by your cardiologist. In fact, I’m told many cardiologists are now using the Digital PulseWave Analyzer because it is so accurate.

However, I should also mention that the same people doing the testing are also selling a product for cardiovascular health. Any time you have a company promoting a product and also testing to see if you need it, that throws up a red flag.

If it were not done in the office of a holistic health professional I’ve known for years and trust with my health, I might have been more skeptical.

However, the fact that doctors are using it and also that the FDA has cleared it for this specific, vital use speaks volumes to me.


My Cardiovascular Test Results from the DPA:

I’m basically as old as I am, within a year. In other words, my arteries are in about the shape one would expect them to be in at my age.

However, they could be better in certain areas and the test was very, very specific as to what those areas were. For example, my carotid arteries in the neck were fine but an important “notch” that appeaers in something called a “PTG Waveform” graphic was missing. This is not necessarily abnormal for my age but it is a sign that aging is occurring and perhaps, faster in that area than it should be.

It didn’t surprise me. As I’ve written on this blog, my new year’s resolution was to focus on doing three specific things each morning to restore my health to optimal. I do not exercise much and have never done so. In fact, given the lack of exercise over most my life, it’s surprising my results were as good as they were, particularly given the fact that I did have high cholesterol a year ago. I brought it down with one of the products this company sells, called Argenix.

This time, they told me about a new product called CardioCocktail. This is a multi-level situation, which I do not particularly care for but the bottom line is “does it work?”

I’m planning to take the CardioCocktail for at least two months, maybe three and then be retested. If I see (and feel in my day to day activities) that there is improvement, I’ll post the results here.

I do know when I took the Argenix last year, I saw massive improvement in energy levels, reduction of restless leg sensations, better sleep and weight loss. I also literally felt the Argenix go through one of the arteries that had muscle-tested to be congested. It was an amazing thing, how much that first dose helped me so I am curious to find out what the CardioCocktail can do.

I would say it’s worth the time to get the test done, whether you buy the product or not. However, keep in mind that they will try to sell it to you, for sure.

I was very happy to see that there were no life-threatening problems in my cardiovascular system. Since many who die of heart attacks have no symptoms, I do believe testing is important, particularly if there is a history of heart disease in your family (it’s in my family line on both sides).



Related Healthy Heart Article:
Alternatives to Aspirin for Your Heart


Cerebral Palsy Support

Friday, December 21st, 2007

Related Health Article:
Bell’s Palsy - Information, Resources and Beneficial Supplements

Forum for those with Cerebral Palsy

I just came across this forum that has been started, specifically for people with cerebral palsy, who want to connect with others who have this health challenge. In addition to other resources with good cerebral palsy information, this forum may provide a more personal space for communication, sharing and support. It is a patient-to-patient forum, which means you’ll be talking with other people who have the condition and can ask about treatments, how to handle the special challenges of a child with CP and more.

When I visited the cerebral palsy forum, new posts addressed Static Encephalopathy, CP and Multiple Sclerosis, paralisis cerebral and melanomalasia.

Topics listed as being appropriate for discussion on the forum include equipment such as walkers, orthotics and wheelchairs, treatments including oxygen therapy, biofeedback and suit therapy, and posts regarding financial issues, insurance issues, etc.

Looks like a good place for getting some real cerebral palsy information from real people who either have cerebral palsy or have a child who has it.


Related Health Article:
Parkinson’s Disease - Information, Resources and Beneficial Supplements

Tis the Season to Diet

Tuesday, December 18th, 2007

For those with a New Year’s Resolution to Lose Weight
Except for any noted source material, content copyright, Neva. J. Howell, all rights reserved


I am providing some information on a weight loss product from a company I respect, called Vaxa Nutraceuticals, for those who might be wanting to lose a few pounds for the new year.

Växa uses Bioperine® in the advanced weight loss product B-T Plus. B-T Plus gives you long- lasting, balanced energy while curbing your appetite and increasing your metabolic rate. Because of the incredible absorption rates caused by this ” thermonutrient,” the ingredients of B-T Plus get into the body faster and stay in your body longer. In addition, you will get results quicker than ever before!

Bioperine® (trademark of the Sabinsa Corporation patent #5,536506) is a “thermonutrient” derived from black pepper. It helps the body ensure absorption of essential nutrients from our foods and supplements. Double-blind, clinical studies have shown the effectiveness of Bioperine® when used in conjunction with a variety of nutrients. For example, a study compared the bioavailability of a single dose of vitamin B6 (100mg) when used with Bioperine® and found absorption was 2.5 times higher in the group receiving vitamin B6 with Bioperine® as compared to the control group receiving the vitamin supplementation alone. Additional studies have shown as much as a 30% higher rate of absorption of ingredients was possible when taken with Bioperine®.

Click here for more information on B-T Plus »

Friendly Bacteria Helps Digestion

Monday, December 17th, 2007

Probotics as Digestive Aids
Except for any noted source material, content copyright, Neva. J. Howell, all rights reserved


I remember an episode of that show “Wife Swap”. I didn’t watch it regularly but rather, when nothing else was on. This time, one of the families ate a raw food diet that would probably shock foodies.

In addition to eating all raw vegetables and fruits, this family ate raw chicken, raw beef, raw eggs, etc. They cooked nothing at all. They even ate aged, raw meat. I forget what they called it but it was raw meat that had basically molded and rotted, as far as I’m concerned.

The wife, at one point and to make a point, licked the floor of the family home she had been “swapped” out to, because she wasn’t afraid of bacteria. She thought bacteria wasn’t the enemy.

I thought of that scene and that family when I watched ABC News the other night. Charlie Gibson was talking about bacteria too, the kind of friendly bacteria that is being advertised now as a digestive aid in yogurts like Activia. Most yogurt already has “live cultures” but probiotics are now being added to a lot of yogurt products.

Is bacteria bad?
People tend to think of bacteria as being something harmful that needs to treated with antibiotics, but the truth is that a certain type of bacteria, called probiotics, are vital for healthy digestion. In addition, these friendly bacteria help with increased immune response and are considered a beneficial dietary addition for those with lactose intolerance. Source: USProbiotics.org

I’m some where in the middle, between those who lick floors and those who feel bacteria are to be avoided at all costs. I use hand sanitizer during cold and flu season, whenever in crowded public places, but I don’t go all Howard Hughes about it. On the other hand, I don’t run around looking for bacteria to touch, taste and breathe in but I recognize it as part of life.

I personally don’t feel that probiotics should be given to children, in general. They don’t have fully developed immune systems and probiotics could interfere with the development of immune response, in my opinion. I infer this from what I’ve read about other immune-enhancing supplements like kombucha.

Kids love those yogurts in the little bottles but when my 3 year old nephew drank more than one, his stomach got upset. I just think it’s better not to give it to children under the age of 4, unless directed by your doctor of course.