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Dear Robert,
Happy 2006 To You! That right -
2006! We don't know how time is
working out for you, but we're pretty certain that our
clocks have conspired with our calendars to move
things forward just a little faster each year.
Just when we were finally settled into the
holiday mode, it was time to get back into the fray
and jump into a new year! Perhaps the secret is to
assume the 'holiday mode' earlier in the
season...hmmm...interesting proposition. We'll
bookmark that one for "early" next December and let
you know how it works!
In addition to our battle with our clocks we look
forward to the yearly battle with the bulge, but the
last thing we want to be is yet another
depressing reminder of new year's resolutions gone
awry, so we'll avoid all mirrors and address a
completely different topic this month.
What better time than the 'cold and flu'
season to
learn about our immune system and the critical role it
plays in maintaining our health. For instance, did you
know that the immune system is a complex of organs-
-highly specialized cells and even a circulatory
system separate from blood vessels - all of which
work together to clear infection from the body? Well,
neither did we - but
you'll learn about that and a whole lot more in this
issue of 'Heat Up Your Health'. We've also found
some pretty startling information about vaccinations
and we boldly offer five guaranteed tips on
how to avoid a cold this winter!
Have you found yourself having trouble sleeping?
Well, it's not too late in the evening as we
write this,
but it seems the older you get (and that's a
good thing) the more likely you are to beome
a night owl (that's a bad thing). Insomnia has
reached epidemic proportions and there appears to
be a link to the aging process and the medications
that we take. Our advice? Read and learn - but don't
lose any sleep over it.
We've linked to a couple of other articles that are,
unfortunately, somewhat timely - and would be
unfortunate at any time. With the first reports of
West Nile Virus reaching our province we thought it
might be informative to let you know what has been
going on in other parts of North America in regard to
this - things, perhaps, aren't always what they
seem.
It is never our intent to spread
anything but
knowledge - but there's an issue that rattles us to
our shoes. It has certainly spawned a great deal of
controversy in the media and our thoughts
are: the best way to be perpared is to be informed.
We're talking, of course, about the Avian Flu Virus
(H5N1) and it's implications for the world as we know
it. One of the most dispassionate and responsible
descriptions of it that we've seen comes from Health
Canada and we encourage you to take a few
moments to read their information.
This issue marks the one year anniversary of
our 'Heat Up Your Health' newsletter. We'd like to
take this opportunity to thank all of you for your
kindness and support and urge you to keep your
comments and ideas flowing to us! You can reach us
at editor@soleilsaunas.com with your
feedback and
topic suggestions. Remember, if you find a newsletter
particularly interesting and want to forward it to
friends or family, remember to use the
"forward" feature on the email since if you
simply forward the email from your account, photos
will not be included.
Finally, we extend our thoughts to you as we enter
this new year and offer you our most heartfelt
wishes for a safe, happy and prosperous year for you
and those you love.
Until next
month,
Warmest Regards!
Soleil Saunas
(PLEASE NOTE: The content of
this
newsletter is for general information purposes only
and does not address individual circumstances or
medical conditions. Always consult your doctor for
medical advice. In order to access and view
any of the links on this page, you must have an
active connection to the Internet.)
| 5 Guaranteed Tips For Avoiding Colds |
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We sit shoulder to shoulder with
others during movies, pack tightly into elevators, and
mingle with friends at parties. Then we wonder why
this is the season when we get colds, which are
spread by a virus that hops on surfaces such as our
hands and thrives for up to three hours. Mark
Mengel, MD, chair of community and family medicine
at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, has
these five guaranteed ways to fight getting a
cold. Oh, and we suggest that you do your best to
avoid the "double dippers" all year long!
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| Your Body's First Line of Defense |
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The immune system is a complex of
organs--highly specialized cells and even a
circulatory system separate from blood vessels--all
of which work together to clear infection from the
body. The organs of the immune system, positioned
throughout the body, are called lymphoid organs. The
word "lymph" in Greek means a pure, clear stream--
an appropriate description considering its appearance
and purpose. Whoa! Now we know what Mom
meant when she used to say "Go vent your spleen
somewhere else!"
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| Cat's Claw for Cat Scratch Fever? |
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OK we're being silly BUT, in the mid-
1990s, once it became known that cat's claw had
potential value for the treatment of serious
conditions such as cancer, arthritis, and even HIV
infections, it became one of the top-selling herbs in
the United States. This, of course, was after
scientists in Europe did extensive testing to
demonstrate that substances in cat's claw boost the
activity of the immune system, reduce inflammation,
scavenge damaging particles known as free radicals,
and destroy cancerous cells.
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| Insomnia - Caused by Aging and Medications? |
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Insomnia has reached epidemic
proportions. Among twenty somethings, only about 1
out of 8 have difficulty sleeping. By ages 50 to
64, it's 1 out of 5. It rises to 1 in 4 over age
65. "There's growing evidence that poor sleep
can foster diseases that shorten life", says Fred
Turek, director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian
Biology at Northwestern University School of
Medicine. Interestingly, the very first thing we
hear from our Soleil Sauna customers is that they
sleep better at night almost immediately.
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| West Nile Virus - Pesticides Cause More Harm |
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"Last year, prompted by concern
about the spread of West Nile Virus, New York State
asked counties to report dead birds to its wildlife
pathology laboratory. After receiving more than
80,000 birds, Dr. Ward Stone discovered
that while the virus was a factor in some of the
deaths, the leading cause was pesticide
poisoning. Common lawn care chemicals were
among the most common toxins." If the pesticides
are killing the birds - what are they doing to us?
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| Health Canada Info on Avian Influenza |
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For most Canadians, the risk of
getting avian influenza (bird flu) is extremely low.
However, it is important to know how to minimize
your risks, especially if you are traveling to an area
affected by avian flu.
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Thing About Getting A Flu Shot? |
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After 30 years of intensive
research, much has been learned about how brain
cells work and what goes wrong when disease arises.
One of the great enigmas has been the connection
between vaccinations and certain brain disorders
such as:
- Autism
- ADD
- ADHD
- Gulf War Syndrome
- More common neurodegenerative diseases:
Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s dementia and ALS
As we learned more and more
about how brain cells
should work, we discovered that often normal
processes, such as metabolism, could result in the
accumulation of powerful chemical byproducts, called
free radicals, that have the capacity to destroy
these cells.
Free radicals, basically, are very reactive particles
that bounce all around the cell damaging everything
they touch. Most originate during the process of
metabolism but can also arise from toxin exposure,
irradiation and toxic metals. Because they are so
destructive, cells have a network of defenses
designed to neutralize them. This antioxidant network
is composed of numerous components that include
vitamins, minerals and special chemicals called thiols
(glutathione and alpha-lipoic acid).
Get a dose of this....
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