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New Mammogram Recommendations |
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Written by PeachDough
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Thursday, 19 November 2009 13:40 |
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There are new government recommendations when it comes to mammograms. The rule used to be to start getting mammograms at 40, get them every year, and do self-exams in between. But now the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is saying that mammograms at age 40 should not be routine. According to the USPSTF, women who are not at an increased risk of breast cancer should wait until they're 50, get mammograms every other year, and not bother with self-exams.
Some support this change saying a lot of lumps are normal, yet women often panic when they find one. So self-exams cause more stress than they're worth. They also argue that the mammogram machine may actually cause cancer because of the radiation. The National Breast Cancer Coalition and the National Women's Health Network seem to support the new recommendations.
Others strongly oppose the new recommendations saying that routine screening saves lives, and the earlier cancer is detected the better. Some fear that, because of the new recommendations, health insurance companies may decide to not cover mammograms in women under 40. Many believe these new recommendations are simply an attempt to cut health care costs even if it's at the cost of some lives. The American Cancer Society and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say that they are still going to go by the old recommendations.
Since doctors don't even agree on what we should be doing right now, a lot of people are feeling scared and confused. A lot of women in their 40s are wondering whether they should make the appointment or not. For anyone who is unsure, I'd recommend doing some research and talking to a doctor. If the doctor rushes or doesn't discuss it with you fully, feel free to visit another. Personally, I'm leaning slightly more to the side of caution for now.
If you want to read more, check out these sites:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/16/mammography.recommendation.changes/index.html
http://health.usnews.com/blogs/on-women/2009/11/17/women-in-their-40s-ponder-whether-to-skip-the-mammogram.html
or go to GoodSearch and do a search for something like "mammogram changes." Although these recommendations are new, they're getting a lot of attention and causing a lot of debate, so there are plenty of articles on the subject already.
If you have questions or comments, feel free to hit the "discuss" link below to go to the forum.
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6 Facts About Non-Violent Resistance |
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Written by PeachDough
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Tuesday, 19 January 2010 14:58 |
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"1. Non-violent resistance is not for cowards. It is not a quiet, passive acceptance of evil. One is passive and non-violent physically, but very active spiritually, always seeking ways to persuade the opponent of advantages to the way of love, cooperation, and peace.
2. The goal is not to defeat or humiliate the opponent but rather to win him or her over to understanding new ways to create cooperation and community.
3. The non-violent resister attacks the forces of evil, not the people who are engaged in injustice. As King said in Montgomery, “We are out to defeat injustice and not white persons who may be unjust.”
4. The non-violent resister accepts suffering without retaliating; accepts violence, but never commits it. Gandhi said, “Rivers of blood may have to flow before we gain our freedom, but it must be our blood.” Gandhi and King both understood that suffering by activists had the mysterious power of converting opponents who would otherwise refuse to listen.
5. In non-violent resistance, one learns to avoid physical violence toward others and also learns to love the opponents with “agape” or unconditional love–which is love given not for what one will receive in return, but for the sake of love alone. It is God flowing through the human heart. Agape is ahimsa. “Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate,” said King.
6. Non-violent resistance is based on the belief that the universe is just. There is God or a creative force that is moving us toward universal love and wholeness continually. Therefore, all our work for justice will bear fruit - the fruit of love, peace, and justice for all beings everywhere.'"
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/martin-luther-king-six-facts.html |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 January 2010 14:58 |
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Written by PeachDough
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Friday, 18 December 2009 19:09 |
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A lot of people don't have a good understanding of health or of research. Many people say, "Well, I've done pot and it didn't do anything bad to me" or "Well, I know someone who does it all the time, and he's fine" or "My friend only does it once in a while, it's not addictive." They don't realize that people react to things in different ways, and there may be consequences that are not immediately obvious.
Marijuana doesn't seem to be directly addictive. But that doesn't mean people don't get addicted to it. People can get addicted to anything that makes them feel good such as pot, video games, sex, food, etc. So whether someone gets addicted to pot or not usually depends on just how good pot makes them feel and just how prone they are to addiction.
Side effects can vary from person to person as well. Maybe Uncle Jim and your friend Steve seem fine after smoking, but that doesn't mean they are fine or that you'll be fine. Marijuana is linked to a wide variety of health problems, a lot of which are rather subtle, things that might not show up right away, things your friends and family members might not what to admit to you (impotence), or things they might not even notice (low sperm count).
We don't know a lot about the effects of marijuana on unborn babies. Why? Because it's a hard thing to study. We certainly can't tell women to smoke pot during pregnancy so that we can study their babies later. And we try to study women who admit to smoking or who are caught smoking. But the problem is that a lot of them do other things too, such as have a bad diet, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, do other drugs, etc. So it gets hard to determine for sure whether the marijuana has the ill effects or something else. But so far it does look like marijuana is certainly not good for babies and is also probably linked to a wide variety of health and developmental issues, some of which might not be apparent for years (such as social disorders and learning delays).
So don't risk it.
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Last Updated on Friday, 18 December 2009 19:19 |
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10 Healthy Eating Tips from Dr. Frank Lipman |
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Written by PeachDough
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Thursday, 28 January 2010 18:00 |
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"1. Eat real food i.e. fresh, whole, unrefined and unprocessed food. Food is more than a delivery system for nutrients containing protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Real food is more than the sum of its parts, it’s about how it all works together, about the integrity of the information or the total message. Although you should know how to read food labels, most real food does not come with a label — vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grass fed meats, wild fish, organic chicken and eggs etc.
2. Although there is no one right diet for everyone (as we are all different), try to eat as close to nature as possible. The further removed food is from its source the less good data it will contain, and the more likely it is of being a “food-like substance” and not real food.
3. Select fruits and vegetables in a wide variety of colors. For a list of fruits and vegetables with the most and least pesticides, check out www.foodnews.org.
4. Buy fresh foods whenever you can, preferably organic and locally grown if possible. Fresh foods are better than frozen foods, which are better than canned foods.
5. Stop eating when you are 80 percent full.
6. Be skeptical of foods that come individually labeled with a health claim. Most healthy foods don’t need a health claim. Have you ever seen a health claim on a bunch of broccoli or on a box of blueberries?
7. Be wary of foods you’ve seen advertised as the vast majority of these are processed foods.
8. Be careful of obsessive calorie counting. Figuring your diet simply in terms of calories or even percentages of protein, fat and carbohydrate, can inadvertently deprive your body of the “complete” messages that real, whole foods provide.
9. Enjoy your food, preferably in the company of people you love.
10. Don’t waste your time feeling guilty if you ate the “wrong” thing. I think Michael Pollan summarizes it really well in his brilliant book, In Defense of Food: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” He too is talking about real food."
Click here to read the rest of the article:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-ways-your-food-can-bring-out-the-best-in-your-genes.html?&page=3 |
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