Archives for March 2010

Review: Nightwave Sleep Assistant for Falling Asleep Naturally

March 28, 2010 By Steven Kirchhof

I sleep like a rock and I usually fall asleep within five minutes of laying down. Not everyone is so lucky though, including my nine year old son, Shawn. We had been to doctors, tried prescription medicine & herbal remedies, and even some really goofy sleep techniques found on the internet. We tried the Nightwave Sleep Assistant a few months ago, and this post is a review of how it worked for Shawn and also how it works for adults with sleep disorders.

I think that most people have had trouble sleeping at one time or another. You can be laying in bed and thoughts are spinning through your mind so quickly that it seems impossible to doze off. [Read more…]

How I travelled the World and Was Sick, Till I Discovered This!

March 24, 2010 By Lesley

A couple of days ago I got a call from a friend. She knows that I love to travel and have dragged my children all over Europe a few parts of Africa and the USA in the belief that travel broadens the mind. (I’m still convinced it does). We’ve been to some weird and wonderful places, so I wasn’t really surprised that she asked me for advice on what she’d need to take with her on her first major foreign trip. What was surprising was my answer. I enjoy ancient and historic places, but I’m no Indiana Jones. I like luxury travel, from suites on cruise ships to four and five star hotels, my progress tends to be slow and stately. I am not into camping (though I admire those who are), so she was surprised when I told her that the first thing she needed was a water sterilizer. [Read more…]

Working Out With a Rowing Machine

March 22, 2010 By Lesley

Aerial view of Dorney Lake, Buckinghamshire, E... — Aerial View of Dorney Lake, Buckinghamshire, UK from Wikipedia

The first time I bought a rowing machine, it was a complete waste of time. It took up a lot of space in my bathroom and was used, well, not nearly as often as it should have been if I had wanted to see some effect. When I think back on the time I wasted, it really makes me feel bad.

Then several years later I met a personal trainer. Martin wasn’t one of these muscle bound types that look down on ordinary mortals. I could tell that he couldn’t understand how anyone could let themselves get into (or rather out of) shape like I was, but Martin was interesting to meet and fun to talk to. He really wanted to make a difference. His studio had all the basics, including a rowing machine and I was anxious that my son would make exercise a regular part of his life, so we began to travel to see Martin on a regular basis.
[Read more…]

Joint Pain: News About Glucosamine & Chondroitin and a Personal Story of Knee Pain

March 21, 2010 By Steven Kirchhof

This study, which is in the news today, brings something to mind that happened last year with my father’s knee pain.

The New England Journal of Medicine published a $12.5 million study saying that, for most people, glucosamine and chondroitin do not soothe knee pain much better than a placebo. I know quite a few people who take glucosamine for joint pain.

The supplements are promoted for anyone with joint pain, including people who suffer from the most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis. According to the study, which followed 1,583 osteoarthritis (also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease) patients, glucosamine and chondroitin are broken down during digestion and there’s no evidence that they are incorporated into the deteriorating cartilage that is characteristic of the disease. Before embarking on my personal story about joint pain in the knee and its treatment, you can read the entire [Read more…]

Study Links Pop Consumption and Pancreatic Cancer

March 15, 2010 By Steven Kirchhof

Minneapolis â€” A University of Minnesota study shows that consuming a lot of soft drinks appears to increase a person’s risk of pancreatic cancer. The findings are based on the dietary habits of more than 60,000 people in Singapore who were observed for 14 years.

The study found a nearly two-fold increase in the risk of pancreatic cancer among people who consumed at least two carbonated, sugar-sweetened beverages per week, compared to those who did not consume soft drinks.