Health

It ain't your mama's health blog.

Total news: 20
Last news: February 19, 2008 14:43:10

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In an effort to serve you even better (no, really. We’re being serious.), we are ramping up our blogroll here at Healthbolt, an entity that was heretofore non-existent, despite years of being on the web.

Our intentions are noble, but there are so many fantastic sites/blogs/magazines out there, we’re bound to miss a bunch. So we’re asking you, dear readers, to help us out. If you have a health-related blog that you write/read, a site you visit often or a mag you can’t live without, let us know. Be sure to give us a title and a link, if you have one. You can either hit the email button in the right sidebar by our names, or you can leave the link right here in the comments. We do, however, reserve the right to delete comments that are spammy and/or naughty. We also reserve the right to be discerning in who we add to the blogroll, so we’re sure we aren’t wasting our readers’ time.

So if you want to see your blog/site’s name in lights, give us a holler. And don’t forget to give a shout out to your other favorites, too.

Thanks, guys! Have a kick-ass day!

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“To the agriculturist, cannibis is a fibre crop; to the physician, it is an enigma; to the user, a euphoriant; to the police, a menace; to the trafficker, a source of profitable danger; to the convict or parolee and his family, a source of sorrow.”
   - Marihuana in Medicine: Past, Present and Future by Tod H Mikuriva
                       (California Medicine, Vol 110, 1969: 30-40)

Without the hemp plant, one of the oldest psychoactive plants around, there would be no marijuana. It’s dried leaves have been inhaled and ingested for centuries, changing the mood, perception, and consciousness of people throughout the world. And for most of it’s history, hemp and it’s by-products have been legal.

Here’s a few fascinating facts…

1. It’s use as medicine was first recorded as far back as 2727 B.C. by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung. He documented it’s medical effectiveness in treating rheumatism, gout, and even absent-mindedness.

2. Queen Victoria of England was prescribed cannabis for menstrual cramps by her personal physician Sir Russell Reynolds. He wrote in the first issue of The Lancet in 1890 that ‘when pure and administered carefully, cannabis is one of the most useful medicines we possess.’

3. America’s first marijuana law was not, as many might imagine, to ban the growing of the plant. It was just the opposite. Back in 1619, the farmers of the Jamestown Colony in Virginia were ‘ordered‘ to grow hemp crops. And this was the first of many such laws. Get this - between 1763 and 1767, not growing the hemp plant could get a farmer thrown in jail.

Of course, the reason that hemp growing was encouraged was so very different from the reasons that many people try to grow it today. Back the, the hemp plant had much more practical uses - once harvested, it was turned into clothing, sails, and rope.

4. Hemp was once considered legal tender in the United States, even accepted by the government as a payment for your taxes. Try that today and see where you end up!

5. Visitors to the 1876 American Centennial Exposition in Phillidelphia were invited to ‘toke up’ at the Turkish Hashish Exposition stand. Those who did had a much more enhanced ‘exposition’ experience.

6. In the 1890s, several women’s temperance societies actually recommended the use of hashish instead of alchohol. Their reasoning - liquor led to domestic violence, whereas hashish did not.

7. Up until the 1940s, it was easily obtained at the local general store or pharmacy. Used as a medicine, it was listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia as useful for medical conditions such as nausea, rheumatism, and labor pain. (It was subsequently removed from the pharmacopoeia in 1942 when it was decided that marijuana was a harmful and addictive drug, causing psychotic episodes.)

more…
But enough with the words.

I found this 5 part video series called The Magic Weed: A History of Marijuana that looks like it’s worth watching. I’ve only had time so far to see Part One, but it held my attention…so thought I’d share all five with you. (Hopefully one day soon I’ll have a chance to watch the whole series)

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So you’re cooking, right? You grab the lid off the pot so fast that it flings itself mercilessly against the inside of your wrist, sending you careening over to the kitchen sink as your dinner burns on the stove. What do you do next?

A) Run the wound under cool water.
B) Call the pizza joint and say to hell with home-cooking forever.
C) Curse so loudly your children gaze at you in horror, then scrunch up their little faces and run out of the room.
D) Schlack the burn with a bit of honey.

While your natural instincts might steer you toward B and C, what you really need to do is take a deep breath, then proceed with A, then D.

D, you say? Yes, D. Because out of all the wacky home remedies out there to treat burns, honey has been shown to be a pretty darn effective one. In fact, honey possesses both anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, so it should head off infection and relieve burn-inflicted swelling. Keeping this in mind, after rinsing the wound with cool water, spread a dab of honey over the burn and cover it with a no-stick sterile gauze pad.

Now this isn’t the first time I’ve sung the praises of honey, mind you. The stuff sure as heck is good for more than just sweetening up oatmeal or a peanut butter sandwich. In fact, since honey is not as widely used to treat wounds and infections as other over-the-counter pharmaceutical choices, it has yet to become resistant to the same super-bacterias that are outsmarting those OTC choices. Ah, the gift of nature.

Have you used honey on your wounds? Will you now that you’ve read this? I can’t wait (er, sort of) for one of my nearly-famous dinner-making burns to test out this trick. Fingers crossed!

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Okay, so it’s not something any of us ever thought we’d see in our life time.

Especially not in the United States.

But here they are - marijuana dispensing vending machines.

In California.

To be more specific, in Los Angeles.

To be exact, at a Herbal Nutrition Center in Los Angeles.

Not that you or I are ever going to be able to use them - least I hope not cause they are only there for those who need marijuana for medicinal purposes. And even they have to prove that they need it - via a doctor’s prescription. But it’s an amazing development, given the controversy surrounding it’s use for medicinal (and recreational) use. In fact, marijuana use is still illegal under US federal law which, apparently doesn’t even recognize the medical marijuana laws in California and 11 other states.

Makes you wonder how long these marijuana vending machines will be allowed.

It also got me thinking about marijuana.

What is it about marijuana that causes such controversy?

What is it’s history?

How does it help medicinally?

And what’s bad about it?

So I started reading, reading, and reading some more. As a result, Healthbolt this week has turned into ‘Marijuana Week’ as I post about what I found out.

Stick around for the following:

19 Feb Marijuana: A Short History
20 Feb Medicinal Marijuana ?
21 Feb Marijuana: Why it’s Bad for Your Health
22 Feb Marijuana and the future

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              ‘Slow down, you move too fast
               You got to make the morning last
               Just kicking down the cobblestones
               Looking for fun and feeling groovy’
                      - The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy)
                                Simon and Garfunkel

Tired of rushing everywhere ?

Can’t find time in your life to work, live, love and play ?

Wouldn’t it be nice just to slow down or even stop time every so often ?

Well, the team over at Improv Everywhere seem to think it’s possible. Established in 2001, they have been stretching the imagination of New Yorkers with missions that allow time to slow down and even freeze.

Check it out…

Frozen Grand Central Station

Slo-Mo Home Depot

See, you really can slow down time…you just have to be in the right place at the right time.

Enjoy…

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I just love when psychology serves up a big dish of Boo Yah. The two-second version, if you believe the authors: men want sex, women want security, nobody wants leftovers for dinner again. From Psychology Today, 10 politically incorrect observations about humans:

10. Gentlemen really do prefer blonds. Everyone prefers blue eyes.

Nobody prefers patchouli.

9. Monogamy is unnatural.

But still the best way to get new china.

8. Monogamy helps undesirable dudes stand more than a chance of a snow cone in hell when it comes to getting a mate. Not so for the ladies. Monogamous societies make it more difficult for women to secure a wealthy mate.

Scientists have theorized that a lifestyle variant known as a “job” may be a successful adaptation for mitigating this disadvantage, but remind us that more research needs to be done before any conclusions can be drawn about whether or not getting a “job” is a tenable solution. Scientists hope to conduct further testing of the legitimacy of the “job” theory in the future.

7. (Religious) suicide bombers are almost always young, single, male Muslims. Polygynous societies exert severe competitive pressure on young men, so the promise of 72 virgins in the afterlife is genuinely compelling.

Because there’s nothing better than sex with a virgin.

6. Sons prevent divorce better than daughters.

Fathers pass their wealth on to sons, so having a son gives a man an incentive to stay in a marriage. Of course, he’ll be spending all that wealth on car insurance.

5. Pretty people have more daughters. Rich people have more sons.

Um, what about pretty, rich people? And does anybody really “marry up” anymore? This seems terribly quaint. In my experience, women are expected to be just as educated and financially independent as men, in addition to being attractive, and men are increasingly expected to look good, dress well, and know their way around the kitchen in addition to being successful. Basically, we’re all expected to be perfect now, which totally rocks. Go us!

4. Crime and talent are merely two sides of the same coin: the primal urge to compete in youth in order to establish oneself as more desirable.

Something any rapper could have told you.

3. Men don’t have mid-life crises because they are getting old. It’s because their wives are getting old.

Darn chicks. Always cramping your style.

2. It would be bizarre, biologically speaking, if powerful men didn’t have affairs. Sex is why men try to be powerful in the first place.

Hey, this is certainly no worse an argument than “the definition of ‘is’ “.

1. Men sexually harass women…because men harass everyone?

Sexual harassment isn’t always about abuse of power in order to acquire a sexual reward. Men are hard-wired to compete, so sexual harassment is often just the boy-to-girl equivalent of a faux fistfight. Ever notice how guys degrade each other constantly as a sign of affection? Jason Lee has made a career of this. Sexual harassment is apparently the same deal. It’s a compliment, just a friendly punch, really. (But science still offers no explanation as to why some men insist on air golf swings when ordering their lattes.)

My question to you, dear reader:

Is this all a matter of evolutionary psychology…or successful social conditioning? Because apparently when the authors wrote this article, no pheromones were available for comment. I think everybody just wants to smooch. Even Jesus.

MKnowles Photography (CC)

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Benjamin Franklin allegedly said, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” (Ben was also a total player. Go Ben.) When I find junk food that is unexpectedly healthy, I feel a similar wave of reverence, not for God, exactly, but just general waviness.

Once a week or so, I’ll be sharing healthy junk food discoveries. Mind you, not lame junk food substitutes, but actual junk food that is still miraculously healthy.

Junk Food That Isn’t, #1: Ketchup

Americans committed to the ketchup love affair back in the 1600s, before they were technically even Americans. I thought ketchup was just a watery, sugary version of tomato sauce, perhaps born of desperation, but I was way off. Ketchup came to America from Asia, where it was originally a spicy, vinegary sauce called ketsiap. For the record, “catsup”, “catchup” and other non-k variants are not legit. (Stun your friends tonight with that factoid. You’re so welcome.) In the innovative tradition of utilizing leftovers, New Englanders added tomatoes to ketchup in the 1700s, thereby kicking the super pungent taste down a few notches and simultaneously using up all the tomato skins, cores and mushy parts that were evidently sitting around in problematic heaps. Old man Heinz started bottling the stuff in 1876 and ketchup quickly became the definitive American sauce.

The nutritional thing about this otherwise homely condiment is that it’s a veritable explosion of antioxidants in your mouth (in addition to being an explosion on your white t-shirt). Tomatoes contain lycopene and lutein, two rockin’ antioxidants that nourish your eyes (thus sustaining your Stumbleupon addiction). Tomatoes have to be cooked to release these phytonutrients, so if it’s antioxidants you’re after, you’re actually better off eating ketchup instead of tomato slices on that sammich. Though personally I recommend doing both so you get the veggie serving, too.

Ketchup satisfies my junk food criteria because it is a) processed, b) full of corn syrup and c) suspiciously uniform in color.

Because food should be patriotic, or something:

Remember the whole Heinz-Kerry ketchup ruckus in the last presidential election? Well, you can officially dress those Freedom Fries with W ketchup. You’ll be happy to know it only comes in one flavor: American. Yeah, I know, tres relief.

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Web it out:

Boost heart, kill wallet

A 10-year study on organic tomatoes finds that they contain double the antioxidants found in conventional tomatoes (specifically, flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol). Antioxidants are linked to reduced cancer risk, decreased blood pressure and improved heart health. They develop in fruits and vegetables as a defensive response to the lack of nitrogen in soil. Conventionally-raised produce is fertilized, typically with nitrogen, so there ya go.

Waist not

The BMI (body mass index) has long been the standard for determining if you need to lose a few. It’s problematic, though. For example, many athletes are “obese” according to BMI measurements, because BMI doesn’t know the difference between fat and muscles. Obesity experts say measuring people’s waists is a smarter bet for determining things like diabetes and heart disease risk. (via Topix)

Because we need more tobacco spit

The “health community” (whatever that is) isn’t just arguing about marinara today. On the table: do we inform people that smokeless tobacco - the ever-classy chaw - is slightly less dangerous than cigarettes? Or would that (”that” being truth) promote greater tobacco use or even (gasp) send a message of acceptance? Come on. What are we, five-year-olds? It’s not like we can’t find out for ourselves on the internets. Sometimes health guidelines feel like parents for grownups. I can’t wait for the inspiring public service announcement!

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This tot is brilliant. Life sucks, and he just sucks right back. He’ll be damned if that wedge is going to get the best of him.

As promised…

Stupid Stress Tips That Actually Work

Now I am not going to get all Woo MaGoo on you and start delving into psychoanalysis or tell you to do yoga. We don’t have time for delving. Nope, we’re going straight for the drugs.

I’m kidding, of course. Here are some simple stress busters that really do help for averting those short fuse moments. The basic idea here: distract and conquer, baby.

1. Physically distract yourself.

When hurling your sticky soda can at your office mate is about to become a very strong possibility, distract yourself by distracting your body. This is like Restart for your brain. Ideally, you will go exercise, because this will not only immediately distract you, but will create a nice sustained release of Happy! Brain! Juice! But, even getting up and going to the water cooler to sneak a peek at that hot new admin or flirt with the copy guy will divert your angst. Immediate physical distraction is a very simple head trick for those stressful moments when a bubble bath or the batting cage is not an option. This is the easiest thing in the world to do, and it will help to dissipate your stress instantly. If you can step outside, that’s even better.

2. Swill to feel relaxed.

I’m not talking about beer. Drink a cool glass of water. Hydration always revives a flagging mood and mind. And have you eaten something lately? You should be nibblin’ on something every three hours (preferably a three-way split of fiber, protein and healthy fats, such as trail mix).

3. Maybe you just have gas.

Seriously. Our bodies are more sensitive than you may realize. And the food you eat can really have a big impact. To relieve stress, you need to equip your body to show that stress who’s boss. Don’t worry about fat - choose foods that are nutritionally dense and will give you a steady release of energy, like nuts, veggies, fruits, and string cheese. If you find yourself feeling craptastic suddenly, remember: it will likely pass in a few minutes’ time. Always wait a few minutes before taking any drastic action, like firing off that irate email or posting the sordid details of last night’s date du loser on your blog. ‘Cuz maybe you just have gas.

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The BBC is currently running a story about and independent lab in the U.K. that tested 16 do it yourself teeth whitening kits. They found that 14(!) of them contain illegal levels of Hydrogen Peroxide. Like, really illegal levels.

In one case the legal limit was exceeded by a factor of 230 times.

Hydrogen peroxide, commonly used as a hair dye, can aggravate gum disease and cause sensitive teeth - or even chemical burns to the mouth.

High Bleach Levels in Tooth Kits - BBC

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My wife got poison ivy last week. It’s been driving her nuts. You get it in one little spot on your body, and you scratch. Then it gets moved to another spot, and you scratch some more. Pretty soon, you’re red and itchy everywhere. You’re transferring it around your body by way of your hands, but why don’t you get itchy fingertips or a rash on your fingertips?

It has to do with the thickness of your skin. When a Poison Ivy or Poison Oak plant gets damaged (they’re very fragile and finding an undamaged plant is almost impossible) it releases a an oil called urushiol that will cause the common red, itchy, blistering in about 85% of humans. It has to get under your skin to do so. All the way under your skin. Open pores from being hot and sweaty in the summer are the most common method of entry. Small cuts and scrapes work even better. But the skin on your fingers and hands is much thicker than most other parts of your body, and unless you have the afore-mentioned cut or scrape, it just can’t get through. So it sits on the surface and is transferred elsewhere to work it’s itchy, evil magic.

Learn more about prevention and identification:
Outsmarting Poison Ivy and it’s Cousins

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Derek Paravicini is blind and autistic. He is also one for the world’s most talented pianists. Derek has memorized thousands and thousands of songs, after hearing them once or twice. He has given concerts all over the world, and his first CD is now available for purchase.

The video above is part 1 of a five part series about Derek on Youtube.

Derek’s Home Page

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Derek Paravicini is blind and autistic. He is also one for the world’s most talented pianists. Derek has memorized thousands and thousands of songs, after hearing them once or twice. He has given concerts all over the world, and his first CD is now available for purchase.

The video above is part 1 of a five part series about Derek on Youtube.

Derek’s Home Page

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This one is a gimme: would you wash your car every night and then park it a mud puddle? That would be stupid, right? Well, don’t do the same thing to your face. You pillow case absorbs dirt and oil from your noggin’ and then redeposits it on your face night after night. If breakouts are a problem, don’t cry yourself yo sleep on your ‘uge pilla’. Just add washing this particular item at least twice a week to your arsenal of combative strategies.

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This one is a gimme: would you wash your car every night and then park it a mud puddle? That would be stupid, right? Well, don’t do the same thing to your face. You pillow case absorbs dirt and oil from your noggin’ and then redeposits it on your face night after night. If breakouts are a problem, don’t cry yourself yo sleep on your ‘uge pilla’. Just add washing this particular item at least twice a week to your arsenal of combative strategies.

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Since 1976, every year on June 17th the Diego family has photographed themselves. the result is a voyeuristic look into one of the most personal and universal aspects of all of our lives: aging. This small image is 1983-1986. See the whole thing here: Diego Goldberg – The Arrow of Time.

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Via The Consumerist:

• Continental airlines flight 1970 (Amsterdam to new Jersey) treated their passengers to sewage running down the aisle for 7 hours. Creepy and a little unsanitary. Read about the whole ordeal, first hand, here.
• Holland America tells a man his cabin (flooded with fecal water from the broken loo next door) isn’t fecal water at all. “It’s brown because of the brown adhesive under the carpet.” Using water soluble glue to build your cruise ships? If they’re not lying (they are) then they’re very, very stupid. 5 members of his family are incapacitated with vomiting and diarrhea within 3 days of leaving the ship.

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- [Read more]

Via The Consumerist:

• Continental airlines flight 1970 (Amsterdam to new Jersey) treated their passengers to sewage running down the aisle for 7 hours. Creepy and a little unsanitary. Read about the whole ordeal, first hand, here.
• Holland America tells a man his cabin (flooded with fecal water from the broken loo next door) isn’t fecal water at all. “It’s brown because of the brown adhesive under the carpet.” Using water soluble glue to build your cruise ships? If they’re not lying (they are) then they’re very, very stupid. 5 members of his family are incapacitated with vomiting and diarrhea within 3 days of leaving the ship.

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- [Read more]

Buckyballs To Fight Allergy? - Science Daily
A research team has identified a new biological function for a soccer ball-shaped nanoparticle called a buckyball — the ability to block allergic response.

Boss donates kidney to his office assistant - MSNBC
When doctors told Lisa White she needed a kidney transplant to stay alive, she never expected her boss to sign up as a donor.

Study Revises Risk Factors for Women on Hormones - NPR (Audio & Copy)
Five years ago, the mammoth Women’s Health Initiative startled millions of women and their doctors with the finding that women who take menopausal hormone supplements have a higher risk of heart disease. Now, researchers from the same study say hormone therapy actually lowers the risk of heart disease for some women, at least while they’re taking the drugs.

Protein mutations link to autism - BBC
Scientists have discovered how mutations in two key proteins may lead to autism.

Survey sees support for embryos in stem cell work - Reuters
About 60 percent of people with frozen embryos stored at U.S. fertility clinics would be willing to donate them for use in human stem cell research, according to a survey released on Wednesday.

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Buckyballs To Fight Allergy? - Science Daily
A research team has identified a new biological function for a soccer ball-shaped nanoparticle called a buckyball — the ability to block allergic response.

Boss donates kidney to his office assistant - MSNBC
When doctors told Lisa White she needed a kidney transplant to stay alive, she never expected her boss to sign up as a donor.

Study Revises Risk Factors for Women on Hormones - NPR (Audio & Copy)
Five years ago, the mammoth Women’s Health Initiative startled millions of women and their doctors with the finding that women who take menopausal hormone supplements have a higher risk of heart disease. Now, researchers from the same study say hormone therapy actually lowers the risk of heart disease for some women, at least while they’re taking the drugs.

Protein mutations link to autism - BBC
Scientists have discovered how mutations in two key proteins may lead to autism.

Survey sees support for embryos in stem cell work - Reuters
About 60 percent of people with frozen embryos stored at U.S. fertility clinics would be willing to donate them for use in human stem cell research, according to a survey released on Wednesday.

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