Importance of Oxygen

Our immune system can suffer from lack of oxygen because of improper breathing, poor diets, air pollution, and lack of exercise.

Oxygen (O2) is a basic element of life and it provides protection of life in the form of O3 - also known as ozone - by filtering out the sun's UV rays as they enter the stratosphere. Oxygen destroys the harmful bacteria in our bodies without affecting the beneficial bacteria that we need.

Research continues to prove that increased oxygen consumption promotes overall health and increases metabolism resulting in burning extra fat stores. Oxygen levels can vary greatly and have a large impact on how a person is able to function. Medical professionals have developed standards for the amount of oxygen that should be present within a person's body.

An oxygen level of 95 - 100 percent is considered normal. Within this range, the cells of the body have enough oxygen to carry out necessary functions and an individual feels alert and energized. A level outside of this range, whether higher or lower, should cause a concern and warrants examination by a medical practitioner.

If the level of oxygen in an individual's body is too low, mild to severe complication can occur like hypoxemia. The person may experience fatigue and have a grayish blue skin hue. Oxygen deprivation symptoms include shortness of breath that may be accompanied by dizziness, fainting, or disorientation.

High oxygen levels are just as much of a concern as low oxygen levels. The main issue with an oxygen level that is too high is that it signals the brain to tell an individual's body that it doesn't need to breathe. For this reason, medical professionals have associated high oxygen levels with medical conditions such as sleep apnea, in which an individual periodically stops breathing as they sleep.

What is Diabetes?

According to the report from the International Diabetes Institute of Australia, victims of diabetes worldwide have increased more than twice and expected to grow from its current 246 million to 380 million by year 2025.

Diabetes is now actually a pandemic.  Roughly 4.6 percent of the population in the Philippines (or about 3.5 million) are diabetics.  Not included in these statistics are the 4% to 5% who are undiscovered and about 8 percent pre-diabetics, or future diabetics.  All these predicted to be twice as many in two decades.  More than 65 percent of diabetics will die of some form of heart disease or stroke. These are indeed scary statistics.

What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition where the amount of glucose in your blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly.  This is because your pancreas does not produce any insulin, or not enough, to help glucose enter your body's cells - or the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance).

What causes diabetes?
When our food is digested the glucose makes its way into our bloodstream.  Our cells use the glucose for energy and growth.  However, glucose cannot enter our cells without insulin being present - insulin makes it possible for our cells to take in the glucose.

Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas that allows glucose to enter the body's cells, where it is used as fuel for energy so we can work, play and generally live our lives.  

After eating, the pancreas automatically releases an adequate quantity of insulin to move the glucose present in our blood into the cells, and lowers the blood sugar level.

A person with diabetes has a condition in which the quantity of glucose in the blood is too elevated (hyperglycemia).  This is because the body either does not produce enough insulin, produces no insulin, or has cells that do not respond properly to the insulin the pancreas produces.  This results in too much glucose building up in the blood.  This excess blood glucose eventually passes out of the body in urine.  So, even though the blood has plenty of glucose, the cells are not getting it for their essential energy and growth requirements.

Why is it called Diabetes Mellitus?
Diabetes comes from Greek, and it means a siphon.  Aretus the Cappadocian, a Greek physician during the second century A.D., named the condition diabainein.  He described patients who were passing too much water (polyuria) - like a siphon.  The word became "diabetes" from the English adoption of the Medieval Latin diabetes.

In ancient China people observed that ants would be attracted to some people's urine, because it was sweet.  The term "Sweet Urine Disease" was coined.

Types of diabetes There are three types of diabetes:

Diabetes Type 1 - You produce no insulin at all.
Diabetes Type 2 - You don't produce enough insulin, or your insulin is not working properly.
Gestational Diabetes - You develop diabetes just during your pregnancy.

Diabetes Types 1 and 2 are chronic medical conditions - this means that they are persistent and perpetual.  Gestational Diabetes usually resolves itself after the birth of the child.

Treatment
All types of diabetes are treatable, but Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes last a lifetime; there is no known cure.  The patient receives regular insulin, which became medically available in 1921.  The treatment for a patient with Type 1 is mainly injected insulin, plus some dietary and exercise adherence.

Patients with Type 2 are usually treated with tablets, exercise and a special diet, but sometimes insulin injections are also required.

If diabetes is not adequately controlled the patient has a significant higher risk of developing complications, such as hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis, and nonketotic hypersosmolar coma.  Longer term complications could be cardiovascular disease, retinal damage, chronic kidney failure, nerve damage, poor healing of wounds, gangrene on the feet which may lead to amputation, and erectile dysfunction.

Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. People with diabetes have problems converting food to energy. After a meal, food is broken down into a sugar called glucose, which is carried by the blood to cells throughout the body. Cells use the hormone insulin, made in the pancreas, to help them process blood glucose into energy.

When you have type 2 diabetes, the body does not respond correctly to insulin. This is called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance means that fat, liver, and muscle cells do not respond normally to insulin. As a result blood sugar does not get into cells to be stored for energy.

When sugar cannot enter cells, abnormally high levels of sugar build up in the blood. this is called hyperglycemia. High levels of blood sugar often trigger the pancreas to produce more and more insulin, but it is not enough to keep up with the body's demand.

People who are overweight are more likely to have insulin resistance, because fat interferes with the body's ability to use insulin.

Type 2 diabetes usually occurs gradually. Most people with the disease are overweight at the time of diagnosis. However, type 2 diabetes can also develop in those who are thin, especially the elderly.

Family history and genetics play a large role in type 2 diabetes. Low activity level, poor diet, and excess body weight (especially around the waist) significantly increase your risk for type 2 diabetes.

Other risk factors include:

• Age greater than 45 years 
• HDL cholesterol of less than 35 mg/dL or triglyceride level of greater than 250 mg/dL 
• High blood pressure 
• History of gestational diabetes 
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome 
• Previously identified impaired glucose tolerance by your doctor
• Race/ethnicity (African American, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans all have high rate of diabetes)

Foods High in Uric Acid

High uric acid levels or hyperuricemia can lead to development and aggravation of diseases such as gout.  They also result in the joint deformation and kidney damage along with diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypertension and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).  While there are other causes for excess uric acid formation in the body, diet may also be an important factor for increased level of uric acids.  The purines in food break down to form uric acid during digestion.  So when people susceptible to excess uric acid production, intake of foods high in purine results in hyperuricemia.  Here is a list of the foods high in uric acid.

Meat.  All meat products especially sweetbreads and organ meats such as livers and hearts have the highest level of purines and are therefore the most likely culprits of disorders caused by high uric levels.  While animal meats or the "red meats" such as beef, pork and seafoods should be completely avoided, "white meats" such as poultry can be eaten in moderate amounts.  Processed meat such as bacon is very high in purines and therefore a strict no-no for the people suffering from gout.  Eggs contain low levels of purine and should be limited to three to four a week.

Yeast.  Foods which contain yeast such as breads, beer and alcohol beverages, contain high amount of uric acid.  Alcohol in particular is known to hamper the renal excretion in the kidneys, thus resulting in high levels of uric acid.

Seafood.  Seafood such as sardines, trout, ocean perch, anchovies, herring, halibut, salmon, scallops, mussels, codfish and shrimp have high levels of purine.  Fish eggs, also called roe or caviar, are high in purine.  Fish and seafood not previously listed contain moderate amounts of purine.  This include tuna, salmon and lobster.

Lentils.  It is advisable to eat legumes such as dried beans in moderate amounts to control the levels of uric acid.

Vegetables.  Vegetables like asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms and spinach are also moderate purine foods containing 9-100 mg purine in 100 g food.

Soups and Sauces.  Any extract made from meat is high in purine including broth, consomme and bouillon.  Gravy will also be high in purine.  For a low purine soup, choose one that is not made with a beef or chicken broth.

Grains.  A number of grains contain moderate amounts of purine.  This include oats and oatmeal cereals, wheat germ and bran.  Any cereal or bread marketed as whole grain will also have moderate purine levels.  However, your doctor or dietitian may suggest that you continue eating whole grain foods as the benefits may outweigh any risk from the purine content.  Breads, cereals and pasta made with refined white flour will be low in purine.

Caffeine.  Intake of caffeine found in coffee, tea, beans and leaves of many plants is known to increase the uric acid levels and aggravate conditions of gout.  Instead, try the decaffeinated coffee which actually helps reduce uric acid levels.

In addition to these, people prone to having high uric levels should also avoid some acid-forming foods such as processed syrups, packaged fruit juices, sauces, commercial pickles and artificial sweeteners.

Researchers from Harvard found that despite the purine content of dairy foods, consuming them might decrease uric acid levels.  Published in "Arthritis and Rheumatism" in 2007, the study found those who drank milk one or more times a day or ate yogurt every other day had lower serum uric acid levels.  

To help your body eliminate uric acid, be sure to drink 8 to 16 cups of water per day.  Alcohol, especially beer, has been associated with gout attacks according to MayoClinic.com.  Alcohol interferes with your body's ability to eliminate uric acid.

What is Uric Acid?

Uric acid is a waste produced during the body breaks down substances called purines.  Purines are found in many foods and drinks, such as liver, anchovies, mackerel, dried beans and peas, beer, and wine.

Most uric acid dissolves in blood and travels to the kidneys, where it passes out in urine.  If your body produces too much uric acid or doesn't remove enough of it, you can get sick.

Normal values fall between 3.0 to 7.0 mg/dL.

High levels of uric acid in the body is called hyperuricemia.  It is an excessive concentration of uric acid in the blood.  Some people develop gout, kidney stones or kidney failure due to high uric acid levels.  A high uric acid level may appear prior to the development of high blood pressure, heart disease or chronic kidney disease.  But it's often unclear whether a high uric acid level is a direct cause or merely an early warning sign of these conditions.

Higher-than-normal level of uric acid may be due to:

• Acidosis
• Alcoholism
• Diabetes
• Gout
• Hypoparathyroidism
• Lead poisoning
• Leukemia
• Nephrolithiasis
• Polycythemia vera
• Renal failure
• Toxemia of pregnancy
• Purine-rich diet
• Excessive exercise
• Chemotherapy-related side effects

Lower-than-normal levels of uric acid may be due to:

• Fanconi syndrome
• Wilson's disease
• Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) secretion
• Low purine diet

Signs That You Are In Credit Card Debt Trouble

Using credit and debt can be a powerful tool that allows you to buy a home, a vehicle, send children to college, and even provide leverage for other purchases, but when you accumulate too much debt, it can pose a serious problem. 

Keeping up with your debt payments is only part of the problem.  Money that is used towards paying down debt can't be used elsewhere.  That means if you're spending money each month on credit card or other unnecessary debt, you're taking money away from other areas of your budget that can be used to build wealth and plan for the future. 

It can be difficult to actually realize when you've reached a critical point with your debt situation, but there are some signs that can help you identify the problem before it becomes too serious to address.  Here are a series of statements to compare to your situation.  If any of these apply to you, it is time to stop and take action to remedy the problem.

• You don't know how much you owe and you really don't want to find out.
• Your credit card balances keep rising every month.
• You find it hard to pay even the monthly minimum amount due on your credit card.
• You apply for additional credit cards.
• You are heavily dependent on your credit card because you often run out of money.
• You have more than two credit cards.
• You use more than 40% of your monthly income to pay for credit card dues and other debts.
• You have two or more unpaid personal or salary loan.
• You regularly borrow from relatives and friends to make ends meet.
• You gamble whatever little money you have.
• People start to harass and pressure you into paying the money you owe them.
• You often work overtime so you will have additional money to pay your debts.
• You buy something with your credit card but it was not approved because you are over the limit.
• Applications for loans or credit cards are denied.
• You hide credit card statements from family members.

Sometimes we know deep down inside that we have a debt problem, but it is easier to deny the problem than to address.  It can be painful and require hard work, but the sooner you realize that you are in over your head, you can begin to make positive changes.  Delaying changes to your habits will only prolong the problem and make it worse.  If you don't think you can tackle the problem along, there are people out there willing to help.

Finances:  Our Spiritual Barometer

A definition of "faith," according to Hebrews 11, is trusting God totally.  It means trusting God for things you cannot see or manipulate into happening.  Most of us truly desire to be able to exercise this faith.  But the world around us tells us to do the opposite.  If you don't have the money for what you "need," use your credit card to get it.  If it's too expensive for your income, so what?  You deserve it; besides, you have to stretch yourself if you want to be successful in this world.

God's Word tells us to learn to be content and dedicate ourselves to serving God.  In Hebrews 12:1 we are told, "Let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."  Instead, we encumber ourselves by following the worldly advice that says bigger and more are better.  Just about the time most of our children are grown and leaving home, we can "afford" a big home and more cars, so we expand our lifestyles rather than simplify them.

The worst sign of worldly values in Christianity is the love of money that is apparent today.  This is manifested in fear of the future.  This fear dominates the attitudes of most believers today.

Most Christians would like a steady income to provide for their family's needs, and that's not unscriptural, except when they compromise God's Word for fear of losing their tenure in a job, or when they fear speaking out against obvious sin.

What should we do?

Here are four simple steps to start applying God's wisdom:

Step 1:  Study the available materials on God's principles for managing finances;
Step 2:  Apply godly discipline to your lifestyle;
Step 3:  Teach your children about God's financial principles; and
Step 4:  Teach your neighbors on God's principles of finances and basic budgeting in homes and churches.

Reine Forever Cream with Sunblock

Reine Forever Cream with Sunblock has a unique 5-in-1 nourishing formula with anti-aging, whitening, gentle exfoliating and deep moisturizing properties plus sunblock protection (SPF 30) both for UVA and UVB to prevent wrinkling and burning, promoting a younger, soft and radiant facial skin.

It contains the following vital ingredients:

• Quantumin Plus - a multi-mineral supplement that helps to nourish, detoxify and protect the skin.
• Glycine soja (soybean) - a natural emollient and moisturizer for skin conditioning and skin firming.
• Triticum vulgare (wheat) germ extract - a skin conditioning agent rich in vitamin E that helps eliminate impurities from the blood, increase absorption of active ingredients into the skin's cells and carry oxygen to the skin's surface to enable the formulation of healthy new cells.  By improving peripheral circulation, it helps maintain the skin's elasticity and suppleness.
• Salix alba (willowbark) extract - contains mild antimicrobial constituents and active salicin which exfoliates the cellular debris in the skin and prevents pore congestion allowing room for new cell growth, thus helping to treat and prevent skin blemishes and acne.
• Vitamin A, C, E and Vitamin B3 - all powerful antioxidants and niacin merged to safeguard the skin from oxidative stress for a more healthy, robust skin.

Direction For Use:  At daytime, apply evenly on face and neck, 15 to 20 minutes prior to ordinary sun exposure.