Health Center Information

Mahkota Dewa Tea

2008-12-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

Mahkota Dewa Tea, an herbal cure-all, Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Kulonprogo, Yogyakarta

Lamuri had a heart complaint and hypertension for some time. The woman from Kampung Bahari, North Jakarta, did not see any improvements, even after consulting specialists several times.

"I started drinking Mahkota Dewa Tea and then I regained my health," she said.

Muhidin Hasan told a different story. The father of three from Plumbon in Kulonprogo regency's Temon district, almost lost his sense of self-worth before his wife: He suffered from erectile dysfunction.

"After regularly drinking Mahkota Dewa Tea, we could resume intimacy in less than a month," he claimed.

These are only two of the numerous people enjoying the benefits of Mahkota Dewa Tea. This herbal concoction is composed of 70 percent Mahkota Dewa, also known as the Crown of God (Phaleria Papuana) fruit, 20 percent green tea (Camelia sinensis) and 10 percent tea parasites (Scurrula cetropurpurea).

The tea is also believed to cure various other diseases and ailments, including cancers and tumors, to reduce the uric acid content in the bloodstream and to burn cholesterol, because it contains the key organic compounds needed by the human body.

The tea blend has been produced as an herbal drug since 2003 by PT Salama Nusantara, which employs 150 farmers in Samigaluh, Kulonprogo. It is licensed by the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) and the Ministry of Health, and is certified by the Indonesian Ulema Council.

PT Salama Nusantara director Maryono said that research carried out by Sumastuti of Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University (UGM) had found the Mahkota Dewa fruit to contain antihistamines, flavonoids, saponin, polyohenol and other substances with analgesic, anti-bacterial and blood sugar-lowering effects.

Separately, a green tea study by Johannes Guitenburg of Germany's Mainz University indicated that the presence of active antioxidants and anti-carcinogen components in the leaves was effective for the prevention of cellular and DNA damage caused by free radicals, which are connected to cancers and heart problems.

"Tea parasites are useful for cancer prevention," added Maryono.

To maintain a product quality devoid of chemicals, the company's farmers use organic fertilizers in growing the herbs. UGM personnel, acting as advisers and supervisors, conduct regular field checks to make sure that the plants are completely free of inorganic elements.

The herbal mixture is also made according to a strict process: desiccated Mahkota Dewa fruit is blended with green tea and tea parasites at a ratio of 7:3:1; green tea is freeze-dried to maintain its medicinal properties.

"The entire blending process is overseen by pharmacists for quality control," Maryono told The Jakarta Post during a visit to his secondary production site on Jl. Tentara Pelajar in Sebokarang, Wates regency.

The blend is then packaged in ordinary 100-gram plastic pouches, each priced at Rp 20,000, and in the more fashionable 130-gram cardboard boxes, each priced Rp 35,000.

"Though the packaging and content weight are different, they have the same efficacy," Maryono assured.

Export & employment

Two thousand packs of Mahkota Dewa Tea are now manufactured daily. Their marketing is handled by agents in Jakarta and Surabaya, and in major cities across Bali.

"We expect to have more marketing agents in other cities. But we still impose strict requirements to guarantee product quality," stressed Maryono.

Since this year, Mahkota Dewa Tea has been sought by overseas consumers, and Malaysia and Suriname have each ordered 50,000 packages.

"We deliver 2,000 packages to Malaysia weekly. As there are no direct flights to Suriname, we make monthly deliveries to that country," revealed Maryono.

Aside from maintaining strict quality control, job creation is another priority of PT Salama Nusantara in its herbal drug manufacturing business.

In packaging, for instance, the company uses no machines.

"For packaging work, we employ 24 people, while only three are needed with machines. We want to provide jobs," said Maryono.

In addition, farmers are trained to mince and half-dry the Mahkota Dewa fruit, and supply the fruit in this half-processed form.

"In this way, they can enjoy greater financial benefits," said Maryono. "The fruit only costs Rp 1,000 per kilogram. We pay them Rp 10,000 for 1 kg of half-processed fruit, which requires 7 kg of raw material to make."

Maryono said that quite a number of consumers had requested the herbal medicine be produced in syrup form for easy consumption, but the constraint was the liquid tea's shelf life.

"We are studying whether a liquid blend is as effective as our dried product. Otherwise, we won't produce syrup because we use no preservatives," he said.

Maryono started his herbal medicine business because of a personal concern over the presence of various over-the-counter drugs and supplements containing substances hazardous to the health. Many medicinal products and supplements have now been found to contain harmful -- and illegal -- chemicals, preservatives, and additives.

"Consumers should be careful, as some so-called herbal drugs have a high chemical content," Maryono cautioned.

In cooperation with UGM and local farmers, Maryono set up the company in 2003, with hopes that Indonesia would regain its potential in the health market through indigenous herbal medicine production.

Indonesia was known previously for an indigenous herb called Jawa Dwipa but, said Maryono, "it was abandoned although it had already been proven to have positive health benefits".

While wondering why Indonesians relied so much on foreign health products, Maryono noted that several types of drugs and supplements from Malaysia or Singapore, sold at high prices here, were manufactured with raw materials from Indonesia.

The main challenge to Indonesia's herbal medicine industry is the existence of "herbal" drugs loaded with chemicals.

"So we are producing drugs without preservatives or additives to restore the public trust and to prompt consumers to be more selective in buying health products," said Maryono.

Nutrition for Increasing Brain Power

2008-11-13T01:46:00.000-08:00

Here is the seven step plan to get your diet under control and to use food as brain medicine.

1. Increase Water Intake - Given that your brain is about 80 percent water, the first rule of brain nutrition is adequate water to hydrate your brain. Even slight dehydration can raise stress hormones which can damage your brain over time. Drink at least 84 ounces of water a day. It is best to have your liquids unpolluted with artificial sweeteners, sugar, caffeine, or alcohol. You can use herbal, non-caffeinated tea bags, such as raspberry or strawberry flavored, and make unsweetened iced tea. Green tea is also good for brain function as it contains chemicals that enhance mental relaxation and alertness.

2. Calorie Restriction - Substantial research in animals and now in humans indicates that a calorie-restricted diet is helpful for brain and life longevity. Eating less helps you live longer. It controls weight; decreases risk for heart disease, cancer, and stroke from obesity - a major risk factor for all of these illnesses; and it triggers certain mechanisms in the body to increase the production of nerve growth factors, which are helpful to the brain. Researchers use the acronym CRON for "calorie restriction with optimal nutrition," so the other part of the story is to make these calories count.

3. Fish, Fish Oil, Good Fats and Bad Fats - DHA, one form of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, makes up a large portion of the gray matter of the brain. The fat in your brain forms cell membranes and plays a vital role in how our cells function. Neurons are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. DHA is also found in high quantities in the retina, the light-sensitive part of the eye. Research in the last few years has revealed that diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids may help promote a healthy emotional balance and positive mood in later years, possibly because DHA is a main component of the brain's synapses.

4. Lots of Dietary Antioxidants - A number of studies have shown that dietary intake of antioxidants from fruits and vegetables significantly reduce the risk of developing cognitive impairment. The research was done because it was theorized that free radical formation plays a major role in the deterioration of the brain with age. When a cell converts oxygen into energy, tiny molecules called free radicals are made. When produced in normal amounts, free radicals work to rid the body of harmful toxins, thereby keeping it healthy. When produced in toxic amounts, free radicals damage the body's cellular machinery, resulting in cell death and tissue damage. This process is called oxidative stress. Vitamin E and Vitamin C and beta carotene inhibit the production of free radicals.
The Best Antioxidant Fruits and Vegetables - from the US Department of Agriculture: Blueberries, Blackberries, Cranberries, Strawberries, Spinach, Raspberries, Brussels sprouts, Plums, Broccoli, Beets, Avocados, Oranges, Red grapes, Red bell peppers, Cherries and Kiwis.

5. Balance Protein, Good Fats and Carbohydrates Given the weight issues in my family, I have read many of the diet programs popular in America. Some I like a lot, others make me a little crazy. The idea of eating protein and fat only, avoiding most grains, fruits and vegetables may be a quick way to lose weight, but it is not a healthy long term way to eat for your body or your brain. The best thing in my mind about the Atkins Diet and its many clones is that they get rid of most of the simple sugars in our diets. Diets high in refined sugars, such as the low fat diets of the past, encourage diabetes, tiredness, and cognitive impairment. Yet, to imply that bacon is a health food and that oranges and carrots are as bad as cake seems silly. The more balanced diets, such as The Zone by Barry Sears, Sugarbusters by H. Leighton Steward and a group of Louisiana based physicians, the South Beach Diet by cardiologist Arthur Agatston, and Powerful Foods for Powerful Minds and Bodies by Rene Thomas make sense from a body and brain perspective. The main principles to take away from these programs is that balance is essential, especially balancing proteins, good fats, and good carbohydrates. Having protein at each meal helps to balance blood sugar levels; adding lean meat, eggs, cheese, soy, or nuts to a snack or meal limits the fast absorption of carbohydrates and prevents the brain fog that goes with eating simple carbohydrates, such as donuts. At each meal or snack, try to get a balance of protein, high fiber carbohydrates, and fat.

6. In order for you to stick with a "brain healthy" calorie restricted nutritional plan you must have great choices. I am fond of the book Super Foods Rx by Steven Pratt and Kathy Matthews. It lists 14 top food groups that are healthy and reasonable in calories. I am going to add several other choices that are especially good for the brain. Choose between these 24 foods each week. They are healthy, low in calories, and help us reach the goals of consuming powerful antioxidants, lean protein, high fiber carbohydrates and good fat.
The American Cancer Society recommends five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Mixing colors - eating from the rainbow - is a good way to think about healthy fruits and vegetables. Strive to eat red things - strawberries, raspberries, cherries, red peppers and tomatoes, yellow things - squash, yellow peppers, small portions of bananas and peaches, blue things - blueberries, purple things - plums, orange things - oranges, tangerines and yams, green things - peas, spinach and broccoli, etc.

Lean Protein

Fish - Salmon (especially Alaskan Salmon caught in the wild - farmed fish is not as rich in omega-3-fatty acids, tuna, mackerel, herring (also listed under fats)
Poultry - chicken - skinless, and turkey - skinless
Meat - lean beef and pork
Eggs - enriched DHA eggs are best
Tofu and Soy products - whenever possible choose organically raised
Dairy products - low fat cheeses and cottage cheese, low fat sugar free yogurt and low fat or skim milk
Beans, especially garbanzo beans and lentils - also listed under carbohydrates
Nuts and seeds, especially walnuts - also listed under fats
Great recipe - soak walnuts in water and sea salt overnight, drain and sprinkle with cinnamon - natural blood sugar balancer - and low roast 4 hours at 250 degrees -- makes them easier to digest.

Complex Carbohydrates

Berries - especially blueberries - brain berries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries
Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit
Cherries
Peaches, plums
Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
Oats, whole wheat, wheat germ oatmeal needs to be the long cooking kind as instant has a higher glycemic index since the manufacturer has broken down the fiber to speed cooking time and basically make it a refined carbohydrate. Same goes for bread, look for at least 3 grams of fiber. Remember unbleached wheat flour is white flour, it must say whole wheat.
Red or yellow peppers (much higher in Vitamin C than green peppers)
Pumpkin squash
Spinach - works wonderfully as a salad, or a cooked vegetable, adds fiber and nutrients
Tomatoes
Yams
Beans - also listed under proteins

Fats

Avocados
Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
Olives
Salmon - also listed under protein
Nuts and Nut Butter, especially walnuts, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, pecans and almonds - also listed under protein

Liquids

Water
Green or black tea

7. Plan Snacks - I love to snack; just like to munch on things to get through the day. When snacking it is helpful to balance carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Since I travel frequently, I have learned to take my snacks with me, so I am not tempted to pick up candy bars along the way. One of my favorite low calorie snacks are dried fruits and vegetables. Not the kind of dried fruits and vegetables stocked in typical supermarkets that are filled with preservatives, but the kind that just have the dried fruit and veggies. A company called Just Tomatoes, from Walnut, California makes great products. When you have dried fruit or veggies - all carbohydrates - add some low-fat string cheese or a few nuts to balance it out with protein and a little fat.

Source : womenshealth.about

How To Increase Your Brain Power

2008-11-13T01:41:00.000-08:00

70 Ways to Increase Your Brain Power.
By Steve Gillman
Excerpt from A Book of Secrets

You Want More Brainpower - Not Higher IQ Scores!

Okay, maybe you want higher IQ scores too. The American Heritage Dictionary defines Intelligence Quotient as "The ratio of tested mental age to chronological age, usually expressed as a quotient multiplied by 100."

Basically, it's a test of intelligence, with 100 as the average score. There are some problems with IQ tests however.

A recent IQ test asked which of four fruits was different. It was the one with more than one seed; but what if you were not familiar with these fruits? Obviously this test is culturally biased. You are assumed to have certain knowledge, yet you are being tested for intelligence, not knowledge.

Now look at these letters: "ANLDEGN." Rearrange them and you'll have the name of a(n): Ocean, Country, State, City or Animal. This is from an IQ test I took. Hmm... There are very few oceans, so I could eliminate those - but wait a second! That's a test taking technique. An intelligence test shouldn't be testing your test-taking ability. I'm bound to score higher than a person of equal intelligence who hasn't learned simple techniques for scoring higher on multiple - choice tests.

Real Life Results Versus Scores

Now let me ask you a question. What was Henry Fords IQ? Who cares! The man was one of the most innovative people of the last century, and he did what he did by surrounding himself with intelligent people.

That practice alone has to be worth more than 20 IQ points in terms of real life results.

Real life results are what you want, right? So if you want to be more creative, learn to use creative problem solving techniques. If you want to concentrate better, there are techniques for that. Learn to speed-read and you'll have double the knowledge in the same time. After you paint your first Mona Lisa, build your first skyscraper or make your first million, what will your IQ score be? Who cares!?

Okay, an imperfect test is better than no test at all, and it is entertaining. I just took an IQ test, and although I don't think my IQ is really the 138 it showed, it was fun. If you really want to, you can try a free IQ test on my website http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com. Of course you'll score higher on a good day than a bad day, so try these tips to make it a good IQ test day:

70 Ways to Better Brainpower -
(In no particular order.)

1. Breath deep. More air in means more oxygen in the blood and therefore in the brain. Breath through your nose and you'll notice that you use your diaphragm more, drawing air deeper into your lungs. Several deep breaths can also help to relax you, which is conducive to clearer thinking.

2. Meditate. A simple meditation you can do right now is just closing your eyes and paying attention to your breath. Tensing up your muscles and then relaxing them to start may help. When your mind wanders, just bring your attention back to your breath. Five or ten minutes of this will usually relax you, clear your mind, and leave you more ready for any mental task.

3. Sit up straight. Posture affects your thinking process. Prove it to yourself by doing math in your head while slouching, looking at the floor and letting your mouth hang open. Then do the mental math while sitting up straight, keeping your mouth closed and looking forward or slightly upwards. You'll notice that it's easier to think with the latter posture.

4. Phosphotidyl Serine (PS). This supplement has been shown in clinical studies to increase lucidity and rate of learning. It activates cell-to-cell communication, helps regulate cell growth, improves the functioning of the special receptors found on cells, and prepares cells for activity. In other words, it can help your brain power. It's also thought to reverse memory decline. Phosphatidylserine has no known adverse side effects.

5.Vinpocetine. This extract, derived from an alkaloid found in the Periwinkle plant, is used as a cerebral vasodilator. It increases blood flow to the brain, which improves its oxygenation and thereby increases mental alertness and acuity. Research suggests it may also be the most powerful memory enhancer available to date.

6. Gingko Biloba. The leaves of this tree have been proven to increase blood flow to the brain. The trees are often planted in parks. My friends and I used to eat a few leaves when we wanted a brain boost. It is also inexpensive, if you buy the capsules or tea at any health food store.

7. Saint John's Wort. This is a common weed that may be growing in your yard. Although it's brain enhancing qualities are less documented (studies do show it's usefulness for treating long-term depression), many people swear by it's temporary mood-elevating effect, and our brains tend to function better when we are happy. It is inexpensive, but I used to just collect it in the yard and make tea of it. (Hyperacum Perforatum, if you want to look it up by it's botanical name.)

8. Good thinking habits. Just use a problem solving technique for several weeks and it will become a habit. Redesign everything you see for a while, and that will become a habit. You can develop many good thinking habits with some effort, and then be more resourceful effortlessly from that point on. Use the power of habit.

9. Use dead time. This is time that is otherwise wasted or just under-utilized. Driving time, time spent in waiting rooms, or even time spent raking your yard can be included in this. With a tape player and a trip to a public library, you can start to use this time to listen to books-on-tape. You may spend 200 hours a year in your car. What could you learn in that time?

10. Learn a language. Learning a new language has been shown to halt the age-related decline in brain function. It also introduces your mind to new concepts and new ways of looking at things (in English we are afraid, whereas in Spanish we have fear). It is one of the best brain exercises.

11. Rosemary. This common herb may have an effect on the brain when the scent is inhaled. We are waiting for the research, but some people swear that just sniffing rosemary wakes up their brain. It seems safe, so if you have rosemary in your spice rack, give it a try.

12. Mindfulness exercises. Concentration and clear thinking are more or less automatic once you remove distractions. Learn to stop and watch your busy mind. As you notice things that are subtly bothering you, deal with them. This might mean making a phone call you need to make, or putting things on a list so you can forget them for now. With practice, this becomes easier, and your thinking becomes more powerful.

13. Write. Writing is good for your mind in a number of ways. It is a way to tell your memory what is important, so you'll recall things more easily in the future. It is a way to clarify your thinking. It is a way to exercise your creativity and analytical ability. Diaries, idea-journals, poetry, note-taking and story-writing are all ways to use writing to boost your brain power.

14. Listen to Mozart. In a study at the University of California, researchers found that children who studied piano and sang daily in chorus, were much better at solving puzzles, and when tested, scored 80% higher in spatial intelligence than the non-musical group. In another study, 36 students were given three spatial reasoning tests on a standard IQ test. Just before the first test, they listened to Mozart's sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448 for ten minutes. Before the second test, they listened to a relaxation tape. Before the third, they sat in silence. The average scores for all 36 students: 1st test: 119. 2nd test: 111. 3rd test: 110. A nine-point boost from Mozart!

15. Develop your intuition. Intuition can be an important part of brainpower. Einstein and others have relied heavily on their intuitive hunches. See Chapter 25 for tips on how to develop your intuition.

16. Avoid foods that cause subtle allergies. These can include wheat, corn, peanuts and dairy products. Watch yourself to see if you have a problem with any of these. They cause digestive problems and brain fog in some people.

17. Sleep better. As long as you get a certain amount of sleep - probably a minimum of five hours - the quality seems to be more important than the quantity. Also, short naps in the afternoon seem to work well to recharge the brain for some people.

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18. Caffeine. The research shows higher test scores for students who drink coffee before major exams. My chess game gets better. In other studies, it has been shown that too much caffeine leads to poorer quality decisions. Caffeine affects individuals differently, and has some nasty long-term side effects for some of us, but short-term - it works!

19. Avoid sugar. Any simple carbohydrates can give you "brain fog." Sometimes called the "sugar blues" as well, this sluggish feeling makes it hard to think clearly. It results from the insulin rushing into the bloodstream to counteract the sugar rush. Avoid pasta, sugars, white bread and potato chips before any important mental tasks.

20. Hypnosis audios. The power of suggestion is real, and one way to use it is with hypnosis tapes, CD's or downloads. This type of brain "programing" has more evidence for it than subliminals.

21. Speed reading. Contrary to what many believe, your comprehension of material often goes up when you learn to speed-read. You get to learn a lot more in less time, and it is definitely a good brain exercise.

22. Exercise. Long term exercise can boost brainpower, which isn't surprising. Anything that affects physical health in a positive way probably helps the brain too. Recent research, though, shows that cognitive function is improved immediately after just ten minutes of aerobic exercise. If you need a brain recharge, you might want to walk up and down the stairs a few times.

23. Imaginary friends. Talking to and getting advice from characters in your mind can be a great way to access the information in your subconscious mind. Imagine a conversation with a person who has a lot of knowledge in the area you want advice in.

24. Develop your creativity. Creativity gives power to your thinking. Raw computation can be done by computers now, but humans provide the creative thought that shapes our world. See Chapter 24 for tips on developing your creativity.

25. Learn more efficiently. When you decide to learn something, take notes from the start. Leave each "learning session" with a question or two in mind, to create anticipation and curiosity. Take short breaks, so there will be more beginnings and endings to your studies (Things learned at the beginning or ending of a class or session are remembered better).

26. Use techniques for clear thinking. Cluttered rooms and offices can contribute to cluttered thinking. Organize a space for mental work. Sigh, stretch, and take a deep breath before you start on a tough mental job. Plan some distraction-free time for brainstorming.

27. Brain wave entrainment. The newest brain wave entrainment products are powerful tools for altering your brain function. Some will almost immediately relax you, while others will put your brain waves in a pattern that is most conducive to analytical thinking.

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28. Creatine. This is a compound found in meat, used by athletes to help build muscle. Now the evidence is here to show that it helps your brain as well. Proceedings B , a journal published by the Royal Society reports that the research showed improvement in working memory and general intelligence resulting from creatine supplementation. The dose used in the study was 5 grams per day. This is about the level used to boost sports performance, and is as much as you'd normally get in four pounds of meat, according to lead researcher Dr. Caroline Rae.

29. Talk. Talking is only good for the brain if you are actually exercising it, of course. Try explaining something that you don't understand very well to a friend, though, and you'll notice that the process of explaining will help you clarify your understanding.

30. Do something you enjoy. This is a way to both lower stress and rev up your brain. The key is to do something active. Watching TV doesn't count. Whether it is playing Scrabble or building birdhouses, when you are actively engaged in an activity that you enjoy, you worry less about things and you start to think better.

31. Adjust your beliefs. Believe you are smarter, and you'll become smarter. For this, affirmations may work, but even better is evidence. Make a note of your successes. Tell yourself, "Hey, that was really creative," when you do something creative. When you have a good idea, make a note of it. Gather the evidence for your own intelligence and you'll start to experience more of it.

32. Brain exercises. Do math in your mind while driving. Think of a new use for everything you see. Regular use of the brain has been shown to generate new neuronal growth, and even halt the decline of mental function that often comes with age.

33. Learn new things. This is another way to exercise the brain. It can also be done with little time investment if you use books-on-tapes while driving.

34. Walk. Exercise has been shown to benefit the brain, and walking is one of the best exercises for many. It is low impact, and the rhythmic nature of it seems to put you in a state that is very conducive to clear thinking. In fact, carry a tape recorder with you to take notes, and a twenty minute walk can be a great way to solve problems.

35. Model others. Find others that are creative, intelligent, or very productive. Do what they do, and think what they think. This is a key principle of neuro-linguistic programming. Be careful about taking their advice, though. Successful people often don't really understand why they are successful. Do what they do, not what they say.

36. Eat fish. Eating fish actually speeds up brain waves, and improves concentration. Researchers have also found an almost perfect correlation between intake of fish and lowered levels of depression in the various countries of the world. The U.S. has 24 times the incidence of depression as Japan, for example, where fish intake is much higher.

37. Avoid unnecessary arguments. When you defend a position too vigorously, especially when it is just to "win" the argument, you invest our ego into it. This is not conducive to the easy acceptance and use of new information. In other words, you put your mind in a rut, and you dig it deeper with each argument. Debate can be a valuable thing, but when the ego takes over, the mind closes a little. This is not a recipe for better thinking.

38. Laugh. The release of endorphins caused by laughter lowers stress levels, which is good for long term brain health. Laughter also tends to leave you more open to new ideas and thoughts.

39. Play. Stimulating the brain causes measurable changes in the structure of the brain. New connections are made and new brain cells are grown. Intellectual play, as well as any playing that involves hand-eye coordination stimulates the brain.

40. Do puzzles. Crossword puzzles, lateral thinking puzzles, and even good riddles are a great way to get brain exercise. You can work on them while waiting for a dentist appointment, or on the bus, if you are short on time.

41. Sing. When you are alone in your car, try singing about something you are working on. This taps into and exercises your right brain. Have you ever noticed how it is easier to rhyme when you sing than when you just speak or write? This is because the right brain is better at pattern recognition. By doing this brain exercise regularly you can train yourself to tap into the power of the right brain. This will make you a more effective problem-solver. If you doubt the distinction between the hemispheres of the brain, look at how stutterers can stop stuttering as soon as they start singing. Try it.

42. Nuts. University students in Brazil and other South American countries often eat several Brazil nuts before an exam, believing they are good for their mental power. The evidence is starting to confirm this. Other nuts that have minerals and amino acids that are beneficial to the brain include almonds and walnuts.

43. Olive oil. High in mono-unsaturated fat, olive oil has been shown to improve memory. A cheaper alternative is canola oil, but this hasn't been studied much yet.

44. Vitamin supplements. In studies, children scored higher on tests when on a regimen of daily vitamin supplements. "Experts" will tell you that if you eat a balanced diet, you don't need supplements, which, given the culture here, is really just a sales pitch for vitamins, isn't it? Who eats a perfectly balanced diet?

45. Fiber. It isn't just what goes in, but what comes out that is important to brain function. Toxic build-up in the body and brain can cause "brain fog." People often report clearer thinking as one of the benefits of curing their constipation.

46. Self awareness. This may not seem important to brain power, but it is. When you know yourself better, you can avoid the usual effects of ego and emotion in your seemingly "rational" thinking. Or you can at least take it into account. Watch yourself, especially as you explain things or argue.

47. Motivate yourself. Motivation is as important to mental tasks as it is to any other. Learn a few simple techniques for self motivation. You can start with those in Chapter 8.

48. Avoid too much stress. Neuropsychiastrist Richard Restak, M.D., form the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Services, sums up the research thus: "Stress causes brain damage." Long term stress has repeated been shown to hurt the brain, not to mention the rest of the body. Learn a few stress reduction techniques if you get stressed out often.

49. Get educated. Scientists have known for a while that the less educated get alzheimer's more frequently. Education in any area seems to make the brain stronger.

50. Avoid too much fat. In laboratory studies, animals consistently learn slower when they are on a diet high in fat. Type of fat may make a difference, so you may want to stick to using olive oil and other non-saturated fats. Saturated fats have been shown to actually stunt the growth of brain cells.

51. Eat less. Overeating has the immediate effect of redirecting more blood to the digestive process, leaving less for the brain. Long term, it can cause arterial obstructions that reduce blood flow to the brain permanently. In at least one study, rats on a restricted-calorie diet had more brainpower.

52. Avoid suspect foods. There is evidence that the following foods can be bad for your brain: Artificial food colorings, artificial sweeteners, colas, corn syrup, frostings, high-sugar drinks, hydrogenated fats, sugars, white bread, and any white-flour products.

53. Eat breakfast. When kids who didn't eat breakfast started to eat it, researchers found that their math scores went up a whole grade on average.

54. Avoid diabetes. The development of diabetes coincides with a dropping of IQ scores. In other words, if you want to maintain your brain power, follow your doctors dietary recommendations for preventing or treating diabetes.

55. Eat foods high in antioxidants. Antioxidants protect all your cells, including brain cells. Some of the foods highest in antioxidants include: prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, garlic, kale, cranberries, strawberries, spinach, and raspberries. In one test, rats had age-related mental decline reversed by eating the equivalent of a 1/2 cup of blueberries per day.

56. Drink wine. In moderation, red wine can be good for the brain, it seems. It is rich in antioxidants, which protect brain cells. One glass per day for women and two for men is usually considered a safe and moderate amount.

57. Use alcohol in moderation. In a study at the University of Indiana School of Medicine, elderly light drinkers (fewer than 4 drinks per week) scored higher on tests of thinking abilities than non-drinkers. Those who drank 10 or more drinks per week scored lower. It is known that alcohol can kill brain cells, so moderation seems to be the key.

58. Folic acid. According to one study, 200 micrograms of folic acid, the amount found in 3/4 cup of cooked spinach, alleviates depression and reverses memory loss.

59. Potential brain foods. Other foods that may be good for your brain include: Avocados, bananas, lean beef, brewer's yeast. broccoli, brown rice, brussel sprouts, cantaloupe, cheese, chicken, collard greens, eggs, flaxseed oil, legumes, oatmeal, oranges, peanut butter, peas, potatoes, romaine lettuce, salmon, soybeans, spinach, tuna, turkey, wheat germ, and yogurt.

60. Vitamin E. Jean Carper, in researching her book, "Your Miracle Brain," found that many brain researchers are taking 400 I.U.s of vitamin E daily. It is an antioxidant, and reduces the clogging of blood vessels, including those going in the brain.

61. Vitamin C. Taken in the form of orange juice in a study at the Texas Women's University, vitamin C increased the IQ scores of children.

62. Selenium. 100 micrograms of selenium has been shown to be a mood-elevator. Your brain almost certainly functions better when you are in a better mood. Foods rich in selenium include Brazil nuts and garlic.

63. Alpha-lipoic acid. Alpha-lipoic acid (10 to 50 milligrams daily) improves memory and protects nerve cells.

64. Inositol. This is a safe and natural substance that is often grouped with the B-vitamins. It reduces stress and promotes clear thinking. It contributes to energy production, and so can "wake you up." Animal studies show a measurable increase in physical activity for up to five hours after taking it.

65. Huperzine A. This is a compound extracted from the Chinese club moss. Researchers both in Israel and the U.S. have used it to treat alzheimer's. It improves memory and learning an seems to be very safe.

66. Ask questions. This is a great way to keep your brain in shape. Just get in the habit of asking questions often, even if it is only in your own mind. Why are taller buildings better? what is the purpose of curbs? Ask anything that comes to mind, and ponder the possible answers.

67. Sniff basil. This another of the herbs that may be good for your brain. No studies yet, but many report a brain boost from smelling basil.

68. Temperature. Many people have noted that they think better at certain temperatures. In general, it seems that being slightly cool, but not uncomfortable, is most conducive to good thinking. Try experimenting on yourself to see what temperature works best for you.

69. Use systems. From the time I was ten years old, 12 x 49 was always (12 x 50) - 12. It's easier to figure in your head this way (588, by the way). I didn't get any credit for my personal algorithms then, but they are selling these shortcuts on late-night TV now, because they work. You can find your own easier ways to do mental math or other mental tasks, or read a good book on them.

70. Make a brainpower plan. It takes about twenty to thirty days of repetition to establish new habits, many psychologists will tell you. This means that when you create your plan for better brainpower, be sure you plan to use that new problem solving technique, or eat those new brain foods for at least three weeks. You can use many of the brain boosters here and get immediate results, but it is creating new habits that will give you the most brainpower.

By Steve Gillman. Excerpt from Chapter 5 of A Book of Secrets

The Diep operation to repair breasts after a mastectomy

2008-10-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

Getting her cleavage back after a mastectomy was a surprise bonus for one woman
A few days before undergoing a mastectomy to remove her left breast, Helen Williams, a 55-year-old fitness instructor from Surrey, bid an emotional farewell to her favourite lingerie. “Before the operation I said goodbye to all my beautiful underwear and put it away; I didn't believe I would be able to look good in nice clothes again,” says Williams, a mother of two. The former nurse had breast cancer diagnosed in 2005 after a routine mammogram. Doctors told her that the cancer was too widespread for a lumpectomy (the removal of only the tumour and surrounding tissue) and radiotherapy, and that a mastectomy was the best option.

“As an ex-nurse I remembered what mastec-tomies used to be like in the 1970s. It was a pretty grim prospect. I was very nervous beforehand,” she says. Breast cancer is diagnosed in more than 40,000 British women every year and around 14,000 have mastectomies.

Williams's husband Mick took her to hospital the day before her operation, then the following day drove their son Oliver to Sheffield for his first day at university. A friend was at hand to give her support for the eight and a half hour mastectomy and reconstruction operation. “When I woke up from the surgery and looked down, I still had a cleavage and a breast. I never had to go through losing a breast and having to have it reconstructed later on. Emotionally, it helped enormously,” Williams says.

The operation involved a little-known reconstruction technique called deep inferior epigastric perforator, or Diep. This technique is considered by some specialists to be the gold standard and involves reconstruction of the breast using skin and fat from the lower abdomen. Since that surgery she has had nipple reconstruction to enable her to look as natural as possible. “I'm absolutely delighted that I had it done. You wouldn't know that I've had anything done,” Williams says.

Some patients aren't given the option

While Williams's surgeon at the Royal Marsden Hospital, in London, suggested the technique to her, many women are not given the option of the surgery, or told of its existence. A leading surgeon is cautioning that a postcode lottery exists in breast reconstruction treatment. Charles Nduka, a consultant plastic surgeon, says that many breast surgeons are simply not referring patients for the Diep operation, and may not even be offering it as an option.

Nduka works with four other breast reconstruction specialists at Queen Victoria Hospital, in East Grinstead, covering Sussex, Kent and parts of Surrey. He says: “It's very patchy. There are some breast cancer surgeons who will regularly refer patients, but some don't refer any at all, and it would be impossible to think that they don't have suitable candidates. There seem to be pockets where patients are just not even hearing about the operation.”

Given that Diep operations have been happening in the UK for almost ten years, it is surprising that so few women are apparently having them, according to Nduka.

The traditional option for women having a mastectomy is to offer reconstruction with a silicone implant. However, the implants often need to replaced after ten to 15 years because of leakage or hardening. The silicone implants can also lead to asymmetrical breasts, with the implant remaining high in the chest area while the natural breast droops.

A second type of reconstruction, called a latissimus dorsi flap, uses skin and muscle from the back or abdomen to create a more natural breast. However, a recent study in Switzerland of women ten years after surgery showed a 50 per cent failure rate. Patients either were unhappy with the look or feel of the breasts, or needed further surgery.

“Surgery was the first lifeline I was thrown”

After the mammogram results Williams, like most women, had been referred by her GP to a breast cancer surgeon, who advised a mastectomy. But because she had chosen to go to the Royal Marsden, which has a specialist reconstruction plastic surgeon, she was asked if she would consider Diep.

“My surgeon showed me photographs of women who had had the Diep surgery and it was really impressive. It was the first lifeline I had been thrown,” she says. Williams had the operation privately because of her husband's occupational health insurance, but it is available on the NHS.

Nduka argues that the Diep technique has emotional as well as physical benefits. “It gives patients a reconstruction for life. Once it is complete, and symmetry has been achieved, women can forget about breast cancer and close that chapter in their life. And a nice side-effect of the operation is that it gives them a flat tummy too. It's good to be able to give something back to women who have lost so much,” he says.

So why aren't breast cancer surgeons referring patients to plastic surgeons, the only people qualified do the operation? About 100 surgeons have the requisite skills in the UK. It's complicated, Nduka says. “Part of it is feeling that implants are satisfactory, part of it could be the perception that the gold standard is too involved for the patient, part of it could be not being really aware of just how successful these operations are.”

“Women need to know the options”

The Diep operation takes between six to eight hours and it is more intricate than other reconstruction procedures. It also involves an extended in-patient stay, so is more expensive; £14,000 if done privately. But Nduka argues that the cost of secondary operations to replace implants and correct asymmetry would probably make the other procedures just as expensive, if not more.

To tackle lack of awareness, he and other breast reconstruction specialist have been working voluntarily on a DVD, launched to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. It features Williams - who was filmed before, during and after the operation - along with other former patients revealing their experiences of breast reconstruction.

The move has been welcomed by the leading charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Its policy manager, Dr Alexis Willett, says: “It's really important to have that information. Women need the options so that they can make an informed decision.”

Williams hopes that the DVD will help others. “Not every woman wants reconstruction and not everyone wants to go through this particular reconstruction, but they need to know the options,” she says.

Diagram Of Brain

2008-09-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

Human brain diagram
Culture and knowledge about the way the human brain works and its functional diagram may help to improve its efficiency and education.
website : molwick.com/en/brain/015-human-brain-diagram.html

Brain (Superficial) Answers
Nervous System & Special Senses. Brain (Superficial) 1. Cerebral Hemispheres. 2. Longitudinal Cerebral Fissure. 3. Cerebral Gyrus. 4. Cerebral Sulcus. 5. Vermis ...
website : bio.psu.edu/people/faculty/strauss/anatomy/nerv/brainsup2.htm

Nervous System Assignment: Brain Diagrams
Assignment: Draw 2 diagrams of the nervous system (1= exterior brain, 2= interior brain) ... Required structures for the diagram of the EXTERIOR sagittal cross ...
website : msu.edu/~langley6/chs/Ana/nervous/nrvdiagdirect.htm

Honeybee Brain Diagram
Diagrammatic representation of the honeybee brain showing the major regions ... The left diagram illustrates a single neuron with ascending diffuse branching ...
website : indiana.edu/~rcapub/v17n1/19c.html

Deconstructing Brain Wiring, One Neuron At A Time
Researchers have long said they won't be able to understand the brain until they can put together a "wiring diagram" -- a map of how billions of neurons are ...
website : sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070301102753.htm

Learn Neuroscience & Anatomy 2
Learn Neuroscience & Anatomy 2. and of to brain the System anatomy back International Systems & eye Organisation ... diagram of the lobes and major sulci ...
website : scribd.com/doc/17811/Learn-Neuroscience-Anatomy-2

Human 3D Diagram of human spine - human spine illustrations
Human body software for students, medical professionals, curious adults, and teachers: human anatomy diagrams, human spine illustrations, human muscular system, ...
website : contmediausa.com/shop/app/products/Human3D/human3dhumanspine.html

LABELED DIAGRAM OF THE HUMAN BRAIN
Labeled diagram of the human brain unwanted runescape accounts ... LABELED DIAGRAM OF THE HUMAN BRAIN. Jessica November 09, 2007, 17:44 ...
website : geo.ya.com/xixnchs/segregationpoli/labeled-diagram-of-the-human-brain.html

Brainexplorer.com
Diagram Of Brain. Anatomy Diagram Of Brain. Human Brain Diagram. Internet Explorer 6 0 ... Brain tips. A list of easy activities to sharpen thinking and ...
website : brainexplorer.com

Brain Age (U.S.): Review
Typically I wouldn't expect to enjoy a game that kicks off with diagrams showing brain activity in a person sitting ... he determined brain age comparisons by ...
website : kotaku.com/gaming/brain-age/brain-age-us-review-158767.php

Source : memorygood.com

Mental Health Washington

2008-09-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

NAMI MD: Maryland Organization Web Sites
Greater Washington Coalition of Mental Professionals and Consumers, Inc. Our goal is to preserve quality health care and the consumer's rights to
Website : md.nami.org/mdorg.htm

University of Washington
First national mental survey of Asian-Americans conducted who came to the United States before they were 25 have poorer
Website : washington.edu/

Illinois Campus Shooting :: The National Council
Learn how local providers in Dekalb, IL are offering support Washington, DC (February 20, 2008)— experts from the National
Website : thenationalcouncil.org/cs/illinois_campus_shooting

Celebrities and Mental Problems - Health Disorders on
Learn about mental info includes addiction, anxiety, Phil Graham - Owner of the Washington Post. Abble Hoffman - Writer and political activist S
Website : medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=36089&page=4

Average Technician Salary. Health Technician Job
National average Mental Health Technician salary range, job & career education, My Salary.com Tools Resources Free Salary Wizard Subscribe. Salary Wizard®
Website : swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layouthtmls/swzl_compresult_national_HC07000176.html

BJC Care - Home - BJC HealthCare
workplace , home , community mental health, rehabilitation, long of the BJC Institute of Health at Washington University continues to climb at
Website : bjc.org/

The Center for Court Innovation
are health courts in Seattle and Vancouver, Washington; San Bernardino, the King County Court in Washington gives defendants two weeks
Website : courtinnovation.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Document.viewDocument&documentID=605&documentTopicID=&documentTypeID=

Mental Dad
tribulations, and triumphs of raising a child with mental issues. got back from a small vacation the family and I took in the state of Washington.
Website : mentaldad.com/

Offices - Lutheran Community Services
agency serving communities throughout Washington, Oregon and Idaho. health counseling, including individual, couple, famliy and group settings
Website : lcsnw.org/offices/prineville.html

APHA: Health Resources/Links
Services, and more Health and Medical Informatics Digest Directories Consumer Organization and Health Services Research, Washington
Website : apha.org/membergroups/sections/aphasections/mental/Resources/

Fact Sheet: Mental And Juvenile Justice
Mental health problems among children and youth are Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services. Schindler, M. (January/February 1999)
Website : buildingblocksforyouth.org/mentalhealth/factsheet.html

Mental Health Care for Foster Children and Youth Background
With the proper care, many of these conditions can be improved. State of Washington is already paying for untreated problems that
Website : chs-wa.org/2_advfostermentalBACK.htm

Norm Coleman - United States Senator - Minnesota
February 13th, 2007 - Washington, D.C. - Washington, D.C. – Minnesota Senator The Parity Act of 2007, introduced by Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM)
Website : coleman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=2583bd0c-a14c-4dea-9c93-9ca67f2a500b&Month=2&Year=2007

Psychiatry; Washington DC
is a leader in mental health treatment for the residents of Washington, DC. Washington Hospital Center Outpatient Behavioral Health Services, certified by
Website : whcenter.org/1583.cfm

Other :

how to use your imagery to help your
Increase ability of your memory
Five ways to make permanent memory
How to improve short term memory
Mental health in washington
Counseling free health mental

Counseling Free Health Mental

2008-09-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Counseling Center: Mental Health Information
A guide for students with past and current mental health concerns. Most counseling services are free, but there may be a modest fee to cover costs
Website : counsel.cmich.edu/mentalhealth/mental_health_services.asp

9/11 Health - Links - Mental Health
Free mental health care, counseling, and case management services. For Whom: Free and confidential mental health helpline. For Whom:
Website : nyc.gov/html/doh/wtc/html/services/mental.shtml

Counseling Center of Spokane - Mental Health Care
Welcome to the Counseling Center of Spokane, LLC! FREE MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING: May is National Mental Health Month. Are you concerned about your mental health?
Website : counselingcenterofspokane.com/index.htm

The Counseling Advantage Call:847-767-7507
FREE First Consultation. Call The Counseling Advantage at 847-767-7507! New & affordable mental health counseling, self esteem enrichment, and weight
Website : counselingadvantage.com/index.htm

Holistic Health Counseling
expect with holistic health counseling? Alternative Mental Health Education Free Ebook with Your First Appointment. 30 Minute Phone Consultation $35.00

Mental Health Outreach Programming - Counseling Services - Seton Hall
Online Mental Health Screening. Contact Us. Counseling Services. 2nd. Floor fill out a free, anonymous on-line mental health screening for depression,

Directory of National Advocacy and Information Resources for
centers and institutes that focus on specific mental health and disability topics. free service. General Resources. Disabilities in General. Mental
Website : findcounseling.com/national

Madera-County.com Department of Mental Health Counseling Center
by the Board of Supervisors through the Madera County Mental Health. Toll Free: (888) 275-9779. Map this location for me. Main Page. County of Madera
Website : madera-county.com/mentalhealth/counseling.html

Mental Health Matters: Self Help Center: Counseling Resources
Free Online Journaling and Charting with psychTracker Online! Shortcuts " General Mental Health Issues. Usenet Newsgroup Listing. Magazines & Newspapers
Website : mental-health-matters.com/selfhelp/r_counseling.php

The P.A.C.E. Center of Mental Health America / Piedmont & Carolina
Mental Health Prevention, Advocacy, Counseling, and Education. non-profit organization that provides free and low-cost counseling and education.
Website : mhapiedmont.org
Website : studentaffairs.shu.edu/counseling/mentalhealthoutreachprogramming.html

Source : memorygood.com

Mental Health Jobs In Georgia

2008-09-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

Healthcarejob.com
Looking for jobs in the health care industry. Well if so, we can help. To keep this health care job site simple and free, please let the medical
Website : healthcarejob.com

Jobs in Georgia | careerjet.com
Search for the latest Georgia jobs on Careerjet, the employment search engine. Mental Health Practice seeking a professional, friendly, self driven
Website : careerjet.com/jobs_in_georgia_375_10.html

Mental health Jobs at NWjobs
Welcome to NWjobs, the premier source for Seattle area jobs and career tools. The Cambodian Mental Health Therapist in Asian Counseling Services provides
Website : jobs.nwsource.com/careers/jobsearch/results?categories=nwc+health&searchType=browse

Mental Health America of Northeast Georgia >> Mental Health Court UPDATES
DUI and Mental Health Court conference in Peachtree City, homeless/jail survey housing, medication, transportation, vocational/job/skills training, etc)
Website : fightthestigma.com/Mental-Health-Court-UPDATES-v-23.html

Career Profile for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Get an overview for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers, including wage information. Browse through over of 10 jobs were in health care and
Website : collegetoolkit.com/Careers/Mental_Health_and_Substance/Overview/21-1023.00.aspx

Habersham County, Georgia: Georgia Mountains Community Services
not only in clinics, but also in homes, schools, and on job sites. Mailing Address: Habersham County Mental Health. Georgia Mountains Community Services
Website : habershamga.com/gmcs.cfm

House bill mandates mental health coverage
Georgia (default) Verdana. Times New Roman. Arial. Get Quote: Jobs. Homes. Cars. Site Index. Advertising Services: Place a Classified. Advertise in Print
Website : sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/06/BUHJVE7JV.DTL

Nurse Manager Mental Health Job in DECATUR, GA
Nurse Manager Mental Health Job in DECATUR, GA. Vacancy No. 08-395-NC. Department the Associate Nurse Executive for the Nursing Home Care Unit and Mental Health.
Website : federalgovernmentjobs.us/jobs/Nurse-Manager-Mental-Health-nt=none&utm_campaign=none

Address to Georgia Consumers
to know people who work in the mental health system, I find case managers and empowerment means that the job of mental health services and families is not
Website : sallyclay.net/Z.text/georgia.html

Jobs at NWjobs
the premier source for Seattle area jobs and career tools. Jobs. Search Results. 277 Matches. Current Search. Job Category: Social Services/Mental Health
Website : jobs.nwsource.com/careers/jobsearch/results?categories=nwcategorySocialServices

How to build memory association

2008-09-25T19:50:00.001-07:00

Association is the way to relate what you want to learn to what you already know. Many of your associations are learned unconsciously. That’s when something reminds you of another thing and you don’t know why that thing makes you think of it. It’s like the phenomenon of déjà vu.

Another association is learned consciously. You can use the benefit of association to help you remember things. Conscious association may be technique that you used to learn when you were studying in school. For example, when you want to remember names of great lakes, the word “homes” may help you remind all lakes because each letter is the initial of the lakes’ names. The lake names are Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.

Another example is to add familiar to the unfamiliar, like when you know Italy because its shape looks like a tall boot. Italy may not be familiar to you, but the boot is more familiar.

Next example is to give meaning to numbers. You may help yourself to remember you friend’s phone number 225-1975 by thinking of the meaning of 1975 which is your year of birth.

Increase ability of your memory by using five senses

2008-09-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

Use our five sense effectively.

Have you ever wonder why an actor can remember his long list of roles? He may use all the five senses to assume the character’s lines. The five senses are seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting.
People tend to see what they are interested in and overlook the other things.

Two persons can see the same thing differently. For example, two persons are invited to a party. First person may see how the party room is decorated, see the red sofa, and see a group of pretty girls sitting near the mini bar, while another person may not see those things at all. Instead, he may see only foods of the table, drinks on mini bar, BMW in the car park, and many people in the party.

To improve your sense of seeing, there’re many ways to practice. Use imagine to take a snapshot of the person, scene, thing, and etc. use different colors to help you recall people or things, such as pick is for girl and blue is for boy. Look for a pattern to apply to help you remember. For example, word “MISSISSIPPI”, you may see pattern that after “I” you must double letters.

Hearing is another important sense. Use rhyme to help you remember things. Example, in 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Also, use similar sounding word to help you recall.

Third sense is touching. It is interconnected with another motor memory or motor skills that will be with us forever. We’ll not forget how to swim, how to type, or how to ride a bicycle even it’s been so long since the last time we tried. To improve your sense of touch, get the feeling of the word when your mind hears it.

Next sense is to smell. To improve the sense, associate smell with certain people you meet. It can be the person’s perfume he always use or smell of her body lotion. Another technique is to link smell with place.

To improve the last sense, taste, you learn to match the taste with the person you meet. For example, Kavin Bacon, Ms.Olivia, and Sherri.

how to use your imagery to help your
Five ways to make permanent memory
How to improve short term memory
Mental health in washington
Counseling free health mental
Source : memorygood.com

Five ways to make permanent memory

2008-09-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

Make memory permanent time to time.

Long-term memory or permanent memory is data that you learned long time ago and you still remember clearly. Examples of long-term memory are: your birthday, your home phone number, you know how to use computer, you know how to cook rice, and you know how to make a cup of coffee.

You consciously remember any data, but the data are kept for future retrieval.
To keep you from forgetting what you want to remember, there’s five ways to do:

1. Use it. If you want your memory to be permanent and prevent you from forgetting, you should use, practice, repeat what you want to remember.

2. Keep paying attention and maintain interest. It’s nature of people to remember what they’re interested in. You can help yourself to remember things by making materials of what you’re doing to be more interesting, exciting, and fun.

3. Make it meaningful. If something has a meaning to you. It’s easier to learn and remember.

4. Think around it. If you can’t remember something, you may think of thins around it, or think of things that are associated with it. It’s like when you forget where you put you bag. When you want to find your bag, you may recall where you went and what you did.

5. Relax. Stress can reduce your memory. Try to relax and take deep breath. Example is when a student is in an exam room. He forget the answer, but when he’s out of the room, he can recall the answer.

Source : memorygood.com

How to improve short-term memory

2008-09-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

Pieces of information that are held in your mind are short-term memory. It is also called “active memory” because you must make the short-term data active in your mind. For short-term memory, you must pay attention at once. If you pay attention for a longer time, the more chance you’ll forget what you try to hold in your mind.

So, to reduce forgetting rate, you must repeat more. Repetition has functions which are to help your brain keeping information into short-term memory longer, and to transfer the information into your long-term memory.

To help you improve you short-term memory, you should exercise and practice to chunk. To chunk means to group long numbers or data into smaller chunks. For example, number 202843509, you can break it into 3 chunks that is 202-843-509. Another example to chunk data, the given words are: ant, sunflower, chair, sofa, zebra, jasmine, butterfly, cupboard, and rose. The good way is to chunk those words into groups of similar items. You can break them as: 1st group for animals (ant, zebra, butterfly), 2nd group for flowers (sunflower, jasmine, rose), 3rd group for furniture (sofa, chair, cupboard).

There are many benefits for short-term memory. It helps you in your daily life, such as when you get information of you customers’ names and telephone numbers from your co-worker. You’ll know who and what your co-worker is talking about. Short-term memory also helps you to attain daily objectives. If the data is out of your mind, there’s more space for new temporary data.

Source : memorygood.com

How to use your imagery to help your brain remember

2008-09-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

Memory improvement. Picture in your mind can help you remember things, both concrete like faces, and abstract like names. Begin with creating a picture in your mind and then hold it for a few seconds. The picture should be meaningful for you and it can be any kind of picture. Also, give details to your picture. Is the living room in your mind big?

What color is it? How is it decorated? To visualize or create a picture in your mind can be applied for using in daily situation. There’re 4 techniques to apply it:

1 Completing errands. If today you want to buy something from a supermarket, try to visualize the things in your mind. Suppose you want to buy milk, oranges, a shampoo, you may see yourself carrying a bag with all things in it.

2 Reinforcing names and faces. When you first see a person, use imaginary pen to write down the person’s name on his or her face. Check his or her name’s spellings and pronunciation at the same time. To do so, it’ll help you to be familiar with his or her name and face.

3 Navigation travel direction. Use your imaginary to see all the way from one place to another place you want to go. Visualize the route and view of left and right hand sides.

4 Remembering punch line. When you want to share a story that you’ve seen in TV series with your friend, sometimes you forget the punch line. You may visualize key words with bold letters and visualize the stars’ action scenes which are easier to remember.

Source : memorygood.com

Story system do help you remember

2008-09-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

There’re no many chances for us to memorize 20 or 30 items in order form. If the list of items must be use, they usually written down in a note paper. If we get the list somewhere, what we will do? In the situation, the ability to associate with the list of items will be useful.

Link and story systems are useful techniques to help you remember. It can be applied to be used in classroom lectures or, using with a list of important customer, or even product line for a salesperson

The story system is to link various of items into a continuous story in a logical way. Story system and link system are similar in many ways, but there’re some differences which are:

1 Story system is a continuous story with more logical sequence than link system.

2 Story system consumes a little more time to make association because it’s logical, but for link system, you use the association that first comes to your mind.

3 It’s difficult to put more than 20 items in a story system, while using association of link system technique can be applied with more items.

4 Story system limits you to think in logical or one way story, but link system does not. With link system, you can think backward or forward.

5 Story system can help you recall 1-2 weeks later, while link system can help you recall in a lesser time.

Memory in brief

2008-09-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

Hippocampus is one of the most important parts of the brain that concerns with memories. Information or memories are processed and kept in different areas called cerebral cortex which is the largest part of the brain. When you learn new thing, the brain will consider if the information should be kept or not.

Although memory is great, something can go wrong with it. In the case that is not serious, it’s when you forget things, such as names of your clients or forget where you put your glasses. The more a person grows up, the more they forget. For example of the serious case is when someone suffers from Alzheimer disease or strokes. Stokes is when the blood doesn’t go to all parts of the brain because of the block in blood vein or the burst of the vein.

A person may or may not notice the signs of his memory problem. When a person can’t remember important things, it’s considered to be a memory problem. The cause of the lost of memory may be a serious injure at his head and brain. Sometimes the person can’t remember what happened in the past for weeks, months, or even years.

To treat the person who has a brain injured, a doctor asks many questions to see his brain’s ability. For some case, a doctor may wants to take a picture of the person’s brain by using CT scan.

Source : memorygood.com

How To Increase Brain Power

2008-09-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

6 ways to help you remember names easier.
There are 6 ways to help you remember names easier.

Listen to the name carefully. If you're not sure, don't keep quiet and don't hesitate to ask the person to repeat it again. Ask him to spell his name.
Use visual aids to help you. For example, use name badge. If someone give you a name card, don't just keep it in your pocket. Spend a little time to read name and the title. For the person who sticks your name badge, stick it on your right and close to your shoulder. It helps the person who shakes hand with you to see your name easier.
Tell them your name so that they'll tell their. You may use greeting sentence like "Nice to meet you. I'm Smith"
Repeat the name three times in your conversation. Example, "Nice to see you, John", "John, Is this your first time participate this conference?", "It's great to have a conversation with you today, John." By repeating the name often, you might already automatically remember John's name now.
There's a lot of tension in our every day life. So, don't be too serious if you've forgotten someone's name. You may say to the person politely that you've forgotten his name and ask him to tell you again. On the other hand, if someone has forgotten your name, you should give him your name right away so that the person will not feel awkward.
When you remember a person's name, he will feel special and valued. So, make effort to remember people's names.

Source : memorygood.com

Human memory

2008-09-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

Generally, there are three types of memory. They are sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.Sensory memories will act like buffers when you receive stimuli from one or more of your five senses.

The three sensory channels which are iconic memory (visual stimuli), echoic memory (aural stimuli), haptic memory (touching), If you are interested in something, the information you received in sensory memory stage will be sent to short-term memory

Short-term memory is like a notepaper to help you recall the information. Short-term memory has limit ability because you'll forget easily. To increase ability of short-term memory, chunking information can help it. That is why it's easier for you to recall chunk phone number than try to remember it by single long number.

Information is stored in long-term memory in a longer time than in shot-term memory. Episodic memory and semantic memory are the two types of long-term memory. Episodic memory keeps your memory in a form of serial, such as your experiences or events you've found. Semantic memory is like a record of facts and skills. Semantic memory is in Episode memory. Example is when you learn something from your experiences.

There’re three main activities in long-term memory, which are storage, deletion, and retrieval. Information in short-term memory is kept or stored because of repetition. Deletion activity is when the information decay or when you forget. The last activity, retrieval, occurs by recall or recognition.

Boost Memory to Increase Intelligence

2008-09-25T03:41:00.000-07:00

Researchers Report That Brain Exercises That Improve Working Memory Also Increase Scores in Fluid Intelligence
By Kelli Miller Stacy
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDApril 28, 2008 -- An intense game of Concentration or other demanding memory task might kick your intelligence up a notch or two, and the more you engage your brain this way, the smarter you might become.

Researchers reporting in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences say that brain exercises designed to improve working memory also increase scores in fluid intelligence. Fluid intelligence is the ability to reason and solve new problems. It does not rely on memory and is often thought of as having a strong hereditary component. Such intelligence is considered one of the most important factors in learning and is linked to academic and professional success, according to researchers.

The findings challenge current beliefs that the only way to increase fluid intelligence scores is by directly practicing on the tests used to calculate the score. Until now, there has been no evidence to suggest that other types of brain training would increase such scores in adults.

"The finding that cognitive training can improve fluid intelligence is a landmark result because this form of intelligence has been claimed to be largely [nonsusceptible to change]," Susanne Jaeggi, of the department of psychology at the University of Michigan, and colleagues write in the journal article. "Our data provide evidence that, with appropriate training, there is potential to improve fluid intelligence."

Scientists have theorized that working memory and fluid intelligence share a common thread: Both seem to rely on similar neural networks. With this concept in mind, Jaeggi investigated whether they could improve one's fluid intelligence by means of a working memory task.

For the study, healthy adult volunteers (average age: 26) completed a standard test for fluid intelligence and then performed a series of training exercises designed to improve their working memory. The researchers divided the volunteers into four groups; each group repeated the exercises over a different number of days.

Jaeggi's team retested the volunteers' fluid intelligence after the training and compared the scores to those who did not receive training. They noted a significant improvement in fluid intelligence scores among those who participated in the demanding memory tasks. There were greater improvements seen in those who spent the most time training.

"We demonstrate that the extent of gain in intelligence critically depends on the amount of training: the more training, the more improvement in [fluid intelligence]," the researchers write in the journal article.

The team says their findings suggest that such memory training appears to strengthen the brain's many "executive processes" responsible for problem solving. The score improvements were not due to pre-existing individual differences in fluid intelligence.

The idea that it's possible to improve fluid intelligence without directly practicing on tests themselves opens a wide range of applications in education, according to the researchers.

Music And Brainpower

2008-09-25T03:40:00.002-07:00

In a study done at UC Irvine's Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 36 students were given three spatial reasoning tests on a standard IQ test. Before the first test, they listened to Mozart's sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448 for ten minutes. For the second test, they listened to a relaxation tape. Before the third, they sat in silence.
Here are the average scores for all 36 students:
1st test: 119.
2nd test: 111.
3rd test: 110.
An average increase of 9 points by listening to Mozart. It is assumed that their actual intelligence didn't increase, but that the music put them in a state that gave them better access to the resources of their brains. Interestingly, though, other studies do show that repeated exposure to slow music can permanently increase you IQ. Get out the Mozart! There was also a study that showed better problem-solving ability in children who had exposure to music.

Other brain supplements might disappoint, but BrainReload helps to produce positive changes in your energy, memory, concentration and cognitive levels. This brain booster calls on the capabilities of phenylalanine DL to boost neurotransmitter levels to increase neural energy and to help improve concentration and memory. Brain Reload also draws on phosphatidyl serine PS to help with the balance of energy needed to focus and remember more effectively.

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How Memory Exercises

2008-09-25T03:40:00.001-07:00

Memory exercises (and memory supplements like Brain Reload) can help to increase brain power because you can only work with what you can remember. Intelligence without memory is like a builder without tools.

The simplest way to improve your memory with exercise is to start telling yourself to remember. If you just learned a person's name, for example, tell yourself, "remember that." This signals the unconscious mind to rank this input higher in importance.

Other good memory exercises involve telling yourself why you want to remember something, and how you will remember it. If you just learned a person's name, think about how that person will be important to you in the future, where you are likely to see them next, and anything you notice about them. Clearly seeing the importance of remembering will motivate the brain to retain the name, and the additional associations in the brain (where you expect to see the person next, for example) fix the name even more firmly in your memory.

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What You Eat Can Affect Your Brain

2008-09-25T03:38:00.000-07:00

Drink coffee. Everything from test scores on college exams to chess games have been shown to improve after a cup of coffee or other drink containing caffeine. It is a temporary effect, however, and caffeine may have adverse long-term effects for regular users.

Avoid Sugar. Actually any simple carbohydrates taken in large quantities can give you that sluggish feeling that makes it difficult to think. This is due to the insulin that is dumped into your veins after the sugar is. Don't eat white flour, sugar, potatoes, and other carbs before an important meeting, or anytime you need full use of your intelligence.

Brain Trivia Information

2008-09-25T03:37:00.000-07:00

An elephant's brain is about six times as large as a human brain. In relation to body size, however, humans have the largest brain of all animals (about 2% of body weight).
The human brain weighs an average of about 1.4 kilograms, or a little over three pounds. A cat's brain weighs about one ounce.
Albert Einstein's brain was smaller than average, because he was smaller than average.
There are 100,000 miles of blood vessels in the brain.
We now know for a fact that the brain continues to produce new neurons throughout our lives, and it does so in response to stimulation. This is referred to as brain plasticity or neuro-plasticity, and it is one of the most encouraging of these "brain facts."

Techniques For Improving Brain Health

2008-09-25T03:36:00.000-07:00

Breath deep. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve the functioning of your brain immediately. By breathing deeply we relax and put more oxygen in the blood (therefore in the brain), both of which help. Relaxation has been proven to improve brain function. Low oxygen levels in the blood have been shown to decrease it. Since most of us are in the habit of breathing too shallowly, this is a quick way to improve brain power. By the way, if you breathe through your nose, you are more likely to breathe deeply.

Meditating also helps, primarily because of the deep breathing aspect. The state of mind achieved through a simple breath-watching meditation allows true relaxation, and is conducive to creative problem solving. Just close your eyes and breath through your nose, deeply at first, then in whatever way is comfortable. As thoughts arise, dismiss them and return your attention to your breath. Do this for at least a few minutes.

Move Your Body. Sit up straight, and close your mouth. Good posture affects our state of mind, and helps us to think more clearly. Try an experiment to prove this to yourself. Do math problems in your head; first while slouching, with your mouth open; then while sitting up straight with your lips together. You'll get the point.

Exercise a little. Physical activity-just enough to get the blood pumping-can "wake up" your brain enough to help you think better. Walking seems to work best, but any aerobic activity can help increase your IQ.

Sleep well. Just remember, the evidence shows us that the quality of sleep is very important, not just the quantity.

Rethinking Organics For Our Body And Health

2008-08-29T01:43:00.000-07:00

Few things make you feel better about your health than eating organic fruits and veggies. A diet high in produce is commendable enough, but organic produce? That's a double dose of virtue. What's less clear is how much good that virtue does you. Are there real benefits to going organic? If so, are some organic fruits and vegetables better than others? And how do you choose?

One thing is certain: it's easier than ever to find organic produce. As demand for pesticide- and chemical-free foods has grown, the onetime niche product has gone mass market. Sometimes organic produce simply looks or tastes better, which for me is often reason enough to pay the higher price it may sell for. And sure, it makes sense to avoid pesticides as much as possible. At the same time, scientists have yet to document a definite, long-term negative effect of modern pesticides on our bodies, meaning that while organic foods do you no harm, they may not turn out to be as beneficial as you think.

The evidence of nutritional advantages is almost as thin. Never mind the idea that organically grown foods fairly burst with vitamins that modern farming techniques drain out of crops. To date most studies have either shown no difference between organic and conventional produce or found very small pluses in the organic column, such as slightly higher levels of vitamin C or other antioxidants.

Researchers at the University of California at Davis, however, have recently added to our understanding of hidden benefits in organic foods. In a 10-year study, the longest of its type so far, food chemist Alyson Mitchell and her team compared levels of two antioxidants—quercetin and kaempferol—in tomatoes. They found that tomatoes grown in organic fields yielded significantly higher amounts of these nutrients (an average of 79% and 97%, respectively) than their conventional counterparts.

Quercetin and kaempferol are members of a larger group of antioxidants known as flavonoids, which when consumed in foods have been associated with reduced risks of chronic health conditions like heart disease, certain cancers and even some forms of dementia. The team also found that the greater the number of seasons tomatoes are grown in organic fields, the higher the soil quality becomes and the higher the level of the flavonoids climbs.

Impressive as these findings are, they alone may not be enough to advocate shelling out the extra bucks or driving those few miles farther to buy organic. For starters, the study was conducted in a highly controlled setting, so it's not clear we'd get the same results in the real world of organic farming, where conditions vary from farm to farm and field to field. Also, Mitchell points out that tomatoes are what is known as a botanical fruit, something that isn't necessarily comparable to, say, the leaves of organic spinach. "It's a totally different part of the plant, so would the results be the same? We just don't know yet," she says.

Since affordability definitely plays a role in most people's decisions to buy organic, Mitchell offers some guidelines on picking and choosing. First, the skin factor: if you're going to eat the peel of a fruit or vegetable, consider buying organic. "If your kid only eats grapes, then buying organic grapes makes sense to reduce pesticide exposure and increase nutrient density," she suggests. Also think about where the produce comes from: if your organic produce has to be shipped to you from overseas, you may not be reaping as much benefit as you would from a locally grown conventional option, since compounds like vitamin C are not indestructible and can break down over time. Finally, don't be seduced by organic produce included in processed foods like frozen meals and spaghetti sauce. The act of processing significantly changes the chemical composition of foods, possibly erasing the benefits you think you're getting.

In a fast-food world in which too many people eat too little fresh produce, the first step for most folks might be simply to get their fruit and veggie consumption up, no matter which rack in the supermarket they buy from. Going organic may be a fine step two—one that will probably become more attractive as more science comes in.

Sanjay Gupta's Fit Nation series airs on House Call on CNN, Saturdays and Sundays, at 8:30 a.m. E.T.

—With reporting by Shahreen Abedin

Check Our Knee Deep

2008-08-29T01:41:00.000-07:00

Spring has officially arrived, and that means weekend warriors will start lumbering out of hibernation. You know who you are: take-files-home business execs and take-on-extra-assignments sales reps who work hard all week but haven't made time to work out regularly since before Thanksgiving. Now, as the weather warms up, you're eager to get out over the weekend and give it your all in the flag-football league or the Saturday pickup basketball game.

Activities like these may be what some of us live for on these upcoming mild-weather weekends, but doing physical exercise without enough strength and proper form may put players at risk for serious knee injuries, especially anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears. That's the type of damage in which the ligament detaches from the femur bone, and in adults, correcting the problem usually requires surgery to reconstruct the ligament. Sports involving quick cuts, twists and jumping, such as soccer, football, basketball and volleyball, cause more of these injuries than other sports. And according to a study of NCAA athletes, the tears occur at least twice as often—and in some sports up to eight times as often—in female athletes as in male athletes.

Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic recently tried to pinpoint how these injuries happen and how they differ in men and women. Using motion-sensor cameras to capture joint movements, the researchers were able to reconstruct the biomechanics as athletes performed drop landings from a 40-cm hang bar. What the researchers discovered is that when the athletes first start jumping, the women are more likely to land on their feet in ways that make them vulnerable to ACL tears. The distance between their knees is narrower, the ankle is more flexed, and the foot rolls outward more. But when the athletes are fatigued, both the men and the women tend to make those same mistakes, placing both groups at high risk for the painful injury.

The researchers still haven't figured out why women land the way they do. But what we can learn from the study, published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, is that although all of us may feel strong and able at first, the body needs to be prepared for the time when it becomes fatigued by an activity. The best way to do that is by paying extra attention to posture, breathing, strength and the awareness that you are getting tired while you exercise.

"When running on the treadmill sometimes we have 10 things going on to distract us—reading the paper, watching TV, thinking about our day. But when we get tired, maybe that's when it's time to really stop and focus, because of the effect on joint motion," suggests Susan Joy, the study's author and a sports-medicine doctor at the Cleveland Clinic. She emphasizes breathing control and proper posture—the spine should be aligned, with head upright, chin tucked in a bit and a good distance between the ears and the shoulders. Core strengthening also helps improve form, so exercises like sit-ups, crunches, back exercises and planks can be beneficial.

Family history is important too. Having a first-degree relative, like a sibling or parent, who has suffered an ACL tear almost doubles a person's chances of having the same injury in sports, says Joy, so that's an indication to take special precaution.

Having healthy knees means greater mobility as we age, which is why it's important not only to be on guard for sources of potential injury but also to look for signs of risk for osteoarthritis in the knee. A past knee injury or having a parent who has had a knee replacement while in his or her 50s is a clear sign that you are already at risk for wearing out your joints early. The same thing applies if you are currently experiencing any pain, swelling, tightness, cracking or grinding of the knee. Those are all tip-offs that you should discuss having an X-ray with your doctor, so that you can learn to exercise and play smarter.

Sanjay Gupta's Fit Nation series airs on House Call on CNN, Saturdays and Sundays, at 8:30 a.m. E.T.

—With reporting by Shahreen Abedin

Source : Time.com

About The Heart Of A Woman

2008-08-29T01:40:00.001-07:00

Medical myths die hard, and one of the biggest is that heart disease is a problem mostly for men. That's not even close to being true: according to the American Heart Association (AHA), more women than men die from heart disease in the U.S., and 1 in 3 women is living with it today. Yet despite these striking statistics, most patients and even many physicians still fail to think of heart problems when a woman has the classic symptoms of chest pain and arm or jaw numbness. Trying to reverse this faulty thinking and drive down mortality rates, the AHA has published a brand-new set of guidelines for reducing women's risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

One way to do it is with low-dose aspirin, already a well-known preventive for men. Women of any age who are at high risk for heart disease, says the AHA, should definitely consult their doctors about taking the blood-thinning painkiller daily. Women over 65 should do so regardless of their health history—a reversal of the AHA's earlier guidelines. It gets trickier, though, for the average healthy woman under 65. In that population, aspirin doesn't help in preventing heart attacks, although it can reduce the risk of the nonbleeding types of stroke. (Men, by contrast, generally get little or no stroke-prevention benefit from aspirin.) The trick here is for doctors to figure out on a case-by-case basis when the benefits of stroke reduction outweigh aspirin's risk of triggering bleeding in the stomach and the brain.

What's really noticeable about the new guidelines is how starkly straightforward the AHA is about who's at risk—which is almost every woman. Anyone who has at least one major cardiovascular-disease risk factor (including physical inactivity, poor diet and smoking) falls into that category. That leaves a scant 10% of U.S. women at optimal risk, meaning they have no major risk factors.

"Our biggest message is don't wait until you have a risk factor, because 40% of the time the first symptom of heart disease for a woman is a fatal heart attack," warns preventive cardiologist Dr. Lori Mosca, chair of the expert panel that wrote the updated guidelines.

In addition to new aspirin protocols, the guidelines add an exercise recommendation of 60 to 90 min., preferably daily, for women who are trying to either lose weight or sustain a weight loss. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 60% of American women are overweight or obese—so again, most women need to comply with this new fitness prescription. For women not battling the bulge, the previous guideline of 30 min. a day stands.

"We still have to answer the question of whether it's feasible to do an hour or 90 minutes of exercise a day," admits Mosca, "but we also need to think about how to incorporate exercise into our everyday lives." Mosca, for instance, says she takes workout clothes to her son's sports events in case she can sneak in a few circuits around the track.

Alongside the list of dos, the guidelines also single out don'ts. Although it can have significant benefits for fetal development, folic acid, recommended just a few years ago, turns out not to help prevent heart disease and should not be used for that purpose. Neither should hormone-replacement therapies or antioxidant supplements such as beta-carotene and vitamins E and C. Omega-3 fatty-acid supplements, on the other hand, are a good thing, says the AHA.

If you're a woman and still not sure whether you should be concerned about heart-disease risks, whip out a tape measure and circle it around your waist. If it reads more than 35 in., chances are that you are at high risk for or already have high blood pressure, diabetes and/or high cholesterol. It's time to talk to your doctor, make some lifestyle changes and get heart healthy. That's one thing men and women also have in common: the basics still work.

Sanjay Gupta's Fit Nation series airs on House Call on CNN, Saturdays and Sundays, at 8:30 a.m. E.T.

—With reporting by Shahreen Abedin

Source : Time.com

Why Should Baby Be Scanned

2008-08-29T01:39:00.001-07:00

"Doctors make the worst patients," the obstetrician told my wife and me as we waited anxiously for the results of an ultrasound on our second baby, due any day. He was only half joking. All along, I'd been asking him a lot of questions—as I tend to do when I'm nervous—about something called first-trimester prenatal screening. When our first child was born, almost two years earlier, this test for Down syndrome and other birth defects was still brand new. Wary and unsure about its value and accuracy, we decided to pass. This time around, however, we had done our homework, which was slightly frustrating for our doctor.

The first thing we learned was that in the two years since the birth of our first child, the new test had become part of standard medical practice. In fact, on Jan. 2 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended that all pregnant women get the test regardless of age. This is an important change, mostly because of what it means for amniocentesis.

Amniocentesis, as every mom-to-be of a certain age can tell you, is a medical procedure in which a doctor inserts a long needle through the belly and into the placenta to withdraw amniotic fluid—which is then screened for birth defects. It used to be that once a woman turned 35, she was always counseled about amniocentesis. The cutoff at 35 was, by just about everyone's admission, pretty arbitrary; it was the age at which the risk of Down syndrome seemed to increase. For example, the risk of Down for a 25-year-old woman is about 1 in 1,250. By age 40, that risk has jumped to 1 in 100. What makes the decision so difficult for many parents is that the test carries a slight but real risk of miscarriage.

The new test, by contrast, is noninvasive. It combines two routine blood tests and an ultrasound that measures something called nuchal translucency, a property of the fluid at the back of the baby's neck that tells doctors with better than 90% accuracy whether the baby is at increased risk of Down syndrome. If the test is positive, you still have to decide whether to undergo amniocentesis or another test, chorionic villus sampling, to confirm the diagnosis one way or the other. But if it's negative, you're out of the woods.

Almost. As we were sitting there in the office, we realized we still faced an enormously difficult decision. Whenever you have a medical test, you have to ask yourself, What am I going to do with this new information? Some parents will choose to terminate a pregnancy if a diagnosis of Down is confirmed. Some will start putting dollars into tax-free health-savings accounts to help defray the cost of caring for a child with Down. Others may change the hospital where they plan on having the baby, opting instead for an institution that specializes in high-risk pregnancies. Even parents who would never consider termination may still want to be more emotionally prepared. The hardest part, we are told, is waiting for results, which can take several long days.

So from now on, all pregnant women in the U.S. will be offered a choice of tests. My advice, as a doctor who has wrestled with the decision, is that if you choose the relatively new ultrasound test, you should also choose a hospital where the technicians have been trained to perform it. That can have a big effect on the trustworthiness of the results. As for my wife and me, we opted for the minimalist approach. We don't even know the sex of the child. We are hoping for a boy ... or a girl

Why Keeping Our Daughters Active

2008-08-29T01:35:00.000-07:00

As a father of two little girls, I sometimes get to spend my weekend afternoons watching my elder daughter run around on the playground, chasing after the other kids, giggling and screaming. She's only 2 1/2, but my wife and I have already agreed that we will encourage the girls to be as physically active as possible in their lives, including signing them up for group sports.

It's likely that athletics will be part of their childhoods and those of their friends, at least early on. Record numbers of girls are now taking part in organized sports — 1 in 3, according to a new report compiled by the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota. That's up from 1 in 27 girls back in 1972, the year that Title IX mandated equal access for both genders in school sports programs.

But there's a downside. Although girls' participation in organized sports is on the rise, the number of girls staying physically active outside this arena is declining, especially after they become teenagers. According to the report, adolescent girls are only half as likely as teen boys to be physically active. That's a big problem. Not only are they forgoing the positive benefits that exercise has for their bodies — better heart health, lower incidence of Type 2 diabetes and prevention of osteoporosis — but they are also missing out on the psychological pluses: compared with their more active counterparts, physically inactive girls rank lower in self-esteem, social skills and the ability to make friends and to handle conflicts.

Both boys and girls face barriers to being physically active, but for girls the challenges are more numerous and complex. Many girls feel as though physical activity is less important for them than it is for boys, a message often echoed by parents, teachers and communities. Girls also report feeling less physically competent in sports than boys.

Opportunity is an issue too. The number of schools offering physical education has dropped over the years, and there is no national mandate requiring schools to build it into their curriculums. Even when P.E. is offered, only about half (48%) of all high school girls are enrolled in the class. The numbers start off promising — 70% of freshman girls enroll — but quickly tail off: only 32% stick around by senior year, according to a 2005 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We're just not teaching kids how to be physically active," says Nicole LaVoi, one of the authors of the Tucker Center report.

Also at fault is what LaVoi refers to as "the professionalization of youth sports" — parents treating kids like mini-pros by pushing them to engage in highly competitive sports leagues. "You could argue that kids just don't know how to participate in unstructured play because there is so much focus on organized activities these days," she says.

Turning these trends around begins with me — and perhaps more important, with my wife. The biggest parts that parents play are making it clear that kids are expected to be active, and acting as good role models themselves. That shapes the entire family's perceptions about the value of fitness.

Parents can also help find activities that are fun for girls, which may not always mean organized competitive sports. Rebekah Granquist, director of program development at the YMCA of San Diego County, the second largest YMCA in the country, says, "Although many girls gravitate toward soccer, volleyball and cheering, more and more girls are signing up for our noncompetitive activities like dance and mind-body programs like yoga." Fit daughters who say om — that'll soothe any mom.

Sanjay Gupta's Fit Nation series airs on House Call on CNN, Saturdays and Sundays, at 8:30 a.m. E.T.

With reporting by Shahreen Abedin / New York

how to use your imagery to help your
Increase ability of your memory
Five ways to make permanent memory
How to improve short term memory

How to Save Our Heart

2008-08-29T01:31:00.000-07:00

The other day I spoke to Dr. Arthur Agatston, creator of the South Beach Diet, and he scared me. I'm glad he did. I'm a 37-year-old man with a family history of heart disease, and the good doctor quickly rattled off several things that I should already be thinking about in terms of preventing a heart attack or stroke. And his concern is not just directed at me. Agatston is an ambitious man. He's written seven books and maintains a full-time cardiology practice, but now has his sights set higher—on healing the entire country. He believes that with a few simple steps he can help eradicate heart disease and stroke in the U.S. He writes all about it in his latest book, The South Beach Heart Program (Rodale).

Agatston acknowledges that most doctors and patients already know what is right for them in terms of diet and exercise. The problem, he contends, is that we have become a nation too focused on treating heart disease and stroke rather than preventing them. He points to what he calls a "disincentive to practice prevention" within the medical profession. Primary-care doctors are constantly in firefighter mode, rushing to the scene of a patient's health disaster, instead of spending the time to counsel patients about the best diet and prevention program.

For example, not enough doctors prescribe niacin for their heart patients, even though the medicine is a proven treatment for raising "good" cholesterol. Physicians are reluctant, Agatston suggests, because niacin requires diligent follow-up to watch for side effects, taking time that most primary-care practices cannot afford. On the other hand, he says, too many doctors are performing heart operations that represent a financial windfall for hospitals. Bottom line: there isn't as much money to be made in prevention as in treatment.

The South Beach Heart Program is the book Agatston first wanted to write. Instead he got sidetracked by his famous diet book, which has sold more than 8 million copies since it came out in 2003. He has been thinking about this new book since the late 1980s, when the first heart scans were developed. Now, almost two decades later, we know better how to use the technology and, he tells me, have a real shot at preventing the nearly 1 million heart attacks and 700,000 strokes that occur each year in the U.S. One big advance has been in the use of computed tomography angiography. This is a noninvasive heart scan that takes about 10 minutes and can tell you if you have any developing plaque in the vessels that supply blood to your heart. The trick is to get the test done before you experience any chest pains or other heart problems. And when you get a blood workup for your cholesterol profile, he advises, go the extra step and get the more sophisticated C-reactive protein test that measures the level of inflammation in your body. Cutting down on that inflammation greatly reduces your chance of having a heart attack or stroke.

As we were winding down our conversation, Agatston took off his author hat and went into full cardiologist mode again. By the time I am 40, he says, I should get one of these scans of my heart and have a full blood panel testing. Postmenopausal women over 50 should also be getting these tests, as heart disease remains the biggest killer of women as well as men. Finally, he says, we should all make sure to lose any excess belly fat, as it is an important predictor of heart disease. No problem there, I thought to myself...well, maybe a little bit of a problem. Time to get back to the basics: diet and exercise.

Source : Time.com

Stay Healthy And Eat Your Germs

2008-08-29T01:30:00.000-07:00

No doubt you have heard that yogurt is teeming with bacteria—and no doubt you try not to think about that as you dig into a cup of the stuff. Yes, they're supposed to be good bacteria, ones that not only don't make you sick but actually improve your health. Still, a spoonful of critters with unlovely names like Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidus regularis will never sound like a palate pleaser to even the most dedicated health nut.

Whether or not you've ever developed a taste—or even a tolerance—for living things in your lunch, more are on the way. Food companies have been coming to the conclusion that if a few of these superstar bacteria are good for you, then more will be even better. This is giving rise to a small but growing product line called probiotics, in which the bacteria population is boosted, sometimes considerably. For consumers, of course, the question is, Do these products work?

Probiotics have been around for a long time, mostly in the form of dietary supplements. They're also found naturally in foods like yogurt, buttermilk, sauerkraut and tofu. Recently, however, the Dannon Co. has been making a marketing splash with a yogurt line named Activia, which is fortified with extra bacteria. So far, this bet seems to be paying off, with more than $100 million in sales in the product's first year in the U.S. alone. Other companies are coming forward with probiotic yogurt drinks and fortified beverages, which are also finding a market. There is a fair body of science suggesting that some consumers are spending their dollars wisely.

"The superstar bacteria stick around in your intestines a lot longer," says Dr. Gary Huffnagle, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan and co-author of The Probiotics Revolution. In the digestive tract, the bacteria help regulate and restore peristalsis, the rhythmic motion of the intestine that pushes digested food through. There's a reason one of the bugs has the word regularis as its second name, and this intestinal toning is it. "Doesn't matter if you are constipated or the opposite," Huffnagle says. "These bacteria can help make you, um, regular."

Huffnagle's research also suggests that the bacteria can battle numerous kinds of allergies—and not just food allergies. This is a somewhat harder scientific case to make, but Huffnagle's belief is that since anything you breathe you may also swallow in at least some quantity, the good bacteria in your gut could help control allergens.

Not everyone is sold on probiotics. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is relatively neutral, using the growing popularity of the products as an opportunity to caution manufacturers not to pitch the foods as some sort of panacea for any specific disease. More important, some people should avoid the products altogether. Those with weakened immune systems or who are critically ill would be well advised to stay away from eating live bacteria. Certainly anyone in the hospital would also count. Furthermore, the products can take a little getting used to, even for the otherwise healthy. If you are new to the world of probiotics and you suddenly start eating a lot, there is a good chance you could experience uncomfortable bloating.

"You have just started a civil war in your intestines between good bacteria and bad bacteria," Huffnagle says. Fortunately, the war is usually over in one or two weeks, and, stresses Huffnagle, "the good guys win."

Expect to see lots of those good guys on store shelves soon. At least five companies in the U.S. either are in the probiotic game or are planning to enter. Plain yogurt remains the best product for added bacteria because it has three things the bugs absolutely love: lactose (or naturally occurring sugar), fat and water. Another food out there with both sugar and fat is chocolate, and—you guessed it—the company Attune already has a probiotic chocolate bar. That's something that may prompt me to give the superstar bacteria a try after all.

Cause College Drinking and Heart Problems

2008-08-29T01:24:00.000-07:00

In many ways, I was a pretty typical pre-med student. I studied hard with hopes of becoming a doctor, and on the weekends I drank socially with good friends. As I got older and passed through medical school and residency, my thirst for alcohol waned considerably. As it turns out, that may have been a good thing for many reasons. I didn't know it at that time, but drinking heavily, even as far back as college, could have increased my risk of heart disease.

New research from the American Heart Association (AHA) reveals that college students who drink excessively can double their levels of something known as C-reactive protein (CRP), a biological marker for inflammation that has been associated with a higher chance of cardiovascular problems. The study asked 25 college students to complete surveys assessing CRP risk factors such as smoking, medication use and alcohol use. In case you're curious (I was), heavy drinking was defined for the purpose of the study as three or more alcoholic drinks at least three days a week or at least five drinks two days of the week. Compared with those of moderate drinkers (two to five drinks at a time, one or two days a week), the CRP levels of heavy drinkers were more than double, placing them in the zone associated with a moderate risk of heart disease.

It is not clear yet whether drinking heavily during your college years means you're setting yourself up for trouble down the line. To answer that, a long-term study would have to follow students once they entered middle age. Still, the concern is significant because some studies do suggest a carry-over effect between past CRP levels and future heart disease.

"If C-reactive-protein levels are predictive of a future risk of heart disease, then students might be beginning a dangerous pattern, [and that's a] reason to be concerned about college-age drinking," warns Elizabeth Donovan, the (apparently precocious) undergrad who co-authored the study. Donovan is studying biology and nutrition at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn., and collaborated on the research with adviser Amy Olsen, a professor of nutrition.

Dr. Robert Bonow, a Northwestern University cardiologist and member of the AHA, isn't as sold on checking your levels of CRP. He reminds us that lots of things can cause the number to fluctuate. Besides an illness like a simple cold, other factors—including being overweight, smoking or having diabetes—are also known to raise CRP levels. Bonow's best advice is not to worry so much about past college drinking and focus instead on controlling current drinking and other variables.

I was surprised to find, though, that becoming a teetotaler is not necessarily the answer to a healthy heart in the future. This research and other studies that have looked at CRP levels in older populations found that nondrinkers (those who have one drink or less a week) actually have higher CRP numbers than those who drink in moderation. Somehow, moderate levels of alcohol may actually help protect against inflammation. And alcohol is known to reduce blood clotting. Also, if you're drinking red wine, there are additional beneficial chemicals in it, such as tannins, which slow down atherosclerosis, and resveratrol, which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects.

With that information in hand, I plan on asking my wife for a hall pass to go out and have a couple of drinks with friends tonight. "It's for my heart, I swear," I'll tell her. With two daughters, a lawn to cut and a dog to walk, I am not optimistic about her response.

Sanjay Gupta's Fit Nation series airs on House Call on CNN, Saturdays and Sundays, at 8:30 a.m. E.T.

—With reporting by Shahreen Abedin

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Source : Time.com

People Snore Wars In Bed

2008-08-29T01:16:00.000-07:00

I have always been happy that I'm not a snorer — or at least I was until recently, when my wife told me otherwise. After a few days of adamant denials, I decided to place a tape recorder on the bedside table. When I hit play the next morning, I was surprised to hear a rhythmic, rumbling noise that was enough to disturb my wife's sleep. In my case, the problem was transient, caused by a recent bout of allergies and sinus trouble. When my breathing cleared up, so did the snoring. Yet for millions of other couples out there, snoring is a cause not just of health worries but also of marital woes.

According to a recent study, nearly 1 out of 4 people married to a snorer will eventually be driven out of the bedroom rather than spend another night battling for sleep. Sometimes even that's not enough. "I see a lot of patients whose spouses can't just go to another room. They have to escape to a whole other area of the house," says Dr. Marc Kayem, medical director of the Snoring and Apnea Center of California, in Los Angeles.

Snoring is caused by a few things, but the biggest culprit is a vibration of very relaxed muscles and tissues in the throat, which rattle against narrow breathing passages. Symptoms are worse when you are overweight, have a short neck or still have your tonsils. "It's almost like trying to sleep with a straw in your mouth," says Kayem. As you might guess, snorers should refrain from sleeping on their back, as gravity will pull muscles toward the back of the throat. Sleeping on your side is best. It's also helpful to cut back on relaxants like alcohol and certain medications before bed.

Nasal strips, which adhere to the bridge of the nose and widen airways, are popular, but I have always been dubious about them. Kayem recommends them but only for people whose snoring is due to sinus blockage. They won't help chronic snorers with loose muscles in their throats.

There are some over-the-counter sprays that work by coating the soft palate. But if you use the spray, be sure to reapply it after you drink any liquid. Mouth guards customized by a dentist can be useful yet pricey. They work by moving your jaw forward, which allows more room in your throat. Similar appliances are sold over the counter, but sleep experts urge patients to pass up such noncustomized options.

Weight plays a key role too. For many people who have noticed their snoring symptoms worsening, the answer may be as simple as dropping five or 10 extra pounds. But many people need to lose a lot more than that. For these folks, snoring is more than a nuisance; it can literally be a matter of life and death. Two-thirds of chronic snorers develop a serious condition known as obstructive sleep apnea. In between snores, the breathing passages get completely blocked, resulting in no air at all for 10 seconds or more. In those 10 seconds, your brain isn't getting oxygen and your blood isn't pumping to your heart. This can cause high blood pressure, fatigue and a decrease in productivity. In severe cases, it can lead to stroke or heart attack.

Many patients experience dramatic improvements when their doctors prescribe nighttime breathing masks, which gently force air past obstructions. A relatively new, minimally invasive solution called the pillar procedure may fix the problem permanently with the aid of three to five implants inserted into the soft palate. The idea is to stiffen the tissue and provide a wider opening for breathing. Small studies show a 75% success rate. The procedure takes only about 15 minutes and is said to be virtually painless. The downside is that it costs from $1,500 to $3,000 and isn't usually covered by insurance. No matter what method you choose, the key is not to brush off symptoms. If you catch them early, you can protect both yourself and your marriage. So thanks, honey, for telling me I snore.

—With reporting by Danielle Dellorto/Atlanta

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Source : Time.com

Drug May Lower Cerebral Palsy Risk

2008-08-29T01:15:00.000-07:00

Advances in neonatal science have made it possible to save some of the most delicate and prematurely born babies, but there is a potential downside. Preterm birth accounts for about a third of all cases of cerebral palsy, a developmental brain disorder that strikes 2 out of every 1,000 infants born in the United States. Some experts worry that as more and more preemies survive, rates of cerebral palsy will climb in lockstep.

"If we keep accelerating the rate at which we are able to save these very little babies, we are likely to see more cases of cerebral palsy, in which case we haven't saved them neurologically," says Dr. Deborah Hirtz, a pediatric neurologist at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

But a new $25 million study, published Aug. 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggests a familiar tool may help stem the tide. Researchers, including co-author Hirtz, found that when physicians gave an infusion of magnesium sulfate to women at imminent risk for preterm delivery — between 24 and 31 weeks of gestation — the odds of their infants later developing cerebral palsy dropped by almost half. The study, which took more than a decade to conduct, involved 2,241 women at an immediate risk of premature delivery, who were randomized to receive either intravenous magnesium sulfate or placebo in the hours before giving birth.

Nurses followed up with the mothers and babies for two years after birth. Moderate or severe cerebral palsy was later diagnosed in 41 children in the magnesium sulfate group (1.9%) compared with 74 children in the placebo group (3.5%). Because children with mild cerebral palsy can go on to enjoy near-normal lives, the study's primary outcome measure did not include those cases. The study's authors focused instead on moderate and severe cases — most of these children will have disabilities serious enough to keep them from ever walking unassisted, says Dr. Dwight Rouse, director of the center for women's reproductive health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the study's lead author. "If we can prevent that outcome in only a few cases a year we will have done a tremendous thing," says Rouse.

The study authors hope the practice of giving magnesium sulfate infusions to women on the cusp of preterm delivery will catch on quickly because the drug is already a delivery room standby. "It's not a new medication or one that isn't already widely used," says Hirz. She compares it to aspirin in that it's "inexpensive, simple and not under patent." Magnesium sulfate — essentially the stuff of Epsom salts — is routinely used to delay labor and to prevent seizures in pregnant women with dangerously high blood pressure. "We probably give magnesium sulfate to 100 women to prevent one seizure," says Rouse. "With this, we just have to treat 64 women to prevent one case of moderate to severe cerebral palsy, which, unlike a seizure, is not going to go away."

Although the details regarding how exactly magnesium sulfate might prevent cerebral palsy are still uncertain, one theory is that the drug supports the baby's blood vessels. "Magnesium sulfate is known to stabilize vascular tone and, at some level, most brain injuries have to do with vascular instability," says Rouse. Cerebral palsy is caused by injury to the part of the brain that controls muscle movements. Though some children develop it after a head injury or brain infection, such as bacterial meningitis, the majority of cases occur just before birth, during delivery, or soon thereafter. "As an obstetrician, so often you feel like you have nothing to offer a woman facing this situation," says Dr. Catherine Spong, chief of the pregnancy and perinatology branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and one of the study's authors. "Now we can finally offer these mothers something that's potentially beneficial."

source : Time.com

How Long Does Flu Immunity Last

2008-08-29T01:14:00.000-07:00

Every year in the fall, physicians dispense a new flu vaccine. Typically it is designed to protect against the three flu strains that epidemiologists predict will be the most pervasive that season. But how often have patients received the flu shot, only to catch a bad illness anyway? The problem is that cold and flu viruses mutate so rapidly that sometimes they're unrecognizable to the antibodies created by the body in response to any particular vaccine. It turns out, however, that those antibodies — unlike those against illnesses like tetanus or whooping cough — can provide a formidable and life-long defense against the flu, as long as they're pitted against the correct strain. For an explanation, TIME asks Eric Altschuler, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and co-author of a recent paper in Nature about antibodies to the 1918 pandemic flu virus.

Q: How long do flu antibodies last?

A: According to our study, it appears they can last the entire lifespan of the human organism — 90 years plus.

In our study we were looking for antibodies to the 1918 flu. This flu virus was reconstructed a number of years ago in the lab, so we were able to test to see if 90 years later we could still find antibodies. I recruited survivors, people who were born in 1915 or earlier and thus presumably survived the 1918 flu. We found that virtually all the people born in 1915 or earlier — about 90% of them — had good "titers" to the 1918 flu, which means they still had reasonably high concentrations of the antibodies in their blood, whereas among controls, people who were born in 1926 or later, it was only about 10%. That was really quite a remarkable finding.

The important question in this study is whether the antibodies still work after all that time, and I think my colleagues really found some very decisive results. I sent the blood samples from the survivors to my colleagues, Chris Basler at Mount Sinai, who's a professor of microbiology, and James Crowe at Vanderbilt, who's in pediatrics, microbiology and immunology. Dr Crowe and his colleagues at Vanderbilt isolated five different antibodies to the 1918 flu. Then Dr. Basler and colleagues looked at how those antibodies bind to the virus. It was quite strong and specific. We tried to compare it to other viruses, studying, for example, whether the antibody would bind to the flu of 1999 or to earlier ones, like the 1943 flu. Most antibodies bound to 1918, and only 1918. One of them bound, but much more weakly, to a couple of others. So that was really quite good evidence, we thought.

I think the most definitive experiment we did was in mice. If you give mice the 1918 influenza, it kills them quite rapidly. It's very lethal. Terry Tumpey at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention infected mice with the various strains that made up the 1918 flu. Then we treated the mice either with our five antibodies or with controls. (There were two controls. One was human gamma globulin, which are just pooled antibodies that bind to a lot of different things. The other was the antibody to one of the modern bird flus.) And all of the control-treated mice, whether they got the gamma globulin or the bird-flu antibody, they all died. All of those mice died. Meanwhile all the mice that were treated with the highest doses of our antibodies survived. That's really very strong evidence — the strongest — that these antibodies are functional against this virus.

I think that diseases, other viruses and other pathogens, can behave differently. Antibodies are made by something called memory B cells, and the memory B cells for the 1918 flu clearly live for the lifespan of the human organism, which is wonderful. It raises important questions for looking at other pathogens, however, and it's important to try to look at these questions for different pathogens individually. Evidence shows it's important to get a regular tetanus booster, for example. Still, our new study may suggest another angle to look at things, which is how long do memory B cells last for this or that? Maybe there's some underlying biology that could explain why one thing might last longer than another.

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Source : Time.com

Big News Dead Sea Scrolls to Go Online

2008-08-29T01:07:00.000-07:00

(JERUSALEM) — Scientists using American space technology have started a huge project to digitally photograph the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest known version of the Hebrew Bible, and post it on the Internet for all to see, Israeli authorities said Wednesday.
High-tech cameras using infrared photography are being used to uncover sections of the 2,000-year-old scrolls that have faded over the centuries and become indecipherable, the Israeli Antiquities Authority said.

The project is expected to take about five years and the goal is to make the scrolls accessible to scientists and the general public, Antiquities Authority official Pnina Shor said.

"Now for the first time the scrolls will be a computer click away," said Shor, who heads the authority's department responsible for the conservation of artifacts. "This will ensure that the scrolls are preserved for another 2,000 years."

Experts have complained for years that only a small number of scholars have been allowed access to the scrolls and the thousands of fragments that were found in caves near the Dead Sea in the late 1940s. In recent years, steps have been taken to widen access, but many of the findings are still not properly identified and categorized.

To protect the scrolls, Shor said, the new imaging will be done in a setting that minimizes exposure to light.

A pilot project started Wednesday and when it is finished, it will be possible to determine how long it will take to digitize the thousands of fragments from about 900 separate documents, Shor said, estimating five years.

The American space connection came through Greg Bearman, who recently retired as principal scientist for the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He offered the space-age imaging equipment.

"I am an archaeology buff," he told The Associated Press, and he brought imaging technology used in space to the Dead Sea Scrolls project. "This equipment is used to study planets," he said. "NASA uses the technology for imaging in space, and it works here."

Infrared technology was used to photograph all the findings in 1950, the Antiquities Authority said, but technology has advanced considerably since then.

The first scrolls were discovered by accident in 1947 by a young Bedouin shepherd who was chasing a runaway sheep. They were buried in a cave in Qumran, just above the Dead Sea — one of the most barren areas in the world.

Archaeologists began buying scrolls and fragments that appeared in marketplaces around the region, but many were damaged by their removal from the extreme dryness of the cave where they were buried for 20 centuries.

Occasionally, the Antiquities Authority, which is in charge of preserving the scrolls, allows the public to see some of them. A 24-foot section with the Book of Isaiah went on display in May to coincide with Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations.

A special hall called the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem is dedicated to the scrolls, but the fragments on display there are copies.

source : Time.com