Web Toolbar by Wibiya Dr. Jay Weber
January 29, 2012
Billions daily Affected by water crisis Without water, life would not exist. It is a prerequisite for all human and economic development. Yet today, nearly one billion people – about one in eight – lack access to clean water. More than twice that many, 2.5 billion people, don’t have access to a toilet. There has been significant public attention paid to the issue of water scarcity lately, and for good reason. Although water is a renewable resource, it is also a finite one. Only 2.53 percent of earth’s water is fresh, and some two-thirds of that is locked up in glaciers and permanent snow cover. But despite the very real danger of future global water shortages, for the vast majority of the nearly one billion people without safe drinking water, today’s water crisis is not an issue of scarcity, but of access. 884 million people lack access to safe water supplies; approximately one in eight people. The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns. Dr. Jay’s Note:  In my opinion, no other cause can match the impact that is created by supplying clean drinking water to those in need & improving sanitation services worldwide. For only $25, Water.org can bring someone access to clean water for life.

Billions daily Affected by water crisis

Without water, life would not exist. It is a prerequisite for all human and economic development.

Yet today, nearly one billion people – about one in eight – lack access to clean water. More than twice that many, 2.5 billion people, don’t have access to a toilet.

There has been significant public attention paid to the issue of water scarcity lately, and for good reason. Although water is a renewable resource, it is also a finite one. Only 2.53 percent of earth’s water is fresh, and some two-thirds of that is locked up in glaciers and permanent snow cover. But despite the very real danger of future global water shortages, for the vast majority of the nearly one billion people without safe drinking water, today’s water crisis is not an issue of scarcity, but of access.

884 million people lack access to safe water supplies; approximately one in eight people.

The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.

Dr. Jay’s Note:  In my opinion, no other cause can match the impact that is created by supplying clean drinking water to those in need & improving sanitation services worldwide. For only $25, Water.org can bring someone access to clean water for life.

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Filed under: water wellness holistic living happiness health inner peace inspiration children's health 
January 28, 2012
"Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a water-related illness. Clean water means healthy kids & brighter futures."

— Water.org  (get involved today)

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Filed under: water wellness children's health clean water Nutrition inner peace kindness 
January 26, 2012
USDA To Require Healthier Meals In Schools With Updated Nutrition Standards Less salt and fat. More whole grains, fruit, veggies and low-fat dairy. This is what kids can expect in the school lunchroom soon, according to new nutrition standards for school meals announced today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and first lady Michelle Obama. “When we send our kids to school, we expect that they won’t be eating the kind of fatty, salty, sugary foods that we try to keep them from eating at home,” Obama said in a statement. “We want the food they get at school to be the same kind of food we would serve at our own kitchen tables.” And remember all the political shenanigans over pizza as a veggie? Yes, pizza can technically still count as one serving of veggies. But that slice of pizza won’t be served alone. The new standards call for two servings of vegetables per meal. So the pizza will come with a side of carrots or green beans.  Read More Dr. Jay’s Note:  Far from perfect but a movement in the right direction. For those of us that are more nutritionally mindful & aware, packing school lunches is still the healthiest option.

USDA To Require Healthier Meals In Schools With Updated Nutrition Standards

Less salt and fat. More whole grains, fruit, veggies and low-fat dairy. This is what kids can expect in the school lunchroom soon, according to new nutrition standards for school meals announced today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and first lady Michelle Obama.

“When we send our kids to school, we expect that they won’t be eating the kind of fatty, salty, sugary foods that we try to keep them from eating at home,” Obama said in a statement. “We want the food they get at school to be the same kind of food we would serve at our own kitchen tables.”

And remember all the political shenanigans over pizza as a veggie? Yes, pizza can technically still count as one serving of veggies. But that slice of pizza won’t be served alone. The new standards call for two servings of vegetables per meal. So the pizza will come with a side of carrots or green beans.  Read More

Dr. Jay’s Note:  Far from perfect but a movement in the right direction. For those of us that are more nutritionally mindful & aware, packing school lunches is still the healthiest option.

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Filed under: wellness health holistic living Nutrition food children's health parenting inner peace 
January 24, 2012
Chemical in Personal Care Products (Phthalates) May Contribute to Child Obesity ScienceDaily (Jan. 20, 2012) — Researchers from the Children’s Environmental Health Center at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York have found an association between exposure to the chemical group known as phthalates and obesity in young children — including increased body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. Phthalates are human-made, endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can mimic the body’s natural hormones. They are commonly used in plastic flooring and wall coverings, food processing materials, medical devices, and personal-care products. While poor nutrition and physical inactivity are known to contribute to obesity, a growing body of research suggests that environmental chemicals — including phthalates — could play a role in rising childhood obesity rates. This study was the first to examine the relationship between phthalate exposure and measurements used to identify obesity in children.  Read More Dr. Jay’s Note:  Excess chemical stress can manifest in many ways. This study shows how it can manifest in some children. Bottom line - it is nearly impossible to experience lasting inner peace in your life if you have constant chemical warfare occurring within.

Chemical in Personal Care Products (Phthalates) May Contribute to Child Obesity

ScienceDaily (Jan. 20, 2012) — Researchers from the Children’s Environmental Health Center at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York have found an association between exposure to the chemical group known as phthalates and obesity in young children — including increased body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.

Phthalates are human-made, endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can mimic the body’s natural hormones. They are commonly used in plastic flooring and wall coverings, food processing materials, medical devices, and personal-care products. While poor nutrition and physical inactivity are known to contribute to obesity, a growing body of research suggests that environmental chemicals — including phthalates — could play a role in rising childhood obesity rates.

This study was the first to examine the relationship between phthalate exposure and measurements used to identify obesity in children.  Read More

Dr. Jay’s Note:  Excess chemical stress can manifest in many ways. This study shows how it can manifest in some children. Bottom line - it is nearly impossible to experience lasting inner peace in your life if you have constant chemical warfare occurring within.

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Filed under: natural health children's health holistic living health inner peace wellness 
January 23, 2012
Infant Mortality: The Real Measure of Health Those who attend to such matters measure the health of populations based upon how many children survive the process of being born and living the first year of their life. It’s called the infant mortality rate. With all the so-called high-tech health care we enjoy, you’d think we’d be among the healthiest nation in the world. Think again. In 2005, the most current year for which figures are available, suggests that technology is not necessarily the answer. In a survey of 33 countries, many of the most highly developed western nations find themselves in the company of Poland, Latvia, Hungary and the little country of Malta. Using this metric, Singapore is the healthiest nation on the planet: Country Deaths/1000 Births Singapore 2.10 Australia 4.69 Canada 4.75 United Kingdom 5.16 New Zealand 5.85 United States 6.50 Japan, Sweden and Iceland are also among the healthiest nations. Mary Beth Powers, a health adviser for Save the Children, an international child development organization that analyzed health data from countries and agencies worldwide stated that, “We are among the wealthiest in the world, but there are still pockets of our population who are not getting the health care they need.”  Read More

Infant Mortality: The Real Measure of Health

Those who attend to such matters measure the health of populations based upon how many children survive the process of being born and living the first year of their life. It’s called the infant mortality rate. With all the so-called high-tech health care we enjoy, you’d think we’d be among the healthiest nation in the world.

Think again.

In 2005, the most current year for which figures are available, suggests that technology is not necessarily the answer. In a survey of 33 countries, many of the most highly developed western nations find themselves in the company of Poland, Latvia, Hungary and the little country of Malta. Using this metric, Singapore is the healthiest nation on the planet:

Country Deaths/1000 Births Singapore 2.10 Australia 4.69 Canada 4.75 United Kingdom 5.16 New Zealand 5.85 United States 6.50

Japan, Sweden and Iceland are also among the healthiest nations. Mary Beth Powers, a health adviser for Save the Children, an international child development organization that analyzed health data from countries and agencies worldwide stated that, “We are among the wealthiest in the world, but there are still pockets of our population who are not getting the health care they need.”  Read More

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Filed under: health holistic living child birth children's health parenting natural health 
January 5, 2012
Physical Activity, School Performance May Be Linked ScienceDaily (Jan. 2, 2012) — A systematic review of previous studies suggests that there may be a positive relationship between physical activity and the academic performance of children, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Amika Singh, Ph.D., of the Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and colleagues reviewed evidence about the relationship between physical activity and academic performance because of concerns that pressure to improve test scores may often mean more instructional time for classroom subjects with less time for physical activity. The authors identified 10 observational and four interventional studies for review. Twelve of the studies were conducted in the United States, plus one in Canada and one in South Africa. Sample sizes ranged from 53 to about 12,000 participants between the ages of 6 years and 18 years. Follow-up varied from eight weeks to more than five years. “According to the best-evidence synthesis, we found strong evidence of a significant positive relationship between physical activity and academic performance. The findings of one high-quality intervention study and one high-quality observational study suggest that being more physically active is positively related to improved academic performance in children,” the authors comment.  Read More Dr. Jay’s Note:  Living a holistic lifestyle allows us to get the most out of life.

Physical Activity, School Performance May Be Linked

ScienceDaily (Jan. 2, 2012) — A systematic review of previous studies suggests that there may be a positive relationship between physical activity and the academic performance of children, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Amika Singh, Ph.D., of the Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and colleagues reviewed evidence about the relationship between physical activity and academic performance because of concerns that pressure to improve test scores may often mean more instructional time for classroom subjects with less time for physical activity.

The authors identified 10 observational and four interventional studies for review. Twelve of the studies were conducted in the United States, plus one in Canada and one in South Africa. Sample sizes ranged from 53 to about 12,000 participants between the ages of 6 years and 18 years. Follow-up varied from eight weeks to more than five years.

“According to the best-evidence synthesis, we found strong evidence of a significant positive relationship between physical activity and academic performance. The findings of one high-quality intervention study and one high-quality observational study suggest that being more physically active is positively related to improved academic performance in children,” the authors comment.  Read More

Dr. Jay’s Note:  Living a holistic lifestyle allows us to get the most out of life.

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Filed under: wellness workout exercise education children's health parenting health holistic living 
January 4, 2012
Is Birth Trauma Reaching Epidemic Proportions? Forceps. Vacuum extraction. C-section. Epidural. Technologically advanced tools to assist in the birth process, or… instruments and procedures that can spell disaster in terms of the newborn? Birth has been a natural process since the beginning of time, yet artificial “advancements,” some of which the long-term effects on the newborn are unknown, have become routine birth habits. Many of these affect the newborn in subtle ways at first, but set him or her up for a lifetime of stress on the spine and nervous system if they remain undetected and unresolved. The following situations/procedures may contribute to birth trauma in the newborn: Read More

Is Birth Trauma Reaching Epidemic Proportions?

Forceps. Vacuum extraction. C-section. Epidural. Technologically advanced tools to assist in the birth process, or… instruments and procedures that can spell disaster in terms of the newborn?

Birth has been a natural process since the beginning of time, yet artificial “advancements,” some of which the long-term effects on the newborn are unknown, have become routine birth habits. Many of these affect the newborn in subtle ways at first, but set him or her up for a lifetime of stress on the spine and nervous system if they remain undetected and unresolved.

The following situations/procedures may contribute to birth trauma in the newborn: Read More

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Filed under: wellness health holistic living children's health parenting inner peace 
December 26, 2011
More drugs for children, say doctors – and never mind the 68,000 that end up in emergency wards 19 December 2011 Around 68,000 children in the US alone need emergency hospital treatment every year after taking a prescription drug – but, astonishingly, doctors believe our children should be taking more. Doctors at London’s King’s College and St George’s Hospital want to increase the children’s dosage for drugs such as penicillin – because the average size and weight of children has increased since the 1950s when the safe dose was set. The dose for penicillin for children has been revised twice since then – but the researchers believe they may still be getting a dose that is not effective. Even the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, which represents the drug industry, cautions that basing dosage on weight, instead of age, is problematic, and could be risky. As the 68,000 children who end up in hospital have usually taken just one pill, they could have a point. (Source: British Medical Journal, 2011; 343: d7803) Dr. Jay’s Note:  No matter your condition, you almost always have natural & holistic options to improve your overall health.

More drugs for children, say doctors – and never mind the 68,000 that end up in emergency wards

19 December 2011

Around 68,000 children in the US alone need emergency hospital treatment every year after taking a prescription drug – but, astonishingly, doctors believe our children should be taking more.
Doctors at London’s King’s College and St George’s Hospital want to increase the children’s dosage for drugs such as penicillin – because the average size and weight of children has increased since the 1950s when the safe dose was set.
The dose for penicillin for children has been revised twice since then – but the researchers believe they may still be getting a dose that is not effective. Even the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, which represents the drug industry, cautions that basing dosage on weight, instead of age, is problematic, and could be risky. As the 68,000 children who end up in hospital have usually taken just one pill, they could have a point. (Source: British Medical Journal, 2011; 343: d7803)
Dr. Jay’s Note:  No matter your condition, you almost always have natural & holistic options to improve your overall health.

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Filed under: wisdom wellness health happiness holistic living inner peace drugs children's health natural health 
December 22, 2011
Catch the Fever: It’ll Help You Fight Off Infection, Evidence Shows With cold and flu season almost here, the next time you’re sick, you may want to think twice before taking something for your fever. That’s because scientists have found more evidence that elevated body temperature helps certain types of immune cells to work better. This research is reported in the November 2011 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. “An increase in body temperature has been known since ancient times to be associated with infection and inflammation,” said Elizabeth A. Repasky, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Immunology at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York. “Since a febrile response is highly conserved in nature (even so-called cold blooded animals move to warmer places when they become ill) it would seem important that we immunologists devote more attention to this interesting response.” Scientists found that the generation and differentiation of a particular kind of lymphocyte, known as a “CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell” (capable of destroying virus-infected cells and tumor cells) is enhanced by mild fever-range hyperthermia. Specifically, their research suggests that elevated body temperature changes the T-cells’ membranes which may help mediate the effects of micro-environmental temperature on cell function. To test this, researchers injected two groups of mice with an antigen, and examined the activation of T-cells following the interaction with antigen presenting cells. Body temperature in half of the mice was raised by 2 degrees centigrade, while the other half maintained a normal core body temperature. In the warmed mice, results showed a greater number of the type of CD8 T-cells capable of destroying infected cells.  Read More Dr. Jay’s Note:  Fevers should be welcomed not feared. Reducing or trying to suppress nature’s natural healing response can not only lengthen the healing process but may also increase the likelihood of relapse.

Catch the Fever: It’ll Help You Fight Off Infection, Evidence Shows

With cold and flu season almost here, the next time you’re sick, you may want to think twice before taking something for your fever. That’s because scientists have found more evidence that elevated body temperature helps certain types of immune cells to work better. This research is reported in the November 2011 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.

“An increase in body temperature has been known since ancient times to be associated with infection and inflammation,” said Elizabeth A. Repasky, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Immunology at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York. “Since a febrile response is highly conserved in nature (even so-called cold blooded animals move to warmer places when they become ill) it would seem important that we immunologists devote more attention to this interesting response.”

Scientists found that the generation and differentiation of a particular kind of lymphocyte, known as a “CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell” (capable of destroying virus-infected cells and tumor cells) is enhanced by mild fever-range hyperthermia. Specifically, their research suggests that elevated body temperature changes the T-cells’ membranes which may help mediate the effects of micro-environmental temperature on cell function. To test this, researchers injected two groups of mice with an antigen, and examined the activation of T-cells following the interaction with antigen presenting cells. Body temperature in half of the mice was raised by 2 degrees centigrade, while the other half maintained a normal core body temperature. In the warmed mice, results showed a greater number of the type of CD8 T-cells capable of destroying infected cells.  Read More

Dr. Jay’s Note:  Fevers should be welcomed not feared. Reducing or trying to suppress nature’s natural healing response can not only lengthen the healing process but may also increase the likelihood of relapse.

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Filed under: wisdom wellness fever children's health holistic living health parenting nature natural health 
December 20, 2011
Few Allergies in Unstressed Babies, Swedish Researchers Find A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that infants with low concentrations of the stress-related hormone cortisol in their saliva develop fewer allergies than other infants. Hopefully this new knowledge will be useful in future allergy prevention. The study is published in the December paper issue of Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The incidence of allergies in children has increased over the past few decades, especially in the West. In Sweden, 30 to 40 percent of children have some kind of allergy. A combination of environmental and lifestyle factors during pregnancy and early infancy are thought to be responsible for the sharp rise in allergic diseases. “Psychosocial factors and the stress hormone cortisol are associated with allergic diseases,” says Dr Fredrik Stenius of the Department of Clinical Research and Education at Stockholm South General Hospital. “Our study found that children with low salivary cortisol levels as infants have a lower prevalence of allergies during the first two years of life, compared to other children.” Read More Dr. Jay’s Note:  Since allergy symptoms are a response to excess stress, then it is clear that when you lower the overall stress level allergies will become less frequent. Learn & practice healthy, holistic lifestyle choices that can not only decrease your overall stress load but will also increase your ability to adapt to your daily stress in an efficient way.

Few Allergies in Unstressed Babies, Swedish Researchers Find

A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that infants with low concentrations of the stress-related hormone cortisol in their saliva develop fewer allergies than other infants. Hopefully this new knowledge will be useful in future allergy prevention.

The study is published in the December paper issue of Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

The incidence of allergies in children has increased over the past few decades, especially in the West. In Sweden, 30 to 40 percent of children have some kind of allergy. A combination of environmental and lifestyle factors during pregnancy and early infancy are thought to be responsible for the sharp rise in allergic diseases.

“Psychosocial factors and the stress hormone cortisol are associated with allergic diseases,” says Dr Fredrik Stenius of the Department of Clinical Research and Education at Stockholm South General Hospital. “Our study found that children with low salivary cortisol levels as infants have a lower prevalence of allergies during the first two years of life, compared to other children.” Read More

Dr. Jay’s Note:  Since allergy symptoms are a response to excess stress, then it is clear that when you lower the overall stress level allergies will become less frequent. Learn & practice healthy, holistic lifestyle choices that can not only decrease your overall stress load but will also increase your ability to adapt to your daily stress in an efficient way.

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Filed under: wellness worry children's health health holistic living happiness inner peace allergies 
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