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A migra

ine headache is a very bad, throbbing or pulsating headache that tends to recur. It is often associated with nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound, and smells. Hands and feet may feel cold and sweaty and unusual odors may be intolerable. Migraines may disrupt your sleep and can cause depression. Moving around can make the headache feel worse. Attacks tend to become less severe as the migraine sufferer ages.
Migraines afflict about 24 million people in the United States. They may occur at any age, but usually begin between the ages of 10 and 40 and diminish after age 50. Some people experience several migraines a month, while others have only a few migraines throughout their lifetime. Approximately 75% of migraine sufferers are women.
Migraine pain is often intensified by routine physical activity, coughing, straining, or lowering the head. The headache is often so severe that it interferes with daily activity and may awaken the person. The attack is debilitating, and migraine sufferers are often left feeling tired and weak once the headache has passed.

Types of migraines:

There are many forms of migraine headaches. Migraines are classified according to the symptoms they produce. The two most common types are migraine with aura and migraine without aura. We will only reference these two types of migraines in this article.
The aura is the occurrence of neurological symptoms 10-30 minutes before the classic migraine attack. You may see flashing lights, zigzag lines, wavy images, or hallucinations. Some migraine sufferers experience temporary loss of vision. Other symptoms of classic migraine include speech difficulty, confusion, weakness of an arm or leg and tingling of face or hands.
Non-visual auras include motor weakness, speech or language abnormalities, dizziness, vertigo, and tingling or numbness (parasthesia) of the face, tongue, or extremities.

Migraine with aura:
The pain of a classic migraine headache (migraine with aura) is described as an intense throbbing or pounding felt in the forehead/temple, ear/jaw or around the eyes. The pain typically begins in a specific area on one side of the head, then spreads and builds in intensity over 1 to 2 hours and then gradually subsides. An attack usually lasts no more than 24 hours but, in some cases, may last two or more days.
Migraine without aura

Migraine without aura is the most common type and may occur on one or both sides (bilateral) of the head. Fatigue, mood changes, mental fuzziness and fluid retention may be experienced the day before the headache. With this type of migraine headache usually come abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light (photophobia).
Both types of migraines can strike as often as several times a week or rarely as once every few years. People who have migraines on rare occasions may confuse them with symptoms of the flu. If you have regular weekly or monthly migraines, you definitely know you have a migraine.
What Causes Migraine?

The cause of migraine is still widely unknown. Some doctors think migraines may be caused by a chemical or electrical problem in certain parts of the brain. A key element of a migraine headache is blood flow change in the brain. According to this theory, the nervous system responds to a trigger such as stress, (see more on triggers below), by creating spasms in the nerve-rich arteries at the base of the brain. The spasms constrict several arteries supplying blood to the brain, including arteries from the scalp and neck.
As these arteries constrict, the flow of blood to the brain is reduced. At the same time, platelets clump together and release a chemical called serotonin. Serotonin acts as a powerful constrictor of arteries further reducing blood and oxygen supply to the brain. In reaction to the reduced oxygen supply, certain arteries within the brain dilate to meet the brain’s energy needs. This dilation spreads, finally affecting neck and scalp arteries. Some doctors believe this dilation causes the pain of migraine.
Another theory is, the headache may result from a series of reactions in the central nervous system caused by changes in the body or in the environment. There is often a family history of the disorder, suggesting that migraine sufferers may inherit sensitivity to triggers that produce inflammation in the blood vessels and nerves around the brain, causing pain.
Triggers:
A trigger is any stimulus that initiates a process or reaction. Some things are known to trigger a migraine or make it worse. If you are a migraine sufferer, you probably already know what stimulus triggers your migraines.
Common migraine triggers are:

Alcohol

Environmental factors such as weather, altitude, time zone changes
Caffeine (coffee, chocolate)
monosodium glutamate (MSG – found in Chinese food)
nitrates (found in processed foods, hot dogs, bacon, etc.)
Glare or flashing lights
Hormonal changes in women (monthly periods, birth control pills, estrogen therapy)
Hunger and fasting
Problems with sleep -  too much, too little or interrupted
Medications (over-the-counter and prescription)
Smells, fumes and odors (perfume, smoke, pet odors, cleaning solvents)
Stress, time pressure, hassles, major losses, anger, arguments and conflict.
Excessive or constant noise

It is almost impossible to avoid many of these triggers. Life has a way of happening and many of these triggers are just a part of life. It is possible to avoid the things we put in our body but many of the triggers are going to occur no matter how hard you try to avoid them. Trying to avoid them could be a trigger itself.

With the current development of a vaccine for the H5N1 strain of the Bird Flu Virus still 2 to 3 years away. We don’t have much of a choice but to really be very cautious that the H5N1 strain does not mutate with a human flu virus.
If the outbreak we fear does happen without the vaccines ready yet, all we can possibly do is just quarantine the geographical area where the virus is rampant. Give them the vaccines that have been developed and prevent them from spreading it further. This will only work if the outbreak is limited geographically. When the outbreak does happen to 10,000 places, we’re in Big S*%T.
The development of a vaccine is so slow because we still use methods dating back 50 years ago. Ironically this is because they still use chicken eggs to develop the vaccines. New methods are on the horizon, instead of using chicken eggs, they may be able to use mammal cells.
Scientist would be storing the mammal cells in large numbers. So that when a flu strain or threat develops, they can just inject it to the cells. The injected cells will then burst and die. The scientist will then harvest the proteins of the influenza and distribute them as vaccines already.
Vaccines made from DNA are really appealing because they could be made and administered quickly. However this kind of vaccine is still being tested on humans. DNA vaccine works by attaching itself to a segment of our DNA. It contains the coded information of the flu virus’ protein.

Perhaps you’ve seen the latest health news…..scientists are concerned that our overweight and obese population will not live as long as previous generations. USA Today recently reported that “Obesity could shorten the average lifespan of an entire generation – today’s children – by two to five years, according to a controversial new life-expectancy analysis” (Source: Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY).
In ancient Rome, a newborn child could expect to live to 22. In the 1900’s, in the US, 49 was the average life expectancy. In 1991, the average life expectancy was 75 years. Between 1950-1980, the population of those over 65 doubled, and by the year 2025, the group of people aged 60 and over will have grown from 376 million in 1980 to 1.12 billion. (Source: Donna M. De Cunzo, R.D., L.D.)
Life expectancy for Americans today is 77.6 years, an all-time high.
No doubt about it, obesity and all the related physical problems that come with obesity, are causing some serious issues for us and our health.
Now more than ever, it’s critical that we take the time to exercise and educate ourselves on healthy eating! Obesity is the problem, and WE can be part of the solution!
Researchers at Tuft’s University have studied aging. They have come up with the following five factors, which they call biomarkers, that can help people live longer and improve the quality of their life.
1. DIET. As the body ages, it requires fewer calories. Men and women 55 and older need 150 to 200 fewer calories per day than those younger than age 55. This decrease may be due to a natural decline in metabolic rate and/or decreased physical activity. However, the need for essential nutrients does not changed. Thus, there is not much room for high calorie, low nutrient foods. According to the USDA’s Human Consumption Survey, those over 55 were found to consume less than 70% of the RDA for B6, B12, calcium, magnesium and vitamin A. Even for those who require special diets to treat diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure, a diet low in animal products and high in fiber (from whole grains, fruits and vegetables) is beneficial.
2. LEAN BODY MASS. Lean body mass, or muscle mass, generally decreases at a rate of 2% per decade after age 40. When LBM decreases, disuse syndrome occurs, resulting in obesity, fragility, depression and decreased cardiovascular function. This is why it’s critical to engage in regular resistance exercise throughout life!
3. BODY FAT PERCENTAGE. Keeping body fat down and lean body mass up is important in preventing injury and disease.
4. AEROBIC CAPACITY. Exercise aerobically at least 3 times a week, keeping the heart rate at about 70% of maximum for 30 minutes or longer.
5. STRENGTH. Weight bearing exercise is especially important in reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Dr. Bill Evans studied a group of people at age 90 who needed assistance with daily tasks and had a history of falling. Dr. Evans had the group lift 80% of their one repetition maximum weight for an eight week period. After eight weeks, the group increased muscle strength by 60% and increased LBM by 10%. (Source: Dr. Bill Evans and Dr. Irv Rosenberg of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center at Tuft’s University.)
The take-home message is that obesity causes a lot of health problems. As a nation, our weight issue has gotten so out of hand that it may impact overall life expectancy. However, WE CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION by engaging in regular exercise (both aerobic and resistance exercise) and by watching what we eat. This is especially true as we get older.
So, while nobody really knows how long we’ll live, we can certainly tip the odds in our favor!

You are going to be pleasantly surprised! Most people think that in order to lose weight you have to do strenuous exercise, continuously, and lots of it! Well, Guess what? NOT TRUE!
I know you are thinking? That’s crazy! It doesn’t make any sense! I thought the same thing, when I first heard this. But it all comes down to understanding how your body works.
By exercising 20 minutes a day average, you can reduce your craving for the wrong kinds of foods that result from your life stresses. SO let’s explore that concept of how the body really works! Your body has two ways to create energy. Your body can turn fat into energy, or it can turn blood sugar, glucose, into energy. But it can’t do both at the same time. At any time, your body is either burning fat, or blood sugar. When your energy demand is low, your body burns fat. When you are walking, working at your desk, driving a car, and even sleeping – the demand for energy is low so the body is burning fat. But as soon as your activity levels increase – your body turns to blood sugar since fat cannot be converted into energy quickly enough.
Let’s take an example. You are walking down the street to the bus stop (burning fat), and you see your bus start to close the doors and ready to leave. You start running – and very quickly your heart rate and your breathing will increase, and your body will begin to burn blood sugar instead of fat. Constant strenuous exercise conditions your body to burn blood sugar, instead of fat. Wow! That is an eye-opener, isn’t it?
These types of strenuous exercises are great for the heart, lungs, and circulation, and you may want to do these AFTER you lose the weight. Until then, try anaerobic exercise that doesn’t increase your heart rate. Try long, slow walks, because they are burning fat while you walk – but as an added bonus, you are conditioning your body to burn fat, opening up fat burning systems, burning calories, and building muscle
Weight lifting is another great exercise for losing weight because it will build muscle and muscle burns fat. Yep, that’s true. The more muscle you have the more fat your body burns every day. Don’t get me wrong – I am talking easy weight lifting, such as with 5 or 10 pound weights, and limit this to about 20 minutes a day, every other day. Alternate walking and weight lifting during the week – take Sunday Off. It is really that simple! Start your walking program easy too. Start with 5 minutes out, and then come back. Over time increase to 10 minutes out, and then come back; then 15, then 20. 20 minutes out and 20 minutes back – 40 minutes total every other day. Then stay consistent! One of the biggest problems with strenuous exercise is that people sometimes injure themselves early on in the program, and then that’s the end of it! All you need to do is walk and weight lift – light workouts. And once you have gotten started, do it consistently. This easy exercise program combined with a program of nutrition, information, and personal coaching can be just your ticket, to getting rid of those unwanted pounds forever.

Occasional emotional eating is normal. Everyone has celebrated with food before, that’s what birthday parties, Christmas lunch and BBQ’s on Super Bowl day and the Forth of July are all about. But emotional eating can become a serious problem when it leads to negative emotional and physical imbalances in our lives.
Frequent emotional eating can easily become a destructive cycle. Emotional eating becomes entrenched in the lives of its sufferers when they use food to regulate their mood, cope with stress or overcome feelings of anxiety or boredom.
This type of behavior can easily lead emotional eaters to become overweight or obese because many of them feel hungry most of the time.
“Satisfying” this insatiable hunger with food, many emotional eaters consume far more calories than their body needs and they gain a lot of weight which becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible to lose.
Common signs of Emotional Eating
Here are some common signs of emotional eating:
Eating when not physically hungry.
Eating during times of strong emotions, like anger or depression.
Eating when bored.
Rapid eating.
Eating immediately after arriving home from work.
Eating alone out of embarrassment at the quantity or type of food being eaten.
Eating until uncomfortably full.
Feelings of disgust, depression, or guilt after overeating.
Recognizing emotional hunger
Recognizing emotional hunger (as apposed to real physical hunger) is one of the keys to overcoming or staving off frequent emotional eating.
Some of the characteristics of emotional hunger include:
Emotional hunger comes on suddenly.
One minute you’re not hungry at all and the next minute you’re starving.
Emotional hunger often craves specific food, like pizza, candy or a cheeseburger.
Emotional hunger begins in the mouth and the mind, not the stomach.
Emotional hunger often accompanies an unpleasant emotion.
Emotional hunger involves automatic or absent-minded eating.
Emotional hunger isn’t satisfied when you’re full.
Emotional hunger makes you feel guilty.
Are you an emotional eater?
To find out if you might be an emotional eater, rate yourself on the following statements about your current lifestyle (adapted from the book Fattitudes: Beat Self-Defeat and Win Your War with Weight, by Jeffrey R., Ph.D. Wilbert, Norean K. Wilbert, St Martin’s Press, NY, 2000.) using the scale:
0 = Never
1 = Rarely
2 = Sometimes
3 = Often
4 = Almost Always
1.  I’ve try to lose weight, but always fail.
2.  I don’t feel in control of my eating.
3.  I often eat when I’m not hungry.
4.  I eat food when I’m stressed or upset.
5.  I eat food for pleasure or as a reward.
6.  I think about food a lot.
7.  I can’t stay on track when dieting.
8.  I binge eat.
9.  I feel ashamed of myself and my eating habits.
10.  Food helps me deal with feelings.
Add up your TOTAL SCORE
Interpretation:
0 – 10.   It is very unlikely that you are an emotional eater.
11 – 20.  You engage in some emotional eating but it’s unlikely that it is harmful.
21 – 30.  You are a moderate emotional eater and should consider professional assistance.
31 – 40   You are a heavy emotional eater. Professional assistance is highly recommended.
What to do if emotional eating is a problem
Here are some suggestions that may help you overcome problematic emotional eating:
Become aware of your motivations for wanting to eat.
When you feel like eating, ask yourself if you could possibly be upset instead of hungry.
Keep believing in yourself. You are in control and have the power to make changes in your life.
Develop new mood regulation strategies. For example, share your problems when anxious and exercise when you’re bored.
Remember support is available. If you need to, find a weight loss class, hire a lifestyle coach or engage a licensed therapist.
Focus on the things that matter. Like taking care of yourself, improving your emotional well-being, eating well and exercising.
Be wary of using diets. Dieting can lead to more emotional eating and won’t help you to address the underlying reasons for being overweight.
Love yourself for who you are and forget about trying to be perfect.
Don’t swallow your emotions for the sake of sparing others from getting upset. If they’ve upset you, let them know about it and tell them that you won’t tolerate that kind of behaviour in the future.
Make yourself – not a diet – responsible for what you eat.
Focus on the cause and solution rather than the affect. Constantly focusing on the negative symptoms of the problem won’t help you solve them. Focus on what you’re going to do about your current circumstances rather than the circumstances themselves.
Take responsibility for your life, stop thinking about food and LIVE!
Conclusion
Remember, we’re all emotional eaters to some extent. It’s nearly impossible not to be in America, where eating is an integral part of our celebration rituals and a fundamental aspect of our family and social life. But when emotional eating interferes with your health and happiness you know it’s time to do something about it and the sooner the better.