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Why Choose Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle Program

January 25, 2011
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It may be hard for you to select the right weight loss program since there are already many of them active in the market nowadays. Let’s have a closer glimpse at Tom Venuto’s ‘Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle’. Review the pros and cons below to decide if this program is right for you.

Pro: A very personalized method to weight loss is provided in this program.

This program is so-called a body kind dieting. The assumption is that people of different body types process foods in different ways. For instance, one body type might do better on a diet heavy in complex carbohydrates, while another body type might need a much lower carb intake in order to prosper.

Included in this program is the means to check your body type. To create your fitness and diet plans based on your body type, relevant information will then be supplied to you. As you progress, you can adjust your calories and nutrition as needed. The expected outcome of this very individualized plan is more weight loss than a generic one.

Pro: It has various nutritional information which are helpful.

Information related to the nutrition needed by your individual body type is demonstrated in this system. Venuto delves into the facts about macronutrients, vitamins, and calories. In fact, nutrition topics are discussed on the 270 pages of the core book.

There are comprehensive guides to aid you identify your base metabolic rate and caloric needs.

Pro: You can even procure supplemental information of your own choice.

Aside from securing the core book, procuring of auxiliary information is possible like purchasing a series of author interviews and subscribing to Venuto’s website. Aside from having bonuses with high quality, the website also contains countless reading materials suited for many months of reading. The website also is characterized by the presence of calculators, recipes, and product reviews. The message forums are active and filled with answers and advice.

The level of information would be helpful to someone who need to reshape their life and body, but might be not suitable for casual dieters.

The Other Side of the ‘Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle’ Program.

Con: It’s not for casual dieters.

By reading this ‘Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle’ review, you’ve potentially saved yourself a lot of time – the core book is 341 pages long! It does not even count the many extras you obtain with the package, and the upgrades that you can buy separately. Casual dieters might be drowned by the sheer amount of information.

Venuto writes like a bodybuilder because he is a bodybuilder. That is, he accentuates the importance of having a low body fat percentage. The competitive bodybuilding data, though appears to be heavy-handed, is informative.

Con: Exercise is not widely discussed.

Despite the importance of exercise in weight loss and bodybuilding, Venuto devotes most of his pages to nutrition facts. Weight training as well as cardio exercise has 25 pages only.

Although Venuto goes into the details how exercise affects the body, yet he only suggests exercises without teaching the reader how to do them. Though the book includes sample workouts but they just look like lists than step-by-step instructions.

One bonus: If you’ve ever wondered about weightlifting, you can probably find the answers to all your questions in the weightlifting FAQ.

Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle Review – The Bottom Line.

‘Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle’ is a unique product. Due to its comprehensive approach in losing weight, many people have become its loyal followers. Though it may not be the appropriate alternative if you just aim in losing few pounds, it will serve as your guide in maintaining a healthy body.

Obama Economics and the Health Bill

January 25, 2011
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The first thing you learn is what is called Supply and Demand which even an elementary student should be able to comprehend! However I wonder if anyone in the current Obama Administration has ever heard of it! They use what I call Voodoo Economics. Of course my new friend Ms. B at the Waffle House, who is a very sharp and intelligent African American lady, disagrees with me. She says that they don’t use any Economics in Washington!

So let’s look at the current health proposals before the House and Senate. First I will tell you that the current system is a disaster; however the solution offered by the Obama Administration does not make economic sense!

Here is a story told to me by friend, Al, who is one of top EMTs in the Atlanta area. During his training there was this OBESE lady of over 800 pounds that would invariably call 911 every week. Needless to say when you are that big and slip down you ain’t getting up by yourself!

So they would have to first take out the regular gurney and put in the reinforced one so they could transport her to Grady Hospital in Atlanta. They would have to add extra personnel too. Off they would go to her place to see what they could do. After loading her up in the ambulance she would be transported to Grady.

What do you think is the cost of transporting anyone to Grady? Al told me that the average cost is $750! Then you add on the emergency room visit and any meds they had to give her and I assure you that you way over $2000!

So what happens when the current health proposal becomes law in her case? As I remember she has diabetes and heart disease – no big surprise there! So they will NOT be able to turn her away based on PRE-EXISTING conditions which I happen to agree with.

HOWEVER what happens when you take someone like her and extrapolate that across the USA? People who have not previously taken advantage of the trips like she has done will definitely do so from now on!

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see where this is going! Remember Supply and Demand? Now we have a crushing overload on the hospital system with people like this lady who really does not have an emergency. So when a life and death car accident victim comes into Grady in the future as it is one of the finest trauma centers in the country how long will that victim have to wait? HOURS! Too much DEMAND and not enough physicians and nurses to handle the caseload!

And according to what I have been hearing from physicians they are going to seriously look at other avenues to earn revenue. I know physicians that have quit practicing medicine that are making boat loads of money marketing medically related products like the bio-magnetic Nikken products. They don’t have to worry about paying EXORBITANT malpractice expenses or overhead. Of course it does lead to unemployment of the staff.

So if this bill passes what is going to happen to the wealthy and even middle class patients seeking medical procedures? I know the answer to that because I’m helping with the marketing of the solution. It is called Medical Tourism. My good friend, Dr. Uday Kumar MD, of India and I are preparing to have a flood of people going to India for their operations. I have learned a lot about India’s Medical Tourism. First their physicians are very highly trained in the United States in many cases. Second, they have EXCELLENT bedside manners and really CARE about their patients! Imagine that! Third even with round trip airfare to India along with the best medical procedures in the world you could pay up to 80% LESS for the experience! There are numerous cases where open heart surgery and airfare was not over $7500! Finally while visiting India you can also tour the sites!

President Obama, do you think that it is HIGHLY possible that the current young Indian physicians that you see at places like Grady will now decide to return to their country just like my friend Dr. Kumar has done? He was going to do his residency AGAIN for 18 months since we don’t recognize his previous medical experiences in India. Now he is returning to India.

So how many American born students will decide to practice here under socialized medicine? I would put my bets on not many since going to medical school is quite expensive. I would think they just might go off to India to study with these highly qualified physicians who have trained in the United States at Princeton, Harvard, Duke, etc.

So President Obama if the Americans go there and stay there who is going to take care of the new Demand if there is a LIMITED Supply of physicians? Again it goes back to Supply and Demand!

How To Lose Weight With Hoodia Diet Pills

January 25, 2011
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You’re tired of being overweight and you’ve heard that you can quickly and easily lose weight with hoodia. Not so fast! Despite the marketing hype and the exaggerated advertising claims made by people selling hoodia diet pills, they aren’t miracle weight loss pills. In fact, if quick and easy weight loss is your goal, then hoodia gordonii isn’t the answer.

There is a way, however, to gradually lose weight with hoodia if you understand what it is and what it does. Hoodia gordonii is a cactus-like plant that contains a molecule called P57. This molecule tricks the brain into thinking you are full. In short, hoodia gordonii diet pills are natural appetite suppressants. They don’t burn fat, increase metabolism, or magically melt the pounds away.

The idea behind diet pills that contain hoodia gordonii is that if you feel full, you’ll eat less. As a result, you’ll lose weight with hoodia. In theory this works great as long as you maintain an overall healthy diet and you get the necessary calories your body requires. The problem is most people who take hoodia diet pills make the mistake of not eating enough. They figure since they are full they don’t need to eat.

What happens if you skip meals or drastically cut down on the number of calories you are getting is your body goes into starvation mode. When this occurs, your metabolism shuts down. This is the body’s natural way of protecting itself. By slowing down your metabolism, your body reserves what little calories you give it so that it can still perform all of its functions properly. Instead of burning calories and shedding fat, your body stores calories as fat! If you want to lose weight with hoodia you can’t skip any meals – even if you feel full.

The beauty of hoodia diet pills is that if you feel full, you’ll most likely make better eating decisions. Even when you are full, you know you still have to eat to keep your metabolism burning. However, you probably won’t have the desire to eat as much as you normally would if you weren’t full. That’s the power of hoodia. It forces you to make better eating decisions. Instead of gorging out on a plate full of food, you will probably be just as satisfied eating half as much.

Another way to lose weight with hoodia is to take hoodia diet pills at strategic times of the day. Most brands recommend you take hoodia about an hour before each meal. If you are prone to overeating in between meals, or if there are certain times of the day where you absolutely crave junk food, then consider taking hoodia diet pills in between meals or before those times you know you’re vulnerable. For example, if you tend to crave a candy bar or other junk food on the way home from work, take your hoodia diet pills shortly before you leave for work.

In summary, hoodia gordonii diet pills can be terrific natural weight loss aids as they have the potential to be effective appetite suppressants. However, don’t make the mistake of skipping meals or drastically cutting your caloric intake. Consider taking hoodia in between meals and before those times of the day you know you’ll be vulnerable to junk food. If you keep these simple tips in mind, you will be able to effectively lose weight with hoodia.

Did you know the majority of hoodia supplements on the market are fake? Be sure the brand you are taking is authentic. Visit http://hoodiaandweightloss.com for detailed hoodia reviews.

Weight Loss Tips – How To Lose Weight And Keep It Off

January 25, 2011
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If you are overweight, then you know how hard life can be. It hurts to walk or climb stairs, you get winded just walking down the street and you think that everyone is looking at you and laughing. This is no way to live your life. It is time to make some major life changes and lose the excess weight. Read on to discover some things that you can do right away to start the weight loss process.

First of all, slow down when you are eating. Instead of shoveling the food into your mouth as fast as your arm will bend, slow down and chew your food thoroughly. Some people have success with counting how many times they chew a piece of food. Take your time when you eat and give your stomach a chance to signal your brain that you are getting full.

Here is one that no one likes to hear, but it is critical to losing weight. Start moving. Get some kind of exercise. Just starting by lifting light hand weights while sitting at your desk or on the sofa will help. Then gradually increase your exercise routine so that you are able to walk or use a stationary bike. Purchasing a good treadmill so that you can walk no matter what the weather is a great idea. The more you exercise the more you will lose. Going for a half hour walk four to five times a week will make a big difference to your overall health.

Change your eating habits. Don’t eat just because you are hungry. Start eating four to six small meals throughout the day. Eat small portions of fresh fruit and vegetables. Have lean meat and fish. Stay away from excess bread and pasta because these will pack on the pounds. You will find that by eating small meals throughout the day you won’t feel hungry and you will lose weight. You’ll also be keeping your metabolism humming along at a steady pace.

Consider what you are drinking. Do you drink a lot of soda throughout the day? If so, change to diet soda and cut back on the number of sodas that you drink. Drink more water. This will help you to burn fat and lose weight. If you don’t like plain water, try some of the flavored waters that are available. Stay away from excessive alcohol consumption.

Don’t diet, make a lifestyle change. Crash diets or fad diets will get you nowhere if you go back to your old eating habits. Become committed to eating healthier for the rest of your life. Once the weight comes off, you will be able to keep it off with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. You will also feel better and your confidence level will soar.

So there you have some great tips on how to lose weight and most importantly, how to keep it off. Start using these tips right away and you may be surprised at the results that you achieve!

Tips to Buying a Slim Tv

January 25, 2011
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Tips to Buying a Slim Tv

Technology Articles | February 3, 2008

Get to know the facts about slim tube TVs. Good tips for buyers.

Many of us are bored with our decade old fat monster type TV set which has taken up valuable space in our living room. Slim TVs look smart and sleek. They lend a modern look to our homes and enhance the TV viewing experience manifold. These TVs are just two thirds deep/thick as conventional TV sets. The picture quality, brightness and color reproduction is as good as LCD or Plasma TVs at a much affordable price.

Slim TVs are thin flat display devices that are thinner and lighter than the conventional CRT TVs. They display numerous colors or monochrome pixels with the help of a light source or reflector that is preceded by an array of the pixels. Slim TVs are made to utilize very less power.

This has been made possible because of extensive research by the various TV manufacturers. It can be called a revolution in the world of physics; the reduction by up to 40% in the picture tube thickness is a great feat in the electronics world. The picture quality is in no way compromised upon in the reduced thickness of the picture tubes and there is a vast price difference between these slim TVs and plasma and LCD TVs. Thus you get the same stylish look at half the price of other TVs.

The cost of slim TVs is just 10% more than the flat TVs available in the market. However flat TVs are not slim TVs. Flat TVs are of the same thickness as the conventional TVs. These slim TVs can be easily mounted on the walls too. The looks are the same as LCD and plasma TVs but the price is a fraction.

Many of us don`t know what to look for while buying a slim TV. We tend to be influenced by smart talking salesmen in the show rooms or tend to go by the opinions formed by our friends and neighbors. It is advisable to make an informed choice and not to get carried away by advertisements and salesmen. After all the TV set that you are going to buy is going to stay for you quite some time so you should be alert and make an informed choice.

When planning to buy a slim TV, consider the following factors:

Resolution of the slim TV: resolution is the vertical and horizontal pixels (example: 1024×768). Native- supported resolution is the reason behind the good display quality of slim TV.

Dot pitch: it is the measure of the distance between two adjacent pixels. For a sharper image, granularity should be low for which dot pitch size should be small. Dot pitch is generally the same both horizontally and vertically. But in certain cases, it may vary.

Viewable size: also called as active display area is the measure of the screen along the diagonal.

Response time: it is also called as rise and fall time. It is the minimum time taken by a pixel to change from one color to other.

Matrix type: it can either be active or passive.

Viewing angle: also referred as viewing direction.

Color support: also called as color gamut. It gives an idea of the types of colors supported.

Brightness: luminance is the other term used. It is the measure of the light emitted from the display.

Contrast ratio: it is the ratio of the intensity of the brightest light on the screen to the darkest light.

Aspect ratio: it is the ratio of the width of the slim TV to the height (example: 4:3, 16:9).

Input ports: for addition of extra electronic devices. Some of the ports that are available today include: VGA (Video Graphic Array)Psychology Articles

Thus keep these tips in mind and be assured of a happy TV viewing experience for a long time!

This article can be accessed in portuguese language from the Article section of page http://www.polomercantil.com.br/televisores.php , http://www.polomercantil.com.br/tv-slim.php


Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for Polomercantil.

What Is Sensa And How To Try It For Free?

January 25, 2011
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What Is Sensa And How To Try It For Free?

Sensa is a slimming powder (slimming crystals) formula that delivers craving suppression action plus meaning and risk-free slimming effects.

Sensa slimming crystals were designed to act with consumer’s sense of odor to assist you become satisfied quicker and eat less.

Sensa aid could not be less difficult to utilize. Everything it consumes is three seconds to powder it on meal just before you eat. There is zero need to re-structure your current diet, consume special foods, or starve yourself. You are allowed to consume what your relatives are taking and also still go to your beloved eateries. Just don’t ignore your Sensa.

Sensa Formula Components

Sensa Tastants incorporate six diverse patent-pending smell/flavor combinations that are backed to perform to trigger the brain scheme that provides a signal when we are full. Additionally Sensa includes no sodium, no calories, no gluten and no sugar.

How Does Sensa Operate?

Sensa dieting product was combined to influence on the sense of odor to aid trigger Sensory Specific Satiety.

The technological theory behind Sensa is noticeably simple. When you take food products taste and smelling sense organs transmit messages to your brain that release hormones molecules that command your body system it’s moment to finish eating. This is a thing dieticians name Sensory Specific Satiety. By strengthening odor, Sensa Tastants were compiled to aid maximize the process plus promote the “I am full” signal, therefore you consume less foodstuff and sense better satisfied. Since Sensa acts with our body system’s normal messages, as an alternative to against them, there are no feelings of hunger or strong cravings.

Sensa Scientific Trials

For the last twenty five years, Sensa designer Dr. Alan Hirsch has run constant research on the impacts of taste and smell on foods consuming style, factually guiding him to supervise one of the largest tests ever did about weight loss. During a half-an-year interval, 1,436 dieters speckled odored, tasteless “Tastant” crystals on all the food items they ate. Contributors were recommended not to re-structure their existing dieting regime or fitness workouts method.

All the 1,436 trialists in the observed group who carried out the course eliminated a median of 30.5 pounds – about fifteen per cents of their full body mass. Those who were not using Sensa in the research list dropped only 2 pounds, on average.

Sensa Pluses
Sensa dietary solution includes no stimulants, fat blockers, tablets or diuretics
You do not have to use any food products avoiding, calories counting, avoiding eating sessions or starvation
By applying Sensa dieters don’t have to use any pre-packed foods or execute any serious life style re-arrangements
The powder does not produce any “yo-yo” effects or mood swings
Absolutely no strong food consuming urges
Absolutely no nasty side results
How to Obtain Sensa Weight Loss Product

NOTIFICATION: Sensa dietary powder is provided only within the USA!

We advise the exclusive fully trusty opportunity to order Sensa solution – to purchase it via the executive webstore. Only in this situation you are fully secure buyers keep away from any Sensa scam or improper formulas and receive really properly working aid. Besides, buyers are protected with their especially secure ordering interface and money back assurance.

But just before you spend cash, get aware of a more desirable option – try Sensa free of charge! The maker offers 1 month trial of Sensa free of charge. So, start to get in shape with Sensa now without charge.

Try Sensa Free
Click to learn how to try Sensa free of charge. This offer will let you try Sensa free obtaining a 30-days free supply of the powder from the official manufacturer.

Sorenson’s Ranch School offers diverse classes to help troubled teens

January 24, 2011
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Sorenson’s Ranch School offers diverse classes to help troubled teens

Education Articles | December 17, 2009

At Sorenson’s Ranch students learn in the classroom and also by real life experience.  Troubled teens often need their minds challenged and Sorenson’s ranch is able to do that on an individual basis with the low number of students in each class.

The elective classes offered at Sorenson’s Ranch School are very diverse. As an example Foods and Nutrition classes help students learn to prepare and eat nutritous meals and the importance eating right plays in overall health. They learn that making physical activity a part of that their daily routine is also an essential part of their well-being. At Sorenson’s Ranch School, struggling teens have the opportunity to participate in cooking labs once a week. In these labs they learn basic cooking techniques, such as reading a recipe, measuring, and preparing healthy menus. The students are always under close supervision, and are able to learn essential life skills. Another unique area in which Sorenson’s Ranch helps troubled teens and students is learning about finances. When did you first learn about balancing a checkbook? When did you learn about managing your credit cards and other finances? Many troubled youth in today’s society do not fully understand these and other financial concepts<img src="http://www.articlesfactory.com/pic/x.gif" alt="Free Articles" border="0", so Sorenson’s Ranch offers a Financial Literacy course. The course helps students learn to write checks and will help them understand how the banking system works. They learn about insurance and investments and they use a “Hands on Banking” interactive computer course that will help them become more financially responsible. These unique classes and many others help Sorenson’s Ranch assist troubled teens in receiving the education that they need. Small class sizes and a dedicated staff make the education at Sorenson’s effective and life-changing. Education is important and cannot be overlooked when searching for a troubled youth camp or boot camp program. Sorenson’s Ranch School has the necessary tools to help students overcome their problems. Call 1-800-455-4590 today for more information. You can also visit the Sorenson’s Ranch website at http://www.sorensonsranch.com

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Sorenson’s Ranch School, Sorenson’s Ranch, Ranch School, Troubled Teens, Learn About

Sorenson’s Ranch School with over 30 years experience helping troubled teens. 410 North 100 East, Koosharem, Utah, USA, 84744 Phone 1-800-455-4590 http://www.sorensonsranch.com

US Military Claims New Rations Would Impress a Gourmet

January 23, 2011
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If Napoleon was right about an army marching on its stomach, then the United States military just got a little mightier.

The army is about to start producing a new concept in food rations: compact meals designed for soldiers on the move in two- or three-day patrols. Armies love acronyms, so this invention is called FSR, or First Strike Rations.

The FSR is not to be confused with another new creation in culinary warfare – UCR-E, or Unitize Group Ration-Express. These “kitchens in a box” self-heat in 40 minutes and can feed up to 18 soldiers.

Both innovations are the latest to emerge from the Combat Feeding Directorate, a team of about 100 biochemists, dietitians and packaging experts in Massachusetts. Their job is to drag US military cuisine into the 21st century.

Gone are the days of the C-ration, tinned concoctions of desiccated meat, over-boiled eggs and cigarettes that passed as healthy living in the days of M*A*S*H.

Their replacements – MREs, Meals Ready to Eat – are gourmet offerings such as blackened catfish, teriyaki chicken and pumpkin cake. Early versions failed to impress and were dubbed Meals Rejected by the Enemy. Chat-show host Al Franken quipped on a trip to entertain troops in Iraq in 2006 that he had eaten several MREs and “none of them had an exit strategy”.

But the food scientists are so confident the fare is up to scratch they now call them Meals Respected by Europeans.

The rations have to meet stringent criteria. They must stay within cost limits of $7.25 (£3.60) a meal, last at least three years at 80F, and remain edible after being dropped 100ft. The newest FSRs have been tested in Afghanistan. Each pack contains 3,000 calories that can be eaten on the run, including a pepperoni sandwich, beef jerky, power bars and caffeine-infused chewing gum.

Ethiopia’s Worst Famine in 20 Years

January 23, 2011
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These should be reasonably good times for Tadese Konta in the lowlands of southern Ethiopia. The spring rains should have come two months ago, her young husband should be out ploughing and planting their small plot of land, food aid should have arrived, and their cow ought to be giving them a small income.

Instead, Tadese sits with 14 other women cradling her severely malnourished son in a small room in the clinic at Damot Wayde, not knowing whether her family will ever recover from the longest drought anyone has known.

Last week her animal died, the rains had still not come, and because her name is not on the village list for food distribution, she and her three children have eaten next to nothing for months.

She has sold all she can, borrowed from her neighbours and now, fatalistically, she says that she is waiting for God or the government to help.

Neither are in evidence in Damot Wayde.

Nightmare scenario

The largest emergency food aid programme in the world is in top gear, shipping tens of thousands of tonnes of mainly US grain to Ethiopia each month, but it is proving pitifully inadequate for what are thought to be millions of people in Tadese’s situation.

Ethiopia, in the grip of drought, needs far more food than expected only three months ago.

Because of a sixth poor rainy season in three years, the authorities and western charities overseeing food distribution are beginning to accept that 20 million people – not 13 million as originally thought – may now need help at least until the end of the year to avoid destitution and starvation.

“The situation is deteriorating rapidly and the government’s nightmare scenario is coming true,” said Carol Morgan, the head of Concern Ethiopia, one of the largest western charities in the country.

“Despite food getting in, malnourishment is growing alarmingly in some areas. This is now worse than the 1984 famine, when only 10 million people needed food. The need is far greater.”

A new nutrition assessment carried out by Concern in Damot Wayde county found growing gaps emerging between people’s needs and the assistance they were receiving.

Pre-harvest estimates by the government, the UN and charities in October suggested 22% of the county’s population of 200,000 people would need food aid this year, but this has now been revised to more than 30%, with more than 10% of people found to be already acutely malnourished.

On top of that, the report found that many people who were in real need were ineligible for food aid, and the targeting of the most vulnerable by the government was poor.

The report also found that measles and malaria outbreaks had further weakened the population, and they are now affecting up to 60% of people in some areas. Cattle have been found to be dying in large numbers, and food and grain prices have increased dramatically.

Other aid agencies distributing food in Ethiopia this week reported similar situations.

The problem is said by charities to be particularly bad in Ethiopia’s remote southern provinces.

In Arusi Wayde, a small lowland village, farmers said that one in three people were now malnourished and that families were sharing their food aid because there was not nearly enough to go around.

“Most of us have just enough to stay alive, but others are not eligible for food,” said one of the elders in the village.

“More than 400 cattle have died in the past two weeks in this area alone. We depend on them for everything, but we estimate one in seven of our goats, sheep, cows and donkeys have already died and the rest are too weak to plough.”

“The situation is grave and worsening,” said Tilaye Taswe, the head of the nearby health centre which has been overrun by the hungry.

“Every month more and more people are coming to the health centre with malnourished children.

“If the drought continues we can expect many deaths in the next few months. The situation is grave. There are many more people in the villages who need treatment, but we only have two rooms and cannot take more. Even with food aid, at least 10% of people are malnourished. Without it, perhaps 40% of people would be in a very serious situation.”

Twin emergencies

Aid agencies are increasingly concerned that western countries will ignore Ethiopia in the rush to provide food for Iraq.

Only 54% of the 2m tonnes of food thought to have been needed to feed the country three months ago has so far been pledged, and while supplies are guaranteed for the next six weeks, there are uncertainties about whether the world can cope with two of the largest food emergencies known in the past 50 years.

Earlier this week the World Food Programme said that 40 million people in Africa needed food aid.

“In a normal year the food distribution system works well, but it is becoming overstretched,” said Ms Morgan. “Ethiopia just does not have the resources to distribute the food quickly enough.”

· Crossing the continent

People seen as under threat of famine in Africa:

Ethiopia 20 million

Zimbabwe 7 million

Malawi 3.2 million

Sudan 2.9 million

Zambia 2.7 million

Angola 1.9 million

Eritrea 1 million

Plus around 7.3 million across Swaziland, Congo, Uganda, Congo Brazzaville, Lesotho and Mozambique

Could My Thyroid Be My Problem?

January 23, 2011
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The one gland that causes havoc with weight, allergies, and energy, can be the relatively easy to fix. However, it is usually the gland that is most often overlooked. This gland is your thyroid. The thyroid gland produces hormones T4 and T3, whose main purpose is to “run the body’s metabolism”. The thyroid gland is located in the neck and weighs less than one ounce. It is hard to imagine that a gland this small affects almost every organ and system in the body, from the rate of your heart beat, to your mood and energy levels; and even to how fast you burn calories.

When your body does not produce enough thyroid hormone, its normal rate of function slows, causing mental and physical sluggishness. This underproduction is known as Hypothyroidism. Symptoms of hypothyroidism are vast and range from fatigue, headaches, depression, anxiety, weight gain, joint pain, infertility, heart disease, irritability, impaired memory, poor circulation and the list goes on.

The good news is that Hypothyroidism is easy to correct, if it is detected. Most physicians recognize the significance of testing TSH to check thyroid levels. When your TSH is high, thyroid function is proportionally low. Measuring TSH levels is a good start but it doesn’t give a complete picture. It is also important to check T3 Free, and T4 Free levels. Testing T3 Free and T4 Free gives a better sense of which hormones needs adjusting.

In some cases, patients will present with symptoms of an under active thyroid, but all labs TSH, T3 Free and T4 Free are normal. In this case, I believe it is important to treat the patient’s symptoms on an empirical basis. When the blood work does not show a problem with the thyroid gland, I may utilize another form of testing known as the Biological Terrain. It is also important to test other hormones for dysfunction. When thyroid hormone is dys-regulated it may be compensating for other hormonal imbalances such as your adrenals or insulin status. Until medical technology creates a more precise lab to gauge the activity of the thyroid gland, we cannot overlook symptoms the patient is experiencing.

Many doctors will prescribe synthetic T4, such as Synthroid or Levoxyl, in response to labs that indicate a high TSH level. This will work if the patient has no difficulty converting T4 into T3. For those who have problems converting T4 to T3, adding Cytomel, which improves T3 levels, may be beneficial in correcting the problem.

Another option is to use prescription natural thyroid (eg. Armour Thyroid) which replaces both T3 and T4. It is made from desiccated beef or pork thyroid glands and is fully standardized by USP (United States Pharmacopeia). Armour natural thyroid was the most common form of thyroid replacement in the 1970’s, until synthetic alternatives became available. It is still used today and often yields great results. Another option I may use is Thyroid Complex, an enzyme based supplement that offers a natural solution. This product contains thyroid proteins rather than the actual hormone.

The overall treatment goal is to restore balance to your body’s metabolic function. Assessing the entire picture and taking into consideration both lab values and patient symptoms to customize a treatment plan, yield the best results.

Dr. Varsha Rathod is a Board Certified Rheumatologist and Internist at Preventive Medicine in the Westport Plaza area of St. louis, MO. The Practice has focused on a combination of traditional and holistic medicine since 1967.

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