10 Benefits Of A Super Toned Body And Hot Legs

You know, for long time it was thought that women who worked out were somehow a little unfeminine. Not just the guys, but even the girls thought that too. Not me - I have always thought that women who work out, and especially those with well-developed legs, are head turners. And it seems it's not just me.

These days women everywhere are finally accepting that strength training exercises are an essential tool in the battle against body fat, and that the results are more than worth the effort. Truth be told, no other exercise or activity provides so many benefits for women. Strength training is unmatched in its ability to promote a lean, strong, firm, shapely, and energetic body, no matter what your age.

I think it is probably safe to say that most women are unhappy with their lower body, and that most just do not appreciate that they really can reshape the area, and get themselves a pair of smoking hot legs, simply through the application of the right types of exercise.

Besides looking good there are a bunch of other benefits that go along with this. Here are the first 10 that spring to my mind:

1.) An increased metabolism - You can alter your body's chemistry to burn fat long after the exercise session is finished if you focus on using the right exercises to strip the body fat from the lower body to reveal a great looking pair of legs.

2.) Greater muscle tone, strength and firmness - allowing you to function better and *look* so much better too. Firmer, more toned muscles even help to pad out your skin so that the wrinkles disappear.

3) Increased and restored bone density and strength - You can both prevent and fight osteoporosis by building and maintaining strong bones. Only strength training will do this for you. Low intensity activities, like walking, are simply not intense enough to work the muscles they are attached to, and challenge the bones. Walking, by itself, will never give you a set of hot legs.

4.) Boost your body's stamina and endurance - If you want to be able to breeze through your daily chores and activities, and have enough energy left over for leisure activities to enjoy at the end of the day, strength training will help you with that.

5) Improved balance - Strong legs and core muscles help to stabilize and reduce the risk of falling, by promoting better co-ordination and balance. If you should fall, strong muscles will act like cushions around your bones and joints and help to protect them.

6) Decreased risk of disease- When your body is strengthened, the immune system is strengthened as well. Muscle tissue is the place where proteins are stored that the immune system calls upon when needed.

7.) Increased lean muscle tissue - This is your friend and will help you lose excess body fat or help you manage your weight. Every extra pound of muscle tissue burns 35-50 extra calories each day. You would not even notice a few extra pounds of toned muscle but you would notice how slimmer and trimmer you will become.

8) Injury prevention- A solid foundation strengthens bones, ligaments, and tendons. You can use strength training exercise to aid rehabilitation during recovery from an injury, by slowly building your strength around the injured area.

9) Enhanced performance in sports, exercise and life - Whether climbing stairs, carrying the kids, or lugging the groceries. Everything we do becomes easier and more enjoyable when we increase our strength and fitness.

10) You will feel better and look better  -  Strength training reduces your overall body fat, tones your muscles, and helps you to feel good, building confidence and maintaining a healthy self esteem. These things are important because they help you to live your life at its full potential.

The bottom line is that if you don't want to miss out on these priceless health benefits that will give your life both extra vitality and energy, along with your new dream body and firm, toned hot legs, you need to get started today with the right strength-training regimen.

To get started on your own plan to kick off the pavement with a pair of smoking hot legs, check out ex-bodybuilding champion Carolyn Hansen's product Hot Legs Workout

Want a Strong Lean Body And Some Hot Legs?

Like most people, I have been suckered more times by empty promises than I care to admit. Especially when it comes to that seemingly eternal problem of weight control and how to build a pair of hot shapely legs. You can probably relate to what I am about to tell you. We all know that weight loss diet plans, pills and supplements have been around for years. The people who push them use terms like 'rapid', 'fast', and 'easy', and of course our ears prick up right away. We start taking these things, go on and off diets, and start and stop the latest exercise fad. In short, we are a lot like those mice you see on the wheel, going around and around but never really getting anywhere.

Sound familiar?

Yet no matter how many failed programs we have participated in, we still desire that toned firm body, and for most women our lack of a pair of hot legs can almost seem to be our downfall.

Many diet pills and weight loss supplements work by suppressing your appetite. The problem is, this works against the body and it can never provide you with a strong, lean healthy body - which is what we all really want, right? Suppressing your appetite is likely to send your body into 'survival mode', forcing it to hold onto every scrap of fat, and in the process become even fatter than it was! This ancient mechanism is hardwired into our genes, because when food was scarce the human body was able to use this mechanism to protect itself from starvation.

The World Heath Organization states that a diet consisting of anything below 1800 calories per day for women and 2400 for men is a starvation diet. Yet millions of people, right at this very moment, are forcing their body to make do with even less than this meager amount of food in the hope they will lose body fat. But any diet with calorie levels this low will trigger the slowdown of the metabolism and put the brakes on fat loss.

Worse yet is that even if some weight is lost this way it will unfortunately be at the expense of some of your precious fat burning machinery - your muscle tissue. This makes future fat loss almost impossible since damage has now been done to your metabolic engine, causing it to permanently burn less fuel (calories).

There is a far better way to lose excess body fat and it is the opposite of trying to force your body into doing something that works against our basic biology. It is called getting healthy, and it simply involves exercising your muscles with proper exercise, and also eating enough natural food to supply the energy needed for your exercise program. This is the only way you will ever get that firm toned body and a great pair of legs.

This natural approach to weight loss works better because it makes your body work more efficiently. Your metabolism is boosted, and causes more fuel to be burned per unit time. It is the most successful method of long-term weight loss simply because you are using your body in the right way.

The fact is that no amount of low intensity activity such as walking, jogging, or cycling will give you the metabolism boosting benefits that strength training will give you. These activities will never be intense enough to build a strong, hot pair of legs - which is the one thing most women would love to possess.

You can control your weight with regular strength training, and, over time, bring your body fat percentage into a healthy range. And as a bonus with this special type of exercise, remember that strong muscles will improve your looks, because when muscles get stronger they give us a more pleasing body shape - tighter and firmer.

The bottom line is that natural physique development works the best. There is not a pill, injection, implant, or surgeon in the world that can give us what we can give ourselves - a strong, lean, shapely, energetic, and healthy body with a pair of hot shapely legs.

------------

Ex-bodybuilding champion Carolyn Hansen

To get started on your own plan for a pair of smoking hot legs, check out ex-bodybuilding champion Carolyn Hansen's product Hot Legs Workout

Why You Should Have a Varied Diet - Even If You Suffer Food Intolerance

By Charlie Monaghan Carter

If you are among the ever increasing number of people who
must restrict their diet due to food intolerances, you will
know that staying within the guidelines can be tough.

If you have a fairly common allergy or intolerance such as
dairy or gluten, then finding foods that are dairy or gluten
free isn't too difficult, its when the intolerances get more
intricate and uncommon that they become a problem. Also,
another big problem for people with food intolerances is
eating out at a restaurant for example. A lot of the time,
chefs will not understand the implications of a given food
on a person with intolerances.

A well-intentioned chef may sometimes put a little flour
into a sauce to thicken it up, believing that such a small
amount will not trigger the intolerance. If the person does
not seize up and start choking there and then, they believe
all is well and the trace of flour went unnoticed. However
it is not until the food is digested that the intolerance
takes effect around an hour after its consumed, and then the
effects can last for several days.

Eating out is therefore very difficult for people with
intolerances to common foods, and as it is very difficult to
find good food that doesn't contain the common foodstuffs
that people are intolerant to, you will soon find that
eating out becomes a bigger and bigger risk.

For the sake of your health, it is of the utmost importance
that you avoid all foods that you have an intolerance to. It
is very hard work for your body to process these foods and
so to allow it to recover, you should stick to foods that
you know your body can handle. Having said that, if you
start eating just a few foods that you know aren't going to
upset you, you may find that you begin developing
intolerances to them as well.

For this reason it is important to maintain as wide a diet
as possible. This is sometimes difficult if people have many
allergies, a lot of the time people will find foods that
don't upset them, and stick to them so as to avoid triggering
the intolerances. However, you should try to keep eating as
wide a range of foods as you can to avoid slowly but surely
becoming intolerant to everything.

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Kettlebell Workouts & Videos for You

Are you ready for a laugh while learning some great new body transformation exercises you can do at home?

You have to see this new video that "Crazy" Craig Ballantyne, the author of Turbulence Training, has created.

It's a Kettlebell workout done in a way you've never seen before.

And if you don't know what Kettlebells are, then you're in for a double surprise. Kettlebells are one of the coolest and most versatile pieces of inexpensive home gym equipment that you can have.

Check this video out...and download the free workouts and exercise videos from this site:

=> http://soyman.ttkbell.hop.clickbank.net/

Now sit back and watch the goofiest workout video you'll ever see in your life.

It involves...

- Craig Ballantyne dressed in a shirt and tie
- kettlebell exercises
- a cool circuit from the first Certified Turbulence Trainer, Chris Lopez
- and a plot

Yep, this will probably be the first workout video you've ever watched that includes a plot. And comedy. Or at least "Crazy" Craig's attempts at comedy!

Check the video out here and get a bonus workout & more kettlebell exercise videos too:

=> http://soyman.ttkbell.hop.clickbank.net/

Time to start the Kettlebell Revolution,

Arthur M.

PS - If you've ever wanted to try out kettlebells, you'll love this video and bonus workout program.

=> http://soyman.ttkbell.hop.clickbank.net/

Our gift to you.

Enjoy!

PPS - You can also use the new TT Kettlebell Workouts in the 6th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest that starts Monday!

More details to come...

Why You Should Go Organic

In today’s society – with an ever vigilant eye towards health consciousness – we are forever in search of those factors that will give us the edge in achieving maximum health. As we’ve learned, a healthy diet, a consistent regime of physical activity, and plenty of rest all has a profound impact on our overall vitality. Subsequently, there has been an overwhelming group of people that swear by the benefit of organic food.

Produced by organic farms, organic food is grown under strict government supervision. Under these guidelines, organic produce is grown and packaged without the use of any chemicals or pesticides. Traditionally grown, non-organic produce is subjected to a myriad of chemicals – most of which are have not been studied thoroughly enough to understand or contemplate their long-term effects on the human body. Researchers are still undecided as to whether or not these chemicals can be linked to everything from food allergies to certain types of cancer. The benefit of organic food is that they are not subjected to these unreliable substances.

Meat and dairy produced under organic guidelines are also chemical free. Traditional agricultural farmers often subject livestock to a bevy of chemical supplements designed to speed their growth and weight. Further, dairy cows are often given chemicals to increase their milk production. The benefit of organic food is that livestock is given only organic feed that is chemical and supplement free.

Another benefit of organic food is its advantage to the environment. Traditionally grown produce are treated with chemicals; naturally the chemicals are then in the soil, changing the landscape and contaminating the ground and surrounding water supplies. The benefit of organic food is the ground in which it is grown is left unchanged.

Making a commitment to organic food means making a commitment to your health; the benefit of organic food lies in the chemical free enjoyment of natural whole food. Further, the benefits to the environment are varied and long lasting. The decision to go organic is a healthy and responsible one.

Hardgainer Supplement Tip To Build More Muscle

By The Muscle Nerd, Jeff Anderson

You've probably heard the term "you are what you eat", right?

But it's not exactly what you EAT that counts, but what you USE from what you eat.

And this couldn't be more true for skinny "hardgainers' who have a hard time growing muscle!

Why?

Because you can eat all the protein you want, but unless it makes it to your muscles to help them rebuild, you'll continue to look more like Olive Oil than Popeye!

You see, "skinny" men and women tend to have an overabundance of the "stress hormone", cortisol.

Cortisol actually plays a useful role in our bodies but for hardgainers, its catabolic effects are a real hassle as it inhibits important protein synthesis.

That means less protein available for repair of muscle tissue...less size...and MORE frustration!

Add to this that the digestion of proteins actually burns more calories than any other nutrient and you can see why you CAN'T follow the same "protein plan" as others who can gain muscle more easily.

What's the solution?

This is actually one of my best kept secrets within my hardgainer bodybuilding program, "Hardgainer Project X Bodybuilding Program"...

Try adding DIGESTIVE ENZYMES to your meals!

Now you may think that digestive enzymes (that include either pepsin, papain, or papaya) are just for sandal-wearing hippies who smell like patchouli...but you'd be mistaken!

In fact, digestive enzymes help to break down nutrients from the food you eat into usable energy.

But another finding dug deeper and found that enzymes improved the absorption of amino acids and increased nitrogen retention.

In a recent clinical study, respondents who consumed digestive enzymes with their meals showed an increase in protein synthesis with free amino acid levels up by 100%...branched chain amino acids (BCAA's) by 250%...and nitrogen retention by 32%!

In short...MUCH better support for muscle repair and growth.

And enzymes can be especially useful for hardgainers in yet one more way...

Since protein uses up more calories in digestion, enzymes can speed up the process, reducing the "thermic effect" of ingested proteins and help you better maintain a caloric surplus for weight gain!

Look for a good digestive enzyme at your local supplement store or order online.

--------------------------
Homemade Supplement Secrets

HFCS Toxic to Bees, Toxic to You

Formation of Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in Domestic High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and Its Toxicity to the Honey Bee.

If you heat High Fructose Corn Syrup if becomes toxic hydroxymethylfurfural which can break down into other more toxic components.

Since HFCS is found in almost every item at your grocer, it may move you to read labels.

More Vaccine Reading - Be Informed!

Vaccine-Induced Disease Epidemic Outbreaks

Misinformation Linked to Explosion of Swine Flu in US Schools

Manipulating Date to Create FLU Pandemic

Massachusetts Compulsory Vaccines

Vaccinations: Deadly Immunity

Why You Should Say NO to Annual Screening Mammogram

"Being exposed to worrisome amounts of radiation from medical scans that increase the risk of cancer, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.
They said the cumulative risk of repeated exposure to radiation from medical scans is a public health threat that needs to be addressed."

Complete article

The above is a quote from an article about cumulative exposure to radiation. While the report refers to x-ray and related radiologic exams (like the dentist or chiropractor), cell phone, wi-fi and microwave cooking radiation exposure should be included in this group.

At the very least this supports the argument first proposed by John Gofman, PhD, MD, that annual mammogram is a major factor in the incidence of breast cancer.

Remember that 29 percent of all breast cancer occurs in women younger than 49.

Instead of mammogram, opt for Thermography.

American College of Clinical Thermology

Old School Chest Chiseling Secret!

By The Muscle Nerd, Jeff Anderson

If you could go back in time and pound out reps with the "old school mass monsters" of Gold's Gym in the 60's, you'd be sure to see them using this long-forgotten advanced chest training technique to add more mass and definition to their pecs.

Check it out and add it to your next chest workout and see why it was such a favorite!

How To Do It...

First, you're going to need a "spotter" for this technique and I HIGHLY recommend you use a Smith Machine for safety and give your training partner some help.

Now, load up the bar with a weight that's about 25% more than the amount you can lift for about 4 reps before hitting exhaustion.

Using either an INCLINE or FLAT BENCH, have your spotter help you on ALL of the "concentric" pressing movements.

(Meaning, your spotter will help you LIFT the bar to the top position on ALL of your reps.)

Now, YOU do a slow, controlled "negative" movement (the lowering of the bar) so it takes about 4 seconds until you get to the bottom position.  This is where your spotter again grabs the bar and helps lift it to the top again.

(Important: your partner should NOT let you work the bar up on your own any more than he has to.  YOUR goal is to work the "negative" portion of the rep!)

Once you've done your last negative (you'll probably hit failure at about 6-8 negative reps), lock the bar in on the Smith Machine (saving your spotter from killing himself to get it back up)...

...and THIS is where the fun begins...

Stand up after your last rep and press your hands together tightly as you SQUEEEEEEEZE your chest muscles HARD for a full 10 SECOND count!

Why It Works...

Your "heavy negatives" zero in on your chest's "Type 2" fast-twitch muscle fibers - the real power-movers!

Your follow up squeeze session then gets in and nails your "Type 1" slow-twitch fibers for a growth hormone- (GH-) boosting lactic acid response.

The result is a double-fiber pounding that ignites new growth in even the smallest "chicken chest"!

(Note: Works great for BICEPS too!)

Run through this combination for 3 sets and feel the burn!

Learn more at Underground Chest Training at http://chest.rxsportz.com

Which Whey Protein Should You Use - Concentrate Or Isolate?

By Dr. Lorna Mistranski

Whey protein isolate and whey protein powder concentrate is
an inquiry very frequently asked. This question without a
doubt is one that has crossed the minds of many aspiring
weight lifters when staring at the shelves of various kinds
of whey protein powder available in the health food
supermarket.

Which whey protein should you be using; concentrate or
isolate?

The most imperative differentiation amid the two is that
Isolate is processed at deeper levels so that the fat and
lactose are removed. This more involved system provides a
higher quality of protein. The fact is that over 90% of whey
protein powder isolate is protein calculated by weight.

This is valuable as lesser levels of fat are a benefit for
the regular daily diet of bodybuilders and when whey is
utilized for the purpose of losing weight.

Decreased lactose levels are also a positive for individuals
who are lactose intolerant and can also diminish the chance
of that bloated feeling that can go along with some protein
supplements. There are some side effects to using whey
protein isolate nonetheless.

Although whey has a high protein ratio, isolate powder will
be a little higher in price. The procedure isolate goes
through to filter out the key compounds is significantly
more rigorous as it remove the components that are known as
alpha lactoglobulins and lactoferrins which is vital immune
boosters.

Whey concentrate has lesser protein available and the
protein content can range anywhere between 29% in upwards of
89% in some brands. Whey concentrate protein contains higher
levels of lactose so anyone who suffers from lactose
intolerance should to be very aware.

Concentrate however cost less so this can be a better
alternative depending on what your budget is. Whey
concentrate also is low in levels of cholesterol, which is
another benefit to consider for your diet.

Overall, dietary and medical conditions call for action to
be taken into consideration when choosing the kind of whey
protein powder you prefer.

Isolate whey powder may have the slight edge in regards to
the biological value (BV) and will make available to you
more value for your money if you are needing a higher
dosage per serving of whey protein.

For more than 3 decades, Lorna Mistranski PHD has studied
extracts that offer optimum results in diet pills. She has a
(http://cleansewithjay.com/) free diet pills site that
offers good instruction when you are looking for which diet
solution is ideal for you. She also has an informative blog
that looks at the best (http://cleansewithjay.com/) free
diet pills trials available and which ones to avoid.

What is Dogg Crapp Training|DC Training

Dante Trudel's Training System DC Training

Doggcrapp training is an all encompassing muscle growth system, not neccessarily just a one off cookie cutter routine that can be used by any old trainer who decides to have a go. It is in fact best described possibly as away of life for building mass.

It is extremely tough, so if you think you got through a Dogg Crapp training session fairly easily, then you're not really training DC.

DC Hurts, big time!

The aim of the DoggCrapp method is not simply “to get to the end a workout” but making the sets and reps as intense and as hard as possible.

Who invented DC Training?

Dante Trudel is the beast behind the method, reports say he went from 160lb of skin and bone to 300lb of shaved beef mass with the DC method.

The key characteristics of this system is

1. Heavy progressive weights
2. Lower volume of exercise (sets and reps)
3. Higher frequency of bodyparts hit
4. Rest-Pause training
5. Extreme stretching
6. Training periodization


As an example of an actual Doggcrapp routine, the following is a guide line, rotate between three sets of exercises for each of the listed categories.

Change the exercises when staleness/plateau occurs

e.g pick 3 movements for each body part listed below

Chest
Shoulders
Triceps
Back Width
Back Thickness
Biceps
Forearms
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads

Rotate each workout.

So, you only do the same exercise once every two weeks but you're hitting all your bodyparts twice every 8 days.

Alternate example, just remember that you're rotating exercises

Monday
Chest
Shoulders
Triceps
Back width
Back thickness

Wednesday
Biceps
Forearms
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads

Friday
Chest
Shoulders
Triceps
Back width
Back thickness
(Sat+sun off)

Monday (week 2)
Biceps
Forearms
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads

Read a full account of DoggCrapp training here

Back Pain? Neck Pain? Sciatica? Read This Free Book

If you suffer from any type of back, neck or sciatic pain, then you need to go grab a copy of my good friend, Jesse Cannone's new book, "The 7-Day Back Pain Cure" asap...

Right now he is actually giving it away... you can also buy it on Amazon, but if you grab one of the free copies from his website he is going to donate $2 to St. Jude's Children's Hospital or Habitat for Humanity - you even get to choose the charity!

Click here to get your FREE copy now

http://tinyurl.com/le7mlm

Now, I've known Jesse for a long time and he is known as the "back pain relief guy" because he's helped so many people to finally get rid of their pain... and over the years, I personally have learned a lot from him...

But his new book is incredible... in it he does what no one else in the medical community does, and that is put together all of the pieces... see, most people when they have back pain usually get treatments that only mask the pain... and even then, the treatments only address the physical symptoms...

In this book he shows you:

- Why traditional treatments always FAIL to deliver lasting relief
- The 7 mistakes that most people make that keep them in pain
- How to identify the real, underlying causes of your pain
- Which treatments work, which ones don't and how to know which is right for you

So if you have ever suffered from back pain, or are currently dealing with it, I highly recommend you grab a copy of his book now - and you can't beat the price (FREE)...

But don't wait or 'think about it" as he has only 1000 copies available to give away and there are literally millions of people with back pain who are likely to hear about this.

Click here to get your FREE copy now

http://tinyurl.com/le7mlm

And please be sure to tell him I sent you.

Arthur M.

3 Natural Remedies To Reduce & Eliminate Eczema For Good

By Angela Owen

How to cure eczema is a common question which many people
around the world will ask as this is a common skin condition
which can be embarrassing. This condition can often times be
unpleasant to experience with symptoms such as dry skin,
itchiness and redness. Here are 3 natural remedies for
eczema that will help you reduce and eliminate this
condition for good.

1. Regularly use creams that contain herbal ingredients

Dry skin will only make the affected areas worse so be sure
to keep your skin regularly moisturized throughout the day
to prevent this from happening. Natural ingredients such as
vitamin E and aloe vera contain healing properties which
will reduce swelling and soothe the irritation. Studies have
shown that creams containing herbal ingredients
significantly reduce redness and itching compared to regular
creams.

2. Stay away from external irritants and allergens

Every individual is different but common triggers of eczema
include allergens or irritants such as dairy products,
shampoo and soap. Avoiding those things that cause allergic
reactions is important so you need to be able to identify
it. Be sure to wear clothes made of 100% cotton as this
reduces itching and to wash and steam clean your clothes and
bed sheets on a regular basis.

3. Eat meals that are healthy and lower stress levels

Lifestyle changes that you will need to implement include
eating healthy meals while doing away with anything that is
processed or unnatural. To control eczema, boosting your
immune system will prove to be beneficial so be sure to get
essential vitamins and nutrients that your body needs.
Another contributing factor that may trigger eczema is high
levels of stress so it's important to lower these levels as
much as you can.

When it comes to how to cure eczema, it's important to keep
your skin regularly moisturized throughout the day so
moisture does not escape. Be sure to stay away from those
external allergens which may be triggering or worsening the
symptoms and to eat healthy meals.

Get free tips on a (http://howtogetridofeczema.com) home
treatment for eczema using proven methods that work. Learn
more about a
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cure for eczema without the use of medications.

Mr. White Shawn Jefferies

Tamoxifen link to second tumors

Many years ago now, Dr. Samuel Epstein of Chicago raised serious concerns about Tamoxifen. Perhaps more people should have been listening.

More people should be listening to the fact that annual screening mammogram promotes breast cancer. (Suggestion: Request Thermography)

Long-term use of a common breast cancer drug may hike the risk of developing a deadly second tumour, a study suggests.

Tamoxifen, given to thousands of British women, prevents tumours being fuelled by the sex hormone oestrogen, and stops them returning after surgery.

But a US study links use of the drug to a four-fold raised risk of developing a more aggressive, difficult-to-treat tumour, not dependent on oestrogen.

However, women are strongly advised not to stop taking tamoxifen.

" Women should be reassured that the benefits of taking hormone-blocking drugs, such as tamoxifen, after their first diagnosis of breast cancer far outweigh any potential risks ”
Dr Alison Ross Cancer Research UK

Experts stress any risks of taking the drug are far outweighed by the benefits.

They said the odds of developing a second, non-hormone sensitive tumour remained very low.

Each year around 45,500 women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer and 12,000 die from the disease.

Around two thirds of breast cancers are sensitive to the hormone oestrogen.

Tamoxifen become the "gold standard" treatment for these hormone-sensitive tumours, although in recent years newer drugs have started to be preferred.

The latest study, by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, looked at long-term use of the drug among more than 1,000 women.

The researchers, writing in the journal Cancer Research, found that tamoxifen reduced the chances of oestrogen-positive breast cancer returning by 60%.

But they also found that five or more years of treatment was associated with a 440% increase in the chance of an aggressive, non-hormone sensitive tumour appearing in the opposite breast.

These tumours can be particularly difficult to treat.

Many women in the UK cease tamoxifen treatment after five years to avoid side effects, but several thousand woman have been on the drug for a longer time.

Risks and benefits

Lead researcher Dr Christopher Li said: "It is clear that oestrogen-blocking drugs like tamoxifen have important clinical benefits and have led to major improvements in breast cancer survival rates.

"However, these therapies have risks, and an increased risk of ER negative (oestrogen receptor negative) second cancer may be one of them.

"Still, the benefits of this therapy are well established and doctors should continue to recommend hormonal therapy for breast cancer patients who can benefit from it."

Professor Jack Cuzick, head of Cancer Research UK's Centre for Epidemiology, Mathematics and Statistics at Queen Mary, University of London, stressed that tamoxifen had a proven track record.

He said: "There is overwhelming evidence that tamoxifen, and newer more effective hormone blocking treatments, prevent far more recurrences, new breast cancers and cancer-related deaths than they might stimulate."

Professor Cuzick said some of the non-hormone sensitive tumours recorded in the study may have started out as hormone-sensitive, but had been kept at bay by tamoxifen treatment.

Dr Alison Ross, senior science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: "Women should be reassured that, based on extensive scientific evidence, the benefits of taking hormone-blocking drugs, such as tamoxifen, after their first diagnosis of breast cancer far outweigh any potential risks.

"More research will be needed to confirm the possible link between its long-term use and the relatively rare occurrence of an aggressive form of the disease in the other breast."

Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/8220767.stm
Published: 2009/08/25 17:04:00 GMT, © BBC MMIX

TV Drug Ads, Celebrities and FDA Propaganda

UPDATE: May 27, 2010 - FDA Adds Liver Injury Warning to Diet Drug

WASHINGTON -- The weight-loss medication orlistat, marketed both by prescription as Xenical (120 mg) and over-the-counter as Alli (60 mg), will carry a warning about the potential for severe liver injury, the FDA announced ... full story http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/PublicHealth/tb/20310

UPDATE: August 25 - FDA probes liver damage with weight loss pill alli
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted 2/13/09
As we shall see over comings months the stimulus package is not going to be all you think it is because of smoke, mirrors and an ever expanding bureaucracy.

Not too far removed from the stimulus issue is how TV ads for drugs push up profits for Big Pharma.

One example of just how thick as thieves things are between drug companies and their PR programs is a recent story about how Wyeth promoted risky HRT through a media program aimed at increasing prescription writing for their well know hormone product just as they moved to be bought out by Pfizer.

Now, as if this $12 million isn't enough of a tax write off for the drug industry, GSK is leading us all down the pike to fairy land with its ad featuring Wynonna for its over-the-counter weight loss drug 'alli'.

During the commercial featuring Wynonna, whom we all know has had some serious weight problems, is shown serving herself some vegetables during a family meal. Then the camera moves to a tight head shot where we learn that she could not erccomend anything that sin't safe but she is gald that alli is FDA approved.

These days FDA approval and a quarter don't get you a cup of coffee.

And here is probably a fairly reliable take on what the glossy ad that cost plenty of money alone, not including air time fees, might be what GSK doesn't want you to know.

Alli Weight Loss Pill: Expectations Vs. Reality
January 02, 2008 by Big Momma
It's the time of year when our thoughts focus on shedding a few pounds. We are inundated with commercial advertisements promoting the best, easiest or fastest way to lose weight.

Alli is the newest over the counter weight loss pill that promises hope to the masses by blocking fat absorption in the body. Alli is FDA approved, is not absorbed into your body and works only in the digestive track.

My first red flag regarding Alli was the product statement that Alli is to be used together with a reduced calorie diet to promote weight loss. A reduced calorie diet by itself will promote weight loss, but let's see the results that one Alli user has had.

An acquaintance of mine has been using Alli for several months, her expectations from the Alli pills were to help her jump start a weight loss program that she could stick with and ultimately help her reach her goal weight.

The Alli usage pamphlet warns users of 'treatment effects', which include greasy/oily leakage in undergarments, gas with discharge, change in stool color and/or fatty deposits in stools, inability to control bowel movements, stomach pain, rectal pain, teeth/gum problems or flu like symptoms. Alli users are advised to wear dark clothing and pads to protect against the leakage.

This is the reality she got from using Alli: Large amounts of uncontrollable leakage of a greasy substance that permanently stained her clothing. Dark clothing and pads could not contain or hide the leakage most of the time. She had a significant increase in gas and odor, with gas bubbles being expelled along with the greasy substance. She had no control over this.

Abdominal cramping became a part of her daily life, she likened the feeling to a gall stone attack. She felt tired all the time, even though she was taking the additional vitamins that are recommended by Alli. She also experienced hair loss while taking Alli.

After using Alli for six months, she had lost a total of 15 pounds. Yes, 15 pounds.

Another 'treatment effect' of Alli is that even after you stop taking it, you experience the greasy leakage and abdominal pains for up to two months, until the product works it's way completely out ofyour system.

A new wardrobe is eagerly anticipated at the end of a diet, but having to buy new clothing during the diet due to your body leaking grease, is altogether different.

Six months and 15 pounds later, the expectations from the weight loss pill Alli and the reality of it did not even come close.

NB: Natural Health News posted this information in 2008.  It took Mike Adams another 2 years to inform you, yet his backers are continually continually monitoring this website, now for 6 years, to get their story ideas. 1 June,10.

How Specific Should Your Diet Meal Plan Be?

One thing that often makes people delay starting a diet is the issue of the diet meal plan, so let's look a bit closer at the different options.

When you choose your diet, it needs to suit your personality and requirements. You may want a short sharp dramatic loss, or you may want a longer term sustainable method. The short sharp method is not recommended by general health and medical consensus, but some people still prefer this option. Often it is because they want to lose weight for a particular event such as a wedding.

If you have 10 days until your wedding and you cannot get into your dress, then a crash diet may be indicated. But with this type of diet you will almost certainly gain back all of the weight that you lost right after the event. So if you need to lose weight permanently, something slower and more sustainable is a much better option.

Once you pick the style of diet, you then need to think about the meal plan. It is this plan which will see you keep up with the targets.

There are a lot of plans which have specific recipes laid out for you. These do require you to purchase specific ingredients and cook specific meals, and many people will find that does not work because it does not include a lot of foods that they like to eat.

Some people who prefer to not to spend a lot of time preparing and cooking food like to buy the meals already made. There are many plans which provide ready made meals, meaning that you don't have to do any cooking, you simply need to follow along with the set meals on set days.

One criticism of that idea is that the company is making money on these meals, so they are often more expensive that normal food. They may also encourage you to buy all of your meals ready prepared when a better option from the nutritional point of view would be to eat some salads and fresh vegetables that you would prepare yourself.

Another problem with a rigid diet meal plan, is the fact that it is often *too* rigid. It can feel rather like being in prison or the army to have all your food laid out so far in advance, with no variety. Life can get dull down that route, and in our view the better way to be to have something which allows lots of freedom as long as you follow basic rules.

So you might want to go with loose guidelines, i.e. eating smaller portions, or cutting out obvious high amounts of fat and sugar, or you may like to count calories, allowing yourself any type of food as long as there are no more than a certain number of calories at each meal. You will certainly find it helpful to start your meals with fat free salad or vegetable soup that will fill your stomach and give you plenty of vitamins and minerals without adding a lot of calories.

It really does depend on your own personality, but the old adage of 'everything in moderation', with less fat and sugar, combined with exercise, will give you plenty of choice to set your own diet meal plan.

Learn what to eat, how much to eat, when to eat it, how to cook it and exactly what to shop for >> http://bit.ly/OiGEG

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Actor, Ryan Reynolds, one of the sexiest celebs on the planet!

Why You Should Eat Alkalizing Foods

By Anthony Gutierrez

Is food acidic or alkaline? It is hard to tell. For example,
once lemons are digested they are basic or alkaline even
though they are acidic to start with. Eating a significant
amount of alkalizing foods is important to balance a raw
food diet.

Spinach, kale, collards, mustard greens and broccoli, the
first green leafy vegetables, are great alkalizing agents.
Wild edible grasses are also alkalizing.

Fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, cilantro, basil, garlic) as well
as grasses (e.g. wheat, barley grass); Sprouts; Sea
Vegetables (e.g. kelp, nori, dulse, spirulina, blue green
algae). Finally, medicinal mushrooms like shitake maitake
and reishi are good to make the body more basic.

Balance is all about life. When speaking of body pH levels
the universal truth is profound. The human body needs to
stay at a certain pH level. To measure the levels of Ph you
would use a scale from zero to 14, where zero is very
acidic, 7 is neutral and 14 is very alkaline.

In the human body, the pH of blood must remain at a slightly
alkaline level of 7.35-7.45. To keep you healthy and
maintain the blood pH some of the body's other fluids are
maintained at different pH levels. Your cells and organs are
constantly working and filtering what you eat to sustain
these pH levels throughout the body.

Bacteria, viruses, yeast and other harmful organisms thrive
when the blood system is more acidic. It is important that
the pH is balanced for your total well being. If the pH
balance is on the alkaline end of the scale it creates an
uninviting environment for things that make you ill.
Consuming more alkaline foods than acid foods is important
and beneficial to your overall fitness.

As consumers learn more about nutrition, many are realizing
that a specific ratio of alkaline foods to acid foods
determines pH balance and overall health. Human blood
registers about 7.4 on the pH scale, which means that it is
naturally alkaline. In order to maintain this level, the
body needs the proper balance of alkaline foods to acid
foods.

To get more information about
(http://www.mbswellnesssystem.com) Alkaline Foods please
contact us at www.mbswellnesssystem.com

Fitness Male Julian Fantechi

Julian Fantechi is one fit hunk, and a firm favourite of mine!

Are you an emotional eater?

Emotions can be deadly.

At least when it comes to eating.

And the VAST majority of us are "emotional eaters." And that leads to excess bodyfat.

We eat when we are stressed-out.

We eat when we are overly happy.

We eat when we are depressed.

And when you eat like this you can kiss your fatloss goodbye.

There's a 4-minute video that I want you to watch today.

It is touching, funny, and very powerful all at the same time.

And it will help you come to terms with emotional eating.

Go here --

--- > click-here:  http://bit.ly/13UJ6n

P.S. This is a very unique video. I know you will love it.

And I KNOW you will benefit from it.

Please share this with others too.

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PROMISES, PROMISES: Indian health care's victims

UPDATE: 24 August - New Indian Health Head Works to Heal Agency

Gannett News Service - Aug 23rd, 2009

WASHINGTON - Growing up in Rapid City, S.D., Yvette Roubideaux remembers visiting the local Indian Health Service clinic - and waiting. She never saw the same doctor twice and often heard relatives gripe about the poor care they got.

As a young, Harvard-trained doctor, she worked long days at an IHS rural clinic in Arizona with half the staff it needed. It was some 30 miles from the nearest hospital and far removed from medical school, where she used state-of-the-art equipment and learned the latest techniques.

Now 46, Roubideaux is in charge. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe member is the first woman to run IHS, an agency that still lacks much of the money it needs to make sure all its patients get adequate, timely care and all of its hospitals are fully staffed.

“This agency has probably never been funded at a level that can address the growing needs of the population,” she said. “We’re facing a lot of challenges related to the budget. The demand for services is rapidly increasing. Our buying power has gone down over the years.”

Indians as a group suffer like few others, despite long-standing agreements between the U.S. government and tribes guaranteeing free health care.

They experience substantially higher rates of diabetes, alcoholism, tuberculosis and suicide than the rest of the nation. Life expectancy for an Indian is more than four years shorter than for the average American. It’s even shorter for those living on rural reservations where care often is delivered by overtaxed medical staff working with outdated equipment in aging buildings.

IHS officials say the $3.6 billion they received this year is a little more than half of what they need to fully fund the agency’s mission. Tribal residents only half kid when they say, “Don’t get sick after June,” when federal money seems to run out until the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1. Stories of substandard care and misdiagnoses that have killed patients ricochet across reservations.

Roubideaux is a self-described optimist who is quick to point out the gains IHS has made over the years in such areas as Indians’ life expectancy, which has increased nine years since 1973. She agrees with many critics of the agency, such as tribal leaders and Senate Indian Affairs Chairman Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who say reforms are needed.

Roubideaux also has met with tribes and asked them to recommend changes, but she declines to say what she would like to do.

“Instead of coming in and saying we’re doing X-Y-Z, I’m (asking) the tribes, ‘If we’re going to improve the Indian Health Service, where should we start? What are your priorities?’” she said. “I have a sense from meeting with tribes of what I think those priorities are, but I would like to ask the question of the people we serve.”

Dorgan, whose state includes several Great Plains tribes, agrees IHS needs more money. But he also calls the agency “unbelievably bureaucratic” and scolds it for not getting rid of incompetent workers, losing track of important medical equipment and not responding to patients quickly enough.

“There are children and Indian elders who are dying because of inadequate care,” he said. “I told (Roubideaux), ‘You’ve got to pick this up, shake it, turn it upside down and change it.’ Indian Health Service has a lot of problems, the most significant of which is a lack of adequate funding. But ranking right up there is the stifling bureaucracy.”

The Government Accountability Office has sharply criticized IHS in recent years, pointing to millions of dollars in lost medical equipment. Roubideaux said some equipment was simply misplaced and she has instituted a new accountability system to track agency resources better.

Dorgan calls Roubideaux “a good person (with) a terrific background,” but he said it’s too early to judge her performance.

Gerald Hill, president of the Association of American Indian Physicians, lauded Roubideaux during her confirmation hearing as someone who “not only understands Western medicine but how to apply this knowledge in native communities.”

Created in 1955, IHS is the primary federal health care provider for about 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 562 federally recognized tribes in 35 states.

Roubideaux’s expertise is in diabetes prevention and management. For several years, she co-directed an IHS initiative that has focused on diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention and case management in 66 sites around the country. It’s the kind of program that could go a long way toward closing disparities between Indians and the rest of America, but Roubideaux says Indians need to do more to help themselves.

“Diabetes is not just a disease of an individual. It’s a disease of a family and a community,” she said during a recent interview at IHS headquarters, a nondescript office building in a Maryland suburb. “If I tell a patient in the exam room: You need to eat healthier and less fatty foods, they go home. If their family doesn’t want to change their eating habits, then they have a much harder time.”

Most agree that funding remains the biggest obstacle. Health care expenditures nationally are $6,538 per capita compared to $2,349 for IHS clients. Tribal leaders often note that the government spends more caring for federal inmates.

“It boils down to money, whether we want to believe it or not,” said Robert Cournoyer, chairman of South Dakota’s Yankton Sioux Tribe, more than half of whose members live at or below the poverty level. “Good health care can’t be had unless you have money, and we serve the poorest of the poor.”

The agency desperately needs funds for raises and staffing. Hundreds of medical jobs remain vacant, including 21 percent of slots for doctors, 24 percent of dentists’ jobs and 26 percent of openings for nurses, according to the agency.

President Barack Obama, who campaigned last year for the Indian vote, has proposed a 13 percent increase in IHS funding for 2010 - the biggest proposed jump in years - to cover pay raises, staffing of new facilities and equipment upgrades. More than $100 million would be spent contracting with private companies who provide medical care the IHS can’t. And the economic stimulus package Congress passed earlier this year includes $500 million for Indian health.

Roubideaux is encouraged.

“We have all the elements in place to really address these health disparities,” she said. “It’s just that we need two things: If we can begin to address the problem of resources, we can do a lot. But the second area is how we’re providing that care and making sure we’re doing it in the best way possible.”

------------------
Original post date 6/15/09
I served as director of health care in the first tribal clinic funded under the Indian Self-Determination Act (93-638). This clinic, at that time in 1978, was about to be defunded by IHS.

During the time I was there our program gained sound financial footing and expanded to offer services not previously funded by IHS. These services were major health concerns the government often does not deem necessary to fund in Indian communities nor in general public health funding. Examples were dental and mental health.

IHS has grossly fragmented care at best. I learned exactly how the game was played and also learned how to get around the excuse called Priority 1.

Along the way we developed a great clinic model. Other tribes have used this approach to set up tribal clinics.

However, things overall haven't changed in the way they should have.

PROMISES, PROMISES: Indian health care's victims
BY MARY CLARE JALONICK, AP
CROW AGENCY, Mont. -Ta'Shon Rain Little Light, a happy little girl who loved to dance and dress up in traditional American Indian clothes, had stopped eating and walking. She complained constantly to her mother that her stomach hurt.
When Stephanie Little Light took her daughter to the Indian Health Service clinic in this wind-swept and remote corner of Montana, they told her the 5-year-old was depressed.
Ta'Shon's pain rapidly worsened and she visited the clinic about 10 more times over several months before her lung collapsed and she was airlifted to a children's hospital in Denver. There she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, confirming the suspicions of family members.
A few weeks later, a charity sent the whole family to Disney World so Ta'Shon could see Cinderella's Castle, her biggest dream. She never got to see the castle, though. She died in her hotel bed soon after the family arrived in Florida.
"Maybe it would have been treatable," says her great-aunt, Ada White, as she stoically recounts the last few months of Ta'Shon's short life. Stephanie Little Light cries as she recalls how she once forced her daughter to walk when she was in pain because the doctors told her it was all in the little girl's head.
Ta'Shon's story is not unique in the Indian Health Service system, which serves almost 2 million American Indians in 35 states.
On some reservations, the oft-quoted refrain is "don't get sick after June," when the federal dollars run out. It's a sick joke, and a sad one, because it's sometimes true, especially on the poorest reservations where residents cannot afford health insurance. Officials say they have about half of what they need to operate, and patients know they must be dying or about to lose a limb to get serious care.
Wealthier tribes can supplement the federal health service budget with their own money. But poorer tribes, often those on the most remote reservations, far away from city hospitals, are stuck with grossly substandard care. The agency itself describes a "rationed health care system."
The sad fact is an old fact, too.
The U.S. has an obligation, based on a 1787 agreement between tribes and the government, to provide American Indians with free health care on reservations. But that promise has not been kept. About one-third more is spent per capita on health care for felons in federal prison, according to 2005 data from the health service.
In Washington, a few lawmakers have tried to bring attention to the broken system as Congress attempts to improve health care for millions of other Americans. But tightening budgets and the relatively small size of the American Indian population have worked against them.
"It is heartbreaking to imagine that our leaders in Washington do not care, so I must believe that they do not know," Joe Garcia, president of the National Congress of American Indians, said in his annual state of Indian nations' address in February.
—
When it comes to health and disease in Indian country, the statistics are staggering.
American Indians have an infant death rate that is 40 percent higher than the rate for whites. They are twice as likely to die from diabetes, 60 percent more likely to have a stroke, 30 percent more likely to have high blood pressure and 20 percent more likely to have heart disease.
American Indians have disproportionately high death rates from unintentional injuries and suicide, and a high prevalence of risk factors for obesity, substance abuse, sudden infant death syndrome, teenage pregnancy, liver disease and hepatitis.
While campaigning on Indian reservations, presidential candidate Barack Obama cited this statistic: After Haiti, men on the impoverished Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations in South Dakota have the lowest life expectancy in the Western Hemisphere.
Those on reservations qualify for Medicare and Medicaid coverage. But a report by the Government Accountability Office last year found that many American Indians have not applied for those programs because of lack of access to the sign-up process; they often live far away or lack computers. The report said that some do not sign up because they believe the government already has a duty to provide them with health care.
The office of minority health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the Indian Health Service, notes on its Web site that American Indians "frequently contend with issues that prevent them from receiving quality medical care. These issues include cultural barriers, geographic isolation, inadequate sewage disposal and low income."
Indeed, Indian health clinics often are ill-equipped to deal with such high rates of disease, and poor clinics do not have enough money to focus on preventive care. The main problem is a lack of federal money. American Indian programs are not a priority for Congress, which provided the health service with $3.6 billion this budget year.
Officials at the health service say they can't legally comment on specific cases such as Ta'Shon's. But they say they are doing the best they can with the money they have — about 54 cents on the dollar they need.
One of the main problems is that many clinics must "buy" health care from larger medical facilities outside the health service because the clinics are not equipped to handle more serious medical conditions. The money that Congress provides for those contract health care services is rarely sufficient, forcing many clinics to make "life or limb" decisions that leave lower-priority patients out in the cold.
"The picture is much bigger than what the Indian Health Service can do," says Doni Wilder, an official at the agency's headquarters in Rockville, Md., and the former director of the agency's Northwestern region. "Doctors every day in our organization are making decisions about people not getting cataracts removed, gall bladders fixed."
On the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota, Indian Health Service staff say they are trying to improve conditions. They point out recent improvements to their clinic, including a new ambulance bay. But in interviews on the reservation, residents were eager to share stories about substandard care.
Rhonda Sandland says she couldn't get help for her advanced frostbite until she threatened to kill herself because of the pain — several months after her first appointment. She says she was exposed to temperatures at more than 50 below, and her hands turned purple. She eventually couldn't dress herself, she says, and she visited the clinic over and over again, sometimes in tears.
"They still wouldn't help with the pain so I just told them that I had a plan," she said. "I was going to sleep in my car in the garage."
She says the clinic then decided to remove five of her fingers, but a visiting doctor from Bismarck, N.D., intervened, giving her drugs instead. She says she eventually lost the tops of her fingers and the top layer of skin.
The same clinic failed to diagnose Victor Brave Thunder with congestive heart failure, giving him Tylenol and cough syrup when he told a doctor he was uncomfortable and had not slept for several days. He eventually went to a hospital in Bismarck, which immediately admitted him. But he had permanent damage to his heart, which he attributed to delays in treatment. Brave Thunder, 54, died in April while waiting for a heart transplant.
"You can talk to anyone on the reservation and they all have a story," says Tracey Castaway, whose sister, Marcella Buckley, said she was in $40,000 of debt because of treatment for stomach cancer.
Buckley says she visited the clinic for four years with stomach pains and was given a variety of diagnoses, including the possibility of a tapeworm and stress-related stomachaches. She was eventually told she had Stage 4 cancer that had spread throughout her body.
Ron His Horse is Thunder, chairman of the Standing Rock tribe, says his remote reservation on the border between North Dakota and South Dakota can't attract or maintain doctors who know what they are doing. Instead, he says, "We get old doctors that no one else wants or new doctors who need to be trained."
His Horse is Thunder often travels to Washington to lobby for more money and attention, but he acknowledges that improvements are tough to come by.
"We are not one congruent voting bloc in any one state or area," he said. "So we don't have the political clout."
—
On another reservation 200 miles north of Standing Rock, Ardel Baker, a member of North Dakota's Three Affiliated Tribes, knows all too well the truth behind the joke about money running out.
Baker went to her local clinic with severe chest pains and was sent by ambulance to a hospital more than an hour away. It wasn't until she got there that she noticed she had a note attached to her, written on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services letterhead.
"Understand that Priority 1 care cannot be paid for at this time due to funding issues," the letter read. "A formal denial letter has been issued."
She lived, but she says she later received a bill for more than $5,000.
"That really epitomizes the conflict that we have," says Robert McSwain, deputy director of the Indian Health Service. "We have to move the patient out, it's an emergency. We need to get them care."
It was too late for Harriet Archambault, according to the chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, who has told her story more than once in the Senate.
Dorgan says Archambault died in 2007 after her medicine for hypertension ran out and she couldn't get an appointment to refill it at the nearest clinic, 18 miles away. She drove to the clinic five times and failed to get an appointment before she died.
Dorgan's swath of the country is the hardest hit in terms of Indian health care. Many reservations there are poor, isolated, devoid of economic development opportunities and subject to long, harsh winters — making it harder for the health service to recruit doctors to practice there.
While the agency overall has an 18 percent vacancy rate for doctors, that rate jumps to 38 percent for the region that includes the Dakotas. That region also has a 29 percent vacancy rate for dentists, and officials and patients report there is almost no preventive dental care. Routine procedures such as root canals are rarely seen here. If there's a problem with a tooth, it is simply pulled.
Dorgan has led efforts in Congress to bring attention to the issue. After many years of talking to frustrated patients at home in North Dakota, he says he believes the problems are systemic within the embattled agency: incompetent staffers are transferred instead of fired; there are few staff to handle complaints; and, in some cases, he says, there is a culture of intimidation within field offices charged with overseeing individual clinics.
The senator has also probed waste at the agency.
A 2008 GAO report, along with a follow-up report this year, accused the Indian Health Service of losing almost $20 million in equipment, including vehicles, X-ray and ultrasound equipment and numerous laptops. The agency says some of the items were later found.
Dorgan persuaded Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to consider an American Indian health improvement bill last year, and the bill passed in the Senate. It would have directed Congress to provide about $35 billion for health programs over the next 10 years, including better access to health care services, screening and mental health programs. A similar bill died in the House, though, after it became entangled in an abortion dispute.
The growing political clout of some remote reservations may bring some attention to health care woes. Last year's Democratic presidential primary played out in part in the Dakotas and Montana, where both Obama and Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton became the first presidential candidates to aggressively campaign on American Indian reservations there. Both politicians promised better health care.
Obama's budget for 2010 includes an increase of $454 million, or about 13 percent, over this year. Also, the stimulus bill he signed this year provided for construction and improvements to clinics.
—
Back in Montana, Ta'Shon's parents are doing what they can to bring awareness to the issue. They have prepared a slideshow with pictures of her brief life; she is seen dressed up in traditional regalia she wore for dance competitions with a bright smile on her face. Family members approached Dorgan at a Senate field hearing on American Indian health care after her death in 2006, hoping to get the little girl's story out.
"She was a gift, so bright and comforting," says Ada White of her niece, whom she calls her granddaughter according to Crow tradition. "I figure she was brought here for a reason."
Nearby, the clinic on the Crow reservation seems mostly empty, aside from the crowded waiting room. The hospital is down several doctors, a shortage that management attributes recruitment difficulties and the remote location.
Diane Wetsit, a clinical coordinator, said she finds it difficult to think about the congressional bailout for Wall Street.
"I have a hard time with that when I walk down the hallway and see what happens here," she says.
—
On the Net:
Indian Health Service: http://www.ihs.gov/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Department's office of minority health: http://tinyurl.com/l9qzuq
National Congress of American Indians' health care issues: http://tinyurl.com/krs986
Senate Indian Affairs Committee: http://indian.senate.gov
GAO reports: http://tinyurl.com/ljq6fb, http://tinyurl.com/n7kdpa
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Health And Fitness Apps For Your iPhone

By Thom Yarbrough

Technology might have made us lazier than we ought to be,
but there are some ways in which we can actually reverse the
process and make technology work for us so we can become
healthier. Some people might be aware of the various apps on
iTunes which help you regain your health and fitness
patterns as before, but there are so many of them out there
that we often don't know which ones would be most helpful
for us. Here's a look at some of these apps for your iPhone
which will help you regain a measure of fitness at least.

Yoga Tutorial

It's clear that yoga helps not just in physical fitness but
also mental, it helps let go of feelings of stress toward
life. While all of us have a keen interest in learning yoga
to better our lives and bodies, we often don't know where to
begin. The Yoga Tutorial in iTunes is all you need to know
about yoga app that will help you be more aware before you
begin your tryst with the magic of yoga. With this app, you
will be connected to various videos that demonstrate how
yoga needs to be performed accurately, and also give you
numerous yoga related songs that are sure to give you a
sense of relaxation.

Eight Glasses a Day

We've heard it a million times, we've tried to practice it,
but it just gets so hard to remember to drink eight glasses
of water every day for a healthy body. Our forgetfulness
usually leads us to drink about four or five glasses a day
and that's about it. What if you could keep track of the
number of glasses of water you've had in a day? Wouldn't
that be so convenient? Now that is possible with the Eight
Glasses a Day app that will do the job of reminding you!
Once you get this app for your iPhone, you'll see eight full
glasses of water on your screen, and as you drink a glass of
water all you need to do is tap tone glass, which will then
show as empty! If you do finish all eight glasses in a day,
you'll get the benefit of some cool facts as to why drinking
water helps us. Just what the doctor ordered!

Six Pack App

If you've always craved to have the body of a model,
especially the rock hard six pack abs, then this app might
put you on a path towards realizing that dream. Download the
Six Pack App from iTunes and check out the different
exercises, more than 400 pictures and detailed descriptions
on how to target your chest, shoulders, back, legs, biceps
and triceps. Surely a valuable app for the fitness fanatic,
and what's more, it's completely free!

Meal Diary

Often we tend to put on weight because of binging on food
and eating more than we should. How does one keep track of
all that one eats during a day? Earlier on, experts
suggested using a diary to keep track of intake of meals,
but in the new iPhone age, that seems redundant, because you
can achieve better results with the Meal Diary app on your
phone. With two taps you can make sure that you know just
how much your intake is and how many calories you have
burnt. You can also classify meals on the basis of whether
they are small, medium or large and it's very easy to make
this a part of your regular routine.

Thom crafts articles for (http://www.pocketmac.com/) mac
software experts, PocketMac. They specialize in Apple and
Mac related software, including their
(http://shiveringkittens.com/) Apple iPhone application
ShiveringKittens.