Salvia Divinorum : Legal

Salvia divinorum - aka the 'YouTube drug' - is banned in many countries around the world, but not in Britain.

Hogan is smoking salvia divinorum, a species of sage that also happens to be the most powerful hallucinogenic herb known to man. At 40, Hogan is older than the average salvia user in Britain, who is in his teens or twenties. Watching young people out of their minds on salvia is the latest YouTube sensation and is fuelling the popularity of the herb. For his part, Lee Hogan describes his first experience of salvia as the, 'most mind-bending, totally bizzarest, weirdest, strangest experience I have ever had'. Three years ago, her 17-year-old son, Brett, committed suicide after smoking salvia.

Straight away, Mrs Chidester suspected salvia was to blame. After Brett's death, Mrs Chidester found a note that he had written on his computer about his salvia use. The medical examiner subsequently listed salvia as a contributory factor on his death certificate. 'The fact that his posthumous drug test showed no signs of drugs led us to believe definitely that the drug had to be salvia, especially since that was all the police found with him. 'I am concerned about the use and misuse of Salvia divinorum because it contains an active ingredient that can trigger hallucinations,' he says. 'And in the last three years, we have seen a huge increase in the popularity of psychoactive compounds from herbal drugs such as Salvia divinorum.' 'But the market reacted brilliantly by promoting herbal alternatives as appealing natural drugs.

Among the salvia users I spoke to, none reported depression or suicidal feelings. The herb's defenders believe that Brett was a young man who took his own life and happened to smoke salvia rather than that he committed suicide because he used salvia.

Salvia is being used and abused but does it carry any risk? It's certainly not a social party drug. Crackheads are not switching to salvia. Heavy drinkers are not switching to salvia. It's not that type of drug.'
'Make no mistake, salvia is not a recreational drug,' he adds.

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Against Cancer With Aspirin?

According to scientists at the University of Newcastle (UK), aspirin has cancer-fighting effects that extend beyond already understood Cox inhibitors.

This finding, which appears in the October 2006 issue of The FASEB Journal, provides important clues to how aspirin works in cancer and in inflammation: aspirin reduces the formation of blood vessels that fuel developing tumors. Without new blood vessels (formed through a process called angiogenesis) tumors cannot grow. With this information, researchers can pursue new lines of investigation that could ultimately yield an entirely new type of cancer-fighting drug.

Additionally, Newcastle researchers found a dose-dependent relationship between blood vessel formation and the amount of aspirin used in the study. This new finding confirms and extends earlier evidence suggesting that NFkappaB is a target of aspirin action in inflammation; now researchers can work out exactly how signals interrupted by aspirin can control not only inflammation, but the biology of tumor growth as well.

"Aspirin has always been touted as a 'wonder drug,'" said Gerald Weissmann, MD, Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal, "and this study shows that we are still learning about the many actions of this amazing drug."

The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) is published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) and is consistently ranked among the top three biology journals worldwide by the Institute for Scientific Information. FASEB comprises 21 nonprofit societies with more than 80,000 members, making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States. FASEB serves the interests of these scientists in those areas related to public policy, facilitates coalition activities among member societies and disseminates information on biological research through scientific conferences and publications.

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Appendectomy Overview, Surgical Procedures

Appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix when an infection has made it inflamed and swollen. Fortunately, appendectomy is a common procedure and complications are rare. And if appendicitis is promptly diagnosed and an appendectomy is performed, most kids recover quickly and with little difficulty.

About Appendicitis

Located in the abdomen, the appendix is a small organ that isn't important to a person's health. There's no way to prevent appendicitis. Other times mucus produced by the appendix can thicken and cause a blockage.  

Signs and Symptoms

Appendicitis also can cause:

• loss of appetite
• fever
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea

If the appendix bursts, a child can develop a high fever, and pain will move throughout the abdominal area.

The Surgery

A child who needs an appendectomy will be admitted to the hospital. The surgeon will describe the procedure and answer your questions.

Open Appendectomy
An open appendectomy is the "traditional" way of removing an infected appendix. Basically, a surgeon makes an incision in the abdomen and locates the infected appendix. The appendix is cut away from the large intestine and removed from the body. The incision is then closed with stitches.

Laparoscopic Appendectomy
Laparoscopy is a type of surgery that uses a tiny video camera called a laparoscope to help surgeons see inside the body. The thin tube of the laparoscope is inserted into the body through a small incision and guided to the appendix to act as the surgeon's "eyes." Sometimes appendectomy is done using a combination of procedure types. In rare cases, a surgeon might start with the laparoscopic procedure but change to an open procedure during surgery. 

After Surgery

After the surgery, your child will be taken to a recovery room, which is sometimes called the "post-op" (post-operative) room or PACU (post-anesthesia care unit).

Also, your child might feel some pain near the incision site, but medication can help lessen it so be sure to let doctors or nurses know if your child is uncomfortable or in pain.

Caring for Your Child

Typically, a child stays in the hospital for 2 to 3 days after an appendectomy, a little longer if the appendix burst before it was removed. Other things to think about as your child recovers at home:

Call your doctor if you notice any redness or swelling around the incision, or your child develops pain or a fever greater than 101° F (38.3° C).

Returning to school: The doctor will tell you when your child can return to school and resume normal activities. In many cases, that's within a week of surgery, longer if the appendix burst.

Resuming physical activity: The doctor might recommend that your child not participate in gym class, sports, and other physical activities for a few weeks.

With a little rest and care, most kids recover from appendicitis and an appendectomy with little difficulty.

When your child is having any kind of procedure or surgery, it's understandable to be a little uneasy.

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Dukan Diets Claims To Have Helped 5 Million French Peole Lose Weight

The Dukan Diet was created by French physician Pierre Dukan more than 10 years ago as a treatment for obese people.

It's no wonder: The book claims to have helped 5 million French people lose weight. And singer Jennifer Lopez and model Giselle Bundchen are reported to have lost their post-pregnancy pounds on The Dukan Diet.

Essentially, it's a four-phase, high-protein, low-calorie diet plan. It's much like the first Atkins diet. Dieters lose weight rapidly - as much as 1-2 pounds a day during the first phase -- which Dukan says helps to instill lasting motivation. The

Dukan Diet: What You Can Eat

Phase 1, the "Attack" phase, is quite simple: Eat all you want of lean protein, along with 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran and 1.5 liters of water daily. Dieters can choose from 72 lean or low-fat meats (excluding pork and lamb), fish, poultry, eggs, soy, and nonfat dairy.

This is followed by the "Cruise" phase, which allows unlimited amounts of 28 non-starchy vegetables every other day along with a core diet of unlimited lean/low-fat protein and 2 tablespoons of oat bran. Phase 3, "Consolidation," allows unlimited protein (including pork and lamb) and vegetables every day, along with one piece of low-sugar fruit, 2 slices of whole-grain bread, and 1 portion of hard cheese. Dieters can also have 1-2 servings of starchy foods and 1-2 "celebration" meals (in which you can eat whatever you want) per week during this phase. In this phase, you begin the lifetime commitment of eating the core diet of pure protein one day each week, preferably the same day.

Phase 4, "Stabilization," is the maintenance portion of the plan. The author promises you can eat whatever you like without regain if you follow his rules - one day a week, follow the same all-protein diet as in Phase 1; eat 3 tablespoons of oat bran a day; and walk for 20 minutes daily and never take elevators or escalators.

Sugar-free gum, artificial sweeteners, vinegars, and spices are allowed on The Dukan Diet. The book encourages dieters to take a daily multivitamin with minerals.

The Dukan Diet: What You Can Eat
Phase 1, the "Attack" phase, is quite simple: Eat all you want of lean protein, along with 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran and 1.5 liters of water daily. Phase 3, "Consolidation," allows unlimited protein (including pork and lamb) and vegetables every day, along with one piece of low-sugar fruit, 2 slices of whole-grain bread, and 1 portion of hard cheese. Phase 4, "Stabilization," is the maintenance portion of the plan. The author promises you can eat whatever you like without regain if you follow his rules - one day a week, follow the same all-protein diet as in Phase 1; eat 3 tablespoons of oat bran a day; and walk for 20 minutes daily and never take elevators or escalators.

Sugar-free gum, artificial sweeteners, vinegars, and spices are allowed on The Dukan Diet. In theory, this is how the plan works: Phase 1 promotes rapid weight loss with a protein-only diet. Dukan recommends sticking with this phase until you reach your goal weight, with the expectation of dropping 2 pounds per week.
Phase 3 is the critically important period between weight loss and maintenance, when the plan lightens up a bit but no weight loss is expected. You'll keep the weight off for good, the book says, if you follow this phase's requirements for a weekly all-protein day, plus oat bran and exercise.


The Dukan Diet: What the Experts Say
You'll certainly lose weight on The Dukan Diet because it cuts calories drastically. “When dieters start losing weight rapidly, I worry they will continue the restrictive phases longer than advised -- which puts them at risk for nutrient deficiencies and kidney problems," says Gans.

The Dukan Diet: Food for Thought
Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet, but it cannot stand alone. A truly healthy diet includes all the food groups -- vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy and healthy fats along with lean protein.

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Saving Lives Through Salt Reduction

Reducing salt intake among Americans could save thousands of lives, as well as billions of healthcare dollars. Back in the fall of 2009, the National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI) was born and has slowly gained acceptance by major food companies. The initiative has developed specific targets to guide company salt reductions across 62 categories of packaged food and 25 categories of restaurant food. The food companies committing to targets today will reduce sodium in 29 of the NSRI packaged food categories. Six companies are joining forces with NSRI:

The company commits to meeting the NSRI on the East Coast. The company will reduce sodium levels in the products it manufactures across 22 packaged-food categories, including frozen pizza, cereal and butter.

Furmano’s: supplier of foods to consumers and restaurants, will cut salt across its varieties of canned beans, baked beans and tomatoes.

Hostess: one of the largest wholesale bakeries in the country, commits to reducing salt across its entire line of bread products.

Premio: maker of 20 different sausage products, commits to decreasing salt in its uncooked sausages.

Snyder’s of Hanover: the nation’s largest pretzel maker, already meets the NSRI target for pretzels and now commits to cutting the salt in its unflavored chips.

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Pope Benedict XVI Has Opened The Door On The Previously Taboo Subject Of Condoms As A Way To Fight HIV

Pope Benedict XVI has opened the door on the previously taboo subject of condoms as a way to fight HIV, saying male prostitutes who use condoms may be beginning to act responsibly. Church teaching has long opposed condoms because they are a form of artificial contraception, although the Vatican has never released an explicit policy about condoms and HIV. Benedict said that condoms are not a moral solution to stopping AIDS. Asked if that meant that the church wasn't opposed in principle to condoms, the pope replied:

Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans said clearly the pope wasn't encouraging condom use.

In Africa, Benedict's comments drew praise among gays and AIDS activists.

Condoms are not the answer to Africa's fight against HIV, Pope Benedict XVI said Tuesday as he began a weeklong trip to the continent. In his four years as pope, Benedict had never directly addressed condom use, although his position is not new. "You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms," the pope told reporters aboard the Alitalia plane heading to Yaounde. The Roman Catholic Church rejects the use of condoms as part of its overall teaching against artificial contraception.

22 million infected with HIV
About 22 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with HIV, according to UNAIDS. Hodes said the pope was right that condoms are not the sole solution to Africa's AIDS epidemic, but added they are one of the very few proven measures to prevent HIV infections.

Even some priests and nuns working with those living with HIV/AIDS question the church's opposition to condoms amid the pandemic ravaging Africa. We need condoms to protect ourselves against diseases and AIDS," teacher Narcisse Takou said Tuesday in Yaounde.

In May 2005, shortly after taking office, the pope made his first pronouncement on Aids, and came out against condoms. In March 2009, on his flight to Cameroon (where 540,000 people have HIV), Pope Benedict XVI explained that Aids is a tragedy "that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems". We say no to condoms!"

"It is quite ridiculous to go on about Aids in Africa and condoms, and the Catholic Church," says O'Connor.
In 2007, Archbishop Francisco Chimoio of Mozambique announced that European condom manufacturers are deliberately infecting condoms with HIV to spread Aids in Africa.

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