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Featured in this month's issue:

1. HEALTH BYTES: Facts and Tips for Better Living!

2. FEATURED ARTICLE: "Indoor Pollutants"

3. WELLNESS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

4. PRODUCT-OF-THE-MONTH: Eco Plus - Environmentally safe cleaning products

5. PAST SPECIAL EDITIONS

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1. HEALTH BYTES - Facts and Tips for Better Living

KEEPING KIDS SAFE -- Unintended injuries are the number one health risk for children age 14 and under. Each year, thousands of children die or become permanently disabled from their injuries. Fortunately, many injuries can be prevented. Here are some tips to help children stay safe on bicycles, skateboards, scooters, and in-line skates:

• 1. Check equipment before use -look for loose, broken, or cracked parts
• 2. Have children wear appropriate safety gear, including a helmet. Make sure protective gear does not interfere with hearing/movement/vision
• 3. Make sure helmets cover your child's forehead and straps should fit snugly
• 4. Instruct children to ride with only 1 person on a bike/skateboard/scooter
• 5. Teach children the rules of the road and to obey all traffic signs and lights
• 6. Supervise children age 8 and under when they ride on anything with wheels.

KID SAFETY IN THE CAR -- Do restrain your child appropriately for his or her age, weight and height. Follow directions that come with the child safety seat, as well as the child passenger restraint directions in your vehicle’s owner’s manual. Do not put your child in the front seat. Children 12 and under should sit in the back seat appropriately restrained. Do not place a child in front of an active airbag because they are made to protect adults, not children.

DIET TRICKS -- For a quick weight-loss boost, garlic and papaya tablets are a favorite of many models. You can get these tablets at the health food store.

WHITER TEETH -- To make your teeth appear whiter, use lipstick with cool, bright hues (pink, raspberry, plum) with a glossy/frosty finish. For beautiful teeth, mix a little baking soda and peroxide together and use as a "paste" once a week. This will help remove stains and plaque.

HEALTH EFFECTS OF DIESEL EXHAUST -- can results in Coughs and phlegm, Lightheadedness, nausea, increased susceptibility to allergens like dust or pollen, irritation of eyes, nose, throat and lungs, inflammation of lungs and increased asthma attacks, respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lowered resistance to respiratory infection. Macrophages overwhelmed by particles result in immune reactions that cause inflammation and 'sticky' blood, increasing risk of clots and both heart and lung disease, mutations in chromosomes and damage to DNA. For people exposed chronically to 1µg/m3 of diesel exhaust, a rate of lung cancer in the range of 34 to 650 people per million. Possible cause of multiple chemical sensitization, leading to changes in red and white blood cells, bleeding, liver damage, and degeneration of the nervous system.

CALCIUM DOES A DIET GOOD -- Researchers with the Quebec Family Study investigating the link between calcium consumption, body composition, and cholesterol levels found that the benefits of calcium go far beyond keeping your bones strong. The 470 adults in the study were divided into three groups based on their calcium intake: group A, which got less than 600 mg per day; group B, which got between 600 and 1,000 mg per day; and group C, which got more than 1,000 mg per day. Women in group A had higher body weight, BMI, fat mass, percentage of body fat, total abdominal adipose tissue, and waist circumference than women in the other two groups. For both men and women, higher dietary calcium intake was associated with levels of total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol that are associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease.

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2. FEATURED ARTICLE - "Indoor Pollutants and Your Health"

With homes full of potpourri, scented candles, and plug-in air fresheners, we escape inside, leaving the air pollution caused by smog and smokestack emissions outside. Wrong. We actually retreat from the smog into an environment that may smell better but is actually potentially five times worse than the air outside. And the very sprays and scents we use to make our homes smell clean are actually affecting the quality of our inside air. It is not only the sweet-smelling products that affect our air's purity but many of the cleaning products we use every day. If you are badly affected by allergies to certain chemicals, you may want to examine your utility closet and under your sink for products that you could replace with less toxic alternatives.

Wait...there's more -
http://www.theolivebranch.com/news/pollution.htm - click here

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3. WELLNESS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

** Q & A #1: Does eating an apple-a-day really provide health benefits?

Exciting research continues to show that apple-eaters have better lung function and are less likely to have certain cancers, strokes, and deadly heart attacks. Scientists believe this is because apples contain certain antioxidants known as procyanidins that protect against free radicals. Procyanidins are also found in tea, chocolate, and red wine. Red delicious apples contain an average of 208 mg, and a 1.3 oz chocolate bar contains an average of 165 mg according to Dr. H. Schmitz, a researcher at the University of California at Davis. The antioxidants are concentrated in the apple skins, where the red color is located, rather than the pulp. A British study showed those that ate five or more apples a week have nearly four times better breathing capacity. The University of Hawaii showed high apple consumption reduced the risk of lung cancer by 40%. The University at Helsinki, Finland showed apple-eaters were 20% less likely to develop any cancer. The Finnish National Public Health Institute also showed that eating half an apple a day cuts risk of stroke by 40%. It has also been shown that women who ate apples are 43% less likely to die of heart disease. So... go ahead and eat your apple every day!

** Q & A #2: What Is Blood Pressure?

Think about the air in a car tire. This air exerts pressure against the tire walls - usually about 30 pounds per square inch. Similarly, the blood in your veins exerts pressure against the veins themselves. That is what blood pressure is.

** Q & A #3: My blood pressure is 150/80. What does this mean?

Your heart alternates between pumping blood and resting. So, the pressure on your blood vessels switches back and forth between two values: the pressure experienced when your heart is pumping, and the pressure experienced when your heart is between pumps. The top number, 150 in our example, is called systolic blood pressure, It is the pressure your veins experience during the pumping phase. The bottom number, 80, is called diastolic blood pressure. It is the pressure experienced between pumps.

** Q & A #4: Why should I keep my blood pressure at a healthy level?

If blood pressure stays too high for too long, it can permanently and severely damage your heart, your brain, your kidneys and your arteries.

** Q & A #5: What are the most important things I should do to protect my blood pressure?

• 1. Reduce the stress in your life. Blood pressure rises during times of stress, and falls when you are relaxed or asleep.
• 2. Eat a diet low in cholesterol and high in fiber. This keeps blood vessel walls clear, which reduces pressure.
• 3. Get some exercise. It raises your spirits and lowers your blood pressure.
• 4. Visit your doctor regularly to find out how you are doing.
• 5. Many pharmacies have a blood pressure checker. Use it to check your pressure regularly.

** Q & A #6: Is there any evidence that shows x-rays can help doctors care for people with simple back pain?

Getting an x-ray to uncover the source of lower back pain does not reduce suffering. In fact, in a past study, patients who had an x-ray, or radiography, reported more pain 3 months later than those who did not have an x-ray! So the answer is no, there is no evidence that having radiography helps doctors to care for people with simple back pain. However, there is even evidence that the very act of having an x-ray can, perhaps by appearing to increase the perception of severity, delay recovery. Low back pain is a common medical problem, and doctors often x-ray the lower spine to diagnose the cause of the pain. In most cases, however, x-ray results do little to change the treatment of back pain. Most of the time, x-rays are performed to reassure patients or doctors. Interestingly, even though x-rays did not appear to help relieve back pain, more than 80% of patients in both groups said they would choose to have an x-ray if they could. By nine months, most of the differences between the groups diminished, although having an x-ray still did not appear to provide any benefits, the report indicates. Patients in the x-ray group tended to be more satisfied with their care, however. The findings highlight the need to let people know that x-rays are of little use to most people with low back pain. Since so many people believe that radiography is an essential feature of the management of back pain, there is a need for a campaign to inform the public. When doctors order an x-ray to investigate low back pain, patients may interpret the move as a sign that they really are unwell, so they may be more likely to report pain and to think that the pain interferes with their activities.

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4. PRODUCTS-OF-THE-MONTH - Eco PLUS Cleaning products

Protect your children, your family members and yourself from dangerous indoor toxic chemicals that can damage your health!

Read more about our environmentally safe cleaning products -
http://www.theolivebranch.com/ecoplus.htm - Click Here

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5. PAST SPECIAL EDITIONS:

We have several Special Editions that we issued on particular Health Issues or on Complimentary/Alternative Botanicals.

You can view them from the following index: http://www.theolivebranch.com/news/special.htm - Click Here

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Be Healthy!

The Culbreths

Home Page	Supplements	Water filters	Health Books	Questions?

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The information in this newsletter has not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. We make no claims, either expressed or implied, that any products mentioned in this newsletter will cure or treat disease, replace prescription medication, or supersede sound medical advice.