Some of you (especially baby boomers) might remember The Dirty Dozen, a blockbuster war movie from 1967 featuring an incredible cast that included Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Robert Ryan, Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, George Kennedy, and Telly Savalas.

Well, this article is NOT about that Dirty Dozen. It's about a dozen foods that are downright bad & dirty for you if you're someone dealing with low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. The characters in the movie were bad dudes, the foods on this list are bad foods. All twelve of them. Avoid them as much as possible.

Bad food #12-White rice:

All foods sit on a continuum that relates their sugar content to how fast they are used in your body. This is called the glycemic index.

In order to keep your blood sugar level constant with as few peaks and valleys as possible, you need to slow the rate at which your body converts your food to the various kinds of sugar used and stored in your body. The best way to do this is to eat foods that, in addition to supplying all the right components of nutrition, burn very slowly.

Since the goal is to slow the rate at which your food is broken down, it is important for an hypoglycemic to avoid fast burning, high glycemic foods starting with sugar, but also including refined foods. This includes white flour, white rice, and other refined and polished grains.

Bad food #11-White bread:

Yes, this is a junk food for an hypoglycemic. Every time you look at a slice of white bread you are seeing a slice of sugar - it acts in the body the same way.

Bad food #10-Donuts:

Think of it as white bread dipped in sugar. What could be worse? No wonder there's a big hole in the middle - it's a nutritional zero. What was just said pretty much applies to cookies and cakes in general. Anything that's made with white flour and lots of sugar, not to mention shortening, coloring and preservatives, is BAD for you!

Bad food #9-Alcohol:

Alcohol, like sugar, contains nothing but calories. It has no nutritive value at all and moves very quickly into your blood stream. This affects your blood sugar very suddenly, and there is a corresponding drop in blood sugar as the alcohol leaves your system.

In diabetes, you can control your sugar level with injected insulin. In hypoglycemia this is not possible, and if you eat and drink foods that play havoc with your blood sugar level, you just have to live with the symptoms. It's much better then, to avoid the booze and the feeling rotten that comes with it.

An extra caution: Read the labels on all your medications; many include alcohol. You need to find alternatives if at all possible. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have prescription medication containing alcohol, and ask for help finding an alcohol-free alternative. Some allergy shots also contain alcohol, so check with your doctor.

Alcohol, particularly when consumed with carbohydrate, can cause an excessive release of insulin and lead to episodes of hypoglycemia. The most common scenario is when you consume alcohol and carbohydrate alone, as with a gin (alcohol) and tonic (pure carbohydrate) and a small cracker or cookie. This is a recipe for disaster, and can cause low blood sugar and its accompanying symptoms even if you never have symptoms otherwise. The occasional occurrence of alcohol-induced hypoglycemia is not necessarily an indication that you are, or will become, a chronic hypoglycemic, but whether chronic or not, hypoglycemia is hard on your body and should always be avoided if possible.

There are fairly strong links between hypoglycemia and alcohol related problems, and more than one study suggests that alcoholism can result from unchecked hypoglycemia.

Bad food #8-Fruit drinks:

Not to be confused with fruit juices, fruit drinks are 10 per cent or less real fruit with lots of sugar. They're loaded with artificial coloring and sucrose. Definitely teeth rotters. A better choice? Fruit juice (in very small amounts). Even better? Whole fruit - since you'll benefit from the fiber!

Bad food #7-Decaffeinated coffee:

This is bad for everybody, not just hypoglycemic. The reason is that to remove the caffeine, they add chemical solvent right into your favorite beverage.

Bad food #6-Soft drinks / pop:

Let's see now, how do you spell increased bone breakage? P-O-P. Pop is nothing more than water, colorant, artificial flavor and SUGAR? It's absolutely DREADFUL for anyone dealing with low blood sugar or hypoglycemia!

Bad food #5. Diet pop:

You get all the dandy benefits of pop (!?!?), plus artificial sweetener, which has been shown in studies to actually increase your sugar cravings and alter your brain chemistry.

Bad food #4-Sugary breakfast cereals:

Now here's a guarantee: If you want to start your day in a low life-force mode, then this is the junk breakfast for you - even more so if you add to those cereals a couple toasted pieces of white bread.

Bad food #3-Deep-dish pizza:

This is an excellent way to stack, jack and pack your glycemic index tract with one big dollop of sodium, dough (white flour) and fat - an overnight weight-gain wonder.

Bad food #2-Ice cream:

Here's a beauty, high in sugar and high in fat, for another whack attack on your pancreas and your arteries.

Alright, this is it! The number 1 in our top 12 list of really bad foods for hypoglycemics...
Bad food #1-French fries (and their cousin potato chips):

Here's why: Both of these are unparalleled sodium-loading enzyme-dead food. And new information now shows that they're high in acrylimide, a known cancer-causing agent. In fact, the amount of acrylimide in a serving of fast-food French fries is 300 times above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's limit set for one glass of water.

Bon appetit!

Eat well, be well, live well!

Hemorrhoids usually bring intense pain to the patient that even over-the-counter pain relievers, homemade remedies and ointments are not enough. If you leave hemorrhoids untreated, it could cause obstructions that make defecating next to impossible. When this is the case, doctors recommend surgery. You and your doctor should discuss the surgical options based on your health condition and severity of hemorrhoids. Surgery for hemorrhoids come in three types - Milligan-Morgan Technique, Ferguson Technique and laser removal.

1) Milligan-Morgan Technique - Developed in the United Kingdom around 1937, this type of surgery is the first of its kind. When your doctor performs this surgery, three main vessels are removed from the hemorrhoid, leaving three pear-shaped incisions to avoid stenosis.

2) Ferguson Technique - Developed by Dr. Ferguson in 1952, this type of surgery for hemorrhoids is similar to the Milligan-Morgan Technique, except for the incisions, which are partially or completely closed using absorbable stitches. Many doctors consider Ferguson Technique as the "gold standard" for which other techniques have been compared to or derived from. This technique has long been the surgery of choice to provide permanent relief from hemorrhoids until laser removal was developed.

3) Laser removal - Many patients opt for laser removal because the surgery involves using laser light that would literally vaporize the hemorrhoids with little to no pain during and after the procedure. The benefit of using laser is that the procedure is done on an outpatient basis and patients can go back to perform daily tasks after a few hours. In addition, laser removal involves a quick healing period, allowing you to defecate normally in a day or two.

The disadvantages of Milligan-Morgan and Ferguson techniques are patients need to spend at least 24 hours in the hospital for healing and the healing period could take up to three days. Because of this and the fact that the satisfaction rate of patients that undergo laser removal of hemorrhoids is 99%, doctors are going for laser than the two other types of surgeries.

All we can really effectively do here is talk about preventing problems arising in the first place. There are dangers in ignoring medical advice and seeking alternative "cures" when a problem already exists, although your doctor should be able to say whether any of the remedies listed below are potentially harmful to you.

Diet and exercise, yes those two old favourites, are the key to prevention in most cases, and presumably a doctor will explore both where a condition exists. Four 20 minute aerobic exercise sessions a week is the medically recommended aim for everyone. No you don't have to do aerobic classes, four brisk walks will do.

Onions, garlic, soya, oats, cinnamon and walnuts are all highly recommended for reducing cholesterol levels and garlic has been noted for its ability to prevent blood clots developing.

No doubt you are all aware of the reports of how good red wine is. Alcohol increases the level of high density lipoproteins (HDLs). These take away cholesterol from artery walls. However, there's always too much of a good thing and like everything in life moderation is the key. Too much alcohol increases blood pressure and can cause irregular heart rhythms. I have read that red grape juice is as effective as red wine.

Eskimos are well documented as having low levels of coronary heart disease, which has been attributed to their high in-take of fatty acids from eating oily fish (it is recommended to keep consumption to twice a week). The Mediterranean diet is also highly praised, olive oil being a chief reason for this.

Pomegranates - according to research in Israel, they help prevent blood clots, lower blood pressure and improve the amount of oxygen reaching the heart. Pectin - apparently reduces cholesterol absorption, slows the production of cholesterol in the liver, lowers insulin resistance and slows the absorption of sugar into the blood stream. Citrus fruit, blackberries, apples, peaches, plums and redcurrants have high pectin levels. Celery - a compound from the vegetable apparently relaxes the muscles of the arteries regulating blood pressure. Nattokinase is an enzyme found in a cheese like food, natto, made from fermented soybeans. There are strong claims made for its properties. Apparently it quickly lowers blood pressure, controls cholesterol levels, and prevents and even breaks up blood clots. If you are using medication, talk to your doctor before considering its use.

Also cayenne pepper, ginkgo and hawthorn are noted for their properties in helping protect the heart and circulatory system. Hawthorn is prescribed by doctors in Europe for treating heart conditions. Ginkgo is noted for its anti-inflammatory attributes and cayenne can help reduce cholesterol and clot formation.

If you do have an heart condition or high blood pressure do not take ginkgo without seeking medical advice first.

As far as scary words in the English language go, "cancer" is near the top of the list. The good news is that we don't have to wait around simply hoping that cancer doesn't affect us and our loved ones. According to scientists in the UK, effective cancer prevention starts with the food on your plate.

The British Journal of Cancer reports optimistic news for vegans. British scientists studied the diets of over 61,000 men and women for 12 years. At the end of 12 years, the scientists recorded how many subjects developed stomach, bladder, ovarian, and lymphatic cancers in the three dietary categories reviewed: vegan, pescetarian, and omnivore. For each type of cancer tested, vegans developed a significantly lower number of cases than did meat eaters.

The National Cancer Institute currently predicts that stomach cancer will be diagnosed in over 21,000 American men and women in 2010 and will cause over 10,000 deaths. The lifetime risk of stomach cancer is 1 in 113.

Of men and women born today, 2.41% can expect to be diagnosed with urinary bladder cancer during their lifetimes. That's 1 in 41 people. Almost 71,000 American men and women are diagnosed annually with bladder cancer and over 14,000 of these bladder cancer cases prove fatal.

For women born today, 1.4% can expect a diagnosis of ovarian cancer during their lifetimes. The National Cancer Institute estimates that more than 21,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and over 14,000 women will die of ovarian cancer in 2010.

The National Cancer Institute predicts that over 70,000 American men and women will be diagnosed with lymphoma in 2010 and that more than 20,000 of these cases will prove fatal.

The position of the American Dietetic Association on vegan diets is that they are associated with fewer cases of cancer as well as fewer cases of type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and death from heart attacks. Some nutrients that the ADA regards as healthy and particularly high in vegan diets are fruits, vegetables, nuts, soy products, fiber, and phytochemicals (phyto=related to plants).

Don't let yourself and your loved ones become a statistic. Join Gobble Green in the movement for disease prevention and make the transition to a vegan diet in 2010.

Dental implants were introduced to the dental community some ten years ago. Since that time, dental implants have touched the lives of numerous people all across the country. With an unparalleled ability to mimic teeth in regard to functionality, dental implants have enabled many to regain their ability to eat with ease and interact with others in confidence. However impressive dental implants may be, they do come at quite a high cost. Unfortunately, some seem to think that this cost is unavoidable and needs to be more or less tolerated. This is not the case, as prospective implant patients have a plethora of different routes which they can take to offset the cost of dental implants. This article will look into some of those routes.

A good number of us have dental coverage and have seen it in action at the dentist's office. Despite what some may say, some dental insurance plans do cover dental implants. Popular belief depicts the dental implant procedure to be wholly elective. It turns out that this is not the case. Let's take the example of a person who can no longer wear dentures. Where is he or she to turn to regain their lost ability?

Given the right circumstances, they can turn to dental implants. Some insurance companies realize that people don't get implants on a whim, and thus provide coverage for the procedure. The best way to find out if dental implants are covered in your dental insurance policy is to contact your insurance company. If they do provide coverage for such a procedure, ask about any restrictions they have for obtaining such coverage. Even if the insurance company refuses to pay for the entire procedure, see if they will agree to cover a portion of it. Any effort you can make in saving some money is worthwhile.

If the insurance route doesn't prove successful, there's still hope. Many dentists offer financing options for patients who can't pay for dental implants out of pocket. Considering that implants can cost several thousand per tooth, this isn't very surprising. These financing plans allow you to repay the dentist on a more convenient basis. Financing terms are not always similar from practice to practice, thus it's best to consult a local dentist for more information.

If you know you won't be able to make your monthly financing payments, it's a good idea to wait and save up some money. Even if your circumstances aren't the best, it's not worth putting yourself in financial turmoil for dental implants. Those that have family members that would be willing to contribute towards the implants may have some luck. If you can manage to afford the procedure outright with the help of family members, or will be able to pay the monthly charges with the added help, the procedure might be worth having.

In the overall scope of things, dental implants can be extremely affordable given a prospective patient does his or her homework. Dentists know the average person can't afford to spend several thousand dollars on revamping their teeth. Thus, you shouldn't feel trapped in a corner when it comes to trying to cover your implant procedure. The aforementioned strategies use be utilized in your quest to cover your implants, as should some additional ones. Take your time, exercise your judgment, and you will be fine in covering your implants.

In 2005, scientists at the New York, Albert Einstein College of Medicine carried out a trial on 24,000 headache and migraine sufferers. They studied the headache medications used by these sufferers, to determine whether participants suffering on less than 15 days a month were more likely to develop chronic attacks

The survey showed that those who used barbiturates and caffeine-containing drugs as pain relief were at risk of developing rebound headaches, also known as medication-overuse headaches. If taken to excess, or too often, these medications can worsen the migraine severity and frequency, making the problem harder to treat. By 2006, 209 of the people who had taken part in the study had developed chronic migraine.

Pregnant or breast-feeding women, and anyone with heart disease or peptic ulcers, should not use these drugs for fear of complications. (Adapted from: American Academy of Neurology (2008, April 27). Overuse of Codeine, Oxycodone and Barbiturates Increases Risk Of Chronic Migraine. ScienceDaily.)

Other medications are widely available for preventing migraines but they are rarely wholly successful and they also have numerous side-effects. One of the most common forms of migraine treatments used by doctors is an anti depressant such as Amitriptyline. These are extremely addictive and when a patient stops taking them they may suffer debilitating withdrawal symptoms for many months. This should not be attempted without the supervision of a qualified medical practitioner.

Migraine sufferers are beginning to realise that prescription drugs simply aren't effective unless they continually increase their doses. Finding that the side effects are far too numerous and too uncomfortable to continue treatments, many are now turning to natural remedies which focus on the entire body, not merely the source of pain as is the case with prescription drugs. The side effects from natural remedies are usually less profound and there are no known addictions.

One such remedy is butterbur. "Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine" notes that butterbur is used for migraine of "liver origins". In Asia, Europe and regions of North America, where Butterbur grows naturally, extracts from the leaves and flowers have been used for centuries as a 'folk remedy'. Conditions other than migraine that are believed to respond to Butterbur are allergies, asthma and stomach cramps. Butterbur is a member of the ragweed family of plants and anyone who is allergic to daisy, marigold, chrysanthemum or ragweed should not use it, neither should people who have kidney or liver disease, or pregnant women. It should never be used for treating children.

Modern studies suggest that Butterbur works by calming spasms in some muscle tissues and reducing inflammation of the walls of blood vessels.

A study, published in Neurology, suggests that use of an extract from Butterbur can reduce the frequency of migraines. The study, conducted by the Yeshiva University in New York, involved the use of a butterbur extract, Petodolex. The 245 people who took part in the study had experienced between two and six migraine attacks per month during the three months before the trial began. Three months before starting they stop taking their usual migraine preventative treatment, so that the chemical residues could be eliminated from their system.

The trial compared the effect of taking Butterbur extract over a four month period, using 50mg, 75mg doses twice a day and a placebo.

After four months of treatment, migraine frequency was reduced by 48% in those who used the 75mg dose, with a 26% reduction in the placebo group. Those who took the 50mg dose were found to have a 36% reduction in the frequency of migraines, and researchers felt this was not significantly different from the effects of the placebo. Significantly more people in the 75mg dose group had a 50% reduction in monthly migraine attacks than those in the placebo group. (Adapted from Neurology Dec 2004; 63:2240-4; Press releases from Yeshiva University).

Butterbur is known to have side effects which include indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation however, reports from the studies suggested that those using Butterbur only reported mild side effects, the most common being burping.

When using natural alternatives for migraine treatment, you will usually benefit most from consulting a qualified practitioner.

If you have ever suffered from a sinus infection, you know that the pain can be severe enough to get in the way of your daily activities. Most sinus infection sufferers will find relief in a matter of days or weeks, but imagine dealing with those uncomfortable symptoms and pains for twelve weeks or longer at a time. That is precisely what happens when you have a chronic sinus infection. Because these symptoms linger for a long period of time, a chronic sinus infection will affect the quality of your life. Because of this, it is important to understand how to recognize a chronic sinus infection, so that you can work with your doctor in finding the most effective treatment option for you.

Symptoms of Chronic Sinus Infections

The symptoms of a chronic sinus infection are similar to those of an acute infection, except that the symptoms tend to last longer and do not respond to treatments as easily. Other common symptoms include pain and pressure in the face around the sinus cavities, a thick yellow or green discharge from the nose, difficulty breathing through the nasal passages and fatigue. You might also suffer from less common symptoms, like bad breath, teeth or jaw pain and an earache. These symptoms can vary based on the particular sinuses that are involved, so it is best to check with your doctor even if you don't experience all of the known symptoms.

Treatment of a Chronic Sinus Infection

In order to properly treat a chronic sinus infection, it's probably necessary to discuss with your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment. The first course of treatment is often with antibiotics that may be taken for as long as twelve weeks or until you are free from the known symptoms. You may also receive a prescription for a corticosteroid that will help to bring down the inflammation and swelling inside of the nasal passages and sinus cavities.

Decongestants, antihistamines and expectorants can also provide temporary relief from the congestion and promote drainage. Moisture can also bring relief, in the form of a humidifier, hot packs applied to the face or steam treatments to open airways. If allergies are the cause of the chronic sinus infection, then treatment for allergy may be part of the remedy as well.

A chronic sinus infection can be severe enough to keep you from many of the activities that you love. The good news is that there are plenty of treatment options available that can effectively kick the infection out of your way.

In order for a dental implant to be successful the bone has to be strong enough to hold it. This isn't always possible so an alternative is for a bone graft to be done so it can grow and fill in the gaps that have emerged. The most common area where this occurs is in the upper molars because of the sinus cavities.

The bone used for a dental implant has to come from one of two sources - either from another area on the person getting the implant or from a donor. There are several different methods used for successfully completing the dental implant bone process. In many cases some of the original bone can be stimulated so it will start growing again.

There are several different types of bone that can be used for a dental implant bone procedure. Autogenous bone is self produced and taken from another place on the bone such as the chin or the hips. Block bone grafting involves taking a piece of bone from the body and implanting it. This generally happens when the current bone is very weak. This dental implant bone may need to be in place for up to six months before the tooth implant can be added.

In order to stimulate bone growth there has to be a barrier introduced so tissue won't be able to irritate the bone and hinder the growth process. Tissue is the number one reason why dental implant bone procedures aren't always successful.

An allograft dental implant bone comes from another person, generally a dead person who has donated their body for various procedures. A xenograft is a bone that comes from an animal. Cows can be used for such dental implant bone needs in some instances. Regardless of the source though there is generally several months of healing that have to occur before the bone is secure enough for the tooth to be added.

The process of bone expansion involves using tools to pull the jaw bone apart in the area where the dental implant bone is going to be inserted. Since this bone is thicker and stronger the implant should be able to be added to the bone immediately. If this isn't possible then an alternatives to install plates to line the bone that is weakened.

A dental implant bone procedure is lengthy and expensive. This is a type of surgery that can take significant time and care to recover from properly. Make sure this is only done by a qualified dentist They should explain each of your options to you so you can decide what type of dental implant bone procedure you want to have done. However this is a viable option to help you be able to keep your original teeth and to keep your gums healthy.

I think you realize by now that there are no cheap dental implants, But there are a few tips and ideas that I've gathered that will help you find cheaper implants. In fact -