Celiac Disease

About 1 percent of the U.S. population has celiac disease, an autoimmune and digestive disorder. Sufferers are unable to eat gluten—a protein found in rye, barley, wheat, and more—without triggering an attack on their small intestine. Symptoms vary from person to person, but include: abdominal pain and bloating; chronic diarrhea; vomiting; constipation; and pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stool.  Doctors typically diagnose it with blood tests and stool samples.

While there's no cure, people can manage celiac disease by adopting a gluten-free diet. Within several weeks, inflammation in the small intestine will subside—though accidently eating a product with gluten could cause a flare-up at any time.

Health Benefits of Sugar
 
Today an average person consumes around 24 kilograms of sugar each year (9kg more in industrializes countries), and because of that many scientific studies tried to examine positive and negative effects of this popular food
substance. In all of their findings, some effects could be tested and proven to be true, but many were left conclusive and unfinished. With that thing said, benefits of sugar are much easier to prove than harmful effects.

Sugar can have many positive effects on your life and metabolism. Here they are:

Calorie content– Sugar has a high calorie content that will give your body energy that you lack. However, all that energy is short lived and it can only give your short bust of increased productivity. Because sugar contains four calories per gram, but it lacks nutritious value (no dietary fibers) and because of that sugar is only an added ingredient in many meals.

Diabetes– Scientists have proven that diabetes is a genetic condition that is created from the moment we are born. Eating bad food and lots of sweets and fats can only decrease the efficiency of the pancreas, but in moderate use there are no health risks.

Skin health– Sugar’s glycolic acid can be very helpful in maintaining the health and look of your skin. Using it can help elimination blemishes and restoring the balance in the skin’s oils.

Less processed– Many people use high-fructose corn syrup as a means of sweetening their food, but that product is highly processed and can cause problems to their digestion. Sugars consist only from natural ingredients that can be processed easily by our metabolism.

Blood and insulin benefits- Many foods that have in them glucose are sweet, but our bodies (and especially liver) have larger problem disassembling glucose than fructose that can be found in sugar. Because of this, insulin levels will be greatly increased during the short periods of time, making you feel energetic and powerful. Sadly after that initial rush, drop of insulin will also make you hungry for more sweets. But that is not all.  Because of the influence of sugar’s glucose has on the hormone leptin, you will indeed feel more full than after eating foods with fructose.

Minerals and nutrients– Sugars in their structure have ingredients that are passed to them from their natural sources, sugarcanes or beet. Elements such as phosphorus, calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium will not be greatly present in the industrially refined sugar.

Environment benefits– Sugar is created from natural resources without the use of pesticides and other harmful products, in a way what don pollutes environment. That is not the case with the production of the industrial artificial sweeteners.

It is the last Sunday in April!  May you rejoice, shout and let it all out.  May you have a wonderful, loving, stress free day doing whatever you want to do.  Take the time to give thanks for all you have, all you have gone through or all you are about to go though as YOU are highly favored.  Take care and God bless.

Gangrene is the death of tissue in part of the body.

Causes
Gangrene happens when a body part loses its blood supply. This may happen from injury, an infection, or other causes. You have a higher risk for gangrene if you have:

A serious injury
Blood vessel disease (such as arteriosclerosis, also called hardening of the arteries, in your arms or legs)
Diabetes
Suppressed immune system (for example, from HIV or chemotherapy)
Surgery

Symptoms
The symptoms depend on the location and cause of the gangrene. If the skin is involved, or the gangrene is close to the skin, the symptoms may include:

 
• Discoloration (blue or black if skin is affected; red or bronze if the affected area is beneath the skin)
• Foul-smelling discharge
• Loss of feeling in the area (which may happen after severe pain in the area)

If the affected area is inside the body (such as gangrene of the gallbladder or gas gangrene), the symptoms may include:
 

• Confusion
• Fever
• Gas in tissues beneath the skin
• General ill feeling
• Low blood pressure
• Persistent or severe pain

Exams and Tests
The doctor may diagnose gangrene from a physical examination. In addition, the following tests and procedures may be used to diagnose gangrene:

• Arteriogram (special x-ray to see any blockages in the blood vessels) to help plan treatment for blood vessel disease
• Blood tests (white blood cell [WBC] count may be high)
• CT scan to examine internal organs
• Culture of the tissue or fluid from wounds to identify bacterial infection
• Examining tissue under the microscope to look for cell death
• Surgery to find and remove dead tissue
• X-rays

Treatment
Gangrene requires urgent evaluation and treatment. In general, dead tissue should be removed to allow healing of the surrounding living tissue and prevent further infection. Depending on the area that has the gangrene, the person's overall condition, and the cause of the gangrene, treatment may include:

• Amputating the body part that has gangrene
• An emergency operation to find and remove dead tissue
• An operation to improve blood supply to the area
• Antibiotics
• Repeated operations to remove dead tissue (debridement)
• Treatment in the intensive care unit (for severely ill patients)

Outlook (Prognosis)
What to expect depends on where the gangrene is in the body, how much gangrene there is, and the person's overall condition. If treatment is delayed, the gangrene is extensive, or the person has other significant medical problems, they may die.

Possible Complications
Complications depend on where in the body the gangrene is, how much gangrene there is, the cause of the gangrene, and the person's overall condition.  Complications can include:
 

• Disability from amputation or removal of dead tissue
• Prolonged wound healing or the need for reconstructive surgery, such as skin grafting

Liposuction, also known as lipoplasty ("fat modeling"), liposculpture suction lipectomy ("suction-assisted fat removal") or simply lipo, is a cosmetic surgery operation that removes fat from many different sites on the human body.  Areas affected can range from the abdomen, thighs and buttocks, to the neck, backs of the arms and elsewhere.


Several factors limit the amount of fat that can be safely removed in one session. Ultimately, the operating physician and the patient make the decision. There are negative aspects to removing too much fat. Unusual "lumpiness" and/or "dents" in the skin can be seen in those patients "over-suctioned". The more fat removed, the higher the surgical risk.


While reports of people removing 50 pounds (20 kg or around 4 stone) of fat have been claimed, the contouring possible with liposuction may cause the appearance of weight loss to be greater than the actual amount of fat removed.  The procedure may be performed under general, regional, or local anesthesia. The safety of the technique relates not only to the amount of tissue removed, but to the choice of anesthetic and the patient's overall health. It is ideal for the patient to be as fit as possible before the procedure and not to have smoked for several months.  Relatively modern techniques for body contouring and removal of fat were first performed by a French surgeon, Charles Dujarier. A 1926 case that resulted in gangrene,  in the leg of a French model, in a procedure performed by Dr. Dujarier set back interest in body contouring for decades to follow.

I am very Proud to say, "I served, my brother served and my father served."  Mara Hoskin, Dave Harris and David Harris

The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. It is estimated to be larger than the next 13 largest navies combined in terms of battle fleet tonnage.  The U.S. Navy also has the world's largest carrier fleet, with 10 in service, 2 under construction, 8 more planned and two in active reserve. The service has 317,054 personnel on active  duty and 109,671 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 289 ships in active service and more than 3,700 aircraft.


The navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was essentially disbanded as a separate entity shortly thereafter. It played a major role in the American Civil War, by blockading the Confederacy and seizing control of its rivers. It played the central role in the World War
II defeat of Japan.


The 21st century United States Navy maintains a sizable global presence, deploying in such areas as East Asia, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. It is a blue-water navy with the ability to project force onto the littoral regions of the world, engage in forward areas during peacetime, and rapidly respond to regional crises, making it an active player in U.S. foreign and defense policy.


The Navy is administratively managed by the Department of the Navy, which is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Navy. The Department of the Navy is itself a division of the Department of Defense, which is headed by the Secretary of Defense.  The Chief of Naval Operations is a four-star admiral and the senior naval officer of the Department of the Navy. However, the CNO may not be the highest ranking naval officer in the armed forces if the Chairman or the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are Navy officers, who by law, outrank the CNO.

 “The major difference between impingement and a frozen shoulder is that the arm can actually be raised all the way up once it goes through the painful arc”.

Sub acromial impingement is a fairly common condition. It can be hellishly painful and often causes shoulder
stiffness; for this reason it is often confused with or misdiagnosed as a frozen shoulder. The major difference between impingement and a frozen shoulder is that the arm can actually be raised all the way up once it goes through the painful 'arc'. In a frozen shoulder the stiffness is there in all directions even when someone else tries to lift the arm.

The main symptoms come as you lift your arm up sideways between 70 and 110 degrees; rather confusingly we also call this painful arc syndrome. Painful arc describes the symptom of pain (severe crippling spasm), when the arm is lifted up to shoulder level. You will find it difficult to lye on your affected side at night and getting dressed can be a real ordeal. 

Why does it happen?
The space below the collarbone and the top of the shoulder ball is called the sub acromial space. It is a small
space at the best of times and is a vital conduit for nerves, ligaments and blood vessels. It also contains one very important tendon from the supraspinatus muscle. Over time the supraspinatus tendon can rub on the under surface of the collarbone and become inflamed and swollen, this can also lead to swelling of the bursa (an oily pad that stops tendons rubbing). These swollen structures compromise the already narrow space. The main components within the sub acromial space are:

Supraspinatus tendon
Sub acromial Bursa
Long head of biceps
The shoulder capsule

Various mechanical factors can compromise this space and cause it to become inflamed thus further reducing the already tight space. Risk factors include:

Round-shouldered posture
Overhead
activities
Certain sports such as tennis, baseball and swimming

Occupation
Prolonged carrying
Aging and degeneration of joint margins
(Osteophytes) especially due to roughening underneath the collarbone


Also, some people have different shaped hooked collarbones, which may predispose to impingement. Left untreated the normal shoulder movement fails and these conditions can precipitate full tears of the rotator cuff.

Edema is a normal response of the body to inflammation or injury. For example, a twisted ankle, a bee sting, or a skin infection will all result in edema in the involved area. In some cases, such as in an infection, this may be
beneficial. Increased fluid from the blood vessels allows more infection-fighting white blood cells to enter the affected area.

Edema can also result from medical conditions or problems in the balance of substances normally present in blood. Some of the causes of edema include:

Low albumin (hypoalbuminemia): Albumin and other proteins in the blood act like sponges to keep fluid in the blood vessels. Low albumin may contribute to edema, but isn't usually the sole cause.

Allergic reactions: Edema is a usual component of most allergic reactions. In response to the allergic exposure, the body allows nearby blood vessels to leak fluid into the affected area.
 
Obstruction of flow: If the drainage of fluid from a body part is blocked, fluid can back up. A blood clot in the deep veins of the leg can result in leg edema. A tumor blocking lymph or blood flow will cause edema in the affected area.

Critical illness: Burns, life-threatening infections, or other critical illnesses can cause a whole-body reaction that allows fluid to leak idemanto tissues almost everywhere. Widespread edema throughout the body can result.

Edema and heart disease (congestive heart failure): When the heart weakens and pumps blood less effectively, fluid can slowly build up, creating leg edema. If fluid buildup occurs rapidly, fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema)
can develop.

Edema and liver disease: Severe liver disease (cirrhosis) results in an increase in fluid retention. Cirrhosis also leads to low levels of albumin and other proteins in the blood. Fluid leaks into the abdomen (called ascites), and can also produce leg edema.

Edema and kidney disease: A kidney condition called nephrotic syndrome can result in severe leg edema, and sometimes whole-body edema (anasarca).

Edema and pregnancy: Due to an increase in blood volume during pregnancy and pressure from the growing womb, mild leg edema is common during pregnancy. However, serious complications of pregnancy such as deep vein thrombosis and preeclampsia can also cause edema.

Cerebral edema (brain edema): Swelling in the brain can be caused by head trauma, low blood sodium (hyponatremia), high altitude, brain tumors, or an obstruction to fluid drainage  (hydrocephalus). Headaches,
confusion, and unconsciousness or coma can be symptoms of cerebral edema.

Exercise of the Day:  Upright row with knee lifts.  Stand with feet together, abdominals in and up, chest open, shoulders down and back.  Hold weights/tubbing or bar (your choice) with arms straight down, bend your elbows and lift no higher than the height of your shoulders. Lift alternating knees with upright rows and complete 8-25 reps.