Lessons From My Cat

I own two cats, and they never stop teaching me things. One cat, however, has taught me about things I didn't want to have to learn. His name is Dude. He is one of those man's man, male cats, but fixed, of course. In the cat world, he would be the dominant male, yet you can do anything to him - hold him upside down, throw him up in the air - he loves it. But, if you try to medicate him, even if it's natural, watch out! Not only does he react by physically doing all he can to get away, but his body has a strong reaction to chemicals both unnatural and natural. So anything to treat fleas, mites, or even therapeutic oils to help him get over a cold are a no go. When he developed itchy ears, I had no idea what I was in for.
It started a few years ago. His ears were getting itchy and I thought it could be mites. I attempted to drop mite oil in hes ears, but getting it in his ears posed quite a battle, so I let it go for a while. Big mistake. Soon he moved on to pulling the fur on his back out and was getting very jumpy and itchy. I believed he was developing allergies to his environment, so I stopped using harsh chemicals. It seemed to keep things down to a dull roar... until we moved. This stress and who knows what in his new environment sent him over the edge. The fur pulling got worse, the jumping and itchiness got worse, then his chin turned purple and began to ulcer. I though he was going to die. He hid most of the day, was depressed, his fur was greasy and yuck and it was becoming hard for him to swallow. In the mean time, I started reading up on what could be going wrong. It looked like a yeast overgrowth problem and incorrect diet. So out with the junk (foods containing grains and a lot of starches - bad for cats, worse for yeast) and in with a species appropriate diet. No more dry cat food... at all. Add in a few herbs, garlic, it is a big antimicrobial player, coconut oil, another major antimicrobial with great anti-fungal benefits, and some probiotics to repopulate his gut with good flora and push out the yeast. The turn around was remarkable. He wants to be loved on again, he is playing with his brother again, he is eating well again, and he is behaving more like that man's man cat again. Is he all better? No. It is going to take time a diligence to get him back to proper health, but this is a good start.
Why do I tell his story? A lot of us are in similar boats. We are heavier than we should be, unhappy, depressed, suffering from things like rashes and illnesses we don't need to be suffering from, masking symptoms with medications or waiting things out to see if it gets better on its own. One of the biggest culprits for our problems? Poor diet. It has been drilled into us to eat in an unhealthful way. It's also cheaper to eat those foods that are not good for us... so we do. How do we turn it all around? How do we get our bodies and minds back? How do we get our happiness and energy back? Slowly. One step at a time, and it begins with what we put in our mouths.
Some tips and even a trick. Like Dude, it's going to take time. We didn't get here overnight and it's not going to resolve overnight. A great place to start is with what we drink. Replace one drink at a time until all sugary, artificially sweetened and caffeine filled drinks are replaced with water. Then it is time to move to the foods we eat. Replace one junk food a day with a vegetable until all junk foods are gone and vegetables are eaten instead. Make sure to get at least one leafy green serving per day by the time replacing is done. Corn is not a vegetable, it is a grain. Also leave out white potatoes for now, they can be added back in later when cravings aren't there anymore. Next, work on grains. Start by making the amount eaten in a sitting no larger than the size of a fist. When that is under control, start replacing with whole grains, then with non-gluten grains. If gluten doesn't bother you, then it's okay to get those a couple of times a week. Just vary your grains. What about meat. Many of us need it, many of us don't. If you need it, work on getting your serving sizes down to the size of the palm of your hand, then begin switching to organic, free range meats and dairy, if you do well with dairy. Dairy is often a food area we need to omit to feel well. Just try a couple of weeks without it and see if you feel better.
Want to jump in with both feet? Do what I had to do with Dude... no sugar, sweeteners, starches, or grains of any kind for at least a week. See if it doesn't lessen your cravings for these foods. Implement the above suggestions when the week is over.
This is only a place to start. There is so much more to feeling better than just food, and even just dealing with the food changes can be difficult. Get help. You need support, and there are plenty of places to get it. Groups, friends, even family can all be great sources of support, but if you need support and want help figuring out what works best for you, your body and your lifestyle, consider hiring a health coach. A health coach is a person who is on your side to help you navigate your choices and decisions, to support, guide, and hold that space for you to move into a life and style that works well for you.

Jennifer M. Clark is the owner of Nurturing Wellbeing and creator of YOUR Body Reset. She is a certified Health Coach and is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners as a Holistic Health Practitioner.

What Is a Hormone?

Animals have two types of hormones namely the exocrine and the endocrine hormones. The exocrine hormones are first secreted into a duct before flowing into the blood system. On the other hand; the endocrine hormones directly enter the bloodstream after secretion.
What are the effects of hormones in the body?
Hormones have the following effects in our bodies:
* They are useful in the psychological preparation for fighting, mating fleeing and other activities.
* Physical changes and development during various stages of life e.g puberty and menopause.
* Inhibition or stimulation of growth.
* Activation of the inhibition of the immune system.
* Change of moods.
* Regulation of the metabolism rate.
* Sexual arousal.
* Control of the reproductive cycle.
In general, hormones play many vital roles in our bodies.
Different Classes of Hormones
We have three classes of vertebrate hormones. These are:
* The peptide hormones (made up of a chain of amino acids).
* Lipid hormones (derived from lipids and phospholipids.
* Monoamines (derived from the phenylalanine, tryptophan and tyrosine.
Important Hormones and Their roles in our Bodies
As we've already seen, hormones play very vital roles in the human body. Let us now have a look at some of the most important human hormones and the specific roles that they perform.
Aldosterone
This hormone is secreted from the outer adrenal cortex by the adrenal gland. It plays a key role by promoting the re-absorption of sodium in the kidneys, increasing water retention in the body and promoting increase in blood volume.
Anti-diuretic Hormone
Also known as the ADH, this hormone originates from the pituitary gland. It helps in the vasoconstriction and water retention in the kidneys.
Cholecystokinin (CCK)
Cholecystokinin is secreted in the duodenum. This hormone helps in the production of the digestive hormones, suppression of hunger and drug tolerance. Its main role is to ensure a proper digestion and satisfaction of cravings.
Folicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
FSH is secreted in the anterior pituitary gland. It plays a very crucial role in the maturation of the female productive system (the graafian follicles). It is also responsible for some physical changes that occur during puberty.
Growth Hormone
Commonly referred to as GH, this hormone originates from the anterior pituitary. Its main role is to trigger cell production and regeneration. It strengthens the muscles and the bones as one grows. It enhances protein synthesis thus increasing one's bulk of muscles. Basically, it controls the growth of all the body organs except the brain.
Insulin
Last but definitely not least is the insulin. This hormone is produced by the beta cells found in the pancreas. Insulin is very vital in maintaining the blood sugar levels. It is also involved in several other metabolic processes.
Just to summarize, the concept of hormones is really wide and detailed. However, I hope that this write-up will provide you with good background knowledge on the same.

Best Practices for Effective Treatments

One of the most lucrative tourism segments that are gaining momentum across the globe is Medical Tourism. Every year people in large number travel to various destinations to receive top class medical treatments at affordable price. There are various reasons behind people picking up medical tourism as a travel option such as non affordability of the required treatment, no insurance cover for the required treatment or the treatment simply not available in their own country. As a medical tourist, it is very important for a person to consider some important things while travelling to a foreign country for health care reasons. Listed below are the travel tips that will ensure a safe and successful medical travel experience.

Intensive Groundwork
The experience of abroad visit for receiving medical treatment can be dismaying at times. Hence research work is an important factor before planning a medical travel. Right from choosing a right country to right hospital and doctor to have your treatment done, one must go into minute detailing before taking further step. Scroll down and read about the following things that you must research on.

a) Undergoing Procedure

The first and foremost thing that one must consider is the undergoing procedure. Find out what you will achieve from the surgery and does it match up to your expectations. Also inquire about how much time it will take in recovery process, cost of the treatment and possible risks and complications.

b) Hospital Appraisal

Due to the rising popularity of medical tourism, more and more hospitals in abroad are entering into this business to woo the lucrative foreign tourist segment. But do they all are certified to serve you with the best medical procedure? While selecting the hospital, you must check about its accreditation such as Joint Commission International (JCI), Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP), Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) and International Standard Organization (ISO), honors & accolades and high standards in terms of facilities and equipments. Also check about the success ratio of the hospital.

c) Doctor Appraisal

Do check about the qualifications, reputation and experience of the doctors in the designated field who might be treating you.

d) Country Appraisal

A thorough research about the country you are visiting for medical care is essential before boarding the plane. Find out which country is best for providing the required medical procedure and the cost involved. The distance between the home country and travel destination must be considered because your doctor may not permit long distance travel.

Keep in Touch With Your Local Doctor

Be in contact with your local doctor and tell him about your decision of abroad travel for medical treatment. You may need his assistance in accumulating the health reports required by the overseas hospital as well as for post treatment checkups after returning home.

Documents must be kept in Order

Always be well prepared when you are travelling overseas for medical treatment. Keep a check whether all required documents are with you or not. Make copies for each document that you require:

a) Passport & Visa

Passport is essential for you and your companion while travelling from one country to another. Depending on the country you are travelling to, you may or may not require visa. Consult with the embassy of the destination country for that.

b) Credit & Debit Cards

Keep one or two debit and credit cards besides some local currency as you might need them in case of emergency.

c) Driver's License

If you intend to drive in abroad, make sure that your driving license is valid and remain with you throughout the travel. Some countries may require international driving license in addition to your driving license. Consult with the embassy of the destination country about the requirement.

d) Medical records

Medical reports such as X-rays, MRI, medicine prescriptions and pre - surgery records relevant for the treatment must be there with you at the time of journey.

Handy and Emergency Contact Information

You must possess emergency contact information like relatives and friends, information about the destination country's embassy, hospital information, information of the hotel you are staying in, contact details of your local doctor, employer and insurance company and International contact details of your bank.

Medical Answering Services - Tips For Choosing One

Having a professional answering service in place is the latest and probably the most favorable trend that is being pursued by the medical services. The key to excel in the medical service domain is to consider the needs, concerns, and questions of your patients and customers as prime. Remember, health is a sensitive issue for one and all. Therefore, common people would be more inclined to stick to services providers who go all out to provide suitable responses to their questions, sorting out their concerns and restoring complete peace of mind. And instead of subjecting yourself to tremendous stress trying to answer each and every question, make necessary calls as well as field questions, it would always be better to consider outsourcing medical answering services to take care of it all, for a fee.
Selecting a Physician Answering Service-Some Useful Pointers
Listed below are certain important aspects you need to take note of when selecting an answering service for healthcare or medical facilities:
• Always make sure the answering company provides services round the clock. Or else, what would be the purpose of having an answering service in place in the first place? Often, healthcare answering services would be catering to emergency medical care even hours after the healthcare facility has officially closed down. Calls would be connected directly to doctors who would address concerns and advice hospital visit if required. These gestures would be truly appreciated by your clients.
• The answering company you select should be able to channelize calls to the right people as quickly as possible. If a patient has called in for an urgent question, waiting endlessly for the call to be addressed could be frustrating.
• Another important aspect to consider when hiring a medical answering company would be the HIPAA training. Nothing could be of more importance than preserving the privacy and safety of the medical information your patients share with you. Therefore, the company must be engaging professionals who have received HIPAA training before taking on calls. In addition, regular updates with respect to HIPAA training must also be provided to the staff so that they can comprehend privacy laws prevailing in the state, in entirety. This is because in case of information leaks, the reputation of your healthcare service would be entirely at stake.
• When it comes to the price, you would need to carry out a precise budgeting exercise right at the outset. Make sure you look for the service providers that incorporate all the services you are looking to avail of within the given budget. You might also have to carry out a complete market survey in order to come to terms with the prevailing rates for drawing up a realistic budget before negotiating deals.
Choosing an ideal professional answering service could indeed be a matter of time. But, you need to make sure your quest has been planned well in order to arrive at the most suitable choice. Choosing in haste might lead to the most inadequate choices.