Doctors Without Borders

This is an article about Doctors Without Borders.  If you have thoughts pertinent to the subject, please feel free to add your comments below.

A group of French doctors founded an organization called Medecins Sans Frontieres in 1971. Bernard Kouchner was a co-founder, having worked as an aid volunteer in Biafra, and he decided that a new humanitarian aid network was needed. Also known as Doctors Without Borders, it was set up as a non-political and non-religious organization designed to work in a completely neutral way. Volunteers are chosen to spend time in developing countries affected by natural disasters, war, disease, famine and drought. They include doctors, nurses and surgeons. The volunteers help to deliver emergency medical aid and long term treatment programs with help to combat malnutrition and the effects of contaminated water. Most of the medical staff has had some training in tropical medicine.

Because of the nature of the work, volunteers find themselves in dangerous situations, and have been the victims of attack and politically motivated kidnappings. Two volunteers were killed in Sudan when their plane was shot down during the Sudan Civil War. They have been present in other civil war situations; in the Lebanon, Liberia and Somali to help civilians and refugees. Doctors Without Borders have been involved in other African countries such as Rwanda, the Congo and Uganda. Nutritional programs were developed in Ethiopia during the 1984-1985 famine there. HIV and Aids education programs and drugs treatment is also included in their care.

Whenever possible, the helpers like to introduce campaigns which will benefit the local community in the long term. Doctors Without Borders train local medical staff and set up vaccination drives. The vaccinations are for diseases, some of which hardly exist in developed countries. They include measles, meningitis, yellow fever, diphtheria and polio. They also help to provide clean, drinking water to prevent disease and they test for Aids. Treatment is given for malaria, cholera, ebola and tuberculosis. Dehydration can often result in diarrhea.

The organization has been involved in over 70 countries now. The first mission was to Nicaragua in 1972 to help victims of the earthquake, followed by a period in Honduras after a hurricane hit. From 1975-1979, volunteers ran refugee camps in Thailand to give shelter to Cambodians who were fleeing for their lives from the Khymer Rouge. Refugees were helped again, in Afghanistan as a result of the Soviet invasion. More earthquake victims were helped in 1986 in El Salvador when the population was in dire need of a pure, water supply.

This commendable organization was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 and continues its commitment to providing medical aid. It also puts pressure on pharmaceutical companies in its bid to bring affordable drugs to the developing world. Relying for the majority of its funding from private donors, Doctors Without Borders helps those most in need, without regard to color, race or religion.

Our contributing editor, James Monroe, takes an interest in all humanitarian efforts.  He has volunteered for a number of different organizations himself. 

South Beach Diet Gains in Popularity

This is an article about the South Beach Diet. We hope that you find it both interesting and informative. If you have thoughts pertaining to the subject, please feel free to share your comments below.

The South Beach Diet has become one of the best known of the myriad number of diet programs out on the market. The popularity may very well be because the author is a medical doctor, a heart specialist to be accurate. The diet was actually designed for cardiac health, not weight loss, but it worked for that too.

The South Beach Diet is becoming popular for a variety of reasons; it is not a low-fat, low-carbohydrate, or high-protein diet. It teaches dieters to eat only healthy carbohydrates and fats, not simple sugars and saturated fats that can lead to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and general poor health. The South Beach Diet is easier to stay on for life, because it teaches how to eat in a healthy manner and improve your lifestyle as well. It eliminates cravings for all those bad carbohydrates and fats that we all love but that are very bad for us. After you have been on the diet for a while, you will not crave any of those foods anymore, and if by chance, you do have a little something, it won’t taste as good to you as it did before you started the South Beach Diet.

Many of use have very poor eating habits, and are constantly tempted by fast food, super-sized portions, and generally by a bunch of unhealthy chemicals that cause a great amount of damage to our bodies. We all want to be fit and healthy. Regular exercise should also be incorporated into your life, and when combined with the South Beach Diet, will help jumpstart your metabolism and help you reach your goal weight that much faster. Once you reach your desired weight, you have retrained yourself how to choose a variety of healthy foods that can be used in many great recipes. Long-term success in weight maintenance through diet and exercise has always been attributed to not succumbing to repetition and boredom. By eating a variety of healthy foods prepared in different ways keeps your palate and taste buds interested, therefore you are not tempted to just grab whatever is available. Exercise also has its obvious benefits and the same principles apply as with your food choices; variation in your work out will benefit your body and mind, and will keep you engaged and not bored.

The South Beach Diet teaches a new way to think about food, how to shop for food, meal planning, and what choices to make when dining out. It deciphers the difference between good and bad carbohydrates, as well as good and bad fats. Most people that have incorporated the South Beach Diet into their lives don’t even feel like they are on a diet, because they don’t feel deprived and suffer from cravings, like they have on other diets. Check out www.southbeachdiet.com or buy the South Beach Diet book. Soon you will be on your way to a new healthy you, and a different, better way of life!

Alternative Herbal Medicine making inroads

This is an article focusing on alternative herbal medicine.  We hope that you find this article both interesting and informative.  If you have thoughts about this topic, plese feel free to leave your comments below.

As long as anyone can remember there have been herbal remedies.  It hasn’t been until recent history though that they have been called alternative herbal medicine.  After all, most medicines started out as an herbal remedy of some sort or another.  So investigating this option as an optioin to what has become standard medicine isn’t unreasonable.

I’ve had a pretty weak immune system ever since I was a kid, so I’ve had more than my fair share of illnesses over the years. I’ve never gone through a single year without getting several bad colds, the flu, or even worse. As a result of my poor health, I’ve become very familiar with both over-the-counter and prescription medications. I never gave my medications a second thought until I read a published report that said these drugs might be doing more harm than good in some cases. That’s when I decided to look into alternative herbal medicine.

One advantage of alternative herbal medicine is that it’s all natural and chemical-free. This means that there’s zero chance of becoming addicted to the medication, which is definitely not the case with prescription drugs. Another advantage is that alternative herbal medicine is often much cheaper than the products put out by major pharmaceutical companies. With prescription costs rising all over the country (prompting thousands of people to cross the border to Canada to buy their medications), this low cost makes alternative herbal medicine even more attractive. A third reason that someone might choose alternative herbal medicine is because of allergies. For example, I am allergic to acetaminophen, which is a common pain reliever and fever reducer in over-the-counter medications, so I need to find a different way to treat those problems.

When I tell people that I prefer alternative herbal medicine, I am often met with puzzled looks. The most common question I get is if I’m taking alternative herbal medicine because of religious reasons. While it’s true that some people might be doing so, that’s not the case for me. I would just rather treat my illnesses as naturally as possible rather than infusing my body with all kinds of chemicals that may turn out to be harmful in some way.

The second most common question I get is whether or not alternative herbal medicine actually works. I was genuinely surprised by the number of people that apparently think alternative herbal medicine is just a sham. Of course I haven’t tried all the products out there, but the ones I’ve used have worked wonderfully well for me. I have used alternative herbal medicine to successfully treat colds, the flu, headaches, digestive disorders, and even a mild case of arthritis.

I’m by no means saying that alternative herbal medicine will work equally well for everyone and for every type of health problem out there. But there’s no harm in at least giving these products a chance. So if you’re looking for a different way to treat common ailments, then I suggest checking out alternative herbal medicine right now.

Our article is not intended to help you make unguided medical decisions.  Whether to take herbal medications or not must be made with the advise and counsel of trusted professionals, freinds, and family.

Aloe vera benefits are proven

As an individual interested in healthy livin, we hope you find this article on Aloe Vera helpful, as well as being interesting and informative. If you feel we have left anyting out please feel free to leave a comment. We look forwardto your input.

Aloe is a genus of plants belonging to the Asphodelaceae family, and is related to onions and asparagus. The Aloe genus appears naturally in Africa, although many members of the genus are popular houseplants and can be found around the world. The most famous member of the genus is Aloe Vera, known for its medicinal uses and applications.

Though there are several common medical uses for Aloe Vera, the most frequent use of the plant is in the form of a topical gel. Gels made from Aloe Vera are used to treat burns and minor scrapes. Aloe Vera benefits range from soothing inflammation, pain relief, and a reduction in the likelihood of infection. Studies have also shown that regular use of an Aloe Vera based gel will actually speed the healing process in minor wounds, and even severe burns. It has been used in this capacity for hundreds of years. The thick leaves can be snapped open, and the moist open ends of the leave can be rubbed onto a burn or scrape directly.

Aloe plants, including Aloe Vera, have also found medicinal uses internally. Used in this way primarily as a laxative, the juice from aloe can be dried into a dark powder composed of yellowish granules that are quite bitter to taste. Internal use of Aloe is marketed as a treatment for coughs, ulcers, muscle pain, headaches, and even cancer and HIV. The only proven Aloe Vera benefit in internal use is the relief of constipation. Additionally, even in this use, internal use of the plant has a number of side effects, can cause nausea, and should not be taken by women who may be pregnant.

In industrialized areas, the moisture form the Aloe leaves are extracted and made into the popular gel most people are familiar with. In more recent years, it has become more popular than ever and has found its way into skin lotions, cosmetic products, shampoos, lip balms, soaps and sunscreens. Some Aloe Vera benefits include a strong moisturizing capacity, and its extract contains a number of vitamins and minerals that are believed to promote healthy skin. It is a very gentle substance in itself, so one of the benefits of Aloe Vera is that it can be used in sensitive areas, such as around the eyes. It seems that the only thing that isn’t listed here is using it to freshen bad breath.
There is a lot of hype and mystery surrounding the Aloe genus, especially its most popular member Aloe Vera. Clearly, many Aloe Vera benefits are proven, especially the ones involved in external use and in skin care. Its benefits for internal use are somewhat dubious, however.