When you have made the momentous task of deciding you want to have a family you can assist with the conception of the baby by carrying out the following things.

It is not just the female who should prepare herself for pregnancy. Males have an important role to play too and this should not be overlooked.

If both sets of parents are in top physical health pre pregnancy then this should assist in the maximisation of a healthy sperm, ova and uterus and thus ensure a healthy pregnancy.

Some experts believe that if both sets of parents have prepared then this can reduce and in many cases eliminate infertility, pregnancy and birth problems.

The Planning Stage

Conception can be a difficult issue for some couples. Fertility problems are on the increase and it has been noted that there is a general decline in a males sperm count compared to previous times. There are many reasons for this including stress, smoking, alcohol, poor diet and nutrition, tight fitting male undergarments aswell as the taking of controlled substances. Once it has been decided to start a family, most females will not get pregnant straight away. It can take a female anything up to two years after coming off the contraception pill before she is ready to conceive.

Alcohol

Alcohol can reduce fertility. It can cause a decrease in sperm counts and increase abnormal sperm. It ca also prevent the body absorb vital nutrients such as zinc that are essential prior to conception. Foetal Alcohol

Syndrome (FAS) can result in under weight and under length babies aswell as organic failure to thrive after delivery. There can be other problems later in life such as behavioural problems, hyperactivity to name but a few.

A female who is planning her pregnancy should stop drinking a few months prior to conception. This applies to the male aswell. Heavy drinking sessions should be avoided at all costs. She should avoid alcohol for the time of her pregnancy and also for the time she is breastfeeding if applicable.

Smoking

This can be not only a factor in reducing a males sperm count but can also affect the actual pregnancy itself resulting in premature babies and babies born with congenital malformations. Both parents should give up smoking prior to conception. When pregnant it is best to avoid smoky atmospheres. Also there has been found to be a link with smoking after birth in the presence of the baby and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Drugs

It is advisable for both sets of parents like smoking and alcohol to stop taking drugs whether illegal substances, prescribed or over the counter medication prior to conception. All can have an adverse affect on conception.

Taking illegal substances can have severe affects on your baby whilst within the womb and can result in low birth weights or miscarriages. The drugs affect not only the mother but the baby aswell and the baby can have severe withdrawal symptoms

similar to adults when he or she is born. It is advisable to ask for suitable advice from your doctor of pharmacist prior to taking any form of medication.

Four Month Rule

In all cases of alcohol, smoking and drugs it is advisable to stop taking these four months prior to conception. Not only will both sets of parents benefit it will ensure the optimum health of your unborn baby.

Weight

Both males and females should ensure they are at their ideal body weight pre conception. Being either over weight or under weight can affect female’s chances of becoming pregnant as the female can stop ovulating. A female should therefore try and maintain a healthy and nutritional diet prior to conception as this will assist the balance of hormones needed to maximise the chance of conceiving.

Diet

It cannot be stressed enough how health and nutrition are extremely important pre pregnancy.

The following play food groups can play an important part in affecting your chances of conceiving

Fats

Fibre

Carbohydrates

Protein

Fats

Not all fats are bad for you. Fats can be split up into two groups &ndash polyunsaturated fats and saturated fats.

Polyunsaturated fats are essential to the human diet and can help maintain good skin, hormonal balance and can assist in reproduction. These fats can be found in nuts, seeds and oily fish such as sardines or mackerel.

Saturated fats can lead to weight gain and clogged arteries. They should be kept to a minimum in your diet. These fats can be found in bread, cakes, eggs, dairy products including milk and cheese and meat.

Fibre

To achieve a healthy and balanced diet fibre plays an essential part. It assists in digestion and helps to keep the bowels healthy and prevents constipation. It also ensures that nutrients are stored within the body. A high fibre diet assists a female in conception as it enables the body to get rid of any impurities and this in turn will

help the reproductive system be at an optimum level. Fibre can be found in all fresh fruit and vegetables, all types of beans, whole-grains such as brown breads, rice and pastas aswell as in nuts and seeds.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates can like fats be split up into two groups, simple and complex.

The body sources its energy from the carbohydrates we eat.

It is advisable to eat as much complex carbohydrates as possible. These can be found in whole grain foods and wholemeal flours such as brown rice, potatoes and wholegrain pastas.

Simple carbohydrates contain sugars, sweeteners and fats and nothing else of nutritional value. They are mostly found in jams, cakes, biscuits and other sweet tasting snacks. Eating too many simple carbohydrates not only affects your weight but can also cause fluctuations in your blood sugar levels. This may have an affect on your hormonal cycle.

It is advisable therefore to cut down on these types of carbohydrates or at best avoid them.

Protein

A healthy diet is high in protein. A diet low in protein can reduce female’s chances of conception. Conception for both vegetarians and vegans may have to be boosted from other sources of protein

By hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland is producing too less hormones to stimulate the metabolism or the body is not able to utilize the hormones. The lack of thyroid hormones slows down the metabolism and thus all the activities in the body, giving a combination of many symptoms related to slowness of bodily processes.

Hypothyroidism is common, but the frequency of the condition is not well determined. Some authorities estimate that 0.5% of the total American population have the disease to some degree. The frequency is much greater among people over 50 years of age than among young people.

THE SYMPTOMS AND COMPLICATIONS OF HYPOTHYROIDISM

The most common early symptoms are: Mental and physical fatigue, weakness, weight gain or over-weight, and depression.

One or more of these symptoms also use to appear early: Constipation, sensitivity to coldness, cold hands and feet, thick tongue, decreased sweating, dry hair, thin brittle hair, thin brittle nails, muscle and joint pain, pale or yellowish skin.

One or more of these symptoms usually appear later: Poor memory, slow thought process, drowsiness, slow speech, thinning of eyebrows, hoarseness, poor circulation, dry and flaky skin, decreased taste and smell, menstrual irregularities, skin thickening, puffy face, puffy hands and feet, swelling of extremities, overall swelling, muscle spasms, muscle atrophy, joint stiffness.

In children or young persons hypothyroidism may give developmental problems, like disturbed tooth development and short stature.

Hypothyroidism increases the risk of elevated cholesterol levels, heart disease and diabetes (diabetes mellitus). This occurs even by moderately decreased thyroid production.

THE THYROID GLAND AND ITS HORMONES

To understand the hypothyroidism, some knowledge about the thyroid gland and its hormones is essential.

The thyroid gland produces hormones that accelerate and in other wise regulate metabolism. A part of metabolism is the process of breaking down energy containing nutrients, and using the energy to produce molecules that all the processes and activities in the body use as fuel. Another part is the production of molecules that the body use as building materials.

The thyroid makes four hormones: Thyroxin (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), diiodothyronine (T2) and monoiodothyronine (T1). The hormones contain iodine, and the figures tell about the number of iodine atoms in each hormone molecule. T3 is not made directly, but is produced from T4. T3 is a more efficient hormone than T4. Therefore this conversion is important.

The pituitary, a gland under the brain, produces a hormone called thyrotropin or thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) that enhances the activity of the thyroid gland. If the body has too less thyroid hormone in the blood, the pituitary produces more thyrotropin. This makes the thyroid gland speed up its own production. By a too heavy thyroid hormone concentration, less thyrotropin is produced by the pituitary, and the thyroid gland slows down. This feed-back mechanism regulates the metabolism of the whole body.

THE MECHANISMS AND CAUSES OF HYPOTHYROIDISM

By hypothyroidism the body does not get enough thyroid hormone, or the hormones do not work effectively in the body. This causes the metabolism to slow down. When the metabolism decreases, the processes in the body do not get enough fuel and building materials, and all the body activities will therefore slow down. Energy containing nutrient will also be stored as fat, since they are not broken down.

Serious variants of hypothyroidism are called myxedema. This is a rare condition. However, less serious, but painful variants are common. There are several reasons for hypothyroidism, each giving a variant of the disease:

*An autoimmune reaction against the thyroid tissue can destroy the capability of the thyroid gland to produce hormones (for example Hashimoto’s disease).

*Sometimes the production of T3 by conversion from T4 is impaired. The total amount of hormones may be normal in these cases, but the body is still lacking T3, and gets the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

*Iodine deficiency can cause hypothyroidism, since the thyroid hormones contain iodine. In Europe and America the food is seldom short in iodine, but bad nutrition may result in iodine deficiency.

*Surgery or radiation at the thyroid area can destroy enough tissue to cause hypothyroidism.

*Injury or disease in the pituitary or of the part of the brain controlling the pituitary may cause a decrease in secreted thyrotropin, and then the thyroid will respond by producing less of its own hormones with hypothyroidism as a result.

*Some people have symptoms of hypothyroidism even though the amount of thyroid hormone in the blood is normal. One of the symptoms is raised levels of thyrotropin, indicating that the body signals need for more thyroid hormones. This variant may be caused by conditions elsewhere in the body that make it difficult for the hormone to reach their destination in the cells. In many of these cases the immune system produces anti-bodies against the thyroid hormones. This variant is called sub-clinical hypothyroidism, and responds to the same treatment as ordinary hypothyroidism.

*Some types of food can contribute to a depressed thyroid function or aggravate hypothyroidism when eaten raw in great amounts: Brussel sprouts, broccoli, corn oil, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, radishes, rutabaga, soy and turnips. By cooking these vegetables, the depressing effect is decreased.

*Factors suspected for causing hypothyroidism are: The artificial sweetener aspartame, mercury pollution, dental fillings containing mercury, fluoride and heavy metal pollution.

HOW CAN HYPOTHYROIDISM BE TREATED

For serious hypothyroidism caused by tissue destruction, external supplement of thyroid hormones is necessary.

When the condition is caused by lack of iodine in the diet, dietary changes and iodine supplements will be a part of the treatment.

Less serious, but painful hypothyroidism is sometimes also treated with hormone supplements. In these cases it is difficult to find the right dose, and treatment may result in hormone poisoning.

You can sometimes alleviate hypothyroidism by reducing the amount of food suspected for depressing the thyroid function: Brussel sprouts, broccoli, corn oil, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, radishes, rutabaga, soy, soy products and turnips. However, these food types are valuable in many ways, so it is probably not wise to cut them out totally. Also try to avoid artificial ingredients like the sweetener aspartame, conserving additives and fluoride.

Changing out mercury dental fillings and avoiding mercury or heavy metal exposure may help to ameliorate the condition.

You may also alleviate the condition by eating food that stimulates the thyroid function according to practical experience: Chia seed, dulse, fish from the ocean, flax seed, pumpkin seed, seaweed, coconut and brewer yeast.

You can find nutritional supplements to help for hypothyroidism. The compositions of these products vary:

*They may contain building materials that the thyroid uses to make its hormones, for example: iodine, acetyl-L-tyrosine or L-phenylalanine.

*They may also contain vitamins and minerals that stimulate the mechanism of hormone production by being a part of necessary enzymes, or by helping the absorption of the ingredients that hormones are made from, like: Magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper and vitamin E.

*They may furthermore contain constituents that stimulate tissue regeneration by being part of tissue building enzymes, and thus helping to restore a degraded thyroid, for example: Folic acid or folate, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid or pantothenate), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cyanocobalamin) and molybdenum.

Depression also called as “The Common Cold of Mental Health” is a mental health disorder that affects your body, mood, and thoughts. It even affects your everyday routine like the way you eat, the way you sleep, the way you think, and the way you feel about yourself. The people who’s suffering from depression may experience difficulty with their short term memory. Negative thoughts and thinking also occurs in their mind. They always feel that they are sad and hopeless and the results of these are poor self esteem, excessive guilt and self-criticism. When they reached their serious depression, they have self-destructive thoughts. For some people, because of the negative emotions being experienced, they lack motivation and concentration they no longer enjoy activities that they once found pleasant experienced.

Some types of depression run in families, indicating that a biological vulnerability to depression can be inherited. This seems to be the case especially with bipolar disorder. Studies have been done of families in which members of each generation develop bipolar disorder. The investigators found that those with the illness have a somewhat different genetic makeup than those who do not become ill. However, the reverse is not true. That is, not everybody with the genetic makeup that causes vulnerability to bipolar disorder has the illness. Apparently, additional factors, possibly a stressful environment, are involved in its onset.

Psychotherapy can help treat depression. A significant number (50 percent) of patients with mild to moderate forms of depression obtain substantial symptom relief with psychotherapy. Many patients begin to feel the effects of psychotherapy in the first few weeks. Full remission rather than improvement is the objective of treatment. If there is no symptom improvement at all within 6 weeks, the choice of treatment modality should be reevaluated. For patients who improve but who are still symptomatic after 12 weeks, treatment with medication is a strong consideration.

Maintenance Antidepressant medication is the most commonly known treatment strategy for mental health disorders. How do they work? It depends on the type of antidepressant. Basically, depression medicines alter brain chemistry by effecting neurotransmitters, the brain’s chemical substances which are responsible for various functions within the body. Anti-depressants are also used to treat other psychiatric and medical conditions. To obtain medications for depression, you need a prescription from a doctor, which can be filled at a pharmacy. A common mistake is stopping antidepressant medications without talking to your doctor first. Many people stop because of side effects and never talk to their doctor about other options. Now there are many different types of medicine for depression. Sometimes it may take several tries to find the right anti depression medication for you. The best antidepressant will be prescribed based on many factors such as the symptoms you’re experiencing, other medicines you’re taking, other medical conditions you have and the antidepressant’s potential side effects.

Your colon is a place for other parasites and organisms to breed and live. Many are harmful to your health and enter the body in various ways ? foods we eat, through the bottom of your feet, air you breathe, the water you drink, and through sexual activity.

What do we find in your colon? We find single cell protozoan, molds, parasites, fungus, viruses, bacteria, worms (round worms), and yeast (candida albicans),. By eliminating constipation, eating more fruits and vegetables, cleaning and detoxifying your colon, you can rid yourself of many parasites. There are herbal formulas that will help you purge these unwanted organisms out.

Now, don’t think you don’t have parasites and other organisms in your colon. It is reported that 1 in 6 people have parasites in their body.

Symptoms created when you have parasites are not always clear-cut. Occasionally there are no symptoms. So, doctors are not always able say when your symptoms or illnesses are created by parasites. You can suffer from parasites for years without knowing why you don’t have good health or just feel run down all the time.

Some common types of parasites are:

* Round worms ? can be up to 14 inches. You can get round worms by eating unproperly cooked meat or by handling dogs or cats infested with round worms.

* Tapeworms ? can be acquired by eating unproperly cooked beef, pork, and fish.

* Pinworms ? are mostly found in children who get them from other children by touching their infected clothing, toys and dirty hands.

* Giardiasis ? is a protozoan that is common among travelers. This parasite is found in untreated water, contaminated food, and can be transmitted sexually.

* Bistoplasma capsulatum ? is an infectious fungus that is found in dirt or in soil. This fungus can cause lung diseases.

There are many good parasite remedies such as olive leaf extract, black walnut, wormwood, and grape seed extract. If you have bloating, loose bowels, excess gas, or other gastrointestinal conditions, try taking olive leaf extract or a drop or two of grape seed extract each day.

While everybody else is wandering around enjoying the spring weather, are you hiding out in your hermetically-sealed house? Do you dread the start of poolside parties because your date is going to be a box of tissues? If so, like so many of us, allergies may be running your life.

Why me? And why allergies?

An allergy is caused when your body releases chemicals to ward off foreign bodies trying to make their way into your blood stream. These chemicals are also released when you pollen or pet dander enter your nose and drift onto your eyes - causing those itchy, runny, congested feelings!

And sometimes the cure’s worse than the disease: many over-the-counter medicines have unpleasant side effects like dry mouth and drowsiness. You end up like Snow White’s favorite dwarves are running your life: Sneezy, Grumpy, Sleepy and Dopey!

Before you give the fight up as hopeless, though, maybe it’s time for a quick visit to Doc! He or she may suggest Nasonex for allergy relief.

Why might my doctor recommend Nasonex?

Nasonex is a gentle nasal spray that relieves allergy symptoms. It gently covers the lining of your nose with a fine mist of steroids. Unlike steroids that you hear about in the news, these won’t give you muscles like Governor Schwarzenegger! Instead, it reduces the release of those allergy chemicals in your nose and stops that itchy-runny-sneezy cycle before it takes off! Except for people who have glaucoma or cataracts, Nasonex can be a safe, non-drowsy path to allergy relief.

Some things to know before you start using Nasonex

If you feel a little squeamish about introducing things into your nostrils, don’t worry. The tip of the applicator won’t hurt your tender nose, and the spray doesn’t sting, though the sensation may take getting used to. Most people only need to take it once a day, so a couple of little “sppffs” with the applicator and you’ll be ready to go!

Your body will start responding to the medication in a little as two days and - whew! - Your allergy symptoms will start to calm down. You should get the full effect in one to two weeks, so hang tight as the medication starts to work!

You might have side effects like sore throat, nasal dryness and headache. If they become as much of a hassle as the allergies, or if you feel like they’re getting worse, you should check with your doctor to make sure that your dose is right and this is the best medication for you.

A few rare side effects require immediate attention. Stop the medication and talk to a doctor immediately if you see blood in your throat or nasal mucus or you experience an unexplained weight loss. If you find yourself getting unusually thirsty or urinating more than usual, again, it’s time to see a doctor as soon as possible. Lastly, if you’ve been exposed to chicken pox or measles while taking this medication, talk to your prescribing doctor as soon as possible.

The happy ending

For most people, one to two weeks is all the time it takes for Nasonex to take full effect. You’ll be able to face those garden parties with a smile, and a strong confidence that you can leave your tissue behind!

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Step One: The Big Decision

One of the most frustrating things about deciding to quit smoking can be people’s reactions: “Well, it’s about time!” or “It was a filthy habit, why didn’t you quit sooner?” But as anyone who has been using nicotine knows, it’s one of the hardest decisions, and one of the most difficult tasks, many people face. For many of us, smoking isn’t just a physical addiction: we may associate smoking with our first cup of coffee in Paris or favorite college bar. It may help you relieve stress or even remind you of a fondly loved parent or grandparent, now gone.

So before creating a plan to stop smoking, stop and CONGRATULATE yourself on making a tough decision that will lead to a healthier life both for you and your family.

Step Two: Consider Zyban

There are many things that you can do to prepare yourself for quitting, including taking medication.

Some people use nicotine patches or gum. Keep in mind, though, these substitute one form of nicotine for another. While they do stop you from smoking, they don’t help you get over a dependence to nicotine. When you stop using the patches or gum, you may find that you miss the nicotine and need to go back to smoking.

Think instead about asking your doctor to prescribe Zyban for you. Zyban has a chemical found in an antidepressant (Wellbutrin), but Zyban works to change your brain chemistry easier to quit smoking (pretty neat huh?). As long as you’re not on Wellbutrin (or other medications) or have a seizure disorder, a Zyban prescription can be the start of your trip to Smoke-Free Living.

Step 3: Planning Ahead

It takes Zyban a week to ten days to start working, so once you start the medication, pick a quit date about two weeks later. In the meantime, you may keep smoking, if you wish. By the time you’ve reached your official quit date, Zyban will be ready to help you adjust to not smoking.

During that week, do a little more planning ahead of time. There are times during the quitting process that you’ll probably “miss” having a cigarette in your hands, so make a list of things you like to do with your hands that you can do instead of smoking. Want to get back to knitting? Maybe you can get rid of some one-time projects on your to-do list: cleaning the car out or create that vacation photo-album or family webpage.

Make a list of the things that motivated you to quit and write it down. Are you worried about your health? Maybe you’re thinking about starting dating: being a non-smoker might open up the places you go to meet people. For some people, saving money is a motivator; the amount you spend on cigarettes could buy you golf clubs or a new dress! This list can be a helpful reminder when you feel cravings coming on.

Step 4: The Early Days of Smoke-Free

While Zyban will make it easier to keep from reaching for a cigarette, having distractions in place will help you get through periods of craving. Keep in mind that cravings only last a few minutes and you’re tough - you can handle anything for a few minutes! Use deep breathing or a quick walk around the block to ease your tension until the craving passes.

You should also keep an eye out for side-effects of Zyban; common ones are dry-mouth and trouble sleeping, but if you notice other effects (including symptoms of allergy) contact your doctor right away.

Step 5: The Non-Smoking You

People may stay on Zyban anywhere from 7 to 26 weeks, though 7 to 12 weeks is most common. At that point, you are ready to move onto your smoke-free and Zyban-free life!

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Cybill Shepherd has revealed that she suffers from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The star of Moonlighting and Taxi Driver says that she has struggled with her symptoms for many years, and is now hoping to raise awareness of IBS and encourage sufferers to talk more openly with their doctors.

She says: “For years I have been battling recurring constipation, abdominal pain and bloating. Go ahead and laugh. We laugh because we’re embarrassed. In order for us to get relief, we have to talk about our symptoms and stop suffering in silence.

“I have tried nearly everything: changing my diet and watching what I ate. I exercised regularly. I even tried taking fiber supplements and over-the-counter laxatives, but nothing helped with all of my symptoms.

“My doctor used to tell me it was all emotional and psychological. So I got a new doctor. And a year and a half ago, I was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. It was a huge relief to find out that my IBS with constipation was not all in my head and that it was a treatable medical condition. My doctor prescribed Zelnorm and it has provided me with relief for all my symptoms. In a lot of ways, I feel like my old self again.”

And good for her! I think that many IBS sufferers will identify with what she says: from embarrassing, unmentionable symptoms to doctors who insist that our bowel problems are really in our heads.

We may identify less with her relief from one drug alone (although the new drugs Zelnorm and Lotronex have had a good success rate in America), but we could all benefit from talking more openly with our doctors and looking for more solutions rather than accepting that IBS will rule our lives.

What Cybill Shepherd has done, though, is more than just draw attention to the fact that IBS sufferers need more help. Just by revealing that she is an IBS sufferer she has shown that IBS can affect anyone. Here is a glamorous, successful actress, someone who has kissed Bruce Willis and won three Golden Globes, saying that she has trouble with her bowels.

The power of celebrity

In these celebrity-soaked times it can be easy to forget that famous people sometimes achieve genuinely selfless and compassionate things just by using their fame. The greatest power that they have is the ability to shine the light of their stardom on an issue which would otherwise have been ignored.

And yes, the issue may sometimes be whatever cause is most fashionable at the time - “Gay whales against racism” as one satirist put it ? or the one which helps the star more than the people (or whales) who are suffering. But sometimes there is no doubt that the celeb has really stuck their neck out to help others who are dealing with an issue that is considered untouchable.

And I can’t thing of a more untouchable issue than IBS, something that no-one in the public eye would readily admit to. Can you imagine Julia Roberts standing up and saying “Diarrhea is the blight of my life and hemorrhoids have driven me to drink”? No, of course not, because anything remotely digestive is considered highly embarrassing and distinctly unglamorous. Cybill Shepherd’s admission, therefore, is to be applauded.

Dare not speak its name

Before Cybill Shepherd ‘came out’, the only famous person I knew of who had IBS was Kelsey Grammar’s wife (Kelsey Grammar used to play Frasier in the eponymous sitcom and Cheers). Whoever you are, whatever your gender or problems or pain, it is vital that you find someone with whom you can identify. If you watch TV and never see a reflection of yourself, if you are a black man and only ever see white faces on screen, then you will start to feel alienated ? and the same goes for people who are ill.

If you constantly hear about diabetes sufferers and asthma sufferers but never hear a word about bowels then you begin to learn that your illness is far less important than these other worthy causes.

We need more people in the public eye standing up and saying “Me too”, so that everyone can start to realise just how widespread a problem this is.

Don’t suffer in silence

But it’s not just about how other people perceive us, and how we perceive ourselves. It’s also about making sure that anyone who has bowel symptoms seeks help, and at the moment that just doesn’t happen.

There are still many people with bowel problems who are too ashamed or embarrassed to go to the doctor, and just soldier on through their lives when they could be receiving treatment. And there’s always the risk, of course, that their symptoms could actually be the result of something other than IBS that may get progressively worse if it is left alone.

IBS often goes undiagnosed for years, and even when we pluck up the courage to visit the doctor we can be so tongue-tied that we don’t properly describe our symptoms. If we could leave our embarrassment in the waiting room it would be so much better for our health.

Cybill Shepherd says: “My goal is to urge all women to get over their embarrassment, to stop suffering in silence the way I did, and to talk to their doctors. Although it may be uncomfortable, it is very important for you to be open and honest with your doctor about all your symptoms”.

And things can change. Just think about breast cancer, which is now regularly discussed on TV and radio, but 20 years ago was stuck behind a wall of silence where breasts were not to be mentioned, cancerous or not.

Equine Cushings disease is caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland, which is responsible for the production and regulation of hormones. Symptoms include a long, shaggy coat that does not shed, excessive drinking and urination, laminitis, a tendency for recurring infections in the hoof (foot abscesses), and a loss of muscle mass, especially along the topline and rump.

At Eye of the Storm Equine Rescue, we’ve discovered what appears to be a cure for Cushings disease in horses. We’re not licensed nor are we doctors, but we know what has worked for our horses and for lots of others, so we wanted to share our experiences in case it helps cure your own horse of equine Cushings disease.

While looking through a nutritional healing book at Debra’s Natural Gourmet in West Concord, Mass., I came across a sentence that said “Chasteberry feeds the pituitary gland.” Chasteberry in recent times has been used mainly for “women’s complaints.” I know it works because it beats the crap out of PMS, you feel better in 20 minutes. “Hmm,” I say, “I like chasteberry, let’s see what it can do for our two Cushings horses.”

Bess, our 26 year old Shetland had obvious symptoms: long hair that didn’t shed and she was a sway back. Not as bad as some, but still obvious. I couldn’t wait for the vet to take some blood to find out her “numbers.” The results were positive for Cushings. I put her on one teaspoon twice a day, three weeks on and one week off. Though she began to shed her coat of “buffalo” hair almost immediately, she never was a very slick pony. But I was determined to keep her on the chasteberry one year before testing her blood again. If I saw results then, I would tell the world.

One year later, after Bess’ test results came back, the vet said, “I don’t know what you’re doing, but keep on doing it.” Bess’ numbers were down 33 points! I don’t know exactly what these numbers represent, but evidently this never happens in real life! After one year of feeding her pituitary gland, had I managed to reverse her Cushings disease? I was very excited as this ailment affects the lives of millions of old (and not so old) horses in so many negative ways. This disease is more common now than it has ever been in the past. No one really knows why, though I have my theories. That is another tale for another day.

I was getting whole chasteberry in one pound bulk bags from Natural Gourmet and running it through a coffee grinder. The seeds are very hard and I figured it would come out the other end the same way they went in, unless we knocked the shells off them. You run the grinder until most of the pinging of hard berries can’t be heard anymore. You cannot grind them up completely, but that’s okay. Horses are made to digest roughage. They handle the chunks just fine. You should have a grinder for this purpose only, as your coffee might taste funny if you use the grinder for both.

Right around the time I was ready to tell the world about this “cure,” another product came on the market called Hormonize. It is a liquid and costs around $45 per liter and lasts two weeks for your average size horse. That’s $90 per month to treat the horse. The developers of this product found it to be effective not only on mares in heat, but it also did some impressive things for Cushings horses, too. It is sold for this purpose as well. It is an all natural herbal remedy. A bit pricey, though.

I checked out the ingredients. It is a tincture of chasteberry! I think they call it vitex or monks pepper on the back. I’m not sure. It greatly saddens me that the treatment for such a devastating disease sells for so much.

Horses don’t need herbal tinctures. They can and do digest some pretty coarse stuff (have you ever tried to eat dry timothy hay?). They can not only digest the herb, but utilize it in that form beautifully.

Bess, unfortunately, died at age 28 when she decided her mission was accomplished, so we never got a third blood test from her. We have two other Cushings horses, and all of our older mares are on chasteberry as well. Junebug, who is 8 years old, was tested last year and we’ll test her again soon to see where her numbers are. Snowdrop was never tested, but all her symptoms have disappeared and she is doing well at 24 years old.

If any of you out there would like to try chasteberry, here’s what to do. Go to your local health food store and special order one pound bulk bag whole chastetree berry from the Frontier herb company (please mention Eye of the Storm Equine Rescue when you do). You might want to order more than one bag so that when you’re down to one you can reorder. One bag will cost you less than $20 and will last a couple of months per horse.

Run the berries through your coffee grinder and feed one teaspoon twice a day with feed. We give the same amount to horses and ponies. It works on both mares and geldings. Give it to them three weeks on and one week off all year round. It will even keep the mares from being quite so crabby in the spring.

We also give them all vitamin E in the evening, vitamin C in the morning, and MSM. No sugars or carbohydrates (not even a carrot). There are feeds out there that are low in both, such as Blue Seal Racer and some of the senior feeds (do some research). All in all, chasteberry is the answer. Even our two 30-year old mares don’t have Cushings, only Bess, Junebug, and Snowdrop, who came to us with the disease and it appears to be reversed. I never had horses of my own get Cushings. I have every horse in town that has Cushings on chasteberry and they’re all doing great! This is a cheap, easy, healthy remedy for Cushings disease.

A wee bit of fluoride makes teeth and dentists happy, we’re told. Dr. Happy Tooth’s smiley face turns into a frown when his favorite decay buster is busted as a killer. Anything in large doses kills, bristles Drill & Fill, DDS, even Dihydrogen Monoxide, they often tease. Ha, ha, get it ? water ? H2O. Stop picking on fluoride, they say, you make us look bad.

Few people know that fluoride maims and kills. Dentists wouldn’t want you worrying your little head off, and possibly scaring you away from twice-yearly insurance-paid-whether-you-need-it-or-not treatments. Fluoride’s toxicity is downplayed-?or worse, never mentioned. That way everyone stays happy including organized dentistry’s biggest benefactors–toothpaste makers, and the media paid to showcase the fluoride-good-news, only.

Four stories, organized dentistry and fluoride profiters would rather you didn’t see occurred this year:

1) A 51-year-old committed suicide by fluoridated toothpaste, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (1). They won’t release the who, what, where, when and why to us.

2) A 52-year-old women with a two-gallon, double-strength daily instant tea habit developed bone and joint pain and other abnormalities indicative of chronic fluoride toxicity or skeletal fluorosis. After breaking the tea habit her pain and discomfort alleviated. Tea is naturally high in fluoride and few doctors are trained to diagnose fluoride’s adverse effects (2).

3) Daily high-dose fluoride home therapy caused gastric distress, difficulty in swallowing, leg muscle and knee joint soreness, and general malaise in a patient, according to the Journal of the American Dental Association (3).

4) Elk drinking naturally high fluoridated water in Yellowstone Park die a decade sooner than they should (3a).

In case you missed previous fluoride deaths:

a) A two-year-old died after swallowing too many fluoride tablets (4).

b) A three-year-old dies from swallowing too many fluoride tablets (5).

c) Three-year-old dies from ingesting, instead of expectorating, dentist’s fluoride treatment (6).

d) Three dialysis patients died from fluoride poisoning at the University of Chicago Hospital when equipment meant to filter out fluoride from the water supply malfunctioned (7).

e) Fluoride killed an Alaskan man and poisoned 296 others after too much fluoride accidentally flowed into the public water supply (8).

f) Fluoride killed a 65-year-old kidney dialysis patient who became ill during a blood cleaning process after water supply workers left a fluoride valve for too long to allow toxic fluoride levels to flow into the public water supply (9) in Annapolis, Maryland.

Fluoride caused many industrial, occupational and environmental sicknesses and deaths also (10).

Fluoride cripples and maims too many people in the world who live on naturally high fluoridated water supplies such as in Nalgonda, India (11).

About 62 million people including 6 million children, have been suffering from fluorosis due to excessive consumption of fluoride through water, reports Newindpress.com

One simple method of assessing the extent of fluorosis is to estimate the prevalence of dental mottling which is the most convenient ‘bio-marker’ of exposure to fluoride, they report (12).

Symptoms of skeletal fluorosis (13):

In the early clinical stage of skeletal fluorosis, symptoms include pains in the bones and joints; sensations of burning, pricking, and tingling in the limbs; muscle weakness; chronic fatigue; and gastrointestinal disorders and reduced appetite. During this phase, changes in the pelvis and spinal column can be detected on x-rays. The bone has both a more prominent and more blurred structure.

In the second clinical stage, pains in the bones become constant and some of the ligaments begin to calcify. Osteoporosis may occur in the long bones, and early symptoms of osteosclerosis (a condition in which the bones become more dense and have abnormal crystalline structure) are present. Bony spurs may also appear on the limb bones, especially around the knee, the elbow, and on the surface of tibia and ulna.

In advanced skeletal fluorosis, called crippling skeletal fluorosis, the extremities become weak and moving the joints is difficult. The vertebrae partially fuse together, crippling the patient.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a debilitating and distressing condition, which affects 10-20% of the population. IBS is characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel function such as constipation, diarrhea or alternating diarrhea and constipation. Some people have occasional symptoms, which can be aggravated by stress or food intolerances. Others experience crippling symptoms, and struggle to maintain their quality of life in the absence of any targeted, effective pharmaceutical treatments.

This disorder affects people of all ages and backgrounds, including children, although women are predominantly affected. Severe IBS can dramatically restrict mobility, through loss of control of bowel function and severe abdominal pain. These symptoms contribute to IBS being second only to the common cold as the most frequent cause of absenteeism from work and school.

Despite the significant impact on individuals and the population at large, there is no clear established cause for IBS. Whilst medical investigations are important to eliminate the possibility of an over-lapping pathology such as parasites, candida, inflammatory bowel disease, cealiacs or Crohn’s disease, there is no specific investigation which patients can test positive for in order to confirm a diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. A diagnosis of IBS is more often a diagnosis of exclusion ? if its not another gastrointestinal condition, and it fits the symptom picture of IBS, then it is IBS.

The current accepted criteria for diagnosing IBS is the Rome criteria (adopted in medical texts and by the American Gastroenterological Association). Their definition of IBS consists of:

At least 12 weeks, which need not be consecutive, in the preceding 12 months of abdominal discomfort or pain that has two of three features:

• Relieved with defecation and/or
• Onset associated with a change in frequency of stool and/or
• Onset associated with a change in form (appearance) of stool.

The following symptoms support the diagnosis of IBS:

• Abnormal bowel movement frequency (more than three per day or less than three per week),
• Abnormal stool form (lumpy/hard or loose/water),
• Abnormal stool passage (straining, urgency, or feeling of incomplete evacuation),
• Mucous passed with stools,
• Abdominal bloating or distension.

There are few effective treatments for IBS. Pharmaceutical medications include anti-diarrheal agents and laxatives, some of which can be harmful if used repeatedly. Significant improvements can be made through dietary changes which can therefore reducing some trigger factors for IBS. It is also important to practice some stress reduction techniques such as breathing techniques, and positive psychology, as there is a direct link between stress and an aggravation of IBS symptoms.

The most promising, long-lasting and side-effect free results in the treatment of IBS were based on a large clinical trial conducted at an Australian university, and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1998.

These results demonstrated a 64-76% improvement rate on all measures of IBS such as abdominal pain, distention and bowel habits. These results were achieved in a double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial conducted by gastroenterologists and doctors. The remarkable positive results were achieved in the treatment group that received Chinese herbal treatments. This same formula can be purchased as pre-made capsules from select retailers, and it offers great hope for those struggling with IBS.

Dr. Maia Dodds is the author of ‘The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Improvement Program’