Archive for January, 2010
Another Diet book- “I can do this”
Posted by Daily News in Daily News on January 3, 2010
Now that the New Year has started, everyone wants to lose weight. And the first thing most people do is go out and buy a book on dieting. Since consumers trust doctors, they usually buy books written by doctors on weight loss.
One the latest books out to help people lose weight is Dr Colbert’s “I can do this” diet. This $20 book goes into a lot of boring details like calories, body chemistry and metabolism. All this stuff that had been written and rehashed a million times.
Dr Colbert’s claims that after reading his book every one can lose weight- because somehow you will understand more about your body. But wait there is more, you can eat all the food you love and lose 6 pounds a month. If you hate reading you can listen to the audio CD in the car. So far Dr Colbert has not claimed that you can lose weight by only listening to the audio.
Wait, you can even get a personal health Improvement kit and a toxic relief book for detoxification- of course these cost more.
The diet plan book gives a lot of recipes and menus. One day one your eat a meal marked “your favorite” and the daily calorie intake is 1800; yet you lose a pound every four days. He does not go much into exercise.
There is zero evidence that Dr Colbert’s diet plan works. There are a few testimonials but how reading a book leads to weight loss is a mystery. If you want to lose weight, reading is not the away to go about it.
Losing weight is simple. Eat less and walk more.
Dr Colbert’s book is a great if you have run out of firewood or have a friend who is bored and wants to read something exciting on neurotransmitters, insulin resistance and glycemic index.
Consumers should understand that when doctors have diet books on sale at amazon.com, they are usually trying to make money. The only thing you will lose by reading Dr Colbert’s “I can do this” diet plan is your hard earned money- start walking today.
What is Wegener’s Granulomatosis?
Posted by Daily News in Daily News on January 3, 2010
Wegener’s disease is a very rare disorder which presents with inflammation of the lung and kidneys. The disorder is classified as a vasculitis meaning it causes inflammation of small blood vessels. The disorder tends to affect the nose, throat, lungs and kidney.
It can affect other organ in the body in the later stages. Wegener’s granulomatosis usually occurs in childhood but most people are diagnosed after a long delay. Typical symptons are often present in the 2nd-3rd decade of life.
The classical symptoms are loss of weight, no appetite, face or nose pain, low grade fever, fatigue, blood in the urine, runny or congested nose, nose bleeds, cough, ear infections, wheezing, joint pains or a skin rash.
The disorder is quite difficult to diagnose as many physicians never suspect it or have no clue about it. Testing includes checking for certain antibodies and most people need a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.
Chest x-rays are always done when Wegener’s is suspected. A classical feature of this disorder is a deformed or a saddle nose appearance.
Wegener’s is life threatening and needs treatment. In most cases long term corticosteroids and immune suppressing drugs are used. The drugs are potent and have many side effects. There is no cure for Wegener’s and relapses are common. Those patients whose disease is controlled by medications do okay but those who have continued relapses do poor.