Health & Happiness - Health

bras suck, but can they kill?

nospam@example.com (T. Sunshine Love) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 23:03:15 -0600

I have never liked wearing a bra but I never thought it could be bad for my health. I was researching online to try to determine my bra size but instead uncovered evidence suggesting that not only is wearing a bra unnecessary but it may actually cause physical harm.

For thousands of years, our breasts have bobbed along happily with no mechanical support whatsoever, other than that naturally provided by our chest muscles. There is absolutely no medical reason to wear a bra, only peer pressure and fashion. One article compared bra wearing to the ancient torturous custom of foot binding. Why must we mutilate ourselves? Contrary to public opinion, going bra free does not cause breasts to sag. Age does that, or biology, or just plain bad luck. Wearing a bra does not cause breasts to remain perky; it merely makes them appear that way.

Why is it the rate of breast cancer is so high in the West, anyway? Some doctors believe that it is the prevalence of poorly fitting brassieres, particularly the under wire variety. These bras put pressure on the lymph nodes and block the lymph glands from draining. The lymphatic system is responsible for removing toxins from the body. Another theory is that the breasts get overheated, similar to the problem of lowered sperm counts in men who wear tight briefs.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that forgoing a bra after a biopsy has been known to shrink tumors and prevent further growth. Most astounding was this from a 1991 Harvard study: “Premenopausal women who do not wear bras had less than half the risk of breast cancer compared with bra wearers.” (Hsieh, C.C. and D. Trichopoulos, D. Eur. J. Cancer 27:131-5 1991)

Here are some links to check it out for yourself. Don't be confined by someone else's opinion. Like everything else in life, this is YOUR choice.

The 'Purpose' of the Bra - What does a bra do?
How bras are linked to breast cancer
Research relating to bras, breast cancer, and fibrocystic disease
Research Timeline
Self-Care For Your Breasts
BreastNotes.com
Have you seen pictures of normal non-sexual breasts?
Brassiere: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

pay-per-click self published at:

http://www.helium.com/tm/788939/killi-never-liked-wearing

then and now

nospam@example.com (T. Sunshine Love) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:24:30 -0600

Taking advantage of the break between semesters to do a tiny bit of cleaning. Found an old notebook with some measurements I'd taken down after I realized the whole weight loss thing was something I was gonna stick with. I'd already probably lost 30-50 pounds by the time I'd taken these measurements, which I believe originated with my desire for custom athletic wear for fat chicks. It might even have been for Junonia, from whom I'd bought a ton of sports bras and my very favorite soft cotton stretch bodysuit that I still have and wear even though it's several sizes too big for me now.

The notebook has measurements taken from a few months apart in 2002, 2006, and now 2010. Some of the ones in 2006 are slightly smaller than the ones in 2010, but I think that could be due to differences in measurements between clothed and unclothed. I lost weight steadily from about 2001 until the last big push in 2007 after I quit smoking - and then I plateaued for three years. Until this year, when I managed to pack on 10-20 pounds, depending on the month. I'm back within 8 pounds of my plateau weight now but I'll likely jump back up a couple pounds over the weekend.

School has been hopeless. I eat like shit when I'm in school. It's hard to avoid with how picky my appetites and tastes are normally and then throw me into a health hostile environment like the typical campus food court and surrounding quick food joints and the pounds just sort of pack themselves on. One semester I lived almost entirely on Doritos munchie mix and chocolate milk from the market between home and school. Luckily, I'll be graduated by this time next year. Of course then I'll probably start having babies, which I hear is also not so good on the waistline. Oh well. I'm reasonably healthy and it doesn't hurt to walk anymore. I'm not so worried about being thin as I am about avoiding pain.

switchel

nospam@example.com (T. Sunshine Love) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:59:24 -0600

I love that the stuff I drink has a name. And that that name is relatively easy to remember and somewhat appropriate because it starts with the word "switch".

Switchel - the big jar is how I mix the honey and vinegar together with just enough water to dilute the honey. I then add a splash into my glass of drinking water, to taste or by color.

What else would I drink?

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-switchel.htm

I use apple cider vinegar, honey and just a tiny bit of molasses - except in the winter, when I make it hot with mostly molasses, lemon, and a little bit of honey. I don't usually use ginger, except when I add ginger kombucha for the probiotic boost. That's really nice, but it needs to stay refrigerated.

I should try making my next batch with fresh ginger; I almost always have some around. For cooking, of course. Failing that, I did just find lovely ginger flavored honey online that might do the trick almost as well, flavor-wise, at least:

why I smoke pot

nospam@example.com (T. Sunshine Love) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:58:04 -0600

I never was a social smoker - I was only ever interested in marijuana medicinally, like so:

List of conditions for which I find cannabis helpful:

PAIN

Chronic pain and stiffness in back and neck, especially in the morning. Can't elongate spine.
General stiffness in muscles and joints. Pain in knees and ankles from excess weight and injuries. Relaxes tissue enough to stretch and strengthen.
Posture correction - enables me to stand straight for short periods of time without pain and retrain the weak muscles causing the pain.
PMS cramps (severe)

MOOD

Lifetime history (since puberty) of severe depression, periodically suicidal.
Lifetime history of anxiety, social anxiety, autistic over-stimulation/melt-downs, hyper alertness, irritability, panic attacks, phobias, nervousness, and obsessiveness. Improves concentration and focus in some areas. Major improvements in functionality, motivation, and productivity.
PMS - intense manic mood swings, hyper alertness, aggressiveness, and poor impulse control.
Possible PTSD from childhood physical abuse, bullying, rape, and other interpersonal trauma.
History of violence, rage, abuse, and assault.
Cigarette cravings (smoked 17 years 1989-2006)

ENERGY

Blood sugar (?) symptom suppression (weakness, exhaustion, dizziness, nausea)
Obesity/weight control - helps with appetite suppression when I don't need to eat
Chronic fatigue
Lifetime chronic insomnia (trouble getting to sleep, not staying asleep)
Decreased coordination/clumsiness/accidents/personal injury

falling up/down stairs
falling off bicycle, bus, curb, level ground
walking into walls/posts/trees/corners/counters/furniture/pretty much anything
increased burns and cuts in the kitchen
"mystery bruises"

I used to keep a teensy tiny bit around in case of emergency. Thing is, I've since found that it works better (for me, anyway) as a steady supplement than as an on-the-spot medication. Some uses are immediate, yes - but others seem to have more of a cumulative, long term effect. Rather like any other "normal" medication or supplement, it works better if I have a steady trickle in my system at all times.

Pot - it does my body good.

n-acetyl cysteine

nospam@example.com (T. Sunshine Love) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:31:00 -0500

Okay, this is fascinating collision of tangents.

Back when I worked for Blue Shield, I started smoking pot much more heavily, mainly due to the fact that a coworker of mine grew and sold the most amazing high energy furry orange stuff. For the first time ever, pot gave me energy instead of taking it away. That was a major turning point. I had that supply for exactly one season and then never again. But once I knew it could be done, I trained my body to respond similarly to (most) any weed.

I was also smoking at least a pack of cigarettes a day, just like I had been since 1989. I've always had lung issues. Croup until I was seven. Allergy to dust. Nill ability to hold my breath. Asthma. Then add 17 years of smoking. I coughed every day for all of my teens and twenties. It got really bad at that job, though. I was also alternately involved with raging alcoholics or methheads and partaking alongside, depending. My respiratory system was hashed.

AA280_PIbundle-1,TopRight,0,0_AA280_SH20.jpg" />This friend, who shall forever remain unnamed (although my roomates used to rather artlessly refer to that particular strain as "Jane" Weed - not her real name) notices me coughing uncontrollably at work and sends me off to the health food store in search of something called n-acetyl cysteine, or NAC.

Sure, what the fuck; I had nothing to lose but ongoing humiliation and embarrassment. These coughs were intense. I don't do anything half assed. When I smoke, I smoke; and when I party, I party. I had the worst smoker's cough I'd ever heard until I met my friend Kelly, and then the competition was on.

So I found the stuff and started taking double to triple the regular dosage as she'd recommended. Within a few days, my cough had cleared up immensely. Amazing stuff. Like all vitamins, it's not cheap, thirty dollars for a jar of 120, but it lasts through several bouts. I had just a few left and I started taking them recently.

Although I quit smoking cigarettes three years ago last month, it took awhile for the cough to come down. After awhile I realized that I should probably try to stop smoking pot. So I got a vaporizer instead. That did help. I didn't like the delivery timing or effects as much as directly smoking, but it did help with my cough. However, I haven't been doing that since I moved to the Bay Area. Instead I've been burning some of the most god awful stuff through some of the dirtiest resinated pipes possible. So I've been waking up with smoker's cough again. No fucking way. That's simply intolerable. I hate coughing. That's one of the major reasons I quit smoking.

Didn't feel like trying to find this stuff in a health food store around here. Thank goodness for the internet. Was taking my vitamins this morning and saw the near empty jar. Took the last one and came to look online to see if I could order more. Started googling. Velly, velly interesting...

Stanford is currently recruiting autistic children to see if NAC can help treat behavioral and social symptoms. It's a bit late for me, but if you're nearby and have a kid on the spectrum, I say go for it.

University of Minnesota Medical School researchers discovered that it may help stop the urges of those with trichotillomania, a disorder characterized by compulsive hair-pulling. Whenever I see one of these skin picking or hair pulling disorders, I immediately think of my mangled fingertips.

NCA is also recommended as a treatment in Changing the Course of Autism: A Scientific Approach for Parents and Physicians

From the Appendix F of Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Finding a Diagnosis and Getting Help:

N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC)

Use: Seizure disorders, heavy metal poisoning, aspirin or acetaminophen poisoning, viral infection, epilepsy, diabetes, movement disorders, degenerative neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis.

Action, if known: This antioxidant amino acid increases synthesis of glutathione. It appears to have chelating effects that help remove toxic heavy metals from the body. NAC is the acetylated version of the sulfur amino acid, l-Cysteine. In the body, it turns into l-Cysteine, which in turn is a precursor to glutathione.

According to Wikipedia, the pharmaceutical version is not only is used medically to treat lung disorders but also amphetamine overdose. But where it gets really interesting is the non medically established usages:

The following uses have not been well-established or investigated:

Evidence that NAC and other antioxidants can exert beneficial effects on pancreatic b-cell function in diabetes was published in a 1999 study. The authors conclude that a sufficient supply of antioxidants (NAC, vitamin C plus vitamin E, or both) may prevent or delay b-cell dysfunction in diabetes by providing protection against glucose toxicity.^[17]

NAC is undergoing clinical trials in the United States for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.^[18] It is thought to counteract the glutamate hyperactivity in OCD.

NAC has been shown to reduce cravings associated with chronic cocaine use in a study conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina^[19]^[20]

It may reduce the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations^[21]

In the treatment of AIDS, NAC has been shown to cause a "marked increase in immunological functions and plasma albumin concentrations"^[22] Albumin concentration are inversely correlated with muscle wasting (cachexia), a condition associated with AIDS.

An animal study indicates that acetylcysteine may decrease mortality associated with influenza ^[23]

Animal studies suggest that NAC may help prevent noise-induced hearing loss. ^[24] A clinical trial to determine efficacy in preventing noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss in humans is currently (2006) being jointly conducted by the US Army and US Navy.^{[citation needed]}

A human study of 262 primarily elderly individuals indicates that NAC may decrease influenza symptoms. In the study, 25% of virus-infected subjects NAC treatment developed a symptoms, whereas 79% in the placebo group developed symptoms. ^[25]

It has been suggested that NAC may help sufferers of Samter's triad by increasing levels of glutathione allowing faster breakdown of salicylates, though there is no evidence that it is of benefit ^[26]

There are claims that acetylcysteine taken together with vitamin C and B1 can be used to prevent and relieve symptoms of veisalgia (hangover following ethanol (alcohol) consumption). The claimed mechanism is through scavenging of acetaldehyde, a toxic intermediate in the metabolism of ethanol.^[27]^[28]

It has been shown to help women with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) to reduce insulin problems and possibly improve fertility. ^[29]

Small studies have shown acetylcysteine to be of benefit to sufferers of blepharitis^{[citation needed]} and has been shown to reduce ocular soreness caused by Sjogren's syndrome.^{[citation needed]}

Studies in mice models of Ataxia Telangictasia (ATM knockout) indicate that NAC prevents genomic instability and retards lymphomagenesis in these animals.^{[citation needed]} Clinical trials in human AT patients are underway.^{[citation needed]}

It has been shown to help trichotillomania^[30], a condition causing compulsive hair-pulling.

It has been shown to help methylmercury poisoning^[31]

It has been shown effective in Unverricht-Lundborg disease in an open trial in 4 patients. A marked decrease in myoclonus and some normalization of somatosensory evoked potentials with N -acetylcysteine treatment has been documented. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1153370-overview

Nail-Biting Stuff? The Effect of N-acetyl Cysteine on Nail-Biting

Many findings in psychopharmacology are a result of clinical observation of serendipitous findings; this pattern is repeated in this case series. Pathological nail biting is a disorder that begins in adolescence and is regarded as a disruption of normal grooming behavior. This behavior is regarded as being in the compulsive-impulsive spectrum and is associated with psychological consequences including reduced self-esteem, as well as localized trauma and risk of infection.¹ There is minimal data on the treatment of nail biting, with preliminary research suggesting that serotonergic agents may be of value, akin to other disorders in that spectrum such as compulsive skin picking and trichotillomania.²

One safe and well-tolerated compound that offers some promise as a potential treatment in compulsive-impulsive disorders is N-acetylcysteine (NAC).³ NAC is widely available as a nutraceutical supplement and is an agent with multiple properties. It has an antioxidant action in its own right and influences neutrophil inhibition, antimicrobial attachment, vasodilation, and mucolysis.³ For over half a century it has been used therapeutically, traditionally as a mucolytic, in the treatment of paracetamol poisoning and most recently as a renal protectant.⁴

Thus far, five cases of reduction in grooming disorders (trichotillomania, skin picking, and nailbiting) with NAC have been reported,⁵ with a single case report describing its use in the treatment refractory of obsessive-compulsive disorder.⁶ NAC has also been demonstrated to be useful in other impulsivity related behaviours. Grant and colleagues⁷ gave open-labelled NAC (600??1,800 mg/day) to 27 subjects with pathological gambling, with 16 responders after 8 weeks of treatment. Studies by LaRowe and colleagues⁸ and Mardikian and colleagues⁹ suggest that NAC may be useful for the treatment of cocaine addiction.

That's the same way they discovered that WellButrin helped people stop smoking. They were testing it as an antidepressant and people just spontaneously lost their interest in smoking. Total awesomeness.

Buy N-Acetyl Cysteine on Amazon

fasting

nospam@example.com (T. Sunshine Love) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:41:00 -0500

I finally started fasting again. For the first six months of 2007, I fasted for about 24 hours once per week while also following a fairly strict food combining regimen. I lost fifty pounds in five months (after having gained thirty in three when I quit smoking cigarettes).

This time I'm going for more of a prolonged stint. I've been going for about three or four days now. I've had a few bits of food here and there but overall I'm letting my bones detox and it feels really good. I'm starting to feel lighter and less achy again, which was one of my goals. The other goal is to postpone my period by one week until after Burning Man. Last year, I was able to increase my cycles by up to an additional ten days with controlled caloric deprivation; I'm hoping I've still got the hoodoo.

When I "fast", I actually drink a tonic comprised of more or less equal parts each raw apple cider vinegar and raw honey in enough water to make it palatable. I also like to throw in a touch of molasses for flavor and coloring and occasionally some pumpkin pie seasoning or allspice if I'm feeling spiffy. Ingrid can get hers to taste like apple juice but I find that I prefer mine more like really thin weak lemonade. Whatever is in this crazy witches brew, it has just what I need to keep me going, and going good. I missed it, actually.

The Benefits of Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
http://www.ghchealth.com/apple-cider-vinegar.html

a bunch of holistic crap and home remedies which I'm not sure I buy, but whatever
http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/acvinegar.html http://www.anyvitamins.com/apple-cider-vinegar-info.htm

and the other side of the story, the skeptic's view
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0GCU/is_n6_v14/ai_20152545