Fresh Air Machine
A breath of fresh air
Let's face it: We breathe in polluted air every day. And as our environment gets increasingly polluted, that bad air can slowly creep into just about every part of your lives. Fortunately, your house is one of the few places where you can actually control the air you breathe.
Now, I know that you're used to hearing me talk about natural solutions to health problems. But even I can admit that sometimes nature just isn't enough. So, every once in a while, we have to fall back on technology.
When it comes to cleaning up the air in my own home, I rely on something called the Fresh Air Machine. It's an air filter that uses several different types of purifying technologies, including Ozone Shield, gas and vapor absorption, and HEPA, which filters out allergens. Together, these things filter out all sorts of junk floating around in the air, including dust particles, dander, cigarette smoke, and the pollution that filters into your home from the streets, like smog and car exhaust. As an added bonus, the filters also help keep your house smelling as clean as it is.
Obviously you don't have to go with the Fresh Air Machine. There are lots of good air filters out there. I can't speak for all of them, but the one I use is very quiet. They're not the cheapest things around -- one unit costs around $200. But you can save a few bucks if you shop around and find the best one for your budget. Buying more than one unit, which is usually a good idea anyway, can also save some money. I recommend placing one in any room you spend a good deal of time in, especially your bedroom. It's a compact, machine so it's great for people who don't have a lot of space to spare.
It's safe to love eggs again
Years back, a bunch of diet gurus got together and decided that eggs clogged our arteries because they're relatively high in cholesterol. I always thought this idea was ludicrous. Eggs do contain cholesterol, but they're also cheap sources of important heart-protecting nutrients like protein, iron, vitamin B, and folate. Turns out I'm not the only one who thinks that eggs do more good than harm.
In a recent study of 117,000 nurses by the Harvard School of Public Health, researchers monitored the differences between those who ate only one egg per week and those who at more than one egg each day. Well, it turns out there were no differences, including no additional risk of heart disease in the egg enthusiasts.
Then, another study showed something even better. Researchers found that eating eggs for breakfast tended to be more filling for overweight patients than just a bagel, even when the two meals contained the same number of calories. So it looks like eggs could make a good diet food too.
One word of caution: The Harvard study did show that diabetics should limit their intake to four or less eggs per week. They say that too many eggs could cause diabetics to have an increased risk of coronary disease, since they're already at a disadvantage when it comes to being able to process cholesterol efficiently. (In other words, this recommendation is based on not wanting to make a bad situation worse.)
Pine tree bark for painful leg ulcers
No one likes the way varicose veins look, but it's not always the cosmetic aspect that drives people to my office. Often it's the painful ulcers that come along with severe cases. This condition, technically known as venous disease, is tough to treat -- in fact some people never find a treatment that works.
But I have good news: a group of researchers may have found a natural way to heal those ulcers, from a pretty unlikely source: French pine tree bark.
The researchers gathered 48 venous disease patients, cleaned and disinfected their ulcers, and then divided them into three groups of 16 people. The first group received only a placebo. The second was given a supplement called pycnogenol -- a fancy name for the extract of maritime pine tree bark, which only grows in southwest France. The third group was given the pycnogenol, plus a topical pycnogenol powder to use directly on the ulcers.
The group that received just the pycnogenol supplement saw an 89 percent reduction in the size of their ulcers. Even better, the group that took the supplement and used the topical powder saw their ulcers heal completely.
You may be able to find pycnogenol at your local health food shop or vitamin store. If not, www.pycnogenol.com lists several Web sites where you can purchase it. It usually costs between $15 and $35 per bottle.
Of course, it's always better to treat the underlying causes of any disease, and this one's no different. Obesity is definitely a contributing factor to venous disease and varicose veins. Also, spending too much time on your feet, especially in uncomfortable shoes, can increase your risk even more.
