Caring for your Skin

August 29, 2014

Caring for your Skin – The Largest Organ in the Body

Caring for your Skin is not optional but a must your skin is the largest body organ and it dysfunction can be injurious

Did you know that your skin is the largest organ on your body and that it is made up of several different components ranging from water, protein, lipids, and different minerals and chemicals? Foe an average person your skin weight should be approximately six pounds. The skin has got very crucial functions which may include protecting you from infections and germs. It is important to note that throughout human lifespan on earth, your skin will keep changing constantly either for better or worse. As a matter of fact, your skin will be regenerating itself progressively in every four weeks. Therefore absolute proper skin care is essential to maintaining the health and vitality of this protective organ.

Keeping your Skin Healthy

Being the largest organ in your body and with very distinctive roles, your skin becomes the first contact with the surrounding in all aspects and because of this very important fundamental caring for this vital organ is not just an option but a must thing to do as long as one is still alive. The following are just but a few of certain things you can adopt in keeping your skin healthy and well nourished.

Ensure daily and thorough cleansingat least twice and at night, make sure you remove all your make-up and cleanse properly before retiring to bed.
Use a gentle soap preferably those without fragrance.
Balanced nutrition this is very key because your general body well-being depends on what you feed on.
Moisturizing your body is recommended even for those who have oily skin. There are plenty of moisturizers on the market that are oil-free which are much appropriate.
Sunscreen is probably the most important thing that you can do for your skin in all seasons. Even in the winter and on cloudy days it is important that you remain consistent in putting on your sunscreen every day. This should be done even if you are not outside much. A sunscreen that says “broad spectrum” (or says it protects against “UVA and UVB”) with an SPF of 30 or higher is necessary. Limiting your time in the sun, preferably between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and wearing protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, and a wide-brimmed hat, are also recommended.

Being the largest organ which is also very visible it is important that you get to understand your skin wholesomely all the days of your life. This will help you pay attention to all parts of your skin and familiarize yourself with it, so that you’ll notice any changes that might occur like different moles or patches that might indicate skin cancer. This may look like a normal thing and may appear easy but it is not, any mistake done can be very costly health wise and so seeking the experts opinion from time to time is necessary. Doctor Dalal Akoury is one such experienced professional offering a variety of skin care services at affordable rates, reinstating your desired look in a timely manner. When you call doctor Akoury for an appointment, she will evaluate your individual situation and administer treatment appropriately either by use of vampire facelift or breast lifts among other available skin care reviving methods. Whenever you have a question or concern, make sure you see doctor Akoury immediately. As we progress with the discussion, you could be wondering in silence how this organ works, the following are some hints to help you understand how the skin works generally. There are medical terms for various parts of your skin. Here’s a rough guide to what those terms mean.

Caring for your Skin – Stratum corneum

This is the outer layer of dead skin which contains dead skin cells that used to exist in the epidermis. Using facial scrubs and some other skin products will remove or thin this layer.

Caring for your Skin – Epidermis

The epidermis is the thinnest layer in your skin which is responsible for protecting you from the harsh environment. It has four layers of its own:

Stratum germinativum
Stratum spinosum
Stratum granulosum
Stratum lucidum

The epidermis also hosts different types of cells including:

Keratinocytes
Melanocytes
Langerhans cells

Keratinocytes produce the protein known as keratin, the main component of the epidermis.

Melanocytes produce your skin pigment, known as melanin.

Langerhans cells prevent foreign substances from getting into your skin.

Dermis – The Middle Layer of Skin

This layer is responsible for wrinkles. The dermis is a complex combination of blood vessels, hair follicles, and sebaceous (oil) glands. Here, you’ll find collagen and elastin, two proteins necessary for skin health because they offer support and elasticity.

Fibroblasts are the cells you’ll find in this layer because they synthesize collagen and elastin. This layer also contains nerves that sense pain, touch, and temperature.

Subcutis – The Skin’s Fatty Layer

Reduction of tissue in this layer is what causes your skin to sag as well as wrinkle. This layer hosts sweat glands, and fat and collagen cells. The subcutis is responsible for conserving your body’s heat and protecting your vital inner organs. When your skin begins to sag and wrinkles begin to form vampire facelift becomes necessary a process which doctor Akoury will carry out in the most natural and painless way which not take more than one hour to complete and leave you with a more youthful look for a very long time. Call doctor Akoury today and being the process with the best for the best.

Collagen and Your Skin

Collagen is found in the dermis and is the most abundant protein in the skin, making up 75% of this organ. This is also your fountain of youth. It’s responsible for warding off wrinkles and fine lines. Over time, environmental factors and aging diminish your body’s ability to produce collagen and can also break down existing collagen making the facial treatment necessary.

Your Skin and Elastin

When you hear the word elastin think elastic this protein is found with collagen in the dermis, and is responsible for giving structure and support to your skin and organs. As with collagen, elastin is affected by time and the elements. Diminished levels of this protein cause your skin to wrinkle and sag.

Keratin and Your Skin

Keratin is the strongest protein in your skin. It’s also dominant in hair and nails. Keratin is what forms the rigidity of your skin. Dear reader now that you’re informed of what may cause harm to your skin, you will need to take corrective measures from time to time by creating time to share with the experts. At AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able care of Doctor Akoury you can be rest assured of nothing but the best from the best and with the best, reach out for the best today because you deserve the best.

Caring for your Skin – The Largest Organ in the Body

Herbal supplements and cancer

July 31, 2014

Herbal Supplementation As Used in Cancer therapy

Cancer is a disease that has depopulated the world greatly, needless to mention it has caused us pain as it has taken our loved ones to the cemetery earlier than we thought and we are also at risk of getting this disease. Cancer though dangerous as it sounds can be treated very effectively by an integrative doctor. The integrative doctors are better placed to treat cancer as they combine both conventional and naturopathic treatments to ensure that the patient gets the best treatment that is devoid of all the side effects that may threaten their lives. One of the integrative doctors that have seen many cancer patients get the best integrative treatment devoid of life threatening side effects is Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) who has empowered lots of cancer patients through her website and direct consultations. She has journeyed with the cancer patients to recovery and still advocates for integrative cancer treatment.

Herbal supplementation in cancer treatment is very vital as one of the most effective cancer treatments is the use of nature given herbs, vegetables and fruits. Vegetables, fruits and herbs are rich in nutrients that cancer patient needs to strengthen his immunity as well as help in fighting the disease. They are also full of antioxidants that are useful in fighting free radicals that are often by products of conventional treatments as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In surgery these herbal supplements will help in healing the wounds and hasten the formation of tissues; a process critical in healing after surgery.

The conventional cancer treatments are not as effective as they ought to be when used without herbal supplementation. In fact they leave patients with lots of life threatening side effects. Chemotherapy is one of the most known cancer treatments that works in such a way that it kills the cancerous cells, however in the process of killing the cancer cells the healthy cell are also killed and the patient will suffer the consequences which includes loss of hair, nausea, loss of appetite and loss of weight among other dangers associated with chemotherapy. Dr. Dalal Akoury encourages cancer patients to consider using herbal supplements during and after chemotherapy. She opines that herbal supplementation may help in improving the effectiveness of chemotherapy as some of them have compounds that increase drug uptake by the cancerous cells hence making chemotherapy to be more strategic.

Using the herbal supplements after chemotherapy will also help the cancer patients to evade the life threatening side effects that chemotherapy is always known for making them popular among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. She however advices that you need the directives of a qualified integrative cancer doctor to help you choose the best herbal supplements for you. This is because if herbal supplementation is done inappropriately, it may interfere with the chemotherapy treatment. The best thing to do is consult her so that she can recommend the best herbal supplements that are good for your cancer.

Seemingly, Dr. Dalal Akoury is not the only person who recommends herbal supplementation during cancer treatment. Colleen Doyle, the director of nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society says that whatever you eat and the quantity you eat will have a long term impact in your fight for cancer. He advises that you should reduce the amount of sweets and unhealthy fats and increase the amounts of healthy foods that can help you in fighting cancer. Most foods we eat may not give us adequate nutrients as needed by our bodies to build stronger immune systems and to help in fighting cancer. Therefore it is appropriate to look for herbal supplements available in the market that may avail these needed mineral and vitamins that may help us in a bid to fight cancer.

FDA Approved

There are very many over the counter herbal supplements that can be used in cancer treatments, however the fact that they are herbal or other natural supplements does not automatically make them safe for use. In the past some researchers had linked certain compounds in the herbal supplements to cause negative interactions with the chemotherapy drugs and hence affecting the treatment. As I said, it is not wise to walk to a food store and buy over the counter herbal supplements and use it yourself without intervention of a qualified integrative cancer doctor. It may affect your treatment negatively. FDA tests and approves the herbal supplements and it is good to check for the FDA approved herbal supplements to be used for cancer treatments as they often check on the toxicity of the supplements before they are approved.

Dr. Dalal Akoury also warns that the herbal supplements should not be used solely for advance cancer treatment as that may not be logical. It calls for an integrative doctor to advice on the best way to go about herbal supplementation and no patient should combine any herbal supplement with conventional treatment without consultations from an integrative oncologist.

herbal To learn more about cancer and stay cancer free, you need to find a reliable doctor who will not only avail reliable information about cancer but also whom you can call for consultations. Dr. Dalal Akoury has been availing very empowering information to cancer patients on this website. Information that has seen many cancer patients get the best treatment in their fight against cancer. You can check this website frequently for information about cancer plus you can call her for consultations as many others are doing.

Herbal Supplementation in Cancer therapy

Sleep deprivation and Addiction

July 31, 2014

Sleep deprivation and Addiction – Why it is important to sleep well

Sleep deprivation is not healthy at all. It becomes complicated if you are addicted to certain substances. Ensure you get enough sleep for good health.

After a long day of work you retire home and after taking a cold or warm bath and c nice healthy meal all you would want is to fall asleep. It is actually a routine that we retire to bed every night. What many may not know is that sleep is not just for relaxation of your body after work, it also has great benefits other than relaxing like good memory, health, looks, ability to lose weight and even positives on your sex life. It is therefore necessary that we have not just good but adequate sleep. The following are some of the consequences of not having enough sleep:

Sleep deprivation and Addiction – Accidents

Majority of fatal accidents on our transport sector especially road transport is as a result of sleep deprivation. Drowsiness can slow reaction time as much as driving drunk will. The problem is not just on the road poor-quality sleep also leads to accidents and injuries at the workstations. In one study, workers who complained about excessive daytime sleepiness had significantly more work accidents, particularly repeated work accidents. They also had more sick days per accident.

Sleep deprivation and Addiction – Sleep Loss Dumbs You Down

Sleep plays a major role in thinking and learning. Lack of sleep injures these cognitive processes in many ways. It impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. This makes it more difficult to learn efficiently. Besides these during the night, various sleep cycles play a role in combining memories in the mind and if you are deprived of sleep, you may not be able to remember what you learned and experienced during the day.

Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Serious Health Problems

Sleep disorders and chronic sleep loss can put you at risk for:

Heart disease
Heart attack
Heart failure
Irregular heartbeat
High blood pressure
Stroke
Diabetes

Lack of Sleep Kills Sex Drive

The experts are reporting that sleep-deprived people may report lower libidos and less interest in sex. Depleted energy, sleepiness, and increased tension may be largely to blame.

For men with sleep apnea, a respiratory problem that interrupts sleep, there may be another factor in the sexual slump. A study published in 2002 suggests that many men with sleep apnea also have low testosterone levels. In the study, nearly half of the men who suffered from severe sleep apnea also secreted abnormally low levels of testosterone during the night.

Sleep deprivation and Addiction – Depression

Over time, lack of sleep and sleep disorders can contribute to the symptoms of depression. The most common sleep disorder, insomnia, has the strongest link to depression. In a 2007 study of 10,000 people, those with insomnia were five times as likely to develop depression as those without. In fact, insomnia is often one of the first symptoms of depression.

Insomnia and depression feed on each other. Sleep loss often aggravates the symptoms of depression, and depression can make it more difficult to fall asleep. On the positive side, treating sleep problems can help depression and its symptoms, and vice versa.

Lack of Sleep Ages Your Skin

Most people have experienced sallow skin and puffy eyes after a few nights of missed sleep. But it turns out that chronic sleep loss can lead to lackluster skin, fine lines, and dark circles under the eyes.

When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases more of the stress hormone cortisol. In excess amounts, cortisol can break down skin collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic.

Sleep loss also causes the body to release too little human growth hormone. When we’re young, human growth hormone promotes growth. As we age, it helps increase muscle mass, thicken skin, and strengthen bones.

Sleep deprivation and Addiction – Forgetfulness

If you want to keep your memory sharp then get good and adequate sleep. Researchers have established that the brain events called sharp wave ripples are responsible for consolidating memory. The ripples also transfer learned information from the hippocampus to the neocortex of the brain, where long-term memories are stored. Sharp wave ripples occur mostly during the deepest levels of sleep.

Losing Sleep Can Make You Gain Weight

When it comes to body weight, it may be that if you snooze, you lose. Lack of sleep seems to be related to an increase in hunger and appetite, and possibly to obesity. People who sleep for under six hours a day are almost 30 percent more likely to become obese than those who slept seven to nine hours.

Recent research has focused on the link between sleep and the peptides that regulate appetite. Ghrelin stimulates hunger and leptin signals satiety to the brain and suppresses appetite and sleep deprivation is associated with decreases in leptin and elevations in ghrelin. Not only does sleep loss appear to stimulate appetite. It also stimulates cravings for high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods. Ongoing studies are considering whether adequate sleep should be a standard part of weight loss programs.

Sleep Loss Impairs Judgment

Lack of sleep can affect our interpretation of events. This hurts our ability to make sound judgments because we may not assess situations accurately and act on them wisely.

Sleep-deprived people seem to be especially prone to poor judgment when it comes to evaluating the effects of lack of sleep in their lives. In our increasingly fast-paced world, functioning on less sleep has become a kind of badge of honor. But sleep experts say if you think you’re doing fine on less sleep, then you’re very wrong for example if you work in a profession where it’s important to be able to judge your level of functioning then this can be a big problem.

Studies show that over time, people who are getting six hours of sleep, instead of seven or eight, begin to feel that they’ve adapted to that sleep deprivation they’ve gotten used to it. However if you look at how they actually do on tests of mental alertness and performance, they continue to go downhill. So there’s a point in sleep deprivation when we lose touch with how impaired we are. In conclusion take time and sleep well because failing will not just be disastrous to you but even to others. In case of any problem of addiction or weight gain due to your action of sleeping less then you may want to visit AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care for professional help. Doctor Dalal Akoury will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE and you will have your life back completely.

Sleep deprivation and Addiction – Why it is important to sleep well

Angiogenesis and Metastasis

July 30, 2014

The Role of Angiogenesis Inhibitors In Integrative Cancer Care
Cancer patients always have a fear that their cancer may become metastatic. If it becomes metastatic it becomes a problem to treat and may cause lots of damage to the healthy cells in the patient’s body. Metastastasis however cannot happen without angiogenesis. Therefore if the cancer doctors find a way of avoiding angiogenesis then it can be easier to avoid metastatic cancer. One of the known characteristics of cancerous cells is that they divide rapidly and their growth is uncontrolled, this is a major challenge as the danger increases with how well they are well spread in the body. The best way to control the spread of cancer is to control angiogenesis by the aid of angiogenesis inhibitors.

What is angiogenesis?

Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels. This is a natural process that occurs majorly during growth and development of children. The mother’s womb has to form new blood vessels that are important in the development of the infant. This is a crucial process and is known as vascologeneis. However this process happens less often in adults and may happen during wound healing. In women it happens during the menstruation cycle. When this formation of new blood vessels is induced by tumor, it is referred to as tumor angiogenesis. This happens when the tumors release molecules that signal the surrounding tissues. It is this signaling that activates genes that make proteins to initiate growth of new blood vessels. These new blood vessels penetrate into the cancerous cells and help them grow by supplying them with the needed nutrients and removing wastes out of them hence creating an environment that favors their growth and metastasis.

For tumors to grow and metastasize, angiogenesis is a necessity without which the cancerous cells will become inactive and may even die. The network of newly formed blood vessels become very dangerous to the cancer patient as they enhance the growth of the cancerous cells, spreading to other parts of the body and inflicting pain. For this situation to be controlled there is need to cut the nutrient and oxygen supply to these cancerous cells.

Being that cancer cells depend on angiogenesis to grow and metastasize, cancer therapies that target angiogenesis can potentially help in treating cancer. Angiogenesis is necessary for growth and metastasis of all cancer cells irrespective of the type of cancer. Cancer treatments that target angiogenesis will definitely aid in treatment of all cancers. The basis of therapies that target angiogenesis is that if angiogenesis can be stopped then the cancerous cells will be killed as they will not access the necessary supplies hence will starve to death.

Copper and Angiogenesis

Copper is a trace element the needs to highly regulated as any slight homeostatic copper disruptions may result in serious health complications such as the Wilson’s disease. Copper is also known to be necessary for angiogenesis. Without copper angiogenesis cannot take place. Copper therefore fuels cancer tumor growth and metastasis. Anti-angiogenic therapies can be used to curb this situation. tetrathiomolybdate (TM) is effective in copper chelation. Researchers have proved that TM forms a stable tripartite complex with copper and protein. If given with food, it chelates food copper with food protein and prevents absorption of copper in the bloodstream. There is endogenous secretion of copper in saliva and gastric secretions associated with food intake, and this copper is also chelated by TM when it is taken with meals, thereby preventing copper re-absorption.

Researchers have tested the effects of the tetrathiomolybdate (TM) on mice that were injected with cancer cells and left for a week for angiogenesis to begin. After the new blood vessels had been formed the mice was injected tetrathiomolybdate (TM). The angiogenesis stopped and the tumor growth stopped. Tetrathiomolybdate (TM) is targeted by many researchers who want to verify if it can be used as a cancer treatment. However from researches that had been done in the past it was concluded that tetrathiomolybdate (TM) has a unique action on the copper that fuels angiogenesis and retarded tumor growth with little side effects. If cancer patients are given TM with food their copper balance become negative which does not support angiogenesis. The copper that is bound by TM cannot do any meaningful biological activity as it cannot be absorbed by cells and is excreted in the urine having been cleared by bile.

Typically the level of cancer that is needed for angiogenesis is much higher as compared to the amount of copper that is needed for cellular activities that are dependent on cancer like cytochrome function and heme synthesis. Cancer therapy that are based on anti-copper may work well as the copper needed for cellular activities will be retained even when TM is used to as an anti-copper angiogenic agent.

Low molecular weight heparins

Researchers have also found out that Low molecular weight heparins helps in improving the cancer patient’s chances of survival as it inhibits metastasis. The low molecular weight heparins are said to curb metastasis by preventing cancer cell triggered destruction of the endothelial glycocalyx. In experimental animal models and clinical tests; it was found that the low molecular weight heparins protects against cancer progression and metastasis. This is said by the scientists is possible as the low molecular weight inhibits metastasis interfering with the cancer cell binding on the platelets. Cancer cell needs to attach themselves to the platelets to move to other parts of the body. Low molecular weight heparins also inhibit metastasis through binding of heparanase or hyaluronidase thereby protecting the vascular endothelium from invasion by the cancer cells.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an expert in integrative cancer treatment and can avail you the best advice to help you cure or better yet prevent cancer. You can always call her for consultations.

The Role of Angiogenesis Inhibitors In Integrative Cancer Care

Stress Relief and Cancer

July 29, 2014

Stress Relief Is Essential in Cancer Care
Stress Cancer is a disease that has caused much pain and has made us victims in one way or the other. The moment a person receives a news that he has cancer, fear become his uninvited companion as no one is ever sure of surviving the disease even with availability of many alternative cancer treatments in the hospitals. Researchers have done lots of work to ease this feeling but history knows that very many people have lost their lives to the disease. Some of the people who lost their lives did not die because of the disease itself but because the treatment was not holistic enough to suppress all the tension that the patient had. Cancer treatment is not just about injecting the patient with drugs that are aimed at killing the cancer cells. This approach of cancer treatment may not succeed because a cancer patient goes through lots of psychological trauma that needs to be addressed as well during the treatment and this is the reason why having an integrative cancer doctor attend to your cancer patient can be very beneficial as they focus on the whole person healing that is the body, the spirit and the mind. Stress is a culprit in cancer treatment and so needs to be addressed well for the cancer treatment to be effective. The patient needs to obtain a peace of mind for the drugs to have effect on the patient. Stress has been mentioned by many researchers as a factor that may make cancer treatment even more complicated.

Stress causes cancer

Many medical research findings have linked stress to cancer. Researchers have found that a gene ATF3 is a crucial link between cancer and stress. The gene is activated during stressful conditions in all types of cells, in normal conditions the gene can protect the body since incase of dangerous stressors; the normal cells can commit suicide to avoid the spread of the poison to other cells.

The researchers however proved that the cancerous cells will coax the immune system that have been put in place closer to the tumors to influence the expression of the ATF3 gene hence makes the ATF3 to inhibit the activity of immune cells making them to act erratically and allow the cancer cells to spread from the tumor to other parts of the body. In that manner stress is linked to metastasis.

It is highly recommended for a cancer patient to engage in practices that helps in reducing the stress levels in the body which in a broader way will help in reducing your risk of getting cancer. The patient ought to be well taken care of by avoiding all stressful conditions.

Stress relief is not only important to those who are already sick of cancer, stress relief is necessary for those who are not sick as well. This is because stress may make a person to involve in unhealthy behaviors like smoking, drinking alcohol and having multiple sexual partners all in a bit to find relief. Smoking tobacco is a major cause of lung cancer while having multiple sexual partners is known to cause cervical cancer.

How to relieve stress in a cancer patient

To relieve stress we need something that may distract the patient from his streams of hopeless thoughts. There are a number of activities that may help a patient be relieved of stress but still the person’s attitude towards the activity will matter so it is important to incorporate the patient’s likes and feelings in every strategy towards stress relief.

Reflexology

Reflexology involves the practice of massaging or applying pressure to various acupressure points on the body with the goal of reducing stress and supporting overall health. This however needs to be done by a qualified integrative cancer doctor in order to reap the desired benefits.

Sound therapy CD

Sound therapy is effective in stress relief in cancer patients. It involves the patient listening to the vibrations from the harmonics overtones of the 5^th interval and the 7h cord which is made up of two 5^th intervals. The vibrations are said to promote healing in the parts of brains that are responsible for endorphin release by causing a pathetic resonance to these parts. Endorphins are brain chemicals that transmit signals from one neuron to the other and help in reducing stress and enhancing the immune system.

Ballroom dance

Exercise is a great way that helps in stress reduction not only to cancer patient but also to people who dot have cancer cells in them. However for a cancer patient, he may not be having strength enough for a gym workout needless to mention the exercise they need to do is one that is fun like ballroom dancing which increases the blood circulation and reduces muscle tension. It also activates hormonal activities which is key in cancer treatment.

Valid company

Stress Stress can be worse if the patient is kept in isolation where he does not meet his family and share his moments with them. This explains why patients undergoing home treatment may recover within a short time. Keeping the cancer patients accompanied at all times reduces their stress as they know they have people they can count on.

You need to learn on ways to prevent the disease. You need reliable information to help you do this. Contact Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) for more information on health matters and be empowered to take good care of your life. Check her website for more information. As always she is readily available for consultations.

Stress Relief Is Essential in Cancer Care

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