…We, as women, can have some serious pms, hormonal imbalance and menopause symptoms.

Do you know why?
There was a hint above - hormone imbalance can cause some seriously uncomfortable symptoms that we need to struggle with on a regular basis.

Most of us don’t want to take medications to correct these problems and really, from what I hear, nothing can replace natural hormones - like progesterone.

However, when you use a natural progesterone cream, it is likely (and as I have read in numerous reviews) that you’ll get some relief with this supplement.

I’ve been looking around online today, now that I’ve heard of this type of cream to see what’s out there.

Yes, you can get creams made with yam extracts, etc that are supposedly able to relieve some of these hormone issues.

However, if you can find a lotion like Oasis Serene progesterone cream that has bio-identical progesterone so it’s more easily assimilated into your body and will actually be an effective supplement.

Hopefully, this helps you out!!!

***

I hope you find this Women’s Health post helpful on Your Health Today! Until next time…

Go Natural,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Be sure to go with these all-natural Your Health Today Updates! LOL

Technorati Tags: progesterone, progesterone cream, hormone imbalance, menopause, Oasis Serene

When I have to get blood work done, I always have to let the technician know they should either use a baby needle or a butterfly needle.

The problem is when their pride gets in the way…

…I have good veins, but they are small.

When the technician decides to forego my suggestion (and often my pleads), and use a regular needle as they would use on “normal” people, they have a stronger vacuum and they run the risk of collapsing my vien as it sucks the blood too quickly and in a larger volume.

When they actually use the baby needle or a butterfly needle, they have a weaker vacuum and they’re able to get blood on the first try, usually.

When a regular needle is used, my veins collapse, I bleed all over the floor and it’s painful to keep trying to dig for a new vein…In fact, I’ve had numerous nurses called in when there’s a problem who could each try a few times.

NOT GOOD!

The problem is, many technicians feel they know better than you, that they’re extremely talented taking blood and that you couldn’t know what you’re talking about. So, they dare to try it for themselves.

Isn’t it your body? Wouldn’t you now it the best?

If you often have problems like this when giving blood, don’t be afraid to tell them you have had problems in the past and they should use a smaller needle to ensure their success and your comfort.

Prevent this from happening to you!

***

I hope you find this Preventative Medicine post on Your Health Today! Until next time…

Don’t Be Afraid to Stand Up for Your Veins,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Be sure to get your fill of Your Health Today Updates!

Technorati Tags: giving blood, blood tests, lab technician, blood

You know those ones with Marie Osmond, Dan Marino, Chris Carter or Belinda Carlisle?

I know I have…

If you’re overweight or just want to lose a few pounds, this could be your healthy and simple answer.

Basically, you eat the food they send you and you lose weight, especially if you’ll get active at the same time!

This diet is based on glycemic index (something diabetics are extremely aware of with the food they eat), and it’s rich in good carbohydrates and is low in fat!

Now, carbohydrates are essential for good nutrition. However with such diets like Atkin’s, you don’t eat any carbs! That’s not healthy for you in any way, shape or form!

That way, you can shed those unwanted pounds without some crazy, fad diet. Nutrisystem has been around for a long time now and is safe and trusted.

What I thought was phenomenal about Nutrisystem Advanced is the many programs they offer:

1. Women’s
2. Men’s
3. Women over 60
4. Men over 60
5. Type II Diabetic
6. All Vegetarian

That’s a lot of choices, and no doubt, you fit into one of those programs!

Right now, you can get Nutrisystem with payments starting as low as $10/month and you can get 2 weeks of free meals when you purchase a 28-day program!

***

I hope you enjoyed this Nutrition post on Your Health Today! Until next time…

Eat Healthy & Get Fit,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Please be sure to Subscribe to Your Health Today Updates!

Technorati Tags: nutrition, Nutrasystem, Nutrisystem, Nutrisystem Advanced, Marie Osmond, Dan Marino, healthy diet, eating healthy

If you have never been over to my cooking website,

CookingWithKimberly.com…

…You surely need to!

Now, there are some decadent recipes on there you may want to only try on special occassions or on treat days, but for more healthy recipes, check out the categories:

1. Healthy Recipes - including low carlorie recipes and home remedies too!

2. Organic Recipes

3. Vegetarian Recipes & Vegan Recipes

4. Fruits & Vegetables

Plus, if you’d like to see my awesome Cooking Videos, check out the CookingWithKimberly Channel on YouTube…don’t forget to request me as a friend there!

Here’s an example:

Want to know how to get my exclusive recipes that won’t ever publish on CookingWithKimberly?

Well, if you’re on Facebook, be sure to Become a Fan of Cooking With Kimberly to get all those insider scoops you need!

***

I hope you enjoyed this Nutrition post on Your Health Today! Until  next time…

Eat Deliciously Healthy,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Be sure to Subscribe for CookingWithKimberly.com Updates.

Technorati Tags: health, healthy recipes, nutrition, healthy diet, organic recipes, vegetarian recipes, low calorie recipes, Cooking With Kimberly, Kimberly Edwards, vegan recipes, home remedies

I just got the pathology back on the stone that I passed, and this is the type of crystal I passed. However, it was a great deal larger at 3 mm.

It’s the most common type of kidney stone, apparently.

It was black in color and jagged all over to the naked eye.

My doctor gave me some dietary restrictions in order to prevent this from forming again…And I’ll do all I can not to pass one of these babies again!

I wanted to pass these on to you, who need to watch what they eat to prevent the formation of these crystals.

I will list them in order of importance, as laid out for me.

General Suggestions:
1. Water -You are supposed to drink enough water to keep the volume of the urine great than 2 liters that you pass per day (that’s equal to about 2 quarts).

* Tip: My naturopath gave me a neat formula to determine how much water a person should drink on a daily basis, just to be normally healthy:  Body Weight / 2 (divided by 2) and this is the number of ounces you are to drink in a day.

Basically, both my urologist and naturopath say that if your urine is yellow, you’re creating stones…it should be clear or very pale yellow in color. If it’s not, keep drinking water.

2. Salt - Don’t add any salt to your diet…No salt on your food, and reduce the salt you use to cook with. Plus, much less pre-packaged, canned or cured foods, as they use a lot of salt in processing. Eat more naturally.

3. Citrus Fruit - Fresh citrus fruit inhibits formation of kidney stones…Oranges are the best to counteract calcium oxalate kidney stones…other citrus is good too though.

4. Calcium - Most patients benefit from consuming a moderate amount of dairy products spaced throughout the day, such as 1 glass of milk, a piece of cheese, a small yogurt, etc. 2 or 3 times per day.

* Tip: Although you benefit from eating dairy, you must eat it with a meal. Never have it as a snack by itself. What happens is the calcium (a major part of the calcium oxalate kidney stones) starts forming stones when it’s the only thing available to the body to digest. If it’s eaten with other foods, it “coagulates” with the food, making it unavailable to the body, which is a good thing for us!

5. Oxalate - This is the major component of this type of kidney stone. It is found in beer, chocolate, some teas, most beans, nuts, rhubarb, kiwi, grapes, many berries, cinnamon, pepper, beets, turnip, squash, popcorn and asparagus. (These are the most common high oxalate foods in most diets.)

* Tip: I’ve always added a dab of milk to my black tea to “coagulate” the tannins in the tea, which stain your teeth. However, my uroligst told me that by adding milk to your tea, will also “coagulate” the oxalate, making it unavailable to make stones with. Yeah!!!

6. Meat/Protein - Limit your meat intake to 8 oz per day, as it can form uric acid, which is a common component of kindey stones.

7. Alcohol - Limit your intake of alcohol, as it too can form uric acid, which is a common component of kidney stones.

8. Fiber - A diet high in natural fiber is helpful to prevent kidney stones.

* Don’t forget…This doesn’t mean you can’t live and enjoy these foods ever!

The key here is to increase your water intake when you do eat these foods, to be sure your urine is clear in color, and to eat these foods in a limited fashion, and moderately. When you do eat them, don’t eat a ton of them!

***

I hope this Urinary Tract post is extremely helpful to you on Your Health Today! Until next time…

Prevention is the Best Policy,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Apparently, you can get supplements that you can get to prevent yourself from getting them. Believe me, I’ll be investing in these…I NEVER want to go through that again:

Technorati Tags: kidney stones, calcium oxalate kidney stones, calcium oxalate, urinary tract, urinary tract problems, how to prevent kidney stones

For that 1st 24 hrs after surgery:

• Do not drive a vehicle or make any important decisions.
• Do not drink ANY alcoholic beverages, as you may thin your blood and bleed a lot.
• Avoid excessive physical activity.
• Avoid direct sunlight.
• Drink plenty of clear fluids and eat light foods as tolerated.
• Have a person stay with you at home to check on you often.
• Extra rest and sleep is encouraged to promote strength and healing.
• Do not cook or use electrical appliances for at least 12 hours.

However, do not hesitate to phone your physician if you’re concerned about your condition in any way, or if any problems arise such as uncontrollable pain, swelling, bleeding, elevated temperature or something else of that nature.

Also, please note that it’s extremely important for you to cough twice every hour, move your feet and toes around every hour, bend your knees every hour and take deep breaths - at least 5 times.

This will keep you prevent getting a blood clot.

***

I hope this Surgery post was helpful to you on Your Health Today! Until next time…

Take it Easy After Surgery,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Please be sure to Subscribe to this Blog.

Technorati Tags: surgery, post op, post operative, post operative instructions, what to do after a surgery, operations

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Victorian Order of Nurses
by Nikita Turner

VON is the leading charitable organization addressing community health and social needs. VON is also a unionized organization.

VON is a charity, guided by the principles of primary health care. They work in partnerships with Canadians for a healthier society through leadership in community based care. They also deliver innovative comprehension health and social services.

VON provides wound care, palliative care, intravenous care, enterostomal therapy, pediatric services, respiratory care, mental health care, dialysis, food care and physiotherapy to the clients. They also provide food services to clients houses, provide transportation, and home maintenance.

VON’s support services are offered through a variety of professional and volunteer programs:
Meals on wheels
Dinner club/wheels to meals
Congregated dining
Transportation
Volunteer Visiting
Home Maintenance

You can also find out more information on their website and ads in the paper.

This service benefits a PSW by future employment and additional information for their own benefit on health care services.

VON is Canada’s only national non-profitable, charitable, home care and social service organization. They have a wide range of health care professionals such as occupational therapists, speech therapists, dietitians, social workers, PSWs, RNs, and RPNs.

I would recommend this service to family and other PSWs because they have a wide range of jobs for future health care professionals and they provide various cares fit for each client.

***

I hope you enjoyed this Health post on Your Health Today! Until next time…

Know Your Options in Health Care,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Find out more about Community Health Nursing:

Public and Community Health Nursing Practice This text is needed very badly—especially with advanced practice… $58.70

Technorati Tags: health, VON, Victorian Order of Nurses, community health care, Canadian health care, Canadian health system

Photo left: An 8mm kidney stone

That’s right folks, just passed my very first kidney stone tonight, and let me tell you, it’s NO JOKE whatsoever!

From what I heard this past week from EMS, the nurses and doctors in the Emergency Room, specialists and anyone that’s known someone, who has had to pass a kidney stone, it is supposedly more painful than having a baby!

Well, I have never had a baby yet, but I can certainly attest to the fact that it’s the most painful thing I’ve ever had to go through in my life!

My stone was 4 mm. I’ve known about it since July, when it was seen on a CT scan as an incidental finding. “Oh, by the way, you have a 4 mm kidney stone too.” Yeah, thanks…NOT!

I haven’t had pain with it until Sunday night, when within 5 minutes I went from feeling fine, to screaming at the top of my lungs and writhing in pain on the ground, vomiting and crying!

The ambulance couldn’t get here quick enough, as I met the EMTs halfway down our sidewalk…It was awful!

I couldn’t sit still for a minute.

What did they do for me?
They immediately gave me Gravol, then a shot of Morphine with the IV they started, before I got to the hospital.

At the hospital, I received shots of Toradol throughout the evening, and they scheduled me for referral to a specialist and sent me home after I was more comfortable, promising it would be within the next 2 days. They sent me home with more Toradol.

No call for 3 days, and then a call with my scheduled CT for SATURDAY! Are you kidding? What if…well, I have another attack, right?

Well, as I could only take the Toradol every 6 hrs, I happened to have another really bad attack last night, Wednesday, where the pills just didn’t kick in. Again, vomiting, screaming and writhing in pain as I waited for the ambulance.

No pain med or Gravol this time in the ambulance…I had to wait this time. However, the pain was more excrutiating than ever.

When I got to the ER, they gave me 2 different pain meds, one of which was Toradol and Gravol to boot.

Throughout the night, I also received morphine, but they actually sent me for an x-ray last night, and scheduld a CT for the next day. A CT was done this morning and the urologist came in to see me.

I told them that 2 weeks ago, my stone was still in the same place as in July, the northern pole of my right kidney, and was still 4 mm big, which actually is quite a large stone. I said to the doctor that apparently my stone is moving…

The specialist laughed and said, “You’re not kidding. It’s not just moving, it’s sprinting for the door!” I asked why and he said it was only 2 mm from entering my bladder, where I’d be able to pass it and feel no more pain.

He gave me the option of staying in the hospital to pass it, or go to the comfort of my own home to pass it with medications of course. At least I would know exactly what it is, how far it has to go and equipped with pain management.

I opted to go home, and he sent me with Toradol and Flomax - a drug for men’s prostates…Sounds strange, but it was supposed to help with the spasms of the bladder and surrounding urinary tract.

Now, he said if I had to come back into the ER, he would have to admit me and may have to go in to get it surgically, if mother nature couldn’t handle it itself.

Well, I’m pleased to say, I passed it this evening and I must say, with instant and immediate relief!

Problem is, they say once you get them, you are more prone to getting them again.

This was no fun! I can totally empathize with others who have stones! You don’t want to get them!

***

I wanted to share this experience with those of you trying to figure out what’s going on and what they’ll do to help you.

I hope you learned from this Urinary Tract post on Your Health Today! Until next time…

I hope you never have to go through this in your lifetime,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Apparently, you can get supplements that you can get to prevent yourself from getting them. Believe me, I’ll be investing in these…I NEVER want to go through that again:

Technorati Tags: kidney stones, passing a kidney stone, kidney stone treatment, urinary tract problems, kidney health, kidneys, Toradol, Flomax

You push a button in your home or on a device around your neck, and have an immediate connection to emergency departments.

***

Life Line in Canada
by Nikita Turner

Life Line came to Canada in 1974. It started out in community hospitals. Life Line was made to assist and get help efficiently to individuals who live alone or live with disabilities.

The purpose of Life Line is to get clients help fast when needed and it’s easy access button helps in life threatening situations. Every Life Line client receives a button they can either wear around their necks or on their wrist, which is accessible in emergencies. When the button is pressed, it sends signals to communicators which send for help through to a response center. Help will arrive situated for the problem.

Life Line is also a date reminder to remind those of medicine intake and important appointments.

Life Line benefits the client by giving efficient help immediately. The client usually feels the benefit of safety and confidence living independently.

Clients can get access to Life Line through hospitals, brochures in waiting rooms and numbers in the phone book. Health care professionals also give referrals. Life Line costs $41.75 per month + GST in Canada, and is $88.00 for installation. There is a minimum 3 month contract.

Life Line would benefit a PSW by also providing quick access for help when an emergency takes place during home care.

Life Line has a 250 foot radius, making it beneficial to still have contact with the speaker. Employees from Life Line will call once a month to make sure each client is doing well. There is no extra cost per call or any maximum amount or calls limit.

I would definitely recommend Life Line service to my family members and other support workers because this system could be their only life line in a tragic situation.

***

I hope you enjoyed this Health post on Your Health Today! Until next time…

Be Sure You Have a Life Line,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. This system is the exact same idea:

Technorati Tags: Life Line, i’ve fallen and I can’t get up, products for people with disabilities, living with disabilities, emergency alert

Nikita is going to school to become a nurse! Way to go Nikita!

The article’s subject, diabetes, is one that Nikita takes to heart, as she lives with diabetes, herself.

Photo above: Diabetes Superhero logo shirt - What it means? That you support Diabetes Research!

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Living with Diabetes
by Nikita Turner

Living with diabetes has day to day challenges, such as fighting high and low blood sugars, and struggling to estimate the correct amount of insulin to take with every meal. Many important steps are to be taken when managing diabetes to pursue a healthy life.

Diabetics can live a long and healthy life by learning the long and short term effects of the disease, making changes to their lifestyle, and managing the illness with medicines correctly.

There are many long and short term effects that could set in with unmanaged diabetes. If blood glucose levels remain increased for a long period of time, short term effects may occur such as fatigue, pain in legs, mood swings, hyperglycemia and frequent urination.

The long term effects of increased glucose levels are blindness, amputations, kidney failure, liver damage, strokes and nerve damage This can also result into a fatal Diabetic Keto Acidosis coma (DKA).

When blood glucose levels decrease, short term effects may occur, such as increase of hunger, emotional distress, trembling and faintness. When blood glucose levels remain low for a long time, a low sugar coma will occur and there is a certain amount of time you have to regain consciousness.

These effects will take a toll on your life if diabetes is not managed,,and many of them are irreversible.

To prevent these effects, a change of lifestyle is required. Diabetics have to make changes to their eating habits. A healthy, balanced diet should be put into effect. This includes eating items from each food group and having three meals a day, plus the needed snacks. Some food restrictions will have to be made, such as cutting out anything with high carbohydrates and high sugar content.

Doctors will have to monitor the diabetes. Therefore, frequent doctor visits will be required. A variety of doctors will be set up as a team to make sure each area of the disease is taken care of.

Daily activities should be increased to keep your body fit and sugars level. An increase in activity is great, but you must also take time out to regulate sugars. Extra intake of food is needed when an increase of exercise is planned.

Diabetes can make for many obstacles in life, and it can be difficult to get used to the lifestyle changes needed.

In addition to lifestyle changes, medical interventions are required to manage diabetes properly. Depending on your way of life, a certain type of insulin and dosage intake will be prescribed to you by your doctor. Insulin helps stabilize your sugar levels. Procedures for taking your insulin will be given by the doctor, and you must dose according to sugar level and food intake.

Medical costs also take a toll when living with this disease. Without medical benefits, supplies can become extremely costly. If your medicine is not taken properly, diabetes will remain uncontrolled, which will lead to even more problems and obstacles in your life and in treating the disease.

There are many precautions to take when dealing with diabetes, and many to learn about and take very seriously.  If monitored well, diabetics can remain untouched by the long term effects, live happily with their new lifestyle changes, and gain the knowledge of properly medicating themselves to live and feel great for the rest of their lives.

***

I hope you enjoyed this Diabetes post on Your Health Today! Until next time…

Intelligently Manage Your Diabetes,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. For more information about Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes, check out this Sourcebook:

Diabetes Sourcebook : Basic Consumer Health Information About Type 1 Diabetes (Insulin-Dependent or Juvenile-Onset Diabetes), Type 2 Diabetes (Non-Insulin Dependent) $0.75

Technorati Tags: diabetes, diabetics, managing diabetes, diseases, illnesses, Insulin, health, diabetes treatment