Acid Reflux – also known as Heartburn – is caused when acid from the stomach backs up into the esophagus, causing an uncomfortable burning sensation. Almost everyone experiences heartburn at some point in their life. However if these symptoms occur more than two days a week for several months, a person may have Acid Reflux Disease, otherwise known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Acid reflux occurs when the valve separating the esophagus and stomach (known as the lower esophageal sphincter) does not close properly, allowing acid to travel up into the esophagus. This often occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes more often than it should, and at inappropriate times. Acid reflux can be triggered off by a number of things: Eating the wrong food – including acidic, spicy, or fatty food, or even over-eating before bedtime. A medical condition – can also trigger heartburn, including Hiatus Hernia, or pregnancy for example. Lifestyle habits – are also to blame, like undue stress, smoking, or consuming excess caffienated beverages. Exercises – Lying down or bending over on a full stomach can also trigger heartburn, as can being overweight, along with any exercises that cause increased pressure on the abdomen, and wearing tight clothes. Unless treated, Acid reflux disease may lead to more serious medical conditions. Acid reflux can eventually erode the lining of the esophagus – a condition known as Erosive Esophagitis. Gastroesophageal Reflux can even occur in infants – a common symptom being spitting up. More than half of all babies experience reflux during their first few months of life. A small number of infants can suffer severe symptoms due to Gastroesophageal Reflux. Fortunately Acid reflux is curable and a doctor can prescribe appropriate treatments, some of which can heal areas of the esophagus that have been eroded by acid reflux.

Written by the Editors at Weight Loss Buddy Press in colaboration with Hans A. Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, FACN, CNS It is well known that about two-thirds of the U.S. population is either overweight or obese. The U.S. Surgeon General has stated that approximately 75% of Western diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, gout, arthritis, excess weight gain, hypertension, diabetes, some cancers, impotence, diverticular disease, constipation, heartburn, and gallbladder disease, are “lifestyle-related.” They are directly correlated with our high fat diet, inadequate amounts of exercise, smoking, high intake of caffeine, and high amounts of stress coupled with insufficient support. Hoping to address this ala Reduced levels of depression and increase in self-esteem Classn Diminishing of angina n Lowering of high blood pressure levels n In about half of the participants with type 11 diabetes, a dramatic reduction in need for insulin and hypoglycemic agents n Average weight loss of six pounds n Serum cholesterol reduction average 15 – 20% n 89% are cholesterol above 160mg% Over the course of the program, strict adherents are likely to experience significant clinical improvements such as the following: n 60% are obese n 49% show evidence of hypertension n 42% are overweight n 27% have elevated blood sugar n 10% report having heart disease nrming situation, more than 20 years ago, cardiovascular epidemiologist Hans A. Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, created the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP). Since then, this 40-hour community-based lifestyle intervention program has helped more than 40,000 people rediscover their health by preventing, arresting and reversing their diseases. It has been conducted in more than 150 North American cities as well as in Bangalore, India, Australia and Switzerland. Depending upon the needs of the group, the meetings are held either “live” with Dr. Diehl delivering the program personally (usually meeting four times per week for four weeks) or as a “video-based” program with certified CHIP facilitators (normally two times per week for eight weeks). In addition, Dr. Diehl is a best-selling author – To Your Health, Dynamic Living, and Health Power (co-authored with Aileen Ludington, M.D.) — as well as the executive editor of a 24-page quarterly Lifeline Health Letter; he has produced scores of health videos. CHIP empowers people through its scientifically-documented, educational and inspirational program that addresses common western diseases — those that used to be seen primarily later in life. Today, these diseases increasingly appear at far younger ages. CHIP may make all the difference in one’s life — even the difference between life and death. In 1999, CHIP launched a “community health transformation template” in Rockford, Illinois, a city with a population of 130,000. The intention was to transform Rockford into the healthiest city in American, thereby enabling it to serve as a model and template for cultural transformation on a community-wide level. Recently, CHIP was recognized as just such a model by HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson and was “approved” under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a “STEPS to a HealthierUS” applicant. In addition to “live” CHIP, a series of CHIP videos are offered through schools, churches, corporations, and hospitals. In Rockford, CHIP is sponsored by the Swedish American Health System’s Center for Complementary Medicine. Who is the typical CHIP participant? Generally, CHIP participants are over the age of 40. Most are between the ages of 50 and 59. There are twice as many women as men, and almost 90% are married. Clinical research, published in peer review journals, has found that they have the following lifestyle diseases:   Video Lecture Schedule Week 1 Modern Medicine: Miracles, Medicines, Mirages The limitations of high-tech medical approaches in dealing with lifestyle related diseases Portrait of a Killer: Onslaught from Within Atherosclerosis, the culprit in many lifestyle diseases Stalking the Killer Reviewing the risk factors for coronary heart disease Eat More and Weigh Less Basic guidelines for healthy, sustained weight loss Week 2 Going Up in Smoke Smoking – the most controllable risk factor for coronary heart disease The Magic of Fiber The role of fiber in preventing and reversing lifestyle diseases Reversing Hypertension Changing the major risk factors for high blood pressure Disarming Diabetes Lifestyle factors that can arrest or reverse diabetes Effective Cholesterol Control Dietary factors that prominently affect blood levels of cholesterol Fats in the Fire The role of excessive fat intake in lifestyle diseases Week 3 Fit at Any Age Benefits of regular exercise in preventing and arresting disease Boning Up on Osteoporosis Cause and prevention of this so-called “disease of aging” Lifestyle and Health Clinical studies that demonstrate how lifestyle choices are related to health The Optimal Diet Positive dietary guidelines for the prevention and reversal of Western diseases Week 4 Diet and Cancer Dietary factors in the development and prevention of common cancers Atherosclerosis of the Mind The importance of adaptability in achieving and maintaining optimal health The Gift of Forgiveness How a spirit of forgiveness enhances emotional and overall health Building Self-Worth The development, preservation and role of self worth in a healthy person Connie Thebarge’s Story At the age of 59, Connie Thebarge, a patient at the Ottawa Heart Institute in British Columbia, Canada, was told that her doctors could no longer help her. After all, in addition to suffering from hypertension, she had diabetes and painful diabetic neuropathy. She had two heart attacks followed by a triple coronary bypass surgery and an unsuccessful angioplasty. Every day, she had to take 27 pills. Not surprisingly, she was also depressed. Yet, today, more than a decade later, Thebarge walks three miles a day, swims twice a week, dances, and travels to Florida and Europe. No longer depressed, she also requires far fewer pills. How was this accomplished? Thebarge participated in CHIP and transformed her life. Copyright © 2005, by Weight Loss Buddy Press May be reproduced and distributed as is.

This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding death resources. A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about death resources. Each of us find ourselves wondering about dying. This introspective look at our future engages our hearts and minds to enter into what we cannot embrace. This journey into one’s soul is one of insight. Insight is to see from within what we cannot see with our physical eyes. It is a deliberate intention to discover what is most alive within us. It is the discovery of who we really are. This journey into one’s soul enables one’s heart to grief finding comfort in the midst of loss. A broken heart utilizes much energy in grief. It is important to find help and support along the way. Drawing close to friends and family is one way of coping. Along the way, we do find our way back into a «sense» of normal behavior. Yet, deep within ourselves we know we have changed and life will never be the same again. It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of death resources is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about death resources. More and more articles are written every day about death and dying. There are several resources available to us now to help us deal with the topic. Dying people have much to teach us about living in soul. After an encounter with loss, there is something inside us that begins to deepen. It is the part of us that knows the life we are living does have an end. It is the part of us that is aware of our awareness. This awareness alone guides us into the realms of spirit. It is a path into what is most sacred to us. I have witnessed people of all races, ages, genders, and sexual orientation let go of the life they have come to know. One thing becomes clear «everyone learns to love the life they have been given.» When a dying person enjoys or is saddened by the past constitution of their life, he/she reaches deep within themselves to find meaning, hope, and unconditional love. Despite our humanness, we have an inherent need to bless what has given us experience within the expressions of our lives. This is the level of soul care «not made with human hands.» It is the heart of creation, and perhaps, the heart of God. Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about death resources into just one article. But you can’t deny that you’ve just added to your understanding about death resources, and that’s time well spent. Samuel Oliver, author of, «What the Dying Teach Us: Lessons on Living» http://www.soulandspirit.org

Before I became a celiac I took very little notice of food labeling. If I fancied the product then I bought and ate it. Things are very different now, as I have become an inveterate label reader. Now I can hear you thinking “What a shopping bore” In fact the opposite is true. Shopping for food is an adventure; my quest is to identify new things I can safely eat on a gluten free diet. It is all a matter of perception. How many of you are familiar with the optical illusion of the lady? Many people see an old crone, a lady with a huge chin and a beaky nose. Others see a glamorous young lady dresses in the height of fashion at the turn of the Twentieth Century, with a very fancy hat. For some people they can only see a single option even if they know there are other possibilities. It is not until you trace a particular line then there is that “light bulb” moment when they can finally see the other form. Back to shopping. If you think about reading product labels as a real bore, taking too much time and as a restriction on your life, that is exactly what it will become. On the other hand you can relish the exercise as a form of competition to find new products, the impact on your temper and frame of mind is likely to be very different. The quality of food labeling has improved greatly in latter years, we can now be much more conscious of what we are putting inside our bodies. I for one am much more conscious of additives, cheap fillers and chemical ingredients. As a result of label reading I have a much healthier and more varied diet. Next time you go shopping make a conscious decision whether you want to be the shopping equivalent of the “old crone” or the “bright young thing”