The recommendation is published in the May 5 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine and is available on the AHRQ Web site at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsnrfol.htm.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is the leading independent panel of experts in prevention and primary care.  The Task Force, which is supported by AHRQ, conducts rigorous, impartial assessments of the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of a broad range of clinical preventive services, including screening, counseling, and preventive medications.  Its recommendations are considered the gold standard for clinical preventive services.

Also, go to Emax Health to learn the results of a study conducted by the CDC on pregnant women drinking alcohol

Natural remedies

Natural remedies can also help you to maintain a balanced emotional state throughout your pregnancy, especially when you may be feeling apprehensive, overwhelmed or fearful. Flower essences are gentle and safe to use during pregnancy without any harmful side effects.  Natural remedies with folic acid also promote brain health.

There is a direct relation between what you eat and how you conduct yourself.  For example:

• Your irritable and restless mood may change after you have eaten.
• Some people are more productive after a cup of coffee and a sandwich.
• If you consistently eat less food, your energy is bound to become depleted, and you are liable to lose interest in work.

Depletion in energy and lack of essential nutrients can adversely affect the chemistry of your brain by disturbing the balance of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are fundamental to the movement of nerve impulses from one cell to another. They are a crucial part of all human capabilities and responses. Lack of nutrition can impair nerves and vitiate brain functioning by disturbing concentration and reducing cognition abilities, such as problem solving.

Your brain is the most dynamic part of the body. It is metabolically very active, and consumes almost a third of the body’s energy even while at rest. While fats, carbohydrates and proteins provide energy, vitamins are essential for proper metabolism. Energy is related to the calorie content of the diet, which provides substances that are metabolized by hormones, vitamins and minerals in the body. For maintaining brain health, it is imperative that the food ingested strikes an almost perfect balance of all these nutrients.

There are many vegetables and fruits, whole foods, that supply folate.  Dietary supplements can also supply folic acid to help improve brain functioning.
Learn more about the Native Remedies range of homeopathic, herbal remedies.

]]> http://phyto-remedies.com/task-force-updates-folic-acid-recommendation/feed/ 0 http://phyto-remedies.com/asking-questions-to-get-the-care-you-need/ http://phyto-remedies.com/asking-questions-to-get-the-care-you-need/#comments Tue, 05 May 2009 16:34:34 +0000 ted http://phyto-remedies.com/?p=78 The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (www.ahrq.gov) has a section called “Navigating the Healthcare System”.  In this area of the website, AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy, MD, has prepared brief, easy-to-understand advice columns for consumers to help navigate the health care system.  Dr. Clancy’s latest column is about asking your physician questions about your care.

In this article, Dr. Clancy explains the need for asking questions.  The reason is very simple:  patients who ask questions get better quality health care and often get better results.  Dr. Clancy states, “It’s hard to ask questions when you’re not sure what the problem is or how to express your concern.”  She further explains, “That’s why it is important to be prepared for appointments by thinking of your questions before your visit, writing them down and bringing them with you.”

The Web site also features a “question builder” that lets patients create a personalized list of questions to bring to their medical appointments. This is a very useful feature because it’s easy to forget a question—even a basic one—when we’re taking in a lot of new information.

The AHRQ and the Ad Council have teamed up to produce new public service announcements for the “Questions Are The Answer” campaign.  Those ads remind patients in a light-hearted way that doctors can’t read their mind.  Here is one of the public service announcements:

Fran Drescher: Ask Questions

For more information, go to AHRQ’s Navigating the Healthcare System

The Problem:  In recent years, the public financial committment, in the form of appropriations from Congress, have not kept up with rising costs associated with running the agency.  New challenges and new public health initiatives have not received adequate funding or financial support and other pressing needs are underfunded.

The Alliance: The Alliance for a Stronger FDA unites a broad group of patient groups, consumer advocates, biomedical research advocates, health professionals, and industry to work to increase the FDA’s funding appropriations.  It is supported by leading health advocates, including three former HHS secretaries and seven FDA Commissioners.

The Solution: The FDA’s ability to operate a modern, scientifically-based program must be strengthened.  Similar to the efforts that doubled the NIH budget, we will speak out on the need for significant additional funding for the FDA.  We hope to assure the FDA has the funds to accomplish its mission of getting safe and effective therapies, foods, cosmetics, and medical products into the hands of consumers and patients, and ensuring the safety and public confidence in those products while in the marketplace.

Join the Alliance: To read the complete article and for more information about the alliance, visit the website of  The Alliance for a Stronger FDA. Ladd Wiley is the Executive Director of the Alliance and can be reached at (202) 887-4211.  Steven Grossman is the Deputy Executive Director and can be reached at (301) 879-9800.