Curiously Awesome

Mainstream medicine’s answer to the discomforts of menopause is hormone replacement therapy. While this can be an effective way to banish hot flashes and other symptoms, at what price? Breast cancer? Ovarian cancer?

Instead of risking your long-term health to avoid short-term symptoms, opt for simple lifestyle changes that can bring effective relief.

• Get regular cardiovascular exercise. Fight off osteoporosis with strength training work as well.
• Avoid excessive sodium, sugar and caffeine. Spicy foods and processed foods can also contribute to menopausal symptoms so cutting back on these foods can bring relief. Increase fiber and vegetable consumption to help your body acclimate to menopause.
• Try herbal remedies to fight symptoms. Primrose oil, black cohosh, ginseng and gingko biloba can relieve many menopausal symptoms.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you fill prescriptions at Walgreens? If so, I have some information that you may find interesting.

Up until now, Walgreens and Express Script s have been working together to provide customers with the prescription medications they need. Express Scripts is the go-between for pharmacies and employers with health plans that pay for medications.

Unfortunately, this partnership ended with the beginning of 2012 because the two entities could not reach a mutually acceptable agreement. So now, Walgreens is not included in the Express Scripts’ pharmacy provider network.

Walgreens tried very hard to salvage the deal to enable them to continue serving the many people who have come to rely on Walgreens for prescriptions. They even offered to hold rates flat without any increases. Express Script’s response? They insisted on unilateral definition of contract terms. Express Scripts also planned to cut Walgreens reimbursement rates to unheard of levels.

Walgreens is continuing to try to reduce the impact on patients even after this dissolution. They have come up with a way to enable many patients to continue to use Walgreens using a special  Walgreens Prescription Savings Club . Spend $10 annually for a family membership that covers everyone in your immediate family — spouse, dependents 22 and younger and even pets! Individual membership is $5 annually. This means that only a small number of patients are probably affected at this time — check the back of your insurance card – if it says “Express Scripts,” then you may be affected. If it doesn’t say Express Scripts, you are probably OK.

How do customers feel about this? Well, a recent survey showed that 82 percent of employers would not exclude Walgreens if the savings was less than 5 percent on their total expenditure. Sixty percent of of those surveyed said that they would not exclude Walgreens for less than 10 percent savings. A whopping 21 percent said that they would not exclude Walgreens from their network period.

Want to know more and show your support for Walgreens? Check out  Walgreens on Twitter and Walgreens on Facebook  .

Feeding fish to babies under nine months reduces their chances of developing wheeze and asthma. Treatments with broad spectrum antibiotics raises the risk of wheezing, asthma and also allergic reactions.

In a study, researchers gathered data from 8176 randomly chosen families with babies. The parents were asked to answer questions when the babies were six months, 12 months and 4 1/2 years old. The first set of questions included queries on the administration of broad spectrum antibiotics and pregnancy relevant factors in addition to the introduction of fish meat in the baby’s diet. The last set of questions gathered data on current health, past diseases and eating habits. Researchers also examined children that had experienced more than three episodes of wheezing during the last year.

Analysis shoed that a high fish intake during pregnancy and early introduction of fish reduces the risk of wheezing and allergic reactions. Researchers conclude that increased levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids taken from fish meals reduces the chances of wheezing and allergy by up to 50 percent.

Essential B vitamins combat stress resulting in memory loss. Long-term supplementation of folic acid and vitamin B-12 improves cognitive functioning after a period of two years. B vitamins are important for nerve transmission and are necessary as stress level goes up.

Researchers supplemented one group of volunteers with 400 micrograms of folic acid and 100 micrograms of vitamin B-12. This group was compared against a control group that received a placebo. The results were measured at one-year and two-year intervals.

Researchers found that the group receiving the B-vitamins experienced better memory function when compared to the control group. Researchers concluded that stress results in an inflammation to neuron structures in the brain. This inflammation interferes with electrical and chemical transmissions between nerves — the places where new memories form — also necessary in the maintenance of a healthy cognitive function.

Alzheimer’s is a disease of the brain that causes the gradual deterioration of brain cells creating memory loss and the loss of cognitive abilities and intelligence. The most common early symptom of Alzheimer’s is memory loss.

Homeopathy can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and ease common symptoms.

Homeopathic manufacturer Heel is producing studies on a combination homeopathic medicine with proven effectiveness for relieving symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and reducing the formation of amyloid plaques from the brains of patients. Recent studies confirm that subjects had enhanced learning abilities.

Homeopathic Remedies to Try:

Baryta Carb — Helps patients with childlike regression

Natrum Sulf — Relieves fixations on unpleasant events and past pain

Nux Vomica — Improves patients with irritation and anger

Alumina — Eases depression and fear

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of LG DoublePlay™ for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love the LG brand. LG stands for “Life’s Good,” so they’ve really nailed it,right? Anyway, I have never owned an LG phone, but my son has and he liked it. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one.

Here is an LG deal I just happened upon.

Have you heard of the  LG DoublePlay™ ? Well, if not, hold on tight because you’re going to love this! Here are some tempting details:

This phone has dual customizable touch screens — a big one and a smaller one that will operate independently or together. How cool is that? It also has a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard and you can Swype your texts in too, Like to multi-task? Who doesn’t? with the DoublePlay, you can do things like update your FaceBook pages while surfing the Web, sending a text or checking your email.

The DoublePlay also has an impressive 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and a video recorder! You’ll never be without a decent camera or video camera to grab those moments as they happen. After you capture your memories, it’s an easy thing to share them via messaging, email or Facebook.

So…how reliant are you on your phone for social networking? As for me, my phone is never far away and I use it constantly. If I’m out and about and something cool happens, I often snap a pic and upload it to my mobile uploads on Facebook. Recently, I lost a bunch of pictures and it was so nice to have all of those pictures saved in my Facebook account — I would otherwise have lost them!

So…are you tempted? Go see the DoublePlay yourself and see what you think! I’m not a huge texter…pretty much just with my mobile kids…but it’s nice having this capability. I probably send about 50 texts a month. If I had the DoublePlay that might change, I don’t know. How many texts do you send a month? The DoublePlay might be the force behind you finally having a phone that can keep up with you! Think of the social networking options! Leave a comment and tell me how you use your phone now and how you think the DoublePlay would change that!

Don’t forget, the DoublePlay is available exclusively at T-Mobile.

The chemical in microwave popcorn, called diacetyl, is so poisonous that it often destroys the lungs of workers in microwave popcorn factories. These workers develop an incurable disease known as bronchiolitis obliterans — popcorn lung.

Health professionals have known of this risk for years always assuming that it would only affect people working in the factory and breathing the especially high concentrations there.

In 2007, a man who ate two bags of microwave popcorn daily was diagnosed with popcorn lung. This indicates that diacetyl enters the air and lungs when microwave popcorn is cooking. In response, most microwave popcorn companies removed diacetyl and replaced it with chemicals having the same effects.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprint for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

How about a new Android for you or someone on your gift list? Here’s a great lead if you’re looking for  Android™ powered EVO 4G devices  .

I have an HTC Android Desire that I’ve had for about five months, and I love love love it. It’s zippy and sleek and stylish…all the things I want in a cell phone.

If you’re tired of your old cell phone, maybe it’s time to upgrade, huh? Could be the perfect time to give yourself a gift that will keep giving all year long.

Sprint is running some great deals right now. If you hurry, you can get an EVO or a EVO Shift absolutely free! How, you say? Well, simple…just order online. You have to be adding new lines of service and then you even get the activation waived and get free shipping on top of everything else!

This offer won’t last forever, though. If it sounds tempting to you, best get in on it before it ends. December 14 is the final day to take advantage of this awesome sale. Hurry and save some money while getting that zippy Android you know you want!

Suffering from recurring headaches, migraines, depression, anxiety, arthritis, ringing in the ears, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, or acid reflux is becoming more and more common. The symptoms of Artificial Sweetener Disease can change daily, depending on how much sweeteners you consume.

Ever hear the frequent adage: “there’s not enough artificial sweetener in any specific product to cause health concerns?” Well, as of 2011, there are chemical sweeteners in more than 25 percent of all foods and drinks. The effect of these chemicals is compromised health…thanks to little regulation of chemical agents in food.

Don’t look for a prescription drug to solve the health issues created by artificial sweeteners. Stop consuming them and your health will improve.

US FDA has issued a new warning to pet owners about the possible toxicity of some pet treats imported from China. So far in 2011, at least 70 dogs have been sickened or killed by jerky products imported from China. Dog owners who observe any symptoms associated with these treats should stop using them.

Many kinds of pet treats have also been subjected to irradiation treatments. This deadly process makes food toxic.

When purchasing any pet food or treats read labels carefully to identify the product origin. Then verify whether or not the food has been treated with irradiation.