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I found some excellent, exciting information today in a New York Times Health Feed written by Donald G. McNeil Jr. It published in GoUpState.Com on Tuesday, March 17, titled ‘After a Stroke, Freeing Muscles with Botox.’

The heart of the matter is Botulinum toxin; known best by the brand names Botox manufactured by Allergan, Myobloc by Solstice Neurosciences, and Xeomin by Merz Pharmaceuticals. The good news is, Botulinum toxin has far more medical uses than just smoothing out a few wrinkles.

Some uses of Botulinum toxin are unofficial and not yet approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

Here’s The Good News

For instance it has not been approved for use by stroke victims but has been proven so effective that Medicare and other insurers under certain circumstances will consider reimbursement for its use.

Most stroke victims have never heard of the treatment from their neurologist or primary care doctors, because those physicians often are not aware of the benefits of the treatments.

It’s Up To You To Inform Your Doctor

Even if they have heard of the treatment, many doctors are not trained to administer the deeper injections that are required. The procedure is a bit more involved than what dermatologists perform to erase wrinkles.

According to Mr. McNeil’s article, ‘most neurologists are in the habit of prescribing anti-spasticity drugs like tizanidine and baclofen, which are oral and inexpensive, but which cause drowsiness and weaken every muscle in the body, not just the target ones.’

Therefore, according to Dr. David M. Simpson, Clinical Neurophysiology Director at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, a leading Botulinum toxin researcher, 95 percent of the stroke victims who could benefit, never receive the injections.

Botulinum toxin is not a miracle drug and will not heal every problem caused by stroke, but it is worth a look.

See what Donald G. McNeil Jr. has to say here in his excellent article concerning Ms. Francine V. Corso, a software engineer who has to go out of her way to receive regular treatment but claims, “I’m completely transformed — I drive, I volunteer, I take art classes.”

How great is that!

As always, there’s one caveat. Be sure to find the right neurologist. Dr. Mark Hallett of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, says he uses ultrasound and electromyography when treating patients.

When an uninformed physician performs the necessary injections, close isn’t good enough.

Thanks for investing your time to read this article. Hope it gives you something to think about. If I said something that helped you, click on the RSS icons and/or share it with others.

Till Next Time, To Your Good Health and Success … Live Well,

CK Dillon

http://LiquidVitaminsOnline.Net

support@createvitality.com

The March of Dimes has issued a reminder of Five Common-Sense Health Tips for the arrival of a Healthier Baby.

Are you or do you know someone who is, may now be, or plans to be pregnant?

You can help yourself or someone else, by giving her gentle health reminders. She may be your daughter, grand daughter, friend, aunt, cousin or maybe even your mother. She’s someone you care about and want to have a healthy baby.

This is your opportunity to pass along sage advice. Most women, pregnant or not, know this already but gentle reminders along the way can do nothing but help the newborn baby.

The March of Dimes recommends that all Pregnant Women Should follow these five key steps:

• First and foremost, get early and regular pre-natal care. It will reduce the risk of having a low birth-weight baby and ward off any undue surprises.
• Eat nutritious foods, supplemented with vitamins if need be. Make sure that you and your baby get all the protein and nutrients you need through a proper diet.
• Please Don’t Smoke! Women who smoke increase their chances of having a miscarriage or a low birth-weight baby.
• Here’s a No-Brainer … Don’t take drugs! If not prescribed or approved by a doctor who is familiar with the pregnancy, the wrong drugs can cause severe disabilities, or worse, the death of your baby.
• Don’t drink! Hard liquor, wine or even beer can cause birth defects. If you follow these five reminders, the chances of your bundle of joy arriving healthy increase dramatically.

Thanks for investing your time to read this article. Hope it gives you something to think about.

If I said something that helped you, click on the RSS icons and/or share it with others.

Till Next Time, To Your Good Health and Success … Live Well,

CK Dillon

http://LiquidVitaminsOnline.Net

support@createvitality.com

Colorectal Cancer, colon cancer for short, the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S., originates in the large intestine or rectum.

Early stage cancer can often be cured and regular testing should begin after the age of 50.

Check out the article at http://cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/basic_info

There you will find Colorectal Cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States.

Colorectal Cancer:

• affects men and women in all racial and ethnic
  groups
• is most often found in people aged 50 years or
  older
• is the third most common cancer after prostate
  and lung cancers in men
• is the third most common cancer after breast and
  lung cancers in women

It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way

If all men and women aged 50 or older had regular Colorectal Cancer screening tests, as many as 60% of deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented.

What Is Colorectal Cancer Screening?

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), screening is when a test is used to look for a disease before there are any symptoms.

Cancer screening tests, including those for colorectal cancer, are effective when they can detect disease early.

Detecting disease early can lead to more effective treatment.

In some cases, screening tests can detect abnormalities such as polyps, (extra tissue that grows inside the large intestine and can potentially become cancerous) before they have a chance to turn into cancer. So removing polyps prevents colorectal cancer from developing.

I have had three Colonoscopy tests in the last 7 years. In my first test 3 non-cancerous polyps were found so I had to schedule another test within three years; in my second test 3 non-cancerous polyps were found again, thus another three year scheduled test.

In my last exam six months ago no polyps were found. I had actually resigned myself to the fact that 3 polyps were going to be there, lurking.

Hooray! Now I have five years before I have to schedule another test. It is well worth the effort in my opinion to be consistently tested.

Free or Low-Cost Colon Cancer Screening is Available

According to the CDC, if you live in one of the following locations…

Suffolk County, New York: Call (631) 444-7644

Baltimore, Maryland: Call (410) 767-1617 or 1 (866) 632-6566

King, Clallam, and Jefferson counties, Washington: Call 1 (800) 756-5437

Nebraska: Call 1 (800) 532-2227 or 1 (800) 833-7352 (TDD)

St. Louis, Missouri: Call (314) 879-6392

… you may be eligible for free or low-cost colorectal cancer screening through the CDC-funded screening demonstration program. To learn more contact the numbers above.

If you live elsewhere in the United States, please call 1 (800) 4-CANCER or 1 (800) ACS-2345 to learn more about screening options in your community. You may also be able to find information about free or low-cost screening by calling your local department of health.

If you have Medicare coverage, various tests may be covered. Go to http://medicare.gov/health/coloncancer.asp.

Hope this information helps. If it does pass it on to someone you care about who could use it.

Till Next Time, To Your Good Health and Success … Live Well,

CK Dillon

http://LiquidVitaminsOnline.Net

mailto:support@createvitality.com

Baby Boomers, when it comes to our health, some of us are suffering from an inflated ego.

If you have reached the qualifying age, I strongly recommend you a sign up for an AARP™ membership.

AARP sent applications for about five years before I was eligible and I took it as an insult. I remember thinking, “I’m not THAT old!” You know … the Boomer thing; 50 being the new 30, and so on.

One friend (you know who you are Coop) still refuses to join and he is 69 years old now. In his mind, he’s STILL not THAT old.

I strongly recommend we shelve our ego and sign up for  the membership. I’ve learned a lot from AARP and thoroughly support the cause.

For instance, the winter issue of ‘Strive For Healthy Living’ mentions that:

• March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
• April is Foot Health Awareness Month
• May is National Arthritis Month

I for one had no clue until I read the articles. My next article will be an in-depth report on Colorectal Cancer, or Colon Cancer for short.

So, if you have not already looked into the benefits of joining AARP, give it a good going over. I think you’ll like what you see. It provides the best value for $12.50 that I’ve ever invested in.

Hope this information helps. If it does pass it on to someone you care about who could use it.

Till Next Time, To Your Good Health and Success … Live Well,

CK Dillon

http://LiquidVitaminsOnline.Net

mailto:support@createvitality.com

Did I Mention Early Screening is the Key?

Also in September 2004 there was a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. After interviewing over 67,000 men over the age of 65 it was determined that black men were 35% less likely than white men to be tested for PSA (prostate-specific antigen)

The fact is Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death by cancer among men in the U.S. We black men are at a much higher risk of premature death caused by prostate cancer, so we are the group who should benefit the most from PSA screening.

There are myriad reasons why black men hesitate to get screened. We don’t have medical coverage insurance; we lack the personal finances to pay for tests; we don’t have or seek out the educational knowledge; medicaid is not always the answer because some of us do not qualify for assistance.

In 2004 the American Cancer Society estimated that nearly 30,000 men would die from the disease and that 230,000 cases of prostate cancer would be diagnosed. We are now five years down the road and the numbers are not much better.

Granted, the prostate cancer mortality rate for blacks has declined somewhat during the last ten years, but it is still more than double the rate for other races.

It has been noted that younger black men have begun to be diagnosed with the disease at a much earlier age, so the need for testing is even more of a necessity.

Maybe with the new administration in the White House the plight of the less fortunate will gain more attention.

Meanwhile there are clinics in most states that provide testing for free or for a nominal fee. I Googled ‘Free Prostate Cancer Screening’ and found Zero - The Project To End Prostate Cancer.

Check out this link. http://www.zerocancer.org/site/PageServer?pagename=drive_home.

I also found an excellent site today. This site caused me to go ahead and post this article. She provides a lot of good information and links to even more. http://www.a1prostatecancertips.com/

Hope this information helps.

Till next time,

To Good Health and Success, Live Well

CK Dillon

http://LiquidVitaminsOnline.net
support@createvitality.com

“Is It Because I’m Black?” “Unnh……Yes … and No.”

All too often I read headlines like, “African-American men are more likely to get prostate cancer.” And it is usually followed by something like, “They are also more likely to die from the disease due to lack of proper screening.”

So there we have it. Problem, or rather Challenge, and Solution.

I heard it on the news again this morning as I was mulling over what to write about. Just a blurb, two seconds, but it stuck in my mind this time.

Lately mental images and thoughts keep returning to this, or a variation: ‘CK, You need to be writing about health issues specific to our community.’

My mental argument has been, ‘but it’s very uncomfortable for me to write about it, and besides my brothers and sisters don’t want to hear this, so they won’t bother to read my articles’, etc. Just excuses. Any excuse to not follow my first mind.

Grandma always demanded I follow my first mind, so here goes. In her honor, I’m giving it a shot, beginning with this article which hits close to home.

My Brothers, We Need To Be Screened

Even though we are the most at-risk demographic, we black men are significantly less likely to undergo prostate cancer screening until it’s too late.  Too late to spare us the pain and suffering of advanced prostate cancer.

Most likely someone close to us, a spouse, or loved one, will mention that we need to be tested for some uncomfortable probability; it doesn’t even have to be as serious as cancer and we immediately say something like, “I’m ok. There’s nothing wrong. I know how I feel. If something was wrong I’d know it.”

Unless they are persistent the moment will pass and we’ll get on with our life. We know we should get tested, we think about it briefly, put it on the back-burner and move on, content with the knowledge that we will ‘get around to it.’

While writing this article, just now, I bounced it off my wife and she immediately leaped on the opportunity. “Yeah, YOU need to go get tested. You need to do it annually. That’s why they have testing honey. So when are you going to set the appointment?”

I kid you not. That’s the conversation that just went down. Whoa! That was a ‘can of worms’ best left unopened. I just got ‘test jacked’, followed up with ‘honey.’ Now I have to get tested, live the life I write.

I’ve lost friends and relatives to cancer and a few specifically to prostate cancer. In every case they were not diagnosed until the cancer had advanced.

Yet Another Study 

September 27, 2004 — Although black men in the United States are more likely than white men to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and have a two-fold greater risk of dying from it, they are significantly less likely to be screened for prostate cancer, according to a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital study.

Again Early Screening is the key

Success Is A LifeStyle, Live Well

CK Dillon

http://LiquidVitaminsOnline.Net

Support@CreateVitality.Com

See Part 2: Screening is The Key…

We Baby Boomers have entered our retirement years; an era of which many of us are totally unprepared.

Even though a majority of us have reached retirement age, or are being forced out of our jobs early, we still need to supplement our income.

Downsized, Rightsized, Capsized; these are names companies use to soften the word fired. Many of us have been dismissed by companies that promised to ‘take care of us’ if we worked for 30+ years.

While we should be relaxing in the sunshine of our ‘Golden Years’ some are looking for new employment, wondering if they will ever enjoy any semblance of retirement.

I live in a state where generations of hardworking families worked for textile mills that have shut down or moved out of state.

Now what do these people do?

Many have resorted to competing with teens for a minimum wage. That’s fine if what you want is another J.O.B. (Just Over Broke).

Many who worked for thirty years, worried about bills, had too much month at the end of the money and lived with the reality that we were one check away from desperation. Trust me, I’ve been there.

There is a Solution to Underemployment

As Baby Boomers we have been known to ‘fix it’ when a challenge comes along and I have found a way to ‘fix’ my lack of finances.

Within the last three years I have totally changed professions. I am now a Network Marketer.

I just lost some readers because Network Marketing is not for everyone, but I truly believe in this industry. Unfortunately some people with no knowledge of the profession prejudge and miss an opportunity for financial freedom.

It takes being open to new information. You’re still reading so you understand that.

When it comes to Network Marketing many of us have a bad taste in our mouth. Some Network Marketer may have botched a presentation, made lofty promises, or left us hanging after we signed on with him.

Maybe we joined a disreputable company, lost a lot of money and vowed ‘never again.’ There are many reasons Network Marketing has a negative image. Those reasons have kept us from exploring a perfectly legitimate profession and that’s a big mistake.

Find the Right Company …

… and the right mentor and you can achieve your dreams, even those that have been put on hold.

My aim is to provide Boomers and others the direction to achieve their financial and natural health goals, allowing them to be financially independent within a few years by applying basic techniques.

I’m not going to lie and claim Network Marketing is ‘Get Rich Quick’ or for everyone, but if you feel it may be for you, I urge you to check it out.

Today I’m writing to Baby Boomers specifically, but this profession is perfect for anyone in any age group.

Thanks for investing your time to read this article. Hope it gives you something to think about. If I said something that helped you, click on the RSS icons and share it with others.

If you have questions or just want to contact me, email me.

Till Next Time,

To Your Good Health and Success … Live Well,

CK Dillon

This article is a bit different, not about liquid vitamins, GBG, home-based business or network marketing, but it is pertinent to taking care of health.

Only today we will be taking care of someone else’s health

Are you constantly finding yourself stressed out with the trials and challenges of just living life?

Speaking of stress, do you have any one person that you care for, or several, and if so, does your stress carry over into their lives, causing them a level of discomfort?

I have a favorite saying, “Life gets in the way of Living.”

I have a question. Have you provided something as simple as your Will in case you meet an unfortunate circumstance. Yeah I know, people would rather avoid this uncomfortable conversation.

The reason I ask and how I tie this into a Health article is this: No matter

how hard we work at taking care of our health, things happen.

I wrote an article a year or so ago that was well received so I thought I would

revisit the premise, with a slightly different twist.

Stress is one of the most pervasive causes of illness and even death in the United States today. It comes in all forms.

If you have an early departure from the planet for any reason and you have not taken care of something as simple as your Will … imagine the stress you will cause your loved one(s).

Thing is, this happens all the time. I’ve seen it time and again.

I guess the moral is this. One of our last acts should be to look out for our loved ones and concern ourselves with reducing their stress level when they are already mourning our departure.

Invest some time and complete at least a Simple Will. Get your affairs in order, as they say.

I’m sure you’d much rather know your loved one is taken care of and left to deal with a minimum amount of hassle.

By the way, if you don’t have a Will, the good ole’ government has a Will in place for you.

The government WILL be more than happy to take control of your finances, or your children, even if you left relatives behind and assumed they would automatically gain control.

Imagine the stress that a government intervention would cause your child or mom or grandmother if suddenly they were thrust into the fray.

On a final note, there are websites that give good Will, so to speak. Just type Will Preparation, Last Will and Testament or something like that in the search engine of your choice.

Ok, that’s it for today. Let’s look out for our loved ones. It’s just the right

thing to do.

Thanks for reading. Hope you are having a very prosperous life.

Till Next Time,

To Good Health and Success, Live Well

CK Dillon

http://LiquidVitaminsOnline.Net

Support@CreateVitality.Com

So What’s The Problem?

For starters, unhealthy diets are the problem. We know big juicy, greasy, cheeseburgers, hamburgers French-fries etc., taste great and we know intellectually that they are not ‘good’ for our overall health.

But we cram them down and finish them off with a big slug of sugar, known affectionately as ‘soft’ drinks. I guess they’re ‘soft’ because they go down easily.

We know from research that if we apply the ‘Slight Edge’ theory taught by Jeff Olson, over the years there is a good chance that we might clog an artery or two with our choice of diet.

The Solution: Simple, but Hard to Do

Daily exercise and consuming balanced portions of fresh fruit, vegetables and fish is the key to a healthy diet; simple, but hard to do. And I am willing to wager someone out there can show me, backed by statistics, why fresh fruits and vegetables are not good for us. Their opinion, their right.

About Me

I am a 60 year young, Baby Boomer, lived an active lifestyle in California, retired after a 30+ year career and moved east. After retiring it became clear I would need extra income.  I moved to the rural south and opened a retail business. Oops! Wrong idea!

Stress Made Me Do It

With a few years of business challenges, lack of exercise, less than stellar eating habits and poor nutrition, I was not in the best physical condition.  I was stressed!

I had invested my life in activities like weight training, baseball, running, racquetball, skating … something all the time.

Suddenly, overnight, actually it was after 3 years of Slight Edge inactivity, I gained 35 pounds; none of it muscle.

What finally got my attention was I went back to ‘Cali’ for a visit and my friends kept telling me I looked ‘good’, ’settled’ and worst of all … ‘healthy’.

Ouch! I had run from looking ‘healthy’ since I was 16.  An uncle had drilled it into me that if someone said I looked ‘healthy’, I was overweight … by a lot.

Wake-up Call

After all of the well-meaning compliments I knew I had to do something.

Having been athletic my answer was simple. I needed to get back to exercising, cut down calories, eat the proper food groups and augment my diet with vitamins and supplements; Simple, but hard to do.

It is now 10 months later. I’ve lost over 35 pounds.  (was up to 40, but got cocky)

Now clothes that were destined for charity fit again, and I’m having pants taken in at the waist. I feel great!

My vitamin of choice: GBG Liquid Vitamins. 

One cap-full meets my daily nutritional needs, curbs afternoon snack attacks and has substantially increased my energy. 

I don’t always sleep 8 hours but still wake up energized.  My higher energy level lasts all day, not like some of the ‘instant’ energy drinks where I zoom up and careen back down within an hour.

An added benefit is more focus and concentration, specifically on my business.

That in a nutshell is why I am passionate about and share the benefits of GBG with my entire family.  We know it is important to eat a healthy diet and exercise, but life gets in the way of living.

That is why I choose to balance my diet with supplements.

But that is my opinion and my right.

See Part 1 of Series

Till Next Time, To Good Health and Success, Live Well

CK Dillon

http://LiquidVitaminsOnline.Net

Support@CreateVitality.Com

Opinions Are Like (A… fill in the blank …S) Every-Body Has One

And I am no different.

Today I’m writing about why I take vitamins. I’m going to journal the next year or so about becoming healthier through nutrition, exercise, rest and whatever else comes up that works for me.

A CreateVitality Newsletter subscriber sent me an article a few days ago that almost ticked me off … almost.

Then I remembered a few words of wisdom a friend at work blessed me with over 25 years ago.

As usual I was going on, probably railing, about the latest discoveries in my book of the moment; discoveries that were going to ’set me free financially’. She constantly made it clear that she had absolutely no desire to be ’set free.’

But since she was in the cubicle next to mine she was a captive audience with no way to escape.

There’s no doubt in my mind that my conversation was an attempt on my part to ‘convince’ her to come over to my way of thinking. For months I had accosted her with every single method to wealth and riches that had come to my attention.

At last I finally wore her down because she sighed. That was my interpretation.

As I opened my mouth to ramp it up again, she sighed again and said something that was so profound it gave me entry into the minds of many.

She taught me in a few words that what I thought was great wasn’t necessarily meaningful to everyone within earshot.

Exasperated, she said, “Dammit Dillon! There’s a book written for every $@%!#& who knows how to read!”

Ouch! I was stunned into silence … just what she no doubt desired. That day I learned a lesson. Everyone has an opinion and it is their right.

Having said all that, in the article I received Monday the author went on and on, with statistics to back up his opinion, about how nutritional supplements are useless; a waste of time and money. And for him that’s cool.

Of course, I beg to differ and I am going strictly on how I feel after using a liquid multi-vitamin for the past 10 months.  

This is Not a Sales Pitch

Most people consider the preceding statement the beginning of an elaborate sales pitch, geared toward stripping their wallets of content. Well, it’s not.

I don’t really need tell you what you already know; how we all need the proper mix of vitamins and nutrients to live a healthy life style; because we’ve been constantly bombarded with that information forever.

If you decide to take vitamins or supplements, mine or someone else’s, it won’t be because you read one article. It will be because you did your research and found what works best for you, like I did. It may not even be vitamins and supplements, but that is why we research.

Why Do I take Vitamins?

Just as the author had his ‘proof’ that supplements are useless, there are many legitimate, scientific reasons why you should consider adding vitamins as a supplement to your normal diet; the proverbial ‘book for everyone.’

But that is not why I take vitamins and supplements. I take vitamins because since I began this regimen 10 months ago, I have lost 35 pounds; I have much more energy; I’m more alert; I have Vitality!

In any event I go by how I feel and I feel great. That being said I will tell you in the next article why I choose GBG Liquid Multi-Vitamins. 

See:  So What’s The Problem?

Till Next Time, To Good Health and Success, Live Well

CK Dillon

http://LiquidVitaminsOnline.Net

Support@CreateVitality.Com