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NATURAL CURE FOR DANDRUFF -- The dry winter months can mean dandruff for many people. Dandruff shampoos usually take care of the surface problem. To restore moisture to your skin and hair, try supplementing your diet with black currant oil or evening primrose oil. These provide an essential fatty acid called GLA (gamma-linolenic acid), which promotes the healthy growth of skin and hair. 500 milligrams doses twice a day are suggested. After six to eight weeks, when you start to see improvement, cut the dose in half.

GIVING BLOOD IS GOOD FOR YOU -- Many people do not realize that giving blood is actually very good for you. One may have a temporary "slump" or sleepiness after donation. The next day, however one will feel much better. Just the mere fact that you have given something of your own body to help save other's lives can give your spirit within a real lift. There is such a shortage right now, so do yourself and the community at large a BIG favor and give the gift that helps others continue to live!

CELERY FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE -- Do not pass-up celery if you have high blood pressure. Eating about four stalks a day has been shown to reduce stress hormones that contribute to high blood pressure. Leave on the leaves as they contain a lot of potassium, vitamin C, and calcium. Even celery seeds are nutritious and can be added to soups, stews, casseroles, and more. You can eat celery raw or cooked, since the vegetable is sturdy and maintains most of its nutrients after cooking. Use raw celery as a dipper, chop it up in fresh salads, or just stuff it with peanut butter or light cream cheese.

TOOTH, GUM DISEASE MIGHT FORETELL DIABETES -- Persistent tooth and gum ailments collectively known as chronic periodontal disease could lead to diabetes. Periodontal disease might put bacteria in the bloodstream and trigger immune cells, which could then produce inflammatory chemicals called cytokines that can damage the entire body. "In the pancreas, the cells responsible for insulin production can be damaged or destroyed by chronic high levels of cytokines," says researcher Anthony Iacopino. Insulin is a sugar-regulating hormone. "Once this happens, it may induce Type-2 diabetes, even in otherwise healthy individuals with no other risk factors for diabetes," Iacopino says. People with Type-2 diabetes may suffer from confusion, seizures, and heart disease. Researchers say high fat and cholesterol levels are high risk factors for periodontal disease, so exercise, low-fat diets, and lipid-lowering drugs may prove vital for diabetics.

GRAPEFRUIT AND WEIGHT LOSS -- Adding grapefruit to the menu may be a good way to boost your weight loss efforts. Participants in a past study who added grapefruit to their daily menu lost approximately 3.5 pounds over the course of a 12-week period. More research is needed to confirm the connection, but scientists posit that the effect may be due to the fruit's ability to lower insulin levels and thus help the body to process energy more efficiently. In another study, grapefruit appeared to boost weight loss efforts by helping the body process energy more efficiently and thus store fewer excess calories as fat. An ingredient in grapefruit interferes with some blood pressure and heart medications. Be sure to consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before consuming grapefruit or grapefruit juice if you take prescription medications.

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WELLNESS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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** Q & A #1:
What are some of the signs of a person having a heart attack?

Patients having a heart attack can have an array of different symptoms. Some patients will clutch their chests in pain, while many others report feeling "pressure" or "burning" beneath the breastbone. In fact, the signs of a heart attack may not appear in the chest at all, but rather as a feeling of numbness and tingling in the fingers of the left hand or tightness or dullness in the left arm. Some people describe the sensation as prolonged indigestion or tightness in the jaw or shoulder. If you or someone you know experiences prolonged and unusual discomfort in the chest, neck, or upper abdomen, seek immediate medical attention. Do not worry that it might turn out to be nothing. Have it checked anyway.

** Q & A #2:
Is it true that a diet high in fiber can also help one to lose weight?

Actually, yes, fiber is the best thing around if you are watching your weight. And eating copious amounts could be the one thing that helps you kick the lose-it, gain-it habits for good. Research found that people who doubled their fiber intake of fiber from 12 to 24 grams a day, cut their daily calorie absorption by 90 calories. That equals a 10-pound weight loss during a year without even exercising. Fiber acts like a sponge in your digestive tract, sweeping up molecules of carbohydrates, fats, and sugars - along with their calories. Fiber-rich foods include whole wheat bread, broccoli, brown rice, prunes, mini-wheat cereals, bran cereals, and kidney beans, among others. A good fiber supplement can also be very beneficial to your weight loss goals - see http://www.aomega.com/ahs/c6109a.htm and http://www.aomega.com/ahs/d6132a.htm for information on two great fiber-based, high-quality dietary supplements.

** Q & A #3:
I have recently read some articles promoting the healthful benefits of soy protein. What are the negative effects, if any, from using soy on a daily basis in my diet?

That is a great question. Like so many things, soy has its proponents and opponents. Many of our strict vegetarian readers and correspondents continue to consider soy and foods made from soy a sensible alternative to animal protein. However, the evidence against soy continues to mount. Instead of trying to explain the negatives in this short amount of space, we will instead refer you to Dr. Joseph Mercola's avoiding soy article at http://www.mercola.com/article/soy/avoid_soy.htm. There is overwhelming evidence presented there, and from several other sources, to suggest that soy should not be used at all. We recommend that you read through the information and determine for yourself whether or not to use soy in your diet.

** Q & A #4:
Is it really true that chicken soup can help fight the common cold?

There is something in chicken soup that slows down inflammatory processes that make colds worse, doctors have reported at the American College of Chest Physicians in San Francisco. The interest in chicken soup is strong enough for researchers to speculate about other ways of trying to prove if grandmother's concoction of chicken and vegetable, salt and pepper really can change the course of a cold. Dr. Stephen Rennard, professor of medicine at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, took a batch of his family's recipe for chicken soup and added it to a batch of neutrophils, the most common type of white blood cells in the body. He found the soup slowed the migration of the cells. Rennard explained that when a person succumbs to a cold virus, neutrophils migrate to the area to clear out the infection - and in doing so produce excess inflammation that results in sore throats or running noses. He speculated that chicken soup could reduce the inflammation and make the person feel better while the virus is cleared by the immune system.

** Q & A #5:
Is "canola oil" considered dangerous or is this just another urban legend?

Canola oil comes from a hybrid plant developed in Canada during the late 1960s - 1970s using traditional pedigree hybrid propagation techniques (not genetically modified) involving black mustard, leaf mustard, and turnip rapeseed. The original rapeseed plant was high in erucic acid, which is an unpalatable fatty acid having negative health effects in high concentrations. Canola oil contains less than 1 percent erucic acid. Actually, another name for canola oil is LEAR (Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed) oil.

While the Internet can be a great source of information, many rumors and urban legends have circulated on web sites and been passed along in e-mails. Urban legends usually warn of dire consequences from something perfectly innocent; they often relate a story about someone who had such a terrible experience with something, yet that person almost always remains anonymous. These often frightening stories or accusations usually lack enough detail to make scientific, logical evaluation of the claim. The scare tactics of canola oil fit into this scenario. You can debunk these and other claims by checking http://www.snopes.com

Some of the information circulating on the Internet states that canola oil causes endless maladies: joint pain, swelling, gum disease, constipation, hearing loss, heart disease, hair loss - the list goes on. Canola oil has undergone years of extensive testing to assure its safety. In truth, canola oil contains essential fatty acids that our bodies need and cannot make on their own. Over 90 percent of the fatty acids present is the long chain unsaturated variety that has been proven beneficial to health.

It has also been claimed that canola oil is used in making mustard gas, a poison. This is totally untrue. Actually, mustard gas does not even come from the mustard plant; it was so named because it smells similar to mustard. Canola oil has allegedly been used as an industrial lubricant and ingredient in fuels, soaps, paints, etc. The truth is that many vegetable oils, such as corn, soybean, and flax, are also used in these applications. That does not make those oils unhealthy or dangerous. Canola oil has also been accused of killing insects, such as aphids. Again, all other oils can do the same, not by poisoning insects, but by suffocating them.

For more information on canola oil, see the Canola Council of Canada web site at http://www.canola-council.org/

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FEATURED ARTICLE