Apparently large numbers of women are heading off to Aqua City, Slovakia, where they subject themselves to being shut in a tiny chamber that is chilled to 120 degrees Celsius. They can only stay in the chamber for a maximum of three minutes as any longer could kill them.

Clients are warned not to take deep breaths as there is the possibility of damaging their lungs because of the cold air.

And why you may well ask.

Well it’s the latest in a long line of beauty treatments supposedly designed to treat cellulite.
The reasoning behind this treatment called cryotherapy, is that damaged tissue such as cellulite dies in the cold temperature. The tissue is then replaced by new, healthy tissue.

I’m actually feeling okay today, no sore muscles, so I must be getting used to the exercise. I have to say that I wasn’t too keen during the class, I have difficulty doing sits ups, probably because I only have stomach muscles on one side, the other having been moved up to make a new boob after having had a mastectomy 19 years ago (well that’s my excuse). Of course being totally unfit could be the other reason.

I am happy enough with all the other stuff, like running up and down the length of the gym and skipping etc. Anyway I was ready to give up after a couple of situps and it was only at Paula’s insistence that I kept going way beyond what I thought I could do. So I am feeling pretty pleased with myself today.

I have also joined the slimplicity program to lose weight. Lana, the dietician, is an absolute doll and although I am a follower of the Atkins diet, I have decided to give the Slimplicity diet a go, even though there seems to be a lot of carbs involved. I started yesterday and have to say that I haven’t eaten so much food for a long time. Lana says I haven’t been eating enough so my body holds onto everything it gets because it doesn’t know when I am going to feed it again.

So now that I am having 5 small meals a day we will see how we go.

I intend to be able to walk up those 6 levels in the Empire State Building, next time I go, without huffing and puffing or having to stop and take a break.

We can justify pretty much anything in our society buy just adding the word ‘they’ to a sentence…..”they say that we should eat more vegetables”, “they reckon that smoking is bad for our health”….”they say that we should all jump off the nearest bridge”. Well if ‘they’ said it then it must be true so we all run around telling the next person what ‘they’ think is right for the rest of us.

I’d really like to find out who ‘they’ are and who knows one day maybe I will.

The Minister for Health in NSW was saying “Old people take up 80% of hospital bed space”.
This is only a smattering of what else was said, bear with me here, there is a common thread of thought coming.

The next item was how old people are costing employers millions of dollars because employees are taking time off to look after their elderly parents when they are ill or are recovering from operations etc.

My concern is that the thread of thought that is being subconsciously planted is that old people are a burden on society and they are costing (it’s always about the mighty dollar) the economy, the taxpayer and employers vast sums of money to keep them alive.

It all sounds innocuous at the start but the underlying theme is that old people are using up all the health resources and maybe it’s a problem we need to deal with. If a thought is promoted long enough it starts people thinking of solutions that may not be in the best interest of the elderly.

I may be over reacting but I have seen ideas promoted in the past that lead ordinary decent citizens taking a stand that is morally and ethically reprehensible. The media needs to be more responsible in its reporting and show more objectivity in it’s presentation.

How about promoting how these people require society to look after them now that they are infirm, they have generally worked and paid taxes all their lives. the government should be providing more aged care facilities allowing the aged to live out their lives in dignity. Facilities where they are encouraged to participate in activities and not just drugged up to keep them quiet and docile.

First of all, can I get in to see a doctor? Well yes, but you will have to wait a couple of days to get in. All the doctors are booked. Well why should I have to wait? Surely there are enough GPs out there to service the growing population? If not why aren’t there enough? But okay not a problem - if I have to wait, I will wait. So today I go in and my lovely doctor checks me over and decides I need a mammogram and an ultrasound and of course the obligatory blood tests. I say a thank you to my GP and pay my $58 and head off home to make a phone call to book in to have the ultrasound and mammogram done.

Thinking that I will be able to get in today or maybe tomorrow at the latest, I am told by the obviously harrassed girl on the phone that the earliest I can get in will be June 14. My immediate response was ‘Your kidding?!’ No, she tells me, we are currently in a situation and can’t get you in until then. My stunned silence must have been a bit awkward as she suddenly attempted to fill the void by telling me that if any cancellations come up she will be able to fit me in.

So if this lump turns out to be anything serious (which I am just assuming it won’t be) it will have three weeks to only get worse before I get some sort of treatment. But the worst part is that it will be in the back of my mind now for the next three weeks. Now I am into thinking positively so I know it won’t get the better of me but still it will be there and I would rather get the whole thing out of the way.

On a positive note, I was able to get the blood tests done almost immediately…..actually it was immediate… as soon as I got in the door and handed over my bit of paper I was ushered into their blood sucking room and drained of copious amounts of blood. “How many vials do you need?” I said as she got to the third one?

Unfortunately however they also wanted to do a urine test. Now if you are like most people in the world when you are told you have to go of course you can’t and because I rushed out the door that morning without even having a cup of tea the situation was even more precarious. So what do you do in situations like that? Well you can start imagining large waterfalls or maybe a trickling stream or just relax and it will come and fortunately for me it did.

So all in all it’s been an interesting morning but it can only get better!

Unfortunately our children are exposed to drugs in schools and often bow to peer pressure to try out drugs for kicks.

Our fast paced lifestyles often lead to stress that sees more people turning to alcohol to just get through the day.

Other members of the family stand by hopelessly not knowing what to do to help the situation and they are often victims of abuse because of the drug and alcohol use in the family situation.

Help is now at hand for addicts and families from the Stone Hawk drug rehab facility. The staff at Stone Hawk know all about addiction as they are former addicts who care about addicts and know how to lead them on the path to rehabilitation.

Stone Hawk stands by the Narconon® program, because the Narconon program worked for them when other programs failed and does not use drugs or medication to treat addictions. This is a program of social education. proper nutrition and nutritional supplements and because it does not rely on drugs or medication, the program has a higher rate of success.

It’s time now to start a new life free of drug and alcohol addiction so contact the Narconon Stone Hawk centre and let the healing begin for yourself and your family.

I stumbled across a news article where the Health ministers are to discuss a controversial plan to put folic acid in bread to stem spinal defects.

Thank god that there are bakers and nutritionists out there fighting the mandatory fortification plan being led by the trans-Tasman regulator Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).

The scheme will require the vitamin to be added to all bread-making flour to reduce spinal bifida and other crippling defects in babies. While this may sound commendable, why is it considered necessary to medicate the whole population and why should we all be subjected to having yet more additives put into our food.

Surely “mass-medicating” is uneconomical and unnecessary.

A spokesman for manufacturer Goodman Fielder said, “It is like saying that crash helmets save lives so everyone has to wear one, whether you are riding a motorcycle or not, even if you are just walking down the street.”

The Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council made up of state and federal health ministers form both countries will meet in Brisbane to discuss the implications of fortification, and is not expected to make a decision until July.
Enough is enough, our food is already over processed and has so many additives put into it.

There are addictions to illicit drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol and smoking and for those of us who have been affected by an addiction to any of these, we know how hard they are to fight on your own.

This is because when you stop taking an addictive chemical substance, the brain sends out messages to the body which results in cravings as the body has come to rely on the substance simply to get through the day. The longer a person tries to go without the substance the harsher the withdrawal symptons get until they are often physically sick.

1-800-NODRUGS.com is a free online drug rehabilitation referral service designed to help all types of addicts and their families find an effective drug rehab and intervention program that will suit their type of addiction.

This recipe helps to break down congestion and stops the coughing

Although the recipe is from Herbally Yours by Penny C. Royal, 3rd Edition, June 1982, I have spoken to a number of people whose mothers gave them various renditions of the mixture when they were younger.

The remedy works especially well for dry hacking coughs that keep you awake at night and hang on even once the symptoms of the cold are finished.

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons water.
Mix all the ingredients together. I find a couple of tablespoons seems to work.

You will see why this remedy works once you read about the beneficial effects of the individual ingredients:

Ginger (zingiber officinale) is a natural anti-inflammatory agent that has long been used and recommended for arthritis and bursitis. Ginger is known for relieving chest congestion and is also a natural antihistamine and is used for for motion sickness and nausea.

Cayenne (capsaicin) is warming and stimulating making it an excellent addition to a cold remedy, it eases chills and reduces pain by suppressing the chemical that sends the pain message from the nerve endings to the brain.

Vinegar is another ingredient that has so many healthful uses.

Honey is soothing and is a useful ingredient for the relief from colds. Honey is known to draw pus and poisons out of wounds and it is useful for relief from colds.

The mixture is strong tasting even with water added.

I keep the mixture in the refrigerator after I make it.

Note:

• Do not give this mixture to young children not only because of the strong hot taste but a child with a persistent cough should be seen by a doctor.
• Do not give honey to children under 1 year old unless it is pasteurized or boiled for five minutes.
• Any cold that persists should be treated by a doctor.

This is where multivitamins come into play. I must admit I do like multivitamins as the simplicity of taking one tablet as opposed to several really appeals. The only problem with multivitamins is that they aren’t always formulated correctly so you aren’t getting the correct daily nutrients but help is at hand with 12-in-one. This 12-in-One MultiVitamin provides 117 nutrients, 72 trace minerals and 47 fruit and vegetable concentrates. It is also gel coated making it easier to swallow and fast absorbing.

An added bonus is that you can try it risk free for 30 days so you have nothing to lose.