It’s that time of year, family and food!  I know it is bound to happen…the inevitable holiday weight gain.  Thanksgiving means extra helpings to me and my pooch.  Seving a little extra treat to our pets is part of the fun of the day, but we need to be careful what and how much we feed them.  While it may seem that a little bit of turkey skin here and a little bit of stuffing there wouldn’t hurt, we know how quickly the pounds can add up over the holiday season. The same rule... Read Full Story

Military defense contractor Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR) is facing a class-action lawsuit for burning toxic chemicals including asbestos in Iraq and Afghanistan, posing serious health threats to as many as 100,000 U.S. military. The lawsuit combines 34 separate lawsuits against KBR for allegedly burning toxic waste in open-air pits including: “trucks, tires, lithium batteries, Styrofoam…petroleum-oil-lubricant products, metals, hydraulic fluids, munitions boxes, medical wa... Read Full Story

Lately, with all of this swine flu scare, I have been wondering if my little beagle Oliver could potentially catch the swine flu.  I’m sure that I am not the only pet parent who has wondered this right?  Well, according to ASPCA veterinarians the 2009 H1N1 virus appears to present little risk of infecting dogs and cats. However, viruses can mutate quickly and taking important preventative measures remains essential.  To date,  the virus has not been identified in animal populations in t... Read Full Story

A group of recent deaths of New York police and fire officers who took part in the emergency operation at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks has heightened fears that it could be the start of a delayed epidemic of cancer-related illness, according to the BBC.  In fairness, cancer deaths eight years after exposure to the toxins don’t really qualify as a “delayed� reaction – cancer doesn’t develop overnight.  For those who will get si... Read Full Story

Food manufacturers around the country are trying to add popular fruits, extracts and supplements to their foods to help gain market share for their products.  Many beverage companies have come up with their version of acai juice, and yogurt manufacturers are adding fiber to their best probiotic yogurt. Now comes ice cream. Researchers have discovered ways to create tastier and healthier ice-creams. University of Missouri-Columbia (UM-C) researchers found the secret is to add fiber, antioxidan... Read Full Story

Exposure to asbestos is the No. 1 cause of workplace-related deaths for Quebec workers and amounts to about 60 per cent of all such fatalities this year, according to statistics gathered by Quebec’s workers compensation board.  These statistics are based on death certificates that relate the cause of death directly to workplace exposure, which is usually the current workplace for the victim.  That factor is important because the asbestos exposure that causes lethal asbestos diseases o... Read Full Story

The majority of people who are overweight often consume too many calories and exercise too little.  There are however some medical conditions that can cause people to gain weight.  The stress hormone cortisol is also thought of to be a culprit in the battle of the bulge and an inability to achieve weight loss. Cortisol is a critical hormone with many actions in the body. Normally, cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands in a pattern called a diurnal variation, meaning that levels of cortis... Read Full Story

As we get older we often start to notice that our teeth are not as they once were.  This is something that happens as our teeth are exposed to certain things over a long period of time.  Here are the top ten reasons for needing yellow teeth whitening. Foods/drinks. Coffee, tea, colas, wines, and certain fruits and vegetables (for example, apples and potatoes) can stain your teeth. Tobacco use. Smoking or chewing tobacco can stain teeth. Poor dental hygiene. Inadequate brushing and flossing t... Read Full Story

Hair loss is a sometimes inevitable part of life for some people who have a hereditary hair loss condition.  There are many conditions that cause hair loss however.  Some of the most common reasons are described by the Mayo Clinic as the following: Pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia). In male- and female-pattern baldness, the time of growth shortens, and the hairs are not as thick or sturdy. With each growth cycle, the hairs become rooted more superficially and more easily fall out. Here... Read Full Story

Psoriasis is a condition of irritated patches of skin. These spots of irritated skin are most often seen on the elbows, knees, and trunk, but can appear anywhere on the body. Doctors think this condition is occurs when the immune system mistakes healthy cells for dangerous substances.  There is no way to prevent it, but to help your condition; you need to look for the best psoriasis treatment. Here are some things you can do to help the condition: Keep your skin moist. Avoid cold, dry clim... Read Full Story