Marijuana May Be Effective for Nerve Pain

Is there anything marijuana isn't good for? Besides relieving PMS, glaucoma, itching, insomnia, arthritis, depression, childbirth, attention deficit disorder, and ringing in the ears, a new study shows that patients with nerve pain showed reduced pain intensity from smoking marijuana.

The growing body of evidence that marijuana (cannabis) may be effective as a pain reliever has been expanded with publication of a new study in The Journal of Pain reporting that patients with nerve pain showed reduced pain intensity from smoking marijuana. Read more

The Interval Challenge

The benefits of interval training include anaerobic endurance, fat loss, work capacity, and muscular endurance. Traditional interval training consists of intense running followed by a period of active rest, but Ross Enamait's Interval Challenges integrate interval running with a variety of bodyweight calisthenics instead.

Traditional interval training consists of intense running followed by a period of active rest (ex. jogging or walking). Common distances include 200, 400, 600 and 800 meters. The active rest period typically ranges from 30 to 90 seconds depending on interval distance and the athlete’s condition.

The Interval Challenge (below) differs from the traditional interval training protocol. The workout integrates interval running with a variety of bodyweight calisthenics. There are no defined rest periods between intervals. The athlete attempts to complete the circuit as fast as possible. Rest comes on an as needed basis.

When performing The Interval Challenge, the athlete must complete four continuous circuits. This brief conditioning routine is extremely demanding (physically and mentally). Read more

Train Yourself to Sleep Deep

You taught yourself the newest version of Excel, and you can teach yourself to sleep at night. Here's how.

Can You Avoid Sudden Death Like Tim Russert's?

Heart disease, just like type two diabetes, is one of the easiest diseases to prevent and avoid, BUT you simply must be proactive.

Ingredient In Soft Drinks Damages DNA

Research from a British university suggests that sodium benzoate,a common preservative in soft drinks, does deadly damage to DNA. Though the article says it’s in a “few” soft drinks, check what you’re drinking. It probably has it.

A new health scare erupted over soft drinks last night amid evidence they may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British university suggests a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.

The problem - more usually associated with ageing and alcohol abuse - can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. Read more

Developing a Bald Patch? It Could Be a Hidden Tooth Infection

People with periodontal disease, a bacterial infection, are at higher risk for developing heart disease, stroke, uncontrolled diabetes, pre-term births, and respiratory disease. Now a relationship has been discovered between hidden tooth infections and localized alopecia.

There is a close relationship between infection outbreaks on teeth and the presence of alopecia areata or localized alopecia, a type of hair loss which has an unknown origin. Alopecia areata starts with bald patches on the scalp, and sometimes elsewhere on the body. The disease occurs in males and females of all ages, and experts believe that it affects 1 out 1000 people. Read more

Legal Drugs Kill Far More Than Illegal

Legal drugs are killing three times more Floridians than all illegal drugs combined. Are the wrong drugs illegal? Who are more dangerous drug pushers: street dealers or the pharmaceutical companies? Notice that zero deaths are attributed to marijuana.

From “Scarface” to “Miami Vice,” Florida’s drug problem has been portrayed as the story of a single narcotic: cocaine. But for Floridians, prescription drugs are increasingly a far more lethal habit.

An analysis of autopsies in 2007 released this week by the Florida Medical Examiners Commission found that the rate of deaths caused by prescription drugs was three times the rate of deaths caused by all illicit drugs combined. Read more

Brief, Intense Exercise Can Benefit the Heart

In my post Don't Just Run: Sprint!, I explained that sprinting has cardiovascular benefits, just as traditional aerobic exercise does. Another scientific study backs up that claim.

Short bursts of high intensity sprints--known to benefit muscle and improve exercise performance--can improve the function and structure of blood vessels, in particular arteries that deliver blood to our muscles and heart, according to new research from McMaster University.

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The findings support the idea that people can exercise using brief, high-intensity forms of exercise and reap the same benefits to cardiovascular health that can be derived from traditional, long-duration and moderately intense exercise. Read more

How to Slow or Reverse Hair Loss with a Healthy Diet and Nutritional supplements

Hair loss doesn't have to be controlled entirely by genetics. You may be able to slow or reverse hair loss with a healthy diet and nutritional supplements.

Unless you were trying to make a fashion statement – think David Beckham or Sinead O'Connor – you probably wouldn't be too pleased with hair loss. In Western society, hair loss – especially male pattern hair loss – is fodder for jokes, unless the hair loss is a result of chemotherapy or other medical treatments. If you're suffering from situational baldness or male/female pattern baldness, you may laugh about it among your friends. Chances are, however, that you're crying about it in privacy. But by no means are you alone. Fortunately, there are many natural remedies to relieve hair loss and the personal embarrassment that results from it. Read more

Moderate Exercise Can Help Insomniacs Sleep Better

Exercise has many benefits. One of them turns out to be better sleep.

Moderate aerobic exercises... is likely to reduce anxiety and improve the sleep quality of insomniacs, according to a study. Read more

Beta Blockers with Surgery May Be Deadly

A new study shows another reason to avoid medications if you possibly can: beta blocker blood pressure drugs raise the risk of stroke and death during surgery though experts claim doses given in the study were probably too high.

Patients who received the blood pressure-lowering drugs known as beta blockers after having non-cardiac surgery were at higher risk of dying or having a stroke, a new Canadian study found. Read more

Beginner's Bodyweight Exercise Workout

Yuri Elkaim demonstrates a 20-30 minute beginner's bodyweight exercise workout.

The Beginner's Workout

Men's Fitness details a short, simple beginner's workout that combines weights and bodyweight exercise.

Working out can be intimidating. We've solved that problem with our beginners workout.

Directions: Perform the workout three days a week for four weeks, resting at least one day between each session. On the weight exercises, choose a load that allows you to complete a few more reps than the prescribed number (you may need to adjust this load between sets as you discover your strength levels). For instance, if an exercise calls for 12 reps, choose a load that you estimate you can perform 15 reps with before having to stop (but complete only 12). Read more

Keep Your Feelings to Yourself

New evidence suggests that talking about a terrifying experience, such as a terrorist attack or natural disaster, may not be the right thing to do. Instead, a stiff upper lip is the best way to deal with shock.

Britain's traditional stiff upper lip may be a better strategy for dealing with shock than letting your feelings spill out, a new study claims. Read more

Natural Remedies for Better Sleep

Can't get a good night's sleep? There are many effective natural remedies for sleep trouble that do not involve counting sheep. Learn what these sleep remedies are and how to use them. Watch this video by Cathy Wong.