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Decrease of 34% of maternal deaths worldwide
The number of deaths related to complications of pregnancy and childbirth has declined by 34% worldwide in nearly 20 years, from 546,000 in 1990 to 358,000 in 2008, according to the latest report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) Wednesday, September 15. If progress is undeniable, the annual rate of decline remains lower than that set for achieving the objective of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), namely a decrease of 5.5% per year.

According to WHO, the decline of 34% observed between 1990 and 2008 represents a decrease annual average of only 2.3%. In addition, only 10 countries out of 87 have achieved an average annual decline of 5.5%, against 30 which have hardly progressed since 1990.
The report also reveals that women living in developing countries have almost 36 times more likely to die from a cause related to complications of pregnancy or childbirth than women in developed countries.
“To achieve our overall goal of improving maternal health and saving women’s lives, we must work harder to reach those most at risk. This means that we must reach women in rural and poorer women belonging to ethnic minorities or indigenous groups and women living with HIV, “said Anthony Lake, director general of UNICEF.
WHO reports that severe bleeding after childbirth, infections, hypertensive disorders and unsafe abortions remain the four leading causes of maternal deaths. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are the most affected areas.
Dairy products in small doses
Many people who suffer from lactose intolerance can tolerate small amounts of lactose. If you want to include some dairy in your diet, Mytabr.com offers the following tips to help you better cope with lactose intolerance:

1) Eat and drink smaller servings of milk, but eat more often. Over the portion is small, the less chance of having bowel problems.
2) Eat something when you drink milk. This will slow the digestive process, reducing your risk of bowel problems.
3) Find the low-fat milk lactose or lactose-free. It is normal milk, including lactose is already broken (damaged). But read the labels carefully before buying. The reduced-lactose milk has 70% less lactose compared to milk without lactose, which contains only about 1% lactose.
4) Add the lactase to regular milk. Buy lactase liquid and add a few drops to your milk.
5) Take extra special counter (lactase tablets) when you eat a dairy product. This supplement will help you absorb and reduce symptoms.
6) The hard cheese is low in lactose. It is rich in saturated fats, however, so do not eat too much. Cottage cheese is also low in lactose, but he is not rich in calcium.
7) Try yogurt. The cultures of bacteria alive and active (called probiotics) found in yogurt can help digest lactose. This is not the case of frozen yogurt, so read labels carefully.
Also note that the buttermilk and acidophilus milk, although fermented, can still cause so much pain in many people as plain milk.
Cheese and yogurt are better tolerated because the lactose they contain is already partially hydrolyzed by bacteria.
Hidden lactose
There are non-dairy products that may also contain lactose. Read labels and avoid ingredients that contain lactose include:
* Whey (whey)
* Produces curds,
* Products derived from milk,
* Dry milk solid,
* Dry milk powder without fat.
Are you intolerant lactose?
If you think you might be suffering from lactose intolerance, stop eating all dairy products for 2 weeks. If you feel better, reinsert a little lactose in your diet, a milk product each time. For example, take a few sips of milk or eat a little cheese and wait to see how your body reacts. Symptoms usually take 30 minutes to 2 hours (after ingestion) to appear, but they can save 2-3 days also.
Your doctor may tell you to make definitive tests to diagnose lactose intolerance blood test, test samples of your saddle, or sulfur-hydrogen test.
Lactose Intolerance: 3 tips for better support
Lactose intolerance symptoms as usual painful stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain. Lactose intolerance affects hundreds of millions of people around the world (particularly Asia and in parts of Africa, but Europe is also affected due to a European 4).

Lactose intolerance occurs when a person is unable to digest lactose (milk sugar) because his body does not have enough digestive enzymes. The problems with lactose intolerance often start around age 2 years, when the body naturally begins to produce less lactase. The lactase enzyme needed to break (down) the sugar in milk (called lactose).
People who suffer from lactose intolerance lack the enzyme. Because the undigested lactose can not be absorbed, he sits in the intestine and is fermented there. This fermentation causes intestinal discomfort.
Getting enough calcium
Milk and dairy products are an important source of calcium. If you suffer from lactose intolerance, the biggest problem is not getting enough calcium when you lowered your intake of dairy products. To compensate, you can:
* Make dietary changes to help you digest lactose,
* Or get calcium from other foods and supplements.
Depending on your age, your gender and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding you should aim to achieve between 1200 and 1500 milligrams of calcium per day. If you can not get enough calcium from your diet, your doctor may suggest calcium supplements. You’ll also need enough vitamin D in your diet, which is very important to absorb calcium.
Remember that dairy products are not the only sources of calcium. Non-dairy food sources that provide calcium include:
* Green leaves,
* Sea vegetables (nori, kombu, wakame, etc..)
* Oysters
* Canned sardines with bones,
* Canned salmon with bones,
* Tofu
* Orange
* Shrimp,
* Beans and legumes
* Orange juice or soy milk with added calcium.
Chocolate improves mood, or does it cause depression?
Chocolate is seen by many of us like a magic food to eat when we want to find the right mood and stop depression, while making us happy. Whether it’s a chocolate cake, a chocolate candy or chocolate commonplace famous, hundreds of millions of people love chocolate, thinking it improves mood. Now a U.S. study published in late April 2010 has found that eating too much chocolate can be a sign of depression.

The researchers found that people who have been diagnosed with depression had consumed about 60% more chocolate than those who have not been, during the study. A high depression score, suggesting a major depression, was more than double the consumption of chocolate in those analyzed by the study.
The researchers examined consumption of chocolate and other food consumption patterns of 931 men and women who were not taking antidepressants. The researchers also gave participants a test to detect depression or depressive tendency.
People who had a possible depression (by testing) consumed an average of 8.4 servings of chocolate per month. A portion of chocolate is a chocolate 40 grams, this represents an average consumption of about 350 grams of chocolate per month.
People who do not suffer from depression (as tested) consumed only 5.4 servings of chocolate per month (or 220 grams of chocolate per month) on average.
Participants who had depression scores highest consumed an average 11.8 servings of chocolate per month (or 485 grams of chocolate per month on average).
Depressed mood was significantly related to greater consumption of chocolate, the researchers observe.
Mindfulness meditation treatment does bulimia?
Mindfulness meditation (also called “right mindfulness”) is a meditation on consciousness vigilant of your thoughts, actions and motives, in order to cultivate your attention the moment. This type of meditation is essential in Buddhism where mindfulness is essential for spiritual awakening.

Various studies have already suggested in the past that mindfulness meditation can help reduce stress, anxiety, depression and hypertension. Now a new study concludes that the practice of mindfulness meditation can also help reduce binge eating and increased sense of control while eating.
Recall that bulimia is an eating disorder that involves episodes of compulsive consumerism sometimes followed by purging, fasting or overly intense sports sessions (to compensate psychologically).
> About the study
The U.S. study was published in the journal Health Psychology. She has analyzed the effectiveness of a program of mindfulness meditation that lasted six weeks on bulimics. U.S. researchers analyzed 18 obese women suffering from bulimia. These women were obese exercises standards mindfulness meditation in relation to food consumption, under the supervision of researchers.
The researchers were within range of data on participants with bulimia, particularly to establish the scale followed by Herzog for bulimia, and respond to the questionnaire / score of depression and anxiety Beck. The 18 bulimic participants were evaluated 5 times: 3 weeks before the start of the study at the end of the first week of the third week and sixth week during the study, three weeks after the end of the study .
> The results of the study
The researchers found that binge eating have declined in frequency and severity. Participants with bulimia have also improved their sense of control of food consumption. Binge eating was increased from 4 to 2 per week. The researchers also found that scores of Herzog and Beck declined significantly.
> What must be learned from the study
“The results suggest that mindfulness meditation can be an effective component in the treatment of bulimia,” say the authors of the study.
This study is important because it suggests that therapy with mindfulness meditation can be an effective complement to conventional therapy for bulimia. Mindfulness Meditation in connection with the eating bulimic participants helped to improve the awareness of why they eat, which can help treat the negative trends in food consumption.
What are the symptoms of multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease that can affect many functions: the sense of touch, movement, balance, sight, ability to move, etc.. It affects mostly women.
It is an autoimmune disease, an inflammatory disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, a substance that covers and protects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. This causes patches of demyelination. These reduce the efficiency of electrical conduction of nerve impulses between brain cells and between the brain and other body parts.

The symptoms of MS and their evolution are highly variable from one person to another. The symptoms most often encountered are:
– Movement disorders: muscle weakness, loss of coordination of movements, difficulty walking, muscle spasms, loss of balance;
– The sensory disorders: numbness, tingling, loss of sensitivity of certain body parts;
– Visual disturbances: impaired sight, blurred;
– Cognitive impairment: memory loss, decreased attention;
– Urinary and sexual disorders: incontinence, impotence, dysuria.
Other symptoms are unexplained pain, fatigue and dizziness.
In about 70% of cases, the MS progress in spurts, with periods of remission between episodes sometimes complete. Up to 15% of cases had only one episode during their lifetime. In about 10% of cases, the disease progresses gradually with a continual deterioration in recent years.
Cushions and natural hot water
From simple cushions that become hot water when you heat the oven! There are the kernels of cherries, but also linseed or lavender flowers. They can also be chilled and used for a massage.

Cushion-hot-water bottle: models and use
The heating-pad (or pad / water bottle) “natural” are stuffed with natural materials. Most cushions / natural hot water can be heated or cooled, depending on your needs:
- Hotter it soothes upset stomachs (including menstrual), contractures, muscle or joint pain;
- Froid: it soothes bruises and heavy leg sensations;
- In massage: it relaxes and releases tension.
They can take different forms:
- Square or rectangle;
- U (for the neck mostly);
- In the banner for eye pain and the wrist;
- And even as a soft toy for children.
Important: Always prefer a model removable and machine washable.
The air bags in hot water cherrystones
Pillows / hot water to cherry pits are the most common. No wonder that since the cherry pits were already used by our grandmothers for stuffing homemade water bottles. Indeed, they have the ability to retain heat and diffuse slowly.
Note: the outer fabric of hot water is usually cotton, even organic cotton. Finally, do not be frightened by the smell of woodland cherry pits. It is very light and disappears anyway after several uses.
Other cushions, water bottles
There are now a range of cushions / natural hot water. These can be filled:
- Linseed;
- Rapeseed;
- Grains of wheat.
You can also opt for pads / hot water with herbs, which have the same properties as other emerging and sinuses. They can be filled:
- Lavender flowers;
- Mint;
- A combination of natural herbs.
How to use?
Most of these water bottles can be heated in oven or microwave oven. For each use, you must:
- Pre-moistened with your hands or spray. Feel free to permeate the many water-and in order to prevent the pillow does not burn;
- Put it in a microwave oven so that it does not turn the tray. In the oven, be careful that the water bottle does not touch the walls;
- Heat a function of time indicated on the record and according to the wattage of your microwave.
Caution: Even if the kettle does not look so hot, do not heat more than the recommended time (the heat spreads in the opening minutes).
Note: To perform a massage, gently roll the pad / water bottle. The seeds or kernels produce a massaging effect while moving.
Cushion-kettle natural advantages and disadvantages
These water bottles have the advantage:
- To be lighter than water hot water bottles;
- Adapt easily to different parts of the body;
- To have a massaging effect if you roll.
On the downside:
- The heating effect is fairly short, on average one hour;
- Always leave the kettle to cool completely before reheating.
Note also that these water bottles can cause minor burns or puncture during use. Accordingly, they should never be used unattended at:
- Children in infancy;
- People do not have all their reflexes;
- Persons with severe disabilities.
Sun protection for the summer: our advice
The excessive sun exposure is dangerous for health: sunburn, sunstroke, acceleration of skin aging, free radical production, allergies, and venous disorders in the worst cases cancer.
Before going on holiday, remember to choose your sunscreen and take plenty of antioxidants.
Sunshine, yes, but no matter how or at any price. Prefer a sunny reasoned and reasonable in their methods of protecting natural.
The basic rules for all are:
- No exposure between 11 and 16h;
- Protecting the skin with a sunscreen adapted to his complexion and sensitivity;
- To protect his lips (area often overlooked yet very fragile and vulnerable);
- To protect his eyes making sure his sunglasses carry the CE mark (protection 3 or 4);
- Hydrated enough and vigilant in the tropics or in the mountains where the reverberation increases the power of the rays;
- Also remain vigilant in taking photosensitizing drugs (eg certain antibiotics), to wearing perfume, in case of acne to prevent pregnancy or chloasma more commonly called “mask of pregnancy”.
As child care than a hat, sunglasses norms, t-shirt and light colored mesh, appropriate sun cream, etc.. In order to best protect their skin and their immature solar capital. Note that the higher the dose of sun was high during our childhood and our capital has diminished.
Benefits of Sunshine
The sun also has it good?
Yes: the sunshine is good for bones and calcium binding (synthesizes vitamin D), good for the skin (psoriasis, atopic dermatitis) and good for morale.
The exhibition is a wise excellent source of vital energy, vital to your balance and your good health.
Choosing a sunscreen: chemical filter or mineral?
Gone are the days when sunscreen was really uncomfortable to apply. In a thick texture and sticky impossible to penetrate, they left on the skin a greasy white film.
Today emulsifiers plants and new manufacturing processes have revolutionized the display with light textures and delicious.
The ultraviolet filter, the active substance that can filter certain UV rays to protect skin comes in two types: mineral filter and chemical filter.
A mineral filter is always preferable to a chemical filter: high tolerance, hypoallergenic, effective immediately after application and ecological.
In addition, make choosing a sunscreen is also choosing an organic product without petrochemical ingredients, no silicones, parabens and synthetic fragrances.
And chemical filters, how do they proceed?
They penetrate the skin, soaking up the rays and turn them into the skin.
Strongly challenged today, they are potentially dangerous to humans (suspected of allergenicity and change the hormonal balance) and for the environment (water pollution). They are active only 20-30 min after application.
What after sun?
In store you will find many organic products after the sun hydrating and soothing.
You can also opt for a balm with calendula, shea butter or oil argan.
Biafine (pharmaceutical cream specified in case of burns) is very effective in cases of sunburn. It relieves pain and has a soothing effect on skin.
Wash hands effectively
The hand hygiene is vital to ensure an optimal daily lifestyle. With our hands, we are constantly interacting with our environment, swarming bacterial flora, flora viral contamination and toxic elements. While most of these bacteria are harmless, but it must protect themselves. For this, there is a simple solution: hand washing. Here’s everything you need to know to wash their hands effectively.

Why wash your hands?
It is by the hands that spread nearly 80% of infectious diseases (eg flu, gastroenteritis, food infection, etc..). Keep hands clean by washing them regularly is the best practice to reduce or limit the risk of transmission of germs. Provided however, that the washing is done carefully and following a few rules.
Hands clean under all circumstances: when washing hands?
You should wash your hands several times a day with soap. And more specifically:
- Before eating or cooking;
- After using the toilet, but before;
- Before leaving your job;
- After coughing or sneezing;
- After having been in contact with an animal;
- Whenever you come home you.
Contrary to what one might think, the toilet is far from being the most populous area of bacteria in your home. The prize goes into effect, and by far, your phone, your office desk, your computer keyboard and mouse. So remember to wash your hands accordingly after having made use of.
How to wash hands effectively?
- Start to wet your hands;
- Then lather, preferably with liquid soap (bar soap is less hygienic). Take the time to rub the palms of hands and the outside, the area between the fingers, not to mention the inches. Do not forget to rub the nails and the tips of fingers and wrists. An effective cleaning should last about thirty seconds;
- To dry your hands, preferably using a towel or a disposable towel.
Note: According to some studies, hot air dryers would in reality the bacteria to proliferate.
- If you do not have access to water and soap, you can use a water-alcohol solution sold in pharmacies or supermarkets.
Note that there are solutions for hand hygiene all natural, no preservatives (parabens and phenoxyethanol) and very low alcohol content (eg Mainbiose Mainbiose for adults and kids).
