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Knowing About Salmonella Infection and How to Avoid It

The Public Health Agency of Canada is now looking at a possible salmonella outbreak after it recalled some imported products from the market. Early this August, the PHA advised Canadians not to consume, sell, or serve any type of onion produced by Thomson International Inc. of Bakersfield, California, USA, or anything made out of these onions because of salmonella.  Then, before this month ends, another product is being recalled because of the presence of this bacterium – imported peaches.

On its August 21, 2020 updated Public Health Notice, the Canadian government announced that there are already 379 salmonella infection cases with the province of Alberta having the highest number of affected people. Apparently, a salmonella outbreak is now starting to sweep Canada.

Should you be worried? If you follow health protocols and arm yourself with the proper information, you can avoid being part of the statistics. Here are things that you need to know about salmonella infection and how you can avoid it:

In focus: Salmonella Infection

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that thrive in animal or human feces. Contamination occurs when the infected excrement comes into contact with crops, water, and animals. The bacteria then transfers to people who consume these uncooked or undercooked products. Handling tainted produce or meat without washing hands afterward also contributes to its spread. The disease caused by this bacteria is called salmonellosis or salmonella infection.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, everyone can be susceptible to contracting salmonellosis. However, some people are most at risk with this ailment, namely, the elderly, pregnant women, kids aged five years old and below, or those who are already immune-compromised.

Salmonella infection symptoms are usually related to the stomach. They typically manifest anytime between seven hours to eight days after consumption of contaminated goods.  Symptoms of this disease include:

·         Painful stomach cramps

·         Blood in the stool

·         Colds and chills

·         Diarrhea

·         Fever

·         Headache

·         Vomiting

·         General feeling of uneasiness of the stomach

Diagnosing salmonellosis

There are several salmonella strains in existence today, and getting diagnosed will help health experts and authorities trace the source of the bacteria if there is a confirmed community spread.

You can visit your family doctor so that he or she can run some blood tests and take a stool sample. If you do not have a family doctor, you can visit a local walk in clinic Edmonton center so a licensed health professional can diagnose and treat you accordingly.

Available treatment options

If you have not yet consulted a physician about your sickness, you can only manage its symptoms. Drinking a lot of clean water and fluids will help combat diarrhea. If you can, get your hands on oral rehydration solutions or over-the-counter drugs like loperamide. If you are running with fever, take anti-fever medications.

If you are down with a severe case of salmonellosis, you will need anti-bacterial medicines to treat your sickness. Consult your doctor for this course of treatment.

How to avoid it

As the adage goes, prevention is better than cure. Salmonella is an enemy you cannot see, but it does not mean you cannot avoid it. Health experts advise the following precautionary measures to prevent contracting salmonella infection:

1. Practice good hygiene. Remember to wash your hands with soap and warm water. This habit can prevent bacteria from transferring from your hands to your mouth. Keep your hands clean after doing the following:

·         Using the restroom

·         Handling raw produce or meat

·         Touching high-risk pets like birds or reptiles

·         Cleaning up your pet’s pee and poop

·         Changing your child’s diaper

2. Prevent cross-contamination in food. Keeping your pantry products separate will keep the infected produce from contaminating clean ones. As a general rule in food storage, never place raw products in the same area as cooked ones. Separate raw poultry, meat, and seafood from other food in your fridge. If you can, purchase different chopping boards for raw products, vegetables, fruits, and bread.

3. Avoid consuming uncooked or undercooked food. Do not eat raw eggs or uncooked cookie dough, which has raw eggs in it. When eating food like sushi, make sure you are dining at a restaurant with a reputation for cleanliness and high-quality service. Never consume raw chicken. Wash your fruits and vegetables properly or peel them before consumption.

4. Practice good hygiene when dealing with pets, too. Regularly clean your pet’s cage, aquarium, or any place of habitation. Do it outdoors to avoid contaminating indoor areas with bacteria from excrement. If you have no choice but to clean indoors, make sure you disinfect the cleaning area after use.

Despite the spread of salmonella in some parts of Canada, you can do your part by protecting yourself and your family from infection. Learn about this disease and how you can effectively avoid it. Watch out for public health announcements from the government, too. Let us help each other combat this outbreak.

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Healthy Tips

How Can I Find an Online Doctor in Canada?

The rise of virtual clinics in Canada has given people a choice to experience quality health care at home.  According to the Canadian Medical Association, virtual care and telemedicine are new alternatives for patients and doctors alike to connect and work together for the best possible health outcome. The CMA also attested that for Canadians who are unfamiliar with this process, virtual care is definitely safe and effective, and it also assures the privacy of clients using the online platform.

If you are looking for a physician that can immediately respond to your medical needs, “visiting” online clinics could be the answer for you. The question now remains, how can you find an online doctor in Canada? There are a lot of centers offering virtual healthcare nowadays. Here are some things that you need to keep in mind if you are looking for an online doctor:

User interface

Since you are using a digital platform, a website or application’s user interface can make or break your overall user experience. The homepage must relay what the main thrust of the clinic is. It must also clearly present the various services it can deliver. Besides the message, a user-friendly layout and design can also help in guiding visitors to connect with the doctor quickly. Too many tabs to click, floating ads and incoherent presentation of the website’s services would result in confusion and chaos.

Quality of Service

This is probably one of the first things that you must consider when choosing an online doctor. Making sure that you will receive quality service from qualified professionals is your utmost priority. Health and wellness is something that cannot be compromised. When you search for websites and mobile applications, however, you will notice that almost all of them are boasting about how they are offering quality healthcare to their clients. So how do you know which online clinic is the real deal?

You can check for two things: Public feedback and doctor experience.

Shortlist three online centers and read public feedback and comments on the internet regarding their service. Virtual healthcare providers with a track record are sure to leave positive reviews behind. Also, take note of negative reviews if there are any. Another thing that you can do is to ask around. Look around for family or circle of friends and acquaintances with experiences about availing online consultations. People you know are reliable sources of information if you are looking for virtual clinics offering quality service.

Visit the website and mobile application and check the roster of doctors working for the online clinic. A trustworthy healthcare provider will usually provide a separate section dedicated to presenting their doctors. If you cannot find a list of doctors, at least make sure that the quick care center that you are choosing is transparent about who is running the system and operations. A reliable virtual clinic will usually present details and credentials of their team, which is generally composed of seasoned and licensed medical practitioners.

Price

This is also an essential factor to consider. Does insurance cover you? Is your online consultation going to be covered by your insurance? If the answer to both questions is yes, then you do not have to spend money out of your pocket when you talk to an online doctor Toronto healthcare provider.

If you do not have any insurance, the price charged by the clinic will inevitably affect your choice since you are going to pay for everything.  It is better to call or send the center an inquiry in advance to know about the fees. Always ask if there are additional payments that you need to be aware of. Usually, clinics will only charge you per successful patient-doctor consultation. Suppose, for any reason, the doctor will decide that your symptoms are not covered under the serviceable illnesses for online clinics. In that case, you will be promptly advised, will not be connected to a physician, and will not be charged with a consultation fee.

Security

In the online world, you must always be careful of the personal information that you give away. With the fast evolution of the internet and technology also comes one bane – digital information theft. Thankfully, as mentioned earlier, even the Canadian Medical Association can attest that these online health care providers are reliable when it comes to keeping your confidential information. Find an online clinic that can secure all the information that you provide.

Continuity of Care

This is one of the biggest challenges of online clinics nowadays. Find one that will not leave you an aftertaste of being left behind after the consultation. A responsible virtual health care provider will give proper referrals and unique treatment plans for each patient. For the best patient care, experienced doctors will undoubtedly have an edge. You must not feel neglected after your online session. If you thought that way with your recent talk with an online doctor, maybe it is time to consider looking for another one.

If you have to take a pick, choose the option that is right for you. It is true for most of our decisions in life, and it is true for finding an online doctor in Canada. Choose wisely today.

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Healthy Tips

Most Effective Weight Loss Tips This Year

We as humans, know that we must eat right and know what food to avoid for continuous weight loss. The trouble is, because we are indeed human we are prone to mishaps along the way. What we eat has and will always have an effect on our physical appearance. If we continue to choose a diet plan that is high in fat, we too will become fat.

There are hundreds of healthy weight loss tips and information out there but, if we don’t like what we are eating, we will soon choose something else. There is a reason why some nations are living healthier lives then we are. What are they eating that we are not? Here are some tips to make things a little easier to swallow.

Why not try to spice things up a bit? Doing this not only boosts your metabolic rate but, it will also cause you to eat more slowly. That in itself is a key reason why many Americans are overweight. We tend to eat entirely way too fast. We would enjoy our food more if we take the time to taste it. Our bodies need time to digest and signal the response of feeling full to our brains.

When we eat at a rapid pace, we don’t give our bodies a chance to respond. We only stop when the meal is finished or we start to burst at the seams. Adding a bit of spice will halt that response and allow our bodies time to signal when it is time to finish the meal.

Where you eat can play a big role in your weight control success or failure. When eating out, healthy choices become limited. We live more hectic lives now that women are becoming a more intricate part of our workforce. There becomes less time to prepare meals in the late afternoon or evening. For many, it is easier to pick something up than prepare it after a long day’s work.

However, choosing to make more meals at home would be beneficial in more ways than one. You are the chef, you begin being healthy by choice when you are able to decide what goes into your meals and what doesn’t. You are in more control of your calorie intake. Aside from the dietary benefits, you will find yourself saving money while eating at home as well. There are also the benefits of eating together as a family in your home.

Add more beans and lentils to your diet. They are an excellent source of protein and fiber. They are easy to prepare with hundred of varieties. Protein doesn’t just come from meat. Vegetarians all over the world incorporate protein and fiber into their diets through the use of beans and lentils.

Some varieties of beans can offer protein in excess of five to seven grams per serving. With weight loss as our goal, choosing a meal that includes beans and lentils is a wise healthy eating choice.

Are you getting your exercise? We must move our bodies if we plan on seeing results. Take a brisk walk or ride a bike. In many countries, there are more bikes than there are people and for good reason. Taking a short bike ride to the corner store instead of driving will help to ward off unwanted weight gain.

You can lose up to 500 calories on a simple easy going pace. Walking can do this as well depending on your pace.

Don’t skip breakfast! Coffee is not breakfast either. Most Americans are flying out the door with a cup of coffee in one hand and their keys in another. Slow down and take time to eat breakfast. When you skip breakfast, you slow your metabolic rate and you are also more prone to eat a high calorie meal the next time you do eat. Eat porridge! Yup, porridge has many health benefits.

It includes not only a great source of dietary fiber but, it also contains fruits and oats. All proven to be wonderful choices for your weight loss diet plan. Eating a diet high in fiber will aid in lowering bad cholesterol and keep your bowels regular. So, stop and sit to enjoy a light healthy breakfast. This healthy living choice alone can mean your success or failure in your weight control goals.

We need to look at how much we are eating as well. Are you a super size eater? Do you really know what a healthy portion looks like? Americans have grown accustomed to super size meal choices. These super size meals are everywhere from drive through take out to restaurants. Who says you have to eat all of that? As soon as your plate arrives, take half and place it in a to go box.

You have not only saved yourself from over indulging, you’ve saved money as well as you now have another meal. Be a bit more frugal with your portions. There is no set fast rule that says a meal must consist of five or six oversized courses. Let the salad be your meal rather than just a start. When you lower your portion size, you become more aware of your calorie intake.

Plant your own garden to reap the benefits of healthy living any time you please. You can instantly increase the value of the foods you eat when they are fresh from the garden. You don’t need acres of land to plant a tomato tree. Do you live in an apartment? As long as you have a well sun lit space, a tomato tree will thrive when watered and cared for. You will be more successful in utilizing fresh fruits and vegetables in your meals when they are just a few feet away and readily accessible to you.

When you try the above tips that have been proven to work, you will soon see yourself making effortless changes to your diet. Living healthy by choice not obligation, will enable and fuel your healthy living habits for a lifetime.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6682828

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Healthy Tips, Weight Loss

Control Your Childhood Obesity

In the last 30 years, childhood obesity has tripled in the United States, and if no action is taken today’s children will be the first generation in recorded history to be less healthy than their parents. Hundreds of lifestyle and culture changes have combined to effect this change, and hundreds of action steps will need to be taken to combat it. One important step should happen in schools. Because of obesity many children eat two meals a day at school, and many more eat at least one. They deserve the best, and schools are just starting to understand that.

While some districts are completely overhauling their school lunch program – Boulder, Colorado among them – others don’t have the resources to make such big changes so fast. Installing healthy vending machines can solve both problems at once: a substantial and immediate change that generates revenue for bigger changes down the road. What’s more, healthy vending machines in schools can help students build life-long habits and learn about healthy lifestyles.

Choosing the Right Snacks

Along with hot lunches, most schools offer a number of other snack options to students via vending machines and snack bars. This is to help the school make money, but should such enterprises be done at the cost of student health? Nachos, candy bars, and cookies are hardly fair for lunch, but kids don’t know any better; when given the option, they go for what tastes good. Even adults are guilty of that, so no one would expect more self-denial from kids.

However, recent brain research suggests that even into the teen years the frontal lobe – the part of the brain that regulates self-control and judgment – is being re-structured and developed. That means it is even harder for young people to resist the urge to have a candy bar than it is for an average adult. Therefore, it is even more critical that responsible grown-ups make important choices for students that will help them eat right now and learn to choose to do so in the future.

A healthy vending machine in the school building is one way to start that process. Filled completely with nutritious options, kids can learn that “healthy” doesn’t mean “gross” and can find themselves coming to enjoy the taste and effects of fueling their bodies with something substantial. That is a lesson that will pay dividends for the rest of their lives.

Multi-Media Health Education

Today’s youth are a technology generation, and no doubt about it. Texting, gaming, social networking, and YouTubing all comprise the language kids speak, however foreign that language is to parents. To educate them effectively, anyone with a message for students needs to communicate in a way they understand. No one would guess a vending machine could do that.

Some innovative healthy vending machines include LCD screens that come with educational information both on the snacks in the machine and on healthy tips in general. With state-of-the-art technology and bold graphics, these machines market themselves to young people, but instead of deceiving consumers into buying something they don’t need, they encourage them to make the best possible choice when it comes to snacking at school.

Generating Profit for Extra-Curricular Activities

The LCD screens also serve as valuable advertisement space that can be sold to augment even more the profit of owning a vending machine. The reason why many schools have soda machines and snack machines in spite of the obvious health concerns is they are so lucrative that administrators feel it is worth the risk of childhood obesity in order to avoid cutting back already tight budgets on opportunities kids need.

How much better to retain the profit and encourage student health? In fact, those extra curricular activities that need the funds are often exactly the same ones that get kids exercising and socializing – the ones that teach them how to live healthy lives outside of school as well as in it. Who knew a vending machine could be so powerful?

However valuable such an investment will be, it still might be a hard sell at the beginning. Working with a trusted vending franchise that specializes in health-food machines is important to avoid mistakes that lead to unsuccessful experiences. For instance, if a Snickers bar is sold next to a granola bar, it’s rare that a teenager will be able to resist the former.

In fact, having unhealthy snacks available at all, even in another machine, will lead to smaller profit margins than if only nutritious options are presented. That’s just common sense, remembering the under-developed frontal lobe of adolescents and children. On the other hand, if someone’s hungry for a little something and they look into a window that offers pita chips next to vitamin water next to whole grain honey graham sticks, something is bound to look tasty.

If a district is interested in going healthy, it’s going to be a commitment. The process of throwing out old junk food habits and creating new one may take a while, but it’s worth it.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5509646

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Healthy Tips, Obesity

Healthy Tips For Women Approaching Menopause

These heart healthy tips for women approaching menopause can help keep the heart healthy despite the changes that occur as menopause arrives. Women generally start transitioning into menopause between 45-55 years of age, some sooner if they have had a hysterectomy. The changes that occur during this general time frame put women had substantial increased risk for heart problems in menopause. Implementing heart healthy tips before the woman goes into menopause is ideal.

Heart healthy tips for women approaching menopause are necessary because at age 45-55, certain changes often take place in the body, which makes a woman more susceptible to heart concerns. Hormone levels are changing, which can cause weight gain in the mid-section. When estrogen starts dropping, the body will actually increase your appetite, even up to 67% researchers say. This is because fat stores release estrogen. This is the body’s way of getting its declining estrogen back.

As we grow older, the body has a tendency to redistribute weight and for many women in menopause, the extra weight goes right to the mid-section. Unfortunately, it often does not stop at just subcutaneous fat, but builds up as visceral or internal fat. Visceral fat builds up around the internal organs, including the heart. As you can imagine, this is not a good thing for your heart or the rest of you.

If your waist size is 35 inches or higher, you likely have visceral fat. The good news is that hormone levels eventually level off, but if you aren’t prepared, you could have a bunch of extra visceral fat that is going to put you at higher risk for heart problems. In addition, visceral fat takes a lot more effort to get rid of.

Heart Healthy Tip #1 For Women Approaching Menopause

Prevent visceral fat around the heart and mid-section by adopting healthy eating habits before menopause. If you are too late and you already have this visceral fat, then talk to your doctor about your concern. Discuss with him/her a plan to lose this visceral fat through a good nutritious diet lifestyle change and exercise program. Visceral fat is stubborn and usually some type of aerobic exercise will be needed to burn it off.

There has been some differences in studies regarding hormone replacement therapy. Some say that it may help decrease heart disease, but it can increase your risk for other diseases. Some say that it doesn’t really help that much. Talk with your doctor about the hormone replacement possibility, pros and cons.

Heart Healthy Tip #2 

Another cause for heart concerns for women approaching menopause is that your body is just slowing down, which can make it easy to become more sedentary. Your heart still needs exercise. It is made out of muscle cells. To stay strong, it needs aerobic conditioning. If we are slowing down and not making an effort to keep its muscle fibers strong, then it will weaken. If you add that concern with the visceral fat around the heart, it gets a double whammy.

Even if you are not as active as you were when you were 20 and you don’t necessarily have to be, you can still exercise your heart. Research has shown even taking a fairly brisk 30 minute walk 3-4 times a week, can help tremendously with keeping your heart healthier. If you can do more, great.

Invest in a treadmill if you live in a place where you can’t walk outside. There are also a ton of exercise videos out there these days, so you can pick something that works for you, especially if you have particular health concerns that you have to work around. Again, if you do have health concerns, discuss your new exercise program with your physician.

Heart Healthy Tip #3 

Sometimes people can have heart issues before they even approach menopause. It would be good to have a check up around your early 40’s to get a baseline of where you are at. Due to the body’s metabolism slowing down during the menopausal age range, unhealthy lifestyle patterns will hit women harder during menopause.

Any positive changes you can start before menopause will make it easier on you. So getting a physical exam with your doctor is a good place to start. Get some blood work to see where you are with your heart including cholesterol ratios. Then make sure you have a plan to keep your cholesterol down such as healthy dietary habits and an appropriate exercise routine.

Heart Healthy Tip #4 

If you haven’t already, quit smoking. Heart damage caused by tobacco can often reverse itself in time if tobacco is stopped.

Heart Healthy Tip #5 

Keep stress down as much as possible. Stress releases another hormone called cortisol. It often leaves in its wake, visceral fat in the mid-section. This obviously will add stress to your heart. Whatever helps with your stress management, be sure to practice it daily. Maybe it is prayer, women’s support group, meditation, exercise, listening to music, taking a walk with a friend, being positive, having enjoyable hobbies or laughing as much as possible. Find what works for you in effectively managing your stress level and get in the habit of practicing it daily.

Heart healthy tips for women approaching menopause are healthy tips for everyone, but it is even more critical for women approaching menopause. Women approaching 45-55 have such an increased risk for heart disease, that these other controllable factors can be the difference between heart disease and not. Work on improving your overall eating habits, cutting out harmful fats, sugars and calories, having a routine exercise program, not smoking, getting doctor check ups from time to time and good stress management. All these heart health tips for women approaching menopause can help to prevent heart issues from developing during this time and beyond.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6937700

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Healthy Tips, Menopause

Healthy Tips For Your Prostate

Prostate cancer is a serious and often deadly disease. Statistics suggest that annually, over 240,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and over 33,000 will die from this type of cancer. For American men it is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths. If your prostate becomes enlarged it can cause other health issues such as prostatitis. There are many ways men can improve their overall health and protect the health of their prostate. Making wise choices regarding lifestyle and dietary decisions can be very impactful towards reducing the risk of developing this disease.

Healthy Diet: Focus on eating a healthy and well balanced diet. This should include plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits. The vitamin and mineral content in fruits and vegetable are high and will keep you feeling satisfied and full. This should help you to avoid the temptation of over eating other types of foods that are not as good for you. A fruit or vegetable also makes a great snack. For example, carrot and celery sticks or an apple can be both a nutritious and delicious snack.

Eating more plant based foods over animal proteins is a good choice as well. There have been studies which suggest a possible link between diets high in animal fats and the development of prostate cancer. Substitute plant based oils for animal fats such as butter. Use olive oil instead. To dress up a salad substitute cheese with a sprinkling of seeds or nuts. There are many great alternatives to animal based foods. Some good vegetable choices include tomatoes, brussel sprouts and kale. Tomatoes are high in lycopene which is a very powerful antioxidant. Brussel sprouts and kale are very healthy cruciferous vegetables. Some fruits high in lycopene include papaya and watermelon. Be creative and enjoy eating these healthier options.

Low Fat: Foods that are high in fats include proteins such as meat as well as dairy products. You should reduce the amount of fat you consume daily and opt for lower fat choices. Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt are high in calories and fat. When eating meat, always choose the leaner types and cuts. Consuming chicken or turkey breast is a much healthier alternative to fatty steaks or burgers.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: You should aim for 2-3 servings of fatty fish such as salmon, tuna or sardines weekly. The high levels of omega-3 fatty acids that are found in these types of seafood are very healthy and have been linked to possible disease prevention. Avoid the farm raised variety and try to eat wild caught seafood.

Alcohol consumption: Keep alcohol consumption in moderation. Limit yourself to one drink daily if you do choose to consume alcohol. And it goes without saying that smoking should be discontinued if indeed you do smoke.

Weight Management: Being overweight increases your risk for a wide variety of diseases. If you are overweight try to begin a sensible weight loss program that is both healthy and realistic. Do not participate in fad or dangerous dieting regimens. Instead focus on eating healthy, wholesome foods and reducing your caloric intake. Cut out processed foods, sugars and white flour based products. All of these foods are high in calories and tend to create weight gain in people. Look at an online “BMI” chart which is also known as the “body mass index” chart. You will be able to determine what is a healthy weight for your height and gender. You can determine if you are overweight by looking at a BMI chart.

Exercise: Incorporating exercise into your lifestyle is so very important to your overall health and well being. Exercise will not only help you lose weight, it will help you maintain your weight, therefore preventing obesity. It is ideal to exercise for 20-30 minutes daily. There are so many options for you when it comes to exercise that you really must just find something that you enjoy doing. For example walking, hiking, tennis or joining a gym are all good choices. Find little ways during the day to get more exercise in as well. Use the stairs instead of the elevator or walk to local shopping instead of using the car are great ways to increase your exercise time throughout the week. Exercise has been shown to strengthen both the immune and digestive systems. By improving your circulation it can also reduce the risk of your prostate becoming enlarged.

Stress: Make sure that you reduce the stress levels in your life. Stress is a major component in weakening the immune system. This can make you more vulnerable to illness. Find a healthy balance in your lifestyle by focusing on positive changes you can make to improve the quality of your life.

Some Additional Tips: If you have a family history of prostate cancer you should let your doctor know as this increases your risk. At the age of 50 you should begin getting the appropriate screening and diagnostic testing that is available to catch this disease in its early stages when it is most treatable. Remember whenever beginning any dietary or lifestyle changes, always consult with a medical professional, particularly if you are taking prescription drugs or suffer from any disease or ailment.

The Issels Medical Center in Santa Barbara, California is a world renowned alternative cancer treatment center. The Issels Treatment is an Integrative Immunotherapy program with a 50 year history. Founded in 1951 by a pioneer in integrative cancer medicine, Dr. Josef Issels, MD., a German oncologist, The Issels Medical Center in Santa Barbara, California treats patients with all natural non toxic therapies for a variety of health conditions including cancer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6898159

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Prostate