In today’s fast paced society, there are many professionals who are under a great deal of stress and it’s quite difficult for these professionals to be able to stay healthy. There are so many responsibilities and duties that must be met and caring for ourselves can seem almost impossible sometimes.

Usually we only go to the doctor when something is seriously wrong or for our mandatory yearly check ups. While this may be the standard in our lives and amongst our peers it is by no means the healthiest way to live. Too often serious problems are only caught in their latest stages.

Executive Health Examination

Today, insurance companies try to keep costs down by the way they keep doctors from being able to utilize testing procedures such as CT scans on a regular basis with patients. While these types of tests could find out about a major issue earlier, they are usually not performed until after the symptoms have already shown up.

Executive Medicine of Texas, which is run by Dr. Mark Anderson and Dr. Walter Gaman, preemptive and in depth medical services are being offered. In fact, these two doctors have done their part to raise awareness about the importance of balancing your life, work and health and being proactive in staying healthy.

Executive Health Programs

Inside their book, the doctors outline ten steps you can take so that even as you get older, you can still live out a ton of responsibilities and a heavy workload while staying healthy. Heavy importance is laid on the fact that you must be proactive with your health as you take care to remove any threats that come into being and identify health issues before they get serious.

The nice thing about these tips in the book is that you discover that it doesn’t take a lot of money to implement them in order to experience better energy levels and overall health. There’s no fad being shown here as it’s all about following scientific medical advice that will result in a longer and healthier life.

Learn how executive health programs work. Stop by EmTexas.com where you can find out all about our executive health services for a challenging world.

A curious fact about both frankincense and myrrh essential oils is that they’re distilled from dried resins — something quite unique in the world of aromatherapy. Less than 5 commonly used essential oils are distilled from resins, the rest being from leaves, roots, bark, wood and flowers. The terms frankincense and myrrh refer to the actual dried resin — essentially “sap” — from particular trees and shrubs, not the trees and shrubs themselves. One of the great features of this is that no harm is done to the plants upon collection — they’re a completely renewable resource.

There are no frankincense trees or myrrh trees per se. The trees and shrubs, found in desert regions of northern Africa (and as widespread as western India) are rough in appearance — looking very “at home” in their dry environments. Frankincense is collected from one of several species of Olibanum trees, and myrrh primarily from the Commiphora myrrha tree.

Both resins have been used for medicinal and spiritual practices for thousands of years. Myrrh is considered one of the oldest recorded aromatics, with a 4000 year history. The unprocessed resins can be burned as incense — and in fact this is where the name frankincense comes from: “frank” meaning “pure” and “incense” meaning “to smoke”. The smoke of both is thought to be purifying both in a spiritual and in a medicinal sense — the smoke actually kills microbes in the air. The essential oils of both resins can be used in a very similar manner by dispersing them in the air using a nebulizing aromatherapy diffuser.

Frankincense and myrrh are both available as classic steam distilled essential oils, or through the advent of modern technology, as “supercritical carbondioxide extracts”. Where many aromatherapists are not huge fans of these new “CO2′s”, some have come to appreciate the process for these two oils. One can imagine that frankincense and myrrh contain long-chain molecules that make up the “gum” portion of their chemistry. The steam distilled essential oils contain only a small fraction of the molecular makeup of the resins, whereas the CO2 distillations contain much more. In this respect, they can more closely resemble the resins themselves, both aromatically and medicinally.

The healing properties of frankincense and myrrh essential oils overlap in some places, and are quite unique in others. Both oils are high in sesquiterpenes, large molecules thought to stimulate the pineal gland — a part of our brains associated with spiritual insight — also called the “third eye”. Applying a drop of either of the oils to the center of the forehead is a common practice for those using essential oils to support meditation. Both oils are used in anti-aging skin care preparations as well. Frankincense has some scientific backing for wrinkle reduction, and myrrh was used for this purpose as far back as the ancient Egyptians. Either oil can be included in daily skin care formulas at concentrations between .5 and 1 percent of the total mixture.

Myrrh’s primary role is as an antiseptic. The most common form is a tincture of alcohol and the resin itself, used to treat ulcers inside the mouth. The powdered dried resin is also used to treat tooth and gum infections: combine with slippery elm bark powder, moisten and “pack” in place around the base of the affected tooth. Many people have had nearly miraculous results with this preparation when treating excruciatingly painful toothaches.

The primary medicinal uses of frankincense essential oil surround its anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and immune system stimulating effects. The oil and resin have been the subject of scientific inquiry into their potentials as cancer treatments — with positive results. Frankincense is able to eradicate cancerous cells, while leaving other cells unharmed. The oil is also considered to be an immune system tonic, enhancing its action in overcoming illness.

The boswellic acids found in frankincense resin and CO2 distillation have potent anti-inflammatory activity, and are now found in creams and oils specifically for conditions of painful joints. These compounds have been shown to be COX-2 inhibitors, meaning they prevent the formation of enzymes which lead to inflammation. Including the essential oil in massage formulas is an excellent way to utilize this benefit, particularly when combined with other anti-inflammatory and analgesic aromatics.

Hopefully this quick look at frankincense and myrrh will give you a little insight into using these wonderful natural healers in your life. The resins and oils are readily available on the internet, with several sources providing “therapeutic grade” quality materials — which generally means you’ll get very fine aromatics as well. Enjoy!

For more on the therapeutic value of pure aromatherapy oils, and the many ways to employ these oils such as in essential oil diffusers, visit The Ananda Apothecary online.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) has put together a list of the top health problems that are facing Americans today. Most of these problems can be controlled or avoided completely by making sure that you avoid some unhealthy behaviors.

Here are the top 5 health problems facing Americans today:

1. Heart disease – Heart disease is the number one health problem in America today accounting for 34% of deaths. There are many things you can do to keep your heart healthy. Keeping your weight at a healthy level and stopping smoking are keys to protecting your heart. Make sure your diet is rich in fruits and vegetables and try to get some exercise every day.

2. Cancer – The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2010, 570,000 deaths in the United States will be caused by cancer. One third of these deaths will be caused by using tobacco and alcohol and are entirely preventable. Another third of the cancer deaths will be caused by obesity, inadequate nutrition and lack of exercise. Over one million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed that could have been prevented by using sunscreen and sunblock.

3. Stroke – Stroke is one of the major killers in America, ranked number four for men and number three for women. When an artery in the brain is blocked by a clot the part of the brain supplied by the blood vessel can’t get blood and oxygen. This causes the cells of that part of the brain to die and consequently the part of the body that it controls will stop functioning. Making some changes in your lifestyle can greatly reduce your risk of stroke. Smoking, being overweight, diabetes, living a sedentary life and improper nutrition can all contribute to the risk of stroke.

4. Respiratory Diseases – Respiratory diseases that block airflow in your lungs such as emphysema and bronchitis are part of a group of diseases defined as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is a leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide. COPD is primarily caused by smoking so the most important thing you can do to prevent COPD is to stop smoking now. Once your lungs are damaged it can’t be reversed so the sooner, the better.

5. Type 2 Diabetes – Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and affects 90% of the people with the disease. Causing nerve damage, kidney damage, heart disease and even blindness type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of death in the United States. Lifestyle is a major factor in the development of diabetes so lower your weight, keep your blood pressure under control and stick to a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruits.

Want to find out more about successful weight loss? Visit HealthyLiving411.com to choose the best diet for your needs.

While each country has it’s own guidelines on when to check for breast cancer during your cycle, most experts now advise that you familiarise yourself with your breasts through several stages of the cycle.

Your breasts change throughout their cycle, however they change with a regularity that is consistant. You should learn to know how your breasts feel and look during your cycle for early detection of breast cancer.

If you have a history of breast cancer in the family you might want to consider tools such as the ‘Breastlight’, which shines a harmless red light through the breast tissue.  This can give early detection of lumps within the breast tissue, but it is important to remember  that not all breast cancer comes in the form of lumps.

When you are checking for changes in your breast tissue, you are looking for changes that do not return to normal during the course of your cycle.

There are several changes which you should look out for,

• Size – Most women have one breast larger than the other.
• Position – If one breast becomes lower than the other.
• Nipples – nipple Rash, Sudden Inverted Nipple, Discharge, or any change in position or shape.
• Persistant Pain, that is not linked to your period.
• Increased lumpiness or thickening which feels different to normal, and does not go away during the cycle.
• Skin changes around the breast area.

These changes do not neccessarily mean breast cancer, they are however some of the more common signs of breast cancer.

If you detect preliminary signs of breast cancer such as these, then it is essential that you contact your nearest medical practitioner as soon as possible to have more detailed checks made.

When you have had a specialist check made, the chances are you will not have breast cancer. Around 90% of women who go for a breast cancer check do not infact have breast cancer. Despite this, medical professionals stress that if you have any of the above signs you must still have any changes checked to be on the safe side.  Early detection of breast cancer can greatly increase your chances of survival.