By Dr. Arvind Viradia

Varicose veins are abnormally swollen and bluish in color which may appear like worms on the skin’s surface.  They occur due to a defect in vein valves leading to backward flow in the veins.  The most common symptoms include leg pain, night cramps, burning, swelling, and aching.

The previously used treatment was stripping the veins under general anesthesia. Newer options to treat varicose veins are the use of a laser to seal or close the veins.

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According to a recent study nearly 90% of women experience some degree of cellulite and demand for non-invasive cellulite treatments in the U.S. is expected to nearly double by 2011. This treatment is ideal for patients who have tried diet and exercise or ever other cellulite treatments without success. Now they can benefit from:
A single treatment with no surgery, injections or downtime
Smoothing of dimples and improved skin texture
Long lasting results

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For a female, hair loss can feel incredibly shameful. Our hair speaks volumes about our personality and is a big factor in the way we evaluate our looks. A healthy head of hair indicates vitality, youthfulness, and health. When women begin to lose their hair, it can be a huge blow to their self esteem, but there are ways to restore it. Before seeking treatment, it’s important to understand its causes.

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By: Michelle Normand

Water. O.K. no surprise here. Water is the best way to keep your skin plump and hydrated. It keeps dry skin and wrinkles at bay so drink up!

Salmon. By now most of us have heard all about the heart-healthy benefits of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids found in fish oils. These wonder fats are also important to your skin, fighting dry patches, eczema, and other conditions that rob the skin of a smooth, youthful glow.

Wheat Germ. Just one tablespoon of this powerhouse food is packed with skin essential B vitamins, along with vitamin E and Selenium. The B family of vitamins aids the skin in cell regeneration and combats the hormones that can cause unwanted blemishes. Vitamin E and Selenium work together to reduce the risk of skin cancer and fight against premature aging. Sprinkle some in your morning cereal or add a little crunch to your yogurt for a skin-friendly snack. 

Orange Fruits & Vegetables.  Vitamins A & C play vital roles in our goal for healthy skin. Carotene, the substance that gives carrots and sweet potatoes their deep orange color, turns into vitamin A inside the body.  This powerful antioxidant helps to both deter wrinkles and fight cancer causing radicals. Vitamin C is another important antioxidant. When used topically, it helps reduce age spots and when taken internally it helps stabilize the skin’s collagen creating a more elastic, supple texture. Next time you shop the produce section, look for rich, orange fleshed fruits and vegetables, like carrots, pumpkins, apricots, and papayas. 

Blueberries. A recent USDA study ranked blueberries as number one in cancer fighting antioxidants. Blueberries are rich in phytochemicals that not only give them their lovely color, but also provide a wonderful source of antioxidants. Combat the unpleasant effect of smoke and other environmental toxins with a ½ cup of blueberries each day.

Michelle Normand is a health and beauty freelance writer and author of 30-Minute Mandalas coloring book series.

West Virginia Association for Family & Community Education has received an educational grant from Reaching Out…Raising Ovarian Cancer Awareness in WV and the WV Comprehensive Cancer Program in collaboration with the WV Division of Tobacco Prevention. The award is in the amount of $2,500.00 Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers. In West Virginia, cancer of the ovary is the 6th leading cause of cancer incidence and the 4th leading cause of cancer mortality for women (West Virginia Cancer Registry 1999-2003).

The high mortality associated with this cancer is due in large part to the late diagnosis of the disease, when it is already in the advanced stages and has spread to other abdominal organs. This is why it is called the disease that just “whispers.”

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By: Jan Hrkach

Americans love chocolate. In fact, millions of us are admitted “chocoholics.” U.S. chocolate consumption is around 3.3 billion pounds per year, according to the National Confectioners Association.  That’s nearly 12 pounds for every man, woman and child in the nation.

But for more than 21 million Americans with diabetes, forbidden treats – such as luscious dark chocolate truffles – are not part of a healthy diet. Many of us believe that sinfully sweet indulgences must be unhealthy, especially for diabetics. Or are they?  The good news is that recent clinical studies show some types of chocolates actually have significant health benefits. Dark chocolates, particularly those made with minimal processing, are high in flavonoids, which are plant compounds with potent antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are known to gobble up free radicals – the killer compounds that harm cell membranes, damage the heart, attack DNA, cause aging, and make heart attacks and cancer far more likely.

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Pet trusts are becoming more and more commonplace due to the love and concern Americans have for their pets. After all, pets are considered family members, and it only makes sense to provide for your family member in the event of your disability or death.

A pet trust is a legal document that can be monitored by the courts and allows you to entrust money or property to a “trustee” who will be responsible for managing it and distributing it to your designated caregiver for the duration of your pet’s life.  There are several steps involved in creating a pet trust—follow these steps and you’ll have your trust set up in no time.

1.   Review the laws of the state you reside regarding pet trusts. West Virginia and Ohio are both “pet trust” states.

2.   You will need to identify the designated trustee and designated caregiver for you pet; as well as, a successor trustee and successor caregiver who will take over in the event that the primary trustee or caregiver can no longer fulfill their obligation to care for your pet. You will need to the name, address, and telephone numbers of those designated in the trust.

3.   You will need to have a way to positively identify your pet, such as photos, x-rays, dental records or microchips. DNA samples are becoming more prominent.

4.   Accurately and with as much detail as you can, describe your pet’s lifestyle including play habits and specific care instructions. Specify any health problems and/or current medications along with the name, address, and telephone number of your vet. Request that your trustee and/or caregiver provide regular veterinary check ups for your pet.

5.   Determine, to the best of your ability, the cost of providing care for your pet for the rest of its life; including additional money as the pet gets older.
You will also need to be specific about how the money is distributed to the caregiver and what kind of ‘check and balance’ you want your trustee to obtain. You will also need to include the cost of administrating your pet’s trust.

6.   Name a beneficiary to receive any remaining money if they are not totally used during your pet’s lifetime. Again, make sure to specify the name, address and telephone number of the named beneficiary.

7.   And lastly, you will need to provide detailed instructions on how you want your pet to be handled at the time of its death.  For example, burial or cremation. Where you want the pet buried or how you want the ashes handled.

You will also need to specify how you want “end of life” issues dealt with if your pet is in extreme pain or is no longer able to function at a good capacity. The Humane Society of the United States publishes a free estate planning kit, titled, “Providing for Your Pet’s Future Without You” and encourages every pet owner to establish a trust to ensure your pet is cared for in the event of your severe disability (in which case a will would not be valid).

For more information or to order a kit, visit the HSUS Web site: www.hsus.org/petsinwills.

A good source for information on estate planning for pets is the book “All My Children Wear Fur Coats” by Peggy R. Hoyt, J.D., M.B.A.

Women are well known for their love of horses. Once a young girl has experienced the love of a horse, the bond goes on forever.  It is a bond like no other bond you will experience in life with an animal.  Horses are beautiful animals. They are graceful, elegant and athletic. There is no other feeling in the world like riding a horse.  If you’ve never had the pleasure of riding a horse you don’t know what you’re missing. It is an absolute feeling of freedom.  People the world over love horses. Today there are more than 350 breeds of horses and there are approximately 75 million horses in the world.

Columbus, Ohio has one of the largest horse events in the United States. Called the Equine Affair, the event is scheduled in April of each year. People travel from all over the United States to attend this event. Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia are “big” horse states. The horse industry in Kentucky is one of its major businesses. Tennessee is becoming well known for its community developments for horse lovers; complete with stables, acreage, and everything the horse lover wants. These plantation style homes with acreage are for all age groups as the common denominator is the horses.  Spring is the start of the horse circuit season and is also when new foals are being born. Horse lovers cannot wait until spring!  New foals, training, riding, trail riding adventures, horse shows, sporting events, are the upcoming activities that horse lover’s think about constantly.

In this part of the country there is a vast majority of breeds, but the American Quarter Horse is the most popular.  However, one of the most colorful breeds is the Appaloosa. The Appaloosa’s heritage is as colorful and unique as its coat pattern.  Usually noticed and recognized because of its spots and splashes of color; although the abilities and beauty of this breed are more than skin deep. Appaloosas has very distinctive characteristics. The four identifiable characteristics are: coat pattern, mottled skin, white sclera, and striped hooves. Mottled skin is a basic and decisive indicator of an Appaloosa. This is a speckled or blotchy pattern of pigmented and nonpigmented skin. The sclera is the area of the eye which encircles the iris – the colored or pigmented portion. The white of the human eye is an example. All horses have sclera but the Appaloosa’s is white and usually more readily visible than other breeds. All horses can show white around the eye if it is rolled back, up or down or if the eyelid is lifted.  Readily visible white sclera is a distinctive Appaloosa characteristic. Appaloosas have bold and clearly defined vertically light or dark striped hooves.

One of the most exciting things about an Appaloosa is how it changes color. It is not always easy to predict the color of a grown horse. Most foals are born with lighter colored coats than they will have when they shed their baby hair; with the exception of gray horses, which are born dark and progressively become lighter. Most often, a black horse is born mousy gray.  Appaloosas that are born with a solid color may change color over time.

The Nez Perce Indians of Washington, Oregon and Idaho became especially sophisticated horsemen and their mounts, which included many spotted individuals, were prized and envied by other tribes.  Historians believe they were the first tribe to breed selectively for specific traits – intelligence and speed – keeping the best, and trading away those that were less desirable.  The Nez Perce’ tribes inhabited the Palouse River country of central Idaho and Eastern Washington. When white settlers came to the Northwest Palouse region, they called the spotted horses “Palouse horses” or “a Palouse horse.” Over time the name was shortened and slurred to “Appalousey” and finally “Appaloosa.”
Now an international breed registry, the ApHC – along with the Appaloosa Museum and Heritage Center – is located in Moscow, Idaho. More than half a million Appaloosas are on record, with about 10,000 new horses registered and with 26,000 members annually.

Appaloosas are found in nearly every discipline. Setting speed records on the race track, excelling at advanced levels of dressage, jumping, games, reining, roping, pleasure, endurance and as gentle family horses – any of these roles can be filled by the versatile Appaloosa. Their eagerto-please attitudes and gentle dispositions make them a pleasure to work with in any area.

Did you know that Secretariat’s first foal was an Appaloosa? First Secretary, a 17 hand chestnut with a white blanket, socks and a blaze, was foaled November 15, 1974.