Sew-Ins & Lace Fronts 101 || Bob Sew-in Tutorial

Sew-ins, when done and worn properly, can be used as a method for protective styling.  They can be worn for 2-3 months at a time, allowing the hair underneath to grow and retain length.  Some veterans wear them for longer, but I encourage newbies to begin with 2-3 month intervals.  Your hair underneath must still be cleansed, conditioned, and moisturized and must not be ignored during this period.

To begin your sew-in, cornrow your own hair as flat and close to your scalp as possible.  However, refrain from making the cornrows too tight because this can lead to hair loss.  After creating your cornrows, commence to sew your hair extensions row by row into your cornrows.  Below is a well-executed video tutorial, by Lizlizlive, on self-installing a beautiful bob sew-in:

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Protective Style Lookbook || Two Versions of Overbraided Twists

By popular demand, this is a series showcasing various protective hair styles.  Protective styling does not have to be boring. :o)

This segment contains two styles.  Style #1: overbraided twists.  Style #2: overbraided twists with pompadour.

Model: Loo (Me)

Style description: Style #1 - overbraided twists. Style #2 - overbraided twists with pompadour.

Difficulty level: Style #1 - 2/5. Style #2 - 3/5.

HOW TO For OVERBRAIDED TWISTS only:  Start off with twists or braids.  Braid them into one big french braid from the crown down to the back of your head.  (Use the over-braiding method instead of the under-braiding method.  Here is a video tutorial: overbraid.)  After braiding, tuck the tail under your french braid and near the nape.  Use a few bobby pins to secure.  Voila!  NOTE: To creat the hump in the front like in the photo, start off braiding loosely at the crown.  Also, note that this style can also be done on loose hair.

HOW TO For OVERBRAIDED TWISTS with POMPADOUR:  Start off with twists or braids.  Undo a few twists/braids in the front middle section of the hair.  This will create a twistout/braidout bang.  Using bobby pins, pin the bang down towards the crown of the head.  Now take your remaining twists/braids and braid them into one big french braid from the crown down to the back of your head.  (Use the over-braiding method instead of the under-braiding method.  Here is a video tutorial: overbraid.)  After braiding, tuck the tail under your french braid and near the nape.  Use a few bobby pins to secure.  Voila!  NOTE: This style can also be done on loose hair.

Back in 2010.

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Ellmers Calls on Sebelius to Address Health IT Safety Concerns: A Responsible Voice in Government on Health IT and HIT Safety

The following press release is very welcome, and speaks for itself.  There is a responsible voice in the government wilderness.  It is perhaps no surprise it comes from a Congresswoman who is also a registered nurse:

Ellmers Calls on Sebelius to Address Health IT Safety Concerns

06/12/12

Safety Risks and Health IT-Related Errors Cited in IOM Recommendations

WASHINGTON – House Small Business Subcommittee on Healthcare and Technology Chairwoman Renee Ellmers (R-NC) today sent a letter to Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), inquiring about whether the Department has adopted the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) recommendations for improving the safety of health information technology (IT).

The report, issued in November, recommended several steps to be taken by HHS and called for greater oversight by the public and private sectors. The Secretary was called upon by the IOM to issue a plan within 12 months to minimize patient safety risks associated with health IT and report annually on the progress being made.  The report further recommended that the plan should include a schedule for working with the private sector to assess the impact of health IT on patient safety, and recommended several other steps to help improve the safety of health IT.

Specifically, Chairwoman Ellmers has requested a copy of the Secretary’s plan to minimize patient safety risks, a description of health IT-related errors that have resulted in patient risks, injuries and deaths, and the status of the development of a mechanism for health IT vendors and users to report health IT-related deaths.  She said that because health IT has the promise to improve health care delivery for patients, physicians and other medical professionals, she remains eager to work with the Secretary to ensure that health IT is safe, effective and affordable.

In an August 11, 2011 letter to Secretary Sebelius, Chairwoman Ellmers said that a modern, well-equipped office is critical to the practice of medicine, and asked the Secretary to undertake a study of health IT’s adoption, benefits and cost effectiveness, including medical error rates.

On June 2, 2011, Chairwoman Ellmers’ Subcommittee held a hearing on the barriers to health IT that are encountered by physicians and other health professionals in small and solo practices.   At the hearing, physicians expressed strong concerns about the cost of purchasing and maintaining health IT systems, as well as the staff training and downtime necessary to implement such a system.  Chairwoman Ellmers noted health IT’s great potential to improve health care delivery, decrease medical errors, increase clinical and administrative efficiency and reduce paperwork.

For more than twenty-one years before being elected to Congress, Chairwoman Ellmers served as a registered nurse, focusing on surgical care as Clinical Director of the Trinity Wound Care Center and later helping to manage the family's small medical practice with her husband, Dr. Brent Ellmers, a licensed surgeon. As a registered nurse and the wife of a surgeon, Ellmers understands that a modern, efficient and well-equipped office is critical to the practice of medicine.    

This voice of sanity is quite welcome.  I've spoken with Rep. Ellmers' office, pointing them to my Drexel Univ. writings and materials and recommending Sebelius' reply be gone over with a fine-toothed comb, from the perspective of health IT realities, not merely from the perspective of the Ddulite's good intentions.  (I also introduced her staffer to the concept of the Ddulite, the HIT hyper-enthusiast who ignores all downsides and ethical concerns.)

I also pointed out the ethical lapse in IOM's position of "wait and see" while HIT is pushed nationally under penalty of law, at the cost of hundreds of billions of dollars, when their own report (along with reports from FDA here, JC here and others) admits they don't know the magnitude of benefits, risks and harms:

... While some studies suggest improvements in patient safety can be made, others have found no effect. Instances of health IT–associated harm have been reported. However, little published evidence could be found quantifying the magnitude of the risk.

Several reasons health IT–related safety data are lacking include the absence of measures and a central repository (or linkages among decentralized repositories) to collect, analyze, and act on information related to safety of this technology. Another impediment to gathering safety data is contractual barriers (e.g., nondisclosure, confidentiality clauses) that can prevent users from sharing information about health IT–related adverse events. These barriers limit users’ abilities to share knowledge of risk-prone user interfaces, for instance through screenshots and descriptions of potentially unsafe processes. In addition, some vendors include language in their sales contracts and escape responsibility for errors or defects in their software (i.e., “hold harmless clauses”). The committee believes these types of contractual restrictions limit transparency, which significantly contributes to the gaps in knowledge of health IT–related patient safety risks. These barriers to generating evidence pose unacceptable risks to safety.

[IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2012. Health IT and Patient Safety: Building Safer Systems for Better Care (PDF). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, pg. S-2.]

As I wrote in my Nov. 2011 post "IOM Report - 'Health IT and Patient Safety: Building Safer Systems for Better Care' - Nix the FDA; Create a New Toothless Agency", the IOM's response to their own study was reckless and unethical (at best):

... The panel also recommends that the HHS secretary publicly report on the progress of health IT safety each year, beginning in 2012. If the secretary determines at any time that adequate safety progress has not been made, only then should the FDA take the regulatory lead and be given the resources to do so, the report recommends, adding that the agency should be developing a framework now to be prepared.

In the meantime, during each year of "watching for safety progress", innumerable patients are exposed to HIT's hazards and costs.  Pharma and other medical device industries are afforded no such special accommodation.

-- SS

New Study Demonstrates that Sugar has to be Palatable to be Fattening in Mice

Dr. Anthony Sclafani's research group just published a study definitively demonstrating that high palatability, or pleasantness of taste, is required for sugar to be fattening in mice (1).  Dr. John Glendinning was lead author. Dr. Sclafani's group has done a lot of excellent research over the years.  Among other things, he's the person who invented the most fattening rodent diet in the world-- the 'cafeteria diet'-- composed of human junk food. 

Mice and rats love sweet food and drinks, just like humans.  If you give them a choice between plain water and sugar water, they'll overconsume the sugar water and become obese.  I have argued, based on a large body of evidence, that the reward value and palatability* of these solutions are important to this process (2, 3, 4).  This is really just common sense honestly, because by definition if the solution weren't rewarding the mice wouldn't go out of their way to drink it instead of water, the same way people wouldn't go out of their way to get soda if it weren't rewarding.  But it's always best to confirm common sense with research.
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Are You Feeling Stressed?

By Stephanie of Infinite Life Fitness

Are you feeling stressed? Bummed out all the time because of all the crazy things going on in your life? Are you feeling like some days are getting crazier and harder to handle? Well I may have a suggestion that may help you start to handle some of the stress that has been accumulating in your life.

It is that time of year!

I know that I personally know a lot of people who are stressed out with work…with school…with life in general!

There are not only physical benefits to working out! Working out has been proven to have positive emotional effects as well. Yes you may be stressed because you have a lot on your plate or your day is jammed packed with activities already. But the truth is that you need to de-clutter your life and start putting your time management skills to work! Implementing a workout is only 4% of your day!!! That means the other 96% you can spend sleeping…cooking…working…or being busy with all the other things you have going on. If you actively use that 4% of your time in a positive way I can assure you that your overall mood can be drastically improved and those busy hectic days will start to seem less and less stressful!

Looking at the Mayo Clinic ...

Exercise can help diminish your anxiety or depression! This is done by:

• Releasing feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression (neurotransmitters and endorphins)
• Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression
• Increasing body temperature, which may have calming effects

According to the Association of Applied Sports Psychology (AASP) ...

Here are some PROVEN facts about the positive psychological benefits of exercise:

• Improved mood
• Reduced stress as well as an improved ability to cope with stress
• Improved self-esteem
• Pride in physical accomplishments
• Increased satisfaction with oneself
• Improved body image
• Increased feelings of energy
• Improved in confidence in your physical abilities
• Decreased symptoms associated with depression

It is so important to try to find the correct balance in our lives to help make the days go more smoothly. If you are a happy healthy person, it is suggested that you will be able to get the most out of your days! If you are happy you will see most things in a positive light and if you are healthy you will be able to be active and get more out of your days.

It is suggested to work out about 3 times a week (and if you can find the time you are more than welcome to work out more than 3 times a day!) If you are able to keep up a routine for a long period of time, this will make it easier for you to keep your health and fitness routines and they will become a part of your daily schedule on a long term basis. And you do not have to run 10 miles a day nor do some intense aerobics class for it to be called “exercise”. You can do a wide range of things that will get your heart beat up and gets your blood flowing! You can swim, ride a bike, jog, play sports, brisk walks, or anything that gets you up and moving for about 30 minutes!

So why not try to improve your mood and your health! Try to incorporate a health and fitness routine into your day and see if it is beneficial to you in the end.

This is Stephanie from Infinite Life Fitness. Please feel free to stop by my site for more health and fitness tips!

Mixology || Soothing Summer Body Spray

Are you a fan of body sprays but not a fan of the chemicals?  Do you want to mix your own natural version?  Well here is a recipe for a soothing summer body spray:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon witch hazel
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon cucumber extract
1 cup water

Directions:
For a refreshing cool feeling, make an after shower spray by combining all the ingredients. Place in a pump spray bottle.

FOR MORE: 250 Bath Body Recipes

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Sugar Intake and Body Fatness in Non-industrial Cultures

Around the world, non-industrial cultures following an ancestral diet and lifestyle tend to be lean. When they transition a modern diet and lifestyle, they typically put on body fat and develop the classic "diseases of civilization" such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  If we can understand the reasons why this health transition occurs, we will understand why these problems afflict us today.  Research has already identified a number of important factors, but today I'm going to discuss one in particular that has received a lot of attention lately: sugar.

There's an idea currently circulating that sugar is the main reason why healthy traditional cultures end up obese and sick.  It’s easy to find non-industrial cultures that are lean and don’t eat much sugar, and it’s easy to find industrial cultures that are obese and eat a lot of it.  But many factors are changing simultaneously there.  We could use the same examples to demonstrate that blue jeans and hair gel cause obesity.  If sugar is truly the important factor, then cultures with a high sugar intake, but an otherwise ancestral diet and lifestyle, should also be overweight and sick.  Let’s see if that's true. 

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