Tom's Blog on Life

From a Nature and Health newsletter I receive…
If you’re unsure about a woman’s age, just look at her hands – or so the saying goes. Despite the time we spend fretting over our faces, it’s our hands and nails that tend to show signs of ageing first.
“The skin on the back of your hands is much thinner and therefore more susceptible to showing signs of skin damage faster than other body parts that are more likely to be covered up more often,” explains beauty therapist Andi Butcher. “Wrinkling and age spots are far more prevalent on our hands due to lack of moisture and care.” Plus, conventional hand sanitisers probably haven’t helped the situation. “I’ve never seen so many patients with severely dry hands in all my years as a dermatologist,” says Dr Cheng Lim, of the Skin Cancer Clinic. “Some hand sanitisers contain up to 60 percent alcohol, which is why they strip the hands of their natural oils and dry them out.” So, what can you do? Try these tips:
“Use gentle, non-drying bar or liquid soaps with plenty of added vegetable glycerin,” says Butcher. “After you wash your hands, apply a good hand cream. Avoid products containing petroleum, mineral oil or silicones, as they just sit on the skin’s surface and don’t deliver that much-needed moisture to actually go within the skin. Instead, look for rich, hydrating ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, jojoba oil and avocado oil.”
Another couple of tricks from Butcher: “Apply your favourite hand cream before doing the washing-up, then slip on rubber gloves. “While you’re scrubbing, the warmth from the water will work to create a super-penetrating deep-moisturising treatment for your hands. Also, when it comes to putting the finishing touch on your hands with some polish, look for brands that don’t use damaging ingredients like formaldehyde and phthalates. Instead, seek out water-based polishes, which offer all the colour without the chemical smell.”

Dutch women who were given Viagra to increase the growth of their unborn child as part of a major drug trial face an anxious wait after the deaths of 11 babies.
The research, carried out at 10 hospitals across the Netherlands, involved women whose placentas had been underperforming taking sildenafil, a medication sold under the brand name Viagra.
Viagra, which dilates the blood vessels, is used for erectile dysfunction in men and is prescribed for people with high blood pressure. The hope, backed up by experimental research on rats, had been that the drug would encourage a better flow of blood through the placenta, promoting the growth of the child.
The trial was terminated last week when an independent committee overseeing the research discovered that more babies than expected were being born with lung problems.
In total, 93 women were given the drug as part of the trial, led by Amsterdam University Medical Centre. Seventeen babies developed lung problems, and 11 have since died.
Of the 90 women in a control group, who took a placebo, three developed the same lung issues and no babies died.
Between 10 and 15 women are waiting to find out if their child has been affected.
It is feared the drug caused high blood pressure in the lungs, leading to the babies receiving too little oxygen. There is nothing to suggest the trial was mishandled.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2NmyoXBXmE

In a rather unfortunate coincidence the name and some health data of 1.5 million Singaporeans was hacked the same month Australians started to be allowed to opt out of our national health database. Apparently 20,000 of us opted out on day one of the 90 day opt out period!
If you want to opt out, here is the link: www.myhealthrecord.gov.au/
Singapore govt health database hacked
A major cyberattack on Singapore’s government health database resulted in the personal information of about 1.5 million people – including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong – being stolen.

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/singapore-govt-health-database-hacked-498782
Ex-DTO chief slams “significantly flawed” My Health Record
Former Digital Transformation Office chief Paul Shetler has labelled the rollout of the My Health Record “significantly flawed”, citing issues with its security model and design as barriers to take-up. Said if he were an Australian he would probably opt out.

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/ex-dto-chief-slams-significantly-flawed-my-health-record-498576

Dr Izabella Wentz writes:
If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll likely have heard of betaine with pepsin. Betaine with pepsin was one of the most helpful supplements I came across during my health journey. I often tell the story about how this supplement changed my life. Excessive fatigue was my most challenging symptom.
I was chronically exhausted and needed to sleep for 11 to 12 hours to feel human. Things didn’t get much better, despite starting thyroid medications in 2010, and even going gluten and dairy free in 2011.
I didn’t think the fatigue would ever leave.
Quite honestly, I accepted it as part of who I was. But then I started taking betaine with pepsin on Friday, February 10, 2012 — one capsule with each meal containing protein. I was surprised to wake up the following morning at 8 am without an alarm. I had been dragging myself out of bed after 10 most mornings when I did not have to work. Strangely, I continued to feel energetic all day. I even stayed awake when my usually much more energetic husband took a nap. Things became easier, and all of a sudden, I felt that I had a surplus of time. I felt more at ease going to bed and even had time to meditate, which was something that I had wanted to do for years!
In this updated article, you’ll learn:
How common low stomach acid is in those with Hashimoto’s
How betaine with pepsin can help Hashimoto’s
Who should not take betaine with pepsin
How to determine the dose that’s right for you
Recommended betaine with pepsin supplements
Alternate ways to support low stomach acid
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/hashimotos-and-low-stomach-acid/