Anglican Mission For Healthy Choices

Whether you know it or not. Antioxidants are vitamins that are present in foods you eat every day–especially fruits, vegetables, nuts, and vegetable oils. Antioxidant vitamins are an important part of the body’s cell protection system. The antioxidants we have the most information on are vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene, a form of vitamin A.

These antioxidant vitamins are at the center of one of today’s biggest health debates, says Selam International. Everyone agrees that they’re needed for good health. The debate is about whether consuming large amounts of these vitamins can help prevent cancer, heart disease, and other serious diseases.

What’s an Antioxidant?

Why are these …

Sharon awoke in the morning with a throbbing headache she couldn’t shake. Later that day she went to the doctor complaining of an achy tiredness and burning throat. Dr. Conroy popped a thermometer in Sharon’s mouth. “Have you been camping or in the woods lately?” she asked.

“Yes,” Sharon said. “We went camping over the weekend. And almost got lost. Why?”

“Well, you definitely have a fever, and if that rash on your arm was caused by a tick, you may have Lyme disease. We’ll need to take a blood test.”

The Lowdown on Lyme

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread primarily through the infected bite of the …

You’re female, age 15. Just for a moment, picture yourself in the future. Not your future as in what you’re doing this summer, but when you’re about 30 years old. Would you like to see yourself in a good job? as a mom? traveling? living in a place of your own? as drug addict with a killing habit?

A safe guess at your answers: Yes. Perhaps.

Good idea. Yes. No.

Of course you don’t see drug dependence in your future. But when it comes to one of the most common and dangerous forms of drug addiction, many young women take the first step every day. They smoke their first cigarette.…

IF you’re looking forward to the balmy days of summer so you can get a healthy tan, you’d better think twice. Due to the rising rates of melanoma (the most deadly form of skin cancer) and other health problems caused by the sun’s rays, there’s no such thing as a “healthy” tan. How can something that makes you look great be so deadly?

Blame Those Ultraviolet Rays

The sun emits two types of ultraviolet (UV) radiation: UV-A and UV-B. According to the National Academy of Sciences, UV-A probably causes as much as 95 percent of the melanoma-inducing effect of sunlight. UV-A and UV-B both play major roles in causing less …

The warning bells rang as Chad and Byron raced up the stairs. But at the top, Chad began gasping as his chest tightened. He stopped and felt inside his pocket.

Byron stopped, too. “Bad asthma attack?”

Chad wheezed and nodded, then pointed down the hall.

“We won’t be late. Got your inhaler yet?”

Chad pulled out a small plastic tube, shook it, and inhaled from it. He inhaled again and took several gulps of air. “I can breathe again. Let’s get going,” Chad said.

But before long, Chad was wheezing and coughing badly.

When the two friends reached the nurse’s office, Ms. Jassen hurried to Chad’s side. “What’s wrong?” she …

To his teachers, 16-year-old Jason is the student most likely to fall asleep in class. After all, his school day is followed by a grueling basketball practice and three hours behind a fast-food counter. Then there’s homework, late-night phone chats with his girlfriend, and catching up on MTV. When Jason’s head finally hits the pillow, his mind is still racing with thoughts about everything from tomorrow’s history test to his latest outbreak of zits. Then, just when it seems like he’s finally settled into a cozy sleep, his alarm clock rousts him out of bed to start another day.

Jason is suffering from insomnia, a sleep disorder that afflicts …