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Science: Can Botox Cure Migraines?

Health and Wellness Insights:

Botox Injections

Botox for Medicinal Use?

Well it seems that if someone looks as though they’ve had Botox we can’t assume that they had it for cosmetic reasons anymore.  It could point to the fact they suffer from migraines. I’m a migraine sufferer.  I’ve spent years monitoring my diet and lifestyle to try to help myself reduce their impact.  I’m also in my mid-thirties and noticing a few wrinkles!  This really interests me. The drug safety watchdog MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) has given the NHS the nod to dispense Botox as a treatment to chronic migraine sufferers – those who experience at least 8 episodes a month. The Daily Mail explains that the treatment is injected into the forehead and the neck of the patient with the effect of paralysing the muscles that cause the pain.  This has been reported to reduce the migraine frequency by an average of 50%. (No stats given on the reduction of wrinkles 😉 ) The drug we know as Botox or botulinum toxin was originally developed to treat facial tics, squints, writers cramp and head & neck spasms.  So, it’s not really that surprising that it’s found its way home to a similar use again. Wow!  I’ll be keeping an eye on this one – maybe I’ll try it. Here’s to a cure for all us migraine sufferers! – pass this info on if you know someone it may help.  Hit share or Tweet it on. Thanks.

Saz Bailey

No time for Time Management?

Time Management

BIG easy changes to get a time advantage…

Okay so as an entrepreneur you have a natural tendency to be attracted to activities that expand the mind and create possibilities. Couple that with the fact that as an Internet Entrepreneur you are in THE worst environment for distractions, especially in the new wave of Social Media marketing where you’re attention is highjacked by people ‘connecting’ and posting (hopefully) valuable info literally right under your nose.  If your Blogging, Twittering and YouTubing then you know exactly what I mean.  Lets face it; you are highly likely to get diverted easily, immerse yourself in something you hadn’t planned for and loose track of far too much of your day.  Before you know it, it’s midday and you haven’t done a thing on your to do list.

It’s not your fault.  You’re a creative soul.  If you didn’t take opportunity to feed your creativity you wouldn’t be doing what you do.  However, you are responsible for your own direction and success.  I’m sorry but the buck stops with you matey.

In my years as a business professional I’ve read time management books, attended courses by employers, tried different software applications.  There are tons of  strategies out there and just learning and implementing them can be a major time cruncher in themselves (maybe I’ll visit in future posts if people want it).

If you just don’t have the time or inclination be a student of time management. There are some really easy chunky things you can implement that can potentially have big impact.

Here are my tips for getting on top of your game:

1) Start now

I’m not kidding.  Don’t plan to start planning and managing your time.  Do it.  Now.  Be aware of your time allocations and enemies and audit them.  Literally write a list for work and home/family/personal life and your must/should/want to do’s.  How do you really perform against these? Not only will it help you evaluate and re-organise your time but it will help you identify and focus on what’s actually important to you – maybe Facebook isn’t!  You’ll be amazed how you can kid yourself until you see the detail written before you.


2) Use daily, weekly, monthly and longer term action plans

Be strategic.  Think about the big picture.  Begin with the end in mind. Then break them down into the smaller plans based on how valuable they are to your goal achievement.  I’m talking holistically here.  The personal and business goals you have as an entrepreneur are likely to be intertwined so treat them that way.  For example if you have a personal health or family time goal that your business is supposed to be delivering then plan and make that happen.


3) Optimize your environment

Spring clean! – each season ;o)  Not for the freshness (though that can only benefit!) but to de-clutter and maximise the way you operate.  Look at your space with fresh eyes.  Clear everything out; your draws, cupboards, filing, notice board, bla, bla, bla, and only put it back if it really helps your productivity.  Recognise and systemise the things that slow you down.  Store excess materials away.  Have supplies readily available and remove distractions.   (Don’t role your eyes but I have a really bad habit of filing my nails when I’m thinking and it inevitably ends up with me giving myself a full manicure before I get back on track! – I just make sure I don’t have a nail file anywhere near my lap top – job done).


4) Consider where technology can give you time back

No – this isn’t your opportunity to go buy an iPad.  Like in the sales; it’s only an awesome buy if you needed it before you saw it.  Think about your time consumers.  Think about how much of that could be automated, structured and managed better.  Things like schedules, communication, collaboration, campaigns, contact management, project management, mobility, multi-tasking.  The list and the solutions are endless. Before you spend any money ask yourself: What are my needs from a product or software? What do I expect this particular product or software to actually do for me?


5) Decide quickly. Delegate. Say ‘No’.

One leadership trait is the ability to evaluate and make a quick decision.  It’s a core value thing.  If you have the courage of your convictions based on what your personally driving for things become quite simple.  The natural addition to that is that you will confidently delegate and reject requests of your time if the requirement doesn’t support your objectives of moving towards your goals.  Get passionate about your business (or create a business that you’re passionate about) and you’ll find this one a doddle.


6) Multi-task  – one for the ladies ;o)

It’s obvious and we may do it naturally sometimes but plan ahead and standardise the multitasking of activates that frequently either steal time from you or you don’t manage to fit in.  When you know what these things are for you, you can operate so that you just automatically do them.  Think about things like phone calls, reading, travelling, exercising, cooking, watching/listening to the news or TV in general, taking a bath –  mix it up!


7) Anticipate time high jackers

Time ManagementAs a mother of 2 little munchkins alone with everything else I’ve got going on I know that even the best laid plans go pear shaped so that you can loose as much as whole days.  You can plan for some.

Think about what emergencies you might need to deal with for example with child care and pre plan your contingency.

Educate yourself on common technology problems and their trouble shooting.  Educate yourself proactively on other tools of your trade (eg. software) so that just working out how to do something doesn’t hinder your progress.

Anticipate failures and have duplicate items or contingency options to hand.

Don’t allow people to high jack your time through your politeness, be clear about your schedule and build time where you can anticipate its needed.  Turn off phones, instant messaging, email, PDA’s if you have a time slot to focus on.

Be clear up front in meetings and phone calls how long you have and what will be covered so you don’t go of on a tangent, then finish on time.   There are endless scenarios that you can pre-plan for.


Above all when it comes down to it these points should enable you to just focus, plan and execute – without distraction.

Really easy stuff isn’t it?   Has this helped you? Do you have any other chunky time savers to share with our visitors?  Let me know below.

Thanks I appreciate your interaction.

Saz Bailey

In Gratitude of you Following My Blog……

Passion_Campaign_BadgeI would like to dedicate this space to elevating you.

Promote what it is that you are passionate about and find other people to mastermind with.

Let me know if you have an idea you might like to connect with me about.

Link back to your site and get some Google Juice 😉

Don’t forget to write your URL beginning with http:// to make it a clickable link – people are more likely to click through to find out what you’re all about!

😀

Saz Bailey

Science: Detecting Cancer Early with a Blood Test

Health and Wellness Insights:

Image of Heart with StethoscopeIt’s suggested by research that a blood test could detect Cancers before a tumour has even grown.  This test identifies the signals of the body’s immune responses as a cancer germinates so enabling treatment at a much earlier stage.

Initially the test will be used to detect lung cancer, where often symptoms don’t manifest until a tumour is the size of a tennis ball. The earliest screening detection is only picking up the cancer after more than 20 cell divisions – death occurs at around 40.

Professor John Robertson said “We are starting to understand carcinogenesis in a way we have never seen before – seeing which proteins are going wrong, and how the immune system responds. It’s as if your body is shouting: ‘I’ve got cancer’ way before a tumour can be detected.

The Times paper details the research was completed by the University of Nottingham and a Kansas based medical research company.

To your health and wellness.

Saz Bailey

Science: Breast is best for Cancer

Health and Wellness Insights:

Image of Heart with StethoscopeI recall a few weeks ago reading a shocktastic magazine article of a woman evangelising about the virtues of her breast milk.  She preached of the benefits over consuming alternate mammal milks.   I have to say her arguments did make sense on a logical level, I breast fed my children, but I have to say I squirmed as I read how she makes and sells foods with her, although nature sent, own bodily fluid!  Eugh!

I stopped in my tracks this weekend when I noticed another piece in the The Daily Telegraph about breast milks potential to fight cancer.  Well actually it was about a chemical that occurs naturally in breast milk.  Swedish scientists are developing a cancer treatment that combines this chemical – alphalactalbumin – with oleic acid, found in babies stomachs.

Assistant Professor Roger Karlson of the Universtiy of Gothenburg highlights that this development adds to the debate as to whether ‘breast is best’  for babies as now we have a ‘link to actually reducing the risk of cancer in babies’.

Hamlet (short for Human Alpha-lactakbumin Made Lethal to Tumor cells) has tested to to kill 40 cancer types without damaging healthy cells.  Human trials have shown positive effects in 5 days with non of the nasty side effects associated with the normal chemotherapy treatments.

Next steps; researchers from the Universities of Lund and Gothenburg hope to run human trials on other cancer types.

Would you be buying baked goods made from breast milk if the research stacks up?  Maybe one of you will take it on as an entrepreneurial project!!

😮

Saz Bailey