Better Than Its Bite

Australia is home to the world's ten most deadly snakes. A bite from any one of them can kill you but some day their venom may be saving lives.

Promising cancer research using snake venom has led scientists at the University of South Australia to wonder why no one had turned their attention to the venom of Australian snakes, especially since they are known to contain a complex cocktail of toxins.

Now Associate Professor Anthony Woods and colleagues have identified a compound found in the venom of these snakes (they won't say which) that may stop the growth of malignant tumors. Woods explains that tumors are living tissue and need a blood supply to fuel growth. To do so, tumors develop specialized blood vessels. Many cutting-edge cancer treatments attempt to starve the tumor of this blood supply, so arresting growth. The downside, however, of current therapies such as chemotherapy is that healthy cells are affected as well. But not so with the Australian snake venom. Woods discovered that, used at extremely low doses, the venomous compound kills the cells that line blood vessels in tumors, but not healthy cells.

Scientists believe that the ability to use the toxin at such a low dose makes it promising as a cancer treatment. However, more research is needed before it can be tested in humans.

Karaoke Therapy

Ever since the first karaoke bar appeared in Kobe, Japan, in the 1960s, salary men have understood the calming effects of singing (actually badly) along to a bouncing ball. Only recently, however, have researchers begun to explore karaoke's therapeutic benefits.

"Even the shy and socially inhibited, like many Chinese and Japanese, become less restrained when singing karaoke," says Dr Authur Dun-ping Mak, a psychiatrist at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong. The hospital's psychiatric department has been using karaoke as a therapy since 1990, and Mak says the combination of images and singing helps people focus on positive thoughts.

Mak has found that karaoke allows people to relax by vocalizing their pent-up grievances through the lyrics of popular songs. People can identify with the characters and moods pictured on the screen while projecting their own feelings through their performance. "Karaoke tends to bolster stage image, decrease stage anxiety and encourage social interactions," Mak says.

Go Home Earlier

The pressure to work longer hours never seems to end. "Companies would take 24 hours a day if they could," says Laura Stack, author of Leave the Office Earlier. Some tricks to reclaim your life:

Nix last-minute interruptions Close your door ten minutes before quitting, so co-workers with "emergencies" won't drop by. Cubicle bound? Turn on voice mail and put your bag and coat in a visible spot.

Map out tomorrow Before you leave, prioritize the next day. Plan important tasks for morning so you won't buy yourself a late night.

Schedule personal time Block out "appointments" with your family, your gym or yourself. If someone asks to meet at six o'clock, you can honestly say you're booked.

Minimize meeting time If only part of a meeting is relevant to you, arrange to go first. Say you have another appointment you couldn't reschedule or a pressing deadline.

For Skin Like a Peach

If you're keen to look after your face but blanch at the cost of skincare products, you can make cleansers, toners and nourishers from fruit, vegetables and other foodstuffs, says herbalist Pierre Jean Cousin, author of Natural Recipes for Perfect Skin. Many fruits have a nourishing, revitalising and astringent action. Some vegetables fight inflammation and contain vitamin A. Here are some recipes to try:

Cucumber cleanser Peel, seed, puree and sieve one-quarter of a small cucumber. Stir two tablespoons of honey into two tablespoons of the juice and add a tablespoon of full-fat milk. Apply to the face and neck for 20 minutes, then wash off with bottled water.

Banana face mask Mash a small banana and stir in two tablespoons of fresh double cream , one tablespoon of honey and one tablespoon of potato flour. Apply for 30 minutes and then rinse off.

Lemon toning mask Beat one egg white until stiff, then fold in the juice of half a lemon. Apply to the face for 20 minutes, then wash off.

Online Cancer Info

Not all websites are reliable. British researchers reviewed 32 alternative medicine sites for cancer patients, and found that 22% promoted a product, 16% discouraged conventional treatment and 3% advocated ignoring doctors' advice. To surf smarter:

Be sceptical Any claims should be backed by studies in respected medical journals, says Dr Ted Gansler of the American Cancer Society.

Double-Check If you read about a treatment on one site, see what other sites say. There should be consensus.

Consider the source Some nonprofit groups, universities and government agencies have updates on alternative treatments and clinical trials.

Sneaky Signs of Diabetes

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes can be tricky, which helps explain why millions of people have the disease but don't know it. You may know the classic symptoms of fatigue, recurrent infections and frequent urination.

Lesser known signs:

Bad Breath (a smell like nail polish remover) Excess sugar in saliva prompts bacteria growth, which help create foul-smelling gases.

Swollen gums Increased bacteria can lead to inflammation and bleeding.

Blurred vision Sugar in the lens of the eye makes it swell and refract light improperly.

Frequent thirst in an effort to eliminate sugar, the body demands plenty of fluids.

If you have two or more symptoms, and any other risk factors (being over age 40 or overweight; having a family history of diabetes; having high blood pressure or cholesterol), see your doctor.

Don't Mix Your Meds

You took your medicine an hour ago. Is it safe to take a motion sickness tablet now? DrugDigest.org can tell you. The Interaction Checker database has more than 5000 over-the-counter drugs, supplements and prescriptions. Pick your pills from the list to get information on 11,500 possible interactions, plus any known problems with food and alcohol. Mix ginko biloba and aspirin, for instance, and you can increase the risk of stomach bleeding. Experts at the American Pharmacists Association say the site is safe and has good info, but warn not to a doctor or pharmacist.