Reluctant borrowers force- fed Dr. Yellen's bitter pill: Don Pittis - Business. In an indulgent age, when everyone wants you to borrow just a little bit more, central bankers are here to offer discipline. U. S. Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen proved it yesterday, raising rates by another quarter of a percent. Her opposite number north of the border, Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz this week offered broad hints that he too will begin raising rates sooner rather that later. And whether Poloz makes his move or not, Canadian borrowers will inevitably begin to feel the pinch as rising U. S. rates increase the cost of borrowing for Canadian banks.

Those are costs that they will, at some point, be forced to pass on to borrowers. Gutsy stance. Although borrowers won't like it, Yellen took a gutsy stance in the face of some confusing economic data. Essentially, the U. S. chief central banker ignored what is supposed to be the key indicator of whether the Fed should adjust rates.

That indicator — inflation — has not been climbing towards the bank's target rate of two per cent. In fact, it has been going in the opposite direction. That fact has been used by some business commentators to insist that Yellen has moved too soon. At yesterday's news conference, financial reporters repeatedly questioned her actions in light of low inflation.

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Yellen had two main reasons for overruling the inflationary evidence. She blamed most of the drop in inflation to a quirk: an across- the- board decline in U. S. mobile telephone charges in March had a one- time effect on spending costs strong enough to impact the consumer price index. A similar one- time drop in drug prices compounded the effect. Yellen blamed a one- time plunge in U.

S. cellphone charges plus a fall in the cost of drugs for a sharp drop in inflation that will have washed out of the statistics by next year. Aristide Economopoulos/Reuters)The other is the economy. She predicts that economic growth and new investment mean that inflation will bounce back after those one- time March price declines work their way out of the annual statistics. But she insists the strongest indicators that inflation is on its way UP is a tight job market — and not just because of a persistent low unemployment rate of 4. Whether it's household perceptions or the availability of jobs, difficulty that firms report in hiring workers, the rate at which workers are quitting their jobs, the rate of job openings — all of these indicators do signal a tight labour market," said Yellen. A tight Canadian labour market is one of the things that Poloz and his deputy Carolyn Wilkins say show Canadian rates have to rise.  Not party time"It isn't time to throw a party, but it does suggest that the interest rate cuts we did two years ago have done their job," said Poloz in an interview with CBC Winnipeg on Tuesday. Except for those hoping for a better return on cash savings, Canadians, who notoriously carry heavy debt loads, are unlikely to be throwing any parties over higher interest rates."People need to be thinking about what their finances would look like were interest rates to be a little higher when they renew their mortgage," Poloz warned in the CBC interview.

Canadians are still going deep into debt to buy real estate, but as Fed Chair Janet Yellen raises rates and the Bank of Canada talks of doing the same thing the party may soon be over. Graeme Roy/Canadian Press)In fact, central bankers who raise rates have a traditional image as party poopers, taking away the punch bowl just as things start to get lively. For overborrowed Canadian consumers constantly being told they can have it all, Yellen and Poloz are like the doctor reminding you to cut down on sausages and sugary drinks before it's too late."We want to keep the expansion on a sustainable path," Yellen warned, saying a too- rapid rise in rates risks triggering a recession. Money is still cheap. As Yellen explained, the latest rise in interest rates, and even the one after that still expected for later this year, will by no means slam the brakes on the economy. In Fed- speak, interest rates of 1. In other words, for companies looking to make new investments, money is still cheap.

For now, at least. Yellen says those unnaturally low interest rates are just a distortion caused by emergency action by the Fed to rescue the economy in 2. Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz is happy that the economy is back on track, but overborrowed Canadians will be in no mood to party.

Chris Wattie/Reuters)Unless something unexpected happens to the economy, Yellen says the gradual process of bringing the economy back to normal is to keep raising interest rates for next several years. But fixing interest rates isn't the only remnant of the 2. The process of quantitative easing, where the U. S. central bank bought up bonds to help flood the economy with cash, has left $4. US on the Fed's balance sheet. Yesterday Yellen spelled out a plan to unwind that gargantuan debt pile back onto the market little by little, in a way that will be so boring that it will be like "watching paint dry," she promised. Follow Don on Twitter @don_pittis.

More analysis by Don Pittis.

In practice, to “swallow the Red Pill” is to accept the uncomfortable truth about reality. The phrase comes from 1999’s hit film The Matrix, in which the. The vast majority of industrialized societies are so totally disconnected from the natural world that very few even notice the rapidly dying ecosystems around them. Watch out Spring Breakers! Fake Xanax pill which is 50 times stronger than heroin kills nine in Florida. Fake Xanax known as Super Pill contains lethal dose of pain.

Is it dangerous to take a sleeping pill every night? I have insomnia and rarely sleep for more than three hours a night. But when I started taking the sleeping tablet zolpidem, I slept for six or seven hours for the first time in my life. Are there any problems with using these pills long- term?

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Stanley Smith, via email. Before answering your specific question on the long- term use of zolpidem, I must outline current views about sleep disorders. A reader wonders if there are any problems with using sleeping pills long- term. In short, I believe that insomnia — where someone either fails to get off to sleep, or has difficulty staying asleep — is generally not well- managed by GPs. What is needed is a detailed assessment of lifestyle and medical history. But this is often not done, as there isn’t enough training or enough time in a typical consultation. As a result, all too easily, drugs are prescribed rather than considering other therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive behavioural therapy or, indeed, all underlying causes for these problems — for example, mood or life adversity.

The ease with which these sleeping pills are prescribed increases the likelihood of the major problem associated with all of them: dependence. Insomnia is often the result of an event, such as a bereavement or stress, says Dr Scurr.

Over the years, I have seen numerous classes of sleeping pills being used — including barbiturates, certain benzodiazepines and, more recently, the ‘z drugs’, such as the zolpidem you have been taking. All of these drugs affect nerve pathways deep in the brain associated with regulating wakefulness. The problem is that their effect on brain chemicals — which, in many cases, are not fully understood — means they can lead to dependence and withdrawal symptoms when used for long periods. For your information, zolpidem has a licence for the short- term treatment of insomnia and, therefore, should only be taken for a maximum of four weeks in order to avoid these problems.

But, despite reportedly helping you get to sleep, I question whether you need medication at all. STRICTLY ON PRESCRIPTION The amazing health benefits of dancing. This week: Body confidence. If you want to feel better about your body, try belly dancing, according to researchers from Flinders University in Australia. They recruited 1. Adelaide, along with 1.

The participants filled in questionnaires in which they rated their bodies and how they felt other people viewed them. The researchers found that belly dancers were less likely to be dissatisfied with how they look.

Marika Tiggemann, a psychology professor who led the study, which was published in the journal Sex Roles in 2. They tend to focus less on their external appearance, and more on the experience and what they are able to do with their bodies.’As you say in your longer letter, you’ve suffered from difficulty sleeping for years — and this prompts me to think perhaps you have primary sleep disorder, rather than insomnia. The difference is that insomnia is sleep disruption often as a result of an event, such as a bereavement or stress. With primary sleep disorder, there does not appear to be a clear cause. What you need is an evaluation by specialists at a sleep clinic. This would involve you sleeping in a laboratory overnight. Specialists will record your brainwave activity, heart rate and oxygen levels while you sleep and will also take a video recording of you sleeping, in case there are any clues in the way you sleep that could suggest a cause or trigger for your sleep problems.

The treatment that follows will depend upon the findings, but won’t be drug- based. Instead, behavioural therapies, which may include sleep hygiene education (for example, training you not to use your phone or TV in the bedroom), relaxation therapies or cognitive behavioural therapy will be recommended. Whatever the recommendation, the key is to stick with it.

Just as you won’t improve your physique after a week or even a month at the gym, so you need patience and determination to treat your sleep disorder. Ask your GP about referral to a sleep clinic. I suffer from peripheral neuropathy in my feet and legs. What is the cause and is there a cure? I am 7. 0 years old. John Hunter, St Ives, Cambridgeshire. Peripheral neuropathy is a general term that describes symptoms as a result of damage to the peripheral nerves, that run from the brain and spinal cord to all parts of the body, including the hands, feet and organs.

This damage means that the messages that travel along these nerves are disrupted, leading to pain (often a burning or uncomfortable tingling sensation) and numbness. This can be debilitating but, in most cases, is manageable.

RUDE HEALTH Research shows lying on your back after sex won’t increase a woman’s chance of conceiving. In a study last year by VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, women having artificial insemination were told to stay in bed for 1. The researchers said there was no reason to stay in bed for longer than it takes to ‘get your breath back’. The condition affects one in 5. Most commonly, this is diabetes, as high blood sugar levels damage nerves, but alcohol abuse, viruses or an injury such as a fractured bone can all trigger it. Or it can be the result of an inherited susceptibility. A lack of vitamin B1.

More often than not, no specific cause can be found and there is no effective treatment available, other than addressing individual symptoms. Sadly, there is little we can do for numbness, but pain can be treated with medication. From the information you have given me, it is unclear exactly what has caused the peripheral pain in your feet and legs, but it appears to me that, in your case, a number of nerves have been affected simultaneously, as a large area is involved. To distinguish the cause, you need a physical examination from your GP or a specialist in hospital. This will include testing responses to light touch, the ability to distinguish between hot and cold and sensing vibrations (which is why doctors have a tuning fork on their desk). This will confirm that there is a neuropathy and identifies the general area that’s damaged. You will then be referred to hospital for an examination called a nerve conduction study, in which small electric shocks are applied to the damaged nerve to check the signals going through it.

This will identify the exact type of neuropathy — and the cause. This can subsequently determine the treatment. I assume that your doctor has a fair idea of what has caused your symptoms and, based on the information you have given me, I would suggest there is already a background condition such as diabetes that is considered relevant and which may need closer observation. By the way.. I wouldn't bother with probiotic pills Do I need to take probiotics? I am often asked this question and, increasingly, I am inclined to say ‘no’. Such enquiries have been driven by greater public awareness about the microbiome, the vast colony of micro- organisms that live within us, and which we are beginning to realise are a vital part of our health and metabolism.

DRINK WATCH This week: Grapefruit juice. Watch Fast &Amp; Furious Download Full. If you're one of the estimated 8 million Britons on statins, be wary of drinking grapefruit juice — it can interact with certain statins, increasing the amount of the ingredient that’s absorbed into the bloodstream, so raising the risk of side- effects.

This can occur with one of the most commonly prescribed statins, simvastatin. Another, atorvastatin, also interacts with grapefruit juice — but only if patients drink large amounts of more than 1. NHS Choices. They say it’s safe to eat or drink grapefruit and juice with all other statins. Other drugs affected by grapefruit include calcium channel blockers — used to treat high blood pressure —and certain other medications used in Crohn’s disease and cancer.