health and fitness

Your Perfect Workout

2007-10-21T05:14:00.001-07:00

What does your perfect workout mean? Is it a stroll in the park, taking a class, a rigorous hour of tennis, or using the stairmaster during your favorite TV show? Maybe it means focusing on your breath in a yoga class, stretching your muscles with pilates or running to your favorite songs. While any of these workouts benefit your body, mind and soul, many moms don't exercise at all. In fact, the only exercise their getting is when they exercise their right...not to exercise.

If this sounds like you, it's time to find your perfect workout. But what if you haven't worked out in weeks, months, even years? What matters is that you find something that you can enjoy. What also matters is that you begin at a level that's only slightly more challenging than what you feel you can do. This way, you don't scare yourself off from beginning and sticking with a new routine. It's also a great way to build confidence in yourself. By setting a goal that's reasonable, then achieving that goal, you gain the confidence to keep trying. It's an empowering feeling to take back the reins and know that your fitness, health and priorities are up to you.

Now like many moms, let's say you haven't exercised in an embarrassingly long time. You're never ending to-do list got the best of you and the only way you could get everything done was by cutting your own self care right off your list. So unfortunately, your exercise was one of the first things to go. This may have worked for a while but at some point, you began to feel sluggish, lethargic and unfit. Maybe you noticed that your clothes weren't fitting as well as they used to. You may have realized that while you used to sprint up the steps, now you're huffing and puffing as you near the top. Whatever caused you to see that you need exercise in your life doesn't matter, as long as you use that information to get going. So, where do you begin?

You can always start with walking. You know how to do it, you don't need to be exceptionally coordinated and all you need is a properly fitting pair of walking shoes. Just by getting outside, looking at the changing leaves or noticing the beauty that surrounds you may be enough to keep you motivated to walk. If that's not enough, you can bring an ipod or MP3 player to listen to your favorite music. There are also some great services which enable you to download workouts according to your workout level and needs. You can even download podcasts of programs you enjoy or just use the time as an opportunity to clear your head.

Now it doesn't matter if you work outside the home, have a newborn, whatever. You can justify or make excuses for anything you don't want to do. The idea is to find a way to get it done so you can feel good again. For example, if you leave early in the morning and head off to work, you can have a gym bag packed and head to the gym before you come home. If you feel too guilty to try it maybe realizing that the happier mom is, the better she is for everyone else is enough to change your mind. You can also try exercising during your lunch break, taking a short walking break every hour or find an exercise buddy you can walk with and be accountable to.

If you have young children, there are some other strategies you may want to try. Get on that treadmill in your home, use tapes, DVD's or just tune into your local exercise channel. Just simply put your baby in an area safely nearby. Your baby may even get a real kick out of watching his or her mommy working out. If not, he or she can use the time to sleep, snack or play. If your children are a little older, give them a special activity that they only get to do while mommy works out. They'll look forward to the activity while you get your workout in.

If you want to workout outside, there are great exercise joggers that allow you to walk, jog or run with your child safely strapped in. You can also wear your baby in a Baby Bjorn or baby backpack. This adds weighted resistance to your workout while taking away any excuse you may have! Your baby will also love the special time feeling close to you while getting some fresh air. Another option is to join a class for moms and their kids. If that doesn't work for you, many health clubs offer babysitting for a small fee. Lastly, you can hire a babysitter or find a friend that is willing to take turns babysitting each others children so you can both make the time for much needed self care.

It doesn't matter what you do, as long as you do something. The key is to find a way to incorporate exercise back into your life. If you do nothing now and exercise for fifteen minutes tomorrow, you're moving in the right direction. What's most important is that you give your body, mind and soul what it so rightfully deserves. And as you begin to feel better about your body and your commitment to take better care of yourself, your body will kindly respond by slowly getting back to being the finely tuned machine it had been long ago. Then at some point, you may see the beauty in you that everyone else does.

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Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Personal Trainer, Whole Health Coach and the President of Lifestyle Fitness, Inc. For nearly 20 years, Debi has been inspiring and empowering moms to become physically fit and emotionally strong through gradual, lifestyle change. For more information on the Lifestyle Fitness Program, please visit http://www.lifestylefitnessinc.com
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Free Workout Tips for Men

2007-10-21T05:12:00.000-07:00

Men workout for many reasons, whether it's to lose weight, shape up their bodies, add muscle, or increase physical activity. The ultimate goal is to keep the body fit. While there is a wide variety of exercise equipment for use at the gym or home, but unless the equipment and/or workout routines are appropriately applied, the results may not be effective.

In order to burn calories and increase muscle mass, it is recommended that the following weightlifting exercises are implemented: shoulder, chest, and leg press, as well as squats.

You should adhere to the following advices to ensure that you are performing your workouts appropriately:

* Concentrate on form
* Utilize multi-joint movements
* Master the technique
* Begin warmup sets
* Allow each muscle to do its own work
* Limit the number of sets
* 10-minute cool down
* Allow up to 10 days rest between workouts
* Perform cardio workouts after weight-training exercises
* Keep a record of your progress
* Alternate use of equipment
* Work different muscle groups every session
* Consume up to 3,000 in calories a week

Whether you exercise on your own or use a personal trainer, begin slowly and work up to a comfort level before advancing to the next phase. It is advisable to begin training on the large muscles first, then moving on to the smaller muscles as the energy required for them is less.

In addition, to avoid injury the best advice is to always pay attention to the messages your body is sending out. If you are tired, stop; if your back is hurt; stop. Use your common sense, don't try to over exert your body.

Finally, stretching before the workout to warm your body and stretching after the workout to cool down are two very important routines to remember. Stretching will reduce the risk of injury during a workout.

My bible for personal workout routines which I can perform from the comfort of home is "Turbulence Training".

For more home fitness related information, pls visit: Home Gyms And Home Fitness.

Leon is an Infopreneur dedicated to sharing his online discoveries across the net. You can visit his blogs at Leon's Self-Development Blog.
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Sleep Disorder - Nurse's Guide - Get Help Now With These Quick Tips

2007-10-21T05:11:00.001-07:00

It's often reported that the average adult needs about nine hours of sleep, but many studies and people dispute this; reports range from four hours to ten hours a night. Two sleep disorders categorized under disturbed sleep orders include Restless Legs Syndrome, sometimes incorrectly referred to as Restless Leg Syndrome, with one 's', and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder; both of these sleeping disorders cause involuntary movement in the arms and legs during sleep and interfere with getting a good nights rest. Some sleep disorders like sleep apnea, require immediate medical attention.

Generally there are three types of sleep disorders - lack of getting enough sleep, sleep disturbance, and too much or excessive sleep. In order to find effective sleep disorder treatments there must first be a diagnosis of the type of disorder present. Some sleep disorder symptoms can be a real cause for concern like falling asleep while driving and having slow reactions coupled with emotional outbursts.

The most common sleep disorder insomnia (lack of sleep) can have a big effect on judgment, memory, hand-to-eye coordination, well-being, and the reaction-time. Many people who get (not need) just four hours of sleep take naps during the day.

A partially blocked airway is the cause of sleep loss in sleep apnea. Sleep disorder treatments include the use of medical devices that help force air into the mouth while the patient is sleeping or a mechanical dental device to help keep the mouth in the right position so he/she can breathe properly.

In the excessive type of sleep disorder the most well-known is called narcolepsy. People with the same sleep disorders often display different symptoms. If you're sleep-deprived you can easily be more irritable and anger easily. Whereas if you're not sleep deprived you feel more relaxed and happy as you go about the day.

The parasomnias include a variety of disruptive sleep-related events. Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome is a sleep disorder of circadian rhythm, which is characterized by being unable to wake up and fall asleep at desired times, but not by the inability to stay asleep. And everyone has an internal clock that runs the body's circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm tells your body when it's daylight you get up and when it's dark you go to bed.

Some doctors may offer sleeping medications as a short-term solution along with a few insomnia tips, but hopefully will seek to find the underlying cause of the sleeplessness and treat the cause instead of the symptoms. Don't get into the habit of drinking a glass of wine, hard liquor, or any other alcoholic beverage at bedtime because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and it'll interfere with your REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and cause other problems you might not associate with it.

Some people say that sleeping with your head facing north helps you fall asleep because your body is better aligned with the earth, but it isn't always easy to move your bed. Your pillow may make you feel as though you're lying uphill or downhill and if it is too hard it may press into your head uncomfortably, reducing the chance of your falling asleep. The circadian rhythm can be upset by working unusual hours or different shifts but the rhythm can be re-established if you're on the same shift for an extended period.

The body needs to produce melatonin for a good nights sleep. Make sure that you don't have any light on in the bedroom, including the bright red light on digital clocks, night lights or any other light, even a small flicker because any light can stop the production of melatonin which is produced when it starts getting dark enough in your bedroom, but may shut down if even the smallest amount of light is glowing. In some sleep tests they used a flashlight to shine light on the backside of the knee and tested the reaction of the brain on the sleeping centers and the light was detected; so your body knows when there is a light shining on the back side of your body or in the bedroom. If you're a day sleeper or even at night, you can try using black drapes or draping to keep out all light - maybe you have a streetlight that is the culprit.

It may be through relaxation exercises or through meditation in bed, but whatever it takes to make the mind clear through the necessary hours before sleep, will help reduce stress as well as insomnia.

Try as many natural approaches for your sleeplessness as you can and avoid all sleeping drugs if possible. It's too easy to become dependent on them and many have side effects and some have serious side effects. One of the most common insomnia tips offered by sleep doctors and other medical professionals that can be useful for other sleeping disorders, is find something that helps relaxes you and focus on to help rid your mind of any worries and stressful thoughts.

So if you toss and turn each night before you're finally able to fall asleep, know that many other people are also experiencing this same problem. Your doctor or sleep specialist may be able to recommend support groups in the area. Also if nothing you try seems to work or it appears to be a more serious sleep disorder consider going to a sleep disorder center because they provide the newest techniques, therapies and treatments for the many issues that surround any sleep disorder.

For information on sleep disorder and sleep disorder treatments see a nurse's website http://www.SleepDisorderTips.com for sleep disorder tips, treatments, natural treatments, and causes for adult, child and infant including information on insomnia and sleep disorder centers
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5 Important Things You Should Know About Drinking Water

2007-10-21T05:09:00.000-07:00

It seems in life that most people take for granted the things that are most important to them and drinking water is no exception. It is a fact that no one can survive without clean pure drinking water and it is important to note some critical facts:

1. More than 35,000 people die each day throughout the world from disease caused by impure or lack of drinking water. That equals more than 12,000,000 per year or more than the per year total killed in each of the six years of World War II.

2. The absence of clean drinking water and sanitation is one of the largest causes of death and loss of productivity throughout the world.

3. Three to four of every five children related deaths are directly related to unsanitary or contaminated drinking water.

4. Municipal water supplies in the United States, although regulated by the Environmental protection agency (EPA) still contain a large number of contaminants. Many types of bottled water also contain contaminants.

5. Purified water using a distillation/oxygenation process produces the highest quality drinking water.

It is a fact that because of urban growth and industrial pollution, drinking water is becoming more polluted and water related health hazards are increasing. Heavier amounts of chlorine are being added to kill bacteria but this ruins the fresh water taste.

Polluted or contaminated water is particularly harmful to young children and may cause health problems that do not surface until years later.

Municipal tap water is contaminated as is spring and well water and the fact that these sources of water are regulated does not remove the contamination. Obtain the most recent EPA water quality for your municipality and study it closely.

With the exception of purified bottled water, most bottled water is subject to the same or greater amounts of contamination. Spring water is either rebottled tap water or particularly susceptible to industrial pollution.

Distilled/oxygenated purified water on the other hand separates pure water from contaminants and flushes the waste down the drain leaving only 100% pure water.

Ask questions and read the labels of municipal or bottled water to determine what is really contained in the water you drink. Then decide how much contamination your body can tolerate over an extended period.

I think after even a moderate amount of research you will agree that purified, distilled water will aid in the longevity of yourself and your family.

Jon M. Stout is Chairman of the Board of Element H2O. For more information about bottled water, private label bottled water and bottled water delivery go to www.elementh2o.com

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Pure Water and Employee Productivity in the Federal Government Workplace

2007-10-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

Nowhere is employee productivity more important than in the Federal Government.

In addition to being the largest employer in the world, a very good case can be made that, because of the wide range of services that affect the every day lives of each and every American, it is also the most important employer.

This fact is particularly true when one considers not only the direct employees of the Federal Government, but also the vast number of contractor employees who provide goods and services and support the efforts of the government.

In a competitive world productivity is king. When employees are productive in their jobs, everyone benefits from the individual employee, the firm, the consumer and the economy as a whole. Increased productivity is one of the main elements returning a depressed economy to health and growth.

As the largest employer, this is particularly true for the Federal Government.

Productivity for Federal Government Agencies

Since government business is largely employee driven services work, even small increases in productivity have a large impact on efficiency. When you multiply employee productivity increases over the entire spectrum of Federal Government Agencies, the result in output increase and tax dollar savings is enormous.

By increasing employee productivity in the Federal Government, the entire economy benefits as tax dollars are more effectively spent.

Productivity for Government Contractors

Since a significant portion of Federal Government projects involve contractors with specialized qualifications, employee productivity at the contractor level must also be taken into account. Productivity means efficiency and this efficiency enables contractors to capture more work with a relatively lower cost base and increased profit levels. Productivity is a win/win for the contractor and the Federal Government as efficiency benefits both parties.

What Are the Most Harmful Elements Affecting Productivity?

In the office environment the two factors with the most negative effects on productivity are sugar and dehydration. New studies show that these two factors, both individually and together have a significant and direct decrease in employee productivity.

The Problem with Sugar

Sugar, particularly processed sugar, is detrimental to productivity and recent studies of the workforce in the United Kingdom indicate that productivity can be significantly increased by eliminating sugar from the workplace. The greatest sources of sugar in the workplace are carbonated soft drinks that are loaded with sugar and other harmful ingredients.

Sugar, when initially ingested, causes a sharp burst of energy but the effects wear off rapidly resulting in the well known “Sugar Crash” or “Siesta Syndrome.” The “Sugar Crash” or “Siesta Syndrome” is evidenced by lethargy, loss of interest in work tasks and even sleepiness – all results that decrease productivity.

Each and every study, however, concludes that increased water consumption increases productivity. Unfortunately tap water is rarely appealing to employees because it contains contaminants and has an objectionable odor and taste.

Many companies, in an effort to increase productivity in the work place have made pure water available to employees at convenient places in the office or plant. The cost is small and the returns are large making pure water a good investment.

Dehydration is Also a Factor

Dehydration drains the energy of workers and significantly reduces productivity. Large amounts of caffeine

In addition, dehydration is hard to spot in its early stages and by the time a person is noticeably thirsty, they are thoroughly dehydrated. Dehydration leads to symptoms similar to low blood sugar and the impact on productivity can be considerable.

The cure for dehydration is simple and effective – pure drinking water that is easily accessible, tastes good and is available in abundant quantities.

Why Purified Water?

There are many forms of drinking water and they vary in quality:

• Tap water is accessible but contains contaminants and other minerals that are harmful to long term health and has an objectionable odor and taste because of the addition of chlorine. Most people tend to avoid drinking tap water.

It is interesting to note that the Dehydration Study noted above concluded that the main cause of dehydration was the fact that many employees did not like to drink tap water because of the harsh, unpleasant taste of chlorine.

• Bottled water is often bottled tap water or spring water that often contains chemicals and contaminants due to industrial or agricultural runoff. The taste of spring water is also unpleasant to some consumers.

• Purified water. By far the purest and best tasting water is purified water created through a distillation/oxygenation process that delivers pure water with a light refreshing taste. Purified water not only increases productivity but it tastes good and encourages employees to drink more water.

Productivity is a critical issue for any company or organization. A simple and cost effective way to increase productivity is by supplying employees with an ample and easily accessible supply of the purest, freshest tasting water.

Increase productivity with purified water for only a small investment.

Try it and see the results.

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AcneSolutionsHome.com

2007-10-21T05:06:00.000-07:00

The fact is the skin is the largest organ of the body and it and it needs proper nutrition to function properly. One thing is for certain we are what we eat and our health position is generally a reflection of our diet. That being said, it is well documented that there are some particular vitamins and minerals that are powerful antioxidants that flush out free radicals and toxins from our body. Some even have antibacterial effects and will promote immunity. It should however be stated that and overdose of a vitamin or mineral can be toxic to the body and is not recommended by the general health profession.

The four key players in the formation of acne are:
excess sebum under the control of androgens
plugged pores or follicles
bacteria and inflammation.

Having an acne problem myself, as an adult I personally know how tremendously embarrassing and burdensome this problem can be. At this point, I fully believe in a holistic approach to acne treatment i.e. utilizing a three-step topical treatment and implementing those vitamins & minerals in the diet that are beneficial to the proper functioning of the skin. I mean treat the acne on the outside and on the inside. Below is a summary of my findings that I hope could be usefully in your battle with acne. Sometimes, all the body needs the right nutritional balance to heal it self, these methods typically work within four weeks.

Antioxidants serve as a skin barrier to prevent free radicals from penetrating the living dermal layer. The highest concentration of antioxidants in the body is found in the outermost layer of skin, the epidermis. As we age, the concentration of antioxidants in the epidermis starts decreasing considerably. This is one reason that skin starts showing signs of damage. Antioxidants on their own will not treat acne, but they are a step in the right direction.
Some of the well-known antioxidants are vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B, vitamin A, and the minerals zinc, chromium and selenium. All these antioxidants help in the prevention and treatment of acne, preventing the free radicals from harming the skin and immune system, which helps in acne flare-ups. Other steps that I have employed personally include:

The application of HONEY 1-2 times per week to the face - Honey has natural antibacterial properties. It has been well documented by many experts that it is great for disinfecting and healing minor blemishes. It is also very gentle on sensitive skin.

Using a three step regime as recommended by your dermatologist
Washing affected areas twice a day with sulfur based soaps specially designed for acne is highly beneficial. Sulfur is useful in acne medication and problem skin treatments, since it helps to kill bacteria on the skin, which results in an improvement in acne. Sulfur is also an effective treatment of inflammatory pimples and acne lesions. Washing at the affected area first thing in the morning and before bedtime is with a product containing this component can prove over time to be effective. However, as a caution it should be noted that over washing will actually stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum, which would only increase the acne problem.

Remove dead skin cell and excess oils by cleansing with an alcohol-free toner. This will unplug pores.

Finally apply a product with 2.5% benzoyl peroxide to heal blackheads and blemished and help prevent future breakouts
Keep your hair off your face – Try to keep hair off the face, hair contains oils and will contribute to your breakouts. You will also want to wash your hair everyday especially after workouts.

Take a potent MULTI-VITAMIN - Acne indicates that something is not functioning properly on the inside.

Include CHROMIUM in your diet – As added benefit chromium is well known for WEIGHT LOSS. However it has been proven that it is also excellent for healing infections on the skin. A chromium supplement once a day will help heal your pimples quickly and prevent future breakouts.

EAT CARROTS for beta-carotene (VITAMIN A) - Vitamin A strengthens the protective tissue of the skin and actually prevents acne. The way it works is it helps reduce sebum production. This vitamin is essential for the maintenance and repair of the tissue which the skin and mucous membranes are made of. Vitamin A is also a powerful antioxidant needed to rid your body of toxins. It has been proven that a deficiency in VITAMIN A can cause acne; this might be one of the first things to check.

Avoid wearing makeup – I think the main problem is leaving makeup on your face for long periods and wearing very heavy cover up make up daily. This type of activity is counterproductive. Yes we want our skin to look flawless but we also need to solve the acne problem. Maybe the compromise is to wear light makeup for everyday use and leave the heavy applications for special occasions.

Drink - Water is nature’s cleanser. Drinking water is essential for clean skin and overall good health. Water rids the body of waste; its importance cannot be overemphasized.

Do not pick or squeeze your blackheads and pimples - These actions, actually increases the sebum production.

Wash your pillowcase every other day – You rest your face on your pillowcase every day, during your sleep your pillowcase absorbs the oils from your skin and reapplies the dirt and oil. This causes acne; therefore washing your pillowcase frequently will help.

Eat foods rich in zinc - Zinc is an antibacterial agent and a necessary element in the oil-producing glands of the skin. A diet low in zinc can actually cause acne. Studies has shown that zinc and omega-3 fatty acids help to alter your hormone metabolism. I have found that getting 3 grams of fish oil or 30 to 50 milligrams of zinc a day; zinc should be taken in a 10-to-1 ratio with copper.

Becoming acne free is can only be achieved by incorporating the right acne medicine, and embarking on a through examination of ones general health. While there are several acne products, and acne remedies on the market these will only treat the symptoms and not address the cause of your acne. Take control today and talk to your doctor to find a suitable acne cure and avoid the possibility of acne scars from occurring.

About the author
MICHELLE CONLIFFE
Health Writer B.Sc, M.Sc.
Offers information and advice about the best acne treatments and skin care at the Acne Solutions Home website please visit us at http://www.acnesolutionshome.com and let us tell you the truth about this skin condition.

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Elliptical Machines - What You Must Know About Elliptical Trainers Before You Buy

2007-10-21T05:05:00.000-07:00

Choosing the best elliptical machine for you is more complex than just trying one out and deciding to buy it on the spot. There are many features to consider. And you'll want to know what all of them are and what you need and what you can do without. In the history of fitness and aerobics, elliptical machines are the only aerobic products that have made a breakthrough. Checking Consumer Reports magazine is a good place to compare features and costs of elliptical machines.

The best way to determine which elliptical machine is the best fit for you is by making a list of all the features that you're looking for in a trainer. You can find low cost or cheap elliptical machines with a little bit of research online. So if you're thinking about home fitness and exercise equipment, seriously think about an elliptical trainer.

Most gyms, fitness clubs and even many homes have already acquired their own elliptical machines. Now that you've decided to choose an elliptical machine for your home gym you will be faced with many different machines and many different brands, and it can be very overwhelming when you are trying to choose the best machine for you. High-end elliptical machines, like SportsArt Fitness, Quantum Fitness, Precor, Life Fitness, and other brands found in specialty stores, can accommodate users up to 400 lbs (180 kg) and range in price from $1200 to $5300 (US).

An elliptical workout provides you with an overall body workout without all the strain. Elliptical exercise equipment combines the movements and benefits of hiking, cross country skiing, and biking. Because elliptical machines are a mix between the treadmill and a stair climber you have a great opportunity to cross-train.

Most elliptical trainers are smaller than a treadmill and can be more easily moved to clean or to store away when company is coming. An elliptical workout burns about 13 calories per minute. With quality elliptical exercise equipment, you feel the movement as fluid.

There are quite a few benefits for using an elliptical trainer but probably one of the most important benefits is the absence of impact. Elliptical trainer workouts are generally safe for the joints and provide a no-impact workout as opposed to a treadmill where your feet hit the deck with every step. With an elliptical machine there is no need to remove your feet from the foot pads so there will be little stress on your knees, ankles, hips and back. Because of this the elliptical machines are good for people who are disabled or who have serious mobility issues such as multiple sclerosis, where picking up numb feet and/or legs make it difficult to use a treadmill.

Elliptical trainers use the arms and the legs making it a cross trainer, in a smooth and natural motion. And elliptical machines give you a weight resistant workout which is very important because, weight resistant workouts burn calories faster and more efficiently. If you're cramped for space at home, an elliptical trainer can be a great way to save space while getting an overall body workout.

Elliptical machines help give you a more healthy body by maintaining healthy bone density. The basic features of an elliptical machine include the drive system, the resistance system and the length of stride. According to the manufacturers, a general estimate of calories burned by an elliptical trainer can go up to as much as 720 calories an hour.

There are many benefits that can be enjoyed by using an elliptical machine. Elliptical machines will continue to develop and provide an optimum workout for its users. The best elliptical machines offer many advantages over other forms of exercise and other exercise equipment. And you can easily find the best discounts and low cost elliptical machine without sacrificing quality. Make sure to eliminate any expensive features you don't need and check out reviews and ratings.

For info on saving money on elliptical machines and best buy shopping for elliptical trainers online and offline go to http://www.Best-Treadmill-Tips.com a nurse's website for elliptical trainer tips and info on elliptical machine reviews
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How To Treat Alopecia?

2007-10-21T05:04:00.001-07:00

Alopecia is the pathological loss of hair connected with hormonal disorders, physical or emotional overloads, hereditary predisposition, etc. There are different types of alopecia, or hair loss. There are congenital, symptomatic, seborrheic, cicatricial and premature alopecia. According to the degree of manifestation total and areal types of alopecia are distinguished.

Congenital alopecia, or hair loss, is relatively rare. It is characterized by full absence or drastic thinning of hair that can be combined with other disorders such as deterioration of nails,teeth, etc. Premature, or presenile, alopecia occurs most often among young and middle-aged men and develops gradually. In case with women it is generally limited to hair thinning. Hair loss begins in frontal and parietal areas. Then process grasps other sites of the scalp. The head-skin on the bald sites becomes thin, smooth and brilliant, and apertures of hair follicles are imperceptible.

Seborrheic alopecia, as the name prompts, develops on the background of seborrhea. It is marked with abnormal sebaceous excretions and thinning of hair on the whole surface of the scalp, its peeling, and increased greasiness of hair.

Cicatricial alopecia presupposes constant destruction of hair follicles and their replacement by connecting tissue. Cicatrices usually are not so visible as in case of healing wounds. They result in disappearance of apertures of hair follicles and the scalp becomes smooth and brilliant. The skin can remain soft and elastic though sometimes there may be callosities.

Areal alopecia, or alopecia areata, is characterized by loss of hair in one or several small sites on the scalp, underarms, on the pubis, beard, eyelashes or eyebrowes. Such hair loss areas have more often round outlines, they can increase and merge among themselves, forming larger sites. The skin in the new-forming centers is slightly hyperemic and edematic. Later on it becomes smooth and gets the color of ivory.

Disease can proceed on the background of eosinophilia, lymphocytosis, regional lymphadenitis, thinning of nails, accompanied by headaches. In some cases total loss of hair on the head, and also loss of eyelashes, eyebrowes, and lanugo (malignant, or universal alopecia) is marked. Hair can drop out during several years. Hair loss process can differ in intensity and duration. Sometimes children can have alopecia by way of small-focal "gleams" of hair or the coiled nimbus extending ribbonly from the nape to the auricles.

Most often therapy of premature alopecia consists in intensive bracing treatment. It can't result in restoration of all lost hair on the scalp, but it can reduce appreciablly the process of hair loss. Now techniques of operative treatment of hair loss, or alopecia, are developed. For example, hair transplantation in bald spots. This operation is carried out in specialized clinics and is rather expensive.

Hair losing women with hyperandrogenism are usually treated to eliminate the causes of the latter. In case of increased sensitivity to androgenes (male hormones) the nonspecific therapy that reduces their production by ovaries or blocks their peripheral effects is carried out. With this purpose oral contraceptives and spironolactone are applied.

Treatment symptomatic alopecia should be directed on the basic disease. In case of favorable outcome hair are restored and regrown in due course.

Treatment of seborrheic alopecia should be preventive. In these purposes besides bracing therapies and correction of metabolic processes intensive topical treatment is used. Complex treatment can warn or suspend loss of hair. Such therapy is carried out by dermatologists and cosmeticians.

In case of alopecia areata, or areal hair loss, treatment is generally out-patient or it can be carried out in dermatological hospital (when hair loss process is extensive and prolonged). Vitamins A, E, C, H are used, as well as nicotinic, pantothenic and folic acids. Also doctors resort to preparations of furocoumarin, sedatives means, ACTH (drenocorticotropic hormones) and glucocorticoids in such cases. The latter are also used exteriorly as ointments. Rosental paste, alcoholic and etheric solutions with addition of sulfur, salicylic acid, tincture of siliculose pepper are applied. Also irradiation by UV-beams or photochemotherapy is sometimes used in course of therapy. Among physiotherapeutic means used in alopecia treatment are d'arsonvalization, cryotherapy with snow of carbonic acid, cryomassage and massage with electrobrush.

Devin Greenfield is a connoisseur of natural hair loss treatments who writes for regrow-hair.org where you can learn more about natural hair regrowth. You can also read about the benefits of natural hair loss products and buy them at Natural Hair Loss Treatment Store
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Hypopnea

2007-10-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

While eupnoea is normal breathing, hypopnea is an abnormal type of breathing when the airflow is labored because of some pathology of the respiratory system. In other words it’s underbreathing. Hypopnea comes from the Greek roots hypo- (meaning low, under, beneath, down, below normal) and pnoe (meaning breathing). Among other abnormal breathing patterns are: bradypnea – rare and slow breath, dyspnea - intense breath with a shortness, sometimes with cyanosis, hyperpnea – the increased amplitude of breathing at the normal rate, tachypnea – quickened and fast breathing, oligopnea – weakening of respiratory movements accompanied with reduction of breath. Hypopnea is often confused with apnea. But while hypopnea is a reduced amplitude of breathing at the normal rate, apnea is a total cessation of breathing.

Hypopnea can occur during sleep. In this case it may turn into a serious sleeping disorder. Sleep hypopnea can be characterized by person's repetitive stops of breathing or low breathing for short periods of time during sleep. Speaking in anatomical terms, there is intermittent collapse of the upper airway and reductions in blood oxygen levels during sleep. Thus, a sleeping person becomes incapable to breathe normally and awakens with each collapse. Quantity and quality of sleep is lowered, what results in sleep deprivation and excessive daytime sleepiness. The most usual physiological consequences of hypopnea are cognitive disfunction, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, hypertension, memory loss, heart attack, stroke, impotence, psychiatric problems. People suffering from sleep hypopnea increase considerably the overall number of traffic accidents. Their productivity is diminished and they have constant emotional problems and strains.

The most common hypopnea symptoms are: loss of energy, forgetfulness, excessive sleepiness, snoring, lack of concentration, depression, rapid changes in mood and behavior, morning headaches, nervousness.

There is the so called hypopnea index that can be calculated by dividing the number of hypopneas by the number of hours of sleep. But as far as hypopnea is closely related to apnea most often we speak of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). AHI is an index of severity that combines apneas and hypopneas. It is calculated by dividing the number of apneas and hypopneas by the number of hours of sleep correspondingly. When AHI is positive we usually speak of sleep-disordered breathing or SDB.

Although hypopnea itself is not a mortal disease, if it is not treated properly it may shorten a person’s life considerably by aggravating other diseases. CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, is considered to be the most effective treatment of hypopnea. It is usually used in case of heavy hypopnea. A patient puts up a mask over his nose or mouth while an air blower forces air through the upper airway. The air pressure is adjusted in a way to avoid the upper airway tissues from collapsing during sleep. Mild hypopnea is treated more conservatively. In the majority of cases hypopnea treatment presupposes refusing from alcohol and smoking before sleep, strengthening gullet muscles by doing certain excercises, avoiding sleeping on the back. Also there is a straight relation between weight loss and improvement of breathing while sleeping. It is established that abnormal breathing patterns during sleep such as sleep apnea and hypopnea, obesity hyperventilation syndrome, etc. usually improve when eating disorders causing overweight and obesity are properly treated.

To learn more about hypopnea and other sleep disorders visit Hypopnea Info.
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What Else You Lose While Obsessed With Losing Weight

2007-10-21T05:01:00.001-07:00

Copyright (c) 2007 At Peace With Food

Sometimes a memory is so vivid that you feel liked it just happened yesterday. You know what I mean? You are sitting at home and you hear some music on the radio, and suddenly you are transported to a different time and place, without ever leaving your chair. The following story is a memory from over 30 years ago. It was triggered by the smell of chlorine, when I was cleaning my bathroom.

Having just returned from a six month trip to Israel, I was sitting in my apartment. It had been an amazing experience, new friends, new sites, new foods-and I had gained 15 pounds. One of my oldest friends, Joan, who I hadn't seen in several years, called me on the phone. "Let's get together at the Jewish Community Center swimming pool. We can get together for a little while, and go swimming and then go out and have a cup of coffee!I really did want to see Joan, and this was such a good idea. Instead, I remember telling her I was busy. I said I couldn't make, I had other plans. Perhaps we could get together another time.

Do you know what my real excuse was? I felt I was too fat and didn't want to be seen in a swimsuit! Here I was, sitting in my apartment, doing nothing, and deciding against seeing an old friend because I was afraid of how I looked! I thought she would think I was a failure, that I didn't know how to take care of myself anymore. Believe it or not, I thought she wouldn't like me because I was fat. I just knew she would think I had become sloppy and lazy, and I was no longer worthy of her friendship. And do you know what I did next? I punished myself by staying alone and eating, proving that I was not worthy of being around other people.

How many moments have you missed because you didn't like how your body looked? Rather than getting together with family or rekindling old friendships, we stay home by ourselves- punishing ourselves for a crime we believe we've committed: the crime of not looking the way society says we should look, the crime of wanting to eat foods we'd like to enjoy, but can't because we feel guilty.

Becoming "at peace with food" is a journey that involves developing a new relationship with food. Instead of experiencing frustration and disappointment, instead of feeling fear and competition between you and the food you eat, food takes its place as one of the many activities in your life, along with family, friends, working and being active. And, like these other activities, it becomes pleasurable.

In order to be at peace with food, you need to learn about yourself and why you have the relationship you do with the food you eat. Like all relationships, your relationship with food took time to develop, and it will take time to change.

And when you become at peace with food, you will not being afraid to be around your friends, your family, and the food that often accompanies these get-togethers.

Life is too short. Please stop missing out on those significant moments in your life. Go swimming with Joan.

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For additional information on becoming At Peace With Food', free healthy lifestyle tips, and access to interesting reading and nutritional links, visit http://www.AtPeaceWithFood.com/freetips.html
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Live Well With Green Foods

2007-10-21T04:28:00.000-07:00

We have always heard that we need to eat our greens, but we are just now discovering how vital the health benefits of green foods are to our living well. Naturopaths have recommended the use of green foods to enhance the treatment of diseases such asthma, candida, lupus, HIV and many others. One pound of wheat grass or one pound of barley grass has more nutritional value than twenty-five pounds of organic vegetables. Blue-green algaes, i.e. spirulina, have high levels of vitamins, minerals, and protein that exceed the equivalent weight of meat or soybeans. Alfalfa contains all known vitamins. The phyto-nutrients in green foods are packed with valuable anti-oxidants. Green foods made from fruit and vegetable extracts that come in capsules, tablets, wafers or powders can be the nutritional equivalent of eating all the fruits and vegetables that we should eat daily but don't because of our fast paced and processed, fast food lifestyle. These green foods in supplement form have more nutrient density i.e. an ounce of these concentrated green foods in supplement form contain much more of the beneficial phytonutrients found in an ounce of green vegetables. In addition to vitamins, minerals and protein, green foods are also packed full of antioxidants, amino acids, essential fatty acids, enzymes, coenzymes and fibre.

The green color of green foods comes from the phytochemical chlorophyll which is the equivalent, in plants, of the oxygen-carrying red pigment hemoglobin in our red blood cells. Chlorophyll has been shown to have beneficial effects on cholesterol, blood pressure, immune response, and cancer prevention. Chlorophyll inhibits bacteria that cause disease, bad breath and internal odors.

Chlorella is a green food that is a complete food in itself. Chlorella has massive amounts of chlorophyll and protein as well as high levels of all the B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, amino acids and rare trace minerals. Chlorella has more B12 than a equal serving of liver. It's high RNA and DNA content are believed to fight against the effects of ultraviolet radiation.. Chlorella is a powerful antioxidant that reduces high blood pressure, lowers harmful cholesterol, accelerates wound healing and improves our immune system. Chlorella from green foods, in supplemental form, has been shown to help reduce pain in fibromyalgia, reduce blood pressure and blood fat in hypertension, and help heal and reduce pain in ulcerative colitis. Chlorella has been found to help in the prevention of the growth of tumors because of its glycoproteins that enhance the migration of T cells to tumor sites. Chlorella attaches to heavy metals and dioxin and helps eliminate them from the body.

Spirulina is one of the more well known green foods. Spirulina contains gamma-linolenic acid, linoleic and arachidonic acids, vitamin B 12, essential amino acids, nucleic acids RNA and DNA, chlorophyll and phycocyanin. Spirulina has been found to enhance our immune system, reduce cholesterol and enhance mineral absorption. With it's high nutrient and protein content, spirulina is especially helpful to people suffering hypoglycemia. Spirulina has been used to assist in the treatment of cancer and HIV because of it ability to aid in nutrient absorption and it's ability to strengthen the immune system. Sprulina has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, helps reduce blood pressure, helps control symptoms of ulcerative colitis and aids in digestion, helps protect the liver from toxins e.g. heavy metals, and helps reduce allergies. Spirulina and other blue-green algaes are rich in essential fatty acids, phenolic antioxidants, chlorophyll, B vitamins, carotenoids and minerals such as calcium iron, magnesium maganese, potassium and zinc.

Kelp is also a well known green food. Kelp is a seaweed common in Asian food. It is high in B vitamins and iodine content and therefore has been used to aid in the treatment of certain thyroid diseases. Poor thyroid function has been found to be a major factor in the cause of weight gain and obesity. Kelp is also believed to be beneficial to brain tissues and membranes, sensory nerves, spinal cord tissue and blood vessels. The high iodine content in kelp has lead to the use of kelp to combat the effects of radiation.

Wheatgrass contains a large variety of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. People have reported experiencing a definite increase in energy after ingesting wheatgrass. It has been used as an important part of treatments for diseases, such as cancer, immunological disorders, and mental health disorders. Before WWII, tablet of wheatgrass and barley grass was used as a common vitamin supplement, especially throughout the midwest section of our country. Barley grass contains all essential amino acids, chlorophyll, flavonoids, vitamin B 12, vitamin C, minerals and enzymes. Barley grass has been used most often to treat stomach and intestinal disorders as well as being used as an anti-inflammarory.

Alfalfa is one of the most mineral-rich foods on the planet. Alfalfa contains all known vitamins, chlorophyll, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. It's mineral content is in naturally balanced form which results in natural maximum absorption. Alfalfa has been used to help treat arthritis, anemia, bleeding gums and even cancer.

Studies have shown that green foods in concentrated supplemental form, eliminates toxins such as heavy metals and increases levels of good bacteria such as lactobacilli that are essential for good digestion and elimination, The oxygen-carrying ability of green foods is extremely effective in digestion of foods for vital nutrients, prevention of fungal growth in intestinal passages that can produce a condition of candida. The oxygen distributing and enhancing quality of green foods is vital for cell function of muscles, organs and brain health.

Green foods contain lutein which is an antioxidant found in high levels in the macula which is an eye tissue. The macula helps tell the brain what the eye is seeing and is responsible for the central vision that enables us to drive, read, and see clearly in general. Lutein also helps reduce macular degeneration and cataract development that occurs with our aging.

Green foods have been found to support cellular metabolism and because of it's high alkaline content, helps to neutralize excess acidity that leads to acid reflux and general acidity associated with our processed, fast food diets. Green foods with their high enzyme and coenzyme content enhance digestive process and health and the absorption of minerals, vitamins and other nutrients. Green foods provide benefits of enhancing the health and appearance of skin, hair and nails and delay the natural effects of aging.

Green foods consumed in supplement, concentrated form through capsule or tablet is a very convenient and important way that we can insure that we are receiving the health benefits of these nutrient packed natural plants. Green Foods, in powdered form, can be added, mixed or blended into juices, added to cooking or combined with fruit or protein powders for energy, help with weight loss or for enhancing general health in a natural way. Optimum health requires providing our bodies with the best possible nutrients for growing and maintaining cellular well ness and function. Green Foods are a super form of these best possible nutrients that will help us live well and long.

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Jenny has more than twenty years experience with all natural health care products. More information about the health benefits of greens foods is available at => http://www.sweetmedicineessentials.com/anti-aging-antioxidants-c-5.html

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Quick Tips To Boost Your Metabolism

2007-10-21T01:03:00.001-07:00

There are a lot of people who would desperately love to increase their metabolism. Having a high level of metabolism enables one to maintain burn fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of activity. Metabolism is the rate by which the body produces and consumes energy and calories to support everyday life.

There are several factors that affect the metabolism of a person, such as the amount of muscle tissue, the frequency of the meals one consumes, genetics, stress levels, personal diet and activity levels. Metabolism slows down due to the following: loss of muscle because of not enough physical activity, the tendency of the body to cannibalize its own tissue because there is not enough food energy to sustain it, and the decrease of physical activity that comes naturally with old age.

Here are several ways to fire up one's metabolism:

1. Build up on lean, mean body mass. It is only natural that metabolism decreases along with age, but it is possible to counter the effects. The amount of muscle a person has is a very strong determinant in the ability to burn calories and shed fat. So it goes without saying that exercise is essential. Build strength and resistance by working out at least twice a week, preferably with weights. Do easy exercises in between workouts. Simple tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can already take off calories. The key is to match the amount of eating to the amount of activity one has. Here are some guidelines in getting the right exercise:

For strength training

-Increase the amount of repetitions of a particular exercise.

-Add the level of resistance

-Utilize advance exercise techniques if possible

For cardiovascular training

-Insert intervals between exercises

-Perform cross-training and combine the exercises

-Add up on resistance and speed

2. Eat breakfast. A lot of people are ignoring the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Surprisingly, the ones who eat breakfast are thinner than the ones who do not. Metabolism can slow down considerably if breakfast is taken during mid-morning or if one waits until the afternoon to eat.

3. Avoid sugar. Sugar enables the body to store fat. It is recommended that a person consumes food that helps sustain an even level of blood-sugar. Additionally, progressive exercise 2-3 times a week should be in order to stabilize blood sugar.

4. Eat spicy foods. Hot cuisine with peppers can increase metabolism.

5. Sleep more. According to research, it is riskier for people who do not get enough sleep to gain weight. Also, muscles are regenerated during the last couple of hours of your night's rest.

6. Increase water intake. Water flushes out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. Majority of bodily functions involves water, and lack of water causes the body system's operations to decrease its speed, and produces unneeded stress as a result.

7. Eat smaller meals. It is advisable to consume 4 to 6 small meals that are timed 2 to 3 hours apart.

8. Never skip meals. People tend to skip meals in order to lose weight, which is a big mistake since it slows down metabolism.

9. Plan meals in detail. Always prepare the right amount of food to be consumed at the designated intervals. Do not commit the mistake of eating meals in sporadic patterns.

9. Ditch the stress! Stress, be it physical or emotional, triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases metabolism. Also, people tend to eat excessively when stressed.

10. Guzzle up on green tea. It can be used as a substitute for coffee. Tea has the ability to stimulate metabolism, and unlike coffee, it has no undesirable side effects when too much is consumed.

11. Include more energy foods in the diet, such as fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains.

Achieving the desired body weight is never impossible if one has the determination and patience needed to stabilize the metabolism level, which plays an important role in weight loss. A person needs to realize that eating right and working out is not just a passing fancy, but a way of life.

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Mick Reade is an Australian chef who has been cooking in commercial kitchens across the country for over 10 years, and has been teaching others how easy it can be to cook healthy and delicious food, for more information please visit http://www.alleasyfoodrecipes.com

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Citrulline Deficiency

2007-10-21T01:02:00.001-07:00

Citrulline

Citrulline is an amino gamma acid that is critical in the production of urea. The production of urea in turn provides the body with the ability to remove the toxins from the muscle and liver cells. A healthy supply of citrulline is important to maintain healthy muscles and liver. In addition, citrulline nutrition is an important supplement used to help balance the nitrogen and metabolic processes in the body. The lack of citrulline is called citrulline deficiency. This condition can only be detected by a battery of vitamin deficiency tests.

Benefits of Citrulline Nutrition

Citrulline as a health and wellness supplement brings many benefits. Much of the effects of citrulline nutrition are reflected in a person’s lifestyle. Therefore, it is important for people to know their citrulline and nutrition levels to prevent citrulline deficiency.

Ample citrulline nutrition is required to detoxify the liver from ammonia. Ammonia is a waste product of the body from oxidation. For people who monitor their health and wellness, they well know that too much toxins in the body is not healthy in the long run. The right amount citrulline and vitamin levels promote increased energy and maintain the immune system. Citrulline helps the body recover from fatigues and stress. Citrulline also maintains the acid base balance in the body. With citrulline deficiency testing, you can easily recover your nutrition levels with the right information.

Citrulline Deficiency Testing

The most common symptom of Citrulline deficiency is fatigue and sustained weakness of muscles. While this condition can come from other factors it is important to apply citrulline deficiency tests to monitor the vitamin levels in your body. Fatigue and stress are the primary hurdles in achieving health and wellness. Therefore, constant citrulline deficiency test and vitamin testing will make sure that you are in the right path to health and wellness.

To correct your citrulline and nutrition levels, it is important to take in diet with rich sources of citrulline such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, legumes, and high protein food. There are also different food supplements to help correct citrulline deficiency. It is important to take in the recommended daily allowance of citrulline to prevent serious citrulline and nutrition deficiency.

Citrulline deficiency testing is a benchmark on the general health and wellness of an individual. Vitamin and nutrition deficiency allow your body to be vulnerable to fatigue and stress. Therefore, constant citrulline deficiency testing will help you understand your body while you prepare your body for sustained healing.

About the Author:
This Article is written by Lena Butler, the author of TestCountry Health FAQ, a longer version of this article is located at Citrulline Deficiency, and resources from other home health and wellness testing articles are used such as Citrulline Deficiency Test.
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Folic Acid Deficiency Test

2007-10-21T01:01:00.001-07:00

Folic Acid and Vitamin B9

Folic acid is an important nutrient coming from the vitamin B class. Folic acid is a key component in developing the RNA and DNA of the cells. Improved vitamin B levels are important in the health and wellness of an individual. A healthy folic acid level is important to have a healthy blood.

The lack of folic acid is called folic acid deficiency. Folic acid deficiency presents numerous symptoms. However, folic acid deficiency is not readily seen in one’s health condition. Therefore, people resort to folic acid deficiency tests to monitor their nutrition levels.

The lack of folic acid can result to serious complications in an individual. Folic acid deficiency leads to anemia, which is also a stress related condition. Instances that increase the need for folic acid include alcohol intake, diarrhea, fever, hemo-dialysis, and intestinal illness. If you have these conditions, your doctor will usually require you to take folic acid testing and other nutrition tests to assess your need for folic acid.

Folic acid is found in green vegetables, potatoes, cereal products, fruit, and organ meat such as the liver or kidney. While there are different food supplements available, effective dietary conditions are more important to improve the health and wellness of an individual.

Folic acid is also a crucial substance for infants. Pediatricians usually regulate the intake of nutrients including the vitamin B diet of the baby’s milk formula. This is done to prevent complication on the baby’s health and wellness in the future. In addition, pregnant women usually have their folic acid levels tested to evaluate the health of the mother. A healthy folic acid and vitamin B level reduces the chances of certain birth defects.

Folic Acid Testing

Testing folic acid levels is the initial step in knowing traces of nutrition deficiency in the body. Folic acid deficiency is a health hazard in the long run as it can greatly affect the overall health and wellness of a person. Folic acid testing is essential for women and anemic patients. Knowing ones vitamin level through folic acid deficiency testing will go a long way in filling the nutritional void. With the information taken from folic acid tests, you can take the correct nutritional and dietary adjustments. Folic acid testing does not only measure the health and wellness of an individual. Additionally, knowing the nutrition levels through nutrition deficiency testing will give you more information in detecting serious conditions earlier.

About the Author:
Lena Butler, the author of TestCountry Health Test Guides, a longer version of this article is located at Folic Acid Deficiency Test, and resources from other home health and wellness testing articles are used such as Folic Acid Deficiency Test.
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Homocysteine Testing

2007-10-21T01:00:00.001-07:00

The Importance of Homocysteine

Homocysteine is an amino acid that is produced in the body. Although this can be a vital substance in the body, increased homocysteine levels is associated with high cholesterol and build up of materials such as white blood cells, calcium and plaque in blood vessels. The increased materials in blood vessels increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and pulmonary embolism. Therefore, a high homocysteine level is a usual indicator of an increased risk factor of heart complications. High homocysteine can be corrected by applying proper diet and routine homocysteine testing.

Homocysteine is a marker of bad health which makes it critical for an individual to monitor their homocysteine levels. Consistent homocysteine testing is essential to people with a family history of heart diseases. Homocysteine testing is also important for people who have a history of heart diseases without a described cause. With the complication of heart diseases, homocysteine testing is an information gateway reflecting the heart conditions of a patient.

Homocysteine Blood Tests

Keeping a low homocysteine level is done through homocysteine blood tests. The application of homocysteine blood tests does not only indicate the outlook of one’s health and wellness. In addition, a homocysteine blood test is done to help determine the risk of heart disease, stroke and condition of the blood vessels.

Homocysteine levels are also an indication of vitamin B12 deficiency or folic acid deficiency. A high level of homocysteine blood test results usually indicates nutritional deficiency. However, there is also wellness panel test to measure different kinds of nutrition deficiencies.

Homocysteine testing helps identify the occurrence of homocystinuria. This rare disease causes heart complications and delayed growth in babies. A high homocysteine level is a result of enzyme deficiency caused by homocystinuria. It is evident that homocysteine testing has numerous applications aside from measuring the general health and wellness of a person.

Homocysteine Test Information

Preparing for a homocysteine blood test involves a set of guidelines to produce accurate results. For starters, one should not eat or drink anything except water for ten to twelve hours. In addition, there are different drug interactions that can modify the homocysteine test results. Your doctor should know any prescription drugs that you take before taking homocysteine tests. Finally, allow the doctor to interpret the homocysteine test results for you, so that you are left completely satisfied with the meaning of your homocysteine levels.

About the Author:
Lena Butler, the author of TestCountry Health & Wellness Home Test Kits, a longer version is located at Homocysteine Testing, and resources from other home health and wellness testing articles are used such as Homocysteine Deficiency Test.
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How Vitamin D May Help In The Battle Against Cancer

2007-10-21T00:58:00.000-07:00

Vitamin D's importance in maintaining strong, healthy bones through its interaction with the essential mineral, calcium, is well known. But the vitamin is also vital for the health of the nervous and immune systems, in regulating insulin levels and blood pressure, and even as a possible protector against certain common cancers.

The best known and most serious disease associated with vitamin D deficiency is rickets, which arises when the deficiency causes blood calcium levels to fall too low, and the body to respond by stripping the bones of calcium leading to loss of bone density and malformation.

Interestingly, studies have shown that the geographical pattern of the incidence of rickets is very similar to those for both breast and colon cancer, suggesting a possible (though not fully understood) link between vitamin D deficiency and these diseases. One 5 year study which grouped 120,000 people by levels of vitamin D intake reported that men in the highest intake group had a 29% lower incidence of colon cancer than those in the lowest intake group and similar results have been observed in breast cancer research. Relatively high blood levels of active form vitamin D have also been associated with a lower risk of pre-cancerous growths (polyps) in the colon whereas lower levels of vitamin in the blood have been associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.

Vitamin D is known to be essential for a healthy immune system and has been shown to be particularly important in helping prevent auto-immune diseases � those in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys its own cells, wrongly having identified them as invaders. Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis are examples of serious diseases which fall into this category and a number of research studies suggest that a generous intake of vitamin D may be a significant mitigating factor.

Blood levels of vitamin D have also been shown to be inversely correlated with blood pressure, and some research suggests that high dose supplements of vitamin D of (1,600 IU per day) may help this, although orthodox medicine, as ever, is cautious about definitively acknowledging any direct causal link.

The traditional view was that adequate supplies of vitamin D can be synthesised in the skin upon its exposure to sunlight. But the problem is that a large proportion of the population in the affluent world lives in latitudes which provide very limited sunlight for six months of the year. People commonly work indoors and tend to use high factor sunblocks on the rare occasions on which they might expose significant areas of skin to the sun.

It is a cruel irony that this concern about skin cancer may lead to the ill-health associated with vitamin D deficiency and may even increase the risk of other cancers. But in these circumstances the usual assumptions about vitamin D production in the body appear questionable at best, if not downright complacent. And the situation is even worse for the elderly, who may not only enjoy even less exposure to the sun than the young, but are less able to make use of that which they do obtain.

Moreover, there are relatively few good natural food sources of vitamin D, and the best source, oily fish such as sardines, mackerel and salmon is one which many people, and perhaps children in particular, often find unpalatable. The situation has improved somewhat with the fortification of milk, orange juice, bread and some cereal products, but it may still be difficult for individuals to ensure they obtain a sufficient intake of the vitamin, particularly because the amounts added to different foods and drinks are very variable.

Since the amount of vitamin D required from food will vary greatly depending on the amount of exposure to sunlight enjoyed by the individual, it has not been deemed possible to determine a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D. But the Food and Nutrition Board has suggested 200 IU (5mcg) for infants, children, and adults up to 50, rising to 400 IU for the 50-70s, and 600 IU for the over 70s, as an "Adequate Intake" of the vitamin from food on the assumption that none is being obtained from sunlight.

Orthodox opinion, however, seems to regard these suggestions as too conservative. And even for those individuals fortunate enough to enjoy regular exposure to good quality sunlight, the intake of 400 IU (10 mcg) of vitamin D as part of a multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement is recommended. For the over 65s, those with less than optimal liver or digestive health, those living in less advantageous climates and those who spend the majority of their time in indoor occupations a supplementary dose of a further 400 IU, for a total of 800 IU is strongly advised.

For maximum effect, however, vitamin D supplementation should be always be combined with adequate dietary calcium - supplemented if necessary to achieve an intake of 1,000 � 1,200 mg per day of this essential mineral.

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Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in direct marketing and with a particular interest in health products.
Find out more at
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Magnesium Deficiency Testing

2007-10-21T00:57:00.000-07:00

Doctors and health experts are keen advocates of complete nutrition and ample food supplement intake. While the right diet and exercise has become a health and wellness cliché, their importance cannot be overstated. However, we sadly lack enough vital information regarding different vitamin intake. Magnesium is one nutritional example that has important benefits that we don’t know much about.

Magnesium is essential in improving the biological processes in the body. It is an aid in the body’s absorption of calcium. A healthy magnesium level provides strength for the bones and teeth. That is why magnesium level is an indicator for a healthy bone structure for adults. Magnesium also helps facilitate a healthy heart. If one has normal magnesium intake, heart rhythm is not a problem and blood clots are prevented. These factors combine to produce a healthy blood pressure level and reduced risk of heart complications.

Routine magnesium intake also improves the functions of your bones and muscles. It is a known nutritional cure for stiff muscles. Therefore, magnesium is especially beneficial for active individuals who love physically strenuous activities. In a health and wellness perspective, a healthy magnesium level will allow a person to readily engage in physical activities that can improve one’s outlook.

However, magnesium fails to be included in the general diet of people today. When this happens, magnesium deficiency disorder happens which could lead to a host of other health complications. While magnesium deficiency can be seen through symptoms, most do not detect such nutritional deficiency. In this case magnesium deficiency testing should be regularly administered.

The common conditions resulting from magnesium deficiency are valve prolapsed, migraine, attention deficit disorder, asthma, and allergies. Other symptoms of magnesium deficiency include muscle weakness, twitching, cramping, confusion, and cardiac arrhythmia.

Magnesium testing is done when there are signs of abnormally low magnesium level. Abnormally low magnesium levels are rare. However, certain conditions such as malabsorption and alcoholism can cause magnesium deficiency. The doctor usually recommends a magnesium deficiency test to verify the cause of abnormally low magnesium levels. Magnesium deficiency testing is also ordered to help monitor kidney functions and diabetic patients.

Serious conditions of mineral deficiency transcend the importance of health and wellness. There are many other reasons other than wrong diet that can lower a person’s magnesium level. It is important to know the advantages and the results that can be interpreted from magnesium deficiency tests. Once you receive your magnesium deficiency test, forward the test results to your doctor so he can readily interpret the causes of your magnesium levels.

About the Author:
Lena Butler, the author of TestCountry Health Information Resources, a longer version of this article is located at Magnesium Deficiency Testing, and resources from other home health and wellness testing articles are used such as Magnesium Deficiency Test.
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Does Heartburn or GERD Cause Low Iron

2007-10-21T00:55:00.000-07:00

Physicians think it is ok to use drugs for stomach issues, acid reflux, or gastroesophageal disease. Medication for these conditions should be used sparingly and should be watched closely for side effect by the doctor. Drugs should be used only to give the patient time to heal any tissue damage caused by stomach acid refluxing into the esophagus. Natural remedies can be used at the same time drugs are used since natural remedies can also heal tissue damage in the esophagus and cure heartburn.

Most drugstore remedies are designed to alter or reduce acid strength or to stop the stomach lining from producing more acid. The stomach automatically releases acid as it strength decrease while digesting food or when over the counter products and pharmaceuticals are used.

The reduction of stomach acid can cause a major impact in your overall health. Stomach acid needs to be around 1.2 to 2.5 pH to do the hundreds of reactions that the stomach needs to do. When these reactions do not occur, a cascade of unhealthy conditions begins. You won't see the detrimental health effect by using drugs short term but you will in long term use.

Here is one condition that happens when your stomach acid is reduced by over the counter drugstore products or by the numerous popular pharmaceutical drugs - anemia.

Anemia is a deficiency of iron in your body. Iron is the center of the hemoglobin, red blood cell, molecule. This molecule delivers oxygen to all of your cells as it travels through your blood system. The lack of iron in your body results in the lack of oxygen for your body and this condition is called anemia. When you lack iron, your body becomes weak and tired. Muscles lose strength and you can become disoriented.

In clinical tests, people that had low stomach acid were found to be anemic. In order for iron to be absorbed into your blood it needs to be in liquid form and not precipitated, a solid, and not attached to another nutrient or fiber.

There are to types of iron - heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron comes from meat. When your stomach is deficient in acid, high pH, meat heme iron will remain in as a liquid and not precipate, so there is no problem with meat heme iron and low stomach acid. The only problem with eating excess meat is that it is not an ideal diet for good health.

But, with non-heme iron, which comes from grains, vegetables, and fortified foods, stomach pH is important. When stomach acid is diminished, like when drugs and other drugstore products are used, iron obtained from produce and grains is also diminished. Stomach acid must separate the iron from produce and grain fibers and dissolve it so it becomes more absorbable.

If you have low iron count, are anemic, or suffer from feeling tired and in addition suffer from acid reflux or heartburn, stay away from acid reflux drugs and drugstore products. Try natural remedies to solve your heartburn symptoms.

Natural remedies maintain your natural stomach pH and allow you to digest and absorb the iron you need to produce oxygen.

Rudy Silva, Natural Nutritional Consultant, has just released a special report how to cure your gastroesophageal reflux disease, heartburn or acid reflux, using natural remedies and a natural eating plan. Go to this site to discover how you can stop and eliminate acid reflux: http://www.nutritiondiet7.com/acidreflux/
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Facts About Diabetes

2007-10-21T00:54:00.000-07:00

Finding out you or someone you love has diabetes is scary. But don't panic. Diabetes is serious, but people with diabetes can live long, healthy, happy lives.

The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles.

There are two major types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes results from the body's failure to produce insulin, the hormone that "unlocks" the cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them. It is estimated that 5-10% of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes results from insulin resistance (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin deficiency. Most Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

There is also pre-diabetes which is a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. There are 54 million Americans who have pre-diabetes, in addition to the 20.8 million with diabetes.

Diabetes symptoms may vary from person to person but most of the time anyone with diabetes will experience some or all of these symptoms. Some symptoms are: going to the restroom more often, staying thirsty, fatigue, blurred vision, stomach pain and occasionally people suffer from weight loss.

Type 1 diabetes is normally only found in children and type 2 diabetes is found mostly in adults but not always. There are some cases where children are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Some people may be diagnosed with being borderline diabetic, which normally ends up turning into full blown diabetes but not always.

Some of the most important things people with diabetes should know is a healthy, nutritional diet and a regular exercise program can help in treating the disease. Speak with your doctor about what kind of diet you should consider following, along with a moderate exercise program. The doctor or a nutritionist should be able to tell you exactly what kinds of foods you should be avoiding and give you some tips on how much exercise you need every week. Doing this has many health benefits and will also make you feel so much better about yourself.

You should know the truth about some of the most common myths about diabetes. Myth #1 You can catch diabetes from someone else. No. Although we don't know exactly why some people develop diabetes, we know diabetes is not contagious. It can't be caught like a cold or flu. There seems to be some genetic link in diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle factors also play a part.

Myth #2 People with diabetes can't eat sweets or chocolate. If eaten as part of a healthy meal plan, or combined with exercise, sweets and desserts can be eaten by people with diabetes. They are no more "off limits" to people with diabetes, than they are to people without diabetes.

Myth #3 Eating too much sugar causes diabetes. No. Diabetes is caused by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. However, being overweight does increase your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. If you have a history of diabetes in your family, eating a healthy meal plan and regular exercise are recommended to manage your weight.

Myth #4 People with diabetes should eat special diabetic foods. A healthy meal plan for people with diabetes is the same as that for everyone � low in fat (especially saturated and trans fat), moderate in salt and sugar, with meals based on whole grain foods, vegetables and fruit. Diabetic and "dietetic" versions of sugar-containing foods offer no special benefit. They still raise blood glucose levels, are usually more expensive and can also have a laxative effect if they contain sugar alcohols.

Myth #5 If you have diabetes, you should only eat small amounts of starchy foods, such as bread, potatoes and pasta. Starchy foods are part of a healthy meal plan. What is important is the portion size. Whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice and starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, peas and corn can be included in your meals and snacks. The key is portions. For most people with diabetes, having 3-4 servings of carbohydrate-containing foods is about right. Whole grain starchy foods are also a good source of fiber, which helps keep your gut healthy.

Myth #6 People with diabetes are more likely to get colds and other illnesses. No. You are no more likely to get a cold or another illness if you have diabetes. However, people with diabetes are advised to get flu shots. This is because any infection interferes with your blood glucose management, putting you at risk of high blood glucose levels and, for those with type 1 diabetes, an increased risk of ketoacidosis.

Myth #7 Insulin causes atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and high blood pressure. No, insulin does not cause atherosclerosis. In the laboratory, there is evidence that insulin can initiate some of the early processes associated with atherosclerosis. Therefore, some physicians were fearful that insulin might aggravate the development of high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries. But it doesn't.

Myth #8 Insulin causes weight gain, and because obesity is bad for you, insulin should not be taken. Both the UKPDS (United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study) and the DCCT (Diabetes Control & Complications Trial) have shown that the benefit of glucose management with insulin far outweighs (no pun intended) the risk of weight gain.

Myth #9 Fruit is a healthy food. Therefore, it is ok to eat as much of it as you wish. Fruit is a healthy food. It contains fiber and lots of vitamins and minerals. Because fruit contains carbohydrate, it needs to be included in your meal plan. Talk to your dietitian about the amount, frequency and types of fruits you should eat.

Myth #10 You don't need to change your diabetes regimen unless your A1C is greater than 8 percent. The better your glucose control, the less likely you are to develop complications of diabetes. An A1C in the sevens (7s), however, does not represent good control. The ADA goal is less than 7 percent. The closer your A1C is to the normal range (less than 6 percent), the lower your chances of complications. However, you increase your risk of hypoglycemia, especially if you have type 1 diabetes. Talk with your health care provider about the best goal for you.

There is no cure right now for diabetes but there are several different forms of treatment available for you. Do not give up hope on feeling better and living a long, healthy, happy life. Even if you are one of the many that has been diagnosed with this disease, it does not mean that your life as you know it is over. It simply means you may need medication and you will have to consider certain lifestyle changes that will have an amazing outcome once you have done so. There are many other treatment options that could eventually be available to you but are currently undergoing more detailed research.

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Janice Lockeby has first hand experiene of living with diabetes. Her husband is a type 2 diabetic and her two children are type 1. They all live a very normal and healthy life now. She has tips and information about keeping your blood sugar low at http://newbloodsugar.com
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Gain Muscle � Why you�re NOT making Muscle Building Gains

2007-10-21T00:52:00.000-07:00

Are you eating your prescribed six bodybuilding meals a day and not gaining muscle?

Have you been blowing your hard-earned cash on body building supplements with techie names like "Nitric-this" and "Cell-Max-that", yet still fall short of getting the size gains you're after?

You're not alone. Thousands of muscle building enthusiasts are needlessly struggling � grunting and sweating for painfully little progress � and mislabeling themselves "hard-gainer".

Building muscle, like accomplishing anything, requires some rational thinking and a well-executed strategy. It doesn't just happen because you made it to the gym and finished your workout. It won't occur simply because you're using a product that was purportedly created by a "genius" wearing a lab coat. Successful natural muscle growth takes place as a result of adherence to laws of nature � just like success with any endeavor in life.

To back my point, let's look at what many muscle building aficionados counter-productively do in gyms around the world. This is a simplistic example, but some variation of this scenario is the cause for much unneeded frustration for too many natural bodybuilders.

Let's say Bill and Joe are training partners. They arrive at the gym to perform their much-anticipated biceps workout. Bill likes to start out with standing barbell curls and he's glad he has Joe there to spot him. Bill just knows that if he can get Joe to assist him with the heavy sets, some "forced reps" will really get his arms growing. He's decided to use the ever-popular �pyramid technique' to work his way up to those heavy sets.

Bill ends up doing six sets. His sets are as follows: 50 pounds/8 reps, 55 pounds/8 reps, 60 pounds/6 reps, 70 pounds/6 reps, 55 pounds/7 reps, 50 pounds/6 reps.

Bill feels proud of himself. It was a grueling biceps workout. His first three sets were moderately challenging. However, the 70 pounds he piled on the bar for his fourth set of 6 reps represented a respectable stretch for him.

Although he didn't ask for any help from Joe, he definitely had to dig deep within himself to find that extra pride-inducing push that allowed him to achieve the set of six reps. This fatigued his biceps enough to make the final three sets sufficiently challenging, even though they were performed with descending amounts of weight.

Five days later, Bill and Joe are back again for another biceps workout. Why? Because their schedule says it's time to work those muscles again. Of course, muscles only grow from recovery between workouts � not directly from the tissue-ravaging training sessions themselves. But Bill and Joe have apparently worked out some kind of deal with their biceps in which the muscles have agreed to recover and grow in a four to five day span (sarcasm).

Bill wants to get bigger, so he's decided to boost his heaviest set up to 75 pounds. He figures this will really "shock" his biceps into growth. His sets on this workout look like this: 50 pounds/8 reps, 55 pounds/8 reps, 65 pounds/6 reps, 75 pounds/6 reps, 55 pounds/6 reps, 50 pounds/5 reps.

Wow... Bill got a little assistance from Joe and managed to use five pounds more weight on his two heaviest sets. That extra intensity caused him to fall short a couple reps on his final, lighter sets. But that's okay, right? Bill is increasing the poundage and getting stronger and bigger, isn't he?

Hell no! ... Bill is deceiving himself. If you add up the total volume he moved in the approximate twenty minute time period during the first workout, it was 2,305 pounds. Five days later, he moved 2,260 pounds in the same time frame. His volume of lifted weight went down. Now he's counting on moving forward after having possibly over-trained in this most recent workout. Yet he's not even aware of what he's doing.

Until Bill straightens this out, it won't matter how many stomach-stretching meals he piles down. And all the nifty powdered supplements made by smart looking guys in cute little lab coats won't help much either. He'll just be peeing all that into the toilet and wasting time to boot. That is, unless and until he gets his bodybuilding strategy on track. Nice, huh?

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Scott Abbett is the author of HardBody Success: 28 Principles to Create Your Ultimate Body and Shape Your Mind for Incredible Success. To see his personal transformation, visit http://www.hardbodysuccess.com>www.hardbodysuccess.com
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Bringing Out The Abdominal Muscles

2007-10-21T00:51:00.000-07:00

When it comes to exercises for the abdominal muscles you’re spoilt for choice, there are so many to choose from. That’s great but which ones are the most effective is the question and in what order.
There are many ineffective abs exercises out there, so it is important to spend time and energy only on the ones that will actually work.

Try these effective exercises for RIPPED abs:

Crunches –
Lie on an adjustable abs bench with roller pads. Set it to 30°
Wrap your legs around the roller pads so that your legs are locked into place.
Your head should be lower than you legs.
Keep hands crossed at chest.
Raise your head and shoulders off the bench.
Contract your abs for a count of two at the top position.
Reps – 15 12 10 8 8

Hanging Leg Raises –
Hang from a chin bar with toes pointing straight ahead.
Raise legs up to just above 90°
Hold for a count of 2.
Return to start position.
Don’t use momentum to swing your legs up.
Reps – 15 12 10 8 8

Lying Leg Raises -
Lie on a 40° angle bench and grab the bench behind your head with both hands.
Raises legs quickly to 90°
Hold the position for a count of 2 while contracting the abs.
Reps – 15 12 10 8 8

Note: You should always check with your GP or Health Practitioner before starting or changing any exercise program.

Here’s how it’s done:

The above three exercises are done as one giant set with no rest in between exercises. The only rest you have is how long it takes you to walk from one exercise to the next.
Do 1 set of Crunches for 15 reps followed immediately by 1 set of Hanging Leg Raises, then onto the Lying Leg Raises.

Rest for 1 minute and repeat the giant set above for 12 reps. Rest again for 1 minute and repeat for 10 reps. Then 8 reps and then another 8 reps. The reps should be performed slowly and with full concentration on bringing out the abs.

That’s it. Do this twice a week and you should notice a big difference in a few short weeks. If you’re looking for more detail on how to Firm and Flatten your Abs then visit http://www.abs.explosivemusclegrowth.com

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Source: http://www.a1articles.com/article_223098_23.html

High Blood Pressure And Glyconutrition

2007-10-21T00:49:00.000-07:00

Most people believe that "high blood pressure" is a health condition. We have all heard someone say, "I have high blood pressure." Is it really something that you "have" though, like a sickness? No. Let me tell you why.

High blood pressure is not a disease or condition. It is a symptom. A lot of people use drugs to "lower their blood pressure", or the symptoms. Drugs are used to hide the symptoms. These work to lower the blood pressure by thinning the blood, by using the ingredient Warfarin or Coumadin. These blood thinners are the exact same product used in rat killer poison. The blood thinner does not kill the rodent, but once it gets scratched on the inside or outside, it bleeds to death quickly. I am a daring person, but I personally would not want to be on any blood thinner in my life. That is why I rely on personal education and a healthy diet. Good nutrition can be the best preventative medicine. I eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and take quality daily vitamin, mineral, antioxidant, and glyconutrient supplements.

What are Glyconutrients?
Certain glyconutrients are found naturally in different amounts in freshly picked, "vine-ripened" fruits and vegetables, but not in the produce from your grocery store. The word glyconutrient was coined by Mannatech, Inc. and comes from the Greek term "glyco" which means sweet. A literal translation of the word is "sweet nutrients." Glyconutrients are touted as an optimum nutritional supplement, as "sugars that heal." Research and studies in the field of glycomics has recently shown that the very foundations of life are dependent on these glycoproteins on the surface of the cells. Without these glycoforms on the outside of the cells, your body's cells cannot communicate properly and optimum health is therefore not attainable. While glyconutrients are all natural and not any kind of drug, they are essential to proper health. Glyconutrients are also not disease-specific. It would not make sense to say that they "cure" anything.

Due to the results that people are having with them, excitement is growing very fast. Glyconutrients are promoted as an optimum nutritional supplement with a wide range of positive health effects, to include maintaining an optimum blood pressure level. Helping to improve health and thereby lower high blood pressure is just one of the many health benefits that come from having sufficient glycoforms on the surface of your cells.

People with high blood pressure know from talking with their doctor that proper diet is important in maintaining a healthful blood pressure level. That's why there may be some truth that glyconutrients, as a dietary supplement can help maintain an optimal blood pressure level to avoid the complications of high or low blood pressure. Changing your diet can be complemented by taking glyconutrient food supplements.

Thousands of people are having exciting results with their health with just adding a daily glyconutrient regime to their diet. There are lots of scientific studies that have recently been published on glyconutrients. It is important, however, to note that glyconutrients are not a panacea or cure-all that can treat diseases. It is simply a dietary supplement that can help people achieve a healthy body but must still be combined with good diet, exercise and a clean, healthy lifestyle.

You can buy glyconutritionals online. You can also order glyconutrients in Maine or any other state and try them yourself from http://www.ifoundhealth.com
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How to Keep Your Diet When You Don't Eat In

2007-10-21T00:48:00.000-07:00

It isn't a surprise to find out that your "oh so favorite" plate of food is, "oh so fattening". Let's face it, when chefs are putting together their menu, they're thinking taste not calories. And why is it that the more calories a meal has, the more delicious it seems to be (i.e. Cheesecake, anyone)? No one is thinking of the weight conscious when they're putting that on the menu. The truth is, eating out isn't at all simple when you're on a weight loss diet. There are some weight conscious and healthy menus out there, however, even if they really aren't the norm. So it is still possible to regularly go out for a bite without having to completely break your diet and the amount of calories you're allowed.

Be Better Prepared
If you want to periodically eat out just try to plan ahead and be prepared to eat elsewhere. Keep in mind that menus are very commonly loaded with calorie packed foods so you'll want to save up calories everyday for the day you're going to go out.

The Add-Ons
You would be amazed to know how many calories you stack up by adding all sorts of things to your meal. All the add-ons like the breadsticks, the butters and oils, the fried side orders (onion rings, French fries, mozzarella sticks), most appetizers, desserts, cappuccinos and every other thing restaurants tend to push when you go out to eat, is completely fattening.

If you keep away from the calorie filled extras, the amount of calories you'll save will make you feel like you're still doing great without feeling like you're sacrificing too much.

Picking Wisely
Knowing what you put in your mouth is the first step to healthy living and when you are aware of what is in the food you're eating, you can make more of an educated choice on what you decide to order. Knowing that thick creams, deep fried platters, pastry dishes, rich sauces and loads of cheese add high amounts of calories to your diet will give you an upper hand when it comes to ordering off the menu.

Ask and You Shall Receive
Restaurants are aimed to please the customer and most restaurants don't mind accommodating special orders to meet the customer's personal needs. Don't be scared to ask the waiter if the chef is willing to make special orders so you can mix and match a meal to fit your particular needs. You don't need to be too complicated but with a few minor changes, you can create a perfectly healthy meal. For example, try asking for the sauce on the side or adding steamed veggies instead of French fries and if your meat is fried try asking for it grilled. These small changes can have huge results on your diet.

Also, if you're in the mood to try something new, try a non conventional appetizer like requesting a slice of fruit even if it doesn't appear to be something on the menu. Most restaurants will accommodate your request without any problem.

Appetizers
When choosing an appetizer try to go with something that isn't so calorie packed. Some wise choices could be a small salad (dressing on the side), a water based soup (like vegetable or minestrone), smoked salmon, or fruit.

Note: If you decide to go with a salad, try dipping your fork in the dressing before each bite, this gives you the flavor but offers fewer calories than pouring the dressing all over the salad. Also, if you don't mind using balsamic vinegar instead of dressing, it's a wiser choice.

Main Dish
Try to stick to a grilled piece of lean meat or fish or chicken. If you stick to healthy sides you can have a very healthy low calorie meal.

Pasta is also a good choice because it fills you up and it isn't that high in calories (of course, you have to make sure it comes with a red sauce and not a creamy one).

Dessert
It's good to avoid desserts altogether if you can, but if you are the type of person that needs a little sweet after your meal, try to stick to something like fresh fruit or sorbets, every other choice is usually packed with more calories than you can even count.

Drinks
You should keep track of how many drinks you have and what it is that you're drinking. If you decide to have an alcoholic beverage try a light drink. A wine with a soda water is a better option. If you can have a non-alcoholic beverage, your best choice is either tea minus the sugar (if you can bear it) or water with a lemon wedge to give it a little flair. If you decide to have something else, try to keep it light and to a minimum.

Being informed will keep you on top of your game and avoid you being ripped off or cheated by anybody looking for a quick buck. You should know that when a plan has zero physical activity, it probably isn't good for you. Also, when a plan requires too many additional supplements or too little calories are also causes for concern.

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Source: http://www.a1articles.com/article_223214_23.html

Staying Positive About Weight Loss

2007-10-21T00:46:00.000-07:00

I know how hard it is to lose weight. Like many people, I was there once. The most difficult thing is getting started, so if you are reading this and have already decided to take that first step and go for it, then congratulations, you've made the most important decision, and one of the hard parts, is over.

Losing weight can be a nightmare sometimes and the truth is that although counting calories and exercise can aid tremendously in your weight loss, your mind has more power than you can imagine.

A negative thought can go much further and have much more impact on you than a positive thought and many people don't know this and live in an eternal negative atmosphere and have a pessimistic outlook on life.

If they only knew what a shift in their emotion could do to them. Emotions are part of the weight loss program. You have the power over which emotion you're going to let rule your life and grow stronger. Whether or not you come out on top is entirely up to you. Do everything you need to do to keep yourself hyped even when you're feeling down. Joining a support group or finding a buddy doing the same thing can often be of great help.

Find a weight loss program that is suitable for you and one you feel comfortable applying to your life. If you're feeling down, keep you head up and proclaim affirmations of excellence in your life. This isn't just a diet, this is a whole NEW you.

If you don't like to cook, there are now a wide variety of ready meals that can be done in minutes and are very appealing to the senses. When looking for a plan, it is my experience that variety is better and although you should keep away from certain foods, such rigidness is also something stressful.

Lastly, exercise and dieting. Any good weight loss program is going to require you to have some increase in physical activity. Walking and swimming are among the best forms of cardio vascular and muscular exercises. If you dread breaking a sweat, here is where your positive outlook should start to kick in. Think of exercise as a nice way of passing your time. Think of it as something fun and entertaining and you'll see you might even enjoy it!

Visualizing is also very effective in achieving everything in life. If you can do it in your mind, you can do it, period. Good luck and stay positive.

Being informed will keep you on top of your game and avoid you being ripped off or cheated by anybody looking for a quick buck. You should know that when a plan has zero physical activity, it probably isn't good for you. Also, when a plan requires too many additional supplements or too little calories are also causes for concern.

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Source: http://www.a1articles.com/article_223215_23.html

Where to Start When You Want to Lose Weight

2007-10-21T00:45:00.000-07:00

When it comes to losing weight, trust me, you are not alone. It's estimated that over half of the American population is overweight and the majority of those people are in some way or another involved in some sort of diet or otherwise in the efforts to shed off those extra pounds.

The most difficult thing to decide once you've finally decided to get started with weight loss is actually picking a weight loss program. With all the weight loss programs that now exist there are so many things people have to consider and have to watch out for as well. You really have to make sure that you find the weight loss program that is right for you and getting to that point is often very difficult.

Here's a little check list you might want to consider before you make a decision:

1. Check with you doctor before making any decision which regards your health.

There are many weight loss methods and programs that exist out there today that can be harmful to your health if you are not careful. For this reason, it is very important to speak to a health care provider before you take anything or do anything, just to be on the safe side.

2. Keep a diary.

It has been proven by nutritionists and health care providers alike that weight loss success rates are much higher when the person has a record of what they are consuming. Jotting down what you eat when you eat it and writing your feelings about it and the situation can help you look back and find patterns, good and bad habits, etc. and will help you be a huge help to yourself, almost like an outsider looking in. Your ability to analyze your behavior is an extremely helpful tool for weight loss.

3. Know your health risk factor.

It is very important to know where you lie as far as your health is concerned. If you are person just looking to shed off a few extra pounds you don't have to worry as much as someone who needs to drop the weight based on a health risk (usually a BMI of over 30 is something to be concerned about).

4. Research

There are many programs out there that promise weight loss but have a lot of risk factors you need to consider before using them. If you are interested in a particular method, research it well and then determine whether you are okay with the risks involved (if any) and whether it seems to be something that fits you personally.

5. Know what you're buying.

Once you decide to buy a product, make sure you know exactly what you are getting. Remember, there are a lot of people looking to get a quick buck by ripping people off and selling something that really doesn't work like they say it does.

Don't be afraid to ask questions like what does the program include? How many calories will I be allowed? Do I need to take extra supplements? Is anything forbidden? What will I mostly be eating? Will I have to exercise? Does the food plan change as the program moves along?

Being informed will keep you on top of your game and avoid you being ripped off or cheated by anybody looking for a quick buck. You should know that when a plan has zero physical activity, it probably isn't good for you. Also, when a plan requires too many additional supplements or too little calories are also causes for concern.

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Source: http://www.a1articles.com/article_223217_23.html

Key motivational factors: 10,000 dollars for every ten minutes of exercise

2007-10-21T00:44:00.001-07:00

Once you start on Phentermine and your appetite begins to decrease your doctor will probably also ask you to begin an exercise routine. When Phentermine is combined with an appropriate exercise routine it can turn a minor weight loss campaign into a highly successful pound slashing initiative. Starting an exercise program isn't easy though, but once you've found the right motivation, exercise can be much more enjoyable and following through will be easier and more realistic.

How Motivation Works

Let's look at the following scenario. If someone were to offer you $10,000 dollars for every ten minutes of exercise you did how quickly do you think you'd have your tennis shoes on? Now, that's a major motivational force! You'd be losing pounds quicker than you could spend that money. Doesn't happen in real life though, you may say? Well, you're right BUT if you can make your mind believe something is just as important -- as a big fat check for only 10 minutes of your time -- then that will be a major driving force which will allow you to happily get off your couch and just exercise. The pounds will start to drop and that will give you further motivation to keep going.

So where do you get that motivation in the first place? The following 4 tips can help you overcome your biggest enemy (your lack of motivation):

Key motivational factor 1:

Create Multiple Mini-Goals

Don't just set up one big goal such as loosing 10 pounds in 2 months. It doesn't matter what your goals are or how realistic they may be, if they are far off you won't see immediate results and your motivation will start to decrease. Creating minor milestones and several mini rewards will push your mind into keeping your body moving. And since you're already taking Phentermine, you'll be eating much less and those exercise goals will be easier to meet.

A possible rewards scenario can work as follows: Let's say you love Harry Potter (Hey! A lot of us do.). How about giving yourself a Harry Potter action figure after every three to five exercise sessions you've completed. But don't cheat! If you skip a day then you'll have to start over from scratch. Completing 3 or 5 exercise sessions isn't that difficult and if you've got a collectors heart then you'll be trying to finish your collection faster than you can exercise. You'll actually begin looking forward to your next exercise sessions because you know that you can only buy the next action figure once you've completed them.

Some people use the piggy bank method whereby they place a set dollar amount into their piggy banks after every "successful" exercise session. At the end of the week they simply take out the money from the piggy bank and buy themselves the rewards they've established.

Key motivational factor 2:

Working on a Positive Attitude

The attitude with which you approach an exercise routine (or any aspect of your Phentermine based or non Phentermine based weight loss program for that matter) will be a determining factor in your success or failure. The power of positive thinking is amazing! In fact, research has demonstrated that people who consciously try to modify their inner thoughts and the attitudes they have towards themselves -- including the beliefs they have concerning their ability to lose weight -- begin to see an almost immediate improvement. For some reason the attitude shift increases a person's energy and things simply start to get better.

Many successful have been launched on the premise that you are what you believe you are and that you feel the way you want to feel. Additionally, positive thinking will not only aid your weight loss initiatives and exercise endeavors but it will also attract more happiness and success to your life.

Key motivational factor 3:

Keep Track of Your Progress

Keeping written records of your exercise routine is very important. Every time you finish exercising write down how much time you spent at the gym or sweating in your house, what your weight was before or after each session, how you felt, etc. You can possibly put this information into a spreadsheet program and come up with averages of the time spent and the amount of weight being lost at any particular moment. You should also keep records as to what your waist line is. All of this information will help you to set up or modify existing exercise and weight loss goals.

Key motivational factor 4:

Create a List of Reasons Why You Want to or Need to Lose Weight

When I first started my weight loss initiatives my counselor told me to write down every reason I could think of for wanting to lose weight. Immediately I came up with a list of about 4 reasons:

I was tired of being called fat;
I wanted to look better.
There were clothes in my closet I hadn't worn for years and which I conserved on the hopes that I would one day fit into them again;
I wanted people to think I was attractive instead of repulsive).

After that, my mind went blank. Vanity! She told me. She was right, I only wanted to lose weight because I felt I didn't look good enough and though this was indeed an important reason for me there were other reasons that were possibly more important.

My counselor and I came up with a list together. It was actually about 52 reasons long but I am not going to bore you with the details. About 30 of the reasons on the list dealt with my health. I was headed on an unhealthy collision course which would take its toll on my life in a few short years. In fact, it wasn't until that moment that I realized I was slowly killing myself by not doing anything about my weight. That's when I began my first truly serious weight loss initiative. My counselor put me on a strict diet which I was able to adhere to with the help of Phentermine. I was also required to start a daily exercise routine which I currently continue to follow even though I've met my weight loss goals already. But, one of the biggest things that kept me motivated when I felt like giving up was looking at the list we came up with together.

Every time I felt I just couldn't go on, I simply looked at the list and saw some powerful reasons that made me want to continue.

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Does Muscle Memory Occur?

2007-10-21T00:42:00.000-07:00

The concept of muscle memory is controversial. Most bodybuilders have experienced this phenomenon, yet virtually no discussions of this topic have appeared in scientific and athletic publications. Although there is some speculation herein, these ideas are sure to help you better understand your body’s response to training after a layoff.

Before you know it, a month has gone by. Two months. Six months. I’ll get back to it sometime soon, you keep saying. You’re finally ready – a year later.

Don’t worry. Life can get in the way of even the most dedicated bodybuilder’s workouts. Be glad that you’re ready to commit to consistent training again. For those of you who haven’t attempted a small comeback before, here’s good news.

Gaining muscle size seems to be easier the second time around – even if you starting from the same place. That’s right. It appears that your muscles can reach their former size (their size when you stopped working out) in a much shorter time than it took to achieve that size that first time you trained.

If you’re an experienced bodybuilder who has returned to square one more times than you wish to remember, you probably know exactly what I mean. In fact, even many scientists and coaches are convinced this phenomenon occurs – having witnessed first hand. No one has a clue how this happens. Why should you pack on muscle size quicker when ‘retraining?’ It just doesn’t make sense.

With so many athletes and others observing this mystery of the iron game, some plausible explanation must exist. I’ll describe some possible reasons why your muscle may appear to have a memory. While understanding that the following ideas might help you make a comeback, keep in mind that these are just good guesses – not dogma.

Mind Games

Certainly, we can’t overlook the possibility that muscle memory doesn’t really occur at all. In other words, it’s completely possible that these changes have nothing to do with muscular adaptation. Then why do muscles seem to progress faster during a comeback? Well, it could all be in your head. Here’s what I mean.

The first time you trained consistently, you were probably a bit hesitant with the weights. You weren’t too sure how your muscles would respond and most importantly, you didn’t have a good idea how much weight you could lift. So you were cautious when it came to big weight increases – at least until you felt you could handle the heavier weight safely.

When making a comeback, that initial fear is gone. You know you can handle heavier and heavier weights because you’ve done it before. You probably expect to attain your former strength soon, anyway. For these reasons, you are more likely to add weight to the bar at a faster rate – pushing yourself as never before. Of course, this progressive overload will lead to quicker gains in strength and size.

The Nerve of those Muscle Cells

Perhaps the most likely explanation of muscle memory involves the neurons (nerve cells) that stimulate your muscles. These neurons tell all the muscle fibers (muscle cells) they innervate to contract. But, depending on the amount of weight being lifted, only a small percentage of neurons innervating a particular muscle may be recruited to stimulate their fibers. More weight on the bar – more neurons involved and more fibers stimulated. Simple enough, right?

Here’s something really interesting. Even during maximal voluntary contraction (attempting your max on any lift), you’re still not recruiting all the muscle fibers in your working muscles. In fact, it is this discrepancy between the percentage of fibers we normally recruit and what we theoretically can recruit (100%) that may account for those rare, but documented feats of superhuman strength.

What has that got to do with muscle memory? Well, one way your muscles may adapt to the stresses of consistent training is to increase over the long run the total percentage of fibers recruited during maximal and near-maximal lifts. Here’s the possible scenario:

The first time you trained, you recruited a certain percentage of muscle fibers during maximal lifts. As you trained more and more, this percentage increased. Then you stopped working out. When making a comeback, this ability to recruit a greater percentage of muscle fibers remains intact. Therefore, you’re starting with a capacity to develop more force within a muscle (since more fibers can be activated). Compared to the first time you trained, you’re one step ahead.

If you can develop more maximal force, then you can lift more weight – you’re a bit stronger. Although you may think you’re starting from the same place, this greater strength will enable you to progress faster, resulting in an ability to regain muscle size at a quicker pace.

The second way that neurons may be involved in muscle memory deals with skill development. When you start working out, your muscles interpret most of the lifts as new movements. So your neurons must develop the appropriate pattern of stimulation to get the weight up. Remember how shaky the bar was the first time you tried the bench press?

Fibers must be activated in just the right sequence to perform complex movements like the bench or the squat. And learning a new skill (just like trying to swing a golf club, etc.) may take quite a long time. The first time around, it may have taken you weeks to feel steady on the bench. Now those neural patterns have been developed and though they may be rusty, they can return very quickly after a layoff. What may be happening here is that after you stop working out you lose some of those neural patterns. When you work out again the neurological changes come faster. This accelerated restoration of neurological control will enable you to stimulate your muscles more efficiently, eventually causing the leveling off you reach in muscle strength and hypertrophy to be higher. You may be stronger and bigger when the neural patterning is done the second time around.

Muscular Adaptations

Another possible explanation of muscle memory concerns certain changes in your muscles that regular training may produce. Your muscles may adapt in two ways that could translate into faster gains during retraining. First, you may be able to increase the capillary bed surrounding muscle cells, creating a greater blood supply to the working muscle. If this happens, and many scientists believe it does, you would then be able to enhance the nutrient (glucose, branch-chain amino acids, etc.) availability to the muscle cell. Also, you might remove the waste products of repeated muscular work and energy production (lactic acid, heat hydrogen ions, etc.) at a faster rate. Since these waste products can limit performance, with the increased capillary bed, you would be in a position to train harder and longer.

Either or both of these situations would probably enable you to create a more effective muscular stimulus. This is the key in terms of muscle memory. These positive changes from an enhanced blood supply would be restored soon after a comeback since the capillary beds would quickly reopen. Thus you would have the advantage of a greater muscular stimulus from the start of retraining. This would lead to a greater adaptation – stronger and bigger muscles – and give the illusion of muscle memory.

Second, the enzymes that are involved in important bio-chemical reactions may be responsible for muscle memory. For example, we know that enzymes in reactions leading to the storage of glycogen (your energy source during anaerobic work) can be enhanced with training. It is plausible that enzymes involved in protein synthesis may increase in concentration and activity following repeated muscular stimuli and damage. It may actually be those enzymes that have a memory, quickly returning to their former increased concentrations and turning on these processes earlier. If this occurred, you’d be able to work out harder, possibly recover faster, and gained muscle mass more quickly than when you first trained.

Sandra Prior runs her own bodybuilding website. http://bodybuild.rr.nu.
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Top 4 Tips To Treat Asthma Through Self-Care

2007-10-21T00:41:00.001-07:00

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease in which airways in the lungs periodically become narrowed, obstructed, or even blocked. An estimated 15 million Americans suffer from asthma, and the number of new asthma cases increases yearly.

Asthma generally develops in childhood but may develop in adults with no previous history of asthma. Males develop this disorder twice as often as females.

Asthma attacks, periods of breathing difficulty, occur in reaction to certain stimuli, usually something inhaled. Allergens responsible for allergies often trigger strenuous exercise, cold air, upper respiratory infections, and emotional stress.

Asthma is a complicated disease, but the control of this disease rests in your hands and your family’s. Along with medication, self-care is essential. Your overall goal should be to control asthma so that you can live a full, productive life. One important step is the use of a peak flow meter. With this portable device, you can measure the maximum speed at which air leaves your lungs. As you exhale forcefully into the mouthpiece of this tube-shaped device, an indicator scale measures the greatest speed of air exiting the lungs. Doing several measurements over time and recording the results on a chart help you compare your readings with an established normal range. Levels that begin to drop can predict an asthma attack. In that case, you can take preventive medications or notify your doctor.

Here are the helpful tips:

1. Avoid or control your exposure to allergens, food allergies, and irritants such as cigarette smoking
During pollen and mold season, keep your windows closed, especially in the bedroom. Seal central heating and cooling system ducts to keep allergens from other rooms entering your bedroom.

2. Keep active
A sedentary lifestyle is associated with long periods of shallow breathing. Routine aerobic exercise conditions your body’s muscles and builds lung strength. Moderate activity, and the deep breathing that accompanies it, protects your lungs by acting as a clearing agent so that inhaled allergens spend less time in your body. Check with your health-care practitioner before beginning a new exercise program.

3. Try postural drainage
This technique uses gravity and gentle rapping on the chest to loosen and eliminate thick mucus. Nurses and physical or respiratory therapists trained in this technique can show family members how to perform postural drainage on you.

4. Use stress management
Everyone experiences stress in life, but stress plays an even more complex role in your life if you have asthma. To help deal with tension and reduce the fear you experience during an asthma attack, learn a stress management technique such as relaxation to relieve stress.

Raymond Lee is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is the Founder of Bodyfixes Group specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He is currently the author of the latest edition of "Neck Exercises and Workouts." Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.
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How I Maintain my 80 Pound Weight Loss

2007-10-21T00:39:00.000-07:00

People often comment that I always seem to be eating. That doesn't mean at the first tiny hunger pang I go crazy looking for something to stuff in my mouth; just that I plan ahead, have healthy snacks close by, and know it's likely I'll get hungry every few hours. Here's my usual weekday routine (times vary, but this is typical).

Weight Loss Maintenance Diet

Breakfast: 7:00 AM (I tend to wake up hungry)

Mid-Morning Snack: 10:00 AM usually fruit, yogurt, bagel. I do make an effort to wait until 10:00 for my first snack, but if I'm really hungry, I'll go ahead and eat as early as 9:00. I have cut back on the bagels recently. I noticed I was eating a giant bagel (over 300 calories) every day, and I was getting really sleepy soon after. I don't know if there's a connection, but when I notice excessive sleepiness or other odd symptoms, it just pays to check what you've been eating.

Lunch 11:30 - 1:30 PM (depends on whether I get hungry). Guess what? If I don't get hungry until 3:00, then that's when I eat. I like soups, tuna mixed with salsa, something wrapped in a tortilla or whatever I've brought. I go out to eat but not often.

I don't usually want anything between my lunch and dinner, but if I get hungry, I'll eat. This isn't set in concrete, it's just my usual routine.

Dinner anytime from 4:00 - 6:30 (same thing, I eat when I get hungry, so if I had more during the day, it'll be longer before I'm hungry again.)

Evenings I hardly ever get hungry, so I rarely eat after dinner (most likely because I eat plenty during the day). During the week if I think I'm hungry and it's after 9:00 PM I might drink some water, or have an apple or a pickle. That usually takes care of it. I'll also sometimes just decide to ride it out (the hunger). It's not going to kill me to feel a bit hungry now and then, and it's probably not real hunger but emotional hunger anyway, so food isn't really going to help.

I broke the habit of eating most of my calories after 5:00 PM years ago. Now I eat all day, and hardly ever in the evening, even on weekends. It works for me, but I do make an effort to eat clean, meaning little processed or fast foods, because if I start popping tiny candy bars, or eat french fries a few days in a row I'll start wanting them more often.

My theory is if the food value (nutritional value) is low (as it tends to be in processed foods) my body will still want nutrients, even though it may have enough calories. This can explain why one can eat a lot and still feel hungry, or be hungry soon after eating a big meal. Think about it. Did you eat good quality, nutritious food, or did you eat something batter fried, dipped in sugary sauce, or dripping with grease? Did it contain good quality nutrients, or just yummy taste?

If someone brings something incredibly special, but I'm full from breakfast, then I'll take some on a plate and have it later when I'm hungry again. Hunger always returns.

If you think you are always hungry (and believe me, I've been there), then keep a food diary (see Food & Exercise Diary in the Tools section of my site) for a few days to get a look at what you are eating. It may be there is a lack of nutrients, which explains why it's possible to still be hungry even after eating a lot of food.

The Best Appetite Suppressant is Good Food.

EFT Suggestions for Hunger or Cravings (Learn EFT--see resource box below):

"Even though I'm still hungry, I deeply and completely accept myself."

"Even though I think I'm still hungry, I deeply and completely accept myself."

"Even though I'm craving donuts, I deeply and completely accept myself."

"Even though I want to eat everything I think I shouldn't, I deeply and completely accept myself."

Try EFT on direct cravings, when they strike. It only delays your eating a few moments, so try it, and see whether it reduces the desire, even a tiny bit. If it does, then eat slowly and enjoy what you've chosen. You may just discover you're satisfied with less, but enjoying it more.

Kathryn Martyn Smith, Master NLP & EFT, Weight Loss Coach, Author of the free weight loss E-book "Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss." Learn to use EFT & NLP for weight loss with
"The Daily Bites"

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Cord Blood Banking: Should You Bank Your Baby�s Cord Blood?

2007-10-21T00:38:00.000-07:00

Cord blood banking is a relatively new concept. It is only in the last ten years that parents have seriously begun to bank their baby's cord blood. While the practice of banking cord blood is still not common it is becoming more popular as people begin to learn about its benefits.

Cord blood is the blood that remains in umbilical cord after a live birth. Currently the umbilical cord along with the placenta and associated blood are all discarded after birth. Cord blood stem cells have more extensive uses than bone marrow stem cells and do not face the controversy that is associated with embryonic stem cell research.

Cord blood stem cells can develop into various types of cells such as muscle, nerve or blood cells. Since these cells can regenerate immune system and repair damaged cells, they have the potential to treat heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson disease.

Cord blood may indeed be the way of the future. Currently, it can treat more than 75 diseases, immune deficiencies and other conditions. It is effective for treatment of certain types of cancer, blood disorders and auto-immune diseases. The cord blood can be used not only by your child, but also other family members.

In recent stem cell breakthroughs, researchers were able to develop bone and cartilage, and grow mini liver and lung cells from cord blood stem cells. These cells can potentially be transplanted into the body to repair damaged organs, thus overcoming the severe shortages of organ donors. Researches are hopeful that cord blood stem cell transplant can regenerate into organs inside or outside the body and saves many lives. There is less chance of the body rejecting the new organ regenerated from your own cord blood.

There are 2 types of cord blood banks: private and public. If you want to bank your baby's cord blood for use by your child or other family members, then you should choose a private cord blood bank. However, private cord blood banking can be costly as you have to pay for the cord blood collection process and annual storage fees. There are cases you should consider storing cord blood privately. Parents of children of ethnic minorities are encouraged to bank their baby's cord blood as it is difficult to find bone marrow match. Private cord blood banking is also recommended where there's a family history to diseases only treatable with cord blood.

Cord blood stored in a public bank can be used by anyone who needs it.

If you decide to bank your newborn's cord blood, you will need to choose a cord blood bank ahead of the birth, typically at least a month or two before the due date. Once you fill out the paperwork and inform your doctor and hospital about the decision. Many hospitals are not equipped to handle this immediate cord blood collection at the birth and special arrangements may need to be made. The cord blood will be collected and returned to the bank of your choice to be stored for later use if needed.

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Cord blood banking is an insurance against future diseases. There have been several cord blood stem cell breakthroughs in recent years. Learn about the miracle of cord blood by visiting www.storingcordblood.com/home
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Selecting The Best Hair Loss Products

2007-10-21T00:37:00.001-07:00

What really is the best hair loss product for you? Men have been searching for years for the answer to Alopecia. Offered a anti hair loss cure, a men of all ages would no longer shave their heads bald. They would relish being able to style and show off the thick hair of their youth, once again. Like Samson or a lion men identify with their hair, it is their crowning glory and hair loss signals unwanted feelings regardless of the cause.

The best hair loss product is being constantly searched for by those that are experiencing a loss of hair, in hope that they can regain or at the least retain their hair. However, is there really a anti-hairloss product out there? The answer is primarily going to depend on the indvidual.

Hairloss can be caused by a few factors, which is whey there is no one size fits all hair loss product that can be recommended for all those who suffer from Alopecia. For example if Alopecia, which is inherited, is being experienced a hormonal imbalance is the most likely cause. Since hormonal levels are passed from one generation to the next correcting this is a necessity.

Propecia is most likely the best hair loss product that can be located for such a condition. It is the first anti-Alopecia medication that has been approved by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA). An ingredient called Finasteride is contained within the product, which is designed to balance the bodys Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) level. DHT is labeled as the testosterone that causes hormonal imbalance, which in turn can lead to the hair follicles suffering from deterioration.

Minoxidil is a hair loss product which is perfect for the loss of hair through stress or as a consequence of other ailments. The potassium channels are opened up when using Minoxidil, and since potassium is known to be a good stimulant for the hair follicles, then it certainly a product worth trying. Minoxidil is also an anti-hypertension medication which in effect would help to ward off any ill effects of stress, which can result in hair loss. The trade name of Minoxidil is Rogaine, I'm sure you have heard of it, so if you are having difficulty locating it by the generic name just look for Rogaine.

Natural hairloss products abound with promises of alopecia remedys however that does not change the fact that first you must find out the cause before you can treat any alopecia effectively. So beware of false claims. There are actually solutions for hair loss, it just depends on the individual what will work for them. So do a little footwork first and find out the cause of your hairloss then you'll be able to select the best hair loss product for you.

Get More information and tips on womens hair loss and more click here Hair Loss Medication or go to http://hairloss.totalinfoguide.com for articles and product information related to hairloss.
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Fight Chronic Pneumonia With Vitamin Supplements

2007-10-21T00:35:00.000-07:00

Pneumonia can be caused by infection from germs such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites. It is an illness of the lungs and respiratory system which occurs when the alveoli become inflamed and flooded with fluid. Pneumonia is a common illness that occurs in all age groups and is one of the leading causes of death among elderly people who are terminally ill. Before the discovery of antibiotics, one-third of all people who developed pneumonia died from the infection. However, nowadays over three million people develop pneumonia each year in the United States alone, with only half a million of these people being admitted to a hospital for treatment. Although most people are able to get better at home with treatment from a doctor, pneumonia can occasionally be very serious and require hospitalization. If left untreated, pneumonia can lead to serious illness and even death. Approximately 5% of the three million people that develop pneumonia each year will die from it. Therefore it is important to receive treatment if you feel you are experiencing symptoms of pneumonia. These symptoms include fever and chills, coughing, wheezing or fast breathing, chest pain, tiredness, muscle pain, and headache. Pneumonia is usually caused by an infection that spreads to the lungs. There are vaccines available to prevent certain types of pneumonia. Pneumonia is diagnosed by health care provides based on symptoms and findings from physical examination. Information gathered from a chest X-ray, blood tests, and sputum cultures are also helpful to diagnose this illness. Diagnosing pneumonia can be especially difficult in some people, especially those with other illnesses. On rare occasions, a chest CT scan may be needed to distinguish pneumonia from other illnesses.

For those people who suffer from chronic pneumonia, there are many concerns with aging. The desire is to encourage the body to fight the infection naturally as we continue to get older. Smoking, malnutrition, kidney failure, asthma, chronic viral infections of the respiratory tract, taking immunosuppressive drugs, and a weakened immune system all predispose certain people for contracting pneumonia. There are many things you can do for yourself when considering natural alternatives for treating pneumonia. These include drinking large amounts of fluid such as water, fruit and vegetable juices, soups, broths, and herbal teas. You should also avoid caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, sugar, greasy foods, and dairy products which increase mucus production. Be sure to eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables. Recommended supplements for those who deal with chronic pneumonia include vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin C with bioflavonoids, and zinc. Vitamin A, which is essential for lung tissue regeneration, will also stimulate immune function. Beta carotene is a powerful antioxidant compound that can help to protect lung tissue from damage caused by smoke and infection. Vitamin C stimulates the immune system while being an anti-inflammatory compound. Additionally, it boosts immunity and scavenges free-radicals that are caused by pneumonia infection. Be sure to boost your immunity year round so that you can do all that you can to encourage your body�s ability to fight off the destructive infection of chronic pneumonia.
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More information on vitamins to help fight chronic pneumonia, and other diseases can be found at http://vitanetonline.com/

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A Review Of Bowflex Treadmills

2007-10-21T00:34:00.001-07:00

Originally, Bowflex made gym and strength building equipment but a few years back the company decided to make treadmills. Bowflex aimed its treadmills at the mid- to high-end of the market; this is the most competitive market for treadmills. So, have Bowflex treadmills carved out a niche and do customer ratings of Bowflex treadmills like them or hate them?

Prices of Bowflex treadmills start at around $1,100 and go up to $1,500 (MSRP). Bowflex makes 3 treadmill models: the 3 series, 5 series and 7 series treadmill.

All Bowflex treadmills comes with SoftDrop technology that makes easy folding and storage - although weighing in at 300 lbs, you'll need help it moving it around. Like all mid-range treadmill manufacturers, Bowflex claim to have used new technology to provide better suspension for the runner. With Bowflex treadmills it's called Strike Zone™ deck suspension. Most consumer reviews agree that the deck suspension does its job adequately enough. Finally, all models come with a built-in grip heart rate monitoring system.

The Bowflex Series 3 treadmill is the cheapest. It comes with a 1.75 HP Continuous motor and has a user weight capacity of 275 lbs/125 kg. The treadbelt is 20" x 54"/51 x 137 cm and has an inclination of 0 -12%. You can also choose between 6 programs including Manual, Cardio, Running, Fat Burn, Speed Interval Jogger, and Hill intervals.

The Bowflex Series 3 treadmill is a nice looking machine, with sleek lines but it's not for the serious runner. The motor is too small and the 1-ply treadbelt isn't going to last all that long when used constantly.

The next in line is the Bowflex Series 5 treadmill. It comes with a larger motor size at 2.5 hp. You also get a larger running track at 20" x 60", though it's still 1-ply. You get more programs as well; 12 including 1 Heart Rate Control, and 2 user-defined. To help keep you cool using these programs the treadmill comes with a 3-speed fan. The maximum speed of the Bowflex Series 5 treadmill is 10 mph.

The 2.5 hp motor is adequate but you can get other mid-price treadmills with 3 hp. Also, the belt is still only 1-ply, to seriously be considered as a durable treadmill, the belt should be at least 2-ply.

The top of the range model is the Bowflex Series 7 treadmill. Finally, we have a treadmill for the serious runner. This Bowflex treadmill comes with 3.0 HP Continuous Duty motor. The speed range is .5 - 11 mph/.8 - 17.7 kph. The treadbelt is the same size as the Series 5 but it's 2-ply. You get 15 workout programs; here's the list: Manual, Cardio, Running, Fat Burn, Speed Interval Jogger, Hill Intervals, 5 K Run with 12 Intervals, Heart Strength-Recovery Test, Calorie Goal, Distance Goal, Fat Burn HRC (Heart Rate Calculation), Cardio HRC, BMI Test, Custom Program 1, Custom Program 2.

Bowflex claim to make some of the best treadmills for the price. My opinion is that when you consider the Series 3 and Series 5 there are other, better treadmills on the market. However, the Bowflex Series 7 treadmill really is a good piece of exercise equipment. The 60" treadbelt is generous and ideal for those wanting to improve stride length and the motor is powerful enough to last the course.

Do I have any real criticisms about the Bowflex treadmill? Well, the warranty given with all Bowflex treadmills is pretty mediocre; it would be nice to see the company stand by its product more. Anyhow, the warranty of the Bowflex Series 7 treadmill is 10 years on the motor with 2 years parts and 1 year labor coverage.

All in all, my personal review of Bowflex treadmills gives them a decent rating with the Series 7 treadmill getting a very good overall score.

Follow the links for the Bowflex Treadmill plus treadmill reviews on major brands like the Trimline Treadmill.

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Vitamins To Help Prevent Morning sickness

2007-10-21T00:32:00.000-07:00

Between fifty and ninety-five percent of all pregnant women, as well as some women who use hormonal contraception experience morning sickness, which is also referred to as nausea, vomiting of pregnancy, or pregnancy sickness. The nausea can range from being mild to severe enough to induce actual vomiting. Extreme cases, which are referred to as hyperemesis gravidarum may result in hospitalization to treat dehydration. Although morning sickness can occur at any time throughout the day, it often occurs upon waking since blood sugar levels are at their lowest after a night without food. This condition usually begins in the first month of pregnancy, where it is at its worst between the fifth and seventh weeks and ends around the fourteenth or sixteenth week. At this point in pregnancy, the embryo�s organ systems are being laid down and the embryo is most susceptible to birth defects. Although there is not enough evidence to blame one single cause, there are many theories for possible causes of this condition. Some of these include: an increase in the level of estrogen circulating throughout the blood; low blood sugar, which often occurs during pregnancy; an increase in progesterone which relaxes the muscles in the uterus, preventing early childbirth, but also relaxes the stomach and intestines, leading to excess stomach acid; and an increase in sensitivity to odors, which in return over-stimulates normal nausea triggers. Women who deal with morning sickness are told to avoid foods that are bitter, pungent, or highly-flavored, as well as foods that are likely to contain toxins. Morning sickness offers an evolutionary advantage, since studies have demonstrated that those women with more severe morning sickness are less likely to miscarry or have a child with birth defects.

For those of you who are pregnant and are having problems with morning sickness, there are ways to help. At least half of all pregnant women experience some type of upset stomach at least once during their pregnancy. If the morning sickness is mild, there are a couple things you can do in order to control it. First, avoid any foods or smells that will trigger your stomach to be upset. It�s a good idea to develop certain eating habits which decrease the frequency of morning sickness such as eating small frequent meals and avoiding hunger pains. You should plan on eating a snack high in protein in the evening to regulate your blood sugar and a few crackers or toast in the morning after waking. It�s also a good idea to take a prenatal vitamin daily. If problems consist, try drinking ginger, peppermint, fennel seed, and red raspberry teas regularly. Flat sprite can also help to settle an upset stomach. Some women use acupressure bands, breathing exercises, and aromatherapy to relieve morning sickness. If your morning sickness is severe, you should see a doctor. Your nausea may be connected with other problems or you may be suffering from a type of morning sickness that can endanger your health and cause pregnancy complications. Although the causes are unknown, treatment usually consists of vitamin shots or pills anti-nausea medication, and IVs to re-hydrate you if vomiting is causing serious problems.

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Tai Chi for Arthritis Pain Relief

2007-10-21T00:31:00.001-07:00

Tai Chi, developed around 2000 years ago in China, has become one of the most popular exercises utilized today. It's a combination of both meditation and a series of slow and deliberate movements. You may have seen Tai Chi performed by older people in your local park, on TV, or perhaps by someone who attends Tai Chi classes.

The benefits of Tai Chi have been well known and documented. It not only relieves stress, but enhances one's balance and flexibility as well. In addition, the moves implemented in Tai Chi are one of the best exercise programs in alleviating health problems in older adults.

While anyone can master the art of Tai Chi, you will find mostly older adults engaging in this beautiful and graceful exercise. Considered to be low impact, there are no major strains put on the body or joints and is particularly effective for those who suffer from any form of arthritis.

Recent studies have shown that Tai Chi, when utilized by older adults, offers calm and balance, dissipates anxiety and depression, helps older adults to sleep better, reduces bone loss in menopausal women, decreases blood pressure, helps in alleviating pain, and prepares ones to perform their usual tasks on a daily basis.

Considered to be a great form of exercise, Tai Chi requires no equipment, no time table, is very easy to do, has no side effects, and provides older adults the opportunity to meet others who love the exercise as well. Once you learn Tai Chi and the proper way to move, there is virtually no chance of injury.

Whether you perform Tai Chi in your home by following exercises on DVDs, or whether you go to your local park and exercise Tai Chi there, once you begin this art form of exercise you will most likely continue for the rest of your life. Further, you will begin to develop your own moves and may likely advance to the newest form of exercise and meditation known as Qi Gong. Based on the same principle of slow movements, Qi Gong, while new to this country, has been around as long as Tai Chi and will most likely become as popular in the future.

Meditation has long been studied and affirmed to be one of the best forms of relaxation as well as a great stress reducer. Adding this with exercise and you have an unbeatable combination. More importantly, not only will you develop a new exercise routine, but you will begin to feel good about it, your health, and your overall well-being.

Here is how you can dramatically improve your health and boost your energy with the authentic Tai Chi exercise.
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Take Steps So The New School Season Doesnt Bring Unwanted Cold/Flu

2007-10-21T00:29:00.000-07:00

To most, fall is a beautiful time of year with its new colors, brisk morning air, and the change of the season. But these changes are usually accompanied by cold and flu bugs that usually survive throughout the wintertime months. But don�t worry, if you start preparing now and begin fortifying your immune system, your body will be able to adequately defend itself against these unwanted invaders. There is a small list of things you can do to improve your defenses against those sneezes, coughs, and fevers that you fear so much.

The first of these suggestions is to eat a diet that is high in whole foods. Our bodies require that we have a large variety of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, proteins, etc., so that they are able operate on a basic level. But in order to operate at an optimal level, we must have an adequate amount of these nutrients. The best way to do this is by eating a diet that is rich in vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, fish, and other whole foods. A large amount of evidence supporting this type of diet can be found; where as the typical American diet does not receive much support from scientists. By eating the best possible, we better our chances at avoiding cold and flu bugs.

Take food supplements because even the person who strives to eat the most complete diet still faces factors that does not allow him to receive the perfect levels of nutrients that his body needs. Food supplements can solve this problem. A high-quality multivitamin taken every day is recommended, along with an occasional trace mineral supplement which is often the nutrient most absent in today�s diet. Additionally, look for supplements that can encourage cleansing which will let your body focus on building the immune system rather than spending its resources to get rid of the undesirable toxic buildup.

Make sure to exercise. Exercise is vital a long with a good diet to maintain overall good health. When you are trying to promote good immune function, physical activity is an important part of the process. Even if the physical activity is just a walk around the neighborhood, the important thing is to just make sure you area doing something.

Sometimes, despite our best efforts to fortify ourselves against viruses and bacteria, we sometimes become a victim of their advances, but there are some herbs that can help us to win the battle against these bacteria and viruses. Goldenseal, which has been used for centuries as a natural antibiotic, stops infections and heals mucous membranes. Rose hips, on the other hand, are rich in vitamin C and stimulate the immune system while helping with inflammation. Lobelia fights many respiratory problems such as colds, coughs, and asthma. Echinacea, a wonderful herb that strengthens the immune system, not only prevents colds, flu, and other infections, but treats them as well. Lastly, olive leaf extract has many studies backing its great powers to help with the battle against cold and flu.

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More information is available at http://vitanetonline.com/ where a large selection of cold and flu supplements can be found.

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Have Your Reached Your Weight Loss Goals?

2007-10-21T00:28:00.000-07:00

So...How's is your Weight Loss Going? I don't pose this question to bring on frustration or discouragement but rather to get them to take a step back for a minute and remember the basics. When approaching fitness it is essential to remember that our bodies are amazing and the majority of the time they stay in perfect balance.

The average American gains 1.5 lbs.of fat a year. That calculates out to an excess of 5,250 calories for the year or an extra 14.38 calories per day! This means that that one last bite at dinner, if it is one bite too much, really does add up!!! The point is physiologically speaking our bodies are smart and function exactly how they should. What ever form we are right now results mostly from our life style and habits or in essence how we are "training" our bodies' everyday. The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again expecting different results. If we want a different outcome then we have to make some changes!!

Why do we do what we do? It is important to change our habits, but before we can be effective in making that change permanent, it is essential to evaluate the core of our being and analyze our belief system. Everybody does everything for a reason. If we can alter the way that we think, or our belief system, then the result will be a change in our behavior and a positive change in our habits.

For example: You get home late. You have been driving the kids to and from school, to soccer and back home again, and it has been a long day of running errands and finishing work. You come home to a house that looks as if a tornado has passed through. You are tired, worn out and just need a little break. You go to the refrigerator and open the freezer and you see the carton of ice cream screaming your name. You reach in and grab the carton with a giant spoon and you begin digging away. What is it about the ice cream that you believe is going to help you feel less stressed? There is something or you wouldn't have been eager to grab that container. Many people turn to food to comfort them. I am not saying we shouldn't enjoy food; There is nothing wrong with enjoying your food, but there needs to be a healthy balance.

When you become dependent on food the tendency is that you are going to overeat, with the misconception that food is the bad guy, and ultimately you will develop an unhealthy relationship with the food that you eat. We have to get back to truth. Is food an enemy? Of course not... we would not be living if it weren't for food. Is food going to relieve our stress? Most likely not. It is only going to distract us from the problem that we don't want to face. Make sure your belief system is based on truth! Then begin building your habits from there.

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You don't need to join a High Priced Gym. You don't have to buy expensive Workout Clothes or Equipment. You just have to Invest a little Time and Effort intoYOU and Your Health with the Expertise of eFit-Today!
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Weight Loss Tips You Can Use Right Away

2007-10-21T00:26:00.000-07:00

Obesity has become an epidemic in the world today. Our poor diets and poor exercise habits are really taking their toll on our bodies and waistlines. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Just by making a few changes in your life, you can lose weight and keep it off. Read on to discover a few very valuable weight loss tips. These tips may be the key to changing your life forever!

The very first weight loss tip that I am going to share with you is so simple that anyone can implement this one right away. Slow down. Instead of shoveling the food into your mouth and finishing your meal in just a few minutes, slow it down. Chew each bite thoroughly, savoring the taste of the food. Watch the clock and make it a point to have your meal last for at least 15 minutes. The longer it takes you to eat a meal, the more time your stomach will have to signal the brain that you are getting full. Try this at your next meal.

The next weight loss tip is to stop eating before you are full. I don’t mean to still feel hungry, just stop when you start to feel satisfied. We all have the tendency to want to clean our plates. No doubt, this comes from hearing our mothers tell us time and time again how horrible it was to waste food. But now I am telling you to not mind the voice of your mother or grandmother and don’t clean your plate. When you start getting that satisfied feeling, push away from your plate. Get up and walk away or take your plate into the kitchen. Do whatever it takes to keep you from being tempted to clean your plate.

Another great weight loss tip is to snack between meals. Eating a healthy snack in between your meals will help increase your metabolism to burn more calories and will also keep you from feeling hungry. Drink a glass of water with your healthy snack for maximum weight loss.

The last weight loss tip that I am going to share with you is often the hardest weight loss tip to implement. Get more exercise. It doesn’t have to be a workout that leaves you out of breath and sweating profusely. Just take a walk each day. Walking is the best form of exercise you can do and it requires no special equipment. Walking just 30 minutes each day can really make a huge difference in your weight loss.

If you are overweight, it’s time to get serious about getting that weight off. Follow these great weight loss tips and look for more. Take it one day at time and stay dedicated. It took time for you to put on those extra pounds. It’s going to take some time to get them off.

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Is Your ADD Causing Your Relationship To Suffer?

2007-10-21T00:25:00.000-07:00

Copyright (c) 2007 Jennifer Koretsky

I've seen some interesting news articles recently about adult Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and the increased stress that it causes in romantic relationships. If you or your partner has ADD, then you know how very true that is!

Relationships require hard work to begin with, and when you add adult ADD to the mix things only become more complicated.

Here are a few tips that you can use in your relationship to help keep your ADD from causing excess stress and problems. We use these strategies in my house, so my non-ADD partner and I have tested and approved each of these tips!

Power Hours Help Create Balance

Rather than stressing about all the household chores, try using "power hours." When the house is a mess and it's driving you nuts, set a timer for an hour, split up, and do as much cleaning and organizing as you can. On the weekend, when there is more to be done and more time to do it, set the timer for a couple of hours. Once the time is up, relax! Don't be tempted to keep going. Pat yourselves on the back for accomplishing what you did and then enjoy some down time together.

Use the AIS Rule

There was an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond in which Ray became frustrated with Deborah's chronic lateness. He declared an AIS (A$$ in Seat) time; if your a$$ is not sitting in the car by this time, I'm leaving without you!

Now, I don't advocate leaving without your partner, but I do think that AIS times are very helpful for ADDers. If you and your partner have a dinner date, then your AIS time is the absolute latest time that your a$$ need to be in the car in order to get to the restaurant on time for your reservation. You can then work backwards from the the AIS time to determine how much time you need to get ready, and what you may or may not have time to do before you leave.

It's best to let the non-ADD partner (if there is one) set the AIS!

Take Care of Yourself

Your ADD (and thus your impulsivity, irritability, disorganization, etc.) becomes more challenging when your stress levels are high. When your stress levels are high, your ADD is worse, your partner becomes more annoyed, and your relationship suffers.

Recognize the fact that when you put yourself first, get your own needs met, and allow yourself time to relax, your relationship benefits. This applies to both ADD and non-ADD partners.

Relationships, like individuals, are always a work in progress. Small, positive steps can have tremendously positive effects.

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Jennifer Koretsky is the Founder of the ADD Management Group, Inc. and the author of the new book Odd One Out: The Maverick's Guide to Adult ADD. Jennifer and her team work with ADD adults who are overwhelmed with everyday life in order to help them simplify, focus, and succeed. For free resources and information on adult ADD, visit http://www.ADDmanagement.com .
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Cervical Cancer Smear Test - The Long Wait

2007-10-21T00:23:00.000-07:00

Cervical and breast cancer are two types of cancer which not only affect a woman physically but mentally too e.g. dealing with all the trauma after being diagnosed with the disease. A large percentage of women admit to living in fear of the big C, however cervical or breast cancer free women admit that the thought of contacting the disease never leaves their thoughts.

Sadly, self breast examination seems to be unimportant for some women who choose to ignore a health issue as vital to secure their well being, ignoring any indication that breast cancer is developing can result in the patient having to fight for their life. If an examination of the breasts had taken place in some unfortunate cases the whole scenario would have just involved treating the breast cancer and no involvement of an undertaker. Women need to wise up because if they continue to carry ignorance as an ally to help beat this battle - then they lose. Winning includes modern medicines. Early cancer treatment betters survival odds hence giving a patient the chance to carry on with their life instead of throwing it away.

Aside from bosom blunders where ignorance may have prevailed we have cervical cancer. Women need to be aware of all involvements i.e. what to expect throughout any cervical cancer treatments. The cervix is the lower part of the womb or uterus and is commonly referred to as the 'neck of the womb'.

The cervix and its purpose are to help maintain a normal pregnancy. In non-pregnant women, the cervix has no obvious function. In the UK cervical cancer is down on paper as the sixth most common cancer in women. It is of the utmost importance for a woman to keep healthy in mind body and soul by having regular cervical cancer smear tests - oft times referred to as a Pap smear test. Smear tests are commonly carried out in order to detect any cell changes that come before cancer. It's a waiting game, meaning, it can take years for these cell changes detected at the time of a cervical smear test to become cancer. Luckily some changes have been known to go away by themselves.

Women who waited in anticipation for their cancer results said they found it more of an ordeal coping with the wait than that of receiving the actual prognosis (cervical cancer).

Suffering in silence is not healthy, not all abnormal test results indicate that cervical cancer is present. It is through early diagnosis and treatment of pre-cancerous changes that development of actual cancer can be prevented. Early detection is most profound to help fight the disease.

There are two types of this cancer; the squamous cell cancer and aden-ocarcinoma. Cervical smear tests detect the early changes of squamous cell cancer. Early stage growths of certain cancers can be treated with surgery or radiotherapy thus resulting in a cure.

Regular questions asked about cervical cancer are what the causes are; well there is no definite single cause, however study points the finger at a viral infection of the cervix or cancer sticks (cigarettes). Fags are a major health hazard relating to lung cancer, smoking is said to also increase the risk of developing cervical cancer and even the number of partners in youth trial runs of intercourse have also been linked to being connected to the cause. In the UK cervical tests are routinely performed every three years, lives are being saved because of this.

Females face a silent but deadly situation because; pre-cancerous changes of the cervix that show up on cervical smear tests unfortunately do not give symptoms. Undergoing a biopsy of the cervix is the way cervical cancer is diagnosed. The process is normally done with an internal examination called a colposcopy.

Treating cancer of the cervix will purely depend upon the severity of the disuse, meaning, has it spread to the pelvis. A radical hysterectomy or Wertheim's hysterectomy may be suggested as treatment. It is at this stage that a specialist gynaecologist will conduct surgery. Radiotherapy destroys tumour cells that the gynaecologist cannot see.

Remember "out of sight out of mind", is not a healthy approach for a cure; a healthy approach is to keep it in mind and any cervical cancer symptoms must be kept in sight.

Womens Cancer

Depressed Women

Cancer Concerns

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Gastric Bypass Support is Available

2007-10-21T00:20:00.000-07:00

Meeting and talking with other individuals who have undergone weight loss surgery is very important to the success of the weight loss surgery patient. Having this kind of surgery is traumatic no matter what kind of surgery it is. A lot of people underestimate the gastric bypass surgery groups but there are essentials to those patients who recovering from losing their weight. Finding gastric bypass support groups in your area can pose a challenge but you do have some options.

Gastric bypass is traditionally a laparoscopic or minimally invasive procedure. During the operation, which requires general anesthesia (being completely "put under"), a surgeon makes tiny incisions in the abdominal area and, working with a miniature scope, divides the stomach into two sections with two rows of stitch-like staples. Between the rows of staples, the surgeon makes incisions so scar tissue will grow over the staples to secure them in place. It is also called a stomach stapling or bar iatric (weight-loss) surgery. A surgery procedure involves dividing the stomach into a upper and bottom section using staples (similar to stitches) or banding. The upper section will become a small pouch that will be attached to the small intestine, bypassing the bottom section of the stomach

People having problem with this kind of surgery because they are not prepared for this kind of surgery. It has a radical changes that they need to come up after undergoing this kind of procedure. This surgery than only in extreme cases of lifestyle changes as well. Gastric bypass support groups are designed to help individuals adjust to those drastic changes.

Life it seems so overwhelming when a person suffering form obesity. This challenging and bravery decisions can make individual undergo surgery in order to lose weight. Literally, person's who has gone this kind of surgery which is the gastric bypass surgery doing an effort to save their lives. That's why joining gastric bypass support groups are very helpful and everyone is encouraged to join in this kind of procedure.

Even though this is the major problems that an obese individual faces in a certain issues. It is really a struggle to a person when body is having an excess amount of weight they have. This is impossible also to individuals in joining local gastric bypass support groups but, this groups doesn't require the person to attend in person. There's another way where you can find the said group. One here is through Internet, where you can find gastric bypass support group which offers so many helpful resources than to attend in person.

And here's a testimony about a friend of mine suffered obesity. He was constantly on a diet, he mostly using high protein approaches in losing weight such as Atkins diet pill to help him drop a few pounds, but instead of having losing some pounds about 40 or 50, he would start gaining back the weight faster than you could imagine. Not only this while he gains back what he lost, he added a few pounds each round.

Since things are run out of control anymore his doctor recommend surgery to work on this problem right away and he complied. The
Procedure finally okay but he had in difficulty in recovering this. And he comes up with fine feeling but he was depressed and slow-moving on his recovery. He feel that he had no energy and he rarely cracked a smile and soon he found himself looking to gastric bypass support groups for help.

These kinds of things, my friend don't want this himself to do alone. The gastric bypass support groups that met face to face every week were my friend doesn't like this. Even though he joined this group, he soon stopped attending. The gastric bypass support groups were helping but he just wasn't keeping up with the meetings.

Later he found out wonderful options on gastric bypass support groups through online rather than in person. He get discussed some emotional aspects of his experience and get proper eating plans. He also gets to help others in the process which is the best part as far as he is concerned.

With an Internet connection, everyone can find these groups by doing some surfing through the net. The goal of this groups always the same that the focus may vary. Other people who are facing the same surgery or have already successfully lost weight are looking for or offering support. Just imagine how encouraging it is for someone who has this surgery to be able to communicate with someone who has reached their goal weight.

The set up of this group may differ. Some are designed as forums, where individuals can visit at anytime and post comments or questions. This kind of gastric bypass group are suitable for everyone who are not comfortable posting online. People can actually visit the site online and can read the questions and comments. There are moderators in, many cases on these gastric bypass support groups who have an experience with that surgery. Their comments can provide insight into what can be expected during and following surgery.

Some sites online provide chat on this. This kind of idea is an ideal for those people who want to talk one on one with others encountered the same hurdles. For established new members, many online gastric bypass support groups have weekly or monthly scheduled chats on this. People log into the chat and can comment on anything they wish as well as read the thoughts of others.

The gastric bypass support groups are necessity for anyone who has gone through this difficult process. The individuals are not only allowed you to help them through their journeys but also help through your questions and concerns as well.

This form of weight loss some people views this as an easy way out. People who have done this it will say otherwise. This groups involves essential changes in all aspects of a person's life and having someone to turn to can make a world of difference. Online gastric bypass support groups can lend a helping hand to anyone either considering the surgery or those who've already done it.

Crizza
weight loss

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Do It Yourself Facelift

2007-10-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

Do you look great for your age? Do you look 10 years younger than you are? Do people constantly guess your age incorrectly? Are they shocked to find out your real age? How many years younger than your real age do people say you look? How does it make you feel to look so young?

What are your secrets to looking young? Is it your exercise, diet, clothes, hair, make-up or attitude?

Oprah has asked her viewers the above questions and it is curious to note that most people when they look closely at themselves in the mirror do not look younger than they did ten years ago, especially if they are over the age of fifty.

Why? Sagging facial muscles make you look older. Those hidden muscles situated beneath the skin begin to elongate as one ages. When this happens, the elongating muscles drag down the features, making your face look square rather than oval and all of a sudden, it is apparent that you have lost your youthful visage.

Using hair color, adopting a youthful attitude, wearing hip clothes and maintaining a youthful figure are certainly successful anti-aging tools. No matter how cleverly one uses these ploys, you cannot disguise an aging face.

Makeup and creams, lotions and potions will certainly mask fine lines and wrinkles. Today's cosmeceutical advances promise younger, softer looking skin but they can do nothing to lift jowls, pouches, hooded eyes, and a double chin.

Oh yes, there are injections and surgeries available for those risk takers who care little about the possible catastrophic consequences such as staph infection, disappointing results or even death. The easy-breezy attitude of the medical profession mocks conventional wisdom that screams "This is dangerous stuff!"

That's right – surgery is dangerous and should be used as the very last option. And those injections that plump and paralyze? Well, consider this: Do you really know and understand what is being injected into your body? Are the long-term health risks worth repeating several times per year, year after year?

Injections and surgeries are temporary at best because aging continues to affect the downward slide of the muscles.

Over the past few years a social stigma has arisen around aging. No longer is it acceptable to gracefully accept the lines, wrinkles, sags and bags. Aging is not what it used to be and people want to fight the look of old. We feel young on the inside and we want our faces and bodies to match. The new mantra is: Let's resist aging every step of the way!"

Does this mean that we all must meekly submit to injections and surgery? Can we turn back the hands of time without resorting to risk and the loss of our nest egg? Yes, we can and here is how: Specialized facial exercises will keep you looking younger than your years.

Consider this: most facial plastic surgeons tell their clients that a face lift will result in a reduction of five to ten years off one's appearance. Now this sounds enticing and easy, doesn't it? But, it's not. A surgical procedure takes months and months to heal. And, once you have allowed cutting on your face, you never, ever look like you. You have been forever altered.

Sometimes the results are startling and all you wanted was to look refreshed.

A Do It Yourself Facelift makes perfect sense. Not only is the process easy and reliable, there is no down time, no cutting, no drugs or ivs and most of all, no surprises. Risking your life and your beauty for the sake of looking younger is insane.

Facial exercise will help you rediscover the face you thought you had lost forever. This all natural process uses contraction and resistance of the muscles so they shorten and plump up. The action of using your thumbs and fingers in white cotton gloves nourishes the face with increased oxygenated blood and because the muscles are attached directly to the skin, you look refreshed and younger using these specialized techniques just minutes a day.

The dedication to facial exercise will undo the look of aging and you can do it yourself without ever harming your beautiful face.

Cynthia Rowland is widely recognized as an expert in all natural facial fitness with over thirty years experience in health & beauty related fields. She has appeared on The View, Fit TV, HGTV and other popular shows. This author, speaker and television personality is leading the crusade to keep men and women looking vibrantly younger through natural techniques without spending their children’s inheritance.

Cynthia Rowland
“I Save Faces”
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Infrared Home Sauna - Infrared vs Traditional Saunas

2007-10-21T00:14:00.000-07:00

With the introduction of infrared saunas into our culture, they have become the premier choice for sauna relaxation. Say goodbye to the old traditional heat rock style saunas. The new infrared sauna has all the health benefits of a traditional sauna without the detrimental side effects.

An especially popular benefit of an infrared sauna is it's home friendly characteristics. Infrared saunas are much cheaper than their bulky cousins, and many DIY'ers are opting to build them on their own. The Infrared home sauna can be built well under the brick and mortar asking price, and anyone with half a brain and a toolset can buy a kit locally and build one. Due to their limited operating parts, an infrared home sauna really has no limit on size or use. One can build a cheap portable version to accomodate vacations and trips, or a full blown 5-10 person luxury sauna suite.

The advantages of an infrared home sauna are astounding to say the least. Many sports facilities and physical therapist clinics are using them for their awesome health benefits. That alone should say something to the home end consumer. The individuals who are lucky enough to have a personal sauna at home enjoy increased cardiovascular output, detoxification of harmful toxins and chemicals, purifying the skin, pain relief from achy joints and muscles, and a great therapeutic experience for the body and mind. Home users also feel the benefits in their wallets. Infrared home saunas are not only cheaper to build or buy, they are much cheaper to operate. The standard infrared heater uses less than a traditional one due to the extremely efficient design of the infrared assembly. The power supplies that operate the heaters are also much smaller than the standard saunas, which gives the home end consumer many more location choices.

Overall, the infrared homa sauna is a great choice for anyone looking to purchase a personal sauna for home use.

For more information on infrared home saunas, such as a portable infrared sauna, please visit: Infrared Sauna Spot.
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The Components of Physical Fitness

2007-10-21T00:12:00.000-07:00

Which components of physical fitness are there and what is the definition of fitness? Put another way, are the sum of the condition of each of these components the definition of fitness? Each of these components equals one of the aspects we use to describe exactly how good a person's general health and fitness is. The components of physical fitness is an array of statements about how fit a person is in a specific area. The more statements with a high area value, the higher general health and fitness is found in the person.

Strength is defined as the component of physical fitness which judges the extent in which the muscles and body can exert force while being resisted. Power is the way we exert maximum amounts of energy in fast movements like making a running start. Agility is how well a person can perform several power movements in succession although in opposite directions. Balance records how well a person can control their position while they are either moving or fixed. Flexibility is the way we can move our bodies in certain ways without discountenance by stiff muscles or even fat. Body composition is how the amount of fat and lean muscle in our bodies are assessed. A person's body weight may not coincide with how fit they really are so it is momentous to learn how much body fat a person should have and how they can improve it.

The next components of physical fitness assess the endurance levels of diversified areas. Local muscle endurance is the ability of a particular isolated muscle or muscle group to perform repeated actions requiring energy or force. Cardiovascular endurance judges how well a person's heart can distribute blood to the muscles in the body as well as the ability to use it. Strength endurance is the muscle's capability to effectively perform an action using maximum power over a sustained period of time. Co-ordination is the ability to effectively mingle other components of physical fitness to perform tasks.

Are there any Components of Physical Fitness that are more Important than others?

All components of physical fitness are important in their own unique way. There is one component however, that can be classified as more important than the other: Cardiovascular and cardio respiratory endurance are especially important as it is the areas that most affect how well the other components perform. Without fuel, physical activity is impossible so it is imperative that this area of fitness is the top priority in a fitness regime. Activities that keep the heart rate elevated for a sustained period of time such as walking or swimming can improve cardiovascular endurance. The workout does not have to be overly exertive; actually it is more effective if built up slowly to a more powerful pace. This can help to build up muscular strength particularly when combined with weight lifting. The more you build up muscle endurance, the greater is the amount of time they can be exerted with fatigue.

If a joint can move within a big ranger, we say that it is flexible; The bigger the range it can move, the more flexible it is. The more flexible a joint is, the less is the chance of injuries while moving. As you may see, all components of physical fitness are of importance. We should all strive for maximum health and fitness.

Gary Holdon is a writer and internet publisher. Read his popular articles like best weight loss diet. Read more at weight loss plans.

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Nutritional Supplements for Allergy Relief

2007-10-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “allergies are the immune system’s incorrect response to a foreign substance. Exposure to what is normally a harmless substance, such as pollen, causes the immune system to react as if the substance is harmful. Substances that cause allergies are called allergens. When you come into contact with an allergen, you may experience a number of allergic symptoms including itchy, watery nose and eyes; asthma symptoms such as wheezing and coughing; or hives.”

On a scientific level, the first time an allergy-prone person is exposed to an allergen, large amounts of the corresponding IgE antibodies are produced. The IgE antibodies cause the mast cells to release inflammatory chemicals that cause swelling of tissues, as well as histamine and several other chemicals that cause itching, engorgement of blood vessels, increased secretions, and bronchospasm (tightening of muscles that surround the airways). Some of these chemicals attract white blood cells known as eosinophils. The eosinophils add more inflammatory chemicals.

There are different types of allergens. If you recognize the symptoms in your eyes, nose and lungs, your reaction is to something airborne. If you have problems with your stomach, mouth or intestines, the allergen had been ingested.

Scientists are discovering that nutritional supplements may be the simplest way to relieve allergy and sensitivity symptoms. Which vitamins are most noted?

• Vitamin C – This vitamin works as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It has been shown to block asthma attacks and allergic rhinitis symptoms. Vitamin C also helps remove environmental toxins from the body and helps with the formation of collagen to rebuild joint tissue damaged by allergy-induced arthritis.
• Vitamin E – Acts as an anti-inflammatory that blocks the activity of an enzyme that provokes inflammation. It helps maintain the elastic quality in cells. Research has shown asthma patients are often low in Vitamin’s C and E.
• Vitamin B5 – Produces adrenal hormones such as cortisol and has an antihistamine effect. This vitamin also reduces stress in the body.
• Magnesium – Serves as an adrenal and immune stimulate that relaxes smooth muscles and serves as a natural bronchodilator and antihistamine.

In addition to vitamins Chinese herbal medicine and botanicals can help you with your allergy relief. Chinese herbal formulas include apricot seed, astragalus, centipede, corydalis, chrysanthemum, ginseng, magnolia, perilla seed, and xanthium. Botanicals include but are not limited to Stinging Nettle, Ephedra, Ginkgo Bilboa, Licorice root, Chinese Skullcap, and Feverfew.

Choosing natural remedies first instead of over-the-counter medications will not only strengthen your body but will provide you with additional benefits. There is also fewer side effects.

So if you are looking to battle those allergies and recurrent reactions, look to nature first.

About the Author: R. Fredriksen is the Vice President of Nutrition Dome, a leading provider of www.nutritiondome.com.

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The Prevention of Hairloss Easily

2007-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Prevention of hairloss is or should be on the top of the list of most men. Based on statistics around 66% of men will be affected by male pattern baldness. Most have pretty much accepted their fate and when it actually does sport a bald look. The reality is that most will not do anything to prevent hair loss but hope it does not affect them.

There are hair loss prevention techniques available if you are not now bald completely or have not been affected by male pattern baldness. Important roles, such as diligence and knowledge of correct hair care procedures are vital when it comes to the subject of hair loss prevention and avoiding Alopecia. All causes of hairloss we are not in control of. However following a careful plan you can avoid or limit some of the mor common causes of hair loss. And improve the overall health of your hair.

1 The best method for the prevention of hair loss, is to be as natural as possible. Adding too many chemicals to the hair should be avoided at all times. It is understandable that hairstyling is demanded for special occasions, however, it is much better not to undertake hairstyling or use hair products on a daily basis. Hair will grow healthy quite naturally. If you continue to undergo the basics, your scalp will be much healthier.

2. Ensure that you give your scalp a massage from time to time. While taking a shower is the best way to do this. Massage your scalp whilst shampooing your hair, ensuring that you give the scalp a good kneading and rubbing, in order to stimulate the follicles and promote healthy hair growth.

3. Supplementing your diet with the vitamins and nutrients needed for healthy hair growth is a good hair loss prevention technique. Vitamins such as B6, E, biotin, amino acids and zinc are essential components for the stimulation of the hair follicles. Being able to acquire a daily recommended dosage of these vitamins and nutrients will help you correct any hormonal imbalance that could potentially damage your hair. Aside from this, one of the leading causes of hair loss is heredity, therefore it is essential to balance the hormones, which will in turn ensure that your descendents will not suffer from Alopecia.

It does not matter what phase you are in of balding, you should spend some time to consider the different hair loss prevention techniques. Preventing hairloss sooner than later can lead to more and healthier hair in the future.

Get More information and tips on hair loss click here Hair Loss Medications or go to http://Hairloss.Totalinfoguide.Com for articles and product information related to hairloss.
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Lifestyle Behaviors and the Risk of Death

2007-10-20T23:56:00.000-07:00

Copyright (c) 2007 Ainsley Laing

According to the Center for Disease Control in the United States, the life expectancy for American men is 75 (74.5) and women is 80 (79.9). The top killers for men and top killers for women are pretty similar. Here's the list. You may be surprised:

For American Men, the top 8 causes of death over a lifetime are:

No. 1 - Heart disease.
No. 2 - Cancer .
No. 3 - Accidents (unintentional injuries).
No. 4 - Stroke .
No. 5 - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
No. 6 - Diabetes.
No. 7 - Pneumonia and influenza .
No. 8 - Suicide

For American Women, the top 8 causes of death over a lifetime are:

No. 1 - Heart disease .
No. 2 - Cancer .
No. 3 - Stroke .
No. 4 - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
No. 5 - Alzheimer's disease.
No. 6 - Diabetes .
No. 7 - Accidents .
No. 8 - Pneumonia and influenza

It's important to note that these "killers" are over a lifetime, and that the major causes of death shift within certain age groups.

If you are a woman in your 20s, accidents are your biggest risk factor for death. Likewise, from ages 35 to 64, your greatest risk is cancer. For men, from childhood until age 44, accidents are the most significant threat. From 55 to 64, cancer is the biggest cause of death.

Lung cancer is still by far the biggest cancer killer in both sexes. 90% of this cancer is caused by cigarettes. Prostate, colorectal and breast cancer, the other leading cancers have all been associated with high fat diets, overweight and lack of exercise. Smoking is also a primary contributor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

More than twice as many men as women die each year in traffic accidents. Male drivers involved in such accidents are almost twice as likely as female drivers to be intoxicated.

Surprisingly, men commit suicide four times as often as women do. Depression is estimated to affect 7 percent of men in any given year and is a risk factor for suicide. Substance abuse, more common in men, can mask depression.

More women than men have Alzheimer's. In fact, women die of it at more than twice the rate that men do. One reason may be that women generally live longer, and the risk of Alzheimer's increases with age.

Putting all this together, the lifestyle behaviors you can employ to lessen your chances of dying of the big killers or at least putting them off look like this:

1. Avoid smoking, using other tobacco products and exposure to passive smoke .
2. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. .
3. Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products.
4. Exercise regularly.
5. Control other health conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. .
6. Maintain a healthy weight.
7. Limit saturated fats.
8. Be aware of potential cancer-causing substances (carcinogens) in your home and workplace, and take steps to reduce your exposure to these substances.
9. Have regular preventive health screenings.
10 Know your family medical history and review it with your doctor.
11. Use your seat belt.
12. Keep your speed down when driving.
13. Don't drive while sleepy or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
14. Limit your exposure to sun and use sunscreen.

Nothing really new or earth shattering, just common sense!

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

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About the Author:
Ainsley Laing, MSc. has been a Fitness Trainer for 25 years and writes exclusively Body for Mind eZine. She holds certifications in Group Exercise, Sports Nutrition and Personal Fitness Training. To see more articles by Ainsley visit http://www.bodyformind.com or the blog at http://www.bodyformind.blogspot.com

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How To Remove Belly Fat – Five Tips To Get You Started

2007-10-20T23:54:00.000-07:00

Like everyone, you want to look young and healthy. No one wants to carry on the extra weight. Weight loss is not as hard as some may believe. Here are five simple steps that you can try out for yourself.

1. Eat Fruits And Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are essential because they contain very vital nutrients. You also can eat as many as you want since they are low in calories.

2. No More Junk Food

Junk food must be out of your eating plan at all costs. Anything with salt, fat and chemicals will indeed do harm to your body. There are lots of foods that are trans fats that make you gain weight at a rapid paste.

3. Stop Skipping Meals

Whatever you do, don’t let yourself go hungry. This will lower the sugar in your blood and ultimately making you feel somewhat bad about yourself. Eating six smaller meals is suggested because it will increase your metabolism

4. Exercise

Exercising helps you burn calories and gives you energy through out your day. If you just exercise for 30 minutes a day for 3 days a week it will be plenty to keep your endorphins active and help you lose weight.

Max Whitson began involved in learning about weight loss at the youthful age of 15. Now, Whitson is a weight loss guru and has helped hundreds of people lose weight safely and effectively.

For more information, visit www.loseyourextraweight.com
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End Your Love Affair with the Scale: How to Break the Weighing Habit

2007-10-20T23:53:00.001-07:00

Oh how to break this habit, the pull of the small metal contraption that lie in wait, only to tell my day's fate?

Weighing Yourself is a Lousy way to Tell if You're Losing Weight

The scale simply cannot tell the difference between muscle and fat, and while fat is bulky and lumpy, muscle is sleek and shapely. Muscle also gives you strength, agility and power. Muscle can be used as fuel, but it is not the primary fuel source. Fat on the other hand is a storage fuel for times of famine. It also shields our body's organs and provides a protective layer from the outside world. Without some body fat we cannot survive, and without some muscle you'd not have the strength to get out of bed. But while fat is necessary, many of us have a bit more saved up than is necessary. Most of us never consider our body's ratio of fat to muscle. We instead rely on the bathroom scale. We've been told we need to weigh a certain amount, or be within a certain range to the point that many who start eating well and exercising consistently abandon their plan when they don't quickly see a difference on the scale. Even when their body is visibly changing, they still are disappointed if the scale won't budge.

When the Scale Won't Budge

Consider for a moment, those first hints that something is changing: Your waistband may be getting looser, your rings may be slipping off, your face may start to look a little slimmer, and your shoes, yes your shoes will start to become too big for your feet. Many will start losing in the hands and feet first. That's just dandy, I know. We all strive for skinny fingers and toes, but I didn't design the body, I just own and operate one.

You may own and operate a car? Do you take care of it the same way you take care of yourself? Do you store gasoline in the trunk, in case you can't find a gas station? Probably not. Do you stockpile extra oil and batteries? No, no that either. Then why do you worry about dinner when you haven't finished eating lunch? Have you ever gone ahead and eaten something because you might get hungry later? Why do we worry so much about food when there is no scarcity that I've noticed? Where I live there is food at every corner, 24-hours a day, at the bank, the gas station and even the neighbor's garage sale.

Interestingly, I've found that when the scale suddenly showed a loss, greater than expected, it seemed to induce in me a desire to remedy that situation. I'd overeat that day and the next, somehow unraveling any good I'd done previously. Even with all the knowledge and sense in the world, we still become unsensible in the face of our judge and juror, the bathroom scale!

The problem isn't that we are unhappy by the number, so much as we are disappointed time after time. If you are dieting, then you want to see a lower number, but what happens when you do? Do you reward yourself for a job well done? Do you decide you've done so well, you might as well have a treat?

Measure Your Progress by Tracking Habits

Change the scale habit by finding other ways to measure your progress. Start a journal which gives you a way to chart what you do now so you can find ways to improve your habits. Ending a habit always involves beginning another.

Get a small notebook or journal. If later you want to get a nice leather book, fine, but don't start this exercise with the excuse that you don't have the supplies. Use a scrap of paper you found on the ground if you have to, but starting today, you are going to track something about every day, for one week.

Commit to one week, seven days. Yes, you can do this. If I can, you can. Seven days. Okay, to make it so easy anyone can do this, start with one day. Today you will chart only a few things: The time on the clock whenever you decide you're hungry, and what your hunger level is right then on a scale of 1 to 10 with one being absolutely stark raving mad with hunger and 10 being so full you think you'll burst. Obviously the happy place is somewhere between 3 and 5. Most people never experience a one or 10.

It's 7:30 AM and I'm a 3 - hungry, not starving, not going to come unglued if I don't eat, but yes, I'm hungry. You must decide the levels for yourself, but I'd suggest making an effort to wait until you are a 3 or lower to eat. Don't worry about it for now though. This week is just to make a chart and get used to keeping track of something instead of weighing yourself.

Track Hunger

Every day you successfully write down what time it is and your hunger level, you get a gold star, or a smiley face, or some other "fun" reward. Rewards should not be food, they should be nourishing to your soul instead. Some people like stickers, some like massages, whatever you like is fine. I like to reward myself with a massage once a month (I'd rather get one every day like Bob Hope, but that's another goal). Your goal is to achieve five or more smiley faces for the week. If you only manage two, is that bad? Heck, no. It's fantastic because it's an improvement over the week before. Next week make sure you at least achieve what you did the week before and possibly exceed it, and slowly, you'll develop a new habit. This works with exercise too, slowly adding minutes.

There's no need to keep track of what you're eating; this is just to get used to seeing how often you eat without hunger. It also helps if you tend to continue eating despite no longer being hungry. Both habits you can change.

When you make an effort to eat only if you're hungry, instead of every time the opportunity arrives or "it's time to eat," then you'll start losing inches, I guarantee it.

Inches lost, is what matters. I couldn't care less how much I weigh. What if my body was solid gold? It would weigh a lot and would I care? No. I'd feel pretty darn good about it, I'll bet. I'm worth my weight in gold, and so are you.

Kathryn Martyn Smith, Master NLP & EFT, Weight Loss Coach, Author of the free weight loss E-book "Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss." Learn to use EFT & NLP for weight loss with
"The Daily Bites"

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Could a runny nose cost you your cheap car insurance?

2007-10-20T23:51:00.000-07:00

Women's car insurance customers know how to take care of their cars and know how to take care of themselves. Any sign of a runny nose during this year's hayfever season not only poses a threat to their foundation but also puts them at risk of being involved in a serious road accident.

As the hayfever season gets underway a number of women could be risking the need to claim off their car insurance policies and all because of a sneeze. According the http://www.theaa.com, drivers who sneeze when they're travelling at 70mph can lose their vision for as much as 100 metres.

But sneezing isn't the only irritable thing that descends upon female drivers when showing off the driving skills that have credited them with cheap car insurance; there are a number of hayfever symptoms including:

* runny nose
* itchy, watery eyes
* headaches
* loss of concentration
* sore throat and tongue

The majority of these symptoms can be dealt with by using prescribed or over the counter medication; however, such treatment could put female drivers at risk of a road accident for which they may have to claim on their cheap car insurance.

A study carried out by road safety charity Brake http://www.brake.org.uk found that nearly one in six motorists admitted to taking over-the-counter drugs before getting behind the wheel. This shows that a large number of women could be putting themselves at risk from suffering injuries in a car accident because their driving has become impaired from medication.

The chief executive of Brake said, "The Government must do more to make drivers aware that their medication may make them unsafe behind the wheel. There needs to be clear warnings on all prescription and over-the-counter medicine. As we start the hayfever season drivers need to be aware that by taking what seems to be an innocent anti-allergy tablet they could be putting lives at risk. If you think your driving may be impaired as a result of taking medication then the message is simple; don't risk it."

The research, which was also carried out by the Green Flag Motoring Assistant http://www.greenflag.com, shows that a number of hayfever sufferers may have to claim on their cheap car insurance after being involved in an accident. A spokesperson for Green Flag added, "We would advise motorists on any medication to avoid driving if they feel drowsy, tired or dizzy. Many medicines, particularly those taken for hayfever and allergies, cause fatigue, and could inhibit a driver's ability to drive safely in much the same way as drinking alcohol does."

Here at CoverGirl Car Insurance Services, we spoke to several people who had been involved in near misses after taking medication for their hayfever allergies. Here is what one of them had to say:

"For as along as I can remember I've suffered from hayfever, I even had to delay my driving test for about five minutes because I had a bout of sneezes. I decided to take over-the-counter medication to reduce my hayfever symptoms but one day, when I was driving on a country road, I began feeling really tired. I found it difficult to keep my eyes open my car started drifting off the road a little. I pulled over as soon as I found a lay-by. If I hadn't, I could have easily been involved in a road accident and needed to claim on my woman car insurance."
Sarah, Hertfordshire

If you know that you're a hayfever sufferer and you take medication, why risk the danger of having an accident and claiming on your cheap car insurance? If you're planning a journey try to take medication that doesn't cause drowsiness or even ask somebody else to drive.

Last but not least, keep a box of tissues handy in your car to prevent a runny nose. You never know who might be parked by your side at the next set of traffic lights!
--
CoverGirl Car Insurance
Suppliers of cheap car insurance for women
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ADHD Treatment Through Behavior Therapy

2007-10-20T23:49:00.000-07:00

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a common psychological disorder that often becomes perceptible once a child starts preschool. Millions of children are diagnosed with ADHD each year, many of them before the age of six. The most prevalent form of treatment is typically prescription medication, which may help to reduce the symptoms of ADHD so the child can function normally in a school setting. Unfortunately, drug medications are not without side effects and can be addictive. For these reasons, many parents seek treatment for ADHD through behavior therapy.

Behavioral therapy, also known as behavior management, is shown to have positive results on ADHD children. The goal of behavior therapy in ADHD children is to increase the desired behaviors. This is typically achieved through using positive reinforcements when the child acts appropriately. The first step of therapy is typically to improve the relationship between the child and the parents. This is coupled with providing negative consequences and positive reinforcements to help the child increase his or her interest in pleasing the parents.

Part of the success of behavior therapy for ADHD children lies in the active interest and support of the child's parents. Parents need to take an active role in making the therapy work for their child. This includes making and following a game plan to which both parents need to use to help guide the child to success. Parents should discuss the ongoing therapy with the doctor to ensure that the program is working for their child.

One of the most important factors in using behavioral therapy is to identify the problem early and start treatment as soon as possible. Even very young ADHD children will benefit from some form of behavioral therapy. One problem has always been early detection of ADHD in children. In the past small children that had disciplinary problems may have been expelled and told to wait until they matured slightly to enter pre-school.

Recent studies have found that when behavior therapy is started very young it can be quite successful as an alternative treatment for ADHD. In a 5-year study conducted by researchers at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, 135 preschoolers with ADHD were treated with a variety of behavior-only therapies. After a year, researchers found that the children's behavior and learning had improved by about 30 percent. The most effective techniques are based on consistency in rules and routine when dealing with good and bad behaviors.

In many cases, ADHD children can be treated successfully without the use of medications or through the use of reduced medication coupled with behavior therapy. ADHD children respond well the younger they are when they are diagnosed and treated. If you have concerns about whether or not your child is exhibiting symptoms of ADHD you should consult with a doctor. A qualified specialist can perform simple tests to determine if the child has ADHD and if so the severity of the condition.

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Drug medications are the most prevalent form of treatment for ADHD. The side effects are often unpleasant and can be serious. There are alternative treatments for ADHD that are safer and yet effective. Check out the all natural and drug free treatment for ADHD at www.guidetoadhd.com/products/adhdremedies.html
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The treatment of varicose veins

2007-10-20T23:48:00.000-07:00

Varicose veins are caused due to a minor problem caused by the malfunctioning of the vein valves. It is a rather painful medical condition that can affect the daily life of the patient. Varicose veins are not only physically traumatic but also affect the patient emotionally as it is an embarrassing situation for the patient.

Some of the common reasons attributed to the condition of varicose veins are obesity, family history, work induced or even pregnancy related.

Symptoms of Varicose Veins:
• Burning or throbbing pain in the legs
• Protruding or bulging veins
• Discoloration of the veins of the legs

Treating Varicose veins:
Varicose veins should not be left to heal on their own as they never will. The treatment of varicose veins requires medical attention that too from a vein specialist. There are several sophisticated techniques of treating varicose now available with the developments in technology. The earlier days of very painful procedures like “vein stripping” for treating varicose veins is over. Some of the latest and most advanced techniques of treating the condition of varicose veins include:

• Compression stocking therapy: For mild conditions and cases where the problem of varicose veins is at its initial stages , the problem can be rectified merely by the use of compression garments. Compression garments like stockings are now available in a range of colors and styles to go with your dress and no one would even make out the difference.

• Sclerotherapy: Sclerotherapy is an important technique used for treating varicose veins. This method of treatment requires injecting the drugs directly into the veins to cure the disorder. This may involve more than one session with the doctor for full treatment of the condition. The Duplex Ultrasound technology has come as a boon to help the doctors see the actual problem causing deeper veins. This is state of the art minimally invasive technology which helps to repair the problem right from its root.

• Laser therapy: Laser therapy is a quick and painless treatment which uses the very latest in technology to fix the problem of varicose veins.

• Endogenous Laser Therapy: This technique is suggested by the doctor under specific circumstances and the type of the problem.

There are several specialized vein institutes today which deal solely with vein problems and are equipped with the best in technology and also employ the services of trained and experienced doctors and other medical staff. Such institutes help the patient in understanding his problem and also provide access to a vein specialist who would be able to guide him regarding the right mode of treatment. In case of any problems also the best medical help is available.

The developments in the field have provided several solutions for the treatment of varicose veins. Now even if you are diagnosed with varicose veins , help is not far away. It is a problem which can be treated without any problem and you would soon be back on your lovely feet.

Author Bio: Ted Turner is a consultant at various Toronto Hospitals and clinics for ROSACEA (FACIAL REDNESS VEINS), BOTOX, Varicose Veins and Spider Veins Clinic, Laser Hair Removal, Tattoo Removal, Hyperhidrosis Treatments (Excessive Sweating), Age Spots treatment
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Omega 3, 6, 9

2007-10-20T23:46:00.000-07:00

With the complicated chemical structures that are located in the body, it's no wonder that nutritional advice and information is equally as confusing. The good news is that you don't have to be a doctor in order to understand what needs to happen in your body. By learning just a few things about how the body works and how it doesn't work, you can add the proper supplements and foods to your everyday life. In the end, these small steps will add up to a giant leap for your health.

What are Omega Fatty Acids?

The most common buzz word these days is the idea of Omega fatty acids or essential fatty acids. These chemical structures are things that the body needs in order to maintain cellular health as well as to prevent inflammation in the body. They also help to maintain the integrity of the nervous system in addition to making sure the body is free from certain illnesses. Studies have linked Omega fatty acids with prevention of cancer, limiting disease growth, as well as helping with mental health disorders. These EFAs (essential fatty acids) can not be produced by the body, so they need to be ingested through the diet or in a supplement form.

There are three different kinds of Omega fatty acids that you will hear about � Omega 3, 6, and 9. Each of these numbers designates that chemical structure, with each ascending number as the longer chain that needs to be broken down by the body. But how they are chemically constructed is usually not the most important point for the everyday person. People want to know what these Omega fatty acids will do for their body.

What Does Omega 3 Do for the Body?

Omega 3 fatty acids are those that are found in oily fishes and in fish oil supplements. These fatty acids are responsible for helping the body create developed neural networks � simply put, they help to build brain power in children as well as adults. Research in the UK has shown that children given EFAs are more likely to score higher on reading tests as well as improve their overall behaviour. Omega 3s are linked with helping those with ADD and ADHD as well, in addition to a variety of other mental health disorders likes OCD and depression. In relation to inflammation in the body, Omega 3 fatty acids can also assist those with arthritis and other autoimmune disorders.

Recent studies from Harvard University have also suggested that Omega 3 fatty acids can also help with high blood pressure and other forms of heart disease. Cancer prevention is another commonly listed benefit of Omega 3 fatty acids.

What Does Omega 6 Do for the Body?

Omega 6 fatty acids are those found in plant sources like nuts and flax seeds. These essential fatty acids have many of the same benefits as Omega 3 fatty acids, but they are not as widely encouraged as those from fish sources.

These fatty acids will still help with inflammation in relation to arthritis and autoimmune diseases, but these EFAs are more commonly referred to in terms of their effect on the skin and hair of the person taking them. Studies have shown that the fatty acids can help to manage acne as well as conditions like psoriasis. Women especially can benefit from Omega 6 fatty acids as they can also help with menstrual disorders and related symptoms.

What Does Omega 9 Do for the Body?

Like its other essential fatty acid family members, Omega 9 fatty acids have a large role to play in relation to the health of the patient. Found in animal fat and vegetable oils, these fatty acids aren't linked as much with health benefits, but still, they should be a part of a healthy diet.

Cancer prevention as well as heart protection are still possible with Omega 9 fatty acids, but these should be a much smaller part of your diet as they can also include saturated fats, which are harmful to the heart in larger quantities.

How to Get More Essential Fatty Acids in Your Diet

It's simple to get more Omega fatty acids in your diet if you simply look to where the greatest sources of essential fatty acids are � fishes, flaxseed, and animal fats. By simply making sure to have a few servings of these items each week, you will be able to maintain a healthy level of protection for your body and the stresses it goes through each day.

To make things easier, fish oil supplements are a great way to get the right levels and balance of Omega 3, 6, and 9 in your diet. These pills are easy to take, easy to digest and simple to remember.

Conclusion

When you make sure to add Omega 3, 6, and 9 essential fatty acids into your diet, you will make sure you are doing all that you can for your health and for your body.

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Dave McEvoy is an expert in omega 3 6 9 with over 20 years experience; for more information about fish oil and how it can help come and visit. Our site
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Crash Hits: Common Injuries In Car Accidents

2007-10-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

Cars are the most visible signs of modernity in an otherwise ancient world. No urban environment would be complete without these four-wheeled machines. Most people see them as a convenience, enabling them to get from point A to point B without having to endure the crowds the rush hours associated with public transportation. However, as cars become more and more available, roads become more and more congested. As the congestion worsens, it is inevitable that car accidents occur and people get hurt. Statistically speaking, car accidents have been occurring with increased frequency over the past decade. The statistics also show that there are a number of injuries that have become common to most car accidents during that period.

Head and neck injuries are listed as being typical to a car accident. The face, in particular, can suffer laceration and cutting from shattered glass or shrapnel generated by the impact. Dental injuries are also possible, particularly for people in the driver's seat or were close to the point of impact. Mental health problems and head trauma are also possibilities. Concussions are not uncommon among car accident-related injuries. Some people also tend to experience anxiety for some time after the accident, though this is much rarer than physical injuries. The most common mental health concerns related to a car accident would be helping the victims overcome the stress of being involved in the accident, as well as the chance of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The body, however, is much more likely to bear the brunt of the damage caused by a car accident. Injuries to the abdomen and legs can result in chronic pain for prolonged periods after an accident. In some cases, accident survivors have had to endure lower back pain for years since their bodies never fully recovered from the damage. Knee pain and damage to leg muscles like the quadriceps can also occur for those who are involved in relatively minor accidents or were not at the point of impact. Areas that have been cut or injured during the accident may also develop an infection, depending on how quickly the wound or opening was addressed by medical teams.

Broken bones and torn muscles are common among car accident victims, though the likely areas to be affected vary depending on the specifics of the accident. Simple and compound fractures can both be experienced, typically requiring extensive time to repair and recover. In a number of cases, surgery may be needed to undo some of the damage done. Most often, drivers will experience trauma and damage to the legs and possibly the torso. Some injuries may not be obvious at first and can only be treated after the victim has been given a full examination. Removal of some of the shrapnel from impact may also require surgery if it enters too deeply into the body.

There are some psychological disorders that can come about from being involved in a car accident. The most common to be cited is post-traumatic stress disorder, though it is not the only one. Anxiety is also a possible effect of being in a car accident, though it is not considered to be a common occurrence.

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Mental Depression and Nutritional Deficiency

2007-10-20T23:43:00.000-07:00

Copyright (c) 2007 Stephen Lau

Your mental depression may be related to your diet, in particular, your nutritional deficiency.

Mental depression and many autoimmune problems are chemically and environmentally related. Specifically, your mental depression may be due to the chemicals in your foods and the environment, which upset the normal functioning of neurotransmitters, resulting in imbalance of brain chemicals.

Unfortunately, many people with mild depression simply ignore their mental disorder, thinking their depressive episodes are no more than "seasonal blues"; while those with major depression are more likely to look upon medications as their "magic bullet."

Of course, mental depression, which is a complex mental illness, may be due to many factors. However, one common cause of mental depression is diet. Nutritional deficiency may play a pivotal role in manipulating the chemicals in your brain, which are implicated in different types of depression.

To illustrate, magnesium deficiency is prevalent among the Americans. Why is that? Due to lack of funding to support studies in this seemingly unprofitable area of research, there have not been many studies on the impact of magnesium deficiency on the American health.

Magnesium deficiency is responsible for many health problems, including allergies, panic attacks, cardiovascular disease, hypertension in children, and premenstrual syndrome. In particular, those individuals who are low in magnesium tend to be more likely to have emotional problems. If your brain chemistry is balanced, you can handle almost any type of stress. If not, then stress can exacerbate your emotional problems to the breaking point.

Physical symptoms of magnesium deficiency include twitches, cramps, muscle tension, muscle soreness, backaches, neck pain, constipation, urinary spasms, menstrual cramps, and difficulty in swallowing. Other common mental symptoms are insomnia, anxiety, hyperactivity and restlessness with constant movement, panic attacks, and premenstrual irritability. If you sigh a great deal, or have frequent headaches, you may be deficient in magnesium too.

Magnesium deficiency plays a critical role in mental depression. All chemical reactions in the body require an enzyme system to initiate the biochemical reaction, and magnesium is a critical co-factor in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body. In addition, magnesium is responsible for neurotransmission abnormalities - the precursors of different types of mental disorders.

To reverse magnesium or nutritional deficiency, you need to change your diet. Magnesium is a youth-preserving mineral. As you age, your magnesium level declines due to poor absorption and inadequate diet. Two-thirds of elderly Americans eat less than 75 percent of the RDA for magnesium, and only 25 percent of Americans meet the RDA for magnesium.

Magnesium is found in whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes.

If necessary, take a supplement of 200-300 milligrams of magnesium. Given that you are living in a highly polluted environment, you should take a high dose of multi-vitamins and multi-minerals, and large doses of omega 3 fatty acids, if you are not consuming a great deal lot of fish, such as salmon.

Dr. James D. Gordon of Georgetown University School of Medicine recommends:

"Eliminate foods that are heavily processed and have been adulterated in any way with any kind of food additive, preservative, coloring, artificial flavoring, artificial sweetener. Aspartame has been shown to cause serious brain damage in animal. . ."

The rule of thumb, according to Dr. James Gordon, is simple: Eat whole foods. You were created to eat whole foods, not pop tarts.

If you think you can eat a whole food, and then a processed food occasionally, you will still be getting the nutrients from you whole food, think again! The chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics from a processed food may have significant long-term biological effects on your intestinal functioning, and thus preventing you from taking in nutrients from you whole food.

According to Dr. James Gordon, you should eliminate all types of sugar, except honey or rice syrup. Look at the concentrated sugar content in every Coke and other carbonated beverages that flood the consumer market. Remember, food manufacturers have everything to gain, and you have everything to lose, except your weight.

Your mental depression may be a diet-related mental disorder.

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Stephen Lau is a researcher, writing synopses of medical research for scientists. His publications include "NO MIRACLE CURES" a book on healing and wellness. He has also created several websites, including "Longevity For You" , "A Healthy Lifestyle Is The Way Of Zen" and "Chinese Natural Healing For Health Rejuvenation."
http://www.longevityforyou.com
http://www.zenhealthylifestyle.com
http://www.chinesenaturalhealing.com

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Michael Moore's SICKO Misses the Solution: Health Savings Accounts

2007-10-20T23:40:00.000-07:00

Michael Moore's new movie SICKO is a humorous and at times emotionally moving look at the state of U.S. healthcare, but it promotes a solution (government healthcare) that would only make matters worse. Instead of more bureaucracy and government control, we should be encouraging competition among healthcare providers and personal responsibility among consumers. Health savings accounts, or HSAs, do just that, and are the future of healthcare in America.

Many well-meaning people believe that a government take-over of healthcare coverage, called a "single-payer" system, is the answer. But if one simply looks at the countries that currently have single-payer systems, it is quite apparent that they are failed systems, with the citizens of these countries clamoring for change.

Because demand goes up when prices go down, the only way a government that provides "free" healthcare can control cost is by limiting access. So citizens in countries with single-payer systems always suffer long waits and lack of access to medical care and technologies.

For instance, in Canada there are currently over 800,000 people on waiting lists for medical procedures. The average wait time for people who are referred for surgery is over four months! If it weren't for the fact that thousands of Canadians come to the U.S. each year for treatment, the average wait times would be even longer.

Per capita, Canada only has 20% the number of MRIs that the U.S. has, and only 14% as many CAT Scans. There are hundreds of prescription drugs available in the U.S. that are not yet available in Canada as they try to control costs.

The situation in Britain is no better, with over 1 million people currently on waiting lists. In June Britain's Health Department found that 1 in 8 patients waits over a year for scheduled surgery, and shortages are forcing more than 50,000 operations to be cancelled each year.

Waiting for surgery is not just an inconvenience; it can mean the difference between living and dying. For instance, in the U.S. the survival rate for stage 1 colon cancer is 90%; in Britain it is 70%. American women diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer have a 97% survival rate after 5 years; in Britain it's only 78%.

As Americans contemplate copying these failed systems, citizens in Europe and Canada are headed in the opposite direction. Germany just recently passed laws to enhance insurance competition, Sweden has begun privatizing some of its healthcare, and millions of Europeans are finding ways to opt-out of their government healthcare systems.

In Britain there are now over 6.5 million people who carry private insurance, despite the availability of "free" coverage from their NHS. Another 250,000 self-fund each year for acute private surgery, because they don't want to or cannot afford to wait. Even the Labour party now favors privatization of healthcare in Britain.

In 2005 the Canadian Supreme court issued a ruling which stated, "The prohibition on obtaining private health insurance… is not constitutional where the public system fails to deliver reasonable services." Private healthcare clinics are now opening in Canada at the rate of one per week.

Unfortunately, under a socialized system, your body and your life are no longer under your control.

Isn't it amazing that some of the same people who criticize government ineptness - including Katrina, the many screw-ups in the war on terror, No Child Left Behind, and more - actually think the government would do a good job managing the nation's healthcare?

Freedom, choice, and innovation are what have given us the highest quality healthcare in the world. We absolutely do need change, but the answer is less government intervention, not more. By encouraging consumer-driven solutions, competition, and price transparency, we can help avoid the healthcare disaster that government control would bring.

One big part of the solution that is already beginning is the adoption of Health Savings Accounts. Over five million Americans already have an HSA set up, and over five billion dollars is already invested in these special bank accounts.

People who have an HSA can set aside money to pay for future medical expenses, and get a tax deduction to do so. Because you must have a high-deductible health plan to contribute to an HSA, these plans encourage people to more carefully spend their healthcare dollars, since money they don't spend stays in the HSA.

The result is that medical providers once again are competing for customers by lowering prices, and increasing quality and convenience. Already we are seeing plummeting prices on prescription drugs, and low-cost medical clinics spring up in Wal-Mart and other retail locations.

As more and more people obtain HSAs, we will not only see a benefit for the consumers, but we will also begin to see more people who take a proactive attitude when it comes to their health. A Health Savings Account owner who exercises and eats right will likely have a much larger balance in their account by the time they retire.

These changes will result in a healthier and wealthier group of retirees and a smaller burden on our tax system in the future.
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Hair Loss Remedies - Conquering Hair Loss in Natural Way

2007-10-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

What Causes Hair Loss?
Many people suffer from hair loss - and there are several causes for hair loss. Alopecia is the general word that is used to refer to any type of hair loss. The most common type of hair loss is male or female pattern baldness - or androgenetic Alopecia - which is caused by genetics. A number of other circumstances - from environmental to medical can also cause hair loss.
Before you begin any treatment regimen, you should consult a dermatologist to determine the cause of your hair loss. Hair loss is a common symptom for hundreds of medical conditions - and determining whether or not your hair loss is a symptom of a medical condition will determine the route you need to take - your medical condition will need to be taken care of before treatment for hair loss. Knowing the cause of the hair loss is the first step to finding a successful hair loss remedy.
Hair Loss Remedies
Once you have determined the cause of your hair loss, you will find there are a variety of hair loss remedies - some natural, some medical, and some cosmetic. Your dermatologist can help you find the right solution. Over the past few years, medical treatment of hair loss has grown tremendously - in some cases, learning what causes the hair loss enables drugs to be made that can stop the hair loss before it happens.
Drug-related hair loss remedies do not work for everyone and the success of this type of hair loss treatment depends on the reason for the hair loss. Cosmetic remedies have also become a popular way for people to combat hair loss - and is sometimes an option for people who are not successful with other types of hair loss remedies. But, cosmetic hair replacement can be quite expensive.
Many people have found natural remedies for hair loss. The premise behind natural hair loss remedies is that hair loss is a natural condition and can, in some cases, be dramatically decreased by using natural remedies. There are many types of natural hair loss remedies including exercise to increase blood flow, massaging the scalp, and herbal hair loss remedies, which involve the use of natural herbs.
Herbal Remedies For Hair Loss
There are many types of herbal remedies for hair loss - some are used to stimulate hair growth and others are used to keep the hair and the scalp healthy in order to prevent hair loss. Let's explore some of these natural hair loss remedies.
1. Henna can be used to condition and maintain healthy hair - thus, decreasing the chances of hair loss. Henna is a traditional herb that has been used for a number of years to maintain healthy hair.
2. Aloe Vera is another traditional herb that has been used effectively in the prevention of hair loss. Native Americans, as well as people in the Caribbean and India have used Aloe Vera to maintain healthy hair and prevent hair loss. Combined with wheat germ oil and coconut milk, Aloe Vera can be made into a shampoo that cleanses and heals the scalp.
3. Jojoba Oil is an herbal remedy for hair loss that has been used successfully in people who suffer from skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, and has been used successfully in the treatment of dandruff.
4. Aromatherapists use lavender and bay essential oils to massage the scalp and stimulate hair growth.
5. Horsetail can be used to stimulate hair follicles. This herb can be used to help conquer pattern baldness by strengthening weak hair and promoting hair growth.
6. Rosemary is another herbal remedy for hair loss that can be used in oil for massaging the scalp and stimulating hair growth.
7. Saw Palmetto can be used to block the hormone DHT, which is part of the cause of hair loss. Saw Palmetto can be used in oils, added to other formulas, or taken internally in capsule form.
8. Ginseng can be used as a stimulant and helps improve circulation. Ginseng can also be used to remove toxins clogging the hair follicles, increasing the chance of healthy hair growth. Like Saw Palmetto, Ginseng can be used as oil, added to other formulas, or taken internally in capsule form.
These are just a few of the many herbal remedies for hair loss. Other herbs used to prevent hair loss or stimulate hair growth include green tea, ginkgo biloba, licorice, nettles, and sage. There are many other herbs that can be used for the prevention and treatment of hair loss in many combinations of shampoos and oils - some even used as teas to stimulate blood flow, thus stimulating the natural growth of hair. As with any treatment, be sure to check with your dermatologist to find the cause of the hair loss so that you can make an informed decision on the right hair loss remedy for you.Dr John Anne is an herbal specialist with years of experience and extensive research on herbs and alternative health. If you are looking for more information, read about Hair Loss Solution and Female Hair Loss at http://www.ayurvediccure.com/hair_loss_remedy.htmAlso participate in Health Q& A where you can get your answer and solutions from thousands of members in few minutes.
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Eating - When Your Brain Won�t Say STOP

2007-10-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

To eat or not to eat � what does your brain say?The desire to eat comes from many factors monitored by, and instructions put out by your brain � in essence your level of Brain Fitness. One specific brain region involved in monitoring nutrition signals is the hypothalamus. This part of the brain houses a complex set of brain cells that talk to each other and talk to your bloodstream and digestive tract to decide whether you need to eat.If the hypothalamus system senses a need for nutrition it will send out hormone signals that make you hungry, if not, it will try to keep you feeling full. However, there are other players in the drive to eat that come from emotional centers and decision-making centers in the brain. This is what separates us from other animals. Our behaviors aren't as �hard-wired' so we our more likely to eat inappropriately just because we want to, not because we need to.The STOP signs in our headsA new study published in the September 2007 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at a specific brain region involved in this whole process, which relates back to the whole concept of brain fitness.Researchers looked at the activity of a brain region called (ready for the long name) the left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, or left DLPFC. This part of the brain plays a role in inhibiting inappropriate behavior. It stops you from acting on the impulse to do stupid things in public, like punch someone who makes you mad, or say something that you know you'll regret. It also stops you from impulsively grabbing that donut when you know you don't need it, which relates to this study.Higher activity in the left DLPFC is associated with greater control over impulsive eating. The new research found that obese women had lower activity in this brain region compared to lean or previously obese women (that had successfully lost weight and kept it off). This was a follow up to a previous study showing the same thing in men. It's not really surprising but the cool thing is that, the human cortex, including the DLPFC, tends to be �moldable'.Practice makes more permanentWe know that repeatedly practicing things that use the cortex can make those brain connections stronger. For example, if you repeatedly do Sudoku, you will get better at recognizing number patterns. If you repeatedly do crossword puzzles, you will get better at recalling words. The new study is exciting because it suggests that if you repeatedly work on impulse control you may be able to increase the strength of the DLPFC and gain control of that impulsive eating.It all comes back to brain fitness in the end and how fit your brain circuits are that control your behaviors. Just like running or lifting weights, you can strengthen these brain muscles and give your brain the power to have more control over behaviors that you want to change. Like anything else, all it takes is a little practice.Now, excessive eating is not the only thing that controls weight gain. Other factors that control your metabolism contribute to whether you will gain or lose weight. Some of these have genetic influences that are stronger in some people than in others. But many of these can improve with good nutrition and exercise as well.The point to this article is that by practicing to change the behaviors that you don't like, your brain will get better at controlling them and it will get easier. No one accomplishes anything difficult without practice and experience � but eventually what once seemed close to impossible becomes automatic after the appropriate training. Brain Fitness is no different. With effort, you can regain control. Just keep trying and give yourself time for your brain circuits to strengthen.------Master Brain Fitness techniques for you and your family. Your Brain Fitness holds is the key to unlock your maximum potential. Dr. Simon Evans puts together the right ingredients in right amount to create the recipe for success. Visit http://www.brainfitforlife.com/ for FREE Brain Fitness resources.
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Cinnamon as Spice and Alternative Medicine

2007-10-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon is used not only as a spice for food flavoring. It is also used as an ingredient in making perfume, soap, and lotion. But now many know that cinnamon is also used as an ingredient in the preparation of digestive aid, liniments, and oral care products. The use of cinnamon dates back to 2800 B.C, when the Chinese first used it as a food supplement and as folk medicine. It is still known today as “kwai” in the Chinese language. The pleasant fragrance of the cinnamon made the Ancient Egyptians use it as one of the ingredients for the embalming process. During the Medieval Ages, physicians used this spice to treat coughs, hoarseness, sore throats, and other infections. Cinnamon has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce joint pain, muscle pain, and other discomforts due to arthritis. Many studies also indicate that the consumption of cinnamon helps maintain blood sugar levels among diabetics. Cinnamon can also benefit one's health by improving the body's circulation and digestive system. In fact, it has been used as a folk remedy for diarrhea and other stomach discomforts. The herb has also been given to women to relieve menstrual cycle pains. In aromatherapy, cinnamon oil is used for its ability to stimulate and warm the senses. Aromatherapists claim that cinnamon oil helps restore vigor and prevent stress and anxiety. Cinnamon oil is also important in strengthening the immune system. Many use it as an alternative treatment for early stages of cold and fever; as a stimulant; and as an aphrodisiac. Medical research indicates that the scent of cinnamon may help reduce drowsiness, irritability, pain, and frequency of migraines. In some studies, the essential oil provides relief to tight muscles, ease painful joints, and relieve menstrual cramps in women. Cinnamon also increases the action of enzymes that break down the food in the body and help metabolism. Here are the other health benefits of Cinnamon: · Studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon included as part of a daily diet can lower LDL cholesterol.· Many studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with diabetes. · Cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections.· A study released by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland showed that cinnamon reduced the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells. · It has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.· When added to food, it prevents bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.· One study found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory. · Researchers at Kansas State University found that cinnamon fights the E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices. Indeed, cinnamon has many health benefits and other good uses. The best options are taking cinnamon supplements or eating half a teaspoon of cinnamon than what individuals normally eat. Lastly, the advice of medical specialists should be sought before trying cinnamon supplements and other forms of alternative medicine to prevent unwanted side effects or allergies.DrugstoreTM.com is a reputable online drug store. From sexual health to a woman's health, sleeping aids to weight loss pills, our online pharmacy offers convenient customer access to various health medicines, including an array of health product and medicare prescription drug.Buy Soma Buy Tramadol
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When Body Snatchers Invade The Mind

2007-10-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

People tend to rely on certain support structures in their lives. These structures serve as ways for people to alleviate fear and anxiety in an increasingly stressful world. There are certain things and certain people that we count on to alleviate our stress and anxiety at the end of the day. People can go into a panic when that support structure is taken away permanently. The build-up of stress and anxiety can exact a price on one's mental health that most people simply can't afford. The fear of this can sometimes lead to someone developing a case of separation anxiety. However, the field of mental health is a complicated field where even if your support structure is there, your mind says they're not.There is a dangerous psychological disorder known as schizoaffective disorder, which has interesting effects on human perception. The problem is highly similar to schizophrenia in symptoms and treatment, although schizoaffective disorder poses a much larger mental health risk. Both problems are common, with at least 10% of the population having experienced it at one point in their lives. Both have a tendency to generate the same range of side effects in patients. The primary difference between the two is that schizoaffective disorder does a significantly larger amount of emotional damage to patients than schizophrenia does. There is also the distinctive symptom of more serious cases of schizoaffective disorder, which echoes plots of science fiction B-movies rather closely.The most distinctive symptom of schizoaffective disorder is that patients suddenly find that people in their lives have been...“replaced,” for lack of a better term. In one instance, a housewife saw her husband and believed he was a duplicate of her real husband. She believed that he was a fake despite his having the same physical features, personality, and voice. When asked why she felt that she was looking at a clever fake, she said that his nose seemed longer and his shoulders didn't seem as broad as those of her “real” husband's. These symptoms are typically only found in more extreme cases of this mental health disorder, but this is what is most cited as the main difference between schizoaffective disorder and the more recognizable schizophrenia.This particular symptom is believed to be an outcrop of unwanted changes or emotional damage in the patient's interpersonal relationships. By attributing the unwanted behavior or changes to a “duplicate,” the patient can feel safe in discarding their emotions for that person. This has the side effect of developing a sense of detachment around the “duplicate” in some, while others report feeling extreme levels of fear and anxiety. In theory, the reactions are affected by how had the patient's delusions have gotten.Another difference that some have noted is the perception of the voices that the patient hears. Both disorders cause someone to hear voices that aren't really there. However, while schizophrenia causes people to perceive the voices as coming from their own minds, people with schizoaffective disorder experience it differently. These non-existent voices are heard via the ear, making it seem as if they are real voices from real people, rather than delusions. Most people believe that the difference lies in the brain tricking itself into believing there is actual sensory information, which most assume does not occur with the voices in schizophrenia.Perhaps the most critical difference between the two is the degree of emotional healing that the patient and his loved ones would have to go through. Schizoaffective disorder tends to do more damage to personal relationships than regular schizophrenia. As such, there is usually more emotional healing needed for the people around the patient to make a full recovery than in schizophrenia. Like all serious mental health problems, the patient has to deal with the damage done to the people around him. However, in the case of schizoaffective disorder, there was likely damage or changes to the relationship in the first place.DrugstoreTM.com is a reputable online drug store. From sexual health to a woman's health, sleeping aids to weight loss pills, our online pharmacy offers convenient customer access to various health medicines, including an array of health product and medicare prescription drug.Buy Soma Buy Tramadol
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Lyme Literate Doctors How to Find Them

2007-10-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

Granted a Lyme literate doctor is hard to find, but not impossible to locate.You would think with all of the press about Lyme disease and all of the people with symptoms that go unexplained until they receive a diagnosis of Lyme that physicians would get on board, fast. Well, if you have Lyme or have suspicions that you may have Lyme you will find that this is not the case.If your family experiences are like ours you have been referred from one doctor to another and yet another without finding remedy. You have been to the "big name clinics" in medicine only to be told, "It's all in your head." My stepson, who is being treated for Lyme refers to this as "lazy doctoring."So, why aren't those doctors in some sort of Directory?Lyme diagnosis, treatment, and the very existence of the disease is a hotly contended issue among those in the medical community: physicians, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical companies alike.Although a Directory of Lyme Literate Doctors sure would make life easier for patients and their families, physicians are adamant about not participating in such a Guide.Lyme Literate Doctors work long hours. Many have a team in place to treat patients seven days a week. They do not have room in the day or in their office(s) to take care of more people. They can not afford for their office staff to spend all day on the telephone answering questions from hundreds of information hungry people who suspect they have the disease.Add to this the understanding that by law medical professionals must not answer those questions lest they be mistaken as a diagnosis, over the phone. All to say a Directory of Lyme Literate Physicians is out of the question.Should patients try to get their family practitioner to test them for Lyme?Lyme literate doctors do not rely on just one test; they run a series of tests to come to the determination of Lyme. If your family practitioner is not familiar with these tests you may be fighting an uphill battle trying to get him/her to even consider Lyme as the source of your health problems.So, what's a patient to do? How are patients supposed to find a Lyme literate doctor?Find someone who has had Lyme, now has his/her life back and ask "who diagnosed and treated you?" The Lyme associations are a good place to start. Although there are just a handful of Associations across the country and may not be one in your state, that is OK. They are a good source of information for those of us with the disease.Be aware that Lyme Associations as constrained by the laws of their not-for-profit status are not able to recommend physicians. These associations are operated by Lyme patients who volunteer their time to answer phone calls and emails.So, if you call Lyme associations for referrals have patience as you may get voice mail instead of a live person. Leave your message and wait for them to return your call.When you get the names of doctors, many find it helpful to schedule appointments with these physicians and interview them to make certain that what they say makes sense to you and to determine which physician will partner with you towards the goal towards getting your life back from Lyme.------Forward this article to friends. They will thank you for it! Get your FREE downloadable, ebook, �150+ Symptoms of Lyme Disease� when you click here http://www.TheLymeLady.com
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Skull Crushers - The Murderous Workout

2007-10-20T08:26:00.002-07:00

Many women struggle with good triceps development. This can be due to many reasons. One, your triceps are located on the back of your arms and for many people if they don't see the muscle they don't train it fully. Second, the triceps can be a hard muscle to develop on many levels. For most people, the training difficulty lies in the fact that it's underdeveloped and training them means you must use forms of training your triceps are not use to.Now, I'm not going to fill your head with all the intricate details of the triceps, such as its exact location, function, insertion point and all that other jazz. You can actually find all that kind of detailed information in Iron Dolls.In this article I'm going to drive the focus on what you need to do to master your triceps training by including skulls.Overall, to really boost your triceps strength and general mass you should employ the use of good ole compound exercises. This doesn't just go for triceps training; your triceps come into play in many chest and shoulder movements. Make the bulk of your training center around compound movements for overall general muscle mass.Some of the exercises you should include to hit all the triceps heads fully are close-grip bench presses, overhead extensions, skull crushers, triceps dips, pushdowns, etc. While all of these triceps exercise are important, far too many people put all their faith in pushdowns in hopes to reap the results of well-developed triceps.Skull crushers are an overlooked triceps exercise. This is not an easy movement and getting the form right can be difficult. For this reason, my suggestion is to start off using light poundage to learn the form of the skull crushers. Starting off light will also allow you to actually feel the muscle work. Once you feel the muscle working during the movement your form will improve greatly.After you get a good warm-up (5 minutes on a treadmill or bike and another 5-10 minutes of actual warm-up exercises for the triceps) you can begin your first set of skull crushers.Skull Crusher FormStep #1 - I recommend starting with free weights, using the EZ curl bar for skulls. After you grab the bar lie back on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor.Step #2 - Using a narrow and prone grip, slightly less than shoulder-width, position the bar over your chest area.Step #3 - Bend your elbows and allow the weight to lower to your forehead. NOTE: As you lower the weight allow ONLY your elbows to bend in the direction the weight is lowering. Your elbows should not sway out; they must stay aligned with your body.Step #4 - From the lowered position, use your triceps muscle to contract and bring the weight back to the starting position. As the bar reaches the top of the movement, contract the triceps hard.Step #5 - Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the designated reps in that set.One-Month Triceps Blast WorkoutNote: each week's triceps workout involves different training principles. Please read below the training workout for how to include each training principle each week.Week #1Warm-up Parallel bar dips 3 x 10EZ bar skulls 3 x 10 (DS)DB overhead ext 3 x 10 (DS)Pushdowns 2 x 40Week #2Warm-upEZ bar decline skulls 3 x 8 (TS)Close-grip press 3 x 8 (TS)Reverse-grip pulldown 3 x 8 (TS)Week #3Warm-upEZ bar overhead ext (21s)Parallel bar dips (21s)DB skulls (21s)Week #4Warm upClose-grip press (Neg)Reverse-grip overhead ext (Neg)Kickbacks (Neg)Skulls 2 x 40Drop Sets (DS) - Drops sets involve doing as many repetitions as you can and begin decreasing the poundage as you hit muscular failure. Keep this process going until you can't do one more rep.Tri-Sets (TS) - A tri-set is using three consecutive exercises for the same body part. Tri-sets take a lot of strength and energy to complete all three in a consecutive manner, so be sure to keep weight poundage within reason. Rest two to three minutes and then do 2-3 more tri-sets.Twenty-ones or 21s - Twenty-ones is a training principle in which one set is broken up into 3 different segments of 7 that total 21. The three different aspects of the full set involve 2 partials sets and one full range of motion set.Negatives - Eccentric contractions are the lengthening of the muscle. This is also known as the negative. The aid of a spotter is helpful when doing negatives. Use about 35% more weight than you use on a concentric lift. Explode the weight up and focus on the downward phase of the lift, keeping your lifting pace slow and controlled.Close-grip press - Lower the bar to your chest slowly and have a spotter help lift it back to the starting point. Rest 2-3 minutes and repeatsConclusionThe above triceps workout is a great shocker to get you started for advanced triceps training. Once you are able to feel the muscle move through the movements, you will be better able to handle heavier weight with minimal sets and reps to further advance growth.Your goal for growth in the gym is to simply tear the muscle down so it can rebuild into a stronger unit.------Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988. She is a nationally qualified bodybuilder and holds two personal training certifications. She has written 6 ebooks on fitness and has helped hundreds of clients transform their bodies. http://www.iron-dolls.com"Use of this article is authorized provided it is reproduced in full, and all web URLS are active hyperlinks directed to the author"
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Get The Low Down On Artificial Hair

2007-10-20T08:26:00.001-07:00

A fair number of people are suffering from some kind of hair ailment. From dandruff to head lice, from partial baldness to complete hair loss, everyone has to go through some problems sometime or the other. A lot of products are available in the market which helps in the treatment of these simple problems. If, however, you are amongst those who have unfortunately not had any good response to any kind of hair loss treatment, you may like to consider going in for artificial hair to supplement your own. Do read this article to learn more about what all products are on offer. You can choose from any one of several kinds of hair, as outlined hereafter:Remi Hair is natural human hair that is shaved completely from the donor’s head, and hence is a complete set of hair, cuticles et all. ‘Remi’ means all the cuticles are on one side. It may have further varieties in the form of Single Drawn, which is hair of all sizes resulting in a pony-tail like finish, and Double Drawn, or all the hair of equal length. The latter of course is the preferred one by most clients, and is the more expensive of the two. Remi hair has further classifications in quality, and is usually available as Quality A, B and C, depending upon the length and the weave, with the former being the most superior.Most Remi hair comes from the Indian subcontinent, where it is shaved off for religious reasons and sold by professional barbers. The other major source of human hair is China, and to a very small extent Southern Russia, where hair may sometimes be sold for profit.Non-Remi Hair is the hair set that consists of fallen human hair, and is naturally of lesser uniformity and quality than remi. Due to the roots and tips being all mixed up, they are more difficult to maintain, and naturally cheaper. Yet the cost factor perhaps makes them the most popular. Again available in different types like Single Drawn and Double Drawn, similar quality variants like the Remi hair are available.The next in line, cheapest, and available in the greatest variety is synthetic hair. Made of artificial fibers, they are available in weave sets or as single strands. Most dermatologists do not recommend synthetic hair, however, for the inherent problems of reactions with the skin with less than desirable consequences. As you would expect, these hair are much cheaper than natural Remi or Non-Remi hair.There is no commercially available, authentic European hair. Period. What you get is Indian hair treated to make them more thick and soft. Indian hair, by their very nature, is more silky, thin and strong. While it is a common misconception that soft and silky hair are better, the fact of the matter is that any kind of hair can be made that way with a little specialized treatment.Other than human hair, the hair of Yak is sometimes used where thick and wavy hair is the need of the hour, like for African hair. The hair, however, suffers from the inherent disadvantage of possibly causing infection and is best avoided.So do not depend solely upon the guidance of the shopkeeper who has to sell his products come what may. Make an informed decision to enable you to get the best deal.The author is an expert in giving all kinds of hair loss remedy. He also treats acute problems like hirsutism and alopecia.
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Alternate Exercise Regimens for Senior Men

2007-10-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

As you pass middle age and become a senior, you may never recapture that teenage youthful energy you once enjoyed. There's hope, however, with alternate exercise regimens for senior men. Learn how I discovered the health benefits using some moderate exercise techniques with an oriental flavor. Having been a martial artist for most of my life, I discovered that after about 45 my body just wasn't up to the punishment any more. When you're 19, martial arts is a lot of fun and involves very little pain, but with each passing year the fun declines while the pain increases, so I went looking for an alternate regimen to keep me fit as I passed through middle age.The first regimen I discovered was Tai Chi. Though my hard-core martial arts buddies harangued me for taking a "dance class," I pressed on in spite of the ribbing. This ancient Chinese exercise regimen is practiced by many millions of Chinese. It is rooted in the movements of animals who seem to keep fit even if they're caged. Tai Chi is the manipulation of life energy (Chi) which flows smoothly through a normal fit body, but stalls where injury or illness blocks the flow. It's as much a spiritual practice as it is a physical one and it requires minimal exertion. Just because it doesn't require grunting and sweating doesn't mean it doesn't work though. A older woman was in my first class who could barely hobble in and had been stiff and sore all over her body for years. Six weeks later, she was lithe, light on her feet and totally out of pain. That sure convinced me.Tai Chi practitioners are renown for their longevity. Near my home on a Southern California beach, every morning at sunrise, a 95-year-old Chinese man walks three blocks to the beach and goes through his morning Tai Chi regimen. He's friendly, active, flexible, and still sharp as a tack. There is little doubt that this practice has helped maintain his fitness and health.The study of Tai Chi, led me to discover an even older, and more diverse study called Qigong (pronounced chee-goong.) Qigong is also a Chi manipulation exercise and is the practice that led to the more formalized Tai Chi. Its roots can be traced back to the origins of Chinese writing, over 4000 years ago. Qigong is repetitive, that is movements are repeated a number of times, rather than Tai Chi which is one long complex movement that must be memorized. There are thousands of Qigong movements but they're generally grouped into what are called brocades, or groups of movements. For instance, the most popular 8-section brocade consists of 8 movements done 8 times each. Some asymmetrical movements are repeated for both right and left sides. For instance, one movement is called "drawing the bow" and is done once on the right side and once on the left. That pattern of right-left is repeated eight times.One of the most interesting Qigong patterns is called Fragrant Qigong. This form of the exercise is supposed to have incredible curative powers. In China, testimonials have attributed Fragrant Qigong from curing everything from headaches to terminal cancer. It consists of 12 very simple movements, performed with zero exertion. Each movement is repeated 20 - 30 times (you do not keep count in your head. It distracts you.) I have no idea if it cures any disease, but I can assure you, you will feel great after doing it, refreshed and de-stressed. It is called Fragrant Qigong because sometimes the practitioner smells a sweet aroma as he is performing the exercise.While the Chinese exercises do help your body to maintain its flexibility and sensitivity, the real exercise that will keep you in-shape, flexible and agile is Yoga. Yoga is a practice from India. I'm sure you've seen the yogi masters twisted up like a pretzel and thought - no way! I thought the same thing. My wife has been a yoga practitioner for many years and has suggested that I go. Naturally I refused, thinking that is chick stuff. Wow, was I wrong. After the first class, I smacked myself on the forehead wondering why I'd waited so long to try out this fascinating practice, for two reasons. The first was that I'd spent my entire life working out with sweaty, smelly guys in baggy martial arts attire, and suddenly I found myself in a room full of shapely, sweet smelling women all in spandex.The second reason is that yoga is not kids stuff. You work - hard. Yoga is not like pumping iron, but this exercise for mature men does require exertion. You're encouraged to breathe through the difficulties, while holding poses. You walk out of the yoga class loose as a goose and having felt like you've really been exercising. If you're big and out of shape, you will sweat - plenty. The best part though is that you can take these exercise regimens for senior men with you. The exercises you learn can be performed on your family room floor, in the park, or even in your office. (Make sure no one is watching or they'll think you've really lost it.)I've been doing yoga now for two years and can really feel a return to a youthful flexibility and balance to my body, and an all-round well being that many men either start to lose or perhaps never had. Yoga and Qigong have become central to my life. These asian exercises truly can help you maintain your health to keep the gold in your golden years.Jeff Spira is an engineer, writer and historian with published works in a broad range of topics. He is one of the founders of the Silver Fox Society, an international social network for mature men, and writes blog advice for baby boomers approaching retirement age.
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Find Time To Work Out With Your Own Treadmill

2007-10-20T08:23:00.002-07:00

We all lead such hectic, busy lives today that it can be hard to find the time to go down to the gym and fit in a full workout session. Without regular exercise we can become sluggish and out of condition.So if you want to fit in a workout routine when it suits your busy timetable, what can you do?Well, one of the simplest ways is to invest in your own home treadmill. By having your own fitness machine you can fit in a full workout routine in the time it would take you just to drive to your local gym and back. An added benefit of having your own treadmill is that you don’t waste time queuing behind some Olympic wannabe, training for a marathon run!Of course, having an exercise machine at home means that the whole family can catch the fitness bug. And once it becomes a routine part of your day, it’s much easier to stay in shape. After all, it doesn’t matter what the weather is doing outside, you can just wake up, work out and shower before you head off to work.But if you are looking to buy a treadmill of your own, what features should you be looking for?It is a false economy to buy the cheapest treadmill you can find. It is much wiser to invest a little more in order to buy a sturdy, well built treadmill that will give you and your family many years of service.I recommend that you find the largest running deck that you can afford. See, the cheaper machines have a small running deck which restricts your stride. Not only is this uncomfortable, it can actually cause you problems. Large running decks of over 50 inches are a standard feature on even economically priced machines.A continuous rated motor of at least 2hp is another must have feature, especially if the treadmill is likely to be used by a number of family members. Lower rated motors simply cannot handle the workload.One of the biggest reasons that people stop using their treadmill is boredom. So a variety of built in exercise routines should be high on your shopping list when browsing for your ideal machine. Many models now have computer controlled workouts that vary the speed and incline for you to keep interest and motivation high.So now you have no excuse. For around the cost of a single annual gym membership, your whole family could enjoy regular fitness workouts in the privacy and comfort of their own home.Before you choose a treadmill make sure to check out the treadmill ratings videos. Discover what features you really need and what gimmicks you can live without by watching the treadmill videos at http://www.treadmill-rating.com
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Discover The Benefits of Honey

2007-10-20T08:23:00.001-07:00

Honey is best known for great healing. Its natural sugar content and the rich sources of nutrients makes it a great sweetener for coffee and sugar. Let's study closely how it started gaining popularity for the variety of uses ancient people started centuries ago.HONEY'S NUTRIENTS and HEALING PROPERTIESHoney's rich nutrients, enzyme and antioxidant content combined with its ability to thwart infections makes it a potent healer. For centuries, honey has been considered highly nutritious and of medicinal value. It is believed to be very beneficial for eyesight, reducing effects of poisoning, stopping hiccups, treating urinary tract disorders, worm infestations, nausea, vomiting, cleansing, healing wounds and many more healing properties.Honey contain mainly carbohydrates, water, vitamins and minerals, including niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.Honey is also rich in enzymes, antioxidants and other phytonutrients. It also contains flavonoids and phenolic acids which act as antioxidants, scavenging and eliminating free radicals. These antioxidants substances found in honey have been responsible for the wound-healing properties of honey. Due to its wound-healing properties, honey has been used widely as an antiseptic therapeutic agent for treatment of ulcers, burns and wounds for centuries.HOW HEALING of WOUND WORKS By USING HONEYDue to its contents of glucose and fructose, which attract water, honey absorbs water from wound, drying it out so that the growth of bacteria and fungi are inhibited. Secondly, an enzyme called glucose oxidase found in raw honey, which if combined with water, produces hydrogen peroxide, a mild antiseptic for medication benefits.BEAUTY BENEFITS Of HONEYThe vitamins, minerals and amino acids found in honey make it a wonderful beauty aid. It provides great nutritional value to the skin and hair and the effects will be seen if taken over a period of time. In fact if taken for longer period of time, it helps our skin to glow more radiantly, helps to reduce wrinkles, thus making us look younger.Honey is also an excellent moisturizing agent and natural cleanser and therefore, popularly used in wide skin-cleansing formulations. It increases exfoliation or renewal of the skin cells that makes the skin softer and younger.Other supplementary products of honey which are royal jelly, propolis have been used in beauty saloon as facial mask that command great prices due to its effective results for a more glowing skin.OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS Of HONEYDue to its ready availability of carbohydrates, honey provides instant energy sources if taken prior to exercises which improves performances. It helps in muscles recovery faster if taken after an exercises program.Honey also increases the growth and activity of good bacteria in the gut. Results from recent studies show that taking honey with dairy products such as yogurt can enhance growth and viability of bifidobacteria.Other benefits of honey are its anti-inflammatory actions which help in treating a sore throat.HOW To TAKE HONEY As HEALTH SUPPLEMENTHoney can be taken as it is in one tea spoon without mixing with water first thing in the morning or anytime in the day as you wish. For me I prefer to take honey as it is with royal jelly and propolis in the morning before breakfast and drink. It provides me with energy for the whole day with royal jelly as a good beauty aid and propolis a great antioxidant too. After a short period of time, my complexion improved tremendously with intake of honey and this motivated me to continue taking it knowing that it has high antioxidant and healing power too.------Janice H. is a nutritional expert cum author. Her mission is to share with people around the world on HOW to live agelessly to achieve: Happiness, Health and Youthfulness. Visit Janice's Blog at http://www.stayyoungsecret/blog to discover how to transform your life and receive your FREE e-Report.
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Put an end to the cholesterol and the pounds in excess without medicament (Unit II)

2007-10-20T08:22:00.001-07:00

Fish: Fish is ignored. Is this the practise Judeo-Christian which makes that one eat up fish that Friday? Is this a problem of sometimes smell or chilliness slandered? Is this the price?It is undoubtedly the combination of these factors, elements which demystifies this lack of passion for the fishery goods. And yet, the fish owns an extraordinary nutrition virtue, being as rich in proteins as the meat but containing only fats of first-class quality.If the thin fishes are of course very reliable for your diet, it is all analogous for fatty fishes however increasingly caloric.Besides that we realize a long time that the Inuits, massive consumers of fish fats (representing most obviously of their nutrition), presents very a little bit of cardiovascular illnesses!Is this paradoxical? certainly not! It is relevant to remind you the protectively role of highly unsaturated fats. It is the 4matter of fish fat. It is high time to give away with the fishing merchandise their letters of nobility.We highly advise you to have three times per week at the least of them. And much more if you like!Logically, a certain gourmets will claim that it is the sauce which makes eat fish!. It is undoubtedly exact. But there are well some light sauce recipes being able to accompany fish.Sea food: Watch out, if all the fish are your friends, it is not of same for a certain sea foods greatly rich in cholesterol, and thus to prevent if you have a tough time with this lipid excesses. They are bit then again altogether adviced for a diet. Here is a list pointing towards to you the products of the sea richest in cholesterol (cholesterol percentage for 100 grams of flesh): fish eggs: 300mg, oysters: 110 till 330 mg depending (in conformance with the season), lobster: 200 mg, crabs: 150 mg, mussels: 150 mg, shrimps: 140 mg.Meat and fat substance:They are the musculature of the animals which one eat. One perceive the white meats (fowl, veal, pig) and the red meats (lamb, bullock).The quantity of fat contained in the meat depends on the sort. The white meats are slight and the red meats are fatty.An exception relates to the pig, white meat considered fatty, but whose mode of breeding is significant. If the beast is nourished with corn, the fat material will be of better quality.Certain meat fats can be eliminated easily after cooking. To smooth away the fat on the surface, it is enough to take off the skin.If the meat holds piece of bacon, you must also exclude the stream of fat distributed in and around the piece.But then again, the fat of a spotted meat cannot be removed. Therefore, you cannot eat up any.In the midst of the red meats, the lamb is fattiest.This list notifies the proportion of fat and cholesterol of the first (in order: Meat, Fats in % and cholesterol in mg/100g): Horse: 2 and 0, Fowl: 10 and 90, Calf: 10 and 65, Bullock: 20 and 100, Sheep: 25 and 70, Pork: 25 to 30 and 90.The horse, value of excellence: Whereas in the Fifties and in France or Belgium (where I live), the meat of horse was consumable, with pleasure proposed to the children, we these days observe all but the vanishing of the horse meat slaughterers.It is time to give again with the equine meat the place which returns to him, that is to say that of a food of excellent value, very rich in proteins, almost taken away of fat, then altogether adviced formerly of a diet against the cholesterol.By Patrick Beaufay, an excess of fat consumption will lead to a disgracieuse catch of weight. You can reduce your bad cholesterol and tryglycerides with the burn the fat and feed the muscle program. Therefore on my blog just click on the burn the fat bannerburn fat fast
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Weight Loss Surgery: Are You A Candidate?

2007-10-20T08:21:00.001-07:00

If you're considerably overweight, you've probably considered weight loss surgery. This is especially if you've seen various celebrities positively describing their experiences in recent years. The results of weight loss surgery can be truly remarkable, but you need to be sure it's right for you.Weight loss surgery is no quick and easy fix. It's the procedure of last resort for people who are very overweight (morbidly obese), and is only done after other methods of weight reduction have proved ineffective.The first step to finding out if you're a suitable candidate is to calculate your body mass index (BMI). You do this by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres. Then divide the resulting number by your height once more. Optimum weight ranges from around 18 to 25. Obese runs from 30-40 and morbidly obese from 40-50.Generally, if your BMI is above 30 and you've been unable to loss weight via diet or exercise, you should consider weight loss surgery. This is especially so it there are serious health complications resulting from your excess weight.After decided you're a suitable candidate for weight loss surgery, you should now understand the procedure. Weight loss surgery is of two main types - restrictive and restrictive/malabsorptive.Restrictive weight loss surgery works by restricting the amount of food that enters your digestive system by reducing the size of the stomach. The main method for doing this is with 'banding' in which a band is applied around the top part of the stomach. Thus the 'pouch' formed by the constriction fills quickly and the stomach sends a message to the brain announcing that it's full. Lap band is the most popular procedure of this type.Lap band surgery involves constricting you stomach by attaching an adjustable gastric binding in the form of a silicone ring. This is connected to an access port by a length of fine tube. The access port is located under the surface of your skin at the top of your abdomen and allows your doctor to adjust the size of the silicon ring until it's optimal for you.The lap band procedure involves laparaoscopic (keyhole) surgery. The surgeon operates through small openings in the abdomen so it's relatively noninvasive. No radical surgery is carried out on the digestive organs and the actual process of digestion is not affected.Restrictive/malabsorptive is involved. The most common procedure is the gastric bypass operation. A pouch is formed at the top part of the stomach. Meanwhile the small intestine is cut and a section attached to this new pouch. Following this procedure, the flow of food bypasses most of the stomach and the duodenum completely. This massively reduces the volume of nutrients absorbed.Gastric bypass can be a highly effective operation with a reduction of 80 per cent of excess weight in the first year. However, it is major surgery with attendant risks and complications.Obesity brings with it a litany of ills and dangers such as diabetes and high blood pressure, not to mention a low quality of life. So the benefits of normalising your weight are enormous. Not only are there tremendous health benefits but also you can choose the clothes you want, you can get behind the wheel of a car again, and the boost to your self-esteem is life-changing. Weight loss surgery can truly makeover your physical, social and emotional wellbeing.If you've decided weight loss surgery could be for you, the next step is to consult with a surgeon. He will determine if you're a suitable candidate. This will depend on your motivation as well as your physical condition. Make sure you find a surgeon that specializes in bariatrics (obesity cure). This way you'll get the expert advice you need before undertaking this important procedure.
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Getting Adult Braces is Well Worth Smiling About

2007-10-20T08:19:00.002-07:00

When most of us think of braces it conjures up images of pre-pubescent children with smiles hidden behind metal. For anyone who has worn braces they already know that the months spent wearing them are well worth the results. Although a perfectly aligned smile is the number one benefit of getting adult braces, there are a few others most of us never consider:• Less jaw pain. If a person’s jaw isn’t positioned correctly it can lead to several problems including difficulty chewing, a popping sensation and pain. Getting adult braces can actually remedy this problem by helping to reposition the jaw. • Protection for tooth enamel. When an individual has an overbite, it can cause some problems with the enamel of the bottom, front teeth. As the top teeth are constantly rubbing against the surface of these bottom teeth, there can be some damage done to the enamel. When adult oral braces are used an overbite can be corrected.• Fewer cavities. A person with crowded teeth faces a challenge when it comes to cleaning them properly. A toothbrush and dental floss cannot get into all the small crevices that are present when teeth are unnaturally bunched together. By correcting the position of the teeth by getting adult braces, daily cleaning becomes so much easier.• Aid with speech problems. For some individuals they struggle with speech impediments that are the direct result of trying to hide their unattractive teeth. Placing their hand over their mouth or talking with their mouth partly closed is their way of camouflaging their imperfect teeth. After wearing adult oral braces they’ll feel much more comfortable speaking in an uninhibited way.• Self-esteem improvement. This is arguably the most significant benefit of getting adult braces. Feeling attractive and confident about their own appearance, gives anyone a boost in self-esteem. With a perfect smile and a healthy mouth, a person feels great about the way they look and feel.Braces aren’t just for children anymore, they can benefit people of all ages who are facing dental health problems or those who are concerned about how their smile appears to others. With the advent of invisible braces, it can be difficult to tell a person is even wearing them. There’s just no reason for everyone not to have a spectacular smile.Did you know that prices for adult braces typically range from $4,000 - $9,000 and many dental insurance plans don’t offer any coverage? Many discount dental plans do. To find out more about saving on your adult braces click here.
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Flatten That Stomach-Here Are Some Simple Exercises For Your Abs!

2007-10-20T08:19:00.001-07:00

Having great abs is everyone's dream, but exercising those stomach muscles can be hard work. If you're going to pay the price you might as well be doing the best exercises you can.So how will you know what works and what doesn't? You'll need to try some exercises out and see which ones work for you.First off, it's a good idea to know that we need to work the different parts of the stomach. When I first started on this I just thought I had a stomach and a few sit-ups would do the job.Guess what? I found I've got obliques on the sides plus lower, mid and upper abdominals… and they all need attention.Let's get one thing straight… this isn't necessarily easy, unless you're already in peak condition. You'll have to put out a bit. So it's important to choose exercises that will work for you… exercises that you will actually perform over a period of at least several months. You can go to the gym or just work out on the floor at home. You don't really need to go buying expensive equipment. All those machines you see on the infomercials aren't going to work themselves. It still involves you being willing to put out.A basic workout is to do three sets of 10 each of the exercises you choose to wrok with.Basic stomach crunches are the backbone of any abs program. You can just lie down and do them anywhere. Throw in some side crunches to work on those obliques.Another great exercise is to lie face down, resting on your elbows with hands clasped, then raise your pelvis until your body is straight and hold this position as long as you can. Your abs will start to burn after a while but as you persevere you'll be on the way to that six-pack stomach.Try the hip roll: lie on your back, knees up and roll your knees to the floor on either side. This works the lower abs and the obliques.Bridging is another routine: lie on your back, knees bent, arms along side and thrust your pelvis up as far as you can.Supermans will test your resolve: kneel down, hands flat to the floor and extend your left arm forward and your leg straight out backward and hold as long as you can; then repeat with the right.And don't forget… you're an individual. Find the exercise that will work best for you. If you don't like them you won't do them. Some exercises that get results for one person won't get that result for another. There's nothing wrong with cheating either. I find doing my tummy workout in bed before I go to sleep or when I wake up is a good place to get started into the routine.
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Alternate Exercise Regimens for Senior Men

2007-10-20T08:18:00.001-07:00

Detox Your Body for Better Health

2007-10-20T08:17:00.001-07:00

Body detox is necessary to remove toxins and dangerous waste that has accumulated inside your body. It is effective way of eliminating toxins, which build up in your body through food, water and pollution in the air. Toxins and parasites cause many diseases. Metals and chemical toxins weaken the immune system and cause increased vulnerability to virus, bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections. Toxins that cannot pass get trapped in the colon where they build up leading to serious health issues and diseases.Detox is a natural process taking place on a continual basis in your body. Detox processes can help clear dead cells, wastes, and revitalize the natural functions as well as the healing capacities of the body. Detoxification is a method used by many to rid their bodies of all the toxins that build up over months and years of eating and drinking the wrong things. In most cases, we are able to remove any toxins without much trouble. But when your body is tired and unable to excrete the toxins as effectively as it should, you begin to need a body detox program. You can detoxify your body using different methods. Diets are often used for this purpose. Body detox diets vary but typically involve eating or drinking nothing but raw, steamed or gently stir-fried vegetables and fruit, pulses, sprouted seeds, thin soups, juices and plain cereals such as brown rice, millet or buckwheat.Detoxificati involves a change in eating habits in an attempt to detoxify your body. These cleansing diets may last anything from a day to a week or even more, although they should not be continued for more than 2 or 3 weeks. Some cleansing diets focus on flushing toxins from the liver and other organs.Another way to detox your body is to use detox foot patchs. These are certified safe to use by FDA. Detox foot patch is made from natural ingredients.Detox foot pads heat up the sole of the foot opening the pores, allowing for harmful toxins and lymphatic fluids to be drawn out. When you attach the detox foot pad to your foot before going to bed it is white and dry, in the morning when the chemicals have reacted with your body the ingredients become sticky and dark colored.Detoxification kits may be bought from health food stores, or a qualified practitioner or natural physician can recommend detox products. You should also start eating organic diet foods, getting regular exercise, and drinking adequate amounts of water to facilitate your detoxification. Pure relaxation, rest, and recharging are vital to detoxification process and rejuvenation.A body detox is one of the best ways to refresh mind and body. Body detox is among the best ways of keeping ourselves clean and healthy, besides other methods such as special diets, vitamin supplements, natural therapies, and so on. Discover the truth about detox programs and eliminating toxins. Click here to find out how to detox your body the correct way.
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Mangosteen fruit health benefits

2007-10-20T08:16:00.001-07:00

The mangosteen is an exotic fruit that comes from Asia. The fruit has many health benefits and has been nicknamed "the queen of fruits" due to its delicious taste.An enormous amount of research has been done on the mangosteen fruit going back many years, in order to determine the benefits of this remarkable fruit. It contains an abundant amount of xanthones, which are very powerful antioxidants. There is a whole family of this antioxidant, and the most dynamic of these are found in the mangosteen. Xanthones are found in a few rain forest plants, but they are for the most part found in the mangosteen fruit, and over 40 have been identified.The two most beneficial xanthones are known as Alpha Mangostin and Gamma Mangostin. These xanthones have been shown to have a variety of benefits, by supporting the immune system and are a natural antibitotic, antifungal, antiviral, and perhaps most importantly, anti-inflammatory.Antioxidants help protect against free radicals. No matter how healthy a lifestyle we live, we are still exposed to free radicals from air, water and food pollutants. They also can be produced from infection and inflammation. Since we can't avoid them taking antioxidants each day can help protect us from the ill effects they can cause. It is for this reason that many healthy people take supplements, including mangosteen each day. It's far easier to address health challenges before they begin, with prevention, rather than after they have become apparent.The mangosteen fruit has only recently become available in the United States, and is sold in Canada, although only at certain times of the year when the mangosteen is harvested, and it has sold for as much as 11 each! For this reason mangosteen supplementation is best taken in a juice form since it is readily available that way.Mangosteen juice has become quite popular since it was first introduced in North America just a few years ago. When looking for a mangsoteen supplement it is important to get the whole fruit as it is in the rind where most of the health benefits are found. It's also a good idea to check labels as some juices have water as their primary ingredient, or many contain sugar or other unnecessary additives.Mangosteen juice is a health supplement a person can take each day without any adverse side effects, and because it is a food it is safe for young children as well, although it is always suggested you consult with a doctor if you have any allergies or medical condition.
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Risky Business—The Risk Factors Of Arthritis

2007-10-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

Arthritis is an extremely painful condition that affects many people throughout the world. It causes joint inflammation, which in many cases is a source of pain that is nearly intolerable. Though arthritis can be managed, there is no cure for this condition as of yet. There are many risk factors that make one susceptible to arthritis. Though doctors have been aware of these risk factors for many years, many patients are not aware of them. By becoming aware of arthritis risk factors, you can take the necessary precautions to avoid having to suffer from this painful condition.Non-Modifiable Arthritis Risk FactorsMedical experts have identified four main risk factors of arthritis which they have deemed to be non-modifiable. This means that it is impossible to change these risk factors. The four risk factors that cannot be changed are: gender, age, ethnicity, and genetics. Gender is one of the most common, but unexpected risk factors of arthritis. It is a well known fact that more women than men are affected by arthritis. Additionally, women are more likely to be affected by a variety of forms of arthritis. Although men are not completely immune, arthritis is much more commonly seen in women. Age is an arthritis risk factor that comes as no surprise to most people. The risk of developing arthritis increases with age. This is especially true of osteoarthritis. Typically, arthritis risk increases dramatically after the age of 40.Ethnicity is another non-modifiable risk factor of arthritis. Though this risk is relatively minor, experts have still seen some correlations between ethnicity and the development of arthritis. The fourth risk factor is genetics. Certain inherited genes have been shown to increase arthritis risk. More research needs to be completed to determine how ethnicity and genetics are related to arthritis. Modifiable Risk FactorsYou know that there are some risk factors of arthritis that cannot be changed, regardless of what you do. However, there are other risk factors that you can change in order to ward off the development of arthritis. One such risk factor is obesity. Excess weight can increase the risk of developing arthritis in the knees, hips, and hands. Weight is especially a risk factor for women. Even a mere 10 pounds can increase your risk of developing arthritis! Two other non-modifiable risk factors are joint damage and infection. Any kind of injury or infection that affects the joints has the potential to trigger inflammation. Occupation also becomes a risk factor, because work-related stress can often lead to arthritis.Better Safe Than Sorry!Knowing the risk factors of arthritis will ensure that you are thinking of ways to prevent the onset of this condition before it actually happens. Although certain non-modifiable risk factors cannot be changed, other risk factors can be changed to put the odds of being affected by arthritis in your favor.Need more information about Arthritis? Steven Quinn has an informational website at:Arthritis-WebInfo.com Want to Eliminate MOST - if not ALL - of your arthritis in just one month! 100% Natural no drugs! Find Out How at:www.Arthritisfreeforlife.com
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Exercises

2007-10-20T08:14:00.000-07:00

Even You Can Do Relaxing Rheumatoid Arthritis Exercises. Having rheumatoid arthritis is stressful. You worry how bad it's going to get. You worry if you can take care of yourself. You worry about being able to afford care. But worrying actually INCREASES your rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and lowers your body's natural healing processes. No matter what level of pain you experience, you need time every day for these relaxing rheumatoid arthritis exercises. You can do them by themselves or as the warming up part of a more intense routine or before getting on with your usual daily activities.Yawning And StretchingEver watch a cat yawn and stretch? They are the masters of it. Mimic them in this rheumatoid arthritis exercise, even if you are still lying in bed. Slowly, luxuriously, stretch out one "paw" and then the other. If you can, lift your legs in a stretch, too. You can pretend you're a cat and wash your face or roll over onto your hands and knees on the mattress for a kitty backstretch. Take all of this slowly and only do what you are comfortable with. Yawning will not only stretch your face and neck muscles, but give you deep inhalations of oxygen that can help your body to unconsciously relax.LaughingThis is one of the most pleasant and often overlooked rheumatoid arthritis exercises. Even if you are not feeling particularly chipper, just the act of laughing for a minute triggers subconscious reactions in your body so that you will soon actually be laughing. If it's hard to force a laugh for a rheumatoid arthritis exercise, then consider taking time out to watch a favorite television comedy or watch the general silliness of life. It's good to have a conversation a day with someone for any chance to laugh. You could call it your "rheumatoid arthritis exercise." That should get you some laughs, and lots lower stress levels.Playing With ClayIt's not important if you are the next Michelangelo, just get your hands moving by wriggling it into squishy, forgiving clay or even mud. There's just enough resistance to help give your joints a work out, but not enough to over do it. You don't need to make shapes or anything recognizable. Just fool around with the clay for ten minutes as a different and unusual rheumatoid arthritis exercise. This is best for hand and wrist arthritis. There's no reason why you can't goof around with clay with your feet, but lay down newspaper or old towels before you attempt it. It will be quite messy, but quite uplifting and maybe you'll even laugh.Many doctors recommend arthritis patients use some sort of aquatic work out, since water allows you to be weightless and your joints experience no friction or resistance. Use these rheumatoid arthritis exercises and suggestions to start with, as always consult with your doctor when trying something new.Need more information about Arthritis? Steven Quinn has an informational website at:Arthritis-WebInfo.com Want to Eliminate MOST - if not ALL - of your arthritis in just one month! 100% Natural no drugs! Find Out How at:www.Arthritisfreeforlife.com
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Its all in the palm of your hand

2007-10-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

When the term Psychic is mentioned, images of a smoky, dimly lit, Gypsy trailer containing a woman in all her robes and shawls promising to tell your future from a pack of cards or a crystal ball comes to mind. But this is no longer so. The psychic and spiritual world has many dedicated followers and many different terms that define the exact nature of each of the special gifts that their members hold.A Psychic is a name that refers to a person who has extra sensory perception or paranormal powers. A psychic is a person who is believed to possess extra-sensory abilities, including: clairvoyance, psychometry and precognition. It should be noted that a psychic is able to "sense" the spiritual world on a purely material level and not be able to "tune in" to the spirit world, except by accident. Mediums are psychics but not all psychics are mediums. There are many terms and definitions of each of the ‘special’ gifts that are said to fall within the Psychic label. To list just a few of the more common types;AstrologyIs the term given to the reading of th stars. Many believe that our lives and personalities are governed by the position of the planets at the time of our births. The position of these planet and suns then affect the emotional state that we are in. It is believed that by studying the planetary patterns it is possible to forsee what lies ahead in our future.ChannellingChannelling is more commonly known as Trance Mediumship. During the trance state the medium is said to have allowed the ‘spirit’ to take control of their body and more commonly speak through them, giving evidence of who they are and pass on their teachings and messages. TelepathyThis is the term used to describe the ability to 'tune in' to the thoughts of others, or to inject your own thoughts into another's mind.ClairvoyanceIs described as the psychic power that enables the person to see things that aren’t visiable to people that are not clairvoyant. This is the most commonlyPrerecognitionThe skill of looking into the future and seeing events before they take place, often through the subconscious when dreaming. PsychokinesisThe ability to use the power of the mind to influence matter- to move objects by thought, for example.NumerologyNumerology is based on mathematics and is the study of numbers and the way that they reflect character tendencies. This is said to help you with your strengths and weaknesses and gives you an insight into the personality of others. It's believed that the origin of numerology is either with Pythagoras, the Greek mathematician (569-470 B.C) or even earlier still in the Jewish Kabbala.The basis of numerology is eleven numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and 22. You can reduce the numbers in your name or birth date down into these eleven numbers to make a numerology chart.The four main types of Numerology readings are -1. Your Life Path Number which is based on your birth date.2. Your Expression Number which is based on the letters of your full name given at birth.3. Your Soul Urge Number which is based on a reduction of the vowels in your full birth name.4. Your Destiny Number which is based on a reduction of the consonants in your full birth name.Tarot Cards The Tarot Cards are used as a tool to allow you to tap into your own intuition. They allow you an alternatate view or new perspective into self understanding, spiritual growth, clarification of descisions and everyday problems. Many Tarot readers believe that the cards take on the energy of the person who touches them which is why the cards are insulated from others by wrapping them in silk or enclosing them in a box. They are only to be touched by the diviner and the person for whom the reading is done. PalmistryIn palmistry it is believed that the overall shape and formation of the hands is one of the first clues to the character and destiny. Both hands are examined with one hand being the ‘birth hand’ showing the inherited qualities and the other reflects individuality, flexibility and potential. Depending on wether you are right or left handed determines which is your birth hand.The square hand identifies the practical person, someone forceful, purposeful, and capable of achieving success. The tapering hand is likely to belong to an artist, a convivial, enthusiastic and sensitive soul. The spade-like hand appears to be in motion even at rest and denotes an energetic owner with need for positive actions. The pointed hand belongs to the idealist, the sometimes impractical lovers of beauty. The long hand, knotty at the joints, is that of a thinker, or philosopher. There are many definitions and terms used with the psychic and spiritual community. These are just a few of the more common types available. Even if you are a believer or not, why not have your ‘future’ read today.Leanne Kemp is the Managing Director for Wotaboutme. Look online to find a day spa, haircut, aromatherapy massage anywhere in Australia. Perfect for gifts for him or gifts for her. For updates, check out the Wotaboutme Blog
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Cholesterol Prevention and Reduction

2007-10-20T07:47:00.000-07:00

An ounce of Prevention is worth more than a Pound of Cure."Cardiovascular diseases kill some 950,000 Americans every year, but as many as two-thirds of these deaths are preventable. Over the past 50 years, research into the causes of ischemic heart disease (which causes over half the deaths from cardiovascular disease) has shown that many people's risk of a heart attack can be reduced by making lifestyle changes and taking medication. In addition, treating high blood pressure reduces the risk of stroke and congestive heart failure." 1Heart disease is America's number 1 killer.Do you know what your risk profile is?There are numerous risk factors we should all be aware of:� family history� high blood pressure� high blood cholesterol level� cigarette smoking� diabetes mellitus� sedentary lifestyle� obesity� advancing age� stressful lifestyle� depressionFamily HistoryYou obviously can not exchange the parents you inherited for maybe a set without a history of heart disease, however, you can change many things within your control. Heart disease is largely preventable.High Blood PressureHigh blood pressure increases the hearts workload, weakening it over time. It also increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and congestive heart failure. Aim for a blood pressure of under 140 systolic (top) and 90 diastolic (bottom), with 120/80 being optimal. Have your blood pressure checked at least every two years, you can easily have it checked at most any pharmacy.High cholesterol and high triglyceridesHaving total cholesterol over 200 indicates a higher susceptibility to heart disease. The target should be to have an LDL ("bad" cholesterol) lower than 130, HDL ("good" cholesterol) over 45, and triglycerides at 150 or even lower. Triglycerides are emerging as a significant risk factor.Do You Smoke?One word: STOP!Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the country. If you smoke your risk of developing heart disease increases dramatically.DiabetesDiabetes is a serious risk factor. Regardless of age, diabetics have a much higher risk of heart disease than non-diabetics. If you have diabetes, work at maintaining a healthy weight, keep physically active, minimize dietary fat and calories, and consult your doctor.Do you lead a sedentary lifestyle?Inadequate physical activity does not provide for adequate blood fl ow through your arteries which can lead to blockages. These blockages can lead to some form of coronary event. The heart is a muscle and muscles need to work to stay strong. If you want to maintain a strong and healthy heart you need to exercise regularly.Get some physical activity. Put down the remote and the potato chips and go for a walk. This is a great stress reliever and it will burn off those calories from dinner. Do not snack while you are walking.Obesity and overweightThe incidence of obesity is in a crisis mode. Being more than 30 percent over your ideal body weight makes you more likely to develop heart disease, even with no other risk factors. New guidelines recommend your waist circumference should be less than 35 inches.Carrying around excess weight puts an extra burden on your heart and can take years off your life. An improper diet and inadequate exercise often lead to coronary artery disease. Fatty foods can increase cholesterol levels. Carbohydrates convert to triglycerides which when elevated to unsafe levels can indicate type II diabetes and heart disease.Do you lead a stressful life?Stress can lead to many physical ailments including heart disease and stroke. Stress puts an unhealthy heavy burden on your heart.Stress can be deadly so try to minimize it in your daily life. Detach from the outcome of events you are worried about and don't force things to occurr the way you expect. Let it go and watch with amazement how what you want does happen without your interference.Try meditation or just quieting your mind for a few minutes to relax tension and stress levels.Give problems the "10 year test" Will this problem really matter 10 years from now? If the answer is no, it is not worth worrying about today either. Exercise strengthens your heart so it is more capable of handling stress. Aerobic activities like bicycling, playing tennis, running, swimming, and walking are excellent ways to strengthen your heart muscle.Why exercise is so important?Regular physical activity and maintaining the proper weight are essential to reducing your risk of heart disease and improving quality of life. It is not news that exercise improves your heart health. Consistent exercise may in fact lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, raise HDL (good) cholesterol, and lower blood pressure.The aging process can be slowed from physical activity and exercise. The capacity of muscles and other tissues to utilize oxygen decreases naturally with age. Exercise and other physical activity can reduce the rate of this decrease. The calorie burn rate at rest also decreases as you age. Regular exercise can offset this by helping your body burn more calories. Calories continue to burn even hours after exercise. Bones and muscles work better when they're used than when they are not.Natural Supplements can be very beneficial as a preventive measure against heart diseaseOmega 3 fish oils are a healthy way of helping prevent heart disease"Evidence shows that even after age 50 and even if heart disease has already developed, healthy lifestyle changes - stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet, exercising sensibly, and lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels with medication - may improve the odds for a longer, more active life." 1Footnotes:1 - Preventing Heart Disease, March 12, 2002 American College of Cardiology------http://www.lipidshield.com/LifestyleChanges.php .
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Can Water Really Help You Look and Feel Great?

2007-10-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

As much as 75% of adults suffer from mild, chronic dehydration, a condition that dramatically works against your weight loss efforts.Discover why water consumption must be at the top of your list in your quest for a fit, healthy and athletic body.Though you probably don't think about it often, water is the most essential element, next to air, to your survival. The simple combination of two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen makes up more than two thirds of your body and is involved in a host of bodily functions that we routinely take for granted.Just to name a few:* Water works to regulate the thermal condition of your body* Water serves as a lubricant in your joints* Water helps flush toxins from your blood* Water gives your skin a clear, glowing complexion* Water assists with digestion, pulling all the usable nutrients out of foods* Water aides in disease prevention (Drinking 8 glasses a day has shown to reduce your chance of colon cancer by 45% and bladder cancer by 50%)What about fitness and fat-loss?You've probably heard that you need to drink plenty of water in order to drop weight, but did you ever wonder why? What does water have to do with decreasing your calories and increasing your activity level in an effort to shed pounds?1. Water is a natural appetite suppressantFill your stomach with a glass of water before each meal and you will find that you won't eat as much. This also works on snacking throughout the day, keep hydrated all day long and watch as your desire to snack decreases.2. Water increases your body's ability to efficiently metabolize fatThis process begins with your kidneys receiving enough water to function at their peak, which in turn helps your liver reach optimal efficiency in removing toxins and waste from your blood. With your liver working at maximum capacity, fat will be metabolized at a higher rate. This means a decrease in your overall body fat. (And who doesn't want that?)3. Water is the perfect substitute for high calorie beveragesWant to super-charge your fitness results this summer? Well, this is the most effective way to utilize water toward your waist-shrinking efforts. Most of us consume more than our share of calorie-packed beverages. Smoothies, shakes, frozen mochas, soft drinks...you get the idea. When you trade your high calorie beverages in for a tall glass of water you will expedite your results in a major way.The Other Side of the Story...Now you know that drinking sufficient amounts of water will help you reach your fitness goals faster than ever, but you should also know that failing to drink enough water comes with serious consequences...* Your body will shift into "preserve" mode - which means you will store more fat.* Bodily functions will slow - leading to an overall decrease in energy levels. * Headaches will become an expected nuisance - your brain is over 70% water.To avoid dehydration here are 5 Hydration Tips:Tip #1: Caffeinated beverages - such as coffee, soft drinks or energy drinks - cause your body to lose water. After you enjoy a dose of caffeine replace the lost water by drinking 2 times that amount in water.Tip #2: Add a slice of lemon to your water to spice things up.Tip #3: Always carry water with you throughout your day - keep a bottle in the car, at your workplace and next to your bed.Tip #4: Exercise and hot summer days both increase your body's water requirements - make a mental note to drink before, during and after exercise or while out on a hot day.Tip #5: Make it a habit to begin your day with a large glass of water then drink a glass before each meal and one between meals.------Machelle Lee owns and operates The Invisible Gym in Santa Cruz, CA. Her mission is to inspire people to become physically active and enjoy the benefits of a balanced, healthy lifestyle. For more information and questions you can visit her website. http://www.the-invisible-gym.com/
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New Study On ADHD Treatment: Can Pine Bark Reduce ADHD Symptoms in Children?

2007-10-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is commonly diagnosed among children, particularly those in the United States. Drug medications such as Ritalin, Adderall and Trileptal are often prescribed to help alleviate ADHD symptoms. Most of these medications have mild to severe side-effects and can become habit-forming.A new research study has found that pine bark extract, marketed as Pycnogenol, may be an effective ADHD treatment. Pycnogenol has been shown to reduce hyperactivity in children. It also helped to improve focus and attention span and aided motor skills coordination in the children tested.Pycnogenol is a natural herbal supplement which has long been used to reduce stress. It is known for its strong antioxidant properties. It actually serves to extend the antioxidant properties that are found in other sources such as vitamin C. It has also been used to help treat inflammation as well as to improve circulation. The latest findings showed that Pycnogenol can be a natural supplement to improve ADHD symptoms.Pycnogenol has been proven to be a safe and effective treatment for children with ADHD. What's more, the treatment is natural and therefore produces none of the harmful or annoying side effects that other medical treatments often do. This is a tremendous finding for parents who are uncomfortable giving their children traditional prescription medications for ADHD. Many of the current medications are stimulants that can be addictive. For this reason some parents have concerns about giving them to their children for the long term.The new study which will be published in the Journal of Nutritional Neuroscience, is a continuation of a recent study done by scientists in Slovakia. The new study takes the research even further to measure the hormone levels in children using blood samples. Stress hormone levels dropped in children who took Pycnogenol, which accounted for improved attention span and other ADHD symptoms. Pycnogenol naturally lowers adrenaline levels as well as dopamine levels, thus reducing ADHD symptoms.Research testing found that children with ADHD have higher levels of stress hormones that can increase heart rate and blood pressure. This can cause irritability, lack of focus and increased excitability. The study shows that children who took Pycnolgenol had decreased levels of the stress hormone and therefore exhibited reduction in ADHD symptoms. The study also shows that the children's ADHD symptoms returned a month after they stopped taking Pycnolgenol. This confirms the scientific evidence that Pycnolgenol works to actually change hormone levels in the body.These findings are particularly important for those who have children with ADHD. It gives parents an alternative treatment for ADHD � one that doesn't have side effects or addiction possibilities. Parents should consult with their child's doctor before trying any new treatments or before ending any prescription medication.------Drug medications are the most prevalent form of treatment for ADHD. The side effects are often unpleasant and can be serious. There are alternative treatments for ADHD that are safer and yet effective. Check out the all natural and drug free treatment for ADHD at www.guidetoadhd.com/products/adhdremedies.html
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How To Remove Belly Fat – Three Common Myths

2007-10-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

Losing weight can be an extremely difficult process. Everyday we care introduced to the new fad diet that will melt pounds of fat away. We also are presented with some myths that come along with some diets. These can make losing weight very difficult because it confuses people on what is fact and what is fiction. By avoiding myths you have a great chance at losing weight.1. You Need To Eat As Little As PossibleThis is probably the most common myth of all time. It makes sense. If you don’t eat, you lose weight. The problem with this myth is that if you don’t eat your body will go into starvation mode and keep all the fat that you do it and store it. Instead you should actually eat six meals a day, but smaller in portioned. This will do the opposite and boost your metabolism thus burning more fat.2. Lifting Weights Doesn't Help You Loose FatI am confused as to why people may believe this one. Some people believe that you should only do cardio exercise and you need to forget about weights. Lifting weights has it’s advantaged. First, it burns calories and more importantly in stimulates your metabolism for hours witch helps you to build muscle.3. You Need To Exercise Every DayThis one may throw people off from even starting a diet. I agree that you need to exercise in order to lose weight, but what I don’t agree is that you should do it everyday. Three days a week for 30 minutes should be enough to help your weight loss along.These myths are very common. Although they might seem true, they certainly are not. Once you have an understanding as to why these are myths you are better off and you have a greater chance of losing weight. Max Whitson began involved in learning about weight loss at the youthful age of 15. Now, Whitson is a weight loss guru and has helped hundreds of people lose weight safely and effectively.For more information, visit www.loseyourextraweight.com
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3500 Calories: A Pound of Fat or Six Pounds Of Muscle?

2007-10-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

Most fitness conscious people know that there are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat, so if you create a deficit of 3500 calories in a week, you lose a pound of weight. If you create a deficit of 7000 calories in a week, you lose two pounds a week, and so on. Right? Well, not so fast...Dr. Kevin Hall, an investigator at the National Institute of Health has done some interesting research about the mechanisms regulating human body weight. He recently published a new paper in the International Journal of Obesity that throws a wrench in works of the "3500 calories to lose a pound" idea...Some of the equations in his paper made my head hurt, but despite the complex math he used to come to his conclusions, his article clearly prompts the question, "3500 calories to lose a pound of WHAT?" His paper also contained a lot of simple and practical tips you can use to properly balance your caloric intake with output, fine tune your calorie deficit and help you retain more muscle when you diet.Below, I've distilled some of the information into a simple bullet-point summary that any non-scientist can understand. Then I wrap up with my interpretation of how you can apply this in your own fat loss program:Calculating the calories required to lose a pound and fine-tuning your caloric deficit* 3500 calories to lose a pound has always been the rule of thumb. However, this 3500 calories figure goes back to research which assumed that all the weight lost would be adipose tissue (which would be ideal, of course).* But as we all know (unfortunately), lean body mass is lost along with body fat, which would indicate that the 3500 calorie figure could be an oversimplification.* The amount of lean body mass lost is based on initial body fat level and size of the calorie deficit* Lean people tend to lose more lean body mass and retain more fat.* Fat people tend to lose more body fat and retain more lean tissue (revealing why obese people can tolerate aggressive low calorie diets better than already lean people)* Very aggressive low calorie diets tend to erode lean body mass to a greater degree than more conservative diets.* whether the weight loss is lean or fat gives you the real answer of what is the required energy deficit per unit of weight loss* The metabolizable energy in fat is different than the metabolizable energy in muscle tissue. A pound of muscle is not 3500 calories. A pound of muscle yields about 600 calories. � If you lose lean body mass, then you lose more weight than if you lose fat.* If you create a 3500 calorie deficit in one week and you lose 100% body fat, you will lose one pound. �* But if you create a 3500 calorie weekly deficit and as a result of that deficit, lose 100% muscle, you would lose almost 6 pounds of body weight! (of course, if you manage to lose 100% muscle, you will be forced to wear the Dieter's Dunce cap)* If you have a high initial body fat percentage, then you are going to lose more fat relative to lean, so you may need a larger deficit to lose the same amount of weight as compared to a lean person* Creating a calorie deficit once at the beginning of a diet and maintaining that same caloric intake for the duration of the diet after major weight loss fails to account for how your body decreases energy expenditure with reduced body weight* Weight loss typically slows down over time for a prescribed constant diet (the "plateau"). This is either due to the decreased metabolism mentioned above, or a relaxing of the diet compliance, or both (most people just can't hack aggressive calorie reductions for long)* Progressive resistance training and or high protein diets can modify the proportion of weight lost from body fat versus lean tissue (which is why weight training and sufficient protein while on calorie restricted diets are absolute musts!)So, based on this info, should you throw out the old calorie formulas?Well, not necessarily. You can still use the standard calorie formulas to figure out how much you should eat, and you can use a 500-1000 calorie per day deficit (below maintenance) as a generic guideline to figure where to set your calories to lose one or two pounds per week respectively (at least that works "on paper" anyway).Even better however, you could use this info to fine tune your caloric deficit using a percentage method and also base your deficit on your starting body fat level, to get a much more personalized and effective approach:15-20% below maintenance calories = conservative deficit20-25% below maintenance calories = moderate deficit25-30% below maintenance calories = aggressive deficit31-40% below maintenance calories = very aggressive deficit (risky)50%+ below maintenance calories = semi starvation/starvation (potentially dangerous and unhealthy)(Note: According to exercise physiologists Katch & Mcardle, the average female between the ages of 23 and 50 has a maintenance level of about 2000-2100 calories per day and the average male about 2700-2900 calories per day)Usually, we would suggest starting with a conservative deficit of around 15-20% below maintenance. Based on this research, however, we see that there can be a big difference between lean and overweight people in how many calories they can or should cut.If you have very high body fat to begin with, the typical rule of thumb on calorie deficits may underestimate the deficit required to lose a pound. It may also be too conservative, and you can probably use a more aggressive deficit safely without as much worry about muscle loss or metabolic slowdown.If you are extremely lean, like a bodybuilder trying to get ready for competition, you would want to be very cautious about using aggressive calorie deficits. You'd be better off keeping the deficit conservative and starting your diet/cutting phase earlier to allow for a slow, but safe rate of fat loss, with maximum retention of muscle tissue.The bottom line is that it's not quite so simple as 3,500 calories being the deficit to lose a pound. Like lots of other things in nutrition that vary from person to person, the ideal amount of calories to cut "depends"...References:Forbes GB. Body fat content influences the body composition response to nutrition and exercise. Ann NY Acad Sci. 904: 359-365. 2000Hall, KD., What is the required energy deficit per unit of weight loss? Int J Obesity. 2007 Epub ahead of print.McArdle WD. Exercise physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human performance. 4td ed. Williams & Wilkins. 1996.Wishnofsky M. Caloric equivalents of gained or lost weight. Am J Clin Nutr. 6: 542-546.------Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, an NSCA-certified personal trainer, certified strength & conditioning specialist (CSCS), and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle. Tom teaches you how to lose fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism by visiting http://www.BurnTheFat.com , home of Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle and http://www.BurnTheFatInnerCircle.Com , the Internet's premier members-only fat loss support community.
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Massage and Massage Therapy: Kick Start Your Life

2007-10-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

Copyright (c) 2007 Sam BentonMirror Mirror on the wall...If you think it's high time that you reversed that sinking feeling that you experience every time you look in the mirror, then you're absolutely right. Welcome aboard!If you're not quite there yet, then read on...Feeling good about yourself needn't involve rose tinted spectacles, a magic wand or a plastic surgeon. Feeling good about yourself starts with a decision, plain and simple.Most of us are incredibly critical about ourselves, which if left unchecked, can very quickly stop any aspirations of self esteem dead in their tracks. Decide that you're o.k. with or without your so called deficiencies, and you're halfway there.The next step is to address what you're not content with. Whether it's your waistline, your double chin, your jowls or any other thing you're not happy with about yourself, you need a plan of action and a timetable for its completion.You could do worse than start with what you see. 9 times out of 10 it's what you see in the mirror that starts the whole cycle of self criticism and low self esteem. For almost immediate results, start with a Facial Massage. Massage and Massage Therapy literally breathes life into the parts of the body that are being treated. Massage involves the manipulation of body tissue by applying varying amounts of pressure, causing movement of soft tissue which improves functioning of the circulatory, lymphatic, muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems and as a bonus, may improve the rate at which the body recovers from injury and illness. Make no mistake, exercising equals energizing, and that is the mind as well as the body.What about what you don't see? Most of us are completely unaware that our bodies are equipped with little wonder molecules that, when properly ignited, are capable of lifting our spirits in ways we never thought possible. These naturally occurring wonder drugs are called endorphins. Endorphins are neurotransmitters that offer a whole range of health benefits including stress reduction, improved immune systems, and a state of euphoria.The bottom line is this: Having recognized that you're not happy with what you see in the mirror, you can take comfort from the fact that the changes you need to make need not be huge and unattainable. Start with one of the easiest and most accessible therapies available, and see results in a matter of days,Massage and Massage Therapy will successfully address your concerns about looking in the mirror, but it's what you get for free that's the real success storyTo your continued, outstanding health.------Stop avoiding the mirror and take control of the aging process once and for all with the most effective Home Study Massage Program available.Click here ==> http://www.holistic-facial-massage.com
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The Differences Between Synthetic and Natural Nutritional Supplements

2007-10-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

Copyright (c) 2007 Charles CarterAs online dieticians, we always establish the first things first: whole foods. The majority of your nutrition should come from sources of whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables, followed by lean protein and healthy fats. Then, to compensate for the deficiencies in our diet, or damage caused by toxins and free radicals in our body, we need to add multivitamins and anti-oxidants. Some supplements may help ensure that you get adequate amounts of essential nutrients or help promote optimal health and performance if you do not consume a variety of foods in proper amounts. Dietary supplements are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure disease. In some cases, dietary supplements may even have unwanted effects. Then there is this question: Which are better, "synthetic" or food-based "natural" dietary supplements? The proper nutritional program is essential to an effective online diet plan.As with most research, both sides are supported and rebutted. Currently, the definition of "natural" in foods and dietary supplements has not been established by the government. Therefore, the interpretation can vary greatly. There is a common misconception that "natural" vitamins and minerals are extracted from plants in their pure form and as such are superior to "synthetic" vitamins and minerals, which are made in a laboratory. This can be misleading because it is not possible to extract pure vitamins from plants without considerable amounts of chemical processing. Also, the biological activity of a compound has nothing to do with its source, but is determined by its chemical structure. So really, whether the chemical originates from a leafy plant or a test tube, it is the same compound.Some vitamin and antioxidant compounds can be efficiently synthesized in factories to produce products that are identical in chemical form to those found in nature and that are pure and fully safe. Some synthetic vitamins are preferentially absorbed over food sources and vice versa.Folic Acid, for example, is preferentially absorbed and utilized over natural food folates that must go through several conversion processes to be utilized as folic acid.Vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin, exists in eight different forms. Each form has its own biological activity, which is the measure of potency or functional use in the body. Alpha-tocopherol is the name of the most active from of vitamin E in humans. It is also a powerful biological antioxidant. Vitamin E in supplements is usually sold as alpha-tocopheryl acetate, a form that protects its ability to function as an antioxidant, and is sometimes derived from soy. The synthetic form is labeled "D, L" while the natural from is labeled "D." The synthetic form is only half as active as the natural form.There are no known differences in the biological activity of natural and synthetic L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C). As reported by the Linus Pauling Institute, a study in 68 male nonsmokers found that ascorbic acid consumed as cooked broccoli, orange juice, orange slices, and synthetic ascorbic acid tablets are equally bioavailable, as measured by plasma ascorbic acid.Most important: since the FDA doesn't regulate nutritional supplements, look for ones that offer purity, safety, effectiveness, bioavailability, and whether natural or synthetic, ones that are best absorbed and utilized by the body. Such standards may be upheld when a product has a GMP (good manufacturing practice) seal on it, is potency guaranteed and may also be reviewed by the following organizations:------Find the best prices on diet pills and all your supplements for weight loss, sport performance, and health at Everything Pills.
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All About CMC Manufacturing

2007-10-20T07:14:00.000-07:00

In recent years the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has worked to clarify its approach to the regulation of products that are comprised in whole or in part of living cellular materials. In fact the FDA issued a notice in the Federal Register as of October of 1993 which entitled, “Application of Current Statutory Authorities to Human Somatic Cell Therapy Products and Gene Cell Therapy Products". This explained the regulatory frame work for somatic cell and gene therapy products. However this does not provide detailed technical guidance. The May of 1996 guidance document describes the regulatory requirements that include clinical studies that are needed for market approval of a subset of autologous somatic cell therapy product. This area is called manipulated autologous structural cell products (MAS cell products.) In the May 1996 guidance document it states that the biologics license application (BLA) may be submitted in lieu of the product license application (PLA) and an establishment license application (ELA). This document is used to provide guidance to manufacturers in the preparation of the chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC). In part one of this guidance it describes the information that is to be submitted in the cmc information section of applications for autologous somatic cell therapy products. In part two of this guidance it includes a description of the information on the establishment that should be included in the establishment description section of the application. Advice to the pharmaceutical industry in regards to the chemistry, manufacturing, and controls and microbiology (sterility assurance) information to be included in the regulatory submissions to the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) can be located in the pertinent statutes, and regulations. Neither the Act nor the regulations provide enough detail on the information that should already be included in these submissions. During the last fourteen years the CDER has issued a series of guidelines which provide specific detail related to the recommended filing mechanisms and information that CDER expects applicants to provide. Written by Joshua Gibbson. Find the more information on cmc manufacturing.
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Information on Formulation Development

2007-10-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

When it comes to pharmaceutical companies the earlier a compound can be killed or proved ineffective the better. Formulation development is a very important step in the drug development process and is now critical to a compound’s lifecycle. Proving that a compound is ineffective is not an easy job considering the New Chemical Entities (NCEs) in the wake of a mapped genome as well as automated testing technologies. The pharmaceutical companies focus more on R&D and commercialization while the drug development itself is being sent out to separate contract providers. This type of actions have been going on for years except for the fact that contract providers aren’t only associating with big pharmaceutical companies anymore. Up and coming biotech companies seem to lack drug development capabilities which gives more business to a pharmaceutical company and biopharmaceutical outsourcing industry. Considering the drug development contract service providers have been working side by side with the pharmaceutical companies for years they are more than ready and willing to take on all of the new business. In fact by the late nineties many of these companies were able to become experts at small molecule formulation development. These companies that had the ability to perform pre-formulation and regular formulation development services could have their clients get rid of a compound or tell them to let it survive while offering key money and time saving decisions. One of the largest problems that are facing formulation development providers is solubility. If you contact anyone in this industry they will also agree that this is the major issue. Large molecule targets are water insoluble and formulators are working as hard as they can to take care of this issue. Companies are not only trying to discover new ways to formulate these new drug targets but they also have to keep the regulatory issues in mind too. Written by Joshua Gibbson. Find the more information on formulation development.
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How Positive Emotions Affect Your Health

2007-10-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Our perception and response to our environment and community plays influences our mindset, behavior, and perception about other people and the world we live in. We can be pessimistic, allowing gloom and negativity to haunt our every waking hour; or we can choose to be optimistic and see our stress and anxiety as normal human reaction to life's challenges. But there is more to human response to stress and anxiety than just having a “bad day.” Our disposition not only affects our behavior but the state of our health, as well. Extensive research has shown that people who are are suffering from depression and anxiety are at greater risk of having heart disease and other illnesses. Further studies also proved that people who are under extreme prolonged stress are more susceptible to infections like the flu and the viral cold.In recent years, researches have reinforced the theory that the human mind plays a major role in influencing the way that our body works. Attitudes and emotions directly impact health and well-being. Being too negative in terms of one's thoughts or emotions somehow weaken an individual's immune system, which also confirms the mind-and-body link of health and well-being. The same study showed that people who are more optimistic have a 50% lower risk of untimely death than those who are pessimistic. Aside from a lower risk of premature death, having a positive attitude increases a person's energy and ability to handle life's difficulties. Having a positive attitude helps us deal with emotional pain and helps us attain peace, calm, and joy.Although we cannot will ourselves to feel positive all the time, a number of techniques can be learned to help us reduce the impact of stress and anxiety. Using relaxation techniques based on Western, Eastern, and other traditional forms of meditation can help us reclaim a positive outlook. These techniques not only alleviate but also prevent psychological problems such as depression, anxiety attacks, aggression, and other stress-related illnesses like chronic pain, tension headaches,and hypertension. The following are some of the useful methods that promote peace and relaxation:l Visual Imagery – It involves visualizing oneself in the midst of a soothing and peaceful scene--- a forest, a beach, a stream, a lake, or being in the mountains. The important thing is that you visualize a scene that is beautiful and calm. Aside from picturing nature scenes in your head, you could also try recalling a special, happy moment in your life. The practice of visualization slows down the heart rate and breathing patterns.l Meditation – This requires concentration or focusing one's thoughts. It is a often referred to as the act of “emptying one's thoughts of all negative thoughts and emotions.” Meditation helps cultivate calmness and promotes the development of new and fresh insights into a problem and about life itself. l Exercise – A good relaxation therapy that is mixed with physical exercise is called isometric squeeze technique. This technique is used as part of a systematic desensitization therapy for people who suffer from anxiety and panic disorders. The technique entails the application of alternate tension and relaxation on the body's 16 different muscle groups.There are other practical steps towards building a more positive life. These steps include the following:1. Reduce Stress2. Get Plenty of Rest3. Get Organized 4. Exercise5. Eat WellBy cultivating a more positive attitude and frame of mind, we can overcome life's many challenges. Having a calm disposition entails the development of a coping mechanism that enables as to face life's many obstacles and occasional heartaches. Through the application of stress management techniques and a commitment to overcome one's personal problems, life can be more meaningful, worthwhile, and of course, happy as happy can be.Resource Box:Choose Variety of High Quality Medicines at Online MedicinesEnjoyed Reading this article? More here: Pharmacy Articles
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Exercises For Sciatica

2007-10-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

Before we look at a few exercises for sciatica it is important to understand what sciatica is. Often misused and not clearly defined, sciatica is not a diagnosis in itself but in actuality sciatica is a set of symptoms being caused by another medical issue, most often a slipped or herniated disk. The term sciatica refers to the pain caused when one ore more of the nerves exiting the lower spine are being compressed or irritated. These nerves exiting the lower spines make up the sciatic nerve. A herniated or slipped disk is not the only medical condition that can cause sciatica but it is the most common.The medical term for sciatica is a radiculopathy, which means that a spinal disc has extended beyond its normal position and is irritating the radicular nerve (nerve root) in the lower back, which connects with the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve branches off as it travels down the lower extremity through the back of the leg, and thus pain can be experienced along this route.Even though it may seem counterintuitive, healing sciatica pain through exercise is better than bed rest. Resting for a day or two after the patients sciatica flares up is acceptable, but inactivity after this time will usually make the pain worse. Your back muscles and spinal structure become deconditioned without exercise and movement and are less able to support the back. Leading to strain and further back injury this deconditioning and weakening is the most common reason for additional back pain. If you want to have healthy spinal discs you need to make sure that you are exercising. Nutrients and fluids are exchange within discs through movement and help to keep them healthy.The focus of most sciatica exercises are on strengthening the back and abdominal muscles to provide more strength and support for your back. If you have muscles that cause pain when they are tight and inflexible, stretching exercises for sciatica targeted muscles is recommended. When you partake in stretching and strengthening exercises, the average patient will recover more quickly from a sciatica episode and prevent future flare ups of the pain.Because sciatic pain is not caused by the same ailments, specific sciatica exercises are recommended depending on the cause of the pain. Its just like bringing your car into the mechanic, if the muffler is the problem then rotating the wheels will most likely not fix the problem. A certified athletic trainer, physical therapist, chiropractor or or spine specialist who deals with back and leg pain associated with sciatica may recommend a treatment program with exercise being a part of it. Making sure you are properly diagnosed before starting a specific sciatica exercise program is important because, while it is rare, sciatica pain can be cause by serious medical conditions such as a tumor or infection that require prompt medical attention. I was going to list an assortment of exercises that one could do but I don't think with what I have said in my above statement that this would be a good idea. Self diagnosis can often lead to further injury so I stick to what I wrote and recommend that before you start specific sciatica exercises you should consult one of the above recommended specialists and discuss a treatment plan with a professional.Laser Back Surgery. Discover more information on Spine Procedures.
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Way To Happiness Through Positive Thinking

2007-10-20T06:53:00.001-07:00

Apart from finding a solution to all our problems or inventing challenges for ourselves, one of the greatest ways to happiness is having a positive attitude towards life and thinking positively. One should not be an ostrich who hides face in the sand and thinks everything is peachy when it is not. You should always look at life with a sense of hope and optimism. In one study done at the Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Unities States of America, happy subjects were more hopeful about their wishes than their less sanguine peers. It is not that their wishes came true more often; they just expected them to come true. The secret to turning your outlook around is to start thinking positively right now. It is one of the smartest ways to happiness. By expecting to have a great day, by identifying negative thoughts, and countering them with positive or neutral ones, and by embracing challenges instead of fearing them, you will stop looking at the darker side constantly, and will also grow as a person. The effortless ways to happiness include being positive and looking for the good in every aspect of life. According to experts, the secret to true happiness or one of the ways to happiness lies in making a habit of looking for the good and positive in your life. For instance, just by taking a compliment for your outfit in the positive way shows how you conduct the gratitude ritual with an optimistic approach. Some experts recommend that we should write down our ‘five’ happy things before going to bed, so that we drift off to sleep and end our day on a positive note. This positive energy will help us look forward to the next day with complete buoyancy, cheerfulness and optimism. By recollecting our good thoughts or new or good experiences of the day, help us feel good and positive about life instantaneously.There may be many ways to happiness, but the simplest technique to be happy is by having a positive attitude towards our selves. Being too critical will never take you to Blissville. The things that you tell yourself have an impact on your mood and body. The negative thoughts trigger the release of stress chemicals that make you feel worse. To end the self-sabotage, make a decision to be nicer to yourself. Pay close attention to your thoughts and when you find yourself having negative thoughts replace it with positive ones. For example, if you make a mistake, stop the ‘I am so stupid’ message, and replace it with ‘Everyone makes mistakes and I’ve learnt from this one. Good for me.’ In this way we not only get rid of the negativity within us, but also begin to have a positive approach towards life which the one of the best ways to happiness. About The AuthorJohn Khu is an experience entrepreneur and internet marketer. He specializes in communication development and personal happiness.http://www.happyessence.com
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Flash that gorgeous smile with the help of dentist New York

2007-10-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

When somebody had quoted that health is wealth, he was so apt in saying that. One’s health is definitely the greatest and the most valuable asset and one has to make sure to take proper care of this invaluable asset. With the passing of time and the rise in competition, people’s health has been affected and therefore, today one has to make sure that he remains prim and proper and fit and fine to remain active in this highly competitive world. Health includes everything from head to toe. Therefore, one has to make sure that all their body parts are functioning aptly and that if they have any kind of a physical disorder, they should immediately consult a good doctor. Now, when we talk about all the body parts, there is one such part that is multitasking. This is the set of teeth that we all have. It is because of these teeth that we can chew our food and at the same time, these sets of teeth make us look beautiful by helping us to pass that dazzling smile. In fact, who does not want to pass a gracious smile? However, any kind of a tooth problem can lead to many health hazards and therefore, one has to make sure to visit a good dentist, who can solve any sort of a dental problem. If you are a resident of New York City or stay in any of the nearby places, then you can easily consult a dentist in New York for any sort of a tooth related problem. During the early days, there were only some limited solutions to any kind of a tooth related problem, but today, the advent of high-end technology and science has definitely made things much easier and simpler. In fact, thanks to this technological revolution, today any sort of a health problem has an answer and if you are suffering from aggravated or simple tooth problem, you can take the help of a dentist New York and he will guide you to solve the problem. Whatever dental problem one might suffer from, the best thing to do is to consult a dentist as he will be able to prescribe the right technique to tone down the problem and will also suggest good medicines that will help to reduce the risk of the dental problem that one is suffering from. There are various kinds’ of teeth or dental problems that one can suffer from and in fact, in today’s fast lifestyle, facing a dental problem is not a very big thing. Consumption of high amount of caffeine, heavy smoking, fast food all lead to some or the other dental problem. In fact, once any kind of a dental problem is detected, it is best to get things sorted in the very first stage rather than waiting for it to get aggravated and then create further problems. Therefore, if you realize that your tooth is giving you some trouble, you should immediately consult a dentist. Now to do this you will definitely need to do some research on the dentist you want to consult, so that you remain assured that you are going to a great dentist in New York, who can fix your dental problem. Once your dental problems are fixed, you can easily sport that gorgeous smile of yours’ without any hesitation and pass that smile to make others feel great. Erzana Jones has special interest in dentistry and health related topics.For more information about Dentist,Dentist New York,Braces New York,invisalign braces or any kind of dental emergency visit www.manhattandentalspa.com
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Is it Perfume or Poison?

2007-10-20T06:41:00.000-07:00

Copyright (c) 2007 Ainsley LaingHere's the scenario: you are on an elevator. The elevator stops and in walks someone with WAY too much cologne on and the smell overpowers you. Your sinuses start to hurt and you get a bit sick to your stomach. The smell of the cologne stays with you, in your hair, clothes and nose for quite a while after � hence the sick feeling does too. Yuk. It's hard not to think how inconsiderate this person is.It's not just the smell that is inconsiderate. Have you ever thought about the chemicals that are used in fragrances? Many of them are not good for you to breathe or to put on your body!This week Time Magazine did an article on air fresheners and how many brands have been removed from the market due to high levels of phthalates. Phthalates are estrogenic in nature, which is believed to contribute to certain cancers. Phthalates are used to dissolve and carry fragrances and soften plastics, sealants and similar compounds. They are commonly found in cosmetics, paint, nail polish and plastics.This peaked my interest on fragrances in general � so, as usual, I did some research. Although fragrances have been used for centuries, they were made from plant and animal sources. Modern fragrances are primarily synthetic materials developed since World War II.Did you know that 600 or more chemicals may be used in a single fragrance, and 95% of chemicals used in them are derived from petroleum? Why? Petro-chemicals in perfumes are less expensive and more easily available than the natural ingredients.Many chemicals used in fragrances are considered hazardous waste disposal chemicals! Synthetic fragrance compounds accumulate in human tissue and are found in breast milk.An EPA study in 1991 listed the 20 most common chemicals used in "fragrance products" which are used not only in perfumes but to scent shampoos, soaps, deodorants, lotions, creams and other beauty products. Here's the list � it speaks volumes on its own:ACETONE, BENZALDEHYDE, BENZYL, BENZYL ALCOHOL, CAMPHOR, ETHANOL, ETHYL ACETATE, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, METHYLENE CHLORIDE, a-PINENE, g-TERPINENE, a-TERPINEOL, 1,8-CINEOLE, b-CITRONELLOL, b-MYRCENE, NEROL, OCIMENE, b-PHENETHYL ALCOHOL, a-TERPINOLENEThere are relatively few studies available concerning the use and exposure to fragranced products. Testing by the cosmetics/fragrance industry focuses on skin effects without taking into account respiratory, neurological, or systemic effects. There is little regulation of fragrance by regulatory agencies. Not only is too much perfume often offensive to many, more and more people consider it to be an indoor air pollutant. Some are quite vocal about their opposition to the use of perfumes. For years, I thought I was the only one who got headaches from strong perfume!There is a movement afoot to curtail the use of fragrances in the work place. Many businesses, at the request of their employees, are creating fragrance-free policies. Given that many people are highly affected by allergies, this makes sense (pun intended, get it? ... sense...scents...).But seriously, given that we are bombarded by more and more hazardous chemicals and pollution, having less on our bodies, homes and in our workplaces must be better for ALL of us. Breathe deeply and live well!Sources: Neurotoxins: At Home and the Workplace, (Report by the Committee on Science & Technology, U.S. House of Representatives, Sept.16, 1986. (Report 99-827). "Living Healthy in a Toxic World," David Steinman 1996. "Stink-Free Office Mates," Natural Health Magazine, Nov./Dec. 2000. http://www.ourlittleplace.com/chemicals.html "How Fressh is the Air Freshener?" http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1664954,00.html?cnn=yes------About the Author:Ainsley Laing, MSc. has been a Fitness Trainer for 25 years and writes exclusively Body for Mind eZine. She holds certifications in Group Exercise, Sports Nutrition and Personal Fitness Training. She is also a professional engineer and mom. To see more articles by Ainsley visit http://www.bodyformind.com or the blog at http://www.bodyformind.blogspot.com
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The Secrets of Natural Face Cream

2007-10-20T06:40:00.001-07:00

Copyright (c) 2007 Ethought AustraliaSkin care is an everyday part of our lives. Having healthy, good looking, skin is essential to our general well-being and self-confidence. However there are so many products out there that it can often be hard to find a beneficial, healthy and well priced skin care facial cream. The problem lies partly in the fact that skin care products are so heavily marketed that it is often impossible to tell fact from fiction. Every cosmetic company tells us their products are better than their competitors, but we know better than to trust everything advertisers tell us, don't we?So, how do we decide what makes a quality facial skin care product? Good looking packaging? Or perhaps we could look at what seems to be most popular at the time? Or, you could assess the quality of a skin care product, in a more logical manner, based on its ingredients. But herein lies the fundamental problem. Unless you have studied chemistry at university who among us knows what trietholamine or propylparaben is? On the other hand in other skin care products you can notice immediately that the ingredients are everyday recognisable produce. You can see ingredients like avocado, turmeric and green tea. These sort of ingredients are much clearer to understand. We know that all those ingredients mentioned above are, firstly, natural, and secondly, safe. A good rule of thumb for skin care products is; if it tastes ok then it will probably be ok for your skin. This may sound strange but think about it, who consciously wants to put something on their skin, especially their face, that they would not at least taste. If you were sat down in front of two baths, one full of green tea and one full of propylparaben, which one would you know is safe for your skin, even healthy. The point is we seem to have been convinced that artificially produced skin care products are as good as their natural counterparts. This is just not true. Another way to think about this is to think of the artificial banana flavour as compared to a real banana, few if any of us would choose the artificial flavour as superior to the real banana.So, short of running surveys and polls on what makes a good skin care product we can use everyday knowledge to ascertain that natural products are probably alot better for our skin than laboratory manufactured chemicals. Laboratory chemicals are also relatively untested and their long term effects are unknown as yet. Whereas we know that green tea has been used for both cosmetic and medicinal purposes for thousands of years.------An example of a purely natural face cream is Jurlique Day Care Face Cream. For a complete list of the ingredients or more details on Jurlique Day Care Face Cream please click here http://www.jurliquedaycarefacecream.com
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