The Wisdom Blog

Not Just a Banana

2008-06-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

I received this interesting email from a friend about banana, which happened to be one of my favorite fruits also. I know that banana is good for runners to prevent muscle cramp. When I was in Philippines, I liked to have the banana que once in a while; it is fried with brown sugar. I have even tried eating boiled banana when I was there. According to my Pinoy friend, he told me that it is one good meal for the poor people as they can get it at low price. As I ate the boiled banana, I also learned gratitude and to appreciate life. I must re-evaluate the way I look at banana.

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:

According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:

Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia:

High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:

This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:

200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:

High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:

One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:

Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:

Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites:

Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:

Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work?

Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:

The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:

Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):

Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking & Tobacco Use:

Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:

Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes:

According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts:

Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

Yahoo! Personals 7 Day FREE Trial offer

Low cost domain registration, plus hosting and building solutions. Dotster does it all!

Why Are Mosquitoes More Attracted To Some People

2008-05-31T18:51:00.000-07:00

While I was waiting for my cousin to pick me up from the train station the other day, I was thinking, "why are mosquitoes more attracted to some people compare to other?" I am someone who have always attracted more mosquito bites than most of my friends. It must be because I smell better, look better (I'm kidding on this) and 'taste' better. Is mosquito ever choosy on its food? That I could not answer on their behalf although my name was being associated with mosquito once in a while when I was young. However, there has been a study that shown that mosquitoes are particularly attracted to people infected with the transmissible forms of malaria than to those infected with non-transmissible forms of the disease or to unaffected people.

How does a mosquito find its target? According to a BBC news, a team led by Rockefeller University has found that mosquitoes target exhaled breath using protein receptors in the structure extending from their jaws. The lead researcher Professor Leslie Vosshall said: "Insects are especially sensitive to carbon dioxide, using it to track food sources and assess their surrounding environment." This would be an important discovery as at least one million people die of malaria world wide each year.

Besides carbon dioxide, let us take a look at other factors that lure the mosquitoes to us:

Lactic acid that is released during exercise or consuming particular food.
Body heat.
Dark-coloured clothing (this together with body heat could be two major contributing factors to more bites for me as I like to wear black tee-shirt and I have high body heat).
Perfumes, used in a range of body care products (e.g. shampoo, body shower cream, body lotion), also help mosquitoes identify a target.

A combination of these factors could be the reasons why mosquitoes are more attracted to some people than others. There are some other interesting theories as to why some people get more mosquito bites.

Some theories involving gender were proposed and then discarded. One theory said that women were more likely to be bitten than men because mosquitoes are repelled by the strong odour of human sweat. Women who are deem to 'smell' better than men received greater attention from men. However, some men are bitten more than some women (and vice verse).

Another funny theory said that mosquitoes prefer thin-skinned people and thus women get bites more because women generally have thinner skin than men.

Third, it was theorised that women had some secret hormonal attractant that brought them to the attention of mosquitoes more than men. Even menstruation and ovulation could be factors in this. But such an attractant was never found. Gender does not now seem to be the all-important factor in mosquito "bite" susceptibility, according to The Register.

One interesting factor that caught my attention especially was about banana; since I love to eat banana. It was said that if you like to eat banana, you will tend to attract more mosquitoes. There is no scientific proof to confirm the connection however. It was speculated that eating of banana released scent of banana that seeps from your pores when you sweat and that attracted the mosquitoes, which can "smell" its human blood meal from a distance of up to 50 kilometres (30 miles) away. This was immediately refuted by some who said that it did not work for them as they do take bananas but still end up with more mosquito bites.

In so speaking, how do you know if you have a higher risk of being a target, and just what kind of people the mosquito is most attracted to? "That's a hard one to answer," says Professor Andrew Spielman of the Harvard School of Public Health, and one of the world's leading experts on the mosquito. The combination of the reasons above of how mosquitoes find their targets could be why some people are more prone to bites than to other. If you are one of those getting more bites, you might want to see which of the above reason/s that could contribute to you getting more bites. Since it has been said that diet may be one of the contributing factors, you may like to think about what are the food that you are taking more compare to others.

Until there is a confirmed report of why mosquitoes are more attracted to some people than others, the only thing we can do for ourselves now is to equip ourselves with a good insect repellent especially if we expect mosquitoes in the places that we are heading to.

LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention

Could You Have Been a Millionaire Too?

2008-05-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

As I was lying in my bed last night, I was hit by a sudden thought, "I could have already been a millionaire many times and I could be ... I would have been on my way to be a billionaire." How is that possible? Just through reading my email. Yes ... just as simple as that. Easy money right? Almost right, easy money but easy way to lose our money! Having been on the Internet for years now, I have seen how their email evolving and getting more and more creative each day.

Just yesterday I received yet another scam email with the subject line, "YAHOO INTERNET LOTTERY" and I thought, "so now Yahoo is giving away money?" Such email should have ended up in the Spam folder but somehow it sneaked into my Inbox. Trying to amuse myself, I opened up the email and read it.
So they weren't kidding when they put "YAHOO INTERNET LOTTERY" in the subject line. I did win the YAHOO INTERNET LOTTERY or did I? As you can see, the email even comes with Yahoo! logo to make it all appeared legitimate and real. Apparently, Internet scam is here to stay and they undergo constant changes to keep up with time. On one hand, I have to say that whoever is coming up with this email did put in some effort to make this email appeared to be from a reliable source. At the end of the email, there was even a photo of a guy (which is something new to me) who signed off as Mr. James Walker LOTTO CO-COORDINATOR, The Yahoo.com staff. On the other hand, I really wondered, "Could this creativity be put to better use than to try to cheat people of their money?" It certainly can! If one is new to the Internet, one may have fall for this.

Some people may say, "Serve them right for being greedy and for being stupid to fall for this old trick. They deserve it!" Maybe they are right to say so. Pardon me that I was once like them and had the same thought. The number one factor why these Internet scams continue to work could be greed but these scams also prey on people who are ignorant and hopeful. Although more and more people are becoming Internet savvy, there are still a small number of people who are naive and maybe one would call them virgin Internet user. Everyday, there will bound to be new user of the Internet. There are some people who are just simply hopeful that these scams are real.

How does these Internet Scams work?

Usually they would explain the nature of the draw and how you had ended up as one of the winners. In this email which I received, they explained, "YAHOO, collects all the mail ID of the people that are online on yahoo messenger, among the millions that subscribe to yahoo messenger we only select five people every month as our winners through electronic balloting System without the winner applying, we are congratulating you for been one of the people selected." A ticket number would also be provided to one and one will be told to contact the agent as soon as possible with one's details like name, address, telephone number, email, ticket number etc.

One would also be told to keep the information confidential from public until the claim was processed and the prize released. These Internet scams even answered your doubt of why you shouldn't inform anyone. They said, "This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted taking advantage of this programme by non-participant or unofficial personnel." Naturally one will follow their instructions.

Upon contacting the agent involved, he/she would explain to you the whole procedure of claiming the prize until a point of time they would ask you to remit a certain sum of money for the legal processing fee or priority mailing fee to send you the money order or cheque securely. How I know? Of course I tried it out. When I am in the mood to play with the agent, I would tease him/her and tell him/her to deduct the fee from my winning prize or to help me pay for the fee first and I will give him/her 10% of the winning. It is always entertaining to see the replies.

With the Internet becoming so common nowadays, such Internet scams are also becoming very common. As long as you have an email, you will bound to receive such scams once in a while. The best thing to do is not to do anything and just put them into the trash folder.

LifeLock is the only Identity Theft Prevention Solution backed by a one-million dollar guarantee! Click here to get a 10% discount.

One Habit to Save Up to 21% of Your Electricity Bill

2008-04-11T01:21:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to see the electricity bill in the mailbox the other day. I promptly reached for it as if someone would sneak up from behind and snatch it away from me. You might be thinking it must either be the heat in Singapore that was getting into me or that I was going crazy; who in the world would be excited to get an electricity bill in the mailbox. On the contrary, it was neither the heat nor that I was going crazy. I was conducting an experiment and this was the second months of the experiment. Even before I could get into the elevator, I was already anxiously opening up the bill.

On the first look, everything seem normal. However, when I turned the bill over to look at the other side, I was all excited again. A scanned copy of part of the electricity bill said it all. Referring to the bar graphs below, I had saved another 25 Kilowatts or approximately 27.5 pounds of coal (amount of coal needed to generate 25 Kilowatts of electricity) from February to April. According to Wikipedia, the USA consumes about 1.053 billion tonnes of coal each year, using 90% of it for generation of electricity. The world in total produced 6.19 billion tonnes of coal in 2006.

Now for the grand result for the two months the experiment was ran, I had saved a total of 63 Kilowatts of electricity in the two months or up to 21% of electricity.
You may be saying, "What is the big deal? It is only 63 Kilowatts." A baby step to a healthier planet. According to the Department of Statistic of Singapore, there were a total of 923,300 resident households in Singapore in 2000. Imagine if every household can save the same amount of electricity (and even better if they can save more) every month, we can save up to 23 million Kilowatts of electricity every month (hope I gotten the Math correct). That would not look like a small deal anymore right?

Lets take a look at how can we achieve that baby step toward a healthier planet. It takes less than 5 minutes to do it - that is to turn off any unused appliances at the socket and not just to put it in a standby mode. Yes, saving electricity can be that simple and straightforward. The first time I read an article about this, I was very doubtful and thus I decided to experiment it in my home. I was amazed of the result too.

Putting unused appliances to standby mode still uses lots of energy. We can save this energy by turning off televisions and other items when they're not in use. That includes your computer's monitor as well. Screen savers only stop the screen from getting burned in images. Energy saving mode cuts power usage but nowhere near as much as the on/off switch does.

Some of you may be saying, "It'll be so inconvenient to turn off the switch; keeping any unused appliances in the standby mode mean I can switch it on immediately using the remote. I don't have to move 'half way across planet home' to turn the switch on. I had the same thinking initially too. However, it was not a challenge for me to change. By moving around the house to turn the switch on, I become more active and I treat it as an exercise. And the ultimate motivation comes from doing my bit for planet Earth, as well as saving my electricity bill up to 20% every month.

Just that one baby step, it can create a big different. Lets us all do our bit for our planet Earth. Wishing you goodness in all areas of your life.

One More Shot?

2008-04-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

How many time have you heard the tagline, "If you drink, don't drive and if you drive, don't drink?" Every year during the festive seasons, commercials, banners and posters will be used to relate this message to the general public in Singapore. How effective are they in putting the message across? No one really knows. One thing for sure, for one with high civic-mindedness, he/she will not need such means to remind them not to drive if they drink. Naturally for one who does not has any civic-mindedness, no amount of these commercials, banners and posters will get the message into their head. Fortunately, I believe the latter is only a minority group in our society as most people still have a good sense of social responsibility.

Drunk driving is an offence in most countries around the world. Anyone who is convicted of injuring or killing someone while under the influence of alcohol can be heavily fined, in addition to being given a lengthy prison sentence. In Singapore, repeated offence of drunk driving can cause you to be fined up to $30,000 SGD and three years' imprisonment. For an offender causing death or serious injuries can also be caned up to 6 strokes. In a report from Associated Press dated May 17, 2007, a man in New York was sentenced 20 years to life in prison for drunk driving for a seventh time since 1982. His first conviction in 1982 was involved in an alcohol-related crash that killed a man. He was sentenced to one year in the county jail after pleading guilty to second-degree manslaughter and misdemeanor DWI.

According to the Office for National Statistics of UK, they reported that alcohol related death rate in the UK continued to rise in 2006, from 12.9 deaths per 100,000 populations in 2005 to 13.4 in 2006. The number of alcohol-related deaths more than doubled from 4,144 in 1991 to 8,758 in 2006. In the US, in 2006, an estimated 17,602 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes—an average of one every 30 minutes. These deaths constitute 41 percent of the 42,642 total traffic fatalities (from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

From a speech by Dr. Teo Ho Pin, Chairman of The Government Parliamentary Committee for Law and Home Affairs of Singapore dated 13 December 2006; he cited an accident which happened earlier in March that year. Two colleagues were on their way home together on a motorcycle and they crashed into the centre divider along Bukit Timah Expressway and their bodies were found lying along the road. It was found later that both men had a high concentration of alcohol in their blood. In that tragedy, two families lost not only their sole breadwinners but also their husbands and fathers. Indeed as what he mentioned, “The penalties of drink-driving are very high – with the ultimate penalty being death.”

The serious consequences of drunk driving cannot be overemphasized and the consequences don’t end with legal action. It could very well cause a disruption in your life. More often than not, drunk driver endangers not only himself/herself, but also other innocent road users. Often time, you may think that you are still sober enough to drive after drinking but there are too many cases where drunk drivers caused death of their loved ones and innocent parties.

Prevention is always better than cure. If you are going out on a group, there can be a designated driver to send the rest home. And in the case when even the designated driver had a few drinks, there is always public transport or a cab instead. Never leave things to chance. When it happened, saying things like, “If I know … I would not drunk drive” or “I thought I am still in control” or “I’m sorry, I did not mean to kill her.” Whatever you’ll be saying, it would not make any sense anymore. Please do not ruin your night of fun and enjoyment and be sentenced to a lifetime of guilt and regret. Everyone of us can do our part to make this world a safer place for everyone else to live in.

5 Tips to Prevent Boredom With Exercise

2008-04-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

Exercise is great, but it can get repetitive. After a while of just doing the same things over and over again you might find yourself stuck in a rut. Not only will doing the same exercises over and over again prevent you from seeing more results but it will also allow your body to adapt to what your giving it.

This is why it’s very important to change up your workouts every two weeks at the least. This will give your body enough time to change and grow from the exercises you do without having your body to adapt to the exercises. By doing this, you never allow your body to get to a point where it adapts as well as it’ll keep your workouts interesting because you’ll always be doing something different. Because you’ll always be changing up your workouts, you’ll be able to keep seeing results as you progress in your routine. Another benefit to doing something different every two weeks is that you won’t set your body up to plateau or get stuck at a certain time of your routine.

There are many different ways to spice up your routine. Here are the top 5 ways you can easily adjust your workouts to make them more interesting and prevent boredom.

1. Use Different Equipment

Now a days, you have the benefit to choose from an array of different exercise equipments and tools. From foam rollers to BOSU balls every different piece of equipment can add a little bit more challenge to your exercises. What you can try to do is look for a piece of equipment that you don’t really know how to use and use it for 2 weeks. This will give enough to time to learn how to use it , and how to incorporate it into your routine. If you end up liking it then great if not move on to a different piece of equipment. So already by following this recommendation you’ll be able to try numerous amounts of fitness tools within a matter of weeks.

2. Workout With a Partner/Group

You know that saying two heads are better than one? Well it kind of works the same way for exercise. If you choose to work with a partner or friend you can benefit a whole lot in the motivation and social departments, however one great thing that you get when working with a partner is that you can come up with a crazy amount of exercises that you wouldn’t be able to do by yourself.

3. Learn New Exercises

This is probably one of the easiest tips to employ. There are many resources out there that can teach you how to perform different exercises that fit your preference. Whether you get ideas from magazines or from sessions with a trainer you can definitely pick up some great exercise to add to your routine.

4. Participate in Sports

Do you remember playing sports as a kid? Did it feel like exercise? For the most part not really…you were too busy focusing on what was going on that you didn’t realize you were exercising. Playing sports give you the opportunity to work super hard without you knowing. So if you don’t like to exercise you could try and find a community centre that has different sports that you can play or even join a local house league.

5. Create An Obstacle Course

If your looking for a creative way to add a little spice to your workouts you can look at making some Obstacle courses for yourself. You can make as long or as short as you want, it’s totally up to your preference. Personally what I do is look for a playground with monkey bars, benches and other objects I can implement into my obstacle course. Group 6-8 exercises together and perform one right after the other. It’s simple and creative way to kick your workout up a notch and get some serious results.

Rosetta Stone, The Fastest Way to Learn a Language. Guaranteed!: Free Shipping
------------------------

Marci Lall is a Womens Weight Loss & Body Sculpting Specialist. visit his website to get his FREE report "16 tips on how to get maximum weight loss and fitness results in minimum time" http://www.lallpt.com

Tips on Coping with Jet Lag

2008-03-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

Jet lag, a term that is ever familiar with the frequent travelers. With the world becoming a global village and with the increase in need to travel for work and for other reasons, people are traveling more and more regularly. There is a saying, by some people who are traveling a lot, "I'm taking the plane just like taking a cab."

Jet lag is a physiological condition which is a consequence of alterations to the biological clock, which is a small cluster of brain cells that controls the timing of biological functions (circadian rhythms), including when you eat and sleep. When traveling across a number of time zones, the body clock will not be in sync with the destination time, as it experiences daylight and darkness contrary to the rhythms to which it has grown so used to. Besides being caused by traveling to different time zones on jet as its name implies, jet lag can also be due to shift work, daylight saving time, altered day length. They are known as desynchronosis, dysrhythmia, dyschrony, jet lag, or jet syndrome.

The condition of jet lag may last many days and depends on individuals. People who normally stick to a rigid daily routine, are often the worst sufferers. People whose normal lives involve highly varied routines can often adjust their circadian rhythms better, and adapt to a disruption of normal eating and sleeping patterns. People who sleep easily can also cope better with the adjustment. The intensity of the condition of jet lag also depends on the number of time zones cross. For people flying across only one or two time zones, they may be able to adjust without noticeable effects of the time change as compared to others who are flying across three or more time zones.

Direction of flight will also determine how intense the condition of your jet lag will be. There seems to be some evidence that traveling west to east is the more disruptive. Travelers flying east "lose" time. This disruption to their body clocks affects their meals, sleep, bowel habits, and other daily routines consequently. Travelers flying west "gain" time and usually have an easier time adjusting than eastward travelers.

Symptoms of Jet Lag:

The symptoms of jet lag can be quite varied, though on the whole, an individual may experience the following:

Dehydration: Jet lag sufferer may experience dehydration and the dry air in aircraft may make it even worse. It is advisable to drink plenty of water. Water is better choice than coffee, tea and fruit juices. Drinking of alcohol is strictly not advisable as it is not only useless in combating dehydration, but also has an intoxicating effect in an aircraft environment.

Loss of appetite

Nausea and/or upset stomach

Headaches and/or sinus irritation

Fatigue: Becoming tired and disoriented for days after arriving. Lack of concentration and motivation, especially for any activity that requires some effort or skill, like driving, reading, or discussing a business deal. But even simple activities can become harder. And your ability to really enjoy that vacation is significantly reduced.

Disorientation and/or grogginess: Long haul flights can get very tiring toward the end, not to mention the process of going through customs and immigration and then getting to your hotel. "Losing their coolness" is one symptom reported by flight crews.

Insomnia and/or highly irregular sleep patterns

Mild depression

5 Tips to Cope with Jet Lag

Below are some tips which you can use to help you cope with jet lag:

1. Pre-flight: Try to relax and not be too excited or concerned about your trip. Staying in shape also helps you to cope better with jet lag. Whether you are traveling are not, it is always important to stay in tip-top physical condition and that will mean plenty of rest, exercise and eating right. And remember to get a good night of sleep prior to departure.

2. Drink Plenty of Water: As mentioned above, to prevent dehydration, it is important for you to drink plenty of water during the flight. It is advisable not to drink alcohol or even caffeinated beverages before, during, or just after the flight as they not only cause dehydration, but also disrupt your sleeping schedules.

3. Move around on the plane: While seated during your flight, exercise your legs from time to time. For example, moving your legs up and down and back and forth, bending your knees or standing up and sitting down etc. You may also want to take a walk in the aisle every hour or two. This not only prevents blood clot in the legs (which may lead to death in serious cases), but also helps to reduce discomfort and refresh your body. Just don't do jumping jack in the plane, you have caused the plane to 'jump' too. In the event where there are stopovers, do get off the plane wherever possible to do some exercises or take a walk.

4. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes: For once, looking good on the plane is not as important as feeling good. Make sure you are comfortably dress for the flight. Avoid items that pinch, restrict, or chafe. A good point to note is also to keep in mind the climate in your destination.

5. Sleep aids: Blindfolds, ear plugs, neck rests and blow-up pillows are all useful in helping you get quality sleep while flying. Kick your shoes off to ease pressure on the feet (some airlines provide soft sock-like slippers, and many experienced travellers carry their own).

A few words of cautious: some people use sleeping pills to alleviate jet lag. It is highly not advisable as sleeping pills induce a comatose state with little or no natural body movement, and it is well known that prolonged immobility during flight can lead to fatal blood clots (deep vein thrombosis). In addition, many so-called sleeping pills are variants of anti-histamines and they tend to dehydrate significantly, adding to the already significant problem of in-flight dehydration.

Thus with proper planning of your flight in advance by taking notes of your flying direction (whether it is east to west or west to eat), time and coupling with exercises and diet and plenty of rest before the departure can alleviate jet lag. Wishing you a pleasant flight!

Yahoo! Personals 7 Day FREE Trial offer

Carbon Dioxide: A-Z of Global Warming

2008-03-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

Copyright © 2008 Simon Rosser

We are now well into our alphabetic A to Z journey on global warming. C for Carbon dioxide is one of the main players in the global warming problem. Carbon dioxide, chemical symbol co2 is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms.

CO2 is present in the Earth's atmosphere at a low concentration, around 0.038% by volume, and is one of many gases that make up Earth's atmosphere. CO2 is measured in parts per million by volume of air (PPMV). Atmospheric carbon dioxide derives from many natural sources including volcanic eruptions, the combustion of organic matter, the respiration of living aerobic organisms, and unfortunately from manmade (anthropogenic) sources, which we all know from the news is being linked to global warming and climate change.

Since the industrial revolution particularly the mid nineteenth century, the burning of fossil fuels for energy to provide electricity, power factories, homes and for all our transport needs has released massive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Not only the burning of fossil fuels, but changes in the use of the land for agriculture and deforestation has further added to global manmade CO2 levels. According to the World Wildlife fund some 29 gigatons which is 29 billion metric tons of CO2 was added to the atmosphere in 2004 alone from burning coal, oil and gas.

If we go back 250 years or so, to pre- industrial times, usually taken to be around 1750, CO2 levels in the atmosphere stood at around 280 parts per million by volume (ppmv). However levels of the gas have been increasing steadily ever since.

HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?

Well, pioneering scientist Charles Keeling (1928-2005) started taking atmospheric CO2 measurements in 1958 from Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. Those measurements have been recorded and are now known as The Keeling Curve. Charles Keeling was the professor of oceanography at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO) which is in San Diego, USA, and he followed the work of another eminent scientist and director of the SIO, Roger Revelle. Dr Revelle was instrumental in creating the Geophysical Year in 1958 and SIO's first programme looking at atmospheric CO2 back in 1956.

Monthly CO2 measurements were collected from a height of 3397 metres (11,140 feet) at the Mauna Loa Observatory situated on the slopes of Earth's largest volcano, Mauna Loa in Hawaii which was chosen for its remoteness to populations and vegetation so as not to skewer the readings.

Measurements have been taken over a 50 year period between 1958 and present, which show an increase in CO2 levels of 70 ppmv from around 315 ppmv to around their current level of 385 ppmv. The effects of CO2 in the atmosphere can even be measured on a cyclical basis, and this can be seen in the saw toothed keeling graph. Because there is greater land area, and thus far more plant life in the Northern Hemisphere compared to the Southern Hemisphere, there is an annual fluctuation of about 5 ppmv peaking in May and reaching a minimum in October. This corresponds to the Northern Hemisphere growing season. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere drops towards spring when uptake by the plants and trees by photosynthesis is greatest. The opposite occurs in winter when the plants die off and CO2 levels rise again.

Continuous readings in this way have only been taken since 1958, however scientists have discovered that prior to the industrial era, circa 1750, CO2 levels stood at around 280 ppmv and this data has been revealed from air trapped in ice core records, taken from both the Antarctic and Arctic. Perhaps most startling is the fact that CO2 levels are now around 85 ppmv higher than at any time during the last 650,000 years. Records from ice core records go back that far and have shown atmospheric CO2 levels to range from 180-300 ppmv during that period. The level of CO2 in our atmosphere now stands at 385 ppmv, and is increasing steadily.

The Keeling curve has become one of the most recognisable images in modern science as it shows with no uncertainty the effects of humankind's fossil fuel pollution of Earth's atmosphere.

CO2 levels have increased by 37% since pre-industrial times and have been increasing by an average of almost 1.4 ppmv a year since measurements began in 1958, although some months the figure has been higher, sometimes lower. In the last ten years however, the average increase appears to be around 1.9 ppmv each year, which indicates the rate of increase is increasing.

Whilst CO2 is a natural greenhouse gas, and important in natural concentrations to maintain Earth's climate, anthropogenic CO2 is now pushing up Earth's temperature. Earth's natural sinks, like the Amazon rainforest and the oceans struggle to absorb the additional CO2 now being added to the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels. It is a know scientific fact that higher levels of greenhouse gases, of which CO2 is a component cause a warming of Earth's atmosphere. If CO2 is not kept in check and continues to rise at current levels it will eventually cause Earth's temperature to increase to levels which maybe critical to life on Earth.

Earth's temperature has already increased by 0.74 degrees Celsius (1.33 Fahrenheit ) over the last 100 years......

------------------------
Simon Rosser, a lawyer by profession, I felt inspired to write The A-Z of Global Warming, published in June 2008, after viewing Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth in Nov 2006. Based on the most upto date scientific information, this Carbon Dioxide extract gives a flavour of the books content. To pre-order the book from Amazon, goto
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Z-Global-Warming-Simon-Rosser/dp/0955809207/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206442671&sr=1-9

C is the Alphabet to Healthy Life

2008-03-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

Down with a cold? Vitamin C may just be what you need. 2 years ago one of my associates told me that she never consulted any doctor when she had cold. She simply increased her Vitamin C intake and usually after about 2 weeks, she would be well again. Well, I'm not telling you to skip the doctor when you have cold in the future but rather to share with an experience what you may do to help yourself to get better faster. If you are one of those who doesn't see a doctor just because of a cold, this can very well be something you can do to help yourself get better in the most naturally way. And remember to have your rest too.

Vitamin C and also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. Being water-soluble means that it dissolves in water and the body cannot store it. The excess amount of Vitamin C and other water-soluble vitamins leave the body through urine. Therefore your body needs a constant supply of Vitamin C in your diet.

Vitamin C is essential for the formation of collagen, which is an important protein used to make skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels. Vitamin C is essential for the healing of wounds, and for the repair and maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth. It not only improves resistance to infection but (from a recent article I posted on 'Tea and Iron Absorption ') also aids the absorption of iron. Vitamin C is also a highly effective antioxidant that can protect your cells from damage by free radicals. Human is one of the few mammals that is unable to manufacture ascorbic acid in the liver and since the body is not able to store Vitamin C, it is therefore important to include plenty of vitamin C-containing foods in the daily diet.

Vitamin C Food Source

Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of Vitamin C. The foods that are very rich in Vitamin C include green peppers, citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, turnip greens and other leafy greens, sweet and white potatoes, and cantaloupe. Being water-soluble and one of the least stable vitamins, cooking can destroy much of the Vitamin C content in food.

According to WHFoods, "Vitamin C is highly sensitive to air, water, and temperature. About 25% of the vitamin C in vegetables can be lost simply by blanching (boiling or steaming the food for a few minutes). This same degree of loss occurs in the freezing and unthawing of vegetables and fruits. Cooking of vegetables and fruits for longer periods of time (10-20 minutes) can result in a loss of over one half the total vitamin C content. When fruits and vegetables are canned and then reheated, only 1/3 of the original vitamin C content may be left. Consumption of vitamin C-rich foods in their fresh, raw form is the best way to maximize vitamin C intake."

Vitamin C Deficiency

Severe Vitamin C deficiency has been known for many centuries as the potentially fatal disease, scurvy. Scurvy is a condition characterized by general weakness, anemia, gum disease (gingivitis) and skin hemorrhages. Symptoms of scurvy include bleeding and bruising easily, hair and tooth loss, joint pain and swelling. A high percentages of sailors with the British navy and other fleets used to die from scurvy until James Lind discovered that the juice of lemons could cure and also prevent the disease. The ships then routinely carried limes for the sailors to consume daily, and thus these sailors became known as "limeys." Scurvy is now most frequently seen in older and malnourished adults. Scurvy is rare in developed countries because it can be prevented by as little as 10 mg of vitamin C daily.

Symptoms of Deficiency (according to MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Vitamin C):

Dry and splitting hair
Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums)
Bleeding gums
Rough, dry, scaly skin
Decreased wound-healing rate
Easy bruising
Nosebleeds
Weakened tooth enamel
Swollen and painful joints
Anemia
Decreased ability to fight infection
Possible weight gain because of slowed metabolism

Side Effect of Vitamin C

Everything in life is about moderation. Just as a coin has two sides, a lot of things in life have their pro and cons. Vitamin C toxicity is very rare as the excess amount is easily excreted from the body when not needed.

According to WHFoods, "There are very few research studies that document vitamin C toxicity at any level of supplementation, and there are no documented toxicity effects whatsoever for vitamin C in relation to food and diet. At high supplemental doses involving 5 or more grams of vitamin C, diarrhea can result from the fluid in the intestine becoming too concentrated ("osmotic diarrhea")." They further discussed that large dosage of Vitamin C can increase levels of uric acid in the urine as Vitamin C can be broken down into uric acid.

According to Linus Pauling Institute, "A number of possible problems with very large doses of vitamin C have been suggested. However, none of these adverse health effects have been confirmed, and there is no reliable scientific evidence that large amounts of vitamin C (up to 10 grams/day in adults) are toxic or detrimental to health. With the latest RDA published in 2000, a tolerable upper intake level (UL) for vitamin C was set for the first time. A UL of 2 grams (2,000 milligrams) daily was recommended in order to prevent most adults from experiencing diarrhea and gastrointestinal disturbances. Such symptoms are not generally serious, especially if they resolve with temporary discontinuation or reduction of high-dose vitamin C supplementation."

One point to note, if you have health problems related to excess free iron in your cells, you may want to consider avoiding high supplemental doses of vitamin C.

The benefits of Vitamin C truly outweigh the detrimental effects it may have on your health - as long as you keep to the daily advise limit and according to your doctor advise. Wishing you great health always!

Yahoo! Personals 7 Day FREE Trial offer

Did You Leave Your Cellular Phone at Home?

2008-03-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

Cellular Phones and Cellular Phone Technologies have advanced by leaps and bounds since their introduction on the market. Do you still remember the day when the cellular phone looks just like the one on the left? I used to joke with my friends that if we throw that phone at someone, it might just kill the person. Some of you might have even seen water bottles being made to look just like that phone. Those were the days when cellular phone were only carried by the rich and elite who could afford them. I have a friend who used to work as an insurance adviser and due to the needs from work, he was among the first few to carry a cellular phone. He said that he used to go to a quiet corner when using his cellular in public or he would get a lot of passersby looking at him as if to say that he was a show off; who would need a cellular in those days when you can see public phone almost everywhere you go.

The 'water bottle' mobile phone had since made drastic changes. It has become so small that it can even fit in nicely to your pocket and purse. Not only that, the mobile phone has also changed our lives dramatically. It seems that almost everybody has a cell phone these days. Most probably some of you are carrying more than one cell phones; one for personal use and one for work. I have even seen children under the age of 10 texting and talking to their friends and family. However, just a word of cautious, it will be a great idea to get your children an earpiece for their use. I have been through a seminar before on the possible effect of cell phone radiation to human. The speaker had said that the skull for children will not be fully developed only until they are 14-15 and thus the radiation from cell phone will affect them more.

Reuters reports that the Carphone Warehouse and the London School of Economics found that one in three people wouldn't give up their cellphone for a million dollars. As a matter of fact, they "would rather give up alcohol, chocolate, sex, tea, or coffee than live without their mobile phone for a month." Responses varied among the 1,256 participants, but the survey did found young Britons under 24 were less willing to give up their mobile, than those over 45. Makes sense since the 45 and over age group didn't grow up with cellphones. Do you feel the need to have your cell phone with you all the time or do you happened to be one who is wearing an earpiece all the time? I am for the latter, at least when I need to drive. Just another word of cautious here, if you are driving, do use the hands free. Earpieces and bluetooths are so widely available at affordable prices now and there is really no excuse not to be using them when you are driving. Be a responsible driver.

As discussed earlier, cell phone has changed our live dramatically - it has practically changed our relationships and the way we work. Texting and smsing have become a common thing. You can be in touch 24/7, and have no excuse not to text back. Personally for myself, texting is good and convenient especially if the message that I want to convery to the other party is not time critical or I do not have to get an immediate reply from the person. However, for important message, nothing beats a face to face meet up. If meeting up is not possible, at least make it a phone call where you can hear the person's responses directly and immediately clear up any misunderstandings. How has cell phone affected your relationships?

Communications demands in work and business have spurred the development of advanced communication technologies that allow you to be contactable 24/7. Whenever I see someone using a Blackberry phone, I always remembered what one of my friends said. He is working as sort of a project manager and event organiser and thus he has to be contactable at all time. I remembered when we were having dinner with him, he said that he really envy us and how he wishes he can carry a smaller phone instead of his Blackberry. And as you might have guessed, he carried two phones and he said it's really inconvenient and troublesome at time. Last month we had another dinner gathering and just when we were about to leave the restaurant at around 1030pm, he got a call from one of his contractors informing him that they were hanging up the banner (not the banner we have in the internet) for an upcoming event. They had taken and email him some photos and were calling to check if he had checked his email yet. Cell phone has made work easier in a lot of way and yet it definitely changed our working hours and put a new meaning to the so called 9-to-5 work. How has cell phone changed the way you are doing your work?

The cell phone of yesterday is no longer an item only for the rich and elite. Through the advances in technology, the cell phone has become an affordable item for the common people and our lives can never be the way again. There are no way we can prevent or control the advances in technology and it does not make sense not to embrace these advances if they make our lives easier and better - provided that these advances do not disturb the harmony with the environment we are living in. I remembered a quotation that goes something like this, "We must always love people and make use of technology and not the other way round." On top of that, I must add, "We must love our environment too!" We would not be around if our planet is harm. Wishing all love and goodness in all areas of your life.

Shop or Create What's On Your Mind at CafePress.com

7 Tips on Saving Fuel

2008-03-13T01:26:00.000-07:00

Oil price is soaring and it certainly looks like it will not be staying at a constant price for long. I remembered last year around June, the price per litre of Shell 98 was around $1.70 SGD and just recently when I was refilling fuel. It costs about $2.12 SGD per litre; an increase of almost $0.40 SGD per litre. Not to mention that the price is still rising. There are a few alternatives that we can do.

1. To stop driving - for those who have been driving, you will be saying it's crazy! Cars are just like your legs; they carries you around places. However, what we can do is to try walking, cycling or hopping on a bus for short trips.

2. To change to hybrid car - this is one viable option where you can adopt and yet some were saying that it takes much more fuel to produce a hybrid car.

3. To change the way we drive - this is possibly the immediate option that we can adopt. By changing your driving habits you can improve fuel economy and there are many tips which you can use to start saving dollars and not pennies. Changing your habits and you'll see a substantial savings at the pump — without the need for a new car.

Let us look at ways on how we can change our driving habits as well as tips on how we can save fuel. These tips not only help you to save fuel, but also help you to contribute your bit towards saving our planet.

Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated
Keeping the tires at the right pressure not only increase your safety while driving, it also promotes fuel efficiency. The PSI number at the side of your tires shows the maximum pressure of the tire and is not the proper inflation level for your car. Your vehicle manufacturer will list the recommended tire pressure in your owner's manual or a sticker on the doorjamb of the driver-side door. You will notice that if your tires are underinflated, you will experience the extra drag on your car and this translates to more fuel usage.

Follow the Recommended Maintenance
It is important to follow your car manufacturer's servicing recommendations. A vehicle that is well maintained means it will operate with greater efficiency. This not only improves your overall vehicle performance, but it will improve your fuel economy as well. Proper maintenance also means using the right octane gas and the recommended grade of motor oil. A fuel with a higher and inappropriate octane rating does not translate to more power. Using the recommended types for your vehicle will give you optimum fuel economy — and can translate to more saving for you.

Avoid carrying excess weight
Heavier vehicles require more energy to move, so carrying around excess weight will also affect your mileage. Keeping your boot or back seat clear of unnecessary items can reduce weight to your vehicle and increase fuel efficiency.

Drive smoothly
Aggressive driving can use as much as a third more fuel, so avoid accelerating or braking too hard and keep steering smoothly. The fewer heavy brakings and flooring of the accelerator, the more fuel you save. It is important to plan your trip and to avoid the rush when driving. Always give yourself extra time to get to your destination and drive in a "steady and smooth" manner. This not only gets you safely to your destination, it also helps you to save fuel.

Use the Highest Gear Possible
Changing to a higher gear to match the speed of the car is the way to go. Lowest gear yields greatest power but translates to an increase in fuel consumption. To improve your fuel economy, drive in the highest gear possible when you are cruising at a steady speed, such as on the highway.

Use Cruise Control
Using cruise control can improve your gas mileage by helping you maintain a steady speed, but only if you are driving on mostly flat roads. However, if you are in hilly terrain, you should turn off cruise. It will try to keep you up to the speed you've set and will use a lot of extra gas downshifting to lower gears to accomplish this.

Avoid excess idling
When a car is idling, it is using fuel. Turning the engine off during idle periods can help you avoid burning excess fuel. If you are waiting for your kid outside the school or waiting to pick up someone, it is more efficient to turn the engine off while you wait and then restart the car. You will save fuel.

With these tips, you will not only drastically improve your fuel efficiency and saving money but also doing your bit for our planet.

Save $50 for auto parts purchase worth $1000 from Auto Parts Warehouse.Use this code upon checkout (FIFTYAPW)

Looking for a new car?

4 Easy Steps to Healthier Eating Habits

2008-03-04T06:04:00.000-08:00

How many times have you heard of the saying, "An apple a day, keeps the doctor away," and yet how many of us are diligently following it. Most probably most of you will say, "Hey, I know that!" There is a saying, "To know and not to do is yet to know." There is another saying in Mandarin that illness comes from what go into our mouth. This is very true to a large extent. In order for us to have a healthier life, we not only have to exercise regularly, we also have to watch our diet. Exercises couple with healthy diet is a slow but sure way to lose that extra pounds too.

No matter what diet you decide is needed to address your personal health and body fitness goals, one of the best ways to ensure you succeed is to adopt healthy eating habits. This is not just about reducing your calorie intake or cutting out sweets, it is more about having an approach to food that will follow you throughout your life. It is about establishing a relationship with food that is comfortable and, most important, natural for you. The only catch is it will take practice until it becomes a habit.

1. Wide Variety of Healthy Food

Variety is the spice of life. If you have some variety in your diet you’re more likely to enjoy what you’re eating. So ensure that your eating plan includes a wide variety of foods. Choose foods that give you joy and eat them in moderation. Too much of anything isn’t good.

2. Eat More Fiber to Feel Full

A common complaint of many diets is that the portions recommended aren’t filling. Start incorporating more fiber into your diet. Not only is it good for you but it will help to make you feel full and satisfied.

3. Healthy Snacking

Part of the challenge of sticking to a diet is a nasty habit many of us have called unhealthy snacking. Retrain yourself to eat healthy snacks. The reality is you will continue to eat between meals and that is actually a good thing to do. Just ensure that what you’re snacking on gives your body much needed energy and nutrients.

The easiest way to snack on healthy food is to think ahead. Prepare fresh or dried fruit, raw vegetables with low fat dip or fill a small container with a handful of nuts or low fat yogurt. These are just a few ideas for some handy and tasty snacks that are easy to carry and will satisfy that “snacking” need.

4. Nine Servings of Fruit and Vegetables Daily

Did you know that many health experts recommend that as part of a healthy diet one should eat up to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day? That works out to about 4 ½ cups. Not only can this approach provide delicious and energy boosting snacks and meals but these servings can help lower cholesterol levels. As well, for vegetarians and raw food enthusiasts, more fruits and vegetables means less room and need for meats and dairy in the diet. Reducing our meat and dairy intake reduces cholesterol-boosting saturated fat—an outcome that our hearts will appreciate!

Here are some pointers to keep in mind about fruit:

• Select fruits that are in season. This is not only a tastier alternative, since locally grown food is naturally fresher, but it is better for the environment as well. When we purchase locally grown food we help lower the demand for foods that must be transported cross country to fulfill customer needs. Less transportation = less fumes and pollution.

• Always choose fresh fruits whenever possible. When fresh fruits aren’t possible, choose fruits canned in juice or water rather than light or heavy syrup since this adds unnecessary sugar to your meal.

• Watch your intake of fruit juices. Many fruit juices have ridiculously high sugar content. Choose whole fruits as snacks rather than juice.

• Try to make it a habit to add fruit in salads, toppings, desserts and snacks, whenever possible.

Here are some handy tips for selecting and eating vegetables:

• Colorful vegetables (and fruits) provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals your body uses to maintain good health and energy levels.

• So when choosing green leafy vegetables the darker the better! Eat more dark-green vegetables like broccoli, spinach and kale.

• Yellow and orange vegetables (and fruits) contain varying amounts of antioxidants such as vitamin C and when included as part of a low-fat diet may help to maintain a healthy heart, vision health and a healthy immune system. So eat more orange and yellow vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, winter squash and sweet potatoes.

• Control the amount of starchy vegetables (like potatoes) in your diet.

About the Author: For over 20 years, Diana Walker has assisted people like you in using natural, safe options for creating vibrant health and well-being. Get her gems of wisdom and healthy recipes mini- e-book via her free newsletter at: http://www.diana2.com

Yahoo! Personals 7 Day FREE Trial offer

Vitamin D Is Essential For Bone Health And More

2008-03-01T18:31:00.000-08:00

Vitamin D is always associated with sunlight. Sun exposure is perhaps the most important source of vitamin D because exposure to sunlight provides most humans with their vitamin D requirement and yet we have to be careful not to overexpose ourselves too much in the sun. Moderation is the key here.

The other source of vitamin D is from our diet. There are only a few food sources of vitamin D. Good sources of vitamin D are fortified foods and beverages like milk, soy drinks, and margarine. Check the labels on these foods. Fish, liver, and egg yolk are the only foods that naturally contain vitamin D.

Can we have an overdose of vitamin D? From Wikipedia, "...normal food and pill vitamin D concentration levels are too low to be toxic in adults, because of the high vitamin A content in codliver oil, it is possible to reach toxic levels of vitamin A (but not vitamin D) via this route, if taken in multiples of the normal dose in an attempt to increase the intake of vitamin D. Most historical cases of vitamin D overdose have occurred due to manufacturing and industrial accidents."

The Wikipedia further mentioned, "exposure to sunlight for extended periods of time does not cause vitamin D toxicity.This is because within about 20 minutes of ultraviolet exposure in light skinned individuals (3–6 times longer for pigmented skin) the concentration of vitamin D precursors produced in the skin reach an equilibrium, and any further vitamin D that is produced is degraded. Maximum endogenous production with full body exposure to sunlight is 250 µg (10,000 IU) per day."

So we have to watch our intake of vitamin D which is essential to our bodies for bone formation and mineralization and for the delevelopment of an intact and strong skeleton. Have a fun and healthy sunshine day and great health to all!

Vitamins D is a fat-soluble seco-sterol hormone precursor that is responsible for sustaining optimal levels of calcium and phosphorus in our blood stream. To some extent, Vitamin D is manufactured by our skin though exposure to sunlight. The best time for sunlight exposure is during the spring and fall seasons. Winter sunlight is too weak for the production of Vitamin D. Many of us do not get enough exposure to sunlight during the year. We have been convinced that the sun is not good for our skin, so when we are exposed to sun we have come to use clothing and sun screen to "protect" ourselves from the sun. Most of us spend most of our time indoors. These factors have resulted in making Vitamin D deficiency a common if not major health problem. It has also been found that older people and many younger women, especially African-American women, and those who live in Northern climates with less time exposure to sunlight are at risk for Vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D is essential in reducing bone fractures and increasing bone strength and density. It has been found that higher quantities of calcium alone in our diets does not reduce the risk of bone fracture or significantly increase bone density and strength. The reason for this is that calcium needs to be absorbed in order to be beneficial. Vitamin D is essential in increasing the absorption of calcium. This is especially important for women in producing and maintaining healthy, strong bone structure and prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Children need Vitamin D to help their bones mineralize during rapid bone growth. Of course, we all know the importance of the absorption of calcium enhanced by Vitamin D for the development and maintenance of oral bone and tooth health. Vitamin D may very well help us keep our teeth.

In the Northern part of our world and during the winter many people suffer from SAD i.e. seasonal affective disorder. SAD is a form of depression most probably due to reduced exposure to sunlight resulting in less production of Vitamin D. It has been found that supplemental intake of Vitamin D is superior to light therapy in reducing the condition of SAD. It has also been found that blood pressure is elevated during the winter and in people with less exposure to sunlight. Research has shown that people with little exposure to sunlight, who add Vitamin D supplementation to their diets, experience lowering of high blood pressure and lower heart rate. The absorption of calcium though the use of sufficient amounts of Vitamin D has been found to prevent and reduce hypertension..

Vitamin D has been found to provide a critical function in many metabolic processes, such as our cell growth, our immune system, and our cardiovascular health. Low levels i.e. deficiency of Vitamin D has been found to be a factor in congestive heart failure for many older people. Extensive research is being conducted to determine the effect of Vitamin D deficiency in the growth of certain cancers. The lack of absorption of calcium because of Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to seizures. Because of Vitamin D's effect on the maintenance of healthy levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood stream and absorption of calcium and phosphorus, Vitamin D has been shown to be helpful in treating kidney failure.

Vitamin D has been shown to increase muscles strength, especially large muscle e.g thighs, calves, arms, and diaphragm. Vitamin D has also been found to reduce muscle pain by helping repair the damage of muscle strain. This is especially important as we age.

More and more evidence is being found confirming the vital importance of Vitamin D for our general health as well as for our bone health. Unfortunately, relying on exposure to sunlight for our skin to produce Vitamin D, has it's limitations such as winter, geographic location, indoor lifestyle, etc. It would be wise for us to insure that we are receiving enough Vitamin D by adding a Vitamin D supplement to our diets in single form or through multiple vitamin formulas containing healthy amounts of Vitamin D.

------------------------

Jenny has more than twenty years experience with all natural health care products. More information about the benefits of Vitamin D and other natural vitamin supplements is available at http://www.sweetmedicineessentials.com/natural-vitamins-c-11.html

Yahoo! Personals 7 Day FREE Trial offer

8 Simple Acne Prevention Tips

2008-02-29T08:39:00.000-08:00

Some good common sense tips on acne prevention. The most effective way to fight against acne is still to prevent it in the first place. Besides taking care in your cleansing regime, it is also important to take care of our diet.

Diet plays a vital role in acne prevention and eating the wrong foods or junk food can quickly worsen the condition of acne. For acne prone skin, it has been found that two major causes of acne are foods containing processed sugar and a lot of fat. We must ensure that we follow a more natural, fiber rich diet. This means taking more food like fresh vegetables, fruits and grains, which is a proven method for preventing acne. Foods that contain saturated fats and dairy products should be avoided.

The next thing you can do to prevent acne is to have enough sleep. A healthy, well-rested body has the resources to build a strong immune system. While a robust immune system won’t prevent acne altogether, it can help fight infection so your lesions clear up more quickly. Luckily, your body isn’t picky; uninterrupted sleep in the daytime is just as beneficial. Thus with all these tips, I hope they can help you to effectively prevent acne.

A healthy glowing skin free of blemishes is crucial to one’s social life, especially in the life of young adolescents. Thus, acne is oftentimes considered a curse that one may bring even until adult years. And though acne cannot be totally prevented or avoided, here are some precautions that can actually help minimize, if not prevent, the outbreaks of acne.

1. Make-up

Though there had been no scientific evidence that supports the theory that make-up can cause acne, it is still necessary to avoid cosmetic products, which are oil based, or those products containing isopropyl myristate, lanolins, laureth-4, D & C red dyes and sodium lauryl sulphate. It is much safer to use ‘nonacnegenic’ or ‘noncomedogenic’. Also, it is recommended to avoid wearing too much make-up.

2. Facial Washing

Before retiring to bed, it is best to thoroughly wash the make-up off the face to avoid clogging of pores. Harsh or vigorous washing or rubbing of the face should also be avoided. Instead, it is best to gently wash the face with water and mild soap twice daily, rinse the skin thoroughly and gently pat it to dry.

3. Pillows, Facecloths, and Cosmetic Brushes

Because pillows can come in contact with the face during sleep, it is advisable to use clean pillowcases. Also, face towels should be washed and kept clean. Using dirty washcloths and pillowcases can harbor germs and bacteria that can cause skin infection and acne outbreaks. For the same principle, cosmetic brushes should also be cleaned regularly with soap and water.

4. Pimples/Blackheads

A pimple is an inflamed lesion, and picking, squeezing, or popping the pimples out will only aggravate the inflammation. Thus, it is best to leave the pimples alone because grave inflammation could also lead to skin infection and may eventually leave scars on the face. However, there is one kind of pimple that you can get rid off by gentle squeezing, that is the one with a small yellow pus head in the center. Popping the pus out will allow the faster healing of the pimple. Blackheads can also be rectified with gentle squeezing.

5. Sun Exposure

It is believed by many that tanning or sunbathing can cure acne. But the fact is, the skin should be protected from too much exposure to the sun as it can only aggravate the drying of the skin. Exposure to the sun while under certain acne medications may bring about unwanted side effects.

6. Exercise

Regular exercise promotes stress reduction and enhances blood circulation, as well as increasing oxygen supply to the skin, thus aiding in the prevention of acne.

7. Water

Drinking 6-8 glasses of water daily has always been a good detoxifying agent to the body, which is also a great help in preventing the occurrence of acne.

8. Treatment

Use acne medications one at a time because mixing it together may cause adverse effects. Also, acne medication should be applied about half an inch beyond the inflamed area to keep it from spreading.

The precautions and practices mentioned, when followed correctly, can be a great help in preventing, as well as controlling, the dreadful acne.

The SkinStore, Natural Skin Care Products

About the Author, Darren W.: Author is the webmaster of http://www.acne-cart.com/.

Tea and Iron Absorption

2008-02-19T00:43:00.000-08:00

I was having dinner with friends last night and the waitress was asking if we would like tea to go with our meal. One of my friends highlighted that his wife read somewhere that it is not good to drink tea with meal as it reduces the iron intake from our meal. I found it quite interesting and when I woke up this morning, I googled to see if I can find any information regarding this.

It wasn’t difficult to find information in the internet at all nowadays – as long as you spend some time on it. The search returned several results related and non-related. In all of the related results, they had shown similar information – that tea reduces the iron intake to a certain extent and it really depends. I will come to that in a short while.

Before we go on, let’s take a look at the mineral iron, with the symbol Fe in the periodic table. From my previous knowledge in school, I knew that iron is an essential part in hemoglobin for oxygen transport around the body. According to the British Nutrition Foundation, they stated, “Iron is also required for energy metabolism and is necessary for neurological development of developing embryos. Iron is also needed for the normal function of the immune system.” Iron can be found in foods in two forms, namely haem and non-haem iron. Haem iron is found mainly in meat, liver, offal and meat products. According to a document by the UK Tea Council, typically 20-30% of haem iron is absorbed from the diet and the level of haem iron absorption is relatively unaffected by other dietary factors.

According to the document, non-haem iron is found in plant foods such as cereals, vegetables, pulses, dried fruit, etc and compared to haem iron it is relatively poorly absorbed, typically less than 10% and often under 5%. The absorption of non-haem iron is much more influenced by an individual’s iron status and several factors in the diet that can either inhibit or enhance its absorption. Deficiency of iron in our body can ultimately result in anemia while too much of it can be toxic. Moderation is the key. According to the British Nutrition Foundation, iron deficiency anemia can make people feel tired, irritable and less able to concentrate. In children, it can affect behavior and development. Iron deficiency anemia is probably the most common nutritional deficiency in the world - it is estimated that at least 500 million people are affected.

According to the different sources of information that I gotten from Google, all of them stated that tea drinking mainly affects the absorption of non-haem iron as haem iron is relatively unaffected by tea. Most studies which were conducted to examine the effect of tea drinking on absorption of iron concluded that tea does have an inhibiting effect on iron absorption. However, there are people who argued that these studies were carried out in experimental conditions and may not reflect the role of tea when consumed as part of a complex, real diet.

According to the UK Tea Council, their researches also found conflicting results; some have found a higher risk of anemia amongst tea drinkers compared to non tea drinkers, while others have shown no such association, both in children and adults. There is however a lot of other determining factors that can affect the absorption of iron; like what kind of foods were taken beside the tea, the iron status or level of the person in the first place etc.

Practical advice for tea drinking in relation to iron status (Tea and Iron Absorption, UK Tea Council)

· There is no evidence to suggest that tea drinking should be restricted in healthy individuals who are not at risk of iron deficiency and are consuming a well balanced, mixed diet.

· People who have a poor iron status should avoid drinking tea with meals and up to at least one hour after the meal. Any adverse effects that tea may have on iron absorption are then likely to be minimized. This restriction should apply to all people who are in the following at-risk age groups - children less than 6 years of age, adolescent girls, women aged 18–49 years and women aged 75 years and over, as well as those who are known to have poor iron status.

· Moderate tea drinking (3-4 cups) spread throughout other times of the day is unlikely to have any adverse effect on iron status. The inhibitory effect of tea on iron absorption maybe partially overcomes by the simultaneous consumption of animal tissues and Vitamin C.

Something else interesting which I found out is that Vitamin C found in fruits, fruit juices and vegetables actually enhance the absorption of iron. Thus some actually suggest adding lemon to tea to reduce the effect of tea on absorption of iron.

In so speaking, you do not really have to refrain from drinking tea with meal especially if you are having a balanced diet and you are a healthy individual. Only when you are at high risk of iron deficiency, then it would be better to avoid drinking tea with meals. Wishing everyone great health!

5 Tips For Sticking To Gout Reducing Diets

2008-02-08T18:32:00.000-08:00

If you have a gout attack, coffee may be beneficial, but to more effectively treat gout and stop it from occurring, you need to learn how to successfully stick with gout reducing diets. The following are 5 different tips on how you can create a diet plan that will work for you:

Tip 1 - Know what foods to avoid and what foods to welcome into your diet. The goal of any gout prevention diet is to stay away from foods that increase uric acid levels, which increase your risk of a gout attack, and stick with those that keep uric acid levels under control. Make a list of foods to avoid, as well as a list of friendly foods, and keep these lists posted on your fridge, and in your organizer/planner, so you’ll never be without them come mealtime, and when making an effective grocery list. Below are two brief lists:

Foods to avoid:

All alcoholic beverages
Yeast
Red meat
Organ meat (hearts, kidneys, liver, etc.)
Turkey
Meat extracts
Gravies
Anchovies,
Fish roes
Herring,
Mussels
Scallops
Legumes (peas, dried beans, etc.)
Spinach
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Mushrooms
Sweetbreads

Beneficial foods:

Complex carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, cereal, etc.)
Dark berries (black berries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.)
Cherries
Bananas
Oranges
Pineapple
Tomatoes
Kale
Cabbage
Parsley
Tofu
Salmon
Flax and flax oil
Olive oil
Water
Fruit juices
Coffee/tea

Tip 2 – Eat a balanced diet – Knowing what foods to limit and increase in your diet will help to prevent a gout attack, but it’s still important to remain healthy by making sure you’re feeding your body a balanced diet. A balanced diet for gout – according to the American Medical Association - is one that is:

Low in protein - it is recommended that as much as 15% of calorie intake be from sources such as soy, poultry and lean meats, while a maximum of 30% of calories should be from fat.

High in complex carbohydrates (I.E. fruits, vegetables and whole grains)

As a general rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to eat more frequent and smaller meals than fewer larger meals. This will not only help you better digest your food; it also allows you to limit your portion sizes. This way, you can ensure that the protein portion of your meal is always the smallest.

Tip 3 - Plan your meals ahead of time – Planning your meals helps to strengthen your will power when it comes to making food choices. By planning your meals ahead of time, you will avoid giving into your craving for purine-rich foods, which is more likely to occur when you are hungry and haven’t thought about what you are going to eat. For this reason, it is very important that you take the time to prepare yourself a lunch/dinner for work ahead of time, so you don’t continuously eat out, as most restaurants don’t offer menus with meals that prevent a gout attack.

Tip 4 –Know how to make substitutions when eating out – Everyone eats out from time to time, and just because you are prone to gout shouldn’t stop you from this enjoyment. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should indulge in any food offered on the menu. When it comes to eating out, you need to learn how to substitute food to save yourself from a gout attack, while still tantalising your taste buds. Here are a few suggestions:

Appetizer – Instead of mussels try garlic bread or a veggie salad (Note: make sure to eliminate any veggies that are not conducive to a gout diet)

Entrée – Instead of steak have salmon with rice or a vegetarian dish

Dessert – Instead of cappuccino and cheesecake, go for a cup of tea/coffee and a fruit bowl

Tip 5 – Create and discover different gout recipes – Eating the same foods over and over again, or preparing meals the same way, becomes extremely boring and downright depressing after awhile. The last thing you want to do is not look forward to eating, because skipping meals or reverting back to an unhealthy and purine-rich diet will only bring back the gout attack. Take some time to look into gout reducing diets and recipes or started creating some of your own recipes.

About the Author, Lisa McDowell: Grab your free copy of Lisa McDowell's brand new Gout Newsletter here http://www.cure-gout-now.com which is overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you relieve and prevent Gout symptoms naturally.

Access your PC while traveling with WebEx PCNow. Try It FREE For 1 Month

7 Easy Tips On How To Live Green

2008-02-07T17:58:00.000-08:00

It is about time we do something for our planet Earth. If you look around you or watch the news, you might have already noticed the significant change in the weather around the World. Even at this point as I am typing this, the snow storm in China is still on-going; causing lost of lives and properties. Let us all contribute our parts in healing our planet Earth.

Living green doesn't mean you have to wave goodbye to all the niceties and luxuries of modern life. In fact, once you start to investigate the advantages of living a greener life, you may well discover all sorts of extra pleasures. Your taste buds will certainly notice and it's highly likely your wallet will as well.

There are plenty of things you can do which will help you to live green without total sacrifice. Here are seven tips that are quick and easy for you to implement. Most of them will barely change the way you operate but will help save the environment, especially if you can gradually persuade your friends to do the same things.

1. Re-use the bags you get every time you shop are good for more than one trip. Re-use them or, better yet, buy a "bag for life" and use that. Collectively, we use millions of plastic bags on a daily basis. Saving a couple bags here and there may not seem to make a difference, but as more and more people do this, the savings will mount up.

2. Re-cycle as much as you can. You probably already have a recycling collection service. If not, look out for recycling places local to you and drop off your newspapers, bottles, cans, etc next time you are passing. Don't make a special trip though. For larger items, if they're still usable then look up Freecycle for your local area. They offer a great way to give unwanted items a new, welcoming home.

3. Eat local produce. Especially if it's bought fresh from a Farmer's Market. You'll notice the difference in taste. And if you buy just what you need (rather than the supersize pack your grocery store normally sells) it probably won't cost much more. Plus you'll save all those miles that the often tasteless food your grocery store stocks has been forced to travel.

4. Turn off unused appliances at the socket. Standby mode still uses lots of energy. Cut your fuel bills by turning off televisions and other items when they're not in use. That includes your computer's monitor as well. Screensavers only stop the screen from getting burned in images. Energy saving mode cuts power usage but nowhere near as much as the on/off switch does.

5. Wash your clothes at a lower temperature. Modern detergents work fine at lower temperatures. Or throw away the detergent in favor of Eco washing balls, saving on the fossil fuels that are used for most modern detergents as well as cutting your washing costs without compromising wash quality.

6. Turn down your thermostat in the winter (and turn it up in the summer if you use air-conditioning). One or two degrees difference is barely noticeable, except when the fuel bill arrives. When you get used to the new, lower temperature, turn it down another degree or two!

7. Compost waste if you have a garden, saving on fertilizer cost and giving your plants a treatment they'll love.

About the Author, Geoff White: For more easy to follow tips on how to live green check out http://www.squidoo.com/how-tolivegreen There's plenty of easy to use information that can often save you money as well as help save the planet at http://www.squidoo.com/how-tolivegreen

Access your PC while traveling with WebEx PCNow. Try It FREE

3 Powerful Weight Loss Tips

2008-02-03T04:49:00.000-08:00

In most weight loss articles, you get tips on methods which you can use to lose weight. You can find good and sound tips on what to do or eat to help you to shed off the extra pounds. Losing weight to a large extent is a mind game. Many people started off with a lot of enthusiasm but eventually their interest dies off when they do not see their desire result. Keeping that plan and working towards that goal to lose weight takes a lot of determination of the mind and this is what this article is all about; empowering your mind to lose weight.

One thing I definitely agree with the article is focusing on what you want. This is similar to the concept in The Secret and it is the norm that most people focus on what they don't want then what they want. It is time for a switch of perspective.

Every January 1st, millions upon millions of people worldwide set out on their annual quest to try to shed their excess pounds.

Unfortunately, by now, the overwhelming majority of these well-intentioned folks will have already failed and uttered those immortal words...

"Oh well, I guess I'll try again next year."

Don't let that be you!

Here are three powerful tips that'll help you lose the weight you want to lose once and for all:

Powerful Weight Loss Tip #1 - Stop "trying" to lose weight.

The word "try" is, in my opinion, the single biggest "weasel word" in the entire English language.

Why do I call it a "weasel word", you ask?

Simple...

The word "try", by its very definition, comes with a built-in "escape hatch".

If you say you'll "try" to do something and you don't, you can always use your "escape hatch" and "weasel" out of it by saying...

"Well, I tried!"

Here's the deal...

You either will do something or you won't do something...

You either do something or you don't do something...

There's no such thing as "trying" to do something!

Think about it...

"Try" to read this article.

You can't, can you?

You either will read this article or you won't read this article...

You either do read this article or you don't read this article...

You can't "try" to read this article.

Nor...

Can you "try" to lose weight.

You either will lose weight or you won't lose weight...

You either do lose weight or you don't lose weight...

It's that simple!

Powerful Weight Loss Tip #2 - Focus on what you want, not on what you don't want.

In the book for which he's best known, his classic masterpiece "The Science of Getting Rich", Wallace D. Wattles wrote:

"The Creative Power within us makes us into the image of that to which we give our attention."

Most people who set out to lose weight start out by saying something like...

"I want to lose 50 pounds."

Question for you...

If you make a statement to yourself like...

"I want to lose 50 pounds"...

What are you giving your attention to?

Those excess 50 pounds, right?

Right.

Therefore...

Since that's what you're giving your attention to...

Guess what?

You got it...

That's *exactly* what you'll have...

Those excess 50 pounds!

In other words...

By making a statement like...

"I want to lose 50 pounds"...

You're subconsciously setting yourself up for failure before you even begin.

So...

What should you do instead?

Simple...

In his book "The Personal Power Course", Wallace D. Wattles wrote:

"... whenever you think of your physical self... think of the IDEAL BODY WHICH YOU ARE BUILDING, and not of the body which now is."

And...

Therein lies the secret to successfully losing weight.

If you weigh 200 pounds and you want to weigh 150 pounds...

Rather than say...

"I want to lose 50 pounds"...

Say...

"I want to weigh 150 pounds"...

Or...

Better...

"I weigh 150 pounds."

Or...

Even better...

Take "weight" out of the picture altogether and simply...

Form a clear and definite mental image of "the ideal body which you are building" and hold that image in your thoughts "whenever you think of your physical self".

Think about it...

If you looked and felt *exactly* as you wanted to look and feel, would you really care what you weighed?

I think not.

Powerful Weight Loss Tip #3 - Stay away from mirrors, scales, and tape measures.

Most people who begin a weight loss program, regardless of what it is, seem to have this overwhelming need to look in the mirror, hop on the scale, or check their measurements every five minutes to see if their weight loss program is working.

Now...

"Every five minutes" may be a bit of an exaggeration, but for some it's not too far from the truth.

Here's a question for you to ponder...

If you look in the mirror, hop on the scale, or check your measurements anytime before you have the ideal body you want, are you thinking of "the ideal body which you are building" or of "the body which now is"?

Think about it.

Remember...

"The Creative Power within us makes us into the image of that to which we give our attention."

So...

If you *really* want to shed your excess pounds this New Year once and for all...

Here's my best advice:

1. Take "weight" out of the picture altogether and decide *exactly* how you want to look and feel.

2. Form a clear and definite mental image of "the ideal body which you are building" and hold that image in your thoughts "whenever you think of your physical self".

3. Stay away from mirrors, scales, and tape measures.

About the Author: Tony Mase is a serious student of the works of Wallace D. Wattles and the creator of an amazing website that'll take you by the hand and guide you step-by-step down Wallace D. Wattles' proven path to wealth, health, success, happiness, love, and more... http://www.tonymasesinnercircle.com

Yahoo! Personals 7 Day FREE Trial offer

Facts about Hybrid Cars, Why Hybrid Cars

2008-01-25T04:40:00.000-08:00

I received this interesting article today on hybrid car. With the rising oil prices, fuel-efficient hybrid cars may just be your alternative solution. Many automobile manufacturers are exploring to produce not only fuel-efficient hybrid cars but also environment friendly hybrid cars. Recently, there were also a series of test drives organised in Singapore for hybrid cars. Unless the oil prices start to go down, hybrid cars may very well be the next traveling trend.

The rising oil prices will have anybody fretting and praying for a miracle so that they did not have to spend that kind of money on fuel. If at all, anybody can answer those prayers, it is our own automobile industry. The only viable solution to this impending crisis could be in the form of manufacturing more fuel efficient Hybrid Cars. Many automobile manufacturers have taken an initiative by launching fuel-efficient hybrid cars that are environment friendly as well.

Hybrid would clearly mean a combination of two technologies, using best features of the two to deliver momentum directly or indirectly. Hybrid technology has existed for a long time in the form of mopeds that unite the energy of a gasoline engine and the pedal power; locomotives that are diesel-electric hybrids; mining trucks and diesel-electric buses in Seattle and other cities which run alternately on diesel and electricity; Submarines which are nuclear-electric combination and a lot more. The latest offering in the hybrid technology is the hybrid car that is combination of gasoline engine with electric motors.

The normal gasoline car runs on gasoline engines that run the car. These car gives us speed, easy refuel facility and long running between the refills. However, did anybody think about the harm these cars causes to our environment and to our wallets? The electric car can be an answer to those concerns. In an electric car, batteries supply electricity to an electric motor, which in turn runs the car. However, the electric cars have some limitations. They do not offer speed as the normal gasoline cars and these cars are not good for long drives because they would require recharging after 80-100 miles.

The hybrid car is a combination of the advantages of the two and takes care of their limitations. All hybrid cars contain a gasoline engine, an electric engine, a generator (mostly on series hybrids), fuel storage container, batteries and a transmission. It covers up the limitations of speed of an electric car while using its fuel efficiency and quality of discharge of less harmful substances.

All the major automobile companies are offering hybrid cars. This clearly indicates its future. Major examples are; Silverado Pick-up and Sierra Pick-up from GM, SUV mini-Escape car from Ford; Malibu, Yukon and Tahoe also from GM; Saturn Vue or Chevy Equinox and several models from Honda. French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen has two diesel-electric hybrid cars in the making.

Hybrid is not a fashion statement or a trail product. With so many makers jumping into the market, we are coming across never-before models in Hybrid cars. Latest statistics indicate a steep rise in sale as well as demand for of these cars. So, are you still thinking?

About The Author: Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. Get quality car care products from http://www.carcarewizards.com/

Get free ground shipping on all orders over $50!

High Blood Pressure 101

2008-01-23T06:06:00.000-08:00

Knowing about your body can be very beneficial to your health as you age. Knowing about your blood pressure can help prevent strokes, heart disease and kidney disease. In this article you will find everything you should know about your blood pressure.

Anyone can have high blood pressure. It doesn't matter your age, race, ethnicity or gender. Many people suffer from high blood pressure and have a higher risk of strokes and heart diseases than those with regular blood pressure.

What is high blood pressure?

High blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of your arteries. Your blood pressure is always rising and falling throughout the day and if it rises and stays that way over time, you have high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is usually referred to as hypertension. When you have high blood pressure it puts more pressure on the heart, making it work harder than usual. This is why you end up at risk for strokes or heart disease.

What is the normal blood pressure level?

The normal blood pressure level is less than 120 over 80 or less. The first number is your systolic pressure and the second number is your diastolic pressure. Your numbers are read 120 over 80, etc. If your pressure is 140 over 90 or higher you have high blood pressure.

What is systolic blood pressure? This is the force of blood in your arteries when your heart is beating.

What is diastolic blood pressure? This is the force of blood in your arteries when your heart is relaxing.

What are the risk factors of high blood pressure?

The most common risks of high blood pressure are stroke and heart disease. There are a few other risk factors that can be modified and some that cannot be. The following are some risks:

• Tobacco
• Physical Inactivity
• Diabetes
• Abnormal Cholesterol
• Being overweight

Who can get high blood pressure?

Unfortunately anyone can get high blood pressure but it is more common among African Americans. Nearly one in three American adults has high blood pressure. African Americans also have a much higher death rate from kidney disease and stroke than white Americans. Even so, with treatment you can help lower your blood pressure.

How can I lower my blood pressure?

Fortunately there are many different ways of helping to lower your blood pressure. Exercise is a great way to lower it. Doing physical activity will make your heart stronger over time. If you have a stronger heart it can pump blood easier lessening your risks of stroke and kidney diseases. It is never too late to start exercising!

If you are concerned about your blood pressure consult your physician. Ask any and all questions you might have and find the best way for you to lower it. If all regular ways fail, consider medication. Talk with your doctor about your health and lifestyle so he can choose the best medicine for you. If you want to live a healthy life, taking control of your blood pressure is very important.

More resource:
Hypertension - Learning to Breath again

About the Author: Visit Daves Health Buzz for more articles on blood pressure health http://www.daveshealthbuzz.com/blood-pressure

We all looking for LOVE - Are you? Click HERE

Fever

2008-01-14T21:12:00.000-08:00

I was talking to a friend about fever the other day. I remembered someone tells me before that fever is a good sign; meaning that the body is responding to its intruders. She replied saying that it is good point of view from me. I guessed she must have thought that it was something that I came out with. I decided to Google for some information on fever and I found some good information without much difficulties. Below is an article with very good and detailed information on what you need to know about fever from the causes to treatment to some self care tips. I was also enlightened by the article that we do not need to always consult the doctor just because we are having a fever. Please note that the contents are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice or substitute for professional care. Wish that this article will benefits you and your family. Wishing you great health!

Introduction

A fever isn't an illness itself, but it's usually a sign that something out of the ordinary is going on in your body. Fevers aren't necessarily bad. In fact, fevers seem to play a key role in helping your body fight off a number of infections.

If you're an adult, a fever may be uncomfortable, but it usually isn't dangerous unless it measures 103 F (39.4 C) or higher. For very young children and infants, however, even slightly elevated temperatures may indicate a serious infection.

Because a fever can occur with many different conditions, other signs and symptoms can often help identify the cause.

Most fevers go away in a relatively short time — usually within a few days. Not all fevers need treatment with medications. And it's possible for fever medications to have side effects, especially for the very young.

Signs and symptoms

A fever occurs when your temperature rises above its normal range. What's normal for you may be a little higher or lower than the average temperature of 98.6 F (37 C). But a rectal temperature higher than 100.4 F (38 C) is always considered a fever. A rectal temperature reading is generally 1 degree Fahrenheit higher than an oral reading.

Depending on what's causing your fever, additional fever symptoms may include:

* Sweating
* Shivering
* Headache
* Muscle aches
* Lack of appetite
* Dehydration
* General weakness

Very high fevers, between 103 (39.4 C) and 106 F (41.1 C), may cause:

* Hallucinations
* Confusion
* Irritability
* Convulsions

Fever-induced seizures

About 4 percent of children younger than age 5 experience fever-induced seizures (febrile seizures). The signs of febrile seizures, which occur when a child's temperature rises or falls rapidly, include a brief loss of consciousness and convulsions.

Although these seizures can be extremely alarming, most children don't experience any lasting effects. Febrile seizures are often triggered by a fever from a common childhood illness such as roseola, a viral infection that causes a high fever, swollen glands and a rash.

Causes

Even when you're well, your body temperature varies throughout the day — it's lower in the morning and higher in the late afternoon and evening. In fact, your normal temperature can range from about 97 (36.1 C) to 99 F (37.2 C). Although most people consider 98.6 F (37 C) a healthy body temperature, yours may vary by a degree or more.

Your body temperature is set by your hypothalamus, an area at the base of your brain that acts as a thermostat for your whole system. When something's wrong, your normal temperature is simply set a few points higher. The new set-point, for example, may be 102 F (38.9 C) instead of 97 (36.1 C) or 98 F (37 C).

What happens with a fever

When a fever starts and your body tries to elevate its temperature, you feel chilly and may shiver to generate heat. At this point, you probably wrap yourself in your thickest blanket and turn up the heating pad. But eventually, as your body reaches its new set-point, you likely feel hot. And when your temperature finally begins to return to normal, you may sweat profusely, which is your body's way of dissipating the excess heat.

A fever usually means your body is responding to a viral or bacterial infection. Sometimes heat exhaustion, extreme sunburn or certain inflammatory conditions such as temporal arteritis — inflammation of an artery in your head — may trigger fever as well. In rare instances, a malignant tumor or some forms of kidney cancer may cause a fever.

Fever can be a side effect of some medications such as antibiotics and drugs used to treat high blood pressure or seizures. Some infants and children develop fevers after receiving routine immunizations, such as the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) or pneumococcal vaccines.

Sometimes it's not possible to identify the cause of a fever. If you have a temperature higher than 100.9 F (38.3 C) for more than three weeks and your doctor isn't able to find the cause after extensive evaluation, the diagnosis may be fever of unknown origin. In most cases, though, the reason for your fever can be found and treated.

When to seek medical advice

Fevers by themselves may not be a cause for alarm — or a reason to call a doctor. Yet there are some circumstances when you should seek medical advice for your baby, your child or yourself.

For infants

An unexplained fever is greater cause for concern in infants and in children than in adults. Call your baby's doctor if your baby:

* Is younger than 3 months of age and has a rectal temperature of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher. Even if your baby doesn't have other signs or symptoms, call your doctor just to be safe.

* Is older than 3 months of age and has a temperature of 102 F (38.9 C) or higher.

* Has a fever and unexplained irritability, such as marked crying when you change your baby's diapers or when he or she is moved.

* Has a fever and seems lethargic and unresponsive. In infants and children younger than age 2, these may be signs of meningitis — an infection and inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. If you're worried that your baby might have meningitis, see your doctor right away. Don't wait until morning to see your usual physician — meningitis is an emergency.

* Is a newborn and has a lower than normal temperature — less than 97 F (36.1 C). Very young babies may not regulate their body temperature well when they are ill and may become cold rather than hot.

For children

Children often tolerate fevers quite well, although high temperatures may cause parents a great deal of concern. Still, it's best to be guided more by how your child acts than by any particular temperature measurement. There's probably no cause for alarm if your child has a fever but is responsive — making eye contact with you and responding to your facial expressions and to your voice, is drinking plenty of fluids and wants to play.

Call your pediatrician if your child:

* Is listless or irritable, vomits repeatedly, has a severe headache or stomachache, or has any other symptoms causing significant discomfort.

* Has a fever after being left in a very hot car. Seek medical care immediately.

* If fever persists longer than one day in a child younger than age 2 or longer than three days in a child age 2 or older.

Ask your doctor for guidance if you have special circumstances, such as a child with immune system problems or with a pre-existing illness. Your doctor also may recommend different precautions if your child has just started taking a new prescription medicine.

Don't treat fevers below 102 F (38.9) with any medications unless advised by your doctor.

Sometimes, older children can have a lower-than-normal temperature. This can happen to older children with severe neurological impairments, children with a life-threatening bacterial infection in the blood (sepsis), and children with a suppressed immune system.

For adults

Call your doctor about a fever if:

* Your temperature is more than 103 F (39.4 C)
* You've had a fever for more than three days

In addition, call your doctor immediately if any of these signs and symptoms accompany a fever:

* Severe headache
* Severe swelling of your throat
* Unusual skin rash, especially if the rash gets rapidly worse
* Unusual eye sensitivity to bright light
* Stiff neck and pain when you bend your head forward
* Mental confusion
* Persistent vomiting
* Difficulty breathing or chest pain
* Extreme listlessness or irritability
* Abdominal pain or pain when urinating
* Any other unexplained signs or symptoms

Taking a temperature

To check your or your child's temperature level, you can choose from several types of thermometers, including electronic thermometers and ear (tympanic) thermometers. Thermometers with digital readouts and those that take the temperature quickly from the ear canal are especially useful for young children and older adults. Because glass mercury thermometers harm both humans and the environment, they have been phased out and are no longer recommended.

Although it's not the most accurate way to take a temperature, you can also use an oral thermometer for an armpit (axillary) reading. Place the thermometer in the armpit with arms crossed over the chest. Wait four to five minutes. The axillary temperature is about 1 degree Fahrenheit lower than an oral temperature. If you call your doctor, report the actual number on the thermometer and where on the body the temperature was taken rather than adding or subtracting numbers.

Use a rectal thermometer for infants. Place a dab of petroleum jelly on the bulb. Lay your baby on his or her tummy. Carefully insert the bulb one-half inch to one inch into your baby's rectum. Hold the bulb and your baby still for three minutes. Don't let go of the thermometer while it's inside your baby. If your baby squirms, the thermometer could go deeper and cause an injury.

Screening and diagnosis

Your doctor will likely diagnose the cause of your fever based on your other symptoms and a physical exam. Sometimes you may need additional tests to confirm a diagnosis.

If you have a low-grade fever that persists for three weeks or more, but have no other symptoms, your doctor may recommend a variety of tests to help find the cause. These may include blood tests and X-rays.

Complications

A rapid rise or fall in temperature may cause a fever-induced seizure (febrile seizure) in a small number of children younger than age 5. Although they're alarming for parents, the vast majority of febrile seizures cause no lasting effects.

If a seizure occurs, lay your child on his or her side. Remove any sharp objects that are near your child, loosen tight clothing and hold your child to prevent injury. Don't place anything in your child's mouth or try to stop the seizure. Although most seizures stop on their own, call for emergency medical assistance if a seizure lasts longer than 10 minutes.

If possible, try to time the seizure using your watch or a clock. Because they're so alarming, seizures often seem to last longer than they really do. Also try to note which part of your child's body begins to shake first. This can help your doctor understand the cause of the seizure. Take your child to your pediatrician as soon as possible.

Treatment

Medical treatment depends on the cause of your fever. Your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics for bacterial infections, such as pneumonia or strep throat. For viral infections, including stomach infection (gastroenteritis) and mononucleosis, the best treatment is often rest and plenty of fluids.

Over-the-counter medications

Your doctor may also make a recommendation about using over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) to lower a high fever. Adults may also use aspirin. But don't give aspirin to children. It may trigger a rare, but potentially fatal, disorder known as Reye's syndrome.

The downside of lowering a fever

If you have only a low-grade fever, it's not advisable to try to lower your temperature. Doing so may only prolong the illness or mask your symptoms and make it harder to determine the cause.

Some experts believe that aggressively treating a fever actually interferes with your body's immune response. That's because the viruses that cause colds and other respiratory infections thrive at cool temperatures. By producing a low-grade fever, your body may actually be helping eliminate a virus.

Prevention

The best way to prevent fevers is to reduce your exposure to infectious diseases. One of the most effective ways to do that is also one of the simplest — frequent hand washing.

Teach your children to wash their hands often, especially before they eat and after using the toilet, spending time in a crowded public place, or petting animals. Show them how to wash their hands vigorously, covering both the front and back of each hand with soap, and rinsing thoroughly under running water. Carry hand-washing towelettes with you for times when you don't have access to soap and water. When possible, teach your kids not to touch their noses, mouths or eyes — the main way viral infections are transmitted.

Self-care

Because your body loses more water with a fever, be sure to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Water is a good choice for adults, but the best liquid for a sick child under age 1 is an oral rehydration solution such as Pedialyte. These solutions contain water and salts in specific proportions to replenish both fluids and electrolytes in children. Frozen Pedialyte ice pops are also available.

Make sure that you or your child gets enough rest. Don't be concerned with treating a fever just because it's a fever. Often, a low-grade fever is actually helping fight off an infection. In addition, follow these guidelines for both older children and adults:

For temperatures below 102 F (38.9 C)

Don't use any medication for a fever in this range unless advised by your doctor. And don't give children aspirin because of the risk of Reye's syndrome. Instead, dress in comfortable, light clothing and try bathing in lukewarm water. At bedtime, cover yourself or your child with just a sheet or light blanket.

For temperatures between 102 (38.9 C) and 104 F (40 C)

Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen according to the label instructions or as recommended by your doctor. If you're not sure about the proper dosage, be sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist. Adults may use aspirin instead.

Be careful to avoid too much medication. High doses or long-term use of acetaminophen may cause liver or kidney damage, and acute overdoses can be fatal. If you're not able to get your child's fever down, don't give more medication. Call your doctor instead. Side effects of aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen include stomach pain, bleeding and ulcers.

For temperatures above 104 F (40 C)

Give adults or children acetaminophen or ibuprofen according to the manufacturer's instructions or as recommended by your doctor. Adults may use aspirin instead. If you're not sure about the dosage, check with your doctor or pharmacist. Be careful to avoid too much medication.

Acetaminophen is available in liquid, chewable and suppository forms for children, but it's often easiest to give medications in liquid form. For a small child, use a syringe with measurements on the side and a bulb on the tip. Gently squirt the medicine in the back corners of your child's mouth.

Sponge baths

Use a 5- to 10-minute sponge bath of lukewarm water to try to bring your own or your child's high temperature down. A sponge bath is most likely to help if it's used shortly after a dosage of acetaminophen or ibuprofen, so that the medication can work to keep the fever down after the bath takes effect.

If your child shivers in the bath, stop the bath, dry your child and wait. Shivering actually raises the body's internal temperature — shaking muscles generate heat. If the fever doesn't moderate or your child has a febrile seizure that lasts longer than 10 minutes, seek immediate medical care.

Original article: http://0-www.nlm.nih.gov.catalog.llu.edu/medlineplus/fever.html

The New Yahoo! Toolbar Wants To Give You One-Click Access To The Web

How to Stay on the Fitness Track

2008-01-04T19:20:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who was just telling me the other day that she is putting on weight and she is now in the process of losing a little weight. I told her that losing weight is a long process and she needs to be patient. Like a lot of people, she asked if there is an easier way to lose weight and thought maybe she will go for liposuction.

"Well, you can consider that if you do not mind spending the money. And to be frank, if you do not change your eating and living habits, the extra pounds will come back to you." I said.

Indeed, changing our eating and living habits are promising ways to losing weight and to healthier living. However, we need perseverance and determination to see us through. And the most important thing is, you must be ready to commit to the change. Are you ready to lose weight and to live a healthier life? Wishing everyone a healthier 2008!

Resolutions are an opportunity for us to create positive goals.

Unfortunately, on average, most health and fitness resolution last only about four weeks, and then it is back to old habits.

Here are some suggestions to help keep you on track this year.

No more excuses. We often justify our behavior with what we want to believe are good reasons. Two of the most commonly heard excuses when it comes to absence of exercise are lack of time and/or money.

Getting into shape does not require a health club membership, expensive equipment or putting aside hours of your time each day.

It boils down to taking a look at your activity level, and if it is not where it should be, making a few simple changes that will get you up and moving.

If you have desk job, for example, make a resolution to use your breaks to take a walk and stretch out. If your building has stairs, use them.

Create a small fitness group with co-workers. Being around others with similar goals is supportive and encouraging, and provides the accountability necessary to succeed.

Every additional step you take during the day burns that many more calories and moves you closer to your goal.

When it comes to diet, there are no excuses for not cutting back on calories. Small changes include leaving a few bites on your plate at each meal and switching to water in place of higher calorie drinks. When ordering a restaurant meal, ask for the lunch portion or box half of the meal for the next day.

Go for fat-free dressing instead of full-fat versions and ask for your dressing on the side so that you can control how much you use.

Although these examples may seem as if they would have little impact on weight loss, the truth is, it was the little things that added up to the extra pounds and inches in the first place.

No time for a work-out? Many simple strengthening exercises can be performed easily at home in just minutes a day, with no equipment or expense. Examples are squats, lunges, crunches and push-ups, which use your own body weight for resistance and are great for burning calories and strengthening major muscle groups.

A morning work-out consisting of two sets of each exercise will take you 15 minutes or less. Other exercises can be included for additional strengthening using inexpensive resistance bands or dumbbells.

These can be performed on alternate days or, if two mini-work-outs are desired, a morning and an evening work-out can be planned.

Stay positive, stay motivated. It is one thing to have a fitness plan, but seeing it through requires motivation and a positive outlook.

It is important to be active most days of the week, but without understanding just how many benefits can be gained, there is no real motivation driving you forward.

Experiencing the payoff, from an active lifestyle provides continual motivation and is the difference between those who look forward to their work-outs and those who do not.

Unfortunately, many look at exercise as a chore or punishment for having gained weight. These people often start out by doing too much too soon in an effort to lose weight quickly, only to find themselves tired, sore and burnt out. Instead of focusing on weight, try thinking of your exercise sessions in terms of a payoff to you. Few people complain that they feel worse after a good work-out or are sorry they did it.

Exercise brings about many changes in the body, releasing chemicals responsible for positive mood. This feeling is extremely motivating and makes you look forward to the next work-out.

The bottom line is that exercise and a healthy diet are gifts that you give yourself and with consistency, weight loss happens anyway without it being your main focus.

About the Author: Marjie Gilliam is an International Sports Sciences Association Master certified personal trainer and fitness consultant. Her website is www.ohtrainer.com

Lose Weight, Quit, Smoking, Drop Addictions and Other Bad Habits

10 Tips To Lose Weight

2007-12-29T21:23:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is almost over now. With all the good food and feasting. It is time again to lose some weight. Some of you might be regretting now and thinking you should not have eaten too much. Looking at the extra pounds you had put on, some of you might be looking for some quick fixes to solve the problem. If you are looking for quick fix here, then you are looking at the wrong place. These are some sensible tips that you may find useful for yourself.

The Holiday Season is upon us. This time of year we have the habit of indulging ourselves. Food is an important aspect of our celebrations. It is therefore obvious that we make wise food choices. Of course, this is easier said than done. Especially when we see some of the food that is available that is made by our family and friends.

In the majority of cases people will not be concerned with those of us watching our weight. Because of this they are less inclined to prepare healthier versions of their recipes. At this point it becomes our responsibility to both stick with our diets and to watch what we eat. It is obvious that the variety of dishes that we are presented with will be very tempting.

What follows are 10 eating suggestions that will help you with your weight loss program.

1. The first one is to stop eating when you are full. At this time of year this is something that many people do not do. This is especially true of those people that believe in cleaning their plates. I do not believe in wasting food, so take only what you can eat comfortably. At the point that you feel satisfied you should just stop.

2. Get into the habit of walking, especially after eating. Walking may be the best form of exercise. It can be a very good cardiovascular exercise, particularly in the colder weather.

3. It is important not to count calories incessantly. I never cared for this form of dieting. Also, it drives the people around you nuts. There already are enough stress factors this time of year. The smartest thing to do is to watch what you eat as opposed to keeping track of the calories.

4. Watch your sweets. Avoid eating too much fat. I am not fond of artificial sweeteners. I believe that they cause more harm than good. If you are at a holiday celebration, just try to indulge in a small amount of sugar.

5. Eat 3 good square meals as opposed to several smaller meals or continuous snacking. I realize that this is contrary to what many articles and experts say. Eating regular meals, sitting down to eat, eating quality food and chewing well are what is important.

6. Realize what your eating limits are and do not cross them. This is very important if you have changed your diet and are trying to lose weight. You know better than anyone else what you can and cannot eat. It is true that most of us enjoy splurging at this time of year. It is really a matter of making up your mind and sticking to your guns.

7. Opt for the best food choices. At every family function there ought to be some healthy food choices. Choose the plain fruit and vegetables as opposed to the cake, cookies and pies. Stay away from the dips.

8. It is best to eat in moderation. Choose the healthiest foods, sit down when you eat and chew your food extremely well.

9. If you choose to drink, do so in moderation. Remember that many holiday drinks are loaded with sugar. Your best choices might be water, unsweetened tea or coffee.

10. Eat whole grains. Very few people realize that whole grains are biologically the stable of our diet. Stay away from white bread, cake or anything with processed flour. These food will put the pounds on very quickly. Instead, it is best to eat whole grain or multi grain foods.

There are always more things that you can do to help your weight loss. It is important to remember that converting to a healthy lifestyle is something that you should practice the entire year.

About the Author: Kathryn Soloff is the co-publisher of http://www.natural-remedy-dot-com.com/ and provides additional advice, tips and hard to find information on Losing Weight @ http://www.natural-remedy-dot-com.com/losing_weight/

10 Tips To Reduce Migraine Headaches

2007-12-28T20:23:00.000-08:00

Migraine is a condition that is quite common among people. Most probably you may have friends around you who are suffering from migraine too. Until now, there has been no cure for Migraine. However, if you are familiar with your daily habits, activities and diet, you may know what are triggering a migraine attack and thus reduce the frequency of migraine attacks for you. I hope that these tips, from an email I received, may help you or anyone, who you know, is suffering from migraine.

Migraine headaches must be one of the most debilitating illnesses on earth. If you are a sufferer you will know what I mean. The frequency and severity can vary from person to person but many people still loose 2 or 3 days a month to migraine. Yes, that is lost money in your pay cheque or lost quality leisure time with family and friends.

That intense throbbing pain usually at one side of your head and often accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting completely knocks many people of their feet. The lucky ones may get some warning a few days before such as cravings for certain foods like sweets and chocolate or general lethargy. In such cases if you can recognise these warning signs it may be possible to eliminate the cause or start treatment before the onset. Other people will have what is known as an 'aura' for a short time before the migraine kicks in. The most common symptoms of the 'aura' are flashing lights in front of your eyes or zig zag lines disrupting your vision. More disturbing symptoms which can occur are numbness down the side which is effected my the migraine or speech difficulties i.e. slurring etc.

There are many triggers which can bring on an attack. In this day and age probably the most common cause is stress in the work place, the feeling of being constantly placed under pressure can cause great anxiety thus fuelling the migraine.

Certain foods may also be to blame such as cheese, chocolate, alcohol - red wine in particular, and processed or canned foods which often contain monosodium glutamate. On the other hand lack of food can also act as a trigger.

Strong smells such as perfume, paint, stale smoke or being in a stuffy atmosphere often contribute.

To be truthful it takes more than one of these factors to trigger an attack and the combination is unique to each individual.

Before you can think about how to tackle the symptoms, prevent or reduce the severity of attacks it is important that you work out what the combination of factors is that may bring on the headache. Try keeping a diary of foods consumed, dates when you felt under increased stress, and so on to gradually build a picture or pattern of events leading up to attacks.

For women (who incidentally are more likely to suffer from migraines than men) it is important to keep track of your monthly cycles as hormonal changes in the body before and during your monthly period are often the trigger. The contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy can also sometimes increase the occurrence of migraine.

So, you have established the cause what do you do now?

There are a great many 'over the counter' drugs designed to relieve the symptoms, both pain and nausea, however in sever attacks these may not be enough. Prescription drugs from a doctor may be more effective and can usually be tailored more to suit individuals.

However, lots of sufferers these days would rather not take drugs but rather try other methods usually aimed more at prevention rather than cure.

There are a few things you can try. Here are some examples:-

1. Try different methods of relaxation for instance; yoga or meditation, going along to one of these classes may turn out to be fun! Alternatively you can teach yourself these techniques using books or DVDs

2. Ensure you get enough sleep most people need between 7 and 9 hours per night.

3. Take some form of exercise for example walking or swimming - nothing too excessive because too much exertion can bring on a migraine!

4. Set aside at least one hour a day just to do something you enjoy which will relax you such as reading a book, watch your favourite television show, do some gardening - fresh air can work wonders after a day at the office!!

5. Eliminate foods from your diet completely which you have established act as triggers for the headaches. Have some fun trying out recipes using alternatives.

6. A gentle massage can be very effective and other more alternative treatments appear to help in some cases such as acupuncture.

7. If you have an attack try lying in a darkened room and place an ice pack at the back of your neck - for others a hot water bottle may be more effective.

8. Apply gentle pressure to the painful areas of your head and if possible sleep.

9. There are herbal medicines that can be taken as preventative measures such as feverfew and butterbur or supplements containing magnesium and vitamin B2. If you suspect or are pregnant or breast feeding do not use any of these items without professional advice.

10. The most important thing to remember when trying to prevent or reduce migraine attacks is to eliminate one or more of the contributory factors - the triggers.

Do Away with Migraine through Hypnosis

5 Reasons Why You Should Start Practicing Yoga And Meditation

2007-12-26T20:04:00.000-08:00

Some of the benefits of practising yoga and meditation. I believe that there are numerous benefits. These are just some of the benefits for your reference.

The practice of yoga and meditation has become increasingly popular in the past few years, but I am sure that there are many people who are still asking themselves, “What’s in it for me?” So, if you have been wondering whether it would be worth your time to start practicing yoga and meditation, I would like to give you five good reasons why it would be a very worthwhile activity for you.

1. Yoga and meditation will improve your health

Yoga postures put gentle pressure on the internal organs of the body and help them to function properly. In particular the postures help your digestive system to work smoothly and thus avoid problems such as constipation, acidity and indigestion, which are common conditions that can lead to more serious problems later on. Meditation and deep relaxation can be just what you need to lower your blood pressure. Thus, yoga postures plus meditation is a great combination for maintaining and improving health.

2. Yoga and meditation will help you to overcome bad habits

What’s a “bad habit?” It’s something that you are doing continually, and something that you know is harming you but you can’t stop it. Are you smoking now? Maybe you thought it was good when you started, but you would now like to stop. The trouble is that it is not so easy to quit smoking or a similar habit once it has become established.

This is where yoga and meditation can help you out. The yoga postures help you to become more relaxed and mentally balanced. Meditation can help you to concentrate your mind and build up your will-power. Once you become internally balanced and have a stronger will power, it will become possible for you to break any habit, even one that you have been troubled by for many years.

3. Yoga and meditation will help you to lose weight

Obesity is one of the biggest health problems of the modern era. Our lives have become more sedentary and our food sources have changed over the last 100 years and this why many adults and even children are now overweight.

Although this is a life-style problem, it is something that can be dealt with. The surest way to lose weight is to get more exercise and to control what you are eating. This is of course, easier said than done. But yoga and meditation can help you out. There are some yoga postures that are helpful in weight loss programs. Similarly, the mental strength that you can get from both yoga postures and from meditation can help you to gain a better control over your diet and this can result in healthy and permanent weight loss.

4. Yoga and meditation will bring you inner peace

You may be earning a lot of money and you may have a lot of social prestige but is physical or social wealth the goal of your life? Whatever material or social wealth you have, if you are not contented, satisfied and at peace with yourself then you will not be a happy person.

The goal of meditation is to help you find the inner core of your being. Who are you? Is it the name and address on your identity card? If you start meditating you will find that deep within you is a pool of infinite love and peace. This is the real you. If you can reach this place, then you will find peace and contentment; it is guaranteed!

5. Yoga and meditation will make you a wiser person

Every one of us has made mistakes that we regret. There is nothing we can do about the past. We can’t go back in time and not make the mistakes. But what we can do is to build up our capacity to see what has permanent value and what is transitory. When we attain this state of discrimination, then we will not do actions that we will regret later on.

Meditation helps a person to go beyond the “chatter” of the mind and attain a state of wisdom that will always be of help. Wisdom does not mean stuffing your mind with “facts” but it does mean to have a mind that will choose a course of action that brings about the welfare of everyone.

I have a list with many more reasons why yoga and meditation are helpful, but I thought I would start off with these five reasons. So, if any one of these items are interesting for you, then why not see for yourself, and start practicing yoga and meditation?

Yoga Weight Loss Secrets by Dada Vedaprajinananda.
Accelerate Your Progress with The Most Powerful Self-Improvement Technique on the Planet

About the Author: Dada Vedaprajinananda is a senior yoga teacher with the Ananda Marga Society. (http://www.anandamarga.org/) He is also the editor of the Life Weight Loss website where you can find more articles on health, weight loss, self improvement and spirituality.(http://www.lifeweightloss.com/)

What Women Really Want

2007-12-20T05:47:00.000-08:00

An interesting article that I read about the increase in women choosing technology over their once best friend; diamonds. From your opinion, if you are a women, do you still prefer diamonds over technology or gadgets?

Are diamonds still a girl’s best friend? Contrary to that antiquated belief, a research study released in 2006 reveals that more than three out of four women said a new plasma TV trumps a diamond solitaire necklace. The study conducted by market research TRU for the Oxygen Network is cleverly titled Girls Gone Wired and has helped marketers gain insight into women and technology.

Given the fact that women represent roughly half the U.S. population and influence more than 73% of all purchases in the consumer electronic category, they remain a largely underserved market. There have been misconceptions that women are not technologically savvy or knowledgeable as men. In recent years, solid research has been able to debunk those beliefs and open the eyes of the consumer electronics industry.

Oxygen’s research study found that both men and women spend a majority of their waking hours interfaced with technology, with women spending 15 hours per day and men spending 17. Both women and men rely most heavily on their computers and cell phones. Roughly the same amount of men and women said they use their cell phones weekly, but 73% of women said they use their computers weekly compared to 71% of men.

Oxygen’s study also offers research that shows businesses how they should market technology to women:

Don’t talk down to women about technology: 79% of women feel comfortable using technology and are not afraid of it. Sugar-coating tech language and using ‘female friendly’ colors won’t necessarily do the trick. Women view quality and technology itself more importantly than style.

Women prefer a hands-on approach to technology: 72% of women prefer playing with the device in order to learn how it works. Set up interactive tradeshow displays so participants can experience the product for themselves. This helps spark curiosity and encourages inquiry.

Technology is the problem-solver: Women look for the lifestyle benefits that come from technology and tend to purchase consumer electronics based on their practicality. The majority says that tech products are essential to helping them organize their busy school, work and social schedules. Portray products and services as the remedy to a problem.

Presents that impress: Whether a gift is for a sister, mom or girlfriend, nothing tops the list like technology. Remember that diamond necklace? That and other luxury items such as designer shoes and handbags are getting pushed aside to make room for plasma TVs, top-of-the- line cell phones, digital cameras and iPods. 83% of women said they get excited about receiving new tech items and over a third would buy tech items for themselves.

Women are power users of tech tools and toys, and no business should miss the opportunity to cater its product and promotional message to these women. A good example is Kolobags, an online boutique for “technology fashion” that offers designer laptop bags and technology accessories that don’t compromise style.

Part of its success is derived from women’s growing demand for technology that fit their needs and taste. It is becoming pretty obvious that technology is no longer just a “guy thing.”

About the Author: Thanh Do is a student in the William Allen White school of jounalism at the University of Kansas. She is also a member of Absorbent, Ink.'s marketing team. http://www.absorbentprinting.com/

Shop at Amazon.com: Digital Cameras, Cell Phones, Other Electronics

Six Amazing Uses For Tea Tree Oil

2007-10-29T01:15:00.000-07:00

An informative article I read about the goodness of Tea Tree Oil. A word of caution, before any direct application, please check with the specialist in the shop first. Not all tea tree oils in the market are suitable for direct application.

Pure tea tree oil has many invaluable uses around the home that are a welcome solution to common household situations.

1. Antiseptic and Fungicide. Tea tree oil is well known to be a natural antiseptic and fungicide. It can be used on minor cuts and abrasions and is useful for many types of skin conditions including cold sores, athletes feet, head lice, and nail infections, just to name a few.

2. Mold Growth Control. Tea tree oil is a natural cleaner because of its solvent properties and is useful in controlling mold growth. Mold is a health hazard and can invade homes, particularly in areas that are often damp due to high humidity or water damage.

3. Consumer Products. Today tea tree oil can be found in many consumer products like shampoos, hair conditioners, soaps, cosmetics, toothpastes, and even toothpicks!

4. Cleaning Solution. Wash floors and kitchen cabinets with a mix of a few drops of tea tree oil into any cleaning solution. It is advisable that the room be well ventilated, (open windows), whenever you use household chemicals, regardless if you use tea tree oil. The addition of tea tree oil to cleaning solutions can improve the cleaning power of the solution, and it adds a wonderful aromatic scent that gives the washed area that “just cleaned” smell.

5. Insect Repellent. Another benefit to using tea tree oil to wash kitchen floors is that it makes an excellent insect repellent. To keep those unwanted pests away, also wipe down kitchen counters with a tea tree solution and you’ll see positive results! Enjoy the outdoors more by warding off insects from bothering you. Add 10-20 drops of tea tree oil to citronella. Great for camping and hiking!

6. Laundry. Ever experience washing damp towels that were left too long on the floor and still had that funky mildew smell after they came out of the dryer? You could try several washes to remove the smell or you can add a few drops of tea tree oil to your wash. Towels will come out of the dryer smelling better than new!

This amazing oil is distilled from a bush that grows in Australia. Melaleuca Alternifolia Tea Tree plant has the best properties out of 100 possible species in the world. Australia also seems to have the optimum conditions for growing tea tree plants, including soil and weather. These special conditions allow tea tree plants to develop the desired constituents. Good quality tea tree oil should meet the requirements mandated by the Australian government. The oil actually has a viscosity more similar to water rather than oil. It should be bottled in a brown bottle so that ultraviolet light does not degrade the product.

Pure tea tree oil is a natural solvent that will dissolve plastic cups. However, when you mix a few drops in a water solution its solvent properties become greatly reduced and in most cases become a non-issue. If you plan on using your tea tree oil solution on fabric or fibers it is advisable to apply it to a test area first. This should be an inconspicuous spot to rule out potential problems like color fastness.

The amazing thing about tea tree oil is that you only need a little bit or just a few drops for each application. A 2-ounce bottle can last months. Always keep a bottle or two in the house along with a handbook on using tea tree oil. You’ll soon find many valuable uses and solutions and wonder how you ever got along without it!

About the Author: L Ticotin's TeaTreePlace.com offers pure tea tree oil and other products with tea tree oil including: shampoo, hair conditioner, toothpaste, bulk tea tree oil, toothpicks. etc. http://www.teatreeplace.com

How You Can Benefit From Meditation

2007-08-07T00:12:00.000-07:00

What Is Meditation?

Meditation focuses on maintaining quietness of our busy mind. The effect is to direct our concentration to one healing element – one sound, one word, one image, or one's breath. When our mind is "filled" with the feeling of calm and peace, it cannot take off on its own and worry, stress out or get depressed.

The meditative state allows our nerves and tired muscles to relax, calm heart rates and ease blood pressure. The effect is so restful and peaceful that you will look forward to do it daily.

How Does Meditation Work?

Studies have shown that meditation can bring about a healthy state of relaxation by causing a generalized reduction in multiple physiological and biochemical markers, such as deceased heart rate, decreased respiration rate, decreased plasma cortisol, decreased pulse rate and increased EEG alpha, a brain wave associated with relaxation. Our body gains a state of profound rest.

During meditation, our blood pressure stays at "low level" but falls significantly for persons on medication with abnormally high levels of blood pressure.

Meditation reduces activity in the nervous system. Through meditation we can learn to access the relaxation response and to be aware of the mind and the way our attitudes produce stress. In calming the mind, meditation can also put one in touch with the inner physician, allowing our body's own inner wisdom to be heard.

Meditation is part of my yoga practice. When I meditate, I feel my life changes for the better. It brings me peace of mind and I handle things better in life. I have the insights I want to solve problems and a clearer viewpoint even when I feel stressful. Through all these years of practicing meditation, I have been able to reap the positive influence on my life.

How To Meditate Effectively?

Ideally you should meditate in a quiet place, or a room with no distraction. Wear simple and comfortable clothes and remove your shoes when meditate. Try meditating in the same place every time because that will build up a calm meditative energy, making it easier each time to go within.

Guide to Meditation:-

1. Sit upright on your meditation mat with legs folded. You may find this rather uncomfortable at the start, but after a few attempts you will get use to it.

2. Straighten up your spine and close your eyes.

3. Using both your thumb and forefinger touching each other, place your hands on your knees, one on top of the other.

4. Take three full breaths through your nose, filling up your lower diaphragm and slowly letting it out, again through the nose.

5. Repeat your breath, always through the nose, feeling your breath go in and go out.

6. Feel your breath enter your body and where it goes inside, then feel it go out of your body again.

7. If your are distracted by a thought, gently bring back your mind to your breathing and start once more to feel the breathing, then the exhaling.

I personally feel that the best time for meditation is the quiet early morning hours – between 6 A.M. to 6.30 A.M. However some people may prefer to meditate in the evening before they go to bed. The choice is yours, as long as you find it comfortable and effective.

It takes an experienced person to explain the wonderful, positive effects of meditation. For me, I want to share with you that meditation has improved my life tremendously over the years. If you think of meditating, ten or fifteen minutes a day for a start can have a powerful effect on you. You will realize how smoothly your day flows and how it transforms you over a period of time.

To improve your meditation atmosphere, you may light incense or a candle. Incense creates a sensory memory that helps draw you inside. You may also sit on a small woolen mat that is only used for meditation and this helps to hold energy.

If you like to light incense for your meditation, here are some facts; some scents encourage calm, while others promote vitality and energy. Sandalwood and frankincense soothe us and pull us inward. Tibetan monks use them for meditating, and also for religious ceremonies. Rosewood, geranium, and lavender calm our fears and ease our anxieties.

Citrus scents like orange, lemon and lime can provide stimulation after meditating. For a quick effect, place a few drops of orange blossom oil on a cotton ball and inhale. Peppermint and spearmint can be stimulating too.

Take the first step to meditate today for better health and younger you!

Janice H. is an accountant, nutrition expert cum author. She shares with people around the world on HOW to live a true life to achieve: Happiness, Health and Youthfulness. Visit Janice's Blog at: http://www.stayyoungsecret.com/blog to discover how to immediately improve your life and receive FREE e-Report specially written for you. She authored a popular e-Book which reveals her secrets to Stay Young Forever at: http://www.stayyoungsecret.com

Enough With Unnatural Weight Loss Methods! Time For Natural Weight Loss

2007-05-27T05:46:00.000-07:00

Quite a good article on natural weight loss methods. However, do keep in mind that before taking anything, it is best to consult your family doctor first.

Looking at the barrage of television, magazine, and Internet ads, it seems that most new weight loss programs rely heavily on chemicals to get the job done. This has led to a frustrating dilemma: either we opt for the unhealthy "solutions", or we keep on the extra pounds.

For those of us seeking real results that shed weight and keep us feeling great, herbal weight loss solutions are the way to go. Instead of taking a pill full of chemicals that we, or for that matter, a Harvard linguistics professor can't pronounce, try looking toward the garden for answers. You might be pleasantly surprised - there are a lot of naturally growing herbs that got left behind when we first started down the information superhighway. Herbs that our parents' parents knew about, but ones that our parents and we may have forgotten.

Even better, though, they're not so obscure as they may sound. Many of these herbal weight loss solutions can be found in any grocery store, but just aren't labeled for special use in losing weight. Let's take a look at three of these easy-to-find herbs that can help keep down and even cast off those unwanted pounds.

1.) Green Tea - Quite possibly one of the easiest herbs to incorporate into a weight-loss strategy. Just drinking a cup of green tea with breakfast in the morning can help increase your metabolism, the most critical of the body's actors in losing weight. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study demonstrating that more energy can be expended in a day with the aid of green tea, which metabolically means your body is burning calories more quickly. Calories that don't get burned, depending on their origin, often get stored as fat. In essence, quickening your metabolism to move through those calories faster is just a cup of warm tea away.

2.) Cayenne - This red pepper not just pleasantly burns our mouth and adds spice to our food. It also stimulates your thermogenic system as well. When we eat the pepper, it isn't just our mouth that feels warm, but our whole body begins to feel warmer. It's kind of like how we feel after going for a run. When our body heats up (that's the thermogenic system), we burn calories. Eating cayenne pepper not only makes a meal more enjoyable, but better - better for losing weight.

3.) Ginger - Ginger long has had reputed weight loss effects, in addition to the numerous benefits heralded throughout the ancient world and into contemporary times. But in 1992 it was scientifically confirmed by the International Journal of Obesity that adding ginger to your diet assists in burning calories. It functions much in the same way as green tea does as an herbal weight loss solution: by stimulating the metabolism. Ginger is a delicious herb that can be added to food without adding more calories, and helps burn energy after the meal.

For those of us that can't be satisfied by what we see on television or in magazines or on the Web, the next step may be to try herbal weight loss solutions. Frequently including these three herbs into our diets may seem like a small thing, too small to make any difference. But when set together in accordance with our other efforts to lose weight, they can be the extra edge to lose those few nagging pounds that just won't go away. So give them a shot - if we know one thing, it's that they can't hurt you.

GO ALL-NATURAL! Slimstuff All-Natural Weight Loss Solutions

Article by Scott T Smith. Are YOU sick and tired of being overweight? Ready for all-natural weight loss supplements that really work? Visit Slimstuff on the Web at http://www.slimstuff.com/

Asthma In Toddlers And Children

2007-03-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

The worse thing than childhood asthma is asthma in toddlers. Most children who have asthma developed the disease while they were still toddlers. With a reported 5 million American children suffering from asthma, 173 thousand of them hospitalized for severe symptoms and 864 thousand receiving emergency treatment annually, it is important that your toddler be evaluated for asthma as early as possible.

Since it is more difficult to diagnose asthma among infants and toddlers, it would be best to look for signs or symptoms that characterize the disease. Many cases of asthma deaths were due to the parents' failure to recognize the severity of the toddler's condition. Common colds and respiratory diseases such as bronchitis can exhibit asthma-like symptoms. But this does not mean you should ignore your child especially when he has difficulty in breathing or a wheezing cough.

When your toddler is diagnosed with asthma, it does not mean he will be forever afflicted with the disease. On the contrary, there are lots of documented cases where the toddler's asthma no longer persisted into adulthood. It can also be deduced from this observation that toddlers are more susceptible to asthma triggers but develops immunity as they grow older.

A toddler with asthma will have persistent cough that is hacking and congested. Sometimes the toddler may have wheezing cough and sometimes have none. In addition to this symptom, your toddler will display muscle retractions and flaring nostrils. He would also experience difficulty in breathing making feedings impossible. You will also observe your toddler rapidly breathing even while he sleeps. If you think, your toddler is breathing too rapidly, you should take him to the nearest hospital.

Another sign you should watch out for is your toddler's lack of stamina and enthusiasm during playtime. This may be because he is associating physical activities with breathing difficulties and naturally gets discouraged to join other children. Having him checked by your pediatrician can determine if your toddler has asthma.

Asthma in toddlers may be more difficult to manage. The best way to do this is to enlist the help of your care provider or his teachers. You can prepare some detailed instructions so they would know what to do in case of an asthma episode. Your toddler's pediatrician can help you prepare this set of instructions.

You should never take your toddler to a smoky place since cigarette smoke can easily trigger an asthma attack. Your pediatrician can test your child's sensitivity to dust mite protein. Sometimes, parents overlook the fact that stuffed toys are hosts to these dust mites. During falls and spring seasons when levels of pollen are high, you should limit your toddler's outdoor activities.

Emotional stress is also considered to be a trigger factor. Not only does it cause an asthma attack but it could also worsen asthma symptoms. Anxiety or panic attacks should be dealt with reasonable calm to help relax your child. The moment your toddler calms down you can administer treatment such as bronchodilator medication.

Keep your children safe and protect them from elements that can lead to long-term damage. These kinds of problems can haunt them through adulthood, so take caution when it comes to your young loved ones.

About the Author: Article provided by Sven Ullmann, who runs Deserved Health - a site dedicated to different health related articles. Read more about the Asthma in Toddlers and Children.

Wedding Favors - Ideas To Keep The Cost Down

2007-03-01T05:33:00.000-08:00

I like the idea of creating your own wedding favors from the author. Not only will it be an unique wedding favor, it will also be very meaningful for the guests who attended your wedding.

Wedding favors are small gifts that the bride and groom give to thank their guests for attending their special day. This token of appreciation also provides everyone with a memento of your wedding day.

The hardest part is deciding what type of wedding favor to give your guests, as there are thousands of options to choose from.

So consider the rest of your wedding preparations. You might be able to find a small gift that reflects the general theme of your wedding. In Scotland, many people continue the cultural theme and give minature bottles of whisky decorated with tartan ribbon to their guests.

And if you're on a tight budget, but still want to give your guests something special to remember the day, here are a few things to consider.

1) Set A Budget

The first thing to do is to sit down with your partner and work out how much you have to spend on wedding favors. Once you've got a figure to work with it will help to narrow down your options and prevent you from overspending.

Wedding favors don't have to be overly lavish, it's the thought that counts.

Coasters are one of these gifts that everyone can make use of, but nobody ever thinks about buying. They represent an inexpensive gift that's both decorative and practical. Other popular gifts are candles, coffee/tea, or bath products such as soap.

Alternatively, your favors could relate to an interest that you or your partner have, such as wine tasting (a miniture bottle) or golf (a couple of golf tees tied with ribbon). In fact any little charm or trinket that has some relevance to your wedding could be considered a wedding favor. You're only limited by your imagination and budget.

2) Start Your Search Online

There are many different companies and shops that specialise in providing wedding accessories and favors. But one of the best options is to shop for your wedding favors online.

The internet makes it possible for you to search dozens of retailers from the comfort of your own home, instead of spending weeks trailing from store to store. In just a few hours it's possible to work out what's available and how much it will cost.

And due to their lower overheads, most internet retailers will be able to offer you a far better price than their high street counterparts. The vast majority of wedding favors only cost one of two dollars each, so it will certainly save you a lot of time, money and shoe leather.

3) Beware Of All The Tricks

If you decide to buy your favors from a store make sure that you ask to be shown items in your price range. Certain sales people will try to bump up the size of your order by showing you items of a slightly higher quality (and price) than you were looking for. Then, when they show you equivalent items from a cheaper range, the temptation is to go for the higher priced items, reasoning "it's only 50 cents extra per item!" This is one temptation that doesn't exist when you buy your favors online.

4) Consider Making Your Own Wedding Favors

For example, you could buy a collection of minature candles and bundle them together with various beads and ribbons. Alternatively, you could buy wax figures of the bride and groom and decorate them to match the character of you and your partner. The more work that you do, the less your wedding favors will cost.

5) Know How Many Favors You Need

Before you buy your favors, find out exactly how many people are coming to your wedding, so that you don't buy more favors than necessary. Although it's always a good idea to have a couple spare incase of unexpected guests. And find out how many of your guests are couples. You could consider giving a slightly better favor to each couple instead of one per person. This will reduce the overall cost of your wedding favors.

If your wedding budget is more generous you could consider custom engraved wedding favors, silver plated gifts or even a small crystal ornament. Crystal favors are universally popular, provide a touch of class and will last your guests a lifetime.

About the Author: Ellie Thomson runs YourWeddingDayEssentials.com. For more information on Wedding Favors visit www.YourWeddingDayEssentials.com for your free guide to planning the perfect wedding.

The Stages Of Pregnancy - An Amazing Journey

2007-02-22T23:03:00.000-08:00

Good information on pregnancy.

The nine months of pregnancy are a miraculous event. During this relatively short time, your baby goes from a fertilized egg to a fully formed newborn. The changes that take place over these nine months are astounding. By the end of the first month, the tiny heart has formed and is beating. The major organs and systems of the body have developed by the end of the first trimester.

This is a critical time in your baby’s development. It’s important that you take good care of yourself during this time. Eat nutritious foods and drink plenty of fluids. Take any vitamins or extra iron recommended by your health care provider. Avoid any substances which can harm the baby. These include smoke, alcohol and drugs. Don’t take any medication without your doctor’s approval.

The baby continues to change rapidly during the second trimester. You will get to hear his heartbeat and see him on the ultrasound. By this time, the gender can be seen clearly in many cases. Your baby is a fully formed little one at the end of this trimester. The lungs are the last organ to develop enough to sustain life outside the womb. During the third trimester, the lungs finish developing. Your baby puts on weight and body fat steadily through this trimester.

Your body will go through many changes over the course of your pregnancy as well. In the early months, you may experience discomfort from morning sickness. This is a common symptom and is usually not serious. Learn some methods of dealing with this, such as getting up slowly in the morning, eating crackers before you get up or wearing wrist bands made for sea sickness. Preggie pops are lollipops that are sold to ease the symptoms of morning sickness.

The first trimester is a time of rapidly changing hormones in your body. This change causes fatigue in most women. Be sure to get enough rest. You will find you need more sleep than before you got pregnant. The best way to deal with fatigue is to get more sleep. Go to bed earlier at night. If possible, take a nap during the day.

Most women feel their best during the second trimester. Morning sickness has gotten better for the majority of pregnant mothers. The fatigue you felt in the first trimester has improved as well. Pregnant women report feeling more energy and you will begin to feel pregnant. Some couples take a final vacation as a couple during this trimester. By the third trimester, you will be uncomfortable and won’t want to travel. As you get farther into the third trimester, travel will be restricted.

The third trimester brings more discomfort. The baby is putting on weight at a rapid rate. Toward the end of this trimester, the baby is gaining a half a pound in body weight every week. This increased weight leads to several discomforts. The baby is pushing up on your stomach and lungs. This makes breathing difficult and you may be short of breath. The pressure of the baby on the stomach causes heartburn and indigestion.

The uterus is getting very crowded now and your baby is also pushing down. This can cause a variety of problems such as hemorrhoids, constipation and the need to urinate frequently. You may feel pressure low in the abdomen as the baby moves down into position for birth. When this happens, you will find that the shortness of breath improves. This is called lightening, but don’t count on going into labor right away. This can happen weeks before the baby arrives.

At the end of the third trimester, it’s time for the big day. You will finally get to meet your new baby. As the day approaches, you will feel excited. It’s normal to feel anxious and nervous as well. Continue to read, practice breathing exercises and prepare for the delivery. Soon you will be holding your precious bundle and the discomforts of the past nine months will be a memory.

Copyright 2007 More4kids Inc.

About the Author: Patricia Hughes is a freelance writer and mother of four. She has written extensively on pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and breastfeeding. In addition, she has written about home décor and travel. You can view more of her many articles in the Pregnancy Resource area of More4kids. Copyright 2007 More4kids Parenting and Family Portal.

Learn about Pregnancy Without Pounds.

Save up to 40% off and Get free shipping on orders $29 & up at BabyCenter!

The Birth of the Chocolate Chip Cookie

2007-02-14T04:14:00.000-08:00

Adrift in our memory banks are the smells and tastes of the food of our childhoods. One whiff of something familiar coming from the kitchen and we are instantly kids again. And no food is more closely aligned with that of childhood than the chocolate chip cookie. Warm and gooey, hard and crunchy, filled with nuts or deliciously plain, the chocolate chip cookie embodies all that is sweet and wonderful about childhood.

As owners and operators of the Toll House Inn in 1930’s Massachusetts, Ruth Wakefield and her husband tended to all of their guests’ needs in an effort to give them a unique experience. Ruth herself worked in the kitchen, quickly gaining popularity with her scrumptious desserts. One favorite, the Butter Drop Do cookie called for baker’s chocolate. Having run out of baker’s chocolate during one of her weekly cookie bakes, Ruth instead substituted semi-sweet chocolate from a bar given to her by one of her guests – Andrew Nestle of Nestle Chocolate Company. Needless to say, the new chocolate chip cookie became quite a hit, as tasters enjoyed the softened chocolate nestled inside the cookie – a far cry from the baker’s chocolate, which melted entirely.

The chocolate chip cookie rocketed to stardom taking Nestle’s semi-sweet chocolate along with it. Eager to align his company further with this popular treat, Andrew Nestle traded Ruth Wakefield a lifetime supply of chocolate for the rights to print her chocolate chip cookie recipe on all of his chocolate packaging.

That famous recipe stands today delighting generation after generation with its simple goodness. Of course, as the years have gone by, those trying to elevate the chocolate chip cookie to the next level have added all manner of different ingredients. Contests are held all over the world in search of the best chocolate chip cookie. But most cookie enthusiasts will tell you that the very best chocolate chip cookie is the one that is simple in its creation. As the saying goes, sometimes less is more.

For the baking challenged among us, the chance to make the chocolate chip cookie is still within our grasp. Advancements in packaging have given way to pre-made chocolate chip cookie dough – ready to slice and bake; no mixing of ingredients, no mess of any kind – and in 10 minutes you have fresh baked cookies right out of the oven.

But if you want to give chocolate chip cookie making from scratch a try, you can always find the sweetest recipe of all – right on the back of Nestle’s Chocolate Chips!

About the Author: Michelle Bery, for easy to understand, in depth information about chocolate visit our ezGuide 2 Chocolate.

Body And Water

2007-02-09T01:45:00.001-08:00

If the last time you entered your house feeling tired and stressed you immediately decided to take a shower or enjoy a long relaxing bath, you are familiar with the positive outcomes of using water in order to increase the well-being of your body and mind. Indulging yourself in simple pleasures associated with the use of water is known as hydrotherapy. Health resorts, like medical and sports centers or hotel and city spas, offer to today's stressed working individuals the opportunity to get rid of fatigue and anxiety by performing a variety of treatments based on water.

Whether or not you are able to afford such specialized services, you should know that water is the cheapest and probably the safest way, apart from sleeping, to relax and rejuvenate your body and mind. Known from the ancient years for its amazing results, water use has progressed tremendously and its various applications are considered today the focal points of experiencing a healthy lifestyle.

But apart from it being an extremely effective refreshing mechanism, water is used to alleviate or reduce medical problems that need special care. Problems like dry skin, constipation, urinary tract infections, headaches, fever, bad blood circulation, sprained ankles, foot infections, body swelling, hemorrhoids, and muscle strains, can be treated with the appropriate use of water.

The water's temperature and its different application methods can produce the desired results and reduce the severity and the duration of negative symptoms one might suffer because of exhaustion, accidents or chronic health problems. Specifically, hot water can arouse the human immune system and increase circulation levels. From athletes to working individuals, using hot water is considered essential to get rid of body malfunctions and increase energy. On the other hand, instances of swelled feet or constipation problems can be dealt with the right use of cold water, which acts as a natural treatment for a variety of body irritations.

Because human cells are made in average by 80% of water, the human organism needs hydration to survive and function normally. Thus, apart from taking care of your body externally by applying different water-based treatments, it is of vital importance to consume water frequently and help your body rejuvenate from the inside out. As part of our healthy living standards, we should always remember to provide the necessary water quantities to our bodies by drinking six to eight glasses of water per day. Water, whether used as an internal or external hydration, is the best thing one can enjoy everyday.

About the Author: Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Health, Women's Health, and Relationships

Hair Removal: Know All The Methods

2007-02-08T22:31:00.000-08:00

Most of us are concerned about the amount of hair on our bodies, and there are many options for those who desire to rid themselves of unsightly hair. Shaving and plucking are the most popular methods of hair removal, but there are also methods known as waxing, sugaring and threading.

Shaving is the most popular method of hair removal. It's simple and can be accomplished with a straight razor or an electric razor. Some electric shavers provide best results after use of pre-shaving gels, creams or lotions, as can shaving with a straight razor.

Plucking is used as a method of hair removal for unsightly or unwanted facial hair. Using tweezers, hair removal from eyebrows is generally accomplished by hand held or electric tweezers. Tweezing pulls the hair out by its roots but it can be time consuming, depending on the results you're looking for, as each hair must be pulled out individually. Until the skin around the area becomes desensitized, this process can be on the painful side, and redness, inflammation can occur. For most, the effects of tweezing can last anywhere from three to eight weeks.

Threading is becoming a more popular trend in hair removal methods. This ancient hair removal process continues to be used in various parts of the world today, including parts of southwest Asia and the Middle East. To facilitate hair removal with this method, a long loop of thread, mostly cotton, is twisted into a figure-8 type shape and rolled along the surface of the skin. Hairs caught between the coiled pieces of string are pulled out by their roots, resulting in near perfect smoothness. This method suits hair removal from eyebrows and other facial areas, and is considered by many to be less painful than the plucking hair removal method.

Waxing is a hair removal method that is a little more time intensive and messy, though such inconveniences are more than outweighed by the fact that this method is extremely effective in hair removal of just about any type of body hair. Waxing facilitates the removal of entire shafts of hair, from below the surface of the skin. This method can be accomplished using either cool or hot wax. Be advised that waxing for hair removal, however effective, can cause skin irritations that may last several hours, and if not done carefully, can produce burns and other unpleasant results.

A hair removal method similar to waxing is one called sugaring. In this method, a sugar mixture is used instead of wax. Blending and heating sugar, water and lemon juice until it develops into a pasty mixture creates this concoction. This mixture is then applied to the surface of the skin, like a wax treatment, followed by a strip of cotton, which is then rapidly pulled off the skin in the opposite direction of the hair growth. This method of hair removal is popular among those who are sensitive to the ingredients in wax.

So take your pick, try them out and decide which method of hair removal best suits your time and your preferences.

About the Author: Chonticha Marijne, is hair removal an ongoing struggle for you? Find out more about hair removal and the right method for you at HairRemovalRevealed.com.

Man Fitness

2007-02-08T03:34:00.000-08:00

Man fitness is something they all want, but few actually achieve. That is because men generally don’t make fitness a priority. It can be the result of getting lazy, working too many hours, and having a family. Regardless of the reason behind it, man fitness is very important. Besides making you look good, you will feel better. Too many men claim they don’t workout because they are too tired. Ironically, the more you exercise the more energy you will have. It will help you sleep much better as well. 50% of men die due to heart disease related issues, so man fitness is something that needs to be implemented into your lifestyle to help you life a long and healthy life.

It isn’t easy making lifestyle changes. Man fitness isn’t just about exercising more; it is about cutting down on may other things. If you eat a lot of junk food or fat food then you need to work harder at eating a balanced diet. Make a weekly menu and stick to it. Switch to fresh fruits and vegetables instead of sugary snacks. Reduce the amount of alcohol and tobacco you consume.

Man fitness has many possibilities. You can participate in exercises and activities to get into shape, to lose your spare tire, or to eliminate your love handles. While cardio exercises are important, most men feel silly doing aerobics. Man fitness for great cardio workouts include running, hiking, and boxing. Most men enjoy lifting weights. While this is a great way to your goal of man fitness, it isn’t enough.

Weight lifting allows you to tone up and strengthen your body. Your bigger muscles will make you look good physically as well. It is a good idea to combine a weight lifting routine with a cardio routine. You should only lift weights every other day to give your muscles time to heal. Man fitness magazines often show the guy with rippling muscles and the six pack abs. This won’t be the reality for most men, but you can get a quality workout routine going that will help you look and feel your best.

Man fitness is very important to help you look and feel your best. The sooner you start, the better chances you will have of living a fun and healthy life in the future. Reducing your chances of heart disease is very important because statistically you have a 1 in 2 chance of being affected. Man fitness is the key to not letting it happen to you.

If you aren’t sure where to get started, go online for some information or go to the gym and work with a personal trainer. The types of exercises and activities you participate in will depend on your fitness level and your fitness goals. Make sure you choose exercises and activities you enjoy. Nothing gets a plan sabotaged faster than feeling like man fitness is a chore rather than something you look forward to. It takes time, effort, and dedication for man fitness to really happen and not just be something you read about in fitness magazines.

About the Author: Ramone Stevenson, get all the latest information about Fitness from the only true source at http://www.1fitnessinformation.com. Be sure to check out our man fitness pages.

Sudoku Puzzle Games Solver Software

2007-02-07T08:26:00.000-08:00

Interesting article that do a review of the different Sodoku Puzzle game solver software. Has anyone been using any of them?

Do you like play Sudoku Puzzle Games? Or maybe you are new to solving Sudoku puzzles and would like some tips on how to to solve them. The goal of a SuDoku problem is to complete the published grid so that no number appears more than once in any row, column or 3x3 subgrid. Sudoku Puzzle Games Solver Software is a program that helps you solve Sudoku puzzles! It gives you full, interactive control over the solving process, and explains everything it's doing every step of the way.

Sudoku Assistenten was created by sudoku enthusiasts, for sudoku enthusiasts, and its sole aim is to offer anything and everything a sudoku crazy person would want in a sudoku program, for free! It will both let you copy/paste any sudoku you can find into the software as well as typing it in manually, or you could even create your very own sudokus from scratch without any pre knowledge. This is both fun and highly addictive! Once in the software you can choose from many different approaches to solving the sudoku, both with and without pencilmarks/candidates. If you get stuck, Sudoku Assistenten can provide you with a lot of different hints and tips, from a simple nudge in the right direction to complete graphical explanations that are both easy to understand and educational.

SuDoku Solver is a product from gwerdy, Solve SuDoku puzzles with SuDoku Solver. The software can solve the puzzles totally or just act as a helper, suggesting a single value if you do not want the full solution but just a little help. The solver will also list how it went about solving the puzzle to help you learn to improve your own skills. It uses only logic-based algorithms for solving the puzzles and does not employ trial and error methods. If the solver does fail to complete your puzzle then clicking in the unknown boxes will reveal the possible values for this square allowing you to either use other logical reasoning or guessing techniques.

Sudoku Susser is from madoverlord, get 5 Stars SoftSea Rating, This Sudoku assistant and master-level solver features a hints mode to show you what numbers are legal for the remaining squares. The deducer uses human-style reasoning to solve the puzzles and can take you step-by-step through their solution with detailed explanations of each step. The brute force recurse option solves all puzzles. Highlighting modes help you see the patterns in the puzzles. You can even drag puzzles right from Web pages of major UK newspapers into the application, then edit, save and print them offline.

SudokuDragon can fenerate and solve Sudoku puzzles. Download new daily puzzles from our Web site. Type in and solve puzzles printed in newspapers. Download new puzzles from the developer's Web site. Generate a brand new puzzle to solve at a range of difficulty levels. Each puzzle can contain a hidden Sudoku stripe. The program gives tutorials, hints and suggestions on how to solve a puzzle. Web site has full range of information about Sudoku, including message boards. Unlimited undo and redo of square allocations for when you need to backtrack. Print out a Sudoku puzzle for manual solving.

These Sudoku Puzzle Games Solver Software helps you play Sudoku. In any event these Sudoku Solver Software can help you. It can show you how to solve even the most tricky puzzles. with these Sudoku Solver you will be able to solve any puzzles.

About the Author: Robert Snoog, SoftSea.com, Sudoku Games, SuDoku Solver, Sudoku Susser

Online Shopping

2007-02-03T23:06:00.000-08:00

Online shopping is a term which was not very popular about a decade ago. However, in the last few years, with increase in usage of internet, the growth achieved in online shopping is tremendous.

There have been a number of reasons for rapid growth in number of people making their purchases online. A few years ago, people had to step out of their homes, in the busy traffic and go to a nearby sales store or mall to buy their accessories and other stuff. But now, they can just sit before their computer, visit an online shopping site and order the items that they require. These items will be delivered at their doorstep within a few hours.

The main reason why online marketing has gained popularity is that all products can be obtained at a lower price by shopping online rather than by shopping at your local stores. This is due to the fact that online sellers do not have to pay for maintenance of office space and salaries of employees every month. Due to this reason, they are in a position to offer more discounts to their customers on the goods purchased from them.

These are also a wide range of choices available to the customer on the internet. The local stores may or may not contain the specific item that he is looking for. But an online store can be easily taken to contain that item. The details about each type of product are also mentioned clearly, which helps the customer in selecting the right product. A salesperson at the local mall may or may not devote sufficient time for you, but there is no such problem with an online store, where all relevant details are mentioned on the website itself.

People are leading a very hectic life today. Most of them are so busy with their jobs that they do not have the time to go to a nearby store or mall to purchase the commodities that they require. But now, by going through the list of items available on an online store site, he can easily select what items he requires and order then. This will save him a lot of time which he can devote to other useful activities.

Apart from this, online stores offer you a number of bargains and free gifts along with purchases made from them. This will ensure that you obtain even greater benefit by shopping online.

About the Author: Dana Bradley writes about Brgain Crazy Coupons, Misco Coupon, Fleurop coupons

Choosing A Fitness Program

2007-02-02T02:07:00.000-08:00

A fitness program is something everyone should have regardless of their age. While everyone has a different fitness level, for the most part everyone should be able to do some type of fitness program. It is always a good idea to check with your doctor before embarking on a new fitness program. There are many great fitness programs out there to choose from. You can also design your own or have a personal trainer help you design one.

The fitness program that is right for depends on many factors. You will need to take your current fitness level into consideration. The goal needs to be to implement a fitness program that is going to challenge you but that would not lead to any health issues. It is important to evaluate any current health issues you have before developing a fitness program. For example someone with a bad back shouldn’t lift weights but would be fine to jog or walk. A person with bad knees may not be able to run but they may be able to walk on flat terrain.

No matter what fitness program you decide to use, it is going to fail if you aren’t prepared to work hard and dedicate your time to it. This means putting your heart into following through. Yes, we are all busy, but your health is vital to allowing you the ability to do any thing right? Schedule time for your fitness program and then refuse to give up that time. If it means you have to get up earlier or skip some TV time then do it. It may mean your email doesn’t get checked every day or your dishes aren’t put away but those things can accumulate without too much problem. Your health is not something you want to push aside.

You are going to have to decide on a fitness program that will help you achieve the fitness goals you have set, but also involves exercises and activities that you enjoy doing. Would you rather have a fitness program you have to force yourself to do or one that you look forward to doing? Don’t have unrealistic goals for your fitness program or you will be disappointed and frustrated with yourself. Focus on what you are able to achieve rather than what you didn’t.

For the best results design a fitness program with the help of a personal trainer or a doctor. Make sure it focuses on your goals and your abilities. Don’t compare your fitness program with that of anyone else. You are not in a competition, but on a quest to succeed at implementing a fitness program that will make you feel and look your best. If you do that, then give yourself some credit as you are doing much better than the majority of the population. If you want to reduce your chances of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, have more energy, and boost your metabolism then you need to work on implementing a quality fitness program.

About the Author: Steve Johnson, get all the latest information about Fitness from the only true source at http://www.1fitnessinformation.com. Be sure to check out our fitness program pages.

Fitness Motivation & Goals

2007-01-31T23:18:00.000-08:00

Despite the physical punishment that we put ourselves through to achieve results, it can be just as difficult to control the mind to maintain the motivation and focus. Every journey begins with a single step and so it is with exercise; Day to day gains are hardly perceptible but it's the sum of the parts which makes the difference in the long run. Like learning to play an instrument, it's the endless hours of practice which count for the difference in the end.

As with any long journey it's helpful to have a map or in our case a set of goals. These should be short (3 months), medium (6 months) and long term (1 year) and after one year we reset our objectives. As in business, goals should be SMART:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time Bound

A SMART goal could be to reduce body fat by 10%, through diet and fitness, within 3 months. Your goals should be realistic, otherwise they can have the opposite effect and simply de-motivate and crush your confidence.

Whilst the goals serve as objectives you will also need planning in order to attain them. Here, it is simply best to plan for the week ahead - think about your routine (weight,sets and reps) and your diet. It is useful to have a training log which you can design yourself or can easily be obtained over the web. Planning for diet could mean shopping and planning for the meals ahead, otherwise there's a tendency to eat whatever is in the cupboard, which may not necessarily be the best option.

Here are some tips and ideas to maintain motivation:

Count down on reps - Psychologically it seems much easier when the number is decreasing and the target is getting smaller, rather than getting larger.

Do least favorite sets first while you are fresh and when motivation is probably at its peak, to get them out of the way.

Mix up the routine to keep it varied - If a machine is busy, rather than standing and waiting, move on the next available piece of equipment in your exercise routine and then return when it frees up.

Don't weigh yourself everyday - it doesn't matter if you're trying to lose weight or bulk up, the same principle applies. Weighing yourself everyday is like watching stock prices every 15 minutes and I believe is counter-productive.

After a hard day, and when the absolutely last thing you want to do is go down the gym, think ahead to two short hours time, when you could be energized and feeling mentally and physically positive.

Be in the moment - concentrate on what you're doing at that moment in time; form, posture, technique and don't get distracted or worry about anything else. A good low-impact cardio exercise is cycling, which as you do, you should have your head down, thinking about the next 20 yards, rather than looking ahead 1 mile further down the road, where there seems to be no end in sight.

In summary, set yourselves realistic objectives at timely intervals and have a plan on how you propose to achieve them.

About the Author: Paul Vincent Clark is a Health & Fitness promoter and has over 20 years training experience. Visit http://mens-health.typepad.com for the latest articles and resources to achieve your Health & Fitness goals.

How To Prevent Diabetes

2007-01-30T05:24:00.000-08:00

A relatively informative article. Prevention is better than cure. According to studies, it has been found that with proper exercise and diet, it is possible to slow the onset or fight the disease. The author has numerous articles about diabetes in her website which you can read for more information too. It is our responsibility to take care of our own health. Wishing you Great health.

How to prevent Diabetes has been a concern for many of us since we were kids. In my own family, my baby cousin was born with diabetes, so she had to have shots—injected once a day by my aunt, who just happened to be a Registered Nurse. Of course, while this many years later we have sub-lingual solutions, we have different levels of Diabetes (those not requiring shots included), and we have do-it-yourself daily blood glucose testing, for those with Diabetes or those with a concern for how to prevent Diabetes from going full speed ahead into full blown stages of the disease.

Besides my cousin on my mother’s side having the disease, on my biological father’s side, my grandfather had it. So my emphasis has always been (as it was taught to me) how to prevent Diabetes from setting in if you are genetically prone to it but don’t yet have it.

Is there a surefire solution for how to prevent Diabetes, though? Yes and no. Evidently, we can “delay” such forms of the illness as Type 2 Diabetes. According to such institutions and studies as NIDDK (National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases) and NIH (National Institute of Health), diet and exercise are found to help stave off the onset and symptoms. These findings are only reinforced by the additional smaller studies by organizations and institutes all over the world: from Finland to China, it has been found that at-risk people can slow the onset or fight the disease with rigorous exercise (with a goal of losing 2 to 7 percent body weight) and balanced, low sugar diets (with a goal of avoiding “trigger” foods). The sugars mentioned include, that is, sucrose, fructose, lactose, and other sugar forms found naturally and synthetically present in most foods.

In addition, from what I understand, Diabetes Prevention programs set up a regime that includes, besides diet and exercise, standard care and the drug metformin. According to CDC (Center for Disease Control), the studies applying such treatment/prevention measures found that participants who included a healthy diet, metformin, and moderate physical activity of 30 minutes a day/5 days a week, reduced their risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes by 58%!

I used to go every year but now go every two years to get a glucose tolerance test along with a general physical. And since I have Diabetes in my family history, the doc always admonishes me about “dumping great amounts of sugar” into my system. If I can conquer that, and walk at least five days a week, you can too!

About the Author: Ann Merier writes articles about the home and family health in general. Her latest articles are about diabetes. Prevent Diabetes, Mothers Day

Walk Every Day By Jonathon Hardcastle

2007-01-28T00:44:00.000-08:00

An interesting article on walking. Walking is a natural activity that we do everyday and if you have that 30 minutes a day for a few days a week, this could be something which you can try. Consult your doctor first before starting any exercise routine. Wishing you great health!

When it comes to exercise we each determine what we can or cannot do, and how hard we push ourselves. Some follow the all-or-nothing principle, believing that if exercise is good for you it has to be hard, even painful. Experts have recommended high-impact aerobic exercise as a means for increasing bone mass, but a review of numerous studies on aerobic exercise and bone mineral density suggests that walking just 30 minutes per day a few days a week is enough to moderately increase overall bone density. Specifically, an eight-year study of 13,000 people found that those who walked 30 minutes a day had a significantly lower risk of premature death than those who rarely exercised.

As a fitness activity, walking has become more popular over the years as it offers many health benefits:

- Consistent walking can help reduce body fat, cholesterol levels, increase cardiovascular endurance, resting heart rate and lower blood pressure.

- Regular walking, using a moderate intensity, strengthens the immune system, burns calories and keeps weight stable.

- Walking is a natural form of movement and, unlike high impact exercise, does not place excess stress on the joints and boosts bone strength.

- Studies suggest regular walking can help prevent colon cancer.

- Walking is an excellent way to prevent diabetes and heart disease, when combined with a proper diet.

A walking program is simple to start. All one needs are comfortable clothes and shoes; layer loose clothing and shoes specifically designed for walking are the best. One should also keep in mind that every workout should begin with a brief warm-up and a few simple stretches. Walking around the house or in place for a few minutes to get the blood flowing to the muscles before attempting to stretch them is a good strategy. Although walking primarily works the major muscles of the legs, people should not forget to stretch their back, shoulders and arms. This will help them loosen up any tension they may be carrying and make their walk more enjoyable as well as more effective. In addition, beginning walkers can make their workouts less strenuous by limiting how fast and far they walk and focus on good posture, keeping the head lifted and the shoulders relaxed, and move arms naturally.

The popularity of walking as a fitness activity is growing by leaps and bounds. Low risk and easy to start, walking has proved its health benefits in numerous studies. In fact, walking exercise helps strengthen bones because it forces them to bear weight, which is why high-impact exercise elicits even greater gains in bone density. Concluding, walking, the oldest form of exercise, just may be the key to achieving new levels of fitness, particularly for those who need to start with small, achievable goals to get, and stay, on track.

About the Author: Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Fitness, Food, and Nursing

10 Naturally Sweet Cures To Try by James Calvin

2007-01-26T06:56:00.000-08:00

An interesting article from James Calvin about Honey. Didn't know that honey can be so useful. I have read through some discussion previously about the benefits of honey. Personally when my siblings and myself have sore throat, our mother would make us a drink, which is a mixture of honey and lime. Not only does it taste good, it also helps to relief the sore throat. Wishing everyone with great health.

Honey, especially mixed with cinnamon, can cure a multitude of ailments. Honey is produced in all parts of the world. Scientists of today believe honey can be used without any side affects for a number of diseases. Honey is sweet but if taken in the right dosage as a medicine it won't harm diabetic patients. It's important to remember that these ten natural sweet cures haven't been independently verified. These are homeopathic cures, many passed down from generation to generation. I found many uses of honey mixed with cinnamon to cure ailments from heart disease, acne, hair loss, and gas. I will focus on the top ten cures to try.

Arthritis is one disease that can be cured with honey. One part honey to two parts of lukewarm water and a teaspoon of cinnamon will make a paste that will noticeably reduce pain in a matter of a couple of minutes. Patients suffering from arthritis can take one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and a teaspoon of cinnamon once in the morning and again in the evening. It's been said that taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. Copenhagen University tested their theory by giving patients a mixture of one tablespoon of hone and one half teaspoon of cinnamon before breakfast. The results were that within a week, 73 patients out of 200 were relieved of pain and within a month, arthritis patients could again walk without pain.

Cholesterol is said to be treatable with honey. Mix two tablespoons of honey and three tablespoons of cinnamon in 16 ounces of tea. This mixture is said to reduce the level of cholesterol by ten percent within a short amount of time. As with arthritis, it is said that pure honey taken with food daily will reduce cholesterol levels. Along the same lines, using cinnamon and honey on bread and eaten at breakfast revitalized the arteries and veins leading to the heart and helpful towards preventing heart attacks.

Men, pay attention! A mixture of hot olive oil, one tablespoon of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon made into a paste can help baldness and hair loss. Apply the paste before your shower and leave it on for approximately five to fifteen minutes then wash the hair.

In India and Japan honey and cinnamon is said to help relieve gas, stomachaches and clears stomach ulcers at the root. If honey and cinnamon are taken before eating it helps digest even the heaviest of meals.

Colds can be treated with honey. One tablespoon honey with ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon taken daily is said to cure most chronic coughs and clear the sinuses. You can also make up a mixture of honey, whiskey and lemon juice. If it doesn't clear your cough, at least maybe you'll sleep.

Pimples, the curse for both young and old can be removed within two weeks if this remedy is applied. Make a paste of three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon. Put the pimples on before going to bed and wash it off the next morning.

Now here's a big one. Weight loss. Twice daily, once at night, and one in the morning ½ hour before breakfast drink a cup of boiled hot water with honey and cinnamon. It's been said that even the most obese patient can lose weight and drinking this mixture doesn't allow the fat to accumulate in the body.

Studies have shown that chronic fatigue can be helped by honey. One half tablespoon of honey in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon in the morning and in the afternoon will increase your vitality within a week.

Infertility is a problem that ancient people in the Far East treated with honey. It was said to strengthen the semen of men. Two tablespoons of honey taken before bed is said to also correct impotency. A touch of cinnamon in one half teaspoon of honey and applied to the gums throughout the day will help a woman conceive. Mixing it with the saliva lets it slowly enter the body.

Finally, bad breath is said to be helpful if gargled in the morning. One teaspoon of honey and cinnamon mixed in hot water is supposed to keep breath fresh all day.

About the Author: Are Allergies and Asthma Taking the FUN OUT OF LIFE? Who Else Wants To Learn One Simple Way To Totally Eliminate Asthma And Allergy Attacks, ALL Without Using Drugs And Inhalers Now...

Is Anti-Aging Action In Red Wine And Resveratrol Real?

2007-01-24T00:37:00.000-08:00

This article gives you a good reason to drink red wine. Its for the good of your health. However, don't overdo. Anything overdo will have its adverse effect; consume in moderation. Wishing everyone good health.

Results of various studies have indicated that daily consumption of three to five glasses of red wine reduced all-cause mortality by an amazing 49% compared to non-drinkers, which is great news for antiaging aficionados. Now, this may sound great and it is, but greater results can be achieved more easily. The reason that the red wine works in anti-aging is because it's a great source of resveratrol. Harvard Medical School and the National Institute of Aging report that a natural substance found in red wine, known as resveratrol, offsets the bad effects of a high-calorie diet in mice and significantly extends their lifespan. The resveratrol supplements generally contain a potent combination of nutrients high in antioxidants.

An article was published in the November 2006 edition of the prestigious science journal Nature. Researchers from Harvard Medical School and the National Institute of Aging reported on a study performed in mice given resveratrol. This anti-aging study determined that the resveratrol-treated mice had improvement in the physical quality of their lives in addition to . Researchers gauged how well the mice could walk on a rotating rod. Those treated with resveratrol did substantially better than those that didn't receive resveratrol.

Boston University Medical Center researchers found resveratrol in mice activated the AMP enzyme better than commonly used anti-diabetic drugs. Resveratrol promoted utilization of insulin and overcame insulin resistance, believed to be responsible for most cases of adult-onset diabetes. Like the Harvard study, resveratrol also inhibited the buildup of fat in the liver of mice. In another anti-aging study, resveratrol study of 123 Finnish adults, it was found that those with variations in the enzyme had faster metabolism and burned energy more efficiently. Many studies have shown that when primates are placed on high nutritious but calorie restricted diets, the same genes and enzymes are activated, leading to a dramatic increase in health and life span.

Resveratrol is a powerful agent in both prevention and treatment of many factors associated with decreases in our longevity and health. Resveratrol helps fight heart disease through its strong antioxidant activity, by increasing nitric oxide to relax blood vessels, and by reducing abnormal blood clotting and blockages. Resveratrol has shown it can inhibit both the development and growth of cancer cells, as well as kill existing cancer cells. Resveratrol has exhibited positive effects in the treatment of estrogen related cancers like breast and prostate cancer. It also helps block the spread of breast, pancreatic, and kidney cancer to the bone.

The human life can be extended with modern technology, good nutrition and exercise as any anti-aging expert will acknowledge. If we get a full understanding of the facts, we can understand how we can extend the human life span to 120 or even, as some scientists speculate, to even greater ages. Many anti-aging researchers that is more than possible. Resveratrol is a powerful agent in both prevention and treatment of many factors associated with decreases in our longevity and health.

Resveratrol helps fight heart disease through its strong antioxidant activity, by increasing nitric oxide to relax blood vessels, and by reducing abnormal blood clotting and blockages. Researchers at Harvard Medical School and the National Institutes on Aging, led by David Sinclair PhD, reported that resveratrol, a red wine molecule, overcame the adverse effects of a high-fat diet in mice, prolonged their life over 30%, and more importantly, maintained quality of life. We can expect future antiaging studies and research to prove that it is equally effective in human longevity.

About the Author: Lee Roberts is a researcher and writer in nutrition and health related anti-aging developments. For more of the latest anti-aging articles and advice check out A Fountain Of Youth Org

Want An Effective Weight Loss Method? Try Running

2007-01-22T06:50:00.000-08:00

Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise routine. For myself to keep fit and health, I do running every morning and I do my best to eat healthily. At times it might be quite challenging to pick ourselves up and go for the run; this is the time when we most need to get up of the comfortable couch. And yes, one thing never failed, I always feel great after the run!

How to Lose Weight Running

Do you need to lose weight and get in shape? Well, running is one of the most ideal activities for that purpose. First of all, it is very hard to get that kind of intense workout doing things such as running or low impact aerobics. In many ways, running is an ideal activity because even if you can get a good workout doing something else, it is a lot easier to keep on creating a challenging workout with running.

Set Weight Loss Goals

Before you set out to create a running plan for weight loss, the first thing you should do is decide what you want to accomplish. Determine how much weight you want to lose and how quickly you want to lose it. This will affect how often you will run and how long each running session will be. The faster, further, and longer you go, the more weight you will lose.

Create a Weight Loss Plan

The next thing to do is to create a running weight loss plan based on your goals. The plan should include your route, how long the route will take, and how long you want to stick with that particular route. If you want to run three or four times a week, a course of around three or four miles should be adequate.

Eat for Weight Loss

You may realize that no that you are running more, your appetite has increased. That is your body’s way of telling you that you need more nutrients in your diet. It is important to eat when you get hungry, otherwise it will harm your metabolism. The important thing to remember is to make good food choices and to not overeat. As long as you are eating a little less than what you need, it will not hurt your metabolism. In fact, you will begin to lose weight because your body will use your extra fat as fuel.

Keep it Challenging

One thing about running is that it is very easy to adapt to your current plan. That is why it is important to keep the workout challenging. One way to do this is to change your route after a few weeks by either lengthening it or choosing something else. Another good way to make your running challenging is to do intervals. Interval training is when you alternate running fast with jogging. You can increase the fast running intervals each time you feel your body begin to adapt.

It is not only possible to lose weight running, but running makes it much easier. Just remember to keep your route challenging and to make sure you eat nutritiously.

About the Author: Gray Rollins writes for TheRunnersGuide.com. Learn more about how to lose weight by running and the benefits of running by visiting us.

For more Weight Loss information.

7 Public Speaking Survival Tips

2007-01-21T02:59:00.000-08:00

I used to be terrified of public speaking - now it's natural and fun.

Dry mouth, fast heart, sweaty palms, blank mind - yeah I've been there! It's easy to fear public speaking. But I was never just content with overcoming fear. I wanted to be a great speaker. What I needed was a way of calming down and applying simple techniques and strategies to talk like a pro.

When I'd learned to relax (more of that later) I learned and applied the following four steps.

Reassure your audience - they need to know you know your stuff and you are human!
Hook them by being interesting and relevant. Tell them why what you are saying is relevant to them.
Inspire them by giving them information and ways of seeing that are new and applicable.
Leave them on a high by telling a story that encapsulates your central message.

How do you become confident enough to apply the four steps?

Here's some tips some of which are practical some of which are to do with the way you think about your public presentations and also how you can start to change the way you feel about them.

Tip One

Breath your way to calm. When you breath out you relax that's why people sigh when they're stressed.

Breathing in without breathing out causes hyperventilation and worsens anxiety. Just before your speech take five minutes breathing in to the count of seven and out to the count of eleven (quick count-not seconds!). On the out breath hold it a second before breathing in again. This will produce quick and lasting calm. Remember extending the out breath calms you down.

Tip Two

You have a responsibility as the presenter but relax you don't carry all the responsibility. Presenting is a team effort. Audiences are responsible for politeness, extending their attention and attempting to learn. It's not all you - it's a meeting of two halves. Never mind how they judge you. How do you judge them?

Tip Three

Use metaphor and stories. We all experience life metaphorically. The most technical logical person spends at least two hours a night dreaming! Talk detail if necessary but present patterns with metaphors. Folk from 4 to 104 love stories. Use em.

Tip four

Captivate attention by using words that evoke all the senses. Describe how things look, sound, feel, smell and taste. Paint pictures and sensations in their minds with your words.

Tip Five

Vary your voice tonality and speed of delivery. Keep them alert and engaged. Convey energy when need be and slow down when you need to 'draw them in close.' You are the conductor to their orchestra. And pepper your talk with humour. Your willingness to be funny shows personal confidence and confidence is contagious.

Tip Six

Tell them what they are going to get. What they are currently getting and then what they have got from you. Sell your sizzle!

Tip Seven

Watch and learn from other great speakers until compelling, relaxed speaking is a part of you.

Rehearse positively. You need to rehearse how your going to feel as well as what you are going to present. Don't think about your forthcoming presentation whilst feeling nervous as this creates an instinctive association between fear and presenting. This natural negative self-hypnosis is very common with nervous speakers.

Hypnotically rehearse your speech whilst feeling relaxed. This produces the right 'blueprint' in your mind. In fact when you do this enough times it actually becomes hard to be nervous!

All great speakers know how to use great self-hypnotic rehearsal. Hypnosis changes attitudes and can bring emotion under control. I used hypnosis, to change my instincts around public speaking. Now I just can't get nervous whether it's 50 or 500 people. The world needs great communicators. Go for it!

Cure your fear of public speaking at HypnosisDownloads.com

Article by Mark Tyrrell of Hypnosis Downloads.com.

Why It's Important To Follow A Healthy Diet When Pregnant

2007-01-20T23:13:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy is one of the most physically enduring times in our lives, and it is more important than ever to consume a healthy balanced diet. By ensuring a steady supply of vitamins and minerals, as well as balancing your calorie consumption appropriately between carbohydrates, proteins and fats, you should be able to maintain a healthy diet through pregnancy for a healthy mom, and a healthy baby.

The first part of a balanced diet is to consume fruit and vegetables. Fruits are packed with vitamins, which are essential for healthy growth and development. By consuming a variety of different fruits, you can explore your tastes, as well as cover all the bases as far as vitamins are concerned. With vitamins playing such a major role in the healthy function of our bodies, it is imperative you ensure a suitable intake during pregnancy. Additionally, fruits and vegetables provide healthy calories, and are very filling as part of any meal, or for a snack in between.

Another vital element for healthy living during pregnancy is water. Water is an essential component of any healthy diet, and is essential in ensuring you are fully hydrated wherever possible. This can be invaluable in ensuring the effective distribution of nutrients, and will keep your body running smoothly. Combine your water consumption with green tea which has amazing anti-aging properties, as well as detoxifying agents to help cleanse your body. This will ensure your body is kept in tip top shape throughout your nine months.

Also, pregnant women need to drastically increase their consumption of folic acid. Folic acid is a nutrient present in many grains and breakfast cereals, and is essential for promoting healthy growth in babies. By increasing your consumption of folic acid and related products, you can help give your baby the essential elements needed to sustain its growth over the longer term.

Finally, make sure you cut out any alcohol and cigarette smoke. This is highly detrimental to your health, and indeed the healthy of your baby, causing a range of problems in later life. It is imperative that you ditch the drink, and kick the cigarettes to avoid permanently damaging your baby.

Eating healthily during pregnancy is clearly important for the health of your baby, but overall there is no secret formula. By living a healthy lifestyle as you normally would, you can guarantee that your baby is going to be given the best chance health-wise.

About the Author: Gray Rollins writes for OnYourPregnancy.com. Learn about Pregnancy Without Pounds.

Fight Your Risk Of Heart Disease - Take Your Fish Oil by Sam Morovy

2007-01-19T19:43:00.000-08:00

It all started in about the late 1970’s, several studies that investigated certain aspects of a population revealed that the Inuit people, a people whose diet consisted largely of fish, had a much lower incidence of heart attack.

For reasons that are not specifically known, fish oil, according to the author of one study titled “From Inuit to implementation: omega-3 fatty acids come of age,” “seems to be able to stabilize myocardial membranes electrically, resulting in reduced susceptibility to ventricular dysrhythmias, thereby reducing the risk of sudden death.” So, the omega-3’s from fish oil stabilize the electrical impulses that cause the heart to beat and this reduces the risk of a heart attack. Another theory suggests that fish oils help to navigate cholesterol levels to healthier levels therefore causing an indirect effect on the implications of heart disease. Even more, another theory says that fish oils have an antithrombotic effect, which means that they cause less blood clots to form within the body – along the same lines as this, it is known that fish oil does have anti-inflammatory effects.

In the most famous study, known as the GISSI, 11,324 patients that had survived a recent heart attack less than 3 months ago were monitored and shown to have, after 3.5 years, a 45% decrease in risk of sudden death due to cardiac reasons and a reduction of 20% in all-cause death in the group that was assigned an omega-3 supplement of 850 mg per day. In fact, the authors of this study noted that the effect of omega-3s became evident at the 4 month mark.

In another study, by Harper CR and Jacobson TA at the Emory University of Medicine, the authors investigated six trials/studies that tested the effects fish oil. The authors found that the supplementation of fish oil caused a statistically significant reduction in the amount of heart attacks that occurred that were fatal. However, they also found that the number of nonfatal heart attacks was not statistically significantly reduced. The study was titled “Usefulness of omega-3 fatty acids and the prevention of coronary heart disease.”

So, exercise, eat right, and take your fish oils and you’re heart will love you in addition to allowing you to live longer. Although many people may simply “not worry about the long run” as to how their life goes – not only can fish oil increase your lifespan – it can also increase the quality of your life – more on that in another article.

About the Author: If you would like to learn even more about fish oil and how much it can benefit your mood, protection against various diseases, and which famous celebrity believes in it very strongly, check out this website about fish oil

Fast Fat Loss, And Other Weight Control Secrets by Rob Redding

2007-01-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

Some natural fat loss and weight control secrets that you can start using today. The good thing is, I think it is pretty easy to follow what the author shared in this article.

Weight loss programs abound. But have you noticed? It seems that, while more and more diet programs are popping up, the general population continues to get fatter!

This is crazy. But if you've ever tried to lose weight this phenomenon is actually quite easy to understand. Most people see that they have a fat problem, and they begin to tackle it, but then they give up when the going suddenly gets too tough. For example, perhaps they skip lunch to lose weight, and then drink multiple cups of coffee to get them through the day. But discouragement sets in when they come home, read a health book, and discover that coffee and caffeine drinks are major causes of cellulite! What's a person to do? (You actually need to increase, not decrease your intake of essential fatty acids if you have cellulite.)

Are you depressed already? I hope not. But it's the same with ab machines: After you exercise with them, your more muscled abs will probably still be covered with fat! Are you bothered with crazy diets? Diets are a health risk! And by the way, low carb diets burn sugar, NOT fat.

Have you tried impossible mind control goals? What about expensive weight loss clinics?

Dieting by eating less food seems logical, but I believe there are other things you can do that can be even more effective! For example:

TRY THIS

Did you know that your body has a daily, or circadian rhythm that turns most of the food you eat in the morning into energy? Whereas most of the food you eat in the evening, your body turns into fat! Therefore, to lose weight you should eat large main meals for breakfast and very light meals, or only fruit in the evening! This is the opposite to what most of the world is doing, but if you try this you will find that you will probably lose about 4 lb a week without changing the amount of food you eat overall. Why not go ahead and prove this for yourself?

WILL EXERCISE HELP?

Here's another secret. To increase you metabolic burn rate you need to do some type of non-stop aerobic exercise for 35 to 45 minutes at least every second day. Brisk walking is the easiest to do. I've been told Latin dancing is the best! If you do UNDER half an hour, or take rests, you are wasting your time as it won't increase your burn rate! Of course, be careful not to overdo it. Runners and athletes sometimes drop dead in their prime! Do you know why? Could it be that they don’t replace the important minerals their body needs in time? They use them up and sweat them out, and so the vital minerals their body needs are gone! They die from lack of what their body just used up! On the other side of the coin, please don’t be so idle that you become a vegetable. All life is energy and vibration and movement.

Here are a few other things you can try:

WARM WATER

You can tell if you don’t drink enough water - if you have dry skin. Water decreases food cravings and water also increases your metabolic rate. First thing in the morning if you drink three glasses of warm water, (warm is important) you should soon feel the need to go to the toilet. If you don’t like plain water, include lemon juice. Do this regularly, and over time your digestive system should improve wonderfully. Is this too hard to do? I think this is a dreary thing to do - I personally prefer other fat loss methods! But it's still good advice!

JUICE

According to all evidence the health results of juice fasting are much better than water fasting. Although fasting in any form can be difficult, it's often claimed that fasting can work real health miracles. Obviously you would want to get a LOT more advice than I’ve included in this short report before you commit to this method, but I will add the following tip that I’ve used successfully in the past. A good recipe for a week long cleansing fast consists of a cup of hot or warm water, mixed with plenty of lemon juice, a little honey to suit your taste, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Cayenne pepper also speeds up your metabolism (and by the way, when packed into a wound it will stop the blood flow instantly!). In addition take a tablespoon full of real Canadian maple syrup for sustained energy whenever you feel the need - yum, I can never take just one spoonful, as I find it irresistible! (Make sure you buy genuine maple syrup only, not the imitation stuff).

TWO MORE THINGS:

(1) It almost sounds corny to say it, but try eating an apple every day. Perhaps as a replacement evening meal. (Providing you've already had a nice big breakfast in the morning, and a good lunch so you're not still hungry in the evening.) Apples are really good for you in numerous ways. They also tend to fill you up without adding fat!

(2) Chew all food till it becomes a liquid in your mouth. I know this is hard to do if you're hungry, but it helps your digestion no end.

About the Author: Be sure to visit http://www.sizeslender.com for a short list of the BEST fat loss programs on the Internet.

Cinnamon And Diabetes by Robert Miller

2007-01-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

Recently, a surprising link was established between using cinnamon and the prevention of some diabetes symptoms. It has commonly been known that cinnamon helps with energy. Now it would seem that cinnamon can be a low cost addition to help strengthen a diabetes regimen. Funded by the Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation, or DAREF, Dr. Richard Anderson performed a study at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center to examine possible useful effects of cinnamon in diabetes. Mr. Anderson was able to actually isolate the compound in cinnamon that is responsible for some of the positive aspects of cinnamon for diabetics.

The compound which feature specific Type-A polymers, was found to effectively lower blood sugar in diabetics. Additionally, Type-A polymers were discovered to decrease a patient’s total cholesterol by up to 26 percent. Low density lipoproteins, commonly known as the bad cholesterol, were lowered 10 to 24 percent by the intake of the polymers, while triglycerides were decreased by 23 to 30 percent.

This research is of the utmost importance to diabetics. Even more important may be the effects that this compound can have on the millions of people who have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. It can help to delay the diabetes' onset, and can a person time to learn about the condition and how to keep it from significantly affecting your health.

The cinnamon's polymers were found to help diabetics in two specific ways. First, the compound was found to reduce the effects of enzymes that may be responsible for insulin resistance. This is of utmost importance for those with Type II diabetes as often their condition is caused by an insulin resistance problem. Second, when taking the compound, patients were found to have an increased insulin sensitivity, which helps more effectively distribute insulin. The polymers that were extracted from this study are now clinically available, and have been patented under the name Cinnulin PF. This particular water-soluble extract is the only approved compound of this type.

There are many different supplements available that contain the Cinnulin PF compound. It is necessary to note that you absolutely SHOULD NOT consume large amounts of cinnamon to try to get these effects. In high doses, cinnamon contains a fat soluble component that has been found to be toxic. If you are unable to purchase one of the Cinnulin PF-containing supplements, a quarter to a full teaspoon of cinnamon can be taken daily to aid your health. One way to aid in ingesting cinnamon is to add it to drinks such as milkshakes or tea. And while cinnamon is one of the main ingredients in apple pie, the risks of eating it to get your daily cinnamon outweigh the benefits as it is also rich in fat and sugar.

About the Author: Robert Miller is an author for several well-known online magazines, on wellness and health and tips on health topics.

Weight Affects Self Esteem, Health And Contributes To Discrimination by Susan Megge

2007-01-19T05:16:00.000-08:00

A good article with a few good points from the author. I agree with the author that getting in good shape should not be for others; getting in shape should be for the personal, emotional and physical well-being of the person herself/himself. The author also brought out an interesting perspective; instead of saying, "I'm on diet", why not say, "I want to be thinner and will take steps that are necessary to reach that goal?" Remember that getting in shape is for the good of yourself and not for anyone. Wishing you good health.

The recent Rosie vs. Donald “War of Words” has people across the nation taking sides. Donald’s harsh words regarding Rosie’s weight have many people outraged – and rightfully so. Unfortunately, it seems as though discriminating against those women who are considered “fat” has become the norm and is quite often acceptable in many circles. While I’m not overweight myself, someone with whom I’m very close is. As a matter of fact, she’s my sister – and probably one of the most generous, kind and helpful people I’m lucky enough to know (probably very much like Rosie).

It hurts me a great deal to think that people may be snickering behind my sister’s back when they can’t begin to imagine what a beautiful person she is inside. Should my sister lose weight just to become a pleasant sight to others? Should Rosie get in shape to prove she’s more beautiful than Donald (and she is!)? Absolutely not. It’s never – and I do mean never – a good idea to make changes just to please other people. Should overweight individuals make lifestyle alterations to contribute to their own personal, emotional and physical well-being? Well, I think so.

In recent weeks my sister has joined me at the gym and I couldn’t be happier or more proud. Not only is she taking steps to become a healthier person, but she’s also ensuring that I’m going to have my sister around for a good long time. You see, discrimination is only a fraction of the problems overweight and obese individuals face, and probably the least of which should contribute to the motivation to lose weight.

So many health conditions are a direct result of being overweight. Those women whose weight is more than that which is recommended face an increased risk of developing heart disease (the number one killer of middle-aged women), diabetes and even some forms of cancer. In addition to the risk of more serious health conditions, women who are overweight face other physical obstacles, as well. For instance, simply standing up from a sitting position can seem as though it’s too much work. Heavier women also have a difficult time walking for any length of time because they tend to become “winded” and too much weight on their feet can contribute to pain and swelling.

Women who are overweight are also quite self-conscious of their weight and may dread even attempting to find an outfit to wear for a special occasion. Let’s face it – it’s just not fun being the “fat chick” but how can you realistically reach your ideal weight without going back to old eating habits that are so very enticing? I know there’s a good possibility you’ve heard this before, but I need to stress that dieting to lose weight may work and be the answer for weight loss, but sticking to a diet proves quite difficult for many people. For this reason, avoid telling yourself that you’re on a diet. Rather, convince yourself that you want to be thinner and will take steps that are necessary to reach that goal. This may mean that you’ll eat healthier and reduce the size of your portions, but it’s important to remember that you don’t need to starve or even deprive yourself of the foods you really love.

Believe it or not, I spend 7-10 days of every month consuming many foods that are high in fat, calories and carbohydrates. Even though I’m approaching menopause, I’m still experiencing symptoms associated with P.M.S., which include cravings for double cheeseburgers, chocolate and French fries loaded with ketchup. Do I deprive myself of these foods? I’d like to say that I do, but to be honest, no, I don’t deprive myself when the craving hits. Well then, how is it that I remain in a size 4? I exercise regularly, and include weight training in my routine so that I build the muscles necessary to burn all of those nasty calories I consume during my “Miss Piggy” week.

So, you see, I understand food cravings and find myself giving into my temptations, but this doesn’t mean I need to be heavy just because I enjoy bad foods during certain periods of each month. Prior to regularly exercising, yes, I most definitely gained weight as a result of bad food decisions, but if you’re determined enough, you can eliminate your extra weight and still enjoy occasional treats. This will lead to a healthy, happy and self-confident attitude. But remember, do it for you and don’t be concerned what others are saying because the “Donalds” of the world simply don’t matter.

About the Author: Susan Megge is the founder of http://www.40isbeautiful.com, a website designed to assist women as they approach the years leading to menopause. Susan, a health and fitness expert started experiencing symptoms of menopause several years ago and researched various avenues to deal with these symptoms naturally. This led to her discovery that exercise and fitness play a crucial role in making getting older a very manageable and even wonderful time in a woman's life. Susan Megge is the author of "Being Beautiful Beyond 40," a book dedicated to helping women to be inspired, confident and beautiful as they approach menopause.

What Every Woman Should Know About Menopause And Osteoporosis by Kathryn Whittaker

2007-01-17T01:18:00.000-08:00

Maintaining a positive attitude towards menopause will help a woman cope with many menopausal symptoms, but it takes more than a positive attitude to protect her from developing osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a condition that affects the bones, causing them to become weak and brittle. This weakness makes the bones more susceptible to fractures, and can also result in height decrease and/or a humped back.

Osteoporosis is directly linked to menopause. It is estimated that more than 50 million American woman aged 45 and older are at risk of developing osteoporosis. Furthermore, research suggests that almost half of all women 60 and over will experience at least one fracture related to the disease. In addition, the average postmenopausal woman will lose approximately 10% of her bone mass within the first five years following menopause.

Why does osteoporosis typically occur in menopausal women? Estrogen is vital for aiding cells in building and maintaining strong, healthy bones. Thus, during menopause, the decrease in estrogen levels causes cell building bones to become less active. The result is in an increase in bone loss, because the bones are deteriorating faster than they can be rebuilt.

However, not every woman experiencing menopause will develop osteoporosis. Those who are at a higher risk are women with a peak bone mass that is already weakened from lack of calcium and vitamin D, and/or who have a family history of the disease.

Are their any signs or symptoms of osteoporosis? Unfortunately there are no warning signs you can watch for. Osteoporosis is a silent and fast moving disease that is usually not diagnosed until a person suffers a fracture.

Therefore, since osteoporosis isn’t usually detected until it’s too late; the best ways a woman can reduce her risk of developing the disease after menopause, is to eat a calcium rich diet and engage in regular exercise, or seek medical treatment.

The following are some ways to help prevent and treat osteoporosis:

Calcium and vitamin D – Women who are menopausal and postmenopausal require 1500 mg of calcium daily (if taking estrogen only 1200 mg is required). Calcium comes from a variety of foods, but is exceptionally rich in dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese.

Vitamin D is essential for maintaining healthy bones because it helps them absorb calcium. Women between the ages 51 – 70 need 400 units of vitamin D daily, while women over 70 require 600 units. The best sources for Vitamin D include the sun (15-20 minutes of unprotected exposure) and vitamin d-fortified milk (8 oz. = 100 units).

Since the average woman fails to ingest the significant amount of calcium or vitamin D that is required, many doctors will prescribe supplements to help ensure they receive the necessary daily doses of each.

Exercise – Engaging in regular exercise can help prevent osteoporosis. Exercising for 30 – 40 minutes every other day is highly recommended. The reason is because the right physical activity, such as weight bearing (exercises including fast walking, jogging, aerobics, dancing), stretching (exercises such as Yoga and Pilates), and strength training (exercises that involve the use of weights to strengthen and build muscle), can help improve bone mass and slow down osteoporosis.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – this is a medical treatment that replaces the estrogen a woman’s body no longer produces. HRT slows down, and can even stop bone mass reduction.

Other medical treatments – Additional medical treatments include: bisphophonates, strontium ranelate, and SERM’s (selective oestrogen receptor modulators).

There is no time like the present to start reducing your risk of osteoporosis. Just make sure you talk to your doctor before starting any treatment.

About the Author: Kathryn Whittaker has an interest in Menopause. For further information on Menopause please visit http://www.natural-menopause-relief-secrets.com/menopause.html

Lose Weight - Let Go Of The Excuses And Get The Right Information To Get Started

2007-01-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

By John Purfield

If you’re a parent and conscious about your weight, the worse thing in the world is when your own kids think you’re fat. When my kids called me fat I was hurt. However, I knew that it was true. I also wondered what type of example I am setting for them.

While it’s polite to say that there is nothing wrong with being overweight and “accept who you are”, I find there is some lack of accountability with that approach. Especially since there are many health risks associated with being overweight.

Also, how can being overweight not take a poke at your self confidence? If being overweight is discouraging, the good news is we have control to drop the weight and get in shape.

First thing we have to do is put aside all the mental stuff as to why we can’t lose weight. Let go of the excuses and make the decision to break the cycle. There are many options available for people who want to lose weight and get in shape. However, the best option is to start working out. Here are some tips to help you out.

Recognize is there is a lot of information out there to help you lose weight and get in shape. Sometimes there is too much information. You need to know the right information. While everyone has their own custom plan with a tag line included, we run into information overload and wind up going in many different directions.

One thing to do is prioritize the information you want to read and also make the decision if it fits into your current plan. Remember, when you prioritize the information you are not dismissing it right away. However, you may find it useful for future workouts.

Keep in mind that its common knowledge that the way you lose weight and get in shape is to eat right and exercise. You might think that it's impossible, since there are those who have been doing a lot of exercises and dieting for many years and yet they don’t get results. However, the secret is that we need to actually work at it.

You don’t have to work hard at it to the point where it's not enjoyable. However, you just need to know you have to put in some hard work at some point in the day to get somewhere.

These are just some suggestions to help you sift through all the information and achieve the ultimate weight loss that you want to accomplish. So if you're planning to lose weight, start by giving yourself permission to work hard at it. Keep it simple, know you have to work hard and find the right foods to eat. You’ll be successful.

About the Author: For a great book filled with exercise routines to keep you active for a long time, check out our review of Turbulence Training at http://www.addfitness.com/turbulence-training.htm.

How To Loose Weight The Safe Way By Steve Savo

2007-01-11T03:04:00.000-08:00

A good article. True enough, losing weight and keeping that ideal weight can be a long process. However, more often than not, most people are always looking for that quick fix; that secret formula that guarantees to help you lose your weight fast. In the process of losing weight, we need a lot of patience and discipline. Support from family and friends can also be of great help too. Remember, there is no short cut to any place worth going. Wishing good health to you.

When a person embarks on a weight loss program, there is typically an impatience for the desired results to become visible sooner rather than later. This leads many to dabble in fad diets and weight loss programs that may “guarantee” quick results, but which may not be the appropriate in regards to safe weight loss. An individual making the decision to lose weight must take the time to educate himself on the healthiest and safest methods of doing so.

Unfortunately the most safe weight loss occurs slowly and steadily rather than quickly, and involves certain lifestyle modifications that can continue through the weight loss process into that of proper weight maintenance. The good news is that safe weight loss can also contribute to a healthier lifestyle that will help an individual feel better as well as look better, both in the short and long run.

Where do I start?

The first step to losing weight is a good diet plan. A good diet will include the recommended daily allowance of vitamins, minerals and proteins, while reducing the amount of calories. Generally, women should look for a diet of about 1000-1200 calories each day, and men should choose a diet that is between 1200 and 1600 calories. Before you write these guidelines in stone however, make sure to check with your doctor so that you can find the best diet regimen for you.

The most important thing is that you are trying to get a good steady weight loss; your diet plan should see results in the loss of about a pound per week after the first couple of weeks. The reason for more rapid loss at the beginning is that much more fluid is lost during the initial calorie reduction.

The most impotent thing in a weight loss program is a good exercise routine. This plan should start slowly at first, and again, only under a doctor’s supervision. It is a good idea to combine aerobic and strength training for maximum benefit. Exercise is the only safe method of boosting metabolism, which will help your body burn calories more effectively. Other benefits of exercise can include increased energy and decreased depression. It is a program that should be incorporated into your lifestyle long after the weight loss goal is achieved.

Reading the food primed will show how to loose weight as fast as you safely can. Other guidelines that may sound obvious but are still worth mentioning are increasing the number of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Fruit, for instance, can be especially helpful since it is a good source of fiber and can satisfy a chronic sweet tooth. You should also eat less junk food and drink less soda, and finally, watch your portion size to make sure that you are not inadvertently overeating even healthy food choices.

Safe weight loss can be a long process, but the advantage to this approach is that you will not only lose weight, but will you will also stand a greater chance of keeping the weight off and you enjoy the benefits of a healthier lifestyle.

About the Author: If you are looking for a weight loss product you should stop by the best weight loss review site.

Everything You Need To Know About Healthy Looking Hair By Gabriela Green

2007-01-10T23:25:00.000-08:00

Do you seek glowing, shiny and smooth textured hair like all of us, without spending a fortune on hair treatments and products? We can help you by giving you our favorite home made treatment and moisture mask recipes. Use them at home when you feel comfortable, at your own free time.

But first a few facts, I don't want to "lecture" you about life style but the most important tip for healthy looking, strong hair is having a balanced nutrition. Like they say, everything starts from inside. When you hair looks dry, dull or breaks, probably your body is missing some essential vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, vitamin B-12, B-5, B-6 and Fe, Zn and Selenium. Last but not least is drinking enough water that will provide natural moisture to your hair.

So you eat a balanced diet, drink enough water and still, when you are facing the mirror you wish your hair looked healthier and shinier. Sometimes having the perfect life style is not enough since we are affected by other parameters surrounding us like weather or simply a bad coloring experience. Your hair and scalp feel the change of season; the cold wind, dry air and indoor heat cause hair breakage and static electricity make it look spunky and hard to style.

In order to increase your hair's ability to attract and retain moisture, here is our secret home made super moisturizing mask recipe...

Honey and olive oil based recipe:

1. Mix half a cup of honey with a quarter cup of olive oil.

2. Pour the mixture into a glass clean container, where you can keep sealed until you are ready to use it.

3. Before the treatment wash your hair with water only (no shampoo needed), take only two table spoons of the mixture and gently massage your hair with your fingers.

4. If your hair is extremely dry then double the suggested quantity.

5. Once the mask has been applied, wrap your hair with a bathing hat or simply with kitchen wrapping nylon and leave it for 30 minutes.

6. After 30 minutes wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner and dry it as usual.

Have fried your hair using a curling iron or overdosed it with bleaching and coloring while trying to reach that elusive perfect blonde?

Don't panic, it is going to be over soon, try this secret recipe and you will be surprised by the visible change to your hair. If your hair isn't in a great shape, use it once a week until you feel your hair's health was restored, to maintain your hair's health use it once a month as the perfect hair care treatment, and see the results for yourself!

Be well.

About the Author: Gabriela is the co-editor of the http://www.hairstylecity.com magazine. HairstyleCITY is packed with great step-by-step DIY guides that will help you achieve great looking hair. Interested in a celebrity hairstyle? No problem! HairstyleCITY offers a wide selection of celebrity hair style guides.

For more great home made and natural healthy hair marecipespies and tips make sure to visit http://www.hairstylecity.com/HairCare/HomeMadeHairMasks.aspx.

Positive Aspects Of Menopause? By Kathryn Whittaker

2007-01-09T05:44:00.000-08:00

Although vaginal dryness and other unpleasant symptoms are often part and parcel to menopause, and is not something a woman looks forward to, did you ever stop to think that maybe menopause isn’t such a bad thing?

Menopause is part of every woman’s natural aging process. It is the time when the ovaries produce lower levels of the hormones progesterone and estrogen. Menopause is the end of menstruation and the end of a woman’s child bearing years. It is unavoidable and is something every woman will have to deal with. Thus, instead of dreading something you can’t change; why not look at menopause in a positive way.

Here are some ways you can positively deal with menopause:

So long reproduction - Since menopause shuts down your reproductive cycle, this means you are now menses free. Rejoice! You no longer have to worry about being surprised by an irregular pesky period, or live by the rules of a 28 day calendar. You can travel and swim any time of the year without having to think twice about “that time of the month”.

In addition, for many endometriosis sufferers, their symptoms tend to subside or disappear entirely. Although menopause does not cure the disease, it appears to be a fantastic form of treatment due to the fact that estrogen levels drop. Even though it is not known what causes endometriosis, it is evident that estrogen plays an important role in the manifestation of the disease.

Take control of your symptoms – Are you suffering from hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, anxiety, depression, fatigue, vaginal dryness, sore or stiff joints, weight gain, or any of the other symptoms caused by menopause? If you are, have you done anything about the way you feel? There are many treatments available to help you cope with the symptoms you are experiencing. Don’t be afraid to research menopausal symptoms, talk to friends for coping advice- and above all - make sure you talk to your doctor before starting any treatment.

Take care of yourself – Did you know that a healthy diet, and engaging in regular exercise and relaxation techniques, can actually improve menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, pain, insomnia and PMS? In addition, a healthy lifestyle will make you feel better about yourself because it reduces stress, and encourages positive thinking and creativity. Therefore, you need to take time out of each day to focus on your own wellbeing. Treat yourself to a warm bath, a cup of green tea and a good book.

Find support – There are millions of women all over the world who are experiencing the same change of life as you. Why go it alone when you likely know someone who is perimenopausal, menopausal or postmenopausal. Your mother, aunt, sister(s), in-laws, friends, co-worker, or neighbor(s) are all women you should be turning to when menopause is getting you down.

Change your attitude - You need to get on with your life, and shouldn’t use menopause as an excuse to slow you down. Your body is changing, why not change the way you think with it. You’ll never be who you once were, and you can’t predict the future. All you have left, and all that matters is your present. Transforming the way you perceive yourself and the world around you with a positive attitude, will positively impact the way your body deals with menopause.

Getting older isn’t something you should dread. It’s the time when you truly become wise, know what it means to be a woman, can be proud of your life and enjoy it to the fullest.

About the Author: Kathryn Whittaker has an interest in Menopause. For further information on Menopause please Click Here!

Support To Stop Smoking By Jennifer Taylor

2007-01-09T03:22:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that smoking is a terrible habit. Aside from the obvious health risks, smoking makes your teeth yellow, makes your clothes stink, and it turns you into a social outcast. If you've already made the decision to stop smoking, good for you! Now it's time to take the next step and establish a support system to help you maintain your smoke-free lifestyle.

People who stop smoking by way of techniques like hypnotherapy often think that they've kicked the habit for good. It's important to know that even the most proven stop smoking programs aren't guaranteed to last. You need to have help you can turn to on a daily basis.

It's time to assemble your personal stop smoking support group. Establishing this group is easy. You already have a network of friends and family members who are anxious for you to quit. The help you need is waiting for you; and best of all, this is a free stop smoking resource!

Anyone who has tried to quit knows that one person can't do it alone. You need help to stop smoking and to stay smoke-free, and the best help you can have isn't sold in any form.

Believing that you are harming yourself, and exposing your loved ones to the dangers of second-hand smoke, is enough to make you want to quit. If those who care about you are ready to help you through the process, you may find that it's easier to make it happen. Read on to learn how the support of friends can really help, and how to make your group as helpful as possible.

Seek the Naggers

Partners, coworkers, family and friends will often nag about smoking until the smoker is ready to scream. The problem with nagging, however, is that can backfire. The pressure causes the smoker to become more angry, nervous and anxious to be able to escape with another smoke. Quitting smoking is hard enough without incorporating the stress of arguments over the subject. Explain your concerns to all of the "naggers" in your group. Tell them that if they truly want to help, they should offer support and not sniping.

Be Responsible to Someone

Smoking cessation is more difficult when you try to sneak in a cigarette now and then without anyone knowing about it. By making yourself responsible to another person, you are going to have to actively lie about your smoking. It's one thing to sneak in a smoke, but quite another to tell an outright lie when someone you care about asks if you've had a cigarette. Make yourself responsible to one person, and make sure it's someone who will check up on you every day.

Hypnosis Support

The stop-smoking product or method that you chose to use isn't important. What matters is that you are becoming smoke-free. For this reason, it's important that the people in your group also support your methods. If you chose to use hypnosis, you may encounter people who question its effectiveness. Those who doubt that hypnosis treatments (or whatever method you choose) really work should be asked to keep their opinions to themselves. If you lose faith in the hypnosis process because you hear negative comments, it's only going to serve to make the process less effective.

Take Advice With Caution

As soon as you announce that you're quitting, you'll be bombarded with advice from other smokers and non-smokers on how to kick the habit.

Remember that not every system is effective for every smoker, and what works for some may not be best for you. Listen to the advice and show your friends that you appreciate their input, but don't discard your own common sense. You are the best judge of what you can or cannot accomplish.

Your friends and family will be thrilled that you've made the decision to stop smoking. Remind them that your value their patience and support, and will need to rely on their help and encouragement along the way. They'll be happy to lend a hand.

About the Author: Jennifer Taylor is an author for several web sites, on family tips and home help topics.

Finding A Hair Loss Remedy By Michelle Bery

2007-01-08T02:38:00.000-08:00

Hair loss can be devastating no matter what your age or gender. For those who suffer from hair loss, not much will stop them from seeking out a hair loss remedy. While there has yet to be found an ultimate cure for hair loss, there are certain things that can help combat the effects.

First and foremost, if you are experiencing hair loss then it is imperative that you see a doctor to ensure that there are no hormonal deficiencies at work. A simple blood test should be enough to ascertain if your hormone levels are to blame for your hair loss. If this is the case, there are certain hormone treatments that have proven successful as a hair loss remedy.

Diet can also be a significant component in hair loss. If you are currently eating a poor diet and experiencing hair loss, then experiment with a change in your eating habits. Limit those foods that contain high levels of salt, preservatives, and fat. Studies have shown that a diet high in protein has been successful as a natural hair loss remedy. Try increasing your protein intake with green, leafy vegetables, eggs, soy, and other protein rich foods.

Others have had success with consistent scalp massage as a hair loss remedy. A five minute scalp massage several times a week will go a long way to stimulating hair follicles. There are a number of oils that you can use for scalp massage including almond, coconut, and castor oils.

Depending on the culture, there are many different oil combinations that seem to have had success as a hair loss remedy. The Internet is a wonderful resource for finding some of these hair loss remedy “recipes.” You can also find an online community where you can check in with people who have tried several options. They will be able to tell you what their experience was; just keep in mind that not every person reacts the same to each hair loss remedy. Success is on an individual basis and depends largely on the particular person’s body chemistry.

Hair loss can be frustrating and upsetting. But it doesn’t have to run your life. Experiment one at a time with each particular hair loss remedy. You may find that you’re not far away from stopping hair loss in its tracks.

About the Author: For easy to understand, in depth information about hairloss visit our ezGuide 2 Hairloss.

Acupressure Or Acupuncture - Fingers Or Needles By Brian Winkels

2007-01-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

An interesting article about Acupuncture and Acupressure. Personally I like Acupressure as there is no needles involved and it is something which I can do it on my own as what is suggested by the author. Acupuncture goes down directly to the exact Acupuncture point and thus needs to be practiced only by a skilled professional whereas Acupressure requires less precision. However, a word of caution, before you try it out on your own, seek professional help first as Acupressure may not be suitable in certain situations and illnesses.

Acupressure and acupuncture are not one in same techniques. They differ slightly because acupuncture makes use of thin needles in approaching health concerns while acupressure never breaks the skin. On the other hand, they do a have a few things in common. For instance, both are centered on touching meridians which carry energy or chi along those meridians right through an individuals' body.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clearly states that illness occurs due to the blockage of chi in any of fourteen different meridians. Acupressure and acupuncture both advocate the free flow of energy without obstructions. Both methods are used to treat arthritis, allergies, migraine headaches, depression, menstrual cramps, nausea and anxieties.

Because acupuncture uses very thin, long needles to puncture the skin it should be performed by an experienced practitioner who is skilled in traditional Chinese medicine. Acupressure is much less technical; it can therefore be learned from a book and may even be; in some instances, performed on oneself. Somewhat surprisingly, acupressure was practiced long before acupuncture became known.

In addition, since acupuncture requires the skilled use of a tool (needles) it requires much greater accuracy in order to bring quick relief whereas acupressure is less precise since the only tool is the practitioners finger. Due to the release of toxins or through realignment of muscle groups, in some instances acupuncture can result in some short term, minor side effects.

Acupressure and acupuncture thus have different effects on the patient with acupressure having fewer side effects. This may be somewhat akin to deep tissue massages where there is also less chance of unforeseen side effects to the patient.

Acupressure and acupuncture are known as Zhen Jiu and Zhi Ya respectively. They are probably the best known of all traditional Chinese methods used in treating health imbalances. Acupuncture is now a very popular alternative therapy for arthritis pain relief and acupressure makes use of the same points while using the fingers to manipulate the meridian points.

By pressing down firmly with the thumb or finger on the groove that lies between the two large tendons running from the base of the palm up to the elbow, acupressure is often used to provide relief for those who are suffering from nausea. Acupuncture can also achieve the same results through the use of needles. Both methods have a long history of success and neither is better than the other, it's simply a matter of opinion as to which method is best.

About the Author: Visit chinese herbs or chinese herbal medicine for more info on acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Frequently Asked Questions About Weight Loss Surgery

2007-01-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

By Antoinette Boulay

Obese people looking to lose a considerable amount of weight, often turn to weight loss surgery. While weight loss surgery is an effective means of losing weight, it can be a hard decision for some to make. In the past, there have been many stories about weight loss surgery patients that have had a difficult time recovering. Today, there is newer technology that makes these procedures easier and safer. Still, many people have questions about weight loss surgery.

If you are considering weight loss surgery, it is important that you talk to you doctor about which kind of surgery is right for you. Also, make sure that all questions are asked before deciding on the surgery. There are different types of weight loss surgeries and each one carries a unique set of risks and complications. Here are some common questions people ask about weight loss surgery.

How much weight will I lose after the surgery? This often depends on which surgery you have and how closely you follow the guidelines. In general, most patients will lose two to three pounds each week for the first year. One pound a week is more realistic. After the first year, weight loss will drop and the amount of weight lost will be gradual. Most patients can expect to lose around 36 percent of their excess body weight in the first year following surgery.

How long will it take to recovery from surgery? This also depends on what kind of weight loss surgery you have. Laparoscopic patients have a much shorter recovery time than those who have an open procedure. Most patients stay in the hospital for at least 24 hours after surgery. It takes most patients one to six weeks to resume daily activities and exercise.

Will I be sick after the surgery? With all weight loss surgeries, the goal is to limit food intake. Getting used to the fewer calories can lead to dizziness and headaches. For those who often feel nauseated after eating, this can mean that the food is not being chewed well enough or that the wrong foods are being eaten. It is important to control the nausea because vomiting can lead to serious problems.

Will I need plastic surgery for the surplus skin when I have lost a lot of weight? Some patients do choose to have plastic surgery after weight loss surgery. If a patient has been overweight for a long time, the skin it stretched and will usually not “mold” itself into place. Plastic surgery is not a consideration until at least one year following surgery.

Can I become pregnant after the surgery? Yes, with some weight loss surgeries, but it usually recommended that you wait at least a year to eighteen months following surgery before becoming pregnant. With the Lap-Band, the band can be loosened during pregnancy to accommodate the increased need for more nutrition.

Will I suffer from constipation? Some patients do because there is less fiber in the diet. This is normal and if it becomes a problem, your doctor can recommend a mild laxative.

About the Author: Visit http://www.medopedia.com/weightloss-surgery/intestinal for information about adjustable gastric banding surgery.

Natural Relief For Hot Flashes

2007-01-01T04:28:00.000-08:00

Menopause is a natural occurrence that happens to all women when they reach a certain age. Technically it is a stopping of a woman's period (or menses), hence the name. There are many symptoms of menopause, but none as obvious as the hot flashes that you experience.

Hot flashes can range from mild hot spells at night to constant dripping and sweating during the daytime. It starts suddenly, with a rapid heartbeat, intense feeling of heat on your face and upper body, and continues with possible headaches and nausea. It may only last a short time but there is no mistaking the feeling of a hot flash.

Hot flashes are caused by a hormonal imbalance and estrogen loss. The loss of estrogen causes the part of the brain that is responsible for your body temperature to think that it is too hot. Your body in turn tries to use the nervous system's chemical ability to relieve the heat by having your heart beat faster, and using the perspiration to relieve the body of the sudden warmth. It is essentially a way to cool you off even though the feeling you are having is that it is heating you up.

As many as 85% of women have reported having hot flashes. But only about 10% to 15% of women have severe enough hot flashes that they need to seek their doctors advice on how to handle them. Most women can just make simple lifestyle changes such as layering their clothing, changing their diet, and exercising on a regular basis.

If you do find that you need to turn to medication, or Hormone Replacement Therapy, check out all your options. You may only need Estrogen Therapy, or perhaps just a few natural solutions such as vitamins or Black Cohosh, which is proven to be a natural relief solution for hot flashes.

Relaxation and stress reduction techniques should be your first stop on the way to being hot flash free. Yoga and meditation are excellent ways to calm your body before and during a hot flash to make it seem more tolerable. During the day make sure to keep an ice cold glass of water nearby to cool you down during or before a hot flash. Another tip is to lower the temperature wherever you are. This is where the layering of clothes comes in - it helps with the many different temperatures you will go through in a day.

Just as the old saying goes, this too shall pass. Although it may take 2 to 5 years on average, it will end. Just try to make it as bearable as possible during this time and before you know it the symptoms of hot flashes will disappear naturally with time.

About The Author: Discover how YOU can relieve hot flashes and menopausal symptoms without HRT. Pick up your free special report "Coping with Hot Flashes the Natural Way" by clicking here: http://www.survivemenopause.com

Solve Sudoku

2007-01-01T02:17:00.000-08:00

People work out at the gym, train at the track and jog every morning to keep their bodies in tip-top condition. But, what about their brains? Even though it's not a muscle, the brain can get sloppy if it doesn't get a regular workout. When brains aren't challenged and entertained, they get bored and lazy.

One way to keep your brain happy and alert is by taking up a hobby or, better yet, solving puzzles.

A puzzle is a problem-solving game that's meant to challenge your different mind strategies. Some puzzles are easy, some are quite difficult, however none sharpen your brain quite as well as logic and math puzzles.

One example of a fun brain-busting puzzle is "Number Place", more commonly known as Sudoku.

The purpose is to complete a nine by nine (9 x 9) grid from three by three (3 x 3) regions, by entering the numbers 1 to 9 in each cell of the grid. The tricky part is that no single digit can be repeated in the 9 x 9 grid.

At first glance, the Sudoku seems like a fun and easy way to entertain your brain. However, the game begins to twist the mind into deep thought, finding strategies and devising formulations to solve Sudoku.

There are three suggested ways to solve Sudoku: scanning, marking up and analysis.

Scanning is a method used to solve Sudoku wherein the process of elimination reigns. The player may choose either counting or cross-hatching when using this method. Cross-hatching requires a systematic course of action in which the player scans rows and columns in a particular region to determine where numbers can or cannot be repeated. Counting, on the other hand, requires the player to count numerals 1 to 9 in rows, columns, and regions to find the missing numeral.

The marking up method is used to solve Sudoku when all possibilities have been exhausted in the scanning stage. To mark, you'll use notations such as dots or subscript. Whenever possible, use notations you're comfortable with, such as lines, shapes or codes. It is also advised to assign which notations are used for candidate numerals that will likely repeat, and which notations are likely to be in the particular grid. One drawback of using notations is when the Sudoku grids are quite small, as on magazine or newspaper pages.

Analysis is another suggested way to solve Sudoku puzzles. There are two main tactics to using analysis: the "candidate elimination" method, and the "what if" method. Candidate elimination is just that: you do away with candidate numerals from the grids, until just one option is left. Scanning can effectively be combined with the candidate elimination. Another way to solve Sudoku with the analysis method is by asking "What If?" In this approach, the player will guess which is the correct choice of two numbers.

These are the basic steps to solve a manual Sudoku puzzle, but solving a two-player computerized game can be a little different. With a computer game, you are able to set the level of difficulty for each game, and the games can get very difficult. Try to solve the puzzle using the methods outlined above. The computer may give you extra hints or strategies. Plan or search for a good computation that will help you solve the puzzle more rapidly.

In working to solve Sudoku, you can use a combination of methods, or can even formulate new solutions that will work best for you. Learn the basics of the game and take each puzzle one step at a time. If certain lines of attack are boggling your mind, let them go. Pick up pieces of information where you think you have succeeded, and learn from those times where you fail. As with any game, you need to learn to take risks.

Face it; your brain could use a good workout. Chances are, just thinking about a Sudoku puzzle has already cleared some of the cobwebs away. Now, pick up a puzzle magazine or newspaper, grab a pencil and solve Sudoku for a full-brain workout.

About The Author: Robert Jones contributes articles to several web sites, including http://easy-recreation.com and http://kemop.com

What Are The Best Toys And Treats For Your Dog?

2006-12-31T21:36:00.000-08:00

Keeping your dog entertained is important to his health and wellbeing. Oh and of course dogs love to play and play andplay! Dog toys can help keep your dog fit, healthy and they can also be part of your dog's education when used with treats to help with training.

When Should I use Dog Treats?

Not all dog treats are created equal. While every dog enjoys treats you will find that your dog prefers some to others. With so many choices now on the market it's not a difficult task to find a dog treat that he prefers. Once you've found the ideal treat you can start to use it as a training tool. That doesn't preclude you giving him a treat because you love him but by treating your dog for good behavior you are re-enforcing positive actions which will become a habit for your dog.

What is the Best Type of Dog Treat?

There is a wide variety of dog treats available. Some are sweet, some are hard, some are soft, or crunchy or savory or a combination of these. As with us, your dog will prefer a different type at differnt times. Some things to be aware of if you've chosen a hard or crunchy treat are that it's not too hard and that it won't hurt or break your dog's teeth. You may be surprised to find that some treats are designed to clean your dog's teeth and remove that bad dog breath! You will find that as your dog ages his preferences will change too and you should change the treats that you feed him to suit his age.

Be aware that not all dog treats are beneficial. A lot of them have sugar, preservatives or chemicals that are bad for your dog, so always check the label. If you have a dog with allergies you'll need to check the labels to find a treat that does not cause allergic reactions and that your dog likes. Your vet may be able to help you in this case.

If you don't locate the perfect dog treat you should think about creating your own. It's not as difficult as you may think and whole companies have started from a kitchen table and a good recipe. Some ingredients to consider are chicken, rice, carrots and peas. It's fun to do and your dog will appreciate the effort! If you've any left over consider selling them to your local pet store. Many carry small lines of homemade treats. If you need some recipes try searching on the internet, or just invent your own. Once you've made your treats keep them in airtight containers. This not only helps keep them fresh, but also keeps them safe from your dog too!

What to Look For in a Dog Toy

One of a dog's favorite pastimes is chewing. Most dogs just love to chew! Oh and chew :-) So don't be surprised that a lot of the dog toys on the market today are focused on chewing. A dog toy that can be chewed provides a benefit for your dog's teeth and supports his natural tendency to chew. This not only helps dental health but is a non destructive and safe outlet for your dog's need to chew.

Before you go and buy a chew toy you need to think about how your dog likes to chew. A canine that chews hard and vigorously will need a stronger toy made out of hard rubber or nylon. Latex and vinyl toys are designed for canines who are lighter chewers. Whichever type your dog is, you will need to keep a watch when he's playing with the toy, especially squeaky toys, to make sure that you can take away the pieces as it falls apart. Some toys can be destroyed in a matter of minutes.

For the moderate or average chewer and for puppies there are dental or flavored chew toys made out of rawhide that can be eaten. These are great, just give it to your dog and let him have at it! Also for puppies there are the plush toys that he can carry around and snuggle up with. Make sure it's machine washable though otherwise it's going to get really dirty!

For fun you might like to try out a Tricky Treat Ball. This is an entertaining toy that gets filled with treats, usually dry like kibble. You can also try out cheese, carrots or meat cut into small cubes. Put the food into the ball and give it a shake. Then let your dog play with it and the food will fall through the holes in the ball. Your favorite friend will love it!!

You can go even further with this idea. There are gumball machines designed to use treats or dry food for your dog. Just add the food to the machine and let your dog play with the gumball machine.

It's important to keep your dog entertained with good dog toys and treats, and he in turn will keep you entertained for hours!

About The Author: David Amos is a dog lover and long time dog owner. For more information about dog toys and treats go to http://www.onlinedogcare.com/dogtoysandtreats. For more about dog care and keeping your dog happy and healthy go to http://www.onlinedogcare.com

Women’s Weight Loss Strategies That Work

2006-12-29T00:57:00.000-08:00

If you’re like the majority of women, especially those approaching menopause, there’s a good chance that you’re not satisfied with your weight and you have a strong desire to shed some pounds. And, just like most women, you’ve probably attempted weight loss on several occasions, only to give up after a short time. Maybe you’ve given up because you became discouraged, or perhaps you were facing a stressful period and you turned to food for comfort. Whatever the reason, there are diet strategies available that will assist you in successfully reaching your weight loss goal. The key is remembering these strategies. I strongly suggest you print out the following list and keep a copy on your refrigerator, in your purse, on your desk, on the dashboard of your car and anywhere else you may frequently look.

• Set Realistic Goals – Set a realistic, short-term weight goal. It’s best to take small steps so that you can feel successful with each accomplishment you make, even those that are small. In other words, set your first goal for 30 days from now, perhaps making that goal to lose 8-10 pounds. This is a very realistic and reachable goal if you stick to a well balanced diet. Once you’ve successfully accomplished this first goal, set your next for another 30 or 60 days and so on. In the end you will feel successful, accomplished and thin.

• Share Your Goals with Others – Yes, tell other people with whom you’re close exactly what your weight loss goal is. By doing so you’ll be more likely to stick with your goal due to the fact that you’ll likely feel humiliated and embarrassed if you should fail. Remind your friends that you only have so many days left before your deadline is up. This is sure to keep you in line because nobody likes to feel like a failure or think that they look like a failure to others.

• Be Organized and Prepared – Be sure to have your refrigerator and cupboards stocked with healthy, low-calorie and low-fat foods. This will prevent you from being tempted to reach for unhealthy snacks. You see, if healthy foods aren’t readily available and you’re looking for a shack, it’s quite likely that you’ll reach for whatever may be available. You’ll avoid this if you have a good supply of fruits, nuts and vegetables around.

• Think Before You Eat – If you’re tempted to grab a bite to eat, stop and think for a moment. Ask yourself if you’re really hungry or instead bored, stressed or perhaps reaching for food simply because it’s in front of you. If you decide you’re not really hungry after all, distract yourself by doing something productive, making a phone call, reading or even going for a walk. Just like with smoking, usually the temptation will pass.

• Keep a Food Journal – Make an entry for each meal and snack you consume, as well as the time and number of calories for these entries. This will assist you a great deal in ensuring that you’re not overeating or exceeding the calorie limit you’ve set for yourself. Even if you should grab a cracker while you’re on the run, be sure to log it in because every calorie should be counted. For a free journal, go to http://www.40isbeautiful.com

• Exercise – Make time to fit in a regular exercise routine, which includes weight training, as this will speed the time at which you lose inches. You see, by building muscle, you’ll be raising your metabolic rate and, therefore, burning many calories, even while you’re resting. I can’t stress enough the significant role exercise plays in weight loss.

No matter what your weight loss goal may be, it’s important to understand that you’re capable of reaching that goal. With a little determination you’ll be well on your way. As a matter of fact, you’re already past the first step because you’ve taken the time to search for information related to weight loss. You will succeed!

About The Author: Susan Megge is the founder of http://www.40isbeautiful.com, a website designed to assist women as they experience weight gain and approach menopause. Susan, a health and fitness expert, started experiencing symptoms of perimenopause and weight gain several years ago and researched various avenues to deal with these symptoms naturally. This led to her discovery of the significant role that exercise plays in making these years very manageable, and even wonderful. Susan Megge is the author of "Being Beautiful Beyond 40," a book dedicated to helping women to be inspired, confident and beautiful as they approach menopause.

Here's How to Select a Bottle of Bubbly

2006-12-28T17:48:00.000-08:00

An interesting article about choosing the right Champagne for yourself. The New Year is fast approaching, you might want to get a bottle of Champagne for that party coming up. Maybe you can read this article before deciding what to buy for that party. And always remember, if you drink, don't drive and if your drive, don't drink. Have a great 2007!

By Kelli B. Grant
SmartMoney.com

Rappers pay homage to it. Marilyn Monroe was rumored to have bathed in it. And it's probably what's in your glass when you're toasting the new year, your anniversary or any other special occasion.

Champagne has long been synonymous with luxury. Although it is a sparkling wine, make no mistake -- not all sparkling wines are Champagne. The only wines that can bear the name are those produced in the Champagne region of France -- an area particularly primed (thanks to cold weather and chalky soil) for creating the more earthy taste that Champagne is known for. (Other types of sparking wines tend to be fruity.)

This, combined with a rigorous dual-fermentation process (called Méthode Champenoise) make drinking Champagne a more decadent experience than other sparkling wines, says Hervé Rousseau, owner of Flûte, a Champagne lounge in New York.

"You can taste the difference," he says. "Four doors, fancy headlights, leather seats. It's a real luxury ride."

Still, when it comes to choosing Champagne, you should be guided by your own personal taste and palate, says Rousseau. The good news is you can find a quality bottle for less than $50. Here are five factors to consider:

House
Moët & Chandon, Veuve Cliquot, Perrier-Jouët -- you don't need to know much about Champagne to recognize these big-name winemakers. But there are actually more than 100 Champagne houses, each with its own unique style.

"It's amazing the palate differences you have house to house," says Rousseau.

Go beyond the names you know, he suggests. Smaller houses such as Henri Abele or Gosset produce excellent Champagne; they just don't have the same marketing clout of the larger houses. Bonus: Boutique wines typically cost less.

Cuvée
Most houses produce several blends or varieties, or "cuvées," of Champagne:

Nonvintage. These blends epitomize the house's signature style, with little variation over the years, says Natalie MacLean, a sommelier and author of "Red, White and Drunk All Over."

Although these bottles are the cheapest a house produces, they can be of exceptional quality. Creating the same taste year after year is no easy feat. Often, more than 100 different wines from different years are included in the blend.

Vintage. Wine connoisseurs look for dated, or vintage bottles, which are only produced when a season's harvest is especially good.

"You're going to taste the difference the weather makes each year," says MacLean.

Which year is a vintage or a dated bottle is up to the house. "Not every house will create a vintage every year," says Emanuelle Chiche, managing director of The Bubble Lounge, a sparkling wine and Champagne bar with locations in New York and San Francisco.

Expect to spend double the price of a nonvintage blend -- and more still for a truly strong growing year. If you're set on a vintage bottle, conduct a little research on good growing years. Most recently, 1995, 1996, and 2002 were all considered exceptional years.

Prestige Cuvée. If you really want to live like a rock star (or rapper, as the case may be), seek out the house's pride and joy, the so-called prestige cuvée. (Think Louis Roederer's Cristal, or Moët & Chandon's Dom Perignon.)

These wines are, quite simply, the house's best of the best in a vintage year, says Chiche. They are held to higher standards of production, made in limited quantities from the first pressing of the very best grapes. And you can bet the price reflects that. A 1996 Dom Perignon, for example, starts at $150.

Age
Generally speaking, the older the bottle the more developed and nuanced its flavor, says Eric Benn, co-owner of The Bubble Lounge.

A nonvintage blend should be drunk within three years, while a vintage bottle can usually be kept for 10 to 15 years. But older isn't always better, he cautions -- you'll need to have great faith in your supplier that the bottle has been transported carefully and stored properly over the years.

Grapes
Only three grapes can be used to produce Champagne, says MacLean: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Most use a blend of all three.

You'll also see rosés, which have a nonsparkling red wine added late in the process, and single-grape bottles. Blanc de Blancs use exclusively Chardonnay, while Blanc de Noir are solely Pinot grapes.

Base your pick on your regular wine choices -- if you prefer reds, look for more Pinot grapes; whites, more Chardonnay. Fewer rosé and single-grape wines are produced, so expect to pay slightly more for these bottles.

Sweetness
Prefer dry wines? Don't be fooled into picking up "extra dry" Champagne. From driest to sweetest, Champagnes are labeled as: super brut, extra brut, brut, extra dry (extra sec), sec (dry), demi-sec and doux.

Raise Your Glass
Now that you've purchased a bottle, get ready to enjoy it:

Storing. Consistency is the key, says Benn. "Champagne is a fragile item," he says. "You don't want to shock it. That will alter its taste."

Stand the bottle upright in a dark, cool place (say, the bottom of your closet) and don't move it.

Chilling. Stash your Champagne in the fridge overnight, or at minimum, for three hours before serving.

Need a quick chill? Don't use the freezer -- the bottle could explode. Instead, place the bottle in a bucket with ice, water and a little salt (the salt melts the ice, which creates a slushy mixture that cools the bottle quickly). Leave it there for about 20 minutes.

Opening. Opening a bottle of Champagne can be a little risky.

"The pressure in a bottle of Champagne is equal to the tires on a city bus," says MacLean. Use caution, and a healthy dose of common sense. Don't shake the bottle, and don't point the cork toward anyone.

To open the bottle properly, undo the wire and keep your hand on top of the cork.

"Grasp the cork in one hand and turn the bottle with the other," says Sharon Castillo, director of Office of Champagne, USA, which represents the Champagne houses. The cork should ease out slowly, aided by that pressure within the bottle.

"Try to minimize the sound," she says. "You want to avoid the loud pop."

The louder the noise, the more carbon dioxide is escaping -- and the less fizzy your wine will be.

Serving. Champagne flutes are de rigueur, but the best glass for preserving the fizz and wine aromas is one that's tulip-shaped.

When you hold the glass, touch the stem only. "It has nothing to do with fanciness," Rousseau says. "If you put your fingers on the glass, it will warm up the glass and the wine."

http://biz.yahoo.com/special/luxury122806_article1.html

How Anorexia Or Bulimia Can Affect Pregnancy

2006-12-28T06:29:00.000-08:00

The combination of an eating disorder and pregnancy is a dangerous one for both the mother and the child. Eating disorders can have a great deal of effects on the mother’s body. Some of the effects may make it difficult or even impossible to become pregnant, while others will allow a pregnancy to happen, but can have drastic consequences for the mother and child.

For an Anorexic or Bulimic that is suffering severely from the eating disorder or that has had it for a number of years, their body may have become affected to the point where they are no longer menstruating or ovulating, which will both obviously affect the body’s ability to become pregnant.

For those that do manage to become pregnant and that continue to suffer from the eating disorder, there are a number of complications that can occur such as:

• Miscarriage or stillbirth

• Trouble breathing or low-energy level due to nutrition that is being taken by the fetus and away from the mother

• Increased risk of the mother developing depression and suicidal ideation during the pregnancy due to the weight being gained and emotional feelings of weight/body image being out of control

• Increased bone loss due to calcium that is being taken by the fetus

• Lack of appropriate nutrition for the fetus due to compensatory behaviors used by mother, which can cause effects on the development of key organs and systems

• Going into premature labor and increased likelihood of a c-section needing to be performed

• Increased risk of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia – both of which can be serious medical conditions that can affect the mother’s health and risk of additional complications, including survival, for the chld

• Low birth weight for the child, which can lead to low AGPAR scores and development delays

• Higher risk of birth defects for the child

• Respiratory illnesses in the child after birth

• Additional medical risks to the mother, including kidney, liver or heart problems due to the added strain on the body to support the fetus

• Increase risk of the mother developing post-partum depression

There are several things that a person with an eating disorder can do to have a healthy pregnancy including:

• be in counseling/treatment for the eating disorder to deal with the eating disorder before becoming pregnant

• be back to a normal body weight and eating a healthy diet including the use of prenatal vitamins

• stop compensatory behaviors, such as binging, purging, excessive exercise or laxative use before pregnancy occurs

• consult with a doctor for regular checkups and make sure to let your OB/GYN doctor know about the eating disorder at your first visit if he/she is not aware of it already

• consult with a nutritionist to create healthy eating habits and diets that are well balanced and nutritious for both you and the baby

• be in counseling to deal with physical and emotional changes that will occur during and after the pregnancy

• Continue healthy eating after pregnancy in order to have the ability to breastfeed, which can have benefits for both the mother and the child

• Ask your partner and friends/family to help you by watching for signs that your unhealthy eating or compensatory behaviors are returning or that you are suffering from post-partum depression after the birth

• Join a support group for those that are pregnant and have an eating disorder in order to have support and share experiences with others

A woman with an eating disorder that wishes to have a baby needs to understand the effects that having the eating disorder during pregnancy can have on both her and the child. She may find it extremely hard to become pregnant and if she does manage to become pregnant, may be unable to sustain the pregnancy or may face severe medical complications and dangers for both herself and the child.

Therefore, it is very important to seek the help of medical and mental health professionals prior to becoming pregnant in order to receive treatment for the eating disorder and to reduce possible complications that she or the baby will face during the pregnancy or in the future.

About The Author: Please visit Avalon Hills website for more information on eating disorders at http://www.avalonhills.org

5 Tips For Staying Safe On Myspace

2006-12-27T03:01:00.000-08:00

There is no doubt that MySpace.com has grown into a worldwide phenomenon and it seems that every day, there is a new story being published about the site.

In November 2006, MySpace became the #1 website in the world in terms of monthly page views, having surpassed Yahoo and this online giant shows no sign of slowing down.

With over 130 Million people currently using MySpace worldwide, it's no wonder that this social networking colossus has had its share of negative publicity as some less than desirable characters have made it a homebase from which to launch some of their illegal activities.

Still, just like millions of people use email and online banking safely on a regular basis, MySpace can be a safe place to spend your time on if you follow a few basic guidelines.

Here are 5 tips you can follow and apply to make sure you are safe and that your information remains private while on MySpace:

1. Become intimately familiar with the information located at the privacy and Safety Tips links located at the bottom of every page on MySpace. There are also some great government information links on those pages which will provide you with general instructions on how to stay safe on the Internet.

2. Make sure that you do not reveal any information on your profile or via a message that you will regret later (this includes private information such as your email, private messenger ID, etc.)

3. Log into your profile and from the Home page of your profile, click on "Account Settings." From there, you will see a series of profile settings including Privacy Settings, IM Privacy Settings and several other options that you may want to adjust to increase your own degree of privacy.

4. Do not believe everything you read on MySpace. Not everyone is who they claim to be. As such, do not agree to meet anyone physically or reveal your address to anyone without being completely sure of who that person is and what their intentions are.

5. If at any point you feel uncomfortable with the way someone is approaching you - do not be afraid of blocking that person and if you feel it merits a more severe action, simply click on the link at the bottom of every page on MySpace that says "Contact MySpace" and inform MySpace about the incident.

In conclusion, staying safe on MySpace involves following some basic guidelines and applying a good degree of common sense.

As the whole online social networking wave keeps growing and more people get on MySpace, it pays to have good safety and privacy habits - most of which can also be applied to remain safe on any other Internet site.

About The Author: George Levy is an internationally recognized Internet marketing expert author and creator of the best selling online program MySpace Mastership. To find out more, visit http://www.myspacemastership.com and http://www.georgelevy.com

Diabetes breakthrough: Toronto scientists cure disease in mice

2006-12-26T05:04:00.000-08:00

An interesting email I received about finding by Toronto scientists on diabetes. This could be good news for people who have diabetes.

Claim malfunctioning nerve cells the cause…

Published: Friday, December 15, 2006

In a discovery that has stunned even those behind it, scientists at a Toronto hospital say they have proof the body's nervous system helps trigger diabetes, opening the door to a potential near-cure of the disease that affects millions of Canadians.

Diabetic mice became healthy virtually overnight after researchers injected a substance to counteract the effect of malfunctioning pain neurons in the pancreas.

"I couldn't believe it," said Dr. Michael Salter, a pain expert at the Hospital for Sick Children and one of the scientists. "Mice with diabetes suddenly didn't have diabetes any more."

The researchers caution they have yet to confirm their findings in people, but say they expect results from human studies within a year or so. Any treatment that may emerge to help at least some patients would likely be years away from hitting the market.

But the excitement of the team from Sick Kids, whose work is being published today in the journal Cell, is almost palpable.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Dr. Hans Michael Dosch, an immunologist at the hospital and a leader of the studies. "In my career, this is unique."

Their conclusions upset conventional wisdom that Type 1 diabetes, the most serious form of the illness that typically first appears in childhood, was solely caused by auto-immune responses -- the body's immune system turning on itself.

They also conclude that there are far more similarities than previously thought between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and that nerves likely play a role in other chronic inflammatory conditions, such as asthma and Crohn's disease.

The "paradigm-changing" study opens "a novel, exciting door to address one of the diseases with large societal impact," said Dr. Christian Stohler, a leading U.S. pain specialist and dean of dentistry at the University of Maryland, who has reviewed the work.

"The treatment and diagnosis of neuropathic diseases is poised to take a dramatic leap forward because of the impressive research."

About two million Canadians suffer from diabetes, 10% of them with Type 1, contributing to 41,000 deaths a year.

Insulin replacement therapy is the only treatment of Type 1, and cannot prevent many of the side effects, from heart attacks to kidney failure.

In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to shift glucose into the cells that need it. In Type 2 diabetes, the insulin that is produced is not used effectively -- something called insulin resistance -- also resulting in poor absorption of glucose.

The problems stem partly from inflammation -- and eventual death -- of insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas.

Dr. Dosch had concluded in a 1999 paper that there were surprising similarities between diabetes and multiple sclerosis, a central nervous system disease. His interest was also piqued by the presence around the insulin-producing islets of an "enormous" number of nerves, pain neurons primarily used to signal the brain that tissue has been damaged.

Suspecting a link between the nerves and diabetes, he and Dr. Salter used an old experimental trick -- injecting capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot chili peppers, to kill the pancreatic sensory nerves in mice that had an equivalent of Type 1 diabetes.

"Then we had the biggest shock of our lives," Dr. Dosch said. Almost immediately, the islets began producing insulin normally "It was a shock ? really out of left field, because nothing in the literature was saying anything about this."

It turns out the nerves secrete neuropeptides that are instrumental in the proper functioning of the islets. Further study by the team, which also involved the University of Calgary and the Jackson Laboratory in Maine, found that the nerves in diabetic mice were releasing too little of the neuropeptides, resulting in a "vicious cycle" of stress on the islets.

So next they injected the neuropeptide "substance P" in the pancreases of diabetic mice, a demanding task given the tiny size of the rodent organs. The results were dramatic.

The islet inflammation cleared up and the diabetes was gone. Some have remained in that state for as long as four months, with just one injection.

They also discovered that their treatments curbed the insulin resistance that is the hallmark of Type 2 diabetes, and that insulin resistance is a major factor in Type 1 diabetes, suggesting the two illnesses are quite similar.

While pain scientists have been receptive to the research, immunologists have voiced skepticism at the idea of the nervous system playing such a major role in the disease. Editors of Cell put the Toronto researchers through vigorous review to prove the validity of their conclusions, though an editorial in the publication gives a positive review of the work.

"It will no doubt cause a great deal of consternation," said Dr. Salter about his paper.

The researchers are now setting out to confirm that the connection between sensory nerves and diabetes holds true in humans. If it does, they will see if their treatments have the same effects on people as they did on mice.

Nothing is for sure, but "there is a great deal of promise," Dr. Salter said.

© National Post 2006

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=a042812e-492c-4f07-8245-8a598ab5d1bf&k=63970&p=2

Childhood Obesity - What Are The Risks?

2006-12-24T22:12:00.000-08:00

Let’s look at these risks in detail:

Type II Diabetes – Diabetes is a serious condition that requires dietary restrictions, and oral or injectible insulin.

Even with appropriate treatment, diabetes has long-term health risks that include circulatory disease, an inability to heal from wounds and injuries, stress on the heart and pulmonary system, and even blindness, stroke and coma.

Diabetes in children is nearly always due to obesity and lack of proper diet and exercise.

Heart Disease – If your child is not getting enough of the right nutrients and enough exercise, they are at risk for early heart disease.

These conditions can require medication and careful monitoring and may lead to long-term heart disease.

Joint and Weight Bearing – Short term growth issues, leg bowing, hip displacement and long term deterioration and disfigurement of the lower joints and bones.

Self Esteem and Confidence Issues – Children who are overweight or obese are self-conscious and typically have low self-esteem and confidence as compared to other children.

They are less likely to TRY to meet challenges and therefore are often unaware of their own competence and skill in most areas of life.

Children will often tease or bully overweight friends and classmates. If you think this is happening to your child, involve the school administration and be sure that your child gets the support they need.

High Blood Pressure – Hypertension is a serious issue, especially in children. High blood pressure puts a significant strain on your child’s growing body. It can cause headaches, dizziness, and in some cases can cause stroke and other serious health risks.

High Cholesterol – Can be difficult to control with diet alone, and may require medication. Among the risks of elevated ‘bad’ cholesterol: Heart attack and stroke.

Depression – Obese children often suffer from depression because of their feelings of self-loathing and/or because of the way they are treated by others.

Depression can also result from lack of exercise and inappropriate stimulation of brain chemicals that balance mood.

If your child is isolated by his obesity and has low self-esteem he may experience feelings of hopelessness and begin to lose interest in normal activities. He may sleep more or less than he used to and he may be more emotional than normal.

Some children go in the opposite direction and demonstrate an emotionally ‘flat’ demeanor instead of being extremely emotional.

If you believe your child is depressed, you should talk with him and with your child’s teacher and doctor to agree on a team approach to the problem.

In severe cases, doctors may prescribe medication to get your child through these temporarily trying times until you can get their physical and emotional health back on track.

Sleep Disruption – Lack of exercise can impede production and stimulation of the brain chemicals that control sleep and appetite patterns.

If it is difficult for your child to breathe in certain positions, your child may also suffer from sleep disruption due to conditions like apnea.

If your child is not getting enough sleep to help them grow and to give them mental clarity during the day, you will find that these abnormal sleep patterns will disrupt healthy growth and mental clarity.

Pulmonary Problems – Asthma, wheezing, and shortness of breath are just some of the complications seen in obese children.

Skin Disorders – Overweight and obese children have a tendency toward skin conditions and inflammation, especially if the child has deep skin folds on their body on the abdomen, legs or arms.

Disorders include heat rash, dermatitis and acanthosis nigricans, which may indicate the onset of Type II Diabetes.

Increased Chance of Adult Obesity – An obese child is much more likely to become an obese adult, with lifelong health and emotional problems to match!

There is certainly more to the story but if what we have told you already doesn’t frighten you into action, you are probably not paying attention!

Numbers don’t lie:

25% of obese children have high blood pressure.
85% of children diagnosed with Type II diabetes are obese

Among grade 9-12 students surveyed in 1999

16% were in the 85th percentile (17% male, 14% female)

10% were in the 95th percentile (12% male, 8% female, )

30% thought of themselves as overweight (36% female, 25% male)

37% of Hispanic students considered themselves overweight

29% of White students considered themselves overweight

25% of Black students considered themselves overweight

43% said they were trying to lose weight (59% female, 26% male)

51% of Hispanic students were trying to lose weight

43% of White students were trying to lose weight

36% of Black students were trying to lose weight

58% used exercise within the past 30 days to lose weight or control weight

67% of girls reported using exercise to lose weight or control weight

49% of boys reported using exercise to lose weight or control weight

40% said they ate less food, consumed fewer calories, or ate foods low in fat to lose weight or control weigh

56% of girls reported eating less food, consuming fewer calories, or eating foods low in fat to lose weight or control weight

25% of boys reporting eating less food, consuming fewer calories, or eating foods low in fat to lose weight or control weight

13% reported fasting (going without eating for 24 hrs or more) to lose weight or control weight

19% of girls reported fasting

6% of boys reported fasting

8% reporting taking diet pills, liquids or powders WITHOUT consulting a doctor to lose or control weight

11% of girls reported taking diet pills, liquids or powders

4% of boys reported taking diet pills, liquids or powders

5% reported vomiting or taking laxatives to lose or control weight

7% of girls reported using these techniques

2% of boys reported using these techniques

We hope you now understand the risks of your child being overweight or obese.

And you can see from the results of the high-school student survey that adolescents employ many ways (both healthy and unhealthy) to try to cope with their weight.

If your child is younger, you can’t wait that long to get them back on track.

If your child is already an adolescent, give them the tools, information and support to get healthy and to lose weight the RIGHT WAY!

About The Author: Janet Hart is the owner of http://www.freefamilyhelp.com A free family resource site offering free tips, books, and more. Sign up today for a free newsletter to receive even more parenting tips! http://www.freefamilyhelp.com

Coffee Poses Both Risks And Benefits

2006-12-22T06:32:00.000-08:00

An interesting article which I read about the benefits and risks of drinking coffee. Something which I would like to stress is that the findings in this article might not be the same for everyone; Different people drinking coffee will have different effects. One word of caution, anything taken in big amount might has its negative effects.

Coffee and Your Health

The past decades have put a focus on the effects of coffee on your health. Since people are consuming over 400 million cups of coffee per day all over the world, then it is natural that we want to know what effect this will have on our health. Many in the health care industry had believed that coffee may be unhealthy for us, but now we know that this is probably not true.

Caffeine is found in all coffee beans and is a mild stimulant that can raise our blood pressure, speed up our heart rate, and sometimes give us an irregular heartbeat. These effects may sound serious, but are in reality very shortly lived.

There are actually more benefits seen linking coffee drinking and health than we knew about beforehand.

Coffee may stop the development of colon cancer with high levels of consumption. You would have to drink four or more cups to see this effect. You may have to trade in your single cup coffee maker to achieve this goal!

You may be able to see other benefits of coffee on your health without drinking this much.

For instance, coffee has certain antioxidants that are also found in wine that can help prevent cancer and heart disease. The antioxidants found in coffee may be greater than those found in other fruits such as apples, tomatoes, or cranberries. Another great reason to grab a cappuccino.

There have been Chinese studies that link a positive effect between coffee drinking and reducing the negative effects of Parkinson’s disease.

There have been studies in the U.S. and in Scandinavia that link coffee to a reduction in the risk of type-2 diabetes. Since the Scandinavians drink more coffee than anyone this is good news for them!

Coffee may also lower ones risk of getting kidney stones or gallstones. Caffeine also aids us in digestion. For asthma sufferers, caffeine can help with breathing and coffee also has theophylline which is a bronchodilator which helps as well. Time to buy your asthmatic friend a single cup coffee maker!

There are still of course some risks associated with coffee drinking such as reduced fertility for men. For women, calcium loss from high caffeine intake may cause weak bones. Drinking lots of coffee can also cause incontinence in women.

Drinking lots of coffee can also give you a higher level of homocysteine, which can lead to heart disease. An increase in LDL cholesterol or bad cholesterol has also been shown, but its hard to know whether this will lead to a heart attack or not.

Cafestol is found in coffee and also thought to increase cholesterol in European brews that boil the beans in water. American coffee made through filtering or percolation is less likely to give this effect.

Weighing the benefits of coffee drinking shouldn’t be hard. If you drink coffee in a moderate amount you should see the benefits without the risks. So indulge in your favorite cappuccino today!

About The Author: Johnathan Bakers pens essentially for http://www.coffee-espresso-maker-tips.com , an online publication on the topic of coffee and cappuccino. His articles on single cup coffee maker can be found on http://www.coffee-espresso-maker-tips.com/single-cup-coffee-maker.html and other web publications.

Travel Tips For People With Diabetes

2006-12-22T05:32:00.000-08:00

Although many people suffer from diabetes it does not stop many to travel around the world and behave just like another any other regular traveler, in most cases these trip end in the most normal and regular way, but in some cases things get a little complicated while the diabetic is on the road, there are a few things to know and consider when traveling. Diabetes should not stop you from traveling but careful planning is required in order to assure a safe and enjoyable trip.

You should always plan everything in advance, what is basically true to all passengers is also true for the diabetic passenger, and even more so if there is any mental pressure on the person that is traveling, make sure you have everything ready well in time, and save yourself the worries and anxiety.

Give yourself at least 2 to 3 months of planning. This will enable you to accomplish everything you need in your trip.

If your trip requires arrangement with a travel agent, inquire on the special package for diabetic. Itineraries should be different and meals should conform to the need of a diabetic.

When packing, do not place your diabetes supplies and medications in one bag. Have them separated in case your bag is stolen or lost. Insulin will lose its strength if stored in a very cold or hot place such as the globe compartment of the car. Un-pressurized environment will also give the same effect.

If you travel by plane, have your medications and diabetes supply especially your insulin in your carry-on luggage. Have them with you all the time. Insulin should not be exposed in x-ray. Security scanners on the other hand will not destroy your blood glucose meter.

Check your blood sugar level regularly.

Take note of your medication schedules especially if you are crossing time zones. If you want to rest during the flight, inform a flight attendant to wake you up for your medication.

Holiday vacation on a cruise can mean buffet meals. Control your cravings and only eat the amount prescribe on you. Physical activity such as swimming, exercising, and strolling the deck can compensate on your food intake.

If you are traveling by car, make sure that you keep a good eye on your blood sugar level before you leave and every 4 hours during the trip.

Make frequent stops to exercise your legs and improve your blood circulation.

If you are on a backpacking trip, make sure that your diet is followed. Keep off from food that is not suitable to your condition. Make sure that you do not go beyond your limits in drinking and eating.

About The Author: Diabetes is difficult to live with, but getting better deal with advancements of technology, there is still work to be done in diabetes research. Learn about Diabetes Care at http://diabetes.healthandcosmetics.com

Menopause Strategies: Taking Vitamins For A Hot Flash

2006-12-21T23:24:00.000-08:00

There are many different effects that take place in your body when you are having a hot flash. Most notable is the loss of essential vitamins and nutrients that may cause you to feel weak or exhausted. Some women don't feel the automatic response of tiredness, but over the long run they will find themselves unable to keep up the energy level they had before they started having hot flashes.

Hot flashes deplete our body of necessary vitamins such as Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and other nutrients such as Magnesium, and Potassium. Possibly even Calcium is lost leading to bone density problems later in life.

For mild to moderate hot flashes, you should consider taking a dosage of 400 to 800 IU's of Vitamin E to aid your body in controlling the hot flashes. Vitamin E is fat soluble and must be taken with a meal in order for it to be properly absorbed. The recommended regimen is to take 1 tablet with each of your meals, up to 3 per day. You shouldn't take over 200 IU's at any given day.

More does not mean better in the case of any vitamin. It may take approximately 2 to 6 weeks for you to see the results, but up to 65% find this vitamin alone effective in controlling hot flashes. Vitamin B6 and Peridin-C, which contains antioxidants, are also good choices. They should not be taken with the Vitamin E but if Vitamin E does not work, these are viable solutions.

Magnesium is considered to be the most underrated of all menopause remedies. It is actually the fourth most abundant mineral in our bodies, and the one taken most for granted. Magnesium is found in your bones and it is what keeps our bones strong and healthy. During menopause and more specifically hot flashes, our body can deplete our supply leading to brittle bones and postmenopausal osteoporosis. Although the magnesium deficiency alone won't cause osteoporosis, it actually alters the calcium metabolism and the hormones that regulate the calcium.

You can find many one a day vitamins that have both magnesium and calcium in them. Together, along with Vitamin E or other herbal treatments, the addition of magnesium and calcium can go a long way in managing hot flashes. Taking vitamins for a hot flash is indeed a very viable remedy for a lot of women!

About The Author: Discover how YOU can relieve your hot flashes and menopausal symptoms without HRT. Pick up your free special report "Coping with Hot Flashes the Natural Way" by clicking here: http://www.survivemenopause.com

Liposuction Ranks As Top Plastic Surgery In America

2006-12-21T06:21:00.000-08:00

While More Americans Fly To Thailand for "Sun, Sand And Surgery"

American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has reported that the number one top surgical procedure in the United States for the year 2005 was liposuction. In that year alone, 455,489 liposuction treatments were done in America, 402,946 were women and the rest was men. The majority of the patients fall under the ages between 35 to 50 years old.

Second on the list was breast augmentation, totaling 364,610 cases in that year. The report revealed that 83.4 per cent of the patients used the saline device and 16.6 percent the silicone implant. The results of recent research demonstrate that women with saline implants are significantly more likely to express satisfaction with augmentation than women with silicone gel-filled implants.

There are no actual statistics on the numbers of transvestites since it involves some legal issues in many countries, but it has been reported that thousands of cases were done. Bangkok is known to be the premier place to go for sex change surgery. In fact, that is one of the top 10 procedures for which patients visit Thailand. A growing number of Americans are taking that path, traveling to countries like Thailand for cosmetic, orthopedic and heart surgeries and other medical and dental treatments that cost 20 to 80 percent less than at home.

For example, American surgeon's fee for a full face-lift averaged $4822 in 2004, not including hospital costs, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. At Bangkok, it costs only 3,500 USD for a Face lift surgery (cheek bone area lift, cheek area lift, chin lift and neck lift). This cost is included hospital expenses.

The growth is in accordance with Thailand’s aim to establish Thailand as the "Center of Excellent Health of Asia" and this plan focuses on medical services, healthcare services and Thai herbal products. In 2004, as many as 20 billion Baht was generated by foreign patients seeking treatment in Thailand.

Many people want to take "cosmetics surgery holidays" in destinations that offer both tourist attractions and state-of-the-art plastic surgery technologies. Although when including the air fares and accommodation, the price is not lower than treatments in their home country, medical tourists get more than a better look from this type of vacation - they get better, revitalized feelings from the destination's refreshing atmosphere too. "My partner and I had originally planned to fly in and have the surgery done straight away. As luck would have it, we got to fly to Thailand 5 days earlier than planned and decided to spend them in Pattaya, holidaying. I would definitely recommend this. The time to relax is a bonus, not to mention the additional shopping time...." said Bangkok Plastic Surgery Clinic’s Australian patient Rebecca who underwent breast augmentation surgery in 2006.

The statistics for the year 2006 is yet to come, but it is expected that the rankings will not change much, but the number of procedures might change due a greater variety of options.

About The Author: Dr. Pichet Rodchareon writes for Bangkok Plastic Surgery Clinic (http://www.bangkokplasticsurgery.com), center of plastic and cosmetic surgery based in Bangkok, Thailand.