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Benefits And Importance Of Yoga For Elderly

2008-09-24T22:32:00.001-07:00

Time and again we have been saying Yoga is not too old or too young for anyone. The sooner you start its better, but if you haven't had your time of glory in young age then you still can do it at your current age. Age, Sex, Religion, Race, Caste or Creed is no bar with yoga. You will only gain from it and not loose anything in life.

With the increasing age people have stopped doing their routine exercise which is totally wrong. By exercising or doing yoga you tend to get younger by age and heart. Age should never be a hindrance. It is very important that you continue the old lifestyle with control on your diet. Life gets to be very simple and easy to live in.

Make sure to consult your doctor if you are starting these yoga poses for the first time. Yoga not only has asana but other techniques such as breathing and meditation. It is a combination of all three which are very important. Pranayam is one of the basic exercises which everyone would start with. These are very simple and easy to do exercises. Meditation is also very helpful as it removes your stress and would get you to a place you could hardly know about.

These can cure many illnesses. A slow and gradual process would help you many ways and make this very simple. The common and simple things you can keep in mind is that, don?t exert yourself, don't bend too much, take your time and do the poses, whatever you do, see to it that these exercises do not cause pain while doing it.

Kevin Pederson, the webmaster for Yogawiz, mentions the importance of yoga for young as well as old, a boon for many who goes through this stage in their lifetime.

Ways To Keep Fit

2008-09-23T06:30:00.001-07:00

With the high fat content and all the unhealthy ingredients in the American diet, it's important to take steps to ensure that you can keep in shape. In this article, we'll discuss some basic steps that you can take in your life to help you to stay fit.

- Watch what you eat. Fatty meats such as beef, pork, and ham should be consumed in small portions if at all, and you should opt for low-fat dairy products to keep your fat consumption to a minimum.

- Get an exercise buddy! We're much more likely to stick to an exercise schedule if we have a partner spurring us on, causing us to not want to disappoint our partner for a workout session. Simply having someone to work out with can increase the efficiency of your workout program quickly and efficiently.

- Record your results when working out. For example, if you do push-ups, record how many pushups you can do on a day-to-day basis. When you see that the number that you can do is increasing, you'll be spurred on to continue making progress. Also, by monitoring your progress, you can see when you hit a roadblock in your routine more easily, allowing you a better chance of finding the problem that is occurring.

- Eat fruits and vegetables as often as you can. Fruits and vegetables contain numerous nutrients that are necessary for the proper functioning of the human body. Vitamins and minerals are prevalent in most every fruit and vegetable that you can eat. The National Cancer Institute recommends at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, but more can be even more beneficial to your health.

- Get outside! The sunlight provides Vitamin D which is important for the proper mineralization of bones. Also, those who spend time outside often experience less depression and more energy, giving you ample opportunity to increase your workout.

- If you're taking some time out watching TV, you can get a great workout while you watch! When the show that you are watching hits a commercial break, take the opportunity to do a set or two of sit-ups or pushups to help keep in shape. Doing some workout activity every commercial break can make you fit in no time!

These are just some basic tips when it comes to maintaining a proper level of fitness of the body. The proper method of staying in shape includes a combination of proper diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Fitness, Cooking, and Health

How to Choose the Right Weight Loss Program for Your Needs

2008-09-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

Many people turn to weight-loss programs for help in planning a daily diet and changing lifestyle habits. Before you begin a weight loss program, see your doctor for advice about your overall health risks and the weight loss options best for you. Health experts agree that the best and safest way for most adults to lose weight and improve their health is to modestly cut calories, eat a balanced diet and be physically active each day.

What you weigh is the result of several factors:

- The food you eat / how much food you eat

- Age and health status

- Lifestyle (includes regular physical activity)

- Whether you use food to respond to stress and other situations in your life

- Physiologic and genetic make-up

You need to take these factors into consideration when choosing a weight loss program. Successful weight loss and weight management should address all of these factors. When shopping for a weight loss program, ask for details about what foods and how many calories you?ll eat each day, and whether the program includes regular physical activity. Avoid any weight loss programs that claim that you can lose weight and keep it off without changing the foods you eat or increasing your physical activity.

A sensible weight loss program encourages you to follow advice from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, such as eating at least five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, and choosing grains (including whole grains), lean meats and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. A good weight loss program will provide information that will help you make an informed decision.

Before you sign up for any weight loss program, make sure you have enough information about the following:

- Their staff members training, experience and credentials

- The risks of using the product or services

- All the costs of the program

- Studies that show what percentage of all customers have completed the program, how much weight they lost, and how successfully they've kept the weight off over a one-year period or longer

The program should teach you how to change permanently those eating habits and lifestyle factors, such as lack of physical activity that have contributed to weight gain.

To improve your chances for success, you should choose programs that focus on long-term weight management; provide instruction in healthful eating, increasing activity, and improving self-esteem; and address the potential health risks from weight loss. Some people lose weight on their own; others like the support of a structured program. Whether you lose weight on your own or with a group, remember that the most important changes are long term. Quick weight loss methods don't provide lasting results. Unless your health is seriously at risk due to complications from being overweight or obese, gradual weight loss should be your rule and your goal.

Copyright ? 2005. Bridget Mwape writes for the Bath & Body website at http://www.bath-and-body.org.uk/ and also contributes content at: http://www.low-carb-sweets.org.uk/

Quit Smoking ? You Can Do It

2008-09-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

Smoking is believed to be 10% physical addiction and 90% psychological addiction. The nicotine withdrawals usually subside in three days or less, but the psychological dependency on smoking is much more difficult to defeat.

In order to help you quit smoking, you need to do a self-analysis on the reasons you smoke and the reasons on why you want to quit smoking.

The easiest way to do this is to make a list. Label one column on why you started smoking and the other column on why you want to quit smoking.

In column one, list all the reasons you can remember as to why you started smoking. Was it peer pressure? Rebellion? Did you think it made you look cool? Did it make you feel like a grown-up? Really, try to remember the exact reasons why you started smoking and write them all down.

Now review your list of reasons why you smoke. Do any of those reasons still apply in your life today? More than likely the reasons you started to smoke does not apply to the reasons you smoke today. If you are like most people, you will see that your reasons for becoming a smoker are no longer valid, are often just silly, and are easily outweighed by the risks to your health and your family's well-being.

Now write a list on why you want to quit smoking. This one may seem obvious, but it can be a bit deceiving. You really need to take some time and think hard about this. Do not just list the obvious health reasons. You have been reading the Surgeon General's warnings for years with little effect, so you need to come up with reasons that truly have meaning for you.

The most common reasons that people to quit smoking are:

?I do not want to get lung cancer.
?I do not want to have a heart attack or a stroke.
?I would like to live long enough to see my grandchildren grow up.

Certainly the list above are good reasons to quit, but the truth is, is that they are possibilities and not specifics. For example, sure, you might get lung cancer, you might have a heart attack or a stroke, and you might die young and miss seeing your grandchildren grow up, or you might not!

The bottom line is that you are not going to break a psychological addiction based on what might happen to you if you continue to smoke. Your addiction to nicotine will work hard to convince you that it will not happen to you.

The alternative is to list health problems that you are experiencing now. Your list should point out things in your life that you are actively unhappy about and are STRONGLY MOTIVATED to change. In order to break your psychological addiction, you need a battery of new thoughts and desires that are stronger than your desire to smoke!

For example, the list below identifies that most smokers can relate to right now. Not what might be.

Health Reasons

?I get so out of breath when I exert myself even a little bit. Just vacuuming the house makes me pant and gasp.

? My feet are always cold. This could be due to high blood pressure and poor circulation associated with smoking.

?I have a nasty wet cough and I have to blow my nose excessively. Mucus build-up is the body's reaction to all the toxins and chemicals in cigarette smoke and could be a precursor to serious respiratory disease. Even if I do not get cancer, I do not want to be one of those people who have to carry an oxygen bottle.

?I am always tired. Could it be that my body is using up all its energy trying to eliminate the toxins and chemicals from cigarettes?

Vanity Reasons

?Smoking causes premature aging and drying of the skin. I do not want to look like a wrinkled up old prune!

?My fingers, fingernails and teeth are all tobacco stained. Disgusting! How embarrassing.

?When I get on the elevator after a smoke break at work, everyone wrinkles their nose and tries to edge away from me because I reek of cigarette smoke. I feel like a leper. It is embarrassing to be the smelly one the elevator. I feel like I have no self-control.

? My breath is awful. Kissing me must be like kissing an ashtray. I spend a fortune on breath mints.

Financial Reasons

?If I save all the money I used to spend on cigarettes, I will have enough to take a vacation in Cancun (or some other warm tropical place) every winter!

?I could use the money to pay off my credit cards!

?I could donate money to my favorite charity or sponsor a child. My cigarette money could make the world a better place!

Family Reasons

?My family can stop worrying about me.

?My spouse will have to find something new to nag about to me.

?My children will be proud of me and they will never start smoking themselves, having seen firsthand what a nasty destructive habit it is.

Cleanliness Reasons

?The walls used to be white. Now they are a nasty dirty-looking brown. I need to repaint... again!

?I stink, my car stinks, my house stinks, everything I own reeks of cigarette smoke. I cannot even lend a book to a non-smoking friend because they cannot stand the smell of smoke permeating the pages!

Do you see yourself in any of the items listed above? You may have many more reasons of your own. Write down as many compelling and emotion reasons to quit smoking as you can think of.

If you can re-train your mind to think of smoking as a silly and self-destructive thing to do, then you are almost sure to succeed.

For more information about quit smoking, visit Quit Smoking.

Let's Create Sultry Smoky Eyes

2008-09-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

They say there is nothing sexier than a pair of sultry smoky eyes, smoky eyes done so right that they can cause a man to stop dead in his tracks.

But - do you know how to create such a perfect set of smoky eyes?
What you need to get started:
Eye Primer
Loose powder
Dark Eyeshadow
Medium - grey eyeshadow
Black Mascara
Magic Lash Eyelash Enhancer

Now the idea is to be able have smoky eyes, yet not look so much like you forgot to take your eye makeup off last night. Even though, that has been known as a turn on for a quite lot of men makes them wonder what you been up. To start creating the look you must have a base for it. This helps to keep the color in one place. Smooth on a eyeshadow primer, some say foundation is good to use as long as its color doesn't take away from what you are trying to achieve. Now pat on loose powder setting the base. The real secret to the smoky look is in the color eyeshadow you use.

Tips: If your eyes are blue and you're blond, then go for greens instead, the darker the better. If your eyes are green then go for blues again the darkest shades of blues you like. If your eyes are brown then you are just plain lucky with your choices of colors. Brown eyed ladies can try any colors you like. Now purple eyeshadow is a color that everyone can try. Just try it in Plum, Berry and others like those.

Rim your eyes with a black or grey pencil drawing a line along both upper and lower lash line. Starting from inner corner of your eyes going outward starting a fine line going into a heavier line as you draw outwards the outer corner.

If black or grey seems too harsh for the look you're going for, then try either dark brown, plum or taupe instead.

Apply a medium - grey eyeshadow all over your lids, stopping at the crease. Apply your dark eyeshadow into the crease, then take a angled brush and apply the dark eyeshadow onto the eyeliner and then smudge it well with a cotton swab keeping as much of the color at the outer corner of your eyes. The angled brush is great for getting eyeshadow up under your lashes on the bottom which in turn helps keep your eyeliner in place. It's the smudging that has got to be done carefully. The idea is to blend the eyeshadow and eyeliner together. If you wanted a more feline aka cat eyes then using a liquid eyeliner would be best.

Helping to contrast the darkness of your eyeshadow, sweep a pearlized ivory eyeshadow over your brow bones for a wide-eyed look. By applying a little at a time, you are building up the effort gradually till you like what you see. Finishing off the look with one coat of black mascara, one coat of Magic Lash if you want super long,lush lashes to go along with this look, then one more coat of black mascara.

Dark colors trend to make small eyes look even smaller, you can open them up by lining the rims from the inner to the center with a light-colored pencil, rather than dark pencil, pat on pale eyeshadow on the center of each lid. That should cause the small eyes to seem bigger.

For the rest of this ideal look. Finish off by using a tawny blusher or a bronzing powder. Its natural color won't complete with the rest of your makeup. Sweep it over your cheekbone, blending away to the edges into your hairline. Keeping your lips neutral gives this look its real impact. Go for a pinkish - beige shade of lip pencil and smudge it over your entire mouth for a matte, I justed been kissed yet very understated effect. Now your eyes are ready for whatever you might have planned. This look can be toned down for work but who would want to?

Copyright 2005 Kim Snyder Owner of Overallbeauty.com Great lover of beauty care
and products,never happy without trying to make the world a little prettier for all.
Visit Overallbeauty.com to see the latest in beauty products and skin care.
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A Brief Overview of Prostate Prevention

2008-09-18T06:32:00.001-07:00

Twenty years ago, a prostate problem usually led to cancer, and ultimately, death. Medical advances and further understanding of the human body has led to an increased awareness of how the prostate becomes damaged and more importantly, new ways of prostate prevention.

Prostate prevention is such a major topic because over half the men in the United States will develop some form of prostate difficulty past the age of 50. However, prostate cancer grows extremely slowly and if proper prostate prevention is employed, can be treated and avoided before any serious physical harm is caused.

One of the major breakthroughs in prostate prevention has been the development of the Prostatic Specific Antigen (PSA) ? a blood test that detects possible prostate cancer before it has a chance to grow. Combine the PSA test with a digital rectal exam and the chances are nearly 100 percent that all prostate cancer can be detected in time for treatment and a cure.

As long as the cancer has not spread outside the prostate gland a cure can be found. Once the cancer migrates outside the prostate it is incurable so it is especially important for men over 50 to get routine screenings. Patient education and raising awareness of how preventable prostate disease is can help virtually wipe-out the condition.

Targeted radiation and surgery, as long as the cancer is found early, can be up to 95 percent effective in curing the disease. This is an astounding rate of success ? one of the highest for any disease.

In addition to age, there are other factors to consider for prostate prevention. Studies have proven that African-American men develop the disease more than other groups. Genetics has also been proven to play a part in developing prostate problems. If there is a history of prostate cancer in your family the chances of developing the disease increases.

Studies have indicated that diets high in fat can spur prostate problems. Other research that focused on men who eat high quantities of vegetables verses men that don?t have led researchers to believe that a high-vegetable diet is essential to prostate prevention. While the research is not concrete, it is reasonably safe to assume that maintaining a healthy diet, exercise, limiting junk food, alcohol and the consumption of red meat can help prostate prevention.

Read more about Prostate Prevention and other related Prostate News by visiting Mary's site at: http://www.prostatehealthden.com

Why Should You Consider Using A Breast Form Over Getting Reconstructive Surgery?

2008-09-17T10:32:00.001-07:00

Breast forms can be useful for a number of reasons. They have been identified as an important alternative to reconstructive surgery post mastectomy surgery. Reconstructive surgery is less advantageous because it requires more surgery. Not only must a patient go through one reconstructive surgery, but further operations may be required in the future. Also, for cancer patients, if doctors find that the cancer has advanced, breast reconstruction may interfere with the treatment. Not to mention the common side effects implants may have. With some implants, most commonly saline implants, Capsular Contracture may occur (Imaginis- the Breast Cancer Resource). This is when the scar around the implant begins to tighten and squeezes down on the soft implant inside. This can have a negative effect by causing the breast to feel hard. These are just a few reasons why reconstructive surgery is sometimes frowned upon. Surgery can, however have its positive aspects. A lot of times you can have the reconstructive surgery directly following your mastectomy. This means you would not have to go under the knife twice; they would do this process while you are still under. Implants are also preferred over breast forms because they are permanent and can seem like less of a hassle.

Prosthesis, or breast forms, is an excellent alternative to surgery. They mirror the approximate movement, feel, and weight of natural tissue. It is very important to have a properly weighted breast form because it provides the balance your body needs for correct posture. Very few problems occur when using breast forms. Some have said that they feel a bit heavy at first (American Cancer Society). However, this does fade as you get used to them. Also, some forms may cause some skin irritation. This also can be resolved by putting the breast forms into a bra with a pocket.

Common questions that arise include, what kind of bra would I need to wear with a breast form? The answer is that you can wear any type of bra you prefer. You may even wear the bras you were wearing before mastectomy surgery. Many wonder whether or not others will be able to tell if they are wearing them. Breast forms are very inconspicuous. They are under your clothing and therefore look no different from natural tissue breasts. Aside from the initial heaviness at first, they aren?t even all that noticeable to you, the wearer. Questions are sometimes asked regarding the possibility of wearing the breast forms while swimming in the summer. No problem! Most breast forms do fine in the pool with chlorine. Swimming should not affect them. As far as swimsuits go, there are plenty of suits that will hide the breast forms well. A string-bikini may not be the best choice. However, a suit that covers your chest more fully, would keep them unnoticeable to others.

Overall, we see that there are answers out there. And for those who do not want to go under the knife again, there is a great alternative. Breast forms can fit practically any body type and any lifestyle. The cons of using breast forms are fewer than the cons of getting reconstructive surgery. Breast forms aren?t permanent and can always be changed to fit you. However, both of these options are out there and should be considered. What makes you happy and comfortable should come first and foremost.

Truekare is an online retailer of high quality silicone breast forms. Find out more about us at Truekare Breast Forms.

Athletes Foot Fungus

2008-09-16T14:32:00.001-07:00

The athletes foot fungus is the same fungus that causes onychomycosis, or toenail fungal infections. In reality, there is not just one fungus that can do this, though a couple of species account for most infections. A group of fungi, collectively known as dermatophytes, cause fungal infection of the hair, nails, and skin.

It's common for fungus that has invaded the toenails to spread to the skin, or for it to spread in the other direction - from the skin to the nails. Odds are, if you have athlete's foot fungus and fungal toenails, the same fungus is causing the problem in both places. And since it is affecting the skin, it is almost certainly one of the common types of foot fungus - the dermatophytes. There are some other environmental fungi that occasionally infect the nails, but they do not invade the skin.

The good thing about this is that, in many cases, you can treat both athletes foot fungus and nail fungus with the same remedy. In general, the fungus remedies don't distinguish between the different types of foot fungus, operating on the assumption that what kills one will kill them all. With some remedies you may need to make adjustments; for example, applying pure Tea tree oil may be okay for nails, but you could have a problem with skin sensitivity if you don't dilute it with a carrier oil before applying it to your skin. Similarly, if you're using hydrogen peroxide for foot fungus, spraying on the skin is probably fine, but to penetrate an infected toenail, you'll need to soak.

The easiest choices will be treatments that will work for both types of foot fungus - the athletes foot fungus and the nail infection, with one application. Penetration of the nail by the remedy is always a problem, so choose a soaking method, which will soften the nail, or an oily topical treatment, and plan to spend some time filing down the nail and removing bits that break off so that there is less thickness for the remedy to get through.

The athletes foot fungus will probably clear up much faster than the nail infection because the skin infection is superficial and the treatment easily contacts the fungus there. To get rid of both types of foot fungus, however, you will have to keep up the treatment until the nails look good as well. Nail fungal infections are notorious for the length of time they take to resolve. If your athletes foot fungus is gone and there is any sign of improvement in the nails, the treatment is working. Keep it up and you will eventually succeed.

R. Drysdale is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health care professional. She is a contributing editor to Athletes Foot Fungus, a blog dedicated to the treatment of fingernail and toenail fungus.

Answers to Seven Top Health Myths

2008-09-15T18:32:00.001-07:00

1) If I become unhealthy, there is a chemical that can cure me.

Your unhealthy signs are symptoms. High cholesterols, high blood pressure, cancers, and many diseases can be reduced with a chemical, or surgical protocol. But the underlying reason behind these symptoms may or may not be removed, and the 'cure' may cause new problems of it's own. A full, healthy lifestyle will eventually reduce many symptoms.

2) I have been educated on how to eat and exercise properly by an authoritative group.

The diets endorsed by many associations rarely reduce blood pressure or cholesterol. Don't forget that these groups often share management and receive funding from pharmaceutical giants. These groups stand to gain significantly from every person for whom these diets 'fail'. While a basic, nourishing diet can exist, you may not find it in a 'health' association's handbook. Our education on exercise has been inspired by trendy science and is rarely absolutely effective.

3) A healthy lifestyle will be too hard to live by or be too expensive.

Living healthy is easy. You live with less stress, more energy, greater happiness, and greater personal power. You also save yourself from hundreds of hours in doctors offices, from weeks at a time in hospitals, from chronic addiction to expensive pharmaceuticals, and from reliance on a 'good' insurance plan to cover the cost of very expensive pharmaceuticals.

4) A person is bound to become reliant upon pharmaceuticals and surgery as they age.

Nothing could be further from the truth. As a simple rule, the longer you can maintain your own health, the longer you can live. You should learn about different surgeries and the steps you can take to avoid them, even if you have already been scheduled for one. Find out what is necessary to maintain your physiology in such a way not to become addicted to pharmaceuticals in the autumn of your years.

5) Our elderly have medicine and surgery to thank for their longevity.

True, an ill person can be continuously administered antibiotics, have their organs removed as they become ill, and be kept alive by machines for years, but this is not living and is not the goal of those who seek longevity. The longest living persons are usually not found in the Western World, home of medicine and surgery, at all. Western man's lifespan and lifestyle has improved tremendously with the availability of clean water, municipalities focused on cleanliness, and improved regulations concerning the production and distribution of our foods, but we are still not blessed with true longevity, and do not, as a rule, master a lifestyle of vigor and passion until our final days.

6) There are no simple rules to healthy living as the rules change all the time.

Fads change all the time. Prescription drugs change all the time. Exercise trends change all the time. If these 'pop' movements within health topics were satisfying the demand they are meant to satisfy, they would all still be with us. The age-old paths to proper health are not sexy; they are not easily crammed into a single video, and cannot be sold with a gizmo. But age-old tried and true systems are the truth, they will satisfy your every demand for a health care system, and will ease the fears you have over what control you have over your own body.

7) I know enough about the subject of health to figure it out on my own.

It is true that you are the master of your own destiny, but your education in health is not likely as complete as you believe. The media, health programs, health 'supplement' gurus, and even college and university programs in health tend to overstress the chemical nature of our body. Also, diseases tend to be determined by a chemical analysis of our body, and traced back to an organ, or given a diagnosis that is nothing more than a re-hashing of the symptoms.

About the Author:

Dr. Bryan Brodeur is the owner of the health web site VitalityHouse, and author of the e-book Vitalism.

Listen Up: Listen Your Way To a Better Diet

2008-09-14T22:32:00.001-07:00

The battle against the bulge isn?t an easy one. Most people these days are trying to eat healthier but it?s tough to keep up with the onslaught of diet-related information and to stay motivated to choose nutritious foods. So here?s a tip. Listen your way to a better diet.

There are some excellent audio books available on the subject of nutrition. Try popping one of these into your car stereo or listening to them while you?re in the kitchen making dinner. It?s a great way to learn more about the impact of food on your body. It can also help you to discover new foods and recipes that you might not have been familiar with. And it?s a great way to stay accountable to a healthier diet. Just try preparing a greasy hamburger while listening to an audio book discussing the health risks of saturated fats!

A great audio book to start with is The South Beach Diet by Arthur Agatson. The South Beach Diet isn?t as extreme as some other diets so it?s a great way to transition into a healthier way of eating. You?ll still be able to eat a lot of the foods you enjoy but if you?re like many others you?ll find that the foods that you limit (e.g., refined carbs) will help you to shed pounds quickly.

Another great source of information is the audio books from Dr. Andrew Weil. Weil has written dozens of books on health and many of them are available on audio. I find his dietary recommendations very sensible and enjoy that he views food a source of pleasure (something many diet book writers surprisingly fail to consider). A few recommended Weil titles on audio are Eating Well for Optimum Health, The Healthy Kitchen (with Rosie Daley) and Taking Care of Yourself.

If you?re ready to step it up to a notch, you might want to give a listen to Tony Robbins? Living Health course. While Tony?s dietary recommendations aren?t the easiest to follow, the alkalinity theory of nutrition that he espouses might well be a breakthrough in the nutrition world. And you certainly can?t argue with Tony?s energy. The guy is a live wire!

A few other audio books that you might to pick up include Diet for a New America by John Robbins (no relation to Tony), Eat to Beat Cancer by J. Robert Hatherill and Ultraprevention by Mark Hyman and Mark Liponis (the co-directors of medicine at the Canyon Ranch spa). There are also some interesting nutrition-related podcasts out there such as Tracy Jorg?s Vegan Cooking School podcast. And don?t forget about about Eric Schlosser?s best-selling audio book Fast Food Nation. If you?re looking for some reasons to never eat fast food again you?ll find them there.

Immerse yourself in a few of these titles and see how your diet changes. Once you discover an enjoyable way to eat better don?t be surprised if you never go back to your old ways.

About The Author: Jon Bischke is the Founder of LearnOutLoud.com and is passionate about helping you improve your life. He invites you to check out the complete selection of educational and self-development audio and video material at http://www.learnoutloud.com For the HTML version of this article complete with links to the titles that were mentioned, please visit http://www.learnoutloud.com/diet01

The Top Ten Things You Don't Want to Hear About Losing Weight

2008-09-14T02:32:00.001-07:00

(But What You Need to Know if You Want to Get Fit!)

10)? No, you won?t end up looking like the latest hot young? model/singer/actress!

Let?s face it:? your body is your body.?? It?s the only one you?ve got.? Can you still look great?? Sure!? But there are some things you can?t change.? You can?t make your legs longer or your feet smaller.? You can?t grow five inches or elongate your torso.? You have what you have, so work with it!? Concentrate on making a healthy and fit you instead of wishing you looked like someone else.? You don?t have to be perfect to be attractive.? A strong, fit body as well as the self-confidence it brings can make any person attractive!

9) It?s better to be muscular and weigh more than to be flabby and weigh less.

I?ve said it so many times:? I?d much rather be 135lbs and muscular than 120lbs and flabby.? I?ve been both, and 135lbs with a lower percent of body fat was definitely better!? I was smaller, stronger and had much more energy.? So, don?t always seek that magical number on the scale, but look at your total body composition instead.

8)? You can?t get fit in a week.

Okay, well, you can, but only if you?re one week away from being in peak condition and you keep working out.? Otherwise, forget about it!? If you want to look good for that class reunion or because you?ll be in a bikini soon, then get moving way before that.? Or better yet, get moving for your own health and not for ?things? like reunions and bikinis.

7)? You need to put some effort into it.

You want to get fit?? You have to work at it.? You have to plan it, you have to schedule it, and, most importantly, you have to do it.? No excuses.? Sitting on the couch, telling yourself you should be doing something will not burn up a lot of calories.? If nothing else, get out there and start walking.? And while you?re out there walking think about a plan of action for a healthier you and get started on it today ? not tomorrow!

6)? You need to exercise.

Can you lose weight just by diet alone?? Sure, you can!? But if you want to get fit, you need to exercise those muscles, including your heart.? And that heart won?t get any exercise if you?re sitting on the couch, eating broccoli.? Lose the weight that you need to lose and you?ll just end up with a thin, but flabby, body.? Get moving!? Weight training is ideal, but if you?re really not into weight training, find an activity you like to do that work all your major muscle groups.

5)? You need to eat properly.

Putting aside any low carb/low fat/high protein controversies, the simple fact is, if you want a fit body, you need to nourish it.? Protein, carbs and fat are important, but vitamins and minerals are key elements that your body needs, too.? No matter what way of eating you?re following make sure you?re getting enough vitamins and minerals.? Add a variety of fresh vegetables and fruit to your diet.? The next time you go grocery shopping, linger around the produce section and not only pick out some old favorites, but experiment a little by trying something new!

4) You can?t lose weight overnight.

You didn?t gain it overnight -- or in two months -- and you?re not going to lose it overnight? -- or in two months.? Think of getting fit as a train leaving the station:? you start off slow, gather speed and then off you go!? Patience is the key here.? Look for consistent trends.? If you?re really not losing fat and getting stronger after a couple of months, then you need to sit down and honestly analyze what you?re doing.? Keep a journal to help you know how you?re really eating and exercising.

3)? You can?t spot reduce.

Genetics will decide where the fat will come off.? Doing 1000 crunches won?t reduce your belly fat.? Nor will 1000 leg lifts get rid of the fat on your inner thighs.? Your body does not burn the fat it needs from the body part that you?re exercising.? Your body will burn fat much like an onion is peeled, a layer at a time, if you will.? So, don?t overdo it on the exercise for one specific body part and look to getting your whole body in shape.

2)? There are no quick fixes.

That?s right, you heard me.? There are no quick fixes.? None.? Put all those pills, potions, contraptions and miracle diets in the garbage where they belong.? Learn the basics about how your body gains muscle and loses fat, so you won?t get sucked in by another scam again.

1)? Fitness is a lifelong commitment!

So, you faithfully work out and eat properly and you?ve reached your goals.? Now what?? Well, now you?ve got to keep doing it for the rest of your life, that?s what!? You can?t just work your way to being fit and then stop, because you?ll end up exactly like you were before.? Fitness is a lifelong commitment.? And, you want to know a secret?? It isn?t easy!? And anyone who says it is easy is trying to sell you something.? Make fitness a lifelong ambition and you?ll reap the rewards of a long and healthy life, filled with energy, strength and an overall sense of well being.

Suzanne Hiscock has been interested in fitness and nutrition for over 16 years.? She is the owner of FitWatch Inc. and developer of the?FitWatch Fitness Tracker, an online food and exercise tracker.? You can visit the site at?http://www.fitwatch.com for a variety of fitness calculators and tools.

Eggs For Balance

2008-09-13T06:29:00.001-07:00

The egg, the symbol of birth, of life and, therefore, of spring has been celebrated by numerous cultures at this time of the year. Eggs were given as gifts at spring festivals in ancient Egypt, Greece, Persia and Rome. They were often dyed red to symbolize the power of the womb. Eggs, of course, still play an important role in our springtime holidays, but the real power comes from handling and eating eggs at this time of year. It is said that at the exact moment of the Equinox an egg can be balanced on it?s end because the earth is at it?s ultimate balance point (if you try it, write me and let me know how it went!)

So what does the egg have to offer us nutritionally?

Eggs for Balance

Despite the decline in egg consumption, they still make ... important nutritional contributions to the American diet, according to Dr. Won O. Song, PhD, and Jean M. Kerver, MS, of the Food and Nutrition Database Research Center, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University. They are nutritious, tasty, versatile and convenient. Eggs are an excellent source of high-quality lean protein and are far less expensive than most other animal-protein foods. Eggs also provide significant amounts of several vitamins and minerals (vitamin A, riboflavin, and others).

Although eggs contain a significant amount of cholesterol, they need not be excluded from the diet. They just need to be eaten with education:

In 1 large egg, the yolk contains 5 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fatty acids, 213 milligrams cholesterol, and 60 calories. The egg white contains 15 calories.

Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. However, it is important that you eat organic eggs. This is not necessarily cage-free or free range eggs. According to Dr. Mercola of www.mercola.com, An egg is considered organic if the chicken was only fed organic food and will not have bioaccumulated high levels of pesticides from the grains (mostly bioengineered corn) fed to typical chickens.

For more detailed nutrition information, check out Nutrient Value of Eggs at http://www.enc-online.org/eggnutr.htm by the Egg Nutrition Center (ENC).

Heather Dominick, ?The Energy Expert? is an energy and nutrition specialist with over 10 years of teaching and coaching experience. Heather?s primary focus is in helping others identify sources for increasing physical energy and making permanent lifestyle changes. To sign up to receive your free chapter of the famed e-Book Get EnergyRICH?, for her freebie how-to articles and no-charge teleclasses on creating your most energized life, visit http://www.individual-health.net

Chronic Heartburn Could Be GARD

2008-09-12T10:30:00.001-07:00

While most people suffer from heartburn and indigestion occasionally, chronic heartburn, which is typically defined as heartburn symptoms which are experienced more than twice per week, could be a symptom of something more serious. Chronic heartburn is one of the symptoms of acid reflux or gastrointestinal acid reflux disease, which is abbreviated GARD. Reflux is just a medical term that literally means to flow back. When stomach acid flows ?back up? the esophagus, we experience a burning sensation at the top of our stomachs, in our chest or throat. This is what most people refer to as heartburn.

Heartburn and indigestion may also be accompanied by bloating and/or gas. Certain foods have a tendency to create more gas in the stomach and the extra gas can cause the acid to bubble up leading to heartburn. Anything that puts extra pressure on the stomach, whether it is tight clothing or bloating from excess gas, can lead to heartburn. Chronic heartburn is probably not caused by excess gas. Many times people think that they have gas too often, but gas is a natural by-product of digestion and burping or passing gas after meals is normal and not cause for alarm. Heartburn and indigestion accompanied by gas may be relieved by taking an over the counter product such as Maalox anti-gas. These products relieve the bloating by bringing on burping, but have no effect on intestinal gas. If you are bothered by bloating or the amount of gas you experience, you may try a food or plant enzyme like Beano. These products are typically taken before meals that include foods that cause excess gas, such as beans and some vegetables.

Heartburn and indigestion is often accompanied by a sour or bitter taste in the mouth or the back of the throat. Those who suffer from chronic heartburn often experience this as well. Heartburn and indigestion as well as the sour taste can be relieved by peppermint or other mint oils. Antacids, such as Tums, are the choice of many, but some do not like the chalky taste. Peppermint is more pleasant tasting and soothing to the throat and is a common home remedy for heartburn and indigestion.

Heartburn and indigestion can be accompanied by chest pain, but chest pain should always be treated with caution. Chronic heartburn with or without chest pain should be evaluated by your physician. Chest pain that does not include the common symptoms of heartburn should be evaluated right away.

Sometimes people with heartburn and indigestion experience difficulty swallowing or a feeling that something is sticking in their throat. Chronic heartburn can cause a chronic cough, sore throat and/or chronic hoarseness. If untreated, chronic heartburn can lead to erosion of the lining of the esophagus. The esophagus has no special lining, like the stomach does, to protect it from stomach acid. It is possible to treat the symptoms of heartburn and indigestion at home, symptoms usually respond quickly to antacids. Chronic heartburn may be relieved by changes in diet and/or lifestyle. These changes are often advised even if a prescription medication that helps prevent chronic heartburn is given.

Patsy Hamilton writes informational articles for the Digestive Disorders Guide. Visit us at http://www.digestive-disorders-guide.com

Foods That Should Be Put on Death Row

2008-09-11T14:31:00.001-07:00

French fries

Greasy, crispy, crunchy, crinkly, crackling, good tasting and flat out terrible to your health. Potatoes are not the ideal vegetable in its natural form because it is a bit on the starchy side. However it is even more detrimental to your health when it is turned into French fries. It is processed and refined which means it loses a huge chunk of their nutritional value. To make it even worse they are fried in heart clogging vegetables oils commonly known as trans fat. The higher the temperatures the fries are fried in the more carcinogens or cancer causing agents they will contain.

Doughnuts

Do not start your day off wrong by eating a doughnut or two. Doughnuts are fattening, contain high amounts of sugars, and are fried. They contain a lot of calories but will not fill you up because they don?t contain many nutrients.

Soda

Sodas are very sugary and corrode the teeth because they dissolve into them gradually weakening them over time. They contain a load of calories, are carbonated, contain processed caffeine, contain artificial colors, and raise the insulin levels rapidly (blood sugar levels). I would highly recommend kicking the habit of stopping by the nearest store or vending machine to pick up a pop.

Frozen Entrees

Frozen entrees are highly processed. In order to preserve them they usually contain trans fat. The chicken is sometimes breaded and fried. The ratio balance of nutrients in them is way off; they usually give abundant meat with a tiny bit of vegetables. The correct proportion should be a lot of vegetables with a little piece of meat. They usually contain some type of sugary dessert and usually recommend the use of a microwave which is extremely dangerous to your health.

Canned Goods

Canned fruits or vegetables are nothing close to the real thing. Imagine taking the healthiest food. Now for a twist, imagine taking it and adding loads of sugars and salt to it, stripped it of its nutrients in order to preserve it and can it with chemical agents inside them and placing it on the local supermarkets. That is what basically happens in a nutshell to can foods. There was never a problem with high blood-pressure in the early days of America. In a matter of fact America was actually known as the healthiest country in the early 1900s. However with the invention of all of these contemporary preserving methods the health of America has rapidly declined.

Candy

Try to avoid candy as much as possible. If you have to have some I would highly recommend old fashioned or homemade candy, which is not good for you but beats the processed junk that are contaminating the supermarkets today. Candy bars are sugary, contain abundant calories, processed chocolate, and trans fat. You know when there is something wrong with a food item when it can stay on the supermarket for a excessively long time. Hard candies corrode the teeth and contain high fructose corn syrup which spikes up the insulin levels.

Chips

I'm not sure which ones are worse, potato chips, or French fries? They both are cheap, greasy, and heart clogging. However when eating a big bag of potato chops you can sort of chow down until you realized that the whole bag is gone, and you can eat them while they are cold.

For more free lifesaving information pay us a visit at www.cardiacgym.com.

Doug Purcell CPT Fitness Consultant Alternative Medicine Expert Natural Bodybuilder http://www.cardiacgym.com owner

Star Anise Tamiflu Rouche and Bird Flu Vaccines

2008-09-10T18:31:00.001-07:00

Star Anise is a fruit, which aids in taking out the bird flu virus. Rouche was condemned for buying up 90% of the crop, yet some industry analysts say it has to in order to insure its supply chain for previous and future orders. That makes sense of course. Yet many are crying foul of monopoly, predatory pricing and anti-trust.

A hot topic indeed, yet if we attack Rouche and thus tell our government that we will not spend the 2-Billion to buy the vaccine, at least enough to stave off the rapid spread and isolate the problem quickly as we cannot afford to buy enough for everyone of our 300 million plus population and Rouche does not have enough made and cannot make enough for everyone fast enough anyway; then we will find no one produces what we need and more people die.

If Rouche has protocols to insure that they can license out their vaccines, then a fast ramp up of the vaccine if need can be produced. If Rouche has a way to produce more faster in colonies of bacteria, namely using the e.Coli fermentation process, then they can make vaccine other than using egg. This is good, as if we kill all the chickens and generally use those eggs to grow more vaccines then we are at a catch 22 for Bird Flu vaccines. If Rouche has more than one option in making the vaccines, then they have a better chance of making enough to serve the most amount of people who could be potentially infected. This is a good thing and Rouche is smart for thinking ahead of the crisis and securing their supply chains. Consider this in 2006.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Cheap Elliptical Trainers From An Industry Giant

2008-09-09T22:31:00.001-07:00

From its humble beginnings as a part time business for two college students in Utah, ICON Health and Fitness has grown into one of the world?s largest manufacturers of fitness equipment. The company?s credentials are impressive: 4000 employees in 11 locations around the world, nearly 200 patents, ISO 9001 certified and a portfolio of some of the best known brands in the fitness industry. Among this stable of brands are some of the best-selling elliptical trainers in the world ?- Weslo, ProForm, NordicTrack, and Reebok.

It?s no wonder these ellipticals sell so well. They retail from $200 - $900 with an average purchase price of around $400. They boast features usually found on higher-end elliptical trainers such as heart rate monitors, several built-in exercise programs, built-in cooling fans, motorized resistance settings, and iFit.com technology.

The vast majority of consumers in the market for a home elliptical trainer balk at spending more than $500 for a machine. An elliptical trainer from ICON Health and Fitness for $400 seems like a no-brainer, but before you whip out your credit card, you may want to take a peek under the covers.

*The Sears Alliance -- I believe that the biggest factor that makes elliptical trainers from ICON Health and Fitness such big sellers is that Sears carries them. Sears is very well associated with affordable products such as tools, entertainment equipment, and appliances. They also have a good reputation for service. Just don?t expect the sales person in the sporting goods department to give you the facts about product returns with ICON ellipticals. I?ve tried, but who can blame them. It?s their job to sell product.

If you do decide to purchase an ICON elliptical trainer then you?re probably better off purchasing it from Sears. Sears seems to be pretty good about making exchanges if you have problems during the 90-day warranty period. In some cases, they may just refund your money, but your mileage may vary here so don?t count on it. After the 90-day warranty expires then you?ll have to deal directly with ICON. Based on reviewers at Epinions.com this tends to be a frustrating and unsatisfying process.

*The 90-Day Warranty Says It All -- If a fitness equipment manufacturer isn?t willing to stand behind their product for more than 90-days, then that should be a big honking red flag! Again, take a look at some of the reviews at Epinions.com and see when these ellipticals start breaking down. In many cases, it?s before the end of the 90-day warranty period!

*Consumers Speak Out at Epinions.com -- If you haven?t checked out product reviews at Epinions.com, you really owe it to yourself to have a look. Just about all of the elliptical trainers from ICON are reviewed here. Real consumers write the reviews and some go into great detail about every aspect of their experience.

In some cases the reviewers describe their on-going experiences with product returns and the customer service department. Do yourself a huge favor and read every one of these reviews if you?re considering one of these ellipticals.

*Elliptical Trainer Reviews That Don?t Review Anything -- Unfortunately many of the elliptical trainer reviews sites on the Internet give glowing reviews to every elliptical trainer they advertise. When I see rave reviews of any ICON elliptical trainer on these sites I know to not trust any of their elliptical trainer reviews.

My hope is that ICON will eventually begin listening to customer feedback and redesign their elliptical trainers to correct the most glaring weaknesses. Extending the parts and labor warranty from 90-days to a full year would go a long way towards demonstrating their commitment to both their products as well as to their customers.

In the mean time you can protect yourself when shopping for an elliptical trainer by doing your homework -- both on-line and off. It all really comes down to putting the odds in your favor. My suggestion is to narrow down your search to several higher quality residential trainers that you?ve tested off-line, MSRP $1000 - $3000, and then shop on-line for the best possible price.

Rich Rojas writes elliptical trainer reviews and articles on health and fitness. Check out recommended elliptical trainers at EllipticalHome.com

Why You Should Try Herbal Supplements and the Benefits of Herbal Remedies

2008-09-09T02:31:00.001-07:00

These days more and more people are turning towards herbal medicines for healing different health problems. Herbal remedy involves the use of natural health products which can help to keep your body as healthy as you possibly can. They come in various forms; natural health products and medicines both for internal as well as external use. Herbal remedy is the use of natural herbs for many medicinal purposes. These herbs include everything from roots, flowers, branches, bark and fruits. It is believed to be the oldest form of healthcare known to mankind. Herbs had been used by all cultures throughout history.

Benefits:

Herbal remedies are very beneficial as they not only to heal the sickness but also treats the root cause of the disease. Even chronic diseases can be healed such as respiratory problem, gastrointestinal disorder, and immune system deficiency by making your body strong and helping in recovery. Herbal medicines are given to heal pain syndromes, neurological disorders, stress related syndromes, heart problems, sexual dysfunction, allergies and immune system deficiencies. They can be given in place of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs.

The best thing about these herbal remedies is that they have very less chances of side effects as compared to pharmaceutical medicines. Now people are even opting herbal medicines to treatments such as chemotherapy as they help to reduce the side effects caused by chemotherapy. As everything used is natural; they are safe. Even small treatment such as taking antibiotics can weaken your immune system so herbal medicines can help strengthen your system.

Popular Herbs:

Some of the most popular healing herbs used in herbal remedies are:

?Goldenseal: Used as an antibiotic.

?Rose Hips: This contains vitamin C

?Chamomile: This is popular for calming stressed nerves, relieve stomach pain, prevent ulcers and fight infection.

?Garlic: It has potent natural antibiotic and anti-viral properties. Helps reduce cholesterol and prevent the formation of internal blood clots that trigger heart attacks.

?Slippery Elm Bark: Helpful for soothing sore throats, coughs, and stomach disorder.

?Ginseng: It can stimulate the immune system; protect the liver from toxics, and increases stamina.

?Dandelion: Helpful in relieving premenstrual bloating.

?Feverfew: It can help prevent migraine.

?Raspberry Leaf: Popularly used for treating morning sickness and uterine infection. It can also help to prevent threatened miscarriage.

?Spearmint and Peppermint: For treating indigestion.

?Comfrey: Used in bruises or cuts.

?Senna: It is a powerful laxative. You should be careful not to take more the required doses to avoid abdominal distress.

?Uva Ursi: It has diuretic and urinary antiseptic effects.

?Ginger: It can help prevent motion sickness and prevent the internal blood clots that trigger heart attacks.

?Chinese ephedra: For treating colds and asthma.

?Licorice: Good for soothing sore throats and treat ulcers.

Remember to go to a well practiced and licensed herbalist only. Tell him everything concerning your health and the food you are allergic to, so that he would know what herbs would suit you and what would not. You should also watch your diet when going for herbal medicines to get the best result. Try and avoid eating raw vegetables, greasy, red meat and spicy food. Try to eat everything in right proportions to prevent stress and fatigue. Watching your diet will have a good impact on your energy level and productivity.

Jeffrey Meier of Jam727 Enterprises offers information on Herbal Supplements and many other interesting topics at the Information Site at http://www.Jam727.com

Quiz Is Your Debt Causing Depression?

2008-09-06T14:30:00.001-07:00

Are you feeling hopeless about the future? Are you feeling hopeless and helpless about your current situation? Are you feeling depressed? Do you find no way to come out of this hopelessness? It is time to consult a Doctor about your depression.

Can your depression be related to your debts? Are you also having debts to repay? Debts can cause constant worry and make us feel depressed. Especially when we have no ready plan to repay our debt, the depression can be severe.

What are you planning about your debt? Have you planned any repayment schedule? Have you planned any method to increase your income? If not, please begin doing that. Let us look at this problem in totality. You have a certain income. You have a certain debt. You have certain expenses. You have to save money from your income and repay small amount every month so that one-day you are out of it. The first step is to write down all these figures. Then think of every method that can increase your income. Similarly try to reduce your expenses. This will obviously give you more money to repay. Now talk to your creditors. Ask them for rescheduling the debt so that is comfortable for you to repay. Approach them positively and explain the position. Be optimistic. They will agree.

Feeling hopeless never solves the problem. Finding solution will do that. Fight your debt related depression with proper strategy and planning.

The author C.D.Mohatta writes fun quizzes and fun tests at http://www.funquizcards.com/ on topics like love, personality, dating, relationships, friendship, movies, tv, music, business, etc. The author also writes for http://www.ecarduniverse.com/ which has free ecards on holidays, birthday, love, friendship, family, expressions, celebrations and all events and occasions. The author also writes articles, advice and ideas at http://www.yourromanceguide.com/ on topics like love, dating, marriage, relationships, break-ups, etc.

Acid Reflux Part 3 Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR)

2008-09-05T18:30:00.001-07:00

While Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR) is cited in some journals as a part of GERD, it presents its own set of symptoms and potential health problems. LPR affects the larynx, pharynx, bronchi, trachea, and possibly even one's lungs.

LPR occurs when the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) opens and allows reflux to enter the throat. Since the components of the affected area (see the list above) are constructed of softer tissue that the esophagus, the potential for damage is greater from stomach acid and digestive enzymes. And if the reflux is aspirated, or breathed into the lungs, the risk is increased for one to develop aspiration pneumonia. Other pulmonary problems whish may manifest are coughing, wheezing, asthma (especially adult onset), and interstitial fibrosis (the tissue in the lungs becomes inflamed and/or scarred). Excess acid reaching one's mouth can also lead to the decay of the tooth enamel, gingivitis, halitosis, and waterbrash.

Further complications can include odynophagia and dysphagia. And pharynx symptoms can include laryngitis, hoarseness, soreness, the sensation of a lump in one's throat (globus), and earache due to fluids entering one's Eustachian tubes between the throat and the ear.

Overall symptoms may include the above plus:

- Dysphonia
- Frequent throat clearing
- Post nasal drip
- Spasm of the larynx

- Blockage of the breathing passage
- Swallowed food coming back up
- Difficulty singing, especially the loss of vocal range.

Diagnosis of LPR can be more difficult, due in part to the fact that less than 15% of those affected have the heartburn associated with typical GERD symptoms. Your physician or health care provider may do a laryngoscopy to diagnose and evaluate the condition. Please consult him/her as quickly as possible if you experience any of the aforementioned symptoms.

Other testing may include:

- pH testing - two sensors are placed (one on each end of the esophagus) to determine if the reflux is reaching one's upper esophagus and to assess the pH content of the reflux.

- Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, if one complains of dysphagia or odynophagia

Lifestyle changes:

These are the same as those mentioned in Part 2 of this three-part series.

Medical treatments:

- Antacids - Prescription medications to reduce acid production in the stomach
- the Nissen Fundoplication mentioned in Part 2.

As with treatment of GERD one's physician may recommend one, or a combination, of the treatments cited, depending on the severity of your case. And it is recommended that one seek medical care as quickly as possible, should one experience any of the symptoms described in these articles.

Please remember that Acid Reflux can lead to very serious health issues, including some forms of cancer, if left untreated. So see your physician as often as needed to alleviate this potentially devastating disease.

-------------------------------------------------------
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Acid Reflux
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Migraine Headaches

2008-09-04T22:31:00.001-07:00

If your head is pounding so hard that it hurts to touch, you probably have a migraine headache. A migraine headache is one of the worst types of headaches. It is a condition characterized by a throbbing, moderate to severe pain usually on one side of the head. And this is made even worsened by physical activity, sounds, light and smells that are often associated with nausea and vomiting.

Migraine headaches usually begin between the ages of 10 and 40 and are three times common among women than among men. In the United States, there is an estimate of 10-20% of the US population who suffer from this type of headache. These people experience migraine attacks that may occur frequently for a long period of time but may also disappear for many weeks, months or even years.

There are different kinds of migraine headaches. The most common are classic migraine and common migraine.

Classic migraines start with a so-called aura, a warning sign that often involves changes in the way you see. Auras last about 15-30 minutes and during this duration, you may see flashing lights and colors, temporarily lose some of your vision, feel a strange prickly or burning sensation, have muscle weakness on one side of the body and feel depressed, restless and irritable.

On the other hand, common migraines do not start with aura. These start more slowly than classic migraines and the pain may be only on one side of the head. But these last longer and interfere more with daily activities, that is why many people find these even more frustrating than the classic migraines.

If you experience any migraine headaches, you have to seek medical attention at once. Your doctor can recommend of the two types of treatments: treatments that are used to relieve the headache pain and treatments that are used to prevent headaches before they occur. Do not hesitate to seek out treatment because this will be the key to getting rid of migraine headaches.

Headaches provides detailed information on Headaches, Migraine Headaches, Frequent Headaches, Cluster Headaches and more. Headaches is affiliated with Migraine Headaches.

How to Overcome Anxiety and Take Repossession of Your Life!

2008-09-04T02:29:00.000-07:00

Katie came as close as is possible to having it all. Great job, loving family, boyfriend, social life? That was until she developed anxiety?

?There were rumours of redundancy in our department. Just rumours. But that was enough to start me off. I became very anxious. Every Monday, I?d head for work, convinced I was about to be told to go. I started worrying about what I?d do if I was made redundant ? and despite years of experience in my field, I convinced myself that I was unemployable, that no other company would consider me. I felt useless?

Katie now recognises that the irrational thoughts were all part of the anxiety.

?Gradually, it was robbing me of all my confidence, first in my professional self, then in me as a person. It?s bizarre but had I been made redundant, I?d have just gotten on with it and I?d have probably been OK. But the stress of my job and the worry over IF my name was on the list, that was enough to trigger the anxiety.?

As her anxiety grew, so her relationships became affected. ?I felt nobody understood what I was going through. Not even my boyfriend. He tried to be supportive but neither he nor my family could really understand. That?s why it?s so important to people with anxiety to talk to somebody who KNOWS what it?s like. It?s only people who?ve lived through it who actually know how awful it is that can help you overcome anxiety!?

Katie?s anxiety led her to start missing work.

?It?s ironic really? but I was never made redundant! Far from it, the company I work for were actually really supportive and agreed to let me have time off. I had days and days of growing increasingly obsessed about my anxiety? and spent hours trawling the internet for a miracle cure.?

Katie found The Linden Method? and although initially skeptical about some of the claims, decided to give it a try.

?When I read the website, at first I couldn?t believe the claims. I mean, I KNEW how bad I felt, knew how awful it was. And here was this man telling me I could be BETTER in a matter of days.

However, the Method just makes common sense. I realised that I wasn?t ill. I hadn?t developed a mental condition. And I wasn?t going mad! My anxiety stemmed from a bad behavioural habit that had gone out of control ? in my case, it was a constant need to prove myself ? both to myself and everybody around me.

Katie has now returned to work full time and is planning on starting a family in the next year or so.

?I went from being this go-getter to hiding away behind my bedroom door! I?d been used to living at a certain level, being this dynamic career girl. I would be responsible for making really vital decisions for the company? but when I became anxious, I couldn?t even decide what to wear! I?d still be hiding now, if it wasn?t for the Linden Method.

Charles Linden, BA (Hons.), runs a private practice specialising in the treatment of anxiety disorders. He teaches his method on a one to one basis through the Linden Centres and presents anxiety management seminars and corporate stress management training sessions. Internationally Charles treats his clients through the ?Linden Method Pack? which is available on-line visit: http://beatanxiety.amazon-4u.com

Irritable Bowel Syndrome ? What to Eat When You Suffer from IBS

2008-09-03T06:29:00.001-07:00

IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome is not really a true disease; it is classified as a functional disorder. Whatever it is classified as, if you have it, you suffer, and feel and are ill.

If you have it, we will outline what you should and should not eat here.

The usual symptoms are:

?Bloating and gas

?Constipation and / or

?Diarrhea

?Feeling like you still need to have a bowel movement after you've already had one

?Feeling a strong urge to have a bowel movement

?Pain and cramping

?Occasional mucus in the stools.

What are the examinations the doctor needs to do to confirm the diagnosis?

Physical exam

Blood tests

X ray of the bowel: This x-ray test is called a barium enema or lower GI (gastrointestinal) series. Barium is a thick liquid that makes the bowel show up better on the x ray. Before taking the x ray, the doctor will put barium into your bowel through the anus (a barium enema).

Endoscopy: The doctor inserts a long thin tube into your bowel. The tube has a camera in it, and other mechanical devices, so the doctor can look at the inside of the bowel to check for problems. What is the treatment? Is there a Cure?

Sadly there is no cure (as its not classed as a disease) but there are three methods used to alleviate the symptoms. These are: (in order of importance)

diet changes

medicine

stress relief

For diet change, see the rules below.

For medicines, you must speak to your doctor. There are several, but the most important may be for control of acute diarrhea. Stress does not cause IBS, but may trigger it (as does the wrong foods) so you must learn stress management (see our article on stress management.

As to diet, see these important rules below to control your symptoms and avoid the following food if you can, as they are known triggers to the symptoms of IBS:

Fatty foods like French fries , milk products like cheese or ice cream (except yogurt and parmesan cheese), chocolate, alcohol, caffeine (found in coffee and some sodas), carbonated drinks like soda.

Also do the following

Drink no less than 8 glasses of water daily

Eat foods rich in fiber. Fiber can be helpful because it improves how the intestines work, whether you have diarrhea, constipation or both.

Fiber also may reduce bloating, pain and other symptoms of IBS. It does this by bulking the stools and making them softer. Foods rich in fiber are: bran, carrots, apple, whole grain bread, and natural cereals (such as rice).

Eat natural yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, or any other of the cultured milk products that are not fatty.

Eat smaller portions, and more times per day, chewing your food at least 25 chews before swallowing.

Test which spices are ok for you. Ginger in small amounts can be really helpful. Hot chili and other similar spices are person specific. You must test yourself, and if the reaction is negative, avoid them from then on.

Remember that IBS is not going to kill you, but you must do your best to eliminate the symptoms. Proper rest, exercise and good mental attitude also can assure your return to a normal bowel.

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Tobacco Could Provide Anthrax Vaccine

2008-09-02T10:29:00.001-07:00

In a Reuters report that sounds too good to be true it has been reported that a molecular biologist, Professor Henry Daniell of the University of Central Florida, has developed a method of using genetically engineered tobacco to grow anthrax vaccine.

The anthrax vaccine gene is injected into the chloroplast genome of tobacco cells. The plant then grows seeds -- roughly a million seeds per plant -- which contain the vaccine.

According to Daniell this technology produces anthrax vaccine that is free of the anthrax toxin contamination that plagues traditionally fermented vaccines. The process could also be used for growing treatments for diabetes, hepatitis C, plague and cholera.

But don't go putting tobacco into the back forty just yet. Seeds are so plentiful in the tobacco plant that if this process works, one acre of tobacco would produce enough vaccine to supply the entire U.S.

Websites Selling TamiFlu Vaccine Identified by British Authorities

According to an AFX report, 18 websites worldwide have been identified as claiming to sell Tamiflu online. Seven sites were in the US, three in the UK, and two in Canada. Sting operatings have been mounted to track down and catch the would-be drug suppliers.

Tamiflu is made by Roche Pharmaceuticals of Switzerland, and is condidered the most effective treatment against the much-publicized H5N1 strain of bird flu.

US, Austrian and Dutch authorities have traced counterfeit pills back to producers in Asia. Online sales of counterfeit copies of hard-to-get drugs are widely feared to pose serious risks to public health.

Women Still Live Longer, but Men Are Closing the Gap

The current Longevity Index put out by Credit Suisse First Boston indicates that the longevity gap between men and women is gradually decreasing. Women (in the U.S.) now live to be an average of 82.6 years, and men 78.1 years.

The average annual improvement rate for the last 10 years has been 2% per year for men, and only 1% per year for women. So the gap is slowly closing.

The reasons, according to researchers, are that men are smoking less (less lung cancer), and learning better how to avoid heart disease. Women, on the other hand are smoking more (relatively speaking), and living more stressful lives, and are therefore more susceptible to more heart disease.

Pharmacists set to Challenge Contraception Law

An Illinois law passed in August, requires pharmacies to fill prescriptions for emergency birth control without delay if they have the prescribed contraception medications in stock. If the medications are not in stock, they must either get it or transfer the patient to another pharmacy that has it.

Some pharmacists object to this law on moral and religious grounds claiming their opposition to specific kinds of contraception. But the law does not make exception for these pharmacists. Abby Ottenhoff, a spokesperson for the Illinois governor said, If a pharmacist objects (to the rule), he or she is free to work in a pharmacy that doesn't stock and dispense emergency contraception.

A group of pharmacisits who object to dispensing contraceptives is challenging this law in U.S. District Court in Springfield, Illinois. The group is funded by evangelist Pat Robertson's organization, American Center for Law and Justice.

Linknet Health News Digest - December 21, 2005

Linknet-News.com provides daily news summaries in article and RSS format.

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Aromatherapy and Depression

2008-09-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

When artiste Leslie Cheung committed suicide, he left behind a trail of speculations amidst sighs of regret. News of his ?depression? arose. The realisation that even a superstar could be plagued by such problems abruptly heightened the ?suffering index? of ordinary folks. Incessant natural disasters, bleak economic outlook, fear of unemployment, adolescent worries about schoolwork?these pressures from life make ?depression? one of the most serious civilised diseases of this century.

?Insomnia? is also a common problem faced by people living in modern society. According to a survey conducted by the American National Sleep Foundation, three in every four women aged between 30 to 60 years are suffering from ?insomnia?. ?Insomnia? has already become an epidemic disease for females. The Shanghai Chinese Medical Hospital has been conducting surveys on epidemic diseases since 1996 and results indicate that 15% of Shanghai residents have serious insomnia symptoms.

These figures are concrete proof that there is a huge market demand for products that relieve stress and insomnia. The beneficial effects of aromatherapy in soothing emotions and enhancing sleep quality have long been deep-rooted in the minds of ordinary folks and have been proven in numerous clinical literatures. These constitute an important reason for the active development of ?psycho aromatherapy? products, as undertaken by Yangsen Biotechnology Institute in close collaboration with Bel?Air.

Depression: Disease of the Century, Alongside Cancer and Aids Unless patients commit suicide, depression is usually not life threatening. However, one?s quality of life will suffer a drastic decline and loved ones will also be deeply affected. According to a survey report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), 3% of the world population are suffering from depression at present. The report also predicted that Depression, Aids and Cancer will become the three main diseases of the 21st century. By 2020, depression will only be secondary to cancer in causing the inability to function normally and even death.

To most people, perhaps the degree of nervousness and anxiety has not reached the stage where they must receive medical treatment and advice. However, it is an undeniable fact that long-term nervousness and anxiety will affect the balance between one?s body and mind. Taipei Lian-An Clinic conducted a survey of 1164 white-collar workers who went there for health examinations. Results showed that two thirds of the patients felt worn out by life and close to 40% of the patients needed to receive professional psychiatric treatments due to depression and anxiety. Symptoms of nervousness and anxiety derived from work-related stress have reached the scale of an epidemic in America. 43% of adults feel threatened by it. Absenteeism, falling productivity and increase of medical bills, which can come about as a result of occupational nervousness, are predicted to cost the American economy several hundred billion US dollars.

Understanding the Importance of Sleep

?When I am sleeping, my mind is resting!? Many people have this misconception. However, the likely truth is that when you sleeping, only the rest of your body is resting. Your brain continues to be active as it labours on making preparations for the next day. Sleep is as essential to a healthy body and mind as food. If you have insufficient hours of sleep or lack quality sleep, your body will continuously accumulate ?sleep debts? and you will have to pay for it one day. Do also note that rest is not a substitute for sleep!

Another misconception is that most sleep disorders can heal without medication. Many people who are plagued by sleep disorders do not realise that this is actually a disease, much less understand that it can be healed. Methods of healing include medication, operation, psychiatric treatment and combined therapy. Sleep disorders will not disappear naturally. If allowed to develop at its own pace, it would only worsen one?s quality of life, damage interpersonal relationships, affect one?s conduct and result in huge negative impacts, to the extent of causing accidents or deaths.

Psycho Aromatherapy

To examine the mental effects of ?aromatic essential oils?, results can be basically categorised into the psychological effects deriving from aromatic scents and the physiological effects deriving from the impact of essential oil molecules on the central nervous system. Both psychological and physiological effects can cause changes in the central nervous system, internal secretion system and immunity system, hence giving rise to complex biological consequences.

Modern ?psycho aromatherapy? utilises analytical tools like Micro Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Electroencephalogram (EEG), Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF) to research on the direct impact of aroma on the central nervous system. It can be used to examine the effects of aromatherapy on health problems such as insomnia, depression, nervousness, mental fragility, headaches, fatigue, dizziness and memory deterioration.

According to popular understanding, aromatherapy can indeed achieve the effect of soothing emotions. People?s interest in aromatherapy is aroused when certain essential oils can genuinely alleviate the conditions of some illnesses which are hard to cure even in hospitals, such as mental fragility, depression and insomnia. According to clinical studies, besides using medication and supportive psychiatric therapy to cure depression, many doctors also encourage patients to adopt the method of aromatherapy. Both consumers and professional medical practitioners recognise the positive effects of essential oils for stress relief.

Research and Development of Nepenthe Bio-tech Pure Essential Oil It was 5pm in the afternoon. In a resting house in Taipei suburb, about 40 old folks were leisurely enjoying the uplifting scents of Bel?Air?s Nepenthe essential oil. They seemed at ease with themselves, immersed in a state of peace and tranquility away from the hassles of the world. This is the result of a test on Nepenthe essential oil, conducted over a week by a research team from Yangsen Biotechnology Institute to examine the therapeutic effects of aromatherapy in soothing the depressive emotions of old folks.

The research team members applied a depression scale to evaluate the subject?s level of depression. During the research process, the subject inhaled the aroma for 4 hours daily. Seven days later, the depression scale was again used to evaluate the subject?s level of depression. At the same time, the heart rate variability (HRV) was also measured to evaluate the subject?s sympathetic nerve activity and parasympathetic nerve activity. Earlier research has already shown that the higher the marks on the depression scale, the higher the level of sympathetic activity and the lower the level of parasympathetic activity. From the table below, we can see that after seven days of aromatherapy with ?Nepenthe Bio-tech Pure Essential Oil?, the depression score has evidently decreased and sympathetic activity, which stands for anxiety, has declined dramatically. On the other hand, parasympathetic activity, which stands for calmness, has increased greatly.

Chest Pain During Cold Weather Exercise

2008-08-31T18:30:00.001-07:00

Exercising in cold weather can cause chest pain in some people who have no problems when they exercise in warm weather. When cold wind blows on your face, your heart rate slows down. This decreases the blood flow to the heart and can cause pain in people with blocked coronary arteries.

The blood supply to your heart muscle comes from arteries on its outside surface. The blood that is pumped inside your heart's chambers brings almost no oxygen to your heart muscle. If you have arteriosclerosis, the fatty plaques in your heart's arteries restrict the flow of blood to your heart. Your heart has to pump rapidly to meet its needs for oxygen. A cold wind slows your heart, reducing the flow of blood. If the heart muscle is unable to get all the oxygen it needs, it starts to hurt.

While freezing your face slows your heart, freezing your fingers makes your heart beat faster. Cold hands will not cause chest pain, but a cold face can. If you have no history arteriosclerosis and have chest pain when you exercise in cold weather, check with your doctor to rule out possible heart problems. If you have heart trouble, it is always a good idea to cover your face when you go out on cold days. You can wear a scarf that you can wrap over your mouth, a knitted ski mask, or a hat with a visor that you can lower when the wind blows. Check with your doctor.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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What Is Aromatherapy?

2008-08-30T22:30:00.001-07:00

Aromatherapy is a branch of herbalism that employs the use of essential oils for therapeutic use. Essential oils are highly aromatic distillations of flowers, roots, stalks, bark, seeds, leaves, gum or rind of plants, trees or fruit. This holistic practice is now well recognized and utilized for aid in bringing about physical, mental or emotional change within a person.

Used by the Ancients for thousands of years, precious oils were the first medicines and perfumes. Incenses utilizing the oils perfumed places of worship. This science is increasingly being used either in conjunction with allopathic medicine or alone to provide a natural alternative to treating common ailments. Essential oils contain chemical constituents that nourish, energize, heal and protect the living plant increasing its immunity. Over the years, practitioners used these extracted oils to stimulate the immune system, balance our central nervous system, increase blood circulation, relieve pain and treat viruses, infections, wounds and skin ailments. When pure oils are placed directly on the skin, they enter into our bloodstream and can often impact our mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health. Applications of essential oils diluted in a carrier are ideal for use in massage, reflexology and bodywork. In fact, the best place to put oil is either the soles of your feet or the palms of your hands. Inhale the fragrance from your hand. Rub it on areas where you have tension. It is possible to feel positive emotional and physical benefits from a single application of a few drops of oil.

Notably, mere inhalation of particular scents can also impact us in the same ways. In the emotional realm, essential oils were used to treat depression, anxiety, improve memory and promote self-confidence and a meditative state. Aromatherapy is the belief that certain scents trigger specific emotional or physical responses in people simply because the chemical constituents evoke them. Magical Aromatherapy is the practice of using the energies found within these same oils and floral waters or plant material to bring about a needed change. These energies are often focused for a specific intent by visualizing the intended goal. Aroma magick is created each time you use a particular scent for a particular purpose. Aromatherapists concern themselves with the effects of smell, magickal practitioners concern themselves with the energy of the plant.

Debbi Quinn is the owner of Blue Moon Herbals, the popular online retailer of chakra oils, perfume pendants, and other aromatherapy products. She was diagnosed with cancer in 1988 and has since turned to aromatherapy to help maintain a healthy body.

Male Hair Loss Treatment What Options Do You Have?

2008-08-30T02:30:00.001-07:00

Male hair loss treatments are big business. That is because for many men, losing their hair as they age is a devastating experience. It can happen at any age following puberty and has a number of causes. For these reasons there are huge numbers of men looking for an effective male hair loss treatment. If you are looking for a male hair loss treatment what options do you have?

The first thing you should do before even considering buying a male hair loss treatment is to consult your doctor. A doctor can ask all the necessary questions to try and determine the cause of your hair loss. There are many causes of male hair loss which are reversible and not a cause for worry. And pinpointing these causes is the first step before even considering any form of male hair loss treatment.

For example there are both medical conditions and medical treatments which can cause hair loss. Often when the medical condition is treated the hair can grow back or when the medical treatment is stopped the hair can grow back. In both cases the use of any form of male hair loss treatment is unnecessary.

However it is true that the vast majority of cases of male hair loss are caused by hereditary factors ? male pattern baldness. Currently there is no prevention for male pattern baldness. Men who are diagnosed with this condition may need to consider some form of male hair loss treatment.

However there are some preliminary decisions to make. How concerned are you about losing your hair? There are large numbers of men who lose their hair and are not sufficiently concerned to seek treatment. And baldness is almost a fashion now. This may have started with Yul Brinner, but a bald head makes a statement.

And how prepared are you for the downside of using various forms of male hair loss treatments? They can be invasive, expensive, impermanent and for many men just do not work.

Notwithstanding, there are many men who still want to find methods of replacing their hair. And there are male hair loss treatments which work, but not for everyone.

The effective male hair loss treatments can be broken down into types. Firstly there are the topical applications. There is minoxidil, which is known by various trade names. It is applied directly to the scalp, and slows hair loss or promotes hair growth in some, but not all men. There is also finasteride which is taken as a tablet and also has an effect on slowing hair loss and promoting hair growth in some but not all men.

It should be understood that these results only continue as long as the product is used and so many question whether they are a really effective male hair loss treatment when it is realised that to continue to receive the benefits it is necessary to continue on the product indefinitely.

Then there are the surgical methods. They are all a form of plastic surgery. You can opt for hair transplant surgery where individual hairs are taken from the other parts of the head and replanted onto the affected areas. Or scalp reduction which is a method of taking out a small part of the affected area, or flap surgery which takes an area of scalp with good hair growth and over time stretches it to take over from areas which are affected by the hair loss.

All are effective male hair loss treatments when done correctly but are not suitable for all men. And they are usually expensive.

So, if you are suffering from male hair loss, see you doctor and find out the cause. Next, spend some time thinking about how prepared you are to live with it. And for those who are sufficiently motivated to do something about it find out more about effective male hair loss treatments. They do exist, they do work, but not for everyone.

For a website totally devoted to hair loss and hair replacement visit Peter's Website The Hair Replacement Guide, and find out about Hair Replacement as well as Male Hair Loss and more, including Female Hair Loss and Hair Loss Treatments

Fraud Diet Fraud

2008-08-29T06:30:00.001-07:00

In this article we're going to cover a little known type of fraud, though becoming more and more common and a bigger problem each year, this is diet fraud.

The fact is, a great number of people in the world and especially in the United States are overweight. It is one of the largest growing health concerns in this country and getting worse every year. Because of this problem, diet programs are everywhere. Many of them like Weight Watchers have been around for a very long time and are reputable companies. Unfortunately, there are a great number of diet plans out there that are flat out fraudulent in that they promote a weight loss program that doesn't work or is just plain dangerous.

So, how does one recognize these fraudulent diet programs? Unfortunately it is not easy to do. Many of the criminals who commit this fraud do so in such a manner that their diet plan or meal looks legit. Add to this the fact that they are preying on poor people who are at the end of their ropes when it comes to losing weight and it becomes very easy to get these people sucked into the fraudulent program. Having said that, there are some things to look out for that may alert you to a possible fraud.

Many of the latest diet programs can be seen on infomercials on television. One thing to watch out for is information that seems too good to be true, such as losing inches from your waistline in a matter of days. Even if a program like this were to work, which is doubtful, it is dangerous to lose weight that quickly. For a truly healthy diet and exercise routine you shouldn't lose more than a pound or two each week. If a program says you will lose some crazy amount like 10 pounds in 10 days then most likely the program is either fraudulent or very dangerous.

Another thing to look out for when it comes to diet programs is the testimonials. Take a look at the people on these commercials. In most cases they are far from having need of a diet. Many look like fashion models or paid actors and actresses. Be wary of before and after photos as with today's technology it is very easy to doctor a photo.

Another thing to watch out for is any plan that says you can lose weight without any exercise or that you can lose weight by just putting on their special heat treated tummy trimmer or whatever nonsense they call it. There is no way to lose weight in a healthy manner without proper diet and exercise. Anyone who says differently is not to be trusted.

Mostly, use your common sense. If you see a weight loss plan that looks too good to be true then most likely it is and all it is going to make you lose is the money that you spent on the plan itself.

Good common sense will pick out a diet scam with no trouble at all.

-------------------------------------------------------
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Fraud
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Amount of Exercise Is More Important Than Its Intensity

2008-08-28T10:29:00.001-07:00

Sedentary people gain 3 to 4 pounds a year, so exercise is really important for weight and health maintenance. You should be surprised to learn that amount of exercise may be more important than its intensity, but the truth is moderate exercise regimen, such as 12 miles of brisk walking each week, can provide significant improvements in fitness levels. May be you will not lose weight, but you will gain other important benefits by exercising:

improvement of your fitness level,

diminution of fat,

muscle tonus augmentation,

improvement of your lipid panel,

risks reduction of developing cardiovascular disease.

If you increase either your mileage or intensity, by going up an incline or jogging, you will achieve even greater gains. But don't stop exercising, this is very important for your health condition. You don't have to go jog, climb on the stairmaster or elliptical trainer and kill yourself. Just walk around the neighborhood after dinner and get the above benefits.

Moderate exercise induces significant improvements in two established markers of fitness: peak oxygen consumption and time to exhaustion. There is a clear link between heart health and fitness. Therefore 'it is appropriate to recommend mild exercise to improve fitness and reduce cardiovascular risk, yet encourage higher intensities and amounts for additional benefits.

Valerian D is a freelance writer specialized in issues affecting men health

Laser Hair Removal and Me

2008-08-27T14:30:00.001-07:00

This is about my first experience with laser hair removal. It was... well... memorable. I hadn't done my homework. I'd gone to a cheap place that was on my way to work. It was a small shady looking clinic. They called it laser electrolysis. Money was the issue at the time. It was almost half the price of some of the others I'd glanced over. Unfortunately, it shouldn't have been the driving issue. Consequently, I regretted it dearly. The people there said, it would be painless and a sure thing. Permanent hair removal for good. Looking back, I realized how important it was to have consulted a qualified dermatologist first and foremost. In several weeks, the hair had grown back.

By the time the hair had grown back, the thought of going through it all again had nearly vanished. It wasn't until chatting with a friend over coffee, did it come back. She told me about how she'd found a good dermatologist. She had some skin and hair problems that'd been nagging her for a while. Regarding the hair, her dermatologist mentioned the option of laser hair removal, which came in two main types. One involved the actual use of a medical laser. The other type involved something called a xenon flash lamp. While it wasn't a laser, it essentially did the same thing.

As she was telling me all this, I brought up my own horror story - made me feel really naive. She told me that, there was no such thing as permanent hair removal, nor was it completely painless for everyone. Her own experience had been pretty good. She'd just had her last laser session. Experienced almost no pain at all. In addition, having fair skin and dark hair, had made her an ideal candidate, amongst other things.

So it didn't take me long after hearing this, to seek out my own dermatologist for a consultation. It took me a while, but it was well worth the effort. It was explained to me that due to my relatively darker skin tone, I'd have to be extra careful. She also gave me a more informative summary about laser hair removal.

Anyway, by the end of the following month, I'd booked my first session for the procedure. It hurt a little bit, but it was nothing like the first time. Plus, the staff there were really kind and happy to answer some of the questions I had.

Three months later, I finally managed to get rid of that unwanted hair.

This article has been brought to you by Laser Hair Removal Toronto

Why Deep Breathing is Essential for us

2008-08-20T02:30:00.000-07:00

Deep breathing means - Adopting a habit of breathing deeply.

From your nostril not from your mouth. That's it !

Normally most people ( i.e. almost 95 % of all of us) who are leading a sedentary life style and working on jobs that requires 'using their heads' all day long, the outcome of a busy, complex and demanding life is somewhat like this:

No energy in the end of the day, mental sluggishness, dilapidated bodies, greater susceptibility to germ and infections, wear-and-tear of the entire body, more work for the heart, irregular blood pressure, tensions in body and nerves etc.

Remember this important fact:

?To function properly, our brain needs three times more oxygen than the rest of our organs; and unless this is provided it will try to appropriate its supply by drawing on the over-all allotment! ?

This explains why so many city people, working at sedentary jobs, doing mental work all day long, tend to become dilapidated and have greater susceptibility to germ and infections than persons who lead active outdoor lives. Sedentary individuals are permanently oxygen-starved. Yet this situation can be avoided at will.

Air is nourishment to our bodies just as much as food and drink. Air gives our blood the supply of oxygen it must have in order to feed itself so that it may, in turn, feed the tissues, nerves, glands and vital organs. Without it our skin, bones, teeth and hair could not remain in condition. Our digestion-the process of utilizing the food we eat-fails at once without a proper supply of oxygen to the blood. Even our thinking processes are slowed down without intake and exhalation of fresh air-which is the reason mental sluggishness overtakes us in an ill-ventilated room

In a single day we breath about 23,000 times. The average volumes of air taken in with a single breath is about 20 cubic inches, depending on a person's size, sex, posture, the nature of the surrounding atmosphere and one's physical and emotional state. However, with proper attention given to the breathing, this volume may be increased to 100 or even 130 cubic inches per breath.

Breathing is an activity which is indispensable for our existence. Nobody can live without breathing as the oxygen is the life blood of all organisms on earth.

However, most of us breath in a shallow manner. The inhalation and exhalation of air in and out of body occurs on a very superficial level in most of us. People just don?t care to inhale deeply since they don't find any compulsive urge to do so.

Though not breathing deeply does not harm us directly, it has its own long term negative effects on our body.

Let us understand what happens when we do not adopt correct breathing:

As the average person reaches middle age, lung tissues tend to grow less and less elastic. Years of improper breathing take their toll. The chest itself has a tendency to grow rigid The consequences is an accumulation of uric acid in the blood stream which often leads to those vague syndromes of pain and discomfort that doctors in general diagnose with a shrug as the miseries of aging, which they can cheerfully advise you to learn to live with since nothing can be done about them.

Backaches, headaches, stiffening muscles and joints, neuritis, rheumatism are some of the more common of these complaints. Excess fat is another, for as we begin to grow old and proper circulation is impeded by a sluggish diaphragm or hardening arteries, the red blood corpuscles become distributed unevenly and fat accumulates in spots instead of being burned up.

However, all of these complaints may be avoided, or at least considerably retarded, if only we learn to breath scientifically. Deep breathing (along with Deep Contraction) also has a direct salutary effect on Obesity, Since the cleansing, stimulating action of deep breathing improves metabolism and that, in turn, transforms deposits of fat into body fuel, or added energy.

In other words,

Careful reorientation of your breathing habits can provide you with 5 times the oxygen and rid you of five times the carbon dioxide, with which you habitually function.

Just incorporate a habit of deep breathing in your busy, complex and demanding life and all the above negative outcomes of it will vanish like a magic !

Eklavya is a simple student of meditation based in India. He provides knowledge of meditation through his website Meditation is Easy (http://www.meditationiseasy.com). This website provides knowledge of meditation (& various meditation techniques) to general public in a simple and idiot-friendly language ! On this website you can will also learn two super powerful and extremely easy methods of learning deep breathing. (http://www.meditationiseasy.com/mCorner/aids/Learndeepbreathing.htm )

Apart from learning 112 Meditation techniques of all times (for all people of all age, you will also find on this website : a useful collection of various tips for stress-free life http://www.meditationiseasy.com/tips/index.htm) including workplace tips, health tips and Soul tips ! Have a look !

Can I Buy Colored Contact Lenses With No Prescription?

2008-08-19T06:30:00.001-07:00

So you want to change your eye color and buy colored contact lenses with no prescription. Or maybe you are planning to go to a party and want to go with blue eyes instead of brown. Can you buy colored contact lenses with no prescription? If you want to buy colored contact lenses with no prescription you may have a problem.

Many places will not allow you to buy colored contact lenses with no prescription. You can buy colored contact lenses with no prescription online because they are considered cosmetic lenses by some companies. Other companies will not allow you to buy colored contact lenses with no prescription at all. You will need to check with the company to see if you can buy colored contact lens with no prescription.

When you buy colored contact lenses with no prescription you may be encouraged to check with an eye doctor first. This will ensure that your eyes are healthy before you buy colored contact lenses with no prescription.

You can buy colored contact lenses with no prescription in many colors. They are disposable and designed to throw away after a certain period of time.

If you buy colored contact lenses with no prescription you should know that they are safe and affordable. Many people buy colored contact lenses with no prescription because they are easy to use.

People also buy colored contact lenses with no prescription because they want to change their eye color to match their mood or an outfit. When you buy colored contact lenses with no prescription you will find that they are fun to wear and can add a little excitement to your life.

If you choose to buy colored contact lenses with no prescription be sure to take care of them. You can buy colored contact lenses with no prescription that are 45 or 180 day wear lenses. This will give you a choice when you buy colored contact lenses with no prescription.

You may really enjoy the change in your eye color when you buy colored contact lenses with no prescription.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Vision-Doctor.com. He provides more contact lens tips and discount colored contact lenses that you can research and purchase in your pajamas on his website.

Eating Out Can Be Hazardous To Your Waistline

2008-08-18T10:30:00.001-07:00

Going out to eat can really put the brakes on your weight loss program unless you have exceptional control over what you eat. Although many restaurants now offer choices for many types of diets, it's whats on the rest of the menu that might tempt you to stray. Often high in salt, sugar and oil most restaurant food tends to be higher in calories that what you might prepare for yourself.

And Americans are eating out more and more. According to Dr. Caroline Cederquist, a physician who specializes in weight management, less than 20 percent of the calories Americans consumed were eaten outside the home in 1978 but in 2003, that number had climbed to 50 percent. Combine that with the fact that obesity in Americans is growing each year with as many as two thirds of Americans being overweight and you might come to the conclusion that eating out can be hazardous to your waistline.

One problem is that restaurants often serve huge portions. That combined with the fact that we have been conditioned to clean our plates can result in a huge weight problem. You may feel morally obligated to eat everything on your plate ?even if your health and your weight might suffer as a result. If you eat out a lot, you may become accustomed to these large portions and start to eat like that at home as well.

Another problem with restaurant eating is that they often serve bread or rolls ? and usually not the healthy whole wheat kind either. Now, when you know you are going out to eat, you probably eat less throughout the day or delay or skip eating and by the time you get to the restaurant you are starving. So what do you do when they bring the rolls? Of course, you dig in eating way to many rolls.

You might be dining with a group that likes to savor the experience and order appetizers before the meal but did you know that restaurant appetizers tend to be extremely high in calories? For example, a basket of fried onions can have a whopping 2,000 calories. Eat a few appetizers to be polite and you'll have to run the treadmill for hours to work it off!

Many restaurants now offer free soda refills. Plus the soda glasses tend to be large to begin with so you are receiving greater servings of this sugary beverage. The tendency may be to order seconds because it's free and you want to take advantage of that but remember, just the soda alone can put you far over your daily recommended allowance of calories for weight loss.

Perhaps the greatest restaurant challenge to any dieter is the buffet. With so many choices you may be tempted to get one of everything! Since you can go back as many times as you want you might overindulge. You want to make sure you get your moneys worth, right?

So what can you do if you must eat out several times a week? First of all, make sure you stick to your diet plan. Don?t give in to eating wrong foods ?just this once.? Choose entrees that have lots of vegetables and avoid dessert entirely. When your meal comes, set half aside immediately and even ask for a doggy bag right away so you won't be tempted to eat the second half when the first is done. Don't starve yourself before going out to eat and you will be better able to avoid eating those rolls as well as overeating when the meal comes. If you are not starving when you order, it will be easier to order a healthy meal an stay away from fatty, high calorie entrees.

Generally, if you stick to sensible and healthy eating patterns both at home and when eating out you will be developing good eating habits that will help you lose weight and keep it off for life.

Lee Dobbins writes about Low Carb and Low GI eating as well as other weight loss issues. Visit http://www.lowcarb-resource.com for more articles on healthy dieting.

Updated Crystal Therapy

2008-08-17T14:30:00.001-07:00

Why Crystal Healing Works

Crystal healing and therapy has come under alot of scrutiny of late. The conclusion of the scientific community is that it is pure quackery. Yet millions who've tried it say that it works well for them.

The reason for this discrepancy is quite simple. In figuring out why crystal therapy doesn't work when it doesn't, only the pseudoscientific claims of quacks have been tested. When it is tested under other conditions, it has been shown to have a positive effect. This has been accounted for as a placebo effect.

To say that something is a result of the placebo effect or is psychosomatic does not make it any less real. Psychology is a real science. Conditions like depression and stigmata are real, and have real physical effects, and sometimes physical causes. So just because crystal therapy only acts on a person's psychology does not make it any less real or any less useful in therapy.

Why Crystals?

Simply put, we humans like pretty, shiny things. We respond to colors and light refraction. Even cats, birds, and other animals respond to the sight of light play on crystals. It's natural for us to love light and to be fascinated by refractions.

We multi celled organisms also like heat. Different crystals reflect, channel, and store heat differently.

We also know that an object related to a goal or objective is an excellent focus and visualization tool.

So we get many positive things from crystals: light play, color, heat channelling/reciprocation, and a focussing tool. This is all before we get into mystical properties.

Mystical Properties

Let's be frank here. The scientific community's conclusions about just about everything, are based on the premise of a universe without an intelligent, willful Supreme Being(SWT). On the one hand, this is good, as it prevents a sort of mystical copping out when something isn't easily understood. One can't just say that something happens because God(SWT) makes it so. One has to find out exactly what is going on through observation and experimentation.

Where this is great for most sciences, it is not so good for psychology or anything controlled by one's mind and/or soul. Most people on earth have some kind of a belief system. Even atheists have faith that their belief is true, that is not based on any actual physical evidence.

Since nobody has been able to prove or disprove the existence of God(SWT) in a way that all mankind has to undeniably accept, then we are left with two options: to behave as if we are all atheists, and totally abandon any behavior that is based on any kind of allowance for God's(SWT) existence; or to go with what works for us as individuals, most of whom believe that there is or at least may be God(SWT).

If we believe that there is or may be, then there are a great many time honored traditions of healing and therapy that we should probably not discount based on a non theological premise. The techniques and motivations just need to be updated.

Pseudoscience vs. Psychology

First of all, any scientific justifications that are inaccurate, based on misinformation, or just plain lies, need to be removed from our field. Crystals do not produce any more energies than any other stones. What they were is exposed to alot of energy, which caused them to be crystals and not just regular rocks. What we think of as regular rocks are amazing in their own right. Crystals are just prettier to us.

So, the updated crystal therapist must be a mineral therapist. They must explore how not just the pretty crystals, but many kinds of minerals, affect the mood, mental and physical wellbeing of various people. A nice, heavy, rough bit of granite, or even a cement block, may help a certain individual focus on their goals and stay grounded better than any lucky quartz.

Some people might benefit more from playing with sand. Rock and sand gardens are known to be therapeutic. An exercise of burying and finding a shiny crystal of their favorite color in a bucket of sand may help someone to find solutions to difficult problems in their lives.

If someone is having problems related to their confidence or body image, the sensation of rough diamonds (please buy only non conflict diamonds for this) lain against their skin might help them both to love themselves as they are, and make only positive changes. Diamonds are beautiful even in industrial grades. They may not be the most sought after for display, but they still have a glitter, and are still just as tough. This definitely sends a positive message to the mind.

Unsearched Benefits

As conductors of soul energy, the benefits of crystals are well known. When I am lending my strength to another, they are a good tool for staying focussed on a particular objective, and for filtering subconscious information into the conscious mind.

Yes, this is based on a theological assumption. No, it is not science. It doesn't really need to be.

...but is it pure faith? Well, it's not really that either. It's based on actual physical evidence. I myself have benefitted from crystal and other mineral healing. Others I know have as well. However, nobody I know of has done well with just the crystals or rocks alone. In all of the cases I'm aware of, the crystals were the tools of direction, focus, and enhancing the positivity of the situation, not the cause of the healing in and of themselves.

The field is wide open. All one needs to do is to get out there and walk the path. Walk it honestly, and you will find that your practice will be much more fulfilling, and much more effective.

Modern Traditional Web zine for traditional and ethnic clothing and lifestyles.

Fat Burning Food For Powerful Natural Fat Loss

2008-08-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

Some like it hot, others spicy. No matter how you look at shedding the pounds, nothing is more powerful than a strong natural diet, and some good old fashion exercise. Now with the supplement industry booming, there has been the introduction of thermogenic aids that some proclaim as hype, and others point to as life threatening. Most of the thermogenic supplements on the market are used to shed fat fast, especially in the realm of competitive bodybuilding. Here is a list of some of the most prominent thermogenic aids on the market (and some you may not have heard of), and studies that show their effects:

- Hydroxy Citric Acid (HCA): HCA is obtained from the rinds of the Garcinia fruit of South Asia. HCA does not affect the central nervous system like ephedera or caffeine. HCA prevents the conversion of carbohydrate into fat.

- Inosine: Inosine is in the family of nucleotide molecules known as purines. Together with pyramidines, purines make up the nitrogenous bases, which are the building blocks of DNA. Research has shown Inosine as stimulating enzyme activities in the liver. Other studies show that Inosine maintains ATP in bone marrow and enhances cardiovascular functioning. Inosine also assists in carbohydrate metabolism.

- Choline: Choline is a member of the B-complex group of vitamins. Some of its functions include building cell membranes; mobilizing fat, decreasing cholesterol, and helping the liver metabolize fats.

- Carnitine: Carnitine was first discovered around 100 years ago by Russian scientists. Carnitine is a water soluble substance, synthesized by the liver which requires the presence of other vitamins such as vitamins C, B6, B3, and iron to work most efficiently. Carnitine primarily stimulates the transport of long-chain fatty acids across the inner membranes of mitochondria. (Source: Embleton, P. Anabolic Primer, 1998)

There are a whole list of other supplements utilized by athletes and people wishing to shed pounds. The above list is all well and good, but what about when you have a hole in your pocket and can't afford to fork out the thousands of dollars per year it takes to shed the pounds with supplements? Are there natural alternatives? Of course. Mother Nature has provided us with some super thermogenic foods to help you shed the pounds naturally, without forking out potentially thousands of dollars on overly priced (and sometimes overly hyped supplements). Here is a list:

- Garlic: It's not about the breath it's about burning the fat, and nothing is as potent as garlic. Garlic is a powerful antioxidant against lipid per oxidation. Add some to your food for a strong fat loss gain!

- Onions: Be it red or white, onions are a fantastic way of boosting your HDL (High Density Lipo Protein, basically good cholesterol) levels and also helps lower total cholesterol.

- Ginger: I love the Asian cuisine! Asian foods utilize a lot of ginger. Adding ginger to your foods is a fantastic way of helping you to reduce both blood and liver cholesterol.

- Chilli: Aye Curumba! Chillis are an awesome way of lowering blood cholesterols and triglycerides. Give Chilli a try to spice up your fat burning efforts. (Source: Richmond, W. FIA: Nutrition & Weight Management, 2001)

So spice it up for greater fat metabolism, and save money from overly priced supplements!

John Stevanja is an Aussie born, internationally certified fitness instructor, who has played competitive soccer at the highest levels in the position of goalkeeper. Being well travelled, John has worked in the leading corporate and private gym environments in the UK.

John offers a unique twist on goalkeeper specific nutrition and performance. His site, http://www.keeper-skool.com is updated daily and gives advice for not only the competitive soccer goalkeeper, but for athletes and fitness enthusiasts from all walks of life.

Maintaining Your Weight Loss Momentum Away On Vacation

2008-08-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

Going away for your holidays will also bring with it a good supply of temptation on the food front, unless you are on a survival course, climbing a mountain or camping in the wilderness on limited rations. The chances are you will be at a hotel, and if you have chosen a good hotel, it is likely there will be good food, often as much as you want.

So, how do you deal with your weight loss aims when you are on holiday away from home? Here are just a few ideas:

Sample The Fresh Local Food

If you are having your vacation in a warmer clime by the sea, then there is a good chance there will be a good supply of fresh fish and delicious fruits, even some vegetables you've not tried before. Try to concentrate on those. After all, what is the point of travelling somewhere else if you end up sticking to the same old foods. You may well find some low calorie delights that will add to a memorable holiday.

Avoid The Full Buffet Table

Many hotels offer buffet breakfasts, and also buffet lunches and evening meals. If you decide to eat at the hotel, arrive late. If you are the first there and see a sumptuous spread across the tables, your desires may be stimulated, your appetite inflamed. Plus, you will have more time to eat. Arrive later on, and the almost empty display will not look so appealing; also, what is left is likely to be the lower calorie foods.

Explore The Locality

If you are visiting a foreign land, or somewhere new in your own country, take at least a daily stroll around the local streets. Or if you want to visit further afield, see if you can hire a bike. That adds a healthy but interesting dimension to your experience, and assists in maintaining your weight loss programme.

Keep Active On The Beach

There is much you can do at the beach that will help you with your weight loss ideals. Get involved in beach volleyball or any other activity that might be going on, or which you and your companions or family could start. Not only does it help shed weight, it also keeps your mind off food. And there in front of you is an enormous swimming pool, the sea. Swim as often as you can within your safety limits, and you will go home a healthier you. Even if you do not swim, get in the sea and exercise your limbs in the water. I cannot swim, and that's just what I do; the water resistance is an excellent aid to exercise.

Use The Hotel Facilities

It depends on the hotel, of course, but many have good facilities that will help you both enjoy your holiday and lose weight, or at least not put on weight. You're paying for the hotel and the facilities, so make the most of them if they are included, or treat yourself if they are not. If you prefer to swim in freshwater, use the swimming pool as part of an exercise routine during your stay. If there's a gym, make it a daily part of your itinerary; if there's a sauna, indulge.

Relax

If you are relaxed, your self control and confidence are likely to be higher. So, relax. If you want to indulge yourself, have a massage instead of foaming at the mouth over chocolate gateau.

Of course, the holidays should be about enjoyment. So whether you are at home or in some distant location, enjoy yourself. You never know, you may come home a pound or two lighter, still telling everyone about your wonderful holiday.

Roy Thomsitt is the owner and part author of http://www.routes-to-self-improvement.com

I Cheated Death Several Times!

2008-08-15T02:33:00.000-07:00

I was a student in London when I got married. We had been living together for about three years. We started way back in Nigeria. She was the first to take the plunge, and traveled to Britain. Our plan was for the baby to come shortly after her final papers.

We had developed rather unconsciously, but out of practice, a regular routine of waking up and getting ready to leave home on time for our respective schools. On this fateful morning, my wife woke up before usual. Being a light sleeper, I was aware she was getting out of bed. When she came back into bed, I asked her if all was well. She replied in the affirmative. Like a programmed mechanism, we usually got out of bed together; but that day, she said: ?I can?t get up.? It was beyond me to imagine how she had quickly come to that condition.

Eventually, I had to phone for the ambulance for the first time in my life. As we were living in NW 10, London, Middlesex Hospital was the nearest to us. Even though she was not attending the pre-natal there, all her records were there as the Government was in charge of everything medical. There were private hospitals, of course. Under one hour, she was on the operating table. She had ectopic pregnancy, and the fallopian tube was already ruptured.

At the end of about two weeks, she was ready for discharge. We chose the Sunday morning as best suited to serve our purposes. In the seventies, London, on Sunday mornings, was like a ghost town. In spite of that, I decided to go by the byway, as it was shorter. My car type was the Hillman Minx. It had a tray running throughout underneath the dashboard.

All of a sudden, an annoying rattling sound was coming somewhere from the tray. It offended my punctilious disposition towards the car. I ran my fingers throughout the length of the tray to find out what was there. There was nothing. Then, it suddenly stopped. Almost immediately, it came on again. What I did next was contrary to common sense: I bent down to look underneath the tray. I raised up my head just in time to see my car attempting to climb a solid concrete electric post. I remember trying to get out of the car after the impact, and saw many windows opening to see my ignoble crash. The next thing I knew was waking up on a stretcher lying on the floor in the X-ray room of a nearby small hospital. As can be expected, there were neither beds nor chairs in the X-ray room. The crash occurred before 9am. I came back to life after 12noon. I had been striped to my briefs. Apparently, I was been examined for any possible wounds. There was none.

The walkie-talkie was loud enough for anyone to hear the discussion. The plain-cloth Policeman reported to the station that the victim had come back to life. This was followed by switch offs from both ends. Also standing around was the ambulance driver. He recognized me. He was the one who took my wife to the hospital about two weeks earlier. In genuine empathy, he expressed regret at the misfortune that befell my wife and I in a cascade.

I was X-rayed all over. There was no damage done. However, I had pain in my left knee for about two weeks, during which time walking was rather painful. At that time, I have not seen the car to assess the extent of the damage. However, what the Policeman said was a big surprise to me. He remarked that if the LORD GOD was able to protect me from sustaining injuries in such a terrible accident, no man should ask me any questions. He did not even ask me for my driver?s license but ordered me to present it at the nearest Police Station. No charges were pressed.

My wife knew that my failure to pick her up at the appointed time indicated that something serious had happened. When I left the Police Station (I was been expected), I went straight to the Hospital by bus. I arrived there at about 2pm. My wife and some other patients were on the lookout for me as I had been known for my punctuality.

The following evening, I took the towing vehicle from the insurance company to the accident site. I was amazed at what I saw. All the instruments on the dashboard were hanging on the connecting wires. The steering wheel hit against my chest and broke into pieces. At the point of impact, the car was crushed by the electric post right up to the edge of the wind shield. The battery which was seated at the rear end of the hood was crushed. The car was a total loss. The Policeman was right to observe that it had pleased the LORD GOD to spare my life. Indeed, I?m thankful to the LORD GOD for dear life.

Cornelius is a Nigerian. He went to Britain for his university education. He obtained B.Sc. Hons. Physics, and M.Sc. Solid State Physics. He returned to Nigeria afterwards, and taught in universities and polytechnics before he retired. Currently, he is in US to publish and promote his book: The True Mission of Christ. The content is by direct Divine revelation, and therefore, cannot be faulted. More about the book can be found at http://www.babasanyacraig.com

The Silent Assassin Asbestos Mesothelioma

2008-08-13T22:54:00.000-07:00

Many people are living with the seeds of the deadly killer Mesothelioma lurking inside there bodies.

It can take 10 to 15 years after exposure to asbestos and other cancer causing agents for the Mesothelioma to become active. Litigation regarding mesothiolma should surge in the years to come. Mesothelioma is a very serious disease.

If you or your loved ones becomes a victim of this devastating disease what are you options? Where will you go for support? Where in the country are the best treatment centers for Mesothelioma. Who will aggressively protect your rights in court? What about the suffering that it causes? What about the years it takes off someone?s life?

The first step is to determine if you or anyone in your family are potential victims of the deadly curse.

Up to 9 out of 10 cases of mesothelioma are caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a natural mineral, mined from rock found in many countries. It is made up of tiny fibres that are as strong as steel but can be woven like cotton and are highly resistant to heat and chemicals. Absestos was used in construction, ship-building and the manufacture of household appliances.

Talk to your family members, discuss you history of exposure to any of the above examples.

Be prepared to battle this devious and cunning disease.

Find a quality mesothelioma lawyer. This is where Mesothelioma laws come into play. Every state has very stringent laws regarding asbestos material.

Parkinson's Disease and the Glutathione Discovery

2008-08-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

If you have Parkinson's Disease, you may have heard whispers about the results people with PD are experiencing by raising their glutathione levels. Their symptoms are vastly diminishing and even disappearing altogether. As the news of glutathione travels around the world, those whispers are becoming a roar.

The roar is: Glutathione repairs cellular damage.

If you have Parkinson's, the free radical damage to your cells is already very advanced. What's really scary is, it is also likely that you have extremely low levels of glutathione, your body's master anti-oxidant and most important free radical fighter. If you have PD, the free radicals are winning, and you're paying the price.

Your glutathione levels could be as low as 2% of normal. This is why people with Parkinson's Disease who are taking the steps necessary to raise their glutathione levels are experiencing freedom from their symptoms. This is big news in the war against PD.

The battle cry is growing louder as more and more studies are coming out every month that positively validate the connection between Parkinson's, free radical damage, and low glutathione levels.

So, What Is Glutathione?

Glutathione is produced in every single one of your cells. It is your body's master anti-oxidant. This means four big things:

Glutathione neutralizes free radicals.

Glutathione repairs cell damage already done by free radicals.

Glutathione detoxifies you and flushes toxins out of your body.

Glutathione recharges all of your other anti-oxidants.

If you're a little fuzzy on the nature of free radicals and the extensive damage that they do, or the vital importance of anti-oxidants (free radical fighters.)

Recent research has analyzed the brain tissue of people with Parkinson's, and scientists have found that the damage is consistent with extensive oxidative stress. Oxidative stress IS free radical damage. Basically, the brain tissue of people living with Parkinson's, and other neurodegenerative diseases, is 'rusting.'

Fighting free radicals means fighting the rust. Glutathione is the master rust-fighter; it can actually repair cellular damage. And what this means for people with PD is that their symptoms can be greatly alleviated, and even reversed, if their glutathione levels are increased.

How Do I Get More Glutathione Inside Me?

It used to be very expensive and inconvenient to raise your body's glutathione levels. You'd have to go to the hospital and have intravenous treatments three or four times a week. Those days are gone.

There is now a safe, easy and natural method of elevating the glutathione levels in your cells. Its effectiveness has been proven by scientists and by people with PD who are experiencing increased freedom from their symptoms.

Where there's a will, there's a whey.

This new treatment is an un-denatured whey supplement. 'Un-denatured' means that the whey's bioactivity is still intact. This is key. If a whey product has been heated during processing, its bioactive qualities have been destroyed. If a whey product is sold in a pail or jar, it will only be a short matter of time before its bioactivity is oxidized and thus destroyed.

Choosing your 'whey' back to health means selecting a whey supplement that is? a) un-denatured and b) packaged in single serving portions. If your whey is still bioactive, then it's armed and ready to fight the free radicals that cause your cells to rust and die.

Science Finds A Whey

Glutathione is made up of three amino acids - glycine, glutamine and cysteine. Both glycine and glutamine are easy to get from your food, but getting cysteine from your mouth into your bloodstream is much more difficult. This is why so many people have low glutathione levels.

Scientists needed to find out how to get cysteine into the body. They already knew that taking cysteine orally, in a capsule, wasn't working. The body was destroying the cysteine before enough of it could get into the cells. Why? Because the body sees a cysteine cell as a threat.

Scientists discovered that when a cysteine cell traveled with another cysteine cell, the body let 'the dynamic duo' move through the stomach and into the blood. Hurray! All the building blocks for producing glutathione were in place.

Was there somewhere in nature where this double-bonded cysteine existed?

Yes, in un-denatured whey.

This was a massive discovery because it meant that the all-important cysteine could get into the cells without being destroyed. Finally, glutathione could be readily made because all three amino acids were together!

There's A Whey to Take Back Your Life From PD

There is now scientific evidence that raising your glutathione levels will improve your Parkinson's symptoms. Many people with PD are already experiencing these results. The most exciting discovery about glutathione is that it promotes cellular repair. This is way beyond 'managing your symptoms,' it is actually repairing the damage that is causing your symptoms.

Glutathione is like the general or commander in chief of all the anti-oxidants in your body. It recharges the hundreds of other anti-oxidant soldiers that you have fighting for you. Glutathione provides the artillery and organizes the 'charge!' against the free radical attack. It is your most earnest ally.

Research proves that there is a 'whey' to help glutathione fight the good fight for you: an un-denatured whey supplement. You can support your body in its battle against Parkinson's by making an informed decision about your treatment. And you can help other people living with PD by sharing this information with them, too.

It's a new age of responsibility, and of information. The research is at your fingertips. Find Your Whey Out.

Tara Hart will give you the essentials to get your Parkinson's disease under control, even to the point of reversing the symptoms as many have done. To receive your free ezine visit http://www.parkinsons-disease-and-glutathione.com/free-e-zine.html

Parkinson's Disease & Tai Chi Therapy

2008-08-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

In a special to CNN, the Mayo Clinic?s mayoclinic.com reported that, ?Parkinson's disease is progressive, meaning the signs and symptoms become worse over time. But although Parkinson's may eventually be disabling, the disease often progresses gradually, and most people have many years of productive living after a diagnosis.? This would indicate that there may be effective interventions that could perhaps slow the progress of the disease. When we get such a diagnosis, our first reaction might be to withdraw and give up. However, the old adage ?use it or lose it? tells us that just the opposite is true. If you have Parkinson?s, you?d likely be best off to use everything your body is, every which way, on a regular basis.

Tai Chi movement?s gentle balance enhancing motions can obviously help the Parkinson?s patient by helping to reduce the gradual loss of balance that Parkinson?s sufferers often experience. However, there may be much more it offers. For example, Tai Chi movements rotate the human body in about 95% of the ways the body can move, when a long form is practiced. This is far beyond what other exercise offers, and in fact the closest would be several swimming strokes, which together would only rotate the body in about 65% of the ways it can move. For Parkinson?s sufferers, or anyone for that matter, this would indicate that by ?using? 95% of the body?s possible motion several times a week, the possibility of ?losing? the ability to do so diminishes accordingly. This isn?t rocket science, but simple common sense.

Yet, perhaps Parkinson?s patients have even more to gain from Tai Chi. A few years ago I taught several classes at local medical centers. I was continually frustrated because although I?d seen emerging reports that Tai Chi was beneficial to people with Parkinson?s Disease, or arthritis, or chronic hypertension, etc., even though the departments that specialized in those conditions were often just down the hall from my Tai Chi class . . . they might as well have been a million miles away. Because the physicians who ran those departments were either ignorant of or unwilling to refer their patients to the possibilities that Tai Chi offered their lives.

I remember though, that at one medical center a visionary neurologist began to refer patients with balance disorders to my Tai Chi classes and the result was very beneficial for his patients. Another physician actually wrote prescriptions for my Tai Chi classes to treat the chronic hypertension of his patients, who?d seen a significant drop in their blood pressure since beginning the classes weeks before. A clinical psychologist brought me in to teach Qigong (Chi Kung) meditation and Tai Chi to her patient group to enhance their sense of well being and provide effective stress management training. So, even back then some physicians were seeing the potential Tai Chi offered their clients, and even more are now, but the number of physicians who are still not informing their patients of Tai Chi?s direct therapeutic or at the least adjunct therapy benefits to their patient?s efforts to deal with their conditions and life, is increasingly indefensible in this day and age. Given the research that has exposed the many physical, mental, and emotional benefits Tai Chi offers, for physicians to not educate themselves on this and share their knowledge with each and every patient is tantamount to mal-practice. Health educators should likewise be making such therapies part of their medical student education programs as well.

Tai Chi for Parkinson?s is being recommended increasingly by support groups and some progressive medical centers, but until everyone that has Parkinson?s knows about it, then our work at World Tai Chi & Qigong Day is not done, nor is the medical community?s. There are many obvious reasons everyone with Parkinson?s should be doing Tai Chi, but it?s the ones that are not yet obvious that may be the most intriguing. One obvious reason is that Tai Chi is the most powerful balance and coordination enhancing exercise known. In many studies at major universities Tai Chi was found to be TWICE as effective in reducing falls as the other balance enhancing exercises being studied. For people with Parkinson?s, who often see their balance deteriorate as their condition progresses, it is unforgivable for them to not be informed of Tai Chi?s potential benefits at the earliest stage possible while their balance is still good.

Now, regarding the less obvious reasons Tai Chi may benefit Parkinson?s patients. Both my wife and daughter, who co-taught a Tai Chi class together noticed that a young man with severe Parkinson?s tremors . . . completely lost his tremors once he joined the class in flowing through the Tai Chi movements in class. In another class I was teaching an older man with advanced Parkinson?s attended my classes for many months, and he always came in very slow with his walker. Once we began the Tai Chi movements he no longer used his walker, and had learned the entire long form of Tai Chi I taught, which was over 15 minutes of continuous changing forms. His form was unique and tailored for his limitations, but nonetheless a challenging set of exercises he was able to accomplish without the use of his walker. What do these anecdotal experiences portend for others with Parkinson?s? I don?t know, but there should be massive research dollars coming from the National Institutes of Health to find out. Given the promise Tai Chi seems to offer people on so many profound physical, emotional, and mental fronts from preliminary research, the current total research money earmarked for complimentary and alternative medicine?s (CAM) is a mere pittance.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), now in its sixth year, supports more than 300 research projects and has an estimated budget of over $120 million for 2005 (up from $50 million in 1999). Total spending on CAM by all NIH institutes and centers is expanding as well, and is expected to reach $315 million by 2005.

Sounds like a lot? However, $120 million is less than ?one half of one percent? of the total NIH FY2005 budget. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges the NIH?s total annual budget for FY 2005 is $28.8 billion (http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/05pch8.htm). Remember, we are talking about only spending much much less than one half of one percent to study an exercise that preliminary research has shown to: n Lower High Blood Pressure (about 1/3 of Americans have hypertension ? roughly over 90 million Americans) n Boost Immune Function profoundly (a study sited at drkoop.com indicates that a Tai Chi practicing group was TWICE as resistant to the shingles virus, and researchers believed this would carry over to other viral resistance as well.) n Dramatically reduce falling injuries by about half (complications from falling injuries in older Americans is the 6th leading cause of death for seniors in America)

If Tai Chi only addressed this chronic condition affecting 1/3 of Americans, while boosting the immune system of all practitioners profoundly, and cutting in half the sixth leading cause of death for seniors, without any negative side effects, that would seem to be, for the rational person a reason for pouring massive resources into researching it further. However, Tai Chi?s benefits only begin with the above preliminary findings. We also know that it may very well relieve depression, anxiety, and mood disturbance, as well as reduce ADHD symptoms in teenagers diagnosed with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. There are indications that Tai Chi may greatly reduce or even eliminate chronic pain conditions, and lessen allergic and asthmatic reactions, and improve overall respiratory function.

My point is, ?where is the massive attention this would garner on talk shows, and in health newspaper sections, if this were a drug or surgery that could provide such a seemingly massive breakthrough in health treatment?? Peter Chowka, in a brilliant two part series for Natural Health Line, entitled ?Complementary & Alternative Medicine in 2000,? wrote, ?Conflicts of interest are not uncommon in most aspects of life. But in medicine, the biggest business in the U.S. (over $1.5 trillion a year constituting over 14 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, according to the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine report issued January 10, 2001), serious conflicts are particularly well entrenched.? Mr. Chowka wrote of physicians like Dr. Marcia Angell voicing concerns of the ?troubling? result massive research money from drug and medical-equipment companies was having on the scientific process. In the New England Journal of Medicine?s May 18, 2000 issue, Dr. Angel wrote an editorial entitled, ?Is Academic Medicine for Sale?? She wrote, As we spoke with research psychiatrists about writing an editorial on the treatment of depression . . . we found very few who did not have financial ties to drug companies that make antidepressants. . .The problem is by no means unique to psychiatry. We routinely encounter similar difficulties in finding editorialists in other specialties, particularly those that involve the heavy use of expensive drugs and devices.

So, who can make a multi-billion dollar fortune teaching Tai Chi to people? No one can. Tai Chi cannot be bottled, or mass marketed. It is a decentralized labor intensive industry that employees many people, but keeps the profits small and local. Yes, there are videos and DVDs that teach Tai Chi effectively, but ultimately even those who utilize videos are drawn to live class like structures. As I mentioned before with the ?anecdotal? experiences of my students with Parkinson?s, Tai Chi seems to offer something profoundly beneficial to the quality of life of Parkinson?s sufferers. It needs further study. We are in a catch 22, where many health professionals feel they cannot recommend Tai Chi because too much of the preliminary research is anecdotal. However, when Tai Chi is jockeying for position to get a crumb of the .5% of total NIH money going to ALL complimentary and alternative medical therapies . . . the result will be many long years of millions of people suffering needlessly from conditions or symptoms of those conditions that Tai Chi could likely safely lessen or even eliminate.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT TAI CHI AND PARKINSONS?

Tai Chi is being recommended by some forward thinking medical institutions already. The Cleveland Clinic of Neuroscience Center encourages Parkinson's Disease patients to seek out a hobby or activity they can enjoy and stick with such as ?Tai Chi? and other activities. The Alexian Neurosciences Institute in Illinois offers a course in their The Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center. Also, the American Parkinson?s Disease Association at Stanford University Medical Center, in it?s ?Beyond Pills.... Alternative Approaches to Coping with Parkinson's Disease? program, offered ?Tai Chi, The Art for Living with Parkinson's? by Mwezo & Jane of Kujiweza Healing Arts. (Learn more at: http://parkinsons.stanford.edu/symposium.html). The Parkinson?s Society of Canada recommends Tai Chi for Parkinson?s patients, suggesting ?Tai Chi may prevent or at least slow down the onset of degenerative diseases; in the long run, it can reduce need for rehabilitative care.? (http://www.parkinsons.ca/managing.html#taichi)

In the United Kingdom a Parkinson?s Tai Chi study was conducted at Camborne Redruth Community Hospital, Cornwall. Their conclusion of the study was such, ?Tai Chi training was well tolerated by PD patients in this study, but had no measurable effect on motor performance using UPDRS score or GAG time. There was a non-significant improvement in quality of life scores (PDQ 39). Larger studies would be needed fully to evaluate the value and efficacy of Tai Chi. However our results are encouraging, and provide evidence for its safety and tolerability and would support the feasibility of further study.? (http://www.pdcornwall.org.uk/showarticle.pl?n=30&id=81)

WCHS TV during a news report focusing on Tai Chi?s ability to boost immune system function, also reported that ?Tai Chi has also been shown to help illnesses such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and arthritis.? (http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/healthyforlife/2177.shtml)

The Neurology Channel reported, ?The slow flowing movements of Tai Chi help maintain flexibility, balance, and relaxation. The Struthers Parkinson?s Center in Minneapolis, which teaches a modified form of Tai Chi, consistently reports benefits achieved by patients in all stages of Parkinson?s.? (http://www.neurologychannel.com/parkinsonsdisease/surgery.shtml)

Physicians at the Mayo Clinic recommend Tai Chi for Parkinson?s therapy, under their Parkinson?s ?self-care? section for avoiding falls, where they suggest you ?Ask your doctor or physical therapist about exercises that improve balance, especially tai chi. Originally developed in China more than 1,000 years ago, tai chi uses slow, graceful movements to relax and strengthen muscles and joints. ?

At a popular health website called ?RemedyFind.com? viewers can vote on therapies they?ve found benefited their condition, or didn?t benefit it. The rating there for Tai Chi as a Parkinson?s therapy received a rating of 9.8 out of a possible 10. (http://remedyfind.com/rem.asp?ID=13945)

A Study at the University of Florida in Jacksonville found that patients who attended Tai Chi classes for one hour each week for 12-weeks were less likely than a group of control patients to experience an increase in the severity of their condition and a decrease in motor function. . . .[of alternative therapies the most popular therapies being Tai Chi, yoga, and acupuncture. (http://www.worldhealth.net/p/275,1526.html), (SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.reutershealth.com on the 13th November 2002)

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported, ?Parkinson?s Meets It?s Match in Tai Chi.? In this article they write that Dr. Mark Guttman, director of the Centre for Movement Disorders in Markham, Ontario, recommends people with Parkinson's do exercises that involve a lot of stretching, similar to the movements of tai chi.

Tai chi is wonderful; it can help people with disabilities as well as people with Parkinson's, he says. He added that studies on animals show exercise induces a change in the brain that prevents the symptom?s of Parkinson?s from emerging.

The Tai Chi teacher for this program, Ms. Embree, spoke of how people with fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, and Parkinson?s often attend her classes . . . ?Doctors are now sending people here, adds Ms Embree. (for the entire article, go to: PARKINSON?S MEETING IT?S MATCH IN TAI CHI, April, 13, 2005, http://www.ajc.com/health/content/health/0304/lvtaichi7.html)

At the National Parkinson?s Foundation site, Melanie M. Brandabur, MD NPF Center of Excellence, University of Illinois at Chicago and Jill Marjama-Lyons, MD NPF Center of Excellence, Shands Jacksonville, wrote, ?Most patients derive a great deal of benefit from today's medications and surgical therapies for Parkinson's Disease . . . However, benefits of these therapies can be limited. As time goes by, the medications may not seem as effective as they once were. Side effects or unpredictable response may develop. Surgical therapies are not curative and often treat only selected aspects of Parkinson's Disease. For these reasons, patients may decide to explore other modalities, such as massage therapy, Tai Chi, yoga, or herbal preparations to augment their Parkinson's medication . . . Many patients with Parkinson's Disease have become interested in complementary therapies to supplement medications and other traditional PD treatments. These physicians also suggest that as Tai Chi and other modalities benefits are exposed by clinical research, physicians will advocate their use more widely. (http://www.parkinson.org/site/pp.asp?c=9dJFJLPwB&b=238635)

World Tai Chi & Qigong Day joins a growing number of health professionals specializing in fields like Parkinson?s who believe that much more research needs to be done to illuminate the full spectrum of benefits Tai Chi offers all people as well as those specifically with chronic conditions. This will enable more physicians to make Tai Chi a regular prescription written as therapy or adjunct therapy for a host of maladies many are already enjoying the benefits of for their condition, but paying out of pocket for. Ultimately more and more health insurance plans should and will make Tai Chi classes a deductible medical expense for their clients. The end result of this shift may portend the savings of hundreds of billions of dollars annually in saved health care costs as patients are better trained in self care techniques, training the great visionary Thomas Edison referred to as ?the care and maintenance of the human frame,? which Edison envisioned would more and more reduce the need for expensive surgeries and life long dependence on medications as human beings maximized their own self healing abilities. Traditional Chinese Medicine has spent centuries developing and evolving self healing technologies like Tai Chi. Now the west can learn about their results, and physicians can prescribe them to their patients and our entire society will be healthier and more abundant for it.

Bill Douglas is the Tai Chi Expert at DrWeil.com, Founder of World T'ai Chi & Qigong Day (held in 50 nations each year), and has authored and co-authored several books including a #1 best selling Tai Chi book ?The Complete Idiot?s Guide to T?ai Chi & Qigong.? Bill?s been a Tai Chi source for The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, etc. You can learn more about Tai Chi & Qigong, and also contact Bill Douglas at http://www.worldtaichiday.org

Your Lifestyle Can Affect Your Families Health

2008-08-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

Most of us think we can get away with not taking care of ourselves or I'll do it tomorrow. Tomorrow comes and the same excuse, I'll start to exercise or eat better or lose weight tomorrow.

It should not be a secret that children as well as adults need role models and look to mirror them in their everyday approaches to life's challenges and activities.

Recently I read an article which was published by a physician at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center that was specifically talking about how depression runs in families but also more specifically that children are affected emotional by a parent who is struggling with depression themselves.

Most people as well as medical professionals are still meeting barriers between physical health and mental health. There are no barriers, each needs to be viewed as one unit. Mental health affects physical health and the opposite is also true.

The mental health issue of depression is seen more often then not in our society today. Economical issues such as fuel prices have definitely hit us all hard in our wallets. People are worried about current finances or/and losing their jobs or keeping a job that requires them to do the work of three people and then some.

We all need to look at our current lifestyle and ask ourselves a few questions which will enrich your health and your families. Ask yourself :

Is your lifestyle healthy? If no what can you do to improve it? Do you smoke, drink in excess and gamble? Do you know the health implications? Do you feel blue most days and have lost interest in things you used to enjoy? Are you inpatient and get angry quickly? Do you eat from the five food groups?Do you encourage your family to do the same. Do you know what portions you and your family should be eating and caloric intake? Do you exercise 3 times a week minimally for 30 minutes and walk 10,000 steps a day and encourage your family to do the same? Do you take at least 15 minutes for yourself everyday? Do you know stress management techniques to use when you feel you face getting red or your heart racing? Does your family and are you a good example for them?

Your lifestyle does affect your mental, physical and financial health. Decide to Invest in Yourself everyday for Life.

Recognize you are an important role model for the people around you on a daily basis. You living a healthy lifestyle and practicing what you preach will generate good healthy results around you as well and foster healthy lifestyles for years to come.

Patricia McGowan RN,BSN,CSHE is a professional nurse with over 20 years of professional experience. She is an author of Invest in Yourself, Health is the New Real Estate and other Invest in Yourself products to be released in the Spring. She is certified in health ergonomics and has given seminars to many respected associations.She is co-founder and owner of IIY,LLC and the companies website is http://www.investnyourself.com.

Natural Home Remedies for Constipation

2008-08-12T05:34:00.000-07:00

Causes and Symptoms:

Constipation is a condition in which the bowels are opened too seldom or incompletely. The patient may pass infrequent and hard, dry stools. The main symptoms is the desire to void the stools but the inability to do so. It is extremely irritating condition but easy to deal with if you go about the treatment in the right manner.

It is a common complaint and a large number of persons depend on laxatives and even purgatives to clear their bowels. You will find that the largest sale is of remedies to relieve constipation. And if you count the cost of cigarettes, cigars, tea and coffee taken under the mistaken belief that it will help activate the bowels, the money spend on the treatment of this complaint would be stupendous sum.

Most of the people who suffer from constipation do not understand the way the human body functions. It leads to may other symptoms like heaviness and headaches, lethargy, loss of appetite, insomnia and apathy. As a matter of fact, any disease is an indication of malfunctioning of the machine that is the human body and costiveness is the grandmother of all ailments.

If your body is unable to expel the waste matter that remains after the digestive organs have taken out the essential elements necessary for the sustenance of the human body, it leads to further purification and gases harmful for its functioning.

After the food has been digested, it passes into the colon and that part of the body has a great capacity for absorption of liquids. If it loses its tone, that is, if its muscles become weak or inactive, the stools have a tendency to adhere to it and continue to purify leading to flatulence and other symptoms. Retention of stools could lead to poisoning of the whole system.

How does a purgative or laxative act? When it passes through the digestive tract, it procedures, by chemical reaction, new liquids which flush the colon and the stools adhering to it are voided in liquid form. But such substances are habit-forming and a chronic patient would need harder and more effective purgatives as time passes.

Constipation is an unnatural and abnormal condition. Nature has endowed the intestines with the capacity to void the waste matter that remains after foods has been digested. We must, therefore, take the foods in their natural form, which we generally do not do. We pass the wheat through a sieve and polish the rice. We over boil the milk and sometimes turn it into a solid without its natural moisture. Sugarcane juice is turned into sugar. We adulterate our foods with spices and condiments-substances, which the body does not need at all.

Treatment:

The treatment of constipation should start in the kitchen and not in the lavatory. Eat the wheat flour without passing it through a sieve; unmilled and unpolished rice is the best. Your food should contain two parts fruits and vegetables and one-part cereals. Boil the milk only once; let is not thickening by over boiling. That would give your food the roughage it needs and help the atonic muscles to void the waste matter. If you do this, your campaign against constipation has a good start.

In case of chronic constipation, eat more of cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, spinach and cabbage. The total intake of these should be a minimum of 250 grammes in the day. Eat them as you eat salad-season it with a pinch of salt and juice of a lemon in order to make it more palatable.

Eat there in twenty-four hours, but if you have crossed forty, do not exceed two meals in the day. Do not take it literally; you can eat fruits in between the meals, but in reasonable quantities. Better still, make fruits a part of your morning and evening meals. Talking of fruits, the best fruits are seasonal and those, which are available to you within hours of having been picked.

Some people suffer from constipation because their intake of water or liquids is too insufficient. The water intake should be three to four litres in summer and one to two litres in winter. A glass of water taken in the morning immediately after walking up can help many cases of constipation.

The intestine, 8.5 to 9 meters long, is in the form of the one continuous tube suspended in loops in the abdominal cavity. At the lower end is the large intestine through which your stools pass via the rectum. If the muscles of the large intestine lose their tone or strength, stools tend to adhere to its insides. Atony of the intestine can be cured by exercise. A walk in the morning or evening, better still jagging will help.

Another way to help the intestine to void the stool is to cool it. Take a rough towel, fold it so that it can absorb water and place it on your lower abdomen after immersing it in cold water. Let the coolness percolate to the abdomen for about fifteen minutes. Or, you can take a mudpack. Take about one kilogramme of clay and knead it into a dough like consistency and spread it evenly on your lower abdomen-from the navel to the pubes. Some people are known to have benefited more from a mud bath than from a cold towel. It should be done before you for a walk. Cooling and then warming it through exercise helps the large intestine regain its tone.

In the beginning, you may not have the urge to bid your bowels. But do not wait for the ?call? of nature. Visit the toilet at the time you usually do, even if the ?call? is not there. Remember that habit plays an important part. The best course would be to drink about half a litre of water and take a walk for ten to fifteen minutes before you visit the toilet immediately after dinner: it may surprise you to hear of intake of food followed by the effort of void your bowels, but remember that it takes fourteen to eighteen hours for the waste matter left after absorption of food into the system to leave the body. The churning of the stomach and the resultant activity of the intestines when you are ingesting food helps relieve constipation.

After you have formed the habit of visiting the toilet at an appointed hour in the morning and the evening, you will not have to spend more than four to five minutes there. In the beginning of the treatment suggested you might have to spend a quarter of an hour.

Patients suffering from amnesia (loss of memory), constant fatigue, insomnia or insufficient sleep, incipient gout, asthma, indigestion, headache, lumbago, and general weakness have found surease from these symptoms when they have regained in facility to void stools. A hip bath taken for five to ten minutes before they go for their constitutional in the morning or evening can help ameliorate their suffering caused by these ailments.

For more information regarding Natural Home Remedies for Constipation, Herbal Remedy visit http://www.natural-homeremedies.com

Dr John Anne
Also know about Diabetes Mellitus Information and Treatment Supply

Losing Weight Starts With Your Attitude

2008-08-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

As another New Year approaches it always happens, I start hearing the ?R? word more and more. In this case, the ?R? stands for resolution, as in New Year?s resolution. You know the routine, people everywhere will promise / swear / guarantee that this year they will finally; lose weight, quit smoking, get a better job, etc. They usually then add something to the effect of ?And this year I mean it too. No excuses this time. I?m going to do it !!!?

So can you guess what the top two New Year?s resolutions usually are?

- Lose weight / get in shape

- Quit Smoking

While I commend them on choosing better health, why do so many of these sincere people fail? It?s not due to a lack of information, resources, or products. After all, how many ads for diet / smoking cessation products do you see a day? If any of the products worked half as well as they claim they do it?s amazing anyone is overweight or smokes anymore. Maybe the answer doesn?t lie in some new diet or wonder drug. Maybe the answer is your attitude towards losing weight. Unfortunately, marketing gurus have figured out that if they can blame your problem on someone / something else they can sell you something.

They tell you it?s not your fault you?re overweight:

- It?s your diet so try this NEW diet

- It?s your metabolism so try this NEW pill

- It?s your DNA so blame your parents. AND try this new diet or pill.

I guess their justification is that at a minimum, if you?re going to be unhappy about your weight, you could at least be happy it?s not your fault. The fact that they?re making money on that isn?t so bad. Is it ? But wait, I?ve got an idea. How about we take responsibility for being overweight and actually do something about it.

Here?s a good starting point:

CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE INTO A POSITIVE ONE

Instead of thinking negative thoughts like I?ll never lose weight - or - I gain weight easily

Try these positive thoughts

I can lose as much weight as I want - or - I control my weight easily. Athletes have used this to improve their performance for decades. Instead of thinking about missing a foul shot or dropping a touchdown pass, they focus on ?making? the foul shot or ?catching? the touchdown pass. You don?t think attitude makes that much of a difference? Let?s try this scenario:

You are the coach of a basketball team that is losing a game by 1 point. You have one chance left to win the game so you call a timeout to talk to your 5 players. Of those 5 players:

- 1 knows he can make the shot

- 2 think they can

- 2 aren?t so sure they can

Who do you want taking the shot?

Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, always wanted to take the last shot. Did he make all of them? Of course not, but look at where his attitude took him. The Hall of Fame.

When it comes to losing weight, which type of player are you? Are you sure you can lose weight, thinking you can, or not so sure? Think about it. Losing weight is not easy, but if your attitude isn?t right, how far will you get?

If you want to improve your attitude, try this 3 step approach:

Step 1

Starting tomorrow morning, I want you to notice every time you say or think something negative about yourself and write it down. At the end of the day, read your notes. If you have nothing written down, congratulations! If you do, look over what you have written down. As you look over your notes, pretend someone else wrote them. Now, ask yourself, do you think that person will lose weight?

Step 2

Starting the following morning I want you to notice every time you say or think something negative about yourself and write it down. This time I want you to try and write something POSITIVE underneath it. For example, if you have written down:

I have no will-power.

Write I have GREAT will-power.

At the end of the day, review your notes. Now look at your positive notes. That is what you should be thinking, so start telling yourself that is what you WILL BE thinking.

Step 3

Starting the third morning you will start using your POSITIVE language. Eliminate the negative. If you catch yourself thinking negatively, stop it, and change it into a positive thought.

I want you to think of yourself as the Michael Jordan of weight loss. You want to take the shot. You know you can make it. Remember, that may not always be true, but in the long run, if you continue to work towards your goal, think positively, and always believe in yourself, you?ll be in the Hall of fame. Good Luck !!!

Comments / Questions can be sent to the author at MSalem@qaweightloss.com . If you would like to join the QA Weight Loss Newsletter please send a blank email to bills2-134475@autocontactor.com To learn more about the unique QA Weight Loss process and services or to subscribe for our free newsletter please visit ==>http://www.qaweightloss.com/

Bill Schuchman, ACH, EFT-ADV

Bill Schuchman is the founder of Personal Mastery Inc specializing in personal growth products. He is a Certified Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist, he has earned the EFT Advanced Certificate of Completion and he is a Subconscious Motivational Therapist.

Member:

* National Guild of Hypnotists
* International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association
* International Association of Counselors and Therapists
* National Association of Transpersonal Hypnotherapists
* American Association of Professional Hypnotherapists
* American Board of Hypnotherapy

Acne Cure For Sure!

2008-08-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

If you are already tired of your acne, you may resort to finding expensive acne treatments or you may try some surgical procedures. But these things are so expensive and you don?t know if both will be successful.

Here are some easy tips for acne cure and avoidance:

1. Regular Exercise

Regular exercise can help in acne cure by fighting off negative stress intensity that can come from negative confidence and depression. But avoid wearing tight nylon exercise outfits. These synthetic fabrics that tend to trap body moisture and heat, creating an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. Stick to loose clothing made of cotton or natural blends, and keep your sports gear and equipment clean.

2. Using Safe Cosmetics

To avoid the clogging of pore and skin irritations that can contribute to acne, use products labeled oil-free. Select hypo-allergenic perfumes and cosmetics to avoid allergic reactions and skin irritation. This may be the best acne cure for women.

3. Have a Healthy Diet

What is best for your body is best for your skin. Don?t forget to eat the right kind of foods that are less in oil and carbohydrates Make sure you get enough vitamins and minerals that have been recommended to prevent and help acne cure. Some of these vitamins and minerals are Vitamin A or Retinol (High doses are toxic), Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, L-Carnitine, and Zinc.

Don?t forget to eat the right kind of foods that are less in oil and carbohydrates.

4. Drinking plenty of fluids

Drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day helps cleanse our body internally. We know that acne cure can start from within. Fluids, especially water, can wash away the dirt inside our body.

5. Hormonal Treatments and Healthy Skin Regimen Hormones during later years, especially for women, can play a role in acne cure and prevention for teen years. For adults oral contraceptives or hormonal birth control pills may be helpful for women, combined with systemic or current treatments, prescription or over-the-counter medicines.

Avoiding harsh scrubbing or over-washing is a good acne cure, because this can cause possible skin irritation or possible over production of oil to replace what's washed off, clogging pores in the process. Use products with gentle exfoliation ingredients and skip products that contain alcohol.

6. Shaving

Shaving is actually an excellent way of exfoliating or removing dead skin to help acne cure and prevention instead of leaving the remains to clog pores. Shaving can help remove whiteheads and blackheads from the face. Do not shave areas that are sore or infected. Use a shaving cream for sensitive skin. Gentle swipes instead of heavy pressure and go with the flow or grain will be good for the skin. A single-edged blade is better than a twin-blade razor.

7. Stress

Stress includes external and internal stressors. External Stressors are those that compromise your skin's ability to heal, like oily make-up and too much sun. Internal stressors like worry, fear, low self-esteem, depression and a variety of other emotions, can trigger chemical reactions inside your body that can result in acne outbreak and other skin irritations. To combat internal stressors and prevent acne problems, get plenty of rest and sleep. Try to maintain regular hours.

These are just some ways of acne cure that can help prevent acne outbreak in teens and adults. Always remember that healthy living is the key for a healthy skin.

Acne cure, acne skin care and acne solutions.

Michelle for http://www.acne-care-solutions.com - Learn about herbs for acne.

Lose Weight with Three Bites

2008-08-11T05:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life is just too short to say No!

When you're eating out or having a special meal and you really want to have dessert, it's not always sensible to deny yourself and feel deprived. You'll only rebel later and make up for those feelings of deprivation with a feast.

On the other hand, when you know that a slice of cake or creamy dessert will be 700 calories or more, which you can definitely do without, you are left with a should I / shouldn't I dilemma.

As a compromise, ask for the smallest portion of whatever you really want - at a restaurant you can ask a friend to share. And then take only three bites.

Eat your treat as slowly as you possibly can, linger over it and enjoy the taste in your mouth. Make the very most of those three bites and then cover the rest with your napkin.

You can't do much damage with three bites if you simply have to have something and it means you can enjoy your treat without the guilt.

And far from being a waste of money, it doesn't matter whether bites four to fifteen land in the trash or on your hips - you are spending the same amount.

You can try this with other highly fattening foods too - allowing yourself three bites of anything will mean that no food is forbidden and somehow you don't crave it quite so much when it's on the allowed list.

Just remember to save this strategy for when you really need it, when the desserts are so delicious you just can't resist or when you really need a treat, because if you do it all the time those bites do add up!

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of The Diet Exit Plan, an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Request her FREE 15 page report How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

Obesity and Fat Control Myths

2008-08-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

- Are your ideas of obesity and fat control based on a myth? -

For years we heard that a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet would keep us healthy and help us lose weight. And many of us jumped on the bandwagon. Our idea of obesity and fat control was to eliminate fat and high-cholesterol foods from our diets.

Unfortunately, we were doing it all wrong.

-- The Truth about Obesity and Fat Control --

Instead of eliminating fat completely, we should have been eliminating the ?bad fats,? the fats associated with obesity and heart disease and eating the ?good fats,? the fats that actually help improve blood cholesterol levels.

-- Bad Fats --

There are two bad fats that you should limit your intake of ? saturated and trans fats.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are mostly animal fats. You find them in meat, whole-milk products, poultry skin, and egg yolks. Coconut oil also has a high amount of saturated fat. Saturated fats raise the levels of both the good and bad blood cholesterol.

Trans Fats

Trans fats are produced through hydrogenation?heating oils in the presence of oxygen. Many products contain trans fats because the fats help them maintain a longer shelf life.

Margarine also contains a high amount of trans fats. Trans fats are especially dangerous because they lower the good cholesterol, HDL and raise the bad cholesterol, LDL.

Unfortunately, most product labels do not tell you how much trans fat it contains, but you can find out if it?s in a product by looking at the ingredient list. If the ingredients contain hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils, then it contains trans fats.

The good news is in 2006, manufacturers will be required to list the amount of trans fat in their products on the nutrition labels, so it will be easier for you to find.

-- Good Fats --

Some fats actually improve cholesterol levels.

Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats are found in sunflower, corn, and soybean oils. These oils contain Omega-6, an essential fatty acid. However, most people get enough Omega-6 in their diet and instead need more Omega-3. Omega-3 is a fatty acid found in fish and walnuts.

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats are found in canola, peanut, and olive oils. Both types of unsaturated fats decrease the bad cholesterol, LDL and increase the good cholesterol, HDL.

-- Yippee, break out the peanut butter! Whoah, not so fast --

Hey, maybe this obesity and fat control business is not so hard after all! If unsaturated fats improve my blood cholesterol levels, this means I can splurge on all of the olive oil, peanut butter and nuts I want, right? Wrong!

Sorry to be a party pooper, but for proper obesity and fat control, you do need to limit even your intake of good fats.

That's because fat of any kind does contain calories. Too many calories means you'll gain weight.

So, in a nutshell, the answer to effective obesity and fat control is this?

Eat the good fats in moderation, and stay away from the bad saturated and trans fats.

For more about obesity and fat control, including many useful links, visit http://www.obesitycures.com/obesity-and-fat-control.html

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

Alan Cooper is a journalist with 20 year's experience and the publisher of ObesityCures.com, a site with the ambitious aim of being a one-stop-shop for impartial information on obesity and weight loss solutions - including fad diets, prescription weightloss pills and natural weightloss aids.

What to Drink on the Zone Diet?

2008-08-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

The Zone Diet is founded on the idea of eating a balanced ratio of carbohydrate, protein and fat. By eating in the ratio of 40/30/30, meaning 40 percent carbohydrate and 30 percent each of protein and fat, the idea is that your metabolism is impacted to run at its most efficient level. The diet also emphasizes getting the right amounts of fruit, vegetables and lean sources of protein. The right combination of foods results in an increased metabolism and weight loss. Designing meals that meet these requirements can be tricky, but the program offers a range of ideas. You can also purchase cookbooks with recipes intended for the followers of the diet as well. But some people still wonder what they are allowed to drink when following the diet.

You can still drink juice and either low fat or skim milk, as long as you count the calories and grams of protein, fat and carbohydrates. But since our bodies are made mostly of water, water is the recommended drink. The health benefits of drinking enough water cannot be underestimated. Water helps to flush toxins out of the body, it keeps the cells and metabolism supplies with the water needed to work properly and it quenches thirst better than any other fluid you can ingest. The Zone Diet guidelines require that followers drink at least sixty-four ounces (or eight cups) of fluid every day. If you are one of the many people who simply don't like the taste of water, there are other options for you.

You can add a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange to your water to give it a little bit of extra flavor. Or, you can purchase bottled waters that have a slightly fruity flavoring to them so that they taste more like a seltzer than plain water. Pour them in a glass full of ice for a refreshing beverage. It's important, however, to read the labels, even for water. Since the Zone Diet guidelines require you to limit sugar and carbohydrates, you don't want to take in sugar unknowingly. Carry a bottle of water with you wherever you go and refill it whenever it gets empty. Soon enough you can change your habit of drinking soda, tea or juice, especially when you see the good results in your weight loss efforts.

If you are a coffee or tea drinker, you will need to make some changes as well. The Zone Diet guidelines instruct you to eliminate caffeine from your diet. This change can be difficult and cause withdrawal symptoms like headaches. It might be a good idea to gradually start eliminating caffeine from your diet in the weeks before you begin following the Zone Diet guidelines. Decaffeinated coffee or tea will let you still enjoy the taste of coffee or tea without the caffeine. The same is true of sodas. Regular sodas should be completely eliminated. They simply have too much sugar. Diet sodas come in enough different flavors that you should be able to find one that you like. However, you do need to switch to decaffeinated versions in order to improve your chances of success on the program.

Alcohol is one other beverage that will have to be limited or eliminated. There have been some studies that have shown that moderate alcohol consumption can actually have some positive effects on your health, particularly your heart. If you are currently drinking alcohol as part of a program to protect your cardiovascular health, you shouldn't stop without discussing it with a health professional first. However, the Zone Diet doesn't require that you totally eliminate all alcohol from your routine, just that you limit it to occasional use. There's no reason that you can't continue to enjoy an alcoholic beverage from time to time. Just keep in mind that the more beverages that you replace with water, the more good you are doing for your body and the faster you are likely to see weight loss success.

Martin Beans shows you how the Zone Diet works at http://www.enterthezonediet.com - a complete guide on the Zone diet where you'll learn how to calculate your daily intake of protein, fat and carbs and you'll find allowed food lists, Zone diet menus and tips that will ensure your success with the program.

What is the Atkins Diet and How Can It Help You?

2008-08-10T06:28:00.000-07:00

What is the Atkins diet and how can it help you?

When Dr Robert Atkins first published his book,?Dr Atkins Diet Revolution?, in 1972 the broad medical and nutritional community dismissed it as just another quack diet plan.

Thirty years later, Dr Atkins nutritional theories have found wide spread support in scientific research circles, while creating a legion of followers who have adopted low-carb eating as a way of life.

Today, the Atkins brand of low-carb foods outsells all other brands in the category in the US and the UK. In the US some 10% of the population is on some form of the Atkins diet.

Although it is hard to believe, 47% of Women and 63% of Men are either overweight or obese.

Obesity has a huge impact on the economy and the overall health of the population.

The diet was designed to work safely and affectively with your body and Dr Atkins best selling book on the subject provides the first steps to understanding the diet.

With the Atkin Diet, you can stop counting calories, stop weighing food portions, and stop feeling as though you are deprived from eating good-tasting and satisfying food!

Best of all, you will see amazing results in a short amount of time. Your body will be thinner, the number on the scales will go down, and all those overwhelming food cravings will be gone! Just imagine losing weight while still enjoying many of your favorite foods.

http://www.A1-Atkins-Diet.com invites you to learn more about how the Atkins Diet plan works!