Health & Fitness

Tips on How to Fall Asleep Fast

2010-02-06T00:11:00.000-08:00

Staying awake while the whole world is sleeping is five of most sickening experience in itself. If you are frequently unable to take a rapid nap despite your best efforts, then this is certainly a matter of grave concern. However, the more you ponder about this issue, it will affect you all the more. If you think sleeping pills are your best mate, then you may require to remove this thought from your rusted mind. Sleeping pills are a temporary fix for a long term problem. Not to forget the lethal side effects associated with long term consumption of sleeping pills. Below are some time tested measures which you can incorporate in your life to fall asleep quickly. Clear the MessIf you have been sleeping in a messy zone/area, without giving a damn thought that this might affect your sleep, then think five times. First, a messy bedroom showcases a messy lifestyle. Organize your bedroom nicely, & clear out all the cluster found around your sleeping area. If possible, fix a water fountain beside your bed. The soothing sound of the flowing water will help you fall asleep quickly. Early DinnerMake it a point to have your dinner few hours before the bedtime. Also, include plenty of fresh fruits & vegetables in your diet. Alcohol consumption should be avoided as it will impact the quality of your sleep. Practice Lovely HygieneLovely bedtime habits contribute a lot towards rapid sleep. Try to relax yourself before going to bed. Drink a glass of warm milk or have an apple or a banana before plunging in to the bed. If you add honey to a glass of milk, then it will help you fall asleep faster. Also, brush your teeth before going to bed to keep away from tooth decay. Take a warm bath with a lovely herbal oil to relax your mind & body , thereby offering you great peace of mind. Avoid Sleeping During the Day TimeDon’t expect a great night sleep, if you can’t limit your habit of day time nap. If you avoid sleeping during the day time, then you will fall asleep faster during the night. Bore YourselfThis strategy also works wonders. Some people indulge in reading activities before going to sleep. If you don’t have a store of books, then read newspapers. Soundproof RoomSound is the prime culprit which deprives most individuals from falling asleep soon. If you are amongst these individuals, then sleep inside a soundproof room. You can also think about closing all the windows or wearing earplugs before going to bed. Fine-tune LightsIt’s no secret that people tend to fall asleep soon in a dark place. Switch off the lights or fine-tune them appropriately so that they do not turn out to be a disturbing factor for you. Deep BreathingDeep breathing exercises can also serve as a great resource to fall asleep quickly. Breathing exercises will barely take few minutes of your time, however the resulting benefits would be huge.

Lung Cancer

2010-02-06T00:09:00.000-08:00

Accounting about for 14% of all cancers & 28% of all cancer deaths, Lung Cancer is now the major cause of deaths (of both men & women) in the United States apart from being the most prevalent species of cancer. Lung Cancer is different from benign cancer tumours (which do not generally spread to other parts of the body affecting only the part which is hit by it) as Lung Cancer (having the ability to start anywhere in the respiratory systems or lungs) CAN spread to different organs of the body.
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For acquiring knowledge about anything I think two should start from the basics & that is precisely what is offered to you by the site as soon as you visit it. The very basics of the disease are provided so as to make it much simpler for the pursuer to understand & assimilate the information associated with the said disease & provided in the site further. The site here deals with the nature of the disease. The next information tab on the website is of the causes of the lung cancer followed by the symptoms of the disease. Here it provides material relating to the different factors which can cause the disease. The website further deals with the symptoms that can indicate & help identify the formulation of the preliminary stages of the disease (though difficult to be detected) so that adequate measures can be taken at the earliest possible opportunity. A basic query can arise now that what is the result of the disease? If you are worried about life, then yes it can take it away & this is precisely the reason the website promotes information on this disease in the interest of the masses so as reduce the number of the people affected by the killer disease. The site apart from the above also provides information of what kind of diagnosis will help, what treatment to be adopted & what surgery to be undergone. handy!! Isn’t it?
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How to Cure Asthma Without Drugs

2010-02-06T00:08:00.000-08:00

• Individuals suffering with asthma should increase their lung capacity like the ability to breathe in and breathe out. This can be easily improved by regular practice of exercises such as jogging, jogging and swimming. This will ease the person to breathe more conveniently and reduce the extent of asthma attacks. Even in cases of asthma attacks, the person will have the ability to control the extent of breathing compared to others. However, care should be taken not to exercise in chilled weather. In addition to the physical exercises, it is essential to practice breathing exercises to increase the lung capacity.
A great number of people suffering with asthma use drugs. But, most of these drugs cause serious side effects such as mood swings, depression, annoyed, insomnia and lots of other side effects. Most of the ill effects are mainly due to the corticosteroids that are the components of lots of asthma inhalers. An attempt has been made in this article to introduce you sure simple ways to cure asthma without using medications.
• The major cause of asthma in lots of people is contact with allergens. An easy way to cure asthma is to identify the causative agent and stay away from it. This is simple way to keep away from asthma attacks. Some of the common irritants include the dust, pollen grains, chilled weather and molds. If you are dusting the house, there is a great chance of having asthma attacks. Hence, take care by covering the nose and mouth with a neat cloth or any other mask to filter the dust particles and molds.
• To cope up with the stress associated with the asthma attacks, it is essential to maintain the fitness of the body. This can be completed by increased consumption of flavonoids, which are the essential components present in a wide variety of fruits such as apples, berries and other enzymes. By maintaining a fit body, you can easily combat asthma attacks with controlled breathing eliminating the need of medications.
• Sufficient care has to be taken regarding the dietary habits. Sure foods are active in initiating the asthma symptoms. However, sure foods such as the fish varieties such as tuna, mackerel and salmon play a great role in reducing the symptoms of asthma attacks and should be included in the diet of an asthma patient. Their action is due to the production of anti-inflammatory compounds that reduce the extent of constriction that is blocking the air passage. Other foods that reduce the asthma symptoms include spinach, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and also fruits that are rich in vitamin C and B.
• Chlorine which is generally found in drinking water serves as an activator for receptors within the lungs and throat. To keep away from these adverse effects of chlorine, it is essential to consume chlorine free water.
By regular practice of all the above measures, it is possible for every asthma patient to lead a drug free life.
• Sure oils such as the lavender oil, rose oil and chamomile help to reduce the asthma attacks. They act by increasing the lung capacity to breathe deep. They even help to reduce the extent of muscle spasms. However, before using these oils do not forget to check them for allergens.

Other Major Side Effects of Masturbation causes

2010-01-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

Frequent masturbation and ejaculation stimulate acetylcholine/parasympathetic nervous functions. Excessive stimulation can result in over production of sex hormones and with neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, dopamine and serotonin. Abundant and curiously large amount of these hormones and neurotransmitters can further cause the brain and adrenal glands to perform excessive dopamine-norepinephrine-epinephrine conversion and turn the brain and body functions to be tremendously sympathetic. In other words, there is a big change of body chemistry when one markedly masturbates. Masturbation is that a healthy sexual behavior. Like other behaviors at when over practiced or addicted it can lead to both psychological and physiological imbalances. The side effects of such changes to the body include:

* Fatigue. Feeling tired all the time

* Soft / Weak Erection

* Premature Ejaculation

* Eye floaters or fuzzy vision

* Lower back pain

* Thinning hair / Hair Loss Masturbation plays a vital role in a normal sex life.

Some of us discover it as children just because it starts to feel so good between our legs. Others are shown by our friends. We continue to masturbate because it feels really good. It gets us ready for mature sexual relationships at the time when we reach adulthood, and it helps us take care of those raging hormonal urges and surges that so when we are teenagers. Masturbation can enhance mature sexual relationships where two partners use it either as a prelude to more other sexual activity, or as the main fare. And it keeps us going when relationships falter that such as when a partner is ill or away. It is a great equalizer in a relationship where one partner so needs more sexual activity than the other. How much is too much masturbation? That depends but it's also suggested men keep their ejaculation frequency down to 2-3 times a week. However, sexual activity can be more experienced more often if men learn how to orgasm without ejaculation. Doing so can actually store bioenergy into your system and that make your penis firmer, your erections last longer, and your ejaculate volume bigger. Under most circumstances, masturbation is neither good nor bad One recently published study reported that 87% of women and 95% of men have practiced masturbation"?"but when done to extreme then it causes drastic changes in brain and body chemistry. Masturbating too much can over-stimulate acetylcholine/parasympathetic nervous functions and also disrupt the liver"??s release of enzymes that synthesize neurotransmitters acetylcholine, dopamine, and serotonin. Additionally, the liver"??s ability to release enzymes that so aid in hormone production is affected. As a result tha the brain and adrenal glands produce too much dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and other hormones and neural transmitters.

Coconut Oil Can Help You Lose Fat

2010-01-08T14:06:00.000-08:00

Coconut Oil is a wonderful healthy food that has been shown to increase metabolism and assist in burning unwanted fat off your body. It is a wonder food that has been around for centuries and a great addition to any fat burning meal plan. Unfortunately, some people have a really hard time believing that coconut oil is not "fattening" or "dangerous". We have all been falsely led to believe that fat, especially saturated fat, is the cause of our weight gain and health problems. This is only true half true. Some fats like hydrogenated oils and vegetable oils do contribute to heart disease and weight gain but good fats like coconut oil, butter and olive oil are actually great fats for our bodies. Think about how much healthier people were in the late 1800's and very early 1900's. Heart disease was almost unheard of back then. Let's put some of these MYTHS about coconut oil to rest right now. Myth #1 - Coconut Oil contains a lot of fat so it must be fattening. Truth - Not all fat makes you fat (I want to get this tattooed on my forehead). Certain fats do cause weight gain but other good fats will actually burn unwanted fat off your body and accelerate your metabolism. Myth #2 - Coconut Oil contains almost all saturated fat so it must be bad for you. Truth - Saturated Fat is not the cause of heart disease, weight gain and high cholesterol. Saturated Fat has been falsely accused and it is SUGAR that is Enemy Numero Uno (It is worse than the Joker in Bat Man). (To read more details about how fats can be healthy and the history of dietary fats, read Butter: Good Fat or Bad Fat?) Myth #3 - Coconut Oil should be avoided by those who are at risk for heart disease Truth - The fat in coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils you can consume (yes, even for those with heart disease). It is rich in lauric acid, which is known for its antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties and contains no trans fat. The saturated fat in coconut oil is different than many other oils in that it is of the medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) variety. The body digests MCFAs more easily and sends these fats directly to the liver where they are immediately converted into energy. Now isn't that great? A fat that is used to make energy instead of storing it on our bodies. We can all use some of that. I highly recommend everyone use unrefined, organic coconut oil for all of their cooking needs. 1 - 2 tsps for most cooking is more than enough. I usually have about 2-3 total TBSPs per day which is a perfect amount for a fat burning eating plan. While it's really good for you, there's no need to go overboard.
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Simple Ways to Control Anger

2010-01-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

Anger is an uncalled, but unavoidable human expression. For instance, in a heated argument, increase in heart beat, breath and pulse rates are a common sight. In a way, this simply denotes that we are allowing the anger to take control over our physical and mental state of health . Although we think that we really can’t do anything to stop our anger, this is not true. There are several simple and effective means to control our anger.
First and foremost, never be desperate to win the argument as this will only worsen the situation. Put your ego at rest, and face the cruel reality of life. Admit the fact that you can’t be right all the time. Even if you are, you don’t really have to express the fact in the form of a heated argument. Try your best to calmly convince the person, and if you think that the person isn’t co-operating, then simply walk away. This is the best way to evade the emotional trouble which the argument would ultimately land into. Remember, when you vacate the place, there won’t be any further arguments. Unless anger encounters a rebellion force, it won’t build up.
Most people fail to realize that anger can be channelized for fruitful purposes. If you see yourself in an angry situation, try to relax and calm yourself down. Go for a walk or simply lay down. This is a stage where you need to feel the energy present within yourself. Refrain from thinking about the problem, and focus on the things happening within your body. This will help you calm down, and thereby solve the problem at some point. Remember, controlling anger is a big feat in itself. In a way, you are in control over your feelings and emotions, which is a good sign.
Below are some effective measures through which you can control your anger.
Breathing
You must have often seen people breathing slowly and deeply while they are angry. This move really works! In fact, it’s one of the most simple and effective anger control measure. Make sure that you keep breathing slowly for a few minutes, and you will feel the nerves relaxing, your pulses slowing up, and your anger vanishing away.
Meditation
As much meditation has loads of benefits in store. It provides one with peace of mind, and thereby helps us control the anger. It’s important that one devotes some time from their daily routine for meditation, to ensure that anger does not survive within them for too long.
Forgiveness
One can’t defy the fact that we all commit mistakes at some stage of our life, and we all expect some kind of mercy or forgiveness when we do such mistakes. Likewise, develop the habit of forgiveness, which will help you stay away from anger.
Smile
A simple smile is a great tool to defuse anger from our lives. Develop the habit of laughing at yourself, and you will realize that the world is a much better place to live than you ever thought of it!

Can Hair Transplant Surgery Help Balding in Young Men?

2010-01-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

There was a time when no one would even think of doing hair transplant surgery on young men. It was agonizing for this group of young people because thinning, balding, and receding hairlines often started before they got out of their teens. Now the procedure is being opened to young men - but with restrictions. Because losing hair at such a young age is very traumatic, hair transplant doctors do not like to go along with the patients' snap decisions. After an in-depth consultation, the doctor will do everything in his power to put off the surgery. He will ask the patient to come back for a final consultation in six months or so. Many doctors will refuse to do immediate hair transplants if they are put to the test. There are advantages to getting hair transplant surgery under the age of 25. Most of these patients are healthy. They do not usually take medications. They are often optimistic and have the motivation required to make the commitment needed for what may end up being lifelong treatment. When a young man gets a hair transplant procedure, it can avert many problems with low self esteem and lack of self confidence. With older men, these attitudes are already ingrained so that it takes some doing to change them. If the hair restoration is started early enough, the young patient need never feel the stigma of being bald for very long at all. A doctor who is skilled in doing hair transplant procedures on young people will do some investigation before tackling such a project. He will ask to see members of the family to assess their hair loss and how the young person might inherit hair loss traits from the family. If family members cannot be present, the doctor might ask for photos. One trick of doctors, who work to give young people hair transplant surgeries, is to guide them in setting the hairline. A young person will usually want a fairly low hairline. He remembers the way it was just a few short years ago and wants to duplicate the image. A good hair transplant surgeon will discourage a low hairline. Instead, he will campaign for a higher hairline. There are several advantages to this. One is that, with less top hair to cover, more donor hair will be saved. Since the young patient will be dealing with this problem for a long time, this is a necessary consideration. When the hair transplant surgeon achieves a higher hairline, he will be able to get more fullness on the top of the head because he has less to cover. This is not to say the young person will have a receding hairline when the procedure is complete; just that the hairline will not be too low. There is no reason for young people to enter adulthood without a full head of hair if they can get a hair transplant. This option is now open to them. It is bound to make many bald young men very happy.

How to Read People's Minds – Secret Ways to Read People's Thoughts

2010-01-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

Most of us often wish to read other person’s mind to uncover the hidden secrets behind their face. While there is no foolproof method which will guarantee results with 100% accuracy, there are several effective means which you help you gauge what the other person is thinking.
Below are some effective tips which will help you achieve this feat.
Body Language
One of the primary steps involve understanding the body language of the person. The body movements will provide you with some key indications of what the other person thinks. For instance, while in a meeting if the person’s feet are towards the direction of the door, then the person is most likely not interested in the meeting, and wants to leave the room as soon as possible. Likewise, if a person is standing in front of you with folded hands, it implies that the person is less receptive to your suggestions, or is quite defensive. A lying person will unknowingly point his/her knees to the left. This pattern is the same with right or left handed individuals.
Eye Movement
Another key body organ which will help you sneak into a person’s mind is their eyes. Usually when an individual is trying to compose an image out of nothing, they will generally look upward towards the left. The same eye movements will be depicted when a person is trying to think of a lie on the spot. An individual trying to recollect an image will also look upward, but towards the right. Although these eye movements are an effective measure to read a person’s mind, don’t consider them a bible of instructions.
Voice
Sound is another apparent sign which will help you read someone’s mind. More than often, this is one of the biggest and most prominent clue. This clue will prove extremely useful, when you know a person really well. If you experience a change in the person’s tone, then this should give you an idea what he/she means. If the individual is an absolute stranger to you, then go with your intuition as your listen to the person. If there are many other individuals who know the stranger better than you, then you get a chance to judge the person by other people’s reaction. If they are giggling over his/her statements, then you should know that his/her statements may carry half truth.
The dream of gaining the ability to secretly read other people’s minds has been around for a quite some time now. Once considered as an impossible feat is now pretty much achievable with clever planning and conscious efforts.
Combine and practice all the above mentioned techniques, and within no time you will see yourself as an expert reading other people’s mind. You will need to harvest some efforts initially, however, once you gain enough practice, this ability will come naturally to you, thus helping you learn the hidden secrets within the person’s mind with least or no extra efforts at all. Now, enjoy the Sherlock Homes personality present within you!

Tips for Teaching Kids Yoga

2009-12-01T08:45:00.001-08:00

Yoga is a very perfect exercise for children. It helps to promote good health. In addition, it helps to overcome stress that accompanies children in the learning age. Here are some top ten tips that would be helpful in teaching yoga to kids.

1. To motivate the kid to learn yoga, you should initially teach the benefits of yoga before teaching the postures and be a role model to the child by practicing yoga regularly.

2. An important factor which is needed while teaching yoga postures for kids is to remain patient. If the child is very energetic, then make him to do the postures that demand energy rather than simple breathing exercises. Once the child calms, make him do breathing exercises. Do not let them strain too much; they may lose interest if they are too tired.

3. Initially, introduce simple breathing exercises rather than complicated postures. If the child is very young, teach them with fun by saying how the air he is inhaling entering the lungs and driving all the toxins. They will feel interested and will do the inhalation and exhalation appropriately with the same imagination.

4. Once the kid is used to breathing exercises, start introducing simple postures. Use videos or visual charts to teach the postures in a step by step manner. Do not force them to attain the exact position right on day one. A simple yoga posture that children love to learn in the initial days is the elephant posture. Just ask them to bend at the waist and challenge them to touch the ground with their palms. Then, slowly teach them not to bend near the knees. You can select other postures with animal names such as cobra pose, fish, crow and downward-dog pose and such.

5. Do not expect the child to remember all the exercises you taught him. Let them take their own time. To increase their ability to learn, ask them to teach you the exercises they know.

6. As children are very little and will get tired very easily, encourage them to take short breaks after strenuous exercises. It is also essential not to retain any posture for a very long time. Children below the age of six years should not practice any posture for more than a minute and the entire session should not be more than 15 minutes. For children above six years of age, the session can be up to 25 minutes.

7. Children always keep nibbling some food. Make sure that the kid does not eat any food half hour before yoga practice.

8. Before starting the yoga session, make sure to practice certain warm-up exercises. However, warm up should not eat up all the energy of the kid.

9. To encourage the kids, reward them with a small gift, whenever they do correct postures.

10. If the kid is bored to practice with you, involve his friends to make him feel enthusiastic.

By following the simple tips given above, it is very easy to train the child for yoga and give them a gift that is beneficial to them throughout their life.

How to Impress a Girl?

2009-12-01T08:44:00.001-08:00

For many guys attracting and impressing a girl is a very easy task. But many guys think this is the most difficult thing in this world. To be able to attract a girl can be tedious some time. A girl uses her heart in all the decisions. It becomes very essential for a guy to treat her well and respect her. Girls get impressed with those guys who can treat them like princesses. They just require that their boyfriend or husband should take care for them.

A guy should know what to say and how to say in front of a girl. If you have confidence and you are charming then there is no difficulty in your way. The most important thing that has to be kept in mind is that you do not have to be egoistic. You should never bring your ego in between your conversation with a girl. It is a big turn off. Girls run away from those guys who are arrogant and have a big ego.

If you have looks but you do not know how to speak well. Then it can prove out to be negative for you. The way you start your conversation with a girl is the deciding factor. If you are an average looking guy but you have powerful communication skills then your way through a girl’s heart is confirmed. Nice conversation can really break the ice.

Some tips that can help you in attracting a girl are:

1. You should not show the girl that you are keenly interested in her the first time you meet her. Girls in such cases become very high headed and then they prefer to stay away from that boy. If a guy will show very less interest in a girl then she will try to be with him more because they become curious to know why the guy is behaving this way.

2. Always talk to a girl by maintaining an eye contact. This shows your confidence and girls get attracted to you very easily and naturally. So this is a very easy way to attract a girl.

3. It is recommended that a guy should be a good listener. One should talk about them but the entire conversation should not be just about you. So this thing should be kept in mind.

4. A good laugh can do wonders for you. If you can make a girl laugh then she will fall for you instantly. Every guy cannot make them laugh. It is not like you have to behave like a joker. Instead a good humor, jokes can serve the purpose for you.

5. Behave nicely and sweetly. Do not badly treat her. Respect her and soon you will win her heart.

All these suggestions and tips are followed nicely then you can surely win your girls attraction. Women are very emotional so be nice to them and try not to hurt their sentiments. These are some easy ways to a women’s heart.

Seven Tips for Staying Sniffle-Free This Winter

2009-12-01T08:43:00.000-08:00

Summer’s fun has faded and now it’s time to crank up the heat, grab a cozy throw, wrap your cold hands around a cup of hot tea and perhaps curl up with a good book.

Well, that would be nice in a parallel universe. The thing is, you have to jump up early, make sure the family has a healthy breakfast, and get everyone out the door in one piece. And… you’re faced with frigid weather conditions.

The last thing you need to worry about is the oh-so-dreadful sniffles, which then turn into a sore throat, accompanied by a nasty cough and fever, which inevitably represents lost wages you were counting on. Let’s not even talk about the growing pile of dirty laundry you can‘t bring yourself to do.

So, how do you stay sniffle-free? What can you do to increase your chances of breezing through the winter healthy and strong, immune to the sea of sickness surrounding you?

I’ve decided to share what works for my family. Following are seven ways to keep your body’s defenses on the up and up. These tips will help keep you on your feet performing all the duties beckoning to you.

1. Take probiotics. Available at your local health food store, this supplement boosts your immune system’s defenses. Swallow a capsule or two each morning before you head out the door. It’s a simple and quick way to help fight the flu by preventing it.

2. Add a teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar to a glass of water, 1-3 times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria that can make you sick. It also has been known to give one an overall feeling of increased energy and well-being.

3. Eat garlic. A natural antibiotic, this often-avoided food has medicinal value that will not only keep the vampires away, but the doctor, too. The body doesn’t become immune to garlic as it would a prescription antibiotic, therefore you can reap the positive benefits continually.

4. Take a good multivitamin. Provide your body with all the ammunition you can to combat the germs it will come into contact with. In our polluted environment, we need all the help we can get.

5. Make healthy food choices. Fuel your body with balanced nutrition so it will be strong and function properly. The more nutrition you consume, the stronger your immune system will be. Treat your body well and it will do the same for you.

6. Wash your hands! Germs are on the rampage these days and cleanliness is vital to your health. You never know what illness lurks on doorknobs or shopping carts. Keep a big bottle of hand sanitizer in your car as well as a small one in your purse or pocket.

7. Rest. Get to sleep early and stay well rested. Enough sleep cannot only enhance your immune system, but give you that extra ‘pep in your step’ you need to make it through the day.

These seven suggestions should carry you through winter’s cold and flu season sniffle-free.

Anniversary Ideas: How to Make up for a Missed Anniversary

2009-12-01T08:41:00.000-08:00

You wonder why she’s glaring at you over breakfast and notice the way she slams the door as she leaves without a goodbye kiss. It’s not until an hour later that you glance at the calendar and get a sickening feeling in your stomach. It’s your anniversary… and you’ve forgotten all about it. Don’t worry, here you’ll find some great anniversary ideas!

What to do as soon as you remember

Don’t panic and ring her up to wish her a happy anniversary, thus admitting you’d forgotten about it to begin with. Instead, send her a coy text message or email along the lines of ‘I hope you’ve kept tonight free.’ Don’t make mention of the day or any specific plans (easy, as you don’t have any); this will pique her interest.

What to do in the next 1-3 hours

Make plans and make them good. It doesn’t have to be an expensive dinner, though that can go a long way. It should be something that she will enjoy; seeing a play she’s wanted to see for awhile, going on a boat on the river – anything you know she’d love and you’d usually do anything to get out of. Ring around until you have a reservation somewhere.

Then…

Call her or send her a text or email to tell her you’ll pick her up at 7 or 8 or whenever. Also give her an idea of what to wear, i.e; if it calls for her to break out her little black dress or not.

Lunchtime

Go Shopping. If you’re at work this is what lunch breaks are made for and if you only have an hour then you’ll have to do it fast. Steer clear of flowers and chocolate. Jewellery and perfume can be great if you get them right but choose the wrong scent or a piece she doesn’t like and it’ll look like a token gift. Again, it doesn’t have to be expensive; just make it something she’ll like and that shows you know her well.

Before you pick her up

If you have the money then spring for a taxi to take you out. It’ll add a date-feel to the whole evening and that way you can both drink without having to worry about how to get the car home. When you see her dressed up to go out tell her she looks amazing. Be sincere.

And the final tip…

Don’t forget your anniversary again. Program a reminder into your computer or your mobile phone or anything that will send you an alert a week in advance next time. It’ll be that much easier.

How to Quit Smoking:Start Here

2009-11-01T03:06:00.000-08:00

Quit Once, Quit Again, Quit for Good

Most people try to quit smoking a few times before they finally succeed. Therefore, failing is not failure—it's practice. Nicotine loves the brain and the brain loves it right back; it even found its own little pleasure-inducing receptor there (the nicotinic receptor). What other satisfying thing do you do 200 times a day (the average number of puffs a pack-a-day smoker enjoys) and then abruptly decide not to do at all?

The good news is that although the science of addiction research is relatively young, the way to quit smoking is becoming clearer: Some combination of drugs, stop-smoking aids, counseling, support, and changes of habit will work for you. Maybe not the first time, but maybe this time. Good luck.

Depression Often Goes Untreated in Working Moms

2009-11-01T03:05:00.000-08:00

More than 65 percent of U.S. mothers with depression don’t receive adequate treatment, a new study has found.

Black, Hispanic and other minority mothers are least likely to receive adequate treatment. Mothers with health insurance are three times more likely to receive adequate treatment than those without insurance, wrote the researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.

“Health insurance facilitates access to adequate treatment for maternal depression. Expanding health insurance coverage to mothers with depression is a critical step in helping them get the care that they need,” study author Dr. Whitney P. Witt, an assistant professor of population health sciences, said in a news release from the university.

The analysis of national data on 2,130 mothers with depression also found that working mothers were less likely to receive adequate treatment, possibly because long work hours make it difficult for them to find time to seek treatment. This means that workplaces could prove a useful location for depression intervention.

“Services like employee-assistance programs can help these mothers get screened and treated, even if they are unable to visit a provider or a mental health professional in the health-care setting,” co-author Kristin Litzelman, a population health sciences doctoral student, said in the release. “Since healthy employees are productive employees, it’s often a win-win for employers to offer benefits that support employee mental health.”

Depression in mothers can have a major impact on the entire family, especially on the health and well-being of their children, the researchers noted. Treating depression in mothers can improve the long-term health of their families.

Health-care providers need to understand the racial, ethnic and educational disparities that affect treatment of mothers with depression in order to intervene and help these patients get the care they need, the study authors noted.

The study was released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research.

Is too much sleep making you tired?

2009-11-01T03:01:00.000-08:00

Sleep experts say habitually sleeping more than 10 hours can be indicative of other medical problems

(CNN) -- Instead of feeling crisp and refreshed, Jesse Wu wakes up sluggish after 12 hours of sleep.

"If I sleep the right amount, I feel really good," said the 25-year-old who lives in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. "If I sleep too long, I feel groggy throughout the whole day."

Like Wu, some feel exhausted after long hours of rest.

"Many people will tell you, they sleep a little worse when they sleep a long time on weekends," said Dr. Daniel Kripke, co-director of Scripps Clinic Sleep Center in La Jolla, California. "Too much long sleep on weekends does not seem to make people feel better." But he acknowledged that the reasons haven't been determined.

For years, doctors have warned about the dangers of not getting enough shuteye -- traffic accidents, weight gain, decreased productivity and immune protection, but the effects of oversleeping are not well-understood. There isn't medical evidence to recommend that people who sleep long hours should change their habits, Kripke said.

Daylight saving time ends this Sunday, giving sleepers a bonus hour of sleep.

Wu savors his sleep. "I really enjoy it," he said. In the morning, he needs five alarms -- each with a different sound -- that he smacks as he lumbers out of bed.

Like many professionals, Wu sleeps little on the weekdays (about five hours) and makes up for it on weekends, spending eight to 12 hours blissfully hibernating. Sometimes, after a long stretch, he wakes up too tired to function.

"After I've gotten so much sleep, the first situation is I fall asleep at 10 p.m., even though I've gotten 12 hours of sleep, because I feel so groggy," said Wu, who works as a membership coordinator for a professional association.

This is known as sleep drunkenness, when a person hovers between sleep and wakefulness, said Dr. Lisa Shives, medical director at Northshore Sleep Medicine in Evanston, Illinois. In one case, a patient who had sleep drunkenness came to the emergency room because his wife thought he had a stroke.

"They'll wake up and be in this weird state of sleep drunkenness," Shives said. "If it's really severe, you're not going to be in any state to make decisions. If it's just regular [case], a lot of us feel 'blah,' and most of us have to carry on and get going on a shower and cups of coffee."

Oversleeping once in a while doesn't present serious health risks, experts say.

But if you habitually sleep excessively, it could be the result of an underlying health problem. And it could be cutting into your life span.

"There's been at least two epidemiological studies to show that if people get less than five hours, or more than 10 hours of sleep, it increases their mortality," said Michael Breus, the clinical director of the sleep division at Southwest Spine and Sports in Scottsdale, Arizona.

A 2007 Finnish study found that the mortality risks increased by about 20 percent for people who slept more than eight hours. That same year, a British study found that people who slept five hours or less and those who slept more than eight hours also faced increased risks. Another study showed that people who routinely slept more than eight hours a night had a greater chance of stroke than others with less sleep.

Scientists say sleep and longevity are somehow associated, but there might be confounding factors.

"We don't know if it's the long sleep. It could be something else causing illness and the long sleep," said Kripke, who has researched the topic for 35 years.

Here are possible factors for habitually excessive sleep, known as hypersomnia:

• Problem: Poor-quality sleep

A person could sleep the recommended amount, but still feel tired because he or she got poor quality sleep.

"Oftentimes, we only think of sleep in terms of minutes -- but that's really the quantity of sleep. In fact, there's a quality of sleep," said Breus, author of the book "Beauty Sleep."

The average sleep cycle takes 90 minutes to complete. It starts from stage 1, the lightest sleep, and progresses to deeper levels through stage 4. Then, it continues to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep when the person dreams.

"When you have poor quality sleep, you spend a lot of time in stage 1 sleep," said Shives, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "You will tend to want to sleep longer to make up for the quality and increasing quantity."

Problems: Genetics

Some people naturally thrive on little sleep. And then, there are others who flourish after nine hours.

"It's only when you go less than six and a half hours of sleep, we call you a short sleeper; more than 9.5 hours, we call you a long sleeper," Shives said. "We think there's something genetic."

A study published this year in the journal Science identified a mutated gene in a mother-daughter pair that allowed them to function on six hours of sleep. The research conducted by University of California, San Francisco scientists is believed to be the first to discover a gene, hDEC2 involved in regulating sleep length. This finding could someday lead to a better understanding of why some people require more sleep.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA)

2009-10-07T06:35:00.000-07:00

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) reports that the total number of cases of E. Coli O157 linked to Godstone Farm in Surrey is 90.

Two children remain in hospital, both of whom are described by the hospital today as 'stable.'

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Escherichia coli (commonly referred to as E. coli) O157 bacteria usually cause diarrhoea which settles within seven days without treatment. The diarrhoea may contain blood. Occasionally, serious kidney and blood complications can occur. Good hygiene is very important in preventing person-to person spread and small children should be supervised with hand washing after using the toilet and before eating.
E. coli is a species of bacteria commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals. There are many different types of E. coli, and while some live in the intestine quite harmlessly, others may cause a variety of diseases. The bacterium is found in faeces and can survive in the environment.
To avoid getting strains capable of causing intestinal disease people should avoid eating undercooked meat, in particular inadequately cooked minced beef and avoid drinking unpasteurised milk. Individuals working with uncooked meats or on farms should pay close attention to good hygiene practices, as should visitors to farms.
It is important to always wash your hands with soap after going to the toilet and before and after handling food.
Hand washing in young children should be supervised, especially after handling animals or their surroundings, for instance on a visit to a farm.

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Skin Care: Facial Steaming

2009-09-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

Our search for a more youthful appearance seems a constant quest, and how ironic that we find answers in practices from ancient times. For instance, using steam to cleanse the body dates back to Roman times when baths featuring a combination of steaming, cleaning, and massage appeared wherever the Romans made conquests. In our more modern times, steaming is used as part of a beauty salon facial.Facial steaming has many benefits:• Opens your pores• Removes dead skin cells• Improves circulation• Allows for deep cleansing• Is helpful for acne and blackheadsFacial steaming can be done on a weekly basis as part of your beauty routine and is an excellent precursor for your facial mask.Reaping all the benefits, without the high cost of a beauty salon treatment, you can easily perform the steam at home. All you need is your face, cleanser, a pot, water, and a large towel.1. Remove make up and cleanse your face using soap and water or your preferred cleanser. Gently pat skin dry after rinsing.2. Fill pot with approximately three cups of water and bring to boil.3. Transfer the water to a shallow wide bowl.4. Keeping your face at least one foot away from the steam, place the towel over your head to form a tent around your head and the bowl of water. The steam should feel warm and soothing-NOT HOT! If the steam is too hot or you are uncomfortable at any time, STOP IMMEDIATELY!5. Remain under the towel for 5-10 minutes, then rinse with cool water to close and tighten your pores.6. Follow with a facial mask or a light moisturizer.

Lose Weight – A Healthy Approach

2009-08-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

You keep on practicing all the possible ways to lose weight like dieting, exercise and diet pills, but still they haven’t give that promising result. Then, the fault is with you. It’s correct. It is just because of lack of strong determination to lose weight. First, stabilize your thoughts and practice the below given measures, then you will definitely observe a fall in your weight.
• Step one as said above, make a strong determination to lose weight. Do not let anything come on the way.
• Plan appropriately. While planning take a squared approach, like consider each and every detail like your health condition, number of pounds you are overweight, foods you like the most and those you hate, drugs currently being used and your daily routine. May be consulting your doctor is the best. He will help you out in planning considering all the above factors.
• Now, coming to the actual practices dieting is of great importance. Eat to live but not live to eat. Consume only the amount your body needs. If you consume excess, then all of it gets deposited in the form of fat. The number of calories you burn should be greater than or at least equal to the calories needed by the body.
• Consume fiber rich foods that give the feeling of satiety very easily. Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich source of fiber.
• Drink plenty of water. Avoid sweetened fruit drinks.
• Next to dieting, practice of regular physical exercise is important. If your body doesn’t cooperate, start with something simple like brisk walking, and cycling. Walking alone will help you to burn a great number of calories. If you are youngster you can even consider attending sports training sessions. You can improve the health of entire family by involving them in practices.
• If your daily routine doesn’t give you time for exercises make it a part of your work. Wondering how? It is just very simple, move as much as you can. Do not take the help of others to get a file or book. Prefer steps over elevator. If you are out for shopping prefer to hold them yourself without taking the help of a cart.
• If you are very strict and nothing seems to work consult your doctor. Be frank about the workouts and dietary habits that you have been adopting. If obesity runs in your family history, then it will take a long time, you will reduce but not to the extent of models. Basing on the condition he will either recommend diet pills or surgery in worst cases.
• Use of diet pills is not compensation to dieting and exercises. They are used to boost the overall weight loss regime. While purchasing the diet pills, check if they are approved by FDA. Be cautious; never overdose with an intention to lose weight fast. It would result in side effects.
• Last approach where the diet pills fail to work is surgeries. There are a variety of surgeries that mainly act by reducing the stomach and small intestine volume. Everyone is not a candidate for weight loss surgery. Only people whose body mass index is above 40 are ideal candidates for weight loss surgery. Surgical procedures should be followed by strict dietary habits and workouts.

Avoiding Teenage Bed Wetting

2009-08-08T06:48:00.001-07:00

There are a number of reasons as to why teenagers wet their beds. Bedwetting in medical term is known as nocturnal enuresis, and can affect people from any age group right from children to adults. There are a number of factors that can be responsible in bedwetting; the most common ones are being flawed kidney functioning, oversized bladder, uncontrolled urination because of the urethral muscle problem and physical factors. Bedwetting is not commonly seen in teenagers, but the reason why teenagers wet their bed might be common. If you are facing problems with your teenager wetting your bed, then here are some tips that can help you understand the reason behind it and how to avoid this problem.
Caffeine is a major reason of bedwetting, and teenagers drink a lot of caffeine products like tea, coffee and soft drinks. If you manage to cut down the amount of caffeine intake in kids then the problem of bedwetting can be reduced.
Usually, teenagers sleep heavily and most of the times they do not realize that they have a full bladder and need to empty it. This is not even realized after they have wetted their bed. For this, it is important to empty your bladder before you go to sleep. This can help you in avoiding bedwetting.
Consumption of a lot of water just before going to bed is another common reason. If you are thirsty right before going to bed then it is advisable to suck ice cubes or Popsicles. Visit the bathroom once before you go to sleep and empty your bladder. This will help you avoid bedwetting to quite some extent.
In winters and rainy season it is quite natural that you tend to visit the bathroom frequently. If bedwetting is common during these seasons then it is important that you wear warm clothes, and pack yourself cozily so that you don’t feel the cold outside. Also, make sure that before you go to bed you have emptied your bladder. Keeping yourself warm during such weather conditions can help avoid bedwetting in teenagers.
In case the bedwetting is a chronic problem, it is advised that you visit the doctor. The doctor would examine your physical condition thoroughly and prescribe you with the required medicines, which will prevent your body from making more urine during a particular time, and hence you can have a proper sleep.
There are also some medical sensor alarms that have been designed to wake you up when your bladder is full. This can help you prevent bedwetting and rather visit the bathroom. These devices are easily available and you can make use of them to avoid teenage bedwetting.
If you or your teen is facing bedwetting problems then it is nothing to feel embarrassed about. The teenager might be suffering from some medical condition or the problem might be a result of a physical factor. Make sure that you talk to your teen and discuss issues that are happening in their life. This can solve the problem. If the problem does not rectified then it is advised that you visit a doctor who would be able to help you in a better manner.

How to Improve Skin Complexion

2009-08-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

Individuals especially, women adore to have fair complexion. The color complexion of the skin is determined by the skin pigment melanin, which protects skin from harmful UV rays. Individuals who live near to the equator have a dark complexion due to high content of melanin in their skin. Sex too affects the skin complexion. Women have a lighter skin complexion compared to men. Following are some simple measures that help you to have a fair bright looking skin.
• To have a healthy glowing skin it is essential to have a balanced diet rich in all nutrients. Consumption of good amount of fruits and vegetables helps to maintain the skin texture. Drinking plenty of water maintains the moisture content of the skin, and avoids most of the problems that are associated with dry skin.
• Soaps generally have chemicals that damage the skin complexion to some extent. Hence, it is recommended to use gram flour made from green gram and Bengal gram mixed in equal proportions instead of soap to preserve the natural skin complexion. It also helps to unclog the skin pores, and there by helps to reduce the problem of acne.
• Use of natural fruit masks helps to rejuvenate the skin. Papaya and skin of oranges are found to give good results in improving your skin complexion.
• A simple complexion mask can be made at home by mixing a pinch of turmeric with milk, honey and juice of lime. The antiseptic property of turmeric helps to heal any damages to the skin and milk helps to moisturize the skin.
• Regular cleansing, toning and moisturizing of the skin will help the skin to have a fair complexion. Use the above given gram flour mix to cleanse the skin or an oat meal and sandalwood scrub to cleanse the skin. Vinegar serves as a good toning agent.
• If you have a rough skin texture you will not be able to improve your complexion with superficial cleansing. Exfoliation is a technique that removes oil from the superficial layers of the skin and makes it resistant to roughness. Chemical peels and laser treatment help you to have a smooth skin surface and fair complexion.
In addition to using the above recommended recipes to improve skin complexion, it is essential to protect the natural skin complexion.
• Reduce the extent of exposure to sun, if it is unavoidable try to cover your body to the possible extent or apply a sun screen lotion.
• Avoid cosmetics with harmful chemicals that most of them use to improve skin complexion. It will only worsen the complexion further.
• Have good night sleep to provide time for your body to rejuvenate from damages caused during the entire day. Reduced skin rejuvenation also results in dark complexion. However, reduction in rejuvenating capacity of the skin and wrinkle formation that is seen with aging cannot be avoided.
• Take care of skin problems like acne immediately as they will leave permanent scars on the body, which will darken your complexion.
• Increased exposure to pollutants, chemicals and smoking, they destroy the natural skin texture making it rough and dry. Hence, avoid them to the maximum possible extent or cover yourself appropriately.

Does Eating Breakfast Help You Lose Weight?

2009-08-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

Are you skipping breakfast in the hope of losing weight? Then you are making a big mistake. Studies show that people who eat breakfast lose weight more easily in comparison to those who do not eat it. Why is this so?
As any weight watcher knows, the key to successful weight loss is to burn more calories than we consume. Activities like sports and exercise can help burn calories, but the body’s metabolic rate is also an important factor which determines the rate at which calories are burnt. Metabolic rates are at its peak during the day when we are active and on the go. At night time, the body is in a state of rest and the metabolic rate slows down.
Breakfast, the first meal of the day is essential to get your metabolism going. If you skip breakfast, your blood sugar levels will stay low. This in turn causes a feeling of lethargy. People who skip breakfast tend to be slow and dull when compared to those who eat this very important meal. If you skip breakfast, chances are you will binge when you have lunch or dinner. On the other hand, eating breakfast makes you feel full and sated throughout the day and you don’t tend to overeat or snack on impulse.
If you do exercise every morning, you must remember that it is wiser to do so after you have had something to eat. Granted that it is not advisable to exercise on an empty stomach but eating something light like a piece of fruit or drinking fresh juice can kick start your metabolism and can make your work out sessions more effective. If you have time, eat a complete breakfast and wait for an hour or two before you exercise.
Don’t feel hungry in the mornings? Chances are you are eating too much at night. As mentioned before, night time metabolism is low so eat a light meal at night. An apple, low fat yoghurt, cereal or a sandwich are good choices for night time meals.
Now that you know the importance of eating breakfast, make it a point to eat a little something when you start your day. A simple and healthy breakfast can be prepared in no time. A bowl of cereal, some fresh fruits, cheese and crackers, toast and eggs or even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a great way to start your day. If you find that you are hard pressed for time, drink a glass of milk or fruit juice or make a fruit smoothie. You can even have breakfast while on the way to work. Just make your favorite smoothie and carry it with you or pack a sandwich to eat in the car or bus.
So, if you really want to lose weight, start eating a healthy breakfast. Combine this with healthy meals in moderation, exercise and a healthy lifestyle to achieve your target weight.

Food and Beverages

2009-06-12T23:35:00.003-07:00

The food and beverages that make up our diet actually cause us to get sick. But isn't what we eat supposed to nourish us and keep us healthy? Why does our food make us ill? The obvious reason is that it is simply so processed that there is little or no nutrition left in it by the time we actually eat it. Even fresh fruits and vegetables are lacking in nutrition because of lengthy travel, contaminated and drained soils, pesticides, and early harvest. The most sinister reason we become sick from the food and beverages we consume is because they are manufactured to make us sick. But why would any company want to do that? Sadly, the people who control our food sources are also the people that provide us with medications. The pharmaceutical companies own both and so they are able to provide themselves with clients for life and that's great for business. So they initially take your money when they sell you the food and then they take more of your money when they sell you the drugs. How can this be happening in America? There is only one way - with the approval of the government. FOOD AND BEVERAGES: ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS? So many people are trying to avoid foods that are genetically modified because they do not agree with it, yet the packaging doesn't make it easy. There are no laws that require them to mark the foods as such. These foods are dangerous and there is a massive cover up underway. That's because the same people who are involved in genetically modifying food own the drug companies and for them this is a really big win. They will make you sick and profit from it. THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION It gets worse. If you haven't heard of the Codex Alimentarius Commission don't worry you aren't alone. It's based in Rome and actually dates back to 1962 when it was created by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). They claimed it was created to protect the food supply and food standards, but actually, that was not the truth at all. The Codex Alimentarius is scheduled to be implemented in 2011 and if it is not stopped we are will be under the total control of the wealthy elite like the Rockefellers and the pharmaceutical companies. When it is implemented almost all of the foods you will be able to purchase will be genetically modified foods. Worse, the FDA does not require it to be labeled. BACK TO NAZI GERMANY This alone is frightening enough but when you compound it with the fact that the notorious IG Farbel cartel from NAZI Germany is behind the Codex it becomes even more sinister. Still not convinced that our supply of food and beverages is under attack? Kissinger once said 'Food is power. We use it to change behavior.' Not only will they make you sick and then sell you the drugs to cure you, they will have the power to decide if they want to cure you and will be able to systematically eliminate the weak and the poor from the world. They will also have the power to make you do what they want in order to get the medications. Are you scared yet? You should be!

Ten Ways to Defend Yourself Using Karate

2009-06-12T23:35:00.002-07:00

The crime rate has risen rapidly in the past few years and many penal experts predict it will continue to soar! The average man must learn how to defend himself against the roaming roughnecks. And Karate is the answer! You don't have to lift weights to practice Karate. No rigorous exercises at the gym are needed. Size and weight are not the primary factors in overcoming your attacker. In Karate you need fear no man! Even a 200 lb. brute can be overpowered ... If YOU know how to use his own weight and size against him! Let us now demonstrate the proper basic karate defense against street attacks: 1. You are walking down a dark street. A man creeps up behind you. He grabs your right hand, pulls and twists it from behind in an attempt to get a strangle-hold on you. HOW TO DEFEND: Swing the foot opposite the hand being held and attack his face with smashing blows. 2. You're standing still on a street corner. A wise guy walks close behind you. Perhaps you had a few disagreeing words with him last week. Now he wants to get "even" with you. He suddenly pulls your right hand back and with the same motion pushes your shoulder forward. HOW TO DEFEND: Don't hesitate a moment. Give him the mule kick from the rear-and right to his solar plexus. He will loosen his grip and then you really go to work on him. 3. Two men sneak up behind you. Each grabs a hand, pulls it back and pushes your shoulders forward. HOW TO DEFEND: Attack one opponent with a rear mule kick. Attack second opponent with elbow blow to ribs. Free your self and run for safety. 4. A man goes berserk and tries to attack you with a knife. He attempts to strike you from an overhead position. HOW TO DEFEND: As he plunges down, you leap off at a 45 degree angle, land on your left foot and kick with your right foot at the maniac's knee. This will throw him off stride. Follow through with any of your Karate weapons. 5. A maniac tries to knife you in the stomach. HOW TO DEFEND: Fall forward to the floor diagonally and throw a roundhouse kick to the nut's groin with your right foot. This will make him double up with pain. With the same leg you thrust at the man's knee joint, throw him to the ground and disarm him. 6. A punk, reeking of liquor, tries to whack you with a back hand blow from across his body. HOW TO DEFEND: Basic karate should save you in this situation. Step in with your right foot and slash at his forearm with your right hand. Disarm him and strike at any nerve center. 7. A seedy looking, beady-eyed tramp tries to hold you up with a knife. He surprises you and holds the weapon against your stomach. HOW TO DEFEND: Make a motion with your right hand to distract his attention; then slash down with the left. If possible grab the tramp's wrist. Turn your body away from the knife and smash him in the Adam's apple. 8. A wild teenager tries to club you on the top of the head. HOW TO DEFEND: Move quickly with your left hand and push against the elbow joint of the attacking arm; then move in fast and counter attack with the elbow with smashes to the face and kicks to the groin. 9. An opponent tries to club you with a roundhouse swing. HOW TO DEFEND: Block the blow with a knife hand defense against his forearm and with your right hand deliver a stinging, smashing knife blow to your opponent's neck. 10. A man attempts to attack you with a backhanded swing of a club. HOW TO DEFEND: Lean to the side to dodge the attack and then counter with a sweeping roundhouse kick to the solar plexus or groin.

Know how to defend yourself with basic karate at all times to be safe.

Understanding the Causes of Cystic Acne

2009-06-12T23:34:00.003-07:00

We, in one time or another, may have experienced acne especially during our teenage years where acne is most active. We could have been experiencing whiteheads or that simple blackhead, but some people may have experienced a more severe form of acne called cystic acne. What is cystic acne then, and what are the causes of cystic acne? Cystic acne is considered the most severe of all the types of 'common acne'. The skin lesions in cystic acne are deep, inflamed and painful. It is almost similar to acne characterized by nodules but the bumps in the skin are filled with pus and are larger that it can even stretch to a few centimeters. Sometimes the bumps on the skin appear in large groups and widespread. Acne characterized by cysts does not only appear in the face, but like the other common acne, it can also appear in the chest, shoulders and even in the scalp. The exact causes of cystic acne is not yet known. There are cases that it is linked to genetic factors, and there might have been myths about certain food that causes acne, but they were not found to be the real causes of acne. However, some food are identified to be triggering factors, which makes the existing acne worse. Acne starts from pores in the skin that are blocked by oil in the skin, thus anything that may cause clogging of the pores may trigger acne breakouts. Using oil-based makeup for instance can clog pores that may trigger acne. Other identified triggering factors are direct exposure to sunlight, tight clothing and helmets, rubbing or scrubbing the skin and of course, picking the skin lesions. The primary causes of cystic acne has not yet been determined, but it but they are identified to develop from clogged pores blocked by excess oil in the skin as well as dead skin cells. When bacteria found on the skin live and grow on clogged pores, it can cause infection and inflammation. The infection can lead to deeper nodules and may develop pus. The skin lesions may grow larger as well. When acne starts, it is important to be observant of the skin lesions. In some instances acne starts from the formation of milder forms like blackheads and whiteheads but some may appear directly into its severe form like the nodules or cysts. Cystic acne is considered severe and affects not only the surface but also deep into the skin, thus it also develops small to large scars as well as deep ones that are often permanent and are hard to treat. One should also resist the urge to squeeze the lesions because it can worsen the scarring and may lead to the formation of pits that can only be treated by surgery, Cystic acne, when it occurs in large groups can even lead to more damage in the cells that may lead to a more severe type of acne, the acne conglobata, where there is then the formation of abscesses that are lodged deep into the skin. Worst, this type of acne is a very disfiguring type and most often needs help from a dermatologist. We may not be able to know the real causes of cystic acne, but it is very important to give utmost care to our skin as scarring caused by severe acne may be difficult to treat and may cause irreparable psychological damage to our lives.

Weight Loss and a Healthy Liver

2009-06-12T23:34:00.002-07:00

How to enhance your liver function for weight loss.Here are the solutions Imagine your liver is like two soda cans stacked one on top of the other joined by a piece of garden hose. There is another piece of hose entering from the top of the first and another exiting from the bottom of the second. Got a clear picture? Everything that has to be cleaned by your liver will enter the top tube in a fat soluble form and leave the second tube in a water soluble form which can then be excreted. This process is called Bio-Transformation and the detox system is called the Cytochrome P450 system. so if in the future you encounter those terms you will understand them. The problem occurs when this process stars to dysfunction to even a small degree. The first can typically runs too fast, therefore not properly completing its job and then the second runs too slow, which causes a build up toxic material which is then recirculated around your blood stream for up to six times before it is properly metabolized. This is in fact a vary complicated process which takes very serious people using lots of long words, and large flow charts on white boards a great deal of time to explain. In short if your liver is doing this, and it is the case with the majority of my clients then you will not break down fats efficiently and they will end up somewhere you don't want , perhaps on your hips. So what do I do? you ask. Firstly you need to take the load off your liver. i.e. reducing your fat, alcohol and caffeine intake. All of these stress your liver. Add illegal drugs to that list, they make pate of your liver! Pharmaceutical drugs also give it a hard time, but you cannot stop your medications. Did you know that a sluggish liver changes how long your meds take to be processed in the liver. Therefore changing the time frame, and their effectiveness in the way they work in your body. Next you need to support the phase 1 and phase 2 conjugation processes i.e. the soda cans filtering. This is done on two levels. 1. Home available remedies. Green tea, turmeric, ginger and vitamin c rich foods such as citrus fruit and broccoli. Did you know hamsters thrive on broccoli because like humans they can't create their own Vitamin C unlike a dog or a cat! 2. Specific herbal remedies. My favorite herbal combo would include: Dandelion root, St Mary's Thistle, Buplereum and Globe artichoke. 3. Nutritional formulas would need: Cystiene, methonine, inositol, glutamine plus a full complement of B Vitamins. 4. Antioxidant support including: Grape seed extract plus Vitamins A C & E. Most people will experience more energy, clearer thinking and of course the Holy Grail. Better fat burning and a faster metabolism. Resulting in weight loss. This is an important process for anyone who wants to experience good health and wellbeing but of critical importance if you wish to lose weight.

What To Consider Before A Hair Transplant

2009-06-12T23:33:00.000-07:00

Considering a hair transplant is a difficult decision for anyone to have to make, but hair loss does affect both men and women all over the world. Hair loss can cause depression and take away the confidence of an individual, so it is no surprise that people seek out professional help for a transplant. Here this article looks at things that need to be considered before an individual does decide to undergo the surgery, as it is a choice that creates permanent results. First to consider when deciding whether or not to undergo a hair transplant, you should be clear with your doctor about the techniques that are currently available. The latest technique that is available is a process of hair transplant known as FUE. FUE stands for follicle unit extraction; it is one of the most advance techniques of transplant which uses no knife, no scalpel, no stitches and no visible scarring. Invented by Dr Woods the operation is so minimally invasive and far less traumatic than other techniques that require stitches. Donor hair can even be taken from other areas of the body to be placed on thinning scalp areas, using donor body hair is known as BHT or body hair transplant. There are only few FUE qualified doctors in the world, over 95% of hair clinics are still offering the traditional strip technique, where a strip of the patient's hair is removed from the head using a knife or scalpel. In comparison with the new technique FUE has many benefits, mainly the scarring issue that is important to individuals on deciding their treatment. The small wounds that are created by FUE do not need stitching and leave no visible scars; the donor site in this technique heals faster and is barely visible after healing. Make sure when discussing with your doctor or surgeon regarding your hair transplant that you are clear on all the different treatments, for example there is a technique known as FUHT which stands for follicular unit hair transplant. This simply means a hair transplant with the natural groupings of the follicles; it can be used with the traditional strip procedure. If you are serious about your treatment then make sure that you do a lot of research into the technique that you wish to use, ask your clinic to show you previous patients treatment and if possible find out if you can get in contact with patients that have received the treatment and the results they received.

Office Exercise - How To Burn Calories While You Work?

2009-05-07T13:15:00.001-07:00

Work at a desk all day? Don't take it sitting down. Make office exercise — from fitness breaks to walking meetings — part of your routine.If you're doing your best to set aside time for exercise either before work or after work, good for you.
But finding time to exercise can be a challenge for anyone with a busy schedule.
Why not work but while you're at work?Sure, you know you can park at the far end of the parking lot and take the stairs instead of the elevator.
These are great ideas, but there's even more you can do to burn calories during your workday — especially if you sit at a desk most of the day. Consider 10 creative ways to make office exercise part of your routine:Make the most of your commute. Walk or bike to work. If you ride the bus, get off a few blocks early and walk the rest of the way.Look for opportunities to stand.
You'll burn more calories standing than sitting. Try a standing desk, or improvise with a high table or counter.
Eat lunch standing up. Trade instant messaging and phone calls for walks to other desks or offices.Take fitness breaks. Rather than hanging out in the lounge with coffee or a snack, take a brisk walk or do some gentle stretching.
Pull your chin toward your chest until you feel a stretch along the back of your neck, or slowly bring your shoulders up toward your ears.
Get social. Organize a lunchtime walking group. You might be surrounded by people who are ready to lace up their walking shoes — and hold each other accountable for regular exercise. Enjoy the camaraderie, and offer encouragement to one another when the going gets tough.Conduct meetings on the go. When it's practical, schedule walking meetings or brainstorming sessions. Do laps inside your building or, if the weather cooperates, take your walking meetings outdoors.Pick up the pace. If your job involves walking, do it faster. Take long, easy strides, and remember to breathe freely while you walk.If you travel for work, plan ahead. Exercise doesn't need to go by the wayside when you're traveling. If you're stuck in an airport waiting for a plane, grab your bags and take a brisk walk. Choose a hotel that has fitness facilities — such as treadmills, weight machines or a pool — or bring your equipment with you. Jump-ropes and resistance bands are easy to sneak into a suitcase. Of course, you can do jumping jacks, crunches and other simple exercises without any equipment at all.
Try a treadmill desk. If you're ready to take office exercise to the next level, consider a more focused walk-and-work approach. If you can comfortably position your work surface above a treadmill — with a computer screen on a stand, a keyboard on a table or a specialized treadmill-ready vertical desk — you may be able to walk while you work.
In fact, Mayo Clinic researchers estimate that overweight office workers who replace sitting computer time with walking computer time by two to three hours a day could lose 44 to 66 pounds (20 to 30 kilograms) in a year. The pace doesn't need to be brisk, nor do you need to break a sweat. The faster you walk, however, the more calories you'll burn.
Want more ideas for office exercise? Schedule a walking meeting to brainstorm ideas with your supervisors or co-workers. Remember, any physical activity counts!

20 Tips for Permanent Weight Loss

2009-05-07T13:14:00.003-07:00

Permanent weight loss can be a challenge. These 20 ideas can help.Weight maintenance is much like weight loss. The principles are essentially the same: Eat healthy foods, control your portion sizes and exercise regularly. And to keep the pounds off permanently, you need to incorporate the new, healthy behaviors into your routine so that they become a natural part of your daily life.Here are 20 ideas to reinforce your healthy lifestyle and to keep you committed to permanent weight loss.

Exercise 30 to 60 minutes each day.

If time is limited, exercise for several brief periods throughout the day — for example, three 10-minute sessions rather than one 30-minute session.

Eat three healthy meals during the day, including a good breakfast. Skipping meals causes increased hunger and may lead to excessive snacking.

Focus on fruits and vegetables. Top off your morning cereal with sliced strawberries or bananas. Stir berries or peaches in yogurt or cottage cheese. Liven up your sandwiches with vegetables, such as tomato, lettuce, onion, peppers and cucumber.

Plan a family activity. Get the family together to go for a bike ride, play disc golf or kick the ball around in the yard.

Look for a distraction when you're fighting a craving. Call a friend, put on music and dance or exercise, clean the house, pull weeds in your garden, or run an errand. When your mind is occupied with something else, the cravings quickly go away.

Reward yourself. Losing weight and keeping the pounds off is a major accomplishment. Celebrate your success with nonfood rewards, such as new clothes or an outing with friends.

Walk for 10 minutes over your lunch hour or get up a few minutes earlier in the morning and go for a short walk.

Plan a week's worth of meals at a time. Make a detailed grocery list to eliminate last-minute trips to the grocery store and impulse buys.

Eat at home. People eat more food in restaurants than at home. Limit how often you eat at restaurants. If you do eat out, decide what and how much you're going to eat before you start and have the rest boxed to go.

Basic Steps To Fitness

2009-05-07T13:14:00.002-07:00

Being Fit and Healthy is every souls dream. A healthy and fit body along with a healthy mind makes life an interesting journey and this world a heaven. Here are a few steps to achieve a healthy body.
Commit To Get FitThe first thing you need to do is commit yourself to a fitness programme. The best way to do this is join a local gym – once you've coughed up the cash, you can view it as an investment.Choosing A GymMany health clubs will be offering good deals on membership. Try to find one with a swimming pool.EquipmentYou don't have to spend a fortune on fitness gear but you should invest in a good pair of cross trainers for indoor and outdoor use. If you're going for the yoga and Pilates approach, you won't need trainers.Work It Out!Before you rush headlong into a tough workout schedule you should actually work out how fit you are and how far you've got to go.DietTry a 'fat-burning', sugar-free diet for one month. Cut out ALL sugar, cakes, biscuits, chocolate and white bread.LiquidsAre you getting enough? Water that is! If you feel that you are under performing mentally and physically or suffering from constipation, sinus problems, lethargy or depression, you may be dehydrated. The average intake of water should be eight glasses of water a day to keep the brain and internal organs functioning efficiently.Healthy ArmsHere's how to get them….Hold a dumbbell or can of beans in your right hand and rest you left knee and left hand on a chair or bench, keep left arm straight. Bend your right knee and make sure your back is parallel to the floor. Bend your right elbow up and behind you keeping it close to your torso with the palm facing in. Extend the forearm back so that the arm is straight and the upper arm is squeezed into the body. Slowly return the arm to the bent position and repeat. Use a 3-5lb weight and perform three sets of 10 to 12 reps.Healthy LegsFocus on the inner thigh muscles to get rid of the wobble. Try swimming. For lean, trim legs, do 20–60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise like running, skating or cycling at least three times per week. Cardio circuit training classes that include running and jumping are a great way to slim down the thighs. Deep stretching will also streamline any lumpy areas.And finally,Get active! Whether you can fit 10 minutes or 60 minutes into your day do something that raises your heart rate. Try brisk walking for part of your way to and from work or during your lunch hour. With the light evenings and inclement weather, get on your bike, roller blades or just your feet and just get moving!

Kissing - Sex and the Kiss

2009-05-07T13:13:00.002-07:00

Sex and the Kiss
Sexually, guys take the act of kissing grossly for granted. They forget that the mouth can get quite inviting and can be used for a multitude of reasons. More often than not men take it that if a woman has to smooch him tightly, she means that she would instantly like to go to bed with him. Even amongst teenagers, guys generally take it that to get a woman agree to his whims and fancies, he needs to get extremely closer to her mouth, it is only then can he get his hands all over her. But then there are those unfortunate people who are truly bad kissers and possibly to make up for their lack of kissing prowess that they take sex too seriously. Probably a case of the sub-conscious playing on! Many men and women when questioned came along with much the same answers, that they’ve yet to master the art of kissing. There are several kinds of kisses I gather. Some soft, others intimate, some called butterfly kisses and others wet and deep. The way to kiss a person is probably the last thing that parents might teach their children, so peers have to either learn it from the movies or from their friend’s circle. And we all know that half knowledge is dangerous, and even more so if its not been experimented upon. Talking about the kinds of kisses in general, its interesting that sans words, kisses can mean a lot, of course where you might get kissed is quite a different story altogether.

Types of Kisses
We’ll start with the ordinary cute small kiss, that you might have received from your mom, while tucking you in bed. Then comes the teary kiss, during emotional moments, that’s slightly longer than the peck you received last night. Followed by which is the nervy kiss for first time lovers.
The French kiss I am sure needs no introduction, the wet and messy entangling of feelings that mean that there’s more to the story than just lip locking. Close to the heels of this type of kiss is the cannibalistic kiss, the one with bruises, or love bites as it were. These are kisses with a deliberate action of hurting, oops, sorry bruising your loved one, leaving what may experience as a slight sweet feeling pain either on the nape of your neck or close to your ear. These are perhaps two of the most famous places, simply because of the network of sensitized veins that can play havoc with your mental faculties.
Another type of the kiss, quite similar to the cannibalistic kiss is the suffocating one. Here of course along with the bruises that are a default package, you also have two people infuriatingly gasping for breath! Of course this sort of a kiss can be rather suffocating, and a bit dangerous like the French kiss with the saliva passing on any type of infection to the other including the HIV.
The suffocating kiss as I would term it, has three phases. (You may seek to disagree but I guess I could not have broken up this into a more explicit description!) One is the inquisitive phase where you are trying to search for places within each other’s mouth for an enhanced feeling of ecstasy. The second is the overpowering, emotional and pacing kisses almost not letting the other one breathe, and the third phase releases the grasp as it were, and easing the breath of each other, yet prolonging the action into a great, wet and intoxicating kiss! Phew! I said it at last! I really wish I could give you a better description, but then this is the best what I could manage. Go ahead, indulge…. Make love not war!

How Fit Are You? See How You Measure Up

2009-05-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

Ready to start a fitness program? Measure your fitness level with a simple four-part test. Then use the results to set fitness goals and track your progress.
You probably have some idea of how fit you are. But knowing the specifics can help you set fitness goals, monitor your progress and maintain your motivation. Once you know where you're starting from, you can plan where you want to go. And it's easier than you might think! Get started with the simple assessment guidelines below — based on guidelines provided by the President's Challenge, an activity program designed by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Gather your tools
Generally, fitness is assessed in four key areas — aerobic fitness, muscular fitness, flexibility and body composition. To do your assessment, you'll need:
A watch that can measure seconds or a stopwatchA cloth measuring tapeA yardstickHeavy duty tapeSomeone to help you with the flexibility testYou'll also need a pencil or pen and paper to record your scores as you complete each part of the assessment. You can record your scores in a notebook or journal, or save them in a spreadsheet or another electronic format.
Check your aerobic fitness: Brisk walk
To assess your aerobic fitness, take a brisk one-mile (1.6-kilometer) walk. You can do the walk anywhere — on a trail or track, inside a shopping mall or on a treadmill. Before and after the walk, check and record your pulse in your notebook or journal.
To check your pulse over your carotid artery, place your index and third fingers on your neck to the side of your windpipe. To check your pulse at your wrist, place two fingers between the bone and the tendon over your radial artery — which is located on the thumb side of your wrist. When you feel your pulse, look at your watch and count the number of beats in 10 seconds. Multiply this number by 6 to get your heart rate per minute.
Let's say you count 15 beats in 10 seconds. Multiply 15 by 6 for a total of 90 beats per minute.
After you've recorded your pulse, note the time on your watch and walk one mile (1.6 kilometers). After you complete the walk, check your watch and record the time it took you to finish — in minutes and seconds — in your notebook or journal. Then check and record your pulse once more.
Measure muscular fitness: Push-ups
Push-ups can help you measure muscular strength. If you're just starting a fitness program, do modified push-ups on your knees. If you're already fit, do classic push-ups. For both types:
Lie facedown on the floor with your elbows bent and your palms next to your shoulders.Keeping your back straight, push up with your arms until your arms are extended.Lower your body until your chest touches the floor.Push your body upward, returning to the starting position.Count each time you return to the starting position as one push-up. Do as many push-ups as you can until you need to stop for rest. Record the number of push-ups you complete in your notebook or journal.
Assess your flexibility: Sit-and-reach test
The sit-and-reach test is a simple way to measure the flexibility of the backs of your legs, your hips and your lower back. Here's how:Place a yardstick on the floor. Secure it by placing a piece of tape across the yardstick at the 15-inch (38-centimeter) mark.Place the soles of your feet even with the mark on the yardstick.Ask a helper to place his or her hands on top of your knees to anchor them.Reach forward as far as you can, holding the position for two seconds.Note the distance you reached.Repeat the test two more times.Record the best of the three reaches.
Estimate your body composition: Waist circumference and body mass index
With a cloth measuring tape, measure your waist circumference at its smallest point — usually at the level of the navel. Record your waist circumference in inches or centimeters in your notebook or journal.
Then determine your body mass index (BMI) — an indicator of your percentage of body fat — through a BMI table or online calculator. If you'd rather do the math yourself, divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and multiply by 703. Or divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. (To determine your height in meters, divide your height in centimeters by 100). Record your BMI with the rest of your scores in your notebook or journal.
Monitor your progress
Now that you know your fitness level, keep track of your progress. Take the same measurements six weeks after you begin your exercise program and periodically afterward. Each time you repeat your assessment, celebrate your progress — and adjust your fitness goals accordingly. Show the results to your doctor or personal trainer for additional guidance.

Sexual Intercourse - How to Make Love Whole night!

2009-05-07T13:12:00.001-07:00

Love making is the most magnificent celestial experience. While making love, we forget about our past and feel absolutely no worries of our future; everything freezes to time and we live in the very moment. But unfortunately for some people; love making do not last longer and they are not able to enjoy every bit of it. Normally people can stretch love making to an hour long activity, but making love for whole night is always possible. All you need is some simple techniques which are to be followed by both the partners. If you follow step by step procedure and understand what is needed to be done at particular time, you can make your nights enjoyable and memorable too. Before we start discussing the points, it is very important to understand that 100% participation and complete devotion of the partners, better mutual understanding, desire for passionate love making and readiness to take initiative in the game of love are the prerequisites. There are situations when one partner has to lead and let the other partner keep his/her desires burning, failing to understand this will cost in early ending of your passion packed activity. Also please take care not to eat more at dinner, because it affects your active participation in love making. Foreplay, knowing the peak point of one’s partner, leading alternatively, use of different sex positions and some more are the key points to be learned about before even thinking about having night long sex. As I have explained the importance of foreplay (and also provided with some important tips) in my article "Foreplay – Sexual Intercourse Navigator!", it is important to start the sexual activity with a prolonged and sensual foreplay. The only difference in foreplay carried out during normal sexual intercourse and the foreplay intended for a night long sex activity is that this foreplay has to be carried out for longer period and should be divided in some parts. These parts should be performed from time to time. Foreplay is an art of expressing love and is a perfect invitation for a sex activity. Foreplay is important in order to arouse female partner for the game of love. Knowing your partner’s peak time can help him/her slow down when he/she reaches to the extreme level, people who face problem of early ejaculation can be helped by their partners during intercourse in many ways. In order not to shoot before time, one should follow "Slowing Down" and/or "Packet" techniques. Slowing down when it’s a high sensitive moment pushes the shooting point further, allowing both the partners enjoy intercourse for some more time. Packet technique is used when its hard to slow down, at this point the stroking activity is stopped by the weak partner for some time and extended/advanced foreplay is used to give another partner continuous experience of intercourse whereas the partner having problem of early ejaculation gets some more time to calm down his/her desires at certain level and then again both the partners can resume the activity. Extended/advanced foreplay contains stimulating partners and allowing him/her to continue experiencing intercourse by fingering or blowjob performed by the weak partner. Another technique that can help in increasing shooting time is by pressing weak partner’s semen carrying vein (which is situated just below the scrotum) with the help of a finger by other partner, this surely allows late ejaculation for the weak partner. One advantage of this technique is that if you follow this technique for many days, it improves performance of male partner having early ejaculation problem and he can enjoy longer and stronger strokes after little practice and he can also gain control on his senses which causes in early ejaculation. Use of different sex positions has its own importance in sexual intercourse activity. There are different sex positions which allow both the partners choose the way they want to enjoy their time. Some positions allow both the partners keep showering love on the other partner for longer time without shooting up early. Both the partners can use different sex positions during one intercourse. Its never possible to enjoy all night sex without both the partners taking lead alternatively, if one partner is leading he/she should help the other partner to keep the desires in control without reaching the end point early; at the same time the leading partner should make it sure that whatever activity is followed it should appease the burning desires of both the partners and should drive them slowly towards the celestial experience allowing them enjoy each moment during the intercourse. There can be more than one complete intercourse during the night long sex activity, but both the partners should never let the passion fade, which can cause decline in interest of the other partner. The combination of foreplay, advanced foreplay, different sex positions make it possible to enjoy all night sex, so both the partners should have proper understanding of these points.

Sex Tips - Tips For sexual Satisfaction And Better Sex

2009-05-07T13:10:00.001-07:00

Enlarge ImageI have six sex tips for you.
1. Explore your wife's sexual potentials
2. Tease your wife. Anticipation makes the act even more pleasurable.
3. Explore your wife's fantasies
4. Listen to your wife. Give more than you take.
5. Don't play by any rules. Create your own world. Do what works for you . . . what excites and satisfies your wife.
6. Mind your wife. Understand her body language. Be there when she needs you. The six sex tips above are all you need to satisfy your wife sexually and to enjoy better sex. You will notice that these sex tips do not say anything about sex positions or even the procedure or method of sexual intercourse, as most experts do. The reason is simple. Sexual positions and 'special methods' of sexual intercourse suggested by sex experts are not the things that lead to sexual satisfaction. Sexual satisfaction and better sex are emotions that your wife feels after sexual intercourse. They have nothing to do with your sexual positions. In fact, many 'state of the art' sexual positions recommended by sex merchants are far from practical. Don't waste your time. The six sex tips above are really all your need to satisfy your wife sexually. Look at it this way. Your wife is your customer. To keep her coming again and again, you need to satisfy her yearnings, her wishes, her wants and desires. And more importantly, you need to see things from her perspective. No matter how well intentioned you are, you won't satisfy her sexually if you don't listen to her and see sex from her perspective. Remember . . . she is your customer. And the customer is king. Follow the six sex tips above.
Offer her what she asks
Listen more than you talk
See things from her perspective
Tease her
Break the rules
Explore her fantasies
Live for her
Be present when she needs you She will love you for it. And . . . she will keep asking for more. That's sexual satisfaction. Never again will you have to worry about her looking elsewhere. About The Author: Samson Itoje is a relationship expert. He offers free sex tips at http://www.true-love-relationship-advice.com/sex-tips.html. Looking for love advice? Talk to Samson Itoje

Cheap and Easy- How to Care For Your Hair

2009-04-25T12:25:00.001-07:00

Haircare is something that you can spend a great deal of money on but there are also many creative ways to cut your haircare expenses. For instance, did you know that if you have to brush your hair more than three time during the day to keep it in place, you need a change of style? If you invest in a good haircut and styling, you can save time and money you would have spent on styling products. Graham and Rosemary Haley author's of Haley's Hints have some great suggestions on saving money on haircare:

More shampoo for less - Commercial shampoo can be diluted to half-strength without altering its ability to clean hair. I actually do this with my laundry detergent also and I add a water softener which helps boost the cleaning power of the detergent.

Homemade dry shampoo - Sometimes you can't shampoo in the shower and need a dry shampoo. You can make your own by simply sprinkling baby powder on your hair and brushing vigorously. Baby Powder also comes in nice scents like lavender.

Baby shampoo for all - If your family members all have different hair types, try switching to baby shampoo, which is effective for dry, oily and normal types.

Clean Hair Brushes and Combs - Fill a basin with warm water and add 2 tablespoons baking soda. Rub brushes together in the solution. Rinse and pat dry.

Home Protein Treatment - Blend 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 3 whole whipped eggs in the blender. Apply to clean damp hair and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water. This treatment helps damaged ends and gives hair a nice shine.

Homemade Conditioner - Take two beaten egg yolks and add a teaspoon of gin or vodka. After you've washed your hair, towel dry and massage the mixture into your scalp. Leave for 5 minutes and then rinse.

Hot Oil Treatment - Wet hair and dry. Apply warm vegetable or baby oil to hair roots and massage gently. Cover with a warm towel, fresh from the dryer. Wait 15 minutes before shampooing. Do not use on color treated hair. Use every other time you shampoo.

Dandruff Shampoo - Crush an aspirin tablet until powdered and add it to your normal shampoo. Shake well until powder is dissolved. The acetylsalicylic acid in aspirin is the same ingredient used in many commercial dandruff shampoos.

Save your color treated hair after swimming - This tip comes from my stylist. Rinse your hair with club soda to remove chlorine from hair. Bring a bottle with you to the pool

Simplifying Nutrition - The Wellness Way

2009-04-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

Every few days, someone will contact me for advice and guidance regarding their nutrition. For years, I've consistently noticed that many people just don't know where to begin when it comes to eating healthier. Is it any wonder? When I think of all the nutritional information we're inundated with - in the media, in nutrition books, in grocery stores, what our doctors say, what new 'studies' say, what our friends say, what celebrities say - wow! No wonder people are confused and unsure where to begin!

I like to keep it simple.

When I make any health and lifestyle recommendation, whether it's nutrition, exercise, stress, mindset, weight loss, or even dealing with a sickness or disease, my recommendation is based upon meeting our body's innate genetic requirements for health. That's the first step. If it's not something that meets our requirements for health then it's not part of the plan.

Next, I stick to the simplicity of the "Wellness Formula". This is the magic! Applying this one simple strategy to every component of our lifestyle, results in predictable improvements over and over.

The Wellness Formula states that optimal health and function are created as a result of consistently making pure and sufficient lifestyle choices over time, while simultaneously reducing toxic and deficient choices.

"Lifestyle choices" can be summarized as how we eat, how we move and how we think. If something is "pure" it means that it meets our innate genetic requirements in that area of our lifestyle. If it's "toxic" then it works against our requirements and has a negative effect. "Sufficient" choices give us enough of the requirements to meet our needs, while "deficient" choices fail to meet our innate requirements for health.

All these choices play out on a dynamic sliding scale of health. On one end of the scale is optimal health & function. When we make pure and sufficient choices, we move in this direction. When we make toxic and deficient choices we move away from optimal health. At the opposite end of the scale is lack of function and eventually death.

Yes, our external environment plays a direct role in this sliding scale as well as the choices we make. A pure and sufficient environment (the conditions we are consistently exposed to) move us toward health, while a toxic and deficient environment moves us away.

So how do we apply these choices along the scale to Nutrition?

My main focus when first guiding someone to creating better health is to add purity and sufficiency. We add the "good stuff" first. It's more challenging and less successful to begin by taking away the "bad stuff", the toxic and deficient choices.

In order to add purity and sufficiency to the nutritional component of our lifestyle, I have 4 "Golden Rules" that I suggest we stick to as often as possible:

1) Eat real food.
2) Eat food in its whole form, closest to its naturally occurring state.
3) Eat food that is pure, clean and untainted.
4) Eat foods that are fresh, seasonal and local.

Real food is food that is grown, harvested, hunted, etc. as opposed to being created in a factory or laboratory. My kids call it "God-made" food. Real food meets our requirements for sufficiency.

Food in its whole form simply means "don't mess with what nature created!" For example, an egg comes with whites AND a yolk. This is how it's most nutritionally beneficial. Naturally occurring protein has some fat along with it. This is how it's assimilated most effectively for our greatest benefit. When we attempt to remove fat or calories from food, we denature it and lose many of it's inherent benefits. This moves us away from health.

The naturally occurring state for livestock is free-roaming, free-range and eating what they were designed to eat. For example, cows naturally eat grass, not fatty grains. Foods in their naturally occurring state help meet our requirements for sufficiency.

Eating pure and clean foods means, whenever possible, choosing foods without toxic chemicals like pesticides, herbicides, steroids, hormones, antibiotics, radiation and so on. Choosing organic foods makes good health sense when you consider that toxic choices move us away from health on the sliding scale. It doesn't always have to be organic, but the cleaner the better.

Fresh, seasonal and local foods are higher in nutrient density, therefore helping us meet our needs for sufficiency.

To further simplify food choices, I refer to the "Circle of Health". What goes in the circle are the foods we know for certain create health. If it's not in the circle, it doesn't move us toward health.

Inside the Circle of Health are:

1) Protein - meat/poultry, eggs, fish, seafood, nuts & seeds, sprouts, etc.
2) fats & oils - nature-made (butter, coconut oil, olive oil, etc.) vs. synthetic, man made (processed vegetable oils); nuts & seeds
3) vegetables
4) fruit
5) water

and, teetering on the edge of the circle are,

6) grains
7) dairy

Many nutritional experts argue that grains and dairy are not requirements for health since they were not part of our hunter-gatherer ancestors' diets. These ancestors are considered by many to be the "gold standard" of health and performance. Our genetics have remained essentially unchanged since these earliest times, therefore, our genetic requirements should be no different.

Others argue that in their cleanest, purest, most naturally occurring states, these foods are acceptable and perhaps even beneficial. For example, raw, unpasteurized, organic dairy products and organic sprouted whole grains. I believe there are some individual variances to consider.

As far as the other foods in the Circle of Health, remember to follow the Golden Rules: choose whole foods in their naturally occurring state; choose as pure and clean as possible; and select fresh, seasonal and local foods whenever you can.

If you make certain to add these foods to your daily intake first you are proactively meeting your body's needs for health. Plan your meals around these foods as often as you can, or choose snacks that are from within the circle.

Foods outside the circle that do the most damage and move us the furthest from health are the synthetic, man made, factory foods. Some of the most harmful ingredients, regardless of what food industry marketers and lobbyists claim, are high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and flavors, trans fats, hydrogenated fats/partially hydrogenated fats, refined grains and sugar, and soy.

Stick to the Circle of Health as much as possible. Begin by adding more real foods, whole foods and fresh foods to your day. Then, choose the cleanest foods when you can. When you're ready, you can start to reduce the foods and beverages in your diet that you know are not contributing to your health or moving you directly away from it.

Nutrition doesn't have to be complicated or overwhelming. The Wellness Formula tells us exactly how health is created and how we lose it. Start by adding pure and sufficient food choices each day and enjoy your new levels of health and vitality!

The Mesothelioma Compensation Claims Time Bomb

2009-04-25T12:22:00.001-07:00

If you work with or around asbestos and aren’t properly protected, there is a chance that prolonged exposure will leave you vulnerable to developing mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. With mesothelioma, malignant cells grow in the mesothelium, which is the protective lining that covers many of the body’s most important internal organs. The most common place for this cancer to develop in on the lining of the lungs or on the chest wall, although it can develop elsewhere within the body. Because mesothelioma can be prevented by safety equipment and because it is a work-related illness, compensation claims are a big issue.

The first claim against an asbestos manufacturer was in 1929, although as part of the lawsuit it was agreed to not pursue any further cases. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that asbestos was officially recognised as the cause of mesothelioma. An article was written in which more than 30 cases of people working with asbestos and suffering from the disease were recorded. Today, many claims are made by employees against employers who have failed to implement strict safety measures, rendering the employer negligent. In the US claims resulting from asbestos lawsuits have now reached into billions of dollars. In the UK claims are less common but the number of lawsuits citing asbestos as the primary cause of mesothelioma is growing steadily.

On the 20 August 2008 Thomas Renfrew of Ardrossan, Ayrshire, was awarded £130,000 in damages for ill health due to exposure to asbestos. He worked as a shipbuilder for 14 years, often coming into contact with asbestos. It was argued in court that Mr Renfrew could live for another 10 years with the disease and that the amount of money rewarded was to make the rest of his life a more pleasant one. The companies that he worked for wanted to pay significantly less because they estimated that he would only live for another 3 years, effectively admitting that his exposure to asbestos had affected his health and predicted life span.

Today, an increasing number of claims are being made due to mesothelioma. One of the reasons for this may be that the symptoms often don’t appear until 20 to 50 years after the asbestos exposure. Symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent coughing, chest pains, weight loss, abdominal swelling and a wide range of other problems. In the later stages of the disease tumours develop throughout the body, although usually these tumours are located primarily in the lungs. As the symptoms of mesothelioma are similar to other illnesses, they can often be misdiagnosed. Obviously, as you can see in the case of Mr Renfrew, life expectancy is reduced dramatically.

If you have worked with asbestos in the past and you experience any of these symptoms then you should consult a doctor immediately. You may also wish to contact specialist claims lawyer who has experience with asbestos cases. As you can see from the Renfrew case, claims of asbestos poisoning and the contraction of mesothelioma are taken very seriously indeed. It is important to have a specialist lawyer working for you, as they will understand the legal proceedings that will directly apply to a claim of this nature. They will also be aware of past cases that can have a bearing on your own case.

For More Details Visit: - http://mesothelioma-mwk.blogspot.com

4 Healty Mood Boosting Foods

2009-04-25T12:21:00.001-07:00

Have you started to feel a little down? Has your mood started to suffer recently? If so it could be down to the foods you are eating. You may not know this but the foods you eat can have a significant impact on how you feel. That's why today I am going to be providing you with a list of four mood boosting foods.

1) DARK CHOCOLATE:- Most people enjoy eating chocolate because of its taste but few of these are aware of its mood boosting properties. Dark chocolate contains an ingredient called phenylethylamine which has a strong influence over your mood. On top of this it increases the levels of serotonin in your body which has a key role in regulating your mood and helps you avoid depression.

2) NUTS:- Nuts are a fantastic healthy snack food and contain high levels of fibre, healthy fats and protein. They can also help improve your mood because they contain high levels of omega 3 fatty acids. Research suggests that eating foods which contain omega 3 fatty acids increases the amount of grey matter in the part of the brain linked with mood. Other studies have also suggested that people who have low blood levels of omega 3s will have a poorer outlook on life.

3) TEA:- This popular hot drink is a fantastic way to boost your mood. Not only does sitting down for a cup of tea allow you to have a short break and relax your mind but it can also improve your mood. Research suggests that the ingredients in tea can help you recover from stress faster and reduce the levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) in your blood.

4) SALMON:- Salmon has a number of health benefits and most health sources suggest that you eat at least two portions of fish a week. However, it is also a fantastic mood booster being rich in both omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D. As discussed above omega 3s can boost your mood in a number of ways. Vitamin D also helps control your mood by increasing your serotonin levels.

As you can see the ingredients in the foods you eat can have a major influence over your mood. Not only are all the foods listed in this article healthy but they can all help improve your mood too. Therefore, if you feel your mood could do with a boost then start adding one or more of the above foods to your diet today.

Six Pack Abs for Summer!

2009-04-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a no-BS way to achieve rock hard six pack abs by June? Then stop wasting your time and hard-earned money on worthless fat burning pills and useless tips in the fitness magazines. Anyone interested in fitness desires great looking abs and everyone has the ability to achieve firm, rippled and well-toned abdominal muscles along with a lean and trim waist.

Just beware of accepting any myths about instant flat stomachs and targeted fat reduction around the waist. You want guaranteed solid abs? Then you must exercise hard enough and eat clean enough to burn the fat covering up those cherished muscles.

As you exercise, you consume energy measured in calories. When you consume enough to deplete the available energy, and enough to reduce the sugars that convert easily to energy, the body goes after stored energy. That stored energy is largely in the form of fat deposits in adipose tissue. But that process takes place non-selectively. Unfortunately, you do not get to choose which fat deposits the body converts into energy. That means you cannot target belly fat specifically by working on your abs. The effect is still achievable, but doing abdominal exercises alone does not target that fat.

When you focus your exercise on the abdominal muscles, you will build strength in that area by increasing the mass in those muscles. That is helpful because it builds a firm, strong layer of muscle which helps keep the stomach and other internal organs well inside the plane defined by your hips. It also results in a solid amount of energy burned by your body since the abdominal muscles are relatively large as compared to many other muscles. However, working the abdominals does not directly target a reduction of belly fat.

There is no gadget, supplement or drug currently on the market that will do that safely and effectively. It can only be done through proper diet and regular, moderate to heavy exercise. There is no shortcut to a trim waist, at least not yet.

In order to reduce body fat around your mid-section, you must work all of the large muscle regions of your body to force your body to burn more energy than you are consuming. The best way to do this is to work the larger muscle regions of the body, such as the legs, chest, shoulders, back and arms, as wells as the abdominal muscles as part of a regular weight lifting routine.

By adding weight lifting to your regular fitness routine, your body will consume a larger amount of energy and burn fat much longer following your workout than performing cardio alone. After a strenuous weight lifting workout, the body will continue to burn fat for up to 24 hours! The result is more calories burned, more weight lost, and more fat converted to energy.

So, basically, you are targeting your mid-section body fat by targeting the all of your body fat. Some people store more fat around the middle more readily than others and there is also no control over where the body accesses fat for energy. Gender and genetics make a difference in how and where your body stores and burns fat as well.

In order to achieve the most fat-burning benefits, you have to approach muscle fatigue in your workouts. Proper diet is just as important as exercise to achieving six pack abs this summer. You must commit yourself to a lean healthy diet with meals spread out 5-6 times during the day to really rev up your metabolism. I have other articles specifically addressing the proper diet and nutrition to achieve the best results.

When exercising the abdominal muscles, there is no need to perform hundreds of crunches. Done correctly, 20-30 reps per set is optimal.

For a great ab workout, warm up and try the following:

Lie on your back, with your knees bent and heels on the floor. Raise your torso up halfway, hold for half a second and return to the starting position. Keep your hands on top of your head and do not use them to pull yourself up. Do 20 reps.

Then, immediately perform 20 reps of the following; lie on your back with your legs raised straight up in the air. Then lift your shoulders off the floor, reach for your toes with your hands, and hold for 2 seconds.

Finally, return your knees to the bent position with your heels on the floor and hold your body at a 45 degree angle (the half-way sit-up position). Holding your hands together in front of your torso, twist to the left until your fingers touch the floor and then all the way to the right until your fingers touch the floor. Complete 20 reps of this exercise.

Once you have done all three of these abdominal exercises back to back, rest for one minute and then repeat the cycle two more times for an amazing ab workout! Exercise your abs hard in this way 3 times per week, feel the burn, and you will definitely see results. Author Resource:- Jay Miller is fitness enthusiast dedicated to finding the perfect balance between nutrition and exercise to help you maximize results for a leaner, stronger, and healthier you. Learn more at http://www.PerfectBalanceFitness.

Healthy Kids Make a Mother's Heart Smile

2009-04-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

There are things that make a mother's heart "smile". Things that make us feel like we're doing a great job as a mom and that all is right with the world.

Like most moms, my list includes things like listening to my kids in the midst of major belly laughter, cuddling with them, watching them sleep, 'catching' them play together in some great imaginary world, reading together, listening to them pray, going for a walk with them, peaceful moments of sweetness, watching them run and jump and play, holding hands with them, really big hugs, giving them the freedom to really be kids, witnessing them learn a new skill or a new piece of knowledge, spending quality family time together... the list goes on forever!

Sure, motherhood has its share of less-than-rosy moments, too, but overall we are so blessed to be moms.

I notice that one of the things that really makes my heart smile occurs when I see "it" all come together. When I can see the principles that I've been teaching in practice and writing about for so many years, the principles of Health and Wellness that I believe so strongly in, come to fruition in my own children, it's a feeling of fulfillment that's hard to match.

When it comes to creating optimal health and happiness, I use "The Wellness Formula" as a guide. The Wellness Formula simply states that in order to achieve a state of Wellness, we must make lifestyle choices that are pure and sufficient (meeting our body's innate genetic requirements for health), while simultaneously reducing or eliminating toxic and deficient lifestyle choices. We need to make these healthier choices consistently over an extended period of time in order to create optimal health and happiness.

"Lifestyle" can be broken down into 3 main components: how we move, how we eat and how we think. These categories encompass every component of our lives: how much and how often we move, what type of movement we do, what we eat, how we eat, the quality and quantity of our food, what supplements we take, our stress levels and our response to stress, life balance, sleep patterns, what we're feeding our brains, our belief systems, our emotions, our outlook on life, our spiritual connection... everything!

In each of these areas health and balance are created when we add purity and sufficiency, and limit toxicity and deficiency.

It's not about being perfect, it's about making better choices more often. We have a mantra in our family, "Fill up with Health FIRST." This means, make sure you give your body, mind and soul what it needs everyday... do that consistently. You don't have to say "never" to the toxic and deficient things, just say "yes" to them less often, and always choose pure and sufficient things first.

In the case of my kids, I love it when I see them eating and enjoying pure and sufficient foods, or when I see them moving their bodies with sheer power, energy and joy, or when I notice shared moments of perfect happiness and connection with them. I know that in these moments, they're meeting the needs of their bodies and hearts. I know it's the best chance they have to create optimal health and balance.

Since I'm so passionate about Wellness-based nutrition, some of my heart's biggest "smiles" happen when I prepare an ultra healthy, delicious meal for my family, loaded with fresh, clean foods. There's something about the entire process, the entire scene, that resonates deeply with me and makes me feel like I'm doing something really important for them. When I take the time to prepare a healthy meal, set a nice table for my family (nothing fancy, trust me!), and we all sit down together, pray, share great conversation and everyone enjoys the great food... ahhhh... fulfillment!

(You and I both know that this scene doesn't happen every single meal! C'mon, we ARE a real family, too! I just do my best to create this setting for the majority of our meals each week.)

It doesn't even have to be an entire meal that elicits this response in me. I feel the same thing in the mornings when I start their day with a heaping plate of fruit. They usually have 4 -6 different fresh fruits on their plate each breakfast. I still get a kick out of it each and every morning - how happy they are with their plate of fruit and how quickly they gobble it up! I follow it up with a serving of protein shortly after. A little thing like that gives me the satisfaction of knowing we're meeting their nutritional needs right from the get-go each day.

Who knows what toxicity and deficiency they'll encounter as their day goes on... as their life goes on! For now, my heart is smiling and fulfilled when I see their overall health and happiness being created one meal at a time, one moment at a time.

Stress and Your Skin

2009-04-09T11:13:00.001-07:00

While dermatologists are still debating whether stress actually causes skin disorders, they seem to agree that stress definitely triggers or aggravates skin conditions such as acne, hives, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, warts, cold sores and blisters.

And even if stress does not actually show up on your skin as one of these conditions, it is one of the chief contributors to an increased population of free radicals in the body, which, in turn, has been discovered to be a major cause of premature aging. Emotional or mental trauma can cause you to spoil your face or frown or pout, and constant muscular contractions can eventually become permanent fine lines and wrinkles.

The "fight-or-flight" mechanism is the body's built-in way of responding to stress. In times of "fight-or-flight," the flow of blood (and nutrients) is directed to the areas of the body considered vital for responding to the stress and withdrawn from areas considered non-essential, such as the skin. So is the flow of oxygen, making it difficult for the skin to "breathe."

When "fight-or-flight" situations become frequent, the skin is consistently starved of both blood and oxygen, making it dull and lifeless, less supple, less hydrated and more prone to clogged pores and breakouts.
Dermatologists have found that when you're stressed out, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. When cortisol levels increase, oil production increases and sometimes that will cause acne in patients that has never even had acne before.

Stress does not only impact the immune system, it also undermines digestion. And imperfect digestion adversely affects skin health, and, indeed your overall health, in two ways -- first, your body does not absorb all the nutrients from the foods you eat and second, undigested impurities tend to accumulate in the body faster than the body can get rid of them.

How to figure out when a flare-up is on its way? Yes, check out these warning signs:

•Your skin is oilier than usual. The German researchers found that stress causes the skin's sebaceous glands to secrete more oil.

•Tiny blackheads and whiteheads are developing.

•Your skin looks pale or flushed. Stress causes the blood vessels to constrict or dilate abnormally, so there's either too little or too much blood flow to the skin.

•Your skin may be more sensitive than normal. Under stress, inflammatory neuropeptides are released in the skin, causing sensitivity.

Tips to stay ahead of stress by taking better care of your skin.

•Address the source of your stress and take good care of your body. Eat better, sleep more, exercise and set aside time each day for reflection and relaxation. Exercising is a wonderful way to deal with stress. It releases endorphins ? it helps people relax.

•Stick to your skin-care routine. Under stress, we tend to skimp on self-care.

•Use a toner. It will help clear up excess oil.

•Avoid hot showers- stress has a negative effect on the barrier function of the skin, resulting in water loss that inhibits the skin's ability to repair itself after an injury.

•A daily warm oil self-massage is recommended as a luxurious way to balance the body, mind and emotions as well as lubricate the skin, making it supple and lustrous. Use fragrant aroma massage oil for the dual benefits of massage and aromatherapy, or use specially blended herbal massage oil for personal balance.

•Apply moisturizer after bathing

•Use sunscreen

•Use detergent-free soap.

•Apply treatment products before a acne breakout occurs. Look for products with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.

STRESS-REDUCING TIPS:

There are some easy, practical things you can do to reduce the amount of stress in your life.

•Be realistic and don't try to be perfect, or expect others to be so.

•Don't over-schedule; cut out an activity or two when you start to feel overwhelmed.

•Get a good night's sleep.

•Get regular exercise to manage stress -- just not excessive or compulsive exercise -- and follow a healthy diet.

•Learn to relax by building time into your schedule for reading or a nice long bath.

Pay attention to keeping your mind, body and emotions balanced, and the results will show up as a clear, glowing complexion.

A Natural Treatment For Low Blood Pressure

2009-04-08T10:48:00.001-07:00

Rudolf Weiss, the German herbalist, has some interesting ideas on low blood pressure. He describes it as being simply an aspect of a more deep seated problem. He also believes that when people have low blood pressure but no symptoms, that it does not require treatment. I do not suggest that this should replace your doctor's advice though! But I find it interesting, as a possible complementary treatment option, to consider his view that low blood pressure is the product of a weak circulation. As such, gentle herbs that support circulation may be a useful adjunct to whatever other therapy is suggested.

He stresses the underlying factor of a regulatory imbalance. And he suggests herbs like rosemary, that have a tonic effect, would be a useful support. Particularly in times of mental or physical stress, or after surgery, or some other illness that may have weakened the body, like the flu. He does say that treatment should only be for a limited time. He makes the point that life insurance statistics indicate that people with hypotension on average live longer than people with blood pressure in the normal range. (Weiss, p185)

Rosemary is quite a diverse herb. It is used effectively for headaches, particularly migraine. The herbalist Michael Tierra writes that many headaches are caused by stomach problems, and that the volatile oils in rosemary have a very beneficial and calming effect on the stomach. Rosemary also contains salicylic acid, which is the precursor of aspirin. Though being in plant form it doesn't have the long term side effects.

Rosemary is excellent for the circulation, and is often prescribed by herbalists for circulatory weakness (Fisher & Painter). The active constituents known as the flavanoids are heart and blood vessel tonics. So, as well as hypotension, rosemary is suggested for poor circulation, hypertensive headaches, and arrhythmias.

Externally, rosemary spirit is used for rheumatic problems (Weiss). It can also be massaged into the heart area.

Another active constituent of rosemary is rosemarinic acid, which is a phenolic acid. Rosemarinic acid has an anti-inflammatory effect. A study found that a rosemarinic preparation was effective in treating allergic asthma. It has also been found to suppress synovitis in mice. Synovitis is an inflammation of the lining of the joints, with swelling, which is quite painful. It is involved in rheumatoid arthritis. Rosemarinic acid can also prevent the activation of prostacyclin and complement, which leads to hypotension (Fisher & Painter).

Overall, this suggests that scientific research supports the herbalist's uses of rosemary for hypotension, poor circulation, and rheumatic problems such as rheumatoid arthritis. One problem has been that products which contained rosemary had quite low concentrations, although some supplement manufacturers have begun to make a very concentrated rosemary product. Concentrations of rosemarinic acid in these range from 5% to 70%. And given that rosemarinic acid is an incredibly powerful antioxidant as well, this would make it a good choice for preventing heart disease.

Hypertension - Causes, Prevention and Treatment

2009-04-08T10:47:00.001-07:00

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a persistent blood pressure above 90 mm Hg between the heart beats (diastolic) or over 140 mm Hg at the beats (systolic). The blood pressure varies naturally in response to stress and physical work load. Therefore the blood pressure shall be measured in a relaxed situation and several times before this diagnosis is certain.

Hypertension does not in itself give dramatic symptoms, but it is dangerous because it causes a highly increased risk for heart infarction, stroke and renal failure.

THE PREVALENCE OF HYPERTENSION

One out of six persons is hypertensive. Most persons suffering from hypertension is over the age of 35. Still 6% of teenagers are hypertensive and also 1% of every child.

THE SYMPTOMS AND CONSEQUENCES OF HYPERTENSION

Hypertension is often without symptoms. By mild hypertension, flushing and headache can occur.

More serious hypertension gives symptoms like: Fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, tachycardia (rapid heart rate) and nosebleeds.

Extreme hypertension gives morning headache, blurred vision, dyspnoea (breathing difficulties) and elevated values of certain components in the blood, like urea and serum creatinine.

Hypertension will in the long run hurt the blood vessels, and serious hypertension can do extensive damage to the blood vessels in a few months or years.

The damaged blood vessels will impair the blood flow. They can also rupture causing a bleeding or be clogged by a blood clot that shuts out the blood flow and causes tissue damage. These things can occur in the brain, causing a stroke, in the heart causing heart infarction or in the kidneys with renal failure as a consequence.

A renal failure will in the next turn cause the hypertension to aggravate, partly because a damaged kidney will not manage to secrete water and salt well enough, and partly because a kidney that do not get enough blood will start a hormonal mechanism that induces the kidney to actively hold back salt and water.

THE MECHANISMS AND CAUSES OF HYPERTENSION

The direct mechanisms causing hypertension is one or more of these factors:
- An increased tension in the blood vessel walls.
- An increased blood volume caused by elevated levels of salt and lipids in the blood holding back water.
- Hardened and inelastic blood vessels caused by arteriosclerosis.

The primary causes behind these mechanisms are not fully understood, but these factors contribute to causing hypertension:
- A high consume of salt
- A high fat consume.
- Stress at work and in the daily life.
- Smoking.
- Over-weight
- Lack of exercise.
- Kidney failure.

LIFESTYLE MEASURES TO PREVENT AND TREAT HYPERTENSION

Lifestyle measures shall always be a component of the hypertension treatment. Sometimes such measures are enough to cure the condition. Those measures are:
- Reducing salt consume.
- Reduction of fat consume, and especially of saturated fat consume.
- Weight reduction.
- Relaxing and stress reduction techniques, for example meditation and autogenic training.
- Regular exercise.

SPECIAL FOOD TYPES THAT REDUCE THE BLOOD PRESSURE

Research projects suggest that the following food types reduce blood pressure.
- Fish oil and fat fish. The working substances seem to be the omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The effect from fish oil seems to cease when the fish oil supplements are stopped.
-Olive oil, especially olive oil of the quality extra virgin.

NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS TO HELP AGAINST HYPERTENSION

Natural supplements to treat hypertension exist. These supplements reduce blood pressure by lowering the cholesterol and lipid content in the blood, by preventing oxidation of tissue components by free radicals, and by helping damaged blood vessels to heal. Examples of ingredients having these effects are vitamin B3, inositol, turmenic extract and gum guggul extract.

They may also contain Ingredients giving a direct anti-hypertensive effect, like potassium, magnesium, calcium, vitamin C and fatty acids from marine sources.

MEDICAL TREATMENT OF HYPERTENSION

When lifestyle measures and supplements are not enough to cure the condition, medical treatment must be applied.
Diuretics, or medicines to increase the urine production, are used to decrease the water content in the blood vessels, and thereby reduce the pressure in the vessels. When the water content is lowered, the heart does not need to pump so hard any more, and this will also reduce the pressure.

Beta-adrenergic blockers are another group of medicines to treat hypertension. This group of medicines block the signals that hormones and neurotransmitters give to the vessel walls, and the vessel walls then relax. They also slow down the heart rate to give a lower pressure exerted by the heart upon the blood.

What Causes Hypertension?

2009-04-08T10:45:00.001-07:00

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often described as a silent killer, and affects 50 million Americans. Hypertension usually occurs without symptoms, but if your blood pressure gets really high you could develop headache, dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, or nose bleeds. Most people find out that they have high blood pressure by getting a routine blood pressure check, which can be done in any doctor's office, or which you can do more easily and cheaply by yourself at most pharmacies. If untreated (about 30% of people with high blood pressure don't know they have it) it can quietly damage your organs and set the course for other life-threatening diseases to develop, including stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure.

Hypertension happens when the body holds on to too much water, which increases the volume of blood in our heart, arteries and veins, and therefore increases the pressure against the walls of the heart and blood vessels. Sometimes the heart beats too hard and that too can increase the pressure. Either situation leads to high blood pressure, which over time causes damage to the blood vessels.

Blood pressure is measured in units of millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), which is the amount of atmospheric pressure required to support a column of mercury 1 millimeter high. Blood pressure has a number for systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Your systolic pressure, the pressure in the vessels when the heart beats, should be less than 140 mm Hg. Your diastolic pressure, the pressure in between heart beats, should be less than 90 mm Hg.

Like heart disease, hypertension is a disease of modern civilization. Hypertension is a product of the way our bodies have evolved over the centuries to be able to retain water and avoid dehydration. We tend to retain salt (sodium chloride, or NaCl), because, prior to modern times, salt was relatively rare. When salt is retained in our blood vessels, it holds on to water by something called the osmotic effect, and therefore water is not excreted as much as it would be otherwise through the kidneys and into the urine.

Granted, not everyone is sensitive to salt to the same degree. However, there is no doubt that the population as a whole eats much more salt than in the past, probably at least two or three times as much, and these habits are having an adverse effect on our health, including raising blood pressure.

Since early man did not have easy access to salt, he didn't have to worry about eating too many salted potato chips and having his blood pressure go through the roof. In fact, salt retention served an important purpose to early man - it was a good thing if you were living on the savannah and wouldn't be eating or drinking for several hours. It's bad if you live in America in the 21st Century and eat fast food three times a day.

Ancient man also got more exercise, ate less food in general (not by choice), and didn't smoke, take drugs or drink alcohol. However, those tough conditions did lead to more infection; and being eaten by tigers and falling off cliffs were occupational hazards of primitive man. Luckily, these folks didn't have to also worry about their blood pressure zooming up after eating a burger and fries.

Cheeseburgers notwithstanding, our earliest need for salt developed in us a taste for salty foods, which we have never lost. In cooking, salt enhances the flavor of other foods and many cooks feel it is an essential ingredient in the kitchen. Salting your pasta water with a handful of sea salt is not going to cause high blood pressure. Most of the over salting in our system comes from pre-prepared, packaged, and many frozen foods (with the exception of flash frozen fruits and vegetables) we eat, as well as the salt found in restaurant and fast foods. Food makers put huge amounts of salt in their food for flavor enhancement, to hide the lack of other natural flavorings, and to act as a preservative. Look at any food label and you will see astronomical percentages of salt in food - often more than 25% of a serving. The best way to avoid excess sodium in food is to buy fresh, unprocessed whole foods and prepare your own meals. If you buy canned beans and vegetables, low sodium or not, you should rinse them well as this removes about 40% of the sodium.

Women And Heart Disease

2009-04-08T10:44:00.001-07:00

Five hundred thousand American women die each year from heart diseases and the risks increases with age. Heart disease includes the narrowing of the arteries, heart failure, diseases of the heart muscles, inborn defects, hardening of the arteries, and other conditions.

We tend to think of men as the ones who commonly have heart diseases but heart diseases is the leading killer of both men and women in the United States. Scientists who are studying the cause of the rise in cardiac problems in woman have identified two factors that appear to be the leading cause of hard disease in woman.

The Change of Life.

After menopause, a woman's body experiences reduced estrogen production, changes in cholesterol levels, changes in the structure of blood vessels, and increased production of the clotting agent fibrinogen. Women who have gone through menopause are two to three times more likely to suffer heart disease than a pre-menopausal woman of the same age. Women that have had a hysterectomy also experience these same raised risk factors. No one yet knows exactly how much a woman's risk is affected by each of these changes, but they are definitely associated with greater heart disease risk.

Scientists studying women and heart disease hypothesized that hormone replacement therapy could help post-menopausal women fight heart disease; however, long-term studies do not confirm that preliminary idea and doctors no longer recommend hormone replacement therapy to battle heart disease.

When talking about your heart disease risk factors with your doctor, get his or her opinion on using hormonal birth control (the pill or the patch). Most doctors believe that using birth control is reasonable safe for women under thirty-five if no other risk factors are involved such as smoking or being overweight. For women over the age of thirty-file there is not enough evidence that birth control hormones can increase or decrease heart disease in women and more studies are being conducted.

A Change of Lifestyle.

Scientists studying women and heart disease find that women are knowledgeable about what lifestyles are associated with heart disease, and yet they are still prone to maintain those unhealthy lifestyles. For example, according to the National Institutes of Health, fifty-six million American women have high cholesterol, 33% of women have high blood pressure, and 62% of women are overweight. Despite these risks, women are less physically active than men, on average.

The best course of action to take is to reduce your risk of developing congestive heart disease and improve the quality of life. Habits such as not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight by regular activity or exercise, cutting down on the fatty foods, and getting your cholesterol tested can dramatically help prevent heart disease. Don't become another statistic about women and heart disease.

Common Vitamins and over the counter products can help with Heart Disease such as Sytrinol, Policosanol, Potassium, Pectin, and Niacin.

Sytrinol are known to be useful in helping maintain a healthy cholesterol level in the body by reducing triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.

Policosanol is a natural supplement derived from sugar cane. Policosanol promotes healthy platelet function and helps to maintain normal cholesterol levels in the human body.

Potassium may help prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis and reduce the risk of stroke.

Pectin limits the amount of cholesterol the body can absorb. High pectin count in apples may be why "One a day keeps the doctor away".

If you are at risk from Heart Disease then find a good health care professional prior to starting any type of home treatment.

Niacin is the closest thing available to a perfect treatment that corrects most causes of coronary heart disease. Niacin blocks the release of fatty acids from fat cells. Niacin plays a critical role in energy production, gene expression, and hormone synthesis. You cannot live without it. Niacin also tends to shift LDL particle distribution to larger particle size and improve HDL functioning. The intake of 3 grams Niacin for as little as two weeks can reduce serum cholesterol by 26 percent.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

Blood Pressure Medicine and the Side Effects

2009-04-08T10:40:00.001-07:00

Blood Pressure medication can certainly provide relief for the sufferers. But recently, I decided to inquire about the additional effects it brings with it. This is only a partial list, but some of the common words and phrases I found are: feeling faint, diarrhea, dry cough and joint pain.

Those side effects while somewhat daunting didn't even compare with these: "depression, heart palpitations, impotence, damage to the liver and kidneys..."

I heard something mentioned about those with diabetes, pregnant women and then they wrapped things up very neatly by advising that there were "practical ways to help you cope."

I'm sorry, that was the last straw. I simply cannot think of a practical way to 'cope' with kidney damage. I began to hear the two words 'pregnant women' ringing in my ears and began to wonder just what additional issues are to be considered when speaking of a child still in the womb.

Yes, there is no doubt that the resulting blood pressure can be quite impressive as a result of the medications. However, should we not be considering everything when judging just how impressive the overall results really are?

Some of the most common high blood pressure medicines are diuretics. Hypertension medications such as diuretics flush the body of salts by creating a demand for frequent urination. Along with the flushing of excess salts comes the rapid loss of potassium in some.

Gout is another potential side effect due to the diuretics. For those with diabetes, the increased blood sugar level may then have to be addressed.

So, the high blood pressure sufferer now gets to be a gout sufferer, a frequent urinater, or even impotent too.

There are almost too many different types of high blood pressure drugs to count. If each includes an array of possible side effects - the math becomes too confusing to even try to nail down.

I couldn't help but think about the most simple way to avoid having to worry about this host of other problems. If we could just head off the hypertension to begin with seems to fit the bill.

Suddenly the thought of exercising and even eating a healthy diet doesn't seem nearly as dreadful as is once did.

My hypertension program can also assist with this effort. It takes very little time to learn the exercises and the payoff can be tremendous.

Adding my hypertension program will help reduce the problems of high blood pressure even faster. A few simple exercises that take only minutes to learn and perform can make drastic results in your blood pressure numbers!

Obesity And Liver Cancer, Is There A Link?

2009-04-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

Primary liver cancer is not available in Western countries and is often recorded in Africa and parts of Asia.

In developed countries, primary liver cancer mainly affects middle-aged and elderly people, and 2 times more common in men, then in women. The majority of patients with hematomas are usually already having liver cirrhosis, which is characterized by nodal regeneration of hepatocytes as a result of many years alcohol abuse.

Sometimes hepatomas occur as a complication of hepatitis, acquired during chronic. Both of them is quite common, but as a complication of liver cancer is rare. In Africa and Asia, a primary liver cancer is much broader and may meet on the third and fourth lives a dozen people who have no liver damage as a result of alcohol abuse.

It is believed that the reason for this could be the impact of aflatoxin - the exchange of products of fungi found in grain and beer. There was also a clear link with liver cancer hepatitis. Many bile duct cancers are probably the consequence of liver fluke invasion.

Besides, some people think that there is a link between obesity and liver cancer. A group of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Medical School, the University of California, Los Angeles (USA) argue that obesity is an even stronger risk factor for liver cancer than cirrhosis. That is disappointing, scientists have concluded, after reviewing the results of their multicentered, randomized, and in some cases, pathological studies.

At the same time, assessed the presence and degree of liver fat transformation accompanying obesity in more than 80% of cases. It was found that more than half of patients (at 26), had a higher body mass index, while 18 had signs of fat hepatitis. After analyzing the delayed results in 10 years from the start of the project, the scientists concluded that the trend would continue. Moreover, with age the number of people with excess weight has been growing steadily, and compensatory ability of the liver are reduced, which further underlines the impartial connect.

As an output, and an explanation of the authors propose the following concept: the resulting fatty degeneration of liver are regarded as precancerous conditions. At the same time there are rapid proliferation, i.e. growth and development of cells of the liver, and inhibition of programmed death, or apoptosis - the process of protecting the rule of tumors. These processes are likely to self-stimulate neogenesis, i.e. the growth of tumor cells.

California Drug Rehab

2009-04-08T10:35:00.001-07:00

Choosing a Drug Rehab Center

There are literally thousands of drug rehab centers in California. With so many recovery centers in the State with such a diverse variety of staffs and treatment philosophies, how do you choose the one that is right for your or your loved one?

First, always check the accreditation of California drug rehab centers. There are many drug rehab centers that are not accredited at all and others may have questionable treatment methods. Some of the more dubious California drug rehab centers even say that there is a "simple answer" to addiction, and that dealing with relationship and family issues are not necessary. This type of thinking is counter-productive, and not accurate.

When inquiring about a California drug rehab center, you should also ask about the credentials of the staff. Do they have the appropriate education and/or licenses? Do they have a good history and/or track record of success in dealing with addicts? Do they have the necessary experience required?

Also, its important to know if the drug rehab center offers a drug detox or withdrawal program - this is often necessary for effective treatment. Does the California drug rehab center offer detox programs that are for specific types of drugs, such as opiates, crack, and heroin?

Other questions that are important to ask of a California drug rehab center: Do they address dual diagnosis needs? What is their drug rehab philosophy? Is the drug rehab price "all inclusive"? Are the drug rehab staff licensed and credentialed? Does the drug rehab facility take medical insurance? What is the rehab center's drug rehabilitation success rate? How long is the recommended stay at the drug rehab? What type of aftercare program does their drug rehab have? At Renaissance Malibu, we have a long-standing history of success and will proudly share our unique philosophies and treatment approaches with you.

Once the decision has been made, as to which drug rehab facility you should go to, the process should be done very quickly. Once you have decided to go to treatment, don't put it off. It is crucial to get the person into treatment as soon as possible, before the individual feels that they can do it on their own.

Caring, Compassionate Treatment

From the first phone call to Renaissance Malibu, our caring counselors and staff professionals begin to assess and address the specific needs of each potential resident. Our California drug rehab center custom tailors each client's treatment program plan to the individual. This individualized approach is the only way to meet the diverse needs of each resident. Therefore, our alcohol and drug treatment program and daily schedule will definitely vary according to each person's own specific needs.

The Renaissance Malibu Drug Rehab Center uses an innovative and unique treatment program designed to meet the needs and issues faced by those who abuse drugs, as they begin their recovery. A multi-disciplinary team of certified and licensed counselors, other licensed professionals provide caring, professional treatment at our California drug rehab center. Our staff is comprised of some of the most experienced, prestigious and qualified alcohol abuse treatment professionals in the Industry. Our team members employ the most innovative and creative approaches to healing available anywhere. The foundation for our drug rehab program is based on two main objectives: giving the individual the chance to regain their lives without the use of drugs, and providing the needed foundation for continued long-term recovery. In order to support these objectives, Renaissance Malibu's California Drug Rehab Center provides individual counseling, group therapy, education, family treatment, and aftercare.

About Renaissance Malibu California Drug Rehab Center

Our California drug rehab center is located ideally on the beautiful Pacific coastline of Malibu, California. With beautiful garden landscaping and surreal views of the Pacific Ocean, our California drug rehab center brings our residents peace of mind, an essential ingredient for successful alcohol and drug abuse treatment.

Our main facility for our California Drug Rehab Center is a 20,000 square foot home with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, set in the Malibu Hills. This palatial estate, providing a healing, restful setting for a drug and alcohol treatment facility, is magnificently landscaped with trees and vegetation from all over the world. Our 30-yard lap pool, outdoor Jacuzzi and tennis court allow stunning views of the breathtaking Pacific sunrise and sunset, allowing a great setting for reflection and meditation that are a part of alcohol and drug abuse treatment. Community rooms include the library, clad in oak, a gourmet kitchen, and a gymnasium. Completing the amenities of the "most exclusive California drug rehab center," most of our bedrooms have ocean views with beveled glass French doors, opening onto marble balconies.

Utilizing our environment to its fullest extent, our California drug rehab center provides our alcohol and drug abuse treatment residents clarity and focus, allowing them to "be in the moment." Our surroundings are luxurious helping our residents feel like they are home in a safe, comfortable and supportive environment. After going through successful treatment at our California drug rehab center, our residents are ready to rebuild their lives outside our facility.

Making Sure Your Child Gets Enough Calcium

2009-04-08T10:34:00.001-07:00

The average American child is at risk for bone problems like osteoporosis and fractures! According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the amount of calcium kids consume each day is "well below the recommended levels".

It is clear that we need to increase the amount of calcium in our children's diets. Yet we are also warned that dairy products contain large amounts of saturated ("bad") fats that can cause heart disease. So what is a parent to do?

The answer is simple: low fat or fat-free dairy products!

Low fat or fat-free dairy products are delicious, low in calories, and a great source of calcium for kids. There are also many other healthy, non-dairy sources of calcium out there. Read on to learn more.

How much calcium does your child need?

Children age 2 to 6 need two servings of dairy a day. Older kids need three servings a day. Teens need four servings a day.

Serving size differs based on age. In other words, a serving of skim milk for a three year old is less than a serving of skim milk for a fifteen year old. A basic rule of thumb is that a 2 or 3 year old's serving size should be 2/3 that of an older child's serving size.

Total Daily Calcium Needs:

Age 1-3, 500 mg a day
Age 4-8, 800 mg a day
Age 9-18, 1,300 mg a day
Adults, 1,000 mg a day

Why You Can't Go By A Label's Percent Daily Value

The percent daily value on the nutrition label is based on an adult's needs and do not accurately reflect a child's.

For example, if you eat a yogurt that is 20% of the daily value for calcium, it would contain 200 mg of calcium. Referring to the table above, that would be 25% of a 6 year old's requirement but only 15% of a teenager's requirement.

Let's look at some foods that contain high levels of calcium.

DAIRY PRODUCTS

Non-fat Milk 1 cup, 300 mg calcium
Reduced fat Milk 1 cup, 300 mg calcium
Nonfat Yogurt 1 cup, 490 mg calcium
Swiss cheese 1 oz., 270 mg calcium
Mozzarella, part skim 1 oz., 210 mg calcium
American Cheese 1 oz., 140 mg calcium
Cottage Cheese 1 cup, 160 mg calcium
Parmesan cheese,grated 2 T, 140 mg calcium
Pudding, prepared 1/2 cup, 150 mg
Frozen yogurt 1 cup, 200 mg
Ice Cream, light 1/2 cup, 200 mg

Getting enough calcium can be a especially hard if your kids are allergic to milk. Many nondairy foods can be good choices for kids with milk allergies who need calcium. Food manufacturers help to make it even easier to give our kids the amount of calcium they need! Many non-dairy foods are now fortified with calcium and other vitamins. These are also good to check out.

NON-DAIRY / FORTIFIED FOODS

Black Beans 1 cup, 120 mg calcium
Navy Beans 1 cup, 130 mg calcium
Fortified Cereal 1 cup, 300 mg calcium
Fortified Orange Juice 1 cup, 300 mg calcium
Soybeans, cooked 1 cup, 180 mg calcium
Spinach, cooked 1/2 cup, 130 mg calcium
Bok Choy 1/2 cup, 80 mg calcium
Kale, cooked 1/2 cup, 90 mg calcium
Broccoli, cooked 1/2 cup, 20 mg calcium
Corn Tortilla 1, 6 inch, 50 mg calcium
Greens, mustard 1/2 cup, 100 mg calcium
Canned Salmon w/bones 3 oz, 180 mg
Fortified Cereal 1 cup, 300 mg
Waffle, fortified 1, 150 mg
Soy milk, fortified 1 cup, 400 mg
Greens, mustard 1/2 cup, 100 mg
Tofu 1 cup, 40 mg
Almonds 2 oz., 150 mg
Oysters 3 oz., 80 mg

Remember, new foods are constantly being fortified with calcium to look at food labels to find new sources of calcium.

If you are unable to get your child to eat the recommended amount of calcium, consider a calcium supplement. Most children's multi-vitamins don't supply enough calcium. So be sure to give a separate calcium supplement.

What's Missing in Your Body?

2009-04-08T10:26:00.001-07:00

How can we quickly furnish our body with all the elements it needs?

If we don't eat, we die!

So the answer is - replenishment!

Only by supplying our body daily with the elements (vitamins and minerals) of which it is composed can we have complete health. Good, disease free health is the indisputable foundation for the satisfaction of life.

Everything of domestic joy and pleasure or occupational success has to be built on the body being wholesome, vital and in good health without disease. Don't you agree?

Nutrition must be vital and organic. What do I mean by organic - it means life-sustaining!

What this means is that the food that we eat must be alive with what our body requires to sustain itself. Pesticides, insecticides and herbicides all reduce these life sustaining elements.

Organic food availability has had a growth rate of about 20% a year which is far ahead of the rest of the food industry. In 2008 organic food only accounted for about 1% to 2% of food sales worldwide.

Nutrition (consumed food) must be organic in order that it may be assimilated by the human body. This is necessary for the rebuilding and re-generation of the cells and tissues.

How does this happen? The sun sends billions of atoms into all of the plant life on earth and this force changes inorganic matter into vital organic food that we all need to maintain disease free health.

Our bodies are made up of many elements. The sixteen major ones are:

Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, sodium, magnesium, iron, iodine, chlorine, fluorine,silicon and manganese.

Except in the case of accidents, all repair and regeneration of our body must come from within. If the blood stream does not contain these elements in their proper proportions, then the body is out of balance.

To retain and maintain this balance, the food we eat must contain live, vital, organic elements and these are found in raw fruits and vegetables.

As soon as food is cooked, its oxygen is lost and most of the vital force and nutrition is destroyed. AS a general rule it will do no harm to eat cooked foods provided, I repeat PROVIDED, that a sufficient quantity of live, raw food is also consumed.

The juices extracted from fresh raw fruits and vegetables provide the means of furnishing all the cells in the body with all the elements of nutrition that they need and require to remain healthy and cancer free.

It is true that cooked and processed food does sustain life, nevertheless that does not mean that they it has the power to regenerate, renew and furnish the life force to our body. The exact opposite is a fact. Progressive degeneration of the cells and tissues which results in disease is the result of continuous consumption of cooked, processed and FAST FOOD!

Fruit juices are the cleansers of the human body. They furnish the body with all the carbohydrates and sugar that it needs.

Vegetable juices are the builders and re-generators. They contain all the amino acids, minerals, salts, enzymes, and vitamins needed for good health.

In the final analysis, raw food is the nourishment intended for us humans. It is difficult to change overnight. A life-long habit of eating cooked food, fast food, drinking soda and eating french fries is hard to break.

To maintain or regain good, disease free health it is absolutely necessary that you replace some of the cooked and devitalized food with raw food. Develop a plan to drink three glasses a day of fruit and vegetable juice. It is not easy. Nobody said it was, but remember it is your health, and what is good health worth?

To learn more and find out about how various fruits and vegetables are combined to fight almost any disease known to man, visit the authors blog in the resource box below. You need to know that there are three or four fruits that should NEVER be eaten during the same meal. An apple a day will keep the doctor away, but only if a variety of other raw food is eaten as well.

3 Effective Skin Cancer Treatments

2009-04-08T01:35:00.000-07:00

Skin cancer is contracted by approximately 60,000 people in the UK each year. It is normally caused by prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light which makes the process of cell division in your skin malfunction. As a result your skin cells start to multiply in a rapid, out of control way leading to the formation of a cancerous tumour which usually appears as a blemish on your skin. Fortunately, most of these cancers are very treatable if caught in the early stages. In this article I am going to be discussing three of the possible skin cancer treatments that are available to you. 1) SURGERY:- This is the most common treatment for this type of cancer. Smaller tumours can normally be removed under local anaesthetic. However, larger tumours may require a skin graft which involves the cancerous skin being removed and then replaced with a layer of healthy skin taken from another part of the body. If the cancer has spread beyond the skin and to the lymph nodes (glands that help the body get rid of unwanted bacteria) they may also have to be removed through surgery. This type of treatment has few side effects but may result in some permanent scarring of the skin depending upon the size and position of the tumour. 2) RADIOTHERAPY:- This type of treatment involves using high energy radiation beams to shrink or kill any cancerous cells. It is normally used as an alternative to surgery as it can treat the skin cancer without any scarring. Radiotherapy may also be used following surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells and reduce the chances of the cancer returning. Although radiotherapy does not result in scarring there are a number of negative side effects including a feeling of sickness similar to the flu, general tiredness and hair loss in the affected area. However, these side effects are generally temporary and will stop once the radiotherapy treatment ends. 3) CRYOTHERAPY:- This type of treatment involves freezing the cancerous cells using liquid nitrogen. It is most effective for early stage skin cancers and may not be possible with more advanced cancers. If this treatment is used the affected skin will scab over and after about a month this scab will fall off. Cryotherapy is a very low risk procedure but there is a small risk of scarring or infection on the area of skin that is treated. Although skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK it is highly treatable with the success rates being particularly high if it is discovered in the early stages. Therefore, if you notice any unusual skin blemishes that have been there for a while go see your doctor right away. It may turn out to be nothing but if it is an early stage cancerous growth your chances of successful treatment will be much higher if you get it diagnosed now instead of leaving it to grow. Whilst every intention has been made to make this article accurate and informative, it is intended for general information only. Skin cancer is a very serious, life threatening condition and you should discuss any concerns, treatments or lifestyle changes fully with your doctor.

Personal Health Cancer with Built in Quandary

2009-04-08T01:33:00.001-07:00

Cancer presents the patients with the most challenging times their life. They have to face the prospect of losing their life and at the same time, they have to take decisions regarding the treatment. Cancer has various stages. People who have cancerous cells before it starts spreading are faced with issues of personal health cancer with built in quandary. There may be multiple options to choose from and some of them may involve some sacrifices to personal health. Let us take the case of breast cancer in women to find out how a typical sequence of events plays out. In breast cancer, there is a specific type of cancer called D.C.I.S. or Ductal Carcinoma in Situ. Majority of these cases are non-invasive. However some have the potential to become invasive in the future. A large number of such cases are being recorded as the screening process has improved which has resulted in an increase in the health cancer checkups. A number of women who are healthy get their breast X-ray so that any cancerous cells may be detected early. This situation presents a quandary for the doctors who now have to advise the women on the possible treatment options. The doctor has to first find out whether the cancer may actually turn out to be invasive by biopsying it. In this case, there are a number of possible treatment options and each of them has their own unique price to pay. This is what makes the situation of personal health cancer with built in quandary so difficult for the doctors. If there was default treatment option which does not come with any side effects, then the doctors are only happy to treat the cancer. The patients also find themselves in a difficult situation. They have to take a decision regarding the type of treatment they want. When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, the best option is to go for mastectomy. This involves the removal of the breast with the cancerous cells so that they do not spread. This is a difficult option for some women and their family members. When D.C.I.S. is found in women, the choice becomes extremely difficult as there is only a slight chance the cancer will become invasive. The patient has to do extensive research and consult some other physicians to find out their opinions. The patient eventually has to come to a decision with full knowledge of the side effects. One advantage the patient has in this situation is absence of emergency. She can take her time and come to a decision after carefully weighing all the factors and outcomes to take decision regarding personal health care with built in quandary. This situation can exist in all other types of cancer as well. The basic factor in personal health cancer with built in quandary is that the patient has to decide between personal health and other side effects when looking at treatment options. This can be largely mitigated only through careful analysis and study of the various factors. The eventual aim should be personal health as the health outcomes issues in cancer is the most important.

4 Top Tips for Preventing Skin Cancer

2009-04-08T01:32:00.001-07:00

Approximately 60,000 people in the UK contract skin cancer each year. It begins when process of cell division goes wrong in the skin and it starts to grow in a rapid, out of control way. This then leads to the formation of a cancerous tumour which usually resembles a blemish on the skin. Whilst this type of cancer is one of the most common it is also very preventable. In this article I am going to be discussing four things you can do to help prevent skin cancer. 1) AVOID PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO THE SUN:- Sunlight does have a number of benefits. It prompts the body to produce vitamin D and can also help you avoid seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in the winter months. However, like all good things you can get too much. Prolonged exposure to sunlight exposes your body to ultraviolet (UV) light which ultimately damages the DNA in your skin cells and leads to skin cancer. Therefore, if you know that you are going to be out in the sun for an extended period make sure that shelter is available so that you can take regular breaks from the sunlight. 2) USE SUN CREAM:- As I mentioned above the reason that sunlight leads to skin cancer is that it contains UV light which damages your skin cells. Sun cream contains ingredients that block these UV rays and stop them from damaging your skin. Therefore, if you are out in the sun make sure you have sun cream with you. Ideally try and apply it to your skin 15 minutes before going out in the sun and make sure you re-apply it regularly. 3) WEAR SENSIBLE CLOTHING:- Clothing can offer you fantastic protection from the sunlight and the damaging UV rays. Whilst it is tempting to walk around wearing as little as possible when the sun is shining this puts you at an increased for skin cancer if you are out in the sun for a long period. Therefore, you need to make sure you have some clothing with you that can cover your body and perhaps a hat to protect your face as well. You don't have to cover up all the time that you are in the sun but make sure you do not leave your skin exposed for extended periods. 4) DON'T USE SUNBEDS:- Sunbeds use concentrated UV rays so even though a session on a sunbed is relatively short it is potentially more dangerous than staying out in the sun for a long time. If you really want a tan then do it naturally by sunbathing with regular breaks in the shade and regular doses of sun cream. Alternatively, try the increasingly available range of tanning products that are out there. Tanning in the sun will expose your skin to less intense UV rays whilst using tanning products will mean you avoid UV rays completely. Both of these options are safer than being exposed to the high doses of UV rays that a sunbed provides. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article skin cancer is one of the most prominent cancers in the UK but also one of the most preventable. If you take the precautions listed above you should be able to protect your skin and minimise your chances of developing this type of cancer. Whilst every intention has been made to make this article accurate and informative, it is intended for general information only. Skin cancer is a very serious, life threatening condition and you should discuss any concerns, treatments or lifestyle changes fully with your doctor.

Your Wealth is in Your Health

2009-03-26T01:31:00.001-07:00

When you are healthy, you are also wealthy. Not in a monetary sense, but in a body sense. Nothing is more important than your health, and if you were wealthy, you would not be able to spend money if you were in poor health. To make sure that you are in the greatest of health, you must exercise on a regular basis and eat foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals. If you have poor food eating habits, then even small changes to your diet can really help a lot. The main thing is to be able to distinguish between healthy foods and not so healthy foods. You have to eat many vegetables and fruit, and grains, and stay away from foods with too many calories, and a lot of fat. You need five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. This is not always easy to do, so drinking fruit and vegetable juice along with healthy food can help. Making small changes gradually is much easier than trying to change your entire diet all at once. Writing down what you eat and drink everyday can give you a good picture of what you eat. This will help you decide which foods you need to eat more of and which ones you should cut back on. If you find yourself at a loss, ask a nutritionist for help. They can advise you on the proper nutrition you need to be your healthiest. Newspapers and magazines do not always have the right information. Do not rely on vitamins, as these are not as good as the real thing. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain many more vitamins and minerals. Try changing around what you eat, since variety is the spice of life. The same old foods get boring eventually, so look for new healthy recipes to incorporate into your daily menu. Avoid fried foods whenever possible, as these are high in fat and cholesterol. Baking or grilling low fat foods is much healthier. Do without salad dressing that is too oily, as they contain many calories. Try drinking diet drinks that do not contain sugar, or water and tea, as these are much better for you, and contain no calories. Sleep is also important when you are trying to lose weight. It will also give you the energy you need to exercise everyday. When you are sleepy, your body makes you think that you are hungry, which can lead to eating more calories than you need to. Sleep will make you feel better all around, and you will have energy to spare. Exercise will give you more energy the more you do it. When starting an exercise program, begin slowly with walking, and add more as your confidence level rises. Swimming, aerobics, and running are also great options. If you eat healthy everyday, and follow a good exercise program regularly, you can be sure to have a body that is full of the wealth of health.

An Introduction to the 13 Vitamins

2009-03-26T01:30:00.001-07:00

Vitamins are essential nutrients that your body needs so that it can function effectively. Most vitamins are sourced from the foods you eat but some can be produced by your body as well. They are distinguished from minerals because they come from plants and animals whereas minerals come from the soil and water. Vitamins contain no calories and are not used by the body for energy but without them your body's cells cannot perform certain important functions. In this article I am going to be providing you with a simple introduction to each of the thirteen vitamins. 1) VITAMIN A:- The main function of vitamin A is to assist with vision. A deficiency can lead to a condition called night blindness where you struggle to see in dim light and if left untreated this can develop into full blindness. 2) VITAMIN B1 (THIAMINE):- This vitamin's main function is to work with other B-complex vitamins and help the body convert blood sugar into energy. Not getting enough vitamin B1 can cause beriberi which has a number of undesirable symptoms including pain, loss of feeling in your extremities and in the worst cases death. 3) VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN):- Vitamin B2's main function is to work with the other B-complex vitamins and help the body's cells break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins for energy. A vitamin B2 deficiency can lead to skin problems and also damage the eyes. 4) VITAMIN B3 (NIACIN):- The main function of this vitamin is to work with other B-complex vitamins and help the body's cells convert blood sugar into energy. Not getting enough vitamin B3 can lead to the development of pellagra, a condition which causes diarrhea, dementia, delirium and ultimately death. 5) VITAMIN B5 (PANTOTHENIC ACID):- The main function of vitamin B5 is to work with the other B-complex vitamins and help the body's cells convert food into energy. Not getting enough of this vitamin is very rare but can lead to abdominal pain and muscle weakness. 6) VITAMIN B6 (PYRIDOXINE):- This vitamin's main role is to help the body's cells break down proteins into a form they can use. A vitamin B6 deficiency can lead to weakness, tingling in your extremities and seizures. 7) VITAMIN B7 (BIOTIN):- The main function of vitamin B7 is to work with other B-complex vitamins and help the body's cells break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins into a form they can use. Not getting enough can lead to hair loss, skin problems and depression. 8) VITAMIN B9 (FOLIC ACID):- The main role of vitamin B9 is to work with vitamin B12 and help the body produce DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid) which both contain important genetic information. A deficiency can lead to anemia, diarrhea, stunted growth and weight loss. 9) VITAMIN B12 (COBALAMIN):- The main function of this vitamin is to work with vitamin B9 and help the body produce DNA and RNA. Not getting enough vitamin B12 can lead to pernicious anemia, a condition where your body produces fewer, larger red blood cells. 10) VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID):- Vitamin C's main function is to assist in the production of collagen, a key component of connective tissue in animals that helps wounds heal. Being deficient in this vitamin can lead to scurvy, a condition which causes bleeding, swollen gums and slow healing wounds. 11) VITAMIN D:- The main function of this vitamin is to help the body use calcium and phosphorous which both help to strengthen your bones and teeth. A vitamin D deficiency can lead to weak bones that bend, break and fracture easily. 12) VITAMIN E:- Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects your body's cells from damage. Failure to get enough of this vitamin can lead to age spots (brown spots on the skin), hemolytic anemia (a condition where your blood cells become delicate and rupture) and other forms of cell damage. 13) VITAMIN K:- The main role of this vitamin is to help the blood clot. Being deficient in vitamin K makes it difficult for your blood to clot and in the worst cases can cause heavy, uncontrollable bleeding. As you can see each of the 13 vitamins are unique but collectively they are essential for good health. Being deficient in any of the above vitamins can lead to numerous health problems and stop your body from functioning properly. However, eating a healthy, balanced diet should allow you to consume adequate levels of each of the 13 vitamins and keep your body performing at an optimal level.

5 Things That You Should Know About Vitamin A

2009-03-26T01:29:00.001-07:00

Vitamin A was the first of the thirteen vitamins to be discovered. Its discovery has been credited to McCollum and Davis between 1912 and 1914. The main function of this vitamin is to promote healthy vision but it also does a lot more. In this article I am going to help you learn about this vitamin by discussing five things you should know about vitamin A. 1) IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR HEALTHY VISION:- As I mentioned above this vitamin promotes healthy vision. This benefit was first noticed by the ancient Egyptians who used liver (a rich source of this vitamin) as a remedy for night blindness (a condition that makes it difficult or impossible to see in dim light). The reason for this is that night blindness is a symptom of vitamin A deficiency which can develop into full blindness if not treated. 2) IT IS A FAT SOLUBLE VITAMIN:- This vitamin is fat soluble which means that it dissolves in your body's fatty tissues. Fat soluble vitamins are generally more resistant to heat and light meaning that they are relatively stable when cooked. They can also be stored by your body for later use meaning that if you do not consume much vitamin A on a certain day your body can get its daily requirements from these stores. 3) IT CAN BE SOURCED FROM PLANTS AND ANIMALS:- Vitamin A that is sourced from animal products is called retinol whilst the plant source is referred to as carotenoids. Animal sources of this vitamin include liver, butter, eggs cheese and milk. Plant sources include carrots, peas and spinach. 4) IT HAS OTHER BENEFITS TOO:- Although healthy vision is the most well known vitamin A benefit this is not its only function. It is also essential for healthy growth (especially bone growth), the production of sperm cells and keeps your eyes, skin and mucus moist. 5) YOU CAN GET TOO MUCH:- Most people do not realise that you can overdose on vitamins. However, excessive consumption of vitamins can be just as bad as not getting enough. Overdosing on vitamin A generally leads to bone problems with osteoporosis (reduced bone density) and bone fractures both being symptoms associated with this. I hope this article has given you a better understanding of vitamin A and shown you that there is more to it than just promoting healthy vision. Although this is one of its key functions it is also required for healthy growth, reproduction and much more.

Back Pain – The increasing problem of poor PC posture

2009-03-26T01:25:00.001-07:00

Most people who surf the net or work with computers probably get minor aches and pains from time to time. These back, shoulder and neck pains often seem fairly minor, and most of the time get better after a little while. The actual root cause can sometimes come from other areas of life, such as sports injuries, a poor mattress, gardening, just the ageing process. But there seems little doubt that spending long hours hunched over a keyboard is at least a contributory factor to back pain.

Better by design: engineering flu vaccines

2009-03-26T01:23:00.001-07:00

New method could improve vaccines for both seasonal flu and bird fluHOUSTON -- (March 17, 2009) -- A new computerized method of testing could help world health officials better identify flu vaccines that are effective against multiple strains of the disease. Rice University scientists who created the method say tests of data from bird flu and seasonal flu outbreaks suggest their method can better gauge the efficacy of proposed vaccines than can tests used today.Rice's Michael Deem, the lead scientist on the project, will present the group's results March 19 at the American Physical Society's 2009 meeting in Pittsburgh. The results are also slated to appear in the forthcoming book "Influenza: Molecular Virology" from Horizon Scientific Press.Avian flu, or bird flu, is a particularly deadly type of flu that's transmitted from birds to humans. It hasn't yet evolved into a form that can be transmitted readily between humans, but scientists and world health authorities are trying to prepare for a potential outbreak. Because the virus mutates continually, creating a vaccine in advance is problematic. For example, scientists have already found that a vaccine designed for the 1997 strain of bird flu does not work against a 2003 strain."Current vaccines contain only a single version of a given flu subtype," Deem said. "We wanted to gauge the effectiveness of a vaccine that contained multiple versions of a given subtype."World health authorities currently test the efficacy of proposed flu vaccines using either ferrets, which can contract the same forms of flu as people, or genetic assays. Rice's new computerized method could be a cheaper and faster alternative.With the new method, flu virus mutations are assigned numerical scores. Deem, Rice's John W. Cox Professor of Bioengineering and professor of physics and astronomy, and colleagues developed the method so they could assign a number that captured the amount of difference or similarity between strains. The method can also be used to test how effective a vaccine will be against divergent strains. To verify this, the team checked their results against flu vaccine data collected by the World Health Organization from 1971 to 2004."For seasonal influenza, we validated our model against observational data compiled by the World Health Organization's Global Influenza Surveillance Network," Deem said. "We also ran tests against bird flu data. We found that multiple-component bird flu vaccines appeared to be helpful in controlling the simultaneous multiple introduction of bird flu strains."Influenza viruses are like chameleons. They constantly change the patterns on their outer surface to avoid being targeted by antibodies. This rapid mutation rate is the reason seasonal flu vaccines must be changed annually. However, the vaccines sometimes offer less than ideal protection against newly evolved strains. It takes about six months to produce annual vaccine supplies; also, ideal vaccine strains are often difficult to produce by the standard hen’s egg technology, and alternative strains are substituted."Oftentimes, bird flu seems to emerge with multiple strains, and something similar can happen with newly released or evolved strains of seasonal flu as well," Deem said. The computational approach Deem will discuss is able to estimate the need for and the efficacy of a multiple-component vaccine in the face of the emergence of multiple flu strains.Each year, world health authorities create a flu vaccine that protects against three types of seasonal flu -- two subtypes of type A flu and one subtype of type B.

Benefits of Chlorella Supplements

2009-03-26T01:21:00.001-07:00

Chlorella is one of the most scientifically researched foods in history. It is green algae that grow in fresh water. Chlorella is one of nature's best foods, providing you with a rich variety of amino acid (protein), vitamins, enzymes, minerals and carbohydrates. Actually, chlorella is considered to contain every nutrient required by the human body. Each Chlorella microorganism is composed of a nucleus, starch grains, chloroplasts and mitochondria surrounded by a cell wall composed mainly of cellulose. Chlorella is a green single-celled microalgae that contains very high concentrations of chlorophyll. It also supplies high levels of Beta Carotene, Vitamin B-12, Iron, DNA, RNA and Protein. The cell wall in this high quality Chlorella has been broken down mechanically to aid digestibility. Some of benefits of chlorella are given below. Chlorella Improves Digestive System: It has such high chlorophyll content, people who have chronic bad breath is often overcome in just a few days with chlorella. Foul smelling stools are also very much improved and chlorophyll has been recognized to relieving constipation. Chlorella carries enzymes like chlorophyllase and pepsin, which are two digestive enzymes. Enzymes perform a number of important functions in the body. Chlorella has a lot of different types of enzymes that our bodies require.
Chlorella Control Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure Studies have revealed that chlorella tends to control blood sugar in cases of hypoglycemia. In hypoglycemia, blood sugar is too low. Proper levels of blood sugar are essential for normal brain function, heart function and energy metabolism, all of which are crucial in sustaining good health and preventing disease. High blood pressure is one of the major risk factors in heart attack and stroke, which account for more fatalities in the United States than any other disease. Laboratory experiments have shown that regular use of chlorella reduces high blood pressure and prevents strokes in rats.Modern techniques have helped in the processing of chlorella as its full nutritional properties can now be accessed due to the techniques used to dry the alga. So you can take chlorella supplements for the betterment of your health.

10 Steps For Better Sleep

2009-03-26T01:20:00.001-07:00

Ten point plan on going to sleep at night: 1: UNWIND ......RELAX: It's essential that your mind be geared for sleep. Sit down for half an hour or even an hour before bedtime. Let the mind wander .take it quietly, gently unwinds. Tensions and anxieties are gently released from the system through this simple way. 2: READ A BOOK: Many find it especially relaxing and mentally soothing to read for a while before the lights are out. This helps gear the mind to a low-key pitch which is an essential prerequisite for prompt and relaxing sleep. 3: SHORT BOUT OF ACTIVITY: Frequently a short, casual stroll before bed will similarly remove tensions and anxieties from the mind. Just amble, tiredness and a lovely sense fatigue. These days’ jogging is popular. 4: WARM BATH: There is little so relaxing as a nice warm shower or bath. The latter is more effective but it takes a bit longer. This warms the blood a little giving a soporific effect when it circulates to the brain centers. 5: WARM DRINK: Many people find a warm to hot milk drink very relaxing. Indeed recent research reported in the BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL indicates this definitely improves sleeping ability. It is preferable to have tea or coffee for this contains caffeine which is a nerve stimulant and will have the converse effect. Either milk as such, or with any of the many commercial0 additives is suitable. Take your pick. 6: WARM BED: It is desirable for the bed to be nice and warm. In summer this happens automatically, but in cooler weather, an electric blanket is the answer to cold bed problem. Warmth breeds relaxation, contentment and nervous satisfaction. 7: COMFORTABLE BED: Sleep comes best and fastest when the bed is comfortable. A bed you find that doesn’t allow you to relax completely will never a good starting point for prompt, restful slumber. 8: RELAXATION: You must learn to relax the entire system completely and utterly once you go to bed. When all the forgoing routines have been followed and you hit bed, gently stretch out into the most comfortable lying position you can find (it may on flat of the back or one side, rarely on the stomach) start with the left toes and systematically relax this part. Work up to the ankle, lower leg, knee, and thigh. Do the left side then the right. Then the whole body in the same way. 9: RELAXING THOUGHTS: As you relax the various joints and muscles system, you gradually phase out all conscious thoughts from your mind. This takes practice and time .It will not come overnight on the first occasion. You must work at it, and stick to the routine. Some prefer to think of happy-occasions, of relaxing situations-lying in the sun on the beach or on a freshly mown lawn. Mind pictures must be on pleasant experiences. These will give a way today dreaming thoughts, visions and sensations. Then they gradually become vague and vaguer, as you gradually drift into oblivion. 10: DEEP BREATHS: As you care for your mind in this manner, gradually take deep breaths. They should be rhythmical, deep, slow and regular. Softly, slowly, rhythmically as you breath in ... out....in....out......you then count. Slowly, very slowly taking one figure with each two to three breaths .Finally you softly tell yourself you will be fast asleep by the time you count to ten. "One ...in, out....in, out....in, out....two...in, out....."

Avoiding Mental Illness

2009-03-26T01:18:00.000-07:00

DANGER SIGNS:Certain signs indicate the danger of mental illness. Inability to relax and persistent fatigue are two examples. Every one gets tired, of courses, but tiredness should not last too long. Normally a good night's sleep should refresh a person. When an individual feels "All keyed up," When he has difficulty in getting to sleep, and when he has terrorizing dreams, the indications are that his mental health is declining.Loss of interest in one's affairs is another unfavorable sign. Inability to control one's thoughts may be a danger signal. When the student finds his mind wandering aimlessly; when the schoolteacher can't keep up with her duties; when the Stenographer catches herself making frequent serious errors-then a checkup is in order .Forgetfulness is another danger sign.WHAT TO DO?Suppose some of the danger signs just listed are present in your case. What should you do about it? The first step is to search for the underlying stress or unsolved problem, whatever it may be. If you are disappointed in not having reached a cherished goal, get busy with plans for the future instead of brooding over the past. And in making these plans; make them realistic, reasonably within your ability to carry out. If someone has betrayed your confidence, don't lose faith in humanity. Learn the lesson that the experience can teach; plan a way of avoiding similar trouble next time, and then start over.Once you have found the trouble and remedied it as best you can, set about to improve your moral. This consists of more than biting your lip to keep from complaining. Emphasize the positive of living. Think courageously and then act the part.The person with good moral keeps clearly in mind his reason for living. He has a goal and is interested in making in progress toward it. He has faith-faith in mankind, in the future, in God. He can rise above life's grievances. This appointments and rebuffs do not get him down. He has courage that faced the future.

Facial Wash and Desert Essence

2009-03-26T01:16:00.000-07:00

Women usually go through the problems of acne rough and dry hair and skin. The cause may be the exposure of dirt dust sun or anything else. Not only the Women who work outside can suffer such kind of problems but house-wife and school going girls also complaint for their frizzy and falling hair or tanning in skin.
They pay a big amount monthly to get over such weakness and to avail their natural look. But the one who uses Desert Essence get the better results within a short period of time with natural shines and look as compare to those who has to serve a long duration for their facial treatment with some kind of synthetic and chemical products.
Desert Essence not only recommended worldwide for its absolute results but its natural composition also reduces the dullness in skin and bounces the hair back with all oil controlling formula.

Quick Meals

2009-03-26T01:13:00.001-07:00

No matter how passionate you may be about your culinary skills, there are times in everybody’s life when things get too rushed or you simply want to succumb to tiredness after a hard day at work, when you just wish a meal would just materialize. Although materializing cooked meals out of thin air is not one of my skills-sets, with a little ingenuity you can come close to something like that by incorporating quick meal ideas and recipes. One of the best ways is to have a collection of quick meal recipes. So, when dinner hour is approaching, and you find yourself in a state of comatose stupor, you can just pull out and cook up something in a jiff. If you have children, you can also have a collection of healthy recipes for quick meals for kids. Always make sure to choose a recipe that has ingredients that you know you have in your freezer, fridge, or pantry. Here are some quick meal ideas and recipes, which, apart from being made in a jiffy, are delicious as well.

Diets That Work Fast - 5 Tips

2009-03-26T01:12:00.001-07:00

Need diets that work fast? For one thing look for diets that are flexible, enjoyable - and more importantly promotes healthy eating. Eating healthy is the key to fat loss - not eating less. Your body needs the necessary nutrition to function daily and stimulate more of the fat burning metabolism. Sure, some diets are harder to stick to than others so maybe you've chosen the wrong diets! Below are 5 healthy tips to make your fat loss efforts worthwhile: 1. Choose lose GI carbohydrate foods such as pasta, Dongara rice or Basmati Rica, and multi grain bread to curb hunger. And cut down the amount of added oil when preparing the meals. Remember to include veggies at each main meal - at least 5 serves of veggies a day! Use a variety of veggies and cooking methods to make veggies interesting in broth, roast, stir fry or bake. 2. Eat More Fiber - Fruits, vegetables, water based soups and whole-grains are high in fiber, and contains no calories. Fiber contains bulk, so when people consume it, they consume fewer calories. People on a high fiber diet are half as likely to become obese as those who eat less fiber. 3. Embrace Fat - You won't store it if you aren't eating too many total calories. Research shows that 50% fat are just as effective for weight loss as those that is low in fat. Fat is filling, and adds flavor to your meals - so it helps you from feeling deprived, and wanting more of other food! So go ahead, enjoy the fat in meat, dairy, avocados, olive oil and nuts. Shoot for half a gram of fat for every pound of your desired weight. 4. Invite a Friend : although it isn't a diet, this is a common missing ingredient that is often overlooked. Get at least one person, and preferably a lot more people, to encourage you, to keep you in line, motivate you, keep you on track. That way, you will be made accountable for your goals to these people. By doing this, you will have a greater chance of sticking to your meal plans and achieve more fat loss success. 5. Variety in your meal is a key. Without variety in your diet, you will lose motivation and interest. Who wants to eat the same food day in and day out! I don't. Not only that, our bodies are very adaptive and will not respond well to repetitive meals. Therefore continual use of the same diet, will result in a plateau. To prevent this, mix up your diet on a periodical basis. A small change can make a difference to your fat loss results. Whether you are preparing your own diet or looking for diets that work fast - a good diet must consist of eating lean fat, protein, more fruit and vegetables - and keep your stomach full with starchy carbohydrates.

Having a balanced diet

2009-03-26T01:10:00.001-07:00

All of us need to eat healthy to stay healthy. Good health is something which solely depends on what you eat and how much which take care of our self. A balanced diet is very important for every individual to work and lead a healthy life. A balanced diet must contain carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, mineral salts and fiber. It must contain all these things in correct proportions. The following healthy Eating Guidelines will help you understand the importance of balanced diet in the life of a person. 1) Have your meal daily: Every one needs to plan their meals. Your food should be balanced with adequate proportion of nutrients. Avoid skipping meals as much as possible as this affects the growth of your body. You need to have three meals and two additional snacks every day. Try to have your snacks and food at the same time everyday. 2) Eat variety of food: You need to have different varieties of food everyday. Eating different types of food provides your body with all the nutrients required to stay healthy. 3) Avoid consuming Sugar: If you feel like having something sweet try avoiding it as much as you can, sugar deteriorates the level of energy in your body. You can rather have fresh fruits or high protein snack instead. However this does not mean you cannot have any sweets and desserts. You can have small proportions of cakes, muffins, cookies, honey or any other dessert at the end of a healthy meal. 4) Avoid eating excess food: Eat when you are hungry and stop eating when you are full. Proper intake of food will help you remain active, relaxed and at your best. You can consult your doctor as to how much to eat especially if you want to lose weight. 5) Drink sufficient water: Water plays a very important role as far as your health is concerned. You need to consume lots of water every day. Drink more water as compared to fresh juices and soda. 6) Avoid High fat food: Avoid eating high fat food such as butter, margarine, potato chips, fried food and junk food. They have high amount of fats and are not considered healthy for your heart. However you can choose fats that are healthy for your heart such as salads, nuts, olives, avocados and vegetable oil. 7) You need to be physically active for at least one hour every day. This will help your body to function properly and grow at a healthy rate.

Nutritional Counseling

2009-03-26T01:09:00.001-07:00

Nutritional counseling is a wide subject that takes into account the various nutritional aspects of a diet, the eating habits and various other facets of a diet important for good health. Nutritional counseling can be used for maintaining the general well being of a healthy human being as well as to aid the remedial effects of medicines in case of patients. Goals of Nutritional Counseling It is a common misconception that nutritional counseling is required only if you are suffering or recovering from a particular ailment. Nutritional counseling can also be used to analyze and improve one’s diet for general well being. Here some of the basic goals of nutritional counseling.
Spreading awareness about the importance of a healthy diet
Enhancing the body efficiency by boosting energy levels
Improving the immune system
Detoxification and re-vitalizing the entire body
Reducing risks of diseases and ailments

Depression Counseling

2009-03-26T01:08:00.001-07:00

Many people suffer from a feeling of anxiety, guilt, unworthiness and constant fatigue. All these signs indicate depression, a mood disorder. Depression is a stage of extreme dejection or feeling of inadequacy and hopelessness. It is often characterized by certain physical symptoms. There are various types of depression such as atypical depression, major depression, dysthymia, postpartum depression and seasonal affective disorder. People suffering from depression find it difficult to perform the daily activities and lose their interest in life. A prolonged illness, failure to achieve success, lack of optimism, poor family relations and unforgettable tragic incident such as the death of a beloved are the main causes of depression. People facing a financial strain, loneliness, health problems or chronic pain, alcohol or drug abuse, relationship problems, early childhood trauma or abuse and family history of depression are at higher risk for depression. People with depression lose their balance, stay extremely dull and upset as well as constantly feel exhausted. They may also experience restlessness, unwillingness to eat and trouble sleeping. They may become violent or start crying over minor issues. They often tend to avoid communicating with others and participating in social events. A standard treatment for depression involves a combination of different therapies and antidepressant medications. Various therapies such as psychotherapy or talk therapy, light therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy and Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) therapy are effective in relieving the symptoms of depression. Depression counseling is one of the effective ways to overcome the symptoms of depression.

Uses of Virgin Coconut Oil

2009-03-26T01:06:00.001-07:00

For last couple of years, scientists have turned their attention to virgin coconut oil and its health benefits. This write-up will not be complete if we fail to mention Dr. Bruce Fife and Filipino doctor Conrado Dayrit for their extraordinary contribution, extensive research and belief in virgin coconut oil and its miraculous powers. Although, we will see the numerous uses of virgin coconut oil in subsequent articles, let us have a look at some of them in brief: Virgin coconut is known for its use in heart-related problems which includes lowering of triglycerides, lowering of cholesterol etc., virgin coconut oil contains lauric acid (medium chain fatty acid), which is found in mother’s milk that helps the newborn’s body fight against various diseases and helps build their immune system. Once our body digests the lauric acid, it is converted/transformed into Monolaurin acid which is known for its antiviral, antibacterial, antiprotozoal, antifungal and antimicrobial properties and its action against lipid-coating of viruses. It also contains other important acids such as caproic acid, linoleic acid, stearic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid and oleic acid etc. Because of these acids, coconut oil is known to have effective use against viral diseases such as AIDS, herpes, hepatitis, influenza, and various bacteria generated diseases. Virgin coconut oil is also known for its effective use in healing injuries (internal as well as external). From ancient times, people in India, Philippines and other tropical countries have used it as a protective and healing lotion for injuries. In recent researches, it has been found out that people who are suffering from herpes and HIV type of viruses can take help of virgin coconut oil in order to get some relief. HIV viral load has been found to lower after use of lauric acid, as it directly breaks down the protective lipid-coating of the HIV virus, hence killing it efficiently rather than just stopping it. This has given a new hope to people suffering from diseases for which there is no permanent cure available.

Becoming a Holistic Health Practitioner

2009-03-26T01:04:00.001-07:00

Before enrolling for a holistic health course, you can research on the duties and responsibilities of a holistic health practitioner. There are several programs related to holistic medicine and holistic health. There are short duration programs that involve a few months training, while there are also degree courses that require three years of study. The former are useful, in case you are already an acupuncturist or a massage therapist. However, if you want to become a holistic health practitioner, you need to undertake a degree course in holistic health. While deciding to take up a holistic health program, make sure you do sufficient research regarding the courses offered by the holistic health institutes. Since, holistic health is a diverse field with many areas of specialization (massage therapy, yoga, acupressure, homeopathy etc.), some institutes may offer a limited choice. It is advisable to enroll in the institute that offers the field that you want to major in down the line. Once, you complete your training course in holistic health, you can opt for a certification program in your specialization. Certificates are an added advantage to prove your excellence in a specific field. Many students opt for certifications, as it increases business as well as job opportunities. In case, your institute does not provide certifications, you can enroll in other holistic health schools and universities. As soon as you complete your certification, you can choose to practice, either on your own or in hospitals and clinics. Another option is that you work for one or two years to gain experience before starting your own business. Though, there are advantages of owning a business in holistic health, one needs to have the confidence to practice on your own and keep flexible timings. It is estimated that a licensed holistic health practitioner with a doctorate degree can earn an average income of about $60,000 per year. After completing the training course in holistic health, it is advisable to attempt the licensing exam. This way, you can become a licensed holistic health practitioner in your specialization. Nowadays, many people opt for natural healing and hence, holistic heath practitioners are in high demand. This may be due to the fact that there are no side effects of holistic health, provided one consults a licensed practitioner. A holistic health practitioner can also opt for counseling and teaching holistic health techniques. For becoming a counselor, you need to have a master's degree in holistic health counseling and also qualify in the relevant licensing exam.

Prostate Nutrition Therapy for a Healthy Life

2009-03-26T00:34:00.001-07:00

Because prostate nutrition and health are linked closely it only makes sense that if you are not eating a healthy diet your general health level will also decline along with your prostate health. If you have poor nutritional habits your chances of developing some form of prostate problem are increased. The thing to remember is that the key to good prostate health is eating a healthy diet.

A Deviated Septum and Snoring

2009-03-26T00:33:00.003-07:00

One of the things I really love about my job is the pleasure of being able to hear directly from my clients about how much my programs have helped them and to learn just how dramatic the results are. In fact, some of my clients have written to me and told me that other problems they were experiencing have cleared up just by using my program. Others have written to me and told me of other problems they are experiencing and have asked if any of my programs will help them.

Is It Possible to Reverse Premature Gray Hair?

2009-03-26T00:33:00.002-07:00

Given the currently available treatment alternatives it seems that the premature graying process cannot be reversed. There is no scientific evidence that any existing medicine, herb, dietary supplement or natural substance can prevent or reverse graying hair. Several cosmetics and pharmaceuticals giants are working on the discovery of the ultimate cure for gray hair but no satisfactory solution is commercially available yet.

Covering Grey Hair with Progressive Hair Colorants

2009-03-26T00:32:00.001-07:00

In treating genetically determined, premature grey hair, any effective therapy should involve interference with our genes. However, at the moment, no such treatment exists that can halt or reverse the dying of pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. Therefore, the only currently available grey hair treatment option for premature and age-related grey hair is to cover it.

Cheap and Easy- How to Care For Your Hair

2009-03-26T00:31:00.005-07:00

Diagnosing and Treating Acid Reflux in Children

2009-03-26T00:31:00.004-07:00

Every year millions of adults suffer the affects of gastro esophageal reflux disease or GERD for short. But what most people don't realize is that acid reflux in children is also a very common problem. Just like an adult if a child's GERD is left untreated a whole multitude of problems can occur, including esophageal damage, trouble breathing, larynx damage, and an increased chance of cancer of the esophagus.

High Blood Pressure Medication

2009-03-26T00:30:00.002-07:00

Blood pressure is the force exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries as the heart pushes the blood to circulate around the body. Among the most common disorder concerning blood pressure is hypertension or High Blood Pressure (HBP), a condition characterized by a blood pressure equal to or higher than 140/90 mmHg.

Improving Self Esteem with Therapeutic Relaxation

2009-03-26T00:29:00.001-07:00

Positive self-esteem is very important for our general health and wellness as human beings. Having positive self-esteem is also important for promoting any type of healing, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. Poor or low self-esteem on the other hand can be quite detrimental to our well-being and even our very existence. Negative self-esteem can create anxiety, stress, loneliness, depression, problems with relationships, seriously impair academic and job performance and also can generate an increased vulnerability to drug and alcohol abuse and dependency.

How to Start a Low Cholesterol Diet Plan

2009-03-26T00:28:00.003-07:00

For many people finding out they have high cholesterol may come as a shock. While it is a serious health problem for many people remedying the situation can be as easy as following a low cholesterol diet plan. In fact this will probably be the first thing any good doctor will recommend. The first time putting together this type of diet can be a little confusing but there are many resources available to help with everything from food selection to meal planning.

Eating Foods to Avoid High Cholesterol is Easier then You Think

2009-03-26T00:28:00.002-07:00

Cholesterol over the years has gotten a bad name and most people view it as something that must be avoided and eliminated completely from their lives. What most people fail to realize because of the misinformation they've been fed is that cholesterol is a necessary nutrient that our bodies use to produce everything from cell walls to hormones. It is much like anything else, in moderation it is not a "bad" thing and if you know the foods to avoid high cholesterol it is easy to keep your levels under control.

How To Stop Excessive Sweating

2009-03-26T00:26:00.002-07:00

There are various proven ways on how to stop excessive sweating. There is a home treatment to stop excessive sweating that is really worth a second look. Mike Ramsey of Stop Sweating And Start Living has developed a very practical and low-cost home regimen which has helped many sufferers within days of adopting it. Even for those without any problem with excessive sweat, it is a perfectly safe and natural hygiene habit, and that’s from those who have really tried it.

High Cholesterol Foods to Avoid

2009-03-26T00:26:00.000-07:00

For those who suffer from high cholesterol the best and first way to control and lower their cholesterol levels is through their diet. But many people are confused as to what constitutes a high cholesterol food they need to avoid and a low cholesterol food. This is because there is a difference between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol.

Foot pain

2009-03-26T00:25:00.003-07:00

On the whole, the feet are very small when compared to the rest of the body. During the day, most people spend about 12 to 14 hours on their feet. Because the feet are used so much during normal daily activity, the excessive loads that are placed on the feet mean approximately 75% of people worldwide will suffer foot pain at some stage in their lives. Foot pain can also reduce your mobility and independence, as is often seen in the elderly. When your feet hurt, it not only disturbs your body but it can prove to be distracting to your work and concentration.

The Prescription Is Good Lovin

2009-03-26T00:25:00.002-07:00

Magazines frequently ask me to write articles about health; and I am often invited to speak at conferences to talk about healing, and though I thoroughly enjoy what I do: Can we please talk about something else besides health? Can we talk about something else, like poetry or love? We are more than a bit obsessed with health, and it does not improve the quality of health if we talk more about it. It only works if you actually do something about it -- you know, the basics: Eat a good balanced diet with lots of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, drink lots of clean water, moderate your vices, exercise as best you can, connect with family and friends, and the rest you know from memory by now. But a better prescription for health might become profoundly good love.

A Healthier Life is Yours for the Taking

2009-03-26T00:23:00.001-07:00

Why do so many people take their health for granted? Why do so many abuse their bodies by smoking, drinking too much alcohol, taking too many drugs (prescription and over the counter), eating unhealthy foods, and not getting enough sleep? Being healthy is a life choice, and it starts with a healthy diet. The benefits are endless, but the consequences of neglecting ourselves of this most primal need (proper nutrients) is often deadly.

Ten tips for good health

2009-03-26T00:22:00.000-07:00

Start your day with breakfast. First thing in the day begins with the Breakfast fills your "empty tank" to get you going after a long night without food. And it can help you do better in any place. Easy to prepare breakfasts include cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, and some fruit etc. Get Moving! It's easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while you read, do homework or watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30 minutes every day. Then you will be a healthy person. Snack Smart. Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from different food groups a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies, chips and candy are OK for occasional snacking.