Health & Fitness

Menopause- Brief Description

2010-08-04T23:35:00.001-07:00

Menopause is the normal process of the ovary ceasing to produce eggs for reproduction. As a consequence, in the absence of developing egg follicles where estrogen was previously produced, the female body attempts to adapt to the decreasing levels of estrogen. Sometimes this can be a minimally uncomfortable condition; at other times it can be very uncomfortable with numerous symptoms; the most common of which is hot flashes. Menstrual periods can change during this shutting down process, either becoming longer or shorter, flow can become heavier or lighter, and the interval between periods can become longer or shorter. Eventually the periods cease as the body enters the actual phase of menopause. If one considers the life cycles of a woman, about one-third of her life is spent in pre-puberty and puberty, one-third is spent in reproductive years, and one-third is spent in menopause. This is how the life clock is set, though certainly there are variables such as illness or surgery (hysterectomy or removal of ovaries) which can change it accordingly.

There are estrogen receptors located throughout the body. When these receptors are not joined with estrogen, they act in different ways on their various organ systems. Certainly there are large concentrations of estrogen receptors in the genital structures of the female anatomy. With declining levels of estrogen there can be a decrease in the vaginal wall thickness, and onset of vaginal dryness. This can cause problems with intercourse which are very distressing. There can also be changes in the bladder and urethra which cause leakage of urine or increased urinary infections. A very common phenomenon is vasomotor instability, or hot flashes. This no doubt arises from unfilled estrogen receptors in the blood vessels. A menopausal woman can go from comfortable to drenching sweat in a few moments. This condition is especially improved with systemic dosages of estrogen. There are other medicines which seem to help. Some are the SSRI or SNRI antidepressants. Also clonidine, which is normally used for blood pressure, can help. Gabapentin, a seizure medicine can help; there was another seizure medicine called veralipride which was effective, but has been removed from use due to adverse side effects. There are other general health measures which a woman can do to prevent hot flashes. One is to avoid all caffeine, concentrated sugars, stimulants, and alcohol which seem to aggravate the condition. (Smoking makes hot flashes worse, and on the average brings on menopause a year younger in smokers than in non-smokers). One hour of aerobic exercise per day can help with vasomotor instability. One way to make hot flashes more comfortable is to suggest that a woman dress in layers of breathable fabric materials, so she can shed extra clothing when she starts to have a hot flash. In view of the worries about systemic estrogens which came out after the Woman's Health Index studies, there is some renewed interest in herbs and phytoestrogens like black cohash and ginseng. The jury is still out on the effectiveness of herbs to help this problem.

Other estrogen receptors are in the skin. Menopause can cause thinning, dryness, decreased skin tone, and wrinkling of the skin. The hair can become thinner and more brittle. The central nervous system can show sleep disorders leading to chronic fatigue, headache, mood swings, nervousness, and irritability. Once again, anywhere there are estrogen receptors there can be a change in system function. One example which is very important is bone. Menopausal women have progressive decrease in bone density and strength, and are more prone to certain fractures, especially in the vertebrae, hips, and wrists.

There are three types of estrogen that we are talking about. Estrone is produced during menopause, to a degree by other organs such as the liver, the adrenals, and fat cells. Estradiol is the estrogen normally produced by the ovarian follicles, and is stronger than estrone. Estriol is the estrogen primarily produced during pregnancy. Systemic estrogen supplementation used to come from conjugated estrogens found in horse urine, but these are now essentially replaced by more human specific estrogens. What might be expected from giving estrogen to a menopausal woman? Well, first of all, it seems to be safest if started within three years after menopause onset. Women with heart disease, history of stroke or thromboembolism, or breast cancer are excluded right off the bat. Its use has to be evaluated yearly in reference risk to benefit ratio. But if a woman meets these criteria, she might expect relief from hot flashes, some reversal of vaginal atrophy, positive skin and hair changes, and stronger bones. As mentioned, the WHI (Women's Health Initiative) found that the addition of progesterone to the estrogen caused increased risk in several areas, including heart and vascular. Starting estrogen after age 65 seemed to lead to increased dementia and other complications.

So, in summary, it might be said that we live in a culture where youth and secondary sexual characteristics are highly promoted and valued. Entry into a new and different life phase is a bit daunting, and certainly brings on sadness and a sense of uncertainty. Work with your doctor to make it as comfortable as possible. Have a thorough physical exam to be sure that other medical problems such as thyroid or diabetes are not adding to the symptomatology. Discuss the benefits and risks of hormone replacement. There are other medicines to increase bone strength and integrity, and other medicines for hot flashes. Take care of yourself: exercise regularly, keep your weight down, and remember that caffeine and alcohol can make hot flashes worse. As they say, 'œthis is something you're going through,' and there are many things that can make the passage more comfortable.

Choose Healthy Diets And Stay Healthy

2010-07-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

People engage in diets for the purpose of losing weight. What they don't realize are the other benefits that arise upon engaging in healthy diets. The positive effects include higher energy levels, stronger immune systems, as well as looking great.

There are a lot of diets that that are easy to get into. In fact, most of them guarantee rapid weight loss in a matter of weeks. But how do you really determine if a diet is right for your body weight?

The first tip for an effective diet is calorie counting. Depending on your body mass index and proportion to your height and weight, the limit for daily intake of calories should only be 2,000 especially if you have very limited physical activity.

Healthy diets are composed of the right portion of fruits, vegetables and meat portions plus drinking a lot of water. Diets are not meant to deprive the person of the normal food intake, rather focusing on the food that the body needs to function. Diets also improve a person's self-control and discipline. A normal person who's not on a diet will tend to overeat thinking to satisfy his appetite even if he goes overboard. A person on a diet is more conscious of how he looks and what he eats and ends up achieving a balance.

Carbohydrates play an important role in diets because they energize the body and affect a person's blood sugar levels. When a person is on a diet, he should identify bad carbohydrates and the good ones. Foods that are rich in bad carbs include refined sugar and white rice. These are not good for the body because they elevate sugar levels and can lead to weight gain. Good carbs on the other hand are fruits and vegetables and whole-grain foods. Luckily, whole-grain pasta is now available in supermarkets as alternatives to those who are engaged in diets.

Fiber is a good source of energy because they take time to digest and they don't make us feel as hungry. Foods rich in fiber also even out the blood sugar levels and have other benefits to the colon, aiding to the digestive process.

When eating vegetables, go for the green leafy ones because they contain more nutrients. Bright colored veggies like carrots and lettuce are also good for the body. If you must eat salads, it would be healthy to avoid the dressing because these are fattening and contribute to weight gain.

Protein is also essential to the body because of the amino acids. Foods rich in protein include dairy products like milk and cheese. Walnuts, tofu and soya milk are also some of the healthy proteins that should be included in a diet.

Healthy diets with exercise are a must. When the body is active, it can cause us to lose weight more easily because exercise speeds up metabolism and enables us to digest food better. Sweating is also good for the body because it releases the bad toxins which are also harmful to the helth.

Healthy School Lunches For Overweight Kids

2010-07-13T23:32:00.000-07:00

Things to Consider

Keep in mind that the school's menu is not near as healthy as some may claim and what you pack will be healthier. Don't purchase chips, cookies and white bread to go into your child's lunchbox. Instead, place nuts with colorful, sweet coating in the bag; not too much since they can be considered unhealthy when consumed in large quantities.

Also, keep in mind that a number of the "kid-friendly" lunch items are "designed for kids" by simply adding a lot of sugar. Instead of kid yogurt, send an "adult" version. Replace fruit snacks with whole fruits, and so on.

And drinks! Stay away from juices, sodas, chocolate milk or whole fat milk, and some sports drinks. Water is always great. You can throw some small water bottles in the freezer the night before. By lunchtime,they'll be thawed, icy cold and refreshing. Sports drinks that are better than most are G2 or Power-Aid Zero, though I haven't found the Power-Aid Zero in the smaller containers.

It may seem like you're eliminating the good parts kids like in their lunchbox but you don't have to be. In lieu of cookies, pudding and more, give your child a mini-sized candy bar that can be found in a number of varieties such as Snickers, Butterfingers, Almond Joy, etc.

Here's a few good, healthy lunches that fit the bill perfectly:
No Bread "Sandwich"

2 oz of good quality lean ham, chicken, or turkey breast (from the deli, not packaged

1 string cheese (low fat)
1 whole fruit
1 vegetable item - something your kid likes, try to stay away from dips like ranch dressing
2 Hershey's kisses or "fun size" candy bars
Small bottle of water or Gatorade G2

Yogurt Pack

1 low fat yogurt (see above note on types to choose)
Granola sprinkles for the yogurt (mix a little flax seed in the granola sprinkles... they'll never notice!)
1 Apple (Gala reigns supreme!)
Flavoured rice cake mini's
2 Hershey's Kisses or mini-candy bars

Egg Pack

1 egg (hardboiled, make sure to peel it for them since kids often do not get more than 15 to 20 minutes for lunch break)
Carrots (baby Supremes do just fine)
Fruit (any kind)
Trail mix (small handful)
1 to 2 mini-candy bars
Water (in water bottle)

It is important to be creative and also talk to your child about what they like and what they don't like. There is no sense in sending a healthy, well planned lunch every day of your child will not eat it. One way to empower your child to make the right choices in things they eat is to send them to a weight loss camp where they will learn these skills. Armed with the knowledge they gain here, they'll be prepared for a life full of healthy eating decisions.

You Can Program Your Weight Loss In As Easy As A Week

2010-07-12T22:37:00.001-07:00

Yes, you can program your weight loss in as easy as a week. The idea of the program is to be able for you to develop a consistent approach to weight loss as well as a healthy endurance when exercising. The program's objective is to get rid of the excesses in your body, the excess fat. Not the healthy and lean muscle tissues and body fluids.

The program first requires your focus and dedication, so therefore you need to be prepared in both mind and of course body. It is highly advised that you first visit your doctor for a check-up before embarking on any weight loss program.

It is important that when starting on any weight loss program, one should be positive enough to work for the results. Some people get impatient easily but long-term effects are assured as long as one sticks to the weight loss plan at hand.

Stretch, stretch and stretch some more. Before actually doing those exercises and working out those muscles, a little stretching is needed in order to avoid any injury or soreness in your body.

It is also not advisable for anyone to try too hard. Everything should be done in moderation. Find the level of exercise and training that suits you. It should be enough for you to be comfortable in but not too convenient that it will not be much of a challenge.

The first week

The first day of the program involves a long and steady walk in a little over twenty minutes. After the walk, follow it up with a good stretch. This takes so little of your time for the first day. In less than an hour you have taken that first step to a weight loss program that could work to your advantage.

By the second day, it is good to focus on an upper body workout. This maintains your strength to be able to go through the whole program for the week. On the third day, a brisk walk or jog for ten minutes is in order. For beginners, a lower body workout should be done in the evening.

In the fourth day, a good rest is in order, as well as a good stretch. This lag time should be used wisely though to sort out any negatives in your mindset. The fifth day starts with a good ten-minute walk. Exercise the lower body in four sessions of workouts; follow this up with another ten-minute walk, and another four sessions of lower body workout.

The sixth day should be spent on a low impact exercise such as swimming. To avoid boredom, do not be afraid to try something new. The last day of the week is a time to solicit the support of the people you care about. Spend time with them or get them to be with you in your long walk. Again, follow up your walk with a light upper body workout.

This is just the beginning though. If by this first week you are able to stick to the program, you have a great chance to further boost your weight loss and stay with the plan until you achieve your desired result. Try as much as possible to be unlike the people who give up easily just because they could not see the result they want at the time they want like this moment, today, now! Patience is a virtue. The same way it took your body time to gain all that weight, think about it as the time your body will have to exert just to get rid of it.

Natural Alternative To Conquer Sleep Disorders Fast

2010-07-09T06:07:00.000-07:00

Sleep disorders and mental health conditions are becoming increasingly common in this modern world. At least 30% of adults have experienced sleep problems. Today, people tend to ignore stress symptoms and get on with it, but this can have a damaging repercussions.

Sleep problems should not be ignored. Although most people have had at least one night's experience of sleeplessness, there are some who experience chronic insomnia. Spending nights spent tossing, turning and lying awake with spiraling thoughts can have a damaging effect on a person's frame of mind. Headaches, muscle ace and poor concentration are common side effects of sleeplessness. Insomnia has negative effects on the mind and body and can have a detrimental effect to the quality of one's life.

Too much stress and anxiety are perhaps the biggest triggers for sleep problems. Sleep can be disturbed by excessive worry and anxiousness. Many individuals find it difficult to turn their minds off at night time and they spend countless hours thinking consciously. Worrying and thinking at night time only enforces bad sleep habits which can take time to reverse. One way to improve sleep is by applying good habits and keeping a regular sleep schedule.

Everyone has the natural capability to fall asleep, but falling asleep is not done consciously. Falling asleep naturally is down to the subconscious part of the mind. People with sleep problems might do everything in their power to try and fall asleep. However, most will not succeed if they continue to have conscious thoughts of worry lingering in the mind.

One way to break out of this negative habit is through self hypnosis. Reconditioning unconscious sleep behaviors and replacing negative bedtime associations can help improve the ability to sleep at night. Using hypnotic suggestions you can remove ingrained instincts and beliefs.

With self-hypnosis we can learn to relax physically, and with practice this can be quick and simple. Learning to relax mentally for some however, can be difficult and frustrating, but in time anyone can learn. By using self-hypnosis to relax deeply mentally and physically, the unconscious mind can begin to absorb positive sleep suggestions.

Obtaining proficiency can take time, but you will find it easier and easier to reach states of relaxation and inner peace. As your energy levels increase, your mood will also improve, creating a positive cycle of energy in your daily life. Even under hypnosis, you still have control over your thoughts and you won't get stuck in a trance. Even the British Medical Association recognizes hypnotherapy's effectiveness.

Hypnotherapy helps slow down your brainwaves and reach deeper levels of relaxation which in turn improve your ability to drift into sleep. It will also help to remove or reduce negative habits, stress and anxiety that disturb your natural sleeping cycle. This is done by tapping into the subconscious mind where all your memories and emotions are stored and effectively reprogramming or modifying them.

People who use hypnotherapy, find it a powerful and life changing tool. You can use self hypnosis to improve other areas of your health and life such as; boosting self esteem and confidence, and conquering addictions and depression. Practicing this powerful and natural tool can bring much benefit to a person's life.

Omega 3 And Brain Health Goes Hand In Hand

2010-07-09T06:03:00.001-07:00

You have probably read many articles stating the wonderful benefits of omega 3 fatty acids for heart health, or maybe you are experiencing these advantages firsthand. However, today I would like to shift our attention to another part of the body and share some important factors with you regarding omega 3 and brain health.

Our brain is made up of 60 per cent fat, with almost half of that being DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). The brain needs sufficient levels of DHA to rebuild and maintain cells, and by consuming fish oil you are providing the necessary omega 3 fatty acid to support optimum brain activity. Researchers are also finding that by taking increased amounts of fish oil your memory and ability to focus will be highly improved.

Clinical studies have proven that fish oil is crucial for the healthy formation of the brain's nerve cell membranes. Researchers determined that people who regularly consumed these omega 3 rich oils had a sixty per cent less chance of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. A 2006 Tufts University study of a little over 850 elderly men and women reported that people who ate fish three times a week (leading to higher blood levels of DHA) cut their dementia risk by forty seven per cent compared to those who avoided eating seafood. A Swedish study undertaken that same year summarized that taking fish oil dietary supplements can cut the rate of mental decline in people with mild Alzheimer's. Each small breakthrough regarding this disease is very encouraging and continues to give us hope that one day this may be completely eradicated.

Another benefit of omega 3 and brain health has to do with depression. Joseph Hibbeln, MD, who studies the health benefits of fish at the National Institutes of Health, states that research has shown that people who consume fish oil on a regular basis, whether by eating fish or by taking it in dietary supplement form, are less apt to have a problem with depression. He goes on to explain that it may be because omega 3 fatty acids elevate serotonin and dopamine levels, two brain chemicals that play a vital role in depression. Other researchers have found that patients already suffering from depression showed marked improvement after increasing their intake of fish oil supplements. Further studies have indicated that these nutrients seem to lower levels of brain chemicals that cause anxiety and stress.

Our bodies don't produce omega 3, so we have to obtain it from the food we eat or from supplementation. Since it may be difficult for some people to get adequate amounts of omega 3 and brain benefits from food alone, many choose to take omega 3 dietary supplements. Be sure to choose capsules that have DHA since some manufacturers produce omega 3s that do not include this essential fatty acid.

What To Expect In Fertility Treatment Costs

2010-07-09T06:01:00.000-07:00

7.1 percent. That's the percentage of the US population that has to cope with infertility. That means more people are affected by this dilemma than the entire populations of New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston combined. Even though there are treatments that can be successful 20 to 60 percent of the time, any type of fertility treatment costs more than many couples can afford.

There are a lot of reasons that couples can't conceive and finding the reasons for that inability takes time and money. The earlier you begin your process, the higher chance you have for success is the best advice for hopeful parents. Diagnosing the issue that is preventing couples from conceiving is the first step. Find a doctor and get the tests needed that will start eliminating causes. The cost per test range from $400 to $1,500 per test. And depending on the tests, drug treatments and personnel involved, those costs can increase exponentially. If the first tests and treatments are unsuccessful, those costs are small compared to what comes next. Determining which treatment to try next can get very expensive. Unfortunately, there are no treatments that offer a 100% success rate but there are treatments with higher rates than others. The treatments that can offer the highest chance of success under the worst circumstances are unfortunately the most expensive.

As a last resort before giving up completely, in vitro fertilization treatments can be tried. First, Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) mixes eggs and sperm together in a lab, and that is then surgically implanted into the womb. This particular treatment can cost anywhere between $8,000 to $15,000. Next, implanting a verified fertilized egg into the womb in a process called zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) can be tried. While this process may have the highest chance success rates, it will cost at minimum $10-20,000. And that doesn't include the pregnancy itself.

Unfortunately, there are many factors and no amount of money can guarantee that treatments will be successful. It is entirely possible to spend well over $50,000 in a futile attempt to conceive a child and have absolutely no luck whatsoever. That's one reason that finding assistance for funding is such a difficult prospect. Some states do require insurance companies to foot at least part of the bill for diagnosis and treatment of fertility issues, but there are only 13 states where that requirement exists. In some of the 13 states, there are loopholes that ensure the insurance companies will not have to cover any costs, even with the requirements.

However, there are so many programs available to help. Many fertility treatment centers do have financial counselors that will help with attaining a low interest loan, connections to public and privately funded assistance, and some insurance companies are sensitive enough to help with drug costs and other funding issues. As long as there is hope, there is almost always a way to find funds for it. Remember, even though fertility treatment cost may run into the tens of thousands of dollars, the life of that baby is priceless.

Arthritis Treatment - Learn How To Get Rid Of It For Good

2010-07-09T05:57:00.000-07:00

Arthritis is something that most older people suffer from. But what a lot of people do not realize is that it is something that many young people can suffer from too. It does not matter what age you are arthritis is painful. And it can ruin someone's mood in a matter of minutes. But there are things you can actually be doing which will help you get rid of it. All you need to do is begin following a few simple tips.

1 - No more sugar. If you want to get rid of that pain and swelling then you need to stay away from sugar. Sugar is what can actually cause that swelling of your joints, hands, feet to become larger. So if you start to stay away from sugar completely then you will not have to live with those swollen body parts. Instead you can continue on with your life living pain free.

2 - Diet. When you have arthritis it is very important to watch your diet. Dairy products are some of the worst for arthritis. What they do is actually worsen the pain and that is something you do not want. So what you can do instead is eat the more low fat versions. Things like low fat milk, low fat yogurt are all great examples. Some other things you should be eating are whole grains, fruits and vegetables, seafood and lean meats.

If you want to get rid of that awful joint pain then eating foods like these is your best bet. It will help you naturally get rid of those swollen joints and pain.

Asperger Syndrome

2010-07-08T22:21:00.000-07:00

Asperger syndrome (AS), also referred to as Asperger's, is a developmental disorder characterized by deficiencies in social and communication skills. The exact cause of Asperger's is unknown and the prevalence is not firmly established, due partly to the use of differing sets of diagnostic criteria.What is important to see here is why they did not need this medical assistance. Why didn't they? Because their "special interest" generalized to an interest in which the general population is also interested. According to Dr. Iknowbest, though, people who achieve public success cannot possibly suffer from Asperger's.Due to lack of physical manifestations, and variability in presentation, Aspergers Syndrome is often not identified in early childhood; in fact many individuals are not diagnosed until they are adults!! Although children with Aspergers Syndrome tend to look exactly like other children, they behave differently. These results in the following:

Martin himself had frequently asked me this question as well, each time he spiraled into hopeless which in the first two years was often. And when he would ask me, I would do my best to find some shred of progress which might offer him hope. A light at the end of the tunnel which he could look forward to.That's all very well, but as a parent with the lingering concern that our child might have Aspergers syndrome, how do we move from a textbook explanation of the physiological and mental manifestations of the disorder to actually being able to identify Aspergers in our child through observation of their day to day behavior. In other words...what sort of things might our kids do that should be setting off alarm bells? What is the answer to the question how to tell if a child has aspergers?
Often parents are simply able to sense that their child's development doesn't accord either with their past experience with child rearing, or their own children's peer group. When the cause for this derivation is unclear, it can be a source of ongoing concern. The concern is a valid one. Many children with aspergers are demonstrably active in early childhood, but as their difficulties with socialization and communication persist into adulthood, they can experience associated psychiatric conditions, and depression.Whilst Aspergers symptoms can be varied, they frequently include marked difficulties with nonverval behavior such as interpreting body language, eye contact, understanding or utilising appropriate facial expression, and other cues commonly associated with regulating social expression. Frequently this type of Aspergers symptom will impact upon a persons capacity to form relationships within their peer group, and can be accompanied by an apparent lack of social empathy or an inability to see the perspectives of others. In children, this extends beyond age appropriate egocentricity.

For parents, teachers, or those otherwise concerned with the care, welfare and development of a child who may be suffering from aspergers, the above behavioral considerations become integral in not simply classifying a child as a 'bad' child.For siblings without Aspergers syndrome, the differential and what at times no doubt appears to be preferential treatment recieved by an Aspergers sibling can give rise to feelings of confusion and frustration. Often they will fail to understand why their brother or sister apparently seems free to behave as they please without the normal constraints placed upon them.

4 Secrets You Need To Know About Fat Loss

2010-07-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

Fat loss is one of the hardest thing for anyone to do. You eat right, exercise your butt off and still you see the unsightly jiggles in the mirror. What is going on?

First of all, you don't have to be obsessive about losing fat. If you are eating right and working out the way you are supposed to, the first thing a trainer would say is tighten your diet; cut out more carbs, eat more protein in smaller amounts five or six times a day and do more circuit training. This could turn into a full time job!

Thanks to modern science we are finding out some more truths about fat. Perhaps these facts can help guide us to the right way to lose fat and the excess weight that may come with it.

Secret #1 - According to studies from the Toxicology Data Network of the National Library of Medicine, PCB's and dioxins stay in our bodies and cause problems that affect the hormones. One of the most common health issues noted is hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism interferes with kidney function, causing fluid retention. It affects your digestion and can cause constipation. It is also known to slow metabolism and cause fatigue. All of these problems can lead to easier weight gain, fat storage and makes it harder to lose the fat once packed on.

Secret #2 - Many environmental toxins are stored in fat cells and the tissue surrounding fatty areas. Ongoing studies such as reported by the International Journal of Obesity, finds that these toxins are lipophylic, or fat loving. They are resistant to metabolic breakdown. This means, they store in your fat and don't want to leave.

In fact, one study goes so far as to say that white adipose tissue (fat) is a reservoire for pollutants. And we thought the body could detox itself, all this time.

Secret #3 - Studies on obesity are researching the effects of losing weight and fat and the hidden dangers as the stored toxins are released into an already sluggish body. So now it seems that losing weight may even be detrimental to your health. So what are we to do?

Modern ideas are always found to be crazy at first, Like the idea of a body cleanse. But cleansing and detoxifying the body is not such a far-fetched idea. Think about the above facts; environmental toxins are stored in fat and they resist our own body's attemt to break them down. It seems like helping the body with cleansing is right on track.

Our bodies do have organs in place to help detoxify things that are not supposed to be in us. But studies are showing that these toxins do not leave as easily as once thought. We are bombarded on a daily basis through our food, drink and air. Studies in Texas show that some areas of people, land, water and even birds have high levels of DDT, even though it was banned in the 70's.

Secret #4 - Using a fat loss cleanse or a weight loss detox is a new twist on losing fat for the future. Detox diets can work with your bodies' circadian rhythm to strengthen digestion, metabolism and liver.

Body cleansing supplements help your body work harder to dislodge environmental toxins and ensure they leave the body instead of wreaking havoc. There are also many fat loss supplements on the market that are known to help the body detoxify and eliminate toxins and the fat they are stored in.

Instead of the usual diet and exercise, check out a fat loss cleanse and see if it may be your answer. Thousands upon thousands of people all around the world find it helps them. It may be just what you are looking for.

Dieting For Children-A Self-Esteem Safeguard

2010-07-08T21:27:00.000-07:00

It is difficult in the world we live in to watch as so many children are literally overburdening their bodies at such young ages by being overweight. These children simply cannot run, jump, and play with the other children because their bodies simply will not allow them to do so. For these children, dieting is almost a necessity despite our best efforts to insulate them from the self-esteem issues that often accompany obesity.

If you have a child that is well outside the normal weight range for his or her age you are the one who must make the efforts and take the necessary steps to insure they shed those pounds in order to live a life that is as close to normal as possible. The first thing you need to do however is consult with your child's doctor about the best possible course of action that will also safeguard the health of your child.

Put quite frankly however, if you do not take the efforts to assist your child in shedding those pounds you are placing the health of your child at risk. We do not let our children play in the street, we don't let them run with knives, why on earth would we allow them to commit suicide by Twinkie? If you have a child that is overweight, the following tips should help you and them with their dieting.

First of all, do not make food a punishment or a reward. Food is part of the problem with your children and you do not need to use it against them. Instead, introduce them to healthy alternatives. Do not keep the junk in the house and do not let them purchase lunch at school. Pack their lunches for school so that you know what they are eating. If you don't give them junk food they cannot have it when at home and you can work to insure that they can't get their hands on junk food when they leave the house.

Incorporate healthy snacks into your families eating plan rather than junk food. Fresh fruit, cut up vegetables, nuts, and frozen yogurt are good healthy snacks for your kids. When in doubt consult the food pyramid but watch calories in the process. You want your children to eat a well balanced diet while eliminating junk food and sweets for the best result.

Cut out the juices and pop. This may be a huge ordeal in your house but the greatest gift you can offer your child is a deep and abiding appreciation for water. Water works to make their bellies feel full and keeps them hydrated for the added activities you should be introducing into their routines.

Have them take dance, take up a sport, or simply get out and run around the yard. The worst thing you can do is to allow your children to become comatose television, computer, or video game zombies. Get them out and get them active. This helps in two ways. First of all, they aren't eating if they are outside playing and having a good time. Second, they are burning calories as they play which is a huge bonus in the dieting process for your children.

As your child begins to take off the weight you should begin to notice a very profound difference in not only the way he or she carries his or herself but also in his or her interactions with others. Your child will experience restored and renewed self-confidence as the pounds come off and the teasing at school stops.

If you are at a complete loss as to how to help your child take the weight off there are camps that are designed specifically to deal with weight issues and building self-esteem in children ages 7-19. One of these camps may be just the answer you are looking for. Another thing to consider is to lead by example. If you don't eat the junk food, if you are active, and if you do not engage in emotional overeating your child will not be learning those behaviors from you or having them reinforced by you.

Reducing Lood Pressure Naturally - Is It A Good Idea For You?

2010-07-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

If you have hypertension then you already know the potential side effects of medication and you're painfully aware of the cost as well. Well you're not alone; after all there are over 60 million Americans that have high blood pressure. But thousands of those have turned to reducing blood pressure naturally not only because it's an effective treatment, but to avoid the dangerous side effects of drugs and of course the life time cost of buying them.

A natural reduction of blood pressure involves changes in lifestyle. The American Heart Association highly endorses this method over the use of medication. If you jump whole hog into this program you'll probably fail unless you have tremendous self discipline. But the good news is you can make incremental changes in the way you live and still see results in a short amount of time. Reducing blood pressure naturally is effective, cheap and leads to a much healthier you.

So what kind of changes are we talking about?

Simple ones. Like making easy changes in what you eat. Diet plays a huge role both in developing hypertension and also in treating it. Making a decision to eat less processed food and more fresh food can mean a drop in both systolic and diastolic pressure within weeks.

You can reduce pressure even faster with 30 minutes of walking or cycling every day. Exercise not only works wonders for your BP but also burns off stress chemicals that linger in your blood and of course ultimately knocks off some pounds as well. And the beauty is you don't even have to do it all at one time. You can break it up into ten minute walks and get the same result. You can do that right?

If you're tired of being trapped by the medicine you owe it to yourself to explore your natural options. Your heart will thank you for it.

Basal Energy Expenditure

2010-06-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

Is patient female?	Yes
Weight	kg
Height	cm
Age	years old
Basal Energy Expenditure	kcal/day
Note: stress, activity, illness, trauma, burns, cancers can increase daily caloric requirement.

Note: The BEE must be multiplied by activity and stress factors to calculate total caloric requirement.

Men's Basal Energy Expenditure = 66.5 + (13.75 x Wt in kg) + (5.003 x Ht in cm) - (Age * 6.775)
Women's Basal Energy Expenditure = 655.1 + (9.563 x Wt in kg) + (1.850 x Ht in cm) - (Age * 4.676)

Q&A: How Long Do Orgasms Last

2010-06-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Your question:
Just curious, but how long do orgasms last? Women’s and men’s. It seems like my girlfriend’s orgasms last forever

My response:
Some research has found that women’s orgasm last about 18 seconds of loveliness (on average). You men, however, win out on the average, clocking in at around 22 seconds of orgasmic wonderment. (And yes, you men often win the “wet spot” award, too, unless your girlfriend experiences female ejaculation.)

Of course, these are just averages and some women and men may experience longer or shorter orgasms than others, by a tad, but relatively speaking orgasms are a similar-ish length of time. No one, for example, is having 5 or 10 minute orgasms, to my knowledge anyway. Enjoy what you’ve got! And to keep your orgasms strong and powerful, the best you can, consider practicing your Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, which aid in orgasmic contractions.

Debby Herbenick, PhD is a sex researcher at Indiana University, a sexual health educator at The Kinsey Institute and author of Because It Feels Good: A Woman’s Guide to Sexual Pleasure & Satisfacti

BIKINI WAXING: THE SCARY TRUTH

2010-06-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

All Jennifer (not her real name) wanted was a smooth bikini line. But within 24 hours of getting a bikini wax at a reputable New York City salon, an infection crept in. She developed a fever of 102, chills, and pain in her left thigh. "I thought I'd caught a cold, "she says, "but after five days, the pain was worse."

Her doctor diagnosed her with cellulitis, a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection of the skin and the underlying tissue. Jennifer spent the next 15 days in the hospital hooked up to an IV that pumped her full of antibiotics and heavy-duty painkillers. She also had surgery to drain the infection. "One doctor said I could have lost my leg!" she recalls. "It took me months to recover physically and emotionally from the whole ordeala steep price to pay for a little vanity."

While there are no reliable stats on body wax related complications, Jennifer's experience wasn't unique. Recently, the state of New Jersey nearly banned Brazilian bikini waxes after two women landed in the hospital as a result of them (one of the women filed a lawsuit against the state cosmetology board). And in 2007, an Australian woman with type 1 diabetes almost died of a bacterial infection she got after a bare-it-all wax.

Minuman Bersoda Turunkan Jumlah Sperma

2010-04-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

VIVAnews - Pria yang mengonsumsi sekitar satu liter minuman bersoda setiap hari bisa membahayakan kehidupan seks mereka. Berdasarkan sebuah penelitian di Denmark, pria yang mengonsumsi minuman bersoda berlebihan bisa menurunkan jumlah produksi dan kualitas sperma.

Hasil penelitian itu menemukan, jumlah sperma pria yang rutin minum minuman bersoda hampir 30 persen lebih rendah dibandingkan yang tidak. Penemuan ini terungkap berdasarkan studi di Denmark yang meneliti efek dari minuman ringan pada kesehatan pria.

Namun, penelitian ini juga menuai kontroversi. Menurut Badan Kesehatan Dunia, WHO, minuman bersoda tidak terlalu mempengaruhi kesehatan reproduksi pria. Meski pria memiliki jumlah sperma yang sedikit, mereka tetap bisa memberikan keturunan.

Jika dikaitkan dengan kafein yang terkandung dalam minum bersoda, menurut peneliti kopi tidak berefek turunkan jumlah sperma. Jensen, pemimpin penelitian ini mengatakan, hanya sedikit penelitian yang melihat dampak kafein pada kesehatan reproduksi pada pria. Namun, efek buruk dari minuman bersoda akan meningkat jika gaya hidup peminumnya juga tidak sehat.

Lebih dari 2.500 pria muda dilibatkan dalam studi ini. Para partisipan yang tidak mengonsumsi minuman bersoda memiliki kualitas sperma lebih baik, yang rata-rata 50 juta sperma per mililiter semen dan cenderung memiliki gaya hidup sehat.

Sebaliknya, 93 partisipan yang minum minuman bersoda lebih dari satu liter sehari hanya 35 juta sperma per mililiter. Namun, mereka juga memiliki kebiasaan terlalu cepat, dan kurang asupan buah dan sayuran. Studi ini dipublikasikan dalam 'American Journal of Epidemiology'.

Medication Compliance - What Every Consumer Should Know

2010-03-07T17:32:00.000-08:00

Noncompliance can put your health at risk. If you are noncompliant with your medicines,

your condition may not improve, and may even get worse.

What is noncompliance?

• Not filling a prescription initially

• Not refilling a prescription when still needed

• Taking a medication at the wrong time

• Stopping a medication before medication course is completed without your

physician’s advice

• Taking the wrong dose

• Taking a medication incorrectly

• Skipping doses

• Taking someone else’s medication

Compliance Tips:

Educate Before You Medicate. The first and most important step is to educate your-

self about the specific drugs you use, the conditions they are intended to treat and the

expected effects.

Build a partnership. Work towards a partnership with your physician so that he or

she understands your treatment goals and can recommend the best options for you.

Don’t be afraid to “bother” your doctor or pharmacist with your concerns or

questions. If you find that a drug is difficult to take, or is causing unpleasant side

effects, let your doctor know right away.There may be another way to treat your

condition or symptom.Ask your doctor or pharmacist if a different drug or dosage

would work.

You may qualify for financial assistance to pay for your prescriptions.

A recent survey revealed that many adults do not fill their prescriptions or cut back on

recommended doses because of cost. You may qualify for financial assistance. Log

onto www.cahd.org to access a list of financial assistance programs if you have no

prescription drug coverage.

Busted! 5 Major Eating Mistakes

2010-02-28T18:33:00.000-08:00

By Holly McCord, RD, with Gloria McVeigh, Prevention

Ever get the guilty feeling that you're being watched as you toss the double fudge brownie mix into your grocery cart? Well, you are!

We checked with some of the top US nutrition experts, who admitted they secretly spy on the rest of us as we make real-world choices in restaurants and grocery stores. Here are their top five gripes.

1. We can't tell the good fats from the bad ones.
"Most people still don't get that some fats are actually good for you," says Alice Lichtenstein, DSc, an American Heart Association spokesperson. "You want to avoid saturated and trans fats, but you need more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Good sources are fish, nuts, avocados, and soybean and canola oils."

Smarter: Fit in good fats. "If you keep track of total calories, you don't have to worry about how much fat you eat, just what kind," explains Dr. Lichtenstein. Grandpa Po's Slightly Spicy Nutra Nuts use only canola oil (160 cal, 10 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, 2 g fiber, 60 mg sodium); at healthy food supermarkets.

2. We supersize to save money.
"People think that supersizing a restaurant meal is a money saver, but it's not a health bargain if it has way too many calories," says Karen Weber Cullen, DPH, RD, research nutritionist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Smarter: Judge with your palm, not your purse. A serving size is about what fits into the palm of your hand (larger for men than women, smaller for children). For most meals, pick one protein, one starch, one veggie, and one fruit based on the serving that will fit into your palm.

3. We think anything liquid has no calories.
"What freaks me out is the amount of sugared soda and juice we drink," says Judith Stern, ScD, RD, professor of nutrition and internal medicine at the University of California, Davis. "I'd like to see all the sugared drinks sent out into space, where they could orbit the Earth forever." Sugared drinks balloon your calorie intake and squeeze out more nutritious foods.

Smarter: Try a cup of tea. Available in myriad varieties, the calorie-free brew promotes heart health, staves off several types of cancer, strengthens bones and teeth, and protects the skin.

4. We don't know how "hungry" really feels.
"If you don't know when you're hungry, you don't know when you're full, so you won't know when to stop eating," says Elisabetta Politi, RD, nutrition manager of the Duke University Diet & Fitness Center in Durham, NC.

Smarter: Tune in with mindful eating. Here's how.
1. Before you eat, relax, and rate your hunger from 1 (hungriest) to 7 (fullest).
2. Eat slowly, pausing often to rate how your hunger changes.
3. When finished, rate yourself one more time. Try to stay between 2 1/2 and 5 1/2: not too ravenous when you start and not completely full when you stop.

5. We have a microwave addiction.
Many women come home from work and pop a frozen entrée into the microwave. "Eating too many heavily processed foods can leave you short on fiber and antioxidants such as vitamin C," explains Jo Ann Hattner, RD, clinical dietitian at Stanford University Medical Center.

Smarter: Complement a frozen entrée with a green salad, a 100 percent whole wheat roll, and fruit for dessert. Stock up on the freshest fruit for maximum flavor.

The Health Benefits of Sexual Intimacy

2010-02-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

By Dr. Maoshing Ni
From repressive societies to promiscuous indulgences, sex has been a subject of obsession throughout human history, and through many evolutions continues to intrigue us. The act of intercourse becomes much more than mere copulation when enacted in a healthy way. Keep reading to find out how it can affect your health and longevity.
An Active Sex Life for Longevity
Studies have shown that sexually active seniors are the happiest men and women of any age group. And no wonder: healthy sexual intimacy is nature's veritable fountain of youth. It can raise the levels of substances that lengthen your life span, including endorphins, DHEA, and growth hormone.

And it can lower those that shorten it, like the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. When sexuality is fulfilling, it not only improves the quality of your years, but also the quantity of your years!

Healthy Sexual Practices Enhance Well-Being
The ancient Chinese had a tradition that emphasized the productive transformation of energy during sexual activities. With roots in the Taoist tradition, the ancients developed a discipline using techniques of sexual practice.

As Chinese research indicates, correct sexual practices yield tremendous physical and emotional benefits to participants that include increased circulation, balanced hormonal production, relaxation, greater vigor, and an elevated mood.

On the other side of the spectrum, incorrect practices offer no benefit and can actually be physically and emotionally harmful. If you are looking to include sex in your longevity plan, learn the sexual techniques of fang-chung from the Taoist tradition. When sex is perceived as a natural gift, it becomes an opportunity for harmonizing energies, channel for communication, and an action that strengthens and elevates the spirit.

3 Essential Principles to Healthy Sexuality
Chinese medicine has recognized for thousands of years the powerful effect of sexuality on health, spirituality and longevity. Here are the three principals to healthy sexuality:

1. Be aware of your body and needs
Communicate your needs to your partner and do not force the act if it does not feel natural, if you are feeling low-energy, or if conditions are not safe and conducive. Do not force, or use artificial means to arouse yourself if your energy is low or if the conditions are not safe or conducive.

2. Tune into the seasons
Do as the animals do! Observation suggests that animals tend to be more sexually active in the spring and summer and less so during the autumn and winter. Also, frequency of sex is dependent on your state of health.

3. Be considerate
It is important to gauge your partner's mood, energy, and needs so that you may accommodate them. Satisfaction for both partners is the first step toward reaping the therapeutic benefits of sexuality.

I hope you find the rewards that come from healthy sexual intimacy! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

-Dr. Mao

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Happiness makes for a happy heart

2010-02-17T22:30:00.000-08:00

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - People who are usually happy and enthusiastic are less likely to develop heart disease than those who tend to be glum, scientists said on Thursday, and boosting positive emotions could help cut heart health risks.

U.S. researchers said their observational study was the first to show an independent relationship between positive emotions and coronary heart disease, but stressed that more work was needed before any treatment recommendations could be made.

"We desperately need rigorous clinical trials in this area. If the trials support our findings, then these results will be incredibly important in describing specifically what clinicians and/or patients could do to improve health," Karina Davidson of Columbia University Medical Center wrote in the study in the European Heart Journal.

Heart disease is the leading killer of men and women in Europe, the United States and most industrialized countries. Together with diabetes, cardiovascular diseases accounted for 32 percent of all deaths around the world in 2005, according to the World Health Organization.

Over 10 years, Davidson and her team followed 1,739 men and women who were taking part in a large health survey in Canada.

Trained nurses assessed the participants' heart disease risk and measured negative emotions like depression, hostility and anxiety, as well as positive emotions like joy, happiness, excitement, enthusiasm and contentment -- collectively known as a "positive affect."

The researchers ranked the "positive affect" across five levels ranging from "none" to "extreme" and found that for each rank the risk of heart disease fell by 22 percent.

Davidson, who led the research, said her findings suggested it might be possible to help prevent heart disease by enhancing people's positive emotions.

"Participants with no positive affect were at a 22 percent higher risk of ... heart attack or angina ... than those with a little positive affect, who were themselves at 22 percent higher risk than those with moderate positive affect," she wrote.

"We also found that if someone who was usually positive had some depressive symptoms at the time of the survey, this did not affect their overall lower risk of heart disease."

Smoking, being overweight, a history of heart problems in the family and high blood pressure are traditionally seen as major risk factors for heart disease, but studies have also linked such things as intelligence and income levels to heart risks. Research published last week found intelligence is second only to smoking as a predictor of heart disease.

Davidson's team said one possible reason for the link between happiness and heart risk could be that people who are happier tend to have longer periods of rest or relaxation, and may recover more quickly from stressful events and not spend as much time "re-living" them.

(Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

The Newest Anti-Aging Weapon

2010-02-17T21:46:00.000-08:00

By Leslie Baumann, M.D

Everyone in the skin care world is talking about sirtuins. What are they? Sirtuins are a family of proteins found in organisms ranging from bacteria and plants to humans.

You may have heard of studies that show animals on calorie-restricted diets live longer, are healthier and show fewer signs of age than those fed normal diets. Though we don’t fully understand why, it appears that sirtuins are the key. A growing body of research shows that sirtuins may slow the pace of aging by delaying cell death and protecting cells from DNA damage.

It’s unknown whether calorie-restricted diets have the same effects on humans as on fruit flies and monkeys, but it may turn out not to matter—we’re learning that you don’t need to starve yourself to put sirtuins into action.

A research company called Sirtris demonstrated that resveratrol, an antioxidant found in the skin of red grapes, stimulated expression of sirtuins. Mice placed on high doses of resveratrol improved insulin resistance, prevented weight gain and increased lifespan by 20 percent. When put on a treadmill, the mice were also able to run twice as far and twice as fast than those not given resveratrol (check out this episode of 60 Minutes to learn more).

Of course, beauty companies are anxious to profit from sirtuins. Already, Avon has launched its anti-aging Anew line, which has ingredients that upregulate sirtuin expression, and German and Spanish companies recently joined forces to develop a red wine powder that can be used in topical creams or added to food and beverages.

Bottom line? While I’m excited about discoveries that show sirtuins can slow the pace of aging in an experimental setting, it remains to be seen what role they may play in skin care. For now, I suggest taking the supplement OPC Synergy by Standard Process, which contains extracts of grapeseed and red wine. And drinking a glass or two of the vino can’t hurt, either!

Wishing you great skin!

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Follow Dr. Baumann on Twitter.

5 Tips Avoid Tired Eyes in Front of Monitor

2010-02-09T22:05:00.000-08:00

Some of us would have the habit of working for long in front of the PC monitor, either to work or doing other things like playing games and browsing. As a result the effects of eye fatigue and headache was inevitable.
While many consider this fact not entirely true, but in reality it is still affecting the health of our eyes. The effect we sometimes a little difficult to focus the object of view, and so on. This of course caused a radiation monitor for too long when we work.

The following are some tips to avoid eyestrain, while in front of the monitor:

1. Keep your distance from the monitor view.

Being too close to the monitor is a bit dangerous for our eyes. We should maintain visibility into our monitors well. The recommended distance is about 20-40 inches (50-100cm) from the eye.

If we still difficult to read when the monitor was located at a distance of 20 inches, try to enlarge the font you until we feel comfortable.

2. Change CRT monitor to LCD monitor

Monitor tube (CRT) does give a worse effect than the LCD, but the energy required is also greater. Try to replace our CRT monitors with LCD.

But the price of LCD monitors are more expensive than CRT. For those of us who still CRT monitors, it's good we buy anti-radiation filters. This is the solution to reduce pain from the eyes linger in front of the monitor, but with the cheap price.

3. Adjust monitor settings

Some current monitor provides many pre-set display modes, to facilitate users to change their screen settings.Pre-set these settings to give brightness different levels, to adjust the monitor usage conditions. Sometimes use it.

For example setting like, 'text' or 'internet' will feel much cooler in the eyes, when we use for typing or browsing. Settings 'game' or 'movie' will look much brighter when in use.

4.Use anti-radiation glasses

Although it costs a relatively more expensive, but it's good to have enough money when we buy anti-radiation glasses. In addition you can take them wherever we work, these glasses are not only useful when we work in front of the monitor, namuna also protect the eye from the car light, radiation, TV, and so on.

In fact the anti-radiation coating on the glasses, very useful for our eyes. Because the layer automatically reduces the effects of pain in the eyes of radiation due to excessive light.

5. Rest eyes for a moment, on a regular basis

The easiest way to avoid eye fatigue due to radiation monitor is periodically rest. Try to rest my eyes for about 5 minutes every hour. We can use the time to 5 minutes walk, see the sights, washed her face and so on. The important thing away from the monitor.

7 Tips untuk Kebiasaan Tidur Sehat

2010-01-21T19:43:00.000-08:00

KOMPAS.com - Tak semua orang bisa tidur cukup. Akibatnya, mereka mengantuk dan tak bisa berprestasi maksimal di tempat kerja atau sekolah keesokan paginya.
Berikut ini sejumlah kebiasaan sehat yang bisa mendorong kebiasaan tidur sehat:

1. Ciptakan lingkungan yang kondusif
Singkirkan benda-benda seperti radio dan televisi dari kamar tidur. Kamar adalah tempat untuk tidur, bukan menonton televisi. Orang akan mudah tertidur ketika ruangan lebih dingin dibandingkan hangat. Karena itu, ciptakan ruangan yang sejuk.

Matikan lampu, karena otak lebih mudah mempersiapkan tubuh untuk tidur di ruangan gelap. Pastikan seprei selalu bersih. Bantal, guling, dan kasur juga harus nyaman agar kita bisa tidur nyenyak.

2. Atur waktu tidur dan bangun yang konsisten
Setiap orang punya jam biologis yang mencatat dan melacak pola tidur. Ketika tubuh punya pola tidur teratur, otak secara otomatis akan mengirim sinyal ke tubuh untuk rileks dan pergi tidur. Tubuh pun secara otomatis akan bangun ketika sudah cukup mendapatkan istirahat.

3. Jauhi obat tidur
Jauhi kafein dan nikotin di malam hari karena dapat mengganggu istirahat. Kafein adalah stimulan yang mengaktifkan otak, sedangkan nikotin mempercepat metabolisme, sehingga tubuh Anda tetap energik. Pilihlah susu atau cokelat hangat sebelum pergi tidur.

4. Olahraga teratur
Hindari olahraga berat dekat dengan waktu tidur karena peningkatan temperatur tubuh akan membuat Anda terus terjaga. Idealnya, olahraga dilakukan 4-6 jam sebelum pergi tidur. Supaya tetap sehat dan tidur nyenyak, gerakkan tubuh 20 menit sehari.

5. Turunkan suhu tubuh
Orang cenderung cepat jatuh tertidur ketika suhu tubuhnya menurun. Jadi, sebenarnya mandi air panas sebelum tidur justru tidak mempercepat tidur.

6. Jangan paksa diri untuk tidur.
Jika tak bisa tidur, coba keluar dari kamar dan lakukan sesuatu yang lama-kelamaan membuat Anda mengantuk. Contohnya menonton televisi, membaca, atau mendengarkan musik yang lembut. Segera kembali ke kamar ketika kantuk mulai menyerang.

7. Hindari tidur siang.
Tidur siang dapat mengganggu pola tidur Anda. Tidur siang menjamin Anda mendapatkan cukup istirahat hari itu, sehingga malam Anda jadi terjaga.

Healthy Eating Fruits for Eye

2010-01-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

Raspberries
Power: ellagic acid, which helps stall cancer-cell growth. These berries are also packed with vitamin C and are rich in fiber, which helps prevent high cholesterol and heart disease. A cup has only 60 calories, 1 gram of fat and 8 grams of dietary fiber. Top plain low-fat yogurt or oatmeal (another high fiber food) with fresh berries.

Cranberry
The Power: Helps fight bladder infections by preventing harmful bacteria growth. A cup has 144 calories, 0 grams fat and 0 fiber. Buy 100 percent juice concentrate and use it to Spice up your daily H20 without adding sugar.

Apricots
The Power: Beta-carotene, which helps prevent free radical damage and protect the eyes. The body is also beta-carotene into vitamin A, which can help ward off some cancers, especially of the skin. One apricot has 17 calories, 0 fat, 1 gram fiber. Snacks on them dried, or if you prefer fresh, buy when still firm; once they soften, they lose nutrients.

Avocado
The Power: Oleic acid, an unsaturated fat that helps lower overall cholesterol and raise levels of HDL, plus a good dose of fiber. One slice has 81 calories, 8 grams fat, 3 grams fiber. Try a few slices instead of mayonnaise to dress your next hamburger.

Cantaloupe
The Power: Vitamin C (117mg in half a melon, almost twice the recommended daily dose) and beta-carotene – both powerful antioxidants that help protect cells against free radical damage. Plus, half a melon has 853mg of potassium – almost twice as much as a banana, which helps lower blood pressure. Half a melon has 97 calories, 1 gram fat, 2 grams fiber. Cut into cubes and freeze, then blend into an icy smoothie.

Lemons / Limes
The Power: Limonene, Furanocoumarin and vitamin C, which all help prevent cancer. A wedge has 2 calories, 0 fat and 0 fiber. Buy one pair of each and squeeze over salads, fish, beans and vegetables for fat-free taste. See also: Beneficial Bytes: Lemons and Limes.

Figs
The Power: A good source of potassium and fiber, figs also contain vitamin B6, which is responsible for producing mood-boosting serotonin, lowering cholesterol and preventing water retention. The pill pit B6, so if this method of contraception, be sure extra B6 in your diet. One fig has 37 to 48 calories, 0 fat and 2 grams fiber. (Cookie Lovers – fig bars have around 56 calories, 1 gram fat, 1 gram fiber per cookie). Fresh figs are delicious simmered alongside a pork tenderloin and the dried variety make a great portable gym snack.

Raisins
The Power: These little gems are a great source of iron, which the blood oxygen transport and that many women are short on help. A half-cup has 218 calories, 0 fat and 3 grams of fiber. Sprinkle raisins on your morning oatmeal or bran cereal – women, consider this especially during your period.

Tomato
The Power: Lycopene, one of the most powerful carotenes, works as an antioxidant. Research shows that tomatoes risk of bladder, stomach and colon cancer can cut in half if eaten daily. A tomato has 26 calories, 0 fat and 1 gram fiber. Drizzle fresh slices with olive oil, because lycopene is best absorbed when eaten with a little fat.

The Fitness Of Sex

2010-01-18T19:08:00.000-08:00

Most people won’t admit it, but they fear sex. The heaving sweatiness, strange contortions, secreted shenanigans and complicated, anatomical maps create a swell of terror, a towering insecurity. Perhaps if more of us appeared in the mirror as Athenian gods, the task would prove less immense. Then, the kind of sex we all desire - high-powered, longer-lasting sex responsible for decorous moans and pleasure - would exist within our reach. We might not be able to transform your torsos into fully equipped weight machines without the help of actual...um...weight machines, but we can advise you on how to turn your twenty (or so) minutes of sexual indulgence into a workout to better build your range, endurance and confidence. So long as you're already attempting to define the perfect screw, here's some practice ideas to help you tap into your inner-Anthenian abilities.

Step 1 - Doing Lots of It

Yoga women, gym rats, joggers and athletes already have an abundant resource of physical strength to access at turned-on-times. Because the average person (most all of us) does not find time to invest in our physical accolades, we have to use sex as a preparation for more sex (i.e better sex). This means, committing to the physical demands of the pleasuring moment. For starters, try having sex as much as possible, as wildly as possible. Don't sheepishly settle for a lazy stab at the missionary position, strangely immobile, listlessly waiting until climax. Dedicate yourself to doing the best you can, whenever you can. The best way to begin maintaining a more fit f*ck is to capitalize on what you already know. As with any ambition to excel, you must motivate yourself to work for the best in order to get it.

Step 2 - Simultaneously Sex-Ready

Here are some small, manageable exercises capable of increasing flexibility and force while waiting on the sidelines. When your back starts aching at the office desk chair, crouch over on your floor space and spend five minutes stretching. Think of it as prayer - commitments of your time invested to serve a much larger, more important purpose.

Pelvic Stretch

Sit on your butt and draw the soles of your feet together. Place your hands around your ankles and slowly push your elbows down atop your knees. The tightening 'oh god why' sensation you'll feel at first, will soon allow you to straddle as well as those Gumbie gals who win all the Olympics. Okay, maybe not quite as flexibly, but definitely somewhat closer.

Leg Lifts

Lay on your back and, by way of your lower abdomen, draw your legs up in a straight line to the ceiling. Lower your legs down to the point where your stomach tightens and wants to crumble to a fetal position on the floor. Instead of doing that, once more lift your legs to ceiling. Repeat this pattern, despite the burn, and know that the burn is aiding better things. This way, when you're suspended in a plank position above a beautiful woman, you won't look as weakly as when you were grateful no one could see you. Furthermore, your concentration will remain on your Southern-most regions and not your shaking stomach.

Squats

The thigh muscles on dudes are not something girls necessarily desire to glimpse in speedos, but they're definitely of value in the sack. Place your feet in a wide stance and bend your legs, lifting the weight of your body with tightened thighs, up and down, again and again. This increases all over athleticism and your candidacy for more daring positions. (See Below).

Step 3 - Three Variations on Home Favorites

Once you've begun going at it more fervently, the next step is expanding experimentally on positions from your past. Instead of continuing the same old routines - touch here, kiss there, insert over here, raise torso right here - Mount that woman, grab her shoulders, twist her legs however far they are willing and really go for it.

A More Masterful Missionary

If you're a long-time lover of Missionary, place your lady on her back at the edge of the bed and squat while standing before her, so that the position is reminiscent of the traditional pose, but much more detailed. This way, you'll need to squeeze your thigh muscles and fumble for a better way in which to maximize pleasure. By creating more athletic positions from previously simple styles, your body is forced to adapt. Yes, the first day your legs might howl in pain, but the pleasure experienced and the fact that you're dutifully serving your future, should console you. Just like working out, the soreness transforms into new muscles, muscles capable of fist-clenching orgasms. Another Missionary variation is having your lady lay on her back while you do push ups...into her. Instead of keeping your arms straightened and hyperextended to shoulder the stress, lean into your forearms and move your body up and down during detonation (just kidding, we would never really call it that...)

On Your Feet, Fellows; An Exercise in Standing Sex

Sex while standing up often confounds partners. The hell of gravity seems to overtake and seize limbs in terrible charlie horses, but with the help of a doorframe and strengthening your stumps, you're good to go. Stand your woman at a doorway. She can hold the doorknob for support and, if shorter than you, can twist a leg around your torso to enable entry. From here, you'll semi-crouch, lifting up through your upper thighs in order to penetrate and therein provide a stimulating work out for your legs. Recall the feeling of your squats and utilize this sensation during sex, pushing your muscles to flex and build.

Sitting n’ Sexing

In a position the Kama Sutra series entitles ‘The Padma Position’ you’ll get a chance to prove to your partner that the pelvic stretching exercise you secretly suffered through actually works. You sit, as instructed in the exercise, with your legs similarly folded into a diamond. The woman sits in your lap, facing you and wraps her legs behind your neck as a clasped chain. From here, you’ll thrust accordingly. In order to get a decent slide, you’ll need to employ your lower abdomen as well (thanks, leg lifts). By tightening your core muscles and opening your hips, the contact made will be of a much higher (we mean ‘deeper’) caliber. Your arms, most likely perched behind you as a stabilizer, will need to be bent and flexed, assisting the forward motion. The Padma Position is one that may take practice and serve as an event to prepare for - treat it like a pot of gold at the tail end of your traversed rainbow. By simply following the suggested structures for stretching and toning, this sitting position will unleash your inner-stallion, your inner-Athenian, your inner-whatever’s-worth-calling-an-idol; and help you believe in the untapped powers of sexual intercourse as a highly entertaining, endlessly rewarding form of long-lost exercise.

Make running easier: with this unique 'pose running' technique, you'll learn to actually enjoy your fat-burning sessions

2010-01-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

Lots of us have a love-hate relationship with running. We love the pure fitness, the endorphin high, the feeling of accomplishment, the peerless love-handle-zapping power. Yet we hate the aching knees, ankles and Achilles tendons, the elaborate warm-up and warm-down times, the endless stretching. In fact, we often hate running simply because it seems too much like work--hard work.

Wouldn't we enjoy running more and do it more often (and thus keep up the calorie burn and fat loss) if there was some way to make it a little, uh, easier?

Da! says Nicholas Romanov, Ph.D., a Miami-based Russian sports scientist who has devoted his adult life to that seemingly impossible dream. A trainer of world-class athletes such as Svetlana Zakharova, who won the Boston Marathon earlier this year, Romanov says he not only can make running easier, but he will make you faster and reduce your injuries, too--all in the span of a couple of hours. All you need to do is something you probably never thought of before: Learn how to run.

"You learn how to shoot a basketball and how to play golf," says Romanov. "But you don't learn how to run--you just do it, and suffer the consequences. People tell you how to train, to run four miles on Monday, then six on Wednesday and so on. But no one teaches running as a skill. Well, efficient, safe, fast running involves real skill. Unless you're a natural, you must learn it."

After discovering that great runners have certain technique similarities, Romanov institutionalized an ideal running body position, or pose, he teaches as the "pose technique," which he says will make you more efficient, require less effort, lessen impact, and greatly reduce strains to muscles and connective tissues. It's been effective enough to be adopted by top coaches of the official sanctioning body of American triathlons, not to mention high-profile fitness enthusiast, radio-show host and King of All Media Howard Stern. Whether you love or hate running, Romanov's pose technique could help you get much more out of it.

CONTROLLED FALLING

Explained biomechanically, Romanov says the pose technique is "controlled falling."

"Think of a pendulum," he says. "It uses gravity to swing forward--not mechanical or muscular power." Leaning over just to a point where he will nearly fall over, a good runner actually is letting gravity swing his lifted leg forward. That simplifies the process of forward motion quite a bit. "Theoretically, legs should not play a major role in propulsion," says Romanov. "They are just carriers, like wheels."

The hardest part of the pose technique may be learning to flick the heel up toward the butt the second the forefoot touches the ground rather than pushing off with the toes. To help you master this movement, imagine you're running barefoot on broken glass, or that you're stepping on something very hot. Or visualize yourself as a bouncing ball, a rock skipping across a lake, or a perpetual-motion machine.

BREAKING A HABIT

The pose technique is simple, but the hard part is practice, practice, practice--undoing years of running the wrong way. Among the most egregious of the ingrained running inefficiencies is landing on the heel.

"That is the worst possible thing you can do," says Romanov. "Not only does it transmit a tremendous amount of ground shock to knee and hip, but it applies a blunt braking force to your forward motion." Instead of slamming into the pavement, he explains, you want to feel more like you're springing along. Romanov says his method transmits 30% less shock than normal running.

Getting results.

"For me, the benefits of the pose technique readily became apparent. On a treadmill at 8 mph, I saw my heart rate drop and my labored breathing disappear when I switched in midrun from my normal long-striding style to the pose method. Now I definitely can run longer at the same speed. Other graduates of Nicholas Romanov's nationwide weekend clinics I've met are ecstatic. Of the dozens of 'posers' I've met, none has said the technique did not produce benefits. Once it's been explained to them, I've yet to hear any non-posers criticize it."--Roy M. Wallack

THE BASICS

* Lean machine: At all times, angle your body forward to the point where you feel you're about to fall. Do not bend at the waist. To go faster, lean more.

* S-shaped body form: Run with your back straight and your knees slightly bent at all times, including at impact. You should run at a height two or three inches shorter than your normal standing height.

* Short stride: Your foot should land under your body, not ahead of it. Remember that "distal" (far from body) equals weak, poor leverage, while close to core equals strength and good balance.

* Land on forefoot, not heel: Initially contact the ground only on the ball of the foot. Landing on the heel transmits maximum shock and has a momentum-killing "braking" effect

* Fast cadence: Minimum leg turnover should be 180 to 190 strides per minute. Increase as you get fitter and want to go faster. Remember: The longer the foot's on the ground, the more momentum you lose.

* Pull, not push: This is the hardest-to-master part of the pose technique. After the foot strike, pull the heel straight up in the direction of the butt by contracting the hamstring. It should go up like a rubber band. Fight the urge to push off from the toes as you normally do, instead using the quads and calves.

* Flick it: Don't yank the foot up; flick it up just enough to get it off the ground an inch or so. It will continue upward on its own; the faster you're running, the higher it goes.

* Free fall: Once airborne, don't reach with your stride. You're in flight, carried along by your center of mass. The foot will travel in a natural arc, then drop like a plumb line without any muscle activity.

source : findarticles.com

Detox in 7 days: a detoux diet can help you shed up to 10 pounds and leave you feeling terrific

2010-01-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

When you simplify your diet for a week, something amazing happens. If you eat only wholesome foods and give your body a break from refined flour, sugar, and caffeine, your body sheds up to 10 pounds of excess water weight and your energy soars. You improve your digestion, stop feeling bloated and congested, and decrease your risk of disease. Detoxing, as this process is known, can also improve your eating habits. These new habits help you keep the bloat off and lose more weight.

Detox diets are a time-honored practice of limiting yourself to certain foods for a short period of time. Some detox diets are so strict that you only drink juices, but ours involves a more varied diet of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. This practice is healthy and safe for most people, say holistically minded doctors like Elson M. Haas, M.D., director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, Calif., and author of The Detox Diet (Celestial Arts, 1996) and The False Fat Diet (Ballantine, 2000). Haas says he's helped more than 10,000 people detox in his 30-year medical practice, and he personally detoxes three times a year.

We asked Haas to create the following seven-day detox plan. It gives you step-by-step instructions on what to do and tells you how to continue to lose weight after the detox is over. Don't follow this plan if you have a chronic disease like cancer or heart disease or are pregnant or nursing. The plan is also not recommended for children or teens.

What to Eat

FOLLOW THIS MEAL PLAN DAILY DURING your detox week. Sit down for each meal and eat slowly, chewing every bite thoroughly. Chewing this way helps you feel full on fewer calories, and taking the time to sit down will keep you from feeling deprived.

WAKE-UP DRINK: As soon as you rise, drink two 8-ounce glasses of filtered or spring water. Squeeze half a lemon into one of those glasses; the lemon stimulates your digestive juices. Your goal is to drink at least six glasses of water by the end of the day. If you have trouble remembering how much you drank, keep track in your journal.

BREAKFAST: Between 7 and 8 a.m., eat one piece of fresh fruit like an apple, pear, or banana. Fifteen to 30 minutes later, eat 1 to 2 cups of cooked whole grains like amaranth, buckwheat, brown rice, millet, or quinoa. (This delay aids your digestion.) Avoid barley, corn, oats, rye, and wheat; many people experience congestion, poor digestion, and other symptoms when they eat these grains. To prepare most of the grains, you'll add them to boiling water, reduce the heat to a slow simmer, and cook them covered for 30 minutes or more until they're tender. (For exact instructions, consult the packaging.) You may want to prepare several servings ahead of time and reheat them in the morning.

To flavor your grains, add 2 tablespoons of 100 percent fruit juice or I teaspoon of an oil and butter mix per serving. To make this mix, combine 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil or cold-pressed canola oil and 1/2 cup (1 stick) of room-temperature butter. Store it in the refrigerator. Use a maximum of 3 teaspoons a day. The fats in this mix keep your tissues healthy as you detox, and butyric acid, a compound in butter, helps heal and protect cells in your stomach and intestines.

With your grains, take a multivitamin and additional supplements to get 200 to 400 IU of natural vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) and 100 to 200 mcg of selenium. These antioxidants fight the free radicals your body produces as you detox. Taking supplements with food prevents the nausea you may suffer if you consume them on an empty stomach. If you usually take other supplements, continue to take them unless they contain caffeine.

MIDMORNING SNACK: Around 11 a.m., sip 1 to 2 cups of the vegetable water left over from steaming your lunch and dinner. (For more on the steaming process, see "Lunch," next page.) You should reheat this water and can season it with a dash of salt. The broth provides valuable nutrients that separate from the vegetables during steaming, eases hunger pangs, and keeps you hydrated (it counts toward your daily fluid consumption). Next, take 500 to 1,000 mg of vitamin C powder buffered with calcium and magnesium. You'll find this powder at natural food stores; choose a brand that's free of sugar and artificial sweeteners. Mix it with 6 ounces of water and drink. Vitamin C, an antioxidant, neutralizes free radicals produced as you detox, and calcium and magnesium help ease any agitation you may feel as you withdraw from addictive substances like caffeine or sugar.

LUNCH: Between noon and 1 p.m., eat steamed vegetables. You can make them the night before or in the morning and reheat them at lunch. Save the water from the steaming process in a covered container and refrigerate it.

To make your lunch, steam up to 4 cups of raw vegetables in at least 2 cups of water until they're tender but still crisp. Prepare at least four vegetables for each meal, aiming for a variety of flavors, textures, and colors. For example, try a starchy vegetable like a potato, a bitter green like kale, a sweet vegetable like red bell pepper, and a pungent vegetable like scallions.

Top 15 Non-Traditional, Muscle-Building, Fat Blasting Workouts! #1-5

2009-12-20T21:39:00.000-08:00

Alright, here are some of my favorite non-traditional training techniques:

1. Staircase Workouts – This is great because stairs are everywhere. You can go to a football field and do stadium stairs, any building that has stairs like a hotel (most people take the elevator, so you won’t even have many people looking at you while you’re working out), or even the stairs in your own home. For an awesome full body workout, try mixing stairs sprints with an upper body exercise like pushups or pull-ups. If done with a high enough intensity, stairs workouts help to create changes throughout your entire body due to the muscle building and fat burning hormonal response and metabolism increase that you get through working the biggest muscle groups in your entire body. If you thought that going up and down the stairs was the only way to get a good stairs workout…think again. My fellow trainer and friend, Virgil Aponte, has developed a website that focuses on creative stairs workouts using all kinds of exercises you never would have thought of before. I’ll even admit that I learned quite a few new stairs exercises here myself. Check out his stairs exercises site for more creative ideas!

2. Wind Sprints and Hill Sprints – Find any open field in a park or athletic field and try 50, 75, and 100-yard all-out wind sprints. After each sprint, rest long enough to catch your breath before the next one (generally 1-2 minutes). Try workouts of anywhere from 6 to 20 wind sprints for a great “cutting” workout. Also, if you have a hill nearby, hill sprints are also great workouts. Sprint up the hill as fast as you can and walk down for your rest interval. Repeat until you’re whooped. These sprint workouts are so amazingly effective at changing your entire body for the same reason as stairs exercises…by powerfully working the biggest muscle groups in your entire body, you greatly stimulate your metabolism while simultaneously increasing your fat burning and muscle building hormones. Just look at any world class 100-meter sprinters and notice how ripped-to-shreds those guys are. Now compare that to the emaciated weakling physiques of many marathoners, and you’ll see that sprinting is where the action is at for a healthy, ripped, powerful body! Now I don’t want to upset all of you distance runners out there. Hey, if distance running is something you enjoy, then go right ahead. But don’t say you’re doing it for the health benefits, because I might just have to disagree. Section 2.1 in this book provided my full opinion on why I believe highly variable intensity exercise (such as sprinting and interval training) is far superior to steady state endurance exercise (such as jogging, endurance cycling, or any same-pace cardio).

3. Kettlebell Training – You’ve probably heard me praise kettlebell training many times before, but I will have to reiterate that it has been one of the best training methods that I’ve ever tried and has taken my physical capabilities to a whole new level. Kettlebells are an alternative type of free-weight training instead of barbells and dumbbells. Their unique construction and weight distribution (basically a cannonball with a handle) allows for a whole different realm of exercises that’s available compared to dumbbells and barbells. Kettlebells have been typically used for training hard-core athletes, military units, martial arts competitors, and other tough individuals,

but there is no reason that anybody looking to get stronger, bigger, or more cut can’t learn the exercises and benefit from them. It’s been a little over a year now since I’ve incorporated kettlebell training into my routines, and I’ll admit that I’m hooked for life! At between $100-$150 per kettlebell, they are definitely not cheap, but they are well worth the money. Just one or two kettlebells and you’ve literally got yourself an entire home gym that you can use for the rest of your life…worth every penny in my book!

4. Bodyweight Workouts – Try doing one or two workouts a week at home with just bodyweight based exercises. These can be great because you can get a high intensity workout done in only 15-30 minutes without having to go to the gym on days that you might not have time for a trip to the gym. Try alternating bodyweight squats, pushups variations, lunges, and floor abs exercises continuously for 15-30 minutes. Try to take very short rest periods or none at all to really amp up the intensity since this will be a brief workout. If you’re more advanced, you can even incorporate more challenging exercises like handstand pushups, one-arm pushups, and one-legged squats into your bodyweight training routines. For those of you that want to develop crushing strength through bodyweight exercises alone, a great book that I read a couple years back is called the Naked Warrior by Pavel Tsatsouline.

5. Ring Training – This type of training basically uses portable gymnastic rings that you can take anywhere with you. You throw the straps up over any high bar like a pullup bar, the top of a power rack, or even over a football field goal crossbar. Then you can quickly adjust the rings to do exercises like ring dips, ring pushups, ring pull-ups, hanging leg raises, horizontal body rows, L-sits, and more. Dips and pushups on the rings are my favorites and the rings really make them a hell of a lot more difficult, while also incorporating your stabilizer muscles to a much greater degree. The rings allow your joints to move in a more natural pattern and can help you prevent or even recover from shoulder injuries. Personally, when I try dips on a normal dip stand, it hurts my shoulders. However, dips on the training rings feel perfect, and also give me a much better muscle pump. The training rings are one of the best training devices I’ve ever bought. Give them a try…I think you’ll like them if you’re up for a challenge. Ever notice the impressive upper body development of gymnasts… yep, that’s mostly due to the rings! Visit RingTraining.com for more info.

Pria Asia Susah Sixpack?

2009-12-20T19:50:00.000-08:00

Fakta yang Bikin Kecewa

Entah apa yang terpikir di benak dr. Scott Lear dari Kanada saat dia memutuskan untuk melakukan penelitian bersama lima koleganya terhadap 800 orang lebih penduduk Kanada yang terdiri dari etnis Aborigin, Cina, Eropa dan Asia Selatan (Daerah India, Pakistan dan sekitarnya).

Tidak tanggung-tanggung, para ilmuwan Kanada tersebut mengukur massa lemak dan distribusi lemak tubuh dari 800 lebih orang untuk dibandingkan berdasarkan etnis atau suku bangsanya. Mereka melakukan penelitian ini secara teliti dan spesifik dengan memperhitungkan berbagai faktor seperti usia, jenis kelamin, indeks massa tubuh dan juga gaya hidup.

Ternyata hasil dari penelitian ini memang cukup mencengangkan. Bagaimana tidak, kalau ternyata diketahui bahwa etnis Cina dan Asia Selatan rata-rata memiliki massa lemak tubuh yang lebihtinggi daripada etnis bangsa Eropa danAborigin. Dengan kata lain, orang-orang bangsa timur ternyata lebih banyak menyimpan lemak di tubuhnya dibandingkan bangsa barat.

Hasil analisa tersebut otomatis juga menempatkan bangsa Asia sebagai bangsa yang berisiko tinggi untuk terserang penyakit-penyakit seperti jantungkoroner, stroke, tekanan darah tinggi, diabetes dan komplikasi-komplikasi yang lain. Dan tentunya, yang paling nyata dan pastinya paling dikeluhkan oleh penggemar fitness adalah, orang-orang Asia atau keturunan Asia jadi sangat sulit untuk memahat otot sixpack yang tajam dan sempurna di perutnya. Kenyataan yang memilukan, bukan?

Benar! Fakta inilah yang nampaknya
menjadi alasan mengapa orang-orang
Asia tidak dapat secepat dan semudah
bangsa lainnya seperti Eropa atau Afrika
dalam membentuk tubuh atletis yang
kering nan berisi.

Susah Bukan Berarti Tak Bisa!

Penelitian oleh dr. Scott Lear tersebut
memang mengatakan bahwa bangsa
Asia memang memiliki “bakat” untuk
menyimpan lemak tubuh dalam porsi
yang lebih banyak daripada bangsa yang
lain. Menurut Scott, faktor genetiklah
yang menjadi kemungkinan utama
penyebabnya, tetapi penelitian lebih lanjut
dan lebih canggih perlu dilakukan untuk
memastikan kesimpulan tersebut.

Susah bukan berarti tidak mungkin bagi Anda yang keturunan Asia untuk memiliki 6 kotak otot di perut. Yang perlu Anda lakukan ialah menjaga pola makan dengan menghindari semua yang berlemak agar tidak menutupi otot di perut dan memilih yang berprotein tinggi agar otot di perut Anda semakin kuat. Tidak dipungkiri memang kalau semua makanan yang berlemak selalu enak, tetapi inilah inti dari program pembentukan sixpack Anda, yaitu melawan nafsu diri sendiri terhadap yang enak.

Usaha Ekstra

Untuk memicu pembakaran lemak lebih optimal, Anda memerlukan usaha ekstra keras. Tidak ada salahnya Anda menggunakan nutrisi khusus yang dapat membantu Anda. Kehadiran L-Carnitine di dunia suplemen memang sudah cukup banyak diketahui orang, namun masihbanyak juga yang meragukan perannya sebagai pahlawan pembasmi lemak. Hal tersebut memang kita maklumi mengingat beberapa tahun terakhir ini penelitian yang membuktikan keampuhan L-Carnitine memang tidak banyak terlalu terdengar.

The Sixpack Solution

Stephen Francis seorang ilmuwan Inggris dari University of Nottingham yang bersama tim khususnya selalu meneliti L-Carnitine dari waktu ke waktu melakukan suatu penelitian yang lebih meyakinkan kelebihan dari L-Carnitine. Dari uji klinis terhadap tujuh orang pria sehat selama 2 minggu dibuktikan bahwa L-Carnitine memang secara ilmiah dapat “menggiring” lemak yang ada di sekitar otot untuk dimanfaatkan menjadi energi.

Kemampuan L-Carnitine dalam menjadikan lemak sebagai bahan bakar ini terbukti dapat terjadi kapan saja, yaitu saat kita istirahat dan lebih maksimal lagi pada saat olahraga atau beraktivitas sehari-hari. Dengan dibatasinya oksidasi lemak pada tubuh, L-Carnitine secara tidak langsung ikut mencegah terjadinya obesitas dan timbulnya penyakit-penyakit biangnya lemak seperti diabetes dan jantung koroner.

Nah, dengan kombinasi kardio yang rutin, intensitas latihan perut yang tinggi, pola makan tinggi protein dan rendah lemak yang terkontrol serta dibantu dengan kesaktian L-Carnitine dalam membakar lemak yang tersimpan dalam tubuh; Maka tak peduli apapun etnis atau suku bangsa Anda, otot sixpack nan tajam dan tubuh atletis nan kering pun dapat Anda miliki! Sixpack abs belongs to everybody, including you!

Lifestyle Fitness

2009-12-16T18:21:00.000-08:00

You Are What You Do.

Your lifestyle is the way that you live your life. Although each of the other elements already mentioned are very important parts of your lifestyle, they are not everything.

Smoking, Drinking and Drugs

Three habits that are detrimental to your health are: smoking, drinking and drugs. You already know the risks of what these things can do to your life, but you may not realize the extent at which it takes to improve them.

For example, smoking will eat away at your lungs and will cause cancer. There are no ifs or buts’ about it. It will cause cancer eventually.

Smoking is something that you can stop, even if it is one of the hardest things you will have to do. To improve your fitness, find a method to stop smoking and do it. You will find that your health increases, your energy increases, your stress levels DO go down and you can feel better about the life you are living.

When you quit early enough, your body can repair the damage that you have done to your lungs. This can only happen if you stop soon enough, though.

Drinking and drugs are just as bad. Each time that you consume too much alcohol that makes you drunk or you take illegal drugs, you destroy your body slowly and methodically. You kill brain cells, you put your life at risk and you destroy the organs in your body. Some damage can be fixed through healing over time, others can’t.

To improve your lifestyle and to extend your life, you need to remove these problems from it. Smoking and drugs are definitely a NO NO!.

preparing for your baby

2009-12-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

Parenting Style and Family Issues
Conﬂicts can occur when parents have not discussed issues such as:
• What to do if the baby is unsettled
• Feelings about breastfeeding
• Types of household support that will be needed e.g. sharing housework and
cooking
• Level of involvement by other people e.g. grandparents, aunties, uncles, and friends
• Financial and budget considerations e.g. living on one wage, returning to work, cuts
to spending
• Parenting style expectations – family rules and behaviour e.g. use of discipline
• Expectations about returning to work or remaining at home.
• Use of child care
• Time out as an individual and as a couple

Baby Equipment and Nursery Set-up:
• Babies don’t know or care if their equipment is second-hand or if they don’t have the latest trend in baby equipment. Remember the majority of baby equipment has a very limited life span
• The important thing is that any equipment is safe and clean. Baby equipment should conform to Australian Standards
• Babies grow very quickly so avoid buying too many small clothes or baby toys
• Remember your baby’s most important toy is you. Babies love attention from their parents
• When setting up the nursery, if possible, ensure that equipment is placed so as to avoid excessive bending or lifting that may cause injury to your back
• Make sure bedding conforms to the latest guidelines to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
• Move cots or bassinets away from windows and window cords that will be a hazard to your baby

Reducing the Amount of Housework and Making a Child Safe Home
If you have not already streamlined your housework:
• Discuss with your partner your expectations of what housework they will help with each week
• Look at ways of short cutting housework e.g. keep bench tops clear, put away ornaments that gather dust
• Store or throw out any unwanted household equipment
• Install ﬁre detectors
• Get an electrician to install an electrical circuit breaker
• Think about the safety of your home as your baby grows. An uncluttered house is easier to keep safe
• Check that heavy, potentially unstable pieces of furniture are securely fastened to the wall
• Change the location of poisons and household cleaning products. Put these in a secure cupboard
• Change the location of heavy food items and other kitchen equipment that would injure a young child if they pulled it on top of themselves, or invest in cupboard locks
• Remove, isolate or cover any water hazard such as bird baths or swimming
pools
• Put up safety gates on stairs
• Make extra meals to freeze when cooking
• If you have a dog, if necessary start to make changes to the dog’s routine and/or
behaviour, prior to the birth of your baby

Learn about Parenting
Being able to parent is a learnt skill that requires lots of practice and patience.
• Attend the session in the Childbirth Classes on Parenting or attend a basic
parenting program
• Read some practical parenting books or watch a parenting video – your local library
will have a range of parenting resources you can borrow
• Talk to other new parents and more experienced parents
• Babysit a friend’s new baby. This may encourage them to offer to babysit your
baby occasionally
• Watch other parents care for their babies e.g how do they calm their baby
• Importantly when things go wrong don’t be too hard on yourself - ask for assistance
• Talk to your partner about the way you were both parented. What things were positive that you would like to repeat with your children? What things were negative that you don’t want to repeat with your children? It can help to write these things down
• Learn basic ﬁrst aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation

Screening &Prevention of skin cancer:

2009-12-06T21:29:00.000-08:00

Routine screening for individuals at high risk (e.g. those having a family or personal history
of skin cancer, clinical evidence of precursor lesions, and increased exposure to sunlight)
Skin cancer screening may lower mortality from skin cancer, especially melanoma: by
improving rates of early detection.

Prevention is best, the use of protective sunscreens is very important nowadays especially
that the ozone layer is less protective due to man made pollution. Prevention can be achieved
through avoiding midday exposure (between 11am and 3pm), limiting time of exposure, and
be careful of hazy days because of increased sunray reflections and more slow damage.

Skin Cancer

2009-12-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

The incidence of skin cancer has increased worldwide. In the US, incidence rate of melanoma has an annual increase of approximately 4% since the early 1970s. There is an overall 162% increase in male melanoma cases and 95% in women. In 1999, there were 54,000 new cases of skin cancer. As for melanoma in the US, there were 44,200 new cases, and 7300 deaths, it is the 6th cancer in males and 7th in females. The number of cases of non-melanoma skin cancers is 800,000 each year.

Skin cancer risks: More common in people with fair skin, whose skin is burnt easier. It is more common in Sun-exposed areas of the body. It increases with earlier exposures in life to UV sunlight. It is less common in dark colored and blacks where cases are seen in non-pigmented palms and soles.

Routine examination for skin-cancer: Full routine exams and inspection by physicians are often overlooked but they are very important.

Uterine Cervix Cancer

2009-12-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

In the US, there are US: 12,000 cases /year and 4,400 deaths /yr of uterine cervix cancer. In

Lebanon, there are around 90 cases a year.Peak age at diagnosis is 47 yrs. 47% of cases with invasive ca are <35>65. It is more prevalent in lower socio-economic classes with poor access to health care.

In developing countries, cancer of the cervix is one of most common and leading causes of death mostly because of lower socio-economic status and absence of screening. Cervical cancer risk factors are early sexual activity, multiple partners, history of genital warts, human papilloma virus (90-100% of invasive cervix cancer are related to HPV infection) tobacco, oral contraception, and immunosuppressive.
Recommendations for screening for Cervix Cancer are as follows:
All women aged 18 and older, sexually active: Pap smear once a year. If negative for 3 times, it is then safe to do it every 2-3 yrs. Women who have a history of cervical dysplasia: once every year. Screening test: The Pap Smear. It is cheap, easy-to-use and reliable.

Lung Cancer

2009-12-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women around the world. Cigarette smoking causes 87% of all cases. Passive smoking is responsible for 3,000 per 100,000 cases/year in the USA. Smoking 1 ppd increases the risk to 20 times the risk of non-smokers. More cigarettes and a longer duration of smoking increase risks. Living and or working with a smoker increases the risk to up to 30 times since cigarette carcinogens have been found in the urine of passive smokers. Asbestos and environmental city pollution increase smoking risks and lung cancer. Radioactive dust and radon, naturally occurring in underground and basement of residential homes, increase lung cancer as reported by a recent study from Sweden. Lung cancer screening of high risk people has yet not shown any benefit: Sputum cytology and Yearly Chest X ray in 3 Randomized Trials showed no decrease in mortality. Spiral CT scanning may detect lung cancer at earlier stages while delivering low dose radiation, but it gives high rates of false positive results. More experiments and studies are awaited, but now the best weapon against lung cancer remains the cessation of smoking. Smokers with symptoms should be thoroughly investigated.

Prostate Cancer

2009-12-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

Prostate Cancer is the most common cancer in men in the US. It is the second cause of male cancer deaths. In 1999, there were 179,000 new cases and 37,000 deaths. There are no consensus recommendations for prostate cancer screening which is on the rise and that is largely due to the detection of latent, asymptomatic cases of uncertain clinical relevance by screening tests. This was observed lately in Lebanon after a PSA campaign.

Screening tests for prostate cancer include Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) and serum rostate Specific Antigen (PSA). PSA may be elevated in men with prostate cancer and non-cancerous conditions such as benign prostatic hypertrophy, prostatitis. Limitations of prostate cancer screening are caused by the long natural history of this disease, no consensus has yet been reached about prostate cancer screening. The American Cancer Society recommends offering DRE and PSA for men aged 50 years and above. Screening should start at age 45 for men at higher risk who are of African descent or have a young relative with prostate cancer Physicians have to inform the patients of the benefits and limitations of early detection.
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). PSA may be elevated in men with prostate cancer and non-cancerous conditions such as benign prostatic hypertrophy, prostatitis. Limitations of prostate cancer screening are caused by the long natural history of this disease, no consensus has yet been reached about prostate cancer screening. The American Cancer Society recommends offering DRE and PSA for men aged 50 years and above. Screening should start at age 45 for men at higher risk who are of African descent or have a young relative with prostate cancer Physicians have to inform the patients of the benefits and limitations of early detection.

Breast Cancer

2009-12-06T16:47:00.000-08:00

Breast Cancer is the most common malignancy in women all over the world. Data from Arab countries shows that it represents about one third of all female cancers and that it presents at a younger age than in Western Europe and the United States.
Breast Cancer Screening recommendations were recently updated for women aged 40-49, as follows: BSE (Breast Self Exam): monthly, starting the age of 20.Women can be taught to perform a correct BSE through their physician or through many awareness programs and lectures.

CBE: (Clinical Breast Examination, by a physician) : it should be performed on a yearly basis in women. 14-21% of breast cancers are detected by routine physical examination.

Screening Mammography: Screening women over 50 years of age decreases mortality by 30%. Benefits start showing after 7-8 years. Screening Women 40-49 reduces mortality by 17% and the benefit overlaps with screening after the age of 50 years. In Lebanon, we noted that 49% of our patients are below the age of 50, which leads us to recommend screening starting the age of 40. However, the upper age limit of screening was raised from 69 to 75 during the 2nd European Breast Cancer Conference in Brussels 2000, in view of the increased life span and expectancy in modern days.

Mammography for women age 35 is not recommended because of denser breast tissue atyounger ages and limited usefulness for comparison later on.

Higher risk women, screening mammography should start 5-10 years prior to youngest age of cancer development in first degree relative in families with familial breast cancer. These women should have bi- annual clinical breast exam. As for families with genetic breast cancer, one may start screening at age 25.

Strict guidelines for high quality mammography are essential to make sure that women benefit from screening and are not harmed. The Ministry of Health should issue strict instructions and certify centers that are allowed to screen women with mammography to ensure non-harmful radiation doses, well-trained technicians, good mammography films and proper interpretation. This will reduce unnecessary tests and biopsies and allow good care.

Colo-Rectal Cancer

2009-12-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

Colo-Rectal Cancer (CRC) is the third most common in men, after prostate, lung cancers and the 3rd most common in women, after breast and lung cancers. It is the third leading cause death from cancer in both men and women. The risks are the same for both sexes. Men have more colon cancers and women have more rectal cancers. In the western world it usually affects people over 40 with a median age of 57 in the USA. In some Arab countries that reported their data, including Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, CRC is seen in younger aged people, and it is more common in industrialized/westernized nations. Risk factors include environment and diet as clearly shown from studies of migrated populations. Screening for Colo-Rectal Cancer relies on fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) and endoscopic evaluation. It allows for detection of polyps and earlier stage colorectal cancer and reduces mortality. In addition, a recent trial from Minnesota showed a reduced incidence of CRC which resulted from the removal of precancerous colorectal polyps.

Recommendations for CRC Screening starting Age 50 for general population and average risk individuals are as follows: Occult blood test with flexible sigmoidoscopy. FOBT should be done three days in a row every year. Sigmoidoscopy every 3-5 years, after 2 initial negative ones first two years. A full screening colonoscopy is recommended once every 10 years.

Special risk groups: Predisposing factors include adenomatosis, various polyposis syndromes, inflammatory bowel disease and prior cancer history. These individuals are considered high risk and should be screened more frequently than the general population.

General Principles of Cancer Screening

2009-12-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

Cancer is more readily curable when it is detected at early stages. Cancer screening and early detection finds cancer at it earliest stage and first symptoms before it start to complicate, thus it saves the patient from aggressive treatment.
The goals of cancer screening are to detect it at an early stage when it is treatable and potentially curable. It is evident that earlier diagnosis result in an improved outcome, decreased morbidity and reduced mortality from disease. The screening tests should be safe, convenient, and inexpensive. It should be sensitive, i.e. positive when disease is present, and specific, i.e., negative if there is no disease.

In this section we will limit ourselves to a few examples of cancer screening that detect cancer early and improve outcome and cure rates.

50 Ways to Boost Your Noodle #1-5

2009-11-20T21:35:00.000-08:00

1. Snack on almonds and blueberries instead of a candy bar. As they lower blood sugar, healthy snacks can improve cognition. In this case, the omega-3s in the almonds and the antioxidants in the blueberries can keep your brain functioning correctly.

2. Ballroom dance like the stars. Dancing is a brainpower activity. How so? Learning new moves

activates brain motor centers that form new neural connections. Dancing also calms the brain's stress response.
3. Love the crunch of croutons on your salad? Try walnuts instead. Omega-3s in walnuts have been found to improve mood and calm inflammation that may lead to brain-cell death. They also replace lost melatonin, which is necessary for healthy brain functioning.
4. Take your dog—or yourself—for a walk. Walking for just 20 minutes a day can lower blood sugar. That helps stoke blood flow to the brain, so you think more clearly.
5. Add Chinese club moss to your daily vitamin regimen. Taking less than 100 micrograms of the herb daily may protect your brain's neurotransmitters and keep synapses firing correctly, tests suggest. But this herb is powerful, so check with your doctor for drug interactions.

Stress Management & Relaxation Techniques

2009-11-20T20:59:00.000-08:00

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation focuses on the major muscle groups and learning to recognise the difference between tension and relaxation in the muscles.

Commencing at your feet and working upwards
Bring your attention to your
• Thighs, buttocks, calves and feet Tense the individual muscles for 5-7 seconds and then relax for 10-15 seconds Repeat for the following groups
• Hands, forearms and biceps
• Chest, stomach and lower back
• Head, face, throat and shoulders

Slow breathing or Controlled Breathing Exercise
Focus on your breathing pattern. Notice if you breathe mainly through the chest or through the stomach. The goal is to breath deeply and slowly though the nose, feeling more movement in the stomach than the chest as you inhale and exhale.
Place your hand on your diaphragm, just below your ribs. Release any tension by blowing out the air in your lungs with a big sigh. You should notice your shoulders relax and
lower.
Take a deep breath in for three to fve seconds notice your hand should move.
Hold the breath for one second and then release for three seconds feeling your hand sink back in.
The time for breathing in and out can vary so breathe at the rate your feel comfortable. Stop if you feel dizzy or light headed.

Isometric Exercise
Take a small breath and hold it for up to 7 seconds.
• At the same time slowly tense your leg muscles by crossing
your feet at the ankles, pressing down with the upper leg
while trying to lift the lower leg.
• After 7 seconds breathe out and slowly say the word
“relax” to yourself.
• Let all the tension go from your muscles.

Keeping Your Brain Healthy as You Age

2009-11-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

By Camille Bartus, FCPS Wellness Specialist

Concern about brain health, memory and cognitive functions can increase as a person ages. Although jokes abound about aging and diminished brain functioning, a normal aging brain does not deteriorate to the point of losing functions. When this does happen, it is an abnormal process called dementia. Dementia is a cli ical syndrome whereby there is damage to brain cell connections which lead to a loss in memory and other cognitive brain abilities. It can result from various diseases and conditions, the most common cause being Alzheimer’s disease.

More recently, brain research findings demonstrate that the brain does not lose the vast amount

of brain cells with aging as previously thought. In fact, studies support that the normal aging process leaves most mental functions intact and may actually improve in some areas such as verbal knowledge and processes that form the basis of wisdom. What has become quite evident is that retaining high level brain function as we age has more to do with practicing a healthy lifestyle and risk factor reduction than with the aging process.

Brain Food

Current scientific studies reveal, in general, what is good for the heart is also good for the brain. Therefore, a diet rich in whole foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein helps to preserve healthy brain function. Similarly, regular aerobic exercise delivers oxygen rich blood to the brain cells. According to Dr Carl Corman, a neurobiologist at University of California-Irvine, “You are literally building the structure of the brain by moving your feet”.

Exercise enhances concentration, builds gray matter and strengthens the connections in the brain among other things.

Mental Olympics

The “use it or lose it “adage applies to brain health as well. Performing mental exercise or neurobics” as they are called, increases our brain power as we age and helps to keep the healthy connections going. So activities that challenge and stimulate our brains like puzzles, word games, reading and learning new skills on a regular basis boost that gray matter. Try some of these ideas for mental exercise:

http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/exercise.html#mentalexercise

Be Drug Free
Avoiding risky behaviors such as smoking, recreational drug use and heavy drinking is highly
recommended since these behaviors not only diminish oxygen to the brain but also expose it to
toxic substances. Read more about brain function and drugs at
http://www.drugabuse.gov/scienceofaddiction/brain.html

Protect Your Noggin
Practicing “head safe” behavior at all times by wearing head protection while performing sports,
biking and “buckling up” when riding in a vehicle, can prevent head trauma which can lead to
cognitive dysfunction. Alzheimer’s studies demonstrate that patients with Alzheimer’s disease
were nearly 10 times more likely to have a history of a head injury that resulted in a loss of
consciousness.

Sleep It Off
Getting between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each night is crucial to healthy brain function. Find out
just how important sleep a good night’s sleep is to the brain health:
http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/sleep.html#howsleep

Stress-less
Stress increases circulating adrenalin, raises the blood pressure and pulse which in turn can
constrict blood vessels, thereby lowering oxygen to the brain cells. Learn how to manage your
stress levels throughout the day by taking mini stress breaks such as: walking rapidly for a
minute or two, climbing a set of stairs or doing stretches at your desk side. Also, regularly
relieving your brain of negative or stressful thoughts by practicing relaxation techniques each
day can keep stress at bay. Read more about stress and its effects on the brain at:
http://health.discovery.com/centers/brain-health/brain-disorders-conditions/dementia/stress.html
Then try some of these relaxation techniques for the University of Maryland Medical Center:
http://www.umm.edu/sleep/relax_tech.htm

So, wisdom can come with age, when you make brain health part of your daily plan.

Oedema and swelling

2009-11-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

There are many plants that can help to reduce oedema, but none better than horse chestnut or Aesculus hippocastanum, which contains escin or aescin. This plant is excellent for conditions like leg ulcers and varicose veins. The chemistry is complexand varied.
Oedema is a critical component of cellulitis and in Germany the plant of choice would be butcher’s broom or Rucus aculeatus, which contains an active molecule called ruscogenin or hydroxyl diosgenin. This is a really fascinating molecule, since diosgenin was used as the precursor to may steroidal preparations such as hydrocortisone and corticosteroids. It was also the precursor to the female birth control pill. Diosgenin was originally extracted from the wild yam or Dioscorea villosa, but later from fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum). The discussion on plant sterols is a worthy debate, especially for mature skins or menopausal skin types and the sterols from soya or Glycine max are becoming available.
In Europe we have our own plant solution to oedema and cellulite and this would be ivy or Hedera helix, which contains hederagenin. It has always been a great disappointment to the author that hederagenin and ruscogenin were not more similar chemically.
Finally, the use of witch hazel or Hamamelis virginiana from the North American herbals, should not be excluded from the discussion on oedema. This material, which is pharmaceutically licensed for the treatment of haemorrhoids, is also excellent for contusions, bruises and other swellings. The most likely chemical responsible for this effect is the hamamelitannin present, though the plant contains a wealth of other components.

Skin dryness, desquamatory skin conditions and dry eczematous conditions

2009-11-09T21:36:00.000-08:00

The binding of water in the stratum corneum can become compromised and ineffective. In the cases it is helpful to reduce the transepidermal water loss by applying occlusive films. There is no reason why one should not use mineral oil or petrolatum, however, the benefits of a natural vegetable oil may be preferred.
Castor oil (Ricinus communis) has been the choice of paediatricians for more than a century in nappy rash creams and topical preparation where a high degree of water repellency is required. The ricinoleic acid and its many derivatives give skin smoothing and moisturising qualities that are unsurpassed.
Vegetable oils provide a broad spectrum of fascinating fatty acids like oleic, linoleic, linolenic, arachidonic and erucic – to name but a few.
In addition these oils provide triglycerides, which have good compatibility with the natural sebum in the skin, probably none better is jojoba oil (Buxus chinensis or Simmondsia chinensis), which is a liquid wax.
Evening Primrose oil (Oenothera biennis) has a great deal of research to show that it is effective in cases of mastalgia and atopic dermatitis internally, but there is also indication that topically it can contribute to solution to these problems as γ-linolenic acid (GLA) is a crucial part of the prostaglandin synthesis responsible for the inflammatory conditions of the skin.
Other oils include Brazil nut oil or Bertholettia excelsa, Sunflower oil or Helianthus annuus, Babassu oil or Orbignya oleifera, Sesame oil or Sesamum indicum and Rosehip seed oil or Rosa rubignosa. This oil in particular has created great interest and there are numerous clinical studies on this oil from South America that demonstrate that it has cicatrising activity and solutions to hyperpigmentation. The debate on whether or not the oil contains a source of retinoic acid is still in progress but it would certainly help to explain some of the excellent reported properties if a modern analysis could detect this molecule.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-erythema plants

2009-11-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

A few examples will be given. The classic choice of herbalist may well be German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) or Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) both from the family of Compositae or Daisy family. Surprisingly the plants share a similar spectrum of chemical components, though not in the same ratios, which helps to explain why many herbals talk of them synonymously (though technically they should not!). The essential oil of both plants contains α-bisabolol, azulene derivatives and their precursor matricin. The aqueous extracts contains a flavonoid called apigenin.

All of these materials have anti-inflammatory and anti-erythema qualities, some may also add the term antiphlogistic (literally to take the heat away from the affected area). There is also good evidence to show that these materials are anti-pruritic and so reduce itching and improve the speed at which damaged skin heals.

One of the discoveries from the Far East would include Gotu kola or Centella asiatica which has at its heart a complex molecule called asiaticoside that in addition to its anti-inflammatory properties also improves wound healing and reduces oedema or swelling.

Another plant from the region, mainly China, is the Maidenhair Tree or Ginkgo biloba that has another complex molecule called Ginkgolide. This plant is also excellent for reducing oedema and also has antioxidant or free radical scavenging properties.

From the European herbals we find Self-Heal or Prunella vulgaris, which is also anti-haemorrhagic, excellent for cracked nipples and a remarkable vulnerary. The chemistry is complex and it would be difficult to assign any individual chemical to a specific property. Surprisingly this small plant has been neglected by the herbalists in recent times and yet the molecules are spectacular. It has a full range of flavonoids, namely quercetin, kaempferol, and delphinidin to name a few. It also has esculin, an anti-oedema molecule found in Aesculus hippocastanum or horse chestnut. We see aucubin, which appears in a number of other herbal plants, but which has not beenassigned any particular property, although it appears in so many beneficial plants thatit would be hard to believe it is ineffective. It also contains hyperocide an active foundin St. John’s Wort or Hypericum perforatum and is probably in part responsible for

the healing attributes of the plant.

Some plants are specifically for the care of the eye area and range from conditions like blepharitis and conjunctivitis. The favourite of many European Herbals is Cornflower or Centaurea cyanus, which amongst its portfolio of ingredients includes centaurine (a molecule identical to cnicine that is found in Blessed Thistle of Cnicus benedictus) and is likely responsible for the skin calming and soothing effects.

Another traditional plant is Eyebright, mentioned by Paracelsus in the “Doctrine of Signatures” because of the fine red lines on the corolla that were reminiscent of the fractured capillaries that can occur in the whites of the eye (especially after an overdose of alcohol refreshment the night before!). Once again the molecule aucubin is present, but interestingly there is also ferulic acid (found in rice bran Oryza sativa) which has calming, UV absorbing and free-radical scavenging properties.

There is no doubt that the skin is very fond of sugars and there could be no better source than honey. These sugars can provide not only antibacterial skin protection, but also have been proven to have exceptional skin healing and repairing properties. The use of honey on burns has shown exceptional promise.

Herbal Remedies for Age Spots And Acne

2009-11-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

Scratches and abrasions are the most common skin problems that are faced by people at some stage of their lives. Yes, even models and actors are not spared! There are several skin problems that can make us very conscious and embarrassed. Abrasion can be defined as a superficial injury on the skin. This is not only painful but also causes damage to the texture and shine of the skin.
Epidermis is the upper layer that is above the dermis. Dermis provides flexibility and firmness to the skin whereas epidermis takes care of the dermis. Abrasion removes the epidermis layer. The abrasion can be intense if the friction that has caused abrasion has been intense. Deep abrasions can leave a scar mark and a person requires treatment to remove the mark. There are several herbal remedies that can remove these ugly scar marks. A person who has deep scars on their skin can turn to herbal remedy for effective solutions.
The skin of a person might often be affected by boils and abscesses. Boils and abscesses are infected by the pus that is filled in the skin. The skin swells up due to this infected pus. Such boils can be found in the back side of neck and on the armpits. The abscess and boils in some cases require surgery to completely remove them. The infection can be cured after the surgery but they may some marks left on the skin. At times like this, it may be a good idea to try herbal medicine which is less harsh than some chemicals found in traditional medicine.
One can use herbal skin care for the treatment of the skin. One should buy the herbal skin care kit from an authentic store. There are several skin care measures for each type of skin. The benefit of using herbal skin care therapies freely is that these do not have any side-effects. The skincare products are prepared very carefully and it can help to rejuvenate the skin of a person. Herbal pain relief is suggested for the people who have a cramp or an injury in legs or any part of the body. To relieve the pain quicker, it is worth a try.
A person may require herbal supplements for several reasons like building the immunity after a long bout of illness, infection or minor irritations.
Sometimes, there may be nothing wrong with a person, but they still take herbal supplements to maintain healthy skin and vitality.

OTHER TYPES OF DIABETES MELLITUS

2009-11-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

Secondary diabetes refers to the development of diabetes as a consequence of some other disease process, such as pancreatic disease, other endocrine disorders, drug or chemical-induced diabetes, insulin or its receptor abnormalities, and certain genetic syndromes, such as Bloom
syndrome. There is also malnutrition-related diabetes (also called tropical diabetes), pancreatic diabetes, and ketosis-resistant diabetes of the young. Secondary and other specific types of diabetes account for only 1-2% of all DM.

GESTATIONAL DIABETES

2009-11-06T19:41:00.000-08:00

Gestational diabetes (GDM) refers to diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes occurs in 2-5% of all pregnant women. Although this type of diabetes may spontaneously remit after delivery, if left untreated during pregnancy, it may lead to fetal death or miscarriage. It may
also predispose both the mother and child to develop type 2 diabetes later on in life. A separate chapter on gestational diabetes is included below.

TYPE 2 DIABETES

2009-11-06T19:38:00.000-08:00

In type 2 diabetes or non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM), the pancreas still produces insulin. The problem is that the insulin receptor cells do not respond to this
insulin, thus causing improper hepatic glucose metabolism. This is referred to as insulin resistance. In this condition, the pancreas actually produces more insulin in an
attempt to decrease elevated blood glucose. However, the cells are unable to respond, and so the blood glucose remains high. Over time, this elevated blood glucose damages the body through the accumulation of sorbitol and glycation proteins, producing symptoms including:

fatigue
general malaise
nocturia
constant thirst
slow, unintentional weight loss
vision changes, such as blurring or poor focusing
decreased immunity
slow healing ability from cuts or wounds

Left untreated, the damage from type 2 diabetes can be irreversible, leading to chronic health problems, such as renal failure, blindness, and vascular compromise. Other names for type 2 diabetes are adult or maturity onset diabetes (MOD) and ketosis-resistant diabetes. This is the
most common type of diabetes diagnosed in those over 30 years of age. However, it may occur in children and adolescents, in which case it is referred to as maturity onset diabetes in the young (MODY). Although most patients are treated with diet, exercise, and oral drugs, some
patients may intermittently or persistently require insulin to control symptomatic hyperglycemia and prevent non-ketotic hyperglycemic-hyperosmolar coma (NKHHC).

TYPE 1 DIABETES

2009-11-06T19:29:00.000-08:00

In type 1 or insulin dependent diabetes (IDDM), the pancreas produces little or no insulin. This type of diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease. It has formerly been called juvenile diabetes, juvenile onset diabetes (JOD), ketosis-prone diabetes, and brittle diabetes. Insulin therapy is required with this form of diabetes. Although type 1 DM may occur at any age, it most commonly develops in childhood or adolescence and is the predominant type of diabetes diagnosed before age 30. Classic symptoms of type 1 diabetes include:

increased thirst

increased urination

hunger

rapid weight loss

vision changes

fatigue

If type 1 diabetes is left untreated, individuals can succumb to diabetic ketoacidosis which can lead to coma or even death.

Stress and Emotions - Keeping it all Under Control

2009-11-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

Stress. Moodiness. Anxiety. Depression. Most of us deal with these emotions in some form every day. And most of us are very familiar with the unwelcome side affects of these emotions - ulcers, digestive troubles, heart troubles, etc. It is very true that negative emotions such as these can produce very real health problems and chronic illness. The world around us creates pressure that mount into a maelstron of emotions you may be ill-equipped to deal with.

Stress. It is created for us by our jobs, our home lives, pressures and demands from the outside world, created by hiding and conforming and just trying to get through a day in one piece. We create it for ourselves by trying too hard to be perfect, trying too hard to conform, trying too hard to be what everyone else expects us to be. So how do you manage it all before it results in a major heart attack? Through loving yourself. Yes, that's right. Loving yourself.

When you love yourself, you do things that nurture you. You take the time to pamper yourself that little extra bit to help make you feel calm and settled inside. You take a few precious moments of each day to do something just for you, to the exclusion of everyone else. You stop being so hard on yourself because the meeting at the office didn't go perfectly, because that lovemaking session wasn't fantastic, because you forgot to pick up something at the grocery store, because you aren't yet a millionaire. You learn to appreciate yourself, your self worth, and your own immeasurable capabilities. Only then are you ready to face the outside world with a preparation for whatever comes.

When it all gets to be too much, there are herbal treatments that can help you get stress under control. These treatments should not be relied on to fix the problems, however. They should be used as an aid, not a crutch, and you should identify and deal with the situation(s) creating the stress in the first place.

You can try a simple bedtime tea of a cup of chamomile. Or take a couple of capsules of valerian (one sniff and you will know why you don't want to drink valerian tea!). Or a cup of passionflower tea. Any of these will help you to relax, so you can get a good night's sleep. And we All need our beauty rest! You will also find that you will face the day in a calmer, more relaxed way, after you have gotten a full night's relaxed rest.

Another method of calming is to carry a bottle of lavendar essential oil. Open it up and sniff deeply of the aroma when you feel stressed, anxious, depressed. Or place a few drops on a handkerchief and keep it nearby to inhale as needed. Lavendar is very relaxing while at the same time uplifting. This is a very useful form of aromatherapy.

After a stressful day, why not relax in a luxurious herbal bath? Run yourself a warm bath, add some lavendar or eucalyptus oil, light some candles, turn off the phone, put some soft soothing music on the stereo, and soak in the vapors and let your troubles go down the drain with the bath water. You can make herbal bath salts and oils on your own, or there are a lot of good ones out on the market today. You may be better off buying them in a health food store, to avoid those additives that we really don't need to be absorbing through our sensitive skin. These products have the added benefit of being beneficial to the skin, so do give them a try!

Then there is meditation. It is very calming, and very beneficial to the mind. Set aside a few minutes of each day to do some meditating. There are many ways to do this, and no particular "right" way. And it does not have to be oriented to a particular religion. You find something that works for you and you stick with it. There are a lot of tapes, CDs, videos, books, and websites that deal with meditation. You don't need to take a trip to visit the Dali Lama to experience the uplift you can give yourself from daily meditation! You can meditate anytime, anywhere, anyplace, making it the perfect "carry it with you" treatment.

These tips should help you to deal with most minor emotional upsets. If your emotions continue out of control, then you may need your hormonal therapy adjusted. Or you may be dealing with something else. Whatever the case, do seek medical advice if the emotional upheavals continue on a scale you feel you can't manage on your own. Don't turn to alcohol or drugs! They only worsen the problem, and mask the symptoms. Each one of you is precious to the community at large, and we would hate to lose any of you that way. And again, proper diet is important here, so that you aren't ingesting foods that actually aggravate your emotional condition. Did you know that food allergies you may not even be aware you have can trigger emotional disturbances?

Information within this article is for informational and educational purposes only, and is not meant to diagnose nor treat. Seek guidance from a health care professional.

Rehabilitation - The History of Low Back Treatment in Modern Western Medicine

2009-11-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

The second phase in the modern Western medical treatment of low back pain began in the late 1960s with the development of conservative, nonsurgical, therapeutic rehabilitation programs. The "Back School" concept started in Sweden and quickly spread to the other industrial nations.5 The Back School approach to the treatment of low back pain combined physical rehabilitation with patient education about the anatomy and function of the back.
Multidisciplinary rehabilitation clinics that often incorporated the Back School approach grew out of the physical rehabilitation movement. Under the direction of medical physicians, these clinics brought physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, massage therapists, exercise therapists, and biofeedback therapists all together under one roof.
In the early 1980s rehabilitation programs were developed for patients with chronic low back pain. These programs were designed to restore the patient to functioning rather than to eliminate pain. A combination of physical training, work simulation, behavioral modification, and education were introduced in order to attain the goal of return to functioning.
During the last 20 years, low back pain research has proliferated, as have the number of books for lay people. The major focus of this research has been the identification of pathological changes in the structures of the back and their contribution to low back pain. If you examine the back pain books available from your library or bookstore, you will see that the information in this book for the general public typically focuses on:
1. Anatomical descriptions of the low back, the spine, discs, nerves, muscles, ligaments, etc.

2. What goes wrong with these structures, i.e., disc herniations, degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, etc.

3. Ideas about why these changes cause low back pain

4. Suggestions to help alleviate low back pain, such as exercise, diet, etc.

The History of Low Back Treatment in Modern Western Medicine

2009-11-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

Spinal Surgery
The modern Western medical approach to the treatment of low back problems can be roughly divided into two periods. The first period began in 1934 with the publication of Mixter and Barr's work on surgery of the low back and lasted into the late 1950s. This period has been called "the dynasty of the disc."
Mixter and Barr were orthopedic surgeons who coined the phrase "ruptured disc." They had great success using spinal surgery to treat back pain due to the rupture of the nucleus pulposus in the vertebral disc. The publication of their work was a landmark in formulating the cause and treatment of back pain for the next 40 years. It popularized disc surgery and increased the influence of orthopedic surgeons in the care of back problems.
Following World War II, there was a dramatic increase in disc surgeries. However, by the early 1950s, it became apparent that, while there were great successes in the relief of low back pain through surgery, there were also tremendous failures. As one of the early leaders in spinal surgery succinctly stated, "No operation in any field leaves more human wreckage than surgery of the spine."
As the increase of back surgeries mounted during the decade of the 1950s, the number of unsuccessful surgeries grew. Statistics indicate a failure rate of between 5-50%, and a new category of back pain patients was created: failed back surgery syndrome. 3 People with failed backs tend to experience unrelenting low back pain, sciatica, and significant functional impairment. Currently each year, an estimated 25,000-50,000 new cases of failed back surgery syndrome occur in the United States alone.

Hyperuricemia (High Uric Acid) - Side Effects - Symptoms & Solutions

2009-11-04T19:15:00.000-08:00

What is hyperuricemia?

Hyperuricemia is an excess of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid passes through the liver, and enters your bloodstream. Most of it is excreted (removed from your body) in your urine, or passes through your intestines to regulate "normal" levels.

Normal Uric acid levels are 2.4-6.0 mg/dL (female) and 3.4-7.0 mg/dL (male). Normal values will vary from laboratory to laboratory.

Also important to blood uric acid levels are purines. Purines are nitrogen-containing compounds, which are made inside the cells of your body (endogenous), or come from outside of your body, from foods containing purine (exogenous). Purine breaks down into uric acid. Increased levels of uric acid from excess purines may accumulate in your tissues, and form crystals. This may cause high uric acid levels in the blood.

Uric acid formation may occur when the blood uric acid level rises above 7 mg/dL. Problems, such as kidney stones, and gout (collection of uric acid crystals in the joints, especially in your toes and fingers), may occur.

What causes hyperuricemia?

Causes of high uric acid levels (hyperuricemia) can be primary (increased uric acid levels due to purine), and secondary (high uric acid levels due to another disease or condition). Sometimes, the body produces more uric acid than it is able to excrete.

Causes of high uric acid levels include:

Primary hyperuricemia
- Increased production of uric acid from purine
- Your kidneys cannot get rid of the uric acid in your blood, resulting in high levels
Secondary hyperuricemia
- Certain cancers, or chemotherapy agents may cause an increased turnover rate of cell death. This is usually due to chemotherapy, but high uric acid levels can occur before chemotherapy is administered.
- After chemotherapy, there is often a rapid amount of cellular destruction, and tumor lysis syndrome may occur. You may be at risk for tumor lysis syndrome if you receive chemotherapy for certain types of leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma, if there is a large amount of disease present.
- Kidney disease - this may cause you to not be able to clear the uric acid out of your system, thus causing hyperuricemia.
- Medications - can cause increased levels of uric acid in the blood
- Endocrine or metabolic conditions -certain forms of diabetes, or acidosis can cause hyperuricemia
- Elevated uric acid levels may produce kidney problems, or none at all. People may live many years with elevated uric acid levels, and they do not develop gout or gouty arthritis (arthritis means "joint inflammation"). Only about 20% of people with elevated uric acid levels ever develop gout, and some people with gout do not have significantly elevated uric acid levels in their blood.

What are some symptoms of hyperuricemia to look for?

You may not have any symptoms.
If your blood uric acid levels are significantly elevated, and you are undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia or lymphoma, you may have symptoms kidney problems, or gouty arthritis from high uric acid levels in your blood.
You may have fever, chills, fatigue if you have certain forms of cancer, and your uric acid levels are elevated (caused by tumor lysis syndrome)
You may notice an inflammation of a joint (called "gout"), if the uric acid crystals deposit in one of your joints. (*Note- gout may occur with normal uric acid levels, too).
You may have kidney problems (caused by formation of kidney stones), or problems with urination

Things you can do about hyperuricemia:

Make sure you tell your doctor, as well as all healthcare providers, about any other medications you are taking (including over-the-counter, vitamins, or herbal remedies).
Remind your doctor or healthcare provider if you have a history of diabetes, liver, kidney, or heart disease.
Follow your healthcare provider's instructions regarding lowering your blood uric acid level and treating your hyperuricemia. If your blood levels are severely elevated, he or she may prescribe medications to lower the uric acid levels to a safe range.

If you have an elevated blood uric acid level, and your healthcare provider thinks that you may be at risk for gout, kidney stones, try to eat a low purine diet.

Foods that are high in purine include:

All organ meats (such as liver), meat extracts and gravy
Yeasts, and yeast extracts (such as beer, and alcoholic beverages)
Asparagus, spinach, beans, peas, lentils, oatmeal, cauliflower and mushrooms

Foods that are low in purine include:

Refined cereals - breads, pasta, flour, tapioca, cakes
Milk and milk products, eggs
Lettuce, tomatoes, green vegetables
Cream soups without meat stock
Water, fruit juice, carbonated drinks
Peanut butter, fruits and nuts
Keep well hydrated, drinking 2 to 3 liters of water per day, unless you were told otherwise.
Take all of your medications for hyperuricemia as directed
Avoid caffeine and alcohol, as these can contribute to problems with uric acid and hyperuricemia.
Avoid medications, such as thiazide diuretics (hydrochlortiazide), and loop diuretics (such as furosemide or Lasix^®). Also, drugs such as niacin, and low doses of aspirin (less than 3 grams per day) can aggravate uric acid levels. Do not take these medications, or aspirin unless a healthcare provider who knows your condition told you.
If you experience symptoms or side effects, especially if severe, be sure to discuss them with your health care team. They can prescribe medications and/or offer other suggestions that are effective in managing such problems.

Drugs or treatments that may be prescribed by your doctor to treat hyperuricemia:

Your doctor or healthcare provider may prescribe medications if you have a high blood uric acid levels. These may include:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) agents and Tylenol^®- such as naproxen sodium and ibuprofen may provide relief of gout-related pain. Gout may be a result of a high uric acid level.
If you are to avoid NSAID drugs, because of your type of cancer or chemotherapy you are receiving, acetaminophen (Tylenol() up to 4000 mg per day (two extra-strength tablets every 6 hours) may help.
It is important not to exceed the recommended daily dose of Tylenol, as it may cause liver damage. Discuss this with your healthcare provider.
Uricosuric Drugs: These drugs work by blocking the reabsorption of urate, which can prevent uric acid crystals from being deposited into your tissues. Examples of uricosuric drugs include probenecid, and sulfinpyrazone.
Xanthine oxidase inhibitors - Such as allopurinol, will prevent gout. However, it may cause your symptoms of gout to be worse if it is taken during an episode of painful joint inflammation.
Allopurinol may also be given to you, if you have a certain form of leukemia or lymphoma, to prevent complications from chemotherapy and tumor lysis syndrome - and not necessarily to prevent gout. With high levels of uric acid in your blood, as a result of your disease, the uric acid will collect and form crystals in your kidneys. This may occur during chemotherapy, and may cause your kidneys to fail.

When to call your doctor or health care provider:

Localized joint pain (especially in a toe or finger joint), that is red and inflamed.
Shortness of breath, chest pain or discomfort; should be evaluated immediately.
Feeling your heart beat rapidly (palpitations).
Bleeding that does not stop after a few minutes.
Any new rashes on your skin - especially if you have started any new medications.

What is nutrition?

2009-11-04T17:15:00.000-08:00

Nutrition starts with eating food and drinking drink. The body then breaks down the food and drink into its respective nutrients. These nutrients then travel around the body to be used wherever necessary. Carbohydrates are converted into glucose or fuel for the body, protein is broken down into amino acids and fats are broken down into fatty acids. For a person to be healthy, a person must eat enough food to get a good supply of all the key nutrients.

There is a set of guidelines that the government publishes for 20 or so different vitamins, minerals and nutrients and those values are based on population studies, where they go out and look at the health of the general population and consider what people consume on a regular basis.

Shoulder Exercises - Beginner

2009-11-04T16:56:00.000-08:00

Do the three beginner exercises for 4 weeks, then switch to the intermediate exercises for 4 weeks. If you want, you can do the advanced exercises for the next 4 weeks after that, or go back and repeat the beginner and intermediate exercises, using heavier weights and fewer repetitions.
WEEK 1: Do 1 set of 10–12 repetitions of each exercise.
WEEK 2: 1 or 2 sets of 10–12
WEEK 3: 2 or 3 sets of 10–12
WEEK 4: 3 sets of 10–12
WEEK 5: 2 sets of 8–10
WEEK 6: 2 or 3 sets of 8–10
WEEKS 7 & 8: 3 sets of 8–10

Seated Alternating Dumbbell Press
1. Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on a bench, holding the weights at jaw level, just outside your shoulders. Your palms should face forward.
2. Starting with your weaker arm (probably your left if you’re right-handed), lift one dumbbell overhead until your arm is straight.
3. As you lower it, raise the other—that’s one repetition.
4. Alternate until you finish the set.

45-Degree Scarecrow
1. Set an incline bench to 45 degrees.
2. Holding a pair of light dumbbells, lie chest-down on the bench. Raise your upper arms so they’re perpendicular to your torso and parallel to the floor. Bend your elbows 90 degrees, so your forearms hang straight down toward the floor.
3. Keeping your elbows, wrists, and upper arms in fixed positions, rotate the weights up and back as far as you can—you want your shoulders to act like hinges, your arms like swinging gates.
4. Pause, then slowly lower the weights.

Snatch-Grip Shrug
1. Grab a barbell with an overhand grip that’s as wide as comfortably possible.
Hold the bar down at arm’s length in front of you.
2. Lean forward slightly so the bar is about an inch in front of your thighs.
3. Shrug your shoulders as high as you can.
4. Pause, then slowly lower the barbell.

ABOUT FRUIT JUICES AND SMOOTHIES!

2009-11-03T18:41:00.000-08:00

A FUN and EASY way to get more vitamins & minerals into your diet is by drinking freshly made fruit juices, vegetable juices, and by blending thick and frothy smoothies and shakes from frozen fruit.
A friend of mine describes drinking freshly made fruit juices like this:
"If you have never taken a mouthful of cantaloupe juice or strawberry juice mixed with apple, you simply have not lived. Blueberry juice is a taste of liquid heaven."
Freshly made juices are a tremendous source of bio-available vitamins and minerals which are the partners of enzymes and co-enzymes. Vitamins activate enzymes and without vitamins, enzymes could not carry out their work, and we could not live.
Enzymes act as catalysts in hundreds of thousands of chemical reactions that take place throughout your body, and are essential for digesting, absorbing and converting food into body tissue. Enzymes produce energy at the cellular level and are critical for most of the metabolic activities taking place in your body every second of every day.
Another benefit of drinking fresh juices and smoothies is that your body can absorb MORE of the vitamins and minerals than if you were to eat the fruits and vegetables whole! Many of the nutrients are TRAPPED in the fiber and by blending fruits and vegetables, you break down the fiber and release the vital nutrients.
Example:
When you eat a raw carrot, you are only able to assimilate a small percentage of the available beta carotene. When a carrot is juiced, removing the fiber, a LARGE percentage of the beta carotene can be assimilated by your body.
Of course, you still need to eat whole produce because fiber is also an important part of your daily diet.
Meeting you or your children's need for energy and nutrients is essential for good health. Children who do not meet their needs for energy may stop growing and gaining weight. In severe situations, they can develop a condition which is life threatening called protein energy malnutrition.
Vitamins and minerals are only required in very small amounts, but a diet insufficient in these can cause SEVERE deficiency diseases.
You may be showing signs of malnutrition if you ...
• feel tired and weak.
• feel like you never have the energy to clean your home, make meals or even do the dishes.
• have difficulty losing or gaining weight.
• can't easily get to sleep.
• feel stressed and/or nervous.
• feel drowsy during the day.
• sometimes can't concentrate, you're mind feels numb, or you get confused easily.
• have problems with your digestion.
• have constipation and/or hard dry stools.
• have mood swings, or get easily upset.
• don't have patience for anything.

• sometimes feel depressed.
• have overly dry or oily skin.
• sometimes have nausea and/or abdominal pain.
• have annoying eye twitches.
• bruise easily.
• have muscle cramps and/or low back pain.
• sometimes get cracks and sores in the corners of your mouth.
• notice that your nails have become thin and/or brittle.
• are losing your hair.
• have water retention.
• have uncontrollable temper outbursts.
• don't eat a well-balanced nutritious diet EVERY DAY
Natural vitamins are found only in living things, that is, plants and animals.
Your body, with a few exceptions, can't manufacture vitamins. They must be supplied in your food or in dietary supplements but supplements can't replace food, especially fruits and vegetables which provide thousands of substances, some of which have well-known functions, and some whose roles in the human body are not yet understood or recognized.
Vitamins and minerals … ...
◊ reduce your risk of getting a stroke or heart attack!
◊ strengthen your nails!
◊ improve your hair condition, strength and growth by providing certain essential nutrients to the hair follicle!
◊ beautify your skin by keeping it smooth, soft and disease-free!
◊ provide essential compounds that are necessary for growth, health, normal metabolism and physical well-being! Without them, you would die!
◊ promote normal growth and development!
◊ maintain bone density and strength!
◊ regulate blood clotting!
◊ help in the function of nerves and muscles, including regulating a normal heart beat!
When it comes to choosing a healthy diet for their children, many parents don't realize the important role that beverages play. For example, fruit flavored drinks and soft drinks are not a substitute for real fruit. Many of these drinks only contain 10% real fruit juice. The very best drinks are made from whole fruit and you can make great fruity healthy drinks at
home.

Working the Night Shift

2009-11-02T17:05:00.000-08:00

Try to limit night shift work, if that is possible. If you must work the night shift, the following tips may help you:
Increase your total amount of sleep by adding naps and lengthening the amount of time you allot for sleep.
Use bright lights in your workplace.
Minimize your shift changes so that your body’s biological clock can adjust to a nighttime work schedule.
Get rid of sound and light distractions in your bedroom during your daytime sleep.
Use caffeine only during the first part of your shift to promote alertness at night.
If you are unable to fall asleep during the day, and all else fails, talk with your doctor to see if it would be wise for you to use prescribed, short-acting sleeping pills to help you sleep during
the day.

THE SHOULDERS- Total Body Muscle Plan

2009-11-02T16:57:00.000-08:00

THE EXERCISES IN THIS FIRST CHAPTER will help protect your shoulders from injury and ensure a strong, stable frame. So when it comes time to run a pick-and-roll, toss your kids in the air (for height or distance), or uproot a few saplings to make way for your new backyard
putting green, you’ll have what it takes. But you'll also receive an extra benefit: muscles that will pump up nicely for display purposes.
THE REST OF YOUR WORKOUT
Do the shoulder exercises ﬁrst in your workout. After that, it’s up to you how to ﬁt in exercises for other muscle groups. Most important: Build strength and muscle size with equal effort on both sides of your body. Working the front and neglecting the back is a recipe for injury. Some suggestions:
BEGINNER Do a total-body workout two or three times a week. After you finish your
shoulder exercises, you can try one set of eight to 12 repetitions of the following exercises (except where noted):
Lat pulldown
Squat or leg press
Leg curl
Dumbbell chest press
Cable or dumbbell row
Cable triceps extension
Dumbbell biceps curl
Crunch (15–20 repetitions)
INTERMEDIATE Divide your program into two workouts: one for the upper body,
one for the lower. Alternate between the two workouts, taking a day off after each.
So you would do the upper-body workout on Monday and Friday of one week and the
lower-body workout on Wednesday, then the following week do the lower-body
workout on Monday and Friday and the upper-body workout on Wednesday.
Upper-body workout After doing this shoulder program, choose one exercise
each for chest, back, biceps, and triceps.
Do two or three sets of the chest and back exercises and one or two sets of the arm exercises.
Lower-body workout Choose one “hip-dominant” exercise, meaning that the main emphasis of the exercise is on the hamstrings and gluteals (examples: stepups and any variety of deadlift). Then choose one “knee-dominant” exercise, meaning the emphasis is on the quadriceps muscles—the front of the thigh. (Squats, leg presses, and lunges qualify.) Do two or three
warmup sets and two work sets of each. (Use heavier weights and do fewer repetitions in each warmup set. A work set means you’re using the most weight you can for that number of repetitions.) Add your choice of abdominal and calf exercises.
ADVANCED Divide your workout into four parts. Do each once a week; don’t work out more than 2 days in a row.
1. Shoulders and arms
2. Knee-dominant exercises (described above), plus abs and calves
3. Chest and back
4. Hip-dominant exercises (also above), plus abs and calves again

What Makes You Sleep?

2009-11-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

Although you may put off going to sleep in order to squeeze more activities into your day, eventually your need for sleep becomes overwhelming and you are forced to get some sleep. This daily drive for sleep appears to be due, in part, to a compound known as adenosine. This natural chemical builds up in your blood as time awake increases. While you sleep, your body breaks down the adenosine. Thus, this molecule may be what your body uses to keep track of lost sleep and to trigger sleep when needed. An accumulation of adenosine and other factors might explain why, after several nights of less than optimal amounts of sleep, you build
up a sleep debt that you must make up by sleeping longer than normal. Because of such built-in molecular feedback, you can’t adapt to getting less sleep than your body needs. Eventually, a lack of sleep catches up with you.
The time of day when you feel sleepy and go to sleep is also governed by your internal “biological clock” and environmental cues—the most important being light and darkness. Your biological
clock is actually a tiny bundle of cells in your brain that responds to light signals received through your eyes. When darkness falls, the biological clock triggers the production of the hormone melatonin. This hormone makes you feel drowsy as it continues to increase during the night. Because of your biological clock, you naturally feel the most sleepy between midnight and 7 a.m. You may also feel a second and milder daily “low” in the midafternoon between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. At that time, another rise occurs in melatonin production and might make you feel sleepy.
Your biological clock makes you the most alert during daylight hours and the most drowsy in the early morning hours. Consequently, most people do their best work during the day. Our 24/7 society, however, demands that some people work at night. Nearly one-quarter of all workers work shifts that are not during the daytime, and more than two-thirds of these workers have problem sleepiness and/or difficulty sleeping. Because their work schedules are at odds
with powerful sleep-regulating cues like sunlight, night shift workers often find themselves drowsy at work, and they have difficulty falling or staying asleep during the daylight hours when their work schedules require them to sleep.
The fatigue experienced by night shift workers can be dangerous. Major industrial accidents—such as the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear power plant accidents and the Exxon Valdez oil spill—have been caused, in part, by mistakes made by overly tired
workers on the night shift or an extended shift.
Night shift workers also are at greater risk of being in car crashes when they drive home from work. One study found that one-fifth of night shift workers had a car crash or a near miss in the preceding year because of sleepiness on the drive home from work. Night shift workers are also more likely to have physical problems, such as heart disease, digestive disturbances, and infertility, as well as emotional problems. All of these problems may be related, at least in
part, to the workers’ chronic sleepiness. See “Working the Night Shift” for some helpful tips.
Other factors can also influence your need for sleep, including your immune system’s production of cellular hormones called cytokines. These compounds are made in large quantities in response to certain infectious diseases or chronic inflammation and may prompt you to sleep more than usual. The extra sleep may help you conserve the resources needed to fight the infection. Recent studies confirm that being well rested improves the body’s responses to infection.
People are creatures of habit, and one of the hardest habits to break is the natural wake and sleep cycle. A number of physiological factors conspire to help you sleep and wake up at the same times each day. Consequently, you may have a hard time adjusting when you travel across time zones. The light cues outside and the clocks in your new location may tell you it is 8 a.m. and you should be active, but your body is telling you it is more like 4 a.m. and you should sleep. The end result is jet lag—sleepiness during the day, difficulty falling or staying asleep at night, poor concentration, confusion, nausea, and general malaise and irritability. See “Dealing
With Jet Lag” .

THE CALORIE MYTH

2009-11-02T16:42:00.000-08:00

The theory of slimming based on the low-calorie approach is without doubt the greatest scientific “fudge”of the twentieth century.

It is nothing more than a snare, a deception, a dangerous and simplistic hypothesis, lacking any real scientific basis. And yet it has dictated our eating habits for over half a century.

You have only to look around you to see that the more well upholstered, plump, fat or even obese people are, the more religiously they count the calories they consume.

With very few exceptions, anything which has passed for a ”diet” since the beginning of the century, has essentially been based on the low-calorie theory.

How misguided can you be! No serious or long-term success can be achieved from such a method. Not to mention the side effects, which can be devastating.

At the end of this chapter I will have more to say on the scandalous socio-cultural phenomenon, which has built up around the subject of calories in food. For we have reached a point where what has happened can only be described as mass brainwashing.

What Is Sleep?

2009-11-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

Sleep was long considered just a uniform block of time when you are not awake. Thanks to sleep studies done over the past several decades, it is now known that sleep has distinct stages that cycle throughout the night in predictable patterns. How well rested you are and how well you function depend not just on your total sleep time but on how much of the various stages of sleep you get each night.
Your brain stays active throughout sleep, and each stage of sleep is linked to a distinctive pattern of electrical activity known as brain waves.
Sleep is divided into two basic types: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep (with four different stages). (See “Types of Sleep” on page 5.) Typically, sleep begins with non-REM sleep.
In stage 1 non-REM sleep, you sleep lightly and can be awakened easily by noises or other disturbances. During this first stage of sleep, your eyes move slowly, and your muscle activity slows. You then enter stage 2 non-REM sleep, when your eye movements stop.
Your brain shows a distinctive pattern of slower brain waves with occasional bursts of rapid waves.
When you progress into stage 3 non-REM sleep, your brain waves become even slower, although they are still punctuated by smaller, faster waves. By stage 4 non-REM sleep, the brain produces extremely slow waves almost exclusively. Stages 3 and 4 are considered deep sleep, during which it is very difficult to be awakened.
Children who wet the bed or sleep walk tend to do so during stages 3 or 4 of non-REM sleep. Deep sleep is considered the “restorative” part of sleep that is necessary for feeling well rested and energetic during the day.
During REM sleep, your eyes move rapidly in various directions, even though your eyelids remain closed. Your breathing also becomes more rapid, irregular, and shallow, and your heart rate and blood pressure increase. Dreaming typically occurs during REM
sleep. During this type of sleep, your arm and leg muscles are temporarily paralyzed so that you cannot “act out” any dreams that you may be having.
The first period of REM sleep you experience usually occurs about an hour to an hour and a half after falling asleep. After that, the sleep stages repeat themselves continuously while you sleep. As the night progresses, REM sleep time becomes longer, while time spent
in non-REM sleep stages 3 and 4 becomes shorter. By morning, nearly all your sleep time is spent in stages 1 and 2 of non-REM sleep and in REM sleep. If REM sleep is disrupted during one night, REM sleep time is typically longer than normal in subsequent nights
until you catch up. Overall, almost one-half your total sleep time is spent in stages 1 and 2 non-REM sleep and about one-fifth each in deep sleep (stages 3 and 4 of non-REM sleep) and REM sleep. In contrast, infants spend half or more of their total sleep time in REM
sleep. Gradually, as they mature, the percentage of total sleep time they spend in REM progressively decreases to reach the one-fifth level typical of later childhood and adulthood.
Why people dream and why REM sleep is so important are not well understood. It is known that REM sleep stimulates the brain regions used in learning and the laying down of memories. Animal studies suggest that dreams may reflect the brain’s sorting and selectively
storing important new information acquired during wake time. While this information is processed, the brain might revisit scenes from the day while pulling up older memories. This process may explain why childhood memories can be interspersed with more recent events
during dreams. Studies show, however, that other stages of sleep besides REM are also
needed to form the pathways in the brain that enable us to learn and remember.

Types of Sleep
Non-REM Sleep
Stage 1: Light sleep; easily awakened; muscle activity; eye movements slow down.
Stage 2: Eye movements stop; slower brain waves, with occasional bursts of rapid brain waves.
Stage 3: Considered deep sleep; difficult to awaken; brain waves slow down more, but still have occasional rapid waves.
Stage 4: Considered deep sleep; difficult to awaken; extremely slow brain waves.

REM Sleep
Usually first occurs about 90 minutes after you fall asleep; cycles along with the non-REM stages
throughout the night.
Eyes move rapidly, with eyelids closed.
Breathing is more rapid, irregular, and shallow.
Heart rate and blood pressure increase.
Dreaming occurs.
Arm and leg muscles are temporarily paralyzed.

Healthy Sleep

2009-11-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

Think of everything you do during your day. Try to guess which
activity is so important you should devote one-third of your time to
doing it. Probably the first things that come to mind are working,
spending time with your family, or pursuing leisure activities. But
there’s something else you should be doing about one-third of your
time—sleeping.
Many people view sleep as merely a “down time” when their brain
shuts off and their body rests. In a rush to meet work, school,
family, or household responsibilities, people cut back on their sleep,
thinking it won’t be a problem, because all of these other activities
seem much more important. But research reveals that a number of
vital tasks carried out during sleep help to maintain good health and
enable people to function at their best.
While you sleep, your brain is hard at work forming the pathways
necessary for learning and creating memories and new insights.
Without enough sleep, you can’t focus and pay attention or respond
quickly. A lack of sleep may even cause mood problems. In addi-
tion, growing evidence shows that a chronic lack of sleep increases
the risk for developing obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and
infections.
Despite the mounting support for the notion that adequate sleep,
like adequate nutrition and physical activity, is vital to our well-
being, people are sleeping less. The nonstop “24/7” nature of the
world today encourages longer or nighttime work hours and offers
continual access to entertainment and other activities. To keep up,
people cut back on sleep. A common myth is that people can learn
to get by on little sleep (such as less than 6 hours a night) with no
adverse consequences. Research suggests, however, that adults need
at least 7–8 hours of sleep each night to be well rested. Indeed, in
1910, most people slept 9 hours a night. But recent surveys show
the average adult now sleeps less than 7 hours a night, and more
than one-third of adults report daytime sleepiness so severe that it
interferes with work and social functioning at least a few days each
month. As many as 70 million Americans may be affected by chron-
ic sleep loss or sleep disorders, at an annual cost of $16 billion in
health care expenses and $50 billion in lost productivity.
What happens when you don’t get enough sleep? Can you make up
for lost sleep during the week by sleeping more on the weekends?
How does sleep change as you become older? Is snoring a problem?
How can you tell if you have a sleep disorder? Read on to find the
answers to these questions and to better understand what sleep is
and why it is so necessary. Learn about common sleep myths and
practical tips for getting adequate sleep, coping with jet lag and
nighttime shift work, and avoiding dangerous drowsy driving.
Many common sleep disorders go unrecognized and thus are not
treated. This booklet also gives the latest information on sleep
disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome,
narcolepsy, and parasomnias.

COMBINING WESTERN HERBS AND CHINESE MEDICINE

2009-11-01T19:14:00.000-08:00

FOR 200 years, Western herbalism has abandoned ancient herbal prescribing systems. As a result, a treasury of Western herbs is now prescribed symptomatically without reference to root patterns of disharmony.
Thorough examination of ancient western herbal medicine reveals that, like Chinese medicine, it was similarly systematised in energetic terms, and even though the minutiae of description differ, the occidental and oriental systems are extraordinarily similar.
In his book Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine - Principles, Practice and Materia Medica, researcher, experienced TCM and Western trained herbalist Jeremy Ross recasts the traditional Chinese medicine framework to include valued western herbs, and reveals a logical system to prescribe western herbs and formulas.
The contentious issue of assigning TCM properties to herbs that normally take generations to know in this way springs to mind. However, nowadays access to precise pharmacodynamic data provides new information with which we can recognise more completely the actions of herbs.
Interpretation of this data can substantiate and accelerate the understanding of a therapy, fastening the synthesis of knowledge.
Jeremy Ross has taken seven years to create a massive and impressive work linking Western herbalism, traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacological data in a way that will establish a useful repertory for both camps of medicine.
The best available information distilled from many classic Western works, pharmacological research and expert clinical observations is tabulated alongside TCM values to reveal startling portraits of Western herbs.
The book is in two parts — part one surveys western herbal tradition roots, schools of thought, Chinese literature searches, pharmacological and clinical research. The Western herbal parameters of taste and temperature are articulated to link with the Chinese classif cations.
The actions of herbs in general are lucidly discussed, and channel tropism and principles of herb combination in theory and practice are very detailed.
Each herb’s indications is matched to a TCM syndrome, as is typical of Chinese herbal compendiums, and the introduction of several newly reasoned TCM-like pattern def nitions will help to ref ne herbal prescribing.
Ross also introduces an intriguing concept of variable temperature properties possible within single herbs.
Yarrow (Alchillea millefolium), for instance, has amphoteric properties, cold and warm, that can be modulated accordingly. His argument is interesting and draws credible weight from pharmacological assays indicating that the array of chemical constituents found within a plant can be deduced to be of differing temperatures. If so, the preparation method will therefore inf uence their expression.
The subject of dose is thorough and elucidates many important facets of therapeutic dose, presentation and administration.
The three chapters on safety are excellent and examine several aspects of many emergent issues, and the contemporary arguments for and against herbal medicine are given solutions.
The chapter titled Safety of the Organ Systems analyses relevant pharmacological studies and the implications for the organs of the body.
Another chapter on clinical safety provides important and crucial information for the clinician mindful of drug-herb interaction, adverse reactions and the management of side effects
Part two, the material medica, presents in detail 50 of the most valuable herbs. Three hundred and eighty herbal couplets, building blocks of the 180 herbal formulas, are then described in concise detail.
Special keynotes highlight the subject herb in Chinese, Western traditional and harmacodynamic attributes.
Including vigorous analysis with modern pharmacological data and substantiated with over 1500 references, the result is a formidable resource.
This book is excellently indexed, cross-references are eff cient and herb nomenclature tables are thorough and easy to read.
The TCM specialist will be impressed by the author’s method, lucidity and attention to detail on herbal documentation.
This will provide valuable information for clinical practice, as it presents a f rm base from which to access the popular herbs of the Western hemisphere.

The Arms Excercise - Beginner

2009-10-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

BEGINNER
Frequency: Do these exercises as part of a total-body weight workout three times a week.
Rest: 1 minute between exercises
Progress: Increase weights each week, shooting for increases of 2 1⁄2 to 5 pounds at a time.
How long: Follow this program for your first 4 to 8 weeks of exercise, or your first few weeks after returning from a break. When you stop making strength gains, you’re ready for the Advanced Beginner program.
BARBELL BICEPS CURL

KEY INFO Stand in front of a mirror with your arms straight down at your sides, palms facing forward. Note that your hands aren’t directly under your shoulders; they’re a few inches out to the sides. This is called your carrying angle, and it’s the most comfortable and natural position for your hands when you perform biceps curls.

TRICEPS PUSHDOWN

The Changing Shape of Womanhood

2009-10-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

Jennifer is attractive, successful, and well liked. She is a Super Mom, Super Employee, Super Wife, Super Daughter, Super Sister, Super Aunt, Super Niece, Super Cousin, Super Volunteer, Super Neighbor, and Super Friend. People are awed by her; she always looks perfect, pretty, stylish, and thin—like she has it all. But inside, this forty-something Superwoman is exhausted, depressed, and running on empty.
Jennifer and her husband, Bill, have a preteen daughter and teen son. Bill is deeply involved in his work and is a high-proﬁle volunteer in their community. He isn’t very available with his time or emotions, so Jennifer manages most details of family life, including the schedules for Bill, their marriage, their kids, her parents, and Bill’s parents.
Her parents and in-laws are getting older and starting to have health problems. They all rely on Jennifer’s aid. She wants to help them more but feels guilty if she can’t be there for them. In fact, Jennifer feels besieged while trying to hold the home front together in the complex, accelerating rush of twenty-ﬁrst-century family life, while also working outside the home. Despite the burdens, Jennifer projects a cheerful attitude, seeming to easily juggle the families’
needs and manage her career.
Jennifer doesn’t know how to stop doing everything for fear that her world will ﬂy apart and she’ll let down the people she loves.
While she knows it’s impossible, Jennifer keeps trying to be perfect and rarely asks for help. She tends to be a control junkie, attempting to micromanage the minutiae of her life and her family’s life because she feels so little command over the larger forces affecting her world
and her family.
Jennifer’s body is also complex, and its rhythms and shape change as she moves through adulthood. Despite this, she has been led to believe (by her upbringing, the culture, and the media) that she can—and should—control her body’s shape, weight, appearance, and aging.
So when she feels overrun by life’s requirements and uncertainties, Jennifer ﬁghts determinedly to make her body obey her commands. This helps her feel more in control than she does when facing the overwhelming demands of her overall situation, the ambiguity she feels about her life, and the daily comments she gets from other people about her body.
Years ago Jennifer learned to assess her self-worth on the bathroom scale and to translate her negative emotions into what body image educator Sandy Friedman calls “the language of fat.” That’s why Jennifer has been dieting and struggling with body image issues since she was a teenager, and adult stresses regularly rekindle those struggles. Jennifer kept her problem well hidden, and no one seemed to notice.
Because she had difﬁculty getting pregnant, Jennifer underwent fertility treatments that made her gain weight. Her pregnancies brought even more concern about weight, and she dieted severely after each birth. Jennifer feels that postpartum crash diets were essential to keep Bill interested in her. Jennifer would rather change her body than explore the mistrust simmering just below the surface of her marriage. She ﬁnds it scary to ask why she is afraid that Bill
would leave her if she wasn’t physically attractive enough.
Her postpartum diet goal was for her to return to her original weight, but she overshot each target, becoming thinner after each pregnancy than she was before it. She likes how people
frequently compliment her on her appearance and emphatically praise her weight loss. But while her OB/GYN never addressed it, she still worries about how and why her periods became wildly irregular after her second postpartum diet. Now that she’s entering menopause, Jennifer feels even less control over her body and everything else in her life. Afraid that she will gain weight during menopause, she restricts her food intake more strictly and combines periodic
vomiting with hours of intense daily exercise to ﬁght the pounds.
Now Jennifer’s facade is beginning to crack. The weight is coming off, but she isn’t getting the same boost to her self-esteem that dieting used to deliver. Instead of feeling more satisﬁed, Jennifer feels more anxious. She’s always been very close to her kids but now feels left
out of their adolescent lives. Her son, Jerry, is less communicative, and she deeply misses their former closeness. Her daughter, Mandy, reminds Jennifer of herself at age twelve: rigid, competitive, and always pushing herself. The familiar way Mandy criticizes her body
and obsesses about dieting frightens Jennifer. She is afraid Mandy will replicate Jennifer’s own decades of struggle with her body image.
Watching Mandy, Jennifer decides she can’t leave this painful legacy to her daughter. Jennifer admits to herself that she has some kind of problem but is ashamed that it has lingered so long into adulthood. Convinced that being obsessed about body image is a teenager’s problem, she thinks she should be over it. But ﬁnally Jennifer gathers the courage to bring her concerns to her gynecologist at her next checkup.
Before she can even mention her concerns, however, the nurse enthusiastically compliments Jennifer on her appearance and asks how she was able to keep all that weight off and look so good. The doctor is just as ﬂattering when he enters the exam room. Feeling misunderstood and confused, she never asks him for help or tells him the truth about her ﬂuctuating periods and the dangerous ways she manages her weight. Jennifer goes home frightened, ashamed, hopeless,
and uncertain about what to do. From what people tell her, she looks better and better on the outside, but she feels worse and worse inside her pretty little body.

Adult Women and the Pressure to Be Perfect

2009-10-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

In the relatively short history of eating disorders treatment, the
overwhelming majority of patients and clients have been young
women in their teens and twenties. In most cases, a young woman’s
mother makes the ﬁrst call for help, arranging therapy, medical atten-
tion, and other treatment for her daughter.
Nowadays, adult women still make the initial calls to an eating
disorder or body image professional. But more and more, these
women call to get help not for their daughters—but for themselves.
Over the past few years, the national press has periodically asked
me to discuss the growing number of women over thirty seeking
treatment for eating disorders. Each time a news story appears on this
subject, I receive dozens of calls from additional reporters and pro-
ducers. I also hear from many ordinary women who say, “This is
every woman’s secret. It’s about time we started talking about it.”
This buzz of media interest reflects the mounting number of
women in their thirties, forties, ﬁfties, sixties, and even older women
who suffer from seriously disordered eating or body image problems.
The Renfrew Center, a national leader in eating disorders treatment,
reports that one-third of its residential patients are now over thirty, a
historical shift. Eating disorders therapists around the country are
seeing steady increases in the number of adult women on their case-
loads. On the outside, most of these adult women seem successful in
their careers and appear to have their lives under control. Inside,
however, they spiral through frightening and dreary stages of severe
dieting, bingeing, purging, and obsessing about their weight.
What’s happening here? The prevalence of eating disorders and
body image despair isn’t contagious or a matter of inverted heredity,
spreading from young women to their mothers. Who are these adult
women? And why do they need help?
They may be women struggling with body image loathing that
arose during their youth and never really abated.
They may have suffered from anorexia or bulimia in their teens
but pulled out of the downward spiral for decades—only to relapse
when they are older.
They may have been preoccupied with food and weight for years
but never been incapacitated—until now.
They may be women who, faced with the challenges of adulthood
and loss of status in a youth-oriented world, develop eating obses-
sions or a steadily distorted body image for the ﬁrst time in their lives.
As adult women, we have come to live under the terms of a
widely accepted Body Myth: that the answer to life’s meaning
and challenges lies in our body’s appearance. We believe that our
self-worth (and our worth to others) is (and ought to be) based on
how we look, what we weigh, and what we eat. This book reveals
why and how body image, appetite, and hunger have become so
central to women’s lives. The voices and stories of real women in
this book expose the deep pain and disruption brought on by body
image crises.
But I also make clear how adult women with eating disorders and
other serious body image problems are truly different from their ado-
lescent counterparts. The myth that these problems are limited only
to teenagers often results in adult women with body and food issues
feeling even more abnormal than they would otherwise. Many see no
place to turn and no sign that others share what seems like a “girl’s”
problem. Feeling ashamed that she hasn’t gotten beyond such prob-
lems isolates a woman, which in turn makes it more difﬁcult to seek
and accept help.

The Arms - Total Body - Men's Health

2009-10-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

This is the first in a series of chapters that will teach you how to build the body you want, one muscle group at a time.

GOALS
Beginner: Accustom your body to exercise and increase the strength in your arms.
Advanced beginner and intermediate: Start to develop visibly muscular arms.
Advanced: Create arms like a superhero’s.

NEXT TIME you’re in the gym, look around. How many of the guys are trying to build bigger arms? Lots of them, right? Few of them, unfortunately, are going to succeed.
“Most guys’ workouts won’t increase the size of their arms,” says David Pearson, Ph.D., of Ball State University. Many men just work until they can’t lift their arms anymore, which forces in enough blood to create a great “pump” but does nothing to add beef.
The only way to do that? “Lift heavier weights with good form,” Pearson says.
This four-part plan will take you from beginner to iron man, as you work with increasingly heavier weights on different exercises, using shifting sets and repetitions.
Result: real muscle growth for as long as you want it.

Preventing Anemia

2009-06-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

Whether anemia can be prevented depends on its cause. Currently, there is no way to prevent anemia due to genetic defects affecting the production of RBCs or hemoglobin.

However, you can help prevent iron deficiency, the most common form of anemia. Before following any of these suggestions, be sure to talk them over with your doctor:

Cow's milk consumption. During the first 6 months of life, babies are usually protected against developing iron deficiency by the stores of iron built up in their bodies before birth. But after month 6, they often don't get enough iron through breast milk alone or regular cow's milk (which contains less iron than fortified infant formula). Regular cow's milk can cause some infants to lose iron from their intestines, and drinking lots of it can make a baby less interested in eating other foods that are better sources of iron. For these reasons, regular cow's milk is not recommended for children until they reach 1 year of age and are eating an iron-rich diet. In addition, they should not drink more than 24-32 ounces (709-946 ml) of milk each day. If you can't get your child to eat more iron-rich foods, speak with your doctor about giving your child an iron supplement.
Iron-fortified cereal and formula. These products can help ensure that your baby is getting enough iron, especially during the transition from breast milk or formula to solid foods.
Well-balanced diet. Make sure that your kids regularly eat foods that contain iron. Good choices include iron-fortified grains and cereals, red meat, egg yolks, leafy green vegetables, yellow vegetables and fruits, potato skins, tomatoes, molasses, and raisins. If your child is a vegetarian, you'll need to make an extra effort to ensure sufficient iron sources because iron found in meat, poultry, and fish is more easily absorbed than iron found in plant-based and iron-fortified foods. Also, be aware that certain food combinations can inhibit or promote absorption of iron. For example, drinking coffee or tea (including iced tea) with a meal can significantly lower the amount of iron absorbed. On the other hand, vitamin C helps the body absorb iron.

If you have any questions about anemia or you think your child might have it, speak with your doctor.

Caring for a Child With Anemia

2009-06-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

The type, cause, and severity of your child's anemia will determine what kind of care is needed. Rest assured, though, that kids often tolerate anemia much better than adults.

In general, a child with significant anemia may tire more easily than other kids and therefore need to limit activity levels. Make sure that your child's teachers and other caregivers are aware of the condition. If iron deficiency is the cause, follow the doctor's directions about dietary changes and taking any iron supplements.

If the spleen is enlarged, your child may be prohibited from playing contact sports because of the risk that the spleen could rupture or hemorrhage if your child is hurt. Certain forms of anemia, such as sickle cell anemia, require other more specific kinds of care and treatment.

Anemia - Treatment

2009-06-25T21:27:00.001-07:00

Treatment

Treatment for anemia depends on its cause. It's important not to assume that any symptoms your child may be having are due to iron deficiency. Be sure to have your child checked by a doctor.

If your child has iron deficiency anemia, the doctor may prescribe medication as drops (for infants) or as a liquid or tablet (for older kids), which usually must be taken for as long as 3 months to rebuild the body's store of iron. The doctor also may recommend adding certain iron-rich foods to your child's diet or reducing milk intake.

If your teenage daughter is anemic and has heavy or irregular menstrual periods, her doctor may prescribe hormonal treatment to help regulate the bleeding.

Folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements may be prescribed if the anemia is traced to a deficiency of these nutrients, although this is rare in children.

Anemia caused by an infection will usually improve when the infection passes or is treated. If a certain medication appears to be the cause, your doctor may discontinue it or replace it with something else — unless the benefit of the drug outweighs this side effect.

Depending on the cause, treatment for more severe or chronic forms of anemia may include:

transfusions of normal red blood cells taken from a donor
removal of the spleen or treatment with medications to prevent blood cells from being removed from circulation or destroyed too rapidly
medications to fight infection or stimulate the bone marrow to make more blood cells

In some cases of sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and aplastic anemia, bone marrow transplantation may be used. In this procedure, bone marrow cells taken from a donor are injected into the child's vein; they then travel through the bloodstream to the bone marrow and begin producing new blood cells.

Diagnosing Anemia

2009-06-25T21:25:00.002-07:00

In many cases, doctors don't diagnose anemia until they run blood tests as part of a routine physical examination. A complete blood count (CBC) may indicate that there are fewer RBCs than normal. Other diagnostic tests may include:

Blood smear examination: Blood is smeared on a glass slide for microscopic examination of RBCs, which can sometimes indicate the cause of the anemia.
Iron tests: These include total serum iron and ferritin tests, which can help to determine whether anemia is due to iron deficiency.
Hemoglobin electrophoresis: Used to identify various abnormal hemoglobins in the blood and to diagnose sickle cell anemia, the thalassemias, and other inherited forms of anemia.
Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: This test can help determine whether cell production is happening normally in the bone marrow. It's the only way to diagnose aplastic anemia definitively and is also used if a disease affecting the bone marrow (such as leukemia) could be causing of the anemia.
Reticulocyte count: A measure of young RBCs, this helps to determine if RBC production is at normal levels.

In addition to running these tests, your doctor may ask about a family history of anemia and your child's symptoms and medications. This may lead the doctor to perform other tests to look for specific diseases that might be causing the anemia.

Anemia - Signs and Symptoms

2009-06-25T21:25:00.001-07:00

Signs and Symptoms

If your child has anemia, the first symptoms might be mild skin paleness and decreased pinkness of the lips and nailbeds. These changes may happen gradually, though, so they can be difficult to notice. Other common signs include:

irritability
fatigue
dizziness, lightheadedness, and a rapid heartbeat

If the anemia is caused by excessive destruction of RBCs, symptoms also may include jaundice, a yellowing of the whites of the eyes, an enlarged spleen, and dark tea-colored urine.

In infants and preschoolers, iron deficiency anemia can result in developmental delays and behavioral disturbances, such as decreased motor activity and problems with social interaction and attention to tasks. Research indicates that developmental problems may last into and beyond school age if the iron deficiency is not properly treated.

Anemia - Inadequate Production of RBCs

2009-06-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

Anemia Caused by Inadequate Production of RBCs

Aplastic anemia occurs when the bone marrow can't make enough RBCs. This can be due to a viral infection, or exposure to certain toxic chemicals, radiation, or medications (such as antibiotics, antiseizure drugs, or cancer treatments). Some childhood cancers can also cause aplastic anemia, as can certain chronic diseases that affect the ability of the bone marrow to make blood cells.

High levels of hemoglobin and RBCs help fetal blood carry enough oxygen to developing babies in the relatively oxygen-poor environment in utero. After the child is born, more oxygen is available and the baby's hemoglobin level normally drops to a low point at about 2 months of age, a condition known as physiologic anemia of infancy. This temporary and expected drop in the blood count is considered normal and no treatment is required because the infant's body soon starts making RBCs on its own.

Anemia also occurs when the body isn't able to produce enough healthy RBCs because of an iron deficiency. Iron is essential to hemoglobin production. Poor dietary iron intake (or excessive loss of iron from the body) can lead to iron deficiency anemia, the most common cause of anemia in kids. Iron deficiency anemia can affect kids at any age, but is most common in those younger than 2 years old. Young children who drink excessive amounts of milk are at increased risk for iron deficiency.

Girls going through puberty also have a particularly high risk for iron deficiency anemia because of the onset of menstruation; the monthly blood loss increases the amount of iron they need to consume in their diets.

Anemia - Blodd Loss

2009-06-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

Anemia Caused by Blood Loss

Blood loss can also cause anemia — whether it's because of excessive bleeding due to injury, surgery, or a problem with the blood's clotting ability. Slower, long-term blood loss, such as intestinal bleeding from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), can also cause anemia. Anemia sometimes results from heavy menstrual periods in teen girls and women. Any of these factors will also increase the body's need for iron because iron is needed to make new RBCs.

Anemia - Destruction of RBCs

2009-06-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

About Anemia

Anemia, one of the more common blood disorders, occurs when the level of healthy red blood cells (RBCs) in the body becomes too low. This can lead to health problems because RBCs contain hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the body's tissues. Anemia can cause a variety of complications, including fatigue and stress on bodily organs.

Anemia can be caused by many things, but the three main bodily mechanisms that produce it are:

excessive destruction of RBCs
blood loss
inadequate production of RBCs

Among many other causes, anemia can result from inherited disorders, nutritional problems (such as an iron or vitamin deficiency), infections, some kinds of cancer, or exposure to a drug or toxin.

Anemia Caused by Destruction of RBCs

Hemolytic anemia occurs when red blood cells are being destroyed prematurely. (The normal lifespan of RBCs is 120 days; in hemolytic anemia, it's much shorter.) And the bone marrow (the soft, spongy tissue inside bones that makes new blood cells) simply can't keep up with the body's demand for new cells. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, infections or certain medications — such as antibiotics or antiseizure medicines — are to blame.

In autoimmune hemolytic anemia, the immune system mistakes RBCs for foreign invaders and begins destroying them. Other kids inherit defects in the red blood cells that lead to anemia; common forms of inherited hemolytic anemia include sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, and hereditary spherocytosis.

Sickle cell anemia is a severe form of anemia found most commonly in people of African heritage, although it can affect those of Caucasian, Saudi Arabian, Indian, and Mediterranean descent. In this condition, the hemoglobin forms long rods when it gives up its oxygen, stretching red blood cells into abnormal sickle shapes. This leads to premature destruction of RBCs, chronically low levels of hemoglobin, and recurring episodes of pain, as well as problems that can affect virtually every other organ system in the body. About 1 out of every 625 African-American children is born with this form of anemia.
Thalassemia, which usually affects people of Mediterranean, African, and Southeast Asian descent, is marked by abnormal and short-lived RBCs. Thalassemia major, also called Cooley's anemia, is a severe form of anemia in which RBCs are rapidly destroyed and iron is deposited in the skin and vital organs. Thalassemia minor involves only mild anemia and minimal red blood cell changes.
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency most commonly affects males of African heritage, although it has been found in many other groups of people. With this condition the RBCs either do not make enough of the enzyme G6PD or the enzyme that is produced is abnormal and doesn't work well. When someone born with this deficiency has an infection, takes certain medicines, or is exposed to specific substances, the body's RBCs suffer extra stress. Without adequate G6PD to protect them, many red blood cells are destroyed prematurely.
Hereditary spherocytosis is a genetic disorder of the RBC's membrane that can cause anemia, jaundice (yellow-tinged skin), and enlargement of the spleen. The RBCs have a smaller surface area than normal red blood cells, which can cause them to break open easily. A family history increases the risk for this disorder, which is most common in people of northern European descent but can affect all races.

Allergy and Asthma as Serious Public Health Problems

2009-06-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

Althoughthe im-
mune system serves to protect the host
from infection and cancer, inappropriate
responses of this system can lead to
disease. Common among the results of
immune dysfunction are allergies and
asthma, both serious public health prob-
lems. Details of the mechanisms that un-
derlie allergic and asthmatic responses
to environmental antigens (or allergens)
will be considered in Chapter 16. Simply
stated, allergic reactions are responses
to antigenic stimuli that result in immu-
nity based mainly on the IgE class of im-
munoglobulin. Exposure to the antigen
(or allergen) triggers an IgE-mediated re-
lease of molecules that cause symptoms
ranging from sneezing and dermatitis to
inflammation of the lungs in an asth-
matic attack. The sequence of events in
an allergic response is depicted in the ac-
companying figure.
The discomfort from common aller-
gies such as plant pollen allergy (often
called ragweed allergy) consists of a
week or two of sneezing and runny nose,
which may seem trivial compared with
health problems such as cancer, cardiac
arrest, or life-threatening infections. A
more serious allergic reaction is asthma,

Stress may indeed be a direct contributor to childhood obesity.

2009-05-20T22:52:00.000-07:00

That's according to a new Iowa State University study finding that increased levels of stress in adolescents are associated with a greater likelihood of them being overweight or obese.

The study of 1,011 adolescents (aged 10-15) and their mothers from low income families living in three cities -- Boston, Chicago and San Antonio -- was posted online by the Journal of Adolescent Health and will be published in its August issue. Forty-seven percent of the teens in the sample were overweight or obese, but that percentage increased to 56.2 percent among those who were impacted by four or more stressors.

"We found that an adolescent or youth who's more stressed -- caused by such things as having poor grades, mental health problems, more aggressive behavior, or doing more drugs and alcohol -- is also more likely to be overweight or obese," said lead author Brenda Lohman, an Iowa State assistant professor of human development and family studies (HDFS).

Susan Stewart, an ISU associate professor of sociology; and Steven Garasky, a professor of HDFS at Iowa State; joined Lohman on the research team. Former ISU faculty members Craig Gundersen, a member of the agricultural and consumer economics faculty at the University of Illinois; and Joey Eisenmann, a member of the kinesiology and pediatrics faculty at Michigan State University; also contributed to the study.

The study analyzes data obtained from the "Welfare, Children and Families: A Three-City Study" -- a six-year longitudinal investigation. Researchers measured the height and weight of the adolescents to determine their body mass index, which was subsequently used to determine weight status based on two widely used classification systems. Adolescent food insecurity status and individual, maternal and family stressors were also determined through interviews.

The five factors used to determine the individual stressor index for the adolescents were:

Academic problems
Consumption of drugs and alcohol
Depression or poor mental health levels
Acting out or aggressive behaviors
Lack of future orientation

The researchers wrote that the adolescents' relationship with stress and becoming overweight may be a result of biological (perturbed hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal glands) as well as behavioral responses to stress, such as overeating and lack of exercise.

"It could possibly be that the obesity is leading to these stressors too," Lohman said. "And so the work that we're doing right now looks at which one of these is really coming first: the stressors or the obesity. We know that it is cyclical and that all of these factors just compound on each other."

The study also found that a mother's stress, coupled with food insecurity in the household -- a situation in which an individual cannot access enough food to sustain active, healthy living -- contributes to a child's chances of becoming overweight or obese.

"In our past research, we did not find this association for older youth (ages 11-17), we only found it for young children (ages 3-10) who were in a house that had enough food or were food-secure," Lohman said. "But it may be that the adolescents are more cognitively aware of what's going on in the household and they take on their mothers' stress as well. This may be exacerbated in houses where there's not enough food."

While this study singles out mothers, fathers aren't immune to their child's weight status either.

"My own research focuses on fathers and shows that fathers, too, have an effect on children's eating habits and obesity," said Stewart, author of the book "Brave New Stepfamilies," who had another study posted by the Journal of Adolescent Health last month on nonresident father involvement and adolescent eating patterns.

"In our latest study, we found that kids who are involved with nonresident dads eat better -- more vegetables, less fast food," she said. "However, similar to the Lohman study, living with a single mom was associated with worse eating habits."

Lohman says the new research should emphasize the need for healthcare professionals to take a more holistic approach in their treatment of obese teens.

"We absolutely have to focus on their (teens) health, well-being, nutrition and exercise -- and education of these things for them," she said. "But we really need to also look holistically at their life and work towards reducing stress and rates of food insecurity for those adolescents as well."

Gunderson, Garasky and Lohman also just published a study out today on the relationship between food insecurity and adolescent obesity. Among 2,516 participants (1,239 girls, 1,277 boys) drawn from the 2001-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 37 percent of families were considered food insecure. Using five different measures of obesity -- BMI, waist circumference, triceps skinfold thickness, trunk fat mass, and percent body fat -- researchers determined that 15 to 45 percent of children were classified as obese. Yet they found no statistically significant relationship between food insecurity and obesity, regardless of which indicator was used.

'Sexercise' will keep you healthy and young

2009-05-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

According to British health experts if you want to get fit forget the gym, jogging round the park and doing sit ups, a workout between the sheets is a more effective and enjoyable way of keeping healthy.

The British National Health Service is recommending that for those too busy to fit regular exercise into their schedule, sex will not only lower the risk of heart attacks but will help people live longer.

According to the NHS during "sexercise" endorphins released at orgasm stimulate immune system cells, which also helps target illnesses like cancer, as well as wrinkles.

While sexual health experts agree there is evidence that sex has benefits for mental wellbeing, they say claims of a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer could not be scientifically proven.

The NHS however claims the theory is backed by science and clinical evidence.

The advice, entitled "Get more than zeds in bed", is one of several sexual health-related articles to be found on the NHS Direct website and claims sex with a little energy and imagination provides a workout worthy of an athlete.

The article also says orgasms even prevent wrinkles and frown lines from deepening.

The NHS says that sex uses every muscle group, gets the heart and lungs working hard, and burns about 300 calories an hour.

The advice suggests "regular romps this winter" could lead to a better body and a younger look, make hair shine and skin smooth.

The article also claims goes that orgasms release "painkillers" into the bloodstream, which help keep mild illnesses such as colds and aches and pains away.

Healthy bones and muscles, and a feeling of wellbeing are they say a guaranteed result of the production of extra oestrogen and testosterone hormones which sex engenders.

Swine Flu Science

2009-05-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

by Dr. Marc Siegel

The following statements are where I think we are currently on the new swine flu H1N1 influenza A strain. I’ve also communicated with Drs. Ann Schuchat and Nancy Cox at the CDC, who responded that they agree with these comments.

The H1N1 influenza A is a new strain — a swine flu strain — with some genetic components that are characteristic of human and bird flu viruses. It bears watching and tracking, as any new influenza does.
It is spreading human to human, and may have the attack rate of a typical yearly influenza A, but this is particularly difficult to determine because of both the overreporting (everyone thinks they have it), and under reporting (we are not really tracking the full spectrum of disease as we are not testing those with mild symptoms). It is also too early to really determine transmissability, because there are too few cases.
Virulence appears to be low and if this continues, it will be a mild pandemic at worst. It currently appears to be very transmissible, but the outbreak could wane further if transmissability decreases. A severe pandemic will likely result only if it mutates into a more virulent strain. But assessment of the strain’s virulence is also based on a limited number of cases.
It is worthwhile to begin preparing a vaccine, but we don’t yet have the upgraded technology (mammalian cell culture, reverse genetics) in regular use for flu, so we may have to rely on the older technologies (using hen eggs to provide a medium for growing the dead virus). This has yet to be determined.
It is likely to wane soon due to summer weather, but bears watching carefully over our summer in the southern hemisphere, and mapping carefully for resurgence in the fall.
Since the WHO designations for pandemic alert don’t include severity of illness or even true extent of illness, raising the pandemic alert levels have led to the public misperception that massive deaths are about to occur, which is part of the reason why the fear level is so high. It is best to provide calm accurate contexted information to avoid this, as I point out in “False Alarm; the Truth About the Epidemic of Fear.”

Dr. Marc Siegel is an internist and associate professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. He is a FOX News medical contributor and writes a health column for the LA Times, where he examines TV and movies for medical accuracy. Dr. Siegel is the author of “False Alarm: The Truth About the Epidemic of Fear“ and “Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic.” Read more at www.doctorsiegel.com

Coffee and Dementia

2009-05-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

by Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD

Can coffee help reduce the risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease?

Dementia /Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that attacks the brain function, affects memory and alters logical capacity to the point that simple daily tasks become almost impossible. A combination of factors including age, genetic inheritance, diet, and environment is likely to be responsible for this heartbreaking disease, since there has been no specific proven cause.

According to the April publication of Tufts Newsletter, a new study by Finnish and Swedish researchers reported that people who drink between three to five cups of coffee a day in midlife could be cutting their risk of dementia/Alzheimer’s disease by 65 percent. Researchers followed over 1,000 people. During that time, 61 participants developed dementia, 48 with Alzheimer’s disease. After controlling for recurrent socioeconomic and health factors, including high cholesterol and high blood pressure, the scientists found that the subjects who had reported drinking three to five cups of coffee daily were 65 percent less likely to have developed dementia, compared with those who drank two cups or less. There were not enough people who drank more than five cups to depict statistically significant conclusions, but researchers said they too, were at reduced risk of dementia.

Although it is unclear exactly how moderate coffee drinking helps delay or avoid these diseases, studies have shown that coffee contains strong antioxidants, which are known to counter them. Some studies have also shown that coffee helps protect the nervous system, which can also protect against dementia. Due to the fact that the average American drinks more than three and half cups of coffee daily, these results can have imperative implications for the prevention or delaying the onset of dementia/Alzheimer’s disease.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of www.Skinnyandthecity.com. She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being. For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Children's environmental health

2009-05-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

Children are our future, numbering over 2.3 billion worldwide (aged 0-19) and representing boundless potential. Child survival and development hinge on basic needs to support life; among these, a safe, healthy and clean environment is fundamental.

Children are exposed to serious health risks from environmental hazards. Over 40% of the global burden of disease attributed to environmental factors falls on children below five years of age, who account for only about 10% of the world's population. Environmental risk factors often act in concert, and their effects are exacerbated by adverse social and economic conditions, particularly conflict, poverty and malnutrition. There is new knowledge about the special susceptibility of children to environmental risks: action needs to be taken to allow them to grow up and develop in good health, and to contribute to economic and social development.

Each year, at least three million children under the age of five die due to environment-related diseases.
Acute respiratory infections annually kill an estimated two million children under the age of five. As much as 60 percent of acute respiratory infections worldwide are related to environmental conditions.
Diarrhoeal diseases claim the lives of nearly two million children every year. Eighty to 90 percent of these diarrhoea cases are related to environmental conditions, in particular, contaminated water and inadequate sanitation.
Nearly one million children under the age of five died of malaria in 1998. Up to 90 percent of malaria cases are attributed to environmental factors

Pare (momordica charantia), the bitter having many benefits

2009-02-24T19:07:00.000-08:00

This plant is bitter. But, behind the bitter taste it was saved a million of for the health benefits. What are benefits of "pare"?

Property of the fruit
1. Dysentery
Provide 2 pare fresh fruit, washing ago cut into pieces. Add a quarter glass of water, and blends. Seduh and PERAS. Please drink 2 times a day.

2. Urine Manis
Take 2 pare fruit, clean and lumatkan. Add half a glass of clean water. Poke and PERAS. Drink a day for 1 ingredient. Repeated for 2 weeks.

3. Penambah ASI
Take 1 pare the fruit, wash clean, then boiled a few minutes. Used as lalap.

4. Blain
Pare the fruit is used as a medicine outside. Take 1 fresh fruit directly dilumatkan. Borehkan on the popular ulcer.

5. Bronchitis
Provide 2-3 pare the fruit, and taken sarinya. Give 1 tablespoon honey. Drink once a day. Do for 3 months. This recipe is also good cure for anemia, gastritis, pain in your heart, painful menstruation, rheumatism, and streamline the body.

Leaf property
1. Ulcer and worms kremi
Provide 1 handful of fresh leaves, given a quarter-cup of clean water, and blender. Filtered with gauze. If necessary, add a little salt, secukupnya palm sugar, and lemon. Once a day to drink a quarter cup. Do for 1 sunday.

2. Childbed fever
Take 3 pare fresh leaves, wash clean, and lumatkan. Add a glass of water and a little salt, and seduh. PERAS and filter, and drink 2 times a day as many as half a glass.

3. Penambah ASI
2 leaves provide heat pare some time ago. Kompreskan on the breast.

4. Pain in your heart
Provide pare 6 grams of fresh leaves, 5 grams rimpang temulawak, and 110 ml of water. Boil all ingredients for 15 minutes, and filtered with gauze, and PERAS. Drink once a day. Repeat for 2 sunday.

5. Hair Subur
Take a few sheets pare fresh leaves, wash clean remas-remas ago. Enough to be smeared scalp of children.

6. Cough
Undecided 7 pare fresh leaves, then seduh with 2 tablespoon water. After that, PERAS and filtered. Drink 2 times a day.

7. Scar
Wash clean pare handful of fresh leaves, and lumatkan. Add a little hot water, and PERAS. Perasan water mixed with 2 tablespoon of rice flour, and poke up evenly. Borehkan on the scar every day.

8. Hemorrhoids
Take 5 pare fresh leaves, add a quarter cup of water, boil and PERAS. Take 3 spoons perasan this water, then mixed with a glass of liquid yoghurt. Drink every morning.

9. Infertility
Provide 27 grams pare fresh leaf extract, 7 grains of black pepper, 3 cloves garlic, and 27 grams palm sugar. All materials dilumatkan, and add a glass of water. Boil and PERAS. Perasan drinking water every day for 3-4 months.

10. Skin disease
Make 1 cup leaf extract pare. How, take 3 pare leaf blade plus one-half cup water. Boil and PERAS. Perasan water mixed with a sari spoon lemon juice. Drink once a day.

11. Rabun night
Sari leaves pare be smeared around the eyes.

Property Roots
1. Dysentery amoeba
Take a handful pare root, add a glass of water. Boil and PERAS. Drink once a day.

2. Pile
Take pare root, wash clean, then lumatkan. Oleskan this herb in the pile.

Pare (momordica charantia), Si Pahit yang Banyak Khasiat

2009-02-24T19:05:00.000-08:00

Tanaman satu ini memang pahit. Tapi, di balik rasa pahit itu ternyata tersimpan sejuta manfaat untuk kesehatan. Apa saja, sih, kegunaan tanaman pare?

Khasiat Buah
1. Disentri
Sediakan 2 buah pare segar, cuci lalu potong-potong. Tambahkan seperempat gelas air bersih, lalu diblender. Seduh dan peras. Silakan diminum 2 kali sehari.

2. Kencing Manis
Ambil 2 buah pare, cuci dan lumatkan. Tambahkan setengah gelas air bersih. Aduk dan peras. Minum sehari sebanyak 1 ramuan. Diulang selama 2 minggu.

3. Penambah ASI
Ambil 1 buah pare, cuci bersih, lalu rebus beberapa menit. Dipakai sebagai lalap.

4. Bisul
Buah pare dipakai sebagai obat luar. Ambil 1 buah segar lantas dilumatkan. Borehkan pada bagian yang terkenal bisul.

5. Bronkhitis
Sediakan 2-3 buah pare, lalu diambil sarinya. Berikan 1 sendok makan madu. Minum sekali sehari. Lakukan selama 3 bulan. Resep ini juga baik untuk menyembuhkan anemia, radang perut, sakit pada hati, nyeri haid, reumatik, dan melangsingkan tubuh.

Khasiat Daun
1. Bisul dan cacing kremi
Sediakan 1 genggam daun segar, diberi seperempat cangkir air bersih, lalu blender. Saring dengan kain kasa. Jika perlu, tambahkan sedikit garam, gula aren secukupnya, dan jeruk nipis. Minum sekali sehari seperempat cangkir. Lakukan selama 1 minggu.

2. Demam nifas
Ambil 3 daun pare segar, cuci bersih, dan lumatkan. Tambahkan segelas air dan sedikit garam, lalu seduh. Peras dan saring, lalu minum 2 kali sehari sebanyak setengah gelas.

3. Penambah ASI
Sediakan 2 daun pare lalu panaskan beberapa saat. Kompreskan pada payudara.

4. Sakit pada hati
Sediakan 6 gram daun pare segar, 5 gram rimpang temulawak, dan 110 ml air. Didihkan semua bahan selama 15 menit, lalu saring dengan kain kasa, dan peras. Minumlah sekali sehari. Ulangi selama 2 minggu.

5. Rambut Subur
Ambil beberapa helai daun pare segar, cuci bersih lalu remas-remas. Cukup dioleskan ke kulit kepala anak.

6. Batuk
Pilihlah 7 daun pare segar, lantas seduh dengan 2 sendok makan air bersih. Setelah itu, peras dan saring. Minum 2 kali sehari.

7. Bekas luka
Cuci bersih segenggam daun pare segar, lalu lumatkan. Tambahkan air panas sedikit, lalu peras. Campur air perasan dengan 2 sendok makan tepung beras, lalu aduk sampai merata. Borehkan pada bagian bekas luka setiap hari.

8. Wasir
Ambil 5 daun pare segar, tambahkan seperempat gelas air, didihkan dan peras. Ambil 3 sendok air perasan ini, lalu dicampur dengan segelas yoghurt cair. Minum setiap pagi.

9. Kemandulan
Sediakan 27 gram sari daun pare segar, 7 butir lada hitam, 3 siung bawang putih, dan 27 gram gula jawa. Semua bahan dilumatkan, lalu tambahkan segelas air bersih. Didihkan dan peras. Minum air perasan setiap hari selama 3-4 bulan.

10. Penyakit kulit
Buatlah 1 cangkir sari daun pare. Caranya, ambil 3 helai daun pare ditambah satu setengah cangkir air. Didihkan dan peras. Campur air perasan berupa sari ini dengan sesendok air jeruk. Minum sekali sehari.

11. Rabun malam
Sari daun pare dioleskan di sekitar mata.

Khasiat Akar
1. Disentri Amoeba
Ambil segenggam akar pare, tambahkan segelas air bersih. Didihkan dan peras. Minum sekali sehari.

2. Ambeien
Ambil akar pare, cuci bersih, lantas lumatkan. Oleskan ramuan ini pada ambeien.

Atasi Lelah Dengan 22 Cara

2009-02-24T18:56:00.000-08:00

Pernahkah Anda merasa mengapa Anda begitu mudah lelah?, bisa jadi bukan kegiatan Anda yang terlalu berat dan membebani Anda tapi justru Andalah yang tidak bisa mengatur kondisi diri Anda sendiri.

Cobalah untuk mengatur diri Anda, mulai dari pola makan hingga tidur Anda agar lebih tertata dan membuat Anda tidak mudah lelah meskipun dengan kegiatan sehari penuh.

-	Atur pola makan Anda. Kebiasaan makan memainkan peran penting sebaik apa tubuh kita berfungsi pada setiap tingkatan
-	Sarapan. Penelitian menunjukkan seseorang yang sarapan akan merasa lebih baik, baik secara mental dan fisik daripada yang tidak sarapan
-	Makan setiap tiga sampai empat jam sekali. Dengan memakan tiga makanan dengan jumlah sedikit dan dua camilan sepanjang hari dapat menjaga kadar gula darah dan tingkat energi untuk tetap stabil sepanjang hari
-	Makanlah lebih banyak serat. Serat akan masuk ke dalam aliran darah Anda dengan lambat dan tenang, sehingga akan membuat energi Anda tetap terjaga
-	Berikan asupan omega-3 untuk otak Anda
-	Banyak minum. Air dapat meningkatkan fungsi utama darah dan cairan tubuh lainnya, dan bahkan dehidrasi ringan dapat menyebabkan darah mengental, membuat jantung memompa lebih keras sehingga menyebabkan kelelahan.
-	Jagalah asupan kafein setelah sore hari. Jika asupan kafein terlalu banyak atau diminum pada sore atau malam hari, maka kualitas tidur Anda akan terganggu.
-	Basuh muka Anda dengan air atau mandilah ketika Anda merasa stress
-	Berpakaianlah dengan pakaian yang bagus dan baik, agar image Anda tetap terjaga.
-	Sangat membantu dengan berpakaian yang bagus dan berkaca, akan membuat perasaan Anda lebih baik.
-	Buanglah kecemasan dan ketakutan Anda. Semakin Anda menyimpan kecemasan, maka semakin sulit untuk hidup tenang.
-	Dengarkan musik. Mendengarkan musik merupakan salah satu cara yang paling efektif untuk merubah bad mood, menurunkan tensi dan menambah energi.
-	Buanglah iri hati dan dendam. Iri hati dan dendam akan berpengaruh pada pikiran dan tubuh Anda dan meningkatkan kecepatan jantung dan tekanan darah sehingga menyebabkan melemahnya sistem kekebalan tubuh dan kelelahan
-	Ambilah nafas panjang. Konon, dengan banyak mengambil napas panjang saat menghadapi persoalan, dapat melancarkan peredaran darah dan membantu kita berpikir jernih.
-	Lakukanlah sesuatu yang baik. Apapun hasilnya, yang penting Anda sudah berusaha dan selalu berpikir positif.
-	Tidur atau beristirahatlah walaupun pekerjaan Anda banyak. Memberikan kesempatan tubuh Anda beristirahat, sambil mengumpulkan energi untuk menyelesaikan pekerjaan yang tersisisa.
-	Kurangi nonton tv dan komputer setelah pukul 8 malam. Makin lama Anda terpapar cahaya, maka kadar melatonin dalam otak Anda yang berfungsi merangsang Anda untuk tidur semakin berkurang. Karena melatonin diproduksi pada saat cahaya gelap.
-	Sembunyikanlah jam alarm Anda. Dengan melihat jam alarm Anda dan menghitung berapa lama waktu yang telah Anda habiskan untuk tidur akan membuat tidur malam Anda akan berkurang. Otak akan terjaga dan waspada dan mencegah Anda tidur terlalu lama
-	Tempatkan hewan piaraan Anda ketika malam di tempat lain. Kebiasaan piaraan Anda, seperti mendengkur, sering berkeliaran, akan mengganggu tidur Anda.
-	Kecilkan pemanas ruangan Anda ketika tidur. Untuk tidur malam yang baik, pastikan kamar Anda cukup dingin sehingga Anda akan memerlukan selimut tipis.
-	Hindari alkohol sebelum tidur.
-	Berolahragalah. Walaupun belum diketahui sebabnya, olahraga dapat membuat Anda tidur lebih cepat.

Diabetes Nutrition Tips

2009-02-24T18:18:00.000-08:00

People with diabetes have the same nutritional needs as anyone else. Along with exercise and medications (insulin or oral diabetes pills), nutrition is extremely important for good diabetes control. By eating well-balanced meals in the correct amounts, you can keep your blood glucose level as close to normal (non-diabetes level) as possible.

The following tips and guidance, provided by the American Diabetes Association, may be helpful for you. More information can be obtained at http://www.diabetes.org/nutrition-and-recipes/nutrition/overview.jsp.

What is a "free food"?

"Free foods" are foods that can be eaten freely without affecting diabetes control or weight, those with less than 20 calories and 5 grams carbohydrate per serving. Examples include diet soft drinks, sugar-free gelatin dessert, sugar-free ice pops, sugarless gum and sugar-free syrup.

Sugar-free does not mean carbohydrate-free. Compare the total carbohydrate content of a sugar-free food with that of the standard product. If there is a big difference in carbohydrate content between the two foods, you may want to buy the sugar-free food. If there is little difference in the total grams of carbohydrate between the two foods, choose the one you want based on price and taste. Make sure to read the label carefully to make the best choice.

"No sugar added" foods do not have any form of sugar added during processing or packaging, and do not contain high-sugar ingredients. But remember, they may still be high in carbohydrate, so you have to check the label. Fat-free foods can be higher in carbohydrates and contain almost the same calories as the foods they replace. Fat-free cookies are a good example. Fat-free foods are not necessarily a better choice than the standard product, so read your labels carefully.

Making healthy diabetes food choices

Knowing what to eat can be confusing. Everywhere you turn, there is news about what is or isn't good for you. Some basic principles have weathered the fad diets, and have stood the test of time. Here are a few tips on making healthful food choices for you and your entire family:

Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. Try picking from the rainbow of colors available to maximize variety. Eat non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, carrots, broccoli or green beans with meals.
Choose whole grain foods over processed grain products. Try brown rice with your stir fry or whole wheat spaghetti with your favorite pasta sauce.
Include dried beans (like kidney or pinto beans) and lentils into your meals.
Include fish in your meals 2-3 times a week.
Choose lean meats like cuts of beef and pork that end in "loin" such as pork loin and sirloin. Remove the skin from chicken and turkey.
Choose non-fat dairy such as skim milk, non-fat yogurt and non-fat cheese.
Choose water and calorie-free "diet" drinks instead of regular soda, fruit punch, sweet tea and other sugar-sweetened drinks.
Choose liquid oils for cooking instead of solid fats that can be high in saturated and trans fats. Remember that fats are high in calories. If you're trying to lose weight, watch your portion sizes of added fats.
Cut back on high calorie snack foods and desserts like chips, cookies, cakes, and full-fat ice cream.
Eating too much of even healthful foods can lead to weight gain. Watch your portion sizes.

Reading food labels

Reading labels can help you make correct and healthy wise food choices. Most packaged foods in the grocery store list nutrition information on the package in a section called the "Nutrition Facts."

The Nutrition Facts tell you the serving size and the amount of various nutrients such as total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and fiber per serving
Nutrient content claims such as "low fat" provide a reliable description of the product.
The list of ingredients shows the ingredients in descending order by weight.
Foods that are exempt from the label include foods in very small packages, foods prepared in the store, and foods made by small manufacturers.

Sweeteners & desserts in diabetes

Having diabetes used to mean a lifetime of meals that lacked the most pleasant aspect of taste: sweetness. Today, the rules for avoiding sugar have been relaxed. If you have diabetes, that doesn't mean you can't eat sweets. New artificial sweeteners can give you sweetness that tastes as good as sugar, without sugar's effect on your weight. People with diabetes can eat desserts, use sweeteners, and still keep their blood glucose (sugar) levels in their target range. These options are available for sweetening your foods:

Sugar and other sweeteners with calories including honey, brown sugar, molasses, fructose, cane sugar and confectioners' sugar
Reduced-calorie sweeteners including erythritol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol
Low-calorie sweeteners such as ascelfume potassium, aspartame, saccharin and sucralose

Frequently-asked questions about diabetes nutrition

What foods can I eat a lot of? Are some fats better than others? What vitamins can help my diabetes? Learn the answers to these questions and more in this section.

1. Why do I need to see a dietitian?

Registered dietitians (RDs) have training and expertise in how the body uses food. RDs who understand diabetes can teach you how the food you eat changes your blood glucose level and how to coordinate your diabetes medications and eating. Do you know how many calories you should eat each day? How to cut down on the fat in your meals? How to make eating time more interesting? An RD can help you learn the answers to these, and lots of other questions. Your dietitian will work with you to create a healthy eating plan that includes your favorite foods.

2. Can I eat foods with sugar in them?

For almost every person with diabetes, the answer is yes! Eating a piece of cake made with sugar will raise your blood glucose level. So will eating corn on the cob, a tomato sandwich, or lima beans. The truth is that sugar has gotten a bad reputation. People with diabetes can and do eat sugar. In your body, it becomes glucose, but so do the other foods mentioned above. With sugary foods, the rule is moderation. Eat too much, and 1) you'll send your blood glucose level up higher than you expected; 2) you'll fill up but without the nutrients that come with vegetables and grains; and 3) you'll gain weight. So, don't pass up a slice of birthday cake. Instead, eat a little less bread or potato, and replace it with the cake. Taking a brisk walk to burn some calories is also always helpful.

3. Why does losing weight help my diabetes?

Weight loss helps people with diabetes in two important ways. First, it lowers insulin resistance. This allows your natural insulin (in people with type 2 diabetes) to do a better job lowering blood glucose levels. If you take a diabetes medicine, losing weight lowers blood glucose and may allow you to reduce the amount you're taking, or quit taking it altogether. Second, it improves blood fat and blood pressure levels. People with diabetes are about twice as likely to get cardiovascular disease as most people. Lowering blood fats and blood pressure is a way to reduce that risk.

4. How can I cut the fat in my diet?

Here are some beginning hints. See a dietitian for more advice. Stir-fry foods in tiny amounts of oil and lots of seasonings. Choose nonfat or low-fat selections, such as nonfat or 1% milk or low-fat cheese. Keep portion sizes on target. Avoid fried foods - bake, grill, broil or roast vegetables and meat instead.

5. Are some fats better than others?

Yes. Unsaturated fats are the healthiest for your body. This includes both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. You can find these "healthy fats" in foods like nuts, vegetable oils, olives and avocados.

The fats to cut back on are the saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats are found in full-fat dairy products like ice cream, half and half, sour cream, cheese, and meats, chicken skin, bacon and lard. Trans fats are found in margarines and shortening as well as many processed packaged foods and sweets. Trying to cut back on how much saturated and trans fat you eat is important to help reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

6. What foods can I eat a lot of?

Forget about eating with abandon. The key to healthy living is moderation. Air-popped popcorn may be low in fat, but it still has calories. And calories count. If you can control the portion sizes of the food you eat, you will be able to eat a wider variety of foods, including your favorites, and still keep your blood sugar in your target range.

7. What can I do if I overeat over the holidays?

Put on your walking shoes and head for the pavement. Being more active helps lower your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. Physical activity uses up extra sugar in your blood and helps your insulin work better.

8. Can I use low calorie sweeteners?

Low calorie sweeteners are safe for everyone except people with phenylketonuria, who should not use aspartame. Calorie-free sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and acesulfame-K won't increase your blood glucose level. The sugar alcohols - xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol - have some calories and do slightly increase your blood glucose level. Eating too much of any of these can cause gas and diarrhea.

9. How much weight should I lose each week?

Limiting your weight loss to 1/2 to 1 pound a week will keep you healthy, and let you enjoy the foods you love in small amounts. A slow steady weight loss is the key to keeping lost weight off.

10. Can I drink alcohol?

Yes, in moderation. Moderation is defined as two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women. A drink is a 5-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce light beer, or 1-1/2 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. Make sure that your medications don't require avoiding alcohol, and get your doctor's okay.

11. Isn't glucose control easier if I eat the same things every day?

Probably, but this method of blood glucose control isn't very nutritious, not to mention boring. One of the keys to nutrition is eating a variety of foods each day. By checking your blood glucose two hours after starting to eat a meal, you can learn how different foods affect you. Over time, you will be able to predict how foods, and combinations of foods, affect your blood glucose level.

12. What vitamins will help my diabetes?

If you have a vitamin or mineral deficiency, it could be causing problems with your glucose control. For instance, one study found that taking the trace element chromium improved glucose control in subjects who had a chromium deficiency. More studies need to be done. If you choose a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat each day, and keep your blood sugar close to your target range, you probably don't need to take vitamin supplements because of diabetes.

13. Are there herbs that will help my diabetes?

Many herbs supposedly have glucose-lowering effects, but there are not enough data on any herb to recommend it for use in people with diabetes. Herbs are not considered food by the Food and Drug Administration and are not tested for quality or content. Therefore, products can be promoted as helping health conditions without having to show evidence of this. Discuss the herbal dietary supplements with your doctor or dietitian before trying them. They may interact poorly with your diabetes medication.

Family History Increase Stroke Risk in Smokers

2009-02-24T18:12:00.000-08:00

Are you still smoking despite already know all the negative impact of smoking? The following reasons may help you actually stop smoking.

A study showed that smokers, especially those who have a family history of swelling to the brain blood vessel, a high risk of stroke because the outbreak is the brain blood vessel.

Studies conducted by the National Institute of the United States in the field aberration Neurologi and Stroke, and published in the issue of the January 6 edition of Neurology yesterday, found that the smoker has a risk 6 times higher stroke-specific experience, which is known as subarachnoid bleeding, compared with their who does not smoke and do not have any family history of stroke due to an outbreak brain blood vessel.

Based on studies in subarachnoid haemorrhage is a type of stroke that is 35-40 persennya death.

The researchers reviewed 339 people who have experienced stroke due to brain blood vessel outbreak 1016 and of the stroke because the outbreak is not the brain blood vessel. Half of the participants is a smoker, while the longer half never smoked or had smoked in the past.

"All people should be encouraged to stop smoking, our findings indicate that there is interaction, so if you have a smoker, and family history of swelling in the blood vessel, the higher your risk of stroke due to brain blood vessel outbreak," said study author, Dr. Daniel Woo of the University of Cincinnati.
(* / health.yahoo.com)

Sejarah Keluarga Tingkatkan Risiko Stroke pada Perokok

2009-02-24T18:08:00.000-08:00

Anda masih terus merokok walaupun sudah tahu segala dampak negatifnya? Alasan berikut mungkin bisa membantu Anda benar-benar berhenti merokok.

Sebuah studi menunjukkan bahwa para perokok, khususnya yang mempunyai sejarah keluarga mengalami pembengkakan pembuluh darah otak, berisiko tinggi mengalami stroke karena pecahnya pembuluh darah otak tersebut.

Studi yang dilakukan oleh Institut Nasional Amerika Serikat di Bidang Kelainan Neurologi dan Stroke, serta dipublikasikan di issue of Neurology edisi 6 Januari kemarin, menemukan bahwa para perokok ini mempunyai risiko 6 kali lebih besar mengalami stroke khusus, yang dikenal dengan perdarahan subarachnoid, dibandingkan dengan mereka yang tidak merokok dan tidak mempunyai sejarah keluarga yang mengalami stroke akibat pecahnya pembuluh darah otak.

Berdasarkan studi tersebut perdarahan subarachnoid merupakan jenis stroke yang 35-40 persennya bersifat mematikan.

Para peneliti memeriksa 339 orang yang mengalami stroke akibat pecahnya pembuluh darah otak dan 1.016 orang yang stroke bukan karena pecahnya pembuluh darah otak. Setengah dari partisipan ini merupakan perokok, sedangkan yang setengahnya lagi tidak pernah merokok atau pernah merokok di masa lalu.

"Semua orang seharusnya dianjurkan untuk berhenti merokok, penemuan kami mengindikasikan bahwa ada interaksi, oleh karena itu jika Anda perokok dan mempunyai sejarah keluarga yang mengalami pembengkakan pembuluh darah, Anda berisiko tinggi mengalami stroke akibat pecahnya pembuluh darah otak," kata Penulis studi, Dr. Daniel Woo dari Universitas Cincinnati.
(*/health.yahoo.com)

Cholesterol Levels May Not Measure Cardiac Risk

2009-02-10T22:31:00.000-08:00

Nearly three-quarters of patients hospitalized for heart attacks had cholesterol levels indicating they were not at high risk for cardiovascular trouble, a new, nationwide study shows.

The finding points to the possibility that current guidelines on cholesterol levels should be changed, said study author Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiovascular medicine and science at the University of California, Los Angeles. His report appears in the current issue of the American Heart Journal.

"The LDL cholesterol range at which people have heart attacks shouldn't be regarded as normal," Fonarow said.

LDL cholesterol, the "bad" kind, collects to form plaques that can eventually block arteries. Guidelines compiled by the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute set an LDL cholesterol blood level target of 130 milligrams per deciliter for people with no cardiovascular disease or diabetes and 70 for those at high risk because of factors such as obesity, smoking and high blood pressure.

But the study of nearly 137,000 Americans hospitalized for heart attacks between 2000 and 2006 found that about 72 percent had LDL levels below 130 on admission, while 17.6 percent had LDL levels below 70.

"People with LDL cholesterol levels in the 100 to 130 range may feel they are at low risk," Fonarow said. "In this study, there was nothing normal about having an LDL reading of 100."

The study also looked at levels of HDL cholesterol, the "good" kind that helps prevent artery blockage. Current guidelines recommend an HDL level of 60 or higher, but the study found levels below 40 in 54.6 percent of the heart attack patients.

Only 1.4 percent of patients met the recommendation for both an LDL level of 70 or lower and an HDL reading of 60 or higher, Fonarow noted.

The current National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines were first set in 2001, and were updated in 2004. The NHLBI is expected to review those guidelines in the near future, Fonarow said.

"My opinion, based on the totality of the evidence that has come out, is that it is likely that there will be important revisions to the guidelines, but that should be determined by the individual advisory groups that will be writing them," he said.

In its update of the guidelines, the NHLBI called for more use of measures such as physical activity and weight loss to reduce the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Cholesterol is only one part of the heart risk picture, Fonarow said. Risk climbs higher with age, especially for men and for those with close relatives who have had cardiovascular conditions.

"The good news is that as much as 80 percent of the risk factors are under individual control and are modifiable," Fonarow said. "You can't control your family history, age or sex, but you can keep your blood pressure low, exercise and modify your lifestyle in other ways to reduce risk."

While calling the study "excellent," Dr. Manesh Patel, an assistant professor of medicine at Duke University, added, "The problem is that this is a snapshot, but we're not sure we know all the risk factors and how they interplay."

The researchers did not measure blood levels of other molecules involved in cardiovascular disease, such as the inflammation biomarker C-reactive protein and lipoprotein(a), he said.

But it's quite possible that the cholesterol guidelines will be changed, Patel said. "Ongoing studies have led to getting the LDL level to 100 and then to 70," he said. "As more randomized trials come out, there may be further changes."

Diet Pills: The Side Effects You Haven't Thought About

2009-02-10T22:20:00.000-08:00

I got a call last week from a young, healthy woman in my practice specifically asking for a diet aid. I found myself falling into my standard speil in which I try to discourage the use of such drugs. I hate taking on that preachy tone; I much prefer to support those I care for by encouraging them to eat healthy and exercise daily.

Why am I so dead set against these drugs? To put it simply: Most diet aids are stimulants and they're not good for you. Besides suppressing your appetite, stimulants cause a lot of other harmful side effects, including high blood pressure, the jitters, and sleeping troubles. Further, I fear any effects of stimulants that may still be unknown, such as the unexpected heart-valve damage attributed to Fen-Phen before that diet pill was withdrawn from the market. A stimulant can also be habit-forming and cause dependence, which can make it difficult to stop.

Last, diet aids are only meant for short-term use, which means that any weight loss you experience is likely not going to be sustainable. Once you've achieved your goals and stopped the medicine, you're probably going to revert back to your same pre-diet balance of "calories in" versus "calories burned."

There are of course medical clinics and physicians out there who will gladly take your money and prescribe not only these prescription diet aids but also diet supplements like vitamin B12 and chromium, which have only a questionable effect on weight loss. But are such medical clinics in your best interest? I wonder.

I prefer to encourage the women I care for to spend their money on tried-and-true weight-loss companies like Weight Watchers^®, Jenny Craig^®, and others, which offer comprehensive lifestyle and diet planning along with group and individual support.

Have I ever prescribed a diet aid? Yes, one by the name of orlistat. This is now available without a prescription by the brand name of Alli^®. If used at recommended dosages, orlistat works in a fairly benign way, simply by blocking the digestion of the fats you consume. So when you eat very fatty foods, the orlistat will cause you to have cramping and greasy diarrhea, which in turn discourages you from eating much junk food. It's sort of like giving the drug Antabuse^®to alcoholics, which causes them to vomit and feel nauseated any time they ingest alcohol. Cramps and diarrhea are not pleasant, but they're a lot kinder and gentler than the dangerous side effects associated with stimulants.

So, like you, I'm still waiting for that magic pill. When it appears on the market after having proved its safety and effectiveness over a few years, then I'll be happy to write an Rx. Until then, stick to the thoroughly tested and reliable methods: diet and exercise!

Health Tip: Use Less Salt in Your Diet

2009-02-10T20:28:00.000-08:00

Sodium can contribute to high blood pressure, which raises your risk for heart attack and stroke.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers these suggestions for a lower-sodium diet:

Choose fresh, lean meats, poultry, and fish instead of processed versions.
Skip the salt and use fresh herbs, spices, and low- or no-salt seasonings.
Stick to fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned. If you do choose canned, look for "no salt added" versions, or rinse vegetables before use.
Don't add salt to the water when cooking rice or pasta. Also, avoid instant versions of these foods.
Stay away from pre-packaged foods that are often high in sodium, such as frozen meals, pizzas, canned soups and foods, and packed food mixes.

Bikin Wajah Segar Sepanjang Hari

2009-02-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

Kompas - Jumat, Februari 6

Pekerjaan mengharuskan Anda untuk mobile dan bertemu banyak orang sepanjang hari. Setelah mengerjakan laporan rutin di kantor, Anda harus mewawancara calon karyawan, lalu makan siang sekaligus meeting dengan rekanan. Sorenya, Anda harus menghadiri undangan peluncuran sebuah produk di tempat lain. Karena Anda membawa image perusahaan, tentunya Anda tak boleh tampil sembarangan. Lupakan dulu memikirkan busana yang harus dipakai. Menjaga agar wajah tidak terlihat lelah pun hampir-hampir Anda tak sempat.

Bila hal seperti ini sudah menjadi problem Anda sehari-hari, tampaknya Anda memang harus lebih peduli terhadap perawatan kulit Anda. Pada dasarnya, ada dua jenis perawatan, yaitu dari luar (dengan produk perawatan atau menggunakan trik-trik kosmetika), dan dari dalam (berupa asupan makanan atau suplemen). Bahkan perawatan dari dalam ini sebenarnya lebih penting. Hasil penelitian American College of Nutrition menyebutkan bahwa makanan yang baik dan alami akan melindungi kulit dari proses penuaan sel-sel kulit, kerusakan kulit, dan kanker kulit. Kulit, serta rambut dan kuku, mengandung protein seperti kolagen, elastin, dan keratin, yang memberi reaksi jika Anda mengkonsumsi nutrisi yang serupa.

Berikut ini beberapa tips untuk merawat kesehatan kulit:

Dari Dalam

1. Saat bangun tidur, sebelum perut terisi makanan atau minuman apapun, minumlah dua gelas air putih. Satu sendok makan madu atau perasan lemon di dalam air minum tersebut akan baik untuk membersihkan perut dan membuang racun.

2. Jaga tingkat gula darah dengan memilih karbohidrat dengan kadar gula darah rendah, seperti bayam, brokoli, buncis, kacang kedelai, beras merah, gandum, nanas, anggur, apel, pir, peach, dan plum. Kurangi juga kafein dan minuman bersoda.

3. Minum banyak air putih, minimal delapan gelas sehari. Tambahkan buah-buahan dan lebih banyak sayur dalam menu makan Anda. Ide ini memang terkesan basi, namun karena menganggapnya sepele itulah impian kita memiliki kulit sehat tak juga menjadi kenyataan.

4. Minum suplemen, atau vitamin E, yang akan berfungsi sebagai antioksidan yang memperlambat proses penuaan dini. Pilih vitamin E alami, ketimbang vitamin E sintetik, karena dua kali lebih mudah diserap oleh tubuh. Asupan vitamin E juga akan meregenerasi sel-sel kulit yang rusak, mencegah keriput, meningkatkan kekenyalan dan kelembaban kulit, dan mencegah timbulnya berbagai penyakit seperti jantung koroner, kolesterol tinggi, kanker, osteoarthritis, dan katarak.

Dari Luar

1. Selelah apa pun Anda, bersihkan wajah dari make-up sebelum tidur. Cuci wajah dengan sabun muka yang mengandung moisturizer. Gunakan juga pembersih, toner, dan pelembab khusus untuk malam hari (night cream), sesuai jenis kulit Anda. Pelembab akan bekerja lebih baik saat malam hari. Ketika Anda tidur, temperatur kulit meningkat dan menyerap pelembab lebih baik. Pelembab juga tidak "bersaing" dengan make up atau sinar matahari.

2. Tahukah Anda bahwa minyak pada wajah yang muncul saat bangun tidur adalah bahan alami yang baik untuk menjaga agar kulit tetap kenyal? Karena itu, tak perlu mencuci atau membuang minyak pada hidung dan dagu Anda dengan sabun. Pancarkan air dingin dari shower untuk "membangunkan" wajah Anda. Sapukan minyak pada hidung dan dagu ke bagian wajah Anda yang lain untuk "meratakan" kelembabannya. Percayalah, kulit wajah yang kering justru akan membuat Anda cepat keriput.

3. Sebelum memulas bedak, gunakan pelembab yang sesuai jenis kulit Anda. Jangan menggunakan foundation untuk penggunaan sehari-hari. Foundation memang membuat riasan wajah menjadi awet, namun akan terlalu "berat" untuk kulit wajah.

4. Pakai lipstik berwarna muda, dan sapukan pemulas pipi tipis-tipis untuk memberi kesan wajah berseri-seri.

5. Sering-seringlah mencuci wajah jika sudah terasa lengket, namun jangan menggunakan sabun. Jika Anda bekerja, basuh wajah dengan tisu basah.

6. Lakukan scrub pada wajah seminggu sekali untuk membuang sel-sel kulit yang mati.

7. Tidur cukup dan tidak terlalu larut, agar sel-sel di seluruh tubuh, termasuk sel-sel kulit yang rusak, diperbaiki; dan sel-sel yang baru diproduksi.

8. Last but not least, olahraga. Bila Anda masih mengaku tak punya waktu untuk berolahraga, sadarilah, ini sebenarnya karena olahraga belum menjadi prioritas dalam kegiatan Anda. Olahraga yang melatih otot besar seperti jalan cepat, aerobik, atau berenang, akan melancarkan aliran darah. Dengan demikian asupan nutrisi dan oksigen pada sel-sel kulit lebih baik, dan mempercepat pembentukan sel-sel kulit baru.

How to choose: Breakfast cereals for kids

2008-12-30T18:12:00.000-08:00

There are so many cereals to choose from! Here are some label-reading tips to help us make good decisions for our kids.

What makes a healthy breakfast cereal for kids?

Breakfast is an essential start to the day; it refuels children’s brains as well as their bodies. Cereals with milk provide carbohydrate, some protein, B vitamins, fibre and calcium. Add fruit to that and there’s more fibre plus a wider range of vitamins and minerals.

It's unlikely you'll need added vitamins and minerals in a cereal if you're eating a balanced diet which includes fruit, vegetables and cereals as well as meat or other protein foods, as they will provide vitamins and minerals in a form more readily absorbed by the body.

Sugar

Earlier this year Consumer magazine compared 26 breakfast cereals specifically aimed at children and found that over half of them were at least 1/3 sugar.

Often the excuse is that people are just going to add sugar at home anyway, but that’s really no excuse at all; we should be given the choice. High amounts of sugar in the diet are related to tooth decay as well as overweight and obesity, which is on the increase amongst our children.

Look for products with less than 15g of sugar per 100g, or if they contain dried fruit up to 25g per 100g.

Sodium

It’s best not to give children foods with high amounts of sugar or sodium as ‘everyday foods’ as they’ll become accustomed to these tastes. For children (and adults other than those on a low-sodium diet) look for a moderate sodium content of up to 600mg per 100g.

Fibre

For adults, breakfast cereals are often an opportunity to increase a low fibre intake, but kids don’t need as much fibre in their diet. Look for a cereal with more than 5g of fibre per 100g but no more than 15g.

The guide for fibre intake for children over 2 is ‘age plus 5’. So if your child is 8 years old they need about 13g of fibre each day.

No matter what they choose, the most important thing to remember about breakfast for children is to ensure they have it.

Article by:: Rose Carr

Recipes for Kids

2008-12-30T18:10:00.000-08:00

If you're hungry, grab your apron and get cooking! Making food yourself - with a little help from a parent - is a great way to learn about food and meal preparation. And we have plenty of recipes for you to try - from pizza to pancakes!

Click on any link below to view the article.

Recipes for Kids

Recipes for Kids With Cystic Fibrosis

Recipes for Kids With Diabetes

Vegetarian Recipes

Recipes for Kids With Lactose Intolerance

Recipes for Kids With Celiac Disease

How to super-charge your breakfast

2008-12-30T18:05:00.000-08:00

What can the most important meal of the day do for you? We have expert advice on the most tasty and nutritious breakfasts.

Nutritionists believe there is great logic in the old saying, “Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper”, because the best way to kick-start your body in the morning is to give it the right fuel.

The word ‘breakfast’ literally means to 'break the fast' from the eight or 12 hours since your last meal the night before. By morning, your brain and muscles are crying out for starter fuel to spring them into action and face the day ahead.

Why is breakfast so important?

Eating breakfast has been identified as one of seven healthy habits that promote long life and good health.

Three keys reasons not to skip breakfast:

1. It boosts your nutrient intake

Studies in the USA and UK dating back as far as the early 1960s consistently show that breakfast eaters have better overall diets. Breakfast eaters have been shown to have a lower fat intake, a higher fibre intake, plus significantly higher intakes of almost all vitamins and minerals, especially calcium, iron and magnesium.

2. It improves memory and concentration

Nutrition researchers have found that people who eat a balanced breakfast can concentrate better and are more efficient at their work than those who skip it. For kids, there’s no doubt that breakfast is a must. Studies show that children who miss breakfast are less alert during the late morning hours and find it hard to concentrate on tasks that require prolonged mental effort.

Factory workers who skip breakfast have been found to be more prone to accidents and have a lower production output compared to those who have something to eat in the morning.

3. It helps prevent binge eating

Contrary to the beliefs of those who skip breakfast in the hope of losing weight, breakfast is a good friend. Skipping it means we are more likely to over-eat later in the day, usually something that’s quick to hand or a non-nutritious, high-fat fast food.

Breakfast nutrition

Unless you have a physically demanding job or play a lot of sport, a light cereal-and-toast style of breakfast is perfectly adequate and will meet all your nutrition needs. Comparisons with other breakfasts like egg and bacon, scrambled eggs, croissants, cheese on toast and banana smoothies show that cereal-based breakfasts are nutritionally superior, being lower in fat, cholesterol and kilojoules and higher in fibre and essential nutrients.

Here’s a checklist of healthy breakfast options:

Fruit

Eaten whole or sliced over cereal. To save time, prepare a plate of sliced fruit the night before and leave in the refrigerator. Melon slices, kiwifruit, berries, grapefruit segments, papaya or oranges in quarters are all good choices.

Fruit juice is a quick alternative with the same valuable vitamin C, but has little fibre. Vitamin C also improves the absorption of iron from cereals. Prunes, sultanas and other dried fruit add fibre and the mineral potassium.

Grains

Many people get most of their fibre for the day at breakfast so it pays to maximise your fibre intake at this meal. Aim for a mix of soluble fibre such as oats, for a healthy heart, and insoluble fibre such as wheat bran for regularity and bowel health.

Choose a non-sugary whole grain or bran type cereal, or else go for muesli or rolled oats (porridge) in winter. There’s no shortage of choice at the supermarket. Sprinkling some wheatgerm, rice bran or oat bran over a plainer puffed or flaked cereal will boost your nutrition. Many cereals are now fortified with B vitamins and iron which, along with the milk that is consumed with them, makes them a nutritious food.

If you prefer toast or muffins to cereal, make these wholemeal, mixed grain or white high-fibre if your kids hate 'brown bread'.

Milk, yoghurt or cheese

These offer calcium for strong bones and protein as well as the B vitamin riboflavin. Many children are happy to drink a glass of milk (or hot milk with malt chocolate powder in winter) with breakfast. Cottage cheese and ricotta team nicely with raisin toast and make a good low-fat option, but are not as rich in calcium as cheddar cheese or yoghurt.

Eggs (boiled, poached, microwaved or lightly scrambled), or baked beans

These are ideal if you’re super hungry or want a hearty Sunday brunch. Add mushrooms, tomatoes or spinach for more bulk.

Breakfasts to suit different lifestyles

Ideas for breakfast-on-the-run

Scale up the servings to suit your activity and lifestyle. If you exercise regularly or have a physically demanding job, you will need larger portions, or a cooked breakfast to refuel your body, than if you don’t get to exercise much or are trying to lose weight.

No time to eat in the mornings?

Try our quick and easy ideas:

Breakfast at home

Try a liquid meal. Pour one cup of milk into a blender or food processor with any cut fruit (banana, strawberries, pear), 3-4 tablespoons of yoghurt and a pinch of nutmeg. Blend for 30 seconds until smooth and frothy. For a high-fibre shake, add 1-2 tablespoons of bran cereal or wheatgerm. Drink and run.
A bowl of muesli or bran cereal with low-fat milk and sliced banana.
Bircher muesli: start this famous oat breakfast the night before: Soak 1 cup of rolled oats and 2 tablespoons sultanas in 3/4 cup low-fat milk and leave covered in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, peel and grate an apple (with the skin) into the oats with a squeeze of lemon juice. Top with 2-3 tablespoons of yoghurt and a sliced banana if you’re ravenous.
Serves 3-4.
An orange or half a grapefruit.
Half a grain muffin, toasted and topped with cottage cheese or a slice of cheddar cheese.
Muffin with grilled cheese.

In the car, train or bus

Bolt out the door with

A sandwich you’ve made the night before plus a carton of flavoured milk.
A breakfast bar or muesli bar and a drinking yoghurt.
Throw a handful of Mini-Wheats, dried fruit and nuts into a plastic bag or container. Munch on the way to school with a carton of milk.

Gluten-free or wheat-free options

Avoiding wheat, oats and barley at breakfast is not easy! Look for cereals based on rice or corn (maize).
Fresh fruit salad with a bowl of Rice Bubbles or Corn Flakes (check for malt if you need to avoid it). Add cows’ milk or soy milk.
Rice cakes or rice crackers spread with margarine can replace toast. Add peanut butter, jam or marmalade as required. Tea, coffee or milk.
Eggs with tomato on gluten-free toast.

Breakfast out before work

Try these healthy café options

Thick fruit loaf toasted and topped with ricotta or cottage cheese. Cappuccino, flat white or latte with trim milk.
Grilled cheese and tomato on grainy toast. English breakfast tea.
Poached or scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast with mushrooms and grilled tomato. Glass of fresh juice.
Fresh strawberries or diced melon tossed in a bowl with passionfruit pulp. Top with thick Greek yoghurt and crunchy muesli.
Wholemeal muffin topped with grilled mushrooms or sliced tomato and a large glass of reduced-fat milk.
Milky coffee (latte, flat white) with bran and raisin muffin.

Breakfast and kids

Children need to start the day with a good breakfast. Breakfast functions as 'brain food', re-fuelling children’s brains as well as their bodies. Deprive children of breakfast and you may be depriving them of their ability to learn. Study after study shows that children who skip breakfast report tiredness and lethargy, have trouble concentrating on the morning’s lessons, and find complex mental tasks difficult.

Breakfast enhances

working memory
problem-solving abilities
accuracy in maths and other complex tasks (which teachers often schedule for the morning)
creative thinking

Breakfast makes a significant contribution to children’s overall nutrient intakes, according to the many studies on breakfast eating patterns. Children who eat breakfast tend to have a much healthier diet and are more likely to be consuming their recommended intakes of key nutrients such as iron, calcium, B vitamins and fibre. Children who skip breakfast do not make up the differences in dietary intake at other meals. A higher percentage of skippers do not meet two-thirds of the recommended intake for vitamins and minerals compared to those who eat breakfast.

Most children miss breakfast for two or three reasons: lack of time, being too tired, or not feeling like eating in the morning. If this sounds like your child, offer something light like fruit or a bowl of flake cereal with milk. Eating breakfast often helps them to wake up!
If he or she wants to rush off to school without eating, give them a breakfast bar to munch on the way to school or even a glass of milk, so at least they have something to see them through the morning. This combination is preferable to arriving at school with nothing to eat – it will still provide carbohydrate, some protein, B vitamins and fibre, depending on the cereal.

Choose a good cereal

“It’s better to eat the cardboard box than the cereal” is often chuckled over when buying cereals. But the truth is that even the sugary kids’ packet cereals today make a contribution to nutrition (especially with milk) and are better than having nothing to eat for the morning. Certainly they aren’t ideal in terms of fibre and whole grain content but they are inexpensive, low in fat, fortified with a range of vitamins and minerals and can be eaten as a snack any time of the day.

That said, how do you pick a good cereal?

FIBRE	SUGAR	SODIUM
More than 6g per 100g minimum Preferably more than 10g/100g or more	Less than 15g per 100g Less than 25g per 100g if from dried fruit	For a low-sodium diet, look for less than 400mg per 100g

High fibre

Look for a minimum of 6g fibre per 100g, but preferably about 10g. Check the list of ingredients for wheat bran, whole wheat, whole barley, oats, brown rice. Oats and corn are always whole grain but what, rice and barley are often refined. Bran cereals (All-Bran, Sultana Bran) have 6-9g per serve, while Corn Flakes and Rice Bubbles are down at 1g.

NZ adults should aim for 25-30g fibre each day,but man get a lot less. An easy way to increase your fibre is to choose a high-fibre cereal like All-Bran and start the day with over a third of your requirement.

Low sugar

Look for less than 15g added sugar per 100g serving. When a cereal has dried fruit, you can't tell from the nutrition panel how much is coming from the fruit and the added sugar, so you can allow a higher sugar level (up to 25g per 100g). The dried fruit adds fibre and vitamins.

Moderate sodium (salt)
A moderate level of sodium is 1000mg or less per 100g. If you are watching your sodium intake for health reasons, look for a low-sodium cereal with under 400mg per 100g.

Serving size

The standard serve of cereal used to be 30g, which means one cup of bubbles or flakes or two breakfast biscuits. Some manufacturers have decided to say a serve is 40g in an effort to claim the 'highest fibre content' or the 'most vitamins'. So to get a true comparison, it’s best to use the 100g column when you’re looking at similar products.

Super-active

For those who burn up lots of kilojoules with a physically demanding job or are into sports in a big way, here are two hunger-buster breakfasts:

Fresh fruit salad; cheese omelette with wholemeal toast; tea, coffee, milk or juice.
Bowl of whole grain cereal with sliced banana and low-fat milk; crumpet, toasted and covered with a slice of cheese and grilled until melted; tea, coffee, milk or juice.

There are good reasons not to skip breakfast if you’re exercising but trying to lose body fat. Skipping breakfast reduces the quality of your training session due to lower blood glucose levels. It also makes you hungry and invariably leads to impulsive snacking and increased kilojoule intake later in the day.

How good is the liquid breakfast?

They taste good and they’re quick – grab one from the fridge and drink it in the car or bus – and Sanitarium’s Up&Go® claims to contain the goodness and fibre of two Weet-Bix with milk, although a quick glance at the ingredients list will tell you that it is not a liquefied version of that.

The fibre is from chicory inulin, which acts like soluble fibre. This is fermented in the gut. Soluble fibre from oats has been shown to be good for heart health. Insoluble fibre, found in whole grains, is good for your bowels.

Nutritionists are cautious about comparing the fibre from inulin with the fibre from cereals, which have been well researched over many years. While there is good evidence so far that inulin has a positive effect on health, there is still a lot of research to be done to fully understand whether it is as good. Plant foods contain other nutrients, and fibre is not the whole story as to why whole grain cereals are so good for us.

Our advice

They’re a handy alternative when you’re in a rush, but plan to include insoluble fibres from whole grains and brans in your breakfast on most days. And be aware that they’re high in sugar: one Up&Go® has 18.5g, one CalciTrim Liquid Breakfast has 19.5g – both are more than 4 teaspoons – of sugar.

Article by:: Catherine Saxelby

The Food Guide Pyramid

2008-12-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

The Food Guide Pyramid is one way for people to understand how to eat healthy. A rainbow of colored, vertical stripes represents the five food groups plus fats and oils. Here's what the colors stand for:

orange — grains
green — vegetables
red — fruits
yellow — fats and oils
blue — milk and dairy products
purple — meat, beans, fish, and nuts

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) changed the pyramid in 2005 because they wanted to do a better job of telling Americans how to be healthy. The agency later released a special version for kids. Notice the girl climbing the staircase up the side of the pyramid? That's a way of showing kids how important it is to exercise and be active every day. In other words, play a lot! The steps are also a way of saying that you can make changes little by little to be healthier. One step at a time, get it?

The Pyramid Speaks

Let's look at some of the other messages this new symbol is trying to send:

Eat a variety of foods. A balanced diet is one that includes all the food groups. In other words, have foods from every color, every day.

Eat less of some foods, and more of others. You can see that the bands for meat and protein (purple) and oils (yellow) are skinnier than the others. That's because you need less of those kinds of foods than you do of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy foods.

You also can see the bands start out wider and get thinner as they approach the top. That's designed to show you that not all foods are created equal, even within a healthy food group like fruit. For instance, apple pie would be in that thin part of the fruit band because it has a lot of added sugar and fat. A whole apple — crunch! — would be down in the wide part because you can eat more of those within a healthy diet.

Make it personal. Through the USDA's MyPyramid website, people can get personalized recommendations about the mix of foods they need to eat and how much they should be eating. There is a kids' version of the website available too.

How Much Do I Need to Eat?

Everyone wants to know how much they should eat to stay healthy. It's a tricky question, though. It depends on your age, whether you're a girl or a boy, and how active you are. Kids who are more active burn more calories, so they need more calories. But we can give you some estimates for how much you need of each food group.

Grains

Grains are measured out in ounce equivalents. What the heck are they? Ounce equivalents are just another way of showing a serving size.

Here are ounce equivalents for common grain foods. An ounce equivalent equals:

1 slice of bread
½ cup of cooked cereal, like oatmeal
½ cup of rice or pasta
1 cup of cold cereal

* 4- to 8-year-olds need 4–5 ounce equivalents each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old girls need 5 ounce equivalents each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old boys need 6 ounce equivalents each day.

And one last thing about grains: Try make at least half of your grain servings whole grains, such as 100% whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal.

Vegetables

Of course, you need your vegetables, especially those dark green and orange ones. But how much is enough? Vegetable servings are measured in cups.

* 4- to 8-year-olds need 1½ cups of veggies each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old girls need 2 cups of veggies each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old boys need 2½ cups of veggies each day.

Fruits

Sweet, juicy fruit is definitely part of a healthy diet. Here's how much you need:

* 4- to 8-year-olds need 1–1½ cups of fruit each day.
* 9- to 13-year-olds need 1½ cups of fruit each day.

Milk and Other Calcium-Rich Foods

Calcium builds strong bones to last a lifetime, so you need these foods in your diet.

* 4- to 8-year-olds need 2 cups of milk (or another calcium-rich food) each day.
* 9- to 13-year-olds need 3 cups of milk (or another calcium-rich food) each day.

If you want something other than milk, you can substitute yogurt, cheese, or calcium-fortified orange juice — just to name a few.

Meats, Beans, Fish, and Nuts

These foods contain iron and lots of other important nutrients. Like grains, these foods are measured in ounce equivalents.

An ounce equivalent of this group would be:

1 ounce of meat, poultry, or fish
¼ cup cooked dry beans
1 egg
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
½ ounce (about a small handful) of nuts or seeds

* 4- to 8-year-olds need 3–4 ounce equivalents each day.
* 9- to 13-year-olds need 5 ounce equivalents each day.

Whoa! That's a lot to swallow. The good news is that your mom, dad, and the other grown-ups in your life will help you eat what you need to stay healthy. There's more good news — you don't have to become a perfect eater overnight. Just remember those stairs climbing up the side of the new pyramid and take it one step at a time.

Tips for beautiful Looking Healthy Nails

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Nail Care, Tips for beautiful Looking Healthy Nails

Humans have been playing with their nails for centuries. In 400 BC, Egyptians were buffing their nails with heena; in 1500 BC, Chineese royals were painting their nails red, bloack or white and as early as AD 100, Romans were applying "fingernail polish" made of animal fat and blood.

The way you wear your nails is as telling as your clothing, your make-up and hairstyle. No matter what your preferences, however, your nails will be healthier and easier to work with if you take care of them.

While our choices of nail cosmetics may have changed, we are as fascinated with fingernails and toenails as we have ever been. How else can you expalin the multinude of products, beauty salons and books devoted entirely to Nail Care? Fortunately, you do not need a lot of time, products or money to have beautiful gorgeous nails. Just keep nails healthy and they will look fantastic.

What are Nails and hwy do we Have Nail?

IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, you don't think much about your nails. Perhaps you wonder how you can grow them longer, keep them from chipping, or whether they would look better painted a dark claret or a blush pink. However, you may not consider all the reasons why you have nails. In fact, fingernails and toenails serve several purposes: to support the tissues of the fingers and toes, to safeguard the fingertips and the tips of the toes from injury, to assist us in picking up small objects, to help us manipulate objects, and, quite simply, for scratching. Another interesting point: like hair, nails are made of keratin.

Nail Structure

Our nails are made up of several components, some of which are visible, some of which are not. What we see when we look at our nails is called the nail plate. A plate is hard, smooth, rectangular in shape, and slightly convex.

If you have an infected nail, visit your GP for advice. If you need medical attention for a toenail, your GP may refer you to a chirotiodist.

Nails are translucent in colour, but they take on a faint pink cast thanks to the network of blood vessels located beneath them. This colour is variable. It may become paler, for example when you are feeling cold and the blood vessels in your fingers and toes have constricted.

Effects for Nails

Thought they might seem to be the least important, your finger nails attract a lot of attention to oneself. Nails need to be polished well and it is better for you to know what shade you need to apply. Here are a few looks you could use.

Naturally Stylish Daytime Look

Daytime colors should be easy to wear such as soft reds and pinks, gentle beiges and dusky blues. First, file nails into short a square style to create a practical sporty effect. Apply a base coat, allow to dry and then give nails two coats of colored polish. Finish off with a top coat.
The Final Look A practical, natural style based on short, square nails and a soft, easy to wear polish

Vibrant Party Time Look

This is your chance to try out those shades that you might feel afraid of wearing during the day. First, apply a base coat, then two coats of vibrant, fluorescent polish. Add extra shine by using a sparkling silver polish on top of the main color when it is dry. Finish of with the top coat.
The Final Look Fluorescent colors are great for parties as they look so vibrant a coat of of sparkling silver polish adds the finishing touch

Glossy, Glamorous and Sophisticated Look

For a grown-up and glamorous effect, choose deep dark colors that strike a dramatic note, such as this vampish purple. First, file nails into a long oval shape and apply a base coat. Give nails at least two coats of main polish, allowing them to dry thoroughly in between. Finish with a top coat.
The Final Look A dark, dramatic polish gives long nails a touch of glamorous sophistication

French Manicure for the Perfectly Cared For Look

This is the best choice for special occasions when you want your nails to look perfectly cared for, but not over colored. Apply a base coat and when dry, cover the tips of the nails with white polish. Allow to dry and apply a very pale pink or peach polish over the whole nail. When dry apply a top coat
The Final Look A clean, fresh effect that enhances the natural shine and color of the nails.

Nail care Tips

A healthy nail is smooth in texture and has well formed cuticles.

Nails grow faster on a person's dominant hand. They also grow more quickly during pregnancy, and in the summer. The middle finger nail grows fastest, with the growth rate progressively decreasing on the fourth, second, and fifth fingers and finally the thumb. Also, fingernails grow faster than toenails.

Put galic on your nails and it will make them longer and stronger!! Tip adviced by Jasmine

Dental Tips for Diabetics

2008-11-12T22:49:00.000-08:00

Provided by the National Institute of Health

Tell your dentist you have diabetes and ask him or her to show you how to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

People with diabetes get gum disease more often than people who do not have diabetes. Gum infections can make it hard to control blood sugar. Once a gum infection starts, it can take a long time to heal. If the infection is severe, teeth can loosen or even fall out. Good blood sugar control can help prevent gum problems.

Keeping your own teeth is important for healthy eating. Natural teeth help you chew foods better and easier than you can with dentures. Because infections can make gums sore and uneven, dentures may not fit right. Be sure to tell your dentist if your dentures hurt.

Have a Dental Checkup at Least Every Six Months.
Take good care of your teeth and gums. At least twice a day, brush your teeth with a soft bristle toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Use dental floss every day to clean between the teeth. If your gums bleed while you are brushing your teeth or eating, or a bad taste stays in your mouth, go to the dentist. Tell your dentist about any other changes you see, such as white patches, in your mouth.

Smoking makes gum problems worse. Your doctor or dentist can help you quit.