Health and Wellness

Benefits of Strength Training

2010-09-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

The benefits of a good strength training program are almost endless. Less disease, happiness and most importantly, showing off your muscles at the beach.

Strength training should be part of everyone's routine. Even if you are low on time, strength training, according to the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), only needs to be done 2-3 times per week with each session lasting no more than one hour. For 2-3 hours per week, huge benefits can be realized.

Regular strength training will:

**help you in day to day activities around the house and in your yard. It will keep you independent which is especially important in the older population. Imagine not being able to lift a 5 pound bag of flour or take the garbage out by yourself.

**lower the risk of osteoporosis, hypertension and diabetes.

**help you avoid lower back pain.

**increase bone density which is important for post menopausal women.

**increase muscle mass which burns more calories throughout the day than an equal amount of fat.

Even with all these benefits, many people are reluctant to start training with weights. Concerns include injury, incorrect form and for women; not wanting to grow muscles and look like a man.

When beginning your strength training program, the risk of getting hurt can be greatly reduced by starting out with machines rather than free weights. As you become more comfortable with the machines, slowly learn to use free weights. If you want to stick with the machines, know that they will give you the same benifits as free weights. As for the concern that women will look like men, it won't happen without the help of steroids, which you shouldn't even consider using.

Sometimes when we think of being healthy, we think of eating and running. While these are important, strength training should never be left out. Strength training provides benefits to your health that cannot be found with any other mode of exercise and shouldn't be forgotten.

Fiber-Rich Food is the Best Nutrition for Dieting

2010-05-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

In this article I will reveal some little known facts about the fibers and the beneficial effect they have over your body.

First of all let me explain what fiber is…

Fiber is an indigestible part of all plant foods. It is found in fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. Your digestive system cannot stomach fiber, so it is excreted undigested. Well, you may think you don’t need fiber, because it’s excreted undigested, but that’s not true.

Let's imagine the following picture:

You overeat at least once or twice a week, more often at weekends, and your regular menu doesn't include much fiber. Well, this might be your life style; however you should consider that it may cause you lots of health problems like:

- indigestion
- discomfort stomach aches
- gases in the digestive tract
- constipation
- hemorrhoids
- you got tired faster
- can't concentrate on what you're doing

I mean you become less productive at work and more irritable at home. Besides all this, you gain weight and that’s the moment when you realize you have a problem.

In order to solve a problem, you should first find the reason for it. In this case it’s the lowered intake of fiber-rich foods and respectively - the higher intake of foods containing no fiber (like meat). The average amount of fiber intake is about 25-30 grams per day. Unfortunately most people regular diets include less than 10-15 grams daily.

You should start consuming more fiber-rich foods:

- all bran cereal
- beans
- peas
- spinach
- sweet corn
- wholemeal brown bread
- red cabbage
- carrots
- baked potato with skin
- apples, bananas, oranges and all fruits

There are two types of fiber - soluble and insoluble. If you start eating more food rich in fiber, you’ll be amazed of its beneficial effects over your body, health and way of life.

Soluble fiber forms glue like gel in the intestinal tract. The gel softens stools (no more constipation) and improves your digestion (no more indigestion).

Fiber slows down stomach emptying and you feel fuller longer. This effect helps you eat less, your body burns additional calories to digest fiber and you can lose weight.

Insoluble fiber is an excellent natural laxative, because of its abilities to hold onto water and to push waste faster along the intestines - this way fiber decreases the risk of colon cancer.

In conclusion I'd like to tell you that you won't be sorry if you start eating more fiber-rich foods. Like many other people I used to take not enough fiber, and I suffered stomach aches. Then I started to eat more fruits and fiber-rich foods in my daily menu. I must admit that it really worked for me, and now fiber-rich food is the most important nutritious part of my regular diet.

How To Exercise Without Moving A Muscle

2010-05-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

Increasing numbers of medical clinics use supervised sauna bathing for detoxifying the body of toxic chemicals. Programs typically follow the "Hubbard Method", a regime based primarily on nutritional supplementation, sauna therapy, and exercise. Other names used for similar programs include: BTR (aka Bio Toxic Reduction Therapy), Hyperthermic Detoxification, Sauna Therapy, the Physical Therapy/Detoxification Program, Heat-Stress Therapy etc. For simplification, they are referred to as "sauna therapy".

Exercise Without Moving a Muscle!
What happens to the body during a sauna is quite simple, your metabolism and pulse rates increase, your blood vessels become much more flexible, and your extremities benefit from increased circulation. Physical fitness fans will recognize that some of these changes can also be achieved through strenuous exercise. Not to say that a sauna would put you in excellent physical condition without moving a muscle, but that it brings about the same metabolic results as physical exercise.

Why the Need to Detox?
There are over 50,000 foreign chemicals in commercial use. An incredibly large population are suffering from toxic illness. For those patients, sauna therapy is the only medically managed detoxification technique which releases stored impurities from body storage sites.

Elevated levels of commonly used chemicals are currently being detected in human sera. Many compounds have been shown to accumulate and remain stored in body tissues. The metabolizing of such compounds leads to the accumulation of oil soluble chemicals and their products into fatty deposits throughout the body. Since virtually every organ contains a fat component, including the brain, stored chemical residue can pose a serious threat to psychological health as these substances can be released into the bloodstream during physical or emotional stress.

Most environmental contaminants we have today are fat soluble, thus they have an affinity for body lipids or fatty tissue. The body uses metabolic systems, particularly the liver, to convert fat soluble substances into water soluble chemicals to facilitate excretion. Sauna therapy enhances this process by mobilizing poisons from body storage sites into general circulation, where they are then transported out of the body through various excretionary pathways such as perspiration. And we all know that the main effect of a sauna bath is heavy perspiration!

Now that you know a little more about what sauna can do for you, we urge you to come find more about the many other benefits that saunas has to offer! All you need is 15 minutes of Sauna Therapy in order to save your Kidney 24 hours of work! Do you believe that? Come fine out more!

Fats in your Diet are Essential - But Which Ones to Choose?

2010-05-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered if what you know about omega 3 is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on omega 3.

Adding fats to your diet is essential if you want to live a healthy lifestyle that results in feeling and looking great, but it has to be the right kind of fats. Essential fatty acids fall within this category and are a crucially important addition to anyone's diet.

Omega-3 essential fatty acids are made up of two components: DHA (which stands for docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

The best source of DHA and EPA are fish, especially salmon, seaweed, shellfish and algae. Furthermore, you can also get omega-3's from unrefined whole grains, dark; leafy greens and certain nuts and seeds like walnuts, flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds. This second group contains ALA (alpha linolenic acid) which your body then converts to EPA and DHA.

Your best bet, however, is to get your omega-3's from seafood because your body converts only about 15 percent of dietary ALA to EPA and much less to DHA.

What do you do if you don't like, and absolutely refuse to eat, seafood? Well, fortunately you can get omega-3's in capsule form. Not everyone's stomach can handle these capsules, but try them out for one month. It's an extremely convenient way to add omega-3's to your diet.

When purchasing omega-3's in pill form, you'll notice some products also contain the other two components of essential fatty acids: omega-6 and omega-9. Stick with the products that contain only high amounts of omega-3's. Most people already get high amounts of these two fatty acids from their diet, and it's this lack of omega-3's that is potentially the culprit behind many health problems today.

Think about what you've read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about omega 3? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?

When adding omega-3's to your diet through pills, look for 1,000 mg pills and take 3-9 per day with food depending on your current health status and healthy living goals. Your Doctor or physician should be able to consult with you about this.

Solgar Vitamins have some very good omega 3 products available at www.solgar.co.uk

So now you have a good introduction into omega-3 fatty acids and the different ways to add them to your diet, but what are the health benefits associated with them?

Plenty! Here's a quick list and you can also easily do some research by searching for "benefits of omega-3" in your favorite search engine.

- stabilizes blood sugar levels and lowers insulin levels
- boosts your immune system
- encourages your body to burn fat and decreases appetite
- improves your mood and attention span
- reduce inflammation
- improve your skin tone and radiance

If the above doesn't get you excited about this proven, inexpensive and easy-to-get fatty acid supplement, then check your pulse!

It's an addition to your diet that will help improve your health by leaps and bounds.

I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. Your learning process should be ongoing--the more you understand about any subject, the more you will be able to share with others.

Alternative Medicine - What Happens During Acupuncture Treatment

2010-05-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

Acupuncture is one of several popular alternative therapies tracing its roots to traditional medicine in China more than 5,000 years ago. Although the treatment is regarded as one of the most common and oldest worldwide, acupuncture only started to become recognized in the US after New York Times journalist James Reston wrote a feature on how his post-surgery pain was eased by doctors in China in 1971 using the procedure.

1. The Basis Of Acupuncture

The treatment assumes something called qi (pronounced key) - energy in living beings that passes through twelve meridians or invisible energy lines in the body. Each line links to a specific organ system; the belief is that any imbalance in qi flow leads to a disease. The key component of acupuncture treatment is the insertion of needles into key points on the meridian lines to renew balance. These extremely thin, metallic needles are aimed at specific anatomical points and controlled manually or by electrical stimulation. An individual usually feels relaxed and energized after acupuncture.

2. Modern Treatment

The US Food and Drug Administration reclassified these needles as medical devices in 1997, from the earlier classification as experimental. The FDA notes that over $500m are spent by people in the country every year for the treatment, for which a good number secure insurance coverage. The agency's main restrictions with the needles are that they be non-toxic and sterilized and that they be used only once and discarded immediately after.

- Acupuncture is endorsed by the National Institute of Health
- Is practiced by dentists, doctors and other health practitioners

3. Increasing Acceptance

Increasing acceptance of acupuncture was highlighted by the National Health Interview Survey in 2002, which indicated that the number of American adults turning to the treatment surged from 2.1 million in 2001 to about 8.2 million the following year. The interest in acupuncture also received a boost from the impatience individuals had with the failure of conventional medicine.

4. How Does It Really Work?

Acupuncture reportedly induces the release of endorphins in the body, relieving an indivudal from pain. Other effects attributed to the therapy include influence over neurotransmitters, or substances transporting nerve impulses; promotion of circulation; and effects over the body's electrical currents and autonomic nervous system. Many common ailments and undesirable conditions are addressed by acupuncture treatment.

5. Commonly Treated Conditions

- Sinusitis
- The common cold
- Smoking and other addictions
- Migraines
- Tennis elbow
- Infertility
- Menstrual cramps
- Obesity
- Low-back pain
- Asthma
- Arthritis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome

6. Procedure

On the first meeting, acupuncturists usually ask new clients to fill up a personal health record prior to an interview. A session then has the client answer questions that cover main health issues, diet, emotional and psychological profile, and overall lifestyle and regular activities. The therapist should also be informed by the individual of any current medication and treatment being taken. During this interview, one can also expect the practitioner to evaluate pulse points and establish how healthy the individual's twelve meridians are. A diagnosis is then given, followed by the use of between 6 and 12 needles as treatment is commenced. Patients keen on acupuncture must realize that the exact placement on target points on the meridians is more important, not the number of needles used.

The initial insertion may make the patient feel pricked or stung. However, the treatment should be painless and comfortable for the duration that could extend to an hour or more. An individual should immediately tell the acupuncturist to discontinue if he feels any numbness, discomfort or pain. Variations of the treatment may involve use of herbal medicine - capsules, tablets or tea made from Chinese herbs to boost the therapy. Some practitioners also integrate cupping - a suction effect created with the use of glass cups on the skin, in part to promote blood circulation and continuous qi flow.

7. Rising Popularity

The recent withdrawal of the Vioxx painkiller has raised apprehension over pain relievers available in the market. This concern, combined with statements from the NIH and other government and health organizations that side effects from acupuncture are significantly lower, has made more individuals turn to the treatment, particularly for pain relief. Several studies have also shown how acupuncture has helped patients with osteoarthritis, post-chemotherapy nausea and even depression. Despite all the apparent positive feedback, those considering acupuncture should still consult regular doctors and health-care professionals for advice on their conditions first. If they decide to pursue the treatment, they must make sure that the acupuncturist or practitioner they see is highly-qualified and certified by organizations such as the American Academy of Medical Acupuncturists.

Eating Out Wisely

2010-05-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

Many people I know love eating out at different cafes and restaurants. They love trying out new places almost as much as they love returning to their old favorite spots. They love trying new menu items and discovering new ways to eat the foods they enjoy the most. Eating out can be both a wonderful and very dangerous thing.

In America we are blessed to have restaurants dotting the streets of many streets in towns and cities of all sizes. We are rarely at a loss for places to eat out. One of the greatest things about eating out is that it saves time that many busy people do not have to waste. After spending long hours at our workplaces, few people have the time or energy to return home and cook a gourmet meal. Eating out seems to be a great solution at the end of a long, tiring day.

Eating out can also be great because we can try a wide variety of foods and drinks that we don't have the ability to make ourselves. No one loves eating the same basic foods over and over again, so eating out can be a good way to give our tastebuds something new.

However, if we are not careful, eating out can also be dangerous for a couple of big reasons. First, we must use caution in eating out for the sake of our health. Most restaurants and cafes offer huge portions of items that are unhealthy to eat and drink. Eating out often means filling up on appetizers, a main course, a few high calorie beverages, and a dessert to finish off the evening. Think about how many calories you can consume during a meal like this. I am not, of course, saying that we should never enjoy eating out. I am, however, saying that we need to be careful, for our health's sake, about eating out too frequently. We must be careful to watch our choices when we are eating out. Choose healthier items or commit to only eating half of the meal you choose. There are ways of eating out healthily, it just takes conscience effort.

Another huge reason to be careful about eating out too often is your pocketbook and budget. It is no secret that eating out costs more, on average, that cooking meals in your own home. It is easy to accumulate large bills, especially at nicer places. So be careful that you stick to a budget when you make plans for eating out.

Beware. Eating out can be one of the greatest pleasures or one of the most dangerous things. Enjoy it, but do it with caution.

Fruit Secrets

2010-05-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

Fruits, goldmine of vitamins, minerals and fibre are ideal to consume at least 4-5 servings in a day. Since they are in the natural form, account for largest part of water and 100% bad cholesterol free, it's much easier for the body to process and absorb the vitamins and minerals from the fresh fruit.

Apple – Round fruit with lots of fibre, vitamins A, C, E and folate. Available in green, red or yellow skin when ripe. Apples reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. They also help with heart disease, weight loss and controlling cholesterol.

Bananas – Long thick skinned fruit yellow in colour when ripe. Good source of fibre, potassium, vitamins A, C, B6, E & folate. Unripe or green bananas are used in cooking.

Cherries – small round fruit with a seed, red or black in colour when ripened. Cherries always have to be ripe to eat. Cherries contain anthocyanins that reduce pain & inflammation.

Figs – Eaten either dried or fresh, figs contain vitamin A, C, folate and niacin. A small sweet fruit full of small seeds.

Kiwi – A rich source of vitamins A, C, E, B - complex, calcium, iron and folic acid, kiwi is a small oval fruit with thin brown skin, soft green flesh and black seeds. The skin is a good source of flavonoid antioxidants.

Lime – Lime or lemon is the most cultivated citrus fruit with green to yellow colour loaded with vitamins A, C and folate. Juice of lime is good for detoxification and has antioxidant properties.

Peach - Round juicy fruit with a yellowish red skin & flesh having a taste of acidic tang and sweetness contains a rough stone. Always to be picked and eaten ripe.

Orange - A round thick-skinned juicy edible fruit that is a reddish-yellow colour when ripe with sweet to sour flavour. Peeled and eaten fresh or squeezed to make juice. Contain vitamin C, flavanoids, provides pectin and rich in sodium when ripened in sunshine.

Plum - soft round smooth-skinned fruit with sweet flesh and a flattish pointed stone. It is high in carbohydrates, low in fat and calories. An excellent source of vitamin A, C, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, fibre and free of sodium and cholesterol.

Papaya - A melon like fruit with yellow- orange flesh with dozens of small black seeds enclosed in skin that ranges in colour from green to orange. Either round, pear-shaped, or long like a banana. Rich in vitamins A, B, C, and D; calcium, phosphorous and iron. It is high in digestive properties and has a direct tonic effect on the stomach.

Pear - A sweet juicy yellow or green fruit with a rounded shape narrow towards the stalk. Best eaten at room temperature, pear contains kalium and riboflavine. It is good for skin and contains plenty of fibres.

Strawberry - A triangular shaped red colour fruit. It is one of the richest sources of Vitamin C and fibre. It has high content of sodium and iron. It helps in whitening of the teeth. Used to relieve rheumatism.

Watermelon - a type of melon with smooth exterior rind and juicy sweet red interior flesh. Extraordinarily refreshing to drink as juice or eaten when ripe and fresh. Valuable for minerals, vitamins and sugar with useful amount of fibre and iron.

Artichokes Are A Strange But Healthy Food

2010-05-08T11:34:00.001-07:00

Artichokes have been around for a long time. Originally found around the Mediterranean Sea, they were used by the ancient Romans to treat poor digestion.
Somewhere along the line, the Romans realized artichokes also made great appetizers, and they have been a traditional Italian food ever since.

The Latin name for this greenish-purple vegetable is Cynara scolymus. Sometimes called French or Globe artichoke, it's the flower of the plant that is sold in grocery stores. But don't confuse it with the Jerusalem artichoke, which is really a tuber that grows in North America.

One medium artichoke supplies 20 percent of the vitamin C you need for the day. With only 60 calories, it's also a good source of potassium and magnesium, both important for a healthy heart. And like most fruits and vegetables, it's packed with disease-fighting antioxidants that nutritionists rave about.

3 ways artichokes keep you healthy

Steps up digestion.

As it turns out, the ancient Romans were onto something when it comes to artichokes and digestion. An ingredient in artichoke leaves helps your liver form bile - something necessary for good digestion. If your liver doesn't produce enough bile, your food doesn't get broken down properly, and you end up with stomach pains and indigestion.

If you feel sick to your stomach, overly full, and have abdominal pain after eating a normal-sized meal, you may suffer from dyspepsia - a fancy name for poor digestion.

Several scientific studies showed dramatic improvements in people with dyspepsia after being treated with artichoke extracts. You can also get help for your indigestion the way the ancient Romans did - by eating a delicious artichoke with your dinner.

Chokes out heart disease.

Bile from your liver does more than help you digest food. It also helps break down cholesterol from the fat you eat. But a liver that doesn't produce enough bile lets too much cholesterol get by - kind of like the I Love Lucy episode where the chocolate assembly line starts moving too fast for her to keep up. People with liver problems can have high cholesterol even if they eat a low-fat diet.

That's where artichokes come in. Because they can help you make more bile, you might be able to lower your cholesterol by eating them. A study in Germany showed that taking artichoke extract for six weeks caused LDL cholesterol, the bad kind, to fall by more than 22 percent. As a bonus, artichokes might also be able to block some new cholesterol from forming in your liver.

Lowers blood sugar.

Your liver is busier than you might think. In addition to breaking down fatty foods, it also stores extra glucose (sugar) in the form of glycogen and turns it back into glucose whenever it gets a phone call from your blood saying that supplies are too low. This is a great system in a perfectly working body. But some people have faulty phone lines, and their livers work day and night cranking out glucose their blood doesn't need. This overproduction of glucose can lead to diabetes and other health problems.

In animal studies, researchers found that substances in artichokes kept livers from making too much glucose. More studies need to be done, but scientists think artichokes might someday be useful to people with noninsulin-dependent diabetes. In the future, people might use plants, like artichokes, to keep their blood sugar production in check.

Pantry pointers

Choose artichokes with even, green color. Don't buy any that look wilted, dried out, or moldy. Heavy, small heads are best.

Small artichokes are good for appetizers, and larger ones can be used for stuffing with a variety of fillings and served as an entree.

Be sure to trim about an inch off the top with a sharp knife. And then trim about one-quarter inch from the tips of the leaves since this part is inedible and rough on your hands.

Artichokes can be steamed in a steamer basket or boiled in water. They should be tender and ready to eat in about 30 minutes. If you're in a hurry, you can microwave them more quickly. First, rinse them with water to add some moisture. Then wrap each one in microwaveable plastic wrap. For four artichokes, microwave on high for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meaty part at the base of the artichoke is tender.

You can serve these veggies hot or cold. Some people serve a dipping sauce with artichokes. It would be a shame to ruin a lowfat food with a rich sauce, so try a low-calorie, yogurt-based dip.

If you've never eaten an artichoke, you might be a little confused about what part is edible. The outer leaves are hard and a little bitter, but at the bottom of the leaf, where they pull away from the stem, there is a soft, velvety hunk of "meat" that you can eat by gently pulling the leaf through your teeth. After you've nibbled all the leaves this way, you're left with the best part of the artichoke - the heart. This is a soft, nutty-flavored center that can be eaten whole. Just scrape off the soft fuzz with a spoon before you dig in.

Exercise-Can You Exercise Too Much?

2010-05-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

Exercise is good for us and we all need some sort of it to keep our bodies in good health. However when you are working out it is important not to put abnormal strain on your body or you will defeat your purpose and do more harm than good.

Avoiding body stress when exercising: First of all be sure you are healthy. It is wise to have a physical check up before you begin an exercise regime, especially if you are recovering from an illness. It is very important not to over do it:

· Start excising gradually, do not rush into a strenuous routine
· Stimulate your body systems carefully by carrying out each exercise correctly.
· Wear clothing that is comfortable
· Exercise regularly if possible at a set time.
· Results will come over time do not expect instant consequences
· You may want to consult a physician, if you have just recovered from a serious illness.

Be careful not to get overheated: heat exhaustion can creep up on you and can be dangerous. Here are a few safety tips for outdoor exercise in those hot summer days.

Replace fluids: your body can dehydrate quite quickly if you are not careful. It may not be particularly hot but if it is humid you will sweat more and lose valuable fluids. You can replace fluids with sports drinks- replacement of minerals and cool water. Always make sure you drink a lot when exercising in the heat. For short bouts of exercise, less than an hour, water is sufficient. For longer exercise sports drinks are recommended.

In really hot weather you can schedule your exercise either in the evening or early morning. Consider working indoors if this cannot be managed.

Be aware of warning signs like fatigue and feeling light headed. If you experience these symptoms stop, rest in the cool and drink plenty of fluids.

Dress in loose cool clothes that will allow your body to breathe and sweat.

Be careful of air quality alerts, which can be more prevalent in summer. It is best to do indoor exercise if there are alerts.

Regular exercise: It is best to take regular exercise rather than a lot one day and none for the next few days. 20 minutes 2-3 times a day is a good regime. Or you can take a brisk walk for 2-5 miles. Bicycling is good but should be done in the cool of the day. The main thing to remember is to be careful and not overexert yourself. It is good to push yourself a little but not too much and you will see the results you need.

Get into the habit of trying to exercise at the same time and you will soon fall into a routine. Once you are in the habit of exercising you will see those pounds come off and at the same time you will strengthen your muscles. Over time you will see a change in yourself and will definitely feel much better, Exercise should always be coupled with a healthy diet for maximum results. As well as this you should get adequate rest so that you can have an all-round feeling of good health.

Four Creative Steps To Healing

2010-05-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ever have the feeling that dis-ease was controlling your life? Perhaps it's not even a chronic illness. Do you harbor anger? Resentment? Frustration?

Maybe it's just me and I'm talking to myself, but I've let all of these rule my life at some point. Therefore, in this short article, I thought we'd take a look at "Four Creative Steps To Healing." From it, I hope you'll gain insight into yourself, your behaviors and perhaps the way you deposit or withdraw from your own health currency.

Step One: Understand Your Energy
We've all heard about the aura that surrounds the body, but what could this possibly have to do with our health? According to Carolyn Myss in her audio program "Why People Don't Heal," the energetic exchange that happens within this field is where our thoughts become translated into energy (or what she terms as one's biography becoming their biology). Translation: These cycles or waves of energy that surround our body are a function of our thoughts. Thoughts are energy waves then, that affect our health in a positive or negative way. Let's look a little closer to see why this happens:

The contributors to this energy surrounding the body are the 7 major "chakras" (chakra in Sanskrit means "wheel or vortex"). It may help to note that Myss refers to each energy wheel as a "computer," one which collects and interprets information and “perceptions” the mind has about the world. It has been shown scientifically that each of these 7 wheels of energy corresponds to a particular endocrine gland in the body. Translation: In light of the adage, "you are what you eat" we could conclude with with some degree of certainty that "you are what you think."

Step Two: Let Go Of Old Wounds
Now that you've been (hopefully) examining your thoughts and translating all of your negative energy into positive, Myss throws another curve ball. Would you agree with her that "healing is unattractive?" I needed some time to think about this: Why in the world would healing be unattractive?

Answer (According to Myss): Our wounds give us power! And after careful contemplation, I've outlined three ways I have done this, myself.

Ask yourself: Are you leading with your wounds? You'll know if you done any of the following:

1. Used Wounds to Manipulate a Situation or a Person.
Let's say we find a situation unsavory, scary or inflaming a personal "hot button." Have you ever avoided a situation when you really needed to face head on? Or, how 'bout this one: "I just can't get into this relationship - I've been burned before!" Okay, maybe I am just speaking to myself here, but I admit, I've used my wounds (more times than I care to admit) to refrain from loving unconditionally.

2. Use Them to Attract Other Wounded Souls Who Want to Exchange in the “Wound” Game.
I’ve done this myself, too. In listening to another share their wounds, I’ve given up compassion for wound ante – “Ill see you and raise you one.” Agreed, there is a difference between healing from a wound and “leading with a wound" but, in my humble opinion, I'd be willing to bet that we know the difference between being healthy and not. For example, I know when I’m healthy when I can listen with empathy, void of getting out my toolbox to “fix" or laying out my wounds unsolicited.

3. Give Up Our Ability to Listen.
Dr. Bernie Siegel in his book "Peace, Love and Healing" basically says, listening is the work of angels. Many times listening is all we have in a situation when someone calls on us for help. If we express what Ms. Myss calls "woundology" or "leading with our wounds" we're saying that we can’t stand the loss of power and desire all the attention for ourself.

Since I'm laying out all my laundry here today (And what would Myss have to say for this?) here’s an example of the way I’ve led with my wounds: Recently someone confided in me about a situation where they had lost a loved one. While listening attentively, my mind searched its experiences for a similar event. All this so I could say: “Oh that’s terrible! Don’t feel so bad though, because I’ve been through this thing that is so much worse!"

To reclaim my character, however, (and after I realized what was happening), I caught myself. In reality, all this person really needed was my ear to listen unconditionally.

Step Three: Learn To Forgive Yourself and Others
The final two steps are remedies which can help heal our anger, resentment and frustration. Step three then, is simply forgiveness. For to forgive in earnest then takes our energy out of its emotional investment in the past. We give up the need to spend wasted energy making negative deposits into this account and to paraphrase Myss, is the fastest way to bring our energy into real time. Translation: Trust me, you'll know authentic forgiveness when you experience it. The body literally “lets go” of the weight of the past.

Step Four: Love Yourself
The final creative step to healing? Loving yourself, of course! This is the most challenging concept, in my opinion. Why? To begin we must start where we are, and love and accept ourselves for who we are, today. How does this help our health? It's simple,
when we realize that we are stunting our personal growth and health through negative self talk, we can then begin to love ourselves one piece at a time.

Here’s how it’s done (Author's note: beware, this practice may seem untraditional yet, if you'll consult Louise L. Hay's book: "You Can Heal Your Life" - you'll find that this is one of the remedies she used to heal herself from cancer):

Every day spend 15 minutes in the mirror sending love to yourself! Start small by finding one part of yourself where you can find perfection. Each day, or week, or month choose new parts of yourself to love. Before long, you'll find an image of perfection before your eyes. And you'll have purified your energy, to boot!

In closing, we could make all of these steps very simple, indeed. For there is only one step here that will make you healthy and happy. Remember: It's when we've learned to love ourselves that we can truly be healed.

References:

Myss, Carolyn, Ph.D. Why People Don't Heal. Colorado, 2001. Sounds True Audio.
Siegel, Bernie, M.D. Peace, Love and Healing. New York: HarperCollins. 1989.
Hay, Louise L. You Can Heal Your Life. California: Hay House. 2004.

Eating Greens

2010-05-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

Eating a lot of greens can have many health benefits to you. You may not know all the good things that greens can do for you, so read on.

A substance that is found in all plants is Chlorophyll. What it does is it acts as a blood detoxifier, which helps increase circulation to all your organs. It does this by dilating blood vessels and it is also a natural deodorant because it helps reduce offensive body orders. Wow, 2 in one can’t beat that.

Super green foods come from young cereal grasses like wheat, barley, rye, alfalfa, oats, kelp, chlorella and many others as well. These have a whole lot of nutrients in them; they even have more nutrients than spinach, eggs, broccoli, chicken in calcium, iron, protein and all of the other categories as well. So it would be better for you to opt for super greens.

Did you know that super green foods are the only vegetables that can help animals maintain their weight, strength and good health even if it is consumed alone? Super greens can help boost your immune system they are powerful antioxidants, that can help you grow and have many another health benefits as well. Bottom line is super greens are one of the greatest things you can do to your body. They do so much for our bodies, so we don’t have to worry do much about being healthy.

Also another good thing is that there is no harm in eating super green foods, they give us so many nutrients and are the most natural way of getting everything your body needs to function and be healthy. So go out there and start eating more greens, after all you want to be healthy right? Don’t forget to tell everyone you know about the benefits of greens as well so they can make that same decision as well.

Are Your Relationships Making You Fat?

2010-05-03T15:10:00.001-07:00

Are you constantly surrounded by temptation? Can’t say no to those fattening lunch dates, or those home-baked pies from your mother-in-law or to the huge box of chocolates from your partner? The diet is hard enough without high-calorie foods being pushed in your direction. How can you stick to your resolve?

WebMD experts offer five simple strategies to help you stick to a healthy eating plan (even when you're surrounded by non-dieting friends and loved ones).

1. Make a Statement. It’s up to the dieter to make his or her feelings known. Directly ask your loved ones not to give you food as gifts or eat in front of you. No matter how strong you are, you can't stare fattening foods in the face every day without your willpower breaking down.

2. Keep Temptation Out of Sight. Even if your loved ones agree to eat their fattening goodies when you're not around, ask them to keep it in a cabinet where you don't normally go for your diet foods - you'll be less tempted to eat it.

3. Learn the Art of Substitution. Give yourself a taste treat of your own by preparing a less-caloric dessert that captures some of the essence of what your family members are wolfing down. Be creative and you'll find that watching others eat the goodies won't be so hard.

4. Share the Health. Make the foods that everyone craves in a more healthful and calorie-conscious way. Use no-fat yogurt in place of mayonnaise, use skim milk instead of whole milk, make lasagna with low-fat cheese. Creating a low-calorie shopping list will also help. Choose baked chips instead of fried, popcorn instead of cheese doodles, diet soda instead of regular, you will be helping everyone.

5. Be Reassuring. Even when they say you look good the way you are, reassure your partner that your weight loss goals are driven by health, not vanity, and that losing those extra pounds will help ensure a better future for both of you. Explain the serious health risks involved in being overweight.

No- you’re not weak-willed. You’re human. Just don’t let those around you get the best of you. Follow these five easy steps and you won’t fall off the weight loss wagon.

Are You Sick and Overweight? Your Diet Could Be the Problem

2010-04-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

Every five years or so there seems to be a new fad diet that becomes the craze. Low-carbohydrate diets currently hold that spot. The popularity of fad diets is their ability to assist the individual with quick weight loss. Some people who want to lose weight are so desperate that they will try anything. Many of these diets do result in weight loss. The problem is that they may cause rebound affects in the form of more weight gain or worse, cause you to develop a health issue or to become vitamin deficient.

The problems that can occur when you are on a fad diet can range from mild to severe. Mild symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, and headaches. Severe symptoms that you may develop from a fad diet include heart disease, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides. What further complicates the issue is that most people will not know they have a problem until the condition progresses to a dangerous level. This is one of the reasons any diet modifications should first be discussed with a medical doctor.

Of course, the best method for weight loss is to lessen the number of calories consumed and increase the number of calories burned so that no more than two pounds per week are lost. This method takes time and people who want to lose a significant amount of weight may become impatient. There may be the possibility that your weight gain is associated with some health condition. There is good news for people in this situation.

The reason many people aren't successful on fad diets is because the diets are typically not good sources of long-term nutrition. Your body will crave the nutrients that it is missing. Unless you are on a restrictive diet advised by your doctor, it is best to avoid diets that limit a particular food group. A diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, grain, as well as fats is the best way to lose weight. These foods are low in calories and are also beneficial in keeping your body healthy. A multivitamin that contains high amounts of chromium and calcium may assist you with losing weight. These two elements help your body metabolize fat, which is necessary for weight loss. As with fad diets, you should consult with your doctor before taking a multivitamin with high doses of these elements.

To check out the supplement we take daily and highly recommend, be sure to check out http://www.nutritional-supplement-guides.com/what-we-use.html

Childhood Stutter

2010-04-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

A stutter normally starts for people in childhood and is often referred to as a childhood stutter. This is often very worrying for parents and the child and it is difficult to know where to seek help for the person who has the stutter.

There are many types of stutter. Family and friends may not even be aware that a person they know has a stutter. That is because the person is able to hide the stutter, by using word avoidance or word substitution.

Other people are unable to do this and have what they would consider an openely more severe stutter.

A stutter would normally occur more when a person is:

under pressure
when tired
meeting new people
speaking in an uncomfortable situation
asking questions, for example asking for directions
introducing people

Stuttering can also be known in some areas as stammering.

Stutter therapy:

People who have a stutter have different options when seeking therapy. They can go to a speech therapist or speech pathologist. Alternatively they can attend a speech course. These courses can be on a group basis or on a one to one basis.

I personally prefer and advise one to one stutter courses as I believe every person who has a stutter is an individual and has their own individual type stutter.

Can Headaches Be Caused by Sitting at a Computer?

2010-04-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

Has it ever occurred to you that while you are happily typing away on your computer for hours on end you are actually creating a problem in your neck that can lead to chronic migraine headaches or tension headaches? If you suffer from migraine headaches or tension headaches it may be something you should investigate.

When a person with migraine headaches or tension headaches visits a chiropractor
for their pain what does the chiropractor typically do for that patient? The usual treatment for most headache patients is to manipulate, or adjust, the neck. Chiropractors teach us that most headaches come from neck problems, and that by adjusting or manipulating the neck tension and migraine headaches can be relieved or cured.

Over 80% of headache patients that receive chiropractic treatment show improvement that ranges from slight improvement up to complete elimination of their headache pain. If this is the case then it seems logical that the majority of migraine
headaches or tension headaches originate from spinal (neck) problems. It also seems logical that if we knew what was causing these neck problems, and eliminated what was causing them, we could also eliminate the headaches, both migraine and tension.

As a chiropractor for 25 years I have treated many patients with migraine headaches and tension headaches. After examining thousands of patients I discovered that as many as 95% who were experiencing headaches had one thing in common, a reversed cervical (neck) curve. From the side view a normal neck should have a slight curve in it. But in my experience as a chiropractor I estimate that approximately 95% of my patients with headaches had either a lessening of that curve, no curve at all, or a curve that was completely reversed. When these “poor neck curvatures” were treated with chiropractic adjustments most showed great improvement.

Chiropractors know that headaches can be caused by “poor neck posture,” so the next question becomes “can sitting at a computer cause poor neck posture?” If the answer is yes, then it’s obvious that sitting at a computer can and does cause headaches.

People usually develop poor neck curvatures because of poor posture habits. Anything a person does that places their head in a position forward to their body will lessen or reverse their normal neck curve. And poor neck curvatures DO cause headaches. Chiropractors have been teaching this for decades.

The types of activities that can lead to poor neck posture include sitting at a computer for extended periods of time, reading with the head bent forward, sitting while slouching in a chair or on a couch, sleeping with the head or neck in odd positions, or any other activity that places the head in a position forward to the body. So, to answer our original question, yes, headaches can be caused by sitting at a computer. Sitting at a computer can cause an abnormal neck curvature to develop which can cause headaches.

Good posture can surely prevent the development of poor neck posture, which would seem to be the best remedy, but what can be done if the lessening or reversal of the neck curve has already been developed? Obviously, chiropractic treatment is an option that could be considered. But there are many other alternative treatments for tension or migraine headaches.

Most people just take a pain pill. But are pain pills the best approach? They surely are in some cases, but there are many other headache treatment options that don’t require the use of potentially harmful drugs. All drugs have side effects, some of which can end up being worse than the headaches themselves. Before treating your health problems with drugs it is wise to seek the advice of a health professional.

There are many natural remedies for migraine headaches or tension headaches. These include stress and tension reduction, ice therapy (used at the base of the skull), eliminating food triggers, getting the proper amount of rest, biofeedback, headache pillows or cushions, exercise and many others. Some of these may help relieve headaches, both migraine and tension, and could be investigated further.

Get Some Exercise

2010-04-28T16:39:00.001-07:00

Once you have been diagnosed with diabetes, the first thing you here from your doctor is to “get some exercise”. Pretty soon everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and pointing out to you just how important it is to “get some exercise”. I know, I suffer Type 2 diabetes, but I have learnt how to control the disease, and getting exercise is an important part of that control. At first you think how can I possibly exercise, it was probably this mindset, and lack of exercise, that brought on the disease. You are probably well overweight, a major contributor to the disease, and the feelings of apprehension set in, how can I possibly exercise.

While you may be thinking “that’s easier said than done”, you may be surprised to learn that exercise isn’t necessarily about “no pain – no gain”. Regular physical activity can become an enjoyable part of your day with long term benefits to your diabetes and your overall health. You will even lose weight. It is as important to a diabetic as is giving up smoking. Regular physical activity is certainly worth the effort with the following benefits.

For the person with diabetes

Improves the body’s response to insulin.
Can therefore lower glucose levels.
Lowers blood pressure and improves cholesterol levels.
Reduces the risk of heart disease.
Lose Weight.

Other benefits and positives

Reduces stress and tension.
Increases energy levels
Strengthens bone structure.
Improves mental outlook.
Increases fitness levels.
Improves sleeping habits

It is recommended that you aim to spend at least 30 minutes a day doing some form of moderate intensity physical activity. Moderate intensity physical activity means you will notice your heart rate increase, and you may have a light sweat. If you are not breathing more quickly than usual, it is not helping. If on the other hand you are gasping and unable to talk, you are overdoing it. If you are trying to lose weight, 30 minutes may not be enough, but it is an excellent place to start. Also, read everything you can on the subject of diabetes information and I can suggest http://www.health4diabetes.com is a great resource.

My form of activity was walking and playing tennis and golf. Initially I started on flat walks of 25 – 30 minutes, and then once fit boosted it to about 45 minutes walking more quickly, and “took to the hills”. I am lucky to have both flat and hill sectors in my neighbourhood. I have lost 8 Kg (17.5lb), feel fit and strong, and currently have the diabetes under control. I know I can’t cure the disease, but I can live with it and not have to suffer.

Get Back On Track With a Personal Fitness Trainer

2010-04-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

One of the most honest assessments for most of us is that we're procrastinators. We'll delay and wait for as long as possible especially if what needs done are lifestyle changes. Take for example the need for more exercise.

We're a nation of people that sign up at the local health clubs, buy all the expensive equipment then proceed to go round and round the parking lot looking for a close spot so we don't have to walk so far. Come on, you know that's true! Who hasn't seen people at all stores traveling the equivalent of several miles looking for that just right close parking spot.

One thing that seems to work however is to obtain the services of a personal fitness trainer. Fitness trainers typically will be found in almost every gym but can be located by simply calling a cardiologist. Many highly qualified and skilled lifestyle people are associated with cardiologist. Cardiology by the way is the heart doctor, which is what we'll all be needing if the snack foods aren't replaced with healthier foods. LOL

A fitness trainer will create a health and exercise plan that will then be monitored for progress. By having someone holding us accountable, the potential for success is greatly increased.
While we're on the subject of success, we should also practice what we preach and enforce the same type of healthy choice lifestyle on the rest of the family. After all, didn't someone once say that misery lover company. :o)

Seriously, here are a few ideas that can help get all of us and our families back into some shape other than "round"

1 Explain the difference between healthy and not so healthy food choices but DO NOT NAG. The idea is to make better choices most of the time not be perfect!

2 Prepare healthy meals. Quit the burger and taco runs and calling that dinner. One of the biggest problems with our diets isn't that we eat to much but that it's the wrong kind of foods. And those wrong kind of foods are in most cases sold by corporate conglomerates looking for profits not a healthy customer.

3. Never use food as a reward. If food is a big part of some outing, (popcorn at the theater) start to change that behavior by having other, more healthy snacks available. Our family would buy candy and oil laden popcorn at the movies and still do but in much smaller quantities. We lower the amount of the bad foods by bringing in bags of those small baby carrots to munch on. It's now preferred by many of the kids and are considered a movie snack!

4. When you can walk to do something, do it. Don't just get into the car to go a couple of blocks.

A personal fitness trainer can go a long way to helping with ideas like these. Interview trainers and look for one that's not interested in changing your world overnight. The best personal trainer is one who sees the progress and works to see those little successes turn into major lifestyles changes.

Exercise in Minutes - Exercise for People with No Time to Spare

2010-04-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

You can’t count the benefits of exercising. They are just too numerous. They help control weight, help weight loss, improve your attitude and generally make you feel better. The experts are now telling us that just thirty minutes a day of moving will improve your health.

While I must accept the opinions of so many experts, I still find setting aside the time is a problem in my busy life. If you experience the same problem, you might try some of these ideas to get you going:

1. When you go to the mall or grocery store, don’t park next to the front door of the store. Leave your car as far from the store as you can. This will give you more of a walk in an effortless way.

2. When the weather suits you, go outside and clean the yard. Just bending and stretching to pick up leaves and trash will burn calories.

3. Try taking the dog for a walk. Your dog will enjoy this very much and keep you moving.

4. At work, perhaps you can walk at lunch time. I’ve found that some of my office staff are willing to walk some days with me. This makes the time go faster and yet, I’ve exercised during the daylight hours.

I’m sure you can find many more reasons and ideas to help motivate you in the right direction. I find that walking in the sunshine helps improve my mood and that I will just make the time when the sun is out. Find your reason to help yourself.

Exercise Bikes Are Not What They Used To Be

2010-04-28T16:33:00.001-07:00

Do you remember the days when exercise bikes were just bikes held up off of the ground? When exercise bikes were no more complicated than your regular everyday outdoor bike? It seems like a million years ago but in fact it was just yesterday. In an amazingly short amount of time exercise bikes have changed the way we exercise and they way that we stay in tip top shape.

Gone are the exercise bikes that are like outdoor bikes, not we have spinning machines and exercise bikes with TVs on them. We have exercise bikes that will take us up hills and down them to add some spice to our workouts and exercise bikes that will monitor your heart rate and your breathing. It is truly amazing just how much these amazing fitness machines have changed over the last few years. And the best part is that all of these changes to the exercise bikes of today mean that you get a better, more personalized workout each and every tie that you get onto on.

What makes exercise bikes so great and so popular is that they offer so much variety but you never have to leave the house. Many people do not like going to a public gym to exercise in front of all kinds of people. It makes you uncomfortable, who wants others to see them sweating? I know I don’t. And when you have home exercise bikes you never have to take this kind of thing into consideration, you can do all of your exercising in the privacy of your own home.

That is not the only plus to exercise bikes though, there is more. If you had a regular bike, what would you do when it snowed or it was raining really hard? It is not safe to ride a bike outdoors in that kind of weather. Not only could you slip and fall off, but others driving could have a hard time seeing you. This can lead to all kinds of dangerous situations but when you have your own exercise bikes indoors, you can exercise at any time of the day r night, in any weather with perfect safety. Safety should always come first and with these kinds of exercise bikes it always does.

When it comes to choosing the exercise bikes that are right for you, it will take some serious shopping around. You need to take into consideration why you are looking for indoor exercise bikes. Is it to burn fat? To promote good heart health? Better circulation? These types of considerations will affect the kind of exercise bikes that you should be looking at. Since there are so many add ons and extras that you can get these days you need to make sure that you are looking at the exercise bikes that have what you need.

For example, if you want to work on your heart health then you need to look at the exercise bikes that will have heart monitors and perhaps some more of those kinds of add ons.

Don't Forget to Drink Your Fruits and Veggies

2010-04-27T19:34:00.001-07:00

Remember the scene at the dinner table when you were a child? Negotiating with your parents on how many bites of peas and carrots you had to take in order to leave the table was most likely a constant struggle.

Unfortunately, people don't always grow out of this negative attitude toward fruits and vegetables. Studies show that the average American consumer eats only three servings of fruits and vegetables a day. When compared to the recommended five to nine servings a day, it's apparent that many of us have a long way to go.

The effort is worth it, though. Studies by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Academy of Sciences suggest that the nutritional goodness of fruits and vegetables, along with a diet that is low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, may decrease the risk of developing certain diseases.

To help their patients get the necessary nutrients, some doctors recommend "green drinks." These powdered drink mixes are a natural source of vitamins and minerals. To many people, however, the drinks also have a strong, unbearable taste and an unpalatable texture.

Would you stick with a nutritious drink if you had to hold your nose while consuming it?

To get the health benefits found in green drinks without the unappetizing taste and texture, I recommend Earth's Promise from Enzymatic Therapy. With a combination of 20 vitamin-rich ingredients, one glass of Earth's Promise provides the essential nutrients your body needs to enhance energy, support digestion and boost the immune system. It also is high in fiber. In fact, drinking one glass provides you with more fiber than you would get from eating a bowl of oatmeal.

Earth's Promise comes in three flavors - Strawberry-Kiwi, Elderberry and Peppermint-Tea - making it easier to support a healthy lifestyle. In addition, it is laboratory-tested for purity, safety and performance and meets the highest manufacturing standards.

Does the Protien Diet Work?

2010-04-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

Of course, when it comes to healthy eating, there are plenty of alternative diets that people want to claim are healthier than the traditional calorie counting method. They are usually motivated by a desire to sell a book or a food range, but some people swear by these methods.

The most famous diet lately has been the Atkins diet and its many copycats: the South Beach diet, GI, and the rest. These are basically high-protein diets that tell you carbohydrate (‘carbs’) are evil, and you should cut right down on them or even cut them out of your diet completely. While nutritionists are incredulous that anyone would seriously consider cutting an entire food group out of their diets, the books have sold in the millions.

The dirty little secret of protein diets is that they do help you lose weight, but only in the short term. They do this by causing you to give yourself a disease called ketosis, caused by lack of carbohydrate, that makes you lose weight, feel bad and have terrible breath. As soon as you go off the diet and back to your old ways, however, you will simply put all your weight back on again.

It is a similar situation with many other diets, including weight loss milkshakes, which rarely contain anything resembling a balanced meal. Instead, they flood your body with protein and little else, forcing it to burn fat – but again, the effect quickly wears off if you stop using the shakes.

A cynic might say that they’re not really trying to help you lose weight or eat healthily, so much as they are trying to keep you on their dodgy diets forever. If you want to eat healthily, stick to balance – no matter what anyone tells you, that’s never going to change.

Do The Trick With Low Carb Foods

2010-04-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

You can hardly turn your head these days without seeing new studies that have been done that show the importance of cutting carbs out of your diet. New diet plans are coming out all the time that claim to have the perfect combinations of foods that will magically allow you to lose all of your extra weight without lifting a finger or sacficing any of the tastes you love so much. Eating low carb foods sounds so boring and hard, but it doesn't have to.

As a registered dietician, it is my job and my joy to work with people in finding healthy food plans that are the best for them in achieving their health goals. I love sitting down with a client and discussing with them why they have made the decision to see me. Because you see, people have to get to a certain level of desperation and desire to change before they will go out of their way and make room in their tight budgets to see a dietician. I love hearing people talk about their struggles with weight and with making healthy eating choices. So many people desire to hear the truth about things like low carb foods but they have been so mis-informed by media.

Out of all the things people ask me, the questions I get most have to do with the truth about low carb foods and about switching to a low carb diet. People want to know whether or not it is an effective way to live, and if so, how they can do it without making their meals boring and bland. I love having this discussion about low carb foods because I happen to be a carb lover that has re-adjusted my eating habits in the past few years.

I tell all my clients that an important key to any health or eating program is balance. I tell them that this is why it is unrealistic and even harmful to think that we are doing good for our bodies by eliminated all carbs or all of anything from our diets. The purpose of low carb foods, which can be great, is to still enjoy the tastes and the health benefits (yes, benefits) of carbs while keeping them under control and trying to maintain your health and weight in the process.

Find some good information and read up about the truth about low carb foods if you don't have the time or money to make an appointment with a dietician. Your health is worth it. Be proactive and learn the truth.

Do We Need Eight Glasses of Water a Day?

2010-04-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Do you know where the idea of drinking eight glasses of water per day came from? Neither does anyone else.

Yet many nutritionists, weight-loss experts and general health gurus claim we must drink that much every day.

I certainly tried to do it. I would drink coffee in the morning, then maybe force down a glass of water. By the time I had sweet tea with lunch, I was not thirsty but would try to choke down two more glasses of water in the afternoon.

By the time I had a glass of wine and more tea for supper, I was full - and facing five more glasses of water! I just could not do it day in and day out.

I know many of you can, and I'm proud of you. But for the rest of us who wallow in guilt, there is good news.

Before I get to that, let me reinforce the necessity of good hydration. Drinking water in adequate amounts is necessary for maintaining the organ systems. In a resting state, this is easy and can be done in many ways. But in times of vigorous physical activity or in high temperatures, consumption must be increased and maintained to keep the body's core temperature from rising dangerously and to prevent dehydration.

Yet research has shown recently that there is no supporting evidence to back the popular notion that eight glasses of water a day is essential to good health. Studies have been duplicated where normal adults of both genders were compared, showing no difference in hydration status.

We are not walking around in a dehydrated state as some would have us believe.

We should drink water when thirsty. It's still the best indicator, and this signal is delivered from our brains when we have lost between 1 percent and 2 percent of our body's water. This amount is not dangerous.

Scientific studies also prove that there is no extra benefit to the skin by drinking more water. Nor is there supporting evidence that it significantly curbs appetite.

Nature intended for us to obtain much of our water from the food we eat. Fruits and vegetables are 80 percent to 90 percent water. Meat contains a fair amount, and even dry bread and cheese are about 35 percent water.

Caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea and soda do not necessarily contribute to dehydration. Caffeine does cause a loss of water, but only a fraction of what you are adding by drinking the beverage itself.

If you like to drink eight glass of water a day, that's fine. But don't feel guilty if you choose not to walk around with a bottle like everyone else. Instead, eat balanced meals and follow your thirst mechanism.

Dr. W. David Varner Jr. is a general surgeon and medical consultant for Aflac. - NU

Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes

2010-04-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

One of the most undemanding and the most workable ways to knock over blood sugar amount, eliminate the dangers of "cardiovascular disease," and perk up health and welfare in general is exercise.

In spite of that, in today's inactive world where almost every indispensable job can be carried out online, from the ergonomic chair in front of a computer, or with a streaming line of messages from a fax machine, exercising can be a hard argument to win over.

The Weight of Exercise

Everyone should exercise, yet the health experts tells us that only 30% of the United States population gets the recommended thirty minutes of daily physical activity, and 25% are not active at all. In fact, inactivity is thought to be one of the key reasons for the surge of type 2 diabetes in the U.S., because inactivity and obesity promote insulin resistance.

The good news is that it is never too late to get moving, and exercise is one of the easiest ways to start controlling your diabetes. For people with type 2 diabetes in particular, exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, lower the risk of heart disease, and promote weight loss.

Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is on the rise. The number of people diagnosed with diabetes every year increased by 48% between 1980 and 1994. Nearly all the new cases are Type 2 Diabetes, or adult-onset, the kind that moves in around middle age. Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes include increased thirst, appetite, and need to urinate; feeling tired, edgy, or sick to the stomach; blurred vision; tingling or loss of feeling in the hands.

The causes of type 2 diabetes are complex and not completely understood, although research is uncovering new clues at a rapid pace.

However, it has already been proven that one of the reasons for the boom in type 2 diabetes is the widening of waistbands and the trend toward a more deskbound and inactive lifestyle in the United States and other developed countries. In America, the shift has been striking; in the 1990s alone, obesity increased by 61% and diagnosed diabetes by 49%.

For this reason, health experts encourage those who already have type 2 diabetes to start employing the wonders that exercise can do for them. Without exercise, people have the tendency to become obese. Once they are obese, they have bigger chances of accumulating type 2 diabetes.

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that over 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are clinically overweight. Therefore, it is high time that people, whether inflicted with type 2 diabetes or not, should start doing those jumping and stretching activities.

Getting Started

The first order of business with any exercise plan, especially if you are a "dyed-in-the-wool" sluggish, is to consult with your health care provider. If you have cardiac risk factors, the health care provider may want to perform a stress test to establish a safe level of exercise for you.

Certain diabetic complications will also dictate what type of exercise program you can take on. Activities like weightlifting, jogging, or high-impact aerobics can possibly pose a risk for people with diabetic retinopathy due to the risk for further blood vessel damage and possible retinal detachment.

If you are already active in sports or work out regularly, it will still benefit you to discuss your regular routine with your doctor. If you are taking insulin, you may need to take special precautions to prevent hypoglycemia during your workout.

Start Slow

For those who have type 2 diabetes, your exercise routine can be as simple as a brisk nightly neighborhood walk. If you have not been very active before now, start slowly and work your way up. Walk the dog or get out in the yard and rake. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park in the back of the lot and walk. Every little bit does work, in fact, it really helps a lot.

As little as 15 to 30 minutes of daily, heart-pumping exercise can make a big difference in your blood glucose control and your risk of developing diabetic complications. One of the easiest and least expensive ways of getting moving is to start a walking program. All you need is a good pair of well-fitting, supportive shoes and a direction to head in.

Indeed, you do not have to waste too many expenses on costly "health club memberships," or the most up-to-date health device to start pumping those fats out. What you need is the willingness and the determination to start exercising to a healthier, type 2 diabetes-free life.

The results would be the sweetest rewards from the effort that you have exerted.

Bodybuilding Nutrition And Balance

2010-04-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

Many inexperienced (sometimes even experienced!) gym regulars believe that muscles grow while lifting weights. However lifting weights forms only a small fraction of the muscle building process. Muscle development takes place at night during deep sleep when the body synthesizes new cells with nutrients from our diet. Therefore nutrition forms a very important part of a bodybuilding program.

The body utilizes nutrients in food to perform daily metabolic and what's commonly referred to as the "wear and tear processes". With bodybuilding, additional strain is put on the body to make new muscle tissues. Therefore the nutrient requirements also shoots up to stay with the demand.

The best bodybuilding nutrition comes from a balanced intake of carbohydrates, adequate protein, vitamins, minerals, fats and large amounts of water. So if you are serious about getting lean and ripped it’s time to say goodbye to mayo burgers, colas and other synthetic foods. Adopt eating habits imbibing fruits, whole grains, milk, eggs and fresh farm products.

How much protein do you need?

Your growing muscles need amino acids to create new tissues. The amino acids are provided by protein in diet. There is a lot of debate on the exact quantity of protein required in bodybuilding. The caution to maintain is that extreme amounts of protein in the diet can cause gastric and renal complications. Recent studies have suggested that a protein intake of 1 to 1.4 grams per unit of body weight is adequate to sustain the bodybuilding process. This means that the protein requirement of a 70 kg individual should be around 70 to 98 grams. To give an estimate of the amount involved consider the following: A 100 gm chicken breast has 22 grams of protein, a glass of milk has 8 grams,an egg approximately 5 grams and a slice bread 3 grams.

A word of caution against the tide of bodybuilding supplements in markets. Many times you come across advertisements proclaiming, ‘Gain 20 pounds of muscle in 3 months flat!’. Stay clear of these money hungry advertisers. Building lean muscle takes time and effort. Making use of synthetic products which alter body’s natural mechanism would offset what should be your real purpose in bodybuilding which is to keep the body fit and healthy.

Lastly in bodybuilding it’s not, ‘the more the better’. Rather it is ‘the more precise the better’. Don’t over exert, eat balanced food and include plenty of rest. With everything good in life, patience, commitment, and balance will guarantee your success. With these tips in mind you are all set to pump iron!

2010-04-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

Protein is an essential nutrient, and is vital to your health. It is used to build muscles, skin, hair and nails. However, many people put their health at risk by eating too much protein.

The typical American diet already provides plenty of protein and there is no point in adding any more, unlike fat cells, there is no place in the body to store protein so the excess is eliminated or is seen as fat rather than muscle.

So what you need to do is to consume just enough protein to allow your muscles to be healthy, perform work and grow. But how much is just enough?

You only use protein for about 15% of your energy use, the majority of energy comes from fats and carbohydrates. Exercising doesn’t necessarily mean that you require more protein but more carbohydrates to stop your body breaking down protein and using that for energy.

Try to make sure that 70% of your protein comes from sources such as meat, fish, eggs or poultry. The complete protein provided by these foods combines with incomplete protein consumed from other food sources. So your body makes the best of all the protein that you consume.

If you are consuming too much protein, you are probably consuming too many calories over your maintenance levels and this will show as an increase in your body fat levels. And with the advent of the latest fad high protein diets, not enough carbohydrates are being consumed so the protein is converted to glucose and not converted into muscle growth.

What is needed for muscle growth is not more protein but high intensity strength training with the required amount of time for rest and recovery between sessions. Because that major bodybuilding star you saw in the latest magazine requires 300 grams of protein a day doesn't mean that you have to. What he won't tell you is that taking Steroids is behind his muscle gains and not his diet.

High intensity strength training and not food stimulates muscle growth.
Consuming excessive amounts of protein is not only bad for your liver and kidneys but also promotes vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It is also linked to osteoporosis and some forms of cancer.

One way to overcome the need to eat large quantities of protein is to increase the consumption of protein in stages until a maximum efficiency point is reached and then to drastically reduce it again. This obliges the body to over-compensate by increasing the efficiency for the absorption of protein into the body.

An example of a Protein Loading diet is found below.

Week One

Breakfast: Poached egg on toast, cereal with fruit and milk.

Snack: Fruit and protein shake.

Lunch: Chicken, potato, and vegetables. Fresh fruit salad.

Snack: Nuts, fruit, and biscuits with cheese.

Dinner: Fish any style, rice, vegetables, whole meal bread and fruit salad.

Week Two

Breakfast: Two poached eggs on toast, cereal with fruit salad and milk.

Snack: Nuts, fruit, protein shake.

Lunch: Chicken with potatoes and vegetables (any style)

Snack: Nuts, fruit, biscuits with cheese.

Dinner: Roast Beef with vegetables, brown rice, whole meal bread.

Week Three

Breakfast: Three eggs any style on toast, cereal with fruit and milk.

Snack: Nuts, fruit, and protein shake.

Lunch: Turkey with potatoes and vegetables, brown rice, whole meal bread.

Snack: Nuts, fruit, protein shake.

Dinner: ½ Chicken, potatoes, veggies, brown rice, whole meal bread.

Before Bed: Protein shake.

Week Four

Breakfast: Four eggs any style on toast, cereal with fruit and milk.

Snack: Nuts, fruit, protein shake.

Lunch: Spaghetti with meat sauce, potatoes, brown rice, whole meal bread.

Snack: Nuts, fruit, protein shake.

Dinner: Roast Pork, potatoes, brown rice, whole meal bread.

Before Bed: Protein shake.

After week four of this protein loading diet, move from the max intake of protein to the lowest. So in the fifth week go back to week one menu, in the sixth week, week two menu and so on.

This protein loading diet provides a balance of protein, fats and carbohydrates and combined with high intensity strength training will be very effective in increasing muscular bodyweight without the need to ingest large quantities of protein.

Berry Good

2010-04-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

Long before winter comes, black bears in the forest spend all their time eating everything they can sink their teeth into. During the summer, bears eat and eat and eat, trying to get as fat as they possibly can, and when the weather turns cold, they look for a place to curl up and then they sleep the winter away.

Now, the habits of bears might not seem like something you should try to follow. After all, doctors are always warning us humans that we shouldn’t overeat, and that we shouldn’t spend all of our time lying around, doing nothing.

But there is one part of the black bear’s habits that you should actually try to imitate, because it would be good for your health.

Black bears eat a lot of berries, of many different varieties, such as raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries.

Berries contain natural sugars and wonderful flavors. Unlike many other foods that are really good for you, but which don’t taste good, berries taste great.

And unlike many foods that taste great but which aren’t good for you, berries are among the most health friendly foods you can eat.

It’s only been within the last decade that scientists have started to pay a lot of attention to the health benefits of berries. And what researchers are learning about the health benefits of berries has a lot of exciting potential for human diets.

One of the first major experiments on the health benefits of berries took place at Tufts University about ten years ago.

Researchers were working with a group of aging rats. They fed them diets of various foods to see what the effects would be. Among the foods they tested were strawberries, blueberries, and spinach.

Now these rats were fairly old in terms of “rat years”. In fact, their age was equivalent to humans about 70 years old.

The foods the scientists tested were all very high in beneficial antioxidants, so the scientists wanted to see if any of these foods would boost the physical and mental capabilities of these aging rats.

The researchers found that while several of these foods seemed to offer some antioxidant protection, the rats that had been fed blueberries were the only ones that actually improved in their abilities.

In fact, the rats which had been fed blueberries were able to perform like much younger rats!

This was a very exciting find, and the scientists then wanted to find what it was in the blueberries that produced this very beneficial effect.

It turns out that the chemicals responsible for making these aging rats act mentally younger and perkier were the pigments in the skin of the blueberries.

The compounds that give ripe berries their beautiful colors are the very substances that have such strong anti-oxidant powers. And antioxidants are compounds that help repair some of the damage that happens to our body cells every day.

Scientists have discovered that the darker the berry, the more health benefits it has! Eating two thirds of a cup of blueberries will give you as much anti-oxidant protection as five servings of apples or squash.

The dark pigments in these berries seem to offer protection against cardiovascular disease, degenerative eye disease such as cataracts, and may offer some help in preventing some cancers, and bladder infections.

If the exciting results of the rat studies turn out to also hold true for humans, it may mean that compounds in these dark berries may help protect brain cells from the degenerative diseases of aging.

You can get this fantastic antioxidant protection whether you eat your berries fresh, frozen, or dried.

You can eat berries raw, add them to your favorite cereals, or make a smoothie drink with various berries, fruits, milk and yoghurt. Get creative and find ways to mix berries into your favorite recipes.

In North America, blueberries are available fresh or frozen year round. If you can’t get fresh berries, dried berries are also filled with very concentrated levels of the valuable antioxidants.

If you live in a place where blueberries are not easily available, look for other fruits and berries that have very dark red or dark purple colors.

Foods such as pomegranates, bilberries, cherries, black raspberries, saskatoons or serviceberries also have high levels of these very beneficial dark pigments. These foods offer benefits similar to the benefits of blueberries.

So, think about incorporating at least one habit of bears into your lifestyle – and make berries a frequent part of your diet!

Do I Really Need Colonic Irrigation?

2010-04-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

Colonic irrigation is lauded by its advocates as providing relief from a number of complaints, while improving also the general health and well-being of the irrigation patient. Many mainstream medical professionals, however, as opposed to the alternative practitioners who usually provide the colonic irrigations, remain less than enthused by the treatment, and claim that the procedure merely provides an expensive version of a detox that the body is more than capable of performing by itself. So is the cost of colonic irrigation really justified, or would the consumer be better off with a store bought laxative?

The difference, perhaps, between the colonic irrigation and the laxative is that the first is said to be conducive to maintaining health, while the second is usually only taken as a quick fix when something is clearly wrong with our digestives systems. Not purporting to offer anything other than the most immediate and minimal sort of detox, a laxative makes no lofty health claims for itself. Supporters of colonic irrigations, however, claim that the procedure can be helpful in alleviating the symptoms of a variety of different conditions, from chronic fatigue to arthritis. Those patients enduring the daily difficulties associated with such conditions would most readily agree the cost of colonic irrigation to be cheap at half the price if the procedure did indeed bring some respite, and while scientific evidence is lacking in the support of this, the anecdotal affirmation brought to the table by those who have found relief after a colonic irrigation detox cannot easily be ignored.

So what do colonic irrigations actually involve? The procedure is, in the grand scheme of things, a relatively simple one – large amounts of water are introduced into the rectum by the use of a tube and syringe, and removed again after a period of time. The colon, literally, experiences an irrigation, which is thought to remove any fecal build up that exists in the colonic area that might be causing symptoms for the patient because of the seepage of toxins into his or her body. Just as the effectiveness of the treatment is doubted by mainstream medical professionals, so is the problem the colonic irrigation is designed to cure – doctors claim that the material found in our intestines is not damaging to us at all.

For many people, the purpose of a detox is to remove material that might not be forthcoming of its own accord, in which case a laxative – at a cost of just a couple of dollars a pack – would seem to be just the thing. But for those patients who have found relief from a variety of symptoms in its aftermath, the cost of a colonic irrigation would seem to be well worth it. Those with an extra seventy to eighty dollars to spend might just like to find out for themselves.

Cure for the Common Cold: Learn Natural Tips

2010-04-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

A co-worker of mine once had a troublesome cold a while back for weeks on end and because I had to add to my workload by splitting his share up with the rest in the office, I told him of a method to use as a cure for the common cold used by the Indians and some West Africans. (Okay, I’m not that insensitive-I told him this because I cared!)

This method is known in Sanskrit (the Indian Language) as Neti or “Nasal Irrigation).
It is the cleaning of the nasal portion of the respiratory system whose function is to allow air to come in contact with the circulating blood so exchange of the gases can happen.
If this sounds a little bit complex if you need a cure for your cold and are not trying to read all these facts, just believe this works as a cure for the common cold the way nothing else can. (well besides a fast…)

Neti (nasal irrigation) is unmatched in its ability to
-Clear the nostrils for freer breathing.
-Reduce excess mucus.
-Moisten the nasal canal; strengthen the eyes, because there is stimulation of the blood vessels of the nose and eyes via nasal irrigation.

Cure for the Common cold: Using Nasal irrigation (neti)

1. Using un-iodized TABLE SALT, add a level teaspoon of salt to 24 oz warm water.
2. Wash your neti pot (which is available in most health food stores).
3. Re- rinse internally and externally with drinking water.
4. Fill the pot (which holds about 8 oz) with the saline solution
5. Now tilt your head so your right nostril is uppermost over a sink or large basin
6. Pour the solution into the nostril and ensure to keep the mouth open to breathe.
7. After it all comes out, remain motionless for 30 seconds or so then blow the nose
Thoroughly and rinse out the mouth with drinking water.

Repeat steps 1-7 on the right nostril pouring through the left this time.

You can bend forward to ensure it all drips out or preferably perform 10-15 rounds of bellows breath (a breathing exercise that entails forcefully pulling the belly back towards the spine which pushes the stagnant air out of the lungs) to get all the solution out.

I found it pleasant and soothing after practicing it only once. Besides aiding as a cure for the common cold, it also ensures that blocked nasal passages as a result of irritants and pollutants are well loosened.

Furthermore it is said to have a marked cleansing effect on the sinuses and mind and helps to clean the anterior regions of the upper palate housing the olfactory organs. It even helps to cleanse to some degree the inner workings of the ear. Children using this product should be supervised by an able adult.
Cure for the Common Cold: Dietetic Suggestions

Moreover, to target the root cause of the common cold, now will be a good time to try one kind of a fast which could be
1. The use of Fresh Fruit juices.
2. The Broth of succulent and tasty steamed vegetables such as celery, cabbage etc
3. A mono-diet of a seasonal juicy fruit.

If like most people, you just cannot fast, well see to it that you abstain from all types of Animal Products, Breads, Grains and beans during this time. These substances have been known to either cause or aggravate the common cold along with other diseases and conditions including but not limited to the flu, asthma and diabetes.

This fact is based on research performed the renowned French Hygienist, Albert Mosseri and based on my personal experiences with curing my asthma, I definitely advocate his opinions. A good replacement for the less beneficial items listed above will be fresh fruits, roots and leafy vegetables for fuel.

So don’t be fooled into spending your money on drugs and nasal sprays as a cure for the common cold, it, like any other disease, can be alleviated by common-sense drugless healing alternatives, if only you know how.

With the steps above, you, like my co-worker, now know exactly how to cure you cold naturally for long-term success.

Are You Wasting Time and Money at Doctor Visits?

2010-04-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

Tips for a Better Doctor Visit

1. Have as many medical records as possible with you to document your medical condition, especially for a new visit or a consult. Go by the hospital, lab or other doctor’s office and get copies. This saves the doctor time and sometimes even avoids an extra official call.

2. Bring in the actual bottles of prescriptions. While lists are helpful, the bottles reveal how many are prescribed at a time, dosage, and if there are any refills left. There is no more guessing about the “little blue pill.” With so many generics the same drug can show up as many different shapes and sizes depending on the manufacturer. Now you can both be on the same page when talking about a specific medication. I am also surprised at the many errors on the bottles by the pharmacist.

3. Create a list of questions/requests before your visit. In fact, it would be ideal to tell the person making the appointment what areas you need to discuss. This is not the time to say its “personal.” We assume it is all personal in a medical office. It helps us be prepared in scheduling, equipment, and assigning the proper room. Believe it or not, we have heard most of your problems before. Of course if it is extremely sensitive in nature than just tell the receptionist how much time you will need to discuss your personal problem.

4. Try to keep to one system of the body per visit unless a complete physical is done. Most office visits are geared to blocks of 15 minutes. Usually this is adequate to cover most simple problems such as a rash, upper respiratory infection, and urinary infection just as examples. The longer you have had the problem or the vaguer the symptoms such as abdominal pain or dizziness expect to spend more time. Don’t hesitate to ask for more time. We would rather know ahead of time what your expectations are.

5. Ask for prescription refills, notes for work or school, and forms to fill out at the beginning of the office visit rather than at the end. Of course, a friendly reminder is always good if it has been overlooked when you leave. You can always give a list of medications needing refills to the nurse at the beginning of the visit too. Again, communication helps everyone get their needs met.

6. Be realistic in your expectations. If you start the discussion on a topic that is unrelated to the original problem on the schedule and want some answers, this leaves less time available for other problems. For example, if you are due to have a pap smear and gynecological exam but start with a headache complaint that requires a physical and full history, don’t expect all of it to be done in one visit. Always prioritize what is most important for that day. Sometimes problems become more important, symptoms severe since the original appointment or follow up was made. Just tell the nurse or doctor things have changed as soon as possible. That way we can stay on schedule and you can get the most important problem addressed.

7. Don’t leave the office without telling someone if you aren’t satisfied with your service. Most doctors and staff assume everything is going ok unless told. It is easier to fix a problem, answer a question or complaint as soon as possible while the information is still fresh. If you are uncomfortable talking or can’t stay, write a quick note. Many areas are sensitive and highly charged emotionally. It is easy to misunderstand directions, reasons for tests, or the intent of the doctor’s remarks. We really do care how you feel.

8. It is easier to process your visit on time and handle paperwork if all of your information is correct. Tell the receptionist if you have moved, have a new telephone number, or changed medical insurance. Always bring your insurance card with you.

9. I know everyone is busy and overscheduled. The number one reason doctors are behind in the schedule is patients showing up late. True, other factors can play a role such as telephone calls and very sick patients. Just be aware that as the day progresses the problem gets magnified. If you must get in and out quickly try to book the very first or second appointment of the morning or afternoon.

10. Be flexible. Medical offices are there to serve the patients. Sometimes bad news, a tragic accident, or a serious medical condition requires more time and attention of the staff. We can’t hurry someone out who is in tears. Just be understanding that if it is you, you will get the extra time and attention needed.

A Constipation Remedy Using Potassium and Prunes

2010-04-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

Potassium and prunes are a natural constipation remedy that you can quickly use to help you get constipation relief.

Potassium is needed in your colon walls to insure that peristaltic action occurs. Without potassium, colon walls are weak and unable to respond and contract properly when fecal matter needs to be move.

Potassium in your colon wall tissues brings in more oxygen, which is required for good cell function and elimination of toxins. In addition, potassium creates an alkaline environment inside and outside the cell, which help protect cell walls from bacteria, fungus, and other pathogens.

Potassium is a powerful source when it comes to cleaning, feeding and building your colon walls. Removing the thin layer of buildup – harden mucus, dried fecal matter, waste derby, heavy metals - against your colon wall can be accomplished by eating those foods that are high in potassium.

Excess buildup on your colon walls of fecal matter and toxins is a cause of continual constipation. This build up prevents your colon walls from functioning properly.

Potassium is necessary for reducing anxiety and depression. These conditions can affect peristaltic movements of your colon. Lack of it causes muscles and organs to sag and lack tone.

Potassium, also, draws water out of the body. So when potassium is in your colon it attracts water and pulls it into the fecal matter. This makes your fecal matter softer and easier to move along the colon.

To get more potassium into your diet make a constipation remedy drink by,

Pouring hot water over dried prunes and waiting 10 minutes. Then eat the prunes and drink the juice Do this on an empty stomach in the morning.

The high concentration of potassium and vitamin A, in prunes, stimulates enzymatic processes. These processes melt down fecal wall wastes and dissolve blockages. They also activate peristaltic action to move this waste out through your rectum.

The foods to eat that are high in potassium are:

Kale, cabbage, yellow tomatoes, spinach, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, cauliflower, alfalfa sprouts, goat milk, sesame seeds, wheat germ brewers yeast, flax seed, grapes, green peppers, pineapple, beets, potatoes with skin Blackstrap molasses

If you have any kidney disease, do not take potassium supplements unless directed by your doctor. If you are pregnant, take potassium only under a doctor’s direction.

If you are on any type of drugs, do not take potassium unless directed by your doctor.

When you have constipation it is best to take potassium supplement. Once you have your constipation eliminated back off on the potassium you are taking and depend on your potassium dose from the foods you eat.

My recommended Potassium dose is 1000 – 3000 mg each day taken with meals.

Acupuncture - Fast Escape From Infertility

2010-04-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

Primarily a Chinese remedy, acupuncture is a complementary modern treatment that cures infertility problems in both men and women. Acupuncture for infertility is most effective for those people who are suffering from problems like irregular ovulation, or blockage in the sperm ducts.

Acupuncture works in a way different from all types of typical medicines

Acupuncture fertility works in this way. Often there are obstructed movements in the meridians that run throughout the length of the body. These obstructed movements cause swelling up of energy in some parts of reproductive organs while others get deprived from such energy conjures. Acupuncture works by placing needles on these blocked sites and stimulate the nervous system to release chemicals to the reproductive organs. This releases the required amount of energy to cure infertility in both men and women.

Acupuncture brings miraculous cure to men and women suffering from infertility

If you are thinking how acupuncture and infertility works for one another then the answer is simple. Acupuncture aids in regular flow of blood to the reproductive organs and instantly stabilizes the hormone levels, which in turn increases ovarian function in women and rapid sperm production in men.

Acupuncture uses several methods for curing infertility. You either need to take Chinese herbal medicines that are capable of replenishing the Kidney or apply acupuncture under the feet, behind the ears, near genital organs and on your palms to get relieve from infertility.

Acupuncture does not work with only needles but also provides aid with other special treatments like in-vitrio fertilization [IVF] and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI] for acupuncture fertility. Organizations like the Atlanta acupuncture for infertility pregnancy also offers acupuncture and electro-acupuncture methods for treating infertility.

Know more about the success rate of acupuncture from reducing infertility

Reports say that at least 90% of women undergoing acupuncture get cured from infertility problems, polycystic ovarian syndromes [PCOS], excess pelvic pain and severe intercourse pains. However, reports also say that even 86% of men have been cured of all unusual reproductive problems with the aid of acupuncture.

Infertility and acupuncture go hand in hand. So try acupuncture to get miraculous escape from infertility.

Discover Which Minerals You Need to Neutralize Your Body's Acids

2010-04-16T05:20:00.000-07:00

Every part of you is made from minerals - your bones, cell structure, lymph liquid, arteries, organs, tissue, muscle, hair, and so on. You cannot live without minerals. Your body does not produce minerals.

Where do you get your minerals? You get them from vegetables and fruits and good supplements. Since only 10% of the people eat enough fruits and vegetable, the rest of you are deficient in minerals.If we eat enough vegetables and fruits, why do we have to take a mineral supplement?

Long time ago when the soil was rich in minerals, vegetable and fruits were jammed pack with minerals. Fruits and vegetables were not picked early, frozen, waxed, radiated, or stored in argon gas. Those who ate these vegetables and fruits obtained an adequate supply of minerals and seldom has a deficiency.

Today the opposite is true. You and I cannot get enough minerals from eating fruits and vegetables. Now we eat more cooked vegetables, more vegetables in packages, fruits and vegetables that are waxed, and vegetables from other countries not processed properly.Today, we need to supplement our eating habits with a live mineral liquid to make up for the lack of minerals in the good food and junk food we eat.

Here is a partial list of illnesses and their related mineral deficiencies and below each mineral is the food that is highest in that mineral.

· Calcium - receding gums, PMS, panic attacks, muscle cramps, lungs weak, low back pain, kidney stones, insomnia, bone weakness, bone spurs, calcium deposits.
o Foods - cheeses, cottage cheeses, dulse, greens, kelp, goat milk, sesame seeds, unrefined cereal grains, seeds and almonds.

· Sodium - restless nerves, poor eyesight, mental confusion, lack of saliva, frontal headache, white coated tongue, cracking joints, fatigue, offensive breath, stiff tendons, stiff joints
o Foods - goat milk, goat whey, black mission figs, apples, apricots, kale, kelp, prunes, raisins, strawberries, sunflower seeds, black olives, celery, dulse, asparagus, greens,

· Potassium - fearfulness, mental illness, low energy, pains and aches, body acidity, tendency toward violence, suspiciousness, loss of ambition, nervousness, negativity
o Foods - black olives, dulse, potato peeling broth, bitter greens, kelp, Irish moss, various seeds and nuts, apple cider vinegar, soy milk, spinach, goat milk, grapes, apples, bananas, cheese, cucumbers, fish, dale, lettuce

· Magnesium - A.D.D., anorexia, arterial calcification, low calcium absorption, convulsions, depression, gastrointestinal disturbances, growth failure, menstrual migraines, osteoporosis, tremors, hot temper, fainting
o Foods - seeds and nuts, yellow cornmeal, rice polishings, wheat germ, avocados, coconuts, spinach, goat milk, grapes, honey, whole wheat Phosphorus - constant weakness, neuralgia, numbness, lack of confidence, slow oxygenation, sensitive to noise or criticism, fatigue
o Foods - meat, egg yolk, dairy products, fish, almonds, rice bran, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, lentils, sunflower seeds, almonds, various types of beans, carrots, pecans, lentils, cabbage

· Manganese - A.D. D., asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, convulsions, loss of libido, miscarriage, retarded growth rate, still birth, TMJ, nightmares
o Foods - black walnuts, and other nuts and seeds, pineapple, parsley, leaf lettuce, celery, blueberries, black eyed peas, apricots

· Copper - A.D.D., anemia, arthritis, behavior-violent, cerebral palsy, high cholesterol, eyelids sagging, gray or white hair, hernia, liver cirrhosis, learning disabilities, low blood sugar, slow healer, high risk of strokes, varicose veins
o Foods - liver, sea foods, almonds, greens, leafy vegetables, whole grain cereals,

· Selenium - age spots, aging skin, Alzheimer's, cancer, cystic fibrosis, fatigue, heart palpitations , HIV, hypothyroidism, liver damage, muscular weakness, scoliosis
o Foods - wheat germ, bran, whole grains, onions, broccoli, eggs, seafood's, milk products, meat, asparagus, tomatoes, mushrooms, nuts

· Iodine - goiter, menstrual difficulties, thinking confused, heart and lung problems
o Foods - kelp, fish, dulse, sea plants, watermelon, okra, mustard greens, green peppers, eggplant, brussels sprouts, carrots chives, artichokes, agar

· Iron - fatigue, low auto-immunity, anemia, depression, low blood pressure, slow speech, poor memory, susceptibly to colds
o Foods - greens, unsulphured dried fruits, dulse, kelp, Irish moss, black cherries, black berries, liquid chlorophyll, strawberries, celery, spinach, rice polishings sunflower seeds, blackstrap molasses, eggs, goat milk, pinto beans

· Zinc - A.D.D., hair loss, congenital birth defects, body odor, brain defects, diarrhea, slow healer, heart defects, hernia, impotence, lung defects, prostate enlargement, loss of sense of smell, short stature, webbed toes
o Foods - goat milk, brewer's yeast, pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, wheat bran, high protein foods, cow's milk

· Chromium - A.D.D., unexpected weight loss, low sperm count, pre diabetes, manic depression, learning disabilities, impaired growth, hyperactivity, coronary blood vessel disease, cataracts, low blood sugar
o Foods - brewer's yeast, whole grain cereals, clams, meat, cloves and spices, corn oil.

There are more minerals than the ones listed above. This is just a start, so that you can see why minerals are so important. A consistent lack of a specific mineral can lead to a serious illness.

Dietary Therapy: High Fiber Diets

2010-04-15T16:18:00.000-07:00

Can high-fiber diets really do all they claim to do? Studies have looked at the relationship between high-fiber diets and many diseases, including colon cancer, coronary heart disease and diabetes.

Proven benefits of a high-fiber diet include prevention and treatment of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. In addition, certain types of fiber help decrease blood cholesterol levels.

Dietary fiber comes from the portion of plants that is not digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. Part of it, however, may be metabolized by bacteria in the lower gut. Different types of plants have varying amounts and kinds of fiber, including pectin, gum, mucilage, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin.

Pectin and gum are water-soluble fibers found inside plant cells. They slow the passage of food through the intestines but do nothing to increase fecal bulk. Beans, oat bran, fruit and vegetables contain soluble fiber.

In contrast, fibers in cell walls are water insoluble. These include cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Such fibers increase fecal bulk and speed up the passage of food through the digestive tract.

Wheat bran and whole grains contain the most insoluble fiber, but vegetables and beans also are good sources.Sometimes there is confusion as to the difference between crude fiber and dietary fiber. Both are determined by a laboratory analysis, but crude fiber is only one-seventh to one-half of total dietary fiber.

Insoluble fiber binds water, making stools softer and bulkier. Therefore, fiber, especially that found in whole grain products, is helpful in the treatment and prevention of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis.

Diverticula are pouches of the intestinal wall that can become inflamed and painful.It is now known that a high-fiber diet gives better results once the inflammation has subsided.

Some types of fiber, however, appear to have a greater effect than others. The fiber found in rolled oats is more effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels than the fiber found in wheat. Pectin has a similar effect in that it, too, can lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood.

High-fiber diets may be useful for people who wish to lose weight. Fiber itself has no calories, yet provides a “full” feeling because of its water-absorbing ability. For example, an apple is more filling than a half cup of apple juice that contains about the same calories.

Foods high in fiber often require more chewing, so a person is unable to eat a large number of calories in a short amount of time. Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Meat, milk and eggs do not contain fiber.

The form of food may or may not affect its fiber content. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables contain just as much fiber as raw ones. Other types of processing, though, may reduce fiber content. Drying and crushing, for example, destroy the water-holding qualities of fiber.

The removal of seeds, peels or hulls also reduces fiber content. Whole tomatoes have more fiber than peeled tomatoes, which have more than tomato juice. Likewise, whole wheat bread contains more fiber than white bread.

Fiber supplements are sold in a variety of forms from bran tablets to purified cellulose. Many laxatives sold as stool softeners actually are fiber supplements. Fiber’s role in the diet is still being investigated.

It appears that the various types of fiber have different roles in the body. For these reasons, avoid fiber supplements. Instead, eat a variety of fiber-rich foods.

This is the best way to receive the maximum benefits from each type of fiber present in foods, and obtain necessary nutrients.

Eating to Ease Arthritis Pain

2010-04-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

Do aches and pains have you out of joint? Concerns culminating in the withdrawal of several selective Cox-2 inhibitors, like Vioxx, have many arthritis sufferers turning to the supplement aisle in search of relief.

Could diet and exercise provide more reliable solutions? Here's a roundup of recent research into those foods that help support healthy joints:

* Pineapple: Bromelain is an enzyme that can help ease joint pain and relieve muscle soreness. Scientists at the Dole Nutrition Institute found that fresh or frozen pineapple has as much, if not more, bromelain activity than supplements. Pineapples also provide an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps promote collagen formation and improve iron absorption, and manganese, which supports metabolism and bone density.

* Cherries: a top source of anthocyanins that reduce inflammation and may protect against gout (an inflammatory form of arthritis). One study found that cherry consumption lowered blood levels of uric acid, which can accumulate in joints, causing pain.

* Broccoli: Cruciferous veggies such as broccoli contain sulphoraphane, which triggers the body's own antioxidant defenses. New research suggests this process may help block effects of Cox-2 enzymes on inflammation. Broccoli sprouts are one of the most potent sources of these compounds, which you'll also find in cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts.

* Red bell peppers: Just one contains more than 470 percent of your daily vitamin C needs (yellow peppers contain 450 percent and green peppers contain 190 percent). According to a Boston University study, people getting under 150 milligrams daily of vitamin C had faster cartilage breakdown. Other top sources of vitamin C are citrus fruit, pineapple, kiwi, cantaloupe, papaya, strawberries, tomatoes, kale, collard greens and sweet potatoes.

* Black cod: Move over, salmon! Black cod has even higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help rheumatoid arthritis by reducing inflammation. Flounder, halibut and sardines also contain this healthy fat, as do flaxseed oil, pecans, walnuts, tofu and leafy green vegetables.

* Button mushrooms: an unexpected source of vitamin D, adequate levels of which decrease vulnerability to arthritis pain. Sunshine enables your body to produce vitamin D; other sources include oysters, sardines and fortified non-fat dairy.

* Kale: one of the healthier sources of calcium, which helps hold the line against osteoarthritis by slowing bone loss. Be adventurous - try collard greens, arugula, soy and beans in addition to some of the better-known calcium sources.

* Tea: Green and black tea contain flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that may block the production of prostaglandins, which cause inflammation and pain.

While the foods cited above have compounds with targeted joint health benefits, Harvard research found a more general link between high fruit and vegetable consumption and lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

What to limit? Red meat. British researchers found that too much red meat increased the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Those who ate the most red meat were twice as likely to develop the condition than those who limited their intake to less than 1 ounce per day.

Eating less meat and more fruit and vegetables also helps maintain a healthy weight - an important facet of managing joint pain. If you're among the majority of Americans who are either obese or overweight, slimming down can significantly slow progression of joint degeneration and ease pain. In fact, you can reduce knee stress by 40 to 80 pounds with a mere 10-pound weight loss.

Proper Etiquette When in the Gym

2010-04-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

Most people who go to the gym to work out on a regular basis have had the experience of witnessing that one occasional big, burly, clumsy, noisy jerk that has absolutely no manners at all. This person will clang weights while exercising, drop weights on the floor then leave them there for someone else to put away and disregard the fact that anyone else is in the gym. In other words, this person has no courtesy for anyone who might be there.

Most of us however would not want to be the person described above. Most people just want to go and get in a good workout without being a nuisance to anyone, and then go about their business afterwards. Here are some things to remember when you go to the gym to insure that you are exercising the proper conduct that will make your gym time more pleasurable.

1) Dress properly: when you are at the gym you are there to exercise, nothing more. Overly reveling or offensive clothing should not be worn. Women should wear outfits that do not portray a swimsuit photo session and men should always wear at least proper length shorts and a tank top. Some people may not want to see that much of you.

2) Do not monopolize exercise machines: try not to spend too much time on any one machine or piece of equipment. Remember that you are not the only one there and others may be waiting to use the equipment too.

3) Clean off any sweat: always bring a towel with you and when you are finished with each piece of equipment, wipe it down. It only takes a few seconds to do and it is basic hygiene and courtesy. Would you want to get on equipment with someone else’s sweat on it?

4) Put away what you use: when you use free weights, an exercise ball, a medicine ball or any such equipment, always put them back in their proper storage place. Re-rack dumbbells, re-stack weight plates, put barbells away, place exercise balls and medicine balls in their holders or at least out of the way. Random equipment lying around can pose a safety hazard to others plus you would be leaving it up to someone else to put up your stuff.

5) Do not use your cell phone or sing out loud: if you bring a set of earphones with you, avoid singing any songs so others can hear you. You are not auditioning for American Idle, and there are other people there who may not think you sound like who you are trying to sing to. Cell phones can be distracting also so leave them in the locker room or in the car.

6) Do not grunt loudly or yell when lifting weights: it is easy to keep grunting noises to a minimum and yelling is not necessary at all. Loud grunting or yelling is rude and only serves to distract others, and no one is impressed by it either.

7) Avoid too much socializing: it is fine to make friends in the gym, but try not to spend too much time talking. There are some gym members who are not looking to converse with anyone. Too much socializing can distract and disrupt other people’s workouts.

The general rule of thumb when in the gym is simply this; use common sense and remember that a little courtesy goes a long way. Think about how you would like to be treated and how you would feel about having to put someone else’s equipment away and how you feel when that rude, inconsiderate jerk is making enough noise to wake the dead right next to where you are exercising.

Acid Vs Alkaline Diet

2010-04-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

Our body’s internal system needs a PH of just above 7.0; our immunologic, enzymatic and repair mechanisms all function at their best in this alkaline range.

If our body becomes over acidic, i.e. under a PH of 7, you may start to experience a combination of these symptoms;
Low energy, fatigue
Nasal congestion
Hives
Muscle Pain
Weak nails, dry skin, dry hair
Frequent colds, flu and infection
Headaches

If you have these symptoms and eat foods which create acid in the body, you may need to balance it with an alkaline diet.
What foods cause acid in the body?
There is a whole list of foods that cause the body to be over-acidic: dairy and dairy substitutes, animal meat, most grains, chickpeas, condiments, aspartame, prunes, chocolate, peanuts, alcohol and quite a few other types of foods.

To balance your PH, the remedy is simple and logical; eat more alkaline causing foods.
To name but a few of these foods, there is; watermelon, lime, mango, most vegetables, vegetable juices, almonds, sprouts, avocados and green tea.

When you’re body becomes more alkaline, the changes that will take place are truly amazing! It will seem magical, but it’s all perfectly normal. You will feel how we all have the right to feel, we just don’t know it.

Benefits include:
Rapid weight loss
Increased energy
The need for less sleep
Improved skin and hair condition
Better mental attitude

Are these benefits worth pursuing? I think so, and you are crazy if you don’t agree with me! Fortunately, it is not hard to slowly alkalise your body. Take it one day at a time, add more and more green food to your diet, reduce the number of cups of coffee you have every day and you’ll soon reap the benefits.

Elements of Good Nutrition

2010-04-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

With the amount of information that exists about good nutrition, you would think it was a big mystery. The truth of the matter is, there is no mystery involved in getting the proper nutrients that your body needs. Why should you care about getting the proper nutrients? Many people are under the misconception that eating healthy is for the young because they are growing. Tissue and cells are constantly being renewed in both children and adults. The failure for these elements to repair themselves can result in diseases of lifelong misery or worse, death. To lower your risk of developing a disease, you simply need to follow three simple steps of good nutrition.

Proper Hydration
Plain and simple, your body needs water. Being properly hydrated will benefit you from head to toe. Water keeps your cells hydrated and flowing throughout your body. It doesn't take long to witness the benefits of drinking sufficient water. Just a week of being hydrated and your skin will have a new glow. If you need to lose weight, water can help you achieve your goal. In many instances, people misinterpret thirst for hunger. Unless it's been a few hours since you have eaten, have a glass of water the next time you have hunger panes.

There are numerous guidelines for how much water to drink. Consuming eight glasses of water each day is the most popular guideline. People have different needs. A better indication of how hydrated you are is your urine. When you are properly hydrated your urine is almost clear. There is the possibility of water intoxication so you don't want your urine to be completely colorless.

Eating Healthy
In addition to being hydrated, you need to eat a variety of foods. Forget fad diets that restrict certain foods. The key to healthy eating is to eat in moderation and variety. Your food choices should include a large percentage from complex carbohydrates, which is sufficient for energy. You should also consume several servings of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy every day. You should limit your servings of protein and fats to two or three servings each day. By including all of these food groups in your diet, you are less likely to be hungry or have cravings for sweets and other non-nutritional foods.

Vitamin Supplementation
As long as you live in a country where food is plentiful and produced safely, you should have no problem obtaining the amount of vitamins and minerals your body needs. However, food allergies, dislikes, and illness may prevent you from eating certain foods. Some people, for example, are lactose intolerant and cannot consume dairy products. In these instances, supplementation should become a part of a plan for healthy nutrition. You don't need a prescription to purchase vitamins, but it is a good idea to discuss your particular needs with your medical doctor. Consuming excessive amounts of some vitamins can cause toxicity and unpleasant side effects.

To check out the supplement we take daily and highly recommend, be sure to check out http://www.nutritional-supplement-guides.com/what-we-use.html

Considering Becoming A Vegetarian?

2010-04-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

I have many friends in the past few years that have decided to become vegetarians. I saw friend after friend jump onto the bandwagon that being a vegetarian had become, and I'll admit that I almost jumped on the wagon myself without giving the choice much thought.

After nearly two months of research and some pretty serious self-evaluation, I decided to become a vegetarian. There is no part of me that is against people deciding that being a vegetarian is right for them. My only frustration is that too often people make that choice without taking even a moment to think about the reasons why or the consequences that being a vegetarian will have on their lives.

So, my advice to you is simple and probably obvious. You only have one life to live, one body to live in, and a few short years in which to experience all of life that you can. So do not make the decision to become a vegetarian lightly or without thought. I would hate to see anyone commit to such a decision out of ignorance and then deal with the consequences long afterward.

One of the best ways to make a good decision about becoming a vegetarian is to inform yourself. Talk to objective people who have decided both for and against choosing a vegetarian lifestyle for themselves. Go to your local library or to a health food store and find literature on the ins and outs of actual vegetarian living. Learn the reasons why people choose to become vegetarians and see if your reasons measure up. The internet is another amazing resource that can help you make a wise and informed decision for you, your health needs, and your lifestyle.

Know that if you do decide to become a vegetarian, it will affect your life in many ways. Obviously, it will affect the foods you choose to eat and prepare. Don't forget, however, how it will affect your ability to eat out at restaurants or to eat food that your friends and family prepare. Consider too, the costs of becoming a vegetarian. Depending on where you live and what kinds of foods are available, becoming a vegetarian can either save you or cost you a lot of money. So proceed with caution.

I have loved my experience of being a vegetarian. I felt like my reasons for changing my lifestyle were valid and I knew I could incorporate the things that being a vegetarian required quite easily into my lifestyle. You must make those same decisions for you.

Calories: The Good and Bad

2010-04-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

Making a commitment to have healthier eating habits is a tough one. Knowing how to implement that commitment may be even harder. Where do you start? What foods should you eat, and which ones should you stay away from? These are all questions you should answer before going out to the grocery store.

We need nutrients to survive. We need vitamins, minerals and calories everyday. There are two types of nutrients. Micronutrients are our vitamins and minerals and macronutrients are where our calories come from. The three types of macronutrients are fat, carbohydrates and proteins.

Many people think that all fats are bad and recently started thinking all carbohydrates are bad too. That leaves us with just protein. If this were the case, our diets wouldn't be very enjoyable. Fortunately not all fats are bad and the same goes for carbohydrates.

With all the negative publicity recently, you might be afraid to eat any carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are our main fuel source. Our brain can't use anything else to power itself with and our muscles will work the best on it. Don't deprive yourself of it. Carbohydrates that you should stay away from are simple sugars that are found in candy, sodas and many snacks. Good carbohydrates such as whole wheats and fruits will keep you energized throughout the day and avoid sugar highs and lows.

Fats are also very important. Without fat, our body wouldn't be able to utilize some of the vitamins we consume. Fat is found in our cell walls and make up a big part of hormones. Fats you should avoid are saturated fats that come in meat, milk and dairy products. Every one should consume good (unsaturated fats) that come from plant sources such as nuts and olives.

Making Time for Exercise

2010-04-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

As a certified personal trainer and editor of a popular fitness site, FitnessGear101.com, I’ve heard every excuse in the book when it comes to why people don’t exercise. However, the one that takes the, pardon-my-pun, “fitness cake” is lack of time.

A day doesn’t go by without one of my clients professing that they simply don’t have time for exercise. Well, I’ve seen people who want to loose weight badly enough. They will restrict their diets, exercise rigorously for an hour a day and even swear off alcohol – gasp – and chocolate – double gasp! So, don’t give me that bull!

People shy away from exercise because they think they’ll have to spend hours in a gym. To maintain good health all you need is a healthy diet and a daily walk that can be broken up into increments throughout the day.

Still don’t believe me? I’ll show you how easy it is to fit brief walks into your day:

1) Is Sex and the City a rerun again? It breaks my heart when that happens. Why not go for a 30-minute walk. If it’s a new episode that you simply can’t miss, jump rope during commercials or run on the spot.

2) Does carting the kids to hockey or baseball cut into your exercise time? Take some inspiration from Jr. and stay on your feet during the game. You’ll get kudos for being the team’s best cheer leader, and your butt won’t expand to the size of the soccer field.

3) Are you dying to get your hands on the next best-seller? Buy it as a book-on-tape and take it walking with you. It might have you extending your stroll to finish a chapter.

4) Instead of a sumptuous brunch with the girls, try a brisk 30-minute walk with your BFF. Catching up on all the latest gossip can be just as delicious during a walk – plus it won’t tempt you to cheat on your healthy eating plan.

5) Remember when people used to “run” errands? Well many of us still take that term literally. The next time you need a quart of milk, walk to the local grocer.

6) Use your lunch break as an exercise break. I go work out and then eat lunch at my desk. A brisk walk around the block will leave you more refueled for the afternoon than that third cup of coffee.

7) Do you complain about how slow your apartment elevator is? Take the faster route – the stairs. You’ll burn calories in the process.

8) It’s always ironic that those who circle the parking lot looking for the closest spot are often the most overweight. Park farther away where there are spots o’ plenty. You’ll burn extra calories lugging your groceries back to the car.

9) Have you ever heard the phrase “hurry up and wait!”? Well it’s not just a humorous observation it’s a great way to stay moving. The next time you’re waiting in a long lineup don’t take a chair, pace the floor or do a little stretching.

10) If you have no time to exercise, chances are you don’t have time to clean the house either. Housework – such as dusting, vacuuming, shoveling and raking – is multitasking because it counts as exercise.

Pamper Your Body Through Pilates

2010-04-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

So many of Hollywood's hottest stars rave about its benefits. You can't walk into a gym without seeing classes. But what is pilates, anyway?

Pilates is actually named for a man named Joseph Pilates. Around 1914, Pilates was a performer and a boxer, living in England. During the outbreak of WWI, Pilates was held in a German prison camp, where he taught a health system, based on yoga, Zen philosophy, and a number of exercises taken from the Romans and the Greeks. This health system helped the prisoners to fight off illness and maintain their strength.

The system that Joseph Pilates taught the prisoners was the start of the current pilates movement. This modern version of the workout is a series of exercises that improve strength and flexibility through a series of stretching and balancing exercises.

Chiropractors often recommend pilates as a way to strengthen the back and spine. After some time using the pilates system, an individual can typically expect to notice an increased mobility in the joints, improved circulation, a flatter stomach, and thinner waist and thighs. Typically, those most attracted to the system of workout are dancers, as dance requires a great deal of flexibility and agility as well as strength, all of which the pilates system provides. It is also said that pilates strengthens the body from the inside out, helps to relieve stress and anxiety, and can even aid in the prevention of injury.

Because it is a low impact routine, pilates is very attractive to those needing rehabilitation from injury, the eldery, and the overweight. It increases circulation and reduces weight gradually. Because of this, many women choose pilates after having a baby in order to shed the post-pregnancy pounds.

No matter what the reason for choosing the workout, pilates is fast becoming one of hottest workout trends, and one of the easiest to adapt to all ages and lifestyles. But like any workout regimen, a person should consult their physician before starting. There may be limitations you may not be aware of, and above all other benefits that a workout may bring, your health should be considered above all else.

How to Exercise and Enjoy It

2010-04-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

There are three key elements that are important to make any exercise program successful. These elements are safety, effectiveness and enjoyment.

Safety: The “No pain, no gain” theory is a myth. Avoid any exercise that causes pain or undue discomfort. If pain occurs in the neck or chest area, stop exercising and if necessary, seek medical attention. General muscle soreness is another matter, especially for the beginner. You can expect some soreness but it need not be excessive.

A personal trainer will design an exercise program for you and your current fitness level. As your fitness level increases, your program will be adjusted to keep up with you. Too much too soon will only undermine your efforts.

Using proper form, technique and avoiding high-impact will keep your exercise program safe. A strain in your lower back, shins, calves, ankles and knees are predictable results of improper form. Repetitive, jarring movements should be avoided for general fitness. If you feel a strain, please let your trainer know. We don’t always know if you don’t tell us.

Don’t bounce or force stretching movements. Quick, pulsing movements while stretching can result in muscle strain and tears. Static movements that gradually extend muscles through the full range of motion until you feel resistance is the stretching to use for general fitness. Stretching will also decrease the likelihood of injury and soreness.

Effectiveness: Effective exercise does require effort, but those who say it must hurt are wrong. The level of exercise is determined by your fitness level and goals. The fuel source for the body during low to moderate aerobic exercise is fat. If burning excess body fat is your current fitness goal, stick to the recommended exercises and intensity levels to receive maximum results. As your fitness level increases, so will the formula for your program. Intensity, weight, repetitions and rest periods will all be adjusted as you progress.

Proper warm up before exercising and cool down afterward is essential to avoid injury and achieve peak performance.

Enjoyment: It has been said that nobody will exercise just because it is good for them. We need additional motives or goals that mean something to us and that will come as a result of regular exercise.

It is important to identify your goal so your exercising effort is focused on your goal(s) to keep motivated. The more motivating your exercise becomes the more enjoyable it will be. More enjoyment produces more consistent and greater results!

So how do you make exercise fun? First of all, stop thinking of it as exercise and start thinking of it as play. You remember play: those activities you enjoyed as a child. Turn exercise into play! Usually, play involves interaction with friends and variety.

Keep your play fun, positive and exciting! Remember, have fun. For more information and tips on exercise, go to http://www.easyexercisetips.com

How to Stretch your Way to Fitness

2010-04-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

Not many things pay off for the body as much as stretching. Nothing could be simpler or take less time. Alas, most Americans neglect stretching as part of an every day fitness program.

Stretching boosts muscle flexibility, which in turn leads to decreased likelihood of injury, better muscle performance, and a sense of well-being that lasts for hours after you’ve finished.

Ideally, you should stretch several times each day. Stretching in the morning gets your body ready for the activities ahead. It also presents your brain with a focused, quiet activity can result in a feeling of peace and lowering of anxiety levels.

In the evening, stretching will help work out the kinks of a day’s wear and tear. Stretching and relaxing muscles before going to bed will lessen soreness after a hard day and will have you waking up feeling wonderful.

Finally, stretching is an unquestionable must prior to any vigorous physical activity to prevent injury and reduce post-activity soreness

10-15 minutes is plenty of time for the morning, evening, or pre-activity stretch. The following stretches provide brief examples. An abundance of books and videos are available for more detail.

The most basic stretches can be performed while seated. Start with your neck. Look down at your stomach. Then slowly roll your head to the left, then back so you’re looking at the ceiling, to the right, and back down. You should feel the muscles in your neck stretching. A similar motion can be performed with the wrists. While seated, simply move your closed hand in a circle using your wrist. Then lift each leg, and draw the same circle with the feet around the ankle. Make 3-5 such circles in the clock-wise direction and then the counter-clockwise direction with your neck, both wrists and both ankles.

Move to the calf muscle. Find a wall, chair, stability ball, or something that you can safely lean on. While leaning comfortably against the object, move your right foot two feet back. Slowly bend your left knee so that your right ankle flexes. You should feel the muscle in the back of your lower right leg being stretched. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and release. Repeat the exercise with your left calf.

The best way to stretch the front of the upper leg (the quadriceps) is to lie down on a flat surface (floor, bed, mat, et cetera). While lying on your left side, with your left elbow on the surface, and your left hand supporting your head, pull your right foot up behind you, so that the knee is bent as far as possible. Reach back with your right hand and grab onto your right foot. Pull you foot towards your back until you feel the muscle stretching. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds. Perform the same stretch for your right leg.
For a basic shoulder stretch, clasp your hands behind your back and slowly lift them upwards. You’ll feel the muscles in your shoulder stretching. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds.

Countless other stretches exist, but this schedule gives you a basic routine. Consult with your doctor and, if possible, a physical trainer to fine tune a “flex schedule” that’s right for you.

7 Tips for Fitness Women

2010-04-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

Would you like to be a fitness woman? Or are you a fitness woman but would like to be effective? Here are 7 great tips on how to become an effective fitness woman:

1. Get a program that will best suit you. Every fitness woman is different. You may have surgical history where a program may not be suited for you. Always consult a qualified trainer to make sure that the fitness program will not hurt you. If the fitness program is not for you, it will only be a cause of frustration and injuries.

2. Set realistic targets. Wouldn't you be frustrated if you set your mind into reshaping your body in month? Make sure that the body you prefer in a period of time is achievable and realistic. The program should also be practical and will not give you false hopes. It is important to be aware of the blocks you encounter in your daily living. This will help you know what program is satisfactory. And once a program has been reached, then you can set goals and timelines that are realistic.

3. Exercises should work on the parts of your body where muscles are. The reason mainly is, when you develop muscles, you burn more calories and then you lessen the fats in your body. Multi-joint exercises and weight lifting are recommended. Learn what exercises work on certain parts of your body. Multi-joint exercises are also said to be effective but time saving.

4. Be systematic on working on your muscles. Your muscles should be working harder over time. Repeating the same sets of exercises and same weight without getting your muscles to work harder will not give satisfactory results. You can record your daily results and make the progression based on your previous data. A daily log will also motivate you since you are able to track how far you have gone. It builds confidence since there is a written proof something that was successfully accomplished.

5. Perform a set of exercises in 10 repetitions. Every number that was accomplished is called a repetition. Try to make every repetition with less momentum as much as possible. The lesser the momentum, the harder your muscles work. And the harder they work, the bigger they become. To check if there is much momentum when lifting, see if the arm is floating. If the arm does float, then there is much momentum.

6. Be flexible and perform a variety of exercises. Every exercise program should have a variety. You can change your exercises, goals and sets every month to keep you motivated and on the go. Doing this will help you prevent being bored and losing energy physically and mentally.

7. Be Motivated! The best way to keep the energy levels of trainees is to allow a healthy competition and allow them to have a sense of control. Having control is having the sense ownership where everybody gets a part in implementing a program. To do this you also need to be consistent in demonstrating your skills.

Not all programs work for all types of people. There is no workout that is best for everyone. But you learn from experienced people. Learn to acknowledge blocks and demonstrate self-discipline, keep yourself motivated and work harder everyday and add variety. Doing these things, you will discover that a lot of programs will work for you.

Dietary Therapy: High Fiber Diets

2010-04-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

Dieters Need More Calcium

2010-04-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

Women on diets need more calcium than normal to avoid bone loss, say Rutgers University researchers.

Studies showed a weight loss diet of 1.5 pounds a week for 6 weeks cuts absorption of calcium. In 57 postmenopausal dieters it was discovered that those women who took 1,800 mg of calcium a day absorbed 78 percent more calcium than those who took only 1,000 mg a day. To prevent bone loss, women dieting after menopause should get 1,700 mg of calcium a day, the experts say.

For people on low-fat, high fiber diets calcium requirements are also higher. Studies show that 19 percent less calcium is absorbed. It is theorized that the healthier diet moves food faster through the gastrointestinal tract.

While it is common knowledge that calcium is necessary for bone-growth research shows that calcium also fights fat absorption. Studies reveal that calcium blocks fat storage in fat cells. A minimum of 1,000 mg. of calcium daily improves total cholesterol and good HDL, but lowers bad LDL.

Despite the publicity of the importance of calcium for healthy bones research shows that consumption has gone down over the past 30 years.

Experts recommend 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D daily for people under 50, and 1,500 mg of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D for those over 50. The safe upper limit for calcium intake has been set at 2,500 mg a day. Experts think going above that on a daily basis may invite kidney stone formation.

Once started, never stop taking calcium/vitamin D supplements daily. USDA researchers found that after a 3- year study over one-third of participants stopped taking the supplements. Within one year women lost all bone-density gains and men lost their gains in two years.

For those who are lactose intolerant calcium and vitamin D supplementation is even more important because it will be difficult to get the daily requirement through diet alone.

For those allergic to cow's milk. Drink enough soy milk to give you 500 mg of calcium per glass as compared to 300 mg in cows milk. Studies at Creighton University in Omaha, NE, showed that 25 percent less calcium is absorbed from soy milk as cows milk.

For more information on calcium and coral calcium: http://www.apluswriting.net/diettips/evitaminscalcium.htm

Developing Healthy Eating Habits Amongst Kids

2010-04-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

It is quite natural for any child to dislike new kind of food right away. It may take 10 or more tries getting a child to accept a new food. It is essential for parents to behave patiently if you want your child to eat right and healthy. For overall growth and development, parents should offer kids foods from each of the food group.

Some ways to develop your child's healthy approach towards eating

- Cut down on the amount of fat in your family's diet. Include low fat dairy products, lean meat, fat free cereals or breads.

- Avoid restricting sweets or desserts. Fat, salt, sugar have a moderate place in our diet. Don't curb them completely. Just teach your child to take small portions of it.

- Make or keep wide variety of healthy foods ready at home to be eaten as snacks. Do allow occasional indulgence of chips, colas and cookies.

- Eating slowly helps to detect hunger and fullness better. Encourage your child to eat slowly.

- Eating meals together with family helps children. Meal time with family can be pleasant with free flowing, light hearted conversations about the day, etc.

- Activities like shopping for food and preparing meals are fun time for children. Both, parents and children learn about each other's food preferences and enjoy the time spent together.

- Eating meals and watching TV at same time makes it difficult to pay attention to the hunger and may lead to overeating.

- Sending children to bed without eating food may give them the impression that they will have to go hungry. So they may try to eat whenever they get a chance. Avoid using food as punishment.

- If your kid is having lunch at school, find out more about the lunch program. If you pack your child's food include variety of foods. While dining out, pick healthier items.

- If you as parents eat healthy nutritious food, your child tends to learn and pick up similar eating habits. Set a good example by eating variety of nutritious foods and snacks. Teaching your child healthy eating practices early in life will help develop an approach to eating food with right attitude.

Crushing Carbs Without Atkins

2010-04-08T10:57:00.001-07:00

A few years ago, health fanatics were touting the benefits of cutting carbohydrates. That meant breakfast without cereal, Asian cuisine without rice and burgers without buns. Pasta? Forget it.

Now whole grains and fruits - especially organic - are at the top of the list. That said, people still want to lose weight; they are just looking for new ways to do so.

Some dieters abandoned Atkins and other low-carb diets because they ended up eating the same things over and over. Others could not stay on it because they had to severely limit their favorite foods.

But many couldn't stay on their low-carb diets for another reason: They crave sugar. Sugar and high-glycemic foods, such as potatoes, white bread and pastas made from white flour, are habit-forming because they evoke cravings and create cyclic demand on glucose and insulin production in the body. This demand creates both physical and psychological addictions.

So as people have abandoned low-carb foods that typically do not trigger food addiction responses, they are back into the cycle and susceptible to gaining back their weight.

Innovative Technologies Corporation of America developed a tea called Carb Crusher that, when consumed with a sensible diet and exercise program, can assist in the reduction of the body's absorption of calories and carbohydrates in the digestive and hepatic (liver) systems.

The key ingredient in Carb Crusher is GCA, an extract made from unroasted green coffee beans. Specifically, GCA reduces the amount of carbohydrates that get absorbed by inhibiting the active transport of sugar into the body. Even when you're not eating, GCA is still working to inhibit sugar being released from the body's glycogen stores (found in the liver and muscles). This forces the body to initiate the burning of fat sooner as an energy source. And since there is no added caffeine or stimulants, you can drink Carb Crusher on an empty stomach or at night.

Diet and Supplements for Gaining Weight

2010-04-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

Bodybuilders usually have one or two immediate goals: They want to lose bodyfat and get ripped, or they want to pack on muscle size. The Holy Grail would be to accomplish both, but that’s hardly realistic, since it involves going in two opposing directions at the same time. The most you can hope for is to maintain your muscle while you’re losing fat. Building muscular bulk is an entirely different process from cutting up.

In years past the diet portion of acquiring muscle could best be described as haphazard. You simply ate anything that wasn’t nailed down. That, of course, resulted in not just lean mass gains but also a hefty increase in bodyfat. The next step involved reducing calories or carbs or both until you lost the excess fat. Under ideal conditions you also kept most of the muscle gained during your bulking-up phase.

For a classic example of the comparatively primitive bulk-up/cut-down process take a look at Bruce Randall, who began his bulking phase while he was in the U.S. Marine Corps in the early 1950s. He consumed prodigious amounts of food (courtesy of Uncle Sam) including dozens of eggs, quarts of whole milk and plenty of bread. That diet led Randall to a body-weight of more than 400 pounds, but he wasn’t just another fat, sloppy guy. He lifted actively during his entire hulking period, doing some extraordinary lifts, such as good mornings with 900 pounds.

I recall being told a story about the time Randall visited a New York gym for a workout during those days. He opted to do incline presses but for some reason decided to move the bench, which he did. Only after he moved the bench from one end of the gym to the other did Randall realize that the bench had been bolted to the floor. He was so powerful that he ripped the bench from its moorings without realizing it.

Randall later began training for bodybuilding competitions and, through a stringent diet and training program, dropped his weight from 405 to 187. He then increased it to 227 and won the ‘59 NABBA Mr. Universe title in London. His trophy was presented to him at the contest by buxom film star Jayne Mansfield.

A more recent example of a successful hulking program was that of two-time Mr. Universe and star of the “Incredible Hulk” TV series, Lou Ferrigno. When Lou started back in Brooklyn he was skinny, though a enthusiastic young bodybuilder. After a few years of training Ferrigno weighing nearly 300 pounds. What had he done to achieve such phenomenal mass gains?

“Plenty of milk and food,” he said.

And therein lies the key to success in gaining muscular size. You simply have to eat more. These days the object is not to gain just any type of weight, but to ensure that what you gain is mainly muscle. The problem is, you must still increase your calories. There’s simply no way around that, regardless of what you hear or read.

That last statement must be qualified to a certain extent. Using certain anabolic drugs, including anabolic steroids, growth hormone and insulin, among others, can indeed increase muscle size, but even with their assistance, you still need to eat and train properly to build quality muscle. In fact, emerging research shows that you can manipulate your body’s anabolic hormones by making certain adjustments in your diet and supplement regimen. That way you fine-tune your gains so they’re mostly lean mass rather than a combination of muscle and too much fat.

One common question about gaining muscle is, How much can I realistically expect to gain? The amount of lean mass gains varies among individuals due to such factors as genetics, body structure and training intensity. Those who are blessed with a combination of naturally high androgen, or testosterone, levels and a high percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers will make the most rapid initial gains, but even those who have less of a genetic head start will nonetheless make impressive gains by eating properly and training hard. A bodybuilding axiom holds that you make your best ever gains when you first begin training, simply because your body isn’t used to it and responds rapidly to the added stress of exercise. As you progress to the advanced level, adding muscle each year becomes increasingly difficult regardless of genetics.

Mass-With-Class Weight-Gain Diet
Meal 1
1 cup orange juice
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup milk
4 scrambled eggs
2 slices whole-grain toast with butter (no margarine; avoid transfats)

Meal 2
8-ounce hamburger
1 large baked potato
Tossed salad with dressing
1 cup milk
Fresh fruit

Meal 3
Weight-gain drink or meal replacement with a banana mixed in nonfat milk

Meal 4
8 ounces cottage cheese with fruit
1 cup yogurt

Meal 5
6 ounces tuna
1 piece fruit
1 slice whole-grain bread

Meal 6
8 ounces chicken
2 cups brown rice
2 slices whole-grain bread
1 cup broccoli or other vegetable
Tossed salad
Fresh fruit
1 cup milk with added protein powder

What to Eat for Mass

Regardless of genetic predispositions, you’ll need a positive energy balance to increase your muscular bulk. That simply means you must
eat more food than you burn. The effect is so potent that eating an unusual amount of food alone can add lean mass even without exercise, although that isn’t a recommended procedure. Studies involving human subjects who overate but didn’t exercise showed some surprising changes in body composition. The subjects all showed significant increases in lean mass.

The gains were the result of the body’s adjustments to the unaccustomed levels of food. The body compensated by increasing the levels of anabolic hormones, including growth hormone, testosterone, insulin and insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which led to the subjects’ building more muscle, a.k.a. lean mass.

Eating all those calories also blunted the levels of the primary catabolic hormone in the body, cortisol. High levels of cortisol promote the catabolism, or breakdown, of muscle. Cortisol is secreted mainly under high-stress conditions; hence its designation as a stress hormone. But the stress conditions that promote cortisol release more often involve an energy-deficit condition, such as a lack of sufficient calories or carbs. So overeating itself is an anabolic process.

The point here is not to suggest that you must overeat to gain muscle size but that you do have to up your calories because it promotes the secretion of anabolic hormones that will work in tandem with exercise to produce lean mass gains.

A vital consideration in any hulking plan is protein. While it’s true that providing additional calories in the form of carbohydrates alone has a protein-sparing action in muscle, maintaining a high level of amino acids from food-protein sources promotes a positive nitrogen balance that sets the stage for muscular gains through increased muscle protein synthesis reactions in muscle. Some call the process the ‘anabolic-drive effect.”

Buying Nutritional Supplements Online

2010-04-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

If you are looking to purchase nutritional supplements, look no further than the World Wide Web. There are millions of businesses based both in the “real” and virtual worlds that hock any type of natural extract or supplement imaginable. These nutritional supplements can be anything from naturally building muscle and tone to ensuring your body has the proper nutrients at all times. Online sellers of nutritional supplements are just as reliable as the traditional brick and mortar stores, and are often controlled by the same company.

Instead of searching all over town for those hard to find nutritional supplements, look no further than your computer. The World Wide Web has essentially shrunk the earth, allowing you to purchase anything and everything from any corner of the globe and have it delivered directly to your door. Many small towns do not have a health food store or nutritional supplements shop, so instead of driving near and far to purchase the items you seek, you can save time and money on gas and hop on the internet for all your shopping needs.

Quite often, these online sellers of nutritional supplements are a great deal less expensive than traditional brick and mortar stores. This difference in price is usually because of the rock bottom overhead it takes to run a virtual business. Instead of renting a storefront for your nutritional supplements store, paying employees to stock and man the register, purchase a variety of business related items, and paying utilities on the store, you can quickly and easily run a significant business out of your own home. This savings is directly passed down to the buyer, who reaps the rewards of convenient shopping at great prices.

If you are looking at a place to purchase nutritional supplement online, ask your friends, family members, or coworkers for a reference. Most individuals have done some sort of shopping on the World Wide Web and can point you in a general direction. Also, speak with your primary healthcare provider about an appropriate store in cyberspace to purchase your nutritional supplements. This is critical since your doctor should know of anything you are taking, whether all natural over the counter supplements or prescription medications. Once you have found a reputable dealer of nutritional supplements online, establish a relationship with the company and be sure to tell your friends. Word of mouth advertising is an excellent way to spread the word about a specific business.

Whenever you purchase anything online, especially nutritional supplements, only work with legitimate sellers. Remember the old adage, if it is too good to be true, then it probably is, and carefully look up the background information of any store before you buy your nutritional supplements. Also, once your products arrive, ensure they are still properly sealed and the containers are in perfect condition when they arrive. This inspection is important so that you can be sure none of the products were tampered with before they arrived on your doorstep. Once your nutritional supplements arrive, you can begin taking them and be on your way to proper health in no time.

Cereal For Dinner: Is That Normal?

2010-04-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

What’s for dinner tonight? I bet it’s not Raisin Bran or Grape Nuts, but why not? Research shows that whole-grain cereal is an excellent source of vitamins and fiber, and is low in calories and saturated fat. But in America, cereal is supposed to be eaten for breakfast. It’s not supposed to be eaten for dinner. We can’t do that. Says who? The advertisers, that’s who. What if Kelloggs launched a “dinner cereal?” and put a lot of marketing dollars behind the idea? Certainly this “dinner cereal” wouldn’t be different from any other cereal; it would just give us “permission” to steer away from the norm and do things a little differently. And I guarantee there’d be a lot less overweight people in the world.

About 7 years ago I put my theory to the test. I ate cereal for dinner 5 nights a week for about 4 months, and I can honestly say that my stomach was flatter than ever, I never felt full or bloated and I got used to it pretty quickly. In fact, I found myself driving home from work excited about what cereal I was going to have that night, and I looked forward to it. I felt great.

Our overweight problem is largely cultural. Big, dinnertime meals are part of what we do even though research shows that consuming our largest meal at night is a big reason for our bulging waist-lines. Not long ago I read an interesting study about the timing of our eating. The researchers compared the eating habits of some community in Scotland and compared them to ours. This community was in a farming region and the people, on average, consumed the same amount of calories per day that we do, but they did not have a weight problem. The reason: Breakfast was their big meal. About two thirds of their daily calories were consumed in the morning and they ate sensible lunches and dinners. In our culture, we consume two thirds of our calories after 5:00 P.M. The body’s metabolism slows down significantly after 6:00 P.M. and our bodies just aren’t burning all of those calories effectively.

Timing is everything. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

In our world, we do what seems normal, what everyone else is doing. A family sitting around the dinner table eating a bowl of Cheerios with sliced bananas sounds ludicrous. It just doesn’t fit into our cultural schema. But obviously something has got to change in our country or we’re just going to keep eating ourselves to death. Try the cereal plan for a few weeks and see if you lose weight. There is such a huge selection of good, healthy cereals out there so you don’t have to worry about getting board. Dare to be different.

Benefits Of Carrot, Carrot Seed Oil And Carrot Root Oil

2010-04-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

It may come across as a myth but it is not. Carrot really helps your eyesight. This is due to the beta-carotene which gives carrot the orange color and also the name. It contains vitamin A in large quantities in the form of beta carotene. Due to the usefulness of carrot it has been considered as one of the top most salad requirements.

If you have carrot juice it helps to remove the indigestible fiber. It is also rich in minerals and known to be very useful for your skin. It is learnt that cooked carrots are more nutritional as well as equipped with more benefits.

Carrot seed oil is another way of treating your skin right. The presence of Beta carotene and vitamin A helps to keep your skin alive. It maintains the elasticity of the skin which happens to sag at one point or the other. These oils have been used quite regularly in many skin care products. It protects the sun damaged and wrinkled skin. It keeps the skin firmer and more radiant due to its anti-aging properties.

Carrot oil, another important part of carrot is made useful for your benefit. The presence of carotenoids helps to reduce the damage due to ultra violet rays. By protecting your skin from ultra violet rays it also protects you from skin cancer. It provides a natural tanning boost to your skin when applied. Best part about nature is that nothing goes waste. The carrot root oil if mixed with any of the other base oil helps your skin tremendously. It also helps cures dry skin problems and rejuvenates the basal layer.

Skin Care Remedies

Grate one carrot and mix it with a spoonful of honey. Apply this mixture on your face and leave it for 15 minutes. By using it regularly you will make out the difference.

Carrot juice if applied on blemishes regularly helps them to fade away.

For carrot skin mask you need raw carrots and lemon juice. Grate the carrot and add some lemon juice and apply this mixture on your face and neck. You can do the same with cooked carrots by blending them and adding 5 tbsp honey or yogurt. Apply it and leave it for 15-20 minutes.

By mixing pineapple and carrot juice you can make a fine blend for glowing skin. Apply this mixture on your face and leave it for 15 minutes. Wash it and pat it dry.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautions while following instructions on the recipes from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Beginners Guide To Healthy Nutritional Eating

2010-04-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

If you’re currently not eating a healthy diet, it can be difficult to start such a plan. However, healthy eating along with some exercise is very important for maintaining a good bodily function and goes a long way towards living a disease-free life. If you struggle with healthy eating, then you know that breaking unhealthy habits can be the most difficult part of the process. Therefore, if you truly want to live the best lifestyle possible, it is important to follow tips in order to start eating a more healthy diet.

A great first step when you want to start eating your way to a healthy life style is to rid your home of all temptations that will distract you from following better eating habits. Ideally it would be a wise course to keep junk foods and beverages out of your house so as not be tempted to snack during the day. If you’re worried about getting hungry, keep healthy snacks like carrot sticks, yogurt, fresh fruit, or whole-wheat crackers on hand. If you find that you just cannot bear to toss out the sweets, try keeping something tiny on hand, peppermints or barley sugar. Eating a few, (emphasis on few) of these won’t ruin your diet but also will give you that little sugary fix you rave.

Another great step to healthy eating, when you’re first starting the process, is to take a few moments to learn what foods are the healthiest for you and how they work within the body. To start eating healthily we must begin by thinking healthily. Most people understand that fruits, vegetables, and low-fat meats and dairy products are good for you, but few people understand why. The key is learning about nutrients. When you understand how specific nutrients work and why you need them, it becomes more reasonable for you to make healthier choices for your body. Knowledge really is power!

Preparation is a major key in commencing a new healthy diet. You must take into consideration your schedule for meals. If you often eat in a rushed hurry at odd times of day, you probably more inclined to grab a rushed meal which will probably do more harm than good. So plan ahead! Instead of grabbing a fast food lunch on the go, take a bagged lunch to work, complete with a healthy wrap and some fresh fruit and vegetables. Remember not to forget your evening meal, a simple plan to have a meal ready before you get home would be perfect, but in our fast paced life style, sometimes this just can’t be done. One way to solve this problem is to plan out your evening meals for the week, on your days off. Perhaps just before you do your weekly shopping. Another warning: when going to the shops, do not venture their hungry because if you're anything like me, one or two chocolate bars won’t hurt! That becomes the first break in your healthy eating.

Initially many will find it very difficult to make those necessary changes to healthier eating. Along with the difficulty of change, you may not feel well for a short period of time. Usually this is normal as your body is adjusting to your new and improved life style and is cleansing itself from the unhealthy toxins built up from poor eating habits. However if this feeling continues or you are worried a visit to your doctor would be the correct thing to do.

Start with baby steps. Even if you only replace one soda a day with a glass of water, you are really improving your calorie intake. If you eat fast food every day for lunch, try replacing that half of the time with better quality foods. When you start by taking small steps you aren’t cutting out all of the foods you love all at once. By taking your time to learn about your eating habits and slowly replacing them with better meals, by taking the time to learn and understand why you should be doing that and making the necessary changes in an orderly fashion, you will feel much better within yourself physically, mentally and emotionally and well on the road to becoming as healthy as you can be

Cholesterol Types

2010-04-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

Cholesterol is a blood fat needed by the body in moderate amounts. However, high cholesterol(http://www.vasacor.com/) levels can lead to atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD). Angina is chest pain caused by the restriction of blood flow to the heart (cardiac ischemia). Nitrates may be used to relieve angina.

Most people will have cholesterol blood tests regularly, including triglycerides, HDL (http://www.cholesterol-reduction.org/treatment/increasing-good-cholesterol.html), LDL and total cholesterol. Methods for increasing good cholesterol or lowering cholesterol levels (http://www.cholesterol-reduction.org/cholesterol/cholesterol-levels.html) may include cholesterol reducing drugs, such as statins, fibrates, niacin (nicotinic acid) and bile acid resins. However, these drugs do not reverse calcification. A heart attack occurs when the coronary arteries become blocked. Cholesterol has many types. The two big components are called LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein). And simplistically, we talk about the LDL being the bad cholesterol and the HDL being the good cholesterol.

That means that the bad cholesterol tends to accumulate in the arteries, tends to form plaques, tends to be the precursor to what eventually might end up being a heart attack.

The good cholesterol actually acts in part in reversing the cholesterol transport, takes cholesterol out of the plaque in the artery and may return it to the circulation, to the liver, to be excreted. So these are the two major categories, but within each one there are different particles, different cholesterols, different lipoproteins that carry the cholesterol, and they are differentially difficult players.

Some of the LDL cholesterol, i.e., the bad cholesterol, is worse than others. And it tends to be the small particle size that is very dense. You can think of the cholesterol particles as marbles, maybe, the small dense ones, and the larger, lighter ones might be ping-pong balls. And so the small marble ones are more dangerous.

On the other side, HDL the good cholesterol, posseses some components that are better than the others. So cholesterol is quite a complicated subject, and we're developing more and more therapies that aim not just at the total cholesterol, but in altering the good and the bad.

Changing Your Eating Habits

2010-04-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

Because all of us have been brought up eating junk food, well most of us, it is not easy to change our eating habits. Your eating habits have developed since childhood based on what your mothers or fathers cooked and what your psychological make-up was during that time.

The foods you eat and crave help keep pass trauma and present anxiety in check. Food helps make you feel good when you start to feel bad. Eating is a natural defense mechanism that the brain-body uses to keep you from going crazy.

So, you see, it is very difficult to change our eating habits. When we do, we start to feel bad. We start to feel uncomfortable, we feel pain, we have withdrawal symptoms, and we may feel sick. Is it any wonder that any of us ever succeed in changing our eating habits?

I consider every thing that has been packaged to be junk food. There are a few exception and you need to read ingredient labels carefully. Very few food manufacturers and even restaurants prepare food with your health in mind. Of course, they want to satisfy you, but they don't use foods that are in your best interest.

Most people eat junk food 85% of the time and then eat good food the other 15%. It should be the reverse of this - eat good food 85% and junk food 15% of the time.
To have better health, here are some foods to stop eating. Eliminate these foods over the next two to three weeks.

· Milk (non-fat or no-fat also) - is a mucus and acid forming food. Milk creates mucus in the body and makes the lymph liquid (we will talk about lymph later) in your body acidic, which attracts parasites and other pathogens. (In the place of milk almond milk or goats milk)
Cancer thrives in a body that is acidic.

o Bread - white bread is also acid and mucus forming. It is also more difficult to pass through the colon and gives rise to constipation.
Sugar the #1 food additive. Sugar is in most of all the products that you buy.

· Sodas (regular or diet)- are extremely high in sugar or artificial sugar - 7 teaspoons per can. Most people drink over 35 gallons per year. Sugar is a body poison and leads to many disease - diabetes, obesity, tooth decay and osteoarthritis and so on.
o Sugar, also, depletes your B-vitamins and calcium and magnesium from your bones and teeth.

o In addition, since sodas are in aluminum cans, aluminum can go into the soda because most sodas contain phosphoric acid. Aluminum has been associated with senility and Alzheimer disease.

o Calcium is also leached from your body to neutralize the phosphoric acid. (Its healthier to drink juices of all kinds)

There is just no way around it. Sodas suck health right out of your body.

· Regular salt (NaCl) - excessive salt intake is related to high blood pressure, edema, and imbalances in the minerals in your lymph liquid. Sodium, Na, in salt attracts water so the more sodium you eat that more water your body will hold. (Use sea salt, it has 25% less sodium, use low salt soy sauce, and herbs to flavor your food)

o Most people eat too much salt - over 10,000 milligrams per day. We only need around 200-300 mg per day.

o Excess salt is also in involved with kidney problems, cardiovascular disease, stomach cancer, and excess sensitive to stress.

o Get your Sodium from eating vegetables that are high in sodium. When you get your salt from vegetables it is organic salt, which does not have the same effect in your body as inorganic salt from a shaker. You need a lot of organic salt or Na in your body. Your stomach is a Na organ. It needs organic salt, Na, to keep its lining from being eaten by the hydrochloric acid in your stomach - an ulcer.

o Foods high in organic sodium are apples, apricots, asparagus, greens, red cabbage, carrots, celery, dulse, egg yolks, figs, fish, raisins, prunes, and lentils.

For the next two weeks try adding the following foods to your eating habits.

· lecithin - is 30-40% choline, which is used throughout your body. This is why you want to include it in your diet.
o choline is one of the main chemicals in our cell membrane.
o It is used in our brains to create the neurotransmitter acytlcholine, which is required for thinking and memory. Consider lecithin brain food.
o It is used by the liver, which helps to prevent a fatty liver. A fatty liver prevents you from losing weight around your belly.
o it helps to break up fats into tiny goblets so that they are easily digestible and will reduce your cholesterol.
o it helps to keep cholesterol from clinging to your artery walls.

· flax seed oil - is an essential oil, omega 3. This means your body does not make it and it is necessary for you to eat it so that you can live without illness or pain.
o it helps to detoxify the liver
o it stimulates the production of bile. Remember that bile helps to breakdown fat so that the liver can better metabolize it.
o stimulates the body to burn fat.

o apple juice and apples - are high in vitamin A, in Potassium and have other minerals that strengthen the blood. They contain malic and tartaric acids, which keep the liver healthy and promote good digestion. Apples help you to lose weight by providing fiber and keeping you regular.

o fiber - you need 30-35 grams of fiber every day. Most people only get up to 10-15 grams. Fiber is one foods that reduce your transient time in the colon. Fiber helps to keep your colon clean, reduce cholesterol, remove toxins from your body and eliminate constipation.

There you have it. If you can accomplish these changes in one year, you will notice a big difference in the way you feel and the health that you have.

Cholesterol Facts

2010-04-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

With all the news and warnings about the dangers of high cholesterol, many people view cholesterol as a “bad” substance that should be eliminated completely from our lives. In truth, cholesterol serves some important functions in the body. In order to understand how cholesterol affects the body, one must first understand what cholesterol is.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is attached to the fats in our bloodstream and is present in all of the cells of the body. Cholesterol comes from food that we eat, as well as being manufactured directly by the liver. Cholesterol is an important regulator in the bloodstream, as it helps to regulate the formation of many cells as well as hormones. However, to have too high or too low of a cholesterol count in the blood can be a very dangerous factor, often leading to a heart attack or a stroke. Although cholesterol is prevalent in the blood stream, it cannot dissipate in the blood. The cholesterol maneuvers throughout the body attached to lipids (fats).

There are two main types of cholesterol. The first type is called LDL cholesterol, and the other is HDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol, otherwise known as low-density lipoprotein, is considered the “dangerous” cholesterol. LDL cholesterol can build up on the artery walls. Over time this plaque build-up blocks blood flow, reducing circulation and causing stress and damage to the heart. This raises blood pressure, and eventually leads to heart disease or a heart attack. Individuals that have higher levels of LDL run a much higher risk of having heart disease. Although LDL is affected by genetics, there are several precautions that individuals can take towards keeping safe LDL levels.

The other form of cholesterol is HDL, or high-density lipoprotein. HDL is considered the “good” cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is important for the body to have as this type of cholesterol helps filter out LDL cholesterol from the lining of the arteries, as well as transporting fat in the bloodstream (triglycerides) to the liver so that it can be excreted from the body. It is believed that even having high levels of HDL is safe, as it can help protect one's heart from a heart attack or stroke. Low counts of HDL could potentially lead to a heart attack and stroke, however this is rare for people eating a western-style diet, which is typically high in both forms of cholesterol.

Most of the cholesterol in our bodies comes from the foods we eat. Foods high in fats, particularly saturated and trans fats, contribute to high levels of LDL cholesterol. Meat and dairy products are the main sources of LDL cholesterol, while leafy vegetables, fruits, and nuts are more nutritious alternatives that have higher levels of HDL cholesterol. While genetics does play a role in cholesterol levels, a change in diet is the most effective way to lower dangerous cholesterol levels, and reduce your risk of heart disease and associated health problems.

Certain natural substances found in Vasacor, including plant sterols, fish oils, and policosanol have been shown in numerous clinical studies to be highly effective in promoting healthy cholesterol levels, particularly when combined with a healthy diet and exercise. If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels, now is the time to make a change, and Vasacor can help.

The Article is Originally Published Here: http://www.vasacor.com/facts.html

Basic Meal & Menu Planning

2010-04-05T20:23:00.001-07:00

As a basis for meals and menu planning, refer to the pyramid information mentioned earlier to make sure you have the basic food requirements met for all family members. Then cross check and plan by looking over basic food categories to target healthy foods to fit the lifestyles and health of everyone. For example, if someone has depression, add some foods mentioned above to his or her dietary plans that aid in the healing and prevention of depression.

Meal planning also depends upon several factors like the number of people eating, meal times, special dietary concerns, budget, available foods, recipes on hand and likes and dislikes of everyone who will be eating. Begin by choosing foods and recipes that you like and know how to prepare well and that fit into everyoneÕs dietary plans. If one or more people have special needs, like diabetics, plan ahead for substitutions either in the food preparation or food substitution for that individual or for those individuals.

There are a few things to note when making meal choices and menu planning. First, some foods may be advertised a certain way, but that doesnÕt mean you canÕt experiment. For instance, eggs and sausage can be served for dinner, not just breakfast. And waffles can be made from healthy wheat grains and eaten for lunch with fresh fruits instead of sugary syrup and heavy butter for breakfast.

Add variety, too. Have other family members jump in and prepare meals some nights and on weekends. Kids enjoy making macaroni and cheese, so host mac-n-cheese night on Wednesdays, for example. Then alternate different vegetable combinations, colors and textures to vary the menu on a weekly basis (no need to let boredom take over on Wednesdays with the same routine!)

To help with family food budget concerns, clip coupons from newspapers, weekend inserts, and any place you can find them. Downloaded coupons from the Internet to save money, too, from places like CoolSavings.com and CouponCart.com. RefundingMakesCents offers an affordable subscription to a neat print magazine for coupon deals, trades and lots more, with a secret code to their website for Internet coupon-codes for lots of online companies like Amazon.com (cookware) and Barnes and Noble (cookbooks).

Also note seasonal food selections for savings. Create menus and meals based upon whatÕs on special that week or month. Hint: stock up and store or freeze special-priced items and family favorites when possible and storage room and the budget allows. But donÕt over do it. With convenience stores and supermarkets for food shopping in practically every neighborhood anymore, there is no need to hoard. An old saying, ÒHaste makes wasteÓ might apply if you see a great buy, purchase multiple items, then let them become outdated and have to toss them out.

One fun way to save is by trading coupons and working out food deals with friends, family, neighbors, your church group and anyone else whoÕd like to join in. Food cooperatives and farm markets available in your area may offer special pricing to groups or large purchases. So team up for better purchasing power and split everything up between group members. If youÕre not into that much organization, go one-on-one with a neighbor, other friend or relative. Buy a huge bag of potatoes, onions, oats, and / or other foods, then share.

Here is one special item to note with regards to dietary planning. ItÕs unfortunate, but fast foods, especially those that are high in fat content (fried, greasy foods), are often cheaper than good, healthy food choices. For example, lean beef costs more than high-fat beef; cereals high in nutritional value are often priced much higher than the low-cost, sugary brand names. And low income and homeless people are particularly victims of this situation, many times needing to turn to the less healthier food choices for survival. So whenever possible, your plans might want to include donating a portion to homeless shelters and churches who would probably be more than willing to take extras off your hands.

B6 Important Among the B Vitamins

2010-04-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

When most people hear the word “anemia,” they immediately think of iron. But a shortage of Vitamin B6 can also cause a type of anemia because this vitamin is vital to the healthy generation of hemoglobin in the blood of a normal, healthy person. You may also associate Vitamin B6 with sugar diabetes, and that’s because one of the important functions of this vitamin is to regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.

Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine. You may not have heard of many people who were found to have a serious Vitamin B6 deficiency, and there’s a good reason for that. B6 is so readily available in so many foods that it’s a fairly simple matter to get your daily recommended allowances of this vitamin.

Some of the common sources of B6 include tuna, roast beef, tomato juice, trout, pork loin and peanut butter. Naturally, cereals that are fortified with vitamins are excellent sources and many provide 100 percent of the body’s need for cereal. Three raw bananas also provide a full day’s supply of the necessary Vitamin B6. A medium baked potato (including the potato skin) provides about one-third of the daily requirement. Evaluating the foods rich in this vitamin reveals that many people are already meeting the daily requirements for B6.

So what are the dangers of having too little Vitamin B6 in your daily diet? Recent studies suggest that a lack of this vitamin is a factor for determining the risk of stroke and some types of heart disease. That means that people with deficiencies are more likely to suffer from these health issues than their counterparts who are getting sufficient amounts of Vitamin B6.

Depression is another problem potentially impacted by a Vitamin B6 deficiency. Though there may be some difference of opinion as to the role and the importance of B6 and depression, there appears to be a link that can’t be denied. In fact, depression is listed by some as one of the symptoms of insufficient Vitamin B6 in the diet.

There are some risks of taking too much B6. Nerves – especially in the outer extremities – are sometimes damaged by overdosing the body on vitamin B6. In the majority of cases, simply eliminating any vitamin supplements appears to eliminate the nerve problems as well. It’s unlikely that a normal person can take in enough Vitamin B6 from a normal diet to cause toxicity at this level, and more likely that these severe effects of too much B6 are caused by taking too many vitamin supplements containing B6.

10 Ways To Sneak Some Extra Fruits And Vegetables In Your Family’s Diet

2010-04-03T06:46:00.001-07:00

We all know by now that we should be eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. But knowing and doing are two different things, aren’t they? Sometimes it is just not easy to get them all in there. We are constantly tempted to fill up on convenience and junk food. If your family is anything like mine, they’d much rather fill up on a bag of chips or a bowl of rice or pasta instead of trying an apple or a plate of steamed broccoli. So we’ll have to get creative. Here are a few ideas to “sneak” some extra vegetables and fruits in your family’s diet.

1. Start the day with a breakfast smoothie. All you have to do is throw some fruits, low-fat yogurt and ice in a blender. You may also want to add a scoop of protein powder in there for good measure. Just blend for a few seconds and you have the perfect breakfast ready to go. I like to sip mine in a thermal cup on the way to work. To make it even more appealing for your kids, use some frozen yogurt or a scoop of ice cream in the smoothie. They won’t believe that you are letting them have ice cream for breakfast.

2. Dried fruit makes an excellent snack any time of the day. Add some small cartons of raisins to your child’s lunch box, pack some yogurt-covered raisins in your husband’s briefcase and keep some trail mix sitting around for snacking. You can also add dried fruit to oatmeal and cereal in the morning. My family loves banana chips in their breakfast cereal.

3. Add some fruits and vegetables to your family’s sandwiches. You can add some banana, sliced apples or strawberry slices to a peanut butter sandwich. Top a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and anything else they will eat. You can even make a sub shop style vegetable sandwich by combining several different vegetables with some mayonnaise and cheese on bread.

4. Have a salad bar at dinner. Set out a variety of chopped vegetables, some cheese and croutons as well as several choices of salad dressing along with the lettuce and let everybody create their own perfect salad.

5. Let them drink their fruits and vegetables. Keep an assortment of fruit and vegetable juices in the fridge and encourage everyone to drink them as a snack. Get creative. You could start “family cocktail hour” by pouring everybody a glass of his or her favorite juice over ice. Add some straws, cocktail umbrellas and sit together to talk about how everybody’s day went.

6. Try this for dessert. Put a small scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt in a bowl and top it with lots of fresh or frozen fruit.

7. Offer fruits and vegetables as snacks. You can cut apples into slices and top them with peanut butter or cheese. Cube cheese and serve with grapes. Cut up some fresh veggies and serve them with ranch dip. And of course there’s ants on a log. Spread some cream cheese or peanut butter on the inside of a stick of celery and sprinkle raisins on it (wow, fruit and vegetable in one snack).

8. Try some new fruits and vegetables. Pick something exotic to get your family’s curiosity. With a little luck their curiosity will outweigh their initial apprehension to trying something new. You could try artichokes, plantains, papaya, mango, star fruit, or anything else you can find in the produce department of your local store.

9. Make a pot of vegetable soup or a stew that’s heavy on veggies and easy on the meat. Both of these make some great comfort food when the weather gets cold.

10. Start “My Veggie Day”. Each family member gets to pick a vegetable one day of the week. They qualify to pick a vegetable as long as they tried each vegetable the week before, otherwise they loose a turn and Mom gets to pick.

Incorporate a few of these ideas and you will have everyone in your family eating more fruits and vegetables in no time.

Here is another tip:

Now that everyone in the family has gotten a taste for it, make sure you always have plenty of fresh fruits and veggies available and ready to snack on.

Are You Eating Yourself to Death?

2010-04-03T06:44:00.000-07:00

My immediate answer is YES, you are eating yourself to death!

I can just hear you all shout "Hold on a second there Richelo! I eat very healthy foods, and I only drink healthy fruit juices. I don't eat sweets, I only buy low fat and low carb products. I eat healthy, and don't need to read the rest of this article!" HOLD ON there a moment! You are not eating as healthy as you think! Let me tell you why.

Never in the history of man have we seen more obesity, diseases, syndromes and what not, than we do right now. Is this all thanks to food? No, BUT, a HUGE part is, and if you will indulge me for a short while, I will try my best to explain to you in an easy to understand manner, why this is so.

We live in an instant gratification and microwave society. If it is not quick, easy and now, it is so yesterday. BUT, at what cost?

I can write a whole book about all the "stuff" they put in processed, or so called fast foods, but, I don't want to bore you to death with all the scientific names and what it does to your body. Let me rather simplify this for you, and say that if it is processed in any way, it is not good for you, and very possibly bad for you!

So, what exactly is processed foods, and why is it so bad for you?

Does it come in a can, sealed box, sealed bag, or is it ready made? If so, it is processed. This is the vast majority of the foods that you get at the grocery store! Have a look the next time you are at the store, and you will see this to be true.

Now on to why it is so bad for you. For this food to last long, have the right color, and not pick up all the bad bacteria associated with keeping food for long, a LONG list of chemicals are added to this food. A lot of these chemicals are known to have very serious negative effects of the human body. To name but a few of these "side" effects: Cancer, High blood pressure, high cholesterol, Numbness, Burning sensation, Tingling, Facial pressure or tightness , Chest pain, Headache, Nausea, Rapid heartbeat , Drowsiness , Weakness and Difficulty breathing for asthmatics .

Now, forget all the "stuff" being added. What about nutritional value? Because of all the processing, there is little, if any, real nutrients left in any any of these foods! Not only that, BUT, the salt levels are WAY above what a human being should be consuming!

What about all these healthy bran cereals? Are they processed? YES. They contain more sugar than anything else! You poor blood sugar levels does not know what to do with all the extra insulin that it gets with just about any fast or processed food!

So, what then is safe and healthy?

Anything that is fresh, not processed, and preferably organic. Plain and simple! YES, that means that nice cup of coffee you are enjoying while reading this is not very good for you!

Have a look at your grocery store. The vast majority of the fresh, non processed foods are around the perimeter of the store, and not in the isles! This makes shopping so much easier!

"BUT, it takes so long to prepare!" The most common complaint I hear! Well, if you plan it properly, you can make all your fresh food in less time than it takes to get all your fast food during the day! Read that again! My wife and I prepare all our meals, for the 2 of us, and our 2 children, in 30 minutes in the morning! All fresh, all healthy, and all ready to eat for the rest of the day!

How much, and how often should you eat? This is also very simple. You should be eating every 2.5 to 3 hours. Before you start screaming at me for telling you to eat so much, remember also that these meals should be much smaller portions of your regular 3 meals a day. This will equate to around 6 meals a day.

What will you be eating? Also quite simple. Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat. YES, fat! You need to eat lean meat, skinless chicken or fish for protein. If you are vegan, there are loads of alternatives. For carbohydrates, you will have fruit and vegetables. For fat, you will have fish, fish oil capsules or flaxseed oil.

That's IT! Sounds boring? Believe me when I tell you that it is not!

To read many more articles like this one, and to learn more about healthy eating and exercising, please visit my web site at http://www.allaboutfitnessonline.com/. While at the site, also take the time to subscribe to our newsletter, which is published bi-weekly, and includes many more articles just like this one.

10 Possible Causes of the Obesity Epidemic

2010-04-03T06:41:00.000-07:00

It's well accepted that reduced physical activity and fast food are linked to obesity. But the evidence that these are the main causes of obesity is largely circumstantial. To stimulate debate, experts suggest 10 other possible causes of obesity, outlined in the International Journal of Obesity.

1. Sleep debt. Getting too little sleep can increase body weight. Today, many get less shut-eye than ever.
2. Pollution. Hormones control body weight. And many of today's pollutants affect our hormones.
3. Air conditioning. You have to burn calories if your environment is too hot or too cold for comfort. But more people than ever live and work in temperature-controlled homes and offices.
4. Decreased smoking. Smoking reduces weight. People smoke much less than they used to.
5. Medicine. Many different drugs including contraceptives, steroid hormones, diabetes drugs, some antidepressants, and blood pressure drugs can cause weight gain. Use of these drugs is on the upswing.
6. Population age, ethnicity. Middle-aged people and Hispanic-Americans tend to be more obese than young European-Americans. Americans are getting older and more Hispanic.
7. Older moms. There's some evidence that the older a woman is when she gives birth, the higher her child's risk of obesity. Women are giving birth at older and older ages.
8. Ancestors' environment. Some influences may go back two generations. Environmental changes that made a grandparent obese may "through a fetally driven positive feedback loop" visit obesity on the grandchildren.
9. Obesity linked to fertility. There's some evidence obese people are more fertile than lean ones. If obesity has a genetic component, the percentage of obese people in the population should increase.
10. Unions of obese spouses. Obese women tend to marry obese men, and if obesity has a genetic component, there will be still more obese people in the next generation.

These other contributing factors deserve more attention and study. Even more explanations include: a fat-inducing virus; increases in childhood depression; less consumption of dairy products; and hormones used in agriculture. What do you think can be attributed to the epidemic?

7 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Coconut Oil

2010-04-03T06:40:00.001-07:00

It is a common misconception that coconut oil is bad for you. People all over the world are experiencing the healthy benefits of using coconut oil. It is actually one of the healthiest oils you can consume. Here are the top seven reasons why you should use coconut oil as an alternative to other common cooking oils.

1. Coconut oil doesn't turn to fat in your body.

Unlike many other common oils, like soy (vegetable) and corn, coconut oil won't make you fat. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to fat. Most other cooking oils and fats contain long-chain triglycerides (LCT). LCT's are usually stored as fat. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is more easily absorbed and converted to energy quicker.

People in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional staple in their diet for centuries. They consume large amounts of coconut oil every day. Instead of getting fatter, it helps them stay healthy, lean and trim. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern oils, they develop obesity and the health problems that our modern society faces.

Some other people who have known this truth for a long time are people who are in the animal feed business. When livestock are fed vegetable oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. When they are fed coconut oil, they become very lean.

2. Coconut oil increases your metabolism.

Not only does coconut oil convert to energy quicker in your body, it increases your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. Because it boosts your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more effectively.

Coconut oil may triple your calorie burn. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is converted to energy so quickly that it creates a lot of heat. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, MCT's burn three times more calories for six hours after a meal than LCT's.

The February 15, 2005 issue of Woman's World magazine stated that coconut oil is the "underground high-metabolism secret."

This is great news for people who have thyroid problems, since coconut oil improves sluggish thyroids by stimulating the production of extra thyroid hormones. Most other common oils, like vegetable (soy) and corn have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.

3. Coconut oil has omega 3 fatty acids.

Most cooking oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, something we get way too much of in the United States. Our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio should be 1:1 but it is more like 50:1. We need to drastically cut back our omega 6 oils and consume much more omega 3 oils to be healthy. And coconut oil is filled with these healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

4. Coconut oil gives you energy.

Because of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it increases the metabolism, most people that switch to coconut oil feel a burst of added energy in their daily life.

This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy.

This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy. Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia have found that adding coconut and coconut oil to their diet was helpful to them.

5. One of the best things you can use on your skin and hair is coconut oil.

Coconut oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin and hair. It gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes. It aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in the skin, as well as many other skin problems.

Not only does is soften and smooth your skin, coconut oil has antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Coconut oil makes excellent massage oil too.

6. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not.

Evidence is mounting that coconut oil has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects when both consumed and used topically on the skin.

Most oils oxidize and turn rancid very quickly causing free radical damage in our bodies. Coconut oil is not easily oxidized and does not cause harmful free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Free radical damage is thought to be responsible for many ailments in our body from arthritis to increased susceptibility to cancers.

Coconut oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively, such as Vitamin E.

7. Coconut oil is one of the best oils you can use for cooking.

It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3 oils we can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but they don't do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in higher cooking temperatures.

It is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils, which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home. Rancid oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a leading cause of cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year at room temperature.

Because of the misinformation we have been given for years, we have lost out on the healthy benefits that coconut oil has given the people of the tropics for centuries. But now it has been rediscovered! Coconut oil is so effective, it won't be long before we see coconut oil supplements promoted, but you can get the jump on the popular crowd and start consuming and cooking with coconut oil today!

Amazing Antioxidants

2010-04-03T06:35:00.001-07:00

The prefix 'anti' means against, in opposition to, or corrective in nature. In this case, the 'anti' in antioxidant describes the effect these chemicals have against oxidants.

Oxidants, usually referred to as 'free radicals' are produced as a natural by-product of the millions of biochemical processes undertaken by the body every minute. The same life-giving oxygen that supports all the functions of the body creates these harmful by-products which cause cell damage, usually to DNA, fats and proteins.

Free radicals also enter the body through external influences such as exposure to the sun, pesticides and other kinds of environmental pollution. In addition, their levels are increased by mental and physical stress, the consumption of alcoholic beverages, unhealthy foods, and cigarette smoke.

In much the same way as oxidation causes rust on cars, oxidation inside the body causes a breakdown of cells. If the amount of free radical oxidation in the body is allowed to rise to an unhealthy level, it can result in extensive damage to cellular components and can accelerate the ageing process.

More importantly, it may contribute to a wide range of degenerative illnesses and reduce the body's ability to deal with other problems, including cardiovascular malfunction, eye disease, and cancer.

Additionally, it may result in a compromised immune system, leading to immunological disorders and a lessening of the body's ability to heal wounds and overcome infections. Some studies indicate possible links to arthritis and similar chronic conditions.
Antioxidants counter these effects by binding with free radicals before they can cause damage. They then convert them into non-damaging biochemical substances, assisting enormously with the reparation of cellular damage.

Certain antioxidant enzymes are produced within the body. The most well known of these are catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione:

Catalase coverts hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.

Superoxide dismutase breaks antioxidants down into hydrogen peroxide.

Glutathione is a detoxifying agent, changing the form of toxins so that they are easily eliminated by the body.

Other antioxidants can be consumed through the diet. Some of the better known include the antioxidant vitamins beta-carotene, vitamin B6, vitamin C and vitamin E.

Minerals such as selenium, zinc, glutathione and co-enzyme Q10 may also have antioxidant properties, and so may flavonoids such as cranberry, some amino acids, plus organic extracts from milk thistle and the tree known as ginkgo biloba.

A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables provides a large supply of these anti-oxidants, to help eliminate damaging free radicals. The highest concentrations are found in fruits and leafy green vegetables, such as carrots, orange and red peppers, spinach and tomatoes.

Cooking can destroy some antioxidants and interfere with the body's ability to absorb them, so eating raw vegetables and fruit, and including sprouts in the diet can help. Steaming vegetables as opposed to frying, microwaving or boiling is also a good idea.

Antioxidants are best taken in combination, since single antioxidants, such as vitamin E, need other vitamins in order to work as an effective antioxidant. Food and natural supplements may therefore provide the most bio-available source of antioxidants. Natural products from the rain forests of the world are some of the best sources of natural antioxidants ever found. Fruits like the acai berry are amazing the health world because of the wide range and high number of antioxidants they contain, making them a perfect source of antioxidants. It’s no wonder that the acai berry has been dubbed one of the top 10 “superfoods” in the world. To read more about the marvelous acai berry and other natural rain forest health products visit
http://www.natural-health-from-the-rainforest.com/acai-berry.html

Do You Visualize Whilst You Are Doing Breathing Exercises?

2010-04-01T05:21:00.000-07:00

Q. I find breathing exercises very boring is there anything I can do to make less boring?

Have you ever used visualization when you are doing your breathing exercises, a lot of people think that breathing exercises are only a manner of sitting down and concentrating as they inhale exhale, which to the outsider can seem as being very boring and monotonous but here's a few things you can try out the next time, try…

• concentrating on a particular colour on inhalation and another colour on exhalation (for example some colour you link with calmness or purity, and another colour for stress or impurity)

• having a picture in your mind of your body and as you breathe in, think of all the extra parts of your lungs that have been under used because of bad breathing habits.

• Taking a breath and picturing the air coming into your body from different areas (such as the soles of the feet for example.)

It can especially seem complicated for beginners when starting out to do breathing exercises as you can’t see the muscles that they are working on but by visualizing their lungs in action in their mind it makes it all the easier to do…and remember when you’re doing your breathing exercises you're not really learning anything new but undoing all the bad habits you've picked up over the years.

Combat the Fat and Tailor Your Supermarket Habits For the New You

2010-04-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is the perfect body.

The weightlifting’s going great. You have a challenging, but not completely sadistic trainer.

You’ve carved time out of your schedule hit the gym. (You even remember to run your workout clothes through the wash...hopefully!)

You’ll grow huge, buff, and polished in no time… unless you eat junk.

Everyone’s got to eat. And if your goal is to build lean muscle without the fat, YOU have to eat wiser than the rest.

Get sloppy and you’ll be fighting on both sides in the battle of the bulge.

Restrict your diet too much and yeah, you’ll lose fat; but, you’ll also probably lose interest and head right for some greasy fries and a chocolate shake.

Let’s look at what you can get at your friendly neighborhood supermarket.

Frankly, there are a few aisles no self-respecting bodybuilder will be seen in. (And I don’t mean the adult diaper aisle.)

The bad news? Cross off your list the following aisles: sodas, chips, cookies, candy, pasta, and kiddie cereals.

The good news? Well, you can also cross off the catfood and dogfood aisle. Protein is great, but you don’t have to get crazy.

What’s left? Lean proteins, including fish, turkey, and chicken. Eggs are a great source of whole protein, as is skim milk and low-fat cottage cheese.

Tofu – the mystery “meat” of champions is another great option, especially for vegetarian bodybuilders.

These are all found around the perimeter of the store, which is great because you’ll get some walking in, too.

Now, head down the organic or health food aisle.

If you have a great store, you’ll find some products here that are mainstays of the ultimate bodybuilding diet: whey protein and soy protein products, nuts, whole grain cereals, and soy beans.

25 Ways Get 10 Mins Of Fitness Exercise-PT#2

2010-03-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Around the House

1. When you go outside to pick up your morning newspaper, take a brisk 5-minute walk up the street in one direction and back in the other.

2. If you're housebound caring for a sick child or grandchild, hop on an exercise bike or treadmill while your ailing loved one naps.

3. Try 5 to 10 minutes of jumping jacks. (A 150-pound woman can burn 90 calories in one 10-minute session.)

4. Cooking dinner? Do standing push-ups while you wait for a pot to boil. Stand about an arm's length from the kitchen counter, and push your arms against the counter. Push in and out to work your arms and shoulders.

5. After dinner, go outside and play tag or shoot baskets with your kids and their friends.

6. Just before bed or while you're giving yourself a facial at night, do a few repetitions of some dumbbell exercises, suggests exercise instructor Sheila Cluff, owner and founder of The Oaks at Ojai and The Palms, in Palm Springs, CA, who keeps a set of free weights on a shelf in front of her bathroom sink.

While Waiting

7. Walk around the block several times while you wait for your child to take a music lesson. As your fitness level improves, add 1-minute bursts of jogging to your walks.

8. Walk around medical buildings if you have a long wait for a doctor's appointment. "I always ask the receptionist to give me an idea of how long I have left to wait," Cluff says. "Most are usually very willing to tell you."

9. While your son or daughter plays a soccer game, walk around the field.

10. Turn a trip to a park with your child into a mini-workout for you. Throw a ball back and forth and run for fly balls.

25 Ways Get 10 Mins Of Fitness Exercise-PT#1

2010-03-30T11:21:00.001-07:00

Experts recommend working out 45 minutes to an hour a day (30 minutes for beginners) for weight loss and fitness. But if you're like most women, you don't always have a block of 30 to 60 minutes a day to devote exclusively to doing your workouts.

You can still exercise--you just need to sneak in the equivalent in resourceful ways. "The idea is to keep moving," says fitness expert Ann Grandjean, EdD. "Get a cordless phone or put a long cord on your regular phone, and walk when you talk. Find whatever works for you and just move. Park half a mile from the mall and walk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Those little, itty-bitty things add up."

Every Stolen Moment Adds Up

Lest you think that short bursts of activity have a negligible effect on your fitness program, think again. One study found that women who split their exercise into 10-minute increments were more likely to exercise consistently, and lost more weight after 5 months, than women who exercised for 20 to 40 minutes at a time.

In a landmark study conducted at the University of Virginia, exercise physiologist Glenn Gaesser, PhD, asked men and women to complete 15 10-minute exercise routines a week. After just 21 days, the volunteers' aerobic fitness was equal to that of people 10 to 15 years younger. Their strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility were equal to those of people up to 20 years their junior.

In yet another study, researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore found that for improving health and fitness in inactive adults, many short bursts of activity are as effective as longer, structured workouts. "It would be useful for people to get out of the all-or-nothing mind-set that unless they exercise for 30 minutes, they're wasting their time," says Gaesser.

Breaking exercise into small chunks on your overscheduled days can also keep your confidence up, says Harold Taylor, time management expert and owner of Harold Taylor Time Consultants in Toronto, who has written extensively on the subject. "Skipping exercise altogether is 'de-motivational'--you feel depressed and guilty," Taylor says. "If you skip it, you tend to figure, 'What's the use? I can't keep up with it anyway.' Yet as long as you make some effort each day, that motivates you onward. Success breeds success."

Keep in mind, though, that short bursts of exercise are meant to supplement, not replace, your regular fitness routine. Here's a roundup of practical ways to work exercise into your day even when you "don't have time to exercise." (You don't have to do them all in 1 day; select what works for you.)

Alternative Medicine

2010-03-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Alternative medicine means different things to different people. Alternative medicine encompasses many different approaches from massage to Chinese medicine and yoga. Alternative medicine means practices or medicines that are used instead of the usual, or standard, ways of treating diseases or illness. Examples of complementary and alternative medicine are meditation, yoga, and dietary supplements like vitamins and herbs. Alternative medicine means that it is different to the dominant health care system and potentially can replace it.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is the oldest continuously practiced medical system in the world and is used by one third of the world's population as a primary health care system. Health is defined as a state of physical well being, mental alertness, socially adjusted, and spiritually developed. Health care is not about drugs and the cost of drugs.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

Conventional medicine is continuing to lose market share. More and more people want options beyond what many consider to be essentially a high-tech slash, burn and poison medicine. Conventional medicine is used to describe the services that treat the symptoms of a disease or illness with prescribed medications and surgeries. Conventional medicine treats the ailing part of the body but may not address the underlying causes of the illness or disease.

Traditional practitioners don't express hopefulness when their medicine fails as they treat diseases first and then people secondly. On the other hand alternative practitioners, often encourage patients to be hopeful even when the situation is hopeless as they aim to treat the mind, body and soul of their patient.

Medicine is directly related to the biomedicine and health sciences. The term 'Medicine' today refers to the fields of surgery, clinical medicine and the medical research. Medical mistakes appear to be increasing, and if they are not, then at the very least, the publicizing of them is increasing. It makes people wary.

HERBAL

Herbal medicine is a booming industry in the United States. The American market for herbal remedies has doubled the last couple of years. Herbs may be harmful if taken for the wrong conditions, used in excessive amounts, combined with prescription drugs or alcohol, or used by persons who don't know what they are doing. Just because an herbal remedy is natural, does not mean it is safe!

ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture needles are usually inserted to a depth of about a quarter of an inch into the skin. The therapist gently twists or twirls them for up to 10 minutes, leaving them in five to 20 minutes longer; or stimulates them with a weak electrical current; or heats them with a burning herb such as mugwort (see moxibustion). Acupuncture was used as an illustration of medical irrationality before James Reston's fortuitous appendicitis brought it to the United States. From the impact of the LaLeche League on the advisability of breast-feeding to current studies of botanical medicines such as ginger, echinacea and ginkgo biloba, folk and alternative medicines have continuously influenced medical research and practice.

Acupressure More Effective Than Physical Therapy

2010-03-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

We all know Acupressure has been around for some 5,000 years now and those of us involved in Holistic and wellness remain convinced that the procedures encompassed within this sphere are more efficacious than physical therapy. Every living being has a life force, or energy, called qi or chi (pronounced "chee"). When this energy, which runs along meridians, is in balance and flowing freely, the body is in a state of health. Acupoints tap into the the major energy pathways of the body

When this energy is blocked or deficient, illness can result. These energy disruptions are often the result of stress or injury. It is believed that acupressure causes the brain to release endorphins. Endorphins play an important role in immune function, pain relief, stress reduction, and slowing the aging process.

Lower back pain has long been the bain of the modern world not only in lost man hours but also because of the numerous side effects, complications and nuances of lower back pain complaints. Further studies now confirm the benefits of acupressure over physical therapy. Albeit that the studies failed to take into account functional status and disability as recommended by

most low back pain researchers the results are still very meaningful and relevant. In February 2006 a randomized controlled trial took place at The National Taiwan University in Taipei.

129 patients with chronic low back pain received acupressure or physical therapy for 1 month. Primary endpoints were self-administered Chinese versions of standard outcome measures for low back pain (Roland and Morris disability questionnaire) at baseline, after treatment, and at 6-month follow-up. After treatment, the mean total Roland and Morris disability questionnaire score was significantly lower in the acupressure group than in the physical therapy group regardless of the difference in absolute score or mean change from baseline.

Compared with physical therapy, acupressure was associated with an 89% reduction in significant disability and that improvement was maintained at 6-month follow-up. Study limitations include a confounding psychological effect of therapy; loss of 15.5% of patients to follow-up at 6 months and effectiveness of any manipulation therapy dependent on the therapist's technique and experience.

Participants were aged 18 to 81 years. Exclusion criteria were pregnancy and contraindication to acupressure. 64 patients were randomized to acupressure and 65 to physical therapy. Conclusive or inconclusive the results still point towards the undeniable and positive aspects of acupressure and holistic healing.

On a more lighter note Acupressure has also been cited as a new aid for sleepy students. 39 student volunteers found that those who were taught to self-administer acupressure to stimulation points on their legs, feet, hands and heads were less likely to drowse during class. The acupressure consisted of light tapping of fingers or using thumbs or forefingers to lightly massage the stimulation points. It was conceded that more study is needed in relation to acupressure and the effect on human alertness.

Looking further into the positives might this self administered acupressure also be a consideration for children with ADHD contra Ritalin!

Bitter Melon as Diabetes Treatment

2010-03-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Bitter melon or Momordica Charantia is a vegetable which grows in tropical areas like East Africa, Asia, South Africa, and the Caribbean. This vegetable is rich in iron, beta carotene, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and other dietary fibers. In many countries, it is also used as an herbal medicine due to its properties that help improve insulin production. Clinical studies show that bitter melon increases the production of beta cells in the pancreas which leads to improvement in the insulin production of the body. It is also believed to be beneficial for the liver and can act as an anti-tumor agent. Because of its health benefits, bitter melon is used by many as an alternative treatment for diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease that is characterized by the presence of high levels of blood glucose and by the secretion of excess glucose in the urine. This ailment develops because of relatively low levels of insulin which leads to irregular carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism. Diabetic persons feel hungry and thirsty most of the time. In addition, these people get easily tired physically and mentally. They may also suffer from constipation, excessive itchiness around the genital area, and general weakness. Other body parts that are affected by diabetes are the heart, kidney, eyes, blood vessels, and the nerves. In addition to these health effects, diabetes is one of the major causes of erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence among men.

Diabetes causes impotence because it alters the body systems such as the circulatory, nervous, and the endocrine system. The organs in these systems all work in harmony to let blood flow into the penis so erection can take place. Higher levels of glucose caused by diabetes damages the blood vessels and the nerves. Complications in the state of blood vessels may hamper the flow of blood to the penis, hampering erection. In addition, a number of medical studies show that diabetic persons are more likely to have low testosterone levels. Testosterone is a hormone that is responsible enhanced libido, energy, and other reproductive health concerns. Men with type 1 diabetes are more likely to become impotent once they reach 40 years of age.

Many health experts are recommending the use of alternative medicines like better melons for diabetic management. Many studies show that bitter melon is able to reduce the blood sugar levels in the body. Charantin, polypeptide P, and oleonolic acid glcosides are some of the ingredients of bitter melon that are essential in diabetes treatment. Charantin consists of mixtures of natural steroids which are shown to reduce blood sugar levels in the body. Polypeptide P, contains alkaloids that can also promote healthy blood sugar levels. Oleanolic acid glycosides, on the other hand, may prevent the retention of sugar from the intestines. Improvements in these area leads to improved insulin levels in the body

Diabetes can be treated with alternative medicine and adjustments in lifestyles. Many health experts advice diabetic persons to include bitter melon in their diet to reduce their intake of anti-diabetic drugs. This alternative healing method, however, should not be regarded as a stand-alone treatment.

Ashwagandha- the Indian Ginseng

2010-03-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

Ashwagandha - also known as Indian Winter Cherry has the Botanical name Withania Somnifera -It is a shrub belonging to Solanace family. It is grown in the western India, Gujarat, MP, Punjab and in Himalayas.

Ashwagandha gets its name because its roots have the odor of horse. (Ashwa = horse , gandha = odor). It is called by another name Varaha karni because its leaves resemble pig’s ear.

Ashwagandha has light (laghu) and sticky (snigdha) properties, bitter and sweet taste. On digestion the sweet taste dominates. The main part used is root of this herb.

Medicinal properties of Ashwagandha

The various medicinal properties of ashwagandha is attributed to compounds known as withanolides which are present in it.

Ashwagandha is used as an adaptogen (as it enhances endurance), rejuvenating tonic and sedative. Hence many herbalists refer this herb as Indian ginseng.

Effects on mind: As it balances vata and kapha, it improves memory, counteracts the effects of stress and calms mind. It has an ability to relieve stress. It acts as sedative. Stressed patients with insomnia are benefited by this herb.

This herb can be used in Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss and insomnia.

Effects on general health : It acts as balya and strengthens the body. Generally, ashwagandha stimulates the immune system and strengthens it. It increases body energy level.

Convalescent patients’ gain more energy and can spring back to normal routine quicker when this herb’s preparations are used after illness.
The immediate relapse of disease is prevented on use of Ashwagandha. This supports HIV patients by strengthening their immune system.

Anti-inflammatory properties: It has anti-inflammatory properties and has been successfully used in adjuvant therapy for arthritis. It reduces inflammation of joints and eases movements.

Effects on digestive system: Ashwagandha increases appetite . It normalizes digestion and bowel movements.

Effects on reproductive system: This magic herb increases shukra dhatu, sperm count and sperm motility. It increases libido and known as best Vajikara dravya (aphrodisiac)

It is also used as uterine tonic and to enhance female libido.

Ashwagandha retards ageing process when used as rasayana (rejuvenating preparation).

It reduces hypertension and also acts as diuretic.

Effects on pregnant woman: Ashwagandha is very effective in conditions like habitual abortion, threatened abortion. It stabilizes pregnancy and balances harmones which stabilize pregnancy.

Usefull preparations of Ashwagandha:

1. A paste of ashwagandha leaves when applied on a local inflammation acts as anti inflammatory.

2. The herbal massage oil which includes this herb is useful in many conditions like paralysis, epilepsy, sleeplessness etc.

3. The preparation of Ashwagandha which is processed with ghee, sugar and honey is a very good aphrodisiac and increases semen quantity, sperm count and motility. It is effectively used in Erectile dysfunction, low libido and premature ejaculation.

4 Ashwagandha roots when used regularly helps to improve the conditions like emaciation of children, senile debility, rheumatism, in all cases of general debility, nervous exhaustion, brain-fag, low of memory, loss of muscular energy and spermatorrhoea. It increases body energy and vigor . It helps to rebuild the body system which is worn out due to chronic diseases like syphilis, rheumatism etc. It also replenishes the lowered energy of body due to over-work, mental exertion thus preventing early ageing.

5 Ashwagandha when used regularly , is very useful in emaciated children. It increases body weight and body energy.

6 Regular use of ashwagandha helps to reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

7 Fine powder of ashwagandha well mixed with oil is very use full in many skin conditions.

8 Ashwagandha also acts as galactogogue and thickens the milk when given to nursing mothers.

Alternative Asthma Treatment

2010-03-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

Did you know that asthma is in the top 10 hospitalizations reasons for the United States ? If you think about it its not that weird because over 19 million people suffer from asthma in the US.

Statistics show that more and more people keep complaining to their doctors about their current asthma treatment and as a result alternative asthma treatment is getting more popularity amongst asthma patients. In the long term alternative asthma treatment is better because it works on an other level. Unlike antibiotics it works in a natural way.
Asthma reflects the health of the lungs, the immune system and the adrenal glands so this means that alternative asthma treatment has to work mainly on the lungs and on the immune system.

There are several alternative asthma treatments available:

Herbs
- Valerian : helps keeping down the stress so asthma patients can control their breathing.
- Ginger : helps to calm down the lungs, helps for easy breathing.
- Garlic : prevents the accumulation of mucus in the lungs.
- Elecampane : used to help healing a bronchitis it dries up mucus secretions.
- Ephedra : Chinese drug in bronchodilators. (now banned by the FDA)

Yoga
- Helps to concentrate and relieve the asthma patient of stress symptoms.
- Helps to learn new breathing techniques.

Diets
- Asthma is often triggered by allergic reactions. Its important to know if the asthma
patient is allergic to some ingredients so they can be included in the diet.

These alternative asthma treatment methods have been proved to work and are all safe to use. These new methods are interesting for people who have been using inhalers, nebulizers and other asthma medications. These products help for immediate asthma problems but in the long term you will see that alternative asthma treatments help you to get rid of your asthma.

For more information on alternative asthma treatment go to http://www.cure-my-asthma.com

John Mallon.

Acid Reflux and Heartburn Natural Remedies Part II

2010-03-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

If you have acid reflux or heartburn, using natural remedies to rebalance your stomach is what nature intended. Listed are four natural remedies that you can use to rebalance the acid in your stomach

Cinnamon

Cinnamon has many medicinal uses aside from being great for various pastries. It has an antiseptic effect and has been historically used for colds and flu’s. It has fighting power against Candida albicans and has the ability to settle acidic stomachs.

Here’s how to use cinnamon for an acid stomach or heartburn:

· Toast raisin bread
· Butter the raisin bread
· Sprinkle cinnamon on the bread
· Sprinkle cardamon on the bread

When you eat this toasted bread, chew slowly and completely before swallowing to allow the digestive juices in your mouth to start breaking down this food.

Cardamon, which is found in India, has been used successful in treating Celiac disease, which is an intolerance to gluten found in most breads.

Grapefruit Skins

Here is a way to settle your acid reflux stomach with grapefruit. Use only organic grapefruit for this remedy. Here’s what to do:

· Grate the entire outer skin of an organic grapefruit
· Spread them out on a flat dish to dry
· Allow them to get crinkly dry
· Store them in a glass jar or zip lock bag

Whenever you get an upset stomach, acid reflux or heartburn start chewing and eating these strips of dried grapefruit. These strips will settle out your stomach. Eat only a few of them and test to see how many you need.
Romaine Lettuce

Romaine lettuce can be used to eliminate an acid reflux or heartburn condition. This lettuce is high in minerals and is highly alkaline.

Here’s what you need to do:

· Buy an organic romaine lettuce head
· Wash in distilled water
· Cut up the leaves and place them in a blender
· Add cold distilled water to make a slurry
· Add a slight amount of honey to give it taste

Drink a 4-8 oz to get relief from your acid reflux or acid stomach

Mace, Nutmeg, and Slippery Elm

Here is a natural remedy that uses mace and nutmeg, which has a history of treating indigestion, acid stomach, heartburn, acid reflux, stomach gas, and vomiting.

Here’s how to use it with half and half and slippery elm root herb. Slippery elm herb can be purchase in any herb store in powder.

· 1 teaspoon of slippery elm bark
· a pinch of nutmeg
· a pinch of mace
· add distilled water to make a smooth slurry
· heat a pint of half and half to boil
· pull half and half from stove and add herb slurry
· stir in herb slurry

Allow this mixture to cool. Drink up to ½ cup at a time. Store the unused portion in the refrigerator. When drinking the next cup, warm this mixture up.

Acid reflux and heartburn require alkaline nutrients to provide relief. These 4 natural remedies, when prepared properly, will give you the relief you need from these conditions. Try them; you will be surprised on how well they work

5 Ways to Soothe Mind, Body and Spirit

2010-03-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

Self improvement (or self help) tools come in many shapes and sizes; sometimes it’s physical in nature (a self help book, having a massage, painting with water colors), or spiritual in nature (flower essences, Reiki, meditation which is both physical and spiritual, etc).

Five of the best self help options that I’ve used successfully to help soothe my own mind, body and spirit, are:

1. Meditation techniques – a fabulous self help tool which greatly benefits overall health and wellbeing. There are many techniques to choose from such as:

Visually guided meditations;

Candle meditation;

Breathing meditation;

Crystal meditation;

Writing meditation (alternating using dominant and non-dominant hand);

Walking meditation;

Body scanning; and

A self healing meditation using either color; breathe work; aromatherapy; etc.

2. Painting with water colors, pastels or oil paints – express your uniqueness through art. This is a wonderful self help tool to employ for inner healing, letting go and for creating something new (a masterpiece for your lounge room wall).

3. Vibrational essences. Part of ancient wisdom, vibrational essences are used in healing to assist with the removal of emotional blocks and patterns, as well as resolving issues from past lives.

Essences are generally in liquid form and can also be used in creams, ointments and oils (I sometimes combine mine with an aromatherapy oil blend).

Vibrational substances are derived from light (sun, moon etc), healing energy (universal or spiritual energy, prana, Reiki etc), plants (flowers, stems, leaf etc), mineral (crystals, gold etc), environmental (sacred places), or animal.

Some examples of essences available (there are many) to explore further as a self help tool are:

Flower, Gem, Angel, Shell, Coral, Sea, Goddess, and Chakra essences

4. Journal writing is a fabulous self help healing tool connecting you with your true essence, your spiritual self.

Find yourself a special journal/diary to write in; something special to write with (can be brightly colored inks or the more traditional black, blue or reds) and make a date with yourself to do some journal writing every morning at the same time (before rising out of bed).

I’ve practiced journal writing as a self help tool for many years and still find it, to this day, one of the greatest self help and self improvement tools around – and it costs nothing!

Write out your worries, sadness, loneliness, or whatever is playing on your mind. When you’ve done that write in your journal the excitement, enthusiasm and passion you intend to experience for the day ahead, the projects you’re working on, friends you’ll catch up with, food you’ll eat, possible miracles that might happen, shopping to be done, your work day etc.

5. Have a massage. Treat yourself to some bodywork like a Swedish massage. Swedish is a more traditional or western soft tissue type of massage, however if you’re after something a little more unique for healing mind, body, and spirit you could choose:

Aromatherapy massage – there’s nothing quite like this one using essential oils for body, mind and spirit.

Ka Huna, LomiLomi – gentle, relaxing, soothing and stretching massage (even watching this massage is relaxing);

Reflexology – therapeutic hand and foot massage;

Reiki – hands on energy healing (aligns Chakras etc)

Vichy Shower – warm water is directed over your body, gently massaging it (this is heavenly, especially after a salt scrub).

Acupressure – form of bodywork based on Chinese Meridian theory

Ayurvedic – part of a traditional detoxification and rejuvenation program of India called Panchakarma – vigorious massage with warm oils and herbs to remove toxins, is calming and balancing, and facilitates profound inner peace.

Hot stone massage – warm smooth stones are applied to the body and employed by the therapist’s hands.

A massage not listed that I experienced while ago was a form of Swedish massage. I was given small smooth rocks to hold in either hand, at the end of the massage the therapist held my feet and ‘tuned’ me, which sounded like a clarinet going up and down the scales. To say I felt relaxed and energised at the same time is an understatement. It was amazing.

I’ve road tested many self help tools over the years; it’s been an amazing journey with the most profound assistance coming from spirit. Sometimes good comes from being blinded by the light.

Michaela Scherr, Spiritual Growth Advocate

A Constipation Home Remedy - Cayenne

2010-03-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

Cayenne is a constipation home remedy that is effective in producing peristalsis in your colon and aids digestion. It can be used regularly at every meal and when needed for constipation. Cayenne pepper is known to help thin the blood. So, it is good for improving blood circulation.

Cayenne is available in capsules of different strengths, from 5,000 heat units (HU) to 100,000 and even higher. In addition, cayenne when used with other herbs helps to deliver these herbs more efficiently to where they are needed in the body.

As a constipation home remedy, start with one capsule of 40,000 HU and always take it after you eat. You will feel a hot or slight burning feeling in the upper stomach and that’s when you know its working. The feeling is like when you get heartburn. This burning sensation will pass as your body gets use to you using cayenne.

Do not use cayenne seeds, as they can be toxic. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding do not take cayenne supplements. Use cayenne only as directed on its container and only as capsules.

Cayenne has the ability to block the ulcer producing effect of NSAIDS. It also has shown to increase the body’s absorption of theopylline, a drug used to treat asthma.

In his book, Left for Dead, Dick Quinn tells how Cayenne pepper saved his life after coronary bypass surgery failed to restore it. In this book, Shannon Quinn, say,

“One of the most effective stimulants, mostly, cayenne targets the digestive and the circulatory system. Cayenne regulates blood pressure, strengthens the pulse, feeds the heart, lowers cholesterol, and thins the blood. It cleanses the circulatory system, heals ulcers, stops hemorrhaging, speeds healing of wounds, rebuilds damaged tissue, eases congestion, aids digestion, regulates elimination, relieves arthritis and rheumatism, prevents the spread of infection and numbs pain.”

Use the recommended dose shown on the bottle of cayenne you use.

You can also add cayenne pepper into other foods. Add cayenne to soups, salads, and other foods you like.

In soups or salads break open a cayenne capsule and mix it in. You can add 1 – 2 capsules, but first start with 1/4 or 1/2 capsule so you can get use to the hot taste.

If you are pregnant, it is considered safe to use cayenne.

Use this constipation home remedy and you will see results. It definitely has the power to eliminate constipation and keep you regular and has many other benefits, especially for your heart.

Acne - An Introduction

2010-03-23T07:51:00.001-07:00

Acne is the most common skin disorder. Over 10% of Americans age 25 - 44 have acne. Over 85% Americans age 12 - 25 will have acne at one time or the other.

If ignored, acne can become infected, create scars, and pockmarks that become permanent on your face. I don't want this to happen to you, so I have written a series of articles on how to clear your acne.

Acne Is a Disease

Acne is a disease called seborrhea or seborrheic dermatitis. It occurs when the sebaceous glands, under your skin, become contaminated with oily toxic matter, which contains,

§ dirt
§ dead skin
§ excess sebum oil
§ acid waste
§ bacteria
§ toxic matter

Under normal conditions the sebaceous glands release oil that comes up through your pores onto the skin surface. This release keeps your skin moist and lubricated for protection from the environment.

If your pores on your face are not open or plugged, this creates toxic oil that cannot move out onto your skin. This results in a growth or pimple that start to increase in size as more toxic oil tries to reach the surface of your skin.

If the pore walls burst under the skin, white blood cells move in to digest the collagen around the pores. When this happens, you will have scars on your face.

To avoid having scars, you need to start an acne-clearing program before you get acne or just as soon as you see acne coming so that your pimples and back heads don't get to the point where they get severely infected and burst.

Clearing Your Acne

Acne is a complex condition that involves many parts of the body even though it shows up as only eruptions on the face and else where on your skin. It is a signal that you have problems elsewhere deep within your body. Acne can be caused by a toxic colon, poor digestion of food, weak liver and other conditions that cause the blood to carry too much toxicity.

To clear acne it is not always possible to just do one thing and expect acne to go away. But it may be possible to just use a special cream and have your acne diminish or clear.

Acne may go away by just doing one thing but don't expect it to. A facial cream, diet, herbal treatment, and colon cleanse alone may not be able to clear acne. A combination may or may not work.

In future articles will be covering how to get rid of acne.

Acid Reflux Drugs and Antacids Are Killing You

2010-03-22T16:20:00.001-07:00

Doctors and Pharmaceutical giants know that their drugs and antacids do not cure heartburn or acid reflux. They have known for a long time that their drugs simply suppress the condition and continue the cycle of heartburn, acid reflux, and drugs. If you have fallen prey to this medical cycle, for sure you are headed toward serious malnutrition. The inability to feed your body the nutrients it needs will result in the diseases that you now see in most elderly people.

Because your mouth and stomach are the first step in getting nutrients into your body, you don't want to get this step wrong. If you are taking Prevacid, Prilosec, Aciphex, Protonix, Nexium, or even antacid, its time you re-evaluated the use of these drugs.

Fact1: Your stomach is designed to have a pH of 3.0 or less, more acidic

Fact 2: When you stomach pH is consistently higher than 3.0, more alkaline, you create disease

Fact 3: Taking heartburn or reflux drugs or antacids raises and keeps your stomach pH above 3.0 and higher.

When your stomach has the proper pH, it digests your food so that,

The meat you eat is broken down into amino acids that you absorb later

Vitamins are created from the food you eat

Vitamins are separated out from the food you eat

Minerals are kept in solution for later absorption

Stomach digested food moves into the duodenum at the proper pH level and triggers digestive juices from the pancreas and gallbladder.

Bacteria overgrowth is prevented and eliminates their interference with the absorption of vitamin B-12

When your stomach pH gets higher than 3.0, It secretes more acid to keep its pH below 3.0. When heartburn or acid reflux medication interferes with stomach acid by raising it pH above 3.0, the stomach is no longer functioning like a stomach. It is now creating chemical combinations that are not usable by your body. What it now produces is affecting the function of subsequent processes in the duodenum and colon. It causes these body organs to malfunction and they fail to digest and absorb the nutrients from the food you ate.

The cascade effect of a stomach with a high pH over a long period of time results in numerous ill conditions that are not traceable to an inefficient stomach.

So it's your job is to keep your stomach's pH at the proper level and look to solve your heartburn and acid reflux issues using natural remedies. If your condition, has evolved into GERD then you may have to consult a doctor or an alternative practitioner to recover from this disease.

Affordable Non-Drug solution to ADHD

2010-03-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Up until recently, there were only four "effective" choices for ADD/ADHD. These were:

1. Do nothing and hope they'd get better with time. This is the sad choice of many non-caring or low-income parents, and it almost never works.

2. Put them on Prescription Medications. In some ways, this choice is even worse, as these drugs are not only addicting, but can cause cancer, kill, and affect for life, as the latest news shows.

3. Pay exorbitant amounts of money for EEG Biofeedback (Neurofeedback). This has been the best solution up to now. The overall success rate (with good and bad clinicians) is considered to be about 85%. But, the cost of 60 (recommended) half hour sessions with a "professional" at $4500 to over $10,000 is way above the ability of most mid and low-income families.

4. Try various allergy clinics to try to find the allergy/sensitivity responsible, and also do all the various tests for mineral toxicity (mercury, copper, arsenic, cadmium, etc.) This is also pretty expensive, with the very best system (End Point Titration) costing upwards of $10,000. (For more info on EPT, see www.Alternate-Health.com/allergy.html ).

Now, there's another choice. I invented a new method of changing brain wave amplitude (up or down) that is similar to EEG BF, but is inexpensive enough to give mid and low income families a choice besides expensive and dangerous drugs. It's audio messaging used mostly during sleep. Instead of changing behavior as is "usual" with this technique, it does the same thing that EEG biofeedback (Neurofeedback) does, i.e. it raises the SMR brain wave (12-14 cycles per second - Hz), while lowering the Theta brain wave (4-8 Hz) at the same time.

For those who aren't familiar with EEG BF, this is the most effective brain training mechanism that best solves this particular brain problem. (It also solves ADHD, insomnia, IBS, epilepsy, and even many cases of schizophrenia.) There is substantial proof of this effectiveness of EEG BF, and a summary of professional papers can be found at:
http://ADHD-biofeedback.com/proof.html ).

In my former practice as an Orthomolecular Psychologist, I had used audio messaging with good success, and in 2004, I realized that it should be possible to use this technique to do the same thing that was done by the expensive EEG Bf units and a computer. Instead of going thru the conscious mind of the "trainee" to affect the unconscious, why not go directly to the unconscious mind?

After more than two years, three clinical trials, and extensive testing utilizing volunteers who paid for the right to participate, I proved the following:

1. The Bate Auditory Brainwave Training (Patent Pending) Is very similar to EEG BF and accomplishes the same “basic brain training” with these following minor differences:

a. It compares with one night sleep being almost equivalent to one half hour session. 9-10 weeks of sleep showed approximately the same improvement in ADHD diagnosed persons as 60 half hour sessions in a clinic. (Yes, it takes a long time to be effective, with either method - there really isn't any “magic pill”, in spite of what the drug companies say in their ads.

b. There is more possibility of a Hawthorne Effect in this training than in EEG BF training. For more info on this Effect see: http://www.Subliminals-Training.com/hawthorne.html .

In the last test, this possible effect was discussed beforehand and warned about, and while it occurred in a few cases, it did not deter any of the participants, as it had in earlier testing. (This is NOT a dangerous "side effect" such as can be caused by all drugs! It can cause minor discomfort in a few individuals for only a day or so at worst.)

c. Motivation is no longer a huge factor as it is in EEG BF. Both the parents and the child have to be motivated to continue long weeks of training, and if the training is stopped before an end point, some, or most, of the gain is lost.

2. This system costs under $200, and that is a one-time fee only. It can be used for as long as it takes. (With Autistic children, it can take up to 200 EEG BF sessions). The system is composed of two basic CD's. The first is the actual “Auditory Brainwave Training” program, playable on any CD player, boom box, etc. The second CD is a computer disk that has several other programs useful as adjuncts to this training. This includes a free allergy/sensitivity test, a free bottle of a patented amino acid supplement (brain food) that has a calming effect (import restrictions apply) and several articles on alternate health therapies that have been shown to be of help for all types of brain problems.

3. There's also a year's full money back guarantee of success. If any person tries this for at least 60 days, and then states that there has been no significant improvement they will receive a full rebate including shipping and handling (which is included in the price).

Now, even the low and mid income families have a choice that doesn't force them to do nothing or to try and/or use dangerous drugs.

Phil Bate PhD - Retired Orthomolecular Psychologist
Inventor and Patent Pending Holder for
Brain Wave Amplitude Changing via Auditory Brain Training
http://Subliminals-Training.com
http://BateAudio.com

Breathing – an Important Factor in Fitness

2010-03-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

With the exception – probably the only one – of pearl gatherers, who dive without any autonomous equipment, breathing counts in all sports – as well as in fitness. Each sport branch has imposed its own breathing style – according to efficiency, effort timing, meteorological conditions etc.

If we take breathing as a taxonomic criterion, sports can be divided in two big groups:

1. The first one includes all the sports that use the technique of respiratory stop or blocking. The most typical among these are force sports such as athletic weight throwing, weightlifting, body building, gymnastics etc. In short, we might say that here the anaerobic extreme is concerned – the one which imposes apnea (blocking the thorax and respiration). The main advantage of diaphragm blocking is the rising, for the moment, of the explosive force of the sportsman. A rise in execution speed for maximum force efforts has also been observed. The classic example is the snatch of weightlifting in which force and speed are simultaneously implied on the basis of respiratory blocking.

This respiratory blocking, inevitable in the above-mentioned sports, has also some disadvantages. Among these we could mention high pressure values in the thorax, abdomen and skull, high pressure on blood vessels with low feed-back through the veins etc. Thus, due to the rising of pressure inside the eyes the aggravation of previous short-sightedness is possible. Also, in the inferior limbs, varicose veins can either appear or worsen. Effort in exclusively anaerobic conditions increases rigidity both in the blood vessels and in the muscles.

2. The second big group is the one of sports that do not use respiratory stop. Here we enter the realm of purely aerobic effort. The typical examples are running races, swimming, cycling etc. - generally efforts on long and very long distances. In these events the muscular force implied is little - medium at most - the stress affecting the cardiovascular component and leading to increased cardiac frequency and pulmonary ventilation.

There is also a third category - mixed sports, both aerobic and anaerobic, in which the two techniques alternate. This is the case of sports games, contact sports, rhythm breaking in medium distance running races, etc. In the case of fitness, as both types of effort - aerobic and anaerobic - are present, apnea, as well as effort without respiratory blockage, is used. As far as correct respiration is concerned, there is a general rule stating that one should breath out during the most difficult part of the movement (the positive or concentric course) and breath in during come-back (the negative or eccentric course). Within these courses, we can have or not have a respiratory stop/ blockage. If we have it, it will occur at the critical point of the course.

Another breathing rule is the one that takes into consideration the dilatation of the thorax. In this case, breathing in is done on the course which allows thorax expansion, and breathing out on the movement that contracts it. In both cases, breathing in is done through the nose - in order to filter and warm up the air flow and breathing out is done through the mouth in order to be faster and more efficient.

It is interesting to know that the 'shouting' that we hear in many weightlifting training sessions or contests, is actually the sound of forced breathing out.

Ab Exercise Equipment

2010-03-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

Are you in perfect shape for summer yet? Those sunny days are just around the corner and everyone is out shopping for their revealing, sexy bathing suits. How will your new swimwear fit on you? Let's run a quick check. Are those legs toned and those arms fit? Have you been keeping up with your daily crunches and sit-ups?

Uh-oh, that one always gets people, I know it . Those darn abs workouts. Let me tell you the truth. Although they can be a little annoying at times, they're necessary to say the least. I can't overemphasize them. Come on, we all want to display a great set of abs and walk around showing them to everyone. Why else do you think we have so much abs exercise equipment reigning the fitness market at all times? Regardless of your gender, the abs are absolutely critical. Are you testing out some of the new-age abs exercise equipment?

When it comes to abs exercise equipment, I don't have any. I prefer to do all my exercises without machine interference. You know, all those traditional exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, leg-raises, dips, etc. Now, this is not the chosen route for every individual who is striving to stay fit. Many people prefer some of the latest benches, treadmills, stairmasters, and abs exercise equipment on the market. This stuff is great if you can afford it. Why not take advantage of any contemporary aids if available? If you have the money and think it fits you, I say go for it.

Let's take my wife as an example. My wife has one of those big rubber balls you see pretty girls swear by on television ads. While I'm pretty certain that they have a more politically correct name, I don't know what it is. She uses this abs exercise equipment for a wide array of stomach and back workouts. I have to admit that I was rather surprised the first time I saw it. I could certainly see how it would provide you with a strenuous workout and build your muscles. She continues to use it daily for a variety of exercises.

What abs exercise equipment do you prefer? Maybe you get your frequent dose of abs exercise equipment at the local gym or fitness club. They typically have a variety of abs exercise equipment ready at your service. Regardless of what regimes you prefer, you know that your daily dose of abs workouts are compulsory for keeping that bare, tight, flat tummy. If you are in need of advice concerning abs exercise equipment or just simple routines, you can hop online and acquire anything your heart desires. From diet plans, to fitness regimes galore, you will find it all on the World-Wide-Web. They are abundant and free! Get started today and get those abs you've always wanted!

Definition Of Chemotherapy

2010-03-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

Chemotherapy is the use of chemical agents to treat or control diseases. It works by killing fast dividing cells like cancerous cells and other healthy cells which include hair follicles, bone marrow, reproductive system etc.

You would get anxious at the mention of chemotherapy for above reasons but there is not much cause for worry as healthy cells regenerate fast after the therapy is complete. Chemotherapy is either used exclusively or in combination with radiation or surgical therapies.

Advantages
Unlike radiation, which kills cancer cells in the target area, chemotherapy is universal and treats the entire body. This attacks the untreated cancer cells from the previous cancer too. Doctors use chemotherapy depending on the spread and type of cancer to

·Destroy cancer cells from the body, no withstanding its wide spread
·Prolong life expectancy by controlling cancer growth and spread
·Alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life

Chemotherapy Types and Methodology
Chemotherapy is not always based on a single drug for the fear of developing resistance to the drug. On the other hand a combination has different actions at the cellular level and kills more cancer cells preventing further spread. Your doctor decides on the combination considering your age, tolerance limit, and health. Mind you, all such combinations are tested on patients with similar conditions.

A few representative types.

1.Alkylating agents, deter the replication of DNA, prevents cancer cell growth.
2.Antimetabolites, block the enzyme supply to cancer cells on which they thrive.
3.Anti-tumor antibiotics change cell membranes by blocking enzyme supply led cell division. These are not the general antibiotics.
4.Nitrosoureas obstruct the ways DNA is repaired by enzymes.
5.Mitotic inhibitors inhibit cell division by hindering enzymes essential in the cell reproduction.

Chemotherapy is administered cyclically considering the type of drugs and your condition. Chemotherapy drugs travel thru the entire body, so there are four ways devised for administration.

1.Intravenous method where drug is injected into your veins.
2.Oral chemotherapeutic pills to swallow.
3.Topical application (ointments) for skin cancers.
4.Intramuscular injection.

Side Effects
On the lighter side there are side effects like vomiting, nausea, hair loss, dry mouth, constipation and loss of appetite etc. Beware, some problems like damages to heart, lungs and kidneys show much after the treatment. Urinating blood and nervous damage and attack of secondary cancers like lymphoma, leukemia is not ruled out.

Eczema and Psoriasis - An Inexpensive and Effective Treatment

2010-03-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this article is to tell the world what I have learned from my own personal experience about an inexpensive and effective treatment for eczema. Because psoriasis is a very similar affliction, there's a good chance that this treatment would be effective for psoriasis too. Eczema is a skin irritation characterized by red, flaky skin that sometimes has cracks or tiny blisters. It's believed to be hereditary and if both parents have it, there is an 80% chance that their children will have it too.

Once upon a time, I had medical insurance coverage and I was able to afford any medication my doctor prescribed. I used to have a slew of little bottles and creams that were somewhat effective in relieving the itching, but nothing I ever tried had any effect whatsoever in terms of reducing the severity or frequency of eczema attacks. Topical applications of cortisone cream have a limited effect in terms of relieving the itching, but cortisone just suppresses eczema and can actually cause it to spread. There's a theory that eczema can be brought on by stress, and I believe that may be true. After experiencing a year long constant virulent attack during 2004 through 2005 when I was under severe stress, I decided to seek medical help in order to find out whether anything new had been discovered regarding eczema treatment. The only treatment I didn't already know about involves exposure to ultraviolet light radiation which is very expensive. For many years there have been medications that are taken internally, but all of them require regular blood testing for possible liver damage. For me, this is out of the question because any medication that is capable of causing liver damage comes under the category of unacceptable.

One day I was returning from a doctor visit when I passed a health food store, and I had some time to spend so I went in. The woman behind the counter turned out to be a certified nutritionist so I asked her whether she knew anything about eczema treatment that the doctors don't know about. She said "Yes, I do." I said "Really. Tell me." She brought out a small bottle of liquid zinc and told me that some of her customers had reported success with topical applications on their eczema sores. So I bought a bottle. I figured "What have I got to lose? Nothing. Twenty bucks, maybe." To my surprise, it relieved the itching and seemed to have some limited effect in reducing the inflammations. The health food store lady had told me that zinc is a healer so I started thinking about it. I remembered that Desitin is a very effective and well known treatment for baby rash and that the active ingredient is zinc oxide. I thought "If liquid zinc is effective topically, how much more effective could it be if I take it internally?" Being inherently cheap, I was a bit bothered by the idea of buying another small bottle of liquid zinc and I knew that zinc tablets are inexpensive. And that certainly appealed to my wallet. I discussed my idea with the nutritionist who agreed that it could work. So I began with the 75 mg. daily dose that the woman recommended and gradually worked my way upwards until I reached 200 mg. a day.

Eczema makes me so angry that I often curse "the eczema Nazis" each time the first blister occurs with the unmistakable itch that feels like it originates in my bones. I say to myself, "Damnation, I'm under attack again!" Now I say "Come on zinc, be John Wayne and kill every last one of those eczema Nazis!" Eight months after I began my inexpensive experiment with zinc taken internally, I can report real progress. Where previously one tiny eczema blister always signaled a serious outbreak, now it stops without spreading any further and heals very quickly. The indicative first blister is not necessarily accompanied by itching either. To me, this is very significant because it constitutes a completely new pattern that has never before manifested in my entire life.

If you want to try taking zinc internally, I'd recommend "chelated" zinc because zinc is a mineral and minerals are not easily absorbed into the bloodstream. Back in the early 1980's, the health food industry discovered that if minerals are chemically linked to something the body can easily absorb, they are far more effective. The chemists who invent these things decided to use amino acids which are natural proteins, and proteins are easily absorbable. The process of chemically linking a mineral to an amino acid is called chelation. I've written all this with a sincere desire to help others benefit from my experience and I really hope that somebody out there has found my article to be valuable.

Definition and Interesting Features of Fibromyalgia

2010-03-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

Fibromyalgia is a neurological chronic condition that affects the musculoskeletal tissues of the body. The disorder is mostly responsible for inducing discomfort, pain and fatigue in the muscles, ligaments, tendons and in the areas surrounding the joints. People who suffer from fibromyalgia are constantly confronted with intense pain that tends to reoccur on a regular time basis. The pain caused by the disorder is felt deep inside the muscles and in certain points called trigger points. A common feature to all people with fibromyalgia is the location of the pain; to all patients fibromyalgia pain occurs in the same trigger points. Although people with fibromyalgia perceive the pain at different intensities, they claim to permanently feel a different level of pain in their soft muscular tissues.

An interesting aspect of fibromyalgia is that it can be very difficult to detect in some patients. The symptoms of fibromyalgia are common to many other conditions and therefore they can be misleading in establishing the appropriate diagnose. Although some of the symptoms of fibromyalgia may resemble those of rheumatoid arthritis, people with fibromyalgia seem to be in perfect health when they are examined by a physician, revealing no signs of muscular dysfunctions. Basic physical examinations and common laboratory tests usually don’t reveal the presence of fibromyalgia. This is due to the fact that pain, fatigue and discomfort are mentally induced to patients with fibromyalgia, as a consequence of abnormal activity of their nervous system. Although they show no physical abnormalities or dysfunctions, their experienced pain is real!

Abnormal brain activity is considered to be the main cause of fibromyalgia and there are two areas of the brain thought to be involved in the process. A high output of the mesencephalon (the upper region of the brain) accelerates the heart rate, increases blood pressure and raises the body temperature. People with fibromyalgia often experience sudden changes in body temperature and sometimes they sweat abundantly and even have fever. Also, a high activity of the mesencephalon is responsible for difficulties in falling asleep and inconstant sleep patterns. Most people who suffer from fibromyalgia have trouble sleeping and in some cases they even suffer from insomnia. Therefore, the cause for fibromyalgia lack of sleep is thought to be the abnormal activity of the mesencephalon. The permanent fatigue felt throughout the whole body by people with the disorder is amplified by inappropriate sleeping patterns, un-refreshing sleep or insomnia.

Another part of the brain that is considered to be responsible for inducing other fibromyalgia symptoms (anxiety, depression, lack of concentration, poor cognitive abilities, loss of short-term memory and confusion) is the cerebellum. A lower activity of the cerebellum is thought to be the cause of other fibromyalgia symptoms and the majority of people who suffer from the disorder reveal abnormal activity of both cerebellum and mesencephalon.

Fibromyalgia is considered to be a serious condition. Due to the chronic character of fibromyalgia, patients require ongoing treatment and therapy. If left untreated, fibromyalgia can cause other symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain and swelling, vomiting, internal distress. Many people with fibromyalgia also seem to become depressed as the disorder develops and sometimes they even indulge in suicidal acts. Therefore, it is vital to spot the presence of fibromyalgia in time and appropriate measures must be taken in order to prevent further complications and undesirable effects.

Essential Oil Uses – A Users Guide

2010-03-21T14:56:00.001-07:00

The uses of essential oils were known to ancient Egyptians long before research began on their medicinal and aromatic qualities in the early nineteenth century. The sweet fragrance emitted by essential oils has had people going crazy on it for ages.

An essential oil is the extract of plant derived from flowers, stem, leaves, bark and other parts of a plant. The process is often complex and requires distillation through steam or water of the plant. The result is the pure essence of the plant, often in a highly concentrated form. In the following article we will list some of the common uses that essential oils are put to.

Diffusion
Diffusion means breathing the fragrance of essential oil. The oil is evaporated using accessories such as electric diffusers, lamp rings, aromalamps, scentballs etc. These accessories are available in various assortments in the market. They operate by continuously shooting out microscopic particles of essential oils into the air. To facilitate easy assimilation through the sense of smell, the oil is broken into fine invisible mist. Diffusion helps create a relaxing atmosphere and loosens tight muscles.

Massage
The therapeutic effects of essential oil when combined with the magical powers of touch, revives the anatomy and furthers overall well-being. When using essential oil for the purpose of massage, it is advisable that it be diluted with carrier oil. It is too concentrated to be used neat. Different proportions need to be devised for people of different ages, skin types, etc. For children, the advisable content of essential oils per ounce is 6 drops. When shopping for massage oil, a person will come across a large collection of readymade aromatherapy massage oils & lotions. These may be purchased only from reputable vendors after checking the contents well.

Baths
An essential oil bath can be quite relaxing. Moreover, this will help in combining the benefits of hydrotherapy as well. Just add a few drops of your desired essential oil to your bathtub or spa, and get that rich and nourishing feeling. Alternatively, the essential oil mixed with good carrier oil be applied to ones skin after the morning shower for that all day long refreshing sensation. This keeps skin soft, smooth and youthful.

Steam inhalation
Steam inhalation is another prevalent method of using essential oils. 5 to 8 drops of essential oil of one variety or more is mixed in a pot of hot water, and the user sits with his face close to the pot, eyes closed and about 10-12 inches above the pot. As vapour rises, it gets absorbed by the minute pores on ones face and through the nostrils. A humidifier too can be used by adding a few drops of essential oil in it.

Household uses
You may not know but the essential oils can be put to several household uses as well. Like when one is doing laundry, a few drops of essential oil will give the clothes a lovable smell all day long. Lemon or tea tree oils are best used for ones garbage cans from giving that stinking smell. Lavender has long been associated with romantic evenings. So, use it in your bathroom along with essential oils of chamomile and marjoram.

The uses of essential oils are many. One can experiment on his own to find new uses of the oils and thereby contribute to the already spilling research works on the subject.

Essential Oil Diffusing With an Electric Nebulizer: 3 Health Benefits

2010-03-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

What Is an Electric Nebulizer and How Does It Work?

An electric nebulizing diffuser is a small device that has a motor housing and a glass nebulizer. The motor housing and glass nebulizer piece are often connected by a small length of rubber tubing. One or more essential oils are dispensed into an opening near the base of the glass piece. When the diffuser is turned on, the essential oils are aspirated toward the top of the glass nebulizer, where a small stream of air micronizes the essential oils into extremely fine droplets. This fine mist is expelled out the top of the glass nebulizer into the room.

Why Is Nebulizer Diffusion More Effective Than Other Types of Diffusion?

Other methods of essential oil diffusion include using lamp rings, a candle to heat the oil, or passive diffusion with an aromatherapy stone or a cotton ball. Heat diffusion is less desirable because alters the molecular constituents of the essential oil. Passive diffusion is typically very slow, particularly with less volatile essential oils, providing inferior therapeutic benefit.

With a nebulizing diffuser, no heat is used, so the molecular make up of the essential oils remains in tact. In most cases, all molecular components of the essential oil are expelled into the air, as opposed to passive diffusion where the smallest molecules evaporate first, with heavier molecules evaporating more slowly or not at all.

3 Health Benefits of Essential Oil Diffusing With a Nebulizer

1. Therapeutic Effects of Essential Oil Inhalation
Because the nebulizer produces such a fine essential oil mist, oils are easily absorbed via the lungs through inhalation. Nebulizing essential oils that affect the breathing passages – nose, sinuses, throat, and lungs – can have dramatic therapeutic benefits, and may help alleviate conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and sinusitis.

2. Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antiviral Effects
Essential oils are known to be effective against bacteria, molds, and viruses, and diffusion of essential oils has been shown to reduce surface and air microbes. This may be especially helpful for those with mold allergies. Electric nebulizers disperse essential oils into the room in such a way that can not be achieved by other diffusion methods.

3. Enhanced Emotional and Mood Effects of Aromatherapy
Specific essential oils are recognized for mood lifting, calming, relaxing, or mind focusing effects. With a more concentrated and complete dispersion of essential oils into the room, electric diffusion with a nebulizer enhances these effects.

Don’t forget to rotate the essential oils you use, to help avoid sensitization, and only diffuse for a few minutes at a time, with at least a half hour break in between.

Do I Have Migraine Headaches?

2010-03-21T14:52:00.001-07:00

If you have headaches and are wondering if they could be migraine headaches we can probably help you figure that out. There are some very distinctive characteristics of migraine headaches that can differentiate migraines from other types of headaches such as tension headaches, stress headaches, cluster headaches or other types of headaches.

Migraine headaches are more often than not one-sided, meaning the pain is felt on only one side of the head. Most of the time the pain of a migraine headache can be felt in the temple area or behind one of the eyes or ears. Migraine headaches can become severe and disabling. Nausea is a common symptom of this type of headache as is vomiting or sensitivity to light or sound. About 20% of patients with migraine headaches experience an aura. An aura is a disturbance in vision that can consist of bright blinking colored lights that move across the field of vision.

Migraine headaches can become chronic in nature. When they are chronic the patient most commonly experiences them once or twice a month. However, in some instances migraine headaches can occur as often as once or twice a week. Migraine headaches affect people between the ages of 15 and 55 and are more common in women than in men. Migraines affect women about 3 times as often as men.

Migraines affect about 30 or 40 million Americans, but they are less common than tension headaches. It is estimated that about 75% of all headaches are tension headaches. Tension headaches are typically characterized by a dull pain over the entire head while migraines are usually throbbing in nature and located in one particular spot. In other words, tension-type headaches are a constant dull pain while migraines throb like the beating of the heart.

Chronic tension headaches can occur every day while chronic migraine headaches occur less often, usually once a week to once a month. Fatigue and stress can cause both types of headaches, but migraine headaches can be triggered by other factors such as different types of food. Migraine headaches can sometimes be helped by eliminating these triggers. Foods that may lead to migraines include cheese, alcohol, MSG (monosodium glutamate),
nuts, beans, caffeine, chocolate, onions and others. Eliminating the trigger may eliminate the migraines.

Cluster headaches are far less common than either migraine headaches or tension-type-headaches. Men are about six times more likely than women to experience cluster headaches. The pain of a cluster headache starts quickly, without any warning, and typically reaches its peak between two and fifteen minutes.

The pain of a cluster headache can be extremely intense, deep and explosive. Migraines are usually "pulsing" while clusters are not. Between 10 and 20 percent of cluster patients have "ice-pick" or "stabbing" pain around the eyes. This stabbing pain typically lasts for a few seconds, but can occur several times in succession. When this sudden attack of intense pain occurs it usually means that the headache is near its end.

For natural migraine headache relief it is often beneficial to relax and rest. Sometimes lying in a dark room with an ice pack on the base of the skull can reduce the pressure that is felt in the head. The same treatment can also help tension or stress headaches. Reducing stress can go a long way to relieving many headache symptoms.

If you experience chronic headaches and over-the-counter medication or natural remedies do not help it may be wise to consult a physician.

Colon Hydrotherapy May Not Be A Complete Answer

2010-03-21T14:49:00.001-07:00

The popularity of colon hydrotherapy is eminently understandable, in a world where we become increasingly aware of the dangers of many aspects of our modern lifestyle. With the easy availability of information through such mediums as television, video, and the local library, and more recently the Internet, most of us strive to do the best we can in maintaining our health, and grasp eagerly any chance we can find to improve our wellbeing. Despite a sometimes less than favorable response from the mainstream medical community, colonic hydrotherapy is a popular treatment, but should we ask ourselves whether it is one that addresses a symptom rather than attacking a cause?

As our fast paced world moves, almost in the blink of an eye, from books to computers, from video to DVD, and from regular doctor’s visits to online consultations with the Internet, we seem to be running out of time to take care of the things that really matter. While the health of our bodies, from our heart to our colon, remains important to so many of us, we are so busy with both working and playing hard that the time to eat properly and exercise regularly seems to evade us. We take a pill as soon as a headache strikes because we don’t have time to relax it away and hope that with hydrotherapy, colon operations that have gone awry will return to business as usual.

While medical tools such as the headache pill and colon hydrotherapy undoubtedly have a place in our busy lives, we should perhaps not view them as the panacea to our ills that we have arguably come to see them as. Colonic hydrotherapy reportedly yields enormous health benefits, improving the condition of skin and hair, and resulting in increased energy levels, but these are states of wellbeing experienced by most people with a healthy functioning colon. While a hydrotherapy treatment for the colonic area might be a useful condiment at the meal of health, when it becomes the staple of our diet, we must ask ourselves whether we, literally, are eating quite right.

While the effectiveness of colon hydrotherapy remains a matter of debate, the comfort and health earned by achieving and maintaining a healthy bowel is not. There is nothing wrong in reaching out for medical – whether it is mainstream or alternative – help when it is required, but over-dependence on such help should suggest that our bodies are not working as they should. Colon hydrotherapy might be a great way to add those final touches to your internal spring clean, but for the daily dusting of your colon and intestines, eating right, exercising and drinking plenty of water are your best ways to long-term health.

Colon hydrotherapy may be great treatment, but make sure you pay attention to other factors to ensure good colon health as well.

Chinese Herbs

2010-03-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

Chinese herbs are a separate category of medicines altogether and rightfully so. They can strengthen the immune system, inhibit the growth of tumors, manage blood pressure and increase sexuality – indeed, the range is very wide. There are numerous herbs, including those that are considered common and those that are the jealously guarded secrets of traditional Chinese herbalists.

Here are some examples of Chinese herbs and what all they can be used for:

Ginseng is a commonly available root that has a flair for healing and rejuvenation. The Korean ginseng, for example, stimulates the cerebral cortex and counters exhaustion and extreme infirmity. It helps to replenish depleted energy and body fluids. It can also stimulate the sex glands and is capable of removing toxins from the body. The taste is mildly bittersweet.

The black and red Reishi mushrooms are other examples of prized Chinese herbs. They can strengthen the immune system, increase vitality of white blood corpuscles and accentuate the impact of anti-oxidants. These mushrooms also have a calming influence on the mind. They alleviate insomnia and female sexual dysfunction.

The Lotus seed is yet another indispensable Chinese herb. It tones the kidney and spleen and eases diarrhea. It stimulates appetite and has a sweet to neutral taste.

The Licorice root comes as a blessing because it can detoxify the body, invigorating and cooling it down at the same time. It acts as an analgesic and can regulate the action of other herbs. It can also be used as a natural sweetener.

Ginko biloba is a distinguished herb and arguably the oldest in traditional Chinese medicine. It has proven beneficial effects on the heart and lungs. It is used to treat coughs, asthma, and chronic allergic inflammation, and is one of the best herbal nutritional supplements available.

Aromatherapy – Myth Or Reality

2010-03-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

The origin of aroma therapy can be traced back to pre historic period, in the countries of ancient Egypt, Far East and China. The concept aims at the holistic treatment of the human body by making use of the immensely useful essential oils obtained from various herbs and plants.

The essential oils are normally obtained from the various parts of specific plants extracted by distillation and applied along with diluters such as almond oil, coconut oil etc. The oil content in these plants is so low that it takes huge quantities of plant parts to yield smaller quantities of essential oil, to cite an example around 440 ponds of fresh lavender flowers are required to produce a meager 2.5 pounds of essential lavender oil. That makes this product very dear.

The use of these essential oils is a part of ones life style and they takes care of the health and well being of the entire family. These oils have since become very popular in various parts of the world . Though the aromatic plants used to produce these essential oils were known and put to use since time immemorial the term ‘aroma therapy’ is of recent origin, to be precise from the early 90s only. Let us examine the use of these plants as a scent to alters one’s mood, the general atmosphere in one’s surroundings and to have a feeling of goodness.

It’s a fact that not only the natural scents serve the above purpose but also by the artificial ones. However the minute difference lies in the most natural fragrance of this nature packed oils that when used gives us a wonderful feeling.

The fairy tales behind the aroma therapy like the claim of its power to cure the cancer or the depression are all packed in mystery. No certified or scientific study has been undertaken on these tall claims the plants are supposed to possess. Even natural health experts treat it as a complimentary therapy only. Aromatherapy belongs to branches of conventional medicines or systems that are not subject to any serious study or research leading to any standardization or certification. This branch of herbal science can be used in various applications like in enhancing the beauty of skin and hair, and also on its influence on one’s moods and feelings known as aromacology. Thirdly its medicinal properties is said to cure or prevent ailments. However the best use of the therapy is said to be its wholesome benefit for the body, mind and the spirit.

Between the fantasized divinity attributed for this herbal science and the sheer neglect of this concept as a magnified traditional culture, lies the real truth of this revived ancient science that can be effectively used to get the best out of the herbal plants, hitherto neglected by the civilized society.

Aromatherapy & Massage

2010-03-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you lacked the ability to smelling. Sure, it whitethorn not seem as difficult as trying to navigate a room while blindfolded, or attempting to perform daily tasks without using your thumbs, but you would still be missing a lot. For one thing, your common sense of taste would go come out of the closet the window, too. For another, your brain is wired to interpret signals from your olfactory center to tell you what pleasures or hazards English hawthorn be lurking in your surroundings.

In fact, you could say that much of what you know about the world, and how you relate to it, depends on your good sense of olfactory property. Olfaction is the only gumption fully developed at birth in humans, and it plays an important role in an infant's ability to recognize and bond with his or her mother. Even the "chemistry" felt between two adults Crataegus laevigata be prompted by aroma. Scientists rich person identified substances called pheromones in human consistency olfactory property that act as chemical messengers to the brain to stimulate, among other responses or behaviors, sexual attraction to a potential mate.

With at least 5 million odor-sensing cells lining the nasal bone passages, the nozzle seems to be well-equipped to observe smells on its own. Merely, approximately scientists speculate that, like other animals, citizenry Crataegus oxycantha also wealthy person a os nasale sensory device known as a vomeronasal organ that helps them to find these subtle fragrance molecules. There's little doubt that certain odors tin give birth a direct impact on the way we think and feel. The odour of freshly baked bread, for example, May conjure up fond memories of home and hearth. Other scents, such as floral or spicy aromas, induce a romantic mood.

So recognized is this impression that many European and Asian facilities ar investing in "indirect perfuming" to enhance productivity in the workplace and to promote recovery in hospitals. Continued from page 1. As Miczak points , "Having something used on you that has a aroma that you find personally pleasing tin can sometimes give a better force than essential oils indicated for rub down." According to Miczak, the about common oils used in knead bergamot, rose, chamomile, frankincense, geranium, lilac, neroli, and sandalwood -- "mostly because they non-irritating to skin and pleasing to almost multitude." If you're just starting buying essential oils, Kirby recommends just about of the more common oils such as , rosemary, peppermint, and ginger. Simply, choose whatever scents do the all but to relax and comfort, or energize, you. Just follow your olfactory organ. The following manufacturers supply good quality aromatherapy grade oils that toilet be found in your local health food store: Earth Harmony; Aroma Vera; Tisserand; and Aura Cacia (to name a few).

Acupuncture: A Benefit to the Well Individual?

2010-03-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

Before we begin a discussion about the benefits of acupuncture, let’s talk about the origins of acupuncture. It was first used in China over 2000 years ago, and is one of the oldest medical procedures in the world. It is a family of procedures that stimulates the anatomy of the body and helps to balance the energy flow throughout the body. It is this kind of acupuncture that is practiced in the United Sates today, through the use of tiny, metallic needles placed in affected areas and manipulated by hand or by electrical stimulation.

Acupuncture is the basic foundation for Traditional Chinese Medicine and is based on the belief that there are two opposing and inseparable forces within our body. They are known as the Yin and Yang of the entire person. The Yin is representative of the cold, slow, or passive principle, and yang represents the hot, excited or active principle. A healthy state is achieved by maintaining a balance state of the yin and yang. This is done through vital pathways or meridians that allow for the flow of qi, or vital energy. The vital energy flow occurs along pathways known as meridians. These meridians connect over 2,000 acupuncture points along the body. There are 12 main meridians, and 8 secondary meridians. Although traditional western medicine does not completely understand how acupuncture works, the proof that it does work has been shown in several studies conducted by western medical facilities.

Now, let’s move to the question of does it work? According to the National Institute of Health, the answer would be yes. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in many areas of health care. Areas such as postoperative nausea, chemotherapy side effects, osteoarthritis, low-back pain, headache, menstrual cramps, addiction, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, just to name a few. The study revealed that acupuncture was able to provide pain relief, improve function and mobility of joints due to arthritis inflammation, and served to complement standard care.
Although there are many who would doubt the effectiveness of acupuncture, once they are a patient, they are believers. It has been proposed that acupuncture works and produces its effects through regulating the nervous system. The theory proposes that since acupuncture produces its effect through regulation of the nervous system, it induces the release of endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites on the body. There is also the theory that acupuncture alters the brain chemistry by the changing the neurotransmitters in the brain.

Without doubt acupuncture was a benefit in the study, and as a patient myself, I can vouch for the wonderful effect it has had on my back. Although acupuncture is classified as an alternative medicine therapy, and there is still much to be understood about the way it works, it is a proven aid in maintaining optimal health.

But what about the well individual, can acupuncture provide a benefit to them? Absolutely. Because acupuncture works off the belief that we must maintain balance of our vital energy flow in order to remain healthy, acupuncture serves as the tool for realignment. Our vital energy flow can be out of balance, and we still feel and appear quite healthy. It is in this capacity that acupuncture serves as a sort of preventive medicine. Checking and balancing the flow of energy on the meridian points in your body is like your car receiving a tune-up before it is in need of a repair. get more health and fitness articles at http://www.anabolic.ca and http://www.takingsteroids.com

Acid Reflux and Heartburn Natural Remedies

2010-03-21T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of natural remedies that you can use when you have acid reflux or heartburn. No need to use antacids, which have unwanted side effects and contain aluminum, which has been associated with senility and Alzheimer’s disease.

Anise, peppermint, and lavender

Here’s a tea that you can make to help you with acid reflux or heartburn. It will help you reduce the amount of acid you have in your stomach. Mix together equal amounts of aniseed, peppermint and lavender. Make an infusion of this tea:

* boiling 2 ½ cup distilled water
* pour this water over a teaspoon of the herbal mixture
* let this tea sit for 3- 5 minutes
* strain the tea and add a little bit of honey if you like.
* place this tea in a thermos

Drink up to 8 oz in the morning and 8 oz in the evening to get relief of acid reflux.

Aniseed or anise – is a powerful herb that helps in digestive conditions and has many other benefits for your body. Use only the ash-colored anise called green anise, European anise or sweet anise. There are two other types of anise, star anise and caraway, which should not be used here.

Peppermint – is another powerful herb for stomach conditions or heartburn. It helps in digestion, stomach distension, cramps, ulcers, and gas.

Lavender – known for it scent has enormous healing activity for your body. Is also an excellent stomach aid. It is useful in reducing acid in the stomach.

Betain, Pepsin, and Papaya digestive enzymes

As you get older, your stomach weakens in its ability to produce hydrochloric acid to digest protein. It is undigested protein that leads to acid reflux or heartburn. Use digestive enzymes that contain Betain, pepsin, or HCl with each meal to make sure you digest all of your protein.

Papaya digestive enzymes, which contain papain, are also excellent for protein digestion and you can use them with each meal. Use 500mg or more of papaya enzymes per meal.

Pineapples

Pineapples are a store house of enzymes and contain bromelain, an enzymes that reduces protein. Pineapples support digestion, reduce inflammation, and supports wound healing. The fresh juice has a high level of enzymes that will help you stop your acid reflux.

You can also buy bromelain as tablet and take 200 – 500mg per meal.

Chicory Root

Chicory comes from a family of bitter herbs that contain endive and escarole. Boil 1 ½ cup of chicory root for 5 - 10 minutes. After it colds to room temperature, drink this tea to correct acid reflux or heartburn.

Adding these herbs to your salad will also have benefits in preventing acid reflux. Eating those foods that are alkaline is the best way to avoid acid reflux and heartburn.

Using the remedies listed here will give relief from your acid reflux. But more importantly add a salad to your diet everyday and you will have less acid reflux in your life.

Can Diet and Exercise Help Prevent Cancer?

2010-03-21T09:24:00.001-07:00

While everyone is well aware that proper diet and exercise are paramount to good health, still many people find it too much of an inconvenience to watch what they eat and to exercise. These people may feel that the benefits that they may get from all that effort is not worth the hassles of watching calories, cutting fat, running about, and moving weights around. But what if there was a benefit, and I mean a real good benefit, associated with proper diet and exercise? Maybe that would at least make those who don’t worry about diet and exercise give a little more thought to it.

Well, as if the already known benefits of proper diet and exercise aren’t enough to make some people want to incorporate them into their lives, perhaps the following information from Purdue University and Science Daily will be enough incentive to get them off their duff’s and give it a try.

According to Dennis Savaiano, dean of Purdue’s school of consumer and family sciences and professor of foods and nutrition, poor diet and lack of exercise are responsible for just as many cases of cancer as cigarette smoking.
He says, “approximately one third of cancer cases are related to smoking, one third are related to poor diet and lack of exercise, and one third are related to genetic or other factors”.

Most people are already well aware of the ill health effects of cigarette smoking, but the percentage of obesity and the rate of poor diet in America is a cause for serious concern. It is estimated that 65% of Americans are overweight with 30% being at least clinically obese. This is further escalated by the fact that 15 to 20% of the children in America are considered overweight. The main reason for this alarming statistic overall is the rate of poor diet seen in America.

Savaiano, who is chairman of the Food and Nutrition Science Alliance, along with several other members of the organization, recently reviewed scientific studies on diet and cancer. The group has since issued a statement urging Americans to change their diets in order to help reduce the number of cancer related deaths.

While Savaiano notes that some types of cancer are influenced more by diet than others, nutrition and food scientists agree that these four methods are practical ways to lower the risk of cancer:

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

Avoid highly processed foods that are high in fat and sugar.

Limit or avoid consumption of alcohol.

Get in some moderate or vigorous exercise daily.

Much of the reason why people have trouble getting into a healthy lifestyle can be attributed to lack of knowledge on how to start with exercise programs and proper diet plans, and to marketing which is mostly geared toward foods that are high in fat and excess calories and low in nutritional value. Not much marketing is done to promote fruits and vegetables or whole grains.

Long hours at work also attribute to less meal preparation and more fast food and takeout food purchases. It will take some effort on your part, but making healthier food choices and exercise a part of your life can and most likely will give you rewards that no amount of money can buy.

A Home Gym and Walking = a Great Exercise Program

2010-03-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

With the busy lifestyles today few adults with families can afford to take the time necessary to go the health club or neighborhood gym on a regular basis. Heck, even if it's within a short distance, we're talking about several hours commitment per session. Who has time for that!?

Still, we all recognize that exercise is just downright good for you. If you name any random 10 medical conditions and diseases, I'm willing to bet money that some form of frequent exercise is a good treatment or preventative measure for at least 9 of them. Diet and exercise pop up as treatments and preventative measures in so many of the diseases that ail us today, and both of these areas are a good place to focus on if your concerned about your health. Even just some simple walking for exercise can go a long way to improving your health. Walking for exercise is fun, easy, and is a great stress reducer but more on that in a minute.

Another idea is that of home gym equipment. now we're not talking about enough equipment to fill up the basement or several bedrooms. What you want is something that you enjoy that can be done in the privacy of your home whenever you desire. My son, who's working on his muscle tone has a resistance weight training program with 1 piece of equipment. The wife likes the aerobic action of a small trampoline and treadmill. The idea of home gym equipment need not be a daunting enterprise, just something that will save hours and allow the exercise program that your desire right from your own home. Another great workout however is simply walking!

The great thing about walking for exercise is that you can do it anywhere. You have absolutely no excuse for not getting up and walking around for at least 30 minutes a day. So it’s raining out? Take an umbrella! Seriously, just get out for a short walk around the block a couple times and you'll thank yourself for it later. If its absolutely miserable out, just walking around your house or apartment a while is better than nothing.

Walking for exercise is extremely low impact, and so anyone of any age can do it safely and frequently without worrying about damaging themselves. Running and other more strenuous forms of exercise can cause all kinds of joint pain and soreness, and isn't recommended unless you are in otherwise good shape.

A lot of recent studies into different forms of exercise are showing that walking is every bit as good for you as running or other more vigorous exercises, you just need to do it longer. If you are walking for exercise, go for at least 30 minutes or even an hour. The more the better, as you can't hurt yourself by walking too much.

There are a lot of exercise programs that are beginning to realize the benefits of walking for exercise. As it is something virtually anyone that can walk can do, there is a huge target market for walking programs. I'd recommend any program that motivates you to walk frequently. Even without one, there are hiking and walking clubs all over the place to join. Not only can walking for exercise be a way to maintain good health, but it can be a good way to meet new people and form new networks.

With so many benefits and virtually no cons, you can't go wrong with walking for exercise. Its only drawback is that it takes time to do, but it is time well spent. What is the value of good health and longevity? Add on a favorite piece of gym equipment and you have everything needed to develop a healthy workout and exercise program without the inconvenience of going to the gym all the time.

Convenience Food Tips

2010-03-19T19:02:00.001-07:00

While it would be ideal to make all of our own snacks and meals from scratch everyday, the plain and simple truth is that most of us simply donÕt have that kind of time. This is where we turn to convenience foods to meet our dietary and weight loss needs. However, the right convenience foods in the right amounts can easily be integrated into almost any diet.

Shop Smart - Never shop on an empty stomach. This will only make it harder for you to make choices that are in your best interests. Always be prepared with a thorough shopping list and do not divert from it. If an aisle is full of tempting goodies but has nothing on your list, simply walk right by it, instead of down it. If you see something healthy that you would like, but itÕs not on your list, jot it down and add it to the list next time. This will provide you with something to look forward to.

Reach for the smaller bags and boxes of what you need when possible. The less food you have leftover in your kitchen translates into less temptation.

Read Labels - All convenience foods are not the same. Depending on your chosen diet, some will fit much better into your routine than others. This is why itÕs important to become an informed consumer and never place anything in your grocery basket unless youÕve read the label and determined itÕs in your best interests to buy it.

Many snack foods come in different versionsÑlow fat, reduced fat, low calorie, low carbohydrate, low salt, etc. Choose the variety that best fits your dieting needs.

Remember that different labels can mean entirely different things. The following list may help you discern between them:

No calorie: Less than 5 calories per serving
Low calorie: Less than 40 calories per serving (or less than 120 calories per meal)
Reduced calorie: 25% less calories than the same amount of a similar food

No fat: Less than 0.5g fat per serving
Low fat: Less than 3g fat per serving (less than 30% of calories from fat per meal)
Low saturated fat: Less than 1g fat per serving
Reduced fat: 25% less fat than the same amount of a similar food

No cholesterol: Less than 2mg cholesterol per serving
Low cholesterol: Less than 20mg cholesterol per serving
Reduced cholesterol: 25% less cholesterol than the same amount of a similar food

No salt: Less than 5mg sodium per serving
Low salt: Less than 140mg sodium per serving
Reduced salt: 25% less sodium than the same amount of a similar food

No sugar: Less than 0.5g sugar per serving
Low sugar: No requirementsÑmake sure to read the label
Reduced sugar: 25% less sugar than the same amount of a similar food

As you can see, eating six servings of a no-fat food can actually total as much as 3g of fat. For someone who is severely restricting their fat intake, this can greatly hinder their progress. ItÕs best to be informed and make wise shopping decisions. Take charge and be responsible.

Trim the Fat - Just because a macaroni and cheese frozen dinner is oozing extra cheese doesnÕt mean you have to eat it. A common sense approach to preparing and consuming convenience foods can go a long way to making them healthier.

When you take a frozen meal out halfway to stir it, remove or blot away any excess oils and fats. Transfer to a real plate when finished, so you can discard the excess sauces.

If rice or pasta calls for a heaping tablespoon of butter, opt instead for a conservative teaspoon of soy margarine or olive oil. Ultimately your rice will taste the same and you wonÕt have all those extra calories to contend with.

Milk and cookies is a long-time favorite, but try for milk and crackers next time. Experiment with jellies and spreads instead of the usual mayonnaise and butter for toppings.

Portion Control - ItÕs easy to lose track of how much youÕve eaten when you drink or eat straight from the container. Stay on track by carefully measuring out serving sizes before you begin eating.

When you do buy items like chips or pretzels, locate the appropriate serving size on the nutrition label. As soon as you arrive home, divide the larger bag into individual servings in small plastic baggies.

In this same spirit, when snacking on any food, separate a single servingÕs worth and put it aside in a plate or bowl. Then immediately put the food away, before you begin eating, to avoid temptation.

Try not to make the original packages easily accessible. Purchasing a bag re-sealer is more effective than using chip clips, because you are less likely to cut open a bag than to simply unclip it. Heavy-duty tape and hard-to-open containers can also do the trick.

Fast Food - Ideally, fast food should be avoided. However, the ever-expanding menus at many of the top fast-food chains are now offering many options that can fit into a variety of diet plans.

Look for grilled meals instead of fried. Opt for alternate sides instead of French fries if possible. Many chains offer salad and yogurt options as well.

Ask for substitutions if a menu item is not quite ideal. For example, you can request a hamburger without a bun, or you can request a bun without a hamburger. If you cannot get the substitution, make modifications yourself before eating, i.e. throw the hamburger bun in a nearby garbage bin or discard half your French fries.

Make Your Own - ThereÕs no rule that says only store-bought, pre-packaged foods are convenient. Take time on the weekend or on days off to do some conscientious grocery shopping and cook one or two large meals of something healthy that you enjoy. Separate into serving sizes and refrigerate (or freeze) as necessary.

Buy fruits, vegetables, deli meats, and cheeses to snack on, and prepare them ahead of time by slicing into bite-sized pieces. Separate into serving sizes and store to use as snacks during the week; since they now require no preparation, youÕll be more likely to reach for the carrot sticks and less likely to reach for more processed convenience foods. Your own frozen vegetables make a delicious side dish in a snap.

Voila! Now you have your own frozen dinners (or lunches, or snacks) with much healthier contents.

Create a Last Minute Bar

2010-03-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

It's great to plan those holiday parties, but once the commitment is made, reality sinks in and the work begins. Not everyone is blessed with a finished basement, ready made for parties, and complete with an oak wet bar and dance floor. Not to worry, with a little work and some creativity you can create your own temporary bar.

Portable bars are great. You can wheel them out whenever you need them and they're already pre-stocked with all the necessities. If you don't own one of these, a make shift bar station can easily be set up and tailored to your needs. Here are some things to keep in mind when setting up your beverage center.

Location, Location, Location

Location is probably your most important decision when setting up you bar station. Guests automatically gravitate to the bar during a party so decide what area of the house you want people to gather. If you have a small kitchen, this may not be the best location. Close proximity to a sink is a perk, but not a necessity. Some people like to set up their bar so that it doubles as a blockade to prevent guests from wandering into certain areas of the house. Try to find an area where you have room to store extra bottles and supplies in behind. A kitchen island or other designated space works well as long as you can handle the traffic jams while you're preparing food. I've also heard of people using bookshelves or outside patios (if the weather cooperates). Wherever you decide, make sure there is space for people to stand around and mingle.

Reuse and Recycle

Setting up a portable bar does not mean going out and buying a new piece of furniture. The chances are you have something lying around the house that will be suitable. Small tables or serving carts work well. I've even seen someone use an old barrel.

Stock Your Bar

Ice storage should be one of your first considerations. A small ice bucket, constantly in need of refilling, will only create unnecessary work. Try to get a larger container, such as a cleaned out planter, an urn or large bowl. I've even seen someone take a large cooler, place it beside the bar and have it over flowing with chilled beverages.

Display your bottles, glasses, openers, and mix so that guests can easily help themselves. Be sure to include juice, pop, a pitcher of water, sliced lime and/or lemons and olives.

Give Your Bar Some Pizzazz

Now is the time to pull out your showy pieces and make your bar stand out. Grab those crystal bowls to hold your condiments and silver trays to show off glassware. If you have a theme for your party, try and reflect it in your bar decor. Have it resemble a beach hut for that Hawaiian theme or display pine boughs for a holiday party. Set up a wine tasting area by pre-opening various bottles and setting them out. If the party is for a big game, set up your keg and stick up a few sports pictures or other memorabilia.

Once the set up is complete, pour yourself a drink to celebrate and wait for the guests to start pouring in

Culinary Arts

2010-03-19T18:56:00.000-07:00

Many believe that food preparation or cooking is an art. Restaurants and catering services anchor their success on the expertise and skills of their kitchen crew. As the saying goes, “ a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Surely restaurants and the food industry keep their customers loyal though delectable and unique recipes using traditional and innovative ingredients.

Culinary arts have become an academic pursuit as well. Large food manufacturers look to culinary artists to create ready-to-eat, name brand food products that feature the same quality as those of homemade and restaurant-prepared food. Several culinary arts schools offer graduate studies for students.

There are the more traditional, classical institutions that cater to students who are employed in luxury hotels, cruise ships, resorts and restaurants or those employed as personal chefs to the rich and famous. Famed chefs open up their own schools to train protégés. There are also culinary arts schools for hobbyists. Good schools provide intensive, hands-on training and real environment simulation to prepare their students well.

Some culinary art’s courses touch on cooking science or the standard ingredients that go into most food products, food decoration and preservation. The courses also segregate trainings into stocks, sauces, soups, meat, fish and poultry cookery, breads and pastries, etc. Several schools also offer courses on exotic and traditional cooking. Students are also trained on food service safety and sanitation, management and finance.

As it is with other specialized professions, culinary arts graduates may often have to start at the bottom when they do find a position. This is especially true in the very discriminating food industry. Chefs become masters after years of experience and after earning the distinction through award-winning recipes and recognitions. They must first become souse chefs before taking the helm at the kitchen. But extremely talented students need not wait too long to establish their own reputation and following.

Cooking And Food Magazine Subscriptions

2010-03-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

If you are a health conscious person, or a person who enjoys cooking or even entertaining at home, you might want to take a look at the cooking and food magazine subscriptions that are available in this day and age. There are an ever growing number of different cooking and food magazines not being offered in this day and age.

By way of example, when it comes to cooking and food magazine subscriptions, there are a number of gourmet magazines that might be just what you are looking for. Of course, gourmet magazines have been around for many, many years. However, with many more people taking up nesting -- which is spending more time staying and entertaining at home -- an ever increasing number of men and women have taken to subscribing to cooking and food magazines, to purchasing cooking and food magazine subscriptions.

In recent years, a significant segment of the population has become concerned about what they eat. These people have become interested in eating right, in eating healthy. They appreciate the connection between the food that is eaten and the overall state of a person’s health. For these people, there are a wide array of different types of healthy eating publications.

If you are interested in one or another of the healthy eating publications, if you are considering a healthy eating cooking and food magazine subscriptions, you will want to spend some time trying to decide what magazine best meets your needs. As mentioned, there are many different magazines in this genre to choose from at this point in time.

For example, there are now cooking and food magazines dedicated and devoted to those people who are interested in using organic food products. These magazines allow a person to learn how to prepare food consistent with an overall organic food practice.

There are some people who are interested in maintaining certain types of diet plans. For example, there are people that are committed to pursuing a low fat diet. As a result, there are cooking and food magazines that focus specifically on dealing with issues relating to a low fat diet and low fat meal planning in the 21st century.

When all is said and done, when it comes to cooking and food magazines, there are specific magazines tailored specifically to a person’s needs and desires when it comes to eating, dining and cooking.