Let's Talk About Health: Healthy Living Tips, Health Care, Health Education, Women and Men Health

Boost your metabolism and lose weight faster

2009-07-06T00:25:00.000-07:00

You can change your diet and workout so your body burns more calories. Nutritionist Joy Bauer shares tips on increasing your metabolism

In this installment of “Today’s Health,” we look at how you can boost your metabolism. Many dieters are quick to blame a sluggish metabolism for their inability to lose weight. But do you have control over your metabolism? Yes and no. Nutritionist Joy Bauer tells you how you can change your diet and your workout to increase your metabolism.

Dieters often complain that they can’t lose weight because they have a “slow metabolism.” Unfortunately, many companies capitalize on this misconception by marketing products that promise to give consumers a so called “metabolic advantage” that helps melt away the pounds. Here’s the real story:

What is metabolism?
Metabolism is the process by which your body converts calories from food into energy. People often believe that a slim person’s metabolism is high and an overweight person’s metabolism is low, but this isn’t usually the case. Metabolism alone does not determine your weight. Rather, weight is dependent on the balance of calories consumed versus the calories burned. Eat more calories than you need — you gain weight. Eat fewer calories than you need — you lose weight. Metabolism is merely the body’s engine that burns calories and regulates your caloric needs.

Three ways your body burns calories:

1. Basic body functions. Basal metabolic rate is the amount of calories your body needs to sustain vital functions — digestion, breathing, blood circulation, adjustment of hormone levels, cell growth and repair, etc. Typically, your basal metabolic rate makes up 66 percent to 75 percent of the total calories your body requires for a day.

2. Digestion and absorption of food. About 10 percent of your day’s calories are burned digesting and absorbing the food you eat. Yes, you actually need calories to burn calories.

3. Exercise. Daily physical activity accounts for the rest of the calories burned.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13910708/

Burn fat fast – speeding up your metabolism

2009-07-06T00:19:00.000-07:00

A slow metabolism, gift or curse? Despite what people say about sluggish metabolisms being a result of low activity levels coupled with bad eating habits which makes people prone to gaining weight I can assure you this is not the full story.

Some people just have a slower metabolism than others which make there bodies prone to storing fat if they over eat the same way some people stay skinny no matter what they throw down themselves.

I have personally fought with a slow metabolism throughout the years and this has allowed me to figure out how to naturally boost my metabolism without overdoing cardio and workouts. Allowing me to keep a lean physique.

There are 3 main points to keeping your metabolism revved

1. Do weight training at least 3 times a week. Weight training is what causes you to lose body fat and turns on your body’s furnace for days afterwards.
This is due to basic recovery biology; when you breakdown muscles through a weights workout your body will go into recovery mode causing fat to be used to fuel the process of muscle repair and rebuilding which happens mainly while you sleep therefore it is important to eat a small easily digested meal before you sleep try and stay away from complex carbohydrates in this meal as they are useless before sleep. opt for something light, like a protein shake with and apple or cottage cheese with pineapple.
2. Make breakfast your biggest meal. This will really fire up your metabolism for the day as your body is in starvation mode after the nights rest. Therefore it is important to re-fuel and get your bodies engines going again.
A perfect meal would be some Eggs with lean bacon and some fruit. If you are in a rush go for fruit and raw nuts.
3. Eat when your hungry. all these meals should be small and light so you can digest them easily and keep your metabolism revved up. This is because your body burns of calories in the process of digesting a meal therefore eating a small meal every few hours will constantly kick start your metabolism as well as keeping your blood sugar levels stable which means you will have plenty of energy and feel great throughout the day. Try to focus on Lean meat, Vegetables, fruit and healthy fats.

Now I am sure you have heard this all before. And well you probably have as they are easy ways to keep metabolism fired up. Don’t worry though there are some more un orthodox tips coming up which will make your metabolism burn like its on fire!!!

—>Protein, Keeping a nice serving of protein in all your meals will do a great job of getting your metabolism going as Protein requires the most calories to burn increasing your metabolic rate, As well as this protein allows your body to build muscle and the more muscle you have the more calories your body will burn, knocking your metabolism up a gear. Whey Protein, Chicken, Tuna, eggs, Low fat cheese and milk are all great sources of protein and try and include a good serving with all your meals.
—>Green Tea, No its not only for yoga teachers, all of us should be sipping at green tea and even taking the capsuled forms as it is a great metabolic booster and can make your body burn up-to 400 extra calories a day if you drink 4-5 cups a day. If you lead a hectic lifestyle and do not have the time to drink constant green tea I recommend you buy a good green tea supplement like that of Primaforce and take one capsule in the morning with breakfast.
—>Chili’s, Add them to anything except breakfast(unless of course you enjoy it with your cereal), grab some cayenne, crushed chillies or tabasco and add it to your Pasta, salad, chicken and just about anything else, on top of making your food taste good. Hot foods will raise your heart rate which will increase your metabolism for a few hours after eating.
—>Grapefruit, personally I like to start the day with a serving of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice or half a grapefruit 20 minuted before I eat breakfast. This is because Grapefruit has been shown to regulate blood sugar levels which is essential in the morning and will stop you craving all day, give it a try its amazing! if you find it too tangy sprinkle some splenda on top, but after a few days of eating the grapefruit you will get used to the bitter taste and start to enjoy it without the extra sweetener.
—>Cinnamon, Sprinkle it on anything you like. Cinnamon helps your body metabolize sugar and therefore stop your body storing excess sugar as fat. Try it on banana’s or your cereal its delicious.

If you follow these rules your metabolism will be firing on all cylinders making you a fat torching machine
This is an old article of mine that was featured on lifespy

Source: http://nodiets.wordpress.com/2007/01/26/burn-fat-fast-speeding-up-your-metabolism/

Losing Your Belly Fat Naturally

2009-06-11T06:00:00.001-07:00

It wasn't all that long ago when a strong set of arms really defined the sexiness of an individual but that has changed in recent years. It has a lot to do with the fact that people are showing more of their abdominals whenever they are out in public and for that reason, a sexy stomach has really replaced arms as the definition of physical fitness. That is why people will work on this area of the body to an excessive degree.

You might not be aware of this but the fact of the matter is that many of us are working our abdominal muscles in the wrong way. We may be embarrassed to show our abs in public because of a layer of fat that is covering over our muscles and not allowing that six pack to shine through.

In order for us to truly understand what we need to do to get the abs that we want, it is often necessary for us to look at it from a new perspective. First of all, it doesn't matter how hard you work your abdominals, that is not the way for you to get the good looking abs that you're looking for. This is a truth that is often hidden under much of the misinformation that we get from infomercials and other weight loss products.

In order for you to truly get the abdominal muscles that you want, it is necessary for you to look at other areas of your body. You're never going to lose fat from one area of your body and not lose it from others. If you have a layer of fat on your stomach, you have a layer of fat on almost your entire body, although it may not be as recognizable. Losing fat from one area of your body necessitates that you lose it from other areas as well.

Another thing that is true is that the larger muscles of your body are what is going to burn the fat off of your abs, not the ab muscles themselves. The leg muscles and at times, the muscles in the core of the body are the ones that you really need to concentrate on building. If you work out your legs on a regular basis, your body is going to be leaner as a result.

There is a simple formula that you need to keep in mind in this regard. Every pound of muscle that you have on your body is going to burn 60 calories every single day without any extra effort on your part. 10 pounds of muscle in your body will burn 600 calories every day, or a little bit over 1 pound of body fat every week.

If you're working the larger muscles of your body whenever you are at the gym, you are going to notice results in the body fat composition of your body as a whole. The leg muscles are the easiest for you to bulk up, so make sure that you're working them first while you're at the gym.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Losing-Your-Belly-Fat-Naturally&id=2454426

How to Lose Fat and Build Muscle With Exercise - 3 Exercises That Works Fast

2009-06-11T05:59:00.000-07:00

Here I'm going to show you how to lose fat and build muscle with exercise.

Yes losing weight is great, but we also need to build some lean muscle along the way to be healthy and to gain a good amount of strength for good health.

Check out Compound exercises. These are exercises that involves more than one muscle and are the most effective when it comes to burning fat and building muscle all over your body.

If you don't or for some reason can't go to the gym, there are simple exercises you can do at home, but you have to do them at least 3 times per week, and make sure you end them with some stretches that last at least 5 minutes so that you won't be sore the next day or so.

1. First you can do some stretches, you can call this the warmup.

2. Do some leg squats. Back up against the wall and slide down until your legs are at a 90 degree angle. Then hold yourself in that spot for at least 15 seconds, then glide back up and start the process again. Do this for about 10-15 times and you're all set until the next time.

3. Push ups are very effective when done on a regular basis, at least 3 times per week. Make sure you Google in "compound exercises" to get a better understanding about them and to find out how much and how often to do them without over doing yourself.

Doing compound exercises combined with a well balanced diet can do wonders for you if you can make the commitment to stick with it. You asked, "how to lose fat and build muscle with exercise?" and I gave you a good place to start, and it works.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Lose-Fat-and-Build-Muscle-With-Exercise---3-Exercises-That-Works-Fast&id=2455056

Mind Control to Lose Weight

2009-06-11T05:58:00.002-07:00

We all want to lose weight, gain muscle and be healthier, but the trouble is that these things never seem to come to us. There is a reason for this and it is simply that we do not make small changes in our mindset to bring about the big changes.

For instance let's say that you want to lose weight. You try every diet for a few weeks only to fall off and fall into your old habits. Even the people on the Biggest Loser tend to gain their weight back and do you know why this is? The mind is not changed. You need to change your mind before the outward changes are going to manifest for you.

The best way to change your mind is not to one day say "I want to be thin" actually the best way to say this in your mind would be "I am thin" since your mind will accept the now but does not really understand the future and the past when making change.

The next thing that you need to do to make those changes in your life is to do the small things. To lose weight of course you need to clean out your cupboards but that is not going to help you at the grocery store, instead you have to change your mind on what you like and do not like for food. No one that I know of really likes rice cakes but they will always eat them to lose weight. What would be the point of eating rice cakes at home and then eating lots of cake when you go out for dinner?

The best way ot think of what you will eat is to change your mind from craving snacks and desserts all the time to changing to eating different fruits and vegetables in a way that is simple and really tasty. Change the way you think from wanting pie to wanting fruit salad instead.

This is the real crux of the whole diet dilemma. anyone can do a diet for a week or two but after that you are convinced that you can go back at least a little bit to those foods that you ate before so instead it is critical to change to eating the foods that are healthy, revel in that and make sure they taste good so that the lifestyle is changed to eating those instead of the food that is bad for you.

Food is not the only place where you want to make these changes in your head. When it comes to exercise often we will think that to lose weight we have to exercise. Instead the exercise mindset must be changed to "I want to exercise because it makes me feel good". So how do you make the changes to have your mind really believe that? First you need to exercise with the goal in the end not in losing weight but in feeling better, having more energy, and better stamina and concentration.

No one wants that feeling of exhaustion in the gym initially it is really uncomfortable and when the going gets tough you will want to stop since it seems like it is doing nothing anyway. If you focus instead on the idea that every workout is helping all these other parts of your life then you will see the results not only on the scale but in other parts of your life and you will continue to do those workouts for all the right reasons.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Mind-Control-to-Lose-Weight&id=2454805

Acai Berry - What is Acai Berry and Why Should it Bother You?

2009-06-11T05:58:00.001-07:00

Has a previous ill encounter with the claims that accompany health products left you skeptical of trying anything new? Read on to find out why you cannot afford to miss this great way to lose weight with the acai berry supplement.

Acai Berry Is Tried And Tested

Having benefited the South American natives for centuries now, the acai berry fruit has recently found admirers across the globe owing to its miraculous properties. The claims of renowned experts like Dr. Perricone and Dr. Oz have further strengthened people's faith in it.

It Offers Amazing Benefits

This gift of nature is a must try if you are determined to get rid of those extra pounds. From helping you lose weight quickly without spending hours at the gym or living off that harsh diet regime to increasing your energy levels and fighting the aging process- this unique food does it all.

It Could Change Your Life Too

The magical effects of this product are enough to raise a plethora of doubts in the mind of a thinking soul. Having said that, if one devotes some time reviewing the wonder stories its users have to narrate; all that skepticism would vanish in thin air. After all, who wouldn't prefer a fit and healthy life over a fat one?

You too could change your life big time by incorporating this small wonder in your diet. No matter you shop for it online or at some health store, make sure that you go in for a reputed brand in order to lay your hands on a genuine enough product.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Acai-Berry---What-is-Acai-Berry-and-Why-Should-it-Bother-You?&id=2455172

Lose Belly Fat Fast - The Magic Way to Stop Fat From Being Digested

2009-06-11T05:57:00.001-07:00

Have you been trying to get rid of your belly fat for long without any genuine success? Unfortunately, you are not alone in this situation! The word "magic" in the title may have drawn your attention. It is not a trap! Imagine there is a natural food able to prevent fat from being digested? It would be magic, isn't it? This substance does exist! It comes from crustaceans.

Shells of Crustaceans

Chitin, a polysaccharide isolated from mushrooms, was first discovered by a French chemist Mr. Henry Braconnot about two centuries ago. Later on, chitin was discovered in the shells of aquatic crustaceans and other arthropods (lobsters and crabs). Chitin can be chemically converted into the more valuable chitosan.

Chitosan Properties

Chitosan is a natural substance (with a structure that looks like cellulose) known as "the fat magnet" because of its capacity to act as a lipid binder at the rate to 5 to 10 times its weight.

Advantages

As you probably know, human body cannot digest fiber very well. When someone takes a dietary supplement of chitosan it passes through the gastrointestinal tract with an amount of fat bound to it and finally both of them, fiber and lipid, are eliminated through feces. As the result, this dietary supplement would help its consumer to lose both weight and fat. It would have weight loss properties. Additionally, it has also been observed that this substance can lower plasma cholesterol and triglycerides.

Disadvantages

In theory, chitosan is the perfect natural product to lose fat fast. But, there are a lot of controversies about its activity. Many scientists are skeptical about its capacity to play the role of a fat-blocker. Why? Because recent clinical studies on humans were not able to corroborate its famous biochemical function! In fact, during many years, studies were just conducted on animals!

Moreover, regular absorption of high-dose chitosan supplements induces a depletion of all the liposoluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K) and some essential minerals (such as calcium and magnesium).

Are there other Losing fat programs without any disadvantages?

As we have mentioned in the introduction, it would be magic to find something natural able to stop dietary fat from being digested. It does exist, it's not a lie, but it seems to work just on laboratory animals. Are you a little bit disappointed? Don't give up! Stick with healthy eating habits and regular exercise.

Weight Loss the Easy Way - Creative Weight Loss Techniques

2009-06-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

I call the following tips weight loss the easy way because they are small things that you'll do. The goal is to look and feel better and these small, easy tips are part of creative weight loss.

Chart your exercise habits and be in touch with your bodies feelings such as high or low energy points. Write all of this down to keep a record of how much progress you're making.

Bar graphs are perfect for really seeing the progress of your weight loss or inches reduced or increases in push-up or whatever it is you are doing in your weight loss program.

Being sure to get a substantial amount of sleep is an important part of weight loss the easy way. If you are exercising during the day your body will continue to burn fat while you're sleeping. Losing weight creatively means getting enough sleep and understanding the importance of feeling rested.

It's critical that you work on lessening any stress you have in your life. Stress will cause an increase in fat producing hormones. If you can get a grip on stress, you will find losing weight to be easier and you'll be happier.

Weight loss the easy way includes using techniques such as self hypnosis. There are many training manuals available and it's a cheap and effective method that you can do alone.

Let's make losing weight fun by getting into the habit of dancing at different times of the day. Put on some music you like and shake it on down. You'll fee better and be burning calories and fat.

Do some deep breathing as often as you can every day. It reduces your stress level and is a really healthy habit to get into. I hope that you will spend some time to be creative and to come up with your own ideas. Spend some time thinking and the ideas you come up with will be the most successful.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Weight-Loss-the-Easy-Way---Creative-Weight-Loss-Techniques&id=2456161

The Essential Steps For Removing Belly Fat For Men Over 40

2009-06-11T05:55:00.001-07:00

I'm in my 50's and fight like hell every day to keep my fat level down. At one point last year I got fed up with being 260 pounds and 30 percent body fat. I was having back trouble just washing dishes. Now I was not exactly a couch potato, but I did not pay attention to the fact that I no longer worked out at the intensity or the frequency that I did when I was young, single and did not have two kids to yell at regularly.

If you are over 40 and still eat the same kinds of food and at the same quantity that you did when you were 20, you are kidding yourself, (unless you were such a freak at 20 that you ate 100% healthy foods in line with your BMI). There are a few people blessed with great genetics and monstrously good discipline. I don't know any and probably never will but here's the key, they probably never will fall off the wagon and need to figure out how to get back on. We humans who don't workout for a living or train five hours a day to look good for the camera have to find our own incentive to stay fit and healthy.

Here's my recipe for blasting your belly fat to shreds:

1. Eat like a cat - My cat eats seven or eight times a day. She waltzes over to her bowl and chows down for a few minutes and walks away. The amount of food that she eats in one sitting in very small, less than a tablespoon. She runs around all night and sleeps all day.

Unlike other cats her age, she is slim and trim. Eat meals that are no bigger than your fist.

2. Get your 30 minutes of aerobic exercise in at least five days a week.

If you are trying to lose fat, you'll need to do it every day until you reach your goal. I recommend that you get at least three days of strength training in along with your seven days of aerobic exercise. Strength training will build your muscles as you burn fat. The combination of strength training and aerobic exercise will trigger your metabolic rate and cause your body to burn fat like crazy.

3. Drink lots of water. If you are working out as much as I mentioned, you'll need to carry a gallon jug of water with you and finish it by bed time. You will need to keep your system flushed. Don't drink it in large gulps. Sip the water all day long and if possible, keep it cold.

4. Get lots of rest when you are training. Your body needs the time to break down your cells and regenerate them, making them stronger and more capable of handling the next workload.

If you want to bust your gut fat, you have to get intense about diet and exercise. Those fitness models on TV promoting the ab blasters and other consumer products spend a lot of time in the gym. That's because they make their money based on how they look.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Essential-Steps-For-Removing-Belly-Fat-For-Men-Over-40&id=2456248

Losing Belly Fat Quickly at Home

2009-06-11T05:54:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing that more people are interested in than anything else, it's weight loss and getting as healthy as possible. Some people go through periods of time in her life whenever they consider weight loss to be important and other times at the don't think much about it. Other people, however, obsess over weight loss and weight gain and these are the ones that typically have the hardest time losing any weight at all.

There are a few reasons why people are having such a difficult time with their weight, and more than likely you are probably familiar with those reasons. We live busy lives and as a result, we tend to eat the wrong things because they are readily available. We also tend to lead lives which are rather sedentary and a lack of exercise certainly can contribute to a considerable amount of weight gain.

Fortunately, you're not left without options as far as how you can lose weight but it is necessary for you to understand the basics about weight loss before you do anything else. Weight loss is more of a science than an emotional necessity and at times, it is necessary for you to forget everything that you know about weight loss in order to fill your mind with accurate ideas. Here are a few that may have escaped you.

One of the main reasons why we gain weight is because most of us are insulin resistant to a certain extent. If our insulin is unable to take care of all of the sugar in our system or if we flood our bodies with insulin regularly because we eat sugary foods, much of that sugar is going to be stored as fat until the body can get around to assimilating it. Unfortunately, it never gets around to it.

One of the best things that you can do if you want to lose body fat is to watch the type of food that you're eating, not necessarily restricting yourself from the amount that you are eating. The reason why this is the case is because some foods that you eat are going to be released slowly into the bloodstream and this will keep your insulin levels low. These are known as low glycemic foods.

The glycemic index is an often forgotten list of foods which indicates how quickly the sugar from the food is released into your body. If you only eat foods that are low on the glycemic index, your insulin level will remain steady throughout the day and weight loss will be much easier. Not only that, you will avoid many of the highs and lows that you're probably feeling right now.

Although there is more to weight loss that eating properly, it is been proven that it is the most important aspect of it. Make sure that you stay away from the foods that you shouldn't eat but eat plenty of those that are low glycemic and healthy for you. The weight will begin to come off naturally very quickly.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Losing-Belly-Fat-Quickly-at-Home&id=2454393

Abs Exercise For Stomach Fat

2009-06-11T05:50:00.000-07:00

The most effective abs exercise for stomach fat has little to do with sit-up or ab crunch(though these have a part that they play, but rather exercises that work on the entire body are by far more productive. Abdominal exercises like sit-up and crunches do not get rid of fat in the stomach it only firm up the stomach muscles but the fat still remains in the stomach.

If you are looking for abs exercises for stomach fat you will have to do exercises that will increase your body metabolism such as cardio exercises like jogging, walking,swimming, cycling etc. If you suddenly realize that your stomach is flabbier than it used to be then there is the likelihood that other parts of you body has also gathered additional fat even if you have not realized it; it just that the stomach is easily the most noticeable.

You cannot get rid of fat in just a particular part of your body in isolation of other part of the body, so if you are exercising just for the belly without doing exercises that will also involve other parts of body and reducing your fat intake then you will not experience a change.

cardio exercises with increase you heart rate and also increase your metabolism. Follow this regimen on a daily basis:

1. Do some heavy jogging or running for about 1-2 mins.
2. Then slow down to about 3-4 mins of casual jogging or walking.
3. Do this 8-10 times.
4. Take a 5 mins break and go through the entire process again.

Combined with a healthy diet, cardio exercises like jogging, walking and swimming are the best abs exercises to get rid of stomach fat because it increase you metabolism which burns excess calorie from your body.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Abs-Exercise-For-Stomach-Fat&id=2455411

How to Manage Depression Short of Having Octuplets

2009-03-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

Nadya Suleman is a 33 year old unemployed single mother who recently gave birth to octuplets, conceived through in vitro fertilization. She grew up as an only child and had always dreamed of having a large family. Reporters, pundits and bloggers have called her irresponsible and selfish, as she already has six children under the age of seven at home. They say it takes more than love to care for eight babies, especially if you don't have a clear source of income or enough support to help raise them.

The doctor who implanted the fertilized eggs is being investigated by the medical board. The risk of such a pregnancy is not only to the mother but also for the babies. There are potential physical problems that will need to be carefully monitored over the coming years. Likely there will be psychological issues to deal with as well. Even though Suleman loves being a mom, there are 14 children and only one of her. She can't do it alone. It's not possible for her to take care of the emotional needs of that many growing children. The potential developmental delays and learning disabilities will require adjunctive therapies. And the long term costs will be significant. Meanwhile, the hospital bill alone will run well over $2 million.

Suleman called her childhood dysfunctional and said she didn't feel that she had much control over her environment. Almost everyone has some identity issues or feelings of powerlessness growing up. If you are depressed or need to take better care of your emotional self, begin by following these tips:

1. Notice if you are in denial about your emotional state of mind. What are you doing that may not be in your best interests? And why? For example, if you're thinking about getting pregnant, it could be a short term solution to help lift your spirits. And this could leave you with other longstanding problems for yourself and your family

2. Honor your body by understanding what makes you feel better, both physically and emotionally. Pay attention to your exercise routine, what you eat, your sleeping habits and what gives you pleasure. Reduce the situations that cause stress and increase the ones that make you feel more relaxed or alive.

3. Forgive others who are important to you for some past wrongdoing. Watch their reaction and see how that makes you feel. That doesn't mean you have to totally forget about it. If you had a dysfunctional upbringing, try to understand the problems it is causing you now. Learn a lesson from the situation and move on, especially for your own good.

4. Practice what you know about resiliency. Recognize how your character strengths support what you do. Integrate your core values and personal ideals into how you view the world. Notice the effect your attitudes and behavior have on other people in your life. Release tension through laughter and watch yourself begin to bounce back.

5. Knowledge is power. Use it to your advantage. Get information about ways to deal with how you're feeling - explore the Internet or the self-help section of bookstores. Think about the natural and logical consequences of the decisions you are making. Talk about how you are feeling with friends and family whose opinions you respect.

6. Support is a valuable tool - connect often. Accept the changes in your family, whatever they are, even if you feel caught in the crossfire. Find a class or workshop through your local university extension program or mental health center. Join an ongoing group or attend a weekend retreat to share concerns and gain new perspective.

7. You may be confused about what to do next. Don't be afraid to seek out a parenting coach or a family therapist. Although you may see yourself as a natural, this is a unique situation. Learning skills and techniques from experts can make a big difference and talking with someone outside of the family about your concerns and frustrations can be a lifesaver.

All Suleman ever wanted was to be a mom: "I longed for certain connections and attachments with another person that I really lacked, I believe, growing up." She thinks that motherhood cured her depression. But child birth should not be used as a form of self- medication.

If your feelings of depression stem from a hunger inside that needs to be satisfied or a serious emotional problem, take the time to examine your own life. That will give you the chance to focus on greater personal awareness and your own emotional growth without jeopardizing the well being of others.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Manage-Depression-Short-of-Having-Octuplets&id=1972643

Top Ten Non-Drug Treatments For Depression

2009-03-08T19:20:00.002-07:00

Many of my patients do not want to take medication and I support their efforts to find a holistic solution. Here are my top recommendations:

1) Exercise: Believe it or not, exercise has been found to be the most effective treatment for depression. Of course, that's the last thing you feel like doing when you're feeling down. The minimum recommendation is 3 times per week for 20 minutes. More is better.

2) Weekly Psychotherapy: Long standing issues, family and cultural programming, habits of mind - these are just some of the issues that might be at cause. Depression is a sign that something in your life is not right. Get some help to deal with it.

3) Check your pleasures: Coffee, alcohol, sugar, and recreational drugs can lead to mood disorders. Even moderate use can be too much for depressed persons. Observe how your moods go up and down with use.

4) Supplements: All people suffering from depression should be taking Fish Oil for Omega-3 Fatty Acids daily. There is also compelling research on the use of Amino Acids, Sam-E, St. John's Wort, DHEA, and B vitamins. Read up and experiment.

5) Sunlight: It helps to get direct sun exposure every day if possible. If not available, a light box can bring a lot of relief. You can easily get your dose of light by sitting in front of one for 15 minutes a day. Light boxes are great.

6) Regular human contact: Many people are depressed because they are too isolated. We are social animals. Go to Meet-Up.com and find some people who enjoy the same things you do.

7) Challenge your thinking: Depressed people have depressed thoughts. A book that can be really helpful with this is Feeling Good by Dr. David Burns

8) Good nutrition: The way we eat may have a lot to do with fostering depression. Check out The Mood Cure by Julia Ross, Potatoes Not Prozac by Kathleen DesMaisons, and Seven Weeks to Sobriety by Joan Matthews Larson.

9) Yoga and Meditation: These are recommended for mild to moderate depression only. Severely depressed people need to become more active and outer focused.

10) Are you living your right life? Sometimes depression is an indication that things need changing. Sometimes drastically. Do an inventory of your life.

If these treatments have been tried and there is no change in a month, it is recommended get a full evaluation by a healthcare provider. It is important to rule out a medical condition such as low thyroid which would cause depressive symptoms.

Many people consider taking antidepressants a sign of weakness. It is not, any more than it is weak for a diabetic to take insulin. Depression is one of the most debilitating illnesses, with many people dying from it each year. It does not make you a better person to endure needless suffering.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-Ten-Non-Drug-Treatments-For-Depression&id=1920138

Natural Supplements to Fight Depression - 4 Supplements to Try

2009-03-08T19:20:00.001-07:00

Depression is a common affliction that affects many people at some point or another in their lives. Symptoms can include persistent sadness, hopelessness, dread or anxiety about the future, loss of pleasure in previously enjoyed activities, lethargy, and changes in eating or sleep habits. While some cases of depression may be serious enough to merit a pharmacological approach, many milder cases can be managed using natural means. One natural approach that can help alleviate depression symptoms is the use of supplementation. Here are 4 supplements that can help ease depression:

1. Try a good food based multivitamin. This may seem obvious, but it is important to remember that the mind and body are closely connected, and the health of one impacts the health of the other. Addressing basic physical health provides a foundation for addressing mood and mental well being. If you do not eat a lot of calcium rich foods, consider supplementing additional calcium as well.

2. Take fish oil. Fish oil has a variety of physical benefits, including cardiovascular benefit, anti-inflammatory properties, and improved brain health. The fatty acids in fish oil have been shown to be important to maintaining emotional well being.

3. Try 5 HTP (hydroxytryptophan). This natural supplement is derived from tryptophan, which is the compound found in turkey that results in feelings of "turkey bliss' at Thanksgiving. Hydroxytryptophan breaks down into serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation. It is often found in capsule form.

4. Often taken in conjunction with 5 HTP, L-Theanine is a natural supplement that helps to ease anxiety levels. Available in capsule form as well as a more immediate relief spray form, L-Theanine can lower anxiety without causing drowsiness.

Are you interested in addressing your life challenges from a holistic standpoint, assessing the physical, emotional, and relationship components?

For a free copy of my ebook, "Natural Methods To Fight Depression", click here: http://www.stoptoxicrelationships.com/gifts-naturalmethodstofightdepression.html

Shannon Cook is a personal growth and relationship expert who has written a number of informative articles and ebooks on the topic of toxic relationships and holistic personal growth, including physical, emotional and relationship health.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Natural-Supplements-to-Fight-Depression---4-Supplements-to-Try&id=1915307

Seven Ways to Energize Yourself on Gray Winter Days

2009-03-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

Gray wintry days seem to generate their own style of sluggish feelings, as if our moods want to match the skies. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) accompanied with depression is the most severe form of such winter blues. It may feel fine just to cuddle up with a good book on a gray day, but most of us also want to be able to find brighter emotions and participate in community life. This can be difficult when a low mood lingers on like a dark cloud.

Here are seven proven ways from the new field of Energy Psychology to shift your body's energies and your mood:

1) Look around your house at all the beauty there is. It may be the shiny leaf of a plant, a picture of a flower, a photo of a loved one.

2) Give thanks for what you have and for what works in your life. Make a list of the positives that come your way each day.

3) Tap on the thymus gland area located below the sternum in your upper mid-chest. This area relates to the master gland, the thymus, of the immune system. Allow yourself to laugh out loud while tapping with the sound "Ha Ha Ha!"

4) Face the area where the sun would be at a given time of day by standing at a window or outside. Even though you may not be able to see it, the sun is always there.

5) Bring in the energy of the sun to your heart center by stretching back as far as you comfortably can and then bring armloads of sunlight energy to the chest.

6) Imagine beams of sunlight in your internal core from head to toe. Note how you can create your own inner light.

7) Affirm, "I feel my sunlight...I create my light with my intentions." Skip, dance, move to music that you can hear within. Bless the day!

Dorothea Hover-Kramer, Ed.D., RN, CNS, D.CEP has been a psychotherapist in private practice for over 30 years and combines her career as a psychologist with a background as a clinical nurse specialist. She co-founded the International Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP), served as past president and was instrumental in designing and implementing its certification program. She is now a designated diplomate in comprehensive energy psychology (D.CEP).

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Seven-Ways-to-Energize-Yourself-on-Gray-Winter-Days&id=1898016

How to Speed Up Your Recovery From Depression

2009-03-08T19:18:00.002-07:00

The most powerful plan for recovery from depression focuses on not just one method such as antidepressants. That's merely a step. If that was the case, then there would not be millions of Americans still on antidepressants. You must think of your antidepressants as the crutch to support you while you dig deeper into what is truly causing your depression. The true answer is found in a complete approach. Here are a few powerful steps you can implement for your recovery from depression.

What are you eating these days? A diet high in Omega 6 fatty acids (a junk food diet) is usually the first problem. Omega-6 fatty acids, found in everything from margarine and ice cream to snack foods such as potato chips, have replaced the healthy omega-3 fats. As a result, you can damage your levels of happy brain chemicals - serotonin and dopamine. (Low serotonin is linked to depression, the risk of suicide, and violent and impulsive behaviors. Dopamine is crucial to decision-making.) ((Dr. Hibbiln, National Institutes of Health, 2001)). Your recovery from depression often begins with looking at what you are eating.

After looking at your diet, your recovery from depression requires focusing in on your thoughts. You can easily get into negative thinking habits if you suffer from depression. Rather than coming up with a solution to a problem and acting on it, you may often find yourself allowing your negative thoughts to spiral out of control. It is important to recognize negative thinking patterns and put a stop to it immediately. One powerful exercise is to journal your thoughts to help you recognize this.

A third powerful step to speed up your recovery from depression is to get out in the sunshine or use a specialized light box. Several studies have documented the advantage of specialized light for depression. Patients responded to light within a week verses several weeks for medication, and light posed no long-term negative side effects. A review of light therapy in Archives of General Psychiatry concluded the following:

"The evidence is in that light is an active neurobiological agent. Light therapy is easy to administer in outpatient settings, lacks major side effects, and, importantly, is cost-effective." - Archives of General Psychiatry, October 1998

So remember that recovery from depression requires you to look at a complete approach beyond any medication your doctor prescribes. Ask your doctor about a complete approach to recovery from depression.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Speed-Up-Your-Recovery-From-Depression&id=1830669

Vitamin D and Your Brain

2009-03-08T19:18:00.001-07:00

As you probably know, Vitamin D deficiency is common and - as you may not know - is associated with many psychiatric and neurological imbalances. Awareness of the Vitamin D crisis is growing as more and more associations are made to Vitamin D deficiency.

Does Vitamin D cure depression?

Prevent depression?

Other Mood Disorders and Mental Health Problems?

Well, it's too early to tell because there are simply not enough good studies. Most of the studies have encountered several shortcomings such as:

- Using a very low amount of vitamin D (many past studies have used only 400-800 IU which we now know is like using a homeopathic dose of Vitamin D)

- Measuring the wrong Vitamin D metabolite -1,25(OH)2D3 instead of 25(OH)D. (It's true -and these are our scientists we depend on. I mean, really - that difference may be gibberish to you, but they should know better.)

- Using the less potent form of Vitamin D (ergocalciferol - D2 instead of the more potent and naturally occurring form of Vitamin D - cholecalciferol - D3)

- Not getting the vitamin D3 levels to optimal (50-80 ng/mL) and many studies not even getting the D3 levels up to the minimum of 35 ng/mL over several months.

But evidence is mounting:

One major study done with depressed subjects during Canada's long winter showed a profound increase in vitamin D levels with supplementation of 4000 IU of vitamin D - and a corresponding dramatic increase in the subjects' sense of well-being.

In some research done in 2007, it was found that vitamin D deficiency correlates with depression and anxiety in fibromyalgia sufferers. And mice with abnormal Vitamin D brain receptors (leading to low vitamin D levels) have increased incidence of anxiety, aggression, poor grooming habits, maternal pup neglect, and cannibalism.

Having optimal Vitamin D levels has even been implicated in the prevention of schizophrenia. Male infants who are not supplemented with vitamin D are 12 times more likely to develop schizophrenia than those who receive vitamin D supplementation.

Research shows that the elderly who are vitamin D deficient have 12 times the increase in depression risk. Elderly people with low vitamin D levels are three and a half times as likely to be admitted to a nursing home.

There are a several studies showing that Vitamin D can positively affect seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Some even say that up to 75% of SAD sufferers can reduce their depression with the use of Vitamin D.

And We Do Know that Vitamin D Has Major Effects On the Brain and Neurotransmitters.

It appears that Vitamin D may have a positive effect on the synthesis of excitatory neurotransmitters.

Summer sunlight - which is necessary for Vitamin D production in the body - also increases brain serotonin levels twice as much as winter sunlight.

There are receptors for Vitamin D in neurons and glial cells in the brain.

The biological effects of Vitamin D appear to play a role in the brain's detoxification pathways.

The genes for important enzymes that are involved in Vitamin D metabolism are found in the brain.

Vitamin D has been shown to profoundly affect the brain's neurotransmitters that are involved with depression.

Several studies have now shown that prenatal vitamin D deficiency in animals and humans has important ramifications for developing brains. Some even suggesting that low prenatal Vitamin D levels can negatively and permanently affect brain development in children.

Vitamin D is needed for the inducement of what is called nerve-growth factor (NGF) in the brain. NGF is a protein that is essential for the development of nerve cells in the brain and elsewhere. Without enough Vitamin D there is not the proper production of NGF, which can negatively effect nerve cell growth in the brain and the central nervous system.

The Power of Association

There is enough evidence to say that low Vitamin D levels are associated with major depression and that low vitamin D levels and major depression have substantially increased in the last century. Coincidence? Cause?

Many diseases associated with Vitamin D deficiency like

* Rheumatoid arthritis
* Cancer
* Diabetes
* Hypertension
* Decreased bone density
* Heart Disease

...are also strongly associated with depression - and apparently also on the increase in the last century.

Will Vitamin D Cure Depression- And Other Mood Disorders?

Just like the diseases listed above depression and mood disorders are a multifactorial disease. It is unlikely that you will see a total resolution to any multifactorial disease from any one remedy.

But research suggests and logical thinking will tell you the only one wise course: If you experience depression or other mood disorder, get your 25(OH)D blood levels checked and work with a knowledgeable health care practitioner who is familiar with the new vitamin D guidelines and get your vitamin D levels up to optimal (50-80 ng/mL) - and keep them there.

If you are not depressed or don't have any mood disorder - do the same!

Remember, Vitamin D is not a medication and for most people does not require monitoring by a physician. But it does require that you be guided by a knowledgeable health care practitioner who is up to date on the new Vitamin D research.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Vitamin-D-and-Your-Brain&id=1983857

3 Ways You Can Cope With Depression Without Medication

2009-03-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

I cannot take medicine for my Bipolar Disorder as every medication that they give me gets me high (ie. brings me into mania). I have had to come with other ways to cope with my depression and do life with it in my life. This is how I cope.

ONE I have people to ring or to visit me.

Having friends in your life is a very important way to cope with depression. People who ring you each day to check on how you are doing can be very important to your mental health. I know sometimes it may be hard to have friends when you are mentally ill, that is why it is very important to put some effort and time into the friendships that you have.

Often friends can be short of money, in these times picking up the bill for the coffee and cake that you are having are well worth it. I have a very good friend that has Bipolar Disorder and sometimes I like to stay up all night and watch DVD's with him or to simply chat, and the money I spend on him, or the money he spends on me is never counted.

It's important to have someone that you can ring when you just need to have a chat to when you are not tracking right. It's good to have someone that you can just tell it like it is instead of putting on a brave face for.

TWO Have regular places to go to that you will have a good time at when you go.

I have a place that I can go each day if I stay up the night before so I can get out of bed in time. It's a community centre run by the Salvation Army and inside it, it has a soup kitchen where I work and prepare and serve meals. For the past three years it's been hard for me to get out of bed before the afternoon such is my depression, so if I stay up one night, the next day I can go in and have a day of fun at the soup kitchen. I know and love many of the staff there and they are fun to speak to during my day.

On a Friday night I go to church and when there I have a good time catching up with people that I love. At church it is good to spend time singing to God and letting Him know how much I love him. Most weeks after church I go out for coffee with a friend and I enjoy that also.

THREE Escape into fiction

I enjoy escaping my life into the pages of a book or into a story at the movies for a couple of hours. A book can take you a whole night to ring and can be a good friend for the time I takes to read. Books are great fun.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this short article about what I do to cope with my depression. I have many other articles on many subjects if you want to check them out.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?3-Ways-You-Can-Cope-With-Depression-Without-Medication&id=1977835

6 Different Depression Types

2009-03-08T19:16:00.002-07:00

There are several types that varies in symptoms and diagnosis, yet they all have a profound affect on the patients' life. It needs a mental health care professional in order to distinguish between them, since some of them share the same symptoms and signs.

Severe depression
this disorder is, as the name suggests, the most serious. It affects all life aspects. A person that suffers this disorder looses his ability to live a normal life. Working, studying, sleeping and also appetite are all impaired. It is also prevents people from enjoying their hobbies and activities they used to enjoy. They loose their self-worth and they feel guilty and hopeless. Patients can also suffer from suicide thoughts and plans and they are more exposed to often recurrences than the other types' patients.

Dysthymia
This type considered to be a less severe, yet chronic version of severe depression. People with dysthymia live their lives with a constant sense of sadness and melancholy, low energy and lack of enjoyment.

Bipolar Disorder
Also known as manic-depressive disorder, this disorder is one of the easiest to diagnose of all the other types, since it has a set of unique set of symptoms. The main symptom is having dramatic changes in mood. Bipolar disorder patient can suffer a low level of energy and sadness and in fact can show any of the major depression disorder symptoms, including desire to hurt themselves (the depressive polar), and than, after a short period time that can be days, weeks or months, show an excitable behavior (the manic polar) that can manifest in excessive money spending on shopping and gambling.

Cyclothymia
This disorder is another type of bipolar disorder, yet it considered to be less severe and more chronic. In this disorder the person suffers milder manifestations of both manic and depressive symptoms. The changes from one polar to the opposite one can be performed in just a short time.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
This type typically manifests during a course of a season. All symptoms are eliminated once the specific season ends. This is also one of the depression types that are easy to diagnose and it is more common in winter.

Postpartum Depression
This rare type can, of course, only manifest in women, after giving birth to a new baby. Those mothers suffer symptoms of a depressive disorder that can manifest anytime after delivery, sometimes even months after. The symptoms of this disorder are the same as other types symptoms, But Without proper diagnosis and treatment, it can also be dangerous for both the mother and the baby, since symptoms also include lack of ability to take proper care of the baby or lack of motherly feelings towards the baby and even resentment and hate. Without help, some of the patients can harm themselves as well as the baby.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?6-Different-Depression-Types&id=1824163

Signs of Depression in Men

2009-03-08T19:16:00.001-07:00

Depression is something that most people face at some time in their lives. We all deal with it differently and it affects different people in different ways. It could be brought on by the loss of a job, a break up, gaining weight or several other different reasons. Oddly enough though, the signs of depression in men are somewhat different in men than women and you have to be aware of exactly what they are if you are concerned that you or a loved one may be falling into a depression.

Men who are depresses will often find themselves in a rut that they just don't seem to be able to get out of. They are hopeless and helpless and feel as though their life has no value whatsoever. They will often feel as though there is simply no way that their life will get better.

As these feelings fester, you will find that they will also lose all interest in their daily life and activities. They may stop working out or hanging out with the guys. Any hobby that they had when life seemed good to them suddenly becomes non-existent to them.

All of this inactivity will usually lead to a sudden gain in weight or even perhaps a weight loss as they many not even get out of bed to feed themselves. They are in bed all the time because they feel as though they have no reason to get out of bed, yet somehow they are also always tired.

As all of this is going on, their opinion of themselves starts to digress and they think that they are just totally useless on the face of the earth. You can see how this emotion can quickly get out of control and can lead to suicidal thoughts and the demise of someone's attitude toward life. This something that absolutely must be treated in the early stages or it can quickly get out of hand and lead them down a very ugly and destructive path.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Signs-of-Depression-in-Men&id=2058793

5 Tips to Reduce Depression

2009-03-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

While war and poor economic conditions begin to affect people all over the world, more and more people suffer with depression. The more we focus on news events and the business climate, the more we are depressed. Whatever the reason you feel is the cause of your depression, the following five simple tips guarantee you reduce it significantly.

1. Do not read newspapers.

Newspapers publish negative stories most of the time. Even in peaceful periods, newspapers will find the worst in humanity and place negative stories on display in order to promote sales and subscribers. Stories focused on War, rebellion, death, destruction, doom and despair abound in the newspapers.

You will not miss any news. Friends, family, and your local air raid siren will keep you informed if your attention is needed. Only pay attention to the things you can control in your life.

Stop reading the newspaper and reduce the negative input to your brain.

2. Turn off your television.

Watching and listening about the horrible economy and the losses associated with War will add to depression. In fact, you guarantee the feeling of helplessness. Helplessness allows depression to nurture. If you really need to watch or listen to these kinds of news stories, promise yourself you will bury yourself in the documentaries that are sure to follow in the next 5 or 10 years. A way you can eliminate most of the negative input to your brain is by setting it aside for a date somewhere in the future. I guarantee in the future, you will not find it very interesting.

When visitors come to your home, make sure you turn off your television and keep it off. News television broadcasters are fighting for your guests' attention as they promote despair, war, death, and destruction with many headline news interruptions. Those little banners that run across the bottom of the screen achieve your attention and they take hold of your consciousness. Television will diminish your positive spirit.

3. Say good things about others

My Mother always says, "if you can't say anything nice about others, don't say anything at all." However, when you find yourself in a conversation and a relative says, "Remember Uncle Phil?" " He was an alcoholic" Respond with " yes, Uncle Phil was an alcoholic and he was the most charitable person, I have ever met."

Connect your friend's negative statement about Phil with a positive one. Set yourself up to find the positive in anyone's statement and you will keep negative thoughts and depression from overtaking your life.

Og Mandino, a great motivator once said, "treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight." "Your life will never be the same again."

4. Get physical exercise

Adults forget about exercise when suffering from depression. Make sure you are exercising daily and sending more oxygen to your brain cells. The result of exercise will improve your health as well as your attitude.

5. Breathe deep and relax.

Practice the following breathing exercise to relax your body and mind.

Breathe deeply and relax. For 2 or 3 minutes each hour, take a short mental vacation.

You can engage in this exercise while you are standing in the checkout line at the supermarket or when listening to others while talking on a telephone. You can complete the exercise at home or at work.

Take three deep breathes and relax. As you inhale, concentrate on calm and peaceful thoughts. You may think about relaxing by a mountain, by the ocean or comfortably in your favorite room at home.

As you exhale, concentrate on pushing any tension out of your lungs.

Focus on positive images in your life. Focus on laughter, love, excitement, and hope.

Keep breathing in and out in this pattern until you feel better. If you practice the exercise often, you will notice wonderful changes in your outlook and in other aspects of your life.

Reduce your depression now! Enjoy your family, your friends, and your life.

Attractive Eyes - Tips

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

We understand the world around us through our EYES. Fraction of a second is enough for our eyes to make out all about the things going around us and accordingly we take the action which moves our life.

Both eyes work together. With the help of Muscles, nerves and brain, our eyes help us to gain a full and clear view, inspite of change in climate, intensity of light.

Synchronized working of eyes, muscles, nerves and brain adapt to the changing climate and intensity of light so as to offer us correct information.

Weakness of the muscles and nerves around the eyes may give rise to different problems of sight. Problems could be temporary or it may take longer to overcome them.

Irritation in eyes, red eyes or swollen eyes may improve with first aid like splashing fresh and cold water in them. But sight problems (near-sightedness or far-sightedness or other refractive problems), dry eye problems or ageing problems may take longer time to improve, even after proper medical treatment.

Simple eye exercises have been found very effective in improving the Eye Health.

1. First thing in the morning, take water in the mouth, Splash clean water on the eyes and then throw out the water with a pressure from the mouth. Repeat this exercise 3-5 times.

2. Place thumb and index finger on both eye-brows and give light massage, 45 times

3. Place thumb and index finger on the cheek bone, just below the eyes and give light massage 45 times.

4. Shift the thumb and index finger on the end-point of the eyes (on the edge of eye-bone), give 45 light pressures.

5. Place thumb and index finger on the either side of the nose bridge, by the side of the eye and give 45 light pressures.

6. Place a black object (size of a golf ball), at a distance of 3 meters. Stare it without blinking eyes for 2-3 minutes. If the water starts coming out the eyes, let it come but do not blink. It will help in improving your eye sight.

7. Rub both palms 5-7 times. Place both palms on the eyes.

8. Blink the eyelids continuously for 60 seconds.

Blood circulation in the muscles and nerves of the eye are properly activated which takes care of the eye health. 'Pranayam exercise' (Breathing exercise) will further improve the health of the eyes.

The above exercise, if performed regularly, has been found very effective in improving the short-sightedness of the eye sight. There has been improvement in the problem of Dry eyes.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Attractive-Eyes---Tips&id=1742528

Tips For Finding the Perfect Sun Readers

2009-02-02T19:00:00.002-08:00

Ever notice how often enough you see Hollywood stars with their sunglasses on? It's a lot and for good reason. These celebrities wear their sunglasses as a fashion statement, to hide themselves, and probably to protect their eyes from the flashing bulbs of cameras following them around. While the paparazzi may not follow you everywhere you go, you are still entitled to this celebrity trend.

If you're currently in the market for a pair of sun readers, here are a few things to keep in mind while choosing.

Lenses - The options are endless including tinted, color changing lenses and detachable frames that are custom made to fit over your regular glasses. Your eye safety is of utmost importance so look for high quality, UV protected lenses. Be leery of lenses that are simply darker. These types of lenses have shown no indication of the performance of the lens itself and offer no actual UV protection which is what causes damage to skin and eyes. Another thing to consider is sunreaders with rims or frames that wrap around your head tend to keep out more light protecting your eyes even more than typical in the front lenses.

Comfort - Keep in mind that glass is durable, but much heavier to wear. Sunglasses not only protect from the suns rays, but can also protect our eyes from sand and other items that can be carried in the air and wind. It has also been said that sunglasses can help fight eye strain and headaches caused by it which can actually make your vision worse. Polarized sunglasses, in particular, are effective in reducing glare which will help you avoid unnecessary straining of the eyes.

Price - With sun readers, you usually get what you pay for. You can always find cheap readers at your local drug store, but these are often fragile and, well, less than stylish. It's often worth upgrading to a higher-quality pair of reading glasses. Name brand sunglasses can provide trendy fun frames that are excellent quality and usually come with a cleaning cloth and case. All of these things are important when protecting your eyes and your glasses.

Style - Stylists suggest the shape of glasses is of importance when shopping for sunglasses. Many recommend wearers who have a round face shape steer away from round glasses. Choosing a shape for you sunglasses opposite to you face shape is suggested. A rounder face can look stylist in squared, oval shaped or wrap around glasses and a longer face will look better with a rounder set of frames. If you happened to be born with and oval shaped faces, you're in luck. Those with this type of face structure will find almost any frame style will suit them well.

Sight is your most used sense so protecting your vision from the sun's harmful rays is extremely important. Take the time to choose right and you can have a pair of sun reader glasses you love that protect your eyes for years to come.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Tips-For-Finding-the-Perfect-Sun-Readers&id=1915123

Is There Really a Connection Between Contact Lenses and Dry Eyes?

2009-02-02T19:00:00.001-08:00

Frequent lenses wearers are surely aware of the problem - contact lenses and dry eyes. However is there a steady connection between this uncomfortable eye condition and wearing contacts?

Many people who don't wear glasses or lenses can experience eye dryness. There are several possible causes for this.

It might be that their eyes are not producing enough tears to moisture the eye sufficiently. Also some people have tears with content that does not provide enough moisture to the eye. If you fall into one of the above groups of people it seems that wearing contact lenses and dry eyes have no connection.

Being exposed to specific conditions such as smoke, extensive heat, dry air or wind can also cause dryness in your eyes. Again this can happen even if you are not wearing contacts.

Contact lenses and dry eyes however are connected. Many frequent lenses wearers complain that they feel their eyes dry. The reason behind this is the composition of the lens. Soft lenses usually contain water. Since part of their water evaporates they practically dehydrate your eye by absorbing water from your natural tear film covering the eye. For that reason it is recommended to wear lenses that have less water content.

Another connection between them is the length of the period you have been using contact lenses. People who have used extensively contacts for many years often complain that their eyes are dry. The simple reason for this is that they have damaged the structure of the cells covering the eye. The constant rubbing of the lenses with their eyes most likely damaged the special structures of the eye designed to keep the tear film stable.

Contact lenses and dry eyes is not a reason to stop wearing contacts though. All you need to do is to follow a strict routine of when, how and for how long to wear your lenses. It is not recommended to wear lenses when you are exposed to conditions that can dry your eyes in general. It is also not recommended to stay long hours or overnight wearing lenses. If you feel your eyes tend to go dry just purchase artificial tear drops and use them regularly.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-There-Really-a-Connection-Between-Contact-Lenses-and-Dry-Eyes?&id=1709176

Eye Doctors and a Second Opinion

2009-02-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

If you have defective eyesight chances are you have visited an ophthalmologist or an eye doctor and have been prescribed one or several pairs of glasses. Chances are not all of these glasses were satisfactory. I am going to show you that you should not blindly trust a doctor and always should get a second opinion.

First of all, whenever you are checked for vision defects keep in mind that most doctors want to sell you glasses or contacts and they will try to find something wrong. Second, the conditions in the eye doctor's office are far from beneficial: the darkened room, stress: factors that will probably reveal that your eyesight is worse than usual: remember that vision is changeable and any refraction error in not permanent. No doubt you have noticed that your vision is always better in bright sunlight. The vision is usually worse in poorly lit rooms, like the doctors' office. So don't be alarmed if you are told that you have vision problem that you have not expected. You probably don't.

So what can be done as a counter measure? It's actually very simple. Download one of the eye charts from internet, or make one yourself and check your own vision in a normally lit room (not too dark or too bright). Then check it in bright sunshine and in artificial light: you will notice the difference. Always use the same chart because the more you look at the same eyechart, the more your eyes will get used to it and the less stressful it becomes for you. You should be able to tell whether your eyesight is normal or not. If it checks well under normal conditions and even in bright light do not wear glasses and start practicing natural vision improvement techniques.

Another thing to watch for during your visit is that some doctors will try to overprescribe your glasses. You do not have to see perfectly in your glasses, in fact if you do, chances are that your vision will deteriorate very rapidly. Instead get underprescribed correction that is around 20/40. Remember that 20/40 in good light will be worse in a darkened office.

Just tell a doctor plainly what you want and do not fall for any sales pitch. If you don't like your glasses: too strong or too weak and if you don't like your current doctor, go to another doctor and get a second opinion. It is always a good idea to get a second opinion. Find a doctor who understands patients, their needs and if you are lucky, supports natural vision improvement methods. I am going to tell you right now that there are not many of those around.

And finally, if you can read without glasses, then do so. Only wear your glasses as little as possible. Practice correct visual habits.

Get the book Perfect Sight Without Glasses by Dr. W. H. Bates and learn the best system of natural vision improvement. The book is available on internet but you can also find it in a public library. This book is indispensable if your eyesight has just started to deteriorate.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Eye-Doctors-and-a-Second-Opinion&id=1708733

Help For Tired Eyes

2009-02-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

Eyes are a reflection of our very souls. As they are among the most important parts of our body, it is our duty to take care of our eyes. For example, in today's scenario, almost every person works on the computer throughout the day at some point or other, at a place of business or at home. And the eyes tend to get tired and overworked which may lead to vision problems in future. So before your work culture takes a toll on your eyes, make sure you seek help for tired eyes.

Symptoms of tired eyes include dark circles around your eyes and a puffy look, as one of the most common reasons for your eyes to get unduly tired is due to lack of sufficient sleep. Even if you work on your computer for a longer period of time, a good night's sleep can restore the health of your eyes.

Other tips and advice follow:

1) As you go on with your work everyday, consciously take frequent breaks of five to ten minutes and sit with your eyes closed. This will ensure rest and rejuvenation for the eyes.

2) After a hard day's work in front of the computer, if you come home and sit in front of the television, it puts a whole lot of strain on your eyes. Watching television can be avoided as opposed to working on the computer.

3) If in spite of giving sufficient rest your eyes continue to be listless and tired, it is time for you to consult an ophthalmologist and take help for tired eyes.

4) If the tiredness is caused through any medical condition, the ophthalmologist will be able to provide you treatment which will restore brightness and that twinkle in your eyes. Apart from this, a few eye exercises and home remedies may effectively cure your eyes.

5) Washing your eyes frequently with cold water is one of the easiest, cheapest and most effective means of keeping your eyes looking fresh. Doing this is sure to help relieve you of strain and fatigue.

6) Just add a few drops of lavender oil to water, dip some cotton in it and apply to your eyes. You will find that this soothes and makes your eyes feel relieved of stress.

7) Another excellent remedy for tired eyes includes dipping cotton pads in a solution prepared from boiling tea leaves in water and placing them on your eyes. This also relieves tiredness to a great extent.

Easy Eye Exercises

Certain eye exercises done on a regular basis can be of great help for tired eyes. These include -
Look at an object to your right; continue looking at it even as you turn your face to the extreme right. Do the same thing up and down.

Another exercise includes holding your finger in front of your eyes and concentrating on the same. With your eyes firmly fixed on your fingers, keep bringing the finger closer to your eyes. Take off your fingers and look into the open towards the horizon. Repeat these steps a few times a day.

A combination of treatment and exercises can restore the health of your eyes and bring back the shine and sparkle in them. Learn and take action!

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Help-For-Tired-Eyes&id=1706688

How Long is the Healing Time After LASIK Surgery?

2009-02-02T18:54:00.002-08:00

"How long is the healing time after LASIK?" is a question which many people ask when initially considering this surgery. How long the healing time is after LASIK will depend on a number of factors including:

*Any complications which occurred during the surgery. Some complications will heal on their own, although the recovery time will be extended for a few more months; while others will require additional surgery or enhancements.

*How well the patient follows post-operative rules and cares for his eyes.

*If there are additional complications for any follow up procedures and surgeries and enhancements.

The healing time following a successful LASIK surgery without any complications will generally be about one day, with the patient enjoying improved 20/20 or 20/40 vision immediately after the surgery.

During the 24 hours immediately after the surgery, the patient will generally just need to rest the eyes, wear a protective shield to cover and protect the eyes, and apply antibiotic eye drops to prevent infection. Most patients can return to work the following day after the surgery without any side effects.

However, a number of complications which may occur after the surgery, these complications may be either a result of surgical error or the patient's own visual and overall health. If complication occur, the healing time after LASIK will be lengthened considerably, extending the recovery period anywhere from one to six months.

Complications which will heal themselves without requiring any additional treatment include: halos/starbursts, dry eye, central corneal islands, infection, and visual regression.

LASIK healing time may also be determined by complications that require additional treatment such as irregular astigmatism, diffuse lamellar keratosis, central corneal island that do not resolve themselves, and epithelial ingrowth. These additional treatments will extend the recovery period to two months to one year.

The healing time after LASIK surgery is typically pain free and does not inhibit the patient from going about his normal everyday life. Complications may cause discomfort and less than ideal visual acuity, but are not debilitating or restrictive; in most cases the patient may still resume his everyday lifestyle.

Overall, the LASIK procedure is one of the safest and pain free surgical procedures, with one million plus patients undergoing the procedure in the US each year with a 95% satisfaction rate; this surgery has one of the quickest healing times overall for successful surgeries, and the healing time after this procedure is usually not a deterrent for most considering it.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Long-is-the-Healing-Time-After-LASIK-Surgery?&id=1729500

Do Eye Exercises Actually Work?

2009-02-02T18:54:00.001-08:00

Perhaps you've heard that you should exercise your eyes so your eye muscles won't get weak. But is there any foundation behind these claims? What are eye exercises? Are there any benefits in performing them?

Eye exercises involve rotation of the eyeballs. Basic exercises include movements like looking all the way up, then all the way down, to the right and to the left. You are also advised to rotate your eyes clockwise and then counterclockwise.

On one hand it makes sense. These movements keep the muscles moving and cause them to stretch and contract. On the other hand these eye muscles are not designed to do all this stuff. Their primary function is to accommodate the shape of the eyeball.

The proponents of the eye exercises claim that you became nearsighted or farsighted because "you are not using your muscles", "your eye muscles became weak" and other similar reasons. In fact the opposite is true. You became nearsighted because a certain group of extraocular muscles became too tense and this tension became chronic. Chronic tension changed the shape of your eyeball, in case of myopia or nearsightedness your eyeball became elongated, in case of hyperopia or farsightedness the eyeball became too short. People with normal vision have a round eyeball.

Another reason to consider is that these eye muscles are much stronger than needed so all this talk about weak muscles is unfounded.

Your muscles became tensed on the verge of paralysis. So the thing to do, in order to relieve the anomaly of refraction that you have, is to relax or somehow alleviate this tension. This involves mental control that is very difficult to master but it is possible.

So while eye exercises will certainly do you no harm, there are no actual benefits in them either. It is much better to learn some relaxation techniques and correct visual habits. One of them is to turn your head in whatever direction you are looking rather than just turn your eyes only.

That said there is one exercise that does seem to have a positive effect on vision. It is near-far swing. Basically it involves looking at the far object and then at some close object. You can also look at anything in between. Do not strain while doing it and make sure you blink often and don't hold your breath. You should have glimpses of improved vision.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Do-Eye-Exercises-Actually-Work?&id=1670783

Recovery After Laser Eye Correction

2009-02-02T18:53:00.002-08:00

For those of you who are considering having laser eye correction, it is important to bear in mind that the surgery also involves postoperative recovery. Here are some simple recovery tips for those who plan to go for this surgery.

The actual surgery only takes minutes to perform. What differs for most patients is the postoperative recovery period. For some, it can take a few days, while for others it can be up to a few months.

After laser eye correction, some patients' will be told to use a protective shield to cover the eyes, depending on the type of procedure performed. This protective shield should be used for as long as your eye surgeon recommends. Eye surgeons will also advise patients to use antibiotics, moistening eye-drops or even anti-inflammatory drops. Patients may also be asked to wear sunglasses if they develop sensitivity towards sunlight. For a lot of people, laser eye surgery is not a setback to their lives. They return to their normal activities and even work within a few days after surgery.

There are very rarely any postoperative complications. Patients usually have to attend at least one follow-up exam, which will be arranged by the surgeon during the recovery period to ensure proper and complete healing of the eyes. Some surgeons will also advise their patients to go to sleep as soon as they can after surgery to minimize the risk of postoperative pain occurring. Patients tend to feel a significant vision improvement after waking up from their sleep.

Nearsighted patients will usually experience normal vision returning the day after surgery. If any difficulty reading is experience, it is considered to be a normal side effect of the procedure. For farsighted patients, they will also normally experience a drastic improvement in their vision the day after surgery. If distant objects seem blurry, for them, it is also considered to be temporary and normal.

Postoperative patients should lie down, close their eyes and relax as much as possible. Activities that could strain the eyes, such as reading, watching television or using the computer should be avoided in the first 24 hours after surgery. Another thing to remember is to wear a protective shield, like an eye mask, for the first 7 nights after surgery to prevent the eyes being rubbed during sleep. Patients are allowed to take showers, but avoid getting the shower spray and soap directly into the eyes. It is also advisable to avoid using make-up, consuming alcohol or be in smoky and dusty environments for 48 hours after the surgery.

Patients who follow these tips should have a smooth and easy post laser eye correction recovery process.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Recovery-After-Laser-Eye-Correction&id=1711208

Home Remedy For Treating Pink Eye

2009-02-02T18:53:00.001-08:00

Pink eye or conjunctivitis is a highly contagious viral infection, so it is important that one should not come in close contact of others. Hand washing is mandatory; make it a habit to wash your hand with disinfectant after coming in contact with infected eye. Pink eye can be treated at home by boric acid, Tea, jasmine flowers, Honey, saltwater, chamomile.

Home Remedy for Treating Pink Eye:
Boric acid: Gently washing Pink eye with boric acid may relieve the discomfort associated with it, as it cleans and soothed the infected eye.

Tea: Placed damp tea bags on your infected eye this will ease the discomfort associated with it. First boil the tea bags and let them cool then place them on infected eye or you can also simply make a little stronger tea and then use an eye cup to hold the lukewarm tea in each eye.

Calendula: Calendula an antiseptic is very effective against itching and inflammation. It is generally used for eye washing.

Jasmine Flowers: Jasmine flowers soaked in distilled water for overnight can be used as eye drops will work as magic for pink eye, especially for eye having yellow discharge.
Honey: Putting honey drops mixed in warm water in effected eye is also an effective pink eye remedy.

Saltwater: Cotton balls soaked in warm saltwater when placed on the eyelids gives relief from Pink eye.

Chamomile: Simply placed cool moist chamomile tea bags on each closed eye for about 10 minutes. Repeat this every couple hours. This will help in clearing the infection.

Apart from this you can also wash your eyes with Eyebright Tincture in 1 cup of boiled and cool water. Use a cotton ball. Never use straight tincture in an eye.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Home-Remedy-For-Treating-Pink-Eye&id=1674546

Here's a Quick Way to Improve Eye Sight Without Glasses, Contacts, Or Surgery

2009-02-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

When you think about improving your eyesight, natural therapies are not usually the first thing that occurs to you. Most people make an immediately turn to their their eye doctor, and resign themselves to the fact that they will be purchasing new glasses, contact lenses, or even considering Have you looked for a way to get better vision without glasses, and have you been looking for natural ways to improve eye sight. Most people are completely unaware of how to improve eyesight without relying on the established methods.

The critical action is to find the root cause of the issue and to treat that, rather than continuing to treat the symptoms. Bad vision can come from bad vision habits, like staring and straining to see. Continuing to increase the strength of your prescription will never rebuild your vision; its just a stronger crutch.

The answer is; No, it doesn't. It is mostly about establishing positive habits, and then, yes you do need to set aside 20-30 minutes a day, to learn and practice natural vision correction. Few who struggle with glasses or contacts would debate that this is an investment which is well worth it.

What eyesight exercises do is to strengthen and condition these muscles -- just as you would any other weak muscles in your body -- and redirect your point of focus, thus helping you see clearly without glasses and preventing further deterioration of our eyes.

Natural vision therapy works on the same principles as any other exercise.The more you use your muscles, the stronger and more resilient they become. Aging typically brings with it an overall decrease in activity levels, and for most, a change in general interests. There are many widely heralded ways to keep your body in shape, and fight the signs of aging muscles. There are also ways to improve eye sight, and delay or forestall the onset of needing reading glasses or bifocals.

Natural vision correction is a procedure that's definitely worth considering, especially if you're thinking about laser eye surgery.

For more information on How to naturally improve eye sight, visit our site for all of the detailed information, and start to rebuild your vision now.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Heres-a-Quick-Way-to-Improve-Eye-Sight-Without-Glasses,-Contacts,-Or-Surgery&id=1760592

New Hope For Progressive Keratoconus Patients

2009-02-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

Collagen Crosslinking has been a bit of a controversial topic in the world of eyes. In recent years Collagen crosslinking has shown great results in patients with progressive keratoconus. Studies a bit older proclaimed the same as well hoping to do away with the hazards of Corneal transplantation. And the crosslinking treatment in progressive keratoconus patients is yielding positive results.

Remarkably the increase was 328.9% in patients with progressive keratoconus. The overall studies showed that all the patients tested had their progression stop. The Dresden Clinical study showed that in a 3 and 5 year study 31 patients improved with a slight reversal while others simply stopped progression.

The use of Collagen Crosslinking with photosensitzer Riboflavin and A ultraviolet light provides a less invasive way of treating keratoconus. Researchers feel positive that this will soon become a widely used treatment for Progressive Keratoconus. The Collagen Crosslinking was used on over 100 people at the Dresden Center in Germany two years ago. Confident they have proven their methods to be sound and positive they are working to make it a widely used practice.

Collagen crosslinking only takes a mere 30-45 minutes to perform and can be done in the clinic with little side effects or discomfort. The results increase in their effects over the following months improving sight in the patients. Very seldom do patients need a second dose. However in some extremely progressive keratoconus patients a second dose is needed to achieve optimal effectiveness.

Keratoconus can be a debilitating disease. However if caught early there is hope. Here is a list of risk factors:

Down Syndrome

Family History

Wearing Hard contacts that don't properly fit

Seasoned Allergies with eye rubbing history

Direct eye trauma injuries

Over the years researchers, and doctors continue to make breakthroughs in Keratoconus treatment. In the hope that one day we won't need to worry about it anymore. Continue to strive in your daily life and keep your vision first.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?New-Hope-For-Progressive-Keratoconus-Patients&id=1930281

Keeping Your Eye Protected

2009-02-02T18:48:00.000-08:00

There are several ways to protect your eyes and your children's eyes. A few of the ways to do so are pointed out below:

Don't save money on low-wattage light bulbs.

Control glare by using translucent lamp shades, window blinds and shades that filter light, matte or flat finishes on walls and other surfaces.

Make sure that light is coming from the right place when you read. If you hold a book to the side, light should come from that side, over the shoulder.

Put the television set in a place free of glare and reflections and separated from you bat at least five times the width of the screen.

Make sure you have the right glasses for the right activity (sunglasses, glasses for night driving, reading glasses)

Wear proper eye-safety equipment when handling chemicals, using power tools, or engaging in sports hazardous to the eyes.

Take rest breaks from concentrated activities (computer use especially) in which you use your eyes.

Don't let children play with firecrackers, pea shooters, BB guns, darts, and other missile toys. Don't let them play with others using such toys. Keep them away from power tools, lawn mowers and chemicals. Teach them not to run with or throw sharp objects.

Signs of Vision Problems.
If you notice any of these conditions, see your eye doctor immediately:

Fuzziness or blurring.

Losing one's place when reading or using one's finger to keep place.

Avoidance of close work, especially with children.

Holding reading material too close to eyes.

Rubbing eyes or squinting.

Aching or burning eyes; red eyes; frequent styes and encrusted eyelids.

Headache, eye strain.

Turning or tilting head to use one eye only.

Reading problems in children, such as making reversals when reading or writing.

Difficulty in concentrating.

Spots or flashes of light in front of the eyes; floaters.

Double vision.

Decrease in side vision.

Haloes around bright lights.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Keeping-Your-Eye-Protected&id=1936052

Lutein For Macular Degeneration

2009-02-02T18:47:00.000-08:00

High concentrations of these carotenoids are found in the macula, also known as the macula lutea which means yellow spot in Latin.

The macular pigment is known to provide:

- protection against macular degeneration and cataracts
- protection to the macula against the harmful effects of blue light.

Low levels of macular pigment are associated with macular degeneration.

Researchers said the two pigments act as "sunlglasses" and appear to filter short-wavelength light that can damage the eye's retina.

"When we compared the amount of macular pigment, which is comprised of lutein and zeaxanthin, present in the eyes of people with age-related macular degeneration to people without the disease, those with the lowest levels of carotenoid accumulation in the outer retina were significantly more likely to suffer from age-related macular degeneration than those with higher pigment levels, " said Dr. Landrum.

"The difference in risk between those having the highest and lowest levels was 75 percent."
Dr. Landrum, Florida International University

The Eye Disease Case Control Study looked at 421 cases of wet AMD and 615 matched control cases. This is their conclusion:

Carotenoid levels in the blood were much lower in patients with macular degeneration.

Benefits of Lutein

"Increasing the consumption of foods rich in certain carotenoids, in particular dark green, leafy vegetables, may decrease the risk of developing advanced or exudative AMD."

JAMA. 1994 Nov 9;272(18):1413-20.

At this time there is no toxic dose that is known to cause harm. However, as a nurse I need to remind you that if a person is on blood thinners or is taking an aspirin a day for their heart, they should consult their doctor before starting any supplement.

Though this pigment is deposited into many areas of the body prone to free radical damage - like the eyes and skin - it cannot be manufactured by the body.

Foods High in Lutein

Lutein is found in red, orange and yellow colored vegetables like corn, squash and red peppers.

Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, collard greens, and spinach have some of the highest concentrations.

Lutein Supplements

Should a person consider taking lutein for macular degeneration prevention or to prevent the progression of this disease?

It has been shown in several studies that levels of these two carotenoids can be increased in the eye when taking a supplement or eating these foods, but blood levels drop as soon as the supplement is not being taken.

Family members at risk may also consider taking lutein for macular degeneration or supplements for macular degeneration prevention beginning at an earlier age.

This, combined with good eye protection from the sun, may be of great help in preventing or prolonging the onset of macular degeneration.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Lutein-For-Macular-Degeneration&id=1927067

Do Eye Care Vitamins Work?

2009-02-02T18:46:00.000-08:00

I had gone to my eye doctor for my regular check up and we discovered that my left eye was showing signs of less than perfect vision. It was not bad enough to require glasses but he said that at some point I may need to look into them if my vision continues to deteriorate. It was then that I asked him about eye care vitamins. I had heard about vitamin A and Lutein, as well as others. Did these eye vitamins really do anything or was it just a scam concocted by the manufacturers. The eye doctor went on to tell me that research as indicated that certain vitamins are critical for proper eye health. Many of these are ingested through a proper diet but that taking supplements is simply an insurance policy. considering that my vision was showing signs of deterioration now was a good time for me to look into eye care vitamins for eye health.

When I got home I turned to the internet for information on the types of vitamins that are recommended for eye health. Surprizingly there are quite a few more than I realized. Vitamins such as A,C,E, Zinc, and Copper were the ones that I read about the most but there were over 20 different ones that were recommended for eye health. I wanted to find a complete supplement that did not included any dairy, gluten, salt or fillers of any kind. The eye doctor also told me that I may notice an improvement with my dry eyes. At different times of the years this dry, pain in my eyes can be a real problem. Not only are these eye care vitamins good for the eyes but many of them have other important health benefits for the body as well. All in all I thought taking a specialized supplement was a good idea and my doctor agreed. I admit it was a bit scary to have the doctor tell me that my vision was not as good as it had been in the past. It was a real wake up call for me to start to care for my eyes.

Many of us just take our good vision for granted. I fall right into that category. It is only when we begin to loose that great eye sight that we begin to consider the potential benefits of eye care vitamins. If I can keep from getting glasses and hold onto the vision that I have I am more then willing to take my vitamins.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Do-Eye-Care-Vitamins-Work?&id=1815119

Mom's obesity tied to higher infant mortality

2009-02-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

Babies born to obese moms died more often in first 28 days of life

Research shows that babies born to obese mothers are at increased risk for dying, particularly in the first weeks of life, compared to babies born to normal-weight mothers.

Given high infant mortality rates in the US as compared to other developed nations, the researchers say, if the results are confirmed, obesity prevention should be explored as a measure to reduce infant mortality.

Obese pregnant women are known to be at greater risk of fetal death, while there is also some evidence that death rates are higher among babies born to obese women, according to Dr. Aimin Chen of Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska and colleagues.

To investigate the relationship in more detail, the researchers compared records for 4,265 babies who died in infancy and 7,293 surviving babies, using data from the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey.

Among the infants that died, 8.8 percent had obese mothers, compared to 5.9 percent of surviving infants. Babies born to obese women were at greater risk of death in their first year, and were also more likely to die in their first 28 days of life than infants born to normal-weight women.

Risk highest among heaviest mothers
While risk was increased for obese women no matter how much weight they gained, infant mortality was greatest among women who gained the most weight (0.45 kilogram or one pound and up each week), who were at nearly triple the risk of infant death. Risk was the second-highest for the obese women who gained the least weight (less than 0.15 kg or 0.33 pound a week), who were at 1.75 times greater risk of infant death.

A similar pattern was seen among overweight women, with those who gained the most weight and those who gained the least at highest risk.

A mother's pre-pregnancy body mass index had the greatest influence on neonatal death. Deaths due to complications of pregnancy, labor and delivery as well as problems related to preterm birth or low birth weight were higher among infants born to all obese women, no matter how much weight a woman gained in pregnancy; however, increased risk of death due to respiratory problems, birth defects, and SIDS was only seen for the obese women in the highest weight-gain category.

One problem with their study, Chen and colleagues point out, is that the data is "old;" since 1988, the prevalence of obesity and the average amount of weight women gain during pregnancy has increased, while infant morality rates have dropped by around 20 percent. However, they note, deaths related to prematurity or low birth weight have not seen declined and may even be on the rise, "which may be related to increasing obesity and infertility treatment

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28936421/#storyContinued

More workers get massage and yoga on company time (press release)

2009-01-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

One U.S. West Coast marketing agency encourages employees to stop work and duck out for massages, while at one New York hedge fund, workers break during the day for yoga classes.

More companies are offering employees the on-site pleasures of massage and yoga, not just to make their staff happy but to be competitive and even boost the bottom line.

Such programs, once the provenance of nontraditional companies but now popular in bastions of business, help retain employees in a job market where they might easily leave to work for a competitor, companies say.

"We have to do whatever we can to keep our employees happy. There's a lot of competition right now in our industry," said Tracy Cote, head of human resources at San Francisco-based Organic Inc., a digital marketing agency that is part of Omnicom Group Inc..

"There's been an upswing in the market in the past 12 months. Business is better for us, but business also is better for our competitors," she said. "It's all about recruiting and retaining."

Organic first offered on-site massage once a month and, due to demand, increased to twice a month. Now it's grown so popular the company is considering offering it every week.

In a sign of their appeal, programs such as on-site massage -- when a company may hire a licensed masseuse to set up shop in a spare room -- typically show up as desirable factors in lists of the best U.S. places to work.

Companies are digging deeper into their pockets to pay for such benefits, said Meredith Stern, a partner at Infinite Massage in San Francisco.

ADDED PERK

"With the economy jumping up again, we have noticed that companies are adding this as a perk," she said. "They're trying to find ways to spend money on their employees to keep them, because it's harder to replace somebody."

A survey by Massage Therapy Journal found at most companies that offer massage, more than half added it in the last five years.

In or out of the workplace, some 47 million Americans got a massage in a 12-month period that ended last July, up by 2 million from the previous year, research shows.

"My argument is, you're going to do much better in terms of productivity if you allow your employees to get up and move around for a little bit, and it's better than smoking a cigarette or even having a cup of coffee," said Stern. "But I don't really have to make an argument these days."

In New York, a number of hedge funds offer employees massage or yoga during their workdays.

"It's wonderful, it's a stress reliever, it's good for employee morale," said a worker at one hedge fund.

Research shows massage can lower stress, tension and fatigue, and one study in the International Journal of Neuroscience showed people given massage therapy proved more alert and calculated math problems faster and more accurately.

Demand is on an upswing, said Michael Wald of Namaste New York, which offers anti-stress programs for offices.

"What I'm seeing is increased budgets," said Wald of his business clients. "Each year it has increased.

"I don't have a CEO saying, 'We made X amount of dollars more because of this. It's too hard to quantify," he added. "But morale and the atmosphere are better, and we're seeing a decrease in absenteeism as well as attrition."

At Organic, Cote compared the value of massage to an allegory about two people cutting down trees.

"One of them stops to sharpen their saw, and their tree is going to get cut down faster than the one who doesn't," she said. "That is true about the workplace."

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/019872.html

Massage Tips at Home

2009-01-13T14:30:00.000-08:00

Massage is a lovely way of spending some quality time with your partner. With massage you can not only help each other to relax but also ease the aches and pains of work stress.

It can be hard to know where to begin so here are some tips to get you started:

Make sure the environment is conducive to relaxation:

1. Warm
2. Soft lighting
3. Work and household stuff out of the way
4. Some nice music
5. Scented candles or incense.

The first touch is the most important:
1. The first contact leads the way for the rest, a light gentle reassuring connecting touch lets the body know that its okay to relax and trust the massage.

2. Keep your hands soft, light and gentle rather than (heavy, hard and tense). Use your body for strength rather than your hands.

The massage itself:

1. Put very simply massage can be divided in to 3 sections:
- Warming the muscles
- Relaxing and releasing the muscles
- Integrating the part worked on back into the rest of the body

2. Strokes to experiment with:
Effleurage - this is a basic stroking movement. Using the palm of your hand, allow your hand to softly mould around the body part you are working on and with a medium pressure glide up and down the body, spreading the oil and ‘reading’ or scanning the body for tension spots. This stroke warms the muscles in preparation for deeper work.

Kneading - this is a rhythmic rolling motion with your fingers and thumbs picking up and rolling the muscle, similar to kneading bread. The slower and deeper the stoke, the more beneficial it is.

Wringing - using the whole of your hand with your thumbs close to your fingers move your hands over the area in alternate back and forth motions, in a continuous flow lifting the skin towards you with one hand and pushing it away with the other in a gentle wringing motion.

Friction - this is a stroke that is used to really release tension in muscles once they are warmed by the preceeding strokes. Find a spot that feels tight and using knuckles or your thumb gently lean into the tight spot, only moving in further as you feel the tissue release and let you in -rather than using force think of your hands melting into the muscle and gently persuading the tension to release.

Pummelling - make your hands into loose fists and let them rain and bounce off the muscle in a fast rhythmic beat, avoid bony spots, or any inflamed areas, and the area over the kidneys, adjust your strength according to body part, for example the back can take quite a bit of pressure, but the calves are often sensitive.

Feathering - this is a light touch with the finger tips running from the top of the body downwards, this stroke relaxes and calms the body and also sensitises all the nerve endings after the deeper work

1. Make sure you get feedback from your partner about what feels good and what pressure is the right amount for your partner.

2. Ensure that your own body is comfortable and relaxed, don’t worry too much about getting a technique right, rather let yourself relax into the flow of the massage, focus on making your touch as delicious as you can so your partner feels delicious too!

After the massage:
- Drink some water
- Ease yourself gently back into the world
- Enjoy the relaxed feeling in your body and the intimacy with your partner

For a more in-depth approach with specific techniques contact the BTS office, we would love to come and do a session with you showing you how to massage your partner. We can show you some tips and techniques and teach you in the comfort of your own home.

Source: http://www.bodytissue.com/library/massage-therapy-articles/massage-tips-at-home/

Avoiding Common First Time Massage Mistakes

2009-01-13T14:29:00.000-08:00

You can’t really make a mistake when you receive a massage. However, there are a few things that most first-timers do that can make it harder to relax and that create difficulty for the therapist. Knowing about these things in advance will help you avoid them and have a better experience.

Getting Frustrated: Receiving massage is a skill like any other. It takes time to allow yourself to fall into a comfortable rhythm with your therapist and focus on the massage. It’s easy to get frustrated with yourself for not being able to pay attention and simply relax. After you’ve received your first massage you’ll know what to expect. There are no “massage police” and no one is going to know if your mind wanders a few times or you fall asleep (unless you snore, of course!). Try focusing on your breath and on feeling the sensation of the therapist’s hands.

Helping: When the therapist is lifting or moving your head, arms, or legs, you don’t need to help unless asked. Pretend that you are a limp noodle and simply let him or her move you. Tensing up or trying to help and anticipate what they want will negate the therapeutic effects of the range of motion, stretching, or muscle positioning. Helping can even cause the therapist to work harder.

Not Communicating: It’s very important that your therapist know what your goals for the session are as well as if the pressure is comfortable. Many people complain that the massage wasn’t deep enough or it was too deep and hurt. When asked if they said something, the answer is almost always no. Take responsibility for your experience so that you can get the most out of it. And by all means, please speak up if the room is too cold!

Tough Guy/Girl: So many people think that in order to have an hour of “me time”, there has to be something uncomfortable, tedious, or downright painful to justify it. If you don’t enjoy or need deep pressure, don’t say, “you can go deeper if you want.” We only want to go deeper if YOU want. It’s up to you. Don’t ever feel that we’re holding you up to some standard and that if the pressure isn’t as deep as it was for the last guy we’re going to ridicule you. Many of our clients want a light but firm massage, and there’s nothing wrong with that! Ask for what YOU want, not what you think you should want.

Canceling: As the first massage appointment creeps up on the calendar, many new clients get nervous or suddenly feel guilty for spending time or money on themselves. Being on a massage table and trusting someone with your physical being is a little stressful the first time. This is normal. Being nervous is normal. Therapists are used to it and sometimes sharing your feelings with them helps. A variation to this theme is only making an appointment if they can take you same day. A talented therapist likely already has a steady client base and may not be able to accommodate the last minute request. Please don’t decide not to get a massage if you can’t get in immediately.

One=All Syndrome: Each massage therapist is completely different. Personality, training, talent, compassion, listening skills, and many other aspects go into the experience that is created for their clients. Keep in mind that your own state of being will impact the massage as well. Should you have a bad experience, please recognize that every massage by every therapist will be different. If you have a great experience—and you likely will—reward that therapist by rebooking (making another appointment) and telling your friends and coworkers. Referrals are the lifeblood of our business.

Harboring Unrealistic Expectations: Massage should be a part of your wellness plan, however it is not to be taken in place of medical advice. Multiple sessions are usually needed to get maximum relief, depending on your injury or pain, and sometimes maintenance treatments will also be needed. In addition, you will need to be compliant with (actually do) any homework the therapist gives you such as stretching, drinking more water, and self-treatments.

Source: http://massagetherapyarticles.com/?p=382

Deep Muscle Therapy

2009-01-13T14:26:00.000-08:00

Deep Muscle Therapy defines itself as a means through which the therapist would stimulate the lymphatic and circulatory systems to promote cellular repair while wading off the hazardous toxins. The toxins that are accumulated and of no designated use in the body form the toxic fluids and they in turn harm the body with their potential toxins. Deep muscle therapy is a very successful form of remedial massage that, as the name suggests works into the deeper levels of muscles. It doesn’t just hit the surface for salvation, but moves deeper to the origin of the problem and with certain subtle maneuvers and manipulations by the practitioner afford effective relief.

The basic principle of a healthy body is to have healthy blood, which can only be achieved by good circulation. If each and every cell of the body is well nourished and healthy then so too will the whole body be healthy. But the cells get sick and so the body gets sick. Surrounding each cell is Lymphatic fluid; obviously the purity of the lymph depends on the quality of the blood and the vigor of the circulation. The cleansing action of the lymph, being as important as the nourishing action. To achieve hemostasis (perfectly balanced body chemistry), the blood and the lymph must flow freely. Rich in nutrients and oxygen and free from unwanted substances and toxins.

Deep Muscle Therapy cures by softening hardened muscle fibers and releasing muscles that have adhered; lymph flow between the muscles will be restored and an improved circulation into the muscles; will result. It is apparent that working down the muscles will not open the fibers as required and working across the muscles does help, although, it is not completely successful. By working at different angles the treatment becomes very successful and this technique will help in many different conditions. By softening hardened muscle fibers and releasing the muscles that have become adhered; the lymph flow between the muscles would be restored and improved circulation into the muscles; will result. Deep Muscle Therapy uncovers the pain that is already there. It depends on the condition of the muscles. The tighter the muscles; the more pain will be felt. This may be minimized by the use of a natural analgesic cream. The first treatment is always the most intense. As muscles become free - pain decreases. Deep Muscle Therapy is an essential ingredient to achieving optimum results by improving the circulation and therefore; maintaining good health.

Source: http://massagetherapyarticles.com/

Massage therapy is good medicine, not merely relaxation

2009-01-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

If doctors knew the true causes of health and healing, they'd be prescribing massage therapy to most of their patients rather than prescription drugs. Massage therapy is good medicine, and it's a far more potent healing therapy than most people realize. In fact, I believe that every person, healthy or otherwise, should receive a massage therapy treatment at least once a month.

Why is massage therapy such good medicine? Because it helps move lymph, blood and oxygen to the various organs and tissues in ways that normally don't happen in the bodies of most people. This is especially true for those who don't exercise: for them, massage therapy is critical for maintaining any degree of health.

There's also the "touch factor" of massage therapy that I believe to be remarkably healing. There's something almost magical about the human touch, and its qualities can't be measured with scientific instruments (yet), but researchers know very well that it has powerful physiological effects: touch calms people. It reduces blood pressure, it boost immune system function, and it makes people feel loved. These are very important for those seeking health and healing. (And if you don't believe me, just volunteer at a nursing home some time and offer free hand massages to the patients. I've done this, and you'd be amazed to see the different it makes in the people you're touching.)

The human touch is powerful medicine, which is why I find it so bizarre that doctors seem so afraid of touching their patients. But you don't need a doctor for this kind of healing: find yourself a good massage therapist and get some healing on a monthly basis.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/001088.html

Massage therapy, healing touch are good medicine for the treatment and prevention of chronic disease

2009-01-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

As more and more people are discovering, massage therapy and healing touch therapies are proving to be extremely good medicine for treating those with chronic diseases such as cancer, osteoporosis, depression, and even circulatory disorders. There are several good reasons for this, such as the fact that massage therapy helps move lymph fluid around the body and oxygenate organs and tissues. Plus, there's probably something healthy going on in the fact that human touch is taking place. However, there is a widespread belief, especially among the leaders in Western medicine, that massage therapy can't possibly be considered a medical treatment. Most insurance companies still refuse to pay for massage therapies, and few doctors prescribe it, although the number of doctors recommending it has been increasing over the last few years.

I believe that massage therapy is shunned by the medical community primarily because it is considered an unsophisticated treatment -- you don't need a medical degree to give someone an effective massage. There's not a lot of equipment involved in massage therapy, it doesn't have a lot of cool technology, and it doesn't require years of training. And thus, it is looked upon as something that is below Western medicine, both by doctors and by many patients.

But all of this is a distortion -- something doesn't have to be complicated or cool to be effective as a healing treatment. Massage therapy gets to the fundamentals -- that is, the power of human touch, and the spiritual healing potential of one person's hands touching another person's body along with positive healing intent. These are timeless principles of healing that don't require technology to be effective.

Given that massage therapy and therapeutic touch are so effective in helping patients heal themselves, I find it astounding to observe the lack of physical contact between doctors and their patients in clinics and hospitals across the country. Doctors almost seem scared to touch their patients, and in fact, many doctors don't want to be touched, either. This lack of touch keeps everything at a "safe distance" - it makes their interactions non-personal and sterile. It also allows the doctor to keep patients at a distance, where they can perceive them as patients with patient IDs rather than human beings with souls and spirits and emotions. It is this distance -- this chasm between doctors and patients -- that contributes to the lack of effectiveness in modern medicine.

True healers are willing to get involved with their patients in terms of understanding them, seeing the world from their perspective, and even touching them in a healing way with positive intent. That's why our modern physicians are outstanding technicians, but terrible healers. Personally, I would much rather see a massage therapist than a physician, unless I were suffering from sort of radical, acute injury such as an accident in which case, of course, Western doctors and surgeons are the very best in the world. But when it comes to treating chronic disease and maintaining a high degree of health on a regular basis, massage therapy and healing touch offer an outstanding system of healing that I highly recommend.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/001531.html

A Review of Recent Research Touting the Benefits of Therapeutic Massage

2009-01-13T14:19:00.000-08:00

The myriad health benefits of massage therapy are being validated by a number of fascinating scientific research studies. In the past, massage has been associated largely with exclusive, exotic, luxury spas and upscale health clubs. With more affordable opportunities -- along with increasing support from the medical community, massage therapy is gaining in popularity.

Exciting and proven benefits of massage begin with the very young. In one study, preterm infants gained 47% more weight, were discharged six days earlier (at a hospital cost savings of $10,000 per infant), and become more socially responsive. If the 470,000 preemies born in the U.S. each year were to receive this simple, soothing, and natural treatment, that would translate to annual savings of 4.7 billion dollars.

Preschool children who receive massage right before bedtime fall asleep sooner and stay asleep longer. In another study, preschoolers were given tests before and after receiving a 15 minute massage or spending 15 minutes reading stories with an experimenter. Performance and accuracy improvement were greater for the massage group.

Massage has also been shown to help troubled adolescents. In an interesting study, depressed, hospitalized, adolescents were divided into two groups. One group received 30-minute back massages daily for five days. Another group watched relaxing videotapes. The massaged subjects were less depressed and anxious and had lower cortisol (a stress hormone) levels after the massage. In another study, seventeen aggressive adolescents were randomly assigned to a massage therapy group or a relaxation therapy group. Each group received massage or relaxation therapy for twenty minutes, twice a week, for five weeks. The results demonstrated that the massaged adolescents had lower anxiety and reported feeling less hostile. The parents of the participants perceived their children as being less aggressive after the massage therapy. Significant differences were not found for the teenagers in the relaxation group.

Anorexia nervosa is extremely difficult to treat. Massage therapy is showing great promise with this population. In a study with women diagnosed with anorexia, the results demonstrated that after receiving a massage twice a week for five weeks, the patients reported lower stress and anxiety levels. These women also had lower cortisol levels and increased dopamine and norepinephrine (the “feel good” hormones) after the treatments. A promising result of the treatment was that they reported decreased body dissatisfaction on the Eating Disorders Inventory.

In a study exploring the role of massage therapy for treating migraine headaches, researchers designed a randomized study comparing two groups of subjects. One group received massage therapy for 13 weeks, the other did not. The subjects from both groups were asked to maintain a daily log recording their perceived stress levels and coping efficacy. They were also asked to keep a daily journal of their perceived levels of stress and sleep. Levels of anxiety, heart rate, and cortisol levels were assessed. Compared with the control group, the massage participants showed decreased heart rates less anxious moods, along with lower cortisol levels. The highlight of this study was that the massage group experienced fewer migraines during the study period.

Studies demonstrating the success of massage therapy in treating stress number over one thousand. Currently there are a vast array of theories as to why massage therapy is so successful in managing stress. One can read through extensive scientific studies focusing on measuring neurochemicals and reactions in the SNS (sympathetic nervous system) and the PNS (peripheral nervous system) in order to solve the mystery as to why massage is so effective on various stress disorders. Yet, a simple explanation might be that stress increases muscle tension, massage decreases muscle tension. When a muscle is tensed, circulation is reduced, blocking the absorption of oxygen and nutrients. Massage, on the other hand, loosens up the muscles, increasing circulation, bringing oxygen and nutrients back to the area of tension. Massage may also release stored toxins, which might explain the sense of wellbeing after a massage.

In a recent study in New Zealand involving nurses working in emergency departments, aromatherapy massages with music dramatically reduced stress levels amongst the study participants.

The researchers of this study found that sixty percent of the nursing staff in their experiment reported that they suffer from moderate to extreme anxiety due to their work. The percentage of nurses reporting anxiety dropped to just eight percent after aromatherapy massage treatments. The massages were provided by a licensed massage therapist who sprayed an aromatherapy mist above the heads of the participants. The participants were able to choose the scent. The essential oils were rose, lavender, lime, ocean breeze, or a combination of lavender, ylang ylang, bergamot and patchouli.

A reduction of anxiety from sixty to eight percent is statistically significant. This study demonstrates that massage therapy is a powerful tool with tremendous potential. Introducing such healing therapies in the workplace would be a valuable tool for employers for treating, managing and possibly preventing stress disorders.

Other recent studies have shown that massage therapy can help with pain management (including labor), aiding children with diabetes, sports-related soreness, alcohol withdrawal, immune function, and cancer treatment.

Who knows? Maybe someday, a trip to the spa may be just what your doctor orders.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/023391.html

Work out for less: Shape up and save in 2009

2009-01-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

Keep your resolution with budget-friendly strategies to help you get fit

Tough economic times prompted Benjamin Gordon to move into a smaller apartment last fall. Among other cost-cutting measures, he canceled the gym membership near his old residence but hasn’t joined a new one since the move across town.

“I decided that spending $60 a month on a gym membership was a waste of money and time,” says Gordon, 25, of Tampa, Fla., who owns a Web site development business. “I am currently working twice as hard on my business, so that free hour after work is no longer. To save on money and time, I just go running for about 20 minutes outside, all year round in Florida, and then do some push-ups, sit-ups and curls in my living room.”

Joanne Olson, 44, of Crofton, Md., is keeping her $30 a month gym membership but she recently stopped her twice-monthly personal training sessions that she loved. She and her husband are trying to save up in case he gets laid off and they’re down to one income.

“Although I didn’t spend a lot on personal training, about $125 a month, it was an obvious cutback to help us put more money away,” she says. “Also, no more Sports Authority for workout clothes. I'll be hitting Marshalls and other discount chains from now on.”

If, like Gordon and Olson, you’re doing some financial belt-tightening at the same time you’re working to whittle your waistline, don’t give up. There are cost-effective ways to keep up that New Year’s fitness resolution. Consider these money-saving strategies:

Wheel and deal at the gym. January and February are traditionally the months when gyms run specials to draw in all those people who’ve newly resolved to make this the year they finally shape up. “There are generally discounts to be had,” says Joe Moore, president and CEO of the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, a trade group based in Boston.

Once you’ve identified a few clubs in your price range that you like and are convenient to your home or work, take a close look at membership options. Do you need the priciest membership that includes spa services and pool access? Or, if you really only plan to use the treadmill and some weight machines, will the basic membership, which may be as low as $20 or $30 a month, suffice? “Most clubs offer almost a menu of services,” says Moore.

Ask for some free passes to try the gyms out at the times you would normally go. And when you’ve picked a favorite, don’t sign up on the spot. Wait a few days and see if you get a call about even better rates. Determine if it’s better for you to pay monthly or yearly (keeping in mind that the latter won’t be cost-effective if you stop going).

Also inquire whether the initiation fee is negotiable. Gold’s Gym, for instance, is running an online promotion that waives the $99 enrollment fee for new members (but includes a $19.99 administrative fee). Their monthly fees and contract terms vary around the country.

If you’re already a member of a gym and considering quitting due to cost, talk to the membership office to see what they can do to help keep your business.

Partner up. Personal training can cost $50 to $100 or more an hour. But if you’re game for some personal training that’s a little less personal, you can pair up with a partner or two, three or even four and share the cost. It’s called “partner training” or “small group personal training” and is on the rise, says Kathie Davis, executive director of the IDEA Health and Fitness Association in San Diego.

An IDEA survey of more than 900 personal trainers conducted last February showed that 84 percent of respondents offered partner training in which two clients share the session and 49 percent offered small group training with three to five clients. “I think both of these numbers will grow,” says Davis, citing the economy.

If the buddy system isn’t your style, ask about personal training specials. This month, for example, 24 Hour Fitness is offering five 25-minute personal training sessions for $99, according to the chain’s chief executive officer Carl Liebert.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28471780/

Battle of the bulge: How to blast back fat

2009-01-12T19:04:00.000-08:00

Plus, advice for stepping out in the right fitness shoe

How can you battle fat bulges on your back? And is it better to jog in walking shoes, or walk in jogging shoes? Smart Fitness answers your questions.

We’ll post select answers in future columns.

Q1: I have a spare tire but it's not the usual around-the-belly tire. It's above my bum. It's like a lump that goes from one side to the other. Is there an exercise that can get rid of this?

Q2: I had a huge stomach for years and I started dieting and exercising in my mid 40s. I am now 50-something, my gut has gone down a great deal but I have flab on my lower back that just won't move, almost like a bra-strap crease – and I’m a man. I can't afford liposuction and have been doing every ab and back exercise that I know of but I still have this crease. Is there any help for me?

A: Back fat may seem like a particularly stubborn beast, but it’s the same stuff that appears on bulging bellies and buttocks. And just like fat elsewhere on the body, there isn’t a single exercise that can specifically target it.

“There is not a way to ‘spot reduce’ these fatty areas,” explains exercise physiologist Gerald Endress, fitness director of the Duke University Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, N.C. “Our body will decide where it wants to store fat.”

But while there is no single magic exercise to banish back fat, a diet and fitness plan aimed at burning more calories can help, he says. Eating less and exercising more promotes weight loss all over, including the back.

For people like the second reader who are trying to shed back fat through exercise but not getting the desired results, Endress suggests shaking up your fitness routine, particularly if you have been doing the same exercises for a long time. Try some different activities — maybe swimming or a new sport — to challenge your body in fresh ways and rev up the calorie burn.

Another fitness approach to breaking a weight-loss plateau is to incorporate interval training into your exercise regimen, says Endress.

“Interval training is a way to spice up your exercise and safely increase your intensity at the same time,” he says. “Bring interval training into your aerobic workouts by speeding up your pace, after warm-up, to a difficult intensity that you can only maintain for one minute. Slow down for three to five minutes, and repeat four to five more times.”

Besides aerobic activity, strength-training exercises that target back muscles can give the back a more toned appearance that minimizes flab. Yoga and Pilates also can strengthen the core, while burning some calories, too, notes Endress.

And if it’s any consolation, a little back fat isn’t the world’s worst villain, from a health standpoint anyway.

“Fatty tissue on the back area is much less concerning than fat in the abdominal region, which puts you at a greater risk for diabetes and heart disease,” says Endress.

Q: I have embarked on a walk/jog routine on the treadmill, and plan to eventually move it outdoors. My question is whether it is better to jog in walking shoes, or walk in jogging shoes?

A: Opt for the jogging shoes, advises David Davidson, a podiatrist in Buffalo, N.Y., and president-elect of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM).

Jogging is the more demanding activity, he says, so it’s best to stick with the shoe that’s up for the bigger task. This applies whether you’re exercising indoors on the treadmill or outside, by the way.

Your question is a good one, since stepping out with a good sports shoe can help prevent aches and pains of the foot, ankle, leg and even the hips and back, experts say.

“It does matter what fitness shoes one wears as there is no one shoe that serves all purposes,” Davidson says.

“My best advice is to visit a reputable sport shoe store, make sure your feet are measured and purchase a sport-specific shoe,” he adds.

And don’t forget to regularly inspect your shoes for wear, and replace them periodically. Running and walking shoes, for instance, last about 350 to 500 miles, according to the AAPSM.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26458775/

Changing your mind can change your body, too

2009-01-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

Destructive thoughts can wreck your workout efforts, experts say:

Change your mind, and you just might change your body, too. Psychologists say our “self talk” or “internal dialogue” can make or break a fitness routine.

The problem is that many people simply aren’t aware of how destructive their thoughts are, says Gareth Dutton, a psychologist at Florida State University in Tallahassee who specializes in helping people to exercise and lose weight.

“The thing that precedes your behavior is a thought, and we sometimes aren’t good at getting in touch with our thoughts,” he says. “We’re on autopilot.”

The first step in charting the right course to fitness is to recognize how your thoughts are undermining your exercise plan, says Dutton. The second step is to challenge the negative thinking – and there’s certainly no shortage of that when it comes to exercise.

Playing mind games
The key, Dutton says, is to remember that “a thought is just a thought. It doesn’t mean it’s reality.” In other words, just because you think you hate everything about exercise doesn’t mean you can’t find some activities that are more tolerable than others. Likewise, just because you think you absolutely have to eat that piece of pumpkin cheesecake (easily canceling out the calorie burn of your workout) doesn’t mean that you really do.

It can be tough for beginners to master the skills necessary to adhere to an exercise plan, but give it time, advises Diane Whaley, an associate professor of sport and exercise psychology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and a spokesperson for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. “If you can stick it out for six months, it starts to become a part of who you are versus what you do,” she says. “You have more of an identity as an exerciser.”

Plus, you’ll probably see some positive results that can motivate you to keep at it. Among them: better muscle tone, feeling stronger and more fit, weight loss, improved mood and better sleep.

Ready to change your bad exercise thoughts to better thoughts? Try these mind games:

Bad thought: “I hate exercise. I just don’t like anything about it.”
Better thought: “There must be some type of physical activity that I can find at least tolerable, and maybe even enjoy. Besides, exercise is important for my health and wellness, and to allow me to keep up with my kids/grandchildren.”

Bad thought: “There’s no way I can find the time to exercise.”
Better thought: “Is there any evidence to the contrary? How have I managed to fit in exercise in the past? Maybe I can’t spend 30 straight minutes a day on exercise at a gym, but surely I can fit in 10-minute chunks of physical activity here and there.”

Bad thought: "I tried to start a fitness plan but the pain of exercise is just too much for me."
Better thought: "I find exercise uncomfortable now but that doesn’t mean it will feel like this when I get in better physical shape. I just need to take things slowly. Plus, there are many positive aspects to exercise that I can try to focus on, such as how it’s making me healthier and to feel better overall.”

Bad thought: “It’s raining so I can’t get in my usual morning walk around the neighborhood today.”
Better thought: “It’s raining, so today I’ll go walk at the gym or the mall instead.”

Bad thought: "I'll never be able to lose all this weight."
Better thought: "I’m not feeling very hopeful right now but this is just a thought and it doesn’t mean I truly can’t lose weight. I know that diet and exercise won’t allow me to shed these pounds overnight, so I need to set reasonable, achievable goals — and stay the course.”

Bad thought: “I’ve missed a few workouts, so I might as well throw in the towel.”
Better thought: “I’ve temporarily fallen off the fitness wagon, but I can get back on. Why did I miss those workouts, and how can I avoid this happening next time? How can I change my schedule to make exercise fit in? For starters, I could schedule workouts for next Tuesday and Thursday right after work.”

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27598392/

10 Tips To Healthy Eating

2009-01-06T07:03:00.000-08:00

Experts agree the key to healthy eating is the time-tested advice of balance, variety and moderation. In short, that means eating a wide variety of foods without getting too many calories or too much of any one nutrient. These 10 tips can help you follow that advice while still enjoying the foods you eat.

1. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods. How much you should eat depends on your calorie needs. Use the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels as handy references.

2. Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Surveys show most Americans don't eat enough of these foods. Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don't enjoy some of these at first, give them another chance. Look through cookbooks for tasty ways to prepare unfamiliar foods.

3. Maintain a healthy weight. The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.

4. Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you know the recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, similar in size to a deck of playing cards? A medium piece of fruit is 1 serving and a cup of pasta equals 2 servings. A pint of ice cream contains 4 servings. Refer to the Food Guide Pyramid for information on recommended serving sizes.

5. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you're very hungry, it's also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.

6. Reduce, don't eliminate certain foods. Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them.

Identify major sources of these ingredients in your diet and make changes, if necessary. Adults who eat high-fat meats or whole-milk dairy products at every meal are probably eating too much fat. Use the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to help balance your choices.

Choosing skim or low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef round can reduce fat intake significantly.

If you love fried chicken, however, you don't have to give it up. Just eat it less often. When dining out, share it with a friend, ask for a take-home bag or a smaller portion.

7. Balance your food choices over time. Not every food has to be "perfect." When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.

8. Know your diet pitfalls. To improve your eating habits, you first have to know what's wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. Then check your list according to the rest of these tips. Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings? Rather than eliminating these foods, just cut back your portions. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables? If not, you may be missing out on vital nutrients.

9. Make changes gradually. Just as there are no "superfoods" or easy answers to a healthy diet, don't expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits. For instance, if you don't like the taste of skim milk, try low-fat. Eventually you may find you like skim, too.

10. Remember, foods are not good or bad. Select foods based on your total eating patterns, not whether any individual food is "good" or "bad." Don't feel guilty if you love foods such as apple pie, potato chips, candy bars or ice cream. Eat them in moderation, and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety that are vital to good health.

Source: http://primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/nutrition/10eattips.htm

Organic Food

2009-01-06T07:02:00.001-08:00

Organic food is a trend which is the fastest grows. Because of the feature of organic food is very appetizing.

The result of the research of the organic food discovered that this type of food has a lot of vitamin higher hat general food. The results of the research of California University discover organic food has vitamin C higher that general food about 27% irons about 21% and manganese about 29%.

However a person who must avoid translates should observe. Because the organic foods can not grantee that it has not something which bad for health. It only has nutrient fact and fiber more that general food.

Source: http://www.besthealthy4u.com/organic-food.html

Junk Food and Sight of Seeing

2009-01-06T07:01:00.000-08:00

Scientist doesn’t only just warning that junk food and snack caused obesity but recently scientist discover that it also take part in humans’ seeing ability to become bad. High fats snack can increase the risk of decline eye muscle before the age. This is the reason why American who is at least 55 years old is blind. Researcher from Massachusetts eye and ear infirmary specify that irreversible eye disease symptoms affect to Americans’ seeing ability around 10 million peoples and are increasing. Black list foods are potato ship, cookie, margarine, chocolate, pie, and cake. The results of research are published in Archives of Ophthalmology Magazine, by study from 349 peoples who are 55 – 80 years old and have a severe eyes diseases symptom. The researcher suggested eating fish especially for deep sea fish.

Source: http://www.besthealthy4u.com/junk-food-and-sight-of-seeing.html

Make a cooler & relieve tense by fragrant banana

2009-01-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

“Banana” is a fruit that easy to find. In Thailand, banana is easy to grow. It is very cheap. Therefore it also gives us many advantages.

“Fragrant banana” Is one kind a banana that very delicious and also have many advantage. This banana help us to relieve heartburn or colicky, because in fragrant banana has decrease acid substances. Moreover, this banana is also help in Morning Sickness problem. It us eat the fragrant banana in the morning, afternoon or in the evening it can help to control the sugar level in our blood. And this banana has many vitamins B and relieves tense and also relieve exhausts.
The people who is stomach disease or has wound in their intestine, should to eat the fragrant banana frequently cause it glaze their skin inside the stomach and can decrease wound inside their stomach also. The fibers inside fragrant banana also help us to digest the food inside small intestine also. Moreover fragrant banana also help to control the temperature in our body.

Not only eating story. We also has a small driblets that, when the mosquito hit us and cause sore you try to use an outer covering of fragrant banana to rub in the areas that the mosquito hit. It can help to decrease swell symptom and itch similarly.

Source: http://www.besthealthy4u.com/make-a-cooler-26-relieve-tense-by-fragrant-banana.html

10 Essential Health Tips (The Basics to Practice Every Day)

2009-01-06T06:59:00.000-08:00

1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!

2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!

3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.

4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.

5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.

6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.

7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.

8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.

9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.

10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.

Source: http://www.health-fitness-tips.com/features/10-essential-health-tips.htm

Tips to get healthy in 2009

2009-01-02T01:27:00.000-08:00

The year 2008 isn’t even over yet and already a stack of 2009 resolutions is staring you down like a boot camp sergeant.

Well, OK, hotshot. We’re gonna see what kind of soldier you are.

We’ve compiled a calendar to get you focused on your goals for at least the first 31 days of the new year. We’ve taken some of the best nutrition, fitness and health tips we’ve learned and tossed in a few new bits of advice.

Don’t fret if you don’t have a goal set yet; you can try a few of these on for size.

1. You blew it at 12:01 a.m. at the New Year’s Eve party. Give yourself a break and relax.

2. Relatives still here? Go on a long, brisk walk or run.

3. Join an online support group, such as the slew of weight-loss programs or fitness goal-setters. We suggest http://www.presidentschallenge.org.

4. Sweating? Try wicking material that pulls moisture away from the skin, say the experts at Fit2Run at Tampa’s International Plaza.

5. Eat more dark green veggies. Try broccoli and kale.

6. Dance, dance, dance. It’s the foundation of today’s aerobic exercise classes, says Fabio Comana of the American Council on Exercise.

7. Keep a food diary. Writing down all you consume significantly boosts weight loss, surveys show.

8. Register for a 5K walk or run and make it a long-term goal.

9. Diets are not a finite, says Bob Harper, “The Biggest Loser” fitness guru. “There is no end to this journey of weight loss and living healthy.“

10. Get cheap fitness at home. Fill old milk jugs with water to use as free weights.

11. Hurting? Try R.I.C.E.: Rest for at least 48 hours; ice injured area 20 minutes; compress injury with wraps, casts or splints; and elevate injured area.

12. Fill your kitchen with locally grown foods to improve your health and the environment, says Carole Carson, author of “From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself Into a Weapon of Mass Reduction” ($14.95, Hound Press).

13. Drink more water. There’s nothing better for boosting wellness, fitness and weight-loss chances.

14. Have it your way. Don’t be afraid to special order at restaurants to remove fats, oils or bread you don’t need.

15. Prevent boredom and try a new workout, such as Muay Thai or Krav Maga martial arts.

16. Be like Mike. Clip a picture of your favorite athlete and put it on the fridge for motivation.

17. Juggle fruits. Try more than juice. Experiment with fresh, frozen, canned or dried.

18. Launch an office challenge. See if co-workers are willing to walk during breaks and eat more healthful lunches.

19. Don’t want to get out of bed? Do stretches while still under the covers, says Toronto doc Blair Lamb, who runs http://www.stretch-doctor.com.

20. Turn off the TV. Go outside and play.

21. Eat more plant-based foods. It’s the single best way to improve health and lose weight, says Florida nutritionist Barbara Roberts.

22. Fast food time: Grab fresh fruits, salads and grilled options.

23. Guilty about meeting your goal? Do something good like donate blood or sign up to donate organs.

24. Join a recreational sport league at work or church, or a group like Tampa Bay Club Sport.

25. Think long-term. Fitness now translates into a longer, more active life.

26. Don’t skip meals. Your body uses calories all day; depriving it makes no sense, says Marjie Gilliam, a certified personal trainer and fitness consultant.

27. Use oil sparingly. Better yet, use cooking spray or nonstick cooking pans.

28. Quick-fix toning: Try 10 sets of weight work on muscle groups you don’t usually pump. says J.C. Santana, director of the Institute of Human Performance in Boca Raton.

29. Tweak favorite recipes. Substitute ingredients for more healthful favorites, like chocolate cake and plantains, to lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure, and keep down the weight, say Florida Heart Research Institute experts.
30. Control cravings by consuming more fruits and vegetables, says New Jersey physician and nutritionist Joel Fuhrman.

31 You are what you eat. “I used to be a Vienna sausage, and now I’m fat-free licorice,“ says fitness guru Richard Simmons.

Source: http://www.jcfloridan.com/jcf/news/local/article/tips_to_get_healthy_in_2009/52683/

Printable version: http://static.mgnetwork.com/jcf/content/news/healthresolutions.pdf

Simple health tips for 2009

2009-01-02T01:26:00.001-08:00

Rush.edu - Quit Smoking. Lose weight. Get more exercise. These are popular New Year’s resolutions, but they are undoubtedly a chore. A third of resolutions, however well motivated, are broken within a week.

If better health is your aim, there are many other simple, less obvious things you can do – without a great deal of effort. Here are a few recommended by physicians at Rush University Medical Center.

Simple health tips for 2009

• Have fun to help de-stress. Experts recommend regular exercise, meditation and breathing techniques to reduce stress, but even something as simple as listening to soothing music, reading a good book, soaking in a hot tub or playing with your pet can help you relax. “Spending just 30 minutes a day doing something you enjoy can go a long way toward beating the stressors of everyday life,” says cardiologist Dr. Annabelle Volgman, director of the Rush Heart Center for Women. That’s advice you should take to heart because prolonged stress can cause or exacerbate a number of health problems — some serious — including heart disease, stroke, hypertension, depression, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines and obesity.

• Practice good oral hygiene. Spend a minimum of two minutes to brush your teeth twice a day — and don’t forget the dental floss. Daily flossing and brushing of teeth not only help prevent cavities but may keep other diseases at bay as well. Experts suspect that bacteria-producing dental plaque, which leads to gum inflammation, can result in or exacerbate heart disease. Although the exact mechanism of why this occurs is not clear, a connection has also been found between poor periodontal health and stroke, diabetes, premature births and low birth weights. “It’s also a good idea to take a three-hour break between eating foods that contain sugar,” says Dr. Joel Augustin, a family medicine physician at Rush.

• Do a crossword puzzle. Researchers at Rush have found that mentally challenging activities, such as reading and playing chess, may have a protective effect on your brain. “Regularly engaging your mind may help lower your risk for the dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Augustin says.

• Enjoy a little red wine. Recent studies have shown that the powerful antioxidants found in red wine protect against heart disease, colon cancer, anxiety and depression. So unless there is a medical reason why you shouldn’t imbibe, go ahead and enjoy that glass of merlot with your nightly meal — you can even toast to your good health.

• But don’t drink excessively. Just as a small amount of red wine has health benefits, too much alcohol — even red wine — can cause a variety of health problems, including liver and kidney disease and cancer. Women, in particular, need to be careful about alcohol consumption. “Women are at higher overall risk of liver problems than men, so they are more likely to experience liver problems from smaller amounts of alcohol,” says Dr. Carline Quander, a gastroenterologist at Rush. “They simply shouldn’t drink as much as men.” For a healthy man, two drinks a day is not likely to do harm; women, on the other hand, should limit themselves to one daily drink.

• Stop the snore cycle. When half of a couple snores, the other person loses sleep. The snorer is frequently tired too because people who snore loudly often have sleep apnea. In the most common form of this condition, the airway is blocked, causing the person to stop breathing and wake up repeatedly. Physicians at the Sleep Disorders Service and Research Center at Rush found that treating the snorer with continuous positive airway pressure, which keeps the airway open, results in better sleep for both people.

• Don’t forget the seatbelt — ever. Even if you’re driving only a short distance or are in a parking lot, take a few seconds to fasten your safety belt, which prevents you from being tossed around the car or thrown from it in the event of a crash. Most cars these days are equipped with air bags, but these lifesaving features are designed to work with safety belts. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, air bags alone are only 42 percent effective in providing protection.

• Check your ergonomics. If you work at a computer, look at the ergonomics of your workstation — how you fit and move in your environment. You can start by visiting the Division of Occupational Health and Safety at http://dohs.ors.od.nih.gov/ergonomics_home.htm. “An ergonomics review can help you avoid neck, back and eye strain,” Dr. Augustin says.

Source: http://ihealthbulletin.com/blog/2008/12/25/simple-health-tips/

Why the day after Christmas is a health hazard

2009-01-02T00:52:00.000-08:00

December 26 could be one of the most dangerous days of the year for people vulnerable to cardiac problems, including heart attacks, arrhythmias, and heart failure. And many of these so-called Merry Christmas coronaries will hit people who didn't even realize they were at risk when they unwrapped their gifts the night before.

But the holiday season isn't good for heart health to begin with. A 2004 study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego and Tufts University found that heart-related deaths increase by nearly 5 percent during the holidays, perhaps because patients delay seeking treatment for heart problems or because hospital staffing patterns change. But anecdotally, doctors say that their ERs stay quiet on Christmas Day itself. Then, come December 26, they see a surge of cardiac traffic.

"This time of year is notorious for heart attacks, heart failures, and arrhythmias," says Samin Sharma, MD, director of interventional cardiology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.

In fact, 2008 may pose an even greater risk than years past. Added stress over the recession means you're already putting a lot of pressure on your heart, and that's before the holiday eating and drinking even begin. Here's how to steer clear of the hospital. Health.com: Heart-healthy holiday menu

Keep your ticker ticking

It's easy to knock back several glasses of wine when you're sitting around the holiday table for long stretches of time, especially if you tell yourself that wine is good for your heart. But more than one alcoholic drink can have consequences: Excessive drinking can trigger atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat. If it persists, atrial fibrillation ups your odds of suffering a stroke. "There are huge campaigns not to drink and drive during the holidays, but no one talks about the heart dangers," says Dr. Sharma.

Extra money woes coupled with an already stressful holiday season sound like a setup for overindulgence. "It's probably more dangerous than ever this year," says Gerald Fletcher, MD, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "People don't have as much money, but they still need to spend. They're cutting back, but they're worried about the credit card bill on the way. With all this in mind, people might be drinking more than ever." Health.com: What are your odds of a heart attack?

Normally, a holiday heart arrhythmia isn't fatal, and in fact it usually fades on its own. Some of the symptoms are the same as a hangover -- nausea, weakness, and a pale face -- and your heart should be back to normal in 24 hours. But if it isn't, you may need to see a doctor for medication or electrical cardioversion, which will stabilize your heart beat.

How to avoid a holiday heart attack

Every year, cardiologists see a spike in heart attacks once the weather starts to turn. When temperatures drop, blood vessels start to restrict, raising blood pressure. You may want to think twice before you decide to shovel your stoop or take a postprandial hike in bitter weather, as strenuous physical activity can leave you clutching your chest.

But cold weather isn't the only culprit. Come Christmas Day, many people confuse the signs of a heart attack -- like shortness of breath or chest pains -- with indigestion from a big dinner. And while you may be apt not to risk it on any other day, hauling yourself down to the hospital may seem like too much of a hassle on a big holiday.

Instead, many people ignore the telltale signs of a heart attack until they wake up on the 26th, still feeling that discomfort. But by then it may be too late.

"If you're having a heart attack, studies show that you can't wait longer than 12 hours to be treated," says Dr. Sharma. So if you wait until December 26, you may be playing with your fate. Health.com: Surprising heart attack triggers

Listen to your body over the long holiday haul and don't dismiss any discomfort as a by-product of overindulgence. Watch any friends or family members who have had a heart attack in the past.

Breaking diet rules and heart failure

Patients with heart failure who are following a low-sodium diet need to exercise extra caution this Christmas. Experts say that these people may choose not to live within their everyday rules, opting to partake in holiday overindulgences instead. Heavy meals, too much salt, and excess alcohol can all trigger heart failure. Health.com: Learning to eat healthy can be work

"Doctors need to make a point of telling their patients not to overindulge," says Dr. Sharma. "Ultimately, though, it's the patients who are going to decide what to do."

But everyone, not just heart patients, can benefit from watching what they eat. "We need to try to stay healthy through the holidays, not wait until January 1," says Dr. Fletcher. "You can't keep your resolution if you don't live through the holidays."

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/12/18/healthmag.moh.dec26/

Meeting Fitness Goals For 2009 With the Help of a Personal Trainer or Coach

2009-01-02T00:45:00.000-08:00

January is a great time to form New Year's fitness goals, but how many years have you said to yourself, "this time I really am going to start an exercise program"? Most people are full of great intentions, but have trouble fully committing to goals, especially when it comes to exercise.

Knowing where or how to start an exercise program can be difficult. With all of the unrealistic promises being advertised, it's confusing as to what really works, or what is actually needed. Large gyms can be intimidating and expensive, not to mention the required contracts. Smaller gyms can offer the privacy some people crave, but are sometimes even more expensive fees, and may lack personal attention and instruction.

People are all unique and have different fitness needs and goals. Some of these goals may include weight loss, toning, athletic goals, and overall good health. How does one know what kinds of exercises to do in order to lose weight, tone, run that first 5K, etc? Enlisting the help of a personal trainer can provide you with personalized training programs designed just for you, tailored to your goals.

There are many different options when hiring a personal trainer. Most gyms have personal trainers on their payroll. If you're a member of a particular gym, you must use their personal trainers. Other personal trainers work as independent contractors at gyms, but it is sometimes required that the client become a member of that particular gym. Then there are personal trainers who provide in-home personal training. Usually the in-home personal training is a bit more expensive; however, usually the trainer will provide all of the necessary equipment to get a great workout. In-home personal training also allows the client to avoid the expensive fees and contracts required by a health club, the gas and time it takes to travel to the health club, and it gives the client the privacy while working out that so many people desire.

Whatever trainer you choose, be sure that your personality is compatible with your trainer, and that you're comfortable around him or her. Make sure your trainer understands your strengths and weaknesses as well as your short and long term goals, and be sure that your trainer values quality workouts, not quantity. Bottom line-make the commitment and get healthy in 2009!

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Meeting-Fitness-Goals-For-2009-With-the-Help-of-a-Personal-Trainer-or-Coach&id=1829402

Increase Flexibility With Therapeutic Exercises

2009-01-02T00:44:00.000-08:00

Are you suffering from a recent muscle injury? Whether you tore or strained a muscle exercising or are recovering from an injury, you know the pain and frustration of a slow recovery. Fortunately, our bodies have amazing recuperative abilities. We can help that recuperation along by working with some therapeutic exercises.

Therapeutic exercises are a series of exercises that are prescribed with the intention of correcting muscle impairment, improving your musculoskeletal function or your overall health. These exercises are often highly focused on a specific muscle group, but provide the benefit of overall muscle relaxation and increase flexibility.

They may consist of several procedures. As part of the exercise regimen, you may receive instruction on strengthening muscles, stretching muscles, deep breathing, massage and relaxation or meditation techniques. The aim of these exercises is to achieve the following benefits:

- Increase flexibility

- Strengthen muscles

- Improve or reduce joint and muscle pain

- Deepen and regulate breathing

- Increase cardiovascular fitness

- Improve posture

These therapeutic exercises are especially beneficial for people that are suffering from lower back pain. With persistence and repetition, therapeutic exercises aimed at strengthening your core muscles can help you overcome your persistent lower back pain. Whether you've suffered an injury or merely carrying some extra weight, strengthening this muscle group can add to your quality of life. Not only will you increase flexibility, but you'll find you have greater energy and stamina as a result.

Putting together a therapeutic exercise routine is not as complicated as it sounds. Often, a physical therapist or personal trainer will prescribe a set of exercises to help strengthen your muscles and increase flexibility, or you could find an exercise regime that focuses on helping people achieve strength and get back into shape.

What is important is consistency. Whether you are working with a prescribed exercise regime or you are performing exercises with the goal of increased flexibility, it's essential to perform these exercises on a regular basis. Some of the simple core exercises can be performed each day in a matter of minutes, others can easily be incorporated into a warm-up or simple exercise routine.

There's nothing more frustrating than being slowed down by muscle pains or injury. Fortunately, if you take a proactive approach, you can quickly change this pain into gain. All you need are a few therapeutic exercises, a little bit of practice, and you'll soon have a new lease on life.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Increase-Flexibility-With-Therapeutic-Exercises&id=1834030

Flexibility Training - More Than a Few Quick Stretches

2009-01-02T00:43:00.000-08:00

Many people overlook an important part of their exercise regime - flexibility training. People often focus on cardiovascular training or strength training. These are both important parts of the exercise process, but flexibility training combined with core stability training is the glue that holds it all together.

Cardiovascular training helps us lose weight and get fit. Strength training helps us build muscles and shed fat. So what exactly does flexibility training offer? It helps us stay limber, have greater functional movement of our bodies, suffer from fewer injuries, and improve our athletic performance. If you want to improve your golf swing or tennis game, start with a flexibility warm-up.

Are you already stretching before you exercise? It's better to get some flexibility warm-ups into your routine than none at all, but if you merely stretch once or twice before you work out you could be limiting the benefits of stretching. Generic stretching activities aren't as beneficial as stretches that are tailored to produce results for a specific muscle group.

In other words, it's better to spend more time on a consistent flexibility training program. You'll realize benefits in daily activities and improved sports performance. Simply adding it to your routine two to three days a week will yield big results.

You will see improvement in the stability of your core muscles, and adds greater range of motion to the large muscle groups that are used in almost all activities. Flexibility warm-up before activities start helps you have greater range of motion and fewer injuries. Adding a few minutes to your training at the end of your exercising helps prevent post activity soreness.

Do you experience points of your body that seem "tight"? These areas of your body are areas where you hold muscle tension. Tense areas could be a result of previous injuries or a muscle imbalance. Flexibility training helps you ease the tension in these parts of the body and correct those imbalances. It's important to tailor your flexibility training to your body's needs as each person is an individual.

One of the ways you can tailor your training is by paying attention to your body's signals. Again, those tight areas are telling you that you need to spend some time stretching the muscles. Any time you experience pain, that's a signal from your body that you've pushed too hard. Whenever you are working through a flexibility warm-up, be careful not to bounce. This can injure muscles - simply hold a stretch for a minimum of 10 to 30 seconds, increasing the duration if your muscles aren't fatigued.

The secret to successful flexibility training is consistency. Add a flexibility warm-up to any exercise or task - whether it's playing golf, or bending down to garden. Add additional stretching exercises to your daily routine - this flexibility training will pay off with increased strength and range of movement. Your body will thank you!

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Flexibility-Training---More-Than-a-Few-Quick-Stretches&id=1834029

Get Motivated to Exercise With Mental Toughness

2009-01-02T00:42:00.001-08:00

What gets you motivated to exercise? For some of us, it's fitness and health; for others it may be weight loss goals. This article will provide you with ways to get (and stay) motivated with mental toughness so you can get the best results from your workouts. Whether you're just getting started or looking for next big thing, the following information will be beneficial to you.

Funny thing about your exercise program - the hardest part of it will always end up being the part where you have to make good on it! Making progress in your fitness plan takes two things - a dedication to executing your plan on a regular basis, and pushing yourself to improve on what you've been doing. In other words, Mental Toughness - the drive to go beyond your limits, which often means the ultimate difference between success and failure for your program.

The problem is, although we understand that drives a triathlete has to survive the last mile of an Ironman competition, the question often is: How do I get that drive? Well, let's define mental toughness first. It's simple, really. Its keeping focused on achieving your goal, no matter how difficult. And, the ability to accomplish that differs from person to person, so if you find yourself having difficulty keeping yourself focused on your fitness goal, you're not alone!

What it all comes down to is how you motivate yourself. There are those who need little encouragement to be a self-starter, while the rest of us (actually, the majority of us) that need a little pressure to force us to get motivated. That pressure can be either a desire for success, or a need to avoid failure. Another way of putting this is, you either believe you'll succeed by busting your butt, or you'll do it to avoid being humiliated.

Understanding which type of personality you have is the first step in coming up with the best way to build your motivation. Here's how:

-If you're the "success driven" kind of person, paint yourself a mental picture of what "success" looks like to you. Remind yourself of the great opportunities being fit will bring you, whether its clothes fitting better, more energy, or that flat stomach you've always wanted.

-If you're the "avoid failure" kind of person, talk to yourself! (Actually, you probably shouldn't do that out loud to avoid funny looks from people around you!) Be positive. Remind yourself that you can do this - that the only way you can fail is not to try. And, when you do have the occasional negative thought, push it aside and focus on the positive ones. And, one of the best ways to find that "positive" thought is to write down "why" you want to improve your fitness level, whether it's to run a marathon, loose 10 pounds, or whatever your goal is. Then, repeat that goal to yourself as you train.

Lastly, get uncomfortable! That's right, as funny as that may sound, getting yourself uncomfortable is important - it's how you'll improve! Think about all the times in your life where you were afraid to try something new, but once you did it, it became easier. Yet, had you not tried it, you never would have found that out! The same holds true for fitness. When you exercise, you need to push your body a little farther than the last time, otherwise your body won't adjust and improve. Yes, this sounds corny, not to mention obvious. But if you keep in mind that the momentary discomfort you may feel, is worth it when you've accomplished your goal!

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Get-Motivated-to-Exercise-With-Mental-Toughness&id=1832885

Exercises to Reduce Tummy Fat

2009-01-02T00:41:00.000-08:00

Here are a few good exercises to reduce tummy fat. Forget that stupid stuff at the gym. It's simply NOT NEEDED! In fact, it's a big waste of time. Sure it can help you, but for the amount of time you spend doing such things as crunches, treadmill jogging, and situps... it's not time efficient for getting a great lean and sexy stomach.

Exercises to Reduce Tummy

1. Mountain Climbers

Basically, when you're doing these, you like you're in the same position mountain climbers are in. To do this properly, start in pushup position... on your hands and toes.

Next, hold your upper body up and maintain the upper body pushup position while 1 of your legs shoots up towards your chest while the other leg stays back in the start position. Next, the 1 leg that shot forward goes back to the starting position while the other leg shoots forward.

You keep doing that. It's like you're running in a pushup position. Remember this to help you... when your 1 leg shoots forward, that knee will be close to your chest. That's all you have to remember. Now do these as fast as you can. Do 4 sets of 15 for each leg and rest 45 seconds between the sets.

2. Weighted hula hooping

Now, this will cost you about $15. Don't go for the cheap hula hoops. They're harder to keep twirling. The heavier ones twirl slower so they stay up on your hips longer since you don't have to gyrate as fast. The added weight makes them easier to handle.

Twirl away. Get in a full 10 minutes each day. One recommendation... try doing them for 2 and a half minutes during tv commercials. 4 commercials and you're done for the day. Pretty simple, huh!

These are 2 very good at-home exercises to reduce tummy fat fast.

If you're SICK and TIRED of getting the same old boring weight loss advice... you know, like "Eat more fruits and vegetables, drink 8 glasses of water, jog, and Blah Blah Blah", then...

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Exercises-to-Reduce-Tummy-Fat&id=1594323

Stupid Exercises For Fast Weight Loss

2009-01-02T00:40:00.000-08:00

I have a few "stupid" exercises for fast weight loss. These aren't the typical run-of-the-mill exercises. You probably haven't heard of these or are barely familiar with them. That's good... keep an open-mind and you'll benefit from this information. Take 2 minutes right now to finish up reading this article.

Stupid Exercises for Fast Weight Loss

1. Spinning in a circle

Yes, this works. No, it's not the typical type of exercise. It does very little as far as burning calories. That's not where it's power comes from. It comes from how it alters your hormones. Hormones are your secret weight loss weapon. If they're balanced, you can lose weight at will. If they aren't balanced, you're going to have some major problems with losing weight.

So what I want you to do is spin around with your arms out and do this for 5-10 spins to start with. Get slightly dizzy. This will take a few practice spins to figure out the point of "slight dizziness". Fine, do it and find out. Once you do, start spinning around at least 5 different times with that number of spins... daily.

This exercise is an Endocrine System exercise. What I mean by that is that it helps your Endocrine System out in being able to figure out how much and when to release hormones into your body. Kinda complicated, but the only way for you to see if it works or not is to do it. What are you waiting for?

2. Standing long jumps

Ok, you kinda know this one, but you didn't realize it's good for weight loss. To make this a weight loss exercise, do these jumps really fast. Jump as far as you can. Turn around and jump back to where you started. Do this for 1 minute non-stop. Rest 45 seconds and repeat for a total of 3 sets. This helps tone the legs, besides helping with weight loss.

These are 2 stupid exercises for fast weight loss that you can do RIGHT NOW... what's stopping ya?

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Stupid-Exercises-For-Fast-Weight-Loss&id=1708471

How Much Does a Good Body Cost?

2009-01-02T00:39:00.000-08:00

There is a myth that people can get whatever they want if they have the money to spend. That goes for a great body, too. Unfortunately, when it comes to controlling body weight and toning everything, money does not apply.

You can be rich and still be out of shape. That is because body weight is something that money definitely cannot change.

You can spend a great deal of money on a personal trainer, but they are not going to give you the results that you need. Instead, you can save the big bucks for something else and instead make a small investment into your health.

A good full body workout should not cost much money. You should be able to find one that is not expensive, and it will give you the tools you need in order to achieve the great body that you want.

When you find an affordable full body workout, you should be able to:

* Learn different exercises that will help you achieve the results you want
* Get a program that will work on your own time
* Find a great workout that you can do at home

Money is not the issue when it comes to getting the body you want. Instead, you need a strong program that will get results. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that you can buy a good body. It takes work, sweat, and the guidance of a full body workout program. Always do your best, the rewards you get can not compare.

Flat Stomach Rules

2009-01-02T00:37:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple flat stomach rules to follow in order to flatten your belly, give it some definition, and tone it up. I'm not going to make this complicated for you. I'm going to lay it right before you in such an easy to understand and IMPLEMENT way that you can't help but be successful if you follow the rules. AND THEY'RE EASY. You're 2 minutes away from having a solid solution to your belly problems.

Flat Stomach Rules

1. Forget doing direct abs exercises

They don't really work. You need to burn off fat to see the abs. Did you know the Guiness Book of World Records Champion for the most situps has a layer of fat over his abdominals. You'd think his abdominals would clearly be visible... but they're not. To get a flat stomach and have nice definition, you need to focus on cardio.

2. Short, intense cardio gets better results than slow, long cardio

If you look at joggers, you'll notice they don't really have great abs. But if you look at sprinters who run short races really hard, they do have defined abs. Now, you don't need to get deeply defined, athletic abs... but doing some form of cardio really brief and instense will help you get a nicer looking stomach.

Just follow this simple ratio while you exercise and you're well on your way to getting a flat belly. 10 seconds really hard and intense effort followed by 50 seconds of slow, low intensity. Doesn't matter the exercise. You can do it with running outside on your sidewalk or running up some stairs and walking down the stairs. You can do it on the elliptical, stationary bike, rowing machine, whatever.

Anywhere from 10-30 minutes a day for 3-5 days a week is all you need.

If you follow these 2 flat stomach rules, you will have a nicer waistline 2 weeks from now.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Flat-Stomach-Rules&id=1703719

Hamsters Are Stupid

2009-01-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

The great thing about not being a hamster is that we humans are smart. Hamsters on the other hand are stupid. They spend their whole life running on a wheel and for what? Sure they are heart healthy, but what do they look like? They are fat little balls of fur. Okay, so they are cute too, but the key word is fat ball. Do you want to look like a hamster? I didn't think so.

If you don't want to look like a hamster then quit spinning your wheel on the darn treadmill! If you run on the treadmill for 60 minutes every day, then you will have a very strong heart and a very poor waistline. Not only that, but you will have wasted 7 hours of your week! If you could cut your cardio to a third and get 10 times the results wouldn't you do it? Of course you would. You are smart, unlike the hamster.

Cardio for fat loss is best when done in short bursts like sprints. For example; when you perform a constant 60 minutes in your target heart rate zone you will burn X number of calories depending on your bodyweight and muscle density.

If you were to instead perform 20 short bursts really fast for 30 seconds followed by 30 seconds of rest you will have burned X times 10 the amount of calories during the 60 minute session and you only went 20 minutes! Not only that, but when you perform long constant cardio you stop burning calories when you step off the treadmill. If you were to perform short bursts, your caloric expenditure will continue for 78 more hours!

Just think of the possibilities! You would only be on the treadmill for around 20 minutes at a time, but to your body it would seem like it was exercising for over three days straight!

Don't be a hamster! Start incorporating interval training into your program. This will help you blast through any plateaus and keep your body primed for fat loss. Here is a great workout that you can try for yourself.

Get on a treadmill and set the speed to a mild pace for two minutes. Then alternate between hard and mild every minute for 16 minutes. Finnish up with a two minute cool down at a mild pace. You can also do thirty second intervals if going a full minute is too difficult. Give it a try. It will save you some time, and burn ten times the fat of conventional cardio sessions!

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Hamsters-Are-Stupid&id=1834017

Are Fitness DVDs Right For You?

2009-01-01T22:55:00.000-08:00

Fitness DVDs are definitely a convenient way to keep in shape. Most of us are making our New Years resolutions right about now. You may be trying to decide if you should join a gym or start a new outdoor activity to keep in shape. Here are some positive points to keep in mind before buying fitness DVDs for your new exercise regimen.

1. It's quite affordable for most people. Instead of buying an expensive home gym or paying hundreds of dollars a year for a gym membership, try getting a nice assortment of fitness DVDs. You may need to also buy a set of dumbbells, aerobics shoes and an exercise mat. You're all set to go!

2. It adds variety to your workout. There are so many different types of fitness DVDs on the market to choose from. There's tai chi, heavy duty iron pumping, dance workouts, power step aerobics and kickboxing to name a few. There are many more varieties of workouts than you will ever get at one gym. There are also different levels of fitness DVDs. You may find more challenging routines on a DVD than at a local health club.

3. Weather can never hamper your workout. If you normally enjoy walking, cycling or running, this is an excellent alternative way to stay in shape until the weather clears up.

4. You have all the privacy you need. If you tend to feel self-conscious about going to the gym because you are out of shape or overweight, fitness DVDs may be right for you. You can wear whatever you like and never have to worry about keeping up with rest of the fitness class.

5. It's so convenient. Consider the fact that you would never have to drive to the gym after work. If you can get into a habit, why not make a point to pop in your DVD at a set time every day for your workout.

6. You can always reverse the DVD. If you missed something that the instructor is saying or like to do a certain part of the routine more than others that's easy to do. Remember to always keep moving to keep your heart rate up.

Fitness DVDs are worth considering if you want to start doing a home workout routine. They will definitely help many of us fight the Christmas bulge this year!

Staying Tough in Tough Economic Times

2009-01-01T22:53:00.001-08:00

You can't turn on the news without hearing about lay-offs, foreclosures and the plummeting stock market. You may even be experiencing these financial calamities first hand and know the stress and fear that being in this position can bring.

It is especially during these times that I recommend sticking with your exercise program. Now more than ever you need to discipline yourself to keep training. Stress, as you know, can bring with it a number of serious health problems, both physically and mentally. It's the one thing you must address immediately, or the results could be devastating.

Sticking to your training schedule has many benefits. You need to look and feel good to preserve your confidence and self-esteem. You need a physical outlet for your stress or you risk turning elsewhere for relief. For example, a response to the stress of today's economy may be to use alcohol or food for comfort. While in the short term these substances may soothe our jangled nerves, they have negative long-term repercussions.

Excessive alcohol consumption may lead to a destructive addiction that will only make your current situation worse. Overeating can lead to weight gain, which is not very helpful if you are trying to get a new job and can't fit into those nice interview clothes. Just an extra five or ten pounds may make it impossible to button those pants, not to mention what it does to your self-esteem.

Exercise will help you sleep better and maintain a more positive mental attitude. While this may sound like old worn out advise, it is timeless. When you get enough sleep, your body and mind function much more productively and you can approach your problems from a better perspective. You've heard the expression "why don't you just sleep on it?" Stress release allows the mind to relax and come up with its own solutions.

Training in the martial arts is especially helpful in these tough economic times. Physically, the martial arts curriculum is balanced enough to offer you strength, flexibility and endurance training that will give your overall health a boost. Martial arts instructors often incorporate breathing exercises, which are great stress relievers and bring much needed oxygen to the brain.

Mentally, the martial arts curriculum helps you develop a fighting spirit. Martial arts training will give you the courage you need to get back on your feet again and approach your problems like a warrior. The warrior conquers his fears and goes into battle with confidence. Isn't this what you need to turn things around in your life?

If you are in despair over this economy, it is vital that you take care of your mind and body complex. It is the only vehicle you have to move forward.

Calasanz has been training people of all types of stressful professions for over 30 years. His system of martial arts and fitness improves health and well being.

Exercise Tips - Don't Wait Until After Christmas

2009-01-01T22:49:00.000-08:00

Every one thinks that they should try and lose weight and exercise after Christmas and the New Year - I disagree, start now and you'll have less of a mountain to climb next year. Let's face it, most of us have been putting off the exercise at this time of year. Getting into an exercise habit is something that should happen all the time not just once of twice a year after great indulgence of food during celebration times.

There are many forms of exercise, it is a case of choosing the type that is for you. It could be walking, jogging, cycling, gym work, swimming, dancing, team sports, football, netball etc. Whatever you feel would suit you.

If you are 'getting on' a bit, i.e. 50 years or over, it is vital you get a medical check before taking up exercise. The same applies if you haven't exercised for ages, better to be safe than sorry.

It can be hard to get started again so I have given some tips to get back into the habit that should lead to a healthy extended lifetime.

* The best way to keep things going is simply not to stop. Don't have long breaks in exercising or rebuilding the habit will take some effort. Try not to give up at the first sign of trouble.

* Make a commitment to exercise every day even if it is only a brisk walk for just for 20 minutes. Make this a daily point to cover a month. This will give you a good start of the exercise habit.

* If you don't enjoy the exercise you're doing i.e. at the gym, it is going to be very hard to keep it a habit. there are many other way to exercise, so don't give up, just try something different.

* Don't exercise during times where it can easily be pushed aside. Right after work or first thing in the morning are the best times. Lunchtime you may be tempted to miss it if work demands start mounting up.

* Take a friend to join you, it will boost your commitment to the exercise habit.

* You can worry about your weight, amount of laps you run or the amount you can bench press later, just get started.

* Your workout routines should be in a strict, as if your workout times are completely random it will be harder to benefit and see the improvements you are making.

* Use a calender and mark off the days you have exercised, i9t is a very good motivator.

* Exercise can be a great way to relieve stress, it releasing endorphin which will improve your mood. Feeling stressed or tired? Try doing an exercise during these moments.

* Record your exercise, this will encourage you when you see improvements on paper.

* Trying to run 10 miles miles your first session isn't a good way to build a habit. Start of with 1 mile mixing walking and jogging and build it from there.

* Exercise for yourself, not to impress the onlookers, you will overdo it otherwise.

With all this in place, you will reap the benefits and have a head start for the New Year, you'll probably enjoy the festivities more with less worry about calories being put on as you already have worked some off.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Exercise-Tips---Dont-Wait-Until-After-Christmas&id=1794210

Christmas Gift Idea: Homemade Jelly, Jam and Preserves

2008-12-08T14:51:00.000-08:00

Jelly, jam and preserves make the best inexpensive homemade Christmas gifts. You will need to have the right equipment on hand to make them. You'll need baking sheets, canning jars with lids, a colander, several pots and pans, a food processor or blender, some paring knives, tongs, slotted spoons, a strainer for removing seeds from fruit such as strawberries and blackberries, and a wire rack for cooling. You will also need ingredients such as sugar and pectin, the ingredient which makes the product firm and solid.

Before you begin to make your jam, jelly or preserves Christmas gift, wash your jars out with hot soapy water, or wash them in the dishwasher. You may keep them hot on the dishwasher's dry cycle or set them on baking sheets and transfer them to the oven set to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the lids sterile by simmering them in water. Never bring them to a full rolling boil. You can also make jam, jelly and preserves with some bread makers.

It's best to use the freshest fruit possible. Try obtaining your fruit from local growers, since they tend to fresh off the vine; fruit shipped from out of state is often picked green and has already been sitting for weeks before it even reaches you. You can also try picking your own fruit at a local farm or orchard. Since most fruit is harvested in the summer or fall, it's best to get started on your canning well in advance of the Christmas season. Carefully wash your fruit before beginning the canning process. Then chop and pit it, removing any blemishes or bruises. If the fruit you need is not in season, you can easily make your jam, jelly or preserves from frozen fruit.

After you complete your jam, jelly or preserves and place it in the jars with the lids tightly screwed on, you must sterilize them by boiling them in water which covers the jars by one or two inches. When completed, the button on the top of the lid should be down, just as in jars which you would purchase from the grocery store. If the lid is not down, then this is a sign that your product did not sterilize and seal properly, and you will need to repeat the process.

Be very careful when making jam, jelly or preserves. There is a lot of heat involved in this process, and you can easily be burned. Try wearing heat-resistant gloves and long sleeves to protect your hands and arms.

When your jelly, jam or preserves are finished, decorate them by placing attractive cloth over the lids and binding with a ribbon. Complete your homemade Christmas gift by placing the jars inside a gift basket. You can buy the basket, make it yourself, or purchase one from a thrift store, garage sale or Craigslist.

Apricot Jam Christmas Gift Idea

3 pounds apricots (you can substitutes nectarines, plums or peaches)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water
7 cups sugar
Fruit pectin

Start with fresh or frozen apricots (they should have no added sugar). Wash the fruit thoroughly under cool water. Jam can be made in small batches only, so don't increase the recipe. Follow the above instructions for sterilizing the jars. Keep the lids in the lightly boiling water while you're making the apricot mixture.

Peel the apricots. To make peeling easier, boil the fruit for about a minute, then remove and soak in ice water. The skins should come off easily.

Carefully chop and pit the apricots, removing any brown areas. Place them in a food processor or blender with the water and process until they are smooth. Measure about four cups of apricots into a large pot. Add the sugar and the lemon juice and stir. Boil over high heat and continue to stir. Add the amount of pectin recommended by the manufacturer and boil hard about one minute longer, and stir constantly. Remove the mixture from the heat. Place the jam in the jars with a metal ladle. Do not fill all the way to the top, but leave a space of about one eighth of an inch. Use a freshly washed damp towel to remove any spills from the outside of the jars. Use the tongs to remove the lids from the gently boiling water, and place on a towel to dry. Screw the lids on the jars tightly and sterilize in boiling water for five to eight minutes.

Apple Preserves Christmas Gift Idea

6 cups tart apples such as Rome, Macintosh or Granny Smith
1 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
Fruit pectin
1/2 cup thin lemon slices
2 teaspoons of nutmeg
4 cups sugar

Peel and slice the apples. Place them in the saucepan with the water and lemon juice. Cook over low heat for ten minutes with the cover on. Add the pectin according to package instructions and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add the sugar and the lemon slices. Bring back to a full boil, and boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly.

Remove the apple mixture from the heat and add the nutmeg. Ladle into the jars, leaving a space of one quarter inch at the top. Remove the lids from the boiling water and allow to cool. Dry them and screw them on tightly. Boil the jars in water for ten minutes.

Blackberry Preserves Christmas Gift Idea

3 pounds fresh or frozen blackberries
7 cups sugar
Fruit Pectin

Remove any stems or caps from the blackberries. If using frozen blackberries, allow them to thaw before beginning. Wash thoroughly under cold water and allow to drain. Process the blackberries in a food processor or blender. Push through a strainer to remove the seeds. Place four cups of blackberries into a large pot and add the sugar. Bring this mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for one minute, stirring continually. Transfer to hot jars, and place the lids on tightly. Boil the jars in water for five to ten minutes.

Raspberry Jelly Christmas Gift Idea

3 quarts raspberries
7 1/2 cups sugar
Fruit pectin

Place the raspberries in a jar and crush them. Boil the jar in a saucepan until the juice is released. Place some cheesecloth in a strainer and place over a large sauce pot. Pour off the juice. Remove the cheesecloth and place the cooked raspberries into the strainer and allow to drain into the pot. You should have four cups of juice. Don't try to push the juice out of the raspberries. Gradually add the sugar and bring the mixture to a low boil. Add the fruit pectin and boil. Ladle into sterilized jars and tightly screw on the lids.

Jalapeno Jelly Christmas Gift Idea

1 green bell pepper
16 jalapeno peppers
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 1/4 cups sugar
Fruit pectin
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

Chop the green bell pepper and twelve of the jalapeno peppers. Process in a food processor until well chopped. Place in a large pot and add the vinegar. Boil over low heat for fifteen to twenty minutes. Push the mixture through a strainer or through cheesecloth until you have one up of juice. Put the juice back into the pot, and add the sugar and salt. Boil to a full rolling boil for a minute. Add the pectin according to package instructions.

Seed and chop the remaining four jalapeno peppers. Stir them into the jelly mixture, then ladle the jelly into sterile jars with one quarter inch of empty space at the top. Seal the jars tightly.

"How to Make Apricot Preserves," URL: (http://www.ehow.com/how_17979_make-apricot-preserves.html)
"How to Make Blackberry Preserves," URL: (http://www.ehow.com/how_17892_make-blackberry-preserves.html)

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/453235/christmas_gift_idea_homemade_jelly.html?cat=74

Ten Free Christmas Gift Ideas

2008-12-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we find ourselves short on Christmas cash, yet we still have several people left on our Christmas lists. If this happens to you this Christmas, give some thought to these ten free Christmas gift ideas.

1. Coupons: You can easily make coupons this Christmas for your friends, family, and coworkers, for free. To create these free Christmas coupons, open a word processing program and search for clipart that will match your coupon. For example, if you want to give your child a free Christmas coupon that entitles them to a month without having to take out the trash, you could search for trash can. Once you have selected a clipart image, type your message next to the coupon, selecting a nice font to add character to your free Christmas coupon. Once you have made the number of free Christmas coupons that you need, print them out and put them in an envelope. I highly suggest decorating the envelope to make the gift even more special. For example, if you have stickers around the house that your child would like, decorate the envelope that way. If the free coupons are for your partner, decorate the envelope with hearts and love quotes that can be found online.

2. Homemade Treats: Homemade treats make the perfect free Christmas gift. If you have a well stocked pantry, you can easily make a free Christmas gifts. Choose easy recipes, last Christmas I chose four recipes, I split the recipes up and packaged them in Christmas tins, but you could easily put the treats on paper plates and wrap them with plastic wrap. The people, I gave these free Christmas treats to, were thrilled. They liked the candy and cookies more than previous Christmas gifts that weren’t free. Free Christmas gifts that come from the heart mean more than something hastily picked up at the local department store.

3. Collage: Whether it’s for your friends or family, a collage of pictures makes a great free Christmas gift. A great idea is look online for pictures of celebrities that your loved ones like. Print the pictures out on photo paper and assemble them on large piece of cardboard. You can easily take part of a large shipping box and use it to assemble your pictures on. I think it looks great to overlap the pictures. This way the cardboard is completely covered and all you see are the pictures. You can do the same thing with family pictures. This makes a great free Christmas gift.

4. Offer Your Services: If you specialize in something, you can easily give a free Christmas gift this year. For example, if you own a bakery, offer to make your friends cakes for their Christmas parties. If you are a mechanic, offer to change your friend’s oil for free. Your friends will greatly appreciate your services and it will be free.

5. A Romantic Dinner: This is a great free Christmas gift idea for boyfriends/husbands. Prepare your girlfriend/wife a meal from scratch on a night that you know will be really hectic for her. For example, if she calls to tell you that she’s going to go and finish up the Christmas shopping that evening, have dinner ready when she gets home. She’ll love you for it. Another idea, for friends, is to cook a romantic dinner for them. Arrive at their house with food from your own pantry and fridge. If your friends have a dining room, set it up with candles and turn down the lights. If your friends don’t have a dining room, set up their living room in a very romantic way. Maybe pushing the coffee table out of the way and placing a blanket and several pillows in the floor and candles around the room. Have your friends sit down and enjoy each others company while you go into the kitchen and prepare them a wonderful dinner. I would suggest preparing a dessert at home and leaving it for them on the kitchen counter and slipping out while they enjoy their dinner, making sure they have everything they need before you leave. This is a free Christmas gift idea that cannot miss.

6. A Night Off: Do your friends have a really hectic life? Work, kids, soccer practice, etc? Give your friends the nights off. Offer to take their children to soccer practice and then take them to your house for dinner. This will allow your friends to relax after work. A night of relaxation is a wonderful free Christmas gift.

7. Errands: Does your partner have several errands to do on the weekend? Do they have to get the oil changed, go grocery shopping, get the kids hair cut, etc? Let them take the weekend off. Get the grocery list from them, take the car and get the oil changed and pick up the groceries. Then get something to eat out town. Bring your partner something to eat and including a pint of their favorite ice cream. This free Christmas gift will get you lots of brownie points.

8. Crafts: Are you good at a certain craft? Do you know how to do cross-stitch or crochet? Make your loved ones a free Christmas gift using the hobby that you love. A free homemade Christmas gift that your loved ones can keep forever means so much. When you put so much time into a gift, your recipients do not think about the fact that the Christmas gift was free.

9. Book of Quotes and Poems: We all have notebooks lying around the house. This Christmas create a free Christmas gift that will show how much you really do care. Go online and search for quotes and poems that match the relationship you have with this person. For example, if you are making this book for your girlfriend/wife search for love quotes and poems. Then decorate the outside of the book with hearts and maybe rose petals that have been pressed in a book. To put this much time in a Christmas gift especially for your girlfriend/wife will mean more than you ever imagined. Free doesn’t have to be junk. A free Christmas gift can be very meaningful. It just takes time.

10. CD: Everyone has favorite songs. Make your loved one a CD that has all their favorite songs on it this Christmas. If it’s for someone extra special, put songs on there that remind you of them. This is another great Christmas gift that is free. It just requires searching for the music and burning the CD.

Free Christmas gifts must come from the heart or they are nothing more than junk. You really must think about these Christmas gifts and the person you are giving them to. Make a free Christmas gift as special as the person you are giving it to.

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/63527/ten_free_christmas_gift_ideas.html?cat=46

Holiday stress

2008-12-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

Holidays are supposed to offer relaxation and recuperation, but some people find them disappointingly stressful. One of the main reasons is the changing face of the Australian holiday. While many people used to take four weeks or more of leave from work, most people now take shorter breaks and choose destinations close to home. With less time to enjoy, many people compensate by organising jam-packed itineraries, which can lead to exhaustion and disillusionment.

The 'holiday of a lifetime' myth can create stress
Since Australians are taking shorter and fewer holidays, the pressure to have the 'perfect' holiday is higher than ever. Such expectation can lead to stress and disappointment. Suggestions include:

1. Ease the pressure, if possible, by planning a few short breaks over the year. That way, the annual holiday won't take on so much importance that it fails your expectations.

2. If possible, take longer holidays. You are more likely to feel relaxed after three weeks away rather than one.

3. Action-packed itineraries can leave everyone exhausted and frazzled - the recuperative powers of 'doing nothing' while on holidays are underrated. Make sure you allow enough time for lazing on the beach, reading books and dawdling over good food.

Sidestep potential problems
Holidays can be marred by misfortune, but you can avoid many potential pitfalls with forethought and commonsense, including:

1. Buy adequate travel insurance. Make sure it covers the needs of every family

2. Be sun-smart and avoid sunburn by covering up and wearing sunscreen.

3. Don't undertake risky adventure sports (such as parachuting) unless you are experienced.

4. If you're keen on adventure sports, use the correct equipment and go with a trained professional.

5. If traveling overseas, carry copies of important documents and items (such as passports, travelers cheques and credit cards) in case of theft.

6. Take measures to avoid food poisoning - for example, don't eat at buffet restaurants.

Traveling with young children
uggestions include:

1. Involve older children in the planning for the holiday.

2. Ask your travel agent for family-friendly suggestions. For example, you may like to consider two-bedroom accommodation, or a hotel with child-minding services.

3. Balance everyone's needs. When visiting attractions with older children, try the 'trade off' method - activities for adults in the morning, balanced with activities for children in the afternoon.

4. Keep it simple. Complicated trips involving lots of travelling, jam-packed itineraries or too many visits to adult-orientated attractions can be difficult on children and aggravating for parents.

Spending time together can be stressful
A family naturally expects to have a good time on holidays. However, it is worth remembering that most families only spend a few hours per day together because of work, school and recreational pursuits. Habits that are usually just annoying could become major sources of irritation when you spend every waking minute together on holidays. Suggestions include:

1. Consider your accommodation options. It may be better to rent a two (or more) bedroom unit rather than a large bunkhouse, so that everyone can have some time to themselves when they want.

2. Not every event has to be experienced as a family unit. Consider splitting the family into two 'teams' - for example, dad with one child and mum with the other - so you can explore attractions separately. Swap over the next day.

3. Use negotiation to settle disputes. Trying to enforce calm by using the saying 'because I said so' will only make children grumpy and parents fed-up.

Step-families can experience holiday tension
Around four per cent of Australian families are step-families, while blended families (where partners each have children from prior relationships) account for about three per cent. In some cases, holidays for these families can be extremely difficult. Suggestions include:

1. Appreciate that it may take five to eight years or so before everyone is comfortable enough with holidaying together to really enjoy it.

2. Together, acknowledge that this is a new family that needs 'new' traditions, including where and how you go on holiday. Work as a group to come up with ideas that suit everyone (expect to compromise).

3. Anticipate and allow each person to miss and grieve the holiday traditions of their original family. Where possible, accommodate wishes.

4. Keep the communication lines open. Talk to each other about feelings, wants and disappointments.

5. Don't brush over conflicts while on holiday. Use this time to help work out the dynamics of your new family.

6. Set limits. The stability of your marriage must take precedence, since your new family is at risk without your commitment to each other as partners.

Where to get help
1. Your doctor
2. Travel agent
3. Family counsellors.

Things to remember
1. Rather than spend four weeks or so on holiday, Australians are increasingly taking shorter breaks and choosing destinations close to home.

2. With less time to enjoy, many people compensate by organising jam-packed itineraries, which can lead to exhaustion and disillusionment.

3. Take the needs of each family member into account when planning a holiday.

4. Keep expectations realistic - a few weekends away during the year will reduce the pressure on the annual holiday to be 'perfect'.

Source: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Holiday_stress?OpenDocument

Christmas can be stressful

2008-12-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

Although Christmas is meant to be a happy and joyful time, this isn't how everyone feels at this time of the year. Christmas can be a stressful and depressing time for many people. Some people find that the Christmas spirit can be undermined by:

1. Financial and time pressures
2. Isolation
3. Family tensions
4. Separation and divorce
5. Bereavement
6. Becoming a step-family
7 Reflecting on another year gone by.

Financial and time pressures
The expense of gifts and food, the pressure of shopping and the expectations of the season can make Christmas an extremely stressful time. General suggestions include:

1. Budget for Christmas so that you don't overspend. This may mean putting money away each week throughout the year.

2. Do your Christmas shopping early, perhaps in November.

3. Shop online or use mail order catalogues to avoid the crowds at shopping centres.

4. Consider a simpler version of Christmas lunch this year, such as a buffet where everyone brings a plate, or else delegate as many tasks as you can.

5. Seek advice from a financial counsellor if you are experiencing severe money troubles. Centrelink offers free advice for people on benefits.

Isolation
Some people find themselves alone at Christmas time. The reasons could include relocation to a city far from relatives, a marital break-up or family estrangement. The emphasis on family, friends and shared good times during the 'festive season' can make these people feel depressed and unloved. Suggestions include:

1. If separated by distance, keep in constant touch by phone, mail and email.

2. Christmas shopping for loved ones can help you feel connected, even though you may be half a world away. Make sure you post your gifts in early December to avoid the Christmas mail rush.

3. Make plans for Christmas Day. If you have no one to share the day with, consider volunteering for charity work - for example, you could help organisations such as The Salvation Army give Christmas lunch to people in need.

4. Attend community celebrations such as Carols by Candlelight and neighbourhood picnics.

5. Use the strength of your feelings to change your situation. If you are estranged from loved ones, perhaps you could attempt to reconcile with relatives and old friends (if possible), or else take steps to widen your social network.

Family tensions
All families experience tension to some degree. Part of the reason why Christmas time can be so stressful is the unrealistic expectation of coming together as a happy family on this one day of the year. Suggestions include:

1. Keep realistic expectations. If your relatives tend to fight throughout the year, they will fight on Christmas Day as well.

2. Appreciate that everyone is under stress to a certain degree. For example, one relative may have worked overtime to get everything done before their office closed for Christmas and may be feeling exhausted and harried. Another may be anxious because they overspent on their credit cards. As far as possible, be understanding of people's situations.

3. Consider breaking up the celebrations to keep 'warring factions' apart. For example, you could see one group of relations on Christmas Eve and another on Christmas Day.

4. Family members involved in after lunch activities (such as cricket on the back lawn) are less likely to get into arguments. Plan for something to do as a group after lunch if necessary.

5. Use relaxation techniques, distraction and group activities to help steer around stressful situations.

6. Avoid overindulging in alcohol - the reduced inhibitions could contribute to (or cause) an unnecessary argument.

Separation or divorce
It can be hard for a 'fractured' family to face its first Christmas. Perhaps the parents have separated or divorced, or a family member is overseas and unable to attend the traditional celebrations. Suggestions include:

1. Allow yourself to feel your emotions. If you prefer to put on a brave face for others, give yourself enough time alone to help deal with your feelings.

2. Talk about it as a family. Sharing your thoughts and feelings (and tears) can help you feel closer.

3. If children are involved, the separated couple should try hard to be civil during the festive season, or at least limit their disagreements to times when their children are out of earshot.

4. Arrange, if necessary, to stagger the Christmas celebrations so that the children can spend (for example) Christmas Day with one parent and Boxing Day with the other. To keep it fair, you can swap arrangements the year after.

5. Avoid the Christmas rush and send presents, cards or letters to loved ones overseas at the start of December. Appreciate that phone calls may be difficult to make at Christmas because of high demand.

Step-families
Around four per cent of Australian families are step-families, while blended families (partners who each have children from prior relationships) account for about three per cent. In some cases, Christmas for these families can be extremely difficult. Suggestions include:

1. Get together as a family and decide (early in the year, so there's plenty of time) what you would all like to do for Christmas. Make sure the children have their say.

2. Stagger the celebrations so that each child gets to spend time with both their natural parents and their step-parents.

3. Try not to take arrangements too personally. For example, if your ex-partner says they can only see their child for a brief breakfast on Boxing Day, that doesn't necessarily mean they don't care. Instead of getting angry, organise a more substantial get-together for your child and ex-partner next Christmas.

4. Appreciate that now is not the time to sort out long-standing grievances. Christmas is stressful enough as it is - wait until things have settled down in the New Year, if you can.

5. Talk to friends or a counsellor if you need help to sort through your feelings.

Bereavement
Significant occasions, such as birthdays and Christmas, are always difficult for a bereaved family. Suggestions include:

1. Deciding to ignore Christmas altogether could exacerbate your grief. However, depending on your family's needs, you may wish to try something different this year - for example, if you've always had lunch at home, perhaps have it at a restaurant instead. Alternatively, sticking to your family's traditions may be more helpful. The important thing is to discuss your preferences as a family.

2. Expect and appreciate that people show their grief in different ways. One person may want to reminisce, while another could prefer to remain tight-lipped.

3. If you feel you can, talk together about your loved one. Sharing memories and tears can help you come to terms with Christmas without them.

4. You may like to spend some time alone so you can think about your loved one. Talking out loud to them or writing them a letter can be helpful.

5. Don't feel guilty if you find yourself having a good time - sharing a few laughs with family or friends doesn't mean you don't love or miss that special person.

6. Ask friends for their support. If they don't know how to help you, tell them.

7. It might be beneficial to talk to someone neutral, such as a bereavement counsellor.

Looking back without joy
The close of another year often prompts people to reflect on their achievements - or disappointments - over the previous 12 months. Some people mourn the loss of another year of their lives. Suggestions include:

1. Make a conscious effort to list all the positive things you did or experienced during the year.

2. If possible, mend fences. Contact those people you miss and make steps towards reconciliation.

3. Appreciate that your feelings may be due to a combination of Christmas-related factors, including money worries, the pressure of last minute shopping and unrealistic expectations of festive cheer. Remind yourself that many of these negative feelings will pass once the New Year is underway.

4. Remember that most New Year's Eve resolutions are unrealistic, made during times of sad reflection. This year, try to come up with positive and achievable goals for the upcoming 12 months.

Where to get help

1. Your doctor
2. Financial planner
3. Psychologist
4. Your local community health centre
5. Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria Helpline Tel. (03) 9886 9377
6. Australian Psychological Referral Service Tel. (03) 8662 3300 or 1800 333 497

Things to remember
1. Ease Christmas stress by drawing up a budget, shopping early and taking steps to avoid overspending.

2. Don't expect a hassle-free Christmas - realistic expectations can prevent disappointment.

3. Discuss your Christmas plans as a family, and appreciate that doing things a little differently this year could help everyone deal with loss, divorce or new family arrangements.

Source: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Christmas_can_be_stressful?OpenDocument

Christmas - tips to reduce the stress

2008-12-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

Christmas is typically one of the most stressful events of the year. The expense of buying gifts, the pressure of last minute shopping and the heightened expectations of family togetherness can all combine to undermine our best intentions. Some practical suggestions can help you reduce your 'Christmas stress'.

Budgeting for Christmas
For many of us, the Christmas aftermath includes massive credit card bills that can take months to clear. Christmas doesn't have to be a financial headache if you plan ahead. Stress reduction strategies include:

1. As early as you can in the New Year, work out a rough budget of expected Christmas costs. Don't forget 'hidden' expenses such as food bills and overseas telephone charges.

2. Calculate how much disposable income you have between now and Christmas. A certain percentage of this can be dedicated each week (or fortnight or month) to covering your expected Christmas costs. Don't be discouraged if the amount seems small. If you save $5.00, $10.00 or $20.00 per week over a year, it can provide you with a hefty nest egg.

3. If your nest egg isn't enough to cover your estimated expenses, perhaps you may need to refigure your Christmas budget to a more realistic amount.

4. If you have trouble keeping your hands off your Christmas nest egg, consider opening a 'Christmas Club' account.

Presents
If you have a large circle of extended family or friends to buy gifts for, it can be very costly. You might be able to reduce the stress and cost of Christmas for everyone if you suggest a change in the way your family and friends give presents. For example, you could suggest that your group:

1. Buy presents only for the children.
2. Have a Kris Kringle, where everyone draws a name out of a hat and buys a present only for that person.
3. Set a limit on the cost of presents.

Christmas shopping
According to a recent study by Roy Morgan Research, around 60 per cent of Australians dislike Christmas shopping, just 20 per cent plan their shopping expeditions, and the majority of us (nearly 75 per cent) often come home without a single purchase for our efforts. Stress reduction strategies for successful Christmas shopping include:

1. Make a list of all the gifts you wish to buy before you go shopping. If you wait for inspiration to strike, you could be wandering aimlessly around the shopping centre for hours.

2. Buy a few extras, such as chocolates, just in case you forget somebody or you have unexpected guests bearing gifts.

3. If possible, do your Christmas shopping early - in the first week of December or
even in November. Some well-organised people do their Christmas shopping gradually over the course of the year, starting with the post-Christmas sales.

4. Buy your gifts by mail catalogue or over the Internet. Some companies will also gift-wrap and post your presents for a small additional fee.

The Christmas lunch (or dinner)
Stress reduction strategies include:

1. If you are cooking lunch at home, delegate tasks. You don't need to do everything yourself.

2. Consider keeping it simple - for instance, you could always arrange for a 'buffet' lunch, where everybody brings a platter.

3. Buy as many non-perishable food items as you can in advance - supermarkets on Christmas Eve are generally extremely busy.

4. You may need to order particular food items (such as turkeys) from your supermarket by a certain date. Check to avoid disappointment.

5. Consider doing your food shopping online. The store will deliver your groceries to your door. (Keep in mind this option is more expensive than visiting the supermarket yourself.)

6. Book well in advance if you plan to have lunch at a restaurant. Some restaurants may be fully booked for months before Christmas, so don't wait till the last minute.

Relationships
Stress, anxiety and depression are common during the festive season. If nothing else, reassure yourself that these feelings are normal. Stress reduction strategies include:

1. Don't expect miracles. If you and certain family members bicker all year long, you can be sure there'll be tension at Christmas lunch.

2. Avoid known triggers. For example, if politics is a touchy subject in your family, don't talk about it. If someone brings up the topic, use distraction and quickly move onto something else to talk about.

3. Use relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or focusing on your breath, to cope with anxiety or tension.

4. Family members involved in after-lunch activities (such as cricket on the back lawn) are less likely to get into arguments. Plan for something to do as a group after lunch if necessary.

5. People under stress tend to 'self-medicate' with alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs. Try to remember that drugs can't solve problems or alleviate stress in the long term.

The little extras
Other ways you might be able to reduce the stress include:

1. Write up a Christmas card list and keep it in a safe place so that you can refer to it (and add or delete names) year after year.

2. Plan to write your Christmas cards in early December. Book a date in your diary so you don't forget.

3. Christmas cards with 'Card only' marked on the envelope can be posted at a reduced rate during November and December.

4. Overseas mail at Christmas time takes longer to arrive. Arrange to send cards or presents in the first half of December, to avoid disappointments (and long queues at the post office).

5. For great savings, buy Christmas necessities (such as cards, wrapping paper, ribbons and decorations) at post-Christmas sales.

General health and wellbeing
Some other ways to keep your stress levels down include:

1. Try to be moderate - it may be the season to be jolly, but too much food and alcohol is harmful, and drink driving is a real danger and illegal. If you can't (or don't want to) step off the social merry-go-round, at least try to eat and drink in moderation.

2. Get enough sleep - plan for as many early nights as you can.

3. Keep moving - keeping up your regular exercise routine can give you the fitness and stamina to make it through the demands of the festive season.

Where to get help
1. Your doctor
2. Financial planner
3. Your local community health centre.

Things to remember
1. Save a percentage of your disposable income throughout the year to provide a nest egg for Christmas expenses.

2. Make a list of all the gifts you wish to buy and shop early.

3. Don't expect miracles - if you and certain family members bicker all year long, you can be sure there'll be tension at Christmas lunch.

Source: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Christmas_tips_to_reduce_the_stress?OpenDocument

The secret to surviving the holiday buffet

2008-12-04T01:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, there are ways to enjoy the goodies — without gaining weight

There is probably no greater diet danger zone than the holiday buffet. It's hard to resist grabbing a huge plate and piling it up with buttery breads, cheeses, meats, cakes, cookies and pies.

Although it might seem as if we’re swimming against stream when it comes to the delicious — but calorie-laden — holiday table, there are a lot of people who seem immune to overloading their plates. They have fun at buffets, parties and dinners without gaining weight. What’s their secret?

To better understand how some people survive the pitfalls of all-you-can-eat dining, researchers at my Cornell University Food and Brand Lab observed 213 normal weight and overweight diners at buffets across the country. We found that heavier diners are more likely than slimmer diners to sit closer to the buffet, use larger plates and serve themselves immediately instead of browsing the buffet.

In the study, heavy folks grabbed a plate almost as soon as they arrived and immediately started serving themselves. The normal weight diners were more likely to scout things out first. When they did pick up a plate they were seven times more likely than the heavy eaters to take the smallest plate available. Some specifics:

- 71 percent of normal-weight diners browsed the buffet before serving themselves, compared to 33 percent of obese diners.

- 27 percent of normal-weight patrons faced the buffet compared to 42 percent of obese diners.

- 16 percent of obese diners sat at a booth rather than a table compared to 38 percent of normal weight diners.

- Normal-weight people chewed their food an average of 15 times per bite versus overweight people who chewed only 12 times. In fact, speedy eaters are three times more likely to be overweight than people who eat more slowly and who don’t eat until they’re full, recent research found.

- Overweight diners sat an average of 16 feet closer to the buffet than normal-weight diners, presumably to shorten the trip when they go back for seconds … or thirds.

Have your cake and eat it
There are three main problems with a buffet, not only at the holidays, but anytime of the year. Those huge tables of food are prime examples of what I call the 3 C's of disastrous dieting:

Convenience: Food is all around and it’s often with arm-reach.

Caloric: Whether sweet or salty, buffet foods are often higher in the indulgence factor than good sense.

Choices: There is a lot of variety, which increases how much you eat because your taste buds don’t burn out on one thing.

The bottom line of the buffet is you really can have your holiday cake and eat it, too. You just need to browse the food to find what you really want, use a small plate and eat slowly. To avoid the temptation of going back for seconds, sit as far away from the table of food as possible. If you don’t face the goodies, you are less likely to spot something else you want to pile on the plate.

In my book, "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think," I also describe a trick that seems to work well for many holiday buffet-goers. It’s called the Rule of Two. You can choose anything you want at the buffet, but you can never have more than two items on your plate. If you want to load it up with nuts and cake, go ahead. If you want to go back for seconds and load it up again with chips and carrots, go ahead. Although this sounds like a recipe for disaster, it actually works quite well for people for three reasons:

1. You tend to take the two types of food you want most. People who love desserts don’t work their way up to desserts. They’ll start with the desserts, and then stop.

2. You tend to not overfill you plate. Putting only two things on our plate helps keep our serving sizes somewhat small because we psychologically don’t want to overload on a particular item.

3. You tend to not go back more than two times. In one study we did on the Rule of Two, 83 percent of people only made one or two additional returns to the buffet.

Using some of these easy rules can help you take the focus off the food and pay more attention to what really makes the holidays special — your family and friends.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27891075/

5 foods to maximize your muscle power

2008-12-04T01:10:00.000-08:00

Introduction
There is a strong connection between muscle mass and good health, says Robert Wolfe, director of Translational Research in Aging and Longevity at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. “As we age, we tend to lose muscle, especially if we are not using it,” says Wolfe. “These losses eventually affect quality of life, our balance, strength and ability to recover from an illness or accident.”

In fact, muscles do everything from help you move and digest your food, to — in the case of your heart muscle — pump nutrients throughout your body. “Our heart, brain, skin and other organs are in a constant state of remodeling with tissue being built and broken down,” says Nancy Rodriguez, a registered dietitian and director of sports nutrition programs at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. “Muscles offer a significant supply of amino acids to ensure these vital parts stay strong.”

Active muscles not only help cut your risk of developing diabetes or osteoporosis, but the more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body can burn.

To keep your muscles strong and healthy you need the right kind of diet. Click on the items to see how these five foods can help you maximize your muscle mass.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26777340/?pg=1#Health_COT_musclemass

10 ways to cut 100 calories

2008-12-04T01:08:00.000-08:00

Outsmart your appetite by secretly trimming 100 calories each day with these sneaky yet simple substitutions. You’ll never miss them!

Breakfast
Flavor your coffee with cinnamon and nutmeg instead of flavored syrup.

The evidence that coffee is healthy for you just keeps mounting. Consuming two to three daily cups of caffeinated drinks, including coffee, can cut your risk of dying from heart disease. Coffee may also significantly lower your likelihood of developing colon cancer.

Lunch
Enjoy your salad without the croutons.

To get that crunch you’re craving, toss in some extra carrots and celery instead. Carrots are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fibers. Celery contains pthalides, compounds that lower your blood pressure by relaxing artery walls.

Dinner
Order pizza with grilled chicken instead of pepperoni.

Chicken is an excellent source of selenium, niacin and vitamin B6 and a good source of zinc. Make sure it’s cooked until well done at 165 degrees F (or 74 degrees C) and no longer pink inside.

Portion control
Leave 3 or 4 bites on your plate.

Only eat when hungry! Always eat breakfast, munch on fiber all day long, include healthy protein at each meal and refuel every four hours. You must learn to recognize the physical cues that signal a true need for nourishment.

Side dishes
Season steamed vegetables with fresh lemon and herbs instead of butter.

In some vegetables, flavors intensify as the plant matures, which is why the so-called baby versions have wider taste appeal with just as many health benefits. Experiment with baby artichokes, squashes, turnips and carrots (the small ones sold in bunches, with greens still attached) and you may also like the more tender texture.

Desserts
Choose your piece of sheet cake from the middle, where there’s less icing.

A sweet new trend may help keep your waistline in check: mini-desserts! Portion size is key to keeping calories in check for a healthy dessert. Also, watch for hidden sugar in prepared foods. Many contain hefty amounts of sugar, but it’s hidden under aliases (such as barley malt, corn syrup, dextrose, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, maple syrup, molasses) on ingredient panels.

Freshen your drink
Add a splash of 100 percent fruit juice to sweeten fresh brewed iced tea in place of sugar.

Enjoy at least one cup of tea every day. Whether it’s iced or hot, tea delivers a blast of antioxidant compounds. Tea helps to keep blood vessels relaxed and prevent blood clots. Flavonoids, the major antioxidants in tea, have been shown to prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol that leads to plaque formation on artery walls. These powerful antioxidants may even reduce cholesterol and even lower blood pressure.

Snacks
Control your portions by pouring an individual serving of pretzels or chips into a bowl instead of eating from the bag.

For some people, snacks between meals curb their appetite so they eat fewer calories overall. But for others, it can substantially increase the amount of calories they consume and lead to weight gain. So small portions are crucial. Buy whole grain pretzels or baked varieties of potato chips whenever possible.

Dinner
Ask for the bread basket to be removed from the table.

Order one or even two salads and your favorite burger or sandwich without the bun. To fill yourself up, create a big salad using protein from your sandwich. Avoid anything fried, and stay away from special sauces. Use two tablespoons of sauce, and ask the waiter to take the rest away to avoid dipping.

Be dip-savvy
Dip fruit into fat-free yogurt, and veggies in bean dip or salsa.

Beans are a great source of protein, fiber and folate. Most healthy salsas are only 80 calories a cup. The tomato-based versions are loaded with lycopene, a plant chemical linked to lower risks of cancer and heart disease.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25374014/?pg=2#Health_COT_100calories

Pumpkin seeds for Muscles

2008-12-04T01:07:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin seeds are loaded with magnesium, manganese, iron and copper.

Why: The minerals in the body are a fairly well-connected group — they play off one another and work together to build tissue, form enzymes for bodily functions and support communication between cells. They also help maximize muscle mass. Magnesium helps build protein for muscle function. It also helps relax muscles after they’ve contracted. Manganese is needed to form protein and is a component of enzymes that act as antioxidants which help repair damaged muscle tissue. Iron is good for building endurance.

One ounce of pumpkin seeds (a small handful) contains nearly half the manganese you need in a day.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26777340/?pg=2#Health_COT_musclemass

Quinoa for Muscles

2008-12-04T01:06:00.002-08:00

Quinoa (keen-wah), an ancient grain from South America, is full of good carbohydrates -- the body’s preferred source of energy -- as well as high-quality protein, potassium and iron.

Why: Carbs are critical to help you pack on muscle. Too few carbs means the proteins in your body will be used for energy, instead of creating new tissue.

So, while eating protein-rich foods is important for gaining muscle, don’t load up at the expense of wholesome carbohydrates. Quinoa contains all the essential amino acids your body needs for building muscle proteins and other tissues.

Quinoa is also a good source of potassium and contains several minerals including iron, which, as Popeye knows, is needed to help you stay strong.

Enjoy a half-cup of quinoa for breakfast with dried fruits and nuts stirred in, as a side dish mixed with beans and other vegetables, or add the mild, light flavor of quinoa to soups, casseroles or salads. Quinoa can also be found in some ready-to-eat cereals and prepared breads.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26777340/?pg=2#Health_COT_musclemass

Low-fat yogurt for Muscles

2008-12-04T01:06:00.001-08:00

Low-fat yogurt is rich in protein, potassium, calcium and vitamin D, all which work together to keep your muscles functioning properly.

Why: Studies suggest that Vitamin D binds to receptors in muscle which then promote growth and strength. Too little vitamin D is linked with muscle weakness.

Select a yogurt brand fortified with vitamin D, which can give you nearly a quarter of your daily requirement in one serving. A daily serving of 6-8 ounces should help keep your muscles primed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26777340/?pg=2#Health_COT_musclemass

Sweet potatoes for Muscles

2008-12-04T01:05:00.001-08:00

Sweet potatoes are a terrific source of potassium and antioxidants, which are good for building muscles.

Why: “Anyone who is exercising and working their muscles will be creating free radicals,” says Tara Gidus, a sports dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “Antioxidants can help disarm free radicals and help repair muscle tissue as it breaks down and rebuilds.”

Potassium-rich foods such as sweet potatoes can also help counteract the effects of eating too many acid-producing foods, such as meats, some dairy products and highly-processed items, which can speed the loss of muscle mass.

Other foods loaded with potassium and antioxidants include lettuces, peppers, kiwi, melon and oranges. Ideally, you should eat 5-9 servings of vegetables and produce a day with 3 servings of potassium-rich foods.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26777340/?pg=2#Health_COT_musclemass

Fish for Muscles

2008-12-04T01:04:00.000-08:00

Especially fish rich in omega-3 fats such as salmon, tuna, halibut, rainbow trout and canned sardines.

Why: Lean fish contains all the essential amino acids the body needs to make muscles and provide the building materials for creating and repairing other tissues.

Muscle mass is built based on the amount of protein (amino acids) consumed. While Americans typically get more than enough protein to feed their muscles, many older adults do not. An estimated one in every three people over the age of 60 loses so much muscle, partly because they don’t get enough protein to stave off breakdown of muscle tissue, that it affects their ability to function. According to some studies, the omega-3 fats found in fish may help slow the breakdown of muscle mass.

It’s recommended that you eat at least 2-3 meals of fish high in omega-3 fats per week.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26777340/?pg=2#Health_COT_musclemass

Yoga Treatment For Men

2008-12-01T20:06:00.000-08:00

Yoga is a prehistoric traditional form of physical and spiritual practice. In addition, it is a great industry that provides weight and stress reduction, tight butts, marvelous flexibility and sexual survival. Yoga is the earliest for of treatment for various health complications. However, it is still widely applied.

Yoga as a complementary treatment of depression
Groundwork findings support the potential of yoga as a complementary treatment for disheartened patients who are taking anti-depressant medications but are only in biased lessening.

Yoga is one of the helpful ways in the prevention and cure of certain diseases like diabetes and cardiac disorders. A lot of exercise boost digestion and help the pancreas and the liver to function normally thus regulating blood sugar levels.

Example of a useful yoga exercise
Stand with your feet spread shoulder width apart, bend forward with the hands on the knees and then exhale through your mouth. When your breath disappears, close the throat so that no air will be able to enter the lungs.

Expand your chest as if you are breathing and suck your abdominal muscles tightly forming a hollow space. Then try to relax your muscles and stay in this position until you need to breathe then relax and inhale slowly.

Now, go into abdominal pumping. Release the muscles so that your stomach returns to its normal position and then suck the abdominal muscles again. Repeat this until you need to breathe. Discharge slowly and breathe normally. Repeat this exercise thrice.

Benefits of yoga
The biggest and highest endeavor of yoga is the realization of the true self. Yoga leads to a cosmic love, feeling of oneness in a person and improves self-drive. Extreme practice of yoga has been found to trigger perception and creativity, open out artistic capabilities and improve mental power.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Yoga-Treatment-For-Men&id=1719611

Yoga and the Economy

2008-12-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

It is fall 2008. We have a new president-elect, the holiday season is in our presence, and snow is falling here on a beautifully thick gray day in Midwest America. Normally, based on these factors-being an especial lover of gray late-autumn days--I would say things are good.

But things are not good. We are riding a wave of a recession whose dark-lit story seems by experts' observations to be in its early chapters. We've all heard the fears, the fallout, the collapses, and the numbers, and we all expect to hear much more. Even if we generally dwell on the sunny side of the street, these are comparatively dark days.

Enter yoga and the economy. Yoga, the most economical of wellness systems ever created, can help humans through economic hard times. Now, more than ever when millions of people practice yoga worldwide, the power of steadfast yoga can help raise spirits and bring back a universal balance.

First, know that you are an economy in and of yourself. When a nation's economy is strong, the force of humans contained within it functions at a generally higher, smoother state than in a weaker economy. Likewise, when you are healthy in diet, exercise, and mind work (e.g., mental-emotional wellness exercises), you can be said to be a strong economy of one. These three broad realms of yoga practice and principle-diet, exercise, and mind work-are also the foundation of basic human wellness.

It is when one of these personal Big Three falters for you that it is time to take stock, make a plan, and take action. Even if you are eating well and exercising regularly these days but have more stress than you had before the economy started plummeting, you are at risk of personal economy downturn.

Consider the impact our nation's economic crisis, which threatens basic survival, has made on personal wellness. Retirement fund loss, heavy unemployment, and high anxiety of high prices at the store and the pump have touched our lives directly or indirectly, but most likely both. If you are worried about your retirement from 401K fallout or know someone who is, or if you are angry that your brother lost his job at GM or lost a job yourself, or if you are anxious that good, healthy food is so much more expensive than it used to be or worried how your community's much less fortunate are going to get enough food in the coming four weeks, this message is for you: Turn to yoga.

Turn to yoga. Or, if you are already a regular practitioner, turn to yoga more: more often, more intensely.

Yoga means unity. Just like the air you breathe, what happens to you happens to me. Your unemployed friend is your concern. Conversely, your efforts to keep yourself healthy in this recession can become your friend's hope. By keeping yourself up in these hard times, you help keep up the lives of those around you. This is yogic fact, or at least yogic modus operandi.

So use yoga's Big Three to get strong and stay strong. Be the government of your own economy. And don't give up on governance. Keep injecting your economy of one with yoga just like a government would inject its economy with recovery plans. Tap into the infinite resources within you to create a brighter day for you, for others.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Yoga-and-the-Economy&id=1716029

Yoga For Beginners - Four Essential Yoga Breathing Exercises to Cleanse and Strengthen Your Body

2008-12-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

In yoga, breath awareness forms the key of good practice. Breathing exercises, known as pranayama, are used to cleanse and strengthen the body. The breath, known as prana or life-force is the link between the mind and the body.

As you practice your breathing exercises, you will notice your mind feels calmer, steadier and you are more able to focus.

If you are new to yoga, it is essential you learn how to breathe correctly. To help you gain a better understanding of your breath, try the following breathing exercises.

Four Essential Yoga Breathing Exercises

1. Abdominal Breathing
Lie flat on your back with your arms and legs apart. Close your eyes. Have your feet about 2 feet apart, ankles falling to the side, have your arms about 6 - 12 inches from the body, palms facing upwards, keep your lower back flat on the floor, tuck the chin in slightly, so your neck is nice and long, relax the jaw.
Become aware of your breath, allow your breath to be slow and steady.
As you inhale, feel the abdomen rise slowly. As you exhale, feel the abdomen sink down.

2. Full Yogic Breathing
To check you are breathing correctly, sit in a cross-legged position.
Place your right hand on your upper chest and your left hand on your abdomen.
Inhale deep into your abdomen, feel your left hand rise up. Keep breathing in into your lower chest and then upper chest, feeling your right hand rise as he ribs expand.
Reverse the process as you breathe out, releasing air from the upper chest first, then the lower chest, then the abdomen.
Repeat this cycle for 3- 5 rounds.

3. Alternate Nostril Breathing (Anuloma Viloma)

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position, spine straight, body relaxed.
Turn your attention to your right hand, bend the index and middle finger into the palm. The thumb, ring and little finger are up (this position is known as Vishnu Mudra. The thumb is used to close the right nostril, the ring and little finger the left nostril.
Close the right nostril with your thumb, and inhale through the left nostril to a count of four.
Close both nostrils and hold the breathe to a count of 16.
Release your thumb and exhale through the right nostril to a count of eight
Inhale through the right nostril to a count of four.

Close both nostrils and hold breath to a count of 16.
Release your fingers and exhale through the left nostril to a count of eight.
Repeat this cycle 5 - 10 rounds daily.

4. Yogic Cleansing Breath

Sitting comfortable, spine straight. Gently close your eyes.
Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of three.
Slowly breathe out, through your nose for a count of 6
Repeat this pattern for 3 - 7 more times.
Relax

Once you have experienced the therapeutic benefits of doing these breathing exercises, you will feel so much clearer and fitter. Try and make them a regular part of your daily yoga practice to help you cleanse and strengthen your body.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Yoga-For-Beginners---Four-Essential-Yoga-Breathing-Exercises-to-Cleanse-and-Strengthen-Your-Body&id=1725643

Living Om - Yoga, Fun and Fitness For Kids 2-6 Years Old

2008-12-01T19:58:00.000-08:00

In today's fast paced world it has become very challenging for many parents to commit the amount of time required to connect with their children. Through yoga we can hope to attain skills in overcoming these challenges to you, the significant adults in children's lives.

How can Living Om benefit children?

MIND
Focus, concentration and imagination are increased, intellectual development is enhanced by a calm mind, imagination and creativity are stimulated, relaxation techniques clear the mind and assist in improving memory capacity, self-esteem and confidence are built, encourages a love of learning, develop mental control

BODY
Performing the Yoga postures help purify blood in the blood vessels and muscle co-ordination. Everyday aches and pains can be reduced by practicing Yoga. Body posture awareness, muscle toning, improved stability and mobility of the joints. Internal organs are toned, strengthening the body immune, circulatory and digestive system. Agility, balance, control and coordination are improved, improved balance and sleep patterns.

SPIRIT
Develop oneness with nature, self-awareness is promoted, learn to honour others, ourselves, and all living things, postures and techniques in the stories introduce children to emotions like compassion, kindness, helpfulness, friendliness and understanding.

GENERAL WELL BEING
Toddlers following this program stay active, creative, flexible and agile. Breathing techniques helps improve respiratory system, self confidence and voices. Health and longevity rely on spinal cord flexibility, exercises in this program keeps the spine flexible. With an endless list of benefits, this program could be one of the most wonderful gifts you could give to your child.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Living-Om---Yoga,-Fun-and-Fitness-For-Kids-2-6-Years-Old&id=1730315

Be a Natural Beauty - Look and Feel Great

2008-11-17T01:42:00.000-08:00

Want natural beauty? It starts with natural products: you avoid chemicals in your food, so avoid them in skin care products and cosmetics too.

Here's how to be a natural beauty.

1. Choose a Natural Soap
Start by choosing a natural, organic soap. Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It's delicate, so avoid harsh chemicals in your soap.

Natural soaps are made of products like olive oil, essential oils, and herbs. My current favorite is a milk and honey soap with neem oil.

2. Choose Natural Facial Skin Care Products to Cleanse and Moisturize
As with soap, choose natural facial skin care products. Here's a fast and easy skin cleanser: rose hip oil. Smooth the oil on, and remove makeup with a witch hazel-soaked cotton wool ball.

Rose hip oil is a natural source of Retinol A, which researchers say eliminates surface wrinkles, fades age spots, regenerates damaged skin, and softens and reduces the appearance of scars and stretch marks.

Rose hip oil makes a great moisturizer too.

3. Choose Mineral Cosmetics
Mineral cosmetics are wildly popular, and there are many different ranges of these products. Mineral cosmetics are made from all natural, finely ground real-earth minerals. They're totally free of all the chemicals, dyes, and preservatives which you find in traditional cosmetics.

Some dermatologists have said that mineral cosmetics are better for your skin because they chemical-free.

Give them a try, to see if they work for you.

4. Choose Natural Sleep: Get Lots of Rest
There's a reason they call it "beauty sleep." You can't look and feel great if you don't get enough sleep. Did you know that missing out on sleep can even lead to weight gain?

Get at least seven hours of sleep a night: it's not a luxury, it's an investment in good health, and in your beauty.

5. Choose Natural, Unprocessed Food
As the saying goes, what you eat today walks and talks tomorrow.

Just as you avoid putting chemicals on your skin, avoid them in your food too. This means eating natural, unprocessed foods.

Choose bread that's made of wholegrain flour, and avoid all packaged foods.

You can be a natural beauty: just ensure that you stay as close to nature as possible.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Be-a-Natural-Beauty---Look-and-Feel-Great&id=1687465

Banana Diet Tips and Warning!

2008-11-09T18:56:00.000-08:00

Here are some banana diet tips and a warning. First off, the banana diet CAN help you to lose a lot of weight. But some people don't do it right and when you do it wrong, it gets UGLY. So read this now to get things straight so you can enjoy losing weight on this really effective diet.

Banana Diet Tips and Warning
1. Warning: The banana diet has nothing to do with eating bananas as your main meal.

You'd be crazy if you ate bananas as your meals. Uh, you need protein and fats as well for your diet. If you ate nothing but bananas, you'd so many nutrient, mineral, and vitamin deficiencies. Besides, this would be pure torture to eat only bananas.

I know you're more intelligent than that, but I just wanted to be sure for those who get a little too aggressive with their dieting tactics.

2. Tips - There are 2 ways to do this diet and a combination way

You can eat 2 bananas, 3 separate times a day as snacks between meals. You can eat 2 bananas with your meals... 1 before and 1 after each meal (I don't advise this way). OR... you can do a combo in which you eat 1 banana with each of 3 meals and 1 banana 3 different times as a snack.

If I was to choose, I'd either do the first or third way... probably the 3rd way. Why? First, you need to use bananas as snacks. By using them just at your meals, you'd be opening up some problems when it comes time to snack between meals. So it's vital to use them as snacks.

Also, it's important to have them with meals because the live enzymes bananas contain help you to digest your foods better. Good digestive health is critically important for long term weight loss progress.

This is just a brief article, but hopefully I gave you some ideas on how to use the banana diet effectively to lose weight.

If you're SICK and TIRED of getting the same old boring weight loss advice... you know, like "Eat more fruits and vegetables, drink 8 glasses of water, jog, and Blah Blah Blah", then...

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Banana-Diet-Tips-and-Warning!&id=1590976

Best Weight Loss Program

2008-11-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

If you want to lose weight I am going to tell you best weight loss program. I will tell you what a weight loss program should include. A real weight loss program should not promise fast or rapid weight loss. As rapid weight loss programs never give long lasting results. So prepare your mind if you want to have a success in your weight loss program. The real weight loss program will never be fast you have to be patient as losing weight is a slow process.

Always consult a weight loss doctor or a dietician before starting your weight loss program as performance of an individual varies. You should make some small changes if you want to have great results. Try to count your calories in every meal you eat. Stick to a regular exercise program which is a key part of a weight loss program. Try to enjoy your exercise program. You can exercise outdoors or you can exercise during listening music if you will enjoy your exercise it will boost your weight loss program.

Eat lot of green vegetables and fruits it will help you in your weight loss program as green vegetables and fruits give lot of vitamins and minerals. If you want to lose weight and if you want that your weight loss program should give you great results drink plenty of water. Successful weight loss program always need lots of water. If you want to lose weight water should be your best friend. Losing weight is a slow process a slow and steady weight loss program never promises losing more than three pounds per week.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Best-Weight-Loss-Program&id=861589

Several Nutrients For Healthy Eyes

2008-11-02T20:15:00.000-08:00

A lot of people suffer from different eye health issues. Whether you are nearsighted, farsighted, or suffer from eye fatigue, you can benefit from numerous eye nutrients. Taking care of your vision is very crucial. Your eyes are a part of every single task you complete. So be sure that you spoil your eyes with the right type of vitamins and minerals.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are two very important cartenoids. Since our bodies are unable to produce these two compounds, we have to rely upon supplements and other foods to provide us with an adequate amount. These two compounds are very valuable when it comes down to the prevention of macular degeneration and cataracts. Vitamins A and E are also very valuable when it comes down to vision. A deficiency in vitamin A can lead to night blindness. Furthermore, proper intake of this particular compound is beneficial in relieving eye dryness. Vitamin E on the other hand supports healthy blood vessels. Vitamin C also prevents blood vessels from braking and it aids in new blood vessel growth.

Zinc is important for eye health because it helps the liver release vitamin A. and when vitamin A is released then it can become absorbed by other body organs, such as eyes. Fish oil also provides the body with vitamin A, as well as vitamin D. this particular compound helps the eye produce protein pigments. And last but certainly not least is magnesium. Magnesium is responsible for adding more blood flow into the eye. So as you can see, every single nutrient plays its own important role in the health of the eyes. Therefore, it is important to take all of these compounds in their recommended dosage every day.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Several-Nutrients-For-Healthy-Eyes&id=1420298

Knowing What Eye Vitamins Are

2008-11-02T20:13:00.000-08:00

Eye Vitamins for Healthy Eyes
All our lives we've been told to take care of our eyes, eat plenty of carrots and take vitamins, etc. Today we see many magazine articles or television advertisements about ways to take care of our eyes. Many of these ads are giving the virtues of eye vitamins and telling us the importance of good eye care. Research has shown that eye vitamins cannot only help keep our eyes in good shape but can also help prevent them from being affected by diseases.

Limit you Fast Foods
The foods we consume on a daily basis contain plenty of vitamins and minerals as well as other nutrients needed by our bodies. However, some foods are better for us than others are. Fast foods, for instance, may be very popular with many on-the-go people, but lack some of the important ingredients our bodies need. Although there are vitamins in fast food, it's provides our body with a lot of bulkiness and not as many vitamins as it should. If you're concerned about your eyes, and most of should be, consider taking eye vitamin supplements. They are not very expensive and will help replenish our bodies with the vitamin content we need. In addition, many of these eye vitamin supplements can be bought without a prescription.

Eye Vitamins for Good Eye Sight
Eye vitamins are probably the most versatile vitamins on the market. Their dosage and be varied depending on what each vitamin contains as far as vitamin and mineral content. In addition, there are different kinds of vitamins you can take as eye vitamins such as Vitamin A, E, B2, C, and more. Selenium, Zinc and Lutein have been used as excellent eye vitamins. Lutein is great for its antioxidant properties but it's not fully determined how beneficial it is as an eye vitamin, although Lutein can be found in our lens and retina as well as macula. Cigarette smoking and its affect on these eye parts has been noticed with smoking causing a reduction of Lutein. In addition to the other negatives regarding smoking, it also negatively affects the eyes. If you are a smoker, you should look for eye vitamins that do not contain beta-carotene as smoking and beta-carotene has been linked with some diseases.

Organic Foods and Eye Sight
The positive affect of organic foods on our eyes has been known for quite awhile now. In addition, organic foods contain many eye vitamins. Bilberry is an herb that is known to help maintain the eyes. Many natural herbs can be taken to promote good eye care. When you are buying eye vitamins, also check on the contents and labels on the bottle, and not just the price. Make sure the eye vitamins you take are ones that are giving you the nutritional supplements you need.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Knowing-What-Eye-Vitamins-Are&id=1477627

How to Get Fairer Skin

2008-11-02T20:12:00.000-08:00

Have you ever longed for fairer, brighter skin? Strange isn't it? How some very fair ladies feel they look sickly and bask in the sun for a so called healthy tan. They were healthier pale than browned because a tan is a sign of sun damage. If you are born brown, then you would be the envy of these women. Then again, the grass is always greener on the other side. Dark girls often want to be fair.

Modern technology is amazing. A pale girl can get tan skin without even stepping out in the sun. Thanks to self tanners in the form of lotions or even pills.

Likewise, dark girls can go fairer. Going to a plastic surgeon for skin bleaching can give you very drastic results. Your best bet is to stay out of the sun and use sun protection and wear long sleeves and pants by day to allow your skin fade to the color you were born with.

An old home remedy to fade away the freckles and dark spots with lemon juice. It is a risky thing because lemon juice is very acid pH2. Sulphuric acid is just 1 point away at pH1, so you can imagine how acidic lemons are. You could end up burning or irritating your skin with lemon juice. At very least, it would make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. UV exposure triggers off melanin production. If your skin is continuously irritated, not just by sunlight, but by pollutants and allergens, your skin will react by producing more melanin and darkening even further.

Basically, your skin gets dark because melanin is produced by your skin, to shade it from the sun. The freckles, dark spots and even the even tan is due to melanin clustering together to protect your skin.

To get fair, you slowly exfoliate off the darkened skin over time and prevent the new skin from darkening.

There are several things commonly used to lighten the skin.

Hydroquinone is one of them but in higher concentrations, it can cause irritations and may even be carcinogenic. It makes skin lighter by preventing melanin from being formed.

Alchemilla a plant popular amongst the alchemists in the Middle Ages, slows the release of melanin pigments to your skin, hence slowing down the darkening of your skin.

Kojic acid is used to to prevent melanin formation.

Black-Out Yeast Complex, a formula by clinique, used extensively in its Derma White range breaks down the melanin clusters so that these can be disposed of via exfoliation and defuses irritants that would otherwise darken the skin, through its delivery of antioxidants. Most importantly, it prevents more melanin from forming by blocking away the signals to produce melanin.

Then there are the skin bleaching treatments by a plastic surgeon using AHAs or retin-A amongst other things. These are for more drastic results. For something gentler, I suggest you get a skin whitening range from your favourite skin care brand.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Get-Fairer-Skin&id=1429001

Seven Simple Skin Care Tips For Beautiful Skin

2008-11-02T20:08:00.000-08:00

Have you read one skin care tip after another and felt unsure about which one you should follow? If you open up magazines or surf the web, you will find loads of skin care suggestions and oftentimes it's simply hit or miss.

When you want to get skin care tips, avoid consulting magazines. Mainstream magazines are partial to big brand products that pay to have their name mentioned. It's hard to know what is really effective unless you try it yourself but here are some surefire tips that will have your skin looking clear, young, and beautiful in no time.

1. Many skin care tips out there recommend over-cleansing your skin. The truth is that you only need to cleanse your skin in the evening before you go to bed. Splashing your face with warm water in the morning is sufficient. Over-cleansing can lead to dryness and irritation.

2. This is probably a skin care tip you've already heard, but moisturize your skin frequently. Use both a day cream and a night cream for the best results. Look for natural and effective moisturizing ingredients such as grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, avocado extract, and shea butter.

3. Of the many skin care tips that are overlooked, one is the importance of using a deeply hydrating mask for a periodic hydrating boost. Simply applying creams day to day is not enough in order to give your face and neck the deep moisturizing treatment they need.

4. Another skin care tip that involves mask is using a deep cleansing treatment. Look for a deep cleansing mask that contains bentone gel and kaolin clay to remove the build-up of dirt and grime from your pores.

5. Don't apply just any cream to your eyes. Look for a light eye gel specifically for use around the eyes. Keep an eye out for ingredients like Eyeliss and Haloxyl, which are scientifically proven to reduce under-eye circles, wrinkles, and bags.

6. Avoid using creams that contain an SPF factor. Most of the skin care tips you have heard all your life surely preach the importance of SPF factors in skin creams but the truth is that SPF factors can cause skin problems and have been linked to cancer. To avoid sun exposure, use a wide brim hat and sun umbrella instead.

7. If you want to whiten your complexion, look for a cream that contains extrapone nutgrass. Unlike other whitening ingredients, extrapone nutgrass does not cause irritation. You can enjoy its whitening effects without experiencing any harmful side effects.

Do yourself a favor and follow the skin care tips listed here in order to achieve young, beautiful skin. Your best bet is to follow these tips religiously and if you do so, you will look in the mirror and see the skin you've always dreamed of having in no time, guaranteed.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Seven-Simple-Skin-Care-Tips-For-Beautiful-Skin&id=1511786