Unfortunately, the prospect of exercising tends to elicit groans from most people. There’s all the logistics to work out - the time, equipment, expense and the sheer, utter boringness of it all. Negative thinking about exercise can sabotage all your good intentions. Here’s a list of answers for some of the most commonly used excuses not to exercise.

I don’t have time to exercise! 

Exercise could be one of the most important things you’ll do for your health today. MAKE time to exercise. If you’re doing traditional workouts - move those weights and mats right out into the family room and make use of your television time. Instead of flopping down in a chair while you watch the news or your favorite show, be active. Run in place, do leg lifts or heft weights. Use time in your car to tighten and tone muscles with isometric tummy tighteners. Walk up the stairs instead of using the elevator. Exercise doesn’t have to be a solid hour at the gym. Anything that revs up your motors is great for your body. 

I don’t have the right equipment at home. 

You don’t need equipment to exercise. A brisk walk around the block is good for you - and burns over 200 calories. Vacuuming your carpets can burn nearly as much. Flip on your radio or pop in your favorite high-energy CD and dance. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that your ‘exercise’ has to be a carefully planned workout to work all the right muscles in the right order with the right tension. Exercise means being active. Just do it. 

I can’t afford a membership to the gym. 

If you’d rather exercise at the gym (and have access to their fitness machines, whirlpools, swimming pool and trainers), there are a lot of ways to make it more affordable. Check with your health insurance company to see if they offer incentives. Most of the major health insurance companies, including Blue Cross, cover part or all of fitness club memberships as part of your benefits. If yours doesn’t, or if you don’t have health insurance, call your local YMCA or YWCA. Most offer ’scholarships’ or sliding fee scales for memberships to their facilities. 

But exercise is such a chore! 

Says who? Make getting your daily exercise fun. Play a game. Go dancing. Grab a few friends for a weekend hike in the state park. Exercise doesn’t have to be routine. Stop thinking of it as a chore and start thinking of it as recreation. You’ll be amazed what a difference it makes.

Original Post: No Excuses Exercises

Dr. David Katz, author of “The Way to Eat”, suggests a better way.
While it’s important to balance the calories you eat with the calories you burn, he says, it’s not necessary to obsess about food by counting every calorie. Instead, he suggests, focus on eating well for your health and permanent weight loss will follow.

Dr. Katz’s suggestions include replacing highly processed foods which contain added sugar, fat, starch and salt with more wholesome foods with short ingredient lists. Avoid foods with added ‘flavor enhancers’ like monosodium glutamate and high fructose corn syrup which tend to stimulate the appetite and make you want to eat even more.

Instead, focus on healthier alternatives within food groups. That’s far easier to do than you’d think. A simple change in your diet like replacing the light cream in your coffee with low-fat milk can save you 50 calories per cup. If you drink a lot of coffee, that could add up to a substantial lowering in your overall daily calorie intake - with the added bonus of giving you all the calcium and vitamin D you usually get with less than half the fat. 

But, you say, you just can’t drink your coffee with skim milk? That’s fine, too. We all have little luxuries that we think we can’t live without. Take a few minutes to analyze your diet and figure out which things you just can’t give up - then make adjustments in other areas to account for them. Can’t live without cream in your coffee? Skip the muffin you usually have with it, or replace the butter you use on it with a low-fat margarine substitute. Eating healthy is about choices - not obsession. 

Here are some other suggestions to help you stop obsessing about calories and start eating healthier: 

1. Toss out sugared breakfast cereals in favor of a whole-grain cereal that has little or no added sugar and drop a few berries into your bowl instead. 

2. Switch to an all natural, no additive peanut butter instead of a highly processed one that contains added sugar and oils for stabilization. 

3. Keep a baggie of dried fruit in your desk drawer for a high-potassium pick-me-up at mid-morning. You’ll be far less inclined to overeat at lunch - and you won’t find yourself yawning at 11 A.M.

Original Post: Don’t Obsess About Food

Lets look at pain. It is your signal that injury, disease or too much strain has occurred on the body. Without it you wouldn’t know that something needs to be addressed. Even mild pain can limit your activities, which in turn can lead to a loss of strength, endurance and flexibility.

Chronic pain can be on and off or be consistent. If you are like most people, you’ll reach for over the counter drugs or prescription drugs. This is what the drug companies would love for you to do. My opinion is that if you handle your pain in this manner, you may not be really getting at the underlying cause of it. Drs. today are trained to diagnose, prescribe drugs and or surgery. 

If you suffer from pain there are many more options for you to explore than drugs or surgery. Here are some things you may want to consider.

I highly recommend that you seek help from a nutritionist. With vitamins, minerals and herbs lacking in our daily foods, a good diet and exercise with supplements, and organic foods, may improve your immune systems ability to repair the body and therefore experience Pain Relief . There are other natural remedies that can enhance your nutritional handling such as acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or yoga. 

I hope that helps.

Original Post: Natural Pain Management

1. If drank fresh, the juice is full of live enzymes, which is helpful the body.

2. Unlike coming out from a packet, the juice is fresh and not pasteurized. Pasteurization many have its conveniences but it has resulted in nutritionally dead foods. During pasteurization, high heat is used and this destroys the vital nutrients within the juice.

3. You consume more vegetables by drinking than by eating. As you probably have experienced, it’s not always possible to eat as many vegetables as you would like. Drinking fresh vegetable juice helps take care of this problem.

4. Digestion and assimilation of the vegetable nutrients is much easier. Your body is in fact, like a juicer. When you eat a celery, your body will digest the celery by extracting the juice to get the nutrition. The fiber is eliminated via the colon and bowel movements. However, if you juice, you have already extracted the juice for the body thus making it easier for your assimilation. Nevertheless, it’s still important to eat whole vegetables and fruits because you need some amount of fiber as well.

5. Fasting gives your digestive system a rest. Since fresh fruit and vegetable juices require little digestion, and are quickly assimilated into your body. Most of the 10% of bodily energy normally involved in your assimilation, digestion, and elimination is freed up. The end result? You feel a sense of renewed energy after the fast.

6. A fast helps to also break down toxic materials - fat, abnormal cells and tumors’ and releases diseased tissues and their cellular products into the circulation for elimination. 

7. In addition, new cell growth during fasting is stimulated and accelerated as the required proteins are re-synthesized from decomposed cells (during autolysis). Your serum albumin reading, that is blood-protein level, remains constant and normal throughout your fast, as your body very smartly uses protein and other stored nutrients where needed.

8. Juice fasting is a much gentler process of detoxification as compared to water fasting. For a juice fast, a broad variety of fruits and vegetables should be used in combination and that is necessary to enhance health during the fast. In this manner, the body still gets its daily calories from the easily-digested juices as compared to the more extreme water fast. Thus, the release of toxins from the fat cells in a juice fast is much more gentle and gradual.

Original Post: Detox Diet: 8 Benefits To Juice Fasting

These are some of known health benefits of Massage Therapy:

Improves blood circulation, thus allowing increased oxygen and nutrients to be delivered to treated areas including areas that have been injured or have experienced overexertion.

• Helps to lower blood pressure. 
• Aids in detoxification by propelling toxic waste products through the lymphatic system. 
• Relieves stress and promote sense of well being. 
• Relaxes injured muscles, reducing cramps, and muscle spasms 
• Stimulates the release of the bodies’ natural endorphins which may aid in pain control. 
• Provides increased exercise stretching for atrophied muscles. 

In fact, increasing evidence show that massage therapy helps to bolster the immune system of a person. Some studies show of cellular changes in immune function following massage therapy, including the new research on healthy women that indicates increases in disease-fighting white blood cells and natural killer-cell activity.

Before a Massage Therapy session, you may wish to consult with the Massage Therapist as to your treatment goals. Different combinations of massage techniques may be used to attain these goals. For instance, if you have a sports injury, you may wish to have specific massage strokes targeted to reduce swelling and to improve blood flow in that area. Or the therapy session may just well be a general de-stressing and relaxing one.

If you agree that many of today’s illnesses are due to stress-related issues, then Massage Therapy which helps in the reduction of stress, can really help in the process of building white blood cells. For a better immune system and reduced stress levels, try Massage Therapy today!

Original Post: The Health Benefits Of Massage Therapy

Awareness about asbestos symptoms is important because danger of asbestos exposure affects about 1.3 million people every year. Individuals employed in the railroad, factory, shipyard, automobile, construction and building industries in last six decades are at the risk of developing asbestos symptoms.

Most unfortunate aspect of the asbestos related diseases is that the asbestos symptoms may lie dormant in the body for decades. This long latency period does not let the victim or his family knows about the existence of the disease. Asbestos symptoms might appear after 20-50 years of exposure.

No study so far has come out with convincing evidence to show the effects of different amount and different duration of exposure to asbestos particles. Although individuals who have been exposed to asbestos for a longer time are more susceptible to asbestos related diseases, yet there are instances when patients developed serious disease with only a few months exposure.

When exposed to asbestos, individuals either inhale or ingest the asbestos fibers. Natural destination of these fibers after inhalation is lungs while the ingested asbestos fibers take the route of digestive system. Therefore, asbestos symptoms start appearing in either lungs or digestive system. However, in some cases asbestos symptoms may appear in other organs also.

Asbestos symptoms may be the indicators of cancerous and non- cancerous type of asbestos diseases. Asbestosis is a non-cancerous type of asbestos disease. This disease has asbestos symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain and persistent cough. Ignorance of these symptoms may lead to serious disability or even death.

Mesothelioma is cancerous type of asbestos disease. Pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of lungs known as pleural membrane. Peritoneal mesothelioma shows its affect on the lining of organs of abdomen known as peritoneal membrane. Shortness of breath, persistent cough, chest pain and building up of fluids in the lungs are some symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Asbestos symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are weight loss, nausea, difficulty in bowel movements, foot swelling, anemia and building up of fluid in abdomen. In rare cases, fever and night sweating may also appear as asbestos symptoms.

People suffering from asbestos symptoms can file lawsuits against the persons and organizations for causing asbestos exposure. These Asbestos lawsuits can help the victims of asbestos symptoms to recover the damages for medical expenses, loss of income, lost earning capacity, pain and psychological sufferings.

Original Post: Asbestos Symptoms: Late Indicators

Internal hemorrhoids are generally symptom free. The most common symptom is blood seen covering the stool or on toilet paper. It is when these internal hemorrhoids prolapse to the outside of the anus that they become extremely painful and troublesome.

Depending on the severity of your hemorrhoids you may be able to obtain relief with the following methods: A sitz bath. Sit in a few inches of warm water for fifteen minutes two to three times a day. When you wipe do not use toilet paper, use a pad or cotton ball moistened with witch hazel. You can purchase pre moistened pads in the drug store. You can use an over the counter cream to help lessen the burning and itching. Do not use it over the time specified by the manufacturer.

Some hemorrhoids must be treated surgically. There are several ways this is done. The first is a rubber band ligation where a band is placed around the hemorrhoid to stop the blood flow to it. The hemorrhoid withers away within a few days. Sclerotherapy is when a chemical solution is injected to shrink the hemorrhoid. Hemorrhoidectomy, where the hemorrhoid is surgically removed is generally used in severe cases.

Other more long lasting measures to help you prevent a recurrence of hemorrhoids are to eat more fiber. Take a fiber supplement on a daily basis. Drink plenty of water to help keep your stools soft. Do not put off your urge to have a bowel movement. Do not sit for long periods of time on the toilet.

Please remember that any rectal bleeding should be evaluated by a physician.

Original Post: Help With Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are a very common medical problem seen in both men and women, usually over the age of 30, with most suffering from hemorrhoids between the ages of 45 and 65 years old. It is estimated that more than a half million people seek treatment for symptomatic hemorrhoids each year in the United States. Of this half million hemorrhoid suffers, 10 to 20 percent will need surgical treatment.

Most medical professionals blame the formation of hemorrhoids on prolonged sitting on the toilet and chronic straining due to constipation. Hemorrhoids are also very common during pregnancy, due to the strain from carrying the excess weight of the baby.

You may suffer from internal or external hemorrhoids. Generally internal hemorrhoids, which are located higher up in the anus are not painful, but you will notice bleeding. Hemorrhoids will bleed bright red blood due to their abundance of arterial blood, which is different from the dark blood in your venous system. At times a hemorrhoid will protrude from the anal canal. Usually these hemorrhoids, which are called prolapsed, can be gently pushed back inside. If not, a consultation with a specialist is necessary.

External hemorrhoids are those that are itchy and painful and really uncomfortable. If you experience external hemorrhoids you will see bright red blood on the toilet paper, or in the toilet bowl after a bowel movement.

There are ways to relieve the discomfort of hemorrhoids. A sitz bath can help to relieve the discomfort of hemorrhoids. It is suggested that you sit in a tub of warm water for fifteen minutes several times a day. When you wipe, instead of toilet paper use pads soaked with witch hazel. You can buy these pads at any drug store. Application of any of the numerous over-the-counter hemorrhoid preparations will help to relieve the discomfort and itching.

Prolonged periods of either standing, or sitting can aggravate hemorrhoids. Straining when you have a bowel movement is one of the chief causes of them, and will definitely make them worse and much more painful. Don’t do it. The cause of constipation may be not enough fiber in your diet. Take a fiber supplement.

Any rectal bleeding of any kind should be checked by your physician.

Original Post: Hemorrhoid Facts And Treatments

More than likely you just aren’t armed with the right information to help you be successful in reaching your weight loss goals. There are so many diet misnomers floating about that it’s easy to feel like your drowning. The first step toward success is distinguishing fact from myth and using the power of knowledge.

To help you get started on the path to permanent weight loss and healthy living, read below to learn what’s true and what’s false in the world of diet and fitness. Take the quiz below to test your knowledge and you’ll learn what it really takes to beat the scale. Read each question and answer true or false. Then read below to find out whether or not you guessed right.

1. Skipping Meals Is a Good Idea
2. You Can Spot Reduce Certain Parts of Your Body
3. Eating Late At Night Makes You Fat
4. If Something Is Fat Free, You Can Eat As Much As You Want
5. Eating Less Than 1200 Calories Will Accelerate Weight Loss
6. Salads Are Always A Great Eating Out Choice
7. You Can Lose and Maintain Weight Without Exercise
8. If You Only Lose One Pound A Week You Need A New Diet
9. You Shouldn’t Exercise Every Day
10. You Should Wait To Strength Train Until You’ve Lost Weight

1. False. The idea behind this myth is that you’ll consume fewer calories in the entire day. The reality is that you probably will consume at least the same amount, if not more. Skipping a meal lowers your blood sugar. Low blood sugar usually makes you very hungry. In return you end up eating quickly and probably making poor food choices when those hunger pains come a knocking. Eating several small meals per day helps you stabilize blood sugars and control your appetite.

2. False. If you slave over 200 sit ups a day, it still isn’t going to get rid of your spare tire. Fat is lost evenly throughout the body. You can’t focus on one body part and only work it in an attempt to reduce that fatty area. To help a trouble spot you must focus on overall fitness - aerobic workouts, strength training, good nutrition and more. That’s the only way to reduce extra fat. 

3. False. Your body doesn’t determine your weight based on WHEN you eat. It just cares how much you eat. What’s important is determining how many calories are coming in versus how many are going out. You need to find the right balance based on how much your eating and exercising. If you take in more calories than you burn, then the extras will be stored as fat. That’s true whether you eat at night or not.

4. False. For the most part, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Sure, it is a little more complex than that but just keep in mind that for every extra 3,500 calories that you take in and don’t burn off, you will gain a pound. Does it matter if all of those 3,500 calories are fat-free? No! Your body just cares that the extra calories were consumed. Plus, fat makes you feel full. If you don’t eat enough of it, you may find yourself constantly hungry and you may end up consuming more calories than if you had eaten something with fat in it to begin with.

5. False. In fact, it may have the opposite effect. Too few calories per day causes your body to adapt to a minimal amount of food, and slows down your metabolic rate. The body may think it’s “starving” and actually hold onto every bit of food to ensure survival. Then, when you begin to eat normally, your calorie needs are reduced and you end up gaining more weight even though you are consuming less food.

6. False. Sometimes you’d be better of eating a burger than a salad. Many restaurant salads are dripping in high calorie, high fat dressings. Plus, they often add fatty toppings like croutons and bacon bits. If you are going to choose a salad, be sure the dressing and extras don’t sabotage your calorie counting.

7. True. When it comes right down to it, weight loss is about the difference between intake and output. As long as you are burning more calories then you are consuming, then you should be able to lose weight. So, exercise isn’t a necessity but it certainly is the best approach. Study after study has proven that groups that both maintain an appropriate calorie intake and also exercise have better weight loss successes and are better at keeping it off. Plus, exercising provides SO many health benefits it would be crazy not to include it as part of a healthy lifestyle. 

8. False. Losing 1-2 pounds per week is actually an excellent weight loss rate. If you lose more than that, then it’s very likely that it won’t be permanent. You’ll just end up gaining it back. When you lose at rapid paces, typically you end up losing water weight and lean mass. You want to lose fat. So, even though the scale may show less, you won’t be as healthy and won’t look as good.

9. True. It’s not necessary to exercise every single day of the week. Sure, it’s great if you can get some type of physical activity in on a daily basis. But, it also is important to give your body rest time to recover and improve. For example, you don’t want to lift weights every day working the same muscles. They need time to rest. And, intense cardio workouts daily can wear you down. Resting one day a week can actually help you.

10. False. Strength training is an essential part of good fitness. Virtually everyone should include some type of strength training in their weekly workouts regardless of whether they are wanting to lose weight, just maintain it, or build muscle. And, muscle actually helps your metabolism (e.g. helps you burn calories), so you should do it as part of a weight loss program.

Original Post: Weight Loss And Exercise Myths — Test Your Fitness Iq

It is quite common for people who have been diagnosed as having Coeliac Disease to find themselves feeling depressed and anxious. For many there is a link between food and a sense of control over their lives. Celiacs are faced with something over which they feel no control.

A diagnosis of celiac disease, the restriction the new diet places upon you, and a sense of isolation created because you feel you are not able to join in with everyone else can bring on symptoms of depression.

You Are What You Eat
Poor absorption of vitamins and minerals can make the celiac sufferer feel unwell, feeling depressed can be a side effect of not having the correct balance of foods which affect your mood and have a significant impact on how you are feeling emotionally. For some of you simply sticking to a strict gluten-free diet will be enough.

Find A Helping Hand
For others outside help in the form of councelling and psychological support can be very helpful. 

Get Into The Drivers Seat
Taking control of your life, finding alternatives to foods you previously enjoyed and living with celiac disease rather than letting the condition rule your life are the key. See it as an opportunity to take control of your life, to eat better, fewer processed food, less junk food. 

A Positive Attitude Makes All The Difference
Consider your cup - is it half full or half empty. You are on a restricted diet but at least your condition can be completely controlled without resorting to drugs or surgery. Even a shopping trip can be an adventure rather than a drudge what new gluten-free food can you find? 

A Spirit Of adventure
Discover yours! Try new things, take up new interests, meet new people.

On a personal note I have become much more adventurous since becoming a celiac. I’ll try anything once! I have extended my range of food; I can eat better and more healthily. 

All of these strategies can make a huge difference to your state of mind and they are all within your grasp. Take control and get the most out of your life.

Original Post: Depression And Celiac Disease

There are three main types of skin cancer, all of which are visible if you know what to look for. Melanoma, one of the main forms of skin cancer, is the deadliest. This disease is the most difficult to stop after it has spread throughout the body, which is why early detection and treatment are crucial. Skin cancer, of any kind, can usually be treated with success in it’s early stages.

As individuals, everyone has freckles, birthmarks and moles. These are a part of you and you are used to seeing them, but you may not notice slight changes right away and that’s what you need to be watching for. Any change in a mole’s shape, edges, size or color should be checked by a physician. If a mole becomes larger than that of a pencil eraser or if it’s color is multiple shades of brown rather than a solid color, these are both potential warning signs of skin cancer. A mole’s border should be well defined and, if that is no longer the case, notify your doctor. In addition, any sore that will not heal or a mole that grows larger at a rapid speed should be tested immediately.

Deciding to seek medical attention is difficult. For this reason, it’s best to choose a physician that you are comfortable with, such as a family doctor. He/she can examine your skin and refer you to a dermatologist if needed. The presence of skin cancer is determined by removing all, or part, of the questionable area and testing it with a microscope. Surgery is often utilized in the removal of ski cancer and, if done in the early stages, can be a very quick process. There will likely be a scar, but the physician may be able to completely remove all cancerous cells with only a very small incision. 

If the cancer has spread, or is very large in the defined area, additional surgery may be required. In that case, chemotherapy or radiation treatments may be ordered to ensure the cancer is completely removed. Your physician will be able to answer all questions that you may have and should do so without reserve. When meeting with a doctor, ask for an explanation of all treatment options, including their likelihood for success in your particular case. Deciding to seek medical attention is a big step and one that a patient must be mentally prepared for. 

This article should not be construed as professional medical advice. If you, or someone that you know, is concerned about the possibility of cancer, you should seek medical attention immediately. A medical doctor can discuss various options, prevention and treatment possibilities should the presence of cancer be detected. A series of tests may be conducted in order to confirm, or rule out, any such diagnosis and can only be done by a medical doctor.

Original Post: How To Find Out If You Have Skin Cancer

According to their functions and structure, there are three different types of cells within the normal blood: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Through the process of hematopoiesis, these three types of blood cells are developed from a distinctive type of blood cell called stem cell. Stem cells divide and go through several stages of development to finally form a mature blood cell of a particular type, with a certain, distinctive function in the body. The process through which a stem cell morphs into a mature blood cell takes place within the bone marrow.

According to the speed of development and the persistence of the disorder, there are two types of leukemia: acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Acute leukemia is known to develop very rapidly, while chronic leukemia is developed slowly. According to the types of blood cells affected by the disease, leukemia can either be lymphocytic or myelogenous.

Lymphocytic and myelogenous types of leukemia are developed from different types of cells: the lymphocytic type of leukemia develops from cells called lymphoblasts or lymphocytes in the spongious tissue of the bones, while the myelogenous type of leukemia (sometimes refered to as myeloid and myelocytic leukemia) develops from myeloid cells.

In the case of acute forms of leukemia, the abnormal cells come from early, immature cells. Such forms of the disorder have a very fast rate of development, due to the fact that normal stem cells tend to multiply frequently. Leukemia cells usually don’t divide faster and more frequently than normal stem cells, they simply don’t stop their process of division when they should. Sometimes the numbers of white blood cells are very high, while in other cases they can be normal or low.

Chronic leukemia, apart from its slow development, is different from acute leukemia by the level of maturation that the diseased cells are able to reach. Stem cells affected by chronic leukemia reach a higher level of maturation but they present abnormalities and they can’t act as healthy white blood cells do. Unlike acute leukemia, in the chronic form of the disease the unhealthy cells have much longer periods of life and they tend to accumulate in different parts of the body.

Leukemia affects people of all age groups. While children usually respond better to the treatment for leukemia and sometimes deal well with the disease, adults difficultly cope with this form of cancer.

Regardless of age and sex, many people are diagnosed with forms of leukemia. Children tend to respond better to some types of leukemia, while adults difficultly cope with the disease. The cases of acute leukemia exceed those of chronic leukemia by approximately 10 percent. Older adults seem to be affected the most by acute leukemia. Around two thirds of acute leukemia cases seem to occur after the age of 60.

Original Post: General Aspects Of Leukemia

Due to the latency period and symptoms of this cancer, mesothelioma is very difficult to diagnose. Mesothelioma takes decades to mature and develop fully and this is why many elderly men who were exposed to asbestos thirty years before are just discovering they have the cancer. A lot of these men are currently lodging multi-million dollar lawsuits against the companies that exposed them to the dangers of asbestos without sufficient protection.

The organs that are affected most by mesothelioma are the lungs. The most common type of mesothelioma which is called pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs and can cause symptoms such as coughing, breathing and swallowing difficulties, shortness of breath and fever. Another area that can be affected by mesothelioma is the abdomen. This is less common and this is known as peritoneal mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include nausea and vomiting, weight loss, fever, bowel obstruction, loss of appetite and general pain in the stomach area. The last and least common type of mesothelioma is known as pericardial mesothelioma and it affects the heart and the tissue surrounding it. Symptoms of this form of the cancer include palpitations, breathing difficulties and persistent coughing. Generally, the symptoms of mesothelioma are typical of many other diseases and this makes it very difficult to diagnose.

There are treatments for mesothelioma although these are usually unsuccessful. If the cancer is treated aggressively in its early stages then there is a good chance of a patient surviving. However, due to the difficulty to diagnose mesothelioma, the cancer is not normally found until it is too late. Treatments that are used for mesothelioma include surgery, radiation therapy, palliative therapy and chemotherapy. Research for additional treatment of mesothelioma is being done at various cancer centers all over the United States as well as by pharmaceutical companies.

Original Post: Mesothelioma - Your Basic Information

A man’s vulnerability to prostate cancer increases with age. Most often, prostate cancer is detected very late and people who lose their lives do not die from prostate cancer, but die WITH prostate cancer. As the cancer develops, it eventually squeezes the urethra, which surrounds the prostate. This is when signs and symptoms begin to appear:

-Urgency in urination
-Difficulty in starting urination
-Dull, persistent ache in the lower pelvic area
-Painful urination, a very slow flow (almost like a dribble)
-Intermittent urine flow, and a sensation that the bladder is not empty
-Frequent urination, sometimes including blood
-Painful ejaculation
-Persistent pain in the bones, lower back, hip and thighs
-General ill health, loss of appetite, and decline in weight

If the cells from the cancerous prostrate break away, the cancer will spread. Most commonly, prostate cancer spreads to the lymph nodes, bones in the hips or the lower back, lungs, and sometimes even the brain. 

Risk factors:
The risk of prostate cancer increases with age. As with almost any other cancer, heredity also plays a key role. For reasons unknown, African-American men seem to have a higher risk of prostate cancer. A fat-rich diet and sedentary lifestyle also contributes to the risk. Fat causes an increased production of testosterone, which may in turn lead to the development of cancer cells. High levels of testosterone mean higher chances of developing prostate cancer. Therefore men who suffer from hypogonadism, or have been undergoing long-term testosterone treatments are at risk. A vasectomy may also result in prostate cancer, though there is no conclusive proof of this. 

A routine screening test may reveal the beginnings of prostate cancer. A DRE (Digital Rectal Examination), which involves inserting a gloved finger into the rectum, helps the doctor to examine the prostate. Any change in shape or size of the gland may mean trouble. A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test analyzes a blood sample for the levels of PSA. If a higher than normal level is detected, a prostate infection or cancer may be suspected. A transrectal ultrasound helps to further evaluate the prostate using sound waves. If initial tests produce positive results, a prostate biopsy may be done to verify the presence of cancer. If cancer is confirmed, the next step is to investigate the spread of the cancer. A bone scan, CT scan, and Ultrasound scan may be used for this. 

The mode of treatment directly depends on how aggressive the cancer is. For most men, a combination of treatments (surgery, radiation paired with hormone therapy, chemotherapy) may prove effective. 

The best way to reduce the risk from prostate cancer is to eat a diet rich in fiber and low in fat. Regular exercise also helps.

Original Post: Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer

While there are no certain ways to pinpoint exactly who develops cancer, or why, there are several risk factors that may increase an individual’s chance of developing the illness. Among them, a previous battle with cancer, a family history with colon cancer, poor diets, smoking and obesity. With so many risk factors, one may wonder if there is anything that they can do in order to prevent colon cancer. Studies show that a lot of physical activity or exercise and a low-fat, high-fiber diet may help to reduce the risks. In addition, certain medicines may also help to prevent the disease.

As is the case with many ailments, symptoms are often very similar to those of other diseases. It can be extremely difficult to get an accurate assessment of what’s wrong when so many illnesses carry the same symptoms. For this reason, it’s important to seek medical attention if an individual experiences abnormal bleeding, weakness, pale complexion or abdominal expansion without weight gain, nausea, any change in bowel movements or weight loss. Each person is different and, as such, symptoms may vary slightly. Because symptoms may either present themselves as severe or barely noticeable, it is recommended that patients be screened regularly for the presence of cancer causing factors. 

If left untreated, any type of cancerous cells have the ability to grow and spread throughout the rest of the body. This can lead to the need for further surgery, more intense treatments or, in the worst case, a cancer may become so advanced that it will not respond to treatment. When seeking medical attention, it’s important to understand that there are a series of tests that can detect and diagnose colon cancer. A physician will be able to answer any questions that a patient may have regarding treatment options and the likelihood of their success. 

This article should not be construed as professional medical advice. If you, or someone that you know, is concerned about the possibility of cancer, you should seek medical attention immediately. A medical doctor can discuss various options, prevention and treatment possibilities should the presence of cancer be detected. A series of tests may be conducted in order to confirm, or rule out, any such diagnosis and can only be done by a medical doctor.

Original Post: Colon Cancer Causes Revealed

As many as 30,000 U.S. women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year. In 2006, between 15,000 and 16,000 women are likely to die from this silent killer. Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of death among women, and it is responsible for about five percent of all cancer deaths. Chances are your doctor may have misdiagnosed you. That is often the case. A recent British study found 60 percent of all U.K. general practitioners had misdiagnosed their patients. Three-quarters of British doctors surveyed incorrectly assumed that symptoms only occurred in the late stages of ovarian cancer. Based upon that information, it should be no surprise that Britain has one of the lowest survival rates for ovarian cancer in the Western World of 6,800 cases diagnosed each year, more than 4,600 die.

A similar discovery was made by University of California researchers, who announced last year, Four in 10 women with ovarian cancer have symptoms that they tell their doctors about at least four months and as long as one year before they are diagnosed.According to their study of nearly 2,000 women with ovarian cancer, the researchers discovered physicians:

• First ordered abdominal imaging or performed gastrointestinal procedures instead of the more appropriate pelvic imaging and/or CA-125 (a blood test that can detect ovarian cancer).
• Only 25 percent of patients, who reported ovarian cancer symptoms four or more months before diagnosis, were given pelvic imaging or had CA-125 blood tests.

Patients with early symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed. Abdominal imaging or diagnostic gastrointestinal studies are less likely to detect ovarian cancer. According to the American Cancer Society’s website, The most common symptom is back pain, followed by fatigue, bloating, constipation, abdominal pain and urinary urgency. These symptoms tend to occur very frequently and become more severe with time. Most women with ovarian cancer have at least two of these symptoms.

By the time a woman reaches the fourth stage of ovarian cancer, her first-line treatment is often Carboplatin, Paclitaxel and Cisplatin as the specific chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. In the first stage, cancer is contained inside one or both ovaries. By stage two, the cancer has spread into the fallopian tubes or other pelvic tissues, such as the bladder or rectum. When the cancer has spread outside the pelvis area into the abdominal cavity, especially when tumor growths are larger than two centimeters on the lining of the abdomen, then ovarian cancer has reached stage three. The fourth and final stage of ovarian cancer is reached when the cancer has spread into other body organs, such as the liver or lungs.

If detected early, survival rates can be as high as 90 percent. Detected in the advanced stage, the survival rate falls to between 30 and 40 percent. Various imaging tests such as computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and ultrasound studies can confirm whether a pelvic mass is present. A laparoscopy can help a doctor look at the ovaries and other pelvic tissue to in order to plan out a surgical procedure, or to determine the stage of the ovarian cancer. A biopsy, or tissue sampling, would confirm if there is cancer in your pelvic region, and would help determine how advanced it is. An elevated CA-125 blood test typically suggests the cancer has progressed to the advanced stage.

About 50 percent of ovarian cancer patients are already at an advanced stage by the time a correct diagnosis is made. Only 10 to 14 percent of women with advanced cancer are likely to survive more than five years.

Evaluation of Therapies

While research shows drinking black (or green) tea or taking the herbal supplement gingko biloba may be useful, as a preventative measure, or to reduce risk, a woman has few choices when her cancer has moved to the advanced stage. In the first stage, a woman faces surgical removal of the tumor, and possibly one or both ovaries, to increase her chances of survival. Beyond that, her choice is chemotherapy.

One major problem with chemotherapy is the side effects. The more advanced the cancer, the weaker one may be, reducing the survival rate potential. Survival rates have not changed very much over the past fifteen years. Chemotherapy can increase survival time by as much as 50 percent. But, quality of life suffers. The side effects and increased toxicity, accompanying chemotherapy, reduce how one spends the prolonged survival time.

Some of Paclitaxel’s minor side effects, as reported by Medline Plus, may include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, change in taste, thinned or brittle hair, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, changes in the color of nails, and/or tingling in the hands or toes. More serious side effects may include mouth blistering or fatigue. Some alarming side effects could include unusual bleeding or bruising, dizziness, shortness of breath, severe exhaustion, chest pain, or difficulty swallowing. The most common side effect of Paclitaxel is a decrease of blood cells.

Carboplatin has its own list of side effects. It can reduce platelet production, which can interfere with your blood’s ability to clot. You may become anemic, feeling tired or breathless. Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and a general feeling of weakness are common with this chemotherapeutic agent.

The latest breed of drugs, such as Eli Lilly’s Gemzar, are hardly getting praise. On March 10th, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was skeptical of the benefits Eli Lilly’s Gemzar, which was being used with Carboplatin to treat ovarian cancer patients. The FDA felt the 2.8 months increased survival time, provided by the Gemzar/Carboplatin combination failed to offset the treatment’s increased toxicity.

In January, the New England Journal of Medicine reported on a remarkable new delivery system of chemotherapy, called the intra-abdominal, or intraperitoneal, chemotherapy. Those who received the belly bath as it is now being called by the media can survive 16 months longer than those receiving intravenous chemotherapy. The major drawback is that 60 percent of the women in the study were unable to complete all six cycles of this chemotherapy. Those who did survived longer, but only two in every five women were able to advance to the end phase of the therapy.

One novel approach, now in Phase III trials at more than 60 research centers across the United States, is OvaRex MAb, a murine monoclonal antibody, a type of biotech drug derived from mouse cells. It is being tested by highly regarded United Therapeutics, based in Silver Springs, Maryland. Their lead drug Remodulin, an injection which treats pulmonary arterial hypertension, is currently being marketed inside and outside the United States. More than $32 million has been spent researching, and on the development of, OvaRex and may have it available on the market by 2008.

OvaRex was developed in Canada by a company called ViRexx Medical Corp, and first tested in that country. According to Dr. Lorne Tyrrell, Chief Executive of ViRexx, The whole study has been set up with the FDA. This is a study where the drug has been given fast track approval and orphan drug status. Dr. Tyrrell is also on leave (until OvaRex become commercially available) as a Professor of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Alberta, and Director of the National Centre of Excellence for Viral Hepatitis Research.

OvaRex was tested in Canada, prior to the current Phase III trials in the U.S. “There have been a number of patients that have received OvaRex,” said Dr. Tyrrell, “We’ve had really no adverse effects from these patients.” Dr. Tyrrell explained the procedure, After being injected intravenously, OvaRex binds to an antigen circulating in the blood. An antibody’s general purpose is to neutralize an antigen. After an OvaRex injection, the murine monoclonal antibody binds to the CA-125 antigen.

In a way the body is tricked. But, the body is tricked in order to help “save” itself from the harmful antigen. When the OvaRex antibody is bound to the CA-125 antigen, the new combination is identified as a harmful unit. Before then, the antigen wanders through the body, without alerting the body’s defense systems, the dendritic cells, to attack and destroy the harmful antigen. Because the body is trained to identify and zero in on a foreign protein, in this case a mouse protein, it alerts the dendritic cells. Until then, the dendritic cells “tolerate” the cancerous cells. The tolerance is what permits the cancer to spread throughout the body.

OvaRex seeks to break that tolerance. The murine monoclonal antibody is designed to target and bind exclusively to free floating CA-125 antigen. The dendritic cells refuse to tolerate the foreign protein. When the antibody binds with the free-floating antigen, the dendritic cells recognize the complex (antibody plus antigen) as being foreign and engulf the new unit. The dendritic cells break down the key proteins of this unit, presenting all parts on the cells surface. At the point, the body’s killer T-Cells are alerted to fight the internal threat to the body. Once activated, the T-Cells will replicate and create more killer T-Cells. Any tumor cells expressing the CA-125 antigen is targeted for destruction. The army of T-Cells move to attack the ovarian cancer tumor.

The principle behind OvaRex is to re-program the immune system to harness the body’s defenses to prevent the growth and spread of the ovarian cancer. Will it cure ovarian cancer? “In most cases, it will be a delay,” explained Dr. Tyrrell. “However, I think that, and everyone hopes that, often in some of these tumors, you’re making incremental progress through careful clinical trials and adding new therapy. Each thing we do that improves the outcome when you start to look at the long term benefits of these, we hope that one day we will be able to cure this disease. We think this is a step. This has the potential to be an important step at helping to stimulate immune response to achieve a better outcome. Hopefully, one day we can improve that to where it is a cure.”

Original Post: Was Your Ovarian Cancer Misdiagnosed?

The skin stores around 12% water. It is important to maintain this amount with the correct amount of good fat to keep your skin from getting acne. You need to drink around 2 quarts of distilled water every day. If you are not drinking this amount, just start increasing the amount that you do drink.

Drinking water helps you get rid of toxins in the blood and around your cells. By drinking water, you will urinate more and more toxins will be eliminated. You will sweat more and toxins will be eliminated.

The cleaner your blood the healthier your skin will be and your will not have a problem with acne.

Use glass containers when buying distilled or reverse osmosis water. Try to avoid using plastic containers for water since plastic containers contain chemicals, left in the container walls during manufacturing, which leaches out into the water.

If you are drinking fresh juices, you will also be getting water from these juices. Drinking sodas is not drinking water. If you are eating fresh vegetables you are getting distilled water. So the more fruits and vegetables you eat the less water you need to drink.

Here’s a few things you do to help you drink more water or to make the water healthier. Find a 16 or 32 oz glass container and add distilled water. Then add one of the following nutrients:

* A few drops of Alkalife. This solution changes the pH of the water from 7 to 8 and also activates the water with its electrolytes -sodium and potassium.

* Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the water. Do not add sugar. A few drops of honey may be ok.

* Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the water and add up to one teaspoon of powdered MSM. MSM is excellent for the skin disorders such as acne. It makes the skin cells more flexible, allowing more nutrients to go into and out of the cells, and its anti-inflammatory. MSM is also excellent in activating peristaltic action and will prevent constipation.

* Put 2 oz of mangosteen into the water. Mangosteen is an over all body tonic. It works on all parts of the body and will help keep you regular.

You can also choose to add your favorite nutritional flavor to give water an additional value.

Chose one of these natural additives for your water and drink this water little by little all day long. This is one more thing you can do to get rid of acne, improve your skin texture or to keep the nice skin you already have.

Get Some Sunshine

One more thing you can do for your skin is to get more natural light.

Expose your face to plenty of sun and air. This helps your skin to heal faster. But don’t purposely place your face in the sun, but remaining in the shade and open outdoors gives you plenty of sun and air.

At least 20 - 40 minutes a day in the outdoors is necessary for you to get sufficient vitamin D for you daily needs.

Original Post: Water And Sunlight Helps To Clear Acne

Working with a variety of clients over the years, I have seen how Yoga and exercise changed, and continue to change, them for the better. It is a well-known fact that endorphins are produced from a variety of exercise routines, including gentle Hatha Yoga.

Endorphins reduce stress and enhance good moods. Just that information alone is enough to start an exercise program, but weight control, muscle-tone, circulation, flexibility and a variety of other health benefits, should be an incentive to start a mild exercise program.

If you have been inactive, I suggest a beginner Yoga class with a very mild-mannered Yoga teacher. Without pushing this any further, let’s look at other options to start, and things to avoid.

Participate in social activities, support groups, senior centers, or local church activities. The activities could be in your local mosque, temple, or shrine, as well. There is always an activity that you can find around any religious center.

You could also join a league for golf, tennis, fishing, bowling, bocce, or any other activity where people gather to share a few laughs. Take competition in stride, and don’t take anything too serious. 

Many social groups also function as support groups. The collective activity is good for all involved. Stay away from ‘alcohol drinking’clubs. This is not just bars, or nightclubs, but local clubs, who organize for the common good, and then, routinely get together to drink.

There is a conflict here, in that alcohol is a depressant, and if you are prone to depression, this is not a good combination. On top of that, there are plenty of health problems that accompany alcohol abuse. 

Substance abuse is not a solution to depression, and you won’t find a purpose in life through it. So, let’s keep it simple and stay away from drinking alcohol - altogether. 

If your friends and family abuse alcohol, they need counseling, and you will have to look outside your normal circles to get guidance. You need to surround yourself with positive and energetic people.
Also, don’t hang around your house too much, especially in dark or unlit areas. Get outside, take a walk, go shopping, get a little sunlight, and if you are in the house all day, open the curtains during daylight hours. If you have a sunroom to relax in - that’s good, too. Lack of sunlight can cause elevated levels of melatonin, which is sometimes called the ’sleep hormone.’

Lastly, visit the self-improvement section of your local bookstore. It is a hidden treasure within itself. This is a great reason to leave the house. 

Audio books are also good for traveling in your car or listening to in your sunroom. Pick out books that really captivate your imagination. If your local bookstore has CD’s, you may want to pick up some relaxing music for your ride home.

Original Post: The Formula For Preventing Depression

But those who want to preserve the youth as they add up years would say, Why not age with grace? Yes, why not? You may think it is too late to do so especially if you were once abusive of your body (e.g., too much sun-bathing, etc.) when you were younger. Most of the time, it is the reason why people acquire the old-age look (even before they get to that stage) since the body was not well taken cared of.

The tell-tale signs of old age are the sunken hollows of the cheeks and around the eyes, sagging of the chin, wrinkles on the forehead, the rumpled and the total haggard look. But there’s always hope. The moment you realize you need to take care of your health is never too late a time to do so whether you are 30 or 60.

It’s been proven that rejuvenation of the face through friction and massage are the best ways to look young and feel young. Realize that the main reason your facial muscles sag is lack of muscular exercise. Like any other muscle of the body, constant exercise can make these facial muscles expand and develop, effectively removing the sagging look. Wrinkled skin, on the other hand, has been proven to be made elastic again through regular application of friction.

This does not only apply to women who are known to be vain in nature but for the men as well.

How is applying friction on the skin done? With the help of some lotion to minimize irritation (not too much lotion, though, as there will be no more friction), work on the areas which normally result to sagging, such as the cheeks, the throat, the chin, the forehead and around the eyes. Start as though you are polishing a pair of shoes: with a slight, circular friction on the surface areas, which should gradually increase in pressure but not too vigorous that you will end up abrading and irritating your face. This process will progressively restore the elasticity of your skin and smoothen out the wrinkles.

To exercise your facial muscles, use your palm heel. With enough pressure, massage your cheeks and other parts of the face in circular motion. This process will build up the muscles and fill those ‘hollows’, those sunken areas around the eyes and the cheeks. Do this also on the chin and throat. Make sure you apply equal amount of pressure to the entire face so that the build up of muscles will be uniform.

Do these exercises a few minutes everyday–even while you are watching the TV– and you will soon see the ‘miracle’ of a younger looking you.

The process of looking older does not have to be as fast as it is now. With the right determination, and knowing the proper techniques, you can almost stop the advance of the ‘aged’ look, no matter that your actual age is unstoppably moving ahead. It’s been proven possible and there’s no reason you can’t achieve the same.

Original Post: Making Old Faces Young - The Natural Way

At best, sufferers may waste money on inappropriate ‘wonder cures’ or even legitimate treatments that unfortunately are not suitable for their particular needs. At worst, some people may be risking their health by self-prescribing powerful pharmaceutical drugs. I don’t have a problem with hair loss sufferers saving money by purchasing cheap generic drugs on the internet, but I feel strongly that they should at least seek confirmation from their physician that a given drug matches their individual needs.

Before examining the most common causes of premature hair loss we need to understand that some shedding of hair is perfectly normal. Hairs grow from follicles that are tiny organs in the skin designed to grow a single hair that follows this repetitive cycle:

1. Lengthy growth period (Anagen Stage) - this phase usually lasts between two and seven years with an average growth rate of six inches (15cm) each year.

2. Short transition period (Catagen Stage) - this period of transition lasts for roughly two to four weeks. During this phase the hair shaft becomes detached and moves upwards within the follicle.

3. Resting period (Telogen Stage) - this phase lasts about three months allowing the hair to detach itself prior to falling out.

At this point a new hair begins to grow thus repeating the normal cycle of hair growth. Unfortunately a number of factors can interfere with the natural hair growth process leading to forms of hair thinning or premature baldness.

Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss, probably accounting for as much as 95% of pattern hair loss for both men and women. It is usually associated with aging and develops in predictable stages over varying periods of time. Each follicle follows a genetically programmed growth cycle with some follicles coded to remain active for a shorter time than others. This results in the development of the hereditary baldness patterns that are so familiar to us all.

For this type of baldness to occur, the following factors must be present:

1. A genetic predisposition for hair loss to occur (as explained above).

2. The presence of male hormones.

3. Aging - in other words, enough time for the first two factors to exert an influence.

All men and women produce male hormones such as testosterone and DHT. These have a useful role to play in both sexes but obviously occur in widely differing concentrations. It is the higher levels of androgens found in males that explains why this form of hair loss affects men more than women.

In brief, these hormones affect the hair growth cycle as follows:

1. High levels of the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme occur in some cells of the hair follicle and sebaceous glands.

2. 5-alpha-reductase converts testosterone into DHT.

3. DHT causes the terminal hairs to miniaturize.

4. This leaves short, soft, fluffy vellus hairs that provide inadequate scalp coverage.

5. The growth phases gradually become shorter until these hairs are lost for good.

Alopecia areata is thought to be an immune system disorder that causes follicles to stop producing hairs in patches on the head. In severe cases it can advance to the stage where all hair on the head is lost (alopecia totalis) or even a complete absence of body hair results (alopecia universalis).

In most cases the hair will reappear on its own but until then, the condition can be very distressing to sufferers particularly as its cause can be difficult to determine. If you feel you may be suffering from this form of hair loss, seek the advice of your physician who will carry out a physical examination and conduct blood tests to help determine the cause.

Telogen effluvium is characterized by a general thinning or shedding of hair over a period of months and is most commonly found in people who have recently experienced trauma. Common causes include childbirth, major surgery, severe illness, psychological stress and chemotherapy. The good news is that the abnormal growth behavior associated with telogen effluvium is temporary and reversible.

There are numerous other less common hair loss causes that need to be discounted before a course of treatment is chosen. Traction alopecia is the loss of hair from constant pulling, usually as the result of hair styling. Broken hairs can result in thinning, often caused by excessive styling or exposure to chemicals and sun. Finally, severe illnesses or nutritional deficiencies can cause side effects that may include degrees of hair loss.

I hope this brief article has gotten across the message that diagnosing the real causes of hair loss is not always a straightforward process. Once you and your physician have identified a cause, then you can work towards restoring your hair to its former glory. And the good news is, most forms of hair loss can be treated successfully. The next article in this series will look at some of the best hair loss treatments currently available.

Original Post: Common Hair Loss Causes

When menopause hits, there is a greater chance women will go through anxiety and depression. Christian Northrop talks about this phenomenon in her book, Wisdom of Menopause, where if a woman has repressed something in her life, she won’t be able to get past menopause employing the same tactics. For example, unexpressed anger will find its way out and sometimes in unusual or uncomfortable ways.

In what is often referred to as a ‘midlife crisis,’ this time of life forces women to re-evaluate themselves and the role(s) they play as they are getting older. And, often times we are not comfortable with what we find. A little voice in the back of our head is saying, If you don’t make changes now, you never will! Our hormonal imbalances (due to decreased estrogen levels) can contribute to feelings of depression or make us feel plain ndifference. Even if menopause isn’t actually causing these conditions, it can heighten underlying anxiety and bring it to the surface.

Anxiety is an individual’s prolonged feeling of dread and worry with no particular reason behind it. It’s uncomfortable and causes stress particularly on the body. It can be triggered by problems in everyday life like paying the bills and work. Although worrying about these things for a normal person has its ceiling of severity, menopausal women suffering from anxiety tend to think about their problems excessively. 

When anxiety finally hits its highest peak, it is often called a panic attack. Panic attacks are debilitating episodes of fright and fear that include chest pains, fear of death, and shaking. In what is called being ‘psychosocially’ depressed, women have negative beliefs and attitudes in regards to getting older, assuming unwanted roles such as caretaker, and responding negatively to impatient husbands who might demand sex. 

Being depressed during the duration of this condition has a lot to do with their overall psychological well-being prior to menopause. Women who have continuous anxiety and depression beforehand are more likely to suffer worse cases of anxiety during this latter phase of life. If life-long imbalances have not been healed, menopause may exacerbate the situation. We might feel unable to perform ‘female duties’, contributing to feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. Research has found that consistent regular physical activity (i.e. exercise) before menopause has been scientifically proven to lessen the possibility of anxiety symptoms during this transition. It’s also helpful to avoid drinking caffeine-loaded liquids, sleep deprivation, and stimulant use. Also, numerous women report that black cohosh has helped them lessen or eliminate their anxiety. 

Psychiatric consultations are highly recommended for anxiety sufferers under menopause. An experienced counselor and/or therapist can help us recover and evaluate our lives including healing emotional imbalances. It is a great time to refocus our attention toward new activities and roles. As is common with anxiety, feelings of worthlessness, fright, and even suicidal tendencies can occur. In this case, antidepressants may be prescribed. Coping with all of the physical changes, assuming new roles, possibly facing many of our fears for the first time, and generally waking up to the fact that life just isn’t what it used to be are all realizations that contribute to anxiety in older women. In these times, it is important to maintain focus and concentrate on the positive things in life. Although it can be hard, it can be done. 

Having a plethora of life responsibilities and obligations during menopause can create stress, and having an ‘excess’ of this stress can cause adrenal fatigue. Anxiety in menopause sufferers results from hormonal imbalances. In the menstrual cycle, ovulation causes progesterone (which has soothing effects on the mind and body) to be released. Irregular cycles are grounds for anxiety build-up, as a result of the lack of this happy hormone. All of these conditions can be treated with alternative therapies such as natural progesterone cream. 

But why do some women go through menopause and barely notice a difference? One consensus among medical doctors theorizes that it has a lot to do with women’s self-esteem and self-confidence. One thing is for sure, if you are having trouble with either of these, you’ll get a chance to deal with them now. One thing menopause is great at, and that is bringing out our unresolved issues. And we all know how anxious that can make us. 

The information in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice.

Original Post: Menopause And Anxiety

Health Screening Tests for Cholesterol

Most men just don’t believe they have High Cholesterol and don’t take the time to have it checked.

For most men, you should have your cholesterol checked every 5 years starting at 35.

However, if you smoke, have diabetes, or if heart disease runs in your family, you need to start testing at the early age of 20.

If you are overweight - you need to get that check up now no matter what your age.

Testing Your Blood Pressure

You should have your Blood Pressure checked at least every 2 years. You need to see your physician for this. The blood pressure machines at the corner drug store may need calibration and are not accurate.
High blood pressure does not have any symptoms and you won’t even know you have a problem until it is too late and a stroke cuts you off at the knees.

Colorectal Cancer Health Screening Tests

Regular Colorectal Cancer testing should begin at 50. There is more than one kind of test available, so don’t chicken out. Just get it done.

Diabetes Screening

If you have high blood pressure and or high cholesterol, your physician is going to test for Diabetes. If you are overweight, your physician is probably going to run this screen at the same time as the cholesterol screening.

Prostate Cancer Screening

Talk to your doctor about the possible benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening if you are considering having a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test or digital rectal examination (DRE).

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

You need to be up front with your physician on this subject. You also need to consider an HIV problem if you have ever had a blood transfusion. Hiding your head in the sands of denial will not change the reality of the situation.

Depression Screening

This is probably the most controversial subject after sexually transmitted diseases. Many men were brought up to “bite the bullet” and keep quiet about any problems they are having. Generations of women have complained that their men just don’t share.

Everyone goes through periods of depression occasionally and for most people those periods only last for a few days and it is easy to say the reason why you are depressed. There are certain “acceptable” reasons for depression - losing a job, illness or death of a loved-one, or work stress just to name a few.

However, if you’ve felt sad, or hopeless, or have little interest or pleasure in doing things or if you just want to sleep all the time for a period of 2 weeks straight, talk to your doctor. You might find that with just a little help you can get back to your normal happy self.

Do not allow your physician to just put you on anti-depressants. Taking pills without doing something to change the situation or your attitude will only make it worse in the long run.

Remember guys, Real Men Take Care of Themselves in order to take care of others. Real Men Ask for Help and Directions when necessary. Real Men take steps to insure they will be around to bounce their great-grandchildren on their knee.

Original Post: Men - Do You Know What Health Screening Tests You Should Have?

Various herbs, foods, vitamins, and minerals have been shown to promote insulin sensitivity and help maintain proper blood sugar levels. Vanadyl sulfate increases the body’s insulin sensitivity. Gymnema sylvestre is a well known herb helpful in blood sugar control by controlling sugar cravings and nourishing the pancreas.

Exercise also increases insulin sensitivity. People involved in athletics are known to require less insulin. Besides improving insulin sensitivity, exercise helps us to control our weight and reduce body fat. Weight control is a very important aspect in maintaining insulin sensitivity. 

Another important factor in maintaining proper blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity is a healthful diet. Complex carbohydrates found in most vegetables, apples, grains, and nuts are slow to digest. Slowing the process of digestion promotes healthy blood sugar levels and avoids the highs and lows associated with the intake of refined sugars. We should also avoid saturated fats. The healthy fats contained in fish, olive oil, and flaxseed help us to maintain insulin sensitivity. 

Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and results from insulin resistence. The above methods have been shown to be extremely helpful in maintaining insulin sensitivity, promoting lower blood sugar levels, and avoiding the complications associated with diabetes. 

Original Post: Diabetes And Insulin

A holistic health practitioner sees her duty as an educator and a facilitator. She feels that the body can heal itself, and it doesn’t necessarily need outside influences (drugs, surgery) to heal from an illness or to prevent an illness. In holistic health, the patient is an active participant.

This is the best and the worst thing about holistic health! The patient is actively involved in the healing process. Everything you know about your body says that this is the right approach. It makes so much sense. That’s the good part. The bad thing about this is that it is HARD WORK for the patient. In most cases, the patient must make changes to their lifestyle. Change your diet, do more exercise, stop using sugar, do these stretches, stop negative thoughts, meditate twice a day, etc.

Making lifestyle changes is immensely difficult. The only time it’s easy is when you are faced with a life-threatening disease. When you find out you have lung cancer, it’s pretty easy to quit smoking. However, it’s far too late by that time. Lifestyle changes need to come before the illness becomes manifest.

Let’s examine one of the big differences between holistic health and Western medicine: holism versus reductionism.

Holistic versus Reductionist

This is a major shift in perspective. Taking a holistic perspective means that you cannot understand a single problem with a single part of the human body without looking at the whole person. We use the short-hand “mind, body, spirit” to refer to the whole person.

This is not how a Western doctor is taught to see a patient. He sees the patient as the disease. This is an epileptic, it is not a whole person who has epilepsy. He feels that he can administer a drug or perform a surgery that will cure a person’s liver without making any difference to the rest of the person. Of course, this is never possible, so when the inevitable complications arise, the Western doctor deals with those one at a time, often causing additional problems for the person, whether in body, mind or spirit.

Even those three parts of the person are treated by separate people in Western society. The body is the domain of the medical doctor. The mind is the domain of the psychiatrist. Spirit is left to the priest, rabbi or pastor. There is no overlap in roles, except for referrals from one to the other. In our bodies, of course, there is tremendous overlap. A loss of connection to God or the universe will cause no end of mental and physical problems. Mental stress causes many physical diseases, as we well know. Who can coordinate between these in the Western system? No one. Problems falling ‘through the cracks’ between mind, body and spirit is a common failure of Western medicine.

A holistic practitioner understands the interconnections between mind, body and spirit. They work on the connections, and, although the practitioner may not be an expert in all three, they focus on the overlaps rather than ignoring them.

In my opinion, a holistic approach is better in almost every case for almost every person. Understanding the linkages between mind, body and spirit is essential to understanding how to stay well and how to heal. Western medicine can play a part within the scope of holistic health by offering emergency solutions to problems that arise quickly and need to be fixed immediately.

Original Post: Alternative Medicine Is Holistic, Western Medicine Is Reductionist

Before we move any further, you must bear in mind that both these treatments available normally talk of being a long-lasting solution which for sure they are; its only when some clinics start talking the total-permanence language that things start standing on some shaky ground. While the medical profession accepts both treatments, there is still some debate today on whether the modes of treatment are truly permanent or not. Don’t worry; compared to your previous options of waxing, shaving or cream-use, both laser hair removal and electrolysis are in a separate league of their own.

The fundamental principle behind both these methods is the same i.e. both methods use thermal agitation of the hair follicle to destabilize it and prevent it from growing further. While electrolysis works by inserting needles just under the base of your skin and creating a passage for a small amount of electric current to follow, laser hair removal works by focusing the laser beam of a predetermined strength directly on the surface of the skin where the hair removal is desired. Quite literally, by attacking the problem at its very root, you ensure that it does not repeat itself in time or at worst, is delayed considerably in reoccurring. Does this mean the death of waxing and its ilk?

Not quite. Service performance comes at a cost, a cost which is not always affordable to all. Both electrolysis and laser hair removal as quick hair removal treatments come with a price tag that makes sense reading only if you don’t mind shelling out several hundred dollars for such treatment. Apart from the allocation of money, you need to allocate time as well as neither of these treatments involves just one sitting; on the other hand several sessions are necessary for an effective end-state to be attained. Another important factor for consideration before you invest money in this is to check whether you satisfy all prerequisites for undergoing electrolysis or laser hair removal. The right skin tone, the right hair color, the right photosensitivity are all key to a safe and productive stint in the hair removal gallery!

Summarily, all things being balanced out, electrolysis and increasingly these days - laser hair removal offer tremendous options to you in the getting rid of unwanted body hair. The following links below will give you even more reasons for choosing laser hair removal as a permanent solution. After all, in this battle against unwanted hair, you need the right tools to come out on top!!

Original Post: Permanent Hair Removal Treatment

Arginine is used by the body in the execution of many important physiological processes including hormone secretion, output of growth hormone, removal of toxins from the body and enhancement of the immune system. It is also a precursor of nitric oxide which vasodiolates vessels in the body. For this reason arginine is often used to treat conditions such as angina, high blood pressure, cardiac disease, sexual dysfunction and infertility. Recent research has also highlighted arginine’s ability to scavenge free radicals, remove bad cholesterol, enhance fat metabolism and regulate salt levels.

There are several reasons why arginine appeals to bodybuilders:

1. It prevents the retention of water under the skin thus minimizing bloating and helping to create a ripped appearance.

2. It helps the body to retain nitrogen that is essential to the muscle building process.

3. Its vasodilating abilities support muscle growth.

4. It enhances protein synthesis.

5. It helps to boost the immune system allowing harder training and minimizing the minor illnesses that come from overtraining.

With any amino acid supplement overdosing can lead to weakness and nausea so care should be taken in applying small doses and increasing them gradually until an optimum level is reached. Bear in mind that many protein powders and other supplements are fortified with amino acids so check the labels carefully. The manufacturer’s instructions should be followed in all instances.

Original Post: Know Your Bodybuilding Supplement - L-arginine

If you eat a healthy diet and meet your nutritional needs on most days, you can still enjoy guilty pleasures like a sweet dessert or an occasional sugary soda. But, keep in mind, that no matter what form of sugar you eat - from Gummi Bears to Wheaties - carbohydrates (sugars) contain 4 calories per gram, they break down to simple sugars during digestion (except for fiber which is indigestible) and are either used for immediate energy, or stored as fat!

While you need sugars in your body to keep it running, you should pick sugars that come in the form of nutrient-rich starches like whole grains. You should also eat plenty of vegetables - which do contain sugars, but do contain an abundance of valuable vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting chemicals. 

The kind of sugar that you should stay away from is added sugar (the sweeteners that are dumped into foods by manufacturers). Added sugar is causing increasing concern because consumption of this diet-buster has risen more than 30 percent in the last two decades, with Americans now gobbling up a whopping 64 pounds of this fattening substance each year!

According to the USDA, 20 percent or more of the daily calories for nearly one-quarter of adult women come from sugar, making it the culprit of weight- gain and diet disasters nationwide, not to mention that fact that it’s part of the cause of diseases like breast cancer.
With this in mind, let’s look at some ways we can shave calories from sneaky sugar sources. These include:

• Eliminate all soft drinks and fruit-flavored beverages, which are considered one of the biggest sources of added sugar in the diet. Instead, regularly opt for water, seltzer flavored with lemon or lime, flavored waters, etc. 
• Check food labels of packaged food with claims of ‘low fat’ or ‘fat free,’ as they have as much, and oftentimes even more sugar, than the full-fat version. Additional sugar is often used to replace the taste of fat, so when fat is decreased or eliminated, sugar is often substituted. Learn to spot this on food packages, and to avoid the contents!
• Avoid all white flours, substituting whole grains that pack nutritional value. This means staying away from white pastas, breads, biscuits, cakes, cookies, etc. 
• Learn to spot sugar’s aliases. If dextrose, fructose, maltose, or malt syrup. If sucrose or corn syrup appears first or second in the ingredient list, the food is very high in sugar. 
• When eating out, order fresh fruit for dessert rather than that cake your friends are eating.
• Pass up sweetened yogurts (they can contain as much as 7 teaspoons of added sugar). Instead, choose a no-sugar variety.
• Buy breakfast cereals with no more than 8 grams of sugar per serving.

Pair these practices with drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day, eating 3 small meals and 2 snacks each day, eating a diet high in vegetables, medium in protein and with the right fats added to that - then you’re on your way to a new you! 

And, don’t forget to be active every day. 

These are all key to enhancing your metabolism, changing your lifestyle, and your improving body. And, perhaps more importantly, a healthy, balanced diet with daily exercise will help keep you feeling good, will help you live longer, and will turn back your body’s aging clock! 

Original Post: Yesterday You Ate Something That Could Be Killing You

Meditation is commonly seen in many Yoga classes, but it has been practiced by a variety of cultures, including Roman Catholic priests, as well as
Japanese Samurai, who practiced a form of Zen meditation. I mention this so you can see the full spectrum of meditation and its many facets.

There are many varieties and types of meditation, but the easiest form to learn is, ‘breath awareness meditation.’ Compared to many other meditation techniques, this will enable anyone to experience the benefits of meditation in much less time.

At this point, let’s consider that meditation and Yoga teachers often compare the mind to a monkey. Many thoughts are running through your brain, at the same time, and it is hard to control all of your impulses - let alone, sit still and meditate. So why go through all this trouble?

Meditation has many rewards, and we will now consider one of extreme value. Through daily practice of meditation, you will release the unlimited potential of your mind. The ability to change, or alter the universe, starts as a single thought within your mind.

One human decided to harness the power of fire, and did he/she foresee the global warming effect? How could he/she imagine where we are now? This is just one of many thousands of examples of Karma - the law of cause and effect. Therefore, one seemingly small change, of any kind, will have a ripple effect on the universe.

Some of the seeds to change the universe, rests locked up in your mind, but you have the ability to shape the future by any small changes that you make. 

Let’s say you have a friend, family member, or associate, who cares for you deeply, but, up to now, you have always taken it for granted. Can you imagine what would happen if you take the time to groom that relationship? 

The answer is you would have a loyal ally and all you had to show was kindness or appreciation.

You have the ability to alter your own personality and affect the world around you. Hopefully, your personality will always continue to change for the better; if so, this will alter everyone around you for the best.

Original Post: Meditate to Unlock Your Hidden Potential - Part 1

The following is the ‘CALM check list.’ These factors are basic criteria that your Yoga Instructor should meet before you continue on to a second Yoga class.

CALM gets it name from four main factors: Communication, Assist, Listen, and Modification. For the right Yoga teacher, you should be answering with a ‘yes’ to all questions.

Communication: Does your Yoga teacher talk to you, and other students, in a manner of mutual respect? Can you ask a question during class time?

Does your teacher show compassion for you and other students? Does your Yoga teacher take the time to lead you through a guided meditation or relaxation? Meditation and relaxation are major aspects of Yoga practice.

There are Yoga teachers who just want to get “their workout” done. Beware of Yoga teachers, who are so important, they don’t have time for you. 

Some students love this air of superiority and, unfortunately, some people love abuse. If you want to learn Yoga, you need an open line of communication with your Yoga teacher. 

Assist: Does your teacher care about your form? Will your teacher give you a verbal or physical assist during your Yoga class? Are props encouraged in your Yoga classes? 

Some students never have major problems with alignment and some do, but if your teacher doesn’t give verbal cues, what does that tell you? 

Listen: Does your Yoga teacher take the time to listen to your feedback? Is your teacher “in the moment” with the class? 

Once in a while, there is a Yoga instructor who runs, ‘The-it’s-all-about-me-show.’ You are not going to learn anything from this type of teaching. Beginners will be put at risk, trying to keep up with a seasoned Yoga teacher who doesn’t explain anything. 

Modification: Does your Yoga teacher allow modifications and props? If your teacher discourages props, you are in the wrong place. 

Some students will need props for life depending upon their range of motion. Just because a teacher can do a posture without props, doesn’t mean every student can. 

Summary: Stay away from abusive Yoga teachers, and if you are attracted to abuse, there is always professional help. Some students crave ‘the stern, but loving parent’ types. They will push you harder, but how much pushing do you really need?

Respect is a two way street, and you deserve as much respect as your Yoga teacher does. Let common sense be your guide. You should feel good after a Yoga class, and you might even feel muscle soreness days after a vigorous class.

Make sure your Yoga teacher meets the above criteria before making a commitment.

Original Post: How to find the right Yoga teacher?

Other types of exercise bikes are available as well. Dual action exercise bikes are upright bikes that have moveable bars or arm handles. You use both of your arms and your legs on this bike. While using this bike you will experience aerobic activity and upper body toning.

There is variety with resistance bikes as well. With direct tension bikes you can manually adjust the resistance you use. The cycling motion on a bike with flywheels is like regular cycling motion. Bikes with air assistance get resistance by pedaling against the airflow of a fan blade.

The most sophisticated resistance bikes are magnetic frictionless resistance bikes. These bikes provide greater variety of workout levels. On more advanced bikes there are feedback mechanisms that show the following readouts: speed, time, distance , total calories and fat burned, program mode, resistance levels, pulse, heart rate, and work out levels (RPM, watts, METS, mpm’s, and mph/kph).

The bike you choose to purchase will depend on your wants and needs. The type of workout you’re looking for will also influence your choice of bikes. A great cardio workout focused on the quadriceps is provided by an upright bike. You are seated in a reclining position on a recumbent bike.

Your back is supported by the seat and your legs are out in front of you. The hamstring muscles and the gluteus muscles get worked. Your lower back is less stressed on a recumbent bike. Some upright exercise bikes will have handlebars that move in a simulated rowing motion.

Your back and chest and your arm and back muscles will get a workout. You will get an excellent cardiovascular workout and calorie burning experience with both of these bikes. The bike should be matched to your size. Exercise bikes for the most part are easily adjusted for almost any body type.

There is a variety of reasons why people use exercise bikes. Cyclists use them to keep up their level of fitness in the off season. Many people feel embarrassed about exercising in front of people so they use them at home. Physical therapy programs also use exercise bikes in their programs to promote healing and the regaining the use of knee and hip joints.

Some cardiac rehab programs use them as well, to promote endurance and greater cardiac health. Exercise bikes can be purchased in sports stores, department stores like Wal-mart or Sears, as well as online. Buying them from a store makes it easier to match the bike to your space, to your body size, and your budget.

Buying online creates the risk of you not getting exactly what you ordered. The bike you ordered may not have the exact specs or may be bigger or smaller than what you ordered. Taking delivery is another problem with ordering online. It is very likely that the delivery company will not bring it into your house, you will have to bring it in and set it up.

Even though you are buying it in a store this is true, unless you contract with someone to do the entire process including setting it up. You can purchase service contracts from a store like Sears, in case of a problem. No matter what the reason you have for purchasing an exercise bike, it will only work if you use it.

You should check with your doctor to make sure you are healthy before starting a new exercise routine. At first you should start out slow and build up endurance. Your endurance will improve if you start out slow.

Have fun, be safe and be healthy.

Original Post: Exercise Bikes - Reviews and Advice