Everything Andropause

Looking for Anxiety Support?

2009-10-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs a little help once in a while. Support with the day-to-day life is one of the most important things you can have. But many people need even more support. They need anxiety support. Anxiety support isn't hard to find. Thankfully, now more than ever in human history, anxiety has lost the stigma associated with it. Professional athletes are now going on diabled lists for anxiety disorders and anxiety support is treated just as physical rehabilitation for these highly paid professionals. Other fields and industries have taken similar steps and anxiety support is part of many health insurance plans.

So how do you get anxiety support? How do you even know if you need anxiety support? Anxiety support is for people that are having trouble with their day-to-day lives. If you have trouble focusing, or if your moods swing wildly throughout, or if you find yourself overwhelmed with irrational worries, chances are that you need some sort of anxiety support. Anxiety support can vary from case to case; you might only need a little bit of anxiety support to feel psychological relief or you might need a lot.

That said, it's best to try smaller bits of home-spun anxiety support before looking at more expensive or time-intensive solutions. Many people, for example, undergo undue financial stress which leads to panic attacks. Perhaps anxiety support isn't what you need, but a financial advisor. In other words, getting down to the bottom of your anxiety might be all the anxiety support you need.

For some, they need a little more help. Anxiety support groups are a great solution. If you do a little searching online you'll find that anxiety support groups are in all 50 states and it's likely that there's one that meets regularly near you. If that doesn't work, consider starting your own anxiety support group.

If you still can't find the anxiety support you need, finally consider a professional therapist. Keep in mind, this can be very expensive if it's not covered in your health insurance plan. Also, it has mixed results for many people looking for anxiety support. Finally, medication has such terrible costs, side effects and track record that you should only consider it as a last-ditch effort for anxiety support. There's plenty of ways to reduce your anxiety without lining the pockets of the big pharmaceutical companies. Whether your panic attacks are mild or severe, infrequent or regular, you are not alone. You can find the anxiety support you need to get your life back under control!

Jed Diamond's Free Teleseminar

2009-10-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

Tuesday November 3rd, 2009

I am delighted to invite you to my unique, free teleseminar entitled "Irritable Male Syndrome: How to Save Yourself and Rescue Your Relationship" on November 3rd, 6:30pm PT. I know this is short notice, but I've just been offered a slot to present and wanted you to be able to be with me. For years I have longed to find a way to bring people together to experience my work without having to travel. The unique setting developed by MaestroConference has enabled me to do this.

I hope you take this unique opportunity to learn about these issues, get your questions answered, improve your life, and strengthen your relationship.

My teleseminar is one of more than 80 trainings during MaestroMonth – a truly amazing offering in October and November, from world-class leaders such as Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Michael Port, and John Gray (full list below).
The trainings in health, personal growth, business, spirituality and societal change feature more than a dozen NY Times bestselling authors, all helping you to unleash your full potential. I'm excited to be part of this group and to introduce you to more of their work.

The calls offer not only valuable content but also a fully interactive experience on MaestroConference, a new technology that allows you to engage me and other participants as if we're in a live workshop, with breakout groups and more. I believe people learn best when they're interacting or dialoguing about what they're learning, which is what MaestroConference makes possible.

Register Now to gain access to my teleconference and up to two other free calls during MaestroMonth. You can also participate in as many calls as you like with a $1 trial membership. In addition, there are eight free gifts from participants and sponsors.

Feel free to forward this offer to friends and I hope to see you on my call!

REGISTER NOW

P.S. Maestro Month features the following teachers:
• Health: Deepak Chopra, John Gray, Candace Pert, Olivia Newton John & John Easterling, Judith Orloff, Marilyn Schlitz, Howard Martin, Joan Borysenko, Norman Shealy, Eric Pearl, Len Saputo, Mary Shomon, Jennifer MacLean, Lee Gerdes, Mona Lisa Schulz
• Personal Growth: Debbie & Arielle Ford, Dan Millman, John Assaraf, Hale Dwoskin, Vishen Lakhiani, Dr. Joe Dispenza, Dave Ellis, Brian Johnson, Mike Robbins, Tripp Lanier & Jayson Gaddis, Zen DeBrucke, Amy Ahlers, Jim Bunch
• Business: T. Harv Eker, Michael Port, Robin Sharma, Lance Secretan, Chip Conley, Ray Blanchard, Jeff Hoffman, David Finkel, Lynne Twist, Mari Smith, DC Cordova, Cynthia Kersey, Tom Zender, James Malinchak, Bettie Spruill, Rinaldo Brutoco
• Spirituality: Marianne Williamson, Andrew Cohen, James Twyman, Genpo Roshi, Andrew Harvey, Carter Phipps, Lisa Schrader, Paul & Patty Richards, Ron Alexander, Lauren Mackler, Paul Hoffman, Ellen Debenport, Nicole Daedone, Stephen Dinan & Devaa Haley Mitchell
• Societal Change: Gregg Braden, Seane Corn, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Jean Houston, Starhawk, Aqeela Sherrils, Azim Khamisa, Steve Bhaerman, Fred Johnson, David Cooperrider, Anodea Judith, Lynne McMullen, Richard Rudd, Miki Kashtan
• Special track for Entrepreneurs: Sharon Drew Morgen, Morgana Rae, Ken Foster, Leesa Barnes, Garrett Sutton, Larry Ousley, James Burgin & Jon Ward, Steve Maxwell, Leslie Grossman, Brian Burt, Dave Buck
• Special series for Facilitators: Harrison Owen, Juanita Brown & Nicole Boyer, David Isaacs, Diana Whitney, Christine Whitney Sanchez
Campaign Sponsors: Gaia Soulmates, Unity, EnlightenNext, the Institute of Noetic Sciences

Hormone Harmony: How to Balance Insulin, Cortoisol, Thyroid, Estrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone to Live Your Best Life

2009-10-06T09:17:00.001-07:00

Is your lifestyle disrupting your hormones?
What are bioidentical, or natural hormones?
Are they safe?
Do you need them?

Hormone Harmony answers these and many other questions for women of all ages, and includes a special section for men.

Today, hormone imbalance is an epidemic that is upsetting countless lives with symptoms such as these:

-lack of energy
-loss of zest for life
-weight gain
-mood swings
-loss of sex drive
-sleep disturbances
-fuzzy thinking
-forgetfulness
-hot flashes

Traditionally, menopause is viewed as the chief trigger of hormonal problems but evidence shows this is not entirely true. While menopause is a natural transition during which hormone levels change, its discomforts are fueled by imbalances created earlier in life. This fact is widely unrecognized in today’s health-care system, leaving millions of women whose medical tests are “normal” in dire need of help.

Hormone Harmony reveals how to take control, in life and in the doctor’s office. In simple terms, it explains how lifestyle commonly disrupts six key hormones—insulin, cortisol, thyroid, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone—and how to remedy the situation. A practical lifestyle plan that costs little or nothing lays the foundation to restore and maintain balance. And, when medical help is needed, information about the options provides the tools to get effective treatment.

Find out more at www.hormoneharmony.org

Read Jed Diamond's Book Chapters FREE

2009-09-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

In each newsletter I will post chapters from my new book, Mr. Mean: Saving Yourself and Rescuing Your Relationship from the Irritable Male Syndrome. You can read each one as I post them. You can even download them and save them for future reading. The book will be published next year, but I don't want you to have to wait.

In return I just ask your help as follows: Rate the chapter (1 to 5 stars) and leave a comment. This will help in two ways. It will let me know which chapters seem most valuable to you and give me feedback that I can use to revise the chapters. Secondly, it will help show the articles popularity on Scribd and attract more readers. This will help me show the publisher that there is interest.

There are 31 short chapters with specific information you can use to improve help yourself and rescue the relationship.

Chapter 1: My Man Has Changed From Mr. Nice to Mr. Mean, What is Going On?

Chapter 2: Why Do I Need to Save Myself Before I Can Rescue the Relationship?

Additional New Articles That You Can Access for Help Now!
Here are some of the specific resources people have told me are most helpful. Check out the ones you find most interesting. If you like you can rate them with stars and leave a comment (this helps let others know it's worth reading).

Be Stress Free Forever
7 Secrets for Making Money and Making a Difference
Is It Love or Love Addiction?
Lazy Person's Guide to Relationships
The 25 Most Helpful Things Ever Said About Love, Marriage,and Relationships
Male Menopause: What Every Man and Woman Needs to Know

Using Muscle Building Supplements

2009-09-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

Let’s face it – if you really want to get pumped up, working out is only going to do so much. You need to give your body the building blocks it needs to make muscles fast, without calories going to other parts of your form. In this guide, I will spotlight some of the most effective types of muscle building supplements on the market, outline their advantages and disadvantages, and hopefully help you work your way towards the body of your dreams.

Protein: The main ingredient in just about every muscle building supplement is protein. Composed of a number of essential amino acids, protein is the key chemical component of muscle growth. Your ideal protein target for maximum muscle growth is one to two grams of protein for each bound of your current bodyweight. Consuming this much protein from just food can be seriously impractical, however, as many high-protein foods carry with them an unwanted caloric load of carbohydrates and fats. For pure protein, the best way to get it is through a supplement. Protein supplements are made from four main sources – soy, casein, egg and whey. Each one has a different digestive profile and should be used at different times.

Creatine: This nitrogenous organic acid has become one of the most popular muscle building supplements in recent years, and with good reason – it’s safe, effective, and relatively inexpensive. Creatine works by increasing the production of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. This chemical is one of the body’s most essential components, as it allows for the transfer of energy between cells. With more ATP in your body, cells can push more energy and you can work out longer and harder – more reps, higher weight, more muscle gain.

Glutamine: As creatine helps with pre-workout muscle growth, glutamine is the “chaser” for after you’re done at the gym. This muscle building supplement helps your body recover from the effects of intense exercise, enabling you to get back to the weights faster and prevent muscle wasting. However, I need to caution you on taking glutamine and creatine at the same time, as the chemicals compete for receptors in the bloodstream – if you double them up, you halve their effectiveness. Take glutamine before the workout begins and creatine when you are finished for optimal results.

Testosterone: The primary muscle building supplements associated with testosterone are, of course, anabolic steroids. These treatments are not only extremely unsafe with a number of unpleasant side effects, but are also illegal. True, they do provide the most dramatic results in the shortest period of time, but the damage that they do to the body (including shrunken testicles and fatty deposits in the pectorals) are just not worth it. Thankfully, there are several legal testosterone supplements created from a variety of biological sources that can simulate the effects of steroids without the downsides. These products not only help build muscle and give you more energy, they can increase your mood and libido as well. It’s win-win!

I hope this overview of the main products in the muscle building supplement market has been helpful to you. I’ll see you at the gym!

How to Reduce Your Waistline with an Abs Workout

2009-09-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Probably 90% of people who need to lose weight have a waistline size that makes this apparent. Only a few people who are overweight have that excess weight evenly distributed over their whole body. So, if you know you need to go on a diet, developing an abs workout routine is an excellent way to inspire you to stick with the whole weight loss program. Why? Because if you get serious on reducing your waistline, you can rather quickly achieve astonishing results that will spur you on to success.

Here's a formula for an abdominal workout which will tone many other areas at the same time. You don't even need to buy expensive abs exercise equipment to begin with an abs workout routine that brings swift results. The basic abdominal workout outlined here may prove a bit painful if you overdo it, so start with just ten of each per day and work up gradually. You don't want to put yourself out of commission with an overly ambitious abs workout routine that results in a pulled muscle! The key to success is that you follow your routine. Do as much as you can comfortably tolerate. If you haven't done sit ups since high school, start with just five of each exercise in your abs workout routine. You must complete a set of each. If you're still good to go after that, get started on another set. So, here we go!

1.Do a set of sit-ups. If you feel you're really out of shape, start with the type that allows you to bend your knees, with feet flat on the floor. With hands clasped behind your head, at the base of the neck, touch your elbows to your knees. These are easier to take if you haven't been getting much exercise at all lately. Otherwise, go with the sit-ups that require that your legs lie straight out on the floor, lifting up with outstretched arms to touch your toes – or as close as you can get.

2.Do a set of push-ups. While you may think this is just arm muscle torment, it's also requiring a lot of tension in the abs and the front of the thigh muscles, as well as toning any arm flab.

3.Get a set of two-pound weights. This is a marvelous technique to integrate into your ab workout routine, simply because they are versatile. For example, from a seated position, with your legs crossed in front of you and arms at your sides, lift the weights to shoulder height and hold for just a few seconds. Continue, extending your arms away from your body, until fully extended. Hold for a few seconds, then bring your arms in again and set the weights down. Repeat for another set.

When you plan your abs workout routine, remember that you don't need to do the full routine all at once. Try the 8 minute ab workout strategy. Everyone's got eight minutes free, a few times each day. If such a schedule works better for you, there's no problem, so long as you faithfully complete your entire abs workout routine each day. There are also quite a few good abs workout videos and DVD's to choose from, so if that suits your style best, go with that.

If you follow the basic formula outlined above, you'll see significant results within a month. You might even need to buy a smaller belt! You're now on the road to a new, slimmer you!

Jed Diamond Offers Help to the Irritable Man

2009-08-31T09:25:00.001-07:00

Join Scribd and Get Help from Jed Diamond for Free.

Here’s how it works:

1. Go to my personal profile section of Scribd by clicking www.scribd.com/JedDiamondPhD. You can sign up quickly and easily. You’ll see three sections on my profile page. On the left is a description of my work and me. The center section has running summary of my Scribd activities – new works I’ve uploaded, interesting documents I’ve added to my “Reading List,” etc. The section on the right has a listing of all my help resources.
2. Click on the link that says “subscribe to Jed Diamond” and you will receive notice each time I upload something new, including excerpts from my new book, Mr. Mean: Saving Yourself and Rescuing Your Relationship from the Irritable Male Syndrome.

3. Next to Jed Diamond’s PhD documents, click the link that says “See all.”

4. You’ll see the title of all my resources and how many people have read each one. (Most are free, the most expensive e-book is $4.99).

5. If you click on the title, you’ll be able to read the article and download it to your computer for future reference.

6. You’ll also be able to leave comments and ask me questions, which I’ll respond to.

7. I’ve also set up a “Group” (Irritable Male Syndrome and Male Menopause) that addresses these issues, and which I invite you to join. You can access it here.

What’s great about the group is that we can do a number of things together including the following:

You can read articles I’ve posted.
You can comment and ask questions.
I will post discussion topics where we can interact together.
You can even upload your own documents and resources to share with others.
If you find other useful resources on Scribd that you think the community would like we can add them to the resource section.

If this sounds interesting to you, I hope you’ll check it out. If you have problems getting connected on Scribd or have questions, let me know and I’ll try and answer them. E-mail me at: Jed@MenAlive.com

What's the advantage to using alternative medicine?

2009-08-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

Alternative medicine therapies are quickly gaining traction in the mainstream community of patients. Approximately one third of the public say they have used an alternative medicine approach to their own health conditions. That means that there are still two thirds who have not. Perhaps the only reason for this is not knowing the difference between conventional and alternative medicine. Here's an overview of the major differences between these two schools of thought and the advantages to alternative and natural medicine practices.

While both conventional (also referred to as Western or allopathic medicine) and alternative medicine are based on science, conventional physicians do not have a background in natural plant medicines, or other alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, aromatherapy or therapeutic massage.

Conventional medicine approaches illness from a symptom based perspective and manages treatment mainly with pharmaceutical (prescription and OTC) medicines. Allopathic physicians are not well-versed in nutrition. While they are certainly familiar with the idea that good nutrition plays a large role in everyone's general level of health, they seldom prescribe nutrients as a treatment.

Alternative medicine regards symptoms as a manifestation of the root cause of disease, resulting from an imbalance or deficiency within the entire body system. The naturopathic physician takes a whole body, also known as holistic, approach to the treatment of disease, drawing from an array of natural treatments and nutritional therapies to get all of the body systems in optimum health, thus treating the root cause of the condition. The alternative physician seldom prescribes pharmaceuticals.

Both conventional and alternative medicine bring results. However, conventional medicine treats the symptom and not necessarily the cause. Pharmaceuticals may be used to reduce high blood pressure, for example. One problem is that the prescribed medication is suppressing the symptom, but not fixing the root cause. Another problem arises when potential side effects of the medication produce yet another problem.

Some people feel safer taking a pharmaceutical, believing that these substances must be far more sophisticated and effective than a simple plant or nutritional supplement. Relative value, as with any product, is often largely dependent on its cost. We can all attest that prescription medicines are certainly not cheap! This higher-cost-equals-better logic can be refuted, as in the following example.

Let's say you have pneumonia. Your doctor prescribes an antibiotic. Assuming it works (the doctor may have to switch you to another during the course of treatment), it does such a thorough job, it kills off all bacteria, good and bad alike. This negatively impacts your natural immune response. By the time you've finished off the prescription, you feel like you've been run over by a truck. If you're a woman, you usually finish off the illness with a yeast infection!

Alternative medicine would use a natural respiratory antibiotic, such as elecampane root, adding a measure of pleurisy root, as the treatment. This combination will eradicate even a severe case of pneumonia, in less time than required with the pharmaceutical antibiotic. Other differences between the conventional and alternative medicine strategy include no side effects, no yeast infection and a thorough restoration of respiratory function. Elecampane not only kills the pneumonia, but has a tonic action on the entire respiratory system. You're in better health at the end of treatment.

Alternative medicine won't fill the bill if you've got a broken leg. It needs to be set and you'll need some serious pain meds for a few days. However, for most chronic health conditions, alternative medicine offers solutions that can frequently reverse illness and help you regain your health. Then, you don't need the meds!

Natural Treatments for Back Injury

2009-08-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

There are millions upon millions of us with back pain. In fact, back injury is one of the most common reasons people see their doctors, seeking some relief. You can sustain a back injury participating in sports, or being in a car accident. However, you might injure your back without even knowing the cause.

You might just wake up with a tremendous pain that makes it difficult to even get out of bed. Some back injuries may be easily and clearly diagnosed with an x-ray. Others may not be so readily identifiable. These types of mystery cases can be quite frustrating. How can you fix something the doctor says is just fine?
If your back injury can be identified, your doctor may prescribe a pain medication, or may just send you to the drugstore for an OTC. In serious cases, back surgery may be recommended as an option, but most people know that back surgeries don't have a high success rate. If this is your doctor's recommendation, it's wise to seek a second, independent opinion. Also consider seeing a neurologist to test nerve function. A pinched nerve can be excruciatingly painful.

If your back injury cannot be identified, or if surgery is your only other option, try the non-invasive methods listed below, before you throw in the towel.

1.Ask your doctor, or do your own online investigation to find exercises to strengthen your back muscles. Such exercises are designed to be non-stressing, while building up the muscles around the affected areas. You might also want to see a sports injury specialist for further guidance.

2.Chiropractic treatments can straighten you out, especially when the back injury is new. If your injury is of long standing, the results may not be as good. The fact is that chiropractic treatment works for some people and not for others. It is an option that you should explore.

3.Yoga is a therapy which can substantially reduce your pain. Sign up for a yoga class and see if this natural treatment works for you. Explain your specific objective to the instructor, who can design a special routine applicable to your condition. If you realize benefits of a decrease in pain, by all means, continue with the classes. Once you have learned the techniques, you can practice this technique at home as well.

4.Everyone who suffers back pain is well served by cultivating good posture. Practice standing straight, with shoulders back, not hunched, and make sure your spine is in good alignment by placing a book on your head. Within a month of half-hour daily practice sessions, good posture will become second nature.

5.The pain you endure with a back injury can be greatly mitigated with the use of a back brace during the day and a heating pad at night.

6.Ergonomically designed chairs are fairly expensive, but is almost guaranteed to help relieve your back pain.

7.If you can't afford an ergonomic chair just now, try using a 'donut' pillow on your existing desk chair. This works especially well with lower back injury pain. The 'hole' in the donut helps reduce pressure from the chair seat on your spine. You might also use a neck roll at the base of your spine, in addition to the donut pillow.

There's a very good chance that one or more of these natural methods of treating a back injury will provide at least some relief. You might also be able to reduce your back pain significantly. Good luck!

Best Way to Gain Muscle: Protein & Resistance

2009-07-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

The best way to gain muscle, whether you are going for Mr. Universe or a decent summer beach bod, is to constantly feed and work-out those muscle groups. Sounds simple, right? There are actually some important tips to follow that you may not have considered on your muscle growing journey. As with most things in life, muscle gain comes with persistence and patience.

Adding more protein to your diet is the first best way to gain muscle. Figure out how many calories you are consuming in a day then add five hundred more. This shouldn’t be in the form of junk food but in great sources of protein like poultry, fish or meat. Your target should be one gram of protein for every pound you weigh. That means if you’re tipping the scales at around 180-200 then that one piece of grilled chicken isn’t going to cut it. A perfect option for adding more protein to your daily diet is with powered up smoothies. Adding whey protein powder to a fruit and yogurt smoothie will provide about 50 grams of protein.

You’ve heard about the benefits of three square meals a day? Forget that. The best way to gain muscle is to chow down on 5-6 small meals a day. This will kick start your metabolism in to high gear and provide you with that needed energy boost to get through your work-outs.

When you hit the gym the best way to gain muscle is to limit your cardio. Two days a week of 30 minute treadmill action should be the max. If you want to lose fat while gaining muscle, then turn your treadmill time into sprints. Run all out for a minute then back off to light jogging. Do this throughout your running time and you’re shed the pounds without losing precious muscle mass.

After your cardio, it’s time to hit the weights. The best way to gain muscle through weight training is to work out your whole body in one session. The more muscles you train means the more hormones you’ll be letting loose and that translates into muscle growth. Keep in mind that a great session needs to only be about 45 minutes long. This means focused sets with six to twelve reps per set. And when the weights become easy add on more. They say “no pain, no gain” for a reason. Unless you constantly challenge your muscle groups they’ll get lazy and won’t grow. It all breaks down to a simple formula: protein, total body work-out and rest. Keeping consistent with your program is truly the best way to gain muscle.

The Components of a Healthy Diet ofr Diabetes Type 2 Patients

2009-07-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

Type 2 diabetes is a serious health condition that, if not managed properly, can lead to severe complications. A well managed diet for diabetes is essential to controlling this disease.

Your physician may prescribe medications to help regulate your blood sugar levels, as well as medications that help protect your heart and kidneys. Understanding how to manage your diet can be complex. Here we try to put it all in plain language, to help you make sense of all the charts in the standard booklet of counting your carbs.

At first glance, it seems that carbs are your enemy. The usual proscription from the medical people is that you limit your intake of carbs to no more than 195 per day. The trouble starts when you see that two pieces of sandwich bread runs around 30-40 carbs, while one plain bagel is almost 50 carbs! If you've been a sandwich eater all your life, this is dismal news indeed.

What you want to do, to set up a healthy diet for diabetes, is to start reading those food labels carefully. When buying bread, look for whole grain breads. You'll notice two things. Whole grain breads have fewer carbs and more fiber. Some newer brands on the market have added fiber, in addition to that contained in the whole grain flour. Whole grains are complex carbohydrates, which is a good thing in a diet for diabetes patients. Complex carbohydrates break down slowly, so you never get a sugar spike, whereas refined flours contain little fiber and often, more simple sugars.

To arrive at the total number of carbs per serving, subtract the fiber grams from the total carbs. Your physician or nutritionist has doubtless emphasized the importance of getting a sufficient amount of fiber in your diet. Why? Fiber helps keep your digestive tract clean and free of toxins, which in turn, helps protect your kidneys from damage. This makes the picture a lot better, in terms of what you can eat and how much, while having a perfectly healthy diet for diabetes management.

Don't shy away from eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. When you see that a half cup of chopped onions has about 15 carbs, you may feel that you'd rather use up your carb allotment on that sandwich! However, when you picture putting a half cup of onions on a salad, you realize that a sprinkling appropriate for a salad probably adds up to just a few carbs. Not a big deal.

Most produce are heavy on the antioxidants too, leading to better overall health and packing a preventative punch for all of your organs, a definite plus in a healthy diet for diabetics.

Foods that are encouraged in a diet for diabetes patients include meat, poultry, fish and dairy products. This means that you can make a meal of a big juicy burger on a whole grain roll, loading it up with lettuce, tomatoes, a couple of sauteed mushrooms and a fat chunk of Swiss to top it all off, all for less than 40 or 50 carbs. Not a bad deal.

In a nutshell, it's simple sugars you want to avoid. A single soda or candy bar can wreak havoc with your blood sugar levels. In fact, a healthy diet for diabetes can be a healthy diet for non-diabetics as well.

A History of Diabetes

2009-07-07T14:23:00.000-07:00

A walk down the long and winding, 3500 year, history of diabetes
Unlike conditions such as AIDS, autism and ADD, diabetes is not a 'new' disease. You may be surprised to know that Egyptian physicians, 3500 years ago, were the first to observe that people with the condition we know today as diabetes, habitually manifested the hallmark symptom of frequent urination, thus marking the beginning of the history of diabetes.

Along with the syndrome of frequent urination, others observed that ants swarmed around an area where these people had urinated. Although diabetes, yet unnamed, was known to become a debilitating condition, the physicians of the time were clueless as to the cause and had no treatment.

The history of diabetes took a long hiatus, with no progress made beyond this point for another 1500 years. At that time, the noted Greek physician Galen, wrongly concluded that this condition originated in the kidneys.

By the year 1000 AD, this now well known condition was named: diabetes mellitus, so named because of the sweet character of the urine of those who were afflicted with this condition. The history of diabetes, while almost 2500 years old, was sparse on facts and absent effective treatments. Doctors of the time used assistants to taste samples of the urine to determine the degree of sweetness and thus make a diagnosis!

Other than recognizing diabetes as a health condition, no progress was made in determining the cause or devising treatments for diabetes. It was not until the 16th century that diabetes was declared, by Paracelsus, as a life threatening disorder.

Another 200 years passed in the history of diabetes, with no new significant discoveries. Then, during the 1800s, a clinically reliable test was devised to measure the amount of sugar in the urine of patients, leading to a definitive diagnosis. However, besides a reliable diagnosis, little progress was made. Treatments were more or less hit-or-miss, ranging from massive doses of sugar to virtually jailing the patients in order to enforce a prescribed experimental diet.

Physicians across Europe, throughout the 1800s, started paying more attention to the mystery of diabetes. Several found that the pancreas seemed to be implicated.

At the turn of the 19th century, a focus on diet produced perhaps the first of the fad diets. Diabetics were advised to eat potatoes, oats, milk or rice. Starving the patient was one of the most prescribed and radical treatments. While patients hoped these various injunctions by their doctors would produce a cure, there was not a single case that was relieved.

Not until the discovery of insulin, in 1921, was there any significant progress in the history of diabetes. Following experiments with insulin on animals, a young man was successfully treated with insulin. This marked a significant turning point in the history of diabetes, with rapid progress in both identifying and treating diabetes.

During the 1940s, scientists finally made the connection between diabetes and eye and kidney complications. During the thirty years that followed, much progress was made in devices, such as home testing devices that allowed diabetic patients to precisely measure blood sugar levels. Oddly enough, it was not until 1975 that any distinction was made between diabetes types 1 and 2.

In 1974, the U.S. Congress created the National Diabetes Commission, whose mission was to coordinate research of diabetes with training programs for medical professionals, along with patient education. With government funding and research grants in a coordinated effort, it's now possible to manage diabetes with a variety of medications that help avoid or at least delay the onset of complications.

The history of diabetes has come a long way over the last 3500 years. With modern medicine and scientific research, hopefully this devastating condition may soon be curable.

Know your risk factors for a stroke

2009-06-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

Many strokes are preventable!

Unfortunately, having a stroke can happen to anyone. There are several types of strokes, but a stroke creates a condition where your brain cells are deprived of a sufficient blood supply, with sometimes devastating results. Knowing the risk factors for strokes can save your life. In the case of strokes, truly an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Let's take a look:

Some factors are related to lifestyle choices, while others are genetic. There are also medical conditions which may predispose you to suffering a stroke.
Among the lifestyle choices, there are risk factors for stroke that are most preventable. One of the most common is smoking. It's well known that smoking tobacco products contribute to cardiovascular damage. Enough said. Don't smoke. If you do, do your best to quit. Many studies have concluded that excessive use of alcohol and street drugs increase your risk of stroke.

Other lifestyle choices, such as what you eat, may contribute to increased risk factors for strokes. Choosing lean meats, along with plenty of fruits and vegetables, goes a long way to preventing strokes. Regular exercise helps keep your heart and circulation good and healthy.

Your genetics play a role as well. You cannot eliminate this risk factor, but being informed of genetic risk factors for strokes allows you to work with your physician to control conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes. Certain ethnic groups, as well as a family history, may predispose you to certain conditions which place you at increased risk. Sickle cell anemia is one condition where adequate blood supply is already compromised, so reducing as many of the other risk factors for strokes is essential.

Patients with heart conditions may well be in the best position to reduce their risk for strokes. High blood pressure, controlled with medications, good dietary choices and exercise, can significantly reduce your risk factors for stroke.
Patients with diabetes often have cardiovascular problems, including HBP and high cholesterol. Diabetics can likewise significantly reduce their risk factors by eating healthy, controlling their weight and exercising regularly.

Age and gender also influence your risk of suffering a stroke. Perhaps due to circulatory problems or lack of exercise, studies show that your risk of stroke is doubled every ten years after reaching 55. Some physicians recommend aspirin, as a preventative of stroke. Discuss this with your own physician. As for gender, it's a fact that men suffer more strokes than women, but women more often die of a stroke than men. If you take birth control pills, are pregnant, or smoke, your risk factors for stroke are greatly increased.

If you've previously suffered a stroke, or a heart attack, you're at greatest risk. This means you'll want to address every risk factor aggressively, to minimize your risk.

Take care of your health. Take it seriously and help prevent a stroke.

Nicotine Detox

2009-06-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

Nicotine withdrawal is one of the hardest things that I ever had to go through. Nicotine detox is no joke. At first, you think it will be no big deal. Sure, everyone likes to have a cigarette now and then, but you can resist, can't you? You just need to find something else to do rather than taking smoke breaks.

After a day or two, however, it can get pretty serious. You get moody and irritated. You start eating more or needing to take long walks to deal with the anxiety. By some estimates, even heroin detox is easier than nicotine detox. Whether or not this is true, one fact remains. If you want to quit smoking successfully, you need to detoxify from the nicotine first.

There are several different ways to do this. The most classic one, of course, is the cold turkey quit smoking approach. You simply stop having cigarettes and do not let yourself have another one. There are several different ways to do this, of course. You can do it alone or get help from friends. You can even check yourself into a detox center for a weekend or take a camping trip to an area where you will not be able to get a cigarette.

Some people find this approach harsh to the point of counteractive. They argue that this way of doing nicotine detox tends to fail, causing people to give up on quitting smoking. Many of them prefer to quit smoking slowly, using nicotine patches and gum. This approach has its own pitfalls, of course. You really need to keep track of everything very carefully, and the nicotine detox. takes a lot longer. Rather than having terrible symptoms of nicotine withdrawal for a weekend, you have them for weeks and weeks at a time. Although they are less severe, they last so much longer that some people find it easier to start smoking again.

A lot of folks that I know believe that nicotine detoxification can be aided by other medicines or herbal supplements. Indeed, it seems like there are some kinds of gums and pills that really do work pretty well. They help you to suppress your cravings for cigarettes, making it much less likely that you'll start smoking again. By taking this sort of medication while you are going through withdrawal, you can avoid having to deal with the worst of the cravings. You will still want a cigarette from time to time, but it will be much easier to deal with.

How to Ward off Strokes and Protect your Health

2009-06-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

We are all familiar with the potentially devastating effects of suffering a stroke, especially as men get older and go through andropause, but most of us don't have a clue as to stroke causes. All strokes are caused, essentially, by a lack, or excess of blood to the brain cells.

The majority of strokes involve a lack of adequate supply of blood to your brain. These are called ischemic strokes. The remaining 20% of strokes are of the hemorrhagic type, where a blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds within the skull.

Here we present a synopsis of the two basic types and stroke causes. Preventing strokes is best accomplished by improving your cardiovascular health. Narrowed arteries, high blood pressure, and a sedentary lifestyle are a recipe for a stroke.

The most common type of stroke is the ischemic stroke. Poor circulation and atherosclerosis results in a greatly reduced flow of blood to your brain. This is ischemia, the most common cause of strokes. When brain cells are deprived of proper blood circulation, brain cells suffer almost immediate damage. This is why it's so important to seek immediate medical help if you've exhibited symptoms of stroke. Permanent damage may thus be averted.

The transient ischemic attack (TIA) might be termed a 'mini-stroke'. This type of stroke is of short duration, lasting only a few minutes, and does not result in permanent brain damage. However, the TIA is a definite indicator of trouble brewing.

Many people suffer this type of stroke, but do not seek medical attention, although this is a major predictor of subsequent, serious strokes. If you've experienced the symptoms of stroke (numbness in your limbs or face, confusion and difficulty coordinating muscles in walking), contact your doctor immediately and get to the hospital. Stroke causes such symptoms and your risk for a major stroke in the future increases by a multiple of ten.

Naturally, reducing the plaque in your arteries can ward off this type of stroke. Your doctor may prescribe a pharmaceutical to do the job. Follow your doctor's advice to combat this narrowing and clogging of the arteries.

The ischemic embolic stroke causes a blood clot to form, which breaks away and finds its way to your brain, where it stops, unable to flow through the smaller brain arteries. This type of stroke causes an irregular heartbeat, referred to as atrial fibrillation. This leads to sluggish blood flow and the subsequent formation of blood clots, making you ripe for a major stroke.

The second type of stroke, the hemorrhagic stroke causes the blood vessels in your brain to bleed. The reasons typically stem from high blood pressure and weak capillaries (aneurisms). Rare stroke causes include certain birth defects, involving fragile blood vessels. Age and genetic factors must also be considered. The hemorrhagic stroke causes sudden ruptures, often characterized by a severe and debilitating headache.

Stroke causes potentially debilitating problems. Take care of your heart!

Testosterone and Women

2009-06-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

Review study shows many benefits and few risks with a commonsense approach to testosterone replacement for women.

Although sex drive or libido in women is multi-faceted, it’s often closely tied to testosterone levels, and a new review study from researchers at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, published in the journal Maturitas, shows that testosterone replacement can bring many health benefits and few risks.

Women with low testosterone often have little or no desire to have sex. Using testosterone replacement therapy may seem like an obvious solution, but some doctors and researchers have been concerned that supplemental testosterone may convert to estrogen and thus create an increased risk of breast and uterine (endometrial) cancers. There has also been concern that testosterone replacement may increase a woman’s risk of heart disease, because men have a higher overall risk for heart disease than women do.

Read more

Dr. Atkins Diet Debate

2009-06-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a lot of debate about the late Dr. Atkins. His new diet revolution, as he called it, is something that many have used successfully, but there is a raging debate about the long term effects this style of eating might have on the body.

If you ask any of the people who have been on his program for any length of time, they will tell you that they will not eat any other way, and that they are healthier than they have ever been. They also have the blood work to back up that claim. However, that is not enough for some.

The main complaint that many who criticize Dr. Atkins is that the diet is too high in fat to be healthy. On this eating plan, the first two weeks are supposed to be high in fat and very low in carb. That alone would be a problem, but that phase of the diet is something that is only supposed to last for two weeks, or a few more for some people. After that, fats are slowly weaned down and more carbs in the form of vegetables, berries, whole grains, and diary are added. The resulting eating plan for maintaining weight loss is actually not much more fatty than the average ‘low fat’ dieter might try to eat.

That does not stop those who want to say that Dr. Atkins was crazy however, and the debate may never end. Many on the diet report that their health has improved and their doctors are amazed at the amounts of good cholesterol versus bad cholesterol they have in their systems, and how healthy they get over a period of time. Dr. Atkins has repeatedly defended his position, and there are thousands out there that stand up for him whenever they can.

The best way to decide if you think the diet that Dr. Atkins published is good for you or not is to read though his book. Better yet, read though it a few times. Only then can you really understand what the way of eating is all about. There are many out there who don’t get the book and they do their own version of Atkins and wonder why they are failing. It is not a high protein diet as some suggest. It is a balance of protein and fat, along with a select number of healthy carbs.

Dr. Atkins encourages, or rather demands, vegetables be an important part of the plan, along with exercise, and a lot of water. Find out what is going on before making a judgment. You can’t decide until you know all the facts.

Anti Anxiety Medication

2009-06-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

If you are feeling anxious and depressed, using the right anti anxiety medication can make a world of difference. The typical anti anxiety drugs work by making you feel chilled out and mellow, something that is pleasant whether you suffer from the symptoms of anxiety or not.

How you use the medicine and what your use it for, however, makes some degree of difference in the results you get. If you take your anti anxiety medication as a recreational drug, you will find it relaxing and enjoyable. If you take it to take the edge off anxiety panic attacks, however, you might not enjoy it as much, but you will get a lot more out of it. It will make you feel calm and rational again, able to face the day and deal with whatever is making you panicky.

One of the most important and famous anti anxiety medications Xanax. This
pill pill has been around for a long time, but it is still quite popular as an anti anxiety drug. They work very quickly, and the effect lasts for a while. Recently, however, there has been a movement towards natural anxiety treatment.

Many people take herbal supplements nowadays to treat anxiety symptoms instead of prescription drugs. Although many of these herbs are not quite as powerful, they do have certain advantages. Most of them are less addictive, and some people believe they are healthier for you. Whether you buy this or not, they are certainly anxiety treatment with looking into.

Of course anti anxiety medication alone isn't enough to treat many symptoms. This is particularly true if you have anxiety and depression together. The problem with some forms of anti anxiety medication as they can actually enhance depression if they are not combined with antidepressants. By making you feel low and mellow, they give you time to brood over whatever is bothering you. That is why it is important not to use anxiety treatments without a doctor's supervision.

Then again, there are ways to treat your anxiety on your own. When I first
started taking anti anxiety medication, I didn't really want to regularly see a doctor. Instead, I started meditating on top of taking anxiety drugs. It took a little while, but eventually the drugs did wonders.

Soon, I was able to cut back on my anti anxiety medication and just treat myself with meditation. I won't say that I never had an anxiety attack again – I've never been able to completely get rid of it – but I did start to really feel better after a couple months. Please make us a binding offer for the following deliveries.

I live a pretty normal life now, because I've been able to take care of my anxiety problems and control them with a combination of drugs and altnerative practices.

Read this if you are Dating Online! New Background Check Website Provides Nationwide Criminal Checks to the Online Dating Industry

2009-05-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

SweetheartChecks.com makes it possible for women and men to easily discover if their potential date has a criminal history.

United States of America - Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – May 20, 2009 – SweetheartChecks.com was created to assist both women and men in protecting themselves from potentially dangerous situations while using online dating websites. Now consumers can research a person’s criminal history in the United States with complete anonymity, including whether their subject is a registered sex offender.

Cathy Taylor, President of SweetheartChecks.com talks about why she started this new service, “Online dating brings new and higher levels of risk to the world of romance. I think knowing the truth about a person upfront is the best way to protect yourself; especially in these difficult economic times. Some women still want to believe that nothing bad will ever happen to them. I’ve been involved in the background check industry for 30 years now, and I can tell you this idea is naive. People regularly lie about who they really are – especially when their background includes jail time or a sex offender conviction.”

According to Jupiter Research, the U.S. online dating market will reach $932 million in 2011. In 2006, PEW statistics reported over 10 million users who were currently single and seeking romantic partners online. 26% of American adults, approximately 53 million people, say they know someone who has gone on a date with a person they met through a dating website. 57% of internet users surveyed agree that many people who use online dating services lie about their marital status.

Taylor continues, “Trusting someone new always carries risks including meeting at unknown restaurants or darkened movie theaters. Why would anyone put themselves in that situation in this day and age without first checking to see if the person has a criminal history? It just doesn’t make any sense. But there is a part of us, particularly women, who still want to look the other way and hope for the best. A friend of mine is marrying a man she met on Match.com next week, and I had to convince her to run the criminal check because she didn’t want to hear any bad news. Denial is a powerful detractor.”

But online background checks aren’t without controversy. In 2005, Michigan proposed a new bill that would require Internet dating companies to conduct background checks on users. Under the legislation, online dating services would have to warn site members about safe dating practices as well as define the limitations of background checks.

Taylor responds to allegations that online checks aren’t reliable, “The critics are absolutely right. There is no universal database that contains all criminal records for the U.S. I wrote an article about the limitations of online databases awhile back which people can read by going to the articles section of our website. The bottom line is consumers need to know that these checks are not 100% because not all criminal information is available in one database or online. There is human error involved and technology limitations, and because of increasing privacy restrictions, researchers continue to lose access to more identifiers on public records making it harder to get accurate data.

“Keeping that in mind,” Taylor continues, “I am confidant that the SweetheartChecks.com search is the most trustworthy single-source, online criminal database check available on the market today. We will also add additional services in the future as we identity their value as well as determine if they meet our quality standards. One thing we do that other companies don’t, is to educate our users about the limitations of online databases so users can make an informed decision before spending hard-earned money.

We also educate people about public records researching regarding other things such as marital status. We began with this criminal search that includes registered sex offenders so that users can get their feet wet for a nominal fee. All the consumer needs to complete this search is a full name and optionally, a date of birth. We make it so easy and affordable that consumers don’t have to depend on their online matchmaker for criminal checks, and dating websites don’t have to provide services they don’t have any experience in.”

Alcohol Addiction

2009-05-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

With addictive behaviors, it is often said that the first step is admitting that you have a problem. Unfortunately, this is easier in some situations than in others. For drug addiction, it can be pretty simple.

Half the population will believe that you have a problem simply because you are using drugs in the first place. Although this isn't always the case, once a drug addict admits he is a drug addict he will most definitely received support from his community.

With alcohol addiction, however, things are different. Addiction to alcohol is really difficult to realize because consuming alcohol is so completely accepted. Everyone knows nowadays that alcoholics exist and that excessive drinking can be a problem, but what constitutes excessive drinking is still subject to debate.

In many segments of the community, drinking to the point of having blackouts isn't uncommon or even frowned upon. Addiction to alcohol can progress extremely far before it receives treatment in this kind of context.

This is why alcohol addicts are less likely to be subject to intervention than many other different kinds of addicts. Usually, they have to realize for themselves that they have problems. Alcohol addictions are some of the most likely to fall Through the cracks. That is why, if you suspect yourself of having an alcohol addiction, it is important to take matters into your own hands.

The most important thing Is to stop yourself from rationalizing. Just suspecting that you have an alcohol addiction is a pretty good sign that it is true. Before you have the temptation to backslide and get another drink, find an addiction support group or counselor. Find a community and get their advice on overcoming your addiction. Do it now, before you start to deny yourself again.

After all, getting a substance abuse treatment program going can't hurt you if it turns out you don't have a problem. If, on the other hand, you do have a problem, it can potentially save your life.

The biggest problem with treating alcohol addiction is that it requires so many sacrifices. Most of the time, addictive drinkers are not primarily solitary drinkers. Usually, they prefer to go out and drink with friends.

When these folks give up drinking, they might have to give up the company of those same friends. If you can't hang out in a bar without having a drink, you might not be able to hang out at a bar without drinking to excess.

Things to improve your brain memory

2009-05-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

There are some things that remain a mystery, no matter how much research is done. One of those things is how our brains really work. Though we do know a lot, much mystifies those that are trying to find out how the brain works as a whole. Our brains are working around the clock, and what most don’t know is that the brain works the most while we are sleeping. If you want to improve your brain memory power, this is something that you should know.

Some like to cram before exams. They may stay up for hours on end with the intent of studying up to the moment of their exam. This is not only silly, it’s a strike against them. The brain memory that you need to pass this type of test is not going to work out in this case. The brain does not properly store away information unless the body is sleeping. What you learn in any given day is not filed away properly in your brain memory until you have had a night of rest. Those cramming till dawn are not going to do as well as they would have if they had rested.

This is important when it comes to brain memory of events as well. Have you ever forgotten what you had for breakfast? This might be because your brain has yet to properly store that information in the right place. You may not even remember this a few days later, as the brain may deem this unimportant information, and it may not be pulled up from the brain memory as easily as the bigger events of the day. Our memories are remarkable, but they are not perfect. As we age, our brain memory will not be as good as it once was anyway.

If you worry that your brain memory function is low, there are some great things you can do to improve your memory. There are some books on the subject, and these are actually very good. You should see some memory improvement almost immediately. Most contain association tricks that allow you to remember things that might normally seep out in a short time. There are also some great games on the market that can help you keep your memory and your brain sharp too. Your memory is an amazing thing, but there is no reason why you can do something to make it even better.

Why soya may not be such a super food after all

2009-05-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

It was hailed as a superfood that could fight breast cancer, strengthen bones and ease the menopause. Once thought of as exotic, today soya can be found in a variety of guises on supermarket shelves, from dairy-free milk and yogurt to vegan cheese and tofu.
Soya was first cultivated in China, where it was used as medicine and in cooking. Last year, more than one million tons of it were imported to the UK.

However, there is mounting evidence that soya could, in fact, pose a serious health risk.

Risk: Soya is found in many guises, including tofu

Experts claim soya foods might lower testosterone levels in men, hamper thyroid function, cause weight gain and disrupt hormones.
Hailing from the same family as beans, peas and lentils, soybeans are crushed to form soybean meal, which is then used to make edible soya products.
It contains all the essential amino acids to build protein in our bodies, and many vegetarians opt for soy products as a way of upping their daily protein intake.

Surprisingly, according to food-industry estimates, it is also found in 60 per cent of processed foods, adding bulk, flavour and texture.

Breakfast cereals, cereal bars and biscuits, cheese, cakes, dairy desserts, gravies, noodles, pastries, soups, sausage casings, sauces and sandwich spreads, to name just a few, often contain soya.

It appears on food labels as 'soya flour', 'hydrolysed vegetable protein', 'soy protein isolate', 'protein concentrate', 'textured vegetable protein', 'vegetable oil', 'plant sterols', or the emulsifier 'lecithin'.

Millions believe it to be a healthy option, providing protein with no saturated fat and without the risk of raising cholesterol levels. Yet it seems the very properties that made soya so attractive could also make it a health threat.
The soya plant boasts high levels of phytoestrogens that mimic the action of the body's own oestrogen. And 100g of tofu contains 12.9mg of phytoestrogens, while 100g of soya yogurt or soya milk contains 11.8mg.

Dr Margaret Ritchie, an expert in phytoestrogens at the University of St Andrews, explains: 'These oestrogen-like chemicals are up to 20,000 times weaker than natural oestrogen. If a woman is low in oestrogen, as in the menopause, the extra oestrogen absorbed when soya is eaten can help relieve menopausal symptoms.'

It may also reduce the impact of the body's own oestrogen on breast and womb tissue, protecting against breast and uterine cancers, which are triggered by the hormone.

However, according to recent studies published in the Journal Of Nutrition, soya baby formula could cause problems in male infants.

Research at Edinburgh University into the effects of soya milk on young male monkeys found it interfered with testosterone levels, prompting concerns over fertility and disease in grown men.

Furthermore, studies in Japan suggest a high intake of soy-based products can disrupt the thyroid gland, leading to weight gain, fatigue and mood problems.
Marilyn Glenville, nutritionist and author of the Nutritional Health Handbook For Women, says: 'Soya can block the uptake of the chemical iodine which is needed for a healthy thyroid. Turnips, cabbage, peanuts and pine nuts have similar effects. If you are diagnosed with a thyroid problem, you'll be told to restrict your intake of all these foods.'

She adds: 'The soya in soy burgers and sausages and added as flavour enhancers is highly processed. The soya-bean fibre is removed and the residue is soaked in an aluminium tank, then treated with chemicals such as nitrates, which some studies have linked to cancer.'

Glenville recommends reducing overall intake of processed foods and increasing intake of wholefoods.

The British Nutrition Foundation recommends adding traditional soya-bean products such as tofu, tamari, miso and tempeh to a healthy and varied diet.
'Don't overdo it,' warns Glenville. 'It is healthy in small quantities, but could be unhealthy if eaten in excess.' One small portion, about 30g, a day is ideal.
And as there is evidence linking GM soya to a raised allergy risk, ensure any soya products you buy are organic and therefore GM free.

reprinted from www.dailymail.co.uk

Quick and Healthy Breakfast

2009-05-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Unfortunately, many of us neglect breakfast. And there’s a lot of evidence to suggest that your body and mind will suffer unless you have a healthy breakfast each morning.

You spend six to eight hours sleeping. After that time, your body needs fuel to keep going. Without breakfast at home, your options for on the run nutrition may amount to too much fat, too much sugar and too many carbs. And, that convenient run to the fast food joint is not as convenient and time saving as you think if everyone else has the same idea. The fifteen or twenty minutes spent in line could have been used to fill your belly with something good at home.
If you are the type to skip breakfast, here is a solution to starting the day with a good breakfast which will help you keep hunger in check as well as give you the natural energy boost to start your day.

1. Oatmeal – This food makes a good hot meal that contains lots of filling fiber to keep you from getting hungry later on in the morning. Depending on your taste, you can take five minutes to fix it on the stove or use the microwave for instant oatmeal. Kids tend to like the variety of flavors that come with instant oatmeal. The night before, put together a container of add-ins like blueberries, strawberries and bananas that can be tossed on top for a bit of antioxidant power.

2. Fruit smoothies – These are good any morning but particularly on a hot day. You’ll have to blend the ingredients together in the morning, but the prep work can be done at night. Cube your fruit and place it into a container. Instead of frozen yogurt in the morning, use a cup of plain yogurt. Add ice cubes, a little water and blend.

3. Egg sandwich – The eggs can be cooked the night before and placed in a sealed container. In the morning, warm up the eggs in the microwave. If you want, add some chopped veggies or shredded cheese. Serve on toasted wheat bread. The night before, place two pieces of bread into a Ziploc bag for each family member. They can toast their bread as they get up and place the sandwich in the bag for easy transport in the car to work or school.

4. Yogurt with granola and fruit – Some people like to eat yogurt. But, yogurt by itself won’t keep you from being hungry. Add some granola and a few blueberries to the mix. This makes a great breakfast idea for those mornings when you are running late. Keep small bags of granola and blueberries in the fridge next to the yogurt so you can grab them and run.

Are you fighting the breakfast battle? To get a filling meal you don’t have to opt for too much fat, calories or carbs. These quick and easy breakfast ideas can be made within minutes and are a much healthier alternative to skipping breakfast or grabbing a high fat alternative.

Top Ten Power Packed Foods

2009-04-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

What is the secret to a long and healthy life? It is in the food that we eat. As you well know, all foods are not created equal. Choosing and eating the right foods may help increase your life expectancy as well as the quality of your life.

Here are ten of the top power packed foods designed to give you energy, vitality and all around good health!

1. Beans – If they give you gas, take precautions before you eat them. Soaking them first can help. Beans of all kinds (kidney, navy, lentils, chickpeas, Northern) are high in protein. This is plant protein so it contains very little fat, carbs and calories. If fiber is a problem in your diet, eating a healthy portion of beans each day can keep your digestive system healthy.

2. Oatmeal – Oatmeal is coming into popularity as a food that lowers blood cholesterol. You can make it yourself with rolled oats or eat the instant kind if you are in a hurry. Oatmeal is a filling grain that also provides much needed fiber to keep hunger at bay and your blood sugar constant.

3. Fruits – Fruits are filled with antioxidants such as Vitamin C and A. Antioxidants fight free radical damage in the body and reduce the risk of cancer. Berries such as blueberries and grapes have the highest amount of antioxidants. But choose an array of fruits in a wide variety of colors for maximum health. The antioxidants in fruit boost the immune system to fight the effects of aging in the body.

4. Allium foods – This class of foods includes garlic, onions, leeks and shallots. Garlic is known for lowering cholesterol. Allium vegetables healp guard the body against the risk of cancer and many other ailments. They also help lower blood pressure and prevent blood clots. Eating these power packed vegetables in their natural state especially garlic increases their health benefits.

5. Salmon – Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids reduces the risk of heart disease and other conditions like atherosclerosis. Wild salmon is a fatty fish but it contains good fats that has been proven to improve health in children and adults. Salmon is rich in protein which is of great use after an exercise session to build muscle tissue.

6. Flax seed – Like salmon it contains omega-3 fatty acids. These seeds also contain omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids. You get a lot of power to fight high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes with this seed. Ground flax seed can be added to fruit smoothies, sprinkled in yogurt, eaten with cereal or added to pancake mix to name a few.

7. Peppers – Peppers are colorful. They contain antioxidants like beta-carotene and Vitamin C. Peppers range from mild and sweet to so hot you’ll be calling the fire department. All peppers contain a substance called capsaicin. Capsaicin has the properties of an anti-inflammatory, a pain reliever, lowers cancer risk and heart disease. They are good in salads, salsa and all sorts of dishes.

8. Nuts and seeds – Nuts are high in fat but those fats are the good kind. Peanuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts and pistachios are all providers of good fats and protein. Crush them into a fine powder and use as a coating instead of higher carb bread crumbs. Nuts help to lower cholesterol. Eat them right out of the shell with no additives.

9. Açai – This berry has been in the news lately. It is rich in antioxidants and increases energy. You can get more done and look better while doing it. You can get Acai juice and supplements in your health food store.

10. Yogurt – The fat free variety is good for you. Yogurt contains calcium, Vitamin B, and protein. If you don’t drink milk, yogurt is an alternative to get your calcium in to build strong bones and teeth. Live yogurt also contains friendly bacteria to help promote a healthy digestive system.

Building a better healthier body begins with what you eat. Try these super foods to get started on the right foot.

Ramblings of a Retired Mind

2009-04-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about how a status symbol of today is those cell phones that everyone has clipped onto their belt or purse. I can't afford one. So, I'm wearing my garage door opener. I also made a cover for my hearing aid and now I have what they call blue teeth, I think.

You know, I spent a fortune on deodorant before I realized that people didn't like me anyway.

I was thinking that women should put pictures of missing husbands on beer cans!

I was thinking about old age and decided that old age is 'when you still have something on the ball, but you are just too tired to bounce it.'

I thought about making a fitness movie for folks my age, and call it 'Pumping Rust'.

I've gotten that dreaded furniture disease. That's when your chest is falling into your drawers!

When people see a cat's litter box, they always say, 'Oh, have you got a cat?' Just once I want to say, 'No, it's for company!'

Employment application blanks always ask who is to be notified in case of an emergency. I think you should write, 'A Good Doctor'!

Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do...write to these men? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen could look for them while they deliver the mail? Or better yet, arrest them while they are taking their pictures!

I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older. Then, it dawned on me, they were cramming for their finals.

As for me, I'm just hoping God grades on the curve.