Diets Galore Fruitarian

The term fruitarian is not in many older dictionaries. This article will explain what a fruitarian is and talk about some of the criticisms and positive aspects of the fruitarian diet.

Depending on who you talk to a fruitarian eats anywhere from 50 ? 100% raw fruit. Fruit comes in sweet, acid and non-sweet packages. All fruit has one thing in common. It is the reproductive part a plant. Usually we consider a fruit a fleshy outer package with seeds inside. A strict interpretation would also include grains, nuts, and seeds of all kinds.

Fruitarians eat a high percentage of fruit of all kinds plus succulent vegetables, and leaves. The Genesis 1:29 diet is a fruitarian diet. Most people think of fruit as something that comes off trees, but tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and many other garden plants are fruits. By eating a variety of fruits with some green leafy vegetables a fruitarian can receive more than adequate nutrition. Most fruitarians include root vegetables in their diets.

My personal diet usually consists of about 75% raw fruit, and 25% raw or cooked vegetables and other plant based foods.

If I eat breakfast, it us usually some kind of sweet or semi-acid to acid fruit, like banana, apple, grapes, oranges or grapefruit. When I can afford it or when it is in season I sometimes have watermelon or cantaloupe for breakfast.

My noon meal is usually my breakfast and the above is usually what I would eat. I would pick one of the above or some other fruit that is in season.

If I have a snack it is usually raw or dried fruit.

My evening meal will usually consist of a salad with non-starchy fruit such as sweet bell pepper, tomato, or cucumber, along with a few sunflower seeds or some nuts. If I were having cooked potatoes or squash after the salad I would leave off the nuts and seeds.

Why eat fruit.

Fruit is what our bodies were designed for. Very little has to be done to fruit for our bodies to assimilate the food value. Our primary nutritional need is for energy. Fruit supplies the energy we need in a form that is ready to be assimilated as is without any modification by the body. This great benefit is also the cause of some of the criticisms to eating fruit, which I will discuss further down.

The protein is in the form of amino acids so our body does not have to brake the protein down into amino acids before we can use it, as it does with animal products and some other plant foods.

The sugars are in a form our body can use as is. That is why they do not cause any sluggishness that often comes from complex carbohydrates like potatoes. All the other nutrients in fruit (other than Starchy fruits like squash) are ready to be used as is, with no further processing by the body.

Fruit is known as a cleansing food, largely because of its ease of digestion. It requires very little energy to assimilate.

Criticism;
Fruit has too much sugar.

Answer;
Most long term fruitarians I have talked to eat a significant amount of non sweet fruits to control the amount of sugar they take in. To my knowledge no one who has lived his or her entire life on a fruitarian diet has ever gotten diabetes, because of the fruit sugar. Diabetes is caused by many factors but refined sugar is at the heart of the issue, along with too much protein in the diet. On the other hand many have recovered from diabetes by adopting the fruitarian diet.

Criticism;
It is not satisfying.

Answer;
I find that much of the dissatisfaction comes from other lifestyle factors that encourage or prompt unnatural cravings. Things like seeing an ad on the TV can trigger a craving that is very hard to overcome, even when you are already stuffed with too much food.

Criticism;
I get sick if I eat too much fruit.

Answer;
This is common but you need to understand what is happening. When you eat fruit your body gets a reprieve from the bulk of the digestion process. This frees up a great deal of energy for cleaning your internal house. Your body will start dumping toxins that it has stored for many months or even years.

This housecleaning can be frustrating. It can be confusing. If you don?t understand what is going on you can easily assume that it is a bad thing. The truth is that you need to get rid of the toxins. Once you have the toxins out, your body will stop the unpleasant symptoms. You should be thankful that your body has enough vitality to dump the trash.

Criticism;
I get too hungry on just fruit.

Answer;
More frequent small meals of fruit during the day may help you overcome the cravings. When I work ad a job I have fruit for my brakes as well as my lunch. I never have cravings during the workday unless I am working with food and the sight of it is at the root of the cravings. It is easy to over eat. My best advice is to limit the variety, and eat until you are content. Mono meals tend to satisfy more than a variety of foods at a given meal.

Another thing you can do is carry some dried fruit, in your pocket, or purse. What I do especially if I have to work outdoors in winter is carry a little dried apple slices or other dried fruit if am not going to get regular brakes. If I feel that I need something I have it with me. The beauty of dried fruit is that it does not weigh much, and your body temperature will not harm it. It can be kept with you for several days until you decide you want it in a plastic bag. You can pull out a piece of dried fruit instead of a stick of gum.

Many vegans and vegetarians are actually fruitarians and don?t know it.

To summarize, most fruitarians try to average about 75% raw fruit in their diet. They adjust the balance between sweet and non-sweet fruits to keep from gaining too much weight and to eat from a variety of plant sources. They include leafy greens and other succulent plant foods. Though they may occasionally eat small amounts of dairy because they like it they try to stay away from animal products.

I personally try to stay away from animal products because I don?t like pain. I am prone to develop arthritis when I eat animal products. An ounce of cheese once in a while does not cause me too much grief. However frequent use of dairy will cause much arthritis pain in my joints.

I praise God that I am prone to develop arthritis. People who are prone to develop other more serious diseases like heart disease may not know that they are doing harm until it is too late.

Short Term

The fruitarian Genesis 1:29 or Hallelujah diet, or Natural Hygiene, have been proven to curtail disease. Myself and countless others overcame arthritis. Cancer cannot grow on the fruitarian diet with all animal products removed. It has been shown to help the body heal itself from most other diseases.

Disease is a result of a body being out of balance. A well-rounded fruitarian diet will bring the body back into balance.

Long Term

Many critics claim that the fruitarian lifestyle is not sustainable long term. That claim is not sustainable by the facts. There are thousands of fruitarian vegetarians out there who have lived 50 or more years on a plant based diet after living a more traditional diet. They overcame their disease and went on to live a happy healthy life.

There are millions of people who live in societies where living plant food diets are the norm. They experience virtually no disease, and live happy productive lives up until they die. I find that most critics just don?t want to give up their favorite foods, so it is easier, and strokes their ego, if they criticize the fruitarian diet and lifestyle.

I mentioned diabetes and the fact that fruitarians don?t have a problem with diabetes. However if you have diabetes you should not eat too much sweet fruit. If you replace your sweet treats that caused your diabetes with fruit it would be a step in the right direction but once you have diabetes it is easy to eat too much fruit.

If you use this information to change your diet and lifestyle you do so at your own risk. I offer you this information to help you learn how to stop causing disease. However I am not a medical doctor and do not prescribe diet as a treatment.

Charles Snyder (Chuck) is a health minister with Hallelujah Acres, and a teacher of Natural Hygiene. He is not a medical doctor. If you have a medical condition please see your doctor. Natural Hygiene helps you build health naturally, by living in accord with the way we were designed.

You can contact Chuck through his website. He has many other articles and resources there to help you on your journey to health.

Charles Snyder (Chuck) is a health minister with Hallelujah Acres, and a teacher of Natural Hygiene. He is not a medical doctor. If you have a medical condition please see your doctor. Natural Hygiene helps you build health naturally, by living in accord with the way we were designed.

You can contact Chuck through his website. He has many other articles and resources there to help you on your journey to health.

http://www.arthritis-back-knee-pain-free-health-restored.com

Clunk Goes Your Hair!

Hair cells are some of the fastest growing in the body, so your hair is a fairly accurate barometer of your health. If you are under a lot of stress, hair cells can actually shut down and redirect their energy elsewhere to places where it is needed in your body. There are numerous physical situations that can cause hair loss such as hormonal changes, medications, nutritional deficiencies, surgery, and many other types of medical conditions and in particular, a malfunctioning thyroid. Under these types of circumstances, hair regrowth may become difficult. According to the American Academy of dermatology, nearly half of all the adults in the US will experience thinning hair by the age of 40.

Hair, as a rule, grows for about three years at a rate of 1/2 per month. Hair goes into a resting period and one in 10 hairs is resting at any one time. After three months, a new hair pushes the old out, commonly referred to as hair regrowth. Hair loss occurs when this balance becomes disrupted and more hairs go into resting or the conversion process speeds up.

Some people that have a severe thyroid problem complain of rapid hair loss and thinning hair. The hair usually falls out in large amounts in the shower or sink, and is often accompanied by changing hair texture, which is usually coarse, dry and easily tangled. Some people, interestingly enough, find that their thyroid problem has been found initially by their hairdresser! Called hypothyroidism, this thyroid disease frequently causes general hair loss on the head and you can also have hair loss on the outer edge of the eyebrows. If you are losing body hair from parts of your body, other than the head, this could also be a sign of thyroid disease and you are advised to visit your doctor.

By Terry Price- Remember to visit- http://www.hair-loss-baldness-solutions.com/sitemap.html --Not only males get male pattern baldness: http://www.hair-loss-baldness-solutions.com/129-male-pattern-baldness-canada.html

Best Cardio Workout Engages your Feelings Thoughts and Most Important is FUN

To lose weight and especially to influence your abs you need to perform cardio workout. Best cardio workout is a kind of sport that has logic, rules and engages you to achieve score.

For example squash is possible fun cardio workout. It practices in small court with two players, each using a racket. You have to hit a small ball to the wall in front and your opponent player has to hit it too.

During the game happen funny situations, you have to run all over the court from one side to the other. You don?t know where the ball is going and run to hit the ball.

You will laugh, run, burn fat and finally lose weight without doing uninteresting cardio routines.

Your whole body sweats ? even hair, butt, arms ? sweating is perfect sign that you burn fat.

Drink water in the breaks and don?t sit, walk slowly and breathe. It is very important to move, because sudden sit will make feel bad.

10 minutes after beginning of the game you will feel fatigue and wish to stop. That?s normal body reaction. Stop playing for a while, walk, drink water and don?t stop moving.

After 3 minutes you will feel sudden energy rush that means your body adapts to physical activity.

Play squash as long as you feel good. First time play 20 minutes (or less) and every time increase workout with 5 minutes until reach 1 hour. How often to play squash?

3 times per week ? it is enough to lose weight and tone your whole body muscles. If you like perform it every day but take 2 days rest per week.

To find out whether squash is best cardio Workout for you ? try it. Try different sports and find out which best fit to you.

While playing sport activity monitor for weight lose symptom ? sweating. To be sure you burn fat you have to sweat after 5-10 minutes after the beginning.

Rumiana Ilieva is author of web site for women?s? issues http://www.women-workout-routines.com where women can train online watching her workouts recorded in her home. She is 30 years old and has experience with different workouts - aerobics, callanetics, yoga, Pilates, fitness. She is not professional trainer and share her experience about women?s issues related to different techniques for weight loss.

Lose Up to Seventyfive to Eighty Percent of Your Body Weight After Obesity Surgery

As a result of Gastric Bypass Surgery the average patient can expect to lose up to seventy five to eighty percent of their body weight. This weight loss is very rapid in the first year which usually results in the seventy five percent weight loss initally. If a patient experiences no health complications and continues with the plan prescribed by their doctor they should have continued weight loss up to ninety percent at the five year mark depending on their presurgery weight and body type, which is a dramatic amount of weight loss.

Due to this rapid weight loss patients can often expect to experience a lessening of their health problems that were related to obesity. Studies have shown improvement of sleep apnea, asthma, joint pain, arthritis, acid reflux, shortness of breath and lowers the chances of heart disease, lowers blood pressure, and has even shown that type-two diabetics may no longer need their medication. In a study of five hundred patients, ninety six percent experienced an improvement in one or more of their health conditions.

Of course there are risks associated with obesity surgery. One in every three hundred gastric bypass patients dies post-operatively. This can often be from a variety of complications. This surgery is performed on patients with a high risk of complications from surgery, due to their obesity. The obesity surgery patient would have a higher risk of complications from any surgery compared to those healthier patients. As such it should only be done as a last resort.

After surgery you are at a higher risk of infection, (one patient took steps to prevent infection by putting up signs asking people to please wash their hands before touching him) which can set in around the staples on your stomach and on the incision where the doctor entered or you could develop blood poisoning.

Read more obesity surgery articles and obesity surgery news or visit our obesity surgery site.

Most Popular Mens Hairstyles for 2006

Hairstyles are every bit as important for men as it is for women. We can see the latest fashions and hairstyles for men by watching the academy awards and the Oscars. We can also see the latest in these hairstyles on the reality shows like Blowout and Real World. As shown on Blowout, a great hairstyle can make a average person or even a ugly duckling a knockout. Jonathon does this on every episode of Blowout. Here are the great hairstyles for 2006 that are guaranteed to make you look better or at least make a statement.

Short, styled, messy with highlights. Ryan Seacrest started this do. It is an easy to maintain look and had its starts with alternative rock bands whom have taken it to more extremes (spikes, different colors, etc...) This is a very easy hairstyle to manage. Just use hair spray, mousse whatever and twist a little here and pull a little there. Some women are also using this for short styles. This easy, messy do is here to stay.

The short business cut. This has always been in. Everyone from George Bush and Jeff Gordon to Jay Leno sport this one. It can be parted to either side, brushed back or down. There are many variations. Sometimes it even looks like a bowl cut - popularized in the days of Leave it to Beaver, the Beverly Hill Billies, Green Acres and other shows that highlighted inbreeding in society.

The mullet. This big hair style of the 80's is actually making a comeback. Wrestlers, country singers, even wanna-be stars like Kevin Federline have been seen wearing mullets. The mullet originated with car salesmen in the 1970's. It was a fun, easy do that was business in the front and party in the back. They could tie it in a pony tail and keep it under wraps at work and then let it out for partying. There are many variations even including the rat tail (hopefully this won't come back). There isn't much care needed for a mullet. What would George Bush, Dr. Phil, Ryan Seacrest, or even Simon Cowell look like with a mullet? I bet ratings for American Idol would double.

The medium-long cut. Basically this is where the hair is about 3-4 inches long across the top and shortened as it comes don the back to about 1-2 inches. One just puts moose or gel in it and works it in and then comes their hair back with their fingers. This is a cut primarily for those with wavy hair as it will show off and glamorize your curls. This is a star favorite - Antonio Banderas and Tom Cruise have sported this do several times throughout their careers.

Chrome dome. Going for that shiny top, bald look. It works for muscular or dominant people. Just look at Jesse Ventura, Michael Jordan, and UFC president Dana White. It used to be only worn by those going bald, but its popularity has grown to include kids, grandparents, even women looking to make a statement. There have even been people renting out ad space on their newly shaved head for quick cash. It is also a great place to try out a tattoo. If you find you don't like the tattoo, just let your hair grow back.

There you have it. The popular mens hairstyles of this year and numerous variants.

David Maillie is a chemist with over 12 years experience in biochemical research and clynical analysis. He is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in biochemical synthesis for public, private, and governmental interests. He holds numerous patents and specializes in products that save the consumer money. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: http://www.mdwholesale.com or by visiting http://www.bestskinpeel.com

Celebrate Mother Nature

Mother Nature provides us with so many splendors. She supplies us with life, beauty, nutrients and sustenance to blossom. For instance, trees blooming in spring are phenomenal sights, the sun setting on the horizon will render one speechless, skin that radiates inner peace & happiness is beyond beautiful.

We need to celebrate what is given to us naturally. We are exceptional individuals that are equally unique. That is a gift from the ?Mother?; we should value our blessings and not abuse them. Our Creator provided us everything that we needed to survive on earth. Now, I am sure we have all heard this time and time again and why should this time be any different? Well, if you think about it from a logical position it is the only reply that makes sense. So, today let?s say, ?thank you? and I will do my best to care for what I have been given!

Today, there are so many beauty/body products on the market that contain harsh chemicals that cause deliberate damage to our skin, hair and nails. It is time that ?we? as consumers know what we are spending our hard earned dollars on. But, more importantly, it is imperative that we know what we are being sold (learn how to read ingredient labels). Most consumers don?t realize that their skin is the largest organ and that approx. 60% of what we put on our hair, skin and nails is absorbed into our system. Our skin needs to be cared for like your heart, kidney?s, liver and other vital organs. See, without skin we can?t live! Let your skin thrive and use products that are exceptional for your skin. After all, you deserve it!

Visit and shop today - www.mytouchofhoney.com

Keisha J. Jones is the Founder and Crafter of A Touch of Honey's product line. She has researched natural resourses for 5+ years and has done extensive research on natural body products. She writes various articles for beauty media and a bi-weekly ezine.

Removing A Stuck Contact Lens

Removing stuck contact lens can be difficult. Removing stuck contact lens can also be uncomfortable.

If you have a problem removing stuck contact lens, do not panic. Removing stuck contact lens can be relatively easy if you remain calm and have a plan.

Begin removing stuck contact lens by washing your hands and make sure the drain in the sink is closed. Put your index finger on your lower eyelid and pull the eyelid down. Continue removing stuck contact lens by touching the lower edge of the contact lens with the tip of a finger. Try removing stuck contact lens by looking up and trying to slide the lens down toward the white of your eye.

Removing stuck contact lens at this point can be tricky if it is truly stuck. Try looking up and holding the lens under your index finger. Move your thumb and try to compress the lens carefully between your thumb and index finger. Removing stuck contact lens may become rather aggravating so use some patience and try a few re-wetting drops.

When you are removing stuck contact lens and you wear hard contacts you can try using a plunger. You will not have any luck removing stuck contact lens if they are the soft variety.

Back to removing stuck contact lens of the hard variety with a plunger. This works well and is very effective. You moisten the cup of the plunger and place it right on top of the lens. The lens should be easily removed because it will stick to the plunger. Removing stuck contact lens this way usually is the best plan.

When you have soft contacts, removing stuck contact lens is a little trickier. You have to use your fingers and just keep lubricating your eye.

Removing stuck contact lens is not much fun but it can be done. If you really have a serious problem removing stuck contact lens, contact your ophthalmologist.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Vision-Doctor.com. He provides more contact lens tips and discount contact lenses that you can research and purchase in your pajamas on his website.

Lots of Buzz Around Energy Drinks

If you look at beverage-related news, you?ll frequently see questions arising about the rising use of energy drinks, particularly by children and teenagers. Given that the energy drink market has increased by over 75 percent in the past year, and the non-energy carbonated drink market has actually declined for the first time in 20 years, it?s clear that more and more people are consuming these beverages, which raises questions both for those who enjoy energy drinks and for parents of kids or teens who may be fans of Red Bull, Rockstar, Jolt, or one of many others.

As you likely know, energy drinks are typically a cocktail of sugars, caffeine, amino acids and herbal supplements such as ginseng and gurana. They aren?t to be confused with something like Gatorade, which is intended as a fluid replacement and to help replenish an athlete?s electrolytes. Energy drinks on the other hand are intended for a short-term burst of energy and alertness, the ?caffeine rush? that has fuelled many programmers, truck drivers, and college students working late into the night or beyond their accustomed sleep schedule.

Some health professionals express concern at the fact that the effects of caffeine on young people are not as well known as its effects on adults, as well as the fact that clinical studies of some of the exotic ingredients such as ginseng, gurana, and taurine are sorely lacking. Others point out that their only major concern is that people recognize the potential of these drinks and make use of them in moderation ? in fact, many of the manufacturers of these drinks indicate on their packaging that they are not intended as fluid replacements and that there is a maximum advisable consumption per day. However, the American Food and Drug Administration has given caffeine a GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) rating, and it does not specify a maximum allowable daily intake of these types of beverages.

The general consensus is that energy drinks are not health drinks, but that they pose no threat to a healthy adult when consumed in moderation. Since so little is known about caffeine?s effects on children, the simple comparison is to coffee ? 1-2 cups of coffee per day represent a caffeine intake no greater than that present 1-2 of most leading energy drinks ? if you?re concerned about your son or daughter?s intake of energy drinks, examine the ingredients and ensure that they understand the type of beverage that they are drinking, but be sure to compare it to their (or your) present coffee intake in making any decisions.

Excessive caffeine intake is generally believed to be undesirable but clinical studies have shown effects ranging from no harm to demonstrable positive effects on circulation, metabolism, and mental alertness. As with any food or drink, it is most important for an individual to know their own body and their own limits. Energy drinks can be a perfectly healthy alternative to coffee or other caffeinated beverages, but it?s very important to take care of your body and consume a proper diet ? many energy drinks do feel magical, but the manufacturers agree that they are no substitute for proper exercise, rest and good nutrition.

Anna Fleet is a certified nutritional specialist and fitness trainer. When she is not working out or helping others achieve optimal health, she writes for fitnessgear101.com ? an excellent online resource for information about Fitness Gear, Aerobics Equipment, and Workout Routines.

Family Dentists

Family dentists treat dental problems of all members in the family, regardless of their age. Different techniques are employed depending on the nature of the problem and the age of the individual.

A family dentist plays a significant role in detecting orthodontic requirements in children. It is estimated that about 45% to 75% of American population could benefit from orthodontic treatment. Some parents recognize the need and initiate the appropriate treatment very early in their children. Family dentists generally recommend an orthodontic check-up for the children before the age of 7 and, if deemed necessary, begin the course of treatment when the children are aged between 9 and 14, or refer them to a specialized orthodontist.

Many family dentists also provide cosmetic dental services such as cleaning and removing stains from the teeth, altering the shape or length of the teeth, bridging gaps and polishing and restoring the worn teeth. They routinely fill up troubling dental cavities.

It is necessary for all the members of the family to visit the dentist at least once every six months. However, such an exercise is bound to be expensive. Considering this, some large and small scale employers provide a dental plan as part of their employee?s benefit scheme. This could be a dental insurance plan where the expenses incurred due to a dental treatment are taken care of by a funding agency, which may or may not be the organization with which the employee is associated.

Some dentists also provide attractive discounts on the various dental services offered. This serves not only to recruit a large number of patients to the dental clinic, but also ensures that they come with their ?family problems?.

Dentists provides detailed information on Dentists, Cosmetic Dentists, Software For Dentists, Family Dentists and more. Dentists is affiliated with Dental Implants in Las Vegas.

The Virtues of Water

Did you know that much of our dry skin comes from not drinking enough water? If your skin is dehydrated, then what is drying up on the inside? The human body is over 70% water. Water is not only important for hydration, it is the primary transporter of nutrients throughout the body and is essential for proper bodily functions including elimination. Think you need a laxative? Try some extra water first. Have a headache? Have a drink before you take an aspirin, you might not need it. Just 3% dehydration can cause your thinking to be fuzzy and even cause you to gain a whole pound within 6 months if it is a habit to forgo the faucet. Your minimum water intake should be 64 ounces for adults and more if you exercise. Don't let thirst be your guide. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

Fresh water will help flush toxins out of your system, keep your skin clearer, is a natural appetite suppressant, regulates body temperature, and can even aid in weight loss. The key is fresh and filtered water. City water is regulated and safe for all intents and purposes but it must come chlorinated. Chlorine is necessary for sanitation purposes but so is the plastic wrap on your loaf of bread. You want to remove it if you can before consuming it.

Because chlorine is a known cancer causing agent it should be removed by a good filtration system that includes a good antimicrobial agent. Damp dark places naturally breed bacteria so be wary of the cheap water filters that don?t have it. Do not drink distilled water on a regular basis either. Distilled water has properties whereby it looks for molecules to bind with. It will do this in your system also which could cause important nutrients like minerals to be leached. In fact, distilled water can have some serious side effects if you drink enough of it. It does have some short term benefits in a supervised cleansing program but should never become your standard drinking water.

What about bottled water? Bottled water is not as regulated as city water so be careful. If you insist on the convenience and taste of bottled water, keep it in a cool dark place, do not let it sit in the sun, don?t freeze the bottle and don?t drink from the same water bottle all day. Drinking from the same bottle all day can cause quite a proliferation of bacteria from repeated exposure to the mouth. Having said all that, drink up! You will be amazed at how much better you will feel.

Corie Goodson is a health educator and speaker, freelance writer and author of the book Tween Kwisine: A Road To Better Health. For more information log onto: http://www.happydogpublications.com

How Acid Reflux Can Worsen Your Asthma

Asthma is a chronic lung condition that is characterized by difficulty in breathing, wheezing, and mucus accumulation. People with asthma have extra sensitive or hyper-responsive airways. During an asthma attack, the airways become irritated and react by narrowing and constructing, causing increased resistance to airflow, and obstructing the flow of the air passages to and from the lungs.

Some research indicates that the symptoms of asthma may get worse when you have heartburn or acid reflux. Acid reflux occurs when your undigested stomach content moves back up into your esophagus.

Acid reflux can cause painful heartburn which you can relieve with antacid medicines or natural remedies. Antacids simply neutralize your stomach's acid, which reduces the burning sensation in your esophagus tube. It is best to use natural remedies first because neutralising stomach acid is a temporary method and only serves to suppress the cause of acid reflux.

For acid reflux, it is best to use digestive enzymes. Take a good digestive enzyme with every meal you eat. The next step would be to learn how to eat so you don't get acid reflux or heartburn.

Acid reflux happens mostly in people who are older and overweight. But sometimes it can happen in children and in all types of people.

In some studies, researchers have injected acid into the esophageus of people with asthma, and it had a significant impact on their asthma and increased their asthma symptoms.

These is also evidence to suggest that people who have asthma get acid reflux more often than people without asthma. This is probably because of the big pressure changes in the chest during breathing in people with asthma. These high pressures could force liquid to travel the wrong way up the esophagus.

In these cases, asthma sufferers seem to lose out twice: they suffer from asthma and they may suffer from acid reflux more often than non asthma sufferers.

However, this is not the whole story. If acid reflux really was an important cause of asthma worsening, then treatments against acid reflux should make the asthma better, however, this is generally not the case.

In the meantime, if you have asthma and you also have acid reflux, it could just be that careful treatment of your reflux will make your breathing better.

If your asthma is bad and no-one knows why, some doctors would check whether you have or had acid reflux by conducting tests to measure the acidity in your stomach. If the result showed a tendency for acid reflux, then your doctor should help you eliminate this condition.

Using a doctor who uses natural methods to treat acid reflux is the best way to go. Using drugs to eliminate acid reflux when you are already taking drugs for asthma is asking for addition health problems in the future. Drugs do not cure acid reflux and cause Theis condition to worsen. It is best to use natural remedies and diet to eliminate acid reflux and heartburn.

Rudy Silva is a Natural Nutritionist. To learn more about using natural remedies for asthma go to: http://www.natural-remedies-thatwork.com/asthma1 and to find natural ways to help your acid reflux or heartburn go to: http://www.acidreflux-relief.info

Why R.I.C.E.?

What is R.I.C.E. and why do you need it? One of the most recommended icing techniques for reducing inflammation and treating minor injuries is R.I.C.E., an acronym for rest, ice, compression and elevation. It is best used for pulled muscles, sprained ligaments, soft tissue injury, and joint aches. Applying R.I.C.E. treatments will decrease pain, inflammation, muscle spasms, swelling and tissue damage. It achieves this by reducing blood flow from local vessels near the injury and decreasing fluid hemorrhaging as a result of cell damage.

To administer R.I.C.E. use the following guidelines suggested by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

Rest: Stop using the injured body part immediately. If you feel pain when you move, this is your body sending a signal to decrease mobility of the injured area.

Ice: Apply an ice pack to the injured area, using a towel or cover to protect your skin from frostbite. The more conforming the ice pack the better, in order for the injury to receive maximum exposure to the treatment.

Compression: Use a pressure bandage or wrap over the ice pack to help reduce swelling. Never tighten the bandage or wrap to the point of cutting off blood flow. You should not feel pain or a tingly sensation while using compression.

Elevation: Raise or prop up the injured area so that it rests above the level of your heart.

How long should ice be applied while practicing R.I.C.E. for it to be effective? There are four levels of cold felt by the skin: coldness; a prickly or burning sensation; a feeling of aching pain; and finally a lack of sensation or numbness. When the area feels numb, icing should be discontinued. The skin should return to normal body temperature before icing again. Usually numbness can be achieved in 10 to 20 minutes. Never apply ice for more than 30 minutes at a time or tissue damage may occur.

It is generally recommended to practice R.I.C.E. at intervals of 4 to 6 hours for up to 48 hours after an injury. Heat treatments are appropriate for some injuries, but should only be considered after inflammation has receded, approximately 72 hours after an injury. If the body part does not respond to R.I.C.E. therapy within 48 hours, it would be wise to consult your health care provider in the event a serious injury has occurred such as internal bleeding or a broken bone.

For minor injuries, use R.I.C.E. instead of plain ice!

This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical treatment or consultation. Always consult with your physician in the event of a serious injury.

About The Author

Louise Roach is the editor of an on-line health and fitness newsletter. She has been instrumental in the research, testing and development of SnowPack, a patented cold therapy that exhibits the same qualities as ice. Her injury prevention and treatment articles have been published on running, walking and fitness websites. For more information visit: http://www.snowpackusa.com or NewsFlash*SnowPack at: http://home.netcom.com/~newsflash. Louise Roach can be reached at: info@snowpackusa.com

Warts the Difference?

Why is that some people are affected by warts and others not; and are all warts the same? Well warts are caused by a virus called Human Papilloma virus, more usually referred to as HPV. Normally, antibodies in the blood destroy HPV, but in some cases, it takes refuge in the skin and creates the wart. The virus can be spread from person to person depending on the individuals immune system, often at places like public changing rooms and showers, where the surfaces have been contaminated. These DNA viruses takes hold more readily when the skin has been damaged in some way. It?s estimated that warts are a concern for somewhere between 7% and 10% of the population. About 25% of warts are gone in about 6 months without treatment, but most go away in 2 to 3 years.

There are dozens of differing types of warts often given a number to represent its category; for example common warts (verruca vulgaris) are often referred to as types 2, 4, and 7. These warts are dome shaped, firm and greyish-brown in colour, with a rough surface that may look like the head of a cauliflower, with black dots inside. The black dot is a capillary vessel that carries blood to the warts. You would normally expect to find these on either the hands/fingers, knees or elbows. Finger warts can cause a child excruciating pain especially when they grow under the nail. Children will pick at the finger warts until they bleed, thus causing the warts to spread and become inflamed. Facial warts are probably the one?s that cause the most anxiety, simply by their location. Their existence can lead to deep depression, particularly in a youngster, subjected to constant teasing. Plantar warts are thickened and are seen on the under-surface of the feet (plantar is the medical term for the sole of the foot) and tend to grow into the skin, rather than coming outwards, as most other warts do. If left without treatment, they can grow to an inch or more in circumference and spread into clusters of several warts.

In the main, there are two common wart removal procedures which are undertaken. These being electrocautery (burning the wart away) and cryotherapy (killing the wart with frost). In electrocautery, a tool with a thin, needle-like, hot tip will be touched on to the wart. A scab will develop and then drop off by itself. Cryotherapy involves an extremely cold fluid such as liquid nitrogen will be applied to the wart. This causes in some cases, a mild stinging sensation and the area may turn white. A blister will form, which will break by itself in around a fortnight. Several home remedies have been successful, including: raw garlic, raw onion or fresh pineapple. There are other methods which are popular and have some credibility. Things like banana peel, radishes and bacon grease may seem a little far fetched, but none are likely to inflame the wart, so no harm can come of giving them a try.

Mick Burrows writes for http://www.warts-the-problem.info

Wart ever you thought before, click here for to know warts wart!

Chemical Free Natural Skin Care How Can You be Sure?

People are having adverse reactions from their skin care products and our bodies are getting bombarded with potentially toxic substances it can not eliminate.

Wildcrafted Herbal Products have been actively taking part in educating the general public and informing them of the potential dangers of not reading the labels carefully and just buying their skin care products based on advertising slogans and marketing strategies which are often misleading if not down right false...

Below is the report (in part) which was aired on Channel Seven?s Today Tonight:

Expert warns of toxic cosmetics

REPORTER: Glenn Connley

BROADCAST DATE: September 21, 2005 ? viewable at: http://seven.com.au/todaytonight/story/?id=24679

Expert warns of toxic cosmetics

A toxicologist has warned consumers to avoid certain additives in cosmetics, saying they could do long term damage or even be deadly.

From moisturiser to shampoo, hair dye to toothpaste, Australians are using lotions and potions daily, trying to look better, younger, smoother and softer.

But what exactly are we asking our bodies to absorb? Toxicologist Dr Peter Dingle said many of the cosmetics that are meant to make us look good and defy age, were actually doing significant, long-term damage.

He said chemical additives, often used in creams as a preservative, could trigger dangerous - even deadly - allergic reactions.

Over the long term, these are not improving the quality of your skin, they're damaging the quality of your skin, Dr Dingle said.

So you're going to end up looking older and more wrinkled, the more of these chemicals you put on the skin. That's the incredibly ridiculous thing about it.

Eve Diamante had a bad reaction to a sorbolene cream, usually renowned as a simple, safe product. After a burning sensation, Eve frantically washed her face in cold water to ease the pain.

The water was drying out my face and it even started to bleed along here, if you look in the photos there's quite deep cracks and it started to bleed, Eve said.

My eyes were swollen, I had a red face, but the funny thing was I had a red line to where I didn't put cream.

Eve consulted a dermatologist, who discovered she'd reacted to a chemical preservative known as chlorocresol. It took two weeks and a layer of skin to get Eve back to normal.

All my skin peeled off and that took the heat off my face, Eve said. I still looked quite wrinkly and red.

Melanie Brown's cleansing mousse freebie didn't feel quite such a bargain when her skin reacted violently after just two applications.

It looked swollen, Melanie said. It was very red, scaly, it had little white pimples forming on top of the redness and it felt awful, it was burning and itching and it just felt terrible.

Leanne Black, 30, reacted to a foaming gel which she said turned her clear complexion into a spotty, inflamed nightmare.

I just thought it was something I'd eaten or drank, but it wasn't and it continued to get worse and worse, Leanne said. And I got some peeling on my nose and cheek areas, and when I put moisturiser on, it would sting quite a lot.

Neither Leanne nor Melanie were sure which ingredient caused the reaction.

Cosmetics manufacturer L'Oreal insisted its products met all Australian safety standards, but Melanie claimed she was not the only one to have a problem with the cleansing mousse.

I'm a member of an online forum for women, Vogue Australia, and there's a whole thread dedicated to just this product and the reaction that a lot of women are getting is identical to what I had: the redness, the inflaming, there was one woman that woke up with her eye fused shut, Melanie said.

While chemical preservatives were found in many foodstuffs and cosmetics these days, doctors said people were now also more susceptible to allergies. Either way, Dr Dingle said many of the chemicals were unnecessary.

There is no need for all these chemicals, Dr Dingle said. One, you can make simpler products. Two, you can make safer products and just by reducing the number of chemicals that go in people are going to be exposed to a lot less chemicals.

No matter what the label promises, consumers were advised to test a small amount of creams or cosmetics on their hand or wrist before smearing it elsewhere.

Comment:

This is what we at Wildcrafted Herbal Products have been saying now for 20 years and is the reason why all our skin and personal care products are formulated by a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, and why only herbal extracts and pure essential oils (as opposed to isolated, extracted active ingredients) are used.

After all, you don?t add a beat-carotene tablet to your salad instead of a carrot, do you??

Also be careful of terms such as hypo allergenic, which are marketing terms and really have no meaning what so ever ? you can be allergic to anything, even the most natural, purest form of a substance ? peanuts are natural, possibly even organic, but if you?re allergic to them you will have a reaction, which could kill you. It?s that simple.

In some brands of Natural skin care, Natural can mean the addition of one natural ingredient to a cocktail of ?un-natural? chemicals; Organic can be as little as 1 per cent organic content...

Doctor Dingle named a danger list of ingredients to avoid.

1. Formaldehyde, an industrial chemical linked to burning eyes, nose and throat, rashes, coughing and nausea.

2. SLS, or sodium lauryl sulphate, which can reportedly affect the brain, eyes, heart and liver.

3 and 4. DEA and TEA, di- and tri-thanolamine, used as wetting agents in creams and shampoos, linked in research with stomach, oesophagus, liver and bladder cancers.

5. Propylene glycol, used as a humidifier in cosmetics, which has been connected with liver abnormalities and kidney damage.

Sometimes its just the combination of chemicals, Dr Dingle said. And there are so many combinations that it?s just impossible to actually pick out a chemical that could be causing the problem.

In Anna Bragaglia's case, the chemical was PPD, or paraphenylenediamine, used in hair dyes.

My son came into my room early in the morning and he just looked at me and he started crying, and he said 'Mummy, what's wrong with your face?', Anna said.

Anna had put a burgundy tint through her hair at her hairdresser. Within a day, the swelling and pain was unbelievable, she said.

I think people need to be more aware of the dangers because it has become a society where everyone's high on looks and everything like that, Anna said.

So I really think that people need to look into that, read more about it before they start using products which are available from the supermarket shelf and chemists.

Take a look at: http://www.wildcrafted.com.au/Chemicals%20in%20Skin%20Care.html entitled 'Chemicals in skin care' - This article contains a long list of chemicals commonly found in popular skin care products and you should definitely avoid them.

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter ? it?s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.
? Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2005

Breast Augmentation Cosmetic Surgery

Breast Augmentation ? Cosmetic Surgery

How it?s performed:
Breast surgery depends mostly on the choice of implant, position and methods of how the implant will be inserted. The common areas of implant insertion are through the areola, under the crease of the breast or under the armpit. The doctor then takes great caution to minimize the amount of visible scarring caused by the insertion point in an attempt to create the most aesthetically pleasing figure.

The surgeon will then attempt to create an area of breast tissue to insert the implant. This can be done directly behind the tissue or below the chest muscle. Both methods have advantages so be sure to discuss these with your surgeon before your operation.

In general, these surgeries take around one to two hours. After the operation is complete, medical stitches seal any incisions together and are further reinforced with antiseptic tape. Bandages help the breast conform to their new shape and helps increase the healing time.

Recovery:
The day after surgery generally leaves most women feeling tired, but usually are rested and feeling better by day three. Most of this pain can be managed by prescription medication given to you by the doctor after surgery. Persistent pain might be an early sign of complications.

After a few days the gauze bandages come off which will require the patient to wear a special support bra. The doctor will recommend the length of time to wear it for, as it helps conform the breasts to their new shape. A common side effect of the surgery is a burning sensation around the nipples for a few weeks, but should subside shortly after. Stitches are removed around 10 days after the operation but the swelling usually takes around 5 weeks to disappear.

Most women can return to work within a few days although physical activity and exercise should not be performed for three to four weeks. Scars will begin to fade after six weeks but will never disappear completely.

To learn more about breast augmentation please visit our cosmetic surgery resource site at http://www.resource4cosmeticsurgery.com This article may be freely reprinted as long as this resource box is included and all links stay intact as hyperlinks.

How To Do Body Wrap AtHome

The body wrap is a beauty treatment that helps you tone up and tighten your body, improve your body circulation and detoxify your body. There are many spas that offer different types of body wraps like chocolate, aloe Vera, seaweed body wrap, etc. Body wraps basically work in two stages through absorption and squeezing. By wrapping the body, the pores get opened and fluids are extracted or absorbed by the wrap. This stage is called the absorption stage of the body wrap. Once the fluids are extracted, empty pockets are left in between the cells that when squeezed together, makes the body thinner and leaner than before. This is called the squeezing stage.

Now, not everyone has the time and the patience to go to the spa to get a body wrap done. This is when you should give yourself a partial or full body wrap in the privacy in your home with the help of home body wraps. Not only do you save time in this way, you also save money as the kit basically costs about 1/3 of what a salon may charge for the same wrap!

When applying a body wrap at home, it is necessary to choose a place in your house where you will not be disturbed for an hour. You need some space where you can lie down comfortably. To do this, you can put a camping mattress on the floor, or a plastic sheet to avoid any. Once this is ready, keep some towels handy to wipe yourself after the body wrap and a blanket to wrap yourself warm, if needed.

The next step lies in mixing the body wrap and smearing in onto the body, as you would a suntan lotion. Then the blankets have to be wrapped around your body. Sit in this wrap for half an hour to one hour, and then when you wash yourself, you are sure to be happy looking at your body that has become more slimmer and compact. However, there are some tips to be kept in mind when applying a body wrap.

It is always better to have a warm shower before applying the wrap as this opens the pores of the body and facilitates better absorption of the body wrap. The thermal blanket can be used to keep yourself warm if you feel cold with the body wrap on. It is always better to drink lots of water both before and after the body wrap helps in flushing the toxins out. It is also advisable to stay away from caffeine, soda drinks, sugar, fried fatty foods and alcohol for 48 hours after the body wrap, to experience a better effect from the body wrap.

This article is to be used for informational purposes only. The information contained herein is not intended to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional body wrap advice.

Find more about infrared body wrap, mud body wraps and many other bady wrap and spa resources on http://www.alldayspas.com/

Depression Seeing the Light with Self Hypnosis Cds

What is Depression?

The Oxford Reference Dictionary says that depression is as state of extreme dejection often with physical symptoms. There are, as with anything, different types of this condition which range in duration and severity.

The human condition is one that brings with it what is often called moods. You can be in a good, bad, high, low or indifferent mood. It is normal to experience all these moods at different times. Some of these moods can be started by conscious events in our lives whilst at other times we may be unaware of why we feel a particular way. Sometimes there may be a physical reason for feeling one of these moods.

The word 'depression' or 'feeling depressed' is often used to refer to feeling 'blue' or 'down' even though this may state may last for only a short period of time. Referring to this short time of feeling down as depression is not accurate and it is important to distinguish between occasional low moods and depression.

Depression is when someone experiences a sustained period of dejection or feeling low that seems to have little respite or it can be a low mood that seems to continue to return on a regular basis. To this end there are categories of depression ranging from what is considered mild depression to the heavier and longer lasting low moods of chronic, clinical or manic depression.

What are the Symptoms of Depression?

Typically a person with depression may experience any or all of the following:

1) Loss of appetite
2) Broken sleep or insomnia
3) A constant feeling of dread
4) A lack of motivation
5) Feelings of guilt
6) Low self esteem and self confidence
7) A sense of being trapped with no means of escape
8) A sense of shame and failing
9) A pessimistic outlook on life (always expecting the worst to happen) 10) A lack of energy
11) A hunched stance, unhappy expression and negative attitude to any or everything
12) A sense of being a victim or always having bad luck
13) A high level of stress or anxiety

In the mildly depressed person only some of the above may apply for only a short period of time. In the person with manic depression many more of these symptoms may be true and can be coupled with psychotic episodes of delusions, hallucinations and a loss of a sense of reality. Anyone with manic depression should be under the supervision of a psychiatrist and will probably be prescribed drugs to help the condition.

It is the mild forms of depression that other forms of help such as counseling, hypnotherapy and EFT may be useful. Certainly if you do feel that you are depressed, even if it is only a mild form of depression and has been with you for a only few days or keeps returning sporadically you should go and see your doctor first. It is not the intention of this article to address anything other than mild depression.

There are a number of events that can trigger mild depression. These can be:

1) A divorce
2) Shock or upsetting news
3) Loss of a job
4) Loss of the home
5) Being assaulted (mugged)
6) A burglary
7) Rape or constant abuse
8) Physical, verbal or psychological abuse at home or at work

These 'life event's' happen to all of us. It is how we perceive them and ultimately deal with them that make the difference between someone who handles the crisis and someone who feels unable to cope. Even children can suffer with depression, which may be due to factors in the home or at school.

For those people with mild depression which they know has been caused by a particular event or events, an Up from Depression self hypnosis cd may help. Sometimes all it takes it a different way of viewing or perceiving matters for the person feeling low to gain a new sense of perspective and proportion. Certainly the relaxation qualities of any self hypnosis cd will help the stress that often is felt with depression.

Steven A. Harold
Clinical Hypnotherapist
http://www.hypnosources.com

Let's Talk About Hormones What Every Woman Needs To Know

I have recently observed a number of women friends and acquaintances, who have had their HRT therapy - a combination of the pharmaceutical drugs Premarin (pregnant mares urine) and Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) - discontinued by their physicians. Suddenly, women ranging from their 50's to late 70's are suffering from hot flashes, vaginal dryness, weight gain, fatigue and worse. Another group are told not to worry about HRT as long as they only use it for three to four years. This confusing position has resulted from the information published in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study on HRT published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, (JAMA), July 17, 2002, Vol. 288, No. 3.

For women who think that the risk factors that have shown up in the WHI-HRT study are new, I would encourage them to locate a women's magazine that dates prior to July 2002 and have a look at the back of the Premarin and PremPro ads that were often found in those magazines. Be aware that the print is very small. The topic Dangers of Estrogen is very prominent as is the topic Side Effects. The WHI-HRT study just validates that those dangers and side effects are real and actually effect women, women who are our friends and our relatives.

In revisiting the WHI Study at www.whi.org a few interesting things came to light.

The WHI study recruited 16,608 healthy women to participate in the study of Premarin and Provera. Forty-two percent (42%) on HRT and thirty-eight percent (38%) on the placebo group left the study before the end of 5 years! Those in the HRT group left because of side effects according to the study. Others left at the two and one-half mark when a letter was sent to them encouraging them to stay in the study even though the results showed an increase in blood clots, stroke and heart disease at that point. Many believe that the results would have been much worse had these women continued in the study. An incredible forty-two percent of those healthy women chosen to participate in the WHI fell out of the study in the first couple of years because they didn't like the side effects of the drugs. If all those women had continued, or if they hadn't limited the study to healthy women, there would have been a much higher rate of all adverse events (breast cancer, heart attacks, thromboembolism blood clots).... says Dr. David Zava, PhD., breast cancer researcher.

The JAMA call it a large randomized trial. It could also be considered a well-controlled study of healthy women of our day. WHY? - because only healthy women were allowed into the study. They controlled the number of women who were over weight - the average body mass index being 28.5. They did not accept a representative number of women who had been treated for diabetes, women that had or were using hormones, women who had given birth during the higher risk years - before twenty or after thirty, women who had heart problems or a history of any heart problems. They even controlled the number of women who had relatives who had breast cancer. Remember, we are talking about women between the ages of 50 and 79 who participated in the study, not 35 to 40 year old women! How many women in that age group do you know who would qualify for this study? In fact this study represents less than twenty percent of the population. According to Dr. David Zava you can't extrapolate study results from a population of healthy women to the entire population. The results are actually much worse than they appear to be because of the selection bias.

The downplaying of the risk of using HRT is a travesty. The late John R. Lee MD and author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer suggested that it has become unethical for doctors to prescribe HRT to women. To suggest as some do to use HRT for only two or three years seems ridiculous in light of the fact that the study was only a five-year study. The study clearly shows that heart attacks, strokes and blood clots affecting women began from day one of the study and continued though out the study. That would mean that the risks would always be present for anyone who goes on short term HRT.

While it is tempting to say that this is all the healthcare system's problem or that it is the fault of the profit driven pharmaceutical companies, the solution may lay closer to home. It appears that we are being told what we are eager to hear and only being sold what we are eager to buy. A pill to solve our hot flashes, make us beautiful as we age and prevent our diseases all without effort on our part. We want shortcuts and we want them now!

The WHI-HRT study was a good thing, maybe even a great thing. What it truly told us is that a large percentage of healthy women who use drug therapies to deal with hormone challenges will get sick...breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes, blood clots in their lungs just to name a few. Women who are not healthy... should not go near HRT because of the potential for life threatening drug induced disease.

The good news for women who decide to discontinue traditional (synthetic) hormone replacement therapy is that there are a number of safe, effective and natural alternatives to choose from. It is critical that women become informed and take control of their own hormone health. The decision is up to us and it may be the most important decision we will ever make!

This Article Is Copywright 2006 Jackie L. Harvey & Saliva Testing com

Jackie Harvey is a nutritional speaker who shares her interest and information on hormone health and saliva testing throughout North America in her popular Let's Talk About Hormones seminar. Visit her website http://www.Hormone-Saliva-Testing.com for a schedule of events in your area and for more information about her Best Selling 1-hour video Let's Talk About Hormones with Jackie Harvey. Click For More information on Saliva Hormone Testing and Hormone Balancing

CoDependency and Food: Trying to Fill the Void

Nice girls don?t speak up. Nice girls take care of and support others. These are just a few of the messages girls often receive as they are socialized. Often in adulthood, these ingrained messages turn into full-blown co-dependency. Years can go by. Unmet needs build up energy; they demand attention. But without learning skills in setting boundaries, letting others feel their own pain and making oneself a priority, food often becomes the hassle-free, soothing balm to take the edge off and release that pent up energy momentarily, that is until the guilt sets in.

We are in one of the following roles when we are co-dependent ? victim, rescuer or persecutor. Following are a few examples of how these roles play out in our relationship with food:

Victim: You eat too much food. You gain weight and then can?t eat what you want. No matter what you do, what diet you try, you can?t lose weight. No matter how you eat, you seem to continue to gain weight, feeling worse and worse.

Rescuer: The dessert makes you feel better, especially the chocolate. It makes you feel loved. You feel comforted and nurtured when you eat certain foods. You reward yourself with food over the smallest perceived successes. Or someone may rescue you when you claim you can?t lose weight. ?You?ve tried hard. It?s not working for you. Go ahead and eat it. You?re not losing weight anyway. You can try that new diet tomorrow.?

Persecutor: You?re great at beating up on yourself. No matter what you do, you can?t lose weight. Your tortured thoughts go something like this: ?I?m never going to lose this weight; it?s too hard to lose weight. I hate myself because I can?t control my eating. I hate myself because I?m not following this diet perfectly. I?m fat. I?m ugly. I hate myself.?

How do you get out of your co-dependent relationship with food? First, pay attention to your thoughts ? I mean really notice. What are you saying to yourself about food, your body, your weight, yourself? Likely you?ll find that you wouldn?t say those things to your worst enemy. Secondly, write those thoughts down. Ask yourself if any of your thoughts are really true about you or do they come from unconscious, past patterns. Next, ask yourself if you wish to continue to believe these thoughts. If not, forgive yourself for believing them and replace those thoughts with the ones you want.

It goes like this.

My thoughts:

I always eat too potato chips, and I can?t lose weight. I?m so spineless.

Are my thoughts true?

I don?t always eat too many potato chips. I?ve been eating dessert, which is probably why I can?t lose weight. It?s not the potato chips. I don?t know why I said I?m spineless. I?m not.

Why do I eat so many potato chips?

When I ate them today, it was after that conversation with my friend. I felt angry. The crunch of the potato chips helped me feel less angry. Now that I think about it, I eat potato chips a lot when I?m angry.

Do I want to continue believing my thoughts?

No. I forgive myself for eating potato chips to swallow my anger. I forgive myself for calling myself spineless.

New thoughts:

When I?m angry next time, I?m going to express my anger appropriately and talk with the other person. I?m not going to eat potato chips. I can lose weight. I am successful in losing weight.

Learn to listen to yourself and not rely on outside cues for what you may or may not think and feel. It?s not selfish to meet your real needs directly. When you meet your true needs, food is no longer a bandage. Then you can freely choose whether or not to eat that particular food without the intensity of unmet emotional needs. It?s about valuing yourself and making decisions and choices that honor your value. New thinking will support your weight loss efforts.

About The Author

Zo Houseman is the author of Live Lightly! that describes how she lost 100 pounds and kept it off by learning to think differently. Read free excerpts. More information and resources are available at http://www.setyourheartfree.com.

zo@setyourheartfree.com

7 Simple Tips to Help Fulfill Your Weight Loss Resolutions

Goals...

...and resolutions.

Yes, it's that time of the year again.

Why is it that every time Jan 1st comes around, everyone starts to think about their new resolutions for the year? Or perhaps new isn't the correct word -- perhaps recycled is more apt? After all, isn't it true that for most people, resolutions are made to be broken?

Goals are a wonderful way to inspire us towards getting the things in life that we want, but more often than not, they simply end up unattained and we get frustrated (again) at the end of the year.

But it doesn't have to be so.

Really.

You can attain your goals or resolutions, but only IF you know how to go about setting them up correctly in the first place. And I'll give you a few useful pointers to help you get started on the right track...

- Begin with the end in mind. What's the end result you want to achieve? Do you want to lose weight? Or do you want to drop 1 dress size instead?

- Get specific and be realistic. It's not enough to just say I want to lose weight. How much do you want to lose exactly? By when? A better goal is to say I want to lose 11 pounds in 3 months. And make sure your goal is realistic. If you want to drop 27 pounds, it's not realistic to say you want to do that within the next 7 days, not to mention that it's not healthy to do that! Or if you've been putting on the weight slowly over the last 10 years, it's not quite realistic to say you want to go back to your weight 10 years ago within a month.

- Break it down into smaller and easier baby steps. Let's say you want to lose 20 pounds. That seems like an insurmountable task, but it becomes easier to manage if you look at it as losing an average of 1 pound per week, over a course of 20 weeks. Now's that manageable! For you to lose a pound a week, you only need to create a calorie deficit of about 500 calories per day by controlling your diet and increasing your amount of exercises.

- Okay, now for the big secret -- the missing key to achieving your goals: Write down your Why i.e. what are you doing this for? Most people skip this step, and it's a primary reason why they never seem to achieve their goals. It's absolutely critical for you to write down the reasons why you want to achieve each specific goal. For example, if the goal is to lose 20 pounds in 6 months, write down why you want to lose that weight. And here's another tip: Make it personal and emotional. The more emotional the reason, the more likely you'll be driven towards the goal. So, let's say you've got kids. An example of a good reason why is I know being overweight is a leading cause of many health problems -- I will lose the 20 pounds and get healthier so that I will not be a burden to my children, and be able to stay healthy long enough to attend my daughter's wedding and be there to carry my grandchildren. A ssuming all these things are important to you, of course. :-) But I'm sure you get the picture.

- Write it down and put it up! It's usually not good enough to just think of the goals in your head. You need to write down all your specific goals and the reasons why, and then paste it up where you will look at it every day. Don't write it down on a notebook and chuck that inside the drawer. Instead, paste it up on your dressing table mirror, or anywhere else that is in plain sight. Remember, out of sight, out of mind!

- Do not be too ambitious. Aim for a loss of 1-2 pounds per week, at the max! Losing more than that amount is bad for you. And it'll most probably be caused by a loss of water and/or muscle, rather than your unwanted excess body fat.

- Be realistic and go with the flow. The pounds didn't come on overnight, so don't expect them to disappear in a jiffy too. And sometimes the weight loss isn't as fast (or as much) as planned. But don't get stressed out, because stress will only add on the pounds. It's important that you don't think of the weight loss process as all or nothing. Instead, think of it as slowly but surely. The weight may go up a little sometimes, but if you stick to your plan, you'll still be delighted at the end of the year!

Use these simple steps and make a positive difference to your life this year! Best of luck!

Copyright 2006 Tracy Lee

Tracy Lee is the owner of the Weight Loss for Women Over 40 site. Get the latest news, tips & tricks that can help women over 40 to lose weight safely and permanently, and your complimentary copy of our Special Report 9 Little-Known Insider Weight Loss Secrets To Help Women Over 40 Make Those Extra Pounds Disappear instantly here:

http://www.weight-loss-for-women-over-40.com/insidersecrets/

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Hyperglycemia Diabetes and Managing Blood Sugar

So, after a miserable 10 hours of blood tests it?s confirmed you have hyperglycemia. Well now isn?t the time to sit back and get depressed. Look at the positive side, now you know why you?ve been tired and worn out for all of this time. Diagnosed in 1982 with hyperglycemia it was harder to maintain a steady blood sugar rate. These days with the advanced technology available for instantly checking blood sugar, the disease is easier to manage.

You can now pick up blood sugar monitors that give you instant notification of your blood sugar level. Back in that day it was impossible to monitor this vital information. Now you can cruise down to the nearest Wal-Mart and pick one up off of the shelves.

Sometimes the easiest way to monitor your blood sugar is to stop and reflect on how you are feeling at that particular moment and then check your blood. If you get to a point where you know where your levels are before checking you can recognize the patterns of behavior and adjust your life accordingly. Sure, it?s important to keep your monitor on you but after awhile you?ll automatically recognize the way that you?re feel and be prepared to take the appropriate action prior to getting that familiar sick feeling.

You need to get to a point in your life that you can recognize how you feel and adjust your diet accordingly, then you?ll have the disease whipped. The problem is it takes some ?on the job? training to recognize the symptoms and how your body reacts to the amount of sugar in your blood. The only way to get to this point is to train yourself as to the warning signs of a dangerous low blood sugar level. This is not to replace the family doctor?s advice, just be observant of your own body.

We?re not accustomed to this type of behavior so it may take awhile, but don?t give up! Before long you?ll be managing yourself without the pain in your finger from testing your blood..

Alxis Allen is a person that know how to deal with the ups and downs of low sugar conditions. With diabetes tips and secrets at http://diabetes-news-online.info she writes and teaches low sugar diets and lifestyles. In addition to that http://www.diabetes-news-online.info has some great diabetes health news on a regular basis.

Muscle Cramps and What's Under the Hood

Another theory on the cause of running cramps says that carbohydrate depletion and a resultant loss of energy and build-up of waste products in the muscle leads to cramps.

A fully ?topped up? person should have enough glycogen stored in the muscles for about 2 ? hours of activity. After that you begin to fatigue, the glycogen gets used up and you start feeling a little ?light? and don?t think as clearly - a condition athletes call ?bonking?.

Over an extended period of physical activity you will inevitably get a build up of waste products in the blood. And the more you get fatigued and the less oxygen there is available, the easier it is for these waste products to accumulate.

And it?s these toxins that are an important issue when it comes to cramping.

In order to get these waste products out of the blood, the muscle needs to contract and this process uses energy or ATP. Most people kind of understand this, but what they don?t understand is that ATP is also needed for relaxation ? and if the muscle doesn?t relax fully before it contracts then it becomes more inefficient and you get a build up of waste products.

To compound the situation, in the process of producing ATP from carbohydrate, the body also produces lactic acid waste and it requires energy for this lactic acid to be recycled into a form that can be used as part of the energy cycle.

As we run out of ATP, the muscle gets less and less efficient, this leads to an accumulation of waste requiring even more energy and it will simply get to the point where it won?t contract anymore.

It?s for this reason that we recommend squeezing the muscle to re-establish blood flow before you stretch it.

In order to avoid this muscle cramp situation ? some athletes take extra creatine because they think it will give them more energy. Creatine works to help with the release of energy from ATP ? but unless you?re very efficient at making ATP in the first place, then the extra creatine won?t help as much as they think it will.

To maximise the release of ATP energy, certain mineral nutrients are needed and the best place to get these is from a diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables (particularly vegetables) and from specific supplements.

Some high energy sports drinks taken during an event can also help delay the onset of severe fatigue leading to cramps - but you have to know what types to look for . . . and that's a whole new article.

Copyright www.Running-Cramp-Relief.com

Paul Newland is a health and nutrition consultant, trainer, martial arts instructor, commercial helicopter pilot and author. His Ultimate Cramp Busting Guide is one of the internet's leading health information books and is the definitive guide to preventing, treating and curing cramps. In the Ultimate Cramp Busting Guide Newland speaks with 6 health, sports, nutrition, medical and complimentary health care professionals and explains why you get cramps, the best ways to treat them and how to prevent them from happening again.

Complete Guide to Meditation With Meanings Explained

Let us set about understanding ?pranayama? and meditation after we drew down our expectations from them. Some people expect the impossible from these. The uninformed anticipations like diabetes cure or ?kevela kumbhaka?* (do not worry what it is, at this stage) helping to defy death, bring disrespect to this simple, pristine health practice. It is not a path to salvation or god.

1.Pranayama and meditation help in bettering your breathing, hypertension and respiration ailments.

2.Pranayama invigorates internal organs to function as they are designed to. Example: lungs and heart.

3.Pranayama along with meditation helps gain control over mind and thus able to concentrate more.

4.Important of all, it calms down arousing thoughts and frustrations.

The tendency to call pranayama a technique should be refrained at. The word technique dilutes the practice to something, like a ready made formula that when applied, results in a quick fix solution. Yet it is known to have resulted in helping patients suffering ailments like asthma and palpitations. But it is not an out of the box, all-in-one remedy.

What is Pranayama?

It is a conjoin of two words prana and ayama. Prana stands for breath and ayama for dimension. This is not the same dimension as in measurement. So, pranayama is a conscious and definite way of breathing for expected results. The breathing cycle in pranayama can be divided into three steps.

1.Puraka

2.Kumbhaka

a.Antar-kumbhaka

b.Bahya-kumbhaka

3.Rechaka

Inhalation or puraka of breath is slow enough to feel the air filling your lungs and alveoli to their entirety. In the normal course we do not feel this as our breaths are shallow. Here in practicing pranayama, we make an attempt to fill in completely & deeply and see lungs expand to maximum. We watch the inhalation to be peaceful from beginning till we are full.

Exhalation or rechaka is again equally slow as the inhalation is and we should watch that it is complete. With this we feel the empty lungs contracting to minimum.

Retention or kumbhaka has two varieties such as internal retention or the ?antar-kumbhaka? and the external retention or ?bahya-kumbhaka?. The former is important as it gives our alveoli time sufficient enough to exchange the oxygen the puraka has brought in and the excretes like carbon dioxide and moisture back to breath. Notice, without the breath being retained at least for a while inside our lungs, we will not be making justice to our own selves.

The normal volume of air handled per cycle of breathing is measured and is around 200 ? 300 ml. But with the watchful and conscious pranayama, it is found to increase upto 500 ml in healthy adults.

Method of pranayama practice

The excerpts of methodology explained in good books and perfected over the centuries by proponents are here for you. Here is a tip to you before you are begun with the practice. Pranayama is something to start with a firm faith in it. Do not take it just for the heck of a dekko (trial). Here we go!

Practice to chant ?OM?. The sound of OM can be divided tripartite.

1.??? (should sound like the first syllable in the word audit)

2.?oo? (this is the sound as in the word shoot)

3.?m? (the simple, mouth closed sound)

When and how long one should chant this? The chant OM may last for 10 to 12 seconds depending on time you take to inhale or exhale fully. You can prolong this further, looking at your comfort level. Mind you, do not unnecessarily stretch time till you suffocated. Comfort level is important here. You are not doing hatha yoga with this.

Divide the stretch of time equally amongst the three components of OM.

Get the feel by placing your palm on your diaphragm when you start chanting ? and move up to mid chest during oo, finally touch the top of your lung when chanting m.

Repeat the same thing, but in reverse order when exhaling (rechaka).

You can hold your breath approximately for the same duration as the inhalation and exhalation (i.e; incase of antar-kumbhaka). This is the most important time physiologically as well as mentally. This is when the actual exchange of the oxygen and waste gases occurs. Observe this meticulously in a silent environment.

You can practice this in sets of twelve and increasing the number of sets to comfortably more than three, with increase in experience. If you are doing more than one set, I would suggest you to use your nostrils alternately for inhalation and exhalation. Further for increasing concentration, you can try closing your eyes during the course of pranayama.

In the silence of your surrounding, under guided breathing you realize your heart beat has eased up even from the normal rate, giving it the much desired rest. The heart pumps blood slowly but rich with oxygen. This is studied to be beneficial even psychosomatically. The relaxation of the muscles leads to lesser energy consumption calming the brain.

Now, what do you make of meditation? I tend more to think it is just the other face of the same coin as pranayama is, wherein you guide your mind and breathing and control certain metabolic activities. If there is any difference, then it can be just in what you chant. Thank you.

* kevala kumbhaka ? only kumbhaka. There is no puraka or rechaka.

Katha Upanishad (I. iii. 3 to 6)

The soul is like a traveler who has set on a journey of life in the chariot of the body, driven by the intellect (buddhi) with the mind for the reins and the sense organs being the horses. The objects of experience form the way to be traversed. The soul, senses, and mind together form the enjoyments of pleasure and pain, i.e., the individual. If the mind is not properly controlled, then the senses go out of hand like untrained horses. But if the mind is properly controlled then the senses obey the orders of the master, i.e., the individual, like well trained horses. Indeed, such an individual reaches the highest goal of life.

The author Rajgopal had been writing on technical matters and in this avtar he gave up tags that confine to particular genre of writing. Rajgopal is a mechanical engineer and served the pharmaceutical industry. Oflate he has been putting his efforts in to creative art and healthcare writing. Here he looks up at options available to put life back on track. He can be contacted at http://alevoorrajgopal.blogspot.com He is also writing at: http://vitamineh.blogspot.com

Understanding Vegetarianism

Like the Sun, Moon, and Earth, there are three kinds of vegetarians in existence: ovo-lacto, a vegetarian that eats vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds and nuts, as well as eggs and dairy products. Lacto, a vegetarian that eats everything the ovo-lacto does, except eggs. Finally, we have vegans, a vegetarian that eats what the rest of the others eat, except for any kind of animal products, period. Each group of vegetarian is unique, but branches from the same tree of life.

Why would anyone want to be a vegetarian? Well there are many reasons as there are stars in the heavens. Some reasons are for health purposes, religious/spiritual, environmental, and the love and protection of animals. Other reasons may be for very personal ones. No matter the reason, we all meet at the same intersection on the road of health.

What Can Vegetarianism Do For Me?

Science has proven time and again that vegetarians are among the healthiest people on the planet. They live longer and are less prone to chronic diseases. Eating a low fat vegetarian diet can also help in losing excess weight. Obesity can lead to adult onset diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer. Eating a vegetarian type diet can reverse heart disease and other health complaints such as arthritis. In addition, the vegetarian diet can lower blood pressure. Because potassium is plentiful in fruits and vegetables, the vegetarian diet lowers blood pressure by helping the kidneys abolish sodium and modify blood pressure-regulating enzymes.

A vegetarian diet decreases the thickness of blood. As a result, it flows more easily through blood vessels. This in turn means the heart works less to push the blood. Further more, a vegetarian diet benefits you by using millions of kidney cells to filter and purify your blood. A meat diet over works the kidneys and slowly kills off the kidney cells called nephrons. Animal protein, when broken down in the body, produces waste products that strain the filtering power of the kidneys. If you?ve lost any kind of kidney function, due to infection, diabetes or even high blood pressure, your increased chances of nephrons damaging your kidneys are high. Plant based proteins on the other hand, do not damage or harm your kidneys in anyway.

Nutritional Vegetarians

As a new vegetarian, no doubt you'll be wondering if you'll be getting the right nutrition and certainly enough of it. Yes and yes, there's no reason why you would be under nourished being a vegetarian. Fruits and vegetables provide crucial nutrients such as vitamins C and E, beta carotene and lycopene. Such nutrients are referred to as antioxidants and their function is to help fight diseases by neutralizing substances called free radicals. Antioxidants contain disease fighting properties that protect cells from damage.

Religious & Spiritual Paths

Many religions practice some form of vegetarianism. In the East, you have the Hindus and Buddhists. In the West, you have Christians like the Seventh Day Adventist. Many Eastern and Western Mystics also follow the vegetarian path. Through meditation and other spiritual practices, they have gained a greater awareness of how they should be eating and treating their bodies. Even Jewish Mystics follow the vegetarian lifestyle.

For The Love of Planet & Animals

Among other reasons for becoming a vegetarian are environmental and animal rights issues. Raising animals for food causes topsoil loss, erosion and isn?t a light matter. This sort of farming (livestock agriculture) is rapidly deteriorating the world's crop lands. It takes 25 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat, compared to 390 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef. Livestock produce massive amounts of excrement, which has been shown to pollute soil, water, and air. Animals such as chickens, pigs and cows are forced to live in In-Humane conditions which cultivate disease and emotional, physical, and mental pain, as well as discomfort. The methods used to kill these creatures for the sake of feeding the masses are usually pretty violent and heart breaking. Scientist has proven that animals have feelings too and they surely feel pain.

Eat Right -- Live Well

That's right, many people just want to eat healthy and feel better in there lives. It truly feels good to be a vegetarian in everyway. You can't go wrong with better health, helping the planet and its creatures. You also share a common bond with some of the world's most famous people: Pythagoras, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Gandhi, and Charles Darwin. There are plenty of other famous people such as actors and actresses of our time, that are vegetarians and proud of it.

A New Beginning

Vegetarianism isn?t just something that you do or way of eating, but also a state of being that illuminates your mind, spirit, emotion and body in a way of existing, that allows you to experience life in a very rewarding and positive way. To be a vegetarian, is to see the hidden harmony in a world of disguised chaos. I can assure you, we're unique individuals.

Gabriel Foster is the publisher of http://www.gabrielfoster.com, the online magazine for vegetarian and natural health inspiration.

A Diary May Reveal What Causes Headaches

If you are prone to suffering from headaches, consider keeping a daily headache diary that will help you and your doctor identify what will trigger your attacks. Headache triggers can include certain foods, activities, environmental factors and hormonal changes. Certain movements that involve neck or other previous injuries can also bring on a headache.

Certain Foods May Trigger Headaches

Be sure to note your daily diet in your headache diary. After awhile, you might see some patterns emerge.

Although there is no plausible scientific reason for it, MSG tends to trigger headaches in many people. Some people suffer migraines after they ingest MSG. MSG is prevalent in Asian restaurants and processed foods. Foods like frozen pizza, potato chips, clam chowder and bullion cubes are likely to contain MSG. Be sure to check the labels on your foods.

You might discover that processed meats such as lunch meat or sausage might also trigger your headaches. The nitrates that are included in these foods -- and even in your local water supply -- are thought to be headache triggers.

If you decide to quit drinking coffee, especially if you've enjoyed it for years, chances are that you will suffer headaches for a few days due to caffeine withdrawal. On the other hand, caffeine may trigger headaches for some people. Other known headache triggers include beer, red wine, aged cheese, and pickled foods. Chocolate may also be a headache trigger.

Activities and Environmental Factors That May Trigger Headaches

The most difficult thing to record in your headache diary may be your activities, especially if they are mundane activities such as sitting at the computer. However, eye strain, poor posture and stress at the workplace may be contributing to your headaches. So record your hours and what you did as best as you can in your headache diary.

Other headache triggers that you might discover by keeping a journal include skipping meals, lack of sleep, changes in the weather or air pollution. You might discover that you get headaches at the workplace, but once you are home, the headaches disappear. It might be that dust particles spewed out of the office's air conditioning system are triggering your headaches, or the type of lighting may be triggering a headache. Other environmental factors that may give you a headache can include high altitudes, loud noises, strong odors and certain perfumes. Cigarette smoke is a known headache trigger that affects smokers and non-smokers alike.

Hormones Will Sometimes Fuel Raging Headaches

Women are much more prone to migraine headaches than men. As a matter of fact, 75% of all migraine sufferers are women. It is believed that the hormonal changes that women experience every month trigger headaches and in particular, migraine headaches. For some reason, most women with a history of migraines can trace their first headache back to puberty. The migraines tend to lessen and sometimes disappear altogether after menopause. Women should note their cycles in their headache diaries to determine if hormones are the cause of recurring headaches.

Old Injuries and Recurring Headaches

You might find that certain weight lifting routines or using a certain pillow at night might trigger a headache because previous back, neck or shoulder injuries are aggravated. When you consult with your doctor about your recurring headaches, be sure to mention all injuries that your have suffered, even if you think the injuries are insignificant.

Urbain C. Beck is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about health issues. Additional health articles from Urbain can be found at http://www.blurbosphere.com/wellness/

The Causes Of Epilepsy

Commonly known as a seizure disorder, epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition which causes seizures to arise often, and unprovoked. The word Epilepsy is named by the Greek. It means to take hold of or to seize. Surgical methods are sometimes used to treat this condition, but medication is the general and more common method.

Not every cause of

Acne Scars and Their Treatment

For many people, the embarrassing effects of acne are not temporary. Scarring can leave people with the after-effects of acne for their entire lives. But now, thanks to many technological and medical advances, there is hope for those who suffer from acne scarring.

Thanks to a classification released in 2001, people can now identify which type of scarring they suffer from. Once the scarring is recognized, individuals can then seek specific treatment for their scars.

Rolling Scars - This scarring occurs when the subcutaneous tissue below the surface of the skin becomes tethered. The way to treat this type of scarring is by breaking up the subcutaneous fibrous bands.

Boxcar Scars ? These oval-to-round shaped scars have sharp vertical edges. The deeper scars will require full-thickness skin treatment while shallower scars can be treated with skin resurfacing techniques.

Ice Pick Scars - These narrow, sharp scars give the appearance that the skin has been repeatedly punctured by a sharp tool. With this type of scarring, laser resurfacing or dermabrasion are usually the only forms of effective treatment.

Once the classification of scarring is determined, specific treatments should be sought:

Dermal Fillers - Injections into the skin cause the skin of the scars rise, giving your face a more even look. Common fillers include: fat, human collagen, and bovine collagen. This is a temporary solution and will need to be repeated.

Subcutaneous Incision ? This procedure is used to break up rolling scars. A needle is used to go underneath the skin and cut the tethering bands. This can cause bruising for up to a week.

Laser Resurfacing - A popular treatment for many skin defects. A laser is used to essentially burn the top layer of skin to a certain depth. As the skin heals, it replaces the burned layer of skin with a fresh layer.

Greg Mauro is a staff author at Acne Solution News as well as Help For Health and its conglomerate sites.

Vitamins Aiding in the Cure of Acne

There are many different types of acne therefore there are many different acne cures and prevention methods that have been used for years by people all over the world. There is no one particular acne product that can be used to treat and cure all types of acne. In many cases whatever acne products and medication you use for treatment will need to be continued for prevention.

Some forms of acne are mild and can be controlled with mild over the counter acne medications, products, natural and home remedies are often the best treatments and turn out to be cures for many people.

Some forms of acne are a result of more serious illnesses and the best acne treatments are given under the care of a physician. When most people think about acne treatments and cures they think of topical products but there are so many acne medications and natural acne treatment programs that incorporate vitamins in healing acne, however it is important to remember that there is no one vitamin or mineral alone that will cure acne.

Vitamins can be one of the best acne treatments as part of a program where other methods are included. Some of the most popular vitamins and minerals used on the market to treat acne that have also been touted as possible acne cures are as listed:

B5: B5 was a at one time believed to be an acne cure when it is really no more than an acne treatment. It was suggested that one should take extremely high doses. Contrary to popular belief, too much of a good thing is not good at all not to mention how it can damage your body in other ways.

Zinc: There were some studies done in which zinc was quite successful in treating acne but it is by no means a cure. It is one of the best treatments for acne for many people and for many it is not. It is said to work better on some people than tetracycline.

Vitamin E: Vitamin E is wonderful because it gives a boost to the immune system which will certainly aid in the overall health of your whole body and by default your skin. It also regulates vitamin A which is essential in keeping the skin healthy.

There are a series of vitamins that are essential in keeping you healthy but taking one of them without the others is not a cure for acne. Taking one kind of vitamin is not the best acne treatment and will only cause more of an imbalance in your body that will only aggravate your acne instead of healing it. So what ever you do in effort to treat your acne, do so with an open mind.

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To effectively treat your acne, you need to fix the problems in your body that are causing your acne. Acuzine is a great product that attacks the main, internal causes of acne.

New Breakthroughs In Memory Research

New studies in memory research are providing exciting clues about memory loss and how to prevent it.

Distractions Rather Than Attention

One study shows that the short-term memory problems that generally accompany aging are more a matter of an inability to filter out distractions than problems with focusing attention.

Young adults aged 19 to 30 were compared with older adults aged 60 to 77, using a simple memory test that introduced irrelevant information. The tests were conducted while the subjects were being scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) so that activity in the brain could be pinpointed.

Brain Activity Measured

While the younger subjects were able to suppress brain activity in areas that process irrelevant information, older adults were generally unable to suppress the distracting information. However, both groups had similar brain activity in the areas dealing with information relevant to the task.

This could be the key to many cognitive problems accompanying aging. Now that areas of the brain that are markers for focusing and ignoring visual information have been identified, it may be possible to use this knowledge to better assess therapies designed to treat cognitive disorders.

How Fish Oil Works

In other memory-related news, scientists have discovered the mechanism by which the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils can help protect the brain against the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) -- the most important of the omega-3 fats -- reduces the levels of a protein known to cause damage in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. They also discovered that a derivative of the fatty acid called neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1) is formed in the human brain, and is essential in protecting against brain cell death.

Some 4.5 million Americans currently have Alzheimer's disease.If no cure is found, as many as 16 million could have the disease by 2050.

EurekAlert September 11, 2005Journal of Clinical Investigation September 8, 2005Yahoo News September 9, 2005

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Interestingly, six of the 16 older adults in the first study had no problems ignoring the irrelevant information.Some people are able to avoid memory loss as they age. The new information about omega-3 acids may hint at some of the reasons why.

It's important to understand that memory problems and Alzheimer's disease are not the inevitable effects of aging. They are preventable illnesses, and there are ways to reduce your chances of getting them.

Perhaps those seniors who possessed optimal memory skills are following many of the safe and natural guidelines I recommend to prevent Alzheimer's disease. Here area few definitely worth considering:

• Consume a high-quality fish or cod liver oil daily.
• Eat a nutritious diet, while increasing your intake of fresh vegetables high in folate.
• Start an exercise program today!
• Challenge your mind.
• Avoid and remove mercury from your body.
• Try Wild Blueberry IQ, made from wild blueberries, which have high anthocyanin and antioxidant content that are known to guard against Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases.

It is clear that animal-based omega-3 fats, NOT plant-based ones like flax seeds, provide the benefits.

As I write this,I amlooking out of my home in Chicago andI can see flocks of geese flying south. This is a major clue that winter is fast approaching and that the amount of available UV light to convert cholesterol in your skin to vitamin D is also decreasing.

So that means it is time to consider switching your source of omega-3 to cod liver oil. I am going to hold off a bit as I have been good this summer and have been able to get outdoors.I have had plenty of sun exposure so my vitamin D levels are just about perfect. The best way to know when to switch would be to get your blood level checked. But if you are not getting sun exposure, then that becomes a moot issue and you really do want to consider cod liver oil.

This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world's #1 most visited and trusted natural/alternative health website. For a limited time only, you can take the FREE Metabolic Type Test to help you learn the right foods for your particular body type so you can achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go to http://www.Mercola.com right now to take this quick test!