Your Health n You

7 Lap Dance Moves That Make Men Melt

2008-05-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

Want to make your guy go gaga? It's not just about what you do in bed that counts. Sure, great sex technique will make you a star in his eyes, but knowing how to tease him will make you a legend. Don't believe us? In The Little Bit Naughty Book of Lap Dancing for Your Lover, real-life exotic dancer Rebecca Drury spills the seven secret — and really sexy! — steps that work on every guy, every time. You can thank us later.

1. The Grinding Circle
Stand about 60 centimeters (two feet) from your partner, with your feet slightly more than hip-width apart and your toes turned out. With your hips, begin to draw a circle, keeping your back arched. Now slowly bend your knees and grind down as far as is comfortable, then up again, continually undulating your hips and dancing erotically. It's really important to keep your back arched and upright. If you lean forward, you risk impersonating a sumo wrestler!

2. The Turn
As I've said, lap dancing is about showing off all your assets, so remember to turn around occasionally. For the best effect, turn slowly — your lover should barely notice. When you practice, work out which direction is most natural for you to turn in. And don't be overly concerned with how you do it; just take small steps and aim to make the turn blend into and become part of your dance. Keep circling your hips, and remember your arm movements. As far as possible, try to keep your lover in your gaze as you turn.

3. The Slap and Tickle
Turn your back to your audience and, with straight legs, bend forward slightly, look back at him coquettishly and stroke or lightly slap your bottom. I guarantee this will make him smile. Alternatively, still with your back to him, gently sway from your ankles, opening your legs gradually. Slowly, bend over so that your bottom is brazenly pointing at your man. Bend one knee to the side and straighten the other out to the other side. Glide your hand up the straight leg and raise your head over the corresponding shoulder to look back at him. Slap your bottom hard. Repeat on the other side.

4. The Lap Dance Grind
Gracefully dance yourself into the triangle made by your lover's open legs, and stand with your back to him and your feet together. Make sure you're as close to the chair as possible. Now bend your knees, keeping your back straight, and gently put your hands on your partner's knees. Lower your bottom toward his lap so that you can just feel his crotch on your skin. Then, keeping your hands on his knees for support, grind down gently, moving your hips in a circular or forward-and-backward motion. Look over your shoulder at your man while you do this, if you can. This is a little tricky, though! Take extra care whenever you go near his groin. If you hurt him, he'll never trust you to dance for him again!

5. The Breast Stroke
Every woman has her own personal scent that collects between her breasts, no matter what size they are or what perfume she wears. It's a potent aphrodisiac. So this step is guaranteed to get your lover going! Move closely into the space between his knees. Standing with your legs straight, gently lean forward and place your hands on either side of the chair. Once you have a firm hold, push your breasts toward his face; his nose should be nestled in your cleavage. For added effect, try brushing from side to side and stroking the end of his nose with your bra or nipple. Keep moving in a provocative way throughout.

6. Knee Strokes
Facing your partner, stand between his legs, as close to the chair as you can. Place your knees in the space between his crotch and the edge of the chair. Gently put a slight pressure against his groin with your knees. Lean toward him and blow gently into his ear or on his face. You could even exchange a mouthful of wine with him or pour champagne from your nipples into his mouth. As a variation, try this: Stand up facing your lover, then catch one of his knees between your knees and gently rub up and down his thigh. This is a fabulous sensation. Ask him to do it to you sometime!

7. The Body Slide
Standing between your lover's thighs, lean forward and put your hands on the back of the chair for support. Put one knee on each of his thighs, then lift your torso, slide your knees into the space in front of his crotch (careful here!) and slide, slowly, all the way down his body until you're kneeling on the floor in front of him. To get up off the floor, use your lover's knees for support and stand up sexily — bring your bottom up first, then flick your hair in his face as you raise your upper body.

10 memorable tips to maximise a woman's sexual pleasure.

2008-01-12T10:20:00.000-08:00

1 Take her off the clock
Just as you’re concerned about lasting longer, there are many women who are so self-conscious about taking too long that they end up faking orgasm or deciding to go without. The solution? Stop obsessing over orgasms - yours and hers.

A brain imaging study by Swedish researchers shows that relaxation is the single most important factor in bringing a woman to orgasm. Tell her she has all night. The better you convey not just tolerance for a lengthy build-up but also appreciation of her sexual pleasure, whether she orgasms or not, the easier it will be for her to unwind and explode. Oh, and studies show that it takes 15 to 40 minutes for the average woman to reach orgasm. Going somewhere?

2 Turn her on with your talent
The best sex starts long before the clothes come off. Talent - more than rugged good looks or a chiselled midsection - is a powerful aphrodisiac, according to research at the Kinsey Institute in the United States. (Less surprisingly, poor hygiene and a messy home are among women’s biggest turn-offs.) So perfect your karaoke version of “Paradise City”. Or make her die laughing at your self-deprecating show of atrocious dartsmanship. Yes, humour is a talent, too.

3 When the clothes come off, speak up
Women who worry about the way they look “down there” are less likely to orgasm easily during oral sex, according to my research. And a recent study published in the Journal of Sex Research suggests that women who feel embarrassed or ashamed about their bodies have less sexual experience and are less sexually assertive. You clearly have everything to gain with flattery. If you love the way she looks naked - and you do, right? - share the news.

4 Always be tender up top
During foreplay, gently brush the tops, bottoms and sides of her breasts; these areas are actually more sensitive than an unaroused areola and nipple. Gradually move in towards her nipples, paying attention to how she responds. As things heat up, the nipples will become flushed with blood and the sensory receptors will become primed for direct stimulation. You’ll kick-start the blood flow and lubrication down below.

5 Learn her key strokes
One thing many women love during manual stimulation is a slow build-up. Here’s how to do it. Lie next to her, lightly bracing the heel of one hand just above her clitoris. Now run your ring and middle fingers along the length of her outer lips. Graze the skin at first, adding pressure as tension builds. Cup the area around her clitoris with your palm to add indirect stimulation - most women are too sensitive to receive direct contact early on. As she becomes aroused, brace your hand on her mons - her pubic mound, the fleshy area that covers her pubic bone - and tease the clitoris with the middles and tips of your fingers as you move your entire hand.

6 Change your angle
Explore various types of penetration to figure out what turns her on most. Your first stop: her G-spot, located about two to four centimetres up the front wall of her vagina. This spongy region swells during arousal. Try massaging the area slowly with your fingers. A lot of women find it mind-blowing. Not her thing? Just move on.

7 Use moves that multitask
To maximise her pleasure, increase the amount of contact you’ll have with her most sensitive parts. Here’s one move that will drive her wild. Ask her to lie on her back, with her legs stretched out. Now climb on top. Curl your arms around her shoulders, supporting yourself with your elbows and moving your chest up by her chin. The goal is to bring the base of your penis in contact with her clitoris. Thrust slowly, focusing on up-and-down movement instead of in-and-out penetration. Another great trick: move your pubic mound in a circle or up and down against her clitoris. You’ll get a break from high-intensity stimulation and she’ll receive focused attention where it often matters most.

8 Learn to sense her oncoming orgasm
Ease into oral sex - don’t just attack. First kiss her inner thighs and her inner and outer lips, then work your way inside using firm, broad strokes with your tongue. Watch her hips for a clue to the rhythm she likes. Listen to her gasps and moans as you experiment with different techniques. And watch for signs she’s close to climaxing, such as a subtle deepening in the colour of her labia caused by increased blood flow. Or rest a hand on her stomach and feel for the muscular contractions that immediately precede her orgasm.

9 Follow her lead
Once you reach your point of no return, you’ll climax even if you’re interrupted by a tuba-playing, thong-clad Bea Arthur. But your lady could hit the “off” switch if you stop or change moves midway to orgasm. We love it when you try new things and it’s important to vary your technique, but once you’ve found a winner, stick with it until she crosses the finish line.

10 Let her finish first
Stalking the elusive tandem orgasm is an admirable goal, but many women - especially those with sensitive clitorises - respond better to a “ladies-first” strategy. If you rub the clitoris for a long time - during thrusting, for example - it can become too sore or desensitised to respond to manual or oral stimulation later. So satisfy her before intercourse. Bonus: a woman’s orgasm threshold drops after her first one, so it’s often easier to bring her to climax through penetration after she’s already had one. How does that sound for an encore?

Denmark bans smoking

2007-08-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

Denmark has joined the swelling ranks of European countries that have banned smoking in bars, restaurants and other public places.

The Danish law was initially due to take effect on April 1, but was delayed until August 15 to allow pub and restaurant owners to build the necessary facilities for smokers.

The law allows people to light up in separate smoking rooms and in secluded one-person workplaces. Smoking is also allowed in bars that are smaller than 40 square metres.

Nearly one in four people in the country of 5.4 million are exposed to passive smoking, according to the National Board of Health.

The board said passive smoking was responsible for the deaths of at least 150 Danes and the hospitalisation of more than 1,000 every year.

Ireland, Italy, Malta, Norway, Sweden and Britain are among the European countries that have already banned smoking in public places.

Sydney eating joints takes out restaurant award

2007-08-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

Sydney seafood restaurant Pier has taken out the top honour at the Australian Gourmet Traveller 2008 Restaurant Guide Awards in Melbourne.

Pier - owned by chef Greg Doyle - was named Restaurant of the Year, beating 400 other contenders reviewed in the magazine's 2008 Restaurant Guide.

Five Victorian establishments dominated the rest of the awards, including Melbourne's Rockpool Bar and Grill which was named Best New Restaurant, and Der Raum named Bar of the Year.

Three other Victorian eateries scooped the Best New Talent, Maitre d' of the Year and Wine List of the Year titles, with four other awards shared between Queensland and NSW establishments.

The magazine described Pier as 'sublime', adding its food, wine and overall service was "as seamless as anything in Australia".

The Restaurant Awards were hosted at new Melbourne restaurant, Nobu, co-owned by Oscar-winning film star Robert De Niro and celebrity Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa.

Negative result on foot-and-mouth disease in UK

2007-08-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

Preliminary tests for foot-and-mouth disease on livestock at two sites were negative, the British government said, announcing that the risk of the virus spreading beyond an initial outbreak was now "very low."

Chief Veterinary Officer Debby Reynolds said further tests would be conducted to confirm that the animals on a farm and at a popular zoo and theme park did not have the disease.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, or DEFRA, said an epidemiology report on the outbreak "concludes that the risk of disease spread outside of the Surrey Protection and Surveillance Zones is now very low."

The government had previously said the risk was "low, but not negligible."

DEFRA set up three-kilometre protection zones around a farm in southeast England and Chessington World of Adventures and Zoo, a tourist attraction in Surrey, the southern England county where the disease was found on two properties earlier this month.

The suspected cases raised fears the highly contagious disease may have spread beyond an initial outbreak.

14 year old missing from Sydney hospital

2007-08-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

Doctors are concerned for the medical welfare of a teenager missing from a Sydney hospital.

Dean Kharitou, 14, was last seen by staff at Westmead Children's Hospital about 7.45pm on Tuesday.

The teenager, who was in the company of his mother at the hospital, was missing from a ward when staff returned to administer medication.

He is described as being 165cm tall, of Middle Eastern/Mediterranean appearance, slim, with short dark wavy hair.

At the time of his disappearance, Dean is believed to have been wearing a blue and cream jumper, denim jeans and a dark beanie.

Information about Dean's whereabouts should be reported to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

50 reasons MEN have sex

2007-07-31T11:48:00.000-07:00

1. I was attracted to the person.

2. It feels good.

3. I wanted to experience the physical pleasure.

4. It’s fun.

5. I wanted to show my affection to the person.

6. I was sexually aroused and wanted the release.

7. I was "horny."

8. I wanted to express my love for the person.

9. I wanted to achieve an orgasm.

10. I wanted to please my partner.

11. The person’s physical appearance turned me on.

12. I wanted the pure pleasure.

13. I was "in the heat of the moment."

14. I desired emotional closeness (i.e., intimacy).

15. It’s exciting, adventurous.

16. The person had a desirable body.

17. I realized I was in love.

18. The person had an attractive face.

19. The person really desired me.

20. I wanted the adventure/excitement.

21. I wanted to feel connected to the person.

22. I wanted the experience.

23. It was a romantic setting.

24. The person caressed me.

25. The person made me feel sexy.

26. It seemed like the natural next step in my relationship.

27. I wanted to increase the emotional bond by having sex

28. I wanted to keep my partner satisfied.

29. The opportunity presented itself.

30. It just happened.

31. I wanted to intensify my relationship.

32. I wanted to try out new sexual techniques or positions.

33. My hormones were out of control.

34. The person was too "hot" (sexy) to resist.

35. I was curious about my sexual abilities.

36. I wanted to improve my sexual skills.

37. I wanted to become one with another person.

38. I saw the person naked and could not resist.

39. The person was a good kisser.

40. I wanted to feel loved.

41. I wanted to celebrate a birthday or anniversary or special occasion.

42. The person was too physically attractive to resist.

43. It was a special occasion.

44. I hadn’t had sex for a while.

45. The person had beautiful eyes.

46. I wanted to communicate at a "deeper" level.

47. I wanted to experiment with new experiences.

48. The person was intelligent.

49. I wanted to keep my partner happy.

50. I was curious about what the person was like in bed.

50 reasons WOMEN have sex

2007-07-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

1. I was attracted to the person.

2. I wanted to experience the physical pleasure.

3. It feels good.

4. I wanted to show my affection to the person.

5. I wanted to express my love for the person.

6. I was sexually aroused and wanted the release.

7. I was "horny."

8. It’s fun.

9. I realized I was in love.

10. I was "in the heat of the moment."

11. I wanted to please my partner.

12. I desired emotional closeness (i.e., intimacy).

13. I wanted the pure pleasure.

14. I wanted to achieve an orgasm.

15. It’s exciting, adventurous.

16. I wanted to feel connected to the person.

17. The person’s physical appearance turned me on.

18. It was a romantic setting.

19. The person really desired me.

20. The person made me feel sexy.

21. The person caressed me.

22. It seemed like the natural next step in my relationship.

23. I wanted to become one with another person.

24. It just happened.

25. I wanted to increase the emotional bond by having sex.

26. I wanted the experience.

27. I wanted the adventure/excitement.

28. The person had an attractive face.

29. The person was a good kisser.

30. I wanted to intensify my relationship.

31. My hormones were out of control.

32. I wanted to try out new sexual techniques or positions.

33. I wanted to feel loved.

34. The person had a desirable body.

35. I wanted to celebrate a birthday or anniversary or special occasion.

36. I wanted to communicate at a "deeper" level.

37. I was curious about sex.

38. It was a special occasion.

39. The person was intelligent.

40. I wanted to say "I’ve missed you."

41. I wanted to keep my partner satisfied.

42. I got "carried away."

43. The opportunity presented itself.

44. The person had a great sense of humor.

45. I wanted to improve my sexual skills.

46. I was curious about my sexual abilities.

47. The person seemed self-confident.

48. I wanted to make up after a fight.

49. I was drunk.

50. I was turned on by the sexual conversation.

Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training Retreat in St Lucia

2007-07-30T13:17:00.000-07:00

Caroline Klebl offers a comprehensive Teacher Training program for teachers, aspiring teachers and dedicated practitioners of yoga. Her teacher training combines the high standards of practice, required by the Ashtanga Vinyasa System with the development of teaching skills necessary to introduce students to Ashtanga Yoga safely and effectively.

The focus of this course is on the practice and method of teaching the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga. Each day of the course begins with a Mysore style or Led Primary Series class, thereby providing each participant with the opportunity to immerse deeply in their own practice. The ability to give adjustments and to assist students to deepen their postures and practice is developed throughout the course. The Sanskrit names of the postures are introduced and how to teach an Ashtanga Yoga Led class effectively is evaluated in detail. The benefits of the specific sequencing and the principles of Vinyasa(the movements between postures), Oujaii Pranayama(the sound induced breath), Drishti(the gaze) and Bandhas(the three locks or seals) are included as essential elements of the Ashtanga Yoga practice. The importance of encouraging students to continue with a regular practice and preparing them for Mysore style is emphasized. Basic yoga philosophy, including the translation and chanting of the Yoga Sutras as well as the Anatomy most relevant to yoga practice is introduced. The course includes an introduction to Ayurveda, and instruction in Meditation. Maintaining a vegetarian diet and a lifestyle, which is conducive to yoga practice is encouraged throughout the course. Each participant has the opportunity to teach, assist and give adjustments. This teacher training explores the depth of the Ashtanga Yoga practice by revealing it's teaching techniques.

The retreat will take place at Harmony Suites. Here you will experience the secluded feel of a boutique hotel set in a tranquil, tropical garden with colonial-style buildings surrounding a courtyard and pool . Harmony Suites is located in the north of St. Lucia at Rodney Bay, the tourism center of the island. Here you will enjoy peace and quiet while being with-in an easy, 10 minute walk to duty free shopping, nightlife, banks, a mall, grocery store, art gallery and umpteen restaurants, catering for all tastes and pockets.

Overcoming Weight Loss Obstacles

2007-07-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

I’m eating a low-calorie, low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. I’m exercising 5 times a week. I’m doing everything right and I’m still not losing any weight. Why not? That’s the million dollar question asked by plateau campers everywhere. They seem to be doing everything right… and yet it’s not working. There are several factors that can trip up your best weight loss efforts. If you can identify and conquer them, you’ll be well on your way to long-term leanness.

Let’s start with your exercise program. Been doing the same thing for a while? Getting bored maybe? When your routine becomes ho-hum, your body quickly adapts to it and your results are less dramatic. So, if you always do the same aerobic activity at the same intensity, or you always do the same circuit of weight machines in the same order… Stop that!

To keep seeing results you need to present yourself with new challenges. It’s important to try new things, choose activities that you genuinely enjoy, and exercise at an intensity that challenges you. Whether you’re trying something new or just spicing up the old routine, you want to achieve a gradual and progressive increase in intensity. This might mean incorporating an occasional hilly route into your bike rides, intervals of slow jogging into your walks, adding some free weights to your machine workout, or signing up for a spinning class instead of reading magazines on the stationary bike. Just keep it interesting. Boredom and complacency can unravel your best-laid plans.

Weight training is the cornerstone of a lean body and a fast metabolism. The more lean muscle you have, the more calories your body burns throughout the day. If you’ve been doing tons of cardiovascular activity, but slacking on the weights, that could be one of your sticking points. On the flip side, if you’ve been faithfully pumping iron but you can’t get shed the fat; perhaps a little more aerobic activity is in order. The two modes of exercise compliment each other. The weights strengthen and tone the body, and the cardio defines it. Together with stretching, they form the basis of any well-rounded program.

The other critical factor in successful weight loss is, of course, your diet. The old bodybuilding adage is that success is 80 percent diet and 20 percent training. In other words, you can have the best training routine around, but if you’re not eating right, your results will still be minimal.

Take a good hard look at the way you’ve been eating. Have you been taking in too many calories? Too few? Do you diet and deny yourself all day only to binge at night? Are you consuming an overabundance of highly processed carbohydrates? Is your protein intake adequate for your size and activity level? Have you perhaps gone overboard by trying to eliminate all fat from your diet? Do you eat large quantities of "good" foods without ever feeling truly satisfied? Can you remember the last time you ate a fresh vegetable?

If your results with a traditional low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet have been less than stellar, you may want to do some research into Paleolithic nutrition, The Zone, or the Mediterranean diet. These diets are based on an adequate but not excessive amount of lean protein, an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, and small amounts of monounsaturated fats like those found in nuts, seeds, and olives.

Whichever eating plan you choose be sure to adjust it accordingly depending on how you feel and how your body responds. Don't ever blindly follow a rigid "diet" based on someone else's rules and guidelines. Be flexible and focus on small positive changes. Balance, moderation, and common sense are key.

Some suggestions:

* Drink plenty of water.
* Eat several small meals and snacks a day (4 - 6 if your schedule allows) to keep your metabolism in high gear and help to stabilize your blood sugar throughout the day. Don't go more than 5 hours without eating.
* Make sure that your protein intake is adequate. Your protein needs are based on the size of your lean body mass and your activity level. People with more muscle mass or more intense training routines require more protein. For a protein recommendation in grams, multiply your weight in pounds (1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds) by one of the following numbers:

0.4 Current RDA for sedentary adult
0.5-0.75 Recreational exerciser, adult
0.6-0.9 Competitive athlete, adult
0.8-0.9 Growing teenage athlete
0.7-0.9 Adult building muscle mass
0.8-0.9 Athlete restricting calories
0.9 Maximum usable for adults

(Nancy Clark’s Sport’s Nutrition Guidebook, Second Edition – Lemon 1995; Lemon et al. 1992; Walberg et al. 1988)

* Choose mostly lean protein sources such as chicken, fish, egg whites, low fat dairy, and soy.
* Watch your intake of highly refined carbohydrates such as waffles, fat-free cookies, rice cakes, and white bread. Try to replace them with heartier grains or legumes such as oatmeal, beans, lentils, and sprouted or whole grain breads. These are higher in fiber, protein, and other nutrients and they hit your blood stream more slowly, giving you a longer lasting source of fuel.
* Don't be afraid of heart healthy monounsaturated fats like those found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocado. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are quite beneficial as well. A little bit of fat will slow the entry rate of carbohydrate into your blood stream, keeping blood sugar stable and helping to reduce hunger, mood swings, and cravings.
* Include a little protein, carbohydrate, and fat with each meal or snack. You'll be more satisfied with your food and less likely to get hungry between meals.
* Eat a variety of different foods and don't get obsessive! Eat well the majority of the time and enjoy some occasional treats.

The final, perhaps most important, component of weight loss success is your attitude. Pay special attention to your mental and emotional connections to food and exercise. If you find yourself sitting on the sofa, watching television and eating ice cream rather than working out, ask yourself why. There has to be some benefit to it, some payoff that, at the time anyway, seems greater than your long-term goal of health and fitness. You have to identify and acknowledge your fitness downfalls before you can do anything to change them. Remember that you can’t continue doing the same thing the same way and expect different results. If what you’re doing is not working, make changes!

How Many Calories Does Your Body Need?

2007-07-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

Most of us understand that weight management depends upon the energy balance equation; the amount of energy you put into your body (food calories) versus the amount of energy you expend (activity). But how do you know how many calories your body needs to reach or maintain a certain weight?

Understanding your body's energy requirements can help guide you when making nutritional choices. We'll show you two ways to determine your energy requirements, the accurate way and the easy way.

The Accurate Way
There are three primary components that make up your body's energy expenditure. Adding these three components together, basal metabolic rate, energy expended during physical activity, and the thermic effect of food is the most accurate way of determining how many calories your body requires each day.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Most of the body's energy, about 60-70%, goes to supporting the ongoing metabolic work of the body's cells. This includes such activities as heart beat, respiration and maintaining body temperature. To determine your BMR:

For adult males - Multiply the body weight by 10; add double the body weight to this value.
[i.e., for a 150 lb male, 1,500 + (2 x 150)=1,800 cal/day BMR]

For adult females - Multiply body weight by 10; add the body weight to this value.
[i.e., for a 120 lb female, 1,200 + 120=1,320 cal/day BMR]

Energy Expended During Physical Activity: The second component of the equation depends upon your level of physical activity. Physical activity has a profound effect on human energy expenditure and contributes 20-30% to the body's total energy output. One of the most reliable methods in calculating calories burned during physical activity is the Metabolic Energy (MET) Method. This is the method we have used for the Fitness Partner Connection's Activity Calculator for 158 different activities.

Thermic Effect of Food: The last component to calculate has to do with your body's management of food. The increase in energy required to digest food is referred to as the thermic effect of food (TEF) and it's simple to determine:

TEF = total kcals consumed x 10%
[i.e., 2,000 kcals consumed/day x 0.10 = 200 kcals expended for TEF]

The Easy Way
If all of those calculations seem too confusing or tedious, you can roughly estimate your daily calorie requirements using this simple formula:

For sedentary people: Weight x 14 = estimated cal/day

For moderately active people: Weight x 17 = estimated cal/day

For active people: Weight x 20 = estimated cal/day

Healthy Eating Habits: Bite-Sized Pieces To Chew On!

2007-07-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some bite-sized pieces to help you take the first few steps toward a lifetime of healthier eating:

The lay of the land. When shopping for food, remember that grocery stores are primarily laid out with the most healthy and nutritious foods located around the perimeter of the store. The inside isles are where you'll generally find foods high in fat and sodium and lower in nutrients.

Uncontrollable urges. Many unhealthy food purchases at the grocery store are frequently made on impulse. Impulse buys can occur when grocery shopping is done without a shopping list and/or you do your shopping on an empty stomach. To lessen the chances of unhealthy impulse buys, eat a nutritious snack prior to shopping and make a grocery list and stick to it!

Be natural. A good rule of thumb is to try and eat food that is as close to its "natural" state as possible. For example, steamed red potatoes are much healthier (and less expensive) than a pre-packaged "Potato Au Gratin" side dish.

The spice of life. Eat a wide variety of foods and don't be afraid to try something new! Not only will it make mealtime more exciting, you'll be able to meet your nutritional needs as well.

Follow an outline. If you need a basic food plan to follow, use the Food Guide Pyramid, it will ensure a balanced, nutritious and healthy diet. Check out this informative piece about assembling nutritious meals based on the Food Guide Pyramid, written by Renee Cloe.

Read the label! Unfortunately, the naming and packaging of many food items can be deceiving in terms of what you "think" you're getting. Knowing how to read and interpret the food label is the best way to ensure you're getting what you want.

Don't expect changes to happen overnight. It has taken a lifetime to acquire your current eating habits. Consequently, it will take some time to strengthen your good habits and learn additional healthy ones. Your bad eating habits will soon begin to lose their strength as you quit practicing them and they will eventually disappear.

Read, listen and learn. Nothing will solidify permanent changes in your eating habits better than educating yourself about nutrition. Your local library, magazines, and the Internet are just a few resources that you can use to gain deeper knowledge of healthful eating.

Unless specified by your doctor for medical reasons, healthy eating is not about following a rigid, pre-determined menu. Stay away from "diets" that deprive you of a well balanced diet with lots of variety.

Cultivating healthier eating habits can be challenging at first. However, the lifetime rewards of improved health, weight control and general well-being are worth the effort. Take one step at a time, focus on continuous improvement and never give up!

Research Says Fewer Teens Are Having Sex Now

2007-07-14T05:03:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON Fewer high school students are having sex these days, and more are using condoms. The teen birth rate has hit a record low.

More young people are finishing high school, too, and more little kids are being read to, according to the latest government snapshot on the well-being of the nation's children. It's good news on a number of key wellness indicators, experts said of the report being released Friday.

"The implications for the population are quite positive in terms of their health and their well-being," said Edward Sondik, director of the National Center for Health Statistics. "The lower figure on teens having sex means the risk of sexually transmitted diseases is lower."

In 2005, 47 percent of high school students - 6.7 million - reported ever having had sexual intercourse, down from 54 percent in 1991. The rate of those who reported having had sex has remained the same since 2003.

Thirty-four percent of the students reported having had sex during a three-month period in 2005. Of those, 63 percent - about 3 million - used condoms. That's up from 46 percent in 1991.

The teen birth rate, the report said, was 21 per 1,000 young women ages 15-17 in 2005 - an all-time low. It was down from 39 births per 1,000 teens in 1991.

"This is very good news," said Sondik. "Young teen mothers and their babies are at a greater risk of both immediate and long-term difficulties."

The birth rate in the 15-19 age group was 40 per 1,000 in 2005, also down sharply from the previous decade.

Education campaigns that started years ago are having a significant effect, said James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth, a Washington-based nonprofit group that focuses on prevention of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

"I think the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the efforts in the '80s and '90s had a lot to do with that," Wagoner said of the improved numbers on teen sex, condoms and adolescent births.

"We need to encourage young teens to delay sexual initiation and we need to make sure they get all the information they need about condoms and birth control," he said.

The report was compiled from statistics and studies at 22 federal agencies, and covered 38 key indicators, including infant mortality, academic achievement rates and the number of children living in poverty. The 2005 figures were the most comprehensive numbers available.

Other highlights:

• The percentage of children covered by health insurance decreased slightly. In 2005, 89 percent of children had health insurance coverage at some point during the year, down from 90 percent the previous year.

• The percentage of low birthweight infants (born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces) increased. It was 8.2 percent in 2005, up from 8.1 percent in 2004.

• More youngsters are getting reading time. Sixty percent of children ages 3-5 (and not in kindergarten) were read to daily by a family member in 2005, up from 53 percent in 1993.

• The percentage of children who had at least one parent working year round and full-time increased to 78.3 percent in 2005, up from 77.6 percent the previous year.

• More young people are completing high school. In 2005, 88 percent of young adults had finished high school - up from 84 percent in 1980.

• Fewer children were covered by health insurance. In 2005, 89 percent were covered at some point during the year, 1 percent less than 2004.

The report was released by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics - a consortium of federal agencies that includes the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Census Bureau and the Administration for Children and Families.

Scientists have discovered that wine can boost your teeth and soothe sore throats

2007-07-14T01:59:00.000-07:00

A daily tipple is packed with so many disease-fighting compounds it can reduce your risk of gum disease, tooth decay and even throat infections, according to a new study.

Previous studies have already revealed that moderate amounts of red wine can help your heart health and reduce your risk of Alzheimer's.

Now it's believed that both red and white wine have antibacterial properties that can boost your oral health.

Professor Gabriella Gazzani in Italy, who led the study, discovered that wine is great for reducing the growth of several strains of bacteria that can cause tooth decay.

'Our findings seem to indicate that wine acts as an effective antimicrobial agent against bacteria,' she said in the American Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

'However, it doesn't replace mouthwash or toothpaste. We should still brush and floss our teeth in the regular way.'

We'll drink to that!

Nutrition and infection, health and disease

2007-06-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

The interaction or synergism of malnutrition and infection is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children in most countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Viral, bacterial and parasitic infections tend to be prevalent, and all can have a negative impact on the nutritional status of children and adults. The situation was similar in North America and Europe from about 1900 to 1925; common infectious diseases had an impact on nutrition and produced high case fatality rates.

The synergistic relationship between malnutrition and infectious diseases is now well accepted and has been conclusively demonstrated in animal experiments. The simultaneous presence of both malnutrition and infection results in an interaction that has more serious consequences for the host than the additive effect would be if the two worked independently. Infections make malnutrition worse and poor nutrition increases the severity of infectious diseases.
Effects of malnutrition on infection

The immune system

The human body has the ability to resist almost all types of organisms or toxins that tend to damage the tissues and organs. This capacity is called immunity. Much of the immunity is caused by a special immune system that forms antibodies and sensitized lymphocytes which attack and destroy the specific organisms or toxins. This type of immunity is called acquired immunity. An additional portion of the immunity results from the general processes of the body; this is called innate immunity

Innate immunity is due to:

resistance of the skin to invasion by organisms;

phagocytosis of bacteria and other invaders by white blood cells and cells of the tissue macrophage system;

destruction by the acid secretions of the stomach and by the digestive enzymes of organisms swallowed into the stomach;

the presence in the blood of certain chemical compounds that attach to the foreign organisms or toxins and destroy them.

There are two basic but closely allied types of acquired immunity. In one of these the body develops circulating antibodies, which are globulin molecules that are capable of attacking the invading agents and destroying them. This type of immunity is called humoral immunity. Antibodies circulate in the blood and may remain there for a long time, so that a second infection with the same organism is immediately controlled. This is the basis for some forms of immunization, which are designed to stimulate antibody production.

The second type of acquired immunity is achieved through the formation of large numbers of highly specialized lymphocytes which are specifically sensitized against the invading foreign agents. These sensitized lymphocytes have the ability to attach to the foreign agents and to destroy them. This type of immunity is called cellular immunity. It is a highly complex system involving many different body organs (such as the spleen, thymus, lymph system and bone marrow) and also body fluids, particularly blood and its constituents and lymph.

The study of the complex system of immunity is termed immunology.

Effects of malnutrition on resistance to infection

A considerable amount of literature, documenting studies both in experimental animals and in people, demonstrates that dietary deficiency diseases may reduce the body's resistance to infections and adversely affect the immune system.

Some of the normal defence mechanisms of the body are impaired and do not function properly in the malnourished subject. For example, children with kwashiorkor were shown to be unable to form antibodies to either typhoid vaccine or diphtheria toxoid; their capacity to do so was restored after protein therapy. Similarly, children with protein malnutrition have an impaired antibody response to inoculation with yellow fever vaccine. An inhibition of the agglutinating response to cholera antigen has been reported in children with kwashiorkor and nutritional marasmus. These studies provide a fairly clear indication that the malnourished body has a reduced ability to defend itself against infection.

Another defence mechanism that has been studied in relation to nutrition is that of leucocytosis (increased production of white blood cells) and phagocytic activity (destruction of bacteria by white corpuscles). Children with kwashiorkor show a lower than normal leucocyte response in the presence of an infection. Perhaps of greater importance is the reduced phagocytic efficiency in malnourished subjects of the polymorphonuclear leucocytes that are part of the fight against invading bacteria. When malnutrition is present, these cells appear to have a defect in their intracellular bactericidal (bacteria-destroying) capacity.

Although malnourished children frequently have increased immunoglobulin levels (presumably related to concurrent infections), they also may have depressed cell-mediated immunity. In a recent study, the extent of this depression was directly related to the severity of the protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). Serum transferrin levels are also low in those with severe PEM, and they often take considerable time to return to normal even after proper dietary treatment.

A quite different kind of interaction of nutrition and infection is seen in the effect of some deficiency diseases on the integrity of the tissues. Reduction in the integrity of certain epithelial surfaces, notably the skin and mucous membranes, decreases resistance to invasion and makes an easy avenue of entry for pathogenic organisms. Examples of this effect are cheilosis and angular stomatitis in riboflavin deficiency, bleeding gums and capillary fragility in vitamin C deficiency, flaky-paint dermatosis and atrophic intestinal changes in severe protein deficiency and serious eye lesions in vitamin A deficiency.
Effects of infection on nutritional status

Infection affects nutritional status in several ways. Perhaps the most important of these is that bacterial and some other infections lead to an increased loss of nitrogen from the body. This repercussion was first demonstrated in serious infections such as typhoid fever, but it has subsequently been shown in much milder infections such as otitis media, tonsillitis, chicken pox and abscesses.

Nitrogen is lost by several mechanisms. The principal one is probably increased breakdown of tissue protein and mobilization of amino acids, especially from the muscles. The nitrogen is excreted in the urine and is evidence of a depletion of body protein from muscles.

Full recovery is dependent upon the restoration of these amino acids to the tissues once the infection is overcome. This requires increased intake of protein, above maintenance levels, in the post-infection period. In children whose diet is marginal in protein content, or those who are already protein depleted, growth will be retarded during and after infections. In developing countries, children from poor families suffer from many infections in quick succession during the post-weaning period, and they often have multiple infections.

Anorexia or loss of appetite is another factor in the relationship between infection and nutrition. Infections, especially if accompanied by a fever, often lead to loss of appetite and therefore to reduced food intake. Some infectious diseases commonly cause vomiting, with the same result. In many societies mothers and often medical attendants as well consider it desirable to withhold food or to place the child with an infection on a liquid diet. Such a diet may consist of rice water, very dilute soups, water alone or some other fluid with a low calorie density and usually deficient in protein and other essential nutrients. The old adage of "starve a fever" is of doubtful validity, and this practice may have serious consequences for the child whose nutritional status is already precarious.

The traditional treatment of diarrhoea in some communities is to prescribe a purgative or enema. The gastro-enteritis may already have resulted in reduced absorption of nutrients from food, and the treatment may further aggravate this situation.

These are all examples of how illnesses such as measles, upper respiratory infections and gastro-intestinal infections may contribute to the development of malnutrition. The relationship of intestinal parasites, diarrhoea and measles to nutrition is discussed below.

Parasitic infections

Parasitic infections, particularly intestinal helminthic infections, are extremely prevalent and are increasingly being shown to have an adverse effect on nutritional status, especially in those heavily infected. Hookworms (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus) infect over 00 million people, mainly the poor in tropical and subtropical countries. They used to cause a prevalent debilitating disease in the southern United States. Hookworms cause intestinal blood loss, and although it appears that most of the protein in the lost blood is absorbed lower down in the intestinal tract, there is considerable loss of iron.

Hookworm disease is a major cause of iron deficiency anaemia in many countries. The extent of the loss of blood and iron in hookworm infections has been studied (Layrisse and Roche, 1966): daily faecal blood loss per hookworm (N. americanus) was reported to be 0.031 0.015 ml. It was estimated that about 350 hookworms in the intestine cause a daily loss of 10 ml of blood, or 2 mg of iron. Infection densities much higher than this are not uncommon. In Venezuela, where much of this work was done, iron losses greater than 3 mg per day often resulted in anaemia in adult males, and losses of half this amount frequently produced anaemia in women of child-bearing age and in young children.

Worldwide, roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) is among the most prevalent of intestinal parasites. It is estimated that 1 200 million people in the world (one-quarter of the world's population) harbour roundworms. The roundworm is large (15 to 30 cm long), so its own metabolic needs must be considerable. High parasite densities, particularly in children, are common in environments where sanitation is poor. Complications of ascariasis can develop, including intestinal obstruction or the presence of worms in aberrant sites such as the common bile duct. In some countries ascarids are a cause of surgical emergencies in children, and many with obstruction die. In the majority of children, however, when malnutrition is prevalent, deworming improves child growth.

Trichuris trichiura or whipworm inhabits the large intestine and infects about 600 million people worldwide. The worms are small and, in heavily infected children, may cause diarrhoea and abdominal pain.

Many children living in poor sanitary conditions are infected with several parasitic infections at the same time. In areas where infection with these three parasites is common and where malnutrition is prevalent, deworming of children leads to an improvement in growth, a reduction in the extent of malnutrition and an increase in appetite. It also positively influences physical fitness and perhaps psychological development.

Bilharzia or schistosomiasis infections are prevalent in some countries. They also contribute to poor nutrition, poor appetite and poor growth. The three organisms that cause schistosomiasis (Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum) are flukes, rather than ordinary worms.

Somewhat less is known about the relationship between intestinal protozoa! diseases and nutrition, but amoebas, causing serious dysentery and liver abscess, are highly pathogenic organisms, and infection with Giardia lamblia may cause malabsorption and abdominal pain.

The fish tapeworm (Diphyllobothrium latum) has an avidity for vitamin B12 and can deprive its host of this vitamin, with megaloblastic anaemia resulting. The fish tapeworm is common in people in only limited geographic areas, mainly in temperate areas and where undercooked fish is frequently consumed.

In many northern industrialized countries, farm animals and domestic pets such as dogs and cats are dewormed routinely. Much evidence suggests that pigs grow better when they regularly receive anthelmintics. Now that highly effective, relatively inexpensive and safe broad-spectrum anthelmintics such as albendazole and mebendazole are available, routine mass deworming should be introduced where parasitic infections are prevalent in humans and where PEM and anaemia are common. Similarly, routine efforts to treat children with schistosomiasis using metrifonate or praziquantel seem highly desirable both to rid children of potential serious pathology and to improve their nutritional status. More attention needs to be given to population-based chemotherapy for these infections along with intensification of public health and other measures to reduce their transmission, including improved sanitation and water supplies. Such efforts would improve the health and nutritional status of millions of the world's children.

Effects of diarrhoea

Many studies have indicated that gastrointestinal infections, and especially diarrhoea, are very important in precipitating serious PEM. Diarrhoea is common in, and often lethal to, the young child. In breastfed infants there is often some protection during the first months of life, so diarrhoea is often a feature of the weaning process. Weanling diarrhoea is extraordinarily prevalent in poor communities throughout the world, both in tropical and temperate zones. The organism responsible varies and often cannot be identified. Diarrhoea was a major cause of mortality in children in industrialized countries up to the beginning of the twentieth century.

Several studies have shown that admissions of cases of malnutrition are greatly increased during the season when diarrhoea is most common. For example, in a report from the Islamic Republic of Iran, more than twice as many cases of PEM were admitted in the warm summer than in the cold winter. The incidence of diarrhoeal disease followed the same pattern.

Hospital and community studies indicate that cases of xerophthalmia and keratomalacia are frequently precipitated by gastro-enteritis, as well as by other infectious diseases such as measles and chicken pox. Xerophthalmia is the major cause of blindness in several Asian countries; it is also prevalent in certain parts of Africa, Latin America and the Near East.

Intestinal parasites may contribute to diarrhoea and to poor vitamin A status. The exact mechanism of this relationship has not been proved, but it is likely that many infections reduce vitamin A absorption and that some result in decreased consumption of foods containing vitamin A and carotene.

Diarrhoea can be fatal, usually because it can lead to severe dehydration (see Chapter 37). Diarrhoea, and the complication of dehydration, may be said to be a form of malnutrition. Dehydration is a "deficiency" in the body of water and mineral electrolytes, and providing adequate quantities of these cures the deficiency. The term "fluid electrolyte malnutrition" (FEM) has been coined for this condition. Provision of water and adequate minerals in home-prepared food, breastfeeding or administration of oral rehydration fluids is now the accepted treatment. Although these are forms of therapy or treatment, they are really refeeding and replenishment. However, prevention requires measures and interventions to reduce infections, poverty and malnutrition. These are essential if countries are to reduce the incidence of diarrhoea.

Fatality rates for measles and other infectious diseases

A dramatic illustration of the effect of malnutrition on infection is seen in the fatality rates for common childhood diseases such as measles. Measles is a severe disease with a case fatality rate of about 15 percent in many poor countries because the young children who develop it have poor nutritional status, lowered resistance and poor health. In Mexico the fatality rate for measles has been reported to be 180 times higher than that in the United States; in Guatemala, 268 times higher; and in Ecuador, 480 times higher. The decline in case fatality rates of measles in North America, Europe and other industrialized countries has been dramatic over the last century.

Differences in the clinical severity and the fatality rates of measles in developed and developing countries are due not to differences in virus virulence but to differences in the hosts' nutritional status. For example, during a measles epidemic in the United Republic of Tanzania that was causing considerable mortality among the children of poorer families, it was observed that fatalities from the disease were extremely uncommon in the children of families of moderate income, such as those of hospital employees. Measles is also related to vitamin A deficiency. It has been shown that providing vitamin A supplements to children with measles who have poor vitamin A status greatly reduces case fatality rates.

Immunization against measles is proving very effective, and in many countries measles incidence has been markedly reduced.

Other common infectious diseases such as whooping cough, diarrhoea and upper respiratory infections also have much more serious consequences in malnourished children than in those who are well nourished. Mortality statistics from most developing countries show that such communicable diseases are the major causes of death. It was observed in several African countries at the end of the Sahel famine that very few children were dying of starvation or malnutrition, but that deaths from measles, respiratory infections and other infectious diseases were still very much above pre-famine levels. It is clear that many, perhaps the majority, of these deaths were due to malnutrition. This may seem a moot point for a grieving parent, but for the policy planner and the public health official it is important to know to what extent morbidity and mortality rates are due to or related to undernutrition.

An inter-American investigation of mortality in childhood showed that of 35 000 deaths of children under five years of age in ten countries, in 57 percent of the cases malnutrition was either the underlying or an associated cause of death. Nutritional deficiency was the most serious health problem uncovered, and it was frequently associated with common infectious diseases.

HIV infection and AIDS

Perhaps no disease has a more dramatic and obvious effect on nutritional status than acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), the disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In Uganda for many years the disease was called "slim disease" because extreme thinness was the main visible manifestation of the disease. Although the mechanisms by which AIDS leads to severe malnutrition have not been proven, there is no doubt that the disease and its associated opportunistic infections cause marked anorexia, diarrhoea and malabsorption as well as increased nitrogen losses. Some of the infections and conditions that are part of the AIDS complex of diseases were known to affect nutritional status long before the HIV virus was identified: tuberculosis has for many decades been associated with cachexia and weight loss, and malignancies such as sarcoma have long been known to result in wasting as they advance.

For a discussion of the relationship of AIDS to breastfeeding, see Chapter 7.
Chronic diseases and old age

There is a relationship between certain chronic diseases and immune response. It has also been clearly shown that in old age immunologic response is reduced, and undernutrition worsens this decline. The association of diabetes with infections is well known, and it is clear that in diabetes there is often impaired cellular response. Other diseases, for example several cancers, may also be related to lowered immune response (see Chapter 23).
Intervention studies

There have been relatively few well-controlled intervention studies to demonstrate either the effects of improved diets on infection or the nutritional effects of control of infectious diseases. Research in the village of Candelaria in Colombia showed that diarrhoea declined sharply as a result of supplementary feeding of children. A similar study in a Guatemalan village illustrated a significant decline in morbidity and mortality from certain common illnesses following the introduction of a nutritious daily supplement for preschool children.

A classic study conducted in Narangwal in the Punjab region of India demonstrated the value of combining nutritional care and health care in one programme. Children were divided into four groups. One group was given dietary supplements, one group was given health care, one group received both the supplements and the health care, and the fourth group served as control. As far as nutritional status and certain other health parameters were concerned, the combined treatment gave the best results. Nutritional supplementation alone also had a major impact. In comparison with the control group, there was no improvement in the nutritional status of the group that received only medical care but no dietary supplements.
Nutrition, infection and national development

Clearly, the effects of nutritional status on infections and of infections on malnutrition signify a very important relationship. The majority of children in most developing countries suffer from malnutrition at some time in their first five years of life. The problems of infection and malnutrition are closely interrelated, yet programmes to control communicable diseases and to improve nutrition tend to be introduced quite independently. It would be much more efficient and effective if the twin problems were attacked together.

Success in improving the health and reducing the mortality of children is dependent both on control of infectious diseases and on improvements in the children's food intake and care. There is increasing evidence to suggest that parents are more willing to control their family size when the chances are good that most children born will survive into adulthood. Consideration also needs to be given to providing a stimulating environment for the growing child.

The situation in the major industrial cities of Europe and North America a century ago was comparable to that in the poorest developing countries today. In New York City in the summer months of 1892, the infant mortality rate was 340 per 1 000, and diarrhoea. accounted for half these deaths. Improvements in nutrition, through the use of milk stations, for example, and a reduction in infectious disease served to lower these mortality rates by half in a period of less than 25 years. In the United Kingdom at the beginning of the twentieth century, rickets, combined with infectious diseases, took a heavy toll in the insanitary, smoky slums of the industrial cities, and measles was very often fatal among children of poor families, presumably because of poor nutrition.

Malnutrition and infections combine to pose an enormous hazard to the health of the majority of the world's population who live in poverty. This ever-present hazard particularly threatens children under five years of age. Many of the children who suffer from both malnutrition and a series of infections succumb and die. They are continually replaced in answer to parents' strong desire and often real need to have surviving children. The children who live beyond five years of age are not mainly those who have escaped malnutrition or infectious diseases, but those who have survived. Seldom are they left without the permanent sequelae or scars of their early health experiences. They are often retarded in their physical, psychological or behavioural development, and they may have other abnormalities that contribute to a less than optimal ability to function as adults and possibly to a shortened life expectation. Other factors influencing the development of these children include a lack of environmental stimulation and a host of other deprivations related to poverty.

The challenge to health workers, development economists, governments and international agencies is how best to reduce the morbidity, mortality and permanent sequelae that result from the synergism of malnutrition and infection. The politicians must be persuaded that attention to these problems is not only highly desirable but politically advantageous.

The control of infectious diseases and projects aimed at providing more and better food for people are fully justified and important components of a development plan. By themselves they may contribute to increased productivity and better lives. An improved infant or toddler mortality rate, a lowered disease incidence and a better-nourished population are probably better indicators of development shall national averages of telephones or automobiles per 1 000 families, or even than dollars or pesos per caput. Efforts for the control of infectious diseases and the improvement of nutrition both deserve a high priority in development plans and in international or bilateral assistance to low-income countries. They should be undertaken together because they will be mutually reinforcing and more economical if provided in a coordinated manner rather than separately. An allied issue is the need to provide a stimulating environment for the growing child.

Historical and epidemiological evidence suggests that reductions in infant and child mortality and improvements in health and nutritional status may be prerequisites to successful family planning efforts. Birth spacing deserves a high priority, especially where women are already overworked and undernurtured. Parents in all countries should receive assistance to help them achieve their desired family size.

Alarming as the situation of children's malnutrition and infection is, there is a general tendency to overlook the significance of these conditions in adults. Weakness, lethargy, absenteeism, poor productivity and stress can all have social and economic costs for individuals, families and communities.

There seems to be unassailable logic in recommending coordinated programmes that have three objectives: to control infectious disease, to improve nutrition and to make family planning services widely available. These three types of endeavour may themselves be synergistic.

Focus on Diarrhoea, Dehydration and Rehydration.

2007-06-25T00:11:00.000-07:00

During diarrhoea, the body loses water and electrolytes in the form of liquid stool. Fluids can also be lost through vomit, sweat, urine and breathing. Dehydration occurs when these losses are not adequately replaced. Diarrhoea may result in a decrease in food intake or nutrient absorption and an increase in nutrient requirements which often combine to cause weight loss and retarded growth. When a child's nutritional status declines, any pre-existing malnutrition becomes worse. In turn, a child with malnutrition can experience diarrhoea that is more severe, more prolonged and more frequent than a non-malnourished child.

Diarrhoea may present in different forms such as acute watery diarrhoea, dysentery (blood in stool), or persistent diarrhoea (more than 14 days). Antibiotics should not be used routinely. They are reliably helpful only for children with blood in the diarrhoea (probable shigellosis) and other serious non-intestinal infections such as pneumonia. Anti-diarrhoeal drugs and anti-emetics should not be given to young children with either acute or persistent diarrhoea since they do not prevent dehydration or improve nutritional status, and some have dangerous side-effect.

Diarrhoea causes dehydration. Children are more likely than adults to die from diarrhoea because they become dehydrated more quickly. Diarrhoea is also a major cause of child malnutrition.

The main causes of diarrhoea are poor hygiene, lack of clean drinking water, overcrowding, and the trend towards bottle-feeding rather than breastfeeding. Infants who are fed only breastmilk seldom get diarrhoea.

Diarrhoea can be prevented by breastfeeding, by immunizing all children against measles, by using latrines, by keeping food and water clean, and by washing hands before touching food.

Thousands of deaths could be averted through interventions such as Oral Rehydration Therapy, appropriate drug therapy, optimal breastfeeding practices, improved nutrition, increased access to clean water and sanitation facilities and improved personal and domestic hygiene. If families and communities work together, with support from governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), they can do much to prevent the conditions that cause diarrhoea.

What is Diarrhoea?

Diarrhoea is an intestinal disorder characterized by abnormal fluidity and frequency of fecal evacuations, generally the result of increased motility in the colon; may be an important symptom of such underlying disorders as dysenteric diseases, lactose intolerance, GI tumors, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Diarrhoea is the passage of watery stools, usually at least three times in a 24 hour period. However, it is the consistency of the stools rather than the number that is most important. Frequent passing of formed stools is not diarrhoea. Babies fed only breastmilk often pass loose, "pasty" stools; this also is not diarrhoea. Mothers usually know when their children have diarrhoea and may provide useful working definitions in local situations.

Clinical types of diarrhoeal diseases

It is most practical to base treatment of diarrhoea on the clinical type of the illness, which can easily be determined when a child is first examined. Laboratory studies are not needed. Four clinical types of diarrhoea can be recognized, each reflecting the basic underlying pathology and altered physiology:

* acute watery diarrhoea (including cholera) which lasts several hours or days:
the main danger is dehydration; weight loss also occurs if feeding is not continued;

* acute bloody diarrhoea (also called dysentery):
the main dangers are intestinal damage, sepsis and malnutrition; other complications, including dehydration, may also occur;

* persistent diarrhoea (which lasts 14 days or longer):
the main danger is malnutrition and serious non-intestinal infection; dehydration may also occur;

* diarrhoea with severe malnutrition (marasmus or kwashiorkor);
the main dangers are: severe systemic infection, dehydration, heart failure and vitamin and mineral deficiency.

The management of each type of diarrhoea should prevent or treat the main danger(s) that each presents.

Why is diarrhoea dangerous?

Diarrhoea causes rapid depletion of water and sodium - both of which are necessary for life. If the water and salts are not replaced fast, the body starts to "dry up" or get dehydrated. If more than 10% of the body's fluid is lost death occurs.

Severe dehydration can cause death.

Despite many advances, diarrhoeal diseases and the resulting dehydration are responsible for about 2.2 million child deaths every year. Of these, approximately

*

50% are due to watery diarrhoea and occur
- either because of lack of access to ORS and/or health facilities,
- or because of incorrect case management (home or health facility).

*

The remainder are accounted for by persistent diarrhoea (approximately 35%) and dysentery (approximately 15%).

Diarrhoea is caused by bacteria or viruses. Children who are malnourished suffer much more; in turn, diarrhoea weakens children and makes them more malnourished. Diarrhoea is also a major cause of child malnutrition.

How can diarrhoea be prevented?

Diarrhoea can be prevented by pursuing multisectoral efforts by:

* improving access to clean water and safe sanitation
* promoting hygiene education
* exclusive breast-feeding
* improved weaning practices
* immunizing all children; especially against measles
* using latrines
* keeping food and water clean
* washing hands with soap (the baby's as well) before touching food
* and by sanitary disposal of stools.

The above is most important message that can help parents governments and communities to prevent almost all of these deaths and most of the malnutrition caused by diarrhoea.

The key factors are unclean water, dirty hands at mealtime and spoilt food.

65% of all child deaths are from these 3 causes:

*

Acute Respiratory tract Infections now kills 3.6 million children each year.
*

Diarrhoeal diseases are responsible for about 2.2 million child deaths every year.
*

Immunisation preventable diseases: measles, tuberculosis, tetanus, diphtheria, polio, and pertussis are responsible for some 2.1 million child deaths every year. Of these, almost 1 million are attributed to measles.

The common thread that links these infectious diseases is the nutrition of the mother and child. Malnutrition predisposes children to disease, and diseases often result in worse nutritional status, and consequently a vicious cycle of cause and effect is established.

The main causes of diarrhoea are poor personal and food hygiene and lack of clean drinking water. It is the responsibility of government to support the community in tackling these basic problems.

Macronutrients

2007-06-24T23:59:00.000-07:00

Carbohydrates

The main source of energy for most Asians, Africans and Latin Americans is carbohydrates in the food they eat. Carbohydrates constitute by far the greatest portion of their diet, as much as 80 percent in some cases. In contrast, carbohydrates make up only 45 to 50 percent of the diet of many people in industrialized countries.

Carbohydrates are compounds containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in the proportions 6:12:6. They are burned during metabolism to produce energy, liberating carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The carbohydrates in the human diet are mainly in the form of starches and various sugars. Carbohydrates can be divided into three groups:

· monosaccharides, e.g. glucose, fructose, galactose;

· disaccharides, e.g. sucrose (table sugar), lactose, maltose;

· polysaccharides, e.g. starch, glycogen (animal starch), cellulose.

Monosaccharides

The simplest carbohydrates are the monosaccharides, or simple sugars. These sugars can pass through the wall of the alimentary tract without being changed by the digestive enzymes. The three most common are glucose, fructose and galactose.

Glucose, sometimes also called dextrose, is present in fruit, sweet potatoes, onions and other plant substances. It is the substance into which many other carbohydrates, such as the disaccharides and starches, are converted by the digestive enzymes. Glucose is oxidized to produce energy, heat and carbon dioxide, which is exhaled in breathing.

Because glucose is the sugar in blood, it is most often used as an energy-producing substance for persons fed intravenously. Glucose dissolved in sterile water, usually in concentrations of 5 or 10 percent, is frequently used for this purpose.

Fructose is present in honey and some fruit juices. Galactose is a monosaccharide that is formed, along with glucose, when the milk sugar lactose is broken down by the digestive enzymes.

Disaccharides

The disaccharides, composed of simple sugars, need to be converted by the body into monosaccharides before they can be absorbed from the alimentary tract. Examples of disaccharides are sucrose, lactose and maltose. Sucrose is the scientific name for table sugar (the kind that is used, for example, to sweeten tea). It is most commonly produced from sugar cane but is also produced from beets. Sucrose is also present in carrots and pineapple. Lactose is the disaccharide present in human and animal milk. It is much less sweet than sucrose. Maltose is found in germinating seeds.

Polysaccharides

The polysaccharides are chemically the most complicated carbohydrates. They tend to be insoluble in water, and only some can be used by human beings to produce energy. Examples of polysaccharides are starch, glycogen and cellulose.

Starch is an important source of energy for humans. It occurs in cereal grains as well as in root foods such as potatoes and cassava. Starch is liberated during cooking when the starch granules rupture because of heating.

Glycogen is made in the human body and is sometimes known as animal starch. It is formed from monosaccharides produced by the digestion of dietary starch. Starch from rice or cassava is broken down in the intestines to form monosaccharide molecules, which pass into the bloodstream. Those surplus monosaccharides that are not used to produce energy (and carbon dioxide and water) are fused together to form a new polysaccharide, glycogen. Glycogen is usually present in muscle and in the liver, but not in large amounts.

Any of the digestible carbohydrates when consumed in excess of body needs are converted by the body into fat which is laid down as adipose tissue beneath the skin and at other sites in the body.

Cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, pectin and gums are sometimes called unavailable carbohydrates because humans cannot digest them. Cellulose and hemicellulose are plant polymers that are the main components of cell walls. They are fibrous substances. Cellulose, which is a polymer of glucose, is one of the fibres of green plants. Hemicellulose is a polymer of other sugars, usually hexose and pentose. Lignin is the main component of wood. Pectins are present in plant tissue and sap and are colloidal polysaccharides. Gums are also viscous carbohydrates extracted from plants. Pectins and gums are both used by the food industry. The human alimentary tract cannot break down these carbohydrates or utilize them to produce energy. Some animals, such as cattle, have microorganisms in their intestines that break down cellulose and make it available as an energy-producing food. In humans, any of the unavailable carbohydrates present in food pass through the intestinal tract. They form much of the bulk and roughage evacuated in human faeces, and are often termed "dietary fibre".

There is increasing interest in fibre in diets, because high-fibre diets are now considered healthful. A clear advantage of a high-fibre diet is a lower incidence of constipation than among people who consume a low-fibre diet. The bulk in high-fibre diets may contribute a feeling of fullness or satiety which may lead to less consumption of energy, and this may help reduce the likelihood of obesity. A high-fibre diet results in more rapid transit of food through the intestinal tract and is thus believed to assist normal and healthy intestinal and bowel functioning. Dietary fibre has also been found to bind bile in the intestines.

It is now recognized that the high fibre content of most traditional diets may be an important factor in the prevention of certain diseases which appear to be much more prevalent in people consuming the low-fibre diets common in industrialized countries. Because it facilitates the rapid passage of materials through the intestine, fibre may be a factor in the control of diverticulitis, appendicitis, haemorrhoids and also possibly arteriosclerosis, which leads to coronary heart disease and some cancers.

Frequent consumption of any sticky fermentable carbohydrates, either starch or sugar, can contribute to dental caries, particularly when coupled with poor oral hygiene. Adequate intake of fluoride and/or a topical application is the best protection against caries (see Chapter 21).
Fats

In many developing countries dietary fats make up a smaller part of total energy intake (often only 8 or 10 percent) than carbohydrates. In most industrialized countries the proportion of fat intake is much higher. In the United States, for example, an average of 36 percent of total energy is derived from fat.

Fats, like carbohydrates, contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are insoluble in water but soluble in such chemical solvents as ether, chloroform and benzene. The term "fat" is used here to include all fats and oils that are edible and occur in human diets, ranging from those that are solid at cool room temperatures, such as butter, to those that are liquid at similar temperatures, such as groundnut or cottonseed oils. (In some terminologies the word "oil" is used to refer to those materials that are liquid at room temperature, while those that are solid are called fats.)

Fats (also referred to as lipids) in the body are divided into two groups: storage fat and structural fat. Storage fat provides a reserve storehouse of fuel for the body, while the structural fats are part of the essential structure of the cells, occurring in cell membranes, mitochondria and intracellular organelles.

Cholesterol is a lipid present in all cell membranes. It has an important role in fat transport and is the precursor from which bile salts and adrenal and sex hormones are made.

Dietary fats consist mainly of triglycerides, which can be split into glycerol and chains of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen called fatty acids. This action, the digestion or breakdown of fats, is achieved in the human intestine by enzymes known as lipases, which are present primarily in the pancreatic and intestinal secretions. Bile salts from the liver emulsify the fatty acids to make them more soluble in water and hence more easily absorbed.

The many fatty acids in human diets are divided into two main groups: saturated and unsaturated. The latter group includes both polyunsaturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids have the maximum number of hydrogen atoms that their chemical structure will permit. All fats and oils eaten by humans are mixtures of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Broadly speaking, fats from land animals (i.e. meat fat, butter and ghee) contain more saturated fatty acids than do those of vegetable origin. Fats from plant products and to some extent those from fish have more unsaturated fatty acids, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). There are exceptions, however. For example, coconut oil has a large amount of saturated fatty acids.

These groupings of fats have important health implications because excess intake of saturated fats is one of the risk factors associated with arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease (see Chapter 23). In contrast, PUFAs are believed to be protective.

PUFAs also include two unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid and linolenic acid, which have been termed "essential fatty acids" (EFAs) as they are necessary for good health. EFAs are important in the synthesis of many cell structures and several biologically important compounds. Recent studies have also shown the benefits of other longer-chain fatty acids in the growth and development of young children, and arachidonic acid and docosa-hexaenoic acid (DHA) should conditionally be considered essential during early development. Experiments with animals and studies in humans have shown definite skin and growth changes and abnormal vascular and neural function in the absence of these fatty acids, and there is no doubt that they are essential for the nutrition of individual cells and tissues of the body.

Fat is desirable to make the diet more palatable. It also yields about 9 kcal/g, which is more than twice the energy yielded by carbohydrates and proteins (about 4 kcal/g); fat can therefore reduce the bulk of the diet. A person doing very heavy work, especially in a cold climate, may require as many as 4 000 kcal a day. In such a case it is highly desirable that a good proportion of the energy should come from fat; otherwise the diet would be very bulky. Bulky diets can be a particularly serious problem in young children as well. A reasonable increase in the fat or oil content of the diets of young children raises the energy density of predominantly bulky carbohydrate diets and is highly desirable.

Fat also functions as a vehicle that assists the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (see Chapter 11).

Thus fats, and even specific types of fat, are essential to health. However, practically all diets provide the small amount required.

Fat deposited in the human body serves as a reserve fuel. It is an economic way of storing energy, because, as mentioned above, fat yields about twice as much energy, weight for weight, as does carbohydrate or protein. Fat is present beneath the skin as an insulation against cold, and it forms a supporting tissue for many organs such as the heart and intestines.

All fat in the body is not necessarily derived from fat that has been eaten. However, excess calories from the carbohydrate and protein in, for example, maize, cassava, rice or wheat can be converted into fat in the human body.
Proteins

Like carbohydrates and fats, proteins contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, but they also contain nitrogen and often sulphur. They are particularly important as nitrogenous substances, and are necessary for growth and repair of the body. Proteins are the main structural constituents of the cells and tissues of the body, and they make up the greater portion of the substance of the muscles and organs (apart from water). The proteins in different body tissues are not all exactly the same. The proteins in liver, in blood and in specific hormones, for example, are all different.

Proteins are necessary

· for growth and development of the body;

· for body maintenance and the repair and replacement of worn out or damaged tissues;

· to produce metabolic and digestive enzymes;

· as an essential constituent of certain hormones, such as thyroxine and insulin.

Although proteins can yield energy, their main importance is rather as an essential constituent of all cells. All cells may need replacement from time to time, and their replacement requires protein.

Any protein eaten in excess of the amount needed for growth, cell and fluid replacement and various other metabolic functions is used to provide energy, which the body obtains by changing the protein into carbohydrate. If the carbohydrate and fat in the diet do not provide adequate energy, then protein is used to provide energy; as a result less protein is available for growth, cell replacement and other metabolic needs. This point is especially important for children, who need extra protein for growth. If they get too little food for their energy requirements, then the protein will be diverted for daily energy needs and will not be used for growth.

Amino acids

All proteins consist of large molecules which are made of amino acids. The amino acids in any protein are linked together in chains, called peptide linkages. The various proteins are made of different amino acids linked together in different chains. Because there are many different amino acids, there are many different possible configurations, so there are many different proteins.

During digestion proteins break down to form amino acids much as complex carbohydrates such as starches break down into simple monosaccharides and fats break down into fatty acids. In the stomach and intestines various proteolytic enzymes hydrolyse the protein, releasing amino acids and peptides.

Plants are able to synthesize amino acids from simple inorganic chemical substances. Animals do not have this ability; they derive all the amino acids necessary for building their protein from consumption of plants or animals. As the animals eaten by humans initially derived their protein from plants, all amino acids in human diets have originated from this source.

Animals have differing abilities to convert one amino acid into another. In the human this ability is limited. Conversion occurs mainly in the liver. If the ability to convert one amino acid into another were unlimited, then the question of the protein content of diets and the prevention of protein deficiency would be simple. It would be enough merely to supply sufficient protein, irrespective of the quality or amino acid content of the protein supplied.

Of the large number of amino acids, 20 are common in plants and animals. Of these, eight have been found to be essential for the adult human and have thus been termed "essential amino acids" or "indispensable amino acids", namely: phenyl-alanine, tryptophan, methionine, lysine, leucine, isoleucine, valine and threonine. A ninth amino acid, histidine, is required for growth and is essential for infants and children; it may also be necessary for tissue repair. Other amino acids include glycine, alanine, serine, cystine, tyrosine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, proline, hydroxyproline, citrulline and arginine. Each protein in a food is composed of a particular mixture of amino acids which might or might not contain all eight of the essential ones.

Protein quality and quantity

To assess the protein value of any food it is useful to know how much total protein it contains, which amino acids it has and how many essential amino acids are present and in what proportion. Much is now known about the individual proteins present in various foods, their amino acid content and therefore their quality and quantity. Some have a better mixture of amino acids than others, and these are said to have a higher biological value. The proteins albumin in egg and casein in milk, for example, contain all the essential amino acids in good proportions and are nutritionally superior to such proteins as zein in maize, which contains little tryptophan or lysine, and the protein in wheat, which contains only small quantities of lysine. It is not true, however, to say that the proteins in maize and wheat are not valuable. Although they contain less of certain amino acids, they do contain some amount of all the essential amino acids as well as many of the other important ones. The relative deficiency of maize and wheat proteins can be overcome by providing other foodstuffs containing more of the limited amino acids. It is therefore possible for two foods with low-value protein to complement each other to form a good protein mixture when eaten together.

Humans, especially children on diets deficient in animal protein, require a variety of foods of vegetable origin, not just one staple food. In many diets, pulses or legumes such as groundnuts, beans and cowpeas, though short of sulphur-containing amino acids, supplement the cereal proteins, which are often short of lysine. A mixture of foods of vegetable origin, especially if taken at the same meal, can serve as a substitute for animal protein.

FAO has produced tables showing the content of essential amino acids in different foodstuffs, from which it can be seen which foods best complement each other. It is also necessary, of course, to ascertain the total quantity of protein and amino acids in any food.

The quality of the protein depends largely on its amino acid composition and its digestibility. If a protein is deficient in one or more essential amino acids, its quality is lower. The most deficient of the essential amino acids in a protein is called the "limiting amino acid". The limiting amino acid determines the efficiency of utilization of the protein present in a food or combination of foods. Human beings usually eat food in meals which contain many proteins; they seldom consume just one protein. Therefore nutritionists are interested in the protein quality of a person's diet or meals, rather than just one food. If one essential amino acid is in short supply in the diet, it limits the use of the other amino acids for building protein.

Readers who wish to become familiar with the methods used for determining protein quality are advised to consult comprehensive textbooks on nutrition, which describe them in detail (see Bibliography). One method uses experiments on growth and nitrogen retention in young rats. Another involves determination of the amino acid or chemical score, usually by examining the efficiency of utilization of proteins in the foods consumed by comparing their amino acid composition with that of protein known to be of high quality, such as that in whole eggs.

The chemical score may thus be defined as the efficiency of utilization of food protein in comparison with whole egg protein. Net protein utilization (NPU) is a measure of the amount or percentage of protein retained in relation to that consumed. As an example, Table 16 gives the chemical score and NPU of the protein in five foods.

It is not usual or easy to obtain NPU values in people, and in most studies rats are used. Table 16 suggests that there is a good correlation between the values in rats and in children, and that chemical score provides a reasonable estimate of protein quality.

For the professional involved in nutritional activities to help people - be it a dietitian in a health facility, an agricultural extension worker or a nutrition educator what is important is that the protein value differs among foods and that mixing foods improves the protein quality of the meal or the diet. Table 17 gives the protein content and the limiting amino acid score of some commonly eaten plant-based foods. Because Iysine is most commonly the limiting amino acid in many foods of plant origin, the Iysine score is also given.

Protein digestion and absorption

Proteins consumed in the diet undergo a series of chemical changes in the gastrointestinal tract. The physiology of protein digestion is complicated; pepsin and rennin from the stomach, trypsin from the pancreas and erepsin from the intestines hydrolyse proteins into their component amino acids. Most of the amino acids are absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine and thus travel to the liver and from there all over the body. Any surplus amino acids are stripped of the amino (NH2) group, which goes to form urea in the urine, leaving the rest of the molecule to be transformed into glucose. There is now some evidence that a little intact protein is taken up into certain cells lining the intestines. Some of this protein in the infant may have a role in the passive immunity conveyed from the mother to her newborn child.

A little of the protein and amino acids released in the intestines is not absorbed. The unabsorbed amino acids, plus cells shed from the intestinal villi and acted upon by bacteria, together with gut organisms, contribute to the nitrogen found in faeces.

5 Easy Ways to Help the Planet This Summer

2007-06-13T23:57:00.000-07:00

Our amazing planet Earth is the only home we humans, animals, and plants have. It's precious to us, so we need to do what we can to preserve it. Here are 5 easy ways you can help:

1. Don't use paper or plastic plates, cups and silverware - that's a ton of waste! For your BBQ, use the stuff you already have from your kitchen. If you're worried about it breaking or getting ruined, purchase reusable plastic plates, cups, and utensils You can also use cloth napkins.
2. Grow your own vegetable garden. Not only is it fun and exciting to watch your veggies grow, but think about all the gasoline that trucks use to carry veggies from other states - you'll be preventing all that air pollution and global warming. If you can't grow your own garden, support local farmers in your area.

3. Dry your clothes outside on a line instead of in a clothes dryer. You'll be saving a lot of energy (not to mention money). If you have allergies to pollen - hang your clothes on a drying rack inside.
4. Use your air-conditioner consciously. Don't blast it when you're not home all day, and close blinds and curtains during the day to keep out the heat. At night, use window fans to draw the cooler air in.
5. Walk or ride your bike whenever you need to go somewhere. If that's not possible, try to carpool or use public transportation - it supports the fight against global warming.

Danger signs during pregnancy

2007-06-13T00:40:00.001-07:00

Any of these, occurring during pregnancy, should be reported at once to the doctor.

1. Headache
2. Nausea and vomiting if extreme or occurring after the third mouth.
3. Dizziness
4. Disturbances in vision
5. Pain or recurring cramps in the lower abdomen
6. Bleeding from the vagina.
7. Swelling of the hands or feet.
8. Diminished urination.
9. Illness or infection.

Rules for parents.

2007-06-13T00:03:00.001-07:00

DO
1. Allow a child as much freedom as possible in the choice of the things he purchases.
2. Plan with him regarding the handling of his money.
3. Commend him when he uses good judgement in handling money.
4. Warn him about burrowing money to make purchases before he can afford the item.
5. Encourage him to build up a small savings account.

DON'T
1. Rob your child's piggie bank to get change to pay the paper boy.
2. Neglect to pay his allowance exactly on time.
3. Threaten to cancel his allowance as a means of punishment.
4. Require him to turn over his earnings to you.
5. Pay allowance money before it is due.

Europeans catching up with Americans in the fatty race

2007-06-11T14:05:00.003-07:00

Europeans catching up with Americans in the fatty race

2007-06-11T14:05:00.001-07:00

Americans may have a fat nation, but their European cousins are playing catch up on double time.

A majority of adults are obese or overweight in most European Union
nations and their children are increasingly contributing to make Europe
a fat continent, the EU's top public health official said on Wednesday,
reported the AP.

"The numbers are frightening," said EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou.

All for the same reasons Americans are tipping and breaking their
scales. Crappy fast food, processed food, little to no exercise, too
much TV, and more junk food all combine in a porky perfect storm of
porcine people.

"Everybody has to be blamed — including the authorities, including the industry, including the consumers."

Kids are the biggest concern, in American and Europe. A generation
of coronary patients and Type 2 adult onset diabetics is here. "If we
don't act, today's overweight children will be tomorrow's heart attack
victims," he said to the AP.

The EU says that over 21 million children are overweight. "Even more
worrying is that the rate of increase of that number is more than
400,000 children a year."

Blame people's changing tastes, but the healthy Mediterranean diet is falling by the wayside.

"Now the biggest problem of obesity is in the Southern member states
who have abandoned the Mediterranean diet and go for same kind of
nutrition of fast food as elsewhere," Kyprianou said.

Kids the world over aren't being told to go out and play anymore.
"They sit in front of a television, the computer screen or play video
games," he said in the AP interview. "It is a reality of life."

http://lifestyle.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1311363.php/Europeans_catching_up_with_Americans_in_the_fatty_race

10 Foods You Should Not Eat!

2007-06-11T00:41:00.001-07:00

1. Crust.

Judging by the label, Pepperidge Farm Original Flaky Crust
Roasted Chicken Pot Pie has 510 calories and 9 grams of saturated
fat. But look again. Those numbers are for half a pie. Eat the
entire pie, as most people probably do, and you’re talking more
than 1,000 calories and 18 grams of sat fat. Then add the 13 grams of
hidden trans fat (from the partially hydrogenated vegetable shorten-
ing) in each pie and you’re up to 31 grams of artery-clogging fat —
that’s far more than a day’s allotment.

2. Strip Tease.

McDonald’s Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips sounds healthy.
In fact, ounce for ounce, the Selects are no healthier than the chain’s
Chicken McNuggets. A standard, five- strip order has 630 calories and
11 grams of artery-clogging fat. That’s about the same as a Big Mac,
except the burger has 1,010 mg of sodium, while the Selects hit
1,550 mg, even without the salty sauce.

3. Factory Reject.

Each slice of The Cheesecake Factory’s 6

Carb Cheesecake has 610 calories – that’s the same as you’d get from a
slice of their Original Cheesecake. Think of it as an 8-ounce prime
rib for dessert – with 29 grams of saturated fat, 11/2 days’ supply. The next time you step on the bathroom scale, you may never know that the carbs were missing.

4. Everlasting Dove.

Dove squeezes some 300 calories and 8 to 13 grams of saturated fat
(half-a-day’s worth) into a tennis-ball size serving (half a
cup) of its Dove Ice Cream. That puts it in the same
ballpark as Ben & Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs. With names like
“Unconditional Chocolate,” Dove is trying to link chocolate with
romance. A scoop of its ice cream will fill your heart all right … but
not with love.

5. Out in Left Field.

No one expects a Mrs. Fields cookie to be good for you, but
who would guess that a single Mrs. Fields Milk Chocolate
& Walnuts cookie has more than 300 calories and as much saturated
fat as a 12-ounce sirloin steak? It’s also got six teaspoons of
sugar. If you can’t resist Mrs. Fields, share the smallest bag of
Nibblers (six half-ounce cookies) with a friend. Or walk a few feet
and look for a piece of fruit at another store instead.

6. Starbucks on Steroids.

The Starbucks Venti (20 oz.) Caffè Mocha with whipped cream
is more than a mere cup of coffee. Think of it as a Quarter Pounder
with Cheese in a cup. Few people have room in their diets for the 490
calories and 16 grams of bad fat that this hefty beverage supplies.
But you can lose all the bad fat and all but 170 calories if you order
a tall (12 oz.) with nonfat milk and no whipped cream.

7. Stack Attack.

Unless you’re suicidal, why on earth would you

want to wolf down a Burger King Quad Stacker – 4 hamburger
patties, 4 slices of cheese, 8 strips of bacon, plus sauce and a
bun? That’s half-a-day’s calories (1,000), one-and-a- half-days’
worth of saturated fat (30 grams), 3

grams of trans fat, and more than a day’s sodium (1,800 mg). Urp!

8. Salt’s On!

Campbell's Chunky, Select, and red-and-white-label condensed soups are brimming with salt: Half a can averages
more than half of a person’s daily quota of salt. Instead, try brands
like Healthy Choice and Campbell’s Healthy Request, which have
less than half as much sodium.

9. Tortilla Terror.

Interested in a Chipotle Chicken Burrito

(tortilla, rice, pinto beans, cheese, chicken, sour cream, and
salsa)? Think of its 1,180 calories and 19 grams of saturated fat
as three 6-inch Subway Steak and Cheese Subs. Getting the burrito
with no cheese or sour cream cuts the saturated fat by two-thirds,
but you still end up with 950 calories. Yikes!

10. Razzle, Dazzle ‘em.

Mint Chip Dazzler at Häagen-Dazs stores (three scoops of ice cream,
hot fudge, Oreos, chocolate sprinkles, and whipped cream) has 1,270
calories and 38 grams of saturated fat — that’s two days’ worth. Think of it as a portable T-bone steak with Caesar salad, and baked potato with sour cream. But that’s dinner — yet many people have a Dazzler as a dessert after lunch and dinner!

10 Tips for Maintaining Healthy Feet

2007-06-09T14:03:00.001-07:00

The human foot is a marvel of biomechanical engineering that most of us take for granted until the system fails or breaks down. The average person will walk the equivalent of twice around the world in a lifetime, which is a long time on your feet.

Podiatrists who are part of the UCLA Medical Group offer the following tips for helping maintain healthy feet and avoiding complications. The physicians are board-certified, provide comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of all foot and ankle conditions, and also have expertise in the management of diabetic foot problems and sports injuries.

10 Tips to Maintain Healthy Feet

Inspect your feet regularly and pay attention to changes in color, texture or appearance.
Maintain good foot hygiene, including washing and drying between the toes.
Hydrate the skin. Southern California weather and open
shoes can cause rapid loss of moisture from the skin and may result in
cracking or the formation of fissures. It is helpful to replace the
moisture content by using lotions or creams on a regular basis.
Buy proper-size shoes. You may not wear the same size
in shoes made by different manufacturers. Purchase new shoes late in
the day, when feet tend to be at their largest. Always buy the shoes
that feel the best.
Don't ignore foot pain. Symptoms that increase or do
not resolve within a reasonable period of time need to be evaluated by
your podiatric physician.
Cut toenails straight across. Never cut into the
corners — this could cause an ingrown toenail. Gently file away sharp
corners or rough edges with an emery board.
Exercise. Walking is a great way to keep weight under
control and is an excellent conditioner for the feet. Be sure to wear
appropriate athletic shoes when exercising.
Alternate your shoes each day. Since the feet have
sweat glands, your shoes will absorb moisture from your feet, so it is
important to allow your shoes to dry out completely.
Avoid walking barefoot to help protect your feet from injury and infection.
Put sunblock on your feet while wearing sandals during the day to avoid sunburn.

3 ADVANTAGES OF THE MEDIFAST DIET YOU NEVER KNEW.

2007-06-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

If you are one of those people who have tried every method of losing weight under the sun, consider the benefits of the MediFast diet, a healthy new diet product on the market that is designed to help you quickly shed pounds the safe and wholesome way. If you are looking at it right now, or have ever considered it, or even if you are looking at some other type of diet to help you with your weight loss needs, consider the three benefits this regimen has when you’re trying to lose weight.

The 3 Benefits of the MediFast Diet

1. The MediFast Diet is Convenient
This weight loss program is convenient. You never have to worry about counting up points or checking the labels of your food for their carbohydrate content. And, you don’t have to count points, pop pills, or drink tea either. This diet helps you lose weight by doing what you know how to do best - eat! The MediFast diet isn’t the type of diet that requires one to sit down to a meal every night.

If you are on the go, it is okay for you to be on the go because MediFast has a variety of things that the diet allows you to choose from, from snack bars, to puddings, and soups. There is no need to have to kill yourself with the temptation that grocery shopping can bring, as the MediFast diet doesn’t require you to ever have to set foot in the grocery store.

2. You’ll Never Be Hungry Again
MediFast is not one of those programs that cause you to be constantly starving. These diets don’t work for people simply because they cause them to work against what feels natural for them. Their body is telling them that it is hungry and needs food to fuel itself, and certain diets have you ignoring this impulse.

You will be happy to know that you can eat not twice, not three times, but five times a day. The diet helps to constantly fuel your body so that it can effectively and efficiently burn calories and fat, helping you to lose weight faster and easier.

3. The MediFast Diet is Healthy
There are a lot of diet options out there for a person to choose from when they are looking at their weight loss options, and the MediFast diet is just one of them. The thing that sets this diet apart from the rest is the fact that it makes you eat and put nutrients into your body rather than depriving your body of the all-important nutrients that are required to help the body operate efficiently and burn fat efficiently.

There are no foreign chemicals that you are ingesting into your body to help the body to burn off fat that you have to worry about being recalled later. The MediFast diet is all about You. It is about real food, safe food that is good for your body and helps to keep you nourished and healthy.

This weight loss program is a great diet option for people who need something different to spur their weight loss. If you are having a hard time losing weight or you have reached a weight loss plateau, consider the benefits of the MediFast Diet for yourself today.

Ken Black is the owner of Weight Loss Discovery, a website all about Healthy Weight Loss Programs, diet supplements, weight loss tips and much more.

Calorie density key to weight loss

2007-06-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

Eating smart, not eating less, may be the key to losing weight. A year-long clinical trial by Penn State researchers shows that diets focusing on foods that are low in calorie density can promote healthy weight loss while helping people to control hunger.

Healthy Snack Crisps - Flat Earth Has A Half Serving Of Fruits Or Vegetables In Each Ounce!
ImpossiblyGood.com
Foods that are high in water and low in fat – such as fruits, vegetables, soup, lean meat, and low-fat dairy products – are low in calorie density and provide few calories per bite.

“Eating a diet that is low in calorie density allows people to eat satisfying portions of food, and this may decrease feelings of hunger and deprivation while reducing calories” said Dr. Julia A. Ello-Martin, who conducted the study as part of her doctoral dissertation in the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State.

Previously, little was known about the influence of diets low in calorie density on body weight.

“Such diets are known to reduce the intake of calories in the short term, but their role in promoting weight loss over the long term was not clear,” said Dr. Barbara J. Rolls, who directed the study and who holds the Helen A. Guthrie Chair of Nutritional Sciences at Penn State.

“We have now shown that choosing foods that are low in calorie density helps in losing weight, without the restrictive messages of other weight loss diets,” explained Ello-Martin, whose findings appear in the June 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The researchers compared the effects of two diets – one reduced in fat, the other high in water-rich foods as well as reduced in fat – in 71 obese women aged 22 to 60. The participants were taught by dietitians to make appropriate food choices for a diet low in calorie density, but unlike most diets, they were not assigned daily limits for calories.

At the end of one year, women in both groups showed significant weight loss as well as a decrease in the calorie density of their diets. However, women who added water-rich foods to their diets lost more weight during the first six months of the study than those who only reduced fat in their diets – 19.6 pounds compared to 14.7 pounds. Weight loss was well maintained by subjects in both groups during the second six months of the study.

Records kept by the women showed that those who included more water-rich foods ate 25 percent more food by weight and felt less hungry than those who followed the reduced-fat diet. “By eating more fruits and vegetables they were able to eat more food, and this probably helped them to stick to their diet and lose more weight,” said Ello-Martin.

False pregnancy test results in Britain.

2007-06-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

Hospitals across Britain are trying to contact thousands of women who used faulty pregnancy tests and may not know they are expecting a baby.
Fifty hospitals report that thousands of women may have been given a "false negative" result, the Daily Mail reported Friday.

Hospital staff are concerned that the women may be drinking heavily or engaging in activities that may put their babies at risk.

The faulty tests came from Inverness Medical Innovations, which makes Clearview HCG pregnancy kits. Inverness recalled the kits after a hospital alerted the company that kits used between April 12 and June 1 were showing "false negative" results when some of the women tested clearly were pregnant, the Daily Mail reported.

"We are confident that the problem has been correctly diagnosed and is being rectified," said a company spokesman.

The Group of Eight wealthiest nations pledged 60 billion dollars disease package

2007-06-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

But campaigners dismissed the action as too little, too late.

A G8 statement released in the presence of leaders from major developing nations included a series of humanitarian measures. But charity groups said the most industrialised nations were failing the world's poor.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, said G8 leaders saw it as their responsibility to take action against disease and suffering.

"The message is: we are aware of our obligations and would like to fulfil our promises," Merkel told reporters.

The G8 aid initiatives include:

-- 60 billion dollars for HIV/AIDS over the next few years. Of that 30 billion dollars has already been pledged by the United States. Part of the 60 billion dollars includes six to eight billion dollars for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

-- Specific mention of the aid commitment made at the G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, to progressively increase aid by 50 billion dollars per year by 2010, of which half would go to Africa.

-- Three "significant dollar commitments" to support action on mother-to-child, paediatric treatments, maternal and child health totalling 4.8 billion dollars.

-- A commitment to allow local production of drugs such as anti-retrovirals for HIV/AIDS patients to ensure cheaper prices for medication.

-- An agreement to cut the prevalence of malaria in 30 African countries, which is responsible for 80 percent of deaths, cutting deaths in half.

-- Strong support for funding national health strategies.

-- 500 million dollars for education in 2007 and support for long-term funding.

-- Support for sustainable financing of African peacekeeping, establishing a standby force and building capacity.

The leaders also agreed to analyse progress on the pledges next year under the Japanese G8 presidency.

A German delegation source said not all of the funds were new pledges but in many cases included in member states' earmarks for development aid or planned increases.

"The programme is intended to complement efforts by the Africans themselves," the source said.

"The important thing is that development in Africa is no longer seen as hopeless. The number of democracies is rising, economic growth is increasing."

Ghanaian President John Kufuor welcomed the fresh pledges and said he hoped the G8 states would follow through.

"Africa expects the G8 to deliver on its promises," he said at a news conference with Merkel.

"And on Africa's part we are committed to also deliver so that we can be real partners."

Kufuor, who holds the African Union presidency, proposed the creation of an institution that would ensure "mutual accountability" for Africa and the West on following up on their pledges.

But medical charity Doctors Without Borders said G8 leaders were "talking out of both sides of their mouths."

"Although the G8 acknowledges that access to medicines is a challenge, they proposed no sufficient solutions," it said.

"The problem of second-line AIDS medicines that still cost at least five times more than first-line medicines remains unsolved."

Anti-poverty group ActionAid said the pledges fell far short of what the 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS needed.

"Even this 60 billion dollar smokescreen can't cover up for the abject failure of the G8 to move forward on their AIDS promises," Aditi Sharm, the group's head of its HIV/AIDS campaign, said.

The summit of the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States was wrapping up Friday.

The final day took in meetings with the leaders of top developing nations including South Africa, China, India, Brazil and Mexico as well as major African states including Egypt, Algeria, Senegal and Nigeria.

Premature Ejaculation

2007-06-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

Premature ejaculation is a common complaint of many young men. Many of their partners feel frustrated by this situation too. Young men often become very sexually aroused quite quickly; touch their hand and they have an erection. While this is flattering for his partner, it’s not necessarily very satisfying for a sexual relationship.

By the way, the average male takes less than three minutes from the time of insertion until he ejaculates. According to the technical definition, premature ejaculation is ejaculation that occurs prior to when a man wishes, or too quickly during intercourse to satisfy the partner. This usually leads to the loss of a usable erection for the simple reason that their discharge has temporarily released a state of elevated sexual tension.

What can a guy do? There are a few very simple things that will help: First, he can masturbate before he goes out with his partner. This will make him able to last longer. (Just a idea, but it does work). Understanding male sexual responses helps. If a guy ejaculates quickly, he is going to lose his erection, and this “refractory phase” will last about fifteen to twenty minutes in a young man. There is really nothing either person can do to trigger another erection.

During the refractory phase he can stimulate his partner, including: kissing, cuddling, hugging, petting, stimulating breasts and genitals. After twenty minutes of stimulation she may be very sexually aroused and he will probably have another erection.

As a guy ages, his refractory phase gets longer. Many guys learn to control ejaculation by practicing Kegel exercises" on a regular basis. Go to Kegel Exercises for more on doing those.

Women often feel that they should be able to do something to “help” him or that they are doing something wrong. Basically, this is his 'situation', and he needs to solve it himself. But, you can talk to him about it and lessen the expectation that he must sexually satisfy you every time.

Top 5 Best & Healthiest Foods.

2007-06-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

1. Salmon
top 5 best healthiest foods Hands down! Salmon is my favorite food to substitute meats. It is a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids - which has been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. In 2002, the American Heart Association recommended eating at least 2 servings of fish a week, particularly fatty fish such as salmon. With increasing public concerns over farmed salmon, choose wild salmon. Most canned salmon are wild.

2. Soy
top 5 best healthiest foodsSoy products are great substitutes for animal products. I love cooking tofu with various tasty Asian sauces and also enjoy drinking soy milk. Soy beans contain high amounts of protein which comprise of all essential amino acids (the only such vegetable source to do so). Soy beans are also a rich source of calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, B vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. Numerous scientific studies demonstrated that a diet containing significant soy protein may benefit heart health. In addition, more and more studies are being published suggesting other health benefits of soy such as the prevention of prostate & breast cancer as well as osteoporosis.

3. Greens
top 5 best healthiest foodsGreen vegetables such as kale, chard, collard greens, bok choy, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, etc... are packed with vitamins A and C, iron, calcium and phytonutrients. They are very filling, high in fiber and low in calories. Personally, I like eating them cooked so I usually stir fry them in a non-stick pan, but it is absolutely fine to eat them raw as well so go ahead and toss them into your salad and reap the nutritional benefits!

4. Berries
top 5 best healthiest foodsBerries by far are my favorite fruits! They are loaded with Vitamin C, folate, fiber and phytonutrients. Indeed, fresh berries are some of the most powerful disease-fighting foods available as they top the ORAC score chart (a method of measuring antioxidant activity). Berries are easy to prepare - just wash and rinse - no need to peel at all! In addition, you may serve berries (fresh or baked) as part of a dessert dish.

5. Whole Grains
top 5 best healthiest foodsWhole grains have some valuable antioxidants not found in fruits and vegetables. They also contain B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron and fiber. The new 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that all adults eat half their grains as whole grains - that's 3 to 5 servings of whole grains a day. To include more servings of whole grains in your diet, use whole-wheat flour in your recipes instead of white flour. Look for the word "whole" when purchasing packaged foods such as cereals, biscuits, pasta and breads. In addition, try adding wild rice, brown rice, quinoa or barley in your soup to increase whole grain intake.

Five Simple Ways to lose weight

2007-06-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

1. Don't drink Calories
Sweetened beverages such as pop, juice drinks, coffee drinks and tea may satisfy your thirst, but give you lots of empty calories. What's worse is that, unlike eating solid food, drinking liquid calories doesn't make you feel full so you won't eat less food afterwards. Simply cutting a can of pop a day can help you lose 15 pounds in a year! Diet or zero-calorie pop offers no nutritional values either - it's just water added with artificial sweeteners and caffeine. Drink water instead. Carrying a bottle of water with you will encourage you sip it instead of reaching for sweetened beverages.

2. Snack Sensibly
Instead of regarding snacks as a treat in order to lose weight, regard them as a filler. Plan your snacks to fill the nutritional gap other meals may miss. For instance, if you do not eat enough calcium-rich foods at your three big meals, have a low-fat yogurt as snacks. If you do not eat enough whole grains, have a small whole-wheat sandwich. The key in your fight to lose weight is to plan your snacks ahead instead of letting your vending machine limit your choices. Good snack options include low-fat dairy, fruit, nuts, light popcorn and baked goods made with whole grains. In addition, don't snack just because everyone else in your office is or when you have nothing to do in front of the TV; snack only when you are hungry.

3. Fill your plate with Vegetables
Vegetables, especially the bright colored and dark green leafy ones, are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants and will help you lose weight. They are also high in fiber and hence very filling. In addition, they are low in calories - good to help lose weight and trim your waistline. When you fill up your stomach with veggies, you will less likely feel the urge to binge on meats and other desserts later on.

4. Eat Breakfast
People often skip breakfast. Some skip it because they are often too rushed in the morning and have little time to prepare. Some people skip it as a measure to maintain or lose weight. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast regularly actually are more easily able to control their weight than those who skip breakfast. Often times, skipping a meal results in an increased total caloric intake than if we just ate more frequently throughout the course of the day.

5. Stop when you are full
Do you continue to pour gasoline in your car even though it is full? If not, why do so to your own body? Our body is capable of sending satiety signal, so stop eating when you are full. Don't overeat for the sake of finishing the plate. If you feel guilty about wasting foods, simply doggie-bag it and save it for later.

Condoms

2007-06-07T02:21:00.000-07:00

What Is It?

Condoms are considered a barrier method of contraception. There are male condoms and female condoms. A male condom is a thin latex (a type of rubber) sheath that is worn on the penis. A female condom is a polyurethane sheath with a flexible ring at either end. One end is closed and is inserted into the vagina, the other end is open and the ring sits outside the opening of the vagina. The male condom is far more widely used and is sometimes called a "rubber" or "prophylactic."
How Does It Work?

The condom works by keeping semen (the fluid that contains sperm) from entering the vagina. The male condom is placed on a guy's penis when it becomes erect. It is unrolled all the way to the base of the penis while holding the tip of the condom to leave some extra rubber. This creates a space for semen after ejaculation and makes it less likely that the condom will break.

After the guy ejaculates, he should hold the condom at the base of the penis as he pulls out of the vagina. He must do this while the penis is still erect to prevent the condom from slipping off when he gets soft. If this happens, sperm could enter the vagina.

The female condom is inserted into the vagina using the closed-end ring. The other ring creates the open end of the condom. The sheath then lines the walls of the vagina creating a barrier between the sperm and the cervix. The male and female condoms should not be used at the same time because they can get stuck together and cause one or the other to slip during intercourse, making them ineffective. The female condom can be inserted up to 8 hours prior to intercourse. It should be removed immediately after sex.

A used condom should be thrown in the garbage, not down the toilet. Once a condom is used, it cannot be reused. A new condom should be used each time you have sex and it must be used from start to finish every time you have sex to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Never use oil-based lubricants such as mineral oil, petroleum jelly, or baby oil with condoms because the these substances can break down the rubber.

And if a condom ever seems dry, sticky, or stiff when it comes out of the package, or if it is past its expiration date, throw it away and use a new one. It's a good idea to have several condoms on hand in case there is a problem with one. It's best to store unused condoms in a cool, dry place.
How Well Does It Work?

Over the course of 1 year, 15 out of 100 typical couples who rely on male condoms alone to prevent pregnancy will have an accidental pregnancy. The use of the female condom is a little less reliable and 21 out of 100 couples will have an unintended pregnancy.

Of course, these are average figures and the chance of getting pregnant depends on whether you use this method correctly and every time you have sex. In fact studies show that, although it's possible for condoms to break or slip during intercourse, the most common reason that condoms "fail" is that the couple fails to use one at all.

Experts used to think that using spermicide with a condom would decrease the pregnancy rate as well as help fight against STDs. However, more recent information indicates that this is not necessarily true and spermicide does not help make condoms more effective.

In general, how well each type of birth control method works depends on a lot of things. One factor is whether the method chosen is convenient — and whether the person remembers to use it correctly all the time.

Abstinence (not having sex) is the only method that always prevents pregnancy and STDs.
Protection Against STDs

Most male condoms are made of latex. Those made of lambskin may offer less protection against some STDs, including HIV, so use of latex condoms is recommended. For people who may have an allergic skin reaction to latex, both male and female condoms made of polyurethane are available.

When properly used, latex and polyurethane condoms are effective against most STDs. Condoms do not protect against infections spread from sores on the skin not covered by a condom (such as the base of the penis or scrotum). For those having sex, condoms must always be used to protect against STDs even when using another method of birth control.
Possible Side Effects

Most men and women have no problems using condoms. Side effects that can occasionally occur include:

* allergy to latex condoms
* irritation of the penis or the vagina from spermicides or lubricants that some condoms are treated with

Who Uses It?

Couples who are responsible enough to stop and put a condom on each time before sex and people who want protection against STDs use condoms. Because condoms are the only method of birth control currently available for men, they allow the guy to take responsibility for birth control and STD protection. Condoms are also a good choice for people who do not have a lot of money to spend on birth control.
How Do You Get It?

Condoms are available without a prescription and are sold in drugstores, supermarkets, and even vending machines (in some stores, they're in the "Family Planning" aisle). Condoms come in different sizes, textures, and colors.
How Much Does It Cost?

Condoms are the least expensive and most available method of birth control — other than abstinence, of course. Male condoms cost about $0.50 to $1 each and are less expensive when they are bought in boxes that contain several condoms.

In addition, many health centers and family planning clinics (such as Planned Parenthood) and some schools distribute them free of charge. Female condoms are a little more expensive and cost about $2 to $3 per condom.

Facts about organic Foods

2007-06-07T00:58:00.000-07:00

Organic Foods Just what does it mean when a food is labeled organic? The U.S. Department of Agriculture finally issued a new national seal designed to bring clarity and assurance to consumers that foods bearing the seal are certified organic following USDA standards which were 10 years in the making.

Organic LabelBeginning Oct. 21, only foods certified as at least 95 percent organic - that is, produced without most pesticides, toxic fertilizers, growth hormones and antibiotics - will be allowed to carry the official "USDA organic" seal.

One caveat: The new rules apply only to food produced on or after Oct. 21, so it may be several months before the seal becomes commonplace in grocery aisles, particularly on packaged foods where the turnover is slower.

The new USDA national standards replace what had been a mishmash of certification systems run by individual states and private groups. The USDA seal will ensure consumers are actually purchasing a product that is truly organic rather than a creatively worded package that advertises itself as organic when only a few ingredients actually are.

Under the new rules, foods will be labeled as belonging to one of four categories:

1. Food that is 100 percent organic may carry the new "USDA organic" label and say "100% organic."
2. Food that is at least 95 percent organic may carry the new seal.
3. Food that is at least 70 percent organic will list the organic ingredients on the front of the package.
4. If a product is less than 70 percent organic, the organic ingredients may be listed on the side of the package but cannot say "organic" on the front.

The national organic program rules prohibit the use of conventional pesticides, petroleum- or sewage-sludge-based fertilizers, bioengineering or ionizing radiation and synthetic substances. Foods certified as organic must be produced using growing methods that minimize soil erosion and that maintain or enhance the fertility of the soil. Organic farms need to prove that these materials have not been used for at least three years. Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones, must be fed organic feed and have access to the outdoors. Before a product can be labeled "organic," an inspector visits the farm where the food is produced to make sure the farm meets USDA standards.

Look for the word "organic" and a small sticker version of the USDA organic seal on vegetables or pieces of fruit or on the sign above the organic produce display. The word "organic" and the seal may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese and other single-ingredient foods. Use of the seal is voluntary.

The federal government's stamp of approval is an important step toward mainstream acceptance for the rapidly growing industry. Organic food sales in the U.S. are increasing by about 20 percent a year and are expected to surpass $11 billion in 2002 and $20 billion in 2005.

The new USDA's national criteria for labeling are aimed at enabling consumers to make an educated choice among the foods they purchase and also include the safeguard of fines for misrepresentation. New federal laws for organic certification assess penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation of selling or labeling products "organic" when they are not or when organic food is contaminated with non-organic compounds. This means that the organic grapes can.t be contaminated by the non-organic apples. Separate tubs and wash water are used to trim and clean produce and if there is an organic display in a place where non-organics have been, it is required that the nonskid mats be replaced and the area cleaned with a mild, bleach solution.

Know this 99 Health Tips.

2007-06-07T00:46:00.000-07:00

If you get tired reading this, go back to bed, as on average we need to have 8.1 hours of sleep to re-charge our bodies.

People who have less than 6 hours sleep a night have a 70 % higher mortality rate, according to Californian studies. I'm currently studying spending 18 hours in bed, so will hopefully live to a 130.

When sleeping in your own, or someone else's bed, make sure the mattress is firm enough to support your body weight. With sufficient material, within the mattress that will act as a cushion to allow for the contours of the body to be supported.

Good effort, at least you're started, try and make it to the end!

Have a glass of water by your bed, and attempt to drink eight 8 oz glasses of water a day. At breakfast mix fruit juices with 50% water, to aid absorption, prevent rapid sugar levels in the blood, and to save money.

Make sure you don't skip breakfast, unless you get out of bed after 12 o'clock, then go straight for lunch.

Spend time at breakfast to plan out your day, take each day one day at a time, but make the most of them, planning is the key to success.

Smile, laugh be happy, don't take everything in life to serious, remember its alright to fart, apparently we all do it on average 13 times a day, and that includes ladies.

If you're going to fart, and you're in public, cough at the same time to cover up the noise. This is also a good stomach exercise.

Take a good quality multi-vitamin / mineral supplement each morning. A recent survey by the American National Food Council revealed that not one person from 21,500 consumed their optimum RDA of vitamins.

If you feel tired just after eating lunch, (the 2 o'clock slump), you are probably eating too much refined/processed carbohydrates, and your body has become carbohydrate sensitive. Try and eat more complex carbs, and add more protein and fibre to your meals. Oh yeah, don't forget to drink that water.

Remember every gram of alcohol has 7 calories, so if your aim is to have a flat stomach or lose weight, practice acting drunk or simply cut back on your alcohol intake.

Alcohol is a depressant, if feeling depressed don't take a drink, try and make yourself laugh, invite your friends round, and watch them get drunk, and fall all over the place.

When managing your weight avoid anything that is not in a measurable quantities.

Remember low fat foods, are often laced with sugar, which also has calories, just look at a low fat yoghurt.

By switching hands whilst eating, you are less coordinated, resulting in calories stuck on your face and clothes.

Line your stomach before you go out on a large drink binge. A cocktail of a pint of milk, and soft fruit, normally works well.

If exercise were a drug, we would all have a bottle in the kitchen cupboard.

Eat a balanced diet, lower in fat, lower in sugar salt and processed foods, eat more fibre and whole food products.

Diets don't work. Long term health and weight management should include healthy life style changes such as exercise and healthier whole foods.

Throw away your scales. Work on how you look and feel, not what you weigh, aim to lose weight in the form of unhealthy body fat.

When trying to lose fat, aim for a maximum of 1 1/2 pounds a week.

If spot reducing worked, all typists would have skinny fingers.

Crash dieting, over exercising and fasting will slow down your metabolism.

It's easy to lose weight. Keeping it off, is the hard part, exercise works.

Use common sense and pace yourself so you can talk occasionally when you exercise.

When you exercise, remind yourself, "I'm building a better body to live in".

The best aerobic exercise is the one you'll do, the best time to exercise is when you will do it.

Aim for a minimum of 3 sessions for at least 30 minutes of aerobic training, remember even sex can be a workout.

Exercise is one of the best ways to reduce stress, ask yourself how you feel, after working out.

Exercise for the older age group, helps to keep you young, by maintaining muscle tissue and bone density, the older you are, the more important it is that you exercise.

Upper body weight training will help you maintain a total lean body mass; more muscle equals a higher resting metabolic rate.

If you get out of breath when you exercise, you're probably going too fast.

Training too hard, may lower your fitness, resting your body, allows it to recover and rebuild itself properly. Don't over train, you'll just burn-up or melt.

After eating the last slice of cake, all overweight people will decide to go on the tomorrow diet, why don't they decide to exercise it off, as the tomorrow diet never comes?

The slimming industry is the most unsuccessful industry in the world today for people wanting to lose FAT, although it is financially sound!

If you are always surrounded by food, and can't stop picking, chew gum. Every time you put the food in your mouth you will ruin the gum.

Researchers have suggested that people who are deficient in various vitamins and minerals may overeat in an attempt to obtain the missing nutrients. Obesity is the unfortunate outcome.

Performing cardiovascular type activities (i.e. running, cycling, swimming, etc.) five times a week decreases your risk of type II diabetes by 45%.

Exercising two to four times a week reduces your risk by 40%; once a week, 25%. Exercise decreases your risk by reducing fat tissue in the body and making cells more responsive to insulin.

If you smoke, why don't you give up? I'm not going to lecture you on all the bad points that smoking has, as I'm sure you know it's a great provider of deaths in the family.

Most zip inflicted injuries occur on the down stroke. If this happens to you, try pulling the zip in the direction it came from, in one swift motion. Check the damage, and apply antiseptic cream and a bandage to stop the bleeding. Change all your clothes to button flies to avoid the above.

Don't squeeze those spots. Squeezing spots might be fun, however you can push the acne plug deeper into the skin, and cause the follicle wall to rupture, leaving a small shot gun wound on you. Try tea tree oil or aloe vera to prevent this look.

Stress lowers the immune system and exercise helps to counter stress. Over exercising puts pressure on the immune system, make sure you take those vitamins and minerals, and remember get fit to play sport, not play sport to get fit.

Avoid stopping every 2 minutes to tie your laces, when going for that run, at the start of your fitness regime, make sure you put a double knot in the laces.

When cycling to work, the gym, or anywhere else, keep the bike under lock and key, remember somebody may want yours, and force you to have a long walk home.

If you get a painful blister, studies have shown that piercing it within the first three hours can be effective. Aim to lance the blister in two places at opposite sides, taking care, as the fluid can spray out up to eleven feet. Check and clean regularly, don't use dirty needles, as this can lead to amputation.

Stress causes hormonal imbalances that may lower your sperm count, lower sperm count may stress you out, just think about who has to count the slippery bleeders.

Garlic rich diets, may be bad for your breath, but garlic causes your body to release nitric oxide, which keeps your arteries more pliable, resulting in a increase in circulation.

Diesel fumes have been found to contain 41 dangerous substances, they can give you more miles to the gallon, as well as cancer.

Chewing sugar free gum increases saliva flow which helps to neutralize plaque acidity. One unpleasant side effect is major wind, from sorbitol (sweetener) that is used in many brands. Aim for no more than a pack a day, unless you want to increase your daily farting average.

Avoid eye strain by looking away from the screen and focus on something in the distance, then focus on something close to you, do this now and whilst at work. Good excuse if you get caught looking at somebody, just tell him or her you're preventing eyestrain.

Relax with a glass or two of wine. The antioxidants it contains can give protection against heart disease.

Heart disease, cancer's etc. can run in the family. Check your family history and aim to get yourself checked out for any hereditary problems.

Buy, rent, borrow a dog. One of the best aerobic exercises for any fitness level is plain old walking. Remember to take the dog with you.

There are currently around 100,000 cases of food poisoning resulting in up to 200 deaths a year in the U. K. Make sure you wash and prepare food properly, check the sell buy dates, and if you get ill, drink plenty of fluid and stay in the bedroom closest to the bathroom.

Men's testosterone levels fall by about 25% in the late evening. Aim to put the morning erection to good use, as this is apparently when you are most horny.

Mobile phones increase your blood pressure if used for prolonged periods. Thought to be caused by blood vessels being constricted by radio frequency electromagnetic fields. My monthly phone bill raises my blood pressure.

Zinc gluconate lozenge's sucked every two hours have been found to help cold sufferers reduce the time of their symptoms. Unfortunately zinc causes more nausea and doesn't taste too good.

Dyslexics could improve their reading by wearing different colored lenses. Contact lenses help by noticeably reducing visual distortion.

Doing the ironing, washing, and cleaning has been found to improve your age Maybe this is why women live longer than men do.

Put more tomato sauce on your chips and other foods, it may not be good for your diet, but 3 to 4 serving a week can cut your risk of prostate cancer by a third.

Forget an apple a day keeps the doctor away; try a raw carrot and a banana. The beta-carotene and potassium can reduce your risk of heart disease by preventing plaque build up on the artery walls.

Do those sit ups, it is estimated that strengthening the abdominals can prevent 75% of lower back problems.

When training out in the dark, shutting one eye when a car's head lights are on you, will help prevent sudden night blindness. Remember to open the eye after the car has passed.

Pressing a wet tea bag against a cold sore acts as an antiseptic. The tannin from the tea will help reduce the condition, and the tea bag will stop other people coming in contact with you.

Improve your posture, by answering the phone whilst standing. If standing against a wall, push your shoulders and buttocks into the wall, then aim to eliminate any gaps, by pushing the lower back into the wall. Hold for 20 seconds, and then carry on a normal conversation. Avoid breathing heavily during the exercise.

If embarking on jogging or running for the first time since your school days, invest in a good pair of trainers to avoid physiotherapy bills. Shorter strides may help lesson the impact, if you have to use your old gym gear.

Wear socks when out running this will help prevent blisters, and also soak up sweat, which can help prevent your trainers stinking out the house.

Most trainers can be washed, however don't use too high a temperature during the wash, and allow to dry naturally with old newspaper inside. Tumble drying may lead to severe shrinking, damage to the trainers and a change in your shoe size.

Eating fat is not a problem; the problem lies in the type of fat you're eating. Aim to eat the essential fatty acids (EFA's) such as those found in oily fish, and avoid the so called healthier margarine's made from hydrogenated vegetable fats.

Some 25 % of adults have bad breath, normally brought on by smoking or bad foods. Avoid this by brushing your teeth twice a day, using a tongue scraper, as a significant amount of bacteria live on the tongue. Flossing between your teeth to remove food debris, and seeing a hygienist every three months is also advised.

Consult your doctor, a fitness instructor, or visit the church if you have any concerns about your health before embarking on any exercise routine.

After each work out, remember to stretch to help your body repair and recover. When doing this, keep yourself warm, and wipe away any sweat. Avoid standing around smelling of sweat, as the drying process can leave you with a cold.

Each year back pain, the second biggest reason for time of work, costs the British Industry more than 5 billion pounds, and 480 million pounds to the NHS. By doing some simple stretching and taking care of yourself with exercise, will result in less spending by the NHS, and hopefully lower taxes all round. (Possibly).

The common cold is the biggest reason for taking time off work. Dress well, exercise regularly, and above all take in those vitamins, especially vitamin C. The RDA in the U. K. is 60m.g. This will prevent you from catching scurvy but won't help you against a cold. Increase your dosage to bowel tolerance, normally between 1 and 3 grams.

A sneeze can travel at over 100 mph Look for the signs, such as opening of the mouth tilting the head back, shutting eyes and finally a fine mist nasal spray. Look for the signs to avoid the spray.

When showering, treat yourself to a head massage, to help relax you. It's also said to be good for stimulating hair growth. At the same time, improve your body circulation by washing the body in the direction of blood flow, i.e. towards the heart.

Avoid negative thoughts, and don't put yourself down. Work on making your mind and body strong, remember its you inside that says you can't do something, challenge those negative thoughts and make them positive.

In the last 20 years cases of testicular cancer has doubled. In the U. K. some 1,500 men between the ages of 20 and 35 get this form of cancer each year. So check your balls and if you find any lumps go show them to your doctor.

Breasts cancer studies have shown that fish oil and olive oil may keep breasts healthier. Linoleic acid found in sunflower or corn oil may increase the risk of tumors. What is certain is that obesity and a high alcohol level in older women are linked to a higher risk of developing breast cancer.

Remember to take a towel with you when you go to the gym. Sharing someone's towel also means you are sharing any health problems they may have, such as pubic lice or penile warts.

When flying, drink plenty of water and fruit juice. The high altitude and dry pressurized air, sucks the moisture from your body, causing your mucous membranes to dry out, making you more prone to viruses.

Remember to stand prior to flushing the toilet. Contaminated water droplets can give you intestinal bugs and other health problems, stand up observe your efforts, then flush them away.

Don't think you can smoke and exercise. Exercise increases your lung capacity, giving carcinogenic contaminates more lung space to give you lung cancer. Each day around 300 men die from smoking in the U. K.

Missed your workout, then think again. Research has shown that mental exercise can increase your physical strength.

Put your head back and daydream, scientists have shown it is a positive source of creativity - unlocking answers to your problems leading to better emotional and physical health. Daydreams can work in another practical way, as a form of motivation, encouraging us to try new experiences.

Exercise performance is improved by increasing your body's water content - so for once drink more. Put poor performance down to being dehydrated, just a 3% loss in body fluid, can result in a 7% loss in physical performance.

Being alone is good for your health. So instead of seeing time spent alone as a punishment see it as a time to refuel yourself, a time to recover from the overload of life.

Do something useful and make your orgasms more powerful. Imagine you're peeing and then contract and relax the muscles that stop the flow - more fun for boys and girls!

Outperform your work mates with a lunchtime workout -it'll ease stress and improve your performance.

Organize yourself, set some time aside for yourself to complete all the paper work, at both home and work, remember take care of your admin - a little a day keeps the stress at bay.

Keep your chin up with a bit of facial fitness, working those facial muscles may look stupid but it'll get rid of the double chin and bags.

Eat right with mood enhancing foods such as milk, yogurt, tuna and chicken, which contain high levels of brain food tryptophan.

Work those lips and wave goodbye to sexual boredom, according to ancient Chinese sexual techniques, the deep kiss has erotic possibilities.

Restrict your car usage anything 10 minutes or less walk - think of the savings in parking tickets.

Give yourself an incentive; buy some new gear so even if you are unfit you'll begin to look better.

Buy some skin care products and boost your skin's moisture levels and the good news is intensive care comes for under a tenner - try that good old favorite Oil of Ulay.

58 % of British men take no form of exercise. We can all do with exercise, join the Netfit Members, to improve your life. Let us help you to achieve your personal goals, to stay motivated and learn new exercises and correct technique.

Diet for Vegetarian

2007-06-07T00:39:00.000-07:00

Fortunately for most vegetarians their diets tend to be healthy, obviously low in saturated animal fats, and high in natural plant matter.

Unfortunately due to the fact that most vegetarian diets are healthy, finding one to enable you to lose weight will be hard to find.

Vegetarians should look at the foods that they eat, to find out which foods are high in calories, this will tend to be nuts, cheeses and various oils that food will be either cooked in or added as a side dressing.

There are now plenty of good books for vegetarian cuisine, look at trying new and different foods in order to extract the various minerals and vitamins that your body will require. Most vegetarians, especially those looking at reducing their calorie intake will be deficient in the trace elements that the body will require in order to function at its full potential.

I would strongly suggest supplements in the form of vitamins and minerals, look at boosting the ones that you are lacking through your diet, i.e. iron. Combine this with regular aerobic exercise and body conditioning to both increase and promote active weight loss.

H20 versus Coke

2007-06-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

We all know that water is important but you have never seen it written down like this before.

75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world population)

In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a U-Washington study.

Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?

COKE and it's many uses!

No wonder coke tastes soooo good:

1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and...let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, Remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, And run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

FYI:

1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its Ph is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days.

2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for Highly corrosive materials.

3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

Still Want To Drink Up?

START DOING CORSET PIERCINGS PROPERLY

2007-05-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

Every time BME is updated I get many pictures of “corset piercings” sent in. At this point they’ve become one of the most popular forms of surface piercings, and for good reason — they’re a very pretty, sexy piercing that can be extremely complimentary visually. But when I get these pictures, I’m far too often struck with a mix of sadness and anger. Sadness for the women who are being tricked into mutilation, and anger at the likely incompetent, irresponsible, and in my opinion, negligent piercers who are doing it to them.

Looks great, but the beauty is fleeting.

Surface piercings are never easy to heal, even single piercings with well chosen jewelry and a good site. I believe that it’s usually an acceptable risk though — some people will walk away from surface piercings, even done perfectly, left with an ugly scar rather than jewelry embedded in flesh. But in the case of corset piercings, the big problem is that almost always they’re done not with surface piercing jewelry designed to minimize the problems, but with simple captive bead rings which exacerbate the problems and almost guarantee failure.

Yes, these piercings will look nice for a little while, but not long afterwards they will start to get irritated, reject, and the women will be left not with a pretty set of rings, but with two rows of scars running up their backs where the piercings once were. Depending on their skin type and how long the piercings were kept, these scars may be highly visible, noticeably uneven, and can stay with them for life — as much as they may come with good memories, they are likely not the result hoped for when the wearer first saw the piercings and thought how pretty they looked.

Rejection scars from failed body piercings.

The fact that corset piercings done with rings are not viable piercings should be known to all but the most inexperienced piercers. Certainly doing a single test piercing and following up with the client — which is required if you’re doing something new and experimental — would illustrate this fact. That these piercers appear to be either unaware of this truth, or willing to overlook it, is deeply disturbing to me.

Why do they do it? In my opinion it’s one simple reason: they want a “cool” photo for their portfolio, and they care more about that than doing what’s right for their customers. As I said, I believe that most piercers doing this know that it’s going to fail. Sometimes they tell the client “it probably won’t work”, but of course the eager young person that’s been fantasizing about the piercing since they first saw it is rarely discouraged by this wishy-washy warning — after all, they’ll take care of their piercing, unlike those other people it failed on. It’s got to work, right? But no miracle will happen. The warning’s not even true — probably won’t? More accurately put, this piercing almost certainly won’t work, will at best fail as anything but a play piercing, and at worst leave the customer with serious and permanent unsightly scars.

It is true that some people can heal a ring in a surface piercing, or at least keep it for a while. It’s very rare for it to happen without a great deal of visibly obvious irritation, but it can happen, especially in people who are older and have skin that’s lost its elasticity. But I’ve never seen anyone who can hold a dozen surface piercings done with rings in the long term without serious scarring and rejection problems. This is not a viable piercing done this way.

They look great, but if left in, these will not heal successfully, and will leave scars.
They may be ideal as play piercings and temporary ritualized beauty, but they can’t be kept.

Now, I’m almost angrier at people who use the “inexperienced” excuse. Any piercer that says “I didn’t know any better” is being negligent, since they are doing a piercing that they’re not only not qualified to do, but have done little to no follow-up with their customers on to see how surface piercings heal. Even living in a vacuum, all it would take is doing one or two rings as a test and watching them for a month, to show a piercer the obvious problems... but taking precautions voids the cool photo, and I guess that’s more important?

If you’re just doing the piercings for “dress up” on a special occasion (I know people who’ve had these for both Prom and Halloween outfits), then go for the corset rings if you want to. But then we’re not really talking about body piercing, are we? We’re in the realm of temporary play piercing, which while very valid, isn’t what this article is about (and I got a few angry emails from piercers when I filed their corset photos in that section, and if you read people’s stories in BME’s archives, most want them to be permanent) — this method of doing a corset piercing is not acceptable if the client has any desire for a piercing that lasts.

Don’t get me wrong — I’m not saying people shouldn’t do corset piercings or difficult to heal piercings in general. The fact that I think anyone who lets their monkey drive at 200 mph on the highway is a fool doesn’t mean I have a basic problem with doing 200 mph on the autobahn — or with monkeys. After all, I’ve published articles on and perhaps even encouraged things as obviously risky and prone to failure as eyelid piercing. People just have to be responsible and do things the best way possible, and doing a corset piercing with rings is about the worst way possible. That said, they very much can be done right.

There is jewelry designed to deal with these placements — surface bars most obviously, which can be fitted with beads that have rings mounted on them, and while not quite as graphic in appearance, come close to the look of rings alone and actually can be healed. For other people flexible jewelry such as Tygon or PTFE-based bars have been successful, but I believe surface bars are a far better option. Even transdermal implants do better than captive bead rings. It’s still not going to be easy, and the piercings or implants will have to be babied for a long time before they can really be called healed, but at least it moves it into the realm of the possible and worth doing for something other than a photo or a two-day fantasy.

Done with proper jewelry, this piercing can be kept in the long term.
There is still a high risk of rejection, but it is hugely minimized.

By writing this article I may have guaranteed that a group of piercers and piercing fans who send me cool photos — which I enjoy as much as they do — will stop contributing to the site. I apologize if I’ve hurt your feelings, and I hope you’ll keep working with BME, but this has to be called out. Even if you know it’s temporary and are OK with that, too many people go into it with dreams of keeping them. After years of looking at these piercings and wondering how the client is going to feel when they’ve moved from jewelry to scarification, I feel it’s important to make this warning public.

Please piercers, don’t do something for the sake of a photo. Don’t put your portfolio’s cool-factor ahead of the welfare of your customers. And those of you considering difficult piercings — please understand these are permanent modifications to your body. They may look pretty for the first week, but is that worth a lifetime of scars that you may not enjoy quite as much? By all means, do it, but do it right.

www.bmezine.com

Penis size is determined by Genetic traits

2007-05-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

The size of your penis is simply determined by factors, called genetic traits, which you inherited from your parents. There is nothing you can do to increase or decrease the size of your penis -- it will develop into its adult size as you change from a boy to a man through the process called puberty. Most boys start the changes of puberty between 10 and 14 years of age, though a few will start earlier or later than these ages. First, the testicles (balls) begin to enlarge and then hair starts to grow around the them. The penis then starts to enlarge, first in length and then later in thickness. Though there is much normal variation, the final penis size is reached four to six years after the testicles first started to enlarge.

This process of normal penis growth can be disturbing to many males. Since the testicles enlarge first (and later followed by growth of the penis), many young male teens do not notice the testicles growing and worry that they are not changing and that their penis is too small. If you are overweight, fat tissue can hide the penis somewhat and give an impression that the penis is smaller than it really is. Some males in your class may have started their changes of puberty well ahead of you and they may seem like they have an adult-size penis-that can be very upsetting! It is difficult to know how large a penis will be in its erect state, simply by looking at it when not erect (or when flaccid).

It is also true that adult penis size varies considerably from person to person. Just as with any body part, different people will have different penis sizes. We live in a society that pushes a myth that the male with a larger penis has a better sex life than one with a smaller penis. This is constantly noted in sexual jokes, in comments heard on TV, or in the movies and in many other places. Well, the truth is that normal penises vary tremendously in size, and sex is just as good for each of these males. You will need to wait a year or two after your overall height has stopped changing to see what final size your penis will be. If at any time during your growing, you are worried that your penis is abnormal, just go to your doctor and ask him or her directly about this. In almost every case, you will be told that it is fine.

Kiss your way up to Good Health.

2007-05-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

It helps prevent tooth decay (better than brushing your teeth?) Dr. Peter Gorden, Dental Advisor at the British Dental Association, explains. “After eating, your mouth is full of sugar solution and acidic saliva, which cause plaque build up. Kissing is nature's own cleaning process”, he adds. “It stimulates saliva flow and brings plaque levels down to normal.” I asked my dentist and after he blushed, he agreed.

It relieves tension. A passionate kiss is a great relaxation technique, says stress consultant, Michelle Kay Mcnabb. " When your mouth is in a kissing position, you are almost smiling and as our emotions and body language are so closely linked, it's almost impossible to smile and feel tense at the same time," she explains. "Also, your breathing becomes deeper and your eyes close when you kiss; that's what you do when you relax. It's a perfect way to shut out the world."

It helps you lose weight.-- just how long can you do that? You need use 3000 calories to lose one pound, i.e., 30,000 minutes, 500 hours... "A long kiss makes the metabolism burn up sugar faster than usual," says Claire Potter. "The calories burned depend on the intensity, but you can rely on 10 calories for every 10 minutes."

It slows the aging process. (That's important! ) "Kissing helps to tone your cheek and jaw muscles, so they're less likely to sag," says Cosmo's Fitness Consultant, Claire Potter.

It increases fitness levels. (Okay, now there is really no reason why you can't start some exercise now). “Your heart is pumping, your pulse is racing..."If kissing is exciting, you release adrenaline into the bloodstream and your heart pumps more blood around your body,” says Dr. Susan Hotchkies. "It's a great cardiovascular workout."

It’s a good indication of what's to come. (Make sure he or she is not married, please ). Kissing a new guy gives you the perfect opportunity to check out his pheromones - the chemical messengers that signal sexual attraction. " The first kiss is always a good way to work out if there's any chemistry between you, "says Paul Brown, a sexual and marital therapist. " In humans, it's thought that smells plays a vital part in subconscious attraction, and if your pheromones aren't 'in tune', you're unlikely to hit off!

It boosts self-esteem. (Just make sure you have a good dental insurance and be careful with braces on your teeth!) There's nothing better than a passionate kiss for a major dose of feel good factor. "In theory, when you're kissing, you're happy. And when you're happy, you feel good about yourself," says psychotherapist Paul Zeal.

Now don't just go around kissing anybody!

What you don't know about your eyes.

2007-05-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

Eyes are the most complex organs you possess except for your brain.

Eyes are composed of more than two million working parts.

Eyes can process 36,000 bits of information every hour.

Eyes under the right conditions, can discern the light of a candle at a distance of 14 miles.

Eyes contribute towards 85% of your total knowledge.

Eyes utilize 65% of all the pathways to the brain.

Eyes can instantaneously set in motion hundreds of muscles and organs in your body.

Eyes in a normal life-span, will bring you almost 24 million images of the world around you.

Eyes the external muscles that move the eyes are the strongest muscles in the human body for the job that they have to do. They are 100 times more powerful than they need to be.

Eyes the adult eyeball measures about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Of its total surface area only one-sixth is exposed -- the front portion.

Eyes the eye is the only part of the human body that can function at 100% ability at any moment, day or night, without rest. Your eyelids need rest, the external muscles of your eyes need rest, the lubrication of your eyes requires replenishment, but your eyes themselves "never" need rest. But please rest them!

Eyes are your most precious sense... care for them properly!

9 ways to help cut the calories.

2007-05-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

1.
Cut out empty calories
Foods that are processed or contain sugars and white flour are the worst offenders. This list would include soda pop and other sugary drinks, cookies, cakes, crackers, chips, French fries, fruit roll-ups, candy.
2.
Fill up on vegetables
Everyone knows that these foods are good for you. They also fill you up and you are less likely to overeat. Go for non-starchy vegetables that have few calories and are sometimes considered “free foods” in calorie controlled diets.
3.
Avoid soda pop and other sweetened beverages.

Actually, this message fits under the first secret above – to avoid empty calories. But it is so important that we are stating it again. Cutting out sugary drinks is the probably the single most important and easiest thing you can do to cut calories, lose weight, and improve your health.

Drink water and unsweetened tea – these are drinks that are good for you, satisfy thirst the best, and have no calories. Try green tea – a great metabolism booster, and may prevent cancer and heart disease as well.
4.
Increase the fiber content of your diet
Remember, you cannot digest fiber, so it has no calories. Fiber is very filling and allows you to eat more volume and feel satisfied. The body has to work hard to extract the calories from fiber. This helps to keep blood sugar levels even, insulin levels low, and a lid on your appetite. You can obtain fiber from a variety of sources. Beans and other legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables provide a variety of fiber types.
5.
Watch portion sizes
Most of us have “portion distortion”. We heap our plates with pasta, we supersize our burgers and fries, and we generally eat a lot more at one time than our bodies can handle. A meat or protein serving is 3 oz., not the 12 oz. steak served by restaurants. A serving of starchy foods (rice, potatoes, pasta) is only ½ cup. Try measuring your portions for a few days to get a mental picture in your mind. Or try the Sonoma Diet, which uses plate and bowl sizes and trains your eye to fill them with the right amount of food. You will find that you are satisfied with smaller portions if you eat slowly and savor every bite.
6.
Keep a food journal
Research on dieters who have succeeded at weight loss and have kept it off for several years show that this is the most useful strategy for the majority. Another study reported that keeping a food journal was the best predictor of weight loss success through a year-long diet program.
7.
Watch hidden sources of calories.
These may be in foods you don’t expect. Salad dressings, sandwich spreads that contain mayonnaise, and other fat-laden foods and condiments may pack a huge calorie punch. That low-calorie salad can suddenly become a high-fat food when you heap on the dressing. Use these condiments sparingly or find lower-calorie substitutes. Read labels when available.
8.
Eat slowly, and don’t “shovel”!
It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to realize “I’m full.” Instead of reaching for second helpings, wait a little while. You will find it easier to push yourself from the table.
9.
Eat at home or pack your own lunch
Restaurant and fast food fare tends to be high in fat and calories and may even contain a high amount of toxic trans fats. When you do dine out, do your homework. Check out nutrition information on their website, study the menu, and ask questions of the waiter. Know what you’re eating.

Are weight loss supplements harmful or helpful?

2007-05-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

It would be nice if weight loss were as simple as swallowing a pill and presto … a new you! But you know that there are no solutions as simple as a magic bullet diet pill.

The truth is that many supplements on the market have no solid scientific basis to support their claims, or they are not sold in high enough doses to really work.

Unfortunately, research is still scanty for most over the counter weight loss supplements.

Since natural substances cannot be patented, there is not enough financial incentive to support research in these areas. Instead, pharmaceutical companies have poured money into R&D of new weight loss drugs.

But there are problems with prescription drugs. Although they do must show effectiveness and meet safety requirements before being approved by the FDA, problems sometimes show up later. Some of the most effective weight loss drugs have been removed from the market due to dangerous side effects.

Some natural supplements may be helpful weight loss aids. In fact, there are a few that we highly recommend.

Get the skinny on metabolism boosters, appetite suppressors, and more. But remember, no diet pill can take the place of a good diet and exercise program.

What I dislike about Medifast.

2007-05-28T13:11:00.001-07:00

First of all, the weight that comes off quickly may also go back on quite rapidly. You almost always lose valuable muscle on a low calorie diet. Your metabolism can drop, making it harder and harder to maintain the weight loss. Remember, weight loss does not always equal fat loss.

The low calorie diet makes it difficult to have enough energy for exercise. But exercise is key to maintaining metabolism, muscle mass, and bone density while dieting. You may never regain that lost muscle … certainly not without a lot of muscle-building exercise.

Another problem I have with Medifast is this. When you rely on pre-packaged food products, you lose out on the opportunity to learn new eating and exercise habits. If you choose Medifast, you must transition off of the diet slowly to avoid rapid weight regain.

This is not a diet you will likely continue for life. And if you did, you would probably be missing out on a lot of valuable nutrients (not to mention enjoyment) by avoiding real food. You will not get a lot of fruits and vegetables on this program. The best type of diet is one which you can maintain for a lifetime. That is the only way to keep the weight off for good.

In summary, this program is about quick weight loss. It is a temporary program and may work well for some of you.

If you do decide to choose the Medifast program to lose weight, be aware that you may feel tired, light-headed, or have a headache the first week. After that, your body should adjust and you should feel better. Some folks even feel much more energetic than they did while eating too many calories!

If you have diabetes, your blood sugar may be much lower, requiring a decrease in your medication. Obviously, you should be in close contact with your physician to monitor this. If you are on blood pressure medication, you may also need to reduce your dose. This is especially true if you are on a diuretic (water pill). You should have your electrolytes monitored (a simple blood test).

And if you are over age 65, have kidney or liver disease, history of a stroke, heart disease, Type 1 diabetes, a history of eating disorders, or psychiatric problems, you may not be a good candidate for this program. Certain medications may also cause problems for you on this diet. Talk to your doctor and read the Medifast information carefully.

My recommendations to you if you choose Medifast:

* Be sure to check with your doctor if you have any medical problems before you start
* Drink lots of water
* Take a fish oil supplement
* Consider Synergy multivitamin/mineral supplement with fish oil and the 3 rejuvenators to enhance your nutrition and weight loss

Eat Snack on nuts to lose weight.

2007-05-28T12:59:00.000-07:00

How can this be? Most diets caution you against eating nuts due to their high fat and calorie content.

However, a 2007 Spanish study published in Obesity reported that study participants who ate nuts at least 2 times per week had less weight gain after more than 2 years of follow-up. Those with little nut consumption gained more weight over the 28 month study period.

So, if you like nuts, there’s no need to cut them out of your diet. They can be a healthy snack (in moderation, of course).

Why are nuts helpful?

Nuts contain protein. Protein can boost metabolism and decrease hunger better than other nutrients.

Nuts contain healthy fats which stimulate fat burning enzymes through PPAR receptors. These good fats also stimulate CCK production in the intestines. CCK goes to the brain to turn off hunger.

Nuts are low in carbohydrates, so they have a low glycemic load. They don’t stimulate insulin production.

In a nutshell, nuts stimulate the right enzymes and hormones to boost metabolism and squash hunger. Snacking on nuts will help you keep your insulin levels down, enabling you to burn more fat.

What’s more, when you eat nuts you are less likely to eat unhealthy snack foods that contain sugar or trans fat.

So, nuts to you!

Eating them raw and unsalted is best.

The healthiest nuts to eat?

* Almonds
* Walnuts
* Brazil nuts
* Pine nuts
* Pecans
* Hazelnuts

Peanuts are not truly a nut, but a legume. They contain more carbohydrates than true nuts. Peanuts also carry aflatoxin, a carcinogen. Tree nuts may be a better choice.

Store your nuts in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent the healthy oils from turning rancid.

Try this delicious recipe as a snack or appetizer, or experiment with your own favorite seasonings:

Toasted Savory Nuts

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix 2 cups raw nuts with 2 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp. pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes or until they become fragrant without burning. Serve while still warm.

Where to spot the G-Spot

2007-05-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

The term "G-Spot" was first introduced to the public at large in the book, "The G Spot and Other Recent Discoveries About Human Sexuality" in the 1980s. It referred to an article from 1950 in the International Journal of Sexology in which gynecologist, Dr. Ernest Grafenberg wrote about erotic sensitivity along the anterior vaginal wall.

While many people have read or heard about Grafenberg, few have read his actual words. In reality, Grafenberg only uses the word "spot" twice and he uses it to make the opposite point to the way it has been popularly used. He states that "there is no spot in the female body, from which sexual desire could not be aroused. Innumerable erotogenic spots are distributed all over the body, from where sexual satisfaction can be elicited; these are so many that we can almost say that there is no part of the female body which does not give sexual response, the partner has only to find the erotogenic zones."

fireworksThe Grafenberg spot (G-Spot) is said to be a sensitive area just behind the front wall of the vagina, between the back of the pubic bone and the cervix. Beverly Whipple, a certified sex educator and counselor, and John D. Perry, an ordained minister, psychologist, and sexologist, named the G-Spot after gynecologist Ernest Grafenberg (1881-1957).

Dr. Grafenberg was the first modern physician to describe the area and argue for its importance in female sexual pleasure. His claim is that when this spot is stimulated during sex through vaginal penetration of some kind (fingers during masturbation, penis or other object partly thrusting into the vagina), some women have an orgasm. This orgasm may include a gush of fluid from the urethra -- sometimes called the “female ejaculation” -- however, many experts do not agree on this. It is not considered urine. Is this real? Many gynecologists and physiologist still argue.

There has been a large amount of controversy among sex researchers regarding this theory. For women who have felt this gush of urethral fluid, or for those who have found a new pleasure spot, having a name for it confirms their experience.

But remember, not all women are sensitive in this area, so be careful not to set up unrealistic expectations for yourself. Try it out; if it works, great, if it doesn't seem sensitive, try to find the spot(s) that are right for you!

Female Ejaculation.

2007-05-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

There is a some disagreement whether or not there really is a form of 'female ejaculation'. Female ejaculation is believed to be caused by a release of fluid from the Skene's glands. These glands are located inside the urethra. The Skene’s gland is similar to the prostate gland in guys. It produces a fluid that is similar to the chemical composition of prostatic fluid -- which is what makes up the majority of semen. (It’s possible that some urine may leak out during sex from pressure on the bladder for some women. This is not to say that ejaculation fluid is urine). When 'non-scientific' lab tests were done on fluid produced from from the Skene’s gland and during female ejaculation, it was determined to not be urine at all.

Some women may produce greater amounts of fluid from these glands than others, which explains why some women seem to gush during an orgasm while others many do not.

Remember, not all women will have the capability of ejaculating or certainly not every time they have intercourse. It's not something that takes place every time a female experiences an orgasm either, so it does not reflect the quality or enjoyment of the sexual experience.

The amount of fluid that flows out can go from a few drops to a few tablespoonfuls. Stimulating a female’s G-Spot may be a way to help her ejaculate. This will vary from person to person.

Breast Cancer: Who is at Risk?

2007-05-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

No one knows the exact causes of breast cancer. Physicians can seldom explain why one woman gets breast cancer and another does not. We do know that bumping, bruising, or touching the breast does not cause breast cancer. Cancer is not contagious.

Research has shown that women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop breast cancer. A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease.

Studies have found the following risk factors for breast cancer:

Age: The chance of getting breast cancer goes up as a woman gets older. A woman over age 60 is at greatest risk. This disease is very uncommon before menopause, but it does occur in women younger than thirty.

Personal history of breast cancer: A woman who has had breast cancer in one breast has an increased risk of getting this disease in her other breast.

Family history: A woman's risk of breast cancer is higher if her mother, sister, or daughter had breast cancer, especially at a young age (before age 40). Having other relatives with breast cancer on either her mother's or her father's side of the family may also increase a woman's risk.

Reproductive and menstrual history: The older a woman is when she has her first child, the greater her chance of breast cancer.

Women who began menstruation (had their first menstrual period) at an early age (before age 12), went through menopause late (after age 55), or never had children also are at an increased risk.

Women who take menopausal hormone therapy (either estrogen alone or estrogen plus progestin) for 5 or more years after menopause also appear to have an increased chance of developing breast cancer.

Race: Breast cancer occurs more often in white women than Hispanic, Asian, or African American women.

Alcoholic beverages: Some studies suggest that the more alcoholic beverages a woman drinks, the greater her risk of breast cancer.

A woman who thinks she may be at risk of breast cancer should discuss this concern with her health care provider. The health care provider may suggest ways to reduce the risk and can plan an appropriate schedule for checkups.

Eating slower gets you full quickly.

2007-05-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

Do you savor or do you shovel? Your food, that is.

If you eat slowly and savor your food, chances are you eat less and enjoy it more.

On the other hand, if you shovel your food, cleaning your plate in record time, you are likely to eat bigger portions and return for seconds. Yet, you may not be taking the time to enjoy your food.

Our bodies have their own “inner wisdom”. Instinctively, our bodies know when to stop eating due to built-in checks and balances. We have hormones to tell us when we’re hungry. And other hormones signal satiety, or fullness.

But there’s a catch to this. The full signals take time. They don’t immediately shout “Step Away from the Buffet” in a megaphone voice. When you take the time to eat slowly, you will give the satiety mechanisms a chance to kick in.

Some dieters have found that if they put down their fork between bites, or take time to chat with their dinner partners (without a mouth full of food, of course), they can prolong eating time. And give them time to enjoy the whole dining experience.

The most important technique is to stop eating BEFORE you feel full. Then, be patient. You will likely feel relatively satisfied 20 – 30 minutes after starting your meal. We’re not talking about stuffed. Just comfortable. It’s important to stop before you get that full-to-the-brim feeling. Tell yourself that you can have a snack or (small) dessert later if you feel hungry. No need to panic about not getting enough food!

How does this feeling of satiety work? Several hormones get into the picture. Hormones made in your digestive tract can spell the All-Full signal to your brain.

True hunger is driven by an empty stomach as well as a brain and muscles that need fuel. When your stomach feels empty, it produces a hunger hormone called ghrelin. Ghrelin causes your stomach to growl, so to speak. Ghrelin goes to the appetite center of the brain to stimulate the familiar feeling of hunger.

To turn off ghrelin, you simply need to fill your stomach. You actually feel less hunger as soon as you have even a little food in your stomach.

Your stomach knows it’s full mostly by stretch receptors. So any food that takes up space will fill you up easier. Foods that add bulk contain either fiber or water. Fiber works by attracting water molecules and then binding them. Soups, salads, fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains have fiber. Most of these contain water as well.

Note that fat does NOT take up a lot of space and does not make your stomach feel full. Unfortunately, you can eat a lot of fat calories before you have a chance to realize that you’ve had enough.

Fat does help satisfy appetite in its own way, however. Both fat and protein stimulate another hormone that is important for immediate feedback control of satiety. That is CCK, or cholecystekinin. CCK is produced by the small intestine, and in turn, turns off appetite by affecting the brain. CCK also keeps you from emptying your stomach, so it prevents ghrelin from growling again for a while.

Proteins and fats both stimulate CCK, but again, this takes time. The food needs to get through the stomach and in to the small intestine. This may take 20 – 30 minutes.

So, savor your food, sloooowly. Chances are, you will be satisfied with less. And lose weight effortlessly in the process.

Use water therapy to lose weight

2007-05-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

Drink More Water to Lose Weight

If you feel hungry, drink some water first. Maybe you were just thirsty.

Sometimes we don’t always interpret our body signals well. We may think we are hungry when all we need is to drink water. Often, our thirst sensors are not sensitive. By the time we notice our mouth feeling dry, we may be far behind in our fluid intake.

Water can:

* Fill you up and decrease appetite
* Speed up metabolism
* Improve blood flow
* Substitute for other beverages that contain calories, allowing you to improve calorie balance
* Improve digestion

Recent research reported at the annual meeting of the Obesity Society found that those who increase their water intake by 2 cups a day lost an extra 2 pounds in a year’s period. And those who substituted water for sugary drinks lost an additional 5 pounds a year.

Recent studies have shown that we can increase our metabolism up to 30% faster just by drinking ice water. Some of this effect is due to the presence of the water itself. The coldness of the water is also a factor. The body has to expend energy in order to warm the water to room temperature. What a great way to burn calories!

Many of us are chronically dehydrated and you may be as well. When you are dehydrated, your blood flow is a little sluggish. Your bowels may be sluggish. You may feel fatigued. Cellular mechanisms just don’t work quite as well. Fat burning and getting rid of by-products of metabolism can slow down.

Muscles just don’t perform as well when you are dehydrated. Competitive athletes know this secret. They must be well-hydrated before the big game in order to play at their best. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t treat your body with the same care and attention.

Water can also be filling. It takes up a lot of space. So when it distends your stomach, it helps create a feeling of fullness. There are stretch receptors in the stomach that sense when you are full. But they cannot distinguish between a glass of water and a boatload of apple pie. These receptors trigger hormones like CCK to tell your brain that you are full. You no longer need to seek food. The hunger drive is calmed.

So how much water should you drink? You should probably drink between 2 and 3 quarts/liters of fluid daily. You may need to increase this number if you are exercising heavily, have a fever, or live in dry desert-like conditions.

Lose weight and build some muscles.

2007-05-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

If you want to lose weight and burn fat, you need to build muscle. Developing new muscle is the quickest, and most lasting, way to weight loss success. Why?

Muscle tissue is metabolically active – it burns a lot of calories. People who have a lot of muscle have a higher metabolic rate. This means that they can burn more calories … and more fat … even when they are NOT exercising.

Unfortunately, most dieters who don’t use this muscle-building secret will lose muscle as they lose weight. They may also lose strength and balance. And their metabolic rate will go down, down, down. They may find it impossible to maintain their weight loss.

You can thwart the metabolic slow-down that often follows weight loss by building more fat-burning muscle.

When you develop muscle while trimming the fat, you look lean, firm, slender. When you lose muscle along with the fat, you may look like a bowl of jelly.

If you want to accelerate weight loss and fat burning, then you must tap into the secret of muscle-building exercise.
How do you build muscle?

Strength training is the best exercise for building muscle. You also need to support muscle with adequate protein in the diet.

Regular strength training can take the form of exercising with:

* Free weights
* Weight machines
* Cables
* Elastic bands
* Water exercises
* Body weight exercises and calisthenics
* Yoga
* Pilates
* Isometric exercises

Strength training can easily be done at home or in a gym.

For best weight loss results, concentrate on building the big muscles of the body. Body sculpting is extra but will not give you the metabolic boost that you get from strengthening your big muscles.

Concentrate on your thighs, your butt, your back and core muscles, shoulders and upper arms. You will look leaner, have better posture, and feel more powerful.

If you have not been participating in strength training before now, you will be pleasantly surprised by your results.

Eliminate Trans Fats

2007-05-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Trans fats will make you fat! Get rid of them … all of them. Trans fats are diet dangers.

This unnatural type of fat can cause you to gain weight. But that’s not all! Trans fats also redistribute your fat … leading to a fat belly. Abdominal fat is associated with insulin resistance, heart disease, and diabetes.

Monkeys given a calorie-controlled diet still gained more than 7% of their body weight when trans fats were part of their diet, according to a Wake Forest study presented to the American Diabetes Association. Monkeys fed the same number of calories without the trans fat showed minimal weight gain.
What are trans fats?

Trans fats are manufactured fats, designed to improve the shelf-life of processed foods. They are created by adding hydrogen atoms to vegetable oils like soybean and cottonseed oils.
What is a safe level of trans fat in your diet?

Answer: Zero is safe. Anything above that is can be harmful to your health and to your waistline.

The famous Nurses’ Health Study determined that a 2% increase in trans fat in a woman’s diet doubled her risk of coronary heart disease. 1 Yikes!
Why are trans fats so bad?

Recent research has shown that trans fat has the power to:

* Trigger weight gain
* Increase abdominal distribution of fat
* Increase insulin resistance and increase diabetes risk
* Increase LDL (bad) cholesterol and decrease HDL (good cholesterol)
* Increase the risk of coronary heart disease 2
* Increase the risk of Alzheimers dementia
* Increase inflammation in the body

Where do you find trans fats?

Essentially, in processed foods. Fast food and restaurant dishes are another major source. Harmful trans fats are not found in nature and are not present in whole foods. 3

Many restaurants and fast food establishments use trans fats, especially for frying. Fried chicken, French fries, and other deep-fried fast food favorites contain high levels of these dangerous fats.

Partially hydrogenated oils are found in over 40,000 processed foods sold to the American public. Common culprits are:

* Baked goods and mixes (crackers, cookies, cakes, pastries, bread)
* Chips
* Salad dressings
* Margarine and shortening
* Crescent rolls and biscuits
* Mayonnaise
* Microwave popcorn
* Frozen foods

The FDA now requires that food labels specify the amount of trans fats in processed foods. However, there is a “loophole” … if one serving contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat, the label can say “zero trans fat”. So, if you eat enough of these foods, you will still be eating a significant amount of trans fat. Buyer (eater) beware!

It may be difficult to avoid trans fats completely, but we recommend that you do your best. Here are some suggestions:

* Substitute unprocessed fats for the trans fats in your diet
* Use salad dressings made out of olive oil or other healthy oils
* Avoid margarines and spreads containing trans fats
* Favor restaurants that avoid the use of trans fats in cooking
* Search for baked products without partially hydrogenated fats
* Read labels carefully

Flabbergasting Expiration Dates

2007-05-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

A handy, who-knew guide to 77 foods, beauty products, and household goods

Surprising Expiration Dates
Keate
Certain items in your house practically scream “toss me” when their prime has passed. That mysterious extra white layer on the Cheddar? A sure sign it needs to be put out of its misery. Chunky milk? Down the drain it goes.

But what about that jar of olives or Maraschino cherries that has resided in your refrigerator since before the birth of your kindergartner? Or the innumerable nonedibles lurking deep within your cabinets and closets: stockpiled shampoo and toothpaste, seldom-used silver polish? How do you know when their primes have passed?

With help from experts and product manufacturers, Real Simple has compiled a guide to expiration dates. These dates are offered as a rough guideline. The shelf lives of most products depend upon how you treat them. Edibles, unless otherwise indicated, should be stored in a cool, dry place. (With any food, of course, use common sense.) Household cleaners also do best in a dry place with a stable temperature. After the dates shown, beauty and cleaning products are probably still safe but may be less effective.

Food
# Beer

Unopened: 4 months.

# Brown sugar

Indefinite shelf life, stored in a moistureproof container in a cool, dry place.

# Chocolate (Hershey bar)

1 year from production date

# Coffee, canned ground

Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 1 month refrigerated

# Coffee, gourmet

Beans: 3 weeks in paper bag, longer in vacuum-seal bag (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Ground: 1 week in sealed container

# Coffee, instant

Unopened: Up to 2 years
Opened: Up to 1 month

# Diet soda (and soft drinks in plastic bottles)

Unopened: 3 months from "best by" date.
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected.

# Dried pasta

12 months

# Frozen dinners

Unopened: 12 to 18 months

# Frozen vegetables

Unopened: 18 to 24 months
Opened: 1 month

# Honey

Indefinite shelf life

# Juice, bottled (apple or cranberry)

Unopened: 8 months from production date
Opened: 7 to 10 days

# Ketchup

Unopened: 1 year (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Opened or used: 4 to 6 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

# Maple syrup, real or imitation

1 year

# Maraschino cherries

Unopened: 3 to 4 years
Opened: 2 weeks at room temperature; 6 months refrigerated

# Marshmallows

Unopened: 40 weeks
Opened: 3 months

# Mayonnaise

Unopened: Indefinitely
Opened: 2 to 3 months from “purchase by” date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

# Mustard

2 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

# Olives, jarred (green with pimento)

Unopened: 3 years
Opened: 3 months

# Olive oil

2 years from manufacture date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

# Peanuts

Unopened: 1 to 2 years unless frozen or refrigerated
Opened: 1 to 2 weeks in airtight container

# Peanut butter, natural

9 months

# Peanut butter, processed (Jif)

Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 6 months; refrigerate after 3 months

# Pickles

Unopened: 18 months
Opened: No conclusive data. Discard if slippery or excessively soft.
# Protein bars (PowerBars)

Unopened: 10 to 12 months. Check "best by" date on the package.

# Rice, white

2 years from date on box or date of purchase

# Salad dressing, bottled

Unopened: 12 months after "best by" date
Opened: 9 months refrigerated

# Soda, regular

Unopened: In cans or glass bottles, 9 months from "best by" date
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected

# Steak sauce

33 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

# Tabasco

5 years, stored in a cool, dry place

# Tea bags (Lipton)

Use within 2 years of opening the package

# Tuna, canned

Unopened: 1 year from purchase date
Opened: 3 to 4 days, not stored in can

# Soy sauce, bottled

Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 3 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

# Vinegar

42 months

# Wine (red, white)

Unopened: 3 years from vintage date; 20 to 100 years for fine wines
Opened: 1 week refrigerated and corked

# Worcestershire sauce

Unopened: 5 to 10 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Opened: 2 years

For more information, see:
How to Protect Your Produce
How to Save an Open Bottle of Wine

Household Products
# Air freshener, aerosol

2 years

# Antifreeze, premixed

1 to 5 years

# Antifreeze, concentrate

Indefinite

# Batteries, alkaline

7 years

# Batteries, lithium

10 years

# Bleach

3 to 6 months

# Dish detergent, liquid or powdered

1 year

# Fire extinguisher, rechargeable

Service or replace every 6 years

# Fire extinguisher, nonrechargeable

12 years

# Laundry detergent, liquid or powdered

Unopened: 9 months to 1 year
Opened: 6 months

# Metal polish (silver, copper, brass)

At least 3 years

# Miracle Gro, liquid

Opened: 3 to 8 years

# Miracle Gro, liquid, water-soluble

Indefinite

# Motor oil

Unopened: 2 to 5 years
Opened: 3 months

# Mr. Clean

2 years

# Paint

Unopened: Up to 10 years
Opened: 2 to 5 years

# Spray paint

2 to 3 years

# Windex

2 years

# Wood polish (Pledge)

2 years

Beauty Products
All dates are from the manufacture date, which is either displayed on the packaging or can be obtained by calling the manufacturer's customer-service number.

# Bar soap

18 months to 3 years

# Bath gel, body wash

3 years

# Bath oil

1 year

# Body bleaches and depilatories

Unopened: 2 years
Used: 6 months

# Body lotion

3 years

# Conditioner

2 to 3 years

# Deodorant

Unopened: 2 years
Used: 1 to 2 years
For antiperspirants, see expiration date

# Eye cream

Unopened: 3 years
Used: 1 year

# Face lotion

With SPF, see expiration date. All others, at least 3 years

# Foundation, oil-based

2 years

# Foundation, water-based

3 years

# Hair gel

2 to 3 years

# Hair spray

2 to 3 years

# Lip balm

Unopened: 5 years
Used: 1 to 5 years

# Lipstick

2 years

# Mascara

Unopened: 2 years
Used: 3 to 4 months

# Mouthwash

Three years from manufacture date

# Nail polish

1 year

# Nail-polish remover

Lasts indefinitely

# Perfume

1 to 2 years

# Rubbing alcohol

At least 3 years

# Shampoo

2 to 3 years

# Shaving cream

2 years or more

# Tooth-whitening strips

13 months

# Wash'n Dri moist wipes

Unopened: 2 years
Opened: Good until dried out

Yoga - Sun Salutation

2007-05-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

Surya Namaskar or the Sun Salutation is a most complete series of postures. It is a very good exercise which takes only a few minutes to do and serves as a warm up routine before the practice of yoga asanas. It is one of the best home exercises requiring little space, only eight by three feet. Be sure to have enough space to lie down, and enough clearance to stretch the arms above the head while standing.
Surya namaskar consists of a sequence of twelve postures performed continuously and combined with synchronized breathing. Each position counteracts the preceding one producing a balance between flexions and extensions. The postures are as follows:

	1. Namaskar - salute. Stand erect with feet together and join the palms in the center of the chest in the style of Indian salute and inhale. Then exhale and push the hands down straightening and lowering the arms until the elbows touch the sides. This standing pose is also known as tadaasana.
	2. Chandraasan - crescent moon pose. Inhale and raise the arms above the head and extend the spine backwards arching the back from the waist and moving the hips forward. Let the eyes follow the hands while relaxing your neck.
	3. Hastapadaasan - bending pose. Begin to exhale bending forward from the waist and place the hands on the floor besides each foot. Relax with your head and neck in a bending pose.
	4. Surya darshan - sun gaze. Inhale and putting your weight on the hands stretch the right leg behind like a stick resting on the toes. Bend the knee and place it on the floor with your weight on the left foot and arch the spine backward. Lift the head and neck first up and then back. Roll the eyes up. The left foot remains between the hands.
	5. Himalayan - mountain pose. Exhale and bring the left foot back in line with the right. Lift the hips up high like a mountain. Push the heels and head down and look at the toes with the head down between the arms.
	6. Sashtang dandawat - lie down. Put the knees down first and then bring the chest down. See that eight parts of the body are touching the floor including two feet, two knees, two hands, the chest and the chin or forehead. Sashtang means eight limbs and dandawat means paying homage by touching the floor. Make sure the hips are slightly raised above the ground. Inhale and exhale in this position. Keep the feet together.
	7. Bhujangaasan - cobra pose. Lower the pelvis and abdomen to the floor. Inhale and stretch the toes on the floor. Raise your head slowly up, arch the spine and neck and look up. Keep your legs together and the elbows alongside the body slightly bent and keep the shoulders down.
	8. Himalaya aasan. Exhale and wiggle your toes forward allowing your feet to rest on the soles while your raise the hips as your did in number 5.
	9. Surya darshan. Inhale and bring the right foot forward and assume pose number 4 exactly as before.
	10. Hastapadaasan. Exhale and bring the right foot forward and assume pose number 3.
	11. Chandraasan. Inhale and stretch up in a standing pose with your arms up and bend backwards like in pose number
	12. Namaskar. Exhale and stand erect bringing the hands back to the center of the chest with palms together as in pose number 1.

These 12 exercises are 1 round of surya namaskar. In the second round stretch the left leg behind in surya darshan. Surya namaskar is done for an even number of rounds like 2-4-6-8-10 or 12 rounds each day. When you complete each round you should be standing in the same spot as you stood before. When the hands are placed with the palms down on the floor in the third pose they should remain there until the tenth pose.

A healthy person requires a minimum practice of 12 or 16 rounds of surya namaskar each day. Beginners should start by practicing 2 rounds the first week, 4 rounds the second week and gradually increase in even number. Surya namaskar may be practiced slowly or rapidly if desired, to increase agility and stamina.

Surya namaskar's sequence of postures is most scientific as it completes the circuit within the body. The cycle of blood flowing in and out from the heart into the right and left sides of the body is completed.

Top 5 benefits of Orgasm

2007-05-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

According to JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association), 43% of American women suffer from some form of 'Female Sexual Dysfunction -- often placing the blame on themselves for their inability to reach orgasm. Stop blaming yourself. If you are alone, masturbation will help you find what feels right for you. If you have a partner, talk to them. Often the clitoris is under stimulated during sexual intercourse - which is how many women have an orgasm. If you have orgasms from your cervix being stimulated, tell your partner this. (Or whatever else does it for you).

Orgasms: Relieve tension! The faster heart beat, the increased blood flow and muscular tautness associated with sexual pleasure all come to a relaxing conclusion with an orgasm, and in the process relieve tensions pent up in your nervous system.

Orgasms: Help you sleep better. While an orgasm is followed in the male by a quick drop in blood pressure and sudden relaxation, the effect on women is more progressive but no less important. Orgasms act as a natural tranquilizer. That wonderful release of endorphins is very calming.

Orgasms: Calm your cravings for junk food and sometimes for cigarettes. Sexual stimulation activates the production of phenetylamine, a kind of natural amphetamine that regulates your appetite. So, before you pig-out, maybe go to your room.

Orgasms: Burn calories.

Orgasms: Can work as natural pain management. If you ever noticed forgetting about a headache or menstrual cramps while masturbating or having sex, it is not simply a psychological phenomenon. Endorphins, (natural compounds close to morphine) are released by your body during sex and can increase your tolerance to pain by as much as 70% during orgasm. This will vary from person to person. AND, if you are in the hospital... forget trying this due to the lack of privacy.

Symptons of Gonorrhea in Man and Woman

2007-05-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

What is Gonorrhea?

cultureGonorrhea is an infectious sexually transmitted disease that affects primarily the mucous membrane of the genital tract, the urinary tract, the rectum and sometimes the eyes. This disease is caused by a bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Most cases occur in the age group of 15 - 25 years, but you can contract it at any age. Discharges from the involved mucous membranes are the source of the infection. The bacteria are transmitted by direct sexual contact.

Gonorrhea may affect as many as 2 million people each year in the United States alone. The problem with gonorrhea is that many infections may be asymptomatic.

Symptoms

In MALES: usually suffer inflammation of the urethra with pus and painful urination. Gonorrhea can spread to the epididymis (the structure attached to the testicle that helps transport sperm). This can create scar tissue which can cause a man to become sterile.

In FEMALES: infection may occur in the vagina, the urethra, the cervix, or the throat. Many females will have symptoms of a discharge of pus from the vagina, Some women (about one half) will have no symptoms at all until the disease has progressed to a more advanced stage. If the fallopian tubes become involved, the infection becomes very serious. Without treatment, a woman with gonorrhea can develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can leave her infertile.

In BOTH young men and young women, gonorrhea can cause a fever and painful joints.

ALSO, there are many people who have the infection who are not symptomatic.

Incubation Period

Two to seven days, sometimes longer.

Summary

antibioticsGonorrhea rates among adults have declined over the past ten years, while rates among adolescents have remained unchanged or some say have risen. Teenage females between the ages of 15 - 20 have the highest rates of gonorrhea, according to the Center for Diseases Control. Getting tested is very important if you are sexually active. Gonorrhea can be treated and cured with the correct antibiotics from your health care provider. If you test positive for gonorrhea, any one you had sex with needs to be notified and tested.

Don't panic, gonorrhea can be cured if you take your medication as directed by your health care provider.

Reason Why your Testicles Turn Bluish.

2007-05-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

Blue-CoupleMany readers have asked what the term "Blue Balls" means. I first heard of it when I was a teen too, but didn't know what it mean until someone told me (it was probably a guy).

To the male readers... You may have noticed a distinct bluish tinge to your testicles after you 'make out' or are sexually aroused for several hours -- and the deep, uncomfortable ache that goes along with it. This is the result of pelvic congestion, when more blood and lymph flows into the genitals (during sexual arousal) than flows out; and, when it remains in the genitals for an extended period of time, then it CAN cause discomfort and aching. If there is no release, the area remains engorged. Without any outflow, men may feel slight discomfort in the testes, which are very sensitive to these kinds of changes. Some guys do not actually 'turn blue', but feel the discomfort.

Actually, it's not your testicles that are blue, it's the skin of the scrotum. When you're aroused blood flows not only to the penis, but to the entire area. The longer you stay aroused, the longer the blood stays there. Newer blood is red, but older blood, which has less oxygen, is darker red, but not really blue -- but that's why your testicles appear to contain more blue blood. There is fresh blood in there also, do not fear. Orgasm does alleviate blue balls. If there is no orgasm, however, the erection, blood flow and aches will subside.

By the way, "blue balls" have been used as a way for males to pressure females into having sex, or into "getting them off". Now girls, don't feel pressured into this old scam, you can refuse AND boys can always masturbate (with or without you). You should never be pressured into having sex! Never, never, never!!! End of that lecture. :)

It's not harmful to get blue balls, so don't run to the emergency room. If the condition lasts for hours or days after you've stopped being sexually aroused, then see a health care professional.

Maybe the "take a cold shower" advice that fathers or other guys have given to males over the years may help the situation. Just a guess. The cool water of the shower would stimulate new warm blood to the scrotum. Try it and let us know. Or ask some guy friends if that works for them. Oh, it's worth mentioning that guys don't get "blue balls" every time they get aroused and do not ejaculate. If you don't get this "condition" that is okay too. Over time you'll know your own body better.

Dysmenorrhoea - Painful menstruation

2007-05-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

Dysmenorrhoea, also known as painful menstruation, is one of the most common health care problems in women during their reproductive years. It is also one of the main causes of absenteeism from school or work, and affects the quality of women´s lives.

Approximately 30–50 percent of all women suffer from dysmenorrhoea during their menstrual periods.

According to the cause, painful menstruation is traditionally classified as primary or secondary dysmenorrhoea.

Primary dysmenorrhoea, also called menstrual cramps, is related to prostaglandins, certain hormones that are produced naturally in the body.

Secondary dysmenorrhoea is the occurrence of pelvic pain together with menstruation due to a disease within the pelvis.

Primary dysmenorrhoea is more common in younger women and can present in teenagers within three years of their menarche (first menstrual period).

Secondary dysmenorrhoea can occur at any age and is related to a number of medical conditions.

What is dysmenorrhoea?

Although some pain during menstruation is normal, excessive pain is not. Dysmenorrhoea is described as menstrual pain that is severe enough to limit a woman’s normal activities and is requiring medical attention. Most women experience dysmenorrhoea some time during their lives. During menstrual periods, the pain a woman is suffering can be so severe that she is unable to carry on with her normal activities. She may also experience other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, heart palpitation, sweating and headache. Usually, the pain starts at the beginning of the period lasting for a few hours, but in some women it may continue for several days.

Cause

The real causative mechanism for primary dysmenorrhoea is not known, but it appears that a major role is played by a group of hormones called prostaglandins, which are present in various body tissues including the uterus. Prostaglandins influence the tension and constriction of muscles of the uterus and of blood vessels which not only cause menstrual cramps but may also be responsible for general symptoms like headache, nausea and vomiting. The constricting and tightening of the muscles are responsible for the sharp pains that are sometimes felt in the inner thighs and lower abdomen. As there is less blood circulation and oxygenation to the uterus, waste products such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid may accumulate, which in turn intensifies the pain and discomfort.

Secondary Dysmenorrhoea

Secondary dysmenorrhoea is characterised by pain, usually felt more to one side, which occurs at the time of menstruation, the pain being secondary due to an organic cause.

Sometimes it could be due to some of these resons such as; Pelvic inflammatory disease, Fibroid tumours of the uterus Endometrial polyps.

Excuse and its tales

2007-05-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

Excuse is old as humanity. It is the mother of failure and mediocrity. Excuse has denied many supposed-be-great men and women of their potentials. Self pity, Defense mechanism, Self consolation and many others always take refuge in the tent of excuse. Excuse can not stand alone; therefore, it always goes on with tales. The flimsy tales tend to justify Mr Excuse.

Chambers Dictionary has many meanings to explain excuse but the particular one that defines it well in this context says thus…’to free someone from an obligation or duty’

Put in a simply English, it means that those giving an excuse try to absorb themselves of any obligation or responsibilities. Excuse is innate although not scientifically proved. When we fail in any endeavour of life, we try to give an excuse to justify them. This reminds me of a common vernacular which says "when pickin no get money I go say na him mama be witch"

An average African man gives an excuse in every misfortune he has instead of accepting reality. When the economy is bad, we blame the government. We shift our own blames to other people. They find it very difficult to assume responsibility of their acts.

Study has shown that excuse could be learnt by the children from their parents unconsciously. Consider this case study. An experiment was carried out between an American child and an African child. They were asked to wash plates and each of them broke one plate each though unwittingly. When their mother came back, the American boy said "mum am sorry that I broke a plate while washing and I promise not to do that again" but the African boy did not say anything and when his mother asked him he said…."the plate fell off from hand and broke" you can see the reflection of this attitude even in the adulthood when the child grow up.

Sincerely, we have millions reasons for not succeeding in life, but not one of them is good enough for not succeeding. Many of our parents would say that they passed university entrance examinations but their parents did not have money to send them to the school. Although there might an element of truth in these tales, there are also millions of people who found themselves in similar situation but they sponsored themselves and today their names are distinguished in academic world.

Throughout our lives, we will undergo inevitable circumstances such as diseases, hunger, financial challenges, loss of partners and many others but excuse can not remove their realities. While these circumstances are more than a good reason to quit, none of them will make a strong case for us to give up on ourselves, on our dreams, on what we stand for as human beings.

It is not a tragedy to experience adversities, yet it is a tragedy to use adversities as an excuse for giving up on life.

The great philosopher Aristotle captures it this way by saying that "the ideal person bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances"

I read this story sometime ago which I feel that would help us to drive this point home.

Twin brothers grew up in village not knowing anything except poverty. Their father was a poor alcoholic and their mother was a domestic worker.

Leading cause of maternal mortality

2007-05-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

PRE-ECLAMPSIA is a leading cause of maternal mortality in Nigeria, experts points out.

Pre-eclampsia is essentially an illness a woman can only get during pregnancy or immediately after delivery. It affects both the mother and her growing baby inside her.

The symptoms include elevated blood pressure of the mother, that is reading of 140/90 or higher, also protein found in the urine, and even glucose and bacteria in the urine are all signs of pre-eclampsia. Other symptoms include persistent headaches, blurred vision, pains below the ribs and swelling of hands, feet and face.

In an interview with Champion Health Forum, a consultant Gynaecologist with Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Dr. Boniface Oye-Adeniran pointed out that the risk factors associated with increased risk of re-eclampsia are very stressful work environment during pregnancy, obesity of mother and women who are diabetic.

Also according to him, the main risk is that pre-eclampsia often progresses to Eclampsia with complications such as kidney failure and convulsions and the mother dies trying to deliver her baby.

Also "Those at the greatest risk of having pre-eclampsia are first-time mothers aged 40 years upwards and obese women. That is why we encourage women to marry early and start having children even before they turn 32, because many complications of pregnancies occur in first time mothers of above 32 years of age upwards," the LUTH consultant pointed out.

Experts say that pre-eclampsia is caused by problems in the placenta and in the early stages, there may be no obvious symptoms.

So it is very important that a woman attends all her antenatal appointments, where routine checks are done regularly to detect any problem. The earlier it is detected via urine test and other test, the better and greater chances of saving the woman’s life, Dr. Oye-Adeniran emphasized.

He pointed out that statistics in Nigeria show that in one out of every 10 pregnancies often suffer from pre-eclampsia. And pre-eclampsia is responsible for the deaths of several women and many still-births.

Treatment is aimed at lowering blood pressure which includes strict bed rest and recommended drugs. Also new treatment includes use of an injection of Magnesium Sulphate which helps put the risk of pre-eclampsia progressing into eclampsia in check.

However, according to experts, in as much as pre-eclampsia is curable to some extent; sometimes only prompt delivery of the baby by Caesarean operation can stop the condition from developing into Eclampsia and thereby save the mothers life.

Don't Let Anxiety lead you to the grave!

2007-05-17T12:09:00.000-07:00

Anxiety appears to increase the risk of heart attacks and death in patients who have coronary artery disease, researchers report.

Coronary artery disease is caused by plaque build-up on the inside walls of the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart, causing them to harden and narrow. This can lead to heart attack, angina (chest pain) and other serious complications.

A number of studies have looked at the toll that mental stress takes on cardiac health, but most have focused on depression, not anxiety. The few studies that have examined the role that anxiety might play in heart disease have usually measured anxiety only once, not over the course of time, according to a report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

This study involved 516 patients with heart disease who completed a standard anxiety questionnaire annually for an average of 3.4 years. The study group comprised 82 percent men with an average age of 68 years.

A total of 44 non-fatal heart attacks and 19 deaths occurred during the study period, Dr Charles M Blatt, from Harvard Medical School in Boston, found.

A high cumulative anxiety score was associated with an elevated risk of both heart attack and death from any cause, whereas the initial anxiety score was not. Subjects with average anxiety scores in the highest 25 percent were nearly twice as likely to die of a heart attack or death from any cause compared with those with scores in the lowest 25 percent.

Upon further analysis of the data -- in which the researchers factored in the effects of high blood pressure, diabetes, and other known cardiovascular risk factors -- each unit increase in the overall anxiety score increased the odds of nonfatal heart attack or death by 6 percent.

Initial anxiety scores failed to predict negative patient outcomes, "suggesting that assessing anxiety regularly over the long-term is necessary," the reports conclude. Randomly assigned clinical studies are now needed to see if treatment to reduce anxiety can improve the outcome of patients with coronary artery disease.

Female pants

2007-05-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

Women are physiologically very different from men. Maybe this is the reason why their underwear are described with all kinds of names. The general name for all categories of female underwear is lingerie. Underpants are, however, specifically described as, panties, pants, intimate clothing or knickers. Boxers shorts are fashionable, but not a must for women. To borrow the words of the popular Nigerian comedian Gbenga Adeyinka; we do not have to worry that “Mandela has to be free!”. Women are the victims of all kinds of designs of underwear, ranging from the ridiculous/ weird, to the sensible.

Ridiculous female underpants dates back to the medieval times when women used to wear “chastity belts”. It was believed that these belts prevented sexual assault as well as helped to prevent promiscusity. These chastity belts had a key which was kept by the woman or her husband (the Crusaders in history, specifically used them to keep their wives faithful). Unfortunately, no museum in the world today, has a sample of such a belt that was used at that time(sorry men who are thinking of getting it for their spouses!). Interestingly, the modern woman believes that sexy underpants are part of her attraction.

Women contrive to wear underpants which they believe will make them more desirable. This natural disposition makes women the target of the most aggressive and sometimes unrealistic marketing where underwears are concerned.

When women buy underpants, they usually buy it with their heart and not their heads; except of course the more conservative ones (usually older or religious women). Women also tend to want to follow the current fashion with regards to underpants. Such is the “G – string showing at the top of your trouser” fashion. This was in vogue a few years back. I had never seen anything so ridiculous and fortunately, that tarty fashion is now obsolete.

You sometimes feel as if these designs are to make women appear like a plaything. Sensible and comfortable underpants can also be attractive. What type of underpants are suitable for good health, especially with regards to the area that the pants are supposed to protect? Like with men, the problems can basically be categorized into two types. The design of the underwear and the material. What should we look out for when selecting underpants as females?

Design: A lot of female underpants designs are tight fitting. This is especially to contour with the body and give a sexy look. Whilst these designs may appear sexy; they are not healthy. Tight underpants may irritate the skin. Irritated tissue is more susceptible to infection than normal tissue. Tight underpants also make the skin hot due to lack of circulating air and many infection-causing organisms thrive in environments that are warm, damp, and dark. Such organisms include bacteria, yeasts, viruses, and other parasites.

A combination of these two factors can contribute to the cause of vulvovaginitis. Vulvovaginitis simply means inflammation or infection of the vulva and vagina. Not only do tight underpants contribute to these infections, they also frequently prolong the recovery period. This means that if you are treating such conditions, you will not respond to treatment as quickly as you should. Female underpants designs are replete with uncomfortable tight and irritating types. Some of these are thongs, G – strings, tight bikini shaped pants, etc. Loose fitting female underpants are by far the more comfortable and healthy design for women. Most women consider them to be unattractive and dowdy. Some attractive but healthy designs are bikini styles which are not tight fitting.

Material: Several important qualities in materials are important. These qualities include the ability of the material to ventilate the area, potential for electrostatic charge build up, allergen potential (i.e. the ability of the material to irritate the skin), etc. The material should allow free flow of air for proper ventilation of the genital area. Non – ventilating materials encourage heat built up, damp and thereby microbial growth (as per the description above).

Electrostatic charge increases the heating up of the genital area. Anything that heats up the genital area can cause heat rash, besides promoting microbial growth. Highly allergic fibres will cause irritation and can cause allergic reactions like angry red rashes, itching, etc. Materials that cause all these problems are usually synthetic by nature. People find synthetic materials easier to maintain because they are easy to wash and a lot of them do not need to be ironed. They also tend to carry colours very well and can be very colourful. Such materials include rayon, polyester, etc. Nice looking lacy pants are usually made from synthetic materials.

They may look nice, but they are usually very irritating to the skin, especially in hot climates like ours. This is probably why most panties have cotton inner linings. The female genital area is sensitive and highly susceptible to irritation from allergic materials. Natural fibres tend to be better. The most advisable fibre for underwear is cotton. Cotton provides quality, comfort and purity. The cotton industry has reacted positively to the initial threat from synthetic materials. Nowadays, you can find cotton underwear that are shrink - proof, colourful and easy to maintain. Ladies should choose comfortable, loose fitting cotton underpants as their preferred underpants. it is also advised not to sleep in your underpants. Not wearing underpants is called free - buffing.

This should be kept to the nighttime. Underpants should be changed everyday and washed before next usage. They should be hung to dry in an airy location, preferably with adequate sunshine. Moist improperly dried underpants can encourage mildew and other microbial growth which can lead to genital infections.

Selenium pills might be the right drug to combat HIV.

2007-05-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

TAKING daily selenium supplements may block the build-up of HIV in a patient's blood, research suggests. The University of Miami found a lower HIV viral load in patients who took selenium supplements for nine months.

Selenium deficiencies have been recorded in HIV patients, and evidence suggests the mineral can improve the function of the immune system. The Archives of Internal Medicine study suggests the supplements may be a cheap and easy way to help keep HIV in check.

Advances in anti-retroviral therapy (ART) have given HIV patients a longer life expectancy.

However, strict adherence to the therapy is required to keep HIV viral counts low, and there is a risk of side effects. Therefore, scientists have been searching for alternative treatments to keep HIV under control.

Over nine months, the University of Miami team gave 91 HIV patients a daily capsule containing 200 micrograms of high-selenium yeast, and another 83 patients a daily placebo capsule.

The two groups had similar selenium levels at the beginning of the study, but after nine months levels were higher in the group taking the capsules containing the mineral.

Those with higher selenium levels in their blood were more likely to have a lower HIV viral load, and higher numbers of CD4 cells, which play a key role in fighting off infection.

The researchers said the exact mechanism by which selenium exerts its effects on HIV is not known. One hypothesis is that selenium's antioxidant properties may repair damage done to immune cells by oxygen, which is produced at higher levels in the bodies of patients with HIV.

Writing in the journal, the researchers said: "Given the challenges of using conventional pharmacotherapy to achieve and maintain virologic suppression in HIV-spectrum disease, our results support the use of selenium as a simple, inexpensive and safe adjunct therapy."

Roger Pebody of the HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "We have known for some time that selenium plays a role in the immune system, but previous studies before combination therapy didn't show that these supplements have an impact on HIV. This research is more encouraging and suggests that selenium supplements may be useful in addition to traditional combination therapy. However, we wouldn't advise that people with HIV should rush out and buy these supplements immediately. Decisions on the value of taking supplements should always be made in consultation with your doctor."

Yusef Azad, director of the National Aids Trust, described the research as valuable.

"However, in interpreting this new report, it must be remembered that antiretroviral therapy is the only currently effective treatment for HIV. Selenium may have a supportive role alongside antiretroviral therapy, but it cannot be a treatment in itself. "

Research links premature births to pesticides

2007-05-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

THE growing premature birth rate in the United States appears to be strongly associated with increased use of pesticides and nitrates, according to work conducted by Dr. Paul Winchester, professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

He reports his findings May 7, at the Pediatric Academic Societies' annual meeting, a combined gathering of the American Pediatric Society, the Society for Pediatric Research, the Ambulatory Pediatric Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Winchester and colleagues found that preterm birth rates peaked when pesticides and nitrates measurements in surface water were highest (April-July) and were lowest when nitrates and pesticides were lowest (Aug.-Sept.).

More than 27 million U.S. live births were studied from 1996-2002. Preterm birth varied from a high of 12.03 per cent in June to a low of 10.44 per cent in September. The highest rate of prematurity occurred in May-June (11.91 per cent) and the lowest for Aug-Sept (10.79 per cent) regardless of maternal age, race, education, marital status, alcohol or cigarette use, or whether the mother was an urban, suburban or rural resident. Pesticide and nitrate levels in surface water were also highest in May-June and lowest in August -September, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

For the past four years, Winchester and colleagues have focused attention on the outcomes of pregnancy in Indiana and the United States in relation to environmental pesticides and nitrates in surface and drinking water. Last year at the Pediatric Academic Societies' annual meeting,, Winchester reported that birth defects peak in Indiana and in the United States as a whole during April through July, the same months as pesticides and nitrates reach their maximum concentrations in surface water. This year's presentation expands upon that work.

"A growing body of evidence suggests that the consequence of prenatal exposure to pesticides and nitrates as well as to other environmental contaminants is detrimental to many outcomes of pregnancy. As a neonatologist, I am seeing a growing number of birth defects, and preterm births, and I think we need to face up to environmental causes," said Dr Winchester, who is also director of Newborn Intensive Care Services at St. Francis Hospital in Indianapolis.

"Preterm births in the United States vary month to month in a recurrent and seasonal manner. Pesticides and nitrates similarly vary seasonally in surface water throughout the U.S. Nitrates and pesticides can disrupt endocrine hormones and nitric oxide pathways in the developing fetus," he said.

"I believe this work may lay the foundation for some of the most important basic and clinical research, and public health initiatives of our time. To recognise that what we put into our environment has potential pandemic effects on pregnancy outcome and possibly on child development is a momentous observation, which hopefully will help transform the way humanity cares for its world," said James

Reason why wounds heal slowly in diabetics

2007-05-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

INDIVIDUALS with diabetes often experience slow or limited wound healing. Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs), which derive from bone marrow, normally travel to sites of injury and are essential for the formation of blood vessels and wound healing.

In a study reported in the May 1st issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Omaida Velazquez and colleagues from University of Pennsylvania Medical Centre reveal why the numbers of these vital EPCs are decreased in the circulation and at wound sites in diabetes.

The authors examined diabetic mice and found that increased oxygen levels (hyperoxia) enhanced the mobilisation of EPCs from the bone marrow to the peripheral blood circulation. The high oxygen levels increased the activation of the bone marrow enzyme eNOS, which stimulated nitric oxide production, helping to produce greater numbers of EPCs.

However, local injection of the chemokine stromal cell-derived factor 1 alpha (SDF-1alpha) was required to recruit these EPCs from the circulation to the wound site. The increased presence of EPCs at the wound site resulted in accelerated wound healing. The authors concluded that impaired eNOS activation and decreased SDF-1alpha expression in diabetes are responsible for the defect in diabetic wound healing.

In an accompanying commentary, Harold Brem and Marjana Tomic-Canic from Columbia University and Cornell University, respectively, reinforce that future therapeutics for diabetic wound healing will have to correct multiple deficiencies simultaneously. Therapeutic interventions, including correcting EPC activation via hyperbaric oxygen therapy and correcting EPC homing via administration of SDF-1alpha, may significantly accelerate diabetic wound healing by correcting the deficit in EPC number that is inherent to diabetic wounds.

Researchers turns to lemon grass for drug-resistant malaria, typhoid fever

2007-05-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

Reports on how lemon grass can be successfully used to treat drug-resistant malaria, typhoid fever, diarrhoea and menstrual problems.

RECENT studies indicate that an aged-old favourite lemon grass can be successfully used to treat drug-resistant malaria and typhoid fever. Before now, lemon grass has been used in local anti-malarial preparations.

Earlier studies had found lemon grass oil to be anti-microbial, particular against gram positive bacteria and fungi. Lemon grass oil had also been found to be pain killing, central nervous system depressing, fever reducing, aids digestion and anti-oxidant.

Lemon grass is scientifically called Cymbopogon citratus and belongs to the plant family Graminae. To the French it is citronelle, Potuguese citronela. But in Nigeria the Edos call it eti; Efik ikon eti; Hausa tsauri; Ibibio myoyaka makara; Igbo (Owerri) achara ehi; and Yoruba kooko oba.

To treat typhoid, researchers recommend that lemon grass leaf or is boiled in two litres of water for 30 - 40 minutes with 25 whole limes, two grape fruits, two unripe papaw fruits, and two unripe pineapples, cut garlic and the bark of Alstonia boonei (alstonia, cheesewood, pattern wood or stool wood in English; egbu in Igbo; and awun in Yoruba).

However, to make an infusion for malaria, pour a cup of boiling water over the lemon grass, let it stand for five minutes, strain it, and drink it.

"Lemon grass is usually used in the form of infusion or herbal tea, four ounces of grass or one bag of tea to one pint of boiling water. It is an excellent stomachic (serves to tone the stomach, improving its function and increasing appetite) to children; of much use in typhoid fevers; given with black pepper it is useful in disordered menstruation and in the congestive and neuralgic forms of dysmenorrhoea (cramps or painful menstruation). It is carminative (a medicinal drug with antispasmodic activity that is used against cramps of the digestive problems) and tonic to the intestinal mucous membrane, useful in vomiting and diarrhoea," says a homeopath, Dr. Osmond Onyeka of the National Association of Physicians of Natural Medicine (NAPNM).

"Externally it is rubefacient. Mixed with equal parts of pure coconut oil it makes an excellent liniment for lumbago, chronic rheumatism, neuralgia (a painful disorder of the nerves), sprains, and other painful affections; it is also a good application for ringworm."

A study on antiplasmodial activity of seven plants used in African folk medicine published in Indian Journal of Pharmacology shows that lemon grass possess great inhibition in the growth of drug-resistant malaria parasite.

The team of researchers, which comprise Bidla G., Titanji V.P., Joko B., Ghazali G.E., Bolad A. and Berzins K. tested the in vitro inhibition assay on the chloroquine-sensitive laboratory strain of Plasmodium falciparum (causative agent of malaria) with extracts from seven plants used in Cameroon by some traditional healers.

Piper umbellatum and Mellotus appositofolius extracts had moderate activity against the parasite with 40 �g/ml of each giving 70 per cent and 57 per cent inhibition, respectively, extracts from Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), Mangifera indicus and Annona muricata were found to possess greater effects on the growth with 20 �g/ml of each giving 57.9 per cent, 50.4 per cent and 67 percent inhibition, respectively.

Achromanes difformis and Cleome rutidosperma extracts showed the least antiplasmodial activity even with 40 �g/ml of each resulting in 32.4 per cent and 31.6 per cent inhibition, respectively.

Researchers have also examined the in vivo antimalarial activity of essential oils from Cymbopogon citratus and Ocimum gratissimum on mice infected with Plasmodium berghei (causative agent for malaria).

Tchoumbougnang F., Zollo P.H., Dagne E. and Mekonnen Y. of the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, Cameroon, found that both oils showed significant antimalarial activities in mice.

According to the study published in Planta Medica the main constituents of the oil of Ocimum gratissimum were gamma-terpinene (21.9 per cent), beta-phellandrene (21.1 percent), limonene (11.4 per cent) and thymol (11.2 per cent), while the oil of Cymbopogon citratus contained geranial (32.8 per cent), neral (29.0 per cent), myrcene (16.2 percent) and beta-pinene (10.5 percent).

The effects of these oils on the growth of Plasmodium berghei were investigated. Both oils showed significant antimalarial activities in the four-day suppressive in vivo test in mice. At concentrations of 200, 300 and 500 mg/kg of mouse per day, the essential oil of C. citratus produced the highest activity with the respective percentages of suppression of parasitaemia: 62.1 per cent, 81.7 per cent and 86.6 per cent. The corresponding values for the oil of O. gratissimum at the same concentrations were 55.0 percent, 75.2 per cent and 77.8 per cent, respectively. Chloroquine (10 mg/kg of mouse, positive control) had a suppressive activity of 100 percent).

In recent times, there has been a considerable increase in mortality caused by malaria due to the rapid spread of drug-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum (causative agent for malaria). This has re-emphasised the importance of developing new antimalarial drugs to cope with the spread of resistance.

Until now, a feverish patient may consume aqueous or alcoholic decoctions of barks, roots and leaves of different plants for relief form the clinical manifestation of malaria. China, on its part, added the artimisinin derivative of quinghoasu, (a Chinese medicinal herbal plant product) to the antimalaria arsenal.

However, depressing reports show that more than five percent of 65 isolates from South East Asia are resistant to artemisinin and artesunate. This further underscores the need to search for new antimalarials.

Phytochemical analysis indicates that lemon grass, contains about 4 per cent of volatile oil. Its volatile oil is 65 per cent citrol, 12 per cent myrcene, and 23 per cent sundry oils. It contains hydrocarbons; myrcene (12-25 per cent), limonene, dipentene (monoterpenes) - alcohol; linalol, geraniol, nerol, citronellol (monoterpenols) (5 percent) - farnesol (12.8 per cent) (sesquiterpenols) - ketones: methylheptenone - aldehydes (60-80 per cent): citral, citronella, farmesal. The most active constituent is citral, which accounts for 70 per cent - 85 per cent of the oil's volume.

According to the Encyclopaedia of Useful Plants of Tropical West Africa by H. M. Burkill, lemon grass has general benefits. It calms nervous exhaustion, stress related conditions. It is also good for acne, athlete's foot, colitis, excessive perspiration, fevers, gastro-enteritis, headaches, indigestion, infectious disease, insect repellent (fleas, lice, ticks), muscle tone, muscular pain, open pores, pediculosis, poor circulation, scabies, slack tissue, tissue toner.

Indeed, lemon grass oil has been known to be a very powerful antiseptic and bactericide, and laboratory trials have provided scientific confirmation of its benefits.

An insulin-like material, according to Encyclopaedia of Useful Plants of Tropical West African has been isolated from the plant value of 440 units orally, or 880 units subcutaneously, per gm. Leaf-wax has been shown to contain a ketone named cymbopogone and an alcohol cymbogonol. A trace of alkaloid is detected in the leaves, and an unnamed one in the rhizome.

The report reads: "Leaf and root contain traces of hydrogen cyanide. Miscellaneous other principles have been reported. The whole plant has a strong fragrant smell. It is often burnt in houses, either green or dry, to dispel mosquitoes. In the early days of the rubber plantation industry in Malaysia it was commonly planted near to labourers' quarters in the belief that it would keep away anopheles (malaria-carrying) mosquitoes, a hope not borne out. It has been planted in West Africa in tsetse fly areas as a control to discourage flies breeding.

"In most areas in Nigeria the leaves are used in infusion to make a tea-form beverage. This infusion is taken as a febrifuge, sudorfic and dyspeptic, and put into hot baths for fumigation. Leaves boiled with guava leaves are taken in Nigeria for cough. Leaf and rhizome infusions are considered pectoral and good for colds, flu, pneumonia, cough and consumption, as well as for fever. It is also applied to the forehead to relieve headache.

The rhizomes are used as toothpicks, chew-sticks and to rub on teeth for cleansing in West Africa. Their use as chew-sticks is said to assuage toothache. A tisane of the root is given to children to relieve cough, and a decoction is considered febrifugal".

According to a study titled, Formulation of an effective mosquito-repellent topical product from lemon grass oil published recently by the Department of Pharmaceutics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, extracts of lemon grass can not only bring relief in malaria fever, but can repel mosquitoes. The team of researchers: Oyedele A.O, Gbolade A.A, Sosan M.B, Adewoyin F.B, Soyelu O.L, and Orafidiya O.O evaluated ointment and cream formulations of lemon grass oil in different classes of base and the oil in liquid paraffin solution for mosquito repelling property in a topical application.

Mosquito repelling property was tested by determining the bite-deterrence of product samples applied on an experimental bird's skin against a two-day starved culture of Aedes aegypti L. mosquitoes. The one per cent v/v solution and 15 per cent v/w cream and ointment preparations of the oil exhibited > or =50 per cent repelling lasting two-three hours, which may be attributed to citral, a major oil constituent.

According to the authors, this activity was comparable to that of a commercial mosquito repellent. Base properties of the lemon grass oil formulations influenced their effectiveness. The oil demonstrated efficacy from the different bases in the order of hydrophilic base, emulsion base and oleaginous base.

8 things To Do To When You Have Eczema

2007-05-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

1. Avoid drying or irritating the skin

2. No more than one shower or bath per day, and do not sit in a soapy bath

3. Only use soap on armpits, groin, and feet

4. Uses soaps that don’t dry out skin, such as Aveeno, Neutrogena, or Cetaphil.

5. Pat skin dry after shower/bath -- do not rub it!

6. Before skin is completely dry, cover with an agent that helps hold in moisture, such as Eucerin, or mineral oil. (I say avoid petroleum products).

7. Avoid scratchy clothes (often cotton is the best)

8. Avoid foods that tend to trigger (do challenges to determine which ones may trigger -- most common are wheat and dairy). Only 30% of those affected are worsened by certain foods.
Remember, there is no cure for this very annoying condition, but ways to manage it!

My BlinkList

12 Calorie Burning Tips

2007-05-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

1. Instead of riding elevators or escalators, take the stairs.

2. At the supermarket park farther away from the door as you usually would. Take a couple extra laps around the market too if you have the time.

3. Instead of plopping down on the couch during "Friends", do some house chores or better yet go for a nice brisk walk.

4. If you take the bus or the subway, stand in the aisle and let someone else have your seat.

5. Instead of going out to dinner, go out and walk, rollerblade or play pool (something physical).

6. At work, instead of taking coffee breaks, take walk breaks, and no smoking please!

7. If possible once or twice a week, ride your bike to work or to the gym.

8. Instead of sitting back and watching your younger siblings play (or if you are baby-sitting), get on the floor and play with them, at first they may think you are crazy, but they may like it.

9. Instead of letting the dog out to roam the yard, take the dog for a walk.

10. Cut your grass (with a push mower), your parents will love this too.

11. While watching TV, lie on your back and do some leg lifts or some isometrics with your arms while watching.

12. Wash the floors, it burns calories and uses many muscle groups. A clean floor isn’t so bad either. Just be careful of your knees.

5 Dieting Rules you must obey.

2007-05-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

Remember, any successful diet means consuming fewer calories, eating less food, but eating healthy food. You are fooling yourself if you think a diet that permits you to eat anything you what will help you to lose weight. To lose weight follow these simple rules:

1.Don't eat a large meal in the evening when you'll have little opportunity for exercise afterwards. It's best to eat more at the times when you are going to be the most active. Eat a hearty breakfast, a substantial lunch, and a light dinner.

2.Never skip breakfast!

3.Eat slowly and thoroughly chew your food.

4.Don't eat while you're doing anything else like watching TV, using the computer or doing your homework.

5.Stop frying food.

6.If you must snack, stock the fridge with low calorie snacks like raw vegetables and low fat yogurt.

How to treat Nail Fungus.

2007-05-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

The best treatment of course is prevention. Keep your nails cut straight across. If nails are hard to cut, soften by soaking in salt water (use 1 teaspoon per gallon of water and then dry well). Keep feet dry and well ventilated. Be careful with artificial nails and be selective about choosing your manicurist. Ask about how they sterilize their instruments. See a podiatrist or your health care provider if you see signs of fungus.

Topical creams applied directly to the infected site are often used for less serious infections. Visit the foot care section of your local drug store chain. Creams include Lotrimin, Monistat, Nizoral, Tinactin, and Lamisil. If the topical treatments fail, more potent medications can be taken orally if your health care provider thinks it is necessary. Oral medications may have side effects, so tell your health care provider about any other medications, including birth control like the pill or Depo-Provera, if you are prescribed an oral medication for fungus.

The nails can reveal a lot about the body’s internal health. Healthy nails are often a sign of good health, while bad nails are often a tip off to more serious problems. A high protein diet may help your nails grow stronger and healthier.

Are you tired of your Tattoo?

2007-05-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

There are various methods of tattoo removal. The removal method depends upon the pigment used, the amount of time the tattoo was on the skin, the size, location and whether or not it was done professionally. It is important to remember that it costs more to remove a tattoo than to apply one. Since it is an elective procedure it is not covered by most health insurance companies. Total removal of a tattoo is not always possible. In the U.S. dermatologist's estimate that 400,000 people will have their tattoos removed this year.

Common Removal Methods

Surgical removal may be an option for small tattoos. Surgery also can be used for the removal of larger tattoos, but this may involve the need for multiple surgeries and skin grafting.

Dermabrasion is another removal method, which involves freezing the skin, then sanding the surface with an abrasive instrument. Because the pigments are located in the middle of the skin, pain, bleeding and or discomfort can be expected.

Salabrasion is a similar procedure, bur requires the application of an irritating substance prior to sanding. This position can take 30 - 60 minutes depending upon the location and size of the tattoo.

laserLaser treatment, whereby light is amplified by stimulated emission radiation, is a popular removal method. Its effectiveness is dependent on the targeted pigment. These instruments emit highly focused light beams that break up the pigment particles, which then evaporate.

The laser beam feels as if a rubber band is being snapped against the skin. Crusting at the tattoo site results and the tattoo will gradually fade as healing takes place.

The effectiveness of this method is compromised if the person has a deep tan. In some cases the multiple treatment sessions may be required for complete removal. The average cost for complete removal can vary, but the average range for removal of a 2-square-inch tattoo is $900 -$1500.

Potential Complications of Tattoos

2007-05-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

The actual incidence of complications related to tattooing is not known. There are amateur artists, do-it-yourself ers, and informal tattooers, known as "scratchers" who are not required to report complications. Also just because a tattoo parlor is in business doesn't mean it is maintaining safety and sterility precautions. Bleeding, pain and some discomfort are to be expected. The intensity of pain from a tattoo depends upon the location and size. If not properly cared for during the first two weeks the area has the potential for infection and scarring.

Medical literature cites reports of gangrene, syphilis, TB, contraction of hepatitis B from contaminated instruments and hypersensitivity to the pigments to name a few complications. The CDC is concerned about the transmission of HIV. The risk for HIV transmission is always present when a contaminated instrument pierces the skin. (Although the virus that causes HIV dies at room temperature and a germicidal soap is enough to eliminate it, the potential for transmission should not be ignored). These risks can be eliminated if you go to a state licensed facility that is following the correct sterilization guidelines.

How to drive your partner wild with passion

2007-05-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

It’s a fact women particularly love to be kissed and the lips are one of the most important erogenous zones for both men and women and the power of a good kiss is neatly summed in the following quote:

“You may conquer with the sword, but you are conquered by a kiss” -Daniel Heinsius.

The French kiss is romantic and a great start to foreplay as well. It is a fantastic way for you to express your feelings, emotions and desire.

This article will focus on basic French kissing techniques that are guaranteed to fill both you and your partner with passion and desire.

The French is erotic and fun so let’s look at French kissing techniques in more detail. What actually is a French kiss? Quite simply, French kisses are kisses in which you also use your tongues and kissing is probably the most physically romantic two people can get.

There really is no right or wrong way to kiss.

The point to keep in mind is that everybody kisses differently and different people prefer different ways of kissing.

Try kissing your partner a few times before deciding how you and your partner prefer kissing. While there is no right or wrong way to kiss, here are a few tips to help you create the perfect French kiss.

Relax Yourself
You lips should be relaxed, you body should also be relaxed, otherwise it will be like kissing a dead fish for your partner!

Open Lips
Open your lips (not to wide) but just like you do when regularly breathing through your mouth.

Positioning
Do not have your faces directly opposite each other or your noses will clash. You want to move your head to one side just enough so your nose is out of the way of your partners.
Your mouths will then meet at the corner of your partner’s mouth and you won’t clash noses!

Tongue
Open your mouth and put your tongue out around an inch or two. Your tongue will then go into your partner’s mouth and theirs will of course go into yours.
Circle the tip of your tongue around the tip of theirs. If they do something different (and all people like to kiss differently) then just do the same as they do, if you are enjoying the sensation.

Common French kissing techniques are:

1. Flicking of the tongue over your partners
2. Exploring the inside of the mouth with the tongue.
3. Lightly touching of tongues while exploring the mouth.

The most important tip!
Never leave your tongue still or doing nothing, make sure you are constantly using it and showing feelings and passions and finding out what your partner really likes and try and add variety to all your kisses.

Head Movement

Again all people are different. Some people will move their heads slightly in a circular motion or figure eight and some times people don’t move their heads at all, this is all down to personal preference.

The French kiss is a wonderful experience and most people love kissing affection love and desire are all contained within a kiss as Robert Browning once said:
“The moment eternal - just that and no more - When ecstasy's utmost we clutch at the core While cheeks burn, arms open, eyes shut, and lips meet!”

Importance of Massage

2007-05-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Massage has amazing effects on the health of the person being massaged. It improves circulation, relaxes muscles, aids digestion, and by stimulating the lymph system, speeds up the elimination of waste products. These direct benefits, combined with the psychological benefits of feeling cared for quickly produce a wonderful feeling of well-being that cannot be matched by modern drugs.

You can easily manage to massage yourself. Use self-massage to energize yourself before school or work in the morning, or to unwind in the evening. You can massage your feet while watching TV, or massage your hands while talking on the phone. You do not need to undress, but you must be comfortable. Use oil if you are massaging on bare skin. Sit in a chair or on the floor, or lie down with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.

Multiple Orgasm in Women

2007-05-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

It’s no secret that many women have multiple orgasms. Masters and Johnson documented this occurrence more than 25 years ago. But, do they serve a purpose besides from a pleasurable one? Theories suggest that muscular contractions associated with orgasms pull sperm from the vagina to the cervix, where it's in better position to reach the egg. Researchers believe that if a woman climaxes up until 45 minutes after her lover ejaculates, she will retain significantly more sperm than she does after non-orgasmic sex.

What's The Difference Between Clitoral and Vaginal Orgasms?

2007-05-02T13:11:00.000-07:00

The difference between a "clitoral" and a "vaginal" orgasm is where you are being stimulated to achieve orgasm, not where you feel the orgasm. This may clear up some of the confusion around this common question. The clitoris has a central role in elevating feelings of sexual tension. During sexual excitement, the clitoris swells and changes position. The blood vessels through the whole pelvic area also swell, causing engorgement and creating a feeling a fullness and sexual sensitivity. Your inner vaginal lips swell and change shape. Your vagina balloons upward, and your uterus shifts position in your pelvis.

For some women, the outer third of their vagina and the cervix are also very sensitive or even more sensitive than the clitoris. When stimulated during intercourse or other vaginal penetration, these women do have intense orgasms. This would be what is referred to as a vaginal orgasm -- without clitoral stimulation. (Sigmund Freud made a pronouncement that the "mature" woman has orgasms only when her vagina, but not her clitoris, is stimulated). This of course, made the man's penis central to a woman's sexual satisfaction. Many sexual health experts still disagree about any actual female ejaculation, although you will find plenty of web sites that will want to teach you how to do this for a fee, here you can check it out for free.

In reality, orgasms are a very individual experience and there is no one correct pattern of sexual response. Whatever feels wonderful to you, makes you feel alive and happy, AND connected with your partner is what matters. Enjoy!

Too much of junk food can damage lungs

2007-04-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

Many food items have been found to impact negatively on human health when prepared in a particular fashion. Sade Oguntola, reports that consumption of bacon, sausage and other cured meats has been found to damage the lungs.

Eating large quantities of cured meats like bacon, sausage, luncheon meats and cured hams, could damage lung function and increase the risk of lung disease, a group of researchers had said. A Columbia University team found people who ate cured meats at least 14 times a month were 78 per cent more likely to have COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which is a term that covers a number of lung conditions including chronic bronchitis (inflammation of the airways) and emphysema (damaged air sacs). As the name suggests, the main problem is airway obstruction. In COPD, the lung airways are damaged and narrowed, which makes it harder for air to get in and out. It leads to damaged airways in the lungs making breathing more difficult, and is a major cause of disability and death. There is no cure for COPD. Once the damage is done to the lungs, it cannot be reversed.

The report, in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, said nitrites in meat may be blamed. Nitrites are pro-oxidants that create reactive nitrogen species. These compounds previously have been demonstrated to directly harm pulmonary collagen and elastin, a similar process to that of tobacco smoke in promoting emphysema. Increased intake of nitrites in animal models has been associated with dilation of the coronary arteries and pulmonary emphysema. The concentration of nitrites is high in cured meats, such as bacon, sausage, luncheon meats, and cured hams.

Dr Rui Jiang, leading the research, said high levels of nitrites used as preservatives, anti-bacterial agents and colour fixatives in cured meats such as bacon generate reactive nitrogen species that may cause damage to the lungs. He said reactive nitrogen species, molecules that can damage body tissues, might be the key. The researchers looked at 7,352 American individuals who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, aged 45 years or older, who underwent spirometry and had adequate measures of cured meat, fish, fruit, and vegetable intake conducted between 1988 and 1994.

They compared the results of lung function tests and the risks of developing COPD in participants and found those who ate the meats more often had worse lung function and were more likely to have COPD. They also found out that individuals who consumed cured meats frequently were more likely to be male, smokers and of a lower socio-economic status, than those who never consumed cured meats and often had lower intakes of vitamin C, fish, fruits and vegetables, and higher energy intakes. Yet they concluded these factors were not to blame for the effects on lungs.

In adults, 45 years and older, frequent consumption of cured meats was associated with decreased lung function and increased risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to the results of a cross-sectional study reported in the April 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. “Frequent cured meat consumption was associated independently with an obstructive pattern of lung function and increased odds of COPD,” the authors wrote. “Additional studies are required to determine if cured meat consumption is a causal risk factor for COPD.”

Previous research had suggested that consumption of nitrites promotes breakdown of pulmonary collagen and elastin, creating a pathologic picture resembling emphysema. “Individuals who consumed cured meats frequently were more likely to be male, of lower socio-economic status, to be tobacco users, and were less likely to report physician-diagnosed asthma than individuals who never consumed cured meats,” said Dr. Jiang. “Those who consumed cured meats more frequently had lower intakes of vitamin C, beta-carotene, fish, fruits, vegetables, and vitamin or mineral supplements. They also had higher intakes of vitamin E and total energy.”

The hazard ratio from cured meats associated with lower lung function test results and increased odds for COPD did not change after researchers made adjustments for multiple dietary and other risk factors. Although certain rodent studies suggest that inhalation of nitrogen dioxide may contribute to emphysema, no other human studies to date have examined the relationship between consumption of cured meats and COPD, which is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.

The researchers noted that high dietary nitrite intake warrants further evaluation in prospective longitudinal studies as a novel risk factor for COPD. A public health expert, Prof Prof. Mynepalli K. Sridar at the Department of Public Health, University of Ibadan, said indeed many methods of preparing food ends up making the consumption of such unsafe. According to him, just as it was found for bacon, foods such as roasted plantain and dried fish exposed to smoke makes the food not suitable for consumption. But what people are eating is Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PHC), which is not only dangerous, but also cancerous”, he warned.

Milk best for pumping up muscle

2007-04-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

WEIGHTLIFTERS, who drink skim milk after a workout will build about twice as much muscle as those who rely on soy beverages, a new study suggests.

What's more, milk is far cheaper than supplements specifically designed to help weightlifters pump up after a workout, Dr. Stuart M. Phillips of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, the study's lead author, told Reuters. The researchers used powdered skim milk in the current study, available in any grocery store.

"I have done these calculations and figure that ounce for ounce milk is 20-30 times less expensive than most supplemental protein sources available," he said in an e-mail interview.

Consuming protein after "pumping iron" is known to help build muscle mass, Phillips and his team note in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, but it is not clear whether some types of protein are more effective than others.

Quickly digested or "fast" proteins, including whey and soy, cause a temporary flood of amino acids into the blood, they explain, making more of these protein "building blocks" available for uptake by muscle. Proteins that take longer to digest, such as casein that is found in milk, produce a more gradual and long-lasting increase in blood levels of amino acids. While these "slow" proteins don't promote muscle formation, they do prevent muscle breakdown.

The researchers hypothesised that a combination of "slow" and "fast" proteins like casein and whey, both found in cow's milk, would be most effective for building muscle. To investigate, eight men who regularly lifted weights were given a soy beverage or skim milk after performing a series of exercises with one leg.

For three hours after the workout, the researchers found, muscle uptake of amino acids was significantly greater when the men drank milk than when they consumed soy.

The gains were measured in this study after a single workout, "but if extended out to 10 weeks the data suggest (but did not show) that gains in muscle mass would be twice as great with milk as with soy," Phillips said.

In other research, Phillips and his colleagues found evidence that milk may also benefit athletes after exhaustive exercise, such as cycling.

Can breast-feeding prevent obesity?

2007-04-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

WHILE breast-feeding has many benefits, it won't prevent a child from becoming fat as an adult, says a new study that challenges dogma from U.S. health officials.

The research is the largest study to date on breast-feeding and its effect on adult obesity.

"I'm the first to say breast-feeding is good. But I don't think it's the solution to reducing childhood or adult obesity," said the study's lead author, Karin Michels of Harvard Medical School.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promotes breast-feeding as a way to reduce children's excess weight, and the guidelines for federal chronic disease prevention grants to states call for breast-feeding promotion. Some health officials say 15 to 20 percent of obesity could be prevented through breast-feeding.

A CDC official said he couldn't comment on the new research because he hadn't fully reviewed it. But many previous studies have linked breast-feeding and lower rates of childhood obesity, he noted.

Perhaps the obesity-preventing benefits of breast-feeding are strong for children but wane by adulthood, said the official, Larry Grummer-Strawn.

"It would be remarkable to find a behavior that you engage in for one year of life and see detectable effects from it 40 years later," said Grummer-Strawn, chief of the CDC's maternal and child nutrition branch.

Good or bad eating and exercise habits, developed later in life, may sustain or erase initial weight-related benefits from breast-feeding, he and other experts said. Of course, that doesn't take away the other benefits of breast-feeding, such as building a child's immunity to disease.

The Harvard study, published online this week in the International Journal of Obesity, involved nearly 14,500 women who were breast-fed as infants and more than 21,000 who were not.

In 1989, the women were asked their height and weight and what those measurements were when they were children and at age 18. Then every two years, through 2001, they were asked to update their weight information. The surveyed women were all between 25 and 42 at the time of the 1989 questionnaires, Michels said.

In 2001, the mothers of these women were sent a questionnaire asking if their daughters had been breast-fed and for how long.

When possible, researchers checked medical records to confirm what the mothers and daughters recalled, but breast-feeding is not routinely documented. Still, the researchers believe the women's recollections of breast-feeding are reliable.

"A mother knows whether she breast-fed her child," said Michels, an associate professor of epidemiology.

Women who were breast-fed for at least a week had a risk of being overweight or obese that was nearly identical to that of women who were bottle-fed, the study found. And duration of breast-feeding didn't seem to make a difference. The women who had been breast-fed for more than nine months had a risk of becoming overweight or obese similar to that of women breast-fed less than one week.

The study involved only women, but the researchers believe the results are equally true for men, Michels said.

Michels believes that one reason previous studies might have been misleading about breast-feeding's effects on weight gain is that many of those studies failed to properly account for socioeconomic factors that also may have had an influence.

An Emory University pediatrics expert said he is not surprised by the study's findings about adults. But he said breast-feeding is beneficial for children, and the government's health message should not change.

"The first step is preventing childhood obesity. We know obese children have to work harder to not become obese adults," said Dr. Robert Geller, an associate professor who also is chief of pediatrics for Atlanta's Grady Health System.

Experts critises Fat-Fighting baby milk.

2007-04-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

PLANS to add a hormone, which suppresses hunger to baby formula food is unlikely to work, say experts.

University of Buckingham researchers are looking at adding leptin to formula milk to curb future over-eating.

But experts said the work detailed in Chemistry and Industry was "wildly optimistic science fiction" and questioned testing leptin on babies.

Babies fed with formula grow more quickly than breast-fed babies - who have a lower risk of obesity as adults.

The work into the effect of leptin, a hormone produced in the brain throughout life, is being carried out at the Clore Laboratory at the University of Buckingham.

Without evidence that this works in humans, it is pure flight of fancy that those consuming leptin from infancy will never get fat

The team, led by Dr Mike Cawthorne, are looking at adding leptin to formula milk and other foods.

They have already carried out a study where leptin was given to pregnant rats, leading to a lifelong impact on their offspring's propensity to obesity.

Even those fed a fat-laden diet stayed slim, while offspring from untreated rats gained weight and developed diabetes.

Research into the effect of the hormone on human appetite has so far proved disappointing, with people soon seeming to resist its hunger-quenching effects.

But Dr Cawthorne said providing leptin early effectively "hard-wires the body's energy balance".

He added: "The supplemented milks are simply adding something back that was originally present - breast milk contains leptin and formula feeds don't."

However, a number of experts have criticised the concept of adding leptin to formula milk.

Steve O'Rahilly, professor of clinical biochemistry and medicine at the University of Cambridge said: "Several researchers have suggested that exposing animals to higher leptin levels during early life might have long-lasting benefits in terms of protection against later obesity.

"But this still needs to be firmed up.

"The notion that leptin in baby milk will prevent human obesity is currently in the realms of wildly optimistic science fiction."

Dr Nick Finer, clinical director of the Wellcome Clinical Research Facility at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, agreed.

He said: "The concept that adding something to a food that could permanently alter brain development is exciting but at the same time so scary that it would mean a wholly new approach about how such treatments can be tested and approved for use.

"And would the first trials be in newly born children?"

Dr Ian Campbell, honorary medical director of the charity Weight Concern said: "Without evidence that this works in humans, it is pure flight of fancy that those consuming leptin from infancy will never get fat.

"I'd be surprised if this product could be advertised or marketed with these extraordinary claims."

He added: "To date, leptin has proved to be a great disappointment. Most of us have plenty, and true deficiencies are rare.

Low sperm count versus sperm boosters

2007-04-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

ONE of the leading causes of male infertility is low sperm count. There are related conditions like low sperm motility, bad quality sperms, lack of semen, but in general, most cases of male infertility are due to low sperm count. There are many biologic and environmental factors that can lead to low sperm count.

A low sperm count (oligospermia) is one cause of male infertility. Although it takes only a single sperm to fertilize an egg, the odds of a single sperm reaching the egg are very low. Normally, a normal sperm count is 20 million or more sperm per milliliter of semen. In order to father a child, at least 60 per cent of those sperms should have a normal shape and show normal forward movement (motility). These numbers are a bit arbitrary because some men with lower sperm counts have fathered children. Likewise, some men with higher sperm counts have been unable to father children. Newer methods of artificial insemination can produce pregnancies when low sperm count is a factor.

Medical evaluation helps to determine the cause of a low sperm count. This is carried out by specialists known as urologists. Most urologists are skilled in evaluating men with fertility problems and can recommend appropriate therapy when correctable conditions are encountered.

Treatment of a low sperm count may be confusing for a number of reasons. One is that many infertile men are obsessed about their sperm count - and this seems to become the central concern in their lives. A man with a fertility problem is more likely to ask “What is my sperm count or motility” rather than “Are my sperms capable of working or not? or “Can I have a baby with my sperm?” Since the function of the sperm is to fertilize the egg, the only direct way of answering this question is by actually doing IVF for test fertilization.

The truth is that offering a prognosis for the individual patient based on an abnormality in the sperm test result is not as straightforward as envisaged. This is really not surprising when one considers the odds.

You may ask to know what a “normal” sperm count is! Since a man only needs one “good” sperm to fertilise an egg, there may be no simple answer to even this very basic question! While the lower limit of normal is considered to be 10 million progressively motile sperm per ml, remember that this is a statistical average.
For instance, a man with a very low sperm count (as little as 2-5 million per ml) may be capable of fathering a pregnancy on his own, with no treatment. In fact, when sperm counts are done for men who are undergoing a vasectomy for family planning, these men of proven fertility have sperm counts varying anywhere from 2 million to 300 million per ml.

This obviously means that there is a significant variation in “fertile” sperm counts, and therefore coming to conclusions is very difficult for the doctor.
In order to make sense of this, there is need to understand two important concepts - “trying time” and “fertility potential of the couple”. If a man’s sperm count is low, but he has been trying to have a baby for less than one year, it still makes sense to keep on trying for about one year, since 10 per cent of men with low sperm count will father a pregnancy in this time.

If, however, he has already tried for more than one or two years with no success, he needs to move on and do something more - the chances of a spontaneous pregnancy are now very low. A fertility doctor does not treat just a “low sperm count report” - he treats patients!
Now why would a man have a low sperm count? This is a most difficult question. Nine times out of ten, a doctor may not be able to answer this question accurately and this is labelled as “idiopathic oligospermia.” Modern research has shown that the reason some men have a low sperm count may be because of a complication in his chromosomes.

We do know that a low sperm count is not related to physique, general state of health, diet, sexual appetite or frequency. While not knowing the cause can be very frustrating, medicine still has a lot to study and understand about male infertility, which is a relatively neglected field today.

10 ways a woman can increase her fertility

2007-04-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

IN reality, a woman’s reproductive system is extremely sensitive, and any stressor — psychological, nutritional, or physical — can affect the delicate balance. Whether or not she’s trying to conceive, these simple health moves can help maximize and protect her fertility.

1. Watch your weight
Excess body fat can lead to an overproduction of certain hormones, which could short-circuit the whole ovulation process. Your cycles may be less regular, you may ovulate less often, and you lower your chances of getting pregnant. Exercise can help maintain a healthy weight. Just don’t overdo it!

2. Eat well
Staying well nourished boosts odds of conceiving. Make sure to include enough protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin C, because deficiencies in these nutrients have been linked to lengthened menstrual cycles (and therefore less frequent ovulation) and a higher risk of early miscarriage.

3. Avoid tobacco smoking
Cigarette toxins not only damage a woman’s eggs, interfering with the fertilization and implantation process, but also cause the ovaries to “age.”

4. Get to know your cycle
When you’re ready to conceive, find your “fertile window,” during which you should have intercourse regularly. A woman’s fertile days are usually the day of ovulation and the four or five days before, not after. But don’t assume that you automatically ovulate on day 14 of your cycle.

5. Avoid stress and depression
Women are less likely to conceive during months of psychological distress. Stress, like heavy exercise, may throw off the body’s hormone production, making the menstrual cycle less reliable. But learning to manage stress through relaxation techniques can get your hormones back on track,

6. Think before you drink
Alcohol consumption has been linked with a decreased ability to get pregnant (not to mention the harm it can cause to a developing foetus). Alcohol alters oestrogen levels, which may interfere with egg implantation. If you’re thinking about getting pregnant, limit alcohol intake.

7. Get busy in the bedroom
Women who engage in regular (at least weekly) intercourse are more likely to have predictable menstrual cycles and normal ovulation patterns than women who have sporadic sex. Having sex every 36 to 48 hours in the few days before ovulation will make the most of your fertile window.

8. Don’t douche
This cleansing routine can wipe out normal, protective bacteria in the vagina, shifting the balance and increasing risk for common but often overlooked vaginal infection linked to preterm labour and associated with higher risk of miscarriage and infertility.

9. Stay on the Pill
Birth-control pill may actually enhance fertility. For some women, the Pill can be critical in preserving fertility because it keeps endometriosis and uterine fibroids under control by slowing uterine-tissue growth.

10. Check his health
The same things that harm your fertility can also wreck your husband’s reproductive health. Cigarettes, alcohol, a poor diet — any of these can contribute to lower sperm production or quality. Getting enough nutrients — particularly vitamins E and C and selenium — helps him produce healthy sperm. Taking a daily multivitamin is a good step.

Avoid breast cancer later in life by breastfeeding now.

2007-04-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

Women who delay pregnancy past their mid-twenties may reduce their risk of breast cancer later in life by breastfeeding their children, a new study suggests.
The findings were presented at the 2007 meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Los Angeles.

Previous research has shown that women who have their first child in their thirties have an increased risk of breast cancer, regardless of how many children they go on to have. But the new study found this link only among older mums who did not breastfeed.

Nearly 1000 women between the ages of 55 and 64 who had been diagnosed with breast cancer supplied information about their childbearing and breastfeeding history. These were compared with details from 1500 healthy women in the same age range.

After comparing the information from the women with breast cancer and their healthy counterparts, it was found that delaying pregnancy past 25 years of age was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer – but only if the women had not breastfed.

Previous studies show having children offers some protection against breast cancer – childless women have a higher risk of the cancer than those who have children. Women who gave birth to three children after age 25 and never breastfed had twice the risk of breast cancer as women who had never had children.
Exactly how breastfeeding has a protective effect on breast cancer remains largely unclear.

In terms of the general protective effect of childbirth, some believe that hormone changes that women undergo during and after pregnancy, change the breast composition in a way that reduces the chance of hormone-sensitive cancers in that tissue.

Breastfeeding may offer additional protection because the ovary production of hormones is suppressed during breastfeeding, thereby reducing women’s exposure to oestrogens and progesterone.
Previous studies have suggested that for every year a mother breastfeeds, her risk of breast cancer declines by about 4.3 per cent.

WHO says road traffic crashes kill 0.4m youths every year

2007-04-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

A new report has identified road traffic crashes as the leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 10 and 24 years, just as African countries are said to have the highest rates of deaths and injuries resulting from traffic crashes.

Nigeria is said to have recorded the highest road traffic accident rates in Africa
A study in Nigeria also found that the proportions of death from road traffic accidents increased from 38.2 per cent to 60.2 per cent within ten years.
Available statistics from the Federal Ministry of Transport shows that the growth in the number of road accidents reached an average of 3.1 per cent per annum between 2000 and 2004, rising from 12,705 to 14279 respectively.

The new report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Association for Safe International Road Travel and christened, “Youth and Road Safety” stated that nearly 400, 000 young people under the age of 25 are killed in road traffic crashes every year while millions more are injured or disabled.

According to the report, the vast majority of these deaths and injuries occur in low and middle-income countries. The highest rates are found in Africa and the Middle East.

The report noted that young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are at greatest risk in every country while young males are at higher risk for road traffic fatalities than females in every age group under 25 years.

The report stressed that unless more comprehensive global action is taken, the number of deaths and injuries would rise significantly.
It put road traffic collisions cost at an estimated $518 billion globally in material, health and other costs and for many low and middle-income countries, the cost of road crashes represents between 1 to 1.5 per cent of GNP and in some cases, exceed the total amount they receive in international development aid.

Youth and Road Safety report stressed that the bulk of these crashes are predictable and preventable since many involve children playing on the street, young pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, novice drivers and passengers of public transport.

The report further pointed out that children are not just little adults; their height, level of maturity, their interests, as well as their need to play and travel safely to school, mean that they require special safety measures.

Also, the report says, protecting older youth requires other measures such as lower blood alcohol limits for young drivers and graduated license programmes.
As part of the First United Nations Global Road Safety Week coming up between 23 and 29 April, 2007, WHO is launching the report to draw attention to the high global rates of death, injury and disability among young people caused by road traffic crashes.

Youth and Road Safety report highlights examples in countries where improved measures such as lowering speed limits, cracking down on drunk-driving, promoting and enforcing the use of seat-belts, child restraints, and motorcycle helmets, as well as better road infrastructure and creating safe areas for children to play, have significantly reduced the number of deaths and injuries.

Commenting on the report, WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, said the lack of safety on the roads has become an important obstacle to health and development. “Our children and young adults are among the most vulnerable. Road traffic crashes are not ‘accidents.’ We need to challenge the notion that they are unavoidable and make room for a pro-active, preventive approach.”
The report is accompanied by a second and more personal document: Faces behind the figures: voices of road traffic crash victims and their families.

Facts you should know about ovarian cancer

2007-04-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

The ovaries are the female reproductive organs that are similar to the testes in men. They produce the ova (eggs) that, when fertilized, develop into a foetus, and also generate the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. According to experts, there are two ovaries, each of which is located within the pelvis beside the uterus (womb)

Female Anatomy(1)

Ovarian cancer has been described as a malignant tumour in one or both ovaries. Ovarian cancer, medical experts say, is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women and though the exact cause is unknown, there are some conditions, which are said to make a woman vulnerable to the disease.

Causes of ovarian cancer

A consultant gynaecologist/obstetrician and the medical director of Ropheka Specialist Hospital, Egbeda, Dr. Adelarin Onigbinde, says such conditions include:

Hereditary factors

There is good evidence that in some women genetic factors such as a personal or family history of breast cancer, and/or ovarian cancer are important. According to Onigbinde, there are some people who a disease like ovarian cancer runs in their family. Therefore, for such people it has become a hereditary issue. “Hereditary is a possible cause of ovarian cancer,” she says.

Nulliparity

This, she says, is a term used to describe a situation where a woman never carried a pregnancy. Such women, she says are more likely to have ovarian cancer than women who have children. That simply means the more children a woman has, the lower her risk of ovarian cancer.

Early menarche

Usually menarche refers to the time in a girl’s life that menstruation first begins. And when there is early menarche, it means that the menstruation came sooner than it should. And that Onigbinde says is not good as it can make the woman vulnerable to ovarian cancer. Those who start their menses early, especially before 12 years may be at risk of developing ovarian cancer later in life,” she says.

Late age at menopause

Many women would rather not experience menopause at all, while others pray that it comes late. This, Onigbinde says is not good as it is better medically to have menopause and at the right time too. Women whose menopause comes late, that is after the age of 55 are at the risk of developing ovarian cancer so women should pray that they have their menopause on time,” she says.

Infertility treatment

Women who undergo infertility treatment are also at risk of ovarian cancer, Onigbinde says, “When a woman is undergoing treatment for infertility, what you usually do is to keep on stimulating the ovaries. This is called incessant ovulation and this over-stimulation of the ovaries usually make them vulnerable to ovarian cancer,” she says.

Conversely, early age at first pregnancy, older ages of final pregnancy, and the use of some oral contraceptive pills, experts say, have also been shown to have a protective effect against developing ovarian cancer.

Symptoms of ovarian cancer

Usually, most ovarian cancer tumours are present for some time before they are discovered. This, experts say is because the ovarian cancer often has very few early symptoms and is usually found unexpectedly during an operation, such as a hysterectomy. This is why it is usually referred to as a silent disease in its early stage. However, though it usually shows no symptoms in women during the early stages of development, symptoms of ovarian cancer are said to show up when the cancer progresses. These include:

-abdominal swelling

-a sense of pelvic heaviness, increased abdominal girth

-abnormal menstrual cycles.

-vaginal bleeding

-weight gain or weight loss due to the ovarian cancer

-unexplained back pain that worsens over time

-increased urinary frequency/urgency

-excessive hair growth due to hormones by the ovarian cancer

But the commonest symptom of the disease, Onigbinde says, is abdominal pain and discomfort. She says most of the time, the women who have ovarian cancer would be experiencing stomach pains and discomfort and they would be taking all sorts of drugs thinking they are dealing with something as simple as constipation. Furthermore, when a woman who is already experiencing menopause start seeing blood as in menstruating, then she should check thoroughly for ovarian cancer as that could be a sign.

However, since these ovarian cancer symptoms are common to many illnesses and most women with these symptoms will not have ovarian cancer, only tests can confirm the diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Treatment of ovarian cancer

A diagnosis on Ovarian Cancer is usually made from a biopsy and the treatment options will depend on the stage of the cancer.

Ovarian cancer is usually treated through surgery, which is frequently necessary for diagnosis. Once ovarian cancer is suspected based on a patient’s symptoms and initial image scans, an incision will be made in the abdomen to obtain a biopsy sample, which may confirm a diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Further surgery experts say, may be necessary to “debulk” the ovarian cancer mass whereby the ovarian cancer itself is resected to reduce the mass and relieve some symptoms. But as this will not always clear the body of the ovarian cancer entirely, experts say chemotherapy is then used to combat any residual ovarian cancer. For this reason, chemotherapy works best if it is started soon after the operation on the ovarian cancer affected area.

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill or slow the growth of the ovarian cancer cells. Chemotherapy is said to kill fast-growing cells such as ovarian cancer cells. Other cells that grow quickly can also be affected by ovarian cancer, such as the cells involved in hair growth and cells in the mouth. This can make the patient’s hair fall out and cause mouth ulcers to develop.

Prevention of ovarian cancer

According to onigbinde, ovarian cancer is very difficult to prevent. This she says is because many of the factors that can lead to it are not what the affected women can control. “ If it runs in a woman’s family, there is nothing she can do about it. And one cannot stop menstruation from coming if it wants to come too early, likewise one cannot influence menopause that comes late,” she says. However, the only factor that can be influenced is the issue of infertility treatment. “Women should try as possible to avoid the over-stimulation of their ovaries during the course of infertility treatment.” Also for nulliparity, she encourages women to have children if they can as this can protect them from developing ovarian cancer.

Furthermore, she advises that women should be going for scan at least twice a year to check for ovarian cancer, because according to her, the only way the disease can be prevented from leading to death is through early detection and treatment.

However, it is important that a clear distinction is made between ovarian cancer and ovarian cysts. Ovarian cysts are said to be small fluid-filled sacs that develop on a woman’s ovaries. And unlike ovarian cancer, most cysts are harmless, though they may cause problems such as bleeding and pain, and surgery may be required to remove those cysts. They are said to resemble bubbles in an ultrasound image. Ovarian cysts affect women of all ages. Ovarian cysts are considered functional (or physiologic). In other words, they have nothing to do with disease. Most ovarian cysts are benign, meaning they are not cancerous, and many disappear on their own in a matter of weeks without treatment. Cysts occur most often during a woman’s childbearing years.