THE HEALTH GUIDE

Stress can be defined many different ways. The most common definition is, stress is the body’s response to an outside situation in one’s life. Stress effects one’s environment, life and others around them in many ways. Sometimes these situations get the better of us and we have trouble dealing with the feelings of stress. You may become irritable, hostile, angry or overly sensitive just to name a few. Sometimes our physical body deals with the stress in an unhealthy way as well. You may have high blood pressure, become depressed, develop ulcers, or have a heart attack. It is important to learn what your stress triggers are and how to deal with both the triggers and the effects. Only by learning this will you be able to successfully manage your stress.

A trigger can be anything. I can be something immediate like preparing for a date, making a speech, or the threat of physical danger. These situations happen and are over quickly. The stress will allow you to deal with these things immediately and then your body will return to its normal state. Long term stressors are different. A long term stressor can be things like divorce, having a baby, work or moving to a new location. These stresses can wear on the body and also cause serious health concerns.

Dealing with the triggers is important for managing stress. You need to pin point what is causing stress and figure out how to eliminate it or at least many it more tolerable. Most people know what the trigger is, but others have trouble identifying them. Hypnosis can assist you in discovering the trigger and help you learn how to deal with it. It is one of the most effective ways of dealing with stress as it deals not only with the trigger but your response to the trigger.

Most people want to lead a happy and peaceful life. Stress does not allow that. The body’s reaction to stress is different for everyone. Stress can be the cause of low work performance, sleep deprivation, or other addictions such as alcoholism, drugs and smoking. Your body might respond through skin breakouts, grinding your teeth, a panic attack or a low immune system. Just having some of these problems can lead to even more stress.

Hypnosis will allow you to face your stress and its triggers head on instead of bottling it up. You will learn to relax your mind and breathing which will give your body a break that it needs. Hypnosis can help you avoid chronic problems caused by stress. You will learn to manage your stress in a healthy manor. Others may choose other ways of dealing with stress, such as medication, counseling or exercise but they are not dealing directly with the trigger and response. Hypnosis will address all of these things, it will even help you in other areas of your life that might cause you more stress such as weight loss, self confidence and fears.

There is always be stress in our lives, it is something we can not avoid. Many new discoveries and theories are being made each day regarding stress management and treatment. The choice is yours. Only you can decide what is best for you and your lifestyle. Remember you are in control of your body and it’s reaction. The time has come for you to make a choice.

As a kinesiologist who uses natural remedies to help women get pregnant, I always recommend you use some form of fertility calculator to short-cut the time it takes you to get pregnant. They’re actually not very difficult to use and at the end of this article, I’ll show you a way to calculate your most fertile days for free.

Many women have used fertility calculators when finding it difficult to conceive and have been successful! Believe it or not, a woman can only conceive 12-24 hours out of the month and usually the problem is simply bad timing.

So, how do you use a fertility calculator to get pregnant? Whether or not you decide to do it yourself with a calendar or use software available online, you will still need to know some very important dates and numbers. Most fertility calculators online ask you 2-3 questions and these questions are straight forward they must be accurate to calculate ovulation correctly.

You’re most likely to be asked when your last period started, the number of days in your menstrual cycle and sometimes these calculators want to know information about your luteal phase.

Hopefully, you’ll be taking records of your menstrual cycle (this is important if you’re planning on getting pregnant) so it will be pretty easy to use the calc program. The cycle length is worked out by counting the days in between each period, so that’s no big deal for you.

Figuring out your luteal phase can be a little tricky. Most women have never heard of a luteal phase, let alone know when it occurs. If you don’t know this at first it is okay, a good rule of thumb is 14 days. The luteal phase is the time between ovulation and the beginning of your next period; usually lasting 10-16 days with 14 being the average.

The good news is there are not many sites that ask for this information; most fertility calculators only ask for the first day of your last period and the amount of days in your cycle.

The ultra low tech way to get your fertile dates is to use your diary or pda, and enter your cycle start dates as a diary entry. Then, all you need to do is subtract 14 from the predicted date of your next period, and voila - you have an ovulation date. Of course, this is not accurate, so assume you might be fertile + or - a couple of days of that date.

If you want to incorporate the luteal phase in your calculation, then monitor the daily changes in your cervical mucus as well as your BBT. These two basic pieces of information can really help the accuracy of your fertility calculation.

There are tips and tricks to realizing when you are ovulating which I explain on my website and books. Once you become more in-tune with your body using a fertility calculator to get pregnant will be as easy as 123!

INTRODUCTION: Heart disease is a number of abnormal conditions affecting the heart and its blood vessels. Also known cardiovascular disease, it mainly affects people who are older and is a sign that there are problems with the heart and blood vessels.

It has become the number one cause of death in the U.S., is a primary cause of disability, doesn’t go away, but by working with your physician, you can live longer and feel better. Types of cardiovascular disease include: Coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common type and is the #1 cause of heart attacks.

In 2003, almost twice as many women died of cardiovascular disease (both heart disease and stroke) than from all cancers combined. The older a woman gets, the more likely she is to develop cardiovascular disease; however women of all ages should be concerned.

African American and Hispanic American/Latina women are more likely to develop heart disease because they tend to have more risk factors such as obesity, not enough exercise, high blood pressure, and diabetes than Caucasian women. Women of color are also more apt to die of the disease.

Having diabetes elevates your chances of developing heart disease and high levels of triglycerides are linked to the disease in some people. Also Being obese increases your risk. Chest or arm pain or discomfort can be a symptom of cardiovascular problems and a warning sign of an actual or impending heart attack.

If your dad or brother had a heart attack before age 55, or if your mother had one before age 65, you’re more likely to eventually have heart disease. Birth control pills can pose risks for some women, especially women over the age of 35, women with high blood pressure, diabetes, or elevated cholesterol and women who smoke.

Almost 700,000 people die of heart disease in the U.S. each year. You can find out more about heart disease by contacting the National Women’s Health Information Center at 1-800-994-9662.

The risk of coronary disease can be decreased by taking steps to prevent and control those factors that put people at increased risk for cardiovascular disease and heart attack. The very best ways to prevent heart disease are to control your blood pressure, diabetes or a higher than normal cholesterol level and, if you smoke, STOP SMOKING.

CHOLESTEROL: What does a high level of cholesterol have to do with heart disease? It can clog your arteries and keep your heart from getting necessary blood. People with high blood cholesterol or elevated blood triglycerides often have no symptoms, so have your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked often. If your levels are high, talk to your physician about what you can do to lower them. You may be able to decrease your levels by eating better and exercising more, if not, your physician may prescribe medication to lower and bring it under control.

If there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it can build up on the walls of your arteries, forming plaque and producing blood clots. There are basically two kinds of cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is usually called the “bad” type because it can clog the arteries that transport blood to your heart. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is known as the “good” kind because it takes the bad cholesterol out of your blood and keeps it from building up in your arteries.

All women 20 years of age and older should have their blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked at least once every five years. If you are overweight, losing weight can help reduce your total cholesterol and LDL (”bad cholesterol”) levels.

Try to consume more foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol. Skim (fat-free) or low-fat (1%) milk and cheeses, and low-fat or nonfat yogurt, Fruits and vegetables (try for five a day), Cereals, breads, rice, and pasta created from whole grains (such as “whole-wheat” or “whole-grain” bread and pasta, rye bread, brown rice, and oatmeal), Limit consumption of organ meats (liver, kidney, brains), Egg yolks, Fats (butter, lard) and oils, Packaged and processed foods.

There are 2 diets that may help reduce your cholesterol: Heart Healthy Diet and Therapeutic Lifestyles Changes (TLC) Diet. Exercise can help reduce LDL (”bad cholesterol”) and raise HDL (”good cholesterol”). If your MD has prescribed medicine to reduce your cholesterol, take it exactly as you have been told to.

CONCLUSION: Heart disease is not contagious - you can’t catch it like you can the flu or a cold. It is a general term that refers to a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions that affect one or more of the components of the heart. The symptoms you describe to your doctor will help to decide if you need to be tested for heart disease. Your doctor will also check if you have any conditions that can increase your chance of getting the disease.

These conditions include: high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol level, menopause in women, family members who have had heart disease at a young age. If you have cardiovascular disease, your angina can be treated by treating the heart disease. Maintaining a healthy diet and weight plus a regular exercise program can help you avoid heart disease.

I have an idea of what you are thinking at this moment. You are thinking about how effective is the fat loss for idiots diet program is. I understand. It takes one to know one. From all the disappointments I’ve had from my previous diet programs, it’s no wonder I get skeptic to all other diet programs. But after just the first week, I lost 4 pounds. Now I know this doesn’t seem like a lot but to me it was a great start. The best part was I didn’t feel hungry at all.

I think I know what you are thinking about. You want to know if Fat Loss for Idiots really does work. Yes I can read your mind. It takes one to know one. From all the disappointments I’ve had from my previous diet programs, it’s no wonder I get skeptic to all other diet programs. But would you believe that after the first week, I lost over 4 pounds. Now I know this doesn’t seem like a lot but to me it was a great start. The best part was I didn’t feel hungry at all.

Weight Loss for Idiots, another name for this amazing program, helps you lose weight and burn fat. With the program, you will eat more lean proteins, fruits, and veggies. Fat loss 4 idiots is a diet plan which allows you to eat four meals a day eaten, in at least 2 1/2 hour intervals. The best part is that you dont have to count calories or carbs and you don’t have to limit yourself to specific portion sizes.

Weight Loss 4 Idiots is called that because it is so easy to follow. All you have to do is follow the plan for 11 days. You are then given a three day grace period before you do another set of 11 days. Now, doesn’t Fat Loss for Idiots sound easy? Along with all this, you also get a handbook on how not to eat and how to eat, as well as the important goals in your weight loss process.

Now that we have the diet program in place, you’re probably wondering about exercise. Well as with any diet plan, you will get the best results if you combine good eating with an exercise regimen. At least a 30 minute exercise is enough in weight Loss for Idiots. Walking is my passion so I do it everyday. I walk around the mall or when I go to nearby places.

The reason I wrote this informative review on Fat Loss for Idiots was to help you, the readers, understand what the Fat Loss 4 Idiots plan was like. This is also to give you an idea of how simple it is to follow, both the diet and the exercise program. If you are like me, who almost lost all hope in losing weight, then I am hopeful that this fat loss for idiots review has helped you.

Herbal treatment for psoriasis is a good way to supplement your traditional treatment and reduce itchiness and swelling. There are many herbs that can help with the symptoms of psoriasis.

While herbs are natural, it does not mean that all herbs are safe. Some herbs should only be taken in small doses. Other herbs should not be taken by people with a certain medical condition or by people on certain medication. Do research and talk to your doctor before you being with herbal treatment for psoriasis.

Milk thistle is one of the most popular herbs for psoriasis. It is known for inhibiting the T-cell activation that happens in people with psoriasis, but no psoriasis studies have been done with milk thistle. Milk thistle should not be used by people on male hormones or antipsychotic medication. Milk thistle is found as both a tablet and a liquid.

Oregano oil is one popular herbal treatment for psoriasis. This can be ordered online or found in some health food stores. Its antibacterial and antifungal properties are what make it so helpful. You can take apply it topically or consume it.

Turmeric can reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation. It can be taken as a capsule or in spice form. It is one of the primary flavors of curry powder and can be used in cooking.

Pau d’arco is good for immunity in general and dermatitis in particular. It can be consumed as a tea or as a pill. Gotu kola is thought to improve broken skin.

Other herbs and vitamins you can add to your diet for herbal treatment of psoriasis include aloe, barberry, burdock, cayenne, German chamomile, selenium, and vitamin A.

Since stress can worsen your psoriasis, consider herbs that help relieve stress in addition to herbs that can help treat psoriasis. A cup of chamomile tea can help calm the nerves after a stressful day. Other people find success with St. John’s wort.

Herbs should not replace traditional medication nor a doctor’s care, but herbal treatment for psoriasis has its place in helping to reduce your symptoms, ease your pain, and control your psoriasis.

Once an injury to the spine has occurred, regular, often persistent back pain can follow; proprietary medication is often the first route to back pain relief; Pain relief is possible with the medications available but that is all they do and the reason for the pain continues.

Long term medication of pain killers is something that should be supervised as other problems can occur because of their continued use. The back is under a constant strain throughout our lives and whilst it is very strong, spinal injury is one of the most common conditions around the world and even sitting incorrectly can create a long term problem.

The most common way to injure your back though is by lifting badly, it is usually recognized immediately by a sharp pain at the base of the spine. There are a number of natural back pain relief methods that mean you will not have to rely on drugs. Stretching the back is often the simplest method of relief, stretching your back gently can relax your back muscles preventing them from becoming tense.

Success at reducing pain and providing relief has also been found by people using reflexology to the feet. It is often successful at treating people with long term conditions. Another benefit to reflexology is how it can improve the circulation which helps to ease tense muscles.

Acupuncture on the other hand has been used in China since before the birth of Christ and has had considerable success in helping sufferers. It is providing back pain relief even though this is something that has only recently being used in the Western world. The Chinese believed all humans have an energy force called qi and by inserting needles in specific parts of the body, it can help to unblock qi and restore the flow. There are large numbers of people that use acupuncture on a regular basis and claim it works well for them providing pain relief; especially those who have what is termed a chronic condition.

Another ancient oriental discipline, Tai Chi is similar to many types of Yoga but the movements are much slower and deliberate. It focuses on breath control and is very relaxing owing to its gentle nature. It is possible for anyone to participate irrespective of age.

In Closing

A good preventative form of back pain relief is to actually exercise more regularly. This not only conditions the back but is an excellent preventative measure.

Are you carrying extra weight and inches on your thighs, abdomen, arms or other body parts? Are you sick of empty promises from diet pills that do nothing to help with your problem areas? Here are some methods that will help to shrink belly fat, improve your appearance and give your self-esteem a much-needed boost.

There is a reason that diet and exercise are always mentioned when people talk about fat reduction. It is not only because they always help, it is also because if these things are not kept up after losing weight, it is likely the weight will come right back. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and lean proteins are a great way to start changing your life.

Cut fried stuff- In order to lose belly fat fast you need to cut off on some foods along with proper exercise. Fried food is known to be the fastest ingredient to gaining belly fat. Fried food mostly contains empty calories which are poor in nutrient value thereby only providing you with calories and nothing else which add to your belly fat.

The reason is because crunches and sit-ups only tone, and strengthen the abdominal muscles that are buried deep beneath your belly fat, while actually doing nothing to get rid of your excess stomach fat. For a complete and lasting solution to losing belly fat and getting a flat stomach, you need to focus on doing abdominal workout exercises which are specifically designed to help you burn off your belly fat and get a flat stomach, while strengthening your abdominal muscles at the same time.

Also remember to incorporate nutrition into your belly fat loss program, because good nutrition is one of the single most important aspects of losing belly fat, I mean, whats the use of working out obsessively, if you eat every fat-saturated food you can get your hands on. Also, try to avoid eating ‘fast’ foods of any kind as they seriously contribute to increasing belly fat. A balanced diet consisting of vegetables, legumes, fruits, and whole grains is vital in your quest to get a flat stomach.

Are you always tired? Do others report that you snore? Are you a tad or more overweight? If these are true, you may have sleep apnea.

If you meet these criteria, have your doctor prescribe a sleep study for you. Don’t wait! Your life could be shortened by sleep apnea, and it’s all unnecessary — there’s treatment. If you have sleep apnea, you hold your breath and then gasp for air many times a night. It results in increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular disease including aneurism.

In sleep apnea, the airway collapses during an intake breath. Fatty tissue lining the airway causes the airway to lose elasticity. At least a bit of excess weight is therefore generally necessary for sleep apnea to occur. Sufferers generally also snore.

After the airway closes, the oxygen level in the blood drops. Blood pressure shoots up. The sleeper struggles to breathe and begins to wake up. Returning to consciousness, the sleeper opens the airway, and the breath is completed. The sleeper falls back to sleep. The cycle begins again, perhaps many times per minute. Breath cessation for 10 seconds will bring you a diagnosis of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea wears out your cardiovascular system because of the constant cycle of high blood pressure. It also shreds your rest because of the continual near-waking required to keep breathing.

Oddly enough, you may not even be aware that you hold your breath while sleeping. Only the telltale tiredness will tip you off that you are in fact sleep-deprived.

The sudden rise in blood pressure many times a night is what can kill you, by leading to heart disease or stroke.

There’s treatment?

Effective treatment comes through a system that supplies mild air pressure to your nose and mouth as you sleep. This continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) system consists of a fan inside a box, a hose, and a mask. The fan pressurizes the air, delivered through the hose and mask to the nose and mouth. The pressurized air keeps your airway open as you breathe in, and isn’t enough to prevent you from exhaling.

One downside is that the mask can be uncomfortable. But a variety of suppliers offer options now, one of which will probably fit your face.

Another downside is that you have to wear it whenever you lie down to sleep. If you go traveling or camping, you still have to wear it.

What about fan noise? It’s actually a white noise, which may help you fall asleep.

Let’s stack benefits against drawbacks. Without treatment, you risk early death. With it, you have to wear a mask when you sleep and locate an electric outlet. Which do you choose?

There are many different risk factors for breast cancer. The most significant of these risks factors is gender and age. Most occurrences of breast cancer occur in a certain gender and age group. Even though those outside this gender and age group are still at risk for breast cancer, the risk is not as great.

External and internal environment. External environment is food, water, pollution, sound noise, smoke etc. Internal environment is hereditary genes, hormones, stress. Hereditary risk it has been known that woman whose sister and mother had breast cancer have a more chances to develop the breast cancer when a women inherits a susceptible gene from her parents.

Women who have relatives with breast cancer are also at a greater risk of developing the cancer themselves. This risk increases with first-degree relatives like a mother, sister, or daughter. A male relative with prostate cancer also increases the risk of developing breast cancer. If a mother and sister both have breast cancer then the risk is increased.

One more factor aging but you cannot control this factor. Females who are involved in physical activity have less chance to develop breast cancer as compare to those females who have sedentary life style. There is no clear about except alcohol and cigarette consumption.

Examine your breast every month beginning at age of 20. Consult your doctor to get instruction for self-breast examination. Check for a new lump is it painful or not? Unusual thickening of tissue, discharge from nipple, and change in the skin of nipple or breast or different breast size or shape than before.

You have a higher risk of suffering breast cancer if you have one or more family members who have developed breast or ovarian cancer themselves. The more members of your immediate family suffering from breast cancer, the greater your risk of developing the disease. If this is the situation, be keen on doing monthly self examination.

When a mother is still pregnant with her child, the umbilical cord is actually considered as the lifeline between the mother and the baby. Once the umbilical cord has been discarded after the baby?s birth, then you will lose the chance of being able to obtain precious cells that the cord contains which are an exact match with your baby and that you can have preserved. By preserving your baby?s stem cells through cord blood banking, your baby will be ensured to have a guaranteed source for perfectly matched cells that can help your child during unfortunate events (like a life threatening illness). These cells would actually come in handy when it comes to combating this disease. All you have to do is just have it set up during the time of your delivery.

But what exactly are diseases that the cord blood banking will help you save your child from? Stem cells that are preserved due to the cord blood banking can actually help a child be cured of the following life-threatening illnesses: leukemia, lymphoma, breast cancer, Hodgkin?s disease, aplastic anemia, various other cancers, sickle cell anemia, blood diseases, hereditary/genetic conditions and various immune system disorders. There are actually an approximate of 14 million new cancer cases that are being recoded every year. Single cell transplants that can be brought about by cord blood banking can also be used for the treatment of ling cancer, AIDS, lupus, multiple sclerosis as well as many other genetic diseases.

There is no risk, either to the mother or her baby, in collecting umbilical cord blood. On the contrary, peripheral or bone marrow blood stem cell collection requires the donor to pass through insidious medical procedure and there is a risk of infection.

If there is a family medical history or your child has a predisposition to any of these diseases, you should seriously consider cord blood banking. Parents of children of ethnic or racial minorities and children conceived through in vitro fetilization are encouraged to bank cord blood as it is more difficult to find bone marrow match in these cases. Only 50% of people that need a bone marrow or stem cell transplant are likely to find a suitable donor to provide it.

There are two ways to store your baby’s cord blood. If you choose public cord blood banking, your baby’s blood is taken from the umbilical cord, stored cryogenically and can be used by anyone that is in need of it. However, cord blood that is stored in a private bank can only be used for your child or other family members when required.

Another concern by mothers when it comes to cord blood banking is how safe will cord blood banking be for the baby as well as for the mother; if there will be any pain or discomfort involved in the whole cord blood banking process. When it comes to cord blood banking, the first priority will always be the well being of the baby.

The stem cell extraction for the cold banking process will actually be very safe both for the baby as well as for the baby?s mother because the blood for cord blood banking will be collected right after the umbilical cord has already been separated from the baby. Afterwards, blood will also be extracted from the mother for the cord blood banking process. The baby, as well as the mother will not really experience any pain or discomfort when it comes to cord blood banking.