Best Diet For Acne: Foods That Keep Your Skin Healthy And Free From Diseases

Author: Tess Barksdale
Source: isnare.com

Signs of menopause – menopause and menopause symptoms are part of the natural evolution of the female body as the woman’s childbearing years begin to wane. Most women begin menopause at around 45 years of age, but can start as early as their early 30s at last into their 60s.

Menopause symptoms are also a natural byproduct of aging. As the sun will rise tomorrow, God willing you will reach an age when you will begin the “change”. And while talking with your mother or your older sisters or your friends you may find some answers, understand that each woman’s experience with menopause will be different.

Some women will go about their day with no issues whatsoever while others will battle with a range of emotions, hot flashes, or mood swings which could have a significant impact on their lives. But before you get into all that, you need to know what to look for and what are the signs of menopause.

What are the signs that menopause has begun?

Once again, you should begin to look for the signs of menopause at around age 45, but if you feel as if you’ve been getting early menopause symptoms you may want to check with your physician and have your estrogen levels evaluated.

One of the most common indicators for women that menopause has begun is irregular periods. The irregularity may show in a few different ways; you may have an increase or decrease in the frequency of your cycle or in the amount of flow during your period. You are also less likely to become pregnant as your ovulation fluctuates, but you should continue to use contraception until your menstrual cycle has been absent for a year.

Menopause thins the lining of the vagina and the urethra, creating a feeling of burning and itching. You’re also at risk of increased vaginal or urinary tract infections. This is when women begin to feel that constant urge to urinate. Some women experience bouts of incontinence, especially when coughing, laughing, or sneezing. You may also find it sexual intercourse becomes increasingly difficult as you may experience pain or discomfort.

And now for the granddaddy of all the signs of menopause, the hot flash. A hot flash is caused by the dropping estrogen levels which cause blood to expand rapidly; this in turn increases the temperature of the skin. This can happen as often as once an hour and last for 30 seconds to a few minutes, during which time most women experience sweating and a flushed complexion.

Although women experience hot flashes at any time of day, many women of waking up from a nice deep sleep only to find themselves and their beds soaked as night sweats is also a telltale sign of menopause.
Most women will also see a bit of weight gain, typically around 5 pounds. The additional weight will gather around the waist and stomach. Women experience other physical changes; wrinkles, adult acne, coarse hair, thinning hair, or fullness of the breasts.

Confirmed menopause

So you’ve listened to the signs of menopause, gone to the doctor and confirmed your suspicions. Now you should know about the other complications of menopause. After menopause, women tend to develop chronic conditions. Cardiovascular disease becomes a risk due to the declining estrogen levels. This is where diet and lifestyle choices become so important.

If you smoke, stop. If you’ve been on the go all these years and developed a bad diet, now’s the time to get your refrigerator packed with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other foods low in saturated fats. You should begin to exercise regularly if you haven’t already and monitor your blood pressure.

Osteoporosis is a major concern after menopause as bone density decreases rapidly. You must maintain adequate levels of calcium of around 1500 mg a day as well as 500 to 800 mg of vitamin D. Again, beginning strength training, walking, or jogging regimen which will help prevent your bones from becoming weak and brittle

Why does this happen?

As we age, a woman’s ovaries slowdown the production of estrogen and progesterone. This marks the conclusion of a woman’s reproductive years. At some point menstrual periods cease altogether and it becomes no longer possible for a woman to get pregnant.

This progresses into stages:

Perimenopause: in this state women begin to notice the signs of menopause as well as continue to ovulate and have menstrual periods. Women begin to notice irregular periods and the onset of hot flashes but may still be three to five years away from the full onset of menopause.

Postmenopause: once a woman has gone 12 months without a menstrual cycle occurring, she has reached for menopause. The ovaries at this time no longer release eggs and produce much less progesterone and estrogen. No longer is pregnancy possible.

For the most part women have been tuned to their bodies for years and know when the signs of menopause start to appear. If you feel as though you’re having a tough time dealing with your menopause or the symptoms, talk to your doctor and investigate some therapies available to control some of your symptoms.

Once you know the signs of menopause or are in full menopause, then you should make the necessary changes to provide yourself with as smooth a transition as possible.

Author: Josh Goodall
Source: ezinearticles.com

It is unwise to take migraine medicines in fear of a sudden attack. The migraine medicine may not function as well and effective as the advertisements may claim. And the side effects of taking the migraine medicines, such as depression, often made the symptoms harder for doctors to diagnose what is the real reason causing the migraine.

Maybe it is a little inappropriate to compare migraine with acne problems, but they do share one thing in common. It only affects people with a certain age. Acne is usually seen as an adolescent problem, while migraine is rare after the age of 50

Though there is not a definite cure for migraine, just like the acne, we have already known enough to control the symptoms becoming more severe, easing the pain level and reducing the frequency of the migraine attack.

We believed that migraine sufferers should really give migraine natural cure a try before seeking for medical help.

We would like to share three special tips about migraine headache remedy. None of them involves any prescription over the counter. Those tips are easy to learn, and most importantly, they are really effective.

1. Ginger root

Some sufferers find ginger so useful in treating the pain caused by migraine. All you need was to buy a piece of ginger root in a grocery store, cut them to many 1 inch slices and mix with some type of juice, it is of great use in preventing the migraine.

When a sudden migraine begins, you could grab one of those 1 inch ginger slice and starting chewing it. It is hot in favor but helps easing the pain in the head.

2. Peppermint Oil

This may cost you $10 for a small bottle, but it works for most migraine cases. Only a few drops of peppermint oil could last quite a long time for a normal migraine. You should apply the drops where the migraine occurs, your forehead, neck, etc.

Please do not apply too much near your temple and do not let the oil get anywhere near your eyes.

3. Take a Shower

This was specially offered to those young male migraine sufferers. We have several cases shown that the migraine sufferer chose to take a shower when he feels the migraine is on the way.

You could try 5 minutes of hot bath and then 5 minutes of cold bath, which is believed to have some effects of attention diversion and enhances the blood transfusion

Do pay more attention of the air trafficking in the bathroom. You’d better have some one covering outside the bathroom if you chose to take a shower for your migraine.

This article was provided by Josh Goodall who helped set up Migraine Natural Cure , where you could find more information on new migraine treatment.

Author: Brian McQuirk
Source: isnare.com

Systemic yeast infections or candida may well be the unknown epidemic of the day and are most often caused by the use of antibiotics. Systemic yeast infections (fungus) are extremely difficult to detect and kill. New information about the underlying cause of yeast infection — a relatively new branch of medical science — is discovering that chronic intestinal and systemic yeast infections are at the root of a host of medical problems including chronic fatigue, allergies, chronic infections, and many, many others. And, as you might expect, these intestinal and systemic yeast infections are also the source of other recurrent and chronic yeast infection conditions such as dandruff and vaginal yeast infection.

It is speculated that 80%-90% of the population is affected by a candida or a systemic yeast infection (men, women and children). If you are very disciplined you may have even tried the infamous candida diet, which attempts to “starve” the candida by depriving it of the foods that are easily converted to the sugar that feeds systemic yeast infections (Low Carb or the GI). Many diseases are often misdiagnosed in humans when the actual underlying cause is Candida Albicans (a systemic yeast infection). Some of the diseases a systemic yeast infection can cause are:arthritis, gout, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, high cholesterol, crohns disease,irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, allergies, acid reflux, arteriosclerosis, psoriasis, eczema, roscea, hives, acne, dandruff, depression. Most of these diseases are of an “unknown” cause.

If your doctor thinks you have a systemic yeast infection, a blood, stool or tissue sample will be tested for the fungus. If your doctor determines that you have a systemic yeast infection, you may get intravenous doses of amphotericin or flucytosine. To combat systemic yeast infection one may use enzymes, which work specifically to help the body return to balance and helps in combating Candida yeast, as well as cleaning out toxins from the body, re-establishing good bacteria and pushing out the yeast and also enables the person to eat better foods. They play a crucial role in combating systemic yeast infection by flushing out the dying Candida yeast toxins out of the body and free radicals at the level of cells. Similar to other types of yeast infections, systemic yeast infection usually occur secondary to anything that weakens the body’s natural barrier against colonizing organisms. The diseases and problems of systemic yeast infections can be quite varied as well as life threatening.

Treatment

Consult your practitioner before beginning or making changes to your diet, supplements, exercise program, diagnosis or treatment of illness or injuries and for advice regarding medications. Systemic yeast infections are unaffected by antibiotics and are able to thrive and take over the body and, as the yeast gets into new territories, it entrenches itself and will continue doing so and makes further advances until some treatment is taken to control and eliminate it.

Fortunately, there is an effective oral treatment option for the treatment of yeast infections. Treat your yeast infection with a single oral dose of Diflucan, the most effective yeast infection treatment. In a recent survey of some 179 women who have used both Diflucan and vaginally inserted creams, 9 out of ten women preferred Diflucan for the treatment of yeast infections. Unlike previous treatment options were messy inserted creams had to be applied, Diflucan offers a one time pill that is just as effective as the seven day application of a cream.

Author: Daniel Woods
Source: ezinearticles.com

Do you know what is the latest most talked about thing today? It is the trend of becoming eco-friendly. While many are doing it only for following the trend, there are many who understand the correct ways and means to really be eco-friendly.

Let me share about one of the most significant measures to becoming eco-friendly. Now don’t jump off your seat, if I tell you that it is by using a water purifier. Let me explain.

Due to the rise in water and environment pollution, we have contaminants everywhere around – in the soil, air as well as water. Talking specifically about water pollution – there are fertilizer and pesticides run off which reaches and contaminates the water reservoirs.

There are people on medication who ignorantly add unabsorbed pharmaceutical drugs through excretion to sewerage water. There are water suppliers who add chlorine and chloramines to keep microbial growth in control.

Now, when this water reaches our home – not difficult to guess – it is not fit for consumption. There are 3 possibilities now:

1. One person may choose to ignorantly consume it. This can lead to various health issues including typhoid, cholera and even cancer. The common ones being acne, constipation, stomach infection etc. When this person goes on medication, whatever drugs are left unabsorbed by the body, they will be flushed during excretion into the sewerage water.

This completes the cycle and all the efforts of becoming eco-friendly. This has further contaminated the environment – good neither for your health nor for the environment.

2. Second person may prefer using bottled water. Starting from manufacture of these bottles, their packaging and final shipping, they consume a lot of natural resources. Then again, the plastic used for making these bottles being non-recyclable further adds to the environmental pollution. The ones which are recyclable, not everyone takes the due care of ensuring that they go into the right bins.

It has been proven that in most of the cases, bottled water is of same quality as of tap water. Moreover, plastic leaches into the water and pollutes it further. So, the health risk is back again. Again neither a good way to ensure your health nor of becoming eco-friendly.

3. Third person may decide to take the reins in her hands. This can be done by installing a water purifier. When you have selected a purifier carefully and are filtering water at your home, you can be sure of the quality of the water being produced from it. It will be contaminant free – so no medication and health risk involved.

Moreover, they help in breaking the cycle where polluted water comes into your home and you send this back in the environment. Now, that you filter out all the contaminants from the water, you prevent these harmful contaminants from getting added back in the environment.

So which category do you belong to?

If you need my help in selecting an effective and economical water purifier for becoming eco-friendly, visit my website listed below.

Daniel Woods is a dedicated advocate and researcher of the benefits of safe, clean, healthy filtered water. He shares his research on his website – Water Purifier Home. If you want to know how to choose a water purifier, visit – http://www.waterpurifierhome.com and learn about the products our editors personally use and recommend.

Author: Robert Palmer
Source: articledashboard.com

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is characterized as abdominal pain and discomfort, gas and bloating, loose and frequent bowel movements, or constipation. Naturopaths for years have observed beneficial effects of acidophilus on IBS. Now there are clinical controlled studies to back up what the naturopaths have been saying for years. Acidophilus can boost intestinal flora (probiotics) and stabilize the intestines helping people get relief from IBS.

You may be wondering what is a probiotic? The term probiotic comes from ‘pro’, which means ‘for’, and ‘bios’, which means ‘life’. So probiotic means ‘for life’. Probiotic is a term used to describe nutritional supplements that contain live bacteria. Almost every brand of supplements out there has its own form of probiotic supplement.

Two of the most abundant and best known probiotics in the intestines are Bifidobacterium and lactobacillus. These probiotics adhere to the intestinal walls and multiply helping keep our bodies healthy. Probiotics help keep fungus and yeast cells at bay. Probiotics help keep your stool soft, well formed, and aids in bowel movements. Probiotics can manufacture B vitamins and vitamin K; they also make lactase the enzyme that digests milk, and dairy products like cheese. Probiotics can help prevent cholesterol from entering the blood stream which means it can lower your total blood level cholesterol. Probiotics can bring balance to the immune system. Probiotics can also reduce dental cavities, aid in weight loss, make our bones strong and healthy, help control acne and help prevent illness such as cancer and autism. They help prevent Gastro intestinal (GI) infections in children who attend day care and elderly who live in a nursing home. Its not a well known fact, almost 70 percent of the body’s immune system is actually located inside the GI tract. (1)

It’s clear that probiotics are essential for proper intestinal health and over all health of the body. These probiotics will grow and multiple in the intestines all your life. It’s easy for the probiotic balance to change and stop multiplying; it’s as simple as getting the flue or traveling to a distant land or if one develops an infection and needs antibiotics. Antibiotics can devastate the probiotic colony in the intestines. The colony of probiotics can easily be overwhelmed so daily supplementation is something everybody should consider for optimal health.

One double blind, placebo controlled study tested over 350 women with IBS. They consumed 1 billion Bifidobacterium each day for four weeks. The women consuming the probiotic experienced a significant reduction in symptoms of IBS. Higher and lower doses were also tried with little added benefit. (2) Another study conducted administered 450 billion cells daily for eight weeks. This study combined Bifidobacterium, lactobacillus and streptococcus blend of probiotics. Patients reported significant improvement in bowel control and less abdominal pain and bloating after 8 weeks. (3)

Choosing the right probiotic is very important. At a minimum, look for a probiotic that is enteric coated. Stomach acid will destroy these live bacteria and enteric coated capsules can help preserve these beneficial bacteria for where they are needed, the intestinal tract.
Probiotics are very vulnerable to the elements. Probiotics are anaerobic organisms so oxygen can kill them. Sunlight or artificial light can kill probiotics; they love the dark and thrive in the lightlessness of the intestines. Make sure you keep your bottle sealed because probiotics do not like moisture either.

You man be thinking why should I buy a probiotic supplement when I can just eat yogurt? This is a good question! Take a look at your yogurt label or better yet look at what’s not on the label. No matter how many lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were present at the time of manufacturing, there’s no telling how many bacteria is left at the time you eat the yogurt, there is no probiotic potency guarantee. Look for a guarantee with x amount of probiotics on the label per serving. When you eat yogurt there is nothing protecting the probiotics from harsh stomach acids so the amounts that actually make it down to the intestinal tract is very little.

Almost all health problems experienced today are related in some way to the process of digestion. Keep your digestive tract as healthy as possible by taking a high quality probiotic that are viable and robust, that has a guarantee of potency and that is enteric coated. Make sure you take it daily for optimal health.

References:
1. Porth CM. Principles of digestion. In: Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott; 2002:136-145.
2. Whorwell PJ, et al. Efficiency of an encapsulated probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 in women with irritable bowel syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol, 2006; 101(7): 1581-90.
3. Kim HJ, et al. A randomized controlled trial of probiotic, VSL#3, on guy transit and symptoms in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2003; 17(7) 895-904.

Author: Evan Langsted
Source: articlesbase.com

If you are taking either Yaz® or Yasmin® birth control pills, be aware that there could be some severe effects on your health. Those who have elevated blood potassium should not take these pills, because they can raise your blood potassium. A high potassium level in the body can cause: Heart attack Stroke Gallbladder disease Kidney disease Pulmonary embolism Deep vein thrombosis Yaz and Yasmin are both combination oral contraceptives, but they have an ingredient called drsp (drospirenone) which makes them different from other combination oral contraceptives. This is the ingredient that can raise your potassium level. It is a new kind of progestin called drospirenone. If you have any kidney or liver impairment or any adrenal gland problems, Yaz and Yasmin are contraindicated, again because they can raise your potassium level dangerously high. The same is true if you are obese or diabetic, or if your blood pressure is chronically too high. Bayer Healthcare Marketing Yaz has been FDA-approved for both birth control and treatment of PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder). PMDD is similar to Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) but gives more severe symptoms. Bayer Healthcare has been marketing Yaz as a good treatment for both PMS and acne, despite the fact that the FDA has not approved it for either condition. This is probably one reason why Yaz has become so widely prescribed and used. In 2008 Yaz sales amounted to more than $600 million. FDA Warning to Bayer Healthcare In October, 2008, the FDA sent a letter to Bayer warning them about their violations of some of the provisions in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Two of Bayer’s advertisement are cited, entitled “Not Gonna Take it” and “Balloons”. The letter states that these two ads “are misleading because they broaden the drug’s indication, overstate the efficacy of YAZ, and minimize serious risks associated with the use of the drug. If you are taking Yaz or Yasmin and have not yet suffered any problem, you might want to check with your doctor for preventive reasons. If you have taken Yaz or Yasmin (or their generic form called Ocella) and have suffered any of the above-listed conditions as a result, you may have a valid legal claim.

Please contact the drug injury law firm of Schlichter, Bogard & Denton to schedule a free online consultation. They operate nationwide.

Author: Jenny Janice
Source: ezinearticles.com

We are living in a world full of colors to brighten our days. Colors not only give us a beautiful world but good health and wellness, too. How so? The advent of technology brought medical advancement to man. Various machines have been used to induce health upon the sick person in hospitals and clinics all over the world. Colored light therapy is also known as chromotherapy. These are the terms used to mean therapy using a particular wavelength or spectrum of color for a particular period. Color light energy draws its principles from the ancient belief that energy fields comprise the human body. Correct amounts and proper circulation of energies ensure that the body is healthy. However, imbalances in the amounts of these energies, coupled with problems in energy circulation, offset the natural balance in the body and trigger illnesses. To replenish the deficient energy, another form of energy is needed. Since energy from color is accessible and easy to obtain, this is considered as one of the best ways to recharge the body’s energy supply to regain the balance of the person’s physical state.

Colored light therapy is used to treat common skin problems: acne, psoriasis and eczema. This is also used to counteract seasonal depression and other psychological and psychiatric illnesses. Jet lags and insomnia are also treated by this therapy. For years, neonatal jaundice has been treated by colored light therapy.

The wide range of conditions that colored light therapy can cure dictates the kind of light used for treatment. A certain wavelength may be good for acne but would not treat depression. Each wavelength of light has its own vibration on a specific frequency necessary for healing. One of the safest to use is the full spectrum colored light therapy, which uses all the vibrations in the full spectrum.

Each wavelength targets a specific condition. Red light, the coolest of all the lights in the spectrum, encourages circulation and is therefore good for the heart and muscles. The next in the cool series, orange light encourages cheerfulness and promotes good health. Yellow light eliminates a variety of toxins and stimulates the mind. Like all things green, green light induces relaxation, which is why it is best for reducing inflammation and swelling; it also promotes wound healing. Blue light heals the whole imbalanced energy system. Violet light brings spiritual wellness and proper body system functioning. It is not unusual that the treatment using the full spectrum of light provides the best healing effect on the body.

The light frequencies are potent enough to provide physical and emotional healing, as well as pain reduction, that their effects are almost immediate. As the particular type of light energy vibrates to re-energize the body, healing is promoted and the body goes back to being well balance and adequately nourished. Each wavelength works well with the other wavelengths to allow the body to rejuvenate properly and prevent pain from coming back to bother the person.

Too much sunlight may cause carcinogenesis, but controlled color light therapy does not induce cancer and is generally safe to use.

Hope this short article is insightful for you as you take up steps to improve your skin condition with Light Therapy and explore this treatment of Colored Light Therapy.

Jenny Janice is a freelance writer whose key interests are in trendy fashion, timely vacations and tiptop healthy lifestyle.

Author: edwinalohan
Source: articledashboard.com

This is the first in a series of articles I am about to embark upon concerning this subject. As my family gets older and matures with this disease I think back to the early days and wonder why aren’t we all on medication for depression? Why don’t we have standing twice a week appointments with a psychiatrist? How did we end up so normal?(whatever that is) As I look back this didn’t happen by accident, nor am I Super Dad, and I didn’t plan it out step by step. It was mostly just paying attention, luck, and decent communication between my girls and me, granted sometimes at the top of our lungs.

The first thing I suggest you do is very important. Remember, our children are who they had in mind when they coined the phrase “monkey see monkey do”. Trust Yourself! It’s okay to do it your way. There’re three components to raising happy kids, diabetic or not. They are Self-Confidence, Self-Reliance, an Self-Control. The more of these components your monkeys see in you, the more of these components you will see in your monkeys! I’m going to put out some ideas here but you’re the boss of your situation. Do it your way.

Upon reading the three components you might ask “but where is self esteem?” I’ll save that particular ramble for another day. Let me just assure you that if your child has self-confidence, self-reliance, and self-control then self-esteem comes naturally.

What is Self-Confidence? Self-Confidence is:

Trusting your ability to form and sustain relationships
Trusting your ability to complete various tasks well, knowing that others value your abilities
Trusting your ability to manage new siuations
Trusting your own judgements and common sense

As you can see trust is a key element of self-confidence. When our children don’t have that measure of consistency and predictability in their lives it becomes difficult for them to gain the necessary trust either in themselves or in others to become self-confident. So if our children see that the people who are most important to them (us as parents) trust them and will provide them with a consistant environment, they will begin to trust themselves, their judgements, and those of the people around them. This is the beginning of common sense.(Yahoo!)

How do our children acquire Self-Confidence? Self-Confidence comes from:

Being accepted for who you are
Having someone show confidence in you
Knowing there is something you are good at
Having firm expectations of other people’s behavior
Not being afraid of failure
Developing competence with the saftey of a parent close by
Seeing others you admire and copy, being confident and happy

It seems so easy when you write it down. When you think about it three main components have to be in place: Trust and Predictability, competence, and sociability.

Trust and Predictability – We all know that routines are important for developing feelings of trust and security. Think about the routines and relationships between you and your family and friends. How much do they keep to a pattern? Will your child begin each day with a reasonably clear idea of what will happen and when?

Competence – Being good at things. We all have different talents and abilities. We need to help our children identify the things they are good at and encourage them. These skills fall into a couple of different catagories.

Practical: Seeing how to make or mend things, and build things
Physical: Good at sports, kicking or catching a ball, swimming, running
Mental: Good ideas about things, good at solving practical problems, good at schoolwork
Social: Good at playing with others, kind and considerate, good at making new friends
Process: Being good at tying new things, sticking with difficult tasks and so on

Sociability – Trust and develope their social skills. Involve them moderately in your social life. If we have our children with us it shows not only are we happy to have them with us but also that we trust they will behave appropriately. Getting used to being in new situations, and learning to talk to different people will increase our children’s confidence considerably. Here’s one that took me a while to figure out. Give your child advance warning of your feelings, of short temper, tiredness, sadness, or whatever. “I’ve had a lousy day at work and I’m very crabby. It might be smart to keep your head down and your mouth shut.” Or “I’ve had an argument with so and so and I’m feeling hurt. If I’m short with you I’m sorry.” This not only teaches them techniques for managing their own feelings, but gives them a chance to learn sensitivity to the feelings and moods of others. These are essential social skills not only for now but for later on in life.

Our children will develope self-confidence only if we have first shown trust and confidence in them and have given them an environment where they can predict and trust. Diabetes and all of the unpredictability, feelings of powerlessness, and exclusion that sometimes go with it just make this process that much more difficult. I look at it like if it was easy any idiot could do it. Well, we’re not just any idiot. We’re special idiots. We have been entrusted with the care and upbringing of a diabetic child. So remember you are a special person entrusted with a very special task. Trust yourself. It’s okay to do it your way.

In the next issue I’ll take a look at Self-Reliance.

Author: Clark Bailey
Source: isnare.com

The news tells us that the recession is deeper than initially thought. This certainly is not good news for many of us. Gas prices remain high, unemployment is high and good jobs are hard to find. These are typically the first things that come to mind when thinking about a recession and its impact.

But, there are other effects tied to economic downturns that we don’t often consider. How about your health? Is it suffering because of the economy?

Consider some of the main factors contributing to disease and illness. Stress and poor nutrition are among the leaders. Certainly, one’s stress level goes up when economic times are harder. Worries about bills, how to make the mortgage or rent payment, keeping enough gas in the car to get to work, if you have a job, are all stress points.

Stress causes depletion of essential vitamins and minerals faster than normal. The effects include worsening immune system function (this can be especially problematic for those with chronic illnesses such as HIV/Aids) and elevated blood pressure leading to a variety of potential health risks including, abnormal heart beat, heart attacks, hardening of the arteries and coronary heart disease.

Other problems aggravated or caused by stress are muscle pains, low fertility, erectile dysfunction, complications during pregnancy, stomach problems (ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, reflux, etc.), weight gain and increased menstrual pain. Stress even worsens acne, psoriasis and the symptoms related to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Stress leads to more out of pocket expenses for doctors, hospitals and prescriptions. Factor in potential lost wages and the stress factor easily becomes an out-of-control snowball further complicating our lives.

So, what is one to do to minimize or avoid this health “recession?” There are several very important components to overcoming stress.

Laugh. You’ve heard the saying that laughter is the best medicine. Laughter actually helps your body by reducing stress hormones, boosting the immune system, providing a cardio workout and increasing blood flow. As Mark Twain said, “He who laughs, lasts.”

Exercise. Numerous studies support the health benefits of regular exercise. Improved cardiopulmonary function, reduced blood pressure, muscle tension release and mental relaxation are all known benefits. An important fact to remember about exercising is to pace oneself. Often times, people start out too fast and quickly burn out. Start out simple and gradually add a little every two or three days. Let your body “build” up its tolerance for physical exertion and you will be amazed at how quickly you are able to progress.

Nutrition. The typical American diet, even many so-called “healthy” diets, lacks key vitamins and minerals that our bodies require for optimum health. There are many, low-cost nutritional supplements that will help fill this void. They come in various forms, flavors and formulas to provide what your body needs. Proper nutrition is easy and very inexpensive when compared to the costs of medical care to treat illnesses and diseases due to poor nutrition.

Hobbies. Take up a hobby if you don’t already have one. This occupies your mind with something fun and constructive and, as a result, actually helps your body function at a higher level.

Talk. Share your fears, concerns and passions with someone. The psychological and physical benefits will surprise many people. Just “getting it off of your chest” is very therapeutic and healthy. You will also likely find that you are not alone – many people share the same fears, concerns and passions and don’t even realize it.

Be Positive. I wish there was a one-paragraph miracle remedy for this but, it takes a conscience effort. Even bad times can ultimately produce positive experiences if we choose to look for them. Our tendencies are to look at the bad and accept it but we can choose to seek the good out of a bad situation and focus our attention in a healthier place.

This article may be reprinted in its entirety as long as the author resource information remains attached. © Copyright 2009 Baileys Health Store.

Owner of Baileys Health Store (nutritional products), Baileys Bounty on-line shopping mall, The Phone Wiz (cell phone downloads) and True Wealth Source (internet business tutoring). After 20+ years in healthcare management, Clark recently shifted his focus to internet and home-based businesses to spend more time with his family.

Author: Bob Howard
Source: articleage.com

Many experts consider the drug to be the grandfather of all current anabolic steroids. The drug was first synthesized by Dr John Ziegler and marketed by the Ciba Corporation in the late fifties. Dr Ziegler decided to develop the drug after discovering that Russian coaches were giving a similar drug to their weightlifters in the early 1950’s.
D-bol was all the buzz in bodybuilding gyms during the 1960’s and 1970’s. The stories are still told of the little blue tablets being sold right on the counters of the more popular bodybuilding gyms. D-bol is probably the most popular steroid ever created and most pro bodybuilders who are willing to talk, have admitted to using it in their cycles. In fact it’s safe to say that most bodybuilders who have used steroids got their first introduction to the “juice” from D-bol.
Ironically the immense fame of Dianabol was to play a major role in its downfall. In the late eighties Ciba discontinued making the original D-bol after the US FDA reclassified steroids as controlled substances. It seemed that word was circulating that some bodybuilders were taking more than the recommended dosage! Generic D-bol (methandrostenelone) has never been out of production, particularly in foreign countries, and Russian and Thai D-bol are now two of the popular versions of the drug available on the North American black-market.
The key to its popularity
Methandrostenelone is without question one of the most effective steroids ever created for stimulating the maximum amount of muscle mass in the shortest time possible. Bodybuilders routinely report muscular weight gains of 2 to 4 pounds a week, and 15 to 20 pounds during a 6 to 8 week cycle is not uncommon. Among the drugs much desired effects are
? drastic increases in protein synthesis
? enhances regeneration of glycogen after exercise
? Dramatic strength gains in very short time periods.
Despite its popularity with bodybuilders and other athletes in power sports, D-bol is not recommended for those in aerobic events, as there is some evidence to hint that the drug may reduce cell respiration. Bodybuilders tend to use D-bol at the beginning of cycles that also contain injectables. This is done because the effects produced by injectables usually don’t occur for at least 10-15 days. The effects of methandrostenelone, however, are virtually instantaneous.
Side Effects?
Dianabol is a mixed bag when it comes to side effects. Since it has a rather weak androgenic component it means that the drug won’t depress natural testosterone levels in the same manner as some of the more androgenic steroids. This means that D-bol users don’t have to worry as much about a dramatic shutdown of natural hormone production. But like most side effects the degree of testosterone shutdown is related to the size of the dosages used and their duration. Don’t be mislead as methandrostenelone still has mild androgenic effects and in high doses (30-40+ mg daily) such androgen-related side effects as acne, male pattern hair loss, and aggression, may become noticeable.
As with many oral steroids, D-bol has its 17th carbon position modified (called methylation) to allow more of the drug to survive passage through the liver and digestive system. Of course this chemical alteration brings with it a certain degree of liver toxicity. For this reason users shouldn’t stay on the drug for more than 6 to 8 week cycles.
Despite its popularity during the mass-gaining off-season D-bol is rarely used in pre-contest drug stacks. This is because it heavily breaks down (aromatizes) into the female hormone, estrogen. This makes fat loss difficult. The drug also has a reputation to cause fluid retention – another reason bodybuilders avoid using it in the weeks leading up to a contest. To get around this bodybuilders usually stack D-bol with such other steroids as Deca-Durabolin, Maxibolan, or one of the testosterones (i.e., propionate).
Beware of the long arm of the law!
As of 1990, Dianabol and most of the other popular anabolic steroids have been reclassified as controlled substances in the United States. Many other countries have passed similar legislation. Please read up on and become knowledgeable about your state’s or country’s steroid laws.
Bob Howard expert on bodybuilding and steroids. Are you looking for more of his dianabol articles? http://www.steroids-information.com
ฉBob Howard 4/7/2006