There really does seem to be no end to green tea's long list of health benefits. As NHR has documented in the past, it has been found to be effective against a lot of different types of cancers, including thoses affecting the stomach, prostrate, pancreas, breast, lung and colon.
Now a new study has discovered another type of cancer that green tea can help fight - oesophageal cancer. The oesophagus is the muscular tube that moves food from your mouth to your stomach. In particular, the researchers found that green tea is able to inhibit oesophageal cancer associated with a condition called Barrett's oesophagus - chronic irritation of the oesophagus caused by acid reflux and heartburn.
Dr Howard Y Chang and colleagues who carried out the study at the Harvard Medical School and the Veterans Administration Boston Healthcare System in the US, recently presented their findings at the digestive Disease Week convention, held in New Orleans.
They believe that the oesophagus may benefit from being exposed to high levels of polyphenois, such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which are present in green tea. Polyphenols are natural chemicals that have antioxidant properties - which means they are able to fight harmful free radicals that can damage cells. EGCG in particular is believed to inhibit the production of an enzyme needed for cancer cells to grow. It is also thought to supress the production of blood vessels that supply blood to cancer cells.
The scientists administered varying concentrations of EGCC to human Barrett's oesophagus-associated adenocarcinoma (cancerous) cells in the laboratory, and compared them to untreated cells. They found that cell growth was inhibited within 72 hours after exposure to EGCG. The team concluded that EGCG also induced cell death, which occured as early as 24 hours after the treated cells were exposed to the compound.
When commenting on the results, Dr Chang said, "Research suggests that drinking green tea may be both a valuable chemopreventive therapy as well as a treatment for oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Our results suggest that extracts in green tea may help lower the prevalance of oesophageal adenocarcinoma, one of the fastest growing cancers in western countries".
You can benefit by drinking green tea or taking it in supplement form - the recommended dosage is one 500mg capsule taken one to two times a day with meals.
Make Your Own Grean Tea
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
WHY MIND OVER MATTER REALLY DOES MATTER
Ok, so you've finally made the decision to improve your health. You're taking your vitamins, you’ve stopped smoking, gave up junk food, and you have decided to buy a juicer to take advantage of the health benefits of juicing. These are all good things and according to the latest studies, are all things that may help in cancer treatment and prevention, as well as the prevention and treatment of a host of other ailments, including heart disease, allergies, asthma and high blood pressure. But, don’t overlook the one very important element in helping your body stay healthy. Your mind.
That’s right, your mind. It is called the Mind/Body connection, what you believe in your mind will influence things in your body.
It is known that anxiety can make any illness worse, make pain feel worse, lower defences that allow a cold virus to take hold, and can assist in raising your blood pressure. The simple act of relaxing can sometimes do wonders for your health and that’s all part of the mind/body connection.
You’ve heard of the “placebo effect” haven’t you? That is when you get better by thinking you’re taking a certain medication, only to discover you were really taking a sugar pill. In almost all studies of medications, there is a certain percentage of people who get better by taking the placebo. The reason for this is they thought they were taking the real thing and expected to feel better and they did.
Now, am I not saying you can conquer any illness just by thinking yourself healthy, if you have any symptoms that worry you contact a health-care professional. But, using the power of positive thinking, belief and relaxation techniques in conjunction with healthy eating and modern medicine will certainly help with the treatment of any disease. It can lower anxiety, which can help improve any anxiety-related illness. It can ease nausea in cancer patients, which can help with certain procedures. It can lessen the effects of pain.
One way to gain positive belief is with hypnosis or self-hypnosis. Hypnosis allows you to get into a deep state of relaxation where you bypass the critical beta mind. Once in a relaxed trance state it is good to visualize and imagine your body as being perfectly healthy, and repeat positive affirmations to yourself about your body being perfectly healthly.
How do you get into a trance state? One way, of course, is to see a hypnotherapist who will use special techniques to hypnotize you. Another way is to hypnotize yourself using self-hypnosis. Here is a simple method: Sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and begin actively imagining your body relaxing. Take several deep breaths, breathing in relaxation and exhaling any tensions. Begin with your feet and imagine them as deeply relaxed. Work your way up your body, imagining that every breath you take brings the relaxation up into the rest of your body. Take your time. It is not a race. When you are through actively imaging your body relaxed, take yourself even deeper and imagine yourself going down an elevator, or a staircase, imagining every step down you’re getting even deeper. I use a staircase of 21 stairs and count down. You can use any number you like. When you’ve reached 0 tell yourself you are in deep sleep, and tell yourself that every time you go down the staircase in your mind you will be deeply relaxed. At this point you imagine your body as healthy, while repeating your affirmations to yourself. Then, when you’re through, just count yourself up and out from 0 to five, telling yourself to open your eyes, and that you’re wide awake and alert.
Your self-hypnosis session needn’t be long - 5 or 10 minutes will do. But, practiced daily will certainly help in relieving tensions and anxiety that can weaken your health.
And, remember, don’t throw away the juicer or the vitamins. Juicers and vitamins and walking and eating healthy, as well as regular medical checkups, are all part of staying healthy. Remember, it’s called the mind/body connection.
That’s right, your mind. It is called the Mind/Body connection, what you believe in your mind will influence things in your body.
It is known that anxiety can make any illness worse, make pain feel worse, lower defences that allow a cold virus to take hold, and can assist in raising your blood pressure. The simple act of relaxing can sometimes do wonders for your health and that’s all part of the mind/body connection.
You’ve heard of the “placebo effect” haven’t you? That is when you get better by thinking you’re taking a certain medication, only to discover you were really taking a sugar pill. In almost all studies of medications, there is a certain percentage of people who get better by taking the placebo. The reason for this is they thought they were taking the real thing and expected to feel better and they did.
Now, am I not saying you can conquer any illness just by thinking yourself healthy, if you have any symptoms that worry you contact a health-care professional. But, using the power of positive thinking, belief and relaxation techniques in conjunction with healthy eating and modern medicine will certainly help with the treatment of any disease. It can lower anxiety, which can help improve any anxiety-related illness. It can ease nausea in cancer patients, which can help with certain procedures. It can lessen the effects of pain.
One way to gain positive belief is with hypnosis or self-hypnosis. Hypnosis allows you to get into a deep state of relaxation where you bypass the critical beta mind. Once in a relaxed trance state it is good to visualize and imagine your body as being perfectly healthy, and repeat positive affirmations to yourself about your body being perfectly healthly.
How do you get into a trance state? One way, of course, is to see a hypnotherapist who will use special techniques to hypnotize you. Another way is to hypnotize yourself using self-hypnosis. Here is a simple method: Sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and begin actively imagining your body relaxing. Take several deep breaths, breathing in relaxation and exhaling any tensions. Begin with your feet and imagine them as deeply relaxed. Work your way up your body, imagining that every breath you take brings the relaxation up into the rest of your body. Take your time. It is not a race. When you are through actively imaging your body relaxed, take yourself even deeper and imagine yourself going down an elevator, or a staircase, imagining every step down you’re getting even deeper. I use a staircase of 21 stairs and count down. You can use any number you like. When you’ve reached 0 tell yourself you are in deep sleep, and tell yourself that every time you go down the staircase in your mind you will be deeply relaxed. At this point you imagine your body as healthy, while repeating your affirmations to yourself. Then, when you’re through, just count yourself up and out from 0 to five, telling yourself to open your eyes, and that you’re wide awake and alert.
Your self-hypnosis session needn’t be long - 5 or 10 minutes will do. But, practiced daily will certainly help in relieving tensions and anxiety that can weaken your health.
And, remember, don’t throw away the juicer or the vitamins. Juicers and vitamins and walking and eating healthy, as well as regular medical checkups, are all part of staying healthy. Remember, it’s called the mind/body connection.
Monday, 26 January 2009
SAFE NATURAL ALTERNATIVES TO HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
Many women will sail happily through the menopause with very little difficulty. They are the ones who know about natural treatments rather than relying on the Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) provided by their GP's. If you or your partner are approaching the menopause, you should think about trying this life-enhancing approach:
1. Understand hormone replacement therapy (HRT) - you should know exactly what it is, and what can happen to you. HRT requires synthetic female hormones to be taken for the menopause or after a hysterectomy. 70% of women come off HRT within one year due to the many side effects which includes fluid retention, muscle/joint pain, headache and migranes, mood swings, weight gain, and depression. HRT is associated with an increased risk of strokes, heart disease and cancer but despite this GPs continue to routinely prescribe synthetic HRT. Unfortunately HRT is relatively new and a lot of doctors are poorly educated on this complex subject. There is no real evidence to support the use of synthetic HRT and according to Dr John Lee - the worlds leading authority on natural hormones - major trials on synthetic hormones have been poorly designed and/or have shown no benefit at all.
2. Recognise why synthetic treatments are provided for you - and sadly it's all to do with money and nothing to do with your health. Unbelieveably synthetic hormones are often made from natural ones. For example: pharmaceutical companies buy natural progesterone which is derived from soya or wild yam and chemically alter its molecular form to produce synthetic hormones. The reason for this is that synthetic hormones have molecular structures that are not seen in nature and once altered these new molecules are patentable. These can then be sold for much more money than natural hormones; which means increased profits for everyone concerned. The bad news for you is that unnatural molecules often interfere with your metabolism. Synthetic progesterone acts more like oestrogen, and will increase fluid retention.
3. Recognise the natural alternatives - and consider taking them if you want to get through the menopause more smoothly. A good choice are natural oestrogens and natural progesterone, herbs, vitamins plus complimentary therapies - when you find a combination that suits your body it will see you safely through the menopause. You should seek medical advice appropriate to your personal circumstances and if you are currently on HRT, do not stop taking it immediately as this could be harmful to you. Ask your GP how to reduce your HRT gradually under medical supervision. It may be necessary to shop around to find a doctor willing to offer you natural alternatives.
4. Take natural, herb-based oestrogens - your body will tolerate these much better than their synthetic counterparts. The best herbs are: Dong Quai, Siberian Ginseng, Garden Sage, Chaste Berry, Unicorn Root, Black Cohosh, Sasparilla, Wild Yam, St John Wart. These are available from health food shops, and are most effective in combination. Take natural progesterone too - again, this is kinder on your body but is only available by medical prescription. You will get additional benefits: from these such as improved skin/hair condition, and weight loss. Despite claims, wild yam products from health food shops don't contain natural progesterone. Unfortunately most GPs are unaware that natural progesterone exists - and are ignorant of it's avantages over synthetic hormones. Natural hormones are unlisted by medical pharmacies as the pharmaceutical industry has such a huge profit incentive to promote synthetic hormones that few doctors are exposed to natural products. Most doctors believe that unless a drug is widely accepted by their peers, it should be avoided.
5. Adopt the holistic approach - and ease through your menopause with success. Take supplements - especially 100mg vitamin C, 300mg calcium, and 350iu vitamin D a day and monitor your diet. Eat more fruits and leafy green vegetables and drink less alcohol, fizzy drinks, tea and coffee. It is wise to go organic, especially with meats and cut back on processed foods. Avoid plastic-wrapped food as plastics contain molecules that are similar to oestrogens. Cut down on your intake of fluoridated tap water as this is bad for your bones. Recommended therapies: aromatherapy, reflexology, homeopathy - these all help to promote less stress and more balance in your body.
Source: Dr Sanjay Chaudhuri
1. Understand hormone replacement therapy (HRT) - you should know exactly what it is, and what can happen to you. HRT requires synthetic female hormones to be taken for the menopause or after a hysterectomy. 70% of women come off HRT within one year due to the many side effects which includes fluid retention, muscle/joint pain, headache and migranes, mood swings, weight gain, and depression. HRT is associated with an increased risk of strokes, heart disease and cancer but despite this GPs continue to routinely prescribe synthetic HRT. Unfortunately HRT is relatively new and a lot of doctors are poorly educated on this complex subject. There is no real evidence to support the use of synthetic HRT and according to Dr John Lee - the worlds leading authority on natural hormones - major trials on synthetic hormones have been poorly designed and/or have shown no benefit at all.
2. Recognise why synthetic treatments are provided for you - and sadly it's all to do with money and nothing to do with your health. Unbelieveably synthetic hormones are often made from natural ones. For example: pharmaceutical companies buy natural progesterone which is derived from soya or wild yam and chemically alter its molecular form to produce synthetic hormones. The reason for this is that synthetic hormones have molecular structures that are not seen in nature and once altered these new molecules are patentable. These can then be sold for much more money than natural hormones; which means increased profits for everyone concerned. The bad news for you is that unnatural molecules often interfere with your metabolism. Synthetic progesterone acts more like oestrogen, and will increase fluid retention.
3. Recognise the natural alternatives - and consider taking them if you want to get through the menopause more smoothly. A good choice are natural oestrogens and natural progesterone, herbs, vitamins plus complimentary therapies - when you find a combination that suits your body it will see you safely through the menopause. You should seek medical advice appropriate to your personal circumstances and if you are currently on HRT, do not stop taking it immediately as this could be harmful to you. Ask your GP how to reduce your HRT gradually under medical supervision. It may be necessary to shop around to find a doctor willing to offer you natural alternatives.
4. Take natural, herb-based oestrogens - your body will tolerate these much better than their synthetic counterparts. The best herbs are: Dong Quai, Siberian Ginseng, Garden Sage, Chaste Berry, Unicorn Root, Black Cohosh, Sasparilla, Wild Yam, St John Wart. These are available from health food shops, and are most effective in combination. Take natural progesterone too - again, this is kinder on your body but is only available by medical prescription. You will get additional benefits: from these such as improved skin/hair condition, and weight loss. Despite claims, wild yam products from health food shops don't contain natural progesterone. Unfortunately most GPs are unaware that natural progesterone exists - and are ignorant of it's avantages over synthetic hormones. Natural hormones are unlisted by medical pharmacies as the pharmaceutical industry has such a huge profit incentive to promote synthetic hormones that few doctors are exposed to natural products. Most doctors believe that unless a drug is widely accepted by their peers, it should be avoided.
5. Adopt the holistic approach - and ease through your menopause with success. Take supplements - especially 100mg vitamin C, 300mg calcium, and 350iu vitamin D a day and monitor your diet. Eat more fruits and leafy green vegetables and drink less alcohol, fizzy drinks, tea and coffee. It is wise to go organic, especially with meats and cut back on processed foods. Avoid plastic-wrapped food as plastics contain molecules that are similar to oestrogens. Cut down on your intake of fluoridated tap water as this is bad for your bones. Recommended therapies: aromatherapy, reflexology, homeopathy - these all help to promote less stress and more balance in your body.
Source: Dr Sanjay Chaudhuri
Sunday, 25 January 2009
DON'T LOSE YOUR TEETH TO GUM DISEASE
Gum disease affects 50% of the population. By following these two simple tips will help you avoid it.
1. Give your teeth a deep clean at regular intervals to reach and destroy the usually inaccessible bacteria which is missed by normal, everyday brushing. Wet your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide and then dip its bristles into a baking soda and salt mixture. Brush this all over your teeth and gums, making sure that you include the spaces between your teeth and leave the mixture to soak in for two minutes.
2. Rinse thoroughly. Try to top up your calcium intake whenever you can as a deficiency of this vital mineral may weaken your teeth and increase the chances of gum infection. The best sources of calcium are low-fat milk, green leafy vegetables, legumes, salmon, low-fat yoghurt.
1. Give your teeth a deep clean at regular intervals to reach and destroy the usually inaccessible bacteria which is missed by normal, everyday brushing. Wet your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide and then dip its bristles into a baking soda and salt mixture. Brush this all over your teeth and gums, making sure that you include the spaces between your teeth and leave the mixture to soak in for two minutes.
2. Rinse thoroughly. Try to top up your calcium intake whenever you can as a deficiency of this vital mineral may weaken your teeth and increase the chances of gum infection. The best sources of calcium are low-fat milk, green leafy vegetables, legumes, salmon, low-fat yoghurt.
Saturday, 24 January 2009
PUT AN END TO INDIGESTION
Indigestion is recurring or persistent pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen. Many people believe this is caused by what they eat or drink when in fact it is rarely caused by food intolerance or allergy. In the majority of cases it results from eating too quickly or/and over-eating. Here are some of the best ways to avoid indigestion:
1. Eat meals at regular times so that your stomach becomes familiar with your normal eating patterns. Don't snack on junk foods when you are working as these are inevitably rushed, which leads to indigestion. Avoid any foods or drinks which seem to act as triggers to indigestion and smoking often exacerbates the problem.
2. Don't take asprin (or any product which contain asprin) for headaches, colds, sore throat or coughs as this is known to set off idigestion. Asprin irritates the stomach lining so it is better to take paracetemol which is kinder on the stomach.
3. Try not to take anti-arthritic painkillers if at all possible as these have also been known to trigger cases of indigestion and will irritate the stomach lining. It is best to discuss your medication with your GP before you start or stop a course of treatments.
1. Eat meals at regular times so that your stomach becomes familiar with your normal eating patterns. Don't snack on junk foods when you are working as these are inevitably rushed, which leads to indigestion. Avoid any foods or drinks which seem to act as triggers to indigestion and smoking often exacerbates the problem.
2. Don't take asprin (or any product which contain asprin) for headaches, colds, sore throat or coughs as this is known to set off idigestion. Asprin irritates the stomach lining so it is better to take paracetemol which is kinder on the stomach.
3. Try not to take anti-arthritic painkillers if at all possible as these have also been known to trigger cases of indigestion and will irritate the stomach lining. It is best to discuss your medication with your GP before you start or stop a course of treatments.
Friday, 23 January 2009
FIVE SIMPLE STEPS TO BOOST YOUR BRAIN POWER
You can improve your work performance with a ‘brain train workout – a daily programme of mental skill-builders that enable people of all occupations to concentrate better, make faster decisions, solve problems more quickly and be more creative, whether in the workplace or the home.
1. Thought master. This exercise allows you to build your powers of concentration whilst making you aware of intrusive thoughts. How: concentrate on the second hand of your watch for one minute, silently repeating the number ‘one’ as you do this. If a distracting thought comes into your head, maintain your concentration but move to ‘two’. If another distracting thought occurs to you, keep concentrating but go on to ‘three’. Record your score of intruding thoughts. Benefit: with daily practice, you will reduce the number of intrusive thoughts – and improve your concentration.
2. Brain buddies. Your brain comprises a left and right cortex. Important: think of these as two buddies working together to better your performance. What to do: each day, write out two sentences with your nondominant hand – the one you don’t normally write with. Note the time is takes to do this. The next day, do the same again – and every day after that. Outcome: this workout strengthens the buddy who’s been lacking exercise.
3. Working tools vocabulary. Words are the working tools of your brain – you need a strong vocabulary to develop your mind. Tactic: find a new word to add to your vocabulary each day. Write the word and its definition in your diary and start using it straight away. Gain: you will improve your communication abilities.
4. Whole brain pictures. Think of a different word every day – and create a ‘whole brain picture’ from it. Example: ‘ocean’ is an evocative word. In your mind, see yourself walking on a beach and hear those crashing waves. Smell the ocean breeze as you taste the salty spray hitting your face. Touch the sand between your toes. Result: this will develop your five senses.
5. Breathing space brain. Your brain needs to rest occasionally – to relax effectively, you need to develop your ‘breathing space brain’. Technique: sit, or lie on your back, relax your body and close your eyes. Begin breathing easily, and listen to its sound. If your attention drifts from your breath, bring it back. Continue for several minutes. Next: repeat the exercise but concentrate instead on a favourite word. Examples: ‘calm’, ‘peace’, ‘wealth’. Say the word silently to yourself each time you exhale. Do this for several minutes. Benefit: you can use breathing spacebrain whenever you feel stressed out or want to boost your performance.
Source: The Buzan Study Skills Handbook
1. Thought master. This exercise allows you to build your powers of concentration whilst making you aware of intrusive thoughts. How: concentrate on the second hand of your watch for one minute, silently repeating the number ‘one’ as you do this. If a distracting thought comes into your head, maintain your concentration but move to ‘two’. If another distracting thought occurs to you, keep concentrating but go on to ‘three’. Record your score of intruding thoughts. Benefit: with daily practice, you will reduce the number of intrusive thoughts – and improve your concentration.
2. Brain buddies. Your brain comprises a left and right cortex. Important: think of these as two buddies working together to better your performance. What to do: each day, write out two sentences with your nondominant hand – the one you don’t normally write with. Note the time is takes to do this. The next day, do the same again – and every day after that. Outcome: this workout strengthens the buddy who’s been lacking exercise.
3. Working tools vocabulary. Words are the working tools of your brain – you need a strong vocabulary to develop your mind. Tactic: find a new word to add to your vocabulary each day. Write the word and its definition in your diary and start using it straight away. Gain: you will improve your communication abilities.
4. Whole brain pictures. Think of a different word every day – and create a ‘whole brain picture’ from it. Example: ‘ocean’ is an evocative word. In your mind, see yourself walking on a beach and hear those crashing waves. Smell the ocean breeze as you taste the salty spray hitting your face. Touch the sand between your toes. Result: this will develop your five senses.
5. Breathing space brain. Your brain needs to rest occasionally – to relax effectively, you need to develop your ‘breathing space brain’. Technique: sit, or lie on your back, relax your body and close your eyes. Begin breathing easily, and listen to its sound. If your attention drifts from your breath, bring it back. Continue for several minutes. Next: repeat the exercise but concentrate instead on a favourite word. Examples: ‘calm’, ‘peace’, ‘wealth’. Say the word silently to yourself each time you exhale. Do this for several minutes. Benefit: you can use breathing spacebrain whenever you feel stressed out or want to boost your performance.
Source: The Buzan Study Skills Handbook
Thursday, 22 January 2009
EASY-TO-FOLLOW TIPS FOR SKY-HIGH CONFIDENCE
Most of us experience moments when our self confidence falters, possibly when a relationship ends or during a short period of unemployment etc. We should always learn from the bad times and come back much more stronger and better than ever. Here is your step-by-step guide:
1. Always start by doing the things you are good at. Examples: having a friendly conversation with one of your neighbours, playing computer games or maybe even sorting the household accounts. Focus on the things you are able to do well, and congratulate yourself as you go along. For example, 'I really cheered up John with that little chat we had'. 'I've defeated that alien invasion and saved the world from tyranny - that's brilliant!', 'I finished balancing the books quickly and discovered there is some spare cash left over this month so I can treat myself'.
2. Try lots of new things - be different and do something you have never done before. Surf the internet for new ideas seek out new experiences, learn to mountain bike, take up skiing or ice skating, sign up for an adult education course. You should view your results as a learning experience and never as a 'win or lose' situation. Take more risks (within reason) as people with high self esteem take lots of risks to expand their 'comfort zone', and they will accept that they sometimes make mistakes and treat this as part of their learning curve. So the more mistakes you make the better, they are a sign growth as a person.
3. Congratulate yourself anytime you make a mistake. This shows that you are getting better. It is useful to have a list of treats ready, anything chocolates or flowers, a special day out or simply a long leisurely soak in the bath. When you treat yourself you are telling yourself that you're worth it, when you start to believe this you will treat yourself better and the more confident you will become and the more you will achieve.
4. Use affirmations. These are positive statements you say(affirm) to yourself. For example 'I am Mark, I am loving, capable and outgoing, I enjoy all the challenges life has in store for me' The affirmations should be appropriate to you and your present situation, always be in the present tense and include qualities you wish to develop. These will very quickly work their way into your subconscious mind and bring about great results.
5. Be aware and careful of what you say to yourself. We all talk to ourselves, whether that be consciously or subconsciously. There is a danger in negative self talk which can only serve to damage your self confidence. For example, 'Damn it, I am so disorganized', Guideline: would you talk to one of your friends in this way? Instead you should say, under your breath and in a much gentler tone, 'I am usually very well organized but once in a while I slip up' Self talk works both ways, be kind to yourself and always use encouraging self talk.
6. Act 'as if'. Until you regain the confidence you'd like to have you should act and speak as if you already have it. Visualize yourself as a confident person and hold that mental image in your mind, what are you doing, what are you saying. In the process of acting 'as if' you will realize that you have become the person you wish to be. Find your self-image, this is the image of who you think you 'should' be. If you make sure this is realistic you will achieve it.
1. Always start by doing the things you are good at. Examples: having a friendly conversation with one of your neighbours, playing computer games or maybe even sorting the household accounts. Focus on the things you are able to do well, and congratulate yourself as you go along. For example, 'I really cheered up John with that little chat we had'. 'I've defeated that alien invasion and saved the world from tyranny - that's brilliant!', 'I finished balancing the books quickly and discovered there is some spare cash left over this month so I can treat myself'.
2. Try lots of new things - be different and do something you have never done before. Surf the internet for new ideas seek out new experiences, learn to mountain bike, take up skiing or ice skating, sign up for an adult education course. You should view your results as a learning experience and never as a 'win or lose' situation. Take more risks (within reason) as people with high self esteem take lots of risks to expand their 'comfort zone', and they will accept that they sometimes make mistakes and treat this as part of their learning curve. So the more mistakes you make the better, they are a sign growth as a person.
3. Congratulate yourself anytime you make a mistake. This shows that you are getting better. It is useful to have a list of treats ready, anything chocolates or flowers, a special day out or simply a long leisurely soak in the bath. When you treat yourself you are telling yourself that you're worth it, when you start to believe this you will treat yourself better and the more confident you will become and the more you will achieve.
4. Use affirmations. These are positive statements you say(affirm) to yourself. For example 'I am Mark, I am loving, capable and outgoing, I enjoy all the challenges life has in store for me' The affirmations should be appropriate to you and your present situation, always be in the present tense and include qualities you wish to develop. These will very quickly work their way into your subconscious mind and bring about great results.
5. Be aware and careful of what you say to yourself. We all talk to ourselves, whether that be consciously or subconsciously. There is a danger in negative self talk which can only serve to damage your self confidence. For example, 'Damn it, I am so disorganized', Guideline: would you talk to one of your friends in this way? Instead you should say, under your breath and in a much gentler tone, 'I am usually very well organized but once in a while I slip up' Self talk works both ways, be kind to yourself and always use encouraging self talk.
6. Act 'as if'. Until you regain the confidence you'd like to have you should act and speak as if you already have it. Visualize yourself as a confident person and hold that mental image in your mind, what are you doing, what are you saying. In the process of acting 'as if' you will realize that you have become the person you wish to be. Find your self-image, this is the image of who you think you 'should' be. If you make sure this is realistic you will achieve it.
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
ARE YOUR DENTAL FILLINGS MAKING YOU ILL?
Evidence has arisen which suspects that mercury dental fillings might be a major factor in more than 30 medical conditions. ME/CFS, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's, infertility, headaches, stomach problems and allergies - they have all been linked with those silver type metal filings. British and U.S. dental societies usually tell you that you have no cause for concern - but here are some of the facts: Dental expert Hal Higgins carried out a study on 2,000 patients with ME-like symptons of fatigue; and discovered that 90% of them improved when their mercury fillings were removed and replaced with composite or ceramics fillings. The improvement figure for MS sufferers was 85%. Alzheimer's patients have found that after their fillings were removed, their symptoms diminished or even disappeared. Autopsies carried out on Alzheimer's sufferers with amalgam/mercury dental fillings at the University of Kentucky revealed that extremely high levels of mercury existed in their blood streams.
Further tests on immunity - the body's natural ability to resist infection and disease - has revealed that the number of T-cells that are so critical to successful immunity are increased by up to 300% when amalgam/mercury fillings are removed. In a combined report of six separate studies, patients who had their amalgam fillings replaced, almost all of the 1,600 participants reported an improvement in or a cure of 31 types of condition; including M.S., headaches, migraines, gastrointestinal and urinary tract problems and also allergies. In other research studies, mercury fillings have also been linked with infertility, Eczema and Asthmas, Candida.
If you are concerned that your fillings may be causing health problems, a simple test can determine whether or not they are making you ill and if so, you can have them removed. Contact: the British Society for Mercury-Free Dentistry, 020 7736 4145. http://www.mercuryfreedentistry.org.uk/
The Smoking Teeth Video
Further tests on immunity - the body's natural ability to resist infection and disease - has revealed that the number of T-cells that are so critical to successful immunity are increased by up to 300% when amalgam/mercury fillings are removed. In a combined report of six separate studies, patients who had their amalgam fillings replaced, almost all of the 1,600 participants reported an improvement in or a cure of 31 types of condition; including M.S., headaches, migraines, gastrointestinal and urinary tract problems and also allergies. In other research studies, mercury fillings have also been linked with infertility, Eczema and Asthmas, Candida.
If you are concerned that your fillings may be causing health problems, a simple test can determine whether or not they are making you ill and if so, you can have them removed. Contact: the British Society for Mercury-Free Dentistry, 020 7736 4145. http://www.mercuryfreedentistry.org.uk/
The Smoking Teeth Video
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
LITTLE-KNOWN VITAMINS THAT CAN PROTECT YOUR BODY FROM DISEASE AND SLOW DOWN AGEING.
American scientists have discovered the villain that may be responsible for ageing, strokes, heart disease, arthritis, some allergies and a host of other ailments and that villain is oxygen, the very element we need to breathe in order to survive. Oxygen becomes harmful when it turns into 'free radicals' which attack the cells in our body. The more free radicals our body contains, the more damage they do. The number of free radicals in our bodies are increased by smoking, stress,pollution, chlorine and even some of the foods that we eat. The good news is that it is relatively easy to combat free radicals. We now know that large doses of 'antioxidants' can help to neutralise the damage done and these antioxidants include vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene and selenium. We can get these vitamins and minerals from our food, but not in the sufficiently large amounts needed to work at their full potential. To get the full antioxidant effect, simply take high dosage vitamin and mineral supplement tablets but do stick to the dosage recommended on the packet. Very large doses of some supplements can be toxic; although you can take as much vitamin C as you wish, some people take up to 2500mg per day.
Monday, 19 January 2009
EASY-TO-FOLLOW TACTICS TO BANISH NERVES AND DEVELOP TOTAL SELF CONFIDENCE
Most people would like to conquer their nerves in order to face the world with a new-found confidence. But inside, they have a vein of scepticism that holds them back and they feel that any attempts to change are doomed to fail. It does not have to be like this you can change if you really want to all you need is the desire to succeed, and some guidance.
1. Personalise the message. You will have seen books that promise to 'change your life forever' and you may have read and benefited from them. But many people find that any beneficial effects of such motivational literature are fleeting, and the message is soon forgotten. The reason for this is they do not personalise what they read or hear because they do not really believe that the message was meant for them. As a result they only make a half-hearted effort to act upon it.
2. Establish desire and belief. Ask yourself these two key questions. A: 'Am I satisfied with things as they are?'. B: 'Do I want to change anything in my life?. If your answers are 'no' and 'yes'
respectively then you have the desire to change. Remember that new resolutions do not have to be made only on 1 January; you can take the decision to make a fresh start any time you want. Most people identify personal shortcomings and/or missed opportunities then decide immediately that it's too late to do anything about them, these are rash assessments - it's never too late to change If you can embrace the belief that you can change, you're on your way to a happier, relaxed life.
3. Recognise your self-confidence. A lack of faith is often triggered off by the competitive world around us; which leads to fears and negative feelings. For example: a fear of embarrassment, rejection and/or failure, the inability to handle situations, a lack of self-esteem. Self-confidence is not something that people are either born with or wlthout; it is simply a product of your present state of mind, self-confidence is available to you if you really want it.
4. Face up to your fears. Most fears are irrational. If you adopt a rational approach, you will conquer them. You should list you fears; anything from spiders to public speaking and go through the list, writing out your reasons for each fear. Then confront your list in a rational manner, and see how irrational these fears really are - now you can begin to eliminate these negative elements.
5. Exorcise your fears. Sit or lie comfortably in a quiet room, close your eyes and visualise your mind as a video recorder. On your mental video, play a tape showing each of your fears in turn. After playing each section of the tape, rewind and wipe that part clean in your mind. Then play the tape again and - if it hasn't been wiped - repeat the process again, and until the tape is clean.
6. Learn to relax: if you relax for a few minutes each day, you'll find that this will help you to combat stress and anxiety. Exercise: beginning with your feet - and then focusing on one part of your body at a time - tense your muscles, hold the tension for several seconds and then release it. As you relax each muscle, visualise the tension flowing out of it. Move up your body, from your toes to your calves, to your thigs and buttocks, to your stomach, shoulders, neck, arms and hands. Complete the exercise by tensing and relaxing the muscles around your mouth and eyes. Devote a few minutes to this each day - and it will soon be triggered automatically at stressful times.
7. Define new problems as they arise. You will be aware that you need to take action over some of the things that you are unhappy about. An example could be: being less critical of people around you, adopting a healthier lifestyle. Many self judgements are subjective; based on perception rather than reality. Negative feelings about your personal appearance is another example. These things can be eliminated by adopting a more positive approach towards them. It is best to change your approach to the world in general; from one that's predominantly reactive to one where you initiate and set things in motion. Take charge of your life.
8. Take control. The human mind can become a straight-jacket for feelings and emotions; and people sometimes feel powerless to do anything about this. Break free by recognising the natural tendency that everyone has to centre their thoughts on themselves as if they are the focus of everyone else's attention. We all attach far too much importance to what other people think of us. It's as if we think that everything we do or say is being studied closely; whereas other people are too busy with their own daily lives to be over-concerned about us.
9. Clear your mind. Another by-product of this 'straight-jacket syndrome' is that it allows more into our minds than it lets out. It can cause our brains to become cluttered up with innumerable little problems that we're reluctant to deal with. It's like having masses of unanswered mail piling up in an overflowing in-tray. The longer we leave things like this; the more reluctant we are to deal with the problem, and the worse we feel about it. If you can identify this trait in yourself, you'll also know that there is no better time to start tackling it than right now.
1. Personalise the message. You will have seen books that promise to 'change your life forever' and you may have read and benefited from them. But many people find that any beneficial effects of such motivational literature are fleeting, and the message is soon forgotten. The reason for this is they do not personalise what they read or hear because they do not really believe that the message was meant for them. As a result they only make a half-hearted effort to act upon it.
2. Establish desire and belief. Ask yourself these two key questions. A: 'Am I satisfied with things as they are?'. B: 'Do I want to change anything in my life?. If your answers are 'no' and 'yes'
respectively then you have the desire to change. Remember that new resolutions do not have to be made only on 1 January; you can take the decision to make a fresh start any time you want. Most people identify personal shortcomings and/or missed opportunities then decide immediately that it's too late to do anything about them, these are rash assessments - it's never too late to change If you can embrace the belief that you can change, you're on your way to a happier, relaxed life.
3. Recognise your self-confidence. A lack of faith is often triggered off by the competitive world around us; which leads to fears and negative feelings. For example: a fear of embarrassment, rejection and/or failure, the inability to handle situations, a lack of self-esteem. Self-confidence is not something that people are either born with or wlthout; it is simply a product of your present state of mind, self-confidence is available to you if you really want it.
4. Face up to your fears. Most fears are irrational. If you adopt a rational approach, you will conquer them. You should list you fears; anything from spiders to public speaking and go through the list, writing out your reasons for each fear. Then confront your list in a rational manner, and see how irrational these fears really are - now you can begin to eliminate these negative elements.
5. Exorcise your fears. Sit or lie comfortably in a quiet room, close your eyes and visualise your mind as a video recorder. On your mental video, play a tape showing each of your fears in turn. After playing each section of the tape, rewind and wipe that part clean in your mind. Then play the tape again and - if it hasn't been wiped - repeat the process again, and until the tape is clean.
6. Learn to relax: if you relax for a few minutes each day, you'll find that this will help you to combat stress and anxiety. Exercise: beginning with your feet - and then focusing on one part of your body at a time - tense your muscles, hold the tension for several seconds and then release it. As you relax each muscle, visualise the tension flowing out of it. Move up your body, from your toes to your calves, to your thigs and buttocks, to your stomach, shoulders, neck, arms and hands. Complete the exercise by tensing and relaxing the muscles around your mouth and eyes. Devote a few minutes to this each day - and it will soon be triggered automatically at stressful times.
7. Define new problems as they arise. You will be aware that you need to take action over some of the things that you are unhappy about. An example could be: being less critical of people around you, adopting a healthier lifestyle. Many self judgements are subjective; based on perception rather than reality. Negative feelings about your personal appearance is another example. These things can be eliminated by adopting a more positive approach towards them. It is best to change your approach to the world in general; from one that's predominantly reactive to one where you initiate and set things in motion. Take charge of your life.
8. Take control. The human mind can become a straight-jacket for feelings and emotions; and people sometimes feel powerless to do anything about this. Break free by recognising the natural tendency that everyone has to centre their thoughts on themselves as if they are the focus of everyone else's attention. We all attach far too much importance to what other people think of us. It's as if we think that everything we do or say is being studied closely; whereas other people are too busy with their own daily lives to be over-concerned about us.
9. Clear your mind. Another by-product of this 'straight-jacket syndrome' is that it allows more into our minds than it lets out. It can cause our brains to become cluttered up with innumerable little problems that we're reluctant to deal with. It's like having masses of unanswered mail piling up in an overflowing in-tray. The longer we leave things like this; the more reluctant we are to deal with the problem, and the worse we feel about it. If you can identify this trait in yourself, you'll also know that there is no better time to start tackling it than right now.
Friday, 16 January 2009
CONQUERING BACK PAIN - YOUR COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE
Back pain can come on in a couple of hours, take weeks to lessen, and just when you think it is better, it could return, twice as painful as before. What is almost as frustrating is the way that some doctors look at your back then prescribe painkillers and tell you 'there is nothing you can do about back pain'. However this is just not true. Medical practitioners of various sorts can treat back pain successfully, and by changing your habits you are able to do evenmore than they can to prevent it returning. Here are a few of the prevention techniques used by top private specialists:
Standing:
Stand tall, but do not be too rigid about it. It is important to distribute the weight of your body evenly to each foot. Bend your knees slightly and pull in the base of your spine. A beneficial exercise is to hold up a book in front of your face untill you start to feel your head tilting backwards and your eyes gazing slightly downwards.
Walking:
Aim for a 'military bearing', with your shoulders back, stomach in and chest forward try not to lean forward. It can be helpful when walking, to consciously stretch your back the whole way up to your neck. Avoid sudden changes of direction, particularly ones that involve twisting your trunk. Choose suitable footwear as a limp caused by a blister or a corn from an badly fitting shoe can throw your back out of alignment.
Lifting:
Never bend forward when lifting a heavy object. Avoid using your back and instead let your legs do the work, because your leg muscles are much stronger than your back muscles. If possible, break down the load into small pieces. Get as close to the object as possible. Put your feet either side of it bending your knees and squatting down, keeping your back straight. Grasp the object securely and stand up by straightening your knees.
Sitting:
Pick out a well-designed chair - one that is firm, rather than softly upholstered. It's essential to sit on a flat, horizontal seat that adjoins the back of the chair at a right angle or even more. The chair should be at a height that enables your hips and knees to bend at right angles and your feet to easily rest on the ground. For a person of average height, the seat should be at 17-18 inches off the ground. It is important that the back must be at least as high as your shoulder blades, and the arms at least seven inches higher up the seat. In order to sit properly, push the base of your spine into the back of the chair and use a small sausage-shaped cushion or a rolled towel to support your back, if necessary. Don't sit in the same position for a long period of time. When getting up from an easy chair, support as much of your body weight as you can by holding on to the arms of the chair. Your office chair must allow you to sit with your back straight and your forearms leaning on the desk. For a person of average height, the seat should be about 18-19 inches high, with the desk at about 27-28 inches from the floor. If you are going to be typing most of the time, have the desk roughly about two inches lower than this.
Driving:
When driving the seat should be firmly sprung, with side sections that will provide lateral support. It should be able to extend as far forward as the back of your calves (for at least 21 inches) and be 11-12 inches above your heels when they are using the pedals. The higher the back of the seat, the better and you should fit a headrest if you can. A lumbar support cushion will also improve any car seat . If you spend a lot of your time driving, it is probably worth buying an orthopaedic seat which is designed especially for you. On long journeys, stop the car at least every two hours, get out and walk around.
Sleeping:
If you wake up with back pain, this probably means your bed is too soft. If the mattress is sagging in the middle, get a new, firmer one. Ideally pick an orthopaedic one that's designed for your condition. If the bed is sagging, support it by putting boards or even an old door under the mattress and make sure that this support stretches from the head to the bottom of the bed. You could alternatively try putting the mattress on the floor. Your sleeping position is very important. Try to sleep flat on your back without a pillow and be extra careful when getting in and out of bed.
Standing:
Stand tall, but do not be too rigid about it. It is important to distribute the weight of your body evenly to each foot. Bend your knees slightly and pull in the base of your spine. A beneficial exercise is to hold up a book in front of your face untill you start to feel your head tilting backwards and your eyes gazing slightly downwards.
Walking:
Aim for a 'military bearing', with your shoulders back, stomach in and chest forward try not to lean forward. It can be helpful when walking, to consciously stretch your back the whole way up to your neck. Avoid sudden changes of direction, particularly ones that involve twisting your trunk. Choose suitable footwear as a limp caused by a blister or a corn from an badly fitting shoe can throw your back out of alignment.
Lifting:
Never bend forward when lifting a heavy object. Avoid using your back and instead let your legs do the work, because your leg muscles are much stronger than your back muscles. If possible, break down the load into small pieces. Get as close to the object as possible. Put your feet either side of it bending your knees and squatting down, keeping your back straight. Grasp the object securely and stand up by straightening your knees.
Sitting:
Pick out a well-designed chair - one that is firm, rather than softly upholstered. It's essential to sit on a flat, horizontal seat that adjoins the back of the chair at a right angle or even more. The chair should be at a height that enables your hips and knees to bend at right angles and your feet to easily rest on the ground. For a person of average height, the seat should be at 17-18 inches off the ground. It is important that the back must be at least as high as your shoulder blades, and the arms at least seven inches higher up the seat. In order to sit properly, push the base of your spine into the back of the chair and use a small sausage-shaped cushion or a rolled towel to support your back, if necessary. Don't sit in the same position for a long period of time. When getting up from an easy chair, support as much of your body weight as you can by holding on to the arms of the chair. Your office chair must allow you to sit with your back straight and your forearms leaning on the desk. For a person of average height, the seat should be about 18-19 inches high, with the desk at about 27-28 inches from the floor. If you are going to be typing most of the time, have the desk roughly about two inches lower than this.
Driving:
When driving the seat should be firmly sprung, with side sections that will provide lateral support. It should be able to extend as far forward as the back of your calves (for at least 21 inches) and be 11-12 inches above your heels when they are using the pedals. The higher the back of the seat, the better and you should fit a headrest if you can. A lumbar support cushion will also improve any car seat . If you spend a lot of your time driving, it is probably worth buying an orthopaedic seat which is designed especially for you. On long journeys, stop the car at least every two hours, get out and walk around.
Sleeping:
If you wake up with back pain, this probably means your bed is too soft. If the mattress is sagging in the middle, get a new, firmer one. Ideally pick an orthopaedic one that's designed for your condition. If the bed is sagging, support it by putting boards or even an old door under the mattress and make sure that this support stretches from the head to the bottom of the bed. You could alternatively try putting the mattress on the floor. Your sleeping position is very important. Try to sleep flat on your back without a pillow and be extra careful when getting in and out of bed.
Thursday, 15 January 2009
CHEER YOURSELF UP WITH A CHANGE OF DIET
Mounting evidence suggests that depression and even schizophrenia can occasionally be caused by nothing more than dietary deficiencies or food allergies. An Italian study showed that almost all of the 331 depressed people participating in the test had extremely low levels of cholesterol in their body. Evidence proves that very low-fat diets can cause depression. Insufficient levels of B vitamins, high consumptions of sugar and caffeine, and gluten or milk allergies have all been proven to cause or aggravate mental illness. Unfortunately your doctor won't tell you the other common triggers for depression which include prescription drugs such as antihistamines, antibiotics, nasal decongestants, drugs for high blood pressure and heart drugs. The last thing you want to deal with when you're suffreing from depression is an episode of ill health. But that's exactly what you can experience with many common antidepressant drugs. Tricyclic antidepressants can cause delirium, fatigue, excessive sweating, the dangerous lowering of blood pressure, and even strokes and heart attacks. Prozac has brought on vomiting, diarrhoea, anxiety, insomnia, sexual problems, bone, muscle, ear and eye pain and even suicide has been reported.
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
GET A FLAT STOMACH IN JUST THREE MONTHS
Having a flat stomach improves your posture, strengthens your back and makes you less susceptible to injury and illness. It will improve your appearance too and if you look good you will feel great. Unfortunately, modern living encourages weak muscles and a sagging stomach. But you can do something about it.
Concentrate on the four muscle groups that support your stomach - upper abdominals, lower abdominals, external oblique, internal oblique. The upper and lower abdominals are on the front of the abdomen and form a row of muscles that runs from the ribs to the pubic bone. When they are well developed they are oblong in shape. The top half comprises the upper abdominals and the bottom half includes the lower abdominals. The external and internal obliques are not as easy to see as the abdominals, but are just as important. They form two bands of muscles that stretch down either side of your body, between your abdomen and waist. They run from the bottom of the ribs to the top of the hips. The internal oblique lies beneath the external oblique.
Basic Starting Position: Lie flat on your back, keeping your knees together and your feet flat on the floor. Bend your knees upwards at an angle of 90 degrees. Press your lower back into the floor. Place your arms flat by your sides. Do practice getting into this position and familiarise yourself with it. Before starting any of these exercises, avoid any strain or injury to your stomach muscles by doing this simple warm-up
Upper body warm-up:Stand up as straight as possible and place your arms above your head. Hold this position for five seconds, then lower your arms so they’re outstretched by your side. Again hold for five seconds, then swing your arms so they’re outstretched in front of you and hold for five more seconds. Do all three arm movements at least three times each.
Lower body warm-up:Lie down on your left side in a straight line with your right leg resting on the left one. Next gently lift your upper leg about 12 inches above your lower leg and make a small circular movement with your foot. After each circle, lower your leg again and repeat at least five times. Then turn over and do the same with your left leg.
Exercise 1: From the starting position, place your hands flat under your hips, palm side down. Keep your knees bent and your legs together. Brace your abdominal muscles. Bring your legs up until they are at right angles to your body. Use your abdominals to pull your knees towards your chest. Hold this position for two seconds, and then repeat.
Exercise 2: From the starting position, keep your knees bent and your legs together. Brace your abdominal muscles. Slowly pull your knees towards your chest. Unfold your legs gradually and point them straight towards the ceiling. Keep your legs and feet pressed together. Rotate your legs slowly in a very small circle, about 4 inches in each direction. Do half the repetitions clockwise, and the other half anti-clockwise. Bend your knees again before lowering your legs.
Exercise 3: From the starting position, place your hands behind your head. Tuck your chin on to your chest. Press your lower back into the floor. Tighten your abdominal muscles and your buttocks. Breathe in. Breathe out slowly, at the same time raising your head and shoulders until they are a third of the way off the floor. Hold this position for one second, and then turn gently to the starting position. Never raise your body more than 30 degrees - a third off the way - off the floor. Your abdominal muscles are only capable of lifting you this far and if your raise yourself any higher, your spine will have to do most of the work. This does nothing to help your muscles and could damage your back. Do this exercise slowly and feel your abdominal muscles working. Don't try to raise yourself higher by bouncing, nor by using the momentum you gain from that return movement. Use only your abdominal muscles, and try to 'unroll' yourself off the floor.
Exercise 4: From the stating position, bring your knees towards your chest. Keep your knees bent, and your legs in the air. Your thighs must be vertical; and your lower legs should be horizontal. Place your hands behind your head. Tuck your chin on to your chest. Breathe in. Breathe out slowly, keeping your legs in the same position and raising your head and shoulders a third of the way off the floor. Hold the position momentarily. Lower your head and shoulders, but keep your legs in the same position all the time. Repeat the exercise if you feel good.
Exercise 5: From the starting position, brace your abdominal muscles and your buttocks. Place your hands behind your head. Tuck your chin on to your chest. Breathe in. Breathe out slowly whilst slowly raising your left shoulder and your left hip off the floor. Hold the position for one second then return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise on the other side.
Beginners routine: warm up; exercise 1 - five repetitions; exercise 3 - five repetitions; exercise 4 - five repetitions; cool down. Continue this for a few sessions until it becomes easy; and then move up to ten repetitions. When you feel comfortable with ten repetitions, move up to 15 repetitions. When that becomes easy, go on to the intermediate routine.
Intermediate routine: warm up; exercise 1 - 20 repetitions; exercise 2 - 20 repetitions; exercise 3 - 20 repetitions; exercise 4 - 20 repetitions; cool down. Continue for a few days and then move up to 25 repetitions. And when you are comfortable with 25, go on to the advanced routine.
Advanced routine: warm up; exercise 1 - 30 repetitions; exercise 2 - 30 repetitions; exercise 3 - 30 repetitions; exercise 4 - 30 repetitions; exercise 5 - 30 repetitions; cool down.
This is designed to work the obliques, the lower abdominals, and the upper abdominals. You only need to do the exercises every other day - the abdominals tone up better when you rest them between sessions; but try to do some aerobic exercise every day.
Reminder: Do consult your doctor before starting an exercise programme if you are overweight, and/or have a back problem, and/or have any special needs, and/or don't exercise regularly.
Recommended Product: Firm & Flatten Your Abs
Concentrate on the four muscle groups that support your stomach - upper abdominals, lower abdominals, external oblique, internal oblique. The upper and lower abdominals are on the front of the abdomen and form a row of muscles that runs from the ribs to the pubic bone. When they are well developed they are oblong in shape. The top half comprises the upper abdominals and the bottom half includes the lower abdominals. The external and internal obliques are not as easy to see as the abdominals, but are just as important. They form two bands of muscles that stretch down either side of your body, between your abdomen and waist. They run from the bottom of the ribs to the top of the hips. The internal oblique lies beneath the external oblique.
Basic Starting Position: Lie flat on your back, keeping your knees together and your feet flat on the floor. Bend your knees upwards at an angle of 90 degrees. Press your lower back into the floor. Place your arms flat by your sides. Do practice getting into this position and familiarise yourself with it. Before starting any of these exercises, avoid any strain or injury to your stomach muscles by doing this simple warm-up
Upper body warm-up:Stand up as straight as possible and place your arms above your head. Hold this position for five seconds, then lower your arms so they’re outstretched by your side. Again hold for five seconds, then swing your arms so they’re outstretched in front of you and hold for five more seconds. Do all three arm movements at least three times each.
Lower body warm-up:Lie down on your left side in a straight line with your right leg resting on the left one. Next gently lift your upper leg about 12 inches above your lower leg and make a small circular movement with your foot. After each circle, lower your leg again and repeat at least five times. Then turn over and do the same with your left leg.
Exercise 1: From the starting position, place your hands flat under your hips, palm side down. Keep your knees bent and your legs together. Brace your abdominal muscles. Bring your legs up until they are at right angles to your body. Use your abdominals to pull your knees towards your chest. Hold this position for two seconds, and then repeat.
Exercise 2: From the starting position, keep your knees bent and your legs together. Brace your abdominal muscles. Slowly pull your knees towards your chest. Unfold your legs gradually and point them straight towards the ceiling. Keep your legs and feet pressed together. Rotate your legs slowly in a very small circle, about 4 inches in each direction. Do half the repetitions clockwise, and the other half anti-clockwise. Bend your knees again before lowering your legs.
Exercise 3: From the starting position, place your hands behind your head. Tuck your chin on to your chest. Press your lower back into the floor. Tighten your abdominal muscles and your buttocks. Breathe in. Breathe out slowly, at the same time raising your head and shoulders until they are a third of the way off the floor. Hold this position for one second, and then turn gently to the starting position. Never raise your body more than 30 degrees - a third off the way - off the floor. Your abdominal muscles are only capable of lifting you this far and if your raise yourself any higher, your spine will have to do most of the work. This does nothing to help your muscles and could damage your back. Do this exercise slowly and feel your abdominal muscles working. Don't try to raise yourself higher by bouncing, nor by using the momentum you gain from that return movement. Use only your abdominal muscles, and try to 'unroll' yourself off the floor.
Exercise 4: From the stating position, bring your knees towards your chest. Keep your knees bent, and your legs in the air. Your thighs must be vertical; and your lower legs should be horizontal. Place your hands behind your head. Tuck your chin on to your chest. Breathe in. Breathe out slowly, keeping your legs in the same position and raising your head and shoulders a third of the way off the floor. Hold the position momentarily. Lower your head and shoulders, but keep your legs in the same position all the time. Repeat the exercise if you feel good.
Exercise 5: From the starting position, brace your abdominal muscles and your buttocks. Place your hands behind your head. Tuck your chin on to your chest. Breathe in. Breathe out slowly whilst slowly raising your left shoulder and your left hip off the floor. Hold the position for one second then return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise on the other side.
Beginners routine: warm up; exercise 1 - five repetitions; exercise 3 - five repetitions; exercise 4 - five repetitions; cool down. Continue this for a few sessions until it becomes easy; and then move up to ten repetitions. When you feel comfortable with ten repetitions, move up to 15 repetitions. When that becomes easy, go on to the intermediate routine.
Intermediate routine: warm up; exercise 1 - 20 repetitions; exercise 2 - 20 repetitions; exercise 3 - 20 repetitions; exercise 4 - 20 repetitions; cool down. Continue for a few days and then move up to 25 repetitions. And when you are comfortable with 25, go on to the advanced routine.
Advanced routine: warm up; exercise 1 - 30 repetitions; exercise 2 - 30 repetitions; exercise 3 - 30 repetitions; exercise 4 - 30 repetitions; exercise 5 - 30 repetitions; cool down.
This is designed to work the obliques, the lower abdominals, and the upper abdominals. You only need to do the exercises every other day - the abdominals tone up better when you rest them between sessions; but try to do some aerobic exercise every day.
Reminder: Do consult your doctor before starting an exercise programme if you are overweight, and/or have a back problem, and/or have any special needs, and/or don't exercise regularly.
Recommended Product: Firm & Flatten Your Abs
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
HAVE PERFECT EYESIGHT AT ANY AGE
Many eye-related problems are caused by eyestrain. When the eye strains to see something, the surrounding muscles become tense and ridgid. This then puts pressure on the eyeball and distorts its shape. We can train ourselves to totally relax these muscles and make related eyesight problems disappear. Here are some simple and easy-to-follow exercises designed to help the eye muscles relax - they should be performed regularly and without glasses or contact lenses.
1. Eye lines: keeping your head relaxed and still, allow your eyes to move up and down six times. Avoid any strain or effort and repeat this three times, with a few seconds of rest in between. Then repeat - this time moving the eyes from left to right and back again. This exercise helps relax the stiff, strained muscles around the eyes.
2. Palming: sit in a comfortable chair and gently rest the palms of both hands over your closed eyes. Remain like this for about ten minutes then remove your hands and open your eyes. Now try to pick out objects of one particular colour, choosing a different colour for every day of the week.
3. Butterfly blinking: blink quickly for a few seconds then gently squeeze your eyelids shut for a moment. Repeat the exercise for up to a minute. This exercise shifts the point of focus of the eye, and also helps to lubricate the outer surface by stimulating the tear ducts.
4. Tracing shapes: imagine there is a pencil extending from the tip of your nose. Use this to trace the outline of various objects about you, some near and others further away. This exercise helps to strengthen the ability of the eye to focus on objects at different distances. Vary this exercise by tracing figures of eight in the air.
5. Swinging: this should be practiced standing up, but can be done sitting down. Relax your neck, and gently swing your head from side to side, backwards and forwards. Swinging is designed to relax the neck and shoulder muscles and improve the blood supply to the eyes. Note: it is important that all of these exercises are performed in a relaxed and rhythmical way, without any strain or jerkiness. It may be helpful to put on some relaxing music while you are doing them. To gain the most benefit from the exercises they need to be performed regularly; at least once a day.
Combine these five natural exercises with these other ways of improving your eyesight. Improve your diet: to ensure your eyes are properly nourished, eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and high-fibre foods (wholemeal bread, fruit, nuts), and cut down on fatty foods, salt and sugar. If you suffer from poor vision at night, try to increase your vitamin A intake - from fish, carrots, spinach and tomatoes. Get some exercise: this stimulates your blood flow, bringing more oxygen and fuel to the eyes and taking away waste products, It is also a proven way of reducing stress and helping you to relax. Room Lighting: eyes thrive on natural daylight. When reading or doing close-up work, position yourself near to a window. Avoid wearing dark glasses indoors or in normal daylight, unless they have been prescribed for a medical condition. Iif you have to work in artificial light, try to avoid fluorescent strip lighting, especially when if flickers. Ordinary light bulbs are better. Full spectrum strip lights and artificial daylight bulbs are best.
Laser eye surgery is becoming increasingly popular. The more common procedure is called laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and involves reshaping the outer layer of the eye with surgical lasers. Lasers are computer-calibrated and directed with pinpoint accuracy; their beams do not penetrate beyond the surface of the eye so surgery is safe, and painless! It is suitable for people with mild to moderate short-sightedness but unsuitable for people with long-sight and anyone under 21 years old as their eyesight is still changing. There is no upper age limit for treatment, although it may be unsuited to people with certain medical conditions. You should always check with your GP before applying for laser eye surgery.
You will be initially asked to attend a consultation for a thorough eye examination and have a discussion about the operation with the surgeon. On the day of the operation, the eye will be anaesthetised with drops you will not require an injection. The operation itself only takes a few minutes and is pain-free. There may be some slight discomfort as the outer surface of the eye heals but: side effects normally last for no more than a few days. Take note that eyesight can take a few weeks to stabilise fully - and driving a car or operating machinery is forbidden during this time. As (LASIK) involves removing part of the outer surface of the eye, your eye/s may always be a little more sensitive than the way they were before. It may no longer be possible to wear contact lenses (if you still need them) after the surgical procedure. The more short-sighted you are, the greater the chances are of such side effects arising. It is crucial to ask specifically about these potential dangers before the operation is performed.
It is important to note that laser eye surgery is performed on one eye at a time; the other eye will be treated three to six months later. Many people will no longer need glasses after the operation. Others experience an improvement, but still need to wear glasses some or all of the time. The exact results cannot be predicted; it depends on how your eyes respond to the treatment. (LASIK) won't reverse the normal effects of ageing, in particular the need for reading glasses in older people. This type of surgery is not normally available on the NHS, so you will have to pay a fee. Some clinics charge around £1,500 per eye, but others offer the operation for as little as £395. Clinics advertise in local and national newspapers; your GP and Optician should be able to help you to make your choice. Always contact several different clinics, and speak to people who have been treated there before making a decision.
1. Eye lines: keeping your head relaxed and still, allow your eyes to move up and down six times. Avoid any strain or effort and repeat this three times, with a few seconds of rest in between. Then repeat - this time moving the eyes from left to right and back again. This exercise helps relax the stiff, strained muscles around the eyes.
2. Palming: sit in a comfortable chair and gently rest the palms of both hands over your closed eyes. Remain like this for about ten minutes then remove your hands and open your eyes. Now try to pick out objects of one particular colour, choosing a different colour for every day of the week.
3. Butterfly blinking: blink quickly for a few seconds then gently squeeze your eyelids shut for a moment. Repeat the exercise for up to a minute. This exercise shifts the point of focus of the eye, and also helps to lubricate the outer surface by stimulating the tear ducts.
4. Tracing shapes: imagine there is a pencil extending from the tip of your nose. Use this to trace the outline of various objects about you, some near and others further away. This exercise helps to strengthen the ability of the eye to focus on objects at different distances. Vary this exercise by tracing figures of eight in the air.
5. Swinging: this should be practiced standing up, but can be done sitting down. Relax your neck, and gently swing your head from side to side, backwards and forwards. Swinging is designed to relax the neck and shoulder muscles and improve the blood supply to the eyes. Note: it is important that all of these exercises are performed in a relaxed and rhythmical way, without any strain or jerkiness. It may be helpful to put on some relaxing music while you are doing them. To gain the most benefit from the exercises they need to be performed regularly; at least once a day.
Combine these five natural exercises with these other ways of improving your eyesight. Improve your diet: to ensure your eyes are properly nourished, eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and high-fibre foods (wholemeal bread, fruit, nuts), and cut down on fatty foods, salt and sugar. If you suffer from poor vision at night, try to increase your vitamin A intake - from fish, carrots, spinach and tomatoes. Get some exercise: this stimulates your blood flow, bringing more oxygen and fuel to the eyes and taking away waste products, It is also a proven way of reducing stress and helping you to relax. Room Lighting: eyes thrive on natural daylight. When reading or doing close-up work, position yourself near to a window. Avoid wearing dark glasses indoors or in normal daylight, unless they have been prescribed for a medical condition. Iif you have to work in artificial light, try to avoid fluorescent strip lighting, especially when if flickers. Ordinary light bulbs are better. Full spectrum strip lights and artificial daylight bulbs are best.
Laser eye surgery is becoming increasingly popular. The more common procedure is called laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and involves reshaping the outer layer of the eye with surgical lasers. Lasers are computer-calibrated and directed with pinpoint accuracy; their beams do not penetrate beyond the surface of the eye so surgery is safe, and painless! It is suitable for people with mild to moderate short-sightedness but unsuitable for people with long-sight and anyone under 21 years old as their eyesight is still changing. There is no upper age limit for treatment, although it may be unsuited to people with certain medical conditions. You should always check with your GP before applying for laser eye surgery.
You will be initially asked to attend a consultation for a thorough eye examination and have a discussion about the operation with the surgeon. On the day of the operation, the eye will be anaesthetised with drops you will not require an injection. The operation itself only takes a few minutes and is pain-free. There may be some slight discomfort as the outer surface of the eye heals but: side effects normally last for no more than a few days. Take note that eyesight can take a few weeks to stabilise fully - and driving a car or operating machinery is forbidden during this time. As (LASIK) involves removing part of the outer surface of the eye, your eye/s may always be a little more sensitive than the way they were before. It may no longer be possible to wear contact lenses (if you still need them) after the surgical procedure. The more short-sighted you are, the greater the chances are of such side effects arising. It is crucial to ask specifically about these potential dangers before the operation is performed.
It is important to note that laser eye surgery is performed on one eye at a time; the other eye will be treated three to six months later. Many people will no longer need glasses after the operation. Others experience an improvement, but still need to wear glasses some or all of the time. The exact results cannot be predicted; it depends on how your eyes respond to the treatment. (LASIK) won't reverse the normal effects of ageing, in particular the need for reading glasses in older people. This type of surgery is not normally available on the NHS, so you will have to pay a fee. Some clinics charge around £1,500 per eye, but others offer the operation for as little as £395. Clinics advertise in local and national newspapers; your GP and Optician should be able to help you to make your choice. Always contact several different clinics, and speak to people who have been treated there before making a decision.
Monday, 12 January 2009
HOW TO USE STRESS TO MAKE YOU MORE SUCCESSFUL
There is a widespread opinion that stress is bad for you. But if you are to perform to your uttermost ability, certain levels of pressure and challenge must exist. If you may balance these, then stress will work for you, and assist you to succeed:
1. Plan your Day. Whatever goals have been set for you by others, it is important that you have you own realistic self-goals. It is helpful to look for various small 'satisfactions' during the course of a job, instead of just a large one at the end. For example: dealing daily with a set number of letters, faxes and telephone calls which help towards the completion of a major project ought to be a source of satisfaction in itself. Is is important to accept that yesterday has gone - it can't be repeated nor amended. As for tommorrow, what you do now will shape its course. Focus on today.
2. Be true to yourself. The best way of managing stress and converting it to your advantage is to accept the way you are. Admit to yourself that you are less than perfect - we all are. An idea is to look at someone you admire, and identify their weaknesses - everybody has them. Then concentrate instead on what you can do well, and your achievements.
3. Identify with others. It's easy to become pressurised by your interpretation of another person's attitude. Seeing both sides allows you to find balance. Practice the key skill of listening - with your ears for the words, and your eyes for body movements supporting them. Accept that everyone will approach life differently. For example: if you consider yourself a perfectionist, others may see you as a 'pain in the neck'. Do not judge people by your own viewpoints - they may approach situations in another way, but it doesn't mean they're wrong.
4. Learn to relax. Find whatever it is that works for you - whether its listening to music, walking in the countryside, gardening etc. It is important to budget 'breathing space' into your workday so that you can relax regularly - these can be as simple as going out into the fresh air at tea and lunch breaks. When you feel stressed, Stop! Train yourself to take deep breaths, look out of the window, take a glass of water or walk around for a few minutes. If you need some peace, put on a pair of personal stereo headphones; even if you are listening to silence, it helps. Then you can return to what you were doing.
5. Eat and exercise effectively. Eating five or six small meals a day provides far better support for your body than the occasional large one. Try to drink two litres of water per day to flush through your body's systems. The best foods are: white meat, dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods (bread,cereals, pasta). Avoid: red meat, sugar, salt, white flour, fats and 'junk' food. You should be careful of diet foods as they may have less calories, but are often quite high in saturated fats. Taking regular exercise improves the condition of your heart, will reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and increases your sense of well-being. You should try to take 20 minutes for a brisk walk three times a week to maintain good health.
6. Learn to fall asleep. Sleep is an essential if you're to balance pressures and challenges. Try this breathing process to help you to get a restful nights sleep restfully. Exhale for twice as long as you inhale - counting in your head as you breathe in and out. Choose a count that you feel comfortable with - but always in a 2:1 proportion. For examples: 6 then 3 seconds or 8 then 4 seconds. Keep it all effortless - your breathing must be smooth and continuous, without stops or shakiness. Don't hesitate between exhaling and inhaling, and avoid emptying your lungs. Follow this practice: eight breaths on your back, 16 breaths on your right side, 32 breaths on your left side. Recent tests have shown that very few people get through to the end of this routine because it works so well.
7. Use time efficiently. Good time management is one of the all-important features of making stress work for you. In particular: create 'to do' lists, and prioritise tasks into their order of importance. Allocate realistic deadlines for each task - underestimating the time involved in doing work is a major cause of self-inflicted stress. Do the important tasks at your most active periods of the day, leaving more routine matters to other times. Complete each task before going on to the next one. Don't think about other tasks until you have finished the first one. Avoid juggling paperwork - read it once then act on it, and file it or bin it, as relevant. Once a decision has been made, forget about it and move on. Don't create unnecessary stress by worrying whether it was right or not. Put any uncompleted tasks to the top of your list for the next day.
8. Keep a stress diary. Compile a record of stress-related incidents over the next month. Divide each day's page into four sections - 'events', 'people involved', 'response', 'ideal response' - and complete as and when you feel stressed. Example: event: having to deal with too many phone calls. People involved: sales reps. Response: incomplete work, sharp replies, headaches. Ideal response: measured disscussions with reps. Why: this diary should enable you to identify problem areas. For example: turn on the answering machine, and return all calls at one convenient time.
1. Plan your Day. Whatever goals have been set for you by others, it is important that you have you own realistic self-goals. It is helpful to look for various small 'satisfactions' during the course of a job, instead of just a large one at the end. For example: dealing daily with a set number of letters, faxes and telephone calls which help towards the completion of a major project ought to be a source of satisfaction in itself. Is is important to accept that yesterday has gone - it can't be repeated nor amended. As for tommorrow, what you do now will shape its course. Focus on today.
2. Be true to yourself. The best way of managing stress and converting it to your advantage is to accept the way you are. Admit to yourself that you are less than perfect - we all are. An idea is to look at someone you admire, and identify their weaknesses - everybody has them. Then concentrate instead on what you can do well, and your achievements.
3. Identify with others. It's easy to become pressurised by your interpretation of another person's attitude. Seeing both sides allows you to find balance. Practice the key skill of listening - with your ears for the words, and your eyes for body movements supporting them. Accept that everyone will approach life differently. For example: if you consider yourself a perfectionist, others may see you as a 'pain in the neck'. Do not judge people by your own viewpoints - they may approach situations in another way, but it doesn't mean they're wrong.
4. Learn to relax. Find whatever it is that works for you - whether its listening to music, walking in the countryside, gardening etc. It is important to budget 'breathing space' into your workday so that you can relax regularly - these can be as simple as going out into the fresh air at tea and lunch breaks. When you feel stressed, Stop! Train yourself to take deep breaths, look out of the window, take a glass of water or walk around for a few minutes. If you need some peace, put on a pair of personal stereo headphones; even if you are listening to silence, it helps. Then you can return to what you were doing.
5. Eat and exercise effectively. Eating five or six small meals a day provides far better support for your body than the occasional large one. Try to drink two litres of water per day to flush through your body's systems. The best foods are: white meat, dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods (bread,cereals, pasta). Avoid: red meat, sugar, salt, white flour, fats and 'junk' food. You should be careful of diet foods as they may have less calories, but are often quite high in saturated fats. Taking regular exercise improves the condition of your heart, will reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and increases your sense of well-being. You should try to take 20 minutes for a brisk walk three times a week to maintain good health.
6. Learn to fall asleep. Sleep is an essential if you're to balance pressures and challenges. Try this breathing process to help you to get a restful nights sleep restfully. Exhale for twice as long as you inhale - counting in your head as you breathe in and out. Choose a count that you feel comfortable with - but always in a 2:1 proportion. For examples: 6 then 3 seconds or 8 then 4 seconds. Keep it all effortless - your breathing must be smooth and continuous, without stops or shakiness. Don't hesitate between exhaling and inhaling, and avoid emptying your lungs. Follow this practice: eight breaths on your back, 16 breaths on your right side, 32 breaths on your left side. Recent tests have shown that very few people get through to the end of this routine because it works so well.
7. Use time efficiently. Good time management is one of the all-important features of making stress work for you. In particular: create 'to do' lists, and prioritise tasks into their order of importance. Allocate realistic deadlines for each task - underestimating the time involved in doing work is a major cause of self-inflicted stress. Do the important tasks at your most active periods of the day, leaving more routine matters to other times. Complete each task before going on to the next one. Don't think about other tasks until you have finished the first one. Avoid juggling paperwork - read it once then act on it, and file it or bin it, as relevant. Once a decision has been made, forget about it and move on. Don't create unnecessary stress by worrying whether it was right or not. Put any uncompleted tasks to the top of your list for the next day.
8. Keep a stress diary. Compile a record of stress-related incidents over the next month. Divide each day's page into four sections - 'events', 'people involved', 'response', 'ideal response' - and complete as and when you feel stressed. Example: event: having to deal with too many phone calls. People involved: sales reps. Response: incomplete work, sharp replies, headaches. Ideal response: measured disscussions with reps. Why: this diary should enable you to identify problem areas. For example: turn on the answering machine, and return all calls at one convenient time.
Sunday, 11 January 2009
BEATING THE COMMON COLD
Taking large doses of Vitamin C at the first sign of a cold can stop it in its tracks. UK research has revealed that this reduces the length and severity and although it cannot prevent a cold it will
alleviate the symptoms.
alleviate the symptoms.
Saturday, 10 January 2009
ARE YOU OVERWEIGHT?
To check if you are overweight calculate your body mass index (BMI) by simply dividing your weight in kilos by your height in metres squared. Example: 80kgs divided by (1.82 metres multiplied by 1.82) equals 24.15. Note: if your total is 25 to 30 this means that you are overweight.
Friday, 9 January 2009
HOW TO ELIMINATE HEARTBURN PERMANENTLY
Many people experience heartburn from time to time particularly during the festive period when people tend to eat large Christmas dinners and other heavy meals. The symptoms are burning pain behind the breast bone and/or in the middle-centre of your back. Heartburn has nothing to do with the heart it is caused by stomach acid rising up into the gullet causing it to become inflamed and painful. It is a irritating digestive problem usually associated with eating and posture and here's how to beat it:
1. Improve your eating habits. Eat more fruit, vegetables and high fibre while limiting spicy and fatty foods, acidic fruit drinks and spirits. These foods cause pain when they pass over an inflamed area. Eat little and often, chewing food slowly and thoroughly before swallowing. It is important not to overfill your stomach.
2. Sit up during and after meals. Eating food slumped in front of the television will enable stomach acid to rise into the gullet. Avoid smoking after meals as smoking on a full stomach will increase the likelihood of suffering from heartburn as it relaxes the muscle at the end of the gullet and will enable acid to rise up.
3. Allow enough time for your food to digest before going to bed. It is best not to eat anything at least an hour before going to bed. If this is usually the time when you are most likely to suffer you should try raising the head of the bed six inches as gravity helps to keep acids down in the stomach. Some people find that the symptoms are reduced when they sleep on their left side.
1. Improve your eating habits. Eat more fruit, vegetables and high fibre while limiting spicy and fatty foods, acidic fruit drinks and spirits. These foods cause pain when they pass over an inflamed area. Eat little and often, chewing food slowly and thoroughly before swallowing. It is important not to overfill your stomach.
2. Sit up during and after meals. Eating food slumped in front of the television will enable stomach acid to rise into the gullet. Avoid smoking after meals as smoking on a full stomach will increase the likelihood of suffering from heartburn as it relaxes the muscle at the end of the gullet and will enable acid to rise up.
3. Allow enough time for your food to digest before going to bed. It is best not to eat anything at least an hour before going to bed. If this is usually the time when you are most likely to suffer you should try raising the head of the bed six inches as gravity helps to keep acids down in the stomach. Some people find that the symptoms are reduced when they sleep on their left side.
Thursday, 8 January 2009
TWO EASY WAYS TO LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE
1. Eat more fruit and Vegetables - Adding baked potatoes, spinach, bananas and orange juice to your diet will lower your blood pressure as these common foods and drink are rich in potassium. Studies have linked high blood pressure with a low dietary potassium intake.
in a recent US study, people who ate the least fruit were more than 50% more likely to develop high blood pressure than those who ate the most fruit.
2. Lose some weight - in the same study, people who weighed the most were 450% more likely to have high blood pressure than those who weighed the least.
in a recent US study, people who ate the least fruit were more than 50% more likely to develop high blood pressure than those who ate the most fruit.
2. Lose some weight - in the same study, people who weighed the most were 450% more likely to have high blood pressure than those who weighed the least.
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
MEDICAL ADVICE ON HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT
If you find it hard to stick to any diet, you should learn these simple, easy-to-follow tactis that will enable you to lose weight permanently!
1. Start at the right time. It is essential for women to begin a weight-reducing diet within the first two weeks of their menstrual cycle. The level of the oestrogen hormone - which is an appetite suppressant - is higher then so it will be less stressful to cope with a reduced intake of food; and will increase your chances of maintaining the diet.
2. Eat breakfast. Pepole who do not eat breakfast usually have a slower metabolic rate which is around 4-5% lower than normal. Because of this, their bodies can’t burn fat as efficiently and they can expect to gain more weight - even if their overall daily calorie intake constantly remains the same.
3.Maximise the power of your mind. Anyone can easily psyche themselves into controlling their appetite while getting eating satisfaction. Always put food on individual plates - too many serving dishes on the table will tempt you into having larger a portion and second helpings. Serving food on smaller plates will deceive your brain into thinking you’re having a larger meal. Go for low-calorie foods that take up loads of room on your plate as this will make you feel you’re eating more. Eat with a cocktail stick and this will make you eat more slowly, and the slower you eat, the fuller you’ll feel. Throw any leftovers away - keeping them in your refrigerator can be a subconcious attempt to provide yourself with evening snacks. Get to know when you are likely to be tempted to eat between meals and arrange activities that will make it impossible for you to snack during those times.
Recommended Product: Top Secret Fat Loss
1. Start at the right time. It is essential for women to begin a weight-reducing diet within the first two weeks of their menstrual cycle. The level of the oestrogen hormone - which is an appetite suppressant - is higher then so it will be less stressful to cope with a reduced intake of food; and will increase your chances of maintaining the diet.
2. Eat breakfast. Pepole who do not eat breakfast usually have a slower metabolic rate which is around 4-5% lower than normal. Because of this, their bodies can’t burn fat as efficiently and they can expect to gain more weight - even if their overall daily calorie intake constantly remains the same.
3.Maximise the power of your mind. Anyone can easily psyche themselves into controlling their appetite while getting eating satisfaction. Always put food on individual plates - too many serving dishes on the table will tempt you into having larger a portion and second helpings. Serving food on smaller plates will deceive your brain into thinking you’re having a larger meal. Go for low-calorie foods that take up loads of room on your plate as this will make you feel you’re eating more. Eat with a cocktail stick and this will make you eat more slowly, and the slower you eat, the fuller you’ll feel. Throw any leftovers away - keeping them in your refrigerator can be a subconcious attempt to provide yourself with evening snacks. Get to know when you are likely to be tempted to eat between meals and arrange activities that will make it impossible for you to snack during those times.
Recommended Product: Top Secret Fat Loss
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
DISCOVER THE HIDDEN SECRETS OF YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS
Your patient notes used to be a mystery to everyone outside of the health professions, and their contents were a closely secret. As a patient of a GP or a hospital Consultant you’re now legally entitled to read your notes in full. Here are the best way's to obtain access to your patient details; and how to read and understand them:
1. Ask permission to get access to your notes - and you’ll get to see them quicker and easier. A GP or hospital Consultant is the legal protector of the contents of your patient notes and member of the public who wishes to read them must first obtain permission in writing from that legal protector. Write a polite letter to your GP or hospital management requesting permission to access your notes. Include your full name, full address, date of birth and your patient number (if known). It is helpful to state the reason why you want to view your records and ask for a response within two weeks as some practices and hospitals will not give priority to this request and will not deal promptly with them unless they have been given a deadline.
2. When you understand how your notes are organised you will know how to read them properly. The organisation of patient notes can be very confusing but patient notes usually consist of four different sections. One: your essential details - name, address etc; visits to or by your GP; past and present medications prescribed to you; previous referrals to hospital; out-patient clinic appointments; operation details and dates; details of any care you have received at home by community nurses. Two: treatment details for each of your visits to your GP or hospital - information about the reason for your visit; how your illness was managed; and the medications given and/or operations carried out. Three: letters - copies of communications between healthcare workers such as GPs and hospital Consultants regarding your past and present care; including referral letters from your GP to a Consultant and discharge letters from a hospital to your GP. Four: investigations - a full record of blood tests, X-rays and scans, and full reports from the heath departments involved.
3. It is best to take a witness with you when you visit the practice or the hospital as this will protect you in case notes go missing later on. Typical: you will usually have a member of the practice or hospital staff sitting with you as you read your notes - to ensure that you do not tamper with or remove any of them. It is vital to ask your partner or a trusted friend or relative to sit in as well - this covers you against the possibility of a complaint by the GP or the hospital management. Example: if some of your notes are subsequently mislaid, you’ll find it easier to prove that this was unrelated to your visit.
4. Always check that you've been given the correct notes before reading them as this will avoid potential confusion and even alarm. Why: there may be more than one patient with the same name as yourself at that practice or hospital; Smith, Jones and Patel are very common names. Example: at present, there are ten ‘David Jones’ living in the town of Guildford in Surrey - a source of confusion if one of them asks for his mediacal records at the nearby hospital. How: check that the cover of the notes has your correct name, date of birth and address and double-check that each page of the contents has your details on it - notes are sometimes re-filed into other files in error.
5. Have a plan of action - so that you can read your notes quickly and easily. Helpful: before reading, be clear about the exact information that you want to obtain from these medical records. Example: you may have had a growth removed from your bladder and want to see if the explanation given to you by the hospital Consultant matched the information detailed in Consultant - GP correspondence. It is useful to write down a list of questions that you want answered on a piece of paper; then tick off each question as you find out what you want to know. Vital: if in doubt, ask. Typical: medics are renowned for their illegible handwriting and for using abbreviations. Example: FBC means full blood count; a routine, basic blood test used to screen for such disorders as anaemia, infection and blood clotting abnormalities. Other common abbreviations include:
ac - ante cibum; before food
AXR - abdominal X-ray; an investigation carried out if you have had abdominal pain
BP - blood pressure
Ca - carcinoma
CI - contraindications
CNS - central nervous system
CSF - cerebal spinal fluid
CT - computerised tomography; a scan similar to an X-ray to visualise internel organs
CVP - central venous pressure; an indication of cardiac health
CVS - cardiovascular system; comprising the heart and blood vessels
CXR - chest X-ray
DM - diabetes mellitus
D&V - diarrhoea and vomitting
DVT - deep vein thrombosis; a blood clot typically in a vein in the lower leg
ECG - electrocardiograph; a means of monitoring cardiac health with a tracing of its electrical activity
ENT - ear, nose, throat
GB - gall bladder
GI - gastrointestinal
GU - genito-urinary; the reproductive and urinary systems
Hb - haemoglobin; a basic blood test, typically for anaemia
IM - intramuscular; for example, injections into a muscle
IV - intavenous; as an example, injections into a vein
JVP - jugular venous pressure; another sign of cardiac health
LFT - liver fumction test; blood test carried out to assess the health of the liver
MSU - midstream urine; the least contaminated urine, used to test for kidney infections, for example
nbm - nil by mouth; before an operation
NSAID - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for pain and to reduce inflammation
PO - per orum; by mouth
PR - per rectum; rectal examination
SC - subcutaneous; for example, injections given into the tissue just below the skin
SE - side effects; of a drug
T - temperature
TPR - temperature, pulse and respirations; basic observations of a patient’s condition, after an operation, for example
U&E - basic blood test to screen for the abnormality of the natural chemicals in the blood; abnormal levels of potassium and sodium can contribute to ill health
URTI - upper respiratory tract infection; laryngitis, for example
UTI - urinary tract infection; an infection of the kidney or bladder for example
Note: a medical dictionary is essential if your notes are likely to be extensive and/or complicated. Recommended: The Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary (Oxford University Press) - it’s used by the professionals and provides clear, understandable definitions.
6. Make notes about your records - this way you’ll have a permanent, written record of them. Unfortunate: although you have a legal right to read your patient notes, you are not allowed to remove any of their contents, write coments on or deface them in any way. Motto: look but don’t touch. Hint: take in a pen and paper to write notes for future reference about what you’ve read - document times, dates, which medical professionals were responsible for your treatments, investigations etc.
7. Stay calm - so that you avoid being rushed. Fact: medics are busy people and may want to speed you through as quickly as possible. but you have the right to take as long as you wish. Caution: if you wish to make a complaint about the management or treatment of an illness, put it in writing on an official basis. Don’t: complain verbally there and then. Reason: the best way to get the desired results from any future official action you may take is to be methodical; this increases your chances of receiving co-operation from within the medical profession.
1. Ask permission to get access to your notes - and you’ll get to see them quicker and easier. A GP or hospital Consultant is the legal protector of the contents of your patient notes and member of the public who wishes to read them must first obtain permission in writing from that legal protector. Write a polite letter to your GP or hospital management requesting permission to access your notes. Include your full name, full address, date of birth and your patient number (if known). It is helpful to state the reason why you want to view your records and ask for a response within two weeks as some practices and hospitals will not give priority to this request and will not deal promptly with them unless they have been given a deadline.
2. When you understand how your notes are organised you will know how to read them properly. The organisation of patient notes can be very confusing but patient notes usually consist of four different sections. One: your essential details - name, address etc; visits to or by your GP; past and present medications prescribed to you; previous referrals to hospital; out-patient clinic appointments; operation details and dates; details of any care you have received at home by community nurses. Two: treatment details for each of your visits to your GP or hospital - information about the reason for your visit; how your illness was managed; and the medications given and/or operations carried out. Three: letters - copies of communications between healthcare workers such as GPs and hospital Consultants regarding your past and present care; including referral letters from your GP to a Consultant and discharge letters from a hospital to your GP. Four: investigations - a full record of blood tests, X-rays and scans, and full reports from the heath departments involved.
3. It is best to take a witness with you when you visit the practice or the hospital as this will protect you in case notes go missing later on. Typical: you will usually have a member of the practice or hospital staff sitting with you as you read your notes - to ensure that you do not tamper with or remove any of them. It is vital to ask your partner or a trusted friend or relative to sit in as well - this covers you against the possibility of a complaint by the GP or the hospital management. Example: if some of your notes are subsequently mislaid, you’ll find it easier to prove that this was unrelated to your visit.
4. Always check that you've been given the correct notes before reading them as this will avoid potential confusion and even alarm. Why: there may be more than one patient with the same name as yourself at that practice or hospital; Smith, Jones and Patel are very common names. Example: at present, there are ten ‘David Jones’ living in the town of Guildford in Surrey - a source of confusion if one of them asks for his mediacal records at the nearby hospital. How: check that the cover of the notes has your correct name, date of birth and address and double-check that each page of the contents has your details on it - notes are sometimes re-filed into other files in error.
5. Have a plan of action - so that you can read your notes quickly and easily. Helpful: before reading, be clear about the exact information that you want to obtain from these medical records. Example: you may have had a growth removed from your bladder and want to see if the explanation given to you by the hospital Consultant matched the information detailed in Consultant - GP correspondence. It is useful to write down a list of questions that you want answered on a piece of paper; then tick off each question as you find out what you want to know. Vital: if in doubt, ask. Typical: medics are renowned for their illegible handwriting and for using abbreviations. Example: FBC means full blood count; a routine, basic blood test used to screen for such disorders as anaemia, infection and blood clotting abnormalities. Other common abbreviations include:
ac - ante cibum; before food
AXR - abdominal X-ray; an investigation carried out if you have had abdominal pain
BP - blood pressure
Ca - carcinoma
CI - contraindications
CNS - central nervous system
CSF - cerebal spinal fluid
CT - computerised tomography; a scan similar to an X-ray to visualise internel organs
CVP - central venous pressure; an indication of cardiac health
CVS - cardiovascular system; comprising the heart and blood vessels
CXR - chest X-ray
DM - diabetes mellitus
D&V - diarrhoea and vomitting
DVT - deep vein thrombosis; a blood clot typically in a vein in the lower leg
ECG - electrocardiograph; a means of monitoring cardiac health with a tracing of its electrical activity
ENT - ear, nose, throat
GB - gall bladder
GI - gastrointestinal
GU - genito-urinary; the reproductive and urinary systems
Hb - haemoglobin; a basic blood test, typically for anaemia
IM - intramuscular; for example, injections into a muscle
IV - intavenous; as an example, injections into a vein
JVP - jugular venous pressure; another sign of cardiac health
LFT - liver fumction test; blood test carried out to assess the health of the liver
MSU - midstream urine; the least contaminated urine, used to test for kidney infections, for example
nbm - nil by mouth; before an operation
NSAID - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for pain and to reduce inflammation
PO - per orum; by mouth
PR - per rectum; rectal examination
SC - subcutaneous; for example, injections given into the tissue just below the skin
SE - side effects; of a drug
T - temperature
TPR - temperature, pulse and respirations; basic observations of a patient’s condition, after an operation, for example
U&E - basic blood test to screen for the abnormality of the natural chemicals in the blood; abnormal levels of potassium and sodium can contribute to ill health
URTI - upper respiratory tract infection; laryngitis, for example
UTI - urinary tract infection; an infection of the kidney or bladder for example
Note: a medical dictionary is essential if your notes are likely to be extensive and/or complicated. Recommended: The Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary (Oxford University Press) - it’s used by the professionals and provides clear, understandable definitions.
6. Make notes about your records - this way you’ll have a permanent, written record of them. Unfortunate: although you have a legal right to read your patient notes, you are not allowed to remove any of their contents, write coments on or deface them in any way. Motto: look but don’t touch. Hint: take in a pen and paper to write notes for future reference about what you’ve read - document times, dates, which medical professionals were responsible for your treatments, investigations etc.
7. Stay calm - so that you avoid being rushed. Fact: medics are busy people and may want to speed you through as quickly as possible. but you have the right to take as long as you wish. Caution: if you wish to make a complaint about the management or treatment of an illness, put it in writing on an official basis. Don’t: complain verbally there and then. Reason: the best way to get the desired results from any future official action you may take is to be methodical; this increases your chances of receiving co-operation from within the medical profession.
Monday, 5 January 2009
THREE IMPORTANT STEPS FOR LOOKING AFTER YOUR FEET
The easiest and best way to keep your feet in top class condition is to select and wear the right footwear. Here's the all-important information:
1. Learn how to select the right shoes - this way, you'll find a perfect fit.Try to shop for shoes in the late afternoon as your feet will spread slightly during the day so if you buy shoes in the morning they will become uncomfortable by the evening. Look for soft, pliable shoes, with cushioniing and support. Fit the shoes with your hands - look for an finger's width between shoe tip and toes. When standing, the shoe should not be taut or pushed out of shape. It is important wear the right shoe for the right occasion - don't wear the same shoes for everything. Have a pair of trainers to wear to and from work as this will make your feet feel comfortable. Ration the amount of time you wear shoes - taking them off at your desk, will give your feet a chance to breathe and relax.
2. Wear low-heeled shoes that feel balanced this will support your feet effectively. The best are those with heels below 11/2 inches - these enable wearers to walk correctly, and protect the feet from unnecessary wear and tear. Unfortunately higher-heeled shoes increase the curvature of the spine, compressing vertebrae and straining muscles. This will lead to foot problems, including dropped arches, claw toes and calluses and corns. It is usefull to wear ankle straps and wide-based heels for stability and balance, and to help reduce these problems. Guideline: you should check that you can stand comfortably when wearing shoes; you shouldn't feel as though you're struggling to keep your balance.
3. ONLY wear fashion shoes in the evenings and at weekends - this will keep your feet in excellent condition. Try to avoid court shoes - these are a size smaller than regular shoes to stop them falling off when walking. The foot is squeezed into a smaller space and the big toe will bend in and then over the other toes resulting in injury. Mules are not a good choice as they allow the foot to slide forwards and toes are rammed into the front of the shoes. This results in calluses, corns and bunions. Stilettos with their tall narrow heels make them unstable to walk on and the muscles have to work much harder to keep the body balanced. This wil lead to tired, damaged muscles. Wedges do not offer ankle support and make it impossible to follow the normal 'heel to toe' walking action. This could cause sprained ankle ligaments and even lead to fractured ankles.
1. Learn how to select the right shoes - this way, you'll find a perfect fit.Try to shop for shoes in the late afternoon as your feet will spread slightly during the day so if you buy shoes in the morning they will become uncomfortable by the evening. Look for soft, pliable shoes, with cushioniing and support. Fit the shoes with your hands - look for an finger's width between shoe tip and toes. When standing, the shoe should not be taut or pushed out of shape. It is important wear the right shoe for the right occasion - don't wear the same shoes for everything. Have a pair of trainers to wear to and from work as this will make your feet feel comfortable. Ration the amount of time you wear shoes - taking them off at your desk, will give your feet a chance to breathe and relax.
2. Wear low-heeled shoes that feel balanced this will support your feet effectively. The best are those with heels below 11/2 inches - these enable wearers to walk correctly, and protect the feet from unnecessary wear and tear. Unfortunately higher-heeled shoes increase the curvature of the spine, compressing vertebrae and straining muscles. This will lead to foot problems, including dropped arches, claw toes and calluses and corns. It is usefull to wear ankle straps and wide-based heels for stability and balance, and to help reduce these problems. Guideline: you should check that you can stand comfortably when wearing shoes; you shouldn't feel as though you're struggling to keep your balance.
3. ONLY wear fashion shoes in the evenings and at weekends - this will keep your feet in excellent condition. Try to avoid court shoes - these are a size smaller than regular shoes to stop them falling off when walking. The foot is squeezed into a smaller space and the big toe will bend in and then over the other toes resulting in injury. Mules are not a good choice as they allow the foot to slide forwards and toes are rammed into the front of the shoes. This results in calluses, corns and bunions. Stilettos with their tall narrow heels make them unstable to walk on and the muscles have to work much harder to keep the body balanced. This wil lead to tired, damaged muscles. Wedges do not offer ankle support and make it impossible to follow the normal 'heel to toe' walking action. This could cause sprained ankle ligaments and even lead to fractured ankles.
Saturday, 3 January 2009
GET IN SHAPE WITH MINIMUM EFFORT
1. Set a date. Mark out a starting time for your new health and fitness regime and regard that date as a formal appointment; it is as important as a crucial job interview, or even your wedding. This anticipation time can help you to prepare psychologically for the coming regime. Do not let anything but a major life change make you miss that date.
2. Set your target. Focus on a special event that you would like to be in better shape for. Examples could be your summer holidays or an anniversary celebration. The reason for setting a target is that short-term goals stimulate your motivation, and will make you more likely to succeed. Building specific targets in right through your programme will maintain your motivation.
3. Increase your exercise. Exercise is safe if you build up to it slowly. Start by doing no more than ten minutes of gentle exercise a day then add an extra five minutes per day from the end of the first week then add another five a week later and so on. You should always warm up and cool down with some gentle stretching exercises.
4. Design the first phase of your programme. Have an intensive phase marked into your diary, comprising 30 minutes of swimming or walking each day which will be followed by a weight loss eating programme. Try to judge yourself honestly with what you can realistically manage. Duration: Phase One should last up to about six weeks and you should check with your GP before undertaking any significant exercise.
5.Don't diet immediately. If you feel you need to lose weight avoid dieting until at least ten days into Phase One as this will allow your body to start burning off excess fat.Dieting without exercise forces your body to attempt to eliminate muscle - which will leave you feeling tired, and even less fit.
6. Lose weight slowly. Never crash-diet. It doesn't work - you'll just put the weight back on later. Severe dieting creates a shortage of vitamins and nutrients in your body which may have adverse effects on your health. You didn't become unfit overnight - so you must allow time to get yourself back in shape. Aim to shed one or two pounds per week - at most a slow and steady diet is far less stressful, and is more permanent. Note. by this stage, active exercise will have speeded up your metabolism aiding your weight-loss.
7. Drink plenty of water. Water should play a main part in your health and fitness programme. It is vital to drink a minimum of two litres daily (as a guide: 500ml every four hours) this will help flush out all the toxins that are released when your body eliminates excess fat. If you drink alcohol in the evening, drink one or two full, tall glasses of water before going to bed to prevent lactic acid build-up and late night cramps.
8. Plan your maintenance programme. It is time to plan Phase Two. This could quite simply be a three- or four-times-a-week version of Phase One. Also re-introduce the intensive phase when you really need it, and try to keep at Phase Two in-between. This will keep you fit, toned, shapely and also happy.
Recomended: Get In Shape Right At Your Desk
2. Set your target. Focus on a special event that you would like to be in better shape for. Examples could be your summer holidays or an anniversary celebration. The reason for setting a target is that short-term goals stimulate your motivation, and will make you more likely to succeed. Building specific targets in right through your programme will maintain your motivation.
3. Increase your exercise. Exercise is safe if you build up to it slowly. Start by doing no more than ten minutes of gentle exercise a day then add an extra five minutes per day from the end of the first week then add another five a week later and so on. You should always warm up and cool down with some gentle stretching exercises.
4. Design the first phase of your programme. Have an intensive phase marked into your diary, comprising 30 minutes of swimming or walking each day which will be followed by a weight loss eating programme. Try to judge yourself honestly with what you can realistically manage. Duration: Phase One should last up to about six weeks and you should check with your GP before undertaking any significant exercise.
5.Don't diet immediately. If you feel you need to lose weight avoid dieting until at least ten days into Phase One as this will allow your body to start burning off excess fat.Dieting without exercise forces your body to attempt to eliminate muscle - which will leave you feeling tired, and even less fit.
6. Lose weight slowly. Never crash-diet. It doesn't work - you'll just put the weight back on later. Severe dieting creates a shortage of vitamins and nutrients in your body which may have adverse effects on your health. You didn't become unfit overnight - so you must allow time to get yourself back in shape. Aim to shed one or two pounds per week - at most a slow and steady diet is far less stressful, and is more permanent. Note. by this stage, active exercise will have speeded up your metabolism aiding your weight-loss.
7. Drink plenty of water. Water should play a main part in your health and fitness programme. It is vital to drink a minimum of two litres daily (as a guide: 500ml every four hours) this will help flush out all the toxins that are released when your body eliminates excess fat. If you drink alcohol in the evening, drink one or two full, tall glasses of water before going to bed to prevent lactic acid build-up and late night cramps.
8. Plan your maintenance programme. It is time to plan Phase Two. This could quite simply be a three- or four-times-a-week version of Phase One. Also re-introduce the intensive phase when you really need it, and try to keep at Phase Two in-between. This will keep you fit, toned, shapely and also happy.
Recomended: Get In Shape Right At Your Desk
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