updated health tips and articles

12/15/2008

Walk Free

Ideal for anyone who thinks she or he is too unfit to exercise

Although it may seem like a soft option, in fact walking is one of the very best forms of aerobic exercise. A 6-mile walk burns up only 20% fewer calories than a hard run over the same distance. An excellent choice for anyone who feels low in energy or is convalescing, walking is also particularly convenient because you can incorporate it into your daily routine to get you from A to B.

To begin with, decide to walk for 30 minutes a day at a pace where your breathing becomes heavy but not strained. Make sure you wear comfortable clothes and good walking shoes. If you walk to work you can carry another pair of shoes with you to change into.

After a week of walking for 30 minutes a day, go a step further. Try walking for an hour and see how far you get. As a guideline you should be able to manage 3 miles in an hour at a leisurely pace. As you become stronger you might like to try hill-walking or even running.


12/13/2008

11 Tactics for Lasting Weight Loss

Lasting weight loss is more about small, sustainable adjustments to how you live and eat than it is following a rigorous, intense, short-term program that completely changes all aspects of your diet. The latter might deliver dramatic losses in the short term, but we all know how quickly the pounds can return once we get back into our everyday habits. Below are a handful of tips that can give your weight loss efforts the nudge they need to succeed:


1. Forget weight. Too many people focus on pounds when it comes to measuring weight loss. Instead, focus on better measures: how your energy levels are doing, how your joints are feeling, how your attitude is faring, how your clothes are fitting, how you look in the mirror. Sure, your weight is the clearest measurement of your progress, but your goal shouldn't be a number: It should be measured by your health and happiness. If your joints are telling you your weight-loss efforts are helping, then there's no better measurement you could have.


2. Develop movement habits. Research shows that people who fidget burn 500 or more extra calories in a day. Learn the lesson: all extra movements burn calories. So develop movement habits. Some examples: Stand when on the phone; leave the room during TV commercials; walk 10 minutes after dinner; tap your foot to the music. Develop one or two such habits, and you'll burn many more calories.


3. Drink water. You've heard the health benefits of water just so many times. So finally do it: Get yourself a big, interesting, friendly cup or Mason jar or travel mug, fill it up after breakfast, and keep it with you everywhere. Refill, refill, refill. At the end of the day, wash it out and have it ready for tomorrow. Nothing will satiate your hunger as well as plentiful cool water.


4. Entertain your mouth. Sometimes all it takes to halt the snacking is a piece of gum, a slow-to-dissolve piece of candy, a toothpick, even an olive pit. While society looks down on overt mouth habits in public, if you can be subtle, there's absolutely nothing wrong with an hour-long engagement with a piece of sugarless gum, particularly if it keeps you from snacking.


5. Shop the perimeter. Big grocery stores are laid out in predictable ways. Usually, the healthiest, freshest foods are around the perimeter: produce, meats, seafood, dairy, bakery. The danger is in the aisles, with its cookies, potato chips, canned foods, boxed foods, ice creams, and such. Your food-shopping goal: Stay only along the store perimeter. Just once a month, delve into the aisles for necessary staples.


6. Spice up your meals. Add zest to food with cayenne and jalape?o peppers, ginger, Tabasco sauce, mustard, and other spices. Studies find that zingier foods have thermogenic properties that boost your metabolism's fat-burning ability -- by as much as 25 percent, in some reports.


7. Sleep better. It sounds like quackery, but you really can encourage weight loss by sleeping. Research into sleep and hormone function finds that your metabolism rises and you burn calories more efficiently when you're well rested.


8. Nix Nickelodeon. Avoid the TV programs you enjoy with your kids or grandkids -- or tune out the commercials. Children's programming contains much more junk food advertising than adult shows: 2,800 calories per hour, on average, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis. And studies find that watching less food on the tube translates to fewer fatty, sweet products in pantries.


9. Top your tank before exercise. Have a well-balanced carbohydrate/protein snack such as half an apple with peanut butter or crackers with low-fat cheese an hour or more before a workout. The carbs will keep energy high while you exercise, and the protein will slow your digestion, giving you stamina for sustained effort.


10. Skip the wine. If you sip a glass of wine or beer with meals, think about a prohibition diet. The drink isn't bad per se, but your body tends to give priority to processing alcohol, making calories from the food you eat more likely to be stored as fat, according to researchers at Pennsylvania State University.


11. Do the ring test. Should you cut back your portions of salt? Even if you don't have high blood pressure, try this test: Slip a ring on your finger. Now eat salty food, wait a few hours, and try to take the ring off. If sliding the ring is more difficult now than earlier, you're probably among the many people (mainly women) for whom salt causes bloat -- potentially grounds for several extra pounds, according to researchers at the University of Maryland. Check food labels for sodium and cut your intake to feel lighter on your feet.

Source: www.rd.com

12/11/2008

What is Ebola?

Origins. Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) is a deadly virus originating in parts of Africa. This disease can be found in humans and non-human primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees), and has appeared sporadically since its initial recognition in 1976. The disease is caused by infection with Ebola virus, named after a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) in Africa, where it was first recognised.

The Ebola virus comprises four distinct subtypes: Zaire, Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire and Reston. Three subtypes, occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and the Ivory Coast, have been identified as causing illness in humans. EHF is a febrile haemorrhagic illness which causes death in between 50 and 90 percent of all cases.

Symptoms. Ebola is often characterised by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is often followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function and, in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. The fever has an incubation period of two to 21 days. No specific treatment or vaccine is yet available. However, different from popular misconception, Ebola does not kill within a matter of hours, and the virus will incubate for up to two weeks before symptoms begin to occur.

Transmission. The Ebola virus is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people. Burial ceremonies where mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased person can play a significant role in the transmission of Ebola. Lack of access to proper sterilization and protective garments make nurses and doctors easy target while treating Ebola patients.

Treatment. By ingesting extract from a West African fruit, it was reported can help treat Ebola once it has been contracted; however, these have to be verified medically. Development of Ebola vaccine is still going on, and recently successful when applied to monkeys. There’s not yet human vaccine yields positive results. However, there are some improvements in the remedial treatment so far.

12/09/2008

Stroke

What is stroke? Stroke is not a single disease, but rather a pattern of symptoms that arises when a blood clot or ruptured blood vessel obstructs blood flow to parts of the brain and deprives its cells of vital oxygen.

The brain consumes about 20 percent of the body's oxygen and 70 percent of its glucose, though representing just two percent of its weight. This high metabolic rate, sensitivity to changes in blood flow, and dependence on continuous blood flow are what make stroke so dangerous. If blood supply to the brain is interrupted for as little as four minutes, brain cells begin to die. They are not replaced. There are two forms of stroke: ischemic - blockage of a blood vessel supplying the brain, and hemorrhagic - bleeding into or around the brain.

Although stroke is a disease of the brain, it can affect the entire body. The symptoms of a stroke include sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body (hemiparesis); sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble with walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination; or sudden severe headache with no known cause. Stroke patients may have difficulty controlling their emotions or may express inappropriate emotions. Recurrent stroke is frequent; about 25 percent of people who recover from their first stroke will have another stroke within 5 years.

According to the National Stroke Association (NSA), it is important to learn the three Rs of stroke:

Reduce the risk.

Recognize the symptoms.

Respond by calling medical help or local ambulance service.

Generally there are three treatment stages for stroke: prevention, therapy immediately after the stroke, and post-stroke rehabilitation. Therapies to prevent a first or recurrent stroke are based on treating an individual's underlying risk factors for stroke, such as hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and diabetes. Acute stroke therapies try to stop a stroke while it is happening by quickly dissolving the blood clot causing an ischemic stroke or by stopping the bleeding of a hemorrhagic stroke. Post-stroke rehabilitation helps individuals overcome disabilities that result from stroke damage. Medication or drug therapy is the most common treatment for stroke.

Stroke is a medical emergency and should be treated as such. Getting treatment can lessen the effects of a stroke and disability, but in order to be evaluated and treated, stroke victims need to get to the hospital as soon as they experience symptoms. Being treated within three to six hours at a hospital with a stroke team provides the best chance to minimize long-term effects of stroke.

Scientists are working to develop new and better ways to help the brain repair itself to restore important functions. New advances in imaging and rehabilitation have shown that the brain can compensate for function lost as a result of stroke. Besides, there are centers offer stroke treatment by experienced medical professionals who use the latest technology to help the patients.

12/07/2008

When Shall I Eat?

Where would food be considered in the matter of maintaining good health? Yup, everyone knows food is an important factor. Not only when we eat, but what we eat, and how much of each kind of food is taken into the body are the key questions.

Almost everyone enjoys eating. After working hard or having exercise, we are often hungry. The simple fact is that hunger is a signal that our bodies use to tell us to look after definite need. The signals make us feel uncomfortable and we seek to change conditions so that we may feel satisfaction. We need respond the signals in ways that bring not only comfort but desirable results.

Hunger is a sensation which occurs when muscles in the stomach are contracting and there isn't any food to keep the walls of the stomach from touching. Of course, it does not tell us what kinds of food are needed.

On the other hand, appetite is created by tastes, odors, colors, and appearance of specific foods that we like. Appetite for the taste of a food sometimes leads us to eat so much of one kind that we neglect another which our body needs. Unless we learn which foods are necessary, then appetite alone may become poor guide for us.

Scientifical resources inform us the effects of foods on human health and the kind of diet that gives the best results. In fact, not all people have the same food supply or money to purchase food. Nor do they have the same likings or family customs. There is a minimum amount all foods without which life cannot be sustained, as there is also an optimal amount which promotes our feeling of well-being and health.

In this changing world, we are facing more choices than ever. We need have some information and be able to choose the right food, the healthy food. What kinds of food do we need everyday in order to maintain good condition? Shall I have junk food or organic one for my lunch, canned vegetables or the fresh one for my dinner?

12/05/2008

YOGA TODAY YOGA YESTERDAY

If you are happen going downtown you may see there are some yoga courses there, teaching yoga classes, and sometimes with lux facilites. This phenomenon maybe is something usual in our mind, and we take this as a matter of course. Many people has truly enthusiasm for yoga. Yoga today is respectable discipline practiced by many educated persons.

Historically speaking, the matters was different from this phenomenon. There was a time when people saw yoga just as an exotic thing and strange thing. Yoga was viewed just like freak things practiced by undercivilized people of some country.

Gradually, people wanted to know the hidden things behind yoga. And this process was not always in right ways. Some (western) people was right to be somewhat confused in their ideas concerning the Yogis and their philosophy and practice. Travellers to India have written great stories about the flocks of fakirs who fill the roads of its cities, and who claim the title 'Yogi.'

Sometimes Yogi was seen as a thin man, dirty, ignoramus, who either sits in a fixed posture until his body becomes become inflexible, or else holds his arm up in the air until it becomes unbendable. Those opinions are scarcely to be blamed. However, these strange people exist, but their claim to the title 'Yogi' seems as absurd to the true Yogi as does the claim to the title 'Doctor' on the part of the man who peels one's corns seem to the reputed surgeon.

After long periods, people progressively understood the mean of yoga and Yogi. And now many people all over the world confidently practice yoga, having a truly spirit to appreciate yoga in their daily life. Then, what's all about the meaning of yoga, etimologically speaking, and how was it built as a discipline through ages? That’s the next thing we will discuss.

12/03/2008

Old Age Can Be the Best Time

Too many of us believe the illusion that growing old means living in a nursing home, losing one's mental acuity, or abandoning activities that gave pleasure throughout a lifetime.

Contrary to widespread belief, only 5% of the population will end up in nursing homes. The majority of elders remain in their own homes. Most are able to maintain themselves, occasionally needing help when doing things such as shopping or preparing food.

Statistics also indicate that healthy older adults can learn anything that a younger person can. The main difference is in learning style. While children can absorb all kinds of information at the same time, older people learn best when they're focused and are interested in the subject.

Finally, there is no need to abandon enjoyable activities; most can be pursued at any age. In fact, almost every older adults did some kind of exercise, read extensively, and kept up with the news.

Physical activity helps facilitates healthy aging. A woman in her nineties explains: "I walk at least a mile a day, usually two. When it rains, I walk in my apartment corridor." Mental stimulation is important too. Old age can be the time to do things one never had time for when busy with raising a family or making a living.

Finally there's a need for emotional support. Relationships with others help elders remain engaged with the world around them and with life itself.


Adapted from Healthy Aging, Dr. Marge Blaine

12/01/2008

Opium


There are many criticisms levelled against alcohol and opium. However, the two are very different in their action. Under the effects of alcohol a person becomes a rowdy, whereas opium makes the addict dull and lethargic. He/she becomes even sleepy and incapable of doing anything useful. The evil effects of alcohol strike the eye every day, but those of opium are not so obvious. Anyone who wishing to see its devastating effect should got to Assam or Orissa provinces. Thousands have fallen victims to this intoxicant in those areas. They give one the impression of living on the verge of death. Though possess a good physique, but one addicted to opium look miserable and more dead than alive. An opium addict will stoop to anything in order to procure his dose of opium.

Trade in opium was obviously an immoral one and yet it went on flourishing. A thing of this type which simply ruins people should not be tolerated for a single minute.

After having statement on opium as an intoxicant, it must be admitted that its place in Materia Medica is incontestable. It is impossible to do without this drug as a medical agent. But that can be no reaason for using it as intoxicant. Opium is a well-known poison and its use as an intoxicant should be strictly prohibited.


Source: Key to Health, M.K. Gandhi (1948)

11/30/2008

Pollution Putting Children At Brain Damage Risk

Is life tougher for children's health of this era? Maybe. However, we can take our part to protect them. We can begin with our own awareness about things polluting their daily life, then preparing steps to face the adversities.

Researchers write in The Lancet medical journal that children may have suffered brain damage as a result of industrial pollution. The scientists say that pollutants may be causing neurodevelopmental disorders by impairing the brain development of foetuses and babies.

Potential effects of exposure to toxic chemicals include lower IQ scores, autism, attention deficit disorder, and cerebral palsy. The researchers say that lead, methylmercury, arsenic and solvents such as ethanol and toluene are among many industrial and agricultural chemicals with latent effects to damage the brain.

Many chemicals are likely to be damaging to humans, in particular during the periods of development that begin during pregnancy and extend to adolesence. This includes flouride that could prove to be toxic in excessive quantity; as we know, flouride is a widespread additive in toothpaste and drinking water.

All those toxic substances may not generate symptoms for a number of years in human life. The combined evidence suggests that neurodevelopmental disorders caused by industrial chemicals has created a 'silent pandemic' in modern society.

As known from historical findings, toxic effects of lead identified since Roman era, but the use of lead in petrol, paints, ceramic glazes and other products continued. Children exposed to small amounts can suffer problems with concentration, memory, cognition and behaviour.

Methylmercury has been found in waters nearby plastics factories, hospitals and incinerators and can pollute freshwater fish and seafood. Studies have made a note of decrease in the IQ of children born to women who had consumed polluted seafood, as well as memory, attention and language impairments

Arsenic can be found in groundwater industrial pollution. Studies of school-age children show cognitive deficits in IQ associated with drinking arsenic-contaminated water.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) were widely used in electrical equipment and other industries. Contaminated products can consist of cooking oil and dairy products, and exposure is related with damaged skin conditions in adults, low birthweight in babies and slow childhood development

Solvent comprises ethanol, turpentine and toluene; frequently used in dry cleaning, paint thinners, glue, detergents and perfumes. Effects on foetuses can lead to decreased IQ scores and delayed development of speech and motor function.

Listed pesticides including those that act against insects, rodents, fungi and weeds. Compared with unexposed children, children exposed directly to high levels of the chemicals have been proven to have diminished shortterm memory, hand-eye coordination, reaction times and drawing ability.

We know that those abovementioned things are part of our daily life. Perfumes, glue, paint, food, etc. So what can we do? I think we can reduce usage of those unnatural substances, then try to use natural goods and foods if possible. For instance, instead of chemical perfume, you can try natural flower oil to freshen your room. Instead of having canned fruit, you can have the fresh ones. It's so easy. It can be fun activites for children too. All we need is trying to make natural life as a habit.

11/29/2008

Reduce Your Fatigue

Fatigue is a common, but nonspecific, sensation of generalized weakness or exhaustion. It is extreme tiredness, often involving muscle weakness, that can result in difficulty performing tasks It can be mental, physical or both. Fatigue is normal after heavy physical exertion (like running six miles) or after a busy, tiring day, but it is not "normal" for someone to feel tired or a loss of energy with little activity or after adequate rest.

The symptoms of fatigue may last a long time or only a short time. They may strike at any time or may be predictable. There are things you can do to help reduce the effects of fatigue. Knowing how it affects you will help you handle it better. Fatigue affects everyone differently, vary from person to person. For instance, it may make you feel:

- Very tired with no energy. All you want to do is sleep.

- A loss of control. Sometimes fatigue may make you feel powerless. You may feel you have little ability to manage life.

- A loss of attention. Decisions become harder. It's as if your mind is tired, too.

- Irritable. It may be difficult to be pleasant or happy when you're persistently tired. This may put a tension on your relationships.

- Increased pain. Particularly for people who experience fatigue associated with their arthritis or lupus.

You can take steps to reduce fatigue and enhance your energy. Use the following strategies:

• Control stress and lighten your load. Relaxation techniques like meditation, self-hypnosis, yoga, and tai chi are effective in stress-reduction. Prioritize your list of “must-do” activities.

• Exercise and enjoy the outdoors. Exercise make you sleep more soundly. It also makes your body discharge hormones that can make you feel energized. You can take a walk, gardening, hiking etc. they can help restore body and soul.

• Eat for energy and don't smoke. Small meals every few hours can reduce your view of fatigue by ensuring supply of nutrients to the brain. Avoid nicotine, because it speeds the heart rate and stimulates wakefulness, making it harder to sleep.

However, the underlying cause of persistent fatigue can be hard to identify, and that doesn’t mean the fatigue is unreal. Often fatigue indicates something wrong physically or emotionally. Fatigue is a frequent and troubling symptom of many types of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases, such as lupus. Illnesses associated with fatigue are anemia, heart disease, underactive thyroid, joint and muscle pain, overextending self, poor sleep, lack of physical activity and depression, those a few of the many causes. If your fatigue is of new beginning, getting worse, or interferes with activities of daily living, it would be helpful to see a physician to diagnose and treat the source of your fatigue.

11/27/2008

What Gives Your Body its Shape?

Lets talk about our body shape. The body's skeleton is covered with muscles. What purposes do the bones serve? Why are there many layers of muscles? How are the muscles attached to bones? Can you locate hinge joints? Ball-and-socket joints?

A completed building presents a very different appearance after athe steel framework is hidden by brick, concrete, glass, and other materials of construction. In similar manner, the outlines of the human skeleton, bony and angular as it is, are rounded and softened by the flesh that covers it. Flesh is made primarily of muscles and fat with networks of blood vessels and nerves.

The muscles cover the bones. Muscles are bundles of elastic fibers arranged in regular order in layers over the entire body. Some muscles are fastened directly to bones, others are attached by tendons. Tendons are very though bands or cords made of the extensions of the connective tissue which covers and holds together the individual muscle cells. You can see and feel the tendon in the heel and the tendons in the back of the hand.

Someone with a well-developed muscular system has a physique that is well proportioned and flesh that is firm. Such a body is desired by everyone. Heredity largely determines the shape and size of our skeleton, but we can do a great deal about its muscular covering.

Fat softens the outline of the body. There are small deposits of fat cells among the muscle fibers. These serve as storehouses of energy and are necessary. Larger pads of fat, called adipose tissue, cushions organs. Near the surface of the body this tissue acts as insulation to prevent loss of heat. It is desirable to have a small amount of this padding, but too much adipose tissue interferes with efficient muscular actions and increase weight. When the muscular structure of the body is hidden by layers of fat the natural outline is lost.

The relative amounts of muscle and fat on the body are controlled by the kind and quantitiy of food eaten and the amount of exercise. If the right amounts of a variety of foods are eaten and there is sufficient exercise everyday, the body will have normal proportions. It is not thin and angular; nor is it heavy and shapeless.

11/25/2008

Shoes and Comfort


As everybody may knows, shoes should be shaped so that toes may lie in natural position. Muscles of our body (including foot muscles) need exercises and free circulation of blood to bring them food and to carry away waste products of fatigue. Shoes, worn to protect the feet, must allow for this exercise and should not interfere with circulation.

If we take a look, the toes of an infant are spread apart and move almost as freely as the fingers. However, many adults have lost the normal shape and flexibility of the toes because they were crowded into narrow, pointed shoes while the bones still were partly cartilage. Some people wear shoes that are so tight that they impair circulation, and the muscles are held together compactly that exercise is almost impossible.

Improper shoes are one of the causes of most foot troubles; so careful consideration should be given to their selection. We see in shops, shoe sizes are not standardized among all manufacturers, so each pair of new shoes should be fitted before customer buy them. Experts recommend that the end of the shoes should be one-half to three-quarters of an inch beyond the toes to allow room for their extension as the arch ‘gives’ in stepping. Some shoe departments have a fluoroscope (a type of X-ray machine) with which the position of bones of the foot inside the shoes can be seen. This is helpful in detemining whether there is room within the shoe for toes to lie in natural position.

Pressure of tight shoes causes the skin to thicken over an irritated area with gradual formation of a corn or callus. This usually will disappear if properly fitted shoes are worn. On the other hand, if shoes are too large there is danger of rubbing on the skin, causing a blister.

What about heels? Anatomically, varying the heights of heels changes the relative position of bones in the feet. Broad, low heels, such as those on men’s shoes and women’s sport shoes give a firm foundation when we walk, work everyday, and for sports use. High and narrow heels look well with evening dresses and are appropriate, because a girl is on the balls of her feet and toes while dancing. As a matter of fact, such heels for ordinary wear tend to throw the body forward. The resulting strain on muscles and joints to maintain balance causes the person to tire quickly. However, some people tends to put more importance on their look than their comfort or health.

11/23/2008

Sleep Better


We hear that there is strong links between adequate sleep and good health. However, if you are often sleepy during the day, you may be like many who informed one or more signs of sleep problems. The indicators consist of:

• waking often during the night, or waking early and being unable to return to sleep

• pauses in breathing while sleeping

• feeling tired much of the time or discomfort in the legs while resting

• feeling irritable without immediate reason, depressed or confused

If you have sleep disorder, you may ask yourself whether something occuring in your life that may be causing the problem. If possible, it may resolve itself. If the problem doesn’t work itself out, talk with your doctor. He or she might prescribe medicine or tests to decide if you have a sleep disorder.

Try keeping a sleep log for a week before you see the doctor. Record the amount of sleep you get nightly, your fatigue level for each day, and any other symptoms you have and then share the information with the doctor.

Here is several changes in your behavior that can help you sleep

longer and better:

• Getting exercise in the afternoon several hours before bedtime.

• Avoiding stimulants such as caffeine or alcohol in the late evening.

• Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day.

• Using your bed only for sleep or sexual activity.

• Relaxation training.

• Counseling to help you change any ways of thinking that might contribute to poor sleep.

• Consider a nap carefully. A short nap (30 minutes or less) in the afternoon may give you more energy during the second part of your day, but that daytime sleep does affect nighttime sleep. Taking a nap may cause you to take longer time to fall asleep or sleep for a shorter period of time that night.

• If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes of lying in bed, just get up and engage in a relaxing activity such as reading or listening to relaxing music. When you feel sleepy, go back to bed. If you don’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, repeat this procedure.


Source: Senior Hotline 13/I January-March 2007

How to Prevent Mental Disorder

How to prevent mental disorders, especially in children? Sixty percent of people who suffer from one or other complex disorders such as hypertension, epilepsy, diabetes, schizophrenia, which has a genetic component, and were partly caused by inadequate food habits and other environmental reasons.
If detected and treated early, it would be possible d' to prevent the mental disorder among children. Slowness in all the activities and l' incapacity d' to identify the parents symptoms early for this disease were certain. The muscular dystrophy s' is produced in the male children, and whose symptoms were difficulties while going and while going up to the top of the staircases. A particular gene in the chromosome of X of `because the disorder. One in 5.000 male children was affected by this disorder, whereas the children of girl n' were not affected. The genetic treatment early could cure the disease or prevent l' child d' to obtain the serious mental disorder.
The genetic specialist said that the studies indicated that many of those, which had the genetic diseases, had been born with the consanguineous parents (who are parents of blood). The separate studies proved that many mentally - the delayed children had been born with the consanguineous parents, it said. The reason for which the marriages between blood relations had as consequence the children being constant with serious disorders was the fact that the two copies of some current genes in l' child were abnormal. Each human body has 35.000 pairs of genes, one in each pair being derived from the father and other from the mother. L' newborn would not develop a disorder, if that of genes were normal. The medical research was still remote d' possibility; to prevent the mental and physical disorder in the children by antenatal genetic engineering, or to cure the diseases by genetic engineering since the gene cartography had been an expensive business. With the development d' a separated laboratory, l' unit would function with d' other departments, to see points of right, children d' test for symptoms of the genetic disorders, parents d' legal consultant, and l' test to prevent the children d' to obtain mental disorders during qu' they aged.

Note
The result I found about topics 'how to prevent mental disorder':

[PDF] Prevention of Mental Disorders - [ Terjemahkan laman ini ] Jenis Berkas: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Versi HTMLThe evidence presented in this report shows that it is possible to prevent mental disorders and. reduce the risk of mental ill-health. ...who.int/mental_health/evidence/en/prevention_of_mental_disorders_sr.pdf - Halaman sejenisoleh E INTERVENTIONS - 10 versi Prevent Mental Illness with Early Detection - [ Terjemahkan laman ini ] Please choose your area:. Portland, Maine · Queens, New York · Sacramento, California · Salem, Oregon · Albuquerque, NM · Ypsilanti, Michigan. Tampilkan peta 295 Park Ave, Portland, ME 04102, USA / - 6k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis Prevent Mental Illness with Early Detection - [ Terjemahkan laman ini ] Getting help at the earliest possible time is key to feeling better and possibly to preventing mental illness altogether! The PIER program can help. ...www.preventmentalillness.org/pier_home.html - 14k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis Scientists Identify Strategies To Prevent Mental Illness ... Scientists Identify Strategies To Prevent Mental Illness ... whether drug treatment prevents schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in young people at high risk, ...pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/41/10/50 - Halaman sejenisoleh J Arehart-Treichel - 2006 - 2 versi Mental Disorders: How to Prevent Them - [ Terjemahkan laman ini ] Tobacco induced mental disorders and brain damage can be prevented, here's how.medicolegal.tripod.com/preventmentaldisorder.htm - 68k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis Schizophrenia Daily News Blog: Australian State Launches Strategy ... - [ Terjemahkan laman ini ] 2 Sep 2006 ... Based on this knowledge, the Territory of Canberra, Australia has launched a three-year strategy yesterday to help prevent mental illness. ...www.schizophrenia.com/sznews/archives/003869.html - 15k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis Prevent Mental Illness with Early Detection - [ Terjemahkan laman ini ] Often friends are the first to notice symptoms of someone in the early stages of a mental illness. Getting help early is the first step to preventing mental ... Tampilkan peta 1660 Oak St SE, Salem, OR 97301, USA - 12k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis Nail nibbler? Treatment may prevent biting - Mental health- msnbc.com - [ Terjemahkan laman ini ] 7 Sep 2007 ... Do you find your fingers drifting into your mouth when you’re nervous, anxious or just bored? Are your nails chewed to splinters or your ...www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20641923/ - 52k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis Public health interventions to promote positive mental health and ... - [ Terjemahkan laman ini ] 22 Jan 2007 ... Public health interventions to promote positive mental health and prevent mental health disorders among adults ...www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=401001 - 15k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Vellore News : Clinical genetics vital ... - [ Terjemahkan laman ini ] 6 Sep 2007 ... Clinical genetics vital “to prevent mental disorders” ... therefore, vital in the prevention of serious physical and mental disorders, ...www.hindu.com/2007/09/06/stories/2007090651990300.htm - 20k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

11/21/2008

SUN AND SUNBATH

As in the case of other life elements, man cannot do without sunlight. The sun is the source of light and heat. If there was no sun, there would be neither light nor warmth. Unfortunately, we do not make full use of sunlight and consequently we are unable to enjoy perfect health.

Sunbath is as useful as ordinary water bath though the two cannot replace one another. In cases of delibity and slow circulation, exposure of the uncovered body to the morning sun acts as an all-round general tonic and accelerates the metabolism.

The morning sun has the largest amount of ultra-violet rays which are a most effective component of the sun's rays. If the patient feels cold, he should lie in the sun covered up and gradually expose more and more of his body as he gets used to it.

One can also take the sunbath pacing up and down in the sun without any clothes on, in a private enclosure or in any other place away from public gaze. If such a place is not within easy reach, one can just cover up the private parts by tying up a piece of cloth or a langoti and expose the rest of his body to the sun.

I know of many persons who have been benefited by sunbaths. It is a well-known treatement for tubercolusis. Sunbaths or heliotherapy is no longer confined to the sphere of naturopathy. Orthodox medicine has taken it up from naturopathy and developed it further. In cold countries, special glass buildings have been constructed under medical supervision, so that the glass lets in the sun' rays and at the same time protects patients against the cold.

Sun treatment often results in the cure of intractable ulcers. To produce sweating, I have made patients lie in the sun at about 11 a. m., i. e. a little before midday. The experiment has been successful and the patients are soon bathed in sweat. In these cases the head should be protected from the sun by means of a cold mud poultice. Banana or any other leaves can be used to cover up the head and the face and thus further help in keeping the head cool and well protected. The head should never be exposed to strong sunlight.


Source: Key to Health (M. K. Gandhi).

11/19/2008

Talking about Aging


Every one of us experiencing aging. Advancing age may seem to many of us as a scaring phenomenon of a lifecycle. Human born, growing as a child, teenager, adult, and facing the next process. Am I talking something hateful? I hope not. Aging is something natural and we can shift our manner from 'we have to face it' to 'we will face it with smile.' We are not alone with this aging things. Trees, earth, sky, piramids, birds, apartments, teenagers in school, etc. …, we are becoming older and older. It is very usual and natural. So, I think we don’t need to evade this curious thing.

All we need to do for the first time is: just feel free to think about aging. It is not something scary or ghastly look. It is our friend, something accompany every thing in this vast universe. No need to make him/her enemy. Even, we need to know him/her better.

People think about season cycle: spring, summer, autumn, and fall. Or daily sun cycle: dawn, morning, noon, evening. Yeah, eventually everything will walk through the same process.

So what can we do to happily being aging ones, knowing that we are not the same as we were at the old days.

The question is whether we are mindful about ourselves, knowing this aging body. By knowing what happens, we can take a good steps to face this aging life, this old earth and this old self. Take an example: We plant a seed of herb. After some times, we watched how the seed was growing so beautiful, showing the pretty flowers or fruits. We can help the herb maintain its lifecycle longer than if we don’t try to care it better.

It means we can save our life longer and better via awareness of ourselves. So what are the good steps of it? Here are:

Take care of your body. Don’t put waste or toxin in your body. Let your body flow in this natural scheme as much as possible. You have two legs, they are created for human to walks. So, give your legs enough chance to walk in your days. You have kidney. So don’t overburden it with unnatural drinking. Your kidney loves water. It was specifically not created to accept unnatural substances (think about soda, chemical substance, etc.)

11/17/2008

Treatment for Small Wound

When you cut your finger, what to do?

The usual treatment for small wounds, including finger cut, is:

1. Wash the area thoroughly

2. Apply antibiotic salve

3. Cover with a bandaid or other bandage.

The salve should be reapplied three times a day.

However, small wound may started out as a simple paper cut, but in fact they can be quite serious. So it is best if you see a doctor. This is more urgent if the condition of your finger is gradually becoming red, swollen, infected. Anti-biotic salve wouldn’t work and soaking it in regular salt warm water doesn’t help either. Don’t wait, call the doctor.

11/15/2008

Use Condom


A condom is a device most commonly used during sexual intercourse. It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner. Condoms are used to prevent transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs—such as gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV) and pregnancy. Because condoms are waterproof, elastic, and durable, they are also used in a variety of secondary applications. These range from creating waterproof microphones to protecting rifle barrels from clogging. Foot travelers in Amazonic South America wear condoms when wading through water to prevent a small catfish known as candirú from swimming into the urethra. The fish is attracted to the scent of blood and urine

What is generally called a condom is the 'male' condom, a sheath or covering which fits over a man's penis, and which is closed at one end. There is also now a female condom, or vaginal sheath, which is used by a woman and which fits inside her vagina. Below is about the male condom.

Condoms are usually made of latex or polyurethane. If possible you should use a latex condom, as they are slightly more reliable, and in most countries they are most readily available. Latex condoms can only be used with water based lubricants, not oil based lubricants such as Vaseline or cold cream as they break down the latex. A small number of people have an allergic reaction to latex and can use polyurethane condoms instead. Polyurethane condoms are made of a type of plastic. They are thinner than latex condoms, and so they increase sensitivity and are more agreeable in feel and appearance to some users. They are more expensive than latex condoms and slightly less flexible so more lubrication may be needed. However both oil and water based lubricants can be used with them. Some condoms are not lubricated at all.

You need to use a new condom every time you have sexual intercourse. Never use the same condom twice. Put the condom on after the penis is erect and before any contact is made between the penis and any part of the partner's body. If you go from anal intercourse to vaginal intercourse, you should consider changing the condom.

Condoms have an expiration (Exp) or manufacture (MFG) date on the box or individual package that tells you when it is safe to use the condom until. It's important to check this when you use a condom. You should also make sure the package and the condom appear to be in good condition.

Condoms can deteriorate if not stored properly as they are affected by both heat and light. So it's best not to use a condom that has been stored in your back pocket, your wallet, or the glove compartment of your car. If a condom feels sticky or very dry you shouldn't use it as the packaging has probably been damaged.

If used properly, a condom is very effective at reducing the risk of being infected with HIV during sexual intercourse. Using a condom also provides protection against other sexually transmitted diseases, and protection against pregnancy. In the laboratory, latex condoms are very effective at blocking transmission of HIV because the pores in latex condoms are too small to allow the virus to pass through. However, outside of the laboratory condoms are less effective because people do not always use condoms properly.

If there is question: Don't you trust me? Then answer: Trust isn't the point, people can have infections without realising it. If, I'm on the pill, you don't need a condom, answer: I'd like to use it anyway. It will help to protect us from infections we may not realise we have. If asked: I will pull out in time, answer: Women can get STDs and get pregnant from pre-ejaculate

Condoms are the only contraceptive that help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV) and both pregnancy when used properly and consistently. Condoms are one of the most reliable methods of birth control when use properly and consistently. Condoms have none of the medical side-effects of some other birth control methods may have.

Source: www.avert.org

11/13/2008

How to Choose Fresh Fruit


Eating the proper amounts and the right kinds of fruits is important to healthy living. Nutritionists recommend eating a minimum of five one cup servings of each per day. To make sure you select healthy fruits and avoid that of questionable quality, here are a few basic tips in your selection.

Though seems so simple, buying fruit can be complex. That's why if you look closely at most any grocery store produce section you'll notice people squeezing, sniffing and examining their fruit very carefully.

The first rule to know is that the fresher the produce the better the quality. The best place to find the freshest and best selection of produce is at farmer's markets. Most farmers harvest their produce the day before or the day of the market. They also usually use minimal pesticides. This fact in itself provides you with better health while protecting the environment.

If you are not fortunate enough to have access to a farmer's market, just go to the grocery store and take care to pick only the healthiest produce. You need to use this grocery store produce within a few days. Try to locate a grocery store that has frequent deliveries of produce. Avoid grocery stores that have an extremely cold produce section. This makes it hard to check the texture and scent of produce. Convenience and corner stores more often than not have produce of poor quality due to the fact that it is not delivered fresh daily or it is not properly stored. Here is some of those fruits.

Bananas. Unlike most other fruits, bananas develop their best eating quality after they are harvested. This allows bananas to be transported great distances. Bananas are sensitive to cool temperatures and will be injured in temperatures below 55 F. For this reason, they should never be kept in the freezer. The ideal temperature for ripening bananas is between 60 and 70 F. Higher temperatures cause them to ripen too quickly.

Look for bananas which are firm, bright, and free from bruises or other injury. The state of ripeness is indicated by skin color. Best eating quality has been gained when the solid yellow color is specked with brown. At this time, the flesh is mellow and the flavor is fully developed. Bananas with green tips or with no yellow color have not developed their full flavor potential. Avoid bruised fruit (indicating rapid deterioration and waste); discolored skins (a sign of decay); a dull, grayish, aged appearance (showing that the bananas have been exposed to cold and will not ripen properly).

Oranges: When looking for a ripe orange, don't worry about color. Oranges with green or brown patches can be just as ripe (and some very orange oranges are even injected with food coloring to get that bright color). For the best flavor, seek for a firm, heavy orange with a thin, smooth skin.

The freshness of a bunch of grapes can be seen in the stem. If the stem is still green all the way to the grapes then their harvest was recent. A bunch with dried stems and soft, wrinkled or leaking grapes is decaying. Grapes do not ripen after harvest and should be served or freezed in an open container.

Cantaloupe: Be choosy when picking a cantaloupe because they're often picked while still unripe so they're not crushed during transportation. You can spot an unripe cantaloupe by its green tones. Instead, look for a cream-colored cantaloupe (with no green patches) that has a little soft end (the end opposite the stem). Also, give it a sniff and choose one that smells little sweet (but not overly so, which could mean it's too ripe).

Mangoes: Finding a ripe mango can be tricky because they can be yellow, red, green or orange in color. Those that are ready to eat will usually have a yellow hue and should be slightly soft to the touch. Ripe mangoes also have a sweet aroma near the stem end.

Berries should be brightly colored, plump and fragrant. To be sure the batch is good make sure the container hasn’t been stained or damp. Berries should not be handled much and only washed if necessary as that speeds mold. Berries have a very short shelf-life and should be consumed or refrigerated. They are best kept in layers on paper towels, covered by a moist paper towel or in an open paper bag. The smaller the size, the better the flavor.

Apples: A ripe apple will be firm and deeply colored. Apples should smell sweet and have strong, smooth and shiny skin. Apples can be stored in a freezer for some weeks. Depending on the variety, there should also be a slight rosy tone (such as with yellow and green apples). If you want to find apples with better flavor, buy them during apple season, which spans from late summer to early winter.

Papaya: Papayas with a red-orange skin are ripe and ready to eat. Those with yellow patches are still good, but will take a few days to ripen. Avoid papayas that are green or very hard, as they're not fully ripe and won't have a sweet flavor. May this information useful.


11/11/2008

Carrot Juice

Popeye the sailor eat spinach. Bugs Bunny eat carrot, and he played good performance too. But we don’t have to be bunny to get health benefits from this nice root . Most of us have heard that eating carrot will improve our health.

There are some facts on carrot. It contains rich beta-carotene, which help our body create vitamin A supply. And this easily absorbed by our body. You may know that vitamin A helps maintain healthy vision (especially night vision). Carrot may help prevent cataracts and increase the immune system too. They reduce the risk of some types of cancer, function as natural solvent for any ulcer. They keep your bone and teeth structure in strong condition. Carrot taste sweet too.

Instead of buying the bottled one, it would be better to make your own raw carrot juice. No preservative, no strange additives. Making your own raw carrot juice will make it feel that the gift is presented fresh from the nature.

If you experience some skin 'discoloration' after drinking such juice, be sure, it is not a bad news. Such phenomenon is indicating that your body is getting cleansing from within.

When preparing carrot juice, try to buy organic grown carrots. Remember, carrot skin and its surfaces are containing valuable nutrition, so you don’t have to peel it.

If the taste is not much acceptable, you can blend it with other fruits and vegetables you like. This is one of the great recipes from The Kiripalu Cookbook: Gourmet Vegetarian Recipes, by Atma Jo Ann Levitt (Berkshire House Publishers).


Carrot, Celery and Apple Juice

Preparation time 10 minutes

Makes 2 cups juice


Ingredients: 5 medium carrots, 3 stalks celery, 3 small apples, cored.

Instruction:Wash all ingredients well, chop and blend.

Drink immediately the juice as it is still in fresh and best condition ;)

11/09/2008

Coping With a Traumatic Event

What Is a Traumatic Event? Most everyone has been through a stressful event in his or her life. When the event, or series of events, causes a lot of stress, it is called a traumatic event. Traumatic events are marked by a sense of horror, helplessness, serious injury, or the threat of serious injury or death. Traumatic events affect survivors, rescue workers, and the friends and relatives of victims who have been involved. They may also have an impact on people who have seen the event either firsthand or on television.

What Are Some Common Responses? A person’s response to a traumatic event may vary. Responses include feelings of fear, grief and depression. Physical and behavioral responses include nausea, dizziness, and changes in appetite and sleep pattern as well as withdrawal from daily activities. Responses to trauma can last for weeks to months before people start to feel normal again.

Most people report feeling better within three months after a traumatic event. If the problems become worse or last longer than one month after the event, the person may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

What Is PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an intense physical and emotional response to thoughts and reminders of the event that last for many weeks or months after the traumatic event. The symptoms of PTSD fall into three broad types: re-living, avoidance and increased arousal.

Symptoms of re-living include flashbacks, nightmares, and extreme emotional and physical reactions to reminders of the event. Emotional reactions can include feeling guilty, extreme fear of harm, and numbing of emotions. Physical reactions can include uncontrollable shaking, chills or heart palpitations, and tension headaches.

Symptoms of avoidance include staying away from activities, places, thoughts, or feelings related to the trauma or feeling detached or estranged from others.

Symptoms of increased arousal include being overly alert or easily startled, difficulty sleeping, irritability or outbursts of anger, and lack of concentration.

Other symptoms linked with PTSD include: panic attacks, depression, suicidal thought and feelings, drug abuse, feelings of being estranged and isolated, and not being able to complete daily tasks.

What Can You Do for Yourself? There are many things you can do to cope with traumatic events.

-Understand that your symptoms may be normal, especially right after the trauma.

-Keep to your usual routine.

-Take the time to resolve day-to-day conflicts so they do not add to your stress.

-Do not shy away from situations, people and places that remind you of the trauma.

-Find ways to relax and be kind to yourself.

-Turn to family, friends, and clergy person for support, and talk about your experiences and feelings with them.

-Participate in leisure and recreational activities.

-Recognize that you cannot control everything.

-Recognize the need for trained help, and call a local mental health center.

What Can You Do for Your Child?

-Let your child know that it is okay to feel upset when something bad or scary happens.

-Encourage your child to express feelings and thoughts, without making judgments.

-Return to daily routines.

When Should You Contact Your Doctor or Mental Health Professional? About half of those with PTSD recover within three months without treatment. Sometimes symptoms do not go away on their own or they last for more than three months. This may happen because of the severity of the event, direct exposure to the traumatic event, seriousness of the threat to life, the number of times an event happened, a history of past trauma, and psychological problems before the event.

You may need to consider seeking professional help if your symptoms affect your relationship with your family and friends, or affect your job. If you suspect that you or someone you know has PTSD, talk with a health care provider or call your local mental health clinic.


Source: www.cdc.gov

11/07/2008

Counting Calories

Sometimes we try to count calories we take in our daily meals. Of course it is possible to count them by measuring this or that food. We can take a look at calories listed in book or manuals. While it is no possible to list all foods, you surely are able to find ones similar to those that you use.

Just estimate the energy value of everything that you have eaten during the last two days. Be sure that you include between-meal snacks, a treat atau the soda fountain, the cream and sugar you may have put in some coffee, the gravy on you potato, the jelly on your toast, and other seemingly small additions to the diet.

The sum of all these calories is an estimate of the energy value of your meals. It tells nothing about the building properties or other health provisions in food. Estimation of calories is limited in value, principally, for controlling or maintaing weight. After we understands which foods have high energy value and which have low, it is possible to select meals with this factor in mind. Then it becomes more practical to check our weight than to count calories.

11/05/2008

Ear Candling


The Issue. Ear candling is an alternative practice that proponents believe will help remove ear wax. The practice of ear candling has recently become popular as an alternative therapy. Some promoters say it is an ancient treatment that can cure a number of medical problems. However, ear candling is dangerous, and has no proven medical benefits.

Background. An ear candle is a narrow, hollow cone that has been soaked in beeswax or paraffin and allowed to harden. The patient lies on his or her side while someone else inserts the point of the cone inside the ear. The top of the cone is then set on fire and left to burn for a few minutes.

The promoters of ear candling claim that the flame creates warmth and suction, which draws ear wax out of the ear canal. They say that ear candling can cure a wide range of medical problems, including ear aches, sinus infections, sinus pain and pressure, and vertigo.

No Medical Benefits - but Lots of Risks. There is no scientific proof to support claims that ear candling provides medical benefits. In fact, laboratory tests showed that ear candling produces no significant heating or suction in the ear canal. There is plenty of proof that ear candling is dangerous. Ear candling poses a risk of fire. It can also cause serious burns and other injuries if hot wax drips into your ear, or onto your skin or hair. There have been reports of several cases of injury. A report published in the medical journal Laryngoscope said, "ear candles have no benefit in the management of cerumen (ear wax) and may result in serious injury."

Problems reported among the group using ear candling included:

-Burns to the ear, skin, and hair from the hot wax

-Obstruction of the ear canal due to wax dripping into the ear

-Perforated ear drum

-Temporarily lost hearing

Is Wax Removing Necessary? Ear wax has a protective role. It cleans and lubricates the ear, and can protect the ear canal from bacteria and fungus. The ear has a self-cleaning system that naturally removes ear wax. Most people do not require additional cleaning. However, a breakdown in this self-cleaning system can cause a condition known as cerumen impaction. Cerumen impaction affects some people and can cause reversible hearing loss, dizziness, and ringing in the ears. Physicians are required to treat cerumen impaction.

How You Can Protect Yourself. Certain types of medical devices require a licence from the government, and in fact, many governments ban the selling of ear candles. So, avoid ear candling. It is dangerous and it provides no medical benefits. If you are concerned about ear wax, then ask your doctor about safe and effective ways of cleaning your ears. They are qualified and well-trained to do it, indeed.

11/03/2008

Disaster and Healthy State of Mind

Anybody who experiences a disaster is influenced by it, whether directly or indirectly through location, family or friends, or exposure to media coverage of the event. Even if a disaster produces little physical damage, it can bring terror, confusion, and uncertainty into daily life. Strong and varied emotional reactions to such an experience are natural.

Given the uncontrollable nature of disasters, some people question whether they can take steps to plan for catastrophic events. Actually, we know that the more people prepare for the unexpected, the better they deal with these situations. Everyone has their own ways of handling stressful conditions.

Resilience—the ability to adapt well to life's ups and downs—can help manage stress and feelings of anxiety. Everyone can build resilience. It involves thoughts and actions that can be learned and done over time. People from different age can prepare for, respond to, and recover from hard experiences with disaster; they can maintain their healthy state of mind.

11/01/2008

Make Your Own Herb Tea

You can make wonderful refreshing cup of herb tea. It can be done by using single herbs or herbs and spices in combination. Herb combinations can be found loose or in sachets in many retailing strore, especially in health-food stores. It tastes delicious, and you can choose what fit you. Some of the most yummy single teas include:

  • Peppermint. Good for settling an upset stomach

  • Lemon verbena or lemon grass. Both good tonics for your refreshment

  • Chamomile. Calms the tense nerves

  • Goldenrod (solidago). A good diuretic for those who retain water

  • Lime blossom or passionflower. Great for relaxing you


So what trick to making good cups of herb tea? First, find several herbs or herb combinations that you enjoy. Then, add one or several of the following things:

  • a teaspoon or so of lightly scented clear honey such as acacia or clover

  • a squeeze of lemon juice or a slice of lemon

  • a drop of goat’s milk or skim milk (especially nice with spicy teas)

  • a dash of powdered cinnamon bark stick

You can try making a strong pot of your favorite tea, and then add a sliced peach to it. Sweeten with honey, then chill for a couple of hours in the fridge, and drink iced.

10/30/2008

Increase Your Energy


Live a healthy life would mean that we live with our good stamina. However, in our daily life, we sometimes feel our stamina get weakened. How does this happen? And what to do to rejuvenate and increase our stamina?

Firstly, recognize and avoid energy drainers in our daily life. Some of them are inner condition, poor self-esteem, bad relationship with other, and biochemical substances.

Then, by knowing things we are facing, we can begin to take control of ourself. Anxiety and depression, for instance, are two kind of energy's worst enemies we may focuse to handle . Take good information and advice to cope with them.

Eat good food, for optimal energy. We should ask ourselves why we eat. Some people eating food for some wrong reasons. And they end up in unhealthy condition. Healthy food would make a sense that we are eating for our good performance, it makes us feel and look good. If you try, it would no hard thing to find healthy foods in your own environment. We even can make tasty recipes by ourselves.

Exercise for energy. It would mean keeping the physical active lifestyle. You can enjoy it, choose the right activity you love. And just do it. Bring your willpower with you, and make it as regular activity. Just walk and jog.

About the therapy. Make your own green friends in your home. Home plants are good energizers, and nice-looking too. Besides, use color creatively to increase your energy level. You can learn how to make it in resources available. Don’t forget aromatherapy: it is really soothing and helping increasing our energy, make it as part of your daily routine.

And don't forget, begin from now. The above steps are simple things. We can make it from our home, cheerfully.

10/28/2008

How Can I Keep From Getting Too Tired?


The simple and exciting thing about muscles and bones is that they are made for activity. A person may decide to walk or run, to swim or dance, to wok or rest as the need or desire demands. There are so many interesting things to be done in the world that most of us are eager to be ‘on the go.’ They begin enthusiastically on a new project and often annoyed at themselves when their bodies tire before their interest has lessened. They find that it is impossible for a person to do everything; hence choices must be made of activities that are most satisfactory. Each of us may practice playing tennis, playing golf, dancing, typing, or throwing a baseball. How soon do you tire? Have you lengthened the time before tiring?

There is an attitude among groups that it is ‘sissy’ to admit fatigue. Some people force themselves to keep up with their companions even when exhaustion is near. They do not realize that such extreme fatigue may cause permanent damage by lowering resistance to disease.

Many people having too short a period of rest at night find themselves so sleepy and tired in the morning that it is almost torture to drag themselves out of bed. Going to bed even one hour earlier the night before may help in preventing that early-morning misery.

You may discuss the following topics with experts or your friends: why do little children take naps? Is it a good idea to read after a person goes to bed? Is sleep before midnight better for a person than later sleep? Why is a tired person cranky?

An understanding of the many provisions within the body for producing and distributing energy and for maintaining all of these operations will help us to use them wisely. We can really see the function of rest and sleep for endurance and strength. The need for a balance between work and rest has long been recognized. Fatigue is a normal result of work. It is the body’s way of making sure that the individual will stop his activity and give muscles a chance to gather strength and energy for the next task.

It would be interesting to secure a pedometer and to have several family members wear it for a day or two to find out how far they walk during a workday. Let’s have a try.

10/26/2008

Improve Mental Health

You can improve your mental health and well-being, everyday. Start now to save good mental health for the future, and remember it’s never too late to start it.

Exercise as daily routine. Physical activity is good for mental health. Gardening, taking a walk, using stairs instead of the lift, and bycicling rather than riding car. It means taking care of your body. Taking care of yourself physically can improve mental health. Be sure to eat nutritious meals, avoid cigarettes, drink much water, get sleep enough. What you eat and drink can affect how you feel and how you behave.

Keep the brain alive and broaden your horizons. Seek something new to learn. Learning will keep your mind and spirit alive and healthy. Create achange of pace or expand your interests. Explore a new hobby, plant a garden, plan a road - trip , try a new restaurant, take dance lessons, or learn to play an instrument or speak another language.

Relax and maintain a good balance in between work and life. Take breaks and enjoy yourself. Don’t mind to ask for help if you need. Try meditating, taking a walk in a natural outdoor, or reaching out spiritually through prayer. Quiet reflection, alone or in the company of others, can improve your state of mind, strengthen your sense of self and c o m m u n i t y, and give you time away from a hectic situation and you can collect your thoughts and reenergize yourself.

Keep in touch with supportive peoples, friends and loved ones. Close relationships are good things for mental health. Take time with family members and friends, or seek out activities at which you can meet new people, such as a club, class or support group.

If possible, give yourself. Many people say that volunteering helps them to maintain good mental health. The best cure for sadness is activity. Do something, particularly for others. Volunteer your time and energy to help someone else. You’ll feel good about doing something to help someone in need—and it’s a gre a t way to meet new people who share your interests and compassion.

Make a plan. As they say, don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Just try. People who wake up in the morning and knowing what is planned for the day will feel good. Decide what tasks you need to complete for the week and make a plan for when and how to do them. If you are overscheduled, decide what can wait a week or two. If you don’t have much on the schedule, plan some activities you’ll look forward to.

Claim what you’re entitled to. Find out things you are entitled to and make sure you claim them. Use your voice to challenge unfair things whenever it happens. Value yourself. Treat yourself with kindness and respect, and avoid self-criticism. Keep in mind the qualities you like about yourself, your achievements and abilities. Take some time daily to relax and reflect positively.

Keep the Flame


Keeping the sexual flame alive between spouses is duty of both party. Sexual warmth must be kept stable and living. The decline of sexual desire will affect the harmony of a family.

Long time decline in sexual desire will causing some serious problems in family life. This fatally may end up in divorce, though, divorce is not exclusively caused by sexual satifasction. Another impact mencolok/ which is happened is marriage filled quarrell, misunderstanding, and restless daily life.

There are some thing to do: First, keep yourself healthy, physically and mentally. Watch your body, take care of it, love it. You, too, must pay attention to your psychological factors. Eliminate or reduce things that making trouble for you.

Second, build an open communication between spouse. This will help both of you talk freely every problem, including sexual activity. The fondation/basis of marital relationship is communication. (By the way, ethimologists say that word communication has thing to do with word communion.) For example, it may happens that in sexual intercourse, the wife never attain orgasm or worse, she experience vaginismus (a condition when vagina kerut/ everytime both of them will make sexual intercourse, and it was cancelled, because it caused pain). If a wife in this condition, she is encouraged to communicate her problem with her husband. Another example, when a husband begin to see her wife tidak peduli/ with her own performance/appearance, he will communicate this dengan halus/ to her wife.

A healthy family need warmth and openness, too. Hindari/ making assumption. Just talk to him/her. Try to express your opinion positively and politely. Be a good listener. Think twice before saying bad word/negative words. Seek/cari the best condition or place to talk about the problem. If it feel better, you may go out from home to talk something without emotional atmosphere.

Marital relationship need variation, too. Both of the partner need some fresh way to reduce the boredom. For instance, they may change usual sexual position with some new position never before. Beside sexual position, location/place is another important thing. For variation, husband and wife are encouraged not to do sexual intercourse only in bed. Try to seek new place that will create new sensation. So, it is important to jalani/ second honeymoon, third honeymoon, and so on.

Libidinal gangguan/trouble/problem must be awasi/ early. If the symptom going on and on without ample therapy, there will be erectile disfunction permanently. It is better for spouses that feel that there is sexual passion gangguan/disfunction to see the doctor/physician before thing worsen. []



10/24/2008

Does Air Conditioning Influence Your Health?

Find out how you can have the advantages of air conditioning without the problems. Who would be without air conditioning. In hot, humid climates it is more than a modern facility – it is an important element in getting through those sweltering and sticky days. But, like most modern conveniences, air conditioning has its down-sides. Are they enough to make you rethink about having an air conditioner?

The problems related to air conditioners arise out of overuse. With the ease of fingertip control many people assume that the more they use their unit the better it will be. This, however, is not the case. Air conditioning aggravates the effects of arthritis and neuritis. It also causes trouble for those with sinus trouble, causing their heads to become blocked. In addition to these real reactions to an air conditioned environment there are many far more little reactions that can adversely affect a person’s health. Studies between those who have worked for prolonged periods in air conditioned offices and those who work outdoors, have repeatedly shown that the people exposed to air conditioning are more susceptible to colds, flu and other minor ailments. It has also been a fact that the body undergoes a certain amount of stress when it is forced to go from a boiling hot environment into an air conditioned one.

It is also obvious that those who spend an inordinate amount of time in an air conditioned environment are not able to readily face hot summer temperatures. As a result, severe heat waves are now taking a higher death toll. In addition to this many people have been made sick by extreme differences between outside and inside temperatures.

Air conditioners in cars also have their questions. Micro-organisms have been found within the units that may cause breathing problems. Air conditioning units can also circulate air-borne diseases. If the unit has cheap filters or is not properly maintained it will simply recirculate pollutants. Remember, cutting back on air conditioning is also a way to conserve energy.

Of course there are also positive sides to air conditioning. It creates a pleasant atmosphere inside, apart from what is going on outside. It may eliminate heat rash and help hay fever patients by removing pollens from the air. The removal of dirty and dry air is also realized by air conditioning.

The decision to use air conditioning is surely depend on several factors. Having considered the pros and cons, you may decide that the best choice is to use it, but do so sparingly, and not becoming reliant on it. Then, you’ll get the advantage while avoiding the harms of air conditioning.

10/22/2008

Air and Our Nose

Good breath is conducted via nose, not via mouth. If we keep the mouth tightly closed, the breating will be carried out by the nose. Since long time ago, many people practiced cleansing nose. It is said, just as we wash our mouth every morning, the nose should also be cleaned. Clean water, cold or lukewarm, is the best agent for that purpose. It was taken in a cup or in the palm of the hand and drawn up through the nostrils. It is possible to draw the water up through one nostril, the other remaining closed, and expel it through the other by opening it and closing the former. The process was carried out gently so as to avoid discomfort. In order to cleanse the back portion of the nose known as nasopharynx, sometimes the water was brought out by mouth or even swallowed.

Naturally, we must see that the air that we breathe in is fresh. Ancient people said that it is good to cultivate the habit of sleeping in the open under the stars. The fear of catching a chill can be dismissed from the mind. Cold can be kept out by plenty of covering, where this covering does not extend beyond the neck. If cold is felt on the head, it can be covered with a separate piece of cloth. In the process, the opening of the respiratory passage – the nose –would never be covered up.

The day clothes were changed for loose night clothes before retiring. As a matter of fact, no clothes are necessary at night when one sleeps covered with a sheet. It is recommended by some cultures to avoid tight-fitting clothes even during the day.

The atmospheric air around us is not always pure, neither is it the same in every country. The choice of the country does not always lie in our hands but the choice of a suitable house in a suitable location does rest with us to some extent. The general rule is to live in location which is not too congested and ensure that the house being well-lighted and well-ventilated.

Source: Key to Health

10/20/2008

Air and The Art of Breathing


No one can live without air as one can without water for a few days and without food much longer. Therefore, nature has surrounded us with air on all sides so that we can get it without any effort.

We take in air through the nose into our lungs. The lungs act as a sort of bellows. The atmospheric air which we breathe in has a life-giving substance – a gas known as oxygen. The air that we breathe out contains poisonous gases. These can kill us if they are not immediately allowed to spread out and get diluted by the atmospheric air. Hence the necessity of proper ventilation.

The air comes into close contact with blood in the lungs and purifies it. Many people do not know the art of breathing. This defect prevents an adequate purification of their blood. Some people breathe through the mouth instead of through the nose. This is a bad habit. Nature has so designed the nose that it acts as a sort of filter for the ingoing air and also warms it. In mouth breathers the atmospheric air reaches the lungs without the preliminary filtration or warming.

It follows therefore that those who do not know how to breathe should take breathing exercises. They are as easy to learn as they are useful. I do not wish to go into a discussion of the various asanas or postures. I do not mean to say that these are not important of useful. But I do wish to emphasize that a well-regulated life is as important as the advantage of studying and practising elaborate postures or exercises. Any comfortable posture that ensures breathing through the nose and free chest expansion is good for our purpose.

10/18/2008

How Should Alternative Medicine Be Defined

There is still no strict definition on what alternative medicine really is. But presently, it borders on the broadness of description covered by what we know of as conventional or orthodox medicine. However, to define alternative medicine as we believe it to be, it may be a knowledge that is considered as unaccepted, untested and unscientific. All these were true if we are to look some years back. But since alternative medicine has been studied in the later years, employed by numberless institutions (such as spas and the likes) and accepted by many as cure to their ailments (even those that may be resolved through conventional medicine), this definition for alternative medicine may already be considered as obsolete.


On other terms, alternative medicines are practices that may be considered false that sometime go to the extent of quackery. However, this definition is much abused by several authorities that have their own systems of beliefs and other things to support to. Still others would define it as practices that may not be tested, refuse to undergo tests and may continuously fail tests. On other peoples' view, this may be too unfair for those practicing the knowledge that comprise alternative medicine and too sweeping a statement since many have gained healing by means of alternative medicine.


This debate on the authenticity of alternative medicine is further made complicated by the number of practices that are labeled as alternative medicine, which has some truths in them. In actuality, alternative medicine covers procedures involving metaphysical principles, spiritual and religious underpinnings, new sets of healing approaches and non-European medicine practices. These are enough reasons why alternative medicine is much harder to accept in the West rather than in the East where most these practices originated. In addition to these, many proponents of alternative medicine contradict and many individual belief systems may reject others.


Furthermore, critics of alternative medicine may further define it as therapy, treatment and diagnosis that may be performed legally by unlicensed practitioners. Yet, a number of doctors and physicians find good uses of alternative medicine when combined with the conventional medicine when they are trying to hit the balance.


But there are more logical and unbiased definitions that are accepted by most. Many of which deal only on the safety and affectivity of the alternative medicine without the protection on economic interests, political views and turf protection. One such definition is that alternative medicine is a field of healing, therapy and diagnosis that are not based on controlled studies.


There are however some therapies that were once covered by alternative medicine that are now accepted within the medical community since they passed approval over their affectivity. On the opposite, there were medical practices that are now disregarded within the medical circles since there are no profound evidences that prove their efficiency in healing.


In reality, the term alternative medicine is quite misleading. Both critics and advocates of the said practices support this view. Some support the idea that Western medical practices are the alternative medicines since they were preceded by ancient practices, which is somewhat true. Others would claim that the term "alternative medicine" was only devised by advocates of conventional medicine to discredit the natural methods of healing.


Detractors on alternative medicine claim that it is not worth as being accepted by the medical circles since it lacks components that may be used to support its efficiency. Yet many assert that once alternative medicine is fully tested, then there would be great rooms for wide acceptance.


Source: ArticleKarma.com

10/16/2008

Bad Breath: Not Always Sign of Illness

Lick your own wrist, wait until it dries, then smell the area. Or, sniff your own breath in front of a mirror. Just as the eyes may be windows into the soul, our breath may hint to our health too. If your breath is not sweet breath, but a stink, something may be wrong. Sometimes bad breath can have an impact on our social and professional life too.

Many people think that bad breath comes from the stomach or intestines. This rarely happens. In fact, bad breath may indicate conditions from periodontal, kidney, respiratory or liver disease to diabetes, lips tissue disease or injury. However, the most common problem associated with bad breath is periodontal disease. Just think how your breath would smell if you didn't brush your teeth for a week or after having a canned tuna. Not all cases of bad breath indicate a health problem. Food smells that are repulsive can be harmless. There are sometimes medical causes too, such as dry mouth, throat or tummy problems, for instance.

However, with good dental care, you can prevent pain or infection that, in some cases, can spread to other organs. Learn how to clean the teeth and mouth effectively. You can improve your oral hygiene by regular brushing and flossing, regular dental checkups, and the use of mouthwash is good too. In other case, you may need a professional treatment for a serious disorder that could jeopardize your health, such as kidney or liver disease. Depending on the underlying cause, many alternative therapeutic remedies can be used. Most bad breath can be treated successfully with good oral hygiene and or medical care by professionals. Just consult them and things will be okay.