Thursday, July 12, 2007

Straight Talk About Bipolar Disease

By Samantha DavisAn estimated 2 million Americans suffer from bipolar disease.Unfortunately, many of them make the walk alone, with fewothers understanding this condition and its impacts on aperson's life. The reality is many people mistakenly believe those sufferingfrom bipolar disease have control over their behavior. Theyblame the mood swings on other things and expect for a personto have the ability to "snap out of it" or "get it together." Sadly, with a misdiagnoses rate that is extremely high and abiological root for the condition, getting bipolar diseaseunder wraps isn't as easy as many would like to think. Thereare some basic things about bipolar disease anyone with afriend, loved one or co-worker should know. These include: * A person is not in control. When this disease goes withouttreatment, the person suffering from it really does not havecontrol of the mood swings or the symptoms that might arisefrom them. * It is not totally psychological. Counseling will not curethis disease. In fact, bipolar symptoms are tied to a chemicalimbalance in the brain. This means there is a biological root,although not understood, that leads to the periods of ups anddowns. * This condition presents in swings. The key to spottingbipolar disorder over clinical depression lies in the fact thatvery abrupt and dramatic mood swings are present. Thosesuffering from the disorder will present with both manic anddepressive symptoms at times. It's even possible they willbehave quite normally, or middle of the road, at others. * There is no known cure. It is currently impossible to "fix"the chemical imbalance in the brain and end the possibility forsymptoms all together. * It is treatable. Those who suffer from this condition andobtain a correct diagnosis can, in fact, lead very normallives. With the correct medications, the mood swings can bebrought into check or eliminated entirely. * People who suffer from this condition are not "crazy." Whilethey may act off at times, their actions have a biological, notpsychological root. * The condition's potential side effects can be serious. In andof itself the condition is not fatal, but the various moodswings can have very grave results. Those in a manic phase, forexample, might do something completely out of character and takerisks that can lead to accidents, injury and even death. In thedepressive phase, some people take their own lives. * It's an easy condition to get under control. This is rightand wrong. Once the correct diagnosis has been made, it ispossible to bring the symptoms into complete check throughmaintenance medications. Unfortunately, the misdiagnosis ratefalls in around 70 percent, so completely getting bipolardisease under control can be a very tricky proposition indeed.It is important that the mood swings be documented and broughtup to a doctor. Persistence is often key in having the rightdiagnosis made. Living with bipolar disease isn't easy. Many of those whosuffer do so alone. When friends, family and even co-workerstake the time to understand it better, they are in a betterposition to help.About the Author: For more information on bipolar, try visitinghttp://www.bipolardetails.com - a website that specializes inproviding bipolar related tips and resources to includeinformation on bipolar disease.Source: http://www.isnare.com

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Nurse's Best Acne Skin Care Tips And Treatments

Acne is caused by the clogging of the follicle of a skin gland causing a pimple to grow. While it is easy to find acne treatments, finding the just the right treatment or treatment product for you is what is important. Living with acne can be very difficult, and even more difficult to find the right acne treatment for you. Acne will affect almost every person at some stage of their life. For most people, acne goes away by age 30, but people in their forties and fifties still get acne. There are several different types of acne. Acne is a group of skin rashes that have different causes. Acne rosacea is a red rash predominantly on the face. It's not true that dirty skin and stress cause acne. As time goes by, more research may help determine just how male and female hormones influence acne and the role diet plays. The liver sluffs off toxins from bad foods, drinks, drugs and chemicals and sends them through your skin resulting in skin eruptions, acne, pimples and other skin disorders. There is still much to be learned about what causes acne. You want to avoid squeezing, pinching, or picking your pimples because it can cause scars or dark spots on the skin. Use baking soda carefully as an exfoliator. It's always best to seek non-invasive treatment for any skin condition. If you're going to buy acne products, it's much more worth your while to buy acne-treating products that work against current pimples and that also fight against the occurrence of new ones. Skin care acne treatment is one of the most misunderstood topics there is when it comes to acne skin care.A skin specialist in New York is now using a combination of red light and blue light therapy to treat severe cases of acne successfully. You want to be good to your skin and never pop or squeeze a pimple no matter how tempting. As a registered nurse, I have learned a lot over the years about acne scars, acne scar treatments and acne scar removal. Scars may also contribute to a person looking older than their age as the skin loses its elasticity over the years. Acne scars are an ongoingreminder of a common skin condition that can cause embarrassment and social isolation.Essential fatty acids are particularly important to people with inflammatory conditions such as eczema and acne. In any case, no matter what skin or acne treatment you choose, whether it is chemical, drugs, alternative, or natural methods, changing your diet will result in your overall good health! Whether you eat a natural diet with living fruits and vegetables or eat dead junk food, what you eat may have a direct or indirect affect on the male hormones which may play a part in acne.Besides external acne treatment it's best to work from the inside out too. Good skin is often a reflection of a good digestive system. You want to help the skin from the inside out too. Eat high-fiber snacks like raw nuts, raw seeds, and dried fruit, such as dates, and figs.The skin is subject to constant attack from without, so can be affected by numerous conditions, diseases and ailments. Sunlight, water and air play an important role in keeping the skin healthy.And whatever you do stop purchasing hundreds of dollars in skin care acne treatment solutions. With cheap, safe, simple, natural, effective, alternative home treatments for acne and pimples, your skin should be well on its way to recovery. You should see the results of your acne home treatment remedies with improved skin within just a few days.For more information on natural treatments for acne and acne light therapy, go to Helen Hecker R.N.'s http://www.Best-Skin-Solutions.com specializing in acne, pimples, and skin disorders with tips, advice and resources for adults, teens and babies, including information on acne scar treatments

Friday, June 22, 2007

Ways To Get More Exercise: For Those Who Are Active

If you already have a fairly active lifestyle but would like todo more exercise, great! It's likely that your fitness levelsare already quite high. If time is your limiting factor, youcan be creative about working more exercise into your dailyroutine. First, actually scheduling time into you day to do yourexercise is important. Too often, exercise is the firstcasualty in a busy schedule. If you treat your exercise like animportant meeting that cannot be re-scheduled or interrupted,you will get a chance to do it and get into a regular routine.Organizing to meet a friend is a good way to ensure that youactually do the exercise. Knowing that you will let your frienddown if you don't go is often the additional motivation you needto get out there and just do it! Do you drive to work? Chances are that if you work in a cityoffice block, traffic will be congested and you may be able toget to work in a similar time by jogging, walking or ridingyour bike. If doing the school drop off is what's keeping youfrom fitting in your run before work, group together with agroup of other parents and organize a carpool. This way, youwill have one or two more free mornings or afternoons to slotin some time at the gym, or to get out and play sport. If youcatch public transport to work, jump off a few stops early andwalk the rest of the way. Just 15 minutes more each way givesyou your total recommended exercise for the day! If you have children, putting them in a stroller and going fora walk can be a great way of keeping them entertained andgiving you some additional exercise. Getting involved in yourchildren's activities is another way to maximize your exercisetime and also to bond with them. Join them in a game of tag, orjump with them on the trampoline. You'll be having so much funthat you won't even remember that you're exercising! Incorporating more exercise into your day does not have to bedifficult. Small bouts of activity frequently add up to asignificant amount of exercise by the end of the day. You oweit to yourself to exercise and stay healthy.About The Author: Want to be healther? Visithttp://www.gojicapital.com/

Friday, June 1, 2007

Proper Diet And Nutrition Maintains Women's Good Health

One of the most important parts of a woman's ability tomaintain good health is proper diet and nutrition. Researcherscontinue to find growing evidence of the link between healthyeating and a variety of positive health outcomes which include:Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease Cancer Osteoporosis If you are a woman looking to improve your diet you should eatfoods rich in fiber, folate, unsaturated fats and calcium.Choose fruits, vegetables, whole grains and reduce intake ofsugar, salt, cholesterol, saturated fats and trans fats. As you age, your nutritional needs may change and vary. Consultwith your personal physician or other healthcare professional toensure your diet is providing the proper nourishment requiredfor good health. How do fiber, fat, folate, antioxidants, calcium, Vitamin D,iron, protein, alcohol and caffeine actually affect a woman'shealth? Fiber: The many benefits of high fiber intake include: 1.Substantially reducing the risk of coronary heart disease andstroke; 2.Cereal fiber has been shown in particular to reduce the riskof heart attack; 3.Diets high in fiber protect against diabetes; 4.Diets high in soluble fiber found in vegetables, fruits andlegumes can help diabetic individuals control their glucose(blood sugar level); 5.Lower cholesterol levels; 6.Improved bowel function; 7.Research also suggests that diets high in vegetable and fruitfiber may help prevent colon and rectal cancer. Fat: It is important to reduce intake of foods high in certaintypes of fat and cholesterol to help decrease the risk ofcoronary heart disease. Of most importance is to reduce thesaturated fats and trans fats rather than concentrating onreducing the total amount of "fat" intake. Avoid consuming toomany low-fat foods that are high in carbohydrates. Too manycarbohydrates can lower the so-called "good" cholesterol thatprotects against heart disease. Folate: Is a type of B vitamin important to the production ofred blood cells that can help reduce the risk of coronary heartdisease and colon cancer. Folate supplements are recommended forwomen of child-bearing age usually in the form of multivitaminsto help prevent a group of birth defects known as neural tubedefects. These defects include spina bifida and anencephaly(failure of the brain to form). Natural sources of folate include: Certain breakfast cereals Orange juice Peas Peanuts Beans Leafy green vegetables Antioxidants: Certain fruits and vegetables, Vitamins A, C, Eand beta carotene contain antioxidant properties. There aresome studies that indicate antioxidants help prevent cancer andcardiovascular disease. The evidence to support these claimsremains mixed. Calcium: An adequate amount of daily calcium can help preventosteoporosis. Osteoporosis particularly affects many womenafter menopause. It can lead to bone fractures. Calcium mayalso protect against colon cancer and may aid weight loss inobese women. If you are a woman who feels you need more calciumin your diet or you are just not sure how much is adequate foryou, check with your physician about taking supplements. Good sources of calcium include: Milk Yogurt Cheese Canned fish with soft bones such as sardines, anchovies andsalmon Leafy green vegetables Calcium-fortified orange juice Vitamin D: It is important to consume adequate amounts ofVitamin D to aid calcium absorption and bone formation. A lackof vitamin D can lead to softening of the bones. Good sources of vitamin D include: Egg yolks Herring Sardines Tuna Salmon Fortified milk Iron: A deficiency of iron can cause fatigue, decreasedimmunity and a type of anemia called iron-deficiency anemia.Iron is especially important to girls and women of childbearingage. Iron should be taken in moderation. Studies show highlevels of iron can lead to heart disease in postmenopausalwomen. Good sources of iron include: Liver Kidneys Red meat Poultry Eggs Peas Legumes Dried fruits Leafy vegetables Protein: Women should get 10 to 35 percent of daily caloriesfrom protein to help prevent muscle tissue from breaking downand help repair tissue that has been damaged. Good sources of protein include: Fish Poultry Eggs Milk Cheese Dried beans and peas Peanut butter Nuts Bread Cereal Alcohol: Many experts agree the health risks of moderateconsumption of alcohol outweigh the potential benefits ofreducing the risk of cardiovascular disease shown in somestudies. Pregnant and nursing women should not drink alcohol in any formas it can cause harm to their offspring. The many adverse health consequences of alcohol consumptioninclude: Increased risk of cancers of the breast, mouth, esophagus,throat, larynx and liver Alcohol consumed during pregnancy can cause birth defectsincluding fetal alcohol syndrome Cirrhosis of the liver May increase the frequency and severity of hot flashes duringmenopause Caffeine: Is a stimulant and diuretic found in coffee, tea,soft drinks, chocolate and some over-the-counter drugs. Areduction of caffeine is often recommended during pregnancy. Itmay affect the heart rate and blood pressure, contribute todehydration and have other possible side effects. Numerous health problems can be the result of poor nutrition aswell as obesity, which causes additional health problems. Bycontrast, are women with eating disorders such as anorexianervosa or bulimia nervosa. Women who are underweight mayexperience irregular menstrual cycles, a stopping ofmenstruation called amenorrhea, which can lead to dentalproblems and osteoporosis and a shortened lifespan. Source: Science Daily Healthology Disclaimer: *This article is not meant to diagnose, treat orcure any kind of a health problem. These statements have notbeen evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Alwaysconsult with your health care provider about any kind of ahealth problem and especially before beginning any kind of anexercise routine. This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. Articlewritten 4-2007.About The Author: Connie Limon, Trilogy Field Representative.Visit http://nutritionandhealthhub.com and sign up for a weeklynutrition and health tip. The article collection is available asFREE reprints for your newsletters, websites or blog. Visithttp://www.healthylife27.com to purchase an array of superiorquality, safe and effective products inspired by nature,informed by science and created to improve the health ofpeople, pets and the planet.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Bodybuilding For Teens

Bodybuilding can be a very healthy and rewarding activity forteenagers for a number of reasons aside from the obviousphysical benefits. However, due to their youth and the naturalchanges occurring in their bodies, parents often wonder if thetraining regimen of a teenager needs to vary drastically fromthat of an adult? Most of the dangers relating to teenage bodybuilding actuallyhave more to do with the "teenage" portion of the equation. Noone, other than teenagers, would argue with the fact thatteenagers can behave impulsively and can be prone to ignoringthe precautions and rules they find themselves faced with. Obviously, this doesn't apply to all teenagers, but it issomething that needs to be taken into consideration. There has been a longstanding belief that heavy weightliftingcan actually stunt the growth of bones. The basis of thebelief is that heavy weight lifting can speed up growth plateclosure, prematurely stopping the bone growth. This has beensuggested, but not proven, but weight lifting at an early agecertainly hasn't stunted the growth of the many professionalathletes who started young. However, they may be exceptions tothe rule and the jury is technically still out with nodefinitive proof in either camp. Regardless, the danger is only really associated with heavyduty lifting and only occurs prior to a teenager reaching fulldevelopmental maturity. Though it obviously varies fromteenager to teenager, the average age of full developmentalmaturity is 15 and very few teenagers under that age arepumping heavy iron. A teenager shouldn't try to simply emulate the workout routinesof the adults that he or she may see at the gym. The odds arethat any adult worth emulating in the gym has been training foryears and has vast amounts of experience and training, which theteenager is lacking. While trainers are a good idea for everyone, they areespecially important for teenagers. Bad habits in weighttraining can lead to serious injuries and the U.S. ConsumerProduct Safety Commission states 12% of the annual accidentsinvolving weightlifting equipment involved children between theages of 5 and 14, and 35% involved people aged 15 - 24. A good trainer will help a teenager develop the proper form,which is critical to avoiding injury. A trainer can also helpreign in a teen who, in excitement and immature reasoning, maytry to use weights that are simply too heavy. Another danger for teenagers is the disturbing trend towardssupplement overuse. Again, this can attributed to a lack ofintellectual maturity and experience, but teenagers seemespecially prone to sucking into the mythology that supplementsare a magic key to building muscles and looking better. Despite what they may believe about their own thinkingcapacity, teenagers are especially receptive to advertisementsand magazine hype. The fact that a majority of bodybuildingmagazines are owned and published by companies who also producesupplements isn't widely known. Obviously, these companies aregoing to use the magazines they produce to push the productsthey produce.so don't believe everything you read. Realistically, teenagers are under no greater risk than adultswhile working out as long as it is done properly andintelligently. The key to ensuring that it's done this way isadult supervision and guidance.About The Author: Gray Rollins is a featured writer forMuscleProgram. To learn more about teenage bodybuilding, besure to visithttp://www.muscleprogram.com/teenagersandweightlifting-arethereadditionalrisks/and check out our review of Burn The Fat athttp://www.muscleprogram.com/burnthefat/

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Atkins Diet Rules Of Induction

By: Gregg Hall The induction phase of the Atkins Diet must be followed EXACTLY to ensure success. I cannot stress this enough, if the induction phase which is designed to introduce your body to the Atkins program is not followed correctly it will not work for you and you will see no weight loss. With that said, here are the ten rules you must follow during the initial induction phase:1. Eat three regular size meals each day or four to five smaller meals, but DO NOT skip meals. Skipping meals causes more blood sugar fluctuations; do not go longer than six waking hours without eating.2. Eat liberal portions of combinations containing combinations of fat and protein in the form of poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, and red meats as well as pure natural fats found in things like olive oil, safflower, sunflower and other similar vegetable oils.3. During the initial induction phase you must eat less than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day in the form of salad greens and other vegetables. This is crucial to setting your body up for the rest of the Atkins Diet program.4. You must stay away TOTALLY from fruit, bread, pasta, grains, starchy vegetables and dairy products other than cheese, cream or butter. Do not eat nuts or seeds during the first two weeks, or any foods that combine protein and carbs such as kidney beans and other legumes.5. Eat nothing that is not listed on the Atkins Diet acceptable foods list. Do not rationalize and say "just one taste won't hurt", this can ruin your chances of success with the Atkins Diet.6. Adjust the quantity of food that you eat to suit your individual appetite especially as your appetite decreases. When you are hungry eat just enough to satisfy you, do not gorge and over stuff yourself. When you are not hungry eat a small low carb snack to go along with your nutritional supplements.7. Never assume that a food is low carb, read the labels and check the carb count on every package or use the Atkins Diet carb counter.8. You may eat out as often as you wish but watch out for hidden carbs that can be in gravies, sauces, and dressings.9. Avoid foods and diet drinks sweetened with aspartame, use sucralose or saccharin instead and count each packet of one of these as one gram of carbs.10. Avoid coffee, tea, and soft drinks containing excessive caffeine which has been shown to cause low blood sugar, which can make your body crave sugar. In addition Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day to hydrate your body and avoid constipation and flush out the byproducts of burning fat.Some of the foods you may eat liberally during the induction phase include the following:All fish including tuna, salmon, sole, trout, flounder, sardines, and herring.All fowl including chicken, turkey, duck, goose, quail, and pheasant.All shellfish including oysters, mussels, lobster, clams, squid, prawns, and crabmeat.All meat including beef, pork, lamb, bacon, veal, ham, and venison.All eggs including scambled, fried, poached, soft boiled, hard boiled, devilled and omelettes.Article Source: http://www.nulife-weightloss.com/articlesGregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. Get the Atkins products you need at www.atkinsdietplus.com