Friday, October 3, 2008

The Aloe Vera Supplement Of The Stars...

Hollywood really is an exclusive club, a world unto it's own. It is a simple fact that stars and almost all of the folk working in the entertainment industry are privy to beauty and health methods the remainder of the world are now not. The most recent and the best of anything runs like lightening thru Hollywood as speedily as a cellphone call or a text message can be typed. They are the select possessors of the final knowledge in each beauty and health product available.

This sometimes happens when a celeb, or top pro "discovers" a product that actually works. When this phenomenon happens, the excitement becomes barely palatable. And a product or treatment just receives this kind of attention when it rises to the top due to quality, efficacy, sustainability and creativity. Average products or trends simply never hold the interest of a community who are smart and demand the best. And if you are lucky enough to be the purveyor of this precious new info it could be the key which will usher you or your business into the inner sanctum of the affluent and tough.

So the hunt for one of these rare jewels is definitely a search deserving of effort in Hollywood. One such remarkable beauty and health product that has lately achieved this coveted status in Hollywood is known as Aloeride. The fundamental ingredient being that traditional beauty and health part, Aloe Vera. Plenty of studies have shown that when Aloe Vera gel or liquid comes in contact with the air, it instantly begins a quick bacterial degradation. This decreases the beauty and nutritive price just about as fast as the top is off the bottle. When nutrients are fed more cleanly into the body and individual cells, the body loses its need to adhere to poisons and fats to feed on.

Of course, this may be an amazing side-benefit for those needing to shed pounds or keep their weight in check. And do not think Hollywood hasn't discovered the beauty advantages of this superb small capsule. So what does Hollywood know about Health and Beauty that the remainder of us don't? Everything. And what is Hollywood totally humming about? Aloeride. Read my own aloeride review. This is definitely a secret the remainder of the world should be in on.

Breast Implants or Pills

Despite more than a decade of controversy over their safety, breast implants are more popular than ever among women who want to build upon what nature gave them or who want to restore what disease has taken away. Whatever the reason, opting for breast implants is a personal decision that should be made only after a woman fully understands and accepts the potential risks of the devices and the importance of follow-up evaluations with her physician.

Some people see an enormous benefit to getting implants and are willing to accept associated risks. They say that using breast implants to rebuild the breast (reconstruction), or change its size and shape (augmentation), significantly improves the quality of life for many women. Advocates of breast implants also say that a woman's consent to the surgery should be considered valid as long as she weighs the risks and benefits of the procedure.

While every surgical procedure has potential risks, such as infection, bleeding, and scarring, there are risks that are specific to breast implants. Learning about them is key to being properly informed about the procedure.

A Primer on Breast Implants
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), there were nearly 255,000 breast enhancement implant surgeries in 2003, nearly twice the number done in 1998. Another 68,000 women received breast implants for reconstruction following mastectomy due to cancer or other disease.

But also in 2003, 45,000 augmentation patients and 17,000 reconstruction patients had their breast implants removed. The medical community and others, including the Food and Drug Administration, would like to better understand why.

Breast implants are designed for augmentation, a cosmetic procedure; reconstruction; and replacement of existing implants, called revision. There are two primary types: saline-filled and silicone gel-filled. Depending on the type of implant, the shell is either pre-filled with a fixed volume of solution or filled through a valve during the surgery to the desired size. Some allow for adjustments of the filler volume after surgery. Breast implants vary in shape, size, and shell texture.

At this time, there are two manufacturers with approved saline-filled breast implants. No manufacturer has yet received FDA approval to market a silicone gel-filled breast implant.

Instead of going under the knife consider to enhance your Breasts naturally with Breast Ehancement Pills

The Silicone Controversy
Breast implants were first marketed in the early 1960s, before the 1976 Medical Device Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act required a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness to be shown for certain medical devices. The 1976 law gave the FDA authority over such devices, but breast implants were "grandfathered" into the regulatory scheme, meaning that manufacturers were not required to provide the agency with scientific evidence of product safety unless questions arose about the safety and effectiveness of these already-marketed devices. Silicone was initially assumed by manufacturers to be biologically inactive and, therefore, to have no harmful effects.

But over the years, questions did arise about the effects of silicone on the body. In 1991, the FDA published a regulation that required manufacturers of silicone gel-filled breast implants to submit premarket approval applications (PMAs). This requirement meant that the FDA needed to agree that the manufacturer has presented data showing a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness in order for the devices to remain on the market.

In January 1992, the FDA called for a voluntary moratorium--a delay on the use of these implants--until new safety information could be thoroughly reviewed. The moratorium was not intended to "ban" the implants, but instead to allow time to review the new safety information.

In April 1992, the agency decided that no PMA yet submitted contained sufficient safety and effectiveness data to support approval. However, access to these silicone gel-filled breast implants would continue for women enrolled in certain clinical studies.

In the years that followed that decision, thousands of women filed lawsuits against the manufacturers of silicone gel-filled implants, claiming the devices had caused serious ailments, such as connective tissue diseases, neurological diseases, and cancer. Consumer groups repeatedly filed petitions urging more studies on the implants. But many women said they were pleased with their implants, including cancer patients who had pleaded for the opportunity to choose silicone gel-filled implants for reconstruction.

A Turn of Events
In October 2003, the FDA held a two-day advisory panel meeting to discuss a manufacturer's PMA for a silicone gel-filled breast implant. Some people complained that the meeting was premature in light of the fact that long-term studies had not been completed, but the FDA proceeded because the agency was required by law to consider the pending PMA within a specified time frame. The meeting also provided patients and others with timely access to information and expert analyses on the issue. The issues before the panel reflected much of the decades-long debate over the implants. Moreover, the meeting provided a valuable public forum for discussing the issue from many diverse perspectives and for raising important additional questions.

As a panel member, Benjamin O. Anderson, M.D., voted with the majority to recommend that the FDA approve the new PMA, but only with specific conditions. Anderson says he wants to avoid getting into the business of determining how a woman defines the value of breast reconstruction or augmentation.

"The use of implants and augmentation conjures up some social judgments that may well be unfair," says Anderson, a professor of surgery and director of the University of Washington's Breast Health Center. Rather than deciding that no woman can have access to silicone gel-filled implants because a small number may be at risk for certain illnesses, he says, "I believe the better approach is to make the devices available and inform all women of the degree of risk involved."

That, according to Anderson, "is reasonable informed consent."

In January 2004--contrary to the recommendation of the agency's advisory panel--the FDA determined that the new silicone gel-filled breast implant PMA was "not approvable" at that time. This meant that the implants were not approved for marketing pending additional information, but that women would continue to have limited access to them by enrolling in clinical studies.

"The public scientific process that has been used to consider these devices is fully consistent with the FDA's mission--to use the best available science to protect and promote the public health interests of the American people," says Linda Kahan, deputy director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH).

Also in January 2004, the agency released a draft of its new guidelines for companies submitting breast implant PMAs, explaining the scientific issues that the FDA recommends be addressed as part of their applications. The guidance document reflects the FDA's current thinking about new scientific information that the agency, manufacturers, and the clinical community have gained over the last 10 years, including information learned at the October 2003 advisory panel meeting. Consistent with the FDA's good guidance practices, the agency has asked for public comments on the breast implant guidance. The guidance is not intended for implementation until it is finalized.

"Current testing doesn't reflect reality," says Michael A. Choti, M.D., an associate professor of surgery and oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and also an FDA advisory panel member. The implants, he says, are extremely durable when tested outside the body. "You can virtually run a truck over them and they'll hold up. But the question is, what happens when implanted long-term in a woman's body?"

The FDA's draft guidance document says that two to three years of follow-up data may not be enough to allow the agency to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of breast implants. The agency recommends the use of tests that can predict clinical outcomes, such as how long breast implants will last before rupturing in the body, as well as tests that explain how and why the breast implants rupture. In addition, the agency recommends that more data be gathered regarding the rate of rupture over time, as well as the health consequences of rupture.

Breast Implant Risks
In 1999, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report on a review of information related to health effects associated with silicone breast implants, both gel-filled and saline-filled, in humans. An important goal of the IOM was to provide women with detailed information about the potential risks of silicone breast implants.

One risk is capsular contracture, which is a tightening and squeezing of the scar tissue that naturally forms around the implant. This contracture may result in hardening of the breast tissue, rippling of the skin, and changes in breast shape. It also may cause pain, which, if severe, can require surgery to remove the scar tissue or replace the implant.

In addition, a rupture can occur at any time. While saline-filled breast implants leak only salt water when they rupture, the health effects of leaking silicone gel-filled implants remain controversial. Women sense a change more easily when saline-filled breast implants rupture. But the silicone gel-filled implants are more likely to maintain their shape after they rupture, which can make it more difficult to detect a break.

Called "silent ruptures," these breaks involving silicone gel implants may occur without a visible change. And a woman may not feel any sensation, says Sahar M. Dawisha, M.D., a medical officer in CDRH who has reviewed data submitted by implant manufacturers. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with equipment specifically designed for imaging the breast may be used for evaluating women with suspected rupture of their silicone gel-filled implant. The FDA considers MRI to be the best method at this time. There are no standards on how often to screen for silent rupture with MRI, and the costs of this procedure must be considered when choosing a silicone gel-filled breast implant. Physicians usually recommend removal of the implant if it has ruptured, regardless of whether it is saline-filled or silicone gel-filled.

Another potential complication of implant surgery is nerve damage, which can cause some women to experience a loss or increase in sensation in their nipples and breast tissue. These symptoms may disappear eventually, but can be permanent in some cases. It is unclear at this time whether insufficient milk production to breast-feed--another reported problem--is due to damaged nerves or to other reasons.

Women should know that, regardless of the type of implant, it is likely they will need to have one or more additional surgeries (reoperations) over the course of their lives, because of complications from breast implants. Reasons for reoperations include any of the potential complications, such as capsular contracture, wrinkling, asymmetry, rupture, or implant malposition.

The IOM committee also found that women with silicone breast implants are no more likely than women without implants to develop the life-threatening systemic illnesses that some people have claimed might be related to the implants.

But many women disagree. They have reported health problems related to their immune systems or neurological symptoms that they believe are caused by ruptured or intact breast implants. And some women who have received breast implants claim they weren't fully informed of the risks.

Lynda Roth, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990, says she was forced to make a quick decision, based on very little information, about getting breast implants following a mastectomy.

"I trusted what my highly respected doctors were telling me was true," says the 63-year-old social worker in central Colorado. "You're in shock, you think you're going to die, so what kind of informed decision can you possibly make about what you want your breasts to look like if you're lucky enough to survive?"

Roth did survive--both breast cancer and two silicone breast implants gone bad. But the ruptured devices, she believes, caused her to lose her good health, her job, and eventually her health insurance over the next 11 years. "I found out the hard way," she says. "There were many risks with the implants that I didn't know about."

Other women are pleased with their implants. Clara Filion underwent reconstruction in 1993 after having a breast removal that included the lymph nodes under the arm (modified radical mastectomy) due to cancer. The 67-year-old Bedias, Texas, resident says she's thrilled with the outcome of her saline-filled implant, as well as with her surgeon, even though her original implant will need replacing soon due to scar tissue--a local complication that Filion says she always knew could occur. Filion has experienced no other complications related to the implant in 11 years.

Instead of going under the knife consider to enhance your Breasts naturally with Breast Ehancement Pills

Other Considerations
"My doctor told me that these implants would go with me to my grave," says 44-year-old Patty Faussett of Henderson, Nev., who chose to augment her breasts with saline breast implants in 1997, after years of breast-feeding distorted their shape.

Faussett had her implants removed a year after implantation because she believes they caused a mixed bag of health problems, including disturbed vision, heart palpitations, muscle twitching, and an autoimmune thyroid disease. She says, "The risks were much greater than my surgeon led me to believe."

Experts caution that breast implants do not last a lifetime. Women should be prepared for long-term follow-up and additional surgeries to treat complications. They also should be prepared for the accompanying additional costs. One of the biggest problems Faussett says she hears from women in her breast implant support group is that "most don't plan for the money it takes to fix what goes wrong."

In addition, women should be aware that hard pressure on the breast (compression) during mammography may cause implant rupture. Breast implants also can interfere with finding breast cancer during mammography. Doctors say the implant can hide breast tissue and, as a result, hide lesions as well. Extensive scarring and calcium deposits in tissue surrounding an implant can mimic the appearance of cancer, making the deposits difficult to distinguish from tumors on a mammogram.

Another consideration is the choice of a surgeon. Patient advocates, professional groups, and others agree that it's important to choose a plastic surgeon who has been trained in breast implant surgery and who has performed it successfully on many women.

After switching to a new, firmer silicone gel-filled implant through a clinical study only a year after experiencing rippling with her saline implants, Kathy Bracy says it's important that women who are considering breast implants do their homework.

"I love my breast implants, but I also spent six months researching the devices, which included picking the best doctor for me," says Bracy, a 38-year-old self-employed bookkeeper from Tampa, Fla. "It's not necessarily the product, but who is doing the surgery." The key to breast implant satisfaction, she says, is to "find a doctor who is willing to answer all your questions and take all your concerns seriously. And the relationship with your doctor doesn't end after the surgery."

Experts also advise women to have realistic expectations about breast implants. There is no guarantee that the results will match those of other women. Overall health, age, chest structure, the shape and position of the breast and nipple, skin texture, the tendency to bleed, prior breast surgeries, and the surgical team's skill and experience all figure into the outcome of breast implant surgeries.

Teens and Breast Implants
In addition to safety issues, there is concern about the growing use of breast implants among teen-agers. Health officials worry that teen-agers and their parents may not realize the relative permanence of the changes caused by the devices. They also want to be sure that teens are physically ready--that is, they're finished developing--and that they are psychologically mature enough to handle the outcome of surgery.

"I didn't know my breasts were still growing when I signed up for the surgery," admits Kacey Long, who got saline-filled breast implants in July 2001, when she was 19. Prior to her surgery, the college student from Ennis, Texas, was a 34B--a breast size she thought would be with her for life.

Teen-agers who are dissatisfied with their bodies see breast implants as a harmless--and, according to Long, "fun"--thing to do to improve their self-image. Long says she felt that her body was too "bottom heavy" for her breasts and wanted to "even out" her figure. "But I never thought about my implants being dangerous," she says. A friend's mother worked for a plastic surgeon for 12 years and told Long she knew of no problems with patients who had gotten the implants. "I really thought that I had inside information, and that these devices were completely safe and maintenance-free."

Following implantation, Long went to a 34D. But complications convinced her to have the implants removed a short time later. "I had shooting pains in my arms, excruciating pain in every joint, bone, and muscle of my body, I was exhausted all the time, had no energy, lost my hair, and had pains in my chest, heart, and ribs. I had trouble remembering things and thinking clearly, and the list goes on," she says. "Before the implants, all I had was allergies."

Many of the changes to the breast that occur with an implant cannot be undone. If a teen chooses to have her implants removed, she may experience dimpling, puckering, wrinkling, or other cosmetic changes.

Three years later, Long's breasts measure 36C--one size larger than before she was implanted--suggesting that her own breasts continued to develop even after the implants were removed. "When you're making a decision that can impact your life at 19," Long advises other young women, "you need to research the subject like you're 50 years old."

Ongoing clinical studies for unapproved saline-filled and silicone gel-filled breast implants do not allow for those younger than 18 to receive the implants for augmentation purposes. Some of these clinical studies even limit reconstruction and revision uses to women 18 and over.

Questions to Ask a Surgeon About Breast Augmentation
What are the risks and complications associated with having breast implants?
How many additional implant-related operations can I expect over my lifetime?
How will my breasts look if I choose to have the implants removed without replacement?
What shape, size, surface texturing, incision site, and placement site is recommended for me?
How will my ability to breast-feed be affected?
How can I expect my implanted breasts to look over time?
How can I expect my implanted breasts to look after pregnancy? After breast-feeding?
What are my options if I am dissatisfied with the cosmetic outcome of my implanted breasts?
What alternate procedures or products are available if I choose not to have breast implants?
Do you have before-and-after photos I can look at for each procedure and what results are reasonable for me?

Questions to Ask a Surgeon About Breast Reconstruction
What are all my options for breast reconstruction?
What are the risks and complications of each type of breast reconstruction surgery and how common are they?
What if my cancer recurs or occurs in the other breast?
Will reconstruction interfere with my cancer treatment?
How many steps are there in each procedure? What are they?
How much experience do you have with each procedure?
What is the estimated total cost of each procedure?
How long will it take to complete my reconstruction?
Do you have before-and-after photos I can look at for each procedure and what results are reasonable for me?
What will my scars look like?
What kind of changes in my reconstructed breast can I expect over time?
What kind of changes in my implanted breast can I expect with pregnancy?
What are my options if I am dissatisfied with the cosmetic outcome of my implanted breast?
How much pain or discomfort will I feel and for how long?
How long will I be in the hospital? Will I need blood transfusions, and can I donate my own blood?
When will I be able to resume my normal activities?

Instead of going under the knife consider to enhance your Breasts naturally with Breast Ehancement Pills

Herbal Skin Care

The Best in Skin Care

 

Today skin care is taken to a new level, and many people consider herbal skin care to be the best choice when considering natural skin care. These natural skin care products provide revitalizing nutrients and anti-oxidants that help keep your skin beautiful and ageless. Herbal skin care contains all natural herbs, with no added preservatives and no additional oils. Some of these products are known for their anti-aging properties, making this type of skin care the very best in keeping you looking young and giving you the most beautiful skin you have ever had. It is not only used to improve the look of your skin, but it also improves the health of your skin, special nutrients help moisturize and revitalize your skin leaving you with a clean, clear and beautiful finish.

 

What Makes Herbal Skin Care So Special?

Today there are many skin care products out there and buying the one for you can get a little confusing. But, with all the products around today one of the truly best choices are the herbal skin care products that do not add any animal fats, excess oils, or anything that might cause irritation for people with sensitive skin. Since everyone has a different skin type, herbal skin care is perfect because it can provide each skin type with the nutrients it needs to stay beautiful. 

 

Most of these skin care products also provide a powerful sunscreen to protect your delicate skin from harmful UV rays. Most people do not realize how sensitive their skin is from the sun, a good sunscreen is important to keep your skin protected from cancer causing UV rays, and most cosmetics and skin care products do not carry enough protection in their formula. You can even grown many of the herbs used in these types of skin care products in your very own garden. Chamomile, lavender, sage, and lemon balm are all easily grown in your home garden or even in a few flower pots.

 

Herbal Skin Care and the Health of Your Skin

Herbal skin care helps your skin function properly. With all that your skin goes through in one day, you need something that will replenish and renew your skin. UV rays, stress, and pollution - all of these result in damage done to your skin. Natural skin care contains vitamins that heal your skin and leave you looking your best. Your skin is ever growing and changing, and it needs the necessary vitamins and minerals to keep it healthy, just like any other part of your day to day life you should take special care when it comes to your skin.

Natural skin care products can be found at your local beauty supply store or online, but be sure to read the labels carefully, so that the ingredients are all natural, and contain no added preservatives or unnecessary oils or fatty acids. Some companies that sell these products claim that they are 100% natural, but it is a good idea to read the labels so that you are absolutely sure that they are completely and 100% natural. Remember that skin care is important and you should never neglect to care for your skin properly. It will keep you happy, healthy, and beautiful for years to come.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Information about Good Skin Care Products

In yesterday’s world, the thoughts about good skin care products were not very complex. Essentially, good skin care was something that made you appear better straight away. Excessive makeup and cosmetics, products that could eventually damage the skin and even sporadically poison the body, were the whole fad. If it looked beautiful, it was what you wanted to put on your face. In many ways, skin care cosmetics have changed since those days, but the changes have come very slowly. Novelties such as natural skin care are in spite of everything not usually well-known, and innumerable persons use coarse skin anti aging treatments that may do more hurt than good eventually.

As a dermatologist familiar to the practice of alternative medicine, I try to turn people away from this technique. There are some amazing creams on hand for skin treatments, but good skin care doesn’t start with the skin itself. If you want to have good skin care, you need to take care of your body as a whole. Good quality nutrition is where good skin initiates, you see. Clearly, these days numerous individuals recognize that eating too much fatty food can make your skin oily, greasy, and unhealthy looking. It can damage your complexion in ways that are not simply fixed by topical treatments. What persons don’t realize is that the problems go deeper than that. The vitamins that make healthy skin look alive and healthy come from the food that you eat every day. Without getting good nutrition, there’s no way to have truthfully good skin care

Naturally, if that were all that was needed to take care of your skin, us dermatologists would be out of business. We would be replaced with dietitians at once! Fortunately for my profession, there is more that goes into skincare than nutrition. There are many diverse treatments on hand for a variety of different skin concerns. Exfoliants, anti-wrinkle creams, coverup and makeup, and nutritional rubs can all lend a hand in keeping your skin healthy and good-looking. Health spas, massages, and other treatments that don’t visibly relate to the skin can still perk up appearance. It seems that, the way our skin looks is much more complex than even dermatologists anticipated. In essence, good skin care has to do with two things: being conscious of the variety of treatments existing, and being willing to try them until you find something that works. With enough determination, even the most horrible skincare issues can be resolved. It is just a matter of being patient.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Helping Teens Who Are Suffering From Acne

Acne is a common problem for teenagers, and most parents of those teens probably dealt with it themselves, to some degree. In most cases, the acne disappeared once the teenage years were past but this is little comfort to most teens in the midst of it now. As a parent, you need to provide moral support but also some good hard facts.

Now, just because you dealt with acne when you were a teen doesn't make you an expert. The best acne treatments and medications have come a long way in the last few years. Knowing what is available today will let you help your child decide the best way to deal with their acne.

It's always a good idea to talk to a health care professional for advice. For one thing, a dermatologist can tell you for sure whether those spots are in fact acne. There are other skin conditions that look similar, but need to be treated differently.

Teenagers are usually embarrassed by their acne, so it might be a touchy subject to talk about. You'll know your teen best but it's important to be supportive and understanding. Never accuse them of bad habits that led to acne - the old myths about acne being caused by chocolate and greasy foods have been proven to be false.

It's likely that your teenager is trying every possible acne control technique. If if they avoid talking about it, it's probably on their mind most of the time. It can affect their self image and in some cases can ultimately lead to depression and withdrawal.

Let them know that you're available and will do whatever you can to help them with their acne problem. It can sometimes help to talk about your own experiences if you dealt with it as a teen.

While it's probably small comfort to them, you can remind them that most teens deal with acne to some degree. Studies show that roughly 85% of adolescents have acne and up to 40% have a severe enough case to require dermatologist treatment.

Although there are cases of adult acne, in most cases it doesn't last forever - as your teen gets older it will most likely become less and less of a problem for them. By the time they reach their 20's, it will likely be a distant memory - at least until they have teenagers of their own!

Behavioral Interventions Have Many Advantages

family intervention

If you're receiving notes from your child's school about his or her behavior, then you should consider behavioral interventions. An initial assessment will help you, your child and school personnel to understand what causes the misbehavior in the child, what triggers set him or her off and what solutions can be taken to help the child prosper. Sometimes the school environment is perceived as being "too oppressive," while other times the traditional learning modes aren't structured for visual-spatial learners or auditory learners. Kids may feel frustrated if they have trouble concentrating or learning in school. Sometimes, underlying emotions manifest themselves as a behavioral problem and a behavioral intervention is the best way to figure out what's truly going on.

Often, children who need a behavioral intervention suffer from ADHD, autism, dyslexia or another pervasive developmental disorder. An early intervention program is the key to helping the child overcome natural difficulties and find studying techniques that work. The public school system generally only focuses on one particular learning mode, which leaves many students feeling "stupid" or frustrated.

By teaching the student more about their learning needs and focusing on self-empowerment, as well as skill development, the students will begin to learn their way at their own pace and will develop a renewed interest in school. A behavioral intervention can do more than just prevent anger or hyperactive outbursts in school. It can pave the way for your child's future and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment.

There are other types of behavioral interventions as well. For example, some can help obese children get on the right track and begin living a healthier life. Dr. Teresa Quattrin, a UB professor of pediatrics, writes: "Obesity comes with a myriad of other serious health conditions, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and low self-esteem, so it's imperative that we find tools that can prevent and treat overweight in a clinical practice setting early on." At the University of Buffalo in NY, primary care physicians are conducting tests to see if a 24-month intervention can combat child obesity. The focus will be on increasing fruits and vegetable consumption, minimizing junk food, increasing physical activity and educating families on behavioral modification techniques that promote healthy living.

The human mind is a complex and mysterious thing. Sometimes behavioral outbursts correlate with deep-seated emotions and events from our past in ways we can't even understand. Sometimes we feel trapped in our own repetitive cycles and we need an experienced interventionist to help us navigate our own minds, desires, perceptions and goals to find our way out again. Whether it's for you or your child, behavioral interventions can be your greatest asset for moving ahead into a more successful, happier future.

Yoga Exercises Techniques for Beginners

There are many kinds of yoga exercises, all which seem to have derived from the original eight stages of reaching a state of bliss. Breathing techniques and different poses ensures good health through Hatha yoga, which is the most popular form of yoga practiced.

A nice thing about yoga is that you don’t need any fancy equipment in order to practice it. All you need is to bring yourself with a positive attitude. Clothing does not have to be special either. It best to wear loose fitting and nonrestrictive clothes.

Many people like to practice yoga in a class but there is no reason you cannot simply find a quiet spot in your house to start. Make sure that you have no interuptions, the area is quiet and is environmently comfortable.  A soft mat may be handy together with a blanket and a pillow which will help give you some form of support and added comfort for the laying or sitting down positions. Yoga is normally practiced barefoot, so you don’t need any expensive shoes though you may wish to wear some socks or soft shoes.

Try not to eat a heavy meal for at least two or three hours before doing any yoga exercises. You do not want to have a full feeling as you are moving through the exercises. You can eat some fruit or an energy bar and drink a glass of juice an hour or so before doing yoga. Drink plenty of water as you perform your yoga exercises as you will tend to get dehydrated.

Many people like to practice yoga first thing in the morning as it helps to revitalise the mind and body using the postures and breathing techniques. Others prefer to exercise at night to help unwind from a busy and stressful day. It is perfectly fine to do both. Yoga can be performed anytime and anywhere, you just have to find best time.

Yoga positions for beginners always start with easy poses, building up to the more difficult poses. Never strain yourself, and pause when you feel pain or fatigue. Relaxing in between difficult exercises is also considered to be beneficial.

Yoga is best done daily. You can do as little as 15 minutes of exercises and 15 minutes of breathing and meditation each day and you will start to reap the benefits.

Lose Weight With Herbal Alternatives

green tea drink

These days, there is a great  need for overweight Americans to lose those excess pounds. Being healthy would not only lead them to have a healthier lifestyle but it will also literally lighten their load,  and improve their overall well-being.

There is a long  list of dieting options available. There are exercise programs, exercise machines, dietary supplements, dietary food and drinks, diet pills - there are even soaps which claim to help you lose pounds while you bathe.

One other available option to shed off those unwanted pounds is to  go herbal.

Herbal weight loss products have been in great demand for people who want to lose weight the natural way. However, when you take herbal supplements to lose weight, you would have to wait for a longer time for the results because of the more subtle effects of medicines which came from plants and natural herbs.

Here are some herbal weight loss options that you might want to consider:

1.   Herbal weight loss products

There are a lot of herbal weight loss products available in the market now. You can check out the Internet and you will find a lot of herbal weight loss pills and products.

Be careful, however, as there are some products which claim to be safe and natural because they are herbal, but some actually have  side effects because of non-extensive research on the effects of these products. Many also claim remedy for many ailments or diseases, which should first be verified by your physician.

Here are some ingredients and chemicals which make up some  herbal weight loss products that you should watch out for, as they might have harmful effects to your health:

>  Senna. This is an herbal laxative. Senna is a main ingredient in weight loss teas, and it works by stimulation the colon. The downside effect of this herb is dehydration. It can also lead to colon problems and can become addictive. Some people, when addicted, are unable to perform bowel movements without it, so watch out.

>  Chromium picolinate. This is a synthetic compound found in herbal weight loss products. Chromium is a nutrient which helps regulate blood-sugar level.  However, this ingredient, when taken in high doses, may cause damage in the chromosomes. It can also lead to dehydration.

>  St. John's wort. This supplement increases the production of a chemical in the brain. If not used properly, it may cause eye and skin sensitivity, mild gastrointestinal distress, fatigue and itching.

Although a lot of herbal products claim to be safe and natural, it is better to scrutinize the ingredients and  research about the effects of the product itself before going for these herbal dietary pills.

2.  Organic food.

In Wichita, Kansas, organic food has found its way to more homes and restaurants. Organic food devotees  believe that consuming organic goodies help their bodies as well as the environment.

A person who buys organically raised eggs and vegetables claim to be healthier, and they are not spending money on doctors and prescriptions as these keep them healthier and away from the hospital. This could also be an option for weight watchers, as organic food is known to be kinder to your weight than chemically-processed food products.

3. Green Tea.

Studies show that intake of green tea drink, or green tea extracts burns extra calories. Also, green tea with caffeine can increase fat burning by up to 40% thereby reducing fat.

This is one good option for those who want to lose weight. In a study done, people who took green tea were found to lose 2 to 3 times more weight than those who did not drink green tea.

These results show that green tea is a natural product for the treatment of obesity. Thus, it also makes for a healthier dietary option, not to mention the good effects that it has on the body as compared to caffeine. A cup of tea gives an emmediate energy lift without the side effects of caffeine.

3. Caffeine.

Coffee provides an energy boost to increase fat burning. Caffeine also provides a likelihood to be active, which in turn increases your rate of calorie burn.

4. Immortality Herb

This herb, whose scientific name is Gymnostemna Pentaphyllum, is known to have the following benefits:

>  increases healthy blood flow
>  reduces artery blocks
>  aids healthy blood pressure
>  increases the rate of fat burning

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

There are pills and food supplements whose main ingredient is apple cider vinegar. Here are the benefits of taking this herbal option:

>  weight loss
>  improved cholesterol level
>  improved high blood pressure
>  helps prevent rheumatoid arthritis

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Vitamins Keep Your Heart Fighting Fit

by: Perry Stamide

Vitamins are essential to keep your heart healthy. Of course, you need to eat the right foods with less fat and cholesterol, but you need to supplement your food with
vitamins to keep your body in the best shape and your heart pumping for a long time.

Vitamin E is the first vitamin that pops into the mind of those that are looking to improve their overall heart health. Vitamin E seems to stop cholesterol in the body
from oxidizing and harming the arteries surrounding the heart. When cholesterol oxidizes, it's more able to stick to the sides of the arteries and cause buildup and possible blockage that can lead to heart attacks and other infarctions.

Doctors often recommend additional supplements of vitamin E. Or, they suggest you include more foods rich in vitamin E in your diet. Nuts, like almonds, for example, are a terrific way to get your daily dose of vitamin E. Vitamin E also seems to be showing a lot of promise for those patients that have already suffered a heart attack. The vitamin seems to prevent additional heart attacks by encouraging the arteries to be more 'open' and less conducive to blockage.

Doctors are of the opinion that supplements of Vitamin C can help boost the effect of Vitamin E and make it work even better. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to prevent the damaging effects of cholesterol, and at the same time it assists Vitamin E in its beneficial effects.

If you take vitamins E and C together, you are on your way to creating a healthier heart and better artery function. This is the easiest way to ensure the health of your heart, especially if you have a history of heart disease or you are concerned about the risk to your heart.

So how much should you take? Well, ideal doses may vary from patient to patient, but 400IU (international units) of vitamin E seems to work well for most people. Vitamin C is tolerable in higher doses without harmful effects. You can safely take 500 miligram of vitamin C twice a day, mornings and evenings, to help keep your heart fighting fit.

And studies are backing up this additional step in your day. Talk with your doctor in case you are on any medications for there are some that will interact or need to be taken at different times to be more effective.

A good, nutritious eating plan is the ideal way to get your daily doses of vitamins. But taking additional supplements is sensible, and recommended and if you're trying to boost your heart health.

About The Author

Perry Stamide runs the web site Fed Vitamins, which is a premier resource for vitamins on the Net. For more details please visit: http://www.fedvitamins.com.


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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

It’s Your Health – The Incentive You Need To Diet Successfully

By Jim Nettleton

If you find yourself lacking in will to diet and lose that body fat, just consider the ultimate benefit you’ll receive from shedding pounds. No, it’s not that you’ll look better in that swimsuit or expensive outfit, although that is a compelling thought.

It’s your health. There are undeniable benefits to your health when you manage your weight intelligently. One of the major issues that come to mind is diabetes. An unfortunately high percentage of the population either has diabetes or is at risk of contracting it, largely because of being overweight or just plain obese.

The health problems that diabetes brings to the table are legion. Did you know that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness? That it is a leading contributor to kidney disease? Diabetes also radically increases your chance or having a heart attack or stroke, can cause erectile dysfunction in men and makes it far more likely that you’ll suffer high blood pressure.

Another serious effect of diabetes is that it contributes to snoring, which leads to poor quality of sleep and the resulting lower energy levels that this produces. All of this results in a vicious cycle; poor quality of sleep and the lower energy levels you suffer will make it more likely that you’ll eat more, in a subconscious effort to get more energy. That makes it more likely that you’ll make your overweight condition worse.

Losing a goodly portion of your body fat will help with all the above problems. It not only will help right now, but will also dramatically reduce your chances of developing health problems later in life.

The problem of being overweight and obesity is most severe in America, where our predilection for fast foods, a generally fatty diet and a lack of exercise has caused generations to be seriously overweight. Unfortunately, the problem is all too apparent in the young. In generations past, exercise was the norm. When I was a kid, we had to fight to find a ball field to play on. They were all almost always in use. We were active during nearly all of our free time.

Today, with video games and general computer activity, kids don’t seek exercise and the result is all too apparent.

The consequences of today’s trends in being overweight are severe and present long-term serious challenges. It all starts with diet and weight management. You’re never too young to begin controlling your weight in order to avoid the major health problems that being overweight or obese will present throughout your life.



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