Avoiding Common Health Risks

by Mary Carlson
Since our natural health cannot be replaced, I think it is wise to take a look at common, everyday things we do that can compromise our health. Most of unconscious on our part….
I suppose I want to raise our awareness of our environment, work place, home activities, and play time. There no reason not to enjoy a healthy, fun filled life. But a few minor changes may be in order…and again, most of this is raising our awareness of our surrounding.

A few years ago, I attended a female self defense course for mature women. Some of it was down right funny…using your purse as a weapon…spitting in their eye….but there’s one thing they said that I will never forget: “Pay attention to your surroundings…stay alert….”

Well, since fine health is my bag, I started thinking about how unaware most of us are on a daily basis, especially when it come to guarding our health….we touch everything, then our mouth, you know we are all sort of asleep out there….

But I promise you… this is no time in history to be “unaware” about anything….

So I want to put a few ideas before you…to start you thinking…..

Home

1. Avoid breathing ANY aerosol sprays. These micro liquid drops lodge deeply in the lungs and immediately drag down the immune system. Hold your breathe outside and spray your hair.

2. Pay attention to anything that comes in contact with your skin. Your skin absorbs well and carries it right to your liver and blood stream; even your brain gets a dose of whatever you have touched.

3. Always take one Milk Thistle capsule and one Alpha Lipoic capsule 20 minutes before applying hair dye to your hair. These potent antioxidants will shield your liver cells from the assault. Hair dye is a very toxic substance.

4. Change the filters in AC often for clean house air. Dust often to avoid concentrations of bacteria in your home. Bacteria like to travel on dust particles. A clean house is a healthy house.

5. Clean your clothes dryer filter with each load. That filter captures a lot of nasty dander and dust mite residues. Heat up your pillow in the clothes dryer to kill dust mites at least once per month. Dust mites leave droppings that can cause chronic allergies and asthma.

Work

1. If possible, try to avoid working under fluorescent lights. Avoid looking directly at any halogen bulb. Move the halogen lamp away from your chest.

2. Learn to regularly clean your keyboard, phone, pencils, etc. Especially if other people touch these surfaces.

3. Try not to share your cell phone, mascara, lipstick, etc. Never eat, or drink after other people, except your spouse or children. (Hepatitis B is spread by saliva.)

4. Spend as little time as possible in public restrooms; use paper on the door to exit and anywhere else others have touched. This is a very infectious environment, especially for AIDS and hepatitis. (AIDS can live on surfaces for up to 36 hours.)

5. Always run your car ventilation unit on re-circulation to avoid as much indoor pollution in your car cab from outside air. When you get to work, spend as little time in the parking garage where car exhaust are particularly concentrated.

6. If you are sick, stay home. You don’t need to infect others and worse yet, pick up a worse infection due to your immune system being so weak.

7. Try to sit by yourself and read quietly on trains to avoid close, crowded contact with sick people.

Sexuality and Personal Intimacy Habits

1. Unless you are in a committed relationship, use a condom. 15 million people a year contract some form of a sexually transmitted disease. Worse yet, science is emerging that links STD to illnesses (cancer, heart disease, arthritis,) 20 years down the road. When I say use a condom, I mean for everything. Even candida yeast infections are transmitted sexually.

2. Avoid anal sex altogether. It is linked to prostate, bladder, and colon cancer, not to mention a heightened risk of getting AIDS. And we really don’t know all of the implications of contracting blood parasites. Cancer research has been focusing on fungal and parasitic infections for quite some time. Men are especially at risk for disease from anal sex due to drawing in while ejaculating. Once these invaders are inside your blood stream…who knows? Prostate cancer down the road? Why is prostate cancer at such high numbers now? What was once taboo is now okay, or is it?

Medical

1. Always pull the lead apron up close to your thyroid gland to protect it when getting dental x-rays. Radiation is cumulative. Never get any x-ray unless it is absolutely necessary.

2. Learn about your prescription medications and report side effects. Investigate natural alternatives before moving to chemical drugs, if possible.

3. Avoid touching surfaces in doctor’s offices, which can be a highly infectious place. Bring your own magazine. They don’t keep the climate in the office so cold for nothing. This is designed to knock down the bloom of infectious agents in the air because they like it warm and moist.

4. Always have someone with you when you go to a hospital. Mistakes are happening at an alarming rate and it ‘s only going to get worse and the aging population swells higher. Speak to the nurse, or doctor serving you. Confirm what is going on if you can. If you can’t, let your friend or relative watch over you.

© and ™ http://www.remedies-for-natural-health.com/ All Rights Reserved




Mary Carlson may be contacted at http://www.remedies-for-natural-health.com/ mcarlson@remedies-for-natural-health.com. Click here to view more of their articles.
Mary Carlson has been helping people find solutions to health problems and stay healthy naturally for over two decades. Visit her website at http://www.remedies-for-natural-health.com/ for free heath remedies and advice. © and ™ www.Remedies-for-Natural-Health.com All Rights Reserved

Developing a Healthy Sleep Pattern

by annette young
Can’t sleep? Feeling irritable? Lost your energy and concentration?
We have all experienced times when sleep eludes us, the frustration and anguish which continues to rise as the clock hands tick away the opportunity to gain that much needed slumber.

Time seems to race by when we so need it to slow down.

I have tried so many different natural ways to combat sleeplessness over the years. It’s a common problem and affects so many people, and although I do not suffer that often, I have discovered that when my stress levels rise or I have unexpected problems, sleep can often become elusive. The mind ticks over the day’s events and the size of the problems seem to increase and threaten to overwhelm us. It doesn't take long before sleep deprivation becomes the norm and we lose our ability to function to the same high standards.

Focusing the mind on something other than our problems or clockwatching is the trick. Try to forget that time is running away with you and focus on something else. Some people will read a book for a while; others get up and wander round the house or make themselves a warm, milky drink. There is no right or wrong way, its finding the correct method for you. I find a gentle visualization relaxation technique works for me. This could be anything which is appealing or has relaxing undertones, a holiday, a night out with friends or family, a special moment with a partner or children?

I find that closing my eyes and imagining myself snorkeling in Spain, is both peaceful and rewarding. Memories of picture postcard holidays in the sun, when I first began snorkeling are positive ones. The warm weather, blue skies and peaceful feel of the water around me, supporting me, whilst a whole new natural world of imagery was revealed to me, was an incredible feeling. It makes perfect sense for me to focus on the sense of achievement and pleasure, which I experienced at that time and helps me to regain that inner calm and peacefulness.

Equally, visualising myself sat quietly on the river bank on a sun-drenched day, with the gentle hum of insects and a sprinkling of breeze blowing through the greenery around me, a gentle splash as fish rise to the surface of the river, is again tranquil and positive.

When you begin to visualise scenes on a regular basis, it becomes so much easier to conjure these images just when it is necessary. In essence, you are training the brain to recognise that sleep or relaxation will follow. Once trained, the brain will respond to suggestion and every time you feel worried or stressed, focusing on pleasant thoughts so that you are transported away from your problems can only help you to combat negative and harmful thoughts. In essence, you gain control.

A visualisation can be done at any time, but practicing the art of visualisation at night time, will help to form that positive and successful pattern which will help you overcome the frustrations of a sleepless night.

It's the perfect drug free method to gaining your required sleep every night and it really does work.

annette young may be contacted at http://www.yourlife-naturally.com/ annettejyoung@hotmail.co.uk. Click here to view more of their articles.
Annette Young Co-Editor of the new website www.yourlife-naturally.com Health/Spiritual Writer, writing articles, courses, workshops and ebooks Qualified stress counsellor. Teaches Creative Writing and Journalism. http://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Affil/?156113/Blog.aspx/seven18/

Breast Cancer: Steps to Aid in Early Detection

by Donna Rivera-Loudon
I learned some interesting facts about breast cancer that I feel every woman should know. The sources I used for this article included the American Cancer Society, The National Cancer Institute, and the Avon Foundation’s Breast Cancer Crusade.
Early breast cancer isn’t usually detected by pain. In fact, when breast cancer first develops, there may be no symptoms at all. That is why regular exams are important. If you have anything that makes you suspect breast cancer, contact your doctor immediately. Don't wait around to see what happens. Let the professional decide. Some symptoms that may indicate breast cancer include, but are not limited to, the following:

Nipple discharge or tenderness
Lumps in breast and/or underarm area
Visual changes which include: size of breast including swelling; inverted nipple; and pitting. Pitting means the skin looks like the skin of an orange. Scaling of the breast skin could also be a symptom.
Early detection of breast cancer is important. There is a 97% five-year survival rate when breast cancer is detected early since this can help prevent it from spreading. Below are some guidelines to early detection. I hope they help save someone's life.

Get a Mammogram

A mammogram is a specialized x-ray of the breast to help detect cancers which cannot be detected by feel. Some women are confused as to how often they should get a mammogram. Here is what the professionals say about mammograms.
At age 40 begin getting annual mammograms by a licensed technician. A mammogram will take about twenty minutes. When getting a mammogram avoid wearing deodorant, powders, or cream under your arms. Sometimes they can interfere with the results. Make sure to contact the center if they do not inform you of the results within thirty days. It is very important that results are compared from one year to the next. Hence, be sure you know where your mammogram film is being held.

Clinical Breast Exam

This is an exam by a health care professional. Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam at least every three years and women 40 or older should have an exam each year.

Self-Examination

Starting at age 20 women should begin doing a self-exam. Ask your doctor if you are not exactly sure how to do this or if you are not sure you are doing it correctly. Here are a few guides to follow: Lie down and place one arm behind your head. Using your three middle finger pads press firmly across your breast in overlapping dime-size circular motions. Use three different levels of pressure: light, medium, and firm. This allows you to feel the tissue close to your skin, to feel a little deeper, and to feel the tissue closest to your chest and ribs.

Move across your breast in an up and down pattern, starting from the underarm and moving across the breast to the middle of the chest bone, repeating the pressure.
Stand in front of a mirror with your hands pressing down on your hips and look at your breasts for any changes in size, shape, contour, or dimpling. Also, do this with your arms slightly raised. Make sure you check under your breasts as well.
I hope that this information proves helpful to you. I am not a health care provider and by no means a professional on breast cancer. I am simply sharing with every woman possible the importance of detecting breast cancer early and some simple guidelines that might save a life.

My sources for the above information are:

American Cancer Society The National Cancer Institute Breast Health Resource Guide by the Avon Foundation's Breast Cancer Crusade

Know How To Overcome Depression

Know How To Overcome Depression by Robert Thatcher -

There are times in a person’s life where loneliness and lack of contentment is experienced. Depression is a state where an individual feels bored and sad. This feeling can be disturbing especially when a person seems so low and cannot overcome the obstacles that he is experiencing.



Many have thought that this emotional problem is not that serious to worry about. Studies have proven that this state of depression can be an illness and must be treated. Some depressed people may go to a physician for check up and consultation. It could be more advisable if the person would see a therapist.



Most depression therapists are very good in finding the reason why a person became depressed. The process in which a therapist treats depression is through emotional and psychological approach. On the other hand, a doctor will recommend patients to take anti depressant medicines. There are instances that have happened where a doctor treating a patient for depression was involved in such controversies where improper medications were applied.



An expert for depression would classify a depressed person if he shows some symptoms of significant weight loss, increase in appetite, loss of agility, or weight gain because of excessive eating. Others who are depressed may also encounter problems in sleeping or insomnia, over sleeping, decrease of sexual interest, and the lack of interest in lifestyle activities.



Some indications of depression may also come in a more emotional approach like the feeling of sadness and boredom, feeling of being a useless individual, the feeling of guilt to oneself, the feeling of being undecided to some simple decisions, and the decrease of the ability of the mind to think and concentrate. The most frightening symptoms of depression may come if a person is always thinking of his death or an individual wants to commit suicide.



Here are some ways to deal with depression in a personal approach:



1. A person must force himself to go outside. Do not even bother if the climate is not that good. Try to have a walk outside, read a book, or even try to write a poem. This can be an effective idea to overcome the depression rather than staying on the room alone.



2. It is always better if there are people that will support the person in depression. It is recommended that a person seek for a friend or a companion while he is still in the stage of recovering depression. If the individual is not use to this kind of therapy, the Internet should be a very good resort to find ways how to find ways to treat this kind of illness. It could be a little awkward to find some other people who are experiencing depression, but there is the possibility that there are others out there that can relate.



3. It is advisable for the individual to write what he feels at the moment. If there are no friends to tell what the problems are, he may try writing about the feeling so that the hatred or sadness will subside. Holding the feeling can just add more depression.



4. Meditation can be a good tool to overcome the depression. Deep breathing and good relaxation can relieve anxiety and pressure that may lead to depression.



Depression can be treated if the person realizes that he must also do his part on overcoming the illness. If these recommended ways do not show any development to let go of depression then it should be best if the person seek the help of a doctor or a therapist.



Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides depression resources on www.aboutdepression.info.



Article Source: Article Interchange

Why Your Diet May Not Be Working!

by Nishanth Reddy

Jennifer, a middle-aged single mother with one six-year-old daughter, has been skipping sweets for a few weeks now. She’s also become a stickler for portion control. She feels as if she’s eating less than ever, and she’s been diligently exercising for an hour at a time at least four days a week. Yet, she hasn’t lost a single pound. The question is, “Why?”

This is a dilemma which affects dieters the world over. They think they are taking the steps necessary to lose weight, but nothing seems to be happening. In essence, they are trapped in a dieting rut and they don’t know how to free themselves. As a result, they become frustrated and depressed and may then engage in binge eating.
One of the problems with diets is that they are often standardized. As a result, they don’t take into consideration your individual physiology and metabolism. They provide a cookie-cutter approach to weight loss—an approach which may not work in your individual case. As a result, an increasing number of people are turning to dieticians to formulate a person weight loss strategy for them. This process has been made easier through the Internet, where you can correspond with a dietician any time of the day or night via e-mail. The dietician can also act as your personal coach, helping you through your dieting dilemmas.

Another reason that you may be failing at your diet is because of a lack of support. You may have family members who can eat whatever they want and seemingly not gain a pound. As a result, they may fill your refrigerator with junk food, leading you into temptation. Also, you may feel as if you have no one to turn to in order to discuss your weight problems. In order to solve this problem, many individuals look to psychotherapists to help them with their food-related issues. This can be particularly important if an individual has turned to purging in an effort to combat their weight problems. Bulimia is a serious disease which must be treated in order to ensure the good health of the patient. Thankfully, there are a number of treatment programs throughout the U.S. specifically focusing on bulimia.

Yet another reason for diet failure is hidden calories. You may literally be consuming calories and not even realize it. For instance, the frappucinos that are so popular today are loaded with calories—as many as 600 in a single serving! You may also be indulging in sugary sodas—another source of extra calories. By taking a few simple steps, such as eliminating the exotic coffee drinks from your diet and substituting skim milk for whole milk, you may be able to eliminate the hidden calories that are denying you dieting success.

Lack of consistency can also be a diet-killer. You might go on a diet for a while, then quit before you’ve made any measurable progress. It’s only natural to want to see quick results. The problem is that healthy weight loss involves losing only a couple of pounds a week. That means you’ll have to stay on your diet for months before you see appreciable weight loss. Discouraging? It can be, but if you keep a positive attitude you can achieve your ideal weight.

You may also be more successful in your dieting if you consider it to be a lifestyle change. Therefore, your diet becomes a meal plan for life. This means that you must change the way you look at food. It is designed to be fuel for your body, and nothing more. As a result, you should not turn to food to make you feel better or to provide you with a sense of comfort. A lifestyle change implies commitment; it means that you are prepared to follow the plan for the long haul. If you feel as if you cannot be on your diet for any appreciable length of time, perhaps it’s time to consider a different diet. Your aim ultimately should be not simply to lose weight, but to become healthier. A fad diet will not allow you to reach that milestone. Therefore, you must choose your diet carefully.

Losing Weight While Keeping Your Skin Firm

by Johnnie D Jackow Sr

Considering you don't have an excessive amount of loose skin already it is possible to lose weight and keep your skin firm in the process. The idea is to keep your body well hydrated day in and day out. NEVER EVER let yourself become dehydrated. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and NEVER EVER totally eliminate your carbohydrate intake. From my experience most people who have lost weight too fast by eliminating their carbohydrates ended up with a lot of excess skin afterwards. The whole idea is to lose the weight to get healthier and of course to look better with your clothes ON and with your clothes OFF. Here are some tips

1. Follow a well rounded balanced diet such as my insulin response diet located at http://www.tbfinc.com

2. Follow a full body exercise routine alternating with a split routine every 4 weeks. For example, full body routine 4 weeks, split routine 4 weeks, full body routine 4 weeks, and so on.

3. Considering you don't have stomach ulcers and you are not on blood thinners you should also take ONE TEASPOON of cold artic cod liver oil ONCE PER DAY with your evening meal.

4. Take 1000-1500mg of lecithin per day. Lecithin has been known to increase the elasticity of the skin.

5. Anything you can do to increase circulation will also help. Skin brushing techniques are very good. Do a search on the internet for skin brushing to get all the info you need. Deep massages are also good.

6. Most importantly if you are more than 75 pounds overweight DO NOT try to lose weight too fast. The more you weigh the easier it will be to lose weight on this program so ease into it slowly so you only lose about 3 pounds per week. Doing this will prevent the sagging skin. If you lose weight too fast you will end up with loose skin 90% of the time.

7. Some of my clients have done weekly body wraps with great success but it can get messy. You can do this as an option but it's really not necessary.

As an option you can also take a supplement called collagen.

As I stated above one key to increasing the elasticity of your skin is to keep your body well hydrated. Yes, drinking water will do this. The average person needs at least ½ an ounce of water per pound of body weight. Possibly more depending on the type of exercise you do on a daily basis. The reason why so many people end up with loose skin after losing weight is because they go on low carbohydrate diets that will in turn dehydrate the body. If you lose weight and are dehydrated in the process you will see the scale weight go down but unfortunately most of the weight being lost is nothing more than water weight. If you are losing 2-3 pounds per week you are doing great. If you are losing 4-6 pounds you are pushing the limit. Any more than 6 pounds per week and you are sure to end up with loose skin after losing the weight because chances are you are restricting too many carbohydrates from your diet. Cutting out refined flours/breads and sugars will yield the best results.

Also, instead of getting on the scale every week to measure your progress go more by how your clothes are fitting. I always tell my clients to try on the tightest pair of pants they have and then follow my program for 4 weeks and then try them on again. After 4 weeks those tight fitting pants will be a thing of the past.

Follow all the above and you will see satisfactory results.


About the Author: Johnnie D Jackow Sr. is the author of 2 fitness books and has specialized in weight loss since 1996. His website Total Body Fitness has become one of the most popular free websites on the internet.

Obesity and Health

by Joseph Then

Millions of people today are considered obese. Obese weight levels are anything over 25% body mass. To find your body mass you can go to the Internet and find a BMI (body mass index calculator. Extreme obesity can cause many health issues relating to your weight because the body has to be able to carry the weight.

With weight problems, you will most likely experience high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. The weight that surrounds your heart makes the heart have to function at a more difficult pace. The heart will begin to strain trying to provide the brain blood and oxygen. It's also the reason for high blood pressure. Many people who are over weight tend to develop diet problems and become diabetic.

There are many factors that can cause a person to become diabetic and the food and drinks that you consume is a major factor. People who consume a lot of sugar in their every-day diet may become diabetic. Diabetes is something to be alarmed about. It can cause the body to go into a sugar coma and many people have died because it.

Today, society does seem to put a lot of pressure on people to be thin. It's considered beautiful. In some cultures outside of the United States, being heavy is considered beautiful. Dieting has nothing to do with beauty. Dieting is mainly a way to reduce the weight of a body and it may not be in direct relation to beauty.

If you find that you are over weight than for your own sake and health it is best that you find a way to shed the extra pounds. Dieting doesn't have to be difficult, by eating right according to the food pyramid and getting some proper exercise you can easily lose the weight. Most diets will even let you have items from the goodies box on the pyramid. In theory, you can eat whatever you want but in little consumptions. That means no super sizing.

Obese people should not feel the pressure to be thin because of beauty but they should want to lose the weight for themselves and their health. Even a walk around the house or making your bed can give your body a good start towards becoming healthy. The side effect of being heavy is too devastating to your health to not want to take control of your diet and life.

For more information about health and how you can live a healthy life, please visit the website: http://www.thehealthyportal.com