Health and Fitness

Are you looking for a no-BS way to achieve rock hard six pack abs by June? Then stop wasting your time and hard-earned money on worthless fat burning pills and useless tips in the fitness magazines. Anyone interested in fitness desires great looking abs and everyone has the ability to achieve firm, rippled and well-toned abdominal muscles along with a lean and trim waist.

Just beware of accepting any myths about instant flat stomachs and targeted fat reduction around the waist. You want guaranteed solid abs? Then you must exercise hard enough and eat clean enough to burn the fat covering up those cherished muscles.

As you exercise, you consume energy measured in calories. When you consume enough to deplete the available energy, and enough to reduce the sugars that convert easily to energy, the body goes after stored energy. That stored energy is largely in the form of fat deposits in adipose tissue. But that process takes place non-selectively. Unfortunately, you do not get to choose which fat deposits the body converts into energy. That means you cannot target belly fat specifically by working on your abs. The effect is still achievable, but doing abdominal exercises alone does not target that fat.

When you focus your exercise on the abdominal muscles, you will build strength in that area by increasing the mass in those muscles. That is helpful because it builds a firm, strong layer of muscle which helps keep the stomach and other internal organs well inside the plane defined by your hips. It also results in a solid amount of energy burned by your body since the abdominal muscles are relatively large as compared to many other muscles. However, working the abdominals does not directly target a reduction of belly fat.

There is no gadget, supplement or drug currently on the market that will do that safely and effectively. It can only be done through proper diet and regular, moderate to heavy exercise. There is no shortcut to a trim waist, at least not yet.

In order to reduce body fat around your mid-section, you must work all of the large muscle regions of your body to force your body to burn more energy than you are consuming. The best way to do this is to work the larger muscle regions of the body, such as the legs, chest, shoulders, back and arms, as wells as the abdominal muscles as part of a regular weight lifting routine.

By adding weight lifting to your regular fitness routine, your body will consume a larger amount of energy and burn fat much longer following your workout than performing cardio alone. After a strenuous weight lifting workout, the body will continue to burn fat for up to 24 hours! The result is more calories burned, more weight lost, and more fat converted to energy.

So, basically, you are targeting your mid-section body fat by targeting the all of your body fat. Some people store more fat around the middle more readily than others and there is also no control over where the body accesses fat for energy. Gender and genetics make a difference in how and where your body stores and burns fat as well.

In order to achieve the most fat-burning benefits, you have to approach muscle fatigue in your workouts. Proper diet is just as important as exercise to achieving six pack abs this summer. You must commit yourself to a lean healthy diet with meals spread out 5-6 times during the day to really rev up your metabolism. I have other articles specifically addressing the proper diet and nutrition to achieve the best results.

When exercising the abdominal muscles, there is no need to perform hundreds of crunches. Done correctly, 20-30 reps per set is optimal.

For a great ab workout, warm up and try the following:

Lie on your back, with your knees bent and heels on the floor. Raise your torso up halfway, hold for half a second and return to the starting position. Keep your hands on top of your head and do not use them to pull yourself up. Do 20 reps.

Then, immediately perform 20 reps of the following; lie on your back with your legs raised straight up in the air. Then lift your shoulders off the floor, reach for your toes with your hands, and hold for 2 seconds.

Finally, return your knees to the bent position with your heels on the floor and hold your body at a 45 degree angle (the half-way sit-up position). Holding your hands together in front of your torso, twist to the left until your fingers touch the floor and then all the way to the right until your fingers touch the floor. Complete 20 reps of this exercise.

Once you have done all three of these abdominal exercises back to back, rest for one minute and then repeat the cycle two more times for an amazing ab workout! Exercise your abs hard in this way 3 times per week, feel the burn, and you will definitely see results. Author Resource:- Jay Miller is fitness enthusiast dedicated to finding the perfect balance between nutrition and exercise to help you maximize results for a leaner, stronger, and healthier you. Learn more at http://www.PerfectBalanceFitness.

There are things that make a mother's heart "smile". Things that make us feel like we're doing a great job as a mom and that all is right with the world.

Like most moms, my list includes things like listening to my kids in the midst of major belly laughter, cuddling with them, watching them sleep, 'catching' them play together in some great imaginary world, reading together, listening to them pray, going for a walk with them, peaceful moments of sweetness, watching them run and jump and play, holding hands with them, really big hugs, giving them the freedom to really be kids, witnessing them learn a new skill or a new piece of knowledge, spending quality family time together... the list goes on forever!

Sure, motherhood has its share of less-than-rosy moments, too, but overall we are so blessed to be moms.

I notice that one of the things that really makes my heart smile occurs when I see "it" all come together. When I can see the principles that I've been teaching in practice and writing about for so many years, the principles of Health and Wellness that I believe so strongly in, come to fruition in my own children, it's a feeling of fulfillment that's hard to match.

When it comes to creating optimal health and happiness, I use "The Wellness Formula" as a guide. The Wellness Formula simply states that in order to achieve a state of Wellness, we must make lifestyle choices that are pure and sufficient (meeting our body's innate genetic requirements for health), while simultaneously reducing or eliminating toxic and deficient lifestyle choices. We need to make these healthier choices consistently over an extended period of time in order to create optimal health and happiness.

"Lifestyle" can be broken down into 3 main components: how we move, how we eat and how we think. These categories encompass every component of our lives: how much and how often we move, what type of movement we do, what we eat, how we eat, the quality and quantity of our food, what supplements we take, our stress levels and our response to stress, life balance, sleep patterns, what we're feeding our brains, our belief systems, our emotions, our outlook on life, our spiritual connection... everything!

In each of these areas health and balance are created when we add purity and sufficiency, and limit toxicity and deficiency.

It's not about being perfect, it's about making better choices more often. We have a mantra in our family, "Fill up with Health FIRST." This means, make sure you give your body, mind and soul what it needs everyday... do that consistently. You don't have to say "never" to the toxic and deficient things, just say "yes" to them less often, and always choose pure and sufficient things first.

In the case of my kids, I love it when I see them eating and enjoying pure and sufficient foods, or when I see them moving their bodies with sheer power, energy and joy, or when I notice shared moments of perfect happiness and connection with them. I know that in these moments, they're meeting the needs of their bodies and hearts. I know it's the best chance they have to create optimal health and balance.

Since I'm so passionate about Wellness-based nutrition, some of my heart's biggest "smiles" happen when I prepare an ultra healthy, delicious meal for my family, loaded with fresh, clean foods. There's something about the entire process, the entire scene, that resonates deeply with me and makes me feel like I'm doing something really important for them. When I take the time to prepare a healthy meal, set a nice table for my family (nothing fancy, trust me!), and we all sit down together, pray, share great conversation and everyone enjoys the great food... ahhhh... fulfillment!

(You and I both know that this scene doesn't happen every single meal! C'mon, we ARE a real family, too! I just do my best to create this setting for the majority of our meals each week.)

It doesn't even have to be an entire meal that elicits this response in me. I feel the same thing in the mornings when I start their day with a heaping plate of fruit. They usually have 4 -6 different fresh fruits on their plate each breakfast. I still get a kick out of it each and every morning - how happy they are with their plate of fruit and how quickly they gobble it up! I follow it up with a serving of protein shortly after. A little thing like that gives me the satisfaction of knowing we're meeting their nutritional needs right from the get-go each day.

Who knows what toxicity and deficiency they'll encounter as their day goes on... as their life goes on! For now, my heart is smiling and fulfilled when I see their overall health and happiness being created one meal at a time, one moment at a time.

While dermatologists are still debating whether stress actually causes skin disorders, they seem to agree that stress definitely triggers or aggravates skin conditions such as acne, hives, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, warts, cold sores and blisters.

And even if stress does not actually show up on your skin as one of these conditions, it is one of the chief contributors to an increased population of free radicals in the body, which, in turn, has been discovered to be a major cause of premature aging. Emotional or mental trauma can cause you to spoil your face or frown or pout, and constant muscular contractions can eventually become permanent fine lines and wrinkles.

The "fight-or-flight" mechanism is the body's built-in way of responding to stress. In times of "fight-or-flight," the flow of blood (and nutrients) is directed to the areas of the body considered vital for responding to the stress and withdrawn from areas considered non-essential, such as the skin. So is the flow of oxygen, making it difficult for the skin to "breathe."

When "fight-or-flight" situations become frequent, the skin is consistently starved of both blood and oxygen, making it dull and lifeless, less supple, less hydrated and more prone to clogged pores and breakouts.
Dermatologists have found that when you're stressed out, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. When cortisol levels increase, oil production increases and sometimes that will cause acne in patients that has never even had acne before.

Stress does not only impact the immune system, it also undermines digestion. And imperfect digestion adversely affects skin health, and, indeed your overall health, in two ways -- first, your body does not absorb all the nutrients from the foods you eat and second, undigested impurities tend to accumulate in the body faster than the body can get rid of them.

How to figure out when a flare-up is on its way? Yes, check out these warning signs:

•Your skin is oilier than usual. The German researchers found that stress causes the skin's sebaceous glands to secrete more oil.

•Tiny blackheads and whiteheads are developing.

•Your skin looks pale or flushed. Stress causes the blood vessels to constrict or dilate abnormally, so there's either too little or too much blood flow to the skin.

•Your skin may be more sensitive than normal. Under stress, inflammatory neuropeptides are released in the skin, causing sensitivity.

Tips to stay ahead of stress by taking better care of your skin.

•Address the source of your stress and take good care of your body. Eat better, sleep more, exercise and set aside time each day for reflection and relaxation. Exercising is a wonderful way to deal with stress. It releases endorphins ? it helps people relax.

•Stick to your skin-care routine. Under stress, we tend to skimp on self-care.

•Use a toner. It will help clear up excess oil.

•Avoid hot showers- stress has a negative effect on the barrier function of the skin, resulting in water loss that inhibits the skin's ability to repair itself after an injury.

•A daily warm oil self-massage is recommended as a luxurious way to balance the body, mind and emotions as well as lubricate the skin, making it supple and lustrous. Use fragrant aroma massage oil for the dual benefits of massage and aromatherapy, or use specially blended herbal massage oil for personal balance.

•Apply moisturizer after bathing

•Use sunscreen

•Use detergent-free soap.

•Apply treatment products before a acne breakout occurs. Look for products with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.

STRESS-REDUCING TIPS:

There are some easy, practical things you can do to reduce the amount of stress in your life.

•Be realistic and don't try to be perfect, or expect others to be so.

•Don't over-schedule; cut out an activity or two when you start to feel overwhelmed.

•Get a good night's sleep.

•Get regular exercise to manage stress -- just not excessive or compulsive exercise -- and follow a healthy diet.

•Learn to relax by building time into your schedule for reading or a nice long bath.

Pay attention to keeping your mind, body and emotions balanced, and the results will show up as a clear, glowing complexion.

Rudolf Weiss, the German herbalist, has some interesting ideas on low blood pressure. He describes it as being simply an aspect of a more deep seated problem. He also believes that when people have low blood pressure but no symptoms, that it does not require treatment. I do not suggest that this should replace your doctor's advice though! But I find it interesting, as a possible complementary treatment option, to consider his view that low blood pressure is the product of a weak circulation. As such, gentle herbs that support circulation may be a useful adjunct to whatever other therapy is suggested.

He stresses the underlying factor of a regulatory imbalance. And he suggests herbs like rosemary, that have a tonic effect, would be a useful support. Particularly in times of mental or physical stress, or after surgery, or some other illness that may have weakened the body, like the flu. He does say that treatment should only be for a limited time. He makes the point that life insurance statistics indicate that people with hypotension on average live longer than people with blood pressure in the normal range. (Weiss, p185)

Rosemary is quite a diverse herb. It is used effectively for headaches, particularly migraine. The herbalist Michael Tierra writes that many headaches are caused by stomach problems, and that the volatile oils in rosemary have a very beneficial and calming effect on the stomach. Rosemary also contains salicylic acid, which is the precursor of aspirin. Though being in plant form it doesn't have the long term side effects.

Rosemary is excellent for the circulation, and is often prescribed by herbalists for circulatory weakness (Fisher & Painter). The active constituents known as the flavanoids are heart and blood vessel tonics. So, as well as hypotension, rosemary is suggested for poor circulation, hypertensive headaches, and arrhythmias.

Externally, rosemary spirit is used for rheumatic problems (Weiss). It can also be massaged into the heart area.

Another active constituent of rosemary is rosemarinic acid, which is a phenolic acid. Rosemarinic acid has an anti-inflammatory effect. A study found that a rosemarinic preparation was effective in treating allergic asthma. It has also been found to suppress synovitis in mice. Synovitis is an inflammation of the lining of the joints, with swelling, which is quite painful. It is involved in rheumatoid arthritis. Rosemarinic acid can also prevent the activation of prostacyclin and complement, which leads to hypotension (Fisher & Painter).

Overall, this suggests that scientific research supports the herbalist's uses of rosemary for hypotension, poor circulation, and rheumatic problems such as rheumatoid arthritis. One problem has been that products which contained rosemary had quite low concentrations, although some supplement manufacturers have begun to make a very concentrated rosemary product. Concentrations of rosemarinic acid in these range from 5% to 70%. And given that rosemarinic acid is an incredibly powerful antioxidant as well, this would make it a good choice for preventing heart disease.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a persistent blood pressure above 90 mm Hg between the heart beats (diastolic) or over 140 mm Hg at the beats (systolic). The blood pressure varies naturally in response to stress and physical work load. Therefore the blood pressure shall be measured in a relaxed situation and several times before this diagnosis is certain.

Hypertension does not in itself give dramatic symptoms, but it is dangerous because it causes a highly increased risk for heart infarction, stroke and renal failure.


THE PREVALENCE OF HYPERTENSION

One out of six persons is hypertensive. Most persons suffering from hypertension is over the age of 35. Still 6% of teenagers are hypertensive and also 1% of every child.


THE SYMPTOMS AND CONSEQUENCES OF HYPERTENSION

Hypertension is often without symptoms. By mild hypertension, flushing and headache can occur.

More serious hypertension gives symptoms like: Fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, tachycardia (rapid heart rate) and nosebleeds.

Extreme hypertension gives morning headache, blurred vision, dyspnoea (breathing difficulties) and elevated values of certain components in the blood, like urea and serum creatinine.

Hypertension will in the long run hurt the blood vessels, and serious hypertension can do extensive damage to the blood vessels in a few months or years.

The damaged blood vessels will impair the blood flow. They can also rupture causing a bleeding or be clogged by a blood clot that shuts out the blood flow and causes tissue damage. These things can occur in the brain, causing a stroke, in the heart causing heart infarction or in the kidneys with renal failure as a consequence.

A renal failure will in the next turn cause the hypertension to aggravate, partly because a damaged kidney will not manage to secrete water and salt well enough, and partly because a kidney that do not get enough blood will start a hormonal mechanism that induces the kidney to actively hold back salt and water.


THE MECHANISMS AND CAUSES OF HYPERTENSION

The direct mechanisms causing hypertension is one or more of these factors:
- An increased tension in the blood vessel walls.
- An increased blood volume caused by elevated levels of salt and lipids in the blood holding back water.
- Hardened and inelastic blood vessels caused by arteriosclerosis.

The primary causes behind these mechanisms are not fully understood, but these factors contribute to causing hypertension:
- A high consume of salt
- A high fat consume.
- Stress at work and in the daily life.
- Smoking.
- Over-weight
- Lack of exercise.
- Kidney failure.


LIFESTYLE MEASURES TO PREVENT AND TREAT HYPERTENSION

Lifestyle measures shall always be a component of the hypertension treatment. Sometimes such measures are enough to cure the condition. Those measures are:
- Reducing salt consume.
- Reduction of fat consume, and especially of saturated fat consume.
- Weight reduction.
- Relaxing and stress reduction techniques, for example meditation and autogenic training.
- Regular exercise.


SPECIAL FOOD TYPES THAT REDUCE THE BLOOD PRESSURE

Research projects suggest that the following food types reduce blood pressure.
- Fish oil and fat fish. The working substances seem to be the omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The effect from fish oil seems to cease when the fish oil supplements are stopped.
-Olive oil, especially olive oil of the quality extra virgin.


NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS TO HELP AGAINST HYPERTENSION

Natural supplements to treat hypertension exist. These supplements reduce blood pressure by lowering the cholesterol and lipid content in the blood, by preventing oxidation of tissue components by free radicals, and by helping damaged blood vessels to heal. Examples of ingredients having these effects are vitamin B3, inositol, turmenic extract and gum guggul extract.

They may also contain Ingredients giving a direct anti-hypertensive effect, like potassium, magnesium, calcium, vitamin C and fatty acids from marine sources.


MEDICAL TREATMENT OF HYPERTENSION

When lifestyle measures and supplements are not enough to cure the condition, medical treatment must be applied.
Diuretics, or medicines to increase the urine production, are used to decrease the water content in the blood vessels, and thereby reduce the pressure in the vessels. When the water content is lowered, the heart does not need to pump so hard any more, and this will also reduce the pressure.

Beta-adrenergic blockers are another group of medicines to treat hypertension. This group of medicines block the signals that hormones and neurotransmitters give to the vessel walls, and the vessel walls then relax. They also slow down the heart rate to give a lower pressure exerted by the heart upon the blood.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often described as a silent killer, and affects 50 million Americans. Hypertension usually occurs without symptoms, but if your blood pressure gets really high you could develop headache, dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, or nose bleeds. Most people find out that they have high blood pressure by getting a routine blood pressure check, which can be done in any doctor's office, or which you can do more easily and cheaply by yourself at most pharmacies. If untreated (about 30% of people with high blood pressure don't know they have it) it can quietly damage your organs and set the course for other life-threatening diseases to develop, including stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure.

Hypertension happens when the body holds on to too much water, which increases the volume of blood in our heart, arteries and veins, and therefore increases the pressure against the walls of the heart and blood vessels. Sometimes the heart beats too hard and that too can increase the pressure. Either situation leads to high blood pressure, which over time causes damage to the blood vessels.

Blood pressure is measured in units of millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), which is the amount of atmospheric pressure required to support a column of mercury 1 millimeter high. Blood pressure has a number for systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Your systolic pressure, the pressure in the vessels when the heart beats, should be less than 140 mm Hg. Your diastolic pressure, the pressure in between heart beats, should be less than 90 mm Hg.

Like heart disease, hypertension is a disease of modern civilization. Hypertension is a product of the way our bodies have evolved over the centuries to be able to retain water and avoid dehydration. We tend to retain salt (sodium chloride, or NaCl), because, prior to modern times, salt was relatively rare. When salt is retained in our blood vessels, it holds on to water by something called the osmotic effect, and therefore water is not excreted as much as it would be otherwise through the kidneys and into the urine.

Granted, not everyone is sensitive to salt to the same degree. However, there is no doubt that the population as a whole eats much more salt than in the past, probably at least two or three times as much, and these habits are having an adverse effect on our health, including raising blood pressure.

Since early man did not have easy access to salt, he didn't have to worry about eating too many salted potato chips and having his blood pressure go through the roof. In fact, salt retention served an important purpose to early man - it was a good thing if you were living on the savannah and wouldn't be eating or drinking for several hours. It's bad if you live in America in the 21st Century and eat fast food three times a day.

Ancient man also got more exercise, ate less food in general (not by choice), and didn't smoke, take drugs or drink alcohol. However, those tough conditions did lead to more infection; and being eaten by tigers and falling off cliffs were occupational hazards of primitive man. Luckily, these folks didn't have to also worry about their blood pressure zooming up after eating a burger and fries.

Cheeseburgers notwithstanding, our earliest need for salt developed in us a taste for salty foods, which we have never lost. In cooking, salt enhances the flavor of other foods and many cooks feel it is an essential ingredient in the kitchen. Salting your pasta water with a handful of sea salt is not going to cause high blood pressure. Most of the over salting in our system comes from pre-prepared, packaged, and many frozen foods (with the exception of flash frozen fruits and vegetables) we eat, as well as the salt found in restaurant and fast foods. Food makers put huge amounts of salt in their food for flavor enhancement, to hide the lack of other natural flavorings, and to act as a preservative. Look at any food label and you will see astronomical percentages of salt in food - often more than 25% of a serving. The best way to avoid excess sodium in food is to buy fresh, unprocessed whole foods and prepare your own meals. If you buy canned beans and vegetables, low sodium or not, you should rinse them well as this removes about 40% of the sodium.

Five hundred thousand American women die each year from heart diseases and the risks increases with age. Heart disease includes the narrowing of the arteries, heart failure, diseases of the heart muscles, inborn defects, hardening of the arteries, and other conditions.

We tend to think of men as the ones who commonly have heart diseases but heart diseases is the leading killer of both men and women in the United States. Scientists who are studying the cause of the rise in cardiac problems in woman have identified two factors that appear to be the leading cause of hard disease in woman.

The Change of Life.

After menopause, a woman's body experiences reduced estrogen production, changes in cholesterol levels, changes in the structure of blood vessels, and increased production of the clotting agent fibrinogen. Women who have gone through menopause are two to three times more likely to suffer heart disease than a pre-menopausal woman of the same age. Women that have had a hysterectomy also experience these same raised risk factors. No one yet knows exactly how much a woman's risk is affected by each of these changes, but they are definitely associated with greater heart disease risk.

Scientists studying women and heart disease hypothesized that hormone replacement therapy could help post-menopausal women fight heart disease; however, long-term studies do not confirm that preliminary idea and doctors no longer recommend hormone replacement therapy to battle heart disease.

When talking about your heart disease risk factors with your doctor, get his or her opinion on using hormonal birth control (the pill or the patch). Most doctors believe that using birth control is reasonable safe for women under thirty-five if no other risk factors are involved such as smoking or being overweight. For women over the age of thirty-file there is not enough evidence that birth control hormones can increase or decrease heart disease in women and more studies are being conducted.

A Change of Lifestyle.

Scientists studying women and heart disease find that women are knowledgeable about what lifestyles are associated with heart disease, and yet they are still prone to maintain those unhealthy lifestyles. For example, according to the National Institutes of Health, fifty-six million American women have high cholesterol, 33% of women have high blood pressure, and 62% of women are overweight. Despite these risks, women are less physically active than men, on average.

The best course of action to take is to reduce your risk of developing congestive heart disease and improve the quality of life. Habits such as not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight by regular activity or exercise, cutting down on the fatty foods, and getting your cholesterol tested can dramatically help prevent heart disease. Don't become another statistic about women and heart disease.

Common Vitamins and over the counter products can help with Heart Disease such as Sytrinol, Policosanol, Potassium, Pectin, and Niacin.

Sytrinol are known to be useful in helping maintain a healthy cholesterol level in the body by reducing triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.

Policosanol is a natural supplement derived from sugar cane. Policosanol promotes healthy platelet function and helps to maintain normal cholesterol levels in the human body.

Potassium may help prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis and reduce the risk of stroke.

Pectin limits the amount of cholesterol the body can absorb. High pectin count in apples may be why "One a day keeps the doctor away".

If you are at risk from Heart Disease then find a good health care professional prior to starting any type of home treatment.

Niacin is the closest thing available to a perfect treatment that corrects most causes of coronary heart disease. Niacin blocks the release of fatty acids from fat cells. Niacin plays a critical role in energy production, gene expression, and hormone synthesis. You cannot live without it. Niacin also tends to shift LDL particle distribution to larger particle size and improve HDL functioning. The intake of 3 grams Niacin for as little as two weeks can reduce serum cholesterol by 26 percent.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

Blood Pressure medication can certainly provide relief for the sufferers. But recently, I decided to inquire about the additional effects it brings with it. This is only a partial list, but some of the common words and phrases I found are: feeling faint, diarrhea, dry cough and joint pain.

Those side effects while somewhat daunting didn't even compare with these: "depression, heart palpitations, impotence, damage to the liver and kidneys..."

I heard something mentioned about those with diabetes, pregnant women and then they wrapped things up very neatly by advising that there were "practical ways to help you cope."

I'm sorry, that was the last straw. I simply cannot think of a practical way to 'cope' with kidney damage. I began to hear the two words 'pregnant women' ringing in my ears and began to wonder just what additional issues are to be considered when speaking of a child still in the womb.

Yes, there is no doubt that the resulting blood pressure can be quite impressive as a result of the medications. However, should we not be considering everything when judging just how impressive the overall results really are?

Some of the most common high blood pressure medicines are diuretics. Hypertension medications such as diuretics flush the body of salts by creating a demand for frequent urination. Along with the flushing of excess salts comes the rapid loss of potassium in some.

Gout is another potential side effect due to the diuretics. For those with diabetes, the increased blood sugar level may then have to be addressed.

So, the high blood pressure sufferer now gets to be a gout sufferer, a frequent urinater, or even impotent too.

There are almost too many different types of high blood pressure drugs to count. If each includes an array of possible side effects - the math becomes too confusing to even try to nail down.

I couldn't help but think about the most simple way to avoid having to worry about this host of other problems. If we could just head off the hypertension to begin with seems to fit the bill.

Suddenly the thought of exercising and even eating a healthy diet doesn't seem nearly as dreadful as is once did.

My hypertension program can also assist with this effort. It takes very little time to learn the exercises and the payoff can be tremendous.

Adding my hypertension program will help reduce the problems of high blood pressure even faster. A few simple exercises that take only minutes to learn and perform can make drastic results in your blood pressure numbers!

Primary liver cancer is not available in Western countries and is often recorded in Africa and parts of Asia.

In developed countries, primary liver cancer mainly affects middle-aged and elderly people, and 2 times more common in men, then in women. The majority of patients with hematomas are usually already having liver cirrhosis, which is characterized by nodal regeneration of hepatocytes as a result of many years alcohol abuse.

Sometimes hepatomas occur as a complication of hepatitis, acquired during chronic. Both of them is quite common, but as a complication of liver cancer is rare. In Africa and Asia, a primary liver cancer is much broader and may meet on the third and fourth lives a dozen people who have no liver damage as a result of alcohol abuse.

It is believed that the reason for this could be the impact of aflatoxin - the exchange of products of fungi found in grain and beer. There was also a clear link with liver cancer hepatitis. Many bile duct cancers are probably the consequence of liver fluke invasion.

Besides, some people think that there is a link between obesity and liver cancer. A group of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Medical School, the University of California, Los Angeles (USA) argue that obesity is an even stronger risk factor for liver cancer than cirrhosis. That is disappointing, scientists have concluded, after reviewing the results of their multicentered, randomized, and in some cases, pathological studies.

At the same time, assessed the presence and degree of liver fat transformation accompanying obesity in more than 80% of cases. It was found that more than half of patients (at 26), had a higher body mass index, while 18 had signs of fat hepatitis. After analyzing the delayed results in 10 years from the start of the project, the scientists concluded that the trend would continue. Moreover, with age the number of people with excess weight has been growing steadily, and compensatory ability of the liver are reduced, which further underlines the impartial connect.

As an output, and an explanation of the authors propose the following concept: the resulting fatty degeneration of liver are regarded as precancerous conditions. At the same time there are rapid proliferation, i.e. growth and development of cells of the liver, and inhibition of programmed death, or apoptosis - the process of protecting the rule of tumors. These processes are likely to self-stimulate neogenesis, i.e. the growth of tumor cells.

Choosing a Drug Rehab Center

There are literally thousands of drug rehab centers in California. With so many recovery centers in the State with such a diverse variety of staffs and treatment philosophies, how do you choose the one that is right for your or your loved one?

First, always check the accreditation of California drug rehab centers. There are many drug rehab centers that are not accredited at all and others may have questionable treatment methods. Some of the more dubious California drug rehab centers even say that there is a "simple answer" to addiction, and that dealing with relationship and family issues are not necessary. This type of thinking is counter-productive, and not accurate.

When inquiring about a California drug rehab center, you should also ask about the credentials of the staff. Do they have the appropriate education and/or licenses? Do they have a good history and/or track record of success in dealing with addicts? Do they have the necessary experience required?

Also, its important to know if the drug rehab center offers a drug detox or withdrawal program - this is often necessary for effective treatment. Does the California drug rehab center offer detox programs that are for specific types of drugs, such as opiates, crack, and heroin?

Other questions that are important to ask of a California drug rehab center: Do they address dual diagnosis needs? What is their drug rehab philosophy? Is the drug rehab price "all inclusive"? Are the drug rehab staff licensed and credentialed? Does the drug rehab facility take medical insurance? What is the rehab center's drug rehabilitation success rate? How long is the recommended stay at the drug rehab? What type of aftercare program does their drug rehab have? At Renaissance Malibu, we have a long-standing history of success and will proudly share our unique philosophies and treatment approaches with you.

Once the decision has been made, as to which drug rehab facility you should go to, the process should be done very quickly. Once you have decided to go to treatment, don't put it off. It is crucial to get the person into treatment as soon as possible, before the individual feels that they can do it on their own.

Caring, Compassionate Treatment

From the first phone call to Renaissance Malibu, our caring counselors and staff professionals begin to assess and address the specific needs of each potential resident. Our California drug rehab center custom tailors each client's treatment program plan to the individual. This individualized approach is the only way to meet the diverse needs of each resident. Therefore, our alcohol and drug treatment program and daily schedule will definitely vary according to each person's own specific needs.

The Renaissance Malibu Drug Rehab Center uses an innovative and unique treatment program designed to meet the needs and issues faced by those who abuse drugs, as they begin their recovery. A multi-disciplinary team of certified and licensed counselors, other licensed professionals provide caring, professional treatment at our California drug rehab center. Our staff is comprised of some of the most experienced, prestigious and qualified alcohol abuse treatment professionals in the Industry. Our team members employ the most innovative and creative approaches to healing available anywhere. The foundation for our drug rehab program is based on two main objectives: giving the individual the chance to regain their lives without the use of drugs, and providing the needed foundation for continued long-term recovery. In order to support these objectives, Renaissance Malibu's California Drug Rehab Center provides individual counseling, group therapy, education, family treatment, and aftercare.

About Renaissance Malibu California Drug Rehab Center

Our California drug rehab center is located ideally on the beautiful Pacific coastline of Malibu, California. With beautiful garden landscaping and surreal views of the Pacific Ocean, our California drug rehab center brings our residents peace of mind, an essential ingredient for successful alcohol and drug abuse treatment.

Our main facility for our California Drug Rehab Center is a 20,000 square foot home with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, set in the Malibu Hills. This palatial estate, providing a healing, restful setting for a drug and alcohol treatment facility, is magnificently landscaped with trees and vegetation from all over the world. Our 30-yard lap pool, outdoor Jacuzzi and tennis court allow stunning views of the breathtaking Pacific sunrise and sunset, allowing a great setting for reflection and meditation that are a part of alcohol and drug abuse treatment. Community rooms include the library, clad in oak, a gourmet kitchen, and a gymnasium. Completing the amenities of the "most exclusive California drug rehab center," most of our bedrooms have ocean views with beveled glass French doors, opening onto marble balconies.

Utilizing our environment to its fullest extent, our California drug rehab center provides our alcohol and drug abuse treatment residents clarity and focus, allowing them to "be in the moment." Our surroundings are luxurious helping our residents feel like they are home in a safe, comfortable and supportive environment. After going through successful treatment at our California drug rehab center, our residents are ready to rebuild their lives outside our facility.

The average American child is at risk for bone problems like osteoporosis and fractures! According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the amount of calcium kids consume each day is "well below the recommended levels".

It is clear that we need to increase the amount of calcium in our children's diets. Yet we are also warned that dairy products contain large amounts of saturated ("bad") fats that can cause heart disease. So what is a parent to do?

The answer is simple: low fat or fat-free dairy products!

Low fat or fat-free dairy products are delicious, low in calories, and a great source of calcium for kids. There are also many other healthy, non-dairy sources of calcium out there. Read on to learn more.

How much calcium does your child need?

Children age 2 to 6 need two servings of dairy a day. Older kids need three servings a day. Teens need four servings a day.

Serving size differs based on age. In other words, a serving of skim milk for a three year old is less than a serving of skim milk for a fifteen year old. A basic rule of thumb is that a 2 or 3 year old's serving size should be 2/3 that of an older child's serving size.

Total Daily Calcium Needs:

Age 1-3, 500 mg a day
Age 4-8, 800 mg a day
Age 9-18, 1,300 mg a day
Adults, 1,000 mg a day

Why You Can't Go By A Label's Percent Daily Value

The percent daily value on the nutrition label is based on an adult's needs and do not accurately reflect a child's.

For example, if you eat a yogurt that is 20% of the daily value for calcium, it would contain 200 mg of calcium. Referring to the table above, that would be 25% of a 6 year old's requirement but only 15% of a teenager's requirement.

Let's look at some foods that contain high levels of calcium.

DAIRY PRODUCTS

Non-fat Milk 1 cup, 300 mg calcium
Reduced fat Milk 1 cup, 300 mg calcium
Nonfat Yogurt 1 cup, 490 mg calcium
Swiss cheese 1 oz., 270 mg calcium
Mozzarella, part skim 1 oz., 210 mg calcium
American Cheese 1 oz., 140 mg calcium
Cottage Cheese 1 cup, 160 mg calcium
Parmesan cheese,grated 2 T, 140 mg calcium
Pudding, prepared 1/2 cup, 150 mg
Frozen yogurt 1 cup, 200 mg
Ice Cream, light 1/2 cup, 200 mg

Getting enough calcium can be a especially hard if your kids are allergic to milk. Many nondairy foods can be good choices for kids with milk allergies who need calcium. Food manufacturers help to make it even easier to give our kids the amount of calcium they need! Many non-dairy foods are now fortified with calcium and other vitamins. These are also good to check out.

NON-DAIRY / FORTIFIED FOODS

Black Beans 1 cup, 120 mg calcium
Navy Beans 1 cup, 130 mg calcium
Fortified Cereal 1 cup, 300 mg calcium
Fortified Orange Juice 1 cup, 300 mg calcium
Soybeans, cooked 1 cup, 180 mg calcium
Spinach, cooked 1/2 cup, 130 mg calcium
Bok Choy 1/2 cup, 80 mg calcium
Kale, cooked 1/2 cup, 90 mg calcium
Broccoli, cooked 1/2 cup, 20 mg calcium
Corn Tortilla 1, 6 inch, 50 mg calcium
Greens, mustard 1/2 cup, 100 mg calcium
Canned Salmon w/bones 3 oz, 180 mg
Fortified Cereal 1 cup, 300 mg
Waffle, fortified 1, 150 mg
Soy milk, fortified 1 cup, 400 mg
Greens, mustard 1/2 cup, 100 mg
Tofu 1 cup, 40 mg
Almonds 2 oz., 150 mg
Oysters 3 oz., 80 mg

Remember, new foods are constantly being fortified with calcium to look at food labels to find new sources of calcium.

If you are unable to get your child to eat the recommended amount of calcium, consider a calcium supplement. Most children's multi-vitamins don't supply enough calcium. So be sure to give a separate calcium supplement.

How can we quickly furnish our body with all the elements it needs?

If we don't eat, we die!

So the answer is - replenishment!

Only by supplying our body daily with the elements (vitamins and minerals) of which it is composed can we have complete health. Good, disease free health is the indisputable foundation for the satisfaction of life.

Everything of domestic joy and pleasure or occupational success has to be built on the body being wholesome, vital and in good health without disease. Don't you agree?

Nutrition must be vital and organic. What do I mean by organic - it means life-sustaining!

What this means is that the food that we eat must be alive with what our body requires to sustain itself. Pesticides, insecticides and herbicides all reduce these life sustaining elements.

Organic food availability has had a growth rate of about 20% a year which is far ahead of the rest of the food industry. In 2008 organic food only accounted for about 1% to 2% of food sales worldwide.

Nutrition (consumed food) must be organic in order that it may be assimilated by the human body. This is necessary for the rebuilding and re-generation of the cells and tissues.

How does this happen? The sun sends billions of atoms into all of the plant life on earth and this force changes inorganic matter into vital organic food that we all need to maintain disease free health.

Our bodies are made up of many elements. The sixteen major ones are:

Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, sodium, magnesium, iron, iodine, chlorine, fluorine,silicon and manganese.

Except in the case of accidents, all repair and regeneration of our body must come from within. If the blood stream does not contain these elements in their proper proportions, then the body is out of balance.

To retain and maintain this balance, the food we eat must contain live, vital, organic elements and these are found in raw fruits and vegetables.

As soon as food is cooked, its oxygen is lost and most of the vital force and nutrition is destroyed. AS a general rule it will do no harm to eat cooked foods provided, I repeat PROVIDED, that a sufficient quantity of live, raw food is also consumed.

The juices extracted from fresh raw fruits and vegetables provide the means of furnishing all the cells in the body with all the elements of nutrition that they need and require to remain healthy and cancer free.

It is true that cooked and processed food does sustain life, nevertheless that does not mean that they it has the power to regenerate, renew and furnish the life force to our body. The exact opposite is a fact. Progressive degeneration of the cells and tissues which results in disease is the result of continuous consumption of cooked, processed and FAST FOOD!

Fruit juices are the cleansers of the human body. They furnish the body with all the carbohydrates and sugar that it needs.

Vegetable juices are the builders and re-generators. They contain all the amino acids, minerals, salts, enzymes, and vitamins needed for good health.

In the final analysis, raw food is the nourishment intended for us humans. It is difficult to change overnight. A life-long habit of eating cooked food, fast food, drinking soda and eating french fries is hard to break.

To maintain or regain good, disease free health it is absolutely necessary that you replace some of the cooked and devitalized food with raw food. Develop a plan to drink three glasses a day of fruit and vegetable juice. It is not easy. Nobody said it was, but remember it is your health, and what is good health worth?

To learn more and find out about how various fruits and vegetables are combined to fight almost any disease known to man, visit the authors blog in the resource box below. You need to know that there are three or four fruits that should NEVER be eaten during the same meal. An apple a day will keep the doctor away, but only if a variety of other raw food is eaten as well.

Skin cancer is contracted by approximately 60,000 people in the UK each year. It is normally caused by prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light which makes the process of cell division in your skin malfunction. As a result your skin cells start to multiply in a rapid, out of control way leading to the formation of a cancerous tumour which usually appears as a blemish on your skin. Fortunately, most of these cancers are very treatable if caught in the early stages. In this article I am going to be discussing three of the possible skin cancer treatments that are available to you. 1) SURGERY:- This is the most common treatment for this type of cancer. Smaller tumours can normally be removed under local anaesthetic. However, larger tumours may require a skin graft which involves the cancerous skin being removed and then replaced with a layer of healthy skin taken from another part of the body. If the cancer has spread beyond the skin and to the lymph nodes (glands that help the body get rid of unwanted bacteria) they may also have to be removed through surgery. This type of treatment has few side effects but may result in some permanent scarring of the skin depending upon the size and position of the tumour. 2) RADIOTHERAPY:- This type of treatment involves using high energy radiation beams to shrink or kill any cancerous cells. It is normally used as an alternative to surgery as it can treat the skin cancer without any scarring. Radiotherapy may also be used following surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells and reduce the chances of the cancer returning. Although radiotherapy does not result in scarring there are a number of negative side effects including a feeling of sickness similar to the flu, general tiredness and hair loss in the affected area. However, these side effects are generally temporary and will stop once the radiotherapy treatment ends. 3) CRYOTHERAPY:- This type of treatment involves freezing the cancerous cells using liquid nitrogen. It is most effective for early stage skin cancers and may not be possible with more advanced cancers. If this treatment is used the affected skin will scab over and after about a month this scab will fall off. Cryotherapy is a very low risk procedure but there is a small risk of scarring or infection on the area of skin that is treated. Although skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK it is highly treatable with the success rates being particularly high if it is discovered in the early stages. Therefore, if you notice any unusual skin blemishes that have been there for a while go see your doctor right away. It may turn out to be nothing but if it is an early stage cancerous growth your chances of successful treatment will be much higher if you get it diagnosed now instead of leaving it to grow. Whilst every intention has been made to make this article accurate and informative, it is intended for general information only. Skin cancer is a very serious, life threatening condition and you should discuss any concerns, treatments or lifestyle changes fully with your doctor.

Cancer presents the patients with the most challenging times their life. They have to face the prospect of losing their life and at the same time, they have to take decisions regarding the treatment. Cancer has various stages. People who have cancerous cells before it starts spreading are faced with issues of personal health cancer with built in quandary. There may be multiple options to choose from and some of them may involve some sacrifices to personal health. Let us take the case of breast cancer in women to find out how a typical sequence of events plays out. In breast cancer, there is a specific type of cancer called D.C.I.S. or Ductal Carcinoma in Situ. Majority of these cases are non-invasive. However some have the potential to become invasive in the future. A large number of such cases are being recorded as the screening process has improved which has resulted in an increase in the health cancer checkups. A number of women who are healthy get their breast X-ray so that any cancerous cells may be detected early. This situation presents a quandary for the doctors who now have to advise the women on the possible treatment options. The doctor has to first find out whether the cancer may actually turn out to be invasive by biopsying it. In this case, there are a number of possible treatment options and each of them has their own unique price to pay. This is what makes the situation of personal health cancer with built in quandary so difficult for the doctors. If there was default treatment option which does not come with any side effects, then the doctors are only happy to treat the cancer. The patients also find themselves in a difficult situation. They have to take a decision regarding the type of treatment they want. When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, the best option is to go for mastectomy. This involves the removal of the breast with the cancerous cells so that they do not spread. This is a difficult option for some women and their family members. When D.C.I.S. is found in women, the choice becomes extremely difficult as there is only a slight chance the cancer will become invasive. The patient has to do extensive research and consult some other physicians to find out their opinions. The patient eventually has to come to a decision with full knowledge of the side effects. One advantage the patient has in this situation is absence of emergency. She can take her time and come to a decision after carefully weighing all the factors and outcomes to take decision regarding personal health care with built in quandary. This situation can exist in all other types of cancer as well. The basic factor in personal health cancer with built in quandary is that the patient has to decide between personal health and other side effects when looking at treatment options. This can be largely mitigated only through careful analysis and study of the various factors. The eventual aim should be personal health as the health outcomes issues in cancer is the most important.

Approximately 60,000 people in the UK contract skin cancer each year. It begins when process of cell division goes wrong in the skin and it starts to grow in a rapid, out of control way. This then leads to the formation of a cancerous tumour which usually resembles a blemish on the skin. Whilst this type of cancer is one of the most common it is also very preventable. In this article I am going to be discussing four things you can do to help prevent skin cancer. 1) AVOID PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO THE SUN:- Sunlight does have a number of benefits. It prompts the body to produce vitamin D and can also help you avoid seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in the winter months. However, like all good things you can get too much. Prolonged exposure to sunlight exposes your body to ultraviolet (UV) light which ultimately damages the DNA in your skin cells and leads to skin cancer. Therefore, if you know that you are going to be out in the sun for an extended period make sure that shelter is available so that you can take regular breaks from the sunlight. 2) USE SUN CREAM:- As I mentioned above the reason that sunlight leads to skin cancer is that it contains UV light which damages your skin cells. Sun cream contains ingredients that block these UV rays and stop them from damaging your skin. Therefore, if you are out in the sun make sure you have sun cream with you. Ideally try and apply it to your skin 15 minutes before going out in the sun and make sure you re-apply it regularly. 3) WEAR SENSIBLE CLOTHING:- Clothing can offer you fantastic protection from the sunlight and the damaging UV rays. Whilst it is tempting to walk around wearing as little as possible when the sun is shining this puts you at an increased for skin cancer if you are out in the sun for a long period. Therefore, you need to make sure you have some clothing with you that can cover your body and perhaps a hat to protect your face as well. You don't have to cover up all the time that you are in the sun but make sure you do not leave your skin exposed for extended periods. 4) DON'T USE SUNBEDS:- Sunbeds use concentrated UV rays so even though a session on a sunbed is relatively short it is potentially more dangerous than staying out in the sun for a long time. If you really want a tan then do it naturally by sunbathing with regular breaks in the shade and regular doses of sun cream. Alternatively, try the increasingly available range of tanning products that are out there. Tanning in the sun will expose your skin to less intense UV rays whilst using tanning products will mean you avoid UV rays completely. Both of these options are safer than being exposed to the high doses of UV rays that a sunbed provides. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article skin cancer is one of the most prominent cancers in the UK but also one of the most preventable. If you take the precautions listed above you should be able to protect your skin and minimise your chances of developing this type of cancer. Whilst every intention has been made to make this article accurate and informative, it is intended for general information only. Skin cancer is a very serious, life threatening condition and you should discuss any concerns, treatments or lifestyle changes fully with your doctor.