Complete Health Care Guide

Five Things You Should Know Before Getting a Tetanus Shot

vipve — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:55:20 +0000

Do you remember the last time you had a tetanus shot? I didn’t either, when the doctor asked me when I had my last one. I told her I’m sure it was before I went off to college which was nearly 20 years ago. She told me their clinic was trying to get all of their patients’ tetanus shots updated.

Without really thinking about it, I told her to go ahead. The nurse came in and explained to me my arm would probably be really sore for a couple of days. No big deal, I thought. Looking back, I really wish I would have been better informed before getting my tetanus shot.

Here are five things you should know before getting your tetanus shot.

What is Tetanus?

Tetanus, which is also known as lockjaw, is a bacterial infection that affects the central nervous system. When someone gets lockjaw, they cannot open their mouths or swallow. This bacteria can cause seizures, muscle contractions, muscle spasms and even death.

Many people have heard that cutting yourself on a rusty nail can cause this type of bacterial infection. But it can also be caused when Clostridium tetani (the specific name of the bacteria found in the soil, dust and animal feces) penetrates through an open wound. The bacteria can also find its way into the body through puncture wounds, self body piercing, other breaks in the skin and even burns.

Who is Recommended to Get A Tetanus Shot?

If you are an adult, of course it is up to you to determine which vaccines you feel are necessary. But there are certain recommendations made by the following:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
The American College of Physicians (ACP)

For babies it is recommended that they get the DTaP vaccine which protects them against diphtheria (upper respiratory illness), tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). This immunization is given to a child five times between the ages of 2 months and 4-6 years.

Around age 11 or 12, a child should get a booster shot to their DTaP vaccine which is called TDaP. After this, a Td booster is recommended every ten years.

If you are an adult and you have never been vaccinated against tetanus, you can get vaccinated in a three-shot Td series (for tetanus and diphtheria). If you also want to be immunized for pertussis, you can have the TDaP shot for one of those three doses. After you have had these initial three doses, you can continue to get the Td booster shot every ten years.

If you have never been vaccinated against tetanus and end up getting a wound that could possibly get infected, you can still have the tetanus shot but it should be within 48 hours of getting the wound. The longer you wait, the more the bacteria can grow.

According to the CDC, you Should Not get a Tetanus Shot if you:

Have had a life-threatening reaction to the vaccine
Have had had an allergic reaction to the vaccine
Are moderately or severely ill

Ask your doctor if you:

Have a neurological disease (like epilepsy)
You have Guillain Barre Syndrome
You had severe swelling and pain from a previous Tetanus shot
Are pregnant

What Exactly Am I Getting Injected With?

Tetanus vaccines contains inactivated toxoids from the bacteria Clostridium tetani. The immune system is introduced to the body via the vaccine. This in turn produces the antibodies that are needed to fight off the disease.

*Other ingredients included in the tetanus shot include:

Formaldehyde - used as a liquid preservative but is considered safe in vaccines because it is used in small amounts.
Thimerosal - controversial because it contains mercury. This ingredient is no longer used in the children’s vaccines for tetanus but is still used in tetanus shots for adults.
Aluminum Phosphate - The Environmental Defense Fund suspects this ingredient is harmful to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems but is used in tetanus shots in safe amounts.
Sodium Phosphate Di-basic - creates acidity in the blood which gives the vaccine a boost to work properly.
Sodium Phosphate Mono-basic - used for its fungicidal properties.
Sodium Chloride - also known as table salt.
Distilled Water - is what most of the vaccine is made up of.

*Source: Mosby’s Drug Consult

Are There Any Side Effects from Getting a Tetanus Shot?

As with most vaccines, there can be some side effects of having the tetanus shot. Most doctors will say that even with the most adverse side effects, it is better than getting the disease itself.

Common side effects of the tetanus shot include:

Painful swelling at the injection site
Body aches
Fatigue
Nausea
Vomiting
Low grade fevers

There are other reactions that may be more serious and you may want to contact your doctor if you notice any of the following:

Rash
Itching
Swelling of the arm
Dizziness
Trouble breathing

Can I Prevent Tetanus without Getting the Shot?

First of all, tetanus is rare in the United States with only about 100 cases occurring each year. Most who get tetanus are older people who have not ever been vaccinated. Of those who get tetanus, three out of ten die from it. For others, there can be a 1 to 2-month recovery process which usually involves being in the Intensive Care Unit and large doses of antibiotics.

If you have never been vaccinated or your shot has not been updated, it is critical that any open wound you get be properly treated. Keep the wound clean, apply antibacterial ointment and wrap it with a bandage, changing the dressing at least once a day. Since deep wounds to the foot are more at risk for tetanus, it is a good idea to always wear shoes while outside.

Five Things You Now Know

I hope I have helped you to make a more informed decision when it is time to get your booster shot by helping you to answer these five questions:

What is tetanus?
Who is recommended to get the tetanus shot?
What ingredients are in the tetanus shot?
What are the side effects?
Can tetanus be prevented without getting a shot?

What is Elhers-Danlos Syndrome?

vipve — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 07:53:11 +0000

I’ve never heard of it!

I have Elhers-Danlos Syndrome which is a rare, genetic, connective tissue disorder that few people have heard of and even fewer understand.

There are six types. Over all the types, the disorder occurs in about 1 in 3000 people. I have the hypermobility type – the most common – and it occurs in about 1 in 5000 people..

To put that into perspective, Down Syndrome occurs in 1 in 733 births, Parkinson’s Disease is about 1 in 300 people, 8 in 100 people have some form of diabetes.

But what IS it?

When people ask me what Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is, I have a hard time coming up with a satisfactory sound-bite that won’t be too technical but still includes enough information to help them understand what it is. But here goes.

Basically my body does not produce collagen properly. Collagen is an important part of all tissue in the human body including muscle, skin, nerve, vascular, digestion, tendons, and ligaments. It adds strength.

Although there are six types of Elhers-Danlos Syndrome, I have the hypermobility type. So in general, the ligaments and tendons that are suppose to keep my joints stable, don’t. Therefore, I dislocate and sublux (partially dislocate) many of my joints easily. This causes pain and inappropriate wear of the joints which can lead to early osteoarthritis.

The inappropriate use also leads to poor proprioception – meaning my joints, muscles, and nerves have a poor sense of where they are in space and therefore are more likely to move any which way as well as way beyond the norm.

It also causes the muscles to do more work stabilizing the joints than they were designed to. This causes overall physical fatigue, often to the point of mimicking Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. In addition, as the joint begins to sublux, the body’s natural response is to tighten the muscle groups around the joint to prevent further dislocation. The muscle fascia also gets stretched painfully, causing fascia pain much like fibromyalgia.

If you’ve ever sprained an ankle or “put your back out,” then you can understand how it feels. The difference is that this sort of thing happens frequently; often daily, and the joints “go out” much further than most people’s joints go out.

How do you cure Elhers-Danlos Syndrome?

The short answer is, you don’t. You are born with it and when you’re symptoms start to appear, you must take care to support your body and general health in the way that works best for you.

Since this disease manifests so differently in each person, ten people with EDS will experience it in ten different ways. Many children show symptoms early on. Other people know something’s not quite right but don’t need support until later in life.

Some people will remain active all their life, while others will need the support of braces, crutches, and wheel chairs. Many people will have accompanying conditions like postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTs,) dysautonomia, fibromyalgia, IBS, migraines, and nerve damage.

Keeping muscles strong, using physical therapy and occupational therapy as needed are a great start. Eating well, getting enough rest and managing stress is also helpful. Some people find gentle massage, acupuncture, biofeedback, or manipulation helpful. Many people need some sort of pain relief.

How do you get diagnosed?

Elhers-Danlos Syndrome is notoriously tricky to diagnose. There are several reasons for that.

One reason is that it is so rare. Very few doctors are trained or have experience with the disorder. Even in a very large practice, it is highly unlikely that a doctor has identified and treated someone with EDS.

Another reason is the varying nature of the disorder itself. Some days this joint is out, another day something else is out. In the morning my knees may feel normal, but half way up the stairs the tenth time, the knee “goes out.” Some people can function almost normally one day, need the support of a wheel chair another day, and be in bed after that.

I have had the experience, shared my almost all other EDS patients, of medical professionals listening to my complaints and trying to put the disparate symptoms into some familiar category. I’ve seen the polite smile as I describe highly variable pain and other symptoms. I admit that even I would think to myself as I left the office, “Coo coo!”

If you know you have Elhers-Danlos Syndrome and tell a new doctor, they may question the diagnosis. They may have out-of-date information about the Syndrome and may tell you the diagnosis is wrong because you don’t exhibit all of the symptoms they learned about in medical school.

There is also much confusion about the difference between Hypermobility Syndrome (HMS), Benign Hypermobility Syndrome (BHMS) and Elhers-Danlos Syndrome-HypermobilityType. A quick search on the internet, including such trusted sites like the Mayo Clinic’s site, still state HMS as something completely different than the rarer EDS – Hypermobility Type. However, newer information has shown that the differences are minimal and should be treated as one in the same. Regardless of the semantics, the results and treatment are the same, although the perception by the medical community can be very different.

Although most other types of Elhers-Danlos Syndrome can be identified with genetic testing, the hypermobility type can not. Experts know it’s a genetic disorder, but have not yet isolated the gene that is malfunctioning.

Hyperthyroid And Hypothyroid What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You A Simple Guide

vipve — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:53:06 +0000

A thyroid problem is one of those illness’s that hardly anybody thinks about until they find themselves suffering from it. You never see it talked about on TV, and magazines never mention it. In fact, if you are anything like me, I only knew about thyroid problems when someone was talking about not being able to lose weight. So, because of this explanation I presumed that it was a simple thing, easy to control and once the tablets had kicked it, forgotten about.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. I discovered that suffering from an over active thyroid was hell. And eventually when the doctors gave me tablets to control it, the side effects of the tablets, along with the too easy way of it becoming under active, was even worse.

Take it from me. Being diagnosed with a thyroid problem is not easy. In fact it can take over a year to get your body balanced and back to normal again, and even then it is something that you have to keep your eye on every day.

So what are the symptoms of an over active and under active Thyroid?

An overactive thyroid can start to show up in quite a few ways. In fact you may feel really healthy as it can speed up your motor functions and make you rush around feeling full of energy. The trouble starts when you notice that you have lost a lot of weight, your eyes seem to be more staring, and your hands start to shake.

This is caused by the thyroid gland in your neck producing too much of the thyroid hormone. It is a bit like the fight and flight stimulation caused by stress. And the really bad thing about it, is that it can cause your heart to work too fast, pumping the blood around your system.

When I was diagnosed with Graves Disease, another word for Hyperthyroid, I was told in no uncertain terms too, go home, sit down and don’t move until the tablets that my Doctor was going to give me, had kicked in. Why? Because if I had an accident, and needed surgery, it could kill me! Not such and easy going illness is it now?

Symptoms of Low Thyroid

Sluggishness
Weight gain
Stomach problems
Slow or stopped menstruation
Depression ( A lot of depression is mis diagnosed, when really it is a thyroid problem)
Slow thought process
Can’t focus properly with your eyes
Dangerous to drive as your mental process doesn’t work properly
Panic attacks
Poor sleep and nightmares
Skin problems such as lack of elasticity.
Very low thyroid can cause pockets of water to form on your face and body.

Symptoms of Over Active Thyroid

Weight Loss
Fast Heartbeat
Shaking of the hands and poor elasticity of the skin on your hands and arms
Out of breath
Stomach problems
Over active brain, can’t sleep.
Panic attacks.
Goitre (Swelling in the neck)
Very heavy menstruation
Aching bones and muscles
Bad eyesight such as dizzyness and after glow. Imagine a camera that has taken a picture of someone holding a torch. The glow from the torch spreads across the photo. This is similar to what happens when you look at something.
Night sweats and sleep paralysis, very bad I might add.

Thyroid Eye Disease

Thyroid eye disease is another side effect. Eyes will look puffy or strange, and your eyesight starts to suffer. You will also get watery eyes, and pain. Not everybody will get this, but it is very common. Any thyroid problem is an auto immune disease. This means that your body is attacking itself. Thats why its better to have a low thyroid than a high one.

Diagnosis and Pain

When you have been diagnosed, there are a number of different options for you to take. Tablets, radioactive tablet, and surgery. All depending on how bad your symptoms are. Your Doctor will find the best one for you.

What the Doctors do not tell you.

Now we get to the part that is really important. And trust me when I say that I have tried and tested all these! Not deliberately you understand, but by way of pain, trial and error.

For a start, lets take a look at the tablets.

You may think that the Doctor will always give you the right medication. You have to remember that they probably have never had a thyroid problem so they are just doing it by the book.

But everybody is different. I was given a set of tablets called Carbamazole. To start with they were fine and my hyperthyroidism started to go down nicely. What I didn’t realise was the effect that they would have on me. I started to feel pain in my arms. In fact it got so bad that I couldn’t move them without yelling in agony.

Then it spread to my legs and back. The only way I can describe it is, imagine laying down on the road and letting a car run you over! Then being left to walk home. Yes, it was that bad. Every time I moved my arms, legs and back, it was excruciating. The strange, and very disturbing thing was, I called the doctor, and they gave me pain killers, not knowing why I was suffering like this.

I was admitted to hospital twice, and the doctor thought I had arthritis! In other words, nobody knew what was wrong. So I did the only thing that I could think off. I bought a book about my illness.

That was the best thing I could have done. It turned out that I was allergic to Carbamazole, and when I told the Doctor, he sat there, looked through his medical book and decided to change my tablets! I actually told him the ones that I wanted, and after that the pain went away!

Learn About The Disease

The second that you are diagnosed with Thyroid disease, make sure you get a good book about your illness.

Do not take it for granted that the doctor knows about thyroid illness. They may have training, but they do not know how it feels. Apart from that, a thyroid illness has many symptoms. Some very subtle, others more obvious.

A doctor will learn the basics, and know what to look out for, but everybody is different. Its one of those illnesses that has so many side effects and different aches and pains. Unless you suffer from it, you will not know. Its not something that can be learned.

I discovered that hyperthyroidism is a very different illness. I was literally in the dark, and the annoying thing about it was that the Doctors had no idea. You have to keep an eye on it yourself. Simple as that.

Take Charge

If you are told that you may have to have the radiation tablet, make sure that you ask as many questions as you need to know. Its your body. Don’t just go in there, take the tablet and go home. You choose. If you would rather carry on with the tablets, or have surgery, let them know. Taking a radioactive Iodine tablet can make some people sick, and you must keep away from babies and small children for at least two weeks. Saying that, its not strong enough to cause you any problems. It has been used for years. But you must be careful hugging people and staying near them for a few days.

That’s where the book comes in handy. The Internet is good for information, but the trouble is that you have to keep clicking on different sites to find exactly what info you are looking for. If you buy a book, then its there for you, all you have to do is flick through the chapters. Take this illness into your own hands. Its not only good for your health, but mentally you will feel a whole lot better if you know exactly how you are going to feel.

Hypothyroid can be frightening

On the other end of the scale, hypothyroidism is when you haven’t got enough hormone in your body. According to Doctors this is much easier to control and sort out than if its too high. that’s all very well, but once again, doctors do not know how you personally feel. A low thyroid can be a very scary thing.

Why? Because bluntly speaking, it can make you feel like an idiot. Harsh? Sorry but it’s the truth. A low thyroid is frightening because unless you have someone who knows how to recognise the state you are in, then basically you can go down hill fast. I don’t mean to frighten you, but it’s the truth.

Mental Confusion

According to the book that I read on the subject, a few years ago a young girl kept going to the doctor because she said she was ill. He diagnosed depression and gave her tablets. The situation got worse, but the doctor still said it was depression, and never looked for anything else. The young girl ended up in a coma and nearly died because the doctor had misdiagnosed her! True story!

Why did that happen? Easy, the symptoms are very similar to depression. And the worse thing about it is, when your thyroid hormone is too low, you cannot think! Your brain feels woolly and numb. Even looking at something will take you ages to figure out, purely because your mind is working too slowly. Your eyes see, but your mind does not connect.

How the hell are you going to look after yourself if the doctors misdiagnosis you?! Trust me on this, it happened to me!

The reason why it happened in my case was that the stupid doctors knew it was too high, so they gave me tablets, and the radiation tablet, and sent me home. Not one of them said come back in a month.

So, without thinking, I carried on taking them. My face filled with water pockets, I couldn’t recognise myself as it was swollen, and my mind felt as thought it was full of wool. Eventually, luckily for me, I looked in a mirror and realised that something was wrong. Just that one little voice in my head saved me.

I went back to the doctors and he said, your thyroid is dangerously low! And quickly changed my tablets! The stupid doctors, the specialist and all of them put together never ever said anything about this! The fact is, they didn’t know! They presumed that I would figure it out! How the hell could I figure it out when I couldn’t think?

So please, please get a book, read all about the symptoms, what happens when you are too high, check to make sure you are not to low and so on.

Do it before your mind decides to pack up on you. Trust me, nobody else will help.

And before you say, well, my friends will tell me. Or my partner will see.

NO! two points on this one.

First, friends are too polite to say, hey, you look ill, anorexic, shaky etc

And secondly, your partner will just not notice! True! Its such a subtle thing, its very hard to spot.

Make A List And Stick It On The Wall

So to end, take note of the list below, and if you find yourself in this situation and have been diagnosed with Thyroid disease, make sure you;

1. See a Doctor.

2. Make sure you buy a book on subject.

3. Change your tablets the second you feel ill or in pain.

4. Keep nagging and phoning the specialist, he is the only one who can help. GPs are useless!

5. Keep looking in the mirror. If your face gets skinny, fat or filled with watery sacks, get down the doctors fast.

6. Check your hands for the shakes, its one of the best signs of over activity.

7. Check your heartbeat sitting down, running, and then sitting again, to see if it beats too fast, or changes normally.

8. If you suddenly find that you are staring into space a lot, or sitting around without thinking, take more thyroxin and get to the doctors, your thyroid is too low.

9. If your eyes start to get wobbly vision, get checked out again, some of the symptoms can either be too high or too low, they do overlap. Symptoms can feel scarily similar, so you may not know if you are too high or too low. Do not diagnose yourself.

And last but not least.

10. WHENEVER YOU GO TO THE DOCTORS WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE SYMPTOMS, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BLOOD TEST. NEVER EVER LET THE DOCTOR GIVE YOU MEDICATION FOR DEPRESSION WITHOUT CHECKING TO SEE IF ITS YOUR THYROID THAT IS CAUSING YOUR ILLNESS.

A MISTAKE LIKE THAT CAN KILL YOU!

Foods That Help Ease Menstrual Cramps

vipve — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:53:13 +0000

Common Causes Of Menstrual Cramps

The most common cause for menstrual cramps or primary dysmenorrhea is when the uterus, a muscle, contracts and the pain associated is caused by this muscle losing its supply of oxygen. The pain usually begins a couple of days before a women’s cycle and can last for the first couple of days of their period. When this pain becomes to unbearable to handle on its own you can take over the counter pain relievers such as Ibuprofen, apply a heat compress, and avoid certain foods. Some women find comfort with oral contraceptives as well as maintain a healthy lifestyle with diet and regular exercise.

If you find yourself in a fetal position time after time with immense pain associated with menstrual cramps be sure to contact your gynecologist and make sure it is not a sign of a more serious health condition. But if you are like many of the women who battle with the annoying and agonizing pain that comes with your monthly visit and would like to aid the cramps with a natural approach then your in luck, with certain foods you can ease your menstrual cramps as well as help your over all diet.

Why We Have Food Cravings During Our Period

Usually women experience cravings as well as the desire to eat more about a week before their period not to mention fatigue and a general rise in emotions. All three of these symptoms have the tendency of over taking a woman’s better judgement, just ask their significant other, but the main focus to in aiding these common symptoms is prevention. If you consume an excess amount of caffeine, alcohol, or a diet that is high in saturated fat maybe now is the time to cut back to better relieve your menstrual cramps as well as your overall mood swings associated with your period and the dreaded p.m.s.

I don’t know about you but during the week before my period my mood swiftly changes from tearing up over a commercial to complete rage among my loved ones, just ask my significant other about this. As a woman changes whether she has bore children or has a family history of painful menstrual cramps her body will transition with age, diet, and her habits good and bad. If you suffer from severe menstrual cramps on a month to month basis and do not suffer from a serious condition, think of your pain as your body communicating with you to change your eating habits at least during your period, your body will thank you as well as everyone who has to work and live with you.

So why do we have cravings for fatty foods, and why do we have an increased appetite before and during our periods? This is actually a natural order of mammal reproduction. What I mean by that is all female mammal body’s biological clock will tend to go into a breeding state, and their estrogen levels will peak at the time they are fertile, and the body’s natural reaction is to consume more calories to help fertilization of the egg that has been ovulated.

Women with a higher body fat percentage will have an easier time getting pregnant than a women who are thinner, keeping in mind this is at a healthy level of your BMI. So when your having a hankering for a fatty food, blame evolution’s need for procreation, and guy’s wonder why we are moody…. But for the sake of this article let’s assume you are not trying to get pregnant, you are overall pretty healthy, and desire a natural and healthy alternative to ease your menstrual cramps.

Foods That Ease Menstrual Cramps

Think whole foods when you are trying to ease those menstrual cramps, like whole grain, fresh fruit and vegetables, and with in this category go for the whole foods that are rich in calcium and magnesium. Broccoli and kale are great as well as whole wheat pastas and breads, brown rice. Also when you eat your whole veggies and fruits leave the skins on, the majority of nutrients lie in the skin as well as helping your body absorb the vitamins they contain.

Take the orange for example, it is widely known for its healthy dose of vitamin C although in order for your body to absorb the vitamin c it is necessary to leave the pith on the orange, that bitter white stuff we pick off. The pith contains ascorbic acid that enable the vitamin c to nourish your body, if you take an oral vitamin C pill take a glance at the ingredients, you will see some type of ascorbic acid there and this is why.

Chocolate And Your Period

I wanted to dedicate a section to talk about chocolate because during a woman’s period it is her only confidant and does have some good health benefits. Is is also considered an anti oxidant that can help your mood as well as fight the sugar cravings. Though it is only the dark chocolate that contains these health benefits and 1 to 2 ounces a day is suggested, so put down the sugar glazed doughnut because the chocolate that covers this does not count. I always carry a couple of dark chocolate mini bars with me especially when I am going out to eat to avoid over indulgence. I will eat half of the portion and then eat an ounce of dark chocolate this will send a blocker to my brain that tells my stomach that I have had enough.

Flax Seed

A tablespoon or two per day can help with your cramps, you can sprinkle it over you cereal or add it to a smoothie for a morning boost. Some grocers will sell it in an oil form or the actual seed, and any natural heath food store stocks this.

Fish

Fish that contain Omega 3 fatty acids not only help a woman’s heart health it also contains an anti-inflammatory effect that can help with cramps as well as bloating. Salmon being the most known source that contains this mighty anti oxidant but tuna, Pacific herring, and mackerel also pack a good punch as well.

Foods To Avoid With Menstrual Cramps

This is another way to help ease menstrual cramps, and to prevent painful periods. Caffeine and alcohol should be completely avoided, which to some maybe a hard thing to give up but your body and mind will be better off in doing so. Try to eat smaller meals more frequently this helps to avoid dips in your blood sugar which can make you feel sluggish. Red meats and dairy should be avoided as well, they actually increase the production of prostaglandins which contributes to menstrual cramps.

How Singing Can Make You Healthy And Happy

vipve — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:52:52 +0000

Singing is your birthright

Singing belongs to everyone, not just a selected few. And because singing can make you healthy and happy, now is the time to claim that right and to fill your heart and soul with song.

You can even write your own song ( compose ), by adding a melody to your very thoughts. You can make up any melody you like. Don’t judge your composition. Sing your words and thoughts freely and make it fun.

When I teach new students to singi, I ask each one to introduce themselves by singing their first and last name. The second step to get each one to sing is to add to their name what it is they love to do.

An example: Sing – “My name is hub honey and I love to write.” Make your melody go up and down, fast or slow, high and low. Forget about making sense, how you sound or if it’s right or wrong. Just do it!

When you were born, you sang your first song in the form of a very loud, well formed, cry. You didn’t give a hoot about anyone in the room liking your cry. You formed your pitch all by yourself and resonated your full marvelous sound as you proudly announced your arrival into this wonderful world.

Your own unique and individual sound is waiting to be released and set free. The reward for singing your song is less stress, a good feeling and better health.

Get a Hobby to Relieve Stress

vipve — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:20:01 +0000

Despite the fact that modern technologies are making your life easier and more comfortable, the fast moving pace of today society can add tremendous stress to your life. You are so busy making your living that you seldom have time to relax. Stress can adversely affect both your physical and mental health; therefore managing stress is important for your overall well-being.

There are many hobbies that can help you alleviate your stress by distracting you from all the troubles that are distressing to your daily living. Hobbies can increase your creativity, pleasure and sense of accomplishment; but choosing the wrong hobby can further add stress to your life. You need to determine if the hobby you choose are right for you.

The most suitable hobbies are those that distract your mind from the things that are stressing you for even a short while. Be sure not to be engaged in hobbies that further add stress to your life. Do not choose hobbies that can be competitive in nature. For some, a hobby like golf can become too competitive and expensive, thus causing more stress. Gardening is hobby that can help you relax without further adding any stress.

Be sure to choose a hobby that you find pleasurable, something that you really enjoy. For example, I really enjoy collecting stamps and everything about it. There is absolutely nothing about stamp collecting that does not appeal to me. Enjoyable hobby can make you feel like time fly so fast and you will tend to forget about everything else including things that give you stress.

Choose a hobby that requires focus and attention. For example, being involved in woodworking requires that you pay full attention to the work at hand as you work on creating your masterpiece. When you put all your attention on the work at hand, you still your mind. Upon finishing your work, you will feel great sense of accomplishment, which will ultimately help you cope better with stress.
Picking the right hobby can help alleviate stress and make your life more enjoyable, while engaging in the wrong type of hobbies can further add to stress. There are numerous hobbies to choose from, therefore choose the one that is right for you. Some hobbies can even bring you financial gain.

Vitamins Deficiency and Its Effect on You

vipve — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:13:38 +0000

Most of us understand that we all need daily dosage of specific amount of vitamins and minerals for the normal functioning and the physical well-being of our bodies. If all your meals could be well-thought-out, then supplying your body with the needed vitamins and minerals wouldn’t be a problem. If that’s not the case then you may suffer from some forms vitamins deficiency. Symptoms usually appear when vitamins deficiency has been going on for a while.

If you don’t get enough vitamin B2, for example, your eyes could be watery and irritated and more sensitive to sunlight. You may experience cracked skin around the mouth area and soreness in lips and tongue. If you don’t get enough vitamin A, for example, you could experience reduced night vision and dry, irritated eyes and rough and dry skins.

Vitamins deficiency is frequently caused by eating un-balanced diet, consuming too much alcohol, stress, and certain medications and health conditions. If you feel lethargic most of the time, you are likely to be deficient in some vitamins.

I remember one time when my mom had some eyes problem, she went to see a physician and he prescribed vitamin B complex. After two months of taking daily dosage of the vitamin, her eyes problem went away. Whenever I drink alcohol, the skin at the corner of my mouth will crack and taking vitamin B complex always helps.

You may be consuming a well-balanced diet on daily basis; nevertheless, there is always a possibility that you may be lacking some vitamins. It’s always a good idea to take vitamin supplements, especially the vitamins that you may be lacking.

It’s a good idea to take a multivitamin supplement and be sure to always take it with the meal. Just be sure not over do it, because excessive amount of some vitamins and mineral can be toxic to your system. Taking excessive iron supplement, for example, can cause heart and liver damage.

If you are on medication, be sure to check with your physician to ensure that the vitamins are not going to interfere with the medication. You should educate yourself about different types of vitamins, how they affect your bodily functions and find out about different vitamins deficiency symptoms.

Whenever you can’t have a balanced diet, when you are stressed out or are in any conditions that could cause you to be lacking in some vitamins, you should turn to vitamin supplements. Vitamin and mineral supplements are by no means to replace a well-balanced diet, but to provide an added boost your nutritional requirements.

Nutrition.!! Importance of dry fruits in our life

vipve — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:11:17 +0000

Every individual must take care of his health. To attain good health it is essential to follow the rules of good nutrition, regular exercise and regulation in sexual activity. In Ayurveda, it is believed that all living beings are a composite of the five basic elements i.e. Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Sky. In order to keep life going, it is important to replenish these elements through natural foods which are the sources of these elements. To achieve this we must have foods which are naturally available just as nuts, fruits, vegetables, cereals etc.

Dry fruit contain substantial quantities of essential nutrients in a rational proportion. They are excellent source of minerals, vitamins and enzymes. They are easy to digest and clean the blood and the digestive area. Persons who have this natural diet will always enjoy good health. Also the illness caused by the intake of unnatural foods can be successfully treated by fruits. Though nuts and raisins are small in size, amount of power they provide us when consumed make them very big. Fresh and dry fruits are very essential since besides being food for us they also have strong medicinal properties.

Following are some of the main dry fruits:

Raisins

When grapes are dried properly they turn into raisins. They have high nourishing qualities. Raisins have enough sugar content and hence increased food value. Raisins are an excellent food in all cases of debility and wasting diseases. They are also valuable during period of recovery.

Raisins prove very helpful during the treatment of constipation. When soaked in a glassful of drinking water for 24 to 48 hours should be eaten early in the morning, after discarding the stones. This water in which raisins were soaked can also be drunk. If it is followed every morning then it does help to great extent in case of chronic constipation.

Raisins can be regularly given even to babies as an extract in water to help regular bowel action. Six to ten raisins, depending on the child’s age, can be soaked in boiling water and kept aside for a while. When cool, the raisins should be powdered to get their juice into the water. Care should be taken to see that the skin of the raisins does not upset the stomach. Raisins enrich blood as it is a rich source of easily iron. They prove helpful in anemia. Raisins also help to gain weight. According to Ayurveda, black raisins are used for re-establishment of sexual vigor.

Cashew Nuts

Cashew nuts have the kidney-shaped seeds that grow at the bottom of the cashew apple, the fruit of the cashew tree, which is native to the coastal areas of northeastern Brazil. Cashew nuts provide protein and fiber to body. They are rich in mono-unsaturated fat that prove helpful to prevent the heart problems. They are also a good source of potassium, B vitamins and folate. Also they possess useful amounts of magnesium, phosphorous, selenium and copper.

Date

The date is a nutritious food. It has natural sugar in the form of glucose and fructose. Grind dates in the same water in which they have been soaked overnight after removing the seeds and have it at least twice a week. This will build up the heart. Dates also help in removing hangover. In such cases, drinking water in which fresh dates have been flooded brings quick relief. The nicotine content in dates is helpful for intestinal disturbances and is a good laxative.

Almond

The almond is also very nutritious food. Almond milk is the most useful preparation of almonds. It is rich in vitamins. It is more advantages as compared to ordinary milk. It is easy to digest than the cow’s milk and is helpful for the babies with whom the cow’s milk does not agree.

Unsaturated fats found in almonds have good medicinal values. The medicinal qualities of almonds occur from dynamic action of iron, copper, phosphorus and vitamin B1. These provide increased energy due to chemical interaction and help in the creation of new blood cells, hemoglobin and help in proper functioning of brain, heart, nerves, bones and liver. They help in strengthening the muscles and in long life.

Almonds paste with milk cream and fresh paste of rose bud applied regularly over the face increases face beauty. It makes the skin soft and bleaches the skin. If applied from young age it helps avoiding early wrinkles, black heads, dry skin, pimples and enhances freshness on face.

Small amount of almond oil applied over scalp helps to cure the problem of falling hair, thinness of hair, dandruff and early graying of hair. Almonds should be chewed properly and they should be taken after some time interval from meals. They have high calorific value. They help to prevent anemia.

They are also recommended in case of chronic constipation problems. It is also useful in case of loss of sexual energy that happens due to nervous breakdown and brain weakness. Wild almonds also help to cure skin diseases, especially eczema. To achieve this, a few leaves of the wild almond are powdered with water and the cream. It is then applied to the affected parts.

The blend of almonds is helpful in bronchial diseases, hoarseness and cough. Regular intake of the dry fruits results in both mental and physical development of human body.

Fig

Figs are one of the highest plant sources of calcium and fiber.

dried figs are richest in fiber, copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and vitamin K, relative to human needs. They have smaller amounts of many other nutrients. Figs have a laxative effect and contain many antioxidants. They are good source of flavonoids and polyphenols In one study, a 40-gram portion of dried figs (two medium size figs) produced a significant increase in plasma antioxidant capacity

Walnut

Walnuts are also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, and have been shown as helpful in lowering cholesterol.

The walnuts’ nutritional value is comparable to that one of cheeses for the high presence of proteins (14-24%) and fats (52-70%). Walnuts are a high source of essential unsaturated fatty acids such as the alfa-linoleic acid. Their content in proteins and vitamins is good, especially in vitamins of the B group and E, and in minerals, K and Mg are worth mentioning. Very important compounds are amino acids (glutamic acid, arginine and leucine) but particularly a sulfured one: taurine (2-aminoethylsulfon ic acid, presents in variable quantities between 0,2 and 0,6 mg%.), important compound because it is involved in many functions: homeostatic regulation, thermoregulation, nervous conduction, protection against oxidative stress, etc.

Regular consumption of walnuts helps in lowering cholesterol levels, controlling high blood sugars, and improving cardiovascular functions. It is good for various hearth problems. The reason for these benefits of walnuts is that they contain unsaturated fats and little cholesterol, significant amount of omega-3 and antioxidant properties. Walnuts can help prevent gallstones.

33 Healthy Lifestyle Tips

vipve — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:35:17 +0000

Here are healthy lifestyle tips you can incorporate into your daily life to promote your health and well-being. Some are tips that you should implement on a daily basis and others are minor changes you can make to your life to foster healthy living.

Daily exercise is one of the most important healthy lifestyle tips. Exercise on a daily basis for at least 30 minutes per day. Brisk walk, aerobics, or just any kind of bodily movement can do wonders for your health.
You should sleep 6 to 8 hours per day. This will help your body to replenish itself and gives your body time to rebuild its cells. Lack of sleep make you feel tired and affect your eating habits. Adequate sleep is essential for your overall health and well-being.
Eat a well-balanced diet. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Avoid foods that are processed and reduce your intake of foods that are high in fat, sodium and sugar.
Maintaining a healthy weight will help you look better and reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Have a positive outlook. People who are positive tend to have better health and success in life then those who are negative thinkers.
Maintain a balanced lifestyle. There should be a balance between your work time and your leisure time. Remind yourself, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.”
Stop smoking. It is harmful to your health. It can cause heart disease, lungs cancer, and premature aging.
Meditation can help reduce stress, because it helps quiet your mind. Even if you just meditate 15 minutes per day, the result will amaze you.
Reduce your intake of alcohol. It is best if you could avoid it, but if you cannot, make sure that you only consume alcohol in moderation (a glass of wine or a can of beer per day).
Surround yourself with friends and family members who are supportive. A research by Australian scientist suggested that people who have friends that they can count on to be there for them, live longer. (As reported by the BBC news http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4094632.stm)
Manage stress by doing meditation, breathing exercises, listening to music, etc. Stress, left not managed, can lead to tension and pain in your body and threaten your health and well-being.
Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily to help you with the digestion of food, absorption of nutrients, and the elimination of toxins from your body.
Take daily vitamins, mineral and herbal supplements to maintain your overall health or deal with your specific health problems.
Find things to laugh about on a daily basis. Laughter releases endorphins, boost your immune system, increases blood flow and relaxes your body.
Spending 5 to 10 minutes per day to practice deep breathing can improve your overall health. Deep breathing reduces stress, relaxes your muscles, improve your oxygen intake and delivery to all your organs and stimulate your lymphatic system.
Avoid your exposure to toxins like pesticides, molds, fungus and heavy metals like lead, mercury, aluminum, etc.
Eat complex carbohydrates and avoid simple carbohydrates like white bread, sugar, white rice, etc.
Eat organically grown fruits and vegetables, if possible, to avoid getting exposed to pesticides.
Life is too short so you should follow your bliss. People who are happy and have a fulfilled life tend to be healthier and live longer.
Avoid people who talk about illnesses.
Get outside and spend your time in the open air daily, if possible. Exposing yourself to fresh air and sunshine on a daily basis is beneficial to your health.
Be appreciative of your life, your health and whatever you have. Gratitude is good for your soul as well as your health.
Choose happiness and health. Make it your dominant intention to focus on things that make your life healthy and happy.
See yourself healthy and happy in your mind’s eyes.
Forgive yourself and others. Bearing grudges is bad for your health and well-being.
Remind yourself that it is natural for you to be healthy. Health is your natural state, not sickness.
Have a raw food diet day, a day where eat only unprocessed and uncooked foods, once or twice a month. This way you give your body a break from all the food additives and preservatives. Make sure that you consume only organic foods.
Try alternative medicine like acupuncture, aromatherapy, reflexology, etc.
Practice yoga. It’s good for both your body and mind.
Fasting once in a while is a good way to detox your body and gives your digestive system some time off.
Do not worry. Worry will not help you solve your problem and it is not good for your health. Worry is the main causes of many physical ailments that send people to hospitals. Remember that most of the things that you worry about will probably never happen anyway. “Let us be of good cheer, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which will never happen. ~James Russel Lowell”
Expect to be healthy and do not expect to be sick.
Accept yourself, your capability and your shortcomings.

M9d.com, Reputable Betting Agent in Indonesia

vipve — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:22:51 +0000

Modern life always offers people about the advance benefit for any of people’s necessities in life. If we are talking about people’s necessities, the need of getting entertainment can become one of the significant necessities in order to overcome any boredom or stress feeling in their life. Actually, if we are talking about the way people can get excitement, we will find out that they have different choice of activity. There is a rising trend of entertainment among the people all over the world such as sport betting.

The main reason people join any sport betting agent or what Indonesian call as agen bola is to gain profit indeed. An activity such as taruhan bola has become so popular right now especially in a certain country such as Indonesia. There are many sports betting agent that we can find both land sport betting agent and the online ones. Yet, there are some considerations that people must think in order to choose the quality sport betting agent.

The reputation and reliability of such sport betting agent actually become the main considerations. If you are Indonesian, actually you will get the recommendation to join a certain online sport betting agent such as M9d.com in order to bet at any sport or service such as sbobet. Just visit the site for the better information about sport betting activity and get your profit now.