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Archive for October, 2008

Fad Diets, And Why They’re Bad For Your Weight Loss And Long Term Health

Friday, October 31st, 2008

If you’re serious about losing weight and getting fit, you probably can’t go a week without hearing about the latest fad diet, and why you should drop what you’re doing to buy the book. Each new diet gives us proof that fad diets aren’t all that they’re cracked up to be. Sure, you’ll probably lose some weight during the diet, but there’s a 99.9% chance that you’ll gain it all back as soon as you stop the fad diet.

The typical fad diet isn’t safe or healthy enough for you to use it for more than a couple of weeks; and even then, some may wreak havoc on your metabolism and immune system, decreasing your energy level, mental alertness and ability to continuously burn calories.

Some fad diets such as the Scarsdale diet force you to limit your daily calorie intake to 1,000 calories. Naturally, you will lose weight; but what are the secrets that they don’t want you to know? I’ll start the list off with kidney problems. Eating only 1,000 calories a day is too low for your body to operate normally, so you’ll be burning away protein (from muscle) in addition to the fat, and losing water faster than normal. This causes heightened levels of nitrogen in your kidneys, and this can be damaging.

Even the famous and seemingly harmless South Beach Diet has a possible danger during first two weeks known Phase 1. It is common to lose between 8 and 13 pounds in that time, which is unhealthy. However, I must recommend the South Beach Diet as the healthiest I have found besides the Zone Diet, which is more of a healthy science experiment than a bunch of small diet changes.

If you’re committed to making an improvement in your lifestyle and weight, you’ll steer clear of these diets and choose to follow the time-tested, healthy, gradual weight loss plans that incorporate all the nutrients your body needs.

The only way you can succeed in your weight loss journey is by making the decision to maximize your health through safe methods. Think of weight loss as a side effect of your good decisions, and you’ll be much happier with yourself!

Copyright (C) Shoppe.MD and Ian Mason, 2004-2005

Learn more about health, diet and exercise at our phenforum.com weight loss forum.

PhenForum.com is a popular discussion forum for weight loss programs, phenforum.com diet advice, and tips to help you phenforum.com burn fat.

All the best,

Ian Mason

Individual Dental Insurance VS Dental Discount Plans - The Results Are In And You May Be Surprised

Friday, October 31st, 2008

Is individual dental insurance really your best option or is a dental discount plan the way to go? This is a question that is driving some consumers crazy because they don’t know which way to go and want to make the correct choice the first time. After all, dental, like most insurance, is not cheap. It’s about time that someone actually took the time to compare these two plans, so I’ll take the time and compare these two for you.

Dental insurance is the traditional choice because discount plans didn’t even exist until the early 1990’s. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re better. If that were the case, then why have dental discount plans been able to stick around for 15 years now?

The big problem with these plans is that they ARE insurance. Think about it for a moment. If you wreck your car and only have liability coverage, do you think that you’ll be able to go and get full coverage and have it repaired? Of course not! The insurance companies aren’t dumb. Well, dental insurance works the same, individual and family. If you have pre-existing conditions you’ll have to wait at least a year before your policy will help you at all. Even then the help you get will be very small. Individual dental insurance is only designed to provide preventive dentistry, like cleanings, ect., not major dental. This means that if you are in pain right now an individual dental insurance policy won’t pay for one thing.

Dental discount plans are honestly your best choice because they are designed to save you money on both preventive AND major dental and you can see a participating dentist or specialist within one to three days after you join the plan. Since they’re not insurance, existing problems are fine and there’s no claim paperwork to process. Simply pay for your discounted fee at the time of your visit and you’re finished. Most plans offer savings of between ten & sixty percent.

Summary

Individual dental insurance is outdated and doesn’t provide the care that you need. If you’re thinking of buying an individual dental plan, then dental discount plans are by far your best option.

Watch The New Video “Dental Discount Plans vs Dental Insurance”. Find Out The REAL Truth by Visiting Discount-Dental.net/ Discount-Dental.net or by clicking on discount-dental.net/Individual-Dental-Plans.html Individual Dental Insurance . Joe Stewart is a former Life And Health Insurance Agent that now works for himself by providing solid, expert information to consumers.

Depression and Teens

Friday, October 31st, 2008

Usually at some point in life a person will develop a bad mood or have feelings of sadness but depression is much different. If you are someone that is suffering from depression, you are not able to function normally. There are many adults and teenagers that have to take on this challenge. This is something that they have to take on a daily basis and there it is not just going to go away on its own.

Being a teen means that you are going to have major issues to deal with. You are going to have to think about stressful topics and take on challenges that are hard to deal with. Many teens feel as if they have no one to talk to about their problems. They may feel as if they are in this world alone and that they have to face challenges on their own.

There are many side effects of teens with depression. You have to watch out for these signs and make sure that you are aware of any changes that your teenager may be going through. There may be changes in the way that the child eats or sleeps. You need to watch them for this and make sure that you are not noticing any considerably difficult problems. Many teens will lose or gain weight. You may notice that the teen is missing school or their grades may even drop. This is something serious that needs to be dealt with at once.

There are some teens that will withdrawal from their friends and family too. Some will stop doing the things that interest them normally. This will be a major sign that many people need to look out for. Other teens with depression will overreact to a simple problem that they may have and will have many strong feelings that have to be dealt with. If a teen has a problem with depression, they may be faced with negative things like alcohol, drugs, and sex. These are things that will build up in their mind and may lead them to thoughts of suicide.

Jenny Glover is a doctor to depressionselfhelp.com.cn treatment depression

If you want to learn more about depression treatment visit the site
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How to Build Up Muscle Tips- Learn to Stay Injury-Free Before Learning How to Build Up Muscle

Friday, October 31st, 2008

Let’s face the truth, people. If you want to learn how to build up muscle, then you have to be prepared to train hard. If you go into the gym simply with the intention of going through the motions, you will not be able to see a significant muscle growth for a long time.

You see, muscles develop to a natural adaptive survival response, and they need a good reason to grow well.

This means that you have to continually overload your muscles with heavy weights and high intensity to achieve real results. This is undoubtedly the most effective means of stimulating muscle growth.

In order for you to train hard and train big, you first need to learn how to stay free from injuries. By knowing the golden rules of staying injury-free, you are increasing your chances of performing at an optimal level.

Obviously, one cannot expect to train hard and heavy and not get muscle aches and sores. In fact, while training to build up muscle, your joints and connective tissues are the ones that suffer the most.

There are no guarantees that you can completely avoid being injured. However, you can definitely learn how to take particular steps to lessen the possibility of getting injured.

There are a few tips on staying injury-free while doing your workouts in the gym. One of the most basic rules is of course, doing proper warm-ups before your routines.

A proper warm-up is the absolute necessity in order for you to minimize the risk of getting injured. A simple 15 to 20 minute process can go a long way in preparing your mind and body for the intensive work to follow through.

You can start off with a light cardiovascular exercise for 5 minutes and then follow through with 4 to 5 warm-up sets for your first major exercise of your routine. This will help to raise blood flow into your connective tissues and help to grease your joints.

A proper warm-up will help to condition your body before any major exercise and thus reducing any impacts or strains. Anyone who is seriously learning how to build up muscle should always learn how to stay injury-free first. The knowledge that you gain can benefit you in the long process.

Read up more on the ‘5 Golden Rules of Staying Injury Free’ here at rocksolidbody.info/blog/the-5-golden-rules-of-staying-injury-free-in-the-gym How to Build up Muscle.

Sick and tired of being weak and underweight? Let me take you by the hand and teach you exactly how to pack on pound after pound of lean, solid muscle weight in the shortest period of time possible. Without drugs, without special supplements and without spending countless hours in the gym here at rocksolidbody.info Rock Solid Body!

Quality Factors & Exercises Needed To Achieve A Stunning Physique!

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

Muscle sculpturing is one of the most difficult fitness program but very rewarding if you keep the rules and do it properly. It is a subject that you need to pay very close attention to all details therein if you are muscle sculpting. However, there are some fundamental factors governing the profitability or success of this venture which you must learn and have in mind, and work towards in other to reach your goals.

Some of these factors are principle and exercise workouts that you must use.
Here are some of them.

Balance:

In everything, you need balance to make it successful. So it applies to muscle sculpting. Balance gives you steadfastness and stability. It gives you poise, hope to continue in your quest for success, equilibrium in maintaining your exercise and dieting.

Consistency:

Reliability is the keyword here, consistency will help you to reach your goal of achieving your muscle sculpting exercise. You will have to sculpt your muscles to the shape that matches you if you are consistent all through. When you get to that point, you will need to continue exercising to maintain your shape.

Endurance workouts:

This exercise builds staying power, patience, and an increase in stamina and strength that will ultimately help you to withstand other workouts.

Strength training:

This is the workouts that builds strength, power, mental alertness, strengthening of the muscles and its tissues. It provides resistance to the muscles because as strength training is built, the resistance of the muscles is increased. Overall ability of strength training is its ability to help us fight or prevent health risks.

Progression workouts:

This will help your muscle movements and developments to advance towards a stunning physique.

Resistance training: This is the battle against the muscles so to speak as the muscles tries to withstand the force in the form of weight. It gives the muscle immense strength when it is properly administered. It should be minimally administered.

Consider all the above factors, combine exercises, consider and plan your diets carefully, then set goals to reach your aim, use action plan to carry it out, and behold the gradual development of a stunning physique in you in the nearest future.

Joe Okoro writes about Muscle Sculpting, fitness and Body building in his free reports. You can sign up for his courses and get additional information by visiting: musclesculptingonline.com musclesculptingonline.com

Abdominal Exercise Routine - Factors To Note

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

Millions of people in the whole world definitely know how helpful doing an abdominal exercise routine is in losing weight. Many of them, in fact, have been doing a variety of exercises that are developed to tone and strengthen the core muscles of the abdominals. They go to gyms and fitness centers to attend trainings and practices, and it’s nice to know that all of them have achieved certain changes not just on their body weight, but also in the appearance of their tummies.

Although a regular abdominal exercise routine is valuable in obtaining a toner and well-shaped abs, there are still certain factors that people must know about this considerable practice. First is that, the abdominal exercise routine must not be overdone for too much of them can make you feel uncomfortable. So just do whatever you can in a limit. If you want to do some sit ups, for instance, then you can eliminate the excess fat on your abdomen by simply doing the standard or recommended numbers of this exercise.

Another important thing to note about doing an abdominal exercise routine is that to obtain better results, the exercises must be coupled with proper diet. Too much dieting won’t help, so to stick with the right amount of meals a day. If what you are opting is not just a toned and well-shaped abdominals, but a slimmer waist, then it’s now time for you to cut your calorie intake. While doing all these things, you need to keep one fact in mind – your abdomen is going to look perfect if you will just stay focus on your abdominal exercises and diet.

While a regular exercise that is coupled with proper diet can help you get the look you want, it is still necessary for every interested individual to consider his or her overall health prior to taking any of the above mentioned steps. Yes, keeping a regular track of your health will make a big difference. One easy way to do this is to consult your doctor about your health condition and everything that will affect your weight loss and abdominal strengthening and toning purposes. If you are pregnant, for instance, then the more you need to consult a physician. He or she will help you determine what particular practices or movements you need to incorporate into your abdominal exercise routine. Note that pregnant women are generally not allowed to do heavy exercises because of their condition. So, just the basics of abdominal exercises will work.

Now, are you thinking of starting an abdominal exercise routine? Want something healthy? As mentioned, there’s nothing else you can do than to consult an expert to know more about your condition, and then perform abdominal exercises coupled with proper diet.

Milos Pesic is a professional fitness trainer who runs a highly popular and comprehensive abs.need-to-know.net/ Abdominal Training web site. For more articles and resources on abdominal exercises, abdominal workout tips, abdominal fitness equipment and much more visit his site at:

abs.need-to-know.net/ abs.need-to-know.net

Use of Colloidal Silver in treatment of Baby Acne

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

Parents’ concerned about the baby’s health is a natural phenomenon. Everybody wants and make all out efforts to ensure that their baby had good health and soft, smooth skin. Baby acne is one of the skin conditions that can make the unpleasant appearance for the baby.

Generally, baby acne is result of mother’s hormones which are passed to the bay during pregnancy. However, this acne doesn’t appear after three to four weeks after the birth. The hormones passed from mother trigger the production of oils and lead to development of acne. Use of certain medication may be the factor behind occurrence of baby acne in some cases. Contact with saliva or milk of the affected area can worsen the baby acne condition. Crying, which is the natural thing for babies, increases the blood flow towards skin. Such increased blood flow can cause irritation to the baby’s skin.

There some remedies like washing of affected area with mild soap and water used traditionally for relieving baby acne. You must understand that acne is caused by clogging of pores that is caused due to accumulation of dead cells and excessive oil. Never use harsh soaps or scrubs for cleaning baby’s face. It could aggravate the condition. Use of warm water may help up to certain extent.

There are some over-the-counter medications available for treatment of baby acne. However, it is advisable that you consult your health care provider before using such medications as selecting wrong medication can lead to certain skin disorders.

Use of colloidal silver products is considered as one of the safe remedies for treating baby acne. The silver particles in the colloidal silver products disinfect the area and kills bacteria that are main cause behind occurrence of baby acne. Most importantly silver particles kill only infected tissues without harming other tissues or body systems. Colloidal silver is available in solution form. Usually, colloidal silver is applied topically to baby acne. As the micro-organisms present in the baby acne comes in contact with the colloidal silver product, the silver particles in the product kills the bacteria by attacking enzymes (that are required for development of bacteria). As a result of this attack the micro-organisms get suffocated and die. These dead organisms are then eliminated through lymphatic system.

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Is the Avian Bird Flu the Next Black Plague?

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

Diseases have the potential to turn into epidemics, however none have been as devastating in history as the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) which rampaged the earth for the better part of 2 centuries having a death toll in the millions. A new disease The Bird Flu (H5N1) has recently cropped up (2003) and there are some similarities between this disease and the Black Plague which are too scary to ignore.

The Black Death broke out in China in the early 1300’s and quickly spread Westward into Europe and throughout the world. The Avian (bird) Flu also had it’s initial breakout in the East (Vietnam) in 2003 and has been steadily moving west to include countries such as China, Thailand, Indonesia, Egypt and Turkey to name a few.

Animal hosts which spread the virus were key in both diseases. For the Bubonic Plague it was rats which carried fleas which were capable of infecting humans. These rats stowed away on boats which aided in the transmission of the disease across the continents. In the Bird Flu it is the birds which carry the disease. With the ability of flight and the fact that this disease can strike domestic species as well as wild birds which often migrate, the potential for the disease to spread rapidly is very real.

In fact in order for a disease to be considered a pandemic (rampant or uncontrollable disease), three conditions must be met.

1. A new form of a virus subtype must emerge for which there is little or no human immunity.

2. The virus must be able to infect humans and cause illness.

3. It must spread easily and without interruption among humans.

The Avian Flu has met the first 2 conditions listed above with nearly 300 cases of human infection causing illnesses such as fever, cough, sore throat, muscles ache, eye infections, pneumonia and even severe respiratory distress. There is little human resistance to this disease as infected individuals show a mortality rate of greater then 50%.

Fortunately the third criterion has yet to be met. To date, the only method of transmission is from direct contact with excretions or secretions or surfaces covered in these materials from infected birds. Human to human infection has in a few rare cases occurred but has not gone beyond a single individual. This means that while the disease is dangerous it is difficult for humans to become infected at this stage.

Another danger lies in the possibility of the virus being able to infect other intermediary hosts. To date the virus has been found in birds, pigs, cats (both large and domestic) and ferrets. In laboratory testing dogs have been able to be artificially infected with the virus but it has not been shown to occur in the natural world. Domestic and feral cats have become infected by eating raw meat of infected birds, however to date cats have not been able to pass the disease on to humans.

Viruses mutate at a vast rate (often within a few months), however many mutations are possible. Some make the virus more virulent (dangerous) while others can make it benign (safe). However it is a guessing game as to which form the new mutations will take on.

The Black Death was so devastating partially because modern medicine did not exist and vaccinations, antibiotics and antiviral medications were not available. Today the Bird flu has been shown to be resistant to 2 of the 4 antiviral medications on the market today (the other 2 have yet to be tested). No vaccine has been developed for this strain of Flu virus so currently the effects of the Bird Flu could be similar to those of the Black Death if it were to become rampant in the human population.

Although the similarities are scary currently there is no need for excessive alarm regarding the Bird Flu as human infection rate is low. Vigilance from the various World Health Organizations is needed to keep track of the Avian Flu’s progress and also to aid in the development of vaccinations and treatments for this virus in the case that a mutation occurs which allows it to pass freely through the human population.

Evangeline Siri is an amercian biologist that studied in Missouri, Florida and now continues disease research near Bangkok Thailand. Her website is AvianBirdFluDefense.com AvianBirdFluDefense.com

Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Mind

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a common chronic condition with symptoms of abdominal pain, altered bowel habit and form, and bloating. Even though up to 20% of people globally suffer from IBS, no one knows the true cause, there is no physical abnormality, no treatment works for a large group of patients and there is no cure.

The mind connection begins with the potential causes. There is a higher incidence of childhood abuse in IBS group. Talley et al said that 50% of IBS sufferers reported abuse in childhood. Drossman said the more severe the IBS, the more severe the abuse.

All new IBS books dedicate at least one chapter on the Body Mind aspect of IBS. The suggestion is that the Brain-Gut Axis is faulty in patients with IBS.

In addition treatment with cognitive behavioural therapy, psychotherapy, biofeedback and hypnotherapy are producing surprisingly encouraging results.

Technology has isolated areas of the brain that trigger specific effects on the gut. A highly developed Scanner has shown during emotional distress, a part of the brain, the mid-cingulate cortex being stimulated. When this area is over stimulated, abdominal pain and/ or diarrhoea develops.

Studies have shown that hypnotherapy works extremely well. Some cases of refractory (nothing works) IBS, following hypnotherapy are able to lead normal lives and eat food that were previously triggers. Hypnotherapy adjusts information in the subconscious mind.

If a person with severe IBS suddenly decides that she can control her IBS symptoms, specific sequence of activity will follow. Surrounding the subconscious mind is the Critical Factor. It permits information to go pass if it is in line with stored information and refuse entry to contrary information.

The information “I can control my IBS” reaches the Critical Factor. The Critical Factor will now do a search just like Google. It will search the vast information highway of your subconscious mind. The search result: There is no info that you can control your IBS in your subconscious Mind. You have been Googled. This information will be blocked. It will reside only in the conscious mind. In other words the control will not be forthcoming.

During hypnotherapy, you are put into a deep altered sleep. During this trance state, the Critical Factor relaxes and allows the hypnotist to plant and remove information. After several sessions all the negative messages about IBS is removed and replaced by positive ones. These patients are now able too lead normal lives.

Some hypnotists plant images in case symptoms such as pain develop. If this patient developed gut pain, and she puts her hand on her tummy, she can create a picture of her gut as a smooth lazy river slowly flowing along with no kinks or white water rapids. Through the mind, these patients are programmed to control their symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Your mind and IBS are closely interconnected. Your symptoms and specific triggers depend on information in your subconscious mind, and this information is gathered from past event and knowledge. In time this becomes a conditioned reflex and your IBS will react like before because the body remembers. This reaction will be specific to you and different from other IBS sufferers because of different stored Information.

Remember you are not alone. There are millions of Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers globally. Take a positive attitude and create positive expectation for your IBS. Surround yourself with people that inspire you. Talk freely about your IBS. This could be your important step towards gaining control of your IBS.

Dr. Phil Hariram is retired General Practitioner. He believes that Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Mind are strongly interconnected and control is possible by harnessing the power of the Mind.
Learn more at

Powerbreathe, Lung Conditioner, and Breathing Exerciser

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

What is The Powerbreathe?

POWERbreathe is the result of nearly a decade of research, and was designed by professional exercise scientists at Birmingham University and Loughborough University, UK. There are three models designed for specific uses: Wellness, Fitness and Sports Performance.

POWERbreathe, a hand-held inspiratory muscle trainer is a unique, simple-to-use, drug free product designed to help maximise sports performance, improve fitness and reduce breathlessness. It uses the basic principles of resistance training, with adjustable load which caters for all capabilities and permits progressive training.

‘Dumb-bells for your lungs’

Just as you might use weights to strengthen your arm muscles, breathing in through POWERbreathe for a few minutes twice daily, makes your inspiratory muscles work harder - thereby increasing their strength and endurance. It is an easy-to-use, drug-free, hand-held device with a comfortable mouthpiece. Within a few days your inspiratory muscles will feel stronger and within four weeks your lung function, and ultimately performance, will improve.

Fitness Powerbreathe

This version of the Powerbreathe is ideal for recreationally active individuals, helps improve fitness levels, makes breathing feel easier during exercise.

“My experience as a sport scientist and respiratory physiologist has demonstrated that good (comfortable) breathing technique is only possible if your breathing muscles are in good shape. Our research has shown that training with POWERbreathe gives breathing ‘power and reserve’, making a workout more comfortable and enjoyable” - Dr Alison McConnell

Sports Performance Powerbreathe

This version of the Powerbreathe is an essential aid for athletes looking for a competitive edge, proven to enhance performance by 30%, used as a warm up aid, boosts inpirational muscle performance.

“My research over the past decade has convinced me that the work associated with breathing limits athletic performance. Athletes who want to maximise their performance should address their breathing specifically, because their normal training fails to do so. Our research shows that training with POWERbreathe increases the power and endurance of breathing and improves athletic performance significantly” - Dr Alison McConnell

Wellness Powerbreathe

This version of the Powerbreathe alleviates the symptoms of asthma, reduces breathlessness, relieves symptoms of emphysema and bronchitis.

“Breathing problems due to illness, or simply getting older, can become a barrier to doing the things we used to enjoy. Our research has shown that using the POWERbreathe restores breathing power and reduces breathlessness in those with conditions such as asthma or emphysema” - Dr Alison McConnell

livingiseasy.co.uk/search/?search=powerbreathe

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