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Saturday, December 8, 2007

Sugar and the pH miracle diet

The pH diet stresses a balanced approach to eating. By limiting the intake of acidic foods and increasing the intake of alkaline foods one can achieve optimum health. One of the main factors in the fight against acidic pH levels is sugar. Sugar is an epidemic in our modern world. The average American consumes 2 to 3 pounds of sugar each week, that translates to over 135 pounds of sugar per person per year. This alarming number is attributed to the wide popularity of sugar as an additive. Sugar is in everything, hiding in various forms. Sucrose, dextrose, and high fructose corn syrups are active ingredient in all processed food and condiments. These highly refined sweeteners leave a bitter taste in the mouths of those who are starting out on the pH diet due to their universal acceptance as a “necessary evil’

With sugar’s radical effect on insulin levels, the body has no fighting chance against the damage. When insulin levels drop; so do the release of growth hormone. These growth hormones depress the immune system that leaves the body open to a host of diseases and maladies. Insulin also inhibits the body’s ability to fight off weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels. Put quite simply, the higher in simple sugars a food is, the more likely it will promote fat storage in the body. These stored fat cells play a host to acidic waste that in turn degrade the structure of red blood cells in the bloodstream.

Sugar also fights for control of the cellular development in the body with Vitamin C. From a structural standpoint, Vitamin C and Simple Sugar are quite similar. As sugar levels go up in the body, they compete with one another when they enter cells. If there is a higher concentration of sugar in the bloodstream which will allow more sugar into thirsty cells leaving little to no room for Vitamin C. Without the phagocytizing effects of Vitamn C on cellular structures they are unable to fend off the attacks of viruses and bacteria. Lower white blood cell counts equal a suppressed immune system that isn’t strong enough to protect the body.

Sugar is devoid of vitamins and minerals and upon absorption steals vital micro-nutrients to help it metabolize into the system. A deficit is created when these micro-nutrients are not replaced. This deficiency causes fat cells and cholesterol to not be metabolized thus leading to high blood pressure and obesity. The ability of sugar to raise insulin levels artificially eventually leaves the pancreas dysfunctional and the body dependent on sugar. This is commonly referred to as diabetes. Simple sugars have also been attributed to gallstones, mood disorders, heart disease and even asthma. With all of the negative effects that sugars have been clinically linked to, is it any wonder that sugar is also one of the most acidic things you can put into your body.

Cancer is the most dangerous result of heavy sugar dependence. Cancerous cells thrive on lactic acid. This lactic acid produced by fermenting glucose is transported into the liver. A more acidic PH is produced by this buildup of lactic acid in the cancerous cells, the highly acidic nature of cancerous tumors is testament to this. The connection between sugars and unhealthy acidic levels in the bloodstream is clearly drawn through the connection of glucose (sugar) and cancerous cells. Simple sugars are quite simply a poison to the body that will eventually deteriorate the quality of cellular development and suppress the immune system to the point of failure.

By balancing the diet with an 80% alkaline and 20% acid induction of foods, supplements, and beverages you can decrease the risk of disease in the body. By replacing simple sugars with more complex ones or alkaline-based sweeteners such as Stevia, one can decrease the dependence on simple sugars and avoid bad health. Look carefully at ingredient labels and be aware of the many names that simple sugars hide behind. Become educated on how the body metabolizes simple sugars, as well as how carbohydrates can be broken down into simple sugars in the bloodstream. By arming yourself with information you can improve the quality of your life.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Atkins and Appetite Suppression

One of the most common, and surprising, effects of following the Atkins diet is appetite suppression. Many followers of the plan report that the between meal hunger pangs they used to experience fade away very quickly. This makes it easier to stay on the diet and continue to lose weight. While other diets have their followers starving between meals, the Atkins diet offers relief from constant hunger. The Atkins diet, with its specific combination of foods and ingredients, has powerful appetite suppressing effects.

The first key component is the amount of protein in the Atkins diet. Protein, more so than carbohydrates, has the power to satiate hunger. If you’ve ever eaten a carb heavy meal and then felt hungry afterward, you know that carbohydrates don’t have much staying power. Protein, when combined with a small amount of healthy fats, can keep you feeling full for long periods of time.

One of the most powerful appetite suppressing foods on the Atkins diet are eggs. Eggs are a great form of quick and easy protein. A recent study showed that eating eggs for breakfast would actually stave off hunger pangs through the rest of the day. The research concerned two groups of women. One group ate eggs for breakfast and the other had a breakfast of bagels and cream cheese. The calorie count for both breakfasts was exactly the same. The subjects kept track of what they ate the rest of the day and answered questions about their levels of hunger and satisfaction throughout the day. The results showed that the women who ate the eggs for breakfast felt more satisfied throughout the entire day. They ate less at each meal than the women who were in the bagel group.

Eggs contain about 6 grams of protein each. This helps to even out blood sugar and produces a feeling of satisfaction. Both of these factors help to curb cravings. Egg yolks also contain lutein and xenazanthin. These nutrients have been shown to have incredible effects on eye health. So it’s important to eat the whole egg, and not just the white. Eggs contain choline that is important in brain functioning and memory. These nutrients are just an added benefit to the appetite suppressing qualities.

Broccoli and cauliflower, two of the acceptable vegetables on the Atkins program, also have appetite-suppressing effects. These vegetables are very bulky and they help make your stomach feel full. When your stomach feels full, it will actually create a chemical response in your body. Your body will reduce its appetite because it believes that your stomach is full of high calorie foods. This will happen regardless of what is in your stomach. You can achieve the same results with water and psyllium husk fiber. Both broccoli and cauliflower provide bulk in your diet and are essential vegetables on the Atkins plan.

The Atkins diet focuses on eating small protein balanced meals a few times per day. This will help keep your blood sugar stabilized and avoid carbohydrate cravings. With high carbohydrate diets, you are riding the wave of carbohydrate highs. After you eat, you feel great and full. Then a few hours later, you come crashing down and are hungrier than you were previous to eating the carbohydrate. This cycle continues and, over time, you will eat more and gain weight. The protein, fat and vegetable meals of the Atkins plan put your blood sugar back in balance. They provide just enough of each type of food, with a proper amount of carbohydrates (from the vegetables). The vegetables provide quick carbohydrate energy, and the protein gives the meal staying power. This combination helps suppress your appetite.

The Atkins diet is actually a craving control diet that can help suppress your appetite. If you’ve had a problem with carbohydrate cravings before, this new way of eating will help control those cravings. The more you eat on the plan, the better your cravings will be controlled and the easier it will be to follow the diet.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Lose Weight In Time For Christmas

How much weight did you put on from the Thanksgiving dinner?

How much more have you gained from eating the left overs?

Soon after the Thanksgiving feast come all the Christmas parties and year end parties. You know those parties where everyone is dressed to kill and you get to wear fabulous party dresses... only that, they may no longer fit.

Whoever planned the holiday calendar must have had a sadistic streak. First, have a feast where you end up pigging out. Then, with all those extra pounds, squeeze into your party dresses for one party after another. Maybe in those days, fat was considered beautiful.

Would you fit into your party dresses? Will your belly bulge be more prominent. Tune in to.. whatever.

There is still time to lose weight in time for Christmas parties. How much you lose depends really on how motivated you are to lose weight. You must want to do it for yourself, not for someone else. It involves lots of discipline as you have to stick to an exercise schedule and watch what and how much you eat. Sure, there are quick fixes like pills and surgery, but the old fashion way, through diet and exercise is the healthiest way to go.

There is no need to starve yourself to get into that dress. Okay, your stomach may growl if you cut down your food intake, but there is no need to eat until like 100% full. Do like the French women. Eat until you are 80% full, then stop.

Control your food portion. Substitute junk food with healthy, yet tasty alternatives. Grill your food instead of deep frying. Eat fruit instead of candy. Frozen milk or yogurt instead of ice cream. A small scoop of vanilla ice cream is an okay treat a few times a week but hold the hot fudge, peanuts and other trimmings. Dress it with fresh fruit instead.

Remove the skin from the chicken before you eat it and eat chicken breast meat, or better yet, turkey breast. Eat lots of white fish.

Skip soft drinks or sweetened drinks in favour of water.

Get a calorie counter and a food diary. Record everything you eat and compute how many calories you consume each day. Make it a point to reduce the calories every way you can through food subsitutions and by watching your portion size.

When you party, go for sushi. Avoid the creamy ones though. Drink water instead of punch. Limit alcohol to a glass of the best wine you can get or a glass of the best champagne as alcohol is very high in calories.

Besides reducing your calorie intake, set aside 45 minutes everyday to exercise.

Go for a jog. Put on your sweats and run around the block.

Live in an apartment? Climb the stairs. Just go all the way up to the top of the building and down again, until the 45 minutes are up.

Hit the gym every day and workout for at least 45 minutes each time. Or get yourself a treadmill and set aside 45 minutes a day to run.

If that is beyond your budget, get a skipping rope and jump rope for 45 minutes. Get a hoola hoop to vary that with your skipping. Do jumping jacks as well.

Or invest in a workout video. There are so many available. Pick one that interests you or a few you can rotate to keep your workout from becoming boring.

Stick to this everyday and you should get in shape in time for Christmas


About the Author
To lose weight fast: http://www.home-weight-loss-programs.com/fast_weight_loss.htm For healthy meals, use the recipes that come with http://www.allkitchen.info/gtexpress.php express More on weight loss at http://www.cheapestsale.com/health/weight-loss.html

Healthy Eating Tips which you must follow

"Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy" - this is a common saying and it is very unlikely if you have not heard it in your lifetime. Every one of us wants to stay healthy. To maintain a healthy life, we need healthy diet too. Without having a healthy diet, we may not even survive too long. But healthy eating style does not necessarily mean a boring diet. On the contrary, you can add a great variety in your healthy diet and enjoy its delicious flavor.

Practically, there is no secret about healthy eating. This should be a perfect blend of variety, balance and regulation. Additionally, you need to promote healthy lifestyle in terms of maintaining few useful strategies such as not smoking, minimum level of alcohol consumption, and stress management. In this article, we will explore few great healthy eating tips that can keep you healthy without compromising your taste-buds.

Add fish meals at least twice a week

Typically fish is a 'must-have' inclusion in healthy eating tips. It is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. If you take at least 2 fish meals in a week, it offers you a great health benefits such as lowering high blood pressure, cardiac problems, and lowering cholesterol level.

Omega-3 fatty acids can not be produced by our body. Omega-3 fatty acids are helpful in decreasing cardiac problems, reducing high blood pressure, reducing the risk of arthritis, regulating abnormal heart rhythms, and promoting healthy brain function.

Add varied lean red meat meals several times a week

While considering healthy eating tips, a special emphasis must be given on lean red meat meals. You may have this meal several times a week. If you are a vegetarian, you must have legume or nuts daily in your diet. If you do not have it or its alternatives in your daily diet, it means you are lacking the required supply of iron and zinc. These are the essential minerals that can keep your brain healthy and active.

Add vegetables and fruits in daily diet

Vegetables and fruits are great source of dietary fiber. We need dietary fiber in our daily diet. It helps us not getting constipated. Additionally, it has other health benefits such as lowering cholesterol level, regulating glucose level and reducing the risk of cardiac problems. Remember it as an important ingredient of healthy eating tips.

Avoid eating in heavy volume

This is one of the important healthy eating tips that you probably should not avoid. Different scientific studies confirm that if you take your food in frequent segments rather than having it in bulk at a given time, it promotes healthy metabolism. That means, if you supply low amount of foods in different periods of time in a day, you actually help you metabolic system to function more efficiently. Hence, it lowers the risk of accumulated fat in the body and allows you to stay fat-free and healthy.

Drink plenty amount of water

'Water is life' and possibly there is no one on the face of earth who can deny the fact. Every one knows the health benefits of water. This is an essential part of healthy eating tips.

Almost 2/3rds part of our body is made up of water. Our blood contains 83% water, our muscles contain 75% water, our brain consists of 74% water and bone contains 22% water. Literally, the benefits we receive from drinking water are countless. Water is essential to absorb vitamins and nutrients in the blood stream. It also promotes the detoxification process by carrying out the bodily wastages from the body. Apart from that, it helps keep skin glowing and healthy. You should drink 5-6 liters of water daily to keep your system clean and healthy.

Exercise, Exercise and More Exercise

Although not directly belongs to the area of healthy eating tips, but if you wish to maintain a life in a healthy fashion, doing regular exercise has no other alternatives. You need to follow a daily schedule for exercise along with healthy diets to keep yourself fit and steady.

Dr John Anne is an ayurvedic doctor having years of experience in the field of Ayurveda and Alternative medicine. Visit Evening Primrose Oil Benefits at http://www.healthvitaminsguide.com - Information on Vitamins, Minerals and Amino Acids. Also visit Vitamin D Benefits and Sources for useful Information on Vitamin D.


About the Author
Dr John anne

Shampoo & Conditioner sometimes can do more Harm than Good

Hair is really very strong and does not pull out easily but it is possible with poor grooming to create a more unstable situation where hair thinning and breakage can be evident.

Although it is true that hair de-tangles much better if combed when wet try avoiding the use of fine tooth combs on wet hair as this is a common cause of hair splitting and breakage. Brushing wet hair can also cause weakening too if carried out too forcefully. The additional pressures on the shafts of hair when wet can cause problems. It is best to brush your hair before washing as this can stimulate the scalp and encourage blood flow to the follicles maintaining good health and healthy growth. Brushing will also remove dead flaking skin cells and make thorough cleansing of the scalp that much easier when shampooing.

Be aware that frequent shampooing is also likely to damage your hair. Whilst we all like to have clean shiny hair, you can have too much of a good thing and shampooing your hair too frequently can deprive it of certain minerals such as calcium, iron and phosphorus. If you must shampoo frequently then it is probably better to choose a shampoo containing only natural products. Look for a product containing keratin, this is a colourless natural protein which makes this outermost layer of the skin almost waterproof, and along with collagen and elastin, gives skin its strength it is also present in the cuticle cells at the base of the follicle. The cuticle cells form protective sheaths around the hair keeping it in good condition but they can be damaged by excessive washing, shampooing and artificial drying, restoring the keratin element can restore dry looking, brittle hair.

A lot of the shampoos you buy use alkaline ingredients to soften hair and increase hair volume by swelling the hair shafts. Conditioners also contain such ingredients to affect similar changes but try to find one with a well balanced acid/alkali ingredient a pH level of 5.5 is about right.

Other natural ingredients to look for are aloe vera, sage, nettle, burdock and chamomile.

Using perms and hair colours? Then you should be careful as some of the chemicals found in the ingredients can cause damage to the hair shafts and follicles and can be the cause of some hair loss.

Leave your hair untreated as much as is possible and you should never use a mix of chemical processes on your hair if you want to keep your hair as well as wanting to keeping it looking good for as long as possible.

Styling can cause problems too, pulling your hair too tight when using braids or even ponytails can cause your hair to be stressed and may even lead to thinning in the affected areas.

What to do for the best? A natural approach really if at all possible as leaving your hair in a loose style without over manipulation will lead to the best possible effect.

About the Author
Brian Potter is researching hair loss and hair loss products containing natural ingredients. For advice and recommendations visit his website http://www.hairlossassistant.com

Saturday, November 24, 2007

pH miracle diet and weight loss

One of the biggest benefits of the pH miracle diet is weight loss. Many people have turned to this diet to lose weight as well as to improve their overall level of health The pH miracle diet is very efficient at removing extra weight.

Obesity is a nationwide epidemic. According to recent studies, over 59 million adults over the age of 20 are obese (30 or more pounds overweight). One in three Americans have a some degree of being overweight that puts them at medical risk for many different conditions, including heart disease, heart attack, diabetes and hypertension. Even more startling is the number of children that qualify as overweight and obese. In the early 1990s the National Center for Health Statistics found that 15 percent of children between 6 and 19 were overweight, which was twice as much as the results found in the early 1980s. The numbers have grown even more significant. Today, 9 million children are at least 15 pounds overweight with many millions qualifying as obese.

What is to blame for these alarming obesity rates? The environment of highly acidic foods and high levels of stress have made for a disastrous combination. The more acidic a body becomes, the more fat the body will store. Overweight conditions result from too much acid in the body. Eliminating acid from the diet with the pH miracle diet will help you lose weight.

The accumulation of fat is actually the body’s attempt to deal with the high levels of acid waste. Many people think that fat is bad and that fat is the enemy that needs to be attacked. Fat is just a symptom of a larger problem – acidity. You may be surprised to find out that your fat is saving your life. Fat is actually protecting your body from rising levels of acidity. When you eat massive amounts of sugar, starches, red meat, dairy products and other acidic foods, your body uses fat to bind to the acid to protect your cells.

The acidic cycle in your body functions in the following way. When you eat foods that produce acid when they are digested, this acid builds up in your body. When the acid is not eliminated in a timely fashion, it can disturb other cells and get in the way of their functioning. Pretty soon, many cells in the body are being negatively affected by the presence of acid. However, the body has a line of defense in the form of fat. Dietary and body fat are both used to neutralize the acid. The acid bound fat is either eliminated or stored, depending on how much there is. The body can only rid itself of so much acid bound fat, so when you eat a lot of acidic foods you will store a lot of fat.

So people who are overweight and obese are actually showing signs of being too acid. Their diets are too much for their body to handle, so body fat is being used as a line of defense. Fat is a symptom, not the main problem. Many people begin to think that eliminating fat from their diets is the key. However if they are still eating acidic foods they are actually robbing their bodies of the ability to protect themselves. Low-carbohydrate and high protein diets have high levels of fat, but the people on these diets need that fat because their diet is highly acidic (animal protein has acidifying effects).

The dietary solution for weight loss is to follow a program that is high in alkaline foods. The pH miracle diet balances out the acidity that you have been developing in your body and will restore you to your ideal weight.

Atkins Diet Basics

The Atkins diet is not a new phenomenon. The diet first appeared in the late 1970s and has grown popularity in recent years in response to the low-fat diet craze. As dieters had trouble with low-fat plans, they searched for a new solution and Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution book found a new audience.

A lot of people have jumped on the Atkins bandwagon and there has been a lot of hype as a result. But what are the basic principles of the Atkins diet?

The Atkins diet is based on a theory of why we get fat. According to Dr. Atkins, the over-consumption of carbohydrates and simple sugars leads to weight gain. The way your body processes the carbohydrates you eat have more to do with your waistline than the amount of fat or calories that you consume. In his book, Atkins outlines a phenomenon called “insulin resistance.” He theorizes that many overweight people have cells that do not work correctly.

When you eat excess carbohydrates and sugar, your body notices that sugar levels are elevated. Insulin is released from the pancreas in order to store sugar as glycogen in the liver and muscle cells for extra energy later on. However, your body can only store so much glycogen at once. As soon as your body reaches its limit for glycogen storage, the excess carbohydrates are stored as fat. This happens to everyone who eats too many carbohydrates.

However, insulin resistant individuals have an even harder time of using and storing excess carbohydrates. The more insulin that your body is exposed to, the more resistant it becomes. Overtime, the pancreas releases more insulin and cells become insulin resistant. The cells are trying to protect themselves from the toxic effects of high insulin. They create less glycogen and more fat.

As a result, insulin resistant individuals gain extra weight. The carbohydrates get converted into fat instead of energy. Other side effects include fatigue, brain “fog” (the inability to focus, poor memory, loss of creativity), low blood sugar (which can leads to hypoglycemia), intestinal bloating, sleepiness, depression and increased blood sugar. There is much more than weight at stake when you are insulin resistant.

The remedy for people who are insulin resistant is a diet restricted in carbohydrates. The crux of the Atkins diet is a limitation of carbohydrates in all of its forms. The foods restricted on the Atkins plan include simple sugars (like cookies, sodas and sweets) and complex carbohydrates (like bread, rice and grains). Even carbohydrates that are considered healthy, such as oatmeal, brown rice and whole wheat bread, are restricted on the program.

The diet has you restrict your carbohydrate intake to less than 40 grams a day. This will put your body in a state of ketosis. While in ketosis, your body will burn fat as fuel. According to Dr. Atkins’ research, the ketosis state will also affect insulin production and it will prevent more fat from being formed. Your body will begin using your stored fat as an efficient form of fuel, and you’ll lose weight.
Another benefit of the Atkins plan is that ketosis will end your cravings for carbohydrates. If you’ve been living on a carb-heavy diet, you may have found that you simply cannot get enough carbohydrates. With carbohydrate restriction and ketosis comes a reduction in carbohydrate cravings. People who have been on the Atkins diet for some time report that they do not crave carbohydrates as they once did.

Although the initial phases of the Atkins diet are rather strict, the program teaches you to restore balance to your diet in the long run. People who use the diet slowly reintroduce minimal amounts of carbohydrate into their eating until they find a comfortable balance between their health and carbohydrate use.

The basic principles of the Atkins diet have been adapted to many other low-carb diet plans. However, Atkins popularity still remains strong as one of the most effective low-carbohydrate solutions for those who are insulin resistant.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Atkins and Exercise

There is a lot of attention paid in the Atkins diet plan towards food and cooking. It’s true that your food choices on the diet are of utmost importance. But a lot of people make the mistake of ignoring exercise. The newly released Atkins food pyramid shows the importance of exercise. It shows an increase in food options with increased activity. Exercise is important on the Atkins diet, and important for everyone’s overall health.

Exercise is beneficial to body, mind and soul. It has many major benefits, even at limited levels. It not only burns fat but it boosts your metabolism and increases circulation. Daily exercise helps your body eliminate toxins through sweat glands and lymph systems. It is especially important to all low-carb weight loss programs because it regulates blood sugar levels.

Physical exercise is essential for Atkins diet success. Without exercise, your body isn’t configured to process carbohydrates successfully. Research has shown that sedentary individuals have extreme insulin reactions to even moderate amounts of carbohydrates. This means that exercise doesn’t only help you lose weight, it will help you keep it off too. Exercise will teach your body how to process the carbohydrates in your diet. When you exercise regularly, you’ll be able to eat more carbohydrates over time because your body will use them efficiently.

There are two basic types of exercise: aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise. The best regimen combines these two forms each week.

Aerobic exercise’s primary goal is to increase your heart rate. This causes your body to consume more oxygen and it gives all of your cells a fresh supply of oxygen. If you’ve been without physical activity for a while, many of those cells have been deprived. Aerobic exercise will regenerate them and help you feel better in times when you aren’t exercising.

If you’ve been inactive for a while, it may take some time to get used to your new aerobic workouts. You may want to get some advice from your primary care doctor or a professional aerobics instructor. Make sure to start slowly to give yourself time to adjust to your new movements. It’s essential that you learn how to stretch and warm up correctly in order to avoid muscle strain. Some good beginning aerobic activities include walking, golf, tennis and dancing. These activities won’t cause a lot of strain on your body, but they will get your heart moving. Start slowly and set small goals for yourself. For example, if you are starting a walking program begin by walking four blocks. Then increase your training to five blocks, then six. Your body will respond well to the exercise…after all your body was meant to move!

Anaerobic exercise includes any activity that isn’t technically aerobic. Most of the exercises in this category build muscle mass. Weightlifting and strength training are examples of anaerobic exercises. Working out with weights is an important part of losing weight. As you lose fat, you’ll need to replace it with muscle in order to stay lean. Don’t be afraid of working out with weights. You won’t need to become a bodybuilder. Weight bearing exercises like isometrics and resistance training will help improve your bone density, your posture and your fat burning potential.

If an exercise program is not part of your weight loss efforts, you are setting yourself up for failure. Make a commitment to incorporating exercise into your weight loss efforts and you’ll see the results immediately.

Where to Find Free Anger Management Advice

Coping daily with anger issues individually or in a family environment is stressful. Anger brings out the worst in people and causes them to act recklessly and often violently. Families break up because of anger. People are abused by individuals who have problems controlling their anger. It is unfortunate when bad things happen because of anger. There is plenty of help for people experiencing behavioral problems arising from anger. There is free anger management advice available for those who are seeking solutions to their problems.

When a person realizes the time has arrived to seek anger management advice, a doctor ought to be able to provide information regarding free anger management advice. Normally, in every area there are government and medical organizations which are trained to deal with behavioral issues. Offering free anger management advice is likely one of their services to the general public. Making an appointment with or contacting a social worker in the area should help an individual to obtain free anger management.

For a school-age child, there ought to be free anger management advice offered at school. A guidance counselor or school nurse would be able to help a child with anger issues. If the problem was serious or involved the child's family, it may be passed on to a professional counselor who would access the situation and provide free anger management advice regarding support groups, techniques and other helpful details about anger management.

Sometimes a person may come across free anger management advice in a magazine or some other family publication. Since this issue seems to be a hot topic in society today, often it is touched on or discussed in family oriented material. Obtaining copies of this material may be a means of individual awareness and free anger management advice.

The Internet is perhaps one of the best sources for free anger management advice. There are countless sites dedicated to anger management and coping mechanisms. Prepared by government, social programs and other concerned individuals and groups, these sites offer people plenty detailed information and advice about anger management. Finding these sites is quite easy. A simple search for free anger management will produce many links to useful sites. There's free anger management sites designed solely for children and or teenagers. There are sites hosted for couples and families. There are many sites which are loaded with free anger management advice to be used by anyone.

It is a wonderful opportunity to have access to free anger management. This information is meant to help people deal with their issues with anger. However if people find free anger management advice and information, it is useless if they don't apply it to their situations. Obviously many people have realized how much anger issues effect society. This is why they've spent their time, energy and money, to provide free anger management. It is disappointing to know that people are not taking advantage of these opportunities to control or eliminate their feelings of rage and anger. Free anger management is an invitation for people to realize and work on their problems controlling their anger.

Preventable death and the pH miracle diet

The Center of Disease Control and Prevention evaluates several health factors when it compiles its list of preventable causes of death. Among the expected conditions on the list were death from tobacco, death from alcohol consumption and death from drugs. However, surprisingly, poor diet and lack of physical activity is actually the number 2 cause of preventable death in the U.S. It is poised to take over the number 1 spot from tobacco in the coming years.

Poor diet and lack of exercise currently count for 16.6% of total deaths, or 400,000 deaths in the United States each year. Yet the last twenty to thirty years have been marked with an increased interest in dieting and exercise. Most adults, especially women, claim they are on diets at least once a year. Despite this commitment, the nation is continuing to get fatter. Obesity rates are at an all time high, and childhood obesity is on the rise for the first time ever.

If many people are on diets, but the vast majority of the population is still overweight and unhealthy, the problem lies with the diets that people are trying. The pH miracle diet addresses the missing ingredient in today’s diet that is causing people to gain weight even when they think they are eating healthfully. Conventional diets disregard the body’s natural pH. They encourage eating a variety of foods that are acidic to the body.

Low-fat diets fail because they often substitute sugar for fat. They also allow processed grain products, dairy products and acidifying vegetables. Low-carbohydrate diets fail because they emphasize meat and other dairy proteins, which knock the body’s natural pH off balance.

Dr. Robert Young, the creator of the pH miracle diet, explains that the best diet will address the pH factor. The body has a pH of 7.4, which is slightly alkaline. Eating alkaline foods and taking steps to reduce stress will help bring the body back into balance. Many of the conditions that people suffer from are a result from too much acidic waste in the body. This acidic waste builds up when you eat acid-producing foods, experience a lot of stress and ignore your body’s need for exercise.

Alkalizing the body with the pH miracle diet will bring your bodily pH back to normal and will give you relief from a variety of symptoms. However, you cannot alkalize your body if you continue to drink or eat high sugar drinks and fruits. Drinking alcohol will also disrupt the pH of your system, as will drinking coffee, soda and teas. The best beverage to drink for alkalizing is ionized water. Starchy foods like potatoes, pasta and breads all break down to sugar, and then produce acid waste that collects in the body. Eating any of the animal proteins (chicken, beef, pork, lamb etc) will create excess acid waste in your body as well. Dairy products have concentrated sugars that break down into lactic acid, which creates acidic waste.

Non-food related behaviors also increase the level of acidity in the body. If you don’t exercise regularly you are allow acids to build up in your tissues. These acids increase your fat production and cause lethargy.

The solution for the acidic waste and the cure for the second most prevalent preventable disease both lay in some simple steps. Eat whole, natural unprocessed foods as the basis for your diet. You should emphasize alkalizing green foods, which have the vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs to restore balance. Drinking pH alkaline water will help, as will daily exercise. You need to get out there and get moving in order to release the excess acid from your body.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Atkins Diet Foods

Atkins diet foods are easy to find and available everywhere. There are many varieties to choose from, whether you pick prepackaged low-carb diet foods or make your own meals. No matter how you want to do the Atkins plan, there is a solution out there for you.

You’ll need to keep the Atkins food pyramid in mind when you make food choices. The Atkins pyramid looks much different than the USDA Food Guide Pyramid. The base of the pyramid consists of protein sources such as eggs, fish, beef, chicken and tofu. On a daily basis, your diet should consist primarily of these foods. The second tier has low glycemic vegetables like salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and spinach.

The third tier is made up of berries and avocado. Fruits should be used on an occasional basis after the initial stages of the Atkins diet. Vegetable and seed oils, cheese, dairy, nuts and legumes are used sparingly and in appropriate portions. While the FDA pyramid has oils and fats at the top peak, the Atkins pyramid places whole grain foods in this spot. Whole grain foods should be used very occasionally and don’t make up the mainstay of the Atkins diet.

When you start the Atkins plan, you’ll need to make sure you understand which foods are acceptable for your stage of the program. The Induction phase is the most restrictive, but it only lasts two weeks.

You owe it to your dieting success to stay within the acceptable foods list. One of the best ways to do this is to follow the Atkins menu plans that are printed within the New Diet Revolution book. There are also Atkins cookbooks and cookbooks that are geared toward other low carb diets that are helpful in formulating meal plans.

It’s a helpful idea to use a cheat sheet of acceptable Atkins foods wherever you go. If you are out and about and hungry, the last thing you want to do is to try to think back in your memory to figure out what you can and cannot eat. Carrying a list of acceptable foods with you will make finding a snack or meal while out on the run easy. You can’t always rely on “low carb” labels to tell you whether or not something is diet friendly. Ever since low carb became the new diet craze, manufacturers have been jumping on the bandwagon to attract Atkins dieters. They label items low carb to sell products and don’t have your health in mind. Relying on foods from your own personal list is the best way to stay on the plan.

Another good resource for keeping track of the appropriate Atkins foods is an online diet program. There are several available. Some are free and some have a small monthly fee. The programs require you to register and then they provide you with personal weekly menu plans based on your needs and your carbohydrate gram level. There are normally printable weekly shopping lists that make picking up your Atkins diet foods from the grocery store easy and quick.

Atkins diet food is easy to find once you know what you are looking for. The books, food pyramid and online resources can help you make better food choices and stay on the diet for the long term.

Carbohydrate Substitutes for the Atkins diet

Cutting down on carbohydrates with the Atkins diet is easy when you see the wide variety of proteins and vegetables that are on the acceptable foods list. However, it does take some time and adjustment to get used to this new way of eating. A lot of the American diet centers around complex carbohydrate foods like breads and pastas. Snack foods are full of sugars and refined carbohydrates. This new way of eating will challenge your old habits. However, there are many carbohydrate substitutes that can fill in the gap.

Some of the most popular replacement items are sugar substitutes. These can be good or bad depending on how you react to them. Each person has a different reaction to artificial sweeteners like aspartame and Splenda. They can be helpful in baking low-carbohydrate treats and making things taste sweet without risking sugar use. However, many people find that using artificial sweeteners makes them crave sugar even more. If you find you want more sweet treats after drinking a diet soda or eating a snack made with Splenda, its best to eliminate them entirely from your diet.

Bread is the number one challenge that Atkins dieters face when looking at their new diet plans. Bread is a staple food for many people, and eliminating it can be somewhat of a problem. There are some low carb breads available out there, but you have to watch for hidden carbohydrates and other unacceptable ingredients. If you are ambitious, you can try making your own bread out of almond flour or other non-traditional flours.

Many people say that they love pasta, but people vary rarely eat it plain. The best part about pasta is the topping. So taking those toppings (meat, cheese and vegetables) and putting them over something else is an easy solution. Many people who follow the Atkins plan have found that squash makes a good pasta substitute. Spaghetti squash, a yellow orange gourd with stringy insides, is a natural base for homemade meat sauce. Zucchini is also a good pasta substitute. You can grate in into fine pieces or chunk it up into sections to act as a base for sauces. Lasagna is easily made with large pieces of eggplant as a substitute for the noodles. The meats and cheeses used in lasagna are low-carb so there’s nothing to worry about there.

Another common problem for Atkins dieters is finding a good substitute for rice. One popular solution is to use cauliflower. Simply place the cauliflower florettes in a food processor and chop them until they are rice sizes pieces. Then microwave the “rice” without water. The pieces will come out fluffy and ready to be used in casseroles or as part of a side dish.

Cauliflower is also a popular potato substitute for Atkins dieters. This time, puree the cauliflower until it is smooth and creamy, just like mashed potatoes. You can add your favorite low-carb topping to it like bacon, sour cream and cheese.

Pizza is a favorite food for many people, but there are Atkins friendly solutions for homemade pizzas that taste just as good. You can make small pizzas using low-carb tortillas as the crust. You can also use the same method with large Portobello mushrooms. If the alternative crust options don’t sound good to you, you can also try a pizza casserole with all of the ingredient layered in a casserole dish.
These substitutes will help you avoid indulging in your high-carb favorites while on the Atkins diet.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Best and Simple Exercises for Easy Weight Loss

There are plenty of options available around us for losing weight; however, a well-balanced healthy diet and regular exercise have no alternative. In most of the cases, exercises are suggested by health practitioners, not only if you are obese, but also if you want to stay fit and active. There are various weight loss supplements and various unique methods of loosing weight present in the market. However, most prevalently people depend on weight loss exercises for loosing their weight fastest and effective way.



Since ages, various researches had been conducted to ensure and establish the integral relationship between weight loss and exercises. There are various sorts of weight loss exercises that an individual may opt in according to their own preference and capacity. But if you are serious about initiating your exercise module, it is highly recommended that you should consult your doctor first. If he consents, you may care remembering few useful tips prior initiating the session.


Few Useful Tips


You should begin your session by measuring Body Mass Indicator (BMI) or your weight. You may keep the track of your BMI or weight in a 15 days or 1 month interval. It will help you to analyze your progress. You should maintain a daily schedule and you should also be particular about the time. It is better that you follow a specific time, either in the morning or evening, to execute your weight loss exercises. This will help you to stay focused to your goal. You should make a weekly diet plan.



If you are doing exercise, but not taking enough care of your diet, it is very unlikely that you will get any effective output. It is not always a good idea to talk to everyone that you are in weight loss planning, but you must share it to your near and dear ones so that they can help you by providing sufficient positive motivation. Motivation is crucially important for achieving your desired goal. You should set a rational and realistic goal. Conditionally, it should be short-term, say for a fortnight, to have an effective output, in practice.


Best exercise for weight loss


When you have gone through useful tips, it is the time to focus on your exercise module. You need to know which one is best to your needs. There are plenty of weight loss exercises, but the best one you will choose for you must satisfy two criterions - firstly, you will enjoy doing it and secondly, it must make you sweat to some extent. You may be creative while choosing your weight loss exercises. It may be playing with your kid for hours long, which of course help burning your extra calories.

You may also like to walk. A simple walk can do a real wonder. It in not only the easiest of the bulk, but the most effective of all weight loss exercises. You can walk any time you want and you do not need to have any special equipment for it. Walking is not only beneficial for reducing extra weight, but it also helps strengthening cardiovascular system.



Stationary cycling is considered as one of the effective weight loss exercises. It functions in a similar fashion as walking, while impacting the body metabolism rate and burning fat at a faster rate. If you have this instrument at your own home, you may enjoy it while watching movie or listening music. So you can do it even in your free time, while burning some extra calories from your body.



Aerobics are useful when you are focused loosing extra pounds from your body muscles. It's a kind of rhythmic exercise, which enables you to move your body following the rhythm of the background music. It helps in boosting your muscular activities and physiological capacities.

However, it is important to do regular exercise to stay fit, but you must remember not to make yourself overstressed with it. In addition to regular exercise, healthy low calorie diet and plenty of water in addition to sufficient rest can only make the difference.

Dr John Anne is an herbal specialist with years of experience and extensive research on herbs and alternative health. If you are looking for more information, read about Weight Loss Exercises and Green Tea for Weight Loss. AyurvedicCure.com is the World's Largest Alternative Health Portal. Also Read about Weight Management in Pets


About the Author
Dr John anne

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Anger Management Tips to use in Stressful Situations

When an individual is dealing with anger issues, usually their emotions evolve when put in stressful situations. If a difficult incident pops up, often their only way to cope with it is to put up their defensive side. Becoming angry is probably easier than dealing with the circumstances. This is unfortunate since anger doesn't solve anything. Once it subsides, the problem is still there.

There are anger management tips which people can used when found in stressful situations. If there is a friend or family member who is easy to talk to and understanding, it might be good to talk to them. When an individual becomes angry they are incapable of seeing the other side of the problem. Talking to someone may help them by sharing their side of the story. The friend or family member may be able to help them sort through their issues and make them look at the situation from the other side. This anger management tip may work well for some people.

Another great anger management tip is to write down thoughts and feelings during a fit of anger. The angry individual may feel as if nobody understands or cares about their problems. Sharing may only cause extra conflict. Lashing out will get them nowhere. Writing or journaling may help people with anger issues. Without anyone to talk back or object to what they have to say, it may be help to get their feelings off their chest. Using writing as an anger management tip may also help in the future when trying to find the triggers which cause the angry outbursts. Being able to look back over the information written may provide the person with reasons for their anger through reading about similar incidents.

Taking a vacation, spending some alone time is another good anger management tip. Removing oneself from the environment which seems to frustrate and irritate them may be a wise idea. Being able to get away and reflect on their actions may help an individual to look at things differently. Given space and time may be positive for a person with anger issues.

Some people suggest prayer and meditation as anger management tips. Both of these suggestions involve very personal practices for an individual. Given a chance to pray and be alone with one's thoughts is a good way to release tension and let the pressures of life wash away. Letting go of feelings of anger and negative thoughts would definitely make a positive change in a person's life. Through prayer and meditation a person is able to dig deep into their minds and souls for answers to their problems and comfort for their broken spirits.

There are lots of anger management tips which people can practice when the going gets tough. Tips such as breathe deeply, exercise, get more rest, get out in nature, find humor in the situation and play or listen to music. These are all recommended as anger management tips for the person who finds themselves in stressful and confrontational situations.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Probiotics: A Possible Solution for Tummy Troubles

Gastrointestinal issues are more common than most people think -- in fact, they wreak havoc on the lives of more than 65 million Americans each year. And a new survey indicates that women and children are often without relief.

The Culturelle Stop Suffering Survey found that 38 percent of American women between the ages 21 and 40 are dissatisfied with their current over the counter and doctor recommended treatments for their stomach and intestinal problems. Additionally, one in four moms of children with ongoing tummy issues report the same dilemma.

GI issues are more than just a pain

Lost income, disciplinary problems at work and even job loss have arisen from persistent gastrointestinal issues said some women who were surveyed. And as if that weren't enough, a quarter of these women report their symptoms have caused rifts in their intimate relationships. Half of women surveyed said their social lives have been affected as well.

When tummy problems strike children, moms surveyed said it's up them to come to the rescue. Forty percent of moms said their kids' issues have them up multiple times a night on a regular basis. Many also said they have had to alter work and social plans to pick up their child from school because of their tummy troubles.

Probiotics could help, but few have tried them

Yet despite frustration with ongoing symptoms, the survey also revealed that the majority of those suffering haven't tried a potential solution that's worked for Europeans and Asians for decades -- probiotics.

"It's a little-known fact that digestive issues usually occur when you don't have enough 'good bacteria' in the intestine to keep harmful bacteria and germs in check. Probiotic supplements are an excellent source of these good bacteria and can help restore and maintain good health to the intestinal tract," says pediatrician and author Dr. William Sears. "Many of my patients have actually seen a dramatic improvement by simply adding a probiotic like Culturelle brand probiotic with LGG to their diets and seeing as it is generally recognized as safe by the FDA, I can confidently recommend it to my patients for a variety of issues."

And while almost one-third of the women surveyed said they've heard of probiotics -- and how they work for their most common complaints of occasional diarrhea, bowel regularity and constipation -- just one out of ten women reporting awareness has tried probiotics. Even fewer, only eight percent, have given probiotics to their children.

Dr. Sears says probiotics can help with many common gastrointestinal problems like antibiotic-induced diarrhea, bowel inflammatory diseases like IBS, irregularity and more. But the key is choosing a probiotic that contains the right amount of good bacteria, and has the most clinically researched strain.

"One of my favorite teaching phrases for probiotics is that 'you have to put the right bugs in your bowels. And just because the label says 'probiotic' doesn't mean it's going to a good job. Not all strains of probiotic survive stomach acid and even make it to the intestinal tract where they go to work. The probiotic I most frequently recommend is Culturelle, which uses the good bacterial strain Lactobacillus GG and has more than 200 studies to back it up."

Monday, September 10, 2007

Learning Healthy Anger Management Strategies

When treating or dealing with anger issues, there are many suggestions for anger management strategies. Each of them is intended to help people who are hot-tempered and frequently have fits of rage. Anger, although a healthy and normal response to upsetting situations, it can be intense to the point of violence. When a person experiences regular episodes of angry or reckless behavior, there's a problem, one that needs to be dealt with. Anger management strategies are designed to help an individual return to a healthy, normal existence.

Taking a time-out is considered a healthy management strategy. Removing oneself from a situation or person that makes a person angry is practicing time-out. This anger management strategy might simply require a ride in the car or a walk on the beach. Playing sports or working out will help an individual to use up some of the extra energy without involving others. Some other suggestions for time-out are reading, listening to music or sitting alone in silence. Each of these activities are healthy anger management strategies.

A second example of a healthy anger management strategy is, owning up to the anger. Although the anger is usually brought on by an irritating situation or a confrontation with another individual, the anger actually belongs to the troubled person. Only the person who's experiencing the anger issues can control their outbursts. Only the person with the anger issues can learn anger management strategies and how to deal with their feelings in a healthy way. When an individual becomes mad or upset they need to try to disclose the reasons for their anger whether it is hurt, fear, frustration sadness, confusion , jealousy or whatever seems to bring unleash the rage.

Another healthy anger management strategy is to look back on those situations that upset an individual and try to find ways to make changes. Learning the cause of the anger may help the individual to avoid those situations. Not only might the person learn to avoid these incidents but they might also choose to take what they've learned and attempt to deal with the situation without bursting into a frenzy.

A fourth suggestion regarding healthy management strategies is to confront the situation or person. Talk to the person or people involved, calmly of course, to try to determine the root of the problem. The angry individual might actually discover that the whole thing was a mix-up, a misunderstanding. The individual might also try asking the person or people in the situation to think about their behavior and perhaps even change it. It may be surprising what people would be willing to do to help the person who is attempting to deal with their problems with anger. Hopefully everything will work out for the best. If not there has to be room for acceptance. Sometimes a person must simply accept the situations and people they cannot change and either deal with it or walk away.

Learning healthy anger management strategies should be considered by those with anger problems. There are many books published regarding anger and anger management. There is also a wealth of information available on the Internet for those who are attempting to deal with their anger by learning healthy anger management strategies.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

COCA-COLA AND CARGILL TO MARKET NATURAL SWEETENER

The beverage and food industries have sought the "perfect sweetener" for decades. It's no secret that standard table sugar (sucrose) and its even worse cousin, high-fructose corn syrup, rots teeth, leads to obesity, and is a major contributor to diabetes. So chemical companies have concocted an armada of synthetic sugar alternatives such as saccharin and aspartame that have been linked to everything from cancer to neurological disorders. Now Coca-Cola and Cargill have announced they have "developed" the perfect natural sweetener. The sweetener is stevia, a zero calorie plant-based sweetener that has been used for hundreds of years. In Japan, 40% of the sweeteners consumed are from stevia, so it can't really be called a "new" sweetener. But here in the U.S., likely due to lobbying of the FDA by synthetic sweetener producers, stevia has been hidden in the shadows by strange labeling requirements that keep the average consumer from even understanding what stevia can be used for. Coca-Cola and Cargill plan to bring a patented version of stevia to the mainstream as the perfect natural sweetener by removing some of the bitter aftertaste.

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Finally - Even Dental Association Agrees Fluoride is Bad

The American Dental Association, which has for many years been one of fluoride's biggest advocates, alerted its members late last year that parents of infants younger than a year old "should consider using water that has no or low levels of fluoride" when mixing baby formula.

However, while public health agencies in some states, such as Vermont and New Hampshire , immediately issued warnings in the media based on the ADA alert, other states took months to relay the message.

Florida 's Department of Health put the message on its website four months after it was issued along with a note that read: "Mixing formula with fluoridated water poses no known health risks."

The ADA was concerned about fluorosis, a condition caused by too much fluoride that damages the enamel of teeth. Some scientists believe that even mild to moderate cases of fluorosis can lead to more significant problems. Studies have associated fluorosis with lower IQ, endocrine system problems, and skeletal damage.
(St. Petersburg Times June 4, 2007)

Adding fluoride to drinking water (to prevent tooth decay) has been standard practice in many countries for 60 years. But the practice has come under scrutiny, as fluoride has been banned by more and more European countries.

Unfortunately, too much fluoride can lead to fluorosis, a discoloring of the teeth and breakdown of enamel -- itself a result diametrically opposed to the dental health it supposedly is meant to prevent -- and more serious developmental problems such as lower IQ. Excessive use of fluoride also increases the risk of osteoporosis and can damage the nervous system.
Children enrolled in the Women, Infant and Children's Nutrition program (WIC) are particularly at risk, since the WIC program only subsidizes powdered and condensed baby formulas that have to be mixed with water.
If you are unable to breastfeed, please educate yourself on the dangers of fluoride (an industrial waste product from the phosphate fertilizer industry) as well as the health risks of using infant formulas. Instead of mixing already unhealthy formulas with fluoridated water, take the advice from my series, Healthy Alternative to Conventional Infant Formula, which includes recipes for healthy homemade baby formulas.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Your 5 minutes daily program to Stress management

We all have this favorite expression when it comes to being stressed out, and I wouldn't bother naming all of them since it may also vary in different languages. But when it comes down to it, I think that it is how we work or even relax, for that matter that triggers stress. Ever been stressed even when you're well relaxed and bored? I know I have.

Since Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. is unavoidable in life, it is important to find ways to decrease and prevent stressful incidents and decrease negative reactions to stress. Here are some of the things that can be done by just remembering it, since life is basically a routine to follow like brushing your teeth or eating breakfast. You can do a few of them in a longer span of time, but as they say-- every minute counts.

Managing time

Time management skills can allow you more time with your family and friends and possibly increase your performance and productivity. This will help reduce your stress.

To improve your time management:

· Save time by focusing and concentrating, delegating, and scheduling time for yourself.
· Keep a record of how you spend your time, including work, family, and leisure time.
· Prioritize your time by rating tasks by importance and urgency. Redirect your time to those activities that are important and meaningful to you.
· Manage your commitments by not over- or undercommitting. Don't commit to what is not important to you.
· Deal with procrastination by using a day planner, breaking large projects into smaller ones, and setting short-term deadlines.
· Examine your beliefs to reduce conflict between what you believe and what your life is like.

Build healthy coping strategies

It is important that you identify your coping strategies. One way to do this is by recording the stressful event, your reaction, and how you cope in a stress journal. With this information, you can work to change unhealthy coping strategies into healthy ones-those that help you focus on the positive and what you can change or control in your life.

Lifestyle
Some behaviors and lifestyle choices affect your stress level. They may not cause stress directly, but they can interfere with the ways your body seeks relief from stress. Try to:

· Balance personal, work, and family needs and obligations.
· Have a sense of purpose in life.
· Get enough sleep, since your body recovers from the stresses of the day while you are sleeping.
· Eat a balanced diet for a nutritional defense against stress.
· Get moderate exercise throughout the week.
· Limit your consumption of alcohol.
· Don't smoke.

Social support

Social support is a major factor in how we experience stress. Social support is the positive support you receive from family, friends, and the community. It is the knowledge that you are cared for, loved, esteemed, and valued. More and more research indicates a strong relationship between social support and better mental and physical health.

Changing thinking

When an event triggers negative thoughts, you may experience fear, insecurity, anxiety, depression, rage, guilt, and a sense of worthlessness or powerlessness. These emotions trigger the body's stress, just as an actual threat does. Dealing with your negative thoughts and how you see things can help reduce stress.

· Thought-stopping helps you stop a negative thought to help eliminate stress.
· Disproving irrational thoughts helps you to avoid exaggerating the negative thought, anticipating the worst, and interpreting an event incorrectly.
· Problem solving helps you identify all aspects of a stressful event and find ways to deal with it.
· Changing your communication style helps you communicate in a way that makes your views known without making others feel put down, hostile, or intimidated. This reduces the stress that comes from poor communication. Use the assertiveness ladder to improve your communication style.

Even writers like me can get stressed even though we're just using our hands to do the talking, but having to sit for 7 or 8 hours is already stressful enough and have our own way to relieve stress. Whether you're the mail guy, the CEO, or probably the average working parent, stress is one unwanted visitor you would love to boot out of your homes, especially your life.

Friday, June 8, 2007

Energy Healing 101: Pranic, Tantric, and Reiki

You have probably come across exotic-sounding terms such as “chakra”, “prana”, “aura”, and “tantra” in your course of reading books on spirituality, sex, and healing in the New Age literature section of the bookstore. But what’s the real scoop behind these exotic vocabularies?

Are All Energy Healings the Same?

Chakra or energy center is a term used in Pranic healing, an ancient Hindu system of energy healing. “Prana” means life energy. “Aura” is another terminology traced to Pranic healing. Aura is a non-physical body that consists of energy, which exists along with our physical body. The aura that covers our body is said to have seven layers pertaining to the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of an individual as manifested by energy. Studying the color and thickness of auras give ideas on the state of health of individuals. Six colors are associated with aura and interpreted into six personalities. These colors are all present in an individual but one or two are more pronounced.
Green – ambitious achiever
Blue – spiritual peacemaker
White – unconventional chameleon
Red – activist
Orange – creative communicator
Violet - psychic

Although Tantra is popularly associated with the peculiar practice of sex and spirituality, it is another method of energy healing. It comes from the word “tan” which means to spread or expand. The concept of connectedness is a recurring theme in Tantric writings on sex and spirituality. As a method of healing, spirituality and sex figure prominently. It is presupposed that the union of man and woman can reach spiritual levels during orgasm, which removes the body and mind off collected impurities. These impurities being negative energies can in turn manifest as physical illnesses.

Unlike Pranic and Tantric healings, which have Hindu origins, Reiki originated from Japan. It is relatively younger than Pranic and Tantric healings having been rediscovered in the early 1900’s. Reiki stands for universal energy, an energy brought forth by higher intelligence. Students of Reiki are taught how to tap this energy to heal physical, emotional, and mental illnesses.

Although Pranic, Tantra, and Reiki are all systems of energy healing, they differ in the type of energy tapped for healing: life energy, sexual energy, and universal energy respectively.

The concepts of the connectedness of mind, body, and spirit; the connection of individuals to all living and nonliving things around them and to the universe; and how energy impacts physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are some of the salient similarities of these three healing methods.

Why Do People Turn to Energy Healing?

Pranic, Tantric, and Reiki are considered alternative methods of healing. In spite of the availability and relative accessibility of modern medicine, how come more and more people are being drawned to them? Here are some possible reasons:

· Energy healing worked where modern medicine failed.

For several reasons both explainable and unexplainable, modern medical treatment failed to heal ailments and conditions in several if not many persons. Research or data may not be able to support this statement. But for the families of the dying as well as for the dying patient, they would take the risk of using alternative methods ranging from herbals and organics, faith healers, witch doctors, and New Age healing techniques just to be get well.

· People perceive modern medicine to be isolating.

Medical treatments are oftentimes focused on the disease and its causative agent, which can make a patient feel isolated and treated like a mere host of the disease. Although recent developments in hospital practice are gradually promoting the holistic treatment of a patient, the perception still persists. Unlike in energy healing, since energy and spirituality are intimately linked, the patient feels that all aspects of his health are being attended to.


· Energy healing is non-obtrusive and natural thus it is safer.

Repeated surgical procedures are physically and emotionally traumatic for most patients. It is but a logical and attractive option to both patient and families to look for less stressful health interventions. Moreover, with the rising popularity of New Age religions, going natural is the way to go.


· Energy healing is a good way of relieving stress.

Meditation is part and parcel of energy healing methods and this is an added come-on for highly stressed people. Moreover, sophisticated equipment is not required thus it becomes all the more convenient for students and future students of energy healing.

The battle between alternative healing and mainstream medicine continues as both present the benefits of their approach. But in the final analysis, what matters is the restoration of good health.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

THE TRUTH ABOUT ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

There is an epidemic across North America today of Multiple Sclerosis and
Lupus. Most people do not understand why this epidemic is happening, and
they do not know why these diseases are so rampant. I would like to share
with you the main reason we are having this very serious problem. Many
people today use artificial sweeteners in their tea or coffee.

They do this because the ads they see on TV tell them that sugar is bad for
their health. This is absolutely true. Sugar is toxic to us , but what most
people use as a replacement for sugar is much more deadly. I am talking
about ASPARTAME. It is the cause of the epidemic that was mentioned above.
ASPARTAME is an extremely toxic chemical that is produced by a chemical
company called Monsanto.

ASPARTAME is being marketed around the world as a sugar substitute and is
found in all diet soft drinks, such as Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi . It is also
found in artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweet, Equal, and Spoonful; and
it is used in many other products as a sugar replacement.

ASPARTAME is marketed as a diet product, but it is not a diet product at
all. In fact, it will cause you to GAIN weight because it makes you crave
carbohydrates. Causing you to gain weight is only a very small part of what
ASPARTAME does. It is a toxic chemical that changes the brain's chemistry It
can and does cause severe seizures.

This chemical changes the dopamine level in the brain, and it is
particularly deadly for anyone suffering from Parkinson's disease.

ASPARTAME is extremely poisonous, and here is why one of the toxic
ingredients of it is wood alcohol. When the temperature of

ASPARTAME exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in it is converted to
Formaldehyde, and then to formic acid, which in turn causes folic acidosis.

FORMALDEHYDE is grouped in the same class of poisons as Cyanide and Arsenic
which are very deadly toxins. The only difference is, Formaldehyde kills
quietly, and it takes a little longer. And, in the process of killing
people, it causes all kinds of neurological problems. There are 92
documented symptoms of Aspartame Poisoning leading to coma and death.

The majority of these symptoms are neurological, because the ASPARTAME
attacks and destroys the nervous system. One of these symptoms is Lupus,
which has become almost as rampant as Multiple Sclerosis, especially with
Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers.

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos (a fibrous amphibole; used for making fireproof articles).In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.

Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:
chest wall pain
pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
shortness of breath
fatigue or breath
wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
blood in the sputum - expectorated matter; saliva mixed with discharges from the respiratory passages - (fluid) coughed up.
In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.

Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:


abdominal pain
ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
a mass in the abdomen
problems with bowel function
weight loss
In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:

blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe
bleeding in many body organs
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
low blood sugar level
pleural effusion
pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
severe ascites
A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.

Monday, June 4, 2007

Gluten

Wheat, rye, oats, and barley are a major source of the protien gluten.
Research has shown that a disease called gluten intolerance can be
found in up to 35% of people without many of them knowing it (celiac
disease is the severe form of this disease).

Gluten intolerance is like a generally accepted and ignored disease, that creeps into and destroys many people's lives. The problem with gluten is that many people cannot digest it properly, and when it goes undigested into the ileum, it
causes serious inflamations that take time to heal.

The inflamations can hamper ingestion to any level you can think of which can cause severe deficiencies in vitamin B12, calcium, potassium, and other minerals and vitamins, and if prolonged can cause anaemia. Most of the people think that bread makes them fat only because of its large calory content, but actually more than one third of the fat people are fat because of gluten intolerance, because of the reduced metablism caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. Gluten intolerance can also make you lose weight very rapidly and in an unhealthy way, and can make you
vulnerable to all kinds of disease.

Breastfeeding

Sufferers from celiac disease can't tolerate wheat and gluten in their diet, but people who were breastfed as babies seem to be less likely to develop the condition, a UK study shows.

Dr. A. K. Akobeng, of Booth Hall Children's Hospital, Manchester, and colleague note in the Archives of Diseases in Childhood that "recent observational studies suggest that breastfeeding may prevent the development of celiac disease."

In an analysis of available evidence, the researchers reviewed six studies published between 1966 and 2004 that examined the relationship between breastfeeding and celiac disease.

An association between increasing duration of breastfeeding and a decreased risk of celiac disease was seen in all of the studies except one small one.

The results of the analysis also demonstrated a 52 percent lower risk of celiac disease among people who were being breastfed at the time when gluten was introduced into their diet, compared with those who were not breast feeding at this time.

"It could be that continuing breast feeding at the time of weaning limits the amount of gluten that the child receives, thereby decreasing the chances of the child developing symptoms of celiac disease," Akobeng and colleagues suggest.

"Another mechanism through which breast milk could protect against celiac disease is by preventing gastrointestinal infections in the infant," the investigators add.

Sunday, June 3, 2007

Acupressure : User Friendly Self Healing

For the best results it is important to understand the following acupressure principles. Once you understand these principles refer to description on how to stimulate the points and then to symptoms for what points relate to your symptoms. Ways to stimulate talks about fingers versus tools for stimulating the points.

No pain, no gain. You are looking for sore points. If a point is sore, it needs work. If a point is not sore, you do not need to treat it. Finger pressure will work but most people get a better Healing Response using acupressure tools. They are sharper and allow more pressure to be applied. If a point is very sore, press only as hard as you can tolerate. You must be the judge on this. Light pressure for a longer period will give you the same results. Some people who are larger or less sensitive than others, may need more pressure to activate the healing response. If a point is not sore, study the diagrams to be sure you have located the right spot. Our computer analysis can give you additional points that relate to your condition. If you bruise easily, check the points in Symptoms for bruising.

Repeat, repeat, repeat; treatments have a cumulative effect. Sometimes lasting results are immediate, but most often it takes a while. Each time you activate the Healing Response it brings the system closer to normal. If you do not get a response quickly you can increase the frequency of treatment. Three or four times a day or even once an hour is OK. You cannot overdose. It does not mean that the treatments are not working if the pain comes back. This is normal. Eventually you will reach a point where the pain does not return. Some acupuncturists report treating people 160 times and some think the use of needles is three times as effective as acupressure. You can use acupressure again and again with no additional cost.

As you repeatedly stimulate the points over time the nervous system learns a new response to the problem. Sometimes it is like teaching puppies a new trick. At first you must coach them frequently and then one day they know the new trick. Sometimes this is learned for life, but most often you will just need to remind them of the trick you want them to remember. As you know each puppy is different and the more difficult the trick the more you must work to get the learned response. Long-term results with acupressure depend on repeated use. If you have difficulties getting results, be patient and keep trying. The specific sequence we recommend consists of three different stages.

Phase One :
Get rid of the pain. At least three times a day do acupressure treatments using all the points you have identified (people with the reference books will have about 10 points). Treat for 30 seconds to a minute. You can treat longer (2 to 3 minutes) but not more than 10 minutes. Learn the points so you do not have to refer to the pictures. During this phase use any two of the prevention routines for at least five minutes and whenever you have a free moment for treatment. (See section on Prevention). Do this phase until the pain stays away between treatments.

Phase Two :
Get rid of the sore acupressure points. Treat at least once a day all the points you have. Work any one of your four prevention systems once a day and whenever you have a free moment.

Phase Three :
Keep your system balanced. Use the treatment sequence or a few of the critical points whenever you have a spare moment. Work any one of the four micro-systems at least every other day. For more energy and better health work one of the micro-systems each day or whenever you feel tired or under stress. Stress, a re-injury, overuse, and daily life will sometimes bring the pain back to warn us of imbalances. Move back to the other more intense phases as needed.

Your scale of response relates to the cumulative effect. First, if the points are sore you are on the right spots. Some people report that the points become very sore at first, so go slowly. You may get a lessening of pain or disease with treatment. The pain will go away for short periods, then for longer periods and finally the pain will stay away and the pressure points will lose their soreness.

Prevention :
You can fix a tire by putting more air in it but that is only temporary. The same is true with the imbalances in our body's energy system that underlie all illnesses. Stress in our lives will cause the points to become sore again so work on them regularly. This heals imbalances caused by the stress we normally accumulate. Distressed areas of the body are reflected in the energy system (acupressure points) of the body as painful points.

There are four parts of the body that are miniature representations of the whole body (see diagrams). Stimulating these points can prevent pain and illness before it occurs. Any sore points on these miniaturizations will activate the Healing Response for the stressed area. Use the Happy-Feet tool on all parts of the foot to work out any soreness. The Acu-Ki tool is easiest to use on the hand and some people enjoy the sharper effects of the Happy-Feet on the hand. Your Stressaway Massager is the best tool for rubbing the head, which is also a miniaturization of the body. The Back-Eze is the best tool for stimulating the miniature system of the back. The body point ST36 is your most powerful point for prevention of illnesses. Use it to add years and energy to our lives. Add it to all your treatments and use it daily. Ancient texts site it as the most important point for increasing your life span. People continually tell us how energized they feel using these different systems. If you work with these tools just to get rid of pain or illness, you are missing the most powerful benefit of acupressure -- prevention of illness, better health, and a sense of aliveness.

A few good points :
The goal is to find the fewest points possible that give you effective results. Sorest points usually give the best results. It is critical to find the correct point. This is why we have developed such good diagrams. By looking in the general area and finding the tender spot you will know you are on the point related to your problem. Our books provide at least ten different points so you can test their effectiveness for yourself. More points are available through our computer listings.

A free moment :
You do not have to use all of the points recommended. Using just a few of them when you have a free moment can be effective. Work points while watching TV, in a movie theater, waiting in a line or for an appointment, in class, in meetings, in your car, before going to bed -- anytime.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

Bronchial asthma is an allergic disease, which appears as recurrent bouts of asphyxia.

Dry and tormenting cough is in most cases the first portent of the coming bout of bronchial asthma. Attacks of asphyxia begin all of a sudden and rapidly aggravate; they last from several minutes to several hours or even days (in complicated cases).
During the attack an asthmatic cannot move freely but usually has to remain standing or sitting with his hands resting on the table. He experiences hurried whizzing breathing, with inhalation much shorter than exhalation.

In slight attacks of bronchial asthma the patients normally do not call ambulance but use special drugs intended to terminate the bouts.
An urgent medical consultation is a must in case of the first attack of bronchial asthma. If the patient is suffering from a protracted, several hour or several day long asthma bout that can not be cured by ordinary methods (such state is termed asthmatic status), an ambulance should be urgently called, as his life is definite]y endangered. Intensive therapy in a hospital is then essential.

First aid administration by the Su Jok therapy methods in bronchial asthma involves linear massage in the standard hand or foot correspondence system with a finger or any massage tool or whatever else handy. The projection of the respiratory tract should be stimulated from the area of correspondence to the lungs to that of the nose, which will promote better sputum discharge.

Since the diaphragm takes part in respiration, the area of correspondence to the entire upper diaphragm line needs massage as well. There is a point near the base of the first metacarpal bone that corresponds the upper diaphragm line and whose stimulation is especially helpful.In many cases the bronchial asthma bouts are completely done away by means of these manipulations very simple indeed.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Salt Lamp

Just as we choose to drink bottled water because of it's purity, the quality of the air we breathe is essential to our health and well being.

The quality of the air we breathe depends on the kind of electrical charge and concentration of the ions. The environment we live in today has far more sources of positive ions than in the past, creating an electrical imbalance in the air. These surplus Positive Ions are produced by various human activities and electrical appliances; e.g. TV's, radios, transmitters, radar systems, computers, high-voltage networks, heating and cooling systems, car exhaust and cigarette fumes, all of which are contributing reasons for the deterioration of our physical and emotional well being.

In nature Negative Ions are created by means of wind, sunlight, surf, waterfalls and rainstorms and as such, negative ions can be found in their billions on mountain tops, waterfalls and by the sea. They give the air its invigorating freshness, which is so good for us, they are the unseen "vitamins of the air"..A series of scientific studies show that Salt Crystal Lamps can increase the negative ion count by up to 300% in their vicinity.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

General Information About Angina Pectoris

Angina pectoris is one of the forms of the Ischemic heart disease. The cause for its development is the coronary atherosclerosis (arteries supplying blood to the heart).

Angina pectoris always occurs with spasms. So it clearly marks start and end. The spasm continues 4-15 minutes but sometimes it can last for couple of hours and this may lead to a myocardial infarction. The spasm occurs due to the not adequate level of the blood supply in the coronary artery and the needs of the heart muscle (myocard).

Typical of the spasm is the oppressive and strangling pain behind the breast bone (sternum). Often the pain can radiate out to the left arm, left shoulder, shoulder blade, jaw and even to the teeth. Usually the pain involves a sense of fear.

Sometimes the angina pectoris spasm is not connected with pain but with a sense of discomfort, heaviness, constriction, numbness or strangulation.

There are two types of angina pectoris depending on the circumstances by which it occurs - angina pectoris at stress and angina pectoris at rest. The angina at stress occurs in connection with physical or emotional exertion. The angina at rest is not connected with physical exertion. It occurs at night and often involves an increased shortness of breath.

The angina spasm is cured with a tablet of nitroglycerin under the tongue. The medicine relieves the pain in 2-3 minutes. If within five minutes the pain is still strong, a second tablet of nitroglycerin is taken.

TREATMENT OF ANGINA PECTORIS SPASM WITH SU JOK THERAPY

Angina pectoris is life-threatening disease. The spasm often occurs unexpectedly, on unusual places where the possibility of using nitroglycerin doesn’t exist and where a qualified medical service is not available. In this case the using of su jok can save your or somebody else's life .

Position of the heart zone

To cope with the angina pectoris spasm you have to know where the heart projection (correspondence zone) on the ha nds is. The Main correspondence system on the left hand is used.

Look carefully at the illustration given above. You can understand how the heart is projected as you just put your hands mentally in the place of the illustration.

More detailed explanation of the heart zone position:

The thorax is projected on the palms of both hands in the area outlined by the life line and the bottom part of the thumb.
On the illustration the axle line dividing the thorax in two is marked with a straight red line. It is drawn from the middle of the thumb's bottom part to the middle of the wrist. The diaphragm is marked with a red twisted line .

The left side of the thorax is projected on the left half of the two palms (left and right are defined by raised up fingers and turned forward palms). The right side of the thorax is projected on the right half of the palms.

After you know how the thorax is projected on the palms you can easily define where the heart is. It is on the left half of the projection of the thorax and its bottom side comes into contact with the line of the diaphragm.

When the heart is diseased in its correspondence zones on the palms, a pain point or area appears. If the disease has affected only a small region – the pain point is small (proportional to the size of the diseased area). If the disease has affected the entire heart – the entire correspondence zones of the heart on the two palms are painful. The treatment of the heart diseases with su jok therapy consists exactly in finding these pain points and areas and stimulating them with massage, moxa or needles .

Technique of coping with the angina pectoris spasm through su jok therapy
By the first symptoms of such a spasm it is necessary that a tablet of nitroglycerin (if available) is placed under the tongue and a deep massage, with slight rotating movements is done on the entire heart zone on the left hand. The massage is carried out with a diagnostic probe, with the thumb of the other hand or with tools available – the blunt end of a pen, key etc. The pressure must be strong, there must be a feeling of pain in the zone. It is not necessary the most painful zone to be found. The entire heart zone is massaged.

As a rule within 3-5 minutes of massage (even without nitroglycerin) the spasm pain abates considerably or is totally relieved.

Subsequently for prophylaxis and healing of the disease is good about ten moxa warming up procedures to be carried out in the heart correspondence zones on the both hands. The zones are warmed up every day for 15-20 minutes. In this case it is better the most painful area in the heart zones to be found and the warming up to be concentrated there.

The moxa warming up by this disease gives extremely good results. Normally after one or two courses of 10 warmings the spasms become shorter and rarer or completely disappear.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Are Cell Phones Affecting Your Brain?

It's always by your side, and when it's not, you are chatting away with it by your ear. Cell phones have made keeping in touch much easier, but what are they doing to your health?
A new study by Italian researchers finds that the electromagnetic fields emitted by cell phones may not be as innocuous as they seem, but they may not be all that harmful, either. Ultimately, it seems, cells phones do change your brain's activity, but whether this helps or harms is still not understood.
For the study, researchers fitted 15 men between the ages of 20 and 36 with a specialized helmet that contained a cell phone near the left ear. While wearing the helmets, the cell phone was turned on for a period of 45 minutes without the knowledge of the participants. The helmet measured the brain activity of the participants both while the phone was turned on and while it was off.
While the phones were on, there was increased brain activity in the cortical region of the left side of the brain, which is responsible for movement and language. This region of the brain remained in the excited state for as long as one hour after the phones were turned off.
It is common for cell phone users to use their phones for a similar length of time, certainly over the course of the day. But it is not known whether this increased brain activity would be beneficial or harmful to a person.
Electromagnetic fields, such as those emitted by cell phones, have been used by doctors in the past to treat migraines and even depression. But there has also been some connection between electromagnetic fields and an increased number of seizures in people with epilepsy.
"Theoretically, it might be both dangerous in all those conditions in which cortical excitability is [already] enhanced, like in epilepsy, or it might be beneficial in all those conditions with a need for higher excitability, as in post-stroke recovery or Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Paolo M. Rossini, professor of neurology at the University Campus-Bio-Medico in Rome, Italy
If there is a risk to using cell phones, Rossini states that more research is needed to determine which people should limit their use and who should maybe avoid cell phones altogether.
"More research is needed in order to produce safety guidelines, particularly for 'at risk' populations like people with different kind of brain damage, children etc.," said Rossini

Su Jok Foot Massager with Magnets

Su Jok Foot Massager with Magnets is New Massager Technique to Heal you body of many diseases. For foot relaxation and pain relief. Press your foot over the roller daily 5-10 minutes and warm up your leg.

INDICATIONS: Cures arthritis sciatica, leg pain, gouts, improves digestive system. Made up of standard hard Plastic supported by two rubber wheels and fitted magnets in the center to give full clearance from the floor, long lasting instrument, gives complete economic satisfaction, consist of pyramid points to recharge your body. Specially made for children and old people. To get relief in pain. Relaxation and vitality. To improve blood circulation and digestive system. The new shape allows the inner side of the foot to get pressurized rolling your feet over it gives you instant relaxation from tension and tiredness.

Su Jok Foot Massager with is suitable for Patients suffering from Kidney disorder, Heart disorder, Brain or Mental disorder, Acidity etc...

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Enjoy Your Life : Change Your Point of View

"Two men look out through the same bars: One sees the mud, and one sees the stars."- Frederick Langbridge, A Cluster of Quiet Thoughts

If you’ve placed second in a writing contest, will you jump for joy and push for better results the next time or will you be discouraged and find an excuse not to join again?

In life, you are always filled with choices. You may opt to have a pessimist’s view and live a self-defeated life or you may decide to take the optimist’s route and take a challenging and fulfilling life.

So why nurture an optimist’s point of view? And why now?

Well, optimism has been linked to positive mood and good morale; to academic, athletic, military, occupational and political success; to popularity; to good health and even to long life and freedom from trauma.

On the other hand, the rates of depression and pessimism have never been higher. It affects middle-aged adults the same way it hits younger people. The mean age of onset has gone from 30 to 15. It is no longer a middle-aged housewife’s disorder but also a teen-ager’s disorder’ as well.

Here’s how optimists are in action and researches that back up why it really pays to be an optimist:

Optimists expect the best

The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events, which will last a long time and undermine everything they do, are their own fault.

The truth is optimists are confronted with the same hard knocks of this world. What differs is the way they explain their misfortune---it’s the opposite way. They tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback, that its causes are confined to this one case.

Optimists tend to focus on and plan for the 'problem' at hand. They use 'positive reinterpretation.' In other words, they most likely reinterpret a negative experience in a way that helps them learn and grow. Such people are unfazed by bad situation, they perceive it is a challenge and try harder.

They won’t say “things will never get better,” “If I failed once, it will happen again” and “If I experience misfortune in one part of my life, then it will happen in my whole life.”

Positive expectancies of optimists also predict better reactions during transitions to new environments, sudden tragedies and unlikely turn of events. If they fall, they will stand up. They see opportunities instead of obstacles.

People respond positively to optimists

Optimists are proactive and less dependent on others for their happiness. They find no need to control or manipulate people. They usually draw people towards them. Their optimistic view of the world can be contagious and influence those they are with.

Optimism seems a socially desirable trait in all communities. Those who share optimism are generally accepted while those who spread gloom, panic and hysteria are treated unfavorably.

In life, these people often win elections; get voted most congenial and sought for advice.

When the going gets tough, optimists get tougher

Optimists typically maintain higher levels of subjective well-being during times of stress than do people who are less optimistic. In contrast, pessimists are likely to react to stressful events by denying that they exist or by avoiding dealing with problems. Pessimists are more likely to quit trying when difficulties arise.

They persevere. They just don’t give up easily, they are also known for their patience. Inching their way a step closer to that goal or elusive dream.

Optimists are healthier and live longer

Medical research has justified that simple pleasures and a positive outlook can cause a measurable increase in the body's ability to fight disease.

Optimists’ health is unusually good. They age well, much freer than most people from the usual physical ills of middle age. And they get to outlive those prone to negative thoughts.

So why not be an optimist today? And think positively towards a more fulfilled life.

Why not look forward to success in all your endeavors? Why not be resilient? Like everybody else you are bound to hit lows sometimes but don’t just stay there. Carry yourself out of the mud and improve your chances of getting back on the right track. And why not inspire others to remove their dark-colored glasses and see life in the bright side?